One-shots/Short Stories

Finnick Odair

Their Secret
Her and Finnick fought together in the arena, helping each other with the tributes that tried to kill them. When the last enemy died, they grinned at each other in victory, only for their smiles to falter when they realised they were the only two left in the arena. And were also in the same District, same age. But like in the other games. . .

There's only one Victor.

"Kill me." she told him quietly. "You deserve this more than I do."
   "Are you crazy?" Finnick shook his head quickly. "No. No way in hell am I killing my best friend."
   "There's no other way -"
   "We can think of something. We can figure something out." Finnick panicked. "Just. . .none of us are dying, okay?"
   "So what do we do no then, huh? Just-Just live in the arena? Avoid the mutts and live our life here?"
   "If that's what it takes for the both of us to live, yes." Finnick said seriously. "You're my best friend, Katherine. And I am not losing you in the games."
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, the Victor of the sixty-fifth Hunger Games, Finnick Odair!"
   Finnick smiled at the crowd, waving. But inside? He was crushed. Heartbroken. In pain. Why? Because he lost his friend. His best friend. His crush. And it was all Snow's fault. But that all changed when he reached the age when he was fully desired. . .
***
"You do this, and your family will be safe. You don't do this, then your family dies off one by one."
   "No," Finnick shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut, "no. You're bluffing."
   "Does it look like I am?"
   "I don't believe you."
   "Very well then." A screen appeared in Snow's office, revealing a live video of Finnick's family, and Katherine's. Finnick's blood ran cold, his face paling.
   "No. . ." Finnick whispered.
   "Kill them." Snow said into a phone.
   "NO!" Peacekeepers barged in, shooting his family on sight. His mother, his father, his sister. . .
   "NO!" Finnick screamed, falling to the ground in his knees. He fell into a heap of sobs. Snow towered over him smugly.
   "I won't say it again. Join the business or else more die."
   "Why should I?" Finnick rasped out. "You killed my family."
   "And that is where you're wrong." Finnick stared up at him in confusion.
   "What?" Another screen appeared, showing someone in a cell. The person had long greasy hair, and was chained to the wall. When the person moved their head, Finnick saw who it was and gasped. "Katherine?" Finnick whimpered. "All this time. . .she was alive?"
   "There's only one Victor in the games, Odair." Snow drawled out. "And you were it. She was irrelevant."
   "She is my friend!" Finnick yelled, standing back up. "You will release her, or-or -"
   "Or what?"
   "I'll tell the Capitol and all the Districts what you have done to Katherine."
   "You won't do that. You know why? Because there's a Peacekeeper outside her cell, waiting for my signal to shoot her. Unless you want one more person you care about die, I suggest you do the right thing and do as I say."
   "I'll accept, only on one condition."
   "And that is?"
   "You release Katherine. Bring her back to District Four and where I live. You release her, bring her home, and leave her alone. You got it?"
   "We have a deal, Mister Odair."
***
"This is where you'll be staying." Finnick led the distraught girl into his home. Katherine looked around warily, clutching on to his form tightly. Leading her upstairs, he brought her to her room. "This is where you'll be staying."
   "No."
   "No?"
   "No." she shook her head fast, wide eyed. "I don't want to be alone."
   "You want to share with me?"
   "Yes. Please."
   "Of course, of course." Finnick led her to his room. "Katherine. . ."
   "I'll be fine." she whispered hoarsely, slowly sitting down on the bed. "I just. . .I just need more time."
   "I get it, I get it. I mean, you were in that horrible place for years -" He stopped quickly when she showed signs of having a panic attack. "Everything is going to be okay, okay? I'm going to make sure of it."
   "You can't promise that."
   "Oh I can." I'm selling my body just for your safety. You have no idea how much you mean to me. I love you. "Get some rest, okay?"
   "Okay."