Chapter Text
“Are you serious?”
Immediately, the attention of all five is fixated solely on her. They smile, wink at each other as if they had been waiting for this. Reif doesn’t smile. His face remains stone cold, void of all emotion. Terra is the first who speaks. “What, are you upset your brother betrayed you?” She steps forward and Annie follows suit. Briar’s attempt to grab Annie’s arm is met with a glare from the redhead.
“He didn’t betray me.” Annie spits the words, laying emphasis upon betrayal. She’s small next to Terra, barely reaching her chin, but neither seems to be particularly taken aback by it. Terra rolls her eyes, stepping aside to mockingly bow towards Reif. “Ask him what’s going on then.”
Before her, the young man he had grown into turned away from her. Confusion laid evident upon her face, her expression free to read by anyone staring and snickering. Their mockery didn’t bother her, not even when they jumped aside in an overly-dramatic fashion to get out of her way. She tried to reach for his hand, but he stepped aside. “Reif?” Her voice was hollow, sharp and too loud in the sound of silence. The tension was high, she could feel their eyes burn in the back of her head and yet- that didn’t bother her as much as her own brother ignoring her. What happened for him to switch so drastically? What had they told him?
They both stood eerily still, only mere inches away from each other. There were a million things she wanted to say, but none she wanted to share. At this point the entire room had caught up on what was happening. She heard footsteps approach her, then a hand lightly touching her shoulder. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you and everyone else to continue with the training regime now.” The group disbanded, some obediently and others with loud protests. Perhaps it was the right call, perhaps this just wasn’t the moment to have a conversation like this. What was she going to do anyway? Convince him right here on the spot that he was making a mistake by latching on the career pack? District four wasn’t a career district, not like that. He knew that. Surely he knew that.
Briar was the one who eventually led her away. She let her this time, following her towards one of the first stations. A man greeted them with a warm smile. He smiled with his eyes, they crinkled in the most delightful way. If aging was in her future, she would like to age that way. “I’m Sei, and I specialize on submerged traps. If there’s anything you’d like to know-“
“Annie comes from district four!” Briar’s enthusiasm snaps her out of her thoughts immediately, catching her gaze. They both nod at Sei, who claps his hands together. “Then I’m sure you’ve seen your fair share of these, am I right?” He displays an array of nets, needles and fish hooks, all neatly tucked away in their own compartments. Annie nods once more, turning her attention to Briar. “Would you like me to show you?”
Briar’s enthusiasm is contagious. The brunette nods enthusiastically, squeezing her hand. “And then I’ll show you how you can split a tree in half with just one axe throw.”
They sit around Sei’s station for a bit, issuing in a small break to get Briar a band-aid after she accidentally hooked her own finger instead of the bait, before taking a stroll around the room. It’s size, something Annie hadn’t noticed before, was overwhelming. The ceilings were ages away, with tv screens hooked on every corner. They displayed each of the tributes momentarily, following them around with the dozens of camera’s hooked into the walls. She saw the boy from eight throw spears through dummies like it was his second nature, the girl from ten throw a knife in every bullseye the training center had to offer and then- Reif. He stood nervously on one of the mats, opposite of a coach. The group he had aligned himself with hung around and over the fence. It seemed they were all taking turns.
“Your brother right?” Briar’s voice is soft as her touch, the hand on her back guiding her away from the screen. She nods, they walk in silence.
At lunch, she sits with district seven, eight and eleven. They exchange pleasantries and try, to the best of their ability, to not think about the face that they’ll face each other in a matter of just a few days. It’s nice for as long as it lasts.
Briar keeps her promise after they eat, tugging her along to one of the virtual augmentation rooms. The woman there presses a few buttons and like magic, they are in the middle of a forest. Briar seems to light up beneath the trees, and shows her how to use an axe in every possible (deadly) way. At the end, Annie knows about a hundred different ways how to drive an axe into someone’s skull from a distance. And then the buzzer sounds. She watches Reif leave with the group, squeezing past to find him before he’s able to hide behind Mags and Finnick, but there’s no sign of him once she reaches the door.
-
The door swings open with a loud thud. So loud, that she actually decides to check if she didn’t make a dent in the wall. Mags’ eyes follow her. “Everything alright?”
“Yeah- where’s Reif?” Her fingertips lightly touch where the door handle hit the wall, it’s seemingly all steel. “He’s with Finnick, come sit. I’d like you to meet someone.”
Next to Mags sits a woman. She smiles at Annie, getting out of her own chair to pull back Annie’s. Before them on the table lay an array of notes and fabrics. “You’re-“ “Lotus!” She interrupts Annie with a bright smile. “Your stylist.”
The designs laid out in front of them are intricate, some of the most beautiful she’s ever seen in her life. Her eyes flicker from the notes to the prototypes and eventually back to Lotus. Mags seems almost as excited. “You made this.” It wasn’t a question, she spoke in pure awe.
Lotus holds up one of the dresses, a shimmery soft blue mermaid dress. Seashells and woven fishnets as it’s top leave little to the imagination. “We wanted to go for a Mer-Kingdom kind of idea, with you being from district four and all. Atlantis.” She draws out the last word, her eyes sparkling. “Do you want to try it on?”
The dress fits her like a glove, hugging her curves in an elegant way. The long train that Lotus added flows as she walks, as if the waves were making her walk on water. All three of them remain silent, simply in awe of the presence Lotus managed to give her. “It’s-“ “Beautiful.” She interrupts her again, wiping away a single tear. Annie grins. “We still have to do your hair of course.” Of course. Annie takes a step back when Lotus ruffles her orange curls, “what do you think, Maggie?” Both their heads turn towards Mags, Annie both confused and amused at the nickname. “Yeah, what do you think Maggie?”
Then, the door opens again, bringing in a gust of wind. In the middle stand Finnick, Reif and another woman. “Lily!” Lotus squeaks, waddling over to take the other woman into her arms. Finnick’s grin is obnoxious as ever as he walks over, settling Reif into one of the chairs before turning his attention towards her. “I see you’ve been busy.” He gestures towards the dress, letting his gaze roam freely. She ignores it, turning towards Reif who still hasn’t given her a sliver of eye contact since yesterday. “Where have you been?” He turns to face her, gaze as cold as ever. “You don’t get it, do you?” She frowns, taken aback by his sudden ability to speak again. “We’re not getting out of here together. I’d say I’m distancing myself from you so that you won’t have to feel bad about killing me but we both know that you couldn’t even get close enough to attempt it.” She opens her mouth to speak, but he shakes his head. “I’m working to get out of that arena and go back home, I suggest you stop pretending we are still happy siblings that stick together and do the same.”
Besides the sounds of Reif’s boots against the marble floor, everyone is silent. He slams the door when he exits, the loud thud echoing until Mags speaks. “Annie-“
“It’s fine.” She takes a deep breath, turning towards Mags with a smile. “I promise, I’m fine. I think we should just finish up this dress since everyone is already here.”
The rest of the afternoon she dips in and out of the conversation, allowing her thoughts to take her elsewhere. To sandy beaches and earlier years. To safer places. When Lotus is finished with her, she thanks her with a hug that is reciprocated in a way that made her realize she had missed physical comfort like this. She sinks into her embrace. “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.” Lotus lets her hang on, brushing manicured fingertips through her hair.
The look is ethereal, certain to garner attention at the first reveal. “When, um-“ She turns slightly towards Mags and Finnick with a crack in her voice, refusing eye contact. “Tomorrow.” Mags answers, her voice soothing as ever. “Tonight there is a party, but you don’t have to go if you don’t want to-“ “Yes she does.” Finnick interrupts her, sliding past her to lift Annie up. She gasps as he sways them around the room, twirling her dress around the both of them. “You absolutely have to go to the party, all of your fellow tributes are going to be there and it is the perfect moment for you to get some sponsors. Look at me.” He doesn’t let up, twirling them in circles until she meets his gaze. “I’m gonna be sick!” He winks. “Then let me show you how to dance properly, tonight.”
-
“This is it?”
Blue and green lights flash over the garden leading up to the rooftop where the party is held. It’s absolutely packed, groups of people crowding around the few bars and pool in the middle. Annie frowns, looking at Finnick. “You didn’t tell me it was a pool party.” “Oh it’s not- not really anyway.” His hand rests on the small of her back, guiding her through the crowd until they reach the bar. He was right, there is almost nobody in the pool, just a few people sitting around it. Waste of water.
“What are you drinking?” His voice snaps her out of her thoughts. “Water.”
“Mai!” The blue-haired bartender perks up, smiling bright at Finnick. “Two of the district four specials please.”
The bartender nods and disappears, returning with two yellowish and blue drinks. As she mixes them they become a sea green. “That’s water?” She asks suspiciously, eyeing Finnick who seems as relaxed as ever. “This is a party in your honor, with a drink in honor of your district-“ He hands her one of the glasses, clinking it against his. “I say cheers.”
The taste is vile, it’s both way too sweet and burns her throat with how intrusive the alcohol is. She scrunches up her nose, taking in the drink she’s holding. “Who made this?” Finnick nods towards the bartender, who seems to have moved on to the next patron. “No-“ She sticks out her tongue. “Who’s idea was it to have this drink represent district four?” That seems to amuse Finnick, but he shrugs his shoulders and lifts his drink. She follows suit, downing it within a few more sips. “Do you know each other?” She mumbles, nodding at Mai. Finnick smiles and shakes his head. “Sort of.” With a simple hand in the air he garners her attention again, ordering another round of drinks for them.
.
.
The lights were dazzling, red and orange streaks flickering down to illuminate the hundreds of people dancing within the smoke. There were people singing, raising their glasses in the air and yelling above the music. Couples around them kissed, their bodies so close to each other that it left Annie jealous of such a love. Of such passion. She had lost Finnick a while ago, he had disappeared in the blur.
Suddenly, two girls swarmed her on either side. One of them was Terra, she recognized her voice. The other one seemed to be twice as intimidating. The girl tribute of district one.
“Hey there four~” Their breath reeked of alcohol, the same sweetness that burnt her own nostrils. “We have a question for you.” Terra smiled and nodded towards a big blur in the distance. “How good is he?” Annie frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Oh come on, you’re telling me you aren’t hitting that?” They way they spoke was undoubtedly fueled by the alcohol, but something didn’t feel right. She shook her head, looking around for someone- anyone else to talk to. The blonde girl leaned in, pulling her in for a hug and blocking her view. “If you don’t soon then I might…” That earned a cackle from Terra, the sound was deafening, trumping the loud music. “Who knows how long we have left, right?”
Who knows how long we have left… The girl’s voice echoed in her thoughts. She let the two of them drag her across the room towards the bar where two men jumped up to greet them. “Look who we have- who’s that?” Annie glared at the hostility within his voice and he seemed to lighten up immediately. “Four.” Terra’s tone was playful, dismissive as she dove into the arms of one of the men. They kissed, getting into it as if none of them were standing right before them. The girl from one rolled her eyes, pushing past to get to the bar. It left her alone with the other guy. “Amelia?” He attempted, gauging her reaction. Her turn to roll her eyes. “Annie.” “Close.” Sure. She skips after Aurelia, climbing on one of the bar stools. The blonde seemed unbothered by her presence, staring down at her a few times. The bartender passes them each time and Annie notices it’s starting to bother the girl beside her.
“Mai!” She blurts out. The blue-haired girl grins, holding up her finger before returning mere seconds later. “Back for more already? You and Finnick seemed like you were heading home.” That seemed to raise some eyebrows, but Annie shrugs and turns to her neighbor. “What do you want?”
Another shot glass hits the bar, joining the other empty five and knocking one over. Annie and Aurelia had been joined by the other three at this point. They called her ‘the superior ginger’ and seemed to tolerate her only through alcohol, but that feeling was mutual. The harbored resentment felt muted, paused almost. As if they were all able to set their differences aside for one night fueled by alcohol. So when Ashlar slid into the seat next to her, putting his hand to her forehead to mention how ‘hot’ she felt, she didn’t protest. She let him flirt and engaged as much as possible. Until she felt a sharp pain pull her right out of it, sharp nails pinching her earlobe to tug her away from the bar. She curses Finnick’s name, spitting vile words about how she was just getting to know the career pack. Except it wasn’t Finnick, and when she was let go she was met with Johanna’s furious expression. It left her throat dry and undoubtedly sober.
“What the hell was that?” And really, what was that? She didn’t have an answer nor explanation.
“I’m scared.” She admitted.
“Everyone is.” Johanna spoke candidly. “Just don’t let boys like that make you a target, Annie.” She spoke like Finnick did. Everything was dizzy.
Johanna seemed to catch on, sighing deeply before tugging her along. She found Finnick within a matter of seconds, pushing Annie towards him. “Here you go.” He seemed as confused as Annie felt, lips parted as if he were going to ask a question. Johanna had already left. “Where-“ “Bar.” Annie vaguely gestures towards the bar they sat down at together. “I’ve been looking for you.” He seemed sober. She shrugged.
His fingertips caress her cheek, tracing her jawline. “How much have you been drinking?” She shrugged once more, rolling her eyes when he checks her pupils. “We’re leaving.” Not like she had a choice, but she follows suit. As they pass the bar, Aurelia and Terra whistle and yell. She blushes as their words flood back, as Finnick's strong grip on her waist guides her away from the party. Who knows how long we have left, right?
Finnick doesn’t speak one word, not when they walk back, not when she stops and sits down on one of the benches in the hallway to take a breath and not when he unlocks her bedroom door. He hesitates, undoubtedly frowning at the zipper at her back. “I’ll go see if Mags-“ “Can you stay?” Their voices sound horribly loud in the silence. The music still echoes within her ears. He lingers, running one hand through his golden locks. “Yeah- Give me a second.”
He returns in a t-shirt and sweatpants, two pillows tucked underneath his arm. “Where are your pajamas?” Suddenly she’s self conscious, gesturing towards the couch next to him. An old shirt and blue shorts lay crumpled on the side. He gestures, she follows. “I’m just going to zip it down for you, okay?” She nods slowly, grateful for the soft, orange rays being the only source of light in the room. He is careful, holding her hips steady as he pulls the zipper down. “Here.” He’s turned away, pushing the bundle of clothes into her arms. “Go get dressed in the bathroom.”
The light in the bathroom reveals a mess. Her flushed cheeks are a harsh contrast against pale skin, with messy curls sticking to her sweaty face. She looks terrible. Did he notice?
She splashes water in her face, letting the dress hit the floor. The absolutely gorgeous fabric looks bleak against the marble tiles. So does her face. “Breathe.” She whispers, hastily getting into the old pajamas. Why didn’t she just grab new ones? The capitol would’ve sent one within a few minutes. Too late now.
When she turns the door handle, she half expects Finnick to have left. He obviously did this as a mentor rather than anything else. She would’ve been delusional thinking that it was anything more than that. But he sits in her bed, the two pillows propped up against his back. “What-“ He looks up at the sound of her voice. “What are you reading?”
“It’s called ‘Why the birds left’, it’s a memoir.” He smiles, setting the book aside. “I got you some water.”
Grateful, she takes the bottle from him and downs half of it right away. “Thirsty?” “Trying to sober up.” He makes an ‘ah’ sound, taking the bottle from her. “I suppose that is my fault.” That earns him a glare. “You just started me on it, I threw myself into that abyss.”
He nods slowly. “Yeah, Johanna said you and Ashlar-“ Stopping midway, he meets her gaze. “You got along.”
“It’s really not like that.” Reaching over him, she grabs the water bottle from the nightstand on his side. “I mean he was making out with Terra just before that. Who, by the way, is really interested in you.” A smile creeps up as she speaks, the ridiculousness of it all sinking in. Here they sit together, in her bed, talking about people who could not care less about either of them if it weren’t for a hook-up or a sponsor. He catches on. “What’s funny about that?”
Annie rolls her eyes. “It’s not funny, it’s just the way they said that. They asked me if I had ‘hit that’ yet and they totally would have, you know with being unsure how long we’ll live.” Finnick propped himself up. “What did you say?”
“No-“ Taken aback, she stares at him. “Obviously.”
Finnick shrugs his shoulders before relaxing into the pillows again. “Could’ve said you did. If you don’t know yet, my name carries quite a bit of weight around here.” She rolls her eyes. “And lie?”
He winks, turning towards her. “You know, it doesn’t have to be a lie.” A violent cough overthrows the conversation, Annie patting her chest to try and calm down, waving his concerned hand away. "Fine-" She mumbles through the coughing. "Fine..." It takes a few seconds before she can breathe again, Finnick patiently waits with a smug smile on his face. She hates him for it.
With a weak thumbs up, she signals it's all good and he takes the water bottle from her again. "That really got to you, didn't it?" He mumbles, maintaining the smug smile. Annie just shakes her head. "You just seem to think you have the same sort of impression on everyone." That seemed to intrigue him. "And what impression is that?" He props himself up by his elbow, leaning in slightly. She sits still, watching him transform. It's fascinating, the way he can go from his normal self to this persona he must have created for himself. "You're doing it now." She gestures vaguely to all of him. "The attitude, the smug smile. You turn into the man everyone wants within seconds, it's almost-" The words are lost on her. "It's almost like a defense mechanism. Like people aren't allowed to see who you really are, so they see this confident, attractive man and they- they want him. They want to be him."
It's silent. Finnick's smile had faded, he had no intention on replying. They stare at each other for another few seconds before he lays down into the pillows. "Come on." He pats the spot beside him. "You clearly need to sober up still. Let's sleep."