Prompt idea you amazing woman: Oria and Haymitch preparing a super cute surprise for Effie because it's her birthday or Mother's Day? Merci!
Birthday Girl
Effie stretched and glanced lazily at the alarm clock. Eight a.m. on a Saturday was late for her, she was usually up at dawn no matter the day of the week. She stretched, smiling when she felt an arm sneaking around her waist from behind and lingering kisses being dropped up her neck.
"Where are you going?" Haymitch asked, his voice rough from sleep.
"I'm going to start breakfast." she hummed. "Oria will be up soon."
"Not today." he countered, slipping his hand inside her nightgown. "Today's special."
"Yes?" she grinned. "In what way?"
"Today's your birthday." he chuckled against her neck. "So you get a treat 'cause you're the birthday girl and I get a treat because I remembered."
"Peeta reminded you." she accused him, but complied with his wishes and rolled on her back all the same because she actually wanted the treat he had in store for her.
"It was Oria." he snorted, diving under the blankets to drop kisses on her stomach. For a second, he seemed to deliberate between going up or down and then, predictably chose to go up, and pushed the nightgown completely out of the way. She was about to lift her arms so he could take it off her when the tale-tell stomping of little feet on the floorboards alerted them that the treat would have to be pushed back to later.
"I'm taking a rain check on that present." she told him right before the six years old barged in the room and jumped on the bed.
"Happy birthday, Mommy!" the girl shouted at the top of her lungs. Unperturbed by the fact Haymitch was very much on top of her, Oria hauled herself on her father's back, laughing at the impromptu game. "We have lots and lots of gifts!"
"Lots and lots?" she repeated, amused.
"Lots and lots." Haymitch confirmed, trying and failing to extricate himself from under their daughter.
"Group hug!" Oria declared with entirely too much energy for a Saturday morning. She wrapped her arms around their necks and tightened her grip to the point they exchanged a fond look, wondering who would suffocate first.
"Alright." Haymitch declared, escaping the child's vicious embrace. "Remember the plan, baby girl?"
It was like magic, she scrambled up and bounced on the bed a few times before standing at attention like she had seen Peacekeepers do on TV during parades. It made Effie slightly uneasy but she looked so cute in her pajamas stamped with gold and blue stars that she didn't say anything.
"Don't let Mommy leave the bed!" Oria rejoiced, flopping down on Effie's stomach, very much taking the breath out of her. The determined toothless grin made it impossible to scold her though.
"Yeah, try not to kill her while you do it." he snorted, before tousling their daughter's already disheveled hair.
Oria took her mission very seriously. She refused to move from Effie's stomach even if she was too big to do that now. Effie could remember how she had loved to do that when she was a baby. A sure way to get her to fall asleep was to place her on her or Haymitch's chest on her tummy.
It took almost fifteen minutes of audible pots banging and cupboards slamming close downstairs before Oria finally decided Effie wasn't going to make a run for it and roll down on Haymitch's side of the bed.
"How about those mysterious gifts?" Effie probed, curious. Haymitch wasn't exactly the gift type. She could count on one hand the number of presents he had ever given her. "What is Daddy planning?"
"Huh Huh!" Oria shook her head negatively, clicking her tongue in an adorable imitation of her mother. "It's a surprise, you can't ask and I can't tell."
"Ah, but I can guess, can't I?" she insisted.
Oria gave her an unimpressed glance. "Daddy said you would say that and he said I have to say : good try, sweetheart."
That child was so loyal to her father that it sometimes made Effie jealous. Another part – the biggest part – was always amazed by their bond and was glad to have given that to Haymitch.
"I'm hungry." Oria sighed, looking at the door with some longing.
"Go down and ask Daddy for your breakfast." she suggested. "I promise I will stay here."
"Pinky swear?" the girl asked, holding out her little finger.
"Pinky swear." she smiled, bending her own little finger around hers. "But first give me a cuddle."
Cuddling was Oria's favorite activity and Effie didn't have to ask twice. She watched her daughter run downstairs with unrestrained fondness, barely remembering to tell her to put slippers on before she got a cold. She also used the respite from her cute jailor to use the bathroom.
The mystery about her having to stay in bed was solved when her family appeared, Haymitch carrying a tray loaded with entirely too many things and Oria carrying a small vase full of wild flowers – or rather, Peeta's and Katniss' flowers. The vase was obviously a yoghurt pot that had been hand decorated with painted noodles glued all around it. Effie ooohed and aaaahed appropriately, placing it on her nightstand right next to the alarm clock.
"Thank you." she beamed, as much to her daughter as to Haymitch who, she was certain, had been forced to partake into the crafting of the vase.
"Eat while it's warm." he grumbled, still uncomfortable with her gratitude even years after the war. "The cheese bun are from Peeta. He just brought them."
"There is too much for me!" she protested.
After a lot of arguing on her part, they all ended up sharing. And Oria ate almost all the buns.
"Thank you." Effie repeated again, once they were done having their breakfast. "That was really nice."
"It's not over! It's not over!" Oria bounced on the bed. "Next we go to Aunt Katniss and Uncle Peeta's house and then we..."
Haymitch swiftly covered their daughter's mouth with his hand.
"What's the plan, baby girl?" he chided her, frowning a little.
Duly chastised, Oria placed a finger in front of her mouth and shush.
Effie figured she would be going to a surprise party later. And one look at her was enough to make Haymitch snort. "Good thing Mommy is good at faking surprise."
"I'm good at faking a lot of things." she grinned.
"We'll see about that later, Princess." he winked.
Oria's blue eyes darted from one to the other and then she shrugged, probably deciding it was boring grown-ups talk.
"Can you give Mommy the surprise now, Daddy?" the child pleaded, chewing on her bottom lip. "You said you didn't want to do it with everyone else 'cause Auntie Jo would make fun of you but I want to see 'cause I told Finn I would tell him if Mommy liked it 'cause he wants to buy one for his Mommy's birthday and..."
"Okay." Haymitch cut in. "Run along and get dressed before you spill every little detail, baby girl."
"But I want to see!" Oria insisted. "Pleaaaaase... Daddy, please, please, please, please..."
"Yes, Daddy..." Effie laughed, straightening up and sitting crossed-legged on the bed. "I want to see too..."
He rolled his eyes and shrugged.
"Fine. There's no fighting against you two." he surrendered. "Go get your gift, Oria."
Their daughter ran away laughing with glee. Effie carefully placed the tray aside and stepped out of bed before wrapping her arms around Haymitch's neck.
"You're spoiling me this year." she beamed. "Are Johanna and Finn here? Is Annie?"
"That was the kids' idea and that's the kids' present so you just wait, sweetheart." he grumbled. "That was supposed to be a surprise though."
"With a six years old, there is no surprise, darling." she teased.
"True enough." he snorted, stealing a kiss.
She tried to deepen it but Oria ran back inside the room, carrying a rather flat but large box covered with a glittery pink paper.
"Is that for me?" she fake-gasped.
"Yes! I chose it all on my own 'cause Daddy is rubbish!" Oria claimed.
"That is not a very nice thing to say." Effie scolded her.
"But he said it!" the girl argued, turning to her father for support.
"I did." Haymitch admitted.
"Where's your gift?" Oria frowned, studying Haymitch's empty hands with obvious disappointment. "You have to give her the gift, Daddy!"
"Another gift?" She furrowed her brow, a little taken aback. "That's too much, Haymitch, you didn't have to..."
"I do what I want with my money, don't I?" he scoffed, rummaging in his night stand and taking out a small square box. "Here..."
"No! Me first!" Oria jumped between her mother and her father, brandishing her gift like a shield. Effie took it with an indulgent smile and started removing the wrapping too carefully for her daughter's liking. "Tear it up, Mommy!" the girl exclaimed, helping her by tearing large band of wrapping paper away.
It was a box from one of the fanciest clothing shop in town. She opened it to find a folded pink dress.
"You can take it back if you don't like it." Haymitch said. "I kept the ticket."
"Mommy likes it, I chose it!" Oria objected.
"I love it." she promised, holding the dress in front of her and trying to get a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She kissed her daughter's cheek and then Haymitch's lips. "Thank you." she whispered against his mouth.
"That's my gift." Oria pointed out. "I get the thanks."
"Yes, you do." Effie chuckled. "Now, what about that mysterious gift..."
Haymitch held it out without much ado but she could tell he was nervous. She understood why when she opened it, he had never offered her jewelry before. Oria was bouncing next to her.
"Daddy chose it!" the girl piped when the silence stretched for too long. "He wouldn't let me help." The last part was added with a pout which told Effie there must have been a lot of sulking involved.
"If you don't like it..." Haymitch started.
"Don't." she breathed out. "It's beautiful."
It was a sapphire pendant dangling from a golden chain. It looked more Capitol than District and she wondered if he had ordered it especially for her.
He seemed relieved and pleased that she liked it and helped her lock it around her neck. She couldn't stop toying with it. She wrapped her arms around his neck again and planted a kiss on his lips, ignoring Oria who had tossed an arm around each of her parents' leg.
"I love you." Effie declared.
"Happy birthday." he answered, capturing her lips again despite Oria's giggles.