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cabotwife · 7 months

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(i) May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor

series masterlist

chapter warnings: poorly written, nothing else really tbh? not proofread

word count: 2009

❧ summary: something always goes wrong, Finnick knew this. he knows that nobody in this world is safe from the wrath of the Capitol, but he thought that he could at least keep you safe.

✮

the sharp smell of salt filled the air as you threw yourself down on the warm sand. your eyelids feel heavy, threatening to close, but just before they could completely shut, you caught a glimpse of your younger brother, playfully kicking at the shallow waves that lapped at his feet.

a soft, serene smile graces your lips as you watch your brother, innocence personified, lost in his own world of play.

the day had been unusually peaceful. everyone had been given the day off from work, their minds preoccupied with the reaping scheduled for tomorrow. and yet, in spite of the looming uncertainty, everyone seemed to be making the most of today.

you and Percy had decided to spend the entire day on the beach, setting aside your worries for a moment and just being kids, reveling in the simple pleasures of life. Finnick and Annie had made a brief appearance at one point, their company adding to the joy of the day, but they only stayed for a few hours until they eventually retreated back to our hut.

suddenly, you heard Percy call your name. his voice echoed in the air, making your smile grow wider. pushing yourself up, you followed his gaze to see what he was looking at. your smile dropped as quickly as it had appeared when you saw the Capitol train rushing past, eventually coming to a halt at the train station, now completely out of your view.

"why're they here so early?" you heard your brother ask. you turned to see him standing next to you, his wide eyes still trained on the spot where the train had disappeared. "they're not supposed to be here 'till tomorrow, aren't they?" he asked, his head tilting in confusion.

you sighed, shrugged your shoulders, "i dunno, Perce." you brushed the sand off your shorts and looked at him.

the sun had already begun to set and the air still held the heat of the day. out of the corner of your eye you can see the blonde boy fidgeting with his necklace.

"how many times did you put your name in?" you ask, hoping to distract him as you both walk up the beach.

Percy stays silent for a moment, deep in thought before he finally responds, "more than i should have," he mumbles.

his words send a pang of worry through you, but you keep your face neutral. you continue walking, glancing at him every now and again. "you'll be okay," you finally assure him, your tone leaving no room for argument. "you're only fourteen, i doubt you'll be picked."

"Finn was fourteen," Percy retorts, his arms crossed over his chest defensively.

"yeah, well, shut up," you huff, playfully shoving him by the head.

Percy fixes his hair and glances up at you. the two of you walked in silence for a moment before he suddenly takes off sprinting up the beach, kicking sand back at you. "first one home gets a hot shower!" he shouts.

as soon as the words register in your mind, you find yourself chasing after him, laughing as you sprint towards the hut, closing the gap between you two.

you both run as fast as you can. you’re obviously quicker than your younger counterpart but he had a head start.

eventually though, he beats you through the front door.

“hah!” Percy sticks his tongue out at you, his cheeks flushed with victory. he tugs his sandy shirt over his head as he stumbles his way towards the bathroom, the sound of his footsteps becoming fainter.

you only roll your eyes at his antics, turning your gaze to your other brother. with a warm smile forming on your lips, you approach where he stands at the kitchen counter, engrossed in his task. "hi Finny," you hum, leaning over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of what he’s doing.

Finnick chuckles in response as he spares you a brief glance before refocusing his attention on his task at hand, "hey, y/n.”

a comfortable silence descends, only disturbed by the rhythmic sound of Finnick’s knife hitting the cutting board and the distant echo of Percy’s shower.

after a moment of silence, curiosity piques your interest. “where’s Annie?” you ask, your gaze shifting back up to the tall blonde. his hesitation is noticeable as he chooses his words carefully, “she.. went out. she gets antsy during this time of year, but she’ll be back in time for supper," he reassures you, a comforting smile tugging at his lips.

nodding in understanding, you allow the silence to settle again. after a few minutes you retreat from your older brother's presence, heading towards the room you share with Percy.

⚘

by the time Finnick finishes preparing dinner, Percy has emerged from his shower, and Annie has returned from her walk. the family dinner, like all usual, is peaceful — a time when you all can put aside the burdens of the world and simply enjoy each other's company.

as the night descends, you find yourself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought hours since you’ve been put to bed. Percy had fallen asleep almost immediately, his mind free from worry. eventually, your own eyes grow heavy, and you fall into the comforting embrace of sleep.

⚘

you're jolted awake the next morning by Percy shaking you. “y/n!” he huffs, tugging at your arm.

“what do you want, Percy,” you mumble, pulling your arm away from him and draping it over your eyes.

ignoring your obvious irritation, Percy rolls his eyes, “you have to get up, The Reaping’s today.”

groaning, you pull your arm away from your face, your gaze meeting the younger boy's. you sigh heavily, pushing yourself up.

“out,” you demand, nudging Percy's shoulder as you rise to your feet. Percy, however, doesn't budge. he just continues to stare up at you, his expression unreadable.

“Percy, get out. i have to change,” you grunt, crossing your arms in annoyance. but then Percy launches himself forward at you, his arms wrapping around you in a tight embrace, his face buried in your sleep shirt.

after a moment of surprise, you return his hug, your arms encircling his small frame. “Perce?” you murmur, looking down at him with a questioning gaze.

he shifts slightly, “i love you,” he mutters before abruptly pulling away and darting out of the room. you watch him leave, your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

shaking off the abnormal encounter, you turn your attention to getting dressed. you easily opt for a loose, dark blue shirt and baggy black shorts, knowing how hot the summers get around here.

as soon as you finish dressing yourself you make your way to the living room, still rubbing the sleep from your eyes. when you look up you see everyone else standing around, waiting for you.

Annie offers you a gentle, comforting smile as she walks over to you. you look at her, a feeling of uncertainty burning in your stomach as you take in her outfit, especially her thick white sweater which seems completely out of place. “you’re going to overheat,” you mumble flatly, pointing at said sweater.

the older woman only hums in response, looking down at her clothes with an amused expression, “i’ll roll my sleeves up then, we won’t be out there for too long.” her voice is light, but her eyes betray a hint of worry.

you bite your lip and shuffle your feet as you look past her to your older brother. “you guys don’t have to go, y’know,” you tilt your head, looking back to the redhead again.

Finnick rolls his eyes as he walks to the front door, his usual teasing demeanor in place. “well we are, ‘kay?” he raises an eyebrow and tugs the door open with more force than necessary. “you done prettying yourself up now? we can go?”

you huff but nod, following Annie and Percy out the door. Finnick leaves last, closing the door behind him with a soft click that seems to echo in the silence.

the walk to The Justice Building isn’t too bad. it's not a far walk, and your older brother tries to keep the mood light. but despite his efforts, you and Percy keep glancing at each other, the worst possible scenario consuming your thoughts.

you and your little brother are both of age to be reaped, and you’re opposite genders. it’s a chilling thought, but it’s completely possible that you both could be called. and only one can leave the arena. your stomach churns at the thought. you close your eyes and swallow, trying to push the fear and uncertainty to the back of your mind.

you let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding when you see The Justice Building. your fingers begin twitching at your side, a telltale sign of your growing anxiety.

as soon as you reach the stairs, a wave of nausea washes over you. you tug and pull at your fingers as you and Percy go to check in with the Peacekeepers.

your eyes lock with your little brother’s as you get shoved towards the female section of the contestants. “i love you,” you mouth to him, a frown tugging at your lips as he gets pulled away by another Peacekeeper.

the room is filled with worried chatter and children whining as they’re lined up in front of the stage. the stage houses a tall microphone and two huge clear bowls filled with folded white slips of paper - the fates of so many written on each one.

after what feels like an eternity, a tall, pale woman with the tallest hair you’ve ever seen walks onto the stage. she has a regal air about her, an unmistakable sign of her Capitol origins.

the woman clears her throat and taps the microphone, causing a terrible sound to ring over the audience. but she just grins, “welcome ladies and gentlemen!” she says in a singsong voice, “happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor.” the crowd stays silent as she claps her hands together slightly, her smile never falling.

“well then..” the woman hums, acknowledging the uncomfortable silence as she waves a small remote around, “let’s temporarily direct our attention to this wonderful film, brought to us all the way from the Capitol,” the woman beams, clicking a button on her remote, causing an image to appear above her.

as the video plays, you can hear the whispering of girls behind you. your fingers twitch at your side as you stare wordlessly at the screen, your mind spinning with a million thoughts.

you bite your lip, the sound of the woman talking again snapping you out of your thoughts. “now.. let’s see who will have the honor of representing district 4!” she exclaims gleefully as she turns one of the clear bowls of paper. “ladies first.” she hums, digging her hand into the bowl.

the woman’s fingers dance around the top slips of paper before she pushes her hand deeper, grabbing one from the very bottom.

tension fills the room as you watch her pull the folded slip from the bowl.

she slowly unfolds the paper, her smile never leaving her face as she reads the name. she looks out to the crowd, “Y/n Odair!” she sings out the name, the echo of her voice a chilling reminder of what’s to come.

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