prompt : (idk of you did this already) haymitch noticing over time that he and effie fell into a routine and he wants to try to re-ignite the romance

Eloquent As Ever

"I must admit…" Effie hummed, tilting her head back to catch the pale rays of sunlight. "I am impressed."

She chanced a glance at Haymitch. He was mirroring her position, lying back on the blanket, propped on his elbows to admire the view, soaking up the warmth of the sun that was finally shining after months of a terribly harsh winter… She had known living in Twelve would be no piece of cake but she had never imagined the winters would be so terrible… She was happier since spring had come back and the sun was shining again. It still wasn't as hot as she would like but it was something. The flowers were blooming, the sun was high in the sky and, better than all of that, there were no traces of snow or frost to be found.

"It was only cold sandwiches and cider." he grumbled awkwardly. "Not exactly a feast."

She looked down at the picnic basket full of dirty dishes and then glanced around at the nature surrounding them.

It was more than just a few cold sandwiches and cider. He had clearly put thoughts into the picnic, there had been fruits and her favorite jam… And he had brought her all the way to the lake. Of course, she had complained a little about the trek but… She could admit it was worth it.

At this time of the week, the lake was deserted, the forest was all theirs…

It really was romantic.

"Should I be worried about you suddenly planning a romantic date?" she asked. She kept her voice light but there was a touch of anxiety there all the same. Haymitch wasn't known for romance. For him to go to all that effort…

He rolled his eyes, picked a flower and nervously played with the stem. "Ain't a date. I don't do shit like that…"

She grinned. "My apologies but the picnic basket, the gleaming lake and the flower you are about to give me claim otherwise."

"Who says I'm giving you my flower?" He flashed her that smirk that, in recent months, had become more of a secretive smile… "Pick your own."

She resisted the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him – truly a year in Twelve and his behavior had already rubbed off on her. "Fine. I shall pick my own flowers but that does not explain why we are having a romantic tête-à-tête. How much did you bribe the children to make sure they would not interrupt?"

He snorted but didn't rush to defend Katniss and Peeta. She loved them, she did, but they had a bad habit of barging in on their private time at the worst moment.

"I know you…" he replied. "Need to keep you entertained or you're gonna get bored and you're gonna start missing your city."

There was real anguish under the joking tone and Effie frowned, suddenly serious. She turned toward him but he was avoiding her eyes and that wouldn't do. She crawled over the basket and onto his lap, straddling his thighs. He didn't bother grabbing her waist, he remained propped on his elbows, letting her tower over him… He would never have been able to let her do that before. But right then he was relaxed, comfortable.

"Is that a serious concern of yours?" she half-chided. "That I am going to get bored and pack off for the Capitol?"

He shrugged. "Sometimes."

She pursed her lips, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head. "You are an idiot."

His grey eyes finally dragged themselves to her face, his lips twitching. "Sometimes." He wriggled his eyebrows. "Got you to climb on top of me though so maybe I'm also brilliant."

She chuckled and shoved his upper body down, escaping his arms before he could close them around her. She wandered closer to the lake's shore, kicking off her shoes on the way. She got in ankle deep and wriggled her toes when she caught sight of small fishes that scattered away at her approach.

"You're gonna catch your death." Haymitch warned from the blanket.

"It is not that cold." she countered. "We could swim."

"But we don't have swimsuits…" he remarked behind her, amused.

"How ever will we cope I wonder?" she deadpanned, turning back to watch him. She held his eyes as she slowly started unbuttoning her blue summer dress. She tossed it on a nearby flat rock and took off her bra.

"Skinny dipping in the middle of the day, sweetheart?" he challenged, suddenly more interested.

"I live dangerously." she retorted, slipping her panties off. "Are you coming with me?"

He looked undecided and she wasn't one to wait around for men so she took a deep breath and jumped in the water. The cold slammed into her like a brick wall and for a moment as she floated underwater, she regretted her stupidity, but then her head broke the surface, air rushed to her lungs and she laughed because she was happy.

Haymitch had never been good at resisting her laugh.

"Let's hope nobody else got it into their head to bring their girl to the lake." he mocked from the shore, already down to his underwear.

She pushed her wet hair out of her face, grinning so hard it was almost painful. She loved it when he called her his girl.

She loved the view of his naked body even more.

He waddled waist deep into the water with a small wince at the temperature and then reached her in two powerful breaststrokes.

"Where did you learn to swim?" she asked. She knew almost everything about him but, this, she realized, she did not. It was good to know there were still things to discover after all this time.

"Here." he answered, loosely wrapping her in a hug. She locked her arms around his neck, regularly kicking her legs to keep herself afloat. "We used to sneak here with Mabel when we went poaching." He rolled his eyes. "Don't tell Katniss, she think she's the first teenager to go through the fence."

She snorted at that but soon pouted. "Are you saying you brought me right where you used to bring your other girlfriend? Am I not special to you? Don't I deserve my own special spot?" He was clearly taken aback and opened and closed his mouth a few times, at a loss for a good comeback. She took pity and laughed. "You are so cute when you are terrified…"

The tension left his body when he realized she was making fun of him. "You're mean."

"Isn't that why you love me, darling?" she challenged, kissing him hard before he could obsess over the words. He was learning to accept them. He wasn't anywhere near saying them – although he found other ways to let her know – but he was learning to accept hearing them and that was already something.

"Maybe." he admitted against her lips. "Or maybe it's 'cause you're crazy enough to jump in a freezing lake butt naked."

She chuckled and bit down on his neck before bringing her mouth closer to his ear. "It was all a clever plot to seduce you…"

"You don't say." he mocked. "The water's so cold I'm not sure you're gonna have much luck, though."

"Shall we bet?" She grinned, wrapping a hand around him. He wasn't as responsive as she would have liked, mostly because it was cold but after a few tugs and her rubbing against him… His body started getting interested.

The lake was too deep though and they didn't have good purchase. It wasn't quite fun to worry about drowning every time he thrust into her so she didn't complain when he swam them to a large rock while she nibbled on his neck and she barely let out a sound when he lifted her up and lied her down on it.

It had been a long time since they had had sex outdoors and there was something refreshing about not having to hide behind a huge tree because a party was going on full swing a few bushes away. There was something almost magical to lying there naked, goosebump running all over her as the wind bit at her naked flesh…

She wasn't cold though.

She didn't have time to be because Haymitch lied down on top of her and kept her warm.

The rock wasn't the most comfortable place to have sex on but the sight of the trees' foliage overhead, the blue sky and the gleaming lake and the sunshine and the sounds of birds in the distance… It all made it worth it.

Neither of them was particularly quiet that time.

Afterwards, they wrapped themselves in the picnic blanket and sat on the rock for a little white, huddled close together for warmth as they watched the water.

"This is not a temporary stay, Haymitch." she whispered, resting her head on his shoulder. "Unless you want me to go, and even then, my life is here with you, with the children. I won't get bored and head back to the Capitol."

She felt his lips press a kiss on her wet hair.

"Good." he said.

She couldn't help but chuckle. "Eloquent as ever."

"I try." he joked.

She muffled her laughter in his neck, feeling happier than she had ever thought she could be.