InsaneJournal

Johanna woke up before Murphy on Sunday morning, in order wash and return the dress she wore last night to America. She wanted to get in good with the other girl because she was nice enough to her. Johanna was trying to be less rude to people, maybe it was the good mood she had been in as of late.

On her way back, she spotted Finnick a few decks down, laying on a towel and soaking up the sun. She leaned over the railing and considered yelling out for him-- but nah. She went back to her room, found her swimsuit, sunscreen, and a towel.

Johanna didn’t announce herself when she came up to Finnick, just laid out her towel and sat up on her elbows next to him. Eventually, she cleared her throat, “FINNICK!”

…

Finnick had lost some of his battle-developed instincts in the years since the end of the war, but he still wasn’t unaware of when someone was moving next to him. So, even though he was half asleep, comfortable and warm on his towel, he knew that someone was near him.

Despite that, he wasn’t necessarily expecting Johanna to scream in his face. But then, Johanna.

Without lifting his head, he raised one of his hands and flicked her a middle finger. Sometimes it was less fair than others that he had lost his ability to speak.

…

Johanna let out a cackle, balling up her knees and elbows close to her body. When she laughed, her whole body reacted. “No, thank you, though,” she managed to say through giggles. She had thought about it recently, that she missed his voice. But he probably would have flipped her off whether or not he had a tongue.

She popped open the bottle of sunscreen and started to rub it on her, “How long have you been out here? You don’t look crispy but I think you might be done. Don’t leave, though. I need you to get my back.” Johanna was ready for silence or for Finnick to sit up and help her. She knew some sign language, learning from a book she found in 13.

…

Finnick thought about the question for a moment and then raised two fingers for two hours. He could spend entire days out on the beach on Four, so he wasn’t entirely bothered by being out here for long stretches of time either.

Finnick did sit up at her request, also gesturing with one finger for her to turn so that he could have access to her back.

…

Johanna looked shocked for a moment. “Two hours?” She knew that’s what she meant, she just always repeated him so that his words would have a little bit of life in the world. “Did Annie tell you I got into the pool?” She sounded excited and scooted around in a half circle, holding the bottle of sunscreen behind her for him to grab.

“She was showing Murphy how to swim, and then he wanted to show me, and then I ended up in the pool.” It wasn’t public knowledge about her hydrophobia (at least it wasn’t until the night she spoke at the Veteran’s meeting), but all the Victors knew.

…

Finnick took the sunscreen from her as she handed it over. He did know that she had been in the pool -- there was very little that he and Annie didn’t share, but he was glad to hear the excitement in Johanna’s voice.

He moved his sunscreen-covered hands in front of her so that he could sign and she could see, So can you swim now? And if it so happened that he dripped bits of the lotion onto her legs before he brought them back to finish working on her back, so be it. He figured it was the closest he was going to get to conveying a playful tone.

…

Johanna craned her neck so he could see her smile wide. She got his tone. Her fingertips started to rub the drips of lotion onto her thighs and then leaned forward so Finnick could get all her back. “No, I can’t swim. But I can hang onto people. And not need to be sedated.”

Finnick was her first real friend after she had been in the Games. And just like she loved Annie, she loved Finnick. She just pushed them both away because she felt she would be a burden. Being in Tumbleweed and on this damned boat was helping her get close to them again. It was nice, she didn’t realize what she was missing.

…

Finnick made a quietly amused noise in the back of his throat when she said that she could hang onto people. It was an image that he somewhat enjoyed, if only because he would have guessed that Johanna would be more likely to try and scratch someone’s eyes out than try that.

He finished putting the lotion on her back, and once he was done, slid his hands forward again.

I volunteer as flotation device, he teased.

…

Johanna looked back at him with a fond little smile on her face. When he signed, she nodded, “Yeah, okay, you say that now. You’ll get sick of it eventually. Annie swam a little bit with me attached, then I had to stop. But… it was cute. You got a cute wifey, Finnick.”

She swept her legs under her and laid on her stomach, then squinted up at him. “Thanks for the sunscreen, Four.”

…

Finnick grinned at the compliment, although they both knew full well that Finnick didn’t need any reminders of how cute Annie was or how lucky he was to be married to her. He would never come close to loving anyone the way that he loved Annie Cresta, and he was grateful for every day that he woke up next to her because it had been nothing short of a miracle that he had survived the Quarter Quell and the mutt attack in the sewers.

He shot her a thumb’s up and then laid back in his own seat.

…

With her cheek pressed to the towel, she watched Finnick move. He was a work of art for sure, but she never felt an attraction to him. When they first met, she flirted back with them but for some reason it never clicked like that. They fit together differently.

“I’m going to keep talking to you, your peace and quiet from the kids is ruined now. So what’s new,” she said clicking her tongue. “Murphy’s new. Uh. Swimming, told you about that. Oh, Magda called me Jojo again. I’m starting to dig it.”

…

There was no arguing with that. The kids didn’t leave any room for peace and quiet, but Finnick wouldn’t have it any other way these days. Tristan and Magda had brought a joy into Finnick’s life that he didn’t think was entirely possible. He had always loved Annie with every fiber of his being, heart and soul. But the kids left room for him to try and be the best version of himself that he could -- and the best husband he could be to Annie. They had no preconceptions of him other than as their father.

So tell me more about Murphy, Finnick answered easily.

…

Johanna never wanted kids, especially before Panem was free. She understood Annie and Finnick’s want for it, but still never found herself wanting to me. Johanna lacked a lot of things a mother needed. Maybe Annie would tell her she’d develop those over time, but Johanna thought it was a fat chance.

She looked embarrassed for a second, a look Finnick probably had never seen on Johanna’s face. She sat up on her elbows. “He’s from a world like ours, kind of. Kids needed to survive for their lives. He has nice hair. He took me swimming and got me to take a shower without freaking out.” Finnick and the other Victors were really the only ones who knew about her hydrophobia. It wasn’t a secret in Thirteen about how she’d been tortured. Johanna told everyone-- her head doctor told her not to filter herself!

….

Johanna was embarrassed. Would wonders never cease. If he’d had a voice, he would have called her out on it -- not having one occasionally had its benefits, and he figured now was probably one. He wasn’t going to get hit or be cussed out.

He smiled faintly at the mention of his nice hair, and then couldn’t resist waggling his eyebrows when she mentioned that he had gotten her to take a shower.

Regardless of his levity, he was really happy for her, because he knew all too well how strong her fear of water had been when they came back from the Capitol.

…

Johanna laughed when his eyebrows moved about. She reached over and gently smacked at his arm, “Don’t you dare tease me, Finnick. I’ll pop you one.” She was still smiling when she said that, however. She had stupid grin plastered on her face for a little while.

She brought her hand back up to her body and held it close to her face. Her knuckle touched her lip. Johanna wanted to talk about him and Annie. How she envied them so much. Could anyone be loved like Annie was by Finnick? Was it possible? Instead, she just enjoyed the silence that Finnick brought and laid in the sun.