Chapter Text
“You didn't hear him, Prosi…you didn't hear the way he said it.” Effie buried her head in her hands, the phone placed on the table before her. She looks desperate, tears brimming in her eyes. “It sounded like he meant it.”
Haymitch is standing by the window, looking in at Effie speaking to someone over the phone in the kitchen. He's been out all morning hunting with Katniss, and in the meantime, it seems Effie has decided to air her grievances to someone Haymitch can't hear. When he returned, he saw her, and stopped to listen in only to realize the conversation was much more serious than he anticipated.
No matter what the person on the other end say, they seem to have answered, because Effie shakes her head again. “I know, I know I have to do it…” She pauses, listening to the person on the other end as they speak once more. “I love you too, honey. Take care.” She hits the red button and ends the phone call, leaving them both in deafening silence as he waits to see whether she will intercept him.
Did he really want to be discovered, having just heard her call someone else honey? Effie was a woman of many complements - but honey, that sickenly sweet moniker that he usually likes to tease her with, was not in the standard Effie dictionary. It was a special word, reserved for those Effie loved the most.
There were not a lot of people left alive that Effie liked that much.
Slowly, her head lifts from the table and her eyes shift to the window, as if sensing someone is there watching her. Haymitch hurries to move around the corner before she has the time to see him properly, not wanting to be caught eavesdropping.
He hurries to the door, a little out of breath by the time he opens it up and calls her name. He's not going to let on, he decides, that he knows anything until he has more information.
“Effie? I'm home.” He calls out for her again, waiting patiently while she comes out of the kitchen to meet him in the hall. He kicks off his muddy boats hanging up his jacket before she can complain about it.
“Oh! You're back, how lovely.” She smiled, but it seemed strained, as though she had expected him to stay away for some time yet. Perhaps she even suspected that he would've heard what was happening on the phone, and feared he now knew the truth.
“Yes, we finished emptying the traps quickly this time.” He agreed, stepping closer and kissing her cheek. His hands rest on her arms, keeping her in place. “I missed you” He whispered, testing her to see her reaction.
As expected, Effie doesn’t respond with her usual indignant blush. Nor does she tell him to stop it, to not be so charming. Instead, she simply gives a wobbly smile. “I missed you too. I always do.” She gives him a kiss, but it's brief and shallow. Something is off, and they both know it.
Haymitch swallow. He still has no idea what the conversation was really about, what he could've done so wrong, but he is sure he will soon find out. She was a horrible liar, and if nothing else she wouldn't be able to resist complaining to him directly before long.
Effie sighed softly, trying to look behind his back. “Well, did Katniss take all the meat or did we get some too?” She asked curiously, looking to see if he was holding anything in his hands. As normal, they are clasped behind his back where she cannot see them.
Haymitch shook his head. “We will, but I don't have anything here princess.” He showed his hands, revealing that they are empty of any wild meat. “Katniss offered to butcher the rabbits for us first, so we'll get some meat from them later.”
Effie grinned. “Great. I don't think I could butcher an animal, but I do love rabbit pie.” She said enthusiastically, secretly relieved to not be having to butcher anything.
Haymitch shivered slightly, thinking about it. Her one and only attempt had been a disaster, and Haymitch's hands usually shook too much for such precision work. “Me neither. But those pies are good.” He agreed wistfully, imagining dinner at the children's house that evening. Effie's pies were good but Peeta's would always be better, and with fresh meat he was sure to bake one.
Effie laughed, walking past him to head on up the stairs. Haymitch watched her go, the thought of the conversation again coming back to gnaw at his mind. What had Effie been doing, talking to someone about him?
He had to find out