Prompt : sorry to be the anon that asks for angst filled fics but maybe one where Effie gets injured and only Johanna is there to help her? love your work
What Happens In The Ladies'...
Johanna nodded distractedly to what the Capitol man was saying, all the while actively wondering if sponsors got dumber every year or if it was her turning bitter when Haymitch interrupted her musing.
"I need a favor." he said.
That sounded more interesting than whatever the sponsor had to say so she signaled to her escort to take over, to the man's utmost confusion at being so abruptly dismissed, and walked away with Haymitch.
"My favors don't come cheap." she warned him.
Haymitch rolled his eyes. "What do you want?"
"What do you need?" she shot back. What could Seven do for Twelve? She hoped it wasn't about forming an alliance because she wouldn't accept it. Twelve's tributes were as good as dead already.
A flicker of wariness flashed on his face and he glanced around either to make sure no one was paying attention or to find someone else for this mysterious favor… Johanna was curious now. It wasn't often that Haymitch looked this unsure.
"I saw Trinket go to the ladies' almost fifteen minutes ago and she didn't come out…" He mumbled, averting his eyes. "Could you check on her? She looked weird."
Her mind reeled to a stop. "You want me to go into the ladies' and check on your very annoying bitch of an escort?"
"Don't call her names." he grumbled. "But… yeah. I can't really go myself, can I?"
"Why do you care?" Johanna frowned. She never understood the strange relationship he had with his escort. He was oddly protective of her when she wasn't there and just as mean as any other victor when she was in hearing range. Although, she understood very, very well the way he looked at Trinket but lust and care were two very different things and she didn't see why he bothered with caring about his particularly daft escort.
"Will you do it or not?" he spat, annoyed.
"Finnick brought you a bottle of rum from Four. I want it." she shrugged. It was a damn fine bottle and Haymitch would just gulp it down. Johanna would gulp it all the same but she would savor the taste. It was a high price to ask only to walk in the ladies' but Haymitch didn't even blink, he was too busy looking worried to even show annoyance.
"Okay." he agreed.
Johanna shook her head in disbelief and followed him to where Trinket had supposedly disappeared. She walked in ready to cackle and laugh at a puking escort, she wasn't prepared to find said escort sitting on the spotless floor – courtesy of the numerous Avoxes running around – her knees pressed to her chest. She stared at Johanna as if she was her personal savior and the victor couldn't help but bristle at the idea.
"Oh, thanks goodness!" Trinket exclaimed, gripping the edge of a sink to get up. She was lacking a shoe and she was careful not to put any weight on her bare foot, she was also clutching her dress. "You have to help me."
Johanna's mouth twitched into a mocking sneer. "You tripped and fell."
It was obvious.
"Well… Yes." Trinket confessed with embarrassment. "My ankle hurt terribly and I broke my heel but this isn't important. Johanna, I beg you, you need to go get another dress for me. I will do anything you ask to pay you back." It was clearly a very difficult offer on her part because she looked almost in pain at the simple idea of it.
"What's wrong with your dress?" Seven's victor asked, trying very hard to contain her growing amusement.
Trinket remained silent for the longest time, her cheeks were crimson. "It tore when I fell."
"That should teach you to wear dresses two sizes too small." she snorted.
"I don't…" Trinket protested but Johanna didn't let her go there.
"Oh, please, not to me." she scoffed. "Haymitch may believe everything you tell him but I don't."
For a second, she thought the escort would try to argue the point further but then Trinket seemed to realize that she needed Johanna's help. "Would you please go and get me a dress? Or at the very least a jacket… Borrow Haymitch's or… Or Finnick's! Finnick wouldn't mind it at all I am sure."
Johanna had absolutely no intention to make Trinket's life easier but she wanted to have her fun before informing her of that. "Show me."
"No!" Trinket shrieked, clutching her dress.
"Okay." she chuckled. "Then you can go out and ask someone for their jacket yourself…"
Trinket mulled the point over, biting her lower lip in deep thought. "You are a very mean woman who like to laugh at the humiliation of others." the escort declared haughtily but then she turned around slowly. The dress had torn all the way from the middle of her back to under her bottom.
"Bad day to wear a thong." Johanna cackled and then she started laughing almost hysterically because… it was simply too funny to pass. Trinket was always making speeches about proper behavior and appearance and that kind of bullshit and there she was, showing her white ass for the whole world to see…
"I'm glad you're having fun." Twelve's escort hissed, facing her once more. "Now will you help?"
"Fuck, no." Johanna kept laughing.
The door opening and Haymitch marching in with concern all over his face only made her laugh harder.
"Haymitch!" Trinket gasped. "This is the ladies'."
He looked her over and then glared at Johanna. "I sent you in ten minutes ago. The deal is off."
She waved that part away. Seeing Trinket so embarrassed she looked ready to burst into tears was payment enough. Hell, she would have done it for free.
"She's not dying." Johanna finally collected herself enough to explain. "She's simply going to flash the whole Capitol as soon as she gets out of here." The picture her imagination conjured was enough to send her back in a fit of laughter. She couldn't wait to tell Chaff about the dark shade of red coloring the other woman's face.
Haymitch frowned at that, probably noticing the missing shoe and his escort's obvious embarrassment.
"May I borrow your jacket?" Trinket asked quietly, without looking anyone in the eye.
Seven's victor was expecting Haymitch to make her work for it but he handed it to her at once.
"You're no fun." Johanna complained, trying hard to get her breathing back under control.
She was steadily ignored by Twelve's team.
The jacket was quite short, though, and the victor would have bet it barely covered anything.
"You're hurt?" Haymitch nodded to her foot. "I told you those heels would be the death of you." There was amusement in his voice but it was marred by worry.
"This isn't an appropriate time for an I told you so." Trinket huffed. She tried to walk past him and Johanna but her foot had barely touched the floor before she yelped in pain. "It's nothing." she was quick to reassure them even though Johanna didn't particularly care. "It just needs to be wrapped."
"Like hell it's nothing." Haymitch grumbled, crouching down to get a closer look. "Are you sure you didn't break anything?"
Johanna's eyes widened in disbelief and irritation. "Next thing you're going to carry her up to the penthouse." It had been meant as a mocking joke but she could tell at the way Haymitch's eyes darted from Trinket's ankle to her face, he was considering it.
"Absolutely no." The escort left no room for argument. "Your jacket won't have any use at all if you carry me. I'd rather walk thank you."
He stood up and grabbed her around the waist. "Lean on me at least."
"People will talk." Trinket argued, taking his arm off her and pinning it under hers. "Here, this is acceptable."
Johanna didn't see any real difference but she was too busy feeling disgusted at the way Haymitch was looking at his escort to mention it. There was entirely too much tenderness in his gaze. No victor should look at a Capitol that way, Johanna thought, and certainly not Haymitch who had lost everything at their hands.
"Thanks for nothing." he scowled as he helped Trinket hobble out of the ladies'.
Johanna rolled her eyes but didn't offer any reply. She watched them walk away with a frown, almost sneering at the way Trinket was leaning against her victor.
She truly didn't get it.