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Chapter Text

Finnick's PoV

The sun barely starts rising when Katniss Everdeen gets up.
„I can't sleep anymore. I'm off, hunting.“
„Don't go too far.“, I only say and direct my attention back towards the jungle again. I hear her fading steps. The silent chirping of insects, the distant sound of the waves crashing against the beach. A faint buzzing, maybe one of Katniss' arrows.
Johanna, Beetee and Peeta are still sleeping peacefully.
I sigh and lean back onto a tree, my trident loose in my grip. I stare up at the sky of the arena, my thoughts circling aroung Mags, my old mentor. Her death still heavily depresses me.
A quiet moaning interrupts my melancholy. Alert and without making any noise, I rise, balancing on the balls of my feet, listening carefully.
There it is again.
It's Peeta, sleeping troubledly. I approach and look down at him. His eyes are rolling heavily behind his closed lids and his face is twitching tensely. He doesn't seem to be having nice dreams. Again, he's moaning as if he is in pain and his hands jerk in a sudden movement of defence, desperate, but powerless. Of course, because he is sleeping, but this feeble movement makes me crouch down next to him.
''Hey, Peeta.“, I hiss. I only get a faint moan for an answer, so I carefully lay a hand on his shoulder, accompanied by a calming ''Shh...“ However, Peeta jumps out of his sleep into a sitting position.
''Katniss!“ he gasps and stares at me with eyes wide open.
''She just went off hunting. You were having a nightmare, so I woke you up.“
I stand up again while twelve's tribute is looking hectically around himself and is slowly coming back to reality. At least to what the gamemakers are selling us as reality.
''I... I...“, he's blurting and I lay a finger on my lips, warning he should keep silent. As the shock is still written in his face, I signal him to follow me and walk back to my tree. If he wants to talk he doesn't need to wake Johanna and Beetee.
Peeta sits down next to me as soon as I have settled down and put my trident aside. He sighs and rubs his face, but remains silent.
''What have you been dreaming about that keeps haunting you like that?“, I ask to encourage him, but Peeta shakes his head.

He doesn't want to tell me. Instead, he pulls his knees towards his body and hugs them. Something about his posture tempts me to comply with his unspoken, but obvious need for care. I slide closer and whisper into his ear:
„What's depressing you so much you're dreaming about it? Do you have any secrets haunting your sleep?“

I feel Peeta shudder, but he does not draw back and a playful smile sneaks onto my lips. It's obviously not that easy to put him off his stride like Katniss. I crowd him a bit more, lay one hand around his shoulders, the other one upon his arm.
„Don't you want to share your secrets with me?“

I whisper close to his face, my voice almost unaudible. It's very likely they are turning up the volume of all directional microphones around us right now, so the people in the Capitol understand everything.
„I can keep secrets...“, I continue as silent as before.
This is ironic, of course, as there are cameras everywhere around us. To keep a secret there couldn't be a worse place than an arena. I only said it to see Mellark's reaction.
He's slowly turning his face towards me and tilts his head slightly backwards before he looks at me. His expression stays blank when he says: „No, thanks, Finnick, but I don't think there is anything about me or my private life that you could be interested in and that you don't know yet.“
But there it is, filling me with mischievous pleasure: Discomfort. Which has nothing to do with his nightmare. It's just a shadow flashing over his eyes, but I'm well-experienced in picking up such small reactions.
I consider for a few moments: There's a plan I have to keep to, but I think there really is time for teasing Peeta Mellark a bit.
A grin flashes across my face.

Chapter Text

We got a whole charge of bread form district three and decided to go fishing, so we all would get a proper meal again. While Katniss is on watch on the beach, Johanna, Beetee, Finnick and me are in the water to catch our food. Finnick just skillfully harpoons them with his trident, Johanna is diving for shells and me and Beetee are catching the fish with a net Finnick knitted earlier. We only let the water reach our hips, as neither Beetee nor me are good swimmers.
I'm happy there aren't any dangerous animals in the water, but only fish and shells.

Then I see it: A transparent jelly-like thing with tentacles protruding from its bottom. And it's floating closer. Actually, it looks pretty harmless, but you better don't trust anything you don't know when you're in an arena. I draw back a little and am just about to warn Beetee, when the jelly-thing gets caught by the next wave and is swept against my thigh.
It burns like hell, I cry out in pain and jump back, loose my balance in the water and struggle to get my feet back onto the sandy ground. The translucent creature is already floating away, but the pain it caused quickly spreads.

I have dropped the net, in this moment I have much severer problems than catching fish. I manage to stand again and inspect my thigh: Where that thing touched me, the skin has become red as a lobster and is blistering strangely. I turn to Beetee, who has turned to Finnick, who is approaching us already and suddenly my head is reeling and the world starts spinning. The last thing I see is Beetee's shocked face before waves are crashing over me. But I feel too powerless to struggle back to the surface. Instead I'm fighting unconsciousness and a wet death. My leg is burning like fire.
For a moment, everything grows dark, then I'm already pulled out of the water.
A voice says: ''It's alright, leave him to me. Seems like the sting of a jellyfish. Some people collapse because of it.“
I‘m getting carried out of the water. Some people collapse? Great, now I feel weak. Why am I the one who needs to break down?
I hear Katniss' startled cry and that she is coming over to us.
There is a low mumbling of the person carrying me, then I'm laid down onto the warm, rough sand. I open my eyes and see Katniss' and Finnick's faces over me.
''Peeta, are you alright?“, Katniss asks anxiously. ''Can you hear me?“
I nod carefully and try to sit up. Bad mistake. I feel rising nausea halfway up and lay down again.
''Yes“, I answer. ''I'm only feeling kind of dizzy. I think I'll keep laying here a little longer...“
''What happened to him?“, Katniss asks Finnick who is pouring salt water over my thigh.
''Sting of a jellyfish. Normally it's harmless by this kind of jellyfish but you can't be sure with those in this arena, though.“ Now he is covering the burning carefully with dry sand.
Katniss is watching him closely, but I'm feeling too dizzy to be worrying about potential treachery of our allies right now. Finnick draws a knife and Katniss stiffens. She's still carrying her bow and arrows, but doesn't lift them when Finnick darts her an amused look. He has already revived me once in this arena, so why should he drag me out of the water and onto the beach just to stab me right after? Wouldn't quite be Finnick Odair's style. I really trust him that far.
With the back of the knife Finnick gently scrapes the sand off my leg.
''Will it heal?“, Katniss asks worriedly. It's obvious she wants to do something but doesn't know what or how. Finnick simply nods, absorbed by his activity.
''Is there anything I can do to help you?“, Katniss finally asks and Finnick shakes his head.
''You can keep an eye on our group. The others should continue catching fish.“ Finnick doesn't look up while talking to her, his green eyes are resting on me. I feel dizzy again and close my eyes.
''I simply want to watch Peeta for a while, whether the symptoms will get worse. Then we'll know if that was an ordinary jellyfish or a mutation.“
Katniss is mumbling something I can't understand and when sand is trickling on my leg again I open my eyes. Finnick's fingers are careful, it doesn't hurt, the burning has lessened.
''It's to get rid of tentacle-remainders.“, he quietly explains while wiping the sand off my leg. ''Do you only feel dizzy or also something else?“
''When I sit up, I feel nauseous, but apart from that I'm feeling kind of fine...“, I mumble, lulled by the warm sand, the dizziness and Finnick's care.
Finnick nods, he doesn't look more worried than before.
''Bad luck it touched skin and not my prothesis.“, I say. Finnick's eyes meet mine and he smiles. A warm feeling washes over me as I realize that his lasciviousness, which is so highly promoted by the Capitol, is only a mask. A part for him to play. The real Finnick is caring and reliable. He saved my life after I ran into the force field. And he also helped me now. I have to think of Mags who really liked Finnick and how lovingly he cared about her.

“I’m so sorry about Mags.”, I say weekly and Finnick looks at me in surprise. I can see the hurt flashing in his eyes though. Maybe I should not have mentioned it. Regretting what I said, I look away.
Finnick is done and sits down next to me in the sand, glances at me and then watches the others in the water. As well as I'm feeling sorry for Mags’ death, I also regret our alliance can't last forever. Sooner or later, me and Katniss will have to turn against the others, if Katniss is supposed to leave the arena alive. It would be easier if I'd hate Finnick, but I can't. I prop up on my ellbows and carefully raise a bit.
''Are you feeling better?“, Finnick asks.
Actuallly, I like him. Maybe I could let him kill me in the end – his trident looks promising in making short shrift of me. Maybe it would be best to get rid of all the others first until only Katniss, he and I are left. Then I let Finnick kill me, so Katniss only has to shoot him and...
He looks at me with those sea-green eyes of his and I am infinitely ashamed for my thoughts. I really feel filthy and sink back into the sand.
''I still feel a little bit dizzy.“, I explain. ''You can't do anything against it, can you?“ Actually my leg is still burning, too, but I don't want to whine even more.
''No, not here in the arena, sorry.“, Finnick says. ''In fact you should also cool the sting, but I haven't found anything cold since we're in here.“
Nevertheless, I smile at him gratefully and as little contorted with pain as possible, and Finnick grins back.
''Just stay put for a little longer. I'll keep an eye on you, don't you worry.“ He winks conspiratorially and roughens up my hair and I feel embarrassed, so I turn my gaze towards the pink sky of the arena.

Chapter Text

By now, my leg is better and I volunteer to draw water. Finnick accompanies me as a guardian. We always make sure the one who is drawing water is guarded by another member of our group, but since the jellyfish-incident I feel a little bit uneasy when Finnick is the one protecting me. I don't want him to think I could not take care of my own and needed a babysitter - I don't want to appear weak. This is rubbish, of course, Finnick had also come along if one of the others had gone. Nevertheless, at first he has to revive me and then pull me out of the water... both gnaws at my pride a bit, because it has been Finnick who helped me every time. I’ve had like zero chance to shine and I start to feel like a burden.
We don't speak while I'm drilling a hole into the tree to fit the tap right into.
My thoughts are circling around my biggest worry again. To get Katniss out of here. Alive.
Apperently, my state of mind is obvious, as Finnick asks me why I'm pulling such a sad face. I explain my predicament of wanting to protect Katniss by all means to him. I don't mention yesterday's stupid idea of mine to let Finnick kill me in the end so Katniss won't have to shoot me.
''You know what“, I conclude and run the knife into the bark for one last time. The hole is now big enough for the tap to fit into.
''I just don't see the odds being in favour of my plan. I may be strong, but I'm not very fast and...“ I hesitate, ''I don't think I could stand a chance against Johanna... or you.“

I avoid looking at Finnick, instead I watch the slim water jet filling the shell in my hand. I wonder if it was clever to admit this... Or did I just unnecessarily show weakness? But it could also be possible I've just appealed to his protective instinct, which is rather distinctive. Eagerly, I wait for his response.
Finnick slowly approaches.
''We have to get rid of the careers first.“, he says soflty. His voice is serious and calming at the same time. ''Don't rack your brain too much about the future, Peeta.“
I raise my head and look at him.
Finnick's green eyes are shimmering neatly in the faint light under the thick leaf canopy. I'm thankful he's not laughing at me. There was no need to worry about his reaction - I should have known it since I got to know him better in these last days in the arena we spent together. Maybe it's naive to trust Finnick, but I can't help it.
''Try making the best of the now instead.“, Finnick whispers and smiles at me playfully and it makes my heart skip a beat for some reason. It's no surprise that so many fancy him – you can't help it when he looks at you like this. His gaze has trapped mine, I'm drowning in this mysterious sea-green and refuse to look away first. Also because I don't think I actually could.

He simply looks at me, as if he's waiting for something. I hear the distant dripping of water on the forest floor and the faint voices of birds. Before I space out completely, I find my voice again and hear me say: ''You are right, thanks.“
It sounds very far away. The situation is strange, so I raise my hand to pat Finnick's shoulder to stress my words.
His skin is wet and slick because of the high humidity and the sweat we all shed here by the litre.
When exactly did Finnick come that close? As I touch him, his eyes flash and his smile turns into a provoking smirk. Swiflty, he grabs my hands, makes me drop the shell and I only manage to blush when I realize how he meant his last words, before he shoves me against the next tree. I gasp for air, as a response I feel Finnick's breath in my face and he looks down on me trough half-closed lids. He pins my wrists against the trunk. My heart starts racing, I still catch a glimpse in Finnick's eyes, then he seals my mouth with his and with a surprised sigh I close my eyes.