Prompt: Hi! :) I absolutely adore your Hayffie one-shots; they are just beautiful! If you're still taking prompts, I would love to read one that involves them dancing-at the Quarter Quell ball, at a party in Twelve post-MJ, or even at a pre-Katniss-and-Peeta Capitol ball. Your choice! Extra fluff is appreciated. :P Thank you! :D

Strategy

Effie spied her prey over Haymitch's shoulder and turned them over so he could get a better look, through the crowded party.

"You really can't let me lead, can you?" he snorted.

"You are doing a poor job of it." she retorted, keeping her eyes wide open even in the middle of the dance floor. The song was slow and lazy which suited her purpose perfectly. "Do you see the old woman talking with Chaff? She has a soft spot for older victors, it reminds her of her youth."

Haymitch's eyes trained on his friend and the sponsor he was trying to charm. "She has a soft spot for Chaff. She always sponsors his tributes. I can chat her up all night, I won't sway her over, think of something else."

She didn't hide her sigh. "You are being difficult."

With only eight tributes left in the 74th Hunger Games, it was of the utmost importance to secure more sponsors promises than what they already had. Katniss was a favorite for now but it could still change and there was Peeta to take into account. The careers were doing a good job of gathering sponsors and Chaff and Seeder weren't doing so bad for their tributes. Haymitch and Effie had a better year than they ever did sponsoring-wise but everything was still uncertain.

She wasn't prepared to be dipped and she almost didn't manage to swallow back a yelp. She instinctively gripped his shoulder and his hand tighter, afraid he would let her fall – she wouldn't put it past him. He held her in that uncomfortable position for a few seconds and then he pulled her upright again. Some people clapped politely around them and Effie forced herself to smile.

"As soon as we are back in the penthouse, I am going to kill you." she sing-sang in his ear.

"I'm kind of counting on it, sweetheart." he teased. The hand resting on her back drifted lower and she promptly brought it back up. If she interpreted the giggling and the side looks people were giving them, it didn't go unnoticed.

"What are you trying to do?" Her grin never wavered but she dug her sharp nails into his shoulder to let him know she wasn't pleased by his public attempts at flirting. It was different from the kind of scenes he usually caused but it wasn't much better.

"Getting Twelve some attention." he replied, never taking his eyes off her face. "Spreading the love-vibe. Who are Brutus and Enobaria talking to?"

He made her twirl under his arm and she had about a second to glimpse District Two's mentors and the sponsors they were so busy laughing with. It was enough.

"The Reynards." she said. "I scheduled a meeting for you tomorrow, they assured me they wanted to sponsor Peeta. Brutus and Enobaria will convince them to switch for Two, we should…" She tried to get out of his arms but he tightened his hold on her.

"Leave it be." Haymitch ordered, squeezing her fingers. "Stop looking at them, look at me."

She did as he told her. The song changed to something even slower, a lot of people left the dance floor but Haymitch brought her closer. He let go of her hand to wrap both of his arms around her waist so she placed hers around his neck. Their dancing felt more like hugging than actual swaying.

"I don't understand." Effie confessed. They were inappropriately close, a lot closer than he ever allowed them to be in public. They had always been so painfully cautious regarding how they acted outside of the penthouse, she was confused.

"People are watching us. They are talking about us." He shrugged a little. "We're changing tactics, sweetheart. We're letting sponsors come to us."

"Oh." She tilted her head. "It might actually work. Rumors about us would give us screen times… I can work with that to bring the focus back to Katniss and Peeta." And it would still work with his love-story theme of the year.

"Exactly." he smirked. "Plus, I like this better than ass-kissing."

She grinned back. "Language. Although perhaps you should start kissing mine, Finnick is begging me to transfer to Four."

"I will kiss your ass but not in public." Haymitch granted, eyes twinkling in mischief. "And Finnick should know better than eyeing what's mine."

"Am I?" she mused. Her heart leaped but she forced it back in check. Right now, it was all about business. Pleasure would come later. "Chaff is glaring." she informed him before he could answer her previous question. She didn't let her eyes linger on Eleven's victor too long but it was enough for him to convey his blatant disapproval.

"So are Gloss and Cashmere." Haymitch replied. "I don't think they're buying our little act."

"Stop acting then." she whispered in his ear, so close her lips brushed against his skin. Her fake eyelashes fluttered against his cheek. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down.

"We're on a thin line here." he murmured back. "Let's stay on the deniable side. Safer for you."

"We're already playing with fire." She giggled louder than strictly necessary at her own joke. "Katniss would love that."

"Don't think so, sweetheart." He tilted his head slightly which brought their face so close it really wouldn't have taken much at all to close the gap and kiss.

"How far do we go?" She was fairly sure she could control the media frenzy a kiss would lead to. She would only have to deny anything more, admit to having drink a little bit too much and date very publicly as soon as those Games were over. It wouldn't be that hard to diffuse.

The song came to a halt and he stepped back without any explanation or apology. He escorted her out of the dance floor and then disappeared in the crowd, probably to the bar. It didn't matter. He wasn't gone for ten seconds than a flock of Capitol women was pressing around her with offers of sponsoring on the sole pretext of getting some gossip out of her.

As far as their plans went, slow-dancing had been one of their best.