Finnick and Annie

I'll Return

 

The day of the reaping finally arrived. I woke up early in the morning, at about five, because I couldn’t sleep, and I sat up to realize that Annie wasn’t in bed. “Anne?” I called, but I got no reply. I got out of bed and walked around the house, looking for her, but she was nowhere to be seen. I started to really worry, but then I looked out the window, at the beach, and recognized her small silhouette, seated on the sand.

I grabbed a blanket, and headed out. She was dressed in short and a tank top, which was what she had slept in, and I could see her small frame shivering thanks to the strong sea breeze. I knelt down behind her and wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. “Annie, you’ll get sick,” I sighed. “What are you doing here?”

“What does it matter?” she asked.

“What are you talking about?”

“Nothing,” she sighed.

“Annie, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong, Finnick,” she snapped. “Everything is perfect!”

“Something is obviously wrong,” I said.

“Of course there’s something wrong!” she shrieked, “And you know what it is, so don’t come here and try to be all sweet, because you’re leaving today, and the worse part is that it’s your choice!”

“Annie...”

“Yes, I know, the less I know the better. I’m sure there’s a wonderful reason for which you would be willing to volunteer to go back into the arena that I am not allowed to know. I don’t know what the fuck is going on, Finnick, and I know that you won’t tell me, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re leaving and that you might die!” After she was done screaming, she stood up and walked away from me, moving closer to the water.

She pushed the blanket off her shoulders and kicked it away from her, though I knew she was freezing. She tried to hide how bad her shoulders were shaking, with both cold and sobs, but I knew she was crying. I sighed and hid my face in my hands. This was definitely not how I had planned my last day with Annie would be.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

“Yeah, you’re always sorry, Finnick,” she barked.

“Annie, I don’t really have a choice!” I snapped.

“I’m sure you don’t. Was it President Snow this time as well? Did he hold a gun to your head and ask you to volunteer? You know what, if he did, maybe you should have let him shot you, because that is more merciful than the arena.”

“Annie, I need to do this,” I sighed.

“Yeah, you chose to do it, so don’t apologize, because if you were truly sorry, then you would stay.”

“If you had been through the things I’ve been through… you’d understand.”

“You’re joking, right?” she asked in disbelief. “Finnick I had to sit through your games, then I had to go through mine! My life is a perpetual nightmare! I had to wait back home as my boyfriend was sent to the Capitol to sleep with other women! If you think I don’t hate the Capitol, than you’re insane, but I am not crazy enough to go back there, not even to get revenge on the Capitol!”

“What?” I asked. How did she know?

“I’m not stupid! You think I don’t realize what’s going on!”

“Annie I don’t want them to use you against me!”

“Then stay!” she yelled.

“I can’t do that,” I growled. “I thought you’d understand…”

“I understand,” she said, “but as much as I would like to claw Snow’s eyes out, I would never risk my life knowing you were waiting back home for me to come back.”

“I will come back, Annie,” I sighed.

“These are all victors, Finnick… they’ve all won before. Your good looks won’t save you this time.”

“I will come back,”

“How many people will you have to kill to come back home, though?” she asked bitterly.

“Annie, I wouldn’t be going back if I didn’t think I stood a chance, if I didn’t have a good reason. You have no idea of what is going to happen… I just need you to trust me… please.” I stood up and walked closer to her. She refused to look at me, but she was quiet. She stared at the water and I could see her tears running down her face. Her eyes were pink and her cheeks were flushed, and her expression was full of pain and anger, and I was the reason for it. “Annie, you are… you are my everything, and it kills me to see you like this…” I whispered, holding back tears. Her face softened.

“You’re all I have,” she cried. “I just don’t know what I’d do if you left and didn’t come back,” she broke out into fresh sobs, and collapsed on the sand, and I kneeled down next to her. I opened my arms invitingly, and she crawled into my embrace. I sat down and she curled up on my lap, hugging me tightly, crying.

“Promise you’ll come back,” she begged.

“I will, Annie,” I whispered. There was a small chance I was lying but I was determined to get back home to Annie, and I didn’t have the heart to tell her I wouldn’t.

“I love you, Finn. I’ll be waiting here…”

“I know, Anne. We have so much to look forward to… we’ll get married when I return, ok?” She looked at me in shock, but her lips quickly formed into a smile, and then they were on mine, as we kissed.

“What if I don’t want to marry you?” she teased. I looked away, pretending to be deeply hurt, but she burst into laughter, and I joined in. We fell on the sand, laughing, though there was nothing really that funny, until our eyes were tearing up and our stomachs hurt. We lay together under the sun for hours, as the reaping crawled nearer, refusing to let go and say goodbye… I knew I wouldn’t get the chance later.