Who: Haymitch and Morrigan When: October-ish Where: Morrigan's place What: Pancakes and socializing. Warnings/Ratings: none
Morrigan had spent most of her afternoon cleaning out her flat. Despite having been moved in for two weeks now, she still hadn’t unpacked the majority of her belongings. The living room and kitchen had been unpacked first, but her bathroom and bedroom were still waiting. She had figured she would have plenty of time once she moved in, but new acquaintances (unusual for her) had come into her life and that had slowed the process.
She wasn’t complaining though. Far from it, she was actually a little excited at the prospect of sharing the same space with a like minded individual. Needless to say, she rarely found such folk, so this was a treat.
As was the prospect of pancakes.
She hadn’t thought to dress up much for this little event. A long fitted shirt and a pair of jeans seemed to suffice, sans shoes. It was her flat after all. How dressed up was one to get for pancakes and beer anyway?
Haymitch was a man of few pleasures but pancakes and beer were among the few. Besides he worked for a living and for the most part avoided the law so he figured he was entitled. He had promised a friend he would lay off the heavier stuff so he was stuck with beer instead.
Not that it was his intention to get sloshed anyhow.
That was why he found himself driving to an unfamiliar address to have pancakes and cider (because he decided it would go better with apple pancakes) with a woman he had met on the Net. Something that was not that unusual for this area by any standard.
Right on time he knocked and waited for an answer praying he had the right address.
Kicking the last of her boxes into her room haphazardly, Morrigan’s mouth quirked up in the corner as she heard the knock. Hopefully that was Haymitch and not her crazy neighbor with the whiny grandkids beneath her.
Pushing her hair out of her face, hoping she looked somewhat presentable after all the hefting of things yet to be put away, she looked through her small peep hole. Tall scruffy looking blonde from the Net. Yep, Haymitch.
Opening the door, she stuck her head around on the other side, giving him a bit of a smile, before opening the door wider and letting him in, “Hello there. A pleasure to finally meet you.”
There was cider under his arm. It made her chuckle as she led him into the small living space, “A man of your word, I must say.”
Haymitch gave her a characteristic grin as she opened the door. His jeans were ripped in one knee, common to all but his dress clothes, but he was clean. His distressed clothing was part of his charm he figured considering the big dollars people paid for such things in the store.
"Pleasure is all mine love," he said easily as he slipped inside and allowed his eyes to wonder out of curiosity. Being a contractor by trade it was always just a habit to take into consideration others places.
"I am not a lot of things but yeah, my word is good as gold." He said as he lifted up the bags to prove his point. "Figured we would have apple topped pancakes since we know how much I love pumpkin," he joked easily.
Morrigan’s eyes rolled at the mention of pumpkin and she took the bags from him, moving directly into the kitchen, “There’s only one thing I enjoy with pumpkin and I rarely make it. Other then that, I figure the only thing pumpkins are good for are Jack o’Lanterns and roasting seeds.”
Setting the bags on her counter in the kitchen, she smiled back at him, “But apple topped pancakes sound absolutely delightful. And you say you have no talent in the kitchen. I think I even have some extra cinnamon somewhere in here.”
"Don't forget smashing," it has been a while since he had been childish enough to smash a pumpkin but it had been the thing to do while he was a teenager. "But yeah, I have to agree with you there."
Haymitch laughed lightly, "I don't really. Pancakes aren't really considered gourmet dinning. They're kind of idiot proof," at least they were in his mind. "Figured apples were a good place to start but a chocolate raspberry pancake is also great." Really any kind of fruit went with pancakes.
"This is why I eat out because my friend tells me pancakes are not an acceptable meal for every day."
Musing, she smiled, “Chocolate raspberry pancakes...I think we should do those next time. Vanilla gelato on the side though. With raspberry Woodchuck to drink.”
Morrigan pulled out two of the apples, looking over them, “I could poach them if you like. Wouldn’t take too long. I’ll leave the pancakes for you though. That’s your department. That and cracking open those first two beers.”
Moving around Haymitch, she plugged her iPhone into the stereo jack, putting Pandora onto the Eric Clapton channel. She didn’t turn it up too loud, just enough to cause ambient background music. “If Clapton isn’t your cup of tea I have no problem changing the station. Just wanted a bit of extra music.”
“I still like the way you think,” Haymitch told her with a grin as he reached into the bag and pulled out two beers, apple beers (it was apple season in some parts of the country) and stored the rest safely in her fridge for later. “I can handle the pancakes those are easy as pouring them straight from the Bisquick bottle onto a hot griddle.” It was too much hassle to make his own batter. “You’re making me hungry already,” he said with a laugh passing her one of the beers.
He shook his head, “I don’t mind love. I mean on the job we have to listen to just about everything so I can tolerate nearly anything. Besides rap… I mean they’re lyrics are brilliant and stuff but it mostly gives me a headache.” It was just kind of one of those things along with plastic surgery.
“So is it too early to ask what you do for work or just here in general?”
“When artists started saying their names among their own lyrics was the day I started to lose personal respect for said artists.” Shuffling back over to him, Morrigan happily took a beer. Giving the label a look over, she smiled and carefully opened it before taking a swig. “Mm...not bad. Might have to pick these up instead of Strongbow next time I’m at the grocer.”
Moving past him, further into her tiny kitchen, she went into a few cabinets for cookware. “No no, not too early at all. I’m a bartender. Not exactly what I went to school for, but I seem to have a knack for it. Besides, it’s far more entertaining to watch certain individuals make fools of themselves then it is to observe a chem lab all day.”
Giving him a few pots and pans, she moved her hair out of her face before asking, “And what about you? Might I ask what it is you do?”
“What can I say? I know my beer. I’ve had many years to try them all.. Many more than I legally should have,” he admitted with a laugh recalling his childhood. When he had been a teenager it had been the thing to do and well, it had been easier. The drinking age then had been eighteen not twenty-one like it was currently. “Idiots like me I’m sure,” he said with a grin.
Haymitch pulled a few things out of his bag and set to work slicing and peeling the apples he tended to top their pancakes with. “Have my own contracting business. Do a little bit of everything… Kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, you name it, I do it.” He said with a modest shrug of his shoulders. “It pays the bills and I am actually pretty good at it.”
“I don’t know, you don’t seem to fall into the idiot category just yet. You’re actually doing quite well.” With a smile, she took a drink and leaned back against the counter behind her. “Then again, you’re making me apple pancakes out of the goodness of your heart. That tends to just tack on the brownie points with anyone.”
“Contracting, hmm? I might have to hire you to help me with my bathroom. Tiling seems a little haphazardly done and I think I’ve got problems with the piping. Would be my luck. I could compensate not only financially but I’ve got a bottle of Parker’s Heritage I’ve been looking to get off my hands.”
"You just said the magical words," he said with a laugh. "I mean that's something that could be done in a weekend if you wanted. I mean unless its like a disaster area..." He said with a shrug. "Long as you tell me your bathroom is like on that Hoarders..."
Morrigan shook her head, doing her best to keep her drink in her mouth instead of spitting it out in amusement, “No no, I’m afraid my flat nor I are on that level of self destruction. It just most definitely needs a little more than just updating. I’m open to suggestion as well. Anything that can make my bathroom look a little less 1960’s.”
Without a thought, she moved over to his side, taking up one of the apples before retrieving one of her cooking knives to slice it properly for him, “What does your schedule look like for next weekend? I start work at five on Saturdays, so I’d be open to anytime before that. That is if you have availability, of course.”
“Hey hey, the sixties weren’t that bad!” Haymitch said with a laugh before amending that statement, “Well, okay they were but who’s keeping track? I mean there’s some pretty ugly dysfunctional things from other decades too but not a good one for a bathroom.” It wasn’t like it would probably be the worse thing he had seen or fixed.
“Lucky for you I am wide open. There isn’t anything on my schedule. All you have to tell me is what you want and I’ll go shopping and bring the stuff over.”
“Perfect. I’ll make sure to send you some details via your phone once I figure out what exactly I’m looking for. I’m not exactly picky, just that yellow color in the bathroom is enough to make me blind.” She groaned at the thought, “It’s hell on the eyes when you first wake up in the morning. Can’t say I’m a big fan of ridiculously bright colors.”
Grabbing a baking bowl, she started to put all the apple slices inside, hoping to help make space on the kitchen counter for him. “So other than your lovely professional work, which I’m extremely looking forward to, I might add, what do you do to occupy your spare time?”
Haymitch nodded. “Sounds like you need a darker more natural color. You can do some really good things with a darker slate blue and black accents and lighten it up with good lighting and mirrors. It will be easier on the eyes in the morning. Promise.”
Haymitch added in some spices and other ingredients, “Travel and hockey. I mean who can hate guys beating each other with sticks and fist and yeah…” he said with a laugh. “You?”
She added, “Sounds perfect. I’m just tired of feeling like I have to go into my bathroom with sunglasses.”
“Travel as well. I prefer to enjoy the wild out where it’s in the actual wild. I don’t think younger generations have the passion for getting out and seeing the world now that they have the internet being able to take them there virtually in a moment’s notice. I make myself sound so old speaking like that, but nothing can change seeing the mountains in the morning in person as opposed to watching it on a HD screen.”
Morrigan chuckled a little to herself, “You must be a terrible hockey player though...you seem to still have all your teeth.”
Haymitch laughed, “Aw, but I get your sunglasses are rather adorable but yeah, not sure they’re exactly sleep proof. I speak from experience.” He said with a laugh recalling one of the many times he had fallen asleep with his sunglasses on and not all of them had been outside.
“Nothing beats seeing it in person. I went to Rome a few months ago… London for the Olympics with a friend and a close family friend when he competed there.” Those were his most notable trips as of late but he liked to take little trips as well. “If you can’t touch it, feel it, taste the wine and food, it’s not real to you. Pictures don’t do things justice.”
He shook his head trying not to laugh, “Nah, I’m crap as a player but I am a fantastic spectator. I mean I might even let them paint my face this year and everything.”
“Imagine extreme bedhead with large, bug-eyed lenses. That would be me every morning. I’m sure I would look identical to something straight out of a 1950’s B-rated horror flick.” The thought was enough to get Morrigan giggling.
Raising her eyebrows, Morrigan nodded in appreciation, “It’s nice to see people still value what life has to offer. Now that you mention London it makes me miss the UK a little. Watching the Olympics being held there made me pine for some proper eggs benedict from the Table off Southwark. But, I digress..”
“I think you’d look fantastic in warpaint. You do have strong facial features for it.” Leaning over, she bumped his shoulder lightly. It was a little out of character for her normal personal boundaries, but she sensed great potential in this friendship thus far.
Haymitch had to laugh at the image. It was rather amusing and sounded a little familiar for when he first looked into the mirror in the morning. Then again the few beers he typically had before bed and some tossing and turning did tend to do a number on his hair. Then again it wasn’t like he had to actually go out of the house looking like that. Haymitch returned her bump by tapping her gently with his hip, “Does this mean I would be able to talk you into going? I mean even the best warriors need a back up and if you haven’t seen a hockey game you’re missing out. I mean it’s brutal and by that I mean awesome. Hockey fans are a special breed.”