miss americana and the heartbreak prince | katniss everdeen

the decision.

THE QUARTER QUELL
Ten | The Decision
•••

THEY SIT ON THE BEACH, EATING FISH THAT FINNICK CAUGHT. Finnick scratches at his skin, scabs forming from their multiple trials in the forest.

"Poor Finnick. Is this the first time in your life you haven't looked pretty?" Katniss says and Fleur snorts out a laugh at the comment.

"It must be. The sensation's completely new. How have you managed it all these years?" he asks.

"Just avoid mirrors. You'll forget about it," Katniss responds.

"Not if I keep looking at you," he says.

"Ladies, you both look terrible," Fleur interjects.

"None of us look as bad as you do," Finnick tells her, "You're a little pale."

"I think it's the blood loss. Cashmere if you still love me, I'd kill for a bandage," Fleur shouts at the sky. Katniss eyes Fleur at the mention of the word 'love.'

"Who's Cashmere?" Katniss asks.

"Gloss's sister," Fleur states, "I volunteered for her."

Katniss nods her head, "Right. To kill me, right?"

Fleur rolls her eyes but smiles, "Yes Katniss, to kill you. No, I volunteered because Cashmere is my friend and I wanted to protect her."

Finnick smirks and ducks his head at the interaction as he eats his fish. The soft beep of a parachute catches everyone's attention and Fleur looks up at it hopefully. Finnick is the one who grabs it and pulls out a bandage and cream.

He smiles as he hands it to Fleur, "Looks like Cashmere still loves you."

"I could kiss her," Fleur says as she takes the bandages and cream from Finnick, "I'll be back."

Fleur heads toward the tree line and she begins to shrug off her wet suit to get better access to the wound. As she looks at it, she realizes just how deep the cut was. She stares at it and as she touches it, she has to hold in a groan.

She hears a ruffle in the foliage, and she wants to die, realizing this is absolutely the worst way to go out. She looks up to see Katniss standing there, staring at her. Fleur looks at Katniss and begins to tug up her wetsuit.

"I thought you could use a hand," Katniss says as she averts her eyes to meet Fleur's own.

"Oh," Fleur says, "Um sure."

Katniss walks over and Fleur swallows what little dignity she has left as she shrugs off her wetsuit. She'd been naked in front of many people before and she'd never felt self-conscious about her body before, but she was in this moment under Katniss's watchful gaze. She didn't want to appear weak and perhaps she associated nudity with that. She isn't nude though, she still has her undergarments on, but she feels like she's exposing far too much of herself.

Katniss takes the cream and it takes everything in Fleur not to flinch away when Katniss touches her. She then takes the bandage and begins wrapping it around the wound. She hears Fleur's sharp inhale, and she looks up at her concerned, but Fleur is looking everywhere but at Katniss.

"My mom is a healer," Katniss shares, "Before my dad died, he used to work in the mines. He'd come home with all sorts of scrapes and bruises, and I'd watch as she patched him up."

Fleur stares at a tree before her, "Did you learn anything?"

"Hopefully," Katniss responds. Fleur forces herself to look down at Katniss and finds that she's looking up at her with a small smile. Fleur looks away from Katniss and blinks.