Ocean Eyes - Finnick Odair

Eight

The next days of training pass by far too quickly for Marissa's liking. The couple from Four try their best to gain Katniss and Peeta's trust. Marissa thinks that after the whole training day Peeta spent using his painting skills to camouflage both her and Finnick into a yellow field of flowers – Finnick found it ridiculously funny that Marissa would jerk away, her nose scrunching up every time the paintbrush tickled her skin – they have grown pretty close with him. Katniss is less trusting with them but, Marissa had taught her how to throw knives for over an hour in exchange for an archery session where Marissa actually manages to hit some of the targets. Finnick also teaches the girl on fire how to wield a trident correctly.

On the final day of training, Marissa finally gets another chance to spend time with Johanna. The victor from District Seven decides she wants to show Marissa how to throw axes properly but, after a few tries with Marissa hitting things miles away from her targets, Johanna stops the redhead.

"Maybe you should stick to knives. Wouldn't want to kill any of the victors before the Games have even started," Johanna muses, a smirk taking over her features. The redhead's face falls. She has been trying her best to ignore that at the end of the week, she will potentially be forced to kill the other victors she has been training alongside all week. The fact that everybody in the training room has already won the Hunger Games only makes it more tragic. They have already killed for Snow and, now they are being forced to do so again despite the Capitol's promise that they will live the rest of their lives in peace as victors.

She does not reply to Johanna's joke, instead, she turns to the Gamemakers that watch over the training sessions. Her glare is cold and, although she knows Plutarch is on her side, she wants to break through the forcefield – Beetee had informed Marissa and Finnick of the forcefields presence earlier in the week – and hurl one of Johanna's axes right at them.

"Sweetheart," Finnick's voice is what tears her attention away from the Gamemakers. His voice is gentle as he whispers in her ear, his calloused hand grazing over her shoulder, "if you stare at them any longer, you might actually burn a hole through the forcefield."

"That was the plan," she responds lightly. She is still angry at them, but Finnick has always been exceptionally good at calming her rage.

"Save it for your private session, love," Finnick tells her. Training finishes at lunch today and, the victors will be allocated the usual fifteen minutes the regular tributes receive to present their special skills to the Gamemakers. They are not actually necessary this year. Everybody knows what the victors are capable of because they have seen them all in their past Games. However, Marissa is going to attempt to achieve a decent score because it may persuade unsure sponsors to send her gifts that could keep not only her alive but Finnick, Katniss and Peeta. "Would you like to go to the knot station?"

Marissa nods, allowing Finnick to steer her over to the station full of pieces of rope and instructions for different types of knots. The diagrams only confuse Marissa and, within a matter of seconds, she has messed up the knot she is attempting to tie. Finnick's arms wrap around her, his fingers moving hers to assist her with tying the knot. Technically, Finnick helping her tie it is cheating but, when it is finished, she turns in his arms with a proud beam on her face.

"I told you I'd tie a good knot one day," she says. He chuckles at her but does not tear down her pride by pointing out he tied most of it and kisses her firmly on the lips.

"It's great," he agrees with her. When he drops his arms from around her, she frowns a little, dissatisfied with the lack of comfort but, he picks up a new piece of rope. "Now, let me show you the best knot to know in the arena."

Marissa watches curiously as he wraps the rope around itself.

"This is the bit where it gets a little complicated," he informs her but, it does not look like he finds it complicated as all as he pulls it tight with ease and wraps the loop around his neck. Marissa soon realises that he has tied a noose. He tightens the noose around his neck, making a funny noise when he does before holding the end of the rope in the air and pretending to be dead.