Prompt : I meant to ask for the other victors, like the first time they realize what's going on between them. A little in denial, because they can't see a serious relationship between a capitol citizen and a Victor. Sex, sure, but dating?

Gossips

The waiting room for the 74th Hunger Games Ceremony Opening was packed with escorts, mentors and Gamemakers when Finnick arrived with his escort. Greetings and handshakes were exchanged all over but he soon ditched Della to look for his friends. They weren't hard to spot : they had claimed two of the numerous couches scattered around the room. He was welcomed with wide smiles from Chaff, Seeder and Beetee; Johanna smirked but it was the best anyone could get from her. He glanced around but he didn't see Haymitch anywhere.

"Cutting it a bit late, aren't we, boy?" Chaff asked.

"The train was late. I thought Della was going to drop dead and don't get me started on the stylists…" he replied, before kissing Seeder's cheek and shaking the hand Beetee outstretched in his direction. He was surprised to see him, District Three's victor had been mentoring a lot when he was younger but he had been replaced by newer victors a few years ago. "What brings you here?"

"A lack of luck." Beetee scoffed while he clapped Chaff on the shoulder and nudged Johanna so he could sit next to her. "I lost a bet."

"Is Wiress here too?" he asked, looking around. The older woman wasn't a regular mentor anymore either but she used to team up with Beetee so it would have made sense for her to come to.

"Fortunately for her, no." the man replied. "I'm working with Ryes this year."

Finnick made a face. "Lack of luck, indeed." Ryes was a career through and through : a lot of muscles but not much brains. Besides, he was a pompous little brat who had fancied himself the new Finnick Odair a few years ago. Finnick would have been happy to let him but it didn't take and the man had started resenting him as if it was his fault.

"How's Mags?" Beetee took a sip of his drink. They were all drinking a pink cocktail, he noticed, he must have missed the welcome reception. "I was sorry to hear about the stroke."

"She's doing a lot better than we expected." he told them. "She will never fully recover, of course, but… She's doing well." Everyone nodded their relief and mumbled their well wishes but Finnick had no intention to pursue the subject. "So." he grinned. "What were you doing before I came in?"

"Watching the show." Johanna shrugged, nodding to the two people standing in a corner, well away from the rest of the crowd. Haymitch and Effie were already arguing – which wasn't a surprise – she had obviously stolen his drink since she had a glass in each hand and was trying to keep them out of his reach. "We were trying to guess how many times they fucked since she arrived in Twelve."

"I bet on six." Chaff said very seriously.

"Already bored, I see." Finnick laughed.

"We were having a different conversation." Seeder objected, gesturing to Beetee and herself.

"Because you're jealous, darling." Chaff replied without missing a bit. "Don't think I haven't seen you sneaking glances at Haymitch."

"Please, he's twenty years younger than me." she snorted.

"He's twenty years older than me and I wouldn't say no." Johanna grinned her most dangerous smile. She was joking though, Finnick thought.

"Have you seen the Reapings recap? With the stunt he pulled, I don't think he got very lucky with her." Finnick pointed out. "I'm almost surprised he's still alive. Effie can be quite scary when she wants to."

"He did right." Chaff shrugged. "It took the spot away from the girl – the one who volunteered? – it diffused the tension, made Twelve look ridiculous again. Trinket's smart. She must have figured it out."

"If that thing on her head didn't melt her brain." Johanna muttered, openly snickering at the pink wig Effie was sporting.

They watched for a few minutes in silence as Haymitch tried to grab his cocktail only for Effie to place both glasses on the empty tray of a nearby Avox. She stepped in the victor's path before he could try to get it back. Haymitch said something that made her tilt her head in disapproval and her reply made him glare daggers at her.

"I bet she's a wild ride." Chaff mused.

"Keep your dirty fantasies to yourself, please, I have enough nightmares without adding Trinket and sex to the mix." Johanna sneered.

"She must be though." Finnick grinned, elbowing her. "How many other women can keep Haymitch Abernathy on his toes?"

Beetee and Seeder exchanged a glance.

"You, young people are so quick to bring everything back to sex…" District Three's victor said.

"If you're calling Chaff young, you need new glasses." Johanna taunted. "And if you think Haymitch is in love with Trinket, you need to see a doctor." She rolled her eyes. "It's bad enough he's fucking a Capitol."

"How long has it been going on?" Seeder shrugged. "Six years?"

"Closer to eight." Beetee argued. "They were already chasing each other when I quitted mentoring."

"Eight." Chaff agreed. "Not that Haymitch ever admitted to anything."

"Which should tell you everything you need to know." Seeder pointed out. "He was never one to brag but I've been to enough of your little binge nights to know he was never shy about telling you either."

"You think Haymitch loves her?" Finnick frowned. "I mean… I know he likes her…" And he would probably cut a limb before he admitted as much. "But love?"

He glanced at Twelve's escort and mentor, Effie was busy fixing his tie all the while rambling about something that made him roll his eyes more than once.

"No." Johanna scoffed. "No way. She's Capitol."

"If he doesn't mind sleeping with a Capitol woman, he probably doesn't mind loving one either." Seeder said, finishing the last of her cocktail.

"I think he minds both actually." Chaff objected.

"You thinks it's serious, Chaff?" Finnick's eyes grew wide. Chaff was Haymitch's closest friend, if he thought there was more to their affair than sex, then there probably was.

"I didn't say that." Eleven's mentor mumbled. "Who knows what's going on in Haymitch's mind?"

But no one was fooled. Chaff had said too much and Finnick looked at Effie and Haymitch with a new eye. The idea of an affair between them had amused him for years, it was a recurrent joke between them all and it was so obvious Haymitch was sweet on Effie, making him jealous had become one of Finnick's favorite hobbies. Not once, however, had he thought Haymitch could actually love Effie.

"No need to ask what she feels." Johanna was sporting a nasty sneer. "How fucking more obvious can she get?"

Finnick couldn't have said if Effie's feelings for Haymitch were obvious for someone who didn't know them. Like Johanna, Finnick had immediately been subjected to Chaff's numerous gibes on the topic and had come to accept it as a fact that the escort had some sort of crush on Haymitch. Effie had even stopped denying it lately, to him at least.

"It's not serious." Chaff decided but he was neither convinced nor convincing. "They're clever, both of them. They wouldn't be so stupid."

"Love is weird." Finnick and Johanna said at the same time. He wriggled his eyebrows playfully but she simply rolled her eyes.

"Indeed…" Seeder mused. "Love makes idiots of the cleverest people."

"I will drink to that." Beetee toasted, lifting the last of his cocktail.

"This thing is disgusting." Chaff made a face at his pink cocktail.

"There's worse." Johanna shrugged.

Seeder and Beetee spied an old victor from Eight who didn't usually mentor and soon left to catch up. Finnick moved to the couch they had just vacated, leaving the other to Johanna and Chaff. His eyes kept glancing back to where Haymitch and Effie were still arguing in low voices.

"Maybe we should hold an intervention." Finnick half-joked.

If they thought they were being discreet, they were seriously mistaken. He could almost feel the sexual tension half a room away.

"Leave them be." Chaff said. "Haymitch won't listen and she won't get where the problem is."

"And you claim she's smart." Johanna mocked.

"For a Capitol." Chaff nuanced before abruptly switching the topic to the upcoming Opening Ceremony and the awful outfits Eleven's stylists had come up with. Finnick played along when he spied Haymitch coming their way.

Twelve's mentor flopped down next to him on the couch. "I'm going to kill Trinket."

"Nothing new, then." Chaff snorted. "What's up with that tribute of yours? Never had a volunteer before, did you? Is she any good?"

"Like I would tell you." Haymitch snorted. "Did you…"

He was interrupted by the arrival of Finnick and Chaff's respective escorts. Viola violently ranted about Chaff not being ready when they were about to start and almost bullied him to were Seeder was already waiting. Della was polite about it but urged Finnick to get a move on since they had already been late once that day. From the corner of his eyes, he saw Johanna and Haymitch joining their own District team.

It was funny, Finnick mused once everyone was outside, cheerfully smiling and waving at the acclaiming crowd, how Effie could never get too far from Haymitch. She had been the one linking their arms in the first place but he was the one tugging on her elbow each time she tried to wander away.

Effie was a master in the art of glaring and smiling at the same time. Haymitch only smirked, obviously happy to annoy her.

They were an odd team and an ever odder couple but to each their own, he figured.

After all, he of all people should know that you don't get to choose who you love.