Finnick Odair's Story: Dark Secrets (The Hunger Games Fanfiction)

Reunited

Annie's POV:

I am sitting on the downstairs balcony of my new home, overlooking the sea, when I see someone approaches. As I sip carefully on my cup of green tea, he walks across the sand in a perfect stroll. His bronze hair is tousled by the soft ocean breeze, his muscular arms peeping out from a tight, fitting t-shirt. Deep purple bags under his sea green eyes are visible from fifty metres away, and a protective instinct kicks in. Has he been sleeping well? Does he still have nightmares?

As he steps closer and closer towards my ground floor porch, my heart rate triples and I can feel my cheeks burning redder and redder. I don't know why or how, but he is dripping with water, tiny droplets sliding down his face. He breaks into an irresistible grin as he approaches, his smile even more beautiful than I remembered. It's been nearly six months, yet as he approaches it feels like an eternity since I said goodbye to him at the station.

He told me to forget about him, to forget about the Games and the Capitol. He wanted me to try to live normally, as if everything was fine. My aunt and uncle had obviously been notified about my return, because they were waiting for me at the station. They treated me as if I was too fragile to be embraced with warmth, too distant to speak to like a relative. Unsurprisingly, I moved out just a day after staying with them. I moved into the Victor's Village, along with Mags and various other winners. The new house is nice, a refreshing change from the Capitol. The rooms are simplistic but beautifully decorated with shells and flowers, freshly hand picked every day when I go for long walks.

But I can't forget the Games, and it feels as if I never will. They haunt my dreams every night, and I see them during the day as well. Being here has helped me, but not much. Fresh sea air can only do so much for a person's mental health.

I almost forgot about Finnick. I tried so hard to block him from my mind, because I knew that I would never see him again. Seeing him now just makes my stomach flutter with wild butterflies that dance around with nervous excitement.

I don't know how I feel about him. I want to be able to love him, I really do, but something stops me every time I allow myself to think about him in that way. As he makes his way across the sand, tears fill my eyes. He came back for me, he escaped the vicious claws of the Capitol and returned to 4. Whether this is legal or not I have no clue.

"Annie," he says softly when he is just a few metres away. His eyes really are a breathtaking shade of green, glimmering in the morning sun.

"Finnick?" I say, as if I can't quite believe he's actually here. "How did you get here? Did Snow let you come?"

He shakes his head slowly. "Not quite. We escaped, a few days ago. Haven't you heard the news?"

"We? And no, no I haven't," I say, wondering who Finnick could possibly have run away with.

"Johanna Mason. She won the Games a few years ago, you know, the girl from 7," he explains.

"Oh," I say, wondering whether Johanna asked him to help her, or whether it was the other way round.

"It's been crazy, Annie, I'll tell you about it one night," he says, running a hand through his hair and grinning sheepishly.

"You're staying here?" I exclaim, shocked.

He nods, glancing back towards the town. "If you want me to."

Of course I want him to. He's the only person I have now, but if it could put us in danger, what will we do? Snow could probably have us both killed.

"I do," I say, reaching for his hand. He grasps it firmly and looks me in the eyes, smiling somewhat sadly.

"But what will happen when Snow realises you're gone? And where's Johanna?" I ask, nervously.