Traitor's Song

26. New Start

By the time Yoongi returned to be by Jungkook's side, he only had a small bundle of sticks that he had managed to find that had escaped the rain. He entered the cave, lying them out along the floor in a crude circle before rifling through the backpack that Jungkook had placed down beside him. He grabbed out the box of matches, trying to strike one against the side to light it. Yoongi snapped the first one because his hands were shaking from being so wet and cold.

"Here," said Jungkook as he leaned forward, snatching the matchbox out of his hand without waiting for the other to reply. Jungkook slid a new match from the box, striking it once or twice before moving to hold it to the sticks when it caught fire. "Have you ever started a fire before, Yoongi?"

The question surprised Yoongi as he settled his shivering body on the ground, wrapping his arms about himself as he rubbed his hands up and down his arms to try to get warm.

"I tried once before. Why?"

"You should have brought something for kindling," said Jungkook as the match he held to the sticks didn't catch completely, causing him to discard it and strike another. "It would have made lighting the fire easier."

"Well, I ran off into the storm rather abruptly," said Yoongi. "Didn't really map out every scenario."

"Isn't that what hunters are known for though?"

An awkwardness settled among the two of them as the flame finally began to lick at the sticks Yoongi had brought. Jungkook grimaced a little bit as he settled back away from the flames. Yoongi looked over at Jungkook before he shed off the sopping wet hoodie the other had given him earlier. He laid it on the ground by the flames so that it could try to dry off before moving over to dig through the backpack for the medical kit.

"Can I look at where the tree hit you?" asked Yoongi as Jungkook's expressionless eyes watched him. "I just want to see if there are any injuries that need to be looked at. That's all."

Jungkook moved to roll up the hem of his sopping wet shirt after, holding it there to expose his waist. There was a purplish bruise that was already spreading the entire length of his waist like some sort of belt; a few bright red gashes scattered about the bruises that looked fresh. Yoongi dug out some antiseptic, moving towards the cuts as he started to clean them.

"Don't even tell me it'll sting because I already know," said Jungkook as Yoongi opened his mouth.

"Fine," said Yoongi as he moved to dap the soaked cloth to the first of Jungkook's gashes. He cast his eyes up to Jungkook's face to see a flicker of a wince before the other quickly swallowed it.

Silence stretched between them while Yoongi tended to Jungkook's injuries. When he had finished, Yoongi sat back and leaned against the cave wall. It was still storming outside. Neither of them were likely to go anywhere before it ended.

"Jungkook - for what it's worth - I am truly sorry for the pain my family caused you," said Yoongi as he broke the silence; making eye contact with the flames that danced and performed in front of him. "I hate myself for not believing in what my family believed in, at least when it came to mythical creatures. Maybe if I had, I could have stopped them. Saved you or someone else."

Jungkook looked over at Yoongi, just staring at the side of their head for a moment.

"If you had believed your family, you would have turned into one of them," said Jungkook, wincing as he tried to readjust himself against the wall. "Your family took away most of my life. They took me away from my family..."

"I'm sorry," repeated Yoongi.

"Sorry doesn't fix things," bit off Jungkook.

"I know."