Okay, first things first: despite the title, this does NOT have anything to do with Christmas. It's set in the winter time, but there is no mention of Christmas, Santa, presents, or anything of that nature
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This was a short little fic that I came up with this morning, and it's just a one shot that I thought would be cute and appropriate ever since the Hayffie kiss in Mockingjay Part 2.
This is kind of A/U. It's set in District 12, the Victors' Village, but as far as we know, everything in Panem is just peachy. There's no rebellion no anything. Also it might get a little OOC at times :3
I hope you guys enjoy!
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Snow was falling down in thick sheets, coating the last little bit of the autumn grass. White crystals glistened in the pale light of District 12; the snow surrounded the Victors' Village. Only one house was inhabited for the winter: Haymitch Abernathy's. He was the lone victor staying in the mining district during the holidays, while Katniss and Peeta attended the Winter Gala in the Capitol.
Haymitch wasn't one for parties. They were too loud and crowded, and there was never enough booze for his liking. He decided to stick to the comfort of his home in the freezing weather, enjoying the unlimited amounts of alcohol.
Holding a bottle of alcohol in one hand and a remote in the other, Haymitch stumbled into the living room, already beginning to get drunk. He collapsed in his worn out, velvet chair, pointing the silver remote at the empty fireplace. With one swift click, red and orange flames licked the sides of the chimney, illuminating the house. A second click turned on the hologram television set. Coverage of the Capitol Gala filled the screen. Haymitch smirked when he saw an empty place at a long table; a seat saved for him. All the victors were invited to the holiday celebration, but it seemed that he was the only one who declined. The other seats were occupied. Sitting next to his vacant chair were Katniss and Peeta. Katniss had her head resting on Peeta's shoulder, waiting for the food to arrive.
"You can stop the act now, sweetheart," Haymitch chuckled to himself, talking to an unaware Katniss, "the Games are over." Haymitch took a swig of wine and started flicking through the channels. Each one somehow involved the Capitol, and he finally stopped on a program featuring interviews from past victors. Haymitch wasn't really paying attention, so he disregarded the TV when his interview from years past was shown. The combination of the warm fire, the booze, and the soothing crackling of the television was enough to make Haymitch drowsy. His eyes slowly started to close.
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
KNOCK KNOCK
Haymitch woke up suddenly, spilling the wine all over his lap and his chair.
"Dammit!" He hissed. He went to get a rag to wipe up the mess.
KNOCK KNOCK
The banging at the door grew louder and faster. Haymitch tried to soothe his oncoming headache by rubbing his temples.
"Hold on!" Haymitch grumbled impatiently to the door. He turned off the TV, wiped up the spilled drink, and proceeded to half walk, half jog to get the door. He rubbed his eyes in annoyance as he unlocked the latch. "Who the hell wants to see me in the middle of the night?" He mumbled to himself. He opened the door and shuddered a bit. "Effie?" He asked.
"Oh, Haymitch!" Effie breathed airily. She rushed into the doorframe, wrapping her arms around Haymitch's body. "I'm so sorry to have woken you. You probably aren't the slightest bit happy to see me. I-I-I was in the district a-and I was t-t-told to c-come—"
"Effie, calm down," Haymitch said, exhaling. He gingerly placed his palms on the small of her back, waiting for her response. She stayed pressed against his chest, shaking slightly. She was starting to cry. "Shhh," he whispered, trying to relax her. Effie sniffed and brought her head back to look at Haymitch. She wasn't wearing any makeup; there was no black mascara running down her face.
"I'm sorry, Haymitch," she trembled. Haymitch rubbed her cheek, drying the tears.
"No, no it's okay. Really. Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Now come here," he grabbed her hand and led her to the living room to rest on his couch. Only then did he realize how cold her body temperature was. "Effie, you're freezing," he half scolded her, as if she should have taken care of herself. Effie blinked at him, and he saw tiny snowflakes resting on her eyelashes. "I'll be right back." Haymitch hurried out of the room and clambered up the stairs.
Effie looked around his house. She'd only been in the Victors' Village once, and that was to help Katniss and Peeta prepare for their Victory Tour. She'd been inside Katniss' house, and it looked nothing like Haymitch's. There were empty bottles everywhere, crumpled papers littering the floor, and the air had the slight smell of stale alcohol. She smiled. Haymitch never did seem to understand the concept of organization. She reached for her head, instinctively making sure her wig wasn't ruined, but her hand grasped air. Her natural blonde hair sat flat atop her head. She forgot that she had left all her makeup and fancy hair at her home in the Capitol. All she was wearing was a winter coat, leggings, and boots. Even her accessories were lacking a place in her ensemble.
Haymitch stomped back downstairs with a thick, wool blanket in his arms. He went to Effie and wrapped it around her tightly. She smiled graciously and leaned against the thick, soft, couch pillows. "Excuse me again," Haymitch said, wandering off into the kitchen. Effie glanced around the living room once more, spotting the silver TV remote. She got up from her place and went to sit in Haymitch's worn velvet chair. She turned on the television and flipped to the channel with footage of the Gala. Now, all the previous victors were dancing. It was set in a giant room in President Snow's mansion, with lights and decorations adorning the ceiling and walls.
The camera zoomed in on a very particular couple. Effie turned up the volume slightly to hear Caesar Flickerman's voice narrate the ordeal.
"…and there's everyone's favorite victors: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark! Look at them, such a cute couple—oh my. Listen. A slow song just began to play…" Effie could hear the fake smile in Caesar's voice. She watched closely as Katniss rested her head on Peeta's shoulder, her mouth moving as she said something to Peeta. Effie felt more tears at the corners of her eyes. They were such good kids…
"Aww, Katniss is finally appealing to the audience," Haymitch chortled. Effie jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned around to face him as he sat on the arm of the chair. He handed her a warm mug, steam coming out the hot liquid. Effie took a sip.
"Hot chocolate," Effie whispered. "I haven't had this in…well, I can't tell you how longs it's been. Thank you." Haymitch nodded in return. They stared at the TV in silence for a few moments, watching Katniss and Peeta effortlessly glide among the dance floor. The only sound that could be heard was Effie drinking from her mug. "We did a good job, Haymitch," Effie said, placing her free hand in his. Their fingers interlocked as they made eye contact. He genuinely smiled down at the woman next to him, at her beauty. He didn't realize how he felt towards Effie until they both sat in agony during the 74th Hunger Games, frightened to the core, watching Katniss and Peeta race through the arena. Although it used to take everything in his power not to yell at Effie's pristine, perfect attitude, now it took Haymitch everything in his power not to disrupt it.
Haymitch looked around his living room. Trying to ignore the messiness, he saw the true beauty of the scene in front of him. Snow was slowly falling outside, the fire place was sizzling, and the smell of chocolate was in the air. Effie quietly yawned, but it was enough for Haymitch to hear her. He let go of her hand to take the hot chocolate from her, and turn off the TV.
"It's the middle of the night," he stated, "It's time to get you to bed, princess." Effie laughed slightly as Haymitch guided her up the stairs into the main bedroom—his bedroom. "Here," he tossed her an old t-shirt. "Change into something…normal." He smirked at her as he pulled the sheets of the bed back.
Effie changed in the middle of the room, and she chuckled to herself when she caught Haymitch pretending not to look. The old shirt smelled like Haymitch: booze, dirt, and a certain musk that wasn't good, nor was it bad. She walked over to the side where Haymitch was sitting and sat next to him. The bed was soft and firm, almost as comfortable as the one she had back home. Haymitch caressed her cheek awkwardly, and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him. In silence, they admired each other's soft and steady breathing. Effie lifted her head.
"Are you sure you're okay with me staying the night?" She whispered, her eyes searching for an answer. There wasn't a word spoken verbally, but there didn't need to be. Haymitch leaned in to kiss Effie. They stayed like that, lips against each other's for a while. Haymitch moved his hands so one was on Effie's back and the other was on her waist, and she had placed her fingertips on his face.
It was a weird feeling for Effie; she didn't feel this way often, but it seemed like all the cold was disappearing from her body and being replaced with a newfound warmth. After they broke apart, Effie got up and moved to the other side of the bed. She crawled under the blankets and moved to be closer to Haymitch. He let her rest her head on his chest.
"So when are you telling me why you came here at midnight, sweetheart?" Haymitch playfully asked. Effie sighed.
"Maybe tomorrow," she whispered, sending a silent signal that the conversation was over. Haymitch rolled his eyes. Effie quickly fell asleep to the calm, consistent up-and-down movements of Haymitch's torso. He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her forehead. He adjusted his head and smiled.
"Goodnight, sweetheart."
A/N: Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed :D I had no intention of continuing it, but if a great deal of you want me to continue with the story just let me know! Please leave a review and follow (it helps a lot!) I hope you liked this story!