Clinging onto Finnick for what felt like only minutes, shaking against his chest as we both try to control ourselves, was in fact over an hour.
"An hour before the parade," Barley quietly tells us from the bedroom that the bathroom we are currently huddled in.
"Thanks Barley," Finnick whispers hoarsely. Clearing his throat after when the other victor leaves. I hear him take a deep breath against my ear, the thrumming of his racing heart grounding me to the reality of the situation.
I cut him off with a quiet whisper when he opens his mouth to speak,
"I don't care about hiding us anymore," I don't even look up at him,
"I want to live the next few days the way I want to. Snow can try to kill me all he wants in the arena but he can't do it before or there will be uproar. I want us to be a proper couple for a few days Finnick," I look up into his stormy eyes, tracing his defined cheek gently with my fingertips.
"Let's show them how it's done," his smile watery from our previous crying. Tenderly, he leans his head down and brushes his soft lips against my own.
"I love you Mr. Odair,"
"Not as much as I love you Mrs.Odair,"
"Impossible," I smile at him, as he rises to his feet and offers me a hand up like a true gentleman.
"Well then, I am the impossible," he chuckles as he places another kiss on my lips. Turning from me slightly, he grabs my silver engagement and wedding ring from the small clam shell that sits on the marble countertop beside the sink. Taking my dainty hand in his larger ones, he places a gentle kiss on my knuckles before sliding the rings onto my finger, where they belong.
We were only able to wear these when we weren't in the public eye, but I don't care anymore. I want to show people that I love my husband and that he belongs to me. He tucks a lock of my shiny black hair behind my ear; kissing my forehead with a lingering kiss before bidding me goodbye to go get ready himself.
I can suddenly hear a stampede of heeled footsteps rushing towards my room. Appearing in the bedroom door way is my stylist team ,"Oh heavens darling! we have so much work to do! Look at you!" Star, my crazy stylist squeaks as she grabs my hand and throws me back into the bathroom to get a quick shower.
*
It's not long before I'm sliding the dress for the tribute parade over my exposed skin. The bronzed floor length skirt sitting high on my hips where the translucent, very sparkly, v neck top shows off the small amount of cleavage I have with my athletic build. A pair of very high, black heels thrown at me as they pull my hair impossibly straight and up into a high ponytail. My anklet sitting above the right shoe perfectly. A pair of silver earrings dangle across my collarbones and thin silver bangles decorate my wrists.
Smokey makeup is applied but it's light and not too much.
I feel good when I look in the mirror.
"Thank you," I praise my team, holding each of their hands delicately before I make my way to the lift that will take us to the the chariots. Beside the lift, waits a patient Barley who is dressed in a black, wrap around toga with bronze grain embroidered into the material. I give a small smirk when I notice how deflated he feels in it.
"Lets go party," I give a wicked grin at him as we call for the lift and make our way down silently. When we reach the bottom we are escorted to the waiting area and are allowed to mingle for a little while.
A couple spot my attention first as I strut confidently over to them. Show any weakness in this game and I'm done for.
"Gloss, Cashmere," I smile. The brother and sister pair turn from their chariot and beautiful horses to face me, smirks on their faces.
"Alice," the blonde siblings say in unison. I raise a perfect eyebrow at them before we all give small chuckles.
"You know how much that freaks me out," I smile as I give each of them a hug. I knew the pair from travelling with my father before I had my games. Then after my own, I bonded with them quiet well, we reminded each other of home- or my old District. I look over their golden robes that wrap elegantly around their bodies and show off the defined muscles that ripple under their tanned skin,
"Not too bad," I muse as I give them a cheeky wink and begin wandering off to mingle a little further.
"Katniss!" I hear a, very, familiar voice call before I see my topless god of the ocean swagger over to the annoyed looking girl. I roll my eyes at him, up to his old tricks as always. I begin heading over in their direction.
I watch as he offers her a sugar cube.
"No thanks, but I would love to borrow that outfit someday," she grits out, obviously being polite. I silently move to stand close to Finnick, my hand snaking around the back of the fish net that is precariously held on by a measly buckle. I bite my lip to stop myself thinking about how close his exposed skin is.
"You look pretty terrifying in that get up. What ever happened to the pretty little girl dresses?" She looks over at me sceptically. Obviously weary of my history in the arena and placing her bets against myself being a possible threat or not.
"I outgrew them," she spits.
"You certainly did," he grins at her. I smirk to as I look up to Finnick where he looks down at me and teasingly slow places the sugar cube he had been throwing around in my mouth.
I crunch on it purposefully loud to annoy the girl before I address her,
"Shame about this Quell thing. You could have made it out like a bandit in the Capitol." I smirk though the crunching of the sweet sugar. Moving closer to my man so that I faced him more than her and purposefully placed a hand over the defined chest of my husband. Looking up at him and winking as I place my hand that was behind him on the shoulder that is level with my face. Leaning the side of my head on it gently as I watch for the girls reaction.
She looks uncomfortable. Good. It's fun teasing the newbies.
A sly hand of Finnick's slithers around my back and rubs at the exposed flesh with his thumb.
"Jewels, money, anything you wanted." Finnick finishes for me.
"Well, I don't like jewels and I have more money than I need, so... What did you do with all your wealth anyway?" Good girl, turning the tables on the cocky man.
"Oh! I haven't dealt in anything as common as money in years," Finnick responds. A pang goes through my heart at the thought of him being used for others. I know he's putting up a front about it too.
"Then how do people pay for the pleasure of your company?" She eyes me purposefully. Is she suggesting something? I glare back at her with a sour expression and watch her eyes widen ever so slightly.
"With secrets." he leans in closer to her, "What about you girl on fire? Any secrets worth my time?" she flashes a quick look at me. I intimidate her, that much is obvious.
"I'm an open book. Everybody always seems to know my secrets before I know them myself," She shrugs.
"Unfortunately I think that's true," he smirks before we watch her cast a glance over my shoulder to that lover boy of hers.
I give a wicked smirk, playing the part I have to play as a woman who takes no nonsense, "I'm sorry you had to cancel your wedding. I know how devastating that must have been for you,"
I place a sugar cube I had hidden in my hand into Finnicks mouth. He too crunches loudly to patronise the girl.
"Have a good day," he smiles over his shoulder as he takes my hand and spins me round slowly as we walk away. My large skirt moving like water as I spin and tuck myself back into his side as we walk. His arm laying casually across my shoulders and my hand holding his.
"You look beautiful, Flower" he turns to face me as we stop at my chariot. Our hands holding between our bodies as we look down and fiddle with each others hands. His thumb running over my silver rings and my own over his plain silver wedding band that sits perfectly on his finger.
"Why do you have nothing on? Those ladies are almost as lucky as me," I try to joke. Both of us chuckling nervously
He kisses my forehead tenderly, "But they will never be as lucky or as perfect as you are," he charms. I giggle like a teenager and pull away slowly so that I can step up onto the Chariot. One of his hands supporting me like a gentleman as I move beside Barley who has already taken his place. The chariot was lined with white roses that have a sickly smell about them. I cringe and have to stop myself from gagging.
"Goodbye, handsome," I smile as I place the hand that was in Finnicks hold on his cheek. His own hand enclosing mine on his cheek before he slowly pulls away and wanders over to stand beside Mags.
Thankfully, the tender woman is dressed more respectable than Finnick.
"You ready?" I hear a nervous Barley beside me. I glance over at him and see him wet his lips.
"Nervous are we Barely?" I smirk teasingly making us both smile.
"Just don't like these things," he taps the chariot. Nodding at him, I then look forward as the chariots begin moving. The beautiful, silky black, horses trotting proudly out into the bright sunlight and bringing us with them.
Taking a deep breath, I put my mask of stone in place and look directly ahead as we were pulled out into the screaming crowds. A look of distaste never leaving my face the entire length of the parade.
Even when we slowly made our way back under the cover of the large building and when people screamed my name- another one mixed amongst the chants for Finnick and Katniss. I realised just how much these people love her. The spark of the revolution. My opinion of the headstrong girl was improved greatly. She really was something special.
I'm snatched from my thoughts when I feel a hand clasp around my own. Instantly I have my other fist raised and directed at the persons face. Luckily, Finnick caught my fist inches from his beautiful face. My eyes widen in shock as he chuckles at me.
"I'm so sorry-" I gush at him as he helps me down from the chariot by placing an arm under my knees and across my back; spinning us once as he holds me bridal style before placing me down gently.
"My fault, Flower," he smiles at me when he links my arm with his and begins walking us towards the lifts.
"No! What if I hit you!" I sigh.
"But you didn't. I used my amazing reflexes didn't I?" he cockily says, where as I just roll my eyes at him.
"Oh, 12 are going to have fun," he chuckles as he points over to the lift that is filled with Haymitch, Katniss, Peeta and none other than Johanna. A smirk on her face as she locks eyes with me when the doors close. Another victor testing the innocent Katniss.
"Lucky," I tease Finnick. His head snapping down to mine as he leads us into our own lift to take us up to his level. Trapping my back against the wall as he cages me in with his arms either side of my head and his pelvis possessively pushed against my own. His head buried in my neck, placing hot kisses along my smooth skin as I place my hands on his pleasurable chest and begin gently dragging my fingers in a downwards motion.
"Are they now?" He whispers against my ear, a chill racing down my spine. A good chill.