#cato x rue

[xetlynn]

The Hunger Games: Protector; Chapter One, The Reaping

[Information] [One] [Two]

"No! No!!!" A scream emitted in the air, startling me awake. I jumped up but Katniss was already comforting her little sister, Primrose.

"Shh, shh." The older one hugs the girl, stroking her hair. "It's okay, it's okay. You were just dreaming, you were dreaming." She tells her, the blonde begins to sob. I go over to them, joining in comforting her.

"It was me." She cries. Prim has been having these nightmares ever since she turned 12.

Meaning she was now a part of the reaping. Something I never understood could be a thing but of course, it is.

"I know, I know. But it's not. It's your first year Prim, your name's only been in there once. They're not going to pick you. Try to go back to sleep." Katniss tells her, even though she doesn't know that it's kind of true, being picked in your first year is rare. "I can't." She looks up at me frowning.

I kiss her forehead. "Just try, flower." I whispered before glancing over to the brunette who sighs as I lay her back down. Both of us sat in the bed with her.

"Deep in the meadow, under the willow," Katniss begins to sing, Prim joins in as I just listen. "A bed of grass, a soft green pillow."

"You remember that song. Okay, you finish it. We gotta go." Katniss kisses her temple just as I had done before her. "Where?" Her voice stops us. "We just have to go, flower." I smile softly. "But we'll be back, I love you."

We grab our jackets, Buttercup hisses at the girl beside me. "I'll still cook you." She threatens the cat. I open the door, trying not to chuckle at her hatred for the poor kitty.

"I will never understand your two's bond." I shake my head, speaking on the quieter side as the village is a little less noisy today. "It's not difficult to understand."

We glance around before going under the District boundary. An electric fence that's barely ever on due to not having much electricity in 12.

Getting deeper into the woods, having to fetch our hunting gear we have to leave out here. Katniss uses a bow and lately she's been teaching me how to use it. I'm better with the traps. Always have been. And with fishing if we ever go to the water it's easy to use an arrow as a spear.

Close contact hunting has always been a specialty of mine compared to a bow and arrow. She gives me the bow and I give her a look, trying to hand it back to her. She stops me with a low smirk on her lips.

"You need the practice, [Name]." Folding her arms, I let out a sigh, snatching the arrows from the ground as she scoffs out a snicker.

This is where we grow quieter than mice. Our footsteps barely crunching below us. Pointing when we hear the slightest noise. After some time we finally spotted a doe. I look over to her and she nods her head doing a motion to use the bow.

I aligned the arrow into the correct position, taking in a deep breath as I pulled it back. Using one eye to track the deer. It was unexpecting, I almost felt bad for wanting to kill her. I ready the shot.

"What are you two gonna do with that when you kill it?" A voice speaks, spooking the doe causing it to run away. Both Katniss and I goran. "Damn you, Gale!" Katniss calls out angrily. He chuckles at us.

"It's not funny." I point at him. "What're you two going to do with a 100 pound deer? It's Reaping Day, the place is crawling with Peacekeepers." He questions our antics.

"We were gonna sell it to some Peacekeepers." Katniss tells him. "Of course you were." He rolls his eyes. I put the bow and arrow into one hand, following beside the two. "Like you don't sell to Peacekeepers." I argue with him. "No! Not today."

"It was the first deer I've seen in a year. [Name] could've gotten it. Now we have nothing." She complains to the taller boy. "Okay." He picks up a rock, throwing it. Scaring off some birds and Katniss hurries me. I pull the bow and arrow out. Shooting one. The two cheer for me since I'm usually horrible at this.

Suddenly a plane flies above us, I grab onto my cousin pushing her to the ground. Gale in front of us.

Once it's out of view we get up, dusting ourselves off.

We went to find the bird I shot, then afterwards we sat on a large rock.

"What if they did? Just one year, what if everyone just stopped watching?" Gale asks us. I play with the grass as we talk. "They won't, Gale." Katniss disagrees.

"What if they did? What if we did?" He glances at me and I shake my head. "It won't happen." My little cousin speaks up once again.

"You root for your favorite, you cry when they get killed. It's sick." He rambles, something we know but understand why he vents about.

The games are sick but have been going for 74 years it's not going to just disappear. "Gale." Katniss and I say at the same time. "If no one watches, then they don't have a game. It's as simple as that." He gestures. Us two hold our amusement.

"What?" He questions us.

"Nothing." "Huh?" We replied to him. "Fine, laugh at me." He huffs out. "We're not laughing at you." She defends us but I shrug my shoulders.

"I kind of was." I chuckle, Gale playfully shoves my arm. "We could do it, you know? Take off. Live in the woods. It's what we do anyway." He grows serious, my face falls. "They'd catch us." Katniss says.

"Maybe not." He argues. "Cut out our tongues or worse. We wouldn't make it five miles."

"No, I'd get five miles. I'd go that way." He points off into the distance. "[Name] and I have Prim and Zay, you have your brothers." She reminds him, I think about putting the little ones in danger and my chest tightens. But the games, the chance of their names being read out loud…

"They can come too." Gale simply says. "Prim in the woods?" Katniss huffs, Gale and I laugh. "Maybe not." He hums.

"I'm never having kids." Katniss sighs, leaning backwards. "Same." I agree, staring up at the sky. "I might. If I didn't live here." Gale tells us.

"But you do live here." She prompts him. "I know but if I didn't. Oh, I forgot." He changes the subject, pulling out a piece of bread.

Splitting it in half for the both of us. "Oh my god! Is this real?" She asks excitedly. As I stare at it in disbelief, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"You're fucking amazing." I told him. "It better be, Cost me a squirrel. Happy Hunger Games."

"And may the odds-" Katniss bites into her bread "Be ever in your favor." I finish for her, taking a bite into mine as well.

"How many times has your names been entered?" She then asks us. I don't like talking about how many times I had to put my name in for the family. Lying about it to my dad and Kat many times.

"Fifty one." I take another bite of the bread. "Forty two, guess the odds aren't exactly in our favor." He nudges me as I frown deeply.

The three of us go back to the village, Katniss and I separating as I go back home to help Clare with prim and Zayden. Kat going to the trade building.

I entered the house, not expecting my father but there he stood, he was in cleaner clothes than usual. As well as Clare, she was already dressed and cleaned up for the Reaping. Primrose along with Zayden came into the front room, pulling me into a hug.

"Let's get you two ready, hm?" I ask them with a toothy smile. Prim was filled with anxiety so all she responds with is a nod. Zayden being only five and not understanding what he was getting ready for he cheers to do so.

He's going to stand with dad due to being younger. I'm glad I won't have to stress over him for more years. Unfortunately I wouldn't be able to volunteer for him if he ever was picked during the draw.

The thought freaking me out I have to physically shake my head for it to go away.

I get the first bath started, Prim getting cleaned up first. Clare picked her dress out, also letting me know that I have one on my bed.

"Thank you, Aunt Clare." I hug her, she only nods forcing a smile before walking away. My father picked up Zayden who was playing with a wooden plane I had carved when I was 12 right before he was born. I had a feeling he was going to be a boy. I argued with my parents all the time.

They believed it was a girl, or that might've been to mess with me. But I knew in my heart I was going to have a little brother and I was right. My mom taught me how to do wood carvings.

Making little animals and objects, she would sell them sometimes, just to earn a little bit more money. Then after she passed it was something to take my mind off the world around me.

"You’re home early." I speak up, picking up the off-white dress my Aunt had given to me. It had tiny flowers around it. It was gorgeous. "We all got sent home early due to the Games." He tells me as he bounces Zay on his hip.

I nod my head, staring at my little brother who was so focused on "flying" his little plane. "You don't have to worry about washing him, he got a bath last night. Hasn't been out much since." He lets me know, playing Zayden back down, grabbing his clothes off the tall dresser.

"Just worry about yourself and little Prim." He says, kneeling down. "Thank you." I give him a small hug. Prim was already out of the bath and dressed. I brush out her hair and then send her off to Clare before I enter the bath next.

The water was cold, so I didn't bother to boil some water. Just wanting to get it over with. My heart quickly beating in my chest practically forced me to be quicker.

I hated bodies of water. I don't know why, I just always had some weird phobia about it. The unknown. What could happen even if it's for a split second. I hated everything about it.

Getting done fast, I dried myself off. Throwing my undergarments on before the dress. I use a towel to hurriedly dry my hair off. I put my hair into two tight dutch braids, a few strands out of place but I didn't care enough to fix it as the pain in my arms was too annoying to continue dealing with.

I walked out of the bathroom, Clare went into the room and fixed up the bath for Katniss. I go to Primrose, grinning at how beautiful she looked.

"Pretty flower, come here." I take her hand, spinning her around. "You look gorgeous, my flower." I kiss her nose making her giggle, throwing her arms around me. "Thank you, leaf." She lets out a long breath as she grips onto me. My nickname she gave me is because I started calling her flower, she thought it was dumb at first. So she gave me a "dumb" nickname too. I love it even though she didn't want me to.

I heard the front door open as Prim called out for her mom. But then hearing the door as well. "Aww. Look at you. You look beautiful. Better tuck in that tail, little duck." Katniss pulls her sister towards her, tucking in her shirt that poked out in the back.

"I laid something out for you, too." Clare speaks up to Kat. "Okay." She goes to the bathroom. Getting herself ready.

"Now you three look beautiful." Aunt Clare tells us. "Wish I looked like you." Prim tells her sister. "Aw, no. I wish I looked like you, little duck." Kat tells the little blonde who shyly smiles but the conversation was cut off by the whistle that blows. Time stamping that we need to get moving for the Reaping.

"Hey, you wanna see what I got you today? It's a Mockingjay pin. To protect you. And as long as you have it nothing bad will happen to you. Okay? I promise." Katniss pulls out a little gold pin, trying to calm down the girl.

Zayden gets a little antsy as well.

As we walk outside it's time for me to separate from my dad and Zayden. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest.

Like if I didn't grip it, it was going to explode but I took a deep breath in, instead. It was like this every year. This was my second to last year of The Reaping. It wasn't any easier though. I give my last hug to my little brother, giving him back to my dad.

"[Name]." He reaches his arms out still and I kiss his cheek. "I'll see you after, okay?" I tell him, trying to be hopeful.

My dad's eyes were saddened, he observed my every move before I had the courage to actually look at him. "I love you, dad." I hug him, his embrace lingers for a little longer than it should. When another whistle blows and I hear Prim begin to panic, I let him go.

"I love you too, We'll see you after." He nods his head and I do the same, heading over to my younger cousins.

"Shh, shh, Prim. It's okay. It's time to sign in now. Okay, they're gonna prick your finger to take just a little bit of blood." Katniss explains what is about to happen.

"You didn't say-" "I know. It doesn't hurt much. Just a little, right [Name]?" She looks up to me and I nod my head. "Go sit down there with the little kids. I'll find you after, okay?" She assures the youngest girl who nods her head. The Peacemaker calls out to the next girl.

Prim goes up. Katniss and I move into our lines.

Unfortunately having to be away from one another.

"Welcome! Welcome, welcome. Happy Hunger Games. And, may the odds be ever in your favor." Effie, the woman who has done this for years, her colorful get up almost being a mockery to the colorless aura of District 12. Her candy-like pink hair that's huge and puffy.

"Now, before we begin. We have a very special film. Brought to you all the way from the Capitol!" She grins, clapping her hands before showing off the screen to the right.

It's the same thing every year, I roll my eyes at the sight and the sound of President Snow's voice. "War. Terrible war. Widows, orphans, a motherless child. This was the uprising that rocked our land. Thirteen districts rebelled against the country that fed them, loved them, protected them. Brother turned on brother until nothing remained." I shifted in place, listening to this.

"And then came the peace, hard fought, sorely won. A people rose up from the ashes, and a new era was born. But freedom has a cost. And the traitors were defeated. We swore as a nation we would never know this treason again. And so it was decreed that each year, the various districts of Panem would offer up, in tribute, one young man and woman to fight to the death in a pageant of honor, courage, and sacrifice. The lone victor, bathed in riches, would serve as a reminder of our generosity and our forgiveness. This is how we remember our past. This is how we safeguard our future." The video finally ends, after what feels like an eternity.

"I just love that! Now, the time has come for us to select one courageous young man and woman for the honor of representing District 12 in the 74th Annual Hunger Games. As usual, ladies first." The colorful woman moves over to the large glass bowl of names, drawing the first piece of paper. Moving back to the microphone and opening the paper.

"Primrose Everdeen!" And the world stopped.

My heart dropped and I saw the back of Kat's head. She looked frozen in place. "Where are you dear? Come on up. Well, come on up!"

I see the blonde reluctantly moving towards the stage.

"Prim! Prim!" I hear Katniss but in quickness, not even realizing what I'm doing I grab her.

"I volunteer! I volunteer as Tribute!" I scream out loud, my voice breaking subtly. Primrose, comes to Katniss and I. They both grip onto me. "I believe we have a volunteer, Mr. Mayor." Effies says in shock, a smile on her face.

"You both need to get out of here. Get out of here!" I tell them. "No!" Prim cries.

"[Name], no, don't do this!" Katniss cries but is separated by the Peacekeepers that grab onto me. "Go find your mom and my dad. Zayden as well!" I ordered them.

"No!" Prim shouts again. "[Name]!" Katniss screams. "Go find them!" I demand. They both scream, no, trying to fight against the peacekeepers.

"I'm sorry!" I tell them. Clare grabs them as I'm ushered to the stage.

"A dramatic turn of events here in District 12. Yes, well, District 12's very first volunteer. Bring her up!" Effie holds a card in her hand as I stand next to her. I force the tears back down. Except one that had already escaped but I didn't wipe it. Standing there in shock. Wanting to throw up the bread I had eaten with Katniss and gale earlier in the day.

"Come on dear. What's your name?" Effie asks me, putting the mic near my face. "[Name] Everdeen." Yes, my mother gave me her last name instead of my father's. She didn't know they were going to end up together as they weren't serious when she fell pregnant.

"Well, I bet my hat those were your sisters, wasn't it?" She proudly states but I shake my head. "Cousins." I sound like I'm out of breath. "Ohh," She sings out. "Let's have a big hand for our very first volunteer, [Name] Everdeen." She claps enthusiastically, but the crowd was quiet, only doing the three finger salute. She awkwardly moves on.

"And now, for the boys."

She pulls a name and comes back to the mic. "Peeta Mellark." She reads out. I spotted the blonde boy from the crowd, recognizing him from when we were children.

When he attempted to convince his father to trade one of my carvings for bread. Getting himself in trouble for insisting, I left the carving of the bear there even though I wasn't given anything. He ended up throwing a slightly burnt loaf towards me in the rain. I was leaned up a tree weak with Katniss in my arms.

I heard how his mother had yelled at him for burning that bread. His gesture was never forgotten. It was a horrible time for my family. My mother had passed and Katniss and Prim's father passed. My father working extra hours in the mines. We weren't even scraping enough to get by.

Just making sure that Prim and Zayden had food and formula. Clare was stuck in place with her depression, going mute and not even taking care of herself.

The same blond boy who saved my family that day walked up onto the stage to enter the Hunger Games with me and I was devastated that it had to be him.

"Here we are, our tributes from District 12. Well come on, you two shake hands." She instructs us. We shake hands, both of our faces drained of color.

"Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"

If you want to be in the Taglist for this let me know!!!

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[lost-in-beacon-hills]

You know what?

As much as I ADORE Everlark I really wish there was a lot more diversity in fics. I want to see pairings that even I wouldn't have thought of. I want to read about your silly little side characters that you just know would have immaculate romcom vibes.

I want to see random ass tributes shipped with other random ass tributes for fun.

Like Marvel x Clove. Did I ship it? No. Do I kinda ship it now? Yeah. It could be so fun.

I want to see what ifs. I want to know who you think would have won. I want takes on why Foxface died. Was it suicide? Was it just her not knowing? Was Thresh secretly a werewolf? Did Cato slap a wig on and pretend to be Glimmer? Who knows. I don't. So please I'm begging give me some random ass hunger games fics.

[munninghams]

IF YOU LIKE THE HUNGER GAMES…..

please do yourself a favor and check out this fic. the best hunger games fic i think i’ve ever read.

peeta POV retelling of the first book.

[prettylittlewrites]

Sinners

A Gale Hawthorne Story

Chapter 1

Summer was never a pleasant time. Specifically the middle of the warm season. While the weather was warm and the sky didn’t seem so gray, there was a foreboding sense to the air.

The Hunger games took place in the middle of Summer, the day used to be called Independence Day before the collapse of the old nation.

The weeks spent leading up to the reaping were full of Wren taking care of Haymitch and attempting to get him somewhat sober. She’d dump all his alcohol down the drain or hide it in her own home. But he always seemed to have some more whiskey stashed somewhere. It seemed like such a tedious task but, for them it was normal. Repetition, the sad normalcy of it all is what kept them sane.

Wren and Haymitch would never have your average father-daughter relationship. They would share the same eye color and their hair would lay flat on their heads the same way. But resemblance-wise, that was all they shared.

Wren looked like a spitting image of her mother. From the size of her button-shaped nose, right down the way her eyes squinted when she truly laughed. Had it not been for her bright blue eyes, Haymitch would have been convinced that it was the ghost of her late mother.

After Haymitch won the 50th Hunger Games, he returned home to find his whole family slaughtered at the hands of President Snow. A sickness is what they told Haymitch, a cover up for Snow's murderous pastimes.

Haymitch knew why they were killed of course. A couple of the Victors warned him what he might find in his old home. He had outsmarted the Game makers. Using their own arena against them. Rebelion. Even if he didn’t see it that way, that’s how Snow saw it. Therefore in Snow's eyes he needed to be punished.

He wasn’t desirable to the Capitol, at least not enough to bring in a steady clientele. So instead of the remainder of his innocence being taken by the Capitol. They took the remainder of his security and support.

He would have no one to support him and get him through the aftermath of his games. Not very many Victors could offer much support for the teenager.

They were restricted in communications between Districts, and it wasn’t like District 12 had any living Victors. He was utterly alone.

It wasn’t until his Victory tour did Haymitch finally turn to alcohol to calm the raging night terrors. It had been a Victor in District 11 who had offered a bottle to the teenager. ‘An easy way to cope’, he had claimed and he was right. Gulp after gulp, the world blurred around Haymitch, blurring his reality and numbing his mind as he watched the amber liquid disappear.

His Capitol escort quickly caught on to his reckless behavior and took it upon herself to remove all alcohol from any and all events. She couldn’t stand the idea of her Victor being intoxicated during such prestigious events. Forcing Haymitch, for the time being, to relive the games at full force with a sober mind. He was ruined, every Victor could see it. But to the Capitol, all they saw was their most recent Victor.

It was in District 2 where he found the second thing that could numb his brain. Sex. He could turn off and just feel good. And plenty of people were willing to offer that feeling to him in the inner Districts. Because to them, winning the Hunger Games was a reason to celebrate. To be honored and showered with favor.

Soon the Victory Tour ended, and Haymitch returned to District 12. Where everything was gray and gloomy.

Like a child, his mouth was always glued to a bottle. He was nothing again, no one special to anyone. He was okay with that. The least amount of contact he had with people, the better.

But then came the fact that he didn’t know how to do anything on his own. Before the Hunger Games, he worked with his family in the local store. They received all the basic necessities that each business needed to keep going. But with the loss of the whole family, the store sat vacant. Each family now receives their materials directly from the Capitol trains.

But that was when he met her. Someone he didn’t want, but desperately needed.

She was a Coal Miner's daughter, Oldest of eight siblings. She had taken on the job of collecting laundry from the citizens of District 12, for those who could afford to have their clothes washed by others.

Haymitch always rolled his eyes at the thought of having someone who wasn’t family wash you stuff. But he didn’t exactly know what to do now that his mother wasn’t around to teach him, so he gave in. And that is when his eyes landed on Fauna Ridge.

At the time the two denied any and all attraction to each other. Haymitch out of fear and Fauna out of defiance.

Fauna somehow had weasel her way into Haymitch's life. Becoming a confidant when he needed it. She was the one who would clean up after him, but made sure he knew she hated the smell of old alcohol each time she walked in. She would pick him up food from the town square, but said it was only so she would have something to eat when she came over to clean. She would wake him from the nightmares, but only because she said she didn’t like all the screaming.

She did all of this without him asking her to, and even though each time she found an excuse when he asked her why she was helping him, he knew it was because she cared. She cared about him. In what way he didn’t know yet. But he cared about her just as much.

When he knew Fauna would be coming over, he would take extra long to finish his drinks, so he wasn’t completely drunk by noon. He would try to clean up but would often get distracted. He had even attempted to make her lunch one day but failed miserably. He cared for her, and she for him. But they were just too blind to see it.

When Haymitch left for his first Hunger Games as a Victor, Fauna had never seen someone become so hollow. Haymitch turned into a shell of himself. All Fauna could do was watch and count down the days until the reaping. Praying that her younger siblings weren’t reaped.

The morning of the reaping, Fauna watched helplessly from the kitchen as Haymitch chugged his drinks in between sobs and sputtering. Each time Fauna tried to approach her friend, he would just back further away, mumbling for her to stay back.

“I can’t go back. I can’t go back there!” He sobbed into his arms. His words slurred and broken as his drinks slowly began to take hold of him. Fauna, finally gathering the courage, approached her friend. Knowing that the reaping was beginning soon and that Haymitch needed to be present.

“Haymitch we have to go. They will send peacekeepers after us if we don’t go soon.” She stressed trying to tip the drunk out of his chair.

“Oh what are they going to do? Put me in the games? Kill me? Punish me? I don’t care anymore.” He slurred, pushing his anger onto the brunette girl.

“These kids deserve a Mentor. Whether you like it or not. You are all they have the second their names get called.” Fauna seethed at him. The two stared at each other, suddenly they found their positions switched. Fauna the calm and composed one was raging, and Haymitch oddly quiet as he felt himself sober suddenly as a thought occurred to him.

“How many times?” He mumbled his eyes bordered into her face as her face rapidly paled but didn’t answer him. “How many times is your name today?”

“66” She whispered back, her face downcast at the thought of how small the odds of her not being picked were. “Lennon and Lacie have 44 each. My mom and I wouldn’t let anyone else take any out. But there are six of us eligible today. I guess the odds aren’t really in favor of my family.”

Hamitch sat quietly for a second before he stood up and held his hand out to his only friend. Vowing to himself that if any of Ridge’s went into The Games. He would do anything in his power to bring them home.

The odds were in their favor that time.

Haymitch returned home just three weeks later. His tributes did not make it far in the games, and he was left with nightmares and relapse all over again. It felt like it was his games all over again. But one good thing did come out of the ending of the Hunger Games.

He was back.

When he opened his front door, he was met with the smell of food cooking, and a clean home. The smell of alcohol and Bile, not present in the large home. He could faintly hear the sound of dishes clinking in the kitchen. He peered into the room and smiled at the sight. Fauna had seemingly taken over his home, she was moving about the kitchen like she had lived there her whole life. Like she was comfortable in his home, as it was hers.

He knew then how he cared for her. He didn’t know if she felt the same way, but he didn’t care as long as she stayed.

With a quick sharp knock on the arch way, Fauna spun around to see who had entered the home. With a bright smile, she raced towards him and embraced him, locking her hands around his waist and holding the newly eighteen year old tight. Burying her head in his shoulder. His hands found their own way to the small dip in her back where her spine ended and pressed his face into her hair.

He was Home.

Seemingly the years passed without incident. Fauna’s and Haymitch relationship remained stagnant, until it didn’t.

Neither one knew exactly when the shift happened but the now twenty two year old adults often found their touches lingering, their gazes holding longer than a friend would. They were together, just without the official labels.

Waking up next to each other every morning. The nights where Haymitch would wake up screaming were still frequent, but now he would wake up to Fauna holding him. Slowly Fauna unintentionally moved in. Only going home once a week to see her family and help out at home. Often bringing meals to her large family. Haymitch would often accompany her. The one day a week when he made sure not to drink, no matter how much he wanted to. Because Family days were important to Fauna.

When Haymitch returned home after the 56th annual Hunger Games, the last thing he expected to find was Fauna sitting on the couch with a tear stained face, pale as her olive skin would let her go.

Then she said the two words he never thought he would hear. He felt his heart drop as panic set in. He reached out and gripped her hand as he sat next to her on the couch. Staring into the unlight fireplace. His mind is going a million miles an hour.

He was going to be a dad.

He wanted to be happy. He was happy to be starting a family with Fauna, but the thought still stuck him cold. The Games. His child could be reaped. They probably would. There was a reason Victors didn’t really have kids.

“Everything is going to be okay.” He soothed the Sobbing Fauna as she leaned into him. He knew she was terrified. They had talked about kids once, only once. Fauna told him her greatest fear was having a child, only to have them ripped away from the Games. So she didn’t want any, not when she couldn’t protect them from the same fate of every tribute. Because, no one ever won The Hunger Games.

The couple sat there for a couple of hours, just holding each other. Slowly coming to terms with the fact that they were going to become parents. After the tears had been shead and the fears had been discussed, they finally began to feel the giddiness and excitement cloud over the fear.

They were going to be parents.

Because there were no real doctors in District 12 they would guesstimate how far Fauna was along. Fauna herself wasn’t even sure what was going on until an old school friend came over to keep her company with Haymitch gone for the time being.

The woman had been lovingly rubbing her Large baby bump, talking about how she found out she and her husband were expecting. In the mits of their chatting Fauna felt her resolve crumble, as the connections were made in her mind. How she was feeling, and how her body had been acting lining up with Hazelle’s. She promptly broke down and ran to the Apothecary shop, where they confirmed that her symptoms were most likely due to pregnancy. Fauna, having full access to Haymitch's winnings, bought the extremely expensive test to confirm her suspicions.

Hazelle had comforted Fauna, and promised her that they would get through their pregnancies together and could raise their children to be best friends.

Haymitch and Fauna quickly grew to love their unborn child. They would dream of a girl who looked like Fauna or a boy that resembled Haymitch.

As Fauna grew larger and hit every milestone, Haymich became more and more anxious. He slipped away for the day to the Hob. A place he frequented often for Alcohol but knew that some of the booths sold finer things. Most selling their prized possessions so that they could put food on the table for their families, or buy the medication needed to keep their sick family members alive for a few months more.

At a booth near the back, A woman sat, worn items sat around her. Pretty dresses that had seen better days, hand stitched dolls, old looking chests, and jewelry.

Haymitch knew he could just take the train down to the Capitol and buy a new, expensive, ring from there. But he knew that one that had history, and meaning, would be more meaningful to Fauna than the size of the stone or the price of the metal.

The asking price for the ring was high for the Hob. Most men and women in the districts couldn’t afford rings to symbolize their marriage. So it wasn’t a custom, but Haymitch, being a Victor, knew he could splurge on something other than alcohol for once. Especially if it was for Fauna or his Child.

The ring was a silver color, and had one small black crystal in the middle in the shape of a raindrop. On either side of the black crystal sat two small Black stones. It was perfect.

Haymitch quickly passed over the money to the woman, his eyes only focused on the ring in front of him.

2 months later he was a husband, 2 months after that he was a father.

Officially he was a father, a father that could hold his baby in his hands instead of just feeling the kicks through Fauna’s stomach.

He had a daughter.

The second that he heard the sharp cries from the hallway outside of the guest room, he knew he would do anything for his child. When he found out he had a daughter, he was filled with so much joy his heart felt like it would burst.

Haymitch up until that point didn’t know you could fall in love with another person so quickly. But the second that his daughter wrapped her small hand around his finger, a burst of love, and protection overcame him and brought him to tears. He couldn’t help the overwhelming smile as he sat next to Fauna and admired the small human they had made together.

Fauna would admit only to herself that she had never seen Haymitch smile so wide as he held their daughter to his chest. She felt her heart grow in love for her husband, and she suddenly understood why people purposefully had multiple children. She suddenly couldn’t imagine a world without her little girl, where she wasn’t a mom.

They named her Wren Neva Ambernanthy

Haymitch looked over his shoulder at Fauna, and pressed a hard kiss to her sweaty forehead. He felt like he was on top of the world.

Then suddenly he wasn’t.

Eight days.

That’s how long it took for Snow to find out that his daughter had been born. Eight days for bliss as a complete family, before Snow showed his ugly face.

Fauna had refused to recover for longer than a week in bed and had left the house to go to see her siblings and parents for the day and bring them lunch. Haymitch was supposed to be with her, but Wren needed to go down for her nap. Haymitch had offered to stay back and meet her at the Ridge’s household once Wren woke up.

One hour after she left, a package arrived at Haymitch's house. A bouquet of white roses, 16 white roses that reeked of perfume with a gift tag.

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter, I look forward to meeting her in the future. ~ President Snow’

Suddenly Haymitch couldn’t think, he couldn’t breath. To anyone else who had not met President Snow face to face would assume that he was genuine in his gift. But any Victor could read the threat that was woven into the innocent message.

He scooped his sleeping daughter into his arms hastily. Not caring that the sudden movement woke her up or that she was screaming as fat tears rolled down her face. Not pausing to look at her pouting lips or the distressed look on her face.

He couldn’t think of anything but the life of his infant daughter. The message from Snow was a promise. A promise that due to his act of defiance, his daughter would go into The Hunger Games. A promise that she would become a pawn to the Capitol. His worst fear was on the horizon, and He didn’t know how much time he had with his family as a whole before it was to be torn apart by the sadistic man.

While Haymich was running, his only thoughts being about protecting his daughter. He failed to see the dark clouds of smoke coming from the Seam. He failed to hear the commotion of people screaming as his heart pounded in his ears. His body fully on autopilot as he raced towards his second family.

But he was too late. Fauna’s childhood home was up in flames. It hadn’t even occurred to Haymitch that up until that point Fauna wasn’t mentioned in President Snow's note. The man had signed off on the marriage certificate but they never received any congratulations from the President. Haymitch felt his body collapsing onto his knees, Wren still whaling in his arms as the Peacekeepers pulled up from down the road to extinguish the flames.

There was a crowd of people who were watching the flamed house from afar. But it was Quiet now. Not a sound escaped the house that was alight, or the crowd of people who watched as Haymitch sobbed into the ground.

Snow had taken his second family from him.

[ceruleansx]

nightmares | peeta mellark

↳ peeta mellark x reader

↳ warnings : mentions of past trauma, FLUFFFLUFF

↳ summary : its after the games, and you woke up from a horrifying nightmare. luckily, peeta was there to help you.

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first thing you noticed after you screamed at the top of your lungs was that you were in a mess. your hair was stuck to your forehead, from all the sweat. the blanket was on the floor. it was a mess.

you never really quite remembered a night without having a nightmare, but none compared to this one.

it was back to the games, where you had to kill someone because of rue.

and on top of that, the wound on peeta's leg got the best of him and made him weak. his weakness then made cato kill him. in front of you. you felt like you were trapped to the ground, not being able to save peeta in enough time.

that was your one true goal in life. to protect peeta.

you heared sudden and fast footsteps coming towards your room, causing your breath to slow down a little bit.

the door rushed open, only to find peeta panting, with the most worried look on his face. without even any words, he rushed towards your bed and held out his arms.

once you saw that, you immidietly started to break down and cry into his arms. this comfort was never felt with you, especially peeta. yet, his hugs were so warm and safe.

"peeta- i-" you sniffled, not being able to finish sentences.

"i saw you d-die and~ i couldn-n't save you..." with that sentence alone made you cry even more.

"hey, hey, shhh" he started to rub your back and head, "your safe, im here.."

you pulled away, wanting to look at his face. his neck was wet from your tears, but he didn't even mind.

"those dreams are just dreams, okay sweetie? look, im right here..." he patted his chest. "the games are over, you have nothing to worry about."

you couldn't help but smile. god, he was the best person ever.

"once we get home, we won't have to worry about anything. hey, we can just bake and paint all day."

he smiled, and you two kept eye contact for which seemed forever.

"can you..." you whispered, breaking the comforting silence.

"stay with me? please...?"

his eyes softened and it looked like that he's been waiting for that question for years.

"of course baby, cmere."

the nickname threw you off, yet you like it.

peeta layed down first, and opened his arms for you to lay down on. his embrace was so warm and welcoming, you wanted to stay there forever. his arm draped over your shoulder, as your hand interlocked with one another.

his thumb rubbed small patterns on your hand, and you couldnt help but feel butterflies in your stomach.

how the heck did he make you feel this way?

he managed to kiss the top of your head, embracing your beautiful lavender smell. you took a big breath, enjoying the sound of peeta's heartbeat. the last thing you heard him whisper before faling asleep was,

"i love you.."

------------------------------------------------------------

[sharararararara]

MASTER LIST★

AVATAR

NETEYAM:

All I wanted was you...( Yandere Neteyam x Metkayina reader)

Neteyam HCS( Neteyam x reader)

Husband Neteyam x reader( AGED UP) (NO SMUT)

Not all stories end with a happy ending( Neteyam x Metkayina reader) (ANGST)

AO'NUNG:

Ao'nung HCS( AO NUNG X READER)

Yandere Ao'nung HCS

TSIREYA:

I see you...( Tsireya x Fem Metkayina reader) (Angst turns into fluff)

Tsu'tey:

Nga yawns lu oer...(Tsu'tey x Omaticaya reader) (angst turns into fluff)

YANDERE AVATAR THE WAY OF WATER FAN FICTION:

INTRO

CHAPTER 1

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

AEMOND TARGARYEN:

RIGHT PERSON WRONG TIME( Aemond x reader ANGST)

Fire and blood( Dark Aemond Targaryen x reader) ( Coming soon)

Yandere Aemond x Older sister reader (Chapter 1) (Chapter 2) (Chapter 3 )

Aemond Smut Imagine

Jacaerys Velaryon:

Yandere Jacaerys Velaryon x reader HCS

Harry Potter

CEDRIC DIGGORY:

ALMOST LOOSING YOU- DARK CEDRIC DIGGORY X READER

VICTOR KRUM:

My swan( Yandere Victor Krum x reader)

DRACO MALFOY:

Yandere Draco Malfoy x reader( coming soon)

HARRY POTTER:

Coming soon

NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM:

Coming soon

HUNGER GAMES

FINNICK ODAIR:

Never letting you go- Finnick Odair( Dark Finnick x reader)

CATO HADLEY:

Blood in my hands- DarkCato Hadley x reader( coming soon)

CORIOLANUS SNOW:

Cold as snow( Dark Coriolanus Snow x reader)

PEETA MELLARK

Coming soon

HONKAI STAR RAIL

JING YUAN:

Yandere Jing Yuan x reader HCS

DAN HANG

coming soon

BLADE

Coming soon

ONE PIECE

ZORO:

Yandere Zoro x reader HCS

SANJI:

WILL POST SOON

BUGGY:

WILL POST SOON

LORD OF THE RINGS/ THE HOBBIT

LEGOLAS:

WILL POST SOON

THRANDUIL:

Letter from Dark Thranduil

Dark Thranduil HCS

FRODO:

WILL POST SOON

PIPPY:

WILL POST SOON

MERRY:

WILL POST SOON

SAMWISE:

WILL POST SOON

ARAGORN:

WILL POST SOON

Game Of Thrones

Daenerys

Coming soon

Jon Snow

Coming soon

Sansa Stark

Coming soon

Rob Stark

Coming soon

Oberyn Martel

Coming soon

PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS

LUKE CASTELLAN

Dark Luke Castellan x reader HCS

The sun shines brighter when I'm with you.

Wrapped in a deadly embrace

PERCY JACKSON

Finding you

ANNABETH CHASE

COMING SOON

GROVER UNDERWOOD

COMING SOON

CLARISSE LA RUE

WAR AND BEAUTY

Outer Banks

RAFE CAMERON

Sick.

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

Capitol Punishment V

Haymitch x Reader

Summary: The Capitol continues to torture it’s victors no matter how long ago they won through punishment, exploitation, and worst of all; their relationships.

A story in which Haymitch’s lover is a plaything for the Capitol.

Warnings: Canon level violence, rape (though never explicit), alcohol, murder, systemic poverty, exploitation, rebellion (?), more reliance on movie than book, suicidal thoughts

Word Count: 2.0K (Sorry it’s short)

Part IV | Masterlist | Part VI

“Katniss, don’t,” you whispered to the screen uselessly. You and Haymitch hadn’t left your room and yet somehow Finnick had made his way in, lying on the bed while you sat in the middle, along with Haymitch perched at the end.

The screen was split between Katniss and Clove, each running towards the cornucopia. Katniss was headed straight for the District 12 bag which held the medicine Peeta so desperately needed. Clove was coming up on the rear of the cornucopia, neither seeing the other at first. Until Clove caught a glimpse of the archer, knocking into her. They went tumbling, fighting each other for dominance until Clove was sat on top of Katniss, a knife against your tribute’s throat.

You thought this was the end for Katniss which would be the inevitable end for Peeta. You didn’t even listen to Clove’s monologue as she began cutting Katniss’ face, too hurt by your hope being crushed. But Clove’s terrified shrieks made you look at the screen again.

“Cato!” she screamed as Thresh threw her to the ground, lifting a rock to slam over her head. The canon immediately went off.

“Just this time 12, for Rue,” Thresh said before running off with both 2 and 11’s bag. Now that Cato didn’t have his bag or partner, he posed much less of a threat.

You sighed in relief as Katniss sprinted off into the woods towards Peeta.

“They’re gonna make it,” Haymitch whispered. He turned to face you, opening his arms for a celebratory hug.

But before you could return it Finnick grabbed you from behind, squeezing and shaking you in excitement. “They’re gonna do it!”

“Hey!” Haymitch protested seeing Finnick steal his hug. “Why are you even in our,” he gestured to himself and you, “bed?”

You both laugh at his scowl, having had his hug from you stolen.

~

The medicine had worked in only a couple hours while your tributes got some much needed sleep. You knew the sponsors would absolutely love it as Katniss slept on Peeta’s chest.

All the previous victors were now down in the viewing room, the Capitol not liking that their playthings had been holed up in their rooms lately.

As Katniss and Peeta left their cave in search of food all was fairly quiet. Katniss has sent Peeta to get berries while she hunted. She was about two seconds from killing a squirrel when she was interrupted by the cannon going off.

Your eyes widened as you scanned the screens. There were no views of any other tributes, only Katniss running, calling out to Peeta in fright. You sighed in relief when she ran into the boy and they discovered the body of District 5. Her lips were stained red and she was holding the same berries Peeta was. Realizing the same thing you did, Katniss slapped the berries out of Peeta’s hand. “That’s nightlock Peeta, you’d be dead in a minute!” She then pulled him into a tight hug, pressing her face into his shoulder. “You scared me half to death.” You knew all the kisses and the cuddling in the cave were fake but could this be real?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” Peeta whispered, holding Katniss tightly as well. When they pulled away after a minute, Katniss turned towards the girl from District 5, plucking the berries out of her hand and placing them in a handkerchief. “What are you doing?”

“Maybe Cato likes berries too,” Katniss said slyly.

You were honestly relieved District 5 was out. She was too clever and you had a feeling she would’ve won the same way you did if it were just between her and the other last standing person.

Katniss and Peeta set off, trying to find Cato when night descended upon them again. “That was fast,” Peeta commented.

“They’re trying to end it.”

The screen was split between all three groups of tributes. Snarls and growls echoed from the dark, all three hearing it. Thresh is looking directly into a camera but looking past it, as if trying to find the cause of the noise. You want to scream at him to run but before anything can happen a wolf like creature pounces on him. He’s strong enough to push it off before it takes a bit out of his face but three others descend on him and he’s gone in screams of agony. You feel a tear slip down your face at such a cruel ending for such a good person.

You and Haymitch both looked over at Chaff who stood largely stoically but you could see disappointment on his face. He, like you, was finally hoping to have a victor this year.

On Cato’s screen a wolf-mutt clamped onto his shoulder. He let out a scream but stabbed it with his sword. more began chasing him but fortunately he was already close to the cornucopia which he quickly jumped up on. As the camera showed the mutts clawing at the side of the metal structure you could see their horrifying faces. They all resembled with tributes.

You realized with disgust that the one that had bit Cato wore a collar with a 2 on it. The fur on it’s face was sparse, revealing the face of Clove’s face, horrifyingly disfigured by the mutt’s body. Another mutt with red fur had foxlike features and clever, green eyes. Eyes that looked far too human to be Capitol made. “Did they-”

“Yeah they did,” Haymitch confirmed your suspicions with disgust.

As some of the mutts were distracted, Katniss and Peeta were running away from the ones that had spawned near them. They were also close to the cornucopia so they managed to climb up. One mutt with a district 1 collar and blonde fur clamped onto Peeta’s leg, almost pulling him down. He kicked it with his still free leg and by the time the other mutts had either caught up or realized that there was prey on the other side of the cornucopia, he was already on top, “safe.”

It didn’t last long as Cato quickly swung at Katniss with his sword, missing by an inch. The three tributes grappled on top of the the difficult to stay on cornucopia until Cato had Peeta in a headlock, Peeta’s body posed to shield his from Katniss’ arrows. “Go ahead, do it!” Cato yelled. “I’m dead already.” His voice was broken as he let out a hallow laugh. You felt empathy for him for the first time since you set eyes on the boy. “But I can take one more with me,” he sneered, tightening his grip on Peeta’s head.

Suddenly the arrow went flying into Cato’s hand, causing his to pull back from Peeta with a cry of pain. Reacting quickly, Peeta sent Cato down off the cornucopia, to the awaiting mutts. Every mutt descended onto Cato’ slowly ripping him apart. You had a hand clamped over your mouth, Cato’s pained yells being too much to listen to. Katniss shot him in the head, ending his suffering in an act of mercy.

“We did it,” Haymitch whispered to you.

“We did it,” you agreed, tears in your eyes. He hugged you tightly, picking you up and spinning you around.

Several other victors and capitol citizens came up to congratulate you as daylight rose in the arena. “Attention tributes, attention,” the voice in the arena caught every spectator’s attention. “There has been a slight rule change.” Your heart broke as you realized what has happening. “The previous revision allowing two victors from the same district has been revoked. Only one may be crowned. Good luck and may the odds be forever in your favor.”

Yells erupted in the crowd. Everyone had been looking forward to the star-crossed lovers making it together.

“Go ahead,” Peeta relents. “One of us should go home. One of us has to die, they have to have their victor.”

Katniss looks angry, tossing her bow down. “No. They don’t,” she stated firmly. “Why should they?” She pulls the nightlock from her pocket. They whisper so quietly even the numerous cameras and microphones can’t pick it up.

Katniss splits the berries between them and they go to swallow them together. Everyone was on the edge of their seats. Even those who truly understand the games aren’t sure what will happen. “Stop!” the entire capitol goes still. “Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the winners of the 74th annual Hunger Games!”

The crowd once again erupts into cheers. And while you’re happy for your victors, you know they’ll be punished for it.

Amongst the frenzied celebrations no one notices Haymitch press his lips to your forehead. “C’mon, I need to talk to you.” You didn’t think much of it as the both of you headed upstairs into into the penthouse but you stopped when he tried to bring you into the bathroom.

“Woah, Haymitch,” you stopped him. “I don’t know what you’re-”

“Just come,” he interrupted, grabbing your wrist gently. He tugged you into the bathroom where a man you had never seen before stood.

“Hello Y/N, I’m Plutarch Heavensbee,” he smiled warmly, as if this were the most normal thing in the world.

“Finnick told me about the conversation you had,” Haymitch began.

“No,” you immediately said. “No we’re not getting involved in this. The literally tried to kill you a few days ago for simple assault and now you’re talking treason? No.”

“Y/N after what just went down, we’re all about to be punished. You’ve been punished continuously the second you stepped out of the arena and you won the ‘right’ way. This is our way out of this life,” Haymitch said, cupping your face as tears came to your eyes.

“Why now?” you asked.

“Because Katniss will be the face of our revolution,” Plutarch explained. “She’s the girl on fire, she volunteered to protect a child while still being a child herself. She got herself and Peeta out of the arena, and threatened to kill herself rather than let one kill the other. She is the face of rebellion.”

“Y/N let me save you from this life,” Haymitch pleaded.

You looked up at him, thoughts racing through your mind. “Okay,” you nodded shakily. “What can I do?”

~

Finally back on the train to District 12 you were laying on Haymitch’s chest. “What’s going to happen to Katniss?” you asked. The people had loved her, she was beautiful and had become the darling of the Capitol.

“Peeta will protect her, I’m sure of that,” Haymitch explained, running his fingers through your hair.

“What do you mean?”

“You know how Snow won’t let us be a couple publicly because he wants you to seem accessible? Well it’s too late for him with Katniss. She’s already with someone else and if word got out that they aren’t as madly in love as they seem, the Capitol would riot.”

“We need to protect him,” you said.

���I know.” Haymitch paused. “We should get married.”

Your heart stopped and you froze. “What?”

“We should get married. I know I can’t protect you the same way Peeta can protect Katniss but we don’t know what’s gonna happen. Snow is pissed and I want to be able to call you my wife, even if it’s only to the people closest to us.” You were sitting up to face him now. “So Y/N L/N will you marry me?”

“Yes,” you agreed, pressing your lips to his. “Let’s get married.”

~

You knew you’d never be granted a marriage license so you and Haymitch exchanged rings and vows in your foyer, promising to love one another until death do you part.

Part IV | Masterlist | Part VI

[aquanova99]

Haunted (Cato x Reader)

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Part 7

Prev <<

Next >>

A/N: Im sorry its taken so long I am trying to wrap up book one but how do I change it and leave out unnecessary details... I'm working on it

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Cato’s POV

The room was tense. Seeder’s gift was sure to draw some attention. Rumors swirled around Rue’s death sparking anger in District 11. While the victors had become friendly throughout the years of mentoring bringing them together it wasn’t a common theme to grieve over other tributes like this. From the same district, maybe. Then again, alliances did not normally cross over between more than one district outside of District 1,2, and 4. The mentors whispered what her actions would bring upon them. Haymitch had been in and out of the shared viewing room. Only talking to Chaff a handful of times.

 You’d been largely silent focused on the screen anytime y/n came into view. She was stone faced the morning after Rue and Marvels death. To someone from the capitol it could seem that she was simply waiting for the next canon to go off, but it would have been a stretch. Anyone with half a brain could see she was in a catatonic state. You wondered if Thresh really believed Marvel had gotten help in his endeavor with Rue. Likely not, Thresh seemed shaken up enough that he seemed the type to avenge his tiny friend and from what you saw he had made his way to the part of the arena covered in a field of wheat. If he knew about the dangers it was as a good place as any, you certainly wouldn’t have chased him out there.

Cashmere decides to sit next to you, clearing her throat and wakes you out of trance you seem to keep finding yourself in. She doesn’t speak to anyone in particular, but you know she’s directing every word to you. “She’s different, that one. We will have to help her when she comes back.”

“Don’t all tributes get that, mentors for the first year.”

“Hm? I don’t know what you mean, I must have been thinking out loud. It would be a shame if she couldn’t dig herself out. We don’t want her to go through the same thing Annie did.” With that Cashmere floated away. Annie. The girl from 4. She had come out a little more messed up  than the usual victor, dissociating completely in certain situations as if she was somewhere totally different. Finnick had taken upon himself to help her get through her spells, and as much as he could try and hide the pair had grown dependent on the other, completely and totally in love with each other. It was easy to ignore everything when they were home, but Finnick was often called away and playing the role that was forced on anyone who had received help from sponsors. Even those who got nothing could be forced into keeping some annoying capitol citizen ‘company.’ You remember it had only been a month after you had gotten out of your own games. You still hadn’t left the arena, I guess that was your own fault for finishing so quickly, it never processed right. The woman…you couldn’t remember her name, you barely remembered her face, all you saw was a threat. You’d broken her arm the second she touched you, and then…well its lucky there were more people hanging around because before you knew it you were unconscious.

Killer Cato. The only good that came from that name is that until Brutus and Enobaria deemed you safe you were lucky enough to avoid traveling back and forth to the capitol. Most of the time the tributes were allowed to live their life as victor peacefully until the victory tour, most of the time. Some victors like the morphlings or the ones who weren’t conventionally attractive or maybe the ones who got lucky and survived the games on their own were left to their own devices. Most of tributes from 1, 2, and 4 were asked and more often than not told to pay a visit to the generous people of the capitol more quickly than the others. Unless she did something unappealing to the viewers y/n would probably suffer the same fate. Cashmere’s words soothed you, maybe there would be a way to keep her away from that life for now. Seeing as she risked her life for family, or something close to family, its likely the threats the capitol offered would force her to comply…These feelings were weird. You didn’t understand why it mattered. If she won you would only see her once a year once you were both mentors. Out of all of the tributes, she seemed like she had the best head to win, that’s all. Right? Maybe you can get some use out of the training center.

Hours go by, and it’s a slow day. The gamemakers are going to have to do something to pull them together, Y/ns eyes are hollow as she sits by the fire, seemingly waiting for anyone to come find her. They don’t. Arioch and Clove wont be lured by something so similar to what destroyed their supplies and killed an ally, not yet anyway. You wonder if Clove and Arioch had realized he had been ready to turn against Arioch, if they did neither showed any sign of doubting him. The red-headed girl is still spying on them, waiting for an opportune time to try and steal whatever foods been handed to them by the sponsors. Clove had been keeping Arioch calm, but he was getting angry. Lyme was only giving what was absolutely necessary for them to eat. She worried they wouldn’t be able to ration it properly and judging by how annoyed Arioch was getting she was right. It was clear he was fond enough of Clove that he knocked it off whenever she would say something about it but she had her fair share of complaints. You were shocked no one had gone where Thresh was hidden, it seemed to be abundant with food. If you knew about it anyway, which you were almost positive your tributes wouldn’t. The academy you trained for the games had classes on interviews, deadly snares and traps, and the biggest majority fighting, there were also classes for food and foraging but it was never forced. And realistically, you never needed to know about that, seeing as there was always a steady stream of sponsors willing to bet on your districts training.

Then finally as everyone is ready or already retiring to their rooms for a night of unrestful sleep, the trumpets sound. Haymitch sits back down in a spot next to you, a his hands clenched together as he rests his arms on his knees. Not even looking at his screen. You realize he knows what is about to happen, what the announcement will be. And you couldn’t have been more wrong. Claudius Templesmith has an announcement. You expected a feast, something to give Peeta a chance but no, the words ‘rule change’ freezes every victor left in the room. You realize why Haymitch has been largely absent today. You realize Peeta’s one sided pining has worked, and you also realize that maybe, it wasn’t so one sided, she’s teary eyed as his name leaves her lips the second the announcement is over.

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Y/ns POV

You were about to be sick again. You had never felt so conflicted. You should wait until morning. Every instinct screamed at you to not be so reckless.  You couldn’t sit still, couldn’t sleep. You had your night glasses anyway…the ones Thresh had told you about. Thresh. The one who could have had an ally had you been able to save Rue. Rue. The young girl who could have made it if she hadn’t teamed up with you. Really it was the tributes of District 11 that originally urge your feet forward. You felt a guilt begin overing you under a weight that seemed to be getting heavier to shake off the more you allowed yourself to think of either of them. And Peeta. You could have ruined everything. He had continued playing up the star crossed lovers, why else would the gamemakers make a rule change like this. You move quickly and silently, theres only one place he could be, really. Arioch had gotten in your head, if Peeta was really that badly injured you may not have much time left, and you’d be damned if you lost anyone else. You only stop to rest when you’re close enough to the stream that you hope you’ll be able to hear or see Peeta.

The second daylight hits your still weary eyes you sit up. It stirs you from a rather unfulfilling sleep  and you are off to try and find Peeta again. You almost give up several times before you manage to find that blood-streaked boulder. Hes close. He has to be.

You were amazed how even near death Peeta seemed to have his sense of humor intact. In other news, you suddenly remembered how much you hated the act of cleaning wounds.

“Something wrong?” He asks after seeing my face.

“Shut up.” Peeta laughs as you try not gag while cleaning his wound.

“How do you manage to kill anything around here?”

“You never know, I may be killing you as we speak.”

“Cant you just use that spear?”

“My food isn’t draining pus all over me. Blood I can handle.” You shove him some dried fruit and continue working on him. Its clear the wound is far above any medical capabilities you thought you had. After working on his leg for an hour you are finally able to wrap, and all you can do is hope for the best.

“I need to clean your…undershorts.”

“Okay.” He says it so calmly you grit your teeth, you’ve cried too much in that past couple of days for nakedness to be another thing on an ever growing list that makes you squeamish. You just avoid looking in his direction while he takes them off and turn your back to him as you get cleaning. “So no pus, but nakedness is okay? Or are you just being stubborn like how you were with Haymitch?”

“Speaking of…have you gotten anything?”

“No, what did you get?”

“Burn medicine.” You don’t need to say anything about the bread its an unnecessary truth. “It was when it was earlier in the games so he could probably afford it then.”

“Uh huh, not because you’re his favorite or anything.” You’re unsure what to say. You cant deny you and Haymitch understand each other on a different level. And survival wise, you could outlast anyone here. Maybe he could only bet on one of you. But with the rule change… ugh the whole rule change. The capitol has to be waiting for you to kiss him or love him. I mean youre washing his damn underwear, cant that be enough.

“I bet you he’ll send you something when he can.”

“Its okay Y/N, besides I know what will make me feel better.”

“Me too. Medicine.”

“No, you. I mean obviously you’re doing something right.”

 You toss him some damp clothes to put back on. “Lets hope I am and your fever breaks.”

“Seriously thanks for coming back for me, I know you didn’t hav—” You cut him off and hugged  him as tight as you could

“Just get better okay.” Because you did want him to get better. Whatever the reason was, the gamemakers are falling for his pining and giving you a chance to return it. Honestly after everything that happened with Rue, you kept thinking back to his words the night before the game. And this was something the games wouldn’t change. You weren’t in love with Peeta, and you couldn’t pretend. He was more of a family member or friend you would do almost anything for. But kissing him would feel wrong, be wrong. A hug is as much as the capitol would get for now, if your feelings changed later and you both made it out of here maybe you could play along.

“Is that all I get.”

“Get better and then maybe, maybe you get more.”

“I’ll take what I can get.” Peeta was so good at this. It didn’t take him long to doze off. You take the time to collect more water and hunt for anything near the stream. You know through the slower moving parts the fish could be easy pickings. You debate staying with Peeta, but you both need something in your system. Maybe you should let him rest, but you cant hunt for anything with him out in the open. You relent after about an hour and coax him into walking with you down the stream, as long as he can anyway. You comfort him as he gathers whatever strength he has left and when hes ready you find a small cave like formation a little way above the stream. You let him sleep and work on making the cave as unnoticeable as you possibly can. You let him sleep and work on making the cave as unnoticeable as you possibly. You manage to further downstream and pick off a few fish where the water is slow. You try to ignore how badly you missed a few times and instead try to figure out how to make yourself more appealing to any possible sponsors, you cant tell him you love him but if you cant give him medicine, maybe you can give him hope. The audience might turn their indifference into pity if you could make them believe that you cant allow yourself to fall in love yet. You take a deep, dramatic breath before entering the cave.

Peeta is still sound asleep in your sleeping bag. Good. It will be easier to do this when hes not fully coherent. You crouch besides him and brush a strand of hair away from his face, you try to show your hesitation, tapping your fingers and shaking your leg before shaking your head and kissing him on the cheek. A cheek that is rapidly raising in temperature.

Peeta stirs, “Mm Y/n?”

“I caught us some fish.”

“Thanks for finding me,”

“It’s the least I could do. Just get better for me, okay?”

“You know what would really make me feel better?” You roll your eyes, he is much better at playing the lovestruck boy than you could ever hope.

“You already got one. But if you actually get better…” then what? You don’t want to kiss him, “then maybe.” That’s the best you can do for now.

“I’ll take it.” He smiles at you. You can tell the fever medication you have is having next to effect on him. If he doesn’t get medicine soon he’s going to die. You both know it. You hear a soft crunch of leaves and you’re up in an instant. Peeta grabs your hand to try and stop you from doing anything dangerous, you squeeze his hand and put the other on his cheek. You then quickly grab your knife and sneak to the edge of the cave, you try not to laugh when you see the silver parachute at the foot of the entrance. Haymitch is obviously rewarding your actions. Not that they aren’t out of real concern but regardless its clear that hes going to keep pushing for you to act like this if its what sends you food. Realistically, what you want is medicine but you aren’t likely to get that at this stage in the game.

“Hey Peeta! Looks like Haymitch decided to send you something after all.” You are able to convince him its for him soup is easier for him to eat, otherwise he would have sent actual food. It seems to make sense to him anyway. Apparently even soup is a struggle for Peeta, “And here I thought you wanted to get better, I guess no kisses for you.”

“Not fair.”

“Please Peeta, you have to get better.” It takes entirely too long for him to stomach the tiny pot of broth. Once he sleeps, you put the last of your bandage supply left on his warm forehead. Great. Now you wish you had made out with more in the arena before you blew it up. Whatever. You could mope while you kept watch since its all you could do for now. Anything else is just hope that the audience enjoyed what you did today.

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Cato’s POV

Haymitch continues to go in and out of the room. If this had anything to do with the rule change, you can only hope he continues doing it. Y/n finished telling a story about her and her brother scrounging around their house to look for anything valuable to sell to buy their younger brother something for his birthday. To probably most people, it should be clear she had some other way to get their brother an old guitar. Music is something that seems relatively prevalent in her house, you think back to her singing with Rue. You wonder how often she’s gone without eating to feed someone else in her family, she was barely sleeping to continue to check on the boy from her district. For some reason the kiss she gave him kept replaying in your brain. He was definitely hurting her chances of making it, but its clear she struggles to not help out other tributes. That probably isn’t making Snow very happy. The concern on her face grows as she finishes her story and rechecks Peetas leg, which won’t make it without any medicine soon.

She cleans the bandage again, clearly not helping make a dent in his fever. They both know the blood poisoning will take him out soon if the games don’t end in a matter of maybe two days tops. And after the camera has shown Thresh doing quite well…it doesn’t seem like Peeta would be the one to outlast his fellow tributes. Haymitch almost collapses into the couch, you’re shocked he doesn’t spill the whiskey in his glass.

“You alr—” you try to ask before he puts one finger up, effectively quieting you while he takes a sip. Guess he’s doing worse than you thought.

“Its too expensive.”

“The medicine.” Its meant to be a question but you know the price is too much for any sponsor to fork over.

“Hopefully Effie and her gaggle of friends have gossiped enough to get an idea to the gamemakers.” Almost on cue the trumpets sound an announcement. When Claudius Templesmith begins speaking Haymitch laughs to himself, “Sometimes I think I might actually love that woman.”

Just as quickly as relief hits, Peeta threatens to follow Y/n to the banquet. Haymitch mutters something about Peeta making everything difficult and steps out again. You think how hard it must be to do this alone all these years. Most all of the other districts have someone else to divide the work out. Haymitch looked as tired as his tributes in the arena. Maybe ten minutes pass before he stumbles back into the viewing room. You just hold out some kind of spirit in a cup. He raises it to you before letting his head fall back.

“Nothing else I can do.” Y/n has been arguing with Peeta on letting her go to the cornucopia. The small vial meant nothing to you but Y/n stared at it for a long while before going back to the cave.

‘I guess I don’t have to go to the feast after all. Haymitch sent you some medicine.’

‘Really?’

‘Yeah it says to take it like a shot. But it smells nasty. You’re stomach will probably try and reject it.’

‘I’m sure it wont.’ He snatched the vial with what little strength he had. You didn’t miss the smirk she had as he tried quickly drank it back. She played a big gamble on his ego and it paid off. She immediately plugged his nose and covered his mouth before he spit anything out. The effort was already draining the little energy he had, his attempt to force himself to throw didn’t help.

‘I’ll be back before you know it.’ Peetas anger reached all the way to the capitol. His eyes brimmed with fury as sleep overtook him. Y/n was smug at her victory, but she quickly leaned over him. Fussing over the sleeping bag covering him, cleaning any remaining medicine on his face, brushing his now sweat soaked hair from his face. ‘I hope you know I had to. I need you to make it.’

You watch as she presses her lip against his and try to find some logical reason on why you suddenly feel the need to go hit something. Y/n wastes no time. She starts arranging the cave to be almost undetectable. Luckily, she had been working on it before, as she finishes quickly. She walks for awhile and sets up a fire, with dusk settling it gives her good cover and she has time to cook everything she had caught the past day, making a decent meal of rabbit and fish. She finishes and fills the water containers when she gets back to the cave before allowing herself to sleep again. She only allows herself a few hours. You find yourself worrying about her lack of sleep.

The camera pans to the other districts again. The girl from five is starving and damn near freezing to death. Her item will definitely be something to protect her from the weather. Cato and Clove are cold too, their breaths making small white clouds, but they have the experience with cold weather training. Thresh seems fine too. You wonder what will be in store for those three.

‘Come on. I promise to make it a good show.’

‘No way. I kill her.’

‘Don’t be like that. You’ve killed almost everyone else we’ve dealt with and since you missed loverboy, its only fair I get a shot at her now.’

You don’t have to wonder who they’re talking about.

…’You’ll drag it out.’

‘Of course, when I’m done with her they’ll forget why they were ever rooting for her in the first place.’

‘Good thing you’re on my side, Clove.’ He chuckles, Clove grins with a sense of pride

‘So I can do it??’ Too excited, you think

‘Yeah sure.’

You didn’t expect Clove to do anything else. One of her critiques from the academy was quite literally how she wasted too much time making a show of things. She needed to prove she belonged. Its why all of you were shocked when she was the one picked from your district and not another eighteen year old to match Ariochs anger. Then again, if Arioch had another one of him out there they would have torn eachother apart before getting out of the blood bath. Probably over who got a certain kill.

Y/n began her journey back to the cornucopia. You wondered why she walked somewhat sideways until you remembered the big explosion. The ear must have been permanently damaged, or damaged until she made it back. She stopped more often than not to make sure she was hearing correctly. There was nothing. She arrived to her original hiding spot with no issue, with the glasses she slowly moved as close as she could. Arioch and Clove had sought out the space closest to the lake, which ended up helping Cora, the girl from five. She had snuck around the other side of giant cornucopia, hiding inside and ensuring she would be the closest to the feast the second the table appeared. Thresh was at the biggest disadvantage, positioning himself at the back of the cornucopia, He would need to listen for when the table came up because he definitely could not see from there.

District 5 had the right idea. Y/N realizes this the second she runs off. She wastes no time and runs in immediately after and grabs the tiny bag for her district, unfortunately Clove comes to the same realization. Y/n tries to follow District five but it’s clear Clove will be there before she can run off. You wonder why she only brought her knives but then again, the other weapons would require more time for her to aim and might end up hindering her. Cloves first knife is knocked away. You’re sure Y/ns cut up at least a little but not enough to stop her. She throws her own knife and it lands in Cloves right shoulder. Fortunately, that’s the arm she throws with. Unfortunately, this incites a rage you werent aware she had. She yanks the knife out, and switches it to her other hand quickly. Her aim is off now, and the knife whizzes past y/ns head. Y/n makes the mistake to look at where the knife landed and in that second Clove is tackling her to the ground. You remember your conversations on the roof that seem so long ago, and know she wont make it out of this. Your heart sinks to your stomach. Clove begins relishing in this, she knows this information just as well and is going to make her suffer just like she said she would.

‘Well if it isn’t the girl on fire. Whats the matter 12, worried about getting the medicine to loverboy?’

‘Worried about getting your screentime?’ She smirked until Clove threw a relatively soft punch considering her arm was clearly struggling to lift itself.

‘Not at all, I promised to give the audience a good show. Its funny because if it was Arioch right now, he’d probably finish you off pretty quickly. Would that be better for you? To go as quickly as your pathetic little friend?’

The mention of Rue has her struggling to unseat Clove with no avail, ‘Shut up. You don’t get to talk about her.’

‘The girl who hopped around in the trees. Rue? Well, we took care of her, and nature will take care of loverboy. and now I’m going to take care of you. Now, where to start?’ Y/n lifts her head trying to do anything to get Cloves balance off just to get a better chance of getting out of there. Clove is taking delight in her struggle, ‘I think we’ll start with your mouth. Make sure you blow loverboy one last kiss.’

‘Wow so clever. But if I can only say one last thing…’ Clove is puzzled for only a second more before Y/n spits in her face.

Clove gets one more punch as Y/n continues to struggle. When her nose begins to bleed she stills becoming unblinking, staring down her last opponent. You see Thresh coming up to the table freezing as he hears the entire conversation. ‘Lets start then,’

She barely leans over to trace the outline of Y/ns lips before he yanks her off his former ally. Flinging her to the ground. ‘You’re the one who killed her??’

Clove begins scooting backward, frantic at another opponent she clearly did not expect. Arioch had begun looking for another tribute where Y/n ran out of and was only now heading back to his original hiding spot.

‘No! No, it wasn’t me.!’

Thresh picks her up again holding her against the cornucopia. ‘I heard you!’

Arioch is already beginning to run as Clove begins screaming for help. He answers her but he’s too far. Thresh smashes her into the cornucopia. Y/n is still sat as she looks up in shock. Cloves body has the slightest moan escaping her lips. You look away, hating that the death wasn’t quick that somewhere in her mind she feels the pain coursing through her body. Your eyes snap up when Thresh speaks again.

‘Just this time Y/n. For Rue.’

Y/n eyes look at the two bags he has, ‘Don’t do it Thresh. Its not worth it.’

‘Clove!’ Ariochs voice makes Y/ns stand in a defensive position.

‘You better run now, Fire Girl.’ Y/ns scrambles to collect her knives and begins to run. She pauses when she hits the edge of the forest. Thresh has run off with both backpacks which could be a really smart or really stupid move. She looks at a frozen Arioch leaning over Clove and continues to run towards Peeta.

Y/n makes several stops as she runs towards Peeta, once to make sure her nose had stopped bleeding, it had. Once to see if her arm had stopped, it had not. She squeezed it shut until her feet hit the stream. She stops several more times to bend over and hold her head. You assume she is getting dizzy. The punch probably giving her an effect of a concussion. Every time she stands again she seems to have trouble getting her bearings but she makes it to the cave. Her hands shake as she struggles to open the small box, it contains one needle. She fumbles to unzip the sleeping bag and the second Peetas arm is exposed Y/n tries to center the shot. She has to take several deep breaths to calm the adrenaline that is sure to be coursing through her body, her hands are still shaking but she is able to slowly press down on the needle’s plunger. When shes finished she throws it across the cave and curls up into a ball, finally succumbing to the sleep that’s been eluding her since finding Peeta.

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Y/N’s POV

You couldn’t cry, not again. You’ve cried too much in these games. One, its embarrassing, two the capitol cannot have another excuse to make you look weak. So when Peeta tells you Thresh’s picture is in the sky you ask if he can take the first watch and you cover your face with the sleeping bag until the tears stops falling. You have a feeling Peeta understands, but to what extent?

You’d woken up to the sound of the anthem. Peeta stroking your hair like you had done to him when he had been sick. You had to explain how you had worked with District 11. How Thresh moved you to a safe location after the tracker jackers, how you had helped fix his shoulder, how you’d gotten them both food and blew up the career’s supply, and the worst part…the part you didn’t want to ever discuss, Rue. Peeta had made a remark about how he must have felt like your alliance was still technically in place since Arioch and Clove had still been around. But you knew deep down, that it wasn’t about you, but Rue. The feast you had gotten for excitedly hugging Peeta and peppering his face with light kisses had suddenly turned to lead in your stomach. You had pretended to get caught up in the moment, and apparently, it had been enough for Haymitch to let you both eat real food while hiding in the downpour that had been happening the last couple of days.

Under the sleeping bag you think about anything besides your fallen allies. So you retrace the events leading up to the meal, the kisses, Peetas retelling of how he fell in love with you…well how he fell in love with Katniss. You had been friends with Katniss long ago, when you were both really young, and the memory albeit fuzzy was there of a young more cheerful Katniss telling you all about how she sang the valley song for her class. Then the mining incident happened, and the resentment that your father was one of the few to make it while hers was gone forever drove a divisible wedge. After that, it felt wrong to compare situations. Without your own father being able to work, you had lost him too. Pride had made him bitter and somewhat cruel, and he refused to work. Your mother was so focused on rehabilitating him, it fell on you to help your brothers. You remember how your father said nothing before you left, except to make himself seem like somewhat of a hero. You had once thought about how different you and Katniss had grown to get to the same indifference towards your parents. You could barely manage to be in the same room with your father while Katniss still held him in the highest regards, you at best felt pity for your mother for being tied to someone who believed he was better than everyone. Katniss for lack of better words, hated her mother for the abandonment. You were so similar you wished everyday you could restart the friendship you two had had long ago, you also wonder what she makes of this whole act and Peetas story that so clearly reference her. He was great at changing small details to make it plausible. You had just promised him that when you both made it out of there he could take you on an actual date, playing enough to keep the audience’s hopes up, well and Peeta kept poking fun at you saying he was planning on going all out when you got out. Regardless, you both played on this story and got the incredible food that you were trying to inhale before he looked outside the cave and saw Thresh’s picture in the sky.

Thresh. You should have told him about that extra backpack you’d hidden in the beginning of the game. Stopped him from taking Ariochs backpack. He was sure to have made Threshs death slow…and painful. You think about the last time you ever saw him he finally used your name. The capitol food threatens to make a reappearance. You give Peeta one of your knives, tell him to hide it in unless he absolutely needs it. He could train with the arrows tomorrow because honestly, you weren’t proving to be very good with it. You wonder if Katniss was irritated at how poorly you aimed, you wonder if she would train you on it when you got home. You wondered if you could be friends again. You focus on that instead of the sleep that’s eluding you again now that you’re thinking of Thresh’s murder. Now all you had was Cora and Arioch. Arioch you could handle, Cora…you remember how she almost agreed to be allies, and had least said you wouldn’t gun for each other.

Eventually, Peeta wakes you so you can keep watch. You comply soundlessly. You’re so thankful you aren’t alone anymore because really, you were barely making by before the rule change. You were tired of killing, you didn’t need anymore blood on your hands. Of course, this is the hunger games, and you knew that likely you wouldn’t have a choice.

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Catos POV

Peeta had proven being kind could save your life in the game. You saw Y/n’s panic as she spun around expecting Peeta to have eaten those berries. Instead, they find the District 5 girl. Y/n cleans the berry stains from her mouth and hands, and closes her sunken, hollow eyes before trying to move Peeta along. He meanwhile, was waiting for the two of them to be able to eat together, really he’s quite lucky, most people would have snacked on the berries before meeting back up with an ally. His naivete, sparing him a quick death. She claimed she wanted to get some space before Arioch barreled through the woods but likely, she was uncomfortable with another dead tribute. She needed to compartmentalize. The capitol wouldn’t like how torn she seemed everytime a picture was shown in the sky.

You noticed Haymitch was all but telling her to accept Peetas affection. She seemed to be trying to suppress her attraction to the guy, but you were unsure how much of it was an act. It was clear the audience was going crazy over what they saw as fear of losing someone she was in love with. Fear of admitting something that was too good to be true. Their return would ensure the two of them would be forced to get into a relationship immediately. You wondered if they could keep up the whole pretense.

In the real world the victors we’re headed back to their respective floors for dinner. You and Enobaria went to the couch while Brutus went on about how Arioch would win out.

The temperature was dropping quickly too quickly. This was the finale. Everyone would have work off tomorrow throughout all of the districts. And Arioch now had the advantage of complete body armor. Seemed a little unfair but I guess it was two against one. Peeta was about as good as Glimmer with the bow and arrow. Y/N held Marvels spear as they headed to the cornucopia. The camera pans to Arioch confidently walking deeper into the forest where the girl from district five was picked up. He’d been hunting since brutally torturing Thresh in the downpour. The fight could go either way, but Arioch was going on pure rage and vengeance. He made the death painfully slow, making cuts that individually wouldn’t kill anyone. Thresh fought back well, the weapon and armor he had stolen came in handy. The rain however made it hard for him to see clearly and Arioch still had the glasses. You were somewhat surprised when Arioch didn’t scream his success after finishing him off.

The gamemakers has quieted the background noise they had going on. The snarling was unmistakable. You could hear whatever creature was back lick it’s lips as it growled in Ariochs direction. Muttations. Half wolf and half human like things that looked like… oh god. You turned to look at Enobaria, maybe you were wrong. Her scowl told you your suspicions were correct. She quickly stood up and retired to her room. The rest of your victors were silent, knowing how she felt about the mutts, about herself every day she woke up, every time she looked in the mirror. You wondered if she thought she was just like those mutts on the screen. You wished there was something you could say, anything to help. But words weren’t really your strong suit.

When you turn back to the screen Y/n and Peeta have heard Arioch and the mutts running towards them. She should have thrown her knife the second she saw enter the clearing. But she frozen. Utterly frozen at the giant creatures following him, figuring out exactly what they were. Who they were.

Peeta yanks y/ns arm. They barely managed to make it to the cornucopia without any injuries.

‘It’s them. All of them.’ Y/n whimpers as she fumbles to tie a bandage on Peetas once again, bloodied leg.

‘Are- are those their real eyes???’

You force yourself to look at the muttations a little more closely. The eyes definitely looked entirely too human. It was a sick thing to do to them. Even dead their bodies served the capitol. Always loyal to the capitol.

The hair on the wolves had different textures, the one who could only be Glimmer had blond shiny hair, the one with the number four had curly hair throughout his entire body. You refused to look at them any more. You looked up when you heard y/n scream out just to see Arioch yank her hair to throw her back on the floor. Peeta quickly tackles him, even injured it’s clear Peeta has experience fighting but he’s injure and Arioch quickly has him in a headlock. Y/n is already trying to figure out where to aim the spear.

‘Drop it or he dies.’

‘He dies and you come in second.’

‘Then I get one last kill.’

‘Yeah real impressive killing someone injured, but seeing as you couldn’t kill him the first time I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised you need to prove a point.’ She grinned, she was playing a dangerous game. Peeta was weakly clawing at Ariochs arm but the stalling could only go so far.

‘I was supposed to win. It should have been me or Clove..’

‘Come on Arioch, we all know I’m the one you have to beat. Look I’ll even go no weapons, no arrows, no spears, no knives.’ Arioch laughs at what seems is y/n signing Peetas death certificate.

It finally registers to Peeta what Y/n wants him to do. She sighs and pats her leg as she bends down, eyes on Arioch while she lays down the spear. Peeta manages to dig the knife y/n had told him to hide straight into Ariochs thigh.

He’s caught off guard and instinctively goes to remove the knife while screaming in pain. Y/ns gamble paid off, she throws her own knife towards his head. It nicks his already injured forehead sending a gush of blood down his face. The pause gives Peeta the room to push him off the cornucopia. Arioch isn’t one to go down easy, you think at the mutts that are way too excited to have him back down on the ground. Y/n rushes over to Oeeta cupping his face in her hands…

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yeah. Much better now.’ He pulls her in for an embrace they share until Ariochs screams begin cutting through the freezing air.

You find yourself holding your breath as they try to figure out how to help Arioch. Peetas convinced he would waste all of the arrows. Y/n is unsure without her knives but exasperated takes the bow and arrow from Peeta. And for the first time that you’ve seen in the arena, she hits her mark and the canon goes off.

‘That’s it! We did it!’ Peeta says through chattering teeth. Y/n collapses next to him and rests her head on his shoulder. Just like that the mutts disappear back into the woods. Y/ns eyes trained on the remaining wolves, saying goodbye to her friends one more time.

‘I can’t wait to go home.’

Peeta tries to cheer her up again, ‘you know what this means?’

‘What?’

‘You have to go on a date with me now. You promised.’

Y/n laughs, ‘you promised actually…but I’ll hold you to that.’ She lifts her and pulls his chin closer to hers and presses her lips firmly on his. His hands pull her closer before she pulls away. You find one of your nails has begun going back and forth on your skin, digging into it and leaving a large raw scratch in the palm of your hand. Some act.

Where’s the damn hovercraft? Hours go by and y/n and Peeta are forced to huddle together to try and preserve whatever body heat is left between the two of them. You go back to the viewing room where most of the victors are watching as intently as you plan to.

‘What’s taking so damn long?’ Y/n asks by the time the sun begins to rise again

‘Maybe we need to move away from the body. They probably still need to collect it.’ Already y/n has figured out what’s beginning to happen. She presses her lips together but nods.

‘Well then let’s move.’

They both move slowly. Probably as quick as their bodies can move after spending the night in freezing weather. They make it to the edge of the clearing, certainly farther than they were from the district five girl. When the hovercraft eventually grabs Ariochs bloodied body Claudine’s Templesmith’s voice echoes through the arena. You lean as close to the screen as you can just in case you miss anything.

‘Greetings to the final contestants of the Seventy-Fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revisions have been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor!’

Y/n closes her eyes and takes a deep breath knowing deep down this was coming. She looks at Peeta. Injured and takes a step back.

‘Dont y/n. One of us should go home.’

She shakes her head, ‘No.’

‘Y/n—‘

‘Peeta, I can’t. You could go and see—‘

‘Don’t be dumb y/n. I’m not going without you.’ She’s about to protest when he says, ‘that’s fine, you’ll outlast me anyway.’

He’s about to remove the bandage he has wrapped around his leg that’s already soaking through when y/n screams, ‘No! Just wait. Please.’

‘They have to have a winner y/n.’

That’s when she hatched the idea. ‘No. They don’t.’

She holds out the night lock berries. Peeta is about to protest when she tells him to trust her. They split the berries. Your throat is dry. You want to scream at both of them. Stop. Don’t give everything up now.

‘3.’

‘2.’

….

‘1’

They both have the berries on their lips when Claudius Templesmith comes back, frantic ‘Stop! Stop! Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to present the victors of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games, Katniss Y/N L/N and Peeta Mellark! I give you the tributes of District Twelve!’

But while the announcement caused y/n to freeze, it caused Peeta to bite down. You could hear a pin drop in the room. Y/n spots the berries out and turns to Peeta excitedly, before she sees him try to open his mouth but fail as the night lock seizes his system and he collapses to the ground. Her moth drops and she’s frozen until the canon sounds one. Last. Time.

Haymitch smashes a glass across the room, “Damn it!” He storms out with Chaff following behind him.

‘No. No no no no. Peeta wake up.’ She falls to her knees and lifts his head on her lap, when he doesn’t respond she tries to shake his shoulders. ‘Peeta! Wake up, damn you! We just won. We’re supposed to go home. You owe me. You promised me! You said you would take me out so GET UP!’

She’s bawling by the time she gets out those last words. When the hovercraft comes for her and I guess Peeta as well she covers his body not making any effort to leave. You grimace, you know what happens when you don’t voluntarily go to the hovercraft.

‘Ladies and Gentlemen I am pleased to present the Victor of the 74th Hunger Games! Y/N L/N’

‘No! It’s both of us. Shut up!’ She screams as Peacekeepers descend from another hovercraft. She seems to be to busy rocking Peetas upper body gently alternating between telling him it’s okay to get up and begging him to open his eyes.

The peacekeepers each grab one of her arms and she goes feral; kicking and screaming protests, ‘No! LET ME GO! You can’t leave him please! No!’

You find yourself wanting to tell her it’s going to be okay. But you know that’s not entirely true. Still, you wish you could comfort her. The room is a mixture of mouths agape, people holding in their shock by covering their mouths, and looking at eachother with a look that can only be described as confusion. You all watch as her cries get quieter and quieter when another peacekeeper sedates her. And just like that her body ascends into the hovercraft, coming back to the Capitol.

That’s when it hits you. Y/ns coming back. And she’s going to have a whole new game to play.

⋆﹥━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━﹤⋆

Taglist: @chloe-skywalker @ietss @tomihoeka @chiimiki @akinatrix @inky-sun

[jeffpunzel]

Hatchetfield (mostly NPMD) x Hunger Games AU

Steph as Katniss Everdeen

Pete as Peeta Mellark

Tom as Haymitch

Max as Cato

Brenda as Clove

Hannah as Rue

(Alternatively Lex as Katniss, Hannah as Primrose, and Ethan as Peeta)

[heavensbeehall]

"The Hunger Games", Chapter 25

Buy the book here.

Part 3: The Victor

Chapter 25. It's muttation time. Katniss and Peeta follow Cato to the Cornucopia. Katniss realizes the mutts represent the other Tributes who have died. Peeta gets a bite taken out of his calf. The pair work together to send Cato over the edge. But the mutts take their sweet time killing Cato and Peeta is bleeding out (again!). Katniss uses her final arrow to put Cato out of his misery, but they are not announced as winners even after Cato's cannon fires. There has been another rule change, but Katniss has an idea.

Thoughts:

-- Making the mutts look like the other tributes seems designed to cause guilt and PTSD, even in people who might not otherwise. It's a form of psychological torture, like the Jabberjays in the next book. I wonder which dogs were the worst for Cato (the way Rue and Glimmer seem to be the ones that scare Katniss the most). Thresh and Clove? I wonder if Peeta felt guilt about the girl from District 8 and Foxface since those were his two kills?

-- The dogs in the movie really don't cause the psychological fear that these ones do. I know they didn't have the budget. But it's a bummer.

-- Would you want to watch Cato fight dog mutts? And who would you be rooting for? The creatures feel evil to me but I also don't like Cato very much. But I think since Cato has been training for this his entire life and the mutts represent the Capitol's overwhelming strenghth, I do wish he had killed them even though that means Katniss would have to shoot him.

Quotes:

My head snaps from side to side as I examine the pack, taking in the various sizes and colors. The small one with the red coat and amber eyes . . . Foxface! And there, the ashen hair and hazel eyes of the boy from District 9 who died as we struggled for the backpack! And worst of all, the smallest mutt, with dark glossy fur, huge brown eyes and a collar that reads 11 in woven straw. Teeth bared in hatred. Rue . . .

I had a weird thought which was, "I would like a dog that looked like Rue." Though probably not this particular one what with it being programmed to kill and all.

I aim one of my last two arrows at Cato’s head, knowing it’ll have no effect on his trunk or limbs, which I can now see are clothed in a skintight, flesh-colored mesh. Some high-grade body armor from the Capitol. Was that what was in his pack at the feast? Body armor to defend against my arrows? Well, they neglected to send a face guard.

I don't think the body armor was meant for Katniss. I think it was to help him defeat Thresh. And it makes me wonder what kind of weapons Thresh had. We see him take a sycthe in the movie but I am not sure that is canon.

As if in a last-ditch effort, Peeta raises his fingers, dripping with blood from his leg, up to Cato’s arm. Instead of trying to wrestle his way free, his forefinger veers off and makes a deliberate X on the back of Cato’s hand. Cato realizes what it means exactly one second after I do. I can tell by the way the smile drops from his lips. But it’s one second too late because, by that time, my arrow is piercing his hand. He cries out and reflexively releases Peeta who slams back against him.

[linh-cindy]

Game On (Hunger Games x TLC Part 3)

Cinder takes a risk with the Gamemakers of the Hunger Games.

"It's important to take the defense mechanisms for use. You die from 10% infection and 20% dehydration. If you want to train with a partner, you may ask assistance."

Cinder glanced around the room. She was good with knives. Maybe she could put her skill to use.

Once the girl from District 2 had finished with the knives, Cinder went next. She grabbed a knife and threw it at the target. It landed onto the bullseye.

"You stole my knife!" Cinder heard a boy--Cato--yell.

"I didn't take it!" another countered.

"I'll get you! Oh, you know what? I'll just wait for the arena! I'll kill you first!"

Cinder looked up and saw a small girl, about 12 years old, on top of the climbing obstacle and holding Cato's knife, smirking mischievously. Rue, from District 11. Cinder couldn't help but smile.

She turned around and saw a dark-skinned boy who was also staring up at Rue, shaking his head and grinning. Thresh.

"Hey, cyborg freak!" a girl's voice taunted her.

Cinder turned around, annoyed.

A girl from District 1 with golden hair sneered at her. "Hey, look everyone! It's the Girl with a Missing Hand!"

"Nice one, Glimmer!" the girl from District 2 said. Clove.

"What kind of name is Glimmer?" Cinder asked. "And why is your name Clove? Some kind of clover leaf? Because I don't count you as lucky."

The girls stopped.

Cinder rolled her eyes and gave them the middle finger- with her left hand. The cyborg one.

. . .

"You did what?" Effie shrieked.

"I was angry. I'm sorry," Cinder said, shaking her head and looking down. "They called me a cyborg freak! What was I supposed to do?!"

"They deserved that," said Kai darkly.

Cinna nodded. "They shouldn't have called you that."

"They are Careers, Cinder!" Effie shrieked.

"And?" Cinder pressed her lips together.

Effie scoffed. "Fine. Whatever you want."

Cinder turned to Kai. "What's going to happen next?"

Kai sat up straight. "They're going to take you in one by one and they're going to evaluate you. District 1 goes first. You're last."

Cinder pushed back her hair.

Kai stared into her soul. "You have to show them everything. There'll be knives. I know you're good with them. And... how do I put this?" His brown eyes shined at her. "Make sure they remember you."

. . .

"Linh Cinder."

Cinder stood up and made her way into the room after 15 minutes of waiting for Chang Sunto to finish.

Cinder snatched a few knives from the stack and tossed one at the dummy, its blade digging itself in the dummy's head.

A few Gamemakers nodded in approval, but the rest were all cooing over a roasted pig. Cinder growled. She was being upstaged by a freaking dead pig.

She positioned the knife carefully so it would safely pierce the apple and not any of the Gamemakers.

One... two...

The knife darted through the air and pinned the apple to the wall behind the pig. The Gamemakers cried out and stared at the girl standing boldly before them in disbelief.

Cinder took a breath and bowed. "Thank you for your consideration." She put the knives back and exited.

. . .

"You did what?!" Effie said once again.

"They were ignoring me!" Cinder complained.

"That happened with me once," Kai said, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, no, no, no! You think this is going to be taken out on only you, Cinder? This is going to reflect badly on all of us!" Effie screamed.

"That was fair enough," said Cinna, folding his arms.

"So it's just bad manners, Cinna?" growled Effie.

"Really, Effie? Would they really take it out on Cinder? Or her district partner- what was his name again- Sunto? The individual training is private. If they're going to take it out on us, they'll have to reveal what happened publicly. President Levana won't like it," explained Kai.

Effie sighed.

“What did they do when you stabbed that apple?” asked Kai eagerly.

Cinder shrugged. “Well, they looked pretty startled.”

“And what did you say again? ‘Thanks for your…’”

“Thank you for your consideration,” finished Cinder, unable to stop laughing.

“Genius!” Kai clapped a hand on Cinder’s back. “Genius.”

He looked at her directly in the eye. “I would have given anything to see it.”

Cinna turned on the netscreen. Caesar Flickerman appeared on the screen.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen! Today, we're going to reveal the scores of our Tributes!” Caesar announced cheerfully.

He looked at a paper on the table. “From District 1… we have Marvel, with a score of… Glimmer, with a score of…”

Cinder zoned out.

“…Clove, with a score of…”

“From District 3, Chang Sunto, with a score of 6.”

Kai nodded. “We can work with that.”

Effie clapped. Cinna smiled.

“And, from District 3, Linh Cinder.” Caesar paused for effect. “With a score of…”

Cinder could feel the tension rising around her.

“…11.”

Cinna, Kai and Effie shrieked in joy, surrounding her with squeals and screams.

“Oh my stars!” everyone screeched.

“Outstanding!” said Caesar from the netscreen.

Kai scooped Cinder up and twirled her around. She gasped.

“Sorry- sorry,” he said, setting her down as gently as he could.

“It’s fine,” gulped Cinder. She laughed hoarsely. “I thought they hated me.”

Kai smiled at her. “They must have liked your guts.”

“To Linh Cinder!” Cinna raised a glass of orange juice. “The Girl on Fire!”

They all agreed.

[xetlynn]

The Hunger Games- Protecter: Chapter Five, Tracker Jackers

(Peeta X Reader)

[Four] [Five] [Six]

I woke up when the sun rose in the fake sky made by the Capitol. I untie myself from the tree, getting all my stuff together before throwing the backpack over my shoulders.

I carefully slide down the tree, accidentally slipping and scraping my leg. "Shit." I murmur to myself, I gently lift my pants up to see if it's bleeding.

Luckily it barely broke skin. I dust myself off and head over to my snares. I check the first one, the Careers messed with it. That's when I grow disappointed. Hoping that doesn't mean they did it to all of them. I move to the next one and to the heavens or whoever. There's a squirrel. Quite a skinny one but it's a squirrel nonetheless.

I carefully get it out of the makeshift noose for tinier animals. Then moving to the next one. That one seemed to have just missed something. At least I got something out of the three. I take the wire from the last one. Taking it apart and putting it in my backpack. I make sure I hear nothing around. Leaving the dead squirrel on the ground so I can climb up a tree and see if there's anything around.

I don't hear or see any movement so I get back down. Huffing from the climbing. Hating every second of it.

I skin the animal, then move onto starting the tiniest fire possible. Knowing I'm going to have to be fast with cooking the squirrel. I get a thin stick, tying the limbs of the squirrel onto it. Holding it over there fire. A little closer than I normally would.

Every little noise in the woods has me on the edge of my feet. Ready to be on the move. I even made a little thing of dirt to hurriedly cover the fire.

My backpack was on my back and everything. I watch the squirrel, it didn't take long to cook, even if it wasn't fully finished it was enough to be slightly enjoyable. I cover the fire knowing I should get moving so I don't get caught by anybody.

I take out a fabric that was in the bag, ripping apart the squirrel and leaving out the part I'm going to eat so I have some for later. I also hold onto the knife in my empty hand. Not wanting to be completely defenseless.

Every noise has me paranoid. The sounds of animals freaking me out. I feel like something's watching me, besides the cameras of course. It's weird.

Walking for hours now I feel like I'm getting to a point of dehydration. I need to find a body of water soon. That's kind of the point of this but I also know if I find a body of water that means other tributes most likely are going to as well. Bumping into them. It's a good thing I have my canister.

Not having water though is really getting to me. My head is beginning to feel dizzy. I need to lay down. Maybe a nap will be good. It's had to have been hours of walking at this point. I lay down up against a tree.

I think about where Peeta is at this point. If he's still helping the Careers search for me. I think about Prim, Katniss, my dad, aunt, and Gale watching me be so weak needing to lay down. I think about how disappointed they probably are or are going to be with me. I finally pass out, knife in hand. Clutching it tightly even in my sleep.

I smell fire... reminding me of the fires we had in the little backyard we had. Gale, Katniss and I telling stories after my dad and Katniss's mom got the two little ones to sleep. The stuff about school. Distracting ourselves from how bad everything truly was.

Gale knew about my thing for Peeta. I never told Katniss. She would've thought it was silly. She never really had time to think about stuff like that. I admired her for her stern ways. How much she protected Primrose and my little Zay the way she did. I made things more fun, it irritated her sometimes but I know it helped.

The smell of the fire got worse, the warmth growing in front of me. I slowly stir as I wake up. I see the orange flames coming towards me. I let out a yelp, getting up. "Shit, shit!" I shout, immediately running the opposite direction of the fire.

As I run I glance behind me and it's like the fire is rolling forward. I look ahead of me and a tree appears. I trip as I moved out of the way. I fall to the ground. The fire slices against my arm, a deep burn. Along with my torso due to the way I fell, not as bad as my arm though. I scream in pain but I cover my mouth. Getting back up. The adrenaline covering bits of the pain in my arm.

I see ahead that there's a body of water. I run in as fast as I can. I feel relief at first from the coolness but then hiss in pain when it stings. Tears form in the corners of my eyes but I blink them away. I turn around and see the Fire begin to disappear. I quickly take my bag out, filling my canister with the water.

I sigh out. But I couldn't relax for long when I hear a voice. "There she is! There she is!" I hear the boy from District 1 shout. I shove my canister in the bag. Throwing it back over my shoulders. I get up and run out of the water as the careers fight over who is going to kill me.

"She's mine!" I hear the girl from district 1 yell. "Not if I get her first!" Cato disagrees. I run as fast as I can. My torso rubbing against the fabric. My arm as well and I want to cry. My calves burn as I run.

"Mine!" Glimmer laughs, almost grabbing my bag. "Where you gonna go?" Cato asks me. I get out of their eyesight for a split second as I make a certain turn. "There shit is!"

"Yeah!" Glimmer cheers. I find a tree similar to the one I climbed in the beginning. It was the easiest. I can't slip up. I have to be swift. "Here we go! Where you going, huh?" Cato asks. He's right on my trail, ahead of the others.

"Get her, Cato!"

"Where do you think you're going?" Cato questions as I begin to climb up the tree. Moving as fast as possible given my state. "Where you going, Girl on Fire?" He questions once again as I reach a higher branch. Girl on Fire is so ironic now. It's a little funny as I feel the burns on my body.

"We got her!" Glimmer grins. I catch my breath but still climb higher. "Miss Everdeen, I'm gonna get you!" Cato shakes his head.

"That's not gonna help you up there, [Name]." Glimmer informs me. "Where are you going?" Cato asks one of the other Careers. I see someone trying to climb after me but they're not fast enough. "Going to get her man!" It was the boy from district one. "You are so done." Cato shoves the boy down and climbs himself. "Look at her scurry."

"He's gonna get you, [Name]."

I ignore them, doing what I'm trying to do to survive. I hear all of them cheer but at this point I am blocking it out. Sweat trickling down my forehead.

I'm still slightly wet from being in the water just moments ago. I focus on that instead of the other tributes below me. My foot slips for a moment and I almost lose all footing I head. I grip onto the thick branch, my feet dangling, almost in reach to Cato but he falls before he can even do anything.

I lift myself up and get onto a good stable branch. "I'll do it myself." Glimmer states, getting the bow and arrow ready. She doesn't know what she's doing and I become confident in the fact that I might make it through this. She misses me, the arrow barely even reaching me.

"Give me that." Cato snatches it from the blonde girl. "Get her." She mutters. "Come on, come on, come on!" District one boy shouts.

I wait for impact but nothing comes as well. He also misses me. I laugh at the sight, I probably shouldn't but I'm about to die so what does it matter. "Might as well throw that sword!" I smirk down at them.

I hear curses that follow, they all look aggravated. "Let's just wait her out. She's gotta come down at some point, it's either that or starve to death. We'll just kill her then." I hear Peeta tell them, I stiffen up. He had to be the voice of reason in that moment. I had to hear him say that.

"Okay. Somebody make a fire." Cato orders... After that I ignore the words that leave their mouths. I watch them intently though, their every move throughout the night. Trying to plan some sort of escape even though it's futile. There was no way I was going to make it out of this.

I tie myself on the tree, taking out my bag. I begin to feel the burn on my skin once again. I take the jacket off, shoving it into my bag. I then pull out the canister of water before finally checking out the burns on my arm and torso. My arm is all blistered, since the adrenaline left it's getting hard to lift my arm now. I frown.

I pour water on my burns, hissing. I drink some of the water, closing the canister and putting it back away. I lean back, looking up at the sky as if that would help me at all.

Hours pass, the Careers are sleeping, Glimmer was supposed to keep watch but she slipped into slumber as well.

I could definitely sneak past but with the burns I feel like I can barely move. My torso stinging with every breath I take. My arm can barely even move forward.

I hear a sound coming from the sky and I look up. It looks like the sky is opening up somehow and a little thing is coming through. I furrow my eyebrows. It gets closer and I realize what it is.

It's a gift from a sponsor. It lands right by me in another branch. I reach over and grab it. Opening the small container it has an ointment inside. I open it, immediately using it on my burns.

I remember when Aunt Claire would make an ointment of her own. I know not to lather so much on the burns. It soothes the pain almost instantly. I say a thank you out to the world, meaning it for Haymitch before I fall asleep.

Holding a knife in hand, my bag containing everything in the other.

In the morning I hear a small noise. I glance downward and see the Careers are still asleep directly below me. I then look around the woods, I then spot a little figure in the trees beside me.

I squint my eyes and notice it's the little girl from District 11. Rue. I remember her following me around. I give her a small smile and wave to her. Her face stays stern, she points over to the Tracker Jackers nest that I didn't even realize was there. Just like the other tree.

I'm surprised I didn't hear the buzzing last night. She signals down at the Careers. My eyes widen at what she's motioning for me to do. I think about it, staring at the nest then back down to the sleeping bodies. If I drop it...

Peeta will also get stung. I have a chance of also getting stung and I know what's going to happen. I press my lips together knowing this is my only shot of getting away from them. I look back to the small girl and give a short nod. I wave her to go away so she doesn't get stung. I take a breath.

I also notice how I don't feel any pain on my arm or torso from the burns. I lift my shirt to see the burn practically healed. I then check my arm and it's the same thing.

I close my eyes in relief. This ointment must be from the Capitol, real good stuff. There's no way something from the districts could give these results this fast.

Shaking my head, I look to see if Rue was still there but she wasn't. She was already gone. I huff, untying myself from the tree and putting the rope in my back. Putting my knife in between my teeth, I bite down.

I begin to climb over to the nest. Once I get to it I know I have to be swift with it. I can't take forever. These bugs don't like when anyone messes with their nest. I take the knife from my mouth and begin to cut at the nest. Quickly sawing the little knife back and forth. I feel a sting on my hand and I wince, still going.

I feel another on my arm near the burn but I keep going until finally it falls to the ground landing right on the Careers. They scream and run away. I watch as Glimmer is unable to run, multiple bugs stinging her. I get down and fall from the tree.

My eyes feel heavy and the world is dizzy. I see a figure in front of me but I look back and see Glimmer's corpse. Her body puffed up, swollen from the stings. Ooze coming out of her. I freak out but I see the Bow and arrows. Quickly I take it from her.

"Run! Run! Run!" I hear from behind me. I turn, dazed. I see Peeta standing there and I don't know if I'm hallucinating it or not. "[Name], go! Get out of here!" He shouts at me, pointing forward.

I shake my head, trying to look at him clearer. I start to walk toward him. "What are you doing? Go!" He yells at me, I then see movement behind him and my eyes widen. "Peeta..." I mutter but I know I need to run. I turn and move my feet. Trying to get faster and faster but all I do is repeatedly run into trees. Using them to keep me up.

It felt like the ground was sinking in, taking me with it. Everything was moving. I couldn't go any further but I had to force myself. Not knowing if the Careers were behind me or not.

I fall to the ground and see bugs everywhere. I scream out, or at least I think I did. I get back up and continue to run until I fall back down and I knew there was no getting up this time.

I see a house, my old house. Before living with Aunt Claire. I hear my mother's screams, her begging to be saved.

Then I see my little brother in my dad's arms. Tears streaming down his face.

"Dad?" I yell out. He disappears and then I see Katniss yelling at her mother to get up. To say something. I grab her arm but she vanishes. "Get out of here! What are you doing!" I hear Katniss's voice at first but then I hear Peeta's just like before.

I hear a bunch of talking. Katniss, Aunt Claire, Prim's scream, Zayden, my dad, Gale, and Peeta. Then it all stops and it's black.

I wake up to the sun beating on me. I hum, but then I freak out. I look down at my bug stings and there's leaves covering them. I sit up, I look over to see my bag right beside me instead of on my back.

I hear a small twig snap and I lift my head up to see Rue hiding behind a tree, watching me. "Rue? It's okay, I'm not gonna hurt you." I assure her, standing up. She backs away for a moment. I notice I have my bag in my hand. Not even realizing I picked it up.

"Sorry, here." I drop it, putting my hands up so she knows I'm not going to do anything. "I have some food in my bag." I tell her.

"Come here, we can eat." I point over to a log. I can tell she's still a tiny bit wary so I bend down. Taking the knife from the ground next to the bag and toss it over to her. "See, you can trust me." I tell her with a small smile. I hate that she's in here. It breaks my heart knowing she's just as young as Primrose. She picks the knife up and comes over to me.

"What kind of food do you have?" She asks me in a quiet tone. I break out into a bigger smile. "Squirrel and some food bar from the Capitol that was in this bag." I then lift the bag up and we go sit down at the log.

I hand her a big piece of the squirrel and then half of the food bar. Both of us eating in silence before I look back down at the leaves on my bug stings. "You do this?" I ask. I've seen this before from Aunt Claire. Rue nods her head.

I forget what the leaf is called but I know my Aunt uses the herbs, boiling them into a medicinal elixir. "I chewed them up, something the people do in 11 when we're in the woods. I don't know the name but I remembered what they looked like." She informs me. "I replaced them a few times." She tells.

"A few times? How long was I out?" I tilt my head, taking another bite of the food bar. "A couple days." She says simply, also taking another bite of her food. I notice how hunger she is. "Here." I hand the rest of the squirrel. "Are you sure?" She looks up at me. I only nod my head.

"Thank you." I suddenly say. "What happened while I was out?" I ask as she continues to eat.

"The girl from 1 and the boy from 10."

"And the boy from my district?" I nervously bring up, anxious about her reply. "He's okay, I think he's down by the river. Is all of that true?" I let my shoulders relax to her response. But then I get confused. "What?"

"You and him?" I only laugh. "So where are Cato and the others?" I change the subject.

"They got all their supplies down by the lake. It's piled up in this great big pyramid." She says, finishing her food. She wipes her hands on her pants.

"Sounds tempting, just out in the open?" I tilt my head with a small smirk already planning something. And it looks like she already has as well.

Masterlist

P.M. M.L.

Taglist: lmk if you want to be added!

@lizzymizzy-blogg

[ao3feed-hayffie]

Sparks

by Tainted_Heqrt

Valerie Abernathy always knew she'd eventually get reaped, after 16 years of raising herself, cleaning up after her father, and 4 years of preparing and waiting for her name to get pulled out on reaping day, she'd never thought that she would end up in the hunger games buy volunteering for someone she'd never met.

she also didn't expect the arena would be the place she'd find a reason to live...

 (valerie does not replace Katniss she acts as a stand in and is her own person, as is katniss who apears in this story, although there are similarities also no gale x katniss in this story) eww gale

Words: 594, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of Spontaneous Combustion (THG)

Fandoms: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies), Hunger Games Series - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/M

Characters: Original Female Character(s), haymitch abernathy's daughter, Valerie Abernathy, valerie abernathy (oc), OC - Character, Peeta Mellark, Haymitch Abernathy, Effie Trinket, Primrose Everdeen, Cato (Hunger Games), Clove (Hunger Games), Glimmer (Hunger Games), Marvel (Hunger Games), Foxface (Hunger Games), finch crossly (hunger games), Cinna (Hunger Games), Rue (Hunger Games)

Relationships: Peeta Mellark/Original Female Character(s), Haymitch Abernathy & Original Female Character(s), Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket, Peeta Mellark & Effie Trinket, Effie Trinket & Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Near Death Experiences, Sad, Song: Sparks (Coldplay), Inspired by a Coldplay Song, Suicidal Thoughts, Mental Breakdown, Absent Parents, alcoholic father, Minor Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket, peeta is bae, OC POV

Read this story on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/wu9DgEO

[fanfictiongirlie]

The Hunger Games: His Games Chapter Five

Parings: Marvel x Female OC

Description:

The Hunger Games, (Katniss' Hunger Games) from the perspective of Marvel's girlfriend.. Whom is a previous winner of the games, but something is happening in the Capitol, something secret, something that could change the lives of the Career Tributes.

Rating: Teen and up Audiences

Warnings: Angst, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Death, Alcohol Abuse

Overall Words:  7,385

Something happened, something which shocked me, Marvel, Glimmer, Cato and Clove had teamed up with Peeta, the fire boy from District 12. That was very unusual. 

Gloss and I were on the edge of our seats watching, the group had found Katniss, they were hunting her. Marvel spotted her in the water, and they started to chase her, Glimmer tried hitting her with the bow and arrow, but even after the practice she had, she still missed. Katniss runs, fast she runs through the forest to try and avoid them, but they were catching up on her. Maybe if they killed her, Marvel would have more of a chance. She was one of the favourites to win. 

Suddenly Katniss climbed a tree, and high. We didn't even have trees in District one, well we had plastic ones covered in jewels for décor, and Career's were not known to be good at climbing. 

Cato tried climbing, but fell. Glimmer tried to hit Katniss with her bow and arrow, and missed again. 

"We'll just have to wait her out" Peeta said, he was looking up at Katniss. I knew that look, he really did love her. Which could only mean, he wasn't actually allies to Marvel's group. He was pretending.. 

"Well, looks like the funs over for the moment, I'm going to get some sleep" Gloss smiled, ruffling my hair. He left, and I watched Marvel and the others build up a camp for the night. 

Marvel rolled out his sleeping bag and got himself comfortable. He looked so dirty, covered in mud. What I'd give to be down there with him... 

Wait. 

What was I saying? I couldn't be in the games again, but if it meant being with Marvel, maybe I would.. 

They were all sleeping, Glimmer was cuddling up to Cato. It was kind of depressing, they wouldn't be able to be happy together. I wish things were different. 

I still didn't trust Peeta. 

Katniss was still awake up in the tree, and she was badly hurt. Those injuries were not going to heal quickly. 

I almost felt sorry for her. 

Marvel hadn't gotten any sponsors recently, not that I was worried. However Katniss got some lotion from a sponsor. I was always worried that people would soon decide Katniss was their favourite. I needed people to like Marvel. 

I woke up, after passing out after Marvel did. They were still asleep, but the camera was panning away from the group and up passed the trees, the little girl... Rue? I think, she was trying to get Katniss to notice something. 

I noticed it two seconds before Katniss had, Tracker Jackers. They're lethal, horrible, and most likely to cause death... Katniss started to climb up the trees, getting closer and closer to the nest. 

What was she doing?

Marvel was still asleep, I was yelling at the screen, he wouldn't hear me. 

Wake up!

Katniss started to cut the branch holding the nest, she was stung a few times, but it was going to land on them. Marvel could die. Wake up!

Wake up

WAKE UP!

The nest dropped to the ground landing on Glimmer, they all jumped up and ran, luckily Marvel ran, along with Cato and Clove. 

Katniss fell from the tree and started to wander off, but my cameras were on Glimmer and Marvel. Glimmer was dead, the tracker jackers stung her to death. I heard the canon go off to signal her death. 

Gloss ran in quickly, he must of heard the canon.

"What happened?" He yelled, seeing Glimmer's death body on the screen. 

"Tracker jackers" I mumble, not taking my eyes off of Marvel. He was still running. 

"Marvel?" 

"He's okay, I think?" I answer, quietly. 

The group made it back to the camp. 

"Where's Glimmer?" Cato asked harshly looking around. 

"Obviously she was the canon" Clove said, laughing. Marvel was breathing heavily. 

"Where's the kid?" He asked, and on que a head popped out from the cornucopia, head to toe covered in camo paint and a sword in hand. 

"Sort some food out for us!" Marvel barked at him, I had never seen him so primal.. It was weird that I liked it, no I'm just sleep deprived.  

They all sat in the cornucopia for the  night, with blankets huddle around them, and eating their food. 

"So you're banging one of the victors?" Cato asked Marvel sniggering. 

"Isn't she the one that went crazy?" Clove added. I felt red hot, hearing them talk about me. 

"I'm not banging her" Marvel laughed "And no she didn't go crazy" 

I wasn't sure he was going to admit to that, love is weakness in these games.

"How did she win her games?" Cato asked, Marvel took one last bite out of his apple. And shrugged.  

"I'm sure she would prefer I didn't talk about that" 

Thank you Marvel. 

"Aw, c'mon, tell us!" Clove bantered. 

Marvel shook his head. 

"No, she's probably struggling right now anyways, she doesn't need me talking about her games... I know she's watching" He says, smiling up, so looked like he was looking right at me. 

I'd have to remember to thank him, for not talking about my games. Most people had forgotten my games, they were not the most interesting games.

_______________________

Rue and Katniss had teamed up, and had a plan to destroy the pyramid of food Marvel and the others had created. I watched them intently. 

"Rosa, you need to leave this room!" Gloss suddenly yelled. I looked at him, fear in my eyes. I didn't want to leave, what is something happened to Marvel. 

"You need to go and have a shower and change into some different clothes, it will make you feel better" He said, taking my hand and pulling me away from my chair. 

"10 minutes" He said to me "That's all" 

I nodded, and listened to him.. I left the room, anxiety consuming me. I ran to my room and showered, once the water hit me, I knew I'd be longer than ten minutes. I was scrubbing my skin until it felt raw, but the heat felt so nice. 

I left the shower room, and dried off, putting on some black leggings and one of Marvel's shirts I had stolen from his room. I felt better now that I was clean. But I felt wrong for not watching Marvel.. 

I walked back to the camera room, and walked in, Gloss was blocking my view of the cameras. 

"What did I miss?" I asked, Gloss's face was sullen, and shocked. 

"What?" I squeaked. 

"Marvel" He whispered

I pushed him aside, my strength surprising me, and I rushed to the screen and pressed a few buttons, showing me the last scene with Marvel in.  

He was walking through the forest, with his spear. 

He looked so handsome, I played with my ring as I watched him. He walked into the clearing, where Katniss and Rue were, and he vaulted his spear, and at the same time.. 

No.

Please.

God.

No.

Katniss lifted her bow and arrow and shot, the arrow went through Marvel's neck and he fell to the ground, gasping for air. I couldn't even tell what he was saying, he coughed up blood until his body was flat on the floor, unmoving. 

I didn't even hear the canon, as the camera now switched to Katniss and Rue. Rue was dying too. 

But Marvel was dead, I felt my heart shatter in my chest. 

I stepped backwards, I couldn't do this...

"Rosa" Gloss called my name, but I barely heard it, I ran from the room to the kitchen, I picked up the first drink I could find. 

I can't feel like this again, I started to drink..

[biinkspacewp]

𖤓 SATURN - request guidelines

STATUS - open

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Be descriptive! Bare minimum I need to know whether you’d like a female or gender-neutral reader and what plot details you’d like. The more descriptive you are the easier it is for me write what you want.

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I want to make it known that I am neurodivergent and am currently working a full-time, manual labor job. It may take some time for me to complete your request. I’m also not obligated to fulfill any requests that I am uncomfortable or unable to write.

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I WILL NOT TAKE REQUESTS FOR

explicit NSFW content, discrimination such as homophobia, racism, xenophobia, etc, male reader, hurt/no comfort

YOU ARE FREE TO REQUEST ANYTHING NOT EXPLICITLY MENTIONED HERE, BUT THERE’S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY I WILL NOT ACCEPT IT.

CHARACTER LIST

struck out means i am currently not writing for them

HARRY POTTER

james potter, sirius black, remus lupin, lily evans, poly!jily, poly!wolfstar, poly!marauders, fred weasley, george weasley, charlie weasley,

RIORDANVERSE

percy jackson, annabeth chase, luke castellan, clarisse la rue

GRISHAVERSE

kaz brekker, jesper fahey, nina zenik, mathias helvar, nikolai lantsov

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

rhaenyra targaryen, harwin strong, jacaerys velaryon, helaena targaryen

STRANGER THINGS

steve harrington, nancy wheeler, robin buckley, eddie munson

STAR WARS

din djarin, boba fett, poe dameron

HUNGER GAMES

finnick odair, clove kentwell, cato hadley, glimmer belcourt, marvel sanford, cashmere nicholo, gloss nicholo

I encourage anons to claim emojis so I can know a bit about who I’m interacting with even if you’d like to remain anonymous.

claimed emojis: currently none :)

PLEASE CHECK IN OCCASIONALLY BEFORE MAKING REQUESTS AS ANYTHING IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!

[myalwayswonderanland]

Chapters: 1/? Fandom: The Hunger Games (Movies), Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, Hunger Games Series - All Media Types Rating: Mature Warnings: Major Character Death Relationships: Cato/Rue (Hunger Games), Thresh/Clove (Hunger Games), Marvel/Ezra | District 3 Tribute (Hunger Games), Glimmer/Marvel (Hunger Games), Katniss Everdeen/Peeta Mellark, Foxface/Glimmer (Hunger Games), Haymitch Abernathy/Effie Trinket, Gale Hawthore/Gwendolyn Snow Characters: Rue (Hunger Games), Cato (Hunger Games), Clove (Hunger Games), Thresh (Hunger Games), Katniss Everdeen, Peeta Mellark, Marvel (Hunger Games), Glimmer (Hunger Games), Foxface (Hunger Games), Haymitch Abernathy, Effie Trinket, Gale Hawthorne, Gwendolyn Snow, Ezra | District 3 Tribute, District 3 Male Tribute, District 7 Male Tribute, District 7 Female Tribute, District 4 Female Tribute, District 4 Male Tribute, District 5 Male Tribute, Clove/Cato (Past) Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Post-War, Aged-Up Character(s), Future Fic, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Post Revolution, Hunger Games Tributes, Post-Games (Hunger Games), Rue Cato Thresh and Clove are Main Characters, Katniss Peeta and everyone else follows, lots of crackships, Undercover Missions, Spies & Secret Agents, sorta - Freeform, Non-Linear Narrative, Mild Language Summary:

They didn't ask to be here.

For all intents and purposes, the hell they'd been put through within the past 72 hours alone should have reason enough to let them rest in peace. But their world is too wicked and twisted to let them just simply slip away...

They didn't ask to be here. But dammit if they were going to be - they were going to do it on their terms this time around.

- or -

All tributes from the 74th games have been revived by the Capitol to help fight in the war vs the rebels. However, led by Snow's grandaughter herself, they trade sides and play instrumental during the war in the victory versus the Captiol - A triumph they follow-up by returning to the shadows of the hidden victors village from which they were revived.

6 years later, as they silently continue to live the remainder of their days by keeping peace in the post-war Panem, a guilty Rue decides to bust their cover to the one and only Katniss after an accidental run-in sends her into a psychotic episode. Not only is Katniss shocked to see a very much alive young adult Rue at her doorstep, but to see just how much the now living tributes have seemed to change...and how much of Panem has not.

- * -