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crack_van2012-11-18 10:10 pm
stars-inthe-sky.livejournal.com) wrote in crack_van2012-11-18 10:10 pm
Entry tags:
"A Year With No Victor" by DustWriter
Fandom: THE HUNGER GAMES
Pairing: Katniss/Peeta
Length: ~8k words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: FFN
Why this must be read: DustWriter does another master AU, though this one is of the "what could have been" vein. "A Year With No Victor" puts a Romeo & Juliet sort of spin on the Games, where Katniss is a Career, Peeta is Peeta, and things proceed under different circumstances...to a point. The ending is particularly haunting.
Haymitch turned to see if she was safely out of earshot. "Stay away from her." He looked guilty as he dropped his voice. "You could break her neck as soon as she steps off the platform."
Peeta felt the nausea return. "I can't do that."
"She'd do it to you."
"I know." He looked up at his Mentor. "You know she has a better chance of surviving."
"I do. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." he muttered. He looked down at the forlorn young man in his charge. Peeta thought he saw a flash of fear in his eyes. He thought of his father.
Haymitch released him. "I need a drink."
She was alone at the fire starting station.
Peeta glanced at where Cato and the girl named Glimmer flirted shamelessly among the terrified children learning to fight with little hope of survival. He slipped over to her side. She was struggling with the kindling. He was struggling with words.
"If you use some dried leaves or moss it'll catch faster." He winced. It wasn't at all what he had wanted to say first.
"Oh." Her eyes were on his. He felt warm, as though wrapped in a comforting blanket. "Thank you."
"May I show you?"
She paused. He saw her eyes flicker over the "12" emblem on his sleeve. "Yes."
He sat with her. He wound the leaves with the sticks. She struck the flint. It ignited. She smiled at the spark. She smiled at him.
"Twelve. That's coal?"
He nodded. "But I work in the bakery. With my family."
She stared at the flame thoughtfully.
"What do you do? In Two?"
"Me?"
"What does your family do?"
"I live in the Home."
He must have shown his confusion on his face. "The Community Home," she explained to the fire.
"Oh." His chest hurt. "Is that why you volunteered?"
She shrugged ambivalently. "Yes. And no." She looked at him. "If I win, I can leave the Home. I can take my brother with me. And if I lose," she paused, "I lose."
He couldn't answer. "Why did you volunteer?" she asked.
"I didn't."
"Oh." She waited. "I prefer it." She looked at him. "To have the choice."
He smiled ruefully. "I'd choose not to die."
She surprised him with a laugh. "Wouldn't we all?"
A Year With No Victor
Pairing: Katniss/Peeta
Length: ~8k words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: FFN
Why this must be read: DustWriter does another master AU, though this one is of the "what could have been" vein. "A Year With No Victor" puts a Romeo & Juliet sort of spin on the Games, where Katniss is a Career, Peeta is Peeta, and things proceed under different circumstances...to a point. The ending is particularly haunting.
Haymitch turned to see if she was safely out of earshot. "Stay away from her." He looked guilty as he dropped his voice. "You could break her neck as soon as she steps off the platform."
Peeta felt the nausea return. "I can't do that."
"She'd do it to you."
"I know." He looked up at his Mentor. "You know she has a better chance of surviving."
"I do. But that doesn't mean I have to like it." he muttered. He looked down at the forlorn young man in his charge. Peeta thought he saw a flash of fear in his eyes. He thought of his father.
Haymitch released him. "I need a drink."
She was alone at the fire starting station.
Peeta glanced at where Cato and the girl named Glimmer flirted shamelessly among the terrified children learning to fight with little hope of survival. He slipped over to her side. She was struggling with the kindling. He was struggling with words.
"If you use some dried leaves or moss it'll catch faster." He winced. It wasn't at all what he had wanted to say first.
"Oh." Her eyes were on his. He felt warm, as though wrapped in a comforting blanket. "Thank you."
"May I show you?"
She paused. He saw her eyes flicker over the "12" emblem on his sleeve. "Yes."
He sat with her. He wound the leaves with the sticks. She struck the flint. It ignited. She smiled at the spark. She smiled at him.
"Twelve. That's coal?"
He nodded. "But I work in the bakery. With my family."
She stared at the flame thoughtfully.
"What do you do? In Two?"
"Me?"
"What does your family do?"
"I live in the Home."
He must have shown his confusion on his face. "The Community Home," she explained to the fire.
"Oh." His chest hurt. "Is that why you volunteered?"
She shrugged ambivalently. "Yes. And no." She looked at him. "If I win, I can leave the Home. I can take my brother with me. And if I lose," she paused, "I lose."
He couldn't answer. "Why did you volunteer?" she asked.
"I didn't."
"Oh." She waited. "I prefer it." She looked at him. "To have the choice."
He smiled ruefully. "I'd choose not to die."
She surprised him with a laugh. "Wouldn't we all?"
A Year With No Victor