Hayffie prompt ! Effie has adopted a little kitty. Haymitch was not really happy about that...

The Rival

Haymitch woke up to something clawing his chest and purring like crazy.

He was already searching for his knife – which, he remembered a tad too late, was forbidden in the bedroom – when the thing gave a tiny meow. Not a mutt, then. Mutts didn't meow, they roared or barked. He opened his eyes to find two unblinking golden orbs staring at him and sighed in relief.

A relief that was short-lived.

The golden eyes belonged to a skinny black kitten that was devious – although, Effie called it clever – ferocious – she had said Haymitch was being ridiculous at this one – and an absolute monster – cute was a better description according to his former escort. Haymitch was certain the animal wanted him dead : the kitten kept dashing between his feet when he was climbing up or down the stairs, it was eyeing the geese with too much interest and every time things started to get heated with Effie, the kitten would meow and demand her attention. It wanted to be petted every damn second of the day. Well… Haymitch liked to be petted too.

He had tried to get rid of it discreetly by dropping it on Katniss and Peeta's couch but it had come sauntering back the front door. He had even made sure some of Effie's dresses were on the floor so the monster would pee on them, certain that Effie wouldn't stand for that, but no… It apparently only peed on his stuff. This kitten was too clever for its own good, it knew what Haymitch was up to, he was convinced of it.

Even right then, the way it was happily clawing at his chest while staring at him was challenging. There was a hint of a smile on his feline snout.

"You won't win, you know." he told the kitten very seriously. "She's mine."

The purring only increased.

"Cut the act." he snorted. "I'm not falling for your cute and fluffy performance. I don't share Effie with anyone and certainly not with a small thing like you."

The kitten blinked innocently.

"I ask her to choose, you're out of the house before noon." he lied, knowing very well that it would take a lot more than that to convince Effie to get rid of the thing. She hadn't consented even when he had pretended to be allergic. "I would be careful if I were you."

It flopped on his side, yawned and placed a paw on its tiny head. A second later, it was deeply asleep.

Haymitch scowled. The nerve of that thing…

"Did you two have a good chat?" Effie's amused voice asked from the en-suite bathroom. Haymitch winced, he hadn't realized she had been in there and yet, there she was, leaning against the doorframe in nothing but her short pink nightgown. "Are you done fighting over me with a kitten, Haymitch?"

"It's not a kitten, it's a monster." he argued.

"And yet, you two are so cute." she teased. "I should take a picture…"

"Don't you dare." he warned but all she did was laugh before coming back into bed to press a kiss against his mouth.

"I love you, you silly man." she grinned and he couldn't help but smirk back.