❝ ALONE WE ARE STRONG,
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER, ❞
in which talia riverthorn,
a citizen of district 4,
finds her heart torn
when she is forced into the
71st hunger games.
and the handsome,
mysterious finnick odair
is her mentor.
and as well...
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FOREVER
He looked at himself in the mirror. The grey uniform of District 13 was not what he had expected to wear for his wedding, but it was enough. It was enough for him that he was marrying the love of his life, everything else was insignificant today.
The wedding was more of a propaganda play from Coin than it was anything else, but the feelings and thoughts shared between Finnick and Talia were very real. The walk to the large hall where President Coin did all her announcements was short. Finnick smiled at Katniss and Prim as he passed them, the rest of the people attending were mostly just there to fill in numbers, to make it look like a real party for the cameras.
Finnick took his place standing before some District 13 member who was going to be reading from a shoddy old piece of paper.
There was music, someone had dug out some old, dusty instruments and they were playing in the background, out of tune, but good enough. The music changes and Finnick looks around to see Talia approaching, Mickey was walking her up the 'aisle'. She was dressed in a plain white smock- which was apparently what every District 13 bride wore to her wedding. She was smiling as she approached, the gemstone ring that Finnick had presented to her prior was glinting under the lights. She looked beautiful even in something so plain. Around her neck, the necklace her mother had made for her.
Finally, she reaches him and he takes her arms, holding her tightly, never wanting to let go ever again. The officiate begins talking, and the vows go over smoothly enough. Then its all over, and they're married. Both of them, in sickness and in health, till death do they part.
The music's pace quickens then, and the seats are shifted to encircle tables. Space is made in the centre of the room for dancing. Talia and Finnick go first, unable to take their eyes off of each other as they spin slowly to the music. It was nice, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Finnick in his plain grey slacks and Talia in the white smock that every other bride in the District wore. It was simple, but it was enough for them.
After awhile, Talia's head starts to hurt from all the spinning, so the two of them take a seat at one of the tables and watch the rest of the District party. Even Katniss and Prim are dancing.
It was a joyous moment, but Talia knew it was too good to be true. It had been a month since District 2, Katniss was only now getting back on her feet, but the girl had not been shy in sharing her plans with Talia. She wanted to go to the Capitol, she wanted to fight properly- not just from behind a camera, doing fake poses and propos. Katniss wanted to lead rebels into the Capitol's streets. She wanted to cut the head off the snake that was named Coriolanus Snow. Talia wanted the same, but now she had other commitments- Finnick, the baby. She had to make her choice.
Finnick taking her hand that now bore her wedding ring was what brought her back from her thoughts. She looks into his eyes and forces herself to smile. She wished she could really smile, she wished she could tell him Katniss's plan.
"Tell me where your mind is," He says softly.
She looks away then, at the dancing crowds. Most the people she only knew the names of- not their stories. But then she glanced at her brothers, her brother's girlfriend and their son. She wished her parents could have been here. She looks to Jamie and her rebel team. Rossan wasn't here either.
"I wish...Some people who should have been here, are not," She says, turning her head back to Finnick with tear filled eyes.
"And that is not your fault," He says softly, squeezing her hand, "I too wish there were people here who aren't. My parents, my...My little sister,"
Talia's lips part. She'd never heard of a sister before. "I-I didn't know you had a sister-"
"Her name was Cecelia," He says quietly, "She was ordered dead by Snow, along with my father when I refused to be a prostitute. I returned home from the Capitol for a short period of time, to visit them...Their bodies were left where the Peacekeepers shot them down...I reported the crime but...The Peacekeepers I told were the very ones that killed them. I set my sister and parents out to sea. Their memory is erased for everyone but me...And now you, I suppose,"
She is speechless for a moment. Her mind ticks over, wondering what to say.
"You don't have to say anything, its a lot to take in. Even just speaking it out loud to you...I feel a weight off my chest I didn't know was there. That has been my secret for 7 years," He says, "I have never told anyone, beside those Peacekeepers who did nothing,"
"I'm so sorry," She says quietly, placing her other hand over their entwined ones, "I had no idea you were carrying that with you,"
"It's okay, Talia," He replies, "My father and my sister live on through me. They are the reason I have strength. They are the reason I fight for the people I love, because I didn't fight for them,"
Talia pulls her husband into her arms then, holding him tightly against her. She never wanted to let him go. He had lost so much. They both had. And they would face a lot more- but they had one thing they didn't have before. Each other. They were together now. Bound by many things, their wedding just one of them. Finnick Odair pulled back from her embrace and cupped her face in his hands.
"Talia Odair, I see you, I see all you are and all you will be. I see my life with you, only you, and our child. I see District 4. The fishing boats and the sound of the horns. I see a little cottage- not the Victor's Village. I see our child on the sand, digging for sea shells and shrieking at crabs scuttling towards them. I see us, sitting in rocking chairs and growing old together. Together. You and I. Forever,"
_________________
oh boyyyyyy ITS ABOUT TO GO DOWN!!!!!!!
lol hi. it has been a while huh? oops. apologies.
i hope you enjoyed this?! its smaller than the usual chapter but i wanted a break from the doom & gloom- kinda...
anyway, thank you for reading! don't forget to leave a comment & vote!!!
