One-shots (On hold)

Haymitch and the little human ~ Oneshot 6

Fifteen years after the rebellion. Fifteen years since the blood spill. Haymitch still has these thoughts. The rest of the district has not forgotten, but they have put it behind them. They believe that we're safe now, that there's only good people left in the world. But Haymitch knows better. He knows how easily things can change. He's witnessed it.

He sits by the table, looking out the window. Some children have found their way into the victor's village, and are now chasing after his geese. He doesn't care about these stupid geese anyway, not as long as he has a bottle of liquor in his hand. Though today he's almost sober. He's running out on alcohol, and with two weeks until the train arrives with more he has to save some for later. He's always been one to plan ahead. Well, at least when he's not drunk.

Suddenly the door to the house across his swings open. He watches as Katniss and Peeta walks hand in hand, getting closer to his house. What do they want now? The only thing he has heard coming out of their mouths the latest month is them telling him that he should stop drinking, that they're worried about him, especially about his liver. Livers here and livers there. If a liver stopped working he could just get a new one, so why bother taking care of it.

A faint knock is heard before they open the door. At least they are kind enough to alert him before they just walk in like that. They catch sight of him, and he can tell that he's going to hear the usual, boring words about that stupid alcohol. So when Katniss speaks up, he's surprised.

"Haymitch... There's something we have to tell you." She says. He can tell that she's been going over the same words in her head many times before. Is she nervous? Peeta carefully strokes the back of her hand to give her support. She is nervous.

There's a few seconds between the already said words and the next sentence, and that gives him time to think. Has someone died? Are they moving? If so, where? Is she... oh.

"We're expecting." She says, just as he figured it out. She's pregnant.

For the first time since they walked in, he speaks. "Great. Almost thought it would never happen. The only thing I don't see is... why are you telling me this? I mean, why is this important... to me?" They look at each other. Maybe he was a little harsh but, it's not like they're going to let him be around that goddamn baby anyway.

"We were going to ask you to be the grandpa. But maybe it's better if you're not." She says, storming out of the house, the boy running after her. Women and their hormones. Haymitch knows he's going to get a lot of shit for this later.

Later that night, he can hear the phone ring. Normally he would have ignored it, but he's got a feeling that it's Katniss or Peeta. And he has to admit it, he does feel a bit guilty for what he said. He knows that Peeta has wanted this for a long time, and when Katniss finally agrees to it he has to go and ruin it all.

"Hello, bread boy."

"Haymitch, please be serious for a minute." Peeta says.

"Fine, fine. So, you want me to apologies?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I want."

"I apologies." He says, but that's obviously not enough for Peeta.

"No, Haymitch, I want you to apologies to her, and in person. You come here tomorrow by four. Not a minute later." He says, and then he hangs up.

And, just like the boy said, at four Haymitch stands on their doorstep. He could go back and pretend that he's drunk. They would eventually find him, and maybe they would finally leave him alone. But he thought about what Katniss said last night. And he realized, that he's actually excited. He wants to be a grandpa. He imagined the baby having to stay with him for a night, when Katniss and Peeta wanted some alone time. Or them going into town, and him buying it candy. But he also imagined the questions. About the war. He realized that he didn't know how to answer a question as simple as what he had worked with before he retired. Because he never worked, he never retired.