By the North Star | An Odesta Fanfic

Chapter Seventeen

If anyone in Victors' Village happened to be looking out their window just a few minutes before sunset, they would have seen two familiar figures wandering down the street together, hand-in-hand. They were there nearly every day, like clockwork, walking back home from the docks with their nets and fishing line and a little curly haired dog, chattering excitedly to each other.

"Did you see the way Noah saved that last catch?"

"And the size of that fish Belle caught?"

"Almost as big as she was!" said Finnick. He laughed. "Although I guess maybe that's not saying much."

"You think we should start teaching them how to net fish next week?" asked Annie.

"I don't know," Finnick said with a frown. "I'm not so sure your boat is ready for that yet."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, your boat just doesn't seem as experienced as ours. You know, considering we caught more fish than you did today?"

"You beat us by three!" protested Annie.

"I'm just saying," Finnick shrugged. "Maybe your boat could use a little more practice."

"What??"

Finnick grinned and threw open the front door. "We're home, Mags!" he called. He tossed his things down in the corner. "And I caught more fish than Annie!"

"For the first time all week!" Annie added, to whoever might be listening.

"Just hate to see me winning, don't you Cresta?"

"Oh, so I'm the sore loser here? Which one of us has been changing the subject every time I try to tell Mags how many fish I've been catching?"

"You know how Mags feels about us talking about work at the dinner table. I was doing her a favor." Finnick raised his voice. "Right Mags?"

But there was no reply. In fact, there hadn't been a sound in the house since they'd walked inside, except for their own argument.

"Mags?" Finnick called again. He stepped into the house, heading towards the kitchen.

The hallways were empty, as were the living room and the dining room, not a soul in the house besides the two of them. The only sign of life was in the kitchen, where a few pots were simmering on the stove and the table was set for two. Annie and Finnick stopped in the doorway, looking at the two plates laid out. The lamps were all turned off, and the only light in the room came from a few candles that sat in the middle of the table.

"Is it just me," said Finnick slowly. "Or does this look like another one of Mags and Bay's plots to set us up together?"

There was no mistaking the forced sense of romance in the air. Annie burst out laughing. "Has anyone told them that we've already started dating?"

There was a note on the table, written in Mags' loopy, cursive letters. Annie picked it up and read it aloud.

"'Out for the evening,'" she read. "'Help yourselves to dinner, and don't worry about the dishes. It's about time you two went on a real date –'"

"About time?" Finnick said indignantly. "We go fishing every day together!"

"' – going fishing doesn't count.'" Annie finished. Finnick looked defeated. "'All my love, Mags.'"

They both looked up from the letter at the arrangement set in front of them. The best dishes had been put out, and a new bouquet of autumn flowers sat in a vase on the table.

"You sure she meant it for us?" Finnick asked.

"Yeah," said Annie, rolling her eyes. "Maybe it's for one of the other couples in Victor's Village."