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lilyrizzy · 10 months

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max/daniel, hunger games au, outsider pov

The air in the arena is so suffocating, Alex can't help but tip his head back and marvel a little at the artificial domed sky above their heads. He'd always thought, growing up, that if the Capitol invested even half the money they spent on the games into feeding the people of the districts, there'd be no need for any of this.

Dangerous thoughts he'd always known better than to share.

Still, he's said them to George more than once since their names were called for that second time. At this point, there feels like there's nothing left to lose. They already won, Alex two years ago and George just last year. Back to back victories for their District, and here they are anyway. Punished for their victory.

This time, they're going to lose.

A little way off in front of where they are sat side by side now, Max and Seb are talking in hushed, almost hostile looking tones. Trouble in teamate paradise. Charles, who has already lost his, has rolled his trousers up, taken off his shoes and is standing barefoot in the water.

Alex longs to join him. Underneath his legs, the sand is burning. He was the one who'd suggested coming here, thinking that being by the water there would be some kind if breeze, some relief, but-

"Real beaches have wind," Charles had mocked him with an eye roll. "This is not some holiday to the coast." As if Alex had ever been on one. "Now we are just sitting here in the open, like ducks."

Nobody had moved though. There are five of them here after all, almost half of the total people left alive. They stood just as good a chance here, against the three left that were any real threat, as they did hidden away in the jungle behind.

"I don't trust these people," George tells him for the fourth time since they've been sat here. Alex doesn't need to follow his line of sight to know exactly who he's talking about.

Max, who Seb has left standing alone in favour of making his way back up the beach towards them. Max who is stood with his eyes closed, his face turned up towards the artifical sun, hands stuffed into his pocket. His lips moving like he's talking to someone who isn't there.

Maybe George has a point, but-

"He's our best chance of staying alive, and you know it," Alex reminds him.

Max killed thirteen people in his games. A record, especially impressive for someone who isn't trained for it, not from District 1 or 2. A total worth bragging about, but Alex has never heard him even mention it.

Maybe he's naive, but that fact along with the dark circles underneath his eyes make Alex want to trust him in the way George can't seem to.

"He's a monster," George says, something else Alex has heard before, "do you know how many times I was made to rewatch his bloody games, by Toto, by-".

"I'm going to get some water, Georgie," Alex announces, getting to his feet because he can't have this argument again. Can't remind George for the hundredth time that Toto also told them, make allies. That Max, for whatever reason, seems to care about keeping his alivd. Had tried so hard to carry a wounded Carlos through poisonous fog, just because Charles asked for his help.

Alex had never even seen Max interact with either of them before this games, but his voice as he'd told Charles he was sorry for failing, for letting Carlos die is not something he'll forget soon.

He's just made it to the treeline when the same voice calls his name. Turning, Alex finds Max running towards him, almost frighteningly quick.

"I will come with you," he announces, leaving no room for discussion. "We should not go places alone."

Alex glances to George, but he's sat with Seb now, staring straight ahead into the water. Maybe George was right, and this is how they die. Picked off by the two golden boys of District 6.

"Okay," Alex tells him, still not quite finding it in himself to disagree. He just wants to go home to Lily, and he already knows he'll never do that again, so what else is there left to be afraid of.

They walk in silence. The jungle is silent too, eerily so in a way Alex knows can't be real, even if before last year he'd never left the soot covered District 12. How different than a jungle and the forest of his home really be?

Alex has just tapped the spire into the trunk of a tree when Max touches a hand to his shoulder.

"Did Toto tell you," he asks, strangely urgent in a way he wasn't been since trying to drag Carlos's body out of the fog. "Do you know?"

Alex frowns. Behind them, the water trickles, but neither of them move to drink.

"Tell me what?" He asks. "What do-."

Before he can finish, someone is shouting Max's name. Screaming it, loud and piercing. Alex's head whips around to the beach, but it's coming from the trees, and-

"Daniel," Max chokes out, face drained of all colour. Before Alex realises what is happening, Max is knocking past him, running into the jungle.

Alex finds his feet moving, chasing after him as the screams continue. A man's voice, crying for Max over and over. Screaming in pain, begging for help. But-

There's no one in the games called Daniel this year.

Still, Max's voice echos just ahead of him, calling out for him. "Daniel! Daniel, I am coming, Daniel."

"Max," Alex calls, adding to unbreable crescendo, "Max!"

He catches up with him in him a small clearing, finding him stood still and surrounded by a flock of birds flying around his head. It's then Alex realises where all the noise is coming from. The jabberjays perfectly mimicking the person- Daniel's- voice in a way designed to torment Max.

He's slashing his blade through the air, trying to cut them down. Alex makes a step towards him, reaching for his own weapon to try to help, only to find himself jolted back, unable to pass through. On the other side of some invisible torture chamber Max is trapped inside by the same forcefields that have divided this arena up into the 12 segments of a clock.

"Max," he says again, taking in the sick look of terror on his face, "Max, they're not real, they're just birds, they're-"

"Fuck off," Max snaps, eyes wild when he looks to him. "Fuck off, Alex, go- Go back to the beach, I cannot protect you in here."

For a moment he hesitates, watching Max crumple to the ground, pressing his fingers into his ears, eyes screwed shut. With his knees tucked under his chin, Alex is reminded that Max is younger than him. Just 24.

Back on the beach, he sits down beside Seb and George.

"Max is trapped in a new segment," he says, when Seb looks worriedly behind him. Alex's voice is shaking. "He- It's jabberjays, they're- Who is Daniel?"

Seb's entire face falls, and he gets to his feet.

"Another Victor from 6. I volunteered for him this year," he says, and right, Alex should have remembered that. "He was Max's mentor."

Seb makes his way towards the jungle from which Alex just came, not offering any more than that. Not that he really needs to.

If there's one thing these games have taught Alex, it's the face of someone who thinks they are losing everything they love.

#sorry if youve never read catching fire this probably makes no sense #im so lazy with world building #anyway hope someone likes this!!!#max/daniel #fic #like this isnt very imaginative #but i love this scene from the book and wanted to put my guys into it #and its almost 2am and i dont want tk typo fix l

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stargazing-enby · 5 years

Note

Drarry prompt: "Well, that's a creative way to say hello..."

Thanks love!

This is a continuation of my one-shot An Enlightening Session.

***

It all happened in a flash. One second Harry was shouting Draco’s name across Diagon Alley, earning all kinds of looks from the people who were enjoying the sunny day in the streets, and the next he was tripping and crashing against Draco with a gasp.

He wanted to check what the heck he’d tripped over, but was distracted by a cold, slimy feeling spreading all over his chest. “Ew, what…?” He tried to put some space between Draco and him, but his legs were not cooperating. Luckily, Draco grasped his forearms and steadied them both.

“My ice cream, that’s what,” Draco deadpanned, looking far too composed for a man whose robes were all covered in blue goo. “That was a creative way to say hello, I’ll give you that. Do try not to ruin my dessert next time, though. It was my favourite flavour.”

Harry took a step back, pulling his soaked shirt away from his chest.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “The Ministry should really start fining people for littering…”

Draco arched an eyebrow at Harry’s lame excuse, then reached for his wand and cleaned both their clothes with a swish, saying, “So what did you want? I hope it was worth the ice cream.”

“Uh… well, not really,” Harry mumbled. “Just — you know, to catch up.”

“Harry Potter catching up? Please. You wouldn’t do that if we hadn’t seen each other in months, and we had coffee together just last Saturday.”

Harry clenched his fists to keep his hands from playing with the hems of his shirt. “Yeah, coffee,” he quickly corrected himself. “That’s what I meant. We should have coffee.”

“Right now?” Draco chuckled.

“If you’re free.”

Draco shook his head. “Whatever it is just spit it, Potter. Preferably while walking — I’d like to buy a few books before Flourish and Blotts closes today. And yes, silly, we can have coffee afterwards.”

“Okay. Cool.” Everything is cool. Just tell him already. As they started walking, Harry braced himself. He took a deep breath, clenched his fists and said, "Do you… do you know that feeling of not wanting to get into the shower? But when you finally do, you’d do anything to stay there forever? Like, you just feel so warm and calm that even though you’re wasting water and it’s probably a bad idea to stay five more minutes you just do it, because how the hell are you supposed to make sensible decisions when you’re feeling so fucking good?”

“Potter,” Draco said, a small, curious smirk playing at the corners of his lips, “What are you trying to tell me, you babbling nincompoop?”

“That… um.” Fuck. All the courage, all the ache and desperation that had been consuming him since his conversation with Jane, were rapidly abandoning him, and he swallowed. “That you’re — you’re sort of like… like a warm shower. Like finally taking that warm shower when I was too tired to move from my bed. I guess. If that makes sense.”

It doesn’t. Harry, you idiot, what are you even sa—

“Of course it does.” Draco raised his chin with a grin. “But you didn’t need that many words just to tell me I’m hot. I already knew that.”

Harry spluttered, his skin suddenly burning. “That was not—”

“Relax, you idiot,” Draco said lightly, “I know.”

Harry huffed. “Arsehole.”

They walked in silence for a few seconds, then Draco asked, “So, I’m like a warm shower, right? Does that mean I’m a guilty pleasure or that I’m an annoying necessity then?”

“Ugh, can’t we just forget I said all that?”

Draco huffed. “You wish.”

“Oi, stop throwing my own words at me!” Harry pinched him, and Draco giggled and elbowed him in the ribs.

“It’s not my fault you were such a drama queen as a kid!”

“Oh, I was the drama queen?”

“Absolutely,” Draco said solemnly. “Though I must admit, it was quite charming at times.”

“Shut up, you twat.” Harry suddenly felt like his heart was on fire. They’d stopped walking, and he realised they were at Flourish and Blott’s — except right behind the shop, in a narrow alley that was deserted except for a tabby cat that was eyeing them suspiciously.

“Okay,” Draco said, his voice soft but confident. “I’ll shut up if you really want me to.”

Harry’s breath caught when warm fingers brushed his. The touch was tender, but it felt piercing, and like a hot wave of something crashing against him.

“Draco.” The name fell from his lips, breathless, panicky. “You don’t want to do that,” he urged, pulling away from the caress. “The reason I wanted to talk to you today—”

“I know.”

That cut Harry’s verbal incontinence short.

“You — know.”

“Duh.” Even though Harry couldn’t move — couldn’t face Draco as his mind reeled trying to gather the meaning of those words — Draco reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers with a strong grasp. “You’ve never been particularly good at hiding your feelings toward me, whatever their nature,” Draco said, so casually Harry almost wanted to laugh. “Pining suits you, by the way. You’re really cute when you’re flustered.”

Harry stared at nothing, his eyes fixated on the shape of a rock on the wall beside them. His hand felt sweaty, but he didn’t have it in him to pull away. “Why… why didn’t you—”

“Don’t be an idiot. How long has it been since you and Ginny broke up?”

“Uh… about two months now?”

“Exactly,” Draco said. “I didn’t want you… I didn’t want us to rush into anything, Harry. I didn’t want to be that person to you.”

“Then — then why are you holding my hand?”

Draco finally faced him, looking oddly relaxed. And smug, the little shit. “Because you wouldn’t come mumbling and stuttering about it if you weren’t ready to take a step.”

“Oh.” Harry felt a grin pull at his lips. “So... You like me.”

Draco let out a breathless laugh. “I do. Don’t ask me why. I happen to have a very embarrassing weakness for charming idiots.”

Harry bit his lip. Hesitantly, he took a step forward. Draco seemed completely unfazed by the invasion of his personal space, and in fact smiled a little bit wider when Harry gently rested his hands around his arms.

Could he kiss Draco? Could that actually happen? After everything he’d gone through, after almost convincing himself Draco would always remain out of reach, could he really…?

His body leaned forward on his own accord. His heart jumped, his eyes fell closed, and then—

And then there was a hand on his chest, holding him back.

He opened his eyes to a slightly flustered, yet still way too smug Draco.

“I don’t kiss before first dates,” he declared.

“What? What did you bring me to a deserted alley for, then?” Draco smirked, and Harry pushed him playfully on the chest. “You bloody tease!”

“Books, Potter. Then coffee. Then we can go somewhere nice and comfy that doesn’t smell like cat pee and you can show me exactly how much you love me.”

Before Harry could protest, Draco took his hand and walked them back to the busy street.

#otpshipper98 #drarry #drarry squad #drarry fic #drarry oneshot #draco x harry #harry x draco #past hinny #harry potter #fleetofshippyships

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