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

Chapter 7

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."

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{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}