A/N: 400 words about my obsession with the golden tokens and the whole day off before interviews... and Catching Fire's reaping day as it was caught on camera.
When Katniss and Peeta retire for the night Haymitch lingers. He knows he cannot expect any privacy but Effie for once is silently contemplating her own hands and he swirls water in his glass, sips occasionally and pretends it's whiskey.
"Do you have any brilliant strategy this time?" Effie prompts conspirationally after awhile.
He keeps staring at the rim of his now empty glass of water and shakes his head. "Not really." He finally looks at her and is almost surpised to read her worried expression. "You've been preparing them for weeks, Effie, they'll do fine on their own with Caesar, I think I'll let them have the day for themselves, see if I can get in touch with some of the other victors..." he muses.
Effie looks away, brushing invisible lints off the tablecloth. Haymitch rises with a sigh and a crack of his knees, she stands as well and bids him goodnight.
But halfway through the hall she calls him back and it's how small her voice sounds that draws his feet to a halt in front of her.
"I just wanted to tell you... that at first I was relieved to read your name at the reaping." she blurts out.
He shifts on his feet and tries to understand if the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes could mean anything when she quickly adds: "I thought... I thought that at least one of them would be safe, and that you'd surely help Katniss win the Games and come back to Peeta."
He slowly nods. A great plan. The most flawed of them all.
"But... " she is almost sobbing now and she has to look away "I'm glad he volunteered."
He finds himself grasping the air at his sides to keep himself from doing something as stupid and awkward as comforting her.
"I don't want you in that arena, Haymitch, you belong with me," she whispers, and it hurts. Then she looks directly into his eyes and pleas: "You saved them both once, you can do it again."
He shakes his head, "Yeah, I don't think I can pull it off twice, princess." It's the truth. He can't. Not if they cannot get them all out as planned before it's too late.
"We'll think of something." And it's the little brush of her fingers on the golden bangle at his wrist that is his undoing.