A/N: HEY LOOK! Now we see the first hint of what might have something to do with a plot! YAY! Soo this chap may be a bit sad... sorry about that... But hey this is Hayffie... it's not like you came here expecting sunshine and rainbows!
Effie had been right when she said nothing had changed, but she had been wrong too. Everything had changed, but they were still them. They still argued constantly. He still got on her nerves, drank too much, and could be utterly insensitive sometimes. She still fluttered around, hid herself too far away, and nagged him to kingdom come. It wasn't that they were magically different, or suddenly everything was roses and they got along and everything that annoyed them about each other vanished or was shrunk from what it was, it was just that sometimes in the middle of the nagging and hiding and capitol chatter she would say something that was more for him than the rest of the world, a little jibe that was more of an inside joke than anything and he would have to take a drink of the, substantially less intoxicating, liquor in his hand to cover the smirk. It was that he finally learned how to pull out a chair for someone other than himself as she flounced around with normally colored skin and less extravagant eyes and lips. It was the small things that they did to prove to the other every day that they were worth each other's time and effort and patience and even worth all the anxiety of hiding. While stealing kisses in the kitchens or bathrooms and getting to spend time together at night was nice, it was hard to sneak around in a place that literally had eyes and ears everywhere and you could never tell where they were.
It was all fine until the games started. Effie had gotten to live in her world playing mother to the two children making both as happy as she could and trying to make them see the bright side of everything as was her job. They had done amazingly in the interview and both been adorable and charming and sweet and not a single sponsor had even come by. Today they were going into the arena and it had her shaking and worried and afraid for the two that she loved so much, probably more than any other tributes they'd had. She watched the start of the games with tension rife in her. Her back was a board her hands were in her lap and had she not worn gloves everyone would have seen the white knuckles. Haymitch had gotten a stronger drink to keep himself calm while she stared with wide, unblinking eyes at the two children in her care as they ran off to the games. She didn't mind that he had a drink. She kind of wanted one too.
She had a good four or so inches between her and anything but the cushion under her on the couch. Haymitch, though sprawled to appear relaxed, was hugging the corner of his chair just as tense as she was. The countdown started and one of the Escorts raised a toast matching the jovial manner she was meant to be in. She forced a smile and cheered with the other Capitol citizens and she had never hated the Capitol more than she did in that moment. She was raising a glass to celebrate the death of two children she loved so much. Everyone in her life, everyone she had been friends with for so long, they were enjoying it, they always did. It hadn't eaten at her this much before but seeing it now, knowing it had always been like this, she understood why the mentors were so upset at the cheer. She saw the darkness in the games, she saw all the things that there was to hate about the people around her, and she saw what she used to be. She shot a quick glace a Haymitch that was staring at her broodily, their eyes met and she thought he might know what she was thinking and how much she hated herself. Then the buzzer rang making her jump and stare at the screen.
"You ok there Sweetheart?" Haymitch said, his tone dripping mockery from its very core but she saw the flick in his dark and sullen grey eyes that told her he was genuinely worried that she was going to do something stupid and get them hurt. Really he was just worried that she would get hurt and he wouldn't be able to do anything and she would put herself in danger by not playing the part they wanted to see her play, the way they wanted her to play it.
"Yes fine, thank you Haymitch." She said putting on the put out airs of someone who did not enjoy being mocked but looked him in the eyes to be sure he knew. Their faces stayed that of two hesitant allies bickering but the undertone for the two of them was there. She heard a scream and her eyes went back to the screen and she leaned in watching the bloodbath. The arena was a sort of mountainous area, looking a bit like the mountains near the Capitol except that the land around was desert. There were crops of rocks scattered around that could hold caves but other than that there was no food or water to be seen except in the cornucopia. She started to panic hating herself for getting distracted because she didn't see Micah or Emma and she would never forgive herself if she missed their deaths, if she wasn't there to mourn them. She watched intently until the bloodbath was over and they Creaser went over the start with the live feed next to him. Suddenly the Escort from District 6, Petrichor Ruthmur, sat next to her. She looked at him and smiled warmly. Petrichor had always been nice enough, she had talked to him a lot the last few weeks working on an alliance but it had come to nothing as it just didn't fit for either District and she had tried not to be bitter.
"I do not comprehend how you put up with that one Effie dearest. You don't even have a choice." The overly luxurious man bemoaned thinking he was being kind to her. She wanted to scream though. Even before they had been whatever she and Haymitch were, he was a good man to an extent. She had never made it a mystery that she cared for her insufferable mentor. She would complain from time to time but she always was very much close to him and it was no shame for her. She admired all the victors to an extent. She could nearly hear Haymitch growl under his breath when Petrichor got just a tad too close to be considered friendly acquaintance, but he covered it with a grunt. Effie breathed out hearing about the female District 12 tribute being alive as she was still paying more attention to the games than the man probably flirting with her.
"There are days I question it myself!" She joked shaking her head and making him slip into an ever more brooding slouch. "However, Haymitch has his wonderful points… when he chooses to." She informed evenly and turned to the Games seeing Micah running through the rocky area and hiding panicked as some girl was shot in front of him with an arrow. He stayed for a moment, hiding low in one of the rock piles and then looked for the other tribute before sneaking out and seeing a backpack on her and he took it and started to run again just trying to get away. She smiled and took a deep breath. Both her tributes were alive. Perhaps they would stay that way. Perhaps her children would win. She had to keep hoping. Now knowing they were safe she turned to Petrichor.
"Well you are much better than I am. I could put in a word if you like. See if we can't get you bumped up or something." He offered and she could feel Haymitch starting at her and was impressed Petrichor couldn't feel the glare he was getting. The man was lucky he wasn't dead.
Effie smiled warmly and shook her head. "I'll work my way up. Don't worry about me. But thank you." She said brightly. "Honestly stop worrying. He means well in the end." She assured looking to Haymitch who instantly looked back to the games "Right Dear?" She prompted him.
He shot her a look that said he was planning his revenge and she simply kept looking at him, prompting him to say something. "Aren't we supposed to be working? Flirt on your own time, Sweetheart." He growled grumpily. She huffed at him.
"Haymitch! Manners! Honestly, talking to someone is not flirting." She chastised like a nagging wife and he scoffed making her grit her teeth and take a deep breath. "I'm sorry Petrichor he's is like that. The man wouldn't know manners if they bit hi on the nose!" She sighed.
Petrichor shook his head and smiled at her. "Don't worry, they're all like that." He said and nodded to Haymitch. "I'll let the Beauty calm the Beast and we'll finish the later, perhaps over dinner?" He offered and the growl that escaped Haymitch's mouth was inhuman. She looked up surprised not having expected that at all. She cleared her throat and smiled sweetly.
"I'm sure we'll talk later." She said waving it off and watching as Petrichor left to go speak to someone else and she could finally breathe. She spent the rest of the games in large groups of females, usually of both District and Capitol so he would be less inclined to talk to her. She had to talk to Haymitch before she could make a decision. If it had been before, she would have said yes. Of course she would have, he was an attractive, charming, charismatic, intelligent man with quite a lot of money and status.
Finally it was late enough that they could disperse and go to the respective floors of the training center. Haymitch was brooding in the corner of the elevator in the ride up and Effie was watching him. She could see his mood and could see there was something he was upset over. She could bet what it was, and she could bet they would have to fight it out but if there was one thing she had learned over the last few days it was that having knockdown, drag out fights was hard when you were being watched and couldn't appear to be having them. "May I speak to you in the kitchen?" She twittered primly when the doors opened. He looked up at her with a glare and she returned it with a solid, unmoving face.
"Fine." He groused walking into the kitchen. She was furious with him. She couldn't even be pleased their tributes were alive because he insisted on being upset over something that would not be an issue! It was rude to publicly turn someone down, it was rude to publically ask someone out as well but she would not return his lack of manners to him when she was known for her impeccable social grace! That would be unnecessarily uncouth. She had wanted to ask Haymitch if she could turn him down or if it would be too obvious as it would be strange for a Capitol woman of her status and age to stay single when a man offered. She walked with stiff precision and he rambled behind her like a brooding teenager. She turned to him and in the kitchen and pointed a finger in his face. "This jealousy has to stop! You know as well as I do that I'm going to turn him down so why on earth even bother with it? Hum? I mean the first person you were jealous of a 14 year old boy and now you don't speak to me all day because of this!"
"Micah wasn't anywhere near the first man I've been jealous of with you and he won't be the last! You've been doing this for years, sweetheart!" He shot back.
"Oh doing what?" she asked angrily waiting for some insane accusation.
"FLIRTING! You flirt constantly! All the time! You touch their arms, and giggle in that infuriating way and strut around demanding attention and let me tell you, you get it. I spent years glaring people down and you just walk around oblivious! It's no wonder the kid was in love with you anyone would be the way you are! It's impossible." He ranted taking a gulp of his drink. "And between the games and that … whatever the hell he is…" He trailed off his arm waving a slashing motion in the air. "You been flirting with him all week and he makes a move and you just say you'll talk to him later?!"
Effie rolled her eyes with a huff. "Oh stop it! I was flirting with him to try and get him to convince his tributes to make an alliance! I was trying to keep Micah and Emma alive! I couldn't turn him down in front of everyone it would have been rude!" She argued.
"Rude?! Really? It's rude to say no?" he shouted.
She grit her teeth, losing her composure. "YES! For a single woman of my age to turn down a highly suitable single man of the same age in public when he is a man of means and social status as he is! It would have been very rude! Now if I could tell him I was in a relationship then it would have been fine but as it stood I wanted to turn him down in privacy so he could save face! It's only polite!" She shouted to him listing how social manners worked to the least mannered man she knew.
"Well excuse me! You know just as well as I do why you can't say that! And I don't see why you couldn't just—" He started sarcastically.
"Because it's an insult! And if we want any hope of working with him in the future, which we do, I had to handle it gracefully!" Haymitch turned away from her clutching the counter he was resting on and looking at the wall. "The arena isn't the only game! We play one too, constantly. Perhaps the Mentors less so but the Escorts all are constantly play checks and balances! I know what I'm doing!" She fumed.
He rounded back to her "Well then why turn him down at all?!" He screamed to her.
"Because I happen to prefer the man I'm already with and have for a very long time!" She screamed back to him without thinking making him stop and look at her shocked.
"How long?" He asked gruffly after quite the pause.
"What?" She asked confused and panting from her state her wig tilted to the side and blonde hair falling out and he thought it might just have been the single sexiest thing he'd ever seen. Her all undone like that, and so angry with him.
"How long have you… 'Preferred' me?" He said quoting her and trying and failing to put on her accent over his twang.
"I don't know… probably three years… No before that I gave up on even trying three years ago… so probably four or five years." She said with a sigh pulling off her wig and putting it on the counter in frustration. "I tried dating other people to get my mind off you and they never measured up. Who knows why, but for some reason a grumpy old drunk seems to be the best possible man for me." She said refusing to look at him.
"Three years?" He repeated sounding amused and just this side of mocking. "That's like an eternity Capitol time. No wonder you were always so uptight." He said with a smirk and she looked up glaring at him for going from annoying to the point she wanted to murder him to attractive and sexy and seductive in such a short amount of time.
"Yes well… It's what happened! No changing it now. So can we stop fighting?" She fluttered at him.
He shrugged at her getting more serious and taking her hand. "I can't stop being jealous. I don't know a single man that could if he were in any sort of relationship with a beautiful woman." He said in a deep, gruff, voice that held a note of seriousness and made her insides melt. He was trying to make her understand, and doing so rather intently so she took in the information instead of letting herself revel in the compliment, though that hit her as well and she couldn't hold back a smile. "But as long as you turn them down, I can stop getting upset at them trying to get you for themselves." He agreed.
"Thank you. Besides, you're 10 times the man Petrichor Ruthmur will ever be no matter what his status is." She assured and looked up at him. "Now can we be done fighting for the night and go back to bickering so I can enjoy our tributes getting through day one?" She asked hopefully but his eyes went dark and it made her worry.
"That isn't something to celebrate Princess." He said darkly and she put a hand on his bicep looking up at him confused. He reached up and pushed a piece of her golden hair behind her ear as it had fallen from the bun she had it in.
Shaking her head she asked "Why not?" her voice a cacophony of anger, hurt, fear, and confusion.
Haymitch huffed trying to figure out how to say this. He knew she would hate what he had to say, but he had to say it because she needed to hear it. "Because, what they have to go through now, is so much worse than dying up front." He said darkly and he could see she didn't understand so he sighed and went on. "People don't win the games, they survive. There isn't one person who got through the games that actually likes their life. We all have demons we're running from, or worse, reveling in. I wouldn't wish this life on anyone and even now what those kids will go through even if they don't live…" He stopped and she nodded telling him she understood what he meant. He meant this would be bad for them, that there was no happy ending in this. "Besides, even if one did come home, could you pick which one died so the other could live? There can't be two winners Princess, that's not how it works." He said softly.
"Well why not?" She huffed. "Why not just once, couldn't there be some way?" she tried to fight. He just shook his head sadly and reached out his hands to pull her into a hug. "I just want them to go home safe." She said sadly and he pulled back looking into her eyes and cupping her cheek rubbing a thumb over her cheek.
"I know. Me too." He said gently and leaned down to kiss her. Their lips had barely touched when there was a knock on the door. "Ignore it." He grunted to her pressing his lips against hers and trying to distract her from the door with it until a voice rang from the other side.
"Ms Trinket!" The disembodied voice of none other than Petrichor Ruthmur called.
Haymitch pulled back with a grunt. "As if I didn't hate him enough already." Haymitch groused.
"Behave." She chided sharply and hitting his chest lightly. She turned to walk out without her wig. "I should at least tell him I'm turning him down. It would be rude to leave him wondering." She said and he was half tempted to let her answer the door with her beautiful golden hair flowing free and then he would waltz I with the wig letting the other man know he had staked his claim.
Ideas like that would get one or both of them hurt though and besides, he didn't want to share the knowledge of what the real Effie looked like with some pretentious Capitol snob. "Hey Princess." He said picking up the wig and twirling it on his finger as she turned to him. "Forgetting something?"
She reached up and felt her head and breathed out her relief before walking back with a smile. "Thank you." She said reaching for it but he pulled it out of reach.
"Want the wig, Pay the price." He said simply with a smug look at her frustration.
"And what is the price?" She asked in a huff. Instead of speaking he leaned down and laid a fiery kiss on her lips and she instantly responded in kind her hands tangling in his hair as she did. He pulled back. Another knock shocked her back and he glared at the door but gave her to wig which she promptly put on with expert finesse.
"Get rid of him?" He grumped as more of a demand but he'd tried for request.
She laughed and shook her head. "I'll see what I can do." As she walked out of the room and into the other checking her make up in a mirror as she went and answered the door. "Oh Petrichor I'm so sorry! I was in the kitchen." She said smiling at him sweetly. "I would offer to let you in but…" she started to make an excuse when he started in.
"That would be lovely! You left so quickly I didn't get a chance to speak to you again." He said right when she was about to make her excuse for why they couldn't talk so she could return to her previously scheduled Haymitch, obviously Petrichor was having none of that. He was terribly rude and while it suited Haymitch who did it out of spite and generally his sarcastic demeanor, which fit him, this man was doing it because he was a conceited, self-absorbed, man. To the Capitol that was probably attractive but to Effie, a woman whom thrived on manners and order and happened to love a man that hated himself, it made her question what she had ever even pretended to see in him.
"Well I had some plans to make and there were just too many things that needed doing up here. We decided we would handle them here. Private planning and all, you know how it is." She said trying to excuse it. "I'm sorry I missed you on the way out." She added knowing it was polite, though she really was having trouble showing her manners to a man who obviously had none of his own.
"It's quite alright. I simply wanted to ask you about our date. It'll have to be after the games of course. I know this wonderful restaurant. I could pick you up at 8 the day after they end. Dress would be formal of course. But you always look so well I'm sure you'll be fine." He said already making plans to a date she had not even agreed to.
"Actually, I don't think that would be a good idea. I'm sorry I would just rather not." She stated simply. Normally she would either do it or give a good explanation, but honestly with the way he was acting, like it was impossible she would turn him down, she had no interest in actually going on that date with him. Besides that, her best excuse she couldn't even use. "I really am sorry you are a wonderful man." She said trying to usher him out.
"You're turning me down?" He asked, shock and confusion setting on his face.
She huffed at him. "Yes I am." She said simply.
"Why on earth would you ever think to do that?" He said baffled.
His lack of manners and intense self-interest was starting to get on her nerves. It was very common in the Capitol; everyone was like this, though not to this extent. They were all self-involved and cared nothing for others as long as they themselves were happy and had the best. Effie didn't fit that, not anymore and she never really had. "I am not interested in you. There are plenty of people you would have a better chance with—" She tried to appease him.
"Is this because we didn't arrange an alliance? Honestly I—" He interrupted and she got sick of it.
"No, it is not! It is because I have little interest in you. You have many admirable qualities but I am happy as I am and really do not have any desire to go out with you. Your conversation is lacking in anything not concerning you and I haven't got the time! Now if you excuse me Haymitch and I were in the middle of a discussion and I have to get back to it. Please leave." She said firmly.
He looked flustered and angry but she opened the door again and motioned for him to depart through it and he did. She shut the door behind him with a slight slam and took a deep shaking breath trying to calm herself and unable to believe she had just done that.
"That was fucking sexy." She gasped and spun hearing a gruff accented voice behind her. She smiled brightly at him, her hand on her chest measuring her heart rate in her fright. She breathed more normally and laughed.
"It was terrible! I can't believe I did that! It was horrible of me. He was just so infuriating and—" She started.
"And you shut him down. It was hot." He said walking over to her and kissing her lovingly. "What do you say we get some dinner and go watch in my room? We'll take turns sleeping and watching and wake each other up if something happens." He offered.
She wrapped her arms around his neck smiling up at him. "That sounds good." She agreed with a nod. "I'll go get this gunk off my face and meet you in there." She added stepping back and shooing him before walking into her room.
The entire night Effie saw that Haymitch had been right about what was going to happen to their tributes. Emma was being ordered by all the careers and played with like a pack of hyenas playing with their dinner while Micah was hiding in the trees. There had been a cut to him in the programing when someone had walked too close to his hiding spot and Effie had not breathed the entire time until it had passed and started raining. They showed some underground springs hidden in the caves that collected water. That was hope for Micah who was now hiding in a cave. Neither got much sleep that night but they were there for each other which she needed and so did he. Bright and early she woke from the thirty minute nap she had managed by him running a tickling finger up her cheek and then tickling her sides. She had enjoyed the laughter and the kissing and the closeness that came with the release of tension, if only for a moment.
She eventually had to go put on her Capitol appearance and then drag him from his room and into the viewing center. Once they were in the room however Effie could feel the tension from Petrichor and a few of the others who were his close friends. However Beetee and Chaff walked right over with a warm smile to both Haymitch and Effie.
"Good morning Ms. Trinket, Haymitch." Beetee greeted with a nod to her. Haymitch looked at both confused but nodded back.
"Hi ya." He greeted and Chaff nodded to the refreshment table. Haymitch looked to Effie and she nodded.
"I'll meet you in the viewing room." She said quietly and he nodded his agreement walking over to the table with food while Beetee turned to Effie.
"You caused quite a stir Ms Trinket." He said with a small smirk.
She blushed glad her make up would tone it down a little but it was not nearly enough to hide it entirely as per Haymitch's request. "Yes, well… He quite deserved it! He was very rude and should not have assumed. If he's asked instead of insisting I might have been much kinder." She said in a huff trying to hide it. "And you can call me Effie Dear. Please." She added warmly.
Beetee chuckled and nodded. "Alright Effie. Well no matter why you did it, I like it. You're a lot better to the mentors than the rest, I heard you defend Haymitch yesterday. I just wanted to thank you. After all these years, I'm sure you'll never get one from him." He said and looked at her like he saw through everything. He was warm and friendly but she was still a tad worried at the penetrating look. She didn't like people knowing everything about her.
"Well unfortunately I am rather fond of Haymitch. He may be a drunk but I've worked with him long enough to say he's my drunk. He grows on you." She said trying not to appear too out of character but enjoying that someone liked her. It was nice to have a lack of tension in a look from a District person. It was usually such a clear split in this room it was nice to be seen and not hated.
"Of course." He said warmly. "Well I suppose I hope to see you around." And he walked away.
"Absolutely! You as well!" She chirped behind him before turning to some friends from the Capitol to keep up appearances. She put in the perfunctory amount of time and then walked into one of the private viewing rooms with Haymitch.
She sighed, sitting down next to him and relaxing into the couch. They were close enough that their sides touched as she slipped off her heels and curled her feet to the side. Normally she would stay fully dressed in every sense and completely in control but today she was tired. This was going to be a long day of watching her children be tortured. She watched as the Careers mocked Emma to her face and was nearly in tears. She could see Haymitch's hand's balled tightly into fists and she laid her hand on his.
"Not long now." He said trying to keep the growl form his voice but she heard it. She could imagine the countdown in his head. Counting the minutes and seconds to when their first tribute would die. Both were surprised when out of the blue the rocks that Micah had been hiding in exploded. Effie felt her heart constrict, frozen in that moment in time before it broke waiting for the canon when suddenly Micah burst on screen running away from what looked like landmines exploding. The careers looked to the explosions and Emma screamed recognizing Micah. Emma turned with a spear in her hand to try and protect Micah from the pack.
"What are you going to do little girl? Kill us?" The District 2 girl mocked her.
"Nah, she's too in love with me for that." Silver said with a smirk going towards Emma who jabbed out the spear to keep him back and it plunged right into his chest like butter. Effie screamed in terror watching Emma kill, the look on Emma's face said she was just as horrified and shocked with herself as Effie was with the situation. He looked down at his chest in shock then to the girl. "You little bitch." He cursed as he died.
"SILVER!" Screamed the boy from 4, who had been just as obviously taken with Silver as Emma had. He flung himself at the small girl cutting her throat and watching her bleed out. Effie felt the first tears start to fall and Haymitch couldn't look at her. This was it. This was how it all ended and it was like watching a beautiful disaster. He couldn't look away from the carnage as the children Effie had loved, the children he had started to love, died so painfully.
Effie felt sick as she watched Micah. He was running and panting too fast. "Emma! NO EMMA!" He screamed for her as he ran at the boy from 4. Micah hit him right in the chest tackling him and punching his face over and over until suddenly his eyes went wide and he was still. The camera zoomed out to reveal a knife from his back put there by the Silver's district mate from 1. The canon rang two shots and just like that Effie's hope for her children to come home was shattered.
Her hands were clenched, her eyes were unseeing as they were clouded over with images of Emma and Micah smiling and laughing together and pushing each other around. She remembered letting Emma try on her wigs and dresses and how pretty the little girl had looked walking around in them. How Micah had looked at both of them with such adoration. She saw how they had talked and played and laughed and run after each other. She saw their life, their potential and their sweetness. Every single thing she saw was suddenly covered in blood. She looked down at her hands and saw their blood on her hands. She was the one who had put them there, she had killed them. It was all her fault she had ended the lives of two innocent, perfect, sweet children.
It was all too much. She hadn't been breathing and suddenly a tear hit her cheek and she let out a shuttering sob. Haymitch turned down the screen as low as it would go and turned to her, a look of pain on his face. He felt her heartbreak clearly. Effie had adored those two children, acted like they were her own. She had pampered them and spoiled them and loved them so much and as he looked at her all broken and his own missing heart, surfaced from the ruins, and broke even more. He moved closer to her and pulled her to his chest rocking her and whispering in her ear. Nothing he was saying made any sense he just wanted her to know he was there for her.
"I killed them." She whimpered to him as she sobbed. "I did this. I pulled their names out! If it wasn't for me—" She said and he spoke up to stop that.
"If it wasn't for you it would have been someone else. Someone with a lot less heart, and a much smaller brain." He whispered firmly to her. They couldn't be overheard but he could console her. "What you did was give those kids a chance to be happy. You believed in them and loved them and gave them something they would have never imagined otherwise, a chance to see luxury beyond their wildest dreams. You didn't do this Eff, the Capitol did." He tried.
"I am the Capitol." She sobbed into his shoulder not even caring about her make up. Micah and Emma's dead eyes and broken bodies were all she could see now as Creaser talked about their unfortunate deaths in such an inhumanly disconnected way. She felt like she was going to be sick.
He shook his head and pulled her so she was looking at him cupping her cheeks in his hands and whipping her tears, smearing her make up as he did it and seeing more of a mix of the two sides of her than he ever had. "No you're not. You might have been at one time, but not anymore. You're not a Capitol Robot. All those Escorts out there that don't give a shit about their tributes, those are the Capitol. You are Effie Trinket. The woman with the biggest heart I've ever seen and certainly the most beautiful mind in this Godforsaken place. Don't you forget that! You made those kids lives better the only way you could. That's amazing." He consoled.
She sniffed and looked up at him and just leaned up and kissed him lovingly and he returned it, holding her close and trying to chase away her pain. Silently the door opened and there was Petrichor standing in the doorway. He stared in shock at the kissing couple and then closed the door without a sound and neither was any the wiser of their unexpected visitor but he now knew something that would help him in the future if he kept the card right. Besides that he knew why she turned him down now.
"Can we go back to the room? They won't question it. Our part is over." She asked sounding exhausted.
He nodded to her looking at her compassionately. "Sure thing Princess. You go up and I'll meet you there in ten minutes." He said rubbing her back as she cried a bit more.
She nodded biting her lip and composing herself pulling out a mirror and touching up her make up as well as she could before walking to the door. Just before she opened it she turned around and said. "Haymitch?"
"Yes Princess?" He asked looking up at her.
"Make it five?" She said in a pleading tone and he gave a gentle smile and nodded to her.
"Five it is." He agreed and she walked out and he looked back to the TV with a sigh, this would be a long night for the two of them. It would be hard and painful and he knew it. He walked out to the main room getting a strong drink and knocking it back before walking out not feeling the eyes following his every move. It wasn't just the Capitol watching anymore.