"Haymitch, I thought we agreed no presents."
"Yeah, well you said you liked it anyway."
Effie sighed as she took the blue rectangular box from his outstretched hand. "You shouldn't spoil me so."
She undid the clasp on the outside and opened the lid to reveal the thin silver necklace she vaguely remembered spotting while they honeymooned in Seven a few months back. The pear-shaped blue sapphires caught the light as she took it from its casing.
"Haymitch, it's beautiful. Thank you." She breathed, holding it out to examine.
"Here," he held his hand out and Effie passed the necklace to him, turning away.
She moved her blonde hair over her shoulder as she felt the cool metal against her neck.
Haymitch struggled with the small clasp for a moment but eventually the necklace fell into place at the top of her breastbone. His hands lingered on her shoulders for a moment as he leaned forward and kissed her neck.
"I'm glad you like it," he mumbled into the skin, kissing her again.
She turned in his arms and placed a soft, sweet kiss on his lips. "I lied too."
Effie reached underneath one of the sofa cushions and handed him a box.
"I only bought it last week. I was scared you might have bought me something and I would have had nothing to give you in return."
"Oh I'm sure you would've made it up to me somehow, sweetheart."
She tapped him playfully on the arm at his licentious remark.
He turned the box over in his hand, staring down at the red paper on the outside.
Typical Effie, he thought, making something unimaginably difficult to get into.
His mind flashed back to all of the tight dresses, the complicated fastenings that she had to help him with on more than one occasion, and that goddamn lace underwear that he never could figure out.
He allowed himself a small smirk as he recalled all of the time well spent in the Penthouse.
He found a corner of the paper and tugged on it, ripping it a few centimetres but stopped when he heard Effie gasp.
"No, no, no. Not like that!" She chided him pointing out the end where all four corners of paper joined.
"My apologies, princess. You are forgetting that I have never done Christmas before."
Christmas was a relatively new thing in the districts or at least, celebrating it like this was. Those who had migrated from the Capitol to the districts, like Effie, had celebrated it each year and soon their festivities passed onto townspeople and then eventually nationwide.
In the past it had meant passing a slice of fruit cake around your family, if you could even afford that, and if not; it was simply another day.
"Well it is a good job you have me to help you then," she grinned and he smirked, proceeding to open the gift in the correct way.
"You know, you sending me mixed messages about my drinking is becoming very confusing." He stated lifting the new silver hip flask out of its box.
All of a sudden Effie inhaled sharply and her face grew hard.
Haymitch knew the look all too well and he watched as the life drained from her eyes. She was having a moment, recalling something from the past, something from before or during the war. They would come at completely random times, sometimes triggered by something he or she had said and then others, like now, that were seemingly unprovoked.
They happened fairly often but every time still hurt him just as much as the first.
He lifted a hand up to her face, cupping her cheek and spoke tentatively as not to frighten her. "Effie. Come on, sweetheart."
A few moments passed as she remained caught up in her mind but eventually, with an intake of breath and a few quick blinks, she returned to him.
He looked into her eyes, some life returning as she did but, nonetheless, he frowned. They never were quite the same as they used to be and probably never would be.
A smile returned to her face but, for a fraction of a second, she still looked lost.
"Well it is only for special occasions." She took the flask from him. "And since its Christmas…" she shook it, whatever liquid inside sloshing around.
She spoke as if nothing had happened, her dulcet tone ringing throughout the air.
"Haymitch, I'm fine," she sighed when she realised he was still looking at her like an injured animal.
Haymitch would always worry about her after she had an episode, especially after more violent ones where he would have to hold her till she stopped screaming or crying. He was afraid to lose her again and swore the day they were reunited in Thirteen that he would never let her go.
"I know," he smiled ruefully and pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I love you," he spoke softly into her hair and he heard the smile in her voice as she replied.
"I love you, too. Very much."
That Christmas Eve, she showed him just how much she meant it.