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Setting the Pace	By : QuinnyLgal Category: G through L > The Hunger Games Trilogy Views: 10686 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I am not Suzanne Collins and do not own any rights to her texts the Hunger Games. I make no money off my fan fictions but appreciate reviews!

Chapter List
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Her prep team arrived earlier that afternoon. They make such a commotion that it’s impossible for Haymitch to not notice their arrival. He couldn’t protect her from this evening; if he tried then that would be the end of him and any protection that he may be able to offer her.
                When he awoke this morning Katniss was gone; the only proof of last night’s adventures where torn pieces of her underwear and that empty bottle on the floor. No nightmares last night, just peace. He tried to not think about her, even though that was all his mind wanted to think about. It had been so long since he had participated in any carnal acts. Most of the time the spirits made it hard for him to preform… not that he minded. Until recently his goal was to drink enough liquor to block out everything around him. Now this girl was forcing him into partial sobriety. He wasn’t alone anymore. Not in Victor’s Village and not in life. Somehow this girl managed to win the games and his affection.
Yes at first it was an innocent affection, more like an admiration of her spunk. Watching her in the arena, fighting for her life, that is when he felt the shift. It was like watching her again, Maysilee Donnor. His one ally in the games, the one person he promised to protect. He laughs as he pours himself his first drink. We all know how good Haymitch is at protecting people. Just ask his mother, brother and girlfriend. Oh wait the Capitol murdered them to punish him. He shoots the whole contents of his glass down his throat and sighs; the first one is always the sweetest.
                He catches a glimpse of her as she is walking to her date. Cinna had her dressed in the sexiest dress he had ever seen. Everything about her screams sex. Haymitch chuckles and thinks that this look is exactly the opposite of what the capital is expecting from a grieving innocent. Her neckline plunges so low it almost shows her navel. He notices that the skin on her breasts is still flecked with his love bites. He was so sure that the prep team would remove them but apparently they go with her look.
She takes a moment to stop and look up at his window. He nods in response and keeps eye contact. They have always understood each other, and this look from her says one thing, that she is dead to the world, and honestly he can’t blame her. He has never had to perform for the capitol in this way. One reason is that the capitol cannot threaten any of Haymitch’s loved ones because they already killed everyone he cared for 24 years ago. Also being the known alcoholic that he was no one ever asked for his favors. After she is out of sight he returns to his bottle, his only soleus. He welcomes his blackout.
He is awakened by a shift in his mattress and he immediately goes for the knife he keeps under his pillow. He rolls over about to strike when he sees her curled up in a ball on the far end of the mattress; Katniss never looked so helpless. He blinks a couple of times to make sure the liquor isn’t messing with his perception. She is truly there; her back is to him and he can smell the liquor on her breath. He puts the knife away and notices that she is sleeping in one of his shirts and that her sexy dress is lying crumpled on the floor.
Haymitch pushes her hair out of her face and that is when he notices the giant bruise on her left cheek. Rage fills him and he almost shakes her out of her sleep demanding to know what happened, but he resists. It won’t do any good anyways. We are all pawns to the Capitol. He wraps his arms around her in a giant hug, saying what his words cannot, ‘you are safe here, with me.’ That is the second night he sleeps peacefully. No nightmares.
He awakened to her grey green eyes studying his face. She was now turned around and facing him, his arms still firmly around her. “You didn’t kick me out.” It wasn’t a question, more like a statement. “Good morning to you too sweet heart.” He replies loosening his grip and stretching his arms out. She just lay there, watching him.
“I ran into Gale on the way to my “date”. I don’t think we are friends anymore.” She said this plainly as if she was retelling the events on a Capitol soap opera. He looked over at her with pity. “I’m real sorry about that.” Is all he can get out before she interrupts him. “It’s okay. It’s probably for the best. He can’t get hurt this way.” A simple statement but he understands her meaning.
“President Snow wants me to come to the Capitol, apparently I live to far away from my… admirers.” She shudders at the last word. “He said I can bring one person with me for company, or leverage, either way will you come?” she asks with such hope and longing in her eyes that he would be a fool to say no. He justs nods his head yes and yawns. “Sure, I’ll go if you want me to.” He knew better than to ask why not your sister or your mom. Who would want their family to see them sold off at night to the highest bidder?
“I guess I better pack.” Feeling like the mood needed lightening, Haymitch gets up and grabs an old pack and starts to shove half drank bottles of liquor in them. Katniss lets out a small giggle and covers her smile. He looks over at her and asks “How many bag do you reckon we can bring I might need 4 or 5?” he starts counting all the bottles in his stash over-exaggeratedly. When he doesn’t hear her giggle he looks over at her and she has that dead look in her eyes again. He can see her imagining life at the Capitol and her eyes say it all. He cradles her face in his hands and kisses her forehead.
                “Don’t worry sweet heart; I’ll stay sober enough to keep you alive.” His promise echoed from a different time. She smiled blinking back tears. She could always count on him, as long as she lived and he hoped she knew that.
Each night on the train he would lie and wait for her to sneak into his bed. He would always pretend to not to care whether she showed up or not, but deep down he knew he needed her companionship just as much as she seemed to need him. That was all she asked for, so that was all he gave. He wondered if she noticed his long showers in the morning. He was no saint. Katniss was a beautiful woman and he found it very hard to keep his hands and other appendages to himself during their sleep overs.
If Effie has anything to say about repeatedly finding the two of them together in the mornings she says nothing to him. When they arrive at the Capitol they are taken to Victor’s Tower. All the victors of the Hunger Games are given suites while staying in the Capitol. Their suite had two bedrooms and one common living space. They were expected to take their meals in the dining hall with the other victors in town. It’s a great opportunity for the Capitol to get shots of the victors for the news reels. Victors are celebrities after all. Not Haymitch, he was only good in very small doses each year at the games. They usually only showed him on screen to laugh at his drunken state, or remark on his tributes’ horrible luck at having him as a mentor. He did promise Katniss partial sobriety, but to him that just means less than usual.
When the time comes they go and get their lunch; their plan for flying under the radar goes out the window when the cameras bombard Katniss as she enters the dining hall. She won the hearts of the Capitol as she realized Peeta’s fate. Haymitch remembers that every lady in his viewing box was in tears. He had never gotten so many condolence calls over a tribute before. Haymitch pulls the flask out of his pocket and takes a swig. This does not go unnoticed by the cameras. They all turn their lenses at him and ask him “Starting early there Haymitch?” He looks down at his bare wrist, checking an invisible watch. “Its 5 O’clock somewhere isn’t it?” then he takes another swig. His distraction allows Katniss time to get her food. “Let’s go see what slop they are feeding us now?” His colorful tour of the menu distracts the camera crew long enough for Katniss to eat most of her food. When he looks over she is not sitting alone.
Finnick Odair is sliding into the seat next to her with a smug smile on his face. The camera crew notices what Haymitch is staring at and he hears, “Oh! What do we have here? It looks like that charmer Finnick Odair from District 4 has his eyes on the newest victor from District 12. Who can blame him? What do you think of this Haymitch? Finnick is known to be quite the ladies’ man…” He lets lose a full chuckle. “He has never met a lady like Miss. Everdeen.”
A commotion draws their attention. Katniss had just finished pouring her juice over Finnick’s head. “That a girl!” he shouts at her. She just smiles and moves to a clean area of the table. She stumbled through the rest of lunch answering questions for the camera crew and trying to act her part. She was never very good at this part of the games.
After lunch Haymitch advises Katniss not to judge Finnick so harshly. “He is known as a ladies man, how many of his dates do you think President Snow arranges for him?” she reflects on that and retires to her room under the pretense of needing to call her mother. He can hear the sloshes of the liquor bottle she had hidden in her pack. He has been meaning to say something to her about her drinking but every time he starts to say something he remembers that he really isn’t the right person to say anything on the subject. He pulls out his bottle and cheers the closed door and turns on the Television. They are airing Katniss’ arrival to the Capitol. Good thing she is supposed to be grieving, her eyes have that dead look in them again. He is suddenly so overcome with anger that he throws his bottle against wall. “Fuck…” he exclaims. That was his last bottle. He only had a little in his flask, so now he had to go out to get more, he did not want to detox again. He gets up and knocks on Katniss’ door. “I need spirits sweet heart, I’ll be back in a bit.” He doesn’t get an answer but he can hear her moving around. She heard him, that’s good enough.
When he returns there is a note on his bedroom door.
Gone to a party with Finnick, I’ll be back later.
                                                                Katniss
He has his bottles and the television. He kept thinking about Katniss, wondering what she was doing, what she was wearing, who was protecting her? He knew Finnick to be a mostly decent guy. But he also knows that Finnick goes a little wild when he stays at Victor’s Tower. The decadence and splendor of the Capitol is hypnotizing. Haymitch had always drank too much to get drawn in, but he has seen many young victors lose themselves for a couple years playing in the Capitol’s limelight.
After a couple of hours of bingeing Haymitch still can’t stop thinking about her, Katniss. He thinks about their one sexual encounter and how much he wishes he could have another. He looks down and realizes he is covered in alcohol. If he wanted to continue having his nightly sleepovers he should really clean himself up. He drags himself into the tub and promptly passes out with his head slumped on his shoulder, safely above the water.
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Setting the Pace