✔ || Save Me [[SEQUEL to DISTRACT ME]]

Chapter 17

{A/N: This chapter includes Taehyung's POV from Chapter 10 of "Distract Me" if you want to go refresh yourself on what happens before reading}

Even when he lived in heaven, Taehyung didn't like sleeping alone. He always either shared a bed with Eden or Raphael. He half expected Jeongguk to wrinkle his nose and laugh when he asked to sleep together their first night sharing a room, but he had to at least try.

But Jeongguk had taken his hand - it was smaller than his, and Taehyung could easily envelope his fingers over the younger's palm - and had given him a nervous smile. His gentle voice had said, "Hyung, of course you can."

And that was when Taehyung knew that he cared for this boy more than he'd cared for anyone before. He wanted to protect him, to cherish him, to kiss and hug and love him. His feelings were only further validated later that night when Jeongguk allowed him to run his fingers through his soft brown hair as they lay together.

Taehyung had fallen asleep that night faster than he ever had. He was just so cozy next to the maknae. But when it took Jeongguk an incredibly long time to fall asleep, he'd gotten worried. What if the maknae really didn't love him? What if his signals weren't actually signals?

Obviously that hadn't really been the case, but it was still a terrifying moment. Even more terrifying was that he loved, really loved, the maknae. It was foreign and scary, and he had to figure out what it really meant to love someone as he loved Jeongguk. What's more, he had to worry about the archangels' laws. Even though he was Fallen, he still had to follow the rules, and he was dangerously close to breaking them the closer he got to Jeongguk.

The next memory was of Jeongguk teaching Taehyung how to play Overwatch, and the elder cringed at himself. He was sure he wasn't really that bad at the video game, but his heart had been pounding out of his chest everytime Jeongguk did anything. He just hadn't been able to focus, not with the adorable maknae teaching him how to play.

And then the moment that had changed everything for them.

Taehyung was terrified. So much so that Jimin beat him easily, and he giggled, "Want to go again?"

"Not right now, Jiminie," Taehyung said distractedly, looking towards the hall. Why had Jeongguk left like that? What had he done wrong?

He didn't hear if Jimin responded, all of his focus on the maknae. With an apologetic smile at his hyungs, he set down the controller and stood. Hesitantly, he set off down the hall but stopped in front of the bedroom door. On the other side was Jeongguk, but Taehyung didn't know if he'd want to see him. He'd seemed pretty angry when he'd left the living room.

Gathering all of his courage, Taehyung pushed open the door. Jeongguk was laying on his bed, his back to the door, curled around his pillow. Taehyung's stomach fell through the floor and he shuffled closer until he was sitting on the bed. He twiddled his thumbs sheepishly, but Jeongguk was looking at him, so he had to meet his eyes. When he did so, he found that the maknae was fighting off tears, and he forced himself to smile. "Talk to me, Kookie."

Jeongguk's eyebrows furrowed and he carefully started to talk, only to snap his mouth shut and turn away again. But Taehyung couldn't handle that, not when he had just realized how much he really loved the maknae, and so he gently forced the boy to face him again. Fighting to keep his voice even, he begged, "Kookie, please."

When Jeongguk's beautiful voice broke, Taehyung had to stop himself from crying. "I can't, hyung."

With that, the maknae curled around himself, hiding from Taehyung. Unable to accept that answer, the elder rubbed his thumb along the maknae's cheek and pressed, "Why not?"