Look, I love Effie but I'm pretty sure she's THAT person who insists on taking so many pictures at every family reunion (and it might be annoying on the moment but, boy, are we grateful later – yes it was a PSA from your friendly grandmother writer)
Prompt : "How about a kiss under the mistletoe?"
The Best Picture Yet
Effie didn't pay any attention at all to Johanna's nasty taunts and kept taking picture after picture of a four year-old Finn playing with the discarded shiny wrapping paper – and completely ignoring the toys that had been wrapped in said paper. The boy was too cute and she was determined to record the whole day. It was the first time Johanna and Annie had made the trip to Twelve for Christmas – and, if she had her say, it wouldn't be the last. Everyone she loved was under one roof, in party outfits, and she was simply delighted.
"What possessed you to give her a camera?" Jo called out to Haymitch, who shrugged in answer, nursing his egg nog with a fond smirk. He had this look on his face that meant he thought she was being ridiculous but, at the same, found it endearing.
Effie, once again, preferred to pretend she hadn't heard.
She had been delighted by Haymitch's gift. It had been years since she had owned a decent camera. The last one had been her old Polaroid and that had been more than ten years earlier. She was also a little surprised he had taken the hints because she hadn't thought he was listening when she was loudly lamenting the fact that they didn't have any true recent pictures to hang on the walls. Peeta painted still, of course, but paintings and sketches weren't photographs.
Spotting the children stealing an embrace behind the Christmas tree, she took a picture without thinking twice about it. Katniss was toying with the brand new chain around her neck. Effie couldn't quite tell what the charm between her fingers was but…
"Effie!" Peeta exclaimed when the flash almost blinded them.
"Sorry!" she apologized. "I thought the flash was off. Oh, but the picture is darling!" She grinned at them after checking the image on the small rectangular screen. "Let's take another… How about a kiss under the mistletoe?" she suggested, nodding at the living-room threshold where she had hung a generous amount of mistletoe just to make Haymitch pause and kiss her every time they walked in or out of the room. She liked to hear him grumble about it. "The light would be…"
"How about…" Haymitch cut her off as if on cue, wrapping an arm around her waist and stealing the camera from her with his other hand. "… you leave the kids alone and put your new toy down for ten minutes."
He was teasing her, mostly, but the children still flashed him grateful looks and scampered off to the kitchen under the frail excuse of helping Annie make some coffee. Johanna looked around, realized she was the last adult in the room and that Haymitch had his arm around her, made a face and strode out without a word.
Finn was still busy with his wrapping paper so Effie turned around and tossed her arms around his neck.
"I am simply enjoying my gift." She pursed her lips in an exaggerated pout. "Don't you want me to enjoy my gift?"
"Sure do." he deadpanned, bumping his nose against her once playfully. "Later. In bed."
"Shocking!" She laughed, whacking his arm. "And in front of the baby too!"
Haymitch glanced at the toddler and snorted. "He's too busy ignoring the two dozen toys you had me buy for him to care…"
"Everyone is so happy…" she explained. "I just want to remember this forever."
And the mantle of the fireplace was a bit too empty. She wanted lovely pictures in pretty golden frames.
"I know." he snorted. "But you know the kids…"
She pouted again. "They would have said something if I was bothering them."
"You're like the boy with his wrapping paper, sweetheart…" he mocked. "You don't see much further than the end of your nose."
He softened that by dropping a light kiss on the tip of her nose.
She grumbled a little but admitted he might have had a point. The children were shy.
Fortunately, she was not.
"How about we take a picture kissing under the mistletoe?" she asked sweetly.
He shot her a look.
She batted her eyelashes.
He rolled his eyes.
"Fine." he caved in.
She rewarded him with a long peck on the mouth.
That would be the best picture yet.
Hope you liked this one! And I hope nobody leaves that camera where Peeta can accidentally find it after they're done playing with it XD
