The Price of Peace (Finnick Odair)

The Curtain Rises

Finnick couldn't take his eyes off of her even for a moment. She looked beautiful, their designer Rhys had really outdone himself this time. Her hair hung in gorgeous waves, with strands of pearls braided throughout. Her siren gown clung to her curves, far more risque on her now than when she was thirteen. He wanted to devour her and she shared similar thoughts based on the starved look in her eye when she examined every inch of him. 

He was in folded armor that was made to look like fish scales. A trident was placed in his hand and a golden crown was shoved onto his head. 

He knew Rhys was painting a picture. 

The couple looked godly next to each other. He had no doubt that there would be posters of these outfits hanging throughout the capitol. 

Evadine's eyes had been distant since the medical examination and it worried him. Maybe it was finally hitting her that they were back in the arena once more. He took her clammy hand in his, drawing her gaze back to himself. 

"Is everything okay?" Finnick asked. 

"No... You know how sometimes we offer up parts of ourselves to stay alive... I... I think I'm going to have to do something reckless. I don't want to offer this to them... I don't regret it... but I shouldn't have volunteered..." He didn't understand what she was referring to but he couldn't help but agree with her. 

She shouldn't be the one standing next to him.

He decided to try and change the topic, "What do you think about Haymitch's proposition?" 

Haymitch had pulled them aside the night before, whispering in coded riddles about a plan. A rebellion. He asked them to protect the Mockingjay in the Arena and they would get out too. 

He could practically watch as Evadine's mind began to swirl with a tidepool of never-ending strategies. "... Fire is catching. We save the girl. We live... Why don't we go introduce ourselves." 

He nodded, taking her hand in his as they made their way toward the twelfth chariot. Katniss stood stroking the horse and Evadine couldn't help but smile a little. 

"Katniss..." Finnick smiled, sauntering up to the teenager in full character. 

"Finnick... Evadine." The Mockingjay nodded, though her sharp eyes looked ready to cut through them.

"Hello, Katniss. How are you holding up?" Evadine asked, truly worried for the girl. She hadn't really grasped just how young Katniss was until she met the girl in person. 

"Do you want a sugar cube? I mean it's supposed to be for the horses but who cares about them right? They got years to eat sugar where as you and us well if we see something sweet we better grab it. How do you think I got this one?" He smirked sending a flirty wink to his blushing wife. 

"No thanks. But I would love to borrow that outfit someday." Katniss quipped back, eyeing the golden monstrosity that made breathing a chore.

"I wouldn't... He's been whining that it pinches since they put the damn thing on him." Evadine smiled and even the stone-cold huntress couldn't help but melt under her goodness. 

Finnick had watched it happen a thousand times over, everyone loved Evadine Odair. 

She smiled, walking up and throwing her arms around the teen pulling her close. She whispered something to the girl on fire but Finnick couldn't hear from where he was standing. He watched Katniss' eyes widen and then her face returned to its neutral sneer. 

When Evadine pulled back she smiled again, "We will speak again, Katniss... C'mon, Finnick! Who knows how long it's going to take to get you in the chariot with that get-up." 

Finnick followed behind his wife like a puppy, curiosity coating his features as he tried to silently ask what Evadine had whispered. Though she understood his silent question she just grinned and kissed his cheek. 

They reached their carriage and Evadine stepped in front of him, arms spread and waiting. Finnick couldn't help but laugh at her silly display as he grabbed her hips and lifted her into the carriage. 

Finnick took a bit longer to pull himself up next to her. The outfit might be pretty but it was not easy to move in. 

He heard her bell-like giggle as he struggled to stand and he felt his heart squeeze in his chest with a painful amount of love and adoration. 

He stood at her side, caressing her nose with his own before placing a loving kiss on her sweet lips. 

"I love you," Finnick whispered. Even though they were surrounded and so many eyes rested on their intimate moment he could only see her. 

"I love you too... So much." Her eyes turned glassy and she kissed him once more. 

The announcement was made and the chariots were readied. 

"Don't let me fall..." Evadine whispered to him, the same words she had whispered to Lowell so many years ago. 

"I'd never let you live it down if you fell off this thing." Finnick couldn't help but tease as he wrapped an arm around her waist, ensuring that he would never in fact let her fall. 

The Chariots began to move and the moment they emerged from the tunnel the crowd went wild. 

"EVADINE!"
"FINNICK!"
The crowd screamed at them, begging for their attention and Finnick looked at Evadine, noticing she didn't have her usual showman smile. 

"Don't smile Finn. Look at me... Let them see our pain." She looked at him with so much heartbreak, allowing the crowd to see their lover's tragic agony as she cupped his jaw. 

With one hand gripping the trident and one around her waist, Evadine was flush against him they did paint a glorious picture. With a single manufactured pose, the tone of the crowd changed as the cheers turned to sobs begging for them to survive.

The Capitol adored their love. 

None of them wanted to see it end in tragedy. 

Coriolanus Snow too watched on, fury in his eyes as he watched his Evadine fuck up his grand scheme. Her name was never in the bowl.

In one game he was going to get rid of Katniss, Peeta, and that fucking Finnick Odair. Then she had to go and fuck it all up by volunteering. 

He had a plan and she destroyed the plan! Maybe she was more like Lucy Gray than he first thought. 

The cheering started again seeing Katniss and Peeta. 

They all stood once more, the victors, forced to survive again. The golden careers, the tech geniuses, the morphlings, the gods of the sea, and the couple on fire. 

The curtain rose and the stars returned to the stage for one final performance.