Come Back to Me

VI

Cordelia heard her district partner's words and responded with a scoff, stomping away from the group with Caspian by her side and providing her the comfort she needed in the moment. No one uttered a single word in the entire elevator ride back to their apartment, aside from Reno who would throw something out about how atroctious and disappointing that was, or what would people think. Cordelia pushed past the bodies of the mentors and stylists, out of the elevator and straight to her room, speaking up only when she heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?"

She spat the question, not truly needing a response to know the answer.

"It's me," He mumbled, "Finnick, can I come in?"

Cordelia shot up angrily, opening her door and beckoning him in, the annoyance rolling off of her like waves. She shut the door behind him, and whipped around so they were facing each other. Suddenly she couldn't look him in the eyes, every insult slipping away as she squirmed under the intensity of his gaze.

"We should talk about...that." He suggested awkwardly, in reference to what had happened about ten minutes prior.

"I have nothing to say, really."

She strutted past her mentor with a deep huff that he could see right through, and moved her focus to trying to break free of her costume. She reached desperately for the zipper to her top. Pulling and pulling, until she  finally gave up, letting out a frustrated groan.

Finnick's eyes scanned over her body obviously.

"Do you need help?" Asked the blonde, trying to keep his smirk at bay.

This question fueled her to continue her fight, both at relieving herself of the top and staying mad at the boy in front of her, "No. Especially not from you."

Finnick let out a light chuckle as she twisted herself around, replacing his smile with a guilty expression when she sent him a piercing glare.

"Lia, please just let me help you." He chuckled again.

She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head, "Oh and I'm sure that would go over greatly, a mentor helping his tribute undress. Just about as well as a mentor laying his hands on a tribute, a tribute that's not even his, just for anyone to see nevertheless how ignorant are-"

"Technically, he is my tribute. We haven't been assigned you both individually we've just decided to give you both individual attention. Divide and conquer sort of thing-"

"Finnick."

Cordelia turned around angrily not wanting to look at him for another second. Though, the emotion left quickly, her body stilling completely at the feeling of Finnick's presence directly behind her.

"All I'll do is unzip you," His mumbling seemed dazed, as if he were focused on something that wasn't the conversation. He then pulled the small metal zipper once, undoing it with ease, "then, I'll turn around and keep my eyes glued- no cemented shut until you're fully clothed...unless of course you'd prefer me to see you sooner-"

She smiled faintly at his suggestion, wiping it away quickly. She kept forgetting her anger and that only annoyed her further, "If I catch you looking, I'll make you wish you didn't have eyes."

She turned back around to face him, gasping when she was directly against his chest. He pressed his fingers against the bottom of her chin, gently pulling upwards to bring her eyes to his, moving his lips so close that they were almost touching her's.

"Watching anything you do could do no such thing," He whispered hoarsely, his face falling into a more genuine expression, "in fact, you're one of the few reasons I'd very much like to keep my eyesight in this sad excuse of a world, thank you very much."