𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙤𝙡, 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙠 𝙊𝙙𝙖𝙞𝙧

𝒞𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇 42: 𝒦𝒾𝓈𝓈

In a rush to leave the ball, she downs the rest of apple cider, her face scrunching as the bubbly mixture burns her throat. She hastily stops a waiter who is walking by, pulling his sleeve and bringing him to a halt. He gives a quizzical look before seeing Raven placing the empty glass on his tray. 

        Finnick's eyes traced Raven's movements, puzzled as she dashes from the waiter and to the door, leaving with her dress flowing behind her. The girl who he was know slow dancing with looks at him, tilting her head. "What's wrong?"

        "Hm?" Finnick says after moments, slowly bringing his gaze down to the girl. His arms were on her waist and hers around his neck.

         "I was asking what's wrong?" She asks again, looking into his eyes worried. 

         A choking warmth enters his throat, he feels blood rush to his cheeks and his eyes begin to warm under the familiar guise of something missing. What was that him and Raven were doing just minutes ago? The stares, the contemplation, the dazed look in her eyes. The forced straightening of her back.

         And what is he still doing here? He knows what's wrong. What's wrong is Raven isn't the one on the dance floor with him. Something is missing between them, and he know realizes exactly what he wants just may be what they need to fill the gap. What his heart yearns for may be the answer. He can only pray he isn't wrong, and ruins something very special. "I- I need to go." 

         Ignoring the confused calls from his partner on the floor, he almost runs outside. All in that time, his mind fills with thoughts that both please him and horrify him.

Maybe somewhere, we feel the same.

Is she jealous?

Is she mad? God I hope she isn't.

         The cold air hits him, and smell of the salty, pungent seaweed that always pertrudes the night hits his nose. Before moving any further, he pauses, inhaling the scent. He allows it to go over his nerves, and calm them slightly. When he opens his eyes, all he sees is the slight glimmer of the ocean in the far distance, moonlight reflecting off of it. No sight of Raven anywhere.

         "Raven?" He calls out, walking to the sides of the building, desperately looking for her. "Raven, please? I need to talk to you." The sides of the building has much foliage, and Finnick goes through every single piece, looking for her. Yet after searching for about 20 minutes, he still hasn't found her. 

         His heartbeat begins rising. He hears the thumping in his chest, resembling chasing footsteps. Where can she be? After making another frantic search around the building, he stops outside for a moment, resting with his hands on his knees. But he can't stop for much longer. She has to be somewhere. Maybe she's on the district roads, somewhere.

         Before his legs can begin shuffling in that direction, the white shimmer from the ocean catches in his periphery. He pauses in his tracks, turning his body towards the ocean. Birds flew overhead, flying towards the moon that appears to be almost directly above the ocean. Were those ravens? Please be there...

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·..·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

Raven hears the shuffling of the sand under quick feet along with huffing and panicked breathing. "Raven," his voice yells out, relieved as he sees her hair flowing behind in the breeze. He quickly sits down next to her, immediately engulfing her in a hug, sighing into her shoulder. "God, you scared me." He moves away after a few moments of her non reciprocating. Finnick clears his throat, unsure of where to begin. "W-Why'd you leave?"