Author's note: All of my stories are based on the movies/actors, not on the books.

Wake Me Up Before You Go

Chapter 1

"Another?" The bartender asked, his hand hovering over the empty martini glass.

"Yes, please." Haymitch nodded.

"Coming right up."

Haymitch's gaze was on the delicate box in front of him, running his fingertips slowly over the tasteful, velvet ribbon.

"Your drink, Mister." Skillfully, the bartender placed the full cocktail glass in front of Haymitch.

Lost in thoughts, he reached out for the colorful toothpick in his drink and slowly gnawed the green olives off it. One more and he could lay out a perfect E from his collection of toothpicks.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Asked a small female voice next to him.

His tired eyes looked up into a tear-stained face, hiding behind dark long locks. Surely too young to be served at a bar, he thought. But what did he care, he had his own demons to fight.

Haymitch nodded slightly and the young woman collapsed onto the old-fashioned bar stool. She snuffled her nose noisily.

Sexy, he thought sarcastically, before turning his gaze back to the romantic box.

"What would you like to drink, Miss? Coke, juice?" The barman asked impatiently behind the counter.

Her dark eyes run over the countless bottles behind the bar, lingering on each for a moment. Overwhelmed by the apparently never-ending display, her eyes moved on, to her neighbor's cocktail glass.

Her sad eyes clung to Haymitch's half-full martini, before wiping the wet tip of her nose with the back of her hand.

"Could I have the same, please?" She asked.

"It's a Martini on the Rocks, Miss." The bartender said, putting his hands on his hips. "If you could show me your ID card, please."

The young woman nodded, fumbling around in the big pockets of her oversized jacket and finally passed her card over to him.

"OK?" She asked hopefully.

The barman took a long glance, nodding shortly.

Haymitch decided to end the evening in his quiet apartment, at the side of his collection of exquisite Irish whiskey. Slowly he slipped from his bar stool and his gaze shifted to the young woman beside him. She looked pitiful, he thought.

Her long beautiful hair was ragged as if she had wandered through a storm and her reddened eyes made a strong contrast to her pale face. He took notice of her slightly shaking hands; she looked as if she hadn't slept in days.

Reaching behind the bar, Haymitch grabbed a handful of paper napkins with cheesy little hearts on them and passed them to the sorry-looking girl.

Puzzled, she looked at the napkins in his large hand, as if she didn't know what to do with them, before finally she grabbed them.

"Thank you." She said dully, wiping her nose on her hand again.

Haymitch rolled his eyes, looking meaningfully at the napkins in her slender hand.

"That's what the paper towels are for, Miss."

She gave him a look that could kill.

"All men are shit!" She hissed back.

"Well, maybe not all." He shrugged, biting his tongue to keep himself from smiling. "But a lot of them."

"All of them!" She said, glaring at him again.

He couldn't help himself as he started grinning at her. "I think I'm one of the good guys." He held out his hand. "My name is Haymitch Abernathy."

Hesitantly, she looked down at his well-groomed hand beneath her thick, dark eyelids. Finally she reached for his hand and shook it faintly.

"Katniss..."

"Only Katniss or do you have a last name, too?"

"Everdeen." She added lamely, pulling her small hand out of his.

"Well, Katniss, whatever happened, the guy isn't worth it, okay?"

A deep wrinkle of anger appeared between her brows and her eyes flashed dangerously. "He betrayed me, that asshole." To underline her harsh words she slammed her clenched fist on the wooden counter.

"Oh." What else, Haymitch thought; it was always the same old song….

"He swore me eternal love, put a ring on my finger and then, just three months later, cheated on me with my best friend!"

Katniss sparkling eyes found the full martini glass in front of her, ready to drown her grief in it.

Haymitch followed her gaze, reading her thoughts. "Careful, girl, that's liquor, not a coke." He pointed out, ready to pat her on the back if she swallowed too quickly.

His well-intentioned advice earned him another scowl from her unhappy eyes before she took a long sip from the elegant glass.

The combination of vermouth and gin did the perfect job. Burning like fire in Katniss's throat, the painful evening appeared in her mind, and she experienced again the moment when she had found them both on his kitchen table.

As loudly as her fiancé proclaimed his innocence - it was not what it looked like - she threw his precious ring right back into his face. Running home to her dormitory, gathering all of his clothes together in a rush, she threw everything out the window, after ripping them fiercely into small, fine pieces.

Seeing the pain on her face, the gathering tears in her glittering eyes, Haymitch cleared his throat and slid from his chair. She was young, she was beautiful; she would get over it. He had to take care of his own problems.

"It was nice to meet you, Miss, but I have to go." He said, grabbing the jewelry box with one hand and putting it deep into his coat pocket before setting a generous 50 dollar note on the counter.

"I swear; if I ever see him again I'll wring his neck..."

"Sure, sweetheart." He said in a slightly mocking tone, patting Katniss carefully on her shoulder. Her harsh words would have a much greater effect, he thought, if her mascara wasn't smeared all over her face.

"Why do men cheat on women, why?"

Sighing, Haymitch ran his hand through his hair, searching for the right words even as he knew there was no answer to the question.

"Listen, Katniss." He said, taking a step toward her. "Maybe this guy was just an idiot, okay?"

Katniss looked up, caught by surprise. "An idiot? Gale?" She didn't seem convinced as she looked deep into his clear blue eyes.

"Yes!" Haymitch said resolutely. "Be glad you're rid of him; you are young, you are beautiful, you have your whole life ahead of you! You will find someone else. Someone who deserves you, and that Dale guy will realize what a fool he was to let you go."

"Gale." Katniss sniffled. "His name is Gale."

"He was a real fool to let you go. One day you will find someone who truly loves you." A crooked smile appeared on Haymitch's thin lips as he gently put his hands on her upper arms. "Trust me, okay?"

Spellbound by his passionate words, Katniss nodded hesitantly. Deep in her broken heart she hoped that this stranger knew what he was talking about.

"Ok, sweetheart, now be a good girl and empty your glass and go home; tomorrow is another day."

Thanks for 'Katniss & Haymitch – Irresistible' on YouTube for inspiration.