Reputation (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 20

     "Lassie," a voice rings across the space, causing Atlas to snap her eyes over toward the elevator where Olympia is standing. Her hair is wind-swept, clearly an effect of the rampage downstairs.

     Atlas shoots up from her seat on the couch, wiping her own hair out of her face. Atlas rushes over to Olympia and wraps her arms around her. The warmth of Olympia's hug snaps Atlas out of the haze she had been in since the power had gone out downstairs.

     "Are you okay?" Atlas asks, leaning back to look her friend in the eyes. Olympia shakes her head, white hair swaying wildly.

     Olympia runs a hand over Atlas' hair and looks worriedly into her eyes, "I should be asking you that."

     Atlas reaches up to grasp at the hand that Olympia is using to clutch at the side of Atlas' face, comfort filling her stomach at the touch, "I'm fine, I'm okay, I promise."

     Olympia doesn't seem to believe her but Atlas doesn't care as she pulls away from Olympia's touch and takes a small step back to continue talking, "What was happening when you came up?"

     Olympia seems disappointed at Atlas' denial but resigns to the fact that she's not going to get more from the girl "The audience was up in arms. Screaming, crying, the whole shebang. They're trying to get Snow to cancel the games."

     "He couldn't," Atlas shakes her head, pulling the circlet off of her head and placing it on the counter behind her. The disdain for her prep team is increased when her bangs brush against her face and she wants nothing more than to chop them off.

      Olympia nods, silence enveloping the room. Atlas isn't sure what to say. She knew the games would go on. She knew they had a plan for this but she couldn't help the nausea that filled her. Everything that had happened on that stage had been desperate. How could she have faith in a plan when the very people involved didn't seem to have much faith themselves?

     The elevator opens and two people come rushing out, the sound of loud footsteps echoing around the room. Atlas looks up and locks eyes with Mars who furrows his eyebrow and wraps his arms around the girl. Atlas claws at his shirt as she hugs him back. She lets out a breath and the image she had been putting up the whole night slips a little bit. God, how could she ever let Mars die? The only person truly from home. Olympia was from their district, of course, but she had basically stayed in the Capitol after she won. Mars had watched Atlas grow up. The only person whose hug could transport her away from this place and back to the comfort of the fields in District 5. Jesus Christ.

      "You okay?" Mars whispers out to her and Atlas simply shakes her head. Just enough for Mars to notice and he frowns before pressing a kiss to the top of the blonde's head. Atlas looks up as she hears Apricot approach Olympia. Mars notices her movement and leans back.

     "Did you eat?" He asks and Atlas nods her head, looking away from the man. She didn't want to lie but she knew that if she tried to eat anything, she'd probably be sick. Mars glances at her suspiciously but doesn't say anything as he moves away from her and toward the dining room.

     Apricot is suddenly hurrying over to Atlas with her arms outstretched. Before she can even react, Apricot wraps an arm around the girl, her strategically styled hair brushing Atlas' face. Atlas tenses, confusion warping her face. She hesitantly pats her escort on her back and the woman quickly pulls away.

     "They told us all to go home, I just couldn't stand to leave without a proper goodbye," Apricot says sadly, wiping a non-existent tear away from her heavily made-up skin. Atlas feels too emotionally drained to do anything but smile sadly at her as she looks around at the three victors all standing in the room with her.

"Thank you for everything, Apricot. We'll miss you," Mars says when Atlas stays silent. His statement sends a wave of guilt through Atlas and she has to choke down the vomit threatening to escape. She had never been so concerned for someones safety since before she had been reaped.

Of course, she had been worried for her sisters safety but she also knew that she would never get out. She'd never forget the hushed words her sister pressed into her skin during their last goodbye. I won't let them kill me.

At first she had thought she meant she would survive. But once those berries touched her sisters palm, she knew that's not what she had meant.

Ironic, considering how their father died.

Olympia hugs Apricot lightly and Apricot takes one final look around the room before turning back toward the elevator hurriedly.

Before she can leave, Atlas finally calls out, "Apricot!"

The escort turns her head back toward the blonde, a questioning look etched on her distressed features.

"Thank you," Atlas says softly, the edges of her lips turning upward, "One of us will survive. For you."

Atlas knew she'd most likely survive anyway and it definitely wouldn't be for Apricot but she didn't need to know that. Maybe it would give her some peace of mind to think it would be.

It does seem to as Apricots expression turns soft and she nods kindly at the younger girl before finally walking into the elevator. Atlas sighs as it closes, turning to walk away but before she can, something grabs her arm.

She looks up to see Mars grasping her arm softly, a soft look on his face, "Come eat. Please."

Atlas frowns, glancing at where their arms are connected before looking up at the man's face, "Mars."

     "Atlas," he looks at her just like her father used to when she was younger and suddenly she's so much more inclined to follow him toward the dining room, "You need to eat. Get some energy for the games."

      The ring on her finger feels heavy suddenly and she nods lightly, biting the edge of her lip as she lets Mars lead her to the dining room. When they both step inside, Atlas grabs Mars' wrist before he can sit down.

     She slides the ring off of her finger as she grabs his hand and sets in his palm. He looks at the jewelry questioningly, the cold metal sitting heavily against his rough hand.

     "It's yours. For good luck," Mars raises an eyebrow at the girl but his eyes flicker to her wrist where, by this time tomorrow, the gold bangle would be sitting, "It's from home. It'll protect you when I can't."

     She resists the urge to encourage him to survive so he could give it back to her himself. The words almost leave her lips before she realizes her stumble.

     Mars stares for a few seconds before nodding and slipping the ring on his finger. The look on his face is content. He seemed weirdly settled with his future. Atlas wonders which fate he had already accepted for himself. Based on the normalcy on his face despite his unknowing about the fact he may survive with her, she fears he had already accepted death.

     "Okay," Mars smiles softly at the girl, "Let's eat."

A/N
Thank you so much for everyone commenting! It's really motivating for authors to know that people actually like this lol.
Liverpool just tied City LMAO
And if Williams don't resign Logan I'm going to have a breakdown
-Sunny ☀️