Title: Glitter in the Air
Rating: MA
Genre: Angst/Drama/Romance
Characters: Haymitch/Effie
Summary: "It's a war, Haymitch…Some sacrifices are necessary."
Author's Note: Inspired by the song "Glitter in the Air" by Pink. Takes place during Mockingjay. Haymitch's P.O.V. Please excuse any typos. As always, enjoy. – RW
Additional note: It took me a little longer with this chapter, as I wrote about 3 different versions before I found the right blend of sexy, silly and sweet. Hope you like it.
Three A.M. and I can't turn my mind off in order to sleep…again. Effie is curled up against my side, her hand on my chest as she sleeps in the crook of my arm, and I'm glad for her presence and warmth after a grueling day.
Our lunch-time romp was definitely the highlight of my day, as things just went to shit again directly after. The transport carrying Johanna and Annie arrived, and while Johanna was taken into the conference room for briefing, I was left to tell Annie that she would never see Finnick again.
I picture the way her face fell like melting wax as the news sunk in, but to Annie's credit, she didn't cry. Not right away, at least.
"We were going to have a baby…" She'd said. Something in the words didn't sound just like planning for the future.
"Annie…are you pregnant?" I had found myself praying that I would be wrong, but Annie had just nodded with a dumbstruck expression.
"Who's going to take care of us now?"
I'd hugged Annie so fiercely that my muscles had burned with the effort and promised her that we would take care of her, taking the liberty to speak for all the remaining tributes. At least if no one else stepped up to the plate to help, I knew that none of us would ever let harm come to Annie or her unborn child. We owed, at the very least, that much to Finnick.
The discussion about restructuring Panem was heated, to say the least. Coin, Plutarch, Paylor, Johanna, the mayors from Districts 11 and 1, myself and Effie were all in the meeting. Paylor had wanted leaders from every District present, but Coin had thought it prudent to only involve a handful of individuals in the preliminary discussions and so names had been drawn, especially with the clean-up efforts continuing in all districts. Effie kept notes on the meeting, and I felt a sick sense of guilty pleasure watching her scribble furiously during the moments when several of us were all talking at once trying to be heard.
I don't know if we'd made much progress by the time we'd finally called it quits—all so angry and exhausted that the fuses on our tempers were nearly microscopic—but at least talks were happening. We'd been fed a nice dinner—much better than the crackers and sardines Effie and I'd had the night before—and then decided to reconvene first thing in the morning. It was well after 10 pm by the time we'd left the president's mansion, but I still had one order of business left to take care of before I could call it a night.
"I'm going to go by the hospital to see Peeta and Katniss." I'd told Effie as we took a cab across town. "Do you want to come?"
She'd thought about the offer for a few moments before shaking her head. "I'm tired, Haymitch. I think I just want to go home and take a shower and get ready for bed."
"Do you still want me to come over later?"
"Of course. If you want to."
The cab had pulled up in front of Effie's building and I'd given her a quick kiss before reaching across her to open her door. "Leave the door unlocked. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Katniss was awake when I arrived at the hospital, but Peeta was resting. She seemed annoyed at being stuck in the hospital bed, still wrapped in gauze while the new cells bonded to her existing skin.
"Can't believe I have to stay here a week." She groused. "I'd rather be turning Snow into a pin cushion."
"You'll get your chance, sweetheart."
"How's Effie?"
"She's okay, I think. Coin's put her to work as her personal secretary, so at least it's keeping her busy and not giving her time to think about her family." I pause, feeling my mouth go dry and wanting to say something about Prim…but can't. "They brought Annie in from 13 today. No one had told her about Finnick, so I did…. She's pregnant."
Katniss' eyes had glossed over with angry tears and she'd looked away from me to hide the emotion. "This sucks, Haymitch."
"I know it does. Trust me."
A silence falls between us for a few moments before Katniss asks, "How's my mother?"
"I haven't seen her since I told her about…your sister." I finish with hesitancy.
Katniss looks at me then with mixed emotions before she settles for the unexpected. Gratitude. "Thank you…for being the one to tell her."
"I've known your mother a long time. I thought she should hear it from someone who gives a damn."
"Will you come back tomorrow and fill me in again? I feel like I'm missing everything."
"Sure. You're really not missing much except the arguing right now. No one knows what the hell to do now that we have control."
"I figured Coin would have had a plan all laid out."
"Oh, she does. But no one agrees with it."
After bidding goodnight to Katniss, I checked in with the nurses about Peeta and was told he'd be released in the morning. The instructions were clear that he was to be sent to the mansion straight away. Confident that I had done everything possible, I finally allowed myself to return to Effie's.
She'd been on the couch when I'd gotten there, drifting off while she watched the latest message about rebuilding Panem. It was inspirational…if you didn't know everything happening behind the scenes. Effie's face was void of her makeup, her hair down and damp, fresh from a shower, and tonight she wore a simple dark blue robe with no frills or flowers or lace or ruffles. She took my breath away.
"How are they?" She'd asked sleepily as I sat beside her, letting her shift into my arms.
"Peeta was out, so I didn't talk to him, but they're releasing him in the morning. Katniss is…Katniss."
Effie had chuckled, knowing exactly what that meant, and tucked her head under my chin as she played with the material of my jumpsuit. "I really hate the way this looks on you. I miss your old clothes…wrinkled though they always were."
"I'm not aiming to win any fashion shows, Effie. If it wasn't so cold out, I'd just as soon go naked."
"I'd have no complaints with that." She'd said, smirking up at me. I'd rewarded her with a languid kiss, slipping my hand into the front of her robe to caress her breast and feeling her nipple respond automatically. Effie moaned into my mouth, her hand slipping down my front and squeezing my dick through the jumpsuit. I grinned, deciding to give her a little payback from earlier as I pulled at the tie belting her robe together and exposing her nakedness beneath. I groaned as I found Effie wasn't wearing panties and couldn't help myself from slipping my hand beneath her legs to touch her womanhood. She must have groomed herself in her shower this evening, leaving herself nearly hairless. She was smooth and already wet, and I played with her while I kissed her deeply.
When she started moving against my hand, trying to relieve the ache I was causing, I moved away from her and slid onto my knees in front of her. Effie was looking at me wantonly, and must have already guessed what I was about to do as she slipped her legs over my shoulders, sliding down a little on the couch.
I wanted to say something—call her a whore just for reaction—but I kept my thoughts to myself and bent down, kissing the inside of her thigh and working my way up. As I brushed my lips against the smooth skin of her labia, however, Effie laughed and pushed my head back.
"Your scruff tickles." She giggled.
Armed with this new knowledge, I grabbed Effie's wrists and pinned them down as I assaulted her with lips, tongue and beard. She laughed and wriggled and moaned beneath me, trying to get away but still wanting more despite being ticklish. Finally, when I'd taken her clit in my mouth and started sucking, she gave up the struggle and opened her legs wider to me. I had eaten her out until she'd cum, and then still hadn't stopped until she begged me to, pushing me back with her feet as she lay slumped on the couch in recovery, her eyes drooping tiredly.
I'd scooped Effie up in my arms and carried her to bed before going to wash my face, then I stripped down and joined her in the bed. She'd shed her robe by the time I'd gotten back and meagerly tried to fondle me despite her sleepiness. I'd taken her hand and held it gently over my heart.
"Go to sleep, Eff."
"What about you?"
"Trust me, honey…that was good enough for me."
She'd sighed, but given up and had quickly fallen asleep.
Now, nearly 3 hours later, here we are. I still feel so amped up with anxiety of the things to come, but I know it's pointless to worry about it. Still, I find myself thinking of what I would do differently if Panem was rebuilt the way I'd want it to be. I can't help the vengeful thoughts that creep in, hoping that the Capitol people are exiled the poorest, dirtiest, most hardworking districts like 11 and 12 and forced to live the way we were. I know it's wrong, but I still feel justified in the thought.
As I imagine all those white-powdered faces covered with coal dust and shouldering heavy pickaxes Effie whimpers in my arms. "No…please….No!" She cries, thrashing slightly against me.
"Effie." I hold her tightly, rolling her onto her back as I shake her gently. "Effie, wake up!"
Her eyes fly open with a startled cry, and she stares up at me, panting, before she starts to cry. I sink back down on the bed and pull her into my arms again.
"It's alright, sweetheart. I'm here. It was just a dream."
"It wasn't just a dream." She sobs. "They were q-questioning me and h-hurting me."
I can only assume she's referring to her captors. "It's over now, Effie. I'm here. No one will hurt you."
She sniffles as she tries to calm herself, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry I woke you up." She says, needlessly.
"Don't be stupid. Besides, I wasn't even asleep."
"Why not?" She asks worriedly, looking up into my face.
"I just have a lot on my mind. It's okay; go back to sleep, sweetheart."
"I don't want to." She argues, wiggling out of my arms and sitting up against the headboard, pulling the covers up over her chest. "Tell me what's on your mind, Haymitch."
"Nothing. And Everything. I've been thinking about what Panem would look like if I was in charge but so far all I've thought about is making the Capitol people work in the mines in my district. Just to knock them down a peg and show them what real life is like for those of us out there."
"I see." She says tartly and I look up at her to see that I've offended her.
"Don't get your panties in a twist." I scoff in annoyance. "I wouldn't actually do that."
"The fact that you would even imagine such a thing is heinous, Haymitch." She tells me critically. "I'm from the Capitol…would you make me work in a mine?"
"You're different than they are. Sort of. Well, not really, but you're not…" The more I try to justify that Effie's not of that ilk, the more I realize she is. She will always be of Capitol breeding. While I don't want to trivialize her imprisonment, or whatever happened to her there, I can't help but believe that as badly as she might have been mistreated, it's nothing compared to the lifetime of pain myself and others have endured. I roll away from her, annoyed and knowing neither of us is going to win this fight. "Forget it."
"It isn't fair to want to punish the people of the Capitol for crimes we didn't commit." Effie continues, despite my request. "We've all been brought up with the Hunger Games, with the segregation of the districts. It has been this way for generations, Haymitch. You can't blame us for not knowing better."
I sit up and look at her angrily. "I hope you're not including yourself in that statement, Effie, because you damn sure knew better. You traveled to the districts, you saw the way we lived, you picked the names of the children sent to their deaths. And you loved doing what you did. You were proud of it. You wanted to be promoted to a better district so that you didn't have to watch your Tributes die. You could have wanted to be out of the Games completely, you could have been part of the rebellion to stop the senseless killing. No…you just wanted better Tributes."
Her eyes fill with tears of hurt, and this time when she raises her hand to slap me, I'm ready for it and catch her wrist.
"Tell me I'm wrong, sweetheart."
"At least I didn't spend every waking minute I could have prepared those children for the arena drinking myself into a stupor." The words cut deep—once again proving that Effie can be a viper. "I may have picked their names at random, Haymitch, but you're the one who chose to do nothing to save them."
For a tense moment, Effie and I glare at one another until I finally release her wrist, slip out of the bed and don the jumpsuit crumpled on the floor.
"Where are you going?" Her voice has a hint of fear in it under the anger.
I don't answer as I head towards the bedroom door.
"Haymitch…" I can hear the anxiety level rising.
My hand is on the bedroom doorknob when she whispers, "You promised you wouldn't leave."
Damn her. There are a thousand words vying to be the first out of my mouth, but what finally wins over is a gruff, "I'll sleep on the couch…it's better than a snake pit any day."
I slam the door behind me before she has a chance to respond, and stalk down the hallway, flopping onto the couch and punching a pillow in place under my head. Whether it's the hour or the drain on my emotions all day, I finally feel exhausted and close my eyes.
The dreams that come to me are terrible visions of the future that my own subconscious had painted early. The rebels turning into violent, vengeful slavers against the Capitol people. Because I know the most about District 12, the dream centers there; the town the same as it was before the bombs leveled it. Capitol men and women, decked out in their finest clothes and their colored wigs, are sent into the mines to work. Their children starving, hands and faces blackened with coal dust, pressing their dirty faces against the Bakery window as they ache for the food that they once had never gone without. They have all lost hope. Hope they never before even dreamed they'd need. Life was so easy for them before the war. Everything handed to them on a silver platter, and now they waste away to nothing as they work their fingers to the bones.
Day in and day out, they go to the mines. They watch their children starve or freeze or succumb to illnesses that had once been so easily remedied. At night, the women cry and the men drink, and they all beg for it to be over. And those of us who lived in 12 before the war, stand by and watch with smug satisfaction, knowing that these people deserve this wretched life.
As I watch the men and women file back into the mines, their faces hollow from hunger, eyes empty black holes of hopelessness, a dirty pinkish thing catches my eyes and I see Effie trudging along with the other miners. She's rail thin, her gaunt face reflecting her despair. She's tried to paint her face with the white powder, but the coal dust has mixed in turning her an ashy grey. She looks like death. As she passes me, our eyes meet and I can almost hear her thought.
You did this to me. I stare at her as she crams into the elevator with the other miners and watch it descend into the mine.
When earth shakes beneath my feet and the mine collapses, I jolt awake.
"Effie?" I call out to the silence around me, needing to know the dream wasn't real. I realize I'm still on Effie's couch, a soft, warm blanket draped over me. The sun is bright beyond the windows and at mid-zenith in the sky. As I look around, I spot a note on the coffee table written in Effie's loopy script.
Haymitch,
Please forgive me.
Effie
Next to her signature is a pink lip print where she's kissed the paper.
I fold up the letter and put it in a pocket on my jumpsuit before I get off the couch, my angst replaced with annoyance that she didn't bother waking me before she left. The clock on the wall reads 10:06, so I'm sure the meetings are well under way. If I hurry, maybe I won't miss too much.
On the cab ride to the mansion, I think about last night's argument. I guess we both know exactly what to say to really wound one another, but Effie's comments about Capitol people not knowing better is just bullshit. It's an excuse, and I'm done listening to excuses, especially from people who do know better.
Just as I suspect, the meeting is in progress and I can hear the heated debate even before I reach the door. All eyes look to me as I enter, and I take note of every face, purposefully skipping Effie's. Peeta has joined the meeting this morning and I noticed there's an empty seat next to him.
"Don't stop talking on my account." I quip as I circle around the table and take the chair.
"Glad you could find it in yourself to wake up and join us, Haymitch." Plutarch says snidely.
"I just missed seeing your smiling face, sweetheart."
The comment has the intended reaction as Plutarch's face turns purple in anger and the others in the room snicker behind their hands. "As I was saying," he growls, glaring at me before launching into what he feels should be top priority in the effort. No surprise, it has more to do with filming progress than actually making any.
"Don't you think we ought to do something about the fact that trains have stopped bringing supplies to the Capitol?" I interrupt, my haunting dream still weighing heavily on my mind. "Most of the people here have no food in their cupboards."
"I assure you, we are working on that, Haymitch." Coin tells me. "It hasn't been easy getting cooperation from the Districts."
"You're sending teams in to restore order, aren't you?"
"Yes."
"Well, unless the rebels are rebelling against the rebellion—"
"Are you volunteering?" Plutarch cuts me off.
"For what?"
"To go into the districts to organize a relief effort."
"No, I'm just saying—"
"Then shut up."
"Gentlemen, please." Coin cuts in. "We have a lot of work ahead of us. I think, perhaps, there are simply too many hands in the pot on this project. Haymitch, you seem interested in leading the relief effort, why don't you take over that task force? Plutarch, you can send film crews into the district and we'll continue to film the propos. The meeting regarding the restructuring of Panem is now limited to myself and the heads of each district."
Johanna and I simultaneously voice our dissent at being dismissed from the meeting, but it's Paylor who shuts us up. "I'm afraid I do agree with President Coin on this one. We might be able to accomplish more with a smaller group."
Johanna, Peeta and I rise from the table and I shoot daggers at Plutarch as I head for the door. As I pass through the threshold, I hear Effie's voice trailing behind me.
"May I suggest we take a small break to regroup? Five…ten minutes?"
"Excellent idea, Miss Trinket. Let's take ten minutes and reconvene."
I realized I've stopped outside the door, knowing Effie's going to want to talk to me. Johanna and Peeta have also stopped, obviously waiting on me. "Go on, I'll catch up."
Johanna rolls her eyes, but the two of them move down the hall. Plutarch and Paylor are the first out the door, followed by Coin, the two mayors I don't know, and finally Effie. Not wanting to argue within earshot of the others, I grab Effie's wrist and drag her in the opposite direction than everyone else.
"Haymitch!" She hisses in protest, having to take small, quick steps in her ridiculous heels to keep up with me so I don't pull her out of them. She yanks her hand out of mine at the same second I let go and has to overcorrect before she falls backwards. She's giving me a cross look as she folds her arms over her chest. The green and gold eye shadow matches both her dress and wig today and I quietly seethe at the fact that she still chooses to dress like a goddamn Capitol Clown.
"Thanks for waking me up this morning, sweetheart. I really appreciate that."
"I tried to wake you up." She says hotly. "Is it my fault you sleep like the dead? Besides, maybe you wouldn't have slept in so late if you hadn't been up plotting revenge."
Effie sticks her nose in the air condescendingly as she turns her head away from me. Her words bring back the last part of my dream where I'd watched her descend down into the mine before it collapsed and I feel the fight drain out of me, my shoulders sagging under the weight of my own remorse.
"I'm sorry." Is all I can say. Effie looks back at me, hearing the sincerity in my voice and I feel I owe her an explanation. "I ended up dreaming about it. About what it would be like if what I'd said actually happened. You were right, it was a heinous thought, and I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too." She says quietly. "I didn't mean what I said to you, Haymitch. It was a dreadful thing to say. I was just so angry with you."
"Seems like all we're good at is driving each other crazy." I tease, humorlessly.
"I'd like to think there's more to it than that." Effie murmurs, stepping closer to me as she runs her hands up my chest. "We may have our disagreements, but we also have some fun together, don't we?"
I can't stop the smirk that pulls at the corners of my mouth. "Depends on the type of fun you're referring to." I let my eyes roam her body, my hands encircling her waist, and she swats me playfully. I can tell she's blushing beneath her makeup.
Her face turns serious after a moment, but she hasn't moved from our intimate position. "Thank you for keeping your promise last night."
"Just remember that next time I do something that pisses you off."
She smiles despite herself, then pulls out of my arms and straightens herself. "Well, I suppose I'd better get back to the meeting. I must say, I'm quite glad the committee has shrunk by a few hotheads." She looks at me pointedly. "My hand was beginning to cramp from trying to keep up with all the arguing."
I grin, still taking sick pleasure from her discomfort, and earn another smack from her before she turns and walks away with her head held high. I laugh to myself, then venture off to find the other Tributes.
It doesn't take long to find my counterparts, who have wandered into the dining room and are helping themselves to the brunch buffet that's been put out. Enobaria, Annie and Beetee are also here, with plates full of food. I don't know why I'm surprised that the President's mansion would be seeing no shortage of food—and appears to still have an abundance of—and I make a mental note to start on the relief effort as soon as I've eaten.
"So…" Johanna says with a smirk. "Word is you're staying with Effie Trinket, Haymitch."
"Yeah." I say neutrally. "So?"
"So you two got a thing going?" Enobaria pipes in.
"We're just friends."
She and Johanna both offer a disbelieving, "Mmhmm."
Even Peeta looks skeptical.
"Look, Effie's been through a lot. She just needs someone around right now to help her get through it."
"I'll bet she does." Johanna snickers.
I sigh in annoyance.
"Oh, come on, Haymitch." Enobaria argues. "You couldn't stand the woman when she was 12's escort. You tried to shake her off anytime she was around."
"She has a point, Haymitch." Peeta says, poking his fork in Enobaria's direction. "When Katniss and I first met you, you two were always at each other's throats."
"I don't argue with that," I tell them, shaking some salt over my potatoes. "There was a time when I would have loved to throttle her—still do, sometimes—but Effie's not the same person she was a few years ago."
Johanna snorts into her soup. "You wouldn't know it by the way she still dresses. I hope Coin bans that shit."
"We can't expect attitudes to change overnight." Beetee says with a reasonable tone.
Johanna rolls her eyes. "So, exactly what kind of 'help' are you giving her, Haymitch?"
"Her parents were killed in the attack on the Capitol, and—what else? Oh, right, she spent the better part of a year imprisoned by Snow's goons, getting the shit beat out of her even though she knew nothing of the rebellion." I tell her matter-of-factly.
Johanna gives me a contrite look. "Oh."
My own expression is mocking, "Yeah, 'oh.'"
Nearly everyone in this room besides Beetee and me has spent time imprisoned by the Capitol, and it infuriates me that they've so easily forgotten Effie was too. There's a moment of tense silence as no one knows quiet how to follow that, then Peeta softly clears his throat.
"Is she okay?"
"Relatively speaking." I say. It's not my place to discuss the details of Effie's suffering, so I simply tell them, "There are good days and bad days, just like there are for all of you."
Another silence reigns before Annie speaks for the first time since I saw her yesterday. "You should get married."
We collectively choke on our various foods, all eyes darting to Annie, who has her feet pulled up on the edge of the chair and is holding a lock of hair between her fingers, examining it closely. She looks up as she realizes people are looking at her.
"Weddings make people happy." She tells us simply, then looks at me with a strange expression. "You want her to be happy, don't you, Haymitch?"
"Of course I do, sweetheart. But marriage is for people who love each other." I force myself not to add 'Like you and Finnick.'
"Yes." She says in agreement, failing to see my point.
I can feel my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water and Johanna roars with laughter. "You should see your face!"
My eyes narrow at her and she gives me a defiant smile.
"I'm with Annie, you should get married. It's what people do when they're in looOOoove." She mocks me like a child.
"I'm not in love with her, you stupid little—"
"Hay-mitch and Ef-fie sit-ting in-a-tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Johanna starts to sing in that same child-like tone. Enobaria joins in on the chorus and I slam my fist down on the table, making the dishes rattle.
Too irritated and annoyed to even speak, I can only glare in response to the cacophony of immature laughter. Peeta's diplomatic request for them to leave me alone hardly takes the edge off.
Why can't people just mind their own business? Even if I did love Effie, I certainly wouldn't marry her. It would give her the wrong idea about what I want in life. She'd start wanting kids, and a nice home, and god knows what else. Besides, where would we live? Here in the Capitol? Back in District 12? Neither of us would be happy in the other's world and I have no desire to live anywhere else. Not until everything's been restructured, at least. And…why am I even bothering with this line of thought anyways?
"Does she wear that stupid wig when you do it, Haymitch?" Johanna chortles.
Enobaria's still laughing too. "Does she talk dirty to you with that stupid accent? 'ooH, HaymitCH, I quite like it when you—'"
I spear a potato on the end of my fork as she mimics the annoying Capitol inflection, and flick it at Enobaria. It hits her right between the eyes and immediately shuts her up as she gapes at me. In the blink of an eye, the dining room erupts into a battlefield as food starts flying across the table. Beetee and Peeta both hit the deck, but Enobaria and Johanna have no problem teaming up on me and pelting me with anything that has some heft to it, or at least some distance. Sweet rolls, bread, potatoes, even peas are hurled my way and I use my plate as a deflector and shield as I crouch down behind the table. I take their ammo as my own, launching it back at them as we laugh almost hysterically.
Peeta and Beetee are pleading for a ceasefire from beneath the table and Annie is still sitting in her chair, taking turns cheering both sides on. We must be causing quite the ruckus, because before long, Effie appears in the doorway with her hands on her hips.
"What is the meaning of this!?" She cries out, horrified at the mess around her, and even more horrified to find that I'm a part of the chaos. Before anyone can answer, Annie's scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes and slingshots it right in Effie's face. The room explodes into laughter and I double over on the floor at the look of appalled shock on her face.
"Well." She says tartly, wiping the mess away indignantly. "I hope you are all very pleased with yourselves. Your fun and games are interrupting the meeting. I have never seen such disregard for manners in my entire life."
Though still laughing, we've managed to contain it to snickers and quiet guffaws. Effie's gaze falls on me. "For someone in charge of a relief effort for food, I must say I'm disappointed, Haymitch. I thought the saying in your district was 'waste not, want not.'"
I can tell Effie thinks she's gone too far with that last quip, but this time I can't be angry with her for it, because she's right. Even Johanna and Enobaria have the decency to look ashamed.
"We'll clean it up." Enobaria offers.
"Even though Haymitch started it." Johanna grumbles.
Effie puts her hands back on her hips as she gives me an exasperated look.
"I'll clean it up," I say, relenting under the intensity of her gaze.
"See that you do." She snaps, then turns on her heel and stomps away.
Enobaria sniggers across the table. "Man, you are so whipped. I never thought I'd see the day when Haymitch Abernathy would back down to a woman."
"Well, he's given up his liquid courage," Johanna says as she starts picking up discarded food from the floor and piling it on a plate. "Who knew he was so spineless without it."
"Do you two ever shut up?" I ask, tired of listening to their crap.
"Awfully defensive for someone who's got nothing going on with her, Haym." Enobaria says challengingly.
"I'm not defensive," I grumble, avoiding her gaze as I start cleaning up the mess around me. "I'm just waiting for something intelligent to come out of your mouth."
We pass insults and belittling remarks back and forth as we clean up the dining room—Peeta, Beetee and Annie sitting by and eating their meal as if we don't exist.
"You know, Haymitch," Johanna says offhandedly. "You could do a lot worse than Effie Trinket."
I look at her, waiting for her to continue. She can barely contain her mirth.
"I hear Coin's single."
Johanna and Enobaria fall together laughing again and I just roll my eyes, walking out of the (mostly) clean dining room. Women…can't live with them, and it would send the wrong message to kill them in the middle of a ceasefire.
I find my way to one of the smaller offices, and start making calls to get the ball rolling on the relief effort. I start with District 5: Power. Power needs to be restored to all of Panem. Parts of the Capitol are still without power and heat, and without power there can be no refrigeration for perishable foods. Restoring the power, will at least allow people to use some of the replicator machines until other food stocks arrive.
It takes a bit of bargaining, of course, to convince the commander of five to relent, but in the end he's agreeable and it only costs me about 2 dozen more men. I'll worry about where to get the men later.
Next I call up District Six: Transportation. I need trains to transport goods around Panem to the Capitol. Luckily, this costs me nothing and they seem eager to help in the effort.
My last calls are to Districts 9 and 10, Grain and Livestock. I spend several grueling hours on the phone trying to negotiate with these districts, but—even though the rebels are in control—they're reluctant to help the Capitol. When nothing seems to be working, I finally lie and tell them that Coin has ordered their cooperation. Since most of the soldiers are hers, they don't question the order and finally give in.
As I'm making the last of the arrangements for shipment to the Capitol, Effie comes in, closing the door behind her and seats herself next to me on the desktop, watching me work. She looks tired, and I feel tired, so I know it's been a long day for both of us. I hang up the phone and slouch back in the chair with a weary sigh.
"I think you could sell ice in winter, Haymitch." She smiles, sounding somewhat proud.
"I have a favor to ask," I say, reaching out for her hand and gently pulling her towards me until she gets up from the desk and sits crossways on my lap. She pushes my mused hair away from my face, still smiling.
"Anything."
"I need two dozen soldiers sent out to District 5."
"Two dozen?! Where on earth do you expect me to find two dozen soldiers?"
"I don't expect you to find them, sweetheart. I expect you to ask Coin to find them. Tell her it's non-negotiable. And tell her she's welcome."
Effie tsks lightly, but agrees. "Alright. I'll pass it on to her."
"What time is it anyways?"
"After six."
"Are you hungry?"
"No." Her tone is hard, and I snort in laughter knowing she's still annoyed from the earlier food fight. "What was all of that about anyways? You were acting like complete heathens!"
"Just a little stress relief." I answer, not wanting to explain.
"Hardly appropriate, Haymitch."
I laugh again and she narrows her eyes at me.
"Do you plan to sit here and laugh all night, or would you care to go home?"
"Let me call Katniss first. I told her I'd keep her up to date on everything."
Effie presses a kiss to my forehead and slips out of my lap. "I'll wait for you outside. I could use a little fresh air anyways."
Katniss is eager for the news I relay to her, asking again what she can do and—as usual—annoyed when I tell her to heal up. I can't resist telling her about the food fight and how Annie had gob smacked Effie with a spoonful of mashed potatoes. Katniss falls to pieces on the other end of the line and it takes her several minutes to recover.
"You should probably do something nice for her to make it up to her, Haymitch." She says, her voice still shaking with laughter.
"Yeah, probably." I can't help but smile.
"How's Peeta?"
We talk for a few minutes on how Peeta seems to be doing, then move on to what we think Coin and the others are talking about in their meeting. I promise to try and get Effie to tell me, but know that if Effie's been sworn to secrecy, she won't budge on even a slight hint. Katniss makes me swear to call again tomorrow, then we say goodnight and hang up the phone.
As I'm leaving to find Effie, I'm drawn back to the dining room where a delicious aroma is emanating. No one else is in the room, but another banquet has been set out for us. I know that Effie had said she wasn't hungry, but I'm certain she will be later and I won't deign to eat another can of sardines if I can help it. There's a sizeable bowl of stew—enough to feed several people—and I check to see that the coast is clear before I put the lid on it and pick up the entire pot before sneaking outside with it.
Effie is sitting on the front steps, rubbing the back of her neck and looks back at me as I come up behind her. "Rea—Haymitch, what is that?"
"Dinner. Let's go." I say as I hurry down the steps.
"You stole that, didn't you?" She gasps, appalled.
"Look, sweetheart, maybe cat food is enough for you, but I need something a little heartier."
Effie pauses, looking affronted, before hurrying to catch up with me again. "Well…you could have at least taken some bread as well."
I nearly spill the pot as I throw my head back and laugh and we walk to the point where we can hail a cab back to her apartment. Though we're quiet on the cab ride there, it's a companionable silence and I balance the pot on my lap with one hand as I reach over and touch her knee. She smiles and moves a little closer to me, resting her head on my shoulder, and—even with the stupid curls of her wig in my face—I find that I like being close to Effie like this.
TBC
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