once upon a time • finnick odair

ii. the choices

The Mellark boy came by as soon as the Quell was announced.

"You guys need to let me go in," Peeta said as soon as he came in, straight to the point.

Haymitch and Devon were both drinking their asses off, as they had turned to liquor as soon as the Quell was announced and were completely drunk at the amount of liquor they drank within a few minutes. Devon laughed when Peeta said that.

"You know ..." Devon slurred. "Look at this kid, Haymitch! He wants to go into the arena a second time! How crazy is that?"

Haymitch laughed. "I don't know. Probably a madman saying that—let me tell you, not even I, drunk, want to go in a second time—"

Peeta snatched the drink out of their hands.

"Hey!" exclaimed Devon, sitting up. "That's my drink, baker boy!"

"Promise me. Both of you," said Peeta.

Devon rolled his eyes. "Promise you what?"

"That you will let me volunteer to go in, and leave me alone if my name is drawn."

"Look at my state right now, boy. I'm not exactly up to fight again," said Devon, rubbing his temples. "You really think I'll want to go in again?"

"Exactly," Haymitch slurred, but with just a glance with one another, Devon knew that neither of them would be listening to Peeta. "Who wants to go into the arena again, after all?"

But when Peeta left, giving them back both their bottles, both of them knew what they would be doing.

The two drank in silence until Devon spoke first.

"I'm going back in," said Devon, taking a sip out of his drink.

"Look, Devon—"

"No. Unless it's my name they draw, in which case ... you two are probably going to volunteer, it's going to be me. I can get Everdeen to win."

"You're not in your right mind," Haymitch stated. "You can't run. You can't get her out."

"I can run," said Devon. "It's just that I don't like to."

"Because your leg hurts afterward," said Haymitch.

Devon sighed. "Look, I owe Arden a favor, and I need to give it back."

Devon's hand trembled slightly as he took a drink, and Haymitch noticed.

Haymitch shook his head. "That wasn't your fault."

"Nobody believes that," said Devon. He messed up his hair and dropped his liquor on the stand beside the couch. "I think I'm going to go back."

"Devon, you're not going," said Haymitch.

Devon let out a throaty laugh. "Haymitch, I don't think that one crippled leg is going to kill me."

As soon as Devon got himself up and was limping toward the door, the door slammed open, and Katniss appeared out of the doorway.

"Ah, there you are," said Devon, holding onto the open door to not suddenly trip and fall. "Finally did the math, Catnip?"

"Don't call me that," hissed Katniss. She walked to Haymitch and plopped down on the couch right across from him, before snatching his drink out of his hands. "I'm here for a drink."

"Ah. Finally, something I can help you with," said Haymitch sarcastically. "Go ahead, Devon. Go home."

"No. You stay here too," said Katniss. "I need to talk to both of you."