A/N- Happy Hunger Games, everyone! I bring you something that I think is missing from the world of fanfiction: more crossovers!
I have been toying around with the idea of a Glee/Hunger Games crossover and have decided to get it done. This first chapter is essentially like a pilot episode just to gauge what everyone thinks.
This will also divert from The Hunger Games a lot as we move on. There really are no characters from that universe (with the exception of a few cameos) and I have plans for a drastically different story than what happened originally.
Also, this is a Kurtofsky fic, but the relationship will be slow to develop and won't play the biggest role.
Full Summary: When Kurt is thrown into the Hunger Games on his last eligible year, he faces extreme challenges unlike any the games have ever seen. In a contest that seems to break all of the rules, Kurt needs to keep his wits about him, as strategy becomes the only means of survival to get out of the arena. Can he become the winner of the games and make it home, when doing so means losing a special tribute from another district that he never should have allowed himself to become close to in the first place?
Legal: I own nothing and receive no compensation for this fic. I do this for free for the enjoyment of others.
The forest was calm, not a single sound reached our ears as we sat in silent anticipation of the potential game that could be on its way to us. We were situated at the edge of a small clearing in the woods. We didn't come to this area often, there being a risk of being seen from the sky if we were to spend too much time without the cover of treetops. If it weren't a special day, we wouldn't have tried, but either way today went we would either want to celebrate or mourn. A treat was in order for our families.
We didn't talk during times like these out of necessity. It would have been counterproductive to wait all this time for the possibility of scoring enough food for a week or two in a single kill and ruin said opportunity with talking. It was easy for us though. We could take solace in each other's company without feeling the stress of keeping up a front for the sake of society. Relationships like ours were difficult at the best of times. At least we could say we loved each other. It was better than some people in District 12 could say. In fact, I think we had it better than most couples in our position did.
Blaine was the hunter out of District 12. His knowledge of how to ensnare just about any animal along with his deadly prowess with a bow made him lethal in the woods. I wished I could say I had as much to offer him, but it seemed more to me that he kept me along as a novelty as opposed to being a partner. I knew he liked having me, and I wasn't totally useless.
Not long before we were about to give up and head back, fortune smiled down on us. A rabbit wondered just into our line of sight. It didn't sense our presence and stood blissfully unaware that its life was about to come to an end. Without hesitation, Blaine pulled back the string on his bow and sent an arrow right into the eye of the furry animal, bringing our count for the morning to five; enough to trade as well as keep some for ourselves. Blaine let out a huff of air, finally letting himself slip from hunter mode as he went to fetch the rabbit.
"Kurt, why don't you go check the snares while I pack this little guy up?" Blaine asked and I obediently shot up to do as I was asked. It was getting easier every day to do that without question.
I checked each one that I had set, this being one of the few things I was truly good at in the hunting department, and was able to gather two squirrels out of the whole thing. We really did have a haul today, all the more to trade with. With the berries we had picked earlier, I felt confident that I would be able to keep dad and I well fed for at least a week. I rushed back to Blaine with a little extra zip in my step. I walked up to my soon to be official boyfriend as he was finished packing the day's spoils. Showing him what I had to add, his grin widened and he picked me up into a spin, almost making me lose the squirrels. He gave me a light kiss and I fell for him all over again.
"Blaine, if you don't stop you're going to have me swooning all over you the entire way back," I said, playfully going for the dramatics he always thought were so cute. It worked, and his joyful smile turned more loving.
"Maybe I want you swooning all over me. Have you ever thought of that?" His attempt at pouting was an utter failure given the mood he was in.
"Well, be that as it may, I would rather have my wits about me until we are safely back inside the district. I don't want to be falling all over myself because of you just to attract some unwanted attention," I reasoned with him. His pout deepened like it always did when we played like this. It was routine. It was something we were comfortable with. Comfortable was good. I would always be glad for what I had with Blaine. If I never thought about what being with Blaine meant, then it wouldn't cause problems. He would never take advantage of me in the ways some might. It was all I could ask for.
We walked back to the fence we had crawled through. It had been well before dawn at that time, making it possibly closer to nine or ten now. It was a holiday today, so it wasn't as dangerous to be out this late in the morning. We talked and bantered on the way, the talk becoming much less as we came closer to our destination. Once within earshot of anyone who could have potentially seen us, we were dead silent as we had been in the clearing. As was typical, no one was really there and the electric fence had no such power flowing through it. It was always better to air on the side of caution with these things.
Once back, we set out to sell what we had gathered that we weren't planning on keeping. Blaine and I each kept a rabbit and a squirrel, neither one of us still completely out of meat and each of us took a third of the berries. With what we traded, we each were able to add a loaf of bread and some left over money to our stockpiles. All in all, it had been one of the better hunts we had ever had. Perhaps today wasn't going to be so bad after all.
"Alright, I'm going to head home. Are you going to be alright walking home by yourself, Kurt?" If anyone else had been around, it would have been a test. I was expected to answer a certain way given the direction our relationship was headed. I trusted Blaine. I knew his intentions were pure and he genuinely was asking me.
"I'm fine, Blaine. I don't want to keep you. We both have to get ready. It's kind of a big day." Whatever remained of our good mood from earlier was gone now. We both sobered, knowing full well that this could easily be the last time we saw each other like this.
Neither one of us were the most likely to be pulled for the reaping out of the boys in District 12. As hard as life was for us, many people had it harder. I couldn't remember the last time dad or I had gone without something to eat. It wasn't always much, but we were never starving. Blaine had it marginally easier than my family, but not by much. What it meant for us was that there were plenty of boys who had a higher chance than us to be pulled from that bowl. Except, it only took having your name in there once to be called. There were no sure things when it came to the Hunger Games.
"Hey, don't worry," he said, trying to assuage my fear. He always knew what I was feeling. "You and I will be fine. You don't need to worry. I won't let them take you away from me."
"That worries me more." I couldn't say that my biggest fear was having my name pulled, but more for what would happen if Blaine were the one to be called. I didn't know what would happen to me without him. I had already made so many choices for my life when I decided to be with him. There wasn't much going back from where I stood now.
He smiled softly and took me into his arms. He didn't say anything, knowing that there wasn't much to say at this point. He just offered me a moment of safety. In this moment, I was safe.
"I'll see you after the reaping." He kissed my forehead and took off with his load of food. I did the same and made my way to the other side of the district where my father would be pacing the floors, trying to pretend he wasn't worried about me but still keeping a diligent eye out for my return.
I walked into the small, four room house that my dad and I shared. It was more than enough room for the two of us. It was actually bigger than any other two-person family would have in District 12, but it was from a time when my mother was still alive, and it would have been a perfect fit if she were still here. I could tell that dad thought it was empty, missing something that could never be replaced. I wished he could find someone to make him happy. If he weren't always so concerned about me, then he might be able to do that.
"Good morning, dad." How did you sleep last night?" I asked, trying to make conversation to avoid the argument I could feel coming.
"Terrible. I never sleep good before a reaping," he responded, never taking his eyes off of me. He knew me too well to let this go.
"Well, who could blame you? Anyway, why don't I fix us a nice breakfast? I know you don't like to eat when your nerves flare up, but it really wouldn't be good to miss a meal on such a stressful day." I was glad I had the problem of arguing my father into eating as opposed to us being lucky just to have a meal. It wasn't always this good. Dad finally eyed up the bounty Blaine and I had gotten and his face took on another sour look.
"I thought you told me you and Blaine weren't going out with the Capitol people being so close." He said it very casually, but his face belied his true feelings of fear and anxiety that permeated almost anything that had to do with Blaine anymore. My father loved me for who I was, but hated what society expected me to become in exchange for acceptance. Helpless was probably an oft-used word when he thought about himself in regards to me.
"It was better to go now before they even got here than wait and have a few linger. We figured it we could scrape up enough food for a week or so, we would be fine. We even got enough money from what we sold to make that trip stretch out." I tried to reason with his logical side, but it was papa bear Hummel that was out to play today.
"It still doesn't change the fact that I'm going to worry about you whenever you go out with him." Dad was playing a dangerous game. He couldn't outright say he didn't like Blaine, it would mess things up for me and he knew it. He also knew that as much as he disliked the position I was in, Blaine was the lesser of all the evils. He would keep me safe.
Being gay in Panem wasn't an easy thing. I had heard stories in school about how the very thought of people of the same gender being together caused discomfort and, in some cases, violence against the people involved. This was all before the Capitol came out with a new resolution, effectively making it perfectly fine for two men or two women to be together. However, there is no such thing as a free lunch, as they say. There were certain restrictions that made it possible for the people to be able to comprehend and accept such a relationship.
For two men, it was determined that one of the partners needed to be the "passive" partner in the relationship. While there was nothing expressly stated when it came to heterosexual relationships, many people ran on the assumption that it was normal compared to a typical opposite sex relationship. They assumed it when they thought about us but never lived it in their own lives. It was a painful irony for me.
One partner, typically the poorer or younger, would file papers with the Capitol that essentially marked him as the lesser partner, in that relationship and all others after. He would give up most rights to his partner and be the sole responsibility of the men in his life. It offered a lot of protection as well, making the "real" man in the relationship responsible for both of their actions. I never really saw it as much of a benefit, but I was desperate for silver linings.
It was archaic, and not something I wanted to do. I was marking myself as a lesser being just so that I could be myself. In the eyes of everyone who mattered, I was already judged to be passive. I was too girly, too frail to ever be considered a "man" in the eyes of the government. If I wanted to pursue a relationship with a man, I would have to accept the fact that I would never be equal. In reality, I wouldn't even really have much of a say in who I wound up with if I hadn't found someone before I applied for my status change. That was where Blaine came in; the only one I knew wouldn't abuse the power he would hold.
Thus: my father's dilemma. Once I was labeled a passive gay, my father had the final word in who I would be with. I didn't have a right to pursue anyone for my own, and needed my father to find someone to give me away to. Blaine was the abnormal one, who would only take me if my father supported the idea. If he bowed out, I had no idea who would come for me.
"Dad, I'll be fine," I said, not really talking about the hunting. He harrumphed and went back to cleaning his tools. I began making a nice breakfast for us, anything to take my mind off of anything to do with the Capitol: men, laws, and Hunger Games alike.
We ate our breakfast in silence, neither of us wanting to speak what was on our minds as anything there wouldn't be good. I would need to be getting ready soon, the last time I would have to feel this way on the day of the reaping. I held onto the hope that in a few hours, my father and I would be able to come home and breath a sigh of relief.
My dad took care of cleaning the kitchen, a task that was usually left for me, in order to give me time to make myself look good for the ceremony. I wasn't really celebrating anything; however, I was not one to miss an opportunity to look good. There was such little occasion to look nice in District 12 that I rarely tried very hard. My clothes would just wind up getting dirty, effectively ruining them. Most of them were hand made by me and I tried to keep them as nice as possible.
Today, as grim as it was, was a special day. I went for a simple ensemble, but one that would make me pop, no less. While most of the boys would be wearing dull, diluted white and grey shirts and some form of dress pants that would mostly be black or tan. My shirt was a slight blue, carrying the tones of the sky on a bright summer day. To keep the outfit symmetrical with the others but still against the norm, I wore black pants. Mine, however, were not faded and haphazardly made. I took time to make these pants look fabulous, being a true, deep black and still as pristine as the day I sewed them.
To accessorize, I placed my mother's necklace, a beautiful pendant of emerald, around my neck. It was unusual here in District 12, to have something so beautiful and of such value. I wouldn't be surprised if I was told that the value of the small emerald was worth more than all the coal our district could mine in a year. If I wanted to, I would be able to provide a lot for my father and me if I would sell it. I could never make myself do it though. It was all I had left of my mother.
My mother was a special person in District 12. She was originally from District 1, having moved to our district by choice. It was unusual for people to be allowed to move from one district to another. Not many people even tried. For some reason, she was approved the move. Maybe they weren't as worried about citizens moving to the less desirable districts. Nobody from District 12 would ever be allowed to move to District 1, of that I was sure. I had never learned what her reason was, dad never telling me. Whatever her reason, I was glad I had something so beautiful to remind me of her.
Checking my outfit a final time, I joined my father outside as we walked to the central square together.
I was separated from my father and moved to get in line with the other boys of District 12. I could see Blaine further over in my row to my left. He gave me a short wave and a wink, trying to tell me that everything was going to be all right. I wished I could believe him so easily. As much as I didn't want him to be chosen, I couldn't help but quake in fear at the mere thought of my name being called.
Up on stage, everything was all set and the people from the Capitol were already here. There were extra peacekeepers here, as there always were. The Mayor, Mr. Figgins was seated up on stage as he always was. He never seemed to be really comfortable with the Capitol people. He liked his image as the respected authority figure, and it was somewhat undermined when anyone Capitol related arrived. He must have been faced with the idea that he really didn't have much power at all. I couldn't help but feel bad for him, since he really was a nice man.
Next to him, was the man from the Capitol who would be the escort for the tributes on their way to the Hunger Games. Will Schuester was a skinny man, who clearly spent a lot of time on his hair. This wasn't strange for people from the Capitol, and truth be told he was more tame than most. His hair was usually flared up into a curly mess, somehow defying gravity and the laws of science in general. His clothes were fairly simple and plain by Capitol standards, and he would look fine if it weren't for the gaudy designs he wore in his clothes. His smile just screamed "clueless" as he looked out into the crowd.
There was a last seat on the stage, empty as it normally was for the opening ceremony. Our last and only living champion of the games wasn't known for operating on anyone's timetable but hers.
When everyone was in place and the clock struck noon, the national anthem began to play, signifying the start of the reaping. My hands began to shake from the nerves and adrenaline coursing throughout my entire being. At the end of the anthem, Mayor Figgins stood up to give the traditional speech about the Hunger Games. I tuned this out at this point in my life, having heard the thing every year. I just had to make it through today, and I would be home free.
As his speech winded down, Mayor Figgins let Will Schuester take the stage.
"Happy Hunger Games everyone!" Will opened, his smile falling on what would have been a hostile crowd if our lives didn't depend on good behavior. I was fairly sure he wished he didn't have to be stuck with District 12 to represent every year. We never won the games, and so our district didn't carry much weight in the Capitol. He still did his job with a cheesy smile like nothing was wrong. I had to give him credit for that. Or, I would have if I didn't carry the typical loathing for people in the Capitol. There was no getting over the fact that this man lived a great life at our expense.
"I hope everyone is just as excited as I am. I know that we're all eager to find out who our tributes are this year, so let's get..."
"What, starting the ceremony without me, William?" Came the voice of the only previous champion to reside in District 12, Sue Sylvester. She had a lot of guts showing up far past the appointed time. It was almost an annual thing. It was no secret that she disliked our chaperone, Will. How she was still alive amazed me considering the things she pulled. Needless to say, I feared her just a little. Will looked moderately annoyed, but kept his good humor up for the sake of his job.
"How good of you to join us, Sue. I was just about to find out who you will be mentoring this year." Will said, trying to keep control of the situation. With Sue, you were never in control.
"Well, by all means, please continue. The sooner we get on with this, the sooner we can all shed a sigh of relief at removing that monstrosity on your head from our humble little district." Always having the last word, she ended the conversation by taking her seat, looking bored and inconvenienced. Will rebuffed her insult, although showing his annoyance more than before, and continued with the reaping.
"Alright, why don't we get back to things? Ladies first..." he said, reaching for the bowl that contained the names of all of the girls in the district. He reached in and, with a flourish, pulled out a single slip. Taking the time to wring out the drama, he hesitated in reading the name.
"Santana Lopez!"
I felt my stomach drop a little. It was a girl in the same age group I was, and someone I knew somewhat from school. Santana and I had never gotten along, and I wouldn't call us friends; but still, it was someone I knew. It stung a little.
Santana's face was void of emotions, not quite carrying her usual air of confidence and superiority but still not showing any fear or weakness either. She made herself on stage where Will was waiting to shake her hand and congratulated her. She barely made contact with him, and turned out towards the audience, never really looking at anyone.
"And with that, let's see who will be joining Santana in the arena." Will made his way to where the bowl of boys names were, and I tensed once more. I was so focused on my name, that I almost didn't hear it when it wasn't what was called from the man's lips.
"Blaine Anderson."
Thank you for taking the time to read the first chapter of Stronger. Let me know what you thought. I hope to have the next chapter out soon.
We will be seeing a very large portion of the characters from Glee in various roles. I will tell you this, casting for this fic was a nightmare.
I have tried to catch as many mistakes as I could. I'll be honest; I really wanted to get this fic out there to see the response. I will be better in the future about editing.