"I'll kill her, I'm gonna...EFFIE! Effie! Where are you!?"
Not a drop not a single drop left in his 100 year old mault bottle!
He went to the sink and sniffed it. But Nothing
"I'll kill her. Cost me a god damned fortune!"
He headed to her chambers!
"Sweetheart you better be armed and dangerous because if you've tipped a drop of that good stuff down the sink I'm about to do some tipping of my own, starting with your god damned wig collection! EFFIE!"
He pounded on her door
"Effie!"
"I am not decent go away!"
"Well, You got 10 seconds to make yourself so coz I'm about to break this god damned door down!"
He heard her muttering from behind the door, probably some profanities towards him. He didn't care. He wanted his whiskey and he wanted it now.
10 seconds passed, he banged, and banged and banged and-
"What!" The door flew open. Stood before him was Effie. At least he thought it was Effie, it took him a good few seconds to realise it was indeed Effie.
She stood between the door and it's frame in nothing but her silk night slip and dressing gown. Her feet were bare as was her face, apart from a slightly smudged staining from the pink lipstick she wore this morning. Her soft natural pearl white tendrils scraped back into a messy pony tail and her eyes, puffy and red.
"There! You happy! Now you've seen me too!"
She threw an exaggerated pose "the true and ugly face of Effie Trinket! Darling of the Capitol! Nothing but a painted face and glorious gown!"
She erupted into a long wail, leaving the door open as she retreated back into her room, sobbing and throwing shoes out of her open window.
Suddenly it wasn't about Haymitch and his whiskey anymore. He knew where that had gone, she was laced in it. His anger had turned towards whoever had made his partner feel this way.
He followed her in. Shredded couture and obliterated beads scattered her boudoir. A glass fit for a pint, placed on her nightstand, it's rim laden with the remains of her pink lipstick and nothing but a mouthful left of his prized whiskey. His eyes widened in disbelief
"The whole bottle Ef?" He was more shocked about how on earth she was still standing but he quickly noted that she was standing far to close to that open window.
He quickly made his way to her, pulling her back by the waist and snatching, what looked like her last remaining shoe, from her grip before that too met it's fate.
"Let go of me Haymitch! Put me down!" She kicked and screamed and blubbered until the exhaustion of it all made her fall, defeated, into Haymitchs embrace.
"Hey hey, hey, sshhh" he planted a small kiss on her forehead as he stroked her soft hair and silk clad shoulders
"What's brought this on missy?"
"Oh Haymitch!" She cried, and held him tighter. "I just can't do this anymore, I can't keep being who they want me to be!"
He panned the room again at the destruction of her closet
"Snow?"
She sighed into his chest "I hate him Haymitch, I hate him so much!"
He placed his hand beneath her chin so she would meet his eyes "what's he done to you?"
The corners of her mouth shook with worry, her eyes laiden with fear.
More serious, Haymitch put her at arms length, he felt his blood boiling
"Effie? What has he done to you" his eyes were stinging with rage.
"He...he tried to..." She couldn't finish, she didn't need to, her shaking body and embarrassed tears spoke for her.
"I'll kill him!" He took a step back, now he was shaking, he ran his hands through his hair and gripped the sides of his head. The image of Snow forcing himself onto Effie, her vulnerable and delicate frame pinned to a wall in one of his lavish and seedy quarters as he kissed her and ripped at her clothes! It disgusted him, enraged him, he quickly plotted the quickest way to murder the man, to make him suffer. Strangulation. His hands dropped into fists. "I'll kill him Ef!"
She was by his side again, holding him, pleading. "Please Haymitch, you can't!"
"The hell I can't!" He tried for the door but she pulled him back, wrapping her arms around him
"Please Haymitch! I beg you! Don't leave me. Please, don't leave me"
Her breaking voice forced him to calm down. He held her tightly, desperately trying to sooth her quivering body.
"We were disturbed, I managed to get away from him. I just...I can't forget the look in his eyes Haymitch. So cold and cruel." She managed to pull her self together slightly, clinging to the silk gown that covered her night slip, she moved towards the bed and sat down. He sat beside her, gently placing his arm around her shoulders.
"He asked for my hand in marriage. We had just finished a meeting when he held me back, said he had a proposal. I didn't think he actually wanted to propose marriage. Well, I laughed! I didn't know what else to do or say! The thought of it repulsed me! I think he sensed it. He said It was an order and that as darling of the Capitol it was my duty. My duty?! Like all my hard work over the years meant nothing! I was still just pawn in his dirty little game that he could use and drop at will! Marry him? I'd sooner hang him from the rafters!"
"What exactly did you say to him"
"I said no! I told him how dare he try and control my life like that and that I no longer wanted wished to be under his rule! I said id resign"
"Oh god, Ef"
"I think he thought me giving up my position would be the las thing I'd ever do! It shocked him. He said he'd never wanted me more" she shuddered.
"He said if I wouldn't let him take me to bed and to be his wife he'd destroy me...that's when... That's when he started to...Oh Haymitch it was so horrible. I've never felt so weak, he was too strong! I couldn't-"
"Hey, it's ok, I'm here now, I'm here. He can't hurt you now, he can't destroy you"
"Oh but he has Haymitch. Everything about my life, my work, my clothes and hair, it just reminds me of everything he wanted to take from me when he held me down! I can't stand the sight of it anymore!"
"How did you get away"
"His secretary came in un announced and managed to kick him away. The look in her eyes, I know she heard me screaming, I just no she came in to help me but I just left her. I left her there, with him, god knows what he may have done to the poor girl"
"It's not your concern Ef! It's not your fault"
"Promise me you won't do anything Haymitch. If you try, he will ruin you too!Then I'll have nothing. I'm sorry if I sound selfish but you are the only one I feel safe with Haymitch. Your the only one I trust. Please, please promise me you won't leave me."
He kissed her gentle pearl white waves.
"I promise"
In the darkness they held each other. Loving and secure. In the darkness Effie looked at the hero that had saved her from herself that night, she looked at the disarray of clothing and jewels and cared for nothing. Nothing but the man by her side. She felt his breath on her neck, his soothing hands caressing her in his embrace. In the darkness she saw his lips, pouting and worrying over her. She kissed them.
Feeling her Lips press softly against his, he panicked slightly. Had he instigated this? No, he wouldn't take advantage of her. Never. Especially tonight. She kissed him again but he pulled away.
"Ef"
"Please Haymitch. It's ok"
She kissed him again but this time she lingered, parting her lips, brushing her nose against his.
A wave of electric want, devoured him and he kissed her back, cupping her face in his hands.
"I love you Haymitch, I always have"
They kissed harder and deeper.
"I think I've always known Effie. I've always loved you too"
"Is that why your always so horrid to me"
She smiled against his mouth
"It's the same reason why you let me"
In the darkness he saw her. Truly. The woman he had loved but had feared to love for all these years. Feared because he didn't deserve her. But now, knowing he was the only man he could ever imagine taking care of her, he allowed himself to not be afraid anymore. He had Effie to lose if he was, and that just couldn't be.
"Marry me Effie, marry me tonight and you will always be safe in my arms"
In the darkness he heard her breathe, deep and thoughtful, he worried momentarily that he had stepped over the line, pushed her too early, he wanted to kick himself when-
"Yes Haymitch. I'll marry you! I'll marry you right now but..."
He'd dreaded that word "But?"
"Well I...I may need to go get some new shoes first"