Another day passed. Two more deaths—two boys from District 4. It was a much-needed day to recover from the trauma Jimin had faced the day before. Once again, in less than a week, he was confronted with death head-on.

And he survived to tell the tale...but it was much harder than Jimin ever would have expected it to be. He was in an arena that he will never come out of, of course he knew it would be bad...but he at least hoped he'd be able to protect Jungkook from the worst of it.

Instead he showed him twice already how easy it was to get caught.

He must stop careers from dying on top of him.

All joking aside, it was awful letting Jungkook almost die. There was nothing he could do when it was happening. He knows it was his life being threatened first, and he was Caspian's main target, but Jungkook would have died right after him. And Jimin would have been dead and helpless.

He tried to divert Caspian's attention by taunting him, so he would focus solely on Jimin. That way, perhaps if he was lucky, Jungkook could get free after he died. That was why he provoked the deranged career—that, and his fight or flight kicked into full gear. So Caspian wouldn't feel a sense of accomplishment and move onto the other District 10 boy right after. But none of that mattered. He got to yell at Caspian without much consequence...just a bit of trauma, that was all.

Jungkook was too kind to him. After Jimin's greatest failure yet, Jungkook was still so gentle, so encouraging. Jimin didn't know how Jungkook managed to keep his spirits up so high, at least externally. Jimin seemed to wear all his negative emotions on his sleeve.

But Jungkook felt guilty too. Jimin wishes he didn't. Jimin didn't blame him for any of it—he was the older one, he was Caspian's target, he had failed Jungkook. But...he supposes Jungkook felt the same way. He knows how hard Jungkook tried to get out of the grasp of the two District 2 tributes. He knows Jungkook probably felt humiliated for failing.

Jimin just wanted him to be okay.

Jungkook has been more touchy since the incident. He holds Jimin's hands, pecks his cheek. When they rest, he buries his nose in Jimin's hair. Jimin knows he probably smells terrible—Jungkook does too—but he liked the little touches. It helped him feel grounded. It reminds him that Jungkook is still there.

Jimin wasn't so talkative anymore...he had little to say. There was nothing to plan, nothing to tell Jungkook about...but so much to think about. When Jungkook tried to talk to him, he'd answer quickly, without much room to expand the conversation. He just wasn't in the mood to speak. There was so much on his mind.

His wounds have scabbed over. They bled a lot at first, but the pair managed to stop it. The cuts were still very much visible though, especially the one on Jimin's face. But he was able to take most of the bandages off. The wounds still hurt, but Jimin was okay. He survived, and will continue to survive. There would be no more close calls.

"Mimmie, you need to promise me something," Jungkook says as they sit near sunhigh. He breaks Jimin out of his thoughts. His mind had been clouded recently, overthinking everything.

"What?"

"You...You can't leave me while you're still alive," Jungkook's voice was firm, the words bringing shock to the older.

"Of course I won't. How could you even say that!?" Jimin was offended the man he was closest to would even think such a thing.

"No, no you misunderstood me," Jungkook shakes his head. "I didn't mean physically. I know while the two of us are alive you won't leave my side for a second. I...I mean mentally. Jimin, half the time I don't even know if you're okay. Not like okay in the general sense, but mentally here. You just seem to be so lost in though, I feel like I'm losing you. I know we've already gone through a lot, and it's scary, and sometimes it's hard to focus, but I need you to be here."

"I..." Jimin trails. He was unsure of what to say. That was how he was making Jungkook feel?

"What about your promise to protect me?" He continues, trying to be gentle, but the frustration in his voice was obvious. It shocks Jimin's system a bit. "What about our promises to protect each other? I'm trying so hard to protect you, but I feel like I'm losing the battle between me and your mind." Tears start to fall. "I-I can't lose against your mind, you can't get lost in there, Jimin. I-I love you too much for you to get lost in there, okay?"

"Jungkook..." Jimin blinks a few times. "I love you too. I-I didn't know I was even doing it, Jungkook, I promise."

"That's fine," Jungkook shakes his head. "B-but you know now. I need you to stay present with me, Jimin. If we're not present, how can we possibly protect one another?"

"It's just that there's so much on my mind," Jimin confesses. "It's so loud, Koo. I don't know what to do."

"But if you let those thoughts fester you'll end up killing yourself," Jungkook pulls him closer to him, embracing his lover. He pulls away quickly, moving to grab Jimin's hands, kissing his knuckles. "I can't have you doing that."

"I know you're worried about me, but you better be worrying about yourself too. Don't focus so much on me," The smaller stares at their connected hands. "It's The Hunger Games. We're supposed to be selfish."

"Well isn't that hypocritical coming from you?" Jungkook teases softly, seemingly trying to lift the mood.

"Maybe it is," Jimin ignores the younger's tone. He was in no mood to tease. "But I guess since I'm so mentally in my head, you have a better chance that I do. So focus on yourself."

Jungkook's demeanor changes immediately. "Jimin, you know I didn't mean it as an insult. I'm just trying to help you."

"Still," Jimin shrugs dejectedly. "If I can't get out of this rut, you need to stop focusing on me. Self-survival is so much more important here."

"You sound like you're giving up," Jungkook argues. "I'm not going to let you give up like this."

"I'm not giving up!" Jimin's voice doesn't raise in volume, but in emotion instead. "It's just...it's just hard..."

"Of course it is," Jungkook presses. "But that's hardly an excuse."

"I'm not making excuses!" Jimin denies. "But I need to feel the things I feel!"

"I never said you couldn't!" Jungkook counters. "But you can't clam up. I can't lose you, Jimin. That's the problem. I'm losing you. You don't get to yell at me just because you feel guilty."

That hurt. Because Jimin did feel really, really guilty, more so after getting confronted. "I...Fine. Let's just stop fighting. This isn't helping either of us."

The pain in Jungkook's eyes was too much to bear, so instead Jimin stares at a dead leaf settled on the ground in front of them. "Oh...Okay then. Whatever. We need more water soon. Are you going to come with me?"

"Of course I am," Jimin still avoids his gaze. "I'm not going to leave you, no matter what you may think."

Jungkook just gives an exasperated sigh.

He pulls the shorter up after standing up himself. They don't bother to unlink their hands. They were angry at each other, but that didn't mean Jimin doesn't still want to physically feel Jungkook's closeness. He knows they'll come around...it just really sucks right now.

They don't speak for most of the way to the jungle region. Guilt pools in Jimin's abdomen, and that hurts a billion times more than the wound inflicted upon him by Caspian. "I'm sorry," He whispers. "I'm sorry for worrying you. Thank you for never giving up on me."

"Like I ever would, Mimmie," Jungkook wasn't facing him, but Jimin could imagine him rolling his eyes. "I love you, and I'm going to say it as many times as I need to, to make sure it's drilled into your brain. I'm not going anywhere, and you can't either. You just can't."

"I know," Jimin murmurs. "I won't...I'm sorry I've changed so much."

"The Hunger Games changes people," The taller shrugs. "I've changed too. I just...I don't want to lose myself. I know you don't either. We need to keep ourselves grounded, I want to be remembered for the right things. I mean look at Caspian. Look at how he'll be remembered—an insane, insecure coward. Maybe he wouldn't have gone so crazy if he didn't have to intimidate and kill people."

Jimin gives him a look. "I doubt that."

"Bad example, but you know what I mean," Jungkook continues. "Take me for example instead. If you would have asked me two months ago if I could kill someone and not feel guilty about it, of course I'd say no. But now, if I know killing someone else will keep you alive, I'll do it in a heartbeat. You told me to be selfish, that's me being selfish."

They approach the rainforest.

"Your life is so much more important to me than a random career I just met," Thunder comes, and Jungkook takes the water bottle out, not taking his eyes off of Jimin as he does. Jimin finally does make eye contact. He does break his gaze though, just for a moment to look at the rain. It seemed...irregular. "I just love you like that. I'm fully ready to kill for you now. That's me being sel-"

As he extends his hand to the rain, Jimin interrupts.

"Jungkook, watch out!"

*

A cannon goes off the second Jungkook's back hits the ground, a sudden, severe burning sensation in his left hand. Jimin was on top of him.

"Are you okay!?"

"My hand," Jungkook hisses, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He whimpers, actually whimpers. "It hurts..."

Said hand was red, with patchy, skinless spots dotting where raindrops had touched. Jungkook filled with panic alongside his pain.

"Jungkook, it's acid!" Jimin gasps, crawling off of him. "The...The Capital is trying to knock off the weak ones..."

Jungkook groans. That was terrifying.

The noise of pain brought Jimin back from his mind. "Where are the bandages?"

"Th-the small bag."

"Got 'em," Jimin reveals the bandages. "Sorry they're not all clean, but..."

"We don't really have other options," Jungkook points out the obvious through clenched teeth. "It's okay, Mimmie."

Jimin leads Jungkook a safe distance away from the rain—more so than even before. He uses some of their precious water to clean the wound, and it's agony for Jungkook. Every slight touch sends waves of pain through his hand and up his arm. His eyes screw shut, but tears slip through.

The acid rain makes a hissing noise as it hits the ground and foliage below. It goes on for minutes—Jungkook isn't really sure for how long. Canons go off every few seconds...and then they cease, as the acid rain keeps falling, falling, falling. Jimin and Jungkook end up watching the rain together. Jungkook steals a glance at the smaller. Jimin was mesmerized.

What was happening to his precious Jimin? It wasn't like Jimin never got in his head before The Games. He was incredibly intelligent—definitely the smarter of the two, Jungkook knew. He was always thinking deeply about something, he had such a deep thirst for knowledge. Jimin would often overthink issues the average person didn't care to, going over every point meticulously.

But he never got lost.

In The Games, Jimin was getting lost. And it terrified Jungkook. He was in his head because he felt helpless—Jungkook could tell. Jimin liked being in control. He didn't always feel like he needed to be the leader, but he liked to have control over himself and of the situation, to a certain degree. Jimin has lost all control in the last few weeks, and Jungkook knows it's crushing him. Two near-death experiences have seemed to more than shatter his confidence. Jungkook hated that.

But right now, the look on Jimin's face was a morbid wonder, curiosity dampened by tragedy. It was more solemn than his usual demeanor outside of the arena, but it was still him. It was still the Jimin that Jungkook had known and loved since he's really known the shorter.

That Jimin was still there, he peeked through right now, as the acid rain descended from the sky. Jungkook knows Jimin doesn't want to change. But these games have shown how Jimin reacts to unfathomable hardship. Jungkook sees how possible it was for these games to break him.

But they haven't yet.

The look in his eyes proved to Jungkook that Jimin was not broken. And he wouldn't ever be, if the taller had anything to do with it. His hand hurts, it was the greatest thing on his mind...but his heart still swells up with warmth. He loves Jimin.

He loves his curiosity, and his intelligence, and his strength. He has faltered a bit in the last few days, but he was only human after all. Maybe he'd bounce back—he certainly has what it takes to. If not by himself, then with Jungkook's help. All Jungkook wants to do is save Jimin.

One more canon goes off near the end—probably suicide. In total, Jungkook had heard 17. The sun had moved exponentially since the rain initially started. It was most likely later in the afternoon as the pattering and hissing waned away, and a landscape full of decay and chemical burns remained in its wake.

"Only 22 people left..." Jimin looks back at Jungkook, voice soft. "They seem to want to speed things up."

"Yeah, or..." They make eye contact. Understanding flashes in Jimin's eyes. The ratings were probably going down, The Capitalites were probably getting bored. Of course, though, neither dared to utter that out loud.

"Yeah," Jimin nods. He looks down. "Will your hand be okay, Koo?"

"I don't know, but at least it's only my left hand," Jungkook breathes. "At least I can still throw."

"Yeah," Jimin deflects. "But does it hurt?"

"A little," Jungkook lies. In reality, it burned, a pulsating feeling spread out through his left hand. "But it could have been worse. It definitely would have if you didn't push me away."

"I'd never do anything differently," Jimin pouts, crossing his arms. "I love you, Jungkook. I am always going to be here for you, regardless of what you may think."

"Jimin...you know I never wanted to argue with you," Jungkook's voice softens. The pain in Jimin's voice is a stab into the taller's heart. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"I am okay, I promise," Jimin sighs. "As okay as I can be, anyways. And I'm here, okay? Physically, mentally, I am here. I just have a lot on my mind."

"I understand that..." Jungkook trails. "But won't you at least check in with me now and again? I want to know how you're feeling, what you're thinking, no matter what it is. I don't want to spend these next few days upset at you, or scared for you. That's all I need from you, Mimmie."

"That's fair," Jimin looks at him. "I didn't realize my silence hurt you so much. I'll work harder to be better to you. And...and I'll do it for me too. I'm weak for you, you know. It's so hard to say no to you, Koo."

"You're my biggest weakness too," Jungkook jokes softly, pecking his cheek. "But my biggest strength all the same."

Jimin's eyes hold so much emotion. "And you're mine."

"Let's find a spot to watch the fallen tributes? It'll probably be dark soon," Jungkook moves to get up, but he uses his bad hand, and falls back with a hiss. "Ow."

"Koo, you lied!" Jimin scolds, rushing to his aid, helping Jungkook up. "You told me it didn't hurt much!"

"I didn't want to worry you..." He confesses. "And it's really not that big a deal. You're hurt too."

"We're supposed to be honest with one another," Jimin shakes his head, checking Jungkook's injured hand with an intensity Jungkook has seldom seen while being in The Games. Jungkook just lets him. "And you're in pain. I want to help you."

"Okay," Jungkook's voice is quiet. "I'm sorry."

"Let's just not lie anymore, okay?" Jimin looks up, his eyes nothing but earnest. "No more secrets. Secrets only hurt us."

"Yeah..." Jungkook nods. "No more secrets. I promise."

"Good."

Soon the sky darkens, and lights up once again to show the fallen tributes. A District 2 girl was caught up in the disaster, as well as two from District 4, but most careers were still alive. The rest of the fallen tributes weren't anyone of note to the pair.

Until they got to District 10.

The familiar face of the girl that saved the pair's lives shows up on screen. She too was a victim of the acid rain.

"Guess we don't have to keep our promise to her..." Jungkook's heart constricts in a bit of pain. She was part of the reason he and Jimin were still alive. "I'll always be grateful for her."

Jimin nods sadly. "Me too."

After the sky goes back to its normal navy blue, Jimin and Jungkook find a place to sleep. It was getting dark, and Jungkook was getting really tired.

"I'll keep watch, okay?" Jimin's voice is soft. "You sleep."

"Take care of yourself, alright?" Jungkook tells him. "Don't get lost in your head."

"I won't," He promises, not defensive this time. "Our safety depends on me. I won't let you down."

"I trust you," Jungkook makes himself comfortable on Jimin's lap.

Sleep hit him like a rock.