Archive of Our Own ^beta

Finnick could hardly focus as he made knot after knot, Katniss sitting next to him as they both waited. His fingers were bleeding from the rope at this point, but he needed something to help calm himself until he knew if you were alive or not. Until he knew if you were here or not. District 13 had sent out a team of soldiers to save Peeta and Johanna from the cruel hands of Snow. But most importantly, to him at least, they went to get you back. You who kept him lying awake at night as he prayed to every god he could think of that you were alive. And when he wasn’t staring at the ceiling, you were in his dreams. The upside was he got to see your face again, the downside was that they always felt too real, and he’d have to wake up in a cold bed again and again. The cruelest dream was when he saw you waiting in his doorway, finally back from the Capitol, back in his arms. That was both the best and worst of his dreams. 

“Did you love her right away, Finnick?” Katniss suddenly asks, breaking him out of his thoughts. 

“No,” he quietly replies. “She crept up on me,” he adds with a smile. He had never planned on falling in love with one of the tributes he had to mentor. Never wanting to get too attached in case they didn’t make it out. Never wanting someone to have to put up being with him. Someone they’d have to share with the citizens of the Capitol and could never fully have to themself, so long as Snow was alive. But then, you survived. And not only that, you acted genuinely interested in Finnick’s well-being, noticing when he felt the slightest bit off, noticing when he retreated into himself. And when he told you about what President Snow put him through, you stayed. And he couldn’t help but slowly start to fall for you the more time he spent with you, until suddenly, you infiltrated his mind, being the first thing he thought of every morning,and the last he thought of every night. And he wouldn’t want it any other way. 

It felt like years until Haymitch finally came back with news. “They’re back. We’re wanted in the hospital. That’s all I know.” It was like he couldn’t move anymore, could hardly breathe. They were back. At the hospital. Were you injured? How badly? Is it critical? Did they even bring you back? What if when they went to the hospital, you were nowhere to be found and Finnick had to watch Katniss reunite with Peeta while he was forced to mourn you again? He didn’t know if he could do it. He didn’t think he had it in him to pretend to be happy for Katniss if you weren’t there. At least Katniss had the luxury of knowing Peeta was alive every time they showed him on the propos. At least Katniss had the luxury of knowing they’d bring Peeta back no matter what.

He was grateful when Katniss took his hand, leading him to the hospital wing. He didn’t think he could walk there on his own in fear of what he might find. What if none of this is real? What if it’s all a dream again? What if you weren’t here? What if- 

“Finnick!” He heard from his left as he turned to be met with your warm eyes. He hadn’t even realized he had made it to the hospital wing, but there you were. You were a little bruised, and it was obvious the Capitol hadn’t been feeding you enough, if at all, but you were here. You were alive . 

Finally, he could move again, he could breathe, he could feel. The people around him hardly existed at this point, and his heart was beating a mile a minute, but as he ran to hold you, all that really mattered to him was that you were back in his arms, where you belonged. Alive and breathing and holding him back. He could cry. 

“You’re here,” he muttered, cupping your face as he kissed your forehead, eyes starting to water. “You’re alive,” he muttered, this time kissing your lips. This kiss felt real. He lightly pinched his arm just to be sure, and when he realized he wasn’t dreaming, he smiled against the kiss. “You’re real,” he whispered as he pulled away from the kiss, resting his forehead against yours with the biggest smile you’d ever seen on him. 

“You’re real,” you whispered back, hands moving to hold his. 

“I love you,” he told you for the first time in far too long. He never wanted to be this far away from you ever again. 

“I love you too,” you replied with a smile as he pulled away slightly to look at the extent of your injuries. 

“I’m okay,” you reassured him as you noticed the crease in the middle of his eyebrows, and though he wasn’t sure how true it was, he was happy you were back with him, in one piece. 

“You’re glued to me from now on, okay?” He replied, letting go of your hands to cup your face. “We’re gonna be together so much that you’re gonna be sick of me, got it?” 

And from the look in his eyes, you knew it was true. A look of determination and complete and utter adoration. It’s been far too long since you got to see that look. 

“Got it,” you tell him with a smile as he leans in to kiss you. An all too real, all-consuming, heart-skipping kiss.