✔ || Distract Me

Chapter 30

{A/N: Here we are at the last chapter of Distract Me. Don't worry, though, the next book is already almost ready to start posting, so you won't have to wait long!}  

Taehyung pulled Jeongguk to his chest, both too rejuvenated from their nap earlier to sleep. "Do you mind asking your question while we're awake, jagiya? I don't know if we're going to get much sleep tonight."

Jeongguk nodded and pursed his lips, trying to remember. "Oh yeah! What's the difference between glamour and shapeshifting?"

The elder chuckled, turning his head to stare up at the ceiling. Their legs were tangled together under the blankets, and the excitement (and terror) from earlier had passed, leaving a gentle calm that caressed the energetic boys. "Ready for a very technical lesson?"

Jeongguk nodded, grinning excitedly, "Yes."

"Well," Taehyung stole a chaste kiss and giggled when Jeongguk gasped, "shapeshifting is when you change your actual molecular structure. Like, you might still have the mind of a human - er, angel - but your body itself is whatever you've shifted into. It's incredibly hard to shapeshift into anything specific, like a specific person or a specific dog, but you can shoot for generals. Like, if I wanted to look exactly like my one ward's pet turtle, I couldn't nail the exact details, but I could transform into a generic turtle. Does that make sense?"

The maknae nodded against Taehyung's chest, "Yeah, I think so."

Taehyung wetted his lips, "Now, glamour is something different. That's like...that's like putting on a disguise. Like makeup, or clothes. It's an actual layer of magic that goes over your body, or whatever you're putting it on. That's another thing - I couldn't shapeshift an apple into an orange, or anything like that, I can only shapeshift my own body, but I could make an apple look like an orange with glamour. Get it?"

"Yeah."

"Glamour is basically makeup," Taehyung sighed. "Cosmic makeup."

Jeongguk snuggled into Taehyung's side, burrowing under the blankets. "Your voice is soothing, hyung."

"Ya, are you even listening? I'm answering your question!"

"Shush," Jeongguk giggled. "I promise I am. Glamour is makeup, shapeshifting is science. See? I don't even need to take notes."

Taehyung huffed, but was satisfied. "Are you getting sleepy, jagiya?"

"A little," Jeongguk admitted. "You?"

"Not really," Taehyung sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Want to play a game?"

"What game?" Jeongguk asked, hardly paying attention.

"Hmm," Taehyung paused. "Truth or dare?"

Jeongguk rolled his eyes, "Really? What are we, twelve?"

Taehyung swatted his thigh, "Do you have a better idea?"

"How about we just cuddle?" Jeongguk offered.

The elder blew out a disgruntled breath, "But that's boring." Jeongguk punched his shoulder weakly and he laughed, "I didn't mean that the way it came out. I just mean that I'm still super hyper, and I don't want to go to sleep yet."

"Then go play," Jeongguk sighed, his eyes fluttering shut. "I bet someone is still awake."

"But I want to play with you," Taehyung huffed.

Jeongguk raised an eyebrow, "And I want to cuddle with you. Either way, one of us isn't going to get what they want."

Taehyung sighed dramatically, but settled in next to the maknae. "Fine, Kookie, be boring."

"That's me," Jeongguk grinned sleepily.

Like the three-year-old he claimed to be mentally, despite his claim that he wasn't tired, Taehyung slowly fell asleep. Jeongguk followed soon after, a small smile playing on his lips.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

The dream was black. Nothing but black. There was no tug, no sound, nothing. Jeongguk gripped his head, the palpable silence threatening to strangle him.

Where was Taehyung?

Taehyung?

Jeongguk circled around, searching desperately.

Tae?

Madness overtook him and he screamed.

━━━━━━ ◦ ❖ ◦ ━━━━━━

Jeongguk woke up to an alien glow. He blinked, focusing, and his heart threatened to come out of his chest. Raphael grinned wickedly down at him, "I win."

Without thinking, Jeongguk swung. The archangel straightened, avoiding the blow, and Jeongguk threw himself out of bed, adrenaline pumping in his veins. Raphael sighed, shaking his head disappointedly. "You really don't know when to quit, do you, little one? Taehyung's mine now."

Jeongguk froze and looked around wildly, searching for his boyfriend. "What did you do to him?"

"He's awaiting trial," Raphael giggled sadistically. "Do you know what that means?"

"On what grounds?!" Jeongguk demanded. "He didn't break any rules!"

"Ah, but he did, little one," Raphael broke into a laugh, keeling over in his mirth. He straightened after a moment, wiping at his eyes and mimicking, "'You're really an angel?' And do you know what your stupid little fallen lover said?" Jeongguk's blood ran cold in his veins. "He said yes! So now," Raphael bent close to the maknae's face, but Jeongguk was too busy trying to remember how to breathe to care. "Now, he's mine."

"No," Jeongguk breathed.

"Oh, yes!" Raphael's eyes flashed with glee. "He's going to hell, and you're going to rot here on Earth. I told you this would happen, little one, but you refused to listen."

"Please," Jeongguk stammered, gagging on his panic, "please, just let me talk to him!"

"Too late, little one," Raphael patted his head and Jeongguk gritted his teeth at the burn. "There's nothing you can do."

"Let me be a witness!" Jeongguk suddenly cried, not really understanding what he was saying.

Neither did Raphael, apparently. "What?"

"Well, sure!" Jeongguk said, more than a little manic. "You said he's awaiting trial, right? Don't you need witnesses?"

Raphael frowned, "We have no need for -"

"Unless you think you'll lose," Jeongguk challenged.

The archangel wrinkled his nose. "I will speak with the others. You will be taken into custody, and it will certainly hurt, but just remember, little one, you asked for it."

"Wait!" Jeongguk shouted, but the archangel was gone. The air crackled where he once stood and the maknae sunk to his knees, his entire body convulsing. He hugged himself, staring at the floor. He'd never felt so helpless in his life.

Taehyung had been taken into custody. He was going to have to kneel before however many archangels and hear Raphael twist the case against him, just like he had done before. Jeongguk choked on a sob.

Before he could give in to his waves of despair, a flash of bright light momentarily blinded him. When his vision returned, Raphael was standing before him, flanked by two other angels. The archangel crouched before the maknae and hissed, "You've made your life significantly harder, little one. I hope it's worth it."

Jeongguk offered a gritted smile as the angels jerked him to his feet, their hands actually sizzling when they landed on his bare skin. "It will be."

And then one of the angels gripped the crown of his head and he wailed in agony before finally collapsing, blacking out before he even hit the floor.

To be continued in Save Me, Book 2 of the Dream of Me series. Go to the next chapter for a teaser.