𝑺𝑻𝑨𝑹𝑮𝑰𝑹𝑳 , 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐢𝐫

xvi. for better or worse

"Why does it matter? Don't you have better places to be?" She rolls her eyes.

"No. I wanted to see you," he says softly. He puts his hand on her shoulder, turning her slightly to face him.

"He doesn't want us talking," she whispers, "I had no choice." She blinks while she looks up into his emerald eyes.

"I don't care what he wants," he says.

"It's been months, Finnick. We aren't friends. We barely even know each other," Octavia tells him.

"You're the one whose been gone, not me. If it were up to me, I would've seen you a thousand times within those months." The boy's feelings for Octavia only grew into longing in her absence. He thought about her, dreamt about her, and missed her. Finnick had hoped Octavia would've felt the same.

"Please, stop."

"Octavia, I care about you. I know we don't talk much and I know things are complicated. But we both felt something before. You can't deny it, not to me," He says. His words are laced with passion and less hesitation than he expected from himself. Both of the teens hearts pound. Whether it was the comfort of being the two youngest Victors, circumstance, or fate, Finnick and Octavia were overcome with emotions toward one another. 

"We can't," Her stubbornness gets the best of her, that and the fear of President Snow's wrath. "If you and I are, whatever we may be, it will cause problems for Snow. You know it will. He'll be angry enough to kill my family, maybe even you. I can't risk it," She finishes her words without realizing how close Finnick's face had gotten to hers. In this moment, they aren't Victors, they aren't pawns in a game, they're just Finnick and Octavia, maybe that was enough.

"You can leave me after this, then," Finnick says. Octavia gets no time to react before Finnick's lips are against hers. Octavia's world disappeared and she suddenly felt like she was floating above everything. Her arms wrap around Finnick's neck as his hands find her waist, pulling her closer to him. The teenagers savor each other's taste like they'd been starved for their entire lives, which they had. Neither of them knew what they were missing, what the tenderness of intimacy felt like. Neither of them had ever wanted something more. Octavia wasn't sure how she ended up with her back against the couch until she knocked over a lamp with her hand. Finnick jumps away from her slightly at the sound before chuckling. The pair pant from the lack of air from being consumed by one another. Octavia's smile fades after a few seconds.

"What's wrong?" Finnick asks her, moving to sit beside her rather than above her.

"I guess I just," she pauses, "I don't want to stay here," Finnick's eyes flash with sadness at her words. "But I don't really want to leave, now." She finishes. Relief flows over the boy. She wants to stay, he thinks. Not completely accurate, but Finnick chooses to see the bright side.

"I get it. I won't ask you to stay," he tells her. Finnick would rather Octavia find peace than live haunted in the Capitol, he wouldn't be selfish for her. Octavia nods slightly.

"Can I ask you something?" Octavia asks. The light in the room has dimmed since she first entered. Now, she's wondering how long her and Finnick were kissing. She was high off of the feeling of his lips.

"Of course," he says, admiring her beauty while his hand grazes her cheek lightly. Octavia blushes at the contact.

"If I changed my hair, do you think it would make me less," she pauses, "desirable?" His mouth falls open slightly at the word that had a new meaning to the both of them.