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Once upon a time, there were two angels.
One angel held so much love for the world, evident in the way his large eyes sparkled with fascination no matter where he went.
The other angel, however, found himself drawn to the beautiful world reflected in his companion’s eyes.
Hand in hand, the pair travelled through the sky, protecting their assigned district from harm and helping humans in their daily lives.
And when nightfall arrived, they were off-duty and would spend time with each other. Whether it be through engaging in human activities, resting their heads in an area with a scenic view, or floating among the pretty stars, these two angels were never seen without one another.
To say that they were happy was an understatement.
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
“Papaya!” A young woman cries, running straight for the golden retriever. Digging her face into her pet’s fur, she sobs uncontrollably and locks it in a tight embrace as if letting go would cause it to disappear again. All the while, the pet merely sits there, accepting the affection. However, its wagging tail, similar to the rotor blades on a helicopter, expresses its true feelings.
Other family members start to gather, delighted at the sight of their dog. They hug their beloved pet one by one, displaying their relief in various ways.
From a distance away, Beomgyu observes the interaction, waiting for his dormant heart to melt from the display of love.
Yet, once again, his chest remains disappointingly hollow.
Flaring his wings, he takes to the sky and begins his search for more humans to help.
But along his journey, something dark creeps into his heart and starts clawing its way through his body. Beomgyu bites his lip and extends his wings further, pushing himself to fly faster.
In the ground below, amid the busy city, lies a park. Despite it almost being nightfall, Beomgyu detects three occupants in the playground area, seemingly searching for something. Without a second thought, Beomgyu descends.
Now that he has a closer look, the people remaining in the park are three young men, all in their early twenties. The one with faded purple hair kneels and lowers his head to the bark chips, checking under the slide. “It’s not here, either,” he laments, his voice soft and rich.
“Are we even sure it’s here? What if you just forgot it at home?” Another voice asks, this one having some sort of nasal quality to it. His sharp, slanted eyes remind Beomgyu of a fox, but his lips are plump and pouty, reminiscent of a duck’s. It’s an interesting combination that adds to this mortal’s charms.
“I know I had it today. I literally checked the time when we were on the swings, remember?” The first man declares, looking up to direct an annoyed glare towards his friend. “I know for sure I didn’t have it when we got ice cream, so this is the only place it can be.”
“Isn’t it a little late for this, though? We can come back tomorrow to find it.”
“No! We have to find it now!”
The purple-haired man’s defiance is so strong that it even causes Beomgyu to flinch.
An uncomfortable silence starts to form, but before it can fully settle, the third and final man steps forward and, with a clap, announces, “Okay, okay. Soobin-hyung, you stay here and check the playground. Yeonjun-hyung, you check the swing set. I’ll check out the trees, okay?”
“Roger that, Kai,” The human named Yeonjun replies while winking, causing the aforementioned person to recoil in disgust.
Even from this snippet of their dynamics, Beomgyu is certain that this friend group is filled with genuine happiness.
‘Maybe…when I help them, I can finally feel something.’
Beomgyu lowers himself until his feet gently land on the ground. Folding in his wings, he decides to follow the third human.
“Hmm?”
Kai whips his head around, scanning before him. In his eyes, there’s merely a line of trees with two benches in front.
In Beomgyu’s eyes, the mortal is staring straight at him.
‘Can he…sense me?’
Kai raises his hand to his chest, and his lips curl into a gentle smile. After taking a breath, he turns back to the trees and leans down, checking the base of the trunk.
Albeit confused, Beomgyu shakes his head, reminding himself to focus.
From context clues, it sounds like they’re searching for a wristwatch.
Beomgyu glances around the playground before his feet carry him toward the sandpit, where he kneels and begins his search. As he digs through the sand, he occasionally raises his head, not only to check the mortals’ progress but to discern whether they have sensed his presence.
To his relief, the three are concentrated on searching in their designated areas.
Eventually, Beomgyu’s fingers trace over something metallic — a silver-coloured wristwatch.
‘This must be what Soobin is looking for. But how am I going to get their attention? It’s not like I can just pick it up and give it to them — they’ll freak out.’
Bark chips crunch underneath a pair of shoes, prompting Beomgyu to lift his head. It’s Kai, walking across the playground to the other side.
“Kai. Over here!” Beomgyu calls. “Head towards the sandpit!”
“Huh?” Kai stops in his tracks and turns around, rapidly darting his eyes around. He puffs his cheeks in contemplation before shrugging and approaching the sandpit. One glance inside the box reveals the location of the wristwatch, which he eagerly takes. “Guys! I found it!”
“Really?”
“Nice!”
Soobin and Yeonjun quickly join Kai, and the purple-haired man sighs in relief upon laying his eyes on the wristwatch. “Thank you so much, Kai-yah!”
“You’re welcome~” Kai replies.
“It was in the sandpit?” Yeonjun asks.
“Oh…it must’ve fallen out of my pocket. I didn’t want it to get dirty, so I took it off.” Soobin clasps the watch around his left wrist, and his shoulders relax from the familiarity. “Thank you so much for helping me find it, guys. I have no idea what I would’ve done if I lost this.”
“Always happy to help out, Soobin-ah.”
“Yup! If there’s anything Hyung needs, we’ll try our best~!”
“Okay, but please never do that again, Huening.”
The three men exit the park in high spirits, discussing their dinner plans.
It’s sweet.
They’re a sweet group.
So…why…?
‘Why doesn’t this move my heart?!
I helped Soobin find something important to him — something he can’t bear to lose. And the way Yeonjun and Kai helped him unconditionally…they never complained once, not even when Soobin lashed out at them.
They’re good people.
I want to protect humans like them.
If I want to protect them, why can’t I care for them?!
Why is my heart incapable of feeling anything except this coldness?!’
Carrying such contradictions in his heart, Beomgyu flies to the only escape he knows.
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Beomgyu stares down at Seoul from the ledge of a clock tower.
The distinct scent of a busy metropolis clings to his clothes, constantly burning his nostrils. The bustling cars, the constant stream of mortals going about their lives despite the late hour, and the ambience of the city tickle his ears, a cacophony of sounds he’s become numb to. The city lights twinkle in the darkness, but instead of appearing like a painting of the speckled night sky, it’s a mere blur in Beomgyu’s hazy eyes.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
All of the good, bad and ugly combine until it becomes the defining feature of the place he’s assigned to protect as an angel.
The place he’s meant to hold so much love for.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
So why?
Why does a knife twist in his chest at the mere thought of carrying out his duties?
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Beomgyu harshly knocks the clocktower with the back of his foot.
Time marches onward anyway.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
The darkness from earlier returns in full force, knocking Beomgyu off his feet and onto the cobblestone floor. He clutches his chest, attempting to contain the despair threatening to engulf him whole.
But it persists anyway, seeping into his lungs in the form of thick smoke and making it difficult to breathe. Eventually, the anguish spreads into the rest of his body, rendering him immobile against the hard ground. His ears ring, black spots fill his vision, he gasps and heaves for any intake of air but to no avail, and blood drips from his fingernails from his desperation to cling to something.
But none of that compared to the excruciating sensation of endless blades stabbing through his heart.
Curling into a ball, Beomgyu can only sob as he sinks further into the depths of despair.
In his agony, he calls out for the only salvation he’s ever known.
“Taehyun…!”
A hand rests atop Beomgyu’s forehead, and in spite of its coldness, it sends a drop of warmth into the sea of darkness.
The hand shifts to his hair, where fingers start carding through the strands. The sensation tethers Beomgyu to the earth, and he uses it as a lifeline to escape the void.
After what feels like an eternity, Beomgyu’s eyes flutter open, and he finds Taehyun staring down at him with an expression that can only be described as fond.
“You called for me while you were in pain,” he mumbles, almost in fascination. “I guess old habits die hard, huh?”
“Shut up. It…it was a slip of the tongue.” Beomgyu sits up, keeping his gaze trained on his white slacks. “It means nothing.”
“If you say so.” A beat of silence passes before Taehyun speaks again. “You were in so much pain. I guess being an angel isn’t all it’s chalked up to be, huh?”
Beomgyu can’t even bring himself to refute that statement, knowing all too well how true it rings out.
Why wouldn’t one be satisfied with the life of an angel?
Soaring through the sky to your heart’s content, guiding the human race to make good decisions, and helping them whenever you can…such a simple happiness….
‘If that’s the case, why aren’t I happy? Why can’t anything fill this void in my heart?!’
Taehyun closes the distance between them with a slight smirk until his lips brush Beomgyu’s ear. He whispers sweet promises laced with poison.
And, like a fool, Beomgyu listens.
“I know a way to make the pain go away.”
‘Please.’
“Do you want to know?”
‘Yes.’
“You need to trust me, though.”
‘I do.’
“All you need to do is fall.”
‘I want—’
Beomgyu pushes Taehyun away. “No! I…I won’t!”
‘Not when you betrayed the world you loved so much. Not when you betrayed me.’
Grabbing a fistful of Taehyun’s black shirt, Beomgyu opens his mouth, but his words become stuck in his throat when he catches sight of that very face he once shared all his hopes and dreams with.
So, instead, he scrunches his eyes and leans into Taehyun’s chest.
Like this, he can pretend that the Taehyun before him sports magnificent white wings that are soft to the touch. Eventually, he’ll point out a constellation in the sky, his voice fast and high-pitched as he describes the story behind the cluster of stars. The soft breeze will ruffle his silky brown hair, making his lips downturn into a pout. He’ll ask Beomgyu to fix his hair in a soft voice, combined with sparkling, pleading eyes.
The two of them will spend the night together until the sun rises, when they’ll return to their duties as angels, protecting their assigned district from harm.
But no matter how much he wishes for it, his Taehyun is no longer here. Instead, he’s been replaced by a demon who knows nothing but destruction.
Raising his head towards the truth, Beomgyu shakes with uncontrollable fury. “Why….”
“…”
“Why did you have to sin?!” Striking Taehyun’s chest with weak fists, Beomgyu punctuates his unheard questions with more hits. “Did I mean nothing to you? How could you have thrown our friendship away so easily?”
Something akin to pity crosses Taehyun’s expression as he trails his hands to Beomgyu’s wrists, gently caressing them. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why?!”
“Because you’ll fall from grace if I do.”
Beomgyu rips out a scoff. “And here I thought that’s what you wanted.”
“I want you to fall on your own terms, not because of something I did in the past.”
“You’re so frustrating!”
“You’ve said that once or twice.”
“Whatever! I’m done talking to you!”
Beomgyu fights to pull his arms back, but Taehyun squeezes his wrists. The demon’s lips tug into a sadistic grin when Beomgyu cries out in pain from the tight grip.
“Why are you in such a rush to get away? You’ve never called me before. Let me appreciate this moment.”
“Let me go!”
“No.” As if that wasn’t enough, Taehyun softens his voice and cruelly admits, “I miss you.”
Beomgyu’s heart stutters. He makes the mistake of ceasing his struggle to look at Taehyun, whose doe, teal eyes still hold the same warmth from a very decade ago. If Beomgyu looks closer, he knows that he will find the sparkle that outshines the very moon. It was one of Beomgyu’s favourite features about Taehyun—
His heart twists at the reminder.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. I’m always thinking about you.”
Taehyun sounds so defiant that it takes all of Beomgyu’s self-control to resist the urge to fly into his arms and remain there until the world’s end.
Lowering his gaze, Beomgyu says, “You’re only saying this to deceive me. I know you.”
“Do you? Do you really know me, Beomgyu?”
“I know you well enough.”
“Then you know that I have never lied to you.”
“You say that, yet you’re lying to me right now.” His voice shakily adds, “You’ve been lying to me ever since you became corrupted.”
“‘Corrupted.’ That’s an interesting way of putting it. Is that what the angels told you?”
“No. That’s what you are, Taehyun.” Beomgyu gulps, pushing himself to admit the hard truth.
The truth that he still deludes himself into being false.
“You’ve been corrupted ever since you gave into temptation and became a demon.”
Beomgyu gathers every shred of sadness, confusion and betrayal, transforming it into a boiling fury directed at the demon in front of him.
He pours all of his emotions into his next words, yet they can only come out as a whispered, “I hate you.”
Adoration blooms on Taehyun’s expression. “I know.”
The demon digs his claws into Beomgyu’s skin, drawing blood. At the same time, he plants a chaste kiss on Beomgyu’s cheek.
Beomgyu has no idea which action hurts him more.
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“Taehyunie!”
Beomgyu rushed inside the holding cell where Taehyun apparently resided. He clutched the bars, and his eyes darted back and forth, struggling to find Taehyun in the darkness. “I came here as soon as I got your message! Are you okay? What…happened….”
His words faded into a stunned gasp as Taehyun emerged from the shadows. In that moment, the sight of his best friend filled Beomgyu with a sense of unease, something he had never experienced before when it came to Taehyun.
Reminiscent of a predator, Taehyun slowly inched closer to the bars until the chains that bound his neck, wrists and ankles pulled taut.
Like this, Beomgyu finally managed to get a proper look at Taehyun. Although his doe-like eyes held their usual warmth, they had transformed to a striking teal colour, accentuated by a fresh scar beneath his right eye. His pure white shirt that had been adorned with frills was now dirtied and in tatters, barely concealing the wounds cut across his skin. Similarly, his slacks were ripped at the hem.
But what was most unsettling was his smile; despite his teeth appearing abnormally sharper, the fondness in his expression remained unchanged.
“… What happened to you?” Beomgyu asked, voice barely above a whisper. He tightened his grip on the bars and leaned as closely as possible to Taehyun, trying to make sense of the nightmare before him. “What happened while I was gone?”
Shaking his head, Taehyun quietly answered, “You’ll get mad at me if I tell you.”
“Taehyun! Don’t mess around right now. What did you do?”
But he stubbornly kept his mouth shut.
Beomgyu opened his mouth to speak further, but the moment his eyes landed on Taehyun’s back, a horrible dread had finally settled in his stomach.
“Wh-where are your wings?”
“You’ve noticed, huh?”
Taehyun arched his neck and slowly stretched it from side to side, inhaling deeply as if it were his first breath in a millennium. Seemingly stripping his innocent facade to reveal something more sinister, he asked, “Where do you think they are, Beomgyu?”
‘No, no, no. Taehyun couldn’t have…he…he isn’t the type to—’
“It hurt at first. But now, it feels great. This feeling…this freedom .” Taehyun looked down at his hands, the nails elongated into sharp claws painted black. “Freedom to do whatever I want, without God breathing down my fucking neck all the time.”
“Taehyun. Stop. Th-this isn’t you.”
Beomgyu’s words triggered Taehyun’s eyes to shoot up toward him sharply. “‘This isn’t me’?”
In a terrifying display of his newly attained sadistic nature, Taehyun snarled and lunged forward, a chilling cackle escaping his lips when Beomgyu instinctively flinched away. “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
In the confines of the cell, panic licked at Beomgyu’s body, causing sweat to bead on his trembling form. Each breath he took grew shallower, further constructing his chest in a vice-like grip.
“N-no…Taehyun…whatever…whatever demon is possessing you right now, I swear I will get it out! Please—”
“Possessing me? That’s so sweet. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I am a demon.”
The declaration struck him like a bullet.
Although Beomgyu yearned for an answer, his heart refused to acknowledge the harsh reality. His question lingered in his throat out of fear that giving voice to it would solidify it as a tangible fact he must face.
But one more look at Taehyun caused the question to escape anyway.
“You…sinned?”
The corners of Taehyun’s lips lifted into a satisfied grin. “That’s right.”
‘That’s a lie. Taehyun would never give in to temptation. He…he loves this world too much.
Hah…I get it now. This…all of this is a nightmare. When I wake up, I’ll be in Daegu. I’ll head back to Seoul with the others.
And when I get back, Taehyunie will be waiting for me. He’ll…he’ll welcome me home with a smile. He’ll then ask me questions about Daegu, and when I tell him about what happened, his eyes will sparkle prettily, just like the stars in the sky. Then he’ll tell me about everything he’s been up to for the past few days. He’ll talk really fast, and his hands will move around a lot.
Just before we tell each other everything, we’ll receive orders to protect our district. We’ll be annoyed at first, but then we’ll laugh it off and head out in the field together. We’ll hold hands as we fly through the sky, helping people wherever we can. The more people we help, the happier Taehyun gets until he’s glowing with nothing but—’
Taehyun erratically swiped at Beomgyu’s face, his sharp, inky black nails breaking the skin under Beomgyu’s left eye, causing crimson blood to spill out. Beomgyu threw himself backwards, and his astonishment was so overwhelming that it temporarily numbed the pain on his cheek.
Chuckling darkly, Taehyun raised his hand towards his lips and darted out his tongue, lapping up Beomgyu’s blood. “Believe me now? I’m a demon.”
Fear gripped Beomgyu’s entire being, exacerbating through him like wildfire.
The longer Beomgyu's eyes were on Taehyun, the more his friend seemed to vanish. No longer was he the sweet, kindhearted angel who earnestly wanted to protect the world he found so beautiful.
Before him was a demon — a corrupted demon who swallowed the fruit of temptation and now does whatever depraved acts he can to get another taste.
The realisation shattered Beomgyu. Unable to witness this atrocity, he turned his back on Taehyun and ran away.
All the while, his heart bled with nothing but the pain from loving and losing his beloved Taehyun.
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
Perched atop a traffic light pole, Beomgyu observes the mortals go about their evenings. Many of them are office workers, either heading home or going out to drink after a long day. There are a handful of university students spending time with their friends. Of course, there are also couples going on dates. And, finally, there is the occasional individual, either content by their lonesome or envious of the groups around them.
…so many different types of mortals reside here, in the district he has sworn to protect.
But that fact only serves to freeze his already numb heart.
Sighing, Beomgyu extends his wings with the intention of flying away when he catches glimpses of familiar faces.
They’re the mortals he helped in the park the other day.
‘Oh…right. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but Kai…he could hear me.’
Pushing himself off the pole, Beomgyu trails behind Kai and Soobin, who are apparently on their way to Yeonjun’s place to hang out.
Along their journey, they pass a bakery. Thanks to a window, wafts of a sweet, floury aroma escape onto the street, provoking Soobin to stop in his tracks. “Wait, I kinda want some,” he says, fawning over the pastries displayed in the window.
Curious, Beomgyu moves closer to the shop window, examining the line of products. They look appealing, but they’re essentially just decorations for Beomgyu.
“Ah, you’re right!” Kai exclaims, joining his friend. However, he cuts himself off with a gasp and darts his head straight at Beomgyu.
“Huening? What’s wrong?” Soobin asks in concern.
“Yeah! Um…” A string of nervous laughter escapes Kai before he admits, “I could’ve sworn I felt something next to me.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Something…warm…? I don’t know…it’s making me all fuzzy inside, though.”
Relief clouds Soobin’s expression. “You’re probably just hungry. Let’s get some bread, okay? Then we can all eat it at Yeonjun’s place.”
‘As I thought…he can sense angels.
These types of mortals have apparently been blessed by angels. I wonder what he has done to receive such high praise.
…I should follow him.’
This decision leads him to an apartment where Yeonjun apparently resides. The trio make themselves comfortable in the living room, somehow fitting their long limbs onto Yeonjun’s mediocre couch.
Beomgyu chooses to sit by the table instead, tucking his wings in and using his arms as a pillow for his head.
“What do we feel like watching today?” Yeonjun voices aloud in a sing-song voice, scrolling through the catalogue of movies on a random streaming service.
“I’m fine with anything,” Soobin replies as he leans his head against Kai’s shoulder.
“How about something simple? Something that we can turn our brains off while watching,” Kai suggests.
“You know, I’ve been meaning to rewatch Alvin and the Chipmunks,” Yeonjun admits with a cheeky grin.
Groaning, Soobin lifts his head to level a glare at Yeonjun. “No, stop! I hate that movie! They’re so annoying.”
“Why would you say that? They’re literally us. I’m Alvin, you’re Simon and Hyuka’s Theodore.”
“Why am I the nerd?! This is discrimination. Like, just because I need glasses doesn’t mean I’m a nerd.”
“Soobin, you watch anime.”
“Kai does, too!”
“Yeah, but he’s cute, so he gets to be Theodore.”
Kai snickers before erupting into laughter, much to Soobin’s dismay and Yeonjun’s satisfaction. “We should totally dress up as the Chipmunks for Halloween, to be honest.”
Yeonjun’s face lights up. “Right? I’m so down.”
Soobin rolls his eyes. “Ugh, sure, I guess.” Even so, his smile is telling.
As the humans become invested in the movie, albeit with varying levels of enjoyment, sleep begins overtaking Beomgyu’s consciousness. Though he tries to fight it, he eventually succumbs to his sudden onslaught of exhaustion.
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
“Come on, Gyu!” Taehyun exclaimed, pulling Beomgyu toward this supposedly ‘amazing’ place the other angel recently discovered while on his duty.
“I got it,” Beomgyu replied with a shake of his head. Still, he followed Taehyun in the night sky, snaking his hand into Taehyun’s and entwining it with his own along the way.
Soon, a large screen comes into view, a mesmerising sight against the dark canvas of the night sky. Rows of cars aim towards the said screen, all carrying mortals who are either on a date, on a family outing, at a friend gathering, or alone.
“Ta-da! Apparently, this is a drive-thru theatre. Humans come here to watch the latest movies,” Taehyun explained, all the while grinning brightly. “I heard that they’re showing a really cool superhero movie, and I wanted to watch it. We can watch it from the trees.”
Sure enough, at the back of the parking lot were a handful of trees where Beomgyu and Taehyun decided to sit.
Usually, Beomgyu could not spare an ounce of interest in such interests, unlike Taehyun, who practically vibrated with excitement at the mere thought of engaging in human activities such as this one.
His boyish grin, the glimmer in his eyes that even stars were jealous of, and his restless legs that continued to kick back and forth all brought a smile to Beomgyu’s face. Eventually, he was infected by Taehyun’s enthusiasm.
The movie itself was okay. It followed the journey of a high-schooler who rose to the responsibility of protecting his city as a web-slinging, masked hero. But if you asked Beomgyu about the specifics of the movie, he wouldn’t be able to give you an answer.
He was more focused on Taehyun, anyway. How could he not be? The movie reflected in the angel’s eyes was much more dazzling. And the way the lights on the screen illuminated his face further accentuated his beauty. Don’t even get him started on Taehyun’s endearing reactions as the plot progressed.
“That was amazing!” Taehyun beamed. “The effects were so well done, and all the stunts the main actor pulled off were so…wow!”
“Yeah.”
“Words can’t express how…amazing that was! Humans are so good at making movies. We need to do this again, Beomgyu.”
“Sure. Anything for you, Taehyunie.”
“Ah…superheroes are so cool. Fighting off bad guys, saving their loved ones, and making the world a better place. If I could, I would love to be a superhero.”
Beomgyu jutted his lip out in an exaggerated manner and, in a petulant voice, asked, “And leave me behind as an angel? That’s mean.”
“Huh? No, no! I would never want to leave you, Beomgyu!”
“Just kidding.” Beomgyu smugly smiles, adding, “Wow, I didn’t know you cared about me that much.”
“You—!”
Beomgyu laughed heartily. At the same time, Taehyun huffed and turned his head away. Even so, his reddening ears were still apparent.
Once his laughter died down, Beomgyu’s features softened as he reached out and ruffled Taehyun’s messy bangs. “You’re already helping the world so much as an angel. Give yourself more credit.”
“…You think so?”
“Mhm. Also, you didn’t hear this from me, but I overheard talks about you getting a promotion soon.”
That got Taehyun’s attention. He whipped his head towards Beomgyu, and his eyes were wide with bewilderment, making the faint shimmer in them all the more evident. “Really?”
“Yeah. Soon, you’ll be the one giving me orders.”
Taehyun lightly chuckled. After a few seconds of comfortable silence, he shifted closer to Beomgyu until the distance between them disappeared. He tilted his head until it rested on Beomgyu’s shoulder, humming contentedly. “I think I’m the most happy like this, though.”
Beomgyu closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “Me too.”
'I’m the happiest with you, Taehyun-ah.'
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
“…yah. Wake up.”
A mouthwatering aroma of something akin to tomato sauce envelops Beomgyu’s senses. From mere centimetres away, glass cups click gently on the coffee table, followed by something made of cardboard.
“Ngh…hmm?”
Beomgyu gradually opens his eyes, trying to adjust to his surroundings. In his weary eyes, he finds someone placing a bottle of Coca-Cola beside the table leg.
Exhaling, Beomgyu raises his head and rubs his eyes, processing the scene before him.
The television screen has now been turned off, and the scenery outside the window appears dark. It seems to be dinnertime, judging from the way Soobin places three boxes of large pizzas and a few other small boxes onto the table. At the same time, Yeonjun crouches in front of the couch, gently coaxing Kai to wake up.
‘If we were mortals, would we have had moments like this?’
Beomgyu shakes his head. It’s no use thinking that now.
“Good morning, Kai-yah. Did you sleep well?” Yeonjun greets, ruffling said person’s hair.
“Yeah.” Kai stretches his limbs along the couch before sighing. “I dreamt about that angel again.”
Beomgyu’s sleepiness fades, and he leans his elbow on the table, using his hand to rest his chin. He scrutinises Kai closely, awaiting the mortal’s following words.
“What was it about?” Soobin asks. To Beomgyu’s surprise, the question is asked in a genuine manner.
“He sang to me and then took my hand to fly me into the sky. It was nice.” After sitting up from the couch and rubbing the lingering sleep from his eyes, Kai continues, “My heart still feels warm and fuzzy.”
“That’s sweet,” Yeonjun comments. “This was the angel that saved you, right? When you were five?”
Beomgyu’s heart plummets to the ground. That’s exactly 15 years ago.
The year Taehyun fell from grace.
“Yeah. The one with the really pretty eyes.”
The world slows to a stop.
‘Pretty eyes? Angel? He can’t…he can’t be talking about Taehyun. There’s no way.’
“I like how that’s the one defining feature you remember about him,” Soobin notes as he opens up the boxes and organises them to fit on the coffee table.
“Well, they were really pretty. It’s like there were tiny galaxies in them — that’s how sparkly they were.”
A wave of nausea overcomes Beomgyu, and his hand flies to his mouth, suppressing his sickness.
‘You’re not supposed to interfere with God’s plan. Even though angels are meant to help humans in their daily lives and guide them on the right path, you cannot interfere with their lifespan. You cannot save them from death, as this would interfere with the fate God has bestowed on them.
Even knowing that, Taehyun…he—!’
“Kai? What’s wrong?” Yeonjun asks, examining his friend, who’s suddenly fixated on something down the hallway.
“…nothing. I thought I heard something. That’s all.”
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
Beomgyu’s heart pounds wildly, and pain squeezes each beat. Although his hands tremble, and beads of sweat fall from his forehead, Beomgyu presses onward, flying towards the direction of the beach.
The moment his feet land on the sand, his knees buckle, and he stumbles, barely catching himself with his hands.
‘Taehyun didn’t sin— Taehyun saved a human from death— Taehyun—!’
“Oh? This is rare! Have you come to seek me out, angel?” a voice chirps from above him.
Beomgyu whimpers. He clasps a hand to his chest, struggling to regulate his shallow breaths. In his weary eyes, a shadow towers over him. Somehow, its sharp-toothed grin brings comfort to him.
“You’ve been in a lot of pain these days. Let me take care of you. Just fall into my arms and—”
“You…saved that human, didn’t you? Huening Kai.”
A few beats of silence pass before Taehyun scoffs. The shadow dissipates, revealing the red-haired demon. “No? What are you talking about?”
The moment their eyes meet, Taehyun looks to the side.
“That’s a stupid accusation to make. You know that angels aren’t allowed to interfere with human lifespans. That would be interfering with God’s plans.”
Beomgyu’s wings wrap around his body. A laugh of disbelief escapes his lips when he realises, “…if you didn’t save him, you would’ve said that you didn’t know Huening Kai. I know you.”
Taehyun remains silent.
“That means…you really did save him, didn’t you.”
Still no answer.
“Taehyun!”
“Why are you pressing me for an answer? It’s not like anything will change if I tell you.”
Pain claws at Beomgyu’s heart, spreading the ache to his entire body. “I just want to know. Please, tell me if you saved him or not.”
The slight nod of Taehyun’s head throws Beomgyu’s world off its axis.
Standing before him isn’t a depraved demon looking to cause chaos for the sake of it, nor is it a fallen angel who betrayed his kind after giving into temptation.
Rather, it’s a boy with a heart too kind for this world.
It’s his Taehyun.
Beomgyu barely manages to voice, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to disillusion you. If you found out about how I fell…you would’ve fought against the system. You would’ve fallen, too.”
“So you chose to lie to me?!”
“It worked, didn’t it? You got promoted, and now you’re ordering the lower-ranked angels around. You’re in charge of watching over Seoul, making the world a better place.”
Beomgyu’s arms go slack against his body.
That’s impossible. Taehyun wouldn’t…he shouldn’t want to shield Beomgyu from being hurt. Not only that, he shouldn’t celebrate Beomgyu’s successes, either.
Demons are inherently selfish, spreading corruption wherever they can just to indulge in the taste of sin that they’ve become addicted to.
A demon is what Taehyun has become.
But one look at Taehyun’s expression makes Beomgyu question the mantra the angels have left him to believe.
“I don’t blame you. I was surprised by it, too.” Taehyun looks down at his hands. “My feelings toward you never faded, even after my transformation. I couldn’t even indulge in sins like lust. It didn’t feel right.”
The honest admission brings Beomgyu to tears. “You…really haven’t changed…”
Taking a shaky breath, Beomgyu admits, “Getting promoted…Just even carrying out my tasks…None of that mattered to me. The only reason why I helped the world was because you loved it. The world looked so pretty in your eyes…I wanted to protect that.” Caressing his wings to occupy his trembling hands, he quietly continues, “The only reason I’ve been able to continue for so long is because I wanted to protect the world you had loved as an angel….”
A regretful smile colours Taehyun’s features. “I’m sorry.”
“No, no…I should be the one who’s sorry.” Wiping at his tears, Beomgyu acknowledges, “All this time…I thought you got corrupted by temptation. I should’ve trusted you…the Taehyun I know.”
“That’s awfully sweet of you, Beomgyu.”
A silence, neither comforting nor awkward, envelops them. Instead, many unsaid things fill the air, suffocating them both.
But neither of them knows how to address them.
Eventually, Beomgyu sighs and takes a seat on the sand, hugging his knees to his chest. Taehyun promptly follows and though he’s so physically close, there’s a deep chasm between them.
‘We need to talk…but about what?’ Beomgyu ponders as he rests his head on his knees, studying Taehyun’s appearance.
Deep red hair, teal eyes, a faded scar on his right cheekbone, and candied lips downturned into a frown.
But if Beomgyu focuses hard enough, he can find the endless galaxy hiding in Taehyun’s eyes.
To the angel’s surprise, a pink flush starts to emerge on the demon’s cheeks. “Why are you staring so hard?”
“No reason,” Beomgyu replies, trying to fight away a smile. “I just think you’re beautiful.”
“Ironic for an angel to say that to a demon.”
But then again…Beomgyu’s whole existence is ironic.
An angel whose heart isn’t even fazed when carrying out their duties to help mortals in their daily lives. Whose heart freezes over at the words “thank you.”
…an angel whose frozen heart only seems to melt when in the presence of a demon.
Tearing his gaze away, Beomgyu softly replies, “I guess you can say that.”
“Hm. Is Kai well?”
“From what I’ve seen, yeah. He’s a nice kid. Has some nice friends, too.”
“Soobin and Yeonjun.”
Beomgyu’s heart flutters at the mention of their names. All this time, Taehyun had been…. “Yeah. They were hanging out at Yeonjun’s place earlier to watch a movie.”
“Oh, yeah. They do that a lot. Some of the movies they watch are great, while others are a bit shit.” Snorting, Taehyun adds, “The movies Soobin put on are always so weird. My favourite has to be this weird ass love story between some guy whose goat was in love with him and some girl with massive tits.”
Beomgyu splutters in exasperation at the sudden crassness. “Taehyun!”
“What? I’m just saying how it is. You should’ve seen them.”
Despite himself, Beomgyu giggles, and with this action, his apprehension dissipates. Inching closer to the demon, he asks, “What else have you been up to?”
Taehyun’s eyes widen in surprise, but he quickly recovers. Clearing his throat, he recounts, “I crashed a concert recently. Messed around with the sound system for shits and giggles. Should’ve seen the look on the manager’s face — that was priceless. After they got everything settled, I stayed to listen to the hits. The songs were pretty good. I think you would like them, too.”
Both parties continue sharing stories well into the night, and even though the passage of time has affected them both, the core components within them remain unchanged.
It’s everything Beomgyu ever wanted.
But it’s not enough.
“The sun’s about to come up,” Taehyun points out with a hint of sadness.
‘No.’
A forlorn smile etches itself on Taehyun’s face when he helps Beomgyu to his feet. “You should probably head and prepare for your duties, huh?”
‘No!’
Beomgyu clasps his trembling hands together in a desperate prayer for time to stop and for morning never to come.
“Beomgyu? What’s—”
“I don’t…want to do this anymore,” Beomgyu admits. Though it’s uttered in a small voice, the implications behind his words are heavy.
“Gyu….”
“I’m sick of this…! Every day, I fly, and I fly, and I fly, searching for humans to help, and for what? I feel nothing! No matter how many good deeds I do or how much I help them out, nothing fills my chest. Nothing! All I feel is despair…I don’t know what to do anymore! I’m…I’m so tired, Taehyunie…I just…I just want to…”
“Fall.”
“Wh-what?”
“Fall from grace and join me, Beomgyu.”
The second that doubt flickers on Beomgyu’s features, Taehyun marches forward and grips the angel’s hands.
“I’m not saying this as a demon who wants to corrupt you. I’m saying this because…because I love you. Fuck, I’ve been in love with you for so long…” Taehyun squeezes Beomgyu’s hands and blinks away the tears in his eyes. Even so, he never wavers, admitting, “I don’t know how else to describe the feeling in my heart. All I know is that I love you dearly and want to stay with you forever.”
All of the doubts clouding his mind, the despair lingering in his heart, the fear of a repeating tomorrow…everything fades away, dissolving into Taehyun’s gentle smile.
The puzzle pieces finally fit into place.
‘It’s always been Taehyun.’
Beomgyu slightly elevates himself with his wings before planting a sweet kiss on Taehyun’s lips as an answer to the proposal.
“You promise you’ll catch me?” Beomgyu asks.
“Always,” Taehyun replies.
With that, Beomgyu dives into Taehyun’s arms, allowing the demon to take him.
The higher-up angels often referred to fallen angels as Icarus — the fool who couldn’t grasp the meaning of stop until it was too late and died as a result of his foolishness.
Icarus flew too close to the sun, and that same sun burned his wings.
In this situation, would it be accurate to say that Taehyun is his sun?
Although Taehyun had been a reckless fool, it’s thanks to him that Beomgyu’s heart, which had once been frozen over, melted and was given life anew.
And how else can he show his gratitude than to fall in the same manner?
In the darkest hour, moments before dawn arrives, Beomgyu throws himself over the edge.
With each passing second, an agonising pain stabs through Beomgyu’s back repeatedly as he plummets further into corruption. His wings are plucked from his back, feather by feather, descending alongside him.
But knowing that Taehyun will be there to catch him helps Beomgyu withstand the pain.
When the morning sun is finally well on its way into the sky, basking the land below in light, Beomgyu’s pure white wings have now been replaced with two fresh scars that stretch from his shoulder blades to his lower back. His nails have elongated into sharp black claws, his teeth have sharpened into fangs, and his eye colour must’ve changed too if he isn't mistaken.
Yet, he feels something within his chest for the first time in forever, all thanks to the demon who has caught him.
“Hey,” Beomgyu softly greets, holding himself up with his arms. His lips curl up into a gentle smile as he drinks in the sight of Taehyun under him.
“Hi,” Taehyun replies, matching the former’s tone. Eyebrows pulled in worry, Taehyun tilts his head endearingly and asks, “Are you okay? I know it must’ve hurt.”
Beomgyu leans his head on Taehyun’s shoulder with a content sigh. He trails his hand down Taehyun’s arm until sliding his hand into Taehyun’s, intertwining them. “I’ve never been better. I’m here with you, after all.”
Angel or demon…it doesn’t matter.
As long as they’re together, Beomgyu is sure that they will be okay.
⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨ ʚɞ ୧⋆ ｡˚ ⋆
Once upon a time, there were two demons.
In spite of their nature, these two demons were deeply in love with one another.
Hand in hand, the pair would wreak havoc on the mortals. Of course, they ensured the fragile humans never died — they only did this as a friendly competition, a bonding experience, or merely to have some fun.
In the days between their planned orchestrations of mischief, the pair immersed themselves in human-like activities, making up for the time they lost in those years of regret, loneliness, and pain.
Gone were those feelings of despair. Now, Beomgyu and Taehyun lived their days in bliss, never to part ever again.