Pearls and Perils ・❥・Finnick Odair x Reader

Chapter 6

I sat down to dinner, all eyes focused curiously on me and Ronan.

"Oh don't keep us waiting! Tell us how it went today!" Seraphina gleams.

"It was amazing." Ronan starts. "I'm confident I impressed the gamemakers and will get a good score."

"Wonderful!" Seraphina replies. "And y/n how about you?"

"It was good. I'm pretty sure I did good." I answer.

"Have some confidence in yourself y/n, I'm sure you did amazing." Finnick adds, giving me a reassuring smile. We finish up dinner with more surface level conversation and gather around the tv anxiously waiting for our results. The careers score 8,9, and 10 as expected. Ronan also scores a 8. Everyone in the room pats him on the back and congratulates him.  I see my face pop up on the screen next and bite my nails as I wait for them to say the number.

10!

I really wasn't expecting my number to be that high, I was thinking 8 would be a stretch, especially after Ronan scored that. Everyone in the room cheers.

"I told you you should have more confidence in yourself! Look at that!" Finnick smiles as he rests his hands on my shoulders. I can't help but smile back. I'm proud of myself, a high score means more sponsors and more sponsors means a better chance of winning. The group gives a toast to me and Ronan then continues working on a large bottle of champagne. I've had enough of all the excitement though and decide to head back to my room. For a moment I just sit there, completely processing what I'll have to do in a few days. The other tributes faces flash before me. I imagine myself on the pedestal. What I can't imagine is how I'm supposed to kill a real live kid. Someone knocks at my door to startle me out of my racing thoughts.

"Big big day tomorrow! Rest up so you're not crabby at the interviews!" Seraphina pokes her head in and out. Oh right, interviews. I'm not the most charming person, and I have a personality only a select few appreciate. Cora would be so much better at this. She has the ability to mimic the personality of whoever she's talking to. I've seen her do it before, it's like a superpower. That's probably why she's able to sell so many of her nets. I've missed her more than ever right now.

A knock at my door again. What does Seraphina want now?

"Yes Seraphina I know! Big big day tomorrow, I just want to be alone right now!" I snap. The door creaks open, it's Finnick. Maybe I don't want to be alone right now...

"Hey." He says

"Hey." I reply.

"If you want to be alone I can just go." He says understandingly.

"No." I blurt out. "Please stay." He sits on the bed next to me.

"So whatcha thinking about right now?" He asks.

"My sister." I reply.

"Tell me about her." He requests, looking into my eyes. I think for a moment about where to even begin with my sister.

"She's the best." I start, "She's caring and very clever, wise beyond her years. She's funny and is always making me laugh. She's brave, she's this tiny little thing in this messed up world and yet she's brave."

"She sounds a lot like you." Finnick smiles. "I would like to meet her someday. Tell me more."

"She's been my reason to keep going, my reason to slave away for hours trying to fork up money for our family. I would do anything to protect her. She's the only thing I have left in this world." I finish, now teary eyed thinking about my physically absent mom and emotionally absent dad.

"That's not true." Finnick states, placing his hand on mine. "You have me too, I'm here for you." The feeling is weird, having someone else to lean on. I've always been the one to lean on, not the other way around. I think it's what I've needed though, the weight of my family on my shoulders has slipped away after Finnick took my hand. I let my head rest on his shoulder and he delicately strokes my hair.

"I'm sorry for dumping all my problems on you. It's unfair, I'm sure you have things of your own to worry about." I say.

"No need to apologize." Finnick whispers. "Then we're both broken people and we can be each other's strength." I smile warmly at this. I look at Finnick and he's smiling too. My thoughts shift and now I'm wondering why he's being so good to me. I spiral until I finally just ask.

"Why are you being so kind to me?" I blurt out. This question catches Finnick off guard and his brows furrow. He is unsure how to answer the question, I can tell.

"I care about you." He finally says.

"But why?" I reply. "I'm most likely going to be dead in a few days so why get attached to me? And why me, even I wouldn't choose me." His posture changes and he glances at me as if I've just explained some impossible to understand concept.

"Do you not see, do you not see" he struggles to find a word, "yourself?" He gazes at me with a look of astonishment. "I've known you only this short time and yet you've made me feel as i've known you since birth. How do you not see how amazing you are?" He moves my hair from my face and secures it behind my ear. His face is dangerously close to mine and his soft touch makes me melt.

I kiss him.

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Authors Note: Short chapter sorry bout that! I'm trying to keep up with writing and posting thanks for your patience <3