'Will I do?'

I asked him. Nerves of a wreck. There I stood in silk white. It was the only thing I had in white, the dress was a silk underlay from another. It was strapless and corseted and the skirt stuck out with the layers of tulle petticoat underneath to just below my knee. I felt naked, I'd left the paint off my face, placed a subtle puff of rose pink on the apples of my cheeks and left my hair, my once crowning glory, still strewn across the floor. I'd let my natural shoulder length waves down, the pearl tendrils framing my face. I'd placed a small white Lillie just above my left ear and pulled out a forgotten pair of ivory satin heels from my extravagant but now slightly barer closet.

Exposing myself in front of him was, I feel, one of the bravest things I've ever done. I was proud of my shallow self and I was excited. I looked at the face of the man smiling, tearily in front of me and my nerves diminished. With or without my Capitol face and clothes, no man could look at me that way and not be telling me true...

'My god, I love you Effie Trinket'

A small laugh escaped me. I wasn't sure if it was because of the word 'love' or the man saying it.

Haymitch Abernathy. By my side all this time and I never knew why until tonight. Never understood his reasoning for staying in the Capitol with me each year, listening to me whine and moan and bitch. Most of which was purposely about him or at him. We'd put up with each other. Neither understanding why. But tonight, as he held me, shaking and vulnerable, I think we both realised the reasoning behind it all. We had grown together, we survived off each other, we were all each other knew.

He'd told me, before I'd gone into the bathroom to change, that for just a second, before he'd pulled me back from the window, he'd realised what his life would be like without me there.

'Black and white'

Id laughed at him, slightly confused. Wasn't black and white easier? I'd asked. He had replied, and I knew then that I loved him back, 'A black and white life is nothing without a colourful love'

He stood from the bed, taking my hands in his, taking me in.

'Strange...'

'What is?' I asked

'Just, seeing you like this. I feel like I'm betraying 'Effie' with her even more beautiful twin sister'

I had to laugh. It was strange. Seeing myself this way, in his arms, I too felt for a moment that I was betraying myself. But no. For the first time, since I was a young, carefree girl, I was being true to myself, exposing the real girl behind the Capitol mask, the Effie that he would be coming home and going to bed with each night BEFORE the chore of work began the next day, and the canvas of Effie became vibrantly full again.

'No matter how you dress or what you put on your god damned face and head Ef, I'm in love with you. I'm an idiot for for realising sooner but I am completely yours. And you are mine. I'll never let anyone hurt you ever again, you understand me'

'Yes'

'Let's make our promise to each other and no matter what happens in the future at least we know. You have me and I have you'

'Forever'

I kissed him, how could I not. Never in my life had I been loved the way he spoke of it, not even by my parents, who, would probably disown if not murder me in my sleep for loving a districtee. Our very own Romeo and Juliet story it would be if they were still alive.

Our kisses began soft and safe at first but soon excelled to needy and hungry and hard. I couldn't bring myself closer to him, as much as I tried, My fingers locked at the back of his head, tangled in his hair as he explored my body with his. I wanted him. Badly. He could see it in my eyes, hear it in my breath. It drove him wild. We fell against a wall in my bedroom, the pressure making me feel like I was almost inside of him, where I wanted to be, flowing through his veins, pulsing around his heart.

I couldn't wait any longer I felt for his belt buckle but he stopped me and pulled away.

'Now now now miss Trinket, we have a commitment to make first'

He took my hand and we ran.

To where we would find somebody to marry us at this time of night I had no idea, but I didn't worry, I was with Haymitch Abernathy and together we could do anything.