Prompt : Effie finds a magazine of Haymitch modeling and taunts him since he always does that to her. Bonus if its Xmas themed and please remember that you're amazingggg in everyway

Twelve Strikes Back

Who knew a Victory Tour could be so exhausting? Effie was relieved to see it come to an end. A few more days in the Capitol, a few more parties, the grand celebration at the President Mansion and she could escort back her victors to Twelve and finally take a few days of rest. The last few weeks had been so stressful she was sure it would make her hair turn grey – and she would not think about the two silver strands she had spotted in her strawberry blond curls, she would not.

"Relax." Haymitch whispered to her. "They're doing fine."

Effie did try to relax but it was difficult to do so while standing backstage, watching an interview of her two victors happening right in front of her eyes. She was always waiting for the other shoe to drop: either Katniss would forget to smile or Peeta would slip and say something potentially revolutionary without even realizing it.

All in all, Cinna strutting in their direction like he owned the place was a good thing. Confident that the children could handle their own, Haymitch steered her a little away, where they could talk and not be a bother – still, she chose a place where she could keep an eye on the set just in case. Katniss looked outstanding in her blue dress, she noted.

"Guess what is out?" Cinna said, waving a rectangular shaped thing around.

Haymitch made a move to grab it but it somehow ended up between her hands. The latest edition of Capitol Magazine looked back at her – or rather Haymitch was looking back at her on glossy paper. The picture was good. He looked casual but not too much. The title underneath on the other hand was quite ridiculous.

"Twelve strikes back?" she read out loud, flipping through the pages to the right article. Five pages long, more photos than text. "Oh my god, Haymitch, you never said you posed."

Haymitch had never been great with photoshoots and that was why she had kept them sparse along the years aside for the official District team ones.

"Shut up." he grumbled. He tried to snatch the magazine away but she avoided his grabby hands, her eyes taking in all she could before he succeeded in taking it away.

She didn't know what was more amusing : the pictures or the interviews?

"Do you always stand in front of windows bare-chested?" she teased. "Because I think I would have noticed… I also would have noticed those abs…" Her eyes darted from the artistic – or would be artistic, it was Capitol Magazine after all, not Art and Fashion and she would know she had starred on the front pages of both – pictures to the model, and patted his stomach doubtfully. "Retouching them must have taken forever."

Even the scars were toned down to thin lines.

"Very dashing." Cinna joined in the teasing. "I should ask you to model for Portia and me."

"Are you both done?" he growled, finally managing to get his hands on the magazine. He sneered at it as if it had personally offended him.

Cinna laughed and excused himself, claiming he had just stopped by to drop the new issue of the magazine but still had work to do. Effie waited until he was gone before she snatched the thin glossy magazine from her victor's hands again.

"Alright, sweetheart, laugh away." He rolled his eyes.

"Oh, I am laughing." she chuckled, finding a particularly ridiculous picture. He had been made to pose as if in serious thinking and it was just… very much not him. "How did they even manage to get you to do that?"

"Booze." Haymitch sighed. "They had a very fine bottle of whiskey and they said they didn't care how long it would take but I was going to pose anyway."

Her lips twitched but for his sake, she kept her teasing to a minimum.

"I like this one." she said, pointing to the last one. She didn't know how much of it had been retouched but he was standing in front of a bay window, bare-chested again – clearly, the photographer had a thing for his chest – his back was to the camera and the sun was setting, making his figure stand out. Her eyes followed the hard lines of his back. "You should reenact it for me sometimes. I have a few ideas that would make it better."

Like a trail of lipstick down his spine and maybe a love bite or two on his shoulder blades. It would be a thousand times more artistic than what they had come up with. It would be beautiful.

"Against the bay window?" he snorted. "Where everyone could see us? Really, Effie? Why not the roof while you're at it…"

"Don't be preposterous." she huffed. "The roof is cold and windy and I am not rolling in the dirt even for you."

He studied her for a few seconds, then fished his flask out of his pocket and took a swing.

"Right when I think you can't surprise me anymore…" he mumbled, against the rim of his flask.

"You should know better." she chided him with a wicked grin.

She knew perfectly well what that kind of grin would do to him because she sported it in particular situations only. He shifted awkwardly on his feet.

"Stop it." he growled.

"Why?" she asked. She batted her eyelashes and pouted in a naïve fashion that fooled no one. "What ever is the problem, Haymitch?"

Her hand trailed not so innocently from his shoulder down his arm and he shifted again, his body obviously reacting to the ideas she was putting into his head.

Fortunately, or not so fortunately, the interview finished right then and it didn't take more than a few seconds for the children to materialize beside them. Katniss was already begging to be allowed back to the penthouse because she couldn't take another interview right away and Effie fussed over her appropriately. The girl never noticed a thing but as they walked and the boys trailed behind them, Effie heard Peeta's more observant comment clearly.

"You're okay, Haymitch? You look flustered." the boy asked.

And, to Katniss' utter puzzlement, Effie started laughing.