--
'Come over.'

Two simple words typed to him were all it took for Jungkook to be slipping on his shoes and walking out the front door.

He wasn't quite sure what Jimin wanted, but Jungkook knew that he needed a distraction. He wasn't quite sure what the other sins were up to, but he could only assume it wasn't something that he wouldn't  want to agree to. There was something was too suspicious about the way that his memories blacked out after Taehyung had him under his spell.

The last thing he remembered was how entrancing Taehyung looked as his own consciousness slowly slipped away, after that it seemed as if his memories were cut away and discarded of.

As well as that, there was this dull ache in his chest that he didn't have prior to his encounter with the three other demons.
It didn't hurt per say, it was just sort of irritating and very noticeable as he went about his day to day life. It felt like the ache you got in your chest when you were trying to hold back tears.

There seemed to also be triggers that made it worse; the smell of raspberries, as he slept alone his chest ached horribly, when he kissed strangers it was persistent.

The only time it went away, was when he was around Jimin. During those times, it was replaced with a heat. He had begun to enjoy moments around Jimin, which he knew was wrong, but he couldn't help it. This bubbling warmth would spread throughout his entire body as he held Jimin close, his skin would tingle as he tasted the sweetness of Jimin's skin, his heart would beat rapidly as he let Jimin pepper kisses against his neck.

He wasn't quite sure why Jimin seemed to be the cure to his unexplainable pain, but he just didn't have the energy in him to put the time into trying to figure it out.

He just knew that although Jimin wasn't something that the devil would condone, Jungkook couldn't quite bring himself to push him away. It was fine as long as it was casual. It would be completely okay as long as neither of them decided to take it any further than it already was.

But would he have the heart to push Jimin away if he did develop further feelings?

He wasn't sure, and that worried him. This wasn't what he was supposed to be doing. When he was sent up to earth he wasn't sent to look for love, he was sent to destroy that very thing. It was worrying to him, that he was falling under Jimin's influence so quickly, when he was supposed to be the one influencing Jimin.

Jimin was too beautiful to push away.

He was too mesmerizing to let go.

And that was the problem.

-

"I guess almost all of my demons are fuck ups, huh?"

Taehyung, Yoongi, and Seokjin were in trouble.

Usually, the only way to get down to hell was if you transported there yourself by using the specific ritual. Sometimes, however, the devil would transport you down there herself without warning - and that was only reserved for when you royally fuck up.

Which they all had, but that was only becoming apparent then as they all kneeled in front of the devil, gazes casted downwards.

"Look at me." Their gazes all immediately snapped up, afraid of what disobeying could do to them. "So I've seen that you three have taken it upon yourselves to play matchmaker, hm?"

None of them spoke; they all knew it would only worsen their situation. The fire that blazed within the devil's eyes was terrifying, lips tugged down into a scowl as her anger became more evident. "Apparently my decisions and authority don't mean anything to you. It only matters what you want, right? And if you think that Jimin and Jungkook should remember each other, then fuck all of the hard work I put into this, right?"

They still stayed silent, the devil's eye twitching in annoyance. "Answer me."

"Jimin was distracting Jungkook, Master." Taehyung mumbled, attempting to cover their tracks. "His memories are still there, and we just thought that maybe attempting to draw them out could help lessen the strain it was taking on his mind."

"Are you dense?" The devil sneered, eyes narrowed as she stared Taehyung down. "Or do you think that I'm the stupid one? How would it be beneficial in anyway possible to bring back the love that killed Jimin in the first place?" She asked, Taehyung trying his hardest not to break eye contact. "Stop while you're ahead, it's not going to end well."

"But, Master." Seokjin piped up. "Why are some of his memories still present? Wouldn't it have been better to wipe them completely?"

The devil sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"Love is one of the hardest things to get rid of." She answered. "No matter how far down you bury the memories, you will still always feel a fondness whenever you see the person you once loved." Seokjin nodded, taking a moment to comprehend the words. "Love is tricky. It sticks. Whenever you think you've gotten rid of all of it, there will always be that little bit that you can't reach."

"So then what's going to happen to them?" Yoongi asked, the devil shrugging and smoothing down the fabric of the robe she wore.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see." She sighed. "But I do know what going to happen to you three."

She walked up to Taehyung, who was first in line, placing her hand atop his head and mumbling something that the demons couldn't decipher.

He only began to panic once she moved on to Seokjin, and he realized that she had seemingly paralyzed him from the shoulders down. "You really thought I was going to let you off easy?" She asked, looking over to Taehyung and watching how tears welled up in his eyes as panic overwhelmed him. "You really don't think very highly of me."

"What are you going to do?" Taehyung stammered, trying his best to ever just move one of his fingers. He couldn't through, the spell she had seemingly cast on all of them was too strong. He had expected to have to take a dip in the river, but this already seemed worse.

"Teach you a lesson, obviously." The devil smiled evilly, walking back over to Taehyung once more once she had immobilized Yoongi and Seokjin as well. It was terrifying to be so utterly unable to defend himself, his breathing was borderline erratic, unable to calm himself down.

She kneeled down in front of him, rolling up one of her sleeves and bringing her hand up to press flat against Taehyung's neck. Her skin was searing hot, scorching Taehyung the second she touched him and causing the demon to cry out in pain. "How's it feel?" She whispered, watching the tears begin to freely fall down his face.

He strained, using all of his strength to attempt to break free of her hold. His efforts were fruitless, still immobile as the devil's blistering heat engulfed him.

"Stop, stop please." Taehyung cried, barely able to think over the pain as she moved her hand down press against his chest. He felt as if he had been completely set ablaze, almost sure that her handprint was going to be branded into his skin.

"Why?" The devil asked, digging her fingernails into Taehyung's skin as well and only amplifying the pain

"Because I'm sorry!" He sobbed, unable to wipe away the tears that steadily flowed down his face.

"Sorry for..?" The devil prompted, dragging her hand across Taehyung's skin before cupping his face with it. Her hand left a burning trail in its wake.

"For disobeying you, f-for not taking your authority seriously, for trying to ruin the plan that you had worked so hard on." Taehyung babbled, mind almost completely off in another place as the heat and pain began to consume him.

"Will you do it again?" The devil asked, Taehyung quickly shaking his head.

"Never!" He exclaimed, so desperate to either pass out or for her to show mercy. Whichever came first.

He sighed in relief once her hand finally left his skin, but he could still feel the sting and burn of the aftermath as she stood up. She placed her hand on his head once more, more incoherent words leaving her lips before Taehyung's paralysis was lifted, the demon immediately falling to the floor.

He didn't even flinch as his shoulder hit the tile floor, too mentally and physically drained to think about anything.

He barely even caught the glimpse of her pressing her hand against Seokjin's throat before his eyes fluttered shut.

But it wasn't surprising, because they all knew they had basically asked for it when they tried to help Jungkook.

It was the price to pay when you wanted to do what's right, in a place where the norm was to do what's wrong.

--
a/n:
hey y'all
so I need your input
after infatuation is finished (which it won't be for a little while yet don't worry lmao) I've got two works line up but am not sure which one to publish first

so we got a)

"Mentality" [VMinKook] - 9 drafts
Jungkook, Taehyung, and Jimin are all patients at a mental hospital. Jungkook believes he has no reason to be there and finds clarity within two beautifully flawed human beings

or b)

"Out With A Bang" [JiKook] - 4 drafts
after their last drummer left, jimin and his other two band mates are sent on a hunt to find a new one. That, is where Jungkook comes in.

they're both gonna be posted in the end anyway I'm just tryna know which one I should post first

- Charlie :)