Original prompt : Can i ask for one where Effie for once wins on one of their teasing battles and everyone is there to see (Katniss, Peeta, Portia, Cinna) n** make fun of.

Winning is sweet.

"Johanna Mason is certainly something." Peeta mumbled, around a mouthful of his appetizer.

"That she is." Haymitch agreed, with a smirk that Effie could only describe as dreamy.

Cinna wisely refrained from commenting and lost himself in the contemplation of his glass of wine, Portia rolled her eyes discreetly and Katniss' frown only deepened.

"What happened?" Effie asked, because she was sure there was a story underneath. She hadn't been able to join them after the Opening Ceremony but she had heard enough from Seven escort to know Mason was absolutely fed up with her outfit.

"Johanna was her usual charming self." Haymitch shrugged, without losing his smirk. "Fiery that one. Watch out, Katniss."

"Watch out for flashers?" The girl huffed. "Yeah, I will remember that. Sorry, I didn't enjoy the show as much as you two did."

Effie tilted her head. "Flashers? Show? What did Mason do, Katniss?"

Peeta was suddenly as interested as Cinna was by his glass and pretended not to notice Katniss' sullen staring.

"Nothing much. She asked Peeta to unzip her ridiculous dress and then stripped naked in the middle of the elevator." Katniss spat. "Oh, and Haymitch thanked her afterwards."

Haymitch managed to ignore Effie's glare for thirty seconds, a new record in brevity certainly. Then he winked at her with this stupid look on his face. "It was a good show, sweetheart. Only proper to thank her, I thought you would approve."

"She was nice." Peeta piped "I don't think…" But he fell silent when Cinna nudged him quietly and it was for the best because Katniss and Portia had stopped scowling at Haymitch to turn to him. Not Effie, though. Oh, no. Effie had her own battle to fight.

"I don't approve of you encouraging Peeta to act that way." she said. "You have to set a good example."

Haymitch lifted an eyebrow and slumped a little deeper in his chair, crossing his leg without any care for his sloppy attitude. She had known him long enough to know that this was his battle stance: casual and sprawled, ready to tease her into ridicule. Well, not tonight. She wouldn't have it.

"I set a good example, I thanked her." He turned to Peeta and raised his glass at him. "Always thank a woman afterwards, boy."

"Haymitch!" Effie and Portia yelped at the same time, even if Portia sounded more amused than anything. Effie was far from amused.

"What?" Haymitch faked innocence was starting to grate on her nerves. "You make me thank you all the time."

The silence was deafening.

"He doesn't mean it like that." Effie fumed, livid.

Haymitch, to her utter mortification, only smirked. "Don't I?"

Cinna cleared his throat. "Alright, what about dinner?"

"Dinner sounds good." Katniss said, ill-at-ease.

"Peeta, Katniss, why don't you go to your room for a while. I will call you for dinner." Effie snapped, glaring at him with all the force of her anger.

"Yeah, kids, run to your room while mommy and daddy have a row." he mocked her. "You do realize they're all grown up now, right?"

"You do realize she's going to kill you, right?" Katniss snorted.

"Nah, murder wouldn't be very proper." Haymitch replied, downing his glass. "Besides, she would miss me."

"It is rude to speak about someone in third person when they're standing in front of you." Effie scolded them. "Which brings me back to my original claim." She pointed an accusing finger at Haymitch. "You have a terrible influence on the children."

"Mason got naked, you know what she's like. What was I supposed to do?" he sighed, like she was being unreasonable.

"You should have averted your eyes and told her it was inappropriate." She said, folding her arms. "You should have made a point of telling her she was being ridiculous. Not thank her for her strip-tease, it will only encourage her to do it again." Peeta and Haymitch exchanged a hopeful smile and if they had wanted to be discreet, really… "Are you even listening to me?"

"Come on, sweetheart, let's be realistic, if Johanna Mason wants to parade naked in front of me… I am not going to stop her." He rolled his eyes.

"You can be debauched on your own time." she hissed. "Right now, you're responsible for Peeta and Katniss and…"

"That has nothing to do with me. I'm a man, she's a beautiful woman." Haymitch finished his glass and put it down on the coffee table. "Cinna, what would you have done?"

Cinna, given the displeasure written on his face, would have preferred not to be dragged into that conversation. "I think we should go have dinner."

"Yeah, not bad." Haymitch smirked. "Should have thought of that."

"You should have thought about fraternizing with the enemy?" Effie clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"If the enemy is Johanna Mason? In a heartbeat." His eyes were twinkling with amusement. He probably didn't even like Mason that much. Effie didn't like her at all, as he was well aware of, so this was all a plot to make her mad. He found that hilarious for some reason. And it only made her even angrier.

"You do realize she was trying to seduce Peeta, not you." Effie's stare was a challenge.

"I don't know, princess." he shrugged. "Every woman's corset isn't as tight as yours… Some even like old victors who know how to have fun…"

"Seriously, dinner?" Peeta cut in. "Before this becomes even more embarrassing?" he mumbled that last part but neither Effie nor Haymitch acknowledged him.

"Yes, but, you see…. News travel fast." Effie grinned, because she had him exactly where she wanted him. "And little birds told me there's a reason you're the one thanking women instead of the other way around."

Cinna nearly choked on his glass of wine, Portia hid her amusement behind her hand, Katniss looked at her with amazement and Peeta seemed embarrassed.

He opened his mouth and then closed it, raising his hands in surrender. "Not bad, Trinket." An amused smile played on his lips. "Not bad at all."

"I believe dinner is ready." Effie said. "If you'd care to pass into the dining-room…"

They scrambled up and into the next room faster than they ever had. Effie and Haymitch were slower, he placed a hand on the small of her back when they went into the next room. "Not bad but patently untrue, sweetheart." he smirked. "Just for the record."

"I believe in what I see." she retorted simply.

His deep chuckles affected her more than she cared to show but she couldn't help her sharp intake of breath when he leaned in a little so she would be the only one to hear him. "Is that a dare? Do you want me to make you say thank you?"

"You might make me say thank you." she smiled innocently. "But I could make you beg. Sweetheart."

She was very sure that if the others hadn't been looking at them curiously, probably wondering what they were whispering about on the doorstep, he would have slammed her against the wall right there. She felt glee as she watched him walk to his place at the head of the table, a frustrated glow on his face.

Winning was sweet.