Can you do like a seneffie prompt where one of them gets jealous when the other's getting chat up or something?:)
Here it is! Iâm not really sure about that⌠Just hope itâs fine ;)
Even that year the Victory Tour culminated in a superb night at President Snowâs mansion and perhaps that one for the 73th Hunger Games was even a bigger celebration than the ones of the previous years. More food, more music, more people. Effie Trinket spent the first hour having little talks with acquaintances or soon to be ones, receiving compliments for her fancy dress and smiling in every direction â especially the camera that was filming the event. And yet that smile felt somehow heavy on her lips, until it suddenly disappeared completely from her face. Apparently she had every reason to be happy: she didnât have to play nanny for Haymitch since he had refused to go and people were probably for the first time in four years of escorting noticing her, but the truth is that she wasnât happy and even if she would have never admitted it a loud, it was clearly Seneca Craneâs fault.
âYou are really funny, Aurelia⌠And whatâs worse for men like me, you are beautiful tooâ the head gamemaker said in a flirtatious tone and with a genuine laughter a few steps from where she was.
That laughter was exactly what made Effie froze in her place and those words were the ones to steal her smile away: a laughter that she wasnât the one to cause, words that were said to another woman, a woman that wasnât her. Furthermore, if that wasnât enough yet, she didnât fail to notice the proximity between the two nor the way she was touching his arm and the fact that her face was more and more close to his.
The escort of 12 remained there still for a while, unable to move, and only realized what was happening when four eyes gaze at her direction. But she met only two of them, the blue ones owned by Seneca, and it was a eloquent and also painful meeting. It only lasted some seconds though, and then he turned his attention back on that Aurelia and she eventually found her strength to move.
As a matter of fact she felt like running in that moment, but ladylike as she was, she just increased the speed of her pace, leaving as fast as she could that part of the place. She didnât care too much about the people who tried to stop her, despite the polite smile she hinted to everyone and the quick excuses she managed to give. She kept on walking on her high heels, crossing the whole room in just about a couple of minutes. Just then, thinking to be far enough, she allowed herself to relax a bit and release a breath that she didnât know she had been holding. But stopping then was probably a mistake because the sentimental blow of the previous vision hit her in that apparent pause of peace.
Suddenly not even she wasnât smiling anymore, but she actually was about to cry.
Yes, that was the answer to the most likely question: yes, she was jealous. Somehow she felt that after countless years of knowing each other, almost two years of being lovers and his open confession of love to her, she had actually rights to be jealous. But yet if she really had had it once, she was also well aware that she lost it when to his âI love youâ she answered âwe canâtâ and with a more terrific addition âwhat would people say?â. Even if he was the one to formally break up with her just a month before, she had been the one to put an end to their relationship with those answers.
He was hurt of course, but that hurt couldnât justify his behavior with that silly brunette, could it?
For a moment the woman thought she was just imagining that voice, perhaps a hallucination overlapping the echoes of the too recent memory in her head. However, when he heard again that well known voice calling out her name becoming more and more closer, she couldnât deny it anymore. It took just one look behind to confirm her suspect, noticing a familiar figure with a peculiar black beard and two shining blue eyes moving right toward her.
Luckily for her, this time she didnât find herself frozen in place, on the contrary she felt ready to walk away again. Unluckily for her, he was faster and closer than she had considered and before she could actually move, he had grabbed gently but firmly her arm, obliging her to remain with him.
âOh, Seneca Crane! How are you?â she exclaimed a loud with a fake cheerful voice, turning to face him, but glancing around to see if people were looking at them âLet me goâ hissed then, still refusing to look at him, while trying to struggle from his grip.
The same careful Effie Trinket, he thought divided between tenderness and irritation. A smile anyway appeared on his lips, as the grip around her arm tightened and his other hand reached her waist.
âCan I have this dance, Miss Trinket?â he asked with a trace of amusement in his voice.
Before she could answer, he had already led her on the dance floor and, since Seneca had joined it for the first time that night, most of the eyes were focused on him. Except for the ones that were following the victor of the year or the always favorite Finnick Odair, of course.
âLet me goâŚâ she tried again, attempting again to free herself.
âAnd why would I, Effie? Itâs rude to interrupt a dance, as you well knowâ he quickly replied, giving himself a glance around âAnd besides, you donât really want to do that⌠What would people say?â
The bitterness and the irony in that question didnât go unnoticed. The reference to their last argument was evident and the sense of guilt immediately spread in her; as a response her face gradually softened and her body begun to refuse physical resistance and sway along with his. Only when they started to properly dance in silence, she decided to look at him and as their eyes met at such a proximity they both felt again that intimate connection between them that was never really broken.
As Effie sighed in defeat, Seneca smiled victoriously.
âWhat happened before? Were you jealous?â he teased suddenly breaking the silence.
Effie widened her eyes and instantly felt her cheeks reddening under the heavy make-up. She opened her mouth to answer for a few times, but nothing came out, until she realized that no remarks or changes of topic could be used.
It was barely a whisper, but it was enough to took Seneca by surprise and make him slightly stiffen. He was taken aback by her unusual bluntness and in that moment of wonder, decided that there was no way to exchange that act other than another heart to heart sentence.
The woman looked down for some moments and simply nodded, thoughtfully. But her thoughts, running probably among shared memories, covered and uncovered feelings and the emotion she was currently experiencing dancing now in his arms, inevitably ended up to linger on the brunette she got jealous of.
âWhat about⌠Aurelia?â she found herself asking with hesitation and also not so hidden fear.
The head gamemaker frowned for a moment and that simple gesture made the escort relax and a little smile appeared on her lips. It wasnât difficult to guess that he had already forgotten the other womanâs name.
âI just want one girl in my life and her name isnât Aureliaâ he said at last, staring intently at her and looking now completely serious.
The music had already changed two times in the meanwhile and the couple had attracted more attention, especially since, lost in their conversation, they had lost any sense of rhythm.
âOh, Iâm the one that should apologize, Senâ Effie answered after a while, blinking in attempt to hold the tears that now were actually threatening to fall âIâve made a mistake⌠I was just scared, I wasnât honestly ready to face the rest of the CapitolâŚâ
There was of course the unspoken ever present question âwhat would people say?â, but the only thing in that confession that seemed to have captured Senecaâs interest was the use of the past tense.
âYou were scared⌠And now?â he just asked in fact, gently interrupting her âDo you think you could be ready now?â
âI- I⌠All I know is that I want to be the one to be with you, not some anonymous capitol girl⌠The fact is even worse because sheâs not anonymous, she is Aurelia Rowland⌠Did you know that sheâs a men-eater? So yes, I think that I may be ready for whatever ââ
Effie never finished her answer as Senecaâs lips suddenly crashed into hers, giving start to a passionate, hot kiss, one that they were longing for since probably their break up. They parted only for need of air and now the blush on her face was so much to be visible. The reaction of the people to that unexpected show didnât help at all: many had stopped dancing or talking and were now pointing at them, gasping in surprise and some even attempted an applause. Also the camera was entirely focused on them and the worst was that in less than a minute Caesar Flickerman appeared in sight with an excited expression on his face.
âSeneca Crane, the head game maker with Effie Trinket the district 12 escort! What a surprise, who could have guessed!â he exclaimed laughing in a mixture of curiosity, incredulity and thrill, already with a microphone in his hand.
After a moment of shock, Effie quickly regained her composure and just looked back at the man that probably now she had every right to call her own.
âI hate you!â she hissed between her teeth, with a little reassuring glare, earning just a chuckle from him.
And despite everything, she was smiling too now, sincerely.
Because with his hand in hers and the taste of their kiss still on her lips, suddenly it wasnât so important to know what people would say.
