✔ || Save Me [[SEQUEL to DISTRACT ME]]

Chapter 13

"Come here."

Taehyung hesitated too long. The air in the room left an unpleasant chill on his flushed skin, but he didn't dare move. Raphael frowned, eyes flashing, "Come. Here."

The boy finally obeyed, allowing the archangel to pull him to his side. His heart pounded in his chest. He wasn't entirely sure what Raphael was going to do to him, and that was terrifying.

The archangel ran his fingers through Taehyung's hair, crooning, "Such a pretty boy. Are you my pretty boy?"

"Y-yes sir," Taehyung whimpered, still a little frightened.

"Hmm, good," Raphael grinned and sat Taehyung down in his lap. "Thank you for listening."

It wasn't something that called for a response, so Taehyung didn't offer one. But Raphael's grip on his hip tightened and he hissed, "What do you say?"

"You're welcome..."

"You're welcome, what?"

"S-sir. You're welcome, sir."

Raphael nodded in approval and suddenly swatted the side of Taehyung's bare thigh, earning a yelp. The archangel smiled, "I think I want to keep you, little one. Do you want me to keep you?"

Taehyung blushed, "Yes."

"Forever?" Raphael suggested.

That confused Taehyung. He frowned, "I can't live forever, sir."

"Are you sure, little one?"

"Pretty sure," Taehyung insisted.

"Hmm," Raphael petted his head. "I'm not. Do you know why?"

Taehyung played along, "Why?"

"Because I'm an archangel," Raphael grinned triumphantly, "and I can do many things."

The younger eyed him. What he was talking about sounded dangerous. It sounded like it was against the rules. Like it could get them both into a lot of trouble if anyone found out.

But Raphael was smiling at him, and Taehyung wanted so desperately to please him. He couldn't deny that it filled him with glee to know the archangel wanted to keep him forever. People could say whatever they wanted about the archangel - to Taehyung, he was perfect. Amazing. Loving, even if he scary at times. Even if he held Taehyung too tight, or spoke to him too loud.

He didn't want anything bad to happen to Raphael. The archangel was everything - he had to be safe. Taehyung murmured, "That sounds like dark magic, sir."

Raphael's eyes softened and he kissed Taehyung's temple, his feral dominance from before melting into a loving persona. Taehyung preferred this version of Raphael, but he knew that if he ever said that aloud, the archangel would be angry. Taehyung didn't like it when he was angry.

"It is, little one," Raphael cooed. "But I would do it for you. Would you do it for me?"

Taehyung hesitated and the archangel's grip on him hardened. Scrambling, Taehyung rushed to say without stuttering, "Of course I would!"

Raphael smiled possessively, "Good, little one. Now, go lay down."

Taehyung deflated, but obeyed.

Later, after Taehyung was released, he found Eden eating an apple in the Lookout. He strolled to join her. She glanced at him as he approached, "Hey, Taehyung."

"Eden," he offered a small smile, but it was dull compared to his old boxy grin.

That did not go unnoticed. Eden frowned, but she had tried to have this conversation too many times to try again. Each time she pointed out how toxic his so-called "relationship" with Raphael was, Taehyung would shut down and leave. She didn't want to lose her brother. So, instead of saying what her gut told her must be said, she asked, "How are your wards doing?"

Taehyung nodded, "Good. Some happy, some sad."

He was quieter now. He had been for many years. They were each twenty-one now, but Eden's old brother had disappeared when they were six. Or maybe they had been closer to seven. Either way, Eden missed her playful hatchmate, but again, it wasn't something she could say to him. She'd tried too many times, and each time he'd ran to Raphael. More than anything, she didn't want that to happen. She didn't want the archangel to get an even tighter hold on him.

"Want to race?" Eden asked gently, knowing it would get both of their minds off of things.

"Sure!" Taehyung said, perking up.

His eyes lightened, but not as much as they should have. Eden hated that.

She lifted her dappled grey wings, grinning at her brother. "Don't think I'll go easy on you."

"You better not," Taehyung shot back cockily, unfurling his wings.

Eden always thought her brother had the most beautiful wings. They shone in the sunlight, sometimes so much so that she couldn't look directly at them. They were black as pitch, the darkest black she'd ever seen, as if his feathers were made of obsidian instead of keratin. And they were huge, much bigger than hers, stretching to four meters while hers just barely made it to three and a half. But that extra size sometimes led to trouble - it was always funny to watch him stretch only to knock something - usually something important - over. She couldn't count how many vases he'd broken with those clumsy appendages. But that was okay. His klutziness hadn't changed in all those years even though the rest of him had, and though it was sometimes obnoxious to help him clean up his messes, she did it happily. She would hold onto that klutziness. She couldn't let that be taken away by Raphael too.

They raced their usual route - around the perimeter of the Lookout and across the city to land on the roof of the shining Cathedral a kilometer away. Eden won, but just barely. She landed lightly, fluffing out her wings, while Taehyung practically crashed onto the rooftop, stumbling a few steps before falling on his face with a breathless laugh. Eden couldn't help but smile.

Yes. She'd hang onto his clumsiness. She'd protect it as long as she could.