Hayffie Christmas

Effie arrives

For Haymitch 4 days were like 4 years. Everyday went by so slowly, and all Haymitch could think about was when Effie would show up on his doorstep.
Everyday he sat on his chair, drinking, thinking and wondering what Effie would take him on.
And where they would go, and what they would do, and how many kisses he could catch while she was not watching.

Finally four days went by, and the fourth of December lighted up. Haymitch was up walking before the sun, pacing fourth and back in his living room.
What would he say?
What would he do?
What would she think about him?
Would they go on the train to shop for Christmas presents in the different disticts?
What would he buy Effie that would make her happy?
Would Effie feel the same for him If he confessed his feelings?

Then he heard it.
The sound of high heels clacking on his doorstep.
Haymitch ran to the door before she even got time to knock. But he didn't open it. He didn't want Effie to think he was waiting for her. Even though he had. For 4 days.
Then, excactly 20 seconds after Effie had knocked, Haymitch opened the door.

Effie wasn't wearing her big dresses, she had only a little makeup on, and her blonde hair was in waves. And she was smiling.

Haymitch couldn't help it. He smiled brightly, and threw Effie up in his arms. He hugged her tightly, and she hugged him back.
"Overly excited to see me?" Effie asked laughing, and then buried her face in his neck.
Haymitch placed his chin on her hair. It smelled like newplucked roses. So sweet.
"I can never be  too excited to see you, Effie," Haymitch whispered.
"Well, I am happy to see you too," Effie said, and stared into Haymitch's eyes.
They stood there a few minutes just staring at each other. Admiring each other. Both wishing they could lean forward kissing the other.
"Uh, shall we go in?" Haymitch asked awkwardly. Effie nodded, and walked into Haymitch's house.
"Lovely, and almost no dust in the corners," Effie said admiring, checking the house out. "The smell could be better, but I am both surprised and impressed,"
Haymitch stood looking at Effie. Almost counting every step she took. He took a quick look on Effies's dress under her big dark blue coat. It was pretty ordinary. Red and white like the santa clause children had been learning about, and down to her knees in lenght. No puff, no glitter, just texture.
"So, Haymitch!" Effie jumped around so that she was facing Haymitch. "I have planned so much! First we are going to district 1, then 2, then 3, and so on and on and on,"
"Like the victory tour?" Haymitch asked, thinking back to all the memories from the two victory yours he had been on.
"Just like the victory tour! Except, it's only you and me on the train! No avox'es, no servants, no electronics, no nothing! Just you and me, all the way through the districts!" Effie explained, her curls jumping up and down with her. "Oh, come on, Haymitch! If you can look away from all the horrible victory tours, and look at our trip! I mean, wouldn't it be simply amazing to get some quality time together?"
Haymitch smiled slightly.
"That would be nice, yes," Haymitch admitted. "That would be very nice,"
"Then it's settled! We're leaving tomorrow! For now, we will just stay here. Talking, catching up, and have some dinner," Effie sqeeled and left for the kitchen. Haymitch stood left in the living room admiring the way Effie had such control over her high heels, that she could walk on them and at the same time look like a proffesional ballerina.
"Haymitch! Steak from district 10, or fish from 4?!" Effie shouted from the kitchen, throwing glasses and plages on Haymitch's dinner table.
"Whatever you like the best, sweetheart!" Haymitch laughed, becase he really didn't care. As long as Effie were there with him, everything was okay.
"You're so charming, Hay-ball," Effie laughed. "I think I'll call you Hay-ball, that's catchy, right?"
Haymitch didn't answer. Just stared at Effie, smiling.
He admired her.
He adored her.
He loved her.
"Steak it is," Effie shone brightly picking up a huge steak from a cooling bag from the capitol.
"What steak is it?" Haymitch asked curiously.
"Well, I am fairly certain it is bull, or cow. But what do I know. I only know that it is delicious!" Effie answered inspecting the meat as she spoke. "Do want something with it?"
"Wine," Haymitch answered quickly.
"Silly-goose, I meant like potatoes, asparges, that kind of things," Effie smiled to Haymitch.
"Oh, Well then. Can we have carrots? Months since I had carrots," Haymitch said, his stomach growling with the mention of food.
"Well, yes, we can. But only if you chop up the carrots. I can boil them, but they have to be chopped in tiny pieces for them to be tasteful," Effie said, giving Haymitch a bunch of carrots.
Haymitch didn't complain. Because Effie helped him get the pieces right, and laughed loudly everytime he did anything wrong, or chopped them in silly figures. Every fail he did was worth it, just to hear that cheerful laugh echo in the kitchen.

Soon the dinner was done, and they could sit by the table, mingeling, and eating the delicious steak and carrots.
"Where did you learn to cook, Effie?" Haymitch asked, voice filled with wonder, as he took his first bite into the delicious steak.
It was moist, soft, and filled with all the right spices. It was cooked just right, and was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It exploded with tastes on Haymitch's tounge.
"Oh, this chef wanted to learn about architecture and designs, so I told her that I would teach her, If she teached me how to cook. I was terrible at first, you wouldn't believe it! But in the end, she had teached me well, and suddenly I could cook!" Effie explained while picking up all her carrots on the fork she was balancing between her fingers, and putting it all in her mouth. "The carrots didn't turn out too bad either. If we had time, I could make an excellent chef of you,"
"We have time," Haymitch murmured while watching Effie explain about every new shop and fashion in the capitol.
"I even got my own shop," Effie announced proudly. "It's called 'New beauty', and is the seller of all the new fashions. It has been the best, most visited shop in the capitol! Even the president paid a visit to tell me how beautiful my clothes were. Oh, I blushed so much! Then she bought a top, and left. I was left behind astonished! Of course, I know president Paylor more than any other capitol citizen, but now my shop will be twice as much visited!"
Haymitch just sat there, staring at Effie's excited face. God, how he loved that face.
"Well, would you look at the time," Effie sighed, and started cleaning off the table. "We should probably head to bed. But this was really nice,"

At 03:00 am, Haymitch still hadn't fallen asleep. He had been thinking about Effie all night. About what they would do, and how she would react to everything that happened. Knowing that she was sleeping in the room next door didn't make it easier for him.
Suddenly he heard tiny taps on the floor in the hallway outside his room. One of the woodboards creaked right outside his door. The door opened, and Effie showed her head in the crack.
"Haymitch?" She asked whispering. "Are you awake?"
Haymitch turned to look at her.
"Yes, I never really fell asleep," Haymitch smiled to Effie. Effie opened the door all the way, and stepped inside Haymitch's room. She was wearing a silk tunic with a tiny shorts. Her hair was in a bun on top of her head.
"Too excited about tomorrow?" Effie laughed quietly.
Haymitch snickered.
"What do you need, Effie." Haymitch asked, wondering what she wanted on his room in the middle of the night.
Effie looked down, and started curling her toes.
"I had a nightmare," she admitted quietly. "And I wondered If I could sleep with you tonight?"
Haymitch pulled up the duvet. An invitation.
Effie lit up, and quickly lied down beside Haymitch. She cuddled up into Haymitch's side and placed her head on his chest. Haymitch put his arm around Effie's shoulder, and kissed her lightly on the head.
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Haymitch whispered. Soon later Effie heard a light snoring from his chest.
Effie smiled, and closed her eyes tightly.
"Goodnight, Hay-ball,"