Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 30

Finnick hadn't taken his hand off her. Not once. They were sitting on the side of the room with Peeta while everyone tucked into the food that Taiya and Gale had recovered from Seneca's apartment, and Finnick's hand was resting on the inside of her knee.

She and Gale had been very successful. They'd managed to grab an array of foods that included canned stews, canned fruits and some dessert truffles. Seneca was such a sweetheart, Taiya would always order a plate of these truffles when they were out for dinner. Seneca was never a huge fan, so Taiya had to imagine he'd ordered them specifically for her.

"I don't think I ever really understood the Capitol until now," Gale muttered to Katniss, making Taiya turn her head in his direction. He was studying the dessert in his hand, but before he continued, he lifted his head to look over at Taiya. "You eat like this you'll believe anything," he scowled.

"Prick," Taiya scoffed under her breath. Gale was a close-minded fool. If he hadn't been carrying the cans in his satchel, she may have just slipped and pushed him down the stairs. The only one who'd be upset would be Katniss, but she'd get over it.

"He's just looking for a reaction," Finnick squeezed her knee in comfort.

Before Taiya could reply, the TV burst to life with the sound of the Panem anthem. There was another broadcast.

Cressida's face was shown on the screen, along with the label 'Capitol' to represent her home.

Taiya grabbed onto Finnick's upper arm with a gasp. This was the 76th Hunger Games, and these were the faces in the sky. The fallen tributes.

The rest of the film crew's faces were then displayed. Castor's face was next. Then Pollux. Then Messalla.

Then it was Finnick with their home of District Four written under his name.

The aforementioned man was rubbing up and down his wife's hand that was clinging onto him, but he couldn't resist letting out a little chuckle at seeing his own face on screen. Ordinarily, Taiya would find his cheerfulness charming.

Taiya was not laughing though. That was not a reality she could allow. He couldn't die. His was the one face she'd never be able to survive seeing in the fallen tributes display.

Taiya's face was the next on screen. Taiya's lips did lift slightly when she saw it. She could understand some of Finnick's amusement when she saw her own picture. There was a satisfaction in knowing they'd tricked the entire Capitol. She couldn't laugh about Finnick's 'death', but she could smile at her own.

Bread Boy was up next and then lastly, the Mockingjay.

"HA!" Taiya laughed loudly, looking over at Gale. His face hadn't been displayed. No one cared.

"So, Katniss Everdeen," President Snow's voice broke through Taiya's temporary enjoyment from mocking. Her blood ran cold. It was him. She hadn't seen any videos of him or heard his voice since her rescue. "A poor, unstable girl, with nothing but a small talent with a bow and arrow... is dead. Not a thinker. Not a leader. Simply a face plucked from the masses. Was she valuable? She was extremely valuable to your rebellion because you have no vision. No true leader among you."

"True," Taiya muttered to Finnick. Coin was useless.

"Shh," he smiled down at her, prying her hand from his arm, and lifting it so he could kiss her knuckles before lowering it down into his lap to hold.

"You call yourselves an alliance. But we saw what that means. Your soldiers are at each other's throats," Snow continued before he froze. There was a disturbance in his broadcast.