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It had been a week, when Dove finally received the 'medication' for her unknown illness, which were only sugar pills. The doctor had advised her to start walking around, but to fake fatigue from time to time. The Capitol wanted to receive praise for their outstanding job in controlling an unknown illness and supposedly saving someone from partial disability.
This meant it was finally the day. Now she could go to the beach to meet Finnick, as she did before the Tour. She had begged her brother not to tell him about her deal yet, she wanted to do it herself.
Dove could have told him when he visited her, but she was scared to tell him too much while Snow could be eavesdropping. The beach was the safest option. Even though Snow obviously had cameras around, he didn't seem to know the content of their conversations. If not, he would have bragged about it to her.
Snow's thoughts were hard to comprehend. However, his character was a whole other thing. He liked to make others know he had the upper hand. He wanted everyone to know which secrets he possessed to make them suffer.
If he had said nothing about the riskiest topics they had discussed on the beach. Like the death of Finnick's family, or the obvious difference between what she had told Finnick about her adoption, and what her mum told the Capitol, it meant he didn't know.
Maybe it was because it was too dark to read their lips. Or the teens were too close to each other for the cameras to record or hear anything. Whatever the case could be, she had to use that information to her advantage.
She spent the rest of the day at her home, only leaving for the short walk her doctor had suggested her to do. Of course, she had to stop from time to time, faking to be tired. Some Victors spotted her during the walk and tried to help her out. Dove felt bad about accepting their help when she wasn't truly ill, but she couldn't raise suspicions by rejecting them.
Once midnight finally arrived, she took her boots and put on her coat, sneaking out of her home. At some point, she would tell her family about her midnight meetings, but now wasn't the best moment.
As she approached the beach, she started looking around for any sign of Finnick. He was nowhere to be found, not even in their special place. It was weird. He was always there before her.
She looked around one more time before taking off her boots, leaving them next to her coat on the sand. It had been a long time since she felt the sea under her feet. The breeze was pleasant after weeks of being trapped in her bed.
Suddenly, two arms grabbed her waist and pulled her up, making her lose contact with the water. The person went back some steps before letting her go gently on her feet.
"What the hell are you doing here!? You're still ill, Dove. Are you alright?" The person was no other than Finnick, who was completely losing his Capitol attitude with her.
"Hey, Finnick. I thought I wouldn't see you today." She answered. She could barely see his face. The lights around the beach were just as before, insufficient to illuminate anything. Finnick got her coat and laid it around her shoulders.
"Yeah, I haven't been here since the Tour. I had a sickly idiot to worry about. Only came here today because I saw that same idiot sneaking out of her house." His remark made her laugh. It was cute that he tried to joke, even though how worried he was.
"Ouch. Hey, I'm not an idiot. And about the sickly-" Dove tried to explain her situation, but it seemed Finnick was too interested in interrupting her.
"Says the idiot who, just after being permitted to walk, comes to the beach alone at midnight. And to top all that, no one knows you're here, and you went straight to the water without your coat. Do I have to tell on you for you to stay still? Because I will." He was no longer trying to joke around. Maybe he had given up on being taken seriously if he used it, or was too frustrated that he didn't have time to process his words. Or both.
"You wouldn't dare," she threatened playfully. If he did, she would tell her family how he had let her do it, and even been with her for months.
"Don't bet on it," he replied, his cocky behaviour back. Dove chuckled, and sat near her boots, patting a space on her right to tell him to sit with her. Finnick agreed reluctantly. He wanted to take her home as quickly as possible, but she was too stubborn to go right away. Once he was next to her, she embraced him, burying her face in his shirt's collar. He accepted the hug, laying his head on her head.
"I have quite a lot to tell you. There's one good news, three bad, and a horrible one that is related to one of the bad. Which one do you want to know first?" The options scared him.
"Let's start with the horrible one first," he replied. His grip around her got stronger as he waited for the news.
"I'll have to volunteer for my sister in the next Reaping, so I'll go to the Hunger Games." His grip faltered for a second while he processed the information.
"You're going to what!?" he yelled, grabbing her shoulders, and pushing her off him, causing her to face him. Dove said nothing. She would not speak if the cameras had the chance to read her lips.
"Dove. I understand she's your sister, but why would you-" She shut him up by placing a hand on his lips. She hugged him again, burying her face once again in the collar of his shirt.
"Finnick. I swear to God, read the mood. I have a deal with President Snow, that's why I have to do it. That's one of the bad news, too. He also knows about our meet-ups, so don't shout, you idiot. There might be cameras everywhere." Finnick was lucky that Dove couldn't see his face right now. He was utterly shocked. She wasn't a Victor, but she had a deal with Snow. Moreover, the deal was to sacrifice her life for her sister's.
"Then, why are you telling this to me now?" Dove's grip got tighter after he had finished his question. He guessed it was her way of telling him to be careful. He placed his lips on her head, which to what she hummed, telling him he had the right idea.
"Because he didn't say anything about what we talked about. He only mentioned that we were meeting each other," she said. Finnick wondered why would that have to do with anything. "So because he didn't want to say anything about it. You assume what?" he asked.
"Look, I don't know if the cameras can't hear us, or if it's because it's too dark. But he didn't seem to know anything we talked about. Hiding our lips will complicate things for him even more. We can make this a safe spot for now," she replied happily. It wouldn't be long until President Snow realised this scheme and tried something. But, for now, they were safe.
"I think you're ignoring an important part. He knows we meet. What did he say exactly?" Finnick's tone was a mix between cocky and worried. Dove was waiting to see in which side it would end.
"He told me he would allow us to meet while it wasn't on the public eye. He said if Capitol people thought you were in love with me, that would bring undesirable attention to me. So I should help by making them see my body in another way than attractive," she answered, knowing she should tell him that she knew what his deal was about. But it hurt her to say it out loud.
"Wait. Is the illness. . ." She hummed in reply. "It's so people won't find me desirable. Finnick, I know about your deal. Are you alright?" Her question went unnoticed. Finnick was worrying how the girl would perceive him now that she knew what he would be forced to do.
"Do you feel repulsed by it?" His question got a quick 'No' as a reply, which he wasn't expecting. "Why aren't you? I am going to sell my body, Dove. To people I don't even know! It's disgusting." He told her angrily. He tried to contain his anger, but the trembling of his hands was a clear give-away.
"I'm not, because I know there are people you have to protect. You aren't doing this because you want to, but because you're being forced. I can't promise everything will be alright, but you don't know how much I wish I could." The trembling of his hands got worse. She didn't know if it was still from anger or sadness.
"Finnick, I don't care what you do. I'll always support you. You aren't what the Capitol wants you to be. You're sweet, caring, and you get concerned quickly. If I can say that much, imagine what Melo can say. He has known you longer." Her hand went to his hair, stroking it with care. She was going to baby him until the day of her Reaping arrived.
"I want you to remember this forever, OK? You are you. And you are valid. Doesn't matter how you are; weak, vulnerable, strong, cocky. . . You'll always be perfect. So don't you dare insult yourself again, or I'll smack you," she hoped her comment would be enough to make him laugh, and thankfully it was.
Although he was still shaking, she heard him chuckle. The sound had never been as satisfying as it was at the moment. Dove felt a strong need to protect him. Finnick made her realise how broken the Victors were. All because of Snow and his deals.
Suddenly, her thoughts led her to why President Snow let her have these moments. Why would he let her be with Finnick? What if, as the Capitol said, they fell in love and did something stupid? Oh, no. She thought. That's exactly what he wants. It was too late. She wasn't in love with Finnick, but she couldn't stop talking to him or keep her distance.
He had just told her his true thoughts about himself. How heartless would she be if she distanced herself from him immediately after? No excuses would suffice. Because of her incompetence, she had to sit and watch as Snow used her in Finnick's deal. He would never allow Finnick to escape his little game.
"What did you realise?" he asked. The question confused her. How could he know he had just realised something? "Every time you do, you do an expression, always the same expression. Now I just know, because you tend to stay in your own thoughts for a while, too." he said.
"So now you stalk me?" she chuckled. He was more observant than she thought. He laughed, waiting for the reply to his question.
"OK, I'll tell you. But, for that, I have to explain what happened while you were on tour with Melo. It's quite a long story. Do you have time?" she asked, waiting for him to either agree or deny.
"I'm all ears. Start telling the story," he joked, making her giggle. "So everything started on a fine day, almost three weeks ago. . ." She said mockingly. Then, as she had done with her family, she explained everything that had happened those weeks and what led to them.
Finnick remained silent while she talked, not wanting to miss any details. It took her a while to finish explaining everything. The breeze was getting colder by the minute, making her move even closer to him to keep herself warm.
"We're all pawns in his game, aren't we?" he said, chuckling, trying to not let his anger out again. She nodded. "It's alright, I'll protect you," he told her. That statement made her chuckle.
"Thanks, I'll protect you at all costs, too." He shook his head, laughing. "Oh, I feel much better now," Dove pushed him slightly, playfully. Finnick used that as an opportunity to fall down on his back, taking her with him.
Neither of them noticed there was high tide. The water reached him, who jumped at the sudden contact with cold water, dropping the girl who was before over him to the ground. She laughed at the boy, watching him stare at his soaked shirt.
"Did you enjoy your little bath?" She mocked his Capitol tone while getting up. Finnick looked at her, a smile creeped on his face. "Oh I don't like that smile at all," she tried to run away, but he grabbed her arm, not letting go anywhere.
"Oh honey, you wouldn't think I would let you go like that, right? Why don't you come to have a bath with me?" Even though she tried to break free from his grasp, she couldn't. Finnick got her coat with his free hand and tossed it near her boots. There it wouldn't get soaked.
"I was going to say you could walk until there on your own, but you're ill. How could I make you walk any more than necessary?" he questioned cockily. He let her go of his grip on her arm, only to pull her over his shoulder and start walking straight to the sea.
"Finnick, I swear to God. Let me down!" Struggling was getting her nowhere. He was stronger than she was. Once he stopped walking, the water reached his waist. He shifted her position in his arms, so he was carrying her in bridal style.
"Ready?" he asked. "Ready for what? Finnick! Ready for what?" And just like that, he let her go, making her fall straight into the water. He stood there, waiting for her to come back to the surface, but she wasn't appearing.
Worried, he crouched slightly, looking for her. Then, he was pushed, causing him to lose his balance and fall into the water. He came to the surface again to see Dove's pleased face.
"We're now quits," she said while crossing her arms on her chest.
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