ROOFTOP - finnick odair

chapter twenty nine

"don't tell me what to do
and don't tell me what to say
when i got out with you
don't put me on display."

~

Caterina's POV:

"You ready?" he asks with a smile.

"Of course," I answer, smirking. We walk along the Capitol grounds as Boggs and Jackson lead the squad. Finnick keeps his eyes locked on Peeta, as usual, ever since he was brought to us as a replacement.

"You know, I'm starting to think you have a thing for Peeta," I say, raising my eyebrows.

"Shut up," he grins, rolling his eyes. "Just have to keep him safe, that's all."

"Whatever you say." I laugh as we turn a corner. I look back and see him walking alongside Katniss. I think I know why he's basically assigned himself to keeping Peeta safe - because he thinks of him and Katniss as the two of us. One can't survive without the other. I smile at the thought.

"Typical," he sighs. "Cat getting jealous every time I even look in someone's direction."

"Shut up," I mumble, crossing my arms. Finnick smiles, satisfied at his victory in teasing me and being right.

"Stop," Boggs suddenly says. "There's a pod. Go find cover," he orders. We hide behind a cracked wall as Boggs shoots at it, and guns and explosives go off for what seems like an hour.

Beside me, I hear Finnick laughing. I'm not surprised. I nudge him and give him a look, and he shuts up.

"All clear," someone yells, so we get back up. Then another explosion goes off and a shout comes from Boggs. Finnick is the first to run closer, but I pull him back. Katniss finds him on the ground. Except it's only half of him.

"Jesus," Finnick whispers is shock, backing away. I have to turn my head and look somewhere else. I'm not sure what happens after that, but Katniss ends up leading the way.

With Finnick holding my waist as we walk and occasionally pressing his lips on my cheek, I almost forget that this is war. That people are dying. That people have already died. The air just seems a little more tense as we approach another pod. Everything happens so fast - there's thick, black liquid that's apparently capable of killing as I see one of the soldiers being thrown into the monstrous substance. It stretches over him like a spider web and suffocates him. And then we're running.

We run into a building and up the stairs to the top floor. Finnick puts himself in front of me as the liquid slowly approaches us, but stops just short of our feet. I can finally breathe.

"You okay?" he asks breathlessly, checking me over.

"Fine," I answer, pushing my hair back out of my face.

We all rest until the liquid dries up. Then we walk and reach another building where we can spend the night. Finnick and I are settled in, sitting on the carpeted floor, our weapons at ease.

I reach into my pocket and unravel the letter than Aria wrote me. I read it over and over, my fingers tracing over each letter as if it's her. I bite my lip and keep myself from crying. Finnick notices this and pulls me in closer, bringing his lips to my head gently.

"I love you," he whispers in my ear. I tuck the paper back in my pocket and lean against him.

Suddenly the screen in the room lights up, and Caesar Flickerman once again appears. He talks about us. The Rebels. I like the sound of that. He says my name, and I almost smile. He says Finnick's name, and he's laughing again with a smirk on his face.