Okay, this is movie inspired but spoilers are mild to say there are almost none – I haven't seen the movie yet.

My idea was that they must have shared a proper goodbye before that scene. Warning for some mild spoilers and steam and naked conversation.

One In A Million

Something felt off but the rocking of her hips prevented him from figuring what exactly.

They had woken up naked, still tangled from the previous night embrace and had immediately kissed each other awake, hands roaming on the other's skin, picking up right where they had left off. He was leaving later that day and it seemed imperious to make the best of every last minutes they could have together.

His thumbs drew lazy circles on her hips as he watched her riding him. Her hands were on his chest but her eyes were lost in the distance, she was aloof in a way she never was during sex. He came first and it triggered her climax. She gasped as if it had taken her completely aback, as if she had quite forgotten what they were doing in the first place. He pushed himself up and wrapped his arms around her. She clung to him, her hands gripped his shoulders from behind and she buried her face in his neck. He felt the telling wetness against his skin.

"Don't cry, sweetheart." he begged.

He ran his fingers through her blond hair twice and then cradled the back of her head in his hand, running his other one up and down her back soothingly.

"I am not." she lied. Her voice was steady but he knew better.

"Come on…" he chided her. "It's not like we're not used to spending most of the year apart."

Although he must admit that after all those months spent together, all those nights spent huddled together in Thirteen to keep warm and to find comfort alike… The idea of going for weeks on end without her was troubling.

"It's different now." she whispered.

"No, it's not." he denied, pressing a kiss on her neck. "You're going to bring Peeta back as soon as he's ready. It's not forever."

"But it may be a while." she countered. "And anything could happen."

He frowned, nuzzling her shoulder.

"We're safe now." he reminded her. "No more threats."

"Precisely." she breathed out, her fingers clenching on his shoulders. "Who is to say you will still want me in a few months? You have choices now. Perhaps you will find someone in Twelve…"

"Bullshit." he scoffed.

"Language." she rebuked. "And how would you know? There are a lot of refugees from other Districts there as I understand it. Maybe the love of your life is out there waiting for you. You don't have to be scared anymore, you can have a life, any life you want… Maybe you will find your one in a million and you will forget everything about me."

He tried to draw back to get her to look at him but she was stubborn and she refused to move her face from his neck. He lied her down on her back, careful because he was still in her – and given the way she wrapped her legs around his waist that was where she wanted him, he was limp and it couldn't be comfortable for her but when he tried to slip out she dug her heels in the back of his thighs. With a sigh, he gave up on that battle to force her to slack her grip on his shoulders. Once he managed to prop himself on his elbows to look at her, all fight seemed to leave her. She unlocked the death grip she had with her legs and placed her feet on the mattress on either side of him, turning her head and staring at the wall.

"There won't be any other woman." he said very seriously.

"You can't know…" she argued, her voice strangled.

"Yes, I do." he cut her off. "I want you. Only you."

Her face was briefly contorted with pain and anguish but she quickly got everything back under control, holding her breath to keep herself collected, her mouth twitching slightly, her jaw clenched.

It was killing him.

"Come on, Princess…" he sighed, running his fingertips along the line of her jaw. "Don't make this harder than it's already going to be. You'll bring Peeta in a couple of months and until then you're going to call me every day. I'll grumble about it but you will keep doing it and we'll be alright. Come on, stop this."

"I am perfectly fine." she answered. He might have believed her if a tear hadn't trailed down her cheek. He kissed it away, dropping kisses on her throat, forehead and finally lips while he was at it. She swallowed with obvious difficulties. "I don't want you to leave."

"I know." He pressed his forehead against hers and drew out a long breath before reaching on the nightstand for the clock. It was later than he had thought. "I need to go get Katniss."

"I know." she echoed weakly. "I need to get ready anyway. I will meet you near the grand stairs. Is that suitable?"

"Yeah." He leaned in for a last kiss, tilting her head up with his thumb so he could deepen it. She opened her mouth readily for him and, for a few minutes, he forgot everything that wasn't her. It was only when he drew back and he saw how bright her eyes were that he felt his own chest tightening. He didn't want to leave her either, that was the sad truth. She was right, he had finally a shot at having a real life in which he wouldn't have to fear about loved ones being killed… And he realized he wanted this, really wanted it. "You're going to cry as soon as I leave the room, aren't you?"

"Don't flatter yourself." she huffed, her voice breaking in the middle of it. She sniffed and breathed deep but a single look at her wobbling lips was giving her away.

"Would it be better… Easier, if…" he started asking only to stop himself. He opened and closed his mouth. "I can't say it."

She didn't pretend that she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"It is perfectly alright." she said, forcing a smile that was all kinds of unconvincing. "I never expected you to love me, Haymitch. Even if I do…" She shrugged, something she hardly ever did. "I would say it more plainly but you will hate to hear the words, I know."

She knew him too well, knew the words would freak him out and yet…

"I think I'm ready to hear it now." he said cautiously, doubting himself but willing to push himself further because it would be months before he saw her again.

"As a farewell?" she whispered, more tears escaping her eyes. She wiped them away hastily. "Really?"

"It's not a farewell." he snapped. "Stop saying that. It's just a goodbye, alright? We said goodbye plenty of times and survived, sweetheart. We'll survive this."

She searched his eyes and then relaxed a little. "I love you."

She said it with ease, as if she was used to telling him between two kisses or over dinner. He wondered how often she had practiced those words when thinking about him, how often she had breathed them out in the dead of night while he was sleeping next to her.

He waited for the dread but it didn't come. Something warm spread from his belly to his heart and he kissed her again, just a chaste kiss but a long one.

"I can't say it back." he said. "Not 'cause I don't feel it. 'Cause… Effie, I… I just can't say it."

"It's alright." she granted again.

"No." He shook his head, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I don't want you worrying about whatever woman you think I will end up with in Twelve 'cause there's only you, okay? I don't believe in that one in a million crap thing but if I did… If I did it would be because of you. You're mine and I'm yours, alright? No question asked, no wondering, no doubting."

Her smile, this time, was small but real.

"How am I supposed to not cry after this?" she joked, licking her lips and jutting her chin up a little. "You are lucky a lady always keeps her composure."

"Yeah, you're no lady." he snorted, falling back on a familiar argument.

"Ruffian." she accused, smiling through the tears in her eyes.

He smirked but didn't keep the banter up, glancing at the clock.

"I really need to go." he said.

"I know." she nodded. She coiled a hand behind his neck and pulled him in for a kiss that made him see stars. "Now, go." she murmured against his lips. "And don't look back, please."

He pressed a last kiss to her lips and finally slipped out of her, dropping a soothing kiss against her knee when she briefly winced. He wondered if she felt empty now. He certainly felt lost.

He did as she asked and left her bedroom without looking back, picking up his clothes on the way to the door. It didn't prevent him from hearing her sobs.

The meeting near the stairs would be about her saying goodbye to Katniss, not about them. They would be in public and neither of them favored public displays of emotions.

And yet, he found that when it came down to it and she held out her cheek for him to kiss, it wasn't enough.

He didn't care who would see, he leaned in again and stole a real kiss albeit an innocent one.

He was done hiding.