Peeta having a quiet thought late one night during the GBT phase.
Her thighs still shaking under my hands, as she sinks boneless and unmoored into the mattress, release their grip on me. And I, with my tongue still wet with the taste of her deep release, run the tip along the soft part of her lower stomach, tracing the letters of her name, and mine, into her dewy skin.Â
This moment right here, makes me want to freeze time itself, so I can reign in this triumph forever. It's only now, in these rare and real instances where I think I truly feel like a victor for the first time in my life.
This love has a way of binding, and freeing simultaneously. Of drawing together the things which are stronger when it's us two, than when we are apart. And releasing us from all that holds us back. Worries, doubts, insecurities. They fade in the naked light of affection and desire reflected back in her face, in her kiss. It's then that I see myself as a man who is truly understood, wanted, appreciated, and most importantly, loved.Â
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
âI came to life when I first kissed you
The best me has his arms around you
You make me better than I was before
Thank God, Iâm yours
The worst me is just a long gone memory
You put a new heartbeat inside of me
You make me better than I was before
Thank God, Iâm yoursâ
âYoursâ by Russell Dickerson
katniss has a massive set back (during the gbt phase) & stops taking care of herself. peeta cannot take it and decides if she wonât care for herself heâll do it for her. very intimate and whompy
ok ok...I've got something for this :)
"Katniss. It's been weeks.You haven't come out of your house. You haven't moved from your bed. This has to stop. I've tried doing this the nice way. Haymitch says you don't need nice though. He says you need a kick in the ass. After seeing you like this for so long I'm inclined to agree with him. If you don't get up I'm going to walk over there and pick you up and-"
I jump down from the bed and run out of the room. I feel my throat close up, and I barely make it to the study before I can crawl under the desk and collapse in a fit of angry tears.
I cry and cry and kick at the chair until it falls over and I bite my lip in an attempt to keep from screaming, long and hard against the disgustingly bright morning. My head feels like it's pulling in two different directions and I feel disoriented and sick.
I hate these moments. I hate Peeta for forcing me to face them. There's nothing but fury and panic in my blood and its like a race inside me to see which of the stronger emotions will win out.
These are the times when my mind shifts back into that place where the Games are alive all around me and more real than the floor beneath me, or the sounds of people's voices as they try to reach me.
Sometimes all it takes is a moment, just one where I was surprised, and frightened and vulnerable. It all started with a change to my routine.
Just one difference in how Sae woke me up once morning, she was humming under her breath when she came in and found me asleep on the couch. She patted my hair gently and when I woke up I expected to find Prim or my mother's face above me. What I got instead was a healthy dose of reality. So instead of facing the fact that neither of the two people I desperately wanted to see in that moment would ever come back to 12, to me, I ran. Up stairs and into my bed and shut myself away from everything and everyone.
I reverted back to a violent, distrusting, dangerous creature. A creation of their Games. Someone not quite sane, or maybe even fully human.
The thought makes me shake in my thin robe. I recall the questions they used to ask me. About my name, where I was from, and what date it was.
Lots of boring tedious things designed to persuade me that the Games are over, that I am safe. But even though my mind can recognize if it's been more than two years, I can never feel really safe.
Because the Hunger Games will never be over. Not for me, and not for anyone I care about that is still left living. And there are very few of those.
My mind cannot wrap itself around the idea that there is something after this, that I will inevitably have to go on. This moment feels like a cavernous mouth opening wide to swallow me whole, and I can't move, I can't speak. I can only try not to scream as it devours me.
Darkness and tears, for I don't know how long, are the only things I can feel.
But then, there are strong arms around me. Familiar arms. Solid and true. And I am in the cave again, seeking refuge from the storm that blows hard and hateful around me, and inside my mind. I clutch him, in the cave, under the desk, in both places and both times at once. Needing the gentleness that lives deep within him to anchor me to this reality.
And he holds me together with his kind hands, until I stop shaking. The boy who the Capitol tried to brainwash and torture until he was ready to kill me on sight, until he was nothing but a twisted mutt instead of the boy with the bread I had come to need so much. They had tried to cut the kindness out of his very skin, until there was nothing left but rage and hatred. But they failed. Because Peeta's goodness lives in his soul, and that was one thing they couldn't touch no matter how hard they tried.
He is oddly enough the only one who makes me feel safe. We stay locked in a gentle embrace, until I am placid in his arms.
I look up at him with tears in my eyes, so ashamed of myself for causing all this trouble. But he looks down at me tenderly, without any trace of resentment. It breaks me, that look. Because it makes me need him even more.
"Hey, there." He says in that forgiving and merciful tone that always seems to cut to the core of my soul.
"Hi." I tell him shakily.
"Ready to come out? Or do you need a few more minutes?" He asks, and I breathe out heavily. No sense in dragging it out anymore than I've already done.
"I'm ready." I tell him and he smiles. It takes a minute, because we're in an awkward position under the desk, and his leg doesn't make it easy for him to maneuver. But we make it to a standing position, and he wraps me in a warm hug and I hold him tight again.
"Sorry for messing up your morning." I told him as I rested my head against his heartbeat.
"Any morning I get to spend with you is a great one." He tells me kindly. And because this moment is so solemn and I know right now we are both totally bared and honest with each other in the face of our shared tragedies, I know he means it, one hundred percent.
It makes me sigh. And I close my eyes just wanting to feel it, this moment. Where the one before this one almost drove me over the edge with terror and dread, and I couldn't rack my brain hard enough to figure out how to force myself to let it pass, this moment in his arms I want the opposite.
I want to stretch it, and spin it around us like a cocoon where we can hide away from everything and everyone that waits for us when we step out of here.
When I open my eyes to look up at him I see his eyes are closed, and he's smiling that almost smile that captures me so easily.
And I think,
I want...
I want...
I want to be done running from it.
Is that the same as a fish wanting to fly? The same as a mountain wanting to blow away in the breeze?
Could I ever really do it?
Emotions, especially when they ran high in me, were often unreliableâŚ
I took a deep breath and resolved to let the feelings settle before I did anything hasty again.
But I did stretch onto my tiptoes and plant a soft, light kiss on his almost smiling lips.
"What was that for?" He asked with an amused grin. His blue eyes sparking in the light of the morning streaming in from the window.
"That was because this time, I needed a kiss, but you're just too gentlemanly to press your advantage." I tell him quietly, and match his smile.
"Oh, well in that case," He says as he wraps his arms around me and kisses me a little longer, but still gently and mostly chastely.
"See? What'd I tell you? Great morning." He says when he breaks away from me and I smile against his lips, so very lighthearted for a second.
so that's what I have for that prompt. Not my usual PWP stuff, but I also enjoy writing sweet Everlark moments as well!
Hayffie Post-Mockingjay (Canon divergence) Multi-chapter, Rated M
SUMMARY: Four years have passed since the end of the war when Effie becomes a fixture in Haymitchâs life once again. An old friendship is rekindled. Will it lead to something more?
Meanwhile, Panem has entered a new era. The rebellionâs over, the borders are open but in the shadows, anger and mistrust are smoldering. Something which will affect Haymitch and Effieâs life in a way they never saw coming. READ MORE
Chapter 14
Snake in the grass
She had a hard face, the old lady across the street. An olive green scarf cuffed her neck and, poorly hidden by the white powder, her skin was a web of lines and wrinkles and surgically implanted yellow gemstones.
She had sad eyes, Haymitch thought. Pale, green eyes that pierced his across the road when he locked Effieâs door after himself.
âEveninâ,â he nodded and she pressed her lips together so tightly the wrinkles seemed to sew her mouth together.
Of course Haymitch was used to people staring at him. With contempt, fear, desire. Heâd gotten them all. When he was younger it had bother him a lot but it was years now since heâd cared.
The old woman had turned away from him. But it wasnât until she disappeared through the front door just across from Effieâs that he realized. It was her face heâd seen through the window on his last visit here, before he found Effieâs photo album.
He fished up a bottle of spirits from his jacket pocket and replaced it with the key.
He needed to buy more condoms, he reminded himself on his slow walk through the Capitol that had awoken to its night life, the air crisper now that they were in October. They still had a few left but he wasnât taking any chances.
Effie shouldâve been way madder at him. He needed only think about his recklessness in the woods to start mind-insulting himself all over again.
Did she think heâd been in control that time? Because the answer was a resounding no! That he didnât get them into trouble on the first try was just a strike of dumb luck, nothing else.
Not that he thought heâd be any good at babymaking, even if he tried. After all those years of heavy drinking his swimmers were probably as deadbeat as the rest of him. But either way, their first time would be the last they ever went sky-diving without a parachute.
Finding Octaviaâs house was easier than he thought. Effie had pointed it out to him and the music could be heard miles away.
When he pushed inside it was like walking into a living fruit salad. People wore dresses made out of fake apples and pears and oranges, eatable hats and jewellery, suits with cherry and blueberry patterns and one woman, he was quite certain, had nothing on but a full body paint that made her look like banana porn.
Effie was at the bar, surrounded by the prep team. She looked less crazy for a change. Damn fine actually in a white dress patterned with strawberries and green leaves. It wasnât the first time heâd seen it of course. Heâd done his very best to keep her from putting it on earlier and get her back into bed.
She wouldâve looked lovely with her real strawberry blonde hair loose but he didnât even try to convince her of that since she wouldnât ditch the head wraps anyway. When he first saw her in one, he thought they were all gray but like her old wigs, Effie had one in every color. Green today. She practically matched Octavia.
ââŚbut heâs a morsel, Effie!â Haymitch heard her delighted squeak as he zig-zagged through the crowds to get to them. âYou should really hit that! If things werenât getting very serious with QuirinusâŚâ
âWho truly lives up to his name,â Flavius winked.
âRight!â Octavia giggled. âI would absolutely go for it! You should have some fun!â
âMoment of truth,â Venia smiled and put her arm around Effie. âSomeone keeping you warm?â
âYou know you can always tell us!â Flavius said, eager for the latest gossip. âI mean, I canât even remember you dating anyone since Julian.â
âOh, Julian! He was a darling!â Octavia gushed with her hand over her chest.
âBut very small hands,â Venia said. âAnd we all know what small hands mean!â
The three of them burst out laughing and Haymitch bet he was the only one to notice the tiredness underneath Effieâs smile. Which was great news for him, if you thought about it.
And she would keep their secret, he knew. Effie had a knack for putting up a facade when she had to. Hell, there was a time she even fooled him. Which was why people (a lot more suspicious than Katnissâs prep team) bought into the whole âsevere meningitisâ story she spread out to cover the fact she overdosed on sleeping pills.
And what about all the other secrets she kept locked up inside her heart? Was there even a single person in this entire city that she confided in?
âHi!â Effie said in surprise when Haymitch reached them. She smiled. âWhat a lovely and unexpected surprise.â
âHaymitch, your beard!â Flavius shrieked and stared at the mentorâs stubbled cheeks. âWhen I gave you that shave you werenât supposed to let it grow back in!â
âAnd youâre not dressed,â said Octavia, disappointment written all over her green face. âThe theme was âFrom the fruit bowl.ââ
Venia patted her friendâs shoulder soothingly.
âWe mustnât hold it against himâ, she said. âHeâs from District 12.â
âHaymitch wasnât originally able to attend,â said Effie, always one to come to his defense. âWe should all just be happy that he is here now.â
âOh, we are, Effie. We are,â said Octavia. She smiled at Haymitch as if to prove it. âAnd, obviously, I knew you wouldnât be able to stay away!â
âOctaviaâs birthday parties are legendary,â said Flavius.
âOh, yes,â Venia nodded.
âIf only Annabel had agreed to play the trumpet for us,â Octavia pouted.
âYou got them out of the house at least,â said Venia. âJust think about how many parties theyâve declined these past few years. It makes me want to cry!â
Octavia nodded sadly. Then she took Effieâs hands and kissed her on both cheeks.
âNow have a lovely evening, you two. I hope you change your mind about, you know,â she smiled. âOh, and Haymitch,â she added. âDonât despair. In a different light Iâm sure you wouldnât look half as repulsive.â
With that the three beauticians darted away again and from Haymitch came a deep sigh.
It was creepy how virtually unchanged Katnissâs prep team was. But then again, just like with Effie: Who knew what went on behind closed doors?
âDonât listen to her,â Effie said. The music was so loud they could speak without fear of being over-heard. âYouâre a lot more handsome than you let on. I should know. Iâve been right up close.â
Haymitch raised his eyebrows, like âseriously?â but Effie only smiled and sipped her drink. He gave up.
âI came to walk you homeâ, he said. âItâs been four hours. Iâm famished.â
âOnly 1,45,â Effie chuckled. âMiss me already, Abernathy?â
âI miss not being hungry. Canât turn your damn stove on. And with our luck we should clear out now anyways before the shit hits the fan.â
âOh, it cannot possibly get any worse than our last Capitol party,â said Effie. âFine,â she added when she saw his look. âLet me just finish my drink and then we can go. And there is food here if you like.â
Haymitch went and filled a plate and they found an empty couch in a more secluded corner of the room.
âWhoâs Annabel?â he asked, remembering Octaviaâs words and the postcard on Effieâs mirror.
âA dear friend of mine.â Unlike Haymitch who sat slouched back with the plate precariously balanced on his knee, Effie sat upright on the very edge of the sofa, prim and proper as ever. âWe were roommates at the Academy. She was a jeweller before the war. â She smiled at some memory. âI had my first drink with her, I recall. She found a way to smuggle in bottles through our window and she was always my lookout when I was up on the roof.â
âWhat were you doing on the roof?â
âWell, I happened to have a few nocturnal randezvous with the chimney-sweep during my final year. His son to be exact. It was his familyâs company and after he was done with the schoolâs chimneys he went right over to mine. Best sex Iâve ever had! âŚUp until just recently,â she chuckled when she saw the deep crease between Haymitchâs eyebrows.
âThatâs her, over there,â she nodded towards two ladies across the room. âThe one in the purple dress.â
The woman in question was a tall and slender brunette with barrettes the shape of watermelon slices. She was talking with a short, blonde woman with a serious face. Both of them looked almost too normal to be from the Capitol. âThe blonde lady next to her is her wife, June Summer. You remember the gray dress I wore when we⌠picked apples? It was from her collection.â
âThat dress was my undoing,â Haymitch mumbled almost absent-mindedly. He stared intently at the dark-haired woman. This Annabel. There was something eerily familiar about her. Something about her brown eyes.
The two ladies had spotted them now and headed their way.
âWe have to call it a night,â said Annabel and she and Effie kissed on the cheeks. âEarly train tomorrow. But it was so good to see you again.â
âIt truly was,â said Effie.
Now Annabelâs eyes went to Haymitch who was still on the couch. A gentleman would have shaken her hand but he only stared at her, scowled at her rather, like only Haymitch could.
Effie had to introduce them.
âThis is Haymitch.â
âI know,â Annabel said and gave him a warm smile that only made his skin crawl. âGlad to make your acquaintance, Mr. Abernathy.â
When Haymitch didnât answer Annabel turned back to Effie.
âYou must come and visit us when weâre back in the Capitol, yes? Itâs been too long.â
âOf course,â Effie smiled and squeezed their hands goodbye.
âDo I know her?â Haymitch mumbled when it was just them again.
âNo. But you probably see her father in her. She is Caesar Flickermanâs oldest daughter.â
That explained it then. Haymitchâs brow crinkled. Heâd always been ambivalent when it came to the famous TV host.
âDonât go with your first assumption, Haymitch,â Effie said softly. âShe was the one who made your gold bangle. And Peetaâs medallion.â
She swallowed the last of her drink and set the glass on the side-table.
âI need to go and powder my nose,â she said. âBut Iâll be right back.â
âAnd then weâll go home,â said Haymitch with a pointed look at her.
âYes, Haymitch, then weâll go home. Iâm actually surprised you lasted this long.â
She disappeared and Haymitch returned his focus on the food and his bottle of white liquor that made good on the promise to help him tune out most of the freakish fruit show around him.
He was just contemplating how drunk he could get and still be allowed in to Effieâs bed, when something caught his attention.
Another guest had arrived. Beer in hand, her long blonde hair entwined with fake yellow strands that matched her dress, she strode in followed by a man with green stripes in his hair and a bored expression.
This was truly a night of remembrance. Only this time, he knew exactly where from.
It was the same lady theyâd seen at the Capitolium. The 20-something woman who made Effie so distraught theyâd left the restaurant in a rush.
She sipped her bottle and looked over the crowds of flamboyantly dressed people. Her eyes had just landed on him when Effie re-appeared.
Just like before, she froze. It lasted only a fraction of a second; he doubted no one but him had even noticed it and when the woman turned and spotted her as well Effieâs smile was back on. Not like when she looked at Annabel or even the prep team. Her bullet proof Capitol smile that no one could see through.
âEffie dear!â The light glittered off the womanâs wrist bracelets when she waved. Haymitch didnât think heâd ever heard such a cold cheerfullness. She had a husky âcigar-voiceâ, as Haymitch called it, that didnât fit the rest of her.
The two women kissed as was custom here but Haymitch noticed their lips never touch the otherâs cheek, not even close.
âNice party,â the woman smiled sweetly. She was drunk, Haymitch noticed.
âNice party,â said Effie.
The young man the woman had arrived with ignored them like he ignored the rest of the party. His heavy-lidded eyes gazed at nothing in particular while he leisurely tapped one of his shiny, silver shoes against the floor.
âThis is Paris, my cousin,â the woman said with a wave of her hand like he wasnât important. âHe just got dumped so I thought Iâd bring him here so he wonât kill himself out of self-pity.â
âShut your hole,â the man said in a bored voice.
âYou brought someone too, I see,â she said and looked at Haymitch. âI mean, who else would? Itâs Haycock, right?â she asked him.
âHaymitch,â Effie corrected, tensely. âHaymitch, this is Gloria. Gloria Highgrass.â
âCharmed,â Gloria said and eyed Haymitch up and down. âI hear youâve been quite the globetrotter, Effie,â she continued and turned to her again. âPeople say youâve gone back and forth between the Capitol and that coal district like a yo-yo.â
Effieâs lips were pressed to non-existence but she nodded.
âI have visited quite frequently.â
âĂes, well,â said Gloria and her eyes went back to Haymitch in the most obvious way possible. âYou always liked to be on the bottom, didnât you? Bottom district. I hope you keep a closer eye on that little tike on fire this time around. Weâve had enough district tantrums to last us a life-time, donât you think?â
She smiled sweetly at them.
âHave a nice night.â
âThat horrible, horrible woman,â Effie said through gritted teeth when Gloria and her cousin had disappeared. âThat mean, cold-hearted, scheming, uncaring, badly-dressedâŚâ
âForget about it,â Haymitch muttered. Heâd gotten to his feet and to Effieâs side sometime between half of that, his plate still in hand. âLetâs just go home.â
âNo,â hissed Effie. âNot this time. I am going to give her a piece of my mind. âOnce and for all!â
But Haymitch caught her wrist when she took a step forward and held it firmly.
âCome on, Effs. Before I spill my food.â
âThen eat your dinner, Haymitch,â said Effie in a voice that allowed no objections. âDo not care about her!â
During this, Gloria had filled a plate with steak and then more steak and now she took a seat in the midst of a group of Capitolians, her cousin included.
And while Haymitch ate, Effie sat vigil by his side, cheeks flushed with anger. There was more to this. Something else was going on, but Haymitch didnât get a chance to ponder over it because of Gloriaâs ramblings just a few couches down.
He chewed and swallowed. He wanted to leave this freak show but at the same time he was somewhat fascinated by the whole situation.
That girl should get some kind of award for being an absolute asshole.
The prep team was one thing. They could insult you and annoy you, but at the end of the day and in their own odd way, they meant well. They simply didnât know any better.
Gloriaâs intent couldnât have been more clear.
To upset District 12âs mentor and escort til they choked.
ââŚso I wouldnât leave the Capitol if you paid me! My aunt was a big fan of that District 4 victor. Before he revealed his true colors of course! And she visited the fish district just last month and she told me it was awful! Awful people, awful weather. Children who played in the dirt with no one who looked after them. Their parents should really be ashamed of themselves!â
Effieâs hands were fists on her lap. He hadnât seen her this upset since the time a woman tried to slip something in his drink. And it didnât help that some of the men and women around Gloria, primarily those whom had gotten a few drinks too many nodded.
âOK, Iâm done,â Haymitch muttered and put away his plate that was scraped clean. âLetâs get the fuck outta here.â
Effie nodded. She was so angry she didnât even correct him for his language. They got up and, never one to waste good food, Haymitch grabbed his blueberry muffin to go and followed Effie towards the cloak room. Just when they crossed the floor Gloria turned her head, saw the muffin in Haymitchâs hand and said:
âLooks to me like the pig has started feeding himself.â
âEff,â Haymitch said when she stopped short but Effie was deaf to his words.
âHold this for me, please,â she said and Haymitch found himself with her purse while Effie walked straight back to Gloria. âApologize.â Her voice rang loud and clear and people all turned their head. Some of them curiously. Many of them hostile. Octavia and the rest of the prep team stood nervous and big-eyed by the bar. âApologize to Haymitch right now.â
Gloriaâs eyes gleamed with malice. She got to her feet, drink in hand.
âYou know what? I have a better idea,â she said. âHow about you apologize to the rest of us. You and your beau over there. That you even dared to bring him here is just beyond me. And you and Paylor can quack all you want about equality and rights and how âweâre not so different from each otherâ because we know the truth. Theyâre nothing but vermin!â
Those words had no sooner left Gloriaâs mouth before Effie seized her drink and tossed its content right in her face.
Everything was chaos after that.
The women screamed, Octavia sobbed, people held Gloria back while Haymitch pulled at Effie and Paris he seemed to have finally woken from his boredom, watching the two women with mild interest while they screamed obscenities at one another.
âNo wonder he left you!â Gloria shrieked and the drink splashed around her face. âWhatâs it like to fuck her, Haycock? Tight and wet? More like flapping a hot dog in a corridor, huh? Isnât that what happens after youâve given birth? Oh, she didnât tell you?â she laughed at the sight of Haymitchâs face. âYour little Twelve whore there is a mama!â
Authorâs note: Lotâs of drama in todayâs chapter. Now will Haymitch finally learn the truth? Feel free to leave a review if youâre in the review mood. What did you think of Annabel and Gloria? This will not be the last you see of them.
Hayffie Post-Mockingjay (Canon divergence) Multi-chapter, Rated M
SUMMARY: Four years have passed since the end of the war when Effie becomes a fixture in Haymitchâs life once again. An old friendship is rekindled. Will it lead to something more?
Meanwhile, Panem has entered a new era. The rebellionâs over, the borders are open but in the shadows, anger and mistrust are smoldering. Something which will affect Haymitch and Effieâs life in a way they never saw coming. READ MORE
Chapter 13
Twoâs company fiveâs a crowd
âItâs OK, you can pull over here, please. Thank you.â
Fresh from work, dressed in her chocolate brown outfit Effie stepped out of the cab and into the pancake house.
She used to come here all the time as a girl. There in the corner was their old table, the candy red one with the blue potted angelâs trumpets. Mother always fretted over the calories but it didnât change the fact all three of them loved pancakes.
So when Effie had lost yet another beauty pageant or audition or contest of some sort, it was her fatherâs way of coaxing her mother out of the bathroom.
âNo more crying,â heâd say gently. âThereâll be new opportunities. Now we will eat and only look ahead.â
Looking back on it now itâd been those moments, between failures, that sheâd felt close to her parents. Close and less lonely.
Her apartment was just a stoneâs throw away so Effie walked the rest of the way home. She found Haymitch the way she left him. On the couch. Since he seldom slept all night through he took naps during the day and she wasnât going to disturb him. She only put the food box on the coffee table and went to change clothes.
The bedroom was a mess. The sheets all tangled up, coffee cups and plates with orange peels on the nightstands, discarded clothes everywhere, a wet towel slung over the bed.
She went and seized the half-emptied bottles and there was a part of her that itched to go tell him he should really have cleaned up after himself since heâd been home all day and an even bigger part of her wanted to pour the last of the alcohol down the drain.
In the end she decided against both impulses. She placed the bottles by his side of the bed and only hoped he wouldnât defile all of her apartment quite as quickly as usual.
The light flickered on automatically when she stepped inside the largest closet to hang up her work outfit.
Once upon a time thereâd been wigs on display heads in here. She saw herself reflected in all the mirrored wardrobes and as she began to untie the bandana, her mind went back to those disastrous December days when Haymitch first visited.
Sheâd been so nervous about meeting him again after all those years of silence, especially since she was pretty sure he made the trip because he worried for her, that sheâd gone and put on her Capitol armour again.
Of course, she soon realized how silly and unnecessary it was. It was hard not to shake your head at the memory. But she was only human. For some reason sheâd felt safer, less exposed behind the Capitol attire.
Noises from the bedroom interrupted her thoughts and she pushed open the door just in time to watch Haymitch grab all the clothes from the bed.
He stopped when he saw her though and Effie couldnât help but smile at the sight of him, his arms full of dirty laundry and the look on his face like sheâd caught him doing something naughty.
Haymitch cleared his throat, awkwardly.
âI was just looking for my scotch,â he muttered.
With a smile still on her face Effie walked over to him. Clearly she wasnât the only one who wanted to make a good impression. She took the clothes and tossed them in the armchair so he could put his arms around her instead. With the heels on she didnât even have to stay on tip-toe to kiss him.
He tugged at her jacket so she could shoulder out of it and she chuckled at his unlucky attempts to find a zipper.
âHow the fuck does this work?â he muttered and she guided his hands to the hidden buttons so he could open her sheath dress all the way and reveal the pristine white corset underneath.
She was hard as a floorboard. Hell, damn near burglar-proof and while he pulled the dress over her head and went on to fumble with all the tiny little clasps he dimly wondered how she could even remain conscious in that thing.
âHow long can you stay?â she breathed, more and more deeply as the corset loosened around her.
âWant me out of your hair?â
âOh, you know thatâs⌠not it.â
Their lips met in an open-mouthed kiss and he disengaged the corset from her and tossed it somewhere on the floor.
Yeah, he knew. And a big part of him was scared shitless for it.
But when she kissed him he was powerless. Completely powerless.
He was so screwed.
xXx
With such a beautiful day you couldnât stay indoors. At least not according to Effie. So after the pancakes she persuaded Haymitch to take a walk with her.
âYou have to see the Roman Stairs,â she smiled and looped her arm around his.
With a name like Cupidâs Garden Haymitch suspected the worst but place wasnât as outrageous as it could have been. Weird trees, maybe. They blushed in all the normal autumn colours like orange, yellow and red but there were also hues like bright blue, silver gray and neon purple. Like a cluster of party balloons or Effieâs old wigs.
The Roman Stairs were a slightly curved flight of stairs made from white marble. They had a seat at the top, on either side of a funny stone toad, over-looking a pond. The mockingjays thrived, sharing the spotlight with a gaggle of ducks and two swans.
The place felt oddly familiar despite the fact he was pretty sure he would have remembered coming here and then he realized. This was where Effie found him, that time he got tanked up and fell over in the snow. Heâd been so drunk he thought heâd trudged back into the Meadow of Twelve. Yeah, that was a funny day.
"It's so peaceful around here," Effie said. "And Castor and Pollux had a hand in making this, you know," she smiled and gave the smooth marble a pat.
"They're camera men."
"I know". She tapped a light finger against the stone toad's head and he saw it had one of them square symbols. Like on the holographic photo she got him for his birthday.
"Mind flights," Effie explained. "Pollux still records quite a few of them each year. Documentaries as well, with Cressida. We use them in teaching."
âWhatâcha teach?â Haymitch wondered and it surprised him heâd never actually asked what Effie did those two days a week. If Plutarch ever told him heâd been too drunk to remember. âAll manners and how to be good little Effie Trinkets?â
It was meant as a joke but it fell flat and he heard how wrong it sounded.
âOk, not funny,â he said but her smile had faded. âNot funny.â Oh, fuck. Even when he worked his ass off he still fucked up.
âThatâs not what I do, Haymitchâ, Effie said. âI donât do that anymore.â
She tried to not take it so to heart but she did.
The logical part of her knew it wasnât odd he jumped to that conclusion right away. After all, it was her job during the Games. To teach the tributes how to behave in front of the cameras. But it still hurt that Haymitch thought she did that today, to Gracie and all of her other girls.
She remembered her own teacher in etiquettes. Remembered all too well.
There was a reason Effie had perfect table manners and could run around in heels full-time. At the Academy, if the book fell off your head when you learned how to walk or if so much as a drop of soup stained the table cloth they wrapped you over the knuckles with a ruler.
It shamed her to say sheâd fallen back to that old upbringing herself once. When she tried and failed to teach Katniss how to walk and smacked her hand, yelling âNot above the ankles!â
Because those methods and worse were so standard practice in the Capitol, among parents and teachers.
It had gotten better since after the war. And the new government intended to establish a new, co-ed and less strict school for the Capitol as soon as possible. But until they got that plan off the table they had included mandatory courses for the schools that already existed. Pallasâs Academy where Effie taught and Appolloâs Academy for the boys.
Haymitch nudged her knee.
âWhat do you teach then?â he asked.
And Effie told him.
The districts werenât the only ones who were told lies. The children of the Capitol and District 2 for that matter they were the âSnow generationâ. The youngsters who grew up with the glorified image of President Snow as the father of the nation. Until the rebellion all they even knew was what the regimen chose to tell them. Not just about the Hunger Games. The people of the districts were presented to them as second-rate humans. Good for hard labor but barbaric and nothing like the citizens of the Capitol.
"During my classes we sit down together and talk," Effie said simply. "About compassion and equality, what makes us different and what makes us alike. They write and draw about their feelings and guest speakers come in from all over the country to talk to them about the war, about moral and prejudices and what life is like in the districts. These children were under the Capitol's influence and fed by the propaganda machine every day, we all were and sooner or later those seeds may bear fruit, unless we plant something else. So that's what we try to do."
Effie silenced and looked at him, head high, as if heâd do something like scoff her or her girls but his heart only swelled with pride.
âDidnât know youâd be good with kids,â he said with a little half-smile. Oh, fuck, that didnât come out right either. âI mean you are good with kids. As far as I can tell. I mean they wouldnât have hired someone who werenât, soâŚâ He shut up at the sight of Effieâs raised eyebrows. She looked rather amused.
So instead of keep on digging he brushed his thumb across the symbol on the stone toad.
Immediately Cupidâs Garden disappeared. It was just like in Effieâs library. Only now, instead of the pond and all the mockingjays, they were looking at a clear, blue ocean so real and endless it took your breath away. Between the sunbeams that turned the water to diamonds and the white sailboats far in the distance you could have sworn you were in District 4.
Made him think of Finn and his stomach tied together with guilt. He hadnât heard from Annie or Jo since they left. His memories from that morning were hazy but he remembered Finn, sobbing.
He should call and apologize.
He watched Effie as the mind flight changed to the open fields of District 9. She still hadnât mentioned the night of the storm, not yet anyway and he was grateful for it. When he was at his absolute lowest he didnât want people to see it. He was still ashamed about the time he went into withdrawal and scared Prim half to death. Heâd had a few spells like the one in the study before and always managed to pull out of them on his own after a few hours. And thatâs the way he wanted it, if the alternative was to freak everybody out.
He should have known Effie wasnât going to let him be.
âIâll get us some coffee,â he said when they could see the pond again. The square wasnât far and coffee was a peace offer as good as any, he reckoned.
He disappeared. Effie stayed where she was. The sun shone through the blushing trees and made her bandana glow just as brightly.
Coffee would be nice, she thought.
But something kept him.
And as the minutes passed she began to wonder. Despite it all.
And yes, she went to the bar. That was her first impulse and when she couldnât find him there she wasnât sure which feeling won over, relief or guilt.
So instead she walked over to Jerome, the balding, big-bellied grocer who sold her fruit every week. Her heels clicked against the well-swept paving stones when she crossed Heavenâs Square and over to his stall where he stood surrounded by boxes of oranges and apples, pineapples and watermelons.
âHi, Effie. Any pomegranates today?â
It was hard not to like Jerome. And his wife. Theyâd always been easy to talk to. And their goods were first-class.
âHaymitch Abernathy,â he said when she asked. âYes, I saw him go with the green lady.â
âGreen lady?â Then she realized. âOh.â
âEffie!â Octavia piped the moment she stepped into the beauty salon and Effie found herself enveloped in her plump, marzipan green arms. âWhat a lovely surprise!â
âHi, Effie!â Flavius and Venia waved eagerly from across the room. âLook who we found!â
And she saw Haymitchâs exhausted face over the edge of a barberâs chair between the two beauticians.
âI know I knowâ, Flavius said, his orange corkscrew curls as impressive as ever. âItâs hard to look straight at him. We werenât prepared either. He was never easy on the eye of course but donât worry. When weâre through with him heâll be perfect. Absolutely perfect! Now, Haymitch,â he said and turned back to him. âWeâve already told you. Weâre not going to force you into anything. You can decide for yourself what you want me and Venia to change.â
âYeah?â said Haymitch. âHow âbout nothing. Thereâs nothing I wanna change.â
If he thought that would do the trick he was sorely mistaken. Flavius and Venia laughed hysterically.
âOf course there is!â Venia exclaimed and the bright light from the ceiling reflected off her gold tattoos. Sheâd had her aqua colored hair styled in a square so it framed her face like a TV-screen. âThereâre always things people want to change!â
âWhat do you say we do something about your nails, Effie,â Octavia smiled.
âIâm sorry, weâre actually in a bit of a hurry. I just came here to get Haymitch. But how about next Tuesday?â
âHow about the hair,â Flavius said and tapped a finger against his purple colored lips, examining Haymitchâs face closely.
âYouâll lose an arm.â
âWe could really make you something special,â said Venia. âFinally.â
âOh, for fuckâs sake!â
âAh, ah, ah. Donât be a whiner, Haymitch,â Flavius said. âThatâs very unattractive.â
âVery,â said Venia.
âDo you think I care? Youâre not touching it.â
Flavius looked to Venia and Venia looked to Flavius and both of them shook their head sadly.
âHow about the beard then?â Flavius asked finally. âCan we at least do something about this ghastly stubble?â
Haymitch heaved a tremendous sigh.
âYou can groom it. A bit. And then youâll let me the hell outta here. And youâll just trim it. Nothing else.â
Flavius opened his mouth.
âItâs not open for discussion! Nothing else!â
âMy pleasureâ, Flavius said, even though he looked the opposite. âYou know, this is really a waste of our talent.â
Haymitch threw Effie a miserable look and she gave him a smile of support.
âIâm so happy Haymitch is here. Now you will both come to my party,â piped Octavia. âIt will be the event of the year! I can count on you to be there?â
âUmâŚâ Effie said. She had RSVPâd to Octaviaâs birthday party. But after what had happened with Haymitch all she really wanted to do was stay home and try and figure things out with him. But when she looked into Octaviaâs happy, expectant face she knew there was only one answer she could give her.
âI wouldnât miss it for the world.â
âWhatâs that!â Haymitchâs voice boomed from across the room. âWhat kind of a beautician are you? I told you to trim it! Whatâs that?â And he pointed to the swirl pattern Flavius had shaved into his stubble. âIâm from Twelve!â
âBut it will flatter your face,â Flavius said. âI know you people donât have much cause to look nice in District 12. Katniss already told us that, but since you do have a very twisted view on beauty I thought Iâd take it upon myself to show you what your style should look like. Haymitch, just leave yourself in our capable hands and weâll help you take on the world! Or at least get a girlfriend. Or boyfriend, whatever rocks your boat!â
xXx
You know, compared to those three youâre a breeze.â
Another day had come and gone and they were back in bed. Haymitch with a pair of baby smooth cheeks and Effie, fighting hard not to laugh.
âBut you have to admit you do look rather handsome,â she said. âI canât even remember the last time I saw you clean-shaven.â
âYeah, well, donât get used to it,â Haymitch said. âAnd a little heads-up next time wonât hurt.â
Effie smiled. It seemed like sheâd done that a lot lately. Smile. And he was right of course. She shouldnât have seen him off to Heavenâs Square and their excellent coffee take away without warning him the beauty salon lay just a few blocks away. If the prep team wanted to rope you in, they roped you in. Especially if unprepared. It was a gift.
âI have to go to her party now, donât I?â Haymitch said tiredly.
âWell, I think I ought to at least,â Effie said. âIt means a great deal to Octavia. I donât want to disappoint her. And besides, parties can be nice. You had one for your birthday, remember?â
âThat wasnât a party. It was just pay-back. Kids made me.â
âHow? What did you do?â
âPushed Katniss down the stairs.â
âHaymitch!â
"It was an accident. I wasn't even that drunk. I just shut the door to the cellar and didn't see her there. Anywho, when the doctor patched her up Katniss threatened to throw me a birthday party just to get back at me. The boy really went with the idea and I didn't get a say. " He threw her a glance. "I think he just wanted to get you there. Reckoned I missed ya."
"Did you?"
"Meh," Haymitch shrugged.
The smile on Effieâs lips widened.
"You could have just asked me."
"Nah. I prefer you in writing. Then I can put you in a drawer when you start to annoy me."
"Mm, yes. Wouldn't that make things simpler."
She rested her head into his shoulder, hand against his naked chest.
"So... Here we are. Still no walking out?" she asked, only half-jokingly. "I keep expecting you to change your mind."
"How 'bout you?" he asked. "Do you know what we're doing?"
She gave her head a slight shake.
"Not really. I know I don't want to stop."
He laced their fingers together.
"You and me both."
Their lips found each other again and when they kissed with such certainty, what did the rest of it matter?
"Mm." Haymitch stopped at the sound of disappointment in Effie's voice.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said. "It's just⌠I kind of miss your stubble."
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Day 5: Let It Snow!: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Christmas should always come with a heavy layer of snowâŚ
Hayffie oneshot, post-mockingjay
Christmas on the Capitol Express
Haymitch lay on the bed, naked but for the bathrobe tied, not very tightly around his waist. He balanced a plate filled with food from the Christmas buffet out in the dining car. Technically you werenât supposed to take it back to your own quarters but since the train had been stuck now for the past few hours the attendants werenât very strict about it.
âHowâs that bird tastinâ, Eff?â he asked.
Opposite of him, via the video telecommunication transmitter (one of Beeteeâs inventions) all of Effieâs living room was projected onto the wall.
âIt has proven very satisfactory,â she said, cutting her food in neat, elegant motions. She wore a Christmas red vintage dress with her arms and shoulders bare. It was dotted with white stars all over and white fir trees around the hem. He hated to admit it but it looked good on her. Went well with her strawberry blonde hair.
The scene looked so real he felt like he needed only take a step and heâd be there with Effie despite her being many miles away.
The candles were lit, her Christmas tree decorated, the music playing softly in the background. The table laden with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables and other delicacies along with pumpkin pie and an impressive Christmas pudding that Effie definitely hadnât made herself.
They had done this exhausting back and forth dance between Twelve and the Capitol for almost three years now. He supposed you could call them a long distance couple now. Well, in a way they always were even if neither of them had put what they were doing in to so many words.
On a normal year Effie came to Twelve for Christmas and New Years but this year sheâd slipped on some ice and sprained her ankle so Haymitch had reluctantly agreed to come to her instead.
Leave it to Effie Trinket to be able to put together a Christmas dinner from her sickbed with less than three days prep time.
And now he was stuck on this train.
The weather hadnât been as bad when they left Twelve but only a few districts later they had a full blown snowstorm on their hands.
The news that Haymitch was stuck somewhere between District 5 and 4 sent Effie into a state and sheâd spend the next few hours on the phone being a pain in the ass while speaking to different authorities to try and find a way unstuck him.
âKnock it off, sweetheart,â Haymitch said the third time she called and wanted to speak to the conductor. âItâs not their fault.â
âWell, you will be here on time for Christmas dinner if Iâll so have to send a hovercraft after you!â
But even if Effieâd had one there was no way to navigate through this weather. The train was now moving at a snailâs pace and when Effie finally had to accept he wouldnât be able to get to her tonight she calmed down.
âWe can celebrate it anyway,â she said.
And with Beeteeâs excellent video phone it was more fun than Haymitch had ever thought it would be. Even if he couldnât touch Effieâs leg under the table and stuff like that, which was unfortunate.
After dinner Effie took her glass of wine and limped over to the sofa close to the Christmas tree.
âThis is for you,â she said and picked up an elegantly wrapped box tied up in flurry gold ribbons. And since he couldnât be there to open it himself she unwrapped it for him.
It was a thick blue gray muffler and something that looked like a wool cap of some sort.
âItâs called a beanie, Effie said. âFor your ruthless winters. Now hopefully you wonât get as many colds that youâll pass over to me.â
âWell, you shouldnât always be so eager, princess.â
Effie held up the beanie next to his face.
âI was right! It does go well with your skin tone.â
She smiled at him and took a sip from her glass.
âNow youâll open mine.â
Haymitch had gotten her a basket of different foods from his district. Goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves, blackberry wine, cans of apple sauce. Eatable things were what he usually gave her and Effie wasnât disappointed. She had a special liking for goose eggs and a kind of ginger-spiced honey that he always made sure to include.
Effie had emptied her glass now and was refilling it.
âOh, I do wish you were here, Haymitchâ, she said. âI mean, in the flesh.â
The wine had colored her cheeks a warm red like always when she drank. He wondered how she could be so tipsy already. She hadnât had too much for dinner.
And then he realized. Of course. If there was one thing that sent Effie up the wall it was when an outer obstacle was too great for her to conquer. While on the phone (and on an empty stomach) sheâd probably had a furious sip in between each call when they failed to get his train any closer to her city.
âI had so much planned,â Effie continued. âAnd itâs this⌠thisâŚâ she waved her hand in the air, searching for the word, âmirror. I had it put up on the ceiling above the bed. We were supposed to try it on Christmas night.â
Haymitch grinned. Nice! But all he said was,
âBetter have a glass of water, sweetheart. I wonât be able to put you to bed this time.â
âOh, Iâm not drunk,â Effie said with a good natured wave of her glass, nearly splashing wine on herself. She drank up and then went to admiring him over the rim.
âOh, youâre so handsomeâ she said. âWe should have a Christmas toast, Haymitch! Yes, a toast! To them sexy legs that you have and your manly, muscled chest and that very fine behindâŚâ
 âHowâs this a Christmas toast?â
 ââŚand especially those goodies that you are flashing me right now.â
Haymitchâs eyes darted down and he shifted his bathrobe, covering them up.
âHey, sweetheartâŚâ
Effie giggled, redder than ever in the face.
âOh, Haymitch. I think youâre amazing. Iâve ever told you youâre amazing? I know I can come off critical but Haymitch, youâre my dearest dearest.â
âAlright, Eff. Think youâve had enough wine for one night,â he said. âGo to bed.â
Effie pouted.
âBut youâre not here. No fun going to bed when youâre not here.
But then the next moment she slumped down on the couch, tugging at a blanket until it covered her.
âSoft couch,â she mumbled and burrowed her face into one of the velvet cushions. Her eyes were closed and he listened to her deep, slow breathes. Then just when he thought she was out, Effie mumbled,
âI donât wanna wait no more. Why dâya never ask me?â
ââBout what, sweetheart?â
âCome live with you.â Her eyes were still closed but she kept mumbling. âI always wait for you to ask me but you never ask me.â
Haymitch took a mouthful from his bottle.
âDidnât think youâd wanna live in a place like Twelve.â
âI wanna live with you,â Effie pouted. âDonât worry âbout the mirror. Iâll putitup our bedroom. Youâre my person. And Katniss and Peeta, theyâre my children too. Donât wanna wait no more.â
Haymitch put his bottle on the nightstand and knitted his hands over his stomach.
âAlright, princess. Iâll probably regret it but if you still want me to when youâre lucid Iâll ask you. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow youâll have a headache.â
Day 2: The Haymitch Who Stole Christmas: This is the day for grumpy Haymitch who would rather not be dragged into this humbug!
Hayffie oneshot, post-mockingjay
All I want for Christmas is you
One morning two days before Christmas Effie walked into Haymitchâs house and found him lying on the floor.
Now, Haymitch on the floor wasnât exactly a new experience for District 12âs former escort but she had seen him not 10 minutes ago and not even Haymitch Abernathy could get blasted that quickly.
She saw snow dripping from his boots, probably the reason he tripped and Haymitch met her gaze, sullenly where he lay on his back cradling his arm.
âHaymitch, when you are in so much pain you canât even get up from the floor that clearly indicates you have to go see the doctor.â It was the fourth time sheâd said it.
He didnât answer that. Of course she knew what it was all about. Haymitch hated hospitals. And how could he not? They only reminded him of his time there after his Games and when he was forced to dry out while locked away in Thirteen.
âNo need,â he muttered, his face white as a sheet. âFeelinâ much better actually. âDoesnât hurt as much as before.â
âMm, thatâs very convincing,â said Effie. âThen you wonât mind me giving you a hand-upâŚâ
âBack off,â Haymitch said when she took a step closer.
âHaymitch. You dislocated your shoulder when you fell!â
âAll your fault then.â
Effie sat down on a stool next to him.
âIt was just meant to be a surprise,â she said. âAnd if those Christmas lights were such a thorn in your flesh why didnât you just tell me? Then I would have been there holding the ladder in place for you.â
âYou donât go sneaking up anything else, Eff. I mean it. Itâs just a waste of time and money.â
âI havenât and I wonâtâ, Effie sighed. âNo more Christmas decorations of any kind. Now will you please just come with me to the doctor? The longer you lie here the more it will hurt and if you wait with treatment youâll just risk permanent damage.â Haymitch didnât respond; just stared sulkily up at the ceiling.
Effie pulled herself off the stool and sat down next to him on the floor. Haymitchâs eyebrows crease together at this very un-Effie like behavior. Floor wasnât exactly clean.
âIâll tell you what,â she said. âLetâs make a deal. You will let me take you to the hospital and then afterwards we get back, when we are all alone, weâll open a bottle of wine and⌠I will do that thing that you like.â
âWhat?â Haymitch frowned. Effie smiled and leaned in, whispering it in his ear.
âReally?â
âMm-mhm. We can do it all night, if we want.â
Haymitch slumped his head back against the floor. He gave a deep sigh.
âFine.â
xXx
âWell, Mr. Abernathy. Since there arenât any fractures Iâm going to use a procedure known as âreduction,â meaning your arm will be gently manipulated back into its shoulder socket.â
Haymitch sat grim and sour and shirtless on the hospital bed. Effie stood by his side, holding the improvised sling that sheâd made for the journey here. His shoulder looked absolutely gruesome. All swelled up and covered in bruises and it jotted out in an angle that was all wrong.
âIt might take a few minutesâ, the man in the white coat continued. âIâm afraid it is rather painful but we have effective pain-killers.â
âNo pills,â Haymitch muttered. With all that booze still running through his veins it would be a very bad idea. âJust pop the damn thing back in place.â
âOf course.â
âDo you need a hand to hold?â Effie suggested.
âItâs alright,â Haymitch muttered but felt a lot less confident than he sounded. Fuck, this wonât be a picnic. âLetâs just get this over and done with.â
And the doctor took his arm from where Haymitch had kept it cradled close to his body and then, slowly and gently, he began to rotate it around the shoulder joint.
âAagh!â Haymitch threw his head back. âGaaawd!â He grabbed Effieâs hand, almost crushing it in his while every swearword known to man came pouring over his lips. The pain stabbed his shoulder like a thousand darning-needles and radiated all the way down his side up to the point he thought heâd pass out.Â
He didnât know how long it lasted. It felt like three or four years. But then, just like that, his shoulder went back into its socket. Haymitch released the breathe heâd been holding, feeling how the pain faded to just a dull throbbing.
âFuck, thatâs betterâ, he panted and he was so relieved he didnât even realize he was still holding Effieâs hand. Something they never used to do in public.
âNow, we ought to do another X-ray,â the doctor said. âTo make sure itâs...â
 âNo way,â Haymitch shook his head. His face was dripping with perspiration. âThanks. But itâs fine. Painâs almost gone,â he said and this time it wasnât a lie.
The doctor helped him into a proper sling, keeping his arm in place and told him to at least rest a moment before they went home.
Effie had a seat next to his bed once they were alone again.
âI never meant to make your Christmas worse,â she said and lent him her handkerchief.
âItâs not you,â Haymitch mumbled, wiping the tears and sweat from his face. âReally, Eff. Christmas lights werenât that bad itâs just⌠we never really celebrated Christmas here. For most people it was just another day when you starved. Seeing those few with means put up their Christmas decorations and all the extravaganza we were forced to watch on television it was like a mock to the rest of the district who would go to bed just as cold and hungry that night as every other night. And⌠old habits die hard, you know. Itâs not that I donât want you to have a Christmas.â
Effie reached out her hand and caressed the back of her fingers softly against his hot, damp cheek; a gesture he couldnât help but like when it was Effie who did it.
âI donât need any of that,â she said. âI donât need a tree or a mistletoe or Christmas lights. I just want to be with you. You and Katniss and Peeta. Thatâs everything I could ever ask for.â
xXx
Days are short in December. When Haymitch and Effie walked out the hospital doors the sky was sprinkled with stars. The night was chilly with the promise of more snow to come but Haymitch, with his arm in a sling, still lingered.
âCome on, sweetheart,â he said. âWeâll get one of those.â
And with that he walked her over to the middle of the square where they were selling lush, fragrant, deep green Christmas trees.
I feel within a rain of tears
Before the final installment of âA rain of tearsâ - the chapter and story of Haymitchâs childhood within my hayffie fic âTaste of Strawberriesâ I made you a little sneak peek or teaser trailer. :) [tumblr] and [FF]