Hey ya'll! This is my first Effie/Haymitch fic so I hope you all enjoy! Please review so I can get some inspiration and all feedback is welcome!

Disclaimer: Hunger games and all the characters belong to Collins. If they were mine, the whole book would be centered on Effie and Haymitch ^.^

Prologue: History

They were broken bottles with whispered promises that they both knew that they couldn't fulfil. But knowing that did everything to mend the small shattered pieces of their hearts.

"He's not good for you Effie. He's a silly, old drunk!"

"Capitol girl Haymitch? How can you be attracted to that?"

They called it love even when others didn't. They called it drunken love when others called it insanity, when they wondered how two people so different could fall in love. It was true that their love was a twisted mess but it was love and it was theirs which was all that mattered.

65th Hunger games

Effie tugged at the edge of her sequenced top which gleamed and shined in the dim lights of Haymitch Abernathy's house. She had been given District 12 of all the Districts which was-to everyone's knowledge-the worst, most far off District their was. There were only two victors that came from this District for goodness sake and she was pretty sure the other one had passed away a good year or two ago.

However, while all of this put a damper on her feelings, Effie could still feel the bubbles of excitement in her stomach at her first year as a victor. Anyway, she wasn't that disappointed at getting District 12 as she could vaguely remember her seven year old self cheering on Haymitch in the 50th games.

She had been excited to meet her childhood crush but the drunk on the sofa looked nothing like the man she had spent the whole train ride imagining. He still had the same dark hair and gorgeous eyes and his body was the same build but it sagged with a weight that she couldn't see or understand.

"Mr Abernathy, we really have to get going." She swallowed nervously. "The reaping is in 15 minutes and we really can't be late."

"Get out of my face." He muttered as he took another gulp of the beer he was nurturing which did nothing to lessen the tightness in her stomach.

"But sir-"

"I don't like you and your kind. Get out of my face."

"How rude-" The bottle that was previously in his hands came flying towards her left side. She flinched as she it narrowly missed her and smashed against the wall, the pieces scattering on the floor. She might have held him to have a bad aim but with the direction his eyes went when he through the bottle, she could guess he had missed her on purpose.

"Shut. up." He snapped, eyes narrowing towards her. "Your green wig is blinding me. Why don't you hurry along to your precious reaping and let me take care of myself."

Effie didn't need to be told twice. She spun on her 11 inch heels and almost launched herself to the door. She found herself having to run-or at least try to-to the justice building where the stage was where the reaping would took place. Under her pristine countless white foundation layers she knew she was blushing like a bright red tomato when she arrived to find that everyone was waiting. There was no way she would be getting upgraded to a better District now after being late to her first reaping!

She got herself together and towards the end Haymitch stumbled up onto the stage, more drunk then ever, giving a once over at the tributes, a lovely blonde haired petite girl from the 14's age group and a rugged, skinny 12 year old boy. "You won't last a night." He said simply and Effie's eyes almost popped out of her chest.

"Haymitch!" She hissed, besides the cameras that were circling around them. "You can't just say that!"

"What? You can't take the truth Princess?" He chuckled.

She simply ignored him, pulling herself together and signing off the cameras. Because that's what Effie Trinket did best. Pull herself together.

68th Hunger games

All hopes of her being upgraded had evaporated by this year. The reaping days seemed to get worse and the entire experience of the Hunger games seemed to end catastrophically because of a certain pathetic, annoying drunkard.

She had fooled herself the first year, thinking that Haymitch would get better once they were on the train but the access to even more variety and quantity of alcohol that the Capitol brought with them led him to become even more intoxicated. She had been left by herself to help the tributes with the little knowledge that she knew apart from that which was about etiquette and manners.

It wasn't all that bad in the end. Once they had got to the Capitol, Haymitch would always sober up and take on his duties as a mentor, giving tips to the tributes and going out of his way to charm the sponsors. Effie found that Haymitch's sober character was serious, harsh and quiet but she thought him to be very attractive like this.

If asked though whether this was when Effie liked Haymitch most she would say no because while Effie's heart burned at attractive, sober Haymitch, it softened at drunk Haymitch. She liked to take care of him because heaven knows that he needed someone to. She liked to press wet, cold towels on his head at night after he had passed out and she liked to brush away his sandy hair from his eyes when it got too long.

"My other escort hadn't bothered with me this much." Haymitch admitted to her one night, when she was busy playing with her hair. Her hand froze in mid-air and she felt the redness start to rise from her neck.

"Your awake." She stated.

He gave her an amused look. "I never sleep to begin with."

"Oh, my." She flew up from his bed, backing away from him. "How inappropriate of me to just come into your room and-"

"I don't mind it." He shrugged. "I mean your ridiculously long fake nails scratch up my face but I don't mind."

Effie flushes harder and for not the first time in her life, is thankful that white foundation seems to be an ongoing trend in the Capitol. "Why do you sleep with a knife?" She asks, thinking of the first thing that comes to her mind to change the subject.

She instantly regrets saying anything when his grey eyes darken and when he tells her to get out she doesn't hesitate to question it.

70th Hunger games

"Just this ONCE Haymitch. Couldn't you be properly prepared?" She screamed at him. The rest of the twelfth floor of the training centre hums asleep but the two of them are alive with fire burning in their hearts. "One party. ONE! I have never asked anything of you before-"

"There's no point." He growled. "Its just the same old, same old with your stupid Capitol parties."

"But there were many sponsors there tonight and all I asked you was to come prepared." She snapped.

"What more could I have done? I put on a suit and tie. Effie, what more could I have freaking done?" He yelled at her.

"Been nice to people for once?"

"I don't do nice very well."

"You don't do anything very well!"

The victor tried to push past her but Effie wouldn't have it. Not tonight. She shoved as hard as she could against his shoulder which had close to no impact. The action makes him pause and look at the normally fragile escort in surprise.

She's crying by now. She can tell by the rainbows that her eyes start to see as her brightly coloured mascara and eye liner starts to run. "That's all I asked you to do." She cried. "All I asked you yo do."

"You're...crying?" He muttered, bluntly. "This is about more than just this damn party isn't it?"

The tears have started and the don't stop for a while. Haymitch leads her towards the lime green sofa and lets her hold his hand and lean against him as she cried rainbows into his white, pressed shirt. When they finally stop, the silence is stretched as she tried to calm her down yet he doesn't leave her and she's grateful for that.

"I ruined your shirt." Effie sniffed.

Haymitch grumbled. "Don't worry about it Princess. You should head to bed."

She nodded but doesn't make any movements and he doesn't either. "I don't know what to do." She whispered and he glanced at her confused.

"What-"

"I am so in love with you." She blurted out. "I'm so in love with you Haymitch and I don't know what to do about it."

The shocked look on his face almost made her regret her words but she can't help but like the lifting of the heavy feeling on her chest at the secret she had kept to herself for so wrong. "Effie." He sighs, leaning back and rubbing his eyes as if years had gone past since she had started talking.

"Its okay Haymitch." She said, quietly. "I like loving you. Just let me do that and you don't have to love me back or anything. I'll see you tomorrow. It'll be a big, big day!" She shrilled in her normally, chirpy voice before leaving to go to her room. She can't hate him for not stopping her but she wished she could.

71st Hunger games

"You don't have to do that." Haymitch complained as Effie scrubs the wooden floors of his house.

"I want to."

"You're going to clean this whole house? Really?" He shoots her an amused expression. "I don't think that's possible."

She smiles, a small laugh willingly escaping her. "Oh I know." She teases back. "But I am always one for challenges."

Effie really didn't know what she was thinking when she showed up at Haymitch's house 2 weeks before the reaping but he didn't seem to mind as he let her in straight away and helped her carry her suitcases to the guest bedroom.

He took a swig of his bottle before setting it aside. "I think the floor boards are clean enough." He said with a rare grin on his face before offering her his hand. The sweet gesture surprises him as she throws the scrubs into the cleaning bucket she was using and takes his hands.

She's cleaned the floors a little too well though and she slipped as she got up. Haymitch's arms scoop around her waist, catching her before she fell. "Hey, watch it there princess." He muttered. His eyes caught Effie's and she sighed, closing her eyes and allowing herself to enjoy his touch.

His hold tightens on her causing her eyes to flip open. She blushed at his guarded look. "I'm sorry." She whispered. "Oh my, I am so sorry."

"Its okay." He said, simply. "It just takes a little getting used to." He doesn't remove his hands from her so she bravely wrapped her arms around his torso and he lifted her up so she is upright. She inhaled his scent which is a mixture of an after-shave she had brought with her for him and whiskey-his current alcohol. Its strangely calming to her.

"I love you." she breathed when she pulled away from him and his eyes darken slightly. She flinched as she awaited his words but it surprised at the lingering kiss that is placed on her cheek.

72nd Hunger games

He marries her this year and its only on their wedding night does he see her without the "Capitol crap" on her face. She would never forget the shock in his surprise at her blonde hair that ran in beach waves to her waist. She hated cutting her hair as a child so as a compromise, she wore wigs so no one would notice. Her face is pale and her normal eyes are a dull brown but she would never forget how he looked at her that night. Like she was the only woman in the world.

It doesn't make sense to anyone let alone them but right after the games finished, they push aside their dampened feelings and run to a Capitol priest who marries them in secret. Haymitch had first suggested at registry but Effie wanted to stay true to her beliefs and get married in a church. Churches and bibles are rare now after the dark days but Effie still finds comfort in following her Jesus.

He doesn't get it but he abides and they get married in a small church on a street corner. After that she followed him back to his house where they have a toasting, the District 12 marriage tradition. Its done in Haymitch's house with just them too and they exchange brief vows.

"There's something about you Princess. Effie." He said as his white slice of bread toasts over the fire. "I was young when my family were..." He gulped and Effie's heart is murdered at that second as the tears well up in her eyes. "I don't know how to but I'll try my hardest to love you and take care of you as I never had that chance with them."

"I'll love you even when I start to hate that sight of your face." Effie said making him chuckle as my own slice toasts slowly. "And I'll be your family Haymitch. If you'll have me." He leaned over at the second and kisses her as one of his lone tears mingle with her plentiful ones.

73rd Hunger games

She finally introduced Haymitch to her little family this year, her feisty but caring mother-Venus and her kind hearted father-John. They tell her husband their own love story as they sit in one of the sitting rooms in their house-or freaking mansion as Haymitch likes to call it-eating biscuits and drinking peppermint tea which Effie knew Haymitch was probably imagining to be whiskey.

"Wait, your a victor yourself?" Haymitch asked her mother in surprise.

Her mother nodded, with a chuckle. "Yep. That's how I met this one." She said, patting her father's knee. "He was the game maker in my games."

"I fell in love with her on the screen." John admitted. "So much that I pretty much guaranteed that nothing happened to her that was in our control. When she won I quit my job, bought a few Districts with my wages and swept her off her feet."

Venus rolled her eyes. "I thought he was barking mad. A rich Capitol man in love with a girl from District 9? Unimaginable. But here we are."

Haymitch raised his eyes. "And the Capitol just let you get away with that?"

John shrugged. "I don't think they really care about a Capitol-Victor marriages as long as you are not splashing them around in public. Capitol-District marriages though? Definitely."

Effie grinned, looping her hand with Haymitch's. "You see! Its okay."

He still frowned with uncertainty but smiled neither the less, squeezing her hand holding his hand on his sleeve for once, much like she does. Effie grinned once again at the hope she saw swimming in his eyes.

75th Hunger games

They try to make him leave her when they come for him. Effie isn't surprised when she sees the District 13 aircraft's fly over head, one of them landing to collect the rebels currently in the Capitol and the other one on its way over to get the victors from the arena.

Haymitch had filled her in with all the plans and while she was proud of her husband for doing something so brave, she ached inside when in the night he was away for too long or when she saw the black circles under his eyes.

"Abernathy." Coin hissed as she stared Effie down. "We cannot take your Capitol whore with us. Don't make this mistake Abernathy. You are meant to be the most intelligent person in this mission."

Effie almost smirked at their faces at his next words. "Try and say that again Coin. She's my wife." He said, a proud smirk on his lips that made her smile. "And I am not leaving her."

Coin glared at Effie before giving in and Effie left with Haymitch to thirteen without a seconds thought. She was tired of seeing people dying every single year under Snow's hand-sometimes not just in the games either. So after making sure that her parents would be safe which they were bound to be with her father's status, she followed Haymitch to thirteen. After thirteen pregnancy tests.

"It'll be alright." He said to her from where the sat in the hover craft, a vacant corner that Haymitch had managed to grab. "I will never leave you."

"And I you."

"Effie, what's wrong?" He asked and she stayed quiet. "Effie? Baby, please." He whispered in her ear, words that only she was allowed to hear. Words that always left butterflies flying around in her stomach.

"Haymitch, we're in a war now." She said, the fear resting in her gut.

He nodded, solemnly.

The silence lies flat against them and she can't help but glance at the other stricken faces in the hover craft. They must be afraid too but none of them could be more afraid than she was.

"I'm pregnant." She spoke quietly in his ear and he flies to look at her in shock. His gaze moves from her eyes to her stomach and vice versa.

"But you're on the pill and we always..." He trailed off, leaning back and rubbing his eyes and she is once again reminded of the time when she first told him about her feelings for him.

She swallowed. "You don't want it."

"I never said that."

"But, you..." the words died on her tongue. "Haymitch..."

But he won't look at her and it breaks her heart.