Prompt: Hey, I read what you wrote about Haymitch and Effie using and sharing an umbrella and I would love to prompt such a moment. It can be quite romantic to walk closely during the rain. But I would also love to see Haymitch who lets Effie stand in the rain at first. I hope you'll take this prompt into consideration. Thank you!

Let The Rain Pour

"The weather looks sour." Effie hummed, deftly knotting the belt of her pink trench coat, peering at the sky through the open front door. "Do we own an umbrella?"

That was a fair question and Haymitch finished shrugging on his old grey coat, glancing at the grey clouds darkening the sky himself before going to check the hallway cupboard. It was full of boxes and junk he had tossed there after he had come back from various Games. He felt Effie coming to stand behind him and he didn't need to look to know she was pursing her lips. He fought not to roll his eyes.

Since she had more or less moved in – without asking him first – she had been on a quest to turn his house into something that looked less like a dumpster – her words. He had protested the changes at first because even though he didn't mind the clean rooms, he minded her moving everything, hanging frilly curtains on the windows and placing scented candles in every room. He had protested until he had realized a filthy environment was a trigger to the demons lurking in her mind, consequences of months spent in a hell hole. Still, it didn't mean he liked it when she started obsessing over cleaning one of the rooms and he was pretty sure that now that she had caught a glimpse of the inside of that cupboard, she wouldn't rest until he had helped her sort and clean up the junk. It was probably lucky they badly needed to go grocery shopping or he was ready to bet she would have wanted to start immediately.

He finally managed to locate the handle of a slightly damaged umbrella. He pulled it out of the mess, shook it a little to get rid of the dust – resolutely ignoring her now openly disapproving face – and opened it to make sure it was working.

She gasped and immediately hit him. "Don't open it inside the house! It brings bad luck! Don't you know anything?"

He quickly closed it, lifting his eyebrows. "Since when are you superstitious?"

She blinked, lifting ironical eyebrows of her own. "Always? I would never step under a ladder for instance."

He shook his head, a smirk stretching his lips at her foolishness. "Don't think I haven't seen you petting the black stray."

He was half-convinced that if she had found a way to lure the cat back into theirhouse, she would have.

"Well, that is an entirely different matter." she huffed. "We should go before the storm hits." He nodded his approval and grabbed the empty messenger back he used for groceries. He tried to hand her the umbrella but she stepped back, hands lifted in protest. "It would ruin my outfit. You have to wear the right accessories, Haymitch."

This time he didn't even try not to roll his eyes. Trust Effie Trinket to let him carry everything.

It was starting to drizzle by the time they reached the store and the first thing she did, once they were safely inside and she had greeted the owner with one of those dazzling smiles that had reconciled a good part of the District to the presence of their former escort, was to pet her hair to make sure it wasn't curling too much. It was actually curling and it made Haymitch smirk hard, his grey eyes twinkling with amusement because she hated it when humidity made her mane of hair look that frizzy but he just loved it.

His amusement didn't last long though.

Of course, like everything with Effie, grocery shopping was complicated.

It had been so easy when he had been living alone. He used to go to the store when he was low on stuff, grab a few things often at random, make sure to have a stock of utilities, pay for the whole thing and go back home. The outing had rarely lasted more than half an hour, an hour top if he had to stop for some liquor.

But with her everything was a discussion. Even when he told her he didn't care and she could have whatever she wanted, she discussed. Did he want strawberry or peach jam? What brand of pasta should they buy? She didn't like the toilet paper he usually bought because it was apparently too dry so could they try that one because she liked her toilet paper it thick and soft? By the time she stopped to contemplate the choices of feminine products on display he was ready to snap.

They had been cohabiting for give or take three weeks and he had been the one doing the shopping for most of that time. Sharing a house had been an adjustment even with the perks that came with it – the sex every time he wanted was definitely a plus, getting to hold her at night was one too, the easy companionship in the evenings, having breakfast in the mornings… But the rest? Getting scolded when he left the toilet seat up, being told off because he didn't rinse the shower, the bathtub or the sink after using them, bearing through her rants when he didn't pick up after himself when it was his goddamn house? That he could have done without.

And now being forced to stare at shelves full of sanitary pads and boxes upon boxes of tampons while she decided which one was the closest to her usual Capitol brand… It was the last straw. He had been pretending to stare at the condoms but it was a feeble excuse given that they didn't use that contraceptive method anymore and there was only so many aftershave cans he could push in the basket before it became ridiculous.

So, yeah, he was really annoyed by the time they made it to the checkout and she was quickly getting irritated by his bad mood. Unsurprisingly they started bickering over the receipt because she wanted to pay and he didn't want her to spend the little money she had left when he could easily cover the expense.

And, naturally, once they settled that – to the cashier's obvious amusement – he was laden down with the messenger bag full to the brim, one of the paper bags and the umbrella. Effie had grabbed the lightest bag and was so busy telling him off for arguing with her in front of the shop's owner that she didn't notice it was raining until they were outside.

It was almost worth it to see her shriek in surprise when cold water trickled down the collar of her trench coat.

Haymitch smirked but marched on, opening the umbrella with one hand and lifting it high over his head, leaving her to scramble after him. He quickened his pace, knowing she wouldn't catch up until he eased up because as long as her legs were – and they were endless and perfect – his were longer.

"Haymitch!" she half-growled and half-pleaded.

He glanced over his shoulder, his lips stretching harder at the sodden mess she now was. He took pity though and slowed down enough that she could snuggle close to his side. "What's the matter, Princess?"

She glared at him. "You are insufferable!"

"Makes two of us." he snorted.

"I am all wet!" she hissed, her lips pursed in a tight line.

It was too tempting and he leaned in to steal a quick kiss, immediately glancing around afterwards to make sure nobody had seen it. It was a reflex. Something he would have to work on because… They didn't need to hide anymore.

"Ain't you always, sweetheart?" he teased.

She whacked his chest in protest but her annoyed pout turned amused and her blue eyes were now sparkling with laughter.

He made sure the umbrella would shield them both, particularly when her main preoccupation seemed to become keeping the grocery bag safe and dry. He wrapped the arm that was holding the umbrella around her shoulders so she would be right under it.

"You will get soaked!" she protested because half of his body was now exposed to the rain.

He was a big man and the umbrella wasn't really large enough to protect them both and the groceries.

Choices had to be made.

She came first. Always.

"I'll survive." he snorted.

Still, they hurried back to the Village and he was relieved to get back inside the warm house. They dropped the groceries on the kitchen table and got rid of the wet coats and shoes. He started putting away what went into the fridge while she grabbed rags from under the sink and placed them on the floor where they had left puddles of water in their wake. While they finished placing everything into the cupboards and pantry, he toyed with the idea of starting a fire.

It was a bit early in the season for that but the temperatures were really starting to drop as autumn settled in and the house's heating system wasn't quite enough anymore. He was trying to remember how stocked he was on firewood and if he needed to buy some logs to chop – or more likely to pay a kid to chop them for him – when Effie wrapped her arms around his waist and nuzzled his throat.

Her hair was damp and he brushed his fingers through the heavy curls that were darker than usual. Half of his own head was wet and she drew back a little to touch his own soaked strands with a small sigh. "You can be such a gentleman sometimes."

"That's 'cause I know I'm gonna get a reward for good behavior." he teased, leaning in to brush his lips against hers.

"Is that so?" she grinned, tightening her hold on his waist.

"Yeah." he nodded seriously, a smile tugging at lips.

"How about a hot bath?" she hummed. "I could draw you one, that would warm you up."

"As long as there's a hot blonde in my hot bath…" he chuckled.

"What a coincidence… I really want to try the new salt bath we just bought." she laughed back and then sauntered away from him, presumably to go upstairs and start filling the bathtub, an exaggerated swing to her hips.

He shook his head and placed the new tea bags in the box on the counter, rubbed his neck and chuckled some more to himself, feeling like a fool or a kid or something in between.

Living together was definitely not easy… But it did have its benefits.