Niamh felt sick as she sat in the dining cart, the sight of the Capitol nearing through the window. Despite, Morgan trying to distract her with stories and rumours he'd heard in their years at the Academy, she couldn't stop herself from rushing to the nearest toilet and throwing up her breakfast.
The sound of the train announcer saying they would be arriving shortly only caused her to continue throwing up into the toilet. It was only when she slowly stopped that she looked up from on her knees to see Finnick standing by the door.
"Morgan told me you were throwing up in here." He says, leaning against the doorway. The way he said it so casually, only made Niamh want to slap him more as she sighed in embarrassment.
"Are you okay, sweetheart?"
She couldn't help the small glare which came onto her face. Though Niamh knew he was just trying to help her, she couldn't help it. She knew he was a victim of the Capitol just as much as any other who'd been reaped but in her head she needed someone to blame.
The tribute sighed and stood up. This time Finnick followed her over when she went to the sink. In the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't blame her for hating him. Since his games, it seemed District 4 had denounced him as their own. All because the Capitol had seen a fourteen year old boy and decided they wanted him.
Finnick couldn't help himself from softly rubbing her back in console as she lent over the sink, trying to wash the disgusting taste from her mouth. He doesn't even stop as their escort, Esther comes around and shouts for them to get ready as they were arriving in only a few minutes.
"C'mon, we should probably get out of here, can't disappoint the Capitol, now can we?" He tries to joke, leading the tribute out of the bathroom. For a moment, he couldn't help but think how blue is really her colour as she follows him in the dress from the reaping.
"Nice dress, sweetheart." Finnick grins as he leans down to her height, whispering against her ear. For once he doesn't have to force a grin like with the people of the Capitol and instead finds a genuine smile crossing his face.
"Thank ya, Odair." She murmurs in response, partially certain he was mocking her but another part of her wondering why a Victor would ever compliment her.
He can't help the grin coming across his face softly when she finally speaks to him. Since he'd practically announced to the train, he'd 'take the girl', she's refused to speak. Finnick couldn't blame her, he remembers getting reaped and how he'd been a wreck.
Niamh's feeling of terror only got worse when they'd brought her to the tribute centre to get ready for the parade. She felt like a doll as her hair and makeup stylists went through their 'body prep' as they'd called it.
Though when they'd finally dressed her, she couldn't help but feel like a princess. Growing up, her and Callie would always talk of being princesses and even though she hated the circumstances, she couldn't deny that she felt like one in the moment.
The dress:
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She looks down with a blush when she hears a whistle from behind her. Turning around, Niamh sees Finnick standing there with a grin. "Beautiful." He smiles, she can see a glimpse of affection in his sea green eyes and finds herself smiling alongside him.
"The dress is beautiful, isn't it?" Niamh agrees, playing with her friendship bracelet anxiously. It had taken a lot of arguing for her stylist, Atticus to be allowed to wear it for the parade.
"I wasn't on about the dress." Finnick grins, he can't help but take in how she looks almost like a princess or the tales they'd learnt about mermaids back in district 4.
Without so much as asking her, Finnick kneels in front of her when he notices her heels undone. Niamh couldn't help the soft pink blush that coats her cheeks when he ties up the straps of her aqua heels.
"Thank you."
Finnick moves once more to stand before her and he feels his heart stop when she looks up at him with her light blue eyes. "We should get you to the chariot, they sent me in here to get you."
Niamh finds herself following the taller boy out of the room and towards the chariots. What he doesn't mention to the tribute was how he'd spent the entire 'body prep' time, arguing with her stylist, Atticus, who seemed to want to dress her in just a bit of netting and pears.
After years of being pawn to the Capitol, he knew he couldn't let the same happen to Niamh. Finnick hated what Snow had made him and as stupid as it sounds for a girl he'd barely known a day, he knew he'd go to hell and back to stop her being given the same fate.
Whilst they walk to the chariot, he watched as she nervously tugs at the friendship bracelet and he can't help but smile at the gesture. He couldn't help but think of when he'd first seen her.
It had been the first day back after his victory tour and the first thing he'd done was run off to the beach. It was just outside of the district 4 victors village and he'd never seen anyone there until her. At the time, they were still young. He was barely fourteen and her twelve.
He remembers being curious about the girl but never going over. It became habit for both to go to the beach early around sunrise but neither of them ever dared speak. Finnick was too scared of what people thought of him since he won his games months previously and Niamh was too scared of talking to most people, nevermind a victor.
Niamh smiled slightly when she sees when Morgan already by the chariot. Though she hated attention, she found comfort that she wouldn't be doing it alone. At least he'd be beside her the whole time.
"Your dress is pretty." He grins, helping the younger tribute into the chariot as Caesar Flickerman announced on the speaker that the parade was about to begin.
Her last glance goes to Finnick who gives her a supportive smile before the chariot is moving. She notices it's different from his smile on television and can't help but smile herself when she sees his dimples.
Before she has a chance to fully trip in the heels, Morgan is wrapping his arm around her shoulders to stop her from falling over in front of the crowds. She doesn't pull away and instead puts on a clearly rehearsed smile.
In the back of her mind was Finnick's advice about how the richest Capitol citizens are closer to President Snow and to put on the biggest show around them if she wants to secure sponsors.
Occasionally, Niamh blows kisses throughout the parade until finally she finds herself at the very end of the parade and she realises she has to do something big if she wants to get attention. For years, she hated attention and would do anything she could to avoid it but now she needed it more than anything.
"Morgan?" She murmurs so the cameras don't catch her next words as an idea comes to mind.
"Hm?"
"Wanna get some attention?" Niamh grins up at the older boy as he catches onto her idea. Before anyone, from the tributes to the Capitolites to even the president, knew what was happening, Morgan was leaning down and pressing his lips to her's.
After only a moment did Niamh pull away when she notices the Capitol citizens now throwing roses at their chariot. She could almost imagine Callie jumping around her bedroom at the sight of her best friend doing what she never would before, trying to get attention.
Another part of her smiled and blew a kiss to the cameras as she thought of Cordelia Brook yelling at the television in rage that Niamh kissed her 'future husband' before her.
She didn't even notice the dazed look of a the boy in love beside her. Niamh could never imagine someone would actually like her and she'd likely never realise how Morgan felt for the girl. In her head, she was the epitome of unloveable.
It was only when she got off of the chariot that she regretted her decision. The look of anger crossing Finnick's face was enough to scare anyone especially Niamh. Though the anger wasn't directed at either tributes but instead himself for not warning her about what happens when you play the 'flirty sweetheart' card in the Capitol.
