He stalked out of the elevator like a lion. Dark, dangerous, mysterious. King of the pack and he knew it. Haymitch Abernathy may have been a lousy drunk but he was envied still, envied and wanted. To him, capital men felt inadequate and threatened, yet he made the women here feel rebellious, rebellious and hungry.
All eyes were on him as he made his way through the room to the bar, dark and brooding, Effie hadn't even realised she'd been ensnared by him too until her friend, well, acquaintance Delvia, nudged her in the side to get her attention.
Effie thought she'd been caught out. Her lashes fluttered bashfully as she tried to hide her crimson cheeks with her fan then turned towards Delvia. Fortunately for Effie, Delvia had not caught onto anything, her eyes were still transfixed also, on the victor at the bar.
"Tonight" Delvia took a deep breath in and out "I'm sleeping with him"
Effies mouth dropped open as she followed Delvias eyes back to her mentor
"You are not!" She nearly hissed and quickly took a sip of her drink to calm her tongue "I mean, Delvia dear...Haymitch? Really? He's a nightmare! He's a drunk! He's-"
"- The most dangerous and good looking man in this room tonight Effie, don't you deny it" Delvia replied licking her lips and stepping closer so they could whisper "look around you Effie, everybody wants him, even some of the men"
Effie did a quick pan of the room but she already knew what her eyes confirmed and what Delvia accused. She'd seen it at every meeting, every party, every event. The men hated him, the women wanted him, Effie had an oath to look out for him and be the perfect escort, but whether she took it to her grave or not, it delighted her to no end that she was the one that got to stand by his side. And although it satisfied her to watch him pay no attention at all to anyone else, it frustrated her that he never paid any attention to her either.
As usual, he'd ignored her presence and sat alone at the bar, just waiting to start fending off the attention of every woman around him, knowing that there were already a dozen advancing. He always looked so damn uncomfortable at these events but it was his job to attend.
"Excuse me" said Effie. Worried that Delvia was only quiet becuase she was hatching a plan to steal her victor away, Effie pardoned herself from Delvias company and quickly slipped between the victor and the advancing vultures.
With a simple and stern shake of her head she warned the gaggle of drooling women away. They had 'business' to talk about she tried to make very clear. She took a seat beside Haymitch and called the waiter over, the rest of the women held off...for now.
"You're getting better at that" Haymitch declared with low amused growl
"Better at what?" Effie replied innocently
"Marking your territory"
"Ha!" A sparkling laugh burst from her lips as she tried to keep up her failing act "Haymitch dear, are you referring to yourself when you say 'my territory'? because if you are, you must be assuming that I feel I have some sort of claim over you but Haymitch, why on earth would I want to hold any sort of claim over you!?" She shook her shoulders and passed his words of as ridiculous but he could see straight through her, he always had done. He slipped a hand upon her knee and she stopped laughing
"Don't worry Trinket" he said. She faced the bar in a panic as he leaned close enough for her to feel the stubble on his chin graze just below her ear. "You're the only one I'm going home with tonight"
His words sent shivers down her spine and her eyes clouded over momentarily, as she imagined him pressing her against the penthouse suite wall and devouring her, a thought she quickly snapped out of when she realised what he actually meant.
They live together in that penthouse, of course he was going home with her.
She swallowed hard but Haymitch had already lost interest in her and his hand and lips had fallen back to his glass of whiskey. Effie gave a discreet and disappointed sigh and pulled herself together.
What a ridiculous notion, him and her. It could never happen. Well, it could, there were no eyes in their penthouse. If the two of them were to ever be tempted it would be pretty easy to get away with, trouble was, he had never been tempted. Not by her, not by anyone.
But she knew Delvia.
Beautiful and persistent and had a knack for always getting what she wanted and if she didn't get it, she'd pay a pretty penny until she got it
"I simply came over here to warn you" Effie stated innocently
"Warn me?" He laughed "about what sweetheart? That dress of yours?"
Oh here it came, the sarcastic comments, the ridicule-
"Yeah, you should have warned me" he continued, with his hand suddenly at her knee again "it's a great fucking dress Trinket, how the hell am I supposed to concentrate when you look like that" he tapped her knee and stood up, leaving her suddenly frozen by his words as he excused himself to the men's room.
She laughed. Loudly. Then panned the room again to make sure she wasn't being watched. Not that it mattered. She couldn't concentrate either. Not now, not after what he'd just said. Had Haymitch Abernathy just paid her a compliment? She felt herself blushing intently and she couldn't remove the stupid grin from her face. He'd be back in a moment, she looked down at her chest and quickly adjusted there, to accentuate her cleavage more.
Flirting tonight was he? She thought to herself. Well, two could play at that game.
She noticed the ice had melted in his drink so she ordered him another one. It was bad form and she knew it but she ordered herself one too. She wanted to taste what he tasted, she was intrigued. Taking a sip of the dark malt, she was surprised at how harshly satisfying it was. It burned but in a good way, no a great way. She felt the colour rise in her cheeks and coughed a little at the scented taste. It smelled of him. It was everything he was and every way he made her feel. Woozy, naughty...it had been almost 10 minutes and he still hadn't returned.
Effie spun on her stool and looked around. The party was carrying on without her but it bothered her not, but then she spotted him, smiling, flirting, laughing, with a glint in his eye that should only ever be reserved for her but it was aimed at Delvia, that bothered her lots.
She watched Delvia place her hand on Haymitchs arm, watched how her fingers curled at his elbow, drawing him closer, inviting him in, ensnaring him.
"Waiter!" Effie called "I'll have another one!"
She was drunk. She knew it, the bar tender knew it, she just didn't want the rest of the room to know it too.
She stood up, swayed and then sat back down again. Damnit. She thought. She shouldn't have drank that 4th whiskey and then Haymitchs too. She took a deep breath, tried to compose herself and took another look over her shoulder at her and him.
They'd been talking for over an hour and every second that had ticked by had just made every drop of whiskey taste even better. She'd had enough. As soon as Delvias hands wandered inside the lapels of Haymitchs jacket, she saw red, well, she saw red spots but it was enough for her to muster the courage to cross the room and interrupt their little liaison
"Es-cuse me, I'm not in'nerupting am i" she hiccuped and she hated herself for it.
An amused grin flashed across Haymitchs face as Delvias eyes narrowed into tiny, frustrated slits.
"Well actually Effie-"
"No!? Great!" Effie sang, clapping her hands "jussh checking up on my victor" she continued, pushing emphasis on the word 'my' and combing a strand of his hair out of his eyes. She was being terribly improper and she knew it, but something about the alcohol swimming around her head made her careless and more carefree. So much so, she almost liked it.
"He's perfectly fine Effie" Delvia declared "aren't you Haymitch? We're having a lovely time, just the two of us, isn't that right?!"
Just as he began to answer Effie interrupted again
"Well! S'not juss the two of you now is it?!" Effie slurred then continued to giggle girlishly as she pressed her finger into each of their chests "one, two, me. Makes three!"
Haymitch couldn't hide his amusement, he leant against one of the raised tables and watched the women bicker.
"Threes a crowd, Effie!" Delvia hissed, trying to nudge her away but Effie stood her ground.
She raised herself up as steady as she could on her heels and towered over poor little Delvia. She didn't have a chance but Haymitch gave the woman credit for even attempting a battle standing with his escort.
"Well, dear" Effie spoke in a lowered authoritative tone, looking down her lashes sternly "I suggest you walk away and leave us so to it so that we can...control said crowd"
Delvias mouth fell open at the audacity of it all. She looked to Haymitch for a mere fraction of support but all he gave was a surrendering shrug and a wicked smirk, infuriating her further.
"Fine!" Delvia hissed, shoving her handbag under her arm "but this, dear..." She stepped up to Effie, her chin barely reaching her cleavage "...is far from over"
"Unlike the colour maroon that your sporting this evening darling, that, I'm afraid, was over two seasons ago"
The gasp of horror from Delvia wrang through Effies ears like music. With nothing more to say in retaliation, and with a hysterical Haymitch to her side Delvia hurried away and she and her maroon dress left the party as soon as possible.
"A little harsh, trinket" Haymitch chucked
"I..." She was about to chastise his behaviour too until the first real wave of the alcohol hit her in tidal form "I don't think I feel very well..."
"Stop laughing at me"
He didn't
"Stop!"
His laughter got so ridiculous that she couldn't help but laugh too. The two of them, like children, fell about the elevator in a state of giggles even though Effie couldn't really remember what they were laughing about in the first place.
"Her face...when you..." He couldn't get the words out
"I feel terrible, she's my friend"
The laughter continued until the doors pinged open and suddenly, she was being pulled and pushed against the hallway wall and once again ensnared, but this time between his arms.
"You were jealous" he accused
Effie wasn't in the right frame of mind to protest
"So what if I was...you must be used to it, it's what women do, fight for your attention" god, she'd shoot herself in the morning for this
"Women, yes. You, never"
"I-"
"I liked it..."
"You never like it. You hate attention"
"Because it's so easy to obtain. No one likes easy and you, dear Effie, are far from easy"
"What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, I liked it"
"You liked me wanting your attention"
"I liked you claiming me"
"You're drunk"
"So are you"
"I'm...yes, well, yes..."
She couldn't argue with that, not when she was still swaying on her heels and grasping the front of his shirt for support.
"You shouldn't think that way about me" she warned him, trying her best to be the responsible on here
"Well you shouldn't think that way about me" he replied, pressing himself closer, close enough for her to almost taste the whiskey again. "I watched you tonight, getting yourself worked up because you thought I wanted someone else..."
"Don't you?"
"I want someone"
"Don't."
"Stop me"
He kissed her then, ferociously and fast, pushing her entirely against the wall and forcing the breath out of her lungs in a whimper. Her hands slid from his shirt to the back of his neck, pulling him closer, kissing him deeper
"Stop me, whilst I still can" he groaned, towering over her, kissing his way down the length of her neck, making her mewl and quiver beneath him
She thought quickly about all the reasons why she should, why she should push him away, tell him no, make him stop. But every next kiss outweighed every reason. They burned at her throat as her skin begged for more
"Don't" she merely breathed before he lifted her into his arms and carried her into the penthouse suite. "Don't ever"
They caused utter chaos. Leaving a path of destruction wherever they fell to shed more clothes and swallow more kisses. They made it to the living room couch, large and spacious as it was and tumbled down carelessly together.
"Why me?" Effie breathed between kisses. She was down to barely underwear as he writhed ontop of her, half naked himself "you could have anyone...why-" he stopped her with his hand at her lips, looking seriously into her eyes.
"Because the moment I walk into a room, any room, I know all eyes are on me except yours" he replied, confusing her somewhat "your the only woman who ever truly had me, without even knowing about it"
"Had you?" She questioned, pausing her hands at his chest and arching her brow.
"You've always had me, sweetheart. But you only realised you really wanted me when you were about to lose me to someone else"
"Was I?" She asked a little bitter. About to lose him to someone else she meant...
"Not even close" he replied as his hand found it's goal at her center
"You- you always ignore me at- at party's" she accused with a laboured breath. His fingers were working her up into a frenzy and she was close to the edge
"I don't ignore you. I avoid" he admitted "no good can come from me jumping you at a party" her eyes widened at the thought of it
"But you hate me! You ridicule me, tease me OH GOD, HAYMITCH!" She threw her head back as the wave of her first orgasm rippled through her. She clung to his shoulders as he continued his ministrations and she gently rocked herself against his hand.
"I don't hate you, you mad woman" he chuckled, dropping kisses to the junction between her breasts "you're too fucking distracting. I have to keep you at bay somehow. I have to keep you distant"
"And now?"
"Now?" He repeated, unbuckling his belt and pulling himself free "now id pretty much say you broke me down today...the way you fought for me like that...a district drunk"
"You're a victor! A wise and honourable- OH! YES! YES!" He drove into her wildly, again and again and again
"Yeah, the crowds love a victor" he stated, as the woman he'd had an insane and disturbing crush on from the very first day he met her, after she'd told him to put up and shut up about her presence and then stole the vodka bottle from his hand to drink neat until she threw up, now moaned and sighed beneath him, wanting him more than her fabulous reputation, more than caring what her friends would say, more than caring what rules they were breaking. Yes, this woman was the only one worthy of a victor in his eyes
"The only person out of any crowd that I want screaming my name, Effie. Is you."
-Hope you liked. Please leave a review :) xx
