She had her own bumps in the night, it was true, ever since she had come back from the capitol...The way they had treated her...she would never get over something like that. But, every time she did...ever since Katniss and Peeta had convinced her to stay with Haymitch just until things got going again...every time he came running to comfort her. She had never expected this out of the surly, sarcastic man she had met so many years before. She had never expected to see this side of him. She remembered one night that was particularly awful-She was dreaming about her torture, just like she did every night, but it was especially vivid that night...usually she couldn't feel the pain, but she could tonight. She couldn't wake up...something wouldn't let her. That is, until she felt his hands on her shoulders. Strong, calloused. Warm, safe.
"Effie! Effie wake up! It's just a dream!" She remembered waking up with a shriek, lashing out at whomever was shaking her, flailing her hands in attack. It wasn't until she started to slap him rather ineffectively, and instead rested her hand lightly on his face feeling the somehow newly comforting scratch of his beard that she realized who it was. "It's ok...calm down. It's just a dream."
She just shook there, held in his hands by her shoulders. Suddenly a fear washed over her. He was bigger than she was, and no doubt more powerful. Even right now, with just his hands squeezing her shoulders slightly she felt completely outmatched. Fear started to build in her, and she made no effort to stop it from registering on her face.
"shhh...It's ok...I won't hurt you." She'd never heard his voice so gentle, so comforting. She found herself relaxing as he pushed the few stray hairs off of her face. "It's ok." He stroked her hair gently, and again she felt her heartbeat slow to a normal rythm, and her breathing slow to a normal pace. She still trembled though, which no matter how hard she tried to hide, showed.
He gently gathered her up into his arms and held her, stroking her arm and back, stroking her hair. She stiffened for a moment, if only in utter shock. Haymitch Abernathy was being sweet? Gentle? She lost all cares and let her head fall on his shoulder. Even if it was Haymitch, he was putting up a very good effort to comfort her. He was only trying to help, after all. "Tell me what happened?"
She hesitated, contemplating if he would make fun of her. But why would he? If he was making such an effort now... "I...i just dreamed they were torturing me again...and...and it was like i could feel it..." She started to tear up. "I don't want to go back, Haymitch...I don't..."
"Effie, you're never going back. Ever."
"I know the capitol-!"
"No. Not because of that. Because I'd never let them take you again. They'd have to kill me." She said nothing, weighing the meaning of his words. He actually truly cared about her. He would fight for her...
Ever since that night, the nightmares weren't as bad-not like they were that night, anyway. They came and went, though. Dreams of torture intermixed with dreamless nights. Never a good dream.
However, she had noticed something a few times, when she had simply awaken to change positions or go about her business. Once in a while, a terrible blood curdling scream erupts from his room down the hall, and thrashing noises of him jolting awake echo their way to her ears.
She remembered the first night she'd heard it, too. It was only a few nights after her worst episode. His comforting words still echoed in her head all the time. She had gotten up to use the bathroom, and on her way back, heard the cacophony of the most pain and fear filled scream she thought she'd ever heard, accompanied by the klunk of the bed as he just about jumped off of it in his awakening. She wandered down the hallway to his room, then knocked gently on the doorframe.
"Haymitch?" She opened the door as quietly as she could, and crept over to his bedside. He seemed to be sleeping, his breathing calm, and his expression relaxed, lying on his side, facing the wall. There was one thing he had neglected to hide, though. His brow glistened with sweat in the cool night, and he had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Not exactly entirely convincing. She sat down lightly on the side of his bed. "Haymitch?" She lightly touched his arm, expecting him to fly awake, springing at her and brandishing his knife. Instead, he grunted and looked over his shoulder at her. He rolled over to face her then, still groggy looking.
"What's wrong?" He looked up at her, those blue eyes glistening in the moonlight.
"Nothing...I heard you scream...Are you okay?"
He squinted at her, confuzed. "Scream?" he gently stroked her hand. "you must've been hearing things. Were you sleep walking?"
"No...I heard you. I definately heard you scream...Are YOU okay?"
He nodded. "I'm fine. Nothing's wrong." He smiled softly. "You must've been hearing things. I didn't wake up."
She sighed. "Haymitch...You always come running for me. I Heard you scream..." He sighed, sitting up slightly.
"Ok. But I'm fine, ok?" He looked up at her, the first time she'd ever had to look down at him. She had to admit...she had started to enjoy his company now that he was showing her a different side of him. The side that wasn't a complete asshole...
"okay...But Haymitch...?" She lightly touched his face, stroking his beard, which she was surprised she enjoyed so much when it brushed against her face.. "You can talk to me, you know...I'll listen...I...I'm here for you like you are for me." He just smiled softly and nodded.
"Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Go back to sleep."
Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed his cheek, replacing her hand with her lips. She felt the heat rise in his cheeks as he blushed, but she didn't care. She was starting to fall for him. Something the had never expected...
As she made her way back to her room, all she could think about was his reaction in the morning. If he would talk about it, try to joke with her...or if he would want to deepen it...
Almost dreading the walk downstairs in the morning, she slipped on her fluffy robe and slippers, and apprehensively creaked down the stairs. Unlike most mornings, where she found him curled up on the couch, breakfast for her on the table, but already snoring again, she was surprised to find him wide awake. He was leaning against the doorframe of the big sliding glass door at the back of his house, a steaming cup of coffee in one hand watching the geese out the window. He was shirtless, only wearing what she assumed as his favorite pair of dark blue sweatpants, as he was in them all the time. Through his forced sobriety in the rebellion, he had lost what little bit of a gut he had, and he was making efforts to excercise...she thought. She had to stop and smile for a moment. It just seemed so ordinary to her...so comfortable. Like always, her breakfast was waiting on the table for her. She couldn't believe the urge she had- to go up and wrap her arms around him from behind, like that she'd seen in romance movies of long ago. Instead, she just approached him, smiling, and lightly rested her hand on his forearm. "Goodmorning, Haymitch."
He jumped a little, but turned to her and smiled. "Morning, sweetheart."
"You're up early."
He just shrugged. "I actually slept last night..." He rubbed his face "Didn't feel the need to fall asleep again."
Before she could stop herself, her head was resting on his shoulder. She expected him to shrug her off, but he just chuckled. "Comfy?"
She couldn't deny it; she loved to see him smile, to see that light in his surprisingly beautiful blue eyes that was so rare, the way his smile was somewhat lopsided, wider on one side. Cute. She couldn't deny that his rare laugh or chuckle was music to her ears; all she wanted was to see him happy. After all that had happened to him, he deserved it.
She wanted to tell him this, but she didn't know if he would just laugh her off, making some snide remark or if he would reciprocate the same thoughts she had had last night flittered through her head...
Hah. That was funny. Haymitch and emotion in the same sentence. Instead, she just smiled up at him, those big blue eyes of hers glinting. "Yes. Quite." He chuckled once, then turned back to the window. She snaked her arms around him, burying her face in his chest as the movement demanded a better angle. She startled a little at the touch of his hand on her back; she hadn't expected it. His hand wandered to her hair, where he gently combed his fingers through it and just stroked her hair. She was...shocked to say the least, especially as his hand traveled back down her spine, resting in the small of her back. She decided to just let her hands rest in the small of his, too, enjoying the warmth from his body heat. They stayed like this for a few moments, for her what wasn't long enough, when he patted her back again.
"Better eat your breakfast before it gets cold, princess."
She looked up to him again, kissed his cheek and almost skipped to the table, thrilled at the fact that he first of all, hadn't shoved her away, and second of all, had shown affection to her, as well. "Oh! You made my favorite today?" She looked up at him. He shrugged, turning back to the window.
"I didn't know it was."
She giggled. "Yes you did. I remember telling you that Belgian waffles with strawberries and blueberries were my favorite. These are fresh strawberries and blueberries." He turned back to her, smirking.
"Mm-hm. Yeah, I remembered." He joined her at the table, a quizical look now on his face. Uh-oh... "Last night..." Her face turned the color of the strawberries on her plate as he continued. "And this morning..." He sighed.
She put her fork down, wiped her mouth and prepared for a sarcastic comment. Instead, she was completely and utterly shocked when he got up, walked overe to her chair and kissed her. For an instant, she just froze, taken aback. But as his lips moved against hers, she fell into reality again, and entwined her fingers in his hair, kissing him back. She felt his hands on her face, holding her closer.
When he broke away, all she could do was smile. She found her hand on his face, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I think we should try to start something." she smiled, losing herself in his blue eyes for a second.
"I think so, too." With that, he kissed her again.
Those waffles were going to get cold.