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2:47 AM - Car Bar
Effie couldn't sleep.
She had taken the pill an hour ago—those small blue capsules the Capitol doctor had prescribed after the Games ended and the nightmares
began. They usually knocked her unconscious within 20 minutes. But tonight, her mind refused to be quiet.
District 3 had been terrible. Seeing the tributes' families, knowing that Katniss and Peeta had barely managed to keep up the charade of
romance… it was all too much.
So she got up, put her pink silk robe over her nightgown, and walked barefoot through the train corridors toward the bar car. If she couldn't sleep, at
least she could…
Haymitch was there.
He was reclining on one of the curved sofas in the glass-enclosed bar car, gazing out the windows into the rapidly passing darkness. He was
wearing his suit trousers and white shirt, without a tie, the top buttons undone. A half-empty bottle of whiskey rested on the table in front of
him.
"You can't sleep either"—it wasn't a question.
Haymitch turned his head to look at her, and something in his expression softened when he saw her. No wig. No makeup. Just her.
"Nightmares," he admitted simply.
Effie nodded. She understood. God, how she understood.
"Can I?" he asked, pointing to the sofa.
— It's yours as much as it is mine.
Effie sat at the other end of the curved sofa, tucking her bare feet underneath it. The glass surrounding them offered a panoramic view of
Panem drifting into the
night, the stars shining above them.
"What did you see?" Haymitch asked after a moment. "In your nightmare."
"District 3," Effie answered softly. "The faces of that girl's parents. The one Thresh..." She stopped, swallowing. "And then I saw Katniss and
Peeta pretending in front of them, and I felt like... like a monster for making them do this."
Haymitch took a swig from his bottle.
"We're monsters," he said emotionlessly. "All of us. The Capitol turned us into that."
"I chose this," Effie corrected. "I chose to be an escort. I chose to be part of this... machine."
"You were sixteen when you started," Haymitch pointed out. "Barely a child. You didn't know what you were getting into."
Effie looked at him, surprised that he was defending her.
— Even so. I should have…
"Stop," Haymitch interrupted gently. "We can't undo the past, Effie. We can only try not to ruin the future any further."
Effie felt tears stinging her eyes. The sleeping pill was taking effect now, making her emotions harder to control.
— Come here — said Haymitch, extending his arm.
Effie hesitated for only a second before moving toward him, snuggling up against his side. Haymitch took the blanket that was folded on the back of
the sofa and spread it over them both.
"Better," Effie murmured, her head resting on his shoulder.
—Yes— Haymitch agreed, his arm around her.
They remained silent for a long moment, gazing at the stars through the glass, listening to the steady clatter of the train on the tracks.
— Haymitch — Effie said eventually, her voice now sleepy from the medication.
— Mm?
— Thank you. For… for being here. For not making me feel stupid for being upset.
Haymitch pressed a kiss to the top of her head, a gesture so natural that neither of them questioned it.
— Always —he replied simply.
Effie lifted her head to look at him, and in the dim light of the car bar, their eyes met. There was something about that moment—the vulnerability, the
medication, the
closeness—which made Effie lean forward and press her lips against his.
It was a soft, almost chaste kiss. Just a brush of lips that lasted only a few seconds. When they parted, neither said a word. Effie simply rested
her head back on his shoulder, and Haymitch tightened his grip around her.
"Sleep," he murmured. "I'll take care of you."
And Effie finally fell asleep.
6:15 AM
Katniss Everdeen wasn't a natural early riser, but the training in District 12 had programmed her body to wake up at dawn. Peeta, on the
other hand, had always been an early riser—years of working in the family bakery.
So it wasn't unusual that they were both awake before the rest of the train. What was unusual was the scene they found when they entered
the bar car looking for coffee.
Haymitch and Effie were snuggled together on the curved sofa, sharing a blanket, fast asleep.
Effie was pressed against Haymitch's side, her head on his shoulder, one hand resting on his chest. Her blonde hair—her real hair, not a wig
—was loose and slightly tousled. Without makeup, she looked younger, more vulnerable.
Haymitch had an arm around her, holding her close even in her sleep. His shirt was wrinkled, his hair completely disheveled.
They looked… comfortable. As if they'd done this before. As if it were second nature.
Katniss and Peeta froze in the doorway, staring at each other with expressions of utter shock.
"What…?" Peeta began in a low voice.
"I don't know," Katniss whispered back.
The sound of their voices, though low, was enough to rouse Haymitch. His eyes opened slowly, blinking against the dawn light streaming
through the glass. For a moment he seemed disoriented, then his eyes focused on Katniss and Peeta standing in the doorway.
"Good morning," he said in a sleepy, hoarse voice, without moving, without taking his arm away from around Effie.
Katniss opened her mouth, then closed it. Then opened it again.
— What… what's going on here?
Haymitch raised an eyebrow.
— I'm sleeping. Or rather, I was, until you two decided to show up.
— With Effie —Peeta pointed out, as if Haymitch hadn't noticed.
"Observant as always, lad," Haymitch replied dryly.
"But... but you..." Katniss gestured vaguely toward them. "You hate each other."
— Who said that?
— You said it! Constantly. They fight about everything.
Haymitch shrugged, the movement careful not to wake Effie.
"People can have disagreements and still..." she paused, searching for the right words. "Appreciate each other."
"Appreciate each other?" Katniss repeated, her voice rising. "They're all snuggled up under a blanket!"
"And you share a bed with Peeta without feeling anything for him, right?" Haymitch retorted. "If that's okay, why is this wrong?"
Katniss blushed violently.
— That's… that's different. That's for the cameras.
"And who says this isn't?" Haymitch asked, though there was an amused glint in his eyes now.
"There are no cameras here!" Peeta pointed out.
— Exactly my point.
Katniss and Peeta looked at each other, completely confused.
—So…you guys are…? —Peeta began.
"We're sleeping," Haymitch interrupted. "Or we were. Do you have any other awkward questions you want to ask, or can you please let me go back to
sleep?"
Before they could respond, another voice joined the conversation.
"Good morning, everyone." Cinna entered the bar car, impeccably dressed as always despite the early hour. He stopped when he saw the scene. "Oh."
"Oh, that's right," Katniss murmured.
Cinna looked at Haymitch, then at Effie asleep against him, then back at Haymitch. Unlike Katniss and Peeta, his expression was more one of
curiosity than shock.
—Should I ask? —he finally said.
"Probably not," Haymitch replied.
- Understood.
Effie stirred slightly, muttering something unintelligible in her sleep. Haymitch looked down, frowning.
"Shit," he muttered. "Cinna, can you help me with something?"
- Of course.
Haymitch carefully slid out from under Effie, settling her on the sofa. He stood, stretching, and then bent down to lift her into his arms. Effie
didn't wake up, her head falling against his shoulder.
"What's wrong with her?" Katniss asked, concern filtering into her voice despite her confusion.
"Sleeping pill," Haymitch explained briefly. "She took it before coming here because she couldn't sleep. Now she's completely out of it. I need
to get her back to her compartment before the prep team sees her like this."
—And you carried it all the way here? —Peeta asked.
— No, idiot. She walked here. Then she fell asleep. Now I'm carrying her back. Does that make sense to you, or do you need me to draw it?
Peeta shut his mouth.
"Cinna, come with me," Haymitch said, walking toward the exit with Effie in his arms. "I need you to open doors."
Cinna followed him without asking questions, casting an amused glance at Katniss and Peeta before disappearing down the corridor.
Katniss and Peeta were left alone in the bar car, staring at each other in absolute silence.
"What did we just witness?" Peeta finally asked.
"I have no idea," Katniss replied. "But... did you see the way he was looking at her? Haymitch. The way he was holding her."
"Yes," Peeta nodded slowly. "As if it were... important to him."
"Do you think they're...?" Katniss didn't finish the question.
"I don't know," Peeta admitted. "But whatever is going on, they clearly don't want to talk to us about it."
"Obviously," Katniss plopped down on one of the sofas. "God, this makes our situation seem simple by comparison."
Peeta laughed despite everything.
— At least we know what we are. Or what we're supposed to be, anyway.
"Yes," Katniss agreed. "They... I don't even know what they are. Do they hate each other? Do they like each other? Both?"
"Maybe," Peeta suggested, "they're just two people who have been doing this together for so long that they understand each other in ways no one
else can."
Katniss considered that.
— That's… surprisingly deep for six in the morning.
"I work in a bakery," Peeta replied with a smile. "I'm used to being deep early in the morning."
-----
Effie compartment
Haymitch carefully laid Effie on her bed, arranging the sheets around her. Cinna stood in the doorway, watching with that neutral expression
he wore when he was processing information.
"Thank you," Haymitch said softly.
"You're welcome," Cinna replied. Then, after a moment, he added, "You know they're going to have to talk about this eventually, right?"
"About what?" Haymitch asked, feigning innocence.
— Haymitch.
"There's nothing to talk about," Haymitch insisted, though his gaze softened when he looked at the sleeping Effie. "We're just... friends. Colleagues.
Whatever."
"Of course," Cinna said, but a small smile played on his lips. "That's why you carry her when she's vulnerable. That's why you hold her while
she sleeps. Because you're just colleagues."
Haymitch glared at him.
— Don't start.
"I'm not starting anything," Cinna said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm just... watching."
— Then observe in silence.
Cinna laughed softly.
"As you wish. But Haymitch…" he turned serious. "Whatever this is, be careful. Snow doesn't tolerate… complications."
Haymitch felt a cold lump settle in his stomach. He knew exactly what Cinna meant. Snow had already killed everyone Haymitch had ever
loved. If he thought Effie was important to him…
"I know," he said softly. "Believe me, I know."
Cinna nodded and withdrew, gently closing the door behind him.
Haymitch stayed a moment longer, watching Effie sleep. She looked peaceful now, the lines of tension that normally marked her face
softened by the drug-induced sleep.
He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.
"Sleep well, Effie," she murmured. "At least one of us should."
And then he left, closing the door behind him, leaving her in the darkness and silence of her compartment.
As she walked back down the corridor, she passed the bar car where Katniss and Peeta were still sitting, clearly discussing what they had
seen.
"Not a word to anyone," he said as he passed by. "Understood?"
They both nodded quickly.
Haymitch continued toward his own compartment, aware that the secret he and Effie had kept for years was beginning to leak out.
And somewhere, on some monitor in the Capitol, he knew Snow was watching.
Always observing.
END