Prompt : Haymitch doesn't know what to give Effie when he finds he has to be her Secret Santa? Can it be really mushy just coz angst and Christmas don't go together ;) ILYSFM
Have a Merry Christmas everyone!
Secret Santa
This Secret Santa thing sucked.
Haymitch glowered at the colorful stand in front of him, annoyed by the small snowflakes that regularly hit him in the face and the heavy coat of snow on his boots. He needed to hurry. The market would close soon and he would be caught in a snowstorm by the time he would reach the victors' village.
Yes, hurrying was a good call.
Question was, how did he do it?
The Secret Santa idea naturally came from Effie who was bent on celebrating Christmas even though neither Haymitch or the kids were the festive kind. When he was young, Christmas had only been a vague tale of sparkling trees, extraordinary food and lovely carols. They were so poor Haymitch was lucky if he got food on the table every day, never mind the extraordinary kind. Christmas in the Seam passed unmarked and uncelebrated. It was a little different in town from what Peeta had said but it wasn't much better. Poverty had run everywhere in District Twelve before the war.
It was their first Christmas as a free nation and Effie was determined to make a grand affair out of it.
Not content with invading his house for the duration of the holidays, she had also decorated it from ground floor to roof. It looked ridiculous now, with fairy lights all over the outer walls and gutters, around the front and back doors…. Even the geese pen hadn't been spared and the geese kept honking every time she turned the lights on, trying to catch those troublesome bugs that kept flickering red and green.
It wasn't much better inside. Haymitch couldn't make a step without stumbling over some tinsel or Christmas bauble, there was a gigantic tree – thanks to Katniss who had either gotten into the spirit or relented faced with Effie's bossy nature – in his living-room and mistletoe hanging from the most suspicious places so everyone kept pecking each other. Truthfully, he didn't mind it much when he bumped into his escort but when it was Katniss or Peeta, it was weird. Although Effie did seem to bump into him a lot when he was standing under mistletoe.
As far as he was concerned, the Secret Santa thing was the cherry on top of a very poisonous cake. He didn't see the point given that he knew very well Peeta already had a gift ready for Katniss and Effie had brought presents for everyone with her – he wasn't above snooping in her room, no.
"You're going to turn into a snowman, boy."
The laugh was familiar enough that Haymitch shuffled his feet and grumbled under his breath about meddlesome old women, foolishly feeling as if he was fifteen again. Still, he greeted Graesy Sae properly if only because he knew she would whack him over the head if he didn't.
"What's the trouble, boy?" she asked, peering at the stand he had been staring at for more than half an hour. "I've been watching from over there and you haven't moved in so long I thought you were frozen."
He waved her teasing away. "Trying to decide on a gift."
And none of the colorful scarves, dresses or jackets on display appealed to him. The colors were bright but not enough for Effie and she had so many clothes already.
"For that girl of yours?" Sae grinned.
"Not my girl." he sighed, wary of the persistent rumor that seemed to be running in the whole District. "Just a friend."
"Sure, sure…" She patted his arm but he felt it was more to placate him than because she really believed it. "I know exactly what she needs!"
The toothless smile meant trouble but Haymitch was so desperate he let her steer him away to another stand. That one was smaller and he easily understood why, it was a jewelry stand. It wasn't the fancy kind he had seen in the Capitol, everything had clearly been crafted in Twelve. It was pretty, outrageous for someone who lived in a District – even now – but it held nothing on the amount of rings, bangles and necklaces Effie wore every day.
"A ring." Sae laughed. "Now, that's something she would like. Make an honest woman out of that girl, Haymitch…"
"What do I have to do to make you understand she's not my girl?" he argued, studying some of the jewelry with interest. It was pretty.
"Why, stop looking at her like she's a huge bottle of that liquor you love." the old woman cackled. "Come on, boy… Don't you think it's time to make a fresh start?" She nudged him gently. "It's plain to see you love her and it's obvious she's pining after you too . Buy her a ring."
She squeezed his arm gently and waddled away before he could deny any feelings on any part. Aside for the pecks under the mistletoe, they hadn't even shared a kiss since before the war.
Still, he needed a gift and the market was about to close so he made a quick decision – a decision that, he knew, would come back to bite him in the ass.
He hid the small box where he knew she wouldn't find it – she wasn't above snooping either – and bid his time.
He couldn't deny that Effie brought life in the house. Except for the kids, he was withering away in his own self-appointed prison but Effie… Effie was bubbly and cheerful and bright and she made him feel as if he had a home instead of an empty house. Haymitch started dreading Christmas for completely new reasons : how long would she stay after it was over?
Clocks couldn't be stopped though. He had learned that long ago.
Christmas came and with it the huge turkey Katniss had brought back from her daily hunt and Peeta had cooked. Haymitch was surprised to find he was having a good time. The food was good, the wine was tasty – directly brought from the Capitol – the company was fine and Effie was having so much fun her cheeks were pink and her eyes were bright. He didn't mind it at all when Peeta shoved him not so discreetly so he would come to stand in the kitchen doorframe with her after dinner.
He nodded up without having to look and she gave him a teasing smile. He slowly placed his hands on her waist, her fingers brushed his wrists and then traveled all the way to his shoulders as she stepped closer – much closer than a simple innocent peck warranted – one of his hands slid to the small of her back. It was familiar despite the years that had passed since the last time they had embraced in this fashion. Her blue eyes were on his mouth and he leaned in with a strange fluttering feeling in his stomach…
"You're blocking the way." Katniss grumbled, she was carrying a tray with four mugs of hot cocoa and Effie wordlessly stepped aside. She gave him a shrug and a grin as if to say later. He was very keen on a later.
By the time they reached the living-room, the kids had set everything in place. The four mugs were on the coffee table, two in front of the couch, two closer to the armchairs and the pile of presents was in the middle of the room.
"I thought the point of that Secret Santa thing was to limit the number of gifts?" he snorted.
He was ignored.
Naturally festive or not, the kids had obviously gotten in the spirit because he couldn't help but think they both looked like small children. He didn't blame them, he felt a tinge of excitement too. They never had that : a pile of presents to share.
"Let's start with the other presents." Peeta declared. "We can do the Secret Santa after."
The suggestion was approved so Haymitch watched as Peeta gifted Katniss with a beautiful leather notebook for her herbarium project and Effie with a painting of her in all her Capitol glory : blue dress, golden wig, and outrageous make-up. She received it with the appropriate cheer and thanks but Haymitch couldn't help but notice she put it aside very quickly and with the painting facing away from her. He studied the blond hair tied up in a complicated twist and the simpler make-up and wondered how Peeta who was so observant had missed it : she wasn't the escort anymore, prison had changed her.
She gave Katniss a brand new leather jacket that looked far too girly for the hunter and a very expensive drawing set to Peeta. She passed Haymitch a bottle of whiskey, warning him that it was old enough and expensive enough that it shouldn't be gulped down like he usually did.
Whatever Katniss gave Peeta, they weren't allowed to see, it was quickly wrapped away again and placed out of sight but given the hurried whisper in the boy's ear and the crimson cheeks, Haymitch was fairly certain he didn't want to know anyway.
Both kids seemed pleased by his own gifts : a pair of hunting boots for Katniss – Effie's exclamation that he should have told her he was planning that so he could have found a matching pair to her new jacket was unwelcome – and a set of cooking books for Peeta. He gave a pair of leather gloves to Effie because he was tired of her complaining that she was going to lose her fingers every time she visited them. She was delighted but he couldn't tell if it was sincere or not, after all, they weren't pink.
As for him, the boy gave him a self-help book about sobriety – he supposed that was a joke – and the girl presented him with a bag of seeds she had heard would be good in the geese pen.
"Now the Secret Santa!" Peeta declared. "I will start. I got you, Haymitch."
And what he got for his troubles was a train ticket and a pass for a week in a rehab center with possibility to extend the stay. Even Effie cleared her throat awkwardly.
"Perhaps a subtler approach next time, dear." she advised, while Haymitch put everything aside. "Here, Katniss." She placed a red package in the girl's lap. "I do not know what it's worth, truth be told, but I've been told it's the latest rage in the hunting department."
Katniss remained speechless at the gift. It looked like a miniature crossbow to Haymitch but he wasn't sure. The girl clearly knew more about it than he did because she embraced Effie with a squeal of delight and multiple thanks. It was more displays of affection than Haymitch had ever seen her show.
He didn't quite know what Katniss gave Peeta because he spent the next few minutes with clammy palms, studying the gifts spread around with a growing nervousness. There was nothing overly personal in the presents – not like a piece of jewelry would be.
When they all started to stare at him expectantly, he drew his empty hand away from his pocket where the jewel case remained and shrugged. "I already got her gloves."
Effie hushed the kids' protestations that it wasn't how it worked and quickly brought back the spirit cheers.
Soon enough, Katniss and Peeta grabbed their presents and went back to their own house. Haymitch followed to lock the doors for the night – he never bothered when he was alone but he knew Effie didn't feel safe otherwise. When he walked back in the living-room, the shreds of wrapping papers had been collected and piled on the coffee table along with their respective gifts and she was standing in front of the old golden-framed mirror, patting her hair.
"That was rude, Haymitch." she grinned, spying his reflection lurking behind her. "You owe me a gift."
"Yeah?" he snorted. "You can have my week at a rehab center."
She rolled her eyes but the amusement faltered. "Peeta means well."
"I know." he sighed, coming to stand directly behind her. He tentatively placed his hands on her hips. "One day, you're going to fall in a mirror."
She met his eyes in the glass, a teasing smile on her lips. "Will you fall with me?"
"Maybe." he replied, pulling the hastily wrapped case from his pocket. He placed it in her hands and shrugged. "I don't like having debts."
Her face softened. "You didn't have to…"
"Sure, I did." he grumbled. "I'm your secret Santa."
"The gloves were enough." she said. "You did offer me your hospitality after all. It was enough…"
"Are you going to open it or what?" he snapped.
She pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side with disapprobation but she made a quick job of the golden wrapping paper. The hand that was still on her waist clenched instinctively when she found the jewelry case. She glanced at him in the mirror but he kept his eyes on her nape. It felt safer somehow. He heard her sharp intake of breath when she opened the case and felt even more foolish.
"I didn't want to give it to you in front of the kids." he explained hastily. "You know how they are." And he had been right because, clearly, her lack of words wasn't good. Effie Trinket was a lot of things but never speechless. "You don't have to wear it or anything. I just… It made me think of you."
"It's beautiful." she whispered.
He finally found the courage to glance up but she wasn't looking at him, she was staring at the necklace. It wasn't fancy like a Capitol jewel would be, it was a simple blue sapphire shaped like a star hanging from a silver chain. She picked it up carefully and handed it to him.
He took it wordlessly and placed it around her neck. His shaking fingers struggled with the clasp but he managed, they lingered on her nape.
"It's so beautiful…" she grinned, brushing her hand against the stone.
"You're beautiful." he replied because that was the truth and he was done playing games.
If possible, her smile brightened and she turned around. His hand fell away from her waist.
"I have another gift for you." she declared, stepping closer until they were standing chest to chest. Her approach was slow and a bit tentative but he leaned in to meet her lips halfway. He had forgotten how much he loved kissing her. One of her hands tangled in his hair, the other cupped his cheek and he wrapped his arms around her, bringing her closer.
"Merry Christmas." she whispered against his lips between two kisses.
And it was.