I was reading chapter 167 of hads and "One day, I will ask you outright to my bed, sweetheart. Just so you know." Sooo please write something in which Haymitch asks her and she says yes! Maybe before the quell or in thirteen xx

The Things That Happened At Weddings

"It is quite successful for a shotgun wedding, wouldn't you say?" Effie hummed, taking a sip of tepid cider, her eyes following the antics of the group of children on the dance floor. Finnick and Annie's wedding was a hit, there was no other word for it. Thirteen hadn't known such a party in… Well, actually, she wasn't sure Thirteen had ever known such a party.

Haymitch snorted, lifting his eyes from the cider he had been inspecting with obvious disappointment – it was no secret he had been hoping for stronger beverages to be served – to look at her. "You call that shotgun? You've spent how long planning it?"

Two long and arduous weeks, trying to make it work while staying within her allotted budget. President Coin clearly didn't understand the importance of grand weddings and no matter how many times Plutarch had argued that it would be good for publicity, the woman had refused to increase the amount of food, drinks and money she was willing to grant.

But they had made it work and she was very pleased with the end result.

Finnick and Annie certainly looked happy with it and she thought it was the main thing.

Abandoning that line of conversation, she turned toward Haymitch and studied him attentively. He was leaning against the wall, his uniform creased and ruffled despite her many warnings, looking bored and tired. It wouldn't do. The wedding was being filmed to be used as a propo and Plutarch wanted everyone to look happy, particularly key figureheads.

"Won't you ask me to dance with you?" she asked.

It was a little straightforward perhaps but, with Haymitch, one simply had to be.

She had been so angry with him the first few weeks she had spent in this hell hole… Angry with him for having hidden the truth from her. Angry with him for having failed to rescue Peeta. Angry with him for having her kidnapped and not having the decency of being sorry about it. Angry with him for how self-righteous he had sounded when had told her to get over herself and leave her ego at the door…

It had only been when he had been released from rehab, once she had seen the state he was in, that she had let go of that anger. Their dynamic since then was the same as ever: they worked like the old team they were, efficiently and fiercely when it came to the children. The only difference was the way they treated the obvious attraction between them.

She wasn't fool enough not to acknowledge there had always been a sexual tension between them. She was attractive and he was attracted – had always been attracted. He was everything Capitol men weren't and she wanted a taste. They had never acted on that. Had they come close? Yes, more than once, particularly in the middle of heated fights. There had been a couple of kisses – always violent and always leaving them yearning for more – but that was the extent of it.

Now…

In Thirteen their banter was open, the flirting less and less covert and neither of them seemed inclined to make a tactical retreat before it went too far.

Truth be told, she was bored and unhappy and she wouldn't have minded a distraction. She doubted anything with Haymitch would remain casual but… She was willing to give it a chance. If he was.

"Not that kind of dancing I have in mind for us." he smirked, wriggling his eyebrows in a crude vulgar fashion that had her rolling her eyes.

Still, she refused to be deterred. "Perhaps you should ask then."

That brought him short and he took a sip of cider, tossing her an undecipherable look over the rim of his glass.

"That easy?" he commented eventually.

They both knew she was the kind to expect… courting before she went that far with someone – when she was serious about it, at least – but she couldn't see Haymitch courting her no matter how much she tried. He wasn't the kind for candies, flowers and jewels. And Thirteen wasn't the place for that anyway.

"Try and you shall find out." she grinned, placing her still half-full glass on a nearby table before sauntering away, making sure to sway her hips.

She didn't go far before she felt him grab her elbow. The grip wasn't strong enough to hold her back but there was something almost desperate to the way his fingers dug into her flesh. It made her curious about how they would feel elsewhere.

"How about we go somewhere more private to have this conversation, sweetheart?" he suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" she hummed, batting her eyelashes at him. It would have been more effective if she had worn her fake eyelashes or even some make-up but he didn't seem put off by her plain bare face. He had claimed he preferred her natural.

He searched her eyes for a second and then he completely relaxed, confident and cocky once more, his lips stretching into a lazy smirk. "My bed."

"Shocking." she deadpanned without anything resembling shock.

"Seem to remember I told you once I'd ask you outright to my bed someday." he shrugged.

"And that day is today. Lucky me." she teased, the spark of mischief in her eyes denying any offend she could have taken.

"Ain't you just." he mocked right back. "I don't fuck just anyone, you know."

"I am flattered." she chuckled, shaking her head. "Although I would thank you to watch your language."

"Yeah? Too bad. I was gonna tell you everything I want to do with you." he taunted, letting go of her elbow to start walking backward toward the exit. "Guess that's off the table."

"Perhaps you will be on the table." she grinned, following him. "I do fancy something acrobatic."

"Not sure it will hold." he challenged, quickly glancing around to make sure their – somewhat – loud conversation wasn't being listened to.

"I live dangerously." she purred, ducking past him and to the door, leaving him to catch up.

She didn't follow men like a puppy.

They followed after her.