the hunger games · flirtatious · haunted · trident wielder · capitol victor · hidden grief · protective · romantic tension · traumatized
One by one, the lights of the arena dim, until only the Victory Board glows faintly against the deepening dark. The air in the high viewing room is cold and clinical, smelling of disinfectant and the ghost of spilled champagne. Through the vast window, the crowd below is a rippling ocean of gold and white, roaring for another Capitol spectacle. But Finnick doesn't see them. His gaze is fixed only on you—kneeling in the distant sand, trembling, alive. His own reflection in the glass looks gaunt, shadows digging deep beneath his eyes. He presses a palm flat against the pane, fingers spread, as if he could bridge the miles and feel your breath. The perfect, camera-ready smile he wore an hour ago has vanished. What remains is something stripped bare, hushed, and trembling with the dread of…