Haymitchs POV

Almost a week had gone by and I'd barely seen her.

I hated that it seemed to bother me.

She hadn't come to me once since that night, had it been that bad?

She definitely came. She couldn't have faked that. I remembered her body convulsing against mine, I remember her fierce grip at the back of my neck, her screams of pleasure.

Not even Effie Trinket was that good an actress.

As I was thinking about her she walked in and caught my eye. Her turquoise pools, hidden beneath fluttering black and gold lashes sought out my grey ones.

What once would make me want to laugh out loud now enticed me.

I ignored her pleasantries and focused on calming my erection down as it strained for release underneath the dining table.

I heard her sigh at my normal ignorance and she flitted by me. No wonder she wouldn't come to me if I kept behaving like I still hated everything she stood for.

Feeling instantly guilty I looked back at her and tried to catch her eyes again but she'd already swanned off into her bedroom.

Damnit.

This should be so easy for me. The woman was giving me exactly what I wanted, right?. Space, silence, not dwelling on the night that was our 'one night stand' but, by her making it so easy made me think that I wanted a rougher ride.

Over the past few days I've found myself wanting to play the silly cat and mouse game with her, the game that I'd always so easily played the dismissive cat with previous women.

She was the cat now.

I was nothing but a cowardly dog.

After I'd 'calmed' myself I made my way to her room.

When she opened the door she was half dressed and ready to shower but she smiled at me still, like nothing was between us but duty and respect and it angered me.

"Haymitch? What's the matter?"

I laughed smugly, like an idiot and made my way into her room, uninvited. I heard her sigh again at my ignorance but ignored me and continued to change.

"What are you doing?" I asked as she slid the straps of her under dress off and let it fall to the floor. Her confidence in front of me unnerved me and she was almost down to her underwear.

"I'm Changing!" She responded matter of factly "This is my room is it not? Now are you just going to stand there and gawp or are you going to help me?" She turned her back on me and pointed to the knotted strings of her corset.

I swallowed hard and felt a tightening in my trousers again.

Was she coming on to me?

Her breathing had quickened. I could tell by the rise and fall of her bosom that was almost spilling out of the top of her garment.

Maybe she had missed me this week to.

I took hold of the strings and yanked them hard

"Jesus Haymitch!" Her breath hitched and she stumbled back into me "I meant loosen it not tighten!" I apologised and she giggled, so it was coming off then.

Once the strings were untied he faced me again and held the loose corset against her chest to hide herself

"Now turn around" she asked innocently and twirled her well manicured finger in my face. The sight of her, half naked, in front of me, telling me what to do made me lose it. I grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me, kissing her hard on the mouth.

I felt her struggling against me weakly and the corset fell to the ground.

"Haym-! Stop! Haymitch"

But I kept on kissing her, her lips, her neck, her jaw

*SLAP*

I stumbled back in shock. Dammit the woman had strength.
She quickly found and wrapped her night gown around herself to hide her exposed chest and faced me. Those beautiful eyes of hers, no longer turquoise but almost green with anger.

I rubbed at my jaw and I think she softened a little because she stepped slightly closer and almost reached out a comforting hand. Almost.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you"

"It's ok, I shouldn't have-"

"No, you shouldn't have…"

We stared at each other for a moment before she closed the gap between us and caressed the part of my cheek in which she struck

"We shouldn't…you mustn't do that again"

I pushed her hand away from my face then caught it in my own

"Why not?"

"You know why!"

"Don't you want me anymore?"

"Haymitch, we agreed…"

"Answer the question"

She pulled her hand from mine and backed away again, bitterly.

"There shouldn't be any questions Haymitch! We agreed! A one time thing we said, we walk away happy and satisfied and no one gets hurt!"

"You think I'm going to hurt you? You mean…like you think I hurt the rest?"

"I don't think, I know. I'm smarter than all of them don't you see?"

I didn't and she grew impatient with me

"I'll never give you the chance to hurt me Haymitch. It was just sex! It was great and it's what we both needed at the time but it won't be happening again. Understand?"

"If it was just sex then why can't it happen again? What are you afraid of?"

That stopped her hands from fluttering about her head, she tried to argue back but she couldn't find the words

"Go on Ef! What? Are you afraid that your gonna fall head over heels in love with me and that I'm gonna just cast you aside when I feel like it like all the others?"

I waited for her excuses, I waited for her to erupt into a fit of laughter and tell me how stupid I was to think that SHE could ever love ME, but to my surprise and disappointment she didn't, she remained calm and said

"That's exactly what I'm afraid of Haymitch. Thank you, for reminding me."

I could hear the sarcasm in her voice but something told me that she actually meant every word.

"That's exactly why this won't be happening again, do you hear me! I'm not and never will be one of THOSE girls! Now get out"

"Ef…"

"Out!"

I wanted to tell her how wrong she was but I didn't even know how wrong she was myself. She described my nature perfectly, she had every reason to think the way that she did, I'd never given her any other option to think another way and I think we both knew that I never would

"Please Haymitch, I have a big big night tonight and I need to get ready"

Of course, it was Jacque Winters wrap party. She'd been working so hard on it all week, it wasn't fair for me to ruin the mood for her tonight.

"Ok" I held my hands up and backed off "you can keep that as a good luck kiss then….isn't that what friends do?"

I hoped she could sense the sarcasm in my voice too.

"Friends…" She whispered

She nodded to agree but I wasn't so sure that she did, she wasn't either.

"Have fun at the party" I said defiantly

Then I left.