RUINATION | FINNICK ODAIR

AT THE COST

"You look better."

Lara winced as Finnick changed the last of her bandages. Despite being back in the field, her injuries were still extensive.

She'd learned to control the pain she felt long before she ever participated in the hunger games, and that control only got better with practice. But during their frantic escapes, she could feel the effects of them wearing her down.

Once the last bandage was changed, she put her gear back on with Finnick's help.

"You kinda went a little tough on Peeta."

He didn't want to say crazy, because he knew Lara was sensitive about that. He'd never once called her crazy or psychotic because he truly believe she was the most reasonable person once he got to know her.

She scoffed, "He needed it. Besides, he's taken our protection for granted. It's disrespectful to those who died to keep him alive."

Before she could go on a rant, he held his hands up in surrender, "I know, I know."

She sighed tiredly and slumped in her chair. It prompted him to change the subject, allowing him to offer to get some food for her. But he was beaten to it when Elias entered the room.

Originally, he planned on giving them privacy. But he felt an insistent voice in his head telling him to talk to his sister.

The pair merely narrowed their eyes before glancing at each other in questioning.

"Lara, can I talk to you?" he asked. He warily glanced at Finnick, "Alone?"

He glared at him with definitive rejection. But Lara sensed something stirring within her brother. It prompted her to gently nudge Finnick's arm.

He question the gesture with his eyes to make sure that she was comfortable being alone with him. She replied with the slightest of nods. He understood and got up to leave the room.

Their whole unspoken conversation was amazing to Elias. He'd never met anyone else who had such a bond with another person.

Once Finnick was gone, he approached his sister cautiously, replacing the spot her partner had been sitting. He noticed how she'd already closed herself off to him before he ever spoke.

He drew a deep breath.

"You mentioned Octavian out there."

Her jaw tightened as she grit her teeth. She didn't expect that point of conversation.

"I remember he spoke to me once...when both of you came to visit home after his game," he reminisced, "He was a nice guy. It's hard to believe he's gone."

Lara was surprised that he remembered Octavian at all, let alone the one conversation they'd ever had. She'd only introduced Octavian to Elias once, and only because her brother happened to stumble across them in his victory tour.

She felt the sudden need to get defensive.

"Yeah, well it's my fault he's dead so why don't you add that to the list of things you dislike about me."

Her snapping didn't catch him off guard. He expected it. He wanted to argue in some way but didn't know how. In the end, he decided to let her stew with her thoughts before she started to rant.

He was right, given as she'd broken their silence moments later.

"Why do you hate me?"

His first instinct was to deny the accusation. But the look she gave him clearly meant that she wouldn't believe any excuse that came out of his mouth.