Save Me

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/14198067.

Rating: Mature
Archive Warning: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Category: M/M
Fandom: 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Relationship: Jeon Jungkook/Kim Taehyung | V, Jeon Jungkook & Kim Taehyung | V
Character: Jeon Jungkook, Kim Taehyung | V, Kim Seokjin | Jin, Kim Namjoon |
RM, Min Yoongi | Suga, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope, Park Jimin (BTS),
Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s)
Additional Tags: Fallen Angels, Fallen Angel Kim Taehyung | V, Smut, Fluff and Smut,
Eventual Smut, Established Relationship, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Porn
With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Comfort/Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort,
Emotional Manipulation, Emotional Baggage, Angst and Fluff and Smut,
Past Relationship(s), Dark Past, Past Abuse, Top Jeon Jungkook, Top
Kim Taehyung | V, Bottom Jeon Jungkook, Bottom Kim Taehyung | V,
Romance, Slow Build, kookv
Language: English
Series: Part 2 of Dream of Me (Taekook Fallen Angel AU)
Stats: Published: 2018-04-03 Completed: 2018-05-18 Chapters: 52/52 Words:
77289

Save Me
by QueenRamsia

Summary

In heaven's corrupt system, archangels can do no wrong. So as Taehyung stands trial to go

to hell, Jeongguk must find a way to save him. Even if they make it home, though, can their
relationship survive after Raphael's meddling?

DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ BOOK 1. IT WILL NOT MAKE SENSE.

Notes

I'm back with very little warning let's do this

 Chapter 1

The boy was cute, but that was all she could say about him. It wasn’t his fault - he was only
human, after all, and she was used to the unblemished beauty of her kind. She pushed her essence
closer, gazing quizzically at the being that had brought her brother happiness in his unimaginable
despair. Even she could appreciate that if one knew they’d never see another angel again, this boy
would be a suitable choice. She pulled away, not wanting to wake him up before his body was
prepared. She almost giggled at how fragile the human form was. After a moment, the boy stirred,
and she froze, holding her breath.

A wave of pain pierced through Jeongguk’s skull like a javelin. He blinked, purple spots dancing
across his vision, and groaned, squeezing his eyes shut again. His bed was significantly harder than
he remembered, and he patted it experimentally and frowned. Did one of the hyungs really think
it’d be funny to put him on a slab of rock as he slept? He bet it was Jimin. He’d kill him.

Jimin.

Taehyung.

Shit.

Jeongguk flew up, his joints complaining, and looked around wildly. When his eyes adjusted to the
darkness, he mused that heaven was a real letdown. He stood, using the cold, damp wall for
support. Its slick stone dug into his palm. There were no windows, at least none that he could see.
He shuffled forward, keeping his hand pressed to the wall and reaching his free one out in front of
him, until he came into contact with the corner. He hesitantly followed it until he found hinges.
When squinting, he could make out the shape of a wooden door. There was no handle on the
inside, only bolts that proved the other side had one. He banged his fist on the steadfast door once,
wincing at the echo. Turning, he gazed around himself. The room was small, but he breathed a sigh
of relief at the outline of a toilet he spotted in the corner. And then pursed his lips, anxiety rising in
his chest, because why would there need to be a toilet? How long would he be stuck in here?

She smiled to herself. Heaven hadn’t had a trial for a Fallen since the first archangel - Lucifer -
fell, and they had never had one with a human as a witness. She had pointed out to them - the
guards - that if the boy didn’t have someplace to go when he woke up, it was only a matter of time
before their lives got ugly.

“Taehyung?” Jeongguk called, not really expecting an answer.

She frowned. There was inconsolable sadness in that single word, as if the boy worried he was too
late to save her brother from hell. She wanted to reach out to him, impressed by the love he exuded
just in uttering Taehyung’s name, but stopped herself. Not yet.

Jeongguk’s voice was too loud in the small quarters and his words bounced off the thick walls,
coming back to ring in his ears. He wetted his lips nervously, “Hyung? Taehyung?”

Nothing. Jeongguk shuddered and pressed his back against the wall, sliding down to sit against it.
Though the room had a bitter chill, sweat made his t-shirt cling to his back. He hugged his knees,
trying to remember how to breathe. Panicking would not help his situation.

She watched as the boy began to quake, his shoulders shaking violently. Was this what humans
called crying? She’d never seen it this close before. It was heartbreaking, and it gave her another
reason to be happy that she wasn’t privy to outbursts of human emotion on a daily basis. Not like
the guardians are. Not like Taehyung once was. She longed to make her presence known, but she
knew it wasn’t a good time yet. Besides, she wasn’t even one hundred percent sure that this was
the right human. Though, what other human was alive here? Still, she had to trust that the right
moment would arise for her to ask. Until then, she’d watch over him quietly (though his guardian
should be the one doing that, but after Taehyung had reached out to her through their bond, she
knew she had to do it herself).

The walls loomed over Jeongguk like vultures, threatening to crush him. He shrunk in on himself,
trying to become as small as possible so that the room would have a harder time swallowing him
whole. He craned his neck, eyes searching manically. Loud enough to strain his vocal cords and
make his ears hurt, he screamed, “Taehyung?”

Ow. Sad humans are loud.

All the moisture in Jeongguk’s throat siphoned out with that one word, and with it his willpower.
He slumped back, trying not to hyperventilate.

“Aish,” a soft voice suddenly said. Jeongguk jumped to his feet, squinting into the inky darkness.
“Quiet down, why don’t you?”

Try as he might, Jeongguk couldn’t find the origin of the voice. Fear crawled up his spine and he
pressed his back against the wall, eyes flicking wherever they could. He was starting to grow used
to the dark, and he could make out some more outlines. A wooden chair. A cot, the one that had
left his skull throbbing. A sink, which appeared to have a bar of soap sitting on it.

There was no one else in the room.

“Who are you?” Jeongguk demanded. Then, confused, “Where are you?”

Rude.

“Shut up and listen,” the voice snapped, and Jeongguk realized it belonged to a girl. “I don’t have
much time. Are you Jeon Jeongguk?”

“Who’s asking?” the maknae pressed.

“Good lord, I’m going to assume that’s a yes,” the voice sighed. “My name is Eden. I was...friends
with Taehyung back before - well, you know.”

At the sound of his boyfriend’s name, Jeongguk started forward. “Where is he? Where am I?”

“Hush,” Eden snapped. “I can’t stay long, so I need you to just listen.”

“Where are you?” Jeongguk insisted. “Are you here?”

“Not exactly,” Eden said, choosing her words carefully. “Listen, you’re in Purgatory until the
archangels figure out what to do with you.” She giggled, “You certainly ruffled Raphael’s feathers
when you demanded to come. It was funny to watch him stomp around when he got back.”

At the archangel’s name, a wave of anger washed over the maknae. “Can you get to the point?”

Her focus lapsed and she became aware of someone approaching her. She needed to get back to
her body fast.
“Ah, shit,” Eden’s voice cut out for a moment before returning. “Look, Jeongguk, I’m on your
side. I saw what Raphael did to Taehyung.” Her voice hardened, “If you’re really as brave as you
look and it’s not just stupidity, and if you really love Taehyung as much as you seem to, then I’m
here to help you. Just hang tight, I have to leave. You and Taehyung really screwed up stuff for us
lower ranks. All the archangels are pissed. As funny as it is, it means I don’t get to slack off.
Anyway, being in Purgatory, you probably won’t be able to speak to Taehyung in your dreams like
you used to.”

“What?!” Jeongguk snapped, true panic grappling at his throat.

“Relax, kid, good lord,” Eden said, aware of her body being talked to. Great, now she had to
explain what she was doing. “I’ll be back later, and we’ll try to get that sorted out so that you will
be able to again, I promise. Right now, though, I really need to go. Try the bread, it’s great if you
like to eat chalk.”

Jeongguk’s eyebrows furrowed. He wasn’t sure how he knew it, but he knew that the voice was
gone.

What was happening? What had he and Taehyung done?

 Chapter 2

The day he was born was rather uneventful. Nothing exciting was happening in the human realm,
and he quickly found out that he had a relatively small number of wards from the giggling
cherubim who had taken it upon themselves to make the welcomers’ tasks a little harder that day.
To him, though, it couldn’t have been better because everything was new and exciting and perfect.

He was first aware of light. It was warm and gentle and he blinked, trying to properly focus on it.
He swiveled his head, his wings lying helplessly behind him, and his eyes slowly focused and he
cocked his head. One of the cherubim flitted forward, and the boy smiled at it.

“Alright, you,” a kind voice suddenly said. A man with tawny wings folded against his back and
hair of a matching color stepped into the boy’s sight, waving a hand to make the cherub back up. It
obeyed, giggling with its friends. The man bent and held out a hand, palm facing upward. The boy
blinked at it and then looked up at the man before taking his hand, allowing himself to be pulled to
his feet. “There we go, little one.” He stumbled, but the man caught him around his middle. The
cherubim laughed again and the man rolled his eyes, “Why don’t you three actually do something
productive and get this hatchling some clothes, please?”

Only one cherub, the one that he had smiled at, obeyed the man, darting away and then returning
with a pair of red trousers. The man helped him into them patiently, letting him tip and stumble as
much as he needed to until the pants were sitting safely on his hips. The boy wetted his lips
nervously.

“Who - where -“ he started.

The man raised his eyebrows, impressed. “You’re talking already! That’s good, little one, that’s
good. Do you know your name?”

The boy screwed up his face, thinking hard.

“It’s okay if you don’t, not everyone figures it out right away.”

“It’s - it’s -“ the boy frowned. There was something playing at the tip of his tongue, just waiting
for him to understand it. And then he knew, and he murmured, “Kim Taehyung.”

The man nodded, smiling gently, “Hi there, Taehyung. Welcome to, well, existence. You are a
guardian, do you understand what that means?”

Taehyung hesitated, but then something deep in his core explained his purpose to him, something
deep enough to be considered tantamount to DNA. “Yes.”

“You have,” the man pursed his lips, concentrating on something far away. “Thirteen thousand,
two hundred, and fifty-eight wards. Fewer than the last guardian.”

“Wha -?” Taehyung breathed.

The man shook his head, “Patience, Taehyung. We have less than an hour together, so please,
follow me.”

Taehyung obeyed, holding tightly onto the man’s hand as he took his first questioning steps. The
man guided him forward, smiling encouragingly as he found his bearings. His fifth and sixth limbs
flapped uselessly behind him, and he caught a glimpse of an inky black wingtip out of his
peripheral. He gasped lightly, and the man crooned, “They are very pretty wings, Taehyung. You
will learn how to properly use them soon, I promise.”

The man let him stop and Taehyung twisted his head to look at them, entranced. They really were
pretty, gleaming under the soft light, and huge. He flapped them experimentally, giggling like a
child, until they smashed into a table and knocked off its contents. He immediately dropped them
and they fell heavily onto the floor, fanning out behind him. A sheepish smile pasted itself on his
face. The man laughed patiently, “Come now, Taehyung. You’re playful, aren’t you? It’ll take a
little bit to gain full control of your body, so why don’t you just let your wings relax? It’s okay to
bump into stuff, we just can’t do it on purpose.”

Taehyung nodded, still grinning. They resumed walking, Taehyung losing his balance more than
once when his wings smacked against walls and pillars. “Where - where go? Where are we - we
going?”

The man hummed, “It is called the Lookout. It is where you will eventually learn to fly, but not
yet. Now, you will meet your mentor and hatchmate.”

“Me-mentor? Hatch - hatchm-mate?” Taehyung flinched at his confused tongue.

“Yes, Taehyung,” the man nodded, catching his arm as he stumbled. “The one who will guide you
until you are ready to work and fly on your own.”

Taehyung smiled, and the innocent hope for a kind mentor danced through his thoughts. He was
slowly figuring out this whole “walking” thing, much to his own amusement.

A thought occurred to Taehyung. “What’s - what’s your n-name?”

“I have none, Taehyung,” the man said. “I am a welcomer. We have no need for such things, for
we only remain with each hatchling for an hour until the next is born. But if you wish to call me
something, you may call me Cael.”

“Why?”

The man paused, a far-off look of amusement in his eyes, “Because I like that name.”

Taehyung smiled. That made perfect sense to his childlike mind. “Cael.”

They rounded another corner and the hallway opened out into a massive courtyard. It was
surrounded on all sides by walls, but was at least seven meters in diameter. The walls climbed
upwards, so tall that Taehyung had to crane his neck to see their tops when they stepped out of the
archway, and curled inward. Walkways spidered from its center, a spiral bringing all its veins
together. When Taehyung stepped out of the hall, his bare feet hit a spongy material. Cael
explained that it was so that when he fell (“which you will do when you first learn to fly,
Taehyung, but do not fear”), he’d have a softer landing than if the walkway was made of
cobblestone or cement. The slices of grassy ground between the paths were deep emerald and
feather-soft when Taehyung swayed onto one of them. There were only two angels in the
courtyard, waiting in its center, and turned to watch the two newcomers approach. One of them
was bouncing excitedly, and suddenly smacked the air with her dappled grey wings once to propel
herself towards the two. Taehyung didn’t even have a chance to react before the female had
knocked him down, sitting on his stomach and babbling.

“Hi! I’m Eden, what’s your name?” She giggled excitedly, speaking so quickly that Taehyung had
to strain to understand her fully. “You must be my hatchmate, isn’t that cool? I mean, we aren’t
from the same nest since we’re different ranks, which is lame, but that’s okay!” She tapped her
chin thoughtfully, and Taehyung noticed that his wings were starting to ache from being pinched
underneath them. “We’re going to be best friends, okay?”

Though Taehyung’s muscles were hurting beneath him, he smiled and nodded. Eden grinned,
“Good.”

Cael had gone to stand next to the other angel, a male with milky white wings. Each of his
individual feathers were tipped with light brown, and Taehyung marveled at them from beneath
Eden. “P-pretty,” he hummed softly.

The man smiled, “Thank you, little one. Eden, stand please. The poor boy is not yet strong enough
for this amount of wrestling, and neither are you.”

Eden pouted but obeyed, and then pulled Taehyung to his feet. She turned to the man, “Can we at
least play?”

The elders glanced at each other, and Cael said gently, “Little ones, we have work to do still. You
must meet your mentor.”

“We get the same one?” Eden asked, awe palpable in her voice.

“Yes,” the other man said.

“Oh!” Eden suddenly shouted, her attention already diverting to another point. She turned to her
hatchmate, “What's your name? You never answered before.”

“Taehyung,” the boy said, grinning sheepishly.

Eden’s energy was making him giddy, and his dark wings quivered in anticipation on his back. His
young mind wanted to play, and he hopped on the balls of his feet antsily.

Cael suddenly smiled and the other man shot a look at him. “We still have work to do, but your
mentor has not arrived yet, so what do you think, brother?” He turned to the other elder, “Let these
hatchlings play?”

The other man glanced at him exasperatedly. “You’ve always been a troublemaker.”

“Not trouble,” Cael grinned. “Just, remember how excited you were when we met each other? It is
good for little ones to stretch their muscles. Makes them strong.”

The hatchling stared at their welcomers expectantly, innocent pleading in their faces. Cael’s
opponent sighed, but cracked a smile, “Then okay, little ones, if my brother insists, I see no harm.”

Eden and Taehyung grinned at each other. His sister hollered, “Wanna see how high I can fly?”

Taehyung nodded excitedly, and Cael snorted at the other man, “So much for following protocol,
brother.”

The other elder waved his hand flippantly. “Let then fly and let them crash. Their mentor will be
pleased that they have been trying.”

Cael nodded and then turned to watch the hatchlings dash away. “Their bond will be strong.”

“The stronger the better so that they may work together,” the other elder draped an arm over Cael’s
shoulders. “Guardians and messengers often have the best relationships.”
Cael rolled his eyes, “I like you well enough, brother, and we are both welcomers.”

“But we have not seen each other in many years, my friend,” the other pointed out. “Our job is
lonely, and our hatchlings only stay with us for an hour before we move on to the next. How long
do we have left with these two?”

Cael pursed his lips in concentration. “A little less than half an hour.”

The other nodded.

As this conversation was happening, Taehyung was being enchanted by Eden’s showing off. She
looked over at him with a bright smile, “Ready?”

Taehyung nodded, grinning back, and Eden steeled herself before taking off at a run. Excitement
coursed through Taehyung’s veins and he took off after her. Cael raised his eyebrows, “I was
worried for him, but he seems to be understanding his body now.”

“Worried, brother?”

“His motor skills were questionable when we walked here,” Cael sighed contentedly. “I was
worried he would have a hard time learning. But he seems to be figuring it out.”

Taehyung stumbled once as he ran, but that didn’t deter him from continuing after his sister. She
lifted her wings, her young muscles straining in her back, and began to flap haphazardly. Taehyung
slowed, watching with wide eyes. She lifted herself up, getting off the ground and then landing
again, before finally finding herself airborne. She flapped a few more times, hovering a good meter
in the air as she propelled herself forward, before she stumbled to the ground again, landing on her
knees. She grinned up at Taehyung, adrenaline flashing in her dark eyes. Taehyung clapped
excitedly, “I want to - to try, I want to try!”

Cael frowned at his stammering, but his brother shook his head, “Come now, you stuttered for
awhile when you first hatched.”

The other smiled at those words, relaxing.

“Try it, then!” Eden giggled.

“How do you do it?”

Eden pursed her lips, thinking hard. “I’m not sure, actually. You just kind of feel it, you know?”

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut, trying to feel something. “I’ll t-try now.”

Eden squealed, clapping her hands. Taehyung turned, squinting at his runway, before starting to
run. His muscles sang, coaxing him onward, and wind whistled in his ears. He lifted his wings, his
back straining beneath them, and pumped them carefully. He yelped in surprise when he suddenly
found his feet off the ground, and he hesitated. Disappointingly, his feet landed again, but Eden
shouted behind him, “Come on, Taehyung! You got this!”

Taehyung grinned and sped up, flapping in earnest. Suddenly, he was airborne, and he whooped
excitedly. He made it a few meters before landing, his momentum carrying him a few steps
forward.

The elders glanced at each other. Cael voiced both of their thoughts, “That was...very good.”
The other nodded, eyebrows furrowed. “Are we sure he’s not a soldier?”

“He’s not,” Cael said, though the question had been rhetorical.

Eden ran up to her brother, laughing giddily. “That was amazing, Taehyung!”

Taehyung blushed sheepishly, “You really think so?”

His sister bounced up and down, exuding energy, “Yes, yes! Let’s try it together now! Want to see
who can fly the highest?”

Excitement arose in Taehyung’s heart at the prospect of a competition and he nodded. Eden took
his hand and they started to run together, happy and childish. They would soon mature, but today
they were still hatchlings that wanted to play. They let go of each other, putting space in between
them so they could stretch out their wings. Eden found herself in the air first, but competitiveness
took over Taehyung and he chased her skyward. She was winning for a moment, but then her
brother passed her, laughing madly. He pushed himself further, blood speeding through his veins.
His wings were warm and powerful, taking him higher and higher into the sky.

Cael and the other elder craned their necks to watch him rise. The latter murmured, “Should he -
should we make him come down?”

Cael smiled, a far-off look in his eyes. “Let him go, brother. Let’s see what my hatchling can do.”

Taehyung continued to fly, pushing himself further even though Eden had already given up and
landed, now watching him in awe from the ground. His muscles and tendons were starting to
strain, not yet used to flight, but still he rose.

Until, not watching where he was going, he slammed into something.

He didn’t realize he was falling for a moment, but then adrenaline took over and he madly flapped
his wings. It did no good and he rocketed to the ground, slamming into the grass. He slid for a few
meters, somersaulting over himself, until he came to a haphazard stop. Blinking, he shook his head
and groaned, rubbing his head. His entire body ached from impact, but suddenly there was a hand
in his vision field. He cocked his head at it, and followed it up to an arm, and then a shoulder, and
then a face.

He was vaguely aware of the welcomers running towards him, Cael shouting apologies at the
newcomer, but Taehyung was too busy taking in the man in front of him. His features were
otherworldly, and his wings were so white that they seemed to glow. The man shook them out,
cooling them off, before folding them against his back, his hand never wavering from in front of
Taehyung’s face. Ignoring the welcomers, he purred, “Stand, little one.”

Taehyung obeyed, taking the man’s hand and rising. Eden ran over, but slowed in the presence of
the newcomer. Taehyung couldn’t blame her - there was something about him that made Taehyung
want to hide in unworthiness.

“What are you doing here, sir?” Eden’s welcomer finally said.

The man blinked slowly at the two welcomers, and they bowed their heads in submission. Cael’s
eyes found Taehyung’s, and there was something unreadable in them. The man suddenly grabbed
Taehyung’s chin, tilting his head around to look at him. Satisfied, he released him and smiled.

“Tell their mentor when he arrives that I will be taking over these two,” Raphael said calmly.
“He is just a hatchling,” Cael muttered darkly.

The archangel ignored the welcomer and looked Taehyung in the eyes, making him blush.

“I am Raphael.”
 Chapter 3

Jeongguk had given up shouting for Eden and Taehyung and settled for laying on his cot, staring at
the ceiling. His eyes had adjusted fully to the darkness, and he sighed, rolling on his side and
curling in a ball. He wondered if it was daytime yet, and if the hyungs had realized the maknaes
were gone. What would they do? How would they react?

Most pressingly, when could he return to them?

His throat ached and he swallowed. The darkness of the room was suffocating, and he couldn’t tell
if he’d been in there for a few hours or for mere minutes. Exhaustion overtook him and he fell into
a fitful sleep.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

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.”

As soon as Eden left, Jeongguk stopped dreaming.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Jeongguk cracked open his eyes and groaned. He had the headache of the century, and it only got
worse when he stood. He stumbled to the ground, fighting a wave of nausea, and mused that this
must have been what Eden meant when she said Purgatory was no place for magic. His body
seemed to be trying to expel the little bit she gave him however it could. He dragged himself to the
toilet and threw up, though he didn’t have much food in his stomach to do so. Shuddering, he
carefully lowered the lid and flushed it, wrinkling his nose. The sink’s water was lukewarm and
tasted of ash and copper, but Jeongguk stuffed his head under the faucet and drank deeply anyway.
He let the water pelt his face, grumbling. His hair was soaked, but he didn’t have anyone to
impress at the moment anyway.

Jeongguk sighed and straightened, only to keel over and hurl on the floor. Coughing, he spat,
“Fuck.”
“Jesus, are you okay?” Eden’s voice suddenly asked.

Jeongguk managed to quip, “It’s pronounced ‘Jeongguk.’”

Eden snorted and Jeongguk grabbed a wad of toilet paper. He added, “I’m peachy.”

Scrubbing at his mess, he muttered, “How long have you been here?”

“Not long,” Eden said, her voice signaling that she’d already stopped caring about the vomit.

Jeongguk swallowed more water from the faucet after he flushed the dirtied toilet paper, trying not
to gag on the taste.

“I’m sorry,” Eden suddenly said, her voice sincere.

“For what?” Jeongguk asked, breathing shallowly through his mouth as he slumped against the
wall.

“I shouldn’t have left you with magic. This is my fault.”

Jeongguk weakly waved his hand, “If it means I get to talk to Taehyung, it’s worth it.”

“You really love him, don’t you?” Eden asked in awe.

The maknae shrugged, not trusting himself to speak. His brain was stabbing itself, and he couldn’t
tell if he wanted to puke again or knock himself out. Or both.

“I thought you’d be okay,” she continued. “You seemed to do fine when you talked to him in his
cell.”

“I must be a great act-“ Jeongguk rolled to the toilet and flipped its lid up to puke. “I don’t have
enough food in me for this shit.”

“Did you try the bread?” Eden asked sarcastically.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, “It tasted like chalk.”

“Damn right,” Eden responded, amused. Then, when Jeongguk dry heaved, she said, “I’m gonna
have to get it out of you. Humans die too easily for you to keep vomiting like this.”

“No!” Jeongguk snapped, flapping his arm frantically as if to ward off an attack. “Don’t! I need to
be able to see him!”

“Jeongguk,” Eden said exasperatedly. “You’ll see him soon enough. It’s not like you haven’t lived
without him before.”

“I’m fine, Eden,” Jeongguk insisted stubbornly.

“You’re going to die from hypokalemia, dumbass. I don’t think Taehyung will be very pleased
with either of us.”

Jeongguk heaved a heavy sigh, but before he could speak, he felt something wet on his upper lip.
He shakily touched it, and when he pulled away, there was blood coming from his nose.
“Motherfucker.”

“Yeah, last straw,” Eden said. “I need you to fall asleep now. I can’t take out the magic like this, I
need to be in the same realm as you.”

“That’ll be a bit difficult with you here,” Jeongguk mumbled, his head starting to feel fuzzy.

“I’ll give you fifteen minutes,” she said darkly.

“Fine,” Jeongguk said, struggling to stand.

And then Eden was gone.

Jeongguk crawled rather than walked to the cot and dragged himself up onto it, groaning. His eyes
fluttered shut and his stomach heaved once, only to be dramatic, as unconsciousness overtook his
trembling body.
 Chapter 4
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung had proven to be a brilliant flyer, learning within a day how to convince his body to stay
airborne. Eden had followed his lead, and she had quickly matched his skill level. She was faster,
her wings slim and angled for speed while Taehyung’s were wider and built for stamina. But that
didn’t stop him from trying to beat her. Racing was their favorite game.

Raphael called the hatchmates to the ground, and Taehyung obeyed before his sister. She had
always tested the rules, though never went so far as to completely disrespect the archangel.

Taehyung jogged a few steps upon landing and shook out his wings to cool them. His blood sang in
his ears and his eyes were as wild as his windblown hair. Raphael opened his arms and Taehyung
immediately burrowed himself into the archangel’s embrace, grinning against his throat. The elder
never showed this kind of affection to Eden, or anyone that Taehyung had seen for that matter. But
that was okay. That meant Taehyung was special.

“Good work, little one,” Raphael praised. “You are doing so well.”

Taehyung tilted his head to grin at his mentor. “Thank you, sir!”

Eden landed in a crouch, always one to show off, her grey wings still lifted about her head. She
spread her primaries, allowing wind to filter between them, before standing and joining her brother
and mentor.

“How was that, sir?” She asked, breathless.

“Good,” Raphael nodded. He released Taehyung, who pouted, and said, “Follow me, younglings.
It is time to begin the next phase of your training.”

Eden grabbed Taehyung’s hand as Raphael led them through one of the hallways spidering out
from the Lookout. Taehyung, too excited to be patient, asked, “Sir? Where are we going?”

“Eden will be working with a messenger now,” Raphael explained, turning his head to give
Taehyung an eyeful of his side profile. The boy’s heart stuttered and he flushed, looking down.

“W-what about me?” Taehyung mumbled.

Raphael turned back around and picked up his pace. The hatchmates followed. “You, little one,
will be working with me.”

“Why?” Taehyung pressed, “Shouldn’t I work with a guardian?”

The archangel slowed to a stop and turned to him. “Do you not want to work with me?”

Taehyung quickly shook his head, “Of course I do! I was just curious, I promise.”

Raphael smiled approvingly. Eden spoke up, “Excuse me, sir, but does this mean that Taehyung
and I won’t get to play together anymore?”

“Of course not, Eden,” Raphael promised. “You just won’t be learning together. That is the way
with all younglings. You two are ready for more specialized training.”
How specialized could training with an archangel to be a guardian be? But then again, archangels
knew practically everything. They were the ancient ones, all-powerful and eternal. Surely Raphael
knew as much as - if not more than - a guardian.

The hallway opened to another courtyard, this one far smaller than the Lookout, and within it stood
a woman whose clothing told Taehyung that he was a messenger. Her tunic was wrapped tightly
around her body and was a slightly darker shade of blue than Eden’s, but her skin-tight pants were
the same deep brown. While Taehyung’s clothes were large and billowy, theirs were specifically
for speed and aerodynamics.

“Here is your trainee,” Raphael said, nudging Eden forward.

Eden looked at Taehyung and latched onto his hand, giving it a squeeze. Her voice betrayed her
nervousness, “So, uh, see you around, Taehyung.”

“Yeah,” he breathed, anxious at the prospect of losing his sister. “We’ll see each other soon.”

She nodded and then lifted her head and strode to her new mentor’s side. The woman glanced
between Taehyung and Raphael, something unreadable on her face as she mused, “I see the old one
died.”

“Remember your place,” Raphael ordered, his voice deep and commanding.

The woman lowered her head and led Eden away. Taehyung turned to Raphael, “Sir, what did she
mean?”

Raphael ruffled his hair affectionately, “Nothing, little one. Come, we have much to do.”

Taehyung straightened, trusting his mentor, and followed the archangel back through the halls.
They randomly passed other angels, and all of the older ones looked at him strangely. He puffed
out his chest when he realized that they must be jealous because they didn’t have an archangel as
their mentor. He couldn’t blame them.

Raphael took his hand suddenly and Taehyung blushed, flustered. “Are you alright, little one?”

The boy nodded, his face still a light shade of pink, “I’m perfect.”

“Good,” Raphael hummed and continued to lead him through the winding hallways.

They came to a massive door of impressive mahogany. Raphael turned to Taehyung, “Here is
where you will learn. Remember the way here so that you may return by yourself each day.”

Taehyung bobbed his head and followed the archangel inside, widening his eyes as he took in the
room. It was huge, with a high arching ceiling, and bookshelves on every wall filled with different
volumes from throughout celestial and terrestrial history alike. The center of the floor was empty,
and Raphael led Taehyung there and circled around behind him to push gently down on his
shoulders. His fingertips brushed Taehyung’s alular feathers and the boy gasped softly at the
pleasurable jolt that went through his body, trembling. Raphael didn’t seem to notice and knelt
across from him. Taehyung bit his lip, excited, and Raphael’s eyes followed the movement before
flicking back to his face. “Let us begin, little one.”

Trying not to squirm under the weight of the archangel’s gaze, Taehyung grinned and offered a
sheepish nod.
Chapter End Notes

Ffs guys I’m actually going to die I have an online class that’s pretty much all group
work and last night I was like “do I have a meeting with these guys tonight? Nah if I
did they’d text the group chat” and then I go online and. Not only was there a meeting.
It was a meeting with the PROFESSOR. I love dying and being dead fml

Anyway, short chapter I know, but tomorrow is when shit gets real so get ready
 Chapter 5
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk snapped to attention as the lock turning on the door echoed through the tiny cell. He
scrambled to his feet, pressing his back against the far wall. How long had he been in here with
only Eden to talk to? He missed Taehyung so much it hurt, creating a constant ache in his chest and
a throb in his head.

Eden felt bad that she couldn’t let them speak to each other in their dreams, but Jeongguk’s body
had reacted so awfully that she even refused to let him speak to his boyfriend as she had before, no
matter how much he begged.

The door swung slowly open and Jeongguk squinted as dull light hit his nocturnal eyes. He could
make out two figures standing there, staring at him silently. Flattening his back against the cold
stone, he wetted his lips nervously. What did they want?

The figures entered the room. One was female and the other male, and each had massive wings
folded against their backs, large enough for their joints to peak over their shoulders. Jeongguk
forced himself to say, “Who are you?”

“Come,” the male ordered, reaching out his hand.

Remembering the pain their touch caused him, Jeongguk cowered as far back as he could and
snapped, “I can do it myself, thanks.”

The male glanced at the female, who shrugged, “I see no problem with that. Come, human.”

Jeongguk obeyed warily, watching the male to make sure he didn’t try anything. He didn’t, so
Jeongguk walked silently between them through the poorly lit hallway. “Where are we going?”

“Hush,” the woman ordered, her voice soft.

Their journey took them to a set of stairs and Jeongguk craned his head, trying to see where they
led. It was too dark, though, and then the guards were taking him up. His legs complained after
being cooped up for so long, but he forced himself to keep going.

“Are we going to see Taehyung?” Jeongguk asked, trying to hide the hope in his voice.

“Yes, youngling,” the woman responded, ignoring the look the man gave her. “Now you must
hush.”

Jeongguk obeyed this time, smiling to himself. Finally. He probably stank even though he tried a
few times to wash up in the sink, and his hair was a mess, and he didn’t have a toothbrush, and his
clothes were dingy, but he imagined Taehyung was in the same position. He was just happy to
finally see him. Actually see him, and have him see Jeongguk too.

Finally, they were at the top of the staircase, and the male looked at Jeongguk. “My sister is gentler
than the angels you are about to face in here. As am I.”

Jeongguk marveled at them. “Why are you being nice to me? I thought I was a prisoner.”
“You, unfortunately, are,” the man sighed. “But we do not have to treat you as such. You are
simply a poor human who was seduced by a Fallen. It is not your fault, and we will get it sorted.”

Jeongguk opened his mouth to deny the seduction part, but then the male pushed open the door and
the inhabitants turned to look at the newcomers. Jeongguk scanned the immense room, ignoring
the angels and archangels crowded inside. His eyes finally fell on their prize, meeting Taehyung’s.
The boy was kneeling in the center of the crowd, sitting stiffly upright. Jeongguk gasped softly and,
before he fully knew what he was doing, his legs carried him forward and he fell to his knees
before him, snaking his arms around the boy’s shoulders.

Taehyung buried his face in the crook of Jeongguk’s neck, bringing his hands up to press Jeongguk
deeper into his chest. “Jagi.”

Jeongguk took one hand and carded it through Taehyung’s greasy hair. Even in this state, he
smelled like cinnamon and wind. Jeongguk inhaled deeply, his heart palpitating. He realized he
was crying and pulled away to rub fiercely at his eyes, stopping when Taehyung brought his hands
up to wipe his cheeks with his thumbs. “Don’t cry for me, jagi.”

Not trusting himself to speak, Jeongguk latched onto the front of Taehyung’s shirt and pressed his
forehead into the boy’s shoulder.

And then there were hands on his arms, hoisting him up. Jeongguk clung to Taehyung fiercely,
snapping, “Get the fuck off of me.”

“I’m sorry, young one,” the female guard murmured soft enough so that only the two boys could
hear. “But you cannot do this yet.”

“Yet?” Jeongguk snarled.

The woman hesitated and then said, “My brother does not see love here, but I do. Do as you are
told, young one, and I will see what strings I can pull.”

Jeongguk allowed her to pull him to his feet, holding Taehyung’s hand until he was too far away,
and gave the woman a weak, but thankful, smile. He leaned close to the woman’s ear and
whispered, “Why are you helping me?”

She paused, considering her words carefully. “Many of the lower ranks are aware of Raphael’s
games. The archangels simply choose to be blind.”

Jeongguk wetted his lips and flinched when a booming voice suddenly began to speak. He fell into
line with his two guards, standing with his hands clasped tightly over his stomach.

“Kim Taehyung,” the voice said, belonging to a being standing beside - beside -

Oh hell no.

Raphael felt Jeongguk’s glare and tilted his head to smile at him. Jeongguk clenched his hands
together, struggling to not launch forward and strangle the archangel.

The being - a man with glowing white wings, the same shade as Raphael’s and, well, all the other
archangels that Jeongguk could see - continued, “You are here because you are accused of
breaking the Laws of the Fallen. You have compromised our secrecy by telling a human what you
are.”

The man’s eyes fell on Jeongguk darkly. Taehyung shrugged, “You know, Gabe, two massive
holes in your back are kind of hard to explain.”

“Plenty of Fallen have done it before you,” the man said.

Jeongguk’s breath caught in his throat. Gabriel. This was that famous archangel, Gabriel. And
Taehyung was just sitting here, disrespecting the fuck out of him in front of the other six
archangels.

Jesus, this is actually real life.

Another archangel stepped forward. Taehyung turned his attention to him and grinned slyly,
“Michael, my man, what’s up?”

Jeongguk audibly groaned. Great, they were dead. They were both dead.

“Enough,” Michael barked, his voice echoing off the walls of the room. “This is no place for
disrespect, Kim Taehyung, you are guilty.”

“Wow,” Taehyung snorted and Jeongguk considered decking him. “I thought the saying was,
‘innocent until proven guilty,’ not the other way around. You guys are cutthroat.”

Jeongguk stepped forward, ignoring how the male guard grabbed his shoulder. So long as he was
touching a clothed part of Jeongguk’s body and not his actual skin, he’d be fine. “What he means
is,” Jeongguk said, faltering as all eyes turned to him, “we have proof that he’s not, uh, exactly
guilty.”

“Raphael has proof that he is,” Michael shot back.

“What kind of proof?” Jeongguk pressed.

“Jeongguk -” Taehyung hissed.

“His word,” Michael cut him off.

And now Jeongguk could understand Taehyung’s behavior. He rolled his eyes, “A man’s word is
enough to throw someone in hell?”

“An archangel’s word is law, human, and you’d best remember your place,” One of the other
archangels, a large man with a hard expression, snapped.

“Young one,” the female guard whispered warningly.

Jeongguk forced himself to back down, allowing his guards to pull him back. Still, he couldn’t
resist saying, “Even one who has a history of stalking, harassment, and emotional abuse?”

Michael’s eyes hardened, “Take this human away.”

Jeongguk jerked himself out of the grasp of his guards. He ran forward, falling to his knees beside
Taehyung. The boy glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, a mixture of pride and annoyance
in his gaze. “You’re being reckless, jagi.”

“I don’t really give a shit, hyung,” Jeongguk snapped before tilting his head to look up at the row
of archangels. He felt his guards hands on his arms, but he stayed rooted to the spot long enough to
shout, “You want a trial? Let’s have a proper fucking trial. I accuse Raphael the dumb-shit
archangel of stalking, harassment, and what was the other one?” He turned his head to look at
Taehyung, lifting his eyebrows.
“Emotional abuse,” Taehyung said softly, trying to fight the bemused smile that was lifting the
corners of his mouth.

“Oh yeah, thanks, babe. Emotional abuse. Does your dumbass rulebook have anything that covers
those?”

“Take him away!” Michael barked.

The angels in the room were starting to chitter among themselves when suddenly Eden appeared,
elbowing her way through the roiling crowd. “I second that accusation!”

Gabriel rested a hand on Michael’s shoulder. Raphael glanced at them, his expression dark. One of
the other archangels, a man with unsettling pale eyes, said in a slow, raspy voice, “Eden, though
you are Taehyung’s hatchmate, that does not mean you must support him.”

“I support Jeongguk too,” she said, her eyes lit up and wild. “You have a seconded accusation,
Jophiel, that means that there must be a trial.”

Michael frowned and Raphael snarled, “One of those accusations is from a human. We can’t
possibly -”

“Why can’t it be from a human?” Jeongguk cut him off.

The archangels turned to who Jeongguk assumed to be Jophiel, the one with the pale eyes, and he
cocked his head. He mused, “There is nothing that is against it.”

“Then let’s do this,” Jeongguk said.

Gabriel turned to the other archangels questioningly before saying, “We must speak on this. All are
dismissed.”

Jeongguk’s guards grabbed him, but before he could be pulled away, he pressed a hard, fast kiss to
Taehyung’s lips. His heart fluttered at his taste, and Taehyung ran a hand through Jeongguk’s dark
hair before being pulled to his feet by his own guards. As they were dragged apart, Jeongguk
promised, “I’ll see you soon!”

Taehyung smiled, “I kno-”

The door slammed shut between them.

The woman sighed, “Young one, that was not well-behaved. I cannot help you now.”

“You’ve helped plenty,” Jeongguk said, musing on what had just transpired. “Thank you for your
kindness.”

She nodded, and she and her hatchmate led Jeongguk to his cell. Once inside, he lay on his cot and
stared at the ceiling, stomach still filled with butterflies. He had craved Taehyung’s touch, but he
hadn’t known just how badly he wanted the elder. Just their short kiss was enough to light
fireworks off in Jeongguk’s abdomen. Familiar heat pooled in his stomach and he groaned, trying
to think of anything else. God, when they got home, Jeongguk was going to be a mess.

When they got home.

They were going home. That much Jeongguk was sure of. He wasn’t sure how just yet, but he
knew they were.
Chapter End Notes

I was talking with my coworker about mental health (idk what started the convo) and
she asked me, “How do you know you have ADD?” And I was like “uh I got tested by
a professional?” And she just goes “well I don’t know if you really have ADD” and I
was just...wtf? Okay cool but pls show me where I asked? AND THEN. She suggested
I try using medical marijuana for my depression instead of Prozac, and see if I can use
it instead of Adderall for my ADD, and I’m just sitting there like...really? Yes, let’s
use a DEPRESSANT. To fix my DEPRESSION. That’s a great idea. Let’s take away
my FOCUS. To fix my ADD. I mean, it would help my anxiety, but it would only
worsen my depression soooo no thx?

Anyway. Rant over. Don’t use marijuana to fix depression and ADD.
 Chapter 6

”Jeongguk?”

”Hmm?” Jeongguk blinked, squinting in the morning light. “Aish, Taehyung, what? It’s our day
off, leave me alone.”

He buried his face in Taehyung’s chest, intent on getting at least ten hours of sleep - at least - but
Taehyung sighed and poked his cheek. “Jeongguk.”

Annoyed, the maknae pressed himself deeper against Taehyung, bringing his arms around the
elder. His fingertips brushed the edges of his bandages, but Taehyung no longer tensed up
whenever the younger did that, so he didn’t move. The elder pressed, “Jeongguk.”

The maknae remained steadfast.

”Jagi.”

As stubborn as Taehyung was, Jeongguk could beat anyone at this type of game.

”Jeongguk. Jagiya. International playboy. Jeon Jeongguk. Baby boy.” Jeongguk cracked his eye
open at that but refused to move. And then Taehyung cheated, snickering, “Hey, daddy, I’m talking
to you.”

”For the love of all that is holy, what do you want?” Jeongguk lifted his head and groaned, his
face lighting on fire. “And don’t call me that.”

”What, ‘daddy’? You don’t want me to call you daddy?”

”I’m too tired to hit you.” Jeongguk pushed himself up onto his elbows, squinting at Taehyung.
“And if anything, you’d be the daddy in this relationship. I mean, have you seen yourself?” He
shrugged, yawning. “Besides, I’ve never heard of a daddy that bottoms as well as I do.”

”I instantly regret calling you that,” Taehyung laughed.

”That’s the point. Now, what do you want?” Taehyung hesitated long enough for Jeongguk’s
expression to harden. “I swear to god, if you forgot -”

”I didn’t forget,” Taehyung rushed to say. “You just made me flustered, that’s all.”

Suddenly, someone knocked on their bedroom door. Jeongguk dropped his forehead on Taehyung’s
chest, grumbling. The elder shouted, “What is it?”

”Well for one thing, Jeongguk and Jimin planned on an Overwatch marathon today, and he won’t
stop whining about it,” Yoongi’s voice responded. “And in case you forgot, Taehyung, you told
Namjoon and Hoseok you’d go shopping with them.”

Jeongguk tilted his head up and cocked an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “Aww, is my Gucci boy going
to teach his elders the way?”

”Damn straight, jagi,” Taehyung grinned.

”I thought you were damn gay.”

Taehyung faltered, eyes flicking to Jeongguk’s, before Yoongi shoved the door open. The maknae
sighed and rolled off Taehyung’s chest, waving at the elder. Unamused, Yoongi grumbled, “Come
on, you two, up. Jesus, why am I always the one in charge of waking you two up for shit?”

”Because you’re not afraid to walk in on us naked, and everyone else is,” Taehyung said.
Jeongguk slugged his shoulder, making both elders snort.

Jeongguk groaned, sitting up fully, “Why did we agree to do things today?”

”Not sure,” Yoongi shrugged, cracking a smirk despite himself. “But if you really wanted to bang
all day, you should have thought about that before committing yourselves to others.”

”That is not what I meant!” Jeongguk cried, covering his face with his hands.

”Sure it’s not,” Yoongi turned to leave. “See you guys later.”

”Where are you going?” Jeongguk asked, dropping his hands.

”My room to take a nap. I was smart and left my schedule open today,” Yoongi teased before
shutting the door.

Jeongguk rubbed at his face. “Do we have to get up yet?”

”Gucci boy does,” Taehyung hauled himself up into a sitting position, stretching his arms skyward
before letting one fall over Jeongguk’s bare shoulders. His fingers found a hickey he’d left on the
maknae’s collarbone the night prior and he massaged the sensitive skin around it. “And I wouldn’t
keep Jimin waiting. I don’t care how cute he looks, that dude gets scary when he’s mad.”

Jeongguk snorted, though he couldn’t help but agree. “I’ll see you later?”

Taehyung stood, running an absent-minded hand through Jeongguk’s hair. “Want to shower with
me first?”

Jeongguk heart palpitated. “S-sure.”

Though they had slept together at least twice a week (okay, usually more than that) over the past
three weeks, Jeongguk still felt an initial stab of trepidation whenever Taehyung suggested it. His
mind always traveled to the boy’s old life, and he never really understood how he could compare.

Those thoughts quickly went away as soon as Taehyung started touching him, though.

Taehyung knelt in front of Jeongguk, and his long fingers gently gripped his hips. He pressed a
deep kiss to the maknae’s stomach, earning a small mewl. With a loving smile, Taehyung looked up
into his face, squinting as water pelted his forehead, and Jeongguk ran a hand through his
drenched silvery blonde hair. The adoration in the elder’s eyes made them gleam beautifully, and
Jeongguk wished he could stare into them forever. Taehyung hummed and sucked a mark into
Jeongguk’s hip, who craned his head back in response. Gripping at Taehyung’s hair, Jeongguk
smiled at the dark roots that were starting to show. He never knew why Taehyung bleached it when
he fell, but he imagined that wasn’t a question that the boy could properly answer.

The elder suddenly stood, his hands leaving Jeongguk’s skin, and the maknae released an
unbidden whine. Taehyung giggled and trailed his fingertips over Jeongguk’s bare ass, up his
sides, across his shoulders, stopping their journey to squeeze his biceps experimentally. The older
boy licked his lips, making Jeongguk’s member twitch. Taehyung leaned close and whispered, “I
seriously think your muscles are my kink.”
”Oh, fuck,” Jeongguk moaned, and Taehyung dropped his head to sink his teeth into Jeongguk’s
shoulder.

One thing that Jeongguk had learned over the past few weeks was that as sexy as Taehyung was,
he was also, at the end of the day, a bit of a tease. The elder licked a stripe up Jeongguk’s bicep,
trailing his tongue all the way up his shoulder and across his chest to his pectoral, where he
swirled it around his nipple. The maknae whimpered, leaning back against the wall, and Taehyung
took the opportunity to bring his knee up between his thighs as he sucked another hickey into
Jeongguk’s skin. By now, the maknae’s torso was covered in marks both old and new, but he didn’t
mind at all considering just looking at them succeeded in turning him on. Jeongguk trembled, not
really trusting his legs to hold him upright since the top of Taehyung’s thigh was rubbing against
his balls. “Tae-aehyung, ah -”

Taehyung picked up his head just long enough to growl, “Yes, Kookie?”

And then the excruciatingly minimal contact with Jeongguk’s neglected member was gone, leaving
him dazed and needy, until he saw Taehyung lower himself to his knees. Jeongguk groaned, biting
his lip to muffle the sound, as the elder’s hot mouth fell around his pulsing cock. “Oh god,
Taehyung...”

Jeongguk laced his fingers in Taehyung’s hair, gripping it tightly. The elder hummed, sending
vibrations straight to Jeongguk’s core, and the maknae craned his head back and moaned. The
boy’s plush lips tugged gently, swallowing him whole before retracting to hold only the head of his
twitching member. It wasn’t nearly enough, not for Jeongguk’s level of horniness, and he
impatiently bucked his pelvis forward. Taehyung’s hands shot up to grip the divets in his sides,
effectively holding him in place, and Jeongguk mewled. But then he was vaguely aware of
Taehyung’s nose bumping his abdomen, wet heat engulfing the entirety of his cock, and the
maknae threw his head back, nowhere near prepared for Taehyung to start deepthroating.

The older boy might be the first person who ever gave Jeongguk head, but the maknae hoped he’d
be the last because fuck, this was sinfully good. Jeongguk released a breathy moan, struggling to
keep down his volume. Taehyung’s fingers twitched as a warning and Jeongguk stroked his hair
reassuringly, promising that he’d be quiet. And then Taehyung’s hands snaked around to cup his
asscheeks and Jeongguk accidentally slammed his head back against the wall, hissing in pain as
stars momentarily spotted across his vision. “Aish.”

”You okay?” Taehyung snorted, releasing his member. His lips were swollen and tantalizing.

Jeongguk tugged the boy’s hair helplessly, gritting his teeth through the headache that was
forming in the back of his skull. “No one told you to stop.”

Taehyung smiled and resumed his ministrations, taking Jeongguk’s pulsing member back between
his lips, this time using one of his hands to massage the younger’s balls. Pressure started to build
deep in Jeongguk’s stomach, threatening to burst, and he exhaled shakily, “Hyung, I’m - ah -
gonna come.”

Taehyung squeezed the maknae’s ass with his free hand, sending a shot of electricity through his
body. He whispered around Jeongguk’s member, “Do it, jagi.”

Jeongguk’s eyes slipped shut and his stomach flexed in preparation as the elder worked him to the
edge. “H-hyung, fuck yes, oh - oh god, it’s - I’m -“

With that, Jeongguk reached his climax, raunchy sounds flying past his lips before he could stop
them. Taehyung dutifully milked him dry, his Adam’s apple bobbing with each swallow, and then
pulled off of him with a pop. He grinned and stood, opening his mouth under the running water to
help wash down Jeongguk’s release. The maknae rested his head back against the wall, his legs
quivering. “You destroyed me.”

”Good,” Taehyung crooned, his voice coming from deep within his throat. “I like taking care of
you.”

Jeongguk eyed the elder’s pulsating cock, still trying to catch his breath. “Can I return the favor?”

Taehyung’s eyes flicked down to his member, and he bit his lip but then shook his head, “You're
blissed out, jagi, don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of it myself.”

Jeongguk almost groaned in annoyance. Taehyung was always like this - he’d rock Jeongguk’s
entire world, but then insisted the maknae not reciprocate. When they had sex it was different, but
Taehyung tried not to let Jeongguk give him oral, or really do anything pleasurable to him if he
was the only one who benefited from it. Carefully, the maknae mused, “Am I really that bad at
giving head?”

Taehyung eyed him. “No, why would you ask that?”

“Well, I mean, you never let me - you know. I’m assuming it’s because I’m bad at it.”

Taehyung ran a hand through his hair. “You’re great at it, jagi,” he finally said. “The other day,
what was it, two weeks ago at this point? When you tried to ride -“

”I thought we agreed to never speak of that again,” Jeongguk grumbled, his face turning pink.

”Sorry. Anyway, that was amazing.” Taehyung hesitated. “I just don’t want you to have to work,
especially if it’s for me.”

Jeongguk blinked in surprise. “That’s not fair to you at all.”

”I don’t mind,” Taehyung shrugged. “So long as you’re happy.”

”Taehyung,” Jeongguk said, and the elder met his eyes warily. The maknae was sick of Taehyung
treating himself like a lesser person when it came to sex, so he said softly, “I’m not him.”

The elder winced, dropping his gaze. “I know you’re not -“

”I don’t use you like he did. I don’t hurt you like he did. I will never, ever do to you what he did.”
Jeongguk cupped Taehyung face in his hands. “So let me make you feel like the perfect person you
are, okay?”

Taehyung trembled, eyes moving to stare at Jeongguk’s lips. “O-okay.”

Jeongguk sighed and nodded, lowering himself down. Taehyung’s towering form blocked the
showerhead, so Jeongguk was free to gaze up into his face without being waterboarded. The elder
hesitantly stroked his hair and Jeongguk leaned into his hand, trailing his own fingers up and
down his soft thighs. If Jeongguk’s muscles were Taehyung’s kink, then the elder’s thighs were
definitely his. And his tummy. Especially his tummy. Jeongguk pressed a gentle kiss to the honeyed
skin right next to Taehyung’s navel at that thought, his eyelids fluttering shut as he lingered there.
The thin layer of muscle flexed involuntarily beneath his lips and Jeongguk smiled, memorizing
every little reaction he could coax out of the older boy as he ghosted his lips across Taehyung’s
skin. The elder groaned deeply, “You’re killing me, jagi.”
”Patience is a virtue, hyung,” Jeongguk chided.

”Not one that I have,” Taehyung breathed through gritted teeth.

Jeongguk hummed innocently and pressed a kiss to the elder’s thigh, and then moved inward to
lightly tease the crease between his hip and groin. The elder gripped his hair impatiently, but
didn’t try to force Jeongguk’s mouth onto him. The maknae turned his head and exhaled a hot gust
of air over Taehyung’s throbbing member, earning a dissatisfied mewl. The elder begged, “Please,
jagi. I’m actually dying.”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, “I think you’re being a little overdramatic.”

”I would never - fuck, Jeongguk!”

Taehyung’s knees failed him and he had to shift a step backwards in order to avoid falling as
Jeongguk’s mouth enveloped his member. The maknae followed after him, curling his tongue
around the elder’s shaft experimentally. He sunk his nails into the backs of Taehyung’s thighs,
whimpering at their silky feel, and the elder sighed heavily. Not quite confident enough to try
deepthroating yet, Jeongguk brought one hand back around and grasped the base of Taehyung’s
cock, tugging in time. Taehyung’s hand shot out to slam against the wall, holding him upright, as
he moaned, “Oh my god, Jeongguk - oh shit - shit -“

Jeongguk hummed, hollowing out his cheeks. Taehyung whimpered and whined beneath him,
wanting more while at the same time wanting to take it slow. His upper body curled forward and
his hands caught himself so that he was looming over the younger, boxing him in between his body
and the wall. With a moan, Taehyung realized how pretty Jeongguk was from this angle, his damp
hair falling over his forehead and his cute little toes visible from where his feet were tucked
beneath his ass. The maknae looked up at him and he threw his head back, stifling a moan at the
innocence in the younger’s eyes and the puffiness in his lips as he worked at his cock. When he was
sure he wasn’t going to either scream or collapse, Taehyung shakily carded one hand through
Jeongguk’s hair and whispered an unbidden string of praises and expletives alike. His stomach
clenched around the arousal rising in his core, and he warned, “I’m close, jagiya.”

Jeongguk redoubled his efforts and Taehyung whined, trying hard to hold off his orgasm. “It’s time
to get off, sweet boy. I’m gonna - gonna -“

Jeongguk didn’t stop - in fact, he clung even harder to Taehyung’s thighs, his head bobbing as fast
as it could. The elder’s muscles stiffened beneath his grip and Jeongguk decided at the last minute
to pull off, replacing his mouth with his hand, and he tugged until Taehyung came on his face.
Grinning, Jeongguk decided that the elder’s high-pitched moaning - contrasting so strongly with
his usual smooth baritone - was his favorite sound in the world. The maknae licked his lips clean,
marveling at his lover’s taste, and Taehyung groaned at the sight. The elder breathed heavily,
slumping forward over Jeongguk, and the maknae sat back on his heels and waited patiently for
him to collect himself, gazing up at him in all his glory.

Taehyung heaved a final massive sigh and straightened, offering a hand. Jeongguk took it gladly,
wincing at the stiffness in his knees, and stepped into shower stream to wash off his face. Taehyung
snaked his arms around the maknae’s torso, humming in his ear.

Jeongguk smiled to himself. If anything, they needed to get back home just to pick up where they
left off. Taehyung was coaxing Jeongguk out of his shell, teaching the younger that sex wasn’t
something to be embarrassed about and that showing signs of affection didn’t make you weak, and
Jeongguk was slowly showing Taehyung that he was worthy of loving and being loved, and that he
had a right to have pleasure just as much as he gave it.
He frowned, thoughts turning to his five other hyungs. He should probably see if Eden could send
them a message; though, what could he possibly say? “Hi, I’m fine, but Taehyung will go to literal
hell if I don’t help him, and even if I do, he might still go to hell. We probably won’t be home for
dinner, Jinnie-hyung, so please don’t wait up! Love you guys, see you later! Or not, if both of us
die!”

Jeongguk sighed hopelessly.

 Chapter 7
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung leaned against the wall of his cell, his heart still pounding erratically. He fiddled with
the hem of his shirt, trying to ignore the pressure building in his pants. He’d never known seeing
Jeongguk stand his ground, as ferocious and deadly as a tiger, could be such a turn on, but he was
quickly coming undone.

This was not the place for those kinds of thoughts.

Still, he palmed himself experimentally through his clothes, biting back a whimper. And then
remembered that Jeongguk wasn’t here with him, and immediately stopped. He sighed, running a
hand down his face. He really needed his head to be clear, and this was not helping.

He tilted his head back against the cold stone of the wall, squeezing his eyes shut. He remembered
how Jeongguk had ran to him, as if he was the only person in the room. As if he was all that
mattered. It had felt so good to bury himself in Jeongguk’s sculpted arms, if only for a moment.
And when the younger kissed him? Explosions. If he focused, Taehyung could still taste the
phantom sensation of Jeongguk’s lips.

Taehyung exhaled shakily and blinked, struggling to calm his pounding heart. He tugged at his
pants to relieve some of the tightness around his groin.

“Gross.”

His head snapped up and, when he didn’t see anyone, he snorted, “Learn how to knock.”

“I literally cannot do that,” Eden pointed out.

“Then stop popping up unannounced,” Taehyung replied, pushing himself to his feet. He crossed
his arms over his chest, pursing his lips. “How are you?”

“This is the first time we’ve properly spoken since you fell and that’s all you have to say?” she
snapped, and Taehyung flinched. She sighed sadly, “I’m fine, Taehyung. How are you? That
human seems to make you happy. Jeongguk?”

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung nodded. “You’ve spoken with him.”

“I have.”

“You let him visit me,” Taehyung scratched the back of his head sheepishly. “Thanks for that.”

“He’s cute,” Eden said. The awkwardness between the hatchmates was palpable. “I approve.”

“Jeez, I better marry him then,” Taehyung gave a tight-lipped smile. He’d meant it to come out as a
joke, but his voice had a hard edge to it.

Eden hesitated before saying, “I wish I could hug you.”

Taehyung dropped his eyes, “Me too. I miss you, sister.”

“I want to race again,” Eden sighed, “like we used to. But your dumb ass had to go and fall.”
“Yeah,” Taehyung frowned. Neither spoke for awhile, until Taehyung finally asked the question
that was at the front of his mind. “Why haven’t you spoken to me yet? Why did you go to
Jeongguk first?”

Eden didn’t answer for a very long time. Taehyung worried that she’d left but knew that that
wasn’t the case. He would know it if she did. “Eden? Are you ashamed of me?”

“No, Taehyung,” she said softly.

“I wouldn’t blame you if you were,” Taehyung hugged his middle.

“I was afraid,” his sister finally admitted. Taehyung’s head snapped up at the confession. “I didn’t
want to see my brother without his wings. I checked on you, but I couldn’t - I didn’t - Taehyung, I
miss you so much. I tried to talk to you on Earth, but it didn’t work. And to see you here without
those beautiful black wings knocking something over -” Taehyung snorted “- is heartbreaking. I’m
sorry, I know it was selfish.”

“I’ve missed you too, Eden,” Taehyung whispered.

Eden found her resolve and continued, “Now, as for why I went to Jeongguk first. I was there when
they brought you in. I mean, I wasn’t there, but I saw.”

Taehyung squirmed, “I was a mess, wasn’t I?”

“You kept talking about a human named Jeon Jeongguk and how he had to be kept safe no matter
what. The way you acted, I figured he was important, so I got curious. After they brought him in, I
went to his cell, and he was actually screaming for you. To the point that it hurt my ears.”
Taehyung dropped his head into his hands, shuddering at the image his brain conjured. Jeongguk
didn’t deserve to hurt because of him. “And I knew that whatever you two had was very important,
so I decided to help him.”

“Thank you,” Taehyung mumbled. “You have no idea how much that means to me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Eden said stiffly. “I tried to give him some magic to use to speak to you, but it
didn’t mesh well with his body.”

“We’re in Purgatory, dumbass,” Taehyung said darkly. “What did you think would happen?”

“I took it out before it could kill him, didn’t I? If Jeongguk had his way, he’d still be in there
puking his guts out.”

“Gross.”

“Imagine watching it happen.”

Taehyung frowned, “I don’t want to.”

“Me neither. Anyway, onto more pressing topics than your boyfriend’s vomit. I’m going to try to
teach Jeongguk how to use some of my magic.”

Taehyung cocked his head to the side, fighting off the urge to go blank. “What? He’s a human.”

“Nice observation,” Eden said. “He used it before, I don’t see why he couldn’t use it now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Jesus, you’re intelligent,” Eden sighed. “How do you think he made it into your dreams on Earth?
Have you ever heard of a human doing that?”

Taehyung worked his jaw. Finally, he asked, “How?”

“It was an accident. I was trying to talk to you and figured since you were getting ready to join his
boy band -”

“Idol group.”

“Gesundheit.”

“Fuck off.”

“I love you too.”

Taehyung shook his head, grinning despite himself. “I’ve really missed you, Eden.”

“There’s a lot to miss.”

“And there it goes.”

“Focus, idiot,” Eden laughed. “This is serious.”

“Sorry, continue.”

“Thank you. Now, I was using him as a vessel to get to you, since you know that’s standard
protocol to deliver messages now, even though it’d be much easier to just go myself than search for
someone a human’s seen before -”

“The point, Eden,” Taehyung stopped her tangent.

“Well, I thought for sure that you must have met him at some point. Obviously I was wrong, and I
had to bail fast in order to avoid literally breaking his brain. That’s why he was sucked away from
you in that first dream you had with him. Remember?”

“Of course I do.”

“Right, because you love him and all that. Well, it must have messed him up enough to trap some
of my magic in him. It became dormant as soon as he crossed into Purgatory, but it was there
working like a charm and I’m sure it will again once you guys are free. It only works with you,
though, probably because that was the only path I followed through him.”

“I’m glad,” Taehyung offered a bitter smile. “I’d get jealous if my baby was in someone else’s
dreams.”

“Dude, gross. Don’t call him your baby in front of me.”

“Sorry, I’ll stick with ‘gumdrop.’”

“I will actually hit you.”

“Sugarplum?”

“You’re an ass.”
 “The light of my life?”

“That’s both cute and cringey. Stop.”

“The wind beneath my nonexistent wings?”

“That one’s too real. Moving on.”

Taehyung grinned. If Eden were physically here, they would have punched each other at least
twice each by now. He had missed having his hatchmate to talk to. She could make light of any
situation. Sobering, he asked, “Did you get my message?”

“Yeah, and don’t use our bond like that again. Shit was creepy. You know that it was hard as hell
to make that message convincing?” Eden snorted, “You’re lucky your sister is badass at her job.”

Taehyung nodded in appreciation. He had only read about using the bond between hatchmates to
call out to each other in their minds, and he wasn’t entirely sure it had worked when he tried it right
before entering Purgatory. His main concern was if a Fallen could do it. Still, though, it had felt
invasive and a bit gross, especially considering that he had to mingle his very soul with hers long
enough to convey the message. But it had to be done. He had asked her to tell the other members
that he and Jeongguk had gone on an emergency trip to his parent’s because his mom had fallen ill.
Now hopefully they’d just believe it when he told them she miraculously healed. Also, hopefully
they wouldn’t ask to meet her, considering she didn’t actually exist. He was aware that it wasn’t a
very believable story at all, but hopefully it would at least buy them enough time before Seokjin
called the authorities to file a missing persons report.

Getting back on track, Taehyung asked, “What are you going to teach him?”

“Mostly how to control what he did before so he’s not always in your head whenever you are both
sleeping at the same time. I’m sure that can get really annoying.”

“Never,” Taehyung said earnestly.

“It might in the future though. Don’t you want him to be able to control it?”

Taehyung shrugged, acknowledging that she was right. “I’d like him to have control, yes.”

“Good.” Eden was quiet for a moment, and then said, “I have to go now, Taehyung, they’ll be
wondering where I am. I’ll see you soon, brother.”

Taehyung sat back down, deflating. He breathed, “See you, sister.”

Chapter End Notes

I have some very exciting news, guys! Distract Me is now available in Russian!
Here’s the link to go check it out, and make sure to give the translator lots of love
because it’s incredible they’re willing to do this: https://ficbook.net/readfic/6710933
 Chapter 8

Jeongguk closed his eyes, willing himself to sleep, but found that he was far too antsy. He sat up,
his back aching, and whispered, “Eden?”

No response, not that he really expected one. He sighed and lay back down, closing his eyes. His
fingers kept twitching on his stomach, pent up energy threatening to suffocate him. If only he
could move. He wasn’t sure if it had been a few hours or over a day since the initial meeting with
Taehyung and the archangels, but he hadn’t seen or heard from anyone since.

What was Taehyung doing? Was he trapped in a similar cell, laying on his own cot, wondering
where Jeongguk was? Or was he elsewhere, facing his own trial, one that was rigged in Raphael’s
favor?

At that thought, Jeongguk shot to his feet and crossed to the door, pounding his fist on it. “Hey!
Anybody out there?”

At first, there was no response, but then the door slowly creaked inward. He stepped back to let it
open fully, eyes wide in surprise. It was his female guard, and he cocked his head. “Uh, thanks.”

“What do you need, young one?” she asked gently.

Jeongguk stared at her. Now that he could look at her properly, he could take in her features. She
had long brown hair and hawk-like wings that shined dully in the light from the hallway. Her
armor was slim-fitting and simple, consisting of thin sheets of metal with black fabric underneath.
Her grey eyes flashed and Jeongguk jumped to attention, “I, uh, I wanted to know if I could see
Taehyung.”

“You can’t,” she said. “You disrespected the archangels. There will be no favors granted to you.”

Jeongguk slumped, dropping his gaze. “Oh. Do you at least know if he’s okay?”

“He’s fine, young one. In a very similar situation as yours.”

“Okay,” Jeongguk heaved in a shaky breath. “Thanks.”

“Of course. I am sorry I cannot help more. Is that all?”

“Yeah.”

The woman nodded and pulled the door shut. Jeongguk plopped down on the ground, running a
hand over his face. The emotional toll suddenly hit him like a truck, followed by exhaustion, and
Jeongguk heaved himself up to cross to his cot. He lay down, blinking at the ceiling, before feeling
himself fall fitfully asleep.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Eden was waiting for him, frowning impatiently. “Took you long enough.”

“To sleep?” Jeongguk snorted.

“Yes! I told you, there are things I want to teach you.”

“Like what?”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to take out the magic that was left in you before -”

“What?”

“Oh, yeah, I told Taehyung but I didn’t tell you -”

“You saw Taehyung? How is he?” Jeongguk cut her off excitedly.

Eden huffed before offering a sly grin. “He’s fine. Missing every bit of you like crazy, if you know
what I mean.”

Jeongguk blushed.

“Now, the reason you could visit Taehyung in the first place is because I tried to use you to talk to
him. I thought you had seen him before, but I was wrong, and in order to not hurt you, I had to get
out of there fast. The damage was already done, though, sorry about that, but now you have some
messenger magic infused in your brain, so I guess it’s not all bad.”

“What part of it is bad?” Jeongguk wondered.

Eden frowned, knitting her eyebrows together thoughtfully. “I actually don’t know. I mean, right
now your subconscious can’t stay out of Taehyung’s, so there’s the lack of privacy. But I’m going
to try to fix it and make it so you can control when you go into his mind.”

Jeongguk smiled, “Okay, cool. How?”

“It’s going to be hard simply because your magic is dormant while you’re in Purgatory, and I don’t
want to wake it up considering I can’t take it out if it reacts badly. Which, let’s be real, it probably
would.”

Jeongguk shuddered. “That was the worst experience of my life.”

“And yet you didn’t want me to remove it!” Eden laughed, patting Jeongguk’s head. She had to
practically stand on her toes to do so. “Humans are so silly.”

Jeongguk squirmed, and he couldn’t help feeling like a pet. “Okay, moving on. How are you
planning on teaching me?”

“I don’t actually know, to be honest.” Eden shrugged. “First, we need to get you to control your
own subconscious. That way, when you don’t want to be in Taehyung’s head, you can travel back
to your own.”

“Is that going to be difficult? I mean, I’ve never even dreamed before Taehyung.”

Eden pursed her lips, “Well, yes, considering that tidbit. But we still need to try, unless you think
it’s healthy to never get a break from each other.”

Jeongguk paused. If they ever fought - when they fought, because every couple had fights - they
couldn’t even get a reprieve from each other in sleep. That would eventually wear on them. “I
don’t.”

“Good.” Eden grinned, “Now, let’s begin. See where we are? This is your personal dreamscape.”

Jeongguk looked around at the white abyss. “It looks like Taehyung’s.”
“That’s because nothing is here yet. Taehyung probably didn’t care to create anything in his
dreamscape, but we’re going to in yours.”

“Why?”

“Because if you can create things at will here, you’ll be able to conquer your mind. And you’ll get
more familiar with it, so that once you have the bridge to Taehyung’s subconscious available again,
you shouldn’t automatically cross it. Instead, you should be able to choose where you go, your
head or his.”

Jeongguk nodded, trying to wrap his thoughts around it all. “What do I need to do?”

Eden cracked her knuckles thoughtfully. “Okay, so, try to think of something small, like an apple
or a piece of paper. Oh, hey, close your eyes, it’ll help you concentrate.”

Jeongguk obeyed, trying to decide on an object. Finally, he smiled, “Got it.”

“Good, okay now, only think about that object.” Eden took Jeongguk’s hand and flattened it, palm
upwards, holding it in front of him. “Imagine it appearing here in your hand. Really make it
happen.”

Jeongguk scrunched up his face, eyes still closed. He tried to imagine it materializing in his palm,
fading into existence. And then he was aware of a weight on his hand, and Eden released him to let
him curl his fingers around it, holding it lightly. He slowly opened his eyes and cocked his head at
the bottle of banana milk. Eden grinned at him proudly and he breathed in awe, “Is it real?”

“As real as your subconscious can make it,” Eden responded.

Still grinning, Jeongguk twisted the cap off and squinted inside. “I’m good at this.”

As he sucked down a sip, practically moaning at the taste, Eden laughed, “Alright, hotshot, let’s try
something bigger. Still inanimate, though. And since you’re so ‘good’ at this, try keeping your
eyes open. Here, put something in my arms.”

She took a step back and held out her arms expectantly. Jeongguk chewed the inside of his cheek,
trying to come up with something. Then, he had it, and willed Taehyung’s old striped coat into
existence. Eden hesitated, staring at the article draped over her thin arms. She bit her lip, smiling,
“This was Taehyung’s favorite. What happened to it?”

“Got blood all over it,” Jeongguk said softly, toying with the fabric. It even felt like the real thing.

Eden dropped her eyes, “Thank you for taking care of him.” She blinked fiercely, clearing her
throat.

Jeongguk hesitated, unaware that this side of Eden even existed. “N-no problem.”

“Really,” she said earnestly. “I’m not sure what would have happened to him if you hadn’t been
there. I mean, I know you would have been there, especially considering Taehyung wanted to be an
idol even when he was still an angel, but thank you for being there as someone to love. He never
knew what real love was like here. I mean, he had me, but I don’t count.” She rubbed at her face,
“I saw what Raphael did to him. How he stopped smiling as much and wouldn’t play with me
because he wanted to give every waking hour to that bastard. I was afraid that he would never find
himself again, but he did with you.”

Jeongguk squirmed, “There’s nothing to thank me for. I, uh, love him.”

“I know you do,” Eden smiled, her eyes still shining. Then, she rolled her shoulders and coughed
awkwardly. “O-okay, so, now let’s try a piece of furniture. Give me something to sit on.”

Jeongguk obeyed, furrowing his eyebrows in concentration. Slowly, the couch from the members’
living room appeared - the one that was squished in odd places from each of the members’ favorite
positions. Eden sat down, and Jeongguk smiled proudly. She steepled her fingers, pressing them to
her lips. “Hmm, you are pretty good at this, aren’t you? Alright, give me an animal. Make it a
small one.”

“An animal?”

“Did I stutter?”

Jeongguk hesitated only for a moment before willing a sugar glider into existence. Eden cooed at it,
but it jerked fearfully and disappeared under the sofa. She sighed and straightened, eyeing
Jeongguk’s tired face. “Good job, Jeongguk. I’d say that’s enough for now.”

“But I want to keep going.”

“You’re going to wake up with a migraine if we keep going,” Eden said.

“I don’t care.”

“You never know when the archangels are going to finish deliberating,” Eden pointed out. “I need
you to be clear-headed when they do.”

Jeongguk sighed, conceding, “Alright, fine. You’re right.”

“I already like you more than Taehyung,” Eden laughed. When Jeongguk snorted, she added, “I’m
only half kidding, too. That rascal never admitted when I was right.”

Jeongguk thought of something, “So, wait, you two are pretty much siblings?”

“New angels are usually born every hour. Fun fact, that’s actually what dictated what an hour is.”

“Nifty.”

“Well, angels that are born - okay, do you know what I mean by ‘born’?” When Jeongguk shook
his head, Eden continued, “We are made from light that turns into living matter. We’re born fully
grown, too, which is cool, but we start out acting a bit like children until we fully mature after a
few days. Anyway, when angels are born on the same hour, they are called hatchmates. I’m not
entirely sure why considering we don’t actually hatch from anything, but newborns are also called
hatchlings, so I guess it has to do with the wings thing.”

“That’d be my assumption,” Jeongguk mused.

“When we start our training, we learn first with our hatchmates before moving on to train under
someone of the same rank. Raphael was actually our mentor in the beginning.”

Jeongguk bristled.

“But, well, after I moved on to learn under a messenger, Raphael insisted Taehyung continued
training under him.” She sighed, “I guess I should have questioned that, but I was too excited about
my own path to really concern myself too deeply with Taehyung’s.”

The maknae hugged himself, remembering when Taehyung told him about his mentor. About how
he had taught him many things. “What’s Hedonism?”

Eden frowned, “Taehyung told you about that?”

Jeongguk nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“It’s - it’s -” she hesitated before pressing onward, “It’s Raphael’s vice.”

“His what?”

“He had a...habit,” Eden shuddered, looking everywhere but at Jeongguk, “for being with lower
ranking angels. Apparently his old lover had died only a little while before Taehyung and I were
born, so it was time for a new one.”

Jeongguk shuddered. So Taehyung really had just been a replaceable possession. “Why didn’t
Raphael just let him live out his life and then die like the rest?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Eden shook her head. “I don’t think any of the ones before Taehyung really
loved Raphael. Maybe that made him want to keep him around. Whatever the reason, he let
Taehyung take all the blame when they were caught, so I hate him.”

Jeongguk looked out at his dreamscape. “Yeah, me too.”

 Chapter 9
Chapter Notes

Double update today because I’m really excited for the chapter after this one and I
want to post it tomorrow.

Taehyung crouched, lifting his wings high above his head, and then sprung into the air, propelling
himself skyward. Raphael was already waiting for him in the clouds, his massive wings beating
lazily, and didn’t say a word when Taehyung came level with him. Instead, he simply turned and
set off, Taehyung pumping his own wings fiercely to keep pace. He had always been fast - though
unfortunately not as fast as Eden - but Raphael seemed to be on a mission today. Taehyung let his
eyes slip shut, relishing in the sensation of the wind filtering between his primaries, gusting
beneath his secondaries, and tickling his down. He released an excited whoop, stretching out his
wings to coast along the wind. He giggled as he sliced through fluffy chunks of cloud, leaving a
trail in his wake. Raphael continued to face forward, ignoring the younger behind him.

If there was one thing Taehyung loved more than anything, it was flying. For one thing, he was
built for it, his body created specifically to be in the sky. Cold air whistled through his lungs,
filling his blood with elation. He never wanted to land.

He tilted his body and pinned his wings against himself, diving downward before quickly
unfurling them again, catching himself with a breathless laugh and pumping strongly to return to
Raphael’s side. The archangel glanced at him and shouted over the wind, “What are you doing?”

“Playing!” Taehyung giggled.

Raphael turned away again, “We are almost there, little one, stay close.”

Taehyung obeyed, falling into line with Raphael. The elder’s wingtip brushed Taehyung’s, making
him gasp softly. His heart palpitated before resuming its intense pace, pumping life through his
body as he flew. Heat coursed through his wings, expanding all the way to their tips, from their
work.

All too soon, their flight was over, and Raphael was tipping his primaries downward to bring him
closer to the landing pad that appeared through the clouds. Taehyung squinted at the unfamiliar
building. It was a tall watchtower with only one landing strip, signaling that this was not a public
place. Taehyung bit his lip, realizing that this was Raphael’s personal observatory.

Raphael landed lightly, followed by Taehyung who had to jog a few steps to release the last burst
of his momentum. They shook out their wings, cooling them, and Taehyung rolled his shoulders
before folding his wings against his back, running a hand through his wild hair. A rogue gust of
wind blew his billowy shirt up, exposing a sliver of his stomach, and Raphael smirked dominantly
at it. Taehyung blushed and shuffled after the elder. He asked, “What are we doing here?”

Raphael didn’t answer right away, and in the six years that Taehyung had trained under him, he
knew better than to press. Instead, he fell silent as he followed the elder, opting to observe his
surroundings. They turned the corner after emerging into the central part of the tower, coming to a
spiraling staircase. Taehyung marched after Raphael, marveling at the stone bricks that shined with
veins of gold holding each piece together. He trailed his fingertips over the wall, smiling. Gold. A
perfect material for the archangel.

“Taehyung,” Raphael barked, and the younger scrambled after him.

The boy ventured to the edge of the staircase, leaning over to squint at the ground level. It seemed
to go on forever, until even the sunlight filtering in from outside couldn’t pierce the abyss.
Catching Taehyung’s curiosity, Raphael explained curtly, “That goes down to Purgatory. Never
travel lower than the landing pad, little one.”

Taehyung nodded obediently before promptly losing his footing. He stumbled over the edge,
flailing his wings. But the space in the watchtower was too tight to completely unfurl their
expanse, and they slammed into the walls. Taehyung hissed in a sharp breath of pain, but managed
to grab a stair and haul himself up. Raphael waited, watching the younger struggle silently.
Taehyung folded his wings, wincing, and jogged after the archangel. “Sorry.”

“Come,” Raphael said, turning away.

Taehyung squirmed, worried that he’d disappointed the archangel. “Sir?”

“Raphael,” the archangel corrected. “Do not call me ‘sir’ unless we are in public or in bed.”

Taehyung’s steps faltered again. “W-what?”

“Hurry up,” Raphael ordered, and though he was immensely confused, Taehyung obeyed.

The staircase opened to a study with walls covered floor to ceiling in bookshelves, a massive desk
facing the entrance, and Taehyung immediately grinned. Raphael turned to judge his reaction and
hummed in approval before showing him his back again, crossing to the desk. Taehyung waited
close to the stairs, unsure and oddly nervous. Raphael picked up a book from his desk and browsed
through it quietly. Taehyung hesitantly stepped forward, not quite sure what he was supposed to
do, when Raphael suddenly spoke, his back still to Taehyung and his attention on his book.

“How long have I mentored you, little one?”

“A-as long as I’ve been alive,” Taehyung breathed.

Raphael shot him a warning look, “Years, Taehyung. How many years?”

“Six?”

“Is that a question or an answer?”

“Six, sir - uh, I mean, Raphael.”

Raphael tsked his tongue and rolled his head up, slowly setting down his book. “Stop using
interjections. That’s a human trait. You are above humans.”

Taehyung paused, “O-oh -”

“Hmm,” Raphael picked his book back up and Taehyung breathed a quiet sigh of relief. “So, we’ve
been together for six years. Do you think your training has concluded satisfactorily?”

Sadness withered Taehyung’s heart. “Concluded?”

“That is what I said.”

“I - I have learned and mastered guardian magic,” Taehyung admitted. “So, yes, I suppose so.”

“Would you like to continue your training?”

Taehyung bit his lip, confusion lacing his eyebrows together. “What else is there for me to learn?”

“Plenty,” Raphael said, finally turning to face the boy. Taehyung’s heart stuttered at the predatory
gleam in his eyes. “Have you ever heard of Hedonism, little one?”

“N-no, Raphael.”

“What about pederasty?”

“No?”

“I see,” Raphael set his book down, pursing his lips. “Hedonism, little one, is the philosophy that
everyone deserves to do whatever they must to achieve complete pleasure.”

Taehyung wetted his lips, “And pederasty?”

“Pederasty, little one, was the ancient Greek’s manifestation of that idea.”

“What was it?” Taehyung breathed, not trusting himself to speak at full volume. Raphael’s voice
had turned low and husky.

“A man would find himself a boy, usually a teenager, to...teach.”

Taehyung grinned, “Oh! We do that!”

Raphael eyed him hungrily, “Not quite, little one.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked, tilting his head to the side innocently. And to think, he was
starting to get nervous!

Raphael crossed to him and Taehyung titled up his head to see his face. And then the elder’s hand
was over his cheek, evoking a soft gasp from the younger. Raphael smiled, “He would teach the
boy about physical pleasures.”

Taehyung wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by that, but he trusted Raphael.
 Chapter 10

Time dragged on, and Jeongguk had given up on sleeping any longer. Instead, he sat and stared at
the wall, thinking through all of his feelings so that when his guards returned, he was eerily calm.

The guards didn’t enter the cell when they opened the door, and Jeongguk didn’t cower against the
wall. He looked at them coolly, having found his resolve, and said, “They’ve decided?”

The female sensed his change and nodded slowly. “Come, little one.”

Jeongguk followed the two angels down the familiar hall. “How long has it been?”

“A little over two days,” the male responded gruffly. “Now hush.”

Two days. How long have I been here in total?

As soon as they entered the courtroom, time ground to a halt. There were no angels besides Eden
and the two guards she sat between. Taehyung was kneeling in the center of the room, his wrists
bolted to the ground beside his knees, as if the archangels sitting in a wide semicircle at the front of
the room were worried he’d go savage. And then Jeongguk’s brain realized something was wrong.
He hesitated, nostrils flaring, as he saw Raphael’s fingertips under Taehyung’s chin. The boy was
quivering fearfully, but his jaw was set in a stubborn clench. Jeongguk felt a feral snarl make its
way out of his body, foreign and animalistic, and he launched away from his guards before they
could react and snatched Raphael’s arm, hissing as the touch burned his palm. His nails dug into
the archangel’s glowing skin, and though his flesh was releasing worrisome steam, he didn’t let go.
Raphael smiled sadistically as Jeongguk fought down his anger, struggling to form words through
the white-hot fury scorching his veins. Through gritted teeth, Jeongguk managed to breathe, “If I
see you touch him again, you’ll be left with stumps for hands.”

“Jagi,” Taehyung whispered, but his voice was too soft to quell Jeongguk’s fire.

“Do you understand?” Jeongguk growled.

Raphael chuckled and Taehyung said a little louder, “Jeongguk.”

There was enough terror in that single utterance that Jeongguk snapped out of it, releasing Raphael
with a gasp as he looked down at his hand. His skin was bright red all the way up to his wrist.
Jeongguk wanted to punch Raphael more than he wanted to breathe, but he had more important
concerns. With a final warning look, he sunk down beside Taehyung and ran his hands through his
hair, eyeing the cuffs around his wrists. He turned his attention to the row of archangels, who had
been bemusedly looking on until this point. New anger filled his body, but he stomped it down so
that he could speak clearly. “What is wrong with you people? You’re seriously just going to let that
psycho touch him?”

“Archangels may do as they please, human,” Michael said calmly. Jeongguk wanted to kick his ass
for the smug touch in his words, but Taehyung whimpered and the maknae turned his attention
back to him.

“Are you okay, Tae?” Jeongguk murmured, checking his face and neck for anything that could be
a wound.

“I’m alright, jagiya,” Taehyung promised, leaning to bump his forehead against Jeongguk’s. When
the maknae squinted at him, he repeated, “I’m alright.”
Jeongguk tugged at the bonds and looked up to eye Gabriel, who seemed to be the most clear-
headed, “What’s with these?”

Gabriel pursed his lips and Raphael answered for him, “He attacked me.”

Jeongguk raised his eyebrows. “Was that before or after you tried to grope him?”

Raphael smiled, his eyes cold as he flew back up to his chair, and Michael snapped, “Enough! Get
the human back, it is not his time to speak yet.”

“Good to know I’ll actually get to speak at all!” Jeongguk cried manically.

His guards grabbed him and Jeongguk met eyes with the woman. She blinked innocently at him,
but he knew that she hadn’t stopped him from grabbing Raphael on purpose. As she and her
brother pulled him to stand beside Eden, he whispered, “Thank you.”

She gave no response, but Jeongguk knew she’d heard him. Then, the two guards took their places
beside Eden’s guards, a couple feet behind them but close enough to act if they tried anything.
Eden grinned and leaned over, “That was satisfying to watch. How’s your hand?”

Jeongguk winced. His skin was slowly calming down but was still throbbing, and he asked, “Why
does it hurt so much?”

“They’re holy, and you’re imperfect,” Eden shrugged. “It would hurt to touch me too.”

Jeongguk, feeling stupidly brave, tried it with his unharmed hand, jumping at the sting as he grazed
her bare arm. She snorted as he shook out his hand, and he asked, “Well, why can I touch
Taehyung?”

“He fell,” Eden shrugged. “He’s not holy anymore.”

Jeongguk wetted his lips, glancing at his boyfriend. “Seems pretty holy to me.”

“Cute.”

Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael stood in unison, followed shortly by the remaining four. Eden
gestured to a man standing at the end. He had short light hair and a European face that could rival
Dorian Gray, and Eden whispered, “That’s Uriel. He’s a bit on the dramatic side.”

The young man seemed bored, his eyes wandering around the room instead of paying attention, but
Jeongguk squinted at an orange glow that peeked out over his shoulder. And then gasped when he
realized it was a flaming sword. An actual flaming sword. “Dramatic” was one word for it, sure.

Gabriel was speaking, but it sounded like a bunch of technical law jargon that Jeongguk couldn’t
follow.

Eden moved on to the next archangel, a man with a chiseled jaw and hard-set dark eyes. “Camael.
Not much to say except he’s only famous for being the leader of the legion who cast the first
humans out of paradise, so there’s that.”

Jeongguk nodded carefully, eyeing the brooding man. Eden tapped his clothed shoulder and
moved across Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael to gesture to the only other archangel that Jeongguk
already knew the name of. “Jophiel. He’s actually in charge of all the proceedings.”

“What about the Three Musketeers in the middle?” Jeongguk whispered.

“That’s a show of strength. Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael are the most powerful of the archangels,
but they can’t do everything. At the end of all of this, they’ll look to Jophiel for the final verdict. I
guess,” Eden snorted humorlessly, “I guess you could say he’s the real judge, and those three are
just pretending.”

Jeongguk wetted his lips thoughtfully, eyeing the quiet archangel. His fingers were steepled in
front of his lips, watery eyes unwavering from Taehyung until he felt the maknae’s gaze. He slowly
looked at him, cocking his head, and Jeongguk suddenly felt like his very soul was stripped bare
before him. Jophiel’s eyebrows furrowed, and Jeongguk dropped his head, chewing the inside of
his cheek.

Eden finished with the last archangel, a man with wavy brown hair and a kind, pitying smile.
“That’s Zadkiel. He’ll be our best friend if we can get him on our side.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s the archangel of mercy,” Eden explained.

“What?”

“Ugh, I can’t believe I forgot that.” Eden started her rapidfire, “Michael’s the general, Gabriel’s the
messenger - as in, the messenger - Raphael is, ironically enough, a healer. And a dick, don’t get me
wrong. Anyway, Uriel’s the creepy artsy one that makes sure hell doesn’t rise up against the
human race - maybe thank him for that at some point, I don’t know - Camael is a hard-ass, Jophiel
- are you listening?”

“No,” Jeongguk shook his head. “I’m pretty sure I’ve already forgotten most of what you just
said.”

Eden rolled her eyes. “You do realize this information could help us?”

“Then tell me later,” Jeongguk said distractedly, trying to understand what Gabriel was saying. It
was still a bunch of rules and procedures, but he had to at least try to follow.

“So much for you to learn,” Eden groaned. “Just...ugh, okay, we’ll recap later, but Jophiel is in
charge of all knowledge and judgements, and Zadkiel is the benevolent one.”

“So I should pay attention to Jophiel and Zadkiel, got it,” Jeongguk said.

Eden slapped the back of his head, “You should pay attention to all of them, moron! We want them
all - shit, don’t panic.”

Jeongguk froze, realizing that the room had grown silent. Jophiel had stood, eerily still, his hand
extended in front of him to point at the maknae. Jeongguk blinked at him and Jophiel spoke in a
breathy voice, “Human. Come forward.”

Taehyung’s head snapped around, eyes wide as Jeongguk warily stepped closer. When he was level
with Taehyung, he stopped and fidgeted with his hands. The elder gazed helplessly up at him, but
Jeongguk couldn’t bring himself to look at him. He was already shaking - seeing how scared
Taehyung no doubt was would make him actually piss himself. Jophiel turned to the archangel on
the end. “Zadkiel, do you see?”

The man nodded thoughtfully, eyeing Jeongguk. “Yes.”

Unable to take their staring, Jeongguk muttered, “What?”

Jophiel smiled slowly, knowingly, and sat back down, pressing his fingertips together again. On
the other end of the row, Uriel kicked his foot up on his chair and asked boredly, “What is it,
brother?”

Jophiel pursed his lips, shaking his head. “It is not for me to say. It is only for the human.”

Jeongguk squirmed, not understanding what was happening. “What are you talking about?”

“Kneel, child,” Jophiel said instead of answering. Michael and Raphael were glowering at him, but
Gabriel was watching bemusedly.

Jeongguk fought the order, but something pressed down on his shoulders until he obeyed.
Taehyung glanced at him and Jeongguk leaned to brush their shoulders together, unable to hold
himself upright alone. All noise had evaporated from the room, and even the three archangels in
the middle of the row were watching Jophiel for his next move. His light eyes fixed onto
Jeongguk’s, and his gaze felt like probing fingers. Jeongguk shuddered, but didn’t look away.
Finally, Camael piped up gruffly, “Jophiel, you understand that our laws cannot be broken without
consequence. No exceptions.”

Jophiel held up a firm hand, silencing the others. Then, Zadkiel said hesitantly, “There must
always be exceptions. This entire situation is an exception within itself.”

The other fell silent. Jeongguk pursed his lips. “What are you guys talking about? What’s going
on?”

Taehyung nudged him gently as a warning. Jophiel said slowly, “There is no physical evidence for
the accusations you’ve presented against Raphael, young one. You must know that. However, there
is against Taehyung.”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. “We haven’t even started the trial and you’re already telling me I can’t -”

“I’m telling you,” Jophiel’s unsettling voice cut him off, “that you must decide what your privacy
is worth to you before we go on.” He stood, not offering further explanation. “Jeongguk and
Taehyung will be moved to a cell that is large enough to hold both of them. It is only fair to the
Fallen that he is given a say in this decision. They are not, under any circumstances, to be
separated.”

Jeongguk faltered. “W-what decision?”

The archangel offered no further explanation and Gabriel pushed himself to his feet. “It seems we
are finished for now. You will have ten hours to decide.”

“What decision?” Jeongguk insisted, utterly confused.

Raphael smiled cruelly down at him. Jeongguk felt his body get lifted by the guards, but his brain
was a thousand kilometers away as he struggled to understand what was happening. The click of
Taehyung’s bonds brought him back, and his head snapped to the elder. Before they could speak,
their guards led them out of the courtroom. Jeongguk looked over his shoulder at the archangels.
Raphael was still grinning, but Jophiel, Gabriel, and Zadkiel were watching the maknae warily. As
if he was the bomb that would destroy their lives.

Taehyung didn’t speak as they were led down the stairs and through the hallway, so Jeongguk
didn’t either. And then they were escorted into a new cell - only about a meter wider than
Jeongguk’s old quarters and not much longer at all - and the door was shut behind them. Jeongguk
reeled around, slamming his fist against the wood once, breathing heavily. And then he turned
nervously and met Taehyung’s dark eyes, his heart stuttering.

No matter what was happening and what decision Jeongguk had to make, all that mattered in this
moment was that they were together.

Finally.
 Chapter 11
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung cocked his head at the poster. Six young men stood in a row in front of a black
background, throwing what looked like gang signs. And was that one on the end wearing a mask
covered in spikes? Taehyung wasn’t sure if that was badass or not. The boy in the middle was cute
though, with a skeleton bracelet on his hand and a pout on his lips, and Taehyung flicked his eyes
away. This wasn’t the first bit of merch he’d seen from the group in his wards’ rooms. In fact,
plenty of his female ones really enjoyed them, and even some of his males fawned over their music.
It was ridiculously cute. From what Taehyung understood, they were pretty new to the scene - if he
was to understand his wards, they had just “debuted” that year.

His ward entered the room and he turned, wondering what had alerted him to come pay special
attention to her.

And then he knew.

She plopped down at her desk, breathing heavily. Taehyung shuffled closer, biting his lip at her
quiet crying. Plenty of his wards were having a hard time - they were eighteen now, after all - but
this one had always been one of those who struggled in particular. She toyed with a pair of scissors
in her lap, as if amping herself up to do it.

Before she could think any further, Taehyung rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. She stiffened,
hands tight around the scissors, but Taehyung didn’t move. Instead, he watched the top of her head
carefully. Then, seeing that it wasn’t enough, he told her how amazing her strength was and how
incredible it was that she had made it this far, pumping the message through his palm, promising
that if she just set down the scissors, she’d be alright. That she was strong enough, even if she
didn’t feel like it right now.

She shook her head furiously, choking on a sob, but Taehyung didn’t let up. Technically, this
wasn’t dangerous enough for him to really be here, but he wanted his wards to always be as happy
as possible. So, he came, even if it meant he didn’t get as much freetime. To him, his wards were
everything, and he wished he could show each of them how truly extraordinary they were. With
this mission in mind, he persisted in his message, filling the girl with peace. It wouldn’t last, but
hopefully it would be enough for now. At least until she could be her own peace.

Finally, she listened. Taehyung immediately released her, not wanting to verge onto overbearing,
smiling softly. She might not love herself now, but he would do it until she could. She turned to
look at the poster he had been admiring before her arrival, sniffling away her tears. Sometimes,
when his wards thought things that were very important to their lives and future, Taehyung could
hear it. And so he heard his ward think, Jimin wouldn’t want me to do that, it’d make him sad.

Taehyung eyed the poster. If these boys were strong enough to make his ward think twice about
hurting herself, then he wanted to know as much about them as he could.

A few hours later, Raphael found Taehyung in his office. He raised his eyebrows at the younger’s
back. “Are you using my tablet?”

Taehyung started and turned, pressing a hand to his chest. Raphael smiled at him and Taehyung
melted on the spot, “I’m sorry, I should have asked.”
 “What are you looking at, little one?”

“Just this one idol group,” Taehyung exited out of the browser and shut down the tablet. He went
to Raphael’s beckoning arms and continued sheepishly, “Well, the entire Korean Wave that the
humans have been experiencing. It’s very interesting.”

“Tell me all about it,” Raphael said.

“Come sit with me,” Taehyung begged, pulling on Raphael’s hand. Only when the archangel
obeyed did he add, “This group I’m looking at is called BTS. They’re new this year and are
already pretty popular among some of my wards. They make them happy, so I wanted to know
more about them, and I guess I got kind of caught up in all of it and suddenly I was learning
Korean slang.”

“Why?”

Taehyung frowned. “I’m not sure. I guess, I don’t know - if I were a human and could have any job
in the world, I’d be an idol.”

“They have very hard lives, little one, especially for humans,” Raphael pointed out patiently.

“I know! I don’t know, uh, I -” Taehyung breathed. “Well, you know I’ve always loved music, and
I guess, uh-“

“There you go again with the interjections. Perhaps you are spending too much time with your
wards.”

Taehyung’s stomach fell. “N-no -“

“Are you disagreeing with me, little one?” Raphael asked sweetly.

Taehyung wetted his lips nervously. “No, sir. I’m sorry. Um, well -“

“Taehyung,” Raphael warned.

His heart pounding, Taehyung forced himself to pause and gather his thoughts before continuing. “I
think it’s cool. Even the work they endure looks enjoyable to me, even though it’s exhausting.”

“Hmm,” Raphael nodded and Taehyung could tell that he was done with the conversation. “Come
here, little one.”

Taehyung sighed and stood, and then, knowing what Raphael wanted, removed his shirt as he
stepped closer. He wanted to continue talking to the archangel about idols, but Raphael wasn’t
someone you said no to.

“Good, little one, very good,” Raphael purred.

There was something predatory in his voice that made Taehyung shudder, and not in an altogether
good way.

Chapter End Notes

Ayo Raph, why don’t you fuck off
 Chapter 12
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk wasn’t entirely aware of what was happening until Taehyung was already kissing him,
his lips exploring hungrily. And then he came back to himself so fast it gave him whiplash, and he
slid his eyes shut and tilted his head. Electricity traveled down his spine as Taehyung gripped his
hips, tugging him closer. Something hot and wet pressed against Jeongguk’s lips and he parted
them with a breathless whimper, allowing the elder to slip his tongue inside. The muscle tasted the
roof of his mouth and then grazed the underside of his own tongue, and Jeongguk released a lewd
moan. Suddenly, there were hands playing with the hem of his t-shirt, and, gathering all his
strength, Jeongguk backed away shakily. “H-hyung…”

Taehyung ignored him, latching onto the crook of his neck to suck a mark into his caramel skin,
and the maknae was gone. He let out a strangled groan and Taehyung pushed his hands up under
his shirt, exploring his toned abdomen. Jeongguk copied him, but moved his hands to the elder’s
back to brush against his scars. Taehyung arched his spine beautifully, releasing a heavy exhale.
“Kookie.”

Jeongguk hummed, and Taehyung swooped in to press an open-mouthed kiss to his lips.

Fuck. He’d missed this. He’d missed Taehyung.

And then Jeongguk’s shirt was off, the kiss only breaking long enough to get the garment over his
head, and Taehyung bent to press hot, sloppy kisses to his chest and abdomen. He growled at how
the marks he’d left on the maknae had faded, and he set himself to work placing new hickeys on
the tanned skin. Jeongguk’s stomach quivered with all the butterflies knocking around inside, and
it took all his strength to remain standing as Taehyung dropped to his knees and began to pepper
kisses along the skin beneath his navel, dangerously close to the hem of his pants. But before he
could travel further south, he changed his mind and stood back up to smash his mouth to the
maknae’s.

Jeongguk’s eyelids fluttered, but he rested his hands on the older boy’s shoulders and nudged him
back. “Taehyung-ssi.”

The elder immediately recoiled, eyes wide. “What, Kookie?”

Jeongguk squirmed at his frown. “It’s just...what’s the decision I have to make?”

“There is no decision, jagi,” Taehyung said, his hands traveling up to cup behind Jeongguk’s neck.
“The answer you’ll give them is ‘no.’”

The elder kissed him, much gentler this time but still just as needy. Jeongguk frowned and broke
away. “What is it, though?”

Taehyung sighed deeply, fingers playing along Jeongguk’s bare sides. “They want you to show
them your memories.”

Horror must have flashed in Jeongguk’s eyes because the elder shook his head. “You’re not going
to do it, jagi. You’re not.”

“What makes you say that?” Jeongguk asked, his voice far away.
“Because I won’t let you,” Taehyung answered, his tone final. He retracted his hands, leaving the
maknae to squirm without his touch, and crossed his arms over his chest. “You aren’t going to
expose everything that makes you, you, just for me. I’m not worth that.”

Jeongguk’s eyes narrowed, and he pushed around Taehyung to drop onto the cot, snatching his shirt
off the ground and tugging it on as he went. He spread out his body so the elder couldn’t join him
on the hard mattress and stared up at the ceiling. Though this room was a little lighter than his cell,
it was still shrouded in inky darkness. He had been angry too much today, and it was draining his
energy. Finally, he mused, “Are you even worth anything at all?”

The elder hesitated, frozen to his spot across the room. “What do you mean, jagiya?”

“I mean,” Jeongguk pushed himself up, eyeing the boy, “that the answer to anything for you is that
you’re not worth it. So tell me, Taehyung,” he scowled, “what are you worth?”

Taehyung stared at him, lips parted and eyes large. Jeongguk snorted incredulously after a moment
and lay back down. “Well gee, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Tae. If I do anything, you’ll
be mad at me. If I don’t, you’ll go to hell.”

“But you’ll have your privacy,” Taehyung pointed out, cautiously stepping closer.

“Oh, yeah! Thanks for reminding me!” Jeongguk threw his hands toward the ceiling, sarcasm
dripping from every word. “You’re right, my privacy is way more important than your life.”

Taehyung started quietly, “Well, uh...”

Jeongguk wrinkled his nose, his irritation escalating into anger. Before really thinking, he snarled,
“You’re unbelievable, Taehyung.”

“What?”

The maknae gripped his hair, trying not to scream. Adrenaline forced him to his feet and he
snapped, “Do I remind you of him?”

Taehyung opened his mouth, but hesitantly closed it again. Jeongguk’s nostrils flared and he
started forward, stress and exhaustion and hunger and fury roiling together and catapulting at the
elder. “Do I look like him? Sound like him? Do I hurt you like him?”

The elder cowered, pressing his back against the wall, but anger was fueling Jeongguk now, not
intelligence. “I get that you spent most of your life in an emotionally abusive relationship, but why
can’t you just accept that things are different now? Not everyone is out to get you, Taehyung! I’m
not out to fucking get you!”

When his logical side finally caught up with him, it was too late. Taehyung was looking
everywhere but at him, his heartbreak palpable, and Jeongguk jerked away, backing up until he
was flattened against the opposite wall. His heart was pounding out of his chest, and he ran a hand
through his oily hair.

This was not how their first meeting after so long apart was supposed to go. They were supposed to
be collapsing in each other’s arms, kissing and crying and cuddling.

“Tae,” Jeongguk choked out, hardly above a whisper. “I’m so, so sorry. I’m just - he touched you,
and I - and you don’t think you’re worth - fuck, Tae, I’m so sorry.”

Taehyung nodded, still not looking at Jeongguk, “I know.” He sunk to sit against the wall, staring
off into space. “I - I’m - you should lay down, Jeongguk. Get some rest.”

The maknae chewed the inside of his cheek. “Tae -”

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung said tiredly. “Just...please.”

Something deep in his bones wouldn’t let the maknae move. He whimpered, “Do you hate me
now?”

It was a pathetic, self-loathing question, but Taehyung finally met his eyes. However, instead of
answering, he pleaded, “Please, Kookie.”

Jeongguk finally obeyed, sitting down right there on the floor. He glanced at Taehyung, but the
boy wasn’t looking at him anymore. So, defeated, Jeongguk lay down and squeezed his eyes shut,
willing himself not to cry because this was his own damn stupid fault.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

When Jeongguk opened his eyes, he was alone. He willed a chair into existence and sat down, all
of his strength siphoning out of his body in one reeling blast.

This was where he compartmentalized. That’s what he was supposed to do. That’s how he stayed
sane.

But as he stared unblinkingly at the white abyss of his dreamscape, he found that he couldn’t do it.
All he could think about was the exhaustion in Taehyung’s voice.

He didn’t say he hated you.

He didn’t say he didn’t either.

Jeongguk curled into the chair, gripping the hair at the nape of his neck.

“What’s up, kid?”

The maknae groaned, looking up as Eden approached him. She was smiling, but it quickly turned
into a concerned frown when she saw the gleam in Jeongguk’s eyes. “What is it? What happened?”

Jeongguk opened his mouth, willing himself to speak, but instead he did something unimaginable.
Something that he would never - could never - do.

His lower lip began to quiver and before he could stop himself, before he could throw up his wall
and pretend that everything was fine, he wailed. Scalding tears burned down his cheeks,
manifestations of his gut-wrenching guilt, and, ashamed, he buried his face in his palms.

“Hey,” Eden’s hands carefully rubbed soothing circles into his back, making sure to steer clear of
his bare skin. “What’s wrong?”

“I - I -” Jeongguk’s words jarbled into hiccups, and he mentally kicked himself for being so weak.
“I’m s-such a fu-fucking douchebag.”

Eden snorted, “What, did you push his head down even after he told you no?”

Jeongguk glared at her, his vision blurry. Something in his expression made her soften and she
squatted in front of him, “Tell me what happened. I know we haven’t known each other very long,
but -”
 “D-don’t touch me,” Jeongguk begged, leaning away from her soothing outstretched hand. “You -
you - you should hate me.”

“I can’t do that until I know why,” Eden said jokingly, but her eyebrows were furrowed in
discomfort. “Jeongguk, hey, buddy, come on. Do I need to wake you up so Taehyung can make
you feel better?”

“I don’t - don’t deserve -” Jeongguk choked, hating himself a little more with every crack in his
voice. “I - I - he didn’t - he didn’t want me to s-share my memories - thought he wasn’t w-worth it
-”

“Okay?” Eden pressed gently when Jeongguk broke off.

“I hurt - hurt him,” the maknae forced himself to take a breath, however shallow it was, before he
continued. “I don’t - I know he can’t help it - but I was so angry and - and I took it out on h-him.”

Eden sat back on her heels, lips pressed firmly together. After a moment, she said fiercely, “Well
stop crying about it, pussy.”

Jeongguk froze, sniffing as he looked up at her. She squinted at him, and he mumbled, “What?”

“Why the hell are you here with me if you fucked up with Taehyung?” she flicked his head, tutting
in disbelief, “You should be on your knees begging for forgiveness like that boy deserves.”

“B-but -”

“Jeongguk,” Eden rolled her eyes. “Jesus, you’re an idiot. I get that it’s frustrating. I wish I could
say I never got mad about Taehyung acting like he’s worth less than dirt, but I’d be lying. Even
when he was an angel, there were times he’d get like that. But every time I lost my cool about it, I
showered that guy with as much love as I could muster, and it all turned out okay in the end. It
never fixed him completely, but that’s where a little bit of faith and patience comes in. Now,” she
smiled, “it’s your turn to suck it up. Literally, if that’s what it takes.”

Despite his misery, Jeongguk snorted, “Are you giving me permission to blow your brother?”

Eden smacked the back of his head with an indignant squeak, but he honestly deserved it.

Chapter End Notes

PSYCH nobody gets to be happy yet

 Chapter 13

“Come here.”

Taehyung hesitated too long. The air in the room left an unpleasant chill on his flushed skin, but he
didn’t dare move. Raphael frowned, eyes flashing, “Come. Here.”

The boy finally obeyed, allowing the archangel to pull him to his side. His heart pounded in his
chest. He wasn’t entirely sure what Raphael was going to do to him, and that was terrifying.

The archangel ran his fingers through Taehyung’s hair, crooning, “Such a pretty boy. Are you my
pretty boy?”

“Y-yes sir,” Taehyung whimpered, still a little frightened.

“Hmm, good,” Raphael grinned and sat Taehyung down in his lap. “Thank you for listening.”

It wasn’t something that called for a response, so Taehyung didn’t offer one. But Raphael’s grip on
his hip tightened and he hissed, “What do you say?”

“You’re welcome…”

“You’re welcome, what?”

“S-sir. You’re welcome, sir.”

Raphael nodded in approval and suddenly swatted the side of Taehyung’s bare thigh, earning a
yelp. The archangel smiled, “I think I want to keep you, little one. Do you want me to keep you?”

Taehyung blushed, “Yes.”

“Forever?” Raphael suggested.

That confused Taehyung. He frowned, “I can’t live forever, sir.”

“Are you sure, little one?”

“Pretty sure,” Taehyung insisted.

“Hmm,” Raphael petted his head. “I’m not. Do you know why?”

Taehyung played along, “Why?”

“Because I’m an archangel,” Raphael grinned triumphantly, “and I can do many things.”

The younger eyed him. What he was talking about sounded dangerous. It sounded like it was
against the rules. Like it could get them both into a lot of trouble if anyone found out.

But Raphael was smiling at him, and Taehyung wanted so desperately to please him. He couldn't
deny that it filled him with glee to know the archangel wanted to keep him forever. People could
say whatever they wanted about the archangel - to Taehyung, he was perfect. Amazing. Loving,
even if he scary at times. Even if he held Taehyung too tight, or spoke to him too loud.

He didn’t want anything bad to happen to Raphael. The archangel was everything - he had to be
safe. Taehyung murmured, “That sounds like dark magic, sir.”

Raphael’s eyes softened and he kissed Taehyung’s temple, his feral dominance from before
melting into a loving persona. Taehyung preferred this version of Raphael, but he knew that if he
ever said that aloud, the archangel would be angry. Taehyung didn’t like it when he was angry.

“It is, little one,” Raphael cooed. “But I would do it for you. Would you do it for me?”

Taehyung hesitated and the archangel’s grip on him hardened. Scrambling, Taehyung rushed to
say without stuttering, “Of course I would!”

Raphael smiled possessively, “Good, little one. Now, go lay down.”

Taehyung deflated, but obeyed.

Later, after Taehyung was released, he found Eden eating an apple in the Lookout. He strolled to
join her. She glanced at him as he approached, “Hey, Taehyung.”

“Eden,” he offered a small smile, but it was dull compared to his old boxy grin.

That did not go unnoticed. Eden frowned, but she had tried to have this conversation too many
times to try again. Each time she pointed out how toxic his so-called “relationship” with Raphael
was, Taehyung would shut down and leave. She didn’t want to lose her brother. So, instead of
saying what her gut told her must be said, she asked, “How are your wards doing?”

Taehyung nodded, “Good. Some happy, some sad.”

He was quieter now. He had been for many years. They were each twenty-one now, but Eden’s old
brother had disappeared when they were six. Or maybe they had been closer to seven. Either way,
Eden missed her playful hatchmate, but again, it wasn’t something she could say to him. She’d
tried too many times, and each time he’d ran to Raphael. More than anything, she didn’t want that
to happen. She didn’t want the archangel to get an even tighter hold on him.

“Want to race?” Eden asked gently, knowing it would get both of their minds off of things.

“Sure!” Taehyung said, perking up.

His eyes lightened, but not as much as they should have. Eden hated that.

She lifted her dappled grey wings, grinning at her brother. “Don’t think I’ll go easy on you.”

“You better not,” Taehyung shot back cockily, unfurling his wings.

Eden always thought her brother had the most beautiful wings. They shone in the sunlight,
sometimes so much so that she couldn’t look directly at them. They were black as pitch, the darkest
black she’d ever seen, as if his feathers were made of obsidian instead of keratin. And they were
huge, much bigger than hers, stretching to four meters while hers just barely made it to three and a
half. But that extra size sometimes led to trouble - it was always funny to watch him stretch only to
knock something - usually something important - over. She couldn’t count how many vases he’d
broken with those clumsy appendages. But that was okay. His klutziness hadn’t changed in all
those years even though the rest of him had, and though it was sometimes obnoxious to help him
clean up his messes, she did it happily. She would hold onto that klutziness. She couldn’t let that be
taken away by Raphael too.

They raced their usual route - around the perimeter of the Lookout and across the city to land on
the roof of the shining Cathedral a kilometer away. Eden won, but just barely. She landed lightly,
fluffing out her wings, while Taehyung practically crashed onto the rooftop, stumbling a few steps
before falling on his face with a breathless laugh. Eden couldn’t help but smile.

Yes. She’d hang onto his clumsiness. She’d protect it as long as she could.
 Chapter 14
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung lagged behind the group and Jeongguk turned to wait, worried. The elder had woken up
with a migraine, but he insisted on coming to practice because it was fine, really, he’d live.

Jeongguk frowned at the innumerable camera flashes that surrounded them the second they
stepped out of their car. After spending practically his entire life in front of the things, he
understood that fame didn’t stop simply because you didn’t feel good. However, he draped an arm
over Taehyung’s slumped shoulders protectively and shuffled them in between their hyungs. Jimin
eyed him cautiously, but Jeongguk only gave him a pleading look in return. Softening, Jimin
straightened his mask and took Taehyung’s hand. The boy mumbled something and Jeongguk
leaned closer, “What was that, hyung?”

”Thank you,” Taehyung breathed, his voice wavering too much for Jeongguk’s liking.

Jimin heard it too. “Are you sure you’re alright, Taetae?”

Taehyung nodded, but he didn’t speak. Jeongguk pursed his lips, but then they were inside the
building and Seokjin was opening the door to the dance studio’s breakroom for the three maknaes.
The eldest frowned at Taehyung but didn't say a word. Jeongguk wished he would. If he couldn’t
talk sense into the boy, maybe one of the hyungs could.

”How’s your head?” Namjoon asked, tilting Taehyung’s chin up with his index finger and
squinting into his glassy eyes.

”I’m fine, hyung,” Taehyung insisted, pulling away from the leader’s hand.

Jeongguk frowned at him. Sure, he’d be a hypocrite if he scolded Taehyung for not putting his
health first, but it still upset him to see his lover in such a state. “Taehyung-ssi, will you please just
sit down for a bit? We can run through the choreography and you can watch.”

Taehyung looked at him, his eyes going in and out of focus as his pupils struggled to dilate
correctly. “No, Kookie. I won’t learn that way, and I’m one of the people holding us back.”

”You can say our names, you know,” Namjoon joked as he flung an arm around Seokjin, trying to
lighten the mood. “We know you’re talking about us.”

The eldest wrinkled his nose. “I’m feeling so attacked right now.”

Jeongguk smiled supportively at Taehyung. “Come on, hyung, get some rest. We don’t need you
getting any more sick.”

”It’s just a headache,” Taehyung grumbled.

Jeongguk raised his eyebrows, not buying it. When the elder had woken up that morning, the first
thing he did was cry out in misery when Jeongguk turned on the lights, his eyes too sensitive to
remain open. That wasn’t caused by “just a headache.”

Suddenly, Jimin shot Jeongguk a mischievous look, and the youngest immediately understood what
he was thinking. Back when they were the only maknaes in the group, they had done it plenty of
times to Yoongi when he was too stubborn to rest.

”Then can I at least help you change your shoes?” Jeongguk asked sweetly, stepping closer.

Yoongi looked up from his phone, and his eyes clouded over with mirth at the familiar phrase.
When it was with him, though, Jimin was the one who always said it.

Taehyung hesitated before deciding the request was innocent enough and offered a nod. Jeongguk
gestured for him to put his foot up on his thigh, knowing that he wouldn’t be able to hold himself
upright. Sure enough, the poor boy lost his balance and stepped backwards, deciding to plop into
the chair Jimin slid behind him to try again. He would have been successful if Jeongguk didn’t dive
on him, wrapping his arms and legs around the boy’s confused body. “Now, Jiminie-hyung!”

Jimin launched on top of Jeongguk, creating a jumbled pile-up of bodies. Taehyung groaned,
“What - what are you doing?! Get off!”

”Not until you promise to sit here for -“ Jimin glanced up at the clock on the wall, but Yoongi
piped up before he could finish.

”Make him sit for at least fifteen minutes.” When Jeongguk raised his eyebrows at him, Yoongi just
shrugged, “Maybe he'll fall asleep in that time, who knows?”

”I can hear you, you know!” Taehyung cried, his voice shrill and weak. Reduced to begging, he
pleaded, “Kookie, Jiminie, please get off. I’m fine, I promise.”

”No, hyung.”

”Sit for fifteen minutes!” Jimin ordered.

Meanwhile, the hyungs were watching with varying degrees of amusement. By this point, Hoseok
was leaning forward on his knees for support as he chortled, and Seokjin was releasing his
signature windshield wiper laugh as he threw his head back. Even Yoongi was giggling at the
display. Namjoon grinned and said, “You better listen, Tae. They won’t get up if you don’t. I think
their record with Yoongi was twenty minutes, and they still made him sit by himself for longer.”

”Get off,” Taehyung begged one last time. The pain in his skull was starting to worsen the more he
spoke, so he knew he couldn’t keep it up. The two other maknaes just stared down at him
expectantly until he finally sighed, “Fine. Fifteen minutes.”

Jeongguk jumped up before Jimin even had time to process what was happening, unceremoniously
dumping him on the floor. The elder yelped, but Jeongguk was too busy scratching and massaging
the nape of Taehyung’s neck to apologize. The boy shuddered with pleasure, and Jeongguk
continued until his eyes slipped shut. Jimin nudged him to keep going, grinning victoriously as
Taehyung’s breathing slowed. They high-fived quietly before joining their hyungs at the door to the
practice room. Namjoon snorted, shaking his head, before pushing open the door.

After an hour and a half, Taehyung shuffled into the room. The members froze, watching him
carefully, until he stopped in front of the other maknaes. He blinked at them, waking up a little
more, and then roughly slugged Jimin’s arm and attempted to tackle Jeongguk. It didn’t work, of
course, and the maknae ended up on top of him, tickling him until he was wheezing and begging
for help. Jeongguk finally stopped and helped him to his feet, smiling softly, “Feeling better?”

”Much,” Taehyung nodded, his eyes gleaming. “I guess I might have been over-exhausted. I’m
sorry I worried everyone.”
”No problem, Taetae,” Namjoon grinned.

Seokjin suddenly moved to Taehyung’s side, ruffling his hair affectionately. “Never feel bad about
being sick, okay? If you are hurting, we want to do what it takes to get you better.” When
Taehyung hesitated, Seokjin’s expression hardened, “Promise you’ll let us know if you don’t feel
well. And promise you’ll take care of yourself.”

Taehyung wetted his lips nervously, looking around at his hyungs and dongsaeng. Finally, he gave
a slight nod. “Okay.”

”Good,” Namjoon nodded. “Hobi, will you please show Taehyung how to do that move?”

Taehyung grinned, “You guys finally figured it out?”

”Heck yeah we did,” Hoseok teased, taking his place in the center of the room. “Believe it or not,
we get stuff done when you’re not around.”

Taehyung frowned when he realized Jeongguk was crying in his sleep. He imagined Eden was in
his dreams, prodding him until he opened up about why he was upset. Taehyung pulled his knees
to his chest and folded his arms over them, resting his chin on his forearms.

Jeongguk hadn’t meant to be so cruel. He couldn’t have. Not after everything. Not after all they’d
been through - all they’d done - together.

The boy wetted his lips nervously. He didn’t like that Jeongguk took his anger out on him. He
didn’t like that his feelings weren’t valid, if for only a moment. And he really didn’t like how
Jeongguk’s tone reminded him of Raphael.

Taehyung’s head snapped up as Jeongguk stirred. The maknae sat up and blinked at him with
glossy eyes. Taehyung dropped his gaze, not trusting himself to look at him.

“Tae?” The younger whimpered.

“Hmm?” Taehyung murmured.

“Can you look at me, please?”

Taehyung shook his head and Jeongguk sighed. The elder heard him drag his body up, still not
trusting himself to look. The maknae crossed to him, stopping when his knees were close enough
for Taehyung to touch, and still the elder didn’t meet his eyes. “Tae?”

“Yeah?” The boy breathed.

“Can I touch you?” Jeongguk pleaded.

There was a softness in his voice that the elder had never heard from him. Daring to glance up, he
nodded carefully. Jeongguk slipped a hand under Taehyung’s chin, gently caressing the sensitive
skin of his throat. The elder’s eyelids fluttered shut and he trembled. And then Jeongguk’s hand
was gone, and when Taehyung opened his eyes, he was crouching before him. There was
something in his gaze that wouldn’t let the elder look away, and Jeongguk breathed, “I’m sorry. I
don’t expect you to forget what I said - I don’t even expect you to forgive me right now. I just want
you to know that I didn’t mean it. I was angry, not at you, but I still took it out on you.”

“You can’t do that to me,” Taehyung whispered, looking down at his clenched hands. “You can’t
-“ he forced himself to look Jeongguk in the eyes. “You can’t just expect me to be fine. I might
 never be completely fine. I’m sure I’ll get better, but there’s always the risk that I’ll have moments
where I slip up. You can’t fault me for those when they happen.”

Jeongguk carefully took his hands. “I won’t. I get frustrated because I hate him, and I hate what he
did to you. But that’s not your fault, and I shouldn’t ever make you feel like it is. I’m so, so sorry.”

Taehyung cocked his head at the maknae, judging his expression. Then, finally deciding, he gave a
slight nod, tightening his fingers around the maknae’s. Jeongguk deflated, “Thank you.”

The elder nodded again, offering his lips. Jeongguk pecked then softly, whispering apologies as he
carded his fingers through the elder’s hair. Taehyung closed his eyes, letting the maknae preen
over him.

“I love you, Taehyung,” Jeongguk whispered. “I don’t expect you to say it back, but -”

“I love you too,” Taehyung breathed, not daring to open his eyes.

Jeongguk hesitated, and then Taehyung felt two incredibly strong arms wrap themselves around
him. He leaned forward into Jeongguk’s chest, letting the maknae’s body heat soothe his frozen
skin.

Chapter End Notes

Old news but Don’t Leave Me and Let Go got me ugly crying in the bathroom
 Chapter 15
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“What can I do to make it up to you?” Jeongguk suddenly asked, his melodious voice echoing in
the quiet cell.

Taehyung lifted his head off the maknae’s chest - normally he was the big spoon, but right now he
was okay letting Jeongguk take care of him. “What do you mean?”

Jeongguk shifted, wincing at the discomfort the cot caused. It wasn’t any bigger than the one in
Taehyung’s old cell, so they were pretzeled around each other, not that either was complaining.
Jeongguk said, “I was a dick. How can I make it up to you?”

“You already apologized,” Taehyung assured him. “I forgive you.”

The maknae sighed dramatically, and Taehyung suddenly realized what he’d really meant by that
question. He smiled, mischievous despite the circumstances. He hadn’t had his hands on
Jeongguk’s sinful body in what felt like an eternity, but the maknae was right. He was a dick. So if
he wanted to get some, Taehyung was going to make him work for it.

As if reading the elder’s mind, Jeongguk groaned, “You know what I mean, hyung.”

Taehyung wetted his lips, nuzzling back into the younger’s chest. It was clothed, which frankly
was a crime, but he wanted to see how far he could push the maknae before his shyness took over.
Innocent, he hummed, “I don’t think I do.”

“Hyung.”

“Can you explain it to me, Kookie?”

Jeongguk removed a hand from Taehyung’s back to run it down his face. The elder bit his lip,
trying to hide his snort. “Nevermind.”

“But I want to know!” Taehyung whined, sitting up. The cot creaked underneath him.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jeongguk said miserably, his hand not leaving his face. “Forget I said
anything.”

“Kookie?” Taehyung asked, grinning.

Jeongguk eyed him, and the elder could tell he was trying to process his sugary tone. “What,
hyung?”

“Are you suggesting…” Taehyung widened his eyes, fighting off a laugh at the maknae’s adorable
blush. Throwing as much immaturity as he could into his voice, he pressed, “Are you suggesting
we do it?”

Something flashed in the maknae’s eyes and before Taehyung could defend himself, he was
slammed down on the bed with Jeongguk’s thighs gripping him on either side of his hips. Laughter
erupted from the elder as Jeongguk began to poke and swat him, fake fury in his smile. Conceding,
Taehyung cried, “Okay, okay! I’m sorry, I’m done!”
Jeongguk sat upright, but didn’t get off. His thighs strained against the fabric of his sweatpants, and
Taehyung couldn’t help but gawk at their definition. He gave them an experimental squeeze,
almost moaning at the sheer power in their flex. Jeongguk raised his eyebrows, and Taehyung
could have hit him for the cockiness in his expression because that little shit knew what he was
doing. He knew that his muscles left Taehyung in a horny puddle at his feet. He innocently
scratched his stomach, coaxing his shirt up just enough for Taehyung to catch a glimpse of his
perfectly toned six-pack. The elder grabbed his wrist and groaned, “Stop.”

“Stop what, hyung?” Jeongguk asked, blinking his black doe eyes innocently.

“Kookie,” Taehyung whined, and then immediately bit his tongue because, hell, he just whined,
and it wasn’t on purpose.

The maknae grinned and rolled his hips, using his snakelike skills to send a blast of heat to the
elder’s nether region. Taehyung’s hands flew up to stop him, eyes wide with an unspoken warning.
Jeongguk giggled, “What’s wrong, hyung?”

Screw it. Who cared if they were in a prison cell in Purgatory? Obviously not Jeongguk.

“Take your shirt off,” Taehyung ordered, not trusting his voice to go above a hiss.

The maknae hesitated, but Taehyung glared at him and, with a dark blush, he sheepishly obeyed.
When it was off, he squirmed under the elder’s hungry stare, avoiding his dark eyes. Taehyung
cracked a grin - there was his shy baby boy. He was starting to wonder what had happened to him.

Back in control, Taehyung sat up, holding the maknae in place on his lap, and crashed their mouths
together. He was vaguely aware of Jeongguk tugging at his shirt, wordlessly asking for it to be
removed. But because the maknae had been a dick, as he said so himself, Taehyung broke their
kiss and smiled. “Tell me what you want, Kookie.”

Jeongguk made a helpless noise in his throat and set to work easing the shirt over Taehyung’s head.
But the elder stopped him, grabbing his wrists, and ordered softly, “Use your words, jagiya.”

The maknae huffed, pulling his hands away, “Off.”

“Why didn’t you say so?” Taehyung chided.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk whined, and Taehyung loved how needy the maknae was for him.

“Take it off then, jagi,” Taehyung said.

He was worried his shirt would rip with how quickly Jeongguk yanked it off of him. Chuckling,
Taehyung went back to kissing the younger, heat flooding his groin because Jeongguk was still
sitting in his lap, chiseled thighs on either side of his legs, and Taehyung wasn’t sure he could take
it. He wanted Jeongguk right now, and considering he was a dead man anyway, why not? If he was
going to hell, he might as well enjoy his way down. He grinned against Jeongguk’s soft lips,
earning a mewl when he bit the bottom one, and then set to work kissing and nipping every inch of
skin he could reach. Jeongguk threw his head back, tangling his fingers in Taehyung’s hair and
panting. A quiet, breathless laugh escaped his rosebud lips, making his throat vibrate against the
elder’s mouth, and quickly turned into a high, drawn-out moan. His soft pink nipple caught
Taehyung’s interest and he sucked it in between his teeth, rolling it over his tongue. Jeongguk
inhaled sharply, “Tae-aehyung - I - fuck -“

Taehyung grinned and released the maknae’s sensitive bud with a pop, gazing appreciatively at
how pert it stood. He brought his hand around and swatted Jeongguk’s ass through his sweatpants,
scolding, “Language.”

“I’ve sworn more times than I can - holy shit, Tae - can count and now is when you’re going to
deny me that pleasure?” Jeongguk shot back, and Taehyung cooed at how cute his pouty lip was.

“Yeah, but when you get home, you won’t be able to do that. Jinnie-hyung will kill you,”
Taehyung said. He swooped down and sucked a hickey into the maknae’s collarbone, making his
entire muscular body shudder.

“When we get home,” Jeongguk insisted, his eyes squeezed shut in pleasure as Taehyung flicked
his other nipple with his tongue just the way he knew the maknae liked it. “We’re both - shit -
going home.”

Taehyung hummed, not wanting to ruin the moment by pointing out how fruitless that hope was.
The archangels wanted him in hell. So, hell is where he’d go. But that was later. Right now, he was
on a detour to Hong Kong. He’d take Jeongguk there one last time, and then continue his journey
to the land of fire. That’s how this would work. He was okay with that.

Well, he wasn’t. He didn’t want to leave the perfect specimen in front of him, not for one second.
He didn’t want the other members to be hurt - especially not because of him - and he knew they
would be when Jeongguk came home alone. But there was no way to stop his course, so he had to
simply smile and enjoy the time he had left with the maknae.

“H-hyung,” Jeongguk moaned, drawing out the “ng” sound deep in his throat.

Taehyung groaned as the pleasured noises from his maknae made his member swell. “Kookie…”

Jeongguk shifted closer, his front bumping Taehyung’s stomach, and the elder giggled when he
found himself being poked. He licked a stripe up the maknae’s throat before biting his earlobe,
probing the stud in its soft skin, just to tease. Jeongguk’s hands clamped down behind Taehyung’s
neck, holding him in place, as he whimpered, “Please.”

“What is it, jagi?” Taehyung breathed.

The maknae grumbled and dropped a hand onto the tent in Taehyung’s pants. It sent a zing of
electricity through his body, and he gasped at the younger’s forwardness. He really wanted to keep
teasing Jeongguk. He wanted to take him right to the edge and then pull him back, only to do it
again and again until the maknae was a writhing, moaning, fucked-out mess. But Jeongguk’s hand
was over his throbbing member, and Taehyung had missed him so bad. With a raspy groan, the
elder pressed his face into the crook of the maknae’s neck to leave another mark.

And then it was all ruined by a voice coming out of the shadows.

“I feel violated.”

Jeongguk launched off of Taehyung’s lap with a squeak, throwing his hands over his face.
Taehyung snorted, not at all embarrassed so much as he was irritated, “I’d hope so.”

Eden’s voice was exasperated when she continued, “Sweet Jesus, okay. I knew you would have
talked by now, but I didn’t expect the make-up sex to happen until you got home.”

Jeongguk hadn’t moved from his curled up position next to Taehyung. Smirking, the elder ran a
finger down his bare spine, humming approvingly at how the maknae shivered under his touch.
The younger’s head shot up, and he grumbled, “Hyung, my shirt.”
“What about it?”

“Give it to me!”

Eden burst out laughing as Taehyung obeyed. “Okay, now I forget why I’m here. Hold on.”

Taehyung shot the ceiling a glare, even though he was sure that wasn’t the angle she was watching
them from. “Eden, if you’re going to be a cock block, the least you could do is have a good reason
for it.”

“I do!” she insisted, but then hesitated. “Okay, I’m sorry, but Jeongguk looks like he just got in a
fight.”

Taehyung eyed the purple flowers he’d put on his lover’s caramel skin. His shirt was on now, but
there were still a few hickeys climbing up and around his neck, disappearing under the hem of his
collar. It was as beautiful as it was painfully arousing.

Well, at least I’m not into extreme BDSM, right?

Jeongguk looked up, a small smile playing at his lips. Taehyung’s confidence must have seeped
into him because he said, “Is that what they call it these days?”

“NO,” Eden shrieked.

Taehyung gave his boyfriend a shit-eating grin, pride blooming in his chest.

“Okay, we are moving on,” Eden snapped. She sounded like she was prepared for death. “I’m here
because I wanted to ask what Jeongguk decided. You know, about sharing his memories.”

With the reminder, Taehyung’s mood instantly darkened. “He’s not doing it.”

At the exact same time, Jeongguk said, “I’m doing it.”

They shot each other identical glares. Taehyung stomped down his irritation and forced calm into
his voice, “No, jagi, you’re not. I told you, I’m not worth that.”

“Now I see why you guys fought,” Eden groaned.

Taehyung squinted at the maknae, who had the decency to drop his head in submission. He
mumbled, “It’s my brain, hyung. I want to do this for you.”

“Taehyung,” Eden murmured, her voice attempting to be soothing, “you know that there’s no other
way to keep you out of hell.”

Fine. Then he’d go to hell. He voiced this, crossing his arms over his chest, and Jeongguk set his
jaw and slid off the cot. Taehyung watched him warily. His expression was one of...disgust? That
only served to anger the elder. “Oh, great, you seriously can’t see my side of this?”

“No!” Jeongguk and Eden snapped at the same time.

Taehyung hopped to his feet, snatching his shirt off the floor and tugging it on over his head.
“Jeongguk, remember when you wanted to turn Raphael in for harassing us?” When the maknae
didn’t respond, Taehyung continued, “When you wanted the archangels to see what you’d seen?
Tell them that he’d gone into your dreams without permission? You were terrified when I told you
what that would mean. What happened to that?”
 Jeongguk turned the full power of his scowl on Taehyung, and the elder had to fight to not back up
a step. “What happened? We’re in Purgatory, hyung. You’re on trial to go to hell. I’d say a lot of
shit happened.”

“Brother,” Eden said softly, “your stubbornness is endearing, and I can appreciate that you want to
protect Jeongguk’s privacy, but please understand that neither of us want you to go to hell.”

“And we’ll do whatever it takes to keep you out,” Jeongguk added, resting his hands on
Taehyung’s cheeks. They were warm and gentle, and under other circumstances, the older boy
would have melted on the spot. But instead he just pursed his lips as the maknae continued, “I’ll do
whatever I have to in order to bring you home.”

“Fine,” Taehyung spat, throwing as much venom into the word as possible. He brushed off the
maknae’s hands, doing his best to ignore the hurt in his eyes, and sat down on the cot. “Get out,
Eden. You have your answer.”

Jeongguk warily stepped closer to him, but Taehyung just snarled, “Don’t touch me.”

This couldn’t be happening. Why couldn’t they just see his side? Jeongguk would be giving the
archangels everything. They’d know everything about him. How he played with his older brother
when he was kid. How he bit his lip when he was deep in a sketch. How he closed his eyes and
melted into the music when he was in the recording studio, his body swaying subconsciously to the
beat.

Eden finally murmured, “Alright, Taehyung, I’ll leave. You guys have two more hours, just so you
know.”

Chapter End Notes

BTS in black hair is dOING THINGs to me

 Chapter 16

“Tae,” Jeongguk tried again, wetting his chapped lips with his equally dry tongue.

Taehyung only offered him a glare. Jeongguk groaned, unable to understand what his problem was.
“I don’t know what else I’m supposed to do, hyung.”

“You’re supposed to tell them to shove off and then go home and get over me,” Taehyung hissed.

Jeongguk pushed himself to his feet and crossed to the elder. “We only have a few minutes left and
this is how you’re going to be? Up until the very last second?”

“Will you realize this is a stupid idea?” Taehyung shot back, recoiling from Jeongguk’s hand.

The maknae sighed. He’d dealt with an over-dramatic baby for the past hour and a half, and he was
done with it. “Fine. Do whatever you want, Taehyung-ssi. I’m doing this, so you can hate me if
you want, but you’ll be safe, and right now that’s all I’m thinking about.”

“I let them rip out my wings to preserve my privacy,” Taehyung snapped as if it changed things.
“And you’re just going to give yours away like it’s nothing.”

Jeongguk blew out an irritated breath. “No offense, but I stand to lose something far greater than a
couple of extra limbs.”

Taehyung wrinkled his nose in anger. “Oh yeah, what?”

Wow. I’m actually dating an idiot. “You, dumbass. You might not think you’re very important, but
I do.”

The elder eyed him, and for a moment Jeongguk thought he’d finally won. But then the frown
returned and Taehyung twisted so that his back was facing the maknae. “Whatever, Kook.”

“So mature,” Jeongguk sneered, rolling his eyes.

Taehyung ignored him, and a moment later the cell door opened. Jeongguk turned, a stab of fear
going through his chest. Four guards waited for them in the doorframe, watching silently. Two of
them were his, and the other two must have been the ones assigned to Taehyung. The elder pushed
himself up and brushed passed Jeongguk, elbowing his way between the guards. The maknae
scrambled to follow, shying away from the guards’ bare hands. He didn’t feel like melting off any
more of his skin today.

When they entered the courtroom, Eden was standing in the middle of the floor speaking to the
archangels. She stopped as soon as the door creaked open though, turning to stare the boys.
Raphael chuckled at whatever she had said, “Alright, I’ve been amused, but we’re done with you.”

Jophiel eyed him, but didn’t interject. Gabriel allowed it too, waving Eden away. He sat up
straighter and looked at Jeongguk, “What have you decided?”

Jeongguk could feel Taehyung’s heavy stare on the side of his face, but he didn’t look at the elder.
Raphael snorted, “He’s not going to do it, brother. Humans are cowards.”

“Is that what you think?” Jeongguk snapped, his throat dry. “Because I’m about to prove you
wrong.”
Raphael leaned back against his chair, frowning as Jophiel and Zadkiel glanced at each other, a
silent conversation happening between the two of them. Michael rested his elbows on his knees,
“You do know we’ll have everything?”

“Yes.”

He nodded and sat back, and the one Jeongguk was pretty sure was Uriel grinned humorlessly,
“Should we be concerned, Raphael?”

The archangel in question worked his jaw, gripping the edges of his armrests so tightly that his
knuckles were turning white. “Of course not, brother. The human is bluffing.”

Jeongguk almost laughed, but his knees were shaking too much to do so. Instead, he blinked at the
panel and offered coldly, “Try me.”

Raphael wrinkled his nose, “What are the thoughts of a human compared to the words of an
archangel?”

Jophiel turned the full power of his odd milky eyes on him. “They are everything, brother. They
are the truth.”

Jeongguk swallowed, still trying to ignore the hole Taehyung was glaring into his head. Uriel
stood, “Shall I?”

“No,” Raphael snapped, his voice hitching.

Jophiel steepled his fingers. “Yes, Uriel. Let us see what this human can show us.”

Uriel stepped off of his platform and spread his blinding wings, gracefully lowering himself to the
ground. His eyes swept over Jeongguk, making his skin crawl, before he strode towards him.

And then many things happened in a very short amount of time.

Taehyung launched passed Jeongguk in a blur and raised his fist. Uriel watched his movements
boredly and sidestepped around his attack. Jeongguk hardly had time to scream before the guards
were on the boy, forcing him to his knees. One of them took a glinting object from their belt and
drove it into his back.

Right on one of his scars.

Taehyung spasmed before slumping forward. Jeongguk’s hands flew to his mouth, tears pricking in
his eyes at his utter helplessness. “Taehyung!”

Eden shouted it too, struggling with her guards to get to her brother. Jeongguk, on the other hand,
was frozen to the spot, unable to convince his feet to move him forward.

The boy twitched as he was roughly pulled to his feet, his head still hanging. Jeongguk reached a
shaky hand towards him, but the maknae’s male guard grabbed his bare wrist and he retracted with
a pained hiss. “Tae?”

The elder blinked at him, his eyes glassy, as he passed him. Relief washed over Jeongguk as he
croaked, “Jagi.”

He was jerked to wait back by Eden, leaving Jeongguk alone to face the bemused archangel
standing before him. He was only a few centimeters taller than the maknae, but it felt like he was
as looming as a skyscraper. An evil chuckle echoed above them and Jeongguk shot a dark glare up
at Raphael, who apparently found the whole thing hilarious. Before he could say something he
regretted, the maknae turned back to Uriel, “He was just trying to protect me.”

Uriel shrugged, “Whatever, he didn’t do any harm. Ready?”

The archangel was so nonchalant that Jeongguk blinked, almost forgetting what was about to
happen. Squirming, he nodded, “Yeah, do your thing.”

Taehyung was slowly coming back to himself behind the maknae, his back hurting like a bitch, and
he mumbled, “J-Jeongguk…”

Eden clamped a hand down on his arm, hissing, “Don’t be an even bigger idiot than you already
are.”

Too weak to do anything else, Taehyung obeyed his sister. “What did they do to me?”

“Taser to the wing scar,” Eden said darkly.

“Ah.”

“You’re lucky you have a shirt on.”

Uriel gestured for Jeongguk to kneel, and he did so silently. He didn’t trust himself to speak, not
when he was shaking so badly. Uriel searched around in his robe and pulled out a book. Jeongguk
tilted his head curiously as Uriel leafed through the pages before finally coming to one that
satisfied him. With little fanfare, he ripped it out and tossed it in the air, watching it flutter.
Jeongguk jerked back when it suddenly exploded into a large holographic screen. “Is that -“

“A screen,” Uriel cocked an eyebrow at him. “We all have to see it. Do you still want this?”

Everyone would see everything he’d ever experienced. Every embarrassing moment. Every private
occurrence. Everytime he’d failed. The guards would see it. The archangels, obviously, would see
it. Eden would see it. And Taehyung would see it, and for some reason that made Jeongguk
nervous. But before he could talk himself out of it, he leaned his head forward in a noncommittal
nod. “I do.”

Uriel made an impressed noise in his throat. “This will hurt, human.”

Before Jeongguk could respond, the archangel’s scalding palm was pressed to his forehead, his
fingers pushed into the maknae’s hair. Jeongguk cried out, fighting off tears, and Uriel held up his
other hand towards the projector. Jeongguk was the film, and Uriel was the reel. Hopefully this
movie would be enough to save Taehyung.

Then, the ground was swept out from under his knees and he gasped as scenes exploded to life
around him. He almost collapsed from the whiplash, but Uriel’s firm hand held him upright by his
forehead.

Jeongguk watching his brother draw. Jeongguk wanting to do it too.

Jeongguk walking hand-in-hand with his mother. She’s smiling at him, her eyes kind and loving.

Jeongguk auditioning, his entire little body quaking. Getting fought over by all those production
companies, some bigger than his young mind could wrap around, until he decided he wanted to
learn under the one called Rap Monster, that incredible rapper who was the leader of a group from
an almost laughably-small production company called BigHit.

Hiding from the other members in his room, hugging his knees and muffling his sniffles in his
pillow because he couldn’t stand the thought of the five strangers he lived with knowing he was a
weakling.

Being held by all of his hyungs at once, clutching a bottle of banana milk in his fierce little hand
because Yoongi, terrifying Yoongi, had just earned his eternal adoration with the beverage, and
now Jeongguk would call every member “hyung.” That was cause for celebration.

Eating lamb skewers with that same once-scary hyung, laughing as Yoongi scolded him for
making a mess.

Hearing fans scream his name for the first time, and how terrifying and exhilarating it was all at
once.

Cuddling with Seokjin. Back-hugging Yoongi. Tackling Jimin. Free-styling with Namjoon, and
beating Hoseok at Overwatch.

Waking up early to hit the gym because he was an adult now, and he had a promise to keep to the
fans.

Showing off those new muscles on stage, basking in ARMY’s frenzied squeals.

Meeting Taehyung.

Taehyung.

The reel slowed down, focusing on this part of his life. Taehyung watched, mesmerized. He had
tried to look away from the screen, tried to give the maknae at least some privacy, but he couldn’t
focus on that goal anymore. Not when he had a front-row seat to Jeongguk’s true feelings about
him.

When memory-Jeongguk entered the dance studio, Taehyung almost didn’t recognize himself on
the screen. Memory-Taehyung was singing along to his phone - he couldn’t remember to what
song anymore - but when his memory-self turned to face Jeongguk, Taehyung gasped because this
is how Jeongguk sees me?

His eyes were incredible - swirling orbs of black and brown with gold somehow mixed in. What’s
more, his laugh was intoxicating, and his skin was a rich shade of honey that almost glowed.
Everytime his memory-self smiled, the screen became tinged with rose gold, as if just lifting the
corners of his mouth made the maknae fall in love with him even more.

Jeongguk thinks I’m beautiful.

Taehyung’s tummy warmed at the thought, and he almost regretted his earlier anger. Almost.

The next memory was one of him dancing with the group for the first time, and Taehyung blushed
at how focused on his hips Jeongguk had been. ARMY better put this thirsty boy on the pervert
line.

Jeongguk also thought his voice was the most incredible sound in the world, and Taehyung made a
mental note to think of this moment whenever he doubted his vocal abilities.

Eden leaned over to him, tearing his attention from the screen, “This is really gay.”
With a snort, Taehyung responded, “I’m really gay.”

“I think Jeongguk’s even more gay.”

Taehyung gave her a half-hearted shove. “Shut up.”

Eden rolled her eyes and the hatchmates looked back at the screen. Taehyung risked glancing at
Raphael, just because apparently he hated himself. The archangel’s nose was wrinkled in fury, his
fingers clutching his armrests.

Yeah, you prick. This is what real love looks like.

He turned his attention back to the screen, chewing his lip. He was learning what a jealous lover he
had, and he grinned at the things he could do with that information. But then the memories went to
their first kiss - when Jeongguk smashed their mouths together in their dreams.

Taehyung was disappointed that that was their first kiss. It was fueled by frustration, not by love. It
was possessive and angry. Taehyung didn’t even properly love the maknae yet, which was even
more depressing. Sure, Jeongguk’s dominance had been incredibly sexy, but Taehyung still wished
they could have done it the right way. But he didn’t fault Jeongguk for it. The maknae didn’t even
know at the time that dream-Taehyung and real-Taehyung were the same person.

Then the projection moved on to the moment that Taehyung had realized he loved Jeongguk. Not
just as a brother or a friend, but as a lover. Someone he could spend his life with. He trembled, a
small smile playing at his lips. At the time, it had terrified him because it was a new feeling, and it
proved that what he had felt for Raphael hadn’t really been love.
 Chapter 17
Chapter Notes

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?”

”Please don’t ask me that. I can’t answer it,” Jeongguk whispered.

With a sigh, Taehyung retracted his hand. He wanted to confess right then and there, but
something stopped him. Instead, he said, “Kookie, please look at me.” When the maknae didn’t
obey, Taehyung rested a hand on his thigh. “Kookie. Look at me, Jeongguk.”

Finally, finally Jeongguk obeyed, turning the full power of his sweet eyes on the older boy.
Taehyung forced himself to smile, “Kookie, you understand that I’m allowed to be intimate with
the other members too, right?” When Jeongguk nodded, Taehyung added, “Because they’re my
hyungs, which means I can hug and play with them just like I can with you.”

Jeongguk’s voice was incredibly small when he answered. “I know, hyung. I don’t know what’s
wrong with me. I’m so, so sorry. Please don’t leave because of me.”

Taehyung pursed his lips. What? Where did that come from? “Why would I leave?”

Jeongguk sat up and Taehyung scooted over to give him room, watching him carefully. His eyes
shining, the maknae murmured, “Because I fucked it up. B-but I don’t want everyone else to suffer
because I’m a selfish moron.” Something was twisting around Taehyung’s throat, strangling him.
“I’ll move to a different room, I’ll sleep on the couch if I have to because I understand if you aren’t
comfortable around me anymore.” Defeated, he finished with, “Just please, please don’t leave.”

Taehyung searched the boy’s face, trying to find something in it to convince him to not do what he
was about to do. But he couldn’t - in fact, he could only find things that made him want to do it
more. So, with a groan, he said, “This is a terrible idea.”

”What is, hyung?” Jeongguk’s voice cracked in his confusion.

Ignoring him, Taehyung sighed, “Promise me you won’t freak out.”

He ignored the maknae again when he asked, “What?”, steeling himself. And then, before he
could back down, Taehyung lifted his shirt off and turned his back to Jeongguk, gritting his teeth at
the maknae’s loud gasp. More to himself than to Jeongguk, Taehyung whispered, “It’s real,
Kookie. It’s all real. It always was.” He could practically feel Jeongguk reaching towards him, so
he quickly said, “You can - you -” he swallowed, trying again, “You can touch me if you want. Just
please,” his voice broke, “shit, please be careful. Don’t touch them. I’m not ready for that yet.”

Taehyung trembled as Jeongguk rested a careful hand on his shoulder blade, keeping away from
the wounds themselves. The crevices hurt, they always hurt, and they weren’t healing, which made
it ten times worse. Jeongguk breathed, “What happened to you, hyung?”

What an incredible boy. “That’s your first question? I tell you that all of your dreams are real, and
your immediate reaction is to ask what happened to me?”

”Well, I’ll admit, I’m pretty embarrassed that it was really you the entire time,” Taehyung almost
laughed at the squeamishness in Jeongguk’s tone. “But, uh, I guess I’m not too surprised? Like,
it’s weird, and it’s difficult to understand -” you got that right, Kook “- but it always felt real.”

Despite himself, Taehyung laughed, “Why would you be embarrassed?” Though he already knew
the answer.

After a pause, Jeongguk said, “Because I said and did things that I wouldn’t have if I would have
known it was really you.”

Feeling mischievous, Taehyung grinned back at the maknae. “Like what, Kookie?”

Jeongguk pushed his face away, sending electricity shooting through the boy’s body. Why weren’t
they kissing yet? They should be kissing. Jeongguk cut off his thoughts, “Shut up, hyung.”

”I’m glad you thought it was a dream,” Taehyung said earnestly. “It means I can really believe
everything you said.”

”Can I believe everything you said?” Jeongguk asked.

Deciding that it was now or never, Taehyung turned to the maknae. His heart was about to come
out of his throat, but he forced down his fear and promised, “Of course you can.”

With that, before he could rethink things, Taehyung kissed Jeongguk. Butterflies started knocking
around in his stomach as he considered how velvety soft the maknae’s lips were. He went slow,
trying to sense if the maknae was okay with this. If he was going to reciprocate or pull away. When
he didn’t react, Taehyung gingerly rested his hands on the small of Jeongguk’s back. Come on,
Kookie, do something. Say something. Help me out here.

Ask and ye shall receive, apparently, just not in the way you want. Jeongguk broke the kiss,
dropping his head, and Taehyung lurched away. Great, now he’d done it. He thought Jeongguk
wanted this, but obviously he was an idiot. “I’m so sorry, Kookie, was that not okay? I just thought
- shit, I’m so sorry.”

The maknae just stared at him. Taehyung squirmed, terror burning through his body. Finally,
Jeongguk breathed, “Is this actually real?”

Um? “What?”

”You don’t have to - I mean, this - you,” Jeongguk looked away, chewing the inside of his cheek.
And then Taehyung understood the maknae was just as scared as him. “I didn’t know you - how
could I...you -”

Understanding what he meant, Taehyung stopped him from continuing on, “I did. I do. Do you?”

Jeongguk looked back at him, his eyes filled with an internal conflict, and Taehyung leaned
forward experimentally, fully prepared to get rejected. But then Jeongguk surprised him by closing
the gap, delicately pressing their lips together once more. An overwhelming mixture of relief and
intoxication - because shit, Jeongguk tasted like sea salt and mint - overtook Taehyung and he
broke off the kiss, releasing a shaky exhale, before returning to the boy’s waiting lips. He didn’t
dare go any faster, but then Jeongguk surprised him again by releasing a mewl and tugging him
closer. Taehyung carefully moved his hands up to tangle in the maknae’s hair, taking Jeongguk’s
reaction as permission to go a little further.

Taehyung had never been as happy as he was in that moment. Even when Jeongguk tried to go all
the way, Taehyung was still happy. Nervous, yes, because what if the maknae was just trying to
use him? What if it was lust he was after, not love?

Luckily, they got that situation figured out quickly.

The memory moved on to the next one, and Eden giggled, “Is he always like that?”

Taehyung ignored her, looking back at the screen. The archangels leaned forward when the scene
transitioned to Taehyung showing Jeongguk the memory of getting his wings torn out. Michael
glanced at Jophiel questioningly, asking if that was against the rules, but Jophiel shook his head
and Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief. With an irritable tsk of his tongue, Michael sat back.

The next scene was the first time Taehyung said “I love you.” And even though they didn’t
become a couple for another few weeks, it had felt so good to say it aloud and hear Jeongguk say it
back.

The projection whirled through snippets of Taehyung’s debut before settling on the memory of
Jeongguk caring for Taehyung’s wounds for the first time. Taehyung glanced up at Raphael to find
him stiff as a board, hands clasped in his lap at how Jeongguk gently cleaned around the gashes
and bandaged them. That’s what a real boyfriend looks like, asshole. Take some fucking notes.

The clip included the conversation that happened beforehand, the one where Jeongguk asked about
Raphael and Taehyung’s relationship and then figured out that the latter had been a guardian. Eden
slugged Taehyung’s shoulder, sticking her tongue out as his memory-self said, “I could never be a
messenger. Too much running around only to have your words ignored because no one believes in
angels anymore.”

“Screw you, jerk!” she said, but she wasn’t really mad. In fact, she was fighting off laughter.

Taehyung shrugged, “It’s true.”

And then the memory moved on and he was in the bath, Jeongguk sitting behind him on the edge
of the tub. Taehyung blushed. If he was amazed at how beautiful Jeongguk found him when he
was fully clothed, he was very unprepared for the boy’s adoration of his naked form. In the
maknae’s eyes, he had no flaws. Every inch of him was perfect, and Taehyung almost had to look
away from the screen to stop himself from crying. The only thing that saved him was Eden making
a disgusted noise in her throat, and there was no way he could cry after that.

All too soon, the butterflies in Taehyung’s tummy withered and died. Watching their first time roll
on the screen like a leaked sex tape made him ball his hands into fists, his nails biting into his
flesh. This was what he had been dreading because this was what would make him hate Jeongguk.
He could already feel the dark emotion seeping into his bloodstream, thick and oily.

Jeongguk’s face lit on fire as Uriel projected the next memory on the screen, and he could kind of
understand Taehyung’s refusal to share his memories. The scene playing on the screen was a
sacred memory - his first time, not only just in general, but with Taehyung. With the man he
wanted to spend the rest of his life with. It was playing in raw HD, the archangels watching with
varying levels of boredom and amusement. In the memory, Jeongguk had been a fumbling,
embarrassing, sheepish (though Taehyung would disagree with all but the last of those
descriptions) virgin, not knowing what to do or where to put his hands or how to express what he
wanted. Everyone in the room had that information now. He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to
jerk away from Uriel’s hand because at this point, he had already exposed himself in his most
uncensored form, so what did it matter anymore?

After that, the rest of the memories went by in a blur. Jeongguk’s ears were buzzing loudly and his
vision was hazy, so he hardly noticed when Uriel released him. And then he snapped to his senses,
realizing how deathly quiet the room was.

Raphael was white-knuckling his armrests, wide eyes boring holes into Jeongguk’s head. Gabriel
and Michael were avoiding each other’s glances, even though they knew what they’d find in the
other’s expression. Jophiel’s fingers were pressed together, but his eyes were thin slits. Even Uriel
looked uncomfortable as he backed away from the maknae, staring at him apologetically as he flew
back up to his chair. Jeongguk slowly turned his head, trying to meet Taehyung’s eyes, but the boy
was too busy studying his feet to give Jeongguk any attention. Eden offered him a weak, pitying
smile.

“Well,” Gabriel clapped his hands once, a finalizing sound that echoed through the high-vaulted
room. “That was certainly...something.”
 Chapter 18
Chapter Notes

Shout out to my dongsaengs on Wattpad for asking for a double update today

Camael groaned, rubbing his forehead, “What was it you said, Zadkiel? This entire situation is an
exception?”

Zadkiel nodded slowly. The room fell silent again. Jeongguk couldn’t stand it - he’d just ripped off
every bandaid he’d ever had in front of these complete strangers. The least they could do was say
something. Squirming, he demanded, “Well?”

The row of archangels stared down at him. For a moment, Jeongguk feared that it really had been
for naught. That they were going to send Taehyung to hell anyway just because they wanted to.

But then Gabriel sighed, “Jophiel?”

“Stalking, harassment, and abuse, hmm?” Jophiel pressed his lips to his steepled fingers. “What the
human has shown us most certainly fits those labels.”

“But you saw that Taehyung still broke the rules,” Raphael snarled. Was it just Jeongguk’s
imagination, or was there the slightest bit of fear in his voice?

“Yes,” Zadkiel said softly. “But given the circumstances, I’d say that he should be forgiven for
that. What say you, Jophiel?”

Jophiel studied Jeongguk, his eyes clouded. The maknae stared right back, afraid that his next
move would determine Taehyung’s future. Finally, the archangel said in his breathy voice, “The
Fallen is forgiven. He shall remain on Earth until he dies naturally, as all humans do.”

The weight that flew off of Jeongguk’s shoulders almost knocked him over. “Thank you, sir.”

Jophiel glanced at Raphael out of the corner of his eye. The other archangels watched carefully,
waiting for his verdict. Jeongguk remembered what Taehyung had told him, so long ago at this
point that it felt like years in the past. Archangels don’t fall. Jophiel’s next words could change
everything for them.

“Archangels are perfect, Raphael,” Jophiel said carefully.

“We are,” the man growled.

“Did that display look perfect to you?” Camael suddenly snapped. “You’re a disgrace.”

Jophiel held up a papery hand, silencing his chittering brothers. He looked at Zadkiel, “What have
you to say on this matter, brother?”

Zadkiel turned to look down at Jeongguk, and then his eyes moved to Taehyung. His soft voice
could have destroy mountains as he murmured, “All of the mercy I have to grant has been given to
the Fallen.”
In a slow-motion blur, Raphael jumped to his feet, lifting his wings in a frenzied attempt to escape
what was about to happen. Jeongguk watched, horrified, as Camael and Michael rose to their feet
and each grappled for one of his arms. The other archangels looked on, almost bored now that the
verdict had been given.

Suddenly, there was a hand on his shoulder. Jeongguk turned to find Eden, her eyes soft and
manically gleeful at the same time. She said gently, “Step back, Jeongguk. You won’t want to see
this.”

The maknae obeyed, letting her pull him to stand between her and Taehyung. Jeongguk glanced at
the boy, but he was too busy watching the horror unfurling before them. Camael and Michael each
had a death-grip on Raphael’s arms and were wrestling him to the floor where Jeongguk had stood
only a moment prior, their faces set in deadly resolve. Subconsciously, Jeongguk reached for
Taehyung’s hand, but the elder pulled away the second they brushed together. The maknae looked
at him but then decided that he must be struggling with his conflicting emotions. After all, a part of
Taehyung still cared for the archangel. He couldn’t help it, not when the majority of his life was
spent in his arms. Patiently, Jeongguk crossed his arms and turned back to watch as Camael and
Michael forced Raphael to his knees.

“This is madness!” The condemned man shrieked. “I am an archangel! Eternal! One of the most
powerful of all of you!”

“And now,” Jophiel said, exhaustion permeating his voice, “you are a Fallen.” Lifting his chin to
the two archangels beside the man, he said, “Do it.”

Each man grabbed one of Raphael’s glowing wings. Before Jeongguk could properly react, they
began to pull, and the maknae winced at the wet sound of straining limbs. It was louder than it had
been in Taehyung’s memory of the time it happened to him. It echoed in Jeongguk’s ears, and
when Raphael started screaming, he couldn’t help but cower away. Eden rested a reassuring hand
on the small of his back, but Taehyung still hadn’t even looked at him.

“Uriel,” Camael grunted, his arm muscles bulging. “Come help.”

The archangel in question stood, stretched his arms high above his head, and nonchalantly hopped
down beside his struggling brothers.

It wasn’t until he reached to grasp the hilt of the flaming sword strapped to his back that Jeongguk
realized he should probably look away.

But the sound was just as bad as watching.

An animalistic wail ripped out of Raphael’s throat, long and ear-piercing, as Uriel brought the
sword down on his wing. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air and Jeongguk gagged,
trying to breathe through his mouth. It took a few good hacks for the first wing to sever off
completely.

One.

Two.

Three. Jeongguk couldn’t help counting them in his head, each one marked by a scream.

When the first one was finished, Jeongguk dared to glance at Taehyung. The boy was standing
with his fists clenched at his sides, watching the show unblinkingly. Jeongguk shuddered at the
bemused look in his eyes.
Eden leaned over to murmur, “His wings are stronger than regular angel wings, which is why they
can’t just pull them out. They have to cut them off.”

Jeongguk couldn’t even nod as a reply.

Camael dropped the wing unceremoniously and it fell with a wet thud. He then moved to grip
Raphael’s shoulder, stopping him from moving as Uriel went to the second wing. Michael’s face
was filled with storms as Uriel raised the sword above his head, and Jeongguk squeezed his eyes
shut as the archangel brought the blade down with a sickening squelch.

This wing took four hacks.

Michael wrinkled his nose at the severed appendage in his hands and disgustedly threw it on the
ground, wiping his hands on his bloodied pants. Camael released Raphael too, and without the
assistance of his brothers, the archangel keeled forward with a sob.

Eden gripped Jeongguk’s shoulder so hard that it almost hurt when the two archangels roughly
grabbed Raphael’s arms and jerked him to his feet. Camael stood and waved an arm over the
ground, and with the sound of metal scraping on stone, a trapdoor spiraled open to reveal a dark
abyss. Jeongguk wavered as the ground shook under the might of the magic, but Eden helped him
stay standing. It worried Jeongguk that Taehyung hadn’t touched or even looked at him yet, but
then his attention was stolen by Camael and Michael forcing Raphael to the edge of the chasm.

Gabriel spoke, his voice hollow, “May your fall be long.”

The other archangels echoed him, and Raphael screamed, “Wait!”

The rest of his words were cut off by Camael and Michael shoving him into the gaping hole.

Jeongguk swallowed, and the sound seemed to echo in the silent room. The archangels stared into
the abyss, each of them a statue, until Uriel waved his hand and the chasm closed. Gabriel said
quietly, “Take the human and the Fallen back to their home on Earth.”
 Chapter 19
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

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.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

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!”

Chapter End Notes

They in for a wORLD OF TROUBLE BOIS AND GIRLS

 Chapter 20

“Where the hell were you?” Seokjin demanded, his arms crossed stiffly over his chest.

Taehyung and Jeongguk sat on the couch, too much space between them for the maknae’s liking,
as their hyungs berated them. The second Jimin had shouted his announcement, Seokjin and
Yoongi had come barreling down the hall, wrapping their arms around Taehyung and Jeongguk in
embraces that felt like they were fighting the urge to strangle the two dongsaengs. Jimin was
crying, Seokjin was yelling, and Yoongi was rapid-fire texting the group chat to tell Hoseok and
Namjoon to get home now.

The oldest hyungs had then marched with the two maknaes in tow to the living room the second
they were done trying to choke them both out and made them sit and wait silently (silently, kid, or I
swear to god…) until the others got back (from looking for you two disrespectful idiots).

Apparently Taehyung’s half-assed story hadn’t worked at all.

Still, the boy muttered, “We were with my parents in Daegu. You knew that.”

The room froze. Yoongi was sitting in the arm chair, leaning over his knees as he studied the two
maknaes, but the rest of the hyungs were standing with their arms crossed in poorly-contained fury.
Even Jimin was glaring at them. Namjoon, the gentle leader who never seemed to get mad until
this moment, finally growled, “You better cut that shit right now.”

“You know how close we were to getting the public involved?” Hoseok said darkly. “You guys
have been gone for ten days!”

“Eleven,” Yoongi corrected.

Jimin gripped his hair - it was black now, which meant that preparations for their comeback were
still underway on top of everything else - biting back angry tears. “You guys left your phones here!
Everything! You really think we’d believe you went on a little family get-away?!”

“The only reason we didn’t call the police is because BigHit hired private investigators,” Namjoon
added, seething.

Jeongguk retreated into himself, dropping his head. Seokjin suddenly grabbed a fistful of the
maknae’s hair, jerking him back up. Jeongguk whined in pain, but Seokjin didn’t let go as he
snarled, “You don’t get to shut down, Kook. Where were you?”

“You wouldn’t believe us,” Taehyung mumbled.

Seokjin thankfully released Jeongguk, crossing his arms. “Try me.”

Jeongguk looked at Jimin hopelessly. “Hyung, remember the...the thing you found out?”

Jimin’s eyebrows furrowed and Jeongguk pressed, “Do you know enough about the rules to know
what we were doing?”

He prayed Jimin would figure it out. Yoongi suddenly said in a scarily calm voice, “What the fuck
are you talking about?”

Taehyung seemed to understand where Jeongguk was going with this and joined in. “Jiminie, come
on. Think, I know you have to know something.”

It took a long, quiet moment for Jimin’s face to finally flicker with recognition. The rest of the
hyungs were watching agitatedly for him to respond, still not understanding what was happening,
until finally, he murmured, “Because you said ‘yes,’ right? When I asked what you were? You said
yes, which was an exact answer, not a roundabout one.”

Jeongguk and Taehyung melted in relief. The elder nodded, “Yes.”

Seokjin threw up his arms in irritation, “What are you three talking about? Can we get back to -“

“Hyungnim,” Jimin said softly, all anger now replaced with concern. Seokjin turned to him, his
mouth still hanging open, as he mumbled, “Just listen to them for a minute.”

Hoseok said, “That’s what we’re trying to do, Jiminie, but these two aren’t talking!”

Jeongguk glanced at Taehyung, his eyes begging. The elder sighed and, without a word, pulled off
his t-shirt. Namjoon fumed, “Is this a joke to - what the fuck?”

Taehyung reeled around, displaying his back and the dark scars that marred it. Seokjin, Hoseok,
and Namjoon crowded closer, and Yoongi hopped to his feet to join them. Jeongguk rested a
reassuring hand on Taehyung’s shoulder, but he shrugged it off. Trembling, Namjoon whispered,
“What are these, Taehyung?”

“They’re scars,” Jimin answered for him.

Yoongi turned to him, eyebrows furrowed. “Jiminie, you knew about this?”

“What happened to you?” Hoseok breathed, cocking his head.

“Before we answer,” Jeongguk said, “you all have to promise to have an open mind. There isn’t
much Taehyung can say, so Jimin and I will have to do it for him.”

“Why can’t he tell us?” Yoongi demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jeongguk eyed him. “Open mind, hyung, okay?”

Jimin offered Yoongi a reassuring smile. “It doesn’t make sense, hyung, so you have to trust us.”

“Us,” Seokjin scoffed. “Like I would trust our two runaways right now.”

“That’s not -“ Jeongguk sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “We weren’t running away. Just
listen, would you?” When the hyungs fell silent, staring at him for an explanation, Jeongguk
continued, “Taehyung was an angel. Don’t look at me like that, it’s true. Jiminie-hyung can vouch
for it.”

“Just listen to his heartbeat,” Jimin added. “It’s too fast to belong to a human. And he’s super light
- lighter than a grown adult should be.”

Warily, Namjoon rested a hand against Taehyung’s back, feeling for his heartbeat. The other
members watched him carefully for his reaction.

“I mean,” Namjoon pursed his lips. “Yeah, I guess it’s pretty fast.”

“You guess?” Jeongguk blurted. “Feel it again, hyung, and tell me that’s normal.”
Namjoon stepped away, dropping his gaze thoughtfully. “It’s definitely fast, I’ll give you that. But
that still doesn’t convince me that he was an angel.”

“How stupid do you think we are?” Yoongi snarled.

Jimin and Jeongguk shared a look, and Taehyung, biting his thumbnail nervously, croaked, “I don’t
blame you, hyung. It sounds pretty far fetched.” He turned his head over his shoulder to meet
Yoongi’s hard stare. “But think about it. Birds have super fast heart rates, and they have hollow
bones to lighten their bodies. You can touch me, if you want, so try to pick me up.”

Yoongi grumbled, so Hoseok did it instead, wrapping his arms around Taehyung’s torso and lifting.
His face screwed up in discomfort and he set the boy back down. “Okay, that’s weird.”

Seokjin and Namjoon exchanged a perplexed look. Jimin pulled Taehyung to his feet and said,
“Touch his scars. They’re real.”

Jeongguk balled his hands into fists. If anything, he should be the one comforting Taehyung while
the members gawked over him. He reached up to take his hand, but Taehyung turned fluidly into
Jimin, avoiding the maknae’s grasp. And so Jeongguk sat and watched, his nails biting into his
palms, as the hyungs took turns running their fingers over Taehyung’s scars in disbelief.

Once everyone had a chance to feel the validity of the marks, Jeongguk couldn’t help snapping,
“That’s enough.”

Taehyung shuddered at the sudden loss of contact, squeezing his eyes shut, and Jeongguk snatched
his hand. He meant the move to be reassuring, but Taehyung frowned at him until he let go.

The room was deathly silent. Everyone was staring at Namjoon, waiting for their leader to decide
what it all meant. He tilted his head at Taehyung, dark eyes sweeping over him. Slowly, he said, “I
don’t know how you’d get those wounds. They certainly look like something was pulled out of
you.”

“That’s because something was,” Jeongguk said redundantly.

Namjoon shot him a look. Be patient. “And I also know what Jeonggukie and Jiminie look like
when they’re lying, and they’re not lying. And Jiminie knows this is not the time for jokes even if
they were.”

The three other hyungs mumbled in agreement, looking everywhere but at the maknaes. Namjoon
sighed heavily, scratching the back of his neck. “It doesn’t make any sense,” he mused, “but I
believe them.”

After a long pause, Hoseok pointed out, “That still doesn’t explain where you guys were for the
past week and a half.”

Jeongguk’s eyes flickered to Taehyung as Jimin helped him get his shirt back on. Why was Jimin
doing that? He should be doing that. He’s Taehyung’s boyfriend.

As Taehyung sat back down, Seokjin cleared his throat expectantly. All eyes turned to Jeongguk,
including Taehyung’s. The maknae squirmed, though he knew that there was very little Taehyung
could say about where they’d been. He still had to obey the rules.

“When we told Jimin-hyung,” Jeongguk began carefully, “he asked if Taehyung-hyung was really
a fallen angel. He accidentally said yes, which broke the rules of the angels, or fallen angels, I’m
not entirely sure how that part works. But -“
“I shouldn’t have told him he was right,” Taehyung said. “When Jeongguk figured it out, I just told
him he was smart. That’s technically okay because I didn’t confirm he was right.”

Jimin bit his lip, “So it’s my fault?”

“No, Minnie!” Taehyung cried, and Jeongguk scowled at the nickname. “It was completely mine.”

Seokjin looked at Jeongguk, “So where were you?”

“I went too,” Jeongguk shrugged sheepishly. “He needed my help.”

“So,” Namjoon rubbed his forehead. “So you were in custody? Like, jail? Angel jail?”

“Purgatory,” Taehyung offered.

“Actual Purgatory?” Hoseok asked, his eyes wide.

“Yeah,” Jeongguk responded.

“I was on trial to go to hell,” Taehyung said. “That’s what should have happened.”

The room fell quiet again. Finally, Jimin breathed, “So what did happen?”

Jeongguk waited for Taehyung to speak. If they gave them the real answer, they’d have to go into
the story with Raphael. Jimin knew about it, but that had been an accident. Jeongguk wanted
Taehyung to decide whether or not to tell the rest of the members.

After deliberating with himself, Taehyung finally said, “Jeongguk saved me.”

With a startled blink, Jeongguk stuttered, “Well, not really -“

“No,” Taehyung said quietly. “Really.”

Hoseok and Jimin suddenly threw their arms around the boy, cooing and crying. Jeongguk watched
them coddle his boyfriend, something dark forming in the pit of his stomach. Yoongi stood and
cocked his head at him, “Okay, I’m going to say I know enough about all of this. I don’t want to
hear any more than I have to.” When he inhaled to sigh, he promptly wrinkled his nose. “You two
need to shower. You reek.”

Jeongguk felt a hot blush creep up his cheeks. Namjoon waved his hand flippantly, though his
frown betrayed his true feelings. “You two are free. Never, ever, ever do that again. I’ll kill you,
and then Yoongi-hyung will kill me for not letting him do it first.”

“And then I’ll bring you two back from the dead just to kill you again,” Seokjin added fiercely.

Their threats made, the three remaining hyungs pulled the two maknaes into bone-crushing hugs.
Just as quickly as he pulled him close, Seokjin pushed Jeongguk away, gagging dramatically.
“Ugh, Yoongi is right. You stink, go take a shower. Go take two showers.”

With a nervous laugh, Jeongguk hopped up and obeyed.

 Chapter 21

Taehyung didn’t shower with Jeongguk. The maknae waited for a solid fifteen minutes after he
was done scouring his body, letting the soothing water pelt his freshly-cleaned skin. He couldn't
understand what was wrong - they did it, didn’t they? They were no longer in Purgatory, Taehyung
wasn’t going to hell, and their hyungs more or less believed what happened to them. So why was
Taehyung so angry?

Jeongguk had never seen him in such a state, and it was confusing and scary. He’d always
expressed his feelings and had never been one to just stop talking, especially not when something
was bothering him.

Or maybe Jeongguk was just overthinking it. Taehyung had to deal with a lot over the past week
and a half, some of which Jeongguk didn’t even know about. Maybe something happened that
made him shut down?

If that was the case, Jeongguk wasn’t entirely sure he knew how to bring the boy back. These were
uncharted waters, and the maknae didn’t know how to proceed. All he could hope for was that
Taehyung would let him help in any way he could.

But he didn’t. Not that day, or the next, or even within the next week. He slept in his own bed - the
first night, Jeongguk couldn’t sleep, and the next ones he rested fitfully, dreamlessly - and made
sure to wake up early enough to avoid the maknae. Even when Jeongguk started waking up with
him, he sighed and said, “Please, Kookie, I can’t be around you right now.”

When Jeongguk asked why, he only responded with, “Because it’s too soon.”

And Jeongguk couldn’t coax any elaboration out of the boy, so after a week he stopped trying. It
got to the point that he’d rather let him have his hissy fit than keep exhausting himself by begging
for answers.

Okay, he didn’t mean that. But he still didn’t want to push the boy into giving him answers that he
wasn’t prepared to give. So, Jeongguk waited, though as time passed he started to wonder if there
was actually something to wait for.

Their dreams were no better. Jeongguk did his best to figure out how to get back to his own
subconscious, though it was incredibly difficult without Eden’s guidance. But eventually he did it,
though it didn’t feel like a victory considering everything. Taehyung did speak to him the next
morning though, which was a reward in itself.

When Jeongguk stirred, Taehyung was sitting on the edge of his bed, watching him. The maknae
blinked, coming to, and smiled briefly, forgetting for a moment that they hadn’t had a proper
conversation in over a week.

Taehyung said quietly, “Thank you.”

“For what?” Jeongguk frowned.

“For getting out of my head.”

With that, Taehyung pushed himself up and left the room, clicking the door shut behind him.

Jeongguk groaned and lay back down, resigning himself to staring at the ceiling.
Namjoon knocked on the door twenty minutes later, calling for Jeongguk to get up. The maknae
rolled out of bed, landing on all fours, and shouted, “I’m coming!”

He didn’t have time to shower, so he just yanked on a shirt and ruffled his hair in the bathroom
mirror, making sure he didn’t look like the pile of garbage he felt like. Seokjin, his hair freshly
dyed black and long enough to brush his eyelids, offered him an apple when he shuffled into the
kitchen, but he just shook his head and grabbed a water bottle instead. The eldest member pursed
his lips, but instead of voicing whatever was on his mind, he said, “We’re leaving in two minutes.
Be ready.”

Jeongguk waved his hand flippantly, taking a long drink from his water bottle, and Seokjin sighed
and left the room.

Taehyung and Jimin were leaning against each other on the couch when Jeongguk walked into the
living room, noses buried in their phones. Taehyung had been spending a lot of time with Jimin
lately. Jeongguk tried not to be bothered by it, but considering Taehyung wouldn’t even talk to
him, it rubbed the maknae wrong.

That was his boyfriend, not Jimin’s.

Well, at least he thought it was his boyfriend. He hadn’t been properly broken up with yet, though
he was convinced it was only a matter of time. But that required actually speaking, which, again,
seemed to be something that Taehyung was not in the mood to do with the maknae anytime soon.

If Jeongguk had any self respect (that’s what he thought was holding him back: a lack of self
respect), he’d just break up with the guy himself. But every time he even considered it, it filled his
mouth with bile. He still loved Taehyung, even though he was being a bit of a dick for some
reason, so he wanted to try to make it work. But he’d never dealt with this type of conflict before,
considering he became a relationship-avoiding idol at the fresh age of fifteen, so his twenty-year-
old self wasn’t entirely sure what he should be doing.

What can you do when your boyfriend won’t even talk to you?

Jimin looked up with an innocent grin when he heard Jeongguk enter the living room. “Morning!”

With a dark look that probably wasn’t very fair, Jeongguk muttered, “It most certainly is.”

Jimin faltered at his tone, his smile fading, before lighting back up. “Did you see that we’re
scheduled to do an interview for our album?”

“Neat,” Jeongguk mumbled, unable to tear his eyes away from the space - or lack thereof - between
his boyfriend and Jimin’s arm.

Jimin seemed to notice where the maknae was staring and blushed, shifting away. Taehyung
finally looked up, confused, before meeting Jeongguk’s stare. They blinked at each other for a
moment. Taehyung’s hair had been dyed black for their comeback, and Jeongguk hadn’t had a
chance to run his fingers through it. The boy was beautiful as a blonde, but he was even more
stunning with his natural hair color. Even though they all had black hair now, the color created a
completely different look when paired with the elder’s honey complexion and out-of-this-world
visuals.

Something like pain flickered in Taehyung’s eyes, and he looked away.

 Chapter 22
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung’s heart was about to come out of his chest. “W-what is this, sir?”

Raphael frowned at him. He was flanked by two soldiers, both much larger than Taehyung, and the
archangel’s eyes glinted with something that resembled malice. “Your crimes have been found out,
little one. Please come with me.”

My crimes?

Confused, Taehyung allowed the two soldiers to grab his arms and haul him out of the observatory.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Taehyung frowned at the page, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Runes dating back from
before the first language of man lay in a jumbled mess, but Taehyung was an angel, which meant
he was supposed to be able to speak any language. So why was this one giving him difficulties?

Raphael had told him this book would give them the answer to their struggles. That in its yellowed
and burnt pages would be the key to Taehyung’s immortality. He just had to find it.

He supposed he understood why Raphael himself couldn’t do it. He was an archangel, after all, and
he had more important things to take care of. So Taehyung worked alone, laboring over the worn
parchment for hours in between watching over his wards and practicing pederasty with the
archangel. He hadn’t seen Eden in well over a month, too busy trying to learn how to read the
foreign language.

It had been a month since Raphael first discovered the book, and all Taehyung could understand so
far was that the process to achieve immortality involved blood - lots of it - and fire. When he
squinted harder, focusing on one word in particular, he found that it also involved a human heart.
The thought made his blood curdle in his veins, but he reminded himself that this was for Raphael.
He should feel honored that the archangel wanted to keep him forever.

Raphael stepped into the room, clicking the door quietly shut behind him. Taehyung looked up,
blinking, and then smiled brightly. “Hello.”

“Any progress?” Raphael purred, crossing to Taehyung and wrapping his arms around the boy’s
slim waist.

Taehyung sighed, “Not really.”

“Hmm,” Raphael’s voice became predatory, and he leaned close to Taehyung’s ear to growl, “I’m
getting impatient, little one. Do you not want this?”

“I do!” Taehyung quickly assured him. “I’m trying very hard. I don’t really understand the
language.”

“That’s because it’s hell’s language,” the archangel said easily.

Taehyung froze. “This book - this is from hell?”

“All dark magic is.”

“But,” Taehyung wetted his lips nervously. He didn’t want to make Raphael mad. “But we can’t -“

“Taehyung,” the boy flinched at Raphael’s dark tone. “Don’t be a coward. I want you, and I will
have you.”

The boy shuddered fearfully. “I-I’m sorry.”

“Sorry, what?” Raphael snarled.

“I’m sorry, sir,” Taehyung mumbled.

And then, Raphael kissed his temple. “That’s my good little one.” He slapped Taehyung’s
asscheek. Hard. Almost as if he were punishing the younger. “Keep it up. You’ll figure it out.”

Taehyung pouted, unable to help himself. “Why can’t we work together, though, sir? I’m sure you
could figure it out faster.”

“I could,” Raphael agreed. “But you want to do this for me, don’t you?”

Submissive, Taehyung nodded.

A few days later, Taehyung still couldn’t figure it out. He spent every waking moment at it,
lamenting over the book like his life depended on it because, in a way, it did.

Raphael grew impatient. Eden, when Taehyung visited her, grew worried. His wards grew weak
without the constant attention of their guardian, though he tried to give them as much time as he
possibly could. That is, until Raphael forbade him from spending any time on things that didn’t
pertain to the task at hand: making himself immortal.

So he threw his all into trying to figure it out. He didn’t eat, didn’t sleep, didn’t rest from staring at
the god-forsaken pages of that dark book.

But in the end, even with all that hard work, things didn’t work out.

In the end, they were caught, though Taehyung couldn’t even begin to fathom how. After he fell,
he’d tell you that maybe Raphael got sick of waiting and decided that he was too much of a failure
to keep around any longer.

He didn’t even get to say goodbye to Eden. Not before Raphael came into the observatory with
those two soldiers and took him into custody.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

“You do realize that it has to be you?” Raphael said, his voice almost gentle.

Taehyung glared to him. He hadn’t gotten up from the cot when the archangel walked into the cell,
intent on showing Raphael that they were finished. “Do I?”

“Little one -“

“Don’t call me that,” Taehyung snapped. Then, softer, “You’ve broken my heart enough.”

Raphael wrinkled his nose. “I’ve broken your heart? I thought you wanted to be mine forever, little
one. I thought you could do this for me. But you couldn’t. If anyone here has had their heart broken
 by the other, it’s me.”

“I tried!” Taehyung cried. “I had no idea what I was doing, and still I tried!”

“Well,” Raphael shook his head, turning to leave, “it wasn’t enough, was it? Your trial is in the
morning.”

“Trial?” Taehyung squeaked, stumbling to his feet. “For what?”

“Oh my sweet, sweet little one,” Raphael said, gazing at him pityingly from the doorway. “To
decide whether or not you shall fall.”

Panic wrapped around Taehyung’s throat in a choke-hold. “What about you?”

Raphael blinked lazily. “What about me?”

“You did it too!” Taehyung pointed out, his voice a little manic. “Will you be punished?”

“Little one,” Raphael shook his head. “I’ve done nothing, remember? It was all you. You found
that book in my observatory.”

Finally understanding, Taehyung began to shudder. “No, Raph…”

“Yes, little one. You found that book in my observatory, and then you decided to try to become
immortal. You forgot your place, and now it is time to decide if you will fall.” Raphael sighed,
“For what it’s worth, little one, this was never the plan.”

“It’s not worth anything,” Taehyung growled, a sickening mixture of disgust, anger, and terror
swirling around in his gut.

Chapter End Notes

Raphael is a prick, if you haven’t already guessed that

In other news, stalk me on Instagram and Twitter, my username is @queenramsia on

both. My DMs are always open to talk about life, BTS (what’s the difference
honestly), and whatever else.
 Chapter 23
Chapter Notes

STOP!!

There are TWO new chapters today. Make sure you go read Chapter 22!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Jeongguk! Get your head out of your ass!”

The maknae stumbled, knocking into Yoongi for the nth time. He was the one who had shouted,
but he immediately apologized. “That wasn’t cool, kid, sorry.”

Jeongguk shrugged, “It’s okay. I’m sorry too.”

But he knew he’d run into him again. And again. And again, until either Yoongi’s toes were
broken or Jeongguk’s face was punched. He just couldn’t focus - not with how Taehyung was
dancing right in front of him, jaw set in firm determination, dark hair mussed and shirt clinging to
his defined back. It was a sight to behold, and the fact that Jeongguk couldn’t touch him was
infuriating.

When they finally left the studio, Yoongi had a slight limp and Jeongguk was profusely
apologizing, even though every time he did, the elder just glared at him.

Jeongguk landed on his bed with a heavy sigh. Taehyung came in a few minutes later, his ebony
hair slick from his shower, and Jeongguk swallowed at the sight. But the elder either didn’t notice
his staring or didn’t care because he just went straight to his bed and slithered under the covers.
After a quiet minute, he said, “Jeongguk?”

The maknae’s head whipped up, heart pounding. “Y-yeah?”

“Can you turn off the light on your way to the shower?”

Sighing disappointedly, Jeongguk rolled out of bed. But before he made it to the light switch, he
hesitated by Taehyung’s bed. The elder glanced up at him warily, and a foreign swell of either
stupidity or bravery gripped the maknae. “So that’s it then?”

Taehyung huffed, “What?”

“That’s how this ends? You’re just not going to talk to me? Ever?”

The elder deliberated for a moment before saying, “I just need more time.”

“For what?” Jeongguk pressed exasperatedly.

“Jesus, Kook,” Taehyung snapped, rolling over so his back was to the maknae. “I don’t know,
okay? I don’t know how I feel anymore.”

“Why, though?” Jeongguk asked his back. “I love you. I still love you. Do you love me?”
At first, he didn't think the elder would answer. And when he finally did, Jeongguk was sure he
misheard because it sounded like he said, “I think so.”

“You think so,” Jeongguk parroted in disbelief.

“I don’t know what else you want me to say, Jeongguk, it’s the truth.” Taehyung buried himself
further in his bed, “Now go shower.”

Heartbroken and numb, Jeongguk grabbed a pair of shorts and shuffled out of the room, shutting
off the light behind him because that’s what Taehyung had asked him to do, and despite
everything, he was whipped for that man.

The strangest thing that Jeongguk noticed about their unofficial break was how much he missed
showering with the elder. Not even in a sexual way - he just missed scrubbing his fingernails along
Taehyung’s scalp, massaging sweet-smelling shampoo into his blonde hair. And now that it was
black, he wanted to see the stark contrast between the raven locks and the white bubbles. It was
weird - and probably dumb - to want something so small as badly as he did, but he couldn’t find it
in himself to care.

And Jeongguk missed how Taehyung used the utmost care to wash his aching body after long days
of choreography, rubbing soap along the maknae’s shoulder blades, down his back, and around his
front, kissing his neck as his large, strong hands worked his muscles. Try as he might, Jeongguk
couldn’t mimic the soothing power of the elder’s delicate fingers.

Of course, there was also the obvious thing to miss.

Shower sex was one of Jeongguk’s favorites. He loved wrapping his legs around the elder’s slim
waist, back knocking against the wall. Uninhibited, he could scratch at Taehyung’s scars - which
was an incredibly effective aphrodisiac for the older boy - and the strangled noises that would slip
out of the elder’s mouth made it all even better.

Jeongguk sucked in an irate breath, blinking water out of his eyes and glaring down at his twitching
member. He hadn’t touched himself in ages - Taehyung only liked him doing that when they were
together...

Fuck Taehyung. He was a fucking asshole.

Chanting that thought like a mantra hoping that maybe he’d believe it, Jeongguk wrapped a hand
around his cock and immediately whined. He bit his lip to quiet himself - the last thing he needed
right now was to be caught by the hyungs. He experimentally tugged, getting used to the sensation
again. His eyes slipped shut and he craned his head back, mouth falling open.

With his eyes closed, Jeongguk could almost imagine it was Taehyung touching him. Following
that train of thought, he brought his free hand in between his thighs and carefully inserted a shaky
digit into himself. He hissed but then curled his finger and brushed against his prostate. His spine
arched of its own volition, and he began to pant as pressure formed in between his hips. Once it
didn’t hurt anymore, he pushed in a second.

It wasn’t the same - his imagination wasn’t strong enough to truly pretend that his fingers
compared to Taehyung’s cock. But it still felt good, and Jeongguk was too frustrated to really care
that it wasn’t enough. In a moment, he came, white ribbons mixing with the water and disappearing
down the drain. Slowly pulling out his fingers, he collapsed back against the wall, chest heaving.

Taehyung would have cleaned him up now. But Jeongguk was on his own, and so with a groan he
 pushed himself upright and finished his shower.

The elder was asleep when Jeongguk entered the dark bedroom. Chewing the inside of his cheek,
he dumped his old clothes in the hamper and double-checked that his alarm was off - tomorrow
was their day off, and he wanted to spend it sleeping until the other members thought he was dead.

When he opened his eyes in his dreamscape, he sighed. It had been over a week since the last time
he was in Taehyung’s dreams, and he missed it dearly. He missed spending every moment with the
elder. Hell, he missed being with him in any capacity.

Why was he still holding on so tightly? Taehyung had said it himself - he wasn’t sure if he still
loved the maknae. So why couldn’t Jeongguk just sever ties with him? Just be bandmates and
nothing more? It’d save him from all the unnecessary heartbreak.

Chapter End Notes

I promise all the angst is almost over, you just gotta be patient for a few more chapters
<3
 Chapter 24
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk slowly roused and then squinted in the smoky morning light filtering in through the
window. He sat up with an achy groan - without Taehyung in his dreams, he slept poorly - and
turned to his alarm clock. It blinked an astonishing 11:49 AM, and Jeongguk pushed himself up
with a sigh. He didn’t actually want to lose his entire day-off to slumber, but it seemed that was
what had almost happened.

He dragged himself into the kitchen, still shirtless because he couldn’t find it in himself to care,
and Namjoon looked up from the book he was reading. He had earbuds in, but he pulled one out as
he greeted the maknae. “You were dead to the world in there. Everything okay?”

Jeongguk shot him a dark look, yanking open the refrigerator. “Everything’s peachy keen, why do
you ask?”

“There’s no need for that,” Namjoon muttered.

“Sorry,” Jeongguk said, finding an apple that would satisfy his hunger. “I just - you know.”

Namjoon nodded. He knew. Of course he knew. All the members knew. Taehyung and Jeongguk
hadn’t really been on speaking terms since they got back, and however hard the other members
pushed for an explanation, neither would say why. Taehyung because he was a prick (Jeongguk
sighed at himself - he didn’t really think that, but it felt good to pretend that he did), and Jeongguk
because he honestly didn’t know.

After a beat of silence, Namjoon pulled his phone out of his pocket and tapped furiously at the
screen. Eyebrows knitted together, Jeongguk asked, “What are you doing?”

Instead of answering, Namjoon turned the phone towards him. Jeongguk’s eyes widened to the size
of dinner plates at the headline on the small screen.

What happened to the maknaes? An analysis of BTS’s youngest members and the evolution -
and fall - of their relationship
Jeon Jeongguk and Kim Taehyung, the maknaes of BTS whose fans lovingly refer to as “Taekook,”
seem to have faced some difficulties in their friendship recently. What could be…

Jeongguk looked back up at Namjoon, swallowing. “I guess I don’t understand what’s wrong. I
thought we tried to ignore conspiracy stuff like that.”

Namjoon blinked slowly, unable to properly express out loud how stupid the maknae was. “Look
where the article came from.”

Jeongguk squinted at the screen. “Dispatch?! Why are they posting stuff like this?”

“Because to the rest of the world, it’s true.” Namjoon pocketed his phone with a sigh. “It really
looks like you two had a fallout. Are you trying to tell me that’s not true?”

Jeongguk squirmed, and then said softly, “You know it is.”

“Good,” Namjoon nodded. “Acceptance is the first step to fixing a problem. What do you need
from us to help you? I don’t like how sad both of you have become, but none of us know how to fix
it.”

“I just -“ Jeongguk pursed his lips thoughtfully. “If I could just talk to him, you know? Privately.
But he never gives me a chance.”

Namjoon sighed. “I think we can help with that.”

With that, he stood and left the kitchen, pulling out his phone again. Jeongguk watched him leave,
biting a chunk out of his apple. His tongue was dry as chalk, though, so he ended up throwing half
of the fruit away. Groaning, he made his way into the living room.

Taehyung and Jimin were cuddling on the couch, the former’s legs thrown over the latter’s lap.
Jeongguk pursed his lips at the display. Was Taehyung trying to make him jealous? Or was he
trying to show that he’d moved on from their relationship, and that Jeongguk should too?

That thought filled the maknae’s stomach with malice, but just as he turned to leave, Jimin noticed
him hovering in the doorway and called, “Kookie! Come over here, help me beat Taetae’s high
score!”

Jeongguk’s eyes narrowed at the nickname. Sure, Jimin had called him that plenty of times before,
but this time was different. This time, Jeongguk couldn’t even get Taehyung to acknowledge that
he was in the room.

Shaking it off, Jeongguk perched on the couch, Jimin in between him and Taehyung. “What are
you playing?” He suddenly wrinkled his nose. “Are you seriously playing Superstar? It’s our own
game!”

Jimin swatted his arm, “It’s Taehyung’s app, not mine! He hasn’t sang in any of these anyway, so
it’s basically like a fan playing it.”

Jeongguk raised his eyebrows. “I’m not sure it is.”

Jimin huffed, handing Jeongguk the phone. “Just beat his high score at something on hard mode.”

Rolling his eyes, Jeongguk obliged his whiny hyung. He scrolled through, picking Converse High
(Jimin insisted that it wasn’t hard enough, but Jeongguk ignored him). He cracked his knuckles as
the loading screen appeared, wiggling his eyebrows at Jimin. The familiar tune started playing,
and Jeongguk set himself to work.

And was promptly faced with the TRY AGAIN screen.

{A/N: LOL same}

Even Taehyung snorted, and despite the fact that it was because Jeongguk had failed, it still made
the maknae happy. Jimin giggled, “Kookie, I thought you’d be good at this.”

“I am, hyung,” he grumbled. “I just haven’t played in awhile.”

“I think that sets a record for how quickly anyone has failed this game!” Jimin insisted, taking back
the phone.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, trying not to let Jimin get to him. “Whatever, hyung.”

He stood up from the couch, glancing at Taehyung to see if he was looking at him (he wasn’t), and
made his way to Hoseok, who was sitting in the armchair. The elder grinned when he saw the
maknae approaching and stretched out his arms, inviting him into a bone-crushing embrace. “Ooo,
my Kookie!” Hoseok squealed.

Jeongguk blushed, half-heartedly batting away Hoseok’s arms. The elder only held on tighter, so
Jeongguk let himself be pulled into his lap. “Hyung,” he sighed, though he was smiling.

“What is Jeonggukie doing today?” Hoseok asked, nuzzling Jeongguk’s shoulder affectionately.

“I’m not sure,” Jeongguk said, trying to ignore how Taehyung was staring at them.

“Want to go out with me and Namjoonie?” Hoseok asked. “We’re going hiking!”

Jeongguk smiled apologetically. “No thanks, hyung. I kinda just want to be lazy, you know?”

Hoseok made a disappointed noise in his throat and loosened his grip around Jeongguk’s waist,
letting the younger get into a more comfortable position. “Fine, be boring.”

Jeongguk laughed, “Sorry.”

Suddenly, Hoseok’s phone chimed from where it sat face-up on the armrest. The boy snatched it
up, but not before Jeongguk caught Namjoon’s name on the screen. He wouldn’t have been
perplexed had it not been for Seokjin’s name appearing as well as Hoseok raised the phone. The
group chat? But I haven’t gotten anything…

Just to be sure, he took out his own phone. No new messages. Huh.

And then he remembered that the hyung line had their own group chat (he and Jimin had stumbled
across it while taking selcas on Yoongi’s phone when Seokjin texted, “I stg I’m going to kill these
kids if they don’t stop having singing battles at 2AM my head physically hURTS”). That explained
it. Though what they could be messaging about, Jeongguk didn’t know, but it really wasn’t his
business anyway.

With that thought, Jeongguk waved away his curiosity and opened Piano Tiles on his phone,
feeling a bit nostalgic. Hoseok giggled and poked his side as the classical music started wafting
through the air. “You still play that?”

Jeongguk shrugged, focused on his screen. “Problem?”

He said the word in English, and Hoseok and Jimin both laughed. If Jeongguk hadn’t been staring
so intently at his phone, he would have seen Taehyung crack a small, forlorn smile.

But it wasn’t lost on Hoseok, who tapped Jeongguk’s hip and whispered in his ear, “Why don’t
you go try to sit by Taehyungie?”

Jeongguk glanced at him. “That’s not a very good idea.”

“Why don’t you trust your hyung?” Hoseok asked, entirely serious.

“Because -” Jeongguk cussed under his breath as he failed the level. “You made me fuck up,
hyung.”

“I’m gonna make you keep fucking up if you don’t do as I say,” Hoseok warned darkly.

Jeongguk eyed him. Hobi-hyung hardly ever threatened him. Yoongi did when he deserved it, but
never Hoseok.
 Heaving a sigh, Jeongguk stood and crossed to Jimin and Taehyung. The former looked up at him,
his signature mochi smile turning his eyes into happy crescents. He seemed to understand what
Jeongguk was silently asking and gently pushed Taehyung’s legs off his lap. The boy looked up,
lips parted in confusion, until he saw Jeongguk. The maknae squirmed under his heavy stare, but
then Jimin was scooching over to make room for him. Gathering all of his courage, Jeongguk
plopped down between the other two maknaes.

Taehyung eyed him for a moment and, not knowing what else to do, Jeongguk pulled his phone
back out and started playing Piano Tiles again. After deliberating with himself, Taehyung stood up
and made his way out of the living room and down the hall, shooting Hoseok a withering look as
he went.

Jeongguk glared at Hoseok too. “See?”

Hoseok dropped his head, chewing his lip, and Jimin rested his head on Jeongguk’s shoulder.
“Don’t be mad at Hobi-hyung, Kookie. We all want you and Taetae to figure out whatever’s going
on.”

“I’m sorry I pushed you,” Hoseok mumbled.

Jeongguk sighed, “It’s fine, hyung, you were just trying to help.”

The three boys fell silent, unsure of what else to say. Slowly, they each returned to their devices.
After about twenty minutes, Yoongi came in and tried to get Jeongguk to play Overwatch with
him, saying that he needed practice. Jeongguk declined - he wasn’t in the mood. Yoongi looked
younger with black hair - less intimidating - so it was easier to refuse him. Yoongi pursed his lips
but didn’t push, and left the living room a little while later. Mumbling something about being
bored, Jimin got up and went to the bedroom he shared with Namjoon, leaving Hoseok and
Jeongguk to stew in the stifling silence.

Chapter End Notes

Buckle the fck up kids tomorrow’s when it gets REAL

 Chapter 25
Chapter Notes

HeRe wE GOOooOoO

About an hour later, Namjoon came in and beckoned Hoseok to him, presumably for their hike.

And then something strange happened.

Seokjin came in too - he’d been in his room most of the day, so it was the first time Jeongguk saw
him. He was wearing outdoors garb too. He was followed by Yoongi, who was dragging Jimin
behind him.

Jeongguk blinked at all of them. “What are you doing?”

“Going on a hike,” Yoongi said.

Funny. Jeongguk’s eyebrows shot skyward. “You’re going on a hike? Does Namjoon-hyung have
terminal cancer and this is his dying wish?”

“Eat a dick, kid,” the grandpa responded.

“Why am I the one with terminal cancer?” Namjoon lamented.

“Okay!” Seokjin clapped his hands, capturing his dongsaengs’ attention. “Everyone ready?”

Taehyung had ventured into the living room’s doorway, curious about the noise his hyungs were
making. “You’re all going?”

His voice cracked with misuse.

“Yes,” Seokjin said. His phone chirped and he unlocked it, reading whatever message he received.
“Manager-hyung’s here to pick us up.”

The five hyungs filed into the hallway, followed by the two concerned maknaes. They started
pulling on their shoes, ignoring Jeongguk as he nervously shifted from foot to foot. “Oh,” Namjoon
straightened, turning to Taehyung and Jeongguk. “We’re going out to dinner afterwards, but Jinnie-
hyung left some food in the fridge for you guys if you get hungry.”

Jimin added, “We’ll be back late. Really late. Like, don’t wait up, late.”

With that, Yoongi pulled open the door and led the five hyungs out.

“Oh no,” Seokjin shook his head fiercely as Jeongguk started to follow the group. “You and
Taehyung are staying here and figuring out whatever crap you’re dealing with right now.”

With that, Hoseok yanked the door shut behind them all, leaving Jeongguk to awkwardly turn to
face Taehyung. Once, he would have been excited for this moment. But right now, the elder’s
mouth was pressed in a dull and irate line. When Jeongguk didn’t speak, Taehyung rolled his eyes
and, with a loud pfft, turned on his heel and stalked to the living room. Jeongguk scampered after
him, working his jaw. What was he supposed to say?

Taehyung threw himself down on the couch and reached for the remote. Jeongguk clumsily
snatched it out of his reach, faltering as Taehyung glanced at him with raised eyebrows. “Uh,”
Jeongguk swallowed. “Hyung?”

“What?” Taehyung asked dryly.

Jeongguk mumbled, “Can we please talk?”

“Now you want to talk?”

“What -” Jeongguk inhaled. “Why are you so mad at me?”

Taehyung looked at him with a mixture of disbelief and irritation. “Seriously? You’re actually that
ignorant?”

Jeongguk flinched at his tone. “I - I guess so.”

The elder shook his head. “Wow, Kook. I’m impressed. And people think I’m the dumb blonde of
the group.”

“You’re not - ugh,” Jeongguk scrubbed a hand down his face. “Tae, please just talk to me. What
happened?”

“You’re actually going to make me spell it out for you?”

“Apparently.”

A beat passed, and all the maknae could do was stare at the brooding elder.

“Those weren’t just your memories,” Taehyung finally said, his voice dangerously quiet. Softer, he
continued, “They were mine too. And I didn’t even get a say in what happened to them.” And then
his voice rose, betraying just how angry he was, “You just took them and threw them up on a
fucking Jumbotron like it was no big deal, and you didn’t even care that I didn’t want them to be
seen. Those were mine too, Jeongguk, and your selfish ass didn’t even care!”

Jeongguk’s eyes widened.

“Hyung -”

“And the fact that you had no idea why I’m upset just proves how little you care. How do you
think it felt for me to see our intimate moments plastered for everyone to see? For my ex to see?”
Taehyung growled, “For my fucking sister to see? That was the last time I’ll ever see Eden,
Jeongguk. And that’s how she gets to remember me. She could hardly even look at me when we
left. That’s all I have left of her! Just an awkward hug and goodbye because she got a front-row
seat to her brother’s bedroom life. And that’s. On. You.”

Jeongguk shifted uncomfortably. “I’m sorry.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Taehyung said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re sorry because it won’t change the
fact that our private moments are no longer private, and that you didn’t give a shit about how I felt
so long as you got to be a hero.”

Something broke in the maknae and anger dripped, hot and acidic, into his stomach. “You know
what, you’re right. I take it back, I’m actually not sorry. In fact, fuck you for making me feel like I
have anything to apologize for.”

Taehyung scoffed, but Jeongguk pressed on, “I saved you. I’m sorry that our ‘moments,’” he
formed sarcastic air quotes around the word, “were revealed, but if I had to do it again, I would.
You’re not in hell, and that’s all that matters.” Lowering his voice, Jeongguk hissed, “So you can
be mad at me for the rest of our lives. You can hate me if that’ll make you feel better. But I would
do it again in a heartbeat because as long as you’re alive, that’s all I care about. And don’t you
dare suggest I don’t care about you when all I’ve done is try to make you happy and help you heal.
Believe it or not, I love you, even though you’re a fucking asshole.”

The elder looked at him darkly, but Jeongguk returned his stare with just as much venom. After
weeks of being ignored, the maknae was done. He just wanted his Taehyung back. Shoulders
sagging in sudden exhaustion, he murmured, “I understand what you’re saying. I really, really do.
But I won’t apologize for saving your life. I know you don’t think you’re worth much,” Jeongguk
dared to perch on the couch beside Taehyung, who eyed him warily, “but I think you’re worth
everything. You’re worth giving up my - our - privacy. Now, you’re right that I didn’t just expose
myself, I exposed you too, and I am sorry that you didn’t get a say in that. And I’m sorry that my
decision made it so you didn’t get the goodbye with your sister that you should have. In that sense,
it wasn’t fair. But that’s the only thing I’ve done wrong.”

Taehyung worked his jaw. Jeongguk reached towards him, and when he didn’t pull away, the
maknae rested his hand on the elder’s thigh. Taehyung flinched, looking down at where the
maknae was touching him, but didn’t do anything else. Silence permeated the air, and Jeongguk
was sure he was going to choke on it. He wanted to speak, to scream, but his vocal cords had
stopped working.

Then, finally, Taehyung croaked, “What am I doing?”

Jeongguk almost collapsed in relief as the wall between them crumbled. “I don’t know, hyung.”

Taehyung scrubbed a hand down his face. “I - shit, I really am an asshole.”

“You are,” Jeongguk agreed with a slight nod.

The older boy eyed him, biting his trembling lower lip. “Do you really love me? Even now?”

“Yes,” Jeongguk assured. “Do you love me?”

“Yes,” Taehyung sighed heavily. “I never stopped. I was just angry. I still am, a little bit, but I’ll
get over it. What’s done is done, I guess, and you’re right. The alternative was hell. I should be
thanking you. So, uh, thank you.”

Jeongguk smiled, though it was small. “Hyung?”

“Hmm?” Taehyung glanced at him. His eyes were shining, and he rubbed at them furiously.

The maknae squeezed his thigh, “Will you please get in touch with a therapist?”

“For what?” When Jeongguk frowned at him, Taehyung groaned, “Yes, jagi, I will. I know my
self-worth issues are unhealthy.”

“And I don’t like how close they pushed us to breaking up,” Jeongguk said, pressing his forehead
against the elder’s temple.

“Me neither.”
After a moment, Jeongguk straightened and smiled, “Make-up sex?”

Taehyung raised his eyebrows, “What?”

“You heard me...”

“Do you really want that?” Taehyung cocked his head, “Right now? After everything?”

Squirming, Jeongguk said, “J-just because we’re the only ones here.”

“Is that the only reason?”

“And I missed you,” Jeongguk added. “A lot.”

Taehyung hummed, “Better. Where do you want to do it?”

Jeongguk grinned, “Kitchen table.”

Taehyung’s expression twisted like he’d just eaten a lemon and Jeongguk burst into a fit of relieved
laughter. And then they both grew silent, gazing at each other. Trying to figure out where they
went from here. Jeongguk wanted to pick back up where they left off, and the softness in
Taehyung’s dark eyes - the apologetic gleam in their depths - said that he wanted the same. So, the
elder took Jeongguk’s hand and led him down the hall towards their bedroom.
 Chapter 26
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk arched off the mattress, pushing his clothed (why were they still in clothes) abdomen up
into Taehyung’s splayed hand. The elder hummed approvingly and bent to kiss his sternum. A soft
whimper escaped Jeongguk’s lips and he squirmed, silently begging for more, more, more.

“Patience, jagi.” Jeongguk almost moaned at the nickname. He’d just missed it so, so much. “I
want to enjoy you.”

That made Jeongguk moan. Taehyung smiled lovingly at him before running a hand over the
sheets by Jeongguk’s waist. “I missed this bed. I missed sleeping with you.”

“You’re an ass,” Jeongguk breathed.

Taehyung sighed in agreement. “Yeah, I get a little stubborn when I’m angry.”

“A little?” Jeongguk repeated, cracking open an eye to look at the sheepish elder. “Were you ever
going to talk to me if it weren’t for the other members basically forcing it?”

“Eventually, yes.” He wetted his lips, “I’m sorry, jagi. I shouldn’t have - I should have - I’m sorry.
I was -“

Jeongguk rested a hand against Taehyung’s mouth. The elder snatched it away, bringing the
knuckles to his lips. Jeongguk’s heart fluttered as his boyfriend started to pepper kisses along his
fingers. “We’re done apologizing. Both of us.”

Taehyung nodded, blowing out a soft, ticklish breath. “I love you, Jeongguk-ah.”

“I love you too,” Jeongguk promised, easing off the elder’s shirt.

He almost gasped at the sight of his tummy - it was smaller than before, which would need to be
fixed, but still just as tantalizing. Still made of honey and fluff, with a little muscle melted overtop
of said fluff. Taehyung blushed and helped the maknae sit up to pull off his shirt as well, dropping
his head to bite experimentally at his shoulder. Jeongguk’s figure was sharper than Taehyung’s -
more pointed edges than soft curves - and they both thought that juxtaposition made them even
more perfect for each other.

Shirts removed, Taehyung set to work relearning Jeongguk’s body. He went agonizingly slow, but
Jeongguk didn’t mind. It gave him a chance to do his own exploring, trailing his fingers
everywhere they could reach as Taehyung brushed heavenly kisses across his shoulders, neck, and
chest. Taehyung paused when Jeongguk found his hair, tilting into the maknae’s hand.
Mesmerized, Jeongguk toyed with the black locks, curious as to how such a simple color could be
so beautiful. It was long enough to get a good handful, which Jeongguk did, and braid it through
one’s fingers. It was soft too, and feathery against the maknae’s skin. Absently, he murmured, “I
like you with long hair.”

Taehyung looked at him with hooded eyes. “Then I’ll let it grow.”

Jeongguk hummed in approval, and Taehyung pressed a final peck to his sternum before crawling
up to meet his lips. The kiss was gentle and needy, and Jeongguk tangled his fingers in the elder’s
hair to coax him closer. It worked, and when he parted his lips, Taehyung slipped his tongue
inside.

Suddenly, Taehyung shifted just so, and Jeongguk just about came off the bed, a loud mewl ripping
from his throat. Taehyung dropped a hand to his stomach, holding him down, and grinned, “God,
you're needy.”

“F-fuck off, hyung,” Jeongguk moaned.

“You should have said ‘fuck you’,” Taehyung sighed, shaking his head. “Then I could have said,
‘gladly.’ Awesome joke opportunity, missed.”

Jeongguk glared up at him, but it melted into an easy grin. “Jesus, you haven’t spoken to me in two
weeks, but the second I don’t want you to talk, you just can’t shut up.”

Taehyung raised his eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“Fine,” Jeongguk rolled his eyes, giving in. “Fuck you.”

“Gladly.” Taehyung sat up, straddling Jeongguk’s thighs, and suddenly frowned, “There are too
many clothes in this equation.”

With that, the elder set to work pulling down Jeongguk’s pants, leaving his boxers in place. The
maknae opened his mouth to complain, but then Taehyung was shimmying off his own jeans and
Jeongguk completely forgot what he was going to say. And then Taehyung was hovering over him
again, eyes dark with lust. The older boy licked a thick stripe up Jeongguk’s neck, earning a slight
moan.

Impatient, Jeongguk tugged at Taehyung’s hair. “Hyung, please.”

“We have the dorm to ourselves, jagi,” Taehyung pointed out, not slowing his ministrations as he
sucked a dark hickey into the maknae’s collarbone. “We need to make the most of it.”

“Bu - ah - but the others could be back at any time,” Jeongguk insisted, lifting his hips.

Taehyung pushed him back down, gentle but firm. “You heard Jiminie. Don’t wait up. They aren’t
stupid, jagiya, they know what’s going on.”

Jeongguk huffed, heat rising in his cheeks. “How easy do they think I am?”

“More like,” Taehyung pressed a kiss to the shell of the maknae’s ear, “how easy do they think I
am? Two weeks strong and I can’t keep it up the second we’re alone.”

Jeongguk punched his shoulder, but it was half-hearted and weak. They laughed at each other.

And then they met eyes, and if Jeongguk’s didn’t scream fuck me, Taehyung didn’t know what did.

God, he’d been an idiot. A cruel, selfish idiot who didn’t deserve the god beneath him.

“Hey,” Jeongguk breathed, threading his hands in the elder’s hair.

“Hmm?”

“Whatcha thinking about?”

“I don’t deserve you,” Taehyung said before he could stop himself.

Jeongguk exhaled irritably. “Just fuck me so I can forget you said that.”

Not needing to be told twice, Taehyung yanked off the younger’s boxers and then bowed his head
to engulf Jeongguk’s member with the wet heat of his mouth. Jeongguk, unable to control himself,
bucked his hips up and then cried out when his cock hit the back of Taehyung’s throat, making him
gag. Unamused, the elder released Jeongguk and looked up to frown at him. Running his hands
through the boy’s silky hair, the maknae whimpered, “Sorry. You just feel so - so good.”

Taehyung snickered, “If you wanted a deepthroat, you just had to ask.”

With that, the older boy dropped back onto Jeongguk’s cock, proving his point. The maknae
writhed, hissing, “Fuck, Tae, I don’t know - I can’t - I won’t last - ahh -”

Taehyung released him with a wet pop, his swollen lips stretched in a shit-eating grin. “Oh, you’ll
last, jagi. I promise. Just...tell me if you want me to stop at any point, okay?”

Jeongguk swallowed loudly, unsure if he was quite ready for whatever Taehyung meant by that,
and the elder’s eyes followed the motion of his throat. He fluidly pulled off his own boxers,
leaving them both bare and open to the other.

And then there were teeth pulling at the sensitive skin along Jeongguk’s inner thigh, and he sucked
in a breath. “Taehyung!”

The elder hardly gave him a glance - he was too focused on whatever he was about to do. Jeongguk
squirmed, needing more, and Taehyung finally decided. He lay on his front between the maknae’s
thighs and coaxed his legs up over his shoulders. Jeongguk’s heel brushed one of Taehyung’s
scars, and the boy spasmed in pleasure. “I-I’m trying to focus, jagi.”

Feeling mischievous, Jeongguk curled his toes and dragged them over the boy’s scars. “Am I
distracting you?”

“You have no idea,” Taehyung grumbled, words slurring. Collecting himself, he asked, “Are you
clean?”

“No, Tae, I got an STD in Purgatory,” Jeongguk snorted. The older boy looked at him patiently,
and Jeongguk’s eyes widened in understanding. “Oh. Oh. Uh, y-yeah. I’ve showered since -
anyway, yes. The answer is y-yes.”

Chuckling, Taehyung tipped forward, and then a breath of hot air gusted over Jeongguk’s entrance
and he convulsed in surprise. “What are you doing?”

“Didn’t look up what a rim job is, I see,” Taehyung mused, using his long fingers to pry apart
Jeongguk’s asscheeks. Cold air hit his entrance, and the maknae shuddered. “I figured you’d be
curious, but apparently not.”

{A/N: that’s a nod to Distract Me, Chapter 18, if you’re confused}

“Tell me if you get even slightly uncomfortable.”

Before Jeongguk could respond, Taehyung lowered his head and then there was something wet
pressing against Jeongguk’s entrance. “Motherfucker, Tae!”

Taehyung giggled and then lapped at Jeongguk’s hole, moving his hands to keep the maknae’s
quivering thighs still. “Tae-aehyung,” Jeongguk whined. “P-please -”
He wasn’t entirely sure what he was asking for, but it seemed that Taehyung did. The elder pressed
deeper, sliding past the tight ring of muscles around the maknae’s entrance, and Jeongguk was sure
that just seeing the boy’s tongue after this would turn him on. Hopefully not, considering how
much he licks his lips.

Waves of pleasure shook Jeongguk’s entire body, and he threw his head back into his pillow.
“Taehyung!”

Mistaking the outburst as rejection, the elder immediately jerked his head up, his mouth already
forming an apology. Panicking, Jeongguk grappled at the boy’s hair and cried, “Do-on’t stop!”

“Oh, sorry.”

Jeongguk moaned loudly, thankful they were alone in the dorm, as Taehyung resumed eating him
out. And then a finger was added, slick with the elder’s saliva, and Jeongguk almost sobbed as his
entire body shuddered. His cock was pulsing so hard that he could see it throb, and he croaked,
“Hyung, I want - inside -”

Humming, Taehyung lifted himself onto his knees, leaving Jeongguk empty and clenching around
air. He leaned over the maknae, giggling when the younger raised a shaky hand to graze along his
tummy, and grabbed their lube out of Jeongguk’s nightstand. The maknae impatiently palmed
himself, biting his lip and whining softly, but Taehyung caught him and swatted his hand away.
“Nice try, baby.”

Jeongguk whimpered, both because of the nickname and because there was nothing touching his
needy member now. Shaking his head, Taehyung squeezed some lube onto his fingers and then,
before Jeongguk was fully prepared, pushed two inside the maknae at once.

It burned after so long - at least when it was the boy’s tongue, it was soft and malleable - but
Jeongguk didn’t care. He gasped and then gingerly lifted his hips, wordlessly asking for more, and
the elder was eager to oblige. He added his mouth into the mix too, swallowing Jeongguk’s cock
with a vibrating moan. The maknae writhed, his hands grabbing the elder’s hair of their own
volition. All of the foreplay was too much, too, too much, and Jeongguk was about to combust.

As good as it was to be touched by Taehyung again, it still wasn’t enough. Jeongguk tapped the
elder’s arm and whispered, “Please - I n-need you.”

Taehyung lifted himself up and leaned close, lips puckered, but Jeongguk shook his head and
smiled apologetically. As badly as he wanted to kiss him, something about getting his mouth that
close to something that was licking him made him too squeamish.

Taehyung nodded in understanding and then cocked his head. “Are you alright with me kissing you
as long as it’s not on the lips?”

Relieved, Jeongguk nodded. “Yeah...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Taehyung replied gently. “Get on your knees then, sweet boy.”

With an excited gulp, Jeongguk obeyed. Taehyung smeared lube on his member and then gently
gripped the maknae’s hips. “Ready?”

Jeongguk moaned in response, rocking himself backwards, and Taehyung took that as permission
to push himself inside.

The stretch was achingly familiar and Jeongguk released a strangled whine, trying to hold off his
orgasm as he pushed his face into his pillow.

“Fuck, jagiya,” Taehyung groaned behind the maknae, gently tugging at his hair to pull his head
back up, “you sound so pretty.”

When the older boy shifted to expertly brush Jeongguk’s prostate, he bit his lip to quiet his mewl.
The strong fingers on his hips twitched and Taehyung growled, “We’re alone, jagi, so I want you to
let out every sound in that gorgeous body at full volume, okay?”

Not trusting himself to speak, Jeongguk nodded stiffly. His point made, Taehyung eased out and
then rocked back into the maknae, hitting his prostate again, and Jeongguk threw his head back
and released a loud moan.

“That’s it, jagi - fu-uck, Jeongguk.”

They found their rhythm and soon the room was filled with heavy pants, loud moans, and the smell
of sex. After a moment, Taehyung brought his hand around the maknae and jerked off his leaking
member, its head almost purple from all the pressure building inside it, and Jeongguk was gone.

“Hyung -” he gasped, eyes squeezed shut as electricity bolted through him. “I’m gonna - fuck,
fuck, hyung, fuck - I’m -”

Taehyung sped up, bending down to press open-mouthed kisses to the back of the maknae’s neck.
His thrusts became erratic, signaling that his own release was near, and the noise that he suddenly
released - low and raspy and fucked-out - sent Jeongguk tumbling over the edge, the pressure built
up between his hips exploding in one go. His back arched as he came, making the elder’s cock hit
his prostate even harder, and his stomach flexed as hot white fluid coated his abdomen and
bedsheets. “Fuck, Taehyung! Oh god oh god oh - oh fuck!”

The elder gripped the maknae’s hips even tighter, slamming into him, and then came with a series
of sinful, high-pitched moans. “Shit, jagiya, fucking shit - you’re so hot -”

Jeongguk collapsed forward, chest heaving. Taehyung fell beside him, his eyes blown black. His
entire body tingling, the maknae rolled on his side to face his lover. “Top cleans up.”

“Damn right, jagi,” Taehyung slurred. “Just give me a minute. I can’t feel my legs.”

“How do you think I feel?”

Groaning, Taehyung hauled himself up. “Yeah, yeah, fine, I’m going.”

Jeongguk giggled as the elder stumbled to the door, hardly stopping to make sure the dorm was
still empty before streaking (literally) to the bathroom. Once he was alone, Jeongguk sighed
contently and let his eyes slip shut.

Taehyung returned five minutes later with minty-fresh breath, a warm washcloth, and a glass of
water. Jeongguk accepted the gifts with a grateful smile, kissing his boyfriend sweetly before
taking a sip from the glass. He flinched as Taehyung cleaned around his entrance, but the elder
simply paused long enough for the maknae to relax before finishing his task. Straightening, he
sighed, “I love you so damn much, jagi. I’m so sorry.”

Jeongguk chided, “Apologies are done, remember?” Softening, he added, “I love you too. Now
cuddle me.”

The elder obeyed, slipping under the covers and bringing them up around their sticky bodies. “We
 really should shower.”

“Later.”

“We need to change the sheets.”

“Later, hyung,” Jeongguk insisted, burying himself deeper into the elder’s chest.

The exhaustion from two weeks of shitty sleep caught up with the maknae all at once, and he fell
asleep enveloped in his boyfriend’s arms.

Taehyung smiled softly down at the naked boy curled against his chest. His hair was stuck to his
forehead and his cheeks were still flushed, but his lips were parted innocently in his light slumber
and the elder couldn’t help but hate himself for his stubbornness.

But then he frowned. Because he hadn’t been entirely honest with the maknae. Sure, Jeongguk’s
blatant disregard for his feelings had been the main reason for his anger. But there was another
emotion that was clouding his thoughts, even now.

Fear.

Because Raphael fell, but that meant he was here on Earth. Closer to Jeongguk than ever - he was
never in a position to actually cause physical harm to the maknae, but now he was.

Taehyung couldn’t help feeling like it was just a matter of time until he tried.

Chapter End Notes

I seriously considered ignoring the fact that Raphael’s on Earth but I’m such a picky
person that it would bother me immensely if I left out that huge detail just to make this
book shorter
 Chapter 27
Chapter Notes

I’ve decided that when there’s a flashback to Tae’s past, I’ll post two chapters instead
of one so the story can continue

See the end of the chapter for more notes

To top off the royally shitty day he was having, it was raining in the field that Taehyung landed in.
You’d think the water would have softened the soil and therefore made his impact easier, but it
didn’t. He could practically feel the last of his magic seep out of him permanently as it dutifully
worked to heal his shattered body. And even after all of his bones were fused back together, his
veins and arteries were sewn up, and his internal organs were functional once more, he still lay
there in the mud and rain for a few more hours, just to let it really sink in. The holes in his back
burned with a vengeance, refusing to heal.

He was Fallen.

As much as he wanted to lay there and wait until he was able to die from starvation, luck wasn’t on
his side. The first thing he heard when the rain subsided was footsteps, and they were getting
closer. He hauled himself up into a sitting position, squinting at the stranger. It was an old woman
with kind, gentle eyes. He cocked his head, wondering what she was going to do about the strange
boy laying in the middle of her field.

Whatever he could have guessed wouldn’t have come close to what she actually did.

“It’s freezing out here,” she said. “Come on, let’s get you inside.”

Blinking in shock, Taehyung wordlessly let her pull him to his feet. She eyed the alarming pool of
blood that rested where he once did, but thankfully decided against mentioning it. Instead, she
hooked her arm around Taehyung’s and dragged him away from the spot. He stumbled to keep up,
but once he finally got his bearings, he kept pace silently.

But then he couldn’t hold the questions back anymore.

“Um, excuse me, uh -” he hesitated.

“Call me Halmeonim,” she supplied. “Everyone else seems to.”

Okay then. “Well, uh, Halmeonim -”

“The polite thing to do is introduce yourself too,” she quipped.

Right. “I’m Taehyung.”

“You got a family name, Taehyung-ah?”

Taehyung bristled and she waved her hand flippantly. “I’m old, child, that means I can use
whatever honorific I want and get away with it.”
And he immediately decided he liked this woman. “It’s Kim. Kim Taehyung.”

She smiled, “Well, Kim Taehyung-ah, let’s get you inside.”

Smiling sheepishly, Taehyung let her drag him across the field. He stumbled, hissing as a flash of
agony swept across his back, and the woman held him closer and even let him lean against her as
he caught his breath again.

Her home wasn’t very big, but Taehyung could instantly tell that this was a place where love
flourished. Two children, a boy and a girl, ran out to greet them, shouting, “Halmeoni! Halmeoni!”

Halmeonim held up a hand and they dutifully stopped, tilting their heads at Taehyung curiously.
The woman said, “Go get one of your appa’s shirts and a pair of pants for our guest.”

The children immediately obeyed, and Halmeonim led Taehyung inside. He gazed after the
children, smiling softly. He missed Eden so, so much.

He didn’t realize he had started crying until the woman came around his front to gently brush her
thumbs across his cheeks. More to herself than to him, she murmured, “What happened to you,
child?”

Not trusting himself to answer, Taehyung instead asked, “Why are you helping me?”

She pulled away, mouth set in a firm line. “Why shouldn’t I help a stranger lying in a pool of blood
in the middle of my son’s field?”

He flinched, “I’m sorry.”

She waved her hand, already forgetting it, and then the children returned with the clothes.
Halmeonim shooed them out the door, shushing them when they started to ask about the stranger in
their living room, before returning to Taehyung. “Should I clean your wounds?”

Before he could stop himself, Taehyung scrambled away, shaking his head fiercely. She smiled
sadly and held out the clothes at arm’s length, waiting until the boy took them before whispering,
“How did you fall?”

Taehyung froze, eyes wide. How did she know? Who would she tell? Were they breaking the
rules?

She chuckled - a soft, soothing sound - at his expression. “I’ve been around too long to insist
there’s no such thing as the supernatural.” When he didn’t respond right away, she added, “You
don’t have to tell me. I’m just a nosy old woman.”

Overcome with gratefulness, Taehyung offered a small smile. The woman directed him to the
bathroom, showing him where the towels were and how to use the shower, and then left him to
clean up.

He stood in the shower for what felt like ages, watching the dried blood flake off of his naked
body. He still had some scars from where bones had pierced through his skin, and he watched them
slowly fade. His back screamed as the warm water washed away the blood, but he didn’t really
mind. He was clean - well, as clean as he could be with two massive holes in his back that were
constantly leaking blood - and it made him feel almost whole.

Like maybe he could do this. Could survive here on Earth.

Chapter End Notes

What should the kids’ names be? Like, this family is supposed to emulate Tae’s real
family, but I don’t feel comfortable using their real names. If my family member was
famous, I wouldn’t want my name used in fanfictions about them, especially not in
fanfictions that involve smut. Comment some suggestions!
 Chapter 28
Chapter Notes

STOP!! I posted 2 chapters today, so make sure you read Chapter 27!!!

After napping lightly for a little over twenty minutes, Taehyung coaxed Jeongguk up and led him
to the shower. The maknae stumbled after the elder, lost in overwhelming joy, and giggled when he
realized they were both still very much naked and now standing in the middle of the hallway.
Taehyung groaned, rubbing a hand over his face, “Go get the water temperature how you want it,
jagi, and I’ll bring us some clothes.”

Jeongguk nodded, eyelids heavy, and let the elder gently nudge him towards the bathroom. His
legs were jelly beneath him, and it was astonishing that they held him up. Focusing on this marvel
of anatomical accomplishment, he tripped over the edge of the shower and snorted at himself. And
then he stood there in the middle of the shower, a smile plastered to his face, soft giggles slipping
past his lips as he waited for his boyfriend.

“You’re bubbly right now,” Taehyung mused behind him a moment later, and Jeongguk reeled
around with a grin.

“Why shouldn’t I be? We’re okay now, right?”

Taehyung captured him in a chaste kiss before pulling away, blinking water off his long black
eyelashes. “Of course, jagiya.”

Jeongguk smiled even wider, suddenly realizing that he could finally do this. He snatched up
Taehyung’s shampoo and wasted no time depositing some onto his palm. The elder raised his
eyebrows, but Jeongguk ignored his amused curiosity and set to work kneading the bubbles into
the boy’s hair.

Sure enough, it was entrancing to massage the white soap into Taehyung’s black hair. The sharp
contrast of colors was just so pretty. Jeongguk giggled again, scrunching his nose up, and the elder
grinned back. Soon they were both laughing at each other, and then the laughter became something
more breathless and needy. Suddenly, Jeongguk’s back was pressed up against the shower wall and
his legs were wrapped around Taehyung’s waist, the elder’s hands firmly cupped under his thighs.
And even though it burned because shit, they just got done doing this in the bedroom, Jeongguk
snaked his arms around and touched along the raised tracks of Taehyung’s scars, moaning when it
made him go even faster. The elder’s mouth pressed against the crook of the maknae’s neck, hot
and open and sucking.

Jeongguk practically sobbed the elder’s name when he came, trembling and writhing.

When they finally stepped out of the shower, Taehyung took his aftercare routine a step further
than in the past by drying off the maknae and dressing him. Jeongguk protested at first - I’m an
adult, hyung, I can do it myself - but Taehyung just shook his head and said, “My baby boy isn’t
going to lift so much as a finger. Not on my watch.”

Jeongguk blushed fiercely at the nickname and wordlessly let his boyfriend finish his task. Once
they were both dressed, they worked together to change their sheets. Jeongguk wrinkled his nose,
complaining that the stain would never come out, but Taehyung just rolled his eyes and promised
that so long as they didn’t replace the LED bulb in their lamp with a blacklight, they’d be fine.
Afterwards, they decided to wait up for the other members, but they were too exhausted from the
past emotionally and physically taxing few hours to last very long.

Namjoon entered the dorm first, nervous about what he’d find. Sending the entire hyung line plus
Jimin on a surprise hiking expedition had been a long shot, but he prayed that it worked. Yoongi
had grumbled the entire time, of course, but Jimin just told him that this was for their adorable
lovebirds, so deal with it. And Namjoon paid for everyone’s dinner, which helped immensely.

Obviously it did indeed work, for the very first thing Namjoon saw when he stepped into the living
room was their two maknaes pretzeled around each other, snoring softly. Taehyung’s shirt was
pushed up to reveal a large portion of his abdomen, and Jeongguk’s hand was splayed over it,
fingers twitching in his sleep.

Seokjin slid an arm around Namjoon’s shoulders, smiling down at their sleeping dongsaengs.
“Good thinking, Joonie,” he whispered.

Namjoon smiled at the praise and led the members into the kitchen. Yoongi immediately waved
goodnight and left for his room, and the other members quietly giggled at their sleepy grandpa.
Mellowing, Seokjin turned his head towards the living room. “We’ll have to wake them up,” he
said sadly. “If they stay like that, they’ll be too sore to do anything tomorrow.”

Hoseok snorted, “I think they’ll already be too sore to do anything tomorrow.”

Seokjin wrinkled his nose and Jimin smacked Hoseok’s shoulder, shaking into a fit of quiet
laughter. “Just for that,” the eldest said, “you get to go do it.”

Still grinning, Hoseok set off towards the living room.

His sleep disturbed by an initially-unknown force, Jeongguk blinked and squinted up at Hoseok.
The elder was beaming down at him, one hand still on the maknae’s shoulder, and he whispered,
“Did you have a good night, Kookie?”

Jeongguk nodded, breaking into a sleepy smile. “We made up.”

“Good,” Hoseok nodded. “Jinnie-hyung doesn’t want you guys sleeping out here all night. It’ll hurt
your backs.” Then, with an easy chuckle, he added, “And I think Taetae has had enough back pain
to last a lifetime, don’t you think?”

Jeongguk snorted, rolling his eyes. “Yeah.”

He turned his head toward the boy, smiling at the slight space between his lips, and gently shook
him awake. “Hyung?”

“Hmm?” Taehyung stirred, stretching his arms around the maknae cutely, his eyes still closed.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk poked him, and Hoseok joined in.

“Aish,” Taehyung squirmed away from their hands, finally opening his eyes. “What? Oh, hi,
hyung!” He flashed a bright, boxy grin.

Hoseok ruffled the boy’s hair affectionately, “I’m glad to see you two back together again. I missed
my smiling dongsaengs.”
And then, because it was Hobi-hyung and he could get away with anything, the two maknaes let
Hoseok fall on them, wrapping them in a tight embrace. Taehyung’s eyes crossed blearily, and
Jeongguk giggled at his half-asleep boyfriend. He untangled himself from the boy’s arms after
Hoseok stood back up, and Taehyung whined, “Carry me, Kookie.”

“I’m tired too, hyung,” Jeongguk pointed out.

But then Taehyung pouted, and Jeongguk instantly melted and offered his back to the elder.
Grinning victoriously, Taehyung hopped up, hooking his legs around the younger’s waist.

Hoseok snorted at the display, “I do not believe that Taetae tops.”

Jeongguk could practically feel Taehyung raise his eyebrow cockily as he lifted his head and said,
“Want proof?”

Hoseok gagged, eyes wide.

“I swear to god, I will drop you,” Jeongguk warned, his face heating up.

Taehyung clung to him harder, tightening his arms around the maknae’s neck. He shot back, “And
I’ll spank you.”

Hoseok groaned, “Guys, seriously. I’m right here.”

With that, their hyung turned on his heel and set off for the kitchen. Jeongguk readjusted his grip
on Taehyung’s legs and followed, rolling his eyes as the elder started playing with his hair.

When Hoseok stepped in the kitchen, he announced dryly, “They’re definitely good now.”

Taehyung giggled, his chest vibrating against Jeongguk’s back. Namjoon sipped at a glass of
water, eyes shining. “Good.”

“I’m sorry, guys,” Taehyung mumbled, his chin coming down to rest on Jeongguk’s shoulder. “I
was really selfish, and I know it wasn’t just Kookie that my behavior was affecting.”

Jimin came forward, and Taehyung immediately dropped from Jeongguk’s back and let the mochi
pull him into a tight embrace. “It’s okay, Taetae! We all have bad days, and sometimes they last a
long time! I’m just glad you’re okay again!”

Unable to help himself, Jeongguk scowled. “Yeah, well, we’re really tired now, what with all the
things we’ve been doing like talking and fu - hey, see you guys in the morning!”

With that, he latched onto Taehyung’s arm and dragged him away from the other ‘95 liner, cheeks
flushing both from his jealousy and his outburst.

Chuckling, Seokjin called after them, “Hey! Hold up!”

Irritated, Jeongguk turned back to the eldest. “What, hyung?”

“You two need to shower Namjoonie with love and affection,” he said, grinning cheekily, “because
this gem got you guys another day off tomorrow. Just the two of you.”

The two maknaes stiffened, glancing from each other to the leader, who had taken an immense
interest in his glass of water.

A beat passed, and then the two boys obeyed their eldest hyung, running to Namjoon and throwing
their arms around him. The leader laughed, but it was smothered under their tight embrace. “Okay,
okay! You’re welcome! I didn’t know how long you guys would need to talk, so I wanted to make
sure you had as much time as possible.”

Jeongguk, surprising himself and the leader, pressed a kiss to Namjoon’s cheek. “You’re the best,
hyung!”

“I know,” he replied, a huge grin revealing his dimples. After the two maknaes pulled away,
Namjoon ruffled Jeongguk’s hair. “Did I do a good job helping?”

“The best,” Jeongguk promised. “Thank you so much.”

“Helping?” Taehyung asked.

“Jeonggukie here wanted time alone with you to talk,” Namjoon shrugged sheepishly. “I pulled
some strings.”

Taehyung squirmed, but he was smiling. “Thank you, hyung.”

“Two rules!” Seokjin suddenly shouted, and the other members turned to him with wide eyes. He
smiled wryly, “One, don’t break anything.”

Jeongguk considered how nice it’d be to be swallowed by a black hole as Taehyung responded,
“Done. What’s the second?”

Seokjin cocked his eyebrow, “Keep it to either your bedroom or the shower.”

Before either of the youngest members could respond, Hoseok mused, “Well, they can use the
living room if they’re careful. I’m alright with that, what say you guys?”

Oh my god.

“I’d say it’s alright,” Jimin added, giggling. “They just have to keep it contained, you know?”

I must be in some psychedelic dream because there’s no way this is my actual life.

“Right,” Hoseok nodded, completely serious. “I don’t want any new stains on anything that I have
to sit on. I feel like that’s a reasonable request.”

“Why is this conversation happening?!” Jeongguk cried, hiding his face in his hands.

“Completely reasonable,” Namjoon added, ignoring the dying maknae.

“Fine,” Seokjin groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. “The bedroom, the shower, and the living
room so long as there’s no mess.”

“What about the kitchen table?” Taehyung asked, and Jeongguk wanted to simultaneously punch
him and himself.

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone processed what the boy just said.

Then, in unison, all of the hyungs shouted, “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

 Chapter 29
Chapter Notes

shout out to @haneulthesheep and @F_royal over on Wattpad for the name
suggestions!

Two chapter today woohoo!

“Whatcha doing?” Ara asked excitedly.

Taehyung didn’t even look up as he responded, “Waiting.”

“Oh,” Ara pouted, but then grinned again. “Well, when you’re done with that, you should play
with me!”

Ruffling her hair, Taehyung relented, “Sure, kid.”

She shook his hand off her head - she was ten now and was much too big to be coddled by her
oldest brother - and skipped off down the hall.

Taehyung turned back to the family laptop, chewing his lip. A presence by his shoulder made him
jump in surprise, and he turned to find Donghae. The thirteen-year-old poked his shoulder. “Wanna
play video games, hyung?”

“Not right now, bud,” Taehyung said apologetically. “I’m waiting for that email, remember?”

Donghae huffed, “How do you know you’ll get it today?”

“I don’t,” Taehyung admitted. “But you never know.”

“Hyung,” Donghae tugged on his sleeve insistently, “just relax a little!”

The front door swung open and closed and the boys turned to find their father in the entryway,
unzipping his coat. He waved to them, kicking off his shoes, and then crossed to look over
Taehyung’s shoulder. “Anything?”

“No, Appa,” Taehyung sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Donghae here thinks I should
give it a rest for the day.”

Their appa rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. “Just because he wants to play, right?”

“Right.”

“Hey!” Donghae cried indignantly, “That’s not the only reason, hyung! You’re hogging the
laptop!”

“I thought you were going to play video games,” Taehyung raised his eyebrows.

“I was going to play them with you,” Donghae grumbled.

The man standing over them tapped Donghae’s shoulder and said, “Well, why don’t you go play
by yourself for a bit?”

His tone held an authoritative edge, and Donghae obeyed. Taehyung eyed the man who had
become equivalent to a father over the past seven months, wondering at his thoughtful expression.
Finally, the man sat down beside him and sighed, “You’re really worried?”

Taehyung nodded, chewing his lip. It was Halmeonim who first decided he had a distinct voice,
and Ara who convinced him to send an audition clip somewhere.

Of course that “somewhere” had been BigHit Entertainment.

But now, the boy was regretting ever sending anything anywhere. It had been over three weeks
since he clicked Send on the email, and he still had received nothing. Not so much as a rejection.

He must have been zoning out because Appa suddenly gripped his shoulder. “If it’s any help at all,
your eomma and I really believe in you. Halmeoni too.”

Taehyung smiled, his heart swelling, and he considered just how lucky he’d been to fall into this
family’s field.

After Halmeonim introduced him to the two other adults, they all were quick to invite him into
their home. Though Appa made most of the decisions, it was obvious that this was a matriarchal
household, and Halmeonim was at the top of the totem pole. If she decided this strange boy with
two bleeding wounds in his back would join their family, then by god he would.

The wounds hadn’t ever healed - they kept reopening - so Taehyung was constantly in pain. But
after months of dealing with it, he grew used to the feeling. Eomma asked every day for weeks to
bandage them, but he always refused. Something about the prospect of them being touched was too
terrifying.

And that’s another thing - Appa asked at first what the wounds were from, but Halmeonim told
him to mind his own business and the matter was instantly dropped, never to be discussed again.
Taehyung appreciated that, and it made him open up to the kind family even faster.

He helped out in any way he could - this was a farming family, so he was fully prepared to carry on
their tradition after all they’d done for him, just like a real son. But then Halmeonim caught him
singing as he was washing dishes one night, and she insisted that he shared his apparent gift more
often. And the more he sang, the more confident he became, until Ara found out he liked the same
idol group she did - BTS - and demanded he send in an audition clip. Even Appa and Eomma
insisted that his destiny was not to be a farmer, so with their permission, he recorded a grainy video
of him singing his heart out and crossed his fingers.

Suddenly, the laptop chirped and Taehyung’s head whipped around. Appa grinned and stood,
leaning over the boy’s shoulder. “Is that it?”

Taehyung nodded. Wetting his lips, he mumbled, “Can we wait for everyone else? I - I need some
support.”

Understanding, Appa pulled out his phone and tapped on a contact - presumably his wife’s.
Taehyung waited agitatedly as his father explained the situation, nodding and humming as the
woman on the other end of the line responded. After hanging up, Appa turned to Taehyung. “She’ll
be home in ten minutes. Want to go round up your dongsaengs and Halmeoni?”

Taehyung hopped to his feet, filled to the brim with nervous energy, and stumbled off.
Ten minutes later, the entire family was crowded around Taehyung as he sat in front of the laptop,
the New Mail message taunting him. He wanted to open the email, but what if it only had bad
news? What if his heart was about to be broken? What if -

Halmeonim suddenly dropped a reassuring hand on his shoulder, and Taehyung did his best to slow
his breathing as he clicked on the email icon.

The Subject line read, “Congratulations! Welcome to the BigHit family, trainee!” and Taehyung
almost collapsed out of his chair.

Though his head felt like he was a thousand feet underwater, he could still hear the cheers of his
family. Ara flung herself into his arms, squealing, “Oppa’s in BTS! Oppa’s in BTS!”

“Not yet,” he mumbled, but he was smiling. “I’m just a trainee.”

Still, the title filled him with excitement. I’m a trainee!

Eomma and Halmeonim wrapped their arms around him, cooing and fussing. Even Donghae, who
was at the age where he was too cool to express anything that resembled affection, was grinning
from ear to ear. Appa ruffled Taehyung’s hair, “I knew you could do it! I told you!”

Taehyung let his family crowd around him, smothering him in hugs, a small smile playing across
his lips.

I’m a trainee.
 Chapter 30
Chapter Notes

Yo there’s 2 chapters today so go read Chapter 29!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Jeongguk?” Taehyung mumbled.

The maknae yawned and then responded, “Yeah?”

Taehyung was laying on his back with Jeongguk’s head using his chest as a pillow, arms wrapped
around the younger’s shoulders. He traced circles in the bare skin of the maknae’s back and
hummed, “Will you...will you dream with me?”

Jeongguk’s heart stuttered and he whispered, “Yeah! I mean, uh, I’ll try. I’ll have to find the path,
so it might take a little while, especially since it’s been so long.”

The elder nodded forlornly. “I don’t want to be away from you, even in sleep.”

“You don’t have to be,” Jeongguk promised, kissing the elder’s chest.

“Jeongguk -”

“If you’re about to apologize, stop,” Jeongguk ordered firmly. “I’ve forgiven you already.”

Taehyung fell silent. The maknae was sure he’d fallen asleep, but then he murmured, “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Jeongguk replied, trying to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. “I’ll see you
soon, okay?”

“Promise?”

“Promise,” Jeongguk said, already half asleep.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

As soon as Jeongguk opened his eyes, the familiar white of his subconscious welcoming him like
an old friend, he set off in search of his lover. The tickle in the back of his brain that always led
him to the elder had never fully evaporated, and he threw all of his faith into it as he broke into a
run.

He could tell he was close to Taehyung from how eerie his dreamscape was becoming. It felt like a
ticking time bomb, warping in and out of focus - in and out of his control. Each step he took was
more wobbly - not because he was shaking, but because the ground was splintering beneath him.
He looked down nervously, cocking his head at the cracks spidering out from under his foot.

Well shit.

With almost comic grace, the dreamscape literally shattered beneath him and he found himself
freefalling.
You know the feeling of tripping? When everything around you becomes suspended for a moment,
but it’s too short to really appreciate just how terrifying it is?

This was not that.

Jeongguk’s mouth hung open in a soundless scream, arms windmilling above him as he reached for
purchase that wasn’t there. It was nothing but black, black, black, and he was going to keep falling
until he was no longer in his head, no longer in Taehyung’s, but in some place between Earth and
hell, his subconscious trapped there forever.

Not today, motherfucker.

Baring his teeth in determination, Jeongguk lurched his body until he was falling with his feet
pointing downward, using all the knowledge he’d learned with Eden and by himself to will a cliff
face into existence. It appeared slowly, too slowly, and just as Jeongguk reached for it, he was too
far away to grab it. Cursing, he pursed his lips. Now that it was just the darkness and him, the
initial terror of his fall slipped away. It all made him feel like he was in Alice in Wonderland, and
Jeongguk actually managed to laugh at that, musing what Wonderland he’d find himself in if he
ever reached some type of ground.

And then he grinned victoriously. Fine, if he couldn’t make something to grab, he’d just make
something to land on.

Working quickly because he could feel his control slipping more and more the farther he got from
his dreamscape, he created a platform about ten meters below him.

He should have made himself a parachute first.

He meteored into the platform, skidding until his head was hanging over the edge of it. Fear
grappled at his throat, and he lurched away from the godforsaken cliff. His bones ached, but luckily
his body couldn’t actually be hurt in his dreams. Catching his breath, Jeongguk willed the platform
to slowly rise, trying to calm his pounding heart.

Once he reached the surface, he didn’t trust the ground to hold his weight and decided to use the
platform as a flying carpet, returning to his task of finding Taehyung.

He knew he was in the elder’s subconscious when his steed promptly poofed out of existence,
dropping him unceremoniously on the ground. He groaned, blinking stars out of his vision, and
lifted himself to his feet.

Rolling to his hands and knees, Jeongguk tilted his head wearily and squinted, grinning as he found
a familiar figure in the distance. Once Taehyung saw him too, they jogged to each other.

Well, Taehyung jogged. Jeongguk limped.

“You would not believe the shit I had to go through to get here,” the maknae grumbled.

“I thought Eden would have told you -” Taehyung frowned. “It was relatively easy to get out of my
head because you were going back to your own, so the bridge was familiar to your subconscious.
But coming into my head would be difficult because the path is unfamiliar, and you don’t have the
proper training like messenger angels do. Are you okay?”

Jeongguk worked his jaw. Instead of answering, he quipped, “I’m never leaving here again. It’s too
much work to get back.”
Taehyung laughed easily at that. “You won’t ever have to.”

The maknae eyed him. “Promise?”

“Promise,” Taehyung said, his eyes twinkling.

“Good,” Jeongguk nodded firmly. “Now hold me. My everything hurts.”

Taehyung’s eyebrows furrowed. “What happened?”

“I think I literally fell out of my dreamscape,” Jeongguk muttered. At Taehyung’s startled

expression, the maknae huffed, “Well, I fell out of where our two dreamscapes overlap. Does that
make sense?”

“You...fell,” Taehyung mused, “out of - yeah, okay, Eden never fully explained to me how dreams
work, but that sounds legit.”

Jeongguk shrugged nonchalantly and slung an arm over Taehyung’s slimmer shoulders. “Luckily
it’s only my subconscious that’s hurt or else our day tomorrow would be ruined.”

Taehyung grinned at that. “I can’t believe Namjoonie-hyung gave us an entire day off! Just the two
of us!” He nuzzled Jeongguk’s temple. “We have the best leader.”

“Mm-hmm,” Jeongguk agreed, smiling. “Well, we have a bit before we wake up, what do you
want to do?”

“Hmm,” Taehyung wetted his lips thoughtfully. Then, he turned a sly eye on the maknae. “Just
how hurt are you?”

Jeongguk paused at his tone. “Why?”

“I know something that might cheer you up,” Taehyung offered.

The maknae immediately stepped away, shaking his head fiercely. “No way, hyung. You know
what that does to me when I wake up.”

He shuddered, remembering the first - and last - time they’d had sex in their dreams. He had woken
up with such intense morning wood that he thought he was going to die.

“Yeah but,” Taehyung licked his lips, and Jeongguk tried to ignore what that did to him, “we’ll
have the dorm all to ourselves tomorrow. So I can take care of you any way you want me to.”

Jeongguk hesitated, and Taehyung pressed, “I won’t push it, but I will say that I think it’d be pretty
incredible to wake up to a horny baby.”

“I think ‘horny’ is an understatement to what I’ll be,” Jeongguk lamented.

Taehyung grinned, knowing he’d won. Jeongguk had to admit that it was a pretty exciting prospect,
so he just giggled sheepishly as the elder tugged at the hem of his pants.

“Wait, wait,” Jeongguk laughed breathlessly as Taehyung began to suck on his neck. “Make a bed
or something, hyung.”

“No time,” Taehyung insisted, his voice muffled against the maknae’s throat.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk chided, resting his hands on the elder’s shoulders.

 With a heavy sigh, Taehyung pulled away and pursed his lips. After a moment, he said, “I can’t. I
mean, I can’t control my dreamscape like you can.”

Jeongguk widened his eyes. “Oh.”

Taehyung scratched the back of his head, looking everywhere but at the maknae. “And honestly,
the only reason you can do it is because of the magic left in you by Eden.”

“Oh,” Jeongguk repeated. “W-well then, nevermind.”

Tugging the maknae’s pants down, Taehyung mumbled, “I’m sorry, jagi.”

“It’s okay, Tae,” Jeongguk said immediately. “I didn’t know that, but now I do - oh shit.”

As he had been speaking, Taehyung had dropped to his knees, and now his mouth was swallowing
Jeongguk’s member, coaxing it to full hardness.

“Wait - wait - hyung, I - fuck, fuck,” Jeongguk stumbled back a step, almost falling when there
was nothing there to catch him, but Taehyung’s hands shot up to steady him, gripping his ass.

Shakily, Jeongguk petted Taehyung’s hair, breaths coming in shallow puffs. The elder hummed
and it vibrated, and Jeongguk’s head fell back as his eyes slipped shut. “Fuck, Taehyung -”

Encouraged, the elder quickened his pace, gripping the maknae’s hips and bobbing his head at a
dizzying rate. Jeongguk whined loudly.

A moment later, he came, and Taehyung swallowed it all.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

As soon as Jeongguk opened his eyes, his butt pressed flush against Taehyung’s erection, he knew
something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

“H-hyung,” he whimpered.

“Hmm?” the elder stirred behind him.

“I, uh,” he gulped. “I have a problem.”

Taehyung roused fully at his tone, lifting himself onto his elbow. “What is it, jagi?” And then he
grinned, “Do you have something for me to take care of? Want some more of this mouth?”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk groaned, too embarrassed at his problem to appreciate just how sexy he found
the elder’s words.

“What’s wrong, jagiya? You’re making me nervous,” Taehyung said, and his hand began to trail
suggestively down to Jeongguk’s sweatpants.

The maknae snatched his hand, panicking, but it was too late. Taehyung stiffened, eyebrows
shooting skyward. “Kookie -”

His face on fire, Jeongguk decided to just spit it out. “Yes, Tae, I came in my pants. I told you
dream sex was a bad idea.”

Chapter End Notes

Chapter End Notes

Never let these boys fight again, they can’t handle themselves when they make up.
 Chapter 31
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

He rolled his shoulders back, wincing in pain, and scowled at the blackened stumps protruding
from his back. They were simultaneously rotting and healing, and they stunk of decomposition and
blood. He wondered how long it’d take for his magic to stop fighting the inevitable rot, and what
would happen once it did.

An archangel who can’t even fly? How could you let this happen?

One down, six left.

Fire.

You’re a disgrace.

The voices had become his friends. They kept him grounded, sane.

But there was one voice that wasn’t in his head. Though he wished it were. Then he wouldn’t have
to look at him - to see the reflection of what he himself was to inevitably become.

Fire.

“Still as ugly as ever, I see.”

He scowled at the approaching figure. “I told you to stay away from me. I’m still considering your
offer.”

The newcomer smiled cruelly, his hollow, bloodshot eyes glinting. “I’m afraid you’ve run out of
time. Your answer, now.”

Lucifer had always been the most beautiful angel. Even now, as a Fallen, his features were
otherworldly. But they were touched by madness - eons spent torturing lost souls had sunken his
bright emerald eyes, thinned his curly black hair, and turned ashen his porcelain skin. But he still
walked with just as much confidence as when he had his wings - well, his angel wings. He had
wings now, but they were grotesque asphalt-gray bat wings with pulsing veins bulging out from
beneath the torn leathery skin.

They were the wings of a Fallen who had spent his time on Earth becoming more than what his
situation made him. Of a Fallen who decided, no matter what, that he would fly. That he would not
be confined to the ground like a lowly animal.

Unfortunately, Raphael admired that.

Fire.

Here was a Fallen who had used the last of his magic not only to heal his broken body, but to build
a new pair of wings and then to create his own kingdom out of the ashes of Hell. He was stronger
than all of the angels in heaven, but not stronger than Raphael. Especially not now that they were
drawing magic from the same place - from the darkest recesses of the deepest cosmic abyss. From
Hell.
“Need I remind you that I was an archangel,” Raphael snarled.

“So was I,” Lucifer pointed out, that stomach-churning grin still stretched across his bony face.
“And now we’re the same, brother.”

Raphael scoffed, “I was more powerful than you ever were.”

“But now,” Lucifer hissed, his gravelly voice reminiscent of nails on a chalkboard, “you're weak
and Fallen, and I’m the ruler of Hell. Isn’t it funny how the world works?”

Fire.

Can’t fly?

Raphael pursed his lips, nostrils flaring, but the other Fallen had a point. He didn’t dare do
anything to Lucifer - not in the state he was in.

“Come on, Raph,” the man chided. “They betrayed you. All of them. Make them pay. We could be
absolutely unstoppable together.”

Raphael nodded slowly. “We could.” Lucifer grinned, but the the other man continued, “But I am
after my own revenge.”

Lucifer blew out an irritated breath, rolling his eyes. “Revenge. It’s such a petty concept, don’t you
think? Now, domination. Anarchy. That’s a cause worth fighting for! Sending every human to
Hell, just for shits and giggles! Doesn’t that sound nice?” He shrugged, “They’re all gross, you
have to admit that. Back when I was up there with all you hardasses, I remember we hated them.”

“Times change,” Raphael said calmly.

Fire.

Lucifer’s eyes twinkled. “Not that much, brother. Never that much.”

And, of course, he was mostly right. The archangels would rather have nothing to do with the
inferior species - they left that to the lower ranks. But that didn’t mean Raphael wanted all of them
to go to hell.

Just one in particular. The Fallen at his side going with him would just be icing on the cake.

You’re a disgrace.

Six.

“Perhaps not,” Raphael said coolly. “But even still, why should I work for you?”

“With me, brother,” Lucifer corrected. “We’d rule together.”

Fire.

Raphael eyed the other man. “What good is a Fallen to you?”

“You’re not just a Fallen,” the man said, his voice dry and alien. “You’re a Fallen archangel. You
still have immense power in your blood.”

A moment of silence passed, broken only by the voices grating in Raphael’s skull.
 Fire.

Six.

“And as for your revenge,” Lucifer smiled grittily, “Well, I’ll scratch your back if you scratch
mine.”

Raphael eyed him, not buying it. “Why?”

“Because, dear brother,” Lucifer said, another manic grin stretching across his gaunt face, “you
need me, and I need you.” Then, he shrugged, “I can personally ensure that your little problem will
burn in my favorite domain of hell, and you can help me overthrow heaven!” He giggled,
“Honestly, Raph, we’ve discussed all this already, learn to pay attention. Now,” he leaned in close -
impossibly close, “what do you say?”

Fire.

A slow smile spread across Raphael’s face, mirroring the Fallen’s in front of him. “When you put it
that way,” he returned Lucifer’s victorious grin, “yes.”

Chapter End Notes

Yo before you go, I have an announcement:

I might be doing a Q&A over on ARMY Amino but only if I get enough questions for
it to be worthwhile. So, if you have anything at all that you’d like to ask me (my fave
song, how I get inspiration, why algebra exists...nothing’s off-limits), please comment
it here! I’ll post the link to it in an A/N once it’s up so if you ask a question, you’ll be
able to see my answer!

Oh and if you have an ARMY Amino account, we should be friends. My account is

here: http://aminoapps.com/p/ckz79n
 Chapter 32
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Taehyung couldn’t seem to wipe off his shit-eating smirk as he sat across from Jeongguk. The
maknae did his best to ignore him, putting way too much focus into his cereal, as the elder gazed at
him with his chin resting in his hand. But after a few minutes of silent staring, Taehyung’s arrogant
little smile finally got to him, and Jeongguk set his spoon down and snapped, “What?”

“Nothing,” Taehyung said quickly, but his smile stayed right there on his stupid, gorgeous face.
Jeongguk frowned and the older boy straightened, flipping his palms up in surrender. “You’re just
cute, that’s all.”

Indignance made Jeongguk’s eyes narrow into a glare that probably only proved Taehyung right.
However, he still said in the most authoritative voice he could muster, “How so?”

“You’re just so sensitive,” Taehyung snickered. “My naughty baby boy, coming in his pants before
I even touch him.”

Balling his hands into fists, Jeongguk snapped, “Okay, that’s it.”

Before Taehyung could respond, Jeongguk jumped up and snatched his arm, marching him to their
bedroom where he all but threw him on the bed.

“I’m not -” Jeongguk pounced on top of him, clawing off the elder’s shirt “- cute. And that was one
hundred percent your fault.”

“What was?” Taehyung asked innocently, smirking. “Oh, you mean when you came in your sleep
like a horny teenager? You’re telling me that you came in your own pants, and that’s somehow my
fault?”

Jeongguk bristled. “I’m going to kick your ass.”

“I was hoping you’d fuck my ass,” Taehyung said, wiggling his eyebrows.

The maknae gagged, “What are you, twelve?”

“Three,” Taehyung giggled, holding up the corresponding number of fingers. Then, his frown
betraying his nervousness, he asked, “Are you down or not?”

Wow, he’s so romantic. How did I get such a poet?

Jeongguk was, of course, being sarcastic. As he smirked to himself, his eyes dropped to the bulge
in Taehyung’s pants.

He could work with this.

“Is that what you want, baby?” Jeongguk growled, heat pooling in his stomach at the mewl
Taehyung released at the nickname.

“Uh, duh,” the elder rolled his eyes. “Why do you think I’m being a brat?”

Jeongguk’s eyebrows shot skyward. “Did you mean for that to sound as kinky as it did?”
Taehyung huffed irritatedly, hands roaming under Jeongguk’s t-shirt. “Jesus, Kook, yes.”

Excitement bubbled in the maknae’s chest. “We haven’t switched in awhile.”

“We haven’t done anything in awhile,” Taehyung whined. “Stop being shy for two minutes and
fuck me.”

Jeongguk didn’t need to be told twice. He snatched Taehyung’s hands out from under his shirt and
pinned them by his head on the pillow, twining their fingers together as he bent to press a deep kiss
to Taehyung’s needy lips. “Tell me -“ kiss “- if you get -“ kiss “- uncomfortable.”

“As long as you don’t go easy on me,” Taehyung responded, eyes glinting, “I won’t.”

Jeongguk lifted himself up on his hands and knees, boxing Taehyung in between his limbs, and
tilted his head to the side. The boy’s shaggy black hair brushed past his brows, framing his dark,
begging eyes. His cheeks were flushed with need, and his bare chest was already heaving. Damn.
Licking his lips, Jeongguk mumbled, “You’re so sexy.”

“I know,” Taehyung responded, and it would have sounded more cocky if he wasn’t squirming
around beneath Jeongguk. “Now,” he gasped, “show me why you’re called the king of bodyrolls.”

Well fuck. Cringey or not, that’s hot.

“Are you asking for a lap dance?” Jeongguk raised his eyebrows.

Taehyung groaned.

“I’m asking for whatever the fuck you want, baby boy.”

Jeongguk bent down and bit Taehyung’s left earlobe, swirling his tongue around his three earrings.
Obeying the elder’s ridiculous command, he rolled his hips downward, grinding hard against
Taehyung’s front. The boy squeezed Jeongguk’s hands tightly, shivering beneath him. When
Jeongguk’s hips rocked away, Taehyung’s arched upwards, but the maknae rolled off of him at the
last moment with an evil grin. “Pants and boxers off, please.”

Taehyung slowly obeyed, eyes wide. The maknae’s eyes swept over the boy’s nudity, and he
relished in the heat flooding to his abdomen. The elder grabbed at Jeongguk’s sweatpants. “You
too.”

Jeongguk shook his head. He was channeling his stage presence now - the one that earned him the
adoration of the most perverted ARMYs - forcing the shy version of himself to the background.

Taehyung noticed this and gulped. Jeongguk followed the movement of his throat and bent down
to lick a fat stripe up the side of his neck. Stopping at the elder’s ear, he hissed, “Hands and knees,
Tae.”

The elder wetted his lips, breath hitching. “M-make me.”

Growling, Jeongguk straightened and all but shoved Taehyung onto his stomach, purposefully
brushing his hand across the boy’s scars.

He couldn’t even begin to express how much he enjoyed the scars’ sensitivity. It gave him two
other spots to drive his boyfriend wild, and he was going to use that to the fullest advantage.

He had to be careful, though. As needy as Taehyung was being right now, Jeongguk didn’t want to
even get close to how he had been treated in the past.

Scowling, Jeongguk set to work destroying every thought that didn’t pertain to the naked boy in
front of him. He coaxed Taehyung onto his hands and knees, trailing his hand down the back of
boy’s thigh.

Jeongguk loved Taehyung’s body. To him, it was flawless - ethereal - and every inch was
delectable. The color of honey. Soft like silk. He pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to one of
Taehyung’s scars and then trailed his tongue up the entirety of the other one, grinning as the elder
writhed beneath him. Jeongguk rested his hand between the two marks, purring, “How can I make
you feel good, baby?”

Taehyung moaned, “You already are, jagi. Shit.”

Jeongguk lightly swatted his ass, biting his lip as it jiggled. Taehyung arched his back, releasing a
strangled moan, as Jeongguk ordered, “Watch your language.”

“Pretty hypocritical coming from you,” the boy quipped.

He had a point, but Jeongguk could tell the elder was immensely enjoying this, and he couldn’t
deny that it was hot. So, he kept up the act. “I’m allowed to do that. You’re not.”

“That’s not fair,” Taehyung whined, craning his head around to glare weakly at the maknae.

“You know what’s really not fair?” Jeongguk rested his hand on the elder’s ass, gripping gently but
firmly.

The boy huffed. “What?”

“You’re still talking,” Jeongguk tried very hard not to blush at what he was saying as he rolled his
white t-shirt off over his head, “when you should be sucking my cock.”

Taehyung dropped his forehead onto the pillow, his breath coming in shallow gasps. “Fuck,
Kookie.”

This was a side to Taehyung that Jeongguk had never seen before, and it was doing things to him.
But he was topping right now, so he tried to ignore just how hard he was as he threw himself onto
the bed. Shimmying off his pants and boxers, he ordered, “Suck, please.”

“Such good manners,” Taehyung giggled as he crawled between Jeongguk’s thighs.

“No,” Jeongguk shook his head, reaching to his nightstand to get out the lube.

Taehyung tilted his head, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “No?”

“Get your ass up here,” Jeongguk said. “Please.”

Realization made Taehyung’s eyes darken with lust as he positioned himself so his knees were
beside Jeongguk’s shoulder. The maknae hissed in a breath as the elder dropped his mouth over his
cock, shakily squeezing some lube onto his fingers. It was getting harder and harder to focus, but
somehow he held out.

Quivering, he swirled a finger around Taehyung’s entrance. The boy bristled, freezing around
Jeongguk’s member, as the maknae coaxed the finger inside. “You’re doing so well, sweetheart,”
he crooned.
Taehyung moaned around his cock and Jeongguk involuntarily bucked his hips up. But after the
previous night, Taehyung was prepared for that, and instead of gagging he swallowed around the
thrust. After a moment, he picked his head up and croaked, “More.”

Jeongguk obeyed, sliding another slick finger inside. He was getting impatient, but he forced down
the pressure building between his hips. He tapped the side of Taehyung’s thigh with his free hand
and, when the elder picked his head up questioningly, panted, “Stop, Tae. Fuck, you’re so good -
so, so good to me.” Then, pulling his fingers out, he said, “Hands and knees again, please.”

Taehyung obeyed and Jeongguk sat up, coaxing the elder to face the headboard. The maknae then
crawled around behind him and once more slipped in his fingers, first one and then two, and then,
when Taehyung rocked back and whimpered, a third.

“Are you ready for me?” Jeongguk asked.

“Yes,” Taehyung breathed.

Jeongguk nodded and gently pressed down on the elder’s shoulder, coaxing his chest down onto
the pillow. The boy wrapped his arms around it, turning his head to the side to glance up at the
maknae as he coated his cock with lube.

Whenever Taehyung asked for a position change, he was really asking for affirmation. A promise
that he was safe, that things really were different, and that he deserved to feel as loved as he did.
That Jeongguk would care for him and never take advantage of him. That he’d never, ever be hurt
again. Jeongguk knew this, so he went slow - too slow for either of their liking - as he slid inside
the elder.

Taehyung keened loudly, and Jeongguk moaned in time as the elder’s heat engulfed him. “Fuck,
Tae, you’re so beautiful.”

The elder whimpered at the praise. The maknae stayed there, his front flush with Taehyung’s butt,
but then the elder whined wordlessly and Jeongguk took that as permission to start. He moved
deliberately, rolling his hips and searching. When Taehyung lurched beneath him, he knew that
he’d found his prostate and focused on hitting that spot over and over. With shaky hands, Jeongguk
stroked Taehyung’s scars, and the boy convulsed in ecstasy.

Then, Taehyung mumbled something, but it was muffled by the pillow. Jeongguk froze, worried
that the boy might have been asking him to stop, and tapped his shoulder blade. “What was that,
Tae?”

The older boy lifted his head long enough to gasp, “More.”

With that, he dropped back onto the pillow, eyes squeezing shut as Jeongguk hesitated. “More
what, baby?”

“More everything,” he begged.

Okay then. “You’ll tell me if it’s too much?” Jeongguk asked warily.

“Jesus Christ, Kook,” Taehyung lifted himself up onto his hands, his arms trembling. “Of course I
will. Now do as I say.”

Jeongguk frowned, falling back into the dominant persona Taehyung seemed to want right now.
“Are you telling me what to do?”
Taehyung wiggled his butt, making Jeongguk’s member absolutely throb, as he purred, ”What’ll
you do about it if I am?”

Cocky little shit.

Jeongguk gripped the back of the elder’s neck, earning a mewl, and forced him back onto the
pillow. “Stay down,” he growled, gyrating his hips faster, harder.

Taehyung moaned loudly, but it was swallowed by the godforsaken pillow. “Tae,” Jeongguk
panted, “let me hear you.”

The elder obeyed, turning his head to the side. Jeongguk immediately froze when he saw a tear
gleaming at the edge of the boy’s closed eye. Shit. He’d fucked up.

“I’m so sorry, Tae, is this too much?”

He started to pull out, filled with regret, but Taehyung lurched his hand behind him and gripped the
maknae’s wrist.

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung hissed, opening his eyes to glare up at the maknae. “For fuck’s sake, if I
don’t tell you to stop, don’t fucking stop.”

Oh. “Okay.”

Jeongguk rocked back into him, dropping his hand down onto one of Taehyung’s scars. The elder
was clenching around him and Jeongguk’s eyes rolled to the back of his skull at just how good it
all was.

It was when Taehyung started mumbling “more” again that Jeongguk knew this boy was going to
kill him.

He bent forward so that his chest was flush with Taehyung’s back, wrapping one arm around him
to toy with his neglected member. It pulsed in Jeongguk’s hand, and the boy’s back arched into his
chest. Jeongguk raised a hand to grip the headboard, using it to push and then hold himself upright.
Taehyung was tightening around him to the point that it almost hurt, and Jeongguk’s orgasm was
fast approaching. He breathed, closing his eyes, “Fuck, Tae, you’re so - fuck, you’re gonna make
me come.”

“Jeongguk,” Taehyung sobbed. “It’s building.”

Jeongguk’s eyes flipped open and he pulled out, biting back his curse. Taehyung rolled over onto
his back, grabbing at Jeongguk’s hands. “What are you doing?”

Running a hand through his messy hair, Jeongguk grinned wryly. “I want to watch you, beautiful.”

Taehyung moaned, lifting his hips, and Jeongguk hooked the boy’s legs over his shoulders and
drove his cock back inside. Taehyung hissed at the force, biting back tears, and the maknae almost
stopped. But then he remembered what the elder had said.

If I don’t tell you to stop, don’t fucking stop.

Jeongguk bent forward, and Taehyung whined loudly when his prostate was slammed into.
Explosions were popping off one right after the other in Jeongguk’s brain, igniting his veins with
colorful sparks, and he prayed it was as good for the elder as it was for him. Gazing down, he bit
his lip at Taehyung’s O-face. It was quite possibly the sexiest thing he’d ever seen, and he had to
 focus on not releasing before the boy beneath him did.

The elder’s mouth was hanging open and his eyes were squeezed shut, eyebrows furrowed. Sinful
moans were escaping his lips with each of Jeongguk’s thrusts. The maknae started tugging at his
cock, flicking his thumb over the little bundle of nerves on the underside of it, and Taehyung
writhed beneath him.

Lost in his impending high, the older boy whimpered, “Choke me.”

Jeongguk paused. “What?”

Taehyung’s eyes flipped open, his face lighting on fire, and he said quickly, “N-nothing!”

But Jeongguk had heard him, and he couldn’t stop hearing him. However, if the boy was too
embarrassed to repeat himself, Jeongguk wouldn’t push it. So instead, he resituated his grip on the
elder’s thighs and slammed into him as hard as he could, working them both to orgasm.

They came together, chanting each other’s names.

Afterwards, when they were both cleaned by Jeongguk and cuddling under the covers, the elder’s
cheek resting on the maknae’s chest, Taehyung stirred and mumbled, “Kookie?”

“Yeah?”

He hadn’t forgotten the elder’s in-the-moment request.

Looking up at him with gleaming wide eyes, Taehyung whimpered, “What’s wrong with me?”

Chapter End Notes

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tomorrow!
 Chapter 33
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

“What’s wrong with me?”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. “What do you mean, Tae?”

Taehyung huffed, sitting up. “I mean, I’ve been abused. Why do I want it rough?”

Jeongguk worked his jaw thoughtfully, trailing his fingertips up and down Taehyung’s warm back
as he came up with a response. “Well,” he started, “I’ve never hurt you, right?”

“Right,” Taehyung nodded, capturing the maknae’s every word.

“Okay, so,” Jeongguk said carefully. “So, maybe you always liked it rough, you know? And Ra -
your ex just took advantage of that to do whatever he wanted.” Jeongguk sat up too, continuing
earnestly, “Just because you like to be dominated doesn’t mean that it’s okay to hurt you. And I’ll
do whatever it takes to show you the difference between good pain during sex and bad, okay?”
Then, sheepishly, he added, “That is, if that’s what you want.”

Looking down bashfully, Taehyung nodded. “I’d like that.”

Jeongguk lay back down, pulling his boyfriend with him. “So,” he said wryly after a moment.
“You want to be choked, huh?”

Taehyung bristled and said quickly, “That was an accident. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“So you don’t?” Jeongguk asked.

Taehyung lifted his head, eyeing the maknae. “Do you? I mean, to me?”

“Only if you want to,” Jeongguk promised. “I would never touch you if you didn’t want me to.”

Taehyung rested his head again on the maknae’s chest. After a beat, he whispered, “I’ll think about
it. I mean, I want...I don’t know what I want.”

“Okay, hyung,” Jeongguk murmured soothingly. Then, “Are you hungry?”

“I’m always hungry,” Taehyung replied instantly.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes. “Are you hungry right now in particular?”

“Ah,” Taehyung giggled. “Yeah. Wait, you’re not going to cook anything, are you?”

Jeongguk bristled. “Need I remind you that you’re the one who can’t cook for shit?” When
Taehyung snorted, Jeongguk added indignantly, “And no, smartass, I‘m not. I was going to reheat
something in the fridge. But you know what, fuck you.”

He was giggling by the end of his fake tirade, and the older boy was too. The sound of Taehyung’s
laughter was the definition of happiness - bright and energetic and warm - and Jeongguk was
intoxicated.
“What time is it?” Taehyung asked as Jeongguk rolled out of bed, searching for boxers.

The maknae squinted at his clock. “A little past noon. Why, got somewhere to be?”

“In your pants.”

Jeongguk coughed, his head whipping around to face his boyfriend. Taehyung’s melodious giggles
once again graced Jeongguk’s ears, and the maknae couldn’t help grinning back. “I don’t know
what I’m going to do with you, Tae.”

“Make me food?” The elder suggested.

“I’ll reheat you food, you animal,” the maknae huffed playfully, “since, according to you, I suck at
actually making it.”

“I love you anyway,” Taehyung promised. “Do you know what time the others will be home?”

“No idea,” Jeongguk said, offering the elder a hand. He took it, and the maknae heaved him to his
feet. “I’m guessing it’ll be pretty late, though. They’re doing photo shoots this evening, and you
know how photographers get when they want -“

“- the perfect dust of twilight,” Taehyung finished for him, smirking. They’d had one photographer
in particular who was insistent about the natural lighting. Laughing at the shared memory as he
pulled on sweatpants, the elder said, “That guy was a pretentious prick.”

“Agreed,” Jeongguk said as they walked, interlocked hands swinging between them, to the kitchen.

Taehyung dropped down onto a chair and instantly winced. Jeongguk raised his eyebrows, fighting
off the snort that he desperately wanted to voice, and the elder shot him a dark look. “Don’t you
dare.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything,” Jeongguk defended, making his way to the fridge.

Taehyung huffed behind him, but Jeongguk ignored it and pulled out the bibimbap Seokjin had left
them. After sticking it in the microwave, he turned to Taehyung and leaned back against the
counter. “What do you want to do the rest of the day?”

“Would it be crude to say eat, nap, and fuck?”

“Jesus!” Jeongguk stared at his boyfriend with wide, shaken eyes. “You’re like the fucking
Energizer Bunny.”

Taehyung pouted, “We haven’t been together since before we were in Purgatory. I’m sorry that I
missed you.”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, but his smile betrayed how pleased he was. “Poor baby. What are you
going to do when we go on tour?”

“I’m not above using a dressing room.”

“Well I am,” Jeongguk shot back indignantly.

The elder raised a single cocky eyebrow. “Are you sure about that?”

Jeongguk pursed his lips and tried to imagine it. Taehyung dancing on stage. His deep, husky voice
vibrating in Jeongguk’s very core. Wearing the obscenely tight pants that their stylists loved. The
lights accentuating every single one of his perfect curves. Sweat making his shirt cling to his toned
torso and dripping down his neck.

Fuck.

“One hundred percent,” Jeongguk squeaked, clearing his throat.

“You’re going to need to wear some baggier pants if you want that to be convincing.”

Jeongguk was saved from answering by the microwave’s obnoxious beeping. He jumped out of his
skin, startled, before groaning and yanking open the door. The bowl was obviously scalding hot,
but he didn’t think about that when he wrapped both hands around it.

Immediately, he jerked away with a hiss. “Shit!”

Taehyung was at his side in a flash. “Let me see, jagi.”

All teasing was officially gone from his tone, replaced by so much concern that Jeongguk,
speechless, obediently raised his hands palm-up. Taehyung gently caressed the backs of them in his
larger ones, eyebrows furrowed at the slightly pink skin.

Jeongguk squirmed, “It’s fine, hyung, really.”

Relenting, Taehyung dropped his hands and stepped away. “Run them under cold water for me,
jagi.”

Wordlessly, Jeongguk obeyed the elder’s command. Taehyung grabbed a dishrag and leaned across
the maknae to share the sink, wetting the cloth before setting to work cleaning the bits of vegetable
and rice out of the microwave that had exploded from the bowl when Jeongguk had rattled it.
Gingerly, he coaxed the dish onto the counter and made sure the microwave was at Seokjin’s
standards of cleanliness before closing it and grabbing a spoon.

Jeongguk had since sat down at the table, marveling that the elder was the definition of boyfriend
material. Taehyung slid into the chair beside him and offered a spoonful of the mixed rice.
Jeongguk rolled his eyes at the coddling but allowed the elder to feed him. Swallowing, he
remarked, “Yoongi-hyung would puke if he saw us being so domestic.”

“Yoongi-hyung isn’t here right now,” Taehyung said slyly.

Jeongguk splayed his hand over Taehyung’s face and pushed his head back, cackling. “You’re
unbelievable.”

They both softened, grinning at each other. Suddenly, Taehyung grabbed his phone out of his
pocket, earning a bewildered frown from the maknae. “What are you doing?”

“Music,” Taehyung responded, focused on his phone. But then he glanced up, bringing his thumb
to his lips to bite its nail nervously. “Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” Jeongguk said easily, relaxing back into his chair again.

Taehyung surprised him with a classical selection. Jeongguk, eyebrows raised at the unexpected
choice, mused that there was still so much he didn’t know about his boyfriend. Sure, the big stuff
was there. His angelhood. His sister. The story of his Fall. But what had happened after he fell?
Was he hurt, starving, dying after all but the weakest bit of his magic went away? Did Raphael
torment him daily, like he did when Jeongguk and Taehyung started dating? Did he face the
 darkest parts of humanity when he was at his lowest point, beaten and bleeding and terrified?

Hell, Jeongguk didn’t even know how long the boy had been on Earth before joining BTS.

He frowned at this. He should know these things. Why didn’t he know these things?

The spoon appeared in his vision and he crossed his eyes to focus on it, earning a giggle from the
elder. Deciding to continue playing along, Jeongguk took the offered bite.

The boxy smile on Taehyung’s face was so innocent, happy, and pure.

Jeongguk didn’t want to ruin that with questions about his past.

Chapter End Notes

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 Chapter 34
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

One down, six left.

A disgrace!

Fire.

He’d been on Earth for over two weeks now. His magic was mostly dormant - at least, his original
magic. He borrowed from Hell what he couldn’t manufacture.

The stumps in his back were still clotted with rot. Flies clung to their edges, but what did it matter?
It’s not like he could stop them.

An archangel who can’t even fly?

Humans glanced in their direction from time to time, wondering where that smell of decay was
coming from. He glared at each one until they looked away. He couldn’t be bothered to deal with
them right now.

He was sitting across from the other Fallen archangel in a seedy bar, tucked away in a dark,
forgotten corner.

“What is it with you anyway?” Lucifer picked at his teeth, lounging lengthwise across his chair.

Raphael scowled at him. “What do you mean?”

Lucifer sighed loudly, hooking his leg over his armrest. He rolled his head around, a lazy smile
playing across his features. “I mean,” he purred, “who cares about a little guardian? You’re an
archangel.” He suddenly flung his body upright, leaning over his knees with a manic grin. “You're
above him.”

Raphael gazed at him coolly, not budging except to drum his fingers on the table irritatedly.
Finally, he said, “It’s more the principle of the thing.”

“How so?” Lucifer leaned back again, going back to picking his teeth.

Raphael worked his jaw. So this is what happens to Fallen archangels. They go mad. Just look at
me.

Fire, one of the voices chanted, as if to agree with him.

“Well?” Lucifer giggled, “Cat got your tongue? Is my beauty too distracting?”

Six.

“That human decided that my property was his,” Raphael finally shrugged, “and my property
decided he was right.”

“Bummer,” Lucifer said, a touch of true empathy laced in his amusement. He lurched to his feet,
slamming his palms down on the table, earning startled looks from the other patrons. Raphael
raised his eyebrows, mouth set in a firm line, as the other Fallen squinted down at the grainy,
stained wood of the tabletop. “What would you like to do to them?”

“So many things,” Raphael admitted.

He twitched - an unfortunate side effect of his impending insanity. Since he Fell, he could feel
himself slowly slipping deeper and deeper into the darkest parts of his psyche. But that was okay.
It gave him clarity. He could understand everything perfectly now.

He had realized something. It was no wonder he Fell - Heaven was corrupt. Of course he was
banished; he was the only one who saw the entire celestial system for what it was: a fracturing
gerontocracy that was doomed to fail. It just needed the right push. He and Lucifer were the perfect
candidates for that push.

After they completed Raphael’s self-assigned revenge mission, of course. After all, he didn’t
deserve to fall, and he wouldn’t have fallen if it weren’t for that human.

And Taehyung. He’d pay too. He was supposed to please Raphael forever - to be his. It wasn’t
Raphael’s fault that they were caught breaking the rules. What was he supposed to do? Ignore the
will of the other six archangels and save Taehyung from falling? That would only doom both of
them.

Six.

“What would be your favorite outcome?” Lucifer pressed.

Raphael paused thoughtfully.

Fire.

Despite everything, Raphael had to admit that the human must really love Taehyung to show all of
his his memories to the archangels. So, above all, they had to be separated. Taehyung couldn’t love
anyone but Raphael, not ever again. He belonged to the Fallen archangel. He always had, and he
always would.

“I’d like to keep them apart,” Raphael mused. “So, I suppose that it wouldn’t be very good to put
them both in hell.”

Lucifer sighed dramatically, dropping back down into his chair. “Well, that’s no fun, but I
understand.”

Raphael nodded. “I’d like to give the human to you.”

“Nice,” Lucifer hissed victoriously, a blood-curdling grin stretching across his face’s papery flesh.
“What about the Fallen?”

Their waiter came over, but Lucifer waved him away irritatedly. If he had his powers, the human
would probably be a pile of ash. But he didn’t - not here on Earth. That was the rub: on Earth, he
possessed no magic. In that sense, he was even weaker than Raphael. But once he stepped into
Hell, he could give any archangel a run for his money.

Fire.

Six!
 Raphael shrugged again, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Taehyung? He’s mine.”

Chapter End Notes

Last day to ask any questions you might have for me for the Q&A!
 Chapter 35

“You’ve ruined me, hyung,” Jeongguk said playfully, rolling onto his side to face the elder.

Taehyung grinned at him. “How so?”

Fiddling with the hem of the blanket covering their bare forms, Jeongguk whispered happily, “I’ve
been lazy all day. I didn’t even go to the gym!”

“Hmm,” Taehyung brought up a hand to squeeze the maknae’s bicep. He licked his lips when the
muscle didn’t give way beneath his grip. “I’d say my muscle pig will last a day without exercise.”

Jeongguk huffed, but a smile was plastered to his face.

After they’d eaten lunch and showered together - impressively keeping it at just a shower - they
had made their way back to their bedroom, stumbling and giggling and intoxicatingly in love. They
had planned on falling asleep but somehow had ended up taking their cuddles further by shucking
off their clothes - not for sex, but just to be closer together. To remove any barriers between them.

Innocent naked cuddles were officially Jeongguk’s favorite.

Taehyung cupped a hand over Jeongguk’s cheek, gazing lovingly at him. After a moment of staring
back, the maknae felt a blush creep up his neck. “What?”

The elder shook his head, his damp hair feathering out across his forehead, “You’re just so
beautiful.”

Jeongguk’s eyes rolled of their own volition. “Are you sure you didn’t just see your reflection?”

“Ah, that must be it,” Taehyung nodded in understanding. “Sorry, my mistake.”

Giggling, Jeongguk slugged his bare arm, and then Taehyung rolled on top of him to pin him to the
bed. His skin was warm pressed down against Jeongguk’s, and the maknae chewed his lip.

Cinnamon and wind. That was Taehyung’s scent, and it was Jeongguk’s favorite smell in the
world.

“You’re an idiot,” the maknae teased lightly.

“Rude,” Taehyung chided, but he was smiling.

Jeongguk tilted his chin up, and Taehyung obliged his wordless request, lowering his head to brush
his lips against the maknae’s. It was short, gentle, and sweet, and it was filled with so much love
that Jeongguk would have been embarrassed had they not been alone.

“You know what, jagiya?” Taehyung giggled.

“What?” Jeongguk asked, bringing his hands up to trail along Taehyung’s back, keeping away
from his scars because he didn’t want to ruin the moment by instigating that type of activity.

At least, not yet.

The elder leaned down, his lips brushing Jeongguk’s ear, as he secretively whispered, “You’re my
everything.”
Jeongguk grinned, his nose scrunching up, “Stop being cute.”

Taehyung snorted, rolling off the maknae’s body. Without the elder’s warmth, Jeongguk briefly
shivered. But then Taehyung shifted so he was laying on his front and slung an arm over the
maknae’s chest, bringing it up to curl gently around his neck, and whispered, “I kind of want you to
meet my family. Is that wrong?”

“I’ve already met your family,” Jeongguk reminded him, too caught up in his euphoric sleepiness
to grasp what the boy was saying.

“I’m not talking about Eden,” Taehyung murmured.

Jeongguk’s heart stopped. “You don’t have a family,” he said dumbly.

“Well,” Taehyung squirmed away sheepishly, and Jeongguk instantly regretted opening his stupid
mouth. “I mean, not technically, but they found me and cared for me after I fell, so -“

Jeongguk sat up, squinting at the boy. “You're serious?”

Taehyung shot him a look. “Obviously I’m serious, jagi.”

“You have a family,” Jeongguk processed, “and you didn’t tell me about them?”

The elder cocked an irritated eyebrow. “How’s your brother, Kook? Your parents? I’ve never
heard of them from you, but I’m assuming they exist because everyone else seems to know about
them.”

Jeongguk squirmed. “Touché.”

“Touché indeed,” Taehyung said, but his soft gaze told Jeongguk that he wasn’t really mad.

Still, Jeongguk mumbled, “I’m sorry. It just never came up.”

“I know,” Taehyung responded. “Which is why I’m not upset.” He paused, and they stewed in the
silence for a moment. Then, he said, “We don’t have to talk about it now. I want today to be about
us and only us, as selfish as that is. But I do want to talk about it soon, okay?”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. “You know we could never introduce each other as boyfriends, right? To
anyone?”

Taehyung sighed sadly, “Yes, jagi, I know that. It was just a thought. Something for many years in
the future, if you’ll keep me around that long.”

Jeongguk leaned in to kiss his cheek. “Obviously I will, you dummy. Who’s going to keep my bed
warm if you’re not around?”

Taehyung burst into a fit of melodious laughter, squeezing Jeongguk closer to his side. “Aish,
jagiya, that cut deep.”

“You know I’m kidding,” Jeongguk promised. “That’s not all you’re good for. You’re also really
good at using the microwave.”

“Better than you,” Taehyung shot back with a snort.

“Better than me,” Jeongguk agreed, burying himself in Taehyung’s chest.

The elder set a timer on his phone so that they wouldn’t waste the entire afternoon with sleep, and
then they snuggled closer together - limbs woven among limbs and torsos brushing against each
other - and fell asleep.
 Chapter 36
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk woke up to Taehyung’s lips on the shell of his ear. He squirmed, breaking into a grin,
and mumbled, “I’m going to be dead tomorrow.”

“We both are,” Taehyung growled, and the sound of it reverberated in Jeongguk’s core.

With that, the elder disappeared under the blankets. Jeongguk, still not completely awake, blinked
confusedly at the spot where his lover once lay, before sucking in a breath and arching off the
mattress. “Hyung!”

Taehyung, Jeongguk’s thighs hooked over his shoulders, pushed the covers off his head long
enough to reply, “Yes, jagi?”

“Fu-uck,” Jeongguk breathed, his head pressing back into the pillow.

And then Taehyung’s tongue was against his entrance again, teasing and probing. Jeongguk
brought a hand down to lace in the boy’s tangled hair, gripping with all his might, as lewd whines
slipped past his parted lips. He was definitely fully awake now, and every nerve in his body was
tingling as the elder worked at his rim.

It wasn’t enough - it wasn’t nearly enough.

“Tae-aehyung,” Jeongguk begged.

The elder growled against him and it vibrated his core. Then, he picked his head up and said
gently, “Can you get on your hands and knees for me, sweet boy?”

Jeongguk scrambled to obey, terrified that the elder’s ministrations would stop if he went too
slowly. Taehyung chuckled, a raspy sound that came from deep in his throat, and ran one large
hand firmly up the maknae’s back from his ass to his shoulders. Eagerly, Jeongguk let his chest fall
down against the pillow, automatically wrapping his arms around it and propping his chin up. In
this position, he couldn’t see what Taehyung was doing behind him, so he gasped in surprise when
the elder’s sinful lips found his hole again. The boy had better access to the maknae now and set to
work absolutely destroying him. Jeongguk let out a strangled moan, his stomach flexing against his
building high. The elder’s tongue flicked his sensitive hole before he cocked his head and sucked
the pink skin around the maknae’s entrance, bringing his hands up to hold his cheeks apart.

At this point, Jeongguk was practically sobbing as he begged for more, please, please give me
more.

And then one of Taehyung’s hands was snaking between his thighs to fondle his balls, and
Jeongguk shot up off the bed with a squeal. The elder stroked his hip, cooing, “Easy, jagiya.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk moaned in response, rocking back against the elder’s mouth.

Taehyung gripped the maknae’s asscheeks tightly, his nails hooking into the skin. Not enough to
hurt, just enough to be possessive. And then his tongue pushed past the tight ring around
Jeongguk’s hole, and the maknae keened loudly. His toes were curling beneath him of their own
volition, and he had to focus on not releasing untouched. He vaguely mused that there was no way
he should enjoy getting eaten out as much as he did, but he was too blissed-out to care.

All too soon, Taehyung pulled away from Jeongguk’s rim, leaving a cold trail of wetness behind.
The maknae lifted his head weakly, “Tae, don’t stop -“

Chuckling breathily, Taehyung bent forward and pressed one last lewd, sloppy kiss to Jeongguk’s
hole. At the same time, he deftly popped open a bottle in his hand - how did he get the lube that
quickly? Gasping, the maknae arched his back, wordlessly begging for more.

Which is exactly what he got. More.

Hardly giving him a chance to prepare, Taehyung pushed up onto his knees and slammed himself
into the maknae’s slick entrance. Jeongguk’s head flew back, tears of ecstasy pricking his eyes, and
he released a moan so loud that it hurt his own ears. Clumsily, he flopped forward and squirmed
until he was on his back, legs hooked around the elder’s waist. Taehyung waited patiently, a
hungry smile stretching his lips upward. “Am I that hot?”

Jeongguk’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What?”

“You’re really into -“ Taehyung bent down to bite the maknae’s shoulder “- looking at me
recently.”

The maknae huffed, raking his fingers down the elder’s chest. It was getting harder and harder to
ignore the pressure building between his hips, and all he wanted was for the elder to fucking move.
“So? I like looking at you.”

“How flattering,” Taehyung teased. “What exactly do you like looking at?”

“Okay,” Jeongguk said incredulously, “you do realize this conversation is happening while you’re
balls deep in my ass?”

Taehyung’s eyes twinkled mischievously as he said, “Oh yeah! That’s what I was doing!”

Jeongguk shut his eyes in irritation, counting to ten. I’m going to kill him. I’m actually going to kill
him. Say goodbye, ARMY, because this piece of -

And then Taehyung snapped his hips forward, and Jeongguk completely forgot whatever it was he
was thinking about. His eyes flipped open and he gasped as a wave of pleasure rocked through him.
“Holy fuck, Taehyung!”

The boy grinned down at him, snickering pridefully at his response. Normally that would get him
in trouble, but he was still rolling his hips like a pornstar, which meant that Jeongguk was too far
out of his mind in delirium to deck him.

Still, the maknae managed to hiss, “F-fuck off. Fu-uck...off…sweet fucking Christ, Tae, don’t
stop.”

Nailed it.

Taehyung propped himself up with the headboard, looming over the maknae with that wicked grin
plastered to his face. Jeongguk grappled at his shoulders, pulling himself up so that he was riding
the elder’s lap. Their eyes met, and suddenly Jeongguk couldn’t believe how beautiful he found
Taehyung.

And just like that, their fucking became love-making, and it was Jeongguk’s turn to gyrate his hips
 down against Taehyung’s. His arms snaked around the elder’s shoulders, fingers carding through
his feathery black hair, and he pressed a needy kiss to the boy’s cheek.

“I love you,” he mumbled.

Taehyung’s blown-black eyes rolled back, and he groaned, “Fuck, jagi, I love you.”

With that, he buried his face in the crook of Jeongguk’s neck, gingerly lifting his hips to meet the
maknae’s rolls. Gone were the lewd moans of before - now the room was filled with soft pants and
high-pitched whimpers and quiet nothings. Jeongguk could hardly think, but he was able to note
that this felt like something entirely new. He’d always thought that he and the elder could last a
long time. At least until BTS was a memory. At least. But this felt like a promise. Like eternity.

This felt like Jeongguk would grow old at the side of this incredible, beautiful, imperfectly perfect
man.

He gripped Taehyung’s hair, praying that he was thinking the same thing. Praying that this wasn’t
just an in-the-moment, fucked-out thought. Perhaps sensing his desperation, the elder’s hands slid
up from the maknae’s hips to splay across his damp back, holding him impossibly close as they
rocked against each other.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk breathed.

“Yeah,” the elder said. It wasn’t a question - it was just a word. Affirmation.

The maknae arched his spine, crying, “It’s building!”

Taehyung mewled beneath him, gazing up with wide eyes. Jeongguk found himself unable to look
away from their swirling depths, but it didn’t make him shy like he expected it to. Instead, it urged
him to go faster - to work them both closer and closer to the edge.

“I love you,” Taehyung said again, just to remind him.

“L-love you,” Jeongguk parroted.

The elder pressed the hollow of his cheek against the maknae’s collarbone, locking his arms around
the younger’s torso, and Jeongguk laced his fingers in the boy’s hair, dropping his cheek onto the
crown of his head. “I’m gonna -“

“Me too,” Taehyung croaked.

And they did, panting and whimpering softly. And even afterwards, they didn’t move at first, still
wrapped incredibly tight around each other, never mind that both of their abdomens were now slick
with Jeongguk’s release.

The elder murmured something, and Jeongguk picked his head up and whispered, “What was that,
hyung?”

Taehyung lifted his head, meeting Jeongguk’s gaze.

“Everything, jagiya. You’re...everything.”

Chapter End Notes

Hey! Wanna know who the heck I am? I did an “About Me” over on ARMY Amino,
check it out here
 Chapter 37
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk threw his legs up beside him on the couch, snuggling deeper into Taehyung’s side.
Without looking up from his phone, the elder looped his arm around the maknae’s shoulders,
lightly trailing his fingertips up and down his arm.

They had migrated to the living room after taking a quick shower and were now leaning against
each other on the sofa. Jeongguk was playing Overwatch while Taehyung scrolled through Twitter.

“Did you know people ship you with Jimin?” the elder suddenly commented.

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, hardly fazed. “They ship me with everyone. You too. All of us.” He
quickly smashed a few buttons on his controller before adding, “Sometimes we’re both shipped
with Jimin. Like, at the same time. And I’m pretty sure some people think BTS is just one giant
seven-person orgy.”

“Yeah but, Jimin?” Taehyung grumbled.

Jeongguk grinned victoriously at the TV screen before pausing his game and sitting up, turning to
the elder. “Are you jealous?”

“A little,” Taehyung admitted.

The maknae cocked an eyebrow. “You do realize we’re the most popular ship, right?”

Taehyung eyed him. “We are?”

Jeongguk shrugged, “I actually don’t know. Maybe it’s Namjoon and Seokjin.” Taehyung snorted,
most likely at both the ship and the maknae’s lack of honorifics. “But I don’t let that stuff get to
me. I’ve been shipped with my hyungs since I was fifteen.”

The elder rolled his eyes, pulling the maknae back against his side. “I guess I just need to get used
to it. I haven’t been an idol very long, you know.”

“It’ll eventually stop being awkward,” Jeongguk promised.

After a few minutes, Taehyung snickered at something, and Jeongguk paused his game again and
peered over his shoulder. The elder tilted the phone so he could see, and Jeongguk smacked his
arm. “Why are you looking at fan fiction about us?”

“Because this author thinks you’re a dom,” Taehyung said, “and it’s adorable.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk reminded him, “I was a dom literally, like, three hours ago.”

“And you were a sub,” Taehyung checked his phone’s clock, “one hour ago. Shit, it’s been that
long? How are we surviving right now?”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, “Remember when you thought I only liked you for sex?”

“Hey!” Taehyung cried indignantly, “It’s not my fault your body is addicting!”
Jeongguk snorted, but a blush crept up his cheeks. “Shut up, hyung.”

“Speaking of your body,” Taehyung began.

“I swear to god -“

“How is everything feeling?” Taehyung continued, eyebrows furrowing in gentle concern. “We’ve
done a lot today.”

Jeongguk took a mental inventory. “Nothing’s broken.”

“You’re setting the bar pretty low,” Taehyung chided.

The maknae giggled, poking the elder’s nose. “I’m fine, hyung. I’ll be sore tomorrow, but I have
plenty more rounds left in me if you’re suggesting we go again.”

“Wow,” Taehyung snorted, “I’m impressed. Are you sure? It won’t hurt my feelings. Just taking
care of you is enough for me to be happy.”

Jeongguk snuggled deeper into his arms. “I know, but I’m serious. Eat, nap, and fuck, remember?
Hell, if you wanted me to suck your dick the rest of the afternoon, I would. Though it’d be way
more fun to do that and also fuck, but hey, it’s not all about what I want.” Taehyung groaned at his
words. Mischievous, Jeongguk picked his controller back up and resumed his game. “But right
now, I’m playing Overwatch.”

“Seriously?” Taehyung huffed. “You’re going to get me all hot and bothered talking like that, and
then you’re going to go back to your stupid game?”

“You’re just butthurt because you’re not good at this stupid game,” Jeongguk teased.

“You’re going to literally be butthurt if you -“

“Shh,” Jeongguk ordered, eyes glued to the screen. “I’m trying to focus.”

Taehyung pushed him upright, but Jeongguk didn’t think anything of it. Not until Taehyung pulled
off his t-shirt.

Jeongguk faltered, his fingers fumbling over the buttons, and he frowned when his avatar was
struck. “W-what are you doing, hyung?”

Taehyung ignored him for a moment, lifting his butt up to wiggle off his pants. Then, he said
innocently, “Just getting comfortable, jagiya.”

“Wha -“ Jeongguk frowned as his character died. He glanced at Taehyung and almost collapsed.

The boy was completely naked now, legs spread-eagle with one lazily slung over the armrest of the
couch, focusing on his phone.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk begged, struggling to keep his eyes north of that area.

“Hmm?” Taehyung shifted so that the maknae got an even better view of his bare torso. He looked
up obliviously, “Go back to playing your game, jagi, it’s obviously very important to you.”

“N-no,” Jeongguk breathed.

“I insist,” Taehyung said.

Breathe in, breathe out.

If the elder wanted to play hardball, Jeongguk could too. So, setting his jaw, he turned back to the
screen and started a new campaign.

But then there was a hand resting firmly on his thigh way too close to his groin, and Jeongguk
sucked in a breath as heat pooled in his stomach. “Hyung, that’s not fair.”

“What’s not fair, jagi?” Taehyung asked. “Do you want me to stop?”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. He really, really didn’t. Not one bit. “No…”

Taehyung’s fingers began to rub along the maknae’s thigh, getting closer and closer to his growing
member. Then, he paused, “You should probably pay attention.”

Jeongguk’s eyes snapped back to the screen and he released an expletive. “Hyung! You made me
fuck up!”

“Did I?” Taehyung hummed, “Sorry.” He was still very, very naked, and now he swung his bare
legs over the maknae’s lap. “Do you mind?”

“Nope,” Jeongguk squeaked. “Not one bit.”

“Good,” Taehyung hummed, going back to his phone.

Fuck.

There was no way in hell Jeongguk could play his video game now. Not with the elder’s supple
bare thighs laying carelessly over his lap.

“Hyung.”

“Jagi.”

Jeongguk shakily set his controller down. “You’re killing me.”

“How so?”

Breathe in, breathe out.

“Please,” Jeongguk whined, raking his fingers over the elder’s honeyed thighs. The soft flesh
dipped under his firm touch, and he moaned breathily.

“Please what?” Taehyung asked, flashing a boxy grin at the maknae’s needy touches.

“You fucking know what,” Jeongguk mewled, already panting.

Taehyung brought down a hand to stroke himself. He hummed at his own touch, biting his lip, and
Jeongguk watched hungrily. Taehyung eyed him, “I thought you were a dom, baby boy?”

Jeongguk groaned, “That’s what this is about? That stupid fan fic?”

“Partly,” Taehyung said, his fingers still lazily stroking his member. “And partly because I want to
remind you that just because I like being fucked hard sometimes, I’m not the sub here.”

Jeongguk dropped his head against the back of the couch in disbelief. “That was never in question.”
“Damn right,” the elder growled. “Now get down here.”

But Jeongguk wasn’t going to let him off that easily. “What if I don’t want to?”

“Then I’ll put my clothes back on and we’ll go back to cuddling,” Taehyung responded. His
eyebrows rose cockily, “But I don’t think that’s what you want.”

Jeongguk bit his lip. It wasn’t. It really, really wasn’t.

“Do you think we have too much sex?”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, “Kookie, we haven’t had sex in weeks. One day filled with it doesn’t
make us addicts. Besides, we never get time alone. We’re making the most of it.”

Jeongguk nodded, relenting to his point.

“But if you think we do,” Taehyung sat up, swinging his legs off the maknae’s lap, “then let’s just
cuddle. I don’t want you to think I’m in this just for sex.”

Jeongguk dropped a hand on the elder’s thigh, holding him in place. “I know you’re not.”

A beat of silence passed, and they stared at each other questioningly.

“We’re talking too much,” Taehyung finally sighed. “Take your clothes off.”

Jeongguk stood, eager to obey. He shimmied off his pants and boxers as Taehyung helped him
coax off his t-shirt, leaving him open and vulnerable. Taehyung’s eyes raked down his nude form,
and Jeongguk squirmed under their weight.

“God, you’re gorgeous, jagi,” Taehyung growled. “Come here.”

Whimpering, Jeongguk obeyed, crawling into the elder’s lap and grinding down against his
swollen member. Taehyung groaned beneath him, but Jeongguk didn’t get a chance to grin at this
before the elder was gripping his hips, holding him in place.

Taehyung was incredibly strong when he wanted to be.

Jeongguk hesitated, “I thought -“

“Lube,” Taehyung ordered. His eyebrows shot skyward when the maknae shook his head. “Jagi,
we need lube.”

“I need,” Jeongguk huffed, bringing two fingers to his lips, “you inside me.”

Taehyung watched, wide-eyed, as Jeongguk sucked his fingers and then quickly inserted them into
himself. He groaned at his own touch, and his cock began to pulse.

“Jagi, you’ve tried this before,” Taehyung reminded him warningly. “We need lube.”

“I wasn’t stretched out that time,” Jeongguk insisted, still working at his hole.

Before the elder could respond, Jeongguk reached under himself and grabbed the base of
Taehyung’s cock, slowly lowering himself down onto it. They both groaned loudly as the
maknae’s butt fell flush with the elder’s pelvis. Sure, it burned, but not nearly as bad as Jeongguk
expected it to. He waited for his muscles to relax around the familiar stretch of Taehyung’s
member and then set to work lifting and dropping his hips, searching for a rhythm. When he found
it, he sped up, and at this point Taehyung was too busy thrusting up into the maknae to protest any
further.

“Jagi-i,” Taehyung sighed. “Fuck, you’re hot…”

Jeongguk bent down and pressed a kiss against the elder’s lips, moaning into his mouth. The action
made him hit the elder’s cock at a new angle, slamming his prostate, and he flung his head back
and cried, “Taehyung!”

After the day they’d had, Jeongguk wasn’t sure how long he’d be able to last, and a little annoying
part of him prayed that Taehyung would reach his climax quickly. The maknae’s thighs were
already quivering against his impending high, the pressure building between his hips becoming
unbearable, and rolling his hips in any sort of rhythm was becoming a greater and greater difficulty.

But shit, it felt good.

To top everything off, Taehyung’s loud, raspy, high-pitched moans only served to turn Jeongguk
on more, so that it wasn’t even a full minute before he was gasping, “I’m gonna - fuck, hyung! I’m
- it’s building - I’m -“

And then something strange and embarrassing happened.

Jeongguk’s muscles clenched of their own volition around Taehyung’s member, earning a sharp
yelp from the elder, and the maknae dry-orgasmed, trembling and whimpering.

Taehyung froze beneath him. “Was that a -“

Jeongguk blinked, disoriented. His cock throbbed even though he just came, and he dropped his
forehead against the elder’s shoulder to hide his reddened face.

“Jagi -“

“Yeah, hyung,” Jeongguk mumbled.

Taehyung began to lightly stroke the maknae’s back with his fingertips, cooing, “It’s okay, baby.
Are you okay?”

Jeongguk shuddered, “Y-yeah.”

“Get off, sweetheart,” Taehyung murmured.

The maknae’s thighs tightened their hold on the elder’s hips. “I’m not - I don’t want -“

“Jagiya,” Taehyung said gently, lightly cupping Jeongguk’s ass in his hands, “I don’t want you to
push yourself if it hurts.”

He began to lift the younger off of him, but Jeongguk shot his head up and drove himself back
down on his cock, renewing his thrusts in earnest. Taehyung’s hands suddenly gripped the flesh of
his ass tightly as he gasped, “Jagi!”

Jeongguk moaned, his still-hard cock bouncing against his and the elder’s stomachs. As if reading
his mind, Taehyung reached between them and grabbed it, tugging in time with the maknae’s
thrusts.

“Fuck, Taehyung,” Jeongguk chanted, “Taehyung!”

 “Jeongguk,” the elder replied, just as lost in his bliss as the maknae.

“It’s - I’m - hyung! Fuck, fuck, oh god -“ Jeongguk cried out, speeding up until all he could
manage to do was snap his hips back and forth at a dizzying rate.

Finally, finally, Jeongguk came for real, and it more than made up for the dry orgasm he had at
first. With a few more thrusts, Taehyung came too, and he released an high moan that almost made
Jeongguk want to go again.

“Fuck,” Jeongguk gasped. “Fuck.”

“Yeah,” Taehyung agreed.

Jeongguk gingerly lifted his hips, pulling off of Taehyung’s member, but didn’t leave his lap. He
smiled sleepily down at the elder, who returned it in earnest.

And then he realized just where they were.

“Hyung,” he said.

“Yeah?”

“We’re on the couch.”

Taehyung dropped his head back, releasing a breathy laugh. “Good thing we got permission.”

Chapter End Notes

On a scale of 1 to middle-aged-dad-trying-to-be-cool-with-his-teenage-kids-and-
failing, how obvious is it that I’ve never played Overwatch?

ALSO, THERE WILL BE NO SHIPWARS ON MY STORY. THAT LITTLE

PART ABOUT SHIPPING WAS FOR A LAUGH, NOT TO BE MEAN TO
OTHER SHIPPERS. I’M SERIOUS, I WILL DELETE YOUR COMMENTS.
 Chapter 38
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

The other members returned a few hours later, the natural light having faded to a dusty twilight, to
find the maknaes passed out on the couch. Taehyung was laying on top of Jeongguk, their chests
pressed together and their legs intertwined. The elder’s arm was curled around the maknae’s neck,
his fingers laced in his hair, and Hoseok giggled at the sight. “Bets on how many times they did
the dirty today?”

“Never call it that again, you child,” Yoongi groaned.

“Ten,” Jimin said at the same time.

“That number’s too round,” Namjoon replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “I’d say thirteen.”

“I think that’d kill him,” Taehyung, awoken by his noisy hyungs, groaned, gingerly lifting himself
off the sleeping maknae’s chest.

Seokjin scoffed despite himself as he made his way into the kitchen. “Only him?”

“Don’t question my libido,” Taehyung retorted, swinging himself off the couch and stretching his
arms high above his head.

“And with that,” Yoongi said, “I’m going to bed. Goodnight, perverts.”

Jimin latched onto his arm, effectively halting him. “Don’t go, hyung!”

Rolling his eyes, Yoongi brushed off the boy, but Jimin, undeterred, scampered off after him down
the hall. Taehyung cocked his head at them, but then Hoseok plopped down on the couch by
Jeongguk’s feet and the maknae startled awake. “Wha -?”

Taehyung frowned at Hoseok, “Dude.”

“Hyung,” he corrected.

“You can just call me ‘Taehyung.’”

Hoseok laughed as Jeongguk lifted himself into a sitting position, blinked, and then fell onto his
shoulder. Hoseok ruffled his hair, “How was your day, guys?”

“Sleepy,” Jeongguk stated, his eyes already closed again. His mouth hung open, and his jaw was
bent at an odd angle pressed against Hoseok’s shoulder.

He was such a cutie, though Taehyung would never say that out loud around his hyungs.

Suddenly, a sharp spike went through Taehyung’s scars. He straightened with a hiss, blinking in
disorientation, and stiffened. He had heard that Fallen were connected to Hell the second their
wings were ripped out, but he’d never believed it. He’d never felt the bond before...

“Wow, that boring?” Namjoon laughed, bringing an arm around Taehyung’s shoulders.

It seemed no one had noticed his sudden spasm.

Jeongguk cracked open an eye and glanced at the leader. “I’m sleepy.”

“Same,” Taehyung sighed, leaning into Namjoon’s side.

“Then go to bed,” Namjoon teased.

Taehyung offered Jeongguk a hand - hopefully he was too tired to notice the way it quivered - and,
groaning, he accepted it. Hoseok and Namjoon watched, giggling, as they shuffled to the kitchen to
bid Seokjin goodnight.

“Whatcha doing, hyung?” Taehyung asked, his arm wound around Jeongguk’s waist.

“Snack,” Seokjin responded before offering a banana to him. “Hungry?”

Taehyung shook his head and lightly squeezed the maknae’s hip. “Want anything, jagi?”

“Bed,” he mumbled.

Taehyung smiled at him. His head was bowed as if his neck couldn’t handle its weight, and he was
leaning more and more into the elder by the second.

He looked more vulnerable and trusting than Taehyung had ever seen him, and it was enough to
ease the elder’s nerves.

Surely that sudden shot of pain through his scars was nothing, right?

“Food? Water?”

“Bed,” the younger insisted.

Seokjin smiled at them, affection sparkling in his dark eyes. “Regular schedules start again
tomorrow, kids, so go on.”

Taehyung nodded and led Jeongguk out of the kitchen and down the hall, grinning at his sleepy
stumble. He veered into the bathroom, and Jeongguk’s protest was immediate.

“Bed, hyung,” he muttered.

“We need to brush our teeth, jagiya,” Taehyung reminded him.

“No,” Jeongguk grumbled. “Bed.” Then, his voice hitching, he insisted, “Beeeeddd.”

Taehyung grinned. Usually he was the whiny little kid when he was tired, and Jeongguk was the
one stuck forcing him to brush his teeth and wash his face. He couldn’t lie - he loved that the roles
were reversed. It meant that he could take care of his baby boy.

He’d always take care of him, even if Hell was planning something. Not that it was. It wasn’t.
That’d be ridiculous. Obviously that twinge was just a random ache. Scars got those all the time.
At least, he thought they did...he really didn’t know. But there was no way the actual Satan was
here on Earth. Ha! That would be so stupid!

“Sit down, jagiya,” he murmured.

The maknae obeyed, dropping onto the toilet seat, and slumped forward. Taehyung shook his head,
a small grin plastered to his face, and kissed his forehead. Then, he grabbed the younger’s
toothbrush and prepared it for him. He offered it to the maknae, who squinted at it before letting
his mouth fall open. Taehyung raised his eyebrows. “Do you really want me to brush your teeth for
you?”

Jeongguk, his movements slow, lifted his squint to Taehyung’s face and nodded, his mouth never
closing.

“For fuck’s sake,” Taehyung sighed, but he squatted and obeyed the maknae’s request all the same.

Jeongguk giggled around the toothbrush, his jaw closing in a tight smile, and Taehyung rolled his
eyes. “I need you to open your mouth if you want me to do this.”

The maknae brought up a hand and poked Taehyung’s nose.

Cute baby boy, Taehyung mused.

Then, Jeongguk took the toothbrush from Taehyung and did it himself. Mildly relieved, the elder
stood and set to work brushing his own teeth.

“Hyung,” the maknae whispered.

Taehyung whipped around to face him, and Jeongguk giggled. He offered his toothbrush and
asked, “Rinse, please?”

The elder had never seen his boyfriend in this state, and he was falling more and more in love by
the second. He took the toothbrush and did as the maknae asked before returning it to him.
Jeongguk grinned up at him, his nose scrunching up in the cutest way, and Taehyung melted on the
spot.

“I love you, jagi,” he said.

“Love you!” Jeongguk chanted. Then, he offered up his toothbrush again. “All done.”

Taehyung took it, rinsed it off, and then put it away before doing the same with his. “Want me to
wash your face, jagiya?”

“Yes, please,” Jeongguk chirped, blinking drowsily.

He wouldn’t last much longer.

Taehyung turned on the hot water and worked at the faucet until it was a temperature Jeongguk
would like, and then he grabbed a washcloth. Thinking for a moment, he squeezed a dollop of the
maknae’s face wash on the corner of it before turning to the sleepy boy. “Ready?”

“Mm-hmm,” Jeongguk nodded.

Taehyung crouched before him and brought the damp washcloth up to his face, smiling when he
wrinkled his nose. “Tickles,” the maknae explained.

“Sorry, jagiya,” Taehyung murmured, gazing at him in wonder.

“Tae?”

“Yes, sweet boy?”

“Thanks.”
Taehyung flashed a boxy grin. “Of course, jagiya. Just let me wash my face real quick and then
we’ll go to bed, yeah?”

Jeongguk nodded and Taehyung pushed himself to his feet, shuffling to the sink. He was starting to
feel tired himself, so he finished quickly and then helped Jeongguk to his feet, wrapping an arm
around his waist. Together, they stepped out of the bathroom and dragged themselves down the
hall.

“Goodnight!” Taehyung hollered, and he was echoed throughout the dorm with varying degrees of
energy.

“Night,” Jeongguk mumbled hardly above a breath.

Before Taehyung shut their bedroom door, he shouted, “Kookie says ‘goodnight’!”

Only Namjoon and Seokjin responded. Hoseok had already retreated to his room, and Jimin was
still off with Yoongi.

As if hearing his name, the mochi slipped out of the second eldest’s room and waved to Taehyung,
who mirrored the action, before disappearing into his and Namjoon’s room.

“Kookie?” He said after they made it fully into their room, the door clicked shut behind them.

“Hmm?”

“Help me get your shirt off, okay?” Taehyung, his voice gentle, said.

“Off,” the maknae echoed, lifting his arms.

Taehyung giggled despite himself as he coaxed off the boy’s t-shirt. “Want your pants off?”

“Off,” Jeongguk repeated.

Adorable, Taehyung smiled and curled his fingers under the hem of the maknae’s sweatpants.
“Boxers?” Jeongguk squinted at him and Taehyung flipped his palms up in defense. “I’m not
suggesting anything, I promise.”

Satisfied, the younger hummed, “Off.”

Mild surprise overtook Taehyung, but he obeyed the maknae’s wishes all the same. When
Jeongguk was completely naked, squirming, he tugged at the elder’s shirt. “Off.”

Taehyung would never deny his baby boy anything, so his obedience was immediate. Jeongguk
frowned, “All off.”

Um, okay?

Slightly concerned, Taehyung obeyed. He moved slowly, and he wondered what exactly Jeongguk
wanted. He was too tired for that, right? Hopefully he was. Taehyung certainly was.

Jeongguk snatched his hand and pulled him to the bed once he was bare, shoving the blankets
aside. “In.”

Taehyung wordlessly obeyed and the maknae all but fell on top of him, snuggling into his chest.

Oh.
So he had enjoyed naked cuddles just as much as Taehyung had.

Humming happily, Taehyung stroked the maknae’s hair. “Goodnight, jagiya. Dream with me?”

“Dream with you,” Jeongguk confirmed, his words muffled and slurred.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Taehyung blinked, making sure that this was indeed his dreamscape. No matter how many times
he “woke up” here, he was always disoriented for the first few seconds. As if his brain was still
making the transition from consciousness to subconsciousness.

There was a strange darkness hanging over the white abyss. He hoped it didn’t mean anything.

“Hyung!” a happy voice singsonged behind him, and he turned with a boxy grin.

“There’s my adorable bunny,” Taehyung cooed, opening his arms for the younger to crash into.

And crash he did, sending both of them giggling to the ground. Jeongguk pinched the elder’s
cheek. “Not a bunny.”

“Yes you are,” Taehyung argued.

Which was a terrible idea because those muscles that Taehyung adored so much also meant that
his boyfriend was ridiculously strong. And, you know, terrifying.

Jeongguk frowned, and that was when Taehyung knew he was dead.

“Wait -”

Before he could continue defending himself, Jeongguk’s hand jabbed forward and began to tickle
him. Taehyung’s indignant words dissolved into a fit of laughter as he tried to fend off the
maknae’s attacks. “Okay, okay! Stop! Kookie!”

Finally, finally Jeongguk obeyed, sitting up in the elder’s lap. “Not a bunny,” he repeated, crossing
his arms over his chest.

“A bunny,” Taehyung insisted, running a hand through the maknae’s hair, “but my bunny.”

Jeongguk considered this for a moment. “ARMY would say I’m their bunny.”

“I will fight every single one of them,” Taehyung immediately responded.

His plan worked, and Jeongguk’s indignation morphed into a large smile that made his nose
scrunch up. “Every single one?”

“Nah,” Taehyung shook his head. “I love them too much.”

Jeongguk slugged his shoulder. “Stop being cute.”

“Never.”

They grinned at each other for awhile, the maknae still sitting on the elder’s stomach. Then,
Jeongguk bit his lip in nerves and asked, “Hyung? Remember our game?”

Taehyung pursed his lips, considering. And then he realized what the maknae meant. “The
 question game?”

Jeongguk nodded and Taehyung silently congratulated himself. “Can we play it again?”

“Of course, jagiya,” Taehyung smiled. “What’s your question tonight?”

The maknae squirmed out of Taehyung’s lap. He wetted his lips as if buying himself more time,
and then blurted, “What happened after you fell?”

Taehyung’s eyes widened.

He had expected many things. Maybe if he had any other angel friends. What color his wings were.
How fast angels could fly.

But he did not expect that.

Chapter End Notes

I saw this meme and I s2g I almost threw my phone. I have officially ruined the
name/angel "Raphael" for myself
 Chapter 39

“You look awful, hyung.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, “Thanks, Donghae.”

At the same time, Ara’s arm appeared on the laptop screen, and she thwacked the back of her
brother’s head. “Ya, be nice, pabo! Of course he looks awful, he’s been training every day!”

The video call was grainy from his family’s poor internet service, but he could still see Donghae’s
exasperation at his sister’s disrespect. He turned to their older brother and cried, “Do you see how
she treats me without you here?”

“I was only with you guys for eight months, kid,” Taehyung pointed out, grinning from ear to ear.
“How did you handle it before I was there?”

“He didn’t!” Ara squealed with laughter, her head popping back into the frame. She suddenly
frowned, “Shouldn’t you be sleeping, oppa?”

Taehyung checked the clock on his laptop and nodded. “Probably, but I’m talking to my
dongsaengs right now.”

“Oppa!” Ara cried, indignant. “What time do you even have to be up in the morning?”

Pursing his lips, Taehyung mumbled, “Five.”

Ara frowned as Donghae snorted. “You’re going to be dead, hyung.”

“Which is why you should be sleeping,” another voice sounded from the screen, and Taehyung
flinched at the level of authority it held.

“I’m okay, Halmeonim,” he said sheepishly.

She appeared in the frame, smiling. “Go to sleep, silly child. Jeez, I’ve only had a third grandchild
for a year and you’re already going to die on me.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes, “I’m not going to -”

“Don’t you dare roll your eyes at me!” Halmeonim snapped.

“Sorry -”

“And go to bed! We all love you!” she finished, ordering Donghae to end the call. The boy smiled
apologetically at his hyung before the video chat ended.

Taehyung chuckled and shut his laptop. They had originally called because it was the anniversary
of Taehyung “falling” into their lives. They thought that was something worth celebrating, and
Taehyung couldn’t agree more. He loved each member of that family dearly. Sure, Ara could never
replace Eden, but he didn’t feel like she had to. She was a second sister, and Eden was his first.

Thinking about his hatchmate soured his mood, and he bit his quivering lip. He missed her. He had
never stopped missing her. It sucked.

What made it worse was that Ara often reminded him of her. She was just as bubbly, and wasn’t
afraid to call out her big brothers no matter how disrespectful it was. He loved that about her, even
though it was sometimes annoying.

And Donghae. What a sweet kid. Obnoxious at times, but he genuinely brought joy to the older
boy. At the end of the day, he was a good little brother.

Taehyung yawned, his jaw popping, and he flinched at his body’s stiffness. He was running on
three hours of sleep - which was more than he’d gotten every other night that week - but he didn’t
mind. His dream was coming true; he was actually a trainee. A little exhaustion never hurt anyone.

Well, it did, but it wouldn’t hurt him.

He stood and hissed in pain as the open wounds in his back screamed. If he thought housework
hurt, dancing was an entirely different story. Every move brought a new wave of agony.
Sometimes, he felt like it wasn’t worth it. But only sometimes.

No matter how much it hurt - and it hurt a lot - he still wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Anything?

He frowned at that annoying little voice because it was right. He missed his wings. He missed
Eden.

He even missed Raphael, though he didn’t want to admit that. He betrayed Taehyung. The boy
should hate him, and he was desperate to do so, but he couldn’t. There had to be a reason for his
betrayal, right? Raphael wouldn’t just do that. He loved Taehyung, wanted to keep him forever...

Shaking his head, Taehyung hopped to his feet and set off to his bed. It was more like a cot, but it
was still comfortable. It was enough.

Earth was enough.

That’s what he told himself. It was enough. It could be enough. He could heal and be an idol, and
he could someday be happy again.

But shit, his brain was fucked up. Hopefully it would fix itself because Taehyung couldn’t handle a
lifetime of misery over the treason of the person he loved. Even now, it felt like it would eat him
whole.

His roommate sat up and told him to shut up and go to bed, and Taehyung obeyed with a quiet
“sorry.”
 Chapter 40
Chapter Notes

I posted 2 chapters today, so go read Chapter 39!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“I, uh,” Taehyung squirmed, biting his thumbnail agitatedly. “I’m not sure you want to know what
happened, jagiya.”

Jeongguk frowned. “Why not?” When Taehyung didn’t answer, he pressed, “No question is off
limits. That’s the rule, remember?”

Taehyung sighed, dropping his hand away from his mouth. “Yeah, jagi, I remember.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Jeongguk not budging. Taehyung getting more and
more fidgety.

Finally, the elder said, “I died.”

Shock. That’s the best word to describe what took over the maknae. Shock.

“You what?”

Taehyung scrubbed a hand down his face. “I came back to life, obviously, but...well, when we Fall,
we literally fall. Like, out of heaven, through the atmosphere and into the ground.” His mouth
screwed up in discomfort. “How many details do you want? Because I’m not going to lie, it was - it
was a lot.”

“What does that mean?” Jeongguk asked, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that
Taehyung had died.

“Well,” Taehyung squirmed under the weight of the maknae’s stare. “To start, you know how
rockets light on fire when they come into the atmosphere?”

Jeongguk didn’t have time to let that gory image form before the elder continued, “That was the
first thing that happened, and then I hit the ground.” He chuckled dryly, and Jeongguk almost
slapped him for being so nonchalant about it. “Jesus, it hurt like a bitch. I’m not entirely sure at
what point I died, but I know it was after I entered the atmosphere because the last thing I thought
to myself before it all went black was shit, I think I’m on fire.”

Taehyung laughed at himself but choked it back when he saw Jeongguk’s scowl. “I woke up and it
was raining, and I could feel my body putting itself back together with the last of my magic.”

“Why did most of your magic go away after you fell?” Jeongguk asked.

The elder frowned at him. “One question, remember? That was the other rule.”
Jeongguk deflated, “Right.”

He’d ask tomorrow night.

“So,” Taehyung heaved in a mighty breath, “I was dead, and then I woke up while my body was
trying to figure out how to piece together 206 shattered bones while recreating all of my internal
organs since the originals were pretty much unusable. I probably looked like raw hamburger -”

“Sweet Jesus, Taehyung, that’s an image,” Jeongguk interrupted, shuddering.

“Hamburger,” Taehyung repeated with a wry grin just for shits and giggles. Jeongguk punched his
arm, but it was distracted and weak. The elder continued, “Come to find out, I was in the middle of
a field in Daegu. My halmeoni found me. She just,” he shrugged, “found me, helped me up, and
didn’t say anything about the pool of blood and body tissue just floating there in the mud.”
Jeongguk cocked his head at the strange light that appeared in the elder’s eyes. “That family took
care of me. They let me stay with them, and they didn’t question the two open wounds in my back.
Halmeonim knew I was an angel,” he frowned, “though I’m not sure how, and she only mentioned
it once.”

Jeongguk said softly, “That’s the family you were talking about, right? The one that you want me
to meet?”

“Only if you want to,” Taehyung quickly said. “I would never force you to do anything, jagiya.”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk chided, “of course I’ll meet your family. I’d love to meet them as your
boyfriend, but we both know why that can’t happen.”

Taehyung nodded tiredly. “I have a little brother who’s fourteen named Donghae. He loves video
games and rap music. And a sister who’s eleven this year. Ara. She loves pestering her big
brothers, and I always let her get away with it, and she was a fan of BTS before I even showed up.
She’s the one who convinced me to turn in an audition tape.”

“I love her already,” the maknae said, smiling.

“My appa and eomma are the best,” Taehyung said with a far-off grin. “And my halmeoni is my
best friend. They all supported me and this,” he held out his arms in a sweeping motion, indicating
his life as an idol. “I wanted to become a farmer like them,” he dropped his hands back to his lap.
“I wanted to at least try to repay them for all that they’d done for me. But Halmeonim heard me
singing one day, and well, that’s that. Now I’m here.”

Jeongguk cocked his head. “Do you regret it?”

Taehyung laughed, shaking his head. “Obviously not! I’ve always wanted to be an idol, and I can
hardly express how happy I am now that my dream’s a reality.” He sobered, “I need to call my
family soon. I haven’t spoken to them in awhile.”

“Maybe you could introduce me to them?” Jeongguk offered. “Just as your band mate, of course.
And then,” he chewed his lip in thought, “maybe, when I call my own family next, I can introduce
you to them. Right?”

Taehyung looked at him softly. “I’d like that.”

The maknae nodded. “So,” he recapped, “you died?”

“And came back to life,” Taehyung reminded him.

“And that’s what used up pretty much all of your magic?”

“Yes.”

“And then you were found by…?”

“Halmeonim,” he grinned. “That’s what she made me call her the second we met. I don’t even
know her real name, not that it matters.”

Jeongguk nodded. “Halmeonim found you and decided to love you. That means she’s my
halmeonim too.”

Taehyung giggled, pulling the maknae against his chest. “Don’t be such a softie, that’s my job.”

Jeongguk’s eyelids fluttered shut, and he hummed happily. Then, he continued, “And then you
lived with them for…?”

“About eight months total,” Taehyung responded. “Then I had to move to Seoul to be a trainee,
which took about a year.”

And now Jeongguk knew. It was terrible story at first - he still wanted to puke thinking about
Taehyung crashing into the planet like a fucking meteor - but it all seemed to go okay in the end. It
wasn’t perfect, but he didn’t face the awful, horrifying life that the maknae feared as a possibility.
And that made it okay.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Jeongguk woke up to the insistence of his alarm clock, groaning as he untangled himself from
Taehyung’s arms. The elder sat up beside him, the blankets crumpling around his bare waist, and
the maknae bit his lip at the sight of his sleepy boyfriend’s naked beauty.

Taehyung rubbed his eyes with his palms and then blinked at him. “Morning.”

“Hey.”

Yawning, the elder scooted around Jeongguk and swung off the bed. His pert, honey-colored ass
jiggled and flexed as he walked over to their pile of discombobulated clothes, and again when he
bent to pick up an article from said pile. Jeongguk almost giggled at the sight, but he refused to be
that immature. Especially when he was already blushing. Taehyung straightened and looked over
his bare shoulder at the maknae. “Are these mine or yours?”

Jeongguk squinted at the boxers he held and then shook his head. “I don’t know. Does it matter?”

Taehyung shrugged and pulled them on. Then, he grabbed a white t-shirt that was definitely
Jeongguk’s just from the way it swamped the older boy when he put it on and, satisfied that he had
on enough to cover his important bits, turned to the maknae and tossed him a shirt and boxers.
“Shower?”

“Shower,” Jeongguk agreed, smiling as he tugged on the clothes.

But when they made it to the hall, there were already two boys in the bathroom. They groaned, but
then the door opened and Namjoon stepped out, his hair still damp. Taehyung and Jeongguk
locked eyes for a moment.

Game on, motherfucker.

Hardly giving Namjoon a chance to get out of the way, they bolted forward and grappled at the
door.

“Hey!” The leader cried, indignant.

Only Taehyung apologized though, and it cost him dearly because in the time it took for him to
bow to Namjoon, Jeongguk slipped into the bathroom and slammed the door behind him with a
cackle. Taehyung huffed on the other side but didn’t put up a fight, and Jeongguk grinned
victoriously as he heard the older boy patter off down the hall.

“Who’s that?” A soft voice called from the shower.

Good fucking lord, karma’s a bitch.

Rolling his eyes, Jeongguk debated if beating Taehyung was worth burning his skin off in Jimin’s
notoriously hot showers. “It’s me, hyung.”

“Oh,” Jimin chirped. “How delightful.”

He held enough mischievous malice in his tone that Jeongguk immediately popped his head out the
door and shouted, “Taehyung-hyung, I change my mind! You can go first!”

Taehyung’s cruel laughter met Jeongguk’s ears, and that’s precisely when he knew that the boy
wanted to get his ass whooped today.

“I’m eating breakfast with Jinnie-hyung and Hobi-hyung, Kookie, so go ahead and shower!”

“Yeah, Kookie!” Jimin poked his head out around the shower curtain. “I don’t bite!”

Jeongguk stiffened at the alarming amount of steam rolling out of the shower. “I just don’t want
my skin to melt off, hyung.”

Jimin snorted, “Stop being a baby, Kookie.”

Jeongguk narrowed his eyes, and Jimin, giggling, disappeared back into the shower.

Twenty minutes later, the seven boys stood in the doorway of their dorm, pulling on their shoes.
Jimin and Taehyung were both nursing different parts of their bodies - the former his arm and head,
and the latter the back of his thigh. All Jeongguk did was smirk.

“Kookieeee,” Taehyung whined.

Jeongguk huffed, “What, hyung?”

The boy grinned and held up his foot. “Will you tie my shoes?”

“I swear to fucking god, hyung.”

“Hey!” Seokjin snapped, his voice loud and angry. “Language!”

Jeongguk shied away from his glare. “Sorry, hyungnim.”

Snickering, Taehyung offered his foot. And now Seokjin’s eyes were piercing through his skull,
which meant that if Jeongguk didn’t do it, he wouldn’t have dinner made for him.

Sighing, he dropped to his knee and patted his thigh for Taehyung to rest his foot on. The elder
grinned and shifted forward.

And promptly spasmed, his spine arching backwards into a C and his arm flailing, and collapsed.

Jeongguk flew to his side. “Hyung?!”

Taehyung blinked up at him. It took a moment for recognition to flicker in his glassy eyes. When it
did, he forced himself upright and wavered, “I-I’m fine.”

“What was that?” Namjoon, Jeongguk, and Seokjin demanded at the same time.

Hoseok and Jimin helped the boy to his feet, and as soon as he was upright, Yoongi came forward
and forced him to tilt his head back, squinting into his eyes. “Are you on drugs?”

“Yes,” he snorted, and Hoseok smacked the back of his head.

“Don’t!” Jeongguk snapped, snatching Hoseok’s arm. “We don’t know what’s wrong with him!”

Taehyung pulled away from Jimin and Hoseok, brushing away Yoongi, Namjoon, and Seokjin’s
hands. “Guys, I’m fine. Just a little back ache, that’s all.”

The other members gazed at him warily. They didn’t see what Jeongguk saw.

Why is he so scared?

“Hyung?” Jeongguk approached cautiously. His tone was so soft that the other members
immediately shut up, curious as to what the maknae knew that they didn’t. “What’s wrong?”

Taehyung turned a pleading look on him. “Nothing, jagi.”

Jeongguk frowned.

Why is he lying?

Before he could ask that aloud, Taehyung shrugged his shoulders and said, “Let’s go, guys, really.
I’m fine, I swear.”

But he wasn’t fine. He did a pretty good job of covering it up, but Jeongguk could see how he
flinched every time he had to twist his torso as they danced. But Jeongguk stayed quiet. If he
wanted to be a stubborn shithead, go ahead.

That is, until he dropped to his knees, gasping painfully.

Their choreographer stopped the track, waiting patiently. Jeongguk crouched beside the boy,
whose breaths were currently coming in ragged puffs.

“Tae,” Jeongguk murmured, and he waited until the elder’s eyes met his before he continued
speaking. “Seriously, slow down. Something’s wrong - don’t look at me like that, you’re not
exactly very good at hiding it when you’re falling all the time. If you need to sit down, then sit
down.”

“I’m -” Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, collecting himself. “I’m f-fine, jagi.”

Jeongguk straightened, crossing his arms over his chest. He locked eyes with Namjoon, and the
leader nodded. So, raising his voice, Jeongguk snapped, “Kim Taehyung, sit the fuck down. Jesus
Christ, you’re so fucking stubborn.”
The room grew deathly silent. Even Seokjin swallowed his response to the maknae’s curses.

Taehyung slowly looked up at him, and the dark spark in his eyes told the maknae all he needed to
know. So, with an annoyed groan, Jeongguk wrapped his arms around the protesting boy’s torso
and heaved him over his shoulder.

“Jeongguk!” Taehyung shouted.

“Sit -” Jeongguk all but threw the elder onto the sofa in the corner of the dance studio “- the fuck
down.”

Taehyung glared up at him. “I’m fine, Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk bent close enough to count the flecks of gold in the boy’s irises. He hissed, “I don’t give
a shit what your lying ass says.”

Anger flashed in the elder’s eyes and he moved to stand, only to fall back down in a fit of spasms.
Jeongguk, all fury evaporating in an instant, reached out to him. “Tae?!”

“Get off me,” Taehyung growled after his body stopped twitching.

Slightly hurt, Jeongguk pulled away. Jimin crept to his side and said, “Taetae, you don’t need to be
a jerk.”

“I need to be practicing,” Taehyung insisted, hauling himself to his feet.

Something sickening cracked and he keeled to the ground. The rest of the members crowded
closer, and Jeongguk fell beside him.

“Was that your ankle?” Hoseok cried.

“N-no,” Taehyung groaned, curling around himself.

“Hyung,” Jeongguk begged, “please.”

Taehyung dropped his head in defeat. “I’m fine.”

“Taehyung,” Seokjin ordered, pulling his big brother card, and the boy instantly cowered.

“Fine,” Taehyung mumbled. “I’ll sit.”

When he stood, his back cracked again, and he tipped forward, dry heaving.

“That’s it,” Seokjin crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s done. Jeonggukie, Jiminie, somebody
get him out of here.”

Because Jeongguk was the center and needed to be there for the rest of the members to practice the
choreography, it was decided by the hyungs that Yoongi would wrestle the miserable boy out of
the room. He accepted his task with stoic dignity, wrapping an arm over Taehyung’s shoulders.
The boy jerked away from him at first, but then Yoongi looked him dead in the eyes and snarled,
“Great, kid, we’re fighting. Now we have to hold hands.”

And so they did, with little help from Taehyung. Yoongi escorted him out with a deathgrip on his
hand and an even stronger hold on his arm, and Jeongguk squirmed at his inability to help.

By the time they were at the door, though, Taehyung had given up and resigned himself to
 slumping against Yoongi’s side. Jeongguk bit his trembling lip, but then “Don’t Leave Me” started
echoing through the room, and he had to hurry into formation.

Chapter End Notes

Woo buddy that was a long-ass chapter. See you guys tomorrow!
 Chapter 41

Taehyung woke up the next day as if nothing had ever happened. Literally. If any of the other
members mentioned his paralyzing ailment the day prior, he just shrugged and said that he must
have been sick.

Jeongguk didn’t buy it. None of them did, though the other members seemed to let it go in favor of
giving the boy his privacy. But it hurt that he wouldn’t even tell his boyfriend what was wrong.

“Hyung?”

Taehyung glanced over from the computer screen. The two of them were sitting in Jeongguk and
his studio, and Taehyung was working on “Stigma.” It was nearly finished, and Jeongguk was
incredibly proud of the elder. The entire piece was a work of art, as if the boy had been writing
music his entire life. Sure, he’d received plenty of help from their producers, but all of the boys did.
Except maybe Yoongi. That guy was a machine.

“What is it, jagiya?”

Jeongguk snapped out of his tangential thoughts. “Please tell me what happened yesterday.”

The elder frowned, “Nothing happened, jagiya. Sometimes old wounds hurt. That’s a normal
thing.”

“It’s not normal when it’s that bad,” Jeongguk insisted, crossing his arms over his chest.

Taehyung smiled gently, “I’m okay now, jagi, see? Here, come listen to this and tell me what you
think.”

Jeongguk obeyed, perching in the elder’s lap and letting him set the headphones over his ears. The
bass began to echo through his skull, sending a vibration down his spine. He loved everything
about this song. It was, in a sense, Taehyung. It was his story. His heart. Jeongguk felt so
incredibly special every time his boyfriend asked him to listen to it.

It was sad. Lonely. It was, as Taehyung told him one day when they were curled around each other
post-sex in the chair they were sitting in presently, how he felt before he’d joined BTS and met
Jeongguk.

The song ended three minutes later, and Jeongguk pressed the back of his hands against his eyes.
Taehyung rubbed his back lovingly, and the maknae mumbled, “I seriously love this song, hyung.”

Grinning, the elder said, “Good. I’m glad. I’d have to scrap it if you didn’t.”

Jeongguk giggled at that, but then sobered and worked up a bit of courage. Not much, but just
enough to ask the question that was pressing against the front of his mind.

“Why don’t you trust me?”

Taehyung worked his jaw, but he didn’t seem surprised. That was kind of off-putting: that he
wasn’t surprised. “Are we playing the question game when we’re awake now?”

The maknae stiffened at his condescending tone. “So you don’t?”

“I do,” Taehyung sighed heavily. “I promise, I do.”

“Then why won’t you tell me what’s going on?” Jeongguk demanded, his irritation rising.

“Nothing’s going on.”

That was one wrong sentence too many, and it sent the maknae over the deepend. He hopped up
and pulled stressfully at his hair.

“Stop fucking lying!”

They both froze, staring at each other. Jeongguk’s outburst echoed in the room like a death
sentence.

Taehyung pushed himself to his feet. “There are things that you still don’t know, Kook. Things that
I want to protect you from, so if I could just get a little trust and understanding -”

“Trust?” Jeongguk demanded. “Trust? We’re supposed to be in this together! What happened to all
that ‘democracy’ bullshit? Or is that all it was? Bullshit?”

“Jeongguk!” Taehyung snapped, slamming his hand down hard enough on the desk to make his
glass of water tip over. “Shit.”

Jeongguk silently helped him clean up the mess, neither of them looking at the other. There was
little to use in terms of towels, so Jeongguk offered the oversized black hoodie he was wearing
instead. He’d only worn a thin grey tank top underneath - it was spring, so he really shouldn’t be
wearing just that considering it was freezing outside - but he’d be okay. When they were finished,
they stood silently. Jeongguk tossed his soaked hoodie aside to be forgotten, scratching the back of
his neck. Taehyung’s eyes followed the curve of his bare muscular arms when he thought the
maknae wasn’t looking. They still did not look at each other’s faces, and the palpable quiet was
only broken by the whirring fan buffeting in warm air from the vents above.

Finally, Taehyung said in a voice coated with exhaustion, “Please, Jeongguk. There are things that
happen when angels Fall that I don’t even want to face by myself yet.”

Jeongguk hesitated, “And those...those episodes are part of that?”

Taehyung nodded, mute.

“What’s going on, hyung?” Jeongguk pressed. “Please, I just want to help you.”

The elder gazed at him sadly. “And I just want to protect you.”

Jeongguk shifted from foot to foot. “Have -” he breathed, trying to calm his pounding heart “- have
you called a therapist yet?”

Taehyung’s eyes flashed irritatedly. “No, Kook, not yet. I haven’t had time, what with being so
busy trying to make you feel like a fucking king. But I’m sorry, your majesty, I’ll make sure I do it
right away.”

With that, he sat back down and placed the headphones over his ears, signaling that he had nothing
more to say.

Jeongguk stared at the back of his head helplessly. None of it made any sense to him.

His phone chirped, signaling he’d just received a text, and he unlocked it to find that Seokjin was
sending him on a mission to retrieve snacks. And when the eldest brother demanded food, the
dongsaengs obeyed. So, cursing silently, Jeongguk left the studio. Taehyung didn’t even turn
around to bid him goodbye.

Why were they fighting so much? It seemed like the second they returned from Purgatory, their
relationship just couldn’t seem to figure itself out. Even their day alone together hadn’t fixed it.
Jeongguk frowned at this. What was happening to them? It was like one thing after another was
going wrong, and he couldn’t seem to figure out what the catalyst was.

They were right for each other. There was no way they weren’t. They had basically gone through
hell and back together - they could make it through anything.

Right?
 Chapter 42

Right?

When Jeongguk returned to the office, he hesitated at the door. Taehyung’s words still stung
whenever he remembered them, and he wasn’t sure what to expect when he went inside.

But never in a million years would he have expected to find the elder crying.

Taehyung’s head snapped up from where it was buried in his hands, and he blinked two shining
black eyes at the startled maknae. Jeongguk carefully stepped closer. “Hyung?”

“I’m sorry,” Taehyung croaked. “I’m so, so sorry. I don’t - I never - fuck, jagi, I’m sorry. I’m a
grade A asshole.”

Jeongguk floated forward until he was close enough to pull the elder’s head against his abdomen,
stroking his feathery black hair soothingly. Relief washed over him as the boy’s arms snaked
around his waist. Attempting to stop the elder’s tears, Jeongguk asked, “As opposed to a grade B
asshole? What about a grade C?”

It worked a little. Taehyung lifted his head, offering a brittle smile. “More like a grade D.”

“There we go,” Jeongguk nodded in approval. He crouched so that he was looking up at the elder.
“Please talk to me, Tae. That’s the only way we’ll ever figure anything out is if we talk, right?”

The elder nodded, sniffling. “I-I’m sor-”

“Shh,” Jeongguk hushed, brushing the elder’s hair away from his eyes. “We’re done apologizing,
okay?”

Taehyung offered another shaky nod.

“Good,” the maknae smiled.

“I’m afraid,” Taehyung whimpered, his voice small and broken.

Jeongguk blinked, “What?” Then, kicking himself for his lack of eloquence, he added, “What are
you afraid of, hyung?”

Taehyung hugged himself tightly, his eyes falling to stare at his feet. “I’m - I’m -”

Jeongguk stroked his hair soothingly. “It’s okay, sweetheart, you can talk to me, okay? About
anything. No matter what it is, I love you.”

Taehyung eyed him. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

Reassured, the elder said, “I’m scared, a-and it’s not okay that I t-took it - took it out on y-you
earlier, so I’m -”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk ordered gently, “stop apologizing. Talk to me.”

Taehyung nodded, “I think - think he’s looking for us.”

It took Jeongguk a moment to figure out what he meant. “Raphael?”

The elder flinched at the name, and Jeongguk considered punching himself in the face for his
idiocy.

“Y-yeah.”

“But he fell,” Jeongguk reasoned before realizing what that meant. “Motherfucker, he fell.”

Taehyung nodded, and Jeongguk could tell that he was relieved he didn’t have to spell it out.

“W-well,” Jeongguk began, his mind racing, “he can’t do anything, right? He’s basically a human
now.”

The elder was shaking his head before the maknae even finished. “All Fallen are connected to
Hell. I’m not entirely sure how it works, but we basically have evil in us the second we fall.”
Jeongguk’s face must have betrayed his confusion because the boy continued, “Even me. I’m
basically equivalent to a demon, just a little prettier.”

Jeongguk managed to snort at that.

“And I can control it. Fallen are basically an entirely different race from humans and angels. We’re
-” he hesitated, but Jeongguk took his hand and that was enough to urge him onward. “We’re
somewhere between evil and good. Hell and Earth. If I wanted to swear allegiance to Hell and rule
over my own little domain, I could. I’m a Fallen just like Lucifer, it’s just as much my right as it is
his. As the first Fallen angel, he just got to it first.” He sighed, “This is a lot of information.”

Jeongguk frowned, “Hyung, you can’t just stop talking after you tell me you could literally rule
Hell.”

Taehyung shifted uncomfortably, avoiding the maknae’s eyes. “I think Ra - I think he has already
done that. Joined forces with Lucifer, I mean. I think that’s why my scars have been hurting so
much.”

Jeongguk’s eyes widened, “They’re hurting right now?”

The elder shook his head, “Not terribly so. Just a slight ache. I think it hurts to feel my bond with
Hell because I haven’t given in to it.” He deflated, “It would probably feel good if I did what most
Fallen do and joined Lucifer.”

The maknae’s head was spinning. “Why haven’t you?”

Taehyung scowled at him. “Do you really think I’m that bad?”

“You know that’s not what I meant.”

“I do,” Taehyung sighed, nodding. “I haven’t because I don’t want to be evil. Just because I fell
doesn’t mean that I’m one of them. I have other reasons to exist.”

Jeongguk almost smiled at that. He was too overwhelmed by all the new insight though.

Taehyung was connected to Hell. He shared a bond with the devil - with everything that sided with
evil, apparently.

That was...a lot to take in.

“Do you hate me now?”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. “Why would I do that?”

Taehyung squirmed, avoiding the maknae’s stare. “Because you know what I really am now.”

“But you’re not that,” Jeongguk insisted, lifting a hand to caress the boy’s cheek. “You’re not. If
you were, you wouldn’t be here with us. With me. You’d be in Hell, right?”

Taehyung sighed heavily, “I mean, yeah -”

“So that’s it then,” Jeongguk ruffled the elder’s hair affectionately. “I love you, I don’t care about
whatever it is you’re supposed to be, or anything like that. I care about what and who you are. And
you’re Kim Taehyung, your stage name is V, you’re a fallen angel who’s so hot that I want to
scream sometimes, you’re an amazing singer, actor, and dancer, and you’re my incredible
boyfriend who needs to learn to just trust me instead of getting pissed off whenever I want to help
you.”

Taehyung winced, but he mumbled, “I’m sorry, jagiya.”

Jeongguk flicked his forehead, earning a surprised squeak. “And stop apologizing after I tell you
we’re done with that. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“I love you, Tae.”

“I love you too, jagi.”

 Chapter 43
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk blinked sleepily up from his phone. “It’s 11 PM, hyung.”

“Hmm?” Taehyung mumbled, his eyes still glued to the computer screen in front of him.

The maknae rolled his eyes and pushed himself to his feet, wincing as both of his knees cracked,
and crossed to the elder. Giggling, he lifted the headphones off the boy’s head. “I said,” he tapped
Taehyung’s cheek to get his attention, “it’s 11 PM.”

“Ah,” Taehyung’s glazed eyes floated back to the computer screen. “I’ll wrap up in a minute.”

Jeongguk tsked his tongue, but he smiled despite himself. “You’re taking after Yoongi-hyung.”

“He’s not a bad guy to take after,” Taehyung reasoned, not looking away from the screen.

Okay. Jeongguk gave in, leaning against the desk. “How much more do you have to do?”

“I’m just tweaking it now,” Taehyung rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. “It’s probably
fine. I’m probably overthinking it.”

“Can I listen?”

“It’s not much different from when you heard it earlier,” Taehyung assured.

Jeongguk shifted, “Can I hear it again?”

Relenting, Taehyung offered the maknae the headphones. Jeongguk put them on and leaned over
his boyfriend to move the playhead to the beginning of the track.

The beat pulsed through his ears, and he sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. Taehyung tugged
him down into his lap, pressing a kiss to his cheek. They sat in silence while Jeongguk listened to
“Stigma,” memorizing every note and word the elder had poured into it with the help of their
producers.

When it was finished, he worked his jaw. Should he be the supportive boyfriend that understands
that it’s hard to stop trying to perfect the unperfectable? Or should he be the voice of reason for this
poor pabo?

As he was deciding, Taehyung was boring holes into the side of his head with his nervous stare.
Finally, Jeongguk glanced at him, toying with the headphones in his hands. “Want my advice?”

“Yes,” Taehyung nodded tiredly.

“You keep trying to fix this because you refuse to walk away for a bit. If you just took a break,
you’d come back with a much clearer head and wouldn’t need to nitpick everything.”

Taehyung bit his nail, and Jeongguk pulled his hand away. The boy didn’t like that habit, and no
matter how cute Jeongguk found it, he was going to help him in any way he could. Taehyung
captured his hands and pressed a kiss to his knuckles, his eyes slipping shut. “Thank you, jagi.”
They gazed at each other. The computer’s fan kicked on, echoing in the quiet room, and was the
only sound to be heard.

And then the studio was filled with an entirely new sound - clothes being rearranged and shifted to
the side instead of removed so as to not waste time, and then soft pants and gasps and “I love
you”s. Mere minutes after it began, it was over, breathy whimpers hanging in the heady air as they
cleaned up. They left the studio hand in hand, their hair still mussed and lips still swollen.

They spent the ride home pretzeled around each other, both fighting off sleep. Yoongi decided to
ride with them, but his head was rolled to the side in slumber.

“Are you happy, Jeongguk?”

Taehyung’s voice was raspy and quiet, but it echoed in the car. Jeongguk lifted his head with a far-
off smile. “Yeah, hyung. Are you?”

With a nod, the elder said, “Yes.”

Suddenly, the other winced and shifted with a soft hiss. Jeongguk sat up fully, eyebrows furrowing.
“Is it your scars?”

Yoongi stirred, blinking two bleary eyes at the maknaes. “Tae-ah?”

Taehyung offered a stiff nod, and Jeongguk pulled the boy’s head down against his chest, stroking
his hair. Yoongi reached to rest a hand on the boy’s thigh, unsure of how to help. Jeongguk offered
him a helpless smile. He wasn’t sure either.

“Want some Apirin?” Yoongi offered, his voice dry and cracked.

“I’m not sure -“ Taehyung sat up straight, his spine as stiff as stone. “I mean, I don’t know if it’ll
help.”

“Worth a shot,” Jeongguk reasoned, and Yoongi nodded.

The elder searched around in his bag until he found what he was looking for, and then he offered a
bottle to Taehyung. The boy accepted gratefully, popping two of the pills in his mouth and
swallowing with the water Jeongguk handed him.

“Thanks, hyung,” Taehyung breathed, leaning his head against Jeongguk’s shoulder. “And thanks,
Kookie.”

Jeongguk pressed his lips against the boy’s hair. He wasn’t kissing him - he was just resting his
head there. But the elder still sighed contentedly.

Yoongi smiled at them before turning back to frown out the window. Soon, Taehyung was sleeping
on Jeongguk’s shoulder, his nose occasionally releasing soft whistles as he breathed. Jeongguk
carefully slid an arm around his shoulders, as if just holding him would protect him from the pain.

“I’m worried about him,” Yoongi suddenly said.

Jeongguk sighed, “Yeah, me too.”

Yoongi eyed the maknae, working his jaw. Deliberating. Deciding. Jeongguk stiffened, awaiting
his next words.

“Do you really believe he’s a fallen angel?”

Jeongguk cocked his head. “I was in Purgatory, hyung. I’d be an idiot to not believe in that stuff.”

“Right,” Yoongi jerked his chin down before turning back to the window.

“Do you?” Jeongguk asked, a little scared of the response.

Yoongi shrugged, “It doesn’t matter what I believe.”

“It does, though,” Jeongguk insisted.

“Why?”

“Because,” Jeongguk wetted his lips, looking down at the sleeping boy on his shoulder. “Because
he doesn’t want to keep secrets from us, but he was so scared that the truth would be doubted. It
was my idea, you know. To tell you guys. Not how we did it, of course. But he didn’t want to lose
your respect. Your trust. That’s why he didn’t want to tell you guys. Hell, he didn’t even want to
tell me.” Jeongguk squirmed under the elder’s piercing black eyes. “It’s hard to believe, I know
that. But we have to believe him. You -” he corrected “- have to believe us. For me, there’s nothing
to not believe in. I lived it, hyung. I saw actual angels. I saw them flying. I saw their magic. Damn
it, hyung,” he met the elder’s bemused stare, “I had their magic used on me. So yeah, to answer
your first question, I really do believe him.”

Yoongi gazed at him quizzically. Jeongguk stared right back; he knew his hyung well enough to
know that if he showed any weakness in his resolve now, he’d never be believed.

Finally, Yoongi said, “Okay.”

And for Yoongi, that was powerful enough to move mountains. Jeongguk released the breath he
had been holding, and then a few minutes later they were pulling up to their apartment building.
The maknae tapped Taehyung’s shoulder. “Hyung,” he said gently, “we’re home.”

“Hmm?” Taehyung roused, blinking two squinty eyes first at Jeongguk, then at Yoongi, and then
out the window.

Yoongi was craning his neck to see as far around them as he could. The two maknaes waited
quietly for his verdict. After a moment, he said, “I don’t see any cameras. Let’s go.”

Jeongguk got out first, followed first by Yoongi and then by Taehyung. The two hyungs hung
closer together - their managers had been trying to stamp down rumors about Jeongguk and
Taehyung that had formed during their time in Purgatory, and until the journalists found another
butterfly to chase, the couple had to remain apart in public. It sucked, but not as much as it would
to be found out.

As Namjoon had put it, it was a relatively consequence-free lesson learned. Thank god no actually
reliable sources had any substantial information.

“Did the Aspirin help?” Jeongguk asked without looking at Taehyung.

“Maybe a little. It’s hard to tell.”

Yoongi and Taehyung walked close enough to brush arms until they were on the elevator. Then,
Taehyung took Jeongguk’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, dropping it when the bell that
signaled they made it to their destination rang out. The eldest of the three bid the youngers
goodnight as soon as they shuffled into the dorm, immediately disappearing into his room.
The door to their bedroom hardly had time to shut properly before Jeongguk’s back was pressed
against it, Taehyung’s hands finding their way to the backs of his thighs. “Jump,” he ordered in a
gravelly voice in between kisses.

Jeongguk immediately obeyed, hooking his legs around the elder’s waist. Taehyung hummed in
approval and set to work attacking the younger’s neck, sucking the sweet spot on his throat.

“Hyung…” Jeongguk whimpered, his eyes screwing shut.

“Jagi,” Taehyung growled in response.

Gasping as the elder’s teeth grazed his jaw, Jeongguk craned his head to the side to offer him more
landscape to explore. “Please!”

Normally Taehyung would tease him - would ask, “Please what?” - but not tonight. Instead, he
carried the younger to the bed and gently lay him down, gazing at him hungrily. His voice low, he
said, “Off.”

Jeongguk sat up and shucked off his t-shirt, his caramel abdomen flexing in anticipation, and the
elder’s eyes clouded with lust at the sight. He didn’t even give the maknae time to remove his
pants before he was on top of him, kissing him as if his skin was equivalent to oxygen. Jeongguk
arched upwards, his bare stomach pressing against the soft fabric of Taehyung’s shirt. “Please,
Tae.”

“Such a good boy,” Taehyung whispered, standing up to pull off his shirt. “Such good manners.”

Jeongguk squirmed without the weight of the elder above him. When Taehyung turned away from
him, his scars glinting in the moonlight from outside their window, Jeongguk furrowed his
eyebrows and asked, “What are you doing?”

“This shirt is Gucci, Kookie,” Taehyung snorted. “I’m not just going to throw it on the floor.”

Jeongguk huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. Taehyung finished hanging his shirt up with a
chuckle, and the entire thing would have been a mood killer had he not slid his pants off the second
his hands were free. Jeongguk squeaked and then immediately blushed. Taehyung cocked an
eyebrow as he returned to the maknae. “You’ve seen me naked plenty of times, jagi.”

“I k-know -” Jeongguk forced himself to breathe through the heat pooling in his stomach “- I don’t
know if I’ll get - if I’ll ever get used to it.”

Taehyung hummed, pressing a kiss to the maknae’s parted lips, “Good. I don’t want you to get
used to it. I’m never going to get used to you either.”

Jeongguk snorted at that, but his response was cut short as Taehyung’s fingers worked to deftly
unbutton his jeans. The maknae obediently lifted his hips, letting the elder slip off his pants and
boxers at once.

“Fuck, jagi, you’re so pretty.”

Jeongguk moaned.

Once both of them were nude, Taehyung grinned and reached to Jeongguk’s nightstand to grab
their lube. And then, before the maknae had a chance to really register what was happening, there
was a slick finger sliding into his entrance, and he bucked off the mattress with a hiss. “Hyung!”
Taehyung tipped his head forward and swallowed the entire length of the maknae’s member in one
go, his nose brushing the light dusting of hair at the base of his cock, and Jeongguk’s vision
exploded with stars.

“Fuck, hyung!”

The elder gripped Jeongguk’s hip with his spare hand, holding him down, and added a second
finger to the one that was working at the younger’s hole. It was so much - too much - and
Jeongguk bit his fist to stop the high-pitched whine that threatened to rip through his throat. His
other hand found its way into Taehyung’s hair, fisting it as hard as possible. With a grunt, the elder
sat up on his knees, coming off the maknae with a lewd pop, and began to stroke his own semi-
hard member.

“Talk to me, jagi,” he requested.

“Fuck, hyung,” Jeongguk panted, writhing around the two fingers that were scissoring him open.
This was no time for dignity, so he cried, “I wa-ant you so b-bad. Please, p-please, hyung.”
Suddenly, Taehyung curled his fingers just so, and Jeongguk was blasted into oblivion. “Fuck!”

“Pretty boy,” Taehyung crooned. “Fuck, my beautiful boy.”

Jeongguk moaned, gingerly lifting his hips. “M-more, Tae.”

Taehyung obliged, adding a third finger, but Jeongguk shook his head fiercely and grappled at the
elder’s shoulders. “More.”

“Are you prepped enough?”

“Taehyung!” Jeongguk ordered, “For Christ’s sake, more!”

“Don’t be greedy,” Taehyung retorted, but he propped up the maknae’s hips and pushed inside him
all the same.

Jeongguk hissed, his hole clenching around Taehyung’s member, and gripped the elder’s biceps.
His nails dug into the soft flesh, and Taehyung bent down to kiss him fiercely.

“Tae-aehyung,” he moaned.

“Jeongguk.”

Every thrust sent new waves of ecstasy through the maknae’s body, and soon he was gasping and
babbling incoherently in his impending high.

But then Taehyung flipped them so that Jeongguk was on top, and the maknae didn’t even need to
be instructed to sit up and start rolling his hips. Taehyung’s eyes rolled to the back of his head and
then squeezed shut. Jeongguk grinned breathlessly at the sight.

And then, he became brave. Very, very brave. Some might even say stupidly brave.

Cautiously, Jeongguk wrapped one hand over the elder’s throat. His eyes flew open, locking with
the maknae’s, but nothing in them said to stop. So, Jeongguk didn’t, riding Taehyung cock with his
fingers flexing around his neck.

“Jagi,” the elder croaked, his throat vibrating against Jeongguk’s palm.

“Yeah?” the maknae asked, his movements slowing as he started to pull his hand away.
 “N-no,” Taehyung begged, closing his eyes. “Don’t stop.”

Reassured, Jeongguk rested his hand back against the sensitive skin of the elder’s throat. What he
was doing didn’t really count as “choking” - he was being far too gentle. He wasn’t comfortable
going all out. Not until he knew for sure how the elder felt about it. And even then, he’d be too
scared to really do anything. What if he accidentally hurt the boy?

Taehyung reached between them and began to tug Jeongguk’s cock in time, and the maknae’s
rocks became erratic as he struggled against his approaching orgasm.

“Hyung -” his words were cut off by a moan.

“Go ahead,” Taehyung panted, his face screwed up lewdly.

Jeongguk’s hand tightened of its own volition as he chased his high, and soon he was coming on
the elder’s chest and stomach with a breathless whine. Taehyung soon followed him, panting and
whimpering shallowly around the chokehold on his throat as he shot his load into the maknae.
After catching his breath, Jeongguk rolled off the elder, throwing his sweaty limbs over the boy’s
body. Nevermind that he now had his own release on his arm.

Taehyung released an exhausted laugh. “Holy shit, jagiya.”

Jeongguk eyed him carefully. “Was that okay?”

Taehyung pressed a kiss to his forehead in lieu of a real response before pushing himself up.
Jeongguk grappled at his arm. “Don’t. Let’s be gross tonight.”

The elder raised his eyebrows. “Okay?”

Jeongguk squirmed, “I just want to cuddle. I don’t care about cleaning up. We’ll just shower in the
morning.”

Taehyung chuckled, laying back down and hugging the maknae against his chest. “Okay.”

Chapter End Notes

BigHit be like: yo kids you rEADY?

Us: wat.

BigHit: ToO LatE heRE We gOOOOoOoooO

Real talk: I was nOT PREPARED FOR “SINGULARITY.” KIM

MOTHERFUCKING TAEHYUNG. WHO GAVE YOU THE RIGHT. NO REALLY.
WHO TOLD HIM ANY OF THAT WAS OKAY. I JUST WANNA TALK TO
THEM FOR A SEC.

If anybody needs me, I’ll be sobbing in the corner. May 18th can’t come soon enough
tbh. This album is going to fuck me up somethin fierce
 Chapter 44
Chapter Notes

A real quick note about the three voices in Raphael’s head - The one that says “fire” is
referring to Uriel’s flaming sword that was used to cut off Raphael’s wings. That was a
traumatizing experience, and that voice is the manifestation of Raphael’s PTSD.

The one that says “six” and “one down, six left” is talking about how one of the seven
archangels has fallen, and now there are only six left. That voice in particular wants
total anarchy in heaven, and is the main catalyst for Raphael’s desire to overthrow the
other archangels.

The one that calls him a disgrace and repeatedly asks “can’t fly?” and “an archangel
who can’t fly?” is the embodiment of Raphael’s shame and anger for being one of the
only two archangels who have fallen, especially after believing he was untouchable
and would never face any consequences for his actions.

I hope that clears it up a little for you guys! If you have any questions, please let me
know!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Fire.

Six.

A disgrace!

His mind was a broken minefield. There was no such thing as a wrong step - not when every step
was wrong. Every thought was an explosion, popping like a sadistic firework. Shattering the
fractals of his consciousness.

“I wasn’t going to say this,” Lucifer laughed madly, “but you look like shit. Goddamn.”

Raphael only blinked at him. Unamused.

His once shining brown hair hung in limp, stringy clumps on his sallow forehead. The stumps on
his back were coated in black decay. He covered them with a robe, but even that was stained and
tattered. His eyes were sunken into his skull. Holding the light of a once-beautiful man now
reduced to a rotting corpse.

Fire.

Sir.

He smiled. That was a new voice. It had appeared a couple days prior. It was warm and familiar. It
was raspy and deep.

It was his voice.

I want to please you, sir.

“You will, little one.”

“What?”

Six.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Raphael snapped.

“Ah,” Lucifer grinned in understanding, tapping his temple. “Your little friends, right?”

Raphael didn’t respond, so Lucifer continued, “I wonder what yours say. Mine aren’t very helpful.
One of them just repeats all the names of the people I’ve killed.” That was, apparently, incredibly
funny. “Can you imagine that? I mean, shit, I don’t even know how many people I’ve killed! I’ll
probably hear that fucker until the planet implodes.”

“Probably,” Raphael offered dryly.

Fire.

Can’t fly?

Let me please you, sir.

Lucifer was still talking, but Raphael didn’t care enough to listen. Instead, he stopped focusing on
the conscious world, his eyes crossing slightly to catch sight of something far more interesting.

If he focused, he could see him. His eyes were picked out of his skull, their empty sockets leaking
dark crimson blood, but it was him.

It would have been horrifying if he wasn’t so lovely.

“Come here, little one.”

He didn’t obey. Raphael would have to punish him for that once he had him back. And have him
he would. And the human would be in Hell at the mercy of Lucifer.

“Do as I say, little one,” Raphael ordered fruitlessly.

Taehyung giggled, blood pouring at an alarming rate out of his boxy smile.

I want to please you, sir.

The other voices didn’t have faces. Not in the traditional sense. Sure, he could see them. But they
had blank masks instead of features. They weren’t pretty. Not like him.

“Don’t make me come get you,” Raphael warned.

Fire.

An archangel who can’t fly?

Taehyung grinned, cocking his head to the side. Suddenly, his neck snapped with a sickening
crack, and his head fell limp against his chest. But still he laughed, for why wouldn’t you laugh at
something like that? He brought his hands up and lifted up his own head, balancing it back on his
spine, and giggled. The blood streaming out of his mouth drenched his billowing white shirt.
Stained his skin.

Are you pleased, sir?

“Not yet, little one. Not until you come to me.”

You’re a disgrace.

Taehyung grinned cheekily, but before he could respond, Lucifer waved his hand in front of
Raphael’s face. The eyeless boy disappeared in a cloud of scarlet vapor.

“Earth to Raph. You there, ugly?”

Raphael glared at him. “Obviously.”

Lucifer spun, lifting his arms to turn his twist into a shabby excuse for a pirouette, and laughed
rancorously. “Your friends must be noisy! You’ll have to learn to ignore them, though.”

“Why?”

Six.

Fire.

“Because, silly,” Lucifer patted his cheek, “you can’t talk to them when you have Taehyung! He’ll
get jealous.” He shrugged, “I assume that’s how infatuation and,” he wrinkled his nose, “love
works. Right?”

Raphael squinted, and Taehyung reappeared. His cheeks were caked with dried blood.

I want to please you, sir.

Fire.

“Right.”

Lucifer shuddered, “I still don’t get you, but whatever! Not my problem. Any other things you
want to get ready?”

Raphael hesitated, considering. “No.”

Lucifer giggled, clapping his hands happily. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go!”

With that, he skipped off, whooping and flapping his horrifying tattered wings. Raphael rolled his
eyes at the display.

Fire.

Sir?

Raphael smiled at his mind’s version of Taehyung. “Soon, little one. We’ll be together soon.”

The boy smiled, his cheeks pushing up into the two empty holes where his eyes were supposed to
be, and a glob of blood fell out of his mouth.

I can’t wait to please you, sir.

Chapter End Notes

My best friend IRL finally got an AO3 account! She does BTS x Reader stories, and
most include some pretty good smut
( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) Her stuff is pretty great, and I try not to biased towards my friends. Check out
her profile here!

ALSO. OMG. I HAVE TO GUSH BECAUSE OMG. YESTERDAY I MANAGED

TO GET TICKETS TO LOVE YOURSELF. YOUR GIRL IS GOING TO SEE OUR
BOYS. I’M SO EXCITED I COULD SCREAM.
 Chapter 45
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk’s eyes snapped open, and he wondered what caused him to rouse so suddenly.

And then he heard it again.

A dull thump, followed by a hiss.

He jerked upright and turned on the lamp sitting on his nightstand, blinking in the sudden light.
Once his eyes adjusted, they widened in shock at the sight before him.

“Taehyung?!”

The elder writhed, his spine arching off the floor as he gasped in ragged breaths. His eyes were
blown open, his pupils struggling to dilate.

Is he epileptic?

A loud cry echoed out of the elder’s chest and Jeongguk flew to his side, hands hovering over his
squirming body. If this was a seizure, would it really be a good idea to touch him? The maknae
crouched hopelessly, unsure if anything he did would help or hurt. He grabbed his phone from the
nightstand, fully prepared to dial 119.

“Tae?” He begged.

Slowly, the episode quieted, Taehyung periodically spasming as his body relaxed. Jeongguk
watched carefully, gripping his phone so tightly that the glass creaked under the force. Finally,
finally Taehyung blinked and focused on him. “Jagi?” he croaked.

“Tae,” Jeongguk sobbed, throwing himself into the elder’s open arms. “What was that?”

“Another -“ Taehyung winced as Jeongguk helped him sit up. “Another episode.”

“That was a lot worse than they’ve been in the past,” Jeongguk deadpanned.

Taehyung’s eyes swept warily through their room. Jeongguk waited for him to make whatever
decision there was to make, chewing the inside of his cheek in nerves.

“I’m sorry,” the elder suddenly mumbled.

Jeongguk blinked. “What?”

Taehyung suddenly lurched forward and pressed a chaste kiss to the maknae’s lips. Jeongguk
didn’t even have time to react before the elder pulled away and said fiercely, “No matter what
happens, I love you. Okay?”

Jeongguk hesitated, working his jaw. “I love you too, but -”

“Stop,” Taehyung ordered. “Whatever is going to happen can’t be stopped. It’d be stupid to try.”

“You’re freaking me out,” Jeongguk said carefully.

“I know,” Taehyung’s eyes flashed sadly, manically. “I know, jagiya. I’m sorry.”

With that, he kissed the maknae again, and it tasted like goodbye. Desperate, Jeongguk laced his
fingers in the elder’s hair, holding him against his lips. All too soon, the elder pulled away, a sad
smile playing across his lips.

“Taehyung,” Jeongguk begged quietly.

“Go get ready for the day, jagi,” Taehyung said softly, his eyes devouring the maknae like a last
meal.

“What about you?” Jeongguk croaked.

Taehyung bit his lip. “I - I’m going to just sit in here a bit longer. I’ll be out in a bit.”

“Promise?”

The elder just smiled gently in response, eyebrows furrowing in concentration. “Go, jagi. I’m
sorry.”

Something in him forced Jeongguk to obey, and he numbly realized that Taehyung was using
magic on him.

Taehyung had never told him that he could still control people. What else didn’t Jeongguk know?

He couldn’t bring himself to be mad at the boy for using magic on him. He was only afraid.

As soon as the door shut behind the maknae, Taehyung released his hold on him with a heavy sigh.

“What do you want?”

He could almost feel Raphael stroke his cheek, his bony fingers like claws against Taehyung’s
skin.

“I want you, little one. I’ve always wanted you.”

“You’ll never have me, not ever again,” Taehyung hissed, stepping backwards. But the archangel’s
presence was still there, surrounding him. “I don’t belong to anyone but myself. Jeongguk taught
me that.”

“Look what has happened to you, little one.”

Taehyung squeezed his eyes shut.

“You’re broken, little one. Let me fix you.”

“I’m not broken.”

“You are, and it’s his fault. That human has ruined my darling little one.”

Something buried deep in the darkest pits of Taehyung’s stomach stirred, and he mourned over the
fact that he hadn’t called a therapist yet like Jeongguk asked. Maybe the little part of him that was
still tied to the archangel would be dead and gone if he had.

And just like that, the spell was broken by Seokjin knocking on the bedroom door.
“Taehyungie? Are you up?”

Somehow, Taehyung knew the archangel was gone. He heaved a shaky, terrified breath. “Y-yeah,
hyung. I’m coming.”

He didn’t want to face Jeongguk. Not after doing that to him. He had to do it - he couldn’t let the
maknae know that Raphael was this close to them. No matter what, he had to be protected. This
was Taehyung’s cross to bear, not his.

Sighing and trying to calm his heart, he opened the door and offered Seokjin a brittle smile.
“What’s up?”

Seokjin ruffled his hair, “Jeongguk’s in the shower with Hobi. Want to eat breakfast with me? I
made gaeran toast.”

Taehyung forced a boxy grin. “That sounds awesome, hyung, thank you.”

Seokjin nodded and led him to the kitchen. It was only the two of them - he could hear the faint
audio of an anime playing in the living room, which meant that Yoongi, Jimin, and Namjoon were
glued to the TV. That was a relief. Taehyung only had to act okay with one hyung instead of all of
them at once.

The eldest slid a plate over the table and Taehyung sat across from him, smiling gratefully. His
stomach was churning too much to eat, though, and he scowled to himself.

Seokjin took a thoughtful bite before saying, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Taehyung answered quickly.

Too quickly.

“I thought you were a good actor,” Seokjin shook his head, disappointed. “Apparently not, huh?”

Taehyung bristled, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Seokjin rolled his eyes, “Eat your damn toast, kid.”

“I -” Taehyung pursed his lips, “I don’t know if I can.”

“Bullshit,” Seokjin said coolly, and Taehyung’s head snapped up at the curse. Seokjin squinted at
him, taking another bite. “If nothing’s wrong, then you should be hungry. I thought you had a
super fast metabolism because of being an angel or whatever?”

“I -” Taehyung worked his jaw carefully, “I do. I’m just not hungry.”

“Well then, Taehyungie,” Seokjin set his food down. “I guess we’ve found ourselves at an
impasse.”

Taehyung hesitated, “What?”

“Well, I know something’s wrong,” Seokjin cocked his head, “and you insist everything’s fine. So,
unless you eat the goddamn breakfast that Jinnie-hyung so generously made for you, I’m going to
have to assume that something is indeed wrong, and then I’m going to talk to Jeonggukie about it.”
His eyes glinted, “One way or another, Taehyung, I’m going to find out what’s going on.”

They stared at each other. Taehyung considered his options. He couldn’t just tell the elder, hey, my
 psycho ex-boyfriend is stalking me! Oh, and he’s using the power of Hell to torment me! Isn’t that
crazy? Golly gee, I just can’t get a break! What a massive clusterfuck, am I right?

So, praying his stomach would accept the abuse it was about to go through, Taehyung took a bite
of his gaeran toast, doing his best to hide his shudder. The archangel’s voice kept scraping through
his skull, making it hard to digest the food, but he’d be damned if he told Seokjin what was going
on.

Seokjin nodded approvingly, “Good, Taehyungie. I guess there really is nothing wrong, huh?”

Taehyung didn’t trust himself to respond.

Chapter End Notes

ANNOUNCEMENT: I have written a new story that’s a Jin x Reader oneshot. There’s
plenty of smut and a lil bit of fluff, so go check it out! Click here to go to the story!
 Chapter 46
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Jeongguk rubbed Taehyung’s back soothingly, eyebrows furrowing in worry. He had just stepped
out of his shower, deliberating on the events in the bedroom, when the elder had suddenly crashed
inside, collapsing before the toilet. He hardly had the lid up all the way before he was retching.

“Hyung?” he asked carefully, squeezing the boy’s shuddering shoulder.

“Y-yeah?” Taehyung gagged.

“Why - why are you puking?”

“I -” the boy dropped his head back over the toilet bowl, and Jeongguk shut his eyes just in time to
miss the half-digested gaeran toast hitting the water. “I d-don’t know. Stomach flu, maybe.”

Jeongguk pursed his lips, “Or anxiety.”

Taehyung dry-heaved before wearily lifting his head. “What?”

“Hyung,” Jeongguk crouched beside him. “What’s wrong? What happened earlier with your
seizure?”

“Not a seizure,” the boy mumbled.

“Well, whatever it was,” Jeongguk insisted, “it was awful. Please, let me help you. We’re in this
together, right?”

Taehyung slumped forward. “Yeah. Help me up?”

Jeongguk slotted his hands under the boy’s armpits and hauled him to his feet, wrinkling his nose
at the foul contents of the toilet bowl before flushing it. Taehyung stumbled to the sink and spit
before grabbing his toothbrush. Jeongguk closed the toilet lid and perched on it, waiting for
Taehyung to finish cleaning up.

Seokjin poked his head in. “Taehyungie? You okay?”

Jeongguk scowled, “What did you do to him?”

The eldest shifted uncomfortably. “I was just trying to get him to talk to me. I - I didn’t think it’d -
that he’d -”

“Get out,” Jeongguk hissed.

Taehyung lifted a weak hand to hold off the fuming maknae. “It’s okay, jagi. Hyung was just
trying to help.”

Seokjin gazed at him sadly, “I’m sorry, Taehyungie. I shouldn’t have -”

Taehyung shot him a look that stopped his sentence. “It’s fine, hyung.”

“Okay, apologies are done,” Jeongguk snapped. “Get out, Seokjin. Let me clean up your mess.”
Seokjin’s head fell and he disappeared, the door clicking shut behind him.

Taehyung frowned at Jeongguk. “That was disrespectful. Go apologize.”

Jeongguk stood and stroked a hand through the elder’s long black hair. “He -”

“Is your hyung and deserves to be treated as such,” Taehyung cut him off with a withering glower.
“Go apologize, Kookie. Don’t make me tell you again.”

Sometimes being the maknae was a royal pain in the ass. Rolling his eyes immaturely, Jeongguk
left the bathroom in search of the eldest member.

“Hyung?” he approached the man in question, who was prodding at the last bit of his toast in the
kitchen.

He looked up, mumbling, “I really didn’t mean to. I didn’t - I had no idea what was going on. I
thought he was just being stubborn. I thought -”

Jeongguk sat across from him. “I was disrespectful, hyung. I’m sorry. I was just mad, but
Taehyung-hyung is right. You were just trying to help.”

Seokjin nodded, heaving a deep breath. “I’m sorry too.”

With that, Jeongguk stood and moved around the table to wrap the eldest in a quick hug. “I’m
going to stay back today with Taehyung-hyung if that’s okay. I don’t want him going to the studio,
and I don’t trust that he’ll properly rest without a babysitter.”

Seokjin snorted humorlessly at the maknae’s word choice. “I think that’s a good idea. I’ll tell the
others. Just get him in bed.”

Jeongguk nodded and left the kitchen, hurrying back to the bathroom. Taehyung had already pulled
on his jeans, but Jeongguk stopped his hands from putting on his shirt. When the elder eyed him,
he explained, “We’re staying here today. Just you and me.”

Taehyung frowned, “No -”

“That wasn’t a request.”

The boy squinted at him, but Jeongguk held his ground. It didn’t matter that he was the maknae -
he wasn’t going to back down from this. Finally, Taehyung tipped his chin down in a tight-lipped
nod. “Okay.”

“Go put on one of my t-shirts,” Jeongguk requested. “One of the really big ones.”

“Why?”

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, “So that there’s as little touching your scars as possible, but you also
won’t be cold. Ya, why are you questioning me? Go!”

He half-heartedly swatted the elder’s arm, and the boy snorted tiredly before slipping out of the
bathroom to obey the maknae’s order. Jeongguk took a moment to compose himself - to stop the
terrified pounding of his heart - before following.

His phone dinged as he slipped into the bedroom he shared with his boyfriend, and he pulled it out
of his pocket to find a text from Namjoon.
Monie-hyung: Jinnie-hyung told us

Tae’s not feeling well. You’re good to

take care of him?

Jeongguk pursed his lips. He was scared, but not of taking care of Taehyung. So, he responded
quickly.

Me: Yeah, hyung, I got this.

Once the message read Delivered, Jeongguk crossed to the bed. Taehyung was already buried
under the covers, and the maknae sat cross-legged with his back against the nightstand. He didn’t
know why, but he felt like he needed to protect the boy. So protect he would, though he wasn’t sure
from what.

The boy in the bed stirred and croaked, “Jagi?”

“Yes, Tae?”

“Don’t forget.”

Jeongguk pursed his lips. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t forget -” Taehyung hissed in a pained breath, squirming under the blankets “- don’t forget I
love you.”

Jeongguk gazed at him sadly. “I won’t, hyung.”

With that, Taehyung fell into a fitful slumber, Jeongguk’s hand stroking his hair to soothe him.
Once he was sure the elder was asleep, he stood and went to the window, closing the curtains fully.
If the boy got a migraine, then surely light was the last thing he needed. That’s how it was the last
time he had one, at least. More than anything, it was worth a shot. Jeongguk just wanted Taehyung
to be as comfortable as possible. Smiling softly to himself, he returned to his previous position on
the floor beside the bed. He accepted his task of protecting the elder - both from the pain and from
dangers unknown - with stoic resolve, glaring at the room around them as if something would jump
out and attack at any moment.

And, with almost movie-like coincidence, something did.

“Well, well, well,” an unfamiliar grating voice hissed.

Jeongguk stiffened, scrambling to his feet and positioning himself between Taehyung and the
unseen threat.

“Isn’t that just adorable!” a man with a gaunt face and oily black hair stepped out of the shadows
of the dimly lit room. A wide grin was stretched across his face, threatening to tear his papery skin
in two. “I gotta tell ya,” the stranger keeled over in a fit of maniacal laughter, “I almost didn’t want
to come out! That right there is just the cutest thing!”

Jeongguk narrowed his eyes, positioning himself in a wannabe fighting stance, which proceeded to
only make the man laugh even harder.

“Oh, what, you’re gonna try to fist fight the devil? Damn, kid,” he wiped at his eyes, “you’re so
funny, I almost feel bad that I’m about to make your life hell. Oh my god, get it? Hell? Because
 that’s where you’re going!”

Chapter End Notes

Hey! This story has been a real downer. So, why don't you go check out the fluffy
oneshot collection I just posted? It's a Yoongi x Reader story featuring:

- Cat hybrid Yoongi

- Bunny hybrid Jungkook

- Puppy hybrid Taehyung (this hasn't been added to it yet but it will be)

- Fluff and happiness galore!

Click here to read it!

 Chapter 47
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

When Taehyung woke up, his scars were on fire. He writhed, jerking off the bed, but a wave of
nauseating pain sent him rolling onto his stomach, dry heaving against his pillow. He called softly,
“Jeongguk?”

“Never say that name again.”

Taehyung stiffened as the blood in his veins turned into a frozen sludge. Weary, he lifted his head
and almost screamed at the sight before him.

Raphael’s cheeks were hollow, his eyes protruding from his skull in two sunken holes. His hair
was laying in greasy tendrils on his forehead, reaching like clawed fingers to brush his eyebrows.
The stench of death permeated the air, and Taehyung gagged as he stumbled to his feet.

“Where’s Jeongguk?”

He hardly had time to register that he was being attacked before his head whipped to the side with
a loud smack.

“Do as I say, little one,” Raphael ordered. Then, softer, “Always do as I say.”

Taehyung cried out as the archangel suddenly grabbed a fistful of his hair, yanking his head back.
He begged, “Please!”

Please stop, please go away, I don’t want you here, leave us alone, leave me alone…

“Shut up, shut up!” Raphael suddenly shouted, his head jerking violently, and somehow Taehyung
knew he wasn’t talking to him. But before he could say or do anything, the deranged man dropped
a wicked smile on him. “Ignore them, little one. No need to be jealous.”

“Jealous of who?” Taehyung gasped, tears pricking his eyes. His back was still aflame, and the
archangel’s grip on his hair was only adding to the pain.

“Of them,” Raphael waved his free hand nonchalantly in the air. “They’re noisy, but that’s okay.
They’ll never drown you out, little one.” The man leaned in and inhaled deeply, his eyelids
fluttering shut. “You’re much prettier than him.”

Taehyung was shuddering at this point. He whimpered, “Jeongguk…”

He was greeted with another harsh slap.

“That human is in Hell where he belongs,” Raphael hissed. “You’d best stop thinking about him.
You’re mine now.”

No.

Jeongguk was in Hell? Taehyung sobbed. This was all his fault. This was his world, and he was too
selfish to realize just how far he’d dragged the younger boy into it.

“Shut up!” Raphael snapped.

“No!” With the last bit of his strength, Taehyung lurched out of the archangel’s grasp and
collapsed to his knees on the floor.

Raphael gazed down at him, amusement lighting up his eyes. “What was that, pet?”

“I’m not your -” Taehyung was cut off with a sharp stab of pain that zinged straight through his
spine. He hissed, arching his back, and then forced himself to grit out, “I’m not your pet.”

Raphael crouched before him, and Taehyung was too weak to do anything more than glare at him.

“Little one, you’re upsetting me. Don’t you want to please me?”

Please…

“No,” Taehyung sobbed.

Raphael tsked his tongue, shaking his head. “You love me, little one. We can have what we had
before, even now. I’m ready to forgive you.”

Taehyung’s very soul shuddered at the archangel’s words. He was two seconds away from a full-
blown panic attack, but he knew he had to keep as clear a head as possible. Jeongguk needed him.

At the thought of the maknae, Taehyung found his resolve.

Jeongguk needs me.

Holding in his vomit, Taehyung lurched to meet Raphael’s lips with his own.

At first, the archangel stiffened in surprise. The smell of decay gagged Taehyung, brought tears to
his eyes, but he forced himself to stay put, his mouth frozen against Raphael’s.

Rot and blood. That’s what he tasted like. Like rot and blood.

Before the bile rising in his throat could properly surface, Taehyung jerked his head away. He
forced a wooden smile across his face and snarled, “I will never love you again. I will hate you for
the rest of eternity.”

Raphael scowled, darkness in his eyes, but Taehyung continued before he could speak.

“Not because of what you did to me. I don’t care about that anymore.” Because of him. Because of
Jeongguk. He made me whole again. “I will never love you, I will hate you until the day I die
because of what you’ve done - what you’re doing - to him.”

Raphael scoffed, “The human? He’s getting what he deserves. He kept us apart, little one. He took
you away from me.”

Taehyung forced himself to cup the archangel’s bony face in his palm. Forced himself to look the
disgusting man in the eyes. “If you let him burn in Hell, you can say goodbye to whatever future
you think we have.” Then, for good measure, he murmured, “Don’t you want me to love you?”

Insanity and hunger battled in the archangel’s eyes. “Of course I do, little one. You do too.”

“Yes,” Taehyung gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep talking. This is for Jeongguk. “I do. I
really, really do, sir.” His plan worked, and Raphael’s breath stuttered at the title. “But I can’t.”

“Why not?” Raphael asked, manic desperation lacing his voice.

Taehyung could feel himself chipping away bit by bit. The ache in his back had dulled to a throb,
but his skull was searing. Still, he forced himself to continue. To shrug his shoulders and
nonchalantly say, “Because he’s in Hell. I want to go there with you, but I can’t if he’s there. It
wouldn’t be right. I wouldn’t be able to please you properly.”

Don’t throw up. Oh god, don’t throw up.

This is for him. Do it for him.

Taehyung’s voice dropped to a gravely whisper, “I want to rule Hell with you. Not all of it, of
course. I want whatever you’ll give me.” He stood, his knees shaking beneath him. “We’ve hurt
each other, Raph. Let’s fix this.”

His life was crashing down around him.

There was no way out - the walls were closing in. The last nail was driving into his coffin, and all
he could do was watch as the last sliver of light disappeared forever.

“But I can’t do it with him around,” Taehyung insisted, hoping that his desperate attempt would
work. “Not in the same realm as us.”

Raphael mused on the boy’s proposition. Finally, he said, “I want him to suffer, little one.”

Taehyung forced himself to smile. I’m good at this, he thought bitterly, I wonder if I would have
made it as an actor. I guess now I’ll never know. “He’ll suffer without me. It doesn't matter where
he is. In fact,” he gagged on a sob, “I think it’d be worse to leave him here. In the same house he
shared with me. Going to work in the same building I was in. Don’t you think?”

“Hmm,” Raphael smiled sadistically, his eye twitching. “Little one, you’re right!”

Taehyung slumped. He’d won, but it wasn’t a victory.

Do it for him.

This was not Jeongguk’s problem. He should not have to bear the consequences of this life.

Tears threatened to spill as Taehyung accepted everything he was losing in that moment.

Hoseok’s glittering eyes. His joyful laughter as they hugged. As they played Overwatch, and as
Taehyung reliably lost (almost) every round.

Jimin’s smiles. How they pushed up and turned his eyes into crescents. Taehyung wished he’d
called the mochi “hyung.”

Namjoon’s soft, proud glances whenever Taehyung did something well. The leader had become
one of his greatest friends. A true older brother.

Seokjin’s meals. How he scolded Taehyung, not because he could as the oldest brother, but
because he thought of each member as his ward, and he had to protect them.

Yoongi’s guiding hand. His soft-spoken lessons. How he pretended not to care, but would hold
Taehyung’s hand whenever they disagreed.

His thoughts moved to his family. He really should have called them. He’d never play with
Donghae again, or read with Ara, or chop vegetables for dinner with his eomma, or go for long
walks in the field with his appa, or just sit in companionable silence with his dear halmeoni.
 He had already accepted he’d never see Eden again. Still, though, his heart cracked for her too.

And then the dam threatened to burst when the boy this was all for entered his thoughts.

Jeongguk. His reason for everything. For happiness. For life. The boy he didn’t deserve, yet was
the best thing that could have ever happened to him. The one who looked at him like he was
everything. Like he was all that mattered. Who made him feel whole and strong no matter what
was going on in his head.

At least he’ll be safe.

Chapter End Notes

Part of the reason I posted Grumpy when I did was so you guys would have some fluff
to go read after the heartbreak of this story. So, if you need to feel better, go read that
story here
 Chapter 48
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

He was on fire. The flames scorched his skin, licking his cheeks, cooking his brain. Threatening to
turn his form into ash. He couldn’t move, couldn’t think. All that he could focus on was the pain.

He was on fire.

And then, he wasn’t.

Jeongguk gasped, eyes popping open. “Wha -”

He found Lucifer beside him scowling. “I’ll never understand you.”

“Who?” Jeongguk asked, still trying to grasp his bearings.

And then he realized that he was back in his bedroom. And Raphael and Taehyung were standing
together, the former’s arms wrapped comfortably around the latter’s torso.

Jeongguk didn’t even realize what was happening before he was lunging at the archangel with
animalistic resolve. “I’ll kill you!”

And he would have, too, had it not been for a gentle but firm hand coming down on his arm.

“Jagi,” Taehyung said, his eyes shining with fear and sadness.

And suddenly Jeongguk understood what was happening, and bile burned in his throat.

“No, Tae -”

“This isn’t you, jagi,” Taehyung said softly. “This is not your world.”

Jeongguk gripped the sides of the elder’s face fiercely, tangling his fingers in his soft hair. “It is,”
he insisted. “It is because it’s your world.”

Those swirling dark eyes that Jeongguk had gotten lost in more times than he could count were
gleaming with unfathomable gloom. Where was their light? Would it ever return? Would the two
boys be together if it did?

Taehyung smiled forlornly and pulled the maknae’s hands away from his face. Jeongguk couldn’t
quite remember how to breathe. A boa constrictor was twisting around his chest, hissing in his ear,
so he couldn’t hear much except his blood pulsing in his eardrums.

He was drowning. He was dying.

Lucifer whined behind him, “Can we go now? I’m bored.”

Raphael smiled in victory, “Yes, brother. Come, little one. Let’s go home.”

Taehyung’s hands fell away from Jeongguk’s. The maknae was choking on every shallow breath.

Don’t forget.
That’s what Taehyung had asked of him. It was his last request.

“I won’t,” Jeongguk croaked, looking up to meet Taehyung’s startled eyes. He grappled for the
elder’s hands, holding them tightly against his chest. “I won’t forget.”

Taehyung’s expression softened, and then a bright light flashed, blinding the maknae, and the three
Fallen were gone. Lucifer and Raphael’s laughter was all that was left in the room, echoing in
Jeongguk’s ears. His empty hands dropped to his sides.

The bones in his legs dissolved, and he collapsed.

And that’s how the other members found him hours later: curled in a ball on his floor. Unblinking.
Hardly breathing.

They sensed something was off. The creature lying on the floor was not their maknae. It was
something else entirely - something inhuman. Barely alive. Jimin was the only one brave enough
to get close to him at first. He helped the maknae sit up, whispering, “Where is he?”

Jeongguk slowly met the boy’s shining eyes. “Dead.”

It wasn’t true. But it might as well have been.

And then there were five pairs of arms around him, and five different voices crying in quiet
confusion, but Jeongguk felt like it was he who had died, so it didn’t really make sense to shed any
tears.

Come to find out in the next few weeks, he’d wish he could cry. But he couldn’t do it. Not at the
funeral - yes, they had a funeral, even though Jeongguk was eventually able to explain what had
happened. It made more sense for the public that the boy had died.

Every time he had to hear his name, another piece of Jeongguk’s husk of a heart chipped away.

He learned the hard way just how much the boy had meant to him.

The 4th Muster in Japan was canceled. ARMY wasn’t too disappointed. Most of them understood.
All of them were sad. The band’s managers cleared the rest of their schedules for the time being.
Everyone in the group was numb.

But Jeongguk was something else on top of that. He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t feel
anything.

Not without him.

It didn’t help matters any that he was alone in his dreams. And slowly, ever so slowly, he stopped
dreaming entirely. His subconscious was blank once more, just like it was before him. It was like
he really had died. Even worse, like he hadn’t existed at all.

But he had existed. He had. Jeongguk was haunted by memories of him.

He wanted to cry. But his emotions were somewhere far away from him, leaving him hollow and
absent. It wasn’t just happiness he couldn’t feel, it was everything. Anger. Sadness. Even hunger.
His stomach would roar in agony, his tongue would lay thick and useless in his mouth, but he
couldn’t feel himself wasting away, so why should he care?

The members forced him to care for himself. And if he refused, they’d do it for him. They’d take
 care of their useless maknae, the light gone from their eyes. They’d go to the studio in pairs and
triplets, never as a full group, because someone always had to stay with Jeongguk. They were
probably afraid that if he was left alone, he’d kill himself.

It was a valid concern.

Chapter End Notes

Grumpy has a new chapter up this morning! If you’re in need of fluff, go read it! <3
 Chapter 49

“Kookie?”

Jeongguk forced himself to look up and meet Jimin’s shining eyes. He had been sitting on the
couch staring off at nothing for the past few hours, so his neck cracked loudly when he turned.

They both flinched at the noise. Then, Jimin murmured, “Have you eaten?”

The maknae managed to stiffly shake his head.

Why hadn’t he cried? Why couldn’t he just fucking cry?

It had been weeks, for fuck’s sake.

But all the maknae could do was float around the dorm like a ghost. Lost. Unfeeling. And when he
absolutely had to leave the apartment, he found himself hiding from the world deep within his
mind, imagining it was his arm squeezing assuringly around his shoulders - protecting him from
the frenzy of activity that always surrounded them in public - instead of Namjoon’s or Seokjin’s.

Jimin nodded sadly, pursing his lips. “There’s...I want to show you something. But we’ll have to
go to the studio.”

Jeongguk was shaking his head before Jimin even finished. “No,” he croaked, his voice dry and
lifeless.

Not there. Not where he sat. Not where they held each other. Where his presence would echo in the
dull walls.

Jeongguk had never imagined that losing him would mean he’d lose himself too.

Jimin sighed. “It’s about -“

“Don’t,” Jeongguk cut him off.

“Kookie -“

“Hyung,” Jeongguk begged.

He’d never seen Jimin so depressed.

I just want to cry.

The elder pressed, “It’s about Taehyung.”

Jeongguk almost collapsed at the sound of his name. It sounded like music no matter who said it,
and he couldn’t believe that he once took that beautiful word for granted. He gripped at his hair.
“Do I have to?”

Jimin reached out to touch him, but when Jeongguk cowered away, he just sighed, “Yes.”

And so Jeongguk dragged himself to his feet and let Jimin lead him out of the dorm, down the
stairwell, and outside. Jeongguk squinted in the blinding sunlight. And then they were surrounded
by cameras - paparazzi and sasaengs alike swarming like bees.
Jimin fended them off with the help of their managers and body guards while Jeongguk buried
himself deep within his psyche - the only place he was safe. But even there, the absence of him
weighed like an anvil.

Finally, finally they were in their car and speeding off to the studio.

All too quickly, the two boys were standing in front of the vacant recording room. Jimin was
watching the maknae out of the corner of his eye, searching for anything, but Jeongguk just blinked
blankly at the door. It was a looming, nightmarish behemoth, and there was no way Jimin was
going to get him to touch it, let alone open it.

Jimin must have sensed this, for he was the one who grabbed the knob. Jeongguk lurched his arm
forward, trying to stop him, but his movements were too clumsy and slow. Malnutrition and
insomnia had weakened his body beyond an even remotely healthy limit - even as he just stood
there, his legs quivered under his weight. He could hardly even dance anymore.

It would have been better if they had just broken up. At least then he’d know that he was okay.
Was alive. Jeongguk didn’t even know that much now, though he had to believe he was. Had to.
His fragile mind would shatter beyond repair if he wasn’t.

And then the door was open, and Jeongguk was staring into the depths of the hellish space.

He should be finding comfort in this place. Hell, he had worked in here for months at the maknae’s
side. Jeongguk listened to his song - the first person to do so - here. They had held each other here
after Raphael had appeared to them.

But all Jeongguk could see was fire.

Still, he stepped inside and let it engulf him.

Jimin thankfully waited outside for the maknae’s next move. Jeongguk stopped in the middle of
the room, forcing himself to breathe even though all he wanted to do was smother himself. To
drown in the nothingness that occupied the space where his emotions once were.

After a few minutes of blankly staring at the desk, he glanced at Jimin, asking dully, “Why are we
here?”

Jimin delicately stepped in beside him, gesturing towards the computer. Its screen was caked with
dust. “Ta - um, he made a song.”

Jeongguk snorted humorlessly. “I know. I helped with it.”

Jimin shook his head, “I’m not talking about ‘Stigma.’ That was a song about him. He wrote
another one.”

Jeongguk bristled. “When?”

“When you two weren’t talking for those two weeks.”

The maknae dropped his head, working his jaw. Who would have thought that that fight would
seem so pointless now? Such a waste of time. Something they turned out to have very little of.

“He wrote it for you,” Jimin continued.

Jeongguk eyed him, “How do you know?”

“You know how I was spending so much time with him?”

Jeongguk appreciated that he wasn’t saying his name. “Yeah.”

“I was helping him. He wanted it to be perfect.” Jimin’s eyes twinkled sadly, “And he wanted it to
be a surprise, so he couldn’t talk to you about it.” He smiled, but it was a husk of what it once was,
“Once you guys were back on speaking terms, it was pretty hard to work on it, but we did it
somehow.”

“Why did he go to you?” Jeongguk asked. He didn’t mean it to be rude - he was genuinely curious.
“Why not Yoongi-hyung?”

Jimin rolled his eyes, “I’m better at the touchy-feely stuff.”

Jeongguk looked away again. That was true.

Jimin ran his hand through his hair nervously. “He wanted you to sing it.”

“Why?”

“He wanted it to be something that you two mostly made together,” Jimin shrugged. “He was
really sappy.”

“Is,” Jeongguk corrected. He couldn’t handle the past tense.

Jimin nodded gently, “Is.”

After a moment of silence, he whispered, “The words are for you. He wanted your voice because
he loved - loves - your voice more than anything, and he knew it could make it perfect.” At
Jeongguk’s sour look, Jimin flipped his palms up. “His words, not mine.”

“What are we doing here?” Jeongguk asked after a moment.

“You need to listen to it,” Jimin said. “The lyrics are -“ he moved to rummage around in a stack of
papers before finding what he was looking for “- here. Read along. It’s his voice right now as a
placeholder, but just remember it’s for you to sing.” Jimin sighed, resting his hands on his hips.
“It’s time to heal, Kookie.”

Jeongguk blinked at him and then at the sheet music he held in his small hand.

Time to heal? That’s funny.

How could he possibly heal?

Still, he wordlessly accepted the sheet music. Jimin smiled gently, “I’ll be in the dance room,
okay?”

Jeongguk didn’t even nod, but Jimin slipped out of the recording studio all the same, clicking the
door shut behind him.

The maknae didn’t know how long he just stood there too numb to move. But then he looked down
at the papers in his hand. They quivered, and he realized he was shaking. To steady himself, he sat
down at the desk. Just because it was a habit, he powered on the computer and logged in to the
profile he had shared with him. Continuing with the habit, he put the headphones over his ears.

Cinnamon and wind. He pretended that he could smell cinnamon and wind.
There was a file he’d never seen before already pulled up. He must have been planning on
continuing to work before he left.

Flattening the sheet music out in front of him, Jeongguk pressed Play.

“You are the sun that -”

Jeongguk slammed the spacebar and the music abruptly cut off. His chest heaved as he bent over
his knees, trying to fight off the panic attack that was threatening to overtake him at the sound of
his voice.

But he felt something else too. Something...good?

No matter what it was, he wanted to listen to his voice. So, he pulled the playhead to the beginning
and started the song over.

“You are the sun that rose again in my life,

The second coming of my youthful dreams.
I don’t know what this feeling is,
Whether this is all a dream.”

For the first time in weeks, Jeongguk actually found himself smiling. It was small and brittle, but it
was real. And he kept smiling, listening to the rest of the first verse, until the pre-chorus began.

“I hear the far-away ocean,

Across a dream, over the horizon,
Going to that place that becomes clearer.

“Take my hands now.

You are the cause of my euphoria.”

Jeongguk paused the song again. He stared at the screen. Not blinking. Hardly breathing. Slowly,
he lowered the headphones off his ears and onto the desk.

And then he buried his face in his hands and cried.

 Chapter 50
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

It took many weeks of trying. At first, his dry voice was too wobbly - too rusty - to flow through
the notes. There were many times he wanted to stop. To just throw away his headphones and trash
his mic.

His hyungs would wait for him every evening at the BigHit building, no matter how many hours it
took for him to come shuffling out of his recording studio, hopeless tears threatening to spill.

Many times, they did spill. Because he had made this for him - for them - and Jeongguk couldn’t
fucking do it. Whenever that happened - whenever he stepped out of the studio with puffy red eyes
- the other members would automatically surround him in a silent embrace. Even though they
knew they couldn’t make it better. Not by themselves. Not when Jeongguk didn’t care to get better
himself.

Seokjin would force him to eat. Yoongi would force him to stay in bed most of the night, even
though he rarely slept. Jimin would make him shower. Namjoon would keep him hydrated. Hoseok
would make sure his clothes were fresh and his face was clean-shaven.

He was little more than a hollow shell. All that he cared about was the song. It became his
everything - it replaced everything he’d lost when he left.

But slowly, he could see the light at the end of the tunnel. Slowly, his voice found its melody once
more. When he got through the first verse without so much as a voice crack, he made himself stop
for the day. He didn’t want to ruin it by pushing himself.

And slowly, ever so slowly, he sang the entirety of ‘Euphoria.’

His hyungs were proud. Were happy. Jeongguk worried that they hoped it would somehow fix
everything.

It didn’t.

But it helped. A little. Laboring over the sheet music, straining his unused vocal cords, had been
like putting a bandaid over a bullet hole. Now, at least, it felt like the wound had been stitched up.
It still hurt. A lot. But it had been given the proper care. It would get better.

That’s what he told himself as he smiled, listening to his voice singing his lyrics over his
instrumental track.

It broke his heart. But that organ was already rendered useless, so it was okay.

Namjoon suggested that he reach out to his family. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it. That was
supposed to be something they did together. Something for many years in the future because
Jeongguk would have kept him around that long.

They hadn’t had enough time.

That’s all Jeongguk could think as he listened to the finished track.

There were so many things they were supposed to do together.

But there was still a part of him that wholeheartedly believe that he wasn’t gone forever. That their
time wasn’t up.

What a fucking trip dream.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Jeongguk opened his eyes and almost laughed at how sick his subconscious was. It was a pallid
white, and he hated how foreign it felt.

It was like it wasn’t even his own mind.

And then he realized how surprising it was that he was actually dreaming. He almost forgot that
was something he could even do.

He tried to will a chair into existence, but he couldn’t convince his broken brain to work. He cursed
at himself, frustrated tears welling up in his eyes.

He couldn’t even control his own damn dreamscape anymore.

Suddenly, he heard something. Something terrifying. Something he wished would just go away
before it shattered his heart any more.

Something that proved that this was a nightmare.

“Jagi?”

Shaking, Jeongguk choked on a sob. What the fuck is wrong with me?

Unable to lift his head for fear of seeing his mind’s pathetic version of him, Jeongguk squeezed his
eyes shut and released a strangled wail. What did it matter? He was the only real person here
anyway. He could cry in his dreams.

“Jeongguk.”

The maknae keeled over, collapsing on his kneecaps with a resounding crack. He ignored the pain
as he gripped the hair along the nape of his neck.

And then there was a hand, warm and firm and heartbreakingly familiar, on his shoulder. He jerked
away, falling onto his back, and gasped up at the looming figure.

It looked so real.

Jeongguk wetted his lips, terror and misery rocketing through his blood. He whimpered, “Please.”

He crouched down in front of him. “Jeonggukie?”

Jeongguk scrambled away and croaked, “Go away! You’re not him!” Manic, he swung. The
apparition wasn’t even in arms reach, though, so it was a fruitless attempt. “Go the fuck away!”

The apparition frowned and stood once more, gazing sadly down at Jeongguk.

Why the fuck does it look so real?!

 “Jagiya -“

“No!” Jeongguk shrieked, curling around himself. Sobs were wracking his weak body, and he just
wanted to drown, to burn, to die. Anything to make this godforsaken apparition disappear. All
strength siphoning out of him in one swoop, he whimpered, “Go away.”

“No,” the apparition insisted, crouching once more, his movements painstakingly slow. As if
Jeongguk was an easily spooked wild animal, which wasn’t entirely false.

Another loud wail ripped out of Jeongguk’s throat, and he turned away, agony taking over his
chest. The stitches had been yanked right out of the bullet hole, and it felt like the wound would
never stop bleeding. The apparition reached towards him, and Jeongguk didn’t have the strength to
stop it.

His hand was gentle as it caressed Jeongguk’s cheek. Overcome at last, the maknae met his eyes.

Taehyung smiled, but it was small and sad, and Jeongguk knew why. The elder just saw exactly
what his absence had done to the maknae.

Taehyung’s voice was quiet and broken as he spoke.

“You found me, jagi. You really, really did.” Carefully, he brushed a kiss on the maknae’s
forehead. “I promise I’m here. Me. Really me.”

Jeongguk bit his quivering lip. Because he wasn’t entirely sure what to say, he blurted through his
tears, “I finished it. Our song. ‘Euphoria.’”

Chapter End Notes

This was going to be the last chapter, but I decided that I wanted to explore a little
more. So, tomorrow will bring the epilogue, and with it the end of Save Me. I hope
you have enjoyed this wild ride as much as I have! Thank you so, so much for sticking
with me until the end!
 Epilogue
Chapter Notes

Make sure you read the author’s note! Part of it is included at the end of the chapter,
not just in the end note.

See the end of the chapter for more notes

“Kill him.”

Taehyung blinked at the men in front of him. “Why should I do your dirty work?”

“Kill him,” Camael said, “and you’ll see your human again.”

It was a tantalizing proposition. He missed Jeongguk more and more with every passing day.

But Taehyung had changed.

How couldn’t he? He was in Hell. He was with Raphael again.

“You’re just scared,” Taehyung spat.

“Yes,” Camael replied, and Taehyung hesitated at his straightforwardness. “We don’t want to have
to deal with an attack on Heaven. We have our own issues we’re working through.”

Taehyung scoffed, “Like what?”

“Like making sure what happened to you never happens again,” Jophiel said. “We can’t let Heaven
fall to Hell. All life would suffer. You know that.”

“Lucifer won’t try anything without Raphael,” Camael reasoned. “He isn’t strong enough to take
on Heaven alone.”

Taehyung glanced between the two archangels.

Kill him. Kill Raphael.

But he couldn’t, could he?

As if reading his mind, Camael produced a curved knife from his robes. “This will end an
archangel’s life. Even one who has sided with Lucifer.”

Taehyung squinted at the blade. It was long and jagged, with runes running up both sides that
pulsed with an eerie blue light.

“What if I don’t want to?” He asked just to be stubborn.

“Then don’t,” Camael shrugged. “But I think you want to see Jeongguk.”

At the boy’s name, Taehyung froze.

He’d hurt him. He was sure of it. And if he hadn’t, this certainly would.

Numbly, he took the blade.

Jophiel rested a hand on his shoulder. “We must leave now. Lucifer will sense our presence. But
think about it, Taehyung. There is little we can do in this situation.”

Taehyung glowered at him. “So I hear.”

Jophiel offered an apologetic smile, and then he and Camael were gone, leaving him with the knife
clutched firmly in his hand. He looked down at it, both disgusted and...hopeful?

“Come here, little one,” Raphael purred later that evening.

Taehyung obeyed. He always obeyed. That was all he could do anymore. Raphael was his master,
and his slavery wasn’t so easily ended.

He couldn’t kill him.

But he could see Jeongguk again if he did.

But he’d be someone new. Hell, he already was someone new.

Jeongguk wouldn’t love who he’d become.

But you could get closure.

With a sigh, Taehyung relented to that thought.

Raphael’s arms snakes around his torso. Taehyung let him pull his limp body onto his lap. He only
moved when Raphael forced it. He didn’t even kiss him back.

“Take off your clothes, little one,” Raphael ordered.

He could see Jeongguk again if he just did it. They could have closure. Maybe, just maybe they
could work something out.

It was worth a shot, wasn’t it?

The knife weighed heavily in the back of his waistband. Would he even be able to drive it with
enough force into the archangel’s -

The thought of taking a life made the boy queasy.

Taehyung slowly disrobed, shuddering in the chill. Wasn’t Hell supposed to be hot? It was always
cold in Raphael’s presence.

He kept his pants on. The knife would be revealed if he didn’t, and he didn’t want to get in trouble.

He robotically straddled the archangel’s lap, covering his mouth with his own. Raphael hummed
beneath him, running his hands up his shoulder blades.

The voices in Raphael’s head drowned out any other noise. Taehyung knew that just from how
loud Lucifer had to talk in order to get his attention. He wouldn’t hear anything Taehyung did. He
also wouldn’t notice any strange movement. His mind was too far gone, deep in a forgotten abyss
where all holy things go to rot once they arrive in Hell.
So the deranged man didn’t even notice when Taehyung slashed the blade across his throat until
the hot blood began to soak his shirt.

“What the hell?!” Raphael snarled, shoving Taehyung off of him.

It was almost funny to watch him flop like a fish.

The blood was too much. It filled Taehyung’s head. Seared into his vision.

He’d never forget what the dying archangel looked like.

Sounded like.

Slowly, Raphael’s spasming turned into an occasional twitch, and Taehyung watched, unfeeling, as
the life whispered out of his eyes.

It had been too easy. Part of him wanted the archangel to suffer.

He was scared of that part of himself.

But before he could think about it anymore, he ran.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

He was beautiful. But too skinny. His once-bright eyes were too dull. Taehyung’s heart broke at
the sight of him.

Of course as soon as he escaped Hell, Jeongguk was back in his dreams.

Every doubting thought flew out the window when he saw the younger boy. He just wanted to hold
him, to kiss him, to tell him that though things would never be good again, they’d at least be okay.
His voice cracked as he called, “Jagi?”

He shuddered as an inhuman wail erupted from Jeongguk’s frail body. Almost floating, Taehyung
approached him.

“Jeongguk?”

As if struck, the boy collapsed. He trembled, hugging his abdomen.

I did this to him.

Nervous, Taehyung reached forward and rested a hand on the boy’s shoulder. He just wanted
Jeongguk to look at him. That’s all he wanted.

And he did - sort of.

He lurched away, which forced him to look at the elder’s chest, and whispered, “Please.”

“Jeonggukie,” Taehyung breathed, trying not to cry.

And then the maknae broke his heart.

“Go away! You’re not him! Go the fuck away!”

The boy attempted to hit him, but he was nowhere near close enough to make contact.
Taehyung’s heart shattered. “Jagiya…”

“No!” Then, softer, “Go away.”

“No,” Taehyung said, finding his resolve.

The boy sobbed, turning away, but Taehyung couldn’t deal with losing him again. Gathering his
courage, he caressed the maknae’s cheek, coaxing him to look at him. At his eyes, for that was the
only way Jeongguk know this was real.

The realization that lit up in the boy’s terrified and heartbroken eyes offered little solace. Taehyung
allowed a small smile. “You found me, jagi. You really, really did.” Trembling, he kissed the
maknae’s forehead. “I promise I’m here. Me. Really me.”

It took Jeongguk a long painful moment to respond. And when he did, his words were a surprise.

“I finished it. Our song. ‘Euphoria.’”

Taehyung blinked, but then a small chuckle escaped his lips. “That’s good. What’d you think of
it?”

“It was beautiful,” he breathed. “Th-thank you.”

Taehyung nodded. Silent.

How would they make it through this?

As if it would do anything at all, Taehyung murmured, “I’m different now, jagi.”

“I don’t care,” Jeongguk said, and the fierceness in his voice startled Taehyung. “I don’t care how
you’re here, or what you did. I just care that you’re with me. Please,” he bit his lip, eyes shining,
“please don’t leave again.”

Taehyung gazed at the pleading boy. Blood was everywhere - obstructing his vision, burning his
nose.

He just came from Hell. He killed someone down there. At the end of the day, he was a murderer.
Could he really come back from that?

Jeongguk gripped the front of his shirt, asking for his focus. Taehyung brought one thumb up to
bite its nail, and Jeongguk brushed the hand away because he knew the elder didn’t like that habit.

So could he come back from all that?

Surely he could, right?

__________________________

Well, my dongsaengs/unnies/oppas, that marks the end of Save Me. Once again, thank you for all
of your kind comments. I’m so happy so many of you loved this story (and stuck by me through all
the angst I put you through).

Before you go, I wanted to give you a little info about the next full-length BTS fanfiction I’m
working on. It’s called Immunity. Here’s what it’s about:

The Sickness will waste little time killing you. But it will be torturous. You will die with blood
 pouring from every orifice and hallucinations rotting your brain. However, being one of the
Immune isn’t much better. At least if you’re Sick, the government won’t cut your living body open
to find out just what makes you Immune.

But seven Immune - Min Yoongi, Jung Hoseok, Kim Namjoon, Kim Seokjin, Park Jimin, Jeon
Jungkook, and Kim Taehyung - have no plans on being dissected today.

Rating: Mature

Featuring: Taekook, Yoonmin

This one will be updated daily just like Save Me was. It will probably be up within a week to a
week and a half, but I’ll make an announcement on this story too once it’s up.

Alright, that’s all from me for now. If you haven’t checked out Grumpy, please go do so! I think
you’ll like it, and I’m pretty proud of it. Once again, thank you all so, so, so much. Your support
throughout this story has meant the world to me. And if you managed to read to the end of this
author’s note, here’s where I’ll get sappy and say that I genuinely care about you guys. I feel like I
got to know a lot of you over the course of this just through our itty bitty conversations in the
comments. You all are wonderful human beings, and I just want you to know that it was truly an
honor to receive your attention through not one but two books. I love you all, and I will see you all
later! Look forward to my future works, I’m going to keep bettering my writing so that I can
become an author who really makes you all proud!!

Chapter End Notes

I’d love to get to know you guys more, so hit me up on Twitter @QueenRamsia and
on Instagram @queenramsia

Make sure you’re subscribed to my AO3 so you can get updates on when I post!

Also, I am ALWAYS accepting requests. I’m working on one right now for a lovely
reader in need of more Girl Group x Reader stuff ;)
 IMMUNITY Out Now

Hey guys! I have a little something to celebrate BTS’s comeback: Immunity is out now!

Read it here!

Please drop by the archive and comment to let the author know if you enjoyed their work!