Favor of the odds

"Yeah." Jesse sighed, grimacing as he tried to look for anything he could do to save the boy's leg, to keep him alive. "Shit... Finn... I don't know what to do." He looked panicked, the look of Finn's nearly severed leg making him quite sick.

Zach smiled softly at the compliment, quite pleased with himself honestly. That throw was simple to him but it had impressed Roman and that meant something. He nodded and began collecting the things Jesse and Finn have left behind.
"You good with an ax?" He questioned, using all his strength to heave the large weapon Jesse had left behind off of the ground.

"I'm just not used to people like you, I guess." Bane sighed. "It's different, but nice." He murmured.

There was a long stretch of silence in which Finn simply stared at what used to be his knee, hopelessly trying to move aside stray bits of flesh and bone. "Im going to damn bleed to death without somefuckingthing to stop the mother fucking blood." By this time Finn had decided that trying to save what was left would be futile. There was too much damage, not even a capital doctor would be able to heal it. Finnick found himself numbly reaching for his trident, offering the weapon to Jesse. " I need you to break one of the damn blade's off the fucking end." Finn was counting on Jesse now, the only thing that might save his life.

"Decent. " Roman truly did prefer using his hands above all else, but it was less painful to use a weapon. He took the ax from Zach as though it were nothing, stepping back to take a few practice swings. "This things going to hurt someone. "

"What do you mean people like me? Blind people?" Danny could not fathom that kind people were so hard to come by. "I actually haven't met alot of other blind people either. Only one and he had been born blind." Danny swallowed at the thought of being born this way. At least he had been blessed with his sight for ten years.

Jesse obeyed, for once in his life not being a smart ass and simply doing as he was told. He broke one of the blades off with ease, handing it back to Finn.
"Do you know what you're doing?" He questioned, not wanting Finn to mess something up even worse.

Zach watched appreciatively as the man swung the ax.
"You're stronger than I realized." It was quite terrifying, really, thinking of what Roman could do to him if he stopped being nice. But strangely, he trusted Roman.

"I didn't mean blind people, although I haven't met any of them either. I meant people that are so genuinely nice to everyone. I've never met someone as kind as you." Bane frowned at the boy, unable to fathom how someone could be so innocent and sweet.

Finn almost dropped the knife at the question, a hysterical laugh escaping him. "Mother fucker do I fucking look like I have a fucking clue as to what im damn doing? I honestly think im fucking dying but fuck that! Im not just going to fucking sit and let your dumb ass watch me die!" It unnerved Finn to see the distress in Jesse's face. "So im going to do this fucking shit, and you're going to damn find something to tie around my leg forest fucker, got it?" His hand was shaking violently, tremors of shock running through him as he took the blade and pressed it into the side of his knee, trying his hardest to take a deep breath. "You just fucking remember that you need my ass." He told himself he was needed. Jesse and Mathias needed him. It was something to think about while he took his trident, baring down on the handle with his teeth before he began to saw away at his knee.


Roman chuckled softly, slinging the ax into a near by tree just for good measure, because he liked to feel Zach's eyes on him. "I get that a lot, but my family are a bunch of blacksmith's, and because of that I got well aquainted with the heaviest equipment. Plus I got to beat out all the blades before they cooled and that was always a work out."

"You keep saying that, but uhh...I...wow." Danny shook his head, reaching a hand out to find Bane's face, his fingers slowly dancing across cheeks and lips. "You are one of the kind people im always talking about, but you don't want to see it because you want to be like your brother. You just cant help it though, you let me live."

Jesse was forced to look away. He might be a tough man, but he had a weak stomach. He instead thought of something he could use to tie around what was left of Finn's leg to stop the blood. Nothing in the first aid kit was of any help. He would have used fabric from his clothes, but all of their clothes were laying in the clearing back there and there was no going back now. All he had left was his boxers. He ripped a long strip of the fabric off of the leg of his boxers, preparing to tie it as soon as Finn had finished, hoping it would be good enough.

Zach couldn't deny that it was extremely impressive. He could lift the ax if he tried, but he could never sling it around with the ease that Jesse and Roman did. "I can see why you said your hands were your preferred weapons." After his interview the night before the games, he had gone back and watched all of the other interviews, paying extra attention to Roman's.

"Danny, I'm not kind. I've killed today. I spared you but I killed others. A couple of them. Kind people aren't murderers." He muttered, squeezing Danny's hand gently.

The only sounds were the ripping of Jesse's boxers and the slicing of flesh. Finn was utterly quiet though, watching numbly as he cut his skin away, getting down to tendon and bone. He knew when he struck bone for the first time, his entire being jerked with the force of it, mangled curses sputtering from his mouth. There was nothing like something rubbing against bone, not to mention slowly cutting in, splitting it as he continued. He knew he couldnt stop though, if he did he didn't think he'd ever finish it. "J-Jesse. I-I don't fucking think I can get through this shit by myself." The knife was midway through his bone, which he had already completely cut around. It was the only think keeping his leg attached anymore. "Fucking...Please," He despised asking anyone for help, especially when he had to fucking plead, but he had noticed the way Jesse tried not to look, knew the man wasn't liking this, but Finn had lost too much blood. He wasn't strong enough to break the bone himself.

Roman picked his head up, grinning in surprise as Zach mentioned something he had only said in his interviews. "You watched my clip?" He couldnt help himself, he liked to think of Zach paying extra attention to him. "I watched yours, too." As careers it was mandatory they got to know there competition, but he had lingered of Zacch's.


But Danny still disagreed with that. "You say im kind, but I can't promise I wouldnt kill if I had the chance." But he wouldnt, he knew that especially if he was able to see, he wouldnt have it in him to kill someone and watch them take their dying breaths. "Its just like that here....I....Im glad you kill if it means that...uhhh...you'll live. I want you too live." And so he wouldnt mind when his time came, as long as Bane was still around to claim the victory.

Jesse nodded slowly, unable to deny the boy of this. He could see how much pain Finn was in, knew it had to be a lot if he was willing to ask for help. He took the blade, halfway through the boy's bone and made quick work of the rest of it. He was careful but still did it fast, wanting to end Finn's pain as soon as possible. It was easier for him, being he was stronger. He sawed through the bone completely before moving forward to tie the strip of fabric tight as possible around what was left of Finn's stump of a leg.
"I'm going to find them," He muttered, "And I'm going to fucking kill them." It was no longer a threat, it was a promise to Finn.

"I did." Zach smirked before his face fell and he groaned softly. "You watched mine? It was dreadful. I had been planning it out for weeks and damn Caesar threw it all away. All they wanted to ask me about was you."

Bane only shook his head, finding that he was smiling softly.
"For what its worth, I kind of want you to live too." He really did. Victory was no longer the dominant thought in his mind. He was thinking of poor Danny, what if there were others like him? Sweet and sentenced to death for the Capitol's entertainment. He'd never had much of a problem with the Capitol before, even finding amusement in watching the games every year. He had never expected how different it would be, actually being part of them.

Finn was reaching for the first aid kit then, so dizzy he almost sobbed at the promise. At the time, he had cursed that the only thing Jesse had managed to grab was the kit, but now he was thankful. This little bit of gauze and antiseptic spray was his only hope he had now, knowing that if infection set in he was a goner. "How in the mother of fuck did I let that happen? Those bastards werent even that damn quiet! For fucks sake, it was that big mother fuck! Who doesnt hear his ass coming? That damn red head wasnt good for jack shit!" Finn choked out another string of profanities as he took the antiseptic, spraying it onto what was left of his leg. "I want them to fucking suffer!" He felt as though he couldn't breath, grasping blindly for one of Jesse's hands, something to hold onto while the spray burned and cleansed his flesh.

Roman stepped closer to Zach, offering the boy an apologetic smile. "That was my bad. All I had wanted to really talk about was you." He thought the world needed to pay attention to the boy with doe eyes. "You just struck me from me beginning. I watched your reaping from the training center, and I just knew there was going to be something different about you." One of his hands moved, thumb running just under Zach's eye. "But don't worry about your interview. You were my favorite."

A wide smile claimed Danny's face, completely blissful for the fact that Bane wanted him to live. It wasn't much, but it meant a lot to Danny. This was the boy who had looked down at him in the training center, thinking he was a joke. The boy Danny had followed around the most in training, staying almost completely in Bane's shadow, sometimes just listening to the way he moved. "Thank you Bane. Thank you so much for that." He found himself squeezing the boys hand, remembering how truly disposable he was. Most of his district viewed him as a charity case, some even glad he was going to be put out of his misery soon. They knew that in 11 he was likely to starve, unable to work and really take care of himself. But Bane wanted him to live...
And that was enough.
"You don't understand how grateful I am...for you...oh wow....for you giving me this, this happiness...." He couldn't even put it into words, his thumb rubbing circles on the back of the boys hand. "Hey? uhh... Will you kiss me again?"

Jesse took Finn's outstretched hand, squeezing it gently.
"They will suffer. Believe me, they will suffer." He had never felt such rage, coursing through every inch of his body. They were going to pay. "It's gonna be alright." He murmured. "I'm sorry, it was my damn fault, I should have been listening."

Zach couldn't help but grin, his heartbeat speeding up at the man's light touch.
"I was surprised you thought I was a threat, even though you were right." He smirked slyly. "But don't worry, yours was my favorite too."

Bane didn't answer, instead taking his hand and leading him to behind the pile of supplies so they wouldn't immediately be seen by anyone who entered the clearing. He then took the blind boy's face in his hands and allowed their lips to meet again.
"Hey..." He murmured after a moment, pulling back. "You know you were my first kiss?" He hadn't planned on admitting it, but he wanted Danny to know. It was special to him.

"Its not mother fucking going to be alright! Look at this shit! Im so fucking fucked!" Finn took the roll of bandages, slowly winding it around his stump of a leg. The white immediately bled through, soaked in seconds. "Oh fuck...What am I going to do now? I don't fucking want to die here, you fucking forest fucker!" He weakly punched Jesse in the chest, eyes stinging as he slumped into the lumberjack. "And after all that mother fucking teasing.." He couldnt believe himself, but instead of mourning the loss of his leg, that would probably lead to the loss of his life, Finn chose to focus on the sex, and what would have been his first intimate moments had those mother fuckers not run up on them.

Roman snorted at the boy, shaking his head. "I knew you were dangerous. Those doe eyes lie." He smirked, thumb tracing over Zach's bottom lip. "But they can't lie to me." It was something about Zach, like they were old friends almost. "I figured that if I had to die here, why not dance with death?"

A gasp escaped Danny, his deadened eyes watering at the revelation. "Your first kiss? Oh wow...." In this way, Bane would never forget him. He would die here, but Bane would go home and he would remember.
That was more Danny could have asked for.
"That makes me so happy Bane. Thank you for letting me be your first kiss..." He pulled Bane into his arms, careful not to alarm the boy. He couldn't help it though, he needed to be close to Bane. The boy had become is everything in all of one day.

"The sex is the least of our worries right now." Jesse couldn't help but chuckle, although really he was pretty pissed about that too. "We've got to worry about your damn leg." He forced himself to look at the bloody stump, grimacing. "Maybe we'll get sponsors, they could send something useful!" He nodded hopefully.

It was something about Roman's touch. It felt... right. Felt like they were supposed to be together, felt like Roman was supposed to be touching him like this.
"You know..." Zach murmured, reaching up to clasp Roman's hand in his own. "I'm probably going to die here, but I'm glad I got to meet you."

"Oh don't get all sappy." Bane groaned softly, though he allowed himself to be hugged. "I just figured you should know." He assumed that he was not Danny's first kiss and he felt quite pathetic. Even the blind kid had gotten some action before him. "It wasn't bad either." He found a smile, allowing his lips to press to Danny's cheek this time.

"Thats fucking funny. Like one of those bitches from the capitol are going to fucking sponsor me." He was certain he had made sure of that with his disaster of an interview. "I bet they are just fucking popping pop corn and and waiting for me to fucking fall over." Jesse had a chance at sponsors though, he had at least been likable with the interviews.
"And after that dry humping in the fucking grass? " Finn's head rolled on Jesse shoulder, so weak he couldn't manage to pick it up. "Just....Maybe the fucking blood will stop...We can figure some shit out."

"I second that. But im not so sure you wont be the one to beat us all out." Roman wouldn't be surprised. He himself had let his guard down around the boy, even though Zach could bury a knife in his back at any moment, just as he had the ginger boy. "I bet I haven't even seen everything you can do with that knife of yours."

"But Bane, It was...." Danny's fingers rubbed the boys shoulders, rocking him gently in the embrace. "I didn't know what to expect out of a kiss...But you were perfect and im just so happy. Im sorry. I just want to hold you, just another minute." But the minute turned into two, and Danny still hadn't moved to let him go. "I uhh...im glad I got this before anything happens to me."

"Hey, I like to think I'm pretty hot, maybe they liked watching us dry humping." Jesse chuckled softly, hoping if he kept things humorous he wouldn't begin to panic like he wanted to.

"You haven't." Zach nodded in agreement, smirking lightly. "I was pretty confident going into this but you and damn ax boy are like twice my size." He admitted.

"I'm glad I got it too." Bane smiled lightly, really not minding being kept in Danny's tight embrace. It was... nice. No one had ever held him like this before. "I'm sorry for all this." He sighed.

"Yeah. Fucking maybe." Finn tried to take deep breaths, realizing that Jesse didn't sound like he was doing so well. "But if that shit doesn't happen, we'll have to go back somewhere. We are going to need weapons, food and water...Clothes." It was only now hitting him how badly they had fucked up. It was getting cold in the night of the forest, and no one knew exactly what might live out here. They had nothing they could use to defend themselves, and with his blood loss he knew he would be needing water, maybe food. "Shit...How the fuck are we going to figure this fucking out?" They had become a team because Jesse said they needed each other. But now? Finn knew he was only more trouble. He could not walk, no balancing to throw a trident. He would only be slowing Jesse down, posing more obstacles for him. At this point though, Finn still wanted to be selfish. He wasn't ready to die, wasnt ready for Jesse to leave him

"Compared to you, yeah I guess we are big. But I havent seen Jesse throw shit with your accuracy. And me? Well.... Im in no place to be fighting with you, even if I did stand a chance." Roman truly thought that if they were to fight, Zach would knife him before he ever had a chance to touch the boy.

"I know. Im really sorry too, but its not our fault. I didn't want my name to be pulled." In fact, he hadn't slept the day before the reaping in fear that he would be called to die. "But if anything, im glad to uhh got to be here with you. I know im going to die here. I uhh...I have accepted that. I just.."I want you to know that I am...Im forever changed by who you are, Bane." He wished he could see the boy in this moment, a lone tear streaking down his cheek because of his dark reality. "And what you have meant to me..What you mean to me." They hadn't known each other long, but everything Bane did left an impression on him.

"I don't know." Jesse cursed softly, placing his head in his hands. The thought of his death hadn't really hit him until just now. They were screwed. Any second now someone could come across them and other than Finn's trident they were completely defenseless. They could use Elvis's hunting skills right about now to catch them some food too. "Alright, we've got to think this out." He took a deep breath. If he looked calm, in control, there was a better chance they'd get sponsors. "We can use your trident to try and kill some animals for food. Maybe there's some berries around here..." Strangely, the thought of leaving Finn hadn't even entered his mind. They were a team. And besides that, he really liked Finn.

Zach gave a soft smile, pleased that Roman truly thought he was a force to be reckoned with. Roman had restored his confidence. Maybe he did have a chance to get home. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to hurt Roman, but he would deal with that when they came to it.
"So..." He murmured after a moment of silence. "Want to stop and set up for the night?" It's getting pretty dark."

Bane was silent. He and Danny had only just met but he believed the boy's words. He felt like Danny... cared about him. The boy cared about him already more than anyone ever had. It was a strange feeling, being so close to someone who was basically a stranger. But he felt like he'd known Danny all his life. He said nothing to Danny's words, responding by leaning in and kissing him deeply once more.

"Jesse." Finn was taking moss from the brush beside them, pressing it against his stumb to try and further staunch the bleeding. "Listen, you big splinter dick mother fucker." He hadn't paid any attention to the plant section of training, where they learned what could and could not be eaten. "Stop fooling yourfuckingself. There is no more fucking we." Finnick hated to admit it, but the games had just ended for him. He was completely useless now. "You might as well be trying to carry that blind bitch around, and you fucking know how stupid that bullshit is."

"Yeah, I guess we can do that." Roman chucked softly, looking around at Jesse and Finn's camp. "But it doesnt look like there's much setting up to do. They left us a nice little camp." Plenty of weaponry and food. Enough water to last a day or two. "We'll have to remember to thank them next time we see them." Jesse and Finn may be the only people in the entire competition Roman wouldnt mind slaughtering. "I hope that fucking trident kid bleeds to death. And the ax boy has no more ax, so he might be taken care of, too." His eyes slowly moved to Elvis's corpse, an impressed grunt leaving him. "Wow, you sure did hit him right in the heart." It was impressive, this small boy and how much damage he could inflict.

Another kiss was more than Danny could have hoped for, settling his face on fire with the bliss of the moment. Nothing was ever a freeing as touching Bane. Even while in the games it was refreshing to kiss those lips. Danny was certain he could at least die happy now.

"Finn, there is a we." Jesse frowned at him. "I made a deal with you and I'm not about to damn go back on that now. I keep my word. Plus, I like having your big mouth around." He smirked as he examined a bush nearby with berries, trying to tell if they were edible or not. He hadn't paid much attention either.

Zach smiled at the compliment.
"Well he wasn't moving or anything, didn't see me coming. It wasn't that hard." He shrugged his shoulders. Zach was glad they had plenty of food from Finn and Jesse so he didn't have to suggest consuming Elvis's meat instead. He didn't want Roman to know his true colors yet. He wanted to stay the beautiful boy with the doe eyes. He took a seat on the ground, leaning against a tree near where Jesse and Finn had been.

Bane found that he never wanted to let go of Danny. He only did so when he needed breath, still holding tight to Danny's form before going back in for more. He wondered if all kisses felt this way or if Danny was just special.

"You made a fucking deal when I was fucking competent you jackass lumber fucker." Finn snapped harshly, reaching for one of Jesse's wrists. "And don't even fucking look at that shit. We don't know whats out here. The less we fucking touch the better." He was lashing out in frustration, wanting to be anything other than afraid. "Just...Come the mother fuck here, okay? Im freezing to fucking death."

Roman followed suit, falling into the grass beside Zach. "I can't believe those two idiots. I mean, I'd love to lay you down and have some time like they were, but you see what came of that? " He shook his head, using his arms as a makeshift pillow.

Danny was exhilarated, being he hadn't ever kissed anyone else either. The entire experience was so new and vibrant. All Danny could think about was Bane, with his soft lips and sweet sounds. The way it felt to hold him and be with him, unlike anything he had ever experienced. "Bane." Danny breathed between kisses. It was all he said, over and over.

"Alright." Jesse sighed. "Hope it doesn't get too cold out." They were both naked other than their undergarments. He sat down in the grass and pulled Finn close, pressing the boy against his chest. "You're pretty tough, kid." He didn't think he could have sawed his own leg off like that.

"Now would you?" Zach smirked, chuckling softly at Roman's words. "But yeah, that was pretty stupid of them. Don't know what they were thinking, doing it out in the open like that." They hadn't even been making sure no one was coming.

Finally, Bane pulled away, panting softly.
"Wow." It was all he had to say about the experience. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. "Thank you, Danny."

Finn gave a weak snort of laughter, everything funnier when his body was dilirious from blood loss. "You fucking dumbass! Have you fucking forget that im a damn career?, forest fucker" In 4 people learned to swim before they walk. And while they were one of the wealthiest districts, even before 2, they didn't train a lot of their children to volunteers. Instead, they trained them so that on the occasion that if the kid were reaped, they still had a chance to make it home. "It would be a fucking disgrace to my people for me to just damn bleed to death. And im fucking better than that. Im fucking Finnick Holloway..." He had just lost all hope of ever seeing home again. "If you win, you'd fucking like district 4. If you get to go on the victory tour, make for damn sure they take you to the central harbor." Even a miserable person like Finn enjoyed the sunsets from there.

"They even left the damn clothes." Roman took one of Zach's dreads between his fingers, rolling it between them curiously. "I've never seen hair like this. It suits you." He could understand why Jesse and Finn had been doing it, because he himself wanted nothing more than to touch Zach. "This game suits you. It's like you're used to hunting people. You're good at it."

"Thats funny," Danny's head fell back into the grass. "You thanking me after giving me some peace in all of this. You can't deny what a sweet heart you are....its just...wow." It was almost like seeing again, being able to be so intimate with another person.

"I'll be sure to do that if I win." Jesse smirked softly, for once the sound of winning not sounding too appealing. "And if you win, you've got to get yourself a nice prosthetic leg and hobble on down to 7. We haven't got much water down there, but some of the forests, they're beautiful." He felt almost at home in this large forest.

Zach held back a laugh at how right Roman was.
"What would you say if I was used to hunting people?" He questioned, his voice low. He hoped the man wouldn't panic if he told him the truth. Of course, if he told the truth he would also be confessing to the entire country watching them. Maybe it was best to keep his mouth shut.

"I'm thanking you for showing me how beautiful some things can be. Like I said, I never met someone like you before. I'm thanking you for showing me that people like you exist." Bane smiled softly, reaching for the boy's hand again.

"That sounds fucking great and all, but I don't see my stubby ass self taking you and that big bitch from 2 down, so I don't have to worry about the damn tour. But I do want to kill that fucking Roman guy though. The mother fucker fucked me up." Finn had completely let go of winning, the moment he realized his leg wasn't repairable was the same moment he realized how futile it all was, and in a was he was grateful. Now he had no reason to even try and fight Jesse, something he had been at odds with since training.

Roman blinked at him, slowly sitting up. "I would be surprised that in 11 they trained you that way. I always heard different things from there." Roman hadnt even fathomed what Zach may tell him, hoping it was simple training.

"Yup, us pathetic blind boys exist everywhere, uhh...Most just don't get as lucky as me." Of course being reaped in the hunger games wasnt lucky, but the fact that he was there with Bane meant everything to Danny.

"Don't be stupid, you've still got a chance." Jesse smiled softly at the boy. "You can't give up, Finn, because then it's really over." He didn't want to think of losing the boy, even though it was inevitable.

"They don't train us." It was all Zach said now, knowing Roman would get the hint. He crossed his fingers that the man wouldn't panic too much, eyeing the weapons near them in case they became necessary.

"If i get out of here, I'll be sure to find another blind boy to fall in love with." Bane chuckled softly, caressing the back of Danny's hand with his thumb.

"Jesse, I train for this shit. I know when its fucking going down hill for me. But dont think im just giving the fuck up. Im not going to fucking roll over and let anyone just kill me. Im just not as worried about it any fucking more." Finn cursed softly as he tried to flip himself around in Jesse's lap, resting chest against chest with the other tribute. "I was fucking worried about us being the last two. I didn't fucking want to kill you. Now....Fuck it. Im not worried about it any more."

"Uh." Roman sat himself fully up right, the expression on his face blank. Was this boy trying to say he hunting people for fun back home? After a long pause, Roman's eyes moved to meet Zach's. "Maybe your eyes did deceive me." How could the boy with dreads and doe eyes be so casual about other human life?

Danny's smile dropped, his face falling. It only lasted a moment though, before he had picked his smile back up. "I hope you do, and I uhh...I hope he knows just what he has when he has you." Danny wanted Bane to get out of here, wanted him to go home and be happy, no matter what it took. "But maybe you should think about finding someone who can see? Because I can tell you first hand that...wow...It really sucks not being able to see you."

"I don't want to kill you either." Jesse murmured lightly, his hands almost gentle as he helped Finn turn to face him. "Man, this sucks."

"Maybe they did." Zach spoke softly as he looked to the other man, regretting already his decision to let Roman know. "Don't suppose you can forget that now, can you?" He wasn't ready for Roman's view of him to change.

"Hey," Bane frowned, moving to stroke the boy's cheek softly. "I was just kidding. I'm not much of a romance person. Not sure I'll ever find anyone, you're the closest I've ever had to a relationship." He paused before smiling. "And I can assure you, I'm not much to look at."