Prompt : I don't know if this works with your hc, but I thought why not promoting it anyway. So here we go: Haymitch meets a woman he once slept with and they meet again. She's still flirty and he isn't too grumpy and Effie gets jealous af. And he kind of enjoys it. And the woman is like uh sorry I don't want to destroy your relationship. Thank you so much.

I have the feeling this new OC might pop up again sometimes, I hope you like her… ^^

Alina

Haymitch hated being roped in sponsors chasing. It was always hopeless, tiring and left him more disgusted with the world than even before. The Capitol's shallowness knew no bounds. There all those people were, stuffing themselves with food and alcohol, ready to throw it all up only to stuff themselves with more, dancing and covertly swallowing pills to add to their happiness, drowning in their wealth, and none could spare money for two scrawny kids who had nothing. The Games were never fair, for Twelve even less than for the others.

"I swear if you bring me to another cats lover I'm going to scream." he warned his escort. "Try to find a sponsor that isn't too stupid, Trinket."

Effie shot him a look, tapping her finger against the side of her flute of champagne disapprovingly. She had lured him in under a hard bargain : if he passed on the booze and made an effort to help, she would do everything he wanted for the rest of the night. He had quite a lot of ideas about that and it started with her getting rid of that make-up and wig and probably slipping on something a little more frilly than that awful orange dress. She looked like a pumpkin – something he had already told her twice.

"It's good to know some things never change." a familiar voice laughed behind him. "I see you are still a master at charming sponsors…"

He turned around to face the victor of the Fifty-Second Hunger Games, a small smile blossoming on his lips despite himself. "Alina."

Eight's victor smiled back. "Haymitch. It's good to see you." She placed a casual hand on his arm and leaned in to press a kiss on his cheek. It lingered longer than it ought but neither of them commented on it. She still smelled like almond and her eyes were still breathtaking.

"Miss Grave." Effie cut in, outstretching a hand that Eight's mentor shook. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I was very surprised to see you mentoring this year…"

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Haymitch hummed. "You've been a stranger, sweetheart."

It had been more than twelve years, he thought. Alina had mentored for three years after her victory and then had never come back to the Capitol.

"Why, Haymitch? Did you miss me?" she teased.

Effie's eyes had been roaming around the room, looking for a suitable target, but at that comment they snapped back to Eight's victor. Her eyebrows twitched as if she was fighting a frown but her face remained blank.

"We had our fun." Haymitch smirked. "What's not to miss?"

"You two were close friends, I take it?" his escort asked politely, bristling a little.

"Once upon a time." Alina answered, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "Haymitch broke my heart, I'm afraid."

He rolled his eyes. "Like hell I did."

They had been good friends during her mentoring years, she had joined him and Chaff more than once. She was funny, witty and she had a temper – all he liked. They had slept together a few times but it had never been more than two friends enjoying each other's company.

Effie looped her arm around his for absolutely no good reason before taking a sip of champagne.

"He can be very clueless, can he not?" she hummed.

"Quite." Alina offered. "He wouldn't understand a woman is in love with him if she serenaded him. I was grateful for it though ultimately. I'm sure my husband feels the same."

The odd tension left Effie's shoulders. "It was certainly for the best."

"I see you still break hearts wherever you go." Eight's victor chuckled, her eyes darting from him to his escort. "Good for you. Now if you will excuse me, I know you hate cats lovers but they're the most generous ones. I need to get to work."

He watched her join a group of sponsors with an easy smile and that natural grace that had drown him to her in the first place.

"Lovely, isn't she?" Effie commented. "I can see why you are attracted to her."

"Were." he corrected automatically.

She looked pleased and he chose not to linger on the reasons why.

"Were you in love with her?" she insisted.

"Only loved one girl in my life, Trinket." he shrugged. "There's no room for anyone else."

Her smile faltered for a second but then it was back full force.

He chose not to linger on that either.