𓆞𓆝 𓆟

Like Finnick has been in this industry a longgg time. He knows what it is to construct a story for the games, and I think he really does respect the two of them creating this lovestory narrative, it provides them a lot of protection, it makes them a lot harder to pair up with others especially if they're BOTH in the public eye, it literally saved their lives in the arena.

That scene when he approaches Katniss with the sugar cubes, she thinks he's flirting with her but those winks and little in jokes, that is a co conspirator and fellow trickster trying to tell her hey I get it, hey I'm in on the joke.

But Finnick can only withstand all of this, withstand the suffering he endured because his real love is secret. He has something to protect, something real to go back to that's hidden and out of the public's eye.

So his dawning realization that Peeta and Katniss's story is REAL, is TRUE is horror for him. It's pity and horror. He's a boy who's experienced basically slavery and abuse since he was a child, and he's looking at Katniss with pity. Because he sold something cheap. He gets to sell the fake story of a playboy and capital harlot to the world, something that he could not care less about losing pieces of.

Katniss and Peeta are selling their love. The very real, awkward tween crush stage of their life, the companionship of two people who look out for each other, they had to flip that outwards and show it to the world. Let vultures take off pieces and push and shove them around. The entire world present for a young girl's first kiss, which should have allowed to be private for an incredibly private person, should have allowed to be messy and weird, they had to make it movie star worthy. And Katniss had to declare she loved Peeta forever after one kiss, even though her in the real life needed much more time to open up. Peeta had to have his feelings pulled out of him and played with, when he knows Katniss doesn't feel the same yet. He's an incredibly smart person, he knows when someone is faking and he had to watch the girl he loved pretend to love him back or she would Die it's horrifying.

but there is something special about how when katniss is with him, he almost always falls asleep immediately (thg, 262; 299; 309; 323; and cf, 84; 89). not scared. because now, he has her to protect him.