Prompt for hads effie and katniss go lingerie shopping for the boys
A Shopping Spree
"Effie, can we go back to Annie's now?" Katniss asked in a long-suffering half-desperate tone.
Effie tossed the girl an indulgent smile, ready to grant her request because… Well, Katniss had actually been very nice about the whole shopping trip even though her enthusiasm had started low and had only gotten lower with each new shop they had entered.
Four had so many shops though… Not only small ones but franchised ones that came directly from the city and Effie hadn't been able to resist visiting them all – or as many of them as she could convince Katniss to, at least – because she loved living in Twelve but Twelve was lacking in the shopping area.
They were both carrying too many bags and packages. The shoulder that had been injured during her stay in the Capitol cells was actually starting to ache under the weight and Katniss looked ready to collapse.
"How about we stop at one of those lovely coffee shops on the ocean walk on our way?" she suggested.
Katniss readily agreed. She wasn't usually fan of public places – even three years after the war, she was recognized too easily and since it was her first real trip outside of Twelve since her sentencing, she attracted attention – but the prospect of getting anywhere closer to Annie's house than the mall seemed too enticing for her to pass. That or she was as thirsty as Effie was.
They had been at it for hours, she realized, as they made their way to one of the coffee shops. She was surprised Katniss had been so good at keeping up her with her, she had expected her to bail an hour in like Johanna had done.
This being said, Katniss had indulged herself too. Of course, Effie had insisted to buy her most of the clothes that had caught her eyes simply because she didn't often get the opportunity to treat the girl and the whole thing had felt so very much like a mother-daughter outing that… Well, she had insisted, happy to be able to do something normal for once. Perhaps that was why Katniss had stuck around too – not because of the free clothes but because she wanted that rare taste of a normal activity.
Following that train of thoughts led her to ponder the Aster Everdeen question and Effie debated the merits of questioning Katniss up until they were sitting at the terrace of one of those small charming coffee shops. They both ordered a fruity cocktail that came with a straw and a tiny umbrella but no alcohol.
From their seats, they could see the beach packed with people and the ocean that stretched as far as the eye could see… It seemed to merge with the sky. It was a beautiful day and the sun was harsh. She almost took out the new sun hat she had bought out of its box.
"Have you heard from your mother, dear?" she ended up asking because curiosity killed the cat, as they said.
The holidays weren't about reconnecting with Aster. At least, not officially. Effie had been the one suggesting they should all take a trip to Four that summer, to visit Annie, Jo and Finn and because a change of scenery would do them all good. The prospect of sun bathing on the beach had also been an argument but none of her victors would have seen it as such so she had kept that one to herself. When Haymitch had asked her why they needed to go to all the troubles of making a fuss to get Katniss permission to travel and then take a train ride that would bring back bad memories for everyone when their friends always visited in winter anyway, Effie had snapped that they couldn't spend their whole like trapped in Twelve now that they were supposed to be free. She had also pointed out that the phone calls between Aster and Katniss were few and far in between and that, as much as she hated that woman for deserting their girl, nobody could deny that Katniss suffered from her mother's absence.
And so Haymitch had grumbled but convinced the kids that a trip to Four wouldn't kill any of them – all the while blaming her and complaining that if they didn't all go, Effie would never shut up about it and make their life hell. He had made it all about her and, as a consequence, the children had caved.
They had been in Four for a week and, so far, Katniss had been very closed-lips on the Aster subject. Effie knew she had gone to her mother's house but she hadn't told her or Haymitch anything about it and when she had tried to probe Peeta for answers, the boy had simply shaken his head with a wince and a comment about how blood relations were overrated.
"She didn't like that I showed up at her house." Katniss answered eventually, glaring at her tall glass. "She didn't say but I could tell. It's fine. I won't go back."
Effie pursed her lips and vowed to track down that woman and give her a very needed dressing-down.
"I am so very sorry, darling." she sighed. "I suppose she is still grieving…"
"She doesn't look like she's still grieving." Katniss snorted. "She made herself another life and there's no place for me in it, that's all." The girl shrugged and stirred her drink with the straw a little too aggressively. "It's fine."
Two 'it's fine' in less than a minute with Katniss usually meant it was anything but.
"She is an idiot, then." Effie stated plainly even though she normally tried to refrain from speaking badly of her mother in front of her. Haymitch had heard a thousand rants about it but she had always kept her mouth shut in front of Katniss.
A small smile briefly played on the girl's lips and then she shrugged again. "I can't really blame her… She thinks what happened to Prim was my fault… She's not wrong…"
"She does not think that." she retorted firmly, reaching over the table to squeeze her hand. "It was not."
"Of course, it was." Katniss snorted. But, Effie noticed, she didn't take her hand away. "If I had died in the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games, Prim would still be here."
"But none of this would be." she countered, gesturing to the numerous families chilling on the beach. "We would still be trapped in the Games."
The girl averted her eyes. "Thirteen would still…"
"No, darling." she cut her off. "They had every opportunity before. They needed a spark and that was what you were. Without you… Without you, none of us would be free." She pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and patted the girl's hand. "I do not want you thinking that kind of thoughts, Katniss. If anyone was responsible for your sister's death, you know who it really was."
"Maybe." her victor mumbled.
Effie's face grew sterner. "No maybe, Katniss. You are not responsible."
Again, the small smile floated on the girl's lips and she finally took her hand away to bring the glass to her mouth. "When Dad died, she completely shut down. I had to do everything. Take care of Prim, make sure we didn't starve…"
"I know." Effie reminded her, taking a sip of her own cocktail, almost wishing she hadn't brought the subject up because they had been having such a good time…
"Sometimes…" the girl hesitated and her gaze nervously darted to the beach and then to the surrounding shops before coming back to her half-empty glass. "You'd never have done that."
She frowned. "What do you mean?"
Katniss took a deep breath and shrugged again, mumbling the words so low she had to lean in to hear. "If you'd been my mom and Haymitch had died… You'd never have left me to deal with everything all alone. You'd have taken care of us. Put us first and you after."
Her first reaction was to think 'well, of course' because, had Prim and Katniss been her daughters, she would have put their well-being above hers. Hell, she had put Katniss and Peeta's well-being above hers plenty of times before. One of those times had warranted her months of torture and isolation.
But then, she reconsidered. Losing Haymitch… The thought was unbearable to think about. The pain it would cause, the grief… She wasn't sure she would survive it. It would break her.
But even so… She would never make the children take care of her. She would soldier through until she was certain they were capable of being on their own and then… The thing was, they weren't eleven and six. Eleven and six were too young and she would never have abandoned her children. Never.
"It is not that easy to say…" she ventured carefully.
"Yeah, it is." Katniss snorted. "You never leave us. You take care of us when we're sick even when we don't want it. You fuss all the time and that makes us mad because we're not kids anymore. You always stick around… That's what a mom is supposed to be like." The girl finished her drink and slammed the glass back down. "So… Whatever… I don't need her if she doesn't want me. I've got you and it's better."
Effie was very careful to blink away the tears before Katniss could notice her eyes were shiny. She fished her sunglasses from her purse and pushed them on her nose without any hurry, not to alarm her. Like Haymitch, Katniss wouldn't have appreciated what they called her theatrics.
She was in-touch with her emotions but that made them ill-at-ease.
"You know…" she said slowly, toying with the little umbrella. "I was eighteen when the doctors told me I would probably never be able to have children."
Katniss studied her and then turned her empty glass between her hands. "I didn't know."
"How would you?" Effie laughed but it sounded a little fake even to own ears. "I do not speak about it a lot and it does not matter now, does it? It is too late and Haymitch never wanted children of his own so… It was a moot point really."
"What's wrong with you?" the girl asked with her usual bluntness.
Someone else might have been more diplomatic but it was so Katniss that Effie smiled. "I have a condition that would have made it very difficult for me to carry to term. I am not barren per se but… The end result is the same. I had two miscarriages." She waved her hand in dismissal before the girl could commiserate or offer sympathies she didn't want. "They were accidents. It was not…"
"Were they Haymitch's?" Katniss cut her off with a small frown.
"No." It wasn't a lie. She didn't know for sure. One of them might have been, probably was. "Do not tell him anyway, please, he does not know." She waited until the girl reluctantly nodded, probably seeing the wisdom in not telling her mentor something that would only upset him when he couldn't change the facts, before she continued. "My point was… I never thought I would have children, I did not even know if I really wanted them… It was not in my cards." She stopped and licked her lips. "Until I met you and Peeta." She chuckled but, then again, it was a little forced. "I always got attached to my tributes you know. I never mastered Haymitch's trick to remaining… neutral. But the two of you… The moment they declared you winners I knew I would…"
"I get it." Katniss said quietly. It was her turn to reach out and squeeze her hand.
"I do love you." she offered. "And I am so sorry your mother and Peeta's family didn't appreciate you for the gifts you truly are. You are precious to me, both of you. I know I am often overbearing but…"
"We wouldn't change you." Katniss snorted. "You wouldn't be Effie Trinket if you weren't fabulous."
"You spend too much time with Haymitch." she accused and then shook her head. "Look at us being all nostalgic. We had such a lovely morning… She should not spoil it with sad conversations."
"I don't know if it's sad." Katniss shrugged. "But okay. Let's go back before they send a search party."
"We have gone shopping. Haymitch knows not to send a search party until at least another couple of hours." she joked, finishing her drink.
"I can't wait to see his eyes budge out of his skull when he sees how much stuff you bought." the girl mocked.
"Well, I cannot wait for Peeta to see you in that darling green dress…" she grinned. She had been forced to insist for Katniss to try the dress on and then she had bought it herself because Katniss didn't dare. It was far more womanly than anything else she owned but the dress was beautiful and it really suited her. It had seemed a shame for the girl not to have it. Effie was a firm believer that every woman needed to have pretty clothes even if they didn't wear them often.
Paying the bills and grabbing all their purchases took a few more minutes but soon they were on their way back to the Victors' Village and Annie's house. Effie was suggesting they should take a yearly trip to Four every summer when she stopped mid-sentence, her eyes having caught a very familiar logo.
"Oh, Katniss… Would you mind terribly if we made one last tiny stop?" she asked but she was already crossing the street without waiting for an answer.
"Effie, come on…" Katniss whined behind her, sneaking in before the shop door could close after Effie. "You said… Where the hell are we?"
"This is my favorite lingerie brand!" Effie exclaimed, letting her gaze roam over the dozens of racks and elegant plastic mannequins in delight. "I did not know they had opened a shop here! Oh, this is paradise!"
"You already said that in the three shoes shops!" the girl retorted, inspecting a pair of underwear on display. "Why does everything look weird in here?"
She ignored that last question. "Yes, but the shoes are for me alone. Whatever I buy here is an investment."
"What?" Katniss frowned, abandoning the frilly see-through thong to turn toward her.
She was beaten to the punch by an enthusiastic shop girl. In a matter of seconds, Effie had entrusted the girl with their bags and boxes so they could shop in peace and had made it clear – because the shop girl had recognized them – that they expected privacy and discretion.
"It is an investment because buying lingerie will usually stop men from complaining about other purchases." she patiently explained. Someone needed to do her education on those matters, after all.
"Why?" Katniss asked, peering at a pink bodice with wide eyes. "This doesn't look comfortable at all…"
Effie checked it out and hummed. "This one isn't meant to be. If you want a bodice, I would suggest something more like… this." She pointed out to a red see-through one that had less laces and seemed lighter. "It would look really good on you."
Katniss stared at the bodice then back at her. "What's the point?"
She could be so obtuse…
"Peeta would like it." she said negligently.
The girl stared at the bodice again. "Peeta doesn't care what I wear."
"He would if you wore this." Effie chuckled, inspecting a pink bra and it's matching panties. She tossed them in the cart the shop girl had provided without a second thought. There was no good lingerie shop in Twelve. She needed to stock up. "Of course, there is always something a little more classic…"
She steered Katniss toward the less… eccentric racks. Most of those bras and panties were black or white and were, by her standards, quite plain. Not see-through, barely lacy…
"What do you usually wear?" she insisted when Katniss remained strangely mute. "No thong, I don't think. It can be a little uncomfortable when you are not used to it and I do not think you would enjoy it… Though, if you do not plan on having it on for long…"
Katniss, she could tell, had finally caught up because her face was quickly turning a nice shade of crimson. "That's for seducing boys."
Effie bit back her smile. "It is very effective."
She had thought Katniss would be running out the door by that point – because she would have a couple of years ago – but she surprised her by tilting her head to the side. "You think Peeta would like… that sort of things?"
She sounded unsure.
"Dear, I do not know one man who does not like that sort of things." she chuckled.
Katniss looked back in the direction of the red bodice with a wrinkled nose so Effie nudged her shoulder and pointed at the plainer sets of underwear. "You can simply pick something you like…"
"I don't know… I mostly wear sports bra." Katniss shrugged. "And cotton panties." Given the choices of underwear in Twelve, she wasn't surprised. She ordered hers from the city usually. "This all looks… Weird."
Effie studied her and then picked out a few models from the rack, mostly in black although she did chose a crimson one. "Try those for a start."
Katniss dragged her feet toward the dressing room as if she was walking to her execution. Effie rolled her eyes at her antics because it had been the same in every shop so far but the girl always ended up buying something anyway.
She did her own shopping while Katniss was busy, exploring the kinkiest part of the shop. Her cart was overflowing when the girl joined her again, declaring she was done. She was pleased to notice her victor's cart was full too. She had added some bras and panties to the ones Effie had selected for her and, if she wasn't mistaken, the red bodice was hidden at the very bottom of the pile.
"Why would anyone wear leather underwear?" Katniss made a face. "And what are all those buckles and rings for?"
"BDSM." she answered distractedly, inspecting a blue corset with embroidered golden moon crescents. She used to have one just like that back in the days… She wondered if Haymitch would remember…
"What does that mean?" the girl asked.
Effie looked up at her, at the rack full of leather outfits and decided that while she was willing to educate her on the art of seduction, there were areas she wasn't willing to teach her. "No matter. Some people find it sexy."
She moved on to another rack after tossing the corset in her cart. Their nightwear stock was limited but she urged Katniss to explore that part of the store too and was pleased when the girl seemed less reluctant to pick out things that were outside her comfort zone. Nobody could have accused the victor of picking kinky negligees but it beat the large shirt and pajamas the girl usually slept in. Effie, for her part, bought almost ever nightgown, negligee and set of silky tops and shorts they had in store.
Trying everything on took her a while but her rejected pile was still far smaller than the one of things she would buy.
There was a small commotion at the checkout point because Effie wanted to pay for Katniss' purchases and the girl insisted she had bought her enough stuff that day, that it was expensive and that Haymitch would be mad.
"Katniss, I spent thousands today. He will be mad no matter what, a few hundred more won't change that. That is what the lingerie is for." she retorted and snatched the underwear from Katniss' hand before tossing them on top of her own purchases for the shop girl to scan.
"So what's the plan?" Katniss asked when they exited the shop, struggling to carry everything now that they had even more bags. "You're gonna strip down before we reach the house? Because I think he's gonna kill you. And Peeta won't say anything at all but we've never really discussed the whole shopping budget thing… Because I've never…"
She had never gone on a proper shopping spree before.
"Everything will be fine." Effie promised. "Simply tell Peeta I paid for most of it. And let me handle Haymitch. I have a decade of experience."
He couldn't berate her too much for the money she had spent that day, she decided. First, they were on holidays and holidays were made to indulge. Second, she had spent a lot on Katniss too so it wasn't simply about her but also about doing something nice for their victor who was put out by the fact her mother was a moron. Third, sure, they weren't as wealthy as they used to be but they had money to spare and it wasn't like she really did a lot of shopping the rest of the year. Mostly, she bought fabrics and sewed her own outfits because Twelve was so behind fashion-wise so she had earned a reprieve.
They passed Annie's front door and continued to the private parcel of beach, intending to use the back door and hopefully make a discreet entrance. There would be no hiding the amount of purchases but she could drastically reduce the number of shopping bags to make it look like… less.
The attempt fell flat when they spotted Haymitch lying on one of the loungers on the deck.
"Finally!" He snorted, lifting himself on his elbows, the sunglasses she had forced him to buy on his nose. "Was gonna send Jo after you."
He looked so good Effie momentarily forgot why she was trying to sneak around. He was wearing board shorts – that, too, she had forced him to buy because it was too hot for him to walk around wearing pants – and a white tee-shirt, his already tanned skin had darkened in the few days they had spent there and he looked just good enough to eat.
She was so busy staring at him that she didn't realize at once he was staring at them. Not until he slipped off his sunglasses and his eyebrows shot up.
"Please, girl, tell me some of those bags are yours…" he half-begged, nodding to the boxes and bags Katniss was carrying.
Katniss glanced at her, then at the open back door, and, before Effie even had time to breathe traitor, she had run off, presumably to the guest room she and Peeta occupied. Effie and Haymitch had opted for a hotel because Annie only had so many rooms – a hotel that was far more lavish than Haymitch would have chosen but, again, holidays were made to be enjoyed and Effie had been craving a good spa session.
"Who knew Katniss liked shopping?" she joked, sitting down at the end of Haymitch's lounger and dropping her bags and boxes at her feet.
Haymitch moved his legs so she would have room but kept staring at the bags, probably trying to count.
"Do I wanna know how much?" he wisely asked.
"No, you do not." she answered. "But I am happy and that is the main thing, isn't it?"
She flashed him a beaming smile that made him snort and he dragged one of the bags closer with his bare toes. "That's what I think it is?"
He must have recognized the brand's logo on the side of the bag.
"Well…" she purred. "I did bring back a few things for you…"
He smirked and stole a peck that she tried to deepen. He drew back before she could.
"Didn't Katniss have a bag of those?" He frowned.
One bag, three bags… Who was counting?
"She is a grown woman, you know." she teased. "And I am sure Peeta…"
"Ah." he cut her off, lifting a hand, with a disgusted face. "Don't wanna know."
"See, I love how smart you are." she teased. "If she wears a green dress at dinner tonight, do not have a stroke and do not be insulting." He opened his mouth, his frown deepening, and she covered his lips with her hand before he could say anything. "She is a grown woman, Haymitch. She is allowed sexy dresses." He let out a pained whining sound that made her grin. "We bought her the dress. We cannot complain if she is wearing it."
He poked at her palm with his tongue and she took her hand off him with a chuckle.
"You'd tell me if we were broke, yeah?" he joked.
"I was reasonable." she sighed. He lifted his eyebrows and she amended. "I could have spent more but I restrained myself to indispensable things."
"Like shoes?" he taunted.
"I needed new heels to go with my new dress." she retorted without missing a beat. "See? Indispensable. I also bought you a few new shirts."
He rolled his eyes. "Can buy my own fucking shirts."
"You could but you never do." she pointed out, leaning against his side. "And you like me dressing you."
"I like you undressing me better." he smirked, pressing a kiss against her lips.
When he pulled her down on the lounge chair with him, still kissing, she let him. It wouldn't go much further out in the open with Katniss – and perhaps the others – inside the house anyway.
"I missed you." she murmured between two kisses.
"You were gone four hours." he replied with amusement, nipping at her jaw.
"Does that mean you did not miss me?" she pouted.
"Well, it was silent for a change…" he deadpanned. She whacked his side and tried to escape his arms, pretending to be mad. "Fine, fine…" He chuckled, tightening his embrace. "Maybe I missed you a little."
She quitted resisting and lied on top of him, satisfied. Her grin was contagious and he smiled back.
She liked this. How happy they were.
"Katniss considers me like a mother." she declared.
"And that's news?" he mocked.
"We never had the easiest relationship." she reminded him. "We had… a moment today. I liked that. It was nice."
"And because she considers you like a mother you bought her all the clothes in the District." he commented without an ounce of surprise but a good amount of fondness.
"You can stop making fun of me any time you like, you know." she huffed.
He shrugged. "So… Never, then."
She rolled her eyes but couldn't keep the smile off her lips.
Her family, she decided, was ridiculous.
But how happy she was that it was hers…