𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐗 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 - Finnick Odair

𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧

     Phoenix placed her knife back in its holder with a smile now spread on her face, realizing what seeing Johanna again meant for their alliance. The last time she saw the younger girl it was the beginning of the games. Phoenix remembers the inner battle she had with herself while watching Johanna flee from the Cornucopia with Blight, Beetee, and Wiress. 

" It's Johanna. " Phoenix muttered, knowing she had to go to the girl and she did. Without a second thought, Phoenix began running towards the girl and her alliance. " Johanna! " Phoenix called out, finally catching the attention of the bloodied girl from District 7. 

Finnick called out Johanna's name as he ran closely behind Phoenix. They watched Johanna turned her head at the sound of her name. Johanna rubbed her eyes at the sight in front of her, needing to be sure this was real and not a hallucination caused by dehydration. Now together they all knew they had a better chance of protecting Katniss and Peeta and eliminating any remaining threats. All thinking that they might be able to leave the arena quicker than expected. 

It wasn't until Phoenix and Finnick got closer to Johanna that they realized the blood that stained Johanna's skin and wetsuit was also on Beetee and Wiress. Johanna realized this was very much real and almost screaming for joy once she saw Finnick and Phoenix running towards her.  " Phoenix! Finnick! " Johanna yelled, now ecstatic that she didn't have to deal with the tributes from District 3 alone.

Once in front of her Phoenix wraps her arms around the bloodied Johanna, not caring if any of the blood got onto her. " You're safe. " Phoenix muttered before letting go of the girl. " Barely. " Johanna said, letting go and watching Katniss and Peeta come into view. 

" What happened? " Finnick asked, wondering why all 3 of them were covered head to toe in blood. " Well, I got them out. " Johanna started, pointing her ax towards Beetee and Wiress, who both looked a bit more disheveled than Johanna.  " We were all the way in the jungle where I thought it was gonna be safe, that's when the rain started. I thought it was water, turns out it was blood.  " Her knuckles now turning white. 

" Tick Tock. " Wiress muttered with a smile on her face. This caught the attention of Phoenix, especially since this was one of the first time she heard Wiress talk. Phoenix watched annoyance spread onto Johanna's face as the words left Wiress's mouth again. " Hot, thick blood, it was coming down. Choking us. " Johanna's voice raised over Wiress as the older woman repeated the same 2 words over again. 

Phoenix could tell Johanna was getting more fed up with Wiress and knew it wasn't long till she snapped. " That's when Blight hit the force field. He wasn't much but he was from home. " Johanna's tone was more somber as she recalled Blight's death.  The group went silent with the only noise coming from Wiress. " Tick Tock. " She repeated. 

" What's wrong with her? " Katniss asking what most of them had been thinking. Wiress was now pacing around the sand, still muttering the only 2 words she seemed to remember. " She's in shock. Dehydration isn't helping. Do you have fresh water? " Beetee asked from the water, as he continued to wash the blood off himself.  Katniss nodded his head at the older man, knowing Peeta had the spile. " We can get some. "  

Wiress then grabs onto both of Johanna's shoulders, repeating the same 2 words now directly in her face. " Stop it! " The now infuriated Johanna yells before grabbing onto Wiress and pushing her onto the sand. " Hey! " Katniss yelled as Wiress hits the ground. Katniss then grabs onto Johanna, with the two girls beginning to push each other. 

Finnick wraps both his arms around Johanna before leading her away from Katniss. " I got them out of there for you! " Johanna reveals, making Phoenix's eyes widen at what Johanna had just said. Johanna begins struggling in Finnick's arms, a part of her not realizing what she had said. " Let me go Finnick! " She says as she feels the water around her. 

Now by Finnick and Johanna's side, Phoenix watches Finnick drop Johanna into the water. " For me? What does that mean? " Katniss's now distance voice said in confusion, causing nerves to fill Phoenix. She had already slipped up to Peeta, and now Johanna saying this to Katniss. What if they were beginning to catch on? 

Johanna was still mumbling obscenities as she began wiping the blood off her. Phoenix helped Johanna wash the blood off her, listening to the obscenities Johanna was still muttering. This is when Phoenix placed her hand on Johanna's arm, leaning down towards the girl, with her only inches away from her ears. " You can't say stuff like that, Johanna. " Phoenix's teeth were clenched as she tried to make this interaction seem natural for the cameras. 

Johanna tensed up at the tone before scoffing at what Phoenix had said. Phoenix noticed the slight eye roll from her and gripped her arm a bit harder. " I'm serious. " Phoenix muttered again, finally hearing Johanna mutter a " Sorry. " As they both continued to clean the blood off her as if nothing had happened. 

Now standing on the beach, Phoenix hears the distant voices of Katniss and Johanna. Phoenix looks down at the empty belt that once carried her knives and begins taking it off. Throwing the empty belt onto the sand below her, Phoenix feels a pair of hands snake around her waist. Looking down she sees Finnick's hands snapping the belt that was once around his own waist, around hers. 

Turning around Phoenix is met with Finnick's face smiling down at her. She places a hand on his face, cupping his cheek, her eyes widening a bit once she notices the scratches that were on one side of his face. " What happened? " Phoenix asks having not noticed the marks before. With her thumb lightly running over the marks, she waits for Finnick's reply.

Finnick hadn't even known there were any marks on his face. " The mutt attack I'm guessing. " He revealed, although it came out almost as more of a question than an answer. " I'm guessing this is the first scratch your pretty face as ever seen? " Phoenix joked, watching Finnick chuckle at the comment, his hands still on her waist. 

Nodding his head slightly, Finnick opened his mouth to talk. " It really is. I hope you can still love me. " He jokes, a smile spreading on his face once he saw Phoenix roll her eyes playfully. " I don't think anything could stop me. " Phoenix revealed, her thumb now caressing Finnick's face slightly under the marks.

A smile spread on Finnick's face. " I'm glad that the feeling is mutual Nixie. " He muttered before grabbing onto Phoenix's wrist and placing a kiss onto the palm of her hand. Phoenix relaxed into his touch, focusing on the feeling of his lips that were still pressed into her palm. A part of her even forgetting all about the ache and pain that filled the rest of her body. 

A surge of light followed by a loud boom rang through the beach. Phoenix and Finnick both turned their heads to the sound that was coming from across the beach. Phoenix dropped her hand from Finnick's face, even though he still had a slight hold on her wrist and waist for his own comfort. They stood next to each other, watching the large tree get struck over and over by the lightning. 

" It's a clock! " Katniss exclaimed, causing everyone to look at her and Wiress. Both Katniss and Wiress looked ecstatic at the realization made by Katniss. " Wiress you're a genius!" Katniss called out, holding onto Wiress's face. The two were quick to make it back to the sand, with an idea already sprouted in Katniss's head. 

Phoenix's heart raced a bit once the words left Katniss's mouth. " We need to go back to the Cornucopia. "