Chapter Text
Bug by bug . . . bug by bug . . . bug by bug . . .” as I pluck away at my arms, my neck, my face. I strip off my shirt and pants, but only a few made it beneath the loose fabric. When I’m largely vermin-free, I go to work on Maysilee, who, sleeveless, has had the worst of it. “Bug by bug . . . bug by bug . . .” She’s trembling all over and, what do you know, so am I. “Bug by bug . . .” we chant together. “Bug by bug . . .” When all the visible ones are gone, she strips down to her underwear, too. “My back?” Yeah, there’s another half dozen there. I’m light-headed and want to sit down, but I don’t stop until every bug’s dead and gone.
It’s a quick glance that messes everything up,one that he didn't even mean to do. He was trying to check for other mutts when her chest’s view assaulted his eyes and brain. In all the panic of leeching ladybugs, the reality of a beautiful girl only being in her underwear in front of him hadn't registered.
But now that they were bug free his mind raced at the sight of her smooth skin. It was completely different from Lenore Dove’s complexion and – and that's when he closed his eyes and jerked his whole head so his eyes would be anywhere that was not Maysilee’s chest . Lenore Dove was watching, district 12 was watching, the whole of fucking panem was watching. It's definitely not the time he should start ogling his ally, certainly not someone who'd definitely feel very uncomfortable with itchy itchy haymitchy showing such interest in her . After a couple of seconds he heard Maysilee moving, and then the zipper of their tribute tracksuit being closed.
He reckoned it should be safe to face her general direction now, so he slowly turns to look her in the eyes, and nowhere else. When he finally looked at her face he realised that maybe he wasn't the only one ogling an ally. As Maysilee was definitely trying and failing too not look at him shirtless. As soon as this observation entered his mind he rejected it, she was probably checking for any new injuries, or any stray bugs still latched on to him, because that was the kind of person she was. Nice and caring, something he couldn’t believe his official judgement on The Maysilee Donner was. He had also put the now bug free tracksuit on and tried to instigate a conversation
“We lost a lot of blood” he said like it was not obvious to her, that yes leeches leech blood.
“Probably should do something about it” she said while stomping on a fleeing ladybug, still not meeting his eyes.
“Here this stuff is rich in iron, it'll help us recover” he divided up the beef strips in half and she finally looked him in the eyes, reaching out for her cut.
Even though he had seen her eyes a thousand times, of fucking course only now after what just happened, did he fully take in their uniqueness and beauty.
The sky was a brilliant shade of azure blue, but her eyes were a deeper and more alluring blue. The kind of eyes he could easily get lost in. He had to stop this Now or he'll do something he'll regret till the end of his days. Which atleast in the games could happen right then and relieve all that mortifying weirdness.
But he hadn’t that luxury, something else was in order to stop this monumentally bout of deep attraction towards Maysilee.
“You know what-” his voice had unnaturally pitched up “-we are blood kin now after what we just experienced, and being blood kin obviously means that you're my sister now Maysilee. My Dear Sis”
She had been confused then, good, her face was doubtful and her words that followed were most likely insincere, but she still said, “Haymitch, sure I’ll be your sister now”
She shaked her head and awkwardly stepped away, he was about to join her and put this whole incident behind them when they both stop. Somewhere in the arena a baby was crying. They both quitened up, and turned their heads towards the same place in sync. Her face told him everything, that they needed to run as fast as they could in the opposite direction. Just as he turned and was ready to put some distance between them and the “baby” an agonized scream cut through its wailing.
It's frightening how quickly he could read maysilee’s face, and he knew his face also betrayed the terrifying thought they both haf stumbled onto.
“It's a newcomer isn't it” she said quietly.
It was a boy’s scream and all the male careers were already dead.
They hurriedly ran over to the source of the sound; aware it could be a dangerous mutt they'd be facing she adjusted her darts and he gripped his axe tightly.
As soon as they reach the source, two canons burst and they almost fell over in shock and disorientation. It was a sorry sight that greeted them, Chicory and Buck were lying still on the ground skewered from all angles by a porcupine like mutt who had already retreated into a berm.
He had not yet seen Maysilee cry; even when she had been slapped by Drusilla, humiliated at the parade, leeched on by those damn bugs she had held her head high and her eyes dry. But at the sight of those two boys whose lives they didn't even get the chance to save she broke down.
It's an agonizing sight, those deep blue eyes he had just noticed the beauty of were obscured by tears. She was covering her mouth and whimpering between quiet sobs. Seeing her state, he automatically reached for her and held her tight in his arms letting her sob with impunity facing his chest.
Damn the games optics his partner needed him at this moment.
She slowly stopped whimpering and looked up at him, with a quiet fury in her pretty eyes.
“ One of us has to be the worst victor in history. Tear up their scripts, tear down their celebrations, set fire to the Victor’s Village. Refuse to play their game .” she gasps, almost daring him to contradict her.
Her gasp, and her face so close to his own reminded him of the first time he had heard her gasp, albeit in wildly different circumstances.
“Three slices of dried beef and half a can of olives. Fifty-fifty?”
“Close your eyes a minute.”
Maysilee squints at him. “Why?”
“Just do it.”
She closes one.
“Both of them.”
When she does, he pulls out his glass, which has heroically survived the day, empty the rest of the bottle into it, and hold it out. “Okay, open up.” At the sight of the elegant glass, the rich grape juice, she gives a little gasp.
"That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
He needs to stop thinking about her like this. He had to be proactive, he had to be caring for a girl who is as broken as he is at that very moment.
“I promise Sis, we'll paint out our own posters”, he tries not to notice but her sharp inhale at the word “Sis” . Fix this, his conscious screams, fix this before either of you do something irreversibly stupid.
“Let's call it a day for now Maysilee, that-” he points at a level spot a few feet ahead, “seems like the perfect spot to set up camp.”