Ice Cold Fire// F. Odair

13

I officially hate car rides.

We had been in the car for a mere thirty minutes of pure awkward silence until Finnick squeezed my hand Bentley, making me look over. Looking at him, he slowly started to smirk, making me roll my eyes and glare, but internally freaked out, when he let go of my hand and reached inside his dress pants pocket. The guards in front of us suddenly adjusted their hands to rest on their blasters, as Finnick only pulled out a single sugar cube.

What the hell is his obsession with those?

"Don't worry, it's just a sweet tooth. You know how it is—gotta keep the taste of the Capitol with me at all times." His tone was nonchalant, but there was an undercurrent of defiance in his words, making me more nervous for what the guards could relay back to Snow himself. "Must you always provoke them?" she retorted, her tone a mixture of frustration and caution. I was annoyed mostly at him right now, and he was only shrugging my comments off and trying to piss the guards off. "Come on, Aurora, where's your sense of fun? They signed up for this, didn't they?" Finnick teased, a smirk playing on his lips. He leaned back, seemingly reveling in the guards' annoyance.

I simply ignored him and the guards after that and continued to stare out the window for the rest of the car ride back to the mansion where Snow waited for us. Exiting the car, the atmosphere shifted drastically. The peacekeepers guided Finnick and I down the halls once inside the mansion, the sounds of our footsteps hitting the marble floors being the only sounds we could hear.

Until Finnick Odair began yapping in my ear.

"What's the Capitol's golden girl all upset about now? Frowning will give you wrinkles," he leaned into me to ask, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. I suddenly scoffed, trying to relax the evident frown and now scowl on my face to prove him wrong. "For someone so charming, you have a talent for annoying people. One of these days, it might not end well and my fist will land onto your cheeky grinning face yeah?." I smiled sickly sweet and sarcastically said, as Finnick only smirked and shrugged, as we continued walking.

He tests my patience more than those Capital stylists do every day and night.

Unable to contain myself from staying quiet more. I stopped walking, as the guards did as well, Finnick doing so as well. Through gritted teeth I felt the anger seeping out into my words before I could restrain myself, "You do realize Snow wants to talk now. This isn't the time for your games Odair, this is the first time he wants to speak to me like this since the games.." Finnick, with a gleam of mischief in his eyes, replied with a feigned innocence, "Who said it's a game, Goldilocks? Just keeping things interesting. Besides, Snow is harmless, he wouldn't dare hurt his precious doll he has locked away in his big grand glass bow of a mansion." His voice was anything but nice, which was oddly terrifying compared to the smile and mischief in his eyes.

I felt a pit of fear growing in my stomach. And I hated it.

We slowed to a stop as we walked inside the glass atrium of the gardens, where I could see Snow standing by a bed of white roses. The air was thick with anticipation, and my breathe had gotten caught between my lips, too scared to breathe in fear he would realize we were there. His figure suddenly turned to us, as he set his eyes on us. His gaze, it was cold and calculating.

I felt sick at the sight.

His gaze fell upon me with a focus that sent shivers down my spine. I could feel Finnick tense up next to me, just as uncomfortable as me. "Aurora," he began, his voice drawed out, his raspy voice screeching in my ears, "I've been meaning to have a conversation with you, my dear." He slowly walked to us, before stopping right in front of me, not even five feet away. His face was void of any emotions, but he had a sickening smirk on his lips, making my skin crawl. "The girl who became the Capital Sweetheart. The Golden Girl." He keeps on saying, as he twirls a rose around his fingers. I simply breathe out slowly, before I snap myself into character, suddenly forgetting who I need to act like.