Behave (The Hunger Games, Effie, F)

[90percenthoneydew]

Once in awhile I remember I love The Hunger Games, especially Haymitch and Effie. This is that once in awhile. That’s it!———————————————————-

Haymitch glanced over at the TV as he poured himself yet another glass of bourbon. His tributes had died immediately in the bloodbath this year, so he still had a full week in the Capitol with nothing to do besides drink. He sat down on the couch and swirled the glass, allowing the ice to clink against the side before taking a swig. The liquid went down smooth like Capitol liquor always does, and for a moment he was able to forget about everything he had seen over the last two decades. 

His gaze remained focused on the TV as he heard the clicking of heels approaching. He was already prepared to barely listen to his escort’s rambling about the party they had to attend that night. Surprisingly, Effie merely sat down next to him without saying a word. 

“What, you’re not going to recite a drilling manual?” he questioned. 

“I’m not in the mood, Haymitch,” she said softly. 

Haymitch turned to face her and immediately noticed something was off. Sure, she still had her ridiculous wig, but her makeup was lighter, her heels were shorter, her dress wasn’t as tight. She certainly didn’t look like an escort at the top of her game. 

“What’s up with you, sweetheart?” 

“Nothing. I’m fine,” she replied, slightly annoyed. “Who’s left?” she asked, gesturing towards the TV. 

“The career pack, both from 5, girl from 6, boy from 8, both from 9, both from 11.” 

“Chaff must be excited,” she said with a sniff. “He has a good chance this year.” 

“Yeah, excited,” Haymitch scoffed. No mentor was ever excited to bring another kid into this hell. 

“You know what I mean,” she said sensing his distaste. She opened her mouth to continue but instead ended up turning away. 

“Hih’schoo! Hi’tschh! Huh’xghh!” 

“Bless you?” Haymitch rarely saw Effie let her guard down, let alone sneeze multiple times. 

“Thank you. Excuse me,” she said with a wet sniff. She tightened her posture in an attempt to hide a shiver, but Haymitch had already caught on. 

“You coming down with something?” he asked, already knowing the answer. 

“No, it’s just chilly in here,” she insisted. “Besides we have a week of parties, interviews, the works. I don’t have time to be sick.” 

“Doesn’t mean you aren’t,” he replied and took another sip of his drink. 

“I’m not,” she pressed. She felt her nose itch but tried to remain composed. “I’m per-perfectly f-fine, Haymitch, just dro-drop ihh-hih-ktschoo! Huh’sxhh! Hih’tschiew!” 

“Yeah,” he snorted. “You sound real fine.” 

“That’s no way to speak to a lady,” she said, slapping him lightly on the shoulder. 

“Look, I’m just saying you should pop some of those fancy Capitol meds before going out tonight. You’re gonna make a fool of yourself.” 

“Yes, because the tabloids care so much about the well-being of an escort at the height of the games,” she rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly, Haymitch. We’ll get away scotch free as long as you don’t pass out or throw up on a sponsor.” 

“Eh, you worry about the scotch free, I’ll worry about the free scotch.” 

“You’re insufferable,” she punctuated with a light cough. 

“And you’re sick. Glad we’re finally being honest with ourselves.” 

“Okay, so I’m slightly under the weather,” Effie admitted. “Do me a favor then?” 

“What?” 

“Behave tonight. Do not make me do damage control. I’m- Hih’tschoo! Huh’kshh! I’m too tired to put up with your shenanigans.” 

He was about to throw out a sarcastic retort, but he stopped himself when he got a good look at her face. She did look tired and sick and worn out. As much as she annoyed him endlessly, he did care about her. 

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.” 

He would behave tonight. Just this once. 

[90percenthoneydew]

Part 2! 

————————————————————

After spending an hour watching the games with Haymitch, Effie decided to take a nap. She tried her best to hide it from the mentor, but she truly felt awful. Her throat was raw and she was constantly battling an itch in her sinuses. She only had a few hours before she had to get ready for tonight’s party, and she was hoping that a quick nap would help her feel a bit better. 

She retreated to her room in the penthouse and removed her wig and heels. She didn’t bother changing out of her dress knowing that she would be wearing something completely different tonight. She quickly set an alarm for an hour and a half and fell asleep the second her head hit the pillow. 

When the alarm went off, Effie could not say she was feeling much better. If anything, she was feeling a lot worse. Her sinuses were completely clogged and her head felt heavy. She was chilled to the bone, most likely running a fever. She sat up and was immediately hit with the urge to sneeze. 

“Hahh-hah-hah’tschoo! ei’ktschh’ hih-hih’tschiew! hih’xghh! ei’kxghh!” 

She reached for her handkerchief on her nightstand and blew her nose wetly. It unfortunately didn’t provide her much relief from the congestion. She wanted more than anything to stay in bed and go back to sleep, but she knew she had to get herself and Haymitch ready. 

She got up and walked over to her vanity. She would usually wipe her makeup off and start from scratch, but she was far too tired to do all that work. The color palate currently on her face matched the outfit she was wearing tonight, so she could get away with just a touch up. 

Effie redid her makeup without any issues until she got to the powder. Usually the heavy powdered look didn’t bother her at all, but her nose was far too sensitive today to handle it. The second she put the product on her face, she was sent into a full blown sneezing fit. 

“Hihh-hih’kschh! k’tschh! hih’gxhh! ahh-k’schiew! ei’ktshh! hah’schoo!” 

She blew her nose again and tried her best to reapply the makeup she had wiped off without inducing another fit. After deciding that’s the best she could do with makeup, Effie changed into her new dress and wig and left her room to find Haymitch. 

She felt hazy as she wandered down the corridor. Her limbs were heavy and she was having a hard time focusing. She arrived at the living room and almost ran directly into Haymitch. 

“Woah, what are you doing?” he asked confused. 

“I’m so sorry, I just- I was- I simply,” she couldn’t seem to find the right words. Haymitch reached out and placed a hand on her neck, avoiding her makeup. 

“You’re warm,” he muttered. “You know we can cancel for tonight. We are already out of the game.” 

“Nonsense,” she waved the idea away. “All mentors and escorts are expected to attend these parties regardless of whether or not their tributes are still alive. It would be incredibly unprofessional to not show.” 

“If you insist,” he said, backing off. He knew better than to argue with the woman while she was in a bad mood. 

“Are you ready? The driver will be here soon,” she said while straightening his tie. 

“Ready as I’ll ever be for these stupid things.” 

“No talk like that in front of the press. Keep your chin up and smile on.”

[Oolia]

Oh wow, this was absolutely fantastic! I'm so glad I stumbled upon it and I'm so sorry you haven't gotten any replies yet!

Your writing is amazing 😍 It felt like reading a real book. I've never paid much attention to these two characters but man, now I won't be able to stop thinking about them, hah!

I would love a part 3 if you're ever in the mood to continue this ❤️

[MIN]

This is so cool! I've never seen anything with Effie! You're writings so good! Can't wait to see part three should you decide to continue!

[90percenthoneydew]

On 5/3/2023 at 1:54 AM, Oolia said:

Oh wow, this was absolutely fantastic! I'm so glad I stumbled upon it and I'm so sorry you haven't gotten any replies yet!

Your writing is amazing 😍 It felt like reading a real book. I've never paid much attention to these two characters but man, now I won't be able to stop thinking about them, hah!

I would love a part 3 if you're ever in the mood to continue this ❤️

Thank you so much! I’m not sure when I’ll finish part 3, but it will definitely be up eventually

[90percenthoneydew]

On 5/6/2023 at 5:53 PM, MIN said:

This is so cool! I've never seen anything with Effie! You're writings so good! Can't wait to see part three should you decide to continue!

Thank you! I’ve always wanted something with Effie, so I figured I’d just have to write it myself. I do plan on writing a part 3 eventually

[90percenthoneydew]

Having to Google types of drinks because I’m so used to drinking cheap liquor at college parties was VIOLENTLY humbling, but, alas, here is part 3. I will most likely write a part 4 as well. 

————————————————————

The ride to the party was relatively short considering Capitol traffic. The pair stepped out of the limousine and were immediately bombarded with reporters. 

“Haymitch, tell us who you’re rooting for for this year’s games!” 

“Ms. Trinket, have you considered trying to move up to a better district?” 

“Would either of you care to comment on the speculations of a romantic relationship?” 

Effie pushed past the crowd. She wasn’t feeling well enough to provide entertainment. 

“Ask me again once I’ve had a few drinks,” she heard Haymitch mutter behind her. 

“So,” Haymitch turned to her once they were inside. “I’m assuming you’ll be over there schmoozing with the Capitols,” he gestured towards the center of the room where dozens of brightly dressed people were chatting. 

Effie glanced at the crowd and internally groaned. While she would usually waltz around and charm sponsors into owing her favors, the pounding in her head made it difficult to even stand in her heels. 

“Actually, I think I’ll join you at the bar tonight.” 

Haymitch raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. She followed him as he headed towards the bar and pinched her nose to stifle a couple sneezes. 

“H’nnghXT! Nh-XGH!”

The force of the sneezes made her wobble slightly, and she had to pause for a moment to regain her balance. 

When she arrived at the bar, she sat down next to Haymitch, who was already deep in conversation with Chaff. She watched him throw back a shot of whatever liquor he had chosen to start off with and signal for the bartender to give him another. 

“A Manhattan, please,” she told the bartender as he came over. She was going to need something strong to get her through this party. 

“Chaff, you know Effie,” Haymitch said, gesturing towards her. 

“Oh, yeah,” he chuckled, looking her up and down. “But what is your pretty little escort doing over here instead of out there flirting with her kind?” Effie wasn’t sure what disgusted her more, the fact that he was speaking like she wasn’t even there, or the fact that he referred to Capitol residents like they were a separate species. 

“Oh come on, we’re already out of the game. No point in her trying to feel up sponsors. Besides,” Haymitch lowered his voice with a smirk, “drunk Effie is much more fun.” 

“Haymitch!” she glared at him, resulting in a loud chortle from Chaff. 

“Man, you guys are a hoot!” he commented. “Maybe I’ll have some fun tonight after all.” 

Effie rolled her eyes and took a sip of the drink the bartender had placed in front of her. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself despite knowing the bustling atmosphere was plenty warm. She sniffled lightly to prevent her nose from running and ruining her makeup. The sudden urge to sneeze hit her so quickly that she didn’t have time to stifle. 

“Hih’ktschoo! Hih’eschh!” 

She blushed out of embarrassment as Haymitch turned to look at her. 

“You okay?” he asked, placing a hand on her knee. 

“Haymitch,” she growled lowly. Clearly he had had more to drink than she thought if he was already being handsy. 

“What?” he asked honestly. 

“People are going to talk,” she hissed, looking down at his hand. Normally, Haymitch would roll his eyes and throw her some sarcastic remark after she reprimanded him. Instead, he simply removed his hand and apologized quietly. A pang of guilt hit her stomach. He was genuinely trying, genuinely worried for her, and she was being a bitch. 

She downed the rest of her drink and signaled for another. If she drank enough, she could completely forget this night ever happened. 

She remained glued to her barstool for at least another hour, chatting with the Victors and turning away to muffle sneezes into her arm. Her surroundings started to blur together, either from the alcohol or the fever or both, and she suddenly felt far too warm. 

“I’m just going to- I’m going to- Hehh'kSHEW!” she stumbled away from the bar in an attempt to find fresh air. 

“Woah, woah, woah, hey, sweetheart,” Haymitch quickly followed her. “Do you really think it’s a good idea to do…. whatever the hell you’re trying to do right now?” 

“Hay-Haymitch, I’m fine, I just- Hih’ktschoo! Hah’eshiew!” 

“Clearly you’re not,” he said. His snarky demeanor had completely dissipated. She wasn’t sure if she had ever seen him take anything this seriously. 

“Come on,” he sighed. “We made our appearance, we were “professional”, let’s go.” 

“No, no, I’m- ei’kschoo! I’m fine,” she slurred. “I’m just fine, really, I-“ 

Suddenly, her vision completely blurred out, and she lost her balance. She stumbled forward and fell directly onto her unsuspecting Victor. Haymitch yelped in surprise but instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist, supporting her body weight. They stayed in that position for a few seconds before the flash of cameras brought both of them back to reality. 

“Oh,” Effie gasped, realizing the situation they were in. Their bodies were firmly pressed together, his hands on her hips and hers on his shoulders, and their faces were less than an inch away. She quickly pulled back in horror. 

“This is- this is going to be so bad,” she said. She suddenly felt far too sober knowing every tabloid would be publishing those photos by the morning. 

“Don’t worry about it,” Haymitch shrugged, although even he knew this would not be easy to work out. “Let’s just get back to the penthouse before anything else happens.” 

[MIN]

Loved this part! Caretaking Haymitch is really kinda sweet considering his usual demeanor. Poor Effie's not gonna have a fun time of those photos get published! 

[Oolia]

LOOOVED this part! So many things I absolutely adore--a usually grumpy character turning into a gentle, concerned care-taker, a sickie in total denial trying to push through but making things worse. AND there's a good plot, too! Again, your writing is spot on and so good!

[90percenthoneydew]

Surprise! I finally wrote the next part! I lost interest for awhile, but now I’m back in the swing of things. This is definitely not the direction I thought I was going to take this seeing as I’ve never written anything romantic before, but it just kinda happened. Also, I know I said this would only be 4 parts, but it will definitely be longer. Yeah… I kinda ran with this one lol. 

———————————————————

Effie stumbled towards the elevator, having trouble walking in her extremely high heels. Haymitch was following close behind. He hadn’t said anything since entering the training center, but she would bet money that he was silently annoyed. Effie immediately tripped as she stepped onto the elevator and fell against the glass wall.

“Jesus,” Haymitch muttered. “Will you just take off those damn shoes?” 

“I’m not going to walk barefoot in public, Haymitch,” she rasped. “Imagine what the press would say!” 

“I’m pretty sure that’s not their main focus right now, Sweetheart.” 

Right, the photos. Effie had almost forgotten everything that happened in her fevered haze. It was going to be so hard to spin this into positive PR. 

“Oh, fuck,” she mumbled subconsciously. 

“Woah, strong language. Is that the alcohol or the fever?” Haymitch smirked. She glared at him, and his face fell to a more serious expression. 

The elevator dinged as it arrived at the twelfth floor. Effie dragged herself into the penthouse and kicked off her shoes. 

“Okay, straight to bed,” Haymitch ordered, gesturing haphazardly towards her room. 

“What?” She asked in disbelief. “I am not going to bed now. I need to deal with… with this,” she frivolously waved her hand back and forth between them. 

“You think you’re gonna be able to do anything in this state?” Haymitch questioned with a raised eyebrow. 

“Haymitch, I do ever- hih- hih’ktschh! hah-eishiew!” 

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” he said, placing a hand on her back and leading her to her room. “Look, if it makes you feel any better, I’ll deal with the reporters.” 

“How on Earth is that supposed to make me feel better?” she scoffed. “You don’t exactly have a five star reputation with reporters, Haymitch.” 

“That’s because I choose not to,” he said smugly. “If I wanted them to like me, they would.” 

Effie rolled her eyes in response. A sigh caught in her throat, and she started coughing. She leaned against the wall as she tried to regain her breath and felt a strong hand on her shoulder. 

“Swee- Effie, you okay?” Haymitch stared down at her with concerned eyes. 

She blinked a few times, trying to register the fact that he called her by her name. She shook her head to try to shake the strange warmth that grew in her chest. 

“Yes,” Effie rasped. “I’m sorry.” 

“It’s fine,” he sighed, rubbing his hand up and down her arm. She shivered, and she wasn’t entirely sure that it was just from the fever. 

Haymitch led her to her room and stopped in the doorway. 

“I’ll wait out here while you change, yeah?”

“Please, Haymitch, you don’t have to stay,” she said. 

“Sure, but I want to,” he shrugged. 

Despite his attempt to seem casual, Effie could tell it was a ruse. He tended to be protective of her in her rare moments of weakness, and tonight was no different. He definitely had a soft side despite his rough exterior. Effie had always found it to be surprisingly attractive. 

“Fine,” she agreed, trying to hide the soft smile that crept up on her lips. She closed the door gently and wasted no time getting undressed. She put her shoes and dress away, moving on to the wig. Taking all of the pins out was a painfully long process, especially with her blurred vision and unsteady hands. She struggled with the last few and resorted to just ripping the wig off her head and hoping the pins came with it. Her blonde curls came tumbling down, the front pieces brushing against her face. The light sensation was enough to send her nose twitching. 

“Hehh- Heh’kTSchh! Huh’ssscchh! Eh-H’KXgghh” The sneezes scraped against her aching throat and forced her into a coughing fit. 

“Ef?” She hear Haymitch’s voice through the door, dripping with uncharacteristic concern. “You alright?” 

“Y-Yes,” she replied between coughs. “You can- you can come in.” 

The door slowly opened, and Haymitch walked in cautiously. He seemed unsure of himself as he glanced over at Effie. 

“I just need to take my makeup off,” she sighed, rummaging through one of the many drawers next to her vanity. 

“Is that really necessary?” 

“Is that really necessary?” she mimicked with a scoff. “My skin isn’t this clear by coincidence, Haymitch.” He merely hummed in response. 

Haymitch sat down as Effie disappeared into the bathroom. The silence was deafening, although it wasn’t true silence due to the periodic coughs and sneezes that could be heard through the door.  

When Effie finally emerged, all Haymitch could do was stare. He rarely had the privilege of getting to see her without layers upon layers of makeup caked on her face. She looked human. He liked it. 

“Wipe that smirk off your face. I know I look awful,” she snapped. 

“You look like death,” he stated, causing the woman to send him an icy glare. “That has nothing to do with the makeup though, Sweetheart.” 

“No need to kick me when I’m down,” she said with an eye roll. 

“No, really, you look nice when you aren’t dressed up like a clown.” 

“I hope you realize how backhanded that is,” she said pointedly as she sat down on her bed. 

Effie opened the drawer of her nightstand and pulled out the handkerchief she rarely used. There was never a good place to put it in her couture dresses, and she never needed it anyway. Not until now, at least. 

“Ht’ktshh! Nn’GShh!” she sneezed wetly into the handkerchief. She still had her face buried in the cloth when she felt the mattress sink lower. She looked up to see Haymitch sitting beside her, his gray eyes showing far more emotion than she had ever seen. 

“Is it bad that I like seeing you like this?” he asked quietly

“Since when have you been concerned about enjoying me fail?” she challenged. She didn’t show it, but it hurt to know he still took pleasure in her shortcomings after all they had been through. 

“You didn’t fail, Ef. There’s no shame in not feeling well. That’s not what I meant though,” he muttered, shifting his gaze down to the floor. She waited for him to continue, but he merely sat there wordlessly. 

“Then what did you mean?” 

“When-“ he paused for a moment before looking back up and meeting her eyes. “When you’re sick like this, without the makeup or hair or other Capitol shit, you seem real. You’re not just District 12’s peppy escort. You’re Effie. I like that.” 

She stared deeper into his eyes with every word and felt a gentle warmth grow in her chest. Her eyes flickered towards his lips, and she couldn’t help but feel drawn to them. 

“I could say the same about you, you know. The way you are right now,” She whispered. 

“You’re not the unruly, drunken victor from District 12. You’re Haymitch.” 

Before she could register what was happening, his lips crashed into hers. She closed her eyes and kissed back as she felt his calloused hands grab her waist. She moved her hand up to cup his face, but he pulled back suddenly the moment her fingers grazed his stubble. 

“Fuck, Effie, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” 

“What?” she forced out. She started to panic internally, terrified she had done something wrong. 

“I don’t-” he sighed as he ran a hand over his face. “I would never want to take advantage of you, Sweetheart.”

“I’m not drunk anymore, Haymitch,” she assured. “I’m not fully sober, but I’m not drunk.”

“I know, but you’re fevered. Who knows how that impairs your thinking? I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret,” he said sincerely. 

Effie knew she should be grateful that he was being so considerate. Lots of men couldn’t care less if she was thinking straight as long as they could get something  out of it. Haymitch was doing everything. right, but she still found herself disappointed. 

“I should go,” he said awkwardly. “Try to get some rest.” He walked out before she could think of anything to say.