Original Prompts (both anon): "I have a prompt for you :) Effie finds out about Johanna's little striptease in the elevator and gets all jealous because Haymitch didn't seem to mind one bit XD" and: "one where effie is jealous of haymitch seeing johanna naked so she shows him that she could be sexier? idk take this where you want."
"Oh, Katniss. Would it really be too much to ask for you to try to get to know these people?"
"Yes! They're crazy! All of them!"
Effie sighed exasperatedly. The night had been long and Katniss had returned from the tribute parade in a sour mood which in effect, had managed to dampen everybody's spirits.
"No, not all of them," Effie tried, "you must think of the Games – allies. And do try to remember your inside voice, dear."
In response, Katniss sunk down further into her chair, lips pressed together in a petulant scowl.
"Well who would you suggest we speak to or… try to get to know?" Peeta questioned, apparently the only one in a good enough mood to make a rational contribution to the conversation.
"Having someone like Finnick Odair on your side wouldn't hurt. Or Johanna Mason perhaps?"
Katniss snorted and both Peeta and Haymitch – who had remained suspiciously quiet since their return – shifted in their seats.
"What?" Effie glanced between all three victors, leaving the question openly addressed.
"I think I've seen enough of Johanna Mason for a lifetime." Katniss said, smiling falsely.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Katniss…" Peeta half-groaned at her side. "Remember what Haymitch said."
"Will somebody please tell me what in heaven's name is going on?"
XxX
It was Peeta who told her of the events in the elevator in the end – Katniss too cross and Haymitch… well, she wasn't quite sure why he wasn't talking much.
"-and then she just kind of…took it off."
Effie felt her mouth fall open in shock but promptly snapped it closed. "She…she took off her clothes?"
"Yes. All of them." Katniss replied, still disgruntled.
Effie cleared her throat and turned her attention to Haymitch. "You've been awfully quiet. What exactly did you do about this?"
The mentor shuffled again. "What any reasonable gentleman in the situation would." He gave a tell-tale smirk. "Absolutely nothing."
"I thought as much! Katniss, Peeta, you are excused. You have an important day tomorrow."
The children stood.
"No, don't go. I need witnesses in case Trinket castrates me." Haymitch mock pleaded and, needless to say, both Katniss and Peeta left for their rooms in silence.
He chuckled and poured himself a glass of whisky from a nearby decanter, watching as Effie paced the room uneasily, muttering to herself about how she would be paying Johanna Mason a visit to give her the once-over on suitable social interactions.
"What the hell's crawled up your ass?"
Effie shot her colleague a cautionary glare. "Nothing has crawled up my… I am just dreadfully disappointed in you. Do you really want the children to think that you condone this kind of behaviour?"
"What was I meant to do? Ask her to put her clothes back on?"
"Yes!" She shrieked. "You are their mentor! You are supposed to set a good example!"
"I'm pretty sure Peeta was enjoying it too," Haymitch mumbled, obviously loud enough for her to hear.
"Ah! So you enjoyed it?" She strode towards him, an accusatory finger outstretched.
"Of course I did," He chuckled finding her frustration amusing. "What man wouldn't?"
That earned him a smack on the arm.
"The hell is wrong with you, woman?"
She ignored his question. "You need to apologise to Katniss and Peeta for your highly inappropriate behaviour before they leave for training tomorrow."
He made a face. "Highly inappropriate behaviour? I wasn't the one who took my damn clothes off!"
"Yes, and rest assured that I will be having words with Johanna too." She clipped.
"Now that's something I'd like to see."
She pursed her lips. "Say all you will, I am simply doing my job and part of that job is to ensure that the tributes are comfortable during their stay in the Capitol. Having someone strip off in front of you makes for a most uncomfortable situation, thus it is my job to discourage this kind of conduct."
Haymitch groaned. She was pissed off, that much was evident. From years of arguing, he had picked up on her tendency to rant about her job when she was upset. "Apparently it's my job to keep you in line",was one of her favourites.
"Y'know, you could learn a thing or two from Johanna."
Effie scoffed. "Oh, like what?"
"Like how to lighten the hell up." He answered taking a step forwards.
"Well if that is what you class as fun, then no thank you." She breathed, suddenly aware of just how close he had gotten.
"Oh stop being such a prude." His breath was hot on her skin and stunk of alcohol
"I'm not-"
"Then stop being jealous."
"I'm – why would I be jealous?" Her tongue darted out to wet her bottom lip unintentionally.
"Because you think that Johanna Mason could flaunt her womanly assets much better than you could?"
"That is not – I'll have you know that I could… flaunt my assets much better than she could any day of the week."
It was blatant that she was bluffing – just trying to prove her point – and Haymitch wondered just how far she was willing to go to do just that.
"Well I think I'll be the judge of that, sweetheart."
Her face hardened at his implication and he prepared for an objection.
"What you are suggesting… it is highly inappropriate given our relationship don't you think?" She arched an eyebrow.
He shrugged. "If you don't want to do it, I ain't forcing you. But just so you know, Johanna's winning."
"She is?"
"By a mile, sweetheart." He smirked derisively.
This bought a frown to her painted lips and Haymitch could almost see the cogs ticking away in her brain. "Fine, I'll do it."
"Fine," he replied, unable to keep the smirk from his face.
Both waited in a thick silence, unable to ignore the predicament.
"I'm not sure if you know but this is the part where you're meant to take your clothes off," he spoke eventually, not being at all discrete about it.
She smacked his arm again. "Be quiet! What if the children were to hear?"
"Just saying. Look, if you're not going to do it-"
"I am," she interrupted. "Just not - I'm not doing it here. I do have some standards."
Effie glanced around herself hastily before gesturing for him to follow her. He did and she could almost feel his smirk burning into her back all the way to her bedroom. She would never hear the end of this.
Once inside, he sat on the edge of her bed, cradling the glass of whiskey in his hands though as soon as she made a point of locking the door, he set it down on the nightstand.
"Now, are you sitting comfortably?" She questioned and he grinned.
"More than comfortable, sweetheart."
She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "You breathe a word of this to anyone…"
He held up his hands, conceding. "It'll be our dirty little secret, don't you worry."
Effie flinched at his choice of wording but nodded nonetheless.
Her gold wig – the only thing he had ever seen her wear on more than one occasion – was the first thing to be removed and, as if she couldn't help herself for a moment, placed meticulously on the dresser as if it were her most prized possession in the world. She had begun to mutter under her breath, closing her eyes every now and then.
Haymitch watched as her hands went to the abundance of blonde hair that was held down by clips and began to pluck them out one-by-one. Once done, curls fell across her shoulders which she was quick to ruffle, a simple gesture that managed to send his blood rushing south.
"Get a good look at this, Abernathy. You won't be seeing it again." She gestured to her hair.
"Hmm," was all he could manage feeling indulged and complacent that he was yet to see more of her.
She reached a hand around to the back of her dress and began to pull at the powder blue ribbon that held her in, drawing it away deliberately slowly. Once freed from the rungs, she let it flutter to the carpet, landing in a heap.
The rest of the dress was looser now, the blue ruffles pooling around her shoulders and exposing the milky flesh up to the top of her breasts.
He cleared his throat, noticing it had become dry as she glanced up seductively in his direction.
One small movement on her part sent the fabric cascading to her waist and she shimmied out of it the rest of the way, kicking the dress away when it reached her ankles.
As she stood before him, virtually stark naked, he realised just how much he was beginning to like her competitive side. He found his gaze lingering a few seconds longer than it should and his fingers itching to touch her for himself.
She was purposefully teasing as she removed her underwear, glancing up coquettishly every now and then. She was taking her time and Haymitch was growing impatient, so much so that he considered getting up and taking the damn things off her himself, but when she finally did he felt his breath hitch at the back of his throat.
She was stunning. God, how he wanted to hit himself for thinking that. Her waist. Her hips. Her thighs. Her breasts. Everything seemed to captivate him. He was losing control and fast. He was so far-gone that if she told him to jump from the penthouse roof he would probably do it without a second thought.
It annoyed him how, with nothing but her nakedness, he was wrapped around her little finger. It made him want to yell at her and pin her back against a mattress all at the same time.
"So what do you think? Better or worse?" Her eyebrows were raised suggestively.
He snapped himself awake, thought of something witty to say. "You're about on a par."
She opened her mouth. "On a par?"
He nodded. "You really can't stand to lose can you, Trinket?"
She stood motionless for a moment, holding his gaze and thinking again.
He wasn't prepared for the moment that she strode towards him and took hold of his shoulders, her legs straddling either side of his hips as she sat down in his lap.
"What about now?" She teased and lent in to place a kiss on his neck, stubble grazing her lips deliciously.
"Well now, you see," he began but stopped to sigh as she continued to kiss him, pulling at the collar of his shirt to get to his collarbone. "The tables have turned."
"Oh," she pulled away momentarily, voice low and husky. "I'm glad to hear it. So now am I-?"
She didn't have to finish. "Better. Definitely better.