Steddie Hunger Games AU
35 times. That's how many times Eddie's name was entered into the reaping. It was a statistical wonder that he hadn't been reaped as of yet. He figured that this might be the only way in which he'd ever been lucky.
It's not like he didn't fear the games, like he didn't know the tremendous risk he put himself in each time he traded his name for more rations. Everybody knew how cruel and harrowing the hunger games were. How even the people that survived the arena, never truly escaped it.
So Eddie wasn't under any illusion that he'd be fine if he got reaped. But he also knew the alternative, he knew hunger, he knew what it felt like to be on the brink of starvation. Eddie found a way to combat that, for himself and the people he loved. The risk was worth the reward.
Still, he'd be lying if he said that he wasn't a little relieved that this would be his last reaping. So far luck had been on his side.
At this point he was more worried about Dustin, who still had several reapings ahead of him. The odds weren't that high that he'd get chosen, compared to Eddie. Since he'd taken on the responsibility of feeding his family with his additional entries, Dustin's name was added to the reaping only three times. Eddie tried to take solace in the fact that he'd made sure that Dustin wouldn't have to trade his name in the same way as Eddie had.
The younger boy was like a brother to him, in everything except for blood. Claudia Henderson had been the closest thing to a mother that Eddie knew since his own mom passed away. The two of them were his family, just as much as his uncle Wayne was and he'd taken care of them as well as he'd managed.
Now that time was coming to an end. Not to say that he wouldn't still provide for them. But now he wouldn't have to fear the games anymore. Not for himself. Dustin had another four reapings left but Eddie would make sure that the young boy wouldn't have any worse odds than the other children.
They'd be fine. Eddie had clung to that thought, all morning as they prepared and made their way over to the town square, he clung to it like a lifeline. Eddie could feel his heart race in his chest as he took his place next to Dustin in the rows upon rows of children.
A young woman from the capitol, she introduced herself as Nancy Wheeler, stepped up to the bowl filled with names. She couldn't be much older than Eddie himself and she was definitely new. Eddie didn't recognize her from the previous reapings. The difference was striking. She didn't wear heavy caked on makeup, her hair was in a natural brown tone, her clothes weren't entirely outrageous. Compared to the previous escort, she looked almost normal. Almost. The differences were still there, though. Eddie could see it in the unnaturally perfect ringlets of her hair, the perfect fit of her intricate magenta dress, her long manicured nails, and of course her accent. The people from the capitol always sounded so goddamn posh and elevated. No, despite the differences, it was clear that she was one of them.
"Now the time has come to select two courages young men or women for the honour of representing district 5 in the 74th annual hunger games. Let's begin!", She announced before reaching into the bowl, before pulling out the first card.
Eddie caught himself thinking:"Just let me be lucky one last time." He watched her read the card before loudly announcing:"Dustin Henderson!"
Eddie's heart skipped a beat. Just one. In his mind he screamed, screamed of how this wasn't fair, it wasn't right, Dustin's name was only in their three times, the odds were supposed to be in his favour.
Then, after this split second where his heart almost gave out on him, Eddie did the only thing he could do. Before the peace keepers could reach for Dustin, before Eddie looked at him, before Eddie even knew what he was about to do, he yelled:"I VOLUNTEER!"
His hand shot up and all eyes turned towards him. "I volunteer as tribute!", He yelled again and only now did he dare to look at Dustin. The look in the boy's eyes was one of absolute horror. Eddie watched him mouth the word no, but before Dustin could find his voice the crowd parted for Eddie and he knew he had to go. He had to get on that stage before the peace keepers had to drag him there. Eddie knew he had no other choice, he'd sealed his fate himself.
So he put one foot in front of the other and he ignored Dustin screaming his name, and he ignored his own mind screaming at him, and he ignored how his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. Eddie just walked towards that stage, in a way it felt like he was walking towards the gallows.
Somewhere in a corner of his mind he heard the escort from the capitol applaude politely while calling him the first volunteer from his district. Once Eddie had climbed the stage she pulled him towards the microphone, asking his name. "Eddie Munson.", Eddie replied but he could barely hear himself, could barely hear her, it's like his ears were filled with static and his mouth with cotton and nothing felt real.
Nancy Wheeler asked him why he had volunteered and Eddie's mind needed a second to catch up to the present. Eddie had never thought about what he would do in the event of Dustin getting reaped, mainly because the odds were much higher that Eddie would get reaped himself, but also because his mind hadn't allowed him to touch that possibility with a ten foot pole.
Well, now it was no longer a possibility. They were here, Eddie knew now what he would do. He'd done it. The only true option that he'd ever had.
"He's like a brother to me.", He finally replied and the words didn't feel like enough, didn't express everything that Dustin ment to him, but Eddie couldn't manage much more in the moment.
Wheeler called for applause for him but instead people simply stared and Eddie stared right back at him. He couldn't see his uncle in the crowds of the adults. He didn't know if he even wanted to see Wayne's face in this moment.
"Now for the second tribute!", the young woman next to him announced before reaching into the bowl again. As she pulled out another card Eddie wondered for a moment what would happen if his name stood on that card. Wouldn't that be a hilarious twist of fate?
But the name she read off wasn't his. Instead she read:"Steve Harrington." And somehow that was even worse. Because Steve Harrington was the last person Eddie wanted to face off against.
Eddie watched the crowd part as a boy strode through them. Harrington was tall and athletic, with beautiful hair that almost looked auburn and a face that was handsome in an unobtainable way. His step was quick and confident, there was no hesitation in his movements, his expression didn't reveal anything about how he was feeling. He just looked calm, fine. The fucker even had a bit of a bounce in his step as he climbed up the stairs and when he got greeted on stage by Wheeler he reached out to shake her hand first.
This wasn't the first time Eddie bore witness to Harrington's charms. Yes, Eddie knew of Steve Harrington. Everyone in their district did. Mainly because of his father.
Richard Harrington had won the 44th hunger games at the age of 16. He was the first and one of the only two people from district 5 that had ever won the games. Richard's win wasn't by chance. Eddie had never seen videos of his games but he knew the stories. He heard of how ruthless Harrington senior had been, how calculating and coldblooded. He'd left the arena with 11 kills under his belt, almost half of the tributes died by his blade.
After the games he was quite beloved by the capitol. Apparently he used to be quite handsome and despite his brutal acts in the arena, he had a certain charm. He'd married a woman from the capitol and they had one child, Steve. They'd spend the first few years of their son's life in the Victor's Village, but as their son grew older they stared to attend to more and more business in the capitol. Nowadays Richard was rarely sighted in his district, but his son was still around to carry his legacy.
You'd think that Eddie wouldn't know all that much about the other boy, since Harrington had never gone to public school like all the other kids. But even though he got tutored by private teachers, he still managed to mingle with a lot of Eddie's classmates. Above anything else, Harrington was known for three things: Parties, Money and Girls. He had all of it. A big empty house where he could host countless parties for Eddie's peers, enough money to keep all his 'friends' wined and dined on his dime and a new girl on his arm every night.
He was everything that Eddie was against. Privileged from birth, rich, arrogant. Harrington certainly didn't know what it ment to go hungry, he surely hadn't traded his name for the chance that his family might survive another winter.
Eddie despised everything about him, how perfectly composed he seemed in the face of their certain doom, how relaxed his stance was next to Eddie's, how he waved to the crying and cheering fanclub of girls that already mourned him and yelled about how this wasn't fair. As if any other name would've been more fair.
Eddie hated everything that Steve Harrington stood for, he did. But still, once Wheeler asked them to shake hands and he faced him, he couldn't help but to be in awe, for just a moment.
Because Harrington's face was no longer blank. He smiled at Eddie. And not in any intimidating or cruel way. No. His smile looked deeply sad and there was something about it that pulled at a memory that Eddie had buried a long time ago.
Eddie pushed that memory away before it could invade his conscience and he didn't return Harrington's smile as he grabbed the hand that the other boy held out for him. His hands were big and warm and for a moment Eddie wondered about the rough callouses that he could feel on Harrington's palms. Where did a boy like him get hands like these from?
But then they'd already let go of each other and Eddie pushed that thought away, too.
Eddie faintly heard Wheeler conclude the reaping by saying:"Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"
Before Eddie knew what was happening, Harrington and him got ushered off the stage by peace keeps and the two of them got led to the justice building. It all passed by Eddie in a blur. Suddenly he was all by himself in a random room. He hadn't even noticed when he and Harrington got separated.
He didn't know how long he was by himself until the door suddenly opened up again and Wayne stepped in. "Eddie-", the older man called out and his voice sounded strangled, he looked devastated.
Eddie had held it together until now but as soon as he saw his uncle he just felt himself crumble. He immediately threw himself into his uncle's arms, feeling the overwhelming urge to be held. Wayne wrapped his arms around Eddie in an instant and Eddie couldn't tell if Wayne was shaking or if it was himself. "Wayne-", Eddie started to say before his voice broke off and a sob escaped him. From there it was simply too much. The sink was overflowing and now Eddie's tears were spilling everywhere. "I'm sorry- I'm sorry- I had to do it- I couldn't let him go into the games. ", Eddie cried and cried, just apologising over and over again. Because he knew, he knew, he was all that Wayne had left.
"I know. I know, kid.", his uncle only repeated, stroking through Eddie's long messy curls. He was like a rock, the way he'd always been, holding Eddie up when he felt like he was drowning.
They stayed like that for a while until Eddie fixedly felt like he could breathe again. He let go of his uncle and wiped at his eyes before asking:"Are they here, too?" He didn't have to specify who he ment.
"Yes. Let me call them in.", Wayne nodded and not even a minute later Eddie was wrapped up in Claudia Henderson's arms, getting the life squeezed out of him. "You brave, selfless boy! I can't thank you enough. I can't!", She cried out and Eddie could tell that she was crying, both for him and because she was so relieved.
"Of course, Claudia.", He whispered before they finally let go of each other.
Once they seperated he finally looked to Dustin. The younger boy still hovered in the doorframe and Eddie could tell that he had cried. He still had angry tears in his eyes and his lips were pressed together into a fine line. "Dustin?", Eddie asked carefully.
"I never asked you for this.", Dustin stated, his tone clipped, his expression guarded.
"I know, buddy. You didn't have to.", Eddie sighed. He knew that Dustin was stubborn as hell, but he really couldn't do this right now. He had no energy for animosity, not today.
Luckily Dustin seemed to realise that this wasn't the moment to argue. He only restrained himself for another moment before finally launching himself at Eddie. Eddie just wrapped his arms around him and held the young boy just like his uncle had held him before. "You better come back. If you don't come back, I'll be so fucking mad at you!", Dustin sobbed into Eddie's chest.
"Dusty! Language!", Claudia protested, but Dustin didn't care.
"You better come back! Promise me you'll come back!", He pleaded with Eddie.
And Dustin knew that Eddie could not promise this. They both knew that. There was no guarantee, no safety. But Eddie loved Dustin and he wished for both of them to believe that Eddie would return. "I promise.", He mumbled into Dustin's hair.
"I agree with the kid.", Wayne said once the two of them let go of each other. Even though he'd never seen his uncle cry before, he could see tears in his eyes now. Wayne reached for Eddie and squeezed his shoulder as he told him:"You make sure to come back here, son. It doesn't matter what you gotta do. You fight and you come back home, alright?"
"Yeah...", Eddie nodded and he hated how much his voice wobbled. He wished he could be strong for them.
"I love you, okay? We all love you.", Wayne told him and Eddie tried to hold another wave of tears back.
"I love you, too.", He returned, his own voice thick and strangled.
A moment later the door opened to reveal Nancy Wheeler, telling them that they were almost out of time.
Eddie desperately looked over to his family and tried to commit each of them to his memory, like this was the last time that he'd see them, because it might be. Then his eyes landed on Dustin and he just couldn't help it, he knelt down, opening his arms and pleading with him:"Come here..."
Dustin immediately fell into his arms and now he was the one to whisper into Eddie's ear:"Please don't die..."
After they let go it was time for Eddie to leave and as he walked out of the room, leaving his family behind, he tried to block out the sounds of Dustin's uncontrollable sobs and the knowledge that this might've been the last time that he would see any of them. This knowledge made him feel cold all over.
~
Nancy had just led Eddie Munson's family to his room to say their goodbyes, when she was told that Steve Harrington's parents still hadn't arrived. It unnerved her to no end. They'd have to leave soon to stay on time and the thought of making one of the tributes leave without getting a proper goodbye simply made her sick.
The entire job made her sick, if Nancy was quite honest, but she had a purpose to fulfill and this was her way of doing it. She just wished that it didn't involve playing the capitol's puppet.
She reluctantly made her way over to the room where she had stashed Steve Harrington. She could admit to herself that she was quite curious about him in particular. Of course she knew all about his father. Richard Harrington was very well known in the capitol and Nancy couldn't help but to wonder if Steve would follow in his father's footsteps and become a ruthless Career. He certainly had his father's charm and confidence.
"Steve?", Nancy asked as she entered the room. She found Steve standing in front of the window, his hands resting on his waist as he looked out of the window.
"Yes, Miss Wheeler?", He asked, as he turned around to face her. He smiled at her, he'd done the same when he'd shaken her hand on stage. This might be Nancy's first rodeo as an escort, but she was pretty sure that this wasn't normal. His smile didn't come off as cocky, though. It honestly felt like Steve was smiling for Nancy's sake and not his own.
"Oh, please call me Nancy!", She clarified. Steve probably wasn't aware that she was barely two years older than him. It felt quite weird to her to be called 'Miss' by someone she could've gone to school with.
"Nancy it is, then.", He said, still smiling.
"Your parents are yet too arrive and we're unfortunately running out of time.", Nancy then told him, trying to be gentle and hoping that he wouldn't end up throwing a fit.
To her surprise Steve didn't seem surprised at all. "Oh, we don't have to wait on them, they're not in 5 at the moment.", He simply stated, not even seeming upset.
"What?!", Nancy gasped out, absolutely horrified. They weren't even in the district?! Didn't they know that the reaping was today?!
Steve didn't seem to share her absolute upheaval. He didn't even look bothered. "Yeah. I think they're in 1 right now.", He added.
"They aren't with you for the day of the reaping?", Nancy asked again. It just didn't make sense to her. People didn't work on the day of the reaping, every parent in their right mind tried to spend as much time with their kid, just in case, and Steve's parents just chose this time to... go on a trip?!
"They had some business to attend to.", He shrugged and Nancy couldn't believe how awful this was, how cruel.
"But now they won't get to say goodbye to you.", She pointed out and she really wasn't trying to make Steve feel bad, she just genuinely didn't understand how Steve was so blasé about this.
"That's okay.", He shrugged again and Nancy wondered what the fuck she was supposed to do now. She'd mentally prepared herself for a spoiled, bratty, Victor-child, throwing a tantrum. This was just... sad. "Is it time to go on the train yet?", he then asked her.
Nancy did need a moment to gather herself. She was just completely thrown by this entire situation. "Yes... If... If you're not awaiting anyone then you can come with me.", She then explained.
"Nobody is coming.", The boy in front of her shrugged and he was still wearing that smile, that oh, so very sad smile. Nancy couldn't help but to wonder how someone like Steve existed, how there could be a boy who seemed to have everything except for a single person that cared about him enough to show up.
It was devastating, heartbreaking and Nancy knew that it would only get worse from here. God, she already hated this job.
____
So... Here's a little thing I've been working on! Tell me if you want to see more of it!
47 notes
·
View notes
after s2, steve starts getting horrible migraines, eyes get blurry out of nowhere, ears ringing. docs can only do so much, and unless he wants to go see a neurologist (which costs money that he would have to ask his parents for...no. he refuses to tell them bc it's not like they'll believe him) he's stuck with the headaches. plus, he gets this overwhelming sense of rage and dread whenever he sees billy. and while billy does leave him alone, it doesn't stop him from trash talking about him to the rest of the school. so steve is also stuck, with the pain, with the anger and dread, the night terrors he can't exactly talk about in full with dustin, no matter how much he tries to get steve to open up.
and one day, while he's eating lunch under the bleachers, not wanting to be watched by hungry, smug, or pitiful eyes, he overhears some stoners sing the praise of one eddie munson how not only does he have the best weed in town, he has "magic."
potions, witches brew, spells to get rid of chronic aches and pain, and for the right price, he can even cast curses on your enemies. the other stoner laughs and wonders if that's why the byers creep was with nancy wheeler now, and how king steve was a washed-up jock.
steve ignores the digs at himself, doesn't quite believe the "magic" rumors... but....
he knows a teenage girl who can move stuff with her mind, a kid who fed 3 musketeers to a demodog, saving their lives from being eaten. so what did steve know?
he goes to the part of the woods behind the school where he knows eddie works from. eddie watches him from the table, a hand on a metal lunchbox and just waits, leg bouncing up and down in a nervous tick. steve wishes he'd stop, the noise pounds his head like a hammer.
"well, well, to whom do I owe the pleasure of having the great steve harrington in my presence? i win the lottery somewhere?"
steve sits across from him and gets straight to the point, "i heard you do magic. is it true?"
to eddie's credit, he barely twitches a brow, the placid smile glued in place, "hmmmmm, i have been told my "medicinal herbs" can feel quite magical, i won't lie. if you're looking for something stronger than weed, though, i'm afraid you'll have to wait for tomorrow since i don't carry--"
"no, man, that's not what i meant. i've tried weed already, and it didn't work. hell, i had oxy and i wanted to scratch my eyes out, i couldn't stand it," he was beginning to sound desperate, but the pounding was getting worse, and he can tell eddie was trying to brush him off. steve leans forward, takes in a shuddering breath,
"but someone said you have magic, like potions and shit to get rid of pain. i can't sleep. every time i close my eyes i think my head is going to implode and going to school has been fucking hell. i'm a mess, munson and you're my last resort here, dude. please. please help me."
his throws his embarrassment out the window, quickly wiping at his eyes before boring them into eddie's, silently begging for eddie to believe him.
eddie, for his part, is struck with something akin to alarm, and steve's resolve is slipping the longer eddie stays silent. when it doesn't look like the guy is going to say anything, steve closes his eyes and hangs his head.
"i get it. i really get it. don't worry, i'll get out of your hair--" eddie latches onto his wrist, and when steve looks up, the concern hits him full blast.
slowly, so, achingly, achingly slowly, eddie lifts his other hand up to steve's cheek, the move making him flinch. eddie freezes, but steve, not wanting him to stop, moves his head the rest of the way. an eerie coolness from his skin gives steve instant relief, so much so that he practically drops onto the table.
eddie moves around and carefully pulls him into a half hug, steve head on his shoulder.
"holy shit, harrington. what happened to you?"
it's the first time someone has asked since '83. no longer in physical pain, all the panic, fury, and fear from the last year and a half slam him all at once and the only thing he can do is sob into eddie "the freak" munsons jacket.
4K notes
·
View notes