lover/fighter - Finnick Odair

Chapter 23 - He who strides on the waves

She is just finishing breakfast when something falls to the floor next to her with a loud thud. Rhea turns around, startled, and is greeted by the grinning face of none other than Finnick. She frowns and then eyes the objects lying on the ground next to her feet.

"Good morning sunshine," comes the far too good-humored greeting from Finnick.

Rhea would like to reprimand him, but she doesn't want to start the day so negatively because of something like that. However, it is a bit annoying for her to be constantly startled by someone making unexpected loud noises. She's always been a bit prone to that, but she hates it when people immediately label her as a jumpy little girl because of it.

"What is with that?" she asks instead, raising her eyebrows. His sudden elation is somehow suspicious to her, so the first thing to do is to examine the situation carefully because his face seems to say that he's up to something.

"They're boots," he replies matter-of-factly, leaning against the table.

Rhea snorts and rolls her eyes. "I can see that, but what am I supposed to do with them?" she asks urgently.

Finnick crosses his arms in front of his chest and smiles broadly at her. "You're going to need them on your trip today," he says, shrugging his shoulders slightly.

"I didn't even know I had plans," she counters, leaning back to get a better look at him.

Her intense gaze doesn't seem to deter him one bit; instead, his green eyes twinkle amusedly at her. "Everyone loves surprises, don't they," he replies mischievously.

"I hate surprises," Rhea announces coldly and with all seriousness. What she loves is making plans, and then sticking to them precisely. Surprises are high on her list of enemies, because they are the ones who regularly destroy her planning. Stupidly, Finnick is sort of the personification of a surprise package; you never know when it's going to blow up in your face or what you'll end up finding inside.

"You're going to love this one," he tries to convince her.

Rhea gives him an appraising look and asks, "Oh really? And what do I plan to do?"

"Sightseeing."

"Did it yesterday," she states dryly, rising from her seat. She doesn't like him standing over her like this. It unintentionally triggers a kind of competitive mindset in her and somehow she feels the urge to be equal to him.

Finnick laughs softly to himself and explains, "No you didn't, you were shopping with Mags. You haven't seen anything that couldn't be seen in all the other districts, just probably with less fish. I'm going to show you something that you really just get to see here."

She can't deny that he's had her interest pretty much from the start. She eyes the pair of gray boots on the floor, obviously made to withstand water.

"Now that you're here, do you really want to pass up this opportunity?" he asks urgently.

With a soft sigh, Rhea finally relents. "Fine, but don't you dare try to trick me somehow," she threatens, not really meaning it.

"I know high fashion is different, but put the boots on," he counters with a laugh. "And bring the jacket."

She gathers the footwear from the floor and is about to head to her room to change. Now that her focus is off Finnick, however, she notices something odd. Rhea carefully surveys the faces of the other men in the dining room. As she knows by now, they are mainly fishermen from more remote sectors of District 4 who temporarily help out here. Usually most of them pay no attention to her, at most a silent nod in passing, but rarely more.