STARRY EYES | FINNICK ODAIR

[ 𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 ]

CHAPTER NINETEEN ; LOVERS
"he painted over her scars with every color he could find until she lost them in the setting sun."
— atticus

JUNIPER SUBMERGED HER HEAD UNDER THE HOT WATER. she shut her eyes while under the soapy liquid, hands gripping the edge of the bathtub. she resurfaced when the burning in her lungs became too much, the girl gasping for air. she opened her hazel eyes, water droplets collecting on her eyelashes.

she heard finnick knock from the other side of the door, juniper turning her head. "i'll be out in just a minute!" she yelled, hurrying to finish washing herself. she drained the tub, wrapping her body in a towel. goosebumps arose on her skin from the change in temperature, a shiver passing through her lips. she held the towel with one hand, pulling open the door with the other. finnick was leaning against the doorframe, his head lifting with a smile on his face when the door opened.

       juniper stared up at him with a small smile, finnick's words and breath caught in his throat at the sight of her appearance. they stared at each other, a faint blush appearing on juniper's face. she quickly rushed past finnick and into their closet, the boy turning his head to follow her path. juniper peered over her shoulder at him, licking her lips. she grabbed one of his sweaters from the hanger, placing it on the bed. she fished a pair of her leggings from the dresser, the black fabric joining the green.

"you gonna look away, odair? or am i putting on a free show?" she teased, finding herself a pair of clean undergarments. finnick laughed in response, letting out a dramatic sigh as he slowly turned around. juniper was quick to slide on her undergarments, laughing to herself. "you're such a boy." she glanced up at him, reaching for the sweater. he abruptly turned, believing she was already finished, but froze in place at the sight of her nearly naked body. his eyes scanned her figure, lips parted and breath stuck in his chest.

juniper blushed a cherry color, quickly throwing his sweater onto her form. finnick snapped from his trance, awkwardly clearing his throat. he scratched the back of his neck, struggling to form a coherent sentence. "uh — i'll, i'll, i'm gonna go . . ." he pointed to the door, his eyes moving down her bare legs. "i'm gonna — yeah, i'm gonna . . ." he quickly turned, exiting the room. juniper couldn't contain her giggles, a wide smile on her face. she pulled her leggings onto her body, drying her hair with the towel before placing it in the hamper.

juniper exited their shared bedroom, heading down the stairs. she found finnick leaning against the kitchen island, a piece of paper within his grasp. his eyes read the words written, whispers leaving his lips as he quietly recited the message on the letter. he momentarily glanced up at the sound of juniper's footsteps, a smile stretching across his face before he looked back down at the letter.

juniper walked over, sliding her body between his arms. she leaned back against his chest, staring down at the letter. it was from president snow. her body visibly tensed, but finnick's kisses on her neck immediately relaxed her. she took the letter from his hands, holding it between her fingers. finnick moved one of his arms around her waist, the other reaching behind him to grab his glass of water. he took a small sip, watching juniper with a curious gaze.

      ms. juniper rose,

   i am formally writing this letter to express my condolences and apologies for the act of violence committed against you yesterday morning. i can comfortably assure you that your assaulter has been reprimanded and is currently facing the consequences of publicly striking a victor. my heart goes out to finnick and yourself, along with the rest of the districts. the capitol admires your relationship more and more each day. i wish you the best of luck on your first games as a mentor. always remember, every action has a reaction.

best regards,
president c. snow

    juniper cleared her throat once finishing with the letter, setting the paper onto the kitchen island counter. she looked down at her hands, glancing at the paper one final time before shifting her gaze back to her fingers. she turned in finnick's grasp, staring up at him with a confused glint in her eyes. "that was definitely odd." she whispered, licking her lips. finnick nodded, kissing her temple softly. "he was most likely pressured by the public to send his sincerities. don't overthink it, my love."

         juniper sighed, looking to her feet. finnick kissed her hair, wrapping his arms tightly around the girl. "is your face feeling a little better after the bath?" he questioned, rocking the girl back and forth within his arms. she nodded slightly in response, scratching her cheek. "i would say so. however, it still aches." juniper replied, staring out the glass back door. she watched the unsettling tide, another fit of rain hovering over district four. droplets chased each other down the windows, soaking the wood of the patio and darkening the sand on the beach.

finnick hummed in response, slowly loosening his grip on the brunette. he pulled away, downing his glass of water before placing the cup in the sink. he gripped the counter, his back facing juniper as he hung his head. she looked over her shoulder, glancing at him with a confused look. "what's wrong, finnick?" she questioned, panic immediately filling her senses. she walked over, her hand pressing against his shoulder blade.

"i'm angry, juniper. you didn't deserve what happened yesterday. i don't even know why the peacekeeper decided to hit you. it's troubling me." finnick confessed, glancing over. his eyes trailed along her bruised but beautiful face, jaw clenched tightly. juniper extended her arms, placing her hands against his cheeks. "i'm fine, finnick. please, don't worry. it doesn't hurt."

she licked her lips, finnick turning to face her. he dropped his head to the crook of her neck, hiding his face as he held her tightly within his grasp. "i should've been there. i'm supposed to protect you." he whispered. juniper shook her head, clearing her throat. "i can protect myself, finnick. you know that." her voice was strained, mind stuck on the memory of her games. finnick pulled her from the painful vision, staring down at the girl. "the thing is, you shouldn't have to."

—

juniper finished washing her face in the bathroom, drying off her skin. she left the bathroom, shutting the light off and closing the door. finnick had just entered the room, the blonde boy beginning to unbutton his top. the moon was high in the sky, stars covered by small groups of clouds. juniper stared out the bedroom window, finnick pulling her from her trance by placing a hand on her hip. she quickly looked up at him, licking her lips. her eyes trailed across his face, down his exposed chest, and back to his facial features. he leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together.

juniper brushed her lips against his own, hazel eyes staring into green. her hand moved up his neck, finding its place in his hair. one of finnick's arms wrapped tightly around her waist, his opposite hand resting on the side of her face. he ran his thumb along her jawline, their breath mingling. the mood was different. there was a new desire present in the air. lust.

juniper crashed her lips onto finnick's, his hands picking her up and carrying her over to the mattress. their lips never left each other, hands caressing skin and tangling in hair.

the two became one, pure love spreading throughout their bodies. nothing but their bare skin, passionate kisses, and shared love filled the room. they lost themselves in one another. they intertwined their souls.

—

nineteenth chapter ; completed & edited!
word count ; 1,365

filler chapter! they finally did the dirty, i hope portrayed it as something beautiful — which it should be! i hope you enjoyed reading this chapter, the next will include a small time skip. please vote, comment, and share!

xx — criesinlahey