Prompt: Could you please write something where hayffie are pretty much exclusive pre-THG and haymitch sees Effie with some kids at a games party or something and he realised that she'd probably be quite a good mother even though he'd written off her ever wanting kids because he always thought she'd be too self centred and assumed she'd never want them

The Things You Can't Live With

Main Square was swarming with Capitols, sponsors and passerby alike. It was typically the sort of scenes Haymitch would usually avoid because he didn't like crowds on his best day and today really was not his best day. His thirteen year-old tributes were most certainly going to die in three days, nobody wanted to give them money or even spare them a minute of their time and his flask had run dry half an hour earlier so it was an understatement to say he really didn't want to sit on that bench any longer than he had to. As it was, he wasn't entirely sure how he had managed to escape detection so long. Although maybe Capitols had finally grown so bored with the drunk from Twelve that they didn't even bother asking for his picture or his signature anymore.

To be fair, Effie had told him to go on without her when they had crossed paths with her sister and her nephews, that she would catch up. And, also to be fair, he had intended to do just that – in no small part because she always acted funny when he exchanged more than a polite greeting with her sister and he wasn't in the mood to boost her confidence when it came to the strange rivalry she had on with Lyssandra.

He had been walking away.

And then he had looked back.

And he had spotted Effie crouching down to be at her four year-old nephew's height and something had clenched in his chest and that was how he had ended up sitting on a bench, watching from afar as his escort chatted with the two little boys more than she did with her sister.

The eight year-old already looked conceited and arrogant. Unfortunately for him he was also the picture of his father and, since Haymitch had no love lost for Rufus Flavershym, it didn't endear him to him. But the youngest boy, the four year-old, was cute enough. He looked like his mother and his mother looked enough like Effie that Haymitch could see the resemblance.

Enough that he could imagine that…

"Who are the kids?" Chaff plopped down next to him on the bench, coming out of nowhere and startling him badly. "Sorry, didn't mean to jump on you."

Hands clenched into fists, Haymitch took several deep breaths – just to be sure everything was under control. "Nephews."

Eleven's victor frowned. "Oh, yeah… That's her sister, yeah? Lyssa-something… Nice piece of ass."

"Very married, very not a cheater." he reminded him because they had had that conversation before.

"Yeah, yeah…" Chaff muttered. "Why are we spying on people with kids like creeps?"

"I'm not spying." he grumbled. "I'm waiting for her to be done."

Effie, it was obvious, wasn't in any hurry to be done. She was enchanted by the youngest, he could see that clearly, she had her most blinding smile on, her most genuine one too, and the happiness was apparent on her face.

The truth was, Haymitch had hardly ever really spared a thought about her and children – children that weren't tributes, that was. Casual or not, they were more or less exclusive those days and while he knew – of course, he knew – there was no chance of anything long term between them – not that he would want that either – he didn't see himself getting a life with someone else either. Marriage, children… It had always been off the table for him but for her…

When he let himself think about it, which wasn't often, he figured that once she wouldn't be his escort anymore, they would still see each other when he was in the city even though it would be less regular, that they would become the sort of friends who grew old together when they were allowed to actually be together…

Seeing her interact with her nephew right then, he was suddenly reminded that she could find someone any moment, get married, have children of her own that would make her smile just as much as that little boy was doing…

"Please, don't tell me you're getting ideas." Chaff sighed.

He scoffed but didn't dare offer a verbal denial.

He wasn't getting any ideas because he wasn't going to give Snow the satisfaction of having a child. Any spawn of his would end up in an arena or dead in a ditch. That wouldn't happen. He wasn't going to hand his heart out just so it could be crushed.

But if he were to have one…

Oh, how easily he could picture a child with her bright blue eyes and his sulk and…

Her nephew tossed his arms around her neck in what looked like a painful hug and she laughed.

He was too far to hear it but he saw it at the way she tossed her head back a little. Her sister was shaking her head, obvious fondness on her face.

Did she want children?

She was well aware of his stance on the question – it had taken him years to trust her enough with birth control to take off the condoms – but the last time he remembered discussing her own wishes was the time, so long ago, before they even started sleeping together, when he had found her crying about the fact she couldn't have them.

He wasn't sure what was wrong with her exactly because he had been too horrified by the tears at the time to do anything but awkwardly pat her back and pour her a stiff drink, he just knew that the chances of her having children, while not null, were thin.

But that had been years ago.

Now…

"You wouldn't be the first victor to be a special uncle to a Capitol kid…" Chaff commented reluctantly. "But…"

"Don't be stupid." Haymitch grumbled before tossing him a brief glare. "And how many times do I need to tell I ain't fucking her?"

Eleven's victor gave him a long suffering look that simultaneously meant you're an idiot and I see clear through your bullshit. "Just saying."

"Don't." he snorted. "It's crazy talk."

Effie finally stood back up and said her goodbyes. There was a wistfulness on her face for a second as she watched the children leave but then it was gone, covered by her usual bubbly expression. She walked toward them but didn't spot them immediately, it took Haymitch calling her name for her to alter her trajectory.

"I thought you had left!" she exclaimed. "I would not have lingered if I had known you were waiting for me." She nodded at his friend. "Chaff."

"Love." Chaff answered with a small smirk, standing up. "Gotta go. Viola's probably looking for me so I've gotta make sure she won't find me."

Effie tried to look disapproving but she couldn't quite hide her pleasure at the thought of her rival searching the city in vain.

Haymitch was slower in getting to his feet and decided he must have stayed in the sun too long for even having entertained the thoughts of Effie and children together.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, studying him.

"Peachy." he muttered. "Just need a drink."

She didn't question the lie, she simply sighed. "Let's get you one then."

Yeah, that was something he could live with.

Children… Not so much.

Speaking of Hayffie Children, don't miss the new story this Friday! 'When it rains, it pours' !

Also, there is now a prompt blog over on tumblr for the hayffie community, you can find it at the-hayffie-penthouse and it's a place where you can leave prompts or pick up inspiration if you want it. It's open to everyone, tumblr users or not, so come and take a look if that interests you!