They watched him die. They heard the canon—the sixth of the day. They watched him get retrieved by a hovercraft.

And Jimin watched his lover as he cried over yet another life lost. A life he considered a friend, if even for a short time.

Jimin would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted to cry at all that day. He really didn't think he was a big crier before entering The Games, but tears graced his cheeks often these days...even for less meaningful things than the death all around them.

He grieved for Namjoon and Taehyung, he really did...especially Taehyung. Perhaps not so much for the person he didn't really know...but for what could have been. If things were different, perhaps they truly could have been friends.

Jimin really didn't think he needed much beyond Jungkook. It's why he didn't have too many friends back home—that, and people were afraid of Jungkook. But then, he got reaped for The Games, and he was forced to rely on others—on Namjoon, and Taehyung, and Seokjin...he missed them all, in a sense. Especially Jin. He hadn't thought about Jin in a while...

Perhaps he shouldn't be too upset. Jimin would meet Taehyung and Namjoon soon. He hopes the next life is happier. He hopes Namjoon and Taehyung are comfortable.

He watched Taehyung get pierced through the abdomen. Everything during The Feast was a blur...but he saw that vividly. The last image in his head before chaos erupted. A man that respected Jimin, and Jimin had come to respect himself, alive one moment, and dead so quickly in the next. He took it much harder than he expected to.

But Jungkook needed him, so Jimin would stay strong. Because he promised Jungkook he would. So he comforts him in silence, terrible feelings bubbling up quietly, but not yet breaching the surface. Jimin just forces them down. He'll be honest with Jungkook when it benefits the younger.

Jimin stares at Taehyung's face in the sky—the last time he'll ever see it while alive. The two of them had since climbed out of the tree after a few hours, finally completely sure The Feast conflict had to be over, and walked around like normal. When the sun set, they found a spot to shelter for the night, just like any other day. It truly was routine now.

Jungkook presses closer into Jimin's side as he watches the fallen tributes. Except for one, they were all careers. It was hardly comforting...there were still at least two careers in each of the three career districts. But...besides that, Jimin and Jungkook were the only ones left with another tribute from their district still alive. Three, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, and Eleven all each had only one person left.

That was still fifteen people.

The Games would go on for a while yet.

Jimin was hungry, but they couldn't eat, not right now. They were running low on food. If they found plants they could eat, they'd collect them, but their knowledge of flora wasn't so strong. The pair would probably have to resort to hunting soon.

He looks down at Jungkook. "How are you doing?"

"Awful," Jungkook answers right away. "And it just keeps getting worse. But I'll keep going, don't worry. We'll get through this, as far as possible."

"We will," Jimin nods softly, rubbing Jungkook's arm. "We have to."

The night passes, and Jimin wakes up to Jungkook—once again, routinely—petting his hair. But he was alive. Jungkook was alive. That was good enough for Jimin.

He sits up, kissing Jungkook sweetly. Jungkook immediately responds, holding the smaller close. Jimin used to feel so safe in his embrace—and he still does, in a sense. But...but now Jimin knows Jungkook's embrace doesn't save him from anything. From loneliness, maybe...but loneliness wasn't the killer that Jimin was afraid of. The fact that Jungkook no longer takes all the pain away was just...well, it was devastating.

A canon goes off, and Jimin jolts away. "S-sorry...How are you doing, Koo? Tired at all?"

"No," He shakes his head. "Not tired...just, you know."

"I know," Words weren't needed. They felt the same way. "I know. You're ready to go?"

"Yeah," His words were few this morning. Jimin understands why, but it hurts his heart anyways.

They pack up their things and get going. The jungle region was raining again. It was a wonder it hadn't rained in the forest yet. Jimin supposed it was warm most of the time. Regardless of what the temperature was outside the arena, the woods were always temperate, the sky was always clear. Except for the acid rain, Jimin really hadn't seen any change in the weather.

They made sure the rain was normal, and filled up their water supplies again. Jungkook dips his head into the rain pour, cleaning his hair and face quickly. And then they moved on. The day went on without much fanfare.

*

That night, Jungkook dreamed.

It was Jimin, just Jimin. He was running through a sunny field. The grass was long and flowing, the wind making the blades dance. Jimin turns around in slow motion—the whole dream was in slow motion. He was smiling, he was laughing.

It was beautiful.

He reaches out for Jungkook's hand, a radiant smile plastered on his face. He looked in love. Jungkook intertwines their fingers without thought.

At that moment, Jimin coughs up blood.

The dream quickly turns dark, as Jimin falls to the ground, blood pooling all around him. Jungkook tries to scream, but nothing comes out. His hand slips out of Jimin's grasp, and he starts moving backwards. Jungkook tries to chase after Jimin, but he's stuck in place. Dream Jimin dissolves into ash, the sentiments of his being ascending into the atmosphere and disappearing.

Jungkook is left alone.

He jolts awake, heart racing at a hundred miles a minute. He scrambles frantically, movements panicked and sharp.

"Hey, hey! Koo, calm down," Jimin comforts, and immediately Jungkook starts to feel more at ease at the sound of his voice. "That didn't happen. Whatever you're panicked about, that didn't happen. It was just a nightmare. That's it. That's it, Koo."

Jungkook starts trying to control his breathing. And then he closes his eyes, flopping his head against Jimin's lap. "Reality isn't much better."

"I know..." He whispers. "But we have this time...we have this time. A few more days at least. A few more days together."

"I doubt they expected us to last this long," Jungkook realizes. Last night they discovered the canon they heard was the last District Eleven tribute. They're the highest numbered district now. "Especially not together."

"Absolutely," Jimin nods. "But we proved them wrong. And we'll keep doing so."

Jimin had been nothing but comforting the last couple days, something Jungkook was grateful beyond words for. When Jimin was struggling, Jungkook was there for him. Now Jungkook was demotivated, his body weighed down by his heavy heart...but Jimin comforted him.

They were just perfect for each other.

And they were being torn apart.

"I was thinking we should try to hunt today," Jimin tells him. "We're running low on food, hm?"

"Yeah, we are," Jungkook confirms. "Let's do it. There's plenty of squirrels in the area. I'll bet we can get...one, two, if we're lucky?"

"I think so," Jimin nods, staring at him. "I mean you've spent half your life killing animals for food. I bet we could get something."

"I killed 1,400-pound, sedentary animals, Mimmie," Jungkook can't help but huff out a laugh.

"Yeah, but I'm trying to encourage you," Jimin pecks his lips. "So just be quiet and let me."

"I don't deserve you," The taller whispers.

"You deserve the universe and more," Jimin counters. "You are so much better than this life. You have to know that at least, right?"

"...I'd like to believe we're not deserving of this fate," Is all he can make out.

"We're not, Koo," Jimin shakes his head. "No one who has ever entered an arena in the last hundred years is. We're all just kids."

Jungkook's heartrate increases. Were they speaking out against The Capital right now? No...no, they weren't, right? This conversation, if anything, made for a good story...they were probably broadcasting the two of them right now as long as some epic fight wasn't happening. He hopes to whatever higher power is out there—be it God, or Junghyun, or whomever—that this conversation wasn't putting a target on the pair's back.

He wraps Jimin up into a tight embrace, burying his face into Jimin's dirty, unwashed hair. He didn't mind the dirt, or the grease, or anything—it was Jimin's hair! And Jimin was here with him...and Jimin was alive. And that was what mattered right now. Jimin inhales into Jungkook's neck. He must feel the same way.

They just hold each other for a while. Jungkook wishes that his focus could be on Jimin and Jimin alone—on his touch, and his scent, on his breathing, and on all other small noises he made. But that couldn't happen. He had to be aware of his surroundings—his ears were strained...everything was tainted by the threat of death in the arena.

Jimin pulls away first. "Should we get going?"

"Yeah," He whispers. "Let's go."

They pack up their things and head out. The sun was already pretty high—Jimin must've let Jungkook sleep in. They walk through the forest, silent, listening, for once as predators instead of prey.

A long time passes before they even see anything—perhaps an hour or more. And then a rabbit comes into view.

"Oh..." Jimin murmurs. "He looks just like you...this is so sad..."

"I only look like a bunny when I smile," Jungkook reminds. "I haven't had too much to smile about lately."

Jimin gives him a long look. "...I guess that's true. Alright..."

He takes a deep breath. Slipping the knife out of his pocket, he slowly inches towards the rabbit, sure not to make a sound.

He throws it at the small creature. It makes a high pitched, scared sound, obviously in pain, but Jungkook puts it out of its misery quickly. It was just for their survival...he's killed many people in the last twelve days...a rabbit is nothing.

He holds it by its feet, and they keep going.

It wasn't until dusk that they caught more—a squirrel. That was enough for them for the time being. The pair skin the animals together. They start a fire and quickly put it out, roasting the animals on the charred wood they collected. In the darkness, no one would be able to see the smoke—clouds cover the moon tonight. They don't want firelight to alert other tributes, so they use what they have, and the meat cooks well enough.

They cut up and put the rabbit away, into the sealed container given to them by sponsors so long ago now, and divide the squirrel between them.

The squirrel has a nutty, earthy flavor, not as gamey as some of the other meats Jungkook has tried in his life. He was just so happy to have some fresh protein for the first time in so long. It was smokey, and greasy, and so delicious.

They make sure every ember is put out and get ready to sleep for the night. No one died that day, so the sky remained dark. Jimin kisses him one more time—he tastes like their dinner. And with that Jungkook goes to bed, hoping for a dreamless sleep.