Haymitch is in his kitchen making a sandwich in the newly cleaned house. He's glad that Katniss convinced him to hire Hazelle. It smells better than before. Haymitch throws the knife into the dish washer that he had never used before and takes a bite out of the sandwich. It's the bread that Peeta had given him, he'd saved it for when he was hungry. As he sits on the stool in his kitchen he hears a knock on the door, this time he knows who it is. He opens the door and tells the person to leave as an attempt to fool Hazelle who is upstairs cleaning, and walks to one of the empty bedrooms where she is dusting a small table at the foot of the bed and tells her that she can go home for the day and make sure the kids are okay. Hazelle does what she is told and leaves after Haymitch gives her a handful of money and sends her out the back door. After Hazelle is gone, Haymitch returns to the front door.
"Effie," Haymitch says, pulling her inside and into his arms. "I'm so glad to see you."
"I can tell." Effie laughs, her arms pressed to her side unable to move in Haymitch's grip. "I can't even breathe."
"Sorry. Come sit with me." Haymitch laughs, guiding Effie to the couch. He pours her and himself a drink and sits next to her. "Okay, you can drop the Capitol Effie now, you're safe."
"Oh thank God." Effie sighs and kicks off her heels and puts her feet onto the couch, shifting her position so that her head is resting in her hand and she's facing Haymitch. "I get time to be me! Finally, I get to see you and be the normal Effie. Do you even know how annoying Capitol Effie is? I mean really it's ridiculous how-"
"Is it this annoying, or do you just like hearing your regular voice?" Haymitch cuts her off with a laugh and pulls off her wig.
"Haymitch! Use some manners! Or at least have some respect for me! No not even me, my wig! Cinna made me that wig, you know! Do you even know how rude you can be sometimes-" Haymitch cuts her off with a kiss.
"Missed you, sweetheart." Haymitch pulls back and laughs.
"I know you did." Effie said leaning in and kissing him again. "You know, we don't have to go to Katniss' house until tomorrow, right?"
"I like how you think, Princess." Haymitch gets up and scoops Effie up in his arms carelessly and carries her to his bedroom. "I'm glad you're home, Effie."
"Home?"
"Yeah. Just like I'm home when I'm with you on the train or in the penthouse."
"Oh, well then I'm glad to be home, Haymitch. I just hope there's a time when I'm always home. If it's in the Capitol or here in 12, I just want to be home all of the time."
"I hope so, too, sweetheart." Haymitch says, kissing Effie's forehead and then gently putting her at the foot of the bed.
"I don't want to leave tomorrow, Haymitch." Effie's bare feet appear on the bed as she pulls her knees to her chest.
"We have now, Effie. That's what matters. When you're back in the Capitol I promise, I'll call you everyday." Haymitch brushes some of Effie's blonde hair behind her ear and kisses her.
Effie makes her way downstairs in a large t-shirt and pajama pants that belong to Haymitch after she showered, she doesn't have any make up on and her hair is still dripping from the shower. Haymitch looks up from the frying pan where he is making scrambled eggs for them both and stares at her for a moment.
"What's wrong?" Effie smiles, her cheeks burning.
"Nothin'. You shouldn't wear all that... junk. You look fine without it." His eyes are locked on Effie's makeup free face, which he can never get used to after seeing her so much with the 'Capitol garbage' on.
"Oh." Effie giggles and pushes a piece of her wet hair out of her face. She makes her way to the refrigerator to get milk for the coffee that sits in a pot on the counter and then reaches for a mug from a cabinet over the sink. She stops and smiles when she sees a small square of white paper taped to the inside of the cabinet. She reaches to pull it off of the inside of the cabinet and turns and smiles at Haymitch, who is still cooking. "Care to explain, Abernathy?"
"Explain what, sweetheart." Haymitch turns with a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Oh. That."
"Yes." Effie looks at it and smiles, her cheeks still burning. "This."
"I promised I would keep in touch, didn't I? And I'm not good at rememberin' stuff, you should know that." He stops when Effie walks over to him, putting the paper on the counter and swings her arms over his shoulders.
"You did." Effie leans in and kisses him. Haymitch lets go of the frying pan and wraps his arm around Effie's waist, returning the kiss. Effie pulls back from the kiss and stands on her tiptoes to put her mouth to the side of his head and whispers. "I think you're burning your eggs, Haymitch."
"And I think your coffee's getting cold, Princess." Haymitch smiles and turns back to the stove. Effie fixes the far too big pajama bottoms and returns to her coffee.
"Thank you for keeping your promise, Haymitch." Effie smiles into her coffee.
"No problem, Eff."