Significant Other: A Finniss Story

The New Year

Two days later, Finnick Odair found himself yet again in the passenger seat of Katniss Everdeen's car, heading to her family's house for New Year's.

This was the latest she had ever picked him up - ten o'clock - and if traffic went well, they would arrive at their destination by eleven pm.

Finnick sighed, tapping his finger contentedly against his knee to the beat of the cookie-cutter pop song playing on the radio. They'd hardly spoken since leaving his apartment, but he was perfectly fine with keeping it that way. Apparently, however, Katniss wasn't.

"Why don't you have a girlfriend?" She asked suddenly, keeping her eyes on the road.

He jolted slightly in his seat, the action barely noticeable, startled at her words and the sudden break of silence.

"Uh...what do you mean?" He asked, getting uncomfortable.

She continued on, ignorant of his discomfort. "Well it's just that as long as I've known you, you've never had a girlfriend. I mean, I know you probably have a different girl, like, every week, but...I- I don't know. Forget I asked."

Finnick twisted in his seat. "No, no, it's okay. Um...well, I guess the main reason would be because I don't have a different girl every week."

Her eyes widened. "What?!"

"It's true," he confessed, eyes wrinkling with laughter.

She stumbled over her words. "Y- you...but you..."

He chuckled. "What, did you think I was some kind of 'wham/bam' playboy?"

"W-well...yeah," she admitted, flustered.

He was laughing now, and her cheeks blazed with embarrassment.

"Don't laugh at me, " she snapped, though he continued to do just that. "What was I supposed to think with your constant flirting and lewd comments?"

Finnick's laughter died down, and he wiped a tear from his eye. "Sorry, Fire Girl. I may talk the talk, but I don't walk the walk."

She blinked. "Oh..."

He clicked his teeth. "Yep. I may get lucky with an occasional girl here and there, but I don't sleep around all the time...and by 'get lucky', I mean-"

"I get it!" She interjected, desperate to change the subject.

He shrugged. "Okay. I just wasn't sure you understood, since you're so clueless about everything else-"

"I am not clueless!" She defended. "I'm just a little ignorant on certain subjects."

"Hey, you brought it up," he said, looking back out his window.

"Yeah, well, you've educated me, so let's just forget it," she muttered, lifting her fingers off the steering wheel to illustrate her finality.

Katniss exhaled deeply into her scarf and turned up the radio, and Finnick smirked, laughing quietly to himself.

They sat in silence the rest of the way there.

~*~

They arrived at eleven, just like Katniss predicted, and the night went on with ease.

They spent most of the night in the family room and kitchen, talking and joking lightheartedly as the television blared with the news channel and coverage of the latest concerts and performances in wait for the New York ball drop. The Hawthornes were visiting again, on account of they didn't have anyone else to spend New Year's with, and Finnick kept himself reigned in while in their presence (well, Gale's presence) which wasn't all that difficult considering he was largely occupied with Hazelle, Effie, and Haymitch.