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friendship-ditch · 2 months

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Anywhere - Pt. 2

(Katniss Everdeen x Fem Reader) ❀

Summary: You and Katniss grow closer amidst the revolution, though your mothers bitterness grows too. After her secrets are revealed to you in Snow's mansion, it's up to the two of you to put a stop to the hidden villain.

Warnings/Notes: Some descriptions of death, a little manipulation, and the fic isn't totally focused on Katniss x Reader because I got a little too invested in the actual plot. Also the ending isn't totally canon compliant. Also, thank you for the request to continue this! I procrastinated for a while but I'm also really into this storyline

Word Count: 3408

The gray ceiling, now cracked, flickered with the soft lights of dim lanterns. They buzzed faintly, just like the lights inside of your room, but the noise wasn’t lulling you to sleep tonight.

The bombing had slowed down now and it was quiet outside. The bomb shelter had fallen silent, most people resting in an uneasy sleep.

You glanced towards the faint glow from the nearby windows, looking in at your mother who was busy studying the impact map, making sure all traces of Capitol aircraft were gone. You stopped by and checked in about an hour ago but were shooed out with everyone else.

Now, you wondered if it would be safe to go back in.

That was one of the downfalls of having a mother who’s president, in times of need, she has to be there for everyone, not just you… well, mostly not you at all.

But you weren’t upset. You found solace in the person you loved second to most, and she was now laying beside you, her arm hooked over your side and her face buried into the back of her neck.

Katniss was snoring softly into your skin, her grip on you tight. You let her embrace you tight in her sleep, running your hand over hers and gently stroking it.

It was Katniss who, after securing both you and her sister down in the shelter of safety, held you and comforted you, as you did to her. The bombing seemed almost distant with the two of you wrapped in eachothers arms.

You turned to face her and hugged her in return. She made a soft noise in her sleep and turned so you were now holding her.

And now that it was quiet, you couldn’t help but think about what if things didn’t work out. It was just your mind wandering, another side effect from the stress of the night, but all you could imagine was if Peeta didn’t warn you guys over tv, or your mother didn’t take the warning seriously.

Speaking of the embodiment of the color gray, the door to the control room cracked open, the light dribbling across your and Katniss’s faces. You gently hovered a hand in front of her eyes to shield her from the glow and then lifted your head.

President Coin crept out into the bunker, looking around and then spotting you. She looked exhausted, but also relieved to see you safe.

You sat up once she came over.

“You should be sleeping.” She said, not scolding you–she was the one that gave you the night owl gene after all–but not approving of your choice either. “It’s late.”

“I can’t sleep.” You shook your head, sitting up a little more as she took a seat on the edge of the mattress.

Coin’s eyes flicked down to Katniss, and then back to you. She tucked some hair out of your face and offered you a small smile. “I think we’ll be okay now, there’s nothing to worry about.” Her voice was a soft whisper as to not wake the sleeping girl beside you, who she was looking at once more. “Is she okay?”

The slight disdain in her voice when speaking of Katniss wasn’t unnoticable, but you chose not to address it. You knew from the beginning your mother would have rather rescued Peeta, and that Katniss had become a bigger part in her life than she’d ever expected, or wanted since the two of you became a thing, but she did her best to hide her feelings out of… good will? You weren’t exactly sure.

“She’s okay.” You nodded, tucking Katniss’s face into your side as if trying to shield her. “We all are.”

“Good.” Your mother nodded quietly. The heavy silence of the bunker was only broken by her breathing, and then the sound of her clearing her throat. “I just wanted to make sure you were holding up okay, I know I wasn’t able to be there for you during this all…”

“I’m okay, really.” You assured her, feeling her stroke the side of your face gently. Her touch was gentle but her skin was cold. “Katniss was… well, she was there, and that made it better.”

Something darker flashed in your mothers eyes… disapproval? Jealousy? You couldn’t quite make it out in the darkness.

“Are you okay?” You asked, biting your tongue.

The president was quiet for a moment, and then she nodded. With a blink, her eyes returned back to a soft gaze. “I’m just fine.” She murmured. Gently, she pulled your head forward and pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead. “Now, try to get some sleep.. Alright? We’ll be back to normal tomorrow.”

“We can’t even sleep in?” That had been a dream all of your life, being able to sleep in just a little to see what it was like. Sure, you could catch an extra half hour or even an hour if you were lucky, but District 13 was too militaristic to waste an early morning hour.

Coin chuckled softly and stood up. “We’ll see.” She pressed a gentle hand to your shoulder, coaxing you into laying down. Once Katniss was settled beside you, she laid the blanket back over the two of you and nodded. “Goodnight, y/n.”

“Goodnight…” You responded softly, watching as the gray woman shifted back into the darkness. Once she was gone, you pulled Katniss a bit closer and closed your eyes, hoping to at least get a little rest before things resumed as they always had.

After that, it was all a blur. You stayed with Katniss after Peeta almost killed her and visited her every day in the hospital, practically living there beside her.

It was a miracle she healed in time for Finnick’s wedding, in which the two of you danced and held onto each other like the world would end tomorrow. You weren’t allowed to be in any of the propaganda clips in case it would put you in danger as well, but you didn’t really mind.

It was that night when Katniss crept into your room, well after midnight. She’d been crying again–she often came to you when upset but sometimes preferred to sit through it alone–and you scooped her stiff body into your arms.

With her breath tickling your neck, Katniss heaved a quiet sigh.

“I’m going to kill President Snow.” She whispered softly, lifting her head to meet your gaze. “President Coin is going to send me on a special mission to assassinate him.” Whether it was her shaky tone, or the fact that you knew your mother would never do such a thing, didn’t matter, you knew she was lying.

“My Mom would never agree to sending someone as important as you off to die.” You murmured softly, shaking your head. “At least not on a mission like this.”

Katniss’s expression fell when you saw through her lie but she didn’t try to argue. “Will others believe me?”

“Maybe.”

“Will you tell her?”

You frowned, shaking your head. “Not at all. On one condition.”

“What?”

“I go with you.”

And so, the two of you snuck out of District 13. It was your first time being further than the simple woods above the bunker, and it was oddly exhilarating; being free of that yellow metallic bunker and out into the real world, above ground.

What happened after… that wasn’t so nice.

The night when Peeta arrived, you sat with Katniss in the ruins of some old building. Your body was curled around her and you were holding her protectively while she gazed off into nothingness. Neither of you could sleep. Katniss worrying about Peeta killing her… and you worrying about why your mother would do something as awful as this. She could be ruthless, and you heard what Boggs told Katniss, but you felt like it was something more than that.

Your years of military training at least seemed to pay off with the mutts, and then the rebel bombing… Katniss was sent to the hospital and you were once again there with her through it all.

Those days felt like a blur too. Before you could really realize what was happening, you were sitting outside on one of President Snow’s balconies, staring out at the snow and the Capitol beyond.

The door cracked open and Katniss stepped out.

Katniss’s breath clung to the air as she took a seat beside you. She cleared her throat and then set her hand on your arm.

“She killed Prim.”

“Huh?” You turned your head with a furrowed brow. “Who…?” The two of you hadn’t talked much since Primrose was killed, you weren’t expecting to ever talk about it. Neither of you really knew what to say, until now, apparently.

“The bombing was… by the rebels, by us.” Katniss whispered softly. Her voice had no emotion to it, it was thick, heavy, like honey without the sweetness. “Your mother authorized those bombs.”

Something in your heart sank at those words and you narrowed your eyes. Could this be true?

You wouldn’t put your mother past doing something drastic for victory, but killing hundreds of children? She’d never been that ruthless before. Could Katniss be lying? Maybe she was so lost in her head that…

“And she’s going to take the role of interim president.”

“That’s not that–”

“And she wants to make a Hunger Games with the Capitols children.”

What?

This couldn’t be true… You stared at Katniss as if she was holding a bow to your head, the arrow ready to fire.

“You’re… you’re lying.” You stammered, shaking your head. The look in her eyes showed nothing but the truth and you stood up, feeling almost dizzy. “That’s not true.. She wouldn’t.”

“She would, and she will.” Katniss seemed to expect this response, either that, or she couldn’t really bring herself to care. There was something deeper in her gaze that for once you couldn’t read. It felt like everything was breaking apart in your world and you stood up.

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s true.”

You stared at her once more, searching for any sense of lies in her gaze but there was nothing. There hadn’t been anything since Prim had died… Why would she screw around with you now?

“Y/n.” Katniss grabbed your wrist before you could leave. Her grip was weaker than it normally was. “Please… you have to help me. We can’t let her do this. Ask her yourself, please…”

“Fine.”

Saying nothing else, you left in search of your mother.

By the time you found her, it had been about an hour. She was sitting on one of the couches inside, staring out the window at the view of the Capitol beyond. Her lips formed an oddly wide smile and she patted for you to sit beside her.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Coin breathed softly, returning her eyes to the view of the Capitol. “It’s all ours. We’ve gotten here together, and now we’ve won.”

You furrowed your brow, off put by her tone as you sat beside her. You debated asking her what exactly she meant but chose a different topic. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” Her arm slipped around your shoulders and she held you into her side. She hadn’t embraced you like this in years. It didn’t feel good, though.

“Katniss told me about the meeting you guys had…”

“Katniss?”

“Yes.”

“Mm… I was expecting she would. What nonsense did she tell you?”

“Nonsense?” Your thoughts about Katniss lying to you dampened a little. Even if she was making it up, you felt a strong urge to protect her image against these words.

Your mother nodded. She turned to look at you again, raking her fingers gingerly through your hair. “Y/n, you must understand, that poor girl has been through hell and back, and the mind can only take so much.” She murmured. “It’s only natural for her to… make things up, to cope. She can’t be trusted 100 percent, after this has all come to a close, I think a doctor will do her well.”

The hair on the back of your neck stood up and you swallowed. “Katniss is stronger than you think she is.”

“If you say so…” Coin crooned. She seemed oddly happy, almost as if she was drunk or something. “Now, what was it you wanted to ask me?”

“I thought… you were going to run free elections, for all of Panem. What happened to that?”

She laughed. “They will happen, with time. Y/n, you should know better. This country is in such shambles, if we were to let free elections happen now.. Someone with pure evil intentions could rise to power and through us back into another war.”

Your heart sank slightly. Katniss was telling the truth, for the most part. Even though you wanted her to be wrong, you knew she wasn’t.

“And… the revival of the Games? For the Capitol’s children?”

“Once again, it’s only natural.”

You weren’t sitting beside your mother anymore, you were sitting beside a monster. She was still mindlessly stroking your hair but the touch felt like knives down your scalp and the warmth emanating from her body felt poisonous.

“But is it necessary…? Can’t we continue without that? That’s how the war started in the first place, I don’t understand.”

“No victory can be obtained without sacrifice. I’m doing this for us, Y/n. When things have calmed down, we’ll be able to live the life we always dreamed of, side by side. This is all for us, for you.”

If it’s one thing you could count on, it's that your mother was always a sweet talker. If you didn’t know better, you would’ve believed her in a second. It almost did sound like paradise, and you knew that she did want things to be better for you, but that wasn’t her only motivation. You couldn’t openly oppose her, not yet at least.

“Y/n? You’ve gone quiet.”

“Nothing… I’m just tired, this has been a lot.”

“Of course.” The President nodded. She gently sat you back up and kissed your cheek. “Go get some rest, we all have to prepare.” She paused. “I want you up there with me, for the execution. You’ll stand with Plutarch, my two most helpful hands.”

“Right.” You stood up, relieved to be away from her touch. “I’ll see you then.”

She simply nodded and continued staring out the window as you left.

Katniss, who had been waiting for you outside, took you into her arms and held you as you cried. She soothed you gently, washing away the poison still lingering on your body.

“I’m sorry.” You croaked softly into her chest once she got you sitting down on her bed. “I-I should’ve believed you… I should’ve realized what was happening, maybe I could’ve stopped it.”

“None of this is your fault, I don’t want to hear you say that.” Katniss said firmly, your face in her hands. “You couldn’t have stopped this..”

You let out a shaky sigh and looked up into Katniss’s eyes. Her plan was written all over them and you swallowed. “You’re going to kill her.”

“I don’t think we have any other choice… She’d be an even harsher ruler than Snow, and… I think my life would be in danger too.” Katniss said softly.

“There’s no other way?”

“If you can come up with something, I’d love to hear it.”

Her words weren’t meant to be harsh but they felt like daggers in your chest. You heaved a heavy sigh and shook your head.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“So am I.”

Before the execution began, you gave Coin a hug. She was a little confused but didn’t try to fight you, thinking your teary eyes were from happiness.

And then, it happened. Instead of colliding with President Snow’s heart, the arrow flew past him and took Coin down. She collapsed onto the stage and all havoc wreaked.

Katniss was dragged away in the distance and you pushed past the guards and ran to the gray body now on the stone.

The monster that had once been your mother now laid there, a little blood dripping from her mouth. You expected to find her cold and dead, an arrow in her heart, but that wasn’t the complete case. It had missed her heart by almost an inch, leaving her nearly fatal, if the right attention wasn’t provided soon.

You could feel Plutarch’s acknowledging gaze as you passed him on the way out.

You returned to Snow’s mansion that night, not allowed to see Katniss yet. You felt oddly numb and understandably upset, but also sort of relieved.

There was a knock on your door and Plutarch stepped in. He told you everything; how your mother had been trying to get rid of Katniss all along, how inexplicably jealous she was over your love for Katniss, how rescuing Peeta was an attempt to get Katniss to leave you and go back to him, how she knew you left with Katniss to try to kill Snow and she hoped the other girl would be lost, and then how at the end, she was going to write Katniss off and throw her away and get you back.

This left you feeling emptier than before, even though you’d been expecting it all along. But one thing was pricking at your mind and you couldn’t help but ask.

“Katniss didn’t kill her.” You whispered. “Is she alive?”

Plutarch, seemingly expecting this, just sighed. He told you that he was handling it, and that she would never end up in control again.

That was enough for you to know that Katniss, as broken and as much of a reluctant hero she was, took the risk on the country's future to make sure she didn’t break you as well. You'd never be able to thank her, but the desire you had to see her again and hug her was overwhelming.

Plutarch helped sneak you onto the second train that night and you arrived at Katniss’s in the morning.

Peeta and Haymitch moved back to District 12 too, the four of you adapting to life in the Victors village, and you in particular adapting to live above ground. Katniss and Peeta took great joy in showing you things on the surface you’d never seen before and taught you all they could, and in turn you taught them some of your own skills.

Katniss slowly began to heal from the loss of her sister, and you held her hand every step until she was human once more, a broken one, but human nonetheless. The idea of the future became brighter and the world began to mend.

It was one day that you received a letter from Plutarch, letting you know that if ever wanted, you could see your mother again, but he correctly assumed that wouldn’t be for a long time. You wanted to burn the paper but Katniss took it before it hit the flames.

That night, Katniss, startled awake by her own nightmare, reached over for your arm, where you were suffering the same. You were both teary eyed, panting, trembling, and searching for the other.

But when you realized it was all a dream, and the irony of it all, you couldn’t help but hug each other and laugh. The pain of losing practically everybody only brought the two of you closer together.

Once the tears died down, you laid your head on her chest and stroked the skin around her collar bone gently. “Thank you.” You murmured softly.

Katniss made a soft noise. “For what?”

“I don’t know… Everything?” You chuckled softly, eyes fluttering. “I just feel like I should thank you.”

“Well… then I have to thank you too, because you saved my life.”

“Ooh, that’s good. I’m going to thank you for that too. And... well, for you know what." You couldn't just outright admit it all, but she knew.

You both laughed softly and hugged each other a little tighter.

“You know… you should call your mother.” You murmured softly into her shirt. “I know you’re thinking about it… you keep staring at the phone.”

“I’ll do it when you respond to that letter.”

“In your dreams.”

Katniss smiled a little and kissed your forehead. “How about this… we stop talking about that, we stay up a little longer, and then we sleep in tomorrow.”

This brought a warm grin to your face. You hadn’t managed to sleep in late yet, your body still adjusted to the District 13 clock, but the idea was tempting. “I’d like that.”

#the hunger games #the mockingjay #catching fire #katniss everdeen #katniss everdeen x reader #katniss everdeen x fem!reader #katniss everdeen x you #x reader #alma coin #plutarch heavensbee #im actually invested in this plot you guys but idk how to continue it #changed the ending a little because its more fun #also i literally couldn't figure out how to carry the fic without sidelining katniss for a little bit im sorryyy #also also ive gotta admit i love writing coin she's my favorite villain and an asshole but shes also so interesting to write

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