I know I mentioned I wanted this to be long but another idea popped into my head and my brain gotta move to another which is also a hayffiee ff so I got you covered on that one

Effie felt weak when she lay down on Haymitch's bed. All the emotions drained her energy and her muscles felt limp. She didn't protest when Haymitch started removing her shoes and then moved to undressing her.

His intention is innocent. He just wanted her to be comfortable. It is quite cold and he knows how much she likes his pajamas and shirt when sleeping.

"Please don't open the lights", she pleaded when she saw him reaching for the switch.

"You don't like it off", he frowned.

She can never sleep with the lights off.

"I don't want you to see", she muttered with slight embarrassment.

His brain processed that for a few seconds before realizing what she actually meant. It's the scars. She doesn't want him to see her scars. Well, it's not like he hasn't them. When she was at the hospital, he saw a fair amount but he hasn't seen the full extent of it on her body and she obviously didn't want him to see her scars.

"It's alright, princess. I don't mind. I got my own remember", he said softly.

There is no need to be embarrassed at all for him. His body is not perfect either. It's never been after his games and she never said a word about it so why would he?

"They're ugly, Haymitch and I don't want you to look at me differently", she explained.

He sighed.

"Sweetheart, ugly is the hideous clothes you used to wear and those horrible wigs on your pretty head. Those things were ugly. Your natural you is never ugly, even if you try, even if you're covered with scars", he said.

Effie tried to think of any excuse to prevent him from proceeding but she couldn't think of any, not after what he just said. Haymitch switched on the lights and removed her dress. Effie averted her eyes so she wouldn't see his reaction.

Haymitch didn't say a word nor give any expression on his face but he can feel his guts turning when his eyes lay upon her scarred back. The crisscross markings on her skin screams whip and he knows how painful that feels. He's been there before and to think how many times that whip touched her skin makes him sick. He doesn't need to think how many times it happened. He can just simply count the marks on her back and he will know but he chose not to do that to himself because he may lose control of himself and start breaking things.

Instead, he continued dressing her properly without failing to see the surgery scar on her left shoulder and her right ankle.

"There, all comfy", he muttered once he's done.

Effie looked at his eyes for a moment like she's searching for something else other than what he's saying. She then put her hand on his face.

"It's not your fault", she muttered and that sent shivers down his spine. "It was never your fault", she added.

It is scary how well she can read his mind by just looking at him.

"It's not that easy to believe", he almost whispered.

"You did your best. You kept me alive. They locked me up because they knew where my allegiance lies from the start. Snow knew that. He saw that from miles away. It wasn't your fault. I made my choice", she insisted.

Everything is her choice. She was given the opportunity to be promoted but she declined each time there's an offer. Whenever she sensed danger coming Twelve's way, she put herself in the middle and tried her best to shield her district from Capitol's wrath. She sold her own body to give the children their chance to survive. She spearheaded those golden tokens to show everyone her team is united as ever. She knew all along she's walking on a dangerous line but she continued anyway. It's her choice. It's always been her choice.

"That was really stupid", he muttered.

"Well, you said I was never smart", she teased and it made him smile a little. "So, stop blaming yourself. There are things that are out of your control and you need to accept that. We have everything now, I guess. I am not there yet but I will get there. We have enough to move forward", she added.

The turnaround of events surprised Haymitch. The positivity that he thought she lost in prison is coming back rapidly and he likes it.

"I see the optimism is back", he commented with a smirk.

"The dinner earlier made me realized that it's no good being stuck in the mentality of the past. Hazelle is that. She cannot move on from the past, what the game and the Capitol caused and I don't want to be like her. I've been stuck in the past for a long time and I am still getting pulled down there from time to time but if you and the children can manage to get past all the trauma and thrive, perhaps I can too", she said.

"You have no idea how much I have been waiting for you to say that", he muttered and pulled her into his arms. "You can get past it too. We're all here. You're not alone", he added.

There are so many things left unsaid. There are many questions left in his mind but he knows he has a lifetime left to ask them of her. Right now, there is just him and her and the kids and their quest on finding the life of a Victor that's been taken away from them a long time ago.

THE END