"Come to say goodbye, sweetheart?"
Haymitch sat solemnly in his leather chair, resting the whiskey bottle clutched in his hand, upon the ripped and scuffed arm.
In she walked, unannounced as usual and as brazen as ever, with her head held high and the grace of a royal and slowly removed the coat from her shoulders letting it slip and fall to the floor.
His eyes followed it, then crept back up to her face as she removed her sunglasses and scarf, revealing her wigless head and proceeded to remove the pin holding her long, golden tresses in place. She took her time and shook her hair free and dropped the pin and glasses where her coat had fallen before stepping out of her pile of belongings.
She didn't say anything and he didn't need her to. He knew that look that she had in her eyes. They both knew what this meant, that this was the end and that everything that had happened or hadn't happened in the past was about to come to ahead. This would be the last time they would ever be alone again. Their world as they knew it was tumbling down and things needed to be said... but not with words.
He let his bottle fall as she stepped up to him and his chair and bravely sat astride him. She took his face into her hands, brushed her nose against his and pressed their foreheads together, letting go of a tortured breath, telling him silently that she was not ok with this. She was not ready to say goodbye.
His hands reached for her waist then slid to the small of her back, crushing her against him as their lips met hungrily for the very first time.
This should have happened long ago.
They should have wandered home drunk together after all of those parties and gone with it then. They should have kissed in the elevator whenever it was just the two of them and the look of curiosity crossed between them. They should have touched and caressed and carelessly fallen into bed when the games had become just too unbearable to watch. This should have been the making and the destruction of them years ago and they both knew it. Now it was just too late. Too late to wonder, too late to dream, last chance to indulge.
So, he kissed her into oblivion, as she tore at his shirt and clawed at his skin. He made her entire body burn with the feel of his forbidden caresses as they silently moaned their goodbyes and prepared themselves for the sunrise to follow.
Sunrise brought the reaping day.
The only day that ever made her relieved to say his name out loud. Saying his name was the only way she was going to keep him. The boy was always going to volunteer.
They found themselves alone in the bar carriage. The place it had all begun. He stood quietly and numb with his drink in hand as she approached in an array of cardinal orange, shredding slowly the butterflies that clung to her skin. She slipped her arms around his waist and buried her face, her lips, her nose into his chest, into his scent.
Her wig tickled at his chin and it irritated him but he couldn't push her away. He didn't want to. He was almost a tribute again today. Although he'd never admit it, the feel of her, warm and protective around him, gave him hope.
They'd slept together last night. For the first time.
They'd had slow and passionate sex on that chair of his before he'd carried her to his bed and fucked her harder and angrier into the night. He'd awoken and she'd gone. Back to the train, to fix herself up, to get herself ready in preparation for the reading of their names.
Holding her close already started to feel familiar. It was comforting, it felt good.
He placed his drink down and held her tighter, feeling the soft feathers of the butterfly wings under his fingertips and then he felt her shaking. Shaking, sobbing, terrified. Her tears soaked through his shirt as she clung to it with her fists.
"It's over" he whispered
"It's never over" she replied and lifted her glossy eyes to his
"I thought I was going to lose you today" she said in a broken whimper. Broken because it was selfish. She may not have lost Haymitch but she had definitely lost the boy and girl and that was just as heartbreaking.
Suddenly her face hardened into that of a determined woman. "I won't stand for this tirade any more" she hissed, and pushed the tears from her cheeks with her palms "I've hear the rumours! I know there's an uprising coming! I'm going to-"
He silenced her. Pressing his mouth to hers and kissing her with such desperation she knew he had just saved her life.
"Not here" he whispered against her lips and she shook her head in guilty agreement. He kissed her again, softly, slower this time, mapping every inch of her tongue with his own. "Fuck, what have you done to me" he grumbled breathily. Squeezed the back of her neck gently before letting her go and it made her feel so protected. It have her the final bit of strength she had to continue this facade for a little while longer.
"I can't see you until we get back to the city" she told him "it's too risky, there's so many eyes on our little team
"I know"
"I can't tell what this is yet, between us" she said with a shaken voice "but I need you"
"We need each other. Now more than ever" he replied and they stilled to share a knowing look
"Keep up your act Effie" he warned, picking up his drink
"And you keep up yours"
"There's a place, just outside of the city. I'll make the arrangements when we get there, just...keep your head down and do as your told. We'll find the time"
"Do you know something?"
"We'll...find the time" he repeated and she stopped pursuing the topic. Holding her head high and running her fingers under her eyes, she pulled herself together again and carried on. She raised her voice and the crisp capital accent came back, as did the facade that she pulled so well...
"Sober yourself up Haymitch. The tributes need us!"
Then she walked away and left him.
As much as he hated that city and what going back there now meant...the horizon of that glittering hell couldn't come soon enough.
It was time to ignite this fire.
The rebellion was about to begin.
- end.
Note: just want to say thanks for the reviews on my other Hayffie stories :) keep em coming and requests are welcome. Inbox me xx Kaja