Effie felt her heart hammering in her chest, and Haymitch just looked up at her with those drunk, sad eyes. It wouldn't hurt to stay… No.. No what are you thinking, Effie! Turn around and go to your own bed.
"Please, Effie?" He asked again. "Don't make me beg…"
Oh, Haymitch you pitiful creature. Effie felt the turmoil rage inside her and then she sighed, "Okay." She said so timidly.
Haymitch let go of her wrist and scooted over in the bed. Leaving plenty of room for her to lie down next to him. What the hell are you doing Effie… This was absurd. Why didn't you tell him no? Did she pity him so much she couldn't tell him no now? Or was there something else about him. No… That was not going to happen. This is Haymitch Abernathy, a mean, drunk, sarcastic man. Not the type of man you need Effie. Get up and go to bed. He'll be fine on his own.
She sat down on the bed and flicked off the light. This was sufficiently awkward, the silence was even more painful. "I'm sorry, Effie…" He said from somewhere on the other side of the mattress.
"I know you are… You always are." She said softly and pulled the blankets up to her ribs. Perhaps he'd just pass out soon and she could slip out. This always happened. He got too drunk every first night back in the Capitol. He threw up and she took care of him. He never remembered it. And she would do her best to forget it. Then it would happen again when their kids died. But those nights it was much worse. Yes. That's what she would do. Wait for him to pass out and she'll leave.
"I don't mean to be like this, you know… it just helps…" He adjusted his pillow, jostling her a bit as the bed moved.
"There are other ways to deal with pain other than drinking. I've got demons too, Haymitch. But I'm not a drunk, hot mess when times get rough." She leveled with him a bit.
"You're a better person than I am, Princess." He said sounding close to sleep as he talked.
"You don't know that." Effie shut her eyes and thought about her home. "I'm just a good actress."
He laughed, a low rumbling sort of laugh. "You think you're a god actress. But every time I say something to you, your emotions read all over your face. It's funny… that's why I do what I do. Just to ruffle you up."
Lovely. She was his personal amusement source. "Be careful what you say, Haymitch. Didn't you learn from school? Boys who tease girls… It means they like them." She laughed a little now.
He tossed a pillow at her and rolled over to his stomach. "You talk too much."
Effie grinned and caught the pillow. "You asked me to stay… I can go if you're going to abuse me with pillows." She raised an eyebrow.
"Don't go." He said, his voice muffled a bit by the pillow.
"Just go to sleep, Haymitch… I'm not going anywhere." Effie admitted. Was it true though? Did she mean it, or was it just to pacify him? She curled her arms around the pillow and waited for him to sound like he was asleep before she left. But the thing about waiting games, was that they can be exhausting. Effie fell asleep, curled up in Haymitch Abernathy's bed.