Four days into The Games. Four more people had died since their encounter with that female tribute. She was one of them; from District 8. It was too bad, really. It hurt more for Jimin the more he knew them. But...he still wanted to know some of them, a little bit, at least. They were all kids fighting to survive, after all. They had the same goal.

However, one life in the arena was more important than the rest, so Jimin couldn't be too upset—which alone was awful to think. But grieving was useless if someone else's death meant they were a step closer to Jungkook living.

Jimin felt a bit gross for having this mindset. Jungkook's life shouldn't be more important than any one of these kids. But in this circumstance...it is. It has to be...because only one life was getting out of this arena. Jimin needs it to be the most valuable life to him. And that life was not his own, but Jungkook's.

Jimin looks at his lover, who was staring at the stars just beginning to dot the sky. Jungkook was more beautiful than all the stars combined. His hair was messy, his face was dirty, he looked tired, and hungry, and sad...but to Jimin, he was still flawless.

"Do you think that's where we go when we die?" Jungkook whispers. "The sky?"

Jimin hesitates. "I...I'm not sure, Koo. Hopefully you don't have to find out for a long time."

Jungkook is silent. Jimin wishes he knew what he was thinking at that moment—he usually does, after all. But whenever they talk about mortality, about Jungkook surviving, the younger goes quiet.

Does he...does he want to die for Jimin too?

Jimin shakes his head softly, hoping Jungkook doesn't see. That can't be it. He can't be thinking that way. Jungkook said he wanted to protect him, and Jimin was grateful for it...but he can't be thinking about sacrificing his life too, right?

No, that was crazy. Jungkook has to go home. He has parents at home—parents who have lost a child to The Games already—waiting for him. He had to be thinking about them during this time. This is how Jungkook could choose to be selfish. Jimin hopes he'll be willing to sacrifice his best friend, his lover, for his grieving parents. Then he could be a big brother to Jihyun, he could help take care of Jimin's parents too. Jimin knows the younger would be more than willing.

It all worked out in Jimin's head.

"I hope the afterlife is kind," Jungkook finally says after a few moments. "I hope Junghyun is up there, and that he's happy. I hope he's not in pain like I have been for so long. I hope I've taken the pain from him."

"I'd like to believe he is," Jimin says softly. "Who knows? Maybe he's even working his hardest to protect you and I. I'm sure no matter where he is, he loves you."

"I hope so," Jungkook nods. "I love him too, so much. I've always found it weird that once a loved one passes away, people say they loved them—in past tense. I never stopped loving Junghyun."

"Me neither," Jimin shakes his head. "I've always loved your brother too."

"I'll love him until my dying breath, and then I'll love him after that," Jungkook continues. "I don't see a scenario, no matter what happens, where that would ever be untrue."

"You know I'm going to always love you, no matter where I am, right?" Jimin murmurs. "In life, in death, next to you, or far away in a different world entirely...I will always love you. I promise."

"I promise the same to you," He stares at the smaller. There was so much depth in those gorgeous doe eyes, so much emotion—too much to put into words, but understandable by Jimin regardless. "My love for you goes beyond life and death."

Jimin tries to smile. This conversation is so tragic, and beautiful, and devastating, all in the same moment. The older tribute was drowning—in unconditional love, and immense sorrow. Why couldn't his time with Jungkook last forever?

Dying didn't seem so bad—not anymore. Seeing Jungkook, loving him fully in the way he has wanted to for half a decade...he would die without regret. If he had to die—and he has to—he was glad there was nothing really holding him back.

But...but oh he wished he had more time with Jungkook. This beautiful, encapsulating, heartbreaking love was all he wanted in this moment, it was what he had wanted for a whole third of his life! Why couldn't he live in a world where he could just exist with Jungkook? Why must he die before he can marry the man he loves, and work alongside him in business and life, and grow old alongside him, grateful for the simple, but wonderful life they had built together?

Was it foolish to think of such things when Jimin was almost face to face with his grave? It sure only hurt Jimin further. But...at the same time, it almost brought him peace knowing Jungkook wanted that life too. It wouldn't ever be...but it could've been. It was possible. It just wasn't going to happen in this universe.

"I love you, Koo," Jimin says simply, reaching up and cupping the taller's face, rubbing his cheek with his thumb.

"I love you too, Mimmie," Jungkook closes his eyes, leaning into his lover's touch.

"Are you tired?" Jimin asks. "You should start getting ready to sleep."

"Maybe you're right," For once, Jungkook doesn't argue. He just rolls out the sleeping bag, and climbs in, Jimin following, sitting up to keep watch.

"I hope you dream," Jimin pets his hair, like he and Jungkook have done to each other every night during The Games. "I hope it's beautiful."

"I hope I dream of you," Jungkook counters. "Where you're free, and you're happy."

Jimin fights the tears rushing to his eyes.

*

Day five came, and the morning quickly melted into the late afternoon. The pair had been walking around for a while now, stopping to rest every now and again like always, but they mostly just moved forward, never in any one spot for too long.

There were no deaths today. In fact, the day was probably as peaceful as it could get within an arena of death. Jungkook continued to keep his guard up, axe in hand, ready to defend Jimin whenever necessary...but nothing had happened today. Jimin and Jungkook just got to talk, to comfort one another, Jungkook even got a laugh out of Jimin once or twice. For the day...it was almost easy to pretend nothing was going on at all.

Jungkook looks over at the smaller, "Jimin, do-"

The wind gets knocked out of him before he can finish that sentence.

Jungkook gets tackled to the ground out of nowhere, axe immediately taken from him before he could recover from the shock, thrust far away from his reach. He struggles to breathe, frantically looking around for Jimin, but unable to see what happened to him for the first few seconds. Panic surges through him.

By the time he was able to gather his thoughts, to clear his mind of fear enough to understand what was going on, he was kneeling with his arms against his back. Jungkook struggles to see who was holding him down, but all he knew was that he was being detained by two men.

But when he saw Jimin, his entire world shattered.

Jimin was pinned against a tree by none other than Caspian.

"I found you, I finally found you," Caspian chuckles, a sick grin on his face. "I knew I'd be the one to kill you, I just never imagined you'd be such a difficult target."

"Hey, it wasn't just you," The voice behind Jungkook he recognizes, but he was too panicked to place it. "If it weren't for my tracking abilities you wouldn't have found them."

"Yeah, sure, fine, Namjoon. You helped look for them," Caspian rolls his eyes. "You've proven yourself more useful than Taehyung, that's for sure. He was too soft. You know how to play this game."

Jungkook furrows his eyebrows. Taehyung wasn't dead...but he wasn't here? Then who else was holding him down?

"That I do," Namjoon agrees.

"But you don't get this kill," Caspian's voice was nothing short of sinister. "You're not the one who will have this pretty boy's blood on his hands."

No.

They were going to kill Jimin.

Jimin will die and Jungkook couldn't physically do anything to stop it. The men behind him were tributes no doubt. Strength and experience surged through them. Jungkook thought he was strong before this—he thought no matter what, his physical strength could get the two of them out of anything. But he didn't account for the element of surprise. Surprise was going to ruin them...and Jimin was going to die, because Jungkook wasn't alert enough.

He tries to struggle, grunting with effort, working harder than ever before, but it was useless. He was no match for these two strong men. Not in this position.

"So, Pretty Boy," The words were disgusting on Caspian's lips. "How have The Games been treating you? You look well...I'm surprised. I wasn't planning on letting you last this long."

"Yeah, well," Jimin huffs, breathing hard. Jungkook can tell how obviously scared he is, but Jimin tries to mask it. "Overconfidence isn't a good look on anyone."

"You piece of shit!" In an instant, Caspian yanks Jimin from the tree and throws him to the ground. Jimin gives a small whimper, obviously hurt. The breath seemed to have been knocked out of him, as Jungkook watches the smaller's chest, rising and falling rapidly. "I'll make you regret talking to me like that."

Jimin uses the bit of breath he gained back, and spits in his face.

"You disgusting, gay piece of shit! You didn't think I was just going to kill you, did you?" Caspian laughs. He had to be insane—Jungkook had never seen a tribute this excited to kill. And now this tribute was on top of Jimin. Jungkook was terrified to his very core. "No, I was so excited to get my hands on you. You and your boyfriend thought you were better than me, didn't you? Did you really think you could beat a Career? With your throwing knives and your googly eyes towards your best friend?"

Jimin was trembling. Regardless, he grunts, "Maybe if you weren't such a soulless, evil human being, you'd be deserving of some love too. It's not my fault I'm loved and you're not."

"Shut up!" Caspian grabs his shirt collar and lifts Jimin up slightly only to slam his back against the ground once again. Jimin gags, a cough getting stuck in his throat. "You're about to die, you know that, right? And I'm going to have the time of my life watching you die a slow death. How fun it'll be to have the love of your life watch you slowly waste away as I do what I please."

"No!" Jungkook screams. Once again, he tries to get free. The careers' grips don't budge. Jungkook can't do anything except watch.

"I'd advise you to be quiet," Caspian glares straight at him. "Maybe if you're quiet, I'll be more lenient on him."

Jungkook bites back an insult. He doesn't want Jimin to suffer any more because of him.

"Let's finally get started, shall we?" Caspian straddles Jimin, locking his legs in place, looming over the smaller. With one arm, he presses Jimin's back to the ground. His opposite hand holds a small knife. Caspian runs the tip of the blade along different parts of Jimin's skin, not cutting—not yet. "What should I do to you first?"

Jimin cranes his neck to look at Jungkook, deep distress in his eyes. He looks upset, and scared, and in pain. He seems to be almost in tears. 'It's okay,' He mouths. 'I'll be okay.'

Jimin was being confronted, overpowered by the tribute that terrified him the most out of anyone in these games...but he was comforting Jungkook.

Jungkook lost it. He began to cry softly. What could he do?

"Hey!" Caspian quickly slashes Jimin's cheek, a horizontal line of blood forming right below his right eye. "He can't help you anymore, Pretty Boy. He's useless. Focus on me from now on, hm? I want to be in your thoughts as you die."

"O-oh?" Jimin winces, obviously in pain. "I-I didn't know you were in love with me too."

"You just don't know when to quit, huh?" The Career starts lifting up Jimin's shirt. Jimin tries to struggle this time, scared. Caspian moves to press his arm against Jimin's throat. "I'm going to draw a picture for you, hm? All over your stomach. Make a maze for you to bleed out under."

Slowly, Caspian draws the knife slowly up the middle of Jimin's abdomen, forming a shallow, red line connecting his belly button to his diaphragm. Jimin's face crumples in pain.

Whatever Jimin was feeling, it was amplified a billion times in Jungkook's heart and mind. Why wasn't it him!? Why couldn't he just take Jimin's place!? He had failed the one he loves most in this entire world—he was being forced to watch the love of his life get torn apart by an evil man. For a final time, he tries to escape, but there's nothing else he could do.

If this was how he must die, couldn't it be over already? For Jimin and for himself?

Caspian raises his knife again, but then he drops abruptly. He coughs, spitting blood all over Jimin's face. He falls on top of Jimin. An arrow sticks out of his neck.

Caspian was dying.

One tribute behind Jungkook gets shot as well. A third arrow narrowly misses Namjoon. The District 2 Tribute lets go of Jungkook. They make eye contact, and Namjoon smiles, as if to say, 'You were lucky, huh?' and runs away.

Jungkook sprints to his lover, throwing the dying body of Caspian off of an utterly shocked Jimin. He brings him close to him, just as two cannons go off, signaling the end of Caspian and the other tribute. Both Jimin and Jungkook tremble uncontrollably.

A girl comes out of the bushes, and Jungkook scrambles to find his axe. But she drops her weapons. "Hey, stop. I won't hurt you."

Jungkook recognizes her.

"You're from District 10," His voice is scratchy, broken. "We rode together on the chariot..."

"I am," She confirms. "I saw what was going on, and I dunno...we're from the same district. I felt a little bit loyal to you guys. We gotta stick together, don't we?"

"Oh...yeah. Thanks," Jungkook says awkwardly. "If we ever see you again in the arena, we won't kill you, alright?"

She nods silently, and runs off, just as a hovercraft comes down and picks up the bodies of the dead careers. The loud noise seems to bring Jimin back from his thoughts. "H-how am I alive?"

"Mimmie..." Jungkook trails.

"D-don't touch me," Jimin shoves the younger away.

"Mimmie, it's only me-"

He reaches forward, but the older scoots away.

"I can't," Jimin shakes his head. "He almost got me...I almost got you killed because he was after me. It's all my fault. You almost died."

"Jimin, that was not your fault," Jungkook denies quickly. "It was bad luck. If anything, it was my fault! They hit me first! I wasn't there for you when I needed to be, I just watched..."

"No," Jimin argues. "He wanted me. If we weren't traveling together, you wouldn't have been caught up in this."

"You're not possibly saying you'd rather us be apart?" Jungkook whispers.

"No! No..." Jimin promises. "But you almost died. And I feel so responsible for it..."

"Yeah, well...I feel the same," Jungkook sighs, a tear escaping his eye. "I...I feel like we both feel so responsible for each other's lives. And I think we both feel like we failed. But we're alive...by luck, or by a higher power, we're alive. And we need to stay alive, Jimin. Right?"

Jimin is silent.

"Mimmie, listen to me..."

The smaller stares at him, half focused on Jungkook. But the other half of his mind seemed like it was elsewhere.

"Let me treat your wounds," Jungkook grabs his hand softly. The touch seems to ground Jimin all the more. "Your biggest threat in The Games is gone, Mimmie. Let me treat your wounds."

Slowly, Jimin nods, and Jungkook begins to patch him up. He cleans up the blood off of Jimin's face first, feeling lucky blood didn't make him squeamish. Jimin didn't really seem to notice the blood that wasn't his splattered across his face. Jungkook washes it all away so he'd never have to.

He dabs at the wound on Jimin's face with some of the cloth bandages. The cut was shallow, but it bled a lot. Jungkook has Jimin press the cloth against his face once the bleeding had slowed enough for his liking. He wraps most of the rest of the bandages around Jimin's abdomen. Jungkook was grateful for Jimin's small frame. If he were much larger, he doesn't think there would be enough.

By the time he was finished, it was almost completely dark. But there was still enough light to see Jimin's face. And Jimin stares at Jungkook. Before throwing his arms around the taller.

"I'm so happy you're alive," Jimin murmurs into his ear, the rollercoaster of emotions at a high once again. "I failed to protect you. I'm so sorry, Jungkook."

"We're alive, that's all I care about," The younger holds back softly, careful not to press Jimin's wounded abdomen against his. "I only care that you're alive. You protect me every second we're in here, Mimmie. I wouldn't be trying so hard if it wasn't for you."

Jimin pulls back softly. "...I love you, Koo."

And then the older leans in. And Jungkook lets him. He couldn't wait anymore, not when death could come at any moment. He cups Jimin's left cheek, and slowly brings their lips together.

Jungkook has wanted to do this for years. And it was even more beautiful than Jungkook ever could have imagined. Neither boy had kissed anyone in their lives, so it was inexperienced, and a bit messy. It probably wasn't even a very good kiss.

But to Jungkook, it was wonderful.

They pull away, staring at one another, eyes full of intense emotions, tangled up in one another's gazes. Jungkook smiles softly. And his heart fills with immense warmth as Jimin mirrors his expression.

"You're beautiful," He whispers to the smaller. "And I love you. And I'm so grateful you're alive for another day."

"I love you too," Jimin nods. "We'll survive a while yet."

Jungkook looks up briefly, looking at a flash of movement. His eyes widen, he has to do a double take.

Something was falling from the sky.

"Mimmie, look!" His voice was quiet, but still excited regardless. His emotions were going through intense whiplash. "We got sponsored!"

The parachute carried a small capsule, as well as a note.

Jungkook grabs the note first. It reads;

To Jimin and Jungkook,

Whatever you just did, keep it up! People started throwing money at me—I feel like a stripper. I got you guys some of your steak, think of it as a comfort from home. It won't rot or decompose, it has those weird Capital preservatives on it, so make it last. Also, Hoseok says he's happy for you guys. I guess I am too.

-Yoongi

"What does it say?" Jimin asks, curious.

Jungkook cracks a goofy grin, he can't help it. "Yoongi's a stripper."