Never In Your Favor - Finnick Odair

5

Kaianna once again, was awakening with a scream. She clawed at the silk sheets, as she sat up and pressed herself back into her headboard. Everything seemed to be getting worse with the new stress. Her head snapped up at the door to her room pushing open, but she was a little more at ease when she saw a familiar face.

"What's wrong?" Finnick asked quietly.

"I just had a nightmare," Kaianna rubbed a hand over her tired face, "I'm fine, really. Just- sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"I couldn't sleep anyhow," He smiled, and invited himself to sit on the edge of her bed. The two sat in silence for what felt like ages. Neither of them wanting to say the wrong thing. Neither one wanting to be too supportive, "I never got to thank you, by the way."

Kaianna pulled her knees to her chest, and sent her partner a confusing glance.

"For Mags," Finnick's eyes met her's in sincerity, "she was never gonna make it. You saved her life."

"Yeah," The brunette scoffed as she tucked a braid behind her ear, "well I didn't do it for you."

"I know. You did it for her."

"Maybe," Kaianna narrowed her eyes, and Finnick tilted his head in a questioning manner, "but I think my reasoning was more selfish than that."

"How so?" The man shifted his body, so he was facing her completely.

"Mags is all I have left," A sad smile broke out onto Kaianna's lips, "she'll be just fine- hell maybe even better off without me. If she was in my place then, I'd be completely alone."

Finnick's eyebrows crinkled in deep thought. He hadn't really seen it that way. To him Kaianna was lucky, being able to win the games, and disappear afterwards, not having to be apart of any of Snow's shenanigans. He saw the way she left without a word, and did nothing to help young tributes when she was perfectly able, as selfish. He never let himself consider what price she had to pay for that freedom.

"Right," He sighed. Kaianna appreciated the tone of sympathy in his voice. She had been too afraid to show him that emotion but, here he was, being completely honest, "did you happen to think anymore about an alliance, at all?"

She nodded silently, and if he wouldn't have been for the extent of his focus, his would've missed her eyes glossing over completely.

"What happens if it gets down to the two of us?" Kaianna refused to let her voice crack. She kept it firm.

The ocean eyed man, shook his head silently. He knew exactly what would happen. If it got down to the two of them, she'd win but, he also knew, that it was never meant to come to that.

"I take it you haven't spoken to Haymitch, have you," Kaianna tilted her head back, her confusion only worsening when Finnick showed off his signature grin and offered her his hand, "come on. We should talk about it on the balcony."

It didn't matter that she didn't understand, because for some reason, she trusted him. So, she gave him her hand, trying to ignore the way his thumb traced a circle on the back side of her palm, and the way his eyes subtly scanned over her silk nightgown. Finnick silently pulled her, out of her room, and out on to the balcony of their apartment. She hated how she was feeling. How he looked at her. How she didn't mind it. It was all getting to be too much.

"Why'd we have to come all the way out here?" Kaianna wondered nervously.

Trust leads to demise.

"There's no cameras out here," Her heart sank at his words, her mind automatically telling her that she was in danger. Even a person she had begun to trust, had so easily become a threat to her, and just like that, they were back to the start. That's how it had to be. Otherwise, she might get too close. Trust leads to demise, "it's ok- Kai! It's ok, I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to tell you what's going on, so you can decide whether or not you want to be apart of it."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" She said sternly still trying to break out his grip. In that moment she decided that if it came to the two of them, she'd stand no chance.

"Maybe if you stopped trying to slap me, I'd be able to spit it out."

Kaianna sighed, hating the fact that she had to admit he was right, "Fine. You have like- one minute."

"I'd expect nothing less," Finnick smirked, "there's an alliance forming."

Kaianna narrowed her eyes, and fought the urge to slap him upside the head, "Did you drag me all the way out here, to tell me something that I already know?"

"No- can you just listen? Jesus, and you say I talk too much-"

"Well, I learned from the best so-"

"Kaianna." She stiffened at the way he said her name. The shift in Finnick's tone would've been obvious to anyone.

"I'm listening." The woman let a sigh leave her lips, locking her eyes to his.

"There's talk of a rebellion," Finnick's explanation, came out hushed, for he was more than afraid to talk too loudly. If the wrong person heard what he was about to tell his partner, it would ruin everything, "more than half of the tributes want to be apart of it. There's a way we can all survive, we just have to work together."

Kaianna's mouth opened slightly at the news. She had always dreamed about a world that was different than the one they were living in but, it was just that. A dream. Could a better life really be possible? She ran her hands over her braided hair, "And what do we have to do?"

"They want Katniss and Peeta," Finnick said calmly, "our only job in that arena would be to protect them, until they can get them out. We just have to keep them safe."

Finnick's partner shook her head, "What if it doesn't work?"

"There's no guarantee that it will," He shrugged, "but wouldn't you rather die fighting to live in a free world, rather than die fighting to stay in a corrupt one?"

"I'd rather not die for nothing."

"Kaianna," Finnick said pleadingly, "the lives we're living aren't our own. We don't have any real choice, or any real happiness. Aren't you tired of that?"

"What kind of question is that," Kaianna muttered angrily. How could he ask such a stupid thing, "of course I am!"

"So, what are we gonna do about it?" He wondered.

She thought about it. Somehow she kept coming to the conclusion, that she really had nothing to lose. She killed the person she was closest to herself, years ago. Her family dying not far behind him. There wasn't really anything left. So, she nodded her head, "Fine. I'm in."

Finnick grinned genuinely, and wrapped his arms around the girl to bring her into a tight hug, "Thank you Kaianna. Thank you."

"I'm not doing it for you." She said blankly.

Of course she was. Kaianna was fighting for him, as well as every other victor, and every other fallen tribute. She was fighting for the kids, that had spent countless years, losing their minds at a reaping. Families who had lost someone to the games. Victors who had nothing left. Nothing but hope. Kaianna had nothing left but, hope, and she intended to fight for it.

Finnick nodded his head in understanding, "Think about what you're doing at training tomorrow. Take some time to gain their trust. They're not gonna agree to ally with us, if they think we'll turn on them."

"They don't know what's going on?" Kaianna scoffed.

"No, it's just safer that way," Finnick stepped back to take her appearance in again, "I like that color on you, by the way. The blue really brings out the color in your eyes perfectly."

Kaianna pulled her eyes off of his, and stepped away from him immediately. She didn't like the tension between them, and the last thing she was willing to do was accept it.

"Goodnight Finnick."