The Fallout
guardian demon!jimin x reader
genre: angst, romance, supernatural, romance, fluff
Word Count: 2.9k
related works: see masterlist under guardian demon!jimin au
Continuation of Cor aut Mors (Heart or Death)
Tags: @cherryjiminiee @kokobaekkie @breathebangtan @itsadoozie @thatshylatina @chiminieboi @azulamakesmeblank @sectumsemptae @awkwardwookie @aduky @poisonseashell @shortannoyingginger @caramelmac-chiato @sana-b @jiminstinct @beautifulparisiangirl @taelieninvader @ggukjitaejin @xakemi-chiix @vantaenims @atulipandarose @moments-of-melancholy @xclo02 @cherub-kookie @gottadreamitallaway @indiesy @disn3yfreak @oerangdoongi @definitelynotshady @youmaiiwasherebeforeu @fiantomartell @unicornbabylover
A/N: HELLO BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE I’VE MISSED YOU ALL SO MUCHHHHH WAAAAAHHH ;A;!!!! Let me tell you things on my end were CRAZY, i am so sorry for the long ass wait because life + writer’s block = NOT IT. Maybe because we’re now coming closer to the end of this series that it’s harder for me to write?? who knows but to everyone who has been waiting, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!! <3 i cannot tell you how much i love and appreciate you!! ;A;
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You have no sense of time, sitting there for who knows how long amongst the rubble. Your whole body is numb to the point where you don't even know if you're breathing – even the cold draft coming through the broken window felt as if it is simply passing through you. Echoing in the very depths of your mind like a broken, twisted record was a singular thought; he was gone.
Just like that.
The weight in your chest presses down violently then, and you struggle to fend off the all consuming feeling of dread and panic, like you're slowly being buried alive. You scream at yourself to breathe, not knowing that you're actually close to hyperventilating. Just as you think you might black out from the overwhelming pressure –
“Well that was one hell of a shit show huh?”
You jump, startled out of your wits by the sudden raspy voice that cuts through the stifling atmosphere the place has taken. Your head turns towards the general direction of where you thought it came from – senses lagging behind from very nearly self-destructing, It's safe to say you're so shocked at what you see that you almost couldn't believe it.
“....J-Jungkook?” You call his name hesitantly. The sweep of matted raven hair flies up with a strong puff of air exhaled from a split lip, giving you a glimpse of a familiar pair of wide doe eyes.
“Still kickin'” He tries to say cheekily but ends up visibly wincing from pain, head poking out from behind the remains of the island counter; the only thing you see from your position. It prompts you to move, although you do so almost robotically; hands and legs stiff and unsteady. After tripping over various forms of rubble trying to figure out a way to get to the other demon, you eventually make it to his side.
You have to hold yourself back from cringing when you get a good look at Jungkook. To say that he's seen better days would be a gross understatement; he looks like he's about to breathe his last breath at any moment.
“Y-You know, I don't know if 'kickin'' would be the right choice in words......” You mumble, tentatively kneeling down beside his battered body. “Although I am glad you're alive....”
Jungkook lets out a noise halfway between a chuckle and a grunt before it, once again, fizzles out into a groan. “Don't kill me poppet; literally though because laughing actually hurts.”
It's true, this isn't probably a laughing matter but you can't help the little quirk that tugs at the corner of your mouth – guess humour is a universal way to cope with the extremes of situations, and who are you to downplay it even when it's coming from a demon. Still, you worry for him and in the chaos that had just ensued, you really need someone to keep you grounded right now.
“Well, you're not dying on my watch, I can promise you that.” You reply. “Though.....I'm...I'm not much of a demon medical expert. You'll have to help me out here...What hurts the most?”
“Honestly? Everything.”
Oh boy....
The next several minutes was you trying to help Jungkook be a little more comfortable without moving him too much, which resulted in you digging up salvageable couch cushions and pillows. You think it's not much considering the extent of his injuries but Jungkook assures you that demons heal quickly so long as they're not disturbed while resting. Once you got him on his little makeshift bed and not having anything else to keep you busy, the both of you sit in tense silence, you mainly lost in the muddled pool of your own thoughts.
You don't notice the way Jungkook eyes you almost cautiously, trying to decipher your emotions like one would disarm a bomb. As much as it worries him, he'd rather not accidentally trigger a massive breakdown from you if he can so help it. But your blank expression doesn't give much away, and Jungkook is admittedly too damn nosy to not let this entire thing go because hey, it's not every day a mortal falls for a demon who's been assigned as their temporary guardian and then goes on to invoke the wrath of an archangel in defiance of saving said guardian demon.
Mustering every ounce of sensitivity he can manage, Jungkook awkwardly stutters out, “....S-So....what now?”
It takes you a good minute to process what it is that he's asking, the gears in your mind creaking in their struggle to work and even then, you pathetically come up with no solid answer, croaking, “I-I.....I don't know....I.....Like – what am I supposed to do....? I don't even know...what's going to happen to him....”
“Well....” Jungkook begins, still sounding unsure. “Your guardian demon was most likely taken to be held in Heaven's custody; jail if you will....” He pauses and when he sees you not reacting badly, he continues. “During that time.....the Heavenly Court will deliberate, and then once they come to an anonymous agreement......” A deep breath, “They will either....condemn him eternally.....or...”
“....Or what?”
“....Or he will face divine execution.”
Execution.
The word itself seems to have pierced right through you, a blow to the very core of your being.
Execution – if Heaven so deems it, Jimin would die.
You feel yourself beginning to shake, stomach bubbling nauseously and as much as you try to keep a level head, the words that spill out of you are charged with your heightening emotions, spiralling.
“B-But why? He did nothing wrong!? I was the one who acted on my own, so how can they put all the weight of the blame on him?!”
“By my guess, Heaven is probably not even concerned about you and Jimin in that sense, much so that they are just using it as a front.”
That makes you pause. “...W-What do you mean?”
Jungkook gives you a pointed look, as if the answer is so obvious that it makes you scowl. He exhales loudly before saying, “Heaven isn't mad at your relationship with Jimin per say; it's more about the violations that has taken place.”
Your mouth opens and closes, trying to work out words to make sense of Jungkook's speculations, like differentiating pieces to a puzzle. But no matter how you look at it, the conclusion you come to appears more and more outrageous.
“So, you're implying that Heaven would rather care about how this looks on them than having a fair trial...?!”
“I hate to break it to you poppet, but he's already not winning any favours by just being a demon alone; in the eyes of any angel, we're scum, the lowest of the low.” Jungkook almost spits out spitefully, dark eyes hardening at the reality he speaks of. “And in this case, the odds are more stacked against your little guardian, even if he wasn't a demon. Or did you already forget that you're not the only one who he had a binding contract with anymore?”
You're midway to opening your mouth for a defensive rebuttal, accusatory finger pointing and all, but Jungkook's question made you stutter out, almost sheepishly, “W-Well....! Am I...Was I not...?”
You could swear he had contemplated on facepalming or not. But you were genuine in your confusion; were you not supposed to be the only one he had a contract with, as your guardian sworn to protect you during his time of service? Who else could he have had a contract with? Was that possible to begin with?
The young demon in front of you provides the answer at your fumbling silence, “Let me ask you – has Jimin not told you about what his plan was? Why he looked the way he did up until this point?”
“...It was to transition himself into an angel right? Then yes, he's told me about it and that was what's causing him to feel weak.” You pause mid-thought, scrunching your face. “But I mean, he was getting better? So that should mean the process is no longer affecting him now.”
Something passes through Jungkook's face, one that makes his eyebrows furrow, pursing his lips and dark eyes drifting out of focus. “Getting better you say.....”
Unconsciously you find yourself mirroring his expression too, not liking the dragging, almost suspicious tone of his voice. “....Yes...?”
“....And I don't suppose you have anything to do with that, do you?”
You blink multiple times, mind doing acrobats in trying to figure out a way to avoid telling a demon that you know about the ways they can absorb energy, which in turn would indirectly mean telling a demon you may have done – not the devil's tango per say – but the demon version of it.
Of course your silence rings louder than any words you could possibly say, because your slight hesitation and shaking eyes instantaneously has Jungkook's jaw dropping, his own eyes widening in a comedic mixture of abject horror and being scandalized.
“You did it didn't you?”
Face heating up, you guffawed,“I-I- What?! I don't – !!”
“You harlot!”
“I'm not! And why are you so shocked?! That stupid angel was screaming for the whole world to know!”
“Yeah but he's an angel; he would've classified 'laying with the spawn of Satan' if you had held hands with Jimin.” Jungkook rolls his eyes. Soon after though, he runs a hand through his mussed raven hair, eyes shut and a grimace taking over his expression as he mutters something under his breath that you couldn't quite catch. A beat passes before he eventually asks, “Are you well-versed in the....” He gestures vaguely, “...Principles of Christianity by chance?”
“Like....the bible?”
“Yeah, all those fun bedtimes stories, beliefs, mythos, yada yada.”
“Kinda...?” You shrug. “I'm not...terribly religious. I probably just know the bare minimum, like 'He died on the cross for our sins' sort of basic.”
“Then I'm sure you're at least familiar with the infamous 'Seven Deadly Sins.'”
“...Yes? If you mean like, pride, lust, greed and all that.”
“The very ones.” Jungkook nods, musing. “The seven vices that seems so innate in human nature, no matter how much they try to run from it.” He turns to you then, raising a brow curiously as he asks, “Did you know that there are counter parts to the sins?”
Now that you didn't know. This new piece of information has you intrigued, genuine curiousity but also has your thoughts swirling with questions on how this all connects back to the matter at hand, and wanting to get to the point, you voice it aloud, “What does that have to do with Jimin or the second contract?”
“I'm getting there....” Jungkook grits out through a sardonic smile. “As with all things that are evil, they are not without those which are good. So with seven sins that damn you, there exists seven virtues that redeem you.” He pauses, taking the time to exhale slowly as a more solemn expression takes over. “The process of 'the ascension of the soul' – that is to become an angel, by Heaven's decree, is to prove your unwavering piety by demonstrating that you possess and are capable of these virtues.”
You nod your head in understanding, silently signalling for Jungkook that you are following so far. Seeing that, he continues. “To undergo this change, you must visit the place His Holiness has named His gatekeeper, kneel before his throne and swear an oath, who will in turn, bear witness to these trials.”
Swear an oath.....
It's a split second delay, but the realization dawns on you and the magnitude of your actions crushes you full force, like the weight of the entire universe.
He swore an oath to a Heavenly body, a literal Saint, that he would prove to them that he had what it took to be an angel, and you made him break it.
The memories of that stormy night rushes back, the way you had found Jimin unconscious, wounded and bleeding on your floor......It makes you think you should've known back then, should've seen those signs or at least persisted before it was too late.
How foolish and ignorant of you to think that it was simply a matter of completing a checklist, and all of it could be undone by saying no, and the offering of one single soul would be enough as compensation.
You slump, defeated and that's all Jungkook needs to know that you understand. He doesn't elaborate anymore either, slipping back into his own turbulent thoughts; the gnawing guilt that had buried its way into his conscious at war with the a scorned bitterness. In the end however, nothing will change the fact that this was Jimin's choice, and that this was something he had anticipated and accepted; like he's had it all planned out from the beginning. The idea unintentionally tugs at the corner of Jungkook's lips.
“You know....” He finds himself speaking, “As fucked up as this all is, it could've been worse.”
You don't respond. After being dropped with such a bombshell, you don't have the mental strength to formulate words anymore, let alone comprehend what he could possibly mean by 'could've been worse' because to be quite fucking honest, this already is pretty fucking bad.
Of course, your silent crisis does nothing to deter Jungkook, as he continues on his one-sided conversation. “Jimin was right when he prevented you from giving up your soul to Hell. Though I have to admit, it was the ballsiest move for you to date – but also the dumbest one yet.” His tone shifts, the rough scoff at the end of his sentence softening into something sombre. “A soul damned to Hell for eternity......It's not something anyone wants to be put through, not even us demons. In the deepest circle where all forsaken souls go, you'll slowly be driven to madness; losing all sense of self and identity, until you become too consumed by the blood-lust and turn into just a mindless monster who's always hungry for souls.”
Flashbacks of the shadowy creature that followed you instantly comes to mind, the result of an attempted summoning gone awry. It was only for a short bit thankfully, but the feeling of being hunted down by some faceless, formless entity was frightening enough for you to never forget it. You wonder if that was what Jungkook means; to be driven mad to the point of becoming.....nothing.
“Makes sense why Jimin took on this temp job if you think about it....” Jungkook adds in almost thoughtfully, his focus now on picking at his nails. He lets out a short chuff, grunting. “Looks like he got more what he bargained for instead.”
Suddenly you think that his ramblings were more to fill in the void that would've drowned you both. You'll admit it does help a little in keeping you from sinking into your own despair, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're already one foot in. Unable to bare the creeping silence like Jungkook, you also find yourself speaking, following his lead out of desperation.
“.....So....” Your voice comes out in a strained hush, and though you swallow, the lump remains at the back of your throat, the dread slowly creeping in, relentless. “...There's really nothing I can do.....?”
Jungkook pauses in his fidgeting before he lets out a deep sigh, obsidian eyes meeting your pleading ones. The look makes him truly pity you because he knows that the only answer he has won't be the one you want to hear.
“Wait.”
-
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
The sounds of a muffled heartbeat.
Inhale.
Exhale.
The steady rise and fall of his chest.
These were the only indications of there being any signs of life within the isolated tower, the cold white marble of the walls seem to sap all matters of warmth from entering. Even the few streams of light that streak through the stain glass do no more than cast eerie shadows and shroud the room in a haunting glow.
Ba-bump.
Ba-bump.
The sound keeps him grounded, a constant to focus on when here, time only seems to be a concept and not a reality. And he does not know how long he's been suspended like this.
Click clack.
Click clack.
A break in the routine. His ears perk at the sudden change, zeroing in on the rhythmic pattern until he discerns them as footsteps. A strange occurrence, even stranger when they grow louder coming towards the direction of his holding. A jingle of keys and the shuttering of the gates opening lets him know that he has a visitor.
“My....What a terrifying sight you make.”
The voice makes him grimace, and though it's not how it normally sounds, he can recognize the speaker anywhere; an unfortunate byproduct from having worked with them for millennia now.
Slowly, his eyes slip open, vision blurry until they adjust but he doesn't get a chance to lift his head before a face obnoxiously comes into view.
“He lives....” The visitor gasps dramatically, followed by a series of dark chuckles that grate on his nerves.
“Well, he won't be for long.” Jimin gets out hoarsely,”If you keep talking as loud as you are, this headache might do me in.”
The snarky remark earns him a loud bark of laughter that reverberates off the walls. The man straightens himself up, completely disregarding the tragic state that Jimin is in, a wide toothy grin spreading his lips.
“Really, is that any way to speak to your boss after he's come all this way to see you?”