𝙷𝙾𝚄𝚂𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝚁𝙾𝚂𝙴𝚂 | 𝙵𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚔 𝙾𝚍𝚊𝚒𝚛

𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽

Finnick woke up to an empty bed, his confusion answered by the smell of food coming from the kitchen. He slipped out of bed, the events from the prior evening playing in his mind as he entered the main living space. He found the person clouding his thoughts sitting at the counter, sipping on her coffee as she hummed to herself.

The floorboards creaked beneath his weight, alerting the girl to his presence as she turned to face him with a smile. It was a stark contrast from the terrified girl the night before, and it almost unnerved him the way she seemed like a completely different person.

"Morning, sleepyhead," Valeria greeted as she slipped out of her seat, grabbing a plate as she stood over the food she had made that morning. "I didn't make much this morning. Do you like pancakes?"

He paused a moment, questions filling his brain that he was almost too afraid to ask.

"Pancakes are fine," he finally stated, not that it mattered as Valeria had already started stacking them onto his plate. She paused when she turned to face him, their eyes meeting as he saw something like fear flash across them before it disappeared altogether. She slid the plate onto the counter, leaning back as she watched Finnick take a seat.

"I'm sorry about last night," Valeria broke the tense silence as Finnick glanced up from his food. "I wasn't thinking straight after yesterday's events."

"Do you have nightmares often?" Finnick asked what he had been wondering all night. Last night was not a one-off, that much he knew from experience. Nightmares like that didn't stem from nowhere.

Valeria seemed to realize this as her face fell, the first real sign of vulnerability Finnick had seen from her. She seemed to think about her words carefully before answering.

"I don't do well with guns," Valeria admitted as she crossed her arms almost defensively. There was a brief pause before she added, "I saw my parents murdered with one when I was a child."

Finnick had not expected the confession, or the level of seriousness their conversation had turned to. He vaguely remembered hearing about the death of Valeria's parents shortly after his games, but it hadn't been huge news in the Capitol. It was no wonder it was covered up, the idea that rebels had somehow managed to sneak in and assassinate such an influential family certainly wasn't comforting for its citizens.

It made sense then why Valeria had such trauma to face, seeing one's parents murdered wasn't something to be taken lightly no matter if one lived in the districts or Capitol.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Finnick's voice was soft as he spoke. "I know what it's like to lose your parents."

Valeria didn't seem surprised by his words, and he wondered how much she knew about his life. Probably more than he was comfortable with, but she had shared something deeply personal with him and he figured it was only fair. Valeria seemed to shrug as a sad smile appeared on her face.

"Guess that makes us both orphans, pretty boy," Valeria's teasing was heavier than usual, one that made Finnick shift uncomfortably as he wondered what else the girl was hiding behind a smile. "I have to head out, but feel free to stay as long as you want."

Valeria slid the keys across the counter to where he sat and he finally noticed the nice dress she was wearing. It seemed Valeria was always busy with some social event, and Finnick wasn't sure how he did it. She seemed to attend more events than him.

"Lock up when you leave and give them to the receptionist on the way out," she explained as she tossed her dishes in the sink and headed towards the door. She was leaving far too quickly, and Finnick's mind was still reeling from her confession.

"Valeria," he called out, watching her pause at the doorway as she turned back to face him with a questioning gaze. "Thank you, for breakfast."

He debated a moment before adding on, "And for sharing."

An amused smile made its way onto her face, any trace of sadness gone as her eyes twinkled at him.

"Don't get all emotional on me now, pretty boy," Valeria teased, back to her regular bubbly self. "You'll make me get attached."

There wasn't time for Finnick to reply as she slipped out the door without so much as a goodbye, leaving him alone with a mix of emotions. Because despite her light-hearted words and bright smile back on her face, Finnick couldn't help but think their was a warning behind her words.