Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 18

"Hey Robin Hood," Taiya greeted as Katniss came and sat down at the table.

"What?" Katniss frowned, not understanding the reference.

"Don't worry about it," Finnick shook his head, sending his friend a smile. "Seriously. You react to one nickname and you'll just encourage her. Isn't that right lip Gloss?" Finnick leaned over to look at the man, who had immediately started gathering his lunch tray as soon as he saw Katniss coming.

"She calls you Mr Beach Chick behind your back," Gloss retorted, glaring at Finnick.

"I think you'll find she calls me Mr Sexy Beach Chick and I'm not bothered. I quite like it," he smirked.

"There's one brain cell between the pair of you," Gloss huffed before sulking away.

Taiya didn't follow him this time, she could sense Katniss' anxiety.

She had something to say.

"What's on your mind Mockingjay?" Taiya asked.

"I saw Peeta this morning," Katniss sighed, looking up at the couple opposite her. She didn't even know what to make of her reunion with Peeta, but she trusted them to help. She knew Finnick would always have her back, and she knew Taiya would always have Peeta's back. So between the two of them, she was sure she could get a balanced opinion.

"How'd it go?" Taiya asked cautiously. Most of the time she saw Peeta now he seemed like his old self, lucid. But whenever his mind drifted to Katniss, he'd lose control over himself. She figured today was going to be a bad day for him, it would've taken a lot out of him keeping it together last night at their wedding. "How was he?" Taiya asked quietly, both her and Finnick leaning closer to Katniss so their conversation could remain private.

"He was strapped down," Katniss swallowed. "He had a tube in him to sedate him if he got out of control," she shuddered. "He wasn't fighting or anything..."

"They always keep him strapped down," Taiya sighed. "They had him strapped down the first few times I broke into his room. There was no one in there and he was still strapped down," she glared. "When he, Jo and I hang out now he's free to move around. I kept undoing his restraints whenever the doctors left the room so now they just don't bother whilst we're there."

"How do you feel?" Finnick asked Katniss.

"I don't know... it was him... but he was different. He wasn't very nice."

This caught Taiya's attention and she immediately leaned forward, lifting herself off her seat. "What'd he say?"

"That I wasn't very big. Wasn't very pretty."

Taiya did feel bad about the snort she let out. She did. But she didn't regret it.

"I told him he looked bad as well," Katniss flicked her food around with her fork in embarrassment.

"Good on you," Taiya nodded approvingly. She loved unhinged Peeta, but girl power for the win.

"Thanks," Katniss looked up. "He told me off for not being nice."

"Have you ever been nice?" Taiya frowned. She didn't exactly give off that kind of vibe. Katniss seemed to agree as she smirked and shook her head.

"You're nice," Finnick denied, trying to compliment her.

"He remembers how we met," Katniss sighed, dropping her fork in frustration.

"The bread story," Finnick immediately knew what she was talking about.

"Bread boy has a bread story?" Taiya looked at her husband, needing a few more details to connect the dots.

"He burnt the bread so she could have it when they were younger," Finnick explained.