Effie stepped out into the dimly lit hallway, and immediately regrets it.
A set of limbs intertwined with another. Then a sweet moan of pleasure, accompanied with the drawl of intoxication. A flash of blond hair shining in the light, there he was. Here stand the drunkard who she has spent the last eleven years cleaning up for the cameras. Maybe not standing let's say curled into this woman.
Effie feels so damn numb.
Then emotions hit her, because she cannot stand the thought of Haymitch and a capitol slut tonight. Not tonight. Seeing them is like a dark puddle of jealously, pang of hurt and pity.
Not for Haymitch never. No pity for him, pity for the girl he will never call back.
So Effie saves herself the trouble of crying herself to sleep. Saves herself from those noises that make her stomach curl just like the drinks that empties her stomach, but those at least give relief. Luckily her makeup is caked on enough to hide her pained expression or the big eyelashes hide her eyes tearing up.
"Haymitch."
Effie's voice is a harsh and tired. A stop sign in the two's foreplay.
"Haymitch get this slut off MY couch!" Her voice is a pained scream.
Haymitch jumps up and the women peers innocently at Effie. The woman with her painted face steps away from Haymitch, adjusting herself.
"This is my couch as much as yours sweetheart."
Haymitch drawls and anger bubbles underneath quickly like wildfire. Effie puts on her best smile and ushers the young woman to the door. The girl obliges reluctantly probably as old as the children they just lost in the games.
"I'm sorry miss I just need you to leave now."
Effie sings songs politely doing her best to hide this agitation and depression. The elaborate dress on the girl is bulky and drips sparkles. Effie smiles and closes the door behind the girl as she desperately yells at Haymitch to call her.
Click.
The tension raises another three levels once the door is locked.
"Effie you're a stupid broad. Why do you always get in my way?"
He slams his fist against a wall and Effie jumps. Effie's tried to stop that because she knows he feels bigger when she jumps. He knows he's in control.
"You don't know how to deal with pain. I cared just as much about these children as you do."
Effie screams.
"Yeah but I don't smile as I send them to their deaths sweetheart."
Effie slinks back into the hallway and hisses as he throws bottles on the floor with force that scares her. Haymitch curses her name while he knocks the bottles and laughs bitterly.
"Scared now huh? You were so fierce before! Coward."
Effie's voice is shrill and hurts his ears, her long nails digging into her fair skins as her hands are bundled in fists. Her heel less feet does not help her intimidate him by height. But as she screams insults from unknown places hot and rushing tears escape her eyes.
"I hate how you use people! Thinking just because you were in the games you have to always be an asshole! Like you get a free FUCKING pass to use people constantly. That girl was probably nothing to you just like the rest of the world! Why don't you just die if you're SO UNHAPPY?"
She can't see through the tears anymore everything a blur of colors. But she can feel the cold liquid on her toes and the twinge of glass shards. And she can hear the tear down insults he can yell back. But it's silent.
Finally Haymitch speaks in a low voice.
"You know what I hate?"
His voice raises dramatically shaking the glass on the floor, and making Effie cringe at the sudden change.
"How FAKE you are. How much bullshit you let yourself believe. Maybe I do use people. But you will never know the games. Feeling desperate and scared for your life, you will never feel that. Of course that woman didn't mean anything, why should she?"
Haymitch flings his fist in the wall fighting the urge to wipe her eyes; it's so damn annoying seeing her squirm as she yells like a damn clown, and hearing her struggling to talk between her tears.
"Effie quit wearing all this JUNK on your face! You wouldn't wear this if you were really secure about yourself, because you're just as much of a coward as me."
Haymitch roughly wiped her face with his hand, pulling off the white and revealing a light tan shade. But it only smears into some weird unnatural cream color. Effie spats and jerks away; his hand rips away the unhuman like wig.
Dark brown fuzzy curls fall to her shoulders Effie gasps.
She stands vulnerable hands at sides lip quivering.
Exposed and glassy eyed, she shrinks under his surprised expression. The clumpy foundation is swirled in ugly patterns and patches of her real complexion shows. Effie's body looks frail and human.
Gone is the unachievable beauty and long legs, now Haymitch towers a barely over five foot woman. Standing tall she cries silently and holds her head high.
Haymitch growls at her resistance, and steps closer but she doesn't budge.
"This is why you shouldn't wear that shit on your face Eff."
Then there is a dark urge to kiss her.
Haymitch seizes her arms, squeezing to the point of pain and slams his lips on hers. Haymitch feels the rage practically emanating from her skin. It's steamed under his hands.
The gesture is replied to with a hard shove and screaming and finally a wall shaking slam of a door.
"I hate you the most"
Sorry it's a one shot so a little short.