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It was around 4am, the time the Capitol was silent, or at least as silent as it could be considering the city never truly slept. The training center was particularly quiet. After all, 4am was one of the few hours that didn’t require keeping a watchful eye on the tributes in the arena. All of the victors and escorts were taking this moment for a much needed rest. All except Haymitch and Effie, at least.
The pair sat in the living room under the warm glow of the dimmed lights. They had left tonight’s party at around 2am and had been lounging in the penthouse drinking wine ever since. Haymitch had stripped his jacket and tie immediately when they got back and later ended up unbuttoning his shirt. Effie had shed her wig about an hour ago, the heat being unbearable combined with the warmth that comes from drinking a rich red. It was rare moments like these that they were on the same wavelength, both seeming more human to the other than they ever did during the day.
“Did you-“ Effie paused, trying to gather her thoughts. “Did you see Finnick tonight?”
“Briefly, yeah,” Haymitch replied lazily.
“That suit… stunning,” Effie gestured with her hands, tipping her glass and almost spilling wine on the carpet. “No wonder he gets so many sponsors. It’s hard to resist a man that looks that good.”
“Oh yeah?” Haymitch raised an eyebrow. “Never thought you’d go for a guy like Finnick Odair, Princess.”
“Oh please, I’d never truly go for that. Far too arrogant. He might as well be a Capitol man,” she chuckled lightly. “You have to admit though, he is attractive.”
“Eh, I guess,” Haymitch shrugged. “Hard for me to tell if a guy’s attractive. Guess he’d be hot if he was a woman though.”
“Oh come on, Haymitch,” she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. “I’m sure you can at least recognize a man is objectively attractive, even in your drunken stupor?”
“My ‘drunken stupor’?” he chuckled. “Hate to break it to you, Sweetheart, but you are far more inebriated than I am right now.”
“Oh hush,” she chided with no real intent. “Not my fault your tolerance is so high with all the liquor you consume.” She tipped her head back and stretched her legs out on the ottoman in front of her.
“Still, I don’t know how you’re this drunk right now. Not like you drink a ton at those dumb parties.”
“Well of course not! Sponsors aren’t particularly interested in mingling with sloppy, drunken escorts.” She took a long sip from her glass. “Wish they were though. It would make things much more tolerable.”
“Oh?” he questioned, genuinely intrigued. “I thought you liked parties. The glitz and glamour and fruity little cocktails that could never actually get you drunk.”
“I do like parties, just not these ones. Not much fun when the only point in attending is to convince people to sponsor your tributes.”
“Hm, doesn’t make much of a difference to me,” Haymitch shrugged, taking the last swig of his drink. He headed over to the bar to open another bottle.
“That’s because you’re not the one that has to do the charming,” she commented. “Some of the people I have to talk to are so obnoxiously pompous, far too rich for their own good.”
“Ha, now that’s the pot calling the kettle black,” Haymitch said bitterly as he poured. “Describes pretty much all you Capitols, doesn’t it?”
“We’re not our own species, Haymitch,” she retorted.
“Still, don’t think I don’t know about your background. Your family is rich, Sweetheart. Rich, rich. Probably as pompous and too rich as they come.” A slight bitterness slipped into his tone as it always did when he talked about the Capitol elites.
“My family does not determine my character. I’m not defined by them,” she said coldly.
Haymitch was about to make another snide remark when he noticed the look on her face. She looked genuinely upset, disgusted even. Interesting. He would have to find out more about that on another night.
“Oh!” she said suddenly. “I didn’t even tell you. I ran into my former partner tonight. God, I nearly left the party right then and there.”
“Your… ex?” he asked slowly. “Didn’t know you had any of those.”
“Please, Haymitch, have you seen me?” she challenged, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. “I don’t have any problem finding romantic suitors.”
“Right,” he said sarcastically.
“We talked for a bit,” she said, jumping right back to where she left off. “One of the most manipulative conversations of my life. Made me remember why I broke it off.”
“You ended it?” Haymitch asked, visibly amused. “Never pinned you as a heartbreaker, Sweetheart.”
“I’d hardly call me a heartbreaker,” she shot back. “Trust me, if you had to deal with that bullshit, you’d leave too.” She paused to think for a moment. “She did look really good in that dress tonight though.”
Huh. Haymitch had never considered Effie looking at someone like that. Sure, she was attractive, at least by capitol standards, but he had never thought about her being into anyone else. Prim and proper Effie getting all hot and bothered by a girl in a tight- wait, what?
“She?” he questioned, face contorted in confusion. “Your ex… is a she?”
“Yes,” she confirmed nonchalantly. “A stunning woman, really. Too bad she’s so fake.”
Normally, Haymitch would make a snarky comment about how all Capitols are fake, but he was too caught up on the fact that Effie had been with a woman.
“You’re gay?” he blurted out.
“I guess you could say that. Although I’m technically pansexual.”
“You’re-“ he paused, trying to piece together this new information. “So you’re into women then?”
“Yes, Haymitch. Don’t act so surprised,” she said.
“You mean you’ve…. with women?” he gestured wildly as he tried to express his thoughts.
“Yes, Haymitch,” she rolled her eyes. “That’s been established. Do try to keep up.”
He sat there for a moment in shock. Never in a million years did he think Effie Trinket would be chasing skirts. He had seen her flirt with men countless times, so he just assumed that’s what she was into. Pan…sexual? Must be like bisexual, right?
“So… you’re into men and women then, yeah?” he asked, trying to sound casual.
“Gender isn’t binary like that. Not like it is in the districts at least. Besides, gender doesn’t really matter to me much anyway,” she explained.
“Wait,” Haymitch frowned. “You lost me.” How could gender not matter when it came to attraction?
“I’m just attracted to people,” she said before draining her glass. “Doesn’t matter what gender they are. I just like who I like.”
“Huh,” Haymitch said, trying to process the idea. “That’s… interesting.” Effie frowned at the response.
“Don’t tell me you’re homophobic, Haymitch. Really, that’s incredibly primitive thinking.”
“What- no!” he quickly defended. “I don’t think it’s a bad thing. I’ve just never heard of it before, that’s all.”
“It’s not a thing in the districts?” she asked curiously.
“Not really. I mean, yeah, gay people exist, probably bisexuals too, but it’s not really an open thing. People don’t talk about it.”
“Oh, well that’s unfortunate,” she said.
“I guess. It’s just the way it is,” he shrugged. “Never heard of not caring about gender though. It’s kinda cool, actually.” Effie’s face lit up at the confession.
“Well, I’m glad you think so. I have to admit, you’ve been much more understanding than I thought you would be.”
“Wow, so much faith,” he scoffed, although there was no real malice behind it. “I may be a dick, but I’m not a homophobic dick.”
She giggled lightly as she got up to fill her glass. She swayed slightly as she walked back but was able to sit down with her usual grace.
“I must admit, as much as a give you a hard time, you’re a real gem, Mr. Abernathy.”
”Well, what can I say?” he smiled. “Women are hot. I can’t blame you for thinking they’re hot too. That would make me a hypocrite, wouldn’t it?”
“I suppose so,” she said, returning his smile.
“Well then, to women,” he raised his glass towards her haphazardly. She met it with her own.
“To women.”