Embracing (A Hunger Games fanfiction)

A Surprise Marriage

When Effie knocks on the door the next morning, I wake to find Katniss is gone. Prue must have woken in the night.

“Hi,” I smile as best as I can when I open the door.

Effie looks flustered and her hands start twitching.

“Are you okay Effie?”

“I don’t even know how to put this into words….”

“What happened?” I demand.

“Haymitch…”

“What did Haymitch do?”

“Nothing bad, don’t worry. Just he…”

“He?” I push.

“He asked me to marry him.”

I freeze for a moment, trying to understand what I’m hearing. Effie sees my confusion and holds up her finger. There’s a ring.

I whoop and scoop Effie into a hug.

“Congratulations!” I yell as Katniss comes down the stairs. She must have just had a shower because her hair sticks to her neck and her shirt is wet in places.

I can’t even get the words out of my mouth so Effie tells her shyly. Katniss goes into shock the way I did but then she also reacts in enthusiasm. I’m not sure if Effie can see it, but there’s a hesitation to her. I feel it too. What’s going to happen to Haymitch if Effie dies?

Haymitch walks through the door then and that’s when I realise he’s been waiting to hear our responses. Katniss hugs him and I shake his hand. Soon we have the new couple seated in the lounge room before we drift into the kitchen to get them something to eat. As soon as we leave the room, the smile leaves Katniss’s face.

“This is going to hurt them both,” she whispers to me as we begin to put together a morning tea. “Why are they doing this?”

“Love Katniss,” I brush aside her hair so I can kiss her neck. “They love each other.”

“Effie’s dying though…”

“I fully understand why they’re doing it.” Katniss looks confused so I can go on. “Katniss, Haymitch and Effie must love each other and if Effie is going to die, they want to be together when they do. They’re going to live this while they can and yes it’s going to hurt them so much, but it’s worth it.”

This soothes Katniss a little so she kisses me softly, plants a smile on her face and walks back into the lounge room. I’m following behind when I hear Prudence’s soft cries upstairs so I go up to check on her.

“Hey there,” I coo and scoop her into my arms.

Her eyes are opened now. Katniss nearly cried when she realised she had my blue eyes. Her hairs growing dark so no doubt she’ll grow up with her mothers hair. She’s so beautiful already, what will she be like in the future?

I change her nappy before taking her down stairs. I put her in the little cradle in the kitchen as I make her some milk. I can hear Effie, Katniss and Haymitch chattering for here.

I take Prue into the lounge room and after she’s been held, I put her into the little bouncer and sit beside her on the floor, occasionally giving her the milk.

“So when’s the wedding?” I ask finally.

Effie looks down nervously before looking up at me again.

“Actually.. we’re already married.”