NHey guys back for another chapter, thanks to all those who followed and favourited my story, it means a lot to me. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy reading ❤️
Chapter 9: Tying Knots
Katniss POV
I can't breath. The waves slam into my back pulling me into the deep depths of the ocean. I kick, I scream but water fills my mouth. No one can hear me. My energy ebbs away as I try to go up, all I end up doing if falling deeper into the the pit of
/lungs scream for air, they feel like their going to explode. I stop trying to find a way too late for me.I let my limbs go limp as I fall deeper into the never ending blackness. Dark spots cloud my vision this is it, this is the end. I
/think. Then I feel a pair of strong arms wrap around my limp frame. I catch a glimpse of tan skin. I hear one word."Always" before black takes over.
I bolt up gasping for air, my body is drenched in sweat it was just a nightmare. My breathing is erratic as I try to get air into my aching lungs. I pull up Finn's shirtand inhale the scent of sea and salt, it calms me. My body stops trembling
/and my breathing calms. I think back to last night, wrapped in his embrace, the scent of the sea seemed to radiate off every inch of his muscular form. I sigh. Last night, next to him,kept the terrors from plaguing the night, Last night in his
/arms i felt...safe. No arms but my fathers have ever made me feel so complete.
But safe is only an illusion, we are lured into its arms seeking comfort, only to feel heart wrenching pain at its embrace. Prim was supposed to be safe from the reaping and Victors were supposed to be safe from harm. But it's only a lie, once broken
/exposes the bitter truth.
I can't sleep anymore, all I can think of was the water surrounding me, pulling me under to my death. I cannot go through that again. So I decide to go to the training centre, to keep my mind off the awful nightmare I had to experience. I throw on somesweatpants
/under Finn's shirt and sneak to the elevator. I hit the button and decend down the floors. Whilst I go down I can't help think about my nightmare, drowning was a new one, it was usually about my fathers death or the arena or my slow andpainful
/endto do with water. The end was also strange, that glimpse of tan skin and those arms, they felt familiar and I know I've heard the word "Always" in that honeyed voice. I just can't remember where. Frustration builds
inside of me, who was it I know I've seen them before but who who?!I growl with annoyance, how can someone save my ass in a nightmare and I don't even know who they are?! I mean they have to be important if I dreamt about them?! Ughhh
It's going to annoy meto hell but I have to forget about it for now because the elevator doors have pinged open.
I step out and look around the room. Bow and arrow, as much as I want to, no because someone could walk in on me, fire station, no too tired. I groan in frustration until my eyes land on the knot station, I can't help but think of Finnick and
/hisrope. Perfect I think and I cross over to the station, I grab a piece of rope and set the simulation up for something called a bumper knot. The simulation begins and I try to copy it, with little success, every time I try it looks
completelydifferent.
I try it for the 5th time and i am concentrating so much I don't hear the soft footsteps creeping up behind me. Or the soft breaths that follow, or the salty scent of the sea that clings to his body. I don't notice anything except the knot, untila pairofstrong,
tan, familiar arms wrap around me and finish the knot I've been sweating over for the past twenty minutes.
I whip around to see a pair of sea-green orbs, bright with laughter, meet my grey ones.
"Hey Firekat" he breaths
We are so close that with one movement, our lips would be touching, my heart is pounding in my chest at his closeness. He must see the nervousness in my eyes because he speaks again.
"Nervous Firekat" he asks
That's when I pull away, breaking our little moment
"You just surprised me Fishboy" I reply
Laughter glints in his eyes.
"Oh really, well Firekat I can think of other things that I can do to surprise you" he purrs in that sexy- I mean seductive voice of his. I Just laugh
"Oh Fishboy, in your dreams" I say
"Quite Firekat" he says, eyes sparkling.
"Eww Finn" I say like a 3 year old. He just laughs in return. Then his eyes drop to my or rather his, shirt.
"My shirt eh Firekat. Miss me?" He asks
I can feel my embarrassment creep up my neck and stain my cheeks.
"M-maybe" I say
He grins
"So you did miss me"
"You keep the nightmares away" is all I say.
He pulls me into a hug. I relax in his embrace, the scent of sea and salt familiar to me. there's a small moment of dejavu but I brush it off.
"Always" he says to me.
Dejavu now slaps me in the face, I remember that from somewhere. Relisation hits me like a tonne of coal.
"M-my nightmare" I say.
Finnick pulls away, confusion etched on his face.
"Y-you saved me in my nightmare, I was drowning and you saved me. You said always" He still looks at me like I'm crazy then it morphs to realisation.
"Always Kat I will always be there when you need me and I will always be there to save you" his eyes are full of sincerity and his sea-green orbs glow with something I can't place, but I know I've seen before. Emotion sweeps thorough me at his words and
/I pull him back in for a hug.
"Thank you Finn" I say
"Anytime Kat" he replies and kisses the top of my head. Sparks fly at his touch, but I ignore them and lose myself in his embrace. After a few moments I pull away.
"Now how about I help you and show you the most useful knot in the arena" he says grinning. Mischievousness lurks in his eyes. I nod.
He takes the rope and his skilled fingers work on it, creating loops into new knots. I look at the rope, and see it has been transformed into a noose, he puts it over his head with a grin and tightens it.
"Wanna take me for a walk" he says
I just laugh at his display. I see his eyes light up at my laugh and his grin widen, but I don't think anything of it.
I stare at the rope,my smile falters as a songruns through my head at the rope around his neck. My father used to sing it deep in the woods, the mockingjays copying his sweet clear voice and joyful melody. I miss him. I know I will never hearthat voice
/again, I will never see him again, he's buried under piles of rubble,stuck in his tomb full of stone and dirt, his joyful smile and spirit gone.I can feel the tears roll down my cheeks.
Are you, are you coming to the tree
Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me
Strange things did happen here
No stranger would it be
If we met at midnight in the hanging tree.
The last stanza flickers through my mind until a worried voice breaks my daze.
"Katniss are you okay" I see Finn looking at me, worry etched on his face and concern filling his eyes.
"You were singing something about a hanging tree and crying are you okay" he asks again.
"Yeah just thinking about my dad" I reply and I can feel the tears again. He must see the sadness in my eyes but decides to leave the subject.
" Well how about we play a game of Knots?" He asks
I raise my brow in confusion
" I do a knot and if you undo it, you can ask me a question, any question, but if you can't undo the knot, I get to ask you a question and vice versa" he explains
"Sure sounds like fun" I say, wanting to know more about the complexity that is Finnick Odair.
His skilled fingers make a complicated knot in mere seconds. He hands it to me.
"Untie it" he says
I try, but I can't, everything I do just makes the knot tighter. I sigh in frustration. Finnick, seeing my struggle, gives me a tip.
"Find the weak spot" he says
I look at the rope and take it between my teeth, pulling slowly. The knot comes undone easily.
"Yesss" I say, holding the rope up in triumph.
"Okay okay, ask me anything" he says
I ponder at the question I'm going to ask him, I don't want to go too deep on the first question, so I decide with something safe.
"What's your favourite colour?" I ask
"Blue" he replies
"I knew you were going to say that" I say,
happiness filling my voice.
"But..." he pauses "I'm really liking grey at the moment" he continues, looking deep into my eyes.
Embarrassment paints my cheeks and I look down and create a knot, face still burning. I throw it to him. He looks at me, raises one brow and undos the knot in one quick pull I curse under my breath.
"So tell me Firekat,what's your favourite colour?" He asks me, I smile.
"Green" I say. He smirks. "Forest green" I say quickly, his smirk only widens.
We play this until I know that Finnick loves seafood (duh), is good with a trident, used to go fishing with his father and loves to swim in the sea. And until he knows that I love the lamb stew in this god forsaken place, handy with a bow,have a best
/friend-more-like-family named Gale and a sweet sister called Prim. Then Finnick decides to call it quits.
"We best get some rest, busy day tomorrow" he says, stretching.
"Yeah i guess"
We stand up and walk over to the elevator, I puch the number 12 and the elevator ascends to my quarters. The ride up is silent and the doors ping open at my floor. We walk to my room, I turn around to face him
"Stay with me" I say
He can see the fear in my eyes at facing those dark terrors alone, I can see his own reflecting back at me. He says nothing but follows me into my room. I go to the bed and he sheds his clothes until he's in nothing but his boxers. I can't help but stareat
/his chest,again, he only smirks at my gaze. He climbs in bed with me and I lie on his bare chest, hearing the thump of his heart under the hard muscle. I breath in the scent of the sea, that seems to radiate offhim even when being so faraway
from its crashing waves.
He wraps his strong arms around me, engulfing me in his embrace. I feel safe, like nothing could harm me whilst I'm in this mans arms. I snuggle into his chest and sigh. My eyes droop, heavy with exhaustion, he notices and places a tender kiss to my forehead.
"Always" he whispers
Is the last thing I hear before I let the steady beat ofhis heart lull me into darkness. A smile spread on my lips.
Finnick POV
I look at her beautiful face, lying on my bare chest with a smile on her lips. I sigh. How I ever got this fiery creature to trust me so much in so little time is beyond me, especially considering how hard it is for her to let people in.
It's also beyond me how this firecracker could make me love her in less then two days. I guess I fell for her attitude and stormy grey eyes.
I know I always want to be there for her but what can I do in the arena? She's alone, but I know I have to keep her safe. She's everything to me. I place a soft kiss on her forehead before burying my face in her cascade of dark hair and let sleep takeover.
Hey guys sorry I updated so late I've had a busy day, but it's still Wednesday so still counts. Please post your ideas I need help on the stuff that's gonna go down in the arena. Leave a review, I appreciate the support from you guys and I hope you are enjoying the story so far. Until next time❤️~ Jazzy xx