Note: for marblesharp who unintentionally helped me place some much needed pieces together. Thank you 3
"I remember running last night."
"Through an arena made up entirely of desert."
"The air was dry, making it hard to catch my breath in the sweltering heat."
"Hot sand filled my lungs even after I collapsed. I welcomed death, but then I felt water hit my face."
"Looking up, I saw her there with that cheeky grin of hers. A pale in one hand and her blowgun in the other."
"She threw the bucket to the ground, bent down and reached out to me with that merchant hand of hers. She saved me… again."
And yet, you let her die.
"The moment I tried to make sense of it, she was screeching with a beak sticking straight through her neck."
There is nothing you could have done then.
"No."
Bringing the white liquor bottle up to his lips, she snatches it out of his hands.
Big shot rebel conspirator, Haymitch Abernathy doesn't need a bottle of booze anymore to alter his point of view. You've helped bring about change to Panem with two free hands and a clear mind. Do you have any idea how they are so proud of you, Haymitch, your mum, your brother and the Donner girl.
Leaning across his kitchen table, she places a kiss on his forehead.
How proud I am of you. You've grown up to be so much more admirable than the boy I fell in love with.
Reaching up, his fingers sweep a dark wave out of her gray eyes.
"I wish you were here to see it."
I am here. Always have been, always will be.
Pulling away from him, she lets go of her hold on the bottle. The glass shatters against the wooden floor, awakening Haymitch with a start.
The knife still securely in his hand reflexively thrusts outwards as he frantically scans his quiet house. He fell asleep at the kitchen table again, early morning light pouring in through the linen drapes.
It was rare when his day started with everyone elses.
Sitting back against the wooden chair, he takes a deep breath. His girl is nowhere to be seen.
Lifting himself from his seat, he trudges towards the bathroom making an attempt to be hygienic for his little neighbours. Katniss said it would be good if the kid wasn't scared of her godfather.
Staring back at himself through the mirror, he catches something unusual through all the destruction. When had been the last time he cried?
Washing away the remnants, he drags his nails through the thickend stumble.
Leave it, I like it.
The fingers that ghost over his handle of the razor snap back as his eyes flicker back up to the reflective glass. She is staring back at him with those sparkling gray eyes of hers. A smile graces her full, red lips as she rests her chin on his shoulder, her wavy, coal black hair falling in sheets over his shoulders.
"Why?"
As a reminder.
His barking laugh shatters the silence, "Like I need another one of those."
Not you for you, but me.
Her lips brush against his cheek as her thin fingers trail down his arm. Slowly, she fades into the full glow of the morning sun.
The squawking of geese brings him back to reality, followed by the laughter of his little neighbour as they chase the birds around his front yard. Their mother's voice warns them to be quieter as she worries they will wake him.
Picking up the razor and running it under the cool water, Haymitch half smiles to himself. If the girl can find a way, so can he.