Pearls and Perils ・❥・Finnick Odair x Reader

Chapter 7

I pull back, shocked at my own boldness but also not regretting my actions.

"I think kissing your mentor might be against the rules, but I'll make an exception." Finnick teases. I roll my eyes.

"Really? That's the first thing you have to say after that?" I laugh and so does he.

"But I meant it." He pauses his laughter for a moment. "I meant what I said about you." His cheeks flush red and I can't help but take this opportunity to tease him back.

"Is THE Finnick Odair blushing and stumbling over his words?" I let out an exaggerated gasp. "Who would've thought?"

"I guess so." He smiles looking downward, at an attempt to conceal his blushing. When I catch the clock in the corner of my eye I can't believe how much time has flown by.

"It's getting late Finn, and I have a 'big big day tomorrow!" I cheekily mimic Seraphina.

"Alright,alright, I'll leave you to it." He smiles. "Goodnight y/n, wake me if you have any nightmares."

"Goodnight Finnick." I smile back.

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I have nightmares, but they don't provoke me to wake up screaming. In one of them, the girl from district two was transformed into a giant and I had to keep running in order to not be squashed under her feet. In the second one, Fortuna did some of those "modifications" she mentioned earlier on me. She made me look even more distorted and crazy than the typical capitol citizen.

When I do finally wake up, my prep team is hanging over my head. They spend hours perfecting me. Evening out my skin tone, painting my nails to look like waves, using three bottles of hairspray on my hair, painting my face, and bejeweling me. When Fortuna walks in with a feverish smile I'm terrified to see what I'll be wearing.

"Close your eyes!" Fortuna gleams as she unzips the black bag. Childishly, I do what she says. "And open!" It's beautiful, I can't lie. It's the daintiest shade of baby blue, the dress is floor length with two slits on each side and a sparkling silver trimming. The fabric is also an extremely thin mesh, I can already tell it's going to be see through.

"It's gorgeous." I smile at Fortuna. My prep team helps me into my dress, and my earlier assumptions about the transparency of the dress are accurate. They make their final adjustments, and before I know it I'm backstage. Ronan is already waiting with his prep team, he's dressed in a suit that's sea foam green with silver accents similar to mine. Seraphina is giggling and praising Fortuna's work. Other district's stylists and escorts pass and do the same, uncomfortably pulling at my skirt and asking about the fabric. I'm about to ask where Finnick and Mags are when I feel a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turn around as Finnick gets his first glance at my dress. His smile slowly fades and he locks eyes with Fortuna.

"I know." I whisper and he looks back at me. "I know it's exposing, but it's fine."

"Well you look beautiful regardless." He half smiles. "How do you feel though? Nervous?"

"Yes, but I'm also sure they'll love my charisma and charm I learned from my mentor." I shove him playfully. This makes both him and Mags laugh. Mags takes her hands in mine and squeezes them lightly as she gives me a toothless grin. We're signaled to get in our places and I watch as the girl from district one is paraded out in a velvety purple dress.

As the boy from district 3 is finishing up, I can feel adrenaline rushing through my veins. I try to take deep breaths but I've become so light headed I can't even focus on that.

"Moving on to district 4, it's y/n l/n!" Caesar Flickerman exclaims as he raises an arm in my direction. I step onto the stage, the gleaming sun in the fishing district has nothing on the piercing lights of the capitol stage. I focus on Caesar's hair, dyed a saturated orange this year, to try and ground myself. There are cheers, hoots, and hollars. I think I hear even a few whistles. I flip a switch, playing into the bubbly and seductive girl my stylists so desperately want me to be. Eventually the crowd settles down as Caesar looks like he's ready to ask me my first question.