Significant Other: A Finniss Story

The Debate

After staying and messing with their gifts and talking for a while, Katniss announced she and Finnick's departure.

This caused a series of whines and protests (mainly from the women) but nevertheless, the Everdeen and Hawthorne family accepted their leave. Hugs were given and goodbyes were shared, and they bid them farewell.

Katniss started the car and waited for Finnick, who was currently being fawned over by Effie and Hazelle.

Rolling her eyes, she turned on the heat and switched on the radio, keeping it low as she warmed her hands in her coat.

Finally, Finnick slipped away from the ladies' loving clutches and walked up to the car, arms full of the few gifts they'd received (most of which were for him). She flipped on the headlights as he opened the side door and stuffed everything onto the bench seat, moving up to the front to sit on the passenger side.

They waved goodbye to her family and friends, and Katniss pulled out onto the road, preparing for the long trek home.

~*~

They didn't speak for the first ten minutes to Finnick's apartment.

Neither was really sure whether it was an awkward or comfortable silence, couldn't quite decide. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. But either way, neither of them had much to say.

It went on like this for another few minutes until Finnick, finally fed up with the low droning of the static radio, opened his mouth to speak.

"He likes you, you know," he said suddenly, looking out his window.

Katniss was silent for a moment, startled at his sudden want to start a conversation. "...What do you mean?"

"Gale," he clarified. "He likes you."

They didn't look at each other, but he heard her chuckle humorlessly.

"Yeah? And what makes you say that?"

He smiled, despite the fact that she couldn't see it. "Pfft. Please. No man buys jewelry for their female friend."

"Gale did."

He scoffed. "Yeah. Sure. And I'm Santa Claus."

It was her turn to scoff. "Since when do you know everything there is to know about my family and friends? Spending a holiday with them doesn't make you an expert."

"And apparently spending a lifetime with them hasn't made you one, either." He replied coolly, gazing at a particular set of Christmas lights as they came to a stop sign.

She said nothing in reply, and they remained silent throughout the rest of the ride home.

~*~

It was ten O'clock by the time they reached Finnick's apartment, and Katniss couldn't have been more relieved.

Ever since their awkward conversation about Gale, the silence had been strangely tense between them. She couldn't place why, of course, but she knew that she didn't like it and she wanted him out of her car. She pulled up to the curb just outside the building, putting the car in park while she waited for him to get out.

"Well, thanks for the free meal," Finnick said, putting his hand on the car door handle. "And the free gifts, of course."

He turned to grin at her, but stopped when he saw what she was doing.

Katniss sat in the beat up driver's seat across from him, holding up the necklace Gale had given her. She moved to put it around her neck when Finnick lurched in his seat to stop her.

"No!" He exclaimed, knocking the trinket from her hands.

She looked at him, shocked.

"What the hell was that for?!" She shrieked, eyes darting frantically to try and re-locate the missing object.

"Well you can't wear that!" He said in a 'duh' tone, as though it were obvious.

She looked at him as though he were stupid. "...Why?"

"Because!" He said, unclicking his seatbelt to allow freer movement. "He got it for you. And when a man gets a woman something they can wear, it's the farthest thing from platonic."

She scrunched her eyebrows at him. "Maybe in your world, but in the real world, when a man gets his best friend something she can wear, it's the highest form of platonic."

He threw his arms up. "Oh, my God...I had no idea you were so clueless."

"It's a gift!" She said insistently, looking down to find it again.

"It's a collar!" He exclaimed. "Necklaces and bracelets and all that girly crap are just another way of saying, 'I own you'."

"Or 'I love you'," she corrected, reaching down by her foot to pull the necklace back up.

Finnick's eyes popped. "Aha! So you admit, it's romantic!"

"No!" She argued, cursing her tongue. "I admit nothing. I'm just saying that there's multiple things you could be trying to say with a gift. Hell, there's probably a thousand different things you can say!"

Finnick sighed, raising his hands in defeat. "Okay. Obviously this is getting nowhere, so I'm just gonna admit defeat before your female brain decides to go into feminist mode and blame everything on me."

He moved to get out of the car, looking back at her to give her a sympathetic look once he was outside.

"See ya."

He shut the door, walking up the sidewalk and into his apartment building.

Katniss sat there, mouth hanging open, shocked beyond words.

Why, that little-

Suddenly he re-emerged, marching up to her car and opening the back door. He reached inside and grabbed his presents.

"And I'm taking my gifts with me," he said indignantly, nodding to her and stomping back where he came.

She stared disbelievingly after him as she watched him go.

She put her car in gear.

"Weirdo..." She muttered.

She drove off.