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Haymitch did his best not to know anything about their school’s cheerleaders. Not because of a lack of respect or because they didn't seem like lovely women, but because he did his best not to know anything about anyone at their school, and it wasn't like they cheered for any of the sports teams anyways. In his junior year and already receiving pressure about a contract to be signed, he had greater things to worry about, but he wasn't able to stay uninvolved when Proserpina Trinket decided to crash her way into his life.
She'd first decided to befriend Haymitch their freshman year, much to his dismay. She was bubbly and nice and just about everything he wasn't, but she was determined to get to know him and he soon learned that the powers of God himself couldn't stop Prosie once she'd set her mind to something.
Admittedly, he also liked being friends with her, not that he'd ever tell her so. She quickly proved to be funnier than he'd expected, with a dry wit that she didn't always show, and as odd as Haymitch was sure it looked to his teammates, he let her stick around. Chaff liked to tease him about being replaced, but Haymitch did his best to ignore him and just keep living his life with his head down like normal.
Soccer wasn't the most popular sport at Panem University, so it was hardly difficult. He practiced and studied and performed well in both academics and his games, meaning no one had any reason to notice him at all, to his everlasting relief. That all came to a halt when he opened the door to his apartment only to find Prosie and Maysilee waiting with matching grins and Haymitch knew that he was in deep shit already.
“What'd y'all do now?” he asked, setting his bag down before slouching on his couch as they borrowed chairs from his kitchen to sit facing him.
“Do you remember my sister? I've told you about her before, Effie, she's a graduate student here?” Prosie paused just long enough for him to nod before carrying right along. “Good. So, I was just thinking, you haven't been on a date since things ended with… The point is, she's single and never goes out. You're single and need to try dating again. What do you say if I maybe set you two up?”
Had they both lost their fucking minds? Judging by the excitement they both openly wore, Haymitch had to guess the answer was yes. Before he could even form a single thought, Maysilee barreled right over him instead. “We'll invite her to the game tonight so you can meet her. She's great, really. Come on, please?”
Goddammit. He never had been able to say no to her, especially not when she actually managed to ask nicely for once. “Fine, I'll meet her. But that's all I'm promising for now. I ain't gonna go out with her just because y'all want me to. Now get the fuck outta here so I can change and actually be ready for the game, yeah?”
Both girls were out of his place in seconds, leaving Haymitch to muse over his newfound plans for the night. Prosie was right, unfortunately. He hadn't dated since Lenore Dove left, but that was mostly because he hadn't wanted to.
Their relationship had been perfect, as far as Haymitch had known. They'd been happy and in love, had been the couple other people were jealous of. Then there was the shooting and his family's deaths all within a month and Haymitch had begun to spiral.
Freshly sixteen and ready to rule the world, it had been quite a shock when Haymitch had caught a bullet to the abdomen and very nearly bled out. It hadn't even been a random shooter but some pig reporting to a crime scene nearby and he'd been rushed to the hospital immediately.
Surgery had been extensive and left him in critical condition for the three weeks that followed. His mom and brother hadn't even been allowed in to see him, so they'd been sent home to rest until he was stable enough for visitors. By the time they would've been called to come and visit, Haymitch had been told very different news instead. They'd been killed in a car crash the week before. He never even got to see his family again.
So really, the spiral had been expected. He'd been damn near comatose for over a month straight, not getting out of bed or even trying to keep himself alive, and it had fallen to his friends to care for him. It was one of the countless reasons he had to appreciate Maysilee, her stepping in to fill that role, but he'd seen a suspicious lack of Lenore Dove after the first week. When she had eventually shown up, he hadn't asked about her absence, but in hindsight, it was just the beginning of the end.
The fact that Haymitch had still been physically recovering as well didn't help. He'd still been in a wheelchair when the funeral took place. When he had recovered in time to get back in shape for his junior year soccer season, he hadn't hesitated, working hard in the months before to be sure he was back where he needed to be to still aim for a scholarship.
The first few months after he'd gotten back on the team had been the worst as Haymitch fell into partying and drinking hard. Lenore Dove had been forced to take care of him more than half the nights out of the week and they hadn't made it past the third month before she'd sat him down for a talk and he'd known what would come next.
“I love you like all-fire,” she'd started and Haymitch had felt his heart beginning to break then. “I do. But I can't keep doing this, Haymitch. I can't keep just… You're killing yourself with this and all I can do is stand by and watch. It's not fair to me and I'm so sorry, really, because I know you're hurting and this isn't what I ever wanted but… I just can't. Please, try and understand. I still love you. But I have to love myself as well and this is only hurting us both.”
He'd only been able to nod numbly, still sitting in that stupid chair in the stupid library. He'd watched Lenore Dove walk out of his life and had mostly hated the fact that he understood exactly why.
He loved her, of course. He'd loved her since he even knew how to feel that kind of love. But he'd hurt her in a way that couldn't be undone and now… He hadn't been sure what he'd had left after that.
He’d met Prosie two years later, crashing into his life in a whirlwind of glitter and joy, and he'd never told her so, but he was pretty certain that had saved him from himself.
Haymitch had sobered up. Gotten his life together piece by broken piece. Was he together enough now? To try something new, to meet a girl and go on a date and maybe fall in love again? He wasn't totally sure, but he figured he'd never know if he didn't give it a try.
With that conclusion reached, he stood up and began to get ready for his game that night, only hoping that if they ended up with a win, it may very well impress the woman he was about to meet. He didn't exactly want to start with a strike already in his loss column, after all.
—
Maysilee Donner’s phone
Friday, September 18th, 5:17 p.m.
The Girls and Gays (+ Wyatt) has been created by baby trinket.
You have been added.
nerd (affectionate) has been added.
sister-wife has been added.
wifeyyyyy has been added.
backup plan has been added.
Me: wtf is this lmao
baby trinket: we all need to be kept up to date, okay??? it's Important
sister-wife: is this about setting Haymitch up with your sister? did he actually AGREE to it???
backup plan: ngl that's crazy if he did. I figured he would've just kicked you guys out wtf
Me: ok rude he loves me
nerd (affectionate): 🤨🤔😭 since when
Me: kys
nerd (affectionate): 👍
wifeyyyyy: I would like to remind you all that I still think this is a bad decision. But he did agree to go on a date? That's major progress!
baby trinket: okay well. he agreed to meet her, actually. but it's only step one.
sister-wife: are you fucking kidding me rn
sister-wife: Asterid, baby, love of my life. your friends concern me.
wifeyyyyy: Proserpina was Haymitch's friend first, in my defense. And Maysilee just won't leave me alone anymore.
nerd (affectionate): damn 😶😶😶
Me: ok ouch??? ily2 wtf
wifeyyyyy: There is no more room for love in my life. There is only nursing school. Nursing school consumes us all.
backup plan: okay emo ass, damn
backup plan: just keep us updated here, hopefully we can make this work
Me: hell yeah. goes for the rest of u 2 btw. or else.
—
The locker room was, as per usual, a combination of yelling, the overwhelming stench of sweat, and young men wrestling and laughing as their more responsible teammates tried to get them focused on getting ready for the game.
To Haymitch, it was basically like coming home.
He dropped his bag on the bench and began changing into his kit, barely even paying attention to the others as he took a deep breath to steady himself. Sure, he wanted to win every game, but if he had to meet up with a potential date after… God, that would be fucking humiliating.
Eventually, they were all ready, and the coach gathered them up before they headed out. The pep talk was the usual bullshit that Haymitch couldn't really care less about and he only focused again when they began going over their plays. Then it was to the field with them all, ready to stretch and warm up and maybe show off a little bit for the crowd. One of his least favorite parts, honestly.
There was never much of a crowd, at least, usually just a few students who couldn't get into the other sports and their avid regulars. Haymitch ran through a few of his favorite drills, not wanting to try anything he wasn't sure of this close to the game, and scanned over the gathered group curiously.
What did Prosie's sister even look like? Would she be in the crowd already? Nobody caught his attention so far, until he noticed a head of blonde hair entering the stands at the other end of the field and his breath caught in his throat as he lost control of the ball altogether.
It was embarrassing, sure, but God. God. Haymitch was half convinced he'd never seen a woman that beautiful a day in his life. Despite the month, it was still hot out, something he could blame his no doubt bright red face on, and he found himself thanking every higher power for that as he tried to stop staring at the woman who was now sitting down.
She was blonde, as he'd first noticed, her hair falling down around her shoulders like liquid gold. Her lips were parted as she laughed at something someone had said, crossing those endless legs, and now Haymitch was past trying not to stare. He just didn't wanna start drooling.
How the hell was he meant to focus on soccer? All he could focus on was the absolute beauty sitting in the stands and it stayed that way until Wyatt kicked a ball straight into his ribcage and forced his attention away from her and to the field around him once more.
—
Maysilee Donner's phone
Friday, September 18th, 7:05 p.m.
The Girls and Gays (+ Wyatt)
nerd (affectionate): are y'all seeing this 👀👀👀
nerd (affectionate): he's fr 🤤 rn lol
Me: wait is he looking at effie or smth else
nerd (affectionate): oh 💯 her dude
baby trinket: ok I know this was my idea but lowkey. ew…
backup plan: do we not want him drooling over her a lil bit here girly?
baby trinket: you know I hate it when you're right
nerd (affectionate): ok gotta ⚽🏃♂️
Me: ok??? the way nobody asked lol
Me: but yeah bye or wtv
—
By halftime, Haymitch was about ready to drop and more than willing when the coach told him he'd be sitting out most of the second half. The bench was cool metal beneath his skin now that the sun had set and he leaned back against the fence separating them from the crowd behind.
“I'm no expert, but it seems to me you're doing pretty well out there,” came a voice from behind, soft and pretty. He twisted his neck to see the blonde from earlier now much closer and even more stunning than he'd first realized. “Oh! My apologies, this is my first time at one of these. Am I allowed to talk to you?”
“Yeah! I mean, uh, yeah, you can. And thanks. Expert or not, I appreciate it,” he said, unable to tamp down the blush slowly creeping up his neck. “I'm Haymitch, by the way.”
The woman grinned at that and Haymitch wanted to do whatever he could to get that reaction again. “I know. It's lovely to meet you,” she said, her very blue eyes sparkling with something like amusement. “I'll have to rely on you to tell me, are you any good or am I watching the game wrong?”
He laughed and turned on the bench so he was facing her better, eyes roaming over her face as he did so. “I like to think so. Apparently, the pros do too. They're on me to sign soon, but I was hoping to finish my degree first,” he explained, unsure why this woman made him want to talk.
“Oh, so you're very good, hm? Impressive. But it is nice that you can prioritize your education. It's good to have something to fall back on, and I have to admit, I do appreciate a well educated man.” She was teasing him, Haymitch knew that much, but God, he'd let her tease him forever. He'd be quite alright with that.
Any memory of Prosie's mysterious sister was long gone from Haymitch's head as they spoke, getting to know one another as their team pulled ahead. His focus was no longer on the game at all, because he didn't have anyone he wanted to impress more than the woman leaning against the fence now.
He learned that she was in a graduate architecture program, that she aspired to follow in her mother's footsteps, that she had two younger siblings, and that she owned a cat with her roommate and a puppy who was all hers. He told her about his family too, about how he had friends who'd loved him enough to try and help him through that, how he'd only become sober a few months ago but he was committed.
At some point, one of her hands had come to rest at the back of his neck, and Haymitch was pretty certain his heart was somewhere in his throat. He was sure to be covered in sweat and grime, but she didn't seem to mind it all that much. Her fingers were gentle as she played with the curls there and he could see the smirk on her face when he completely forgot to keep talking.
“Well. This has been lovely, but I'll have to see you around later,” she said, making his stomach drop. “I've got some people to meet up with soon. And I think you have a game to play.”
She began to walk away just as Haymitch remembered one crucial detail he'd forgotten to get. “Hey, what was your name?” he called, but she just waved goodbye and disappeared into the crowd.
—
Proserpina Trinket's phone
Friday, September 18th, 8:42 p.m.
The Girls and Gays (+ Wyatt)
Merry Merrilee: dude omfg. did you guys SEE THAT???
Mama Asterid: What, exactly, were we supposed to see?
Burdy: lol Effie and Haymitch were just talking for like. half an hour straight. I think he might've just fallen in love highkey
Me: god I miss EVERYTHING
Me: did Effie look like she liked him? or was she just being polite?
Me: it can be super hard to tell with her sometimes
(a)Mazing Maysilee: she was flirting like fr hardcore flirting lmao
(a)Mazing Maysilee: like playing w his hair n smiling n shit
Me: she was playing with his hair?????
Me: guys we're fucking geniuses
(a)Mazing Maysilee: oh nvm she left? but like was def flirting 100% ngl looked like she was gonna jump him
Me: maybe I'm glad I miss everything actually
Wise ass: 😂😂😂
Me: fuck you too then
—
Well, even if Haymitch had lost track of his dream woman without even getting her name, at least they'd managed to win. Now he could go back home and try to forget her without the help of booze. Shit.
He could see Prosie coming closer out of the corner of his eye and suddenly remembered the promise that he'd made her. Except the Haymitch that had made such a promise hadn't met that woman yet. Hadn't been utterly entranced in seconds, hadn't spilled his life story to a stranger. He hated that Haymitch right then.
“Listen, Prosie, I don't think—”
“Good. Don't think,” she demanded, grabbing him by the arm and leading him into the crowd with a truly impressive amount of strength. “Just meet Effie. Or meet her again, I suppose.”
What? “Again?” he asked, making her turn to study him curiously. “When did I meet her before?”
The slow grin spreading across her face didn't bode well for Haymitch and he tried to remember everyone he'd ever met who wasn't his mystery woman. It was a difficult task, honestly.
“Just come on. I promise, you'll be agreeing to the date soon. She's already said yes, all that's left for you to do is ask.” He was sure Prosie meant it to be reassuring, but he didn't have the first clue why her sister would be saying yes to a date before they'd even had a conversation.
Then Haymitch was being shoved forward and he didn't have time to ponder that anymore. He felt familiar soft hands catch him by the arms and was met with those same brilliant blue eyes as before when he looked down.
Her smile was bright and he was pretty sure he was about to stroke out because of it. “You're Effie,” he said dumbly, and she giggled with a nod.
“I am. Now, don't you have something you wanted to ask me?” The words gave Haymitch an odd sense of deja vu, though he didn't have the first clue why, but he also didn't care. He'd ask whatever Effie wanted him to. He'd do whatever she wanted him to.
It didn't really help that his mind was blanking on words at the moment, though, and it was hard to focus when she bit her bottom lip like that. “I—Did you wanna—Can I take you out? On a date, I mean. Not, like, a murder thing,” he clarified, ready to jump off a cliff.
But she was nodding, wrapping her arms around his neck, so maybe he hadn't fucked up too badly. Then Effie kissed him, soft and slow, and Haymitch melted into her, feeling calm for the first time in months and ready to chase that feeling for as long as she might let him.
—
Proserpina Trinket's phone
Friday, September 18th, 9:27 p.m.
The Girls and Gays (+ Wyatt)
Me: mission success guys
(a)Mazing Maysilee: tf do u mean by success tho
Mama Asterid: Is this a success as in “they're going on a date and also getting married next week” or a success as in “they spoke”?
Me: [image attached]
Me: oh that date is DEFINITELY happening
Burdy: wtf
Burdy: I have spent YEARS trying to get this man to move on. what's your secret?
Me: gotta be honest. I think this one's all Effie