The Price of Champions and Crowns (Hunger Games)

28

Everytime I try not to think about it my mind betrayes me.  We're supposed to be getting ready for dinner with my parents and I can tell Victoria is freaking out. However, all I can think about is this morning when her body was under mine, when we were in that field an-... damn it! way to be a typical guy, Liam. 

Here she is, blue eyes shining with panic and I can't help compare them to how they shone when we were fuc- No. I frown. "Hey, its okay. Its just dinner".

She nodded before biting her lip. "Finnick hates me".

I snorted. "I doubt it, he hardly knows you".

She smirked. "Oh really, now? does Johanna hate you? Because she hardly knows you".

 She grinned triumphantly as I rolled my eyes.  "Does he have an actual reason to hate you? She hates me for a reason". I smirked slightly at thought of my brunch at Distict Seven a few months ago.

She blinked at me as if I'm an idiot. "I called his wife insane infront of the whole nation".

I felt my face subconsciously cringe. Yeah, there's only a few ways to have Finnick Odair actually hate you. Calling his wife insane definitely puts you on his hit list. "I forgave you for it, I'm sure they have too". 

She didn't meet my eyes which meant she picked up on slight doubt I had about this dinner. My parents haven't visted us at all since we arrived at District Four. I'd carried Victoria bridal style to victors village, passed out with drug induced sweats and chills. I could feel the judgmental stares on my back the entire walk. It was the last time I'd seen them in a month. 

Sure, I didn't bother to visit them. But I was angry. They'd lied to me about Victoria being alive. They'd watched me fall apart. Watched me tear apart my room in fit of rage as soon as I'd gotten home. Watched me leave to the field of district four everyday from sunrise to sunset. 

One day, I think out of concern Finnick had followed me. I didn't know he'd been following me for hours. It wasn't until the sun had actually rose that I saw him there watching me like the wounded animal I was. He stared, idential eyes staring right into my soul and I felt...like maybe I had him wrong. That for years I'd judged him but now...I guess I get it, get him. He was tense as he approached me, me hanging upside down from that tree. And I whispered to him my deepest most agonising truth. "I swear I can feel her, dad. I could never see her in the arena, not when she was in the trees. But I can pretend j-just for a second that she's out of sight and soon she'll come back. I can just pretend..". 

He sighed painfully and rested his forehead on mine, he smoothed out my hair like he used to when I was kid. "Liam, it takes ten times longer to put yourself back together than it does to fall apart. Best not to give in to it. Now please, come home".  I'd never heard my dad beg before, but in that moment it felt like it. Like somehow I was breaking the great Finnick Odair.

And he knew. The entire time he knew. I remind myself of that as I grab her hand and walk towards my childhood home. After that moment I'd spent more time with Finnick. Fishing, running, whatever. He was great at distracting me, amazing at not letting me 'give in'. And I thought that 'hey, maybe my ol' man isn't so bad afterall'. And I started to do that stupid thing that'd followed me since childhood. I'd started admiring him again. Believing that being Liam Odair isn't a bad thing, looking exactly like him isn't a bad thing and that being compared to him at every point in my life wasn't bad. Because he's just a little bit broken but he still cared, cared about me. 

Guess I was wrong again about Finnick Odair. Like a rip in the ocean at first he draws you in, makes you feel loved and then before you realise how far out you are its already too late. He's drowned you. "Are we going to knock or just stand here forever, Liam?". 

Victoria is looking at me in amusment and I find the courage to force a smile on my face. "Funny, Mason". I swallow and open the door. It may not be home anymore but it still feels weird to knock.

****

I wouldn't be nervous to have dinner with Finnick and Annie Odair, if Liam himself  wasn't nervous. But he so is. 

Bless him, he's trying to hide it. But its the sweaty hands, the diassociating that's giving himself away. It's why I heave a breathe of slight fear as he walks in like he owns the place. I suppose, he should feel like this is home. But its the nerves we both harbour that has me slightly flushed as Finnick and Annie turn from their cozy position in the kitchen to stare at us hand in hand.

Liam, beautiful and yet face guarded like he's about to go to war. 

Me, red face and avioding eye contact. 

The both of us squeezing our hands for dear life. 

Finnick smirks at us. He rubbes his hand up Annie's arm in comfort before striding up to us. Its his Captitol smirk, or maybe just his regular smirk. Its beautiful. Feels like a betrayal to say, even in my own head. "Was starting to think you two were standing us up".

He looked pointedly at Liam. And Liam ignored him like Finnick didn't exist. He immediately strode over to Annie and picked her up in one of those twirling kind of hugs. "I missed you mum".

She giggled and placed her hand on his cheek with a sigh. "My beautiful boy". 

However my eyes were on Finnick. On the slight crinkle of his forehead. The surprise at being dismissed so casually by his son. I frowned, I wish Liam would've cluded me in on why he's ignoring his father before we came. Finnick tipped his head at me with a small smile. "Victoria". He kissed my cheek, I blushed even more and from beside his mother I saw Liam's eyes narrow at Finnick. 

Its going to be a long night.

****

Author's Note:

I'll write the other half to this chapter soon but I just can't decide whose POV to write from. Like I could do it so well from both you know?. Because they're both expiriencing so much pain but like different pain. So Liam or Victoria?. I think writing this chapter in shared pov will give you an idea hopefully there's a preference.