𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗼𝘄 ━━━━ roman kemp

━━━━ eight

With the looming threat of the reckonings taking place, everybody is understandably on edge. No matter how many times the topic is discussed, they are no closer to having any idea what will be taking place, and it is more than a little frustrating.

Mathilda sits down by the creek, sunbathing and generally avoiding people. It is only just hitting her that they are essentially playing a game here - people are battling for food and for immunity and just for bragging rights, really. It's intimidating, to say the least.

"Are you alright?"

Mathilda looks up to see Jacqueline approaching her, looking very nervous. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" she retorts playfully.

Jacqueline lets out a shaky laugh. "Please don't," she begs. "I'd much rather focus on anything other than whatever I'm about to face, if that's okay."

"Of course, Jac," Mathilda says and pats the space beside her for Jacqueline to sit beside her. She does so. "I'm alright, by the way. It's just all a bit overwhelming, you know? Like, I miss my baby girl so much and it's just hitting me now that I'll be seeing her again and it's like it can't come quickly enough but at the same time I really want to stay until the end," she rambles, voice thick with emotion. "Did that make any sense?"

"Yeah, I totally get it," Jacqueline sympathises and rests her hand on top of Mathilda's. "I wanna see them but I also wanna win it for them."

All Mathilda can do is nod her head, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Aw, honey," coos Jacqueline, moving to wrap an arm around the younger female and pull her into a side hug.

Mathilda buries her face into Jacqueline's shoulder, allowing a few stray tears to leak from her eyes. "I'm sorry," she chokes out, "it's just a lot to deal with, I guess. I don't mean to be a baby."

"It's okay to cry," Jacqueline reassures her, rubbing her shoulder. "We all know what you're going through; we miss our families as well."

After a few minutes of hushing and murmured reassurances, Mathilda finally pulls away and wipes her red-rimmed eyes. "Thanks, Jac. I really needed that little cry."

"Well, you and I can cry together whenever you like." True to her words, Jacqueline has a few tears welling in her eyes and Mathilda squeezes their intertwined hands together.

"I might just take you up on that."

They both giggle, the sound significantly more melancholy than usual.

Neither makes any effort to return to camp until Jacqueline has to leave for the first set of reckonings, instead hiding away and sharing amusing anecdotes about their families and their jobs.

"I'm a huge Game of Thrones geek," Jacqueline admits, much to Mathilda's amusement. "And I love your brother as Spider-Man."

"He really is good at what he does," agrees Mathilda. "That boy is a natural born actor - a real drama queen, I'll tell you. He's probably my biggest inspiration."

"That's so cute!"

Mathilda's bright smile is once again in place by the time she has returned to the camp, just in time to bid the four chosen ones farewell.

"See you later," Roman says, pulling her into his arms so that her head could briefly rest against his chest with his chin atop it.

She inhales his natural scent which is surprisingly alluring given the poor standards of hygiene in the jungle. "Good luck."

"I'm gonna need it," he says, grinning, before disappearing with the others.

As if from nowhere, Myles pops up and smirks knowingly at Mathilda. "You love him," he sings teasingly.