It's day 5 of Hayffismas week on tumblr. Let It Snow!: It is a truth universally acknowledged that Christmas should always come with a heavy layer of snow…

Haymitch lay on the bed, naked but for the bathrobe tied, not very tightly around his waist. He balanced a plate filled with food from the Christmas buffet out in the dining car. Technically you weren't supposed to take it back to your own quarters but since the train had been stuck now for the past few hours the attendants weren't very strict about it.

"How's that bird tastin', Eff?" he asked.

Opposite of him, via the video telecommunication transmitter (one of Beetee's inventions) all of Effie's living room was projected onto the wall.

"It has proven very satisfactory," she said, cutting her food in neat, elegant motions. She wore a Christmas red vintage dress with her arms and shoulders bare. It was dotted with white stars all over and white fir trees around the hem. He hated to admit it but it looked good on her. Went well with her strawberry blonde hair.

The scene looked so real he felt like he needed only take a step and he'd be there with Effie despite her being many miles away.

The candles were lit, her Christmas tree decorated, the music playing softly in the background. The table laden with roast turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted root vegetables and other delicacies along with pumpkin pie and an impressive Christmas pudding that Effie definitely hadn't made herself.

They had done this exhausting back and forth dance between Twelve and the Capitol for almost three years now. He supposed you could call them a long distance couple now. Well, in a way they always were even if neither of them had put what they were doing in to so many words.

On a normal year Effie came to Twelve for Christmas and New Years but this year she'd slipped on some ice and sprained her ankle so Haymitch had reluctantly agreed to come to her instead.

Leave it to Effie Trinket to be able to put together a Christmas dinner from her sickbed with less than three days prep time.

And now he was stuck on this train.

The weather hadn't been as bad when they left Twelve but only a few districts later they had a full blown snowstorm on their hands.

The news that Haymitch was stuck somewhere between District 5 and 4 sent Effie into a state and she'd spend the next few hours on the phone being a pain in the ass while speaking to different authorities to try and find a way unstuck him.

"Knock it off, sweetheart," Haymitch said the third time she called and wanted to speak to the conductor. "It's not their fault."

"Well, you will be here on time for Christmas dinner if I'll so have to send a hovercraft after you!"

But even if Effie'd had one there was no way to navigate through this weather. The train was now moving at a snail's pace and when Effie finally had to accept he wouldn't be able to get to her tonight she calmed down.

"We can celebrate it anyway," she said.

And with Beetee's excellent video phone it was more fun than Haymitch had ever thought it would be. Even if he couldn't touch Effie's leg under the table and stuff like that, which was unfortunate.

After dinner Effie took her glass of wine and limped over to the sofa close to the Christmas tree.

"This is for you," she said and picked up an elegantly wrapped box tied up in flurry gold ribbons. And since he couldn't be there to open it himself she unwrapped it for him.

It was a thick blue gray muffler and something that looked like a wool cap of some sort.

"It's called a beanie, Effie said. "For your ruthless winters. Now hopefully you won't get as many colds that you'll pass over to me."

"Well, you shouldn't always be so eager, princess."

Effie held up the beanie next to his face.

"I was right! It does go well with your skin tone."

She smiled at him and took a sip from her glass.

"Now you'll open mine."

Haymitch had gotten her a basket of different foods from his district. Goat cheese wrapped in basil leaves, blackberry wine, cans of apple sauce. Eatable things were what he usually gave her and Effie wasn't disappointed. She had a special liking for goose eggs and a kind of ginger-spiced honey that he always made sure to include.

Effie had emptied her glass now and was refilling it.

"Oh, I do wish you were here, Haymitch", she said. "I mean, in the flesh."

The wine had colored her cheeks a warm red like always when she drank. He wondered how she could be so tipsy already. She hadn't had too much for dinner.

And then he realized. Of course. If there was one thing that sent Effie up the wall it was when an outer obstacle was too great for her to conquer. While on the phone (and on an empty stomach) she'd probably had a furious sip in between each call when they failed to get his train any closer to her city.

"I had so much planned," Effie continued. "And it's this… this…" she waved her hand in the air, searching for the word, "mirror. I had it put up on the ceiling above the bed. We were supposed to try it on Christmas night."

Haymitch grinned. Nice! But all he said was,

"Better have a glass of water, sweetheart. I won't be able to put you to bed this time."

"Oh, I'm not drunk," Effie said with a good natured wave of her glass, nearly splashing wine on herself. She drank up and then went to admiring him over the rim.

"Oh, you're so handsome" she said. "We should have a Christmas toast, Haymitch! Yes, a toast! To them sexy legs that you have and your manly, muscled chest and that very fine behind…"

"How's this a Christmas toast?"

"…and especially those goodies that you are flashing me right now."

Haymitch's eyes darted down and he shifted his bathrobe, covering them up.

"Hey, sweetheart…"

Effie giggled, redder than ever in the face.

"Oh, Haymitch. I think you're amazing. I've ever told you you're amazing? I know I can come off critical but Haymitch, you're my dearest dearest."

"Alright, Eff. Think you've had enough wine for one night," he said. "Go to bed."

Effie pouted.

"But you're not here. No fun going to bed when you're not here.

But then the next moment she slumped down on the couch, tugging at a blanket until it covered her.

"Soft couch," she mumbled and burrowed her face into one of the velvet cushions. Her eyes were closed and he listened to her deep, slow breathes. Then just when he thought she was out, Effie mumbled,

"I don't wanna wait no more. Why d'ya never ask me?"

"'Bout what, sweetheart?"

"Come live with you." Her eyes were still closed but she kept mumbling. "I always wait for you to ask me but you never ask me."

Haymitch took a mouthful from his bottle.

"Didn't think you'd wanna live in a place like Twelve."

"I wanna live with you," Effie pouted. "Don't worry 'bout the mirror. I'll putitup our bedroom. You're my person. And Katniss and Peeta, they're my children too. Don't wanna wait no more."

Haymitch put his bottle on the nightstand and knitted his hands over his stomach.

"Alright, princess. I'll probably regret it but if you still want me to when you're lucid I'll ask you. Go to sleep now. Tomorrow you'll have a headache."