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

Chapter 19

It turned out that they were at least going to be given time to say goodbye to Eden. The archangels didn't seem to have enough energy left in them to disagree when she demanded a moment alone with the boys.

Jeongguk shifted from foot to foot, looking everywhere but at the hatchmates as they embraced. There was an air of morose finality, and why wouldn't there be? They'd never see each other again.

When they finally broke apart, Eden smiled at the maknae with shining eyes while Taehyung just dropped his head to study his feet. "Take care of him," Eden murmured. "Since I can't do it."

There was an awkwardness between the hatchmates too. But that made sense - Eden had just been forced to watch Taehyung and Jeongguk sleep together, after all. Multiple times. Even though she turned away, the memories weren't exactly quiet.

Jeongguk nodded, swallowing down the lump in his throat. "I will. Thanks for everything."

She nodded back, "Yeah, no problem. So much for teaching you how to control your mind, huh?"

Jeongguk shrugged, "You've taught me plenty. I'll keep practicing."

She offered a stiff smile, "Good. I guess I'll see you around. Er, not really, but you know...it's an expression."

"Yeah," Jeongguk breathed, glancing at Taehyung. Why wasn't he speaking? Why wasn't he looking at Jeongguk?

"Let's go," the elder said, his voice tinged with darkness.

Eden clasped his arm, and when he turned to her, she murmured after a slight pause, "Just...don't shut down, okay?"

He brushed her off gently, offering a tiny smile, "I love you, Eden."

"And I love you, Taehyung," she breathed.

Jeongguk fidgeted beside them, waiting. He was anxious to get home, but he could understand Taehyung's hesitation. So he'd be patient, even though he missed their hyungs.

After one final silent exchange with his sister, Taehyung beckoned Jeongguk to follow him. Their guards were waiting for them outside. Jeongguk's female guard smiled at him, but it was tight-lipped and careful, as if she was afraid of him. He mumbled, "Thanks for everything."

"I did nothing," she responded before the group led the two boys down the staircase and through the hall.

They were ushered up another staircase and into a large room with a dark floor covered in strange symbols. The walls were made of the same material and climbed up into a dome, but the very top of the ceiling was a glass circle. Jeongguk squinted up at it. Soft pink clouds rolled lazily overhead, oblivious to the horror the people below had been subjected to. The guards circled around them and Jeongguk snapped to attention. His male guard said, "This will hurt, human."

Jeongguk nodded, already aware of what was about to happen. He and Taehyung lowered themselves to their knees and their guards stepped forward. With a gentle smile, Jeongguk's female guard rested her hand on the crown of his head, and he hissed in pain and blacked out.

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The dreamscape was dark and roiled like a thundercloud. Jeongguk realized they were no longer in Purgatory when he saw Taehyung, standing in the distance like a beacon. With a relieved grin, he rushed to the elder's side. "Tae! I told you it'd work out!"

"Jeongguk," Taehyung looked at him coldly, stopping him in his tracks. "Please work on getting in your own head."

"W-what?" Jeongguk asked, too confused to avoid stuttering.

"I don't want you here," Taehyung said, his voice terrifyingly quiet.

"Why not?"

"Damn it, Jeongguk," the boy snapped. "Why can't you just respect my wishes for once?"

With that, the elder turned and walked away, and Jeongguk was left standing in the suffocating abyss alone. He blinked at Taehyung's retreating form. What the hell? "Taehyung?"

Thankfully, he stopped, but he didn't turn around. His deep voice was harsher than Jeongguk had ever heard as he growled, "What?"

"Don't -" Jeongguk's resolve wavered, and he wetted his lips nervously. "Please don't leave."

Rolling his head skyward, Taehyung scoffed before setting off again, this time not stopping when Jeongguk called after him. Something in the maknae rooted him to the spot, so that he was left helplessly watching his boyfriend walk away.

What had happened? Why was Taehyung so angry?

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Jeongguk blinked and squinted, his eyes too used to the dark cells of Purgatory to handle the bright light of the apartment building's hallway. Taehyung's shoulder was pressed to his, and Jeongguk gingerly turned his head to watch the elder wake up. The boy groaned weakly and lifted his head off his chest. He was a mess, but then again so was Jeongguk. He didn't even know how long they'd been away. It could have been a few days, it could have been a month. Either way, his mouth tasted like something had crawled inside and died, and he was sure his hair looked like a greasy rat's nest. His shirt clung to his skin, crusted with sweat and grime. Taehyung was in the same shape, but somehow still kept his ethereal beauty. Jeongguk gazed at him breathlessly, almost forgetting what had happened in their dream.

However, the second Taehyung focused on him, he was reminded. The elder frowned and shifted away, and Jeongguk whimpered at the loss of contact. Taehyung robotically pushed himself to his feet, setting his jaw, and looked around. "Get up," he said. "We have to go up a floor."

Jeongguk followed him silently to the stairwell, wincing when Taehyung shoved the door open and it clashed against the wall. The elder didn't even hold it for him, which was worrying. Nervously, Jeongguk murmured, "What's wrong?"

"Why would you care about that now?" Taehyung said in lieu of a proper response, his voice distant and gruff.

The maknae lowered his head, still confused and now hurt as well.

When they got to the dorm, Taehyung felt around his pockets and breathed a curse under his breath. He glanced at Jeongguk. "Do you have a key?"

Jeongguk shook his head and Taehyung cursed again before lifting his fist to the door.

He hardly had time to knock twice before the door was jerked open, a wild-eyed Jimin on the other side. He froze when he saw the two boys, and then his eyes darkened.

"What the hell?! Jin-hyung, Yoongi-hyung, they're back!"

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{A/N: They in for a wORLD OF TROUBLE BOIS AND GIRLS)