Hello everyone, this is a hayffie au. I have done a gifset many many years ago of Haymitch and Effie knowing each other from a young age but I never did write it until this idea popped into my head about a week back. I know it sounds odd but I hope you'll give it a chance, and we can have a chill ride with the story.
Anyway, hy headcanon has always been that Effie's always six years younger than Haymitch but for this story, I have decided to shorten the age gap otherwise it'll be just creepy and I have also scaled down some timelines.
Chapter 1 – What's the deal, Mr. and Mrs. Trinket?
Haymitch Abernathy stood by the porch, watching the car drive into the compound. As it made a turn to park, the young girl caught sight of him. Her face bloomed into a smile and she waved enthusiastically through the window.
He waved back with a grin, one hand still clutching on to his younger brother.
Next to him, his mother stood tall, dutifully waiting for the guests' arrival.
"Hello," Effie Trinket walked up to them.
At six year old, Effie Trinket was convinced that the eight year old boy with dirty blonde hair who often jostled her roughly when her mother was not looking and made her run after him in the summer heat was the best friend she needed. Everyone has a best friend so she was entitled to one too.
On her eighth birthday, he was still her best friend despite having already made other friends in school. It was just so unfortunate that he lived so far away and they only get to meet during the summer.
When Effie turned nine and her family made the trip down to the other end of the country where Haymitch stayed, he gave her a box. In it was a bracelet made from macaroni shells he had sneaked from the kitchen and painted over the winter.
"My birthday is over," she told him.
"I know," he said. "But I don't get to see you until summer so there."
She kept it safe in her nightstand drawer back home, too afraid to wear something so fragile lest she broke it.
At that age, Haymitch was her only male friend. It meant none of her other friends in school believed she had a friend of the opposite gender since they had never meet or seen him before. It made her mad when they started referring to Haymitch as her imaginary friend. He was as real as them, but so be it. Perhaps it was better that they had never and would never meet him. He was dear to her and the last thing she wanted was to have anyone coming to steal her best friend away like they had taken Valeria from her.
Haymitch on the other hand was quite well known in the district and had friends everywhere – girls and boys alike. He made the effort to introduce her to some of them if they happened to come around to the Village when she was there. Sometimes she was scared that he would rather spend his summer with them but he was always there to accompany her.
By the time Effie turned eleven, she thought that the now thirteen year old Haymitch Abernathy was the handsomest boy she ever met, a little rude lately but still very handsome.
"Hey, Effie," he winked in her direction.
Rude, she thought, for him to take the liberty of using that moniker that only her grandmother called her by and only when they were alone together.
She had told him that fact one night under the startling brightness of the stars and he had declared it to be much better than Euphemia.
"Good morning, Haymitch," she greeted him by his given name because she knew that he detest being called 'Mitch' and while she could have easily just call him by that to irritate him, she was fortunately raised with impeccable manners.
Haymitch flopped down on the seat next to her, immediately reaching out for the chocolate croissant he was so fond of.
"Now children," Lysandra Trinket addressed them and from the corner of Effie's eyes, she could see Haymitch wrinkled his nose at being called a child. "What are you both planning on doing today? Do tell so I may arrange my day accordingly…. Haymitch? I do hope you will have something interesting for my daughter today."
That usually meant that her mother would rather have Effie's day occupied so she would not be bothered for the rest of the day. Effie didn't mind it that much. Haymitch was often very good at keeping her busy from morning till dinner.
Effie turned towards Haymitch expectantly. He paused in the middle of taking a bite from his half eaten croissant.
"What do you wanna do?" he asked.
"It is a hot day, isn't it….? Swimming will be fun."
There was a laugh threatening to burst from that annoying grin on his face that Effie was quick to get a word in before he could speak.
"I have had swimming lessons so I will not be drowning. Father made sure," Effie huffed.
He smirked in her direction.
"Sure," Haymitch said with a chuckle, clearly remembering the incident last summer when she had waded into the deeper end of the pool after he issued a challenge and nearly drowned. "We'll swim."
It was only half past ten in the morning and already, the sun was beating down on them. She already felt sticky under her armpits from the sweat. It was disturbing to know just how much she could perspire by just having breakfast outdoor.
Effie grew restless waiting for Haymitch who had disappeared right after breakfast claiming he had some homework to do. From her experience, he knew he was likely doing homework for his friends. She could never understand why he would allow his friends to pile their homework on him but when she had asked once, he said he had his reasons.
"What time are we going swimming?" she asked, opening the door to his room.
"Later," he answered without even looking at her.
She huffed in annoyance. "When is later? It is so very rude of you to just keep me waiting…"
The only reason Effie indulged her parents in this annual summer trip all the way in this sleepy, quiet coal mining district was because of Haymitch Abernathy. Her father's reason was solely for business while her mother, as advised by her therapist, needed the quiet reprieved every once in a while from the city and the media for all the fame attached to her name. Otherwise, Effie highly doubted that Lysandra Trinket would even agree to spend her summer here.
"Ten minutes," he answered curtly.
Without an invitation and because she knew Haymitch wouldn't mind, Effie sat perched on the edge of his bed. He was hunched over the small study table, scribbling on a note book.
With an impatient sighed, she flopped down on the bed unceremoniously. It earned her an amused glance from him.
"Don't let your mother see you," he commented, turning back to his work.
"Work faster then, before my mother catches me like this. Ladies do not behave this way and you will be sure that I will blame it on you."
He frowned but otherwise did not respond. He hardly ever did when she pulled that card on him. At that age, she barely gave it much thought, simply assuming that like everyone else, he was afraid and wary of her mother.
"When I see you again next year, you will already be starting high school," she remarked, staring up at the white painted ceiling. "Will you be working at the mines? Father said you will eventually."
He stiffened, his pen poised in mid-air.
"Not yet."
His answer was curt and his tone warned her not to pursue the topic any further.
It was odd, she thought. He didn't seem proud of the mines like she figured he would be.
Why wouldn't he be proud of the coal mines?
His great-grandfather who was amongst the first generations to settle in this district town years earlier had sold a large hectare of land to the Trinkets. The land was turned into a coal mine managed solely by her family.
The mine was what gave this town their livelihood and since it was his family's contribution, Effie, without truly understanding the full history, thought that it was something he should be proud of.
Back in the city, in the Trinkets' mansion, her father always talked about the Abernathys as if they worked for him but whenever summer came around and they took a vacation in the Abernathy's house - a house that Haymitch's great-grandfather received as part of the land deal - her parents often treated his family as though they were friends. Her parents' dual behavior confused her greatly but adults, in general, were confusing. All she knew was that Haymitch is her friend and she is his, which was why she was willing to wait for him.
Effie Trinket hardly ever sat around idly waiting for people.
"Alright, come on," he declared finally.
He grabbed the towel that was hanging around the bed post and waited until she left his room before he closed the door.
The pool was small by Effie's standard – a grown man could only complete five broad strokes before reaching the end, which was admittedly deep as she discovered the year before. She had seen more impressive pools in the city, in other mansions and apartment buildings. When she had asked her father about the Abernathy's pool, Stephen Trinket had scoffed derisively and claimed that they were lucky to have it in the first place. Her own grandfather, Matias Trinket, had commissioned the pool to be made for the Abernathys as a New Year gift one year when the coal mine brought in profit above the expected margin.
Of course, she had then asked Haymitch about it but he waved her question away. At times, his reaction to her questions made her form the impression that he didn't quite like this house that his family got from hers, and she could never understand the reason for it.
"So you only learn to hold your breath and float around like a hippo?" he snorted after watching her for a few minutes.
"Do not be rude!" she snapped.
They tended to get into stupid arguments simply because he was overly frustrating and rude. She wondered if thirteen year old boys all behave like jerks.
"I'll show you," she turned her nose at him and proceeded to do a few breast strokes and back strokes.
He mockingly gave her a standing ovation complete with an overdramatic bow before he settled down at the spot on the grass where two overlapping tree branches provided him some shade.
"You said you'll swim with me," she pouted.
"I swam with you," he replied without taking his eyes off his book. "Now I'm reading. Shush."
"You are so boring. Really, what is so interesting about the book?"
"I'll find out if you let me read but it'll still be more interesting than watching you swim," he quipped easily.
Effie ignored him after that. She practiced her moves and when she needed to catch a breath, she ended up watching him. Haymitch was on his stomach, half-naked except for the shorts he wore to swim. The sun had long dried his skin but his hair was still damp, making it looked darker than normal. Once in a while, his finger would turn a page from his book and depending on what he was reading, his brows would crease slightly as he concentrated.
"Why are you staring at me?"
She blinked.
"I wasn't," she denied and promptly disappeared under the water.
When she emerged, he was standing at the edge of the pool looking down at her. She didn't realised he had grown this tall until now when she had to tilt her head back to look at him.
"I have to go to town. Get some things for mama for dinner."
"I will go as well," she said without missing a beat. "I do not want to be left alone. What would I do?"
By the time that summer ended, Effie's skin had a healthy tan to it, she had gotten so much better at holding her breath under water and the one thing she was most proud of was that Lief, Haymitch's baby brother, no longer cried when she held him.
"See you next year, Effs," Haymitch said.
She hugged him tightly.
"I'll miss you," she whispered into his shoulder. "I am already counting down for summer next year."
He released her with a smile.
Effie got into the car that would bring her family to the train station back to the city, feeling a little forlorn that time seemed to have fly past. She gave a final wave to Haymitch, his brother and his parents. They were standing in front of the wrought iron gates at the entrance of the village and as the car continued to travel, Haymitch and his family became smaller and smaller before they eventually disappeared from her line of sight when the car rounded the bend.
"You had a word with them, did you not?" her mother spoke.
Effie raised her head, thinking it was her that her mother was addressing.
"Of course," Stephen nodded.
With that, Effie went back to staring out of the window, her hands folded nicely on her lap. The train journey back was the least favourite part of her summer.
"I made it clear that we will not provide any further finances to the mine than what we already have," her father continued. "They are to make it safe for the coming inspection."
"What about production?"
"I have explained that it should be maintained and if targets are not met, there will be consequences."
Her mother laughed a little that and Effie cringed at the pitch.
"That would explain why Lachlan did not look particularly happy the past two days," Lysandra commented.
"Be that as it may," her father replied nonchalantly. "He has two sons to feed and put through school, and an entire town depending on him for their livelihood. He will come through."
As curious as Effie was, her mother had always told her not to poke her nose into other people's business, especially theirs. Whatever it was between her parents and Haymitch's parents was their problem, not hers nor Haymitch.