09/08/2016
A/N: Thanks again to elfielovesbooks for reviewing, and to those who are following. It means a lot. Yes, I agree that Finnick's character is a bit 'off' in the last chapter, but like you I can't figure out what it is either. It's something small, I know that much, but I can't pinpoint it. Ah well :/ Also, funny you should mention 'Touch', because that's actually the next chapter! Haha whoops, sorry! XD
Disclaimer: I do not own The Hunger Games.
Chapter four: Touch~
She doesn't know why she calls him.
He is quite literally one of the last people that should be on her mind for coming to her aid, and yet here she is, sitting right across from him in her apartment.
The nightmares have been exceptionally vivid lately, so much so that it drives her to call Finnick Odair in the middle of the night and have him come visit her. She refuses to say that they have grown close over the past few months, but she has spent more time with him than with any other Capitol stranger since winning the Games, and, to her, that counts for something. She doesn't dare call it friendship, but they have something between them that she values more than she can guess, and at the moment, it's all she needs.
She lowers her head and presses her palms into her eyes, sighing.
She can feel Finnick's eyes on her, but she doesn't particularly care at the moment as she allows her body to finally relax. Tense muscles loosen and stress levels disintegrate as she sits on her plush couch, and she takes a moment to appreciate these facts as she tries to clear her head. Finnick is silent from his place on the chair in front of her, but she didn't call him over for words. Just his presence - just the fact that she had someone else to go through this with - is enough.
"That bad, huh?"
Finnick. The Great Odair has finally spoken.
Katniss exhales and looks up at him, her silence answer enough. She knows she must look horrible, but Finnick doesn't let on that he notices. She impatiently waits for him to continue with the pep talk he's probably been putting together for the past five minutes, eager to get it over with so she can feel better and he can just leave, but it doesn't come. Instead, he just sits there, staring at her with those damned concerned eyes of his, and she almost can't take it.
She bites her tongue to keep from snapping at him, knowing that even though she's frustrated with her situation, she doesn't want him to leave either.
She shuts her eyes and exhales, trying to calm down and give herself an emotional reset. She's nearly succeeded when she feels the barest of brushes against her uncovered knee, and she opens her eyes to see Finnick's hand resting there. Her gaze travels up his arm and stops at his eyes, and it's when their eyes meet that she realizes he understands completely what she's going through. She doesn't know what, exactly, but something changes between them then, and he moves from his spot on the chair to join her on the couch. He wraps his arms around her and silently hugs her to him, and she struggles to keep the tears that inexplicably spring to her eyes reigned in as he tucks her head into his shoulder.
She tries hard not to lose herself completely, but she knows the second Finnick's hands had touched her skin that it was too late.
She closes her eyes and sighs.
Because deep down, she's already gone.