Hunger Games fic: On Any Given Day (1/1, PG)

[sabaceanbabe]

Title: On Any Given Day
Rating: PG
Word count: 1,844
Focus: Gale Hawthorne & Peeta Mellark, a bit of Everlark
Characters: Gale Hawthorne, Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen
Summary: Gale Hawthorne and Peeta Mellark develop an unlikely friendship.
Author's Note: Written for the Hunger Games Holiday Exchange 2013 for glintwarsgreatest, who wanted friendship

Comments

[trovia]

Oh, this is neat. I really like the idea that Gale knew Peeta better than Kat did, before the Games. It's kind of an "ouch" moment but still. I also enjoy how the two boys are something like friends despite their unspoken rivalry that at least Gale barely seems to be consciously aware of, the fact that he decides to cheer for Peeta because his mom doesn't - another "ouch."

There should be more short slice of life stories like this one in this fandom, I'm such a sucker for those if they're this well written. I guess gen will just always be my OTP. ;)

As an aside, I personally never thought Gale would volunteer to go into the arena with Kat, because he'd know that would just add a stronger contender to the mix and make things harder. And the idea of having to compete with her to survive would just kill him - I don't think he has it in him to consider sacrificing himself, that's more Peeta's cup of tea. (I'm currently betaing an Odesta fic where Annie's best friend volunteers to go into the arena with her, plus starting to work on the 74th HG chapters for SC, so my mind is on the whole volunteer ethics right now)

[sabaceanbabe]

I love slice of life fics, too, just taking one small idea and running with it. I'm still amazed that I wrote this thing in less than 24 hours with only the barest editing, because of the tight turnaround needed. I guess I kind of like writing pinch hits, too. I don't have a chance to overthink things. :P

You're right about Gale not volunteering to go into the arena with Katniss. He's too much of a competitor to try to keep Katniss alive at his own expense and too much of a provider for his family to leave them all with no one for the weeks of the games, let alone forever if he died there. But I thought it was a kind of softer side of him to even think about doing it for someone he sort of considers a friend and who hasn't had the best life in spite of being on a "higher social rung" than Gale and his Seam family.