Prompt: I know you probably have a tonne of prompts but I read your Ice Skating AU and it made me think about ballroom dancing and then I thought: What if Effie made Haymitch get dance lessons in her early days as an escort? (Chaff and Finnick come to laugh). He thinks it's utterly ridiculous because "he doesn't need to dance like a poncy capitol" So she shows him 'poncy' by dancing the Tango with the instructor and cue jealousy. This dance was my inspiration (Youtube)watch?v=7rxD8pg7CZA

Her Dance Card

"Why are we here?" Haymitch whined, not even minding Finnick's mocking chuckles.

"It's not that bad." Four's victor countered.

It was that bad, Haymitch decided, glancing around the large ballroom. Most of the escorts were gathered at the other end of the room, either giggling together or batting their eyelashes at the dancing instructor who was apparently some sort of famous person. The male victors – one from each District – had wisely stuck together in the corner. Even Brutus didn't look as happy as usual.

"We're here 'cause the Capitol hates us." Chaff sighed from his other side. He made a face. "It really, really hates me. I know cause I'm gonna have to spend the whole night holding Vile-o-la."

Haymitch, Finnick and a couple of the other men who were close enough to hear winced in sympathy. Eleven's escort truly was not the most popular one.

"I know how to fucking dance…" he grumbled. He had been forced to go through lessons once already, during his Tour. Capitol dancing had never been his favorite thing.

"They want more than just a waltz." Finnick reminded him. "They want fancy."

"What does that even mean?" the young victor from Five asked.

"Tango, apparently." Four's victor shrugged, unfazed.

Ballroom dancing was in fashion and, like every time something was in fashion, the Gamemakers had decided the Games couldn't be exempt from it, which was why it had been decided that there would be a great televised ball to launch the Games and that escorts and victors would make a show of it. Haymitch had simply been thrilled when Effie had told him. He had tried to sit it out by locking himself in his bedroom but she had suspected he would do that and had lured him out by threatening to ban alcohol from the penthouse if he didn't stop acting childish.

"Are you ready?" the instructor called out, clapping in his hands once to get everyone's attention. "Please, find your partner."

Haymitch didn't have to go looking, Effie sauntered over, a bright smile on her face. It figured she liked that sort of shit.

"Stop sulking, Haymitch." she chided. "Is it that terrible to have to hold me close for the next hour?"

His scowl turned into a mild pout. It could have been worse, he supposed, he could have been forced to dance with Viola Summercket like Chaff was.

Besides, they weren't terrible at dancing together. They were great at the waltz; tango couldn't be that bad, could it?

"It's ridiculous." he declared – for the tenth time since she had told him what would be expected of him.

He tried to follow the teacher's instructions but between the chaos from the other dancers and how unnatural the dance was, he wasn't very successful. It didn't help that Effie tried to lead at every given opportunity.

"We should be good at this." she lamented when he finally accidentally stomped on her foot a little too hard. "Tango is often equated to a sexual dance, you realize. It calls for passion."

"There you go, then. Ain't passionate about you." he scoffed.

He was maybe passionate when it came to her rolling naked in his bed sheets but it didn't translate to stupid dancing and it wasn't like he was going to admit it to begin with anyway.

"Please, make some effort." she requested, holding her hands out.

"What seems to be the problem here?" the instructor asked, appearing at their elbows as if conjured by thin air. "My dear, may I say you are an exquisite dancer? I have been watching you."

Haymitch scowled at the man – who, he now noticed, was young and handsome by Capitol standards – flashed Effie a clear come-hither smile.

"Oh, thank you!" She giggled, tilting her head to the side. "Haymitch seems to have troubles grasping the basics of tango, I am afraid."

The instructor' smile turned predatory as he outstretched a hand. "Well then… Perhaps a demonstration is in order?"

Haymitch wanted to protest but he didn't have an occasion too. Before he could say anything, they were gone, moving around with far too much feline grace. Everyone, victors and escorts alike, left the center of the room to them, more or less obviously relieved by the break.

Obviously, Effie had taken ballroom classes before because she really could tango.

Worse, from where Haymitch was standing, it really looked like a sexual sort of dance.

She and that instructor glided over the floorboard, lifting shoulders and tilting their chins up in time with the music, exchanging heated glances as if it was all they could do not to tear each other's clothes off right there and then… The guy had hands in places he had no business having hands… By the time the music died, Haymitch was seething.

Chaff clasped his shoulder and gave it a shake. "Now, Haymitch… Don't go killing the nice instructor just yet…"

He and Finnick were finding the whole thing hilarious.

Haymitch wasn't.

All the more so once they both took a bow and the man whispered something in her ear that had her chuckling and batting her eyelashes like an idiot.

Everyone politely clapped but Haymitch glared at her and kept glaring even once she was back standing in front of him.

"Why so glum?" she taunted with a knowing grin.

"I hate you." he spat.

"Then, I suppose you won't mind me joining Ruis for another sort of tango later?" she retorted without missing a beat.

He scowled harder and tugged her close. "Your dance card's full."

She laughed. "Is it?"

"Yeah." he growled.

"I suppose you should make an effort and stop sulking, then." she pointed out with the smug lift of an eyebrow that told him she knew she had gotten just what she wanted.

He hated her.

Oh, how he hated her…