Sea green eyes

32 - A Date is set

As I stand at the mirror in my room, staring at my reflection, it's strange how self conscious I feel. It's a pretty dress, something I might actually wear out of this, but it makes me seem more, soft? I don't really know but it changes the angles of my face somehow, especially with my hair in a half up sheet of silver strands. I curl my fingers around the light blue skirts, swishing them softly side to side. The dress is made of sky blue fabric, shimmering in the lights like stars, the hem of the skirts barely brushing below my knee. It's cute. I'm... I look nice.

"Hurry up!" Tom shouts from my room where he's been waiting.

"Ugh," I groan, but I turn from the mirror, opening the door. Tom grins, rocking back on the bed.

"Well well, Odair's going to be frozen with stun." Tom says, and I smile, swishing my skirts, then walk towards the door, heart fluttering like a butterfly in a cage.

---

"So," I say, lying on Finnick's arm on his bed. "Now that we're halfway through, how do you think our first official date is going?"

"You know what I think?" Finnick says, and buries his face in my hair. "I think you look beautiful tonight."

"Thank you," I blush. It's been so great so far. Finnick is dressed in a simple white shirt and pants, but maybe I'm used to the drab District Thirteen jumpsuit, because he glows. We're just in his room, but he managed to find a few candles, bribe the people in the kitchen to make us decent food, and he somehow even found strawberries.

It's perfect.

He's perfect.

"So... What do you wanna do now?" I ask, looking up at him. He smiles back, but it's missing the usual brightness, something almost wary hovering in his eyes.

"What?" I ask, and Finnick slowly sits up, taking a deep breath.

"The rebels have breached the Capitol. Soon, they'll be sending soldiers in to fight the peacekeepers and try to get to Snow. Command contacted me and... They want me to go. To fight."

"What?" I breathe, fear drenching me. "You... You said no, right?"

"Kas..." Finnick slowly meets my eyes and I gulp, reading his expression clearly.

He's already made his choice.

"No." I say, shaking my head. "No! You could die! You can't- I can't-"

"I have to go," Finnick says, grabbing my hand. "I have to. I have to get revenge for what they did to us. What they did to you."

"I'm. Fine." I say through gritted teeth, but Finnick shakes his head.

"You wake up with nightmares every night. You have scars on your body so horrific that I can't even begin to imagine how much pain they caused. You were forced to kill children your own age at sixteen, and then sold the moment you won." My hands begin to shake, ears ringing, bur he only tightens his grip, and I'm forced back into reality. "Kasia. Kasia, listen to me. You are beautiful, and kind, and you didn't deserve any of the shit they put you through."

"Alright," I snap. "Well if you're going, then I'm going too."

"You can't," Finnick says. "Coin doesn't trust you. She thinks you're unpredictable, and she can't control you. You also haven't been to any trainings, so they won't treat you like a qualified soldier."

"I'm a victor!" I yell. "I don't need training! I've been a player in the games for years! And how different can throwing a knife and shooting a gun really be?"

"I agree with you, really," Finnick says, holding his hands out in defense. "It's the same with Katniss, they won't let her go because she hasn't finished training."

Right. OK. I guess I'll just figure out how to sneak out with Katniss, because she isn't going to stand for that.

"When do you leave?" I ask hollowly, trying to keep my heart from bursting.

"Two weeks," He replies. My throat goes dry and I nod, shivers rolling across my skin.

"And if I asked you to stay?"

"I... I would stay," Finnick admits slowly, softly. "But you'd never ask me to."

"No," I admit. "No, I wouldn't."

Finnick reaches over, turning my face towards his softly. He looks me in the eye, then kisses me softly, stroking his thumb along my cheek. I swallow, trying to keep my feeling from overwhelming me, but strangely, the biggest feeling I can detect right now is... Love.

Love.

I love him. I love Finnick Odair. And gods, to think it took the realization of loosing him for me to realize that. I think, perhaps on some level I've known I love him for a while. Maybe even since that night on the beach when he cried after Mags. And I've just fallen further and further ever since.

Finnick smiles against my lips and I move, tugging him to hover over me as my mouth opens for him. He moves back and I immediately let go, opening my eyes to find him looking down at me.

"Kasia... Are you- are you sure?"

Looking into his eyes, I don't think I've ever been more sure of anything in my life.

"Yes," I breathe, and his eyes darken as he leans down to kiss me again, running his hands along my sides.

His touches are gentle and smooth, and soon enough I forget about everything else in the world. It's just me and Finnick, together at peace. In love.

And it doesn't hurt. It doesn't bring back memories. It's beautiful.

We're beautiful.

OMG GUYS!!!

Hello. Help meee this chapter is so short and so bad (I'm literally stuck in a rut guys help me, i still have like two more chapters of mockingjay pt 1... :( sigh).

BUT THIS IS FOR A REASON!

I'm very excited to announce a new story I've been writing!

It's called 'Fallen Daughter', and is a Luke Castellen fan fiction in the world of Percy Jackson. The first three chapters are out now, and it would SO MUCH to me if you went to take a look :)

Love y'all (and I'm so sorry again for making you guys wait for so long for such a shitty chapter)

- LeopardE