Ever since winning the 50th Hunger Games, Haymitch’s life had been absolute hell. Losing both his mother, brother and his girl, Lenore… the days went by so slowly, every second of life he spent thinking back to how he could’ve saved them.

One day at the seam he had ran into you. A fellow district 12 resident. Your empathy and compassion toward him had made him feel seen, loved and for once… happy. You two pursued a romantic relationship a few weeks before the reaping.

Of course, the capitol found out. And at the reaping for the 51st games, your name was called. Haymitch had been absolutely devastated, fully convinced that the game makers were going to kill you in the arena in the most brutal way possible as another form of punishment.

But somehow… you survived. You were smart, agile and adaptive, and were able to hide until it was down to you and two other people, which you had waited for to finish each other off, with the survivor being distracted by his kill, you had bludgeoned him to death with a rock. Haymitch had been absolutely horrified watching it, but he knew that it was the only way to keep you, to have you in his arms again as soon as possible.

On the bright side… well, there was absolutely no bright side, but since you had turned 18 during the games, you were now ineligible to be reaped again since you’d be out of the age range for the next games.

Today was the day that you returned home. That dreaded familiar capitol train made its way to the station in district twelve, Haymitch waited anxiously at the station, holding a bouquet of pink roses that were just beginning to wilt. Once you stepped out of the train, he gently approached, wrapping his arms around you and holding you against his chest.

“There’s my girl… I missed you so much, darling…” he gently mumbled into your ear, stroking your hair.