Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 11

"Hey," Taiya whispered as she tried to shake Finnick awake. "You need to get up."

"No," Finnick groaned, pulling the pillow over his head.

Taiya huffed and dropped her head back to the pillow. She'd stayed the last night in Finnick's room, he was beginning his first time mentoring today and he was scared. "You have to get up eventually or they're going to come for you."

"Let them come," he replied, his voice muffled by the pillow.

"Come on," Taiya sat up, "I want to go for a swim. You should come. It'll relax you, there are no beaches in the Capitol to swim at and it'll be a month before you're back, you may as well enjoy it."

Finnick pulled the pillow off his face and looked at her. "I don't want to leave you alone," he muttered, brushing a loose bit of hair back behind her ear.

"I won't be alone. I'll have Mags staying here again. I'll be fine. I'm worried about you," she smiled. "You'll be stuck with Tyler the whole time. How will you survive?" she mocked with a giggle.

"Cheeky," he laughed and reached out for her, pulling her in close for a kiss.

"Morning breath," she scrunched up her face when they pulled apart.

"Oh really?" he asked, breathing in her face as she laughed.

"Up. Let's go," she smiled, tapping his chest and pulling out of his grasp so she could stand up. "It'll take you a lot longer than me to make yourself look pretty," she joked as she darted out of the room.

"Oi," he laughed as he chased after her.

*********************

"Yo Finnick," Tyler called out as he let himself into their house.

"We're in the kitchen," Taiya yelled out as she put the finishing touches on Finnick's hair. "Ok, you look good," she approved as she admired her handiwork.

"Nice hair," Tyler complimented as he came into the kitchen.

"Thanks," Finnick smiled.

"I meant her," he winked at Taiya, making Finnick glare. "Ease up man," he laughed as he slapped Finnick's shoulder. "We've got to go, reaping's in an hour, we need to go to the mentor's meeting with Moxie."

"I'm not leaving until Mags gets here," Finnick shook his head violently, gesturing his head towards Taiya who was fixing her hair.

"She'll be ok for 2 minutes," Tyler reassured quietly.

"That's not a chance I'm willing to take," he hissed.

"What are you guys whispering about?" Taiya asked, turning to look at them.

"Nothing," Finnick answered quickly.

"Mags isn't coming over," Tyler said.

"What?" Finnick yelled, standing up aggressively.

"Oh my god," Taiya gasped. "Relax!"

"Calm down," Tyler rolled his eyes, "Buck's coming."

"Buck's walking me to the reaping?" Taiya asked confused as Finnick instantly relaxed and sat back down in his seat. "Buck Dawntide?" she snorted. "I've never spoken to him, not even at my parents funeral. I'd rather not, I can just walk to the reaping myself, I don't need an escort," she argued.

"You're going with Buck," Tyler ordered, pointing his finger at her with a smirk on his face.

"This is so unfair," she growled, glaring at the two as the doorbell went.