Finnick Odair

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

“If… if you want.” 

“Okay, I won’t go anywhere” he said with a small smile, even though she probably couldn’t see it through the darkness.

That was what he’d been expecting, and he wasn’t going to go anywhere. He could hear Annie still sniffling as she rubbed his back. He wasn’t sure if the motion made him more or less uncomfortable, but decided it didn’t matter. Right now he had to be there for her no matter what he felt, so he tried not to think about darker subjects, about why he was usually in this type of situation. 

But this was different; being here was his choice. Annie would let him go if he wanted to, wasn’t going to ask anything like that of him. He just kept telling himself that, made himself relax. 

“Fin? I know… I know you don’t feel the same right now. I wouldn’t expect you to. But I just wanted to tell you, I love you.”

He froze when the words left her mouth, the three simple words that were so rare for him. She pressed her lips against his cheek and then tucked herself against him. He wasn’t sure what to say- he knew he should be able to repeat the words to her, tell her he loved her too. They were married, right? So it was natural that he should be able to say that, but he didn’t feel like they were really married. He knew it was true, but the feeling wasn’t there. 

But she knew that- she’d said as much. She didn’t expect him to feel the same way, which he supposed should make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse about not being able to say it back. Instead, he didn’t say anything. He just let her stay tucked against him, realizing that maybe Annie was right, that he did feel safe here after all. 

He didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t expect him to. Just having him close was enough, or at least, that was what she tried to tell herself. If nothing else, she had him close, and she could relish in that. Annie tried to be content with that as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She could hear his heart beat and she listened to its beat as she drifted off.

When she woke up the next morning, they were still tangled up in each other. For all the world things could have been back to normal, but she knew that wasn’t the case. Annie didn’t want to stir, to face the day. Not quite yet. Not when she was warm and in Finnick’s arm and she could close her eyes and tell herself that this was just a normal day. 

But it wasn’t. Annie thought back to last night, to her confession. She had told him she loved him and – and for the first time, he hadn’t said it back to her. She felt ill, but didn’t move. She couldn’t. Not just yet. It wasn’t until the door creaked open and someone else decided to join them in bed that Annie moved. 

“Hello rugrat.”

“Mommy! Daddy!” Dorian crawled over Annie (kneeing her in the process) and squirmed his way between them.  

“Did you sleep well Dorry?” 

“Yes! Is daddy not in time out now?”

“He wasn’t in the first place. Why don’t you go climb on him for a bit?” Annie grinned as Dorian did what she suggested.

Finnick hadn’t been awake long, only a couple minutes. He was lying in bed, still in the same position he’d fallen asleep in, with Annie in his arm. He was wide awake almost immediately, but only because his mind continued to drift back to the last thing she’d told him before they’d fallen asleep; that she loved him. Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. They were married, of course she had feelings for him. Still, not returning them made this very weird. She had to know that he didn’t; she expected as much, but that didn’t make it any better. 

He was debating on whether or not he should get up or wait for Annie to get up when the door creaked open and Dorian appeared. He glanced over at the boy and smiled just as the toddler squirmed his way between him and Annie on the bed, crawling over her to get there.

“Is daddy not in time out now?” 

Finnick laughed again, just as he had when he’d asked the question the first time. The kid couldn’t fail to make him smile.

“He wasn’t in the first place. Why don’t you go climb on him for a bit?”

His eyes flicked to Dorian just as the boy crawled onto him, just as Annie had asked him. He was nothing if not obedient. 

“Daddy!” he said, his knee digging into Finnick stomach as he climbed onto him. 

“Hey Dorian” Finnick laughed, sitting up and making the boy fall back over onto the bed. Dorian laughed and got back up, jumping back on top of his father, who scooped him up and tossed him gently back onto the sheets, tickling his tummy just as the boy tried to get up and lunge at him again. 

“Do I win yet?” Finnick asked, stopping with the tickling for a second just to hear the answer.

Dorian caught his breath for a minute before choking out a “Nope!”

Finnick moved to tickle him again, moving slowly as a warning. “What was that?” 

“Yes!” Dorian forfeited, squirming away with a laugh.

Even though things were still a bit (very) awkward between them, it seemed that any and all tension vanished with Dorian. Though Finnick didn’t remember the boy, it was hard not to humor him, and Annie loved watching them. Dorian seemed to realize that something was off, but he didn’t care so long as his father was playing with him. She drew back a little as though rough housed. 

Annie smiled as Dorian finally admitted defeat and she reached over to tuck away a few curls. “We’re going to have to give you a haircut soon,” she commented offhand. Annie sat up a little, then paused where she was. She closed her eyes before climbing off the bed and bolting for the bathroom. She just barely got to the toilet before she was throwing up, though luckily she hadn’t eaten anything since dinner and it was just bile.

“Mommy sick?” Dorian stood at the door and Annie spat out what lingered in her mouth.

“Dorry, go with daddy.” It was just morning sickness, but she still didn’t like being seen like this. Annie slowly stood up and went over to brush her teeth to try and get the nasty feeling that vomiting left. She was still a bit dizzy though and ended up clutching onto the edge of the basin for balance while she brushed, lest she fall.

Dorian was lying between the two of them, still a little giggly as Annie brushed the hair out of his face, and Finnick watched them. He was in a considerably better mood than when he’d just woken up, so confused over what had happened the night before. Dorian seemed to have a way of getting rid of the tension, and it seemed to work for Annie, too. 

Finnick’s gaze followed her, though, as she froze in place, her eyes closing for just a moment before she was bolting from the room. He was confused but didn’t follow- it was clear from the noises that were carrying over into the bedroom what was happening. Dorian didn’t seem to have the same discretion, though, and had followed her, not gone long before he could hear Annie sending him back to be with Finnick for a while. 

“Hey” he greeted the boy as he appeared back in the door, before slipping his legs over the side of the bed and walking toward him. He was going to have to distract him for a bit to keep the toddler’s mind off Annie. Now that she was gone, though, it seemed the spontaneous confidence he’d had with him a moment ago was gone. Without Annie here, what if he did wrong by Dorian again and made him cry like before?

He paused, realizing that wasn’t going to work. What had just happened between him and Dorian had been all him, and not just because Annie was right there to save them if anything was to go wrong. The two had made a connection and he just had to remember that as proof that he could do this. He just had to think of something to do to keep him away from Annie for a little while. 

“So Dorian, what’s the plan for today? What are we gonna do?” he asked with a grin, deciding to leave it up to the toddler. 

“Hmm…” Dorian seemed to think hard about the question, as though it was truly a big decision. “Beach!” he stated, gazing up hopefully at his father. 

“Okay, you got it. But we should wait for An- we should wait for mommy, okay?” he said, deciding to compromise for now. “How about the sandbox until she feels a little better?” 

“Kay!” he said, and Finnick grabbed a pair of pants before the two of them left the room and headed for the back yard. Dorian ran for the sandbox as soon as it was in sight. He followed him, but he was a little distracted, wondering if maybe he should have stayed inside to make sure Annie was going to be okay. The way she’d gotten sick had been so sudden- she’d been fine before that. 

But then he remembered that she wasn’t just getting sick, that this was morning sickness because she was pregnant with her- their- second baby. That was something he’d forgotten for a moment. Getting used to Dorian had been enough, was still enough. 

He couldn’t help how overwhelmed he felt at that moment, how much he wanted to put everything aside, get out of his head for a while. But he had to focus on Dorian right now and help Annie out. 

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Reblogged from anniefromthesea

peetambaker:

tributegirlkatniss:

anniefromthesea:

She supposed – no, she knew that it was a bit cowardly of her to head into the kitchen when she knew that she needed to talk to Katniss and Peeta. The truth was, this wasn’t going to be easy, and even thinking of telling them what was going on was scary. Still, they were friends. They needed to know, especially after coming to visit. Annie’s hands were shaking as she poured out the water for tea, and as a result the water spilled all across the counter. When she jerked back, she was close to tears, though thankfully none of the boiling water got on her.

Annie gave up on the tea and drew back, taking a few deep breaths as she did so. This was something she couldn’t get out of. More than once she relied on Finnick to do tasks she was scared of, but that wasn’t an option now. She needed to do this.

Katniss and Peeta were sitting next to each other, and Peeta had his arm around Katniss. Annie’s throat closed when she noticed. Normally she wouldn’t have minded, but now that she and Finnick weren’t… Well, she didn’t know how to explain it. Annie sat down in the arm chair, a bit aways from the rest of them and looked to Dorian who tugging on Peeta’s pant leg. Dorian had no idea what was going on between the rest of them.

She envied him.

Annie looked down at her lap, where her hands rested. She clutched and unclutched at her dress and then took another deep breath. “Uhm, so – after the fall… well, the doctor said Fin’s suffering from-“ She furrowed her brow as she tried to remember the full name. “Retrograde amnesia. It’s not permanent, but it seems that he can’t remember anything from the past six or seven years.” She swallowed hard and tried to shoot a smile at Fin. “He’ll… he should get his memory back now. We’re just… we’re waiting.”

Although Katniss knew Annie and Finnick perfectly well, she couldn’t help but to feel completely awkward from this situation. Instead she focused on Dorian and had to admit to herself that Peeta had an adorable relationship with the kid. The tension in the room was the very least that Katniss was dreading. It was the awkwardness that Finnick contained, Katniss just didn’t know whether to break the ice out by saying something or just stay quiet. 

But knowing that Peeta was there and his arm around her only made her feel more secure about herself. If Finnick or Annie was upset with them then Peeta would be there to easily comfort her. She sighed quietly to herself when Finnick broke the silent air that was surrounding them and thought carefully about her answer, unsure if she or Peeta would answer but if he wanted to throw anything in then he could.

“We’re doing fine, we’re getting closer to the due date so you know how that feels.” Not necessary him but as a parent to know how anxious it was to have a child but her words came out hesitant. She still didn’t know if their friends were angry with them but once she saw Annie she could feel the air in the room somewhat relax. There was no doubt in her mind that Annie had just been resisting on crying, her face was red along with her eyes. Did Peeta and Katniss come in a bad time, thinking that the couple must have just argued. Perhaps that’s why they were so quiet.

As Annie took her sitting place away from Finnick, Katniss placed her hand on Peeta’s leg unsure to say that they should get going. If they were in some sort of fight then surely they didn’t want to have any kind of company. She watched Annie as she started to explain what form of head trauma Finnick was experiencing. The blood from Katniss’ face seemed to quickly fade away when it finally sank in. Was it some sick joke that they were trying to pull off? It didn’t seem possible until Katniss remembered how far up the slope her and Finnick were when he fell, it was just a miracle that his skull wasn’t cracked open. 

Six to seven years? That only meant that Finnick didn’t know who the hell her or Peeta were which now made sense by the way he greeted them at the door. Her eyes fell on Dorian which was now trying to get the attention from Peeta so they could play and remembered that he was less than a few years old now Katniss was afraid that she was going to break down but she had to contain herself. For her sake and for the sake of everyone else in the room. Then it hit her that Finnick didn’t know Annie for that long, making Katniss’ heart curl up in a ball and looked over at Annie. 

“I’m so sorry, Annie.” The words were useless and would help out in no way but she couldn’t find anything else to say rather than that. She glanced over at Finnick and first made sure that she wasn’t about to cry or else she wouldn’t be able to say what she had been holding in for a while. “I’m the reason on why you fell.” Which was true, she did the mistake on not taking her cellphone, in not telling anyone and because she was stubborn, trying to point out that she was capable on doing anything, didn’t matter in the condition she was in. “We went out for a hike and you were waiting for me to catch up.” She stopped her story, unsure if she could even go on. 

Peeta knew something was up. It was obvious from the way Annie and Finnick were acting. Finnick seemed especially out of it, which was easy to notice since he was always more put together of the two. And Annie seemed even more nervous than usual. Something was wrong, that was for sure. He just had to wait for Annie to tell them what it was because for whatever reason Finnick wasn’t going to explain. While Annie was off making tea Peeta smiled stiffly, unsure of how to act as Finnick asked them how they were doing.

“Oh yes, we’re doing good.” he nodded after Katniss spoke. “Not much longer, so I’m trying to get the staff at the bakery ready for my leave of absence. I can’t have them burning the place down.” he laughed lightly, making sure everyone could tell he was kidding. He knew without question that his team would do just fine without him. They knew what they were doing and Peeta would make sure to call and stop by from time to time and check in. Besides, he trusted these people. He’d been very careful when hiring each person so that the business could be run like a family, and so far it was working out perfectly. 

He glanced down towards the floor when he felt a tug at his pant leg and smiled as Dorian lifted his arms, signaling he wanted to be lifted. “Up.” he demanded. Peeta leaned down and did as instructed, lifting the child up with his free arm to sit on his lap. “Hey buddy. You’re getting bigger every time I see you. Pretty soon you’re going to be taller than me.” he said with a grin. “Are you eating your vegetables and being good for your mommy and daddy?” Dorian smiled widely, answering happily, “No.” Peeta gasped. “You’re not? Well that’s a real shame, because I was thinking about sending some cookies to you soon, but I only send cookies to good boys who behave.” Dorian’s eyes went wide at the mention of sweets. “Cookie?” he said anxiously, obviously familiar with Peeta’s work. Peeta nodded. “Yup, but only if you’re good. Promise? You have to shake on it.” He held out his pinky for Dorian to grab with his own and shook. “Promise?” “Plomis.” Dorian said seriously, making Peeta smiled and ruffle his hair. “Okay, good.” 

He glanced back up when Annie came in the room and began to speak. Peeta’s face fell as she explained the situation, everything suddenly made sense. The far off look in Finnick’s eyes, the confusion, the awkward tension… of course it was all familiar to Peeta, because he had experienced it. “Yeah, we’re sorry.” he echoed his wife after she spoke. He frowned, however, when she announced that it was her fault. It didn’t surprise him that she would try to take the blame. “It’s not your fault.” Peeta said firmly. “It’s not anyone’s fault. It was an accident, and accidents happen for no good reason. You two went out and neither of you remembered your phones- that happens. Finnick tripped- that also happens.”  He realized by the worried looks on everyone’s faces that it was clearly up to him to be the voice of reason. Finnick had no clue what was going on, Katniss was about a millisecond away from a breakdown, and Annie also looked like she could burst into tears or a panic attack at any minute. “The important thing is that I heard Katniss yelling and found you guys. Everyone is okay.” He looked around the room at the three other (adult) faces. “Fin, I’m sorry you’re confused buddy. But it’s going to be alright. I lost my memory a while ago and got mixed up for quite some time, but I’m fine now. And believe me, I was ten times worse than you are. If I can come back from it, then you can too.” He cleared his throat. “So here’s what’s going to happen: we’re not going to mope. Because that won’t help anything. We’re not going to have a pity party and blame ourselves over something we can’t control. And we are not going to sit here and feel sorry for ourselves. We’re Victors- we’ve been through worse, we’ve survived worse, and we’re going to survive this. Finnick, we’ll help however we can to restore your memory. But we are not going to surrender. We’re better than that.” 

When Annie entered the room, Finnick couldn’t help but feel a little relieved right away. She could talk to them, ease the tension a little since she knew them better than he did. He didn’t even care what she said, just as long as she got things moving a little bit or explained what was going on- anything. Still, his relief was compromised a little by the look on her face. She was obviously in distress, her eyes red from the effort of not crying, and even though he’d counted on her to save them the awkwardness this visit had brought, she appeared to be even worse than he was. 

Even so, she spoke up, explaining what was going on with him, with them. Six or seven years? He wasn’t sure how long he’d assumed he was missing, but he thought that was the first time he heard her say it, and it seemed like a lot. It was- obviously. The fact that he was missing so many years of his life meant that he was now sitting in a room full of strangers; strangers who knew so much about him, but who he knew absolutely nothing about. 

He returned Annie’s smile with a small one of his own, as if to try to give her a little support or to tell her that she was right, that he would get his memories back and it was going to be okay. But the thought of it was so strange and he couldn’t quite  bring himself to believe it. For her sake, though, he hoped he did. Even if he had only known her a few days, or what seemed to him like a few days, he could tell how hard this was on her. It would be difficult not to. 

Katniss could see it too, obviously. She turned to Annie, saying sorry about what had happened, and he couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt. It was the fact that he couldn’t remember their marriage, their son, even meeting her in the first place- now that he knew that it was all true, he felt horrible for causing her so much distress, but that didn’t change that he couldn’t find it in himself to feel the same way about her or how he had taken to moving away or becoming awkward and tense at her touch.

“I’m the reason on why you fell. We went out for a hike and you were waiting for me to catch up.” 

Finnick glanced at Katniss, wanting to tell her that this couldn’t be her fault, but how could she take that seriously? He didn’t even know what had specifically happened before she told him now. He just wanted to be able to make her feel better, to keep her from crying- which she seemed dangerously close to, but he knew anything he said couldn’t really be taken as truth. 

“I’m sure whatever happened was my fault. You know me, right? So that shouldn’t be too hard to believe” he said with a small grin, hoping to get a smile out of her, or at least to keep her from crying. Peeta seemed to be on the same page, jumping in to console his wife. 

However, all of his attention was on Peeta when he spoke up, soon addressing all of them. To say the man was intriguing was an understatement, but he couldn’t help but hold onto what he said- that he’d lost his memory, too, but that he was alright now. He had it back, or so Finnick assumed from what he was saying. 

Peeta was right, though. There was no point in moping and feeling sorry about it. He knew they’d all been trying not to, but neither he or Annie had adjusted well. Coming home to his house being changed around so much, to having two strangers living with him, getting used to having Dorian around- it had all been so weird, so foreign, and it still was. He liked to think he was doing better with Dorian now. He could count on one hand the amount of interactions he’d had with the boy that hadn’t ended in Dorian’s tears, but he still thought he was doing better with him than the first day he’d come home. 

Annie was different, though. She said she didn’t expect anything from him, but he knew that wasn’t completely true. Being around her was like walking on eggshells- he knew what happened if he said the wrong things. She would burst into tears, have a breakdown. But he wasn’t sure what the right thing to say was, and sometimes he was caught off guard. He knew none of this was her fault, though. It was his, because before all of this, he had to have been something to her, had to have felt something back.

But Peeta at least seemed to know what he was talking about. He couldn’t help but believe him when he said it was going to be okay. Maybe it was just because he wanted to believe it. 

“Thanks, and you’re right. We’ll get through this” he agreed, but his smile was half-convinced. If it wasn’t for the people around him, he wouldn’t know he was missing anything, so the thought of gaining all of these memories- six or seven years worth of them- seemed impossible. But the longer this took, the more worried Annie would become. He couldn’t give up- because what if Annie gave up on him? She was his only connection to this aspect of his life that he had. Without her, all he knew was the life he’d lived in the Capitol. So where did he go from here if Annie gave up? He had to try. 

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Reblogged from peetambaker

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

“If… if you want.” 

“Okay, I won’t go anywhere” he said with a small smile, even though she probably couldn’t see it through the darkness.

That was what he’d been expecting, and he wasn’t going to go anywhere. He could hear Annie still sniffling as she rubbed his back. He wasn’t sure if the motion made him more or less uncomfortable, but decided it didn’t matter. Right now he had to be there for her no matter what he felt, so he tried not to think about darker subjects, about why he was usually in this type of situation. 

But this was different; being here was his choice. Annie would let him go if he wanted to, wasn’t going to ask anything like that of him. He just kept telling himself that, made himself relax. 

“Fin? I know… I know you don’t feel the same right now. I wouldn’t expect you to. But I just wanted to tell you, I love you.”

He froze when the words left her mouth, the three simple words that were so rare for him. She pressed her lips against his cheek and then tucked herself against him. He wasn’t sure what to say- he knew he should be able to repeat the words to her, tell her he loved her too. They were married, right? So it was natural that he should be able to say that, but he didn’t feel like they were really married. He knew it was true, but the feeling wasn’t there. 

But she knew that- she’d said as much. She didn’t expect him to feel the same way, which he supposed should make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse about not being able to say it back. Instead, he didn’t say anything. He just let her stay tucked against him, realizing that maybe Annie was right, that he did feel safe here after all. 

He didn’t say anything, but then again, she didn’t expect him to. Just having him close was enough, or at least, that was what she tried to tell herself. If nothing else, she had him close, and she could relish in that. Annie tried to be content with that as she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. She could hear his heart beat and she listened to its beat as she drifted off.

When she woke up the next morning, they were still tangled up in each other. For all the world things could have been back to normal, but she knew that wasn’t the case. Annie didn’t want to stir, to face the day. Not quite yet. Not when she was warm and in Finnick’s arm and she could close her eyes and tell herself that this was just a normal day. 

But it wasn’t. Annie thought back to last night, to her confession. She had told him she loved him and – and for the first time, he hadn’t said it back to her. She felt ill, but didn’t move. She couldn’t. Not just yet. It wasn’t until the door creaked open and someone else decided to join them in bed that Annie moved. 

“Hello rugrat.”

“Mommy! Daddy!” Dorian crawled over Annie (kneeing her in the process) and squirmed his way between them.  

“Did you sleep well Dorry?” 

“Yes! Is daddy not in time out now?”

“He wasn’t in the first place. Why don’t you go climb on him for a bit?” Annie grinned as Dorian did what she suggested.

Finnick hadn’t been awake long, only a couple minutes. He was lying in bed, still in the same position he’d fallen asleep in, with Annie in his arm. He was wide awake almost immediately, but only because his mind continued to drift back to the last thing she’d told him before they’d fallen asleep; that she loved him. Maybe it shouldn’t have come as a surprise. They were married, of course she had feelings for him. Still, not returning them made this very weird. She had to know that he didn’t; she expected as much, but that didn’t make it any better. 

He was debating on whether or not he should get up or wait for Annie to get up when the door creaked open and Dorian appeared. He glanced over at the boy and smiled just as the toddler squirmed his way between him and Annie on the bed, crawling over her to get there.

“Is daddy not in time out now?” 

Finnick laughed again, just as he had when he’d asked the question the first time. The kid couldn’t fail to make him smile.

“He wasn’t in the first place. Why don’t you go climb on him for a bit?”

His eyes flicked to Dorian just as the boy crawled onto him, just as Annie had asked him. He was nothing if not obedient. 

“Daddy!” he said, his knee digging into Finnick stomach as he climbed onto him. 

“Hey Dorian” Finnick laughed, sitting up and making the boy fall back over onto the bed. Dorian laughed and got back up, jumping back on top of his father, who scooped him up and tossed him gently back onto the sheets, tickling his tummy just as the boy tried to get up and lunge at him again. 

“Do I win yet?” Finnick asked, stopping with the tickling for a second just to hear the answer.

Dorian caught his breath for a minute before choking out a “Nope!”

Finnick moved to tickle him again, moving slowly as a warning. “What was that?” 

“Yes!” Dorian forfeited, squirming away with a laugh.

61 notes

Reblogged from anniefromthesea

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

Finnick laid next to Annie, letting her move a little closer and tuck herself under his chin; he would cuddle with her if that was what she needed right now. Anything was better than the way he’d found her only moments ago, crying and screaming from the nightmare that had woken her up. Even now her face was streaked with tears, though that was difficult to see in the dark- almost impossible if he wasn’t so close to her. 

“I … I saw Dorian being reaped. I know it can’t happen anymore, and it’s just a dream but – but I just can’t deal with that.”

He nodded- the reapings were enough reason to wake up screaming on their own, but he didn’t want to imagine his own child’s name being drawn. Of course the thought had crossed his mind before; that if he should ever have kids, their names would stand a higher chance in being drawn. He knew that wasn’t supposed to be how it worked, but that didn’t seem to matter much. Until now he’d thought it wasn’t something he had to worry about because he wouldn’t be having any kids, no family of his own, but that changed. 

Still, the reapings were over. No one would ever have to go through them again. Annie knew that; she’d told him as much herself, but no victor was safe from nightmares of things they were told couldn’t hurt them anymore. He still felt like this wasn’t real, that something was going to change and things would go back to how they had been, but he chose to believe Annie, tried hard to push those worries to the back of his mind.

She pulled herself even closer and he didn’t move away. He shouldn’t, right? Shouldn’t want to. They were married, had been for a few years now. She wasn’t like the women in the Capitol- it didn’t even exist anymore. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling. So when she drew back a little, he didn’t stop her. 

“S-sorry.”

He sighed. “No, don’t be sorry. It’s fine.” He knew that this was okay, that Annie was different, but knowing something rationally and convincing yourself of it were different. “I just want to be sure you’re going to be okay” he told her, knowing that he wasn’t about to believe her even if she said she was. “I can stay, if you want. I don’t mind” he told her, moving a little closer to fill in the gap she’d made. 

She was still sniffling, but Annie knew that she would be okay. The nightmares she knew how to deal with  - it was the waking up on her own part that had been so upsetting. Now that Finnick was here… well, she wasn’t okay, but she was better. It helped that he was holding her close, even though he didn’t have to. She certainly didn’t expect it. 

“I just want to be sure you’re going to be okay”

Annie gave a small laugh in it, though it came out as a scoff. Go figure. Even with his memory gone, Finnick was the same man she knew. Far kinder than anyone gave him credit for, and always putting her first. 

“I can stay, if you want. I don’t mind”

This had to be odd for him. Annie should tell him that she would be okay and he could go back to bed, but she didn’t have that much strength. Instead, she sighed and moved her hand from his side to slide down his back. Annie rubbed it for a little bit, knowing that he’d always liked the gesture. “If… if you want.” She couldn’t ask him to leave. Not when she needed him so much. Her hand stilled and she let it rest across him.  “Fin? I know… I know you don’t feel the same right now. I wouldn’t expect you to. But I just wanted to tell you, I love you.” Annie pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. She stretched a little and then tucked herself into the crook between neck and shoulder. It was her favorite place to sleep – and she didn’t want to look at Finnick while he processed what she’d just told him.

“If… if you want.” 

“Okay, I won’t go anywhere” he said with a small smile, even though she probably couldn’t see it through the darkness.

That was what he’d been expecting, and he wasn’t going to go anywhere. He could hear Annie still sniffling as she rubbed his back. He wasn’t sure if the motion made him more or less uncomfortable, but decided it didn’t matter. Right now he had to be there for her no matter what he felt, so he tried not to think about darker subjects, about why he was usually in this type of situation. 

But this was different; being here was his choice. Annie would let him go if he wanted to, wasn’t going to ask anything like that of him. He just kept telling himself that, made himself relax. 

“Fin? I know… I know you don’t feel the same right now. I wouldn’t expect you to. But I just wanted to tell you, I love you.”

He froze when the words left her mouth, the three simple words that were so rare for him. She pressed her lips against his cheek and then tucked herself against him. He wasn’t sure what to say- he knew he should be able to repeat the words to her, tell her he loved her too. They were married, right? So it was natural that he should be able to say that, but he didn’t feel like they were really married. He knew it was true, but the feeling wasn’t there. 

But she knew that- she’d said as much. She didn’t expect him to feel the same way, which he supposed should make him feel better, but it only made him feel worse about not being able to say it back. Instead, he didn’t say anything. He just let her stay tucked against him, realizing that maybe Annie was right, that he did feel safe here after all. 

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Reblogged from anniefromthesea

peetambaker:

tributegirlkatniss:

anniefromthesea:

Annie was down to a tank top and shorts, and Dorian was still winning. “Sit still for mommy?” He giggled and scooted to the edge of the bath tub, just out of her reach. Annie moved from where she was and he scooted to the other end. “If you don’t sit still, I’m going to turn you into a frog.”

He looked at her. “Mommy can’t.”

“Mommy can and she will.”

He looked as though he didn’t quite believe her, but he still moved a little closer. Enough that she could dump the water from the cup in her hand over his head. She shielded his eyes, but he still squirmed and moved to the edge of the tub, out of her reach again. “Cold!”

“It would have still been warm if you’d let me… oh, never mind.” The cheese was gone, and most of the shampoo was out of his hair, so she pulled the stopper and grabbed Dorian a towel. He came over to the edge and she scooped him up just as someone knocked at the door. Annie hoisted Dorian up on her hip and drug a second towel over his hair, making it stick up in odd angels. He was still smoothing it down as she went to the door to see who it was.

Oh. Oh dear. Annie balked when she saw Katniss and Peeta, with Finnick already at the door. She didn’t know what to say, how to explain this, and she bit her lip. Awkward interactions like this weren’t her thing, but then again, interactions in general were hard. Dorian distracted her by grabbing at her hair. “Mommy upset?” 

“Ow! No. Mommy’s fine. Let go of my hair please.” He did as she asked for once, and Annie gave him a small smile before taking a deep breath and going to the door. “Fin… this is Katniss and Peeta. You’ve seen pictures of them.” She spoke calmly, trying to keep herself together for everyone’s sake. Still, there was a bit of panic, a bit of nerves in her expression as she looked to Katniss and Peeta. “Come in, come in. Uhm… lemme get some tea on, and then I’ll … explain.” Annie stood aside, and let her guests into the house before heading into the kitchen to get some water on.

Katniss was already nervous as it already was, she didn’t know what to expect. Whether if she would be saying hello to an awkward Finnick, since they didn’t go and visit him in the hospital or if she would be saying hello to an angry Annie since Katniss was the reason for Finnick being almost killed. But she knew that if it was any of the two that she would have Peeta next to her at all times. That’s what she was sure about and it only calmed her down a tad so she wouldn’t faint from all anxious feeling that kept running through her entire body. Peeta’s kiss was more than enough to relax the muscles in her body. “I’m just a little jumpy is a-“

The sentence got cut off when she saw the door opening and only squeezed Peeta’s hand to reassure her that everything will be fine. She kept repeating herself that over until she was sure that she was somewhat stable. At that moment she felt bad that they didn’t bring any kind of gift to show how sorry they were for the non visitation they had in the hospital. Once Finnick came to view, Katniss opened her mouth to already get out an apology but got taken back on how confused Finnick looked and how he sounded.

Was he trying to make another one of his jokes that she never quite seemed to understand or was he trying to get rid of them by being rude in asking what they were doing there. “We just wanted to come by and see how you were doing.” Katniss’ voice already seemed to be in shock from what was happening in front of them. The view of Annie only made Katniss uneasy and made her stir in her place she wasn’t so sure on what to expect but Annie’s choice in words were a surprise to Katniss. Where they playing some sort of game that Katniss was unaware about. But she hesitated and looked over at Peeta before she took a step inside of the Odair’s house. She didn’t know if she should hug them both or follow Annie towards the kitchen. But instead she headed towards the living room, holding onto Peeta’s hand tightly and sat on one of the couches. There was so many questions that she wanted to ask but seeing that Annie was in the kitchen and Finnick was probably mad at them and Peeta was just as lost as she was that Katniss kept all her questions to herself.

Peeta wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but truthfully he was rather nervous himself. He hated seeing anyone in pain, and Finnick was one of his close friends. He’d saved Peeta and Katniss’ lives several times and they owed a lot to him. They also looked up to him, especially after finding out what the Capitol had put him through for so many years. After everything he’d been through in his life Finnick was still able to laugh and joke and keep a smile on his face, all while being a great and loving husband to Annie and father to Dorian. He was definitely someone Peeta tried to model himself after. 

Annie was also someone Peeta admired. It was true that she was a little… off at times, but after everything she’d been subjected to it was a wonder that she was even able to stay sane. It was a wonder any of them were able to stay sane, really. Well, as sane as anyone could be after being in the Hunger Games. Since she had been one of the other prisoners taken by the Capitol along with himself and Johanna, during the brief periods of time that they were both conscious Peeta had gotten to know Annie fairly well. She had her flaws, yes, as did everyone, but really at the end of the day Annie was just a girl who wanted nothing more than to love and be loved in return. She had a lovely heart and good morals, and was an unfortunate victim of a terrible situation just like the rest of them.

But things were better now, Peeta reminded himself. The war was over and everyone was safe. Finnick had suffered a bump to the head but he was home now and perfectly fine. If he wasn’t they obviously wouldn’t have released him from the hospital. He put on a friendly smile when Finnick opened the door. “Hey Fin. You look good.” he greeted, noticing that aside from the bandage on his head the other man seemed to be in good shape. Peeta frowned slightly at his question. “Still have your sense of humor, I see.” he noted with a nervous chuckle.

When Annie appeared Peeta could immediately tell something was wrong. She seemed… different. A certain amount of stress was to be expected when taking care of someone injured, but this was different. He followed Katniss inside of the house, smiling brightly at Dorian. Perhaps things wouldn’t seem quite so awkward if they had something else to focus on, and the child was the perfect solution. “Hey buddy! How’s my favorite little man doing?” He held out the hand not locked with Katniss’ for a high five, which the toddler immediately returned. “Very nice! Uncle Peeta is impressed.” He sat down on the couch and unlatched his hands from his wife, instead sliding the arm around her waist and pulling her closer in an attempt to comfort her while they waited for Annie to speak.

“We just wanted to come by and see how you were doing.”

So he was right before when he thought he was probably supposed to recognize the two. He searched for something to say- what were you supposed to say in this kind of situation? Before he had the chance to worry more about it, though, the man spoke up. 

“Still have your sense of humor, I see.”

He gave a small laugh, one that was almost as nervous as the other man’s had been. When Annie showed up at the door he was thankful, spared from having to say too much more, something else that would come off as odd to these people he assumed were friends of his. 

“Fin… this is Katniss and Peeta. You’ve seen pictures of them.”

Right. Annie had shown him their wedding pictures- he hadn’t thought of that until she mentioned it, but now he could see it. She gestured for the couple to come inside and he moved out of the way to let them in, just as she left to go make some tea, leaving him alone again with Katniss and Peeta. Well, not completely alone. Dorian had followed the three of them into the living room and Peeta was talking to him. Dorian even seemed to like him quite a lot, and he smiled as the boy high-fived the other. 

How did you start a conversation with people you didn’t really know, but should? “He seems to really like you” he said with a smile as he watched the toddler as he stayed close to Peeta’s side. It was a stupid thing to say- that much should have been obvious. He’d called himself “Uncle Peeta”, so obviously the two were somewhat close. “How are you two, anyway?” he asked, just for the sake of talking. The atmosphere in the room was pretty tense. Neither of them seemed overly comfortable, and he wished Annie would finish with the tea and join them. 

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Reblogged from peetambaker

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

Even if he knew she wasn’t in any real danger, he still worried about her. The way Annie was trembling from the dream, her face streaked with tears that were still falling- he wanted to know what had happened to make her so afraid so that he could tell her with confidence that it would be alright, that she was safe. She had said so herself. They were safe here. 

She hadn’t stopped screaming until Finnick spoke to her, and then she seemed to realize that it had just been a dream, that nothing had really happened and nothing would. He watched as she wiped at her tears, not that doing so really helped, and waited for her to calm down enough to say something, anything to let him know that she was going to be alright. 

“W-will you lie down with me?”

He was slightly taken aback, but she reached out for him, and one look at the state she was in told him he couldn’t say no. He nodded, moving forward and sliding onto the bed next to her. He would stay, at least until he knew she was okay, until she fell asleep maybe, but he couldn’t just leave her alone like that. 

“You’re okay, it was just a dream” he said, his voice soft and gentle as he laid there next to her on the bed, his arm moving hesitantly around her as if he wasn’t sure he was supposed to hold her, but even more unsure whether it was okay not to. None of that mattered, though- she needed him right now, that much was obvious. 

Annie was more than a little surprised when he slid in next to her, but that certainly wasn’t a bad thing.  She was still distraught, but lying next to Finnick went a long ways in soothing her, and she had to hold herself back from curling up against him like she did when he was okay.

“You’re okay, it was just a dream”

She nodded. Finnick wrapped an arm around her and she stiffened before deciding that if he wanted to do this, then she was more than okay with it. After all, it wasn’t as though she didn’t like cuddling up with him. Perhaps it was pushing him for more than he was ready for, but she didn’t have the restraint to turn away. She moved a bit closer and then let her hand rest on his side. Annie tucked herself up under his chin and breathed in the scent of him. He always smelled like the sea, and even now that hadn’t left him.

“I … I saw Dorian being reaped. I know it can’t happen anymore, and it’s just a dream but – but I just can’t deal with that.” For once her voice wasn’t panicked. Instead, it was reverent, hushed. Annie wasn’t sure if that was better. She brought herself even closer to Finnick and then realized that might not be the smartest of ideas. If all he was used to were his clients, then her being like this might be a poor idea. She loosened her grip a little and drew back. “S-sorry.”

Finnick laid next to Annie, letting her move a little closer and tuck herself under his chin; he would cuddle with her if that was what she needed right now. Anything was better than the way he’d found her only moments ago, crying and screaming from the nightmare that had woken her up. Even now her face was streaked with tears, though that was difficult to see in the dark- almost impossible if he wasn’t so close to her. 

“I … I saw Dorian being reaped. I know it can’t happen anymore, and it’s just a dream but – but I just can’t deal with that.”

He nodded- the reapings were enough reason to wake up screaming on their own, but he didn’t want to imagine his own child’s name being drawn. Of course the thought had crossed his mind before; that if he should ever have kids, their names would stand a higher chance in being drawn. He knew that wasn’t supposed to be how it worked, but that didn’t seem to matter much. Until now he’d thought it wasn’t something he had to worry about because he wouldn’t be having any kids, no family of his own, but that changed. 

Still, the reapings were over. No one would ever have to go through them again. Annie knew that; she’d told him as much herself, but no victor was safe from nightmares of things they were told couldn’t hurt them anymore. He still felt like this wasn’t real, that something was going to change and things would go back to how they had been, but he chose to believe Annie, tried hard to push those worries to the back of his mind.

She pulled herself even closer and he didn’t move away. He shouldn’t, right? Shouldn’t want to. They were married, had been for a few years now. She wasn’t like the women in the Capitol- it didn’t even exist anymore. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling. So when she drew back a little, he didn’t stop her. 

“S-sorry.”

He sighed. “No, don’t be sorry. It’s fine.” He knew that this was okay, that Annie was different, but knowing something rationally and convincing yourself of it were different. “I just want to be sure you’re going to be okay” he told her, knowing that he wasn’t about to believe her even if she said she was. “I can stay, if you want. I don’t mind” he told her, moving a little closer to fill in the gap she’d made. 

61 notes

Reblogged from anniefromthesea

peetambaker:

tributegirlkatniss:

It was more than just nerves that Katniss felt, she felt sick to her stomach and felt that at any moment right now she could pass out on the floor or simply throw up to see if that got rid of this feeling. But it didn’t matter how horrible she felt, she couldn’t tell Peeta since he would just force her to stay behind in their hotel room. But she had to confront the problem that she was a part of, it was already one thing of them not visiting Finnick when he was in the hospital but Peeta convinced her that it the visitations that he received where only meant for Annie and Dorian since it was his family. It was already planted in Katniss’ mind that once she stepped in that door that Annie would prohibit Finnick and Katniss from hanging out by themselves since Peeta had already placed that rule. “Don’t be a coward.” Katniss said to her reflection from the bathroom mirror and rinsed her face down with cold water to calm herself before she walked to the room where Peeta was at and pretended that everything was fine and that she was ready to go. Peeta himself looked hesitant but Katniss wouldn’t listen to his excuses for trying to stay and gave him a pull as she walked towards the door. Since Finnick and Annie were the most known out of their District, they simply had to ask some of the citizens and pointed out which house the famous victors lived in. The Mellark family walked quietly towards their door and once they arrived, Katniss looked at Peeta and sighed before giving the door a nice knock.  

Peeta really wasn’t sure if this was the best idea. Katniss had been extremely upset about Finnick’s accident, which made sense, but she was nearly convinced that it was her fault. Of course Peeta wanted to support their friend and see that he was okay, but the stress it was giving Katniss was not good for the baby. However, the stress of not going and feeling guilty about not visiting would also be bad for her, so really there was no good option here. At least this way, he figured, Finnick could help him convince her that the accident wasn’t her fault. Finnick would be the same silly guy as always, only with a few bandages. With luck, he would have Katniss relaxed and laughing within minutes. Peeta snapped out of his thoughts when Katniss exited the bathroom and announced she was ready to go. Immediately he could tell that not only was she nervous, but she wasn’t feeling great. After spending so much time with her and experiencing the pregnancy since the start he knew the signs and could read her like a book. He leaned in and kissed her gently. “Everything is going to be okay. Just try to relax, okay? I’m right here.” he linked their fingers and squeezed her hand as if showing proof. The walk to Finnick and Annie’s was rather short, thankfully, and soon they were on the steps waiting for the door to be opened. 

Finnick picked up the dirty plate and barely touched fork from Dorian’s high chair. He’d made him some mac and cheese for lunch and the boy had insisted on using his hands to scoop it into his mouth- now the chair, as well as the little boy, was covered in cheese. It was a little funny at first but now that he was dealing with the clean-up, not so much. He took the dishes over to the sink and washed them, then moved on to the chair, cloth in hand. He figured he’d gotten off with the easy job since Annie had the task of cleaning Dorian. 

He scrubbed the chair, amazed at how much of a mess such a small person could make, and realized there was also some on the floor that he’d almost kneel’d in. He wiped that up, too, and then scanned the area to make sure he was done. 

He just finished cleaning up when he heard a knock on the door. He tossed the wet cloth into the sink and then moved toward the front door, opening it to reveal a couple standing outside- a blonde man and a very pregnant brunette. He didn’t recognize them, so he wasn’t sure whether or not to invite them inside or if they intended on staying, but they could be here for Annie so he thought maybe he should. 

“Hi” he said, glancing from Peeta over to Katniss. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say- he knew it was entirely possible these were faces he should recognize. On the off chance he wasn’t, though, he asked, ”Is there something I can do for you guys?”

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Reblogged from peetambaker

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

Annie left and Finnick was alone again, lying back in the pillows he’d set up for himself on the couch. The house was quiet now that everyone was in bed and no matter how tired Finnick was, he didn’t fall asleep right away. He kept on thinking about what Annie had told him earlier about Mags’ death. As much as he had tried to move on from that conversation, the news was still fresh in his mind. 

He stared up at the ceiling through the darkness and tried to think of better things, things to help him get to sleep, but it didn’t seem to be working. Anything turned back into the faces he’d seen in the photo album, friends he used to know and couldn’t put a name to anymore, or Dorian crying when they got out of the taxi, or Annie explaining about the third quell. Still, he was exhausted from the day, and soon enough he had fallen asleep, surprisingly dreamlessly. 

Shrill screams found their way into his dreams, his eyes shooting open in fear as his legs swung quickly over the edge of the couch, not waiting to find out what had happened. His heart was racing, his mind playing all of the brutal images of what could have happened to cause screams like that, and he was running towards Annie’s room before he could even register what he was doing. 

“Annie?” he called, part of him expecting to find her bleeding on the floor. He ran through the dark room and found her on her bed, trembling but otherwise okay. No- okay was a long shot, but she wasn’t hurt like he’d imagined, not that he could see. It was clear now that it had just been a nightmare but his heart was still going fast, adrenaline still pulsing through his veins. 

He gazed down at her, standing beside the bed, his expression turning to one of concern. “Annie, what happened?”

It wasn’t real. It… it had been real, once upon a time, but it wasn’t any more. There was no more Capitol and no more games and she didn’t have to worry about anything like that happening to them again. Annie knew all that and she couldn’t shake the mental image she had: herself standing to the edge of the stage Four used for the reapings, ready to mentor whoever was picked. And the escort was calling out, “Dorian Odair!” and she was shrieking until the sound woke herself up, and she couldn’t stop the sound from pouring out of her.

“Annie, what happened?”

Finnick. That was right. He’d fought for them to be free and it had worked and there was no danger of Dorian being reaped. Not now, not ever. She tried wiping at her tears, but more just replaced the ones she wiped away, and Annie knew she was a far way from stopping crying.

“W-will you lie down with me?” Her voice was quiet, small, as though she knew he was going to say no. Still, she reached out for Finnick and beckoned for him to join her. It was stupid to try and go through the night on her own. She knew she couldn’t do it. If he wouldn’t lie with her now – and she wouldn’t blame him if he didn’t – Annie knew there were more nightmares in store for her.

Even if he knew she wasn’t in any real danger, he still worried about her. The way Annie was trembling from the dream, her face streaked with tears that were still falling- he wanted to know what had happened to make her so afraid so that he could tell her with confidence that it would be alright, that she was safe. She had said so herself. They were safe here. 

She hadn’t stopped screaming until Finnick spoke to her, and then she seemed to realize that it had just been a dream, that nothing had really happened and nothing would. He watched as she wiped at her tears, not that doing so really helped, and waited for her to calm down enough to say something, anything to let him know that she was going to be alright. 

“W-will you lie down with me?”

He was slightly taken aback, but she reached out for him, and one look at the state she was in told him he couldn’t say no. He nodded, moving forward and sliding onto the bed next to her. He would stay, at least until he knew she was okay, until she fell asleep maybe, but he couldn’t just leave her alone like that. 

“You’re okay, it was just a dream” he said, his voice soft and gentle as he laid there next to her on the bed, his arm moving hesitantly around her as if he wasn’t sure he was supposed to hold her, but even more unsure whether it was okay not to. None of that mattered, though- she needed him right now, that much was obvious. 

61 notes

Reblogged from anniefromthesea

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

Finnick was just leaving the bedroom when he heard Dorian’s wailing; maybe the boy wasn’t going to be so easy-going tonight after all. He turned in the direction of Dorian’s room just as Annie came back into the house, already heading down the hallway. 

”I guess I jinxed us” he smiled and watched her go before heading out to the living room instead. He fixed the blankets on the couch, pulling the top ones down and slipping into them before pulling them back up. It was a little weird to be sleeping on the couch in his own house, but it was alright; it wasn’t uncomfortable by any means and it was big enough so that he could sleep comfortably. 

He probably wouldn’t have even noticed Annie and Dorian in the room until Dorian spoke up. 

”Daddy in time out?” 

He opened his eyes, a grin spreading across his lips which turned into a small laugh. He could see how that was what it looked like, but he had to wonder how often he found himself in trouble with Annie. That was the second time today he’d heard an implication toward it and his curiosity was piqued again, not that he would ask, having been strayed away from the topic before with a warning. 

”Night Dorian” he said to the boy with a little wave, his smile still there as Annie brought him back to his room, humming a familiar tune, one he remembered from when he was a kid. It wasn’t long before she was back, though, having successfully put Dorian to bed a second time. 

“I spoke too soon it seemed. But I think he’s down for the count now. At least now he sleeps through the night. A few months ago he’d wake up and start playing with his toys and we’d go in late to find the room a mess with his toys and the like.”

He pictured Dorian caught in the act, staring at them like a deer caught in headlights as they flicked the light on to find him surrounded by his toys. He laughed and nodded. ”He just heard you and took it as a challenge.”

“Thanks by the way. For… for trying. I know this has to be hard.”

”It can’t be any easier for you” he said, knowing that he was right; what happened outside had proven that. ”I’m sorry for… for today, basically” he said with a resigned laugh. 

“Is there anything else you need? If not, I’ll leave you alone.”

”No, this is perfect. Goodnight, then” he told her from his spot on the couch. 

This, right now, was okay. It wasn’t quite the same – after all, she normally wouldn’t need to tell Finnick about what Dorian had done in the past. But at least they were talking together, and the tension… well, it wasn’t gone, but it wasn’t as bad as before either. She could deal with this, though it wasn’t as good as when she normally had Finnick next to her. At least he was alive. Safe. He wasn’t in pain either. Annie would take this over any number of problems they’d had in the past.

 ”I’m sorry for… for today, basically”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for,” she told him firmly.

He dismissed her and Annie nodded before leaving. It was odd, not leaving Finnick with a kiss or anything like that, but she knew it’d be a bad idea. She sighed before shaking her head and heading up to their bed. The room was too large without him, too strange. Annie decided to wear his shirt to bed rather than her own clothes, as it made her feel a bit better. Not much, but a bit.

She crawled under the covers, and wrapped her arms around what was normally Finnick’s pillow. Even though he was still in the house, she felt as though she’d lost him somehow.

Sleep didn’t come easy, and when it did come, it didn’t come right. Annie had restless nights even when Finnick was next to her, but she normally calmed down with a few soothing touches or by having him rub her back. Now there was nothing and she fell to haunted imaginings.

Annie had no idea what time it was she woke up – all she knew that it was dark still and she woke up screaming.

Annie left and Finnick was alone again, lying back in the pillows he’d set up for himself on the couch. The house was quiet now that everyone was in bed and no matter how tired Finnick was, he didn’t fall asleep right away. He kept on thinking about what Annie had told him earlier about Mags’ death. As much as he had tried to move on from that conversation, the news was still fresh in his mind. 

He stared up at the ceiling through the darkness and tried to think of better things, things to help him get to sleep, but it didn’t seem to be working. Anything turned back into the faces he’d seen in the photo album, friends he used to know and couldn’t put a name to anymore, or Dorian crying when they got out of the taxi, or Annie explaining about the third quell. Still, he was exhausted from the day, and soon enough he had fallen asleep, surprisingly dreamlessly. 

Shrill screams found their way into his dreams, his eyes shooting open in fear as his legs swung quickly over the edge of the couch, not waiting to find out what had happened. His heart was racing, his mind playing all of the brutal images of what could have happened to cause screams like that, and he was running towards Annie’s room before he could even register what he was doing. 

“Annie?” he called, part of him expecting to find her bleeding on the floor. He ran through the dark room and found her on her bed, trembling but otherwise okay. No- okay was a long shot, but she wasn’t hurt like he’d imagined, not that he could see. It was clear now that it had just been a nightmare but his heart was still going fast, adrenaline still pulsing through his veins. 

He gazed down at her, standing beside the bed, his expression turning to one of concern. “Annie, what happened?”

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Reblogged from anniefromthesea

anniefromthesea:

finnickodairdistrict4:

“It’s perfect” 

Finnick nodded but he was relieved; after everything else, anything he didn’t mess up, even the most remote things, seemed to be accomplishments. He waited for a moment, watching as Annie stroked him one last time before nudging his side, her fingers pressed to her lips. He quietly stepped toward the door, stopping once they got outside it to make sure Dorian didn’t start to cry. 

“He must have been tired. Normally he’s a nightmare to get to bed. It’s a team effort, really.”

“Why do I believe that” he teased with a light laugh. Finnick wondered if he’d witness that tomorrow night or not but decided that maybe it was best not to dwell on whatever disasters that would bring. The first day home had been nothing short of chaotic and he realized, as Annie made her way to the linen closet, how tired he was. He hadn’t noticed before, busying himself with other things, looking at the pictures and then everything that had followed, but now that Dorian was in bed and it was just to two of them, his fatigue was becoming more noticeable. 

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that it was just the two of them and, after what happened with the photo album, he wasn’t sure exactly what to say to her or if it was even a good idea to try for a conversation. Was she still upset with him? He took the blankets she offered him as well as the pillows and gave her a smile. 

“No, I think that’s it” he told her, heading toward the couch at the end of the hallway so he could set the blankets down. He put them on the floor next to the couch and then grabbed one of the thin ones, getting to work on setting up his bed. When he was done he went down the hallway to his bedroom, realizing he’d have to grab some pyjama’s. 

“I’m just gonna grab some clothes, I’ll just be a minute” he explained to Annie as he pass her, walking into the room and heading over to the dresser which had been replaced with a bigger one than he remembered. This one was large enough to handle both of their clothing; one side for him and one for her. He opened the side nearest to him first and dug a little to find something of his before noticing that all of it was Annie’s and then moved to the other side of the dresser, finally grabbing some boxers and a t-shirt to wear to bed before heading back out. 

Annie watched while he went to get some clothes. She flushed a little to think that this time they might normally be curling up in bed together themselves, to sleep or… to not. Right now though, that was certainly off the table. Annie sighed and went back to the porch, where the pictures were still in a bit of a mess. She cleaned them up and took them in, only to be greeted by Dorian’s wailing. Finnick was just leaving the room, and she gave him a small smile. “I guess I jinxed us,” she commented.

She went back to the room, where Dorian was sitting on the edge of the bed and trying to make his way down. “What’s the matter little man?”

“No!” He was obviously still groggy, but she doubted she could get him to lie down again yet.

She scooped him up and took him out of the room, still holding him on her hip. Walking and talking with him should hopefully get him calm again, and back to bed. Annie carried him through the living room, where he saw Finnick lying on the couch. “Daddy in time out?”

Annie laughed. “No Dorry. He’s just sleeping out here tonight.”

“Why?”

“Don’t you worry about it. Just go to bed. Please.” She pressed a kiss to the side of his head and began to hum some old wharf song about a fisherman and the sea. She wasn’t exactly the best at holding a tune, but she did a decent enough job of soothing Dorian. He leaned against her shoulder and stayed there. Annie continued to hum until she noticed his eyes were closed and the she took him back to his room. She was careful putting him down, and it paid off. He didn’t stir.

That finished, she headed back downstairs to Finnick.

“I spoke too soon it seemed. But I think he’s down for the count now. At least now he sleeps through the night. A few months ago he’d wake up and start playing with his toys and we’d go in late to find the room a mess with his toys and the like.” She gave a small laugh and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thanks by the way. For… for trying. I know this has to be hard.” Annie hesitated, then added, “Is there anything else you need? If not, I’ll leave you alone.”

Finnick was just leaving the bedroom when he heard Dorian’s wailing; maybe the boy wasn’t going to be so easy-going tonight after all. He turned in the direction of Dorian’s room just as Annie came back into the house, already heading down the hallway. 

”I guess I jinxed us” he smiled and watched her go before heading out to the living room instead. He fixed the blankets on the couch, pulling the top ones down and slipping into them before pulling them back up. It was a little weird to be sleeping on the couch in his own house, but it was alright; it wasn’t uncomfortable by any means and it was big enough so that he could sleep comfortably. 

He probably wouldn’t have even noticed Annie and Dorian in the room until Dorian spoke up. 

”Daddy in time out?” 

He opened his eyes, a grin spreading across his lips which turned into a small laugh. He could see how that was what it looked like, but he had to wonder how often he found himself in trouble with Annie. That was the second time today he’d heard an implication toward it and his curiosity was piqued again, not that he would ask, having been strayed away from the topic before with a warning. 

”Night Dorian” he said to the boy with a little wave, his smile still there as Annie brought him back to his room, humming a familiar tune, one he remembered from when he was a kid. It wasn’t long before she was back, though, having successfully put Dorian to bed a second time. 

“I spoke too soon it seemed. But I think he’s down for the count now. At least now he sleeps through the night. A few months ago he’d wake up and start playing with his toys and we’d go in late to find the room a mess with his toys and the like.”

He pictured Dorian caught in the act, staring at them like a deer caught in headlights as they flicked the light on to find him surrounded by his toys. He laughed and nodded. ”He just heard you and took it as a challenge.”

“Thanks by the way. For… for trying. I know this has to be hard.”

”It can’t be any easier for you” he said, knowing that he was right; what happened outside had proven that. ”I’m sorry for… for today, basically” he said with a resigned laugh. 

“Is there anything else you need? If not, I’ll leave you alone.”

”No, this is perfect. Goodnight, then” he told her from his spot on the couch. 

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Reblogged from anniefromthesea