Chapter 7
Oh, won't you stay with me?
Cause you're all I need
This ain't love, it's clear to see
But darling, stay with me
Stay with me-Sam Smith
That afternoon, after their trainings, Effie went to Haymitch's house for the first time since they had started dating. The house, which was only a few blocks away from her neighborhood, was simple, with three bedrooms and a garden facing the sea. Since his mother's death, 3 years ago in childbirth along with his brother, Haymitch had been lived with his father and older brother who was barely at home, now that he was in college.
Effie knew her boyfriend and his father didn't get along and the man was barely home, throwing himself in his work so he wouldn't think about his wife.
When they reached the boy's bedroom, Effie frowned at the mess.
"Haymitch... What a mess!" And then she began picking up the shirts and books thrown on the floor, muttering to herself that she didn't know how she could date someone as messy as him.
"Where are your manners, princess? Invading my bedroom like this..." He muttered in a mix of sarcasm and amusement, while he watched her move into his room and pack up as if she had been there several times. And somehow, it felt homy and brought him a comfort he hadn't felt since his mother passed away.
The bedroom had a queen-size bed with black and messy sheets, a TV in the wall with his video-games and a window to the garden and over his computer desk, next to the posters of bands and bottles of whiskey he took from his father's stock, there were a few frames that caught Effie's attention, who walked toward them while Haymitch watched, waiting.
The first picture showed a younger Haymitch, with very short blond hair next to his older brother and his father. Among them was a beautiful woman with a kind smile and brown hair, but with the same gray eyes as Haymitch. She had one hand over her pregnant belly and the other over Haymitch's shoulder. They were a lovely family.
Effie felt a pang in her heart to think of her boyfriend's loss, but chose not to say anything so she stared at the other two frames. The first showed Haymitch from a year ago, with longer hair, but with a less tormented face, holding a blonde girl, with gray eyes and tanned skin, by her waist and next to the couple was a dark and charming boy, Chaff.
"Maysilee?" Effie asked, admiring the girls from the portrait.
Effie sometimes felt jealous of the dead girl, no matter how stupid that thought was. After all, she had been Haymitch's first crush, and beyond beautiful, they two had shared the same tastes and experiences. But then she quickly averted these thoughts, feeling silly and selfish to think like that and wished she had known the girl to understand Haymitch a little more.
Haymitch. The boy who had rocket her world, giving her strange names but was always by her side when she needed him, in his own way, comforting or giving her affection.
DiCaprio. Orlando Bloom. Seneca. None of them had shaken her as Haymitch had, her love.
Haymitch approached her while she was lost in thought, removing the portrait from her hands and stared at it for a moment, remembering his moments with Mayselee and how much they looked alike before storing it in the drawer, face down.
"Yeah, but it's in the past." He was sincere, as he pulled Effie into his arms and both watched the last picture frame, showing the exact moment when Haymitch had won the game and Effie, in her cheerleader's uniform, had thrown herself into his arms.
And it was true. While he and Maysilee had been very alike and she had been a tough girl, he and Effie were opposites. Effie was a butterfly full of color, always cheerful and trying to teach him about manners and fashion. At first he'd had doubts about this relationship, but now he could see it had everything to work. She brought him joy and he, protection, and so she was his colorful butterfly.
She had become the most important thing in his life, making him realize that even the strong feelings he'd had for Maysilee, what he felt for Effie surpassed everything.
"I wish I had known her."
"You two would have had a lot of fights." Haymitch said, shaking his head and pressing a kiss over her blond head. "But she would have liked you."
"You and I barely endured each other and see where we are now." Effie reminded him, smiling and raising an eyebrow and he laughed, softly.
"True. But I just don't know if this is a good thing. I don't know how I haven't been affected by the amount of hairspray you use in your hair yet."
"Haymitch! Honestly!" She said, pretending to be mad as she left his arms and sat on the edge of his bed, careful not to crumple her dress as he rolled his eyes and tossed his shoes into a corner and laid in bed with a groan while massaging his right foot.
"Did you get hurt? You barely said anything after training." She asked worriedly, turning to him.
"Nah. Only that pompous Craine who shed his shampoo for a 'softer hair' on the locker's room floor and I slipped on it." He said, gesturing with his hand angrily. How could that guy be so pompous?
"I'll have a talk with him about where he put his things and-" Haymitch interrupted the blonde, saying:
"You won't have any conversation with that preppy and pompous boy. My foot and I are great."
"Still..." She said, hating to be interrupted and put a hand over his ankle. "Is you foot clean?"
"What?" He asked, frowning. "Princess, this is my bedroom, you don't have to worry about the sheet getting dirty."
"It's not about that, Haymitch, I'm going to give you a massage." Feeling the soap smell emanating from his body, she risked a yes so she took his foot, noticing how large and masculine it was and then put it on her lap, massaging his fingers one by one and pulling them lightly.
A groan escaped from Haymitch's lips, making her blush as he leaned on one of his pillows to get more comfortable after having spent nearly two hours in the sun. The discomfort seemed to disappear with each movement of Effie's hands, who showed him a new talent.
Haymitch's body was relaxing, but moreover also his tormented mind, to his surprise. There was nothing in his mind, just the image of Effie and the sound of their breathing. Only her to achieve this.
Slowly she stopped the massage, as her body bent over Haymitch and she blushed even more. He had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling, disheveled hair in that way she found sexy. All she had read in the Cosmopolitan about sensations and excitement were 10 times better than it said.
With Seneca, there were just kisses in front of everyone and at events and nothing more. With Haymitch, there was a fire that made every touch or kiss shared, burned and made her want to explore it further, making her love him even more if possible.
When she pressed her lips to his, Haymitch opened his eyes, shining with desire, and he held both of her wrists with his hands to keep her in place as he deepened the kiss.
He released her hands to be able to bury his fingers in her hair, to have better access to her lips while his other hand was placed on her waist, slowly rising to her right breast, touching it lightly to know what her reaction would be. Feeling its softness made him hungry for her. What he wanted most was to be able to go ahead and bury his face on her breasts and pepper her with kisses as he felt his blood go south.
But he waited patiently because he would never forgive himself if he hurt her or forced her, she was everything to him.
Effie let out a low moan, her pulse racing. But seeing how he was controlling his own needs and being gently, she knew she wanted more of his touch on her body, also wanted to explore his body further so she placed her hands over his shirt, holding tight the bar and then he broke the kiss, keeping his eyes on hers as he took off his shirt and threw it into a corner.
Their eye contact was broken for a second when Effie looked down to admire his chest.
Salivating, her hands began to explore his chest, leaning over and pressing a kiss on his chest, over his heart, while she lowered a hand, feeling his firm abdomen, her fingernails following the trail of hair to the waistband and her heart beating increased.
It was then that, with his body bristle and aroused, he held her hands again, but not to stop what was happening between them. After feeling Effie's determination in advancing more, he looked back at her and saw her blue eyes almost black with desire so Haymitch out his hands on the hem of her dress, lifting it up and revealing her body slowly.
First her thighs, her belly and then her breasts in a pink bra, making him harder if possible. Throwing the dress into a corner and silencing her with a finger before she could complain about it, he started kissing her shoulder and helped her lie down on the pillows where he had been before.
Then, to his surprise, the last thing on her mind was her expensive dress on the floor. Her whole body began to tremble with pleasure as she had never felt before and was blushing as Haymitch's lips brushed her skin until he bit her shoulder and kissed it.
"Hum... Haymitch..." She sighed, making him smile at that beautiful sound.
"C'mon princess, you don't need to contain your voice..." He whispered hoarsely, amazed with how her breasts fitted his hands perfectly, even with the bra so he buried his face on them, absorbing her scent.
Effie was on cloud nine. Haymitch was gentle with his touches at fist, however, following her rhythm, they began to become more aggressive, something that was easier for him. Effie's lips travelled to his cheek, then lower and scrapped her teeth on the skin of his neck, making him moan as her hands explored his broad back.
Haymitch poked her face with his, guiding her into another kiss, unlike any other, demanding, until, breathless, both broke to breathe and Effie knew it was time to stop.
Still out of breath, she pressed a kiss to his face and then he lay down beside her, pulling her to his side and tucking the sheet around their bodies.
"Let's stop here princess..." He agreed and then, exhausted from the day, however happy and almost without having consumed his alcohol, he buried his face on Effie's neck, one of the rare moments when he'd let down his guard.
Effie was relaxing too, with a satisfied smile as she felt her breath synchronized with his.
"Better?" She asked, looking down, referring to his foot.
"Much. Who knew you had other skills with your hands, beyond shaking your pompoms for our team." He teased, craning his neck and nibbling her ear with a smirk, making her shiver.
"Now that you mention the team..." Effie began, biting her lower lip to contain another smile, something he found extremely sexy. "I agreed with some of my friends from the cheerleading team to go to the cinema tonight, and as everyone is going in pairs, you'll be coming too."
TBC
