Effie watched Haymitch tear out of the room. Perhaps it was a relief that he stormed out, god knew she was tired of doing it. Inside she felt less than satisfied. Contrary to popular belief she hated fighting with him. It was exhausting.
She joined the crowd back stage at the interviews. Mentors, escorts and tributes mulled around in the correct order. There was Haymitch talking to the kids, both of them looking quite shocked to hear him even talk. Effie kept her distance, her work was done. It wasn't pretty getting him to do it, but he was finally doing his job.
Inside Haymitch was itching for a drink. That damn Capitol barbie got under his skin. She knew how to twist ever button and send him into a spiral of emotions that he regularly drank into submission. Moreover, it killed him to even look at these kids. The boy stood a decent chance but the tiny little girl. Haymitch couldn't think of it. It had been years since he had to deal with one so young. The games were no place for starved little girls from 12. A boy used to the work in the mines could manage. The emotions gripped at what he supposed was left of his heart. He spotted an avox with a tray of drinks and promptly took the most potent looking thing.
"Oh, no you don't." Effie swooped in and snatched the glass. "Mr. Abernathy will have a coffee please." She told the avox who nodded.
The look of contempt on his face was nearly priceless, but Effie knew he'd get his revenge later. Perhaps even now, he was one for making scenes. Effie's blue eyes lingered on his face. Daring him to make a scene.
Haymitch narrowed his eyes, "Don't you have somewhere to be?" Anywhere would be fine. Anywhere but here ruining all the fun. Nearby the tributes smirked at their so called team.
Effie laid a bright smile out for him, "I do.. It's right here." Oh how he would just love that comment.
Haymitch scowled and did his best to ignore her. It was a long evening, and when it finally concluded they retreated to their suite. Haymitch laid out his plans for them in the morning and did his best to offer support. Effie saw to it that they got to bed.
All was quiet on the District 12 floor, except for the clanking of ice cubes into a soon to not be empty glass. Haymitch poured a healthy dose of the nearest alcohol into his glass and braced his hand on the dresser. Last night whirling in his head. Backing her against the wall. Her infuriating actions every moment of every day. His fingers itched toward the glass and tipped it to his lips. Effie Trinket was a royal pain in his ass. The liquid burned down his throat, as he listened to the clicking of her infernal heels down the hall. She must have gotten the kids to bed, somewhere inside that made him angry. It was his own fault that he didn't do that. He got what he wanted. As little of a relationship with the tributes as possible. It hurt less that way when they died.
Effie hovered near his door nervously twisting the bracelets on her wrist. She dared to knock just once and offer an audible, "Haymitch." Inside the room she heard him huff and shuffle toward the door.
"What, no barging in this time?" Haymith said breathily when he opened the door.
The liquor on his breath was far from being unnoticeable. Effie sighed softly, "I was just going to remind you to not drink as much tonight. The arena is farther away than usual. The kids need to be up and ready much earlier this year. But when you answer the door like that you make it impossible to even try being nice." She crossed her arms. "So do what you like, if you're not up at 5 A.M. I'll act as their mentor again. Proving that you can't do the one job you should be doing." She turned away without as much as a notion of goodnight.
Effie knew better than to slam her door. Even when she wanted to so desperately. She quietly retreated to her room and surrendered to a shower. Clean of the Capitol make-up and glamor, she settled for bed. She refused to give Haymitch Abernathy a single moment in her mind. She was done with him for the day. Tomorrow would hopefully be a new day. Or so she always hoped it would be. Effie tossed aside the silk robe she wore and sat on her bed in the little satin night dresses she liked so much. She hovered over papers and schedules, adding important dates to her tablets calendar.
"Do you ever stop working?" Haymitch sauntered into the room bearing a bottle in his hand and two glasses.
Effie gasped and looked at him dumbfounded as he made himself at home on the other side of her bed. "Just what…. Are you insane?" She groaned. "Get out, Haymitch. I have plenty of work to do keeping after you."
He waved off the offensive comment, "Sure, princess." He snatched up the papers and took the tablet away. "I can see you're not wearing a corset, so loosen up. You need a drink." He poured wine into a glass and handed it to her.
Effie reached for her robe again and pursed her lips. "Go away, Haymitch. I'm exhausted and frankly no one else wants my job, so I'm stuck here. I have so much work to do. I don't need a drink. Go away." She pushed the glass away.
Haymitch held both glasses and slumped back in the pillows. "District 12 wouldn't be the same without you, sweetheart. You're fun to keep around." He laughed.
She scowled at him, "As if you have any say over whether or not I say with District 12."
Haymitch drank from his glass, "I don't and neither do you. We're both stuck here, make the most of it."
Effie looked over at him with a strange look on her face. Just why was he here? Just to state the obvious? That they were both stuck in an undesirable situation. "I'll take that drink now…" She reached for the glass and for the time being let him get on with whatever point he was trying to make.
"Good choice, barbie." Haymitch stuck a hand under his head and relaxed.
"Stop calling me those names!" She groaned and sipped the wine. The first drink she'd had in years. Watching him destroy himself with liquor year after year turned her off to the whole matter completely.
Haymitch shook his head, "The more you protest, the more I will call you those names." He made himself quite comfortable in those fluffy pillows on her bed. The pillows smelled like her. He had learned many years ago to be able to distinguish her perfume from others, so he could dodge her before she started yapping at him for behavior. It smelled good.
"I suspected that, but can't you just call me something more formal in front of the kids?" She pleaded. It wasn't too much to ask.
"What Trinket isn't formal enough?" Haymitch laughed.
Effie huffed, "Haymitch…"
"Alright!" Haymitch groaned as if it severely inconvenienced him. "Effs it is then."
"You are so difficult!" Effie swatted him. She rolled her eyes and sipped the delicious red wine. "That's less formal than Trinket!"
Haymitch drained the contents of his glass, "You're calling me difficult? Take a look at yourself, Princess. Everything about you is difficult. Right down to that make-up and clothing you decide to wear."
"It's a fashion choice, Haymitch. I have to look the part…" She said softly. Her job demanded a certain aspect of Capitol influence.
"You have to?" Haymitch repeated. "No one's forcing you to paint yourself like a clown, Trinks."
Effie looked over at him, her blue eyes piercing with emotion. "You don't get it. You aren't the only one forced to…." She sighed heavily. "You poke fun at me, and many people do. You laugh at my clothes and my make-up, but do you really think I enjoy it?"
Haymitch was silent, part of the reason he came there was to finally pick her brain. He had to know there was something more to her than just Capitol costumes. As it would seem, there was much more teeming in her head. It was moments from spilling out before him. All he did was pour more wine into her glass.
Effie frowned, "It's not the Capitol who chooses the children every year. It's me who picks the name. It's not the Capitol's hand who pulls the names. It's mine. It's their law, their rules, and I'm the one doing the dirty work. I'm to blame for their misery, for the hell they'll face tomorrow morning. I'd give anything to be a victor… So I could wash my hands of the filth they make me do. Haymitch, you have no idea. Being a mentor means I could do something about these kids being reaped. When you don't do your job, it makes me furious! Because they don't want me to train them. I'm the one who ruined their lives."
Silence fell over them. Effie's eyes were wide and sparkled with tears, yet she didn't cry. Haymitch watched the way she wrinkled her nose as she drank the wine, clearly he didn't like the taste. But she said nothing. He noted the way she fidgeted with her hair when she talked. There was no Capitol barbie here. She was honestly the biggest mystery to him.
"We have to be a team… Don't you see that?" Effie breathed, she nudged Haymitch with her knee. Seeing as he laid there deep in thought. "Did you hear a thing a said?"
"I hear ya, sweetheart." He responded, noting how her knee was wedged against his leg still. She didn't move. "Heard every word."
"So?" Effie pressed on, "Can we be a team? Can you stop treating me like a Capitol clone, because that is not who I am."
Oh, and he saw that too. She was not what he used to consider her to be. He once would have laughed at her. Poked at her lack of make-up, though her skin was far more beautiful free of gaudy paint. Chuckled at her absence of stuffy, ridiculous costumes when she looked far more attractive in clothing normal people wore to bed. "I see that, Effie." He shifted to lie on his side to face her. He was quite inebriated, but he hid it well.
Effie huffed softly and drained her glass, "You're not answering my question!" She whined and it was funny to hear her do so.
He smirked and watched her furrow her brow, her lips pursed lightly and he drank the rest of his wine.
She tilted her head and nudged him again with her knee, "Haymitch…"
She was so close to him. It was delightful to see her like this. Much more likeable and far more normal. He smiled and patted her knee a few times. Not making any move to remove his hand, and she made no move to stop him. It was just too tempting to keep teasing her. So he still said nothing.
Effie nearly pouted, clearly the wine had given her new life. "You're… " she started and then stopped. "I need to know.. Tomorrow is the worst day.. I don't know what to do if we can't be a team.. The next weeks just get worse, and it's harder to even get up in the morning.." Her voice wavered.
What she said hit home to him. It would have for anyone working for the games as long as both of them had. Each death made it harder to come back year after year. How stupid was he to assume her job made it any easier to watch the kids die. Tomorrow was the beginning of a downward spiral, and as how the past week went. Haymitch started these games on a downward spiral. Perhaps it would be easier this year to have someone on his side, even if it was Effie. He looked up at her, "I know…" he said at first. "I hear you loud and clear, Effie. You need a teammate.. Well, you've got one know. Don't go changing your mind." He teased.
Effie nodded, talking about tomorrow certainly dampened the good spirit the wine gave her. Seven years of constant bickering and loathing was washed under the bridge. Oh how she had been horrible to him. The things she said to him. He was just as guilty of being hurtful, even spiteful. It sure took a load off her shoulders to start new.
"What's going on in there?" Haymitch reached out and pointed to her head.
"We've been so awful to each other. For seven… seven whole years…" She looked at his hand still resting on her knee. "Is that all really water under the bridge?"
"Yeah, I suppose it is." He thought of all the things they did. More so some of the things from the past week. Not all bad. Specially that one with her waking up in his bed.
"Just like that? All is forgotten?" Effie asked quietly.
"No… not all." Haymitch shut his eyes and smiled.
Effie stiffened… What was he holding on to. What cruel thing did she do? She opened her mouth to fire off the first of many questions.
"Cool it, Princess." Haymitch smirked and gently rubbed her knee. "It's not bad. By far it's the nicest thing you've done for me."
Effie was floored, what exactly did he think she did that was nice. Certainly, he didn't remember that night. "Enlighten me."
"Some things you can never forget, Effie." He smiled again, his eyes still shut. As if he were reliving it just to tease her. Effie even whined as he did it. "I remember you staying with me. Everything you did for me." He opened his eyes to gauge her reaction.
Effie sucked a startled gasp through her lips. Oh no he didn't. He couldn't. He was so drunk. How was that even possible? Effie blinked several times just trying to process the sheer amount of knowledge just given to her.
"And I know it wasn't the first time you've done that for me." He added. "I remember all of the times and how I was still an ass to you afterward." He watched as Effie's hand dropped to his on top of her knee.
"It's okay, Haymitch. Really.." She breathed softly, her eyes peeking at him every now and them. "We're a team aren't we?"
Maybe it was the wine, or the whiskey from earlier or how flawless Effie turned out to be. There was no stopping him. And she certainly didn't stop him when it happened. Haymitch kissed her. Pushing her back against the hideous pink pillows and continued to kiss her.