Prompt: Omg, speaking of prompts, I don't know if you want to take it but I was just remembering how Effie is always the one writing the speeches and how often her ability for writing seems to be used in your fics and I just imagined a Effie Trinket writing romance novels for the capitol (under a pen name maybe?) and Haymitch finding out and realizing that all her lead male characters have names that starts with an H OR characteristics he recognizes as his (and also, the sex scenes are theirs too), so, ya, I don't know if you did one like this yet, but if you didn't and you want to do it, go ahead, I would love to read that!

All For The Art

When Effie stepped foot in the penthouse after an afternoon of shopping, Haymitch was ready.

Truth be told, he had been ready for a while, sitting there in an armchair angled toward the door, an untouched glass of whiskey placed on top of a pile books on the coffee table. Five books to be precise. Five very pink books. The sixth one was in his hand, cover pressed against his stomach to better hide the title.

Effie, naturally, immediately froze just like he had expected her too – he had, after all, spent far much more time than he was comfortable admitting staging this whole thing. She eyed him, mistrust all over her face at finding him so still and so obviously waiting for her. Or maybe it was the smug smirk on his lips, the triumphant glint in his grey eyes…

He couldn't help but feel triumphant.

He had known her ten years. He had thought he knew all her secrets – hell, he certainly knew all her sweet spots – and he had accidentally stumbled upon another one, one so well hidden he hadn't even suspected it existed. And not any secret either but one so absolutely delightful it had made him snicker to himself for the last couple of days to Chaff's puzzlement and growing irritation when he had refused to explain himself.

"What did you do?" she finally asked, putting an end to the silent staring challenge they had had going on. She placed down the dozen of bags she had brought back from her shopping spree he hadn't even sneered at yet – and he hoped there was lingerie in there somewhere. The lack of taunts about her consumerism habits probably told her he had more juicy bones to gnaw on. "You better not have touched anything in my wardrobe, Haymitch."

It figured, he thought, that she would immediately jump to the conclusion he had a prank in the works.

There had been a terrible prank war at work a few years earlier, before they had started fucking – probably because they hadn't been fucking yet and they had to get the upper hand some ways. They still sometimes did something just because they knew it would piss the other off, like hiding his liquor or her wigs. Sometimes he got more creative. Often, she outwitted him because she was devious.

"Funny thing…" he answered, letting the sentence draw out a little. "Lost my book a couple of days ago…"

"I did not touch your book." she snapped. Her blue eyes darted to the pile of books on the table, to the pink one propped on his stomach… She had a quick mind, that was the thing, and it didn't take a genius to figure it out, not when he had gone to so much trouble staging the big reveal… She licked her lips. "I do not know what you think you found out but…"

"Thought I might have dropped it in your room the other night…" he cut her off, trying and failing to curb the amusement out of his voice. "Found this one on your dresser instead…"

He waved the book he was holding in the air.

"You were snooping, you mean, because we both know this book was in my nightstand." she snapped, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "Anyway… Was bored, got curious what kind of smutty novel you were hiding…" He poked his tongue out in an obscene display. "Know how much you like to touch yourself to that shit…" She rolled her eyes and pursed her lips but kept silent so he continued. "Now, sweetheart… I've got to say… The fuck scenes, they were awfully familiar…"

"Well, perhaps I got inspired." she deadpanned. "You are so unimaginative I have to put some spice into our affair."

He let that attack slide because he had known she would go there.

"Yeah…" he hummed. "That's what I thought too, at first. That you were using me to recreate your dirty fantasies…" He shrugged again. "Don't really mind. We've done kinky stuff before…"

"It is called roleplaying and for how reluctant you were to try it, you got into it awfully quickly." she hissed. "Now, if this whole…" She waved her hand in irritation while she searched for her words. "… display is about my choice of reading materials, you should have spared yourself the…"

"Guess what I noticed, sweetheart?" he interrupted, his smirk deepening.

"Nothing pertinent, I am sure." she huffed, striding to the liquor cart with her head high.

He waited until she had poured herself a cocktail before speaking again. "The book. It was published after we had that fuck in that garden." He wiggled his eyebrows. "That's the biggest fuck scene in the book. Shit… It was one hell of a fuck in real life too…" She didn't say anything. She didn't even call him out on his language. She sipped her cocktail, not looking at him. "Got me thinking, that… Weird coincidence and all, that shit, 'cause the details… The details are pretty much us, princess."

"Are you quite certain you are not projecting?" she snapped.

"Want me to read aloud how Harlist always grabs the back of her neck?" he challenged. "Or, hell, how about that trick Elsie does with her tongue?" She pouted and he smirked again. "I've checked the five other books from that author… They're all pretty much stuff we've done. Funny, how all the characters' names start with a H and an E too, ain't it?"

"It could be a coincidence." she pointed out in a bored tone, taking another sip of her cocktail.

He watched her, watched her throat as she swallowed… Fuck, but she looked good that day. Her wig was the palest pink, pale enough that he could almost pretend it was blond, and she was wearing a white tailor suite that made her look… Well, it was severe and severe, on her, meant sexy.

It was almost enough to toss the book aside, push her against the wall and forget about this whole thing – which was clearly her aim because she had been making a show of her figure ever since she had figured out what he knew.

"A coincidence, that's what you're going with?" he snorted.

"What are you implying?" she retorted, perching on the other armchair's armrest and crossing her legs so that most of them were on display. He admired them but he didn't let that distract him either.

"I'm implying you've been holding out on me…" he mocked. "You've got hidden talents…"

She stared at him for a moment and then looked away. "The author could be a close friend."

"Sure. Mia Bauble." He chuckled. "How long did you have to brainstorm to get there? Cause I saw the name and it took me thirty seconds to figure it out…"

She rolled her eyes. "You figured it out because of the sex scenes."

"Bauble for Trinket. Mia for Euphemia. It ain't exactly that hard, sweetheart." he pointed out. "I'm curious though… Anyone ever called you Mia?"

"No one." She shot him a warning look. "And no one will be starting now either, Mitch."

He snorted again at that but gave her a half-shrug. "Fair enough."

She sighed. "What do you want in exchange for your silence? You must realize what it would do to my reputation if someone discovered I publish smutty books on the side? It is not quite on par with my image…"

She wasn't that worried he would spill the beans, he noticed, just practical about the fact there would be some sort of blackmail happening. They did it all the time. He didn't tell people about the time she had slipped and ended up flat on her ass and he got to drink as much as he wanted at parties. She didn't tell anyone about the nightmares that left him screaming himself raw and… Well, she never cashed on that one but that was why he made an effort to work with her from time to time instead of letting her do his job on top of hers.

"Want you to read some of it to me…" he hummed thoughtfully. "Then, I want you to do them to me."

"Acceptable." she nodded as if it was all a business transaction. He knew better though, there was a secret grin lifting up the corner of her mouth. The utter confidence she had been displaying faltered for a moment though and she sat a little less straight, a little less prim and proper. "You are not… angry, then?"

Ah. He had wondered if she would care about that.

Maybe that was what she had thought the whole thing was about : retribution.

"Wasn't thrilled at first." he answered honestly. "Don't see how anyone but me would figure it out though so… That's fine. Bit flattering even, ain't it?" He made a face. "You need to find better names though. No more of that H and E nonsense… Someone's gonna end up connecting the dots. And if you don't want anyone to pick up on it, find a better penname, Mia."

She looked relieved and a small smile graced her lips. Slightly mocking. "You do realize all the male characters are not based on you."

He had realized but he had also preferred not to dwell.

"Yeah, the threesome scene was kind of a giveaway." he scowled.

"That…" she hummed, standing up and crossing the distance between their armchairs. "… was a long time ago."

She placed her glass along with his on top of the pile of books and straddled him.

"Whatever." he grumbled because it might have been what had upset him most about this whole thing.

"Do not be jealous." she chided, nipping at the soft flesh under his ear. "If you have skimmed the books, you know you are my favorite."

He tossed the book on the floor and wrapped his arms around her, dropping his head back a little so she had better access.

"Didn't skim them. Read them. Front to cover." he replied. "Ain't that bad for smut drivel, you know. I bet you could write me something better…"

"One of those thrillers you like?" she teased.

"Sure." He closed his eyes, enjoying the way her hands were roaming on his chest. "Thriller. With lots of sex in it."

"I will need to do some research…" she whispered in his ear. "Do you want to help me with that?"

He did want to help her with that and that was why he let her have her way with him.

He was nice that way.

All for the art.