Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

The darkness of the night had its own way of making itself felt. In the unreal stillness that wrapped around the room, every breath seemed too loud, every thought too close to be ignored. Effie slept lightly, with that unconscious grace Haymitch had learned to recognize even without seeing it.

But there were nights when the past came knocking at their door without asking permission. Nights when memories slipped beneath their skin, scratching it deeply and without mercy. And then sleep became an enemy, not a refuge.

Even though this wasn’t one of those nights. Haymitch’s eyes flew open, his heart pounding in his chest and his breath broken. For a few seconds he remained still, lost between what had been and what was, until he remembered where he was.

She shifted slightly, a faint tremor among the sheets, as if her name had managed to reach her even in sleep. 

“Oh?” She murmured, her voice thick with sleep, distant.

Haymitch swallowed, his gaze lost in the dark. It wasn’t enough. Not this time.

“Effie…” he repeated, a little louder, with a note that betrayed everything he wasn’t saying.

She sat up abruptly, her breathing still slow but her mind already alert, as if she had learned to recognize that tone even before the words.

“Oh dear—here I am! I’m awake, I’m here,” she said, immediately trying to orient herself in the dark, one hand instinctively searching for him. “Was it a nightmare? Are you okay?”

Her voice was soft, but threaded with genuine concern, present. Always present for him.

Haymitch let out an uncertain breath. 

“Yeah… I am. Just…” He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t know how to. He didn’t even know where to begin.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Effie asked, her voice more awake now, veiled with a concern she wasn’t even trying to hide.

Haymitch hesitated, then nodded in the dark, even though he knew she couldn’t see him.

“I am… I truly am. I was just wondering…”

“What?”

There was a moment of silence, thin but tense, like a thread ready to snap. 

“Eff… do you care about me?”

The answer came immediately, without hesitation, as if she didn’t even need to think about it.

“Do I care? I love you, Haymitch.”

Those words lingered between them, warm, full. 

“Oh… okay. Fine. Thanks, my beloved,” he said, with a half smile she could only guess at. “I love you too.”

“I love you more,” Effie replied sweetly, gently tightening her fingers around his hand. Then, more softly: “Can you sleep now?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“I’m sure you can make it,” she whispered, already letting herself sink back against the pillow. “Can I sleep now?”

A trace of lightness crossed Haymitch’s voice.

“Of course. You must sleep. You must do aaall your stuff tomorrow.”

Effie smiled faintly, her eyes already closed.

“Goodnight, darling.”

“Bye, Eff.”

And the silence returned, soft this time, but not entirely peaceful. Because even though the words had been said, something inside Haymitch still hadn’t truly found peace.

“…Effie?” He called for her again, his voice lower now, almost hesitant, as if he feared the answer as much as the silence.

“Yes?” She replied, not really asleep anymore, suspended in that light wakefulness she kept only for him.

Haymitch inhaled slowly. “Do you love me as a friend… or more like a lover?”

Effie stayed silent for one beat too long.

“I love you like a fri—” she stopped, confused, lifting herself slightly. “Oh, what’s going on, Haymitch?” Her voice softened. “I love you like a person loves another one, with my whole soul and heart. I love everything about you. Every version of you… as a friend, as the father of our kids, as a man…”

He let out a bitter half smile, hidden in the dark. “…even the drunk man?”

Effie didn’t hesitate.

“I loved him too.” Those words were not a burden. They were a choice. “I can love you as a lover, if you want me to consider you that way.”

Haymitch turned toward her at last, as if that sentence had lit something inside him. “A boyfriend.”

Effie smiled, even without being seen. “Then should I consider myself your girlfriend?”

“Yes!” His voice cracked slightly, but he didn’t stop. “It will be my honor, Eff.”

He held her close. And this time there was no hesitation.

“Are you calmer now?” She whispered against him.

“I sure am.” He paused, then added quietly: “Sorry if I bothered you while you were sleeping.”

“Don’t be sorry.”

“Thank you.”

Effie gently shook her head against his chest. “Don’t thank me, silly man. I love you so much.”

Haymitch closed his eyes, letting those words settle inside him, without resistance anymore.

“I love you too, sunshine.”

🪿🦋💍

Morning arrived slowly, filtering through the curtains in a pale and almost gentle light, in sharp contrast with the night they had just lived through.

Haymitch had woken up with a new kind of energy that morning. He had woken Effie with a kiss, had breakfast with her in complete peace, had waited while she got ready for work, then kissed her again before she left the house.

Luckily, he had been careful not to make her notice the time: he had moved their whole breakfast ritual an hour earlier, and for good reason.
Then he had continued pacing nervously around the house until he finally heard a knock at the door.

Katniss and Peeta had finally materialized before his eyes.

“Where’s Effie?” The girl immediately asked.

“At work,” he replied, inviting them inside.

“So early?”

“It’s for a good cause.”

Peeta smiled. He had understood that Haymitch wanted to be alone with them for some reason.

“You know next week is her birthday?” He asked, beginning to move around the stove.

“Yeah,” Haymitch confirmed. “I remembered.”

“Already thinking about what to get her?”

“Yeah… I’ve got a very specific idea, actually. I’ve been thinking about it for more than six months. And especially these past two weeks.”

“That’s why you’re acting so weird today!” Katniss replied.

“You still haven’t figured it out?” Peeta echoed. “When Haymitch acts weird, ninety-nine percent of the time it has something to do with Effie!”

“Oh, knock it off, you two!” The man shot back, while the kitchen filled with the sweet, familiar smell of milk soup. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve always been weird!”

Peeta smiled, exchanging a glance with Katniss. “Not like this,” he murmured.

Haymitch shook his head and let the kids eat peacefully, allowing himself a second cup of coffee and Katniss a second serving of soup. Peeta couldn’t do the same: he would soon have to open the bakery.

So he said goodbye to his wife, blowing her a kiss before heading down the street toward the Seam.

At that point, Haymitch decided to drop the bomb. He had kept the secret locked inside his head for months. Now he could finally reveal it to at least his daughter.

“I’m going into town in a little while,” he began casually.

Katniss’s eyes widened: watching Haymitch rack his brain trying to choose a birthday present for Effie had to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Can I come with you?”

“If you really want to…”

“I’ll keep the secret!” The girl assured him. “I promise!”

Haymitch couldn’t help but smile and nod.

“You know she doesn’t want to celebrate, right?” She told him afterward, while they put the dishes in the sink.

“I get it. I didn’t want to either until a few years ago,” he replied, letting the thought drift away. He already knew his search would be pretty difficult: if he was lucky, he’d waste an entire morning on it.

“We don’t want to upset her, or mess up your plans if you want to take her out to dinner or lunch, or to the lake, or wherever you decide to go with her, but at the very least she has to eat cake,” Katniss replied, completely unaware of his thoughts. “Peeta’s pretty stubborn about that!”

“Effie always threw huge birthday parties because without Prosie she felt lonely, but I realized it too late… she always invited me.”

“And you never went.”

“No. But Chaff always told me stories about things that would’ve been worth seeing in person.”

“Haymitch!”

“That’s why I agree about the party… I’d like her birthday to become something beautiful for her again. Besides, she puts so much effort into all our birthdays!”

“Effie doesn’t have demands.”

“I know. And an Effie without demands scares me quite a bit.”

“Don’t be dramatic. What are you getting her?”

“I’ve got a certain project, I told ya. I just need to find the right thing,” Haymitch murmured. “Worst case scenario, in two weeks I’ll still have time to order it so it gets here before the big day.”

“Big day?!” Katniss repeated, horrified. “Haymitch. Are you sure you’re not sick?”

“Do I look sick to you, sweetheart?!”

“Worse! You’re terrifying!”

“Now, if you don’t stop asking—”

“Fine, then let’s go!” Katniss cut in. “The sooner we start, the sooner you stop being weird!”

🪿🦋💍

They walked all the way to the Seam in silence.

Katniss was alert.

Haymitch seemed to have completely lowered every guard, walking with his hands in his pockets, lost somewhere inside his own head as he made his way deeper into the market square.

“What about a nice shirt?” Katniss suggested at one point, looking over the colorful fabrics displayed at the third stall along the street.

“For Effie?” Haymitch asked, suddenly returning to reality.

“No, for Peanut!” The girl replied sarcastically. “Of course for Effie!”

“But she sews her own clothes!” Haymitch shot back. “And seriously: can you actually picture her wearing this?” He lifted a white lace blouse so skimpy that Katniss couldn’t help bursting into laughter.

Haymitch, however, had narrowed his eyes. “You know, actually, it’s really not bad at all—”

“Terrible idea, come on, get away from here!”

The girl snatched the garment from his hand and dragged him away toward the stall filled with colorful flowers.

“Tell me you had something better in mind than that hole-riddled rag,” she exclaimed, crossing her arms.

Haymitch nodded. 

They spent the rest of the morning searching through every single lily on display and beyond, but nothing they saw seemed good enough for Effie, or it was completely unsuitable for her—not to mention how far the District’s merchandise was from her tastes.

“You said you had a very specific idea earlier!” Katniss burst out, now realizing they had apparently spent the entire morning for nothing.

Haymitch nodded again and motioned for her to look ahead of them.—There was a shop she had never paid attention to before. She had never even stepped inside in her life, and it was also the only one they still hadn’t visited.

Katniss wondered what Haymitch could possibly find there.

Then something clicked inside her head: if she had counted correctly, there was only one thing Effie had never had… and it was also the only thing Haymitch could walk out with.

Her jaw dropped.

“No!” He cut her off before she could say anything. “Don’t speak!”

“But—”

“Not a word, sweetheart, save your breath for the trip back! I won’t take long, I promise.”

Katniss stared at him, her eyes narrowed as if she wanted to burn him alive on the spot or force him to answer every single one of her questions, but she said nothing else.

Haymitch didn’t wait any longer.

He pushed open the door of the small jewelry shop and stepped inside, leaving behind the soft chime of the bell.

Inside, time seemed to move differently. 

Slower. More precise.

The cold lights reflected on the glass display cases, making rows of rings of every kind shimmer, along with necklaces and promises never spoken aloud.

Haymitch hesitated for only a moment. It wasn’t his world. It never had been.

And he certainly hadn’t forgotten that Effie’s father was a highly expert jeweler.

But he had still managed to give her a beautiful necklace, one Effie had never taken off since the day he gave it to her.—And that was enough to convince him to move forward.

Twenty minutes later, the door opened again.

Katniss immediately looked up.

Haymitch came out with one hand in his pocket and something new in his eyes. It wasn’t just satisfaction. It wasn’t only determination.

It was light.

The kind that rarely appeared in him, and that only ever lit up in front of Effie.

He stopped in front of Katniss as if nothing had happened.

“Done,” he said simply.

Katniss lowered her gaze to his pocket, then back to him.

Haymitch gave a crooked but incredibly sincere half smile.

And for once, Katniss couldn’t help smiling fully, without any restraint at all.

Finally, breath after breath, Haymitch had found his everglow.

Neither of them could have imagined that, only a few hours later, Effie would leave the atelier to first step into the Bakery, and then into that very same jewelry shop.

🪿🦋💍

“May we come in?” 

Effie appeared in the doorway with her usual composed smile, though touched by a note of hesitation that did not belong to her at all. “Katniss?”

“She’s not here yet. I’m afraid she forgot we were supposed to have lunch together today. There’s me instead… am I acceptable all the same?”

“Peeta, my dear. Of course.”

She stepped forward and hugged him, holding him with sincere affection.

“What’s going on?” He asked, immediately returning the embrace. It was always nice, being hugged by her.

Effie pulled back slightly, absently smoothing her skirt.

“May I ask you a favor?”

“Anything you want!”

“Could you accompany me somewhere? I still don’t know all the shops very well, so I thought I’d ask for help.”

Peeta smiled immediately, though he doubted that Effie Trinket of all people didn’t know every single store. She had been living there for almost three years by now.

“I’ll take you wherever you want,” he said anyway.

“Thank you, you truly are an angel,” she replied, gently cupping his face. “It won’t take long.”

“Effie, wait!” He protested. “Eat something first!”

Effie raised an eyebrow. She was nervous. She didn’t really feel like eating.

Her fingers kept intertwining with almost excessive precision, an obvious sign of an agitation not even she could completely hide. Her gaze kept slipping away, as though lingering too long on a thought might make it real.

But Peeta knew her well enough not to be fooled.

He didn’t even give her time to protest.

“You need energy before shopping!” He declared, with such studied seriousness that it was almost comical.

Effie blinked in surprise, but something in his tone—so firm, so caring—made her give in without resistance.

And at that point, she couldn’t help listening to him.

She sat down, still a little stiff, while he moved naturally around the kitchen, preparing everything with that simple care that had always seemed to belong to him.

He gave her some cookies alongside a mint infusion and warm milk.

Effie watched every gesture, and the more she watched, the more she felt something tightening in her chest: tears threatened her eyes when she thought that Peeta truly could have been her son.

She took a deep breath, then nodded.

She picked up a cookie with a delicate gesture, almost ceremonial, and took a small bite.

She wasn’t hungry, not really.

But she did it anyway.

Because it would always be like this from now on. In worry, there would always have to be something good.

🪿🦋💍

Peeta still hadn’t realized what was really happening.—Not when Effie guided him through the streets, immediately dismissing the goods sold at the market because, apparently, there was nothing interesting enough to buy as a gift.

“Do you need to buy someone a present, Effie?” Peeta finally asked.

“Yes, actually,” she replied, as though they were discussing the weather.

And at that point it became painfully obvious that all that concern was for Haymitch.

In the end, when they stopped in front of the brightly lit display window of the jewelry shop, something inside Peeta’s mind clicked. 

For starters, he never would have believed he’d see her walk in there, considering she certainly knew her way around jewelry.

But unless she had decided to make it herself, there was no other shop she could turn to.

The owner was a distinguished, round-bellied old man who obviously knew both her and Peeta. He welcomed them with the most exquisite courtesy, and that seemed to calm Effie immensely.

“How may I help you, miss?”

Effie frowned.

How did that man know she wasn’t married? He could very well have asked Peeta if he wished to be assisted instead! He was young—it would have been perfectly natural to think of him as the potential buyer and her as the companion, rather than the other way around!

“I would like to have a look around, if possible,” Effie replied, perfectly mirroring his courteous tone.

“But of course, miss,” the owner answered. “The rings are right this way!”

This time, Effie’s eyes widened. And Peeta’s did too.

“But first,” the old man continued, “allow me to tell you how lovely that necklace looks on you.”

Effie brought a hand to her throat. Haymitch’s gift was right there. The gold chain with the forget-me-not pendant suited her more than ever.

“Whoever gave it to you clearly has unexpectedly excellent taste,” the old man exclaimed enthusiastically. “It’s one of the creations I’m proudest of!”

“Thank you…” Effie murmured, her eyes growing glassy: she knew that look, even if she had seen it far too rarely in her father’s eyes. “And my sincerest compliments for your skill.”

“May I ask how you knew the miss was specifically looking for a ring?” Peeta asked instead, immediately connecting it to his wife’s absence at lunch.

“It’s called a jeweler’s instinct, dear boy!” The man replied mysteriously.

That, Peeta thought, while Effie scrutinized ring after ring with surgical attention.

Or maybe Katniss had been there with Haymitch that very morning.

And if Haymitch had been there, then it could only mean one thing.

“Effie!” Peeta called softly, barely hiding the smile growing on his face without permission. “You’re serious!”

“No, don’t misunderstand,” she deflected, pausing her desperate search for a moment. “I probably won’t ever give it to him, but if one day I happen to run out of ideas, it’s always a little gift from me.”

Peeta could no longer hold back: that was one of the most ridiculous excuses he had ever heard. Even so, he had the grace not to contradict her.

“Why now, though?” he asked quietly instead.

Effie hesitated slightly, as though putting her thoughts in order was more difficult than expected.

“Haymitch… has started making strange comments about considering himself my boyfriend,” she revealed, trying to maintain a certain composure. “I’m not saying a woman always knows these things and is always right, but as a precaution—”

Peeta didn’t let her finish.

He took one of her hands in both of his and squeezed it with all the gentleness he possessed. “You deserve it,” he declared tenderly. “And he deserves it too. I’m so happy you two are serious about each other!”

Effie blinked, completely caught off guard. “Serious? And who talked about—look, I never said that—”

“You don’t have to say anything,” he replied calmly. He avoided telling her that Haymitch had been acting strange for at least a week! Who knew how long he had been thinking about marrying her!

She remained silent for a moment, her gaze drifting back toward the rings.

“It’s only… a possibility,” she insisted, more quietly this time.

But the certainty in her voice had cracked.

Peeta added nothing else; there was no need.

Because while Effie returned to studying the display cases with that same meticulous attention, there was something new in her gestures.

She wasn’t choosing something at random. 

She was thinking. 

And when Effie Trinket’s mind started thinking, one could witness wonderful things.

🪿🦋💍

They left the shop forty minutes later, just in time for Peeta to reopen his bakery and for Effie to finish her shift at the atelier.

They had not been easy forty minutes: Effie had chosen the jewel in barely twenty. The remaining time had been spent negotiating.

For some apparently unknown reason, the jeweler wanted to discount the ring. Effie, on the other hand, was fully determined to pay the full price, aware that there weren’t many customers in the District capable of buying gold jewelry of that caliber, even if living conditions had improved considerably.

And she won: Effie had no idea that the poor jeweler had fought the exact same battle with Haymitch only a few hours earlier—that Haymitch had decided on his purchase in barely ten minutes and spent the other ten fighting not to receive any discounts.

The old man had tried to make his point by reminding him that Haymitch was a loyal customer by now: after all, he had bought Effie’s necklace there, the dandelion stud earrings for Katniss’s wedding, and consequently Peeta’s cufflinks as well.

He had tried to say the same thing to Effie, but he had to speak without giving himself away, which made his arguments far too weak for Effie, who at one point simply placed a stack of banknotes on the counter, shook the old man’s hand kindly, and walked out with her impeccable smile.

The jeweler shook his head while watching the former escort of District Twelve walk away with the baker boy.

He never would have imagined that Effie Trinket could be so stubborn.
 As stubborn as Haymitch. Perhaps even a little more so.

And he thought that, besides the Mockingjay and the younger Mellark son, he could never have guessed a couple so perfectly matched.

He hoped the proposal would happen as soon as possible: it would be the most sensational thing since the end of the war.

🪿🦋💍

After leaving the shop, Haymitch said nothing.

Katniss, meanwhile, couldn’t stop looking at him.

She walked beside him down the street, her hands tucked into her light jacket pockets, her gaze drifting back to him every few steps, as though trying to recognize him… or perhaps trying to understand whether he was truly still the same man as always.

Because there was something different.

Not something obvious, not something anyone else would notice.

But she would.

She saw it.

Haymitch Abernathy, with one hand in his pocket and a ring hidden between his fingers.

Haymitch, who had spent his entire life avoiding attachments, life, and anything that even remotely resembled a future.

And now—soon he would be married.

To Effie.

The thought settled carefully inside her, like something fragile. Katniss wasn’t used to imagining the world in such… stable terms. She wasn’t used to thinking of Haymitch that way.

And yet there was nothing wrong with the idea.

On the contrary.

It was something profoundly right. Something that, against all expectations, warmed her chest.

She said nothing for a while. She simply walked, listening to the sound of their footsteps, to the distant noise of the town around them.

Then, eventually, she broke the silence.

“So that’s it, huh.”

It wasn’t a question.

Haymitch scoffed without looking at her.  

“It’s just a ring, girl.”

Katniss rolled her eyes, though without any real irritation.

“Sure. And I’m a terrible shot.”

A hint of a smile tugged at his lips. 

“Don’t flatter yourself.”

They stopped at a crossing. Katniss turned slightly toward him, studying him with that attentive look of hers.

“She makes you different,” she murmured. “She always has.”

The words came out simply.

There was no judgment. No doubt.

Only truth.

Haymitch stayed silent for a few seconds. His gaze fixed ahead, his shoulders slightly rigid, as though that sentence had touched something he wasn’t used to showing.

Then he sighed.

“Don’t expect so much,” he said, with that rough tone he used whenever he wanted to put things back in order. “Nothing’s gonna change, it’s like we already are together.”

Katniss didn’t look away.

“Whatever happens,” he continued, more slowly this time, “you and Peeta are still my kids.” He paused briefly. And then, almost without thinking—or perhaps after thinking about it far too much—he added: “Ours.”

Those words lingered between them.

Katniss didn’t move. She didn’t answer immediately.

But she felt something tighten in her chest again, something unexpected, difficult to define. She still wasn’t fully used to that kind of belonging. She wasn’t used to feeling… included in something so simple and so immense at the same time.

She lowered her gaze for a moment, then nodded slightly.

“We love you both,” she declared. “And nobody deserves this marriage more than you do.”

Haymitch let out a low breath, almost a restrained laugh. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair.

“Damn,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. “Now you’re getting sentimental too?”

Katniss didn’t take offense. That wasn’t the point.

“Won’t happen often,” she shot back dryly, though with a trace of something softer in her eyes. “And don’t flatter yourself.”

Haymitch looked at her for another moment, as though trying to carve that scene into his memory without letting it show.

Then he looked away and resumed walking.

“Where are you going?” Katniss asked at one point, noticing he was about to open the door to the Hob.

“To deliver the first two invitations.”

Even though Effie still hadn’t said yes.

Katniss couldn’t help smiling. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Haymitch nodded.

“Thanks…” he whispered before she could walk away.

Katniss shook her head. She gave him one of her rare smiles, and as soon as she saw him open the door, she went back on her way.

Haymitch, meanwhile, had no idea how to tell Sae, even though part of him couldn’t wait.

He went down the stairs while the air, dense and layered with overlapping smells, rose around him. Spices, smoke, roasted meat, damp earth carried in on the shoes of people endlessly coming and going. Voices intertwined into a constant hum made of bargaining, quiet laughter, sharp calls. It was a familiar kind of chaos, one that didn’t need order to function.

And that was fine.

He passed a group of men deep in animated discussion, then a woman bargaining over the price of fabric, until he spotted the figure he was looking for.

Sae was in her usual place. Behind the counter. Surrounded by pots and ladles, with that practical, attentive air that never changed. She was pouring something into a bowl, her movements quick and precise, as though every gesture had been repeated a thousand times before.

Haymitch slowed slightly.

He wasn’t the type to hesitate.

But this time…

“Mitch!” The old woman exclaimed, immediately motioning for him to sit down. “My boy, what are you doing around here?”

“I was here to tell Mae something. And you too, while I’m at it.”

“Mae caught a terrible cold. I think she’s in her room right now.”

“Sorry she’s sick. Could you tell her for me, then?”

Sae seemed to think it over. “Is it something good?”

“I’d say so.”

“I’m listening—oh! There’s Mae.”

The little girl did indeed seem sick. Her cheeks were red, and her dress was all wrinkled from having literally just climbed out of bed.

But the moment she noticed Haymitch’s presence, she immediately ran to hug him.

“Hey, you little rascal!” He greeted her. “How you doing?”

Mae nodded, she was fine. Then she shook her head, because no, she wasn’t really completely fine.

Finally she pressed a hand to her forehead to make him understand she had a cold.

“Dear Mitch has something nice to tell you!” Sae announced. “Listen to him.”

“Alright, I’ll try,” Haymitch began gesturing, first pointing at himself. Then at the empty space beside him.

He finished the silent sentence with the sign language he was trying to learn, indicating the ring finger of his left hand.

Mae looked at him, confused. Sae looked even more confused than her granddaughter.

Haymitch realized neither of them had understood a thing.

He repeated the gestures for Mae at least two more times, but got nothing except the same puzzled expression.

“Damn,” he said at last. “Effie’s better at this.”

“Speaking of that nice girl,” Sae cut in. “When are you finally going to stop making her live in sin?”

“Two weeks more.” He declared. “And I’ll propose.”

“What?!”

Haymitch slipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out a tiny black leather box.

“Heavens above!” Sae exclaimed.

At that point Mae understood immediately. She gasped and covered her mouth with both hands, her eyes sparkling.

Then she made the correct signs for the sentence Haymitch had been trying to say.

When he confirmed it, she hugged him again. Haymitch could feel the little girl’s burning forehead against his cheek.

“When…” Sae murmured, completely speechless.

“Hopefully as soon as possible,” Haymitch answered, pleased to have surprised her. “And you’re both invited, provided things go the way they should and she says yes. She’ll be happy to see you.”

Mae nodded immediately without letting him go. She would gladly attend that wedding.

“I… I—” Sae’s eyes shone with pride and endless nostalgia. “Forgive me, my boy. I’d cry so much the whole time that I don’t know if I’d ruin the ceremony…”

“Uh, I don’t mind if you cry,” he replied awkwardly. “Well, I do mind, but nobody’s gonna say anything!”

“Then… then I suppose I could stop by at some point.”

“You know where I live.”

“Fine,” Sae finally gave in. “Is there… anything you and Effie need?”

“There’s no way—” said Haymitch.

“There’s no way I’m showing up empty-handed, my boy!”

Haymitch knew why Sae was speaking that way. They were no longer at war, or under Snow.

Once upon a time, showing up to celebrations empty-handed had been perfectly normal. Conditions had been desperate.

But Haymitch truly needed nothing except Effie’s yes. And as for Effie, the only thing she needed was to be happy.

“You know what?” Haymitch said. “Bring tissues.”

Sae smacked him lightly upside the head, and then tears flooded her bright little eyes again. Without any warning, the tears overflowed once more.

Haymitch stayed there, slightly bewildered, while she wiped her face with the back of her hand, trying to maintain a composure that didn’t completely belong to her in that moment.

“You have no idea what an honor you’re giving me,” she said, her voice cracking. “I saw your parents fall in love right here.” She made a small gesture around them, toward the Hob that kept living on as always. “And I practically watched you being born.”

Haymitch lowered his gaze slightly.

“I can’t believe,” Sae continued, “that soon I’ll see you married to the woman you love.”

He shrugged, suddenly less certain.

“If she wants to,” he murmured.

Sae stared at him as if he had just said the stupidest thing in the world.

“Yes, of course she wants you!” she shot back without hesitation, almost offended on Effie’s behalf.

Haymitch scoffed, but he couldn’t completely hide that small, betraying flicker of hope crossing his expression.

“It’s not that simple,” he tried to say.

“It’s exactly that simple,” Sae interrupted, pointing the ladle at him as though it were a weapon. “That woman looks at you like you’re something precious. And you—”

She stopped for a moment, studying him.

“You have finally stopped acting like an idiot.”

Haymitch grimaced.

“Let’s not exaggerate.”

Sae shook her head, but this time she smiled through her tears.

“Go,” she said at last with a decisive gesture. “Behave like a gentleman! And don’t keep her waiting too long.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said, finally heading home.

He tried to gather courage step after step: in less than a month, he would most likely have a fiancée.

🪿🦋💍

Peeta came home later than usual that evening.

Katniss returned even later than he did.

Not to mention that dinner with Haymitch and Effie had been far too quiet. Too normal. As if no one had anything to hide—while everyone was holding something back.

“What did you do today?” Peeta asked at one point, while casually rearranging a few objects on the table.

“Hunting!” Katniss replied, pulling off her boots with a sharp motion.

“What did you find?”

“Nothing.” She shrugged. Then she glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “What did you do?”

Peeta had just slipped into his pajamas, moving with deliberate calm. “I worked.”

“Did you sell anything?”

A small, satisfied smile slipped onto his face.

“Everything.”

Katniss froze for a second, one hand still on her bootlace.
“Everything?”

“Everything.”

Silence.

She stared at him, her eyes narrowing slightly, like she was trying to piece things together.

“Really?”

Peeta shrugged, trying to look casual.
“Lucky day.”

Katniss didn’t look convinced. She knew there was something Peeta wasn’t telling her. Something she couldn’t quite imagine.

And yet she didn’t ask any more questions.

Peeta, for his part, said nothing either.

They stayed there, each lost in their own thoughts, perfectly aware that the day had been anything but ordinary. And that, very likely, the other one’s had been the same.

But they didn’t speak.

For once, silence wasn’t distance. It was complicity.

And on the other side of things, Haymitch and Effie continued their own private performance with almost flawless precision.

Quiet breakfasts. Light conversations. Casual kisses. Small everyday gestures that seemed perfectly normal—almost too normal.

Effie kept smiling as always, arranging every detail with her unmistakable elegance.

Haymitch kept grumbling, moving from room to room with that distracted air that had always belonged to him. He wandered with the geese, came home at the usual time.

And yet…

There were glances that lasted a second too long.
Pauses that said more than words.

And a new, subtle awareness neither of them could fully hide.

They went on like this for two entire weeks.

Thirteen days of performed normality.

Thirteen  days of unspoken things.

Thirteen days in which both circled around the same thought… without ever quite touching it.

Until one night, Katniss’s phone rang in the middle of the night.

She and Peeta exchanged a look before even answering.

Katniss picked up, suppressing a yawn.

“Hello.”

On the other end, Haymitch’s voice came low and direct.

“Did I wake you, sweetheart?”

“Not at all!”

“Tomorrow afternoon we should get her to the Willow.”

Katniss straightened slightly. Peeta leaned closer, immediately alert.

“Is this what I think it is?”

There was a brief pause.

“Yes, my boy.” Another pause, more meaningful. “I’ve got a plan.”

Peeta let out a smile.

Katniss didn’t.

“Finally,” she murmured. “You’ve told Jo and Annie?”

“I called them two days ago. They’ll be here tomorrow afternoon.”

“How are you going to explain them to Effie?” Katniss asked. “Finn will want to see her immediately.”

“There’s nothing to explain, sweetheart,” Haymitch replied. “I can’t stop three people from coming to the District, no matter the reason. And who am I to stop my nephew from wishing his aunt a happy birthday?”

“You’re a brilliantly awful bastard sometimes.”

“I can’t wait to hear the plan!” Peeta chimed in.

Haymitch gave a quiet laugh. “I’ll tell Annie and Jo tomorrow. Then I’ll brief you at the Willow.”

“See you at breakfast,” Katniss said. “Eat at our place, remember?”

“Yes, of course I do.”

“Goodnight. Blow a kiss to Effie.”

“’Night,” he replied. “What about my kiss?”

Katniss hung up as Haymitch laughed at his own joke.

🪿🦋💍

The next day, things didn’t go according to plan at all.

Whatever Haymitch had in mind was put on hold before it could even begin.

Because the tension of the past days—the careful performances, the forced normalcy, the exhaustion of pretending—finally caught up with both Effie and Haymitch.

Literally.

They spent the entire morning asleep, with the stubbornness only true exhaustion can produce, as if their bodies had decided for them that it was time to stop.

Curtains stayed closed.
Daylight slipped in only faintly, never enough to wake them properly.

Effie, usually up for hours already, impeccable and organized, didn’t move an inch.

Haymitch, who rarely slept that long without reason, didn’t wake even once.

Katniss and Peeta didn’t mind. They had expected it.

The nervousness of the past days had been too obvious in Haymitch’s avoided glances, in Effie’s restless energy, in that carefully constructed normality that was too deliberate to be real.

“They’re still asleep,” Katniss said, arms crossed.

Peeta nodded, already reaching for the phone. “Yeah… but we can’t wait forever.”

Katniss didn’t reply. She didn’t need to.

Peeta dialed.

The phone rang.

Once.
Twice.
Three times.

Enough to finally wake Effie.

At first it was only a distant sound, muffled, like it belonged to another room… or another dream. A persistent, rhythmic trill slipping slowly into her awareness.

Then it came again.

Closer. Clearer.

Effie shifted slightly under the sheets, her brow faintly furrowing. Her lashes trembled as she tried to open her eyes. Her body felt heavy, anchored to the mattress by deep sleep.

The phone had rung.

She opened her eyes suddenly, but the light felt too strong. Too abrupt. She blinked several times, disoriented, while her mind tried to reconstruct something logical: the room, the bed, the time of day.

“Oh, no…” she murmured, her voice rough with sleep. “Haymitch…”

But no reply came. And she didn’t even need to turn to know.

Haymitch was still asleep.

He lay on his side of the bed with that careless sprawl of someone who had never quite learned how to sleep properly. One arm stretched toward her, the other tucked under a pillow, as if he had surrendered mid-movement. The sheets were tangled around him.

His breathing was deep. Steady. Too steady to be disturbed by something as trivial as a ringing phone.

His face, usually marked by constant tension, was now softened. Relaxed brows, slack jaw, slightly parted lips. Even the hard line of his expression seemed gone.

He looked… so beautiful.

A strand of hair fell across his eyes, completely unaware of the world, of Effie, of the phone, of the kids, of everything.

If not for the faint rise of his chest, he could have seemed unreachable.

Effie watched him for a moment too long, caught between exasperation and something softer she couldn’t quite name.

Then the phone brought her back.

“Haymitch!” She murmured, placing a hand on his shoulder.

That touch worked.

“Hmm?”

“Haymitch, get up!”

He groaned, wrapped an arm around her waist, and buried himself under the covers again.

“Where are we going, sunshine?” He muttered, voice muffled.

“Do you know what time it is?”

“Of course... it’s Saturday.”

Effie didn’t know whether to laugh or insist.

“It’s almost noon!” She corrected him. “We absolutely have to go!”

“No…”

“Yes, darling.”

“Five more minutes.”

“Five minutes is exactly what you’ll have left to wash, dress, and get down for lunch if you don’t get up now.”

Haymitch finally blinked one eye open, still half asleep. “Lunch?”

“With the kids!” Effie reminded him. “Katniss and Peeta. We were supposed to be there for breakfast, but we both overslept.”

“Breakfast?” He echoed weakly. “We skipped breakfast.”

“Yes. And we have no excuse!”

“I’m not hungry. Tell them I’m sick. Katniss will understand.”

Effie stared at him in disbelief. “What kind of illness are you planning to invent?”

“Headache.”

“You know she’ll come check on you.”

“Then lock the door.”

“And if you need the bathroom?”

“Don’t ask questions you don’t want answers to.”

Effie sighed.

Haymitch finally sat up, rubbing his face. Then he looked at her.

She was sitting against the pillows, watching him with her hands on her hips, hair falling over her shoulders.

“Effie…”

“Yes, darling?”

His heart suddenly sped up. “Did I ever tell you how beautiful you are?”

She laughed softly. “Only about twenty times in the last ten days.”

“And you still don’t believe me today?”

“I believe you. I just don’t think flattery is going to work.”

He grunted in defeat until she started running her fingers through his hair, and suddenly sleep felt very far away.

He sat up again, fully awake now. “Look who decided to function.”

“I’m hard work,” he said dreamily.

“You’re wonderful,” she replied, getting up.

He was glad she didn’t see how much that affected him.

“Where are you going?” He asked again.

“To take a shower.”

“Wait a second, woman! You didn’t say anything about a shower!”

“I did!” She called from the bathroom. “You just wanted to sleep!”

“Me? I don’t even care about sleep!”

Haymitch dragged himself out of bed like an automaton and reached her.

Effie couldn’t help but laughing a bit at his disheveled expression. It was so funny, with his clothes hanging from all sides and his hair tousled in every direction.

She loved him to death.

“Did you know I was sure you’d come around, sooner or later?” She exclaimed, turning on the hot water with a practical gesture.

“Don’t be too pleased with yourself.” He replied, taking off his soft shirt. “I am a lazy man.”

“You are indees exhausting,” Effie replied, freeing herself from her robe and then from her nightgown with the same nonchalance. “But you are absolutely worth it.”

Haymitch gave a small huff, but a hint of a smile still escaped him. 

“I am absolutely awake!” He declared, as if to convince himself more than her.

Effie shot him a quick, amused glance. 

“Then come on, let’s get moving!”

She stepped under the water first, letting the heat finally melt away the tension she had built up. For a moment she closed her eyes, breathing deeply.

Haymitch followed her shortly after, much less gracefully, but without hesitation.

For a few seconds they said nothing. Only the sound of water, the steam, and that strange sense of normality they were still trying to maintain.

Effie immediately brought her hands into her hair, letting the water run through it. The movements were precise, elegant even in their simplicity, as if every gesture had its own natural order.

Haymitch, beside her, ran a hand over his face, trying to wake himself up for real this time. The hot water helped, and he too first grabbed the shampoo to wash his hair.

He lathered them carefully, then paused for a long moment, waiting for her to do the same.

He looked at her, even though she had her eyes closed. Effie. With her hair now completely wet and tangled, scented with lavender and honey, her sweet face free of every construction, without filters or makeup. 

For a moment he said nothing. He just waited for her to open her eyes.

Then he took a step toward her. 

Effie noticed, lowering her hands slightly, surprised by that sudden silence, different.

“Haymitch—”

He didn’t let her finish the sentence.

He placed a hand on her face, with unusual delicacy, almost uncertain, and leaned in slightly to kiss her.

It was not a hurried kiss.

It was slow. Conscious.

As if he were choosing that moment, exactly as it was.

When he pulled away, he remained close, his forehead almost resting against hers.

And, in a lower-than-usual voice, still a little hoarse but incredibly sincere, he said:

“Happy birthday, Eff.”

Effie remained still for a second, eyes slightly more teary, breath suspended.

It wasn’t the most romantic occasion in the world, and it had never happened that they shared a shower. Or a bathtub.

But she smiled and hugged him to hug and kiss him in return, while the water around them kept running and the minutes passed undisturbed. 

“Thank you, my darling.”

She couldn’t believe it.

He had remembered it. She didn’t want to celebrate, alright… but she couldn’t deny those were the most unusual birthday wishes she had ever received!

Effie pulled back slightly to look at him again, as if she wanted to make sure it was all real. Drops of water were sliding on Haymitch’s face, through his messy hair, along the line of his jaw. There was nothing constructed in that image. Nothing perfect.

But it was real.

“You didn’t even pretend to forget it,” she observed, with a hint of surprise still in her voice.

Haymitch gave a light huff, lowering his gaze for a moment. 

“I am not that bad off,” he muttered. 

Effie laughed softly and passed him the almond soap. “There won’t be other surprises, right?”

“Wishing you happy birthday while we’re washing ourselves, does that seem like a surprise to you?!” Haymitch shook his head, while he soaped himself and Effie’s body was also covered in foam. “You’ve lowered your standards way too much, sunshine.”

Effie pretended to think about it, tilting her head slightly.

“Or,” she replied calmly, “I have simply adapted them to reality.”

Haymitch gave a crooked smile.

“Let me understand, your reality is me?”

“Exactly you,” she replied without hesitation, pointing hid chest with a finger.

Those words hit him more than he wanted to admit. For a moment he remained silent, his gaze fixed on her, as if he were looking for something precise.

Then he sighed and turned off the water. “If you keep this up, you’ll end up setting them to zero,” he murmured.

“Not at all.” Effie smiled, coming slightly closer. “I was just used to it badly, that’s all!”

Haymitch reached to take their towels.

“Then I should do something about it,” he said, even if his tone was softer than usual. “Change things.”

Effie did not respond immediately. She simply took his hand for a second, squeezing it slightly.

“What are you talking about,” she whispered.

“About the fact that we should definitely get dressed or it will be a problem to get out of here for the rest of the day.” Haymitch replied briskly, staggering into his room to retrieve the best clothes he had.

Effie followed him with her eyes, a smile slowly growing on her lips.

“Listen to him,” she replied amused, wrapping herself in her towel. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to stay home?”

“Don’t tempt me, woman!” He shot back from inside the room, while rummaging through the clothes with more energy than necessary. “And weren’t you the one who threw me out of bed this morning?!”

Effie peeked at the doorway, leaning against the frame with natural elegance, already more composed, even if still wrapped in her towel.

“I simply saved our lives from a certain argument,” she replied in an impeccable tone.

Haymitch snorted, pulling out a shirt he probably hadn’t worn in a long time.

“You should thank me,” she continued. “And you could only do it by making yourself presentable, with all the effort I made so you would wake up.”

Haymitch glanced sideways at her, pulling on the trousers he had already prepared the night before with a raised eyebrow.

“Presentable, huh?” He replied, immediately feeling the weight of the velvet box pressing inside his pocket.

Effie stepped into the room, coming close enough to fix his collar before he had even fully put the shirt on.

“Absolutely.”

For a moment they stayed like that, close, without rushing.

Effie was still wrapped in her towel, beautiful and golden. He, still half-undressed. It would have taken just the tip of his fingers to push Effie onto the bed and bring the day to an end.

He almost regretted having made plans!

But he couldn’t wait any longer. He shook his head slightly, breaking whatever was becoming far too dangerous, for the little time they had.

“Get dressed, Eff,” he murmured, more to himself than to her. “As best as you can.”

It had been practically two weeks since they had touched each other.

They had shared the shower that morning, yes—but apart from that almost innocent tenderness, those slow and careful gestures, nothing else had happened.

And maybe that was exactly the point.

It wasn’t lack.

It was the waiting that was breaking them.

Effie looked at him for a moment, as if she had understood exactly that thought without needing words. Then she smiled slightly, without forcing it, without challenging him, even though she very much would have liked to.

“Don’t doubt it,” she said softly.

She walked away step by step, heading toward her room with calm.

And, as she began to get dressed, the air between them remained charged. 

Not tense. 

Just… suspended. Haymitch absolutely did not want to rush anything, especially when Effie was involved.

Effie, on her part, was trying strenuously to deceive herself into believing there was something in store for her, right that day, even if she could never have imagined its scale.

🪿🦋💍🌊

It was the fastest lunch in the world.

Katniss and Peeta had prepared simple sandwiches, nothing elaborate, nothing that could really feel like a celebration. And yet, the moment Effie entered the kitchen, they both moved toward her almost simultaneously to hug her.

Just to greet her.

No birthday wishes.

No hints.

Not the slightest mention of her birthday.

So much so that, for a moment, Effie even wondered if they had truly forgotten the date. Or worse, if they had never known it at all.

That should have upset her.

And yet she couldn’t quite bring herself to believe it.

Because something wasn’t right.

The house was perfectly tidy. Strangely tidy.

Too tidy.

The table had been set with incredible care, every plate placed in its right spot, the napkins folded with a precision that belonged neither to Katniss nor to Haymitch. Even the glasses seemed chosen with attention.

And then there was Buttercup.

Buttercup, who normally tolerated human existence with difficulty, that day seemed almost… affectionate. He kept rubbing against her legs, jumping up beside her the moment she sat down, as if he too were involved in something she still couldn’t quite see.

Effie ate gladly, more than she had expected. Maybe because of nerves, maybe because of the strangely warm atmosphere that filled the room.

But every time she tried to get up to help, Peeta immediately stepped in.

“Nope.”

“Peeta, I can at least take—”

“No.”

“But the dishes—”

“Effie.”

That calm but firm tone made her stop mid-movement.

Peeta smiled at her with almost suspicious sweetness.

“Not today.”

Katniss, beside him, nodded without even pretending indifference.

And that’s when Effie truly began to suspect something.

Not to mention that both Peeta and Katniss looked genuinely relieved when she announced she had to go to the atelier for her afternoon shift.

“Oh, you really have to go?” Peeta asked too quickly.

Katniss shot him a deadly look.

“I mean—” he corrected himself immediately, “good for you.”

Effie narrowed her eyes.

As if, somehow, they were trying to get her out of the way without saying it outright.

At that point she was on full alert.

She watched them both carefully, trying to catch a detail, a glance, something that confirmed her suspicions.

Katniss was carefully avoiding her eyes.

Peeta was smiling too much.

And Haymitch…

Kiss in the shower aside, he was almost unbearably normal.

Which, knowing him, was the least normal thing in the world.

Effie tightened her fingers around her teacup, her heart starting to beat a little faster.

She hoped that whatever was happening, it was worth all that strange, adorable secrecy.

🪿🦋💍

Effie worked the entire evening.

Or at least, she desperately tried to convince herself that was the best way not to think.

The atelier was immersed in its usual elegant chaos made of fine fabrics, pins forgotten on tables, sketches scattered everywhere, and half-dressed mannequins that seemed to watch every movement with unsettling attention. The afternoon light filtered through the large windows, brushing over rolls of fabric and making beads scattered across surfaces shimmer like fragments of glass.

Tigris moved through the space with her usual silent grace, correcting nearly invisible details and supervising the apprentices, who that day seemed more restless than usual.

Or maybe it was just Effie.

Because despite having spent hours working, something kept distracting her.

A thought.
A suspicion.
An expectation she could no longer ignore.

“Effie?”

She looked up slightly from the worktable where she was arranging a row of crystals on a cream-colored bodice.

One of the apprentices was watching her cautiously.

“You sewed the ribbon upside down.”

Effie blinked.

“Oh dear…”

She looked down.

She had, in fact, done exactly that.

Tigris, from across the room, held back a small smile.

“You’re distracted.”

“I’m not distracted,” Effie replied too quickly.

Tigris raised an eyebrow.

Effie sighed.

“Maybe just a bit.”

The apprentices exchanged amused looks, but none dared comment.

The afternoon went on like that: stitches redone, measurements checked twice, tea left half-forgotten, and Tigris occasionally watching her in silence as if she already understood everything.

Outside, the sky had already begun to turn into evening colors when Effie realized the time.

It was well past six.

“Oh heavens…” she murmured, pressing a hand to her forehead. “I have no idea how that happened.”

“It happens when you think too much,” Tigris commented calmly.

Effie was about to reply when—

The atelier door suddenly burst open with a loud thud.

Everyone turned.

And a red-haired child rushed into the room like a small explosion of energy, his face lit with a huge smile.

“AUNTIE EFFIE!!”

Effie gasped so sharply she dropped her pins.

“Finnick?” She exclaimed, clutching her chest as the boy ran toward her at full speed to hug her.

He was taller than the last time she had seen him.—Now he was able to pronounce names and sentences correctly.

“Little one!” She exclaimed, hugging him tightly, more emotional than ever. “I’m so happy to see you again! How are you, where’s your mother?”

“At home with auntie Jo!” The boy explained, looking up at her with his boundless green eyes.

“How did you get here?”

Finn pointed outside. “Auntie Katniss.”

Effie smiled and pointed at the crumbs on the boy’s collar. “And I assume this is uncle Peeta’s doing, hm.”

Finn giggled, blushing. Then he hugged her again.

“Happy birthday, auntie Effie.”

“Oh, don’t remind me I’m one year older today!”

“Older?”  The little kid repeated, looking at her seriously again. “Where? You haven’t changed at all!”

The atelier burst into a series of amused murmurs.

And for the first time all day she smiled sincerely.

“Aw, thank you, baby!”

Finn giggled again.

“Now can I do something for you?” Asked Effie, but Finn was faster: he immediately took her hand, dragging her toward the still-open door.

“I need help!” He urged. “To go home!”

Effie gave Tigris an apologetic look.

Tigris smiled back, motioning for her to go.

“Quick, auntie!” Finn urged. “Must go!”

Effie barely had time to grab her cardigan before being literally dragged away by little Odair.

🪿🦋💍

“It’s this way!” Finn kept answering.

It was already the fifth time he had said it.

But Katniss was never there.

She wasn’t behind the tree, there near the bush, by the tall grass of the clearing.

“This way!” Finn repeated, as they went deeper into the wood.

“Finn, wait.” Effie was starting to feel disoriented. She tightened her grip on the little boy’s hand even more. “You’re worrying me, dear. Are you sure nothing serious happened?”

“Yes!” He answered, without looking at her. “No, no, wait: nothing happened—I can’t tell you.” He blurted out in the end.

“What do you mean!” Effie replied, finally stopping and stopping him too.

They were in a part of the clearing Effie had never seen before.
 It was completely surrounded by trees, and the road to the Seam was no longer visible.

“Wait for me here!” Finn exclaimed.

“Finn!” Effie replied in panic, trying to grab him, but the little one was fast, and he was running fast. “Finn, no!”

She shouted, starting to run.

“Stop!!”

She yelled. But he didn’t stop.

“It’s dangerous!” Effie continued. “Don’t go away, you could…”

… hurt yourself.

She couldn’t finish. She had run into something, or rather, into someone.

Someone she knew. And it wasn’t possible: she had managed to bump into someone in the middle of an empty forest.

“Haymitch—”

“Sunshine! What are you doing here?” He asked, holding her tightly by the arms.

“Finn…” Effie mumbled, looking around. “He was here!”

He was gone.

“Oh no, Haymitch… Finn… I lost him!”

“What do you mean, by lost?!”

“I don’t know, he… I was at the atelier, and he made me leave, saying we had to look for Katniss. We walked and walked, but she is nowhere!” Effie covered her eyes with her hands. “Annie will kill me.” She lamented. “No, if something happens to him I’ll kill myself first.”

“Calm down, Effie.” Haymitch looked around. “He runs fast, but he’s small. He can’t have gone far—”

Suddenly, Haymitch spotted the tip of a bow in the middle of a bush. Not far away, a small red head peeking from behind a strawberry bush.

Perfect, he thought.
 Katniss was nearby, she had always been nearby and Effie hadn’t noticed.

The plan had just started.

“Or,” Haymitch declared, so that the girl could hear. “Or your nephew tricked you and now there’s no way of knowing where he is. Fine, he’s a big, capable boy, he’ll manage!”

Effie was horrified.

“You’re crazy—” she said with wide, tear-filled eyes. “He’s your nephew too, you can’t just leave him like that!! There are animals here! Deer! Pumas!”

Haymitch shook his head and turned her toward the hiding spot.

“There’s a mockingjay and a little fox not far from here.” He declared.

And Effie finally understood.

“I am very angry with Finn.” She announced. “He shouldn’t have run off like that. But I’ll talk to him once we’re home.”

“Eff—”

“It was in very poor taste!”

“Effie!” Haymitch was doing everything he could not to laugh. He wiped her tears with both hands. “The fox got it.”

“G—good.”

“Walk with me.” He suggested, fully intending to take her as far away as possible from prying eyes. “If you go home like this, Annie will really get scared.”

“I… alright.” Effie leaned over his touch. “I don’t want her to be upset with the little one.”

Then she walked beside him, unaware that about a hundred meters away, the fox and the mockingjay were shaking hands in silent triumph.

🪿🦋💍

She wouldn’t ask him why he was in the forest alone.

Effie knew that Haymitch sometimes needed to be alone with his thoughts. This happened especially when he missed someone or had something on his mind.

“I had never been on this side of the lake.” She murmured.

“I had never brought you here,” he replied calmly. “ ‘don’t come here often.”

Effie sighed deeply. “Are you absolutely sure I’m not in the way?”

Haymitch looked at her over his shoulder. “How could you be, Eff?”

“I know that sometimes you need to be alone with your thoughts.”

“I’ve been alone for a lifetime.” He replied. “I was just waiting for you to finish work so I could bring you here!”

“… on a date?”

“Yes. It’s your birthday. And even if you said you didn’t want to celebrate, I wanted a moment alone with you, before leaving you to Annie, Jo and the kids.”

Effie squeezed his hand. “Anything you want, darling.”

Haymitch pulled her into his arms.

His heart was racing, a sign of how frightened she had been.

He held her until she was the one who broke the silence.

“They organized a party for me, didn’t they?” She asked, keeping her eyes closed.

Haymitch smiled above her head. “I can’t tell you that.”

He let her go.

Effie always needed to compose herself alone, after every scare or crisis. He knew it.
 It was just a moment.

They started walking again shortly after.

“Do you feel better now?”

“Oh, yes! Splendidly.” Effie smiled faintly. “I never imagined Finn could fool me like this.”

“Yeah,” Haymitch exclaimed. “You should have seen your face.”

“It wasn’t funny! And thinking about it, I should never have fallen for such an obvious trick, but I got scared. I almost feel ashamed I could believe—Haymitch?”

He was no longer by her side.

Effie noticed after a few moments.

“Darling…”

She turned toward him, who had stayed a few steps behind.
But it wasn’t only that.

Haymitch was on his knees.

Effie froze, her legs trembling and her heart in her throat. For a long moment she didn’t know what to say.

He stayed silent for just as long, wondering what he was supposed to do, whether he should say something specific, even though at that point it was rather obvious, asking her to marry him.

“Your hand,” he said instead, as he pulled a small box from his pocket.

Effie immediately offered it, and only when she felt the cold gold ring around her ring finger did she realize what was happening.

The edges of Haymitch became blurry.

Effie saw his shadow rise, move closer to her to wrap his arms around her body, and as she closed her eyes to kiss him, she let all her tears fall.

Haymitch was no less nervous than her. Until he had given her the ring he wasn’t sure he had done the right thing.

He hoped Effie was crying from joy, rather than because he had made a mess of things.

As soon as he felt her smile against his lips, he allowed himself to relax.

“Would that be a yes?”

Effie laughed, taking his face in her hands. “What does it seem like to you?”

He kissed her again. “Not to be picky, I need to hear you say it.”

“It’s a yes, Haymitch.” She declared through the tears. “Yes, I want to marry you.”

🪿🦋💍

They returned home late in the evening, and for a very good reason.

They could hardly take ten steps without stopping.

Every excuse was good to slow down, to look at each other, to find each other again. A stolen kiss at the corner of a street. A hand squeezed too tightly. An unexpected smile that inevitably ended up bringing them closer again, as if being apart even by a few centimeters had suddenly become impossible.

It was ridiculous. And wonderful.

Eventually the wind changed.

The spring air, warm until a little while before, grew colder, almost cutting against their still-warm skin. The first clouds began to cover the sky, slowly swallowing the newly appeared stars.

Rain.

It caught them right at the end of the walk, when home was already close.

The first drops fell lightly, almost shy. Then denser and faster.

Effie let out a small incredulous laugh as she clung to Haymitch’s arm. Her hair already damp, her coat beginning to soak on the shoulders.

Haymitch still couldn’t believe it: he was going to get married.

The word kept bouncing in his head with an almost unreal force.

Married.

Him.

With Effie.

And every time he thought it, something inside him seemed to loosen a little more.

Effie, on the other hand, had completely stopped thinking.

She could feel that small circle on her finger like a constant, almost pulsing reminder. Every tiny movement of her hand reminded her that it was real. That he had really asked her. That she had said yes.

Yes.

The word filled her chest so much it almost hurt.

She stopped, this time, in front of the porch door.

The rain was falling harder now, slipping between them, over their jackets, over their faces flushed from cold and emotion.

Effie looked at him for just a second.

Then she searched for his lips.

Haymitch went to her without hesitation, pulling her closer against him. He opened the door with a clumsy elbow without breaking the kiss, pulling her inside while his mouth kept stealing her breath with a sweet hunger held back for too long.

Effie clung to his coat, laughing softly against his lips when he almost tripped on the doormat.

“Easy—” she tried to say.

“In this moment?” He murmured between kisses. “Impossible.”

The door closed behind them with a sharp thud, leaving the sound of rain outside.

“We can’t right now.” She whispered.

Peeta and Katniss’ house seemed empty, but it wasn’t.

Oh, it wasn’t.

“Right, got it, sorry!”

Haymitch separated from her reluctantly. She adjusted herself and smiled.

screamed all at once.

Effie jolted so hard she almost lost her breath.

And before she could even understand what was happening, Annie and Johanna stood up at the same time from their chairs and ran to her, pulling her into an almost suffocating hug.

“Happy birthday!”

“Oh my heavens—”

Effie laughed, but she was already on the verge of tears. She immediately returned the hug, holding them both tightly as if afraid they might disappear at any moment.

It had been months since she had seen them.

Months.

Annie still smelled of sea salt and lavender, as gentle as ever, while Johanna held her without any grace, with that rough affection that belonged only to her.

“Look at you,” Johanna scoffed, pulling back slightly to inspect her. “You get proposed to and don’t tell anyone?”

Effie widened her eyes slightly. “I—”

“She didn’t know anything about the party,” Peeta quickly intervened with a guilty smile.

Once freed from the hug, Effie finally managed to look around properly.

And she stopped.

Peeta was holding a beautiful cake, decorated with incredible care. Elegant without being excessive, full of delicate details that seemed made just for her.

The entire table, meanwhile, had been set by Katniss with almost touching care. The plates were perfectly arranged, the cutlery matched, candles lit even though it was obvious someone had had to force her to place them straight.

And it was full of food.

Bread. Cheese. Fruit. Simple dishes alongside others clearly prepared with attention. Everything chosen thinking of her.

Effie couldn’t speak for a moment.

She just stood there, frozen on the kitchen threshold, one hand holding Haymitch’s and the other near her chest, as if her heart was beating too hard to contain.

No one said anything for a few seconds.

Because everyone was looking at her.

And everyone understood.

Effie swallowed slowly, desperately trying to maintain composure. But her eyes filled with tears anyway.

“Oh… oh dear…” she whispered, voice breaking.

She brought a hand to her mouth, overwhelmed all at once by everything.

The surprise.

The love.

The care.

The fact that someone had organized all this for her.

For real.

She turned slowly toward Haymitch, incredulous. “You knew,” she mumbled.

He lifted his shoulders slightly, trying unsuccessfully to look casual. “Maybe.”

Effie laughed through tears, a small trembling laugh. “You terrible man.”

“Yeah,” he replied softly, looking at her like he couldn’t stop anymore. “But you’re marrying me anyway.”

At that point Effie completely broke.

She laughed and cried at the same time, holding his hands tightly as she finally let herself be overwhelmed by the simplest and most devastating realization of all.

She was loved.

Deeply. Completely. Obviously, too.

“Okay—no, this is absolutely unfair,” she managed between broken laughs. “Nobody warned me!”

“It was the principle of the surprise,” Annie replied, already sitting back at the table with a satisfied expression.

“Breathe, sunshine.”

Haymitch’s voice came low, close.

Effie turned to him immediately, still teary-eyed and breathing too fast.

Haymitch cupped her face gently.

“Hey,” he murmured softly. “It’s okay.”

Effie shook her head slightly, still laughing in disbelief.

Then she quickly wiped her tears and pointed at Katniss and Finn.

“Don’t ever do it again.” she declared. “Please!”

“You’re grounded, young lady.” Haymitch echoed.

“What?!” Katniss protested. “I only followed your plan!”

“The plan was to attract her to the Willow, not scare her to death!!”

“Semantics! There was no time, for the Willow!”

“Semantics my ass, sweetheart!” Haymitch replied. “And don’t use Effie’s answers against me!”

“They’re the only ones that work on you!”

“Dollface—” Johanna intervened. “Show me your hand.”

Effie immediately forgot plans and surprises and did as asked.

On her finger was a gold ring so thin it looked like a thread of solid light. In the center, set among four tiny diamonds arranged in a cross, shone a rectangular gem with an opalescent soul. It changed color with every movement of her hand, shifting from sea green to pale pink, as if it held trapped sunrise reflections.

It was undoubtedly beautiful and suited her perfectly.

Haymitch had once again had an incredible eye for her.

“You saw, Finny?” Annie exclaimed excitedly. “Uncle keeps his promises!”

“Ah, finally!” The little boy commented.

Then Annie cleared her throat.
 And Finn stood up.

“Sorry for making you cry, auntie Eff…” he mumbled. “Uncle Haymitch, can you lift auntie Kat’s ground?”

Haymitch could never say no to such an earnest request. Especially not from Finn. So, to avoid giving in immediately, he crossed his arms and stopped looking at him.

“It depends.” That was all he managed to say, though he looked anything but stern.

“Come on, Haymitch!” Peeta urged immediately, understanding it was just a show.

Haymitch sighed, rubbing his face as if the problem were suddenly enormous. Then he turned to Effie, who was watching them from the table with an increasingly amused expression.

“Effie,” he finally said, looking at her with all the love in the world, even if he probably didn’t fully realize it. “What do you think?”

“You really need to ask her?!” Noticed Peeta.

“Hey!” Haymitch immediately snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. “Don’t you dare interrupt me while I’m consulting with your—”

With your mother, Haymitch had wanted to say.

The sentence had come so naturally to his lips it almost startled him.

Effie looked at him. Katniss slowly lifted her eyes. Peeta even stopped breathing for a moment.

Haymitch coughed awkwardly, quickly recovering.

“With my fiancée!” He concluded sharply, as if that was exactly what he had meant to say all along.

Peeta lowered his head to hide his smile. Katniss bit the inside of her cheek.

Effie, meanwhile, turned bright red all the way to her ears.

“Oh,” she said softly, very uncomposed.

Haymitch carefully avoided looking at anyone for the next five seconds.

Johanna, of course, ruined it.

“Well,” she commented calmly, “that was terrifyingly adorable, I’m gonna throw up right now.”

“Johanna.”

“No, really, I think I need a moment.”

Annie was already laughing openly, while Peeta looked like he might explode.

Effie, however, kept looking at Haymitch with that soft, luminous, almost unbelieving expression.

And he felt it immediately.

That way she looked at him whenever he dropped his defenses without realizing it.

“Don’t say anything,” he muttered, finally meeting her gaze.

Effie smiled slightly. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re thinking it too loudly.”

At that point she laughed again, that clear laugh that now filled his house effortlessly.

And Haymitch understood, with almost frightening clarity, that he would listen to that sound for the rest of his life without ever growing tired of it.

“Now enough! We’ve got a birthday to celebrate!!” Peeta clapped his hands to get them to eat: he had made so many good things!

“And a wedding to plan!” Annie echoed.

“And you’ve got a lot to tell us!” Effie echoed, while Haymitch finally sat down to listen to Annie and Jo’s latest months.

Finn was sitting on both of their laps so he could hug them whenever he wanted. Effie kept smiling: it was true, Prim wasn’t there, and every time it had been devastating.

But it was also true that Effie had never had such a beautiful party. Prim wasn’t there. But everyone she loved was. And the most important person had just asked her to marry him.

Haymitch couldn’t have been happier to see her like that. He was almost happier about that than having proposed to her.

Because the proposal had been a moment. Huge, yes.
 But this—this was something bigger.

It was Effie laughing without holding back.

Effie listening to Annie speak with teary eyes.

Effie fixing Finnick Junior’s napkin while Johanna complained about being completely ignored.

Effie constantly touching her ring without even realizing it.

Seeing her like that made him understand one simple thing: he had made the right choice.

He was so happy he ate little. Partly because he wasn’t really hungry. Partly because he kept watching her.

Effie tasted only a few bites of cake, mostly to make Peeta happy, who kept watching her with almost offensive concern.

“Peeta, darling, I am eating.”

“More.”

“You’re worse than a granny.”

“Thank you.”

Effie laughed softly, but in reality her stomach felt too full of emotions to make room for much else.

Sometimes happiness did that, it clogged the breath, the hunger.

Even thoughts.

And that night, Effie felt so full she barely knew where to put herself.

The party went on a little longer, slow, warm, full of stories and glasses filled with lemonade.

Then, slowly, the house began to empty.

Annie hugged Effie at least four times before leaving. Johanna threatened Haymitch not to “ruin everything by being an idiot.” Peeta helped clean up despite Katniss’ protests. Finnick fell asleep practically standing up.

And in the end—they were alone.

The house was quiet now. The candles nearly burned out. The smell of cake still in the air.

Effie had taken off her shoes and sat with her legs tucked on the couch, resting in that soft tiredness that comes only after truly happy days.

Haymitch was sitting beside her, one arm resting behind her shoulders.

For a few minutes they didn’t speak.

There was no need.

Effie turned slightly toward him, watching him in silence. The messy hair. The rolled-up sleeves. The finally calm expression.

And her heart gave in again.

“You know…” she said softly. “You totally made my day.”

Haymitch looked at her immediately, as if he still couldn’t get used to someone saying something like that to him.

Then his face softened in that rare, almost disarming way.

“You…” he murmured, leaning in just enough to brush her forehead with his. “You make mine every day.”

Effie slowly looked down at her hand.

The ring still shimmered in the dim living room light, catching the flicker of the last candles. Small, elegant, perfectly her.

For a moment she just looked at it, almost unbelieving it was really there. That it really belonged to her. That all of this was real.

Her fingers moved slightly, brushing the golden circle with almost reverent care.

“I really like it…” she finally murmured, softly. “It’s beautiful.”

Haymitch didn’t even look at the ring.

He was already looking at her.

“You, are.”

Effie stopped breathing for a second.

She slowly lifted her eyes to him, and her heart clenched so hard it almost hurt.

Because Haymitch didn’t say things like that often.

Not in the conventional way. Not with big speeches.

But when he did—he meant it with every single part of him.

Effie smiled softly, tears suddenly back in her eyes. 

“You know, Haymitch,” she whispered with a small incredulous laugh. “You’re becoming scandalously romantic.”

Haymitch immediately grimaced. “Don’t spread it around.”

“Too late.”

She leaned in slowly, resting her head on his shoulder. Haymitch automatically wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her closer without even thinking.

Effie looked at the ring again.

Then she looked at him.

And she understood that it wasn’t the cristal that made it precious.

It was the fact that Haymitch had chosen it thinking of her. That he had walked into a jewelry shop with sweaty hands and probably a panicked heart. That he had decided, after a lifetime spent surviving instead of hoping, to start building something.

With her.

“Glad you liked it, by the way.” Haymitch muttered almost shyly. 

She kissed his check, caressing the back of his hand with her thumb. “Did you have any doubts?”

Haymitch snorted, avoiding her eyes. “Well… your Pa was a jeweler. Of course I was.”

Effie stared at him for a second.

Then her face softened completely.

“Oh, darling,” she murmured with infinite tenderness. “Did you really think I’d start judging stone cuts?”

“I don’t know!” He immediately protested. “You notice these things.”

“Of course I notice them.”

Haymitch shot her an exasperated look that made her smile even more.

“But this,” Effie continued softly, lifting her hand again to look at the ring, “is perfect.”

And it truly was.

Not because it was the most expensive. Not because it was flashy.

But because it felt chosen with care. With love.

By him.

Effie turned to Haymitch, studying him for a long moment. “How long had you been thinking about it?” She finally asked.

Haymitch groaned, already regretting where this was going. “Effie—”

“Don’t Effie me! It’s still my birthday, I can ask questions.”

He sighed. “A few months.”

Effie’s eyes widened. “A few months?”

“Don’t make that face.”

“Haymitch Abernathy!”

He slumped back against the couch like a man facing execution. “You’re terrifying when you use my full name.”

Effie was already smiling too much to stop. “You proposed to me and you’re telling me you’ve been planning this for months?”

“More or less.”

“More or less?” She repeated in disbelief.

Haymitch scratched the back of his neck, suddenly very interested in anything but her gaze. “More than six months.”

The silence that followed was almost comical.

Effie stared at him, mouth slightly open, as if she had just discovered something completely absurd.

“Six months?!”

Haymitch grimaced. “Don’t shout.”

“I am not shouting, I am just astonished!”

“Worse.”

Effie placed a hand on her chest dramatically. “You spent more than six months thinking about proposing to me?”

“Okay, said like that it sounds creepy.”

“Darling, said like that it sounds utterly romantic.”

Haymitch let out an exhausted groan, dropping his head back against the couch. “Damn, you’re never going to let this go.”

“No, I’m not.”

Effie laughed softly, but her eyes were incredibly tender now. Something that made him feel suddenly exposed.

“And how did you choose?” She then asked in a whisper.

Haymitch hesitated. Then he finally looked at her.

“Easy,” he said. “I looked for something that would remind me of you as much as possible.”

Effie’s heart skipped so hard it almost hurt.

Haymitch noticed immediately. He saw it clearly the moment he tried to recover.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?” She asked.

“Like I said something extraordinary instead of just stating facts.”

Effie felt her eyes fill with tears again.

Ridiculous.

Completely ridiculous.

And yet there they were.

“And don’t look at me like that either!” She tried to protest.

As if it were the most beautiful thing in the world.

She quickly wiped under her eyes with the back of her hand, even though her smile was still trembling.

“I can, though,” he replied immediately, taking her left hand and kissing the knuckle where the ring shone. “It’s still your birthday.”

His eyes slowly lifted to hers, darker now, more intense.

“And the night’s not over.”

Effie swallowed a small emotional sob and blushed deeply.

Haymitch was almost in disbelief.

After all that time he could still make her blush like that.

“It’s not?” She asked again.

Haymitch cupped her face and shook his head slightly.

No.

He intended to end that day with all the gentleness and care he had never believed he could truly give anyone.

Effie closed her eyes for a second, overwhelmed by too much love all at once.

“I’ve completely lost my mind,” she admitted with an incredulous laugh.

Haymitch pressed his forehead to hers.

“I’d say, sunshine…” he murmured, giving her one of his best smiles, the one only for her. “Ne er found mine.”

And then he kissed her.

Slowly, this time.

Not with the hunger of stolen kisses in the rain. Not with the restrained urgency of the past weeks.

His hands stayed on Effie’s face as she leaned in immediately, responding with all the love she had inside her. As if nothing else existed in the world except him.

Haymitch felt his heart tighten violently in his chest: every time Effie kissed him like that, with that complete trust, with that open and fearless softness, he felt like he didn’t deserve it at all.

And yet she kept choosing him.

Always.

Effie slipped closer, her fingers tangled in his rain-damp hair, as the kiss deepened, slowed, filled with everything that could not be expressed in any other way except this.

I love you.
I love you, I love you, I love you.

Haymitch stood without breaking the kiss, pulling her easily against him. Effie let out a small surprised laugh as he lifted her slightly off the ground.

“Oh, my—”

“Shh,” he muttered against her mouth. “I’m having a romantic moment. Don’t ruin it.”

Effie laughed, more in love than ever.

He guider her upstairs slowly, without hurry.

The house was silent around them.

Dim lights.

The distant sound of rain still against the windows.

And when they finally reached the bedroom, Haymitch stopped just to look at her again.

Effie, with flushed cheeks.

Messy hair.

The ring on her finger.

His future wife.

The expression in his eyes changed completely.

Effie saw it immediately.

And something inside her gave way with infinite tenderness.

She pulled him back to her without a word, kissing him with all the devotion possible, while Haymitch laid her slowly toward the bed, as if he were afraid of breaking the moment by moving too fast.

That night they loved each other like this.

With calm.

With familiar wonder.

With the almost painful tenderness of two people who had waited a lifetime to finally feel safe in each other’s arms.

🪿🦋💍

The following days passed quickly.—Too quickly.—As always happens when wait for something beautiful with all heart.

Haymitch spent those days desperately trying to contain his happiness, even though it was already a lost battle from the start.

He walked for long stretches outside the District, often with the geese trotting behind him in a messy line and little Finnick running beside him, asking questions nonstop.

“And so now auntie Effie will really be your mate?”

“Exactly. My wife.”

“So she’ll always sleep and eat with you? Like the geese do with each other?”

Haymitch almost choked every time. “Something like that.”

“Why are you red, uncle Mitch?”

“I’m not red.”

“You are.”

And Finn laughed so hard, and Haymitch was so happy to have a child laughing beside him that he simply didn’t care at all about the teasing!

Effie, instead, spent her days in the atelier.

She sewed.

Took measurements.

Chose fabrics.

Undid perfect stitches just because “they didn’t fall the right way”. And she wanted every dress to be perfect, for her wedding.

Annie helped her with infinite patience, sitting beside her, arranging beads and embroidery with delicate hands. Johanna constantly complained about boredom but still ended up helping too.

“If you prick me with another pin, I’m leaving.”

“You’ve been saying that for three days, Jo,” Effie replied without looking up.

Katniss spent almost every afternoon with them, when she wasn’t at the Bakery with Peeta.

And even though she would never openly admit it, she really did help too.

She cut ribbons. Carried boxes. Retrieved materials.

And above all, she watched Effie smile in that bright way that now belonged only to Haymitch.

But there was also something else.—Something everyone had noticed.

Obviously everyone wanted to see tenderness between Haymitch and Effie.

They had tried to catch them one afternoon, while they were kissing in the kitchen, but they hadn’t succeeded.

Same thing with the seemingly absent-minded hug they had shared on the porch.

But they were too far away to really see them and Haymitch and Effie never betrayed themselves.

Never.

They did absolutely nothing embarrassing in front of them, unconsciously revealing years and years of training to hide from others’ eyes… and it was frustrating, first of all because they had nothing left to fear.

Secondly, because they were clearly, terribly in love.

So they just kept looking for each other with their eyes constantly.

They always sat close together, obviously, they held hands under the table thinking no one would notice.

But nothing more.

And this made everyone even more interested in catching them in the act.

Johanna had openly declared it was “a matter of principle, at this point”, since the ceremony was so close.

Annie laughed every time.

Peeta shrugged.

But Katniss had started watching Haymitch suspiciously every time Effie left the room smiling a little too much, but it ended there…

… at least until that evening’s dinner.

The atmosphere was calm and relaxed. The empty dishes were scattered across the table.

Finn had peacefully fallen asleep with his head on Annie’s knees.

Haymitch was sitting next to Effie, leaning slightly toward her with that intimate naturalness that now seemed inevitable.

“You were…” he was murmuring. “You were already thinking of a date?”

“As soon as the dresses are ready,” Effie declared softly. “Which could be the day after tomorrow.”

Peeta immediately stopped eating.

“Ah,” Haymitch said slowly. “And how far along are you?”

Effie narrowed her eyes with an amused expression. “Are you impatient, by any chance?!”

“Not at all!” He joked immediately, even though the smile that appeared on his face was disarming.

Effie laughed softly. “I’ve already finished your shirt.”

And before anyone could prepare psychologically, she leaned slightly toward him to leave a kiss on his cheek and stood up gracefully, to put her glass in the sink.

Total silence.

Katniss almost dropped her fork.

Johanna widened her eyes as if she had witnessed a historical event.

Peeta looked sincerely moved.

Haymitch, instead, reacted immediately by grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer to him.

Effie automatically placed her hands on his shoulders, smiling like never before.

“And speaking of which,” she continued with complete innocence, “do you have any preference on the color?”

“I was about to ask you that.” Haymitch tilted his head slightly. “What color would you want me in?”

“In blue,” Effie replied without hesitation. “Why? Did you have something else in mind?”

Haymitch looked at her for a very long second.

Then he smiled too, with that tired and in-love expression he could now only have with her.

“Honestly, Eff…” he murmured. “I’d marry you even without clothes.”

Effie laughed again, this time louder. “What an honor, my darling!”

Johanna, instead, literally collapsed onto the table laughing without any dignity.

Peeta had stopped pretending composure at least thirty seconds earlier and was openly laughing with his hands over his face.

Even Annie was trying unsuccessfully not to wake Finn.

Katniss, instead, had simply lowered her head onto the table as if she could no longer handle the conversation.

And it was in that exact moment that Haymitch truly realized what he had just said.

The smile slowly died on his face.

“Oh no.”

Johanna immediately lifted her head. “Oh yes.”

“If you tell anyone I’ll destroy you!” He warned, pointing at everyone like someone who had run out of patience for jokes.

“Too late,” Peeta managed to say between laughs. “It’s already one of my favorite memories.”

“Peeta—”

“No, really,” Johanna intervened, wiping her eyes. “This moment will keep me alive for at least five more years! Thank you Haymitch!”

Katniss finally lifted her head, still red-faced. “I can’t believe I heard that sentence with my own ears.”

Haymitch looked genuinely ready to disappear into the floor. “I hate you all.”

“No, you don’t,” Annie sang softly.

And that was the worst part.

Because she was right.

Effie was now smiling too openly to save him. She even tried to speak, but had to stop halfway through to catch her breath.

Haymitch slowly turned toward her with a betrayed expression. “You too!”

“But I…” she finally managed, wiping under her eyes. “I can’t defend you from this.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I am!” She immediately protested. Then she smiled even brighter. “But I can’t pretend I didn’t hear it, can I?”

Peeta made a muffled sound halfway between laughter and permanent trauma.

“Okay,” Haymitch declared, standing up, without separating from her at all. “Dinner is over.”

“No!” Johanna immediately protested. “Sit down. Now I want to hear what else you’re willing to say.”

“Absolutely nothing—”

“Lie,” Katniss commented with surprising calm. “You’d button your last shirt button for Effie.”

And that was a huge thing.

Huge.

Because Haymitch Abernathy had categorically refused to button the last button of his shirt since he was sixteen. It had become a kind of legend in the Capitol.

But Katniss was right.

For Effie he would do it.

“Even better!” Johanna echoed immediately, pointing her fork at him. “He would even wear a tie and a formal jacket, right, Haymitch?!”

It was true.

It was absolutely true.

Haymitch stared at her indignantly, running a hand over his face while everyone clearly continued enjoying themselves at his expense.

“Go to hell.”

“But you would,” Johanna insisted triumphantly.

Haymitch opened his mouth to protest.

Then stopped.

Because Effie had just taken his hand.

Immediately his gaze dropped toward her.

Effie slowly intertwined her fingers with his with that calm sweetness that always managed to dismantle him piece by piece.

“You’ll have the jacket,” she told him, looking straight into his eyes. “But you’re not obligated to wear it, since it’s late spring.”

Haymitch felt something immediately melt inside his chest.

“Same thing for the button,” she continued with a small smile. “You can leave it open, if you want.”

Silence.

Johanna slowly lowered her fork.

Peeta looked at Katniss as if he had just witnessed something deeply important.

Because that was the point.

Effie was extremely perfectionist, she had always been, but she had never tried to change him. 

Never.

She had never wanted to turn Haymitch into someone different.

She already loved him like this.

With his messy hair. With his horrible poorly worn shirts.

With his rough and questionable manners and worn-out hands.

And Haymitch felt it again all at once, the sweet and devastating weight of being completely accepted by someone again.

He looked at her for a few seconds, but she still wasn’t finished speaking.

“The tie is out of the question: I gave up thirty years ago on making you wear it.”

Haymitch then lowered his eyes to their intertwined fingers.

To the ring.

To her still smiling in that bright way.

And inevitably his face softened again.

Then he leaned slightly toward her.

“Sunshine,” he murmured, with that hoarse voice he only used in the most sincere moments, “you’re making it very difficult for me to keep being grumpy.”

Effie nodded, aware. “I’ve definitely gotten used to it.”

Johanna dropped her head onto the table with an exasperated groan. “No, enough, I’ve changed my mind. I can’t survive this amount of romance.”

Annie laughed softly beside her. “I can.”

“Then it’s over,” the girl declared dramatically. “We’re not going to survive anymore.”

“Never been so happy to see someone completely lose their mind,” Peeta murmured.

Haymitch slowly lifted his eyes toward them and shrugged with absolute resignation.

“Yeah,” he simply said. “Guess I’m doomed.”

🪿🦋💍

The morning of the wedding arrived too quickly and at the same time seemed like it had been waiting for them forever.

District Twelve woke up bathed in bright light, with a clear sky and fresh air smelling of wet grass and wood. Everything seemed incredibly calm.

But inside the third house of the Victor’s Village, no one was.

Peeta had been awake since dawn.

He had checked the flowers three times. The table twice. A frankly offensive number of times the cake, even though there was no need.

He kept going back and forth with that nervous and happy energy he couldn’t hide at all.

Katniss watched him silently while he put on his good jacket with slightly trembling hands. Of course, everything had been sewn by Effie.

“Peeta.” she murmured, noting how extremely handsome he was.

“Hm?”

“You’ve already set everything up.”

“I know.”

“Then calm down.”

He stopped for a second. Then smiled slightly.

“I can’t,” he admitted. “Do you realize or not, that those two are finally about to make everything official?”

Katniss nodded slowly, pretending calm, but the small smile that appeared on her lips betrayed her immediately.

She was nervous too. Not in Peeta’s frantic way, who had to accompany Effie to Haymitch.

More… deeply.

Because Katniss too had to accompany Haymitch in his important moment.

Because seeing Haymitch reach that day felt almost unreal: he was really about to marry the woman he loved in front of all the people that truly mattered and also in memory of those who were no longer there.

Katniss couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“Do you think he’s doing okay?” Peeta asked, without specifying the subject.

“I’m going to see him after helping Effie,” she declared, aware that, fortunately, Haymitch was not alone at that moment.

Johanna, in fact, had decided to get ready and help the groom face the situation.

“If you faint, I swear I’ll never forget it.” She announced. 

Haymitch was sitting on the edge of the bed while trying unsuccessfully to straighten his shirt cuffs. He shot her an exasperated look: he didn’t feel like fainting, he rather needed to run, drink something, and see Effie again, since he had spent the previous two nights without sleeping with her.

He missed her.

He wanted to see her, admire her. He was extremely curious to know how she would dress, since he felt quite confident about that.

By now he was convinced that every dress sewn by Effie was a declaration of love, so comfortable they were.

“Thanks for the moral support.” He replied, finally standing up to put on his good shoes.

Johanna was impressed by how good he looked. He was incredible, with the rig clothes.

The shirt, which could seem white, on closer inspection was a pale barely noticeable blue.—The ideal color, to highlight the clear grey of his eyes.

The fabric looked soft, the vertical seams enhanced his slender figure.

The same went for the trousers. Haymitch hadn’t even needed a belt, since they fit perfectly on his hips and the fabric enhanced the length of his legs, making him seem even taller. The color, as Effie had already mentioned, was a deep elegant blue.

The jacket in matching tone lay nearby, still the subject of internal debate.

He had also done his part, to look his best. He had trimmed his beard, without shaving it completely because Effie liked it, and he had trimmed his hair, to make it decent.

“It’s my gift.” Jo replied ironically. But she hadn’t left his side for a single moment that morning. She kept him company, talking to stop him from thinking too much, reminding him of things he immediately forgot two seconds later.

“Breathe,” she reminded him at one point, seeing him stare into space.

“I’m breathing.”

“You look like you’re about to vomit.”

Haymitch snorted slightly. “I’ve got nothing to vomit.”

Johanna laughed loudly. “Oh, you’re really done for.”

“I am.”

“Come on, come eat something.”

“No way!”

“And what would Sae say, if she knew you hadn’t eaten?” Jo insisted.

“She’d understand!” Haymitch grumbled, putting his hands in his pockets, like he always did when he wasn’t sure of his own statements.

Jo was right: if Sae knew he was on an empty stomach, she would force him to eat even by force.

“You’re so nervous I could cook an egg in your palms,” the girl murmured.

“It’s the heat.”

“Yeah sure, the heat! Then come on, let’s get some air before the heat ruins your pretty figure—”

“Fuck off, Mason!”

“Now I recognize you, rascal that you are!”

Haymitch couldn’t help but smile and follow her outside, unaware that in the next house over, preparations continued without pause.

Effie was sitting in front of the mirror while Katniss slowly braided her hair.

The room smelled of powder, mint and fresh flowers. Daylight entered softly through the windows, illuminating the dress still hanging nearby.

Finn had spent practically the whole morning with her, a cheerful soul that calmed everyone else’s.

He had sat quietly beside her while Annie and Katniss prepared everything, asking nonstop questions and declaring at least five times that she was “the most beautiful matey in the world”.

Only when it was time to get dressed had Annie finally convinced him to leave the room to join Peeta outside.

Effie kept her hands tightly in her lap while Katniss worked on her hair with surprising concentration.

She was calm.

Or at least she was desperately trying to be.

But her heart was beating so fast she was afraid it could be heard in the whole room.

At one point she slightly raised her gaze toward Katniss through the mirror.

“Is he nervous?” She asked quietly.

Katniss couldn’t hold back a small smile.

“He can’t handle it,” she replied simply, remembering his expression while she passed in her elegant dress. Haymitch saw her and hadn’t spoken. He hadn’t said a word while Katniss watched him, and he watched her in disbelief. Johanna had stepped away, allowing them to hug in peace like father and daughter. “He’s waiting for you.”

And those words made something inside Effie break immediately.

Haymitch was already there.

Waiting for her.

As if he couldn’t wait to marry her. As if that moment mattered to him as much as it did to her.

Effie quickly lowered her eyes, moved beyond anything she could hide.

“Oh, man…” she whispered.

Katniss finished braiding her hair with delicate movements. Then she placed a hand on her shoulder.

“He’s happy,” she simply said. “You have no idea how much.”

And that was enough.

Later Annie helped Effie get dressed, with careful hands and already teary eyes.

The dress slipped onto her perfectly.

Elegant.

Radiant.

Simply Effie.

When she was finally ready, a nearly reverent silence fell in the room.

Annie brought a hand to her mouth.

Katniss blinked slowly.

Even Johanna, arriving at the doorway a few seconds later, was speechless for at least a minute.

“Okay,” she finally declared. “That man is not making it to tonight, I’m telling ya.”

Effie laughed softly, both emotional and terrified at the same time.

And when it was time to leave, Peeta came to her.

Elegant, visibly moved, with eyes full of that unwavering sweetness that now belonged only to him.

“Ready?” He asked, offering her his arm gallantly.

Effie nodded slowly and instinctively adjusted one of her hair strands.

“You’re wonderful.” Peeta assured her.

Effie smiled and hugged him without saying anything else.

The boy held her as tightly as he could, silently assuring her that he was there, he would be there for her, he would not leave her for a single moment, until she was reunited with her love.

“Let’s go,” he murmured after a long moment, securing Effie’s hold on his arm. “I can’t wait to see his face when he sees you.”

Effie nodded. “And mine when I see him, I suppose.”

“You can bet on it, Eff. We just want to see you both happy, today.”

“We will oblige, my dear.” She whispered, beginning to walk toward the exit of the house. “I already am.”

🪿🦋💍

The clearing behind the house had been slowly transformed, with days of silent work and hands that had built something simple but beautiful.

There was no luxury.

No extravagance.

Only love wherever you looked.

Some chairs had been carefully arranged on the grass, in irregular but harmonious rows, close enough to create intimacy and far enough apart to let that small corner of the world Haymitch had learned to call home.

Peeta had set everything up personally.

Katniss had helped without complaining.

Annie had woven pale ribbons through the low branches of the trees.

Even Johanna had hung colored lanterns without protesting too openly.

And on the grass, the flowers Haymitch had planted four years earlier, when Effie had arrived in Twelve, were growing lush.—Delicate patches of color crossed the green, barely moved by the spring wind.

Some were crooked. Others had grown too close together. None perfect.

Effie loved them anyway.

A long table had been set not far away, ready for the lunch that would follow the ceremony. Neat plates. Shiny glasses. Bread already covered with clean cloths.

And food. So much food.

Peeta had cooked enough to feed half the District.

But the most obvious thing, looking at that space, was something else.

There was room for everyone, even for those who were no longer there.

The right side of the improvised aisle had been left deliberately empty. No one had wanted to know why, but in that way, absence hurt less and simply sat beside them in the calm atmosphere.

The air itself seemed to have stopped, like in those suspended moments just before something enormous happens.

Haymitch was already there.

Standing in front of the small improvised altar among the flowers, his arms at his sides in a desperate attempt to look normal.

He wasn’t succeeding at all.

He kept breathing too shallowly, looking around without really seeing anything, clenching and unclenching his fingers as if he needed to constantly remind himself they were still attached to his hands.

Katniss was the closest to him, since she had accompanied him.

She would stay beside Haymitch until Effie arrived.

Annie, Johanna, and Finn were a little further away, standing in front of their seats.

Finn kept fidgeting constantly, unable to stay still for more than ten seconds at a time.

Annie kept fixing his hair with infinite gentleness. Johanna, instead, was watching Haymitch with the expression of someone witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime historical event.

“It’s really happening,” she murmured at one point.

“Apparently,” Haymitch replied out of breath.

Shortly after, Sae and Mae also arrived.

Mae was wearing an adorable light dress, carefully sewn by Effie in the previous weeks. The little girl held it up at the sides so she wouldn’t dirty it, visibly proud.

Sae, instead, had categorically refused any gift or attention, but had shown up with something infinitely more precious: an entire tea set that was practically indestructible, made from heavy metal and recycled cast iron.

“So at least you two won’t manage to break it,” she had declared with absolute seriousness.

And now she was already on her second handkerchief, since tears kept running down her face.

“Nothing has even happened yet,” Johanna pointed out.

“Oh, let me cry in peace,” Sae replied, wiping her nose. “I saw that boy be born… and walk and run, and smile.” She said, moved. “I saw his decline, the revolution, and then, despite every misfortune, taking his life back into his own hands. Now I’ll see him get married. I’m so happy for him!”

Haymitch immediately lowered his gaze to the grass.

Of course he had heard everything, and he was too emotional to respond.

He shifted his eyes toward the sunlight filtering through the trees in golden streaks.

And he… he looked almost unreal there.

Finally clean.

Dressed well.

In the clothes Effie had sewn for him, and with eyes full of hope.

Then he ran a nervous hand over the back of his neck and turned his attention back to his friends.

“How long is it taking?” He muttered quietly.

Katniss looked at him for a second and smiled. Then, without saying anything, she stepped closer and undid the first button of his shirt.

Haymitch immediately looked down at her.

“Breathe,” the girl simply said. “It would be terrible if you fainted right now.”

He let out a small incredulous laugh. “You too, teasing me.”

“Were you expecting something different?”

Haymitch was about to respond. He already felt better.

Katniss smiled again, satisfied, and stepped back just in time for him to see with his own eyes Haymitch’s gaze lift and get lost forever.

Effie was arriving.

On Peeta’s arm.

Slowly.

Among the flowers.

In the sudden silence of the entire clearing.

And for a moment, a brief, powerful moment, everyone seemed to forget how to breathe.

🪿🦋💍

Peeta slowed his pace slightly as the two of them finally emerged from the path leading from the house.

And the world seemed to stop.

The wind moved gently through the trees.

The leaves trembled softly.

Somewhere in the distance, the call of a bird could be heard.

But otherwise there was only silence.

Effie held one hand tightly around Peeta’s arm and the other gathered close to her chest, almost as if she were afraid her heart might truly escape her at any moment.

The dress moved slowly with her, the ivory fabric falling softly over her body, light as liquid silk under the lazy late-afternoon sun.

The small floral embroideries seemed alive in the natural light: thin green branches and flowers in shades of peach, blush pink, and pale gold crossed the bodice and flowed down the skirt with delicate grace.

It looked as if spring itself had settled onto her.

Each step made the embroidered details shimmer slightly.

Like dew on leaves, like light on petals.

Katniss had braided half of her hair, and the others fell elegantly over her bare shoulders, despite the scars, soft and neat.

Effie had always looked so radiant… but like this… 

There was nothing artificial left about her.

Nothing Capitol-perfect in that cold way.

She had instead tried to be as natural as possible. Even her makeup was just a delicate veil over already flawless skin.

And as she walked slowly beside Peeta, everyone simply stopped breathing.

Annie immediately brought both hands to her mouth.

Johanna widened her eyes without even trying to hide it.

Finn watched his aunt in awe, as if he had just seen a princess step out of a story.

Mae seemed to agree.

Even Sae stopped crying for a second.

“Sweet mercy…” she murmured under her breath.

Katniss turned automatically toward Haymitch.

And she knew immediately it was over.

Completely.

He didn’t even seem to be in the same reality as everyone else anymore.

His gaze had locked onto Effie the exact moment she appeared between the trees, and it hadn’t moved since.

He wasn’t blinking.

He wasn’t really breathing.

He could’t speak.

He looked at her like a man who had spent his entire life believing he didn’t deserve anything beautiful, and who now suddenly found himself in front of the greatest miracle of his existence.

Effie.

His Effie.

Haymitch felt something hit violently inside his chest.

Because yes, of course he knew she would be beautiful, he expected it. She had always been beautiful.

But this was different.

Effie looked happy.

And that was the most devastating thing of all.

Her eyes were already shining with held-back tears. Her cheeks were flushed. And that small trembling, disbelieving smile…

It was for him.

Only for him.

Haymitch vaguely realized someone beside him was saying something.

Maybe Katniss.

Maybe Johanna, fiddling with the camera behind them.

In any case, he didn’t understand a single word, because Effie was coming toward him.

Peeta felt the woman’s arm tremble slightly against his and gave her a gentle look.

“You okay?” He whispered softly.

Effie nodded immediately.

“No,” she then confessed with a small emotional laugh. “Oh dear… no.”

“Good.” Peeta smiled at once. “It’s absolutely right.”

And that almost made her cry for real.

When they looked forward again, Haymitch was still there.

Frozen.

Eyes completely lost in her.

Effie felt her heart skip.

Because she had never seen anyone look at her like that before, not in front of others, as if she were the most precious thing in the world.

Haymitch swallowed slowly as she came close enough for him to clearly see the embroidery on the dress, the tiny hand-stitched flowers.

And then he saw the detail that destroyed him completely.

The flowers on the dress.

They were his flowers.

The ones he had planted around the house without really knowing what he was doing.

The ones Effie had tended together with him.

The ones that had grown while they slowly learned to love each other.

“Oh, sunshine…” escaped him under his breath, completely breathless.

Effie heard it even from a distance.

And she smiled so brightly that Haymitch had to lower his gaze for a second just to avoid collapsing in front of everyone.

Katniss clearly saw him inhale shakily.

“Breathe,” she reminded quietly beside him.

Haymitch gave a small defeated laugh. “I can’t.”

And the rest of the world simply stopped existing as Peeta kept walking.

He accompanied Effie to the last steps in front of the improvised altar among the flowers.
 Then he slowed down.

Haymitch couldn’t stop looking at her.
 Effie, for her part, seemed to have completely forgotten that anyone else was there.

Peeta immediately smiled at their expressions.

“Oh,” he murmured softly. “We are in trouble!”

Effie laughed softly, already trembling with emotion.

When she finally let go of his arm, Haymitch moved toward her instinctively, as if pulled by something inevitable.

He immediately offered her his, and she accepted it far too quickly. Too desperately. As if they both needed to feel that the other was real, after only two days apart.

Only two!!

Effie instantly intertwined her fingers with his.

And for one long second it really seemed like both of them had completely forgotten about the ceremony.

It was incredible, how much beauty they radiated just by looking at each other.

Then Haymitch leaned slightly toward her.

Effie did the same instinctively, their foreheads almost touching and—

“Ehm ehm.”

Peeta cleared his throat loudly.

Jo, Annie, and Finn couldn’t hold back a collective laugh. Even Sae joined in.

Little Mae was in absolute awe. She had never seen two people show affection so openly.

Haymitch closed his eyes dramatically.

Effie herself bursted out laughing, hiding her face for a moment.

“Seriously?” Haymitch muttered without letting go of her hands.

“We’re all agreed we’re in the way,” Peeta replied with perfect dignity, finally taking his place in front of them. “And you two are making things very difficult.”

Johanna laughed so hard she had to bend forward.

Even Katniss was openly smiling now.

Haymitch snorted softly, but he was still looking at Effie like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

And Peeta saw it.

Everyone saw it.

So his smile softened slowly as he lowered his gaze for a moment, searching for the right words.

When he spoke again, his voice was calmer. 

“I don’t think there’s really a perfect way to celebrate something like this,” he said softly, looking at both of them. “Because some people… some people come to love each other after going through things no one should have to endure.”

Everything fell silent.

Only the wind kept moving softly through the flowers around them.

Peeta inhaled slowly.

“Before you two decide to run off together without waiting for the rest of the ceremony…”

The clearing laughed softly.

Effie covered her face in embarrassment.

Haymitch, however, didn’t look even slightly regretful.

“I’ve thought a lot about what to say today,” Peeta admitted. “And I think the truth is that no words can really explain what it means to see you here.”

The wind shifted the flowers around them.

Peeta lowered his gaze for a second, then smiled softly to himself.

He looked at Haymitch.

Then Effie.

And his smile grew bigger, more real.

“When I was younger,” he said softly, “I thought love was something enormous. Something that could save you instantly. Change everything at once.”

Katniss slowly looked up at him.

“In some ways it is,” Peeta continued, glancing back at her. “But then our lives changed. And I think none of us really knew what to do with the future for a long time.”

Katniss felt her chest tighten immediately.

“We learned to survive, unwillingly. To endure. To not die one day after another.”

The wind gently moved Effie’s hair.

Peeta’s gaze lifted toward Haymitch.

“But Haymitch…” he said softly, almost in disbelief himself, “you were the second person I ever saw survive in my life. Even though I didn’t know your story. Even though at first I couldn’t understand you.”

Haymitch immediately lowered his eyes.

“I learned how to survive myself by watching you. In a way you helped me… because even though you did everything to destroy yourself, even though you wanted to be selfish and die, you never gave up. Even when you were tired. Even when you were angry at the world. Even when you were depressed and drunk and a complete asshole, and the only thing you wanted was to be alone and disappear… you fought.” Peeta smiled faintly.“You saved the life of the woman I love. And I don’t think I’ll ever be grateful enough for that.”

Katniss looked down, quickly wiping her face.

“And then you helped me.” Peeta continued. “With the nightmares. With the breakdowns. With the days when I couldn’t tell what was real anymore.” His voice cracked slightly. “Not once did you step away.”

Haymitch shook his head immediately, as if trying to reject the words before hearing them.

But his eyes were already dangerously bright.

“You keep thinking you were just a broken man,” Peeta murmured. “But that’s not what you were to us.”

Haymitch inhaled shakily.

“To me…” Peeta lowered his voice. “You were proof that a person can keep living even after the world takes everything from you.”

No one in the clearing could speak anymore.

Even Johanna had stopped hiding her tears and stopped hiding behind the camera.

Annie was openly crying now.

Sae pressed a hand over her mouth.

Peeta gave a small trembling smile.

“And I know no one here can really contradict me…” he said softly. “But even those who aren’t here…”

Haymitch slowly lifted his eyes toward the empty chairs.

“…you have no idea how proud they would be of you.”

The silence that followed was almost unbearable.

Haymitch felt something slowly break inside his chest.

His Ma and Pa.

His brother.

His sisters.

The girl he had loved when he was young.

His doves. 

All the ghosts he had carried for half his life suddenly felt closer, and for the first time they didn’t feel like they were looking at him with sadness.

Effie immediately tightened her grip on his hand.

Haymitch lowered his head for a moment, unable to speak.

Then Peeta looked toward the bride.

“And then she came. Effie.”

And everyone somehow smiled again.

“Effie has been something rare, we can all agree on that.”

A murmur of agreement rose among the small company, which Haymitch quickly joined, making Effie laugh through her tears.

“Because she, coming from a completely different world, became the figure we never thought we could rely on, but she was also more than that: a friend in the most unlikely suffering,” Peeta nodded toward Jo and Annie. “A mother to me. A big sister to my wife. A wonderful aunt to Finn, isn’t that right?”

“Auntie Effie!!” The boy confirmed immediately, completely undoing her.

“A tremendous support for Mae,” Peeta continued, making Effie look at the little girl who was now mouthing her name, moving Sae to tears again. “And above all, this woman is the reason Haymitch is still here.”

At those words, Effie lowered her head. But Haymitch didn’t let her.

He told her Peeta was right, without using words. With his eyes, as always.

And Effie had never been able to resist believing them.

“That was when I learned something else about love. Love doesn’t revolutionize, not immediately. It doesn’t try to save you by forcing you to become someone else… sometimes it simply stays.”

Effie closed her eyes for a second.

Haymitch immediately squeezed her hands.

Peeta smiled even more at them.

“And the extraordinary thing is that despite coming from such a different world, Effie chose to build a home with us and with the man she loves.”

Effie looked up at Peeta.

“And thank goodness she did, because frankly I don’t think this fool here would ever have managed to feel at home anywhere… if you hadn’t been there.”

Silence.

Sae was blowing her nose now.

Annie had her face buried in Johanna’s shoulder.

Even Katniss had moved slightly closer, as if the words were sinking under her skin.

Peeta let a few seconds pass.

Then he smiled again, bright.

“The love between you two wasn’t fast.”

Haymitch let out a small laugh through his nose.

“You don’t say!”

Annie, Jo, and Katniss laughed.

But Peeta continued. “It was chosen. Again and again.”

He looked at their intertwined hands.

“On difficult days. In silence. Despite your fears. In the worst versions of yourselves.”

His eyes returned to Haymitch.

“And I think that’s the kind of love that truly lasts.”

Effie was now wiping her tears with no hope of stopping them.

Peeta inhaled slowly.

“Not in grand gestures,” he continued. “Not in perfect promises. But in staying. In truly knowing each other. In continuing to say: I am still here.”

The silence in the clearing became almost sacred.

“And I think…” Peeta inhaled carefully, holding back emotion, “after everything you’ve lost… seeing you two find each other like this is one of the most beautiful things that has ever happened in this District.”

Haymitch swallowed.

Effie was now deliberately crying.

Peeta smiled faintly.

“So today I won’t wish you a perfect life,” he said softly. “Because life never is.”

He looked at them with wet eyes.

“And I’m not celebrating two perfect people,” he goes on. “I’m celebrating two people who kept choosing each other even when it would have been easier to stop believing.”

The sun slowly passed through the trees above them.

And Haymitch kept looking at Effie as if everything else had disappeared.

“And personally,” Peeta concluded with a small emotional laugh, “I don’t think anyone has ever looked at someone the way Haymitch looks at Effie.”

Johanna made an immediate choked sound.

Katniss lowered her head, smiling.

Effie laughed through tears.

Haymitch looked completely defenseless now.

Peeta softened even more.

“So this is all I really want to say.”

He looked at both of them.

“I wish you to keep looking at each other like this even when you are old. To keep choosing each other in easy days and impossible ones.”

He paused slightly.

“And I wish you never forget one thing.”

Haymitch slowly lifted his eyes toward him.

Effie nodded in silence.

“That being loved like this… is already a kind of miracle.”

For a moment there was again only the gentle wind.

Held-back tears.

Clasped hands.

Then Peeta inhaled softly.

“Haymitch,” he said calmly. “You first.”

🪿🦋💍

Haymitch looked sincerely terrified by the idea.

Johanna saw him stiffen immediately.

Katniss smiled when, instead, he nodded.

He truly had nothing to fear.

Haymitch let out a slow breath. He stepped slightly closer to her, placed a hand beneath her face, caressing her cheek with his thumb so she would never stop looking at him.

You… he told her with his eyes. You came into my life when I had already decided there would never be anything beautiful left for me.

Effie understood. And she felt her heart break softly inside her chest.

I wasn’t really living anymore, he continued. I was only waiting for my time to pass.

Effie’s fingers trembled in his.

And then you arrived.

Haymitch smiled faintly, still incredulous even now.

With all your habits. All your colors. All that damn lavender perfume everywhere.

Effie laughed through tears.

And I thought at some point you would run away, even though selfishly I didn’t want you to. He shook his head slowly. I thought sooner or later you’d realize I was too tired. Too broken. Too difficult to love.

The silence around them became devastating.

But Haymitch kept speaking to her with his eyes.

Instead you stayed. He caressed her cheek again. You stayed when I was unbearable. When I was angry. When I was afraid. And little by little…Haymitch smiled, his eyes already shining. …you made me want to still be here.

Effie brought a hand to her mouth, stifling a sob.

Haymitch pulled her against him in an embrace, certain she had understood every single thing.

“I don’t know if there’s anything after this life,” he whispered, so only she could hear. “I really don’t know. But if there is… then I only hope I find you there too.”

Effie closed her eyes for a second, trying uselessly to breathe normally.

Haymitch pulled back, allowing her to recover her breath.

Then she looked into his eyes, and with hers began speaking to him in return.

“Haymitch…”

He immediately lifted his eyes toward her.

Effie smiled through tears.

You keep talking about yourself as if you were difficult to love.—She slowly shook her head and brushed his face with infinite delicacy.—You were not the easiest thing in the world, but it was harder not to love you.

Haymitch stopped breathing entirely.

I loved you the first time I truly saw you smile, she confessed softly, always with her eyes. And I loved you even more when I realized how much effort it cost you.

Effie looked at him as if she were looking at home.

I loved you on the good days, she continued. But above all on the terrible days. In the silences. In the nightmares. In the moments you thought you had to hide from me.

Haymitch lowered his head for a second, destroyed by emotion.

Effie took his face in her hands.

“Listen to me carefully,” she whispered, so only he could hear.

He immediately looked back at her.

“You are not too broken.” Her voice trembled completely. “And there was never a single moment when I wanted someone else.”

Haymitch closed his eyes as if those words almost hurt. Effie smiled through tears.

“You are my home,” she said softly. “Not the Capitol. Not the past. Not any other place.”

She stroked his cheek with her thumb.

“You.” Effie smiled softly. “Only you.”

“Beautiful speeches, guys!” Johanna suddenly interrupted, causing general laughter. They didn’t heard a single word.

“Careful, I saw you!” Haymitch replied, shooting her a sideways glance for a moment.

Even Effie had seen her wiping away tears.

Johanna Mason, for once, had nothing to argue about. She was simply smiling.

Even Peeta laughed briefly.

“But before I have the honor and privilege of declaring you husband and wife, there’s one last thing that needs to be done.”

Silence fell again.

Peeta looked at Effie, giving her a quiet nod.

“It’s time.”

Haymitch looked at both of them, confused. He glanced around until he saw Finn stepping forward with his toothy smile and a closed fist.

When he reached the bride, the child opened his palm and Effie took what rested there.

Then she gave him a caress in thanks and Finn immediately returned to Annie.

Haymitch looked more confused than ever. He glanced briefly toward Katniss, who was doing everything she could to hold back tears.

When he looked back at Effie, Haymitch noticed that even though the vows were over, she was still very—very emotional.

“Your hand,” she told him quietly.

And Haymitch offered her his right one, believing she needed it to steady herself, but Effie was steadier than ever.

“The other one, Haymitch,” she declared, smiling sweetly again.

“Sorry,” he muttered, almost completely unaware that the other ring Effie held was for him.

He realized it when she gently turned the palm of his left hand downward, so she could proceed properly.—Exactly as he had done with her at the lake.

At that point, the realization hit Haymitch harder than a blow to the head.

She was marrying him.

Effie Trinket was choosing to marry him, exactly as he had chosen her.

When the gold band was slid onto his ring finger, Haymitch heard only the pounding of his own heart in his ears, the metal surrounding his left ring finger, but his eyes… his eyes were not on the ring. They were only on her.

He was hers.

And he always would be.

Effie found his gaze on her and blushed for what felt like the hundredth time that day, because she too was getting lost in his eyes.

When Haymitch brought the knuckles of Effie’s left hand to his lips, confirming that she too was now his, Effie nearly burst into tears again.

“… and now,” Peeta announced, “we finally come to the last act: Haymitch, you may kiss your wif—ah, never mind.”

Without waiting for permission, Haymitch had pulled Effie toward him with one hand firm on her waist and the other still intertwined with hers, the one wearing the freshly placed wedding band. Effie let out a small surprised sound before he kissed her.

And it was not a timid kiss.

Not after everything they had gone through.

It was intense, warm, impatient. His lips sought Effie’s with hunger but without brutality; there was devotion inside that grip, an almost desperate tenderness.

At first Effie stayed still in surprise, her fingers instinctively clutching his shirt. Then she completely melted against him, tilting her face slightly to return the kiss with the same intensity. Her eyelashes trembled, and she was clearly smiling against his mouth between breaths, overwhelmed with happiness.

“And you call that a kiss?!” Katniss commented loudly, making Haymitch laugh.

He remembered that words. It was the same thing he had written to her the first time she kissed Peeta inside the arena.

He would never have expected Katniss to get him back for it, but Haymitch had absolutely no intention of backing down.

When he deepened the kiss slightly, an immediate chorus of reactions rose from the clearing.

“Well, finally,” Katniss replied, shaking her head with an incredulous half-smile.

Someone applauded, probably Mae, while little Finn whistled loudly enough to make Effie blush even harder and Greasy Sae discreetly wiped her eyes, muttering something about how “it was about time.”

But Haymitch didn’t seem to hear any of it.

Effie’s hands slowly rose to the collar of his shirt, almost as if to make sure he was really there. Haymitch pulled away from her just enough to rest his forehead against hers, both of them breathless.

“You’re crazy,” she whispered in a trembling voice.

One corner of Haymitch’s mouth lifted into the sincerest smile anyone there had ever seen on his face, at least that day.

“And what about you?”

Effie let out a muffled, incredulous laugh, still too close to him to truly look at him without losing her train of thought. Her fingers tightened again in the fabric of Haymitch’s shirt as she shook her head slightly.

“I probably should have realized sooner,” she murmured ironically, her eyes bright and full of affection. “There were… quite a few clues.”

Haymitch huffed a low laugh against her lips, that rare rough laugh that seemed to belong only to her.

“Yeah? Like what?”

Effie slightly raised an eyebrow, briefly recovering her usual theatricality despite her flushed cheeks.

“Let’s see… the questionable manners. The terrible temper. The repeated habit of showing me your affection in front of an entire audience without any self-restraint.”

“Ah.” Haymitch nodded with fake seriousness, vaguely remembering when he had hugged her on the day of Katniss and Peeta’s reaping. “That last one should’ve warned you.”

His fingers rose to tuck a blonde strand behind her ear with a delicacy completely at odds with his teasing tone. And that was exactly what made Effie falter again.

Because Haymitch was looking at her as if he still couldn’t believe any of this was real.
 As if he expected everything to disappear at any moment.

Effie’s amused expression immediately softened.

“Hey,” she whispered.

Haymitch blinked once.

She took his face in her hands without caring in the slightest who was watching around them.

“I’m here,” she said simply. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

For a moment Haymitch didn’t answer. His throat moved slightly as he tried to hold back something too big to hide behind a joke.

Then he tilted his head just enough to slowly kiss the palm of her left hand, right above the ring, and pulled her close to him again, as if he needed her in order to breathe himself.

And this time, when Effie heard the applause and amused whistles of the guests, she didn’t blush at all.

Because the only thing she cared about was him.

🪿🦋💍

The kiss had left everyone wrapped in a kind of disarming warmth.

Even after pulling apart, Haymitch and Effie seemed incapable of truly moving away from each other. They kept brushing against one another as if they needed constant reassurance: a hand at the small of the back, fingers intertwined, small incredulous smiles appearing without warning between the laughter of the only two children there, who had immediately run over to hug them.

“Finny!!” Annie exclaimed good-naturedly. “Leave uncle Mitch alone for one moment!”

“The same goes for you, Mae!!” Sae echoed. “It’s still too early for congratulations!”

The two children did not move an inch. It was painfully obvious they were not going to leave them alone until the wedding was over.

And before the newlyweds could assure everyone they were not bothered in the slightest, a small noise began to cut through the conversations and laughter.

It was indignant honking. Sharp. Multiple.

Effie was the first to hear it.

A chorus of tiny outraged honks making its way through the guests’ laughter.

She frowned slightly and turned toward the path leading to the meadow behind the house.

“… Haymitch?”

He was still far too busy looking at her to understand immediately.

“Mmh?”

Effie gestured elegantly beyond them with her free hand.

“We have more guests.”

Haymitch followed the direction of her gaze and froze completely for a second.

Cornelia and Peanut were marching across the meadow with the triumphant air of a royal couple deliberately arriving late to make an entrance. And even better than that: behind them stumbled a chaotic line of seven tiny yellow-and-brown chicks, still fluffy from the egg, chirping nonstop as they struggled to keep up.

For a moment nobody said anything.

Then Johanna burst out laughing so hard she doubled over, snapping yet another picture. 

“This is incredible,” she commented, amused.

Peeta covered his mouth with one hand, stunned. “I can’t believe they actually waited until today.”

Effie let out a high-pitched sound of pure wonder, automatically squeezing Haymitch’s hand.

“The little ones were born!”

Haymitch blinked a couple of times, still incredulous, while Cornelia marched forward proudly as though formally demanding everyone’s attention.

“… fantastic,” he muttered at last. “Now it’s turned into a family ceremony.”

The laughter immediately grew louder.

But despite the ironic tone, the smile appearing on Haymitch’s face was far too tender to hide. Without letting go of Effie’s hand, he pulled her along toward the tiny feathered procession.

“Excuse me,” he told the guests. “I need to go meet my new children.”

“HAYMITCH!” Katniss protested.

“What? Sweetheart, look how they follow me! It’s genetics.”

Meanwhile, one of the chicks tripped in the grass and Effie immediately bent down to pick it up with both hands, extremely careful not to hurt it. The tiny thing chirped indignantly while Cornelia observed the scene with stern approval.

Haymitch looked at her and something in his expression completely melted away: Effie with a chick in her hands, a wedding band on her finger, and cheeks flushed with happiness was probably the most dangerous sight he had ever seen in his life.

“Nope,” she warned him immediately, recognizing that expression.

“I didn’t say anything.”

“You’re thinking it too loudly.”

“Yeah, well, prove me wrong.” Haymitch shrugged. “I haven’t seen you in forever.”

“We haven’t seen each other for two days!”

“Exactly!”

Effie gently set the chick back down.

“Don’t put them in the pen, at least not today,” she said, watching the little chicks wobble toward their parents and then back toward Haymitch before turning around again. “Let the children enjoy them,” she proposed, noticing Finn and Mae holding hands.

Finn was trying to convince the little girl to get closer to the newcomers. It did not take long before she managed to grow comfortable around Peanut.

“If you’re asking me, I might even leave them out for today,” Haymitch finally relented. “But don’t come crying to me if Cornelia catches your dress!”

Effie stood up again. “That is exactly what I intend to do instead!”

“Moody woman,” he replied, his eyes bright with wonder.

“Stubborn man!” She shot back, with so much love in her voice that the insult sounded like a compliment.

“You can say that again!”

It was Peeta—blessed Peeta—who saved them both from continuing that conversation in front of everyone and probably stopped Haymitch from grabbing Effie and kissing her breathless all over again.

“Alright, lovebirds,” he announced, clapping his hands once. “The chicks have arrived, the sun is setting, and I’ve been cooking for eight hours. It’s time to eat before everything gets ruined.”

At that statement the entire group immediately moved toward the tables set beneath the warm lights hanging through the trees.

The air smelled of freshly baked bread, perfectly cooked meat, herbs, and honey.

Haymitch was about to sit beside Effie when he noticed Greasy Sae pulling yet another handkerchief from her bag and hiding it away again—she was preparing to leave.

“Hey,” he said immediately, walking over. “You don’t have to run off so fast.”

“Somebody still has to keep that hole of the Hob running,” Sae replied in her rough tone, though her eyes betrayed emotion. “People don’t stop being hungry just because you got married, my boy.”

Haymitch let out a nasal laugh. “Unfortunately.”

Sae then turned toward Effie.

For a moment she observed her in silence, as though wanting to imprint the image into memory: wind-tousled hair, the magnificent dress, the shining wedding band on her finger, and that happy smile she could no longer contain.

“You did something important today, girl,” she finally said simply. “You didn’t just marry him.”

Effie blinked slowly.

“You gave him somewhere to come back to.” Sae tilted her chin slightly toward Haymitch. “A real one. That doesn’t happen often for people like us.”

Effie’s eyes immediately filled with tears. “I’ll take care of him,” she promised softly.

“I know.”

Then Sae moved in front of Haymitch.

He no longer tried convincing her to stay. They had known each other too long for him to ignore the fact that the Hob truly needed her there.

Still, he took one of her weathered hands between his and squeezed it tightly.

“Thank you,” he said simply. And in that rough voice there was far more than he could express. “For today. For everything.”

Sae gave him a small rough pat on the arm, almost annoyed by the emotion.

“Don’t talk nonsense,” the old woman replied. “And listen to me: I firmly believe your parents’ marriage would’ve survived to this day. So I want to give you the same advice I gave them, even though they’d already figured it out on their own: don’t disappear if or when things become difficult.” Her gaze briefly shifted toward Effie. “Talk. To your wife. Even when you’d rather not. Even when it feels useless or when you think she’s impossible to understand.”

Haymitch lowered his eyes for a moment, then nodded slowly.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And eat something decent at least once a day. Effie seems stubborn enough to make that happen.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Effie intervened, discreetly drying her eyes.

Sae snorted. “It is.”

Behind her, Mae was hovering around Annie and Johanna, who had promised to take her back to the Hob later after dinner.

Only once she was certain her granddaughter was settled did Sae finally decide to leave.

She walked away along the path without looking back too often, because some emotions were easier to endure from a distance.

Haymitch stood watching her disappear into the twilight for a few seconds.

Then he felt Effie’s hand intertwine with his.

And for what felt like the thousandth time in his life, when he turned toward a table that was waiting for him… it truly felt like the fulfillment of a dream.

🪿🦋💍

Celebration carried on slowly, with that rare lightness that only comes after crying so much.

The tension that had built up over the previous days had finally dissolved, leaving room for something warm, alive, deeply familiar.

The chairs had been moved around.

Laughter now overlapped with the song of insects and the evening wind.

And Mae and Finn had completely forgotten that dinner even existed.

“Finnny,” Annie sighed for what had to be at least the tenth time. “Sweetheart, you need to come eat something.”

“No no.”

The little boy was crouched in the grass beside Mae, completely absorbed by the tiny chicks pecking peacefully nearby.

Mae nodded seriously beside him. 

“Working.” She mouthed.

“On what?” Johanna asked, exasperated.

“On them,” Finn explained as if it were obvious.

Annie dragged a hand down her face.

Johanna rolled her eyes.

It was Haymitch who snorted a laugh and walked over first. 

“Okay, enough.”

Effie followed immediately, laughing softly.

“Come here, troublemaker,” Haymitch muttered, bending down toward Finn.

The child protested instantly as he was lifted straight off the ground. “Uncle Mitch!” 

“Too bad.”

At the same time Effie picked Mae up with automatic gentleness, settling her against her hip as though she had done it forever.

“Come on, little girl,” she said sweetly. “You absolutely need food.”

Mae let herself be carried without much protest.

With Effie, that happened often.

Eventually the newlyweds managed to sit back down at the table with one child each and the nearly impossible task of making them eat.

Finn, however, suddenly stopped squirming when Haymitch handed him the first course.

He stared at him seriously for a few seconds.

Then he threw his arms around his neck so hard he nearly choked him.

Haymitch’s eyes widened slightly.

“Woah there—”

“You kept promises,” Finn murmured against his shoulder.

Haymitch froze for a second.

Then slowly lowered his gaze to the little boy clinging to him.

The promise.

That he would marry Effie. That he would make her happy.

“Yeah, kid,” he whispered softly, stroking his red hair. “Now I must kept the other one, right?”

”Yep!!” Said Finn, placing a finger in front of his mouth and looking at Effie, sitting beside him with Mae in her lap, watched them for a moment with eyes full of love.

She didn’t heard their conversation, because she was alwaredy talking with Mae.  

“…frog on Hazelle…”

The little girl’s voice was small. Trembling. Almost a whisper.

But Effie always understood her.

Always.

“Oh dear,” she murmured immediately with complete attention, as though she were listening to the most important story in the world. “Really?”

Mae nodded eagerly. 

“She screamed.”

Effie widened her eyes theatrically. 

“What a scandal!” 

“He laughed,” the little girl finished, pointing at Haymitch. “Loud.”

“Well don’t tell me!” Effie replied.

Mae giggled softly, hiding against her.

A little farther away, Peeta caught Katniss completely lost in her thoughts while watching the scene.

He walked over to her, pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

“You okay, love?”

Katniss nodded slightly without taking her eyes off Haymitch and Effie with the children in their arms.

“You were amazing earlier. You almost made me cry.”

Peeta nodded softly. He had seen her. And he was sure that wasn’t the problem.

Then Katniss sighed, finally letting the thought free.

“Prim would’ve loved all this.” She lowered her gaze slightly. “She would’ve liked the chicks. And Effie. And the dress. And the cake. She’d probably already have been crying for half an hour.”

Peeta smiled gently.

“She probably would’ve convinced Buttercup to dress elegantly too.”

Katniss snorted softly.

“Impossible.”

“For Prim? I don’t think so.”

Katniss leaned lightly against him.

“She would’ve liked seeing Haymitch like this,” she whispered.

Peeta followed her gaze toward Haymitch, who was pretending to feed Finn while actually eating half the bread himself.

And he smiled softly.

“Yeah,” he murmured quietly. “I think so too.”

Under the table, meanwhile, Annie was passing leftover pieces of bread to the geese to keep them calm.

To everyone’s enormous surprise, Cornelia seemed to have decided to adopt her immediately.

“How do you do that?!” Johanna protested when she saw the animal allowing itself to be petted. “That beast hates everyone except Haymitch!”

Annie laughed softly while Cornelia practically curled up beside her feet.

“Maybe she senses that I’m harmless.”

“Or maybe you’re both psychopaths,” Johanna commented keeping take photographs nonstop with the camera she had found in Haymitch’s house.

She had spotted it displayed on a shelf the night of the proposal and had automatically decided it would belong to her for the entire wedding day.

Click.
Click.
Click.

“Johanna,” Katniss laughed. “Stop photographing Haymitch while he drinks lemonade.”

“Why?”

Click.

“I did incredible work with the kiss.”

Haymitch didn’t even notice.

He and Effie were far too busy desperately trying to eat something themselves.—Mission nearly impossible: more than hunger, they were thirsty.

In the end they finished an entire bottle of fresh lemonade by themselves between laughter and clumsy attempts to remember to feed each other too.

“Sunshine,” Haymitch muttered after yet another sip. “I think I got married dehydrated.”

Effie laughed so hard she nearly spilled her glass all over him.

But the moment that left everyone speechless came when Peeta finally disappeared into the house and reemerged carrying the cake.

A stunned silence immediately spread across the table.

It was enormous.

Three soft cream-colored tiers decorated with sugar flowers so realistic they looked freshly picked from the garden. Pale roses, primroses, tiny blue flowers, and delicate golden details climbed all along the surface.

At the top, instead of the usual decorations, Peeta had sculpted two little sugar geese sitting beside each other.

Effie pressed both hands to her mouth.

“Oh my goodness…”

Haymitch stared at the cake in outrage. “Kid, what the hell.”

Peeta was practically glowing with pride.

“Wait until you taste it.”

Inside it was even better.

The sponge cake was impossibly light.

Honey cream that Effie adored and vanilla.

Fresh strawberries.

Delicate citrus that Haymitch loved.

Perfect.

Perfectly Peeta.

Perfectly home.

Even Haymitch fell silent after the first bite.

Johanna stared at him in shock. 

“Is it that good?”

Haymitch pointed at the cake speechlessly and kept eating.

That alone was enough to make everyone burst out laughing.

The celebration lasted until late.

Until the sky became truly dark and the stars began disappearing behind swollen rain clouds, until the wind turned cooler and the children slowly started collapsing from sleepiness.

It took a while to put everything away: the geese back into their pen, the dishes carried inside however they could manage, leftovers shoved into the refrigerator, glasses piled into the sink with the vague promise of washing them the next day.

And just as the last sunlight disappeared completely, tiny golden lights began appearing across the grass and among the trees, floating slowly through the warm night.

Fireflies.

Effie stopped in her chair to watch them with her usual silent wonder. By now it had become tradition for her and Haymitch to sit on the porch watching them for a while, until the glow became hypnotic and they absolutely had to go to sleep.

Haymitch had treasured every single moment in his heart, just as he remembered the first time it had happened and she had fallen peacefully asleep on the blanket beside him.

Effie smiled, not remotely surprised to see him following them with his eyes… it was absurd how naturally he was drawn to light, no matter what kind it was.

He still had his glass in hand, forgotten halfway to his lips, too busy watching the lights in the garden brushing the nighttime grass and making the new wedding band shine on his finger.

He was trying desperately to focus on anything that wasn’t the woman beside him, or he wouldn’t have been able to contain himself.

Effie understood.

She lowered her gaze briefly to that hand, then looked back at him.

And something in her expression changed.

She moved closer to him.

Haymitch stopped breathing when he felt her fingers slowly slide along his wrist and his hand tightened around the glass, making it perfectly clear how thoroughly that simple closeness and her perfume had destroyed every rational thought he possessed.

“Loosen my corset,” she whispered then. “Leave the drink.”

Goodness, he was completely doomed. 

If she wanted to kill him on the very day of their wedding, she was succeeding beautifully.

He slammed the glass onto the table with a sharp thud. Slipped one arm beneath her knees and the other around her back, then stood abruptly, lifting her off the ground with ridiculous ease.

Chaos exploded around them.

Johanna shouted something absolutely obscene while carefully covering Mae’s ears, asleep in Katniss’s arms. Finn woke back up and started laughing. Peeta covered his face with both hands while Katniss shook her head with the expression of someone who had expected exactly this turn of events.

Effie hid her face against Haymitch’s neck, laughing without truly managing to feel embarrassed.

He, meanwhile, did not seem remotely interested in the audience.

He crossed the garden with determined strides, holding her tightly against his chest as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Every so often Effie could feel his smile against her hair, hear the low sound of his rough laughter while Jo shouted increasingly terrible comments from somewhere far behind them.

When they reached the porch, he slowed.

Haymitch looked into Effie’s eyes for a moment without stopping walking. The front door was cracked open just enough to be annoying.

“You ready?” He asked.

“For what—”

With a sharp kick he threw the door wide open, sending it slamming into the wall with a deafening bang.

A chorus of scandalized shrieks and applause rose from the garden.

“Oh my!” Effie laughed. “Haymitch!”

“What?!” He shot back. “I wanted a memorable exit too, for once! You can’t be the only one who gets to do that!”

Effie burst into laughter so hard she had to bury her face against his shoulder to recover. “You truly are unbelievable,” she replied. She had never done anything like that before now!

“Nah,” he answered, setting her down just inside the house but not truly letting her go. His hands stayed firm on her hips while Effie unsuccessfully tried regaining her breath through laughter. “Are you happy?” He asked suddenly, vaguely noticing that around them the house smelled like wood and the warmth inside had to be from the lit fireplace.

Effie, meanwhile, had noticed only the question.

She nearly started crying again.

She was more than happy.

She felt so happy in a way she never had before.

“I’m blessed!” She whispered.

“Good.” Haymitch leaned slowly toward her, forehead against hers, warm breath brushing her soft lips. “Then repeat that part about the corset nice and slow.”

“Loosen it.” She murmured, so sweetly and dangerously that something twisted hard in Haymitch’s stomach.

He closed his eyes for a moment, forehead still resting against hers, as though he were desperately trying to maintain even the slightest amount of control.

She brushed her nose lightly against his, amused by how quickly this man—always sarcastic, always ready to hide behind a joke—became suddenly vulnerable whenever it came to her.

He had wanted to make sure she was truly okay before doing anything.

And that answer was the only confirmation he needed. 

For once, he locked the door.

Then he cupped Effie’s face in his hands and kissed her, careful not to let her hit her head against the wood.
 Effie answered urgently, molding herself against the door and clutching at his shoulders.

“How I missed you,” she said, while he kissed along her neck and then came back up to kiss her again, until she was breathless.

He had missed her too. He had stayed patient the entire time, when in reality the anticipation had been killing him. His scar had bothered him terribly since the moment he woke up, making him more nervous than ever.—Or maybe it was the unbearable happiness that had driven him insane.

Haymitch couldn’t tell.

He was desperate for her, just as she was desperate for him. If they weren’t careful, they would end up having each other right there. Standing.

Against the door.

“Eff, wait,” he said roughly. “Need time—”

“For what?”

“… to talk. Have to tell ya something.”

There was one last thing he wanted to tell her that day, and then everything would be perfect.

“We’ll talk in the morning,” Effie answered.

“Your word.”

“You have it.”

“Fine.” Haymitch pecked her lips once more. “Upstairs?”

“No,” she said against his mouth. “Want you now.”

Haymitch lifted her again effortlessly. Effie didn’t realize where they were until she found her back against the cushioned seat of the sofa.

Thankfully it was wide enough for both of them, Haymitch thought, considering he had chosen it completely at random.

And above all, thank goodness someone had had the brilliant idea of lighting the fire in the fireplace.—Maybe it had been Peeta.—Either way, Haymitch was definitely indebted to him, since the ceremony had been perfect.

Because of that warmth, he felt less guilty while he attacked the laces of Effie’s corset and kissed every single strip of exposed skin, every freckle and beauty mark he came across on her pale skin.

As always, he started with the two on her neck, the ones he had realized he particularly adored and had found himself kissing more and more often, whether they were in bed or not.

He lifted the ridiculously light fabric of her undergown to devote himself to the mole just above her right breast and damn, he adored that one too.

Effie did him the favor of getting rid of the useless garment altogether, allowing him to move lower still, to reach the one above her ribs without interruption.

Just as he had expected, Effie began to blush, her eyes clouding over with something he still didn’t know how to define with words, but that he knew was for him and for him alone.

It took him a while to free her completely from the corset—the laces were even worse than buttons—but Effie let him do it, because she knew how immensely satisfying it was for Haymitch to undress her himself.

He, on the other hand, stayed dressed until she decided to take off his shirt, a care Effie had always needed, and he wanted her to always feel safe. It was always her choice whether to undress him or not.

Haymitch let her slide the dress off his legs, then returned to worship her.

He left a trail of kisses along her stomach, bit gently at one of her hips, making her laugh—a clear sign she was still relaxed—until he reached the last barrier separating him from her.

Effie removed the small piece of underwear and leaned up to kiss Haymitch again, brushing his scar delicately with the tips of her fingers.

Haymitch barely had time to loosen the button and zipper of his trousers to let her touch him, though there was hardly any need: he had wanted to make her his from the moment the ceremony ended.

The anticipation had done the rest, and it had been worth it, because now, finally, her hands were on him.

He caressed her hips as he settled himself between her glorious legs and brought one of her wrists to his lips. The anticipation had left Effie terribly frayed too by the way—she was already so wet for him it bordered on embarrassing… she truly wouldn’t have been able to wait until they made it upstairs.

Haymitch himself couldn’t resist any longer. He took her other hand, intertwined it with his, and while kissing her again finally pushed himself inside her.

“Heavens,” she said breathlessly. “It’s huge…”

Haymitch had never thought his size could be a problem until that exact moment. Effie had never complained about it before.

“Is it okay?” He asked, always terrified of hurting her.

“Of course, of course it is.” Effie leaned closer again to kiss his jawline, nearly driving him out of his mind too soon. “It feels good. You’re all good…”

Haymitch stayed still for one moment longer, just to make sure Effie was truly okay, to feel her against him and then allow himself to lose his mind. He knew it was only a matter of moments before she began to tense up from the ache. But if she was unbearably impatient, he, no matter how much he wanted her, disagreed.

He kissed her again, long, deep, and slow, taking her breath and her tongue.

Then he pulled back just enough to look at her, to admire her in the firelight: her hair was spread around her face, her cheeks flushed, and her lips even redder.

He coaxed her to open her eyes, caressing her face while trying to move just slightly.

Effie relaxed immediately beneath him. She was exactly where she wanted to be, exactly how she wanted to be.

Only then did Haymitch begin to move inside her with abandon, pinning her to the couch, giving her everything she wanted.

She’s my wife, he thought. He still couldn’t believe it. My wife…

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, searching for her eyes again. He needed them. He absolutely wanted to look at her. “You’re unreal. I tried to tell you since I saw you this morning and the first time I saw you but—”

Effie realized it and tried not to close her eyes. “You are too…” she said. “The most beautiful man I’ve ever seen,” she added.

She caressed his hair and kissed his cheeks, matching him thrust for thrust, until the control he tried to impose on himself every time finally gave out and she began desperately trying to get even closer to him.

As if that were even possible—but she needed it.

“I love you,” she declared softly, even at the risk of sounding hopeless… but now he was her husband. And she could do it. She could tell him as many times as she wanted. “I love you so much… more than anything. Only you.”

Haymitch nearly burst into tears. He wrapped one arm protectively around her waist, lifting her hips so he could reach even deeper.

He kissed her neck, bit it gently, then returned to her lips again, hearing her moans grow prettier and prettier while her hands wandered across his back in search of something to hold onto.

God, he loved when that happened. When Effie clung to him: she was always careful not to leave scratches on his skin, and she stroked his hair without ever pulling it, always gentle no matter how hard they were making love.

It was one of those thousand little attentions she gave him that drove him completely insane.

He simply loved her touch on him and… he loved her. He loved being inside her and feeling her around him, hearing her breathe, then hold her breath, holding onto her and watching her come apart while looking him in the eyes.

But Haymitch had other plans for that moment. Somehow, without knowing how, he noticed Effie’s right leg had begun trembling against his side. Probably, after a while, that position wasn’t ideal for her anymore. There wasn’t pillows to support.

So he let go of her waist. He slid his hand beneath her knee, supporting it himself and lifting it so Effie could relax again, and it turned out to be the best thing he could have done: the new angle allowed him to go even deeper.

Effie muffled a cry; now she saw stars every time Haymitch thrust into her.

Finally she felt him so close it nearly made her cry. If she hadn’t been so dazed, she probably would have… she was completely losing her mind.

Haymitch was struggling more and more to maintain control: he felt Effie with impossible intensity, felt her warm walls tightening and throbbing around him, felt her breathing, writhing and trembling beneath him while her hands slid into his hair.

That alone could have triggered his orgasm.

Effie squeezed her eyes shut and bit down on her lip. She could feel Haymitch nearing the edge just as much as she could feel her own climax building, minute after minute, breath after breath.

She turned her head toward the padded back of the couch, trying to hold out as long as possible.

She didn’t want to come—she never wanted to—and yet, at the same time, she had never been so desperate to shatter.

Haymitch didn’t stop moving: he couldn’t slow down or it would all be over, but he didn’t want to go faster either and risk hurting her.

With the last scrap of reason he had left, he tried to figure out what to do.

He respected the fact she wasn’t looking at him, understanding how close she was, but if Effie kept going like that she was going to split her lip and he couldn’t allow it.

“Don’t bite yourself,” he said, stroking her lower lip with his thumb and slipping it between her teeth.

Effie shuddered, pressing herself tighter against him.

Haymitch tightened his grip on her leg, letting her know he was still there with her.

Effie hoped marks would remain. It made her feel terribly selfish to want that, but she couldn’t help it: it happened rarely, but she loved beyond reason discovering that Haymitch had left something of himself on her after they made love.

She felt his lips and tongue tracing a path between her breasts, he places a kiss over the shoulder that had once been broken, and a wet one along the inner wrist.

She turned toward him, suddenly capturing his lips with hers, pulling a groan from him so deep it shook her soul.

Haymitch, unbelievably, was not vocal at all during sex.

Effie had realized he preferred listening to her and bringing her with him rather than thinking about himself.

For that reason alone, Effie had made his pleasure a personal mission.

She moved her hands back around his face, caressing him sweetly. She rolled her tongue lazily against his, making him sigh again, a little louder this time, aiming to drive him insane—and she wasn’t far from succeeding. She could tell from the force with which Haymitch moved his hips against hers, from the way he held her leg, from the fact he had wrapped an arm around her again to pull her closer, the way he always did when he was afraid of being too rough.

As if he wanted to protect her from himself even then.

“I love you to live,” he told her suddenly. “To live… still can’t believe you’re mine.”

And something inside her broke.

Letting out a sigh, Effie arched beneath him, threw her head back, and literally felt the world splinter into pieces.

She drifted lost in the ether for entire minutes, barely aware of herself, until she heard Haymitch’s voice calling her from far away, somewhere distant.

“Stay here,” he was telling her, his voice strained. “Stay here, look… look at me.”

Effie realized what was about to happen. There was no world in which he would beg her for something—they belonged to each other now.

She would not allow Haymitch to suffer a single moment of his life.

Bracing herself on one elbow, she moved within his arms, forcing her aching body upright to kiss his forehead; she fixed her eyes on his, though her vision was still blurred, aware this would be the point of no return.

“That’s it, my love,” she whispered. “You can let it go. I’ll hold you, I—ah, my darling…”

Haymitch held his breath. Nothing existed anymore except that clear blue gaze that had completely captured his body and soul.

He surrendered to it, drowned in it, let himself go.

Effie didn’t move. She felt him tense, tremble to the point of spasms, his warmth spreading inside her and filling her. She could have cried for that too: she loved that feeling.

They both did.

“Here you are,” she said sleepily.

Here I am, he thought, realizing it yet again. Heavens, he could have gone mad with happiness.

He was hers.

Completely.

Her husband.

Her love.

Her darling.

He closed his eyes and wrapped around her again, finally releasing the breath he had held in his lungs until then, shifting his weight onto his side so he wouldn’t crush Effie more than necessary. No matter how tired or dazed he was—he would always be careful with her.

But Effie considered that moment one of the best parts, beyond the act itself. Haymitch was absurdly, absolutely wonderful. A revelation, truly. She adored being able to wear him out, and he always managed to be incredible with her in every possible way. There had never been a single time she hadn’t enjoyed it. She didn’t mind having him over her and between her legs afterward. Quite the opposite: Effie had never had anyone stay with her after before. The fact that Haymitch never moved away reassured her more than anything. It felt as though he never intended to separate from her.

The fact that he asked her to stay with him and look him in the eyes while he fell apart was a privilege to her.

She kept kissing him. His cheeks, his eyelids, one temple, hoping he wouldn’t move until he recovered a little.

She was deeply satisfied: Haymitch was so wrecked he didn’t even know his own name for endless moments.

Then instinct slowly began working again and the bliss after climax replaced the adrenaline. He lifted his head. Blindly, he returned Effie’s kisses until they stopped, then held her more firmly, reassuring her, helping her relax.

Soon she became so exhausted she was on the verge of falling asleep.

Haymitch left her in peace, not without feeling a certain satisfaction. If Effie collapsed that quickly, it meant he had been particularly good. Now that he thought about it, it was rare for her to stay awake after climaxing.

He himself couldn’t have felt better: the fire was warm—and for once didn’t seem threatening—Effie’s body was pressed against his, rain tapped softly against the windows, and the geese, old and new, were miraculously quiet inside their shed.

It became impossible not to fall asleep.

Haymitch was literally unconscious for hours, sleeping more deeply than he had in years. It was incredible how much the quality of his sleep had improved since that woman began sleeping beside him.

He no longer had to fear nightmares. Finding her next to him was enough to bring him peace.

At some point, Effie shifted faintly beside him. She was probably beginning to feel cold: it was deep into the night and the fire had died down. Soon it would burn out completely.

Haymitch thought about feeding it; he had enough wood to stay warm the entire next day, and yet he had no desire to get up.

Maybe he should just close his eyes and go back to sleep while he still could.

But at that moment he couldn’t: Effie shifted again, probably searching for warmth. She wanted to curl up, but there wasn’t enough space.

Haymitch looked at her, unable to stop the idiotic smile tugging at his lips.

She was beautiful, as always. Composed and elegant despite everything that had happened. Maybe a little disheveled, but he was glad for it: he adored her hair in every way.

And when she lost that composure and let herself go… Haymitch could never quite believe he was capable of bringing her to such a state. And he was the only one she allowed to see her that way.

Now she was completely surrendered beside him, with nothing but the fading firelight dancing over her skin, and he wondered if it was possible for a person to become even more beautiful than they already were…

…the only certainty was that he was lucky.

He slowly withdrew from her, disentangling their legs, and began gently stroking her hair and her now-tense back.

“Effie,” he murmured several times, trying not to startle her. She was completely asleep. She was lovely. “Hey, Eff…”

Nothing.

“Euphemia?”

She didn’t hear him.

“Effie Abernathy?”

“Mh?” She finally mumbled, her voice thick with sleep.

Haymitch stifled a laugh, stroking her again. “My beautiful wife, I’m honored you’re completely wrecked, but don’t you think maybe we should go upstairs now?”

“Mh…” Effie replied.

Haymitch raised an eyebrow. “Was that a no?”

Effie muttered something incomprehensible that perhaps made sense in her dream. The only thing Haymitch understood was: “Mhshut-up.”

That made him laugh softly. It was incredible how Effie had managed to give him the best night of his life and then make him laugh like an idiot only a few hours later.

Haymitch was hopelessly crazy about her. He kissed one of her shoulders, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“I’m saying it mostly for your fantastic back, because mine definitely wouldn’t mind the bed!”

He avoided mentioning that they weren’t young anymore and that the days of defeating the discomfort of the couch had long since passed.

Effie didn’t answer for a long moment, as though she were considering both the words he had spoken and the ones he had kept to himself.

Haymitch feared she had fallen asleep again. If she had, then to hell with age, cold, and the fire. He wouldn’t move from there even if it destroyed his back.

Then, eventually, he heard her whisper softly: “bed?”

And another inevitable smile spread across his lips.

“Sure, m’love. Come here.”

Haymitch got up carefully and straightened himself out. He fastened the trousers he had never managed to remove so he wouldn’t trip on the way, and grabbed the blanket that had always been beside them. He draped it over Effie just long enough to reach the bedroom, then lifted her into his arms one final time.

Haymitch was grateful to feel her weight, to see how much of herself Effie had regained, even though after the torture it hadn’t been easy at all and it would probably take years before she healed completely.

Maybe the curve of her hips wasn’t as round as before, but that didn’t matter: her legs were steady again, her knee only bothered her when the seasons changed, just like her shoulder, but her movements were never restricted.

She had returned to full health—like when she used to wear Cinna’s dresses—and to Haymitch that was the most important thing.

He felt her arm slide over his shoulder in an unconscious attempt to hold onto him: she was so sleepy she wasn’t aware of anything.

Haymitch kissed her forehead and climbed the stairs and headed to the bedroom—their bedroom. Now that they slept together every night, they had plenty of options. But since he knew Effie felt safest in her room, they almost always used that one.

But Haymitch didn’t mind at all, having her in his bed, which for once he had had the decency to make himself.

He pulled back the covers and laid Effie onto the mattress, on the side he knew she preferred. He tucked her in carefully and watched her relax immediately with a relieved sigh.

“See? I was right,” he told her, finishing taking off his clothes so he wouldn’t ruin them before slipping into his side of the bed. “You’re the most stubborn woman I know, now my stubborn wife!”

Again, Effie didn’t answer, but Haymitch was sure he saw the shadow of a smile on her face.

He embraced her, kissed her goodnight and finally fell asleep.