✔ || Distract Me

Save Me - Teaser

His dreamscape was as dark as the room he was trapped in.

"About time!" Eden's voice said, startling Jeongguk.

He turned and blinked. A small girl with short, spiky black hair and hard-set features stood in front of him. "Who -"

"Eden," she said, though Jeongguk already kind of knew that.

"Hi," he said, not entirely sure how to respond.

"Hi," she said back before starting forward. "Okay, listen to me, we don't have much time. Look, this 'trial' is rigged against you guys. Raphael wants Tae to burn, and the archangels are going to listen to him."

Jeongguk frowned, "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because even though Tae's an idiot, I still love him, and I don't want him to go to hell." She smiled humorlessly, "And I don't think you do either."

"I don't. That's why I'm here." Jeongguk wetted his lips, "When can I see him?"

"They won't let you until the trial," she sighed, shaking her head. "He doesn't even know you're here. I think Raphael is planning on him tripping up when he sees you. Maybe thinks he'll say something incriminating."

Jeongguk widened his eyes. "What?! That's not fair!"

"Never said it was," Eden mused. "So I need your help."

"What do I need to do?" Jeongguk asked immediately.

Eden gave him a gritted smile. "I need you to talk to him so that he can't be surprised that you're here, but it's dangerous. Purgatory is not a place for magic. It could hurt you, I need you to know that."

"I don't care," Jeongguk snapped truthfully. "Take me to him."

Eden nodded, her hair falling into her eyes. She circled around Jeongguk, and the maknae knew what she was doing, so he stayed as still as possible. "You can't move much."

"I know," Jeongguk whispered.

"I'll be able to hear whatever you say, just not him," Eden added.

"Okay."

"And he won't be able to see you. It'll be like when I talked to you."

"Just fucking do it already," Jeongguk snapped.

Eden obeyed without responding, lacing her fingers together over Jeongguk's eyes, and pain lanced through his skull. He forced himself to stay upright, the prospect of seeing his hyung making him strong.

Taehyung was sitting against the wall of a cell similar to Jeongguk's, and the maknae gasped. His eyes were fixed to the floor, shoulders hunched in defeat.

"Tae," Jeongguk breathed.

The boy's head snapped up, his eyes searching madly. "Jeo-Jeongguk?"

"It's me, Tae," Jeongguk whispered, his voice cracking. It was so, so good to see him.

"How -" Taehyung started, and then sighed. "Eden."

"Yeah," Jeongguk said.

"What are you doing here?" Taehyung asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, why are you here?" Taehyung said, his voice rising as he shakily lifted himself to his feet. "You shouldn't be here, you should be home with the hyungs, getting over me."

Jeongguk bristled, "I'm here to -"

"Go home, Jeongguk," Taehyung said darkly.

The maknae shuddered. He hadn't had time to prepare for this conversation, but Taehyung's reaction was heartbreaking. "I won't."

Taehyung snarled, "I'm not fucking around, Jeongguk. I don't want you here."

Jeongguk's lip quivered, but he steeled himself and pressed, "I'm here, Tae, and I'm staying. We're in this together, remember?"

"Not this," Taehyung said, leaning back against the wall. "Never this. This is my own fault, and I've hurt you enough."

Jeongguk forgot that he wasn't supposed to move and shook his head. "I love you, Taehyung. I want to help you."

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut. "Well, I don't."

Jeongguk froze, "What?"

"Y-yeah," Taehyung said. "I don't - don't - don't love you. I was just - it was all - fuck, I can't." He deflated, "Just please, jagi, please go home. I can't do this knowing you're here because of me."

"I'm here because I challenged Raphael," Jeongguk said breathily.

Taehyung hesitated, "You what?"

"I asked to come, and when he was about to say no, I said that he thinks he'd lose."

Taehyung worked his jaw before falling into the blank expression that Jeongguk adored so much. Finally, he managed to say, "Jeongguk, he could have killed you. I'm surprised he didn't."

Jeongguk shrugged, forgetting the boy couldn't see it. "Let me stay, hyung. Let me help you."

"I can't," Taehyung slid to sit back down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I should be going through this alone. They want me to burn in hell, I know that. They're not going to listen to anything we say, so why are you here?"

Jeongguk wetted his lips. "I have to try, hyung."

Eden bumped her palm against Jeongguk's temple, signaling that their time was almost up. He said quickly, "Taehyung, I have to go. I'm not leaving until I can take you with me, but don't worry about me. Worry about yourself. I'll see you at the trial. I love you so much, hyung, okay?"

"I love -"

Eden's hands disappeared from over Jeongguk's eyes and he blinked before turning to her. "T-thank you."

The girl dropped her gaze. "I have to go now. I'm going to leave some of my magic here in your subconscious, so you should be able to visit Taehyung if you wish so long as you both are sleeping."

Relief washed over Jeongguk, "Thank you."

"No problem," Eden sighed, turning. "I'll return as soon as I can. I want to teach you some things. Goodbye, Jeongguk, and don't worry just yet."