Prompt: Before Haymitch and Effie meet and start to skate together, while she is still dating Seneca and he is rapidly rising as a star for ice hockey, they both attend the same party. Effie and Haymitch do not meet, but are attracted to each other. Maybe he comments on how beautiful she is to Plutarch or how hot she is to Chaff and while Effie never says out loud she keeps eyeing him (maybe Mags notices and comments?). Basically, Hayffie before they actually knew each other. Just two people who passes each other and misses their opportunity, because history was always meant to go as it was.

Before

Haymitch really wasn't a fan of this sort of charity events.

He never minded meeting sick kids or visiting them in the hospital – although he didn't really like the fact that this sort of stuff was always somehow turned into a publicity stunt – but the parties full of celebrities and wealthy people, he could have done without. Not that he had been given a choice.

At least Chaff was with him this time around. His best friend hated being stuck in a tux as much as he did; on their broad hockey players' frames, the suits looked ridiculous. In the crowd of elegant people, they stuck out like sore thumbs.

Not that they didn't know how to turn that to their advantage…

Women did like hockey players…

"Pick another one." Chaff advised, popping a shrimp into his mouth when he followed Haymitch's line of sight and spotted the leggy blonde he had been eyeing for a while. She was gorgeous. Her hair was up but a few tendrils had slipped out of the fancy bun and were curling at her nape, her neck was slender and she had the bearing of a queen. And that was without mentioning the long toned legs and the graceful way she moved around. He had been watching her ever since he had heard her laugh at something Plutarch Heavensbee had said. "She's practically engaged to her partner."

His friend nodded at another guy standing not too far away from her. He vaguely recognized him, he thought he was a figure skater.

Too bad.

Haymitch shrugged and put the blonde out of his mind, turning his attention elsewhere. There had been a redhead earlier who hadn't seemed too opposed to him showing her a good time…


Long time not playing in that universe! I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know your thoughts!