The Flying Fish (Exocoetidae)|| Finnick Odair X Fem!OC

Singe

They moved through the jungle, Cress sticking with Finnick in the middle of the formation. Peeta walked ahead, Katniss in behind. She noticed a slight limp in Peeta's gait, and her brows furrowed. Right, he'd had his leg replaced after his Games last year, he probably wasn't adjusted yet.

"Peeta, is your leg bothering you?" Cress asked, tilting her head slightly. "Do you want me to take over?"

"Yeah, but it's fine, I can take it." Peeta gave her a sideways smile, continuing forward. Cress pursed her lips but she didn't press any further, continuing in her spot beside Finnick.

"Pe-" Katniss started to say, her voice sounding panicked, but it was too late. Peeta's sword hit the invisible force field ahead and a loud zapping sound echoed as he was launched backwards, right into Cress. Before she could get knocked over, Finnick put himself between her and the ground, taking the brunt of the hit himself. Katniss rushed towards Peeta as Cress and Finnick struggled to their feet, slapping Peeta's face as if that would wake him up.

Immediately, Cress knew that his heart had stopped. He was motionless on the ground, and suddenly she was looking at Ferric's lifeless body. She stumbled back for a moment, covering her mouth.

Finnick managed to keep a level head, dropping down to Peeta's side and shoving Katniss away. He pinched his nose shut, and Katniss knocked her bow, with snapped Cress out of it. She grabbed Katniss' arms and held her in place, preventing her from firing.

"Calm down!" Cress gritted her teeth as Katniss struggled to escape her grip, thrashing in her arms wildly. "He's not killing him, look!" Katniss froze when Finnick lowered his lips to Peeta's, pushing air into his lungs and getting them to move. Cress let her go as Finnick unzipped Peeta's uniform, beginning the chest compressions. The seconds drag by ever so slowly, and the hope had started to leech from Katniss' expression.

Then there's a cough, and Finnick sat back, taking a deep breath. Katniss dumped her weapons into the dirt as she scrambled towards Peeta's now breathing form. "Peeta?" Her voice shook as she cupped his face in her hands.

"Careful," Peeta mumbled. "There's a force field up ahead."

Katniss laughed, but there were tears running down her cheeks.

"Must be a lot stronger than the one on the Training Center roof," he said, coughing. "I'm alright though, just a little shaken."

"You were dead! Your heart stopped!" The words sounded like they were ripped out of Katniss' chest before she clamped her hand over her mouth, awful, choking sobs smothered by her hand before they could begin. Cress glanced over at Finnick, thinking about how she'd probably have shut down already if Finnick's heart had stopped. His hand gripped her's, and Cress forced herself to let out even breaths. Finnick was fine. Peeta was fine. Katniss was fine.

"Well, it seems to be working now," Peeta said softly. "It's alright, Katniss." She nodded, but her sobs never stopped. "Katniss?" Peeta's voice took on a more worried tone.

"It's okay. It's just her hormones," Finnick said, and both Katniss and Cress looked over at him. "From the baby." He was still on his knees from the effort of keeping Peeta alive, panting from a combination of the heat, effort, and the climb.

"No. It's not-" Katniss began to insist, but she was cut off by another, more hysterical round of sobbing that seemed to just confirm what Finnick had said. His eyes met hers, and she glared up at him through her tears. Finnick's expression wasn't smug or sarcastic, but quizzical. And she was pretty sure that she had the exact same expression on her face. Both of them looked between Katniss and Peeta, then they glanced at each other, communicating without words.