➳❦

FINNICK WALKED TOWARD THE ROOM WHERE HE WAS TOLD MATTHEW WOULD BE. Did he plan out what he would say or do when he saw the man? No. Did he have any sort of idea what to even talk about? Not one clue. But he knew that he had to confront Matthew about what happened in the arena. More for his own sake. He didn't know what Matthew thought of him, but if he saw Finnick leaving Arya, then he would guess that it wasn't really pleasant.

He hoped that wasn't the case but you never knew. Especially with someone he hadn't really met before. Finnick saw Matthew sat in the near empty room, just a few tables and chairs scattered around. He was hesitant to enter, more so when he could see the angered expression that was on Matthew's face. 

But he took the first few steps in, seemingly not getting his attention until he spoke up. "Matthew, right?" Finnick questions. By the voice, Matthew already knew who it was. But he wasn't really wanting much company right now.

"Finnick." He bluntly responds which made Finnick just want to turn around right then and there. If he was smart, he would've. But Finnick instead just kept walking toward Matthew.

"Can I uh... can I talk to you?" Finnick asks him, crossing his arms against his chest. Matthew rubs his face as he sits up straighter, finally meeting Finnicks gaze.

"You know what? I'm not really in the mood for a conversation right now." Matthew denies, his glare evident as he stared at Finnick. But once again, Finnick didn't walk away. He wouldn't. Not when he felt like he was the reason why Matthew was alone.

"I'm sorry." Finnick says, now stood next to where Matthew was sitting. "I know you and Arya were close." He seemed to be the only person she talked about outside of the arena and it was clear she had an admiration for the man with the way she did talk about him.

But what he said seemed to piss Matthew off even more. "We are close." He sneers, correcting the man. Finnick instantly knew what he had said wrong which made his eyes widen in the slightest.

"I didn't mean to intend that she was gone or anything." He apologizes with a small frown on his face. Finnick let's out a sigh as he glances away from Matthew. He was clearly not really making a good impression. "I get that you blame me and I see why --"

"Why would I blame you?" Matthew asks, cutting the man off. Finnick meets his gaze and he could see that Matthew was a bit confused, his eyebrows furrowed in the slightest. Finnick however thought it was obvious.

"Because I left her. I should've just brought her with me."

"Finnick, I'm angry because these so called rebels left her in that arena to die, or worse. You did nothing wrong." Matthew explains to him. Yes, he was pissed off but it wasn't aimed towards Finnick, no matter what he may have thought.

"But I was the one that left her." Finnick states. He didn't want the blame placed on anyone but himself because he was the one that was inside the arena. He was the one who could've done something to change her mind or get her to the tree.

"You were paralyzed by lightning, what were you supposed to do?" Matthew knew that both Finnick and Katniss couldnt move after the lightning strike. No one would've been able to. There was thousands of joules racking through their bodies.

"No, but when we were arguing. I shouldn't have given up so easily." Finnick points out. That's what really makes him beat himself up. He had walked away from her. He could've done more but he didn't.

"Well, I know just how stubborn she is. You weren't budging her." Matthew knew what it was like to try and get Arya to do something she didn't want to do. It was impossible. Even if he had dragged her or carried her, she wouldve found a way out of it. And finnick probably wouldn't have made it out the arena either.

"Wait, so you're not mad at me?" Finnick asks him, furrowing his eyebrows a little bit.

"No." Matthew denies. Sure, he wanted to punch him in the face for laying hands on Arya in the training area. But he didn't believe Finnick left her behind,  and even if he did, he clearly regretted it. "Plutarch? Yes. That bitch they call their president? One hundred percent." He states with a small scoff. He didn't even understand how she got voted into the presidency, she was a two faced cunt. At least in his eyes.

Finnick bites the inside of his cheek. He wanted Matthew to shout at him, to hate him. Maybe it would help him try and realize that it wasn't his fault? Or maybe he just thought that was what he deserved. But either way, Matthew didn't seem like he had a problem with how Finnick was in the arena.

Matthew saw how Finnick was contemplating in his head. "She won't blame you either." He denies with a small sigh. Matthew was sure that Finnick needed to hear that, whether or not he believed it was another story.

"What?"

"When we get her back. She won't be mad at your for leaving her. She told you to." Matthew believed whole-heartedly that they would get Arya back. He would stop at nothing to rescue her. He could never leave her in the Capitol to suffer. Especially since he knew that eventually it would lead to a long and gruesome death.

Finnick didn't really take his words seriously though. Arya probably hated him for even trying to bring her back, and probably blames him for her capture. Maybe she was distracted because of him and that's how they got her. Of course, every scenario that he came up with in his mind, ended with the same exact thing. That Arya hated his guts and she has since the day they met.

"Arya probably won't even care that I'm alive, let alone talk to me when she gets here." Finnick mutters, his eyes dropping to his hands as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
Matthew chuckles, leaning back. Maybe before the games he would think the exact same thing as Finnick, but he saw the way they had interacted. Sure it was mainly arguing and fighting, but he also saw the way they looked at each other when they thought no one was noticing.

"That's not necessarily true." Matthew denies, catching Finnicks attention once again. He furrows his eyebrows as he just stared at Matthew, a bit confused. "Don't get me wrong, I did understand her annoyance toward you. You were a cocky kid when you two first met. And you were definitely trying to impress her with your charm." He explains with a shrug of his shoulders.

Finnick let's out a scoff as he narrows his eyes a bit. "I have never used my charm on her." He denies,  crossing his arms against his chest. Matthew of course didn't really believe him. Mainly because he could see how he flirted in the arena and beforehand. Even at some of the Capitol parties.

"Mhm." Matthew hums as he narrows his eyes. He still didnt really know what to think about Finnick. He didnt hate the guy, he didnt know him so he couldnt say that yet. But one thing he knew, was that Arya also didnt hate him.

Not getting along with a person was something entirely different. And sure, her and Finnick had their off moments, but Arya would never allow someone to lay their hands on her if she didn't at least have a hint of likeness for them. And well, Finnick grabbing a hold of her throat more than once was definitely a sign seeing as his arm didn't get snapped.

Matthew lifted his hand onto Finnicks shoulder. "But don't sell yourself short. She may never admit it, but she doesnt completely hate you." He tells the man, squeezing it for a moment before standing up. Finnick just watches as Matthew left the room.

He didn't know what to do with that. Because as much as Matthew tried to convince him, no one really knew what Arya thought other than Arya herself. And finnick did try and keep hope, but he didn't know whether or not he would ever get to know her in a genuine way. Because he didn't know whether or not he would ever see her again.

➳

ARYA STIRRED SLIGHTLY,  groaning when she felt the hard surface beneath her. Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes opened. She was met with nothing but an empty space. Arya wondered where peeta was. But she knew they must have taken them. Of course they did it while she was asleep. As she stared in front of her, she noticed that Johannas cell was also empty. This causes a frown to form on her face.

She glances around the room for a moment. Until she saw the figure of a man sat against the cage. Wesley was still here. They hadnt taken everyone. It seemed he noticed she was awake as well. Sitting up a bit, she rubs her arms a little bit. "Where did they take Peeta and Johanna?" Arya asks him, wondering if he knew anything. But Wesley just shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know. They were gone when I woke up." Wesley admits, kicking his feet against the ground. Arya didn't want to think of the worst, but of course that's all her brain could come up with in that moment. Wesley seemed to share her thoughts. "Do you think he killed them?" He asks her, looking over at her.

"Wesley." Arya says, sadness in her eyes as she moves closer to him. "Don't think like that, okay?" She states, mainly just wanting to push those thoughts away herself.

"I'm being realistic." Wesley points out.

"You're being bleek." She corrects him.

"Well, look at this place." Wesley says as he gestures around the room. Arya couldnt help but laugh a little bit, shaking her head. "Come a long way, haven't we?" He questions after a moment of silence. Arya meets his gaze once again.

"From what?" Arya asks, a bit confused as she furrows her eyebrows.

"Just a few weeks ago, you hated everyone." Wesley points out in a slight teasing tone. Arya bites the inside of her cheek, rolling her eyes playfully. Of course that's what everyone thought. They thought she was some careless psychopath who didn't want to be around anyone. But that was far from the truth.

"I didn't hate anyone, I just kept to myself." Arya admits as she shrugs her shoulders. It was true. Matthew and his family were the only ones she really communicated with on a regular basis. Johanna was maybe a few times a year at best.

"Why?" Wesley asks curiously. He just wondered why she had decided to not make friends in the Capitol like all the other victors. Arya just lets out a small breath.

"I don't know. I guess I just thought that no one would like me." That was an understatement in her mind. Arya already knew her own district didn't like her, so why would anyone else? And none of the victors really tried to talk to her other than Johanna and occasionally Finnick. But once again, she didn't have a good first impression of him.

"When you came out of that arena, I thought you were a badass." Wesley states with a smirk on his face. Arya raises an eyebrow as she meets his gaze.

"Probably cause I had a good mentor." Arya states with a slight laugh. She could see the shift in Wesley, how he tensed slightly at the mention of mentors. She wasnt stupid, she knew Wesley was the last person in her district to win before her. "I know you were supposed to mentor me, Wesley." She admits as she looks over at him. Wesley frowns as he fiddles with his fingers.

"You do?" He asks, not really being able to look at her. Arya nods her head.

"Yeah." Arya responds. She understood why he switched with someone else, but she never blamed him for what happened. "You didn't have to switch out." She denies, seeing the way he was probably still beating himself up about it.

"I just didn't think you'd want to see me."
Wesley admits as he shrugs his shoulders. No one would really want to work with the man who got their little sibling killed.

But Arya didn't see it that way. "Ash dying was not on you. You did what you could for him." Arya knew that once you got into that arena, survival was mainly on you. And it was survival of the fittest.

"Not enough." He mutters as he shakes his head. Arya sighs as she reaches through the bars in order to grab a hold of his hand.

"Hey, don't blame yourself, okay?" She says, giving his hand a squeeze. Wesley meets her gaze for the first time, seeing the soft smile that she had placed on her lips. He nodded his head but he knew there would be a part of him that always felt guilty for that day.

Arya looks toward the door as it opens. She just scoffs as she notices the guards walking over to the cells. "What do you want now?" She asks them, glaring up at them. The guard just opens the door to Wesley's cell.

"Get him up." The guard demands the other. Wesley tries to fight but none of them had really eaten anything or had any water causing them to be incredibly weak.

"Seems you two have gotten awfully close, huh?" The other guard taunts as he looks in Aryas direction. She just flips him off.

"Don't touch him." Arya warns, her voice stern. The guard walks over to her cell, opening the door and leaning against the entrance.

"You wanna protect him? Take the blow?" He teases her, tilting his head. She knew they would just beat the both of them if they really wanted to.

"Arya." Wesley didn't need her doing anything to protect him. Not that she could. She wasn't in the same cell as him like she was Peeta. That didn't mean she was just going to allow him to be hurt. But clearly neither of the guards cared, their job was to harm them. And that's what the guard did to Wesley causing Arya to flinch.

"Isn't this cute?" The guard standing by her cell asks as the other continues to beat Wesley. Arya could barely watch as she heard him yell out in pain. Her eyes squeezed shut as all she could listen to was the sound of the baton hitting the man repeatedly.

"Stop it!" She shouts at them, banging against the cage. The man just chuckles as he turns his head toward her, raising an eyebrow at her as he points the baton in her direction.

"Stop what, sweetheart? I'm just getting started." He replies before hitting Wesley once again. Wesley squeezes his eyes shut, trying to control his breathing. Once he does, he meets Aryas worried gaze.

"It's okay." Wesley assures her as he takes yet another blow. Arya makes her way toward the entrance to her cell but the guard just blocked the door. He only smirks down at her. Arya stares at him, clenching her jaw. He brings his finger to her chin, lifting it up. But as he does, she just spits in his face.

The guard is taken aback a little. He glares immediately, smacking her across the face and sending her to the ground. "You little--" He starts to say as he sends a kick to her stomach causing her body to tighten within itself.

"You better watch yourself or you won't last very long in here." The other guard threatens, pointing his finger at her. Arya just glares at him, narrowing her eyes. The guards leave the cells, closing and locking them before leaving the room. Arya immediately moves toward the cage.

"Are you okay?" She questions him, her gaze running over him trying to see what his injuries were. But Wesley could only shake his head.

"Why would you do that?" Wesley asks her with a sigh as he looks over at her. Arya just keeps herself rested against the ground, bringing her hands up to cover her face. She didn't care how much they hurt her or tried to break her, she wouldn't give in. She would always try and save the others because that was one way they had to truly hurt her.

And she wouldn't allow them to have that power over her.

➳❦

KATNISS WALKS INTO THE CAFETERIA, her eyes scanning the area for a moment before her gaze landed on Finnick. She was surpised to see him out and about but she wasnt complaining. Katniss wanted to talk to him again, especially seeing how he was racking himself up with guilt. "You came out your room." She says as she sits down beside him.

Finnick turns his head, noticing Katniss. He smiles gently, nodding his head as a small chuckle leaves his lips. "Yeah, yeah." He mumbles, looking back down at his food. Katniss noticed that he hadn't really touched any of it.

"You doing okay?" Katniss asks him, a bit concerned. She was surprised herself, especially since Finnick and her didn't know each other before the arena. Finnick let's out a small sigh as he looks back over at her.

"You don't need to walk on eggshells around me, Katniss." Finnick denies. Mainly finding it annoying when people did that. Katniss just nods her head.

"Oh, okay. I know you're probably beating yourself for not saying anything to her." Katniss says, instantly pushing all bullshit out of the way. Finnick knew she was talking about Arya but not the exact context.

"About what?"

"That you like her." Katniss states bluntly like it was the most obvious thing ever. Which, in retrospect, it was. Finnick groans, rolling his eyes a little but.

"You're just like Johanna." Finnick responds, looking away from her. Katniss shrugs her shoulders.

"We're just not blind." She points out. They saw what Finnick clearly was too blind to see for himself.

"I think I know how I feel." Finnick states, crossing his arms.

"Right, which is what?" Katniss asks him, raising an eyebrow at him. Finnick was silent as he just sat there. He didn't even really know what to say and he could see that she knew that.

"I don't know, okay?" Finnick mutters with a groan. He couldn't just think of it on the spot. And he wasnt just going to air out his dirty laundry to Katniss of all people. He barely knew her.

"Oh, come on. You were flirting with her in the arena." Katniss points out with a roll of her eyes. Everyone could see it, especially with the way they looked at each other. Finnick furrows his eyebrows, although he knew he couldn't really deny it.

"No, I wasn't." He lies, shrugging his shoulders.

"Calling her sweetheart?" She responds, raising an eyebrow at him. Katniss wouldn't allow him to try and gaslight her. She saw it, Peeta saw it, they all did.

"It's a nickname." Finnick states, looking away from her. Katniss snorts as she knew exactly why he always called her that. Arya objected to it and Finnick saw that. He most likely saw how it affected her as well.

"The way you looked at her definitely said something." Katniss mumbles a bit. Finnick narrows his eyes a bit as he brings his cup to his mouth.

"Said what?"

"That you wanted to fuck her." Katniss responds, staring at him for a moment. Finnick choked on his drink, his eyes going wide as he met her gaze. He had to cough a few times to get his composure back.

"Wow, I did not expect such vulgar language from you." Finnick states, a bit taken aback by her comment. Katniss just shrugged her shoulders. Someone has to say it like it was and she was the only one around to do it.

"I'm just keeping it real." Katniss admits, resting her arms on the table. Finnick bites the inside of his cheek. He didn't think that it really mattered what he thought anymore. Not that he thought of what Katniss had said. Well, he did find her attractive and he had flirted with her. Hell, he would never be against doing something with her. But it was never gonna be reciprocated anyway.

"It doesn't matter what I feel about her." Finnick says softly with a small sigh. Katniss knew it was more because Arya was in the Capitol. If she was here in District Thirteen, Katniss would be locking them in a room together until they both admitted it.

"We will get her back." Katniss assures him. But that wasn't even what Finnick was talking about. It was partially, but there was a bigger reason why his feelings didn't matter.

"Even then, she doesn't like me." He denied, shaking his head. No matter what others told him, he didn't believe that she felt anything for him. And if she did, it was clearly not obvious.

"You never know." Katniss responds.

"You mean like your feelings for Peeta?" Finnick retorts, raising an eyebrow at the woman. Katniss just stares blankly at him for a moment before standing up. She doesn't say another word as she walks away from him.

➳❦

ARYA WAS DRAGGED DOWN THE HALL, chains on her wrists. She was basically allowing them to carry her becauseshe sure as hell was not going to walk. The guard hadnt really said anything this time, he had just grabbed a hold of her and pulled her out of her cell. "Time for another date?" She asks sarcastically,  raising an eyebrow at the guard. He doesn't respond, just yanking harshly at her chains.

She glared at the man, clenching her haw. Arya could wrap this chain around his throat if he wasn't holding the middle clasp. They come to a sudden stop and he opens the door beside them. Arya was shoved in, causing her to hit the floor harshly. She barely has time to adjust before the door is slammed shut. They hadnt even taken the chains off of her.

Arya groans a bit as she sits up, rubbing her knee that had scrapped against the concrete. She heard a shuffle from in front of her making her head snap up. Was this some sort of sick game? A trap? Was someone in here with her? Or worse, something. Arya was kind of waiting for a mutt to just jump out and kill her.

But she didnt hear a growl or anything, just the sound of something moving and a low breathing. "Is somewhere else in here?" She asks curiously, glancing around. Arya had to squint a bit in order to see really since it was almost pitch black within the room. It seemed like the room they held her in earlier but was a bit different.

"I never thought I'd see you again." A voice responds to her. She knew it sounded familiar. It wasn't anyone she had seen recently, but it was someone who was a staple in her life. Mainly because he was the reason why she had won her games the way she did.

"Xander." Arya responds. Her mentor in the 69th hunger games. She was surprised that he was also in the Capitol, but it seemed like they were rounding up all of the victors, and he was one of them.

She hears his feet shuffle toward her more. And just because of the light shining from underneath the door, could she see the outline of his face in front of her. "Hey, doll." He responds with a tight smile. Arya could see he had been injured, she just didnt know how badly.

"You're alive. I thought they would've killed you." Arya admits. She wouldve thought that Snow would kill anyone who had ever even talked to her. The fact that he didn't kill her mentor was a bit suspicious.

"I'm still here. Unfortunately." Xander responds with a sigh as he leans back against the wall.

"How long have you been here?" Arya asks, curious as to why she hadn't seen him yet. Even though, Snow was probably keeping him isolated so he could bring them together for something. Probably torture.

"Maybe a week." He says but he didnt really have any concept of time at the moment.

"I'm glad you're okay." Arya admits. She was happy to know that he was at least alive. She hadnt seen him for quite some time even before the quarter quell.

"How about you? You holding up okay?" Xander asks her, glancing toward her and placing his hand on her knee. Arya shrugs her shoulders.

"Relatively." She tells him as the light shines on her face, illuminating her for a moment. That's when Xander could quite clearly see the bruises now.

"Your face." He states as he sits up.

"I'm fine, Xander." She assures him, not wanting him to worry as he had his own problems in here. "Are you near anyone?" Arya asks, wondering if he was near any other victors. She really just wanted to see who else was still alive.

"No, they have me alone." Xander states with a sigh. It did get lonely so he was glad that he now had Arya, even if it was just for a few minutes. "Who else is with you?" He asks her curiously.

"Peeta, Johanna and Wes." She answers him. Xander was quiet for a second before a scoff leaves his lips.

"Figures."

"What?"

"Plutarch wanted Katniss out, seems he got his wish." Xander tells her, clenching his jaw. Arya stared at him for a moment.

"You knew about the rebellion." She says, even though she shouldn't really be surprised. It seemed a lot of the victors who weren't exactly careers, got told something about the rebellion.

"Yeah." He admits, nodding his head at her.

"And they just left you here?" Arya asks. She didn't understand how he was captured if he was a part of the rebellion. Wouldn't they have gotten him out of the Capitol before the games even started?

"They'll probably say that it wasn't safe enough to extract me." He states, hostility in his tone. Arya looks a bit confused.

"Who?"

"The woman in charge." Xander responds. He had only met Alma Coin once and just from that brief interaction, he already didn't like her. There were similarities between her and Snow that most people just apparently didn't see or were just ignoring.

"Do you not like her?" Arya asks, having never met the woman before. Mainly because the existence of Thirteen was kept a secret to make sure that the Capitol didnt discover them.

"I'm not the biggest fan." Xander mutters,  crossing his arms against his chest. Arya nods her head slowly. Coin didn't really seem like an issue in her world right now, not when she was just trying to survive another day in here.

"I feel like these guards look at me like I'm a piece of meat." Arya says. She saw the looks they gave her, how they ran their eyes over her slowly with these vile hungry looks on their faces. She knew what they wanted to do to her.

"They haven't touched you, have they?" Arya knew that Xander was asking about something very specific and she was glad to be able to say no. Well, for right now at least.

"No. But I wouldn't be surprised if they did." She admits, fiddling with her fingers.

"If they try, you fight like hell, understand?" Xander tells her. He would strangle anyone who laid hands on her like that. He already wanted to kill them for what they did to hurt her.

"It's hard when they beat me and keep me starved." Arya points out. She would love nothing more than to beat the crap out of the guards. But even on the first day in the Capitol, she was incredibly weak. It's only increased with time.

"Use all your strength." He says, knowing it was hard to do but it would be worth it. Arya sighs as she leans her head back against the wall.

"I'd rather they just kill me." She admits. Anything was better than this endless torture. At least if she was dead, she wouldn't have to suffer it anymore. Xander reaches over, giving her hand a squeeze.

"We'll get out of here." Xander assures her, although he wasn't ever sure how to go about it. It seemed like they were trapped in some impenetrable fortress.

"Will we?" Arya asks him with a small scoff. Being optimistic was getting harder and harder to do as the days went on. There was no hope really tying to their escape. Especially when they truly didn't know what was going on in the outside world.

"Because right now, it's feeling a bit like it's impossible."

➳❦

AUTHORS NOTE;

Sorry for the long wait on the chapter!