Hunger | A Jikook Hunger Games AU

̶̶̶̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ «̶ ̶̶̶ Chapter Eight ̶ ̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ »̶ ̶̶̶

The first two days of training unfortunately flew right by. Today though, on the third day, the tributes wouldn't be training all at once like they had the days prior. Instead, they would be waiting their turn to have the game makers analyze their skill.

Yesterday wasn't as bad as the day before. Jimin was left by himself to practice throwing knives. He visited many stations, taking in all the information that he could. At night he and Jungkook talked over what they learned, taking paper and writing it all down, studying it until they were tired enough to pass out from exhaustion.

Caspian didn't approach him at all that day, neither did Namjoon. But...but he knew they watched him. He'd turn around, and see their eyes on him—Caspian more than any of them. There was no hate or malice in Taehyung or Namjoon's eyes, they just observed him. But Caspian's gaze? It was terrifying.

He looked at Jimin like he was a bug. Worthless, small, taking up space. When they made eye contact he'd always smirk, as if he had already killed him. Jimin knew Caspian believed he was going to win The Games—he may have targeted Jimin, but he looked at other tributes the same way. But Caspian wasn't going to win. Jimin didn't try so hard to learn new skills, all that information so Caspian could win The Hunger Games.

At the end of the day though...he was proud of himself. Often times in life he had Jungkook by his side. Just standing there, Jungkook was unintentionally intimidating. And yes, obviously he was a sweetheart, but no one really knew that based off of his looks. He was shy, and only loud if he was truly angry.

But Jimin didn't need him, he realized, to bring fear to the other tributes. Yes, he didn't want to go a second without him in the actual games, but watching other tributes' heads dart away when he looked in their direction made him feel more confident in himself. Most of them weren't actively going to target him...they saw him as too much of a threat.

And he didn't want to seem threatening, in most circumstances. But right now he was more than willing to let their opinions of him to be along those lines. The less people they encounter, the better. Let them get killed where he doesn't have to see. That would be better for everyone.

At the end of the day, as they congregated back to the middle of the training area, before Jimin could even find Jungkook, Taehyung brushed past him. "Good luck," Jimin swore he heard him murmur, voice deep and smooth, no malice hidden between the words. Jimin whipped around to see the dark-haired boy. They made eye contact, Taehyung's stare intense.

Jungkook pulled Jimin away the second he could get to him, reminding Jimin to not listen to anything any of those careers said.

But Taehyung had said 'Good luck.'

Jimin and Jungkook continued to sleep in the same room, in the same bed. Every night they fell asleep on opposite sides of the king size bed.

And yet every morning they woke up in each other's arms.

Jimin didn't know how it happened, but he loved it. He enjoyed waking up to the warmth of the younger. Sure, it was a bit embarrassing to hear Hoseok swoon each morning, continuously talking about how cute they were, but Jimin chose to look past that. When he thinks about the mornings, when he was sad and anxious about The Games, what he remembered was not Hoseok's comments...

But how the younger's breath tickled his neck as he curled into the older.

Today they wouldn't go down to the training center first thing in the morning. District 10 wouldn't have their turn for a while. While they waited, they would prepare for the interview that night. It would be an extremely busy, extremely stressful day—more than the last two even.