miss americana and the heartbreak prince | katniss everdeen

district eight.

THE MOCKINGJAY
Fourteen | District Eight
•••

FLEUR HUMMED SOFTLY TO HERSELF AS SHE WALKED TO THE DINING HALL IN DISTRICT THIRTEEN. SHE COULD HEAR FAINT CHATTER AS PEOPLE WERE GRABBING THEIR BREAKFAST BEFORE beginning their day. As she entered the hall, she spotted the Everdeens at their usual table, as well as, Gale and the rest of the Hawthorne family. Fleur looked around and noticed Finnick sitting alone. She made her way over to him and sat down across from him.

Finnick looked up from his food and at Fleur. He chuckled and shook his head before looking down at his breakfast. The action made Fleur frown as she looked at him.

"What's so funny?" Fleur asks.

"Your nose," Finnick says with a grin as he spoons something that may or may not be oatmeal into his mouth.

Fleur rolls her eyes, "There was a training incident. And you should see the other guy."

"Really?" Finnick asks, tilting his head in interest, "Because I heard that the gun that hit you got off scot-free."

"Who told you?" Fleur asks.

"Katniss," Finnick says, still smiling, "You know, I'm surprised you're not sitting with her right now."

"Yeah, well, I don't feel comfortable being around Gale," Fleur mutters. When she says this, Finnick shifts in his seat, sitting up straighter. The amusement leaves his face and is replaced with the expression Fleur had seen at the Capitol parties.

"Did he do something to you?" Finnick asks.

"He's just a jerk," Fleur says softly, "First, he verbally attacked me for being from District One and thinking I'm better than everyone else. Then he stated that he didn't trust me. And the icing on the cake was he saw me hit myself in the face with the gun and laughed at me."

Finnick's expression softens, "You do know why he's acting like that toward you, right?"

"Because he thinks I'm going to betray Katniss?" Fleur asks flippantly.

"No," Finnick says with a small smile, "Come on Fleur, I raised you better than this."

"First, you didn't raise me," Fleur says with a smile as she reaches out and steals the muffin from Finnick's tray, "And second, I honestly don't know. I haven't done anything to him."

"He's jealous," Finnick says. He shrugs. "You and Katniss are close. He probably doesn't like that."

Fleur had never really thought about how her relationship with Katniss came off to other people. Just how close did people think they were? How did they act around each other when they were in public?

Suddenly Fleur felt very subconscious. She was going to steal a glance at Katniss, but she decided against it.

"What makes you think Katniss and I are close?" Fleur asks, trying to subtly interrogate her friend to see what public perception may be of them.

Finnick's brows furrow, "I mean you guys seemed to bond instantly in that arena. Initially, I thought maybe you were trying to get close to her so you could kill her. I would have intervened if that were the case, but I don't know. It felt like the two of you were genuinely trying to protect one another."

"And now?" Fleur asks.

"It feels like you're still doing it," Finnick says, "You're still looking after her."

Fleur glances down at the muffin she'd stolen from Finnick and begins to pick little pieces off of it to eat.

"Coin is using her," Fleur mutters, "And maybe it's not in the way that we were used, but – they're sending her to District Eight to film some propaganda for the rebellion. They're putting her in danger for the sake of the rebellion."