Hello! I was wondering if you could write a prompt about Haymitch and Effie talking one on one in district 13 for the first time since they both got there?
Hey guys! So I know I haven’t been on here for a long time, but I really wanted to write something, so here’s a little drabble response to this prompt. I hope you like it… and I hope its not too terrible… I haven’t written anything in a long time and I’d really like to get back to it. Let me know what you think!
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“Mr. Abernathy,” a harsh voice carried down the hallway.
Haymitch sighed and turned around only to be met by a blur of gold crashing into him. “You requested her.” The District 13 soldier’s remark sounded more like a disgusted question as he shoved the former escort towards the former mentor. Haymitch looked closer; the gold shoes, the gold tulle dress, the gold wig; Effie.
“You know, I think I could’ve managed the last few steps without your help, thank you,” Effie snapped at the soldier as she tried to untangle herself from Haymitch, who had instinctively caught her in his arms when she was shoved towards him.
The soldier glared at her, about to say something when he caught Haymitch’s own glare. Knowing better, he turned around, leaving the two alone to look at each other for the first time in weeks, though it had felt like years. In that moment, Effie stopped trying to separate herself from him, and stared at him, as if trying to memorize his every feature. Haymitch looked back at her in a similar way; looking into her eyes he saw her, beyond the outrageous outfit that most everyone here couldn’t seem to get past.
After a few minutes, Haymitch cleared his throat, breaking the silence, “I’m sorry we didn’t find you sooner. Once Katniss fired that arrow, we needed to get her here. I’ve been pushing to get you here as well, but the people here in 13 just didn’t understand…” that we are a team? that you are one of us? how important you are to me? Haymitch didn’t know how to finish his sentence. While Effie still had on her Capitol fashion, her head-to-toe gold ensemble spoke volumes as to her true loaylties.
“Yes,” she agreed knowingly, her voice softer now that she was with him, “It’s no matter now- I’m here.” She paused, “Thank you, I can’t imagine anyone wanted to expend valuable resources to get me out of there.” She gestured to her out of place outfit as she spoke, emphasizing that she knew they saw her as nothing more than a Capitol pawn.
“I made sure they knew you are one of us.” He said. “You are, you know.” The doubt had been radiating off of her. “Nevertheless, let’s get you into something more…” Haymitch tried to find the right word.
A woman in a 13 uniform walked by, and Effie eyed her outfit, finishing his sentence for him, “drab.” She sighed, as if in resignation- she knew coming here to be with her team meant sacrificing her style… at least for the most part.
They stood there for a moment; Haymitch looking at Effie, Effie looking at Haymitch, at the walls and people that surrounded her, then back at Haymitch, as if she needed to reaffirm she was really there with him. After the third soldier walked by, glaring daggers at Effie, Haymitch decided to lead her away to her own room.
Haymitch sat at the table, waiting for Effie as she changed into her new District 13 clothes. When she finally returned to him, he was taken aback; not at the jumpsuit that replaced the gold dress ,but at her face, which had been wiped clean of all her makeup, and her natural blonde hair, that fell in delicate curls.
She was beautiful; a realer, rawer beautiful than any Capitol citizen could have tried to pay for. Though, Haymitch realized as he regarded her, she also seemed more vulnerable, which unsettled him; he always saw Effie as a force to be reckoned with; but now, without the make up, he could see the bruise-like circles under her eyes from sleepless nights, and her nerves were more apparent as she twiddled with a stray curl absentmindedly.
Effie mistook his thoughtful stare for one of disgust at seeing her true form. She continued to twist the curl between her fingers. She shrugged, giving a half-hearted chuckle, “I suppose I can’t do anything to fix this… with a war going on, I suppose looks don’t matter that much. I just hope I’m not too dreadful to look at.” She clearly was trying to convince herself as she spoke. She glanced at the mirror to her right, but evidently found that unbearable, as she quickly shifted her gaze back to Haymitch, then settled on looking down at her feet.
Haymitch got up and walked towards her. He placed his hand on her hand that fiddled with the curl. She stopped instantly, looking at him. He tucked the curl behind her ear, then held her hand in his. “You look beautiful, Princess, with or without all that stuff. Personally, I think you look even better now.”
Effie blushed, “perhaps if I could get a bandana to hide these unruly curls, and maybe a pair of glasses to hide these circles I might be somewhat presentable for…” she paused as Haymitch pressed a kiss to her hair.
“It’s good to have you back,” he chuckled, finding solace from the outside world listening to her needless fretting. “I’ve missed you, Pri… Effie,” he corrected himself.
Effie smiled, taking the opportunity to wrap her arms around him and bury her face into his chest, “And I, you, Haymitch.”
After a moment, Haymitch extracted himself from her arms with a grunt, feeling awkward and unsure of himself and their situation. “If you need anything, don’t be a stranger.”
Effie smiled and briefly placed a hand on his cheek before he left, “I don’t intend to.”
Effie stared at the wall across from her. She breathed in an out through her nose, not moving a muscle. Her throat was raw and dry. She knew there had to be food on one of the platforms up above, but she didn’t know what was edible and what wasn’t. Of course, she figured it wouldn’t be the worst thing if she got something poisonous. She even considered finding one of the weapons on the platforms above and…
No, Effie didn’t even have enough energy to think about it. All she could do was lean her head back against the wall, resigned. She didn’t know if anybody would ever find her, or if she even wanted someone to.
Effie just stared at the wall across from her until unconsciousness swept over her. Then, she’d wake up and keep staring. One time she passed out and had a nightmare about the arena and the mutt-Haymitch. She kicked and screamed, punching the wall in her sleep. When she woke up, her knuckles were bruised and she was lying down on the floor. She stayed there and kept staring.
"Why would you think you are a mutt?" Effie asked, trying to keep her voice even.
"The others… they don't attack me"
"There could be a number of reasons why they-"
Portia cut Effie off, "Then there's this." she compared her own hand to Effie's. Effie's was still bruised from climbing the rocks before while Portia's were completely fine.
"Maybe I'm just clumsy… Portia, this is ridiculous." Effie said. But even she could tell she didn't sound convincing.
Portia stepped back, "Maybe we should spread out… I could turn at any minute."
"You're not one of them… you're not a monster." Effie said. She meant it. "Maybe you're a mutt… maybe. But you've saved me countless times and you don't behave like the others. Maybe you are like the mockingjay- they never meant to make you but here you are. We can beat them together."
"I don't know…" Portia said. Effie was sure that this Portia wouldn't attack her. She also felt that if she was completely alone, she'd start to go completely mad.
Haymitch's eyes were glued to the cornucopia in front of him. It was ransacked, all weapons gone, only a few spilled apples remained on the floor of it.
Haymitch was still standing next to the trap door. His heart was pounding, and he felt the need for a drink overpowering him. He tried to shake it off. Flashes of his games tore through his mind and he tried to fight them off. He needed to look around, he told himself, for Effie. This was the answer, he could feel it.
The light reflected off of the cornucopia and Haymitch couldn't breathe. Anxiety spread to his hands and he was forced to climb back through the trap door. He clutched onto the chair with shaking hands as he climbed down, collapsing onto the floor.
He was sober. He thought that now he was stronger, that he can deal with the memories. But as he sat in that empty room, Haymitch felt weak and scared. As he sat there, he wondered if Effie had sat in that room, too, feeling just as afraid. He couldn't go back, but he needed answers.
Effie watched as Portia fell asleep that night, between the boulders. She decided against telling Portia about what she saw. Despite her being a mutt, Effie truly believed Portia had no idea what she was. She was probably programmed to befriend Effie, and, when the time came, kill her… or at least lead her to another group of tributes accidentally. Or maybe Portia was a flaw in the system, that the Capitol made a mistake with her, like when they accidentally bred mockingjays.
All Effie knew was that she was alone with a group of mutts, and she needed out. And maybe Portia was her way out. Maybe Portia could escape too, and somehow find a way to keep living. She was too much like the Portia Effie had always known, and Effie wasn't going to let her go, not after she saved her life.
Effie eventually drifted off to sleep as well, but was woken up shortly after to the sound of screams.
"EFFIE!" It wasn't Portia- it wasn't even a woman. It was a man. It was Haymitch. "EFFIE HELP ME PLEASE!" Effie climbed from between the boulders and searched for Haymitch. But all she found was a lone jabberjay circling above them.
"About a day." Portia answered. That meant Effie had been out for almost twenty three hours. Portia continued, "I scouted out some of the other tributes before I found you."
"Did they seem… strange to you?" Effie asked. She whispered, "I'm not sure if some of them are real. Like… this is the Capitol messing with us or something." That was the only explanation she could allow herself to believe. Despite their fights, she couldn't imagine Haymitch actually trying to kill her. And Portia, she saved Effie, gave her food. She was sure Portia was real, that she could trust her.
Portia nodded, "The ones I've seen… they can't be human. They aren't fighting with each other, but they all have weapons on them- not one canon has gone off yet. They just keep moving, as if they're looking for something."
"Are they mutts?" Effie asked. If it was her and Portia locked up in an arena with a bunch of mutts- well, she couldn't think of a good outcome.
"I think so," Portia explained, "Occasionally, while they're moving, they freeze up and start glitching, like the Capitol didn't finish developing them before they sent them in here."
"The one, that looks like Haymitch, he called me Miss Trinket. That's not what Haymitch ever called me."
"I think the mutts were programmed to act like who they look like, but they might not've had much to go off of."
"So we just need to stay hidden from them?" Effie asked.
"Yes," Portia agreed, "But we can't stay here- they'll find us too quickly. Can you move?"
Effie stood up slowly. She knew she could walk fine, the wound in her shoulder wouldn't affect that, but she felt emotionally drained. "I'll be fine."
Portia understood, "The tracker jacker venom went directly into your arm, it'll be a while before it's out of your system completely."
"It's not just that- it's everything. I just don't understand why we're here. Why did they put us in an arena?"
"I was in a cell, before this. Then Peacekeepers came in, and all of a sudden here I am." Portia explained. "And I intend on finding a way out."
Alright…Chapter 2 of Games to Play is up because I couldn’t resist writing the next part.
Hunger Games? What? Effie tried to remember what had happened last as the minute countdown ticked on the cornucopia ahead- Caesar said she was going to the basement- not the arena! But here she was, was this real? Was she really going to have to fight for her life? Effie looked at the other tributes. 30 seconds left.
The arena was a grassy plain, with no visible trees anywhere. The only structures that stood above ground level were the platforms and the cornucopia.
She scanned their faces, hoping not to see a familiar one, but the odds were clearly not in her favor. The first face she spotted was Portia's a few platforms to the right of her. Portia wasn't looking back. Would she ally with Effie? Effie's stomach churned at the thought of having to actually ally with someone, with actually being in the Games. 10 seconds.
Effie shifted slightly, trying to decide whether to run to the cornucopia or not. 8 seconds. Clearly this was all a Capitol trap, but was it really happening? Or were there electrodes plugged into her head making her think she was here? Was this just a punishment, a way to conveniently get rid of the escort who sent so many kids to the exact same place. The irony. 4 seconds.
Effie knew, even if it was all in her head that she needed to survive. She was going to run away in the opposite direction. Then she saw the most familiar face directly across from her and her heart dropped. Haymitch. 0 seconds.
New AU Hayffie I am working on. Multi Chapter. Much angst. Enjoy.
Effie was not a heavy drinker. Haymitch had only ever seen her with a flute of champagne during the victory tour or a small glass of white wine with dinner before a year's Games began. Now, here she was, in Haymitch's old house in 12, raiding the kitchen for a bottle.
"You're not going to find anything there." Haymitch said in a soft voice. He didn't know what had happened to her that changed her so much. Since they rescued her from the Capitol after the war, Effie had been different. She started to remind him of, well, himself. She didn't leave her house without a bottle in her hand.
"Why'd you have to go and sober up?" She asked, not turning around to look at him. She tossed her empty bottle to the side and leaned back from her search, defeated. "They cut me off of my supply."
"I've been there." He said, sitting down next to her, trying to get a look at her face. Effie's hair was matted and very dirty, and she still wore the pajamas they gave her the day they rescued her from the Capitol.
Little fic about Hayffie at the Odesta wedding that I couldn’t resist writing.
"Trinket!" Effie turned in her seat and saw Haymitch walking down the aisle.
"It's about time!" Effie scolded him as he slid into the seat she saved for him. "Where were you?"
Haymitch shrugged, "Getting ready." He smirked, "Don't I clean up well?"
She playfully hit him on the shoulder, "Aren't you modest. And anyways, I don't know how it took you so long to get ready- I did all of this," she gestured to her outfit,"even though it is only a more natural look, but I still beat you down here. I guess I was always the organized one."
"That's natural?" Haymitch scoffed. "You keep telling yourself that- but I always thought your hair was more of a golden color."
Effie shushed him "Keep it down, will you! I do have a reputation."
"And your hair color will really ruin you, hm?" Haymitch laughed. He still couldn't believe how easy it was for them to bicker non stop.
"Really, Haymitch, I- oh for goodness sake." Effie grumbled as Coin sat down in front of them.
"Say what you will about your natural hair, Princess, but its way better than that." Haymitch whispered to Effie, gesturing at Coin.
Effie giggled and placed her hand on top of his.
After the ceremony, Effie watched as couples swirled around the dance floor, Finnick and Annie in the midst of it all, never once taking their eyes off of each other. She wondered if Haymitch would ever dance with her like that. She couldn't really imagine him with the grace needed to dance, but she was used to him surprising her after all these years. She still couldn't believe he had ever been able to fall for her like she had him.
"Do you like dancing, Haymitch?" She asked him.
"Do you know me at all?" He responded.
"One dance?" Effie requested.
Despite his two left feet, Haymitch decided that one dance with Effie was a better option than her getting mad at him and making him do something else for her- he still remembered when she put him in that bright yellow coat to get sponsors during the Quarter Quell just because he had overslept and missed their planning meeting at breakfast.
He offered her his hand which she gladly accepted. Because Effie wasn't as familiar with the different District's wedding dances, Haymitch just held her close and swayed with her, in a secluded corner of the dance floor.
"Is this good enough?" Haymitch asked.
Effie smiled, "Perfect." She leaned her head against his chest, grateful she chose to wear her only flat shoes.
"Are we going to be ok?" She asked him. The question had been itching at her for quite some time and here, now, she just couldn't hold it in any longer.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
"Well," Effie explained, "When all is over, and if we end up alive at the end of this war, will we be ok? Will you still want to be with me?"
Haymitch kissed her forehead, "How could I not?" He let her go and pulled a small box out of his jacket. "You want to know why I was late today?" He opened up the box and inside was a small gold ring. "It's made from one of the sections from the bracelet you gave me before the Quell. Finnick gave it back to me when we got here and I had part of it made into a ring for you."
"Haymitch… I-" Effie didn't know what to say.
"I know there's not enough time for another wedding here, and I'm not saying thats what we need. I just need you to know that you'll still have me, no matter what happens, ok?"
Effie nodded and Haymitch slid the ring onto her finger. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, as they swayed back and forth. "I love you."
Haymitch wasn't fond of expressing how he felt, but this was Effie, and right now it was just the two of them and nothing else mattered in that instant. "Love you, too, Eff."
▪ Effie moving to District 12 with Peeta once he finished recovering in the Capitol
▪ Effie moving in with Haymitch
▪ Effie trying to figure out how to use a non electric stove in District 12, resulting in a small fire and a significantly burned anniversary dinner
▪ Effie being asked to feed the geese when Haymitch is sick and she somehow ends up being chased by 4 very hungry geese as she runs in high heels throwing their food all around trying to throw them off her trail
▪ Effie deciding to finally take off her wig in front of the kids
▪ Peeta teaching Effie how to garden
▪ Effie taking care of Katniss as she goes into labor with her kids
▪ Effie draging Haymitch to the Capitol every so often to buy him new clothes
▪ Haymitch taking Effie on picnics at the lake Katniss found when hunting
▪ Haymitch and Effie acting like grandparents to Katniss and Peeta's kids
▪ Haymitch picking flowers for Effie but just setting them on the counter and never actually giving them to her because he doesn't want to be cheesy
▪ Effie deciding to clean the house and finding old pictures of Haymitch and his family
▪ Haymitch covering Effie with a blanket when she falls asleep on the couch after reading
