You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

Appointments Cont.

"She was either wildly naïve, or dangerously intelligent."
– Unknown

...

The rest of the night went almost typical. Xena ordered food and the two had polite conversation. Then, they went to a club with neon lights and too much glitter where Xena got completely wasted. The pink-haired girl managed to get Cora to have a few drinks, but didn't offer her enough to get too drunk. Just enough to have Xena's idea of fun.

Cora had to admit, it wasn't a bad time and Xena seemed different than the rest of her buyers. But, she knew that by the end of the night, she would still end up in some hotel room and it would be no different.

And so, when Xena slung her arm around Cora's shoulder and whispered in her ear "You wanna get out of here?" Cora knew what to expect.

The girls found a ride and Xena laid her head on Cora's shoulder. When they arrived at their destination, it wasn't what Cora expected. It wasn't a hotel. It was an apartment complex.

Xena grabbed Cora's hand and led her inside. The apartment receptionist, a young male avox with straight brown hair, smiled when he saw Xena.

"How are you tonight, Percy?" Xena slurred.

Fine, the boy signed. Another night out?

"Obviously," the girl slurred once more, slinging her arm around Cora's shoulder. "But you already knew that, you clever receptionist, you!"

Percy silently laughed and shook his head. Need help getting to your room?

"You know me so well!" Xena gushed. "He is just so wonderful," she said to Cora, who had been watching the whole interaction with great interest. Then, it was like the realization struck the pink-haired girl. "Oh! Percy!" She turned to the boy. "Meet Coral Newport, you know who she is, right?"

Obviously, he signed. It's nice to meet you, Miss Newport. He turned to Cora.

"He said–" Xena was about to explain when Cora answered Percy.

It's nice to meet you too Mr...?

Turner. The boy smiled in surprise.

Turner, Cora signed.

Xena dramatically gasped in shock. "You can understand him??"

Cora smiled. "My mentor, Mags Flanagan, taught me."

"Woah."

Percy helped get Xena and Cora find Xena's room and get inside. The young girl's apartment was like an explosion of color and glitter. The couch had bright, differently colored rainbow cushions. The walls were black with differently colored rainbow polka-dots all over them. The lamps were various colors and covered in glitter. It almost hurt to look at.

There's a phone on the wall in the kitchen, Percy explained to Cora. Press the pink button with the "P" on it if you need me. That's the call button.

Thank you, Cora signed back.

The boy left the two girls and closed the apartment door behind him.

"Coral," Xena whispered, now with all of her weight leaning on the Victor. "Can you do something for me?"

The District 4 girl thought that Xena would finally take what she paid for. "Whatever you want."

"In my fridge, there are some vials of orange liquid. Can you bring me one? You can lay me on the couch for now," she explained, getting quieter and quieter, about to fall asleep.

Cora, surprised once more by Xena Tinsley, laid the girl on the couch and went into the kitchen to find the vials she had asked for. She came back and gave Xena the vial, removing the lid for her.

Xena downed it in one go, like the many shots she'd had earlier that night. And, suddenly, the girl perked right up.

"Thanks! That's a sober-up mix that Percy made for me. Usually, I don't need to use it, but I was about to pass out. It's rude to pass out when you have guests over," Xena explained.

"Oh," was all Cora could think to say.

"I'll go get you one. You didn't have as much as me, but I don't like being the only sober person in the room. It's not very fun," she winked and left to bring Cora a vial.

Cora drank it and the small buzz she didn't realize she had went away at once. "Thanks."

Xena smiled. "I am, like, super sweaty right now. I'm gonna go take a shower. You can wait for me out here, or you can take one too. I have an extra shower in the guest room. It's two doors down from the kitchen."

Cora continued to be confused. "Xena?" the girl asked, stopping Xena as she walked towards her room.

"Yeah?" Xena turned to look at Cora.

"You paid for me tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then, why–"

"Why am I not trying to sleep with you?"

"Yeah."

Xena sighed. "Because I don't want to. You're a very pretty girl, Coral Newport. But I already have someone that I love."

Cora was even more confused. "Then why pay for my time?"

"I wanted to get to know you."

"Why?"

"That's a secret. We'll have to hang out more if you wanna learn it."

"Hang out more?"

"I was hoping we could be friends, if that's something you're interested in? And, before you say what I want to hear because I'm technically your client, don't. I want to know if you actually want to be my friend, or if I'm just another Capitol kid that you'd rather not be around unless you have to. I won't get mad if it's the latter," the pink-haired girl explained.

Cora thought for a moment. Honestly, she didn't want anything to do with the Capitol or its citizens. But Xena intrigued her. She was definitely a Capitol kid with her flamboyant style and care-free attitude. But, she was different.

She didn't want to sleep with Cora. She seemed to be friends with Percy Turner, an avox that most Capitol citizens wouldn't even pay a second glance. She wasn't entirely selfish or self-absorbed. Xena Tinsley wasn't a complete airhead like most Capitol citizens.

Something had happened that dragged the girl back down to earth. And Cora wanted to know what that was, why Xena Tinsley was the way she was. To add to this, Cora did almost have fun on their night out. And that was when Cora still thought Xena was just going to use her like all the others.

"I think we could give friendship a try," Cora answered after a while.

"Yay!" Xena squealed. "Now, I know I said you could take a shower if you wanted, but now that we're friends, please take a shower. It's not an option anymore. You kind of stink."

Cora laughed. "Okay."

"I have some extra pajamas in one of the drawers in that guest room I mentioned. You don't need to stay in that dress. It's beautiful on you, but I'm sure you'd be more comfortable in loungewear."

"Thanks, Xena," Cora smiled gratefully.

"What are friends for?" The brown-eyed girl smiled back at the green-eyed girl and walked off to take a shower.