The car ride was almost...comforting—it would be if it wasn't another step closer to those mournful games. The roads between The Justice Building and the station were better than the ones in town. Jimin could almost forget about what was happening for a while—with Jungkook's strong arms encasing him from behind, his precious head resting on his shoulder, almost nuzzled into his neck. In moments like this, Jimin could pretend Jungkook was his, that Jungkook wanted to be his. In this world...Jungkook was someone that he got to love and protect exactly how he wished.
The younger was so strong. Jimin loves being hugged but Jungkook. His embrace was so firm, yet so gentle. Exactly what Jimin needed to calm his nerves. So much about Jungkook was just perfect...What a waste, that this beautiful human must go through such a tumultuous event.
But that small bit of euphoria was of course short lived, for all too soon, Jimin was escorted off Jungkook's lap, to stand before a line of peacekeepers. The tributes were made to walk through them, just as an extra precaution in case they tried to escape. Did The Capital know how intimidating these people were? They were bigger and stronger than the average population by a longshot. People were bred for this job.
Jimin looks at the ground ahead as he walks, heart thumping. Even though their faces were covered, Jimin couldn't bear to look up. Perhaps it was the fact that they were faceless that made them so daunting. Facial expressions were a way all people used to communicate—regardless of language. Taking their faces away just made them so much less human.
They walk up two steps to the train station platform. Cameras were everywhere—wherever there was space—to get every individual face, every reaction, every single second, so they could edit the best highlight reel for The Capital later that day. Jimin doesn't look directly at any of them. He wasn't brave enough to.
He catches a glimpse of himself in one of the monitors that showed the live feed. He lets out an audible breath when he realizes no would would really be able to tell he had been crying unless they looked extremely closely. It was the same with Jungkook—who was still a ways behind him. His face was a bit blotchy at The Justice Building—Jimin could tell right way he had been crying—but it wasn't nearly as bad now.
Unfortunately, not everyone was so lucky. Two of the tributes—a boy and a girl—hadn't stopped their crying even in the car. Jimin had heard their muffled sniffles as they rode from one place to the other. But he wouldn't dare look at them, for he feared he would cry more too. He just stared out the window, at the district he called home. He had never left his district—he's barely left the town he lives in. And now he was traveling across the country to be killed.
Jimin tries his best to look brave, he really does. But without much of a doubt in his mind, he knew he was failing. He couldn't mask his emotions as well as other people. And he was terrified now.
But just as he was starting to lose control of his breathing, he feels a hand grasp his lightly. Jungkook had made his way up to Jimin, so he could stand beside him. He didn't know when he left his side—maybe Jimin had gone ahead to the platform while Jungkook strayed in the back. But either way, they were together now, and that was all that mattered to Jimin in that moment.
Jimin's heart beats faster now that Jungkook's hand was in his...well, that and the fear of knowing they were minutes away from boarding the train to their death.
In the time Jimin had reunited with Jungkook at The Justice Building, to the second their hands linked once more, Jungkook's face had turned from a blotchy red to a ghostly pale. Jimin could tell he was trying to put on his brave face too, but he wasn't doing much better than Jimin. He looks uncomfortable, to say the least—a deer caught in headlights. Jimin wished he could do something to take that look away.
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Hunger | A Jikook Hunger Games AU
FanfictionThe 100th Hunger Games. The Fourth Quarter Quell. Jimin is just the son of a cattle farmer, and Jungkook heir to one of District 10's best slaughterhouses. They're just kids...childhood best friends brought together through their parents' business...