Both twelve's tributes were dead within the first ten minutes of the game, as usual. Effie knew that would happen, the outcome had been so painfully obvious as soon as she saw the two young and skinny figures coming up the stage on Reaping day, but she still couldn't stop the overwhelming sense of devastation from invading her.

"Finally figured out it's not gonna get any better, sweetheart?"

Haymitch's words as he stood up and left the penthouse echoed her mind days later. They hadn't seen each other since, between his outings until almost dusk and her waking up early.

It is probably better this way. Effie thought looking at the already stained makeup remover cloth in her hand. In the past two years working as twelve's escort she and Haymitch had got their fair share of bickering, and although the sexual tension -and even she had to admit to herself, the tension was pretty sexual- was building up, the arguments weren't going away any time soon.

It was barely past midnight, but Effie was making herself ready to bed, her face bare and natural blond hair falling just before her shoulders, when the loud noises just outside her bedroom door began.

She took a deep breath before stepping out, already expecting a very drunk Haymitch.

"Ah, there you are sweetheart."

He leaned into her and she instantly put his arm over her shoulder in an already familiar way.

"You reek of alcohol. Again." Effie made little tsk tsk sound as she led them to his room. "What was it this time? Liquor? Rum?"

As he mumbled something incomprehensible she had to remind herself once again why did she do these sort of things that simply weren't in the contract she had signed when she became an escort. Twelve simply needs good publicity, and that can't be achieved with a victor that reeks, drink and dresses like that.

"Oh," Effie looked around the messy room, going for the bed "I don't understand how you are able to turn such a nice room into a pigsty in days."

She tried to let go of him when they reached the bed but he didn't seem to want to take his arms away from her, instead Haymitch embraced her harder.

"Ya know, Chaff couldn't shut up tonight, he kept repeating how he thought you had a great fucking ass." He commented as he buried his face in her hair.

Nice she thought drunk clingy Haymitch.

She realized he wasn't completely out of it when she partly dropped, partly pushed him on the bed and his eyes actually focused on hers. She avoided the contact by shifting her attention to his shoes, an action she had mastered over the last two years.

"Well, as much as I find Chaff's ways rude" Effie inclined her head "I must agree with him".

He started getting up and Effie jumped back with the sudden motion.

"I wanna take a shower" he growled under his breath, clearly upset with his friends' comment, as he turned in the direction of the bathroom.

She followed him with her eyes, more shocked than she would let show. "It's good to know that even you have standards for when filthiness becomes too much".

"Yeah, sorta" Haymitch said as he went to the bathroom "could you help me with the clothes, princess?"

"Fine, let me try to find some clean ones." She automatically turned, so certain that's what he had meant by helping with clothes, that she didn't even considered anything else. "It would not hurt to put them to wash every once in a while, you know."

The lack of response wasn't surprising. What she saw when she came back with a pair of clean socks and a relatively clean sweat pants was. He was standing completely naked in the middle of the bathroom.

"Oh my god," her eyes were wide and for more than a second she couldn't look away "where is your sense of decency?!" Only after she realized he had a grin on his face Effie looked at the roof not inclined to admit the sight was rather pleasing. "I really do not have great expectations when it comes to you, but that is way too much"

He came closer, taking the clothes from her arms and putting them on the sink.

She could feel his breath filled with alcohol near her, and without her heels on she was a whole head shorter than him so looking up wasn't really working anymore. Looking straight seemed like the best option in that case, she could only see his chest in front of her. Trying to keep her expression blank Effie made a point of not looking down.

He got a lock of her blonde hair between his fingers. Haymitch got his face closer, taking a deep breath to smell her, she was completely frozen. The energy that pulled her towards him was so clear it took all her self-control not to lift her face and lock her mouth in his.

"You're my escort."

With a sudden move that made her tense Haymitch put his arms around her, holding her tight. Through the thin fabric of her nightgown she could feel more of him that she was comfortable with in that situation.

He's drunk. She had to remind herself in a futile attempt of slowing her heart.

"I think it would be better if you took that shower now." Effie slowly pushed him away, going for the shower's tap.

As soon as he let go of her Effie quickly got out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Effie only stopped when she reached her bedroom, shutting the door and leaning against it. With a hand on her forehead she tried to control her breath.

Oh, their next encounter was going to be so awkward.