CHAPTER 32
EVERYTHING'S FAKE

A cannon fired almost instantly. Wiress' body slipped out of Gloss' grasp and into the water, just as Beetee screamed, "No!"

Katniss pulled an arrow from her back and let it fly. It pierced Gloss' jugular before any of them could even blink. He was choking on his own blood seconds after, falling into the ocean along with Wiress. Another cannon went off.

Everything was happening all at once. It was suddenly difficult for Bex to get a grip on reality. They hadn't expected the ambush from the Careers, but she guessed that was the point. The Cornucopia was their territory, after all.

Out of the corner of her eye, Bex noticed Cashmere running towards them from the side of the Cornucopia. She was wielding a knife from the pack on her belt, ready to throw one at Katniss. Bex thrust her hand out and pushed Katniss behind her, and now Cashmere was lunging straight for her. She didn't have enough distance to throw her axe.

Time seemed to slow as Cashmere descended upon her. She remembered the small smiles they would send to each other at Capitol parties. Cashmere and Bex shared a similar kind of pity for one another, like they knew what the other could do to get out of Snow's agreement, but both were too scared to fight it. They were fair-weather friends, but friends nonetheless.

But that friendship was suddenly fraying apart as Cashmere sprinted to kill her.

The blonde Victor pinned Bex to the floor while the rest of her allies fought off the other Careers. She could hear Brutus' war cry somewhere in the background. Bex kicked her legs out from under Cashmere, kneeing her in the stomach and pushing her off. Cashmere landed on the lip of the Cornucopia, nose bleeding and her ponytail skimming against the water. She simply rubbed the blood away and rushed towards Bex again, but it was too late.

Bex was already hurling her axe across the Cornucopia, propelling it right for Cashmere's torso. The other girl didn't even have a second to dodge the attack. The axe submerged into her chest, cracking her ribcage in half, and impaling her heart. Cashmere was thrown back onto the rubble set again. This time, for good.

Her body was bleeding out and sliding towards the water. The ocean seemed to swallow up each corpse, as if heaven resided just below their feet. Bex ran over and yanked her axe from Cashmere's chest, just before her body toppled into the water. Blood dripped onto her boots, and for a moment, Bex pitied Cashmere for the last time. She wished it could've been different.

When she finally turned around, Katniss was shooting for Enobaria, but the older Victor was too quick. Peeta was doing his best to protect Beetee. Finnick was fighting off Brutus' spear, and losing. Both Victors were smart, tall, and incredibly calculative, but Brutus was a whole lot bigger than Finnick, and he was using that to his advantage. Enough to stab his spear into Finnick's side as Bex was running for him. She screamed, and Finnick immediately fell to his knees. Katniss shot an arrow at Brutus, but it only penetrated his muscular arm. He didn't feel a thing.

Bex ran for Finnick again, but Peeta was already catching him as he dove down on the Cornucopia. Brutus and Enobaria were nowhere to be seen, and as Bex kneed in front of Finnick, she watched the last of the Careers run away, towards the other side of the jungle that they had yet to explore. Bex cupped his face, slapping it a few times, but Finnick struggled to keep his eyes open.

"You're okay," she told him, plucking the tin of ointment from her sleeve. She swallowed hard at the blood pouring from his side, but thankfully, it wasn't as much as she thought. "You're gonna be okay, Finnick," she said again, more for her than anyone else.

Bex ripped off the fabric to inspect his wound. Brutus definitely got him good, but she was confident this medicine would patch it up quickly. She spread the ointment over his wound, and the cooling sensation had Finnick waking up. He ran a hand over his face, slipped out of Peeta's grip, and after another minute, he was standing up just fine. The blood had crusted over, already creating a scab. "Thank you," he whispered, clutching her hand, "knight in shining armor."

Bex tried not to blush, but it was hard with his eyes fixated on her and his dimples that made her legs weak. If she were his knight in shining armor, then he was the prince held captive in the very deep corners of her heart, and her armor was made of petals.

Use your petals for armor, Phoenix had said, and that she would.

Bex's hand was thrown out of his grasp before she could even squeeze it. The Cornucopia was suddenly spinning.

That's right. Spinning.

It began to spin counter-clockwise, catching all of them by surprise. Bex's feet slid out from under her and she slipped down the edge of the Cornucopia. Her right hand latched onto a rock, while the other gripped her axe tightly. Peeta and Beetee gripped the walls of the Cornucopia, knuckles turning white, and Finnick somehow ended on the opposite side. He held onto the edge and dug his nails into the rock. Bex tried pulling herself up to get to him, but her hands were slipping. The rocks were wet and water splashed all around them. Her head spun along with the Cornucopia.

Suddenly, Katniss was tumbling past Bex, headed straight for the water. Bex called for her, and it sounded so inhuman. Her voice cracked into nothing. Bex switched hands then, taking her axe in her right hand and stabbing it into the rock, clutching Katniss' hand just in time. Their fingers wound together. Bex did her best to pull the teenager up farther on the rock, screaming, "I GOT YOU! I GOT YOU!"

"WHAT IS HAPPENING?!" Katniss hollered back.

Bex wanted to say, Gamemakers, but the word fell dead on her mouth. Weapons from inside the Cornucopia tumbled down and into the water. Sharp blades skimmed their face. Bex was pretty sure the handle of a bar mace smacked against her head, almost taking her out. But she didn't waver. She blinked away that darkness that wanted to cloud her vision and held on tighter. Katniss' grip was wet and threatened to slip away. Bex's arm muscles felt like they were tearing, but she still pulled at Katniss' hand, refusing to let go.

It was no secret that she and Katniss didn't get along too well. The arena did that to people. It tore alliances apart, day by day, hour by hour. Katniss and Bex clashed, but something changes when two people come face-to-face with the possibility of death. Bex didn't want to save her for Plutarch or some mysterious rebellion. She suddenly wanted to see Katniss survive this, to give Snow the killing blow when this was all over.

The Cornucopia slowed, and then came to an abrupt stop. A large wave licked at the edge and drenched each of them hanging on with saltwater. Bex coughed on it and spit the water out. When they deemed it safe, the Victors finally crawled up to the base of the Cornucopia. Bex yanked Katniss up with her and tugged her axe out of the thick rock after a few pulls. They found Beetee and Peeta laying down, hands locked around the side of the Cornucopia. Beetee's glasses were completely askew.

When Finnick hauled himself up, he ran over to Bex without hesitation, cupping her cheek. "Are you okay?"

She searched his eyes, and it took all the restraint left in her body to say, No, just to keep his hand on her cheek for a longer time. She nodded, and Finnick paused, swallowing down unsaid words, before running over to help Peeta and Beetee up.

The five of them walked to the edge again, staring up at the sun. It was beginning to drift away. Sunset was a few hours away. Finnick cupped a hand over his eyes and said, "We can't tell what time it is anymore."

Beetee began ransacking the Cornucopia for electrical equipment. His large coil was still at his side, and he searched around for a pair of connectors. Katniss spoke over his rummaging, "We'll figure it out. But we have to get off this island soon before they spin us again."

"How did the Careers get away so fast?" Peeta asked, clearly out of breath. "Are they even still alive?"

"I saw Brutus and Enobaria run into the jungle over there," Bex replied, pointing to where she last spotted the District Two pair.

"Okay," Katniss huffed and placed her hands on her hips. "Besides them, who's left?"

Peeta shrugged. "Maybe Chaff. Just those three."

Finnick twirled the trident back in his hand. "They know they're outnumbered. I doubt they'll attack again. We'll be safe at our spot on the beach."

"So what should we do?" Bex implored, looking to the rest of her allies. She swung the axe over her shoulder. "Hunt them down?"

A shrill scream echoed in the distance. It sounded muted, as if the scream was hidden beneath the thick of trees in the jungle. All the Victors furrowed their brows, but it was Katniss who's mouth dropped, pouring unsaid sounds. The scream came again, louder this time.

"HELP!" It said, blowing through the trees. "KATNISS, HELP ME!"

Katniss muttered, "Oh, my god."

Peeta wasn't fast enough when he reached for her hand. "Katniss –"

"PRIM!" Katniss screamed before immediately taking off towards the forest. She dashed across the rubble line, dark hair blowing behind her, headed straight for the screeching. Peeta didn't take a moment to explain. He followed her across the stones and into the brush. The girl's screams continued as the other Victors sprinted after their allies.

The three stopped at the shoreline, looking around for the District Twelve pair. They could hear Katniss screaming the name, Prim, about a mile away. That was her sister's name. Bex remembered the way everyone in the Capitol showered the girl with adoration and love. Beetee pointed in the direction of Katniss' voice, and Finnick was ready to run right into the jungle for her, trident in hand.

Bex grabbed his hand before he could. "What is that? Her sister can't be here in the arena. What is she hearing?"

"Jabberjays, remember? They copy sounds." Finnick pushed through the large leaves and pointed between the two Victors. "Bex, you stay with Beetee. I'll go get them. I shouldn't be long."

As much as it killed her, she stayed behind. She assisted Beetee in lugging more electrical supplies to their spot on the beach. The two managed to find a black tub filled with connectors and even more wire, hidden in the back of the Cornucopia. It was one of the very few things that had not descended into the water when the Gamemakers had spun the island. As Beetee began connecting his coils of wire on the beach, they heard people screaming yet again. First, Katniss, and then Finnick. Even Peeta resonated through the jungle. Bex stood up straighter, sweat traveling down her back. She bit on her bottom lip hard.

"Beetee," she called, "they've been gone for a while. We should check on them."

"I'll stay behind," he said, busy with his equipment.

Bex knitted her brow together. "You should come with me. We need to protect each other."

"And abandon all this? No way." Beetee finally lifted his eyes and adjusted his glasses. "Besides, no one here thinks of me as a threat ... yet. I won't be attacked. I'll be fine."

His reply didn't settle her one bit, but she figured he had a point. She sent him a curt nod before yanking her axe from the sand and venturing into the jungle. Katniss was screeching ahead. Bex followed her voice, taking a hard right, and sprinting east. It sounded like they were on the edge of whatever sector they were in – clearly, one they hadn't explore before. Bex tore through the branches in front of her with the axe, breathing heavily through her nostrils, trying to keep up the pace.

She wouldn't be surprised if her feet were bleeding by the end of today.

Hacking through the large leaf, Bex finally noticed the glint of golden blonde hair in the brush. She followed it without hesitation. No one had hair like that besides Peeta, hair that looked like it was spun from sunlight. And sure enough, when Bex's axe tore through one last section of branches, she found Peeta, arms around Katniss, consoling her. Bex's teeth grit at the sight. Katniss was crouched on the ground with her hands covering her ears, whispering to herself, while a flock of blackbirds lay dead around her. Some were shot with arrows, and others looked like they had been singed by the sun.

"What ..." Her voice ran empty. She tried stepping around the dead birds. "What happened here?"

Peeta brushed a hand through Katniss' hair. "Jabberjay mutts. They must've caught Katniss and Finnick in the last twenty minutes of their hour and trapped them in this wedge."

Bex turned her head, spotting Finnick several feet away. He sat against a tree trunk, knees pulled up to his chest, staring off into the distance. He shook slightly, like a continuous chill was running through him. His trident lay discarded in front of him. Bex called his name loudly, but he didn't answer. He didn't even acknowledge her presence. She slowly made her way over, dropping her axe and kneeling before him.

"Finnick," she said again, softer this time. She searched his eyes. They were glazed over as if he were dead. His hair stuck to his forehead with sweat. "Finnick, hey. Finnick, can you hear me?"

She waited for a response. It was like torture, like waiting for the end. Her hands started to shake too.

Finally, he blinked. Only once, and then nodded his head.

"Gods," she breathed. Even a response as little as that relieved her. She then reached for his face. His eyes met hers when she cupped his cheeks. "What did you hear? It wasn't real." She whispered.

Finnick shook his head before slumping his forehead against her shoulder. She didn't need to ask more. That told her enough.

━━━━━━

He had been sitting by the ocean for an hour.

The tributes observed Finnick with a strange inquisitiveness, watching the way the sun was setting against his sullen features, so distraught and exhausted from today's events. Katniss had calmed herself after a while, but it was taking longer for Finnick. His wound from Brutus' spear was completely healed, and yet, an emotional tear still remained. The jabberjays must have said something terrible, something that hit him hard. It was difficult to watch him right now. Everyone preferred to let him sulk on his own.

Beetee was still strung up with his wire, hatching a plan in his mind. The group assumed he would reveal it once he gathered his bearings and allowed him to work on his own. It made Bex think about what he said to her earlier, about how no one thought of him as a threat. They really didn't. Her allies were willing to leave him be and supposed he would tell them of his grand plan soon enough. Bex's main reason for wanting him as an ally was his brain. It could kill as easily as a knife, and that was proving to be more accurate as time went on.

Bex asked Peeta for his spile and jammed it into a tree. She then plucked a cracked coconut from the sand and filled it to the brim. Freshwater sloshed against the sides as she handed Peeta the spile and began to walk towards the water, right for Finnick. She hesitated when the waves crashed against her feet, but continued through it, swallowing down her fear.

Katniss watched Bex offer Finnick the coconut, and after a beat of silence, he took it. Her nose wrinkled. She turned to Peeta, laying in the sand beside her. Lowering her voice to a whisper, she asked him, "Do you think that's real?"

Peeta opened his eyes and sat up, looking to where Katniss was pointing at Finnick and Bex. The two were watching the sunset together, slowly inching closer to one another. Peeta turned back to Katniss and replied, "Yeah, I do."

"It came out so suddenly, though. At just the right time for them to play the star-crossed lovers card." She shook her head. "It just seems fake to me. Too convenient."

"Even if it started that way," Peeta muttered, "anything fake can turn into something so real."

Katniss met his eyes again, realization dawning on her face.

From the shoreline, Finnick tilted the coconut to his lips again and glanced at Bex. She moved closer to him, sitting on his left. "Thanks," he smiled softly. "Probably should've said that a minute ago."

"It's okay," she answered, bowing her head.

A small insect buzzed around Finnick's head. Bex raised her hand and shooed it away, but found her hand lingering on his hair. She swallowed hard and brushed away strands stuck to his face, as well as sand that threatened to meddle in his eyes. She cupped some water and washed it away. The blood that had dried from their fight with the Careers vanished, revealing the face that the Capitol adored so much.

Maybe even she did as well. More than she should've.

"Finnick?" Her voice sounded so small. None of the typical brashness or spite remained within it.

He didn't look at her when he muttered, "Hmm?"

Bex paused, teeth clamping down on her bottom lip. It took her a minute to finally ask, "What did you hear when the jabberjays were attacking you and Katniss?"

He licked at the corners of his lips and propped his legs up, resting his large arms on his kneecaps. A sigh escaped his lips.

She was immediately regretting her question. She couldn't even look at him. "Never mind. I don't want to pressure you. Call it morbid curiosity –"

"Seems a lot more than that."

She quickly glanced at him, unable to stop herself, and found him smirking. He was trying to joke around, but she wasn't. Bex blinked in his direction and waited for a real answer. Finnick relented, dropping the sneer with another sigh.

"Katniss said she heard her sister and best friend from home." He paused and looked down. The water licked at his legs, trying to embrace him.

"But I heard others," he continued. "I heard my mom, my dad. People I haven't heard from in years. I don't know how they got my parents' voices, but they did." Then, he looked at Bex. His gaze burned into her own. Her irises were like pools of pure onyx and ash. "And your voice too. All of them were screaming for me, begging for help. And I couldn't do anything about it."

Bex's hand had been grazing the back of his neck, but as the answer pooled from his lips, it suddenly froze. He was still staring at her, waiting for a response. Desperation clouded his vision, but she didn't know what to say. She slowly lowered her hand into the wet sand.

He finally averted his eyes and finished off the last of his water. He placed the coconut in the ocean, allowing it to drift off towards the Cornucopia. "Even when you know they're just jabberjays," he whispered, "it still seems so real."

Bex frowned. "It wasn't real."

"Nothing is anymore." He scoffed, exasperation hinted in his tone.

She was drowning in his sea-green stare again, wanting to drown in it, no matter how much it terrified her.

"Everything's fake, Bex," he finished.

Without a second thought, Bex grabbed his hands. They were outrageously warm, despite lingering in the cold water. "I'm not. I'm real."

Finnick chuckled softly. "That may be true, but ..."

His words trailed into oblivion. Finnick looked down at their conjoined hands. His thumb brushed over her scabbed knuckles, and then the emerald on her ring. It hadn't slipped off once since they entered the arena. Not even when she dove for Nico. Finnick smiled and lifted his head. His hand then slid out of her grip, but he reached out to tuck a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

Bex's breath hitched.

The tips of his fingers lingered on her cheek, just grazing the skin, while he searched her eyes for a silent response. She swallowed down any words that threatened to come out.

"Can I ask you something?" He didn't let her answer. He only paused for a brief moment, and then said, "If I ... were to kiss you right now, would that be real or fake?"

She didn't know what to do, or even say. How could she possibly convey all her feelings that she pushed away for so long in just a simple response? Everything was flooding back: every skipping heartbeat she disregarded, every smile she pretended never happened, every touch she overlooked. She hid these feelings for so long that it physically pained her when they bubbled up to the surface, reminding her of what they once were and could be. She had placed them in a bottle, and now that bottle was cracking, exploding into a thousand tiny pieces.

Bex's expression hadn't changed, but she still placed her hand on top of his. She could hear their hearts beating at the same quick pace, hammering against their ribcages. Her ears were ringing. Not even the gentle waves could calm her.

"Yeah," he muttered, releasing a forced chuckle, "I think we both know the answer to that question."

He turned, slipping his hand from hers yet again. With one hand in the sand, he began to push himself up. He was going to walk away from her.

And that was when she kissed him.

Bex pulled him back to her, cupping his face in her bruised hands. Pushing tufts of wet hair from his forehead, their lips connected, and Bex felt something so powerful implode in her gut that they almost broke apart. But neither moved away. She was afraid he wouldn't reciprocate, that he would lean away and say, I was only kidding . He didn't though. He wound his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest. The waves crashed onto their laps, but they didn't feel it. At that moment, it was only Finnick and Bex, far away from the arena.

Everything about this felt so different. She remembered the butterflies she got for Angelo. They were heavy and overbearing, clogging up her throat whenever she would speak to him. She felt the same when Eli Thorton kissed her on her fourteenth birthday: her first kiss ever, unaware that so many were coming around the corner. But a kiss was different when there were feelings behind it.

The butterflies in her stomach right now were enormous and beating against the lining of her stomach. No – actually, these weren't butterflies at all. They were so intense that she wouldn't be surprised if they were turning into dragonflies.

Their lips broke for what felt like forever. His mouth brushed against hers, allowing his hot breath to fan against her cheeks. Bex's heartbeat didn't calm.

She once asked herself, Who could ever love a killer? It seemed like an impossible task, and she refused to be someone's burden. But now – being held by him, chests pressed against each other's, never wanting this moment to end – love and feelings didn't seem so bad. Everyone deserved to experience this, even the ruthless killer that the Capitol made her into. She'd been robbed of this for too long. It was time to take it back.

Bex's thumb brushed over his top lip, and she noticed a scar on the corner. "It's never fake," she finally choked out. "Not with you. Not ever."

━━━━━━

A/N: FINALLY!!!! slowburns are always so tedious, but when you finally get to the kiss it's so 🤩 satisfying 🤩 sorry for making you guys wait so long. the wait was worth it tho! but be aware, just because they had their kiss, doesn't mean there isn't more angst around the corner. act iii will be a rollercoaster of angst for this couple. just wait 😬

next chapter is the last chapter of act ii! next week we'll be onto act iii 🥳