Heaven Save Me

Way Down Below

A/N: Listen to "Heaven Knows" by Pretty Reckless while reading to get the vibe for this chapter.

Jimin woke up with a sense of warmth and safety.  He'd had pleasant dreams of bright blue skies, cotton candy clouds, and a mysterious dark haired figure running through deep green grass.  He attempted to move, but was locked in a vice grip against something hard.

Pushing through the fog of sleepiness, Jimin investigated the cause of his restraints.  Two thick arms held him against a warm, steely chest.  The first emotion he felt was confusion.  The second was panic.

The last time Jimin had woken up like this...had been held like this...was...

Something like a shriek came out of his mouth as he fought his way out of the arms encircling him and fell to the floor.  Jungkook woke up in a flurry of waving limbs and "what, what, what??"

Once he realized what planet he was on, what year it was, and his own name, Jungkook glanced down to see Jimin curling in on himself in the floor.  Panic and terror warped his beautiful features into something heartbreaking.  Jungkook immediately found himself falling to the floor beside him. 

"Jimin...are you okay?"

He slapped away Jungkook's hand with wild eyes.  "Don't touch me!  Stay away!  How did I even get here?"

"You don't remember?" Jungkook asked gently with his hands lifted in surrender by his head.

Jimin shook his head.  "No.  All I remember is having a nightmare.  Then I was walking...oh, wait.  I came to you."

Jungkook nodded.

"I have to get out of here.  Stay back.  I'm sor-I'm...I have to go.  Goodbye, Jungkook," Jimin rushed out as he picked himself up off Jungkook's living room floor and darted to the door.

***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***

"Where the hell were you?  Find another asshole to tear to pieces?"

Jimin looked visibly shaken, causing Taehyung's cocky smile to falter.  "Are you okay, Jimin?"

Jungkook had asked him that.  It was too much, hearing it again.  As if his life was just a series of triggering words on repeat.  Jimin shook his head.

"I need a trip downstairs."

Taehyung's bloodless skin went somehow even paler at the mention of downstairs.  That could only mean one thing in their world...Hell.

"Wh-why do you think you need to go there?  What the fuck happened?"

Jimin began to shake as his arms came up to hug around himself.  "Please."

There was that word again.  It made Jimin tremble even more.  "Let's not talk about it.  I just need to feel less human.  I just need to feel less..." he gestured around the room for a word he couldn't find.  "I just need to feel less...I guess."

"What happened, Jimin?" Taehyung asked with a stern face and a deepened tone in his voice. 

"Nothing.  Don't worry about it.  I'll...see you soon, okay?"

Taehyung sat on the black velvet armchair with an unconvinced look.  Regardless of what was written all over his face, he merely nodded and squeezed Jimin's biceps.

"Take care down there, Chimmy."

Jimin gave him a weak smile.  "I'll see you soon."

***~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~***

(477 words)

A/N: Shorter chapter, but that's all that needed said here.  Anyone else wondering what hell is like in this AU?  Or maybe you're wondering why Jimin so desperately needs to go back down there?  Wonder who he might see...

Find out in the next chapter, Lovely Armies!