I own nothing, this is just my entry for allthehayffiefeels' January Hayffie fic challenge on tumblr. I'm not sure what happened it ran away with itself one minate its 500 words over coffee and boom. Apologises for spelling mistakes and it is ooc but sorry if it's way too all over the place to read. Enjoy :3
Also I'm blaming Princess Sammi for getting me into Lana Del Rey. She'll know why.
"Mitch?" District twelve's current hunger over drunk and now thankfully retired victor cracked an eye open. He hated his name shortened especially this early but the number nicknames he had for Euphimea Trinket would make him a hypocrite.
Besides she had, as countless times before and always, tucked a blanket over him, stoked up the little dying fire as best she could, cleaned up the few empty bottles (Haymitch was very glad he no longer slept with a knife in his hand- having her prize it out his fingers was a worry neither of them needed anymore), and was now offering him a cup of coffee so he couldn't complain.
"Good morning dear."
"Morning princess. An' cheers." He mumbled groggily. Effie even rewarded his waking up with a kiss on the forehead as he sat up took the mug before she pottered off again in her fluffy slipper socks. He was about to take a sip when he looked in the mug.
"Urm Eff? This isn't coffee. " It was white for one thing with a swirl of copper coloured powder though the streamed frothy milk and Haymitch wondered if she'd accidently given him one of her fancy teas.
"It is. Well- sort of. It's a latte. Decaf I'm afraid," Effie called back as she carefully came back from the kitchen, her own mug in one hand and a large plate of buttered toast trying not to spill either. "I learnt how to make it on the stove finally without burning the milk and I just thought a little seasonal spice might warm you up. It's too early to start on whisky, even for you."
Haymitch might have disagreed on the last point but he tried it anyway. It tasted like strong milky coffee but with warm under tones of honey, nutmeg, ginger and something else he couldn't place. It even though it was of old capitol style and not quite to his taste it was good, hot and it even seemed to be easing his hangover.
"Not bad." He smirked smacking his lips enjoying Effie's pleased smile. He leaned back in the large sofa and looked out through the window on the dark, grey cold and snowy dawn, another bleak midwinter day in twelve. "Why am we up at stupid o'clock anyway?"
"You can go back to sleep if you want. "Effie shrugged as he set the mug down on the coffee table momentarily and took the plate and her cup. "Haymitch, on a Coaster please- I woke up an hour ago. I just thought I might as well make us both coffees while I was setting up Peeta's flask and Katniss's food parcel-"
"they were here this early? I thought I heard noises."
"you didn't. Not the way you were snoring. They'll be over in an hour or so."
"They bake and hunt most the food you give them you know." He mocked as Effie eased herself onto the cushions his legs had vacated.
"And you know I don't like Kaniss hunting in this weather without something to keep her going." She huffed, "AND if you had heard noises you should have gotten up to say hello and make the fire. It would have been rude not to and it would have saved me bending down to do it."
Haymitch chuckled in agreement and an apologetic kiss on the cheek as he handed her back her mug and picking up his own along with a slice of toast.
"Everything okay though?" he asked with his mouthful, trying not to spray crumbs. The seasonal spices seemed to have gotten everywhere. Effie nodded. "Wasn't nightmares that got you up was it?"
"No. our little one decided three am is a good time for a wriggle and keeps wriggling." Haymitch couldn't help laugh at her little scowl which set Effie back into a smile. He draped an arm around her shoulders and Effie scooted closer, stroking her stomach, trying to fit to him as best she could and pulling the blanket around them both. She'd borrowed the cream knitted jumper she'd found a few weeks ago in the back of his wardrobe to keep warm again. Haymitch didn't mind, he'd barely ever worn it and she didn't fit into much of her other clothes what with the baby bump. She even made it look good, even with her day dress, black tights and slippers. But the laughter faded and she looked a trifle worried at him now, "You didn't come to bed."
"I know princess. I am cutting back I swear but - One of those nights I guess." Under normal circumstances he'd have taken another swig of booze at remembering the bad dreams. Instead he had a coffee in hand and a swig of that felt better even adding lightly ". But I didn't even finish the bottle. Guess I can't get hammered like I used too. "
"One of those nights. " Effie repeated quietly. They sat in quiet for a while, Haymitch eating toast and Effie cradling her mug in both hands. Haymitch wondered if she slipped in to the little dark and cell in her mind again when, as if hearing his concern, Effie perked her head up her blue eyes bright and not at all vacant. "We still haven't decided on any possible names you know."
"We have." Haymitch said with another chomp of toast.
"Saying no to each other suggestions doesn't count." Effie pointed out. "And we haven't discussed if whose surname they take? Mine, yours? Or a double barrelled. Or even a combination of the two? Like Trinkernathy or Abernicket-?"
"Go with yours, I had enough trouble spelling Abernathy in preschool let alone Trinaby-whatsit on the birth certificate." Haymitch shrugged.
Effie frowned. "This baby is your son or daughter too, you know."
"Yeah but no kid of mine is going to get stuck at break because it takes them half a day to write Abernathy- Trinket or Trinket- Abernathy."
"Oh!" Effie flustered, "we'll have to start getting school paper sorted and savings for college organised-"
"You've to give birth first sweetheart. Come on, names." He grinned. Sat in cuddled up with his sweetheart, without a hangover Haymitch found himself in a good mood. Excellent even. Good enough to be planning the brighter seeming future for a kid he was still unsure he'd raise properly. And he had nothing better to do that day then discuss something like names. He was surprised he was happy too. "We need to call them something. Kid will probably call me Granddad anyway-"
"They wouldn't. A Trinket is always well mannered."
"They would. The amount of sass and sarcasm that kid will inherit, plus pick up from next door. "
Effie couldn't argue with that but judging for the pout she'd very much like too. Or was just getting annoyed at Haymitch. Maybe both.
"I was thinking," she clipped. "Maybe if it was alright- if we could name them after someone?"
Haymitch raised an eyebrow.
"Someone we've both lost to honour their memory?" Effie continued seriously. "I mean, we exhausted plant names, historically famous, family names and all the names in the baby book."
"Yeah but it's a long list of someone's, princess." Haymitch sighed. He'd had similar thoughts but his mother god love her, had a name he didn't fancy inflicting that on a tiny little girl and he wasn't sure if he could look at a baby boy with his brother name. Well not first names anyway- (not many in the districts had second names, much to Effie's surprise).
She brushed his hair back from his unshaved but clean face and he realised he must have slipped off into the distance. Had his happiness vanished that quickly? He kissed her hand unsure how he felt.
"Darling?"
"Sorry Eff. Is that a wise idea though?" Haymitch asked quietly voicing his doubts and ignoring the pang of grief he'd come to associate with thoughts of his brother. "We all seem to get triggered now and then- especially the boy. Where would we even start?"
"Oh, well- I don't know. " Effie sighed. She finished her latte and set it on the table. She took up two pieces of toast and gave one to Haymitch as he lay back stretching out his legs either side of her and she cuddled back up to him, deep in thought as she started nibbling delicately on her own bread,. "Not Primrose certainly. That's for Katniss' use only… well if she chooses too ever have children. And not Finnick either, it'd be to confusing regarding Annie and little Finn … What about Chaff?"
Another pang of grief struck Haymitch at the thought of his fellow victor, but then so did memories of his deceased friend's huge goofy smile.
"You two never really got on though." Haymitch grinned ignoring Effie's eye roll.
"Yes well you two were awful for winding up the other escorts. " Effie bristled. "I thought when you made a sport or how many dresses you could undo at the back during the sessions. I never heard the end of it."
"Hey, at least of all the times I made a mess, I never spilled a drink down your front because I forgot which hand to use." Haymitch grinned polishing off his toast trying not to get crumbs in her hair.
"No, you just emptied the contents of your stomach on mine and a possible sponsor's shoes!" Effie glared. He glared back before they both dissolved in to a fit of laughter although Effie's was disrupted with a little "ooh!" as the baby started joining in.
"You okay?"
"Yes I just need to- excuse me."
Haymitch pressed a kiss in her hair as she shifted to get comfortable again, laying her back against him and he moved his free hand to Effie's stomach. Even though the jumper he could feel an awful lot of movement. There seemed to be more each day. Their son or daughter had certainly inherited either his punches or worse their mother's love of dance.
"Chaff." Haymitch said eventually trying it out. "Chaff Trinket. What's it sound like when you say it?"
"Chaff, Chaff Trinket." Effie repeated, drawing it out clearly. "Well it would take some getting used to but I quite like it. Is that a maybe then?" she beamed at Haymitch's nod. "We still need a girl's name."
"Huh. We could alter it for a girl?"
"Chaffinch, perhaps?"
"That's a bird, isn't it?" Haymitch asked. "What about your friends? Naming the kid after one of them if it's a girl?"
"Hm. None of them actually- well Portica was who I was closest too. " Effie said quietly. Haymitch tried not to wince. He forgot how alone Effie had been left. Plus, although Portica had been a wonderful lady, it sounded a mouthful to name a child. "We could shorten it or alter it slightly if you don't like it? "
"To just Port? Good drink that." Haymitch pointed out and put on his best capitol accent. "Port? Bring your father the port!"
"Haymitch, manners." Effie tutted with a sigh. "Never mind. Cinna could be either I suppose. What do you think?"
Outside of rebellion plans, Haymitch hadn't been as close to the quiet designer as Effie and Katniss had been and he thought, seeing as he'd been asked, along with Primrose, Cinna might be a name reserved for to use in memory of stylist and best friend. Then again Katniss was adamant she didn't want children and Effie had known him prior to the games and pregnant so she was technically first in line for baby names.
"Cinna could work I guess." Finishing his nearly cool coffee. "Was it short for anything?"
"No why?"
"Just asking, Euphima." That earned him a swat on the chest. "Okay, is Cinna unisex then or would we have to alter it?"
"To what?" Effie yawned. " Cinninta? Cin? Cinna-mae? Cinnamon-"
"Cinnamon?" He barked laughing making her jump. "Seriously?"
""Well it sounds nice anyway. And people are always naming children after things."
"Really? And not just your cravings for Peeta's cinnamon and pecan loaves? Or has all this festive spice gone to your head?" Haymitch laughed, pulling his princess into a big smothering tickly bear hug. His fingers slipped under the jumper and sort out her ribs making Effie shriek and wriggle about as much as the life inside of her. He might have carried on had Effie not grabbed him and stopped him with a kiss. Well lots of them, before worn out by the early morning, she sleepily snuggled up to him.
"So would you rather it is a Chaff or a Cinnamon Trinket," he teased.
"Either- and I said Cinna, not cinnamon." Effie mumbled into his chest.
"I know. Speaking of which, these Latte things are gold by the way. What other stuff can we put in them?"
"Not Port," Was all he got in reply. Effie had fallen asleep on him. Good thing he didn't have anything better to the lie there. He pulled the blanket up to her shoulders, slipping his arms underneath to cuddle his princess, baby bump and all close. Haymitch too began to drift of watching the end of the sunrise over the houses.
They wouldn't wake when half an hour later Peeta would quietly knock and on hearing no reply, let himself in to check everything was alright, smile and leave again just as quietly; whereas Katniss banged on the back door then burst out laughing at the sight of the grown-ups. She'd apologize for waking Effie as she packed away the food parcel and Peeta's flask of coffee with promise it stop by the bakery, and then because Haymitch was still snoring on her way out, trickled water from her bottle on his face.
He was half way out of the village before he gave up chasing her. How he'd gotten that far with pins and needles in each leg he didn't know but Katniss ran on over the snow laughing while Haymitch hobbled bare foot back to the house where an unimpressed Effie stood in his jumper on the threshold hand on bump and the other on hip.
She nagged at him as he tried to defrost his numb toes telling him off for possibly catching his death of cold. But she, as countless times before and always, tucked a blanket over him, although he stoked up the little dying fire this time and Effie made them both fresh Lattes and toast before cuddling back up to him so Haymitch couldn't complain.
So far the day had been good to him. He had no hangover, a new acquired taste in coffee, possible names for their baby, seen the sunrise, another reason to one day throw Katniss in the Goose pen, and another reason to love his Trinket. Today at least, life was sweet, like Cinnamon.