i got inspired to do a hunger games au from @bananashemmo !! luke's and michael's preferences came from her bc I loved them so much but i did modify them a bit. she writes amazing stories and imagines so go check her out! :)
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calum
carefully creeping around a tree, you looked around the forest to make sure no one was there. the hunger games was the worst thing that could've ever happened to you. you weren't made for "kill or be killed" and thought you were about to escape ever having to play, but on the last year that you could be reaped, you were chosen as the district 12 tribute. you cautiously made your way to the river. you grab your canteen bottle and began filling it up with water just before you hear a terrifying sound behind you. a gun cocking. "turn around." a male voice says. you drop your canteen and slowly turn around to see cato, district 2 career tribute. "please," you whisper, your eyes filling with tears at the sight of a gun pointed at your head. "i'm sorry, but i have to." he says, pulling the trigger. your eyes shut tightly as the shot rings in your ears, but you didn't feel any pain. you open one eye to see yourself standing in the same position. instead of you, it was cato who was on the ground, blood pouring out of his chest. you gasp and look around for the source and are met with a tall, tanned boy who was your age. you immediately recognize him as calum hood, the male tribute from your district. "come on," he tells you, grabbing some of cato's supplies. "i'm sure people heard that gunshot. they're gonna be heading this way." he says. "y-you're not going to kill me too?" you ask him, confused as to why he wouldn't want to get closer to winning, but calum looks at you like you're crazy. "i'd never hurt you, y/n." he grabs your hand sincerely. "how do you know my name?" he doesn't answer, but instead leads you to his hideout, a small cave by the river. for the rest of the games, calum protected you, shared his food with you and even made you laugh during the unsuitable circumstance. the two of you shared stories and feelings due to the morbid setting, but you wish you had sooner because he told you he's always been looking out for you, not just in the arena but in real life as well. as it turns out, calum hood was your peeta mellark.
luke
hunting in the woods was never pleasant, especially alone. this was your first time ever without your brother by your side and it was terrifying to say the least. you walked around paranoid, hiding in brush every minute in fright. being a career tribute had its benefits, but it also meant that everyone would go after you considering you were one of the strongest players now. the sound of someone walking on the dirt made you sprint over to the nearest bush to hide yourself and eye whoever was approaching. "y/n?" your head moved around and your eyes went wide as you noticed luke hemmings, a guy from district 4 – career tribute as well, and just as dangerous as yourself if not worse. your first instinct was to take an arrow from your bag, making yourself ready with your bow. "i need to speak with you." he looked serious as he spoke, his hands up in surrender. "i would suggest you put down that arrow, otherwise this could get pretty ugly." you pulled the bow back, squeezing one eye. "y/n are you mad? put down the arrow!" luke yelled, your eyes opening as you let go, letting the arrow fly towards his direction. he threw himself to the ground in fear, breathing heavily as you stood up, grabbing a new arrow from your bag. "just listen to me!" he exclaimed, holding his hands up in surrender. "you killed my brother!" luke felt the guilt running up his spine. "y/n, this game is about self-defense. if i hadn't killed him, it would have been me instead!" "yes luke, this game is about self-defense and that's the reason i'm doing this." you fired another arrow toward him, but his fast moves came to his benefits, moving away fast as the arrow hit a tree. mulling over if you try again, you heard bushes rustling. "get down!" luke's word made you bow down by his request as he pushed himself into you. your eyes went wide as he somersaulted on the ground to avoid the flying axe that was thrown in your direction. he threw his machete towards the man, landing the stick through his stomach. the man collapsed, making luke grab your arm and pull you up from the ground with force. "you see what I just did?! you know neither of us can win without each other. so I don't think you have any other choice than to befriend me and kill the rest of this place." Your mouth went into a straight line as you glared at Luke. "fine hemmings, but if you go behind my back, i will make sure that you'll regret it." "as you wish." he said in delight, the two of you following each other further into the woods in a search of the rest of the tributes.
ashton
you bit your lip, watching as the train doors open and ashton steps from the platform onto his home soil, his rehearsed smile pleasing the crowds of district 7. the cheers around you are drowned out as you push through the mass of people and collide with him. he wraps his arms around you tightly as you squeeze like there's no tomorrow. fortunately for ashton, now there would be a tomorrow. "you did it." you say, looking into the big hazel eyes you fell in love with. "of course I did. I had to keep my promise to my girl." ashton smiles down at you and presses a long awaited kiss to your lips. you remember the day of the reaping like it was yesterday. you still have nightmares of ashton's name being called, you desperately clinging to his arm, not wanting to let him go. not wanting to let this be real. the guards had to pry you off of your boyfriend and escort him to the stage. his eyes full of reassurance but nevertheless fright as he stood on stage staring at your glossed over eyes. you knew ashton was strong, but in that moment, you had never been more scared that you'd never see him again. you watched him fight bravely in the games and now he's made it out of the arena as single victor of the 72nd hunger games. "i love you so much." you tell him, cupping his face gently. "i love you too." ashton smiles down at you. after the victory tour, the two of you moved into the victor's village, ashton being the third tribute from district 7 lucky enough to escape the games alive and win a house there. a few years later, he successfully avoided the 75th games. instead of him, it was johanna mason was chosen to play again. after her's, katniss everdeen's, and the others involved with overthrowing the government, you and ashton got married. not long after, you had your first child together, happy to raise a little girl in a world where she wouldn't have to endure the horror that her brave father went through.
michael
"ouch michael, that hurts!" you exclaimed, your eyes ready for tears to spill. he rolled his eyes at your stubborn behavior. "y/n would you just shut up for a second?" he mumbled concentrated, making sure to clean off the rest of the dirt in your wound from the trap you had fallen in earlier. if it wasn't for him, you wouldn't have the chance to walk any further. "sorry." you mumbled, a sigh coming from your lips once he finished and sat next to you on the log. there was no doubt that you guys were exhausted. this game was killing you both – literally. you looked at the horizon in front of you, michael letting out deep sighs once in a while as he admired the calmness of the moment. he looked down at your lap before grabbing your hand, intertwining your fingers. "do you think we will ev-" he was interrupted by the panem national anthem playing loud in the big arena, pictures of each dead player being shown in the sky. he memorized each person that was still left in the game as you started to count the number of deaths. "how many?" he asked when silence took over again. "seven. too little for my liking." you mumbled, leaning against the tree behind you, closing your eyes and trying to rest. michael let out a small chuckle by your statement, "you're so cocky about this game." "i don't have anyone left. i don't have anyone who cares about me." he let out a sarcastic cough, staring at you in disbelief. "except you of course." you tried to clean up your mistake but the boy didn't accept it, just crossed his arms in insult. "stop being like that, you know how much I appreciate you even though you could have killed me in the first place." he ignored you, his eyebrows furrowing as he looked far in the distance. "oh god!" he quickly stands up from the tree, pulling you onto his back. you cried out in pain from your leg. "what are you-" "fog!" he interrupted you. taking a look behind you, your eyes widened at the lethal substance getting closer and closer. "faster!" "I'm trying my best!" michael yelled clearly out of breath. that was when his legs gave out, the both of you falling to the soft ground, trying to catch your breath and watching as the fog dissipated slowly. "i swear if I didn't have you here, I would have been dead before i could count to ten." you mumbled, placing your head on michael's chest and helping him calming down, forgetting about your leg and making sure he was okay.