CHAPTER SIX
birthday alcoholism

IT WAS SOMETIMES QUICK TO FORGET THAT FINNICK AND ELEANOR WERE NOT ADULTS. It seemed as though maturity was a symptom of The Hunger Games. It was so easy to forget, since they carried themselves at a height neither had actually reached. Yet, in times like these, where Eleanor is childishly showing off her new red dress with a twirl, it was clear that they were just little kids.

Poor, desperate little kids.

Finnick didn't know how he managed to be convinced into going to this party. He could've easily found some excuse, but Eleanor practically begged him. Apparently it was their classmate's 18th birthday party and they were throwing it down the beach. He didn't even know whose birthday it was - apparently some guy called Patrick (Finnick, obviously, didn't remember Patrick). Though, Eleanor had been too excited and Finnick felt like he owed her a party.

The dress Eleanor wore was nothing like she was forced to wear in the Capitol. While the dresses she wore there were tight and over-exaggerated her curves, this dress she wore complemented her body. Nothing was emphasised, nothing was overly highlighted. It simply went above her knees, flowing outwards, with a square neckline.

"Okay, pro of the dress, breezy," Eleanor listed, giving one more twirl to emphasise this fact. Finnick nodded along, lounging around lazily. "Con, if I spill my drink on me, It won't be pretty."

"It'll just turn a darker red, will it not?"

Eleanor shook her head, sitting down on the bed besides Finnick. She smoothed out the red fabric. "I've spilt drinks over myself in this dress before and the fabric goes see through. I don't particularly fancy becoming gossip for my indecency, again." Eleanor added 'again' simply because people often loved making rumours. A lot of people loved Eleanor because of her kindness, but that didn't stop people from gossiping about her 'indecent behaviour'. Now that she was in the public eye since winning the Hunger Games, she needed to be careful. "Are you sure you actually wanna go to this party?"

Finnick paused, looking up immediately when Eleanor let out a short sigh. For a moment, he was quiet, studying every aspect of the girl in front of her. She didn't want to pester him, but Eleanor just wanted to be an ordinary teenage girl. Not some victor, just Eleanor Eves from District 4 who enjoyed parties with school friends. He nodded at her, rejoicing in her squeal of excitement.

It was hard to remember they were still kids, but when they remembered, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.

"So, who's birthday even is it?"

"Patrick Reynolds," Eleanor replied, looking up at Finnick with those big blue eyes that Finnick felt himself drown him. She grinned at him, watching as he cursed to himself, muffled with the press of his palm. Finnick hated Patrick Reynolds, more than life itself. It started after Patrick stole his shells when they were twelve and ever since then, the Odair boy has harboured a hatred for him. "Oh come on, he isn't that bad."

"He never apologised for stealing my shells."

"They were shells, I found you ten more when you told me," She gave a cheeky grin at Finnick, adding on, "and I punched Patrick in the face."

He relished in the memory.

The good old days when their biggest threat was a toad-faced spotted teenager who liked stealing things that didn't belong to him. Not scary people hidden in bedsheets and shadowed corridors.

Just a greedy kid with sticky hands.

Finnick had deep regrets. He practically glued himself to the wall, holding a plastic cup of water he pretended was vodka. Patrick Reynolds' birthday party sucked, and that was the understatement of the year. He wasn't drinking out of kindness, but out of necessity. The smell of alcohol was repugnant, reminding him too much of the Capitol for him to genuinely enjoy the substance. No one seemed to notice him there, too absorbed in the music and dancing.

Where was Eleanor?

He straightened his posture up immediately, eyes nervously darting around the vast sea of sand everyone danced upon. No red dress, just pastels and blues, no giggling girl too intoxicated to stop smiling. He swallowed hard, taking a sip once more. What was even worse was that Annie wasn't even here, so they couldn't wallow as wallflowers while Eleanor shone. Finnick hated all of this, but at least he wasn't dragged around by pretentious Capitol women who gripped his arm tightly as though they'd lose him in the crowd.

He shivered at the thought.

"Hey, you done wallowing, fisherman?" Finnick turned quickly, coming face to face with Claudia Jacobs. She's dressed in a simple blue dress, decorated at the bottom with laced flowers. "Where's your lover girl?"

Finnick's eyebrows crossed as he studied the girl in front of her. "What?" He didn't mean to sound so blunt, but it must've still come out that way. "Wait- Nel isn't my lover girl."

Claudia let out a little laugh, covering her mouth. She's definitely a bit tipsy, undoubtably had a few drinks with the way she grins at Finnick with a dumb, idiotic smile. "You tell yourself that, pretty boy." Finnick involuntarily shivers at the nickname. "Come on, you gotta try your luck with Eleanor. Most the boys and even the girls are gagging for her, yet she seems uninterested. Though, she's always down for a good night, If you know what I mean."

Finnick shrugged, not fully understanding. He ignored her last statement entirely, dodging it like it was a forbidden plague. "I don't think she fancies a relationship, that's all."

Claudia frowned, huffing. "Better be careful and try your luck soon, heard the birthday boy's gonna try his moves on her." The slip in comment made Finnick's eyes widen. Patrick Reynolds, who Eleanor had notoriously punched years ago, trying moves on her? How ridiculous. Finnick doubted she would even be within pole length near him. Claudia let out yet another giggle at the look on Finnick's face. "Oh so now you're interested? Didn't take you as the jealous type."

"I'm not jealous, just confused." His words betrayed him as they grew lighter with each syllable. He coughed awkwardly, a hand moving behind his neck and scratching away at the skin. "Doesn't anyone remember when Nel punched Patrick?"

Claudia shrugged. "Last I checked, heard him say he's gonna show her she ain't wearing the pants. Whatever that means." Claudia nudged Finnick, her finger pointing to where she had spotted Eleanor. "Can't miss her, she's positively glowing."

And she was. Holding a red cup most definitely filled with alcohol, laughing along with Patrick and his friends. Her red dress was stain-free, something she was most definitely proud at. Finnick's heart sank when he saw Eleanor nudge Patrick with happiness, something so innocent about it simply made his insides burn. He couldn't hear what he said to her, but she rolled her eyes and stood on her tippy toes. She went to kiss his other cheek, but the boy moved his face and her lips wound up on his.

Practically everyone cheered, some of the boys, Patrick's friends, even hooting as Patrick's arms moved around Eleanor's waist.

Yet Eleanor didn't seem pleased. The moment she parted from his lips, she slapped the birthday boy hard on the face. Everyone seemed to be watching now, too interested in everything.

"What is wrong with you?" She spat, though she was clearly drunk. Her words were slurring together in an intoxicated rhyme, tripping through syllables as Eleanor spoke. She glared at him, looking down at her drink before throwing it in his face. Everyone seemed shocked, unable to take their eyes off the scene.

"Oh you liked it, don't lie." Patrick yelled back. He was slurring, words merging into each other. "Don't lie, you're practically begging for me to fuck you, aren't you Princess?"

Finnick watched with wide eyes as Eleanor shook her head back and forth rapidly, her hands shaking. He moved closer to the scene, no longer clinging to the wall for support. He submerged himself in the audience that had cocooned Eleanor and Patrick in, watching from the side lines.

"Don't touch me, asshole." Eleanor pulled her arm away from his grip, gritting her teeth. Some girls in the audience laughed, practically barricading Eleanor in. Eleanor took a sharp intake of air, biting her lip. "Please, let me through."

One of the girls, Finnick didn't recognise, snickered. She held her plastic cup tightly in her grip, exchanging a look with her friend. "Sure, Princess." And with that, she threw the drink at Eleanor, drenching her pretty red dress. As Eleanor had explained earlier, the fabric dampened, becoming more see-through. One of her arms quickly wrapped around her breasts, her eyes wide with tears.

Nearly everyone was laughing, especially as she staggered away with a loud sob. Patrick moved to follow her, but Finnick was quick to react. His arm immediately grabbed onto Patrick's, nails purposely digging in to his skin as he shoved him to the ground. The boy groaned, looking up with hatred in his eyes.

"Oh, how convenient, the Capitol Whore of District 4." Patrick spat. He didn't bother getting off the floor. He would've just ended up back there regardless. "Whores and sluts gotta stick together, I guess."

"Fuck you." Finnick spat, moving to quickly follow where Eleanor had stumbled off to.

It wasn't hard to find her, she was crying hard, her knees brought up to her chest. She was muttering about stupid Patrick, about how much she hates this, how she just wants things to go back to normal.

"Nel?"

"Finn?" Eleanor looked up sobbing, her bottom lip quivering. She didn't make an effort to get up, practically flopping onto him the moment he sat down besides her. "I'm so stupid, I ruined his birthday."

"Hey you-" He was cut off when Eleanor gagged, throwing up just by her feet. Immediately he reached forward and pulled her hair back, holding it as he rubbed soft circles carefully. She heaved out, letting out more cries. "You're fine, you're fine."

"No I'm broken!" Eleanor cried out. "I- I thought I'd be fine. That a party is a party but all I saw was his stupid face as he kissed me and I- I just-"

She panicked. Finnick didn't need her to finish what she was saying. He knew exactly what she meant. Patrick's face had morphed into Mitchell's and all Eleanor could remember was when he was touching her during the finale of the 67th Hunger Games.

"You aren't broken, Nel." Finnick whispered, pressing a tender kiss to her forehead. She looked back at him with tearful eyes. "You're hurt, that doesn't mean you're broken."

She let out a chuckle. "I can't even be kissed by a boy without freaking out," Eleanor shook her head back and forth, her eyes screwed shut for a moment. Finnick's eyes fell to the ground, fallen with guilt. If he hadn't told Snow no the second time he was asked, would things be different? Would Eleanor have been reaped?

He didn't dare theorise possibilities that were not possible. She had been reaped, she won, and this was the consequence.

Pain.

"I-I still remember that day, when Mitchell- when he-" Eleanor hiccuped and Finnick wondered if she was still drunk. Her words, however, sounded more clear, so he figured she was sobering up. "Sometimes, I think he haunts me. It's like I can--" she hiccuped once more. "- Feel his hands on me. His body pressed on me. I hate it so much, why did he hurt me?"

Finnick had no way of answering.

She let out another laugh. "I don't think I should've worn this dress," she gripped the hem of the dress, her nails digging into the palms of her hands. "I knew I'd make a fool out of myself and now I look stupid."

Without hesitation, Finnick unbuttoned his white shirt, shivering with every button he undid. With each button, more skin was revealed. Yet, he wanted to do this. It wasn't like the nights hidden behind the dull hues of the bedroom lights, here he was, under the soft glow of the moonlight and Eleanor's delicate ocean gaze. He peeled the fabric off his body, shivering, as his arms moved up and draped the shirt around Eleanor. With wide eyes, Eleanor looked at him with intensity, a storm brewing in her eyes as she stared. Intense sea blue met delicate sea green, melting into each other. Finnick's hands moved to grab onto her arms, threading them through the holes of the shirt carefully. Gently, his hands fumbeld with the buttons, moving up gradually. His hand ghosted her skin, an intense shiver running through Finnick's body when Eleanor looked down at him.

For a moment, he just stared at her. Without even thinking, his hand moved to cup her face, his thumb wiping away the excess vomit that fell down her chin. There was a moment where their eyes met and the universe practically disintegrated. Here they were, sat by the beach, the waves singing their melodies, alone and isolated from the reality of the night.

She looked away first, though so did he.

"We should go home." He whispered to her, looking down and not meeting her eyes. Her eyes watched him, trailing down his form for a moment before she finally replied.

"Okay."

soft finnanor moment !!! they own my soul icl. HE GAVE HER HIS SHIRT !!! HIS SHIRT

i adore them so much they're my roman empire oh my god

also i am so sorry for how delayed updates are. they will be not as often as i previously would update, mostly bc a large part of act two got deleted by accident, so i am rewriting and i have my a level exams coming up as well as a very important presentation i have to deliver.

however, whenever i have the time i am trying to write something. college is my priority bc ofc this is the year that determines if i get into the unis i wanna get into, however i will not be abandoning this fic. i have many ideas that will definitely be out by end of june. these include:

multiple percy jackson fics (rip im making them angsty as fuck. we die at dawn bitches)

a very exciting a good girl's guide to murder fanfic !!!

and (not that anyone is interested) but i am currently planning for an original story i will be writing (and dream of publishing).

i refuse to give up on my fic ideas because i love them and this book has such a special place in my heart. the world will know eleanor's story.

so happy reading my dudes and please have patience with me. the chapters will be delayed but i promise they'll be at the best of my ability and u all will be feasting on angst and finnanor and fluff

love you all <333

oh also if the drunkness (??) isn't accurate, that is bc i am a very responsible drinker and a very irresponsible human (i have not sorted my id out yet so even tho i am 18, i still haven't gone out)

oopsies

love u guys