"Do people up there answer prayers?" Jaebum asked as he meticulously scanned each document over and over again for any sort of peaceful resolution of a human and angel being together.
Youngjae looked up at him, raising a brow in question. "What do you mean?"
"When humans pray, is that like... received? Like a message or something?" Jaebum had been wondering that for a long time, even back when he wasn't sure if angels and such heavenly beings existed. He just wondered if anyone was ever listening in his times of need.
Youngjae hummed, shrugging in response. "Um... well we can hear your prayers. Doesn't mean we'll do anything about it. Praying doesn't mean much despite what you humans think, they're often just useless desires, so we tend to ignore them."
"That's harsh..." Jaebum mumbled, though he did feel a bit guilty since he had prayed for meaningless things before.
"Sorry." Youngjae replied.
"Still, I'll try it." Jaebum slid off the couch to his knees, pressing his hands together just in front of his nose. "Dear whoever can hear this, my angel boyfriend has been taken from me, and it's been 27 hours since I've last seen him. I need him to come back to me safely, I love him so much, and I can't lose him. Jinyoung, baby, if you're okay, I hope you return to me soon, safe and unharmed. I'm a wreck without you. Please. I love you so much. Amen."
Jaebum let out a breath, glancing over at Youngjae who kindly waited for him to finish.
"Feel better now?" The younger asked.
"I guess..." Jaebum replied as he sat himself on the couch. He felt a bit embarrassed about saying all of that in front of someone, but he wasn't the type to hide his feelings. Though, he did feel a bit ridiculous after praying, especially since Youngjae said they were mostly ignored. "That was useless, wasn't it?"
"Pretty much." Youngjae replied, trying to hide his giggles behind his hand.
"Then why did you let me do it!" Jaebum shoved the younger who couldn't help but laugh, needing a moment to regain his composure.
"I thought maybe it would help you calm your nerves. Y'know people tend to pray when they're most desperate, I didn't wanna stop you from letting your feelings out."
Jaebum huffed, after thinking about it, realizing he did feel a bit lighter. Who knows, maybe someone did hear his prayer and knows exactly how much he loved Jinyoung. Though it probably did go unheard, the thought that he at least put his prayer out there made him feel a bit more relieved than before. "I guess I feel a bit better, though no one's probably listening..."
Youngjae hummed, clicking his tongue as he set down the paper he'd been reading. "I'll try contacting Jinyoung through projection again. Maybe it'll transmit this time."
Jaebum nodded, watching Youngjae head to the bathroom to use the mirror as a means of contact. "Please, I hope it does."
🕊
"Why are you crying?"
Jinyoung let out a shaky breath, the sound of him sniffling and his chains clinking together filling the narrow, dimly lit corridor as the guard guided him towards his awaiting fate. "I... just heard a prayer for me... from someone special..."
The guard hummed, not pressing any further. They walked for a bit more before stopping by a set of large wooden doors decorated with intricate carvings. "You should wipe your tears before standing before the council."
The guard pulled a handkerchief from his robes, handing it off to Jinyoung to use to clean himself up.
"Okay..."
