Prompt : I know you are busy but could you do one where Finnick and Effie have a huge flirt session in front of haymitch and he tells Finnick off about messing with his girl If you can get to it I understand but if you can thank you very much

Don't Mess With Haymitch's Girl

As much as he hated Capitol parties, Haymitch was glad that this one was taking place in a mansion rather than an apartment or a fancy hotel, it meant a selection of large balconies to choose from the numerous floors. It was so stiflingly hot those days, even so late at night, staying inside was a torture. It wasn't long before everyone deserted the luxurious rooms for the gardens, patios and balconies.

Haymitch and Chaff, always far-sighted, had sneaked three whiskey bottles from a bartender and had found the most secluded balcony they could unearth. Effie joined them before long – she had spied them from below – declaring it was much too warm to try and charm sponsors that night. No one wanted to hear it anyway, everyone was looking for someplace cool.

Her dress went in pair with the weather : it was short, a fire red color that shimmered every time she moved and twisted around her body in waves of fabric, Haymitch wasn't sure how it worked just that it was captivating to watch. Hot, it seemed, was the theme of the night. She was sipping slowly from her flute of champagne and bickering with Chaff good-heartedly when Finnick sauntered through the double glass door with his own glass of champagne.

Haymitch frowned when the boy discarded it on the stone railing to sneak his arms around Effie's middle section, pulling her back against his chest. Instead of pushing him away, she giggled.

"Did you like the latest piece of gossip?" Finnick asked her in a hushed voice, without releasing her.

Haymitch's frown only deepened and his grip on the glass tightened. Chaff briefly placed his lump on his arm to call him up on his sudden tension. "Don't go having an aneurysm just yet, Haymitch." Eleven's victor joked. "What's going on, you two?"

Effie rolled her eyes, nudging Finnick with her elbow. The boy still wasn't removing his arms and Haymitch was contemplating tearing them from his body.

"Didn't you hear?" Her grin was contagious. "Finnick and I have been having a secret affair for years – quite scandalous too since he was only sixteen when it started – but we are about to publicly announce our love for everyone to see."

"Effie is about to retire to carry my babies." Finnick nodded very seriously. "We are very, very kinky too. Effie likes to be blindfolded and fed strawberries." He paused and leaned slightly to look at her. "Or is it me eating strawberries on you while you're blindfolded? I quite forgot…"

She leaned against his chest, her sweet laugh – true laugh, not the polite fake one – echoing into the night. "Oh, both I should think. I will tell you once you put a ring on my finger… I like diamonds by the way."

"Of course you do." Finnick grinned wolfishly. "Nothing but the best for my future wife."

It seemed to register, finally, that neither Haymitch nor Chaff were laughing with them. Chaff was or was not trying not to gape while Haymitch was throttling his glass of whiskey. Effie's smile faltered slightly.

"Capitol Idols published a full three pages article about us." she explained. "Useless to say it's all rubbish."

Something uncoiled in Haymitch's stomach, it felt suspiciously like relief.

"Oh, I don't know about that…" Finnick teased, pressing a kiss on her neck. "I wouldn't mind getting you blindfolded."

"Very funny." Haymitch deadpanned, glaring pointedly at the arms still wrapped around his escort. They fell away but a twinkle of mischief sparked in Finnick's green eyes and Haymitch wasn't overly surprised when Four's victor put his hands on her hips to turn her around so she would face him. Effie looked amused.

"What do you say, Effie?" The younger man lifted his eyebrows in an inquisitive way. "Do you want to marry me? Become Mrs Odair? Or maybe we could skip the marriage and go right to the honeymoon… I do love strawberries…"

Effie only shook her head and laughed but Haymitch had heard enough. He placed his glass down still half touched but, clearly, he had drunk enough for that night or he would never have said what came out of his mouth next.

"Stop messing with my girl." he warned Finnick.

There was a shocked silence.

Effie was watching with startled wide eyes, Finnick was sporting a triumphant grin and Chaff opened and closed his mouth before he started laughing so hard he had to clutch his stomach.

"Sorry?" Finnick blinked innocently. "I didn't quite catch that… Who shouldn't I mess with?"

"I meant my escort." he mumbled. He threw caution to the wind, after all it couldn't get much worse and Finnick's hand were still pawing at her waist – perhaps pawing was an exaggeration of his jealous liquor soaked brain, he was just holding – so he grabbed her arm and pulled her slightly closer to him. "Don't mess with my escort." he repeated weakly.

That didn't stop Chaff's laughter, the older victor had to lean against the railing to catch his breath. "Yeah, yeah… We got it. Don't mess with Haymitch's girl."

"Escort." he corrected but he could tell already that he would never live down this slip of tongue.

"I am so sorry…" Finnick placed a hand on his heart. "I didn't know she was your girl. You know me, I wouldn't mess with another man's girl."

"'Cause a guy's girl is off limit." Chaff was in stitches.

"Enough." Effie chided them, fighting a smile of her own. She linked her arm with Haymitch's and he let her because at that point, except jumping over the railing and plummeting to his death, he didn't think anything could make it worse. Plus, when she was clutching his arm, she wasn't flirting with Finnick and that was always positive. Of course, he was wrong, it could always get much, much worse. "Don't mess with my boy."

Chaff laughed so hard, whiskey went up his nose.

They would never let Haymitch hear the end of it.