Chapter 51: The Raven of the Night
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Hellooooo♡
I wrote 11k this time so yall better pray for a girl to not fail her finals T_T
Recommended music:
•Masquerade - Siouxxie [from the part it's mentioned to play]
Anyway, happy reading yall
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Taehyung gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. The night was dark, the hour close to midnight. Few cars zoomed past him but other than that, the streets were relatively empty.
Taehyung shouldn't be out here, but it was only by default, when stumbling into Jungkook's penthouse, clothes halfway undone did a shrill ring tone from his pockets kick in his sobriety.
He firmly pushed away the lecherous Devil, who immidiately fell into a series of complaints of how the Detective was being cruel with blue balling him.
Taehyung was extremely embarrassed with the aftermath- ofcourse he was. He hadn't yet digested the fact that he had indeed slept with the Devil- not to mention their first time was.... well...
Taehyung didn't want to think about it.
He was unsure how to explain- the whole ridiculous 'smell like the Devil' scent, his rather immortal friends had agonizingly expressed to him- and how it was humiliatingly affecting him.
And to the flickering red self-depreciating reminder in his mind, that clamped down on the rest of his starved thoughts that thrived on hope- it didn't really give much assurance that this whole entanglement with Jungkook, could possibly lead to more.
True that, he has been shoving that thought away ever since he was wrapped warmly in Jungkook's arms, but it never once erased the fact that Jungkook would sleep with a person only thrice before they are made to leave permanently.
That wasn't good.
But Taehyung was unfortunately good at stalling.
Let it be blue balling his own self or the Devil himself-
If sleeping with Jungkook would mean he'd eventually never get to see him again to a point where his heart would rupture...
He wouldn't sleep with him at all.
That's it.
A horrible, yet the most viable solution to his own pathetic condition.
Who even in their right mind falls for the Devil?
Taehyung sighs helplessly, a bitter chuckle escaping his lips, momentarily imagining his parents' aghast faces, if they were to find how far out he had fallen from the said religious beliefs.
He snorts to himself, shaking his head.
Bitter memories leave bitter aftertaste.
Atleast he could say, he lives up to their expectation of indeed siding up with the Devil and will eventually rot in hell.
Hopefully with a discount on that.
Taehyung visibly grimaces at that.
He exhales, turning his attention to the problem at hand.
He pulls over the designated parking area, when the lady from the GPS speaks out a 'You have arrived at your destination'
Taehyung takes a peek out his window and he frowns, looking at the familiar tall building.
He was absolutely right with not letting Jungkook accompany him this time.
It was hard to pry himself away from the raventte's arms- and quite honestly, the disheartened expression that the Devil had feigned, truly did seem convincing.
But Taehyung wasn't stupid enough to fall for that- besides, there were far more important matters to attend to, now that someone had decided to willingly run away from the hospital, just like he once did.
There were few missed calls on his phone, a repeating unknown number and well- another that eventually sobered Taehyung up when he received it, only to hear a monotonous voice calmly explain him that the patient, Jung Hoseok had regained his conscious and abruptly pulled up to a fight to run away from the hospital, claiming that it was an emergency.
Taehyung was speechless.
At first, he was in extreme joy that his friend had managed to awake but as the employee continued to speak, Taehyung's smile gradually diminished.
He was worried and tensed, not knowing how to pinpoint the said "emergency".
The Reaper was caught although there was a lot of gray area around it- the matter was now no longer on their hands.
So that can't be an emergency...
Then what else-
Taehyung couldn't think of anything.
And just as he was contemplating, his phone buzzed, and a bland notification popped up from the unknown number that had attempted to call him several times before in the expanse of three hours.
A tagged location and a simple text.
Meet me here.
-H
It was now obvious on who the sender was and Taehyung only managed to explain in bits as he frantically re-dressed himself, mentioning his escapee friend's name here and there- watching Jungkook's face gradually turn sour.
The dark glimmer in Jungkook's eyes only flashed for a split second, seemingly upset, mad even- and it was only by sheer luck, did Taehyung manage to catch it. But then again, it was unnervingly weird to reside in the thought so Taehyung naturally dismissed it as his own illusion.
Despite having quickly reverted back to his tactics of taunting and grumbling about how it was unfair to leave him like that, Jungkook eventually let him go.
He bid him goodnight, telling him to drive safely and that he'd be seeing him soon with a flash of bright smile before the elevator doors slid shut.
And now here was Taehyung, standing in an abandoned parking lot with his fingers tightly curled into fists. The night was cold, with a crescent moon hung up on the sky that was slowly being muffled up by the ashened clouds, mixing with the darker hues and whisking away the little source of light.
Taehyung ran his gaze around. There seemed to be no one other than him, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being carefully watched. Leaves rustled past the concrete, the wind, faintly howling.
Gritting his teeth, he steeled his soul and stepped forward towards the building. The dainty street lamp flickered in a daze and everytime his vision slightly darkened, Taehyung swore he could spot the silhouette of a figure somewhere behind him when he glanced back.
Heart hammering in chest, Taehyung broke into a free run and climbed up the marble stairs in a state of hurry, throwing a glance at the donation box beneath the sculpture of the Virgin Mother Mary beside the closed doors.
Taehyung put his hand on the wooden doors and pushed it open, the creaking sound echoing through the lengthy asiles.
The church was dimly lit with lamps and candles, giving away a warm medieval glow. Taehyung knows of this church and the fact, the doors are never closed- not even in the night, to let in travellers or whoever wishes to visit the Lord, regardless the time.
It was a good thing. Great thing even.
However, with the subject at hand, Taehyung's eyebrows creased with worry.
Taehyung knew Hoseok always attended his Sunday mass at this particular church, the Holy Trinity Church- it shouldn't make sense, it shouldn't be that easy to look beyond, but Taehyung's ability to connect dots was too impeccably strong- no matter how ridiculous it might seem to another.
Taehyung inhaled the scent of candles and the laquer off the wooden benches. He stepped in over the rather shallow threshold, eyes hung to the ceiling to admire the decade old design of the chandeliers, but just as he sensed a presence beside him, his reflexes went into an overdrive- almost hurling a punch at the face.
"You came" Hoseok whispered, his eyes were dark, his skin, a little pale and heavy bags made its home underneath his eyelids.
His eyes hovered above and behind Taehyung, assessing for a second, probably contemplating his next words, he continued "You came alone."
Taehyung didn't know what to make of the expression. Was Hoseok expecting him to arrive with an accomplice? Taehyung pursed his lips together and monotonously replied instead "ofcourse."
Hoseok gulped, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat. He averted his gaze and walked past Taehyung,
"Good. Shut the door."
Taehyung looked at the back of the retreating figure, who walked down the aisle and towards the altar. Taehyung looked back at the wooden door, his guts swirling uncomfortably. He pressed the flat of his palms against the door, glancing one last time outdoors where the winds had picked up, the leaves bristling and the wind breaking into tunes.
He closed the door shut.
Taehyung turned to face the altar, only to find Hoseok bustling about the table.
Was this even allowed? Taehyung frowned.
"Hoseok... the Hospital called me up and said you- well... left for an emergency..." Taehyung broke the eeiry silence, walking down the aisle "is everything alright? You seem.. you seem restless."
Hoseok doesn't respond, completely dissolved in his task.
Taehyung felt more of the unsettling feeling clamp down on his chest as he walked closer to the man on the altar who was hastily flipping through the pages of a book what seemed to be the Holy Bible.
"Are you alright? Hoseok?" Taehyung calls out again, severely worried "are you in pain? Is something the matter?"
Keeping his eye on the man, Taehyung carefully walks up the stairs and onto the altar.
"Hoseok?" He calls out softly, lowering his gaze to the book.
Taehyung's breath hitches at the sight.
Between the scrunched up pages of the Bible, the man's hands severely shook, trembling down to his very last bone.
Taehyung gulps, slowly placing his hand on Hoseok's shoulder who flinches at the touch, but other than that says nothing.
Taehyung placed his idle hand over one of Hoseok's trembling hands, to ease the tremors. It doesn't ease.
"Hoseok? Are you alright?" He asks again, a little terrified at the display.
Never once had he seen Hoseok in a state so distinguishably lost and terrorized. Even when he was lying in his own pool of blood, Hoseok had joked around as long as he could keep his conscious.
This was something completely different.
"Taehyung... you.. will you trust me?" Hoseok speaks, his voice low and meek, almost trembling. Taehyung stares deeply into the pool of his raven irises. Fear. Amidst the dark pigment, a significant amount of fear swirled in them.
"If I tell you something... will you promise to believe me?"
Taehyung's eyebrows furrow. He firmly squeezes the man's shoulder. "Hoseok- you need to calm down and tell me- Why did you bring me here? Why this place? W-"
"Will you trust me Taehyung?!" Hoseok shakes himself away from Taehyung's hold, cutting in impatiently.
Taehyung sighs "you need to tell me what it is first."
Hoseok purses his lips together "you remember the thing we saw in the tunnel?"
Taehyung doesn't reply.
"Do you remember telling me it must have been a hallucination?"
"Hoseok-"
"Its not a hallucination. It was never a hallucination.. none.. none of it was ever a hallucinati-"
Taehyung knew this ofcourse, but he refrained himself from telling the truth. It was dealt with already- the creature was dead, but why would Hoseok-
"Listen to me Hoseok, you need to take deep breaths alright? Just take it slow- you need to ca-" Taehyung walks closer to calm the male down but Hoseok grabs him by the wrist and pins his shoulder, shoving him down onto the altar.
Taehyung gasps at the stinging pain radiating through his spine from the impact.
"NO!" Hoseok yells in his face.
"NO.. NO YOU DONT UNDERSTAND-" Hoseok cries out, his eyes fierce and face twisting with pain. "I DONT WANT TO DO THIS... I... I don't want to do this.. I don't know what is happening..."
"Hoseok please... let go of me-" Taehyung holds his breath, wincing under the hold.
How the hell did Hoseok get this strong?
"NO!" He yells again, continuing to mumble incoherently "no no no no NO. NO THEY'LL FIND US. THEY'LL FIND US IF WE GO OUT. HE'LL FIND US! HE'LL FIND US!-"
Taehyung groans out with pain, desperately trying to get out of the man's hold but it significantly grew stronger with each fleeting second.
"Hos... eok-" Taehyung calls out, trying to break the man out of his trance and failing.
Taehyung struggles under the clutches of his friend, considering kicking the man in his shins to break free but that would mean hurting a man who was freshly out of the hospital, and so the thought dies just as soon it blooms and Taehyung resorts to lying still.
He looks up at his friend, who intensely stares down at him.
"You said you'll trust me right? You said you trust me right?" Hoseok pauses, dark eyes searching, finger thumbing at the juncture of Taehyung's wrist. His eyes widens a little, feeling the heartbeat spike. Something flashes in his eyes "That night... that night you knew..."
Taehyung again, doesn't reply.
"You knew- YOU KNEW!" Hoseok's shoulders slump, his pupils constricting. He harshly grabs Taehyung by his chin, pulling him upwards.
Taehyung bites back the groan of pain.
"Did you know all of it?!" Hoseok snaps and Taehyung feels like a veil was being dropped from his eyes. Hoseok's face twists even more, his pale skin flushing red "DO YOU KNOW- DO YOU KNOW WHAT SORT OF THING YOUR EX-PARTNER IS?!"
Taehyung stills.
And he snaps, freeing himself from the hold with a twist of an arm. He narrows his eyes at Hoseok.
This can't be happening.
This absolutely cannot be happening.
He hopes. He prays. He dreads.
And the flames flicker with unison, a chilling pressure settling within the Church.
Hoseok's eyes widens, eyes flashing to the door that was closed shut.
Taehyung follows Hoseok's gaze.
Although there was nothing, Hoseok had already paled a shade or two. His eyes bloodshot, whilst a soundless, helpless croak leaves his throat.
And then it happens.
The doors burst open with a loud bang, the candle flames flicker and dissipate, the lights from the chandeliers and lamps, going off with unison.
A gust of chilling wind swirls in, carrying few dead leaves along with it and a silhouette of a man remains outside the door, only a foot away from the threshold of the Church's arc.
The man stays still for a few good seconds and then steps over the threshold, the crystals from the chandeliers shaking and clinking as he does, but they slowly flicker back to life, as do the candles.
"You took your sweet time, Detective Jung." The newcomer chuckles "I must say, I was quite fond of you in the beginning, not sure how I must feel about it now."
Hoseok's face drains "you... you... how did you-"
"Oh?" Jungkook smiles, insincere "oh.. how am I here? Hm.. maybe you underestimate me a little bit Detective Jung, I must say, I'm a little sad"
Smirking, the Devil leisurely walks down the aisle and cranes his neck to look at Taehyung, who was stuck to his feet.
"Oh hello, Detective Kim, I see you're here too?"
??????????
Taehyung wants to yell.
Jungkook obviously knew he had set out to meet Hoseok so why was he pretending this was purely coincidental? What was even happening?!
Taehyung doesn't respond, clearly confused despite the obvious tension in the air.
"I heard you talking about me, so it's only fair if I'm present amidst you now isn't it?" Jungkook smiles through his words, but it seemed to only grow more eeiry with each second.
"You... YOU!- YOU EVIL.. YOU EVIL BEING..." Hoseok grits through his teeth and Jungkook's pupils douse in red, black mist bursting pit of his palms and Taehyung's vision darkens.
He couldn't move, nor speak or open his eyes.
Hoseok's eyes dart back to where the dust had flown and he cries out, seeing the black mist wrapped around his friend like a cocoon, moving tedious and ominously with a spiky texture on the outside, seeming to suffocate the man from the inside.
Hoseok panics, looking at the man in the suit who stood a feet away from the altar.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" Hoseok demands and the raventte smiles, shrugging nonchalantly.
"Can't leave any witnesses now can I?" Jungkook blinks innocently, the red lillies dancing in eyes, playful yet demeaning.
Hoseok's eyes widens, lips trembling "let... let go of him."
The raventte paces around beneath the altar like a starving lion, but he doesn't advance any further.
"Let go?" Jungkook hums "well... that I can't do." He grins "speaking of which- you were in a middle of a discussion right?"
"I SAID LET GO OF HIM!" Hoseok yells and Jungkook's eyebrow faintly twitches, but he quickly schools his expression and smiles the same, ceaseless, fake yet eeiry smile.
"Puny mortal, you don't stand above to take that tone on me..." Jungkook blinks, his tone calm yet chilly. His irises flaring deep red and a daunting, threatening aura settles into the air. The crystals hanging down the chandeliers clink once more, vibrating before easing out.
The raventte shuts his eyes, his thick lashes curling "Besides, I've already set my eyes on him-" he pauses, glancing at Hoseok's face "oh? Don't tell me, you want him?"
Jungkook clicks his tongue and throws a lazy glance behind the altar where his black mist devoured the Detective.
He returns his eyes to look at the mortal, carrying away with his ceaseless taunts "Its a pity, if you had come to me few months earlier, I might have agreed to sharing a partner.... but now- well, now I must tell you, I have turned a little greedy that I'm not willing to share anymore..."
"What nonsense are you talking about?! Do you have no conscience or fear?! You're standing on a church ground- you hideous beast!" Hoseok snaps, trembling fingers curled into fist.
"Hideous beast?" Jungkook cackles evily, craning his neck "there's atleast one thing you got right out of that sentence"
Jungkook chuckled some more, shoving his hands into his suit pockets "as for fear and conscience... I have none. And for the church ground- well, if it should have affected me, it would have showed up by now. Sucks for you, even Holy grounds can't hold me back."
Jungkook sighs out loud throwing his head back "Hah... I really should have gouged out your pretty eyes when I had the chance back then. Such a nuisance-"
A click resonates through the air and Jungkook looks back, his gaze pointed and intense at the barrel that was aimed at his forhead.
Jungkook smiles "now you're just asking for your eyes to be gouged out."
"SHUT UP!" Hoseok yells, pointing his gun at the raventte's forhead "release Taehyung! Now!"
Jungkook shrugs and settles down on the bench, clearly at his leisure unlike Hoseok who was sweating bullets.
"He's probably a mess of flesh and bones in there.... too bad you can't hear his screams." The raventte smiles evily "I can."
Hoseok grips onto the base of his gun with both of his hands. The coldness of the metal providing no aid to ease his shivers.
"Tch tch... " Jungkook clicks his tongue "that's a little bit pathetic Detective Jung. Trying to shoot at me will only have you ruining the Church's furniture. I must say, you're a brave little devotee" Jungkook chides, a small ball of fire blooming in his hands.
This is it.
Hoseok admits.
He's going to die.
Watching the unwavering smile on Jungkook's face somehow worsened Hoseok's state, to extreme paranoia. His legs were shaking, his hands were trembling. He was breathing harshly now that his lungs felt constricted in his chest.
Not only was he going to die... so was Taehyung.
His gun slips from his fingers, clattering on the table.
Jungkook teeters on his heels, feeling elated, he walks back up again, standing only few steps below the altar.
"You... you Demon..." Hoseok grits out, eyes glazed and tinged pink with tears.
Jungkook pauses, hearing the addressed name, his smile immidiately drops.
He turns to look at the mortal, the red in his eyes, glowering calmly for few seconds and the black pools out from his pupil, swallowing the whites of his eyes.
The candles go off again and the chandeliers begin to vibrate, the light flickering all over and the rows of first few benches on either side slide several feet away from the raventte.
"DEMON? DEMON?!" Jungkook's voice booms out loud, wind swirling around his feet. His coat flutters in response to the air.
"YOU DARE REDUCE MY NAME TO MY SERVANTS?!" The raventte bellows, his tone several octaves deeper and menacing. His eyes glimmer hauntingly bright, the air quickly growing warmer... hotter.
The flawless milky skin from his face, peels off making way for the sizzling red, ripe flesh that ooze out. His cheekbones hollows, his eyeballs sink deeper into his sockets, stark red pupils glimmer out of the pools of abyss... this chaos.
"I AM NO DEMON, DETECTIVE JUNG" His feet begin to hover in air as he rises up, far above the mortal's line of vision.
The ground beneath, lights up with orange and yellow flames, sparks soaring and catching onto the raventte's coat that quickly dematerializes, dissipating into fire. "I AM HE, WHO TREADS THIS MORTAL REALM AS I DO ON FIRE, FOR THIS LAND IS NO LESS THAN MY OWN KINGDOM. I AM THE PUNISHER, THE WRATH OF NINE WHEELS AND THE DEVULGER OF THE SIX RINGS."
His lips long vanished, the skin eroding to portray flesh and his jaw pulled out all the way to his hollowed cheekbones, displaying his long, sharp teeth.
"I AM THE EMBODIMENT OF ALL EVIL, THE KING OF ALL KINGS!"
Jungkook who no longer held his mortal face of playfulness and handsome beauty, hovered above the flames, in a mess of red and black looking like the very incarnation of Hell itself. His voice no longer sweet and pleasant- rather sounding like a unison of hoards of wild men echoing down the halls, he sneers down at the mortal man "AND YOU DARE, TITLE ME WITH SUCH DISRESPECT??!! LET ME TELL YOU WHO I AM... DETECTIVE JUNG."
His teeth clacks in a horrible juncture and Hoseok who seemed like a cat doused in a bucket of cold water, freezes down to his very last hair, unable to move or breathe, his lungs burning, his heart threatening to jump out of his throat.
Lightening zaps Earth a few times.
Hoseok isn't sure if he heard the thunder or if there even was a thunder.
He doesn't know anything anymore as he stares into the fiery doom of the Gates of Hell.
"I... AM THE RULER OF THE INFINITE HELLS!!! I AM THE DEVIL"
The soundless Lightening strikes few more times and a suffocating veil finally wraps around the mortal man. Eyes rolling back to his head, Hoseok falls flat on his back with a thud.
The lightneing eventually stops and silence envelopes the Church.
Black dust dissipates from the mortal who was bound within it and Taehyung finally manages to spring out of his bindings.
His eyes dart between the man on the floor and the figure who was hovering before the altar, the Yellow flames reduced to angry blue but the figure doused in red still glimmered like hot embers.
Taehyung got onto his limbs, to crawl his way over to Hoseok who was lying still on the floor but when a sudden 'clack' of bones erupted, Taehyung froze, running his gaze over to the raventte who was now pointedly staring at him for a change.
His frame still inhuman, hollowed cheeks and face blistering red with his skin over his jaws stripped and flayed down to his teeth. His eye sockets were deep and only a constant beam of red glowed amidst the absymal pools of darkness.
Taehyung doesn't avert his gaze, blood racing in his veins and heart thrumming in his chest.
Not being able to keep up with the eeiry silence anymore, his face breaks out into a visible scowl.
"JUNGKOOK!" He yells, angered "you went too far!"
The inhuman face that was truly called to be the abomination of all realms could barely conjure up any visible emotions on his stiff skeletal structure in the said form, yet it seemed like the right side of his jaw flicked up to portray a very shameless smirk.
And true to his conjecture, as the Devil reverted back to his human form, the shameless smirk stayed glued to his lips.
"What? I was just playing around." The Devil replies, feigning innocence.
"He just got out of the hospital!- you!- why did you have to scare him like that?!" Taehyung berates, crawling over to the said man who was passed out from fear.
"Scare him like that?! Me?!" Jungkook scoffs, pressing his hand to his chest, feeling wronged "I'm the one who's scared, stepping onto Church grounds like this. You never know when Father will rise and decide its a good day to smite me!"
Taehyung throws a weary glance at the Devil who seemed too brutally unapologetic for his deeds.
Sighing heavily, he returns his gaze to Hoseok who was covered in sweat. He flashes his eyes lower and then once again sighs in defeat.
"Dear devil don't tell me he pissed himself-"
Taehyung sends a sharp glare and Jungkook immidiately zips his mouth shut throwing his hands up in a surrender.
Taehyung removes his jacket and drapes it around Hoseok's waist, tying his sleeves in a knot. There wasn't another person apart from them, but Taehyung didn't want Hoseok to awake feeling humiliated like this-Taehyung wouldn't want to, if he were in Hoseok's place.
"You're incorrigible." Taehyung curses out, glancing at the raventte.
"You like me enough to boost my morale, so being incorrigible doesn't really affect me" Jungkook teeters on his feet, hands shoved into his pockets.
"Oh by the way- how did you know I wasn't being serious? I changed my form and all" Jungkook paces below the altar.
Taehyung frowns, narrowing his eyes at the male "You're such a terrible actor. Ofcourse I knew you were acting!"
Jungkook pouts at that and scoffs aloud, turning around to arrange the benches the way they were before he had combusted to flames.
Taehyung dumbly stares at Jungkook's back, watching him rearrange the wooden benches.
The black mist did engulf him earlier, but it did no harm to him- infact it was quite the opposite. Even if it seemed treacherous from the outside, on the inside, the grainy mist handled him gently, tickling and caressing him all the same time, pressing to his face, neck and chest in turns- what seemed to be delivering tiny pecks and peppered kisses amidst the chaos.
It wasn't as suffocating as it must have seemed, infact there were plenty pores to let oxygen seep into the cocoon but the barrier blocked out his voice, and although, Jungkook had magnanimously announced "can't leave any witnesses, now can I?" - he was allowed to witness the entire thing from the start to the finish, although not through his own eyes- but from Jungkook's, the way he did, at Sinner's an hour or so ago.
Taehyung had visibly tensed and flushed few shades red, when Jungkook spoke about being greedy and not wanting to share him-
That was okay... good even... but a little too much for him to handle.
"What was your purpose behind this?" Taehyung questioned.
"Fun obviously." Jungkook retorts "Besides he had come to know about my origins, so I had been planning to scare him a little. Didn't know he'd piss himself from fear- would you talk to me later if I take a picture of Detective Jung in this state?"
"No." Taehyung deadpans.
"Boring." Jungkook clicks his tongue and settles down on the re-arranged benches.
"Wait- planning? You knew that he knew?" Taehyung's eyebrows knit. "And when did.. Hoseok come to know?"
Jungkook smiles, this time a lot more genuine "Yep, I knew." He lowers his gaze "And uh- well... that night when you, well... demanded me to save his life- uh... while I was healing him, he kinda opened his eyes and caught the sight of my original form. He did pass out immediately after that, but guess I wasn't lucky enough."
"Wouldn't letting mortals know of your existence, get you in trouble?" Taehyung asks, a little worried now.
"It does. So I'd like it if you hurry up. I swear I can almost see old faces amidst these sculptures popping alive-"
Taehyung shakes his head in dismissal and puts one of Hoseok's arm over his shoulder, trying to lift him up but the male was infact too heavy.
He glances at the Devil who stood below the altar.
"A little help over here?" Taehyung cocks his head, irritated.
Jungkook smiles apologetically "I'll tell you a secret of mine."
Taehyung listens, waiting for the raventte to continue.
"I can't step over the Altar." He confesses.
"You said you were all powerful and the church isn't affecting you-" Taehyung chides, rolling his eyes.
"Yes but that doesn't mean I can step over something that has been thoroughly doused with Holy water and incense and whatnot for years-"
"So Holy water does affect you?" Taehyung squints at the raventte who huffs.
"Riling up Father affects me."
"You're scared of God." Taehyung bites back a grin. "Is that why you arranged all the benches to the way it was?"
"Dear Devils- aren't you quite chatty today? I should have smothered you when I had the chance- and I'm not scared of Father- well.. not completely but frankly speaking who doesn't have Childhood trauma?!"
"And no- I rearranged them not because of Father, rather for my troublesome siblings. If they'd find out, I messed around their territory, they'll show up on my turfs to mess my shit up. Yes, they're petty like that- And Sinner reopened just today, it'd be brutal for the general public if it were to shut down again- also Sinner is far more expensive than this grimy old block, it'd simply be a nuisance for me.."
Taehyung snickers, dragging Hoseok across the altar. He looks at the mess and simply hopes for it to go unnoticed.
"You shouldn't have scared Hoseok... he's still recovering and he must have been terribly shocked on seeing the truth." Taehyung speaks softly, looking down at the raventte from the altar.
"You're too good for him eitherway, don't feel for this lump of human meat." Jungkook retorts.
Taehyung rolls his eyes "I am also a lump of human meat, besides... this was more or less my own state when I had discovered about you. It wasn't all that funny, now was it?"
Jungkook doesn't reply, averting his gaze.
Taehyung's gaze softens "Well- we've moved past that, hopefully Hoseok will understand and move past it too. I don't want things troubling you or your realms."
Jungkook looks up, his deep pools of raven shimmering.
Taehyung smiles faintly, through his cold mask. He then let's out a soft sigh and shakes his head "also... never do this again. And don't go around stirring trouble, this could have been handled in a better way... what a mess-"
Taehyung huffs, a thought suddenly flashing up in his mind "oh- and what was with the threatening to gouge his eyes out? Hoseok was already spooked enough when we were handling the Reaper- this isn't nice Jungkook!"
"Alright, okay that was a lie. Ofcourse I wouldn't do something like that. Definitely not to someone, Detective Kim cares about."
Taehyung narrows his eyes, suspicious at the response "you also said, you wished you had done it earlier."
Jungkook gives a wolfish grin "well I suppose, Detective Jung has pretty eyes. And I am a collector of pretty things, but that doesn't mean I would indefinitely gouge them out- not when he's Alive atleast."
Taehyung scowls and shoves the ravenette "Stop it! I'm serious. Stop fooling around Hoseok. Let him be alright?"
Jungkook simply chuckles, giving a quick salute to the Detective who simply sighed in defeat.
"So what other lies have you been telling me for the night?" Taehyung asks when the raventte walks up close.
Jungkook smiles. "None."
Taehyung scoffs lightly "you literally told Hoseok I was dying in your mist cage."
Jungkook bends, grabbing Hoseok by the scruff of his collar and pulls him down the stairs, rather unceremoniously.
He then proceeds to wrap his idle hand around Taehyung's waist and stares deeply into his eyes.
"I never you said were dying. You are indeed made of flesh and bones Detective Kim." Jungkook grins leaning over and whispers "also, you sure are one hell of a mess."
Taehyung leans his head away, his ear burning.
He glances at the raventte only to find Jungkook staring at him, his eyes fond.
"My mess."
***********
Taehyung stumbles forward, dizzy. His vision blurring out in turns, only for the firm clasp on his wrist to save him from reeling onto the ground.
He places his hand back onto the support, steadying himself and looks back at Jungkook- who was now completely shirtless, the copper blades folding behind his back, shimmering under faint moonlight.
"What- this..." Taehyung mumbles, his throat slightly parched. He gulps and runs his gaze around, squinting in the dark. The land was widely covered by short wild grass, the wind was more pleasant and the sounds of water hitting against the shore, engulfed his ears.
"Where are we?" The Detective looks back at Jungkook "wait- you brought us here?" He continues to pour out his questionnaire.
One moment he was pulled close to the raventte before the church altar and the next, was instructed to shut his eyes and hold his breath for 30 seconds to find himself in a devil-knows-what place.
There wasn't much source of light, yet it seemed like Jungkook was smiling in the dark.
"Yes, we flew here." Jungkook replies, followed by a thud and a groan- what seemed to be Hoseok in his very obvious unconscious state.
The raventte steps a little behind, and bends over to busy himself with something. His wings drape over his shoulder, hiding away his hands. He continues "as for your first question... we are at Hongdo."
Taehyung's eyes widens "Hongdo?!- what are we doing at Hongdo?! And even if you said we flew- it's just..." he trails off. It can't be impossible, not after knowing who the ferry-man was here.
Taehyung felt like a fool. His old habits of wanting to smother out the incredulous stuff pouring from Jungkook's mouth, resurfacing and clutching at his throat.
Thinking about how he had behaved around Jungkook and his bouts of 'I am the Devil' parades when he had first met the man, felt extremely embarrassing now that Taehyung thought about it.
He was telling the truth the whole time, but Taehyung just had to be conceited.
Well- that can't be blamed, because who really lands around the Devil anyway?
"Yes, yes. Doesn't make sense and defies the laws of science and the heavens." Jungkook mutters, conjuring a ball of fire in his hands and throwing it down in the make-shift bonfire pit he carved out from the ground. "Say what Detective Kim, I'm feeling like spilling all my secrets today so- well... the way we traveled is one of my tricks"
Taehyung sighs and settles down beside Hoseok. The fire cackles, it's flames orange and yellow, casting out its warm glow.
"Why here?" Taehgung asks, propping his hands over his knees.
"Leverage." Jungkook huffs, chucking a stone into the pit of fire, the sparks soaring to the air. He continues "this part of the island is secluded by the waters and you receive no tech signal." He pauses, shrugging and sinks down in a squat, sitting on his ankles "If you should explain how the Devil is not really all about the crazy hell-fire, insidious, treacherous character passed down through generations, to a very traumatized, scared, pissy-pants Christian man- good luck on that."
Taehyung blinks.
Oh.
"...so yeah, if you're both stuck on an island with no means for food or water and he decides to run when he wakes up, he'll have no choice but to return and listen to everything you have to say and only then, we can all leave."
Taehyung thinks about it and then sighs.
Okay that makes sense.... but isn't this a little too much?
He looks back at Jungkook who was grinning at him.
"What?" Taehyung frowns.
"Doesn't this feel like we're back at being partners again? You telling me things and me telling you things?"
Taehyung purses his lips, averting his gaze "Mm"
"Detective Kim..."
"What is it?" Taehyung asks, keeping his gaze fixated at the sky.
The fire continues to cackle.
"If... I'd apply for the consultant position again, would you take me as your partner?"
Something in Taehyung's chest begins to stir.
He turns to look at the raventte, who held the same hopeful look as he had months ago. His raven hair, now longer, falling over his dense eyebrows. His cheeks full, softer and his lips tinted with color. His skin, unblemished, dusted with hints of orange and red, reflecting the warm glow of the fire whilst his ever mischievous doe eyes glimmered under the fire light, expectant.
Taehyung clears his throat "no."
A loud dramatic gasp escapes the Devil's lips "Why?! You obviously aren't paired up with anybody as of now. I checked!"
Taehyung glances at the raventte, eyebrows furrowing.
"The Department bars uh..." Taehyung pauses, feeling it was improper to say it out loud, but knowing how Jungkook was, he wouldn't stop until a solid answer was returned. Taehyung clears his throat, continuing "intimate.... entanglements... between partners working on the same field..."
"Oh..." Jungkook's expression lights up, whilst Taehyung's face grows warmer. He turns his attention to the fire pit instead.
This was a bad idea.
Very bad idea.
The Devil, who clearly had upto no good intentions, scoots closer to the Detective. He grins maliciously, taking joy in the mortal's embarrassment "Oh so you'd rather choose to intimately entangle with me than have me working beside you hm?"
Taehyung scoots further away, sticking to Hoseok who laid unconscious on the ground "that's clearly not what I said."
Jungkook simply laughs in delight "You don't have to be shy Detective Kim. I understand your sentiments of wanting to tussle with me and I whole heartedly indulge the idea, however, I also do immensely enjoy solving mortal realm issues with you."
Taehyung immidiately hops to his feet before the raventte's obscenely warm and soft hands wrap around his frame.
Exhaling, labored, he shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "I- I'm going to go on a short walk. Don't follow."
However, Taehyung hadn't even taken two steps and a curt "Stop." made its way.
Flushing and irritated, Taehyung turned around "now wha-"
He doesn't complete it, noticing the clear change in Jungkook's expression. His wings were now no longer to be seen and put away.
His eyes seemed to brew abysmal storms, as his brows knitted watching the dark sky overhead.
This was different than what he had portrayed at the Chruch.
"Jungkook?" Taehyung manages to squeak out the Devil's name and the raventte simply spreads his right hand away from his torso, the heels of his feet digging into the ground to steady his frame.
The mortal quickly runs behind and settles himself between the unconscious man and the Immortal before him.
Soundless lightening strikes the air few 100ft away along the coast and Taehyung stiffens.
"Jungkook what is it?" Taehyung asks, worried.
The Devil turns to look at him. His pupils were still black, his face still human. Jungkook smiles with his lips, his hand going up to caress the Detective's cheek "nothing to worry about. Just some old acquaintances."
Old acquaintances?
Old Acquaintances?!
Again?!
Even Taehyung, a mortal's relatives don't show up before him as much as the Devil's do. It was ridiculous.
Taehyung keeps his eyes peeled open, steadying himself- despite knowing all too well, he wouldn't really be much of help eitherway.
It was agonizing, to see how the coins were flipped now.
Taehyung truly missed the days when Jungkook would bask under his protection, no matter how pathetically fake the whole act was.
Jungkook stepped before him, before a sharp beam of white light broke into the air.
Taehyung winced, even with being shielded he had successfully managed to make himself go silly blind for few good seconds. The dots in his vision receded, with some furious blinking and Taehyung peeked out from around Jungkook's frame.
A line of transcendent silver armor seared into Taehyung's brain.
One.. two... three..... six... seven.. eleven-
Taehyung broke into a sweat.
How many of those from the other side did even pull up for whatever coincidental arrangement this was?!?!?!
"Well... I didn't know Silver Gates was throwing a get-together party. Thank Father, I still made it regardless!" Jungkook throws up his arms, and flashes the flashiest grin of his.
An air of silence is returned, as the Silver Angels in armor quietly move in closer. Their eyes, radiating a steely golden as they silently stand in a semi-circle formation.
The wind howls, the waves lapping up against the shores.
Jungkook perks his chin up, his lips tugged into a smile "seeing how you're not all that chatty, I guess this isn't a get together party then."
You think?!??! Taehyung wants to yell, but makes no effort in voicing out his thoughts.
Jungkook shoves his hands into his pockets, teetering on his feet, amused, he continues "a funeral seems much better, doesn't it?"
Silence.
Jungkook claps his hands, joyful "Well. Which one of you wants to die?!'
"Jungkook." A sharp voice cuts through the lines of silver hoards.
The Devil grins "oh if it isn't the Raven of the Warriors... Finally decided to say 'hi' to me after that little fiasco huh?"
Taehyung peers at the familiar-faced Angel that steps out. He had the seen the being, the day Jimin, Jungkook and he, had set out to investigate the creature in the tunnel.
The Angel before them strapped in silver armor, was one of the four- the coldest looking one out of all of them
"For what pleasure do I owe your sudden.... gathering-" Jungkook queries. "Yinan?"
The Silver Angel steps forth, her armor clinking with every footstep.
"For your deeds ofcourse." She replies.
Jungkook smiles, shaking his hand in dismissal "too many to keep track."
The Silver Angel stops, narrowing her eyes at Taehyung and then lets her gaze travel down to Hoseok's unconscious state.
Her fiery golden irises flick back at the Devil.
"You broke the law, with stepping onto the Holy ground. Demonstrating your prowess in the temple of the Lord. And you're accountable for now letting two mortals know the existence of the realms." She narrows her icy gaze "one which you tainted. One which you threatened."
Taehyung crumbles in silence, screeching into the void.
Does everybody in the world, heaven and hell now know that they have fucked?!
Jungkook shrugs nonchalantly "yes, because the child I threatened, infact lured me into the Church." He pauses, blinking innocently "Do you think I'm stupid to walk in there out of all the places, I could possibly walk in?"
"Lured you?" Yinan scoffs, unbelieving.
"Yes. Absolutely." The Devil nods.
The Silver Angel doesn't buy it, ofcourse.
"Is that all you came for with all this pomp and circus?" Jungkook chides, smiling insincerely. "It can't be possible that you came to me looking for a fight hm?"
"We're not here for a fight." Another voice interjects, a Silver Angel stepping out. This one adorned no silver armor, like the rest, yet he exudated power and authority just like Yinan despite the light armor.
Even this one was familiar to Taehyung's eyes. The curious one in the far left.
"Ofcourse you're not." Jungkook retorts with a smug smile "it's not like you can win eitherway."
The Silver Angel with the ashened wings momentarily pauses, eyebrows knitting but it quickly smoothes out. He walks up to stand a feet behind Yinan.
"You do realize your absence at court has rendered your subjects running rampant right?" The Silver Angel announces.
Jungkook crosses his arms across his chest "with the way you're asking me to keep the streets clean from evil, it almost sounds like you're handing out your batch to me Kiwoo."
The Silver Angel grits his teeth in silence, but doesn't let the obvious instigating words get to him.
Satisfied with the miniscule of reaction, Jungkook returns his gaze towards Yinan. "Yeah, yeah, The King of Hell and I need to keep in check, Yada Yada... shush now."
"If I'm here keeping in check of what my subjects do, what are you going to do? It's clear you will be running out of business." Jungkook laughs "Infact, I'm doing you a favor. I play the bad guy. Yall play the good guys. The bad guy doesn't do the clean-up. The good guys do the clean-up. Also it caters to the long-run stories that feeds the generations, besides can you imagine the uproar if somebody tries to sympathize with me because I decide to pick the trash?" He gasps dramatically "Dear devils- you'd be missing your fans, faster than you'd be losing your patience from having this talk with me"
Jungkook snickers to himself.
"You should be lucky I'm a nice bad-guy. Imagine if I was exactly how I'm portrayed to be, I'd be living nightmare to the lot of you-"
"Enough!" Yinan cuts in and Jungkook simmers down.
"Even if you have a hand in it or not, there are mortals who are being affected by it. So therefore, you are held accountable for it as their King."
Jungkook lets out an unnecessary groan "well that's just shitty judiciary system." He turns to glance back at the Detective "next time you whine about corruption in mortal Court, just remember even the Silver Gates can't escape it."
Taehyung pleads through his eyes, to shutup for once. Jungkook is blind.
[A/N: play, Masquerade- siouxxie]
"You're on thin ice Jungkook." Yinan speaks, in a low and stern tone.
Jungkook watches the Silver Angel's hands and his lips tug up to form a smirk. His pupils flicker red, in contrast to the golden rings. He steps forth and so does Yinan, drawing a shimmering white blade that materializes into a tall bamboo-look alike metal staff in her hands.
"Nope. I only know how to walk on fire."
And they sprint towards each other. With only moments before colliding, the Silver Angel soars serveral feet above to land a heavy strike. A gust of wind lifts from a single wave of the weapon, smacking Taehyung in his face, his hair ruffling up. He squints through the dust that lifts up and waits for it to settle, anxiety chewing him up.
The dust settles, bringing light on the two in the middle of the ground, where Jungkook's giving away his shameless 'you-suck' grin, holding the staff in his hands that was admittedly trying to crush him into the ground whilst Yinan's passive aggressive neutral face broke from its form, showing hints of irritation.
Her eyes flare golden, gritting her teeth, she pours more of her strength and Jungkook's feet sink into the ground, cracks spreading on the surface.
The Devil dips and leans aside, letting go of his hold and the metal staff pierces into the ground, dust lifting.
Yinan whips her head to look up at the raventte who smiles smugly down at her.
"Lil sis, have you been doing your homework?" He cajoles
Yinan's expression twitches and she hurls the staff, whipping it around to land another powerful strike, but Jungkook ends up catching it this time. He yanks it towards himself and the Silver Angel grunts at the measure, quickly folding in her knee to aim her next strike at Jungkook's ribs before he could grab her.
Jungkook's eyes widens, shimmering at the beautiful follow-up that was being executed. He grins maniacally, blood pumping in his veins.
He can't remember the last time he had so much thrill fighting someone at hand to hand combat.
Jungkook narrowly escapes the kick, with hurling the staff away, Yinan along with it.
The Silver Angel lands on her feet, taking a knee to steady herself and she looks up at Jungkook and then at the staff that was still flying in the air. Her shoulder length raven hair flutters, her eyes blazing golden. The metal staff lands, once more piercing into the ground, standing erected, sharing equal distance between the two competitors.
They share a glance, seemingly sharing the same thought, they once again rush forward.
Yinan moves swiftly, her footwork a tad bit faster than Jungkook and so with mere steps, she reaches the metal staff. She grips the end of the staff, pouring her energy, she seals the center force and swings herself around it. Straightening out her leg, she lands her foot successfully against an unsuspecting Jungkook's chest, who couldn't dodge it this time.
The force from the kick, sends Jungkook flying behind and he crashes onto the ground, rolling to a stop, rocks and dust flying in its wake.
His eyes gleam crazy red when he gets back up on his feet, his hair all ruffled and stray pieces of grass embedded into it.
A small trail of thick blood trickles down his nostril and the Devil simply swipes his tongue over his lips, licking it away.
"You're getting better." He laughs "but not good enough to beat me."
And he disappears.
Yinan stiffens just like the crowd present. Her all-seeing eyes, searching in frenzy but there just seemed to be no trace left behind by the other.
Just as she blinks, a hand warps out of nowhere from the behind and grips onto the Silver Angel's arm, flipping her over.
She groans with pain circulating through her entire body and picks up on a split decision as she propells her foot to kick at her competition's shins.
Jungkook takes the hit, letting go of the Silver Angel's arm and she quickly escapes from the vulnerable position.
"You cheated." She scoffs.
"You're using a weapon." Jungkook retorts in a as-a-matter-of-fact tone, rushing towards her.
Yinana doesn't reply, focusing on the fight.
They share several moves, some brutally painful blows and some too fast to even track- maybe too fast, just for Taehyung who helplessly watched or atleast- tried to watch the whole thing.
Sometimes a crater would land the ground or heaving groans would erupt and Taehyung wasn't sure who was having the shorter end of stick here.
The Silver Angel, who Jungkook called out as Yinan, seemed strong... no.. she was super strong.
Perhaps even stronger and far more skilful than Jimin.
And there was Taehyung, rooting for the Devil. Ofcourse he had to- and this wasn't just because his heart desired him, rather also because he was their Ferry-man who had to carry them out of this God forsaken island. And not to mention, the amount of glares and dirty looks he had received in the span of 20 minutes, Taehyung felt a lot more safer on this side than the shiny silver one.
Taehyung chewed on his bottom lips, anxiously waiting for the fight to settle. The air blew, the clouds shifting, making haste to the moonlight to seep below.
The dust soon settles and Taehyung finally catches hold of the raventte kneeling on the ground with the Silver Angel pinned under his knee.
Jungkook simply grins, looking at the bloodied face of the Silver Angel. She glares at him with fury, but doesn't make an attempt to move. Not that she tries- she can't.
Smiling, Jungkook beams, pointing the end of the staff to her head "you lose lil sis."
He tilts his head, the malice in his eyes receding "You better train harder next time and bring an even more promising duel to me, Yinan"
Yinan doesn't reply, swallowing her words. Her calloused fingers curl on her sides and she simply averts her gaze to the sky instead.
Her body aches, but something within her soul aches even more.
It had been years.. decades... centuries.
The Silver Angel doesn't want to think about it, she purses her lips shut.
She blinks, something catching her all-seeing eyes, a spark- a flare- but before she could act on it, it zips past her.
It zips past her.
The arrow wasn't aimed at her, or the man who had her pinned to the ground.
It zips past them.
Heading straight towards where the only mortal stood.
And Taehyung doesn't see it coming.
Ofcourse he doesn't.
Red explodes before his vision and he stumbles back onto the grass, air bellowing in his ears. His heart beats wildly in his chest as his blood races in his veins.
The veil of translucent red smoke swims overhead, trapping Hoseok and himself in a dome-shaped cage, except for something significantly golden, sizzled, halfway stuck through the dome barrier.
An arrowhead.
Somebody shot an arrow.
And then Taehyung feels it.
A bone-chilling cold air swilring in the sky, then it grows warm. And then hot. Hotter.
A low rumble, awakes from the ground, vibrating to the core. The lazy yellow fire behind him dances in frenzy almost fearful before exploding into a shade of brilliant blue.
The clouds overhead brew into a storm, the waters turning uncontrolled and feral. The grass land erupts into blue flames surging and rapidly spreading out from where Jungkook stood.
Taehyung couldn't see his face, but he could sense something dark emanate out of him as he raises the metal staff with a flash and throttles it straight into the ground where the Silver Angel laid.
The Warriors almost unsheath their weapons watching Yinan being attacked, but spotting the palm drawn out from their Leader, they immidiately cease on their feet.
They're not here to announce war. They're not here to announce war.
Taehyung feels the goosebumps raise on his skin, as he silently watches. His knees feel weak, his lungs constricted.
This wasn't an act of anger.
This... this was real.
The Devil doesn't speak, his red irises remain eeiry calm, floating somberly amidst the dark pools of his eyes.
"Did you plan to do this? Ambush me?" He asks, his voice bitingly cold.
Yinan raises her chin gulping, heart palpitating. The metal staff was pierced into the ground, mere centimeres away from her head, scraping her ear-shell in the process. A siren danced in her head, the divine light in her veins, turbulent.
Jungkook did not miss.
He could have killed her, if he wanted to, driving the staff straight through her head.
Unblinking she stares into the eyes of the Devil, she replies "I'm not a coward."
Jungkook doesn't respond immidiately. He bends over and clutches her chin "you better not be lying, it'd hurt me to hurt you."
"I'm not lying." Yinan bites out.
Jungkook merely huffs, the blue flames disintegrate into the land. He gives a humorless smile as he proceeds to grab the Silver Angel by her neck and flings her limp body across the expanse.
Yinan simply clutches her teeth, bracing for the impact. And oh it hurts.
It hurts.
The stationed warriors, move uneasily, yet they do not break from their formation since the former hadn't given out the command to do so.
They stand still. They watch with their teeth in a grit, hands gripping onto their sheathed weapons, ready to interrupt any second, for things should go anymore astray than it already has.
"I know there's a rat amongst you." The Devil leisurely continues, walking close to Yinan who struggles to sit up "...doing all the dirty work"
Yinan bites her tongue.
"Silver Gates is now as filthy as pits of hell. Must be nice for a change hm?" Jungkook continues, avoiding the obvious gaze within the barrier he had cast out.
"You are going to go back to Namjoon and tell him exactly what I tell you, you better find that piece of shit before I make my way up to Silver Gates myself." Jungkook spits out, his tone venomous.
Yinan exhales, sitting up she heaves "You set the barrier because you predicted this too."
"Ofcourse." Jungkook sneers "you'd be the last person I trust."
Yinan purses her lips shut. She circulates her energy to her calves and slowly stands up to her feet, casting a glance at the dissipating golden arrow and then at the figure inside the barrier who was staring wide eyed at her.
"This mortal... is he somebody you trust then?"
Jungkook doesn't reply. He watches her carefully as she continues to speak in the Silver tongue. [A/N: The italics henceforth portray the language of the Heaven. Silver Tongue is the name, as in 'silver'=heaven 'tongue'=language.]
"You're too brave to bare your weakness to eyes that hunger over your demise."
Jungkook narrows his eyes "You're too delusional to think I'd even allow anyone to touch him."
"And if the culprit turns out to be our sibling, you'd kill them for this mortal?"
Jungkook purses his lips. He chuckles and then he laughs some more, with not a tinge of humor in it. He presses his hand to his face, his eyes glinting.
"No... why would I break laws for a pathetic excuse of righteousness?" Jungkook blinks, raising his arm at the barrier and the red veil slowly drops.
The Devil steps closer to the Detective, who seemed stiff and on his guard, his eyes wide and lips trembling, yet pursed shut.
"I'd wait for them to descent. Fall from the grace. And into the pits." Jungkook continues in the Silver tongue, and caresses the Detective's face, his touch tender yet his eyes seemed brutally cold.
Jungkook pulls the Detective into an embrace and the mortal falls flat against his bare chest. He makes no attempt on struggling, remaining rather pliant in the Devil's hands despite his obvious stiffness.
Jungkook inhales into the mortal's scalp spotting the scent of his typical 2 in 1 shampoo and the aroma of whisky. Delicious. His nerves slowly begin to ease, with the Detective's presence clouding his senses. He pets the soft hair, the oak hair strands slipping between his slender fingers.
He looks at Yinan and smiles, hauntingly insincere with his canines longer and his pupils running scarlet.
"And then I'll shred them to bits..." He blinks, in a promise. Dark mist pools out of his hands, it wraps around Hoseok's frame. The Devil runs his hand across the Detective's back, possessive. The copper golden blades unfurl from his spine, he stands tall with his wings drawn.
"...From body to soul... and skin to bone..."
He presses his lips to the tuft of hair beneath his chin. He looks up at the Silver Angel, with pure unadulterated wrath brewing in his eyes.
"Blood related or not."
**********
Taehyung heaves, falling back on what seemed to be a mattress.
He runs his gaze around and lets out a relived sigh.
He was back at Jungkook's penthouse, once more.
Taehyung looks up at the only other figure in the room. His back bared, adorning patches of discoloration. But before Taehyung could see any more of it, the raventte pulls a shut over his torso.
As if told that he was being watched, Jungkook turns to look at him and Taehyung stiffens in his seat.
The red in his eyes hadn't died out yet and nor did the inky black that covered the whites of his eyes.
He just seemed.... cold. Distant.
Taehyung gulps and averts his gaze, noticing a missing figure.
"Erm- where is Hoseok?" He manages to ask, noticing the raventte approach him from the corner of his eyes.
"Out. In the living room." He replies, his replies limited.
Taehyung exhales, licking his lips he quickly stands up "Um then I'll just go and uh-"
"No." A deep voice cuts in behind him, freezing the blood in his veins. "You are not to leave tonight."
Taehyung breathes in, trying to shake off the fear that was catching up to him. He opens his eyes and sighs, turning to look at Jungkook.
His face seemed livid, eyes bright.
This seemed like a very bad timing to piss him off any further.
Taehyung does not want to take the chances.
The Detective nods, agreeing "okay." He pauses, moving past the Devil and takes a seat on the bed, pulling off his shoes. "I'll sit here alright?"
Jungkook follows suit, his entire personna still appearing extremely unfamiliar to Taehyung, who hadn't yet dropped his guard against the raventte.
Jungkook watched him, his face although calm and his red irises swam in his inky eyeballs, something ominous lingered about in the air.
Almost feral and untamed, like a snake coiled into a corner or like a wolf silently baring it's fangs, frothing at its teeth.
Taehyung felt uncomfortable.
Vulnerable even.
"Why don't you speak?" The Devil questions, his tone not unkind, yet this wasn't a tone that Jungkook harbored- not to Taehyung at least.
Taehyung lifts his gaze, minding to be careful with his words. He continues with honesty, "I don't know what to say."
Taehyung exhales, trying to appear aloof. However his facade appears to break when the Devil raises his hand towards his face and Taehyung visibly flinches away.
Taehyung stares at Jungkokk with widened eyes.
He didn't mean to flinch. He didn't mean to flinch-
The raventte tilts his head, his hand still hanging in the air, alone, empty "You're scared of me."
Taehyung swallows the lump in his throat and he shakes his head.
"No.. no-" Taehyung quickly replies, gingerly wrapping his hand around Jungkook's. The skin was rather warm to his icy touch.
"...not scared of you." Taehyung lowers his eyes to the hand clasped in his "just a little dizzy... and startled of this..." he pauses "well... what happened back then.."
The warm cave of fingers, begin to unfurl at that and gently begins to wrap around the mortal's fingers.
Taehyung watches with his heart in his throat as the Devil slowly brings up his hand to his lips, pressing a chaste kiss to his icy knuckles.
"It is not my wish to scare you." Jungkook mutters, as he looks up from the hand, his eyes glimmering with the same stationery red glow, yet something desperate rises in them "It is never my intention to scare you."
Taehyung chews his bottom lip, his heart melting in his chest watching the raventge desperately trying to convince him, he's not the monster everyone says that he is.
Not to him.
Never to him.
Taehyung smiles faintly, he sighs and leans in closer to the Devil, wrapping his idle hand around Jungkook's face.
Their foreheads touch and Taehyung pecks Jungkook's nose. An act- so devastatingly sweet and out of bounds, that Taehyung had to call this a 'ridiculous!-only-happens-in-kdramas' move.
But what a turn of events, now that he had brought this upon himself today.
It didn't matter if it was shameful. Not if he was doing it with Jungkook, he then adds.
He leans away, to look Jungkook in his eyes. "I know..."
He sits on his knees and proceeds to pluck out the stray grass and weed shoots stuck in Jungkook's hair.
The silence is no longer uncomfortable, as Taehyung continues to run his fingers through Jungkook's scalp.
Taehyung silently carries on with the task, aware of the hands that had encircled around his waist and the pair of unwavering eyes that stared up at him.
"Hm.. there. All gone now." Taehyung exhales, clutching onto the grass shoots he had excavated. He diverts his eyes back at the Raventte's "Do your wounds hurt?"
"Not anymore." He replies, eyes shining.
Taehyung blinks, not buying it entirely, but then again Jungkook could indeed heal wounds, so he doesn't persist anymore. He rests his hand on the raventte's shoulders, careful so that he doesn't set the other off.
"Okay... we'll rest now alright? I'm a bit tired" Taehyung speaks, his voice deep and soothing to hear. He turns to place the scrap on the table and returns his attention to Jungkook.
"Sleep beside me." Taehyung offers "we can talk about things tomorrow. You're tired too, don't worry yourself over it right now alright?"
Jungkook doesn't reply, but the flare in his eyes softens, as does his hold on the mortal's waist.
Taehyung smiles at that and leans back on the mattress and Jungkook follows, obedient to his words.
The lights go off and they both succumb into darkness.
Taehyung turns over to face Jungkook, who seemed too irrationally obedient.
The Detective frowns a little and then proceeds to wrap his around Jungkook's frame only to be returned with the same gesture, pulling him closer to the clothed chest.
Okay... this was alright.
They were fine.
Everything was fine..
"Taehyung..." A voice breaths out over his collar bones. "If there comes a day, where you're truly scared of me....run away."
The words send a shiver down Taehyung's spine, he looks down at the tuft if raven hair tucked under his chin.
"What are you saying?" Taehyung asks, sensing the bitterness from the words.
"Dont approach me... go with Jimin... or to Namjoon, when that day comes..." Jungkook mumbles.
Taehyung sighs, helpless and a little lost. He squeezes his arm around the warm inferno caving into his chest.
"Silly Jungkook." He scolds, in a whisper "Stop thinking about things like these.. you already made me run away once, look where that brought me?"
He feels Jungkook shift uneasily. "Do you dislike it now?"
Taehyung rolls his eyes in the dark.
What sort of sentimental crap-
"If I had disliked it, I wouldn't be in your bed!" Taehyung snaps, cheeks flushing in the dark.
He shut his eyes close, not caring anymore if Jungkook could hear his heartbeats escalate.
"If you talk anymore, I'll seriously consider disliking all of it." He adds, huffing.
And the Devil obeys, pressing his lips to the Detective's throat after sometime the mortal had drifted off to sleep.
He listens and hums softly, lulling himself and the Detective into a deeper slumber.
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Author's Note:
This chapter squeezed the life out of me lol, but I love how it turned out.
Poor Hoseok lmao I love him, and yes, there's more to his side of story and you'll have to wait for the coming chapters.
And guys- we don't support incest in here. Yinan is not romantically inclined towards Jungkook, so I better not see yall going about it.
Namjoon is gonna be so stressed after this hsjsjsj I can't wait to write about him.
Also yes, like I mentioned before, this is the last update for now through my hiatus and I'll be back in December (late December) since I have to focus on my studies.
Until then, stay safe and take care♡
Thanks for all the love and patience. Also, Happy Halloween!!!!! What did yall dress up as, if you celebrated it?
Love,
J