I'm not quite sure what this one is but I had tons of fun with it so hopefully you will enjoy it ;)
Prompt "Is it just me or does Santa look extra hot this year?"
Santa's Candy Cane
Effie loved the school's Christmas fair. The weather had been fine so they had hold it outside, on the playground, and it was beautiful if she could say so herself.
"You really went all out." Portia commented, beaming at her. "This looks wonderful."
"I had help." she modestly protested but, the truth was, she had done most of it herself. She had painted the sets, she had looked all around town for the huge plastic reindeers, she had bargained to get twelve Christmas trees… She volunteered every year but this year was the first one since the adoption had become official and she wanted Peeta to have a magical Christmas. "It does look good, doesn't it?"
She worried a little about the bouncing Santa Shop looking too cheap next to her more elaborate decorations but nobody seemed to notice or mind. The children were all running around from booth to booth, from game to game, having a blast, it seemed…
They bought two hot chocolate at the stand that Peeta's former teacher was manning and chatted a while with the older lady right up until a tiny hand gripped hers and pulled. She looked down to see her little boy beaming at her.
"Can we go see Santa?" Peeta asked, grabbing the hem of Portia's coat with his free hand. "You're coming, Auntie P?"
The seven year-old was all energy and didn't wait for them to answer before dragging them to the long line that stretched in a corner of the school's playground.
"Look, there's Miss Cresta!" Peeta called out, waving at his teacher.
Annie was dressed all in green, in an elf gown that fitted her perfectly. Her boyfriend Finnick had been roped into helping too and was currently dressed as a reindeer, complete with plastic antlers and red painted nose. They looked adorably in love and Effie couldn't help but smile when she saw them together. She had taken a liking to the young couple.
"Do you know what you want for Christmas yet, Peeta?" Portia asked him, sipping from her hot chocolate.
"Ratatouille stuff." the boy answered immediately, butchering the French word.
"He is in a Ratatouille phase." Effie explained, hardly able to fight her smile. "He has the cookbook, the stuffed toy, the bed sheets… Apparently we're missing a few things still."
And she would get them all for him and more.
Because she loved that boy so much it hurt sometimes.
She had never thought she could get this, a son, a home, the laughter and the love… And, sure, she had thought if she ever adopted a child, it would be with a husband and after having tried fertility treatments at least for a while but… This was better. This was fate. Peeta had needed her just as much as she had needed him.
The line was moving slowly forward and they finally got their first glimpse of Santa.
"There's Katniss!" Peeta beamed and, in a flash, he was gone, straight past the other people in line to the two little darling elves in green costume sitting next to the chair where Santa was holding court. Katniss and Prim were handing out the candies to the children after they were done telling him what they wanted for Christmas – well, Katniss was handing the candies like it was a great hardship and Prim, who was only two, was munching on a candy cane.
"Oh, the famous Katniss?" Portia asked, straining her neck to get a better look at the little girl Peeta could never shut up about. "Pretty girl."
"She is very pretty." Effie conceded.
"Mama doesn't approve." her friend teased with a laugh.
"I do, actually." She sighed. "They are adorable together. I just wish she was a little bit less… She sulks a lot." She dismissed that with a wave of her hand. "She is a nice girl though. Tough past for someone so young, you know. The sister is simply charming, I fell in love at first glance."
"They live with their uncle, right?" Portia hummed. "That's what Peeta told Cinna and me the other day."
"Yes, he took them in a few months ago." she confirmed. "Their mother is… currently not in any state to care for them. That is all Annie was willing to tell me so I do not know the details but… The way Katniss acts with her sister… She cares for her as if she was her own daughter. I do not think the mother was taking proper care of them. They are much better off with their uncle if you ask me."
Portia shot her a curious look, probably because her voice had become a little too squeaky. She cleared her throat and told herself the blush on her cheeks could have easily been explained by the cold.
"You have been seeing a lot of this uncle, have you?" Portia probed, a knowing smile blossoming on her lips.
"He volunteered to help with the Christmas fair." she answered. Well… He hadn't so much volunteered as been volunteered when he had made the mistake of catching a few boxes she had dropped after school one day. She had made him carry them in and then he had never been able to escape because he was good with his hands and could work his way around a hammer – unlike most of the other parents.
"I see." Portia was grinning now and Effie refused to ask her what it was exactly that she was seeing. She focused on moving forward when the line shifted instead.
At least right until they were close enough to take a good look at that corner of the playground. Effie was mostly surveying her fake snow and the huge pile of faked wrapped up gifts in the sleight behind Santa. It had taken a lot of convincing to get a discount price on that sleight and it had been in such a state that she had wondered if it was even worth it. Katniss' uncle and Finnick had worked miracles though. It looked perfect.
"Is it just me or does Santa look extra hot this year?" Portia asked, letting out a low whistle.
Santa certainly didn't look like last year when Plutarch Heavensbee had donned the costume. Santa certainly looked a lot fitter, to the point the red coat strained a little at the shoulders and she had been forced to tailor it so it would look better.
But she wasn't looking at Santa.
Looking at Santa was a dangerous business, she had found.
"Who is that?" Portia insisted when Effie didn't answer her.
There were only two more children and their parents in front of them. They weren't that far away now. She knew she had been spotted because she could feel the weight of his gaze on her.
"That…" she hesitated. "… would be Katniss' uncle."
Portia made a soft sort of strangled noise. Then, she laughed in her joyful unrestrained way, not caring at all about the heads that turned in their direction. People smiled though. If there ever was a time to be merry, it was today.
"Cinna is going to be so sorry he missed this." her best friend declared.
"Someone had to mind the shop." she reminded her. "And there is nothing to miss."
"Sure." Portia taunted, looping her arm around hers and finishing her hot chocolate in one long gulp. "That's why Santa is giving you the fuck eyes."
"He is not!" she protested. She felt herself flush to such a degree she knew the powder on her face wouldn't cover it. "Oh, darling, there you are!"
She was so relieved to jump on the excuse offered by Peeta's return that she fussed over him, pretending not to notice anything else. Portia briefly left her side to dispose of their empty cups and, by the time she came back, it was their turn.
The way Haymitch was sitting on that chair was indecent and she was pretty sure he hadn't been sprawled that way for the other parents and children. And yet, there he was, legs spread, slouched in that chair like only a confident man assured of his charm could be, a smirk on his lips, watching her as if he was picturing her naked.
"Wanna sit on my lap and tell Santa what you want for Christmas, princess?" he taunted. "I'm pretty sure I can find a big gift for you somewhere… May even have got one in my pocket…"
In front of everyone and the children, really!
She huffed, not flustered at all anymore. She didn't even know why she was blushing and feeling so many butterflies around him because the moment he opened his mouth she always remembered exactly how infuriating he was.
"I am sure I do not want what is in your pocket." she retorted. "Now, if Santa is ready, Peeta would love to tell you what he wants for Christmas."
Dutifully scolded and reminded that there were children around – their own children, no less – Haymitch sat up properly and patted his thigh so Peeta would come to him. His grey eyes remained on her though, full of mirth.
"It's okay, I know it's you." Peeta whispered to him, once he was seated. "I know we have to pretend for the other kids because Santa was busy."
Haymitch snorted but answered in the same whisper. "You can still tell me what you want for Christmas. I'm gonna make sure Santa gets the list."
Peeta's list was tame compared to other children's and it wasn't long before he hopped off, accepting the candy cane Katniss handed him with another long suffering look at the queue. Effie took pity. "Why don't you run off and play with Peeta, dear? I can handle the candy giving for a while." Katniss perked up but then her little shoulders fell again when her eyes fell on Prim. "I can mind your sister too."
The girl hesitated and Portia, immediately understanding the problem, cut in with a bright smile. "Why don't we all go together, the four of us? I can watch her while you play games with Peeta. I heard so much about you, Katniss…"
And, just like that, Portia worked her magic and Primrose was scooped off the ground and the children ushered toward one of the booths. If Katniss looked slightly alarmed, Peeta grabbed her hand and pulled her forward and she soon relaxed.
Haymitch looked equally alarmed so Effie forced a smile. "She is my best friend. The girls are perfectly safe."
For a second, she wasn't sure her word would be good enough for him but, eventually, he relaxed and smirked at her again, his grey eyes slowly making their way up and down her body. She wasn't dressed outrageously at all. A short red dress under her open white fur coat… And yet, under his gaze, she felt like she was wearing her kinkiest lingerie set.
It put ideas in her head. Like how it would feel to actually be naked in front of him. If he could make her feel that hot and bothered without undressing her or touching her…
"You know, if you wanted to handle my candy cane, all you had to do was ask…" He wriggled his eyebrows in a ridiculous fashion that made the fake white beard twist out of place. She quickly tugged on it before one of the children noticed but, in doing so, her fingers accidentally brushed his mouth and… The shock was electric.
She bolted back, clearing her throat, too aware that impatient parents were staring.
"Your innuendos are dreadful." she deadpanned.
"Sure, sweetheart." He chuckled. "If that's the story you want to go with…"
"I told you not to pet name me." she hissed.
"Sorry." he offered and she almost fell for it until he tossed her another of those smirks. "Princess."
She rolled her eyes again.
She had never rolled her eyes as much as since she had met him.
They worked quietly for a while.
He listened to the kids, she handed candy canes…
It was almost a whole hour before Portia came wandering back, children in tow. The line had dwindled down mostly to people who wanted a picture with Santa now – that part didn't please Haymitch too much. Night was falling and people were leaving. Some teachers had already started putting things away…
"I will help you clean up." Effie told Annie, turning to Portia. "Do you mind taking Peeta back to the store? I will pick him up later…"
"Why don't I take him home for dinner?" Portia suggested instead. "Uncle C will want some quality time with our boy, too, right Peeta?"
Peeta, of course, was delighted. "Can Katniss and Prim come too?"
"I don't know, kid…" Haymitch hesitated, having just finished the last picture. He joined their little circle with a wince. "It's…"
"Auntie P's cool." Katniss declared. All the adults startled a little at how easily she had adopted the auntie moniker but Portia soon beamed. As she should. Katniss was a tough crowd. "Prim and I will be fine with her."
"Please." Peeta begged with his best puppy eyes. "Uncle C makes spaghettis with meatballs on Saturdays!"
Given the face he pulled and the way he looked at Prim, Effie was pretty sure Haymitch was contemplating the mess a two year-old could make with spaghettis and meatballs.
"I should keep the tiny one, at least." he half-joked.
"Nonsense." Portia dismissed, plucking Prim from the ground and making her giggle. "We are two peas in a pod, Primrose and I. Aren't we, sweetheart?" Prim planted a kiss on her cheek. "Just pick them up later. Why don't the two of you go have some dinner yourself? No rush. Cinna and I never go to bed early."
She shot the last part with a meaningful grin for Effie.
She chose not to get her meaning and focused on helping the teachers and the other volunteers put everything away. She half-expected Haymitch to bail on them all because she had practically twisted his arm into volunteering in the first place but he surprised her. He stuck around.
She lost sight of him for a while when they were almost done storing everything in one of the classrooms. She was the last one there, using her clipboard to tick off the things that had been lent to them and that they would have to return, when she felt the prickle at her nape.
"Staring is rude." she lectured. "Staring when the person is unaware is creepy."
She finally turned around to face him. He had changed out of the Santa costume and was back to his regular clothes of old frayed jeans and lumpy sweaters. Not really flattering. And yet it was working for him. It really was working for him.
All the more so when he was leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded in front of his chest, the picture of nonchalance.
He shrugged, his mouth twitching into that smirk again. "Ain't my fault."
"No?" she challenged. "And whose fault would it be if you are staring at me, then?"
"The dress?" he suggested, pushing himself off the doorframe to take a few steps toward her. She resisted the urge to look down at herself. She had shed the coat on one of the desks earlier.
"My dress is perfectly respectable." she retorted, standing her ground even when he came within touching distance.
"Your legs, then." he shot right back.
She licked her lips. They tasted expensive, like her Dior lipstick. She wondered if he would like the taste or if he was the kind who preferred flavored lip-gloss.
"My legs cannot help it if they are stunning." she pointed out without one ounce of modesty. "I am a former model, I will remind you."
It made him chuckle. He shook his head and took another step closer to her. They were standing chest to chest. She could feel his breath on her face. Not unpleasant, fortunately.
"Your attitude." he decided. "Definitely your attitude."
She pursed her lips. "There is nothing wrong with my attitude."
"Makes me want to bend you over and fuck you until you forget your own name." he deadpanned with such raw honesty that she remained speechless. Shock must have registered on her face because his softened a little. He lifted his hand and tugged on a wayward blond curl that had escaped her fancy hairdo. "Too much, sweetheart?"
Not enough, she wanted to answer. Not nearly enough.
"You could do the polite thing and invite me to dinner first." she countered.
That was what Portia had been suggesting when she had offered to babysit: a date.
"I could." he acknowledged. "Or I could take you home and have my way with you."
They were dancing on a fine line here about what their relationship would turn out to be. Dinner implied involvement and going straight to one of their houses would engage nothing but their bodies for a short while. Effie was a little bit torn between both.
She felt there was potential between them, despite his horrid manners, but she also had to think about Peeta and she wasn't sure adding a boyfriend to the mix right now would be the best thing.
It was obvious what he wanted. But he didn't push. He didn't cajole her into it.
And in the end that was what decided her.
"Very well, then." she caved and his smirk blossomed into a genuine smile. His fingers had still been toying with her hair but they let it go to brush against the side of her neck instead, dance their way to her nape…
"One thing first…" He fished something out of one of the boxes of stuff they had to give back and then held it over their heads. "Mistletoe."
She couldn't help it. She laughed. "And you were doing so much better with the flirting…"
She was about to rebuke him again for that candy cane comment but he caught her off guard. The kiss was not at all the peck she was expecting. It was hard and hot and messy and…
Suddenly, all she wanted to do was take off her dress.
She pushed him away a little, while she was still clear-headed enough to know doing it right there wasn't an option.
"Take me home." she ordered.
She didn't have to ask twice.
It seemed Santa knew just what to give her for Christmas after all.
Do we think she got to taste the candy cane? Ok this joke was too much LMAO I'm taking myself out. I hope you enjoyed this! Let me know your thoughts!