Secrets of the Sea | Finnick Odair

- chapter 12 -

CORDELIA

The next few days were hard. Cordelia didn't think anything could be so difficult. Well, besides the games. After she and Finnick finally got up from their heap on the ground, she'd led him back to Mags's house. By the time they'd made it inside Finnick was crying again and Mags had woken up and was pacing the room across from the entrance. Exactly where Cordelia and Finnick had been asleep only hours earlier, when she saw them both she ran and hugged them, for the second time that night Cordelia felt herself drop to the floor in a comforting embrace.

Cordelia could still feel the warmth from the fire as if she were still right next to the flames. She could hear the wood burning and Mags whispering reassuring words to the two of them, but Cordelia knew it was mostly for Finnick. What must have been going through his head? Cordelia didn't know if she would ever find out if he would ever tell her. She knew she would never pressure him to tell, if he wanted to tell her he would. Forcing him wouldn't get her anywhere.

Mags had helped Cordelia organise a funeral for Finnick's parents. The plan was to host a small gathering at the town hall, just an intimate thing. Somehow word had gotten out and what was supposed to be a small event turned into what felt like over half of the District. There were so many people crowded around inside, that it had spilled into the square and peacekeepers had taken up to standing around the entrances to the square. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Finnick. He'd already stuck to her side throughout the whole thing. But once he saw the peacekeepers, there was always a point of connection between them. A hand on the small of her back, her waist, her shoulder. Regularly he would hold her hand, squeezing now and again, as if to check if she was still there, and each time he did, she would squeeze back.

After the first few people who came to talk to Finnick and he tensed up, Cordelia took it upon herself to play defence. This time Cordelia held up the conversations and kept Finnick on the sidelines. She had to think back at every time Finnick had done this for her and mimic his actions. Finnick had made it clear that he wasn't going anywhere without her, so he didn't slip away while Cordelia spoke with everyone. But it made it harder to keep the attention away from him. When she tried to think of a solution, thinking 'What would Finnick do?' If the roles were reversed. The only thing that came to mind was how he would step in front of her to block her from view. Now she would not be able to pull it off like he did. To make it successful Finnick would have to be crouched or sitting.

Something told her that Finnick being crouched behind her would just bring more attention than was on him already. The best option was to stand in front and take on the bulk of the conversations. At first, it was difficult. Many people had no interest in talking to her, and those who did asked questions that were so uncomfortable Cordelia didn't have an answer. Some were so intrusive that Finnick had stepped in to end the conversation. By now there was a system. Cordelia had figured out how to politely dodge the questions while keeping her cool, and Finnick out of the spotlight. Once or twice Mags came to the rescue, saving them from an awkward and uncomfortable conversation at the last second, giving them ample time to escape the moment and rest until the next person set their sights on Finnick and belined over.

"These people," Finnick spoke when the wave of questions and comments subsided. "They didn't know my parents. Not really." She watched his eyes scan the crowd and frown. When she did the same she could see why. If she didn't know this was a funeral, she would have been convinced it was a party or some kind of family reunion.

"Do you want to leave?" He turned to look at her. Thinking before he spoke.

"This is for my parents, Delia. I can't just leave." He sighed.

"Sure you can. We've spoken to almost every person here. Some of them twice. We had our moment right at the beginning." She squeezed his hand, feeling as he returned the gesture. "You have no obligation to these people Finn." It took a moment before he responded.