By the North Star | An Odesta Fanfic

Chapter Fifteen

Just before sunset, Finnick crossed the street from his house to Bay's, his arms full. He hurried up the front steps and adjusted everything in his hands – a couple of shirts thrown over one arm and a bouquet of flowers in the other – and knocked on the door.

Bay answered, but it was obvious that he hadn't been expecting anyone. He looked tired and a little disheveled, his reading glasses perched on his head and his sleeves rolled up, so that the tattoos on his arms were just barely showing underneath. He glanced down at everything Finnick was carrying and raised an eyebrow.

"Flowers?" Bay said dryly. "You shouldn't have."

"They're for Annie."

"For Annie?"

"Yeah." Finnick shifted the things in his arms and held up both shirts. "Should I wear a sweater or a tie?"

Bay was still confused. "For what?"

"I'm taking Annie on a date. A real one this time." He held up the clothes again. "Sweater or tie?"

A wave of emotions swept over Bay's face. Finnick saw all of them pass by in a moment, then Bay composed himself again.

"Well, that depends," he said. "Where are you going?"

"Just for a walk. I'm taking her down to the docks."

Bay looked back and forth between the two options again. "The sweater is fine," he decided. "You're not doing anything fancy."

Finnick nodded, throwing the other shirt back over his arm. Bay held the door open wider, inviting him in.

"I know I'm not as up-to-date on town gossip as I used to be," he said. "But weren't you and Annie just fighting the other day?"

Finnick stepped inside, setting his things down on the table. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, we did. But then we sat down a few days ago and talked it all out. We're starting over. We're going to make things work."

Bay hesitated by the door. "Finnick," he said slowly, still not looking him in the eye. "Do you really mean it this time?"

"I do," said Finnick quickly. "Of course I do, Bay. I know what it might have looked like before. But I never stopped caring for her, even if I tried to –"

"No," said Bay. He turned to face Finnick. "This can't be like it was before. You can't leave her like that again."

Finnick's face fell. "I know – I know I messed up –"

"You didn't see her after you left. I did. You can't just shut her out when things get hard. It's only going to hurt her more."

"I know," murmured Finnick. He could hardly even hear himself. Bay's eyes softened a little, but he was no less adamant.

I care about you, Finnick," he said. "You know that. And I want this to work out for you. I've seen how much you mean to her, and I want you to find a love like that. But I care about Annie too. I can't let you break her heart again."

Bay's face was set with a stark determination and his tone was almost harsh. The tired old man who had answered the door just a few minutes before was nowhere to be seen. Annie's own father might not be around, but Finnick knew that he would have Bay to deal with if he hurt her again.

"I mean it, Bay." Finnick's voice was remarkably steady, considering how his heart was racing. "I'm trying to – I'm going to make this work. I think she really wants to be here, and I – I don't want to lose her again. I can't."

For a moment, Bay didn't reply; he just studied Finnick carefully. He had always been good at reading Finnick, and this was no exception. Maybe he heard the heartbreaking sincerity in Finnick's voice, or perhaps Bay saw some strange hopefulness that he had never had in himself.