Friendship fiction. Haymitch/Katniss.
She asks Haymitch to be the godfather of her and Peeta's first child.
Peeta is at work. I hate whenever he goes to work and leaves me alone. He knows I'm terrified of this. She's barely three weeks old, and we have money, but Peeta insists that the shop cannot be run without him. He said he would be gone for a couple hours
And it needs to be done.
It's in the dead of winter, and it's almost Christmas. My little Christmas miracle. There's two days until Christmas and I swear there's a blizzard out there. But it got better today, and the dirt road isn't iced over.
So I scoop up little Kieta in my arms and wrap her in blankets and get her baby bag. I put her in the carrier and pile blankets on top of her.
I walk carefully across the road.
I never wanted a child, but it's different whenever you hold your child in your arms for the first time ever. It changes everything. Kieta changed everything. And I love her.
Once at the house, I knock on the door.
I've noticed a change in Haymitch. He's not drunk every second of every day and on the day Kieta was born, he came to the house with Effie Trinket and a pile of baby clothes and a crib.
And when he held Kieta-it was pure love. Like it was his own child.
He loves her and he admitted it a few days after she was born to Peeta. He brought her over to his house and let him watch her for a few hours. He said she was, "The perfect littlest thing on this planet, and she deserves every ounce of love she gets. And I am prepared to be in her life and do that for her, just like you and Katniss."
Peeta wrote it down, and it hangs on our fridge, along with a picture of him and Kieta.
Peeta made up his mind a few days ago. It was about a week and a half after I made up mine.
I wanted Haymitch to be the godfather.
When he opens the door to his house, I am surprised to find him not only sober, but dressed up in a tuxedo. He's tying his tie, and he sees me. He looks down and sees Kieta. He lets me in.
"Why are you getting all fancy?" I ask, not even bothering to say hello.
He takes Kieta from the carrying case after her successfully ties his tie and cradles her, "I am going somewhere."
Haymitch is an unbelievable person. He's tough enough to take my nails to the eye and gentle enough to cradle my daughter in his arms, and look at her with pure love and affection.
"Okay, I got that," I say and watch Kieta, "where?"
"Somewhere, sweetheart," he looks up from Kieta and looks at me. He doesn't look any older in the face, but his hair thinned. It's still the blonde color it was before, but he's cut it and it's not as luxurious and thick, "the real question, is why you are here. Care to elaborate?"
"Certainly. And if I do, you have to do the same."
He nods and sets Kieta back in the carrier. He holds out his hand, and I shake it, "Deal."
"I have a question."
"Shoot."
"Shoot?"
"Ask me." He rolls his eyes.
I nod and look down at my daughter. I twisted the skin on my fingers and then the golden band, "Peeta and I were wondering…if you would be her godfather."
I look at his face, nervously.
His eyes are as big as saucers and suddenly, he has a smile spread across his face. He stands up and throws his arms around me and kisses my cheek, "Of course I would. Of course."
He looks down at his goddaughter and his smile reaches his eyes.
"Now its your turn."
"Oh, of course." He says the next four words as if they are the most normal thing in the entire universe, "I have a date."
a/n: so, did you like my little one-shot? I thought it was kinda cute and friendshippy. Xo, lu5mu6 (;