Prompt: in chapter 111, finnick says: "Chaff liked Effie. He didn't like that you were in love." so for a prompt: a time when chaff and effie are on their own and chaff gets to witness effie in all her glory? maybe she stands up for him in front of viola, or he's there when she convinces someone not to make a special appointment with finnick or jo. and he's just like 'wow, why don't i appreciate her more' and then haymitch reappears and chaff remembers they're going to be each other's doom. angst

Effie Trinket, Shining White Knight

Chaff was well aware they were attracting a crowd but he couldn't care less. Let the Capitols gawk if that float their boat, let them giggle and whisper to each other, he hoped they enjoyed the show because, if they were lucky, they might just witness one of those actual bloody murders they enjoyed so much on TV.

This time, it had gone too far.

He was going to kill her.

"Did they take part of your brain when they cut what was left of your hand?" Viola sneered, encouraged by the laughter her pathetic little gibes were triggering.

His remaining hand bundle into a fist and he took one step forward, his jaw clenching, his dark eyes glaring daggers at the woman standing in front of him. The fact that his escort was wearing a garish red dress with that ridiculous rainbow wig of her only infuriated him further. It was like waving a red flag in front of a bull.

"Don't need two hands to strangle you." he warned.

He wasn't joking, that was the thing. He knew they shouldn't settle the score at a sponsor party – never mind in the gardens when it was so hot everyone was migrating outside – that they were becoming entertaining and that Caesar would make it his top priority to rehash this for the several days to come but… Fuck Viola Summercket. Fuck her and her demeaning cruel remarks. Fuck her and her dismissive attitude. Fuck her and the way she acted like he was a speckle of dirt on her shoe. Fuck…

He didn't think he had ever hated someone as much as he did her. Maybe not even Snow.

Snow, at least, didn't make it his personal mission to toss mean comments at him every hour of every day.

"Threatening a woman with physical violence…" Viola cackled, lifting her hand in a 'see what I have to deal with' gesture for their audience. "And some people claim Districts are more than uncivilized dogs… I say you can dye a leopard but you cannot change its spots."

He took another step forward but she refused to step back, emboldened by the crowd. She honestly believed he wouldn't actually hurt her but she was wrong. What did he risk if he killed her? A slap on the wrist? Seeder would be mad and it would mean bad publicity but…

"Too bad our tributes are more kittens than wildcats, isn't it?" she snorted, looking down at him. "We might actually have had a chance to win otherwise." She widened her eyes comically wide, her lips twisting into a nasty smile. "Oh, but what am I thinking… Eleven never wins, does it? At best, it gets lucky once in a while and we are treated to a sad excuse of a victor like you."

Chaff was practically foaming at the mouth.

That kind of remarks about tributes coming from their own escort…

It was hard enough to convince sponsors on a good year. She had just sentenced them to death right there and then.

"That is quite enough, Viola dear." another high-pitched female voice cut in.

The crowd parted for Effie Trinket, as if gladly welcoming the new fighter. Chaff didn't want to deal with two of them and he glared at Twelve's escort but the woman kept walking, apparently unbothered, and neatly stepped between the two of them. He hadn't realized just how close he was standing to Viola – just how close he was from actually strangling her – until Trinket not quite subtly forced him to step back to a more respectable distance. She wasn't obvious about it. She just… That woman occupied the space. You had to move when she was close, to give her room.

And, to be fair, once he wasn't an inch away from Viola, he felt like he could breathe easier.

"Oh, do mind your own business, Euphemia." Summercket spat, narrowing her eyes. "Or is Chaff another notch on your impressive bedpost?"

Trinket pursed her lips in distaste, seizing her up in one long look that made it clear she found the other escort lacking.

Twelve's escort was all in white that night. A short sparkly white dress that Chaff would probably have mocked if he had been in a better mood. Never mind the bubblegum pink bob of a wig on her head.

"I make it my business to intervene when I see a fellow escort making a drunk spectacle of herself, Viola." Trinket retorted. "It reflects badly on the Games industry."

"I am not drunk." Summercket snapped. "I think you are confusing me with your victor."

"Hardly." Trinket huffed. "He, unlike you, has some fashion sense."

"Since when?" Viola deadpanned.

"Since I manage his wardrobe for him." Trinket replied without missing a beat. "I would be happy to do the same for you, naturally. Those shoes are so… last week."

"Those shoes are exclusive Tonya Lim." his escort hissed. "It is not my fault you do not have an eye for emerging trends."

"I wouldn't know about spotting emerging trends, I usually launch them not imitate them." Trinket dismissed with a wave of her wrist. "Never mind that though, we can discuss fashion another time. I think it is time you retire for the night. You caused enough of a scene here."

"I am not the one causing a scene." Summercket snapped. "That armless oaf is the one who…"

"Don't you fucking dare…" Chaff snarled, stepping forward.

He hit Trinket's back. She had deftly sidestepped to block his path and while he burned to just grab her and move her aside, he knew there would be hell to pay if Haymitch heard about him manhandling her – because his best friend had rules about his escort – and he wasn't mad enough to risk the long days of sulking that would follow.

"And yet it is you I heard disparaging brave children who are so eager to defend their District's colors." Trinket countered, calm as you pleased. "I guess you are right, though, a leopard cannot change its spot. A classless hag will always remain a classless hag…" She turned around, grabbed his remaining arm with a lot more strength than he would have credited her with and steered him away from his escort. "Come along now, Chaff, Finnick and Haymitch are impatient to discuss the possibility of an alliance…"

That got the crowd whispering again because if Four was willing to discuss an alliance…

Trinket had just given them enough of a bone to munch on that Summercket's comments might not be as damaging as they could have been. There would be no alliance in the end, of course, but… It might just give Eleven the boost they needed to secure their usual couple of sponsors…

"I guess a District's slut will always be a District's slut!" Summercket snapped after them but Trinket kept walking, not even looking back over her shoulder. "I am curious, Euphemia. Do you do both of them at the same time?"

Trinket's fingers dig hard into his arm but her face remained composed into that cheerful expression she always wore. Haymitch always insisted she wasn't as dumb as she looked… Maybe he had a point.

"Didn't need a white knight to rescue me." he muttered once they were away from the crowd and back inside the hotel the party was taking place in.

She snatched two flutes of champagne from a passing tray and handed him one. "Oh, please. I did not do this for you."

"Why, then?" he scoffed. "Cause if you wanted to score points with Haymitch… Might have been a good idea to make sure he was there to watch."

She pouted for a second and then flashed him a bright smile. "Perhaps I just enjoy any opportunity to bring Viola down." She took a sip of champagne and averted her eyes. A hard glint shone in there for a second. "Or perhaps I just hate that an entitled… hag…" She said hag and it sounded like bitch. "…makes the odds even more uneven. Perhaps I draw the line at bringing the tributes into it." She offered her flute for a toast and he clicked his against it, feeling like they were having a weird bonding moment. "Also, to be honest, I truly thought you were going to murder her right there and that would not have been very clever. If you do intend to murder her later on though, I have a few ideas."

She sounded so serious that it took him a second to understand she was joking.

He actually chuckled.

Who knew she had a sense of humor?

It wasn't often he got what Haymitch and Finnick saw in her but maybe…

"The fuck's going on?" Twelve's victor asked, appearing out of nowhere. "People are saying Chaff's beating escorts up in the garden."

Haymitch slid a hand at the small of her back, all casual, there and gone in a flash. But Chaff saw it and if Chaff saw it a dozen other people saw it. And they probably saw the worried look the victor tossed his escort too.

And, just like that, Chaff went back to disliking Trinket because she was obviously smarter than he had given her credit for. So why was she being stupid enough to get involved in that big of a mess? Either she wasn't genuine and she was just a way for the Capitol to trick Haymitch, a wolf in sheep clothing, or she was in love with him and it was even worse.

"Don't worry, buddy." he snorted. "Your escort's safe. She saved mine though."

"I tore her to shreds. It was very satisfying." Trinket informed Haymitch proudly, preening a little. Her blue eyes flickered down to his mouth and back up and she briefly bit down on her bottom lip. "I am rather tired though."

"Yeah." Haymitch nodded at once, his hand coming back up to her back. He dropped it at once but it was too late. "Got enough of Capitols for the night. Let's go back to the Center." He took a step away and then seemed to remember Chaff was still standing there. "You need a ride?"

Chaff wanted to say yes just to annoy him – Haymitch was like a younger brother sometimes, it was good to annoy a little brother – because it was so obvious what they were going to do the moment they were alone in the car…

And they thought they were being subtle, that was the thing. Haymitch was convinced he could still deny it and be believed.

He shook his head, as much because of his best friend's stupidity as to refuse the offer. "Nah, I'm good. I'm gonna take the car and leave that bitch behind… That's gonna piss her off."

Trinket made a face at the word. Then, she winced. "You know, I would speak to Seneca about this if I were you. It is one thing for her to cut corners when doing her job, it is entirely another to disparage your tributes in public."

"Been requesting another escort for years, love." Chaff shrugged. "Ain't happening."

"I know." she sighed. "She knows people." She wrinkled her nose. "Well, she has been sleeping with people." She shook her head. "They won't promote her, either. None of the upper Districts will work with her. Still… I think you should talk with Seneca. At the very least, he can remind her she has certain responsibilities." She glanced around and lowered her voice a little. "He does not like her, as it happens."

"Wonder why." Haymitch deadpanned.

"Quite." she huffed, looping her arms around his elbow. "Shall we?"

Chaff watched them go, not bothering to hide his disapproval, and then went in search of the Head Gamemaker.

Not that he was taking her advice but…

For once, it sounded sound.