Chapter Twenty-One; End of Comradeship

(Stephanie's POV)

Another few hours and Stephanie was practically limping. The night was finally over and they were making their way back to the car.

She glanced at Frenkin; his eyelids were drooping and he could barely keep awake. Feeling a surge of emotion for the boy Stephanie draped her arm around his shoulders and pulled him tight against her, dropping a quick kiss on his fair hair. A few of the locks had sprung free and keep falling into his blue eyes. After a moment Frenkin threw his arms around her waist and they walked the last little distance to the car like that.

Frenkin gave a large yawn before clambering into the car. "It wasn't so bad…but I will never understand Capitol people," he admitted. Stephanie gave a small chuckle and climbed in after him, collapsing with a sigh onto the cream seats.

After a few moments of waiting under guard, Stephanie heard his footsteps approaching and then Haymitch ducked and got into the car. He immediately sat beside Stephanie. Isa had gone off gallivanting and left note that she would see them in the morning. Stephanie didn't want to give the implications of that too much thought.

Stephanie glanced across at Frenkin with a motherly smile. He was curled up on one of the seats, eyes shut and sleeping soundly.

The car pulled away silently and Stephanie leaned her own head back against the soft leather of the seats allowing her eyes to slide shut.

After a few moments with her eyes still shut she spoke calmly. "Do you still believe I can win now?"

She heard the rustle of movement from beside her where Haymitch was seated but he remained silent.

She smiled sadly.

…

(Haymitch's POV)

The car stopped and Haymitch gave Frenkin's shoulder a gentle shake. Frenkin woke with a start.

"Hey kid, it's only me," Haymitch reassured.

Frenkin attempted to rub the sleep from his eyes before he got out of the car and waited for Haymitch and Stephanie.

Haymitch glanced over at Stephanie. She appeared to be asleep.

He gently sat beside her. Some of her make-up had finally smudged and the colour on her lips had faded slightly. One of the silver hair pins had become dislodged and a few unruly locks of hair strayed across her face, tickling her nose. He smirked as she wrinkled her nose in displeasure before he pushed them back from her face allowing his fingertips to linger for a moment on her cheek.

The movement caused her eyes to open slowly. At first they looked at him in confusion and then a whole tirade of emotions entered the golden orbs that prevented him from being able to distinguish one emotion from another.

She sat up and stretched slightly and then realising her surroundings, got out of the car followed by Haymitch.

They walked back to the building where the Tributes stayed, in silence. Frenkin dragging his feet while the sporadic clicks of Stephanie's heels on the smooth ground testified how she was struggling still in her shoes.

"Wait," Stephanie said suddenly. Haymitch turned and Frenkin continued walking a few paces before he realised and halted.

Haymitch looked to her questioningly. Stephanie raised her arm and draped it around Haymitch's shoulders before she lifted one leg to slip the death-trap shoe from her foot and then the other. Haymitch held her by the waist for support until with a sigh of contentment she stood in her bare-feet.

"Everytime I am around you I end up with no shoes on," Stephanie said with a bemused smile.

Haymitch gave a small laugh.

They stood like that for a moment. Neither Haymitch nor Stephanie willing or desiring to remove the arm around the other, finding that they liked the comfort that they drew from each other's simple gesture. They were snapped back by Frenkin's loud yawn as he stood waiting patiently, and then reluctantly Stephanie's arm slipped from around Haymitch and his from her.

Haymitch bypassed the kitchen, knowing full well that he wouldn't need alcohol to find sleep tonight. Exhaustion would be a more than adequate sedative.

He shrugged the jacket from his shoulders and undid the top, few buttons of his shirt, revelling in the ability of being able to breathe again.

Haymitch walked up the hallway, pausing outside Stephanie's door. However when he opened it, she wasn't there. He listened and the sound of muffled voices came from across the hall. Frenkin's room.

…

(Stephanie's POV)

Stephanie tucked the blankets in around Frenkin as her mother had done to her when she was younger back home.

Frenkin yawned again widely, struggling to keep his eyes open.

"S..Stephanie?" Frenkin's voice was timid and tired.

"Yea?"

"I…I never got to tell you that you looked…" Frenkin's eyes fluttered closed softly and Stephanie gave a small smile, combing her long fingers through his honey-coloured hair.

Frenkin's eyes opened again, determined to finish his sentence. She titled her head slightly, a small smile dancing on her lips. "Tell me what?"

"You looked very beautiful tonight," Frenkin said and then gave a toothy grin, pleased that he got it out.

Stephanie felt a twinge in her heart. "You looked pretty dashing yourself," she replied.

Frenkin gave a soft laugh, his wide blue eyes shutting once more as he succumbed to sleep.

She was so lost in counting Frenkin's steady breathing that she almost jumped out of her skin when Haymitch spoke.

"The kid's right you know."

She got up and turned around. Haymitch stood leaning in the doorway, silhouetted by the light from the hall.

"Right about what?"

"You looked very beautiful tonight."

Stephanie felt herself blushing and looked down.

"What's this? Where's the swift boot to my nether regions or the snarky comment? Don't tell me that's a blush I see," Haymitch teased, as he approached her.

Her head snapped up to look at him, one eyebrow arched challengingly.

"Come any closer and you will find out," she replied, folding her arms with a smirk.

He laughed lightly, pausing less than a metre away from her, his hands dug in his pockets.

Their eyes met for a brief moment and a seriousness entered Haymitch's features.

"I'll sort everything with Seneca," he reassured her.

She shook her head. "I don't think you can," she replied.

"I'll make sure he gives you a fair fighting chance."

"Seneca Crane is Head Gamemaker, not to mention President Snow's son. There is nothing you can do. He has decided that I will die."

"No. I won't let you die just so he can punish me. The year I won my Games I went against the rules by using the forcefield to my advantage. The Head Gamemaker Lark that year suffered the same fate as my family. President Snow had him killed as a warning to others who came after him, that the Capitol would never be bested. That Gamemaker Lark was a mentor to Seneca; someone he looked up to and admired and respected. Someone Seneca loved like a father. Afterall how much of a father could someone like President Snow be? Seneca blames me still for Lark's death and so he has made sure that I have lost everything. It is no coincidence that the past five years since Seneca has been Head Gamemaker that District 3's tributes have been killed in the most brutal ways."

"How can you appease Seneca?" Stephanie asked sadly, tears welling in her eyes as she felt the pain and pity she felt at hearing again all that Haymitch had lost. Haymitch had threatened to throw her over the balcony back at the party when she had learnt of this for the first time, because she couldn't stop her tears.

"I will find some way," Haymitch insisted, clenching his fists tightly.

Stephanie just nodded, too exhausted to even argue with him. She made to pass by him when he grabbed her arm fiercely.

Stephanie almost shied away from the intensity of Haymitch's grey gaze.

"I won't let you die." Haymitch's words were low.

"I am a tribute for the Hunger Games. You do not get to decide," she replied harsher than she intended, trying to twist her arm free of his grasp. She was tired and her frustration was growing.

He gazed at her for a few moments and then, without warning his lips crashed upon hers. Stephanie's eyes widened for a few moments, and then Haymitch's lips moved against hers; hot and insistent yet undeniably soft and her eyes fluttered shut.

This is definitely no kiss of 'comradeship', was Stephanie's final thought.