Finnick Odair Imagines

Keep Your Eyes on Me

You didn't know how Finnick had convinced you to do this, but yet here you were. The water licked at your toes as you stood along the water's edge. You hesitantly dipped a foot into the shallows and immediately stumbled back. What was funny is that water had once been your safe place, but now it was anything but. You supposed you had the Hunger Games to blame for that.

Finnick stumbled up beside you in the sand and placed a comforting hand on your shoulder. You tensed up but relaxed when you realized it was just him. "You ready for this?" He asks you and you take a deep breath and closed your eyes.

"I live in district 4 right by the water, if I don't get over this now, I know I never will; I'm as ready as I'll ever be." You say before your eyes pop open and they widen in fear as you stare out at the vast ocean.

But Finnick was prepared, he stepped in front of your view of the ocean. You feel your breathing return to normal once you weren't looking at the water anymore. "I believe in you, (y/n). Don't let the game makers win." He tells you placing one hand at your hip and the other on your cheek, and he began to step backwards.

"Finnick-"you trail off trying to remove your head from his hold, but he resisted.

"Just trust me, keep those eyes on me, darlin." Finnick said as you made your first attempt at entering the water. Your eyes were locked with his as you held his forearms tightly. You felt the wet sand between your toes as Finnick led you ankle deep into the water.

The truth was it wasn't the water you were afraid of, it was what you couldn't see beneath it. You were fine in your bath tub because you knew what was under the water; whereas with the ocean anything could be hiding under the waves.

During your games you had been dragged under the water by an oceanic mutt. It had grabbed ahold of your leg and dragged you into the water. You were only able to fight it off with your spear. You stabbed it blindly and it had released your foot and you swam to the surface.
By the end of your first games you were already hesitant to enter the water. But during the quarter quell, you thought that you'd die. Once the cornucopia had started spinning you had lost your grip and you thrashed around to try and stay above the water as the waves smacked you around.

After that you'd been terrified to enter another body of water since, until today. You kept your eyes on Finnick as he guided you about knee deep. "You're doing great, sweetheart; just keep those beautiful eyes right on me." Finnick encouraged you.

You felt something swim past your leg and you screamed, thinking it was the giant squid mutt; come to finish what it had started 8 years ago. Finnick placed his hands on your shoulders, "it was just a fish sweetheart; a harmless, little fish, like the ones we eat for dinner." Finnick said calmly. You took a breath and looked back into his eyes, "you wanna keep going?" He asked you, ready to take you home for the day if you weren't up for it.

You hesitated before nodding your head, and Finnick smiled. "That's my girl." He said and you smiled softly. Your eyes locked with his once again as the two of you went deeper.

You were around hip deep and was beginning to not feel as scared. You weren't as scared cause you knew you had Finnick. "I'm so proud of you, sweetheart." He told you. "You're doing so good." He said, "I promise, I won't let you drown." He assured you.

But not even a moment later the sandy bottom dropped off and you screamed as you plunged into the water up to your neck. You started thrashing your arms around forgetting everything you had ever been taught on how to swim.

Finnick was quick to tread water, and he swam over to you picking you up as he continued to tread the water.

You clung to him like a leech as he swam you back to the sandy bank. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, I completely forgot about the drop off!" Finnick apologizes profusely as he rubs your back as you cough up the salty ocean water.

You shake your head, "—not—your—fault." You say trying to catch your breath.

"But it is, because before— you were doing so good." He said still feeling guilty.

You finally stop coughing and realize that he was right. You maybe hadn't fully conquered your fear, but it was a start and a good one. You lean your head onto his shoulder and he brushes his fingers through your wet locks. "You were right to bring me out here, Finnick." You tell him.

He glanced down at your head on his shoulder at your words. "I just wanted you to remember why you had loved swimming in the first place; the ocean isn't your enemy." He told you.

You nod, "I know it's not, and thanks to you, I feel like I'm starting to get a piece of myself back."