(Peeta's POV.)
"This is a big, big day!" Effie exclaims, pulling me into a big bear hug. A light laugh escapes my lips, her scrawny arms pulling me in tighter. I can't help but laugh; the extreme oddness of her outfit very amusing. She's dressed in a strangely patterned dress, her entire body decked out in pink from head to toe.
"I've missed you two!" she continues, moving over to Katniss as she speaks. I look over at Haymitch, his lips curling into a smile as he watches intently, spinning his empty cup around in his hands.
"We've missed you too, Effie." Katniss manages to get out, Effie nearly squeezing her to death. Haymitch pats the seat next to him, Effie plopping herself down on it right away. Katniss and I take the seats across from them, the whole room beginning to fill with a strong sense of awkward tension.
"So, um…" I begin, not able to look up at them. "How did you guys, you know…" I can't even finish, the idea of Effie falling in love with Haymitch sounding too weird.
Haymitch lets out a long laugh, wrapping his arm around Effie as he begins to explain, the smile not leaving his face.
"It's a story, alright." He begins, looking deep into Effie's eyes as he speaks. "She came to visit me, actually. She was seeing if I was doing better. The anger between us just died that day, once we began talking."
Effie's eyes begin to brighten, a shy smile teasing at her lips. She runs her fingers through his hair, turning to face us now.
"You should have seen him that day; it is unbelievable how much this man can drink without passing out!" Effie exclaims, a soft giggle coming out mid-sentence. Katniss and I both can't help but laugh at this as well, nodding in agreement.
"It's definitely a talent," I reply, raising an eyebrow at Haymitch. He tries to keep a straight face briefly, but loses it quickly, slight amusement filling his dark eyes.
"What about you two?" Effie asks, a smile spreading across her face from ear to ear. "Haymitch told me that you have a daughter!" she continues, nearly bouncing out of her seat with excitement.
A shy smile plays across Katniss' lips, her fingers soon intertwining with mine. "Yes, we have a son as well actually." She replies in a whisper, looking over at me.
I give her a smile, nodding my head. "Their names are Rose and Finnius," I inform Effie, my head only slightly facing her. It's weird finally getting a chance to discuss our kids, something we've never done with someone before. It fills me with a sense of pride.
"Oh my, what adorable names!" Effie exclaims, lightly clapping her hands together as she speaks. "Who came up with those?" she asks, looking over at both of us with curious eyes.
"We decided them together. We wanted to name our children after people who did amazing things in their short lives and deserve being honored." I reply, my heart filling with sorrow as I think of Prim and Finnick; the inspirations for our children's names.
Effie nods, her smile slightly fading, a look of understanding replacing it. "That's really sweet of you guys," she whispers, nodding to herself. Katniss and I both smile at her, our bodies soon growing closer.
No matter how many times Katniss and I touch, every moment will set off sparks in my heart. It is amazing how one person can do that to you. One person can change your life forever; Katniss changing mine in a positive way.
(Katniss' POV.)
It's such a strange feeling, being in a room again with the three people that contributed to the dramatic turn of events in my life. It also gives me a feeling of warmth and love. I didn't think I'd admit it, but Haymitch and Effie actually make a really good couple together.
The way they look into each other's eyes is exactly the way Peeta and I do. Looking into the eyes of your true love is the best feeling in the world. It makes you feel safe and at peace.
Peeta catches me off guard, his hand suddenly sliding into my pant pocket, an object dropping into it. I turn to him in surprise. He nods down at my pocket, refusing to say what it is out loud. My hand slowly digs down into the pocket, but I don't feel anything. Suddenly, my fingers make contact with a cold object, the shape of it very familiar.
I cautiously pull it out, the Mockingjay pin glowing more radiant as the light above us reflects down on it. My eyes meet Peeta's briefly, but he still doesn't speak. He tilts his head slightly in the direction of Effie and Haymitch who are preoccupied in a discussion, then down at the pin.
I finally understand what he means. He wants me to show Haymitch the pin. Something deep inside me doesn't want to, though. The object holds a lot of painful memories; bringing up the subject will only reopen the wounds more. Another part of me knows that I can't just pretend that the pin never existed.
"Haymitch?" I ask, the words suddenly spilling out of my mouth before I can stop them. He shifts in his seat to face me, his eyebrows raised in surprise.
"Yes?" He replies, looking intently at me. My eyes shift down to the pin resting in my shaky hand as I slowly set it on the table, avoiding Haymitch's gaze.
Peeta lightly tugs on my sleeve, signaling me to look up again. My eyes find Haymitch's, his trained on the Mockingjay pin that rests only a few feet away from him.
"Why are you showing me this?" he asks, his eyes now looking into mine with a sense of confusion. I turn to face Peeta, his face twisted into a slight frown. He looks up at Haymitch, beginning to explain.
"Katniss found a box in our closet filled with stuff, including the pin. The kids found her with it and are now beginning to ask questions. Now that they've seen you, they're going to be asking about you all the time."
Haymitch's eyebrows furrow as he ponders on the thought, his eyes looking down at the table. "So, you want me to talk to them or something?" he asks, looking up at Peeta again with raised eyebrows.
Peeta nods, his expression growing serious. "I think it'd be nice for them to have you around. Sober, anyway." He says with a light laugh at the end.
Haymitch cracks a smile, his eyes shifting over to Effie. "You said you wanted kids, right?" He asks her, his eyes brightening for the first time all night. Her face brightens up as well, a smile spreading across her face.
"Visiting the kids would be amazing," Effie exclaims, turning to face us now. We both nod at her, her smile contagious.
"I think that would make the kids really happy," I agree, smiling up at Peeta. He plants a kiss on the top of my head, pulling me in closer.
As we sit in silence for awhile, Haymitch and Effie suddenly stand up, stepping closer to the door. "Well, we don't want to ruin the love fest too long," Haymitch says with wink, grasping the door handle.
"Are you guys coming back tomorrow?" Peeta asks, both of us beginning to stand up as well. Haymitch and Effie nod at the same time.
"We'll be over whenever I wake up," Haymitch replies, his lips curling into a smile.
"Don't expect that to be early!" Effie pipes in, exploding into laughter. I crack a smile, nodding.
"Alright, see you guys tomorrow." I say back, waving good bye to them.
"See ya later, sweet heart." Haymitch whispers, flashing me one last smile as they step out of the kitchen, shutting the door behind them.
I sit on the edge of our bed, my fingers tracing the shape of the Mockingjay pin. The image of Rue teaching me her four note tune burns into my mind, pushing me on the verge of tears once more. Peeta's voice suddenly breaks off the painful image, dragging me back into the present.
"You okay?" he asks, cupping my chin with his hands. I nod, pressing my forehead against his. His lips press into mine briefly, his touch filling me with immediate warmth.
"I love you," he whispers, his lips brushing against my ear. I pull him into one last kiss, wrapping my hand around his neck as I reply. "I love you too,"
Peeta slowly slides out of the bed, making his way over to the window directly across from it. His shaky hands claw it open, a cold breeze suddenly gushing into the room. As I watch him adjust the window to his liking, I can't help but smile.
No matter how old we are together, I know one thing for sure; Peeta Mellark will always be my Boy With The Bread.