You Asked For This - Finnick Odair

Clouds

"The little things? The little moments? They aren't little."
— John Kabat-Zinn

...

"Xena, I gotta hang up now. We're about to have dinner," Cora said into the landline in Mags' mansion.

"Tell everybody I said hi! And, Cora?"

"Yeah?"

"Remember. You can call me whenever. I don't care if you're in District 4 or in some hotel in the Capitol."

"Thanks, Xene."

"Of course! Bye!" The girl in the Capitol hung up the phone after she heard Cora say "Bye" back.

The strawberry-blonde set the phone back in its holder and headed downstairs.

Annie, with the help of Blue and Crane, had made dinner for everyone. Sean and Finnick were outside watching the sunset, but the black-haired boy wouldn't've helped cook even if he had been inside. He hadn't so much as glanced at a recipe since Lyra's death.

Crane had made a few of Sean's old recipes to try and make him smile. Unfortunately, the eighteen-year-old was not the best cook and burnt everything. That's why Annie had him on measuring duty. He was great at measuring ingredients.

Blue got to mix in the ingredients that Crane measured. Annie was like the head chef, keeping everything tasty and in order.

By the end of all the measuring and mixing and monitoring, they had made a delicious stew.

At the table, Sean sat between Finnick and Cora. Blue sat between Annie and Crane, refusing to look at Finnick or Cora. Mags sat at the head of the table.

"Annie, this is amazing!" Cora complimented, her eyes lighting up as the stew met her tongue. "Crane, Blue, thanks for helping!"

"Thank you!" Annie replied, the compliment making her happy. She had tried hard.

"It was all Annie and Blue," Crane commented, smiling. "I was just there."

Blue didn't acknowledge his sister's words at all. He had moved on from angry comments and insults to simply ignoring Cora and Finnick completely.

Sean squeezed Cora's hand under the table.

He knew it hurt her, how Blue treated her and Finnick. He still hadn't said a word. But he didn't blame the Victors for what happened. He knew they loved Lyra just as much as he did. That they would never do anything to hurt her.

The rest of dinner went on in the same fashion. Compliments and catching up. Tension because of Blue and because the reaping for the 70th Annual Hunger Games was tomorrow.

Out of those at the table, Annie, Crane, and Sean all had chances of getting sent off. Maybe they would be fine, but the odds weren't in their favor. They never were.

...

When Cora went outside to walk the shoreline that night, Sean came with her. They walked next to each-other, not saying a word.

The stars were slightly obscured by the clouds, but it was still a beautiful night. The moon was just a sliver, hardly noticeable unless one looked.

They walked until Sean stopped and stood still, his feet touching the water. He looked up, just barely being able to see Lyra in the stars, and a single tear slid down his cheek. He wiped it away and continued walking, catching up to Cora, who was still walking.

Cora didn't see this. She was so lost in the stars that she didn't notice the momentary lack of her little brother's presence.

They turned around and walked back home. Sean going off to his and Blue's room, Cora joining Finnick in theirs.

Neither Victor could sleep that night. The anxiety of the next day was too high. And so, they just held each-other until it was time for Finnick to go watch the sunrise with Sean.

When he came back, he and Cora would get dressed and go early to the town center like they were required to on reaping day.