Heart of Gold • Finnick Odair

-52-

Rosalie wakes up feeling happy.

She feels an arm draped around her bare stomach. She pulls on a pyjama shirt of Finnick's off the floor, it's the same colour as all district 13 outfits seem to be. She stares at the ring on her left hand as she remembers the night prior with a smile on her face, her mind recollecting every gentle touch and loving kiss.

The happiness she feels overpowers the aching sensation spreading throughout her body from the past few weeks in the Capitol.

She realises Finnick is awake when she feels a pair of lips kiss her shoulder lazily. She feels his free hand trace a bruise on her back causing goosebumps to appear.

"I'm sorry," he sighs. "I'm sorry you had to go back there and go through all that, i'm sorry I couldn't protect you, I-"

"No, Finnick, stop. There is nothing you could've done. We knew the risk when we agreed to get Katniss out, we knew the chance that we wouldn't be safe." She places a hand on his cheek, "i'm here now, and I feel safe."

"You do?"

"I will always feel safe with you," Rosalie whispers before kissing Finnick on the lips softly.

He reciprocates instantly, cupping her check as he kissed her back, "I love you, future Mrs Odair."

She smiled up at him, her eyes shining with happiness, "I love you too."

"I don't wanna get up," Finnick whines.

"Then don't. Stay here with me," Rosalie teases.

"Ohh, stop. Don't tempt me, you know I have to work," he stretches in the bed before grabbing some clothes off the floor.

Once he's changed into the district 13 uniform, he turns to say goodbye to Rosalie but stops when he sees her. She is dressed in nothing but his shirt with the covers half covering her body, her brown eyes watching his movements.

"Gotta go," he climbs onto the bed and leans over her to press a kiss on her lips. Rosalie traces her hand from the back of his neck to his collar, holding onto it to drag him closer down to the bed.

Finnick groans but more than happily allows her to do so anyway. She then pulls away from the kiss and climbs out of bed to get dressed herself, leaving Finnick lay on his stomach on the bed with a pout on his lips, "you tease!"

Rosalie just smiles as he lies on his side and watches her pull on her own clothes.

"What're your plans then?" Finnick mumbles as he yawns, getting up from the bed to wrap his arms round his fiancé.

"I'm gonna go see Johanna, I'll probably be there most of the day. I have therapy. I'll check on Peeta if I'm allowed to," Rosalie answers, leaning back into his chest.

"Be careful with Peeta," Finnick warns. "I know you were with him over there but the doctors say he's really sensitive."

"I will," she kisses his cheek and takes his hand, leading them out of their room.

Finnick insists on walking Rosalie to the medical ward but she convinced him not to walk her down to Johanna's room specifically as he was already running late for the schedule on his arm.

Rosalie soon finds her way to her friends room after asking a nurse for directions.

The bald girl is sat upright in a hospital bed refusing food from a nurse.

"Hey Jo, being difficult?" Rosalie announces her presence.

"You know it," the bald girl smirks as Rosalie takes a seat by her friend, lifting her legs up onto the girl's bed and crossing them as Johanna pats her shin with one hand.

"Cmon Johanna, eat something and they might let you out this room," Rosalie raises a brow.

"Only for you," Johanna sighs dramatically before taking a bite of the food. "Have you been told about therapy yet?"

Rosalie nods her head and leans back in her chair, "daily sessions with Maria, right?"

"Yup," the bald girl scoffs, "what good can it do? I mean really? She'll tell us it's a 'safe space' where we can 'share thoughts and feelings'. Bullshit. Every word will be evaluated, every session will probably be either watched or recorded."

"Maybe not. Finnick said he spoke with her for a while when he first arrived. Said it wasn't so bad." She looks at Johanna amusedly, "it might actually help a little. It's worth a shot, especially if it'll give us more freedom rather than being labelled as mentally and physically unstable."

"Suppose so. So... when are you gonna tell me about it?" Johanna smirks, confusing her friend.

"Huh?"

Johanna gestures to the ring on Rosalie's left hand, reminding her what she'd wanted to say, "oh, right! I'm getting married."

Johanna smiled for real, "he finally asked huh?"

"Yup, so you better take your meds, eat your food, and go to therapy, so you're out of this damn hospital room when I get married. Who else'll be my maid of honour?"

"Really?" Johanna asks surprised. "You want me to do it?"

"Of course, you're one of the most important people in my life."

"What about Luna? Or is she staying in eleven?" Johanna asks cautiously, not knowing the situation with Rosalie's friend/sister figure.

"Finnick said he'll talk to Coin. She's gonna want the wedding filmed as a propo and if she wants that, she'll have to agree to our terms: including getting Luna out here. But she's not my maid of honour, she always said she'd want to be the flower girl, she's obsessed with flowers."

Johanna nods, "a propo huh? You don't mind?"

"Nah, it might give people more hope y'know. Besides, doesn't make a difference to me. As long as i'm Mrs Odair at the end of the day, I don't care."

"Rosalie Odair." Johanna smirks, "I like it."

Rosalie felt a sense of comfort with Johanna, it made everything feel more real having her nearby.

They had their food brought to Johanna's room as the girl isn't allowed to leave until she starts following instructions. They have slightly nicer food than everyone else in the canteen as they have been starved in the Capitol and need to be nourished again. 

After lunch, Rosalie had to go for her therapy session.

She saw Annie coming out before her. The ginger looked more relaxed than usual and sent Rosalie a comforting smile before leaving to, assumably, meet up with her husband.