Hayffie One Shots

A Wish

Effie silently entered the house that had been her childhood home but now it felt cold and old. "Mom?" She called loudly to hear noises coming from the kitchen. "I'm here, my darling."Her mother answered as she walked inside the kitchen finding her mother at the kitchen table, a cloth wrapped around her as she sat in her wheelchair. "I feel as bad as I look."Her mother said quickly as Effie noticed the pale skin, bags under her eyes and the bold spots where hair was missing. "Did the doctor say anything?"She asked softly. "That it wouldn't be that long anymore."Her mother answered with a shrug. "Which means you can quit your job after that and find something you enjoy doing."Her mother added as Effie couldn't help but to sigh at that. "I'm trying to see the good side of it all."She murmured putting everything she had brought with her on place. "And what is the good side?"Her mother asked curious. "The fact that I can make the road easier and more enjoyable."She explained finally taking a seat at the table. "Not the Mentor?"Her mother asked with a smirk. "He is a drunk."She immediately said. "But still you care for him."Her mother threw back right away. "I have one last wish and that is to meet him."
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How on earth was she going to do that? She could not walk up to him and tell him it. First of all, he did not know anything about her life outside her escort life and second of all who said she wanted that her mother met someone like him? "What is on your mind, princess?"Haymitch asked curious as she stared absently at her notebook. "Nothing, nothing."She immediately chirped shutting it. "You can't fool me."He said standing up as he made his way towards her, stopping when he stood right behind her. "Tell me what is bothering you."He said laying his hands on her shoulders as she tensed up at that. "Trouble with your boyfriend?"He asked softly causing a snort to leave her lips. "How do you come up with that?"She asked with cocked eyebrow, finally turning around to face him. "I don't know, blunt guess."He answered. "Has it something to do with your secret boyfriend?"He quickly added, rather curious for the reason why she kept sneaking away, thinking he wouldn't notice it but he noticed and he started to get curious about it. Couldn't blame him really, their tributes had died two days ago and there was nothing fun to do for him, so of course he looked for another thing to do and finding out what Effie was hiding was actually a perfect thing to discover. "You've been sneaking away from the penthouse, sweetheart."He said with a shrug, taking his glass of whiskey. "I don't have a boyfriend, Haymitch."She answered, snatching the glass out of his hand as he was sure she would get rid of the whiskey in it to only surprise him when she took a sip from it. "I have a life apart from this one."She added, handing the glass back to him before retrieving to her bedroom, not wanting to continue this conversation with him today. "Does this life have a place for me?"He asked with wink, swearing he heard a low groan leaving her lips. "I'm bored, you know."He added, deciding to follow her. "My life is not for your entertaining, Abernathy."She hissed low, poking his chest with her finger. "Are we going with last names, Trinket?"He asked with a cocked eyebrow as she simply rolled her eyes. "You're an idiot."She muttered, opening her bedroom door. "Mind if I join you next time?"He asked with a smirk leaning against the wall, waiting for her outburst to only see her thinking about it. "Fine, tomorrow morning, 10 o'clock."She answered before closing the door as he stood there rather perplexed. Never in his life did he think she would actually agree. Now he was absolutely curious about this life she had outside of being an escort...

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"No make up, sweetheart?"He asked as he left his bedroom, finding her at the dining table looking rather...normal, decent? "No alcohol."She said short, stopping him from making his way towards the kitchen. "I don't want you drunk today."She added, her eyes going to her watch checking the time. "Get dressed, Haymitch, we're leaving in ten minutes."She said sternly before walking away as he stared after her. She wasn't looking like a clown and did he notice a slight tremble in her voice. Was she nervous? His thoughts were no longer thinking about a cold whiskey instead he went back inside his bedroom, quickly dressing himself properly which meant just a pair of jeans and a white shirt before leaving once again to this time find Effie standing by the elevator, raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you ready?"She asked, pushing the button for the elevator which slid open immediately, giving away that she had already pushed the button before he was there. "Eager to leave, sweetheart?"He asked amused, stepping in the elevator with her, secretly taking in the way she looked. Her strawberry blond hair pulled together in a bun, her face fresh and clean from any make up revealing a fair skin that he bet was very soft making him glad that he was sober otherwise his drunk ass would have already touched her cheek just to see if his thoughts were true. "Eager to get this over with you mean."She corrected, tapping her foot till the elevator finally stopped again as she grabbed his hand, leading her through the typical crowd, her head held down as he just followed, wondering where she was leading him to. "I love surprises but could you give me a clue to what I should expect?"He asked once they were outside, the fresh air blowing in their faces. "We're visiting someone."She answered plainly as they started walking, well he was following her as she still had a grip of his hand which she obviously forgot because otherwise she would have already let go, Haymitch thought while in reality she held his hand afraid he would change his mind of coming with her, finding it idiotic and leave her alone. Perhaps she was hoping that he could give her some support as each visit became harder and harder for her. She needed someone in her life who knew more about her, not just that she was District 12's escort. She needed to be more. 

Curiousity almost killed him when they finally stopped by a rather small house which may have surprised him as he thought they would go to some kind of penthouse. "Please behave, Haymitch."She whispered softly as she fished her keys out of her bag, carefully unlocking the door. "Effie, dear, is that you?"A female voice called out, poking Haymitch's curiousity even more because that voice didn't sound like a secret boyfriend to him. "You brought a guest."The voice said next as Haymitch looked up to only notice now the woman sitting in the wheelchair, staring at them with  a warm smile on her face. "I actually didn't think Effie would bring you along, Mister Abernathy."She said kindly as Haymitch's eyes went to Effie who found the floor suddenly intrested. "I volunteered."He said back, giving the woman a small smile back as he couldn't help but to give Effie's hand a small squeeze, reassuring her that it all was fine. "And Haymitch is fine."He added, feeling Effie's eyes on him. "I'm Effie's mother, Diane."The woman introduced herself, rolling towards them to shake his hand. "You're even handsome in person, I now understand why Effie likes you."She said amused as Effie closed her eyes feeling her cheeks heat up as two pair of eyes were focused on her. "You like me, sweetheart?"Haymitch asked amused, giving her soft push as her eyes opened at that, sending him a deathly glare. "Don't let it get to your head."She hissed before walking away, pushing the wheelchair of her mother carefully in the kitchen with a rather amused Haymitch following them. Effie Trinket liked him. He was never that happy to not be drunk otherwise he would have forgot this moment and not have new buttons to push. "Did you see the doctor today?"Effie asked carefully picking up the closed envelopes, opening them quickly as her eyes scanned the hospital bills. "The same talk as yesterday, princess."Her mother answered softly, noticing the light shiver running up her daughter's spine. "Only a few months left."She added. "But let's talk about something good!"

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The way back to the penthouse was in complete silince as Haymitch took everything in that happened as the Effie he thought he knew as the Capitol Princess was not who he thought she was. She was a broken woman, trying her best to help her mother. Effie her thoughts were with all the bills she had to pay. Treatment was expensive and she received quite a paycheck but not enough to cover it all. Even in the elevator they were quiet only when the doors slid open did he dare to speak. "You never told me."Was all that left his lips as he watched her closely, seeing her shoulders tense before relaxing back. "You never asked, Haymitch."She threw back, putting her purse down on the dining table with a sigh. "I never thought you would answer."He said, laying a hand on her shoulder causing her to turn around to finally face him. "You're not supposed to do this alone, sweetheart."