The Victor -Pollux-

Chapter 14

When the jet returned to District 13, Carson took her time before returning to her room. There wasn't a rush to get back because she knew she wouldn't sleep. It was rare that her dreams were kind. After experiencing some of the horrors left behind in District 12, she wasn't in a rush. She hoped that District 10 never experienced anything like that. So many people were killed. Gale said out of 10,000, only 915 made it out. The rest were killed as they ran for their lives.

After a while, she decides to return to her room. Pushing open the door, she was surprised to see someone else in the room. It was Finnick. He was sleeping in her bed but woke up when the door closed. Luckily, Charlie remained asleep.

Carson slipped off her shoes, sitting on the metal chair. Finnick rolled out of bed, landing with a soft thud on the floor. He stretched his arms before approaching her. "Hey," his tone is light. "Sorry for taking your bed."

"You're fine," she assures him. "What are you doing here?"

"Charlie asked me to stay." Carson nodded in understanding. "Everything okay?"

That was a loaded question. Everything wasn't okay, but Carson wasn't sure it ever was. "Fine."

Finnick didn't believe her, but he didn't question her further. He sat in the other open chair across from his. His eyes traveled to her shirt pocket, where a white wildflower was poking out. "What's that?"

"What's what?"

Finnick pointed at the flower. "That."

Carson grabbed the item. "A flower, Finnick. Haven't you ever seen one?"

He playfully rolled his eyes. "I meant, why do you have it?"

She twirls the flower in her hand, letting her fingers feel the dry stem. "It was a gift." A gift from Pollux.

"From who?"

"Pollux."

A faint smirk appears on his face. "The Avox?"

"He's not just an Avox, Finnick." The response is quick. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "Like we are not just Victors."

"But we are just Victors," he argues. "We're all just one thing. A Tribute. A Victor. A Soldier. It's all the same." Carson disagrees. She isn't just a Victor. She's a sister, a friend, an orphan. She is many different things. "It's late." Finnick places a hand on her arm. "You should rest. I'll go back to my-"

"Stay," Carson whispers. "You can stay."

"Are you sure?"

She smiles at him, "I'm sure."

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Carson tries to sleep, but it's still hard. The memories return in flashes, creating nightmares. It's expected at this point. She can never sleep at night. There is a curfew in District 13, but she's broken it several times. Coin doesn't seem to mind. Carson doesn't break any rules, only needing to clear her mind.

She ends up at the garden center. It always helped clear her mind. As she reaches to press the button, something catches her eye. There is someone inside the room already. They're sitting under the tree, scribbling something in a notebook. She recognizes the person. It's Pollux.

He sits with crossed legs on the ground. His attention focused entirely on a book. The sight of him causes her to smile. An odd feeling appears. It's as if her stomach is twisting. She's nervous but also calm. It's a complicated feeling.

Carson presses the button for the doors. They open loudly, catching his attention. Pollux whips his head toward the doors. Fear flashes across his face, but he instantly relaxes seeing the girl approaching. Pollux can't help but smile at the sight of her. At night, she looks different. Opting for baggy pants and shirt to sleep in while her hair is in a loose bun.

"Hey," her voice is airy. "Can't sleep?" Pollux shakes his head. They've had this conversation before. "Me either." Carson sits on the ground in front of him, her back resting against the wall. "What are you doing?" She eyes the notebook in his hand. Pollux waves his hand dismissively, but his cheeks are pink. It appears to be a secret. Carson doesn't push further.

The birds glide through the air. She watches them fondly. They're carefree and living happily with no predators to pick them off. They do not know the horrors of the real world. They do not know what it is like to fear because there is nothing for them to be scared of.

As Carson watches the birds, someone is watching her. Pollux stares at her fondly. He liked watching her and found himself doing it often. There were always so many things he wanted to say when they were near each other, but he always stayed silent. Getting to know her wasn't easy. Carson wasn't very social or personable. Still, Pollux was determined. "So," Carson breaks the silence. She hated sitting in silence.

Pollux takes out his smaller notepad, preparing to write one thing, when something else pops into his mind. He finishes writing and turns the paper around. When did you meet Katniss? She reads.

"When I went to the Capitol for the Quarter Quell," Carson responds. "When did you get into film?"

He starts writing again. She wants to tell him that sign language is something she understands but doesn't. It's unclear what she's waiting for. Pollux turns the paper around. It wasn't until I met Cressida. I was just trying to get out of the Capitol. It was the perfect opportunity.

"I've never met anyone from the Capitol who hated it until I met you guys. I always just assumed everyone was happy."

He writes something down quickly. The stupid ones are happy.

Carson giggles. It's a sound Pollux hasn't heard from her before. "I don't disagree with that." The Capitol citizens were naive and ignorant, refusing to see what the games really were. "I guess that makes you one of the smart ones?" Pollux blinked a few times before grinning. He sat up straighter, suddenly feeling proud of himself.

Silence takes over, but it only lasts a minute. Carson rubs her eyes, clearly exhausted. Pollux writes something down. Why can't you sleep at night?

Carson's lips fall into a frown. "I just have bad dreams." At the mention, she pulls her knees into her chest. Pollux notices the way her body language changes. She recoils into herself, appearing small. It's as if the mere mention of the dreams is enough to send her spiraling. He can't imagine how bad the dreams are. They must be terrible if it weakens her this much. She's the strongest person he's ever met.

Pollux writes quickly, wanting to reassure her. He flips the notepad around. I have bad dreams, too, sometimes.

Carson can't tell if he's being genuine or trying to comfort her. Either way, it means a lot. "Do you ever miss the Capitol?"

He thinks for a moment but writes something down quickly. No. It's a short, simple answer. Pollux writes something else down. Do you?

She wants to say no but finds herself hesitating. "No." The Capitol was not her home, and it never would be. But it did shape her into who she was today. There were things she liked. She liked sneaking off with Finnick and sitting on the roof at night. It was hard to see the stars, but the lights from the city were beautiful in some sick, twisted way.

Pollux handed her the notepad. She hadn't seen him write anything down, too lost in her own thoughts. What do you miss the most about your home?

There were so many things she missed. She missed the smell. Most people hated it, but not Carson. She missed the autumn breeze and the changing of the leaves. She missed her home. Not her home in the Victors' Village. The house her parents raised her in. "The stars." That confused Pollux. "There aren't a lot of buildings in town. The factories are past the farms. At night, the entire sky lights up. You can see every star in the galaxy. Charlie knows all of them." The memories bring her comfort. "It's like nothing you've ever seen before. It's so beautiful." Carson would do anything to see the stars from her home again.

This time, he wrote something down she never expected. Maybe you could show me one day.

A smile appeared on her face. The brightest smile that he had ever seen on her. "I would like that." And now, she's looking at him differently than before. She's looking at him like a close friend, like someone she's afraid to lose.