A fate worse than death~~A Finnick Odair story~~

10. Soft spot

"Sooo..."
I knew very well what was coming. Jamie had been dancing around our alliance all day. I understood him. It was hard to form alliances when you knew you either had to kill your partner or go seperat ways to even try to avoid the risk of being the last two left. So I made it easier for him.

"I'm not going to kill you."
"Uhh, woow, straight to the point! Well, I hope not, and of course I don't want to kill you, but…."
"So we part ways."
"Yes, but when?"
Sometimes it feelt like he forgot that I'm just a kid. It's like he thinks I can have the answers to everything he wants and doesn't want to know.

"I do not know."
"No, of course not. It was a stupid question."
Yup.
"Maybe when there are three left?" "That wouldn't work."
"Why?"
"Because two of the three would be us."
"True....Scratch that."

"Maybe when there's eight off us, that feels like a good number, even and nice, right?"
"So after the next cannon gose off, or did you forget that four died yesterday?"
"Right, right, scratch that too."

So on the way to our fishing spot we had gotten nowhere.

I could honestly say that I wasn't sure about a lot of things back then. The few things I was absolutely certain of were that, my name was Elizabeth Whitmore, this was the 66th Hunger Games, I was in an arena, and Jamie and I had agreed that we were only going to fish for supper. Those were the only things I was absolutely sure of.

That, and the fackt that I was better at knife fishing than Jamie was, because even this evening I was the one who managed to catch the fish first.

~~~

"Elizabeth? Lizzy? Lizzy!"
I woke up to Jamie scream-whispering my name.
"Wh..What?"
"Good God! Are you okay?"
"Why, why wouldn't I be?"
I couldn't understand why my voice sounded so shaky, or why my cheeks felt so wet.

"You cried and wailed in your sleep!" "Oh, right."
At his few words the memories started to por back. It had only been a nightmare, but it had felt so real.

"It, I'm okay Jamie. It was just a nightmare."
But he didn't believe me, maybe it was the shaking in my voice, or the tears that started to run down my cheeks again. Whatever it was, he came closer and wrapped me in a hug.
"It is okay."
He whispered, so softly, so quietly. So unknowingly I whispered a reply.
"It was Ian. He got reaped, not me, he, he died and I saw everything, the whole games through his eyes."

That last part came out in a sob and Jamie stroked my back and hair soothingly.
"Shhhh, it's okay, you're okay, Ian's not here. He's safe at home, safe in his bed. It was just a dream."

Good god she was just a little kid, a kid who didn't ask to be dragged into all this, she was only 12, she deserved better. But then again, didn't all of them.

~~~

"Well! Tell us we all want to know!" "Know what?!"
"Ohh don't tease us Finnick you know what I mean, doesn't he know what I mean!"

The crowd roared, and Finnick had to admit that he knew what Caesar meant, but be damned if he would show it.
"No Caesar, I must say I don't know." "Are you going to make me say that?!" A sneaky, but equally flirtatious smile spread across his lips before he answered.
"Yes."
"Ohh very well, I will not disappoint!" The audience next door roared before Caesar continued.
"Who is your favorite?"

"What!"
Finnick turned to the crowd with a look that was equal parts flirtatious and challenging, and said.
"Really? Is that what you want to know!!"
Some wailed, others shouted, but one thing was certain, the people of the capital wanted to know, so Finick turned back to Caesar Flickerman and said.

"Well, I don't have one. What kind of mentor would I be if I had a favorite?!"
"Ohhh, a very funny one, please, you must have a favorite!"
"No I swear!"
But then he leaned a little closer to Caesar, and as if it were just the two of them in the whole room, he whispered confidentially.

"But I must admit I have a soft spot for young Miss Whitmore."
"Ohhh!!! I just love it!! Don't we all love it!!"
The question was directed at the audience and Caesar got exactly the response he was hoping for before thanking Finnick for the interview with his parting words.
"The amazing, and very handsome Finnick Odair!!"

~~~

"How did you sleep?"
"We slept exactly the same amount Jamie."
"Ahh, well, very little, then."
"Yes, yes very little."
"Then you had as much time to think as I did then?"
"Yes, think, dream, fear, a lot of time."

Then we fell silent, before simultaneously saying.
"I've been thinking about our alliance."

"I'm sorry Jamie, you first."
"Well, okay. I think we should go white top four, two of them two of us."
"Top five, we should split at top five." "Why five?"
"Why four?"
"Okay, fair enough. Top five it is."

That would mean that after yesterday there are three cannon shots left until Jamie and I have to part ways.
Three children who have to pay with their lives, and that only applies if one of the three is not me or Jamie.

A/N
So still stable that 10 chapters passed before I wrote my first A/N. But it feels necessary because this chapter was so short. But it is also necessary because I have plans for the next ;).