Effie rounded the corner and found Haymitch waiting outside the wing that had doctors flying in and out to care for Katniss and Peeta. "Have you been in to see them?" She breathed softly and looked about for onlookers before kissing him quickly.
Haymitch whisked her around the corner in a dark alcove, he brushed his lips against hers and pressed her into the wall. He kissed her feverishly for what seemed like hours. Effie felt weak kneed and tingly afterward. All memory of what she did to earn the victory escaped her mind. She beamed, "We did it, Haymitch. We brought them home."
He grinned and kissed her harder. Effie smiled into his kiss, feeling his beard tickle her skin. Haymitch's hands fumbled with the door next to her. He pulled her into the dark room and promptly locked the door. His hands brushed down her arms, and tugged her close to him by hooking into the little gold belt she had on over the dress. His lips trailed down her neck and pulled the sleeve off her shoulder and nipped at the bared skin. Effie's hands pulled harder at his shirt.
Haymitch swept her off her feet and promptly set her on the table. In the dark, Effie's eyes adjusted and saw they were in a private waiting room usually reserved for families. His hands brushed up past her knees and he settled them around his hips.
This is how it always was after the final battles. In the first couple of years it was angry sex. Anger funneled into a desperate need to forget it. Later the successive failures to bring the kids home turned into sadness. It was just expected after a year or two that they wouldn't win. They'd stumble into bed and kiss for hours. Healing feelings, and burring the grief in each other. This was new. Victory had no place for tears, at least not now. Effie knew all too well having the victors crown didn't mean freedom. This passion was completely different. Their hands were frantic. They laughed as they fumbled around too quickly and every movement felt rushed. Effie giggled and he smiled against each bit of skin he found. Effie liked this the best.
Haymitch pulled off his belt and pushed her dress up. His hands tugged at the silky underwear she had on. In his haste he knocked her shoes off and tugged the underwear off her legs. He crushed his lip to hers again and waited while she fiddled with his zipper. She laughed and broke away, "Help me out here." Her hands shook with eagerness and her blood hadn't stopped pounding since the kids won.
"C'mon Eff… Can't handle a zipper. I can navigate those corsets. Sure you've done this before?" He teased which she fully deserved for giving him a hard time earlier about her bra.
Effie tossed her hair back, "Help me out or I'll just go back out there and go check on the kids." She cocked an eyebrow and smiled.
Haymitch growled and made quick work of his zipper. He gripped her legs and pulled her into him. He lined up carefully and sunk into her. His lips trailing across the shell of her ear as he ground into her. Effie gasped lightly and circled her arms around his shoulders. "Gentle…" She reminded.
He slipped his hands up to her hips and steadied their rhythm, moving softer against her than he had originally intended for this tryst to go. He moaned against her neck when she tugged his hair and whispered his name. Her fingers knitted into the hair at the base of his neck. Her moans muffled against his shoulder as she kept reminding herself they could be overheard. Haymitch could careless and didn't bother to stifle any noises he made.
Frantically, several minutes later he kissed her deeply. His hips stuttered against hers as she cried out into his shoulder. Her fingernails dug into his shoulders through his shirt. Sweat beaded across her face and his. "I love you." Effie breathed softly and rested her head on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head, "Love you too, Eff."
He stepped back and zipped up his pants. He took his time helping Effie situate herself. Pulling her dress back into the right place and slipping her shoes back on her feet before he helped her off the table. Effie was more exhausted than she let on and braced against him for a few moments.
"You shouldn't even but up and about." He reminded. "Your doctor is down here."
"Excellent observation." She frowned and nudged him. "I'm not afraid of him!"
He laughed and clasped her hand. "Really, once we're out there. You're sitting and eating whatever food I can get for us."
Effie couldn't argue with that. After all the fuss she raised about being on bedrest, all she really wanted was her bed now. Haymitch peeked out of the door and ushered her out quickly while the coast was clear. Around the corner Haymitch pointed out a large chair and Effie quickly sat. He winked, "I'll be back. Don't go anywhere."
Effie was restless for the first 10 minutes he was gone and after 10 more she tucked her legs under her and propped her head up with her hand as she dozed off. "Effie." Haymitch gently shook her shoulder.
She sighed and sat up straight, "I didn't go anywhere." She yawned and looked up at him.
He nodded, "I see that." He handed her a water and a sandwich. "You've been out for 4 hours." Effie gasped and looked at the clock. It was definitely past midnight now.
"No…" She groaned and stood up. Haymitch blocked her and pointed to the chair. "No, Haymitch! I have to go see Seneca again. I was supposed to be there at midnight."
He frowned angrily, "What the hell for? What the hell does he need now? That ass was down here earlier with President Snow and he didn't mention it at all. Forget it, Eff. He can deal with out you."
Effie smacked his arm, "You let President Snow see me sleeping on a chair when I should have been doing my duties? What is wrong with you!"
He held up his hands in defeat, "Crane told him you were sick and he seemed fine with the fact you were taking care of yourself while your victors were being treated for their injuries."
"It's never that simple!" Effie whined and chugged a bunch of the water.
"Snow was upset with Crane for something. He won't be wasting his time keeping tabs on what duties you are and aren't doing. He ushered Crane off quickly after they saw Katniss and Peeta."
Effie shook her head and worried needlessly. What had Seneca done wrong?
"Just eat, Effie." He opened the wrapping on the sandwich and pointed to the room holding the kids. "Soon as you do I can take you in to see Katniss. Peeta's in surgery still. They're fixing his leg."
Effie inhaled the sandwich and quickly stood up. Haymitch led her into the room and Katniss smiled weakly.
"Katniss…" Effie smiled, feeling tears well up in her eyes. Of course she would be overly emotional. "How are you feeling?"
Katniss seemed reluctant to talk, "I'm going to be okay, Effie. Don't worry." She noticed the woman's tears and uncomfortably looked away.
"Don't mind Barbie here, she's just excited." Haymitch fell back into his typical behavior.
Effie shot him a warning look and fussed with the blanket on the girl's bed. "I'm so proud of you two. Cinna was right, the crown was yours before you even got here. You two were spectacular."
Katniss nodded and fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. She knew Effie meant well but as usual the woman was just overwhelming. All of the focus on her made her uneasy. "What were you two up to while we were gone?"
Haymitch laughed, "Effie hasn't done much. She's on bedrest. Breaking rules but being out of bed to see you and Mellark." He smiled when Katniss laughed. He knew she would. Effie had reprimanded Katniss on manners and rule following several times before the games started.
"Are you okay, Effie?" Katniss asked.
"I'm fine, Katniss." Effie smiled, "Just some dehydration and extreme exhaustion."
"Sounds like you were in the arena, not me." Katniss added.
Haymitch laughed loudly as he imagined Effie in all her finery in the arena. The laugh was of course of cover up. The actual thought of anything bad happening to her made his beyond angry. Effie swatted him for a second time that night.
"Don't be so rude, Haymitch." She huffed and crossed her arms.
The doctor walked in to check on Katniss again and stopped when he saw Effie. "Oh, Miss Trinket. I see the bedrest is going quite well." He said with a frown.
Effie looked like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Dr. Lowery… I have duties for my tributes." She said with a tone the wavered nervously.
"I see that, that's a big risk to take given your condition and what I told you when we last spoke. Unless… It's your wish now to risk terminal damage to yourself and your condition." Effie noticed how he chose his words carefully in front of Katniss. Haymitch however got exactly what the doctor was saying at looked at Effie with a warning look. That was information she failed to tell him. He was unaware all this activity would spell out a miscarriage if she kept it up.
"Doctor, she's on her way up to her bed now. I assure you." He looked at Effie with a serious look. Effie glanced away and fluffed her hair.
"Excellent. As for you Miss Everdeen, you are all set to be released to your mentor in the morning. Mr. Abernathy will be by at 8 am." Dr. Lowery added.
At that Haymitch nodded and made sure Effie was on her way to the door as he shook hands with the doctor. Once inside the elevator, he spoke again.
"A miscarriage, Eff? When were you going to tell me?" He looked at her incredulously.
"I've been following the rules except for the few hours I was up today! Relax!" She leaned against the wall.
"Are you having any symptoms like you had before?" He pressed on.
"No." Effie lied and shut her eyes. Leaving out the fact that she was achy and her head hurt.
"Bullshit. I can tell you're exhausted. You've been running around all night." He jabbed at the elevator button hoping it would somehow make it go faster to get Effie back to her bed quicker.
"Yeah, and that didn't stop you from having sex with me. So it's not just my fault I'm tired!" She said crabbily and rubbed her temple as the elevator dinged at the 12th floor.
He sighed and let her out of the elevator first. "We're both to blame for it. I get it, Eff. Just relax.."
Effie slowly entered her room and tossed off her shoes and worked at her belt. More eager than she was going to let on that she wanted to be in bed. Haymitch fished out her usual leggings and comfy shirt for her. She stripped out of her dress and into the ones he handed her. He tucked her in and leaned over her. "Are you mad?"
Effie shut her eyes, "No… Just tired."
Haymitch stopped himself from saying 'see!' and proving his point. "Sleep tight, sweetheart."
"You're not coming to bed?" She sighed.
"I can't right now. I'm going to wait for Mellark to be out of surgery. I want to make sure he's okay." He admitted quietly and shut off the lights.
"Wake me up when you come back." Effie said sleepily and forced her eyes open to look at him.
"Sure." He kissed her softly. He really had no intent of doing so. She needed to sleep.
It would be nearly 6 am before Haymitch came back. He slipped into bed for two hours before rising again to get Katniss.
** I couldn't help myself, had to write this chapter. It's kind of fun to have Effie making all these little mistakes, it's soooo not like her. Good think Haymitch is there to keep her on the right track! As always read and review! I love seeing the comments!**
