He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled amongst the deafening applause as the dance came to an end, the couple holding each other as the final strains of the music faded into the candlelight. He stood against the wall as the melodies began again, faster this time, and watched the guests form lines and begin to dance. He couldn't help remember the last time he'd seen it, back in the sterile caverns of District 13. Had it really been so long since they'd had a reason to celebrate?
It must have been. There hadn't been much happiness those past few years. It often felt as if there was no room for joy between the pain and misery drifting through the district like the ashes at their feet. He scuffed the ground with the sole of his shoe. The floor had been swept only hours before.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize Katniss's presence until she was standing beside him. Her dress, all white silk and creamy lace, flowed with every step she took. It was Cinna's design, the last sketch in the collection delivered to Katniss on the day of her engagement. For when it's all over, he'd written above the design, and Haymitch supposed it truly was. The girl Cinna knew had become an elegant young woman, and no one could doubt her beauty. In her hair was a late summer Primrose, and on her face was a smile as radiant as the fire in the hearth nearby. Wordlessly, she extended her hand to him and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor, blending into the music and the dancers around them.
"Nice job, sweetheart," he said, twirling her once as they moved to the gentle melody. She smiled, holding herself closer to him as the memory of the last time he'd said that washed over them. Had it really been just a few years since he'd embraced the fragile victor her first day out of the arena? Could she truly be the same person he'd mentored in those fateful Games?
"You didn't do too badly yourself, Haymitch," she teased. "Although to be fair, you only had one job."
"Hey, don't underestimate me. You think it's easy to give my best girl away?" he asked, watching as she lowered her eyes, blush spreading over her face. They looked to where Peeta was dancing across the room, gallantly turning Greasy Sae in circles as she laughed with pleasure. "Although I've got to hand it to you- you couldn't have chosen someone better."
"I know," she said, her voice quavering as she turned back. Haymitch took one arm from around her waist and pulled out a handkerchief- already damp, but he'd be damned if anyone knew- and swiped the tears from her face as they began to trickle down her cheeks. "Hey now, none of that, sweetheart. Can't have you messing up that paint they put on your face. How'd you ever convince Venia to leave your skin its normal color, anyway?"
She chuckled ruefully, brushing at her eyes with one hand before replying. "It was a bit of a struggle, I admit. But it's my wedding after all, and after a while they admitted I should get to have a say."
"A wise decision," he agreed, pulling her closer to him. For a moment they looked at each other, not saying a word, until Katniss broke the silence in a voice barely more than a whisper. "Haymitch . . . I was thinking . . ."
"Uh-oh," he replied, earning a smack from the flustered newlywed. She cleared her throat. "As I said, I was thinking about this for a long time, and Peeta agrees with me. I know it might be a long time from now, but we were thinking . . . that is, if you're okay with it . . . I mean . . ." she trailed off, stumbling over her words. She took a breath. "If we have children, would you be their grandfather?"
Her request caused Haymitch to nearly trip in his shock, and for a moment he could only look at her as his eyes began to sting.
"I'd like that, sweetheart," he finally managed. "But don't you dare go around thinking I'm old!"
She giggled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek as the song came to an end. "I've got to get back to Peeta. People are about to start giving toasts." With that, she ran off to find her husband, locking hands with him as the room quieted down. After a toast from Katniss's mother and Effie Trinket, he selected an elegant stemmed wineglass and made his way to the front of the room.
"I know you all must be tired of these absurd Capitol-style rituals by now, so I'll keep this short. First, I'd like to thank the happy couple for taking care to get such high-quality booze," he said, as everyone began to laugh. Katniss and Peeta gave him a grin as he continued. "However, I'm afraid I'll have to turn down this drink." He lifted his glass high and tipped it over, letting the wine spill onto the ground. "Thanks to the two of you, I don't think I'll be needing this anymore. And I'm not going to let my grandchildren grow up around this stuff- so you better make sure I'm not doing this for nothing."
He raised empty glass to the couple as laughter and applause broke out around him.
"To you," he said, and raised the empty glass to his lips.