Talking Who: Finn and Avery When: Afternoon Where: Central Park
With the rain having stopped, and the skies clearing up, Avery decided to take advantage of the nicer weather and maybe dress up a little. But only a little. She didn't want to look like she was trying too hard or whatever. She didn't have a whole lot of girly clothes, really, but she did have a dark blue sundress that barely skimmed her knees. She decided to wear it with a white cardigan, and she tied her hair up into a simple ponytail. She wasn't going to be like Darcy and primp in front of the mirror, but at least she wasn't in jeans and a boring t-shirt this time.
When it was time to meet Finn, Avery walked to the park, drawn in by the crowds, the food and booths set up everywhere. For an impromptu gathering, people were certainly on the ball, it seemed. She realized that they hadn't set a specific meeting place when texting earlier, so Avery began to wander through the park, glancing around for any sign of Finn.
Finn had found a central location to wait. He really hasn't planned on dressing nicer, but he'd found a button down in a pale blue in his closet and gone with that. The sleeves were too short, but rolling them up did he trick and while it wasn't his normal look, it worked for him. His eyes were scanning the crowd, watching for Avery, diligent as ever.
Avery had paused in the middle of two booths, chewing on her lip as she turned around and scanned the faces, some familiar, some not so much. She was about to pull out her phone and text him when she spotted the blue shirt, and then saw who was wearing it. Slipping her phone back into her bag, Avery smiled and headed toward him, lifting a hand to wave when she was close enough that he could see her.
Finn had spotted her before she saw him but waited for her to notice him. When she did, he couldn't help but smile, waving in return. It was a good feeling, seeing her, though Finn wasn't really sure what that meant.
She liked it when he smiled, like he was actually happy to see her. "Hi," Avery greeted, coming to a stop only a few feet from him. "I wasn't sure where you would be. You weren't waiting long, were you?"
"Yes, I opted for somewhere central and easy to find," Finn said with a nod. "Not long at all. You look nice." That was the right thing say, but it was accurate. The dress was pretty on her and a nice change.
Somewhere central and easy to find. That seemed logical enough, although Avery hadn't thought about it beyond just wandering through the crowd until she found him. Glancing down at her sundress when he said she looked nice, Avery blushed in a pleased sort of way. "Thanks. So do you. And hey, look! It's not raining." She had to resist tugging at her dress, simply because she wasn't used to wearing one. "How's Eli doing?"
"Thank you," Finn said with a nod and a smile. "It isn't. Off to a preferred start already yes?" At her question he found himself nodding again. "Well enough."
"Good." Avery was glad to hear that, at least. She had to figure if Eli wasn't doing well, Finn wouldn't be out with her. Avery glanced over her shoulder at the booths set up. "Do you want to walk around and see what they have? They've got food and stuff too."
Finn nodded, waving for her to lead the way. He was fine with just following her around and taking in the sights.
Avery was relieved not to feel overly nervous about this. She supposed having been on his lap at one point might have made her feel a little more comfortable with Finn. There were a dozen questions she wished she could ask him about his life before the dome, but she knew he had trouble remembering, and Avery didn't want to make him feel uneasy or antsy. "You look nice," Avery said, falling into step beside him. "I like that shirt on you."
Once she was close, Finn found himself reaching for her hand. He wasn't sure why, it just happened and it seemed like the right thing to do. "Yeah? Thank you. It doesn't quite for but I don't think you can tell. I wasn't sure though."
When his hand touched hers, Avery looked down and watched as she slid her fingers through his. It made her feel warm inside, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she smiled. It felt like something a boyfriend would do, although Finn wasn't technically her boyfriend. It was still nice though. Something she hadn't really experienced before. "No, you can't tell. Some guys wear clothes that are more, uh, form fitting? It looks good on you, though. I think this might be the only dress I really own," she explained, glancing down at herself. "I've only worn it once, maybe? I can't even remember. Darcy is usually the one who wears all those pretty clothes."
"At least you can't tell. I'm not entirely adept at this sort of thing." Finn smoothed his free hand over the front of his shirt trying to ignore the voice in the back of his head that was telling him he was good at this sort of thing. He had been. That couldn't be true. He was a warrior. Warriors didn't have time for courting, especially not in this manner. "The dress suits you. Maybe you need another one," he told her, smiling at her blush.
"I think you're better at it than you think," Avery said, squeezing his hand gently. If anyone was inept at this dating thing, it was her. She had never even attempted this before. It made her wonder, though, what would have happened if she had bid on Eli instead, like she initially planned. Not that she regretted bidding on Finn. Avery was thinking maybe it all worked out the way it was supposed to. Smiling at Finn, Avery shrugged softly. "Maybe I'll buy another, then. If you like them. I used to always feel awkward in dresses, growing up."
"Am I?" Finn asked, liking the way she squeezed his hand. It was a nice feeling, contact with someone that wasn't one of his crew. Maybe this was what Audrey meant. He'd have to ask her about it. "It's very pretty. Why wouldn't you feel at ease?"
"Yeah, you are." Avery assured him. He had been there on time, looked nice and was holding her hand. Plus, he made her feel good about silly things, like her dress. Avery didn't have to worry about animal attacks and curfews when Finn was pleasantly distracting her. She smoothed down part of the sundress with her free hand. "I'm not sure why. I guess it's easier to hide under layers of clothes. I know that doesn't make any sense. Jeans have always been more comfortable for me. But if you like dresses, I might change my mind."
"Why would you hide?" Finn asked, surprised to hear that. "I like you in a dress. I don't know much about dresses in general. It's just a nice change."
Avery laughed, though her skin felt a little hot. "I don't know. It's maybe, an insecurity thing? Like maybe I look silly, or I'm not pretty enough to pull something like this off." Darcy could. Darcy looked pretty in everything. Avery had always been jealous of her cousin because of that. She released an embarrassed noise and shook her head. "It's totally stupid."
"It is," Finn agreed. "Because you are pretty. And you look lovely." The confidence and bravado he had made no real sense to him, but it seemed natural and his broken mind was taking that over flailing.
"Thanks." It was nice of him to say, but Avery felt a bit embarrassed anyway. She didn't want him thinking she was fishing for compliments. Avery spared a glance at him and grinned as she gently nudged him with her hip. "What's your favorite color?" That was a topic changer, and an easy question that she was sure he would remember the answer to.
"Green," Finn said but he didn't sound sure about it. The Ranger likes green for sure, but something was eating at him that he liked something else. It wasn't much, just a nagging feeling that left him unsure of his answer.
Recognizing the uncertainty in his voice, Avery waited a beat before asking, "You don't sound too sure about that."
Finn shook his head. "I am. Just feels...off," he said. He frowned for a moment then shook it away. "Green. It's green."
"It feels off picking green as your favorite color?" Avery tightened her hold on his hand while leading him away from the center of the crowd near a tree. Then she stopped and stepped in front of him, her hand still in his as Avery studied his face. "Think about it a little more. Why green?"
Finn let her guide him away from things, rubbing at his head and not sure what to do with himself in that moment. "Green's a natural color. It's a Ranger's color," he said. "I just...there's something that keeps tugging at that."
A ranger's color. Did Finn see himself as a ranger? Avery kept her eyes on his face. "Like what? Maybe the thought that you might like another color better? A ranger's color might be green, but... what about your color?"
He sighed a little, shaking his head. "I keep thinking of blue, but that's not right. It doesn't feel right. Not anymore right than the green. Less right than green." Finn shook his head. "It's nothing."
"You're wearing blue," Avery pointed out, reaching up to tug gently at the hem of his shirt. "It's a good color for you. Maybe you liked blue the best, before you started to forget things."
He didn't want to think about the things he'd forgotten, not when she was tugging on his shirt. Instead, he reached for her, fingers slipping along her jaw to guide her closer. "Maybe."
The touch was nice, although Avery knew it was an easy way to distract the both of them from the topic at hand. Avery smiled softly, but stepped in closer to where he stood. "Are you going to ask my favorite color?"
Her in closer made sense, more sense. "I was actually thinking about guessing it," he said with a small smile. "I was thinking it was blue."
"What makes you guess blue?" Avery asked, brushing her thumb over his knuckle. It was nice to have him talking, although she didn't want him to forget that green was possibly not his favorite color. Maybe he needed to remember the small things first, before everything else.
"The dress," Finn said, nodding down, but watching her thumb run over his hand instead. What he was thinking of was kissing her again, not colors or what was whose favorite.
She nodded once, watching Finn as he watched their joined hands. "I like blue. Red is probably a close second..." Colors didn't seem so important anymore, although she thought maybe it was a good start to try and get Finn to think about those things.
"So I was right," Finn concluded before leaning down closer to her. "I'm not thinking about colors anymore," he told her mouth not far from hers, voice low.
Her pulse picked up and Avery smiled softly. "What are you thinking about!" she whispered, well aware of the answer. This was a nice distraction from everything else in her life, especially the people, and Avery wished she could just drag Finn somewhere private and stay there for a long while.
Instead of answering Finn closed the distance between them and kissed her. Kissing was much easier than dealing with his warring thoughts. And it was fun.
Kissing was easier than talking, surprisingly. And it was fun. Especially since it was Finn, and Avery wasn't sure she would get used to the idea that he wanted to kiss her. She certainly wasn't going to complain. Aveyr had been wanting to do this again since the last time she saw Finn.
If this was how things were going, Finn could get behind it. It was definitely fun and it made sense even if he didn't know Avery all that well. His hands slipped into her hair as he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer not at all caring that they were in public.
Avery wasn't terribly worried about being out in the open, because she was fairly certain that Lochlan wouldn't be at the gathering, and she knew Patrick wouldn't likely be either. If Darcy was around somewhere, well... who cared? Avery was done trying to talk to her cousin. But none of that was important right now, and Avery's family wasn't exactly at the forefront of her mind. Finn's lips were soft and Avery kept her fingers wrapped around the material of his shirt to keep him close. She knew they didn't know one another very well, but Avery was hoping maybe that would change. She just didn't see the need to put off doing something like this because of it.
Finn drew the kiss out until he had to breathe, only pulling away a fraction. "That's what I was thinking about. I've been thinking about it too much."
"Me too," Avery murmured, already feeling flushed from that particular kiss alone. Her lips curved into a small smile. "I've been thinking about you more, though. Is that weird?"
"Depends on what you've been thinking about," Finn said, watching her eyes.
Avery's smile came easier, and she glanced down at her hand in his shirt before lifting her gaze back to his. "Just this. Spending time with you. Wanting to spend more time with you. If that would be okay. I still don't know a lot about you."
"I think that would be nice," Finn confirmed with a nod. More time was something he could do. It wasn't all that much of a struggle to be with Avery. "I don't know much of you either."
"I'm pretty easy to get to know," Avery said, shrugging softly. "You already know my family owns the bar in the dome, and that my favorite color is blue. You know I'm ticklish," she added with a grin, "and that I like kissing you."
"That's quite a bit," Finn pointed out. "You know I live with my crew, that I work at the lumberyard and like green. And definitely like kissing you." He finished off the sentiment with another kiss, something drawn out and hinting at more.
Avery nearly pointed out that he might like blue too, he just couldn't remember. But she refrained, not wanting to confuse him all over again. Plus, Finn was kissing her again, so it was hard to say anything in response when his lips were on hers. Smiling against his mouth, Avery released his shirt and lifted her hand to gently slide her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. When she pulled back, her lips were tingly again and she had to remind herself that they were in the park still. Where they had been the first time this happened. "What's your crew like, anyway? I've never really had long conversations with any of them."
"They're good people," Finn said, smile on his features. "We've got a cleric, a warrior, and Audrey is our bard. She had a pretty voice. It's nice to hear her really singing again." He loved his friends, more than his own breath. He'd do anything for them.
Raising a brow, Avery found it interesting, how Finn described them. "A warrior, cleric and a bard? How would you describe them without the labels, exactly?"
Finn visible struggled with the question. How else was he supposed to describe them? "By their names?" Was that right?
"Well, I mean..." It confused her that he would flounder at a question she found to be simple enough. Avery smiled faintly before shaking her head. "I know their names. Liam, Eli and Audrey. You said Audrey likes to sing. What about Liam and Eli? Is Eli quiet? Does Liam tell a lot of jokes? That sort of thing."
Right, that made sense. Finn could do that. "Liam is quiet. He always has been. Eli is...angry. Or he can be. He has a ro...Corey. He's bringing her in I think." Which Finn was still on the fence about even if he did like the rogue.
"Eli is angry?" That was an odd way of describing Eli, but Avery couldn't really say much about it, since she had asked him to do just that. "What do you mean by bringing her in?" She knew Corey. Well, knew her a little. They had talked a bit at the clothing store, anyway. Corey and Eli were meant to go fishing, and Avery wondered if it had happened yet.
"He can be. He has a temper." Finn shrugged. "Making her part of our group I imagine. She's not...I'm getting to know her." Since he was their leader, though he had a feeling Eli wouldn't appreciate that.
It was an odd thing to Avery, being 'brought in' to a group of friends. She had always imagined when people started dating, or whatever, they just met one another's friends and that was that. She frowned a touch at the knowledge that Eli had a temper, but... well, didn't most people? Avery doubted Finn meant Eli was violent. "She's nice," Avery said after a moment. "I talked to her before. I liked her."
Finn nodded. "I appreciate her honesty." Which was something he'd found he liked about Corey. And her take on things. To ever be ready. "She's a good fit, just new. Often the new ones leave."
"Friends, you mean?" Avery felt like she was keeping up all right. Finn just had a different way of talking about things, and that was okay. She figured she would get used to it.
Finn shook his head. "No, new people. They would join our crew and stick around for a little while, but not long. Eventually they left."
"Well, I guess people come and go," she murmured. "But if Eli likes her enough, maybe she'll be one who stays?" Avery didn't know if Finn had some sort of hesitation about his friends dating other people, bring around girlfriends, or a boyfriend, or whatever the case may be. She knew he had been a little reluctant to bring to her where he lived, and Avery thought maybe his views on Corey had something to do with it.
"Perhaps," Finn said with a nod, though he wasn't exactly thinking of Corey as Eli's girlfriend. He knew how his friend felt about her, but it wasn't lining up in his mind. She would just be one of them.
Avery played with the strands of his hair again, brushing them between her thumb and forefingers absently. "So... Liam is quiet. Eli is... angry, I guess. Audrey likes to sing. And what about you then? Besides leading, like you told me before. If someone asked one of your friends to describe you, what do you think they would say?"
Finn shrugged. "I'm Finn. The Ranger." That was all he was really. He took care of them protected them. Who he was beyond it was locked away in the back of his mind.
The ranger. Whose favorite color was green. Or maybe green. Avery studied his eyes, keeping him close. "You're more than that, you know. More than a ranger. You're Finn, a boy who cares about his friends. Who looks cute in blue, and has a really nice smile." All of that was true, and she wondered if he ever thought about things like that. Simple, day to day, normal things. Like Audrey singing. That was probably the only real detail she had gotten about his friends, in all honesty.
He didn't think about things like that, not much at all. "Thank you," he started with, recognizing the compliment and reacting as would be appropriate. It was strange, existing outside of his character. "You look cute in blue too."
The returning compliment was nice, though unnecessary. Avery licked her lips and then offered him a small smile. "Thanks. I just... I don't know you as a ranger, okay? I know you as Finn, and I like you as Finn."
"I'm not much of a Ranger here," he admitted. "I'm glad you like just Finn."
She shrugged one shoulder, wondering if he liked her too, or maybe he was just having some fun by kissing her. Which was okay, considering how little they knew of one another. Avery had plenty of fun kissing him too. "Maybe there's not a lot of reasons to be a ranger here. There's plenty of reason to just be yourself, though."
"There are very few. But the night Eli got hurt, I should have done more." He shook his head feeling disappointed in himself, about that. "I'm still learning who I am."
"You killed that animal and maybe saved his life," Avery pointed out. "There's not much more you can do when it comes to something like that. And I think it's okay that you're still learning who you are. That's part of life."
"I suppose it is." He wasn't sure his issues were general, but maybe they were. "You know, I like you too. You don't have to be so nice." And patient. Most weren't so patient with him.
That drew a slightly surprised look from Avery and she floundered for a moment while trying to figure out what to say. Finally she lifted both blonde brows curiously. "Do you think I'm being nice for some other reason than I want to be?"
Finn tilted his head as he thought about it. "No. I don't think you are. But you are nice. And it's nice to be around you."
"It's nice being around you too. Other than with my brother, I don't feel that way a lot at home, around people I actually know." Which was what it was, and Avery couldn't exactly change it. She grinned and poked him gently. "I can be mean if you want," she teased.
"Why don't you?" Finn asked about her home, grinning as she poked him. "I don't think you can."
"I can," Avery said, wishing that weren't true, but it was. It wasn't something she was always proud of. She lowered her hand. "I live with Darcy, my cousin. We don't get along. My other cousins... I don't know. My brother is really the only one who seems to really want to spend any time with me. Kinda pathetic, huh?"
"Why don't you and Darcy get along?" Finn asked, reaching for her hand when she dropped it. "No. The only people that want to be around me are my crew and even then...sometimes I'm not so sure."
Avery thought about his question for a moment before sliding her fingers through his. "We're too different, I guess. She knows how to get under my skin, and I get under hers. We can't seem to help ourselves. Sometimes I think it would be nice to stop being such bitches to each other but I don't think it'll happen. Why do you think your friends don't want to be around you?"
Finn nodded. That was a girl thing he thought. "Why wouldn't it happen? Do you think she'd be mean to Liam?" He thought about his friends for a moment then shrugged. "I'm not as useful as I was."
Releasing a short laugh, Avery shook her head. "No, I don't think she would be mean to Liam. She likes him a lot. Me? Not so much. It's not a big deal. Just one of those things. She hates most of our family, to be honest." Which Avery still didn't understand, and she didn't think she ever would. Sliding her thumb over his knuckle, Avery tried to let the subject of her family go, not wanting to dwell too much on it. "What exactly do you mean? How do the others pull their weight?"
Just so long as Darcy wouldn't be bad to his friend, Finn get around that. "They fit in better here. I don't. I don't really have a place." He pulled her hand that was intwined with his, kissing the inside of her wrist.
Her skin was warm where his lips touched, and Avery was temporarily distracted from the topic at hand. But she focused quickly and studied his face again. "Do you not like being here?"
"I don't fit in here," Finn said. "I am...struggling to find my footing." He didn't fit as well as he had out there in the thick of things. Here, he was fighting between himself and something else.
She felt bad for him and wished she could say something that would make him feel better. But Avery didn't want to just throw out words that might not mean anything at all to him in a weak attempt to cheer him up. Instead, she thought it might be better just to let him talk, if that's what Finn needed, or wanted, to do. "Why don't you fit in? Are you still trying to get used to living in Delphi?"
Finn shook his head. "I'm still sorting out my purpose." Without the horrors he and his friends had face daily, Finn's persona that protected him wasn't needed. The result was a personality that felt out of place and an ever encroaching reality that wasn't pretty.
"I think maybe there are other people here who feel that way too," Avery said after a moment. "But that doesn't mean you don't fit in. You've got a job that helps people, and you have your friends who you seem to care a lot about, and I'm sure they care about you too. For some people, there's not much else they really need."
Finn shook his head. "I have a job. It feels pointless." He looked at their hands and shook his hand. "I need a purpose." And without it, the ranger wasn't as necessary and the scared boy underneath would likely surface.
"But it's not pointless," Avery said. "You do something not a lot of people here could probably do, and I'm sure they're all thankful for it when they need to wood to heat up their homes..." Not that anyone had to do it all that often, but still. Given how cold it had gotten a few nights beforehand, Avery had been more than happy to have enough wood to make a fire at home. "And I bet you'll find your purpose soon. Something that will make you happy and focused."
She didn't quite understand, but Finn wasn't sure he could explain it better. Instead he just nodded, accepting what she said with a smile. "I guess it does help." He squeezed her hand, leaning in again. "You make me happy."
Avery didn't fully know the extent of Finn's problem, so it was difficult to understand what he really meant. She simply assumed he was still getting used to life inside the dome, that maybe he needed something more to focus on than just chopping wood and his friends. Avery returned his squeeze with one of her own, and lifted a brow curiously before her lips curved into a small smile. "I do?"
He found himself nodding. Maybe not as truly happy as he could be, but Avery was a welcome distraction. "I enjoy being around you." It was a different focus from his life and less pressure. It was easier.
"I like being around you too," Avery admitted. She wasn't entirely sure of her feelings for him yet, but she knew she liked talking to him, and he was a good kisser, and Avery supposed she would learn more about him if they continued to spend time together. "I'm glad I bid on you at the auction. Even though our first date didn't go so well... I sort of thought you wouldn't want to try it again."
"I'm glad you did too," Finn said. He glanced at her, smiling. "I didn't think you wanted to try again. You didn't seem to enjoy yourself."
"It wasn't that I didn't enjoy myself," Avery countered, "I mean...it wasn't really that. I just didn't know you very well. Plus, we were both soaked, and then the movie went out, and... I guess it just felt awkward for me. I had never been on that kind of date before, and it felt even weirder that I had more or less bought you. Did you enjoy yourself?"
"I was anxious," Finn told her. "I'm not used to that sort of thing either. But I had hoped it could have gone better, which was why I was glad we tried again." And Audrey had given him that gentle push to try again.
"Me too." Avery tightened her hand around his and turned to tug him along so they could start walking again. "I almost chickened out, asking you out again. But my cousin convinced me I should. Darcy, I mean." It was kind of embarrassing to admit, really. But maybe Darcy was right. For once. She glanced at Finn. "Do you want to stick around here? Maybe we could go to the pub and have a drink or something."
"So Darcy's not all that bad?" Finn concluded, walking with her as she started them moving. "Which would you rather do?" He was fine with whatever she might be fine with even if drinking wasn't something he was sure he knew much about.
"No, she is," Avery said with a laugh. "Sometimes she's not, but mostly she's just a jerk." Avery might have used the word 'bitch', but she didn't want to in front of Finn, since Darcy was chasing a friend of his. "I don't think my brother is there, so why don't we go get a drink? Then I can show you where I live, since it's nearby."
Finn nodded, taking in that information. He'd have to talk to Liam about that, just to make sure Darcy wasn't a jerk with him. "Definitely. I'd like to see your place, or more than the porch." He changed their direction, headed towards the pub since he knew where that was.
"Hey the porch is pretty fantastic," Avery teased as they started toward the pub. If she saw Lochlan inside, she would just turn around quickly and leave. She didn't need him hovering. Hopefully he was home resting and she could visit him a little later. "Do you have your own room at home? Or do you share with one of your friends?" She didn't know how large his house was, but if he lived with his crew, so to speak, she had to imagine it had to be a little bit bigger than what she shared with Darcy.
"I do, we each have our own spaces," Finn said, though that had taken adjusting too. They had been too used to being close to together and even now Finn was never surprised to find Liam sleeping in his room.
"That's nice. I would think it'd get hard to have any privacy living with three other people. I only live with Darcy and sometimes I think that's too much." And lately, Avery had been considering more and more finding somewhere else to live, even if it was by herself.
"It's not easy, but we don't mind it. We're used to one another." For three people who weren't related, they were as close as they could be, despite their differences. It was a large part as to why it hurt Finn so much to no longer feels as close to them as he had in the past. "Too much?"
Avery wondered what it would be like to be that close with someone, or multiple someones. She had friends, sure, but none she really talked to. Avery brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek and glanced at Finn. "Yeah, too much. Like, we're too close... in proximity. She doesn't like being around me, and I'm pretty much to the point where I feel the same way. I don't even know why I'm living with her, other than it's just how they placed us when we got here. I might like living on my own more."
"Would you move?" Finn said, frowning. He couldn't see himself moving out of the house he lived in. Not away from his friends. Not even if he was close by. He didn't want them to move either.
"Yeah, probably. I could always see if my brother would move in with me." But that was doubtful. Lochlan seemed to enjoy not being tied down. "Or I could just ignore Darcy altogether and stay in my room whenever I'm home."
"Neither of those sounds like a good option," Finn said making a face. That didn't seem right at all actually. Maybe he wasn't understanding something.
"There's really no other options," Avery pointed out. "I kind of tried to talk to Darcy about trying to be friends and she said no. And it's like we can't be around each other long without bickering." Living with Lochlan would be fun but there was no way she could bring boys home if he was there.
Finn listened to her and found himself nodding. "I suppose, if you can't seem to manage any other way it might be best to have some space. Is there anything I can do to help?"
That much was true. If she and Darcy kept bitching at one another, Avery was sure they would end up pulling each other's hair, or incredibly stupid like that. She smiled softly at Finn. "No, it's fine. It's just a thought I'm having. Thanks, though."
"If you come up with something, let me know what it is. I will do my best to serve." Finn hoped she came up with something. That was the one thing he got by on, helping others. It was a sad state for a Ranger, but it was better than nothing.
"To serve," Avery repeated with a twitch of her lips. "That sounds so formal. You don't have to serve me at all. I like talking to you... that's really all I need from you. And maybe if you want to kiss me some more later, that would be nice too." She nudged him gently and then reached for his hand again.
Finn took her hand shrugging his shoulders. "Just talking would be serving," he told her, then leaned in closer to steal a small kiss. "Kissing later just sounds enjoyable."
"Well, then you serve me well," Avery told him, laughing a bit. She returned his kiss, feeling better about the day already. Maybe she didn't need to be terribly close to her family to be happy.