Jimin rolled across the cold metal floor and narrowly dodged the attack of one of the soldiers, who lunged at him with a club aimed at his stomach. With his knees resting on the ground, the boy had a few seconds to analyze the situation. Six people were sitting a few meters away, each with a different injury, and the only thing stopping him from completing his training and healing them was the soldier who had attacked him earlier. The man, although not very tall and muscular, faced him with dexterity and moved in a threatening manner. There was no other way out: if he wanted to succeed, he had to defeat him. Jungkook was too busy dealing with the other soldiers who were frantically attacking him and, at that very moment, he was trapped against the wall and dodging blows with stun guns.

Concentrating the energy and courage he needed to fight, Jimin stood up and, after a sigh, ran towards the warrior and jumped when he got close, kicking him into the air. The soldier dodged and when Jimin landed on the ground, he was hit on the side of the spine with a club. Despite the intense pain that spread through his body, like a bolt of lightning penetrating his bones, Jimin gasped and held the club in his hands, limiting the use of the objective. As the soldier tried to free himself, Jimin hit him in the stomach with his knee and took advantage of the slackening of the man's grip on the club to hit him with a sharp blow to the face.

Jimin didn't wait for the other man to hit the ground, he just ran towards the people and the moment he reached the first one, he pressed his thumb against the sharp part of the traditional ring he carried on his finger and dripped a few drops of blood against the cut on the woman's left shoulder. He concentrated on his skills and, in just under a minute, managed to heal her completely. Jimin turned to the man next to him, shot in the left leg, and repeated the same process of piercing his finger, connecting with him, blocking out the conflicting emotions that reverberated in him through the channel that connected them and focused on closing the wound while expelling the bullet from his body.

As the training became intense and constant, Jimin felt a progressive improvement in the way he used his powers. Training resumed over a week ago, just after their day off, where they had shared a picnic afternoon with Jungkook, Tania, Pedro, Dante, and Mandy. Lanna and the superiors presented the two participants in the Cross and Sword project with a new schedule of activities, more intense than the previous one, to improve them even further. For part of the morning, Jimin practiced the evolution of the power of healing with Lucian, the scientist responsible for creating the project. Then, just as he was doing at the time, he simulated real battle situations with Jungkook. The boy's job was to protect him while Jimin healed soldiers who volunteered to get hurt and helped with training.

After a short lunch break, when he joined Tania and shared with her what was happening in training and details about the development of his relationship with the fighter — his friend was very insistent on knowing everything that was happening between them — Jimin headed off to his classes with the medical cadets. The class was divided into trios, taking on the standard formation of doctors during wars and battles, in which the three of them worked together to save as many lives as possible. Although the members were grouped by lot, Jimin was blessed by fate to fall in with Mandy and Dante. From then on, they practiced together, although their training was different from the others.

While the other groups used current medical knowledge, Dante and Mandy practiced ways to help Jimin heal people with their powers. The two of them, for example, were responsible for dealing with minor, non-fatal injuries, while Jimin would focus on more serious scenarios. In the event of overcrowding, the friends would try to contain the damage until Jimin was available to take over. As they spent a good part of the afternoon together, the relationship between the three of them grew closer and the feelings of trust and friendship that had emerged on the day of the picnic were amplified more and more.

At training sessions, Mandy would always make some kind of compliment or funny comment to encourage her friends or ease their frustrations when they got something wrong — especially Dante. He was protective and would always stand in front of any cadet who came up to Jimin to ask him something indiscreet or flatter him in exchange for favors. Together, they made the medical cadets' training enjoyable and peaceful.

During the night, Jimin would run around the edge of the Forest of Constellations with Jungkook and Storm, always on the lookout for what might emerge from the woods, even if they didn't dare get close enough. They didn't always manage to cover the kilometers they were aiming for because they stopped to kiss against a tree. Their relationship had intensified in recent days, either because of the greater trust Jimin felt in the fighter or because of the intense magnetism that existed between them. When they were together, Jimin felt the other's body attracting his and Jungkook seemed to take advantage of the situation to pull him close and devour him with his mouth and hands.

On one of the days they returned from their walk together, Jungkook barely waited for them to enter his room before pressing Jimin against the wall and kissing him intensely, taking his breath away and demanding that he take a deep breath as they pulled apart. The touch between them set Jimin's body on fire in a way he hadn't felt before. It felt like living fire was coursing through his veins, speeding up his heartbeat to the point where he felt his heart might not be able to stand it. They wanted to know more and more about each other when they were together and to enjoy what they were both offering. The smell, the caresses, the smiles, the sounds of laughter. Everything was magical.

In addition, the more intimate and deeper conversations intensified, generating moments where they shared intense things about themselves. One night, when they were in Jimin's room, lying together on the bed and the boy with his head resting on Jungkook's chest, they talked about the impacts of growing up without a father. Jimin confessed that he didn't miss his father very much, since he died shortly before he was born. However, he felt a pang in his heart when he was younger and saw other children playing with their parents, smiling and eating ice cream together.

Jungkook, on the other hand, suffered more from his father's abandonment. Growing up without his father not only made him responsible for things that didn't suit his age – looking after the house from a young age, worrying about basic needs, helping his mother and sister –  but also made him feel like an invalid. For a long time, he thought he was expendable and insignificant, since his father had chosen to abandon him so easily. Even though he didn't suffer as much as before, he still carried a bit of that with him. It was the first time Jimin had seen him cry. That was one of the most sensitive topics for the fighter.

As soon as he had finished healing the last person, Jimin raised his hands in a sign of mission accomplishment. The superiors watching them from the black iron mezzanine applauded, including Lanna, and the few soldiers still standing fighting Jungkook dropped their weapons and collapsed on the ground, exhausted. He, however, smiled openly at Jimin as he walked towards him from the other side of the large hall. As he approached, he put one of his hands on Jimin's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, tilting his head slightly. As much as they weren't ashamed of each other, they had decided to keep what was happening between them a secret from their army superiors. They had no idea how they would react to this news and preferred not to risk it.

— We broke our record. Fifty soldiers and six people were wounded. I'm proud of us — said Jungkook. The progress was a good reason to celebrate, but the other man's various injuries were proof that it wasn't an easy achievement. There were two fresh cuts on the other man's mouth, as well as swelling near one of his eyebrows, some burn spots on the side of his back and neck – stun guns left pronounced marks – scratches exposed by the torn parts of his shorts and Jimin noticed that the boy was leaning his entire body weight on his right leg.

— I am too. You were incredible. I can't imagine what it must be like to fight with so many people.

— Sometimes a bit painful — Jungkook closed his eyes for a moment as he bent down and picked up the knife he kept in one of the pockets of his shorts. His body was probably bruised in areas that showed no signs of injury. As they did at the end of every training session together, the fighter cut his palm at the same time as Jimin pierced his thumb and put a few drops of blood on the open wound. Healing him was different from other people. When they connected, Jimin was overwhelmed by a wave of calm and peace that made him want to lie down on the floor and rest in those feelings, which sometimes required a little more effort to maintain his powers.

— Good work, boys — Lanna approached from behind and greeted them with a nod — Your superiors are increasingly satisfied with your performance, but don't think that's just a good thing. Get ready for stricter training from now on.

✧✧✧

— I've already told you that it's risky for us to do this in the hallway — Jimin was trying to break away from Jungkook's tight embrace and the kisses all over his neck — We're literally facing the door to my room. Can't we just go in?

— It's hard to hold myself close to you, especially after watching you fight today — said the fighter, finally releasing him and staring at him with a deep look of desire.

— How did you manage to watch me fight?

— I'll always find a way to watch you. No matter the situation.

Whether it was during difficult times, when anxiety and negative emotions flared up, or in situations like that, which aroused the libido trapped in his body, Jungkook knew exactly what to say. Regardless of the scenario, Jimin let himself surf on the feelings that bound him to the boy. That afternoon, right after the successful training session, would be no different.

Jimin pulled him into his room and as soon as he closed the door, he was devoured by Jungkook. The boy's mouth didn't ask permission to invade him, it just did so with intense ferocity, as they clung to each other, glued together by the magnetic attraction that always pulled them closer together. The beginning of whatever was happening between the two of them, marked by shy caresses and discreet kisses, gave way in recent days to a voracious desire. They couldn't be alone in one place without giving in to the kisses and touches that covered every corner of each other's bodies.

At times during the day, Jimin would find himself staring at him and getting lost in the fluffy, impure thoughts that arose in his mind and Jungkook seemed to feel something similar, especially when he looked at him with a gaze so intense that it pierced his soul. Tania had complained that the two of them looked like animals in heat, and as exaggerated as that statement seemed, his friend wasn't at all wrong. The fighter led him to the desk in the bedroom, knocked over some of the books resting on it, and sat him on the object, lifting it with admirable ease.

The two stopped kissing for a moment to catch their breath, but their faces were still close enough to feel each other's breathing. Jungkook's eyes shone with lust and reflected the ecstasy of his hands, which grasped the edge of Jimin's blouse and pulled it up, leaving him with his backside exposed. Jimin couldn't tell if the shiver that ran through his body was due to the cold wind that hit him or a reaction to what might happen from that point on. The path that opened up vibrated in purple tones of pleasure and danger, but Jimin didn't want to deviate from it.

The boy wrapped his legs around the other's waist and pull