[Finnick's head is in Eren's lap as they lounge on his couch, scrolling through network posts, tying knots, generally doing nothing but coexisting in silence. Eren has been here more days than he hasn't. He doesn't seem to like living alone in that practically bare apartment in Wrath, and Finnick can't blame him. He also doesn't have much reason or desire to ask Eren to leave. Neither of them have jobs yet or much place to be. Finnick occasionally sees friends, goes swimming, or goes otherwise exploring the city on his own, but Eren doesn't seem to have any friends here, so he mostly hangs around the apartment. Considering Finnick had to be awfully persistent just to make the cut as his friend, and Eren doesn't have the sunniest disposition (understatement of the century), Finnick doesn't have to wonder why.
Still, they have a functional routine. Finnick cooks, Eren cleans, they train together. They drink sometimes, but neither of them feel a strong compulsion for it anymore, and when they do drink, most of the time they forget about the bottle halfway through because they're too busy kissing or cuddling or otherwise wrapped up in each other's company.
As Finnick reads through posts from people still trying to make sense of the amplitheater, he looks up at Eren.]
You going back in there when it changes over?
[Eren will know what he means. It's almost May, which means a new adventure will await them. He's dreading it.]
[It's odd to feel as though Eren has fallen into a comfortable routine. He doesn't particularly want to be comfortable. There's always that itch still crawling under every inch of his skin. He needs to get back. This place is temporary, but what else can he do other than--
[Well. Finnick speaks it before Eren can finish the thought.
[Eren looks down at his--
[His Finnick.]
Yes, I am. The Amplitheater is a key piece of how this world works, and its rules are changing. I need to remain aware. [Aside from that, what else is there to look forward to...? Eren was built for action.]
[Eren's expression tightens a bit. He doesn't love the idea of Finnick ending up back in the Amplitheater; more so the idea that he and Finnick might have to face off again. But he wouldn't preclude him from doing so. It's Finnick's decision as much as it is Eren's, and they're both fighters, survivors.
[Death may still be terrible, but it's impermanent here. Eren just doesn't want Finnick to suffer...]
Is that your only reasoning? [His tone doesn't betray much emotion one way or another. It's just a question. He runs a hand through Finnick's hair as he waits for the answer. It's so difficult for Eren to take his eyes off of him.]
[As inscrutable as Eren can be, Finnick is exceptional at reading people. He's learned the micro (extremely micro) expressions of Eren's face like the back of his hand even in this short time. He doesn't seem pleased, which is a little odd, since Eren himself just said he fully planned on going back in.
Finnick's eyes flick up to Eren's, then down. The question seems pointed, but he isn't sure what he's trying to get at.]
If you're going in, I want to protect you. And my friends. I'm just scared I'll forget you all again.
[He absently, nervously rubs at the end of his missing arm.]
[It's almost automatic. Eren sees Finnick tending to his arm in his peripheral vision, and before he can even glance that way, Eren's hand is running over it instead, warm and soothing. It's a comfort to Eren as much as is intended for Finnick, somehow.
[His gaze finds its way across the living room, eyes narrowing in focus.]
That's what unsettles me too...
I don't have to worry about physical danger. [His brows point down in a glare.] Toying with someone's mind...it's as good as stealing their freedom.
[His mouth twitches; it threatens a snarl, not a smile. Finnick's body is the only thing keeping his fists from clenching. The touch keeps him grounded.]
That's exactly why I'll have to go back in. Participants losing themselves in their roles is a new phenomenon. I can't allow it to continue.
[Eren's warm hand cups the end of his arm, and Finnick feels his anxiety soften slightly. Eren seems to have a tiny fixation with it; it's odd, but sweet. Finnick can't tell if he likes that it's missing, or wants to show care to part of him that was hurt and lost, or maybe feels some kind of subconscious guilt about cutting it off. In any case, it's cute, and Finnick likes being touched in most ways, so he doesn't question it aloud.]
Agreed.
[There's a certain bitterness and determination in Finnick's voice, too. He'd thought that Eren was still wanting to crack the code for the purpose of going home, which would be fine, but not something Finnick would feel motivated to help with. To crack the code and help others stay in control, though; that's something that does motivate him.]
There must be something that determines it. I should have asked around more. But me, you, and Hyth all seemed to remember each other at a critical point. Like a point of no return.
[Finnick gives his information, and all Eren can think is that, if Armin were here, he'd have it all figured out by now.
[It's good that he isn't here, but even so. Eren needs to try and think like him; unfortunately, he's only operating with his own brain.]
Sharing information with each other is important, but firsthand experience is the only thing we can truly rely on. Risk is the only option.
[Then, in a low voice - dark, terribly cold:]
You, myself, and Hythlodaeus were born free. Anyone who enters that Amplitheater was born free.
The strong do not forget their freedom. They do not abandon it. Whatever trap they set, we will break out. [Now, his hands are clenching, one curled into a fist at his side, the other lightly gripping what's left of Finnick's arm.]
[Eren gets intense, possibly more intense than Finnick has ever seen him. He furrows his brow a little, searching Eren's face and his words, trying to wrap his head around it the best he can.
He thinks he understands what Eren is trying to say. He reaches up, cupping Eren's cheek gently with his hand, tilting his chin ever-so-gently downward with his thumb to guide Eren toward looking in his eyes. Then Finnick moves his thumb to stroke his cheek.]
You're right, babe. We won't let them win. We'll always be able to come back to ourselves. Maybe the better we know each other, the easier it'll be to remember each other, too.
[He gives a tiny, slightly hopeful smile, trying to calm him a little.]
[Finnick's touch isn't immediately disarming, but the combination of his gaze and his voice - the word "babe", which Eren is quite sure he's never heard Finnick call him before - seems to calm Eren as intended, leaving him looking a bit stunned instead. His cheeks do indeed warm, and it probably shows.
[He's found himself acting automatically with Finnick. His hand comes up to lay over the one on his cheek without him quite noticing. The tension in his face relaxes. He nods.]
That's a fair thought. It's worth looking into. [So, what? He has to go out and be social in order to unlock the mysteries of this world? Great...
[He looks away a little sheepishly, which is weird for him.]
Can you keep the seaglass with you in there? It might help you remember... I wish I could make it into a necklace for you... I will once I get an arm later, I promise.
[He looks back up at Eren, and there's something a little desperate in his eyes.]
[Eren doesn't show any reluctance. Finnick looks nervous, but Eren isn't concerned. He nods without question. He's kept it on him all this time anyway. He wonders if Finnick knows that.]
It hasn't left my person. [He feels a bit sheepish at that himself, but it doesn't show.] I hadn't planned on leaving it behind.
[Maybe Finnick ought to have something too...Eren doesn't have much to give...]
You can take my rope. The one you gave me. Until I find something else. [After all, Eren's been the one tying it into knots. His touch is braided throughout those soft brown strands, already beginning to fray slightly from use. What better thing to remember him by?]
[Finnick nods, smiling with the reassurance. He hadn't doubted Eren keeping it on him, but just hopes it will be enough. If he forgets Finnick, would he even find it in his pocket? If he found it and didn't remember, would he throw it away? Would he otherwise lose it in something equivalent to being tossed in the scrap, or changing clothes without realizing it was in there? Finnick can't help but worry, but he's not worried about the glass itself, he's worried about Eren.]
Just... A necklace would make it easier to see and harder to lose, if you forgot it existed.
[His limits once again frustrate him.]
Mm, but what if you want to tie? We can trade ropes...?
[Finnick suggest trading ropes, and Eren feels that deeply buried impulse to smile again. He'll just take all of Finnick with him, bit by bit, huh? His-- His Finnick is worried. It's endearing. Most young soldiers dream about someone waiting anxiously for them to return, thrilled to pieces once they do.]
We can trade.
If you'd rather it be on a necklace, teach me how to make one.
[Finnick is so natural with Eren - at least, he seems that way. He rolls into Eren's stomach like they've known each other for years, not months (or less). Eren runs a hand through Finnick's hair, feeling fond and marginally less dead for however long the fleeting moment lasts.]
It's just the sort of joke someone else I know would make...[He sounds exasperated; Eren is never quite "playful", but there's something lighthearted about the tone, at least.]
[As he asks it, his hand slips under the hem of Eren's shirt, rubbing against his bare stomach near his belly button. It's nothing seductive; he moves almost automatically, almost like fidgeting, but with shows of affection rather than knots being tied.]
You-- little-- shit-- [Words are sputtered between quick breathes, Eren trying desperately not to let even one laugh slip out. It's difficult. He feels lighthearted enough around Finnick anyway, and now he's having one of the most sensitive parts of his body attacked with malevolent fingers.
[He laughs. Just once. He doesn't mean to. It's a small sound - quick, nothing more than a breath, really.
[He swoops down to pull Finnick into an amicable (loose) headlock, breathing heavy from the onslaught. Assuming it works - God, he's fighting off another laugh (where the hell is that coming from?) - he'll (try to) grumble in Finnick's ear.]
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> action
Still, they have a functional routine. Finnick cooks, Eren cleans, they train together. They drink sometimes, but neither of them feel a strong compulsion for it anymore, and when they do drink, most of the time they forget about the bottle halfway through because they're too busy kissing or cuddling or otherwise wrapped up in each other's company.
As Finnick reads through posts from people still trying to make sense of the amplitheater, he looks up at Eren.]
You going back in there when it changes over?
[Eren will know what he means. It's almost May, which means a new adventure will await them. He's dreading it.]
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[Well. Finnick speaks it before Eren can finish the thought.
[Eren looks down at his--
[His Finnick.]
Yes, I am. The Amplitheater is a key piece of how this world works, and its rules are changing. I need to remain aware. [Aside from that, what else is there to look forward to...? Eren was built for action.]
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[He nods, trying not to sound as unhappy as he is.
[He feels a little sick, a minute version of the way he would feel if someone he loved back home was going to end up in the arena.
[If he was going to end up back in the arena.
[And he is.]
I think I need to go back, too. I need to start saving credits for some kind of prosthetic.
[He can't live without knots, without fishing, without cutting his own fucking bread. Trying to is so depressing.]
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[Death may still be terrible, but it's impermanent here. Eren just doesn't want Finnick to suffer...]
Is that your only reasoning? [His tone doesn't betray much emotion one way or another. It's just a question. He runs a hand through Finnick's hair as he waits for the answer. It's so difficult for Eren to take his eyes off of him.]
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Finnick's eyes flick up to Eren's, then down. The question seems pointed, but he isn't sure what he's trying to get at.]
If you're going in, I want to protect you. And my friends. I'm just scared I'll forget you all again.
[He absently, nervously rubs at the end of his missing arm.]
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[His gaze finds its way across the living room, eyes narrowing in focus.]
That's what unsettles me too...
I don't have to worry about physical danger. [His brows point down in a glare.] Toying with someone's mind...it's as good as stealing their freedom.
[His mouth twitches; it threatens a snarl, not a smile. Finnick's body is the only thing keeping his fists from clenching. The touch keeps him grounded.]
That's exactly why I'll have to go back in. Participants losing themselves in their roles is a new phenomenon. I can't allow it to continue.
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Agreed.
[There's a certain bitterness and determination in Finnick's voice, too. He'd thought that Eren was still wanting to crack the code for the purpose of going home, which would be fine, but not something Finnick would feel motivated to help with. To crack the code and help others stay in control, though; that's something that does motivate him.]
There must be something that determines it. I should have asked around more. But me, you, and Hyth all seemed to remember each other at a critical point. Like a point of no return.
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[It's good that he isn't here, but even so. Eren needs to try and think like him; unfortunately, he's only operating with his own brain.]
Sharing information with each other is important, but firsthand experience is the only thing we can truly rely on. Risk is the only option.
[Then, in a low voice - dark, terribly cold:]
You, myself, and Hythlodaeus were born free. Anyone who enters that Amplitheater was born free.
The strong do not forget their freedom. They do not abandon it. Whatever trap they set, we will break out. [Now, his hands are clenching, one curled into a fist at his side, the other lightly gripping what's left of Finnick's arm.]
We cannot be conquered. Not forever.
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He thinks he understands what Eren is trying to say. He reaches up, cupping Eren's cheek gently with his hand, tilting his chin ever-so-gently downward with his thumb to guide Eren toward looking in his eyes. Then Finnick moves his thumb to stroke his cheek.]
You're right, babe. We won't let them win. We'll always be able to come back to ourselves. Maybe the better we know each other, the easier it'll be to remember each other, too.
[He gives a tiny, slightly hopeful smile, trying to calm him a little.]
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[He's found himself acting automatically with Finnick. His hand comes up to lay over the one on his cheek without him quite noticing. The tension in his face relaxes. He nods.]
That's a fair thought. It's worth looking into. [So, what? He has to go out and be social in order to unlock the mysteries of this world? Great...
[But Finnick is probably right.]
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Can I ask, uh...
[He looks away a little sheepishly, which is weird for him.]
Can you keep the seaglass with you in there? It might help you remember... I wish I could make it into a necklace for you... I will once I get an arm later, I promise.
[He looks back up at Eren, and there's something a little desperate in his eyes.]
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It hasn't left my person. [He feels a bit sheepish at that himself, but it doesn't show.] I hadn't planned on leaving it behind.
[Maybe Finnick ought to have something too...Eren doesn't have much to give...]
You can take my rope. The one you gave me. Until I find something else. [After all, Eren's been the one tying it into knots. His touch is braided throughout those soft brown strands, already beginning to fray slightly from use. What better thing to remember him by?]
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Just... A necklace would make it easier to see and harder to lose, if you forgot it existed.
[His limits once again frustrate him.]
Mm, but what if you want to tie? We can trade ropes...?
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We can trade.
If you'd rather it be on a necklace, teach me how to make one.
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Mmm, sounds hard to teach... But you know a lot of knots now, so we can try it.
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I've learned to do a lot of hard things.
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He laughs softly.]
... That's what she said.
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What who--
2/2
[Lowkey? Nice one. But he can't say that.]
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Sorry. I'm an idiot.
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[As he asks it, his hand slips under the hem of Eren's shirt, rubbing against his bare stomach near his belly button. It's nothing seductive; he moves almost automatically, almost like fidgeting, but with shows of affection rather than knots being tied.]
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[Eren jumps, a little sound escaping him.]
Hey. [That tickles--
[He grabs Finnick's hand, looking at him incredulously.] Cut that out.
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His hand moves lightning fast, breaking his wrist out of Eren's grip, then tickling his stomach in earnest.]
lmk if this needs changed
[He laughs. Just once. He doesn't mean to. It's a small sound - quick, nothing more than a breath, really.
[He swoops down to pull Finnick into an amicable (loose) headlock, breathing heavy from the onslaught. Assuming it works - God, he's fighting off another laugh (where the hell is that coming from?) - he'll (try to) grumble in Finnick's ear.]
You're treading dangerous waters.
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just lmk if u do/don't wanna get Spicy