Prompt : I absolutely love your characterisation of Chaff so I was wondering if you could write something about him and Haymitch having a fight and Effie has to make them forgive each other? Thanks x

The fight

"Chaff."

Effie's voice was just as cheerful as usual but it seemed to echo weirdly in the mentor lounge, it certainly made Brutus, Beetee, Enobaria and the two mentors from One look up to her and Seeder. Chaff who, for some reason, was sitting at their table didn't even glance at them.

"Go away, love, I'm busy." he grumbled, bringing a glass of what she suspected to be whiskey to his mouth.

"I don't particularly care. I'm tired of your temper tantrum." Seeder snapped and Effie was glad for her calm but strong presence. It had been Finnick's suggestion to bring her and it had been a good one. The older woman grabbed Chaff's arm and there was a small struggle that he lost very quickly due to the liquor already in his system and Seeder's refusal to be shrugged away. "Can I borrow that?"

Effie frowned as Beetee wordlessly took off his tiepin and handed it to Seeder. It was pretty, she supposed, but nothing exceptional. The task of dragging Chaff to the elevator proved to be harder than planned. He sulked all the way like a five years old.

"I don't want to go anywhere with her." he nodded abruptly to Effie who held her breath and counted to ten in order to calm down. Seeder wasn't the only one tired of temper tantrums. Haymitch had always been difficult but since he and Chaff had a fallout at the beginning of that year's Games, he had become simply impossible. Four weeks in, the Games didn't show any sign of ending up soon with twelve tributes left, the Capitol was on edge and Effie was at the end of her tether. If she had to listen to another drunken rant about how Chaff was an idiot anyway and how much Haymitch was better without him, she was quite certain she would commit a murder. It was a petty feud composed of glaring, snide comments and a lot of ranting to their common friends. Seeder was done, Finnick was done, Johanna had been done three weeks ago and Effie would eat her wig if it went on any longer. All the more so given that no one seemed to be able to explain how it started. The two victors were happy to insult each other and rant about each other but they never ever even told them why they were suddenly enemies.

"Too bad." Seeder spat. "Because you are and you are going to be nice about it."

Effie didn't count on that happening any time soon.

They had just reached the elevator when Finnick and Johanna appeared, dragging a reluctant Haymitch behind them. None of them looked in a good mood and it only got worse when Haymitch and Chaff caught sight of each other. Eleven's victor tried to walk away but Seeder slapped the back of his head.

"I said enough of this attitude." she scolded him. "I don't know what got into you two but you are going to talk it out." She handed Beetee's pin to Finnick. "You know how it works?" Four's victor nodded. "I will leave you to it. If anyone cares I still have a tribute left." She glared at Chaff who perfectly understood the accusation and ducked his head in shame.

Johanna banged her fist against the button to call the elevator. "It's the last time, Trinket. Next time, you get him and I get Chaff."

"She almost killed him twice." Finnick joked, aiming for a light tone that did nothing to diffuse the tension. "I saved him for you, Effie, do I get a kiss?"

Chaff mumbled something nobody heard but Haymitch – who, Effie thought, had been behaving mildly until now – suddenly started glaring. He shrugged off the helpful arm Finnick had wrapped around his waist and stomped next to her, hovering behind her shoulder like a sort of overprotective bodyguard. The look he sent Chaff was challenging.

Finnick, Johanna and Effie exchanged a confused look.

"Okay." Johanna commented and then stepped in the elevator without any more remark. Effie followed her which prompted Haymitch to do the same, Finnick had to push Chaff in before he tried to sneak away.

"I don't want to talk to him!" Chaff folded his arms – or what was left of them – with a pout. How much had he drunk?

"Too bad because that's exactly what is going to happen." Finnick gritted his teeth with uncharacteristic shortness. "Fair warning, I might punch the next one who comes to me and whine about the other."

"I will knock the other one out." Johanna pointed out. "That way we will finally have some peace."

Haymitch looked at Effie who lifted her hands in a helpless gesture. "Oh, no, Haymitch. I will let them."

"See what you did?" Johanna sneered. "You got me agreeing with Trinket!" The chime signaled they had reached the penthouse and they all naturally went to the living-room where everyone stood awkwardly instead of sitting in their usual spot until Johanna flopped down on one of the couches. "Talk it out, beat the crap out of each other but do something." she ordered.

Chaff and Haymitch were too busy glaring at each other to pay any of them any attention. That was when Effie spied Finnick fumbling with Beetee's pin.

"Be careful!" she warned him. "You will…" But it was too late, the pretty green stone imbedded in the pin was bent at an unnatural angle : the pin was broken.

"Don't worry." Finnick grinned. "And… keep that to yourself, will you?" He set it on the table and winked at Effie. She noticed the stone was flashing a soft green light at regular interval and she resolved to not ask any question because they were highly illegal. She had seen that kind of devices floating around, it was designed to interfere with eventual bugs. Haymitch always checked before the Games started but it was probably wise to be on the safe side of things. "Now…" Finnick clapped his hands and rubbed them against each other. "Who wants to tell us what's wrong?" He sat down next to Johanna.

Effie chose the other couch and was surprised when Haymitch joined her after grabbing a bottle from the cart in the corner of the room – he usually preferred the armchairs.

"We have company." she hissed. "Can't you use a glass?" All she got for her trouble was a mocking look, he took great pleasure in taking a long swing directly from the bottle. She turned to Finnick and Johanna. "I apologize for his appalling manners. Would you care for a drink?"

Finnick opened his mouth but he didn't have time to say more than do. Chaff was almost snarling.

"Do you always have to be so snobbish, love?" he sneered. "Nobody can hear you."

"I fail to see why that should affect my responsibilities as an hostess." she retorted. "I would offer you a drink, Chaff, but it is plain to see you already had enough for today."

"You are an haughty egotistical little bitch who was probably spoiled rotten by your rich Mommy and Daddy." he spat. "You're like a doll, you live in your perfect little dollhouse having perfect little tea parties and you know nothing of the real world."

She reeled back instinctively as if she had been slapped. She didn't understand where the attack was coming from. She and Chaff certainly had never been friends but she had thought they were on good enough terms.

"Oh fuck." Johanna sighed.

"Indeed." Finnick's sigh was even more tired than hers.

"Leave her out of this." Haymitch growled. He was throttling the bottle's neck so hard Effie was afraid it would burst.

"Why? She's right in the middle." Chaff retorted waving at her with his lump. "She's always right in the bloody middle."

"Were you fighting about me?" she asked, confused.

"See, she thinks the whole world revolves around her!" He turned to Finnick and Johanna as if to ask their opinion. Johanna shrugged and then nodded but Finnick remained close-faced.

"I said leave her out of this." Haymitch was on his feet quicker than Effie would have thought possible. "I'm not having this conversation again and certainly not in front of people."

"Yeah, well… The fact that you don't want to talk about it with your friends should tell you all you need to know." Chaff chuckled. "It's wrong and you know it."

"I beg your pardon…" Effie tugged on Haymitch's arm until he sat back down. "What in Panem are you even talking about?"

Because she had absolutely no clue. Nothing had changed between Haymitch and her, they were friends who enjoyed flirting and had the occasional kiss when they couldn't help it. Nothing more and nothing less.

Chaff turned to her so quickly it must have hurt.

"Don't." Haymitch snapped before he could say anything. "You're delusional."

"Why don't you say that again?" Chaff walked closer. Everything in his stance was threatening.

Finnick grabbed his arm and held him back before he could actually reach their couch and Effie instinctively placed a restraining hand on Haymitch's leg. It wasn't necessary though. Her victor didn't move, he looked at Chaff and shook his head. "I'm not fighting you. You want a fight, go nag the Careers instead of making friends."

"You're a coward." Chaff spat.

That was when Effie realized something was wrong with him, something else than the alcohol he had so obviously drowned in. He looked in pain, distressed. She had been so focused on Haymitch's even more obvious than usual unhappiness those last few weeks that she had forgotten to take a good look at Chaff. "What's going on, Haymitch?" She glanced at Finnick and then Johanna but they seemed just as confused as she was.

"He's looking for a fight, sweetheart, that's what's going on." Haymitch shrugged, taking another swing of his bottle. His voice was bitter. "I'm not playing this game."

"She wants to know what's really going on." Johanna was fed up with the whole mystery, Effie could tell. "Tell us or I swear I will give him a fight."

Chaff looked almost hopeful at the prospect but Haymitch shot down the idea. "No, you won't." He nudged Effie's elbow with his own. "Get Chaff a drink, Princess." She lifted an expectant eyebrow and he rolled his eyes. "Please."

She huffed and muttered about being confused for an Avox but she went to the liquor cart. She didn't ask what Chaff wanted, she knew perfectly well the favorite poison of every person present in the room. She poured Chaff a scotch, Johanna some vodka mixed with the pink cocktail the men couldn't stand, Finnick a glass of red wine and she got a glass of white for herself.

Chaff had slumped on a chair while she was preparing the drinks and had clearly calmed down a little. He had the kindness to look guilty when he accepted the glass. "I'm… sorry about earlier, love. 'Can't say I don't mean it but maybe you didn't need to hear it."

It was as good an apology as she was ever going to get from him so she accepted it with a smile and went back to sit next to Haymitch.

"So?" Johanna prompted after a while. "What are you waiting for? Explain."

Chaff and Haymitch exchanged a look, the kind only people who had been friends for a very long time could share. After a few seconds, Chaff shrugged and focused on his scotch. Effie wasn't sure getting him drunker was the way to handle the situation but Haymitch seemed fairly confident it was. Although, to be fair, it was his approach to most things in life.

"The tribute Chaff was mentoring, the boy, was the son of an old fling of his." Haymitch said very flatly.

"Oh…" Effie felt sorry for him. The boy had died a bloody death at the Cornucopia. It hadn't been a particularly quick one, none were this year. Deaths were few and far in-between but they were all quite shocking even for the Hunger Games. "My sympathies."

Chaff didn't acknowledge her.

"It doesn't explain why you are at each other's throats." Finnick pointed out.

"He was upset. He said some things, I said some things…" Haymitch waved his bottle in a dismissive manner but his eyes fell on Effie briefly and she had an inkling what Chaff had been trying to use to antagonize his friend. "I'm not going to beat him up because he feels guilty and I'm not going to let him use me as a punching ball either."

"You would if you were a friend." Chaff grumbled. He downed his glass and placed it back on the table. "I should go help Seeder."

"You should go sleep it off." Finnick replied with a sigh.

Chaff didn't move though and it wasn't long before Four's victor excused himself for a 'social engagement' he wasn't very enthusiastic about. Johanna didn't wait long before leaving after that and Effie made herself scarce, leaving Haymitch and Chaff alone, fairly sure they wouldn't kill each other now.

She went out, tried to convince a better stylist into transferring to Twelve – she failed – made sure to charm some sponsors for the next year – it didn't work much better than the stylist – and finally came back to the penthouse when night fell. She wanted to change clothes before she head out to find a party.

She found Chaff passed out on one of the couches and Haymitch, drunker than when she had left, sprawled on the other one. He barely glanced at her when she came in.

"Are you two friends again?" she asked.

"We were never not friends." he mumbled with a shrug.

"You could have fooled me." she snorted. She spied the pin on the coffee table, still blinking green. "I can bring this back to Beetee on my way back if you want."

His only answer was a wordless shrug. She managed not to roll her eyes by sheer force of will and stepped around the couch to pick up the pin. He grabbed her leg before she could reach for it and she almost toppled up with her high heels.

"Haymitch!" she scowled him but his arm remained coiled around her thigh. It was as improper as could be and she couldn't help a blush. "Let me go." She glanced at Chaff but he was dead asleep.

"Do you want me to?" Haymitch's voice was strange, not quite tentative but not quite daring either.

"You are drunk." she snapped.

"A bit." He spread his hand wide on her inner thigh and her breath caught in her throat. "Do you want me to let you go? Chaff thinks I should. He thinks it's wrong."

Her heart was racing, her eyes fell on the pin and she realized that it was probably the only time they could talk about this openly. It didn't mean she wanted to. "How could you let me go? You don't have me in the first place."

"Don't I?" He sat up but didn't take his hand away from her leg. He stared at her hip for a few seconds and then looked up. "Don't I, sweetheart?"

She licked her lips nervously. "Haymitch…"

"The boy's mother… He broke up with her after he won his Games. He thought it would keep her safe." He nodded to Chaff's sleeping form. "It didn't. Chaff annoyed them last year with his jabs at the Gamemakers and it was his punishment. He feels guilty now." He shrugged. "You ask me, it's himself he wanted to protect in the first place. When you have no one, you have nothing to lose. You are as safe as you're ever going to be."

"It must be lonely." she pointed out.

"You're never lonely when you have a glass in your hand." he chuckled bitterly. "Chaff taught me that."

"Chaff should have kept his advices for himself." she snapped. Her hand hesitated above his head but then she threw caution to the wind and combed her fingers through his hair, trying to style it back into something that didn't look too messy. It was too long again, she would have to make an appointment for a cut later. He would never do it in Twelve and the last time he had gotten fed up with his too long hair he had simply shaved his head. It wasn't something she wanted to happen again.

He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against her hip. He was drunker than he had let on, she figured.

"I don't know what to do with you, sweetheart." he admitted. "I hate you most of the time. Problem is… I crave you just as much." His hand slid to her knee. "I don't want you and I want you all at once. You're bloody annoying like that. I don't understand how you can get under my skin so much."

He looked up again, searching her eyes for an answer she didn't have. She gently pried his fingers away from her leg and sat next to him on the couch. She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. It wasn't their first kiss and it wasn't their best. They worked better with anger than with tenderness.

"Life is too short." she told him. "If you want something, you just take it."

"A true Capitol." he spat, obviously irritated.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled him in. Their mouth crushed on one another and, this time, they were on more familiar ground. It was a rough kiss, messy in all the right ways.

"Are you complaining?" she whispered against his lips. "You…" He kissed the rest of her taunt away. It escalated quickly. One of his hands sneak under her skirt, hers were under his shirt…

When Chaff coughed they both bolted away from each other like two unruly teenagers caught red handed. Fortunately for them, Eleven's victor was still very much asleep but it didn't stop Effie from standing up and straightening her clothes guiltily.

"I should go." She cleared her throat. "There is a party… I should go." Before they did something they would never be able to take back. She snatched the pin from the coffee table but decided to hold on to it rather than give it back to Beetee. "I will see you later."

"Will you see me later or will you see me later, sweetheart?" he smirked.

"You are insufferable." she sighed.

Nevertheless, she didn't openly say no.