You knooooooow me and hayffie pets… I can NEVER be reasonable so this was really the perfect prompt ;)

Prompt : 14. "She wanted a puppy, not a litter."

Four Puppies In A Box

Haymitch scooped up the little runaway and put him back in the cardboard box.

"You are so dead." Katniss commented, perched on the armchair they had been forced to push in the corner of the living-room to leave enough room for Effie's huge Christmas tree – and, yes, he had had words with Peeta about bringing back a disproportionally large Christmas tree when he had told the boy to be the voice of reason. "She's going to kill you."

"No, she won't." he grumbled. He wasn't sure who he was addressing though, Katniss, the four puppies or himself. "We discussed it. She said she wanted a puppy."

Well… What she had said that if he wanted a dog so badly, she was willing to consider it as long as he paid more attention to the geese's eggs because they had more than enough birds and their gaggle kept growing.

"Yeah, Haymitch…" Katniss mocked. She had been mocking him ever since they had left Thom's place with four little Samoyeds in a box. "She wanted a puppy, not a litter. This is crazy. Even for you."

What could he say? He had been unable to choose. They all called to him with their tiny shiny black eyes. And when he had finally settled on one, the others had looked so sad to see their brother go… He hadn't had the heart to separate them.

Because he was an old drunk with a bleeding heart – so Katniss had claimed repeatedly between more or less serious warnings that Effie would cut him in several pieces and then burry them in the geese pen.

"She'll understand." he dismissed, scratching one of the puppies behind the ears. The ball of fur was delighted and rolled on its back, offering its belly to more caresses. The other three got jealous and tried to get his attention. "They're fucking cute. She likes cute things."

On cue, he heard the front door opening and closing. Two of the puppies, who clearly got the memo they were also supposed to become guard dogs on top being cute as shit, started barking. The footsteps distinctively paused in the hallway.

"Scram." he ordered the girl. Because if this went sideways and he did end up cut to pieces and buried in the geese pen, he didn't want any witnesses.

"No way." Katniss shook her head. "I want to watch. And she might need help carrying the body…"

Katniss was having far too much fun, he decided, as Effie finally found the courage to walk into the living-room, a cautious look on her face. "I heard barking. Why did I hear barking?"

It didn't take much longer for her eyes to fall on the box next to him. He had placed it beneath the tree in hope it would soften her.

"Oh, no." she declared full point.

"Merry Christmas, sweetheart!" he shouted cheerfully.

Katniss burst out laughing.

The most adventurous puppy escaped him again and wandered closer to Effie, sniffing hard at everything on the way. Effie watched him come closer with wary eyes. "They are white and what is this fur? They will get dirty and shed hair everywhere." The puppy's little butt kept wriggling left and right as he investigated her winter boots. Then he looked up and barked joyfully. She looked back at him, fell a little bit in love, and then sighed, crouching to pet him. "Fine. We can keep this one. You can bring back the others to their breeder. The choice is made."

Haymitch cleared his throat, the tips of his ears burning a little red. It wasn't often that he didn't feel so proud of himself but right then… "Thing is, sweetheart, I kind of bought them all…"

She scooped up the puppy to better cuddle him, glancing up at him. "Sorry? I did not hear you right."

"Oh, yeah, you did…" Katniss helpfully countered.

Effie pursed her lips at the girl's obvious delight and then looked at the box again. "There are three more puppies in there."

"They didn't want to get separated." Haymitch explained.

"They are dogs, Haymitch." she huffed. "I am pretty sure that is a dog's fate."

"But they looked all sad." he insisted.

"Four puppies. You want us to keep four puppies?" she snapped.

"So?" He shrugged, defensively. "I'll take care of them. Look at them. Come on, come closer… Take a good look… Look how nice they are… You'd want them to be all alone without their brothers and sisters?"

He was projecting a little here maybe.

He had never had a dog but if he had been able to afford it… His brother would have loved having a dog. Hayden loved all animals. And…

He shot her a pleading look that he didn't often used.

She softened even before she came to kneel next to the box. She was immediately attacked by the affectionate puppies who all wanted cuddles and scratches.

"I suppose it would be cruel to separate them…" she sighed. "But you are taking care of them, Haymitch. Walking them, feeding them, bathing them…" She grinned when one of the puppies headbutted her hand. "I will take care of the cuddling and the playing… And maybe some of the grooming."

"You're seriously going to let him keep four puppies?" Katniss asked, incredulous.

"He is a grown man, I do not let him do anything." Effie commented, tossing her a serious look. "I can, however, ask you why you did not reason with him while this was happening instead of sitting here to enjoy the show. You spend too much time with Johanna, dear."

Dully chastised, Katniss mumbled an apology and left. Once alone, Haymitch finally let the puppies out of the box and watched them while they explored their new home, shooting glances at Effie from time to time.

"Between you and me and just so it is clear…" she hummed, without looking at him. "I am letting you keep them."

He snorted, humoring her. "You're the best wife, princess."

"You should work on putting a ring on my finger, then." she remarked with a snort of her own but she soon smiled, not at all annoyed by his slip. "Don't you forget it though."

That wouldn't happened any time soon.

Is it me or is Katniss a little shit in those one shots XD So, who thinks Effie got a ring under the tree? She better get one after this haha!