Haymitch Abernathy!" Effie snaps, glaring at the man standing above her. She had been deeply embroiled in the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, and he'd snatched the book from her fingers with a teasing smirk.
"Effie Trinket!" The older man replies, mimicking her voice. He's nowhere close to the fading Capitol accent but he's improved over the years. "We need fire wood and I'm not going alone."
Effie's eyes look wearily to the slowly dying fire and the empty space where wood should be. The storm rages on outside, rain pitter-pattering on their roof and sliding down their windows, lighting or thunder occasionally causing their house to shake.
"We can't get some tomorrow?" She whines, glancing down at her brand new pair of winter jeans. "It's raining."
"Well that depends. Do you want to freeze to death and don't-" he catches her before she could even part her glossy pink lips. "-say cuddle because I will let you freeze."
"Haybaby!" The woman says, using that stupid nickname he hated and standing. At full height, Effie only came up to his chest. But heels were inconvenient in the rocky and uneven paths of Twelve, so they were stowed away in her closet for special occasions. "I hate the rain."
"Take your umbrella," Haymitch scoffs, looking down at her. "Really, princess, you'd think you learned something after living here for several years. Come on, we need firewood." Sighing, Effie relents and grabs the yellow umbrella from the bucket next to the door.
Haymitch takes it from her and opens it before yanking open the door and stepping onto the porch. Sliding under the umbrella, Effie follows him out the door.
The rain wasn't letting up anytime soon and Effie had to full out run to keep up with Haymitch's jogs, but the market was far outside of the Village and it would take awhile for them to reach Johanna's lumber shop. She regretted allowing him to talk her into this.
Seeing Effie's turmoil, Haymitch chuckles and slows down a bit. "Can't keep up, princess?"
Glaring at him, the shorter woman slaps his arm. Her breaths were labored, but the blonde managed to grit out, "Your legs are long. Mine are short. You want to have this conversation?"
Haymitch's laughs were lost in the thunder of the rain. "You're cute when you're angry. Maybe I should piss you off more." Effie noticed the way the umbrella was pulling slowly away from her and she scrambled to cling to him. If he wet these jeans, he'd pay.
"Haymitch don't you move another muscle. Honestly, it's rude-" and then the umbrella snapped shut. The rain quickly drenched her, flattening her curls and causing her makeup to run.
Haymitch got the best of it, his own dark curls clinging to his face as he laughed at her expense. His shirt clung to his chest as he guffawed, and he full out stopped walking to point and laugh at her.
"I'm going to murder you!" Effie snarls, climbing on his back. Haymitch loses his balance at the sudden amount of weight but eventually stands easily enough to lift her into a full on piggy back ride.
"Haymitch, put me down!" The man in question shakes his head, hoisting her thighs further up. Effie screams, her arms coming to lock around his neck as she closed her eyes into his wet hair.
"You got up there, you stay up there!" He shouts over the rain.
"I'm afraid of heights!" She screams back. Haymitch shrugs and pushes through. She was actually not that heavy, but his back was old and he hadn't carried someone since... well since his brother. "Haymitch, it's cold! I'll get sick!"
"Should have thought about that sweetheart," he shrugs. Children that had been kicking a ball now stopped and pointed, laughing at the woman clad in the wet shirt and her - boyfriend? lover? - that lugged her on his back.
"Haymitch, they're staring," Effie hisses into his ear. "Put me down or so help me god-"
"Oh shut up. You shouldn't have climbed onto my back. What were you gonna do up there anyway sweetheart?"
"Claw your eyes out. Haymitch this is Puberlin. It's expensive!"
"Woman, if you don't stop all that shouting. You're making them stare, sweetheart." Effie quieted down at this, placing her face back into his mess of hair.
"Please let me down," Effie whimpers, when the shop comes into view. "She'll never met me live this down."
Sighing, he sees sense and lets her down. It's a have mistake, because once he she's there is hell to pay. She is all over him in a minute, lecturing about proper etiquette and how he was so uncouth. All he could do is stand there with an unamused face as she ranted. Haymitch regretted dragging her out for firewood.
"-you need a lesson when you get home and are you listening to me?"
"Shut up, princess. You're annoying."
"I'm annoying? You just carried me on your back halfway through the District, my clothes are soaked, I'm cold and I'm annoying? You are so unbelievable!"
Sick of her nagging, Haymitch swoops down to kiss her. It was the only way he knew how to shut her up.
Effie's body reacts before her mind does and suddenly her arms are thrown around his neck, her mouth moving against his.
When he pulls away smirking, all she can do is smirk and press her head to his chest.
"I hate you, Haymitch Abernathy."
"I love you too, Effie Trinket."
