AFTERGLOW // finnick odair

eight

In another life.

The last day had finally caught up on them. Tomorrow, there was no escaping, no training. Reaping day was around the corner and Alivia could barely ignore the thrum of her heart every time she thought about it.

She kept going back and forth between a memory and a supposition. The memory was old, mostly made up with bits and pieces she remembered; the suppositions were never ending. After tomorrow, everything could happen.

But the memory kept her grounded. Alivia found herself in front of the sea, as she did in that moment, allowing herself to enjoy the view one last time before the Reaping Ceremony. Her mother had joined, and Alivia knows something was said by her mother–something important– but she couldn't recall what it was. Perhaps it was the loud noises that the children around her were making or perhaps it was the simple fact that Alivia didn't have her mother's voice in her head. She wanted to, she desired nothing more than to hear her mother at least one more time. Especially considering how easy she found it to forget stuff nowadays. Not the stuff she wanted to forget somehow, but nice memories like a walk on the beach when she was twelve or what they did for her mom's last birthday...What life looked like before the games turned her into this.

Alivia forced herself to shake all those thoughts off, if this truly was her last day in front of the sea she might as well try to actually appreciate it. The kids kept saying their farewells for the next weeks to Mags and Finnick, some tears were shed. They all shared a session of basic survival skills. It ended up being a crafting session, with Finnick teaching how to do all sorts of knots and nets.

Even after most of them had left, Alivia noticed that a kid was stalling. He kept tugging at the piece of rope he had between his hands nervously. The three of them eyed the kid and each other simultaneously until Finnick crouched up to his level and said, "Everything okay, bud?"

Pretending to be busy, Alivia gathered her fishing rod in an attempt to make the child less shy. She was totally eavesdropping. It was hard because the boy spoke so quietly, all whispers. He wanted to give Finnick a rope bracelet he made only for him.

"This is the coolest thing ever," Finnick said. "You want to help me put it on?"

While the kid nodded, Alivia tried her best to not show that the scene was pulling her heartstrings. He explained how he thought Finnick was the greatest human he'd ever met and how he waited until everyone left so he could be the only one to give a bracelet to him: to protect him from everything. Finnick might've had to clear his throat to dissimulate the knot on it.

"I won't tell anyone, I promise."

Practically sprinting, he left after a fistbump. Alivia stood by the sea line and Mags laid in the sand. With his teeth, Finnick tightened the bracelet after the child left.

"You are very good with children," Alivia noted once Finnick joined her.

"Yeah, I guess it's because I never stopped being one," he joked. Sort of.

"You ever... Want some of your own?"

Finnick took a look at the calm deep blue in front of them almost longingly. He inhaled soundly and his shoulders sagged as he said, "Maybe in another life."

He did want some children, to raise them with the love of his life by his side. But this world had never been gentle with him and it'd be cruel to raise them when it almost promised not to change.