semi-silly, semi-sad; semi-sotr canon compliant, semi-not, idea in my brain:
context: I’m choosing to interpret lenore dove’s spirit or whatever as a manifestation of haymitch’s fear of intimacy, in the sense that he doesn’t think anyone could love him for who he is now, he doesn’t fully love who he is now, and also because he fears what could be done to people who get close to him. when he’s finally able to accept himself, and that people love him for who he is (the good man underneath the snarky facade) her voice disappears. it’s not fully canon accurate, no, but it’s the only way I’m able to commiserate with the epilogue.
anyway, here’s my idea proper: asterid and haymitch, post-main trilogy canon, are about to hook up and he has to tell her to slow down, because he’s far less experienced than she is. she’s doesn’t make fun of him for it, or anything, she’s just surprised about it. what does make her laugh (albeit in a sad way) is when he tells her the only person he’s ever gone all the way with was merrilee, at what was supposed to be their reaping graduation party: they were both young (18), lonely, and there was some alcohol involved (I’m considering re-writing it to fit some new hcs I have, which I will list below).
he’s always maintained that he’s not the type to fall in love so quickly (which was how I characterized him even before sotr) but after the war he really thinks about it, and starts to wonder what the nature of his relationship with merrilee really was—because no one can convince me they didn’t have some kind of relationship (platonic, romantic, sexual, or in my mind, somewhere in between).
