Haymitch sat in his chair with a Santa hat on that Effie insisted he wear which he wasn't impressed about at all and watched her flitting around the place putting up different coloured bits of sparkly tinsel and baubals here and there, then the stockings and candy canes.
"There!" She announced with finality as she put the star on the top of the tree then looked at Haymitch grinning from ear to ear. "Isn't it beautiful, Haymitch?" She asked and turned to him then stopping to admire her work.
Haymitch let out a huff to blow the top of the Santa hat away from his face.
"Is all of this really necessary?" Haymitch asked as he looked around at all the decorations placed around the house.
"You mean you don't like it?, Haymitch Abernathy I put a lot of effort into doing all of this the least you could do is appreciate it." She said narrowing her eyes and scowling at him.
"Well now, don't go getting your corset in a twist, I didn't say I hated it did I?, it's just different to how we celebrate it here that's all ... but yeah it's beautiful it's very ... Effie." He said and made a ta - da gesture with his hands.
Effie gave him a small smile "thank you, Haymitch I'm glad you like it now, Katniss and Peeta will be here any minute so there's only the matter of setting up the table for dinner." She said more to herself, running through the list of final things to do in her head and made her way to the kitchen to carry out that last task of setting the table and getting the food ready which included a juicy and succulant turkey with all the necessary colourful roasted vegetables including squash, with mash potato and gravy, lovely little mince pies and of course for dessert a sweet and delicious Christmas pudding with custard or ice - cream.
"Oh look. Mistletoe, I must of forgotten I put it there" she said and was now looking up at the little bit of plant hanging above her head.
"Mistletoe? what's the purpose of that?" Haymitch asked curiously, obviously he hadn't seen it before and he made his way over to her to inspect it.
"Well it's a tradition more - so in The Capitol, come closer and I'll show you what it's meant for." Effie told him.
Haymitch was a bit suspicious because the time they spent together Haymitch had come to learn that Effie could be as sneaky and sassy as he could be which he liked about her and he didn't know if he was being set up for something or not but he slowly made his way over to her none the less, that was when she took hold of his shirt collar and pulled him in closer crashing her lips onto his kissing him with passion.
Even though Haymitch was caught off guard a bit at Effie's unexpected forwardness he found himself kissing her back with the same amount of passion.
After a while Effie released Haymitch and smiled at him.
"Does that happen every time someone stands near the mistletoe? because if it does, I think I'm starting to like this tradition." He said with surprise and an equal look of surprise on his face.
"Indeed it does, and I'm glad I just introduced you to the tradition my darling." Effie told him and chuckled.
"Me too Sweetheart, me too" Haymitch replied, still in a daze.
"Merry Christmas, Haymitch."
"Merry Christmas, Effie."