Archive of Our Own ^beta

• | O N E | •

At a brisk pace, Yixing took his belongings and made his way towards the door, eager to get home. Lulu and Luobo were waiting for him, ready to get themselves comfortable on his lap and watch boring TV. He was tired. Hungry and thirsty, too. His feet throbbed and his legs felt heavy.

He loved his job, but really. Sometimes it was too much to handle all this exhaustion on a daily basis—almost on a daily basis. He didn’t work on Sundays. Nor on Thursdays. But that was beyond the point. Nobody should have to face such a cruel reality.

How had he ended here again? Ah, right. He had found it a good idea to major in arts. He had found it an even better idea to be the best of his generation. Because of course, his main goal had always been to succeed in all his courses, so his Renaissance art professor could recommend him to a close contact of his, to work as a guide.

In Italy.

In the Vatican.

At the Sistine Chapel.

It was the fucking dream!

Yixing wasn't a religious person of any sort. He prayed to whoever wanted to listen—if he prayed. But art was art, no matter where it was, and he would’ve been an idiot to even think of refusing. So he graduated, packed all his stuff, and moved to Rome to be on a year of training. If he passed all his tests, he would start guiding tourists around the Chapel. He would do it in English mostly, though they would also schedule him if speaking Chinese or Korean need be. Along his training, he would receive Italian classes every day until he learned enough to survive by himself. They were giving him everything on a golden plate. It sounded exactly how a promising future should do.

Moving forward, he did pass his tests and learned Italian faster than anyone would’ve thought. So now here he was, two years later, living the life he had never considered for himself.

He also learned in the process that working as a guide in the Sistine Chapel wasn’t as cool as it seemed. Granted, he had known it wouldn’t be easy, but the real deal… Boy, wasn't that another thing.

It was almost inhumane—entire hours speaking nonstop, putting up with people's antics. Trying to be as polite as possible and not lose his composure. Keeping a smile plastered on his face, even if all he wanted to do was berate everyone for not following his orders of 'No touching’ and ‘No pictures’.

God, people were annoying sometimes. He hoped this had already gained him a place in Heaven if it even existed.

But anyway, today his shift had already ended, so he was heading out. He knew he had to use the personnel exit, but he loved to walk under the frescoes with his eyes fixed on them. Thus he found himself walking into the Chapel from the ‘personnel only’ door to admire the art.

Once there, he slowed down his pace, staring in awe at the details in each one of the frescoes. Michelangelo’s were his favorites. He felt a particular… connection with that of The Fall and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. He didn’t know why, but it made him feel some sort of… nostalgia? Melancholy? Sadness? The idea of being expelled or vanished from somewhere… It didn’t sit right with him.

It was weird. He didn’t know how to explain it, nor did he understand where those feelings came from. But he had long accepted he was probably a masochist. He had to be. Otherwise, there was no other explanation on why he—

“Woah!”

Yixing felt his back bumping with something—or rather someone—and he shrieked in surprise. The tips of his ears immediately felt warm with embarrassment and he turned around to look at his victim.

“I’m so sorry!” he said, his response flowing out in English.

He came face to face with a guy and as soon as their eyes crossed, a shiver ran down his spine. He felt as if an electric current had traveled through his body. Not that he had ever been electrocuted, but he was sure it had to be a similar experience. He had no other way to describe it.

As they stared at each other, Yixing couldn’t help but notice this guy was a few centimeters taller than him. Slim, and… the word handsome didn’t make him any justice. A pair of perfect eyebrows. A perfect nose. Small, yet lovely mouth—was that a thing? A scar on his cheek, though his skin still looked smooth. Broad shoulders. Amazing bone structure. Hair dyed pink, soft-looking, and slightly long. He was barely keeping it out of his face with a pair of frames on top of his head. On anyone, Yixing thought, this hairstyle would've looked ridiculous, but this guy made it work.

It was impressive.

He was impressive.

He looked ethereal. That was the word. Like an angel fallen from Heaven, coming to step foot on Earth to bless them all. If angels were to have pink hair, of course. Did angels have pink hair?

The guy was staring at him wide-eyed, his lips parted in surprise. Then his eyebrows fell into a deep frown.

Oops.

“I’m sorry,” Yixing repeated. “I wasn’t looking where I was going and I—”

“Have we met before?” the guy asked, ignoring completely his apology.

Yixing noticed traces of a mother tongue laced with his English. Was it Korean? Chinese? Japanese, maybe? He didn’t know.

“Excuse me?”

“Have we met before?” the other repeated, this time his words carefully spoken. As if in fear Yixing wouldn’t understand.

But Yixing had understood and he couldn't help but frown back.

He was sure he would remember if they had. He would never forget such a face. But now that he came to think about it, there was something... familiar about him. Though he couldn't tell what or why.

“I don’t think we have,” he finally said.

The guy nodded, but his eyes gave away he wasn’t sure about it. “Maybe I’m confusing you with someone else.”

“Maybe you are.”

“Maybe I am.”

“Right. So…” Yixing drawled, looking past the guy to the entrance of the Chapel. “Again, I'm sorry, but… Uhm… Have a nice day.”

He made to move and get himself out of there, but the guy moved, too, stepping in front of him. Yixing tried his best not to scowl at him.

“Wait,” the guy said, his stare intense. Those eyes were a beautiful shade of brown and Yixing felt like melting under such a stare. “Do you know if it's true that Michelangelo painted those”—he pointed at the ceiling—”lying on his back?”

Yixing blinked at him, letting his words sink. When they did, he couldn't contain his scowl anymore. “What?”

“I read it the other day.”

“Where? Wikipedia?”

The guy had the decency to look sheepish. “Not exactly, but… Guess it still wasn’t the best source out there.”

“Well, it's not true,” Yixing said. “He built a scaffold that allowed him to reach the ceiling. It was the size of over half the total area of the chapel and attached to the walls through— what?”

The guy was looking at him with curiosity, his head tilted to the side. His eyes were still so intense, it was disconcerting.

“Do you work here?”

Yixing raised an eyebrow. “What if I do?”

“Would you mind giving me a tour?”

“I would, actually,” Yixing said, making a face. “And even if I wanted to give you a tour, I can't. It's against the rules. You have to schedule it in advance.”

The guy made a funny face and— were those puppy eyes?

“Please?”

Yixing scowled again, not believing the scene unfolding in front of him.

What was this man? Five?

The worst thing was that he was actually considering giving him a tour, even if he didn't want to. His shift had already ended. He was tired. And hungry. And thirsty. And his feet throbbed and his legs felt heavy. And Lulu and Luobo were waiting for him. He had to get home. But he couldn't let this guy go around thinking his facts were accurate now, could he? He couldn't. It was unacceptable. And also, there was something about him that rooted Yixing to his spot. He didn’t know what it was, but it was intriguing. He didn’t like it.

The guy stared a bit more—all he seemed to do was stare. “I’m Sehun, by the way.”

As soon as the name was out, Yixing's heart jumped and something stirred inside his tummy. He grimaced at the feeling.

“I didn’t ask,” he said, putting as much disinterest as he could. Because he wasn’t interested. At all.

“You didn’t,” the guy—Sehun—said. “But I had a hunch you were dying to know.”

“Your hunch was wrong,” Yixing said and walked past him, heading to the entrance.

He was still reluctant, but it was his duty as an honorable guide of the Sistine Chapel not to let Sehun misinform people. Just in case he happened to tell someone about his dubious knowledge. That wouldn’t be professional of him. So staying another hour or so wouldn’t be that bad. He would do it fast, then he could go home.

He hadn’t asked Sehun to follow him or anything. Somehow, he had the feeling Sehun would. He was a few meters ahead when he glanced over his shoulder. Sure thing, there Sehun was, walking right behind him. With a small smile dancing on his lips and a bunch of unknown promises shining in his eyes.

• | ∞ | •

“Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—when was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Revelation 12:7-12

• | S I X T E E N | •

The door opened and Yixing snapped his head up.

“Stand up. You're coming with us.”

Yixing frowned, ignoring the lump in his stomach. “Where?”

“We've already told you you're not one to ask questions. Now move. They don’t have all day.”

Not seeing a point in arguing, Yixing complied and jumped to his feet as fast as he could. He still couldn't move properly, but mentioning it wasn't worth it. They wouldn't let his wings free, anyway.

Out of his cell, the two guards were waiting for him, swords at the ready and a severe expression on their faces. They escorted him down the dark corridor; one angel in front of him, the other behind. He followed them in silence, with his eyes fixed on the dark clouds under his feet. He focused on how the chains he had around his torso were hurting his wings. On how the ones around his wrists were pinching his skin. The pain wasn't particularly welcomed, but he would take anything to distract himself from his current situation.

Soon they reached the stairs, and as they climbed up, the darkness faded away. When they reached the top, they found themselves surrounded by white clouds again.

Yixing kept moving forward, not daring to look up. He didn't notice where they were walking by or where they were heading to. They moved for a long time, or at least so he felt, before the guard in front of him came to a stop. Yixing crashed with him and was about to mumble his apologies, when he saw where they were standing.

A pair of golden doors was in front of them. They had the sequence of Michael fighting, defeating, and sending Lucifer to Hell carved on them. This scene had unfolded right in this area, several millenniums ago, back when bad, evil, and wrong were born. After that, the doors were created with the sole purpose of bringing to angels’ minds what had happened and how it had ended. A subtle reminder that anyone who dared fault and disregard God’s will might face a similar fate. Behind them, a large hall had been built, as well, to have a place where the ones on top of the hierarchy could solve any problem related to… angel misbehavior.

This place’s purpose, then, was to hold trials, apply final judgements, and do justice.

This place was the Divine Court.

The lump in Yixing’s stomach intensified. A cold shiver ran throughout his body and his wings tried to flap. The chains tugged at his feathers, so he forced them to stop.

“Stay in silence unless they address you,” the angel in front of him muttered before the doors opened.

They walked in and Yixing stared wide-eyed. There were fluffy white clouds around, as everything in Heaven was. Though these ones were different in a way. As if they had a floodlight on them, making them twinkle golden sparkles. Like clouds made out of gold. It was simple, yet beautiful. It looked like nothing he had seen before. Definitely like nothing the assumptions used to say.

Taking a deep breath, Yixing focused on looking straight ahead. Peeking through the space between the wings of the guard and his neck, he caught at the far end a high golden dais. There, seven golden thrones stood majestic with diamonds and jewels embedded on them. Only three were occupied. He recognized the occupants as Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Three of the Seven Archangels of God.

He swallowed, hard, even if his mouth had gone dry. He had never seen them in real life; only through paintings and portraits. Those didn’t convey, though, what it was to be that close to them. Their presence was overwhelming. Like they were concentrating all the energy around them, leaving the rest of the place feeling void of it. They were in silence, staring at them. It was obvious they weren’t pleased, if the frowns between their eyebrows were anything to go by. Yixing couldn’t stand such scrutinizing, so he averted his eyes.

When the front guard came to a stop, this time he managed to avoid the collision with his back. The guard then moved and now Yixing had them both flanking him on his sides. He felt the tips of two somethings digging at his back and he immediately knew those were the guards’ swords.

A few moments passed, then the doors behind him opened once again. When he saw who it was, his heart plummeted to his throat. In the very same aspect as him—hands cuffed in front of him, wings trapped with those chains surrounding his torso—Sehun stood, frowning. His jaw was tense. His hands balled into tight fists. His breathing deep and slow, controlled, as if he was putting all his might in not running away.

The realization of what all this could be about finally downed on Yixing.

How had this happened?

“Sehun,” he said, but couldn’t add anything else.

The swords at his back poked him and he yelped, out of surprise rather than pain. Sehun whipped his head around and Yixing gasped, his eyes going wide. He had a cut on his cheek, another somewhere in his hairline. He wasn't bleeding, but guessing by the stains in Sehun's white suit, the scene had been messy.

Sehun tried to give a step forward, but the guards on his sides didn’t let him move further. One of them pointed his sword at him, the other yanked him by the chains. Sehun frowned, but didn’t try to move again. His eyes landed on Yixing and his face immediately softened. He scanned him all over, as if looking for any kind of injury. When he found none, he sent him a small smile.

Yixing’s heart gave a jump, but he didn't have time to cherish it. From the corner of his eye, he caught movement. He teared his eyes away from Sehun in time to find another angel walking by the dais with a parchment in his hands. This one, Yixing had seen before. He didn’t know his name, but he knew he was the court clerk.

The angel stood at the base of the dais, bowed at the archangels. He faced the front and proceeded to unroll the parchment. “The Department of Justice of the Divine Court is now in session. Archangel First, Michael, head of the Heavenly Army. Archangel Second, Gabriel, Heavenly Messenger. Archangel Third, Raphael, protector of travelers, health, and courtship. In representation of the Seven Archangels of God, presiding.”

The archangel sitting in the middle, Michael, gave the clerk a nod, then looked back to the front. His eyes jumped from Yixing to Sehun a few times before he said, “Good afternoon, Yixing, guardian angel. Good afternoon, Sehun, aspiring guardian angel. Welcome to the Divine Court.” His voice was calm, velvety. It made you want to listen to anything he had to say, even if it was of no use. “Do you know why you are here?”

None of them replied.

The archangel waited, but it was obvious he wouldn’t receive an answer. He raised his eyebrows and asked again. “Do you know?”

“No, sir,” Sehun said, his voice strained.

“No?”

“No.”

“What about you, Yixing?” Michael asked. “Do you know why you are here?”

Yixing didn’t dare to breathe. He felt like Michael was testing him, like a parent asking you if you knew why they were scolding you. Suddenly he was back at the Park’s household. Crouching down next to Chanyeol, holding his tiny hand in support. The boy’s parents standing in front of them, asking if he knew what he had done wrong. Yixing had always encouraged his kid to act accordingly. To be honest and accept he had broken the rules. But when it came to him now, Yixing couldn’t make himself act the same.

He knew why they were here, but he didn’t want to be the one to say it. He considered his options. He could either say the truth or lie. It was evident which one he had to follow because lying was a sin. But he was being judged already, wasn’t he? So what was another little sin in his hands, anyway?

What a hypocrite…

“No, sir. I don’t know,” he said and looked away.

“Very well, then,” Michael said. He was calm, very calm, but his frown had deepened. He knew they were lying. Everyone in this court knew it, Yixing was sure. They were only letting them prolong the lie until they couldn’t do it anymore. “Could you please tell me, Sehun, why are you hurt?”

“Because I was hit.”

“And why was it?”

“You should ask your guards,” Sehun said, his tone of voice sounding accusatory.

“My guards,” Michael repeated, tilting his head to the side, “have informed me of the situation. But I want to know your version.”

“I was heading to my room when they intercepted me, sir,” Sehun explained. “I wanted to know why they were arresting me, but they refused to let me know. So I asked again and one of them hit me with the hilt of their sword to silence me. I was already on the floor, in silence, but another one scratched the tip of their sword on my cheek. Are they supposed to be that violent?”

Yixing’s breath hitched and he held it in. He couldn’t believe Sehun was speaking like that, and to Michael no less. What was he doing?

Michael placed his hands on his lap, intertwining his fingers. “No, they are certainly not,” he said. “Violence is never an option. Not when it is not required, of course. So tell me, was violence required in this case? Did you, perhaps, try to resist arrest?”

Sehun looked taken aback. He opened his mouth a few times, gaping at the archangel. “I…”

“That is enough of an answer, Sehun. Thank you.” Michael smiled at him, then continued. “Since both of you seem to be oblivious about why you were summoned before this court, we will have to enlighten you. Word has reached us and I am afraid it is not a pleasing one.

“Love, as it is, is one of the most beautiful powers that has ever seen light. It rules the world, probably as much as faith does. Raphael here”—Michael gestured at one of the other archangels—” will not let me lie in this.”

Raphael shifted on his throne. He had dropped his frown and was looking rather uncomfortable. Why, Yixing didn’t know, but it was evident the archangel wasn’t enjoying being part of this.

“Even us, angels, archangels, and any other divine being, are made directly from God’s love for his creation. Extremely beautiful thought, if you ask me,” Michael continued. “However, that our existence is ruled by love does not mean we are here to give and receive love in a… romantic way. That is not our mission, as I know you are aware of. That said, is there anything you would like to explain or… to confess?”

Yixing stood there, stricken. There was no way out of this. They couldn’t keep on lying, not now that Michael had so subtly shown what was happening here. This wasn’t a matter of what they had done, but rather what consequences they would face because of it. An ugly feeling settled in Yixing’s stomach and he was sure it wouldn’t go away ever again.

How had they found out?

The silence extended further than what could be acceptable. They had been directly addressed, so they had to provide an answer. But Yixing didn’t know what to say, and Sehun was probably as speechless as he himself was.

“We are giving you the opportunity to explain yourselves,” Gabriel said out of the blue, making his presence known for the very first time. “Help us understand so we can make a decision. Please do speak.”

Yixing frowned at him out of confusion. What were they supposed to say? Nobody was saying out loud what their crime was, but it was as clear as water. They were holding a trial because of it. So then, why did Sehun and he have to explain themselves? What did the archangels expect them to say? Were they waiting for their version of events or were they waiting for an apology, instead? If it was the latter, what did they have to apologize for?

For breaking the rules?

For not having control over what their hearts did?

For falling in love?

For getting caught?

None of those sounded right, and in all honesty, Yixing didn’t think those were things they should apologize for.

“Are you not going to say anything?” Michael asked, his face contorting into a contrite grimace.

“Do you have any proof?” Sehun asked back, the words sounding as if saying them pained him.

“Sehun,” Yixing muttered.

Sehun wasn’t accepting anything, but he wasn’t denying anything, either. Those were way too uncertain waters. They couldn't keep playing this game.

Michael, pleased that at least one of them had reacted, nodded. A small smile appeared on his lips again. “We, in fact, do, dear Sehun.” He turned to the clerk and nodded once. “Please bring him in.”

The clerk immediately disappeared behind the gate where he had first come from. A few moments later, he came back, followed by another angel. As soon as Yixing realized who it was, his stomach sank to the ground.

"This court welcomes Luhan, professor, former guardian angel," Michael said. “Good afternoon, Luhan.”

Luhan stood aside, facing the dais, pointedly not looking at Yixing or Sehun. “Good afternoon, sir.”

“We need to do this fast, so I am going to be straightforward. Could you please tell us what you saw last night?”

Yixing felt short of breath.

This couldn’t… This wasn’t happening, was it?

“I…” Luhan laced his hands at his back. They were shaking. One of his fingers found its way to his wings and started playing with the first feather it reached. “They were… I found them. Yesterday. At Yixing's room. They…”

“You need not to be specific,” Gabriel said, noticing how uncomfortable Luhan was. “We know this is hard. A brief explanation will suffice.”

Luhan nodded. Inhaled. Let go of his wing. Brought his hands to the front. Exhaled. “I found them in Yixing’s room carrying out activities impure in nature for an angel, faulting their heavenly vows.”

As soon as the words were out of Luhan’s mouth, Yixing felt like someone had punched him in the gut. He couldn’t believe the scene unfolding in front of him. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Luhan had said he wouldn’t give them away. He had promised he wouldn’t do it.

“What made you think they were faulting to their heavenly vows?” Michael asked, and Yixing could swear—keep going, Yixing! Add more sins to your list!—that he had heard some disgust laced in his words.

“They were nude.”

“Wait! But he doesn't—” Sehun started, but one of the guards yanked him from the chains in his torso, making him groan.

“Sorry, Sehun, but you already had your chance to speak and you did not use it. Please refrain from speaking now,” Michael ordered.

“That does not prove anything, does it?” Gabriel said, ignoring Sehun’s outburst. “We do not have shame in being naked in front of our equals, for we are not to see our bodies as anything but the temple God provided our souls with.”

“They were kissing when I entered the room, sir,” Luhan said.

The clerk gasped, while the guards behind Yixing loosened their firm grip on their swords from the shock. He could feel the tip of their weapons losing pressure over his back. Gabriel only nodded, looking rather content with Luhan’s answer. As though he already knew Luhan would say exactly that.

“I believe this is more than enough, Luhan,” Michael said, offering him one of those small smiles. “I have no further questions, so you may go now. Thank you very much.”

The clerk stepped forward to escort him to the exit. “This way, please.”

Luhan hesitated. He stayed rooted to his place for a moment. Then he looked, for the first time, to where Yixing and Sehun were standing.

“I had to do it. I'm sorry,” he mumbled, then turned around and followed the clerk out as fast as he could.

Yixing stared at his retreating back and felt like laughing.

He was sorry? He was sorry, he said? Was he being serious? Luhan had promised he wouldn’t say anything and Yixing had trusted him. He had promised, and yet, he had still given them away. Yixing knew he had put him in a tight position, but he had promised.

“You promised me,” he blurted out without thinking.

The guards poked his back, but he didn’t care. He could only focus on Luhan, who was still walking without sparing him another glance. This made the anger bubble inside him more intense than he had ever felt before. He felt like he was going to explode.

“You promised me, Luhan!” he yelled this time, wincing when one of the guards held him by the chains and yanked him backwards. “You said you wouldn’t tell anyone, you liar! You promised me! You promised it!”

He could hear his guards groaning for the effort of keeping him in place. He knew he had to stop, lest he wanted them to hurt him for real, but he wasn’t thinking anymore. He heard Sehun call his name at some point, but he still trashed, and pulled, and jumped, and screamed. And he didn’t stop until one of his guards didn’t have any other option but to hit him with the hilt of his spear. A sharp pain shot right where his wings connected with his back. They were still holding him, so he didn't fall to the ground. But his knees buckled and he went limp.

“Yixing!” Sehun exclaimed at the same time one of his guards said, “Do not dare to move or the consequences will be worse.”

Yixing’s breathing was heavy. He had drained himself of any ounce of energy. This already felt like a lost cause for them. Probably had been since the very beginning.

“Well,” Michael said, as if nothing had happened. His voice was still as calm as from the start. “We have provided you with proof, Sehun. It is more than clear for everyone attending this honorable trial that all the evidence incriminates you both. There is no discussion about it. So now, everything left is to decide what the final judgment will be.”

“I suggest tearing off their wings,” Gabriel provided.

Yixing snapped his head up, his eyes wide in horror. His wings gave a violent shudder and another cold shiver ran down his spine.

Michael shook his head. “That would turn them into fallen angels. They would still be able to find each other on Earth.”

“Then let us send them to Hell.”

“And let them live freely in sin? I do not think so. Besides, we promised we would negotiate with demons as less as we could.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Raphael,” Michael said, turning to look at his fellow archangel. “You have remained silent throughout this exchange.”

Raphael fixed his glare on the other. “You cannot expect me to have a say in this.”

Michael's voice, for the first time, lost his calm touch, showing confusion, instead. “This is why we are here.”

“This goes against my own nature and one of my main purposes, Michael. I am afraid I must remain neutral.”

Yixing held his stare over Raphael. What did he mean?

“Your nature and main purposes had never been an impediment for you to emit a vote before,” Gabriel added.

“Never had we had to face a trial of these sorts before,” Raphael said.

As the archangels bickered, Yixing squinted at them, trying to understand. There was something he was missing here. Michael was right; Raphael hadn’t interacted at all. Not even once. He had seemed uncomfortable at some point, even. The question was why. What was making him feel that way? Why wouldn’t he want to take part in this? What did this have to do with his nature and—

The answer hit Yixing hard. So hard that he gasped when he registered what it meant—Raphael, protector of travelers, health, and courtship, had the clerk said. Of courtship. Humans prayed to him whenever they wanted to get married, or so Yixing had heard. Raphael had been commissioned to lead everyone to the person God had chosen as their companion for life. And sure, this wasn't about marriage, and it only applied to humans, but only because it had never happened in the heavenly realm before. Raphael had said just that.

“Sir,” he said. The three beings on the dais looked at him, but he only had eyes for one of them. “You… You understand this, do you not?”

“What is he talking about?” Gabriel asked.

Yixing paid him no mind and let his voice carry as much devotion as he could. “I know this is different than anything you have ever dealt with. But you know God’s ways regarding love to a certain level. He has granted you the power to lead people to the person with whom they can live in peace, love, and harmony. Why can that not apply to us, as well?” Not giving it a second thought, he sank on his knees. He ignored the tug in his wings. “I promise Sehun and I are no different from those who pray to you on Earth. I beg you to spare us the punishment and let us have this. We do no harm to anyone and I am certain you can see that no bad can come out into existence when there is love involved.”

“Romantic love between angels is not allowed, Yixing. Please do not insist with this,” Michael said.

Yixing ignored him, too. A lump had formed in his throat and his eyes prickled. He was giving all that was in him for not to break down. Raphael’s eyes felt intense over him. The scrutinizing gaze from the beginning was back.

“Please…”

Raphael opened his mouth, and for a brief moment Yixing let himself hope. But any sparkle of it vanished when the archangel spoke.

“And if we burn them?”

Yixing stared at him, dumbfounded. What?

“Burn them?” Michael asked and Raphael nodded. “It has been a while since the last time we burned an angel. You know we stopped because nobody knows what exactly happens to them after that.”

“Whatever happens to them, to their souls, becomes irrelevant for us,” Raphael said, finally tearing his eyes away from Yixing. “If it means there will be no more sins, no more faults, and no more taint against our heavenly vows, then I don't see why not. What a better way to prevent them from sinning than turning them into ashes.”

Yixing couldn't believe his ears. Those three were talking so lightly about their fates, about their deaths, as though they couldn't care less about it. What was wrong with them?

“It sounds reasonable if you put it that way…” Michael said, back at his calm voice. It was starting to exasperate Yixing. “So this is it? We burn them?”

“We should wait for the other four to come back and then decide,” Gabriel offered.

Sighing, Michael nodded. “I know, but we have to deal with Sehun and Yixing now. We have other things to attend and we cannot keep them here any longer.”

“So?” Raphael quipped.

“Who, from the presents here, agrees to proceed with this verdict?” Michael asked.

“I do,” Raphael said.

Gabriel shrugged and said, “I do.”

“I do,” Michael said, then nodded to the guards.

Yixing was still on his knees, so they forced him to his feet. His legs wobbled, but they were holding his chains tight, helping him to keep standing.

“We, the jury,” Michael started, “in the case of the Divine State versus guardian angels Yixing and Sehun, do find the existence of a series of aggravating circumstances against the Holy Law and Order. The crime involved faults against morals, good manners, decency and purity of the body and soul, as well against the sacred vows they took by being part of the Sacred Legion of Guardian Angels.”

Yixing's breathing was swallowed. With each word Michael muttered, the emptiness in his chest increased. He didn't notice when his vision blurred, but he did feel when a tear fell down his cheek. He was scared, and angry, and didn't know what to do.

It was then that he realized Sehun had shown no reaction. He turned to him only to find him staring at the ground. His shoulders were slumped and any trace of fight he still had a few minutes ago was already gone. Sehun was… defeated. Yixing hated not being able to do anything to fix it.

“We have considered the nature of the offense along with the testimony of a direct witness. Thus, we have unanimously agreed that, as a final verdict, the defendants Yixing, guardian angel, and Sehun, aspiring guardian angel, shall be expelled from Heaven. This in the form of being burned, with no objections allowed and the punishment applied immediately.”

Yixing didn’t have any time to register what it meant, when Michael nodded again. The guards pushed him to walk towards the furthest corner of the court. There were several golden poles with various rings that he hadn't noticed before. They secured his and Sehun’s chains in the rings. They freed their wrists of the chains, then laced them around the poles and behind their backs. The position was uncomfortable and painful, part of their wings crushed against the pole. The guards made sure they were secured, then backed off several meters to a safe space away from them.

“Is it settled?” Michael asked. The guards nodded. Michael raised one hand and proclaimed, “May your souls pay for any committed sin, now, wherever it is you will go.”

Yixing didn’t catch any change at first. He stood there, ignoring how much his wings hurt. His breath came out in heavy, shaky puffs and he swallowed, trying to force down the still very present lump in his throat. He wasn’t crying anymore. The dread and desperation inside of him was bigger and more intense than any urge of crying he could still have. His eyes still prickled though, and he thought he might start crying again. It didn’t take him long to realize that the sensation wasn’t from his tears, but from the smoke finally coming from the ground under his feet.

“Yixing, look at me,” Sehun said. His voice was raspy, slightly hoarse.

Yixing shook his head. He wasn’t sure he could bear looking at him one last time. So he shut his eyes tight and swallowed again.

“Please, look at me,” Sehun said again.

Now he could feel the change. The increase in temperature, the warmth creeping up his body. It was there, nagging at him, not letting him pretend it wasn’t there. The realization of how this was actually happening; of how they were going to die, weighed him down all of a sudden.

In all his years living in Heaven, not even once the thought of dying again had crossed Yixing’s mind. Eternal life was what they had promised, so eternal life was what he was supposed to get. Now, eternal life was something he would never have, because they were taking it away.

But he came to the conclusion that he didn’t care.

They would take away his wings, his eternal life, and even his only chance to be with Sehun. But if this was it for him, he wouldn’t let them take away his last moment alive. He would make a good use of it, for his future was uncertain and right now was, perhaps, the only moment he would ever have to feel it all again.

So he opened his eyes and turned his face to the side. He found the angel, his angel, looking at him. He could see sadness, fear, and anger in their purest state dancing in Sehun's eyes. Though he still saw that sparkle that only belonged to them. It made Yixing’s heart grow full and his stomach go wild. He felt at peace and he welcomed it, and embraced it, and didn’t let it go. Because all this, he realized, had been completely worth it. Because Sehun was all worth it and he wouldn’t have done it any other way.

“I love you, too,” he whispered.

Sehun's smile grew bigger.

And then they went aflame.

• | F I F T E E N | •

Following Chanyeol down the stairs, Yixing noticed the door to the backyard was open. His eyes jumped from the kid to the door several times, hoping Chanyeol wouldn’t notice, too. He had to throw all that hope out the window when the boy gasped once he saw he had free access to his sandbox. He took off as fast as a newly five-year-old could, with his newest car toy in his hand and his smile big on his face.

Proud filled Yixing’s chest when he said, “Don’t run. You know you can fall,” and Chanyeol slowed down.

As soon as they were out, Chanyeol didn’t waste time and went directly to his sandbox. Yixing winced when he saw the state it was in. Last night’s storm had turned the sand into mud and there was no doubt the kid would get dirty everywhere. Mrs. Park wouldn’t be happy about it. He considered suggesting go inside again, but he went against it. It wouldn’t hurt him to play a little in the mud.

“Hello, Yixing.”

Turning around, he found another angel he didn’t recognize at the other side of the backyard. He was wearing golden armor, with a sword secured to his belt. What was a heavenly guard doing here?

“Hello,” he said, going for a polite tone. Conscious of the guard’s eyes on him, he gave a tentative step to the side. He hoped it wasn't too obvious how he was placing himself between the angel and Chanyeol. “What do I owe your presence here?”

“You must come with us.”

Yixing narrowed his eyes, ignoring the increase in speed of his heartbeat. “Us?”

Behind him, Chanyeol had gone silent. Yixing turned around. He was frowning, his eyes darting everywhere in the backyard, as if looking for something. His lips didn’t have a smile anymore, but they were pouting now. He sensed something was wrong. Yixing considered for a moment joining him on the ground to comfort him, but he refrained himself from doing it. He had to sort things out with the guard first.

Two other angels walked right out from the house, then. They held their swords in front of them and stood at the door. What was going on?

“As I had said,” the first angel spoke again, “we must bring you with us and we are going to proceed now.”

Out of the blue, another pair of guards stepped behind him. One of them produced a chain and surrounded his torso with it. His wings got flattened against his back, some feathers getting caught in the chains. His first reaction was to attempt to get away from them, but he couldn't. The guards at the door stepped in front of him, preventing him from moving.

As this happened, the first angel began to recite, “Yixing, guardian angel, you are under arrest—”

“What? Why?” Yixing asked, trying to remove the guard’s firm grip on his wrists. They were placing another chain around them, making them work as cuffs.

“—for offenses against the Highest Divine Order. You are not to ask questions—”

“What do you mean?!”

“—but to remain silent until the moment you are summoned to declare.”

“Why are you doing this?”

“Daytime custody of your assigned child will go to his Nighttime Guardian Angel, Junmyeon, 24 hours a day—”

“What?! No! You can’t do that!”

“—until the Sacred Legion of Guardian Angels assigns him a new Daytime Guardian Angel.”

“Please explain to me why!”

“You must cooperate with us, thus avoiding the need to apply physical force in any kind against you.”

The angel said more things, but Yixing muted him as soon as his ears registered a particular sound among the noise. When he confirmed what it was, his chest tightened and the alarms in his head set off.

Chanyeol was crying.

“Wait! Wait!” he exclaimed, trying to make his voice heard over all the commotion. His job was to protect Chanyeol, not only against evil, but against any situation that would stop him from being the happy, cheerful kid he was. “Please, wait! He’s crying! Let me calm him down! Please!”

At this, everyone fell silent. Sure thing, Chanyeol’s sobs reached their ears, making them turn to him.

“Please, he’s scared,” Yixing implored, feeling his heart shrink the more he heard his kid cry. “I promise I won’t fight anymore. Just let me calm him down and then we can go.”

The first angel nodded, and the ones behind him released his wrists. Yixing didn’t lose time and threw himself next to the sandbox. His movements were slowed down. The chains around his torso restricted any fluid movement, but he paid it no mind. He cradled the child’s face with one of his hands, while with the other combed the hair at the back of his head.

“It’s alright, don’t worry,” he said, his voice coming out soft and soothing. “It’s okay. Don’t cry. I’m here. You’re alright. Everything’s going to be alright.”

Chanyeol’s wailing slowly came to a stop, though his tears were still sliding down his cheeks. His lip was trembling and his breathing was ragged. Yixing placed a small kiss on his temples, and tried to wipe his tears, even though he knew he wouldn’t succeed. It was in moments like this that he hated not to be a corporeal thing on Earth.

“Yixing.”

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he jumped, not expecting the contact. He looked to the owner, and calmed down when he saw it was Junmyeon. He was crouching next to him, trying to keep a calm composure, even though the worry was evident in his eyes.

“It’s okay. I got this,” Junmyeon said, giving his shoulder a light squeeze. “You go. I’ll take care of him.”

Yixing couldn’t reply or thank him. Chanyeol’s mom interrupted him then, rushing to the sandbox. She was completely unaware of the legion of angels camping in her backyard as she took her son in her arms. She wiped his tears and whispered comforting words into his ear as she took him back into the house.

“Don't worry. It'll be alright,” Junmyeon said, offering an encouraging smile—that didn’t encourage Yixing at all. “You’ll be alright. Soon you’ll be with Yeollie again.”

Yixing nodded and tried to smile back, even if something inside him was telling him that that wouldn’t be the case.

Junmyeon disappeared into the house, then, leaving him alone with the guards. He faced them, and two stepped forward again. They got him chained by the wrists and once he was secured, they repeated the same speech.

He didn’t even try to listen. Now that Chanyeol was in good hands, he could only focus on one single thing—offenses against the Highest Divine Order.

What did that mean?

He wasn't dumb and he knew what that meant. What he didn't know was what his divine offense had exactly been. As far as he recalled, he hadn't committed any.

Except…

But no. It couldn't be it. Because nobody knew. He was sure nobody knew. Nobody but Sehun, obviously. And Luhan. But Sehun would never confess and Luhan had promised not to say a thing. So he couldn't understand.

You’re being a fool, his brain provided, but he ignored it. He refused to jump into conclusions. Although he guessed that, if he wanted answers, he would have to go with these guards.

What else could he do, anyway?

• | F O U R T E E N | •

A thunder roared in the distance. Yixing sighed, burying himself deeper into the covers. His bed was small as it was, with room enough only for him and barely his wings. Now add another body and another pair of wings to the equation. That only left him with his wings crushed half against the wall, half against the mattress—not that he was complaining, though.

“It sounds like a lion.”

“It sounds like a thunder.”

“Hm… Using ‘lion’ is better.”

“Using ‘lion’ makes you sound like a child.”

Sehun snorted. “If you're going to insult me, maybe I should leave.”

“Maybe you should.”

“Maybe I should.”

“But please don't,” Yixing said, looking for Sehun's hand under the covers. It felt so… weird to say such a thing aloud. To do it without trying to pretend he wasn't feeling what he was feeling. It was freeing, really. He liked it. He liked it a lot.

“I won’t,” Sehun said, playing with Yixing’s fingers. “You’re unfortunately stuck with me for the rest of eternity and beyond.”

“That's a lot of time.”

Sehun leaned up on one elbow and stared down at him. “Is it a problem?”

Yixing ran his eyes over him, trying to imprint every single detail on his mind. He stared at his wings; at how they loomed over them and cocooned them away from the world. At his chest, with his soft skin and firm muscles under it. At his neck and collarbones, where his lips had been a few hours ago. At his tousled hair, falling against his forehead. At his eyes, always sparkling, full of life and a million promises he hoped one day they could make. At his lips, turned into a lazy smile, looking pink and soft and like the only thing he wanted to taste.

“No, it’s not,” he whispered and with his free hand, pulled Sehun down to a kiss.

He buried his fingers in the hair at Sehun’s neck and felt that smile grow bigger against his lips. Their movements were calm, and slow, and gentle, as if they had all the time in the world to get used to this and enjoy it—perhaps because they did. They were living their eternal life, after all. Perks of being an angel living in Heaven.

Yixing’s stomach went crazy and his heart gave a thousand jumps inside his chest. He didn’t know he was capable of feeling these things as an angel—he wasn’t supposed to, that much he knew—and it was so… amazing. He couldn’t believe they were finally doing this.

When they parted, Sehun’s face stayed close enough for him to feel the soft puffs of air leaving Sehun’s nostrils against his cheek. Sehun was still smiling, but there was something different glinting in his eyes. There was a fondness in them that wasn’t there before. It overwhelmed Yixing more than he thought possible. It was a kind of overwhelming he had never felt before, but wasn’t unwelcomed. It actually made him feel giddy, like on cloud nine.

He could also see that Sehun was thinking about something. He wanted to know what was inside that mind of his, so he opened his mouth to ask, but Sehun beat him to it.

“I know this is fast,” Sehun whispered, “but I think I love you.”

It left Yixing dumbstruck. He blinked a couple of times, letting the words and their meaning sink in. When they did, he was completely lost at words. There were a lot of things he wanted to say back, but didn’t know how to. So he opted to say them with his lips pressed against Sehun’s.

This time, the kiss wasn’t as calm, slow, or gentle. It wasn’t desperate or chaotic like their very first, either. It was just… passionate. Yixing aimed to pour into Sehun’s mouth all his feelings. Everything he had kept to himself for so long and was until now letting out. He made the purpose of not stopping. Not until everything was out in the air, ready for them both to see, and hear, and taste, and smell, and feel. And he was doing an excellent job in achieving that, when the door of his room opened.

As if something had burned them, Yixing and Sehun jumped away. The air around them filled with discomfort and wariness as Luhan stared at them, horror-struck from his place at the door.

How could he… There was… What was he doing…

“Luhan,” Yixing started. His voice cracked, reflecting the dread inside his gut, and he winced. He tried again. “I— this is not… We can explain.”

“I bet you do,” Luhan mumbled, the horror still very present in his eyes and voice. “I’ll wait outside the room. Call me back when you’re… properly… dressed.”

He left the room, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

Stunned to the core, Sehun and Yixing left the bed in silence. They moved around the room retrieving the scattered pieces of their white suits. When they were presentable, Yixing made a poor attempt to arrange the bed while Sehun stood in the middle of the room, not knowing how to help. Yixing gave the place a once-over before he moved to the door. He held Sehun's hand and gave it a firm squeeze when he passed him by. Then he let go and let Luhan in.

The angel didn't look as shocked as before. Staying out there seemed to calm him down and bring his mind to a more stable condition—or as stable as it could, anyway. He went to sit on the bed, but immediately jumped and retreated to the furthest corner.

Sehun did sit on the bed, trying to ease the cramped feeling that was now in the room. Yixing preferred to stand at the door, keeping as much distance as he could from Sehun so as not to make things worse.

“So,” Luhan said, still eyeing with disgust at the bed. “For how long?”

“For how long what?” Sehun asked and Luhan glared at him. “No, it's a genuine question. For how long have we… what? Liked each other? Known we like each other? Been together?”

“All of them,” Luhan muttered. “How many times have you done… that?”

“This was the first,” Yixing said. “We got together when I came back from Yeol’s.”

Those words tasted bitter in his mouth and as soon as they were out, he couldn't help but huff a laugh. One day. It had lasted one, single day. And not even that, because they had been in his room for only a few hours. He knew they wouldn't get away with it so easily, but he had thought, wished, hoped, they had more time than only a few hours.

Luhan narrowed his eyes at them. “You do remember lying is a sin, don't you?”

“He's not lying,” Sehun said, frowning at him. “I have liked him for quite a while now, but it wasn't until yesterday that I decided to act on it. Before that, we hadn't—”

“So this is your fault,” Luhan stated.

“If you’re going to blame someone, blame us both,” Yixing said. “I was the one who kissed him and I willingly… you know.” He gestured at the bed, trying—and failing—not to sound too embarrassed. He caught Sehun trying—and failing, as well—to suppress a smile.

“Sehun, please leave us alone,” Luhan said.

Sehun hesitated for a moment, before he nodded and stood up. He got close to Yixing and reached to hold his hand. Yixing could feel Luhan’s eyes on them and he shook his head to stop Sehun from anything he was planning to do.

Sehun only raised his eyebrows and shot Luhan a glance. “Could you please look away, professor?”

Luhan’s mouth fell open and his eyebrows furrowed. Unintelligible sounds escaped his lips instead of words, but he still complied. He turned around, facing the wall.

“Better?” Sehun whispered and this time Yixing didn’t stop his lips from turning up.

“You’re unbelievable.”

Sehun shrugged and squeezed his hand. “I’ll see you when you get back from Chanyeol's tomorrow, alright? Don’t miss me too much.” He leaned in, kissed Yixing on the cheek, and with that he left, unaware of the turmoil of emotions inside Yixing’s stomach.

The smile on Yixing’s face only widened and for a moment he forgot about everyone and everything. He was so gone for…

“This isn’t a phase, is it?”

Yixing startled, and just like that, was yanked back into the present. Luhan was staring at him with an indecipherable expression on his face. Yixing felt small, nervous. He wanted Sehun to come back.

“No,” he mumbled, hoping the tremor in his voice wasn’t so noticeable. Whether he succeeded or not, he didn’t know, but Luhan didn’t comment on it.

“How did this happen?” Luhan asked, but it sounded like he was speaking to himself. “If I had known, I would've—”

“You couldn’t have prevented it, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Yixing said. “I tried to stop it when I realized what was going on, but… Sometimes it felt like it was meant to happen, you know?”

“Oh, no. You’re not doing this.” Luhan shook his head and his wings flapped furiously behind him. “Don’t you dare say this is all God’s doing. You've already got enough sins on your plate. You can stop with this absurdity right now.”

“Luhan, the first time I saw Sehun was before he stepped foot in Heaven.”

He didn’t explain it any further. He was sure Luhan would get it with only that. It took him a while, but when he understood what Yixing was implying, his eyes went wide.

“Where?”

“Italy.”

“But that was… Chanyeol was, what? Two?”

“Three,” Yixing said. “I'm telling you it can’t be a coincidence. Heaven is huge and yet Sehun ended here.”

“I get your point, but this wasn’t fate, Yixing! You’re deluding yourself so you don’t feel guilty, because you know this kind of thing goes against the rules.”

“Maybe, but what I feel, I’m not imagining it. It is real.”

Luhan glared at him, though he looked rather conflicted. “Oh, trust me. I know it’s real. I saw it all.” He grimaced and shook his head. “Didn't you think someone could walk in? What if I had come visit you earlier or with someone else? Or if it had been someone else and not me? You wouldn't even be here. They wouldn't have given you time!”

Luhan was right, in some way. Would’ve been worse, indeed. But it wasn't like it had happened, so there was no point in focusing on that. There were more urgent and worrying matters than the ‘what if’s.

“Are you going to tell on us?” Yixing asked, staring at the floor.

“I don’t know.”

“Luhan—”

“No, Yixing.” Luhan shook his head and raked a hand through his hair. “You can’t ask me to keep it a secret. This isn’t a slight offense. What you did is serious and staying silent will condemn me, too.”

Yixing felt his wings shiver with the implications a confession from Luhan could have for him and Sehun both. He dropped his calm act in an instant. His voice quivered and until now he realized his hands were trembling. He closed them into fists and kept them to his sides.

“If you tell someone; if you confess… we… we could… They’ll tear off our wings. They’ll kick us out of Heaven and—”

“You think I don’t know that?” Luhan asked, his glare coming back in full force. “I’ve been here far longer than you and Sehun have, combined. You’re not the first ones to commit a crime, but trust me, none of them has been close to what you two have done. This must have grave consequences that we're yet unaware of. But it doesn't matter what those are, you must face them, whether you want it or not.”

“Alright, fine. I know we can’t escape it, but think about Chanyeol.” Yixing knew that pulling Chanyeol into this mess was unfair and low. He would never forgive himself for using his child like this, but he had to do it. He was running out of options to convince Luhan—and it wasn’t like he had had many, to begin with. “What’s going to happen to him? If I leave. What will they do to him? He can’t— He needs me.”

Luhan stared at him for what felt like three eternities together. His eyes were intense and full of anger and frustration. Yixing didn’t dare to move or speak or breathe, afraid that any wrong movement might result in being counterproductive. At last, Luhan breathed out, long and shaky. He swallowed and his wings gave a firm flap that sent a soft breeze around the room.

“I can't believe you're making me do this,” he said, shaking his head.

This lit up a small fire of hope inside Yixing. “You won't say anything? Do you promise?”

Luhan looked at him for a moment, then slowly nodded. “I promise.”

Yixing exhaled, feeling relief invading his whole body. Maybe they were still sailing on dangerous waters, but at least today they were fine. They were safe. They would be as cautious as possible and nothing would go wrong. He trusted Luhan with his life. He wouldn't let them down.

“Thank you,” he said, for the first time smiling.

Luhan looked away. “I should get going. It’s been quite a day.”

“Alright…” Yixing walked to the door and held it open. “Good night,” he said as Luhan walked out and only received a small wave in response.

Not wanting to tangle his head more than it already was, he closed the door and threw himself on his bed, face against his pillow. There were still a few hours before he had to leave to see Chanyeol, so he might as well catch some sleep and rest. He knew he needed it.

It had been quite a day, indeed.

Although not everything had been that bad. Things were still pretty much uncertain, but at least he still had Sehun. And for now, that felt like it was more than enough.

• | T H I R T E E N | •

The clouds lit up under his feet, the scandalous thunders stunned his ears. Yixing had heard Mrs. Park say that morning that it would rain. She had been right, though guessing by the thunders, it would be a storm instead of a simple rain. He considered himself lucky that storms occurred in the clouds below those in Heaven. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like to live inside them.

Sighing, he forced his feet to go down the last few meters to his room, even if he felt like he could drop on the floor and sleep right there and then. To say he was tired was an understatement. His muscles were sore, as though he had spent the whole day running—and in some way, he had.

Today was November 27th.

Today Chanyeol turned five.

Today he had a birthday party.

Today was the most hectic day of the year for Yixing.

Don't misunderstand him, he was happy. He loved to celebrate Yeol's birthday. Loved the smile that grew big on his face whenever someone greeted him happy birthday. But if the child was full of energy on a daily, normal basis, on his birthday he surpassed his limits and went wild. It was delightful, but Yixing was a guardian angel, not a kid. He couldn’t keep up with so much energy.

At least Yeol had a great day, which was the only thing that mattered. And now he was in Junmyeon’s hands, so Yixing was looking forward to crashing on his bed and staying there until tomorrow.

He placed a hand on his shoulder and did a circular motion with his arm, trying to relax his sore muscles. He closed his eyes and kept on walking, knowing by heart the way to his room without having to look. He was almost there when a particular roll of his arm sent a shock of pain all the way from his shoulder blade to the tip of his wing. He winced, feeling like crying just a little.

“Rough day?”

Yixing jumped and his eyes flew open. Sehun was standing a few steps away from him, leaning on the wall next to the door of his room. It had been almost two weeks since the last time he had seen him. His heart didn't waste any more time and fluttered. What a traitor…

“Rough day,” he repeated, trying to sound casual. He slowed down until he came to a stop in front of his door. “How did you… find my room?”

“Junmyeon.”

Yixing tried not to show it, but he was confused. Junmyeon was the one to tell him to do this—well, not this, but his message had been clear. So why had Junmyeon, from all angels, told him where to find him?

“Today's Chanyeol's birthday, isn't it?" Sehun said, since Yixing hadn't added anything else. "Did he have a party?”

Yixing raised his eyebrows and nodded. “How do you know?”

Sehun shrugged and looked away, suddenly seeming sheepish. “Today’s a year since you came to Luhan’s class. You know, after his birthday party.”

Yixing frowned and dug into his memories, going back to that particular day. It wasn’t like he had forgotten it, because how could he? But almost everything about it was blurry. His brain had only kept the most… interesting aspects of that day—the Sehun aspects of that day, specifically. Anything he could've said wasn’t interesting at all.

“I can’t believe you remember it.”

Sehun smirked. “How could I forget it? It was the first time I saw you and you kind of embarrassed yourself.”

Yixing rolled his eyes, pressing his lips together to stop his smile. “I did not.”

“Should’ve seen yourself, red like a tomato.”

“It was from indignation. I was expecting to spend my free time with my friend and I got to his classroom to find a bunch of newbies, instead. You ruined my day.”

Sehun shook his head, but didn’t press the matter. Instead, he changed the topic. “I know you’re tired, but do you think we can talk?”

Yixing put his brain to work so he could come up with an excuse to get himself out of this, but he failed. So he went with playing dumb. “About?”

“About what is happening.”

“And what's exactly happening?”

Sehun shrugged one shoulder. “You tell me. You're the one who's been avoiding me.”

Yixing looked away, for the first time feeling ashamed about his childish behavior. He didn’t know what to say to that. His instinct told him to deny it; to argue he wasn’t avoiding anyone. He even wanted to say that Sehun had done the same thing before, for way longer than Yixing had, and he hadn't questioned him. But that was in the past and they weren't talking about that one time now. That, and he didn't want to look defensive. That would give him away and there was no need to do that.

Not wanting to make this more uncomfortable, he sighed and opened his door. He could hear his pulse in his ears as they got in. It reminded him he was here, living this exact moment and oh, how he wished things were different.

He looked around, conscious of the lack of places to sit other than his bed. Rooms weren’t particularly large. Only conditioned with the necessary for them to sleep and keep their belongings. They could do but either sit on the bed or stand.

"You can take a seat there if you want,” he said, pointing at the bed.

Sehun did and patted the mattress next to him.

Yixing wanted to protest, but decided against it. He sat next to him, not leaving a lot of space between them so as not to make Sehun feel worse. It was evident that he was, somehow, blaming himself for Yixing's behavior. Showing reluctance to be near him wouldn't help.

For a while they sat in silence, with the thunders the only noise in the room. Though Yixing could still hear his pulse beating like a madman on his ears and it was getting on his nerves. He didn't know where to start. He guessed apologizing was fair after staying away for so long without an explanation.

“I’m sorry,” he said and gave Sehun a brief glance.

Sehun shook his head and frowned. “You didn’t do anything.”

Yixing frowned, as well. The confusion had to be clear in his face because Sehun then started to explain.

“The problem is me, okay? It has nothing to do with you. I mean, it does have to do with you, but not in the way you think.” Sehun's frown deepened and he looked away, glaring at the room instead, as if searching for his words there. “If I do this, I'm going to scare you away even more, but please, just listen, alright?”

His eyes went back to Yixing, as resolute as they had ever been. He didn’t continue, as though he were waiting for a confirmation or an acknowledgement from Yixing—so Yixing gave it to him. He nodded, putting into it as much conviction as he could.

Sehun seemed satisfied with it. He held his stare a few more, then went back to frown at the wall.

“You make me feel weird,” he said and started fidgeting with his fingers. “Not a bad weird, just… Ever since I saw you that first day, everything I could think about was you. Then, I kind of forced myself into your life. I got to meet you and…” He shrugged and his wings shifted, surrounding him as if trying to hug and comfort him. “I thought I was broken, and maybe I am, because you said angels aren't supposed to feel this way. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t shake the feeling away. And the more time I spent with you, the more it grew.

“It was hard to come to terms with it. But I've made up my mind already and now I can accept that I like you; more than I can even express. I shouldn't be doing this, but I’m telling you because you deserve to know. If after this you decide you don’t want me near again, or you want to report me or something, I’ll totally—”

Sehun didn't get to finish, because Yixing lunged at him. He didn’t think; only followed his urge to fulfill his wish, consequences be damned. A surprised sound came out Sehun's throat, but the shock didn't last too long before he was kissing Yixing back.

It was messy. A clash of lips, and teeth, and tongues, and a pair of noses bumping against the other. The way they were turned to face each other was awkward and uncomfortable, so Yixing stood up, doing his best not to get his mouth away from Sehun's. Sehun pulled him towards him, settling him on his lap with his legs bracketing Sehun's hips.

Their new proximity allowed them to touch, and caress, and explore everywhere they could reach. Jacket suits flew open; Sehun’s was discarded on the mattress, Yixing’s landed on the floor with a soft thud. Two pairs of wings stretched to their full length, ruffling their hair with the air they produced. Sehun unbuttoned Yixing’s shirt completely. Yixing only managed to do it up to his navel, for his hands got in contact with Sehun’s skin and got lost in the expanse of his chest. Sehun gasped when Yixing softly ran his nails down his chest and abdomen. Yixing sighed when he felt the pads of Sehun’s fingers travel to his back where feathers merged with skin.

Each caress was full of desire, care, and devotion. Everything seemed so foreign, so far away; this room the only important place in existence. They kissed. They nipped. They bit. They touched. They gave. They took. They didn’t want to stop.

Yixing wished they couldn’t stop. Though somewhere deep inside his head a voice was yelling at him to put a stop to it. Things weren’t as easy as they seemed right now, and all this, as wonderful as it was, wasn’t meant to happen. He knew he should be panicking about what they were doing. They were breaking a ton of rules and vows. If someone were to enter through that door, this would bring them a lot of trouble—or even their deaths. But his brain was in a haze. Half of it chanting Sehun, Sehun, Sehun, Sehun, while the other screamed stop it, stop it, stop it, stop it.

For a while he fought an internal battle he didn't want to fight, but at last, the most rational side won. He knew they couldn’t keep doing this. Thus, with an enormous amount of reluctance and an even bigger amount of self-control, Yixing broke their kiss. His lower lip stayed between Sehun’s for a moment, before Sehun gave it one final nip and let it go. His chest rose and fell fast, and under his palms he could feel Sehun’s chest heaving just the same.

“You’re not broken,” he whispered, panting into Sehun’s mouth. After his impulsive reaction to Sehun’s words, he realized he had yet to tell him this. He meant them, and he wanted Sehun to believe them, too. “This was… an unfortunate event, but you’re not broken.”

Sehun leaned back, his eyebrows furrowed. “Unfortunate?”

“I feel the same way about you,” Yixing confessed and an invisible weight lifted from his shoulders. Sehun leaned in again, aiming to catch his lips, but he ducked him out. “That doesn’t mean this isn’t wrong.”

“But—”

“We can’t do this and you know it. If someone discovers us—”

“We’re going to be discreet.”

“It’s not going to work.”

“Why not? So far we’ve been more than capable of keeping our hands away from each other.”

Yixing snorted and shook his head. “You know what I mean.”

“And you know what I mean,” Sehun said, caressing Yixing's thigh with his thumb. “We shouldn’t stop this only because someone says we shouldn’t do it.”

“That someone is God, in case you’ve forgotten it. Those are the rules.”

“I firmly believe God was the one who crossed our paths.”

The confidence on Sehun’s voice was so intense it was almost contagious. Yixing wanted to believe him, he really did. Because even if Sehun’s words sounded ridiculous, he couldn’t deny he had sometimes thought the same. More often than not he found himself wondering whether this was all an act of fate—or God, for that matter. If this was supposed to happen. It sounded all too perfect for it only to be a coincidence.

He had first seen Sehun when the latter was still a human. He was supposed to be one of those people to cross paths with while Yixing watched out for his assigned child and never saw him again. But for some reason, Sehun had ended here after dying. Heaven was like an endless field, full of souls turned into angels, many of whom had been here ever since the beginning of time. The possibilities of finding an angel whom you had seen on Earth while they were a human being were limited, almost nonexistent. So if this wasn’t fate, then he honestly didn’t know what it was.

“I don’t want to force you into anything,” Sehun said after Yixing’s prolonged silence. He placed a hand on the side of Yixing’s head and buried his fingers on his hair.

For a moment, the feeling took Yixing back to Chanyeol's house, when he had done the same to Sehun. Back then, it had been for a very different reason, but it was still the same movement. He discovered it felt way better when it was Sehun doing it instead of the other way around.

“If you say no, then I'll respect it," Sehun added. "But you must know I’m ready to sacrifice everything I’ve got to spend even just a few hours with you.”

Yixing closed his eyes, trying to calm his heart down. He brought his hands to Sehun’s neck and caressed his soft skin. His mouth was still close to Sehun’s, almost touching, and he wanted to pull away. But his desire to kiss him again was driving him crazy, so he gave in. Just one single chaste kiss. It was over almost as soon as it had started and Sehun freed a complaining sound from the back of his throat.

He didn’t give Yixing time to back away. He recaptured his lips and kissed him, this time harder. Yixing didn’t hesitate to respond the same way, pouring into Sehun’s mouth the fire that was consuming him from the inside.

Soon their rhythm increased once again. Their bodies began moving on their own accord, turning them into a frenzy of sounds that Yixing had never imagined he would ever hear in Heaven.

At some point, Sehun moved his mouth away from Yixing’s and went down. His hands moved back to Yixing’s wings and he caressed the feathers on his shoulder blades down to the ones at the tip.

“I really like your wings,” he mumbled, his voice muffled as his mouth was occupied with Yixing’s jaw.

Yixing shivered and his hands tightened on Sehun's hair. “What else do you like?”

At this reaction, a breathy laugh escaped Sehun’s lips, leaving a puff of air that felt cold against his skin. “I also like your eyes. And your hair. I like your hands and your skin, too.”

Even if Yixing was reluctant, hearing Sehun so worked up, mouthing his appraisals against his skin, warmed him in many areas he didn't remember could feel that way. Sehun’s words were making wonders to him. He craved to hear and feel all that again, and again, and again, for as long as he could.

“I like the way you smile. The way you laugh. The way you speak. The way you say my name. I like the way you never leave my mind and how you make me feel.”

Sehun held him by his hips in a firm grip, aiming to turn around so they could be lying on the bed. Every reluctance flew away as soon as Yixing’s back hit the mattress and his hands reached the hem of Sehun’s suit pants.

This was wrong.

So, so wrong.

But it was a concern for another occasion.

“Tell me more,” he whispered.

“I'll tell you anything you want.”

• | T W E L V E | •

Today was up to be a rough one, he could feel it.

Yesterday had been a complicated day to say the least. Not even Junmyeon’s warning in the morning had prepared him for it—Chanyeol had had a nightmare.

Junmyeon had said he had helped him through it, but whenever Chanyeol didn't sleep well, he spent the rest of his day in a bad mood. Yesterday hadn’t been an exception. Since the moment the kid woke up, he had been on edge; every single thing working as a trigger for him to start crying. It had been a mess. And the worst part was that, no matter how hard he tried, Yixing never managed to cheer him up.

By the time he had to part, Chanyeol was crying yet again. That left his worry bubbling in the pit of his stomach for the rest of his night. He couldn’t even sleep. So now he was heading back, hoping Junmyeon had managed to help him, if only for a bit.

Once he reached the house, he entered, praying for today to be a better day for his child. In Chanyeol’s room, Junmyeon was sitting at the feet of the bed. His hand was over a lump under the covers Yixing assumed was Chanyeol’s leg.

“Hello.”

Junmyeon turned around and smiled. “Hi.”

“How did it go?”

“Way better than yesterday.”

“Did it take him long to stop crying after I left?”

Junmyeon shook his head. “Five more minutes, at most. But he cried two times more after that. He couldn't fall asleep. But after a while his exhaustion kicked in and he hasn't woken up ever since.”

Yixing heaved a relieved sigh and nodded, feeling his worry disappear. He stared at the small lump in the bed and a small smile spread on his lips. “I can take it from here if you want,” he said, noticing how Junmyeon’s eyes were droopy. He had probably rested as much as Yixing himself had. “Go treat yourself to a good meal and then head right to sleep. I’ll see you tonight.”

Junmyeon smiled and nodded, but he didn’t move. He seemed pensive.

“Is everything okay?” Yixing asked.

“Yes, I'm good. Everything's good, just…” Junmyeon darted his eyes around the room, as if looking for the correct words to say. “The other day I was talking to Seulgi and Sooyoung. They mentioned something that caught my attention.”

Yixing shifted on his place, sensing this couldn't be good.

“You and I have known each other for more than four years. This little one here”—Junmyeon patted Chanyeol's leg, smiling at him—”was the start of everything. I would dare say it's because of him that we are close, right?” Yixing nodded and Junmyeon stood up. “In that case, I would like to think you wouldn't be mad if I gave you some advice.”

“Eh… no, of course not,” Yixing mumbled so as not to be silent. He wasn't lying, but he still couldn’t tell what this was about and it was making him nervous. “You're my friend. You can tell me anything.”

Junmyeon gave him half a smile and fixed his eyes on the floor for a moment. Then, taking a deep breath, he said, “Sehun is… a great angel. He's kind, funny… really sweet. Has a good personality and good physical traits.” He made a pause, cleared his throat, and then continued. “So we could say he’s as lovely as he is… good looking. And I believe we can all see that. Right?”

Yixing raised an eyebrow. Was that a rhetorical question or did he want an answer?

“What I’m saying is,” Junmyeon added almost immediately—rhetorical question, then—”I think I know why, but I also think you should be more discreet about it. If… you know what I mean.”

Discreet about it? About what? What was he— oh. Yixing’s eyebrows raised as the things Junmyeon was leaving unsaid finally started to click in his head. He stared at him, not knowing what to say. He wasn’t thinking. He wasn’t moving. He wasn’t breathing. Each one of those words fell over him like a bucket of cold water and they had left him completely in shock.

“It’s not like I, or Seulgi, or Sooyoung understand. We don’t,” Junmyeon said, not noticing Yixing’s internal spiraling. “We have never… experienced such… things. We didn’t even know angels could feel such things. But we’re part of this family, and as such, we worry about you. This time it was us who noticed, but if we can see it, then so can anybody else. So be more careful, alright? And, I don’t know, maybe try to do something to… stop it. We wouldn’t like to see you or Sehun in trouble because of it.”

After that, he took another deep, long breath. His wings slumped behind him, like they had lost a heavy weight after he had spoken.

“Anyway,” he said, “I should get going. You’ll need some time to think and I do need to rest. The last couple of days have been hard for us. See you tonight, alright?”

He gave him one final smile, and with that, he was gone.

Yixing stared dumbfounded at the spot Junmyeon had been standing a few seconds ago, his head going in circles. It didn’t take a genius to understand, but he refused to acknowledge it, even less to admit it—or worse, say it aloud.

He felt trapped, caged. The feeling suffocating him whole, making it almost unbearable. But he wouldn’t give in. He couldn’t afford such a thing. It was dangerous and scary, and it couldn’t be good for anyone. So no, he would not, under any circumstances let this thing he was feeling out of his chest.

But oh, wasn’t it hard!

Because now that Junmyeon had vaguely pointed it out, Yixing understood everything. Now it made sense why his pulse went wild whenever they were near. Or why he couldn’t stop himself from staring at him whenever Sehun wasn’t looking. Or how his heart felt like bursting by only looking at Sehun interacting with Chanyeol. Or how his skin tingled every time they accidentally touched. Or how his face felt warmer whenever Sehun smiled at him. Or how he, even after all this time, still hadn’t stopped feeling weird. Turned out he wasn’t feeling weird. He only happened to like— no.

No. He wouldn't accept this. He refused to. It couldn’t be happening because it, for one, was against the rules. It was prohibited. Romantic love wasn't a thing allowed for angels—but it was only a surmise. Because angels couldn't fall in love. That was, at least, what they had been taught. So this, whatever it was, had to be a fluke. Something that had gone wrong and had, unfortunately, happened to him from all angels. Yixing had never heard of angels falling in love. Although, even if it had ever happened, he was sure those standing high in the hierarchy had taken care of it.

At such a thought, his wings gave a violent shudder and a shaky breath left his lips.

On the bed, Chanyeol stirred and whined. Snapping his attention to him for a moment, Yixing noticed the child was frowning and pouting. He was still asleep, but he was feeling uneasy.

It hit him then that it was his fault.

Chanyeol couldn’t see him, but he could feel him. That was an amazing perk when it came to soothing him and conveying peace to his kid whenever he needed it. But it was like a double-edged sword. Because if he could transfer all his positive emotions, it meant he could do the same with negative ones. So if Yixing was distressed—like right now—or sad, or angry, Chanyeol perceived it and felt that way, too.

He got close to the bed and sat next to the boy. He placed his hand over his head and started caressing it, his fingers stroking his hair. He made shushing sounds, seeking to lull him back to sleep. As he did this, he followed Chanyeol’s slow breathing rate and imitated it, forcing himself to calm down. This was no place nor time for him to think about whatever was going on with his life. He wasn’t sure there would ever be such a place or moment, but he would try to find it. Later. When his child wasn’t near him.

In the meantime, he concluded there was no other option but to keep himself away from Sehun for as long as he could. The mere thought of it felt like a rock sinking in his inside. But he was willing to welcome the feeling if it meant keeping him and Sehun safe. God only knew what happened to those who broke the rules, and Yixing didn’t want to be another one in the list to discover it.

In his mind, he repeated over and over again how this wasn’t happening; how everything would be alright. It seemed unlikely, but he still did it like a mantra. Maybe if he repeated it enough, he would start believing it one day.

• | E L E V E N | •

“If you could live here, how would you want your life to be?”

Chanyeol stirred, but he didn't wake up. It was still too soon for that. His nap had started only half an hour ago. Yixing was sitting on the bed next to him, his back to the headboard. Sehun was at the feet of the bed lying on his side, up in one elbow.

Yixing raised an eyebrow. “Here?”

“Here on Earth. If you could live again as a human, how would you want your new life to be?”

Sehun’s whole attention was on him. His eyes shone bright like they always did. A strand of hair fell over his forehead. He had messed his hair while running up the stairs to catch Chanyeol. The kid had ran to his room as soon as his mom told him it was nap time. Yixing had to restrain himself from reaching out and putting it back to where it had originally been.

He surprised himself saying, “I would like to do something related to art.” Even if he had never thought about it before, he had long ago realized he liked art. He enjoyed going to museums, or having art class whenever his assigned child went to school. He considered it to be amazing and he believed he would follow that path if given the chance.

“Art… It does sound like something interesting to do.” Sehun nodded, smiling at him. “What else would you like?”

“A pet,” Yixing said, not thinking about it. It wasn’t like it would happen, so he let his mind go wild with it. “I like cats. Maybe I could have one. Or two. We would love to sit on the couch to watch TV. It would be the simplest of lives, to be honest, but I think I would love that.”

Sehun hummed and nodded again. “Sounds nice.”

“What about you?”

“Remember that day we went with Yeol to the park? There were many dogs. I would like to have one. Also, I would like to speak English.”

Yixing made a funny face at him. “Where does that come from?”

“English is, apparently, a language almost everyone speaks. I know we can't remember how our lives as humans were, so don’t ask me how I know, because I don’t. But I’m almost sure I didn’t speak it before I died.” Sehun shifted on the bed, turning to lie on his back. He spread his wings so he wouldn’t crush them underneath him and one of the tips landed on Yixing’s thigh. “Imagine all the places I could visit by only speaking that one common language. All the people I would meet. There would be no barriers, I think.”

Yixing absentmindedly placed his fingers over the feathers on his thigh and started stroking them. “You’ve given it a thought, haven’t you?”

The wing shuddered and Sehun cleared his throat. “As a student, you have a lot of free time in your hands.” His voice came out strange, slightly out of air out of nowhere. He cleared his throat again. “I would also like to dye my hair.”

Yixing rolled his eyes.

Of course he would.

“Which color?” he asked, only to humor him.

Sehun turned his face to the side, looking at him. A smirk adorned his lips and Yixing braced himself for the answer. “Pink.”

“Pink?”

“Pink.”

“Why?”

“Because nobody has pink hair,” Sehun said as if that was an obvious reason—it wasn’t. “It would be… cool. Everyone would look at me and think, ‘Oh, what a great idea. He’s a trendsetter!’ or something similar.”

“Would you want to be a trendsetter?”

Sehun scrunched his lips and turned back to stare at the ceiling. “Nah, I just want the pink hair.”

At this, Yixing couldn’t help but laugh. Sehun joined him and Chanyeol sighed next to him. From the corner of his eye he caught someone standing at the door. He found Seulgi giving them a weird look. But as soon as it happened, it was gone, and she was smiling and walking away. An unsettling feeling sank in his stomach but he didn’t think too much about it. There was no point in overthinking it. He could ask her later—although he somehow knew he wouldn’t.

Forcing himself to focus back on Sehun, he tried to picture him with pink hair. His lips turned into a smile on their own accord after the image appeared in his mind.

“Pink would look decent on you,” he said.

Sehun faced him again, smiling back. “I know.”

• | T E N | •

They were sitting on a bench at the Plaza, having come back from Chanyeol’s house not long ago. It was silent, calm. One of those rare days when Heaven wasn’t busy and only existed. That was part of the reason, Yixing thought, why Sehun had asked to sit here for a moment before leaving for the night.

There had been no words exchanged between them for a while, both lost in their own minds. So when Sehun spoke, Yixing startled a little bit.

“Do angels die?”

Yixing blinked at him, taken aback. That was a… very random question.

“It’s unlikely, but it’s not unheard of,” he said. “Why?”

Sehun shook his head and shrugged. “What do you think happens if we do?”

Yixing frowned, his mind focused on coming up with a good response. “Maybe we simply stop existing. I mean, I guess the body disintegrates and the soul… disappears? I don’t know.”

“It could be,” Sehun said. “Or maybe we reincarnate and get to live another life again.”

“Maybe we do.”

“Maybe we don’t.”

“Hm... I’m not eager to discover it, either way.”

Silence fell upon them once again, both staring straight ahead, until Sehun broke it one more time.

“Do you believe in reincarnation?” His voice was quiet now, as if they were sharing a secret that no one but them was allowed to hear.

Yixing glared at the clouds in front of him, deep in thought. Did he believe in it? He had never… The idea had never crossed his mind. Leave it to Sehun to make him start questioning himself such a thing.

“No,” he finally said. “Do you?”

“I don’t know… But I think I could. Anything's possible, isn't it?”

• | N I N E | •

Yixing tried not to panic, but it was starting to be hard. He had told himself it was nothing. That Sehun was busy. That he had other things to do with his other friends—did Sehun have other friends? He had to… right?—so he didn’t have to worry about it. But one week turned into two, then into five, and Sehun hadn’t showed up. He hadn’t come find him to go back to Earth, nor had he stood at the doors when he came back from it. It was tormenting Yixing, to say the least.

He didn't know where his room was. They had never gone as far as walk the other to their room, so he had no idea how to start looking there. His only workable option was to look for him after his classes ended, but he had refrained to do so. That because one, he didn’t want to seem too annoying or even needy, and two, he didn’t know how to ask for Sehun. He guessed he could stand outside the classroom and wait for him to walk out, but then what would he say? ‘Hey, I haven’t seen you for five weeks and I wonder if it’s because I did something wrong’? It was ridiculous. Besides, what if Sehun ignored him? He still had some dignity to preserve. So all in all, he had waited for Sehun to be the one to come back, but so far, his waiting seemed to be in vain.

He was about to give up and go looking for him, when one day, as he was heading out of Heaven, Sehun reappeared. The relief Yixing felt upon seeing him had no description. He had never felt a thing like that, but it was as if his wings had lost a ton of weight each.

“Hello,” Sehun said, as casual as ever. As if nothing had happened. As if they had seen each other the day before.

Yixing wanted to bombard him with a lot of questions, but he was afraid of pushing him away again. So he settled with the most logical way of action.

“Hi,” he replied back. “You coming?”

Sehun looked surprised but he recovered fast. “Can I?”

“I don’t see why you couldn’t.”

And that’s how they found themselves heading to Seoul.

The day passed without a problem, and to some extent they managed to get back into their routine. Yixing, however, could tell something was bothering Sehun. More than once he refrained from asking him what it was. It wasn’t his place to press and he knew that. If Sehun wanted to tell him, he would when he was ready.

But by mid-afternoon, Yixing was on the verge of exploding. They were sitting on the floor next to Chanyeol, who was crouching down next to a tower of building bricks. They had been there for almost an hour and Sehun had stayed in silence the whole time. Yixing was about to go against his better judgement and ask him what was wrong. But fortunately for him, it was in that moment that Sehun freed him from his suffering.

“Is Luhan interested in you?”

Only to immerse him in a completely different one.

Yixing blinked at him, dumbfounded. “Excuse me?”

“Or are you… interested in him?” Sehun added, his voice going quieter. He made a point of not looking at him, his eyes fixed on Chanyeol's hands, following them every time he held a new brick.

Yixing blinked again. His brain took its time to connect the words to their meanings. Though when they did, it was as if someone had slapped him on the face.

“Absolutely not!” he exclaimed.

“Are you sure?”

“Of course!”

“How so?”

Yixing frowned, still not knowing why they were discussing such nonsense. “Nobody is interested in no one here,” he said, his voice sounding incredulous even to his own ears. “Well, not here, but in Heaven.”

Sehun snapped his eyes at him. “What do you mean with that?”

“I mean exactly what I said. Nobody is interested in no one in Heaven.”

“Why?”

Now Yixing couldn’t believe his ears. “What do you mean why? I’m pretty sure Luhan has mentioned this more than once. We're not allowed to; it's against the rules. And it's not in our nature to feel that way towards other angels. At least it’s not supposed to be possible for us to… feel... attraction.”

“Why?”

“Because it leads to lust, Sehun. And lust is—”

“A sin, yeah. I know.”

Sehun looked conflicted. He glared at the wall, and Yixing could almost see the gears turning in his head. He could almost assure his own head looked the same. He still wasn’t getting the point of this conversation, nor why it had agitated him so much. As though they were talking about some sort of heresy. His own thoughts were so loud that he almost missed when Sehun spoke again.

“What…” Sehun started. “What do you think would happen if I, you know… felt that way towards… someone?”

Yixing blinked furiously, his vision losing its focus for a moment. His stomach traveled to his throat and his pulse was loud, beating as fast as his heart was punching his ribcage.

“Do you… feel… that way?” he carefully asked, his own voice quiet now, as well.

Sehun looked back at him and kept his eyes fixed on him for a long, long time. Yixing felt small, under a magnifying glass, at the ready for Sehun to examine him. He tried to stay as calm as possible, at least on the outside. His inside was a turmoil but Sehun couldn’t see it, so as long as he kept a good façade, the other wouldn’t notice what this was doing to him.

Eventually, what left Sehun's mouth was a soft, “No.” He looked away and shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

Yixing didn’t calm down, though now his emotions had changed to something more… grim. And a weird, ugly feeling settled in his chest.

“Then it doesn't matter, does it?” he said, but his voice was foreign to his own ears.

Sehun shrugged. “I guess.”

Yixing stared at him, trying to figure him out. But it didn’t matter how long he did, he never came up with an answer. He decided to drop the topic. It wasn’t making them good and it wasn’t worth it. There was no point in talking about things that were… That would never happen.

They stayed in silence in what felt like hours. Chanyeol had started with another tower. He had a little frown between his eyebrows; a result of his concentration. It seemed a tough task to decide where he wanted to place his bricks.

“At least Luhan’s not interested in you,” Sehun mumbled. “I mean, he’s too old for you.”

Yixing winced, a pause, then he burst into laughter. Sehun didn’t take long to join him. They laughed until their stomachs hurt and they were short on air. And just like that, they were back to normal.

• | E I G H T | •

Yixing poked his head into the classroom and roamed his eyes all over it. They immediately landed at the back, where Sehun was sitting. He was deep in concentration and looked all business-like, his eyes focused on the board. Although not for too long. As soon as he felt Yixing’s eyes on him, he looked away from the board to stare at him instead.

His face gleamed with how big his smile was. He waved at him and Yixing felt the tips of his ears burning. Not here again, please.

“I knew it was about time you came back to disturb my dedicated pupils!" Luhan exclaimed, startling Yixing. “But what can I do… I can’t stop you, can I?"

“Hello, professor Luhan,” Yixing said, pretending his stomach hadn't gone wild.

“Isn’t he Lulu anymore?” one angel on the second row asked, making the class laugh.

Luhan glared at Yixing. “I can’t believe you did that.”

“It wasn’t on purpose.” Yixing opened the door and walked in. He patted Luhan on the shoulder as he passed him by and sat on the chair at the desk.

He was there because they would get dinner together after Luhan’s class. Junmyeon had arrived earlier today, claiming he had been bored all day and needed to do something not to be lazy and fall into sin. So now that Yixing had more free time on his hands, he had decided to come get Luhan.

It had been a long while since the last time he had stepped foot here. He hadn’t returned since that day he saw Sehun for the first time. Though now that they were friends, he lifted the ban on coming here. It was a safe place once again.

“You say it wasn't on purpose, but I know you wanted to embarrass me,” Luhan said, shaking his head. “As you always do.”

Yixing gestured at the students. “Stop that and continue with your class. They’re waiting.”

“We’re not!” One of the angels said. “The one who’s waiting is Yixing, professor. I think we should cut class here so you don’t make him wait.”

Some others joined him and Yixing forced himself not to laugh. Luhan would definitely blame him for this.

“See what you do?” Luhan told him and this time Yixing did laugh. Luhan shook his head at him, then turned to the class. “We’ll leave it here, then. Remember to review what we saw today. If you have doubts, write them down and we’ll see them tomorrow in class.”

The angels agreed and, quite content with getting out earlier, started to retrieve their belongings and walk out. Some of them approached Luhan, quietly asking this or commenting that. Some others waved Yixing goodbye and he returned the gesture, smiling at them.

“Hey.” Sehun was standing in front of the desk, smiling down at him.

Yixing contained his smile from breaking his face in two. “Hello. How was your day?”

“It’s good now,” Sehun said. He looked away for a moment, then, quickly added, “What about yours? How’s Yeol?”

“He’s great, but he threw a tantrum today.” Yixing scrunched his nose up. “Wanted to wear his Iron Man shirt after school and mom didn’t let him.”

“Again?” Sehun asked, amused and smiling. “He’s been wearing it the whole week, hasn’t he?”

“And that’s exactly why she didn’t let him. It was in the washing machine. But of course he was having none of that and sat on the floor to sulk.”

Yixing rolled his eyes, though it was out of fondness rather than any other thing. Sehun laughed and shook his head. He had already seen his fair amount of tantrums to know how that had gone.

“Anyway,” Yixing said with a smile still on his face. “What are your plans for today?”

“I’ve got none,” Sehun said. “Why? Where are you taking me?”

You would take him anywhere, his brain provided. He shook that thought away and said, “Nowhere, actually. Today you’re Yixing free.”

“Oh… That's... good.” Sehun's cheeks turned a faint shade of red, as if embarrassed, and the natural glint in his eyes had slightly faded away. It had barely changed, but Yixing had stared into those eyes long enough to notice it.

He wanted to add something else, for he felt he had just disappointed Sehun without even intending to, but he didn’t get a chance.

“Are you ready, Xing?” Luhan asked. “I haven’t eaten all day and I’m looking forward to that din— oh! Sehun, do you need something?”

Sehun jumped, as if he had just remembered he was in the classroom. “No, I…” He looked at Luhan, then at Yixing, then at Luhan, then back at Yixing. His eyes narrowed, then, and a small crease appeared between his eyebrows.

Yixing blinked, his head working hard to understand what was happening inside Sehun’s head. But he couldn’t come up with anything. At least not fast enough before some sort of understanding dawned on Sehun’s face. He yanked his eyes away from Yixing, as if looking at him pained him. It was time for Yixing to frown.

“It’s nothing,” Sehun said, adding a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “I was just leaving.”

“Alright.” Luhan nodded and smiled back. “See you tomorrow, then.”

“Sure.” Sehun waved his hand and walked away, leaving the classroom and a very confused Yixing behind.

What had exactly happened here?

“I wasn’t lying when I said I'm looking forward to that dinner. I'm hungry,” Luhan said, unaware of Yixing’s bewilderment. “Can we go now?”

“Yes! Yeah, sorry.”

Yixing stood up and walked behind Luhan. The other was saying something, but he wasn’t paying attention.

Seriously, what had just happened?

• | S E V E N | •

The Plaza wasn’t crowded today, which was weird. Here some of the official events were held—like Christmas or Easter—but angels tended to use it as a common area of sorts. A place where they hung out, and rested, and spent their free time. Though today was one of those rare, calm days.

Yixing, along with Sehun, was walking across it to get to their rooms. He had come back from Earth to find Sehun standing at the main gates, waiting for him. He had started doing that a couple of weeks ago and it was… good. Yixing liked it.

They walked in silence, enjoying their company. But Sehun interrupted it when he looked at the back of the Plaza—not that Yixing cared. He liked to hear Sehun speak.

“What’s that?”

Yixing didn’t have to look to know what he was referring to. “The Divine Court.”

“Ah... Have you ever been there?”

Yixing shook his head. “You can only enter if you break the rules. Misbehaved angels undergo a trial. The Seven Archangels of God judge them. But nobody ever tells what it looks like—if they come back, that is.”

“What do you mean?” Sehun’s eyes were wide and he looked well spooked.

“Once an angel is prosecuted,” Yixing explained, “the judgement they receive depends on the type of fault they’ve committed. If the archangels considered said fault to be light, they let the angel leave; not without a warning, of course. But if the fault is grave, the angel doesn’t make it out of there.”

“And where are they taken?”

Yixing shrugged. “Rumor has it, the court looks like a prison, so it’s said they lock the angels up somewhere in there. But nobody knows for sure. Trials are always behind closed doors and those who come out of it, take an oath of not revealing what happened in there and what the court looks like.”

“So it’s all speculation,” Sehun mumbled, staring at the golden doors.

“Something like that, yeah.”

“That’s weird.”

“I guess it is,” Yixing said. “But it’s not like you’re gonna be there, so it doesn’t matter. Unless you break the rules, of course. Are you planning on breaking the rules?”

Sehun teared his eyes away from the doors and looked back at him. A mocking smirk appeared on his lips and he shrugged. “We’ll see.”

• | S I X | •

“His hair looks so soft,” Sehun mumbled.

They were standing out of the bathroom, waiting for Mrs. Park to finish toweling Chanyeol. He had come back from school and had taken his bath. He was looking fresh, excited to wear his Iron Man shirt after wearing his uniform all day.

“It is,” Yixing said. “You’ve never patted his head?”

“You have?”

Yixing snorted and sent him a weird glance. “Of course. I always do that when I want to soothe him. Haven’t you noticed?”

“I don’t pay attention when you’re with him. That’s something between you and him. It feels too personal.”

Yixing smiled, feeling warm all over. “You should do it. Patting him, I mean. He likes it.”

“Like a dog?”

“Not like a dog!”

“I’ve seen people doing that to dogs, alright?”

“But he’s not a dog, Sehun!” Yixing laughed. He couldn’t help it. This angel was ridiculous. “It’s not a general characteristic, but some kids like it.”

"But if we're not corporeal, how can you feel it?"

"It's... kind of weird," Yixing said. "I mean, we're not corporeal for them, but they are for us. So we can see and feel them. What we can't is make physical changes on them. Like, for example, when he cries, I can't wipe his tears away, but I can still feel him."

Sehun nodded, though he still looked confused. Yixing didn't blame him. He himself still couldn't grasp the whole thing.

“How?” Sehun suddenly asked.

“How what?”

“How should I do it? Patting his head. Show me.” Yixing raised an eyebrow and Sehun added, “Please?”

Narrowing his eyes, Yixing considered what the cons and pros of showing him were. The pros were… touching Sehun’s hair? It sounded somewhat creepy, but he had always had the urge to caress it. It looked soft and bright, even when there was no light around. He was curious to know how it would feel under the pads of his fingers. Another pro would be… Sehun knowing how to do it. Maybe. If he showed him, he wouldn’t be too aggressive or something. It was, if anything, a benefit for his future assigned children.

As for the cons, those were touching Sehun’s hair. They had never touched each other. Not in a way that wasn’t an accident. He didn’t know if he could handle getting past that physical boundary. Not yet, probably never. But Sehun was waiting, expectantly looking at him, and he couldn’t say no, could he? Sehun would wonder why, and he would ask, and Yixing wouldn’t be able to tell him because, I don’t know, you make me nervous and touching your hair feels like giving a big step. So he guessed he had to do it—all for the sake of children’s welfare.

Tentatively, he reached the side of Sehun’s head and buried his fingers on his hair. He contained a gasp when he confirmed that, indeed, it was soft, like silk slipping from his fingers. Sehun’s eyelids fluttered and he stared at him, not being able to look anywhere else. He curled his fingers, scraping slowly his nails on Sehun’s scalp. The angel closed his eyes, leaning into Yixing’s touch. Yixing’s breath hitched and he wanted to—

“Let’s get you out of here.” Mrs. Park walked out the bathroom, passing between them.

Yixing blinked and then it was all over.

He yanked his hand away, as if touching Sehun burned him. He cleared his throat and gave a couple of steps aside, away from Sehun. The latter looked away, combing his fingers through the hair Yixing had just touched.

Yixing made sure not to tear his eyes away from Chanyeol and his marveled face. He was enjoying wearing that shirt and it served enough as a distraction for Yixing to almost forget.

Almost.

Though not for Sehun.

Unfortunately.

“Speaking of hair, have you ever considered dying it?”

Yixing made a face, not getting where that had come from. “What?”

“Have you?”

“No?”

“Why not?” Sehun asked, tilting his head to the side. “Don't we have hairdressers in Heaven?”

Yixing’s face twisted even more. “What?”

“Hairdressers. You know, the ones who work with hair.”

“I know what a hairdresser is, but why would we need them?”

It was time for Sehun to make a confused face. “Don't you ever feel the need to get yourself a hair makeover?”

“Why would an angel need that?” Yixing asked, turning to face him properly.

“To look good?”

Yixing snorted. “What is Luhan teaching you? Is he teaching you at all? Should I be concerned?”

Sehun’s lips turned upwards and he narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“Because you sound like you don’t know a thing about the deadly sins!”

“But I do!” Sehun exclaimed, offended, though his smile had only grown. “I know about them just fine!”

“Then you should know that wanting to look good counts as vanity,” Yixing said. “And vanity is—”

“Counted as pride, I do know that!” Sehun laughed and crossed his arms. “Stop the lecture.”

“I’m telling Luhan you failed in this.”

Sehun frowned, Yixing laughed, and just like that, their small, awkward moment was forgotten—Yixing at least pretended it was.

• | F I V E | •

If someone would’ve told him that he would find himself in this situation, Yixing wouldn't have believed them. He still couldn’t quite believe it.

As time went by, and Sehun’s visits to Earth kept going, Yixing had concluded he kind of liked him. Not in a romantic way, oh, no! That was definitely not what was going on here. That kind of like was completely off limits. He would never go against the rules. But since he liked Sehun, in a totally friendly way, so far things were great for them.

For an angel, Yixing was kind of a hermit. He wouldn’t say he actively interacted with other angels, let alone had many friends. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to, but his life was reduced to guard Chanyeol, come back to Heaven, eat, sleep, repeat. He sneaked in taking care of his personal hygiene among those other activities, but that was about it. The only other angels he ever sought to talk to were Luhan and Seulgi. And Junmyeon. And sometimes, although not that often, Sooyoung.

Adding Sehun to that list had been wonderful, really.

At first he tried to see their relationship as one of student/mentor, because in theory, that was what they were. But after a while he couldn’t keep on calling it as such. Because Sehun treated him as if they were friends, and Yixing supposed they kind of were now. They started spending a lot of time together, not only with Chanyeol, but in Heaven as well. Whenever Sehun had a free day, he came with him. Whenever Sehun had classes, they wandered around once Yixing came back, instead. They had fallen into a routine that worked for them both and it was just great.

What wasn’t that great, was the way Yixing still felt whenever Sehun was around. He still felt weird. His stomach bubbled. His heart traveled to his throat and beat faster than normal. The palms of his hands sometimes even sweated. But he had already decided he wouldn’t think about it. No matter how he felt, he was conscious of it enough not to try and discover what it was.

It was easier that way.

And he, for some reason, had a feeling it would spare them both the trouble.

But other than that, things were good. And maybe Yixing would never admit it out loud, but if he had to do this for the rest of the eternity, he wouldn’t really complain.

• | F O U R | •

“How am I supposed to do this?”

Chanyeol was kneeling on the floor with a bunch of car toys scattered in front of him. Mumbling soft run-run sounds at the same time he moved them around. Sehun was crouching next to him, glaring at the floor and trying to figure out how to sit next to him.

Yixing was standing at the door of the kid's room, supervising the scene.

They had been doing this, the field work, for over a month now. Yixing hadn't thought it through—what they would do, what all this meant, but they had been adapting well enough so far. Sehun came guard Chanyeol with him on his free days. Yixing assigned him small tasks so he could start experiencing what it was to be a guardian angel.

The awkwardness—his awkwardness—from the beginning had almost disappeared. He came to the conclusion that, if they would spend time together, he might as well treat Sehun as he would any other angel. It wasn't Sehun's fault he felt weird around him, to begin with.

Sehun's personality had helped, too. He looked like those guys people photographed and put in magazines. All sophisticated movements, elegant demeanor, expression that gave him an unreachable vibe. But that was only the outside. Truth was, Sehun was easygoing, funny, and kind. Playful and curious, almost like a child. Though he could have a cheeky and cocky side, which made the perfect on him diminish. Which wasn’t bad, because it made him seem… reachable.

It was… endearing, if Yixing was honest to himself. And that was part of the reason why he was getting used to him now—that was part of the reason why he could bring him along without any problem.

That first day, he had forgotten he wasn't the only guardian angel in the Park household. Junmyeon stayed with Chanyeol at night, while Sooyoung stayed with Yoora. Then morning came and Seulgi appeared, as well. When he and Sehun arrived, the other three stared curiously at them. None had commented on it, though; rather they had welcomed Sehun as if he belonged there. Mostly because Sehun had gained their trust almost from the start.

They had been lucky. Any other angel would’ve asked too many questions and how was he supposed to explain this? He didn’t believe they would get in serious problems. There was no explicit rule that denied angels to go down to Earth, so he guessed they could, as long as they didn’t cause trouble. Though he still wanted to keep Sehun’s field work as inconspicuous as possible just in case.

“I'll get my feathers dirty if I sit here,” Sehun said.

“You won't. Find the correct way to sit without dragging them on the floor.”

“That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Chanyeol made a crashing sound and collided a green car with a red one. Yixing blinked at him, amused. Where had he learned to do that?

“What if someone steps on them?” Sehun asked again. “They’re going to hurt my wings.”

“You know that’s not possible.”

“But what if this time it does happen?”

Yixing rolled his eyes and walked towards them. “It will never happen and nobody’s here. Look, hold the tips and place them over your thighs when you sit.”

In one swift movement, he demonstrated how to do it and Sehun raised his eyebrows.

“Just like that?”

“Try it.”

Sehun did and succeeded. His wings were now secured on top of his thighs. He was satisfied, Yixing could tell. The corner of his lips had turned upwards. It wasn’t that noticeable, but given they were sitting close, he got to see it. His chest felt a pang from the inside.

“Do that every time you have to sit on the floor. I promise your wings will be clean by the end of your day,” he said, looking away from Sehun’s almost nonexistent smile.

“Where did you learn that?”

“Everyone comes up with their tricks,” Yixing said. Chanyeol stood up and ran towards his box of toys; he followed him with his eyes. “You learn as situations unfold. That’s what we've been doing here. Which reminds me, is there anything specific you had planned for this? Because I never asked you and maybe I’m only wasting your time.”

“Oh! No, no! This is fine! More than fine!” Sehun said, looking alarmed. “I mean, I didn't have a plan when I asked. I only… I wanted to learn from someone experienced.”

Yixing raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t that what your classes are for? Luhan is experienced and if he’s doing his job correctly, then I would assume he’s teaching you many things.”

“Yeah, but we don’t get one-on-one experience. I truly believe that helps more when it comes to guarding children. Besides”—Sehun extended his legs in front of him and leaned back on his hands, getting more comfortable—”the only thing professor Luhan teaches us is theory. Practice is the important thing. Theory doesn't tell us how to sit on the floor and all that.”

Yixing smiled. “Theory is important, too. Although you do have a point. Practice is as important. Good thing you’re here learning the basics. Later you’ll see you’ll be capable enough for me to leave you alone with him.” He jerked his head to the side and Sehun followed the movement. Chanyeol was lying face down on the floor now. He had a coloring book in front of him and an orange crayon on his hand, his cars completely forgotten. “You know, to have some bonding time.”

“I'm not sure it would be a good idea,” Sehun said, going rigid. “We would both end up crying before developing any kind of bond.”

Yixing snorted and shook his head. “Don’t worry too much about it. It won’t happen any time soon.”

“Does that mean we’re stuck together until then?” Sehun asked, his head tilted to the side.

Yixing's heart did a flip and he tried not to show his discomfort at the sudden reaction. As for his answer, he didn’t have to think about one. He caught movement from the corner of his eye and turned in time to see Chanyeol dropping the crayon on the floor and pushing his book away.

“He’s leaving,” he said. Then, as if on cue, the boy stood up and moved to run out the bedroom. Sehun stared at his retreating back and Yixing added, “You should go after him.”

Sehun directed his stare at him for a moment, then jumped to his feet and ran out of the bedroom. Yixing was left alone, trying to dissipate the fluttering feeling in his chest.

• | T H R E E | •

A few angels smiled at him, some others waved as he made his way towards the main gates to go back down to Earth. As he passed them by, Yixing made sure to return everyone’s gestures, even if he wasn't feeling that cheering. As of lately, he felt weird. He couldn’t explain exactly why.

He had a feeling it had to be with a certain new angel he had seen the other day, when he went to Luhan’s classroom. But he wasn’t quite sure—or he didn’t want to be sure. That was more like it. After he had left that classroom, he had started feeling twitchy all over. He was alert, afraid he would find him around every corner. He hadn't seen him again, so there was no reason to worry. But his instinct kept assuring him it was better to stay away from him. Meaning he hadn’t stepped foot near the Teaching Halls ever since.

Was he paranoid? Most likely. Did it make sense? Not at all! But who was he to doubt his instinct? Better be paranoid than sorry.

Looking around, he noticed he was walking through the Plaza. He could see at the back, quite far away from where he was, the majestic golden doors to the Divine Court. He had always admired the work they had done with them. It reminded him of some of those pieces of art he had seen in museums and galleries. The door was wonderful, even if the place behind it wasn't that much of a happy—

“Oww!”

Yixing felt his back bumping with something—or rather someone—and he shrieked in surprise. The tips of his ears immediately felt warm with embarrassment and he turned around to look at his victim.

As soon as he saw who it was, he choked on nothing.

See, the thing was that, no matter how hard one tried to avoid something, the something always managed to find one.

Yixing coughed, with his hands to his knees. His throat was burning and his eyes were watering.

This was unbelievable.

“Are you alright?”

He waved his hand dismissively in the air and nodded. It’s nothing. It's okay. I’m alright.

When his throat opened to let the air in again, he looked up, blinking fast to regain his focus.

The angel, the one he had intended to avoid, was staring at him with wide eyes. His lips were parted. His hair, soft and bright looking, fell on his forehead, hiding part of his raised eyebrows. His skin was smooth, almost perfect; no trace of damage from his human life.

It was… an interesting sight. He guessed. He wasn't sure.

Trying to keep the remnants of his dignity with him, Yixing straightened up again. Now that he had him closer, he noticed the angel was slightly taller than him. He had interesting body proportions, and his shoulders, bracketed by his wings, made him look out of this world. Or… out of Heaven? Out of everywhere? Out of nowhere?

“Yixing, right?” the angel asked. Yixing could only nod. “Hello.”

His eyes were brown and bright, like they had a permanent twinkle. They were… beautiful, yet they looked uncertain. Why did they…? Oh.

“Eh… hello,” Yixing replied, cringing at his awkwardness.

The angel then smiled and wow, what was he doing? Why was he… smiling at him like that? It wasn’t a particularly different smile; not something he hadn’t seen before. But his eyes… His smile had reached them, turning them into a pair of slits that changed his face in a positive way. It made his stomach feel funny again.

“How have you been?” the angel asked, as if this was something common between them.

Yixing had quite an extensive list of words he could use to reply—tired, worried because of you, confused, really confused, freaked-out… Wait, was that a swear word?

“I’m good,” he said. “You?”

“I’m good, too.”

“What are you doing here? Don't you have… you know, class?”

“Oh, no! Not today,” the angel said, his smile never faltering. “Today's my free day.”

“Ah… That’s great…” Yixing drawled, looking past him towards the direction of the main gates. He had to reach them or he would be late—without considering he needed to go back to putting some distance between this angel and himself. “Eh… I got to go but… have a nice day.”

He made to move and get himself out of there, but the angel moved, too, stepping in front of him. Yixing tried his best not to scowl at him.

“Wait,” the angel said, his stare intense. “Do you know if it's true that angels have shape-shifting abilities?”

Yixing blinked at him, letting his words sink. When they did, he couldn't contain his scowl anymore. “What?”

“Yeah, like… Can we turn into birds or… I don’t know, dogs?”

“Where did you hear such a thing? Who fooled you like that?”

The angel had the decency to look sheepish. “I was talking to a pair of angels the other day and they mentioned it. They were quite convincing.”

Normally, Yixing would’ve thought this was a joke. Normally, Yixing would’ve laughed and walked away. But this kind of thing didn’t normally happen, and if the angel’s face was something to go for, he was being serious about it.

“Well, it's not true,” he said, taking pity at him. “They were poking fun at you. Theoretically, we have no shape. We’re spirits and nothing else. We get a physical form, though, when we are born as humans and keep it after we die. But we can’t shape-shift. Many used to say we can because the Holy Spirit— what?”

The angel was looking at him with curiosity, his head tilted to the side. “Would you consider yourself an angel expert?”

No, of course not. That was what Yixing wanted to say. What left his lips, instead, was, “What if I do?”

“Would you mind tutoring me?”

“I would, actually,” Yixing said, making a face. What was going on here? “And even if I wanted to tutor you, I can't. It's against the rules. You have to seek help from angels like Luhan. You know, from real mentors.”

The angel made a funny face and— were those puppy eyes?

“Please?”

Yixing scowled again, not believing the scene unfolding in front of him. He wasn’t fond of puppy eyes. He was immune to them. Not even once had he let himself fall with puppy eyes from any of his assigned children. But look at him now! Considering, for real, tutoring this angel. It wasn’t like he wanted to, but this angel was a newbie; meaning he was gullible. He couldn't let him go around believing everything he heard now, could he? He couldn't. It was unacceptable.

“I’m Sehun, by the way.”

Yixing blinked at him, for a small moment not getting what he was saying. And then…

“I didn’t ask,” he said, putting as much disinterest as he could. Because he wasn’t interested. At all. Though it was kind of good to know he had a name. At least now he could stop calling him angel.

“You didn’t,” Sehun said. “But I had a hunch you were dying to know.”

“Your hunch was wrong,” Yixing said, grimacing and walking past him, heading to the main gates.

He was still reluctant, but it was his duty as an honorable guardian angel not to let Sehun go around, thinking every single piece of information he got was true. He was part of the next generation of guardians. He had to be well-prepared and it wouldn’t hurt to give him a hand. All for the sake of children’s welfare.

He was thinking about this when he realized he hadn’t told Sehun he had accepted. Stopping on his tracks, he turned around to call for him. He didn’t have to do it, though. Sehun was walking right behind him, smiling softly, with a glint in his eyes Yixing feared would eventually cause them trouble.

“What is it?” Sehun asked.

Yixing stared at him for a moment, then shook his head and continued walking. “Move fast. We’re already late.”

“Where are we going?”

“Seoul. You’re doing field work.”

• | T W O | •

Was it possible for an angel to die from back pain? Was it possible for any living being? Probably not. Yixing felt like he could, though. His back was killing him.

Since when were children’s birthday parties so… lethal? He had attended his fair amount of birthday parties before, but he couldn’t remember ever feeling this sore. It was different with Chanyeol, though. He was an energetic ball of sunshine, even if he was now just four—four. Today his kid had aged another year. It felt like yesterday he had been a small bundle, wrapped in his teddy-bear blanket, sleeping in the nursery room. Yixing couldn't believe he was growing up so fast.

Anyway, as per the Park tradition, Chanyeol had a birthday party. Though this one was special, because it was the very first he had after entering kindergarten. Meaning it was the first time he got some of his little friends accompanying him.

It had been a sight to behold—the smile on his face, the glint in his eyes. The way he laughed and played around, somehow looking happier than he always did. Yixing's heart swelled whenever he was around him and his love for him knew no boundaries. He was happy to be in charge of his protection. So looking at him this excited was everything he needed to feel full. It didn't mean, though, that he hadn’t got tired. Following him from one side to the other in his backyard, making sure to direct him where there was no danger to hurt himself, was more than he could handle. As exhausted as he was, he might've as well been the one running and jumping around and not Chanyeol.

Good thing was, Junmyeon had been a good friend and arrived earlier than he was supposed to so he could come back to rest. Yixing had no way to thank him enough for it. Junmyeon was an angel, literal and figuratively.

Now the only thing in his mind was reaching his bed and sleeping for as long as his schedule allowed him. Though he couldn’t exactly do that. He had agreed to have dinner with Luhan after his guard, so his bed had to wait.

His steps echoed in the cloudy ground as he made his way towards the Teaching Halls. This side of Heaven reminded him of all those universities around the world. Elegant auditoriums, huge classrooms, green areas, and large libraries. Not that different to what they had here, less the green areas. Heaven didn’t have trees or grass, but clouds. Many, many clouds. It was a place full of white, and sometimes golden. Calm, peaceful… as he guessed Heaven ought to be.

Soon enough he found himself walking through the hallway leading to Luhan’s classroom. For a moment he considered flying instead of walking, but alas, the classroom was two doors away, so there was no point in doing so now. Why hadn’t he thought about doing it before? Groaning, he brought his hands to his face and rubbed his eyes. He knew when he reached Luhan’s door so without thinking, he put his shoulder to it and pushed it open.

“Hey, Lulu, I’m exhausted. Let’s do this fast so I can go to sleep, shall we?”

“Are you looking for professor Luhan?”

At the sound of this voice, Yixing startled and dropped his hands to uncover his eyes. He came face to face with a group of around 50 to 60 angels, whom he assumed were Luhan’s students. As in automatic, his eyes jumped around, looking for a clock to tell him what hour it was. He didn’t find any, as expected. Time wasn’t a real concept in Heaven. Angels who had to go down to Earth, like guardian angels, based their times and schedules according to the city they would visit. But going along his own schedule, Yixing realized he was early. Thanks to Junmyeon, he had come back earlier, meaning Luhan was still in class.

Oh, no…

“I… Yes,” he said, hoping the heat on his face wasn’t as evident as he felt it. “Do you know where he is?”

“He’s not here,” someone different said.

Well, obviously.

“Are you another professor?”

“Are you another student?”

“You don’t look like a student.”

“Because he’s not! No student would call Professor Luhan Lulu.”

“Are you friends with professor Luhan, then?”

Yixing tried to keep up with them, but they threw their questions and comments at him one after the other. He could barely understand what they were saying. Fortunately, someone had the decency to silence them and the classroom stopped.

Blinking at them, Yixing considered ditching Luhan and leaving the room, but he couldn’t. An angel sitting at the front spoke again, and he couldn’t ignore her and leave, could he?

“Are you a guardian angel?” she asked.

“I am.”

This seemed to peek everyone’s attention. Yixing feared they would start attacking him again. Surprisingly enough, they weren’t as aggressive this time.

“How many children have you been assigned so far?” one angel sitting at the other extreme of the front row asked.

“Wait, first tell us your name!” another sitting in the middle added.

Given they were calmer and Luhan had left them alone, Yixing saw no harm in answering some of their questions. At least until Luhan came back. He was still standing at the door, so he walked in. Not wanting to stand like a fool in front of them, he headed to Luhan’s desk and sat on it.

“My name’s Yixing,” he said, pushing aside some papers Luhan had scattered over the desk. “And I’ve completed… 27? No, 28 full assigned childhoods. Right now I’m on my twenty-ninth.”

“How's that possible? Those are a lot! How old are you?”

“Turned 531 this year.”

“Woah, and we’re not even one!”

"Professor Luhan is like 3,000, though. Super old."

"He's 1,628," Yixing said, trying hard not to laugh.

"Still super old."

He could still let himself smile at the comment. It was always fun to talk to the new arrivals, full of curiosity and eager to learn. It was like teaching kids, no matter how old they seemed to be, physically speaking.

“But is it been 531 since you were born or as an angel?” another one asked.

“As an angel,” Yixing said. “I guess professor Luhan has told you about angel and human years.” That same angel nodded, then Yixing added, “Well, remember we count the angel ones. Our human years don’t have importance here. Though if you want me to add those, then I would be 560.”

“Do you think you could tell us about your experience?” someone in the middle asked.

“What do you want to know?”

“Is it hard to guard children?”

Yixing scrunched his mouth and gave it a deep thought. “It’s not easy, but it’s not extremely hard, either. It depends on many factors, like the child’s personality, or the family and social circles, to mention some. But you learn how to interact with the kid according to the circumstances. Once you've managed to do that, things get easier.”

“How do you deal with tantrums?” another angel asked, completely changing the topic.

“I don’t.”

Some of them gasped, some others made confused sounds. Yixing couldn’t help but laugh at their reactions.

“I know it sounds like something wrong to do, but look at it like this,” he said. “Is throwing tantrums the right thing? Of course not, but you’re there to protect them, not to educate them. You can’t go around doing the parenting work.”

“In that case, what happens with teens? They always do the wrong thing. What do you do when the child hits puberty?”

“Suffer,” Yixing said and everyone laughed. “No, really. It’s painful. It's the stage I enjoy the least. This is something nobody tells you, but it’s a real thing. You learn this on the road, but I’m quite nice, so I'll tell you a few—”

He stopped amid his sentence, feeling like someone had sucked the air out of him.

Given the amount of angels there, he hadn't paid attention to every single face. But his eyes eventually landed in one at the very back of the classroom. Sitting in silence, head tilted to the side, eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Staring back at him.

An angel Yixing had never expected to see.

He blinked, waiting for that face to morph or something, as if thinking his mind was playing him tricks, but nothing happened. The face remained the same. Yixing was seeing right. That face was the very same. That guy in Italy. The… er… decent-looking one. Although now he wasn't a guy but an angel.

An angel.

And a guardian angel, nonetheless.

What was this?

When had he… died? It was part of the life cycle and he knew it. But to think about how he had been alive some months ago and now he was… here… It shocked Yixing more than he considered normal.

How had that happened? And what was he doing here? Not here in Heaven, but here here. If that even made sense…

What he had felt that day, that weird feeling, was back, though it felt stronger, as if being in the same realm intensified his reactions. As if having those eyes on him, really on him, made it all worse.

Seriously, what was this?

The door opening brought him back. Yixing teared his eyes away from him and set them at the door.

“Luhan!” he exclaimed. Thank you for being here, he almost added.

“Oh!” Luhan exclaimed, his eyebrows raised and his lips stretched into a smile. “I see you’ve met this guardian-angel wannabes. Good.”

The class laughed and Luhan’s smile grew bigger. Yixing didn’t feel like doing any of those things. He still forced a smile, hoping he wouldn’t give away how shaken he felt.

“Where have you been, professor Luhan?” he asked, internally wincing when his voice came out strained. He cleared his throat, then said, “We’ve been waiting for you since forever.”

“I do get why they would wait for me, but you?” Luhan said, standing next to him at the desk. “Aren’t you supposed to be with Chanyeol? What are you doing here? Your turn isn’t over yet.“

“Just came back,” Yixing said, jumping off the desk. He could still feel the other angel’s eyes on him, curious, intent, and he refrained from looking back at him. "I deserve a rest after guarding his birthday party."

“Take note of that, pupils,” Luhan said, in a playful tone. “This is what a lazy guardian looks like. Please don’t be like him or I’ll be highly disappointed.”

The class laughed again and the sound was foreign to Yixing’s ears. He decided it was better if he waited for Luhan to finish somewhere else.

Luhan narrowed his eyes at him, then asked low enough for only Yixing to hear, “Are you okay? You look… pale.”

Or maybe he should just leave their dinner for another day.

“Yeah, just tired,” he said. “The party exhausted me. Yeol didn’t have mercy on me. Maybe it would be better if we leave dinner for another day.”

Luhan snorted and shook his head. “Can’t believe a group of four-year-olds defeated you.”

“I’m not the angel I once was,” Yixing said as he moved to leave.

“Wait, are you leaving?” one of the students asked.

Yixing stopped and faced them, making sure not to land his eyes anywhere near the back of the classroom.

“You didn’t answer all our questions!”

“Er… yeah, maybe another day,” he said and forced, again, a smile on his face. This was getting uncomfortable.

“Maybe never,” Luhan said. “This sir is not supposed to come visit me until the class is done. So…” He waved his hand, shooing him away.

Yixing rolled his eyes, though the only thing he felt was relief.

Waving his hand at the students, he walked out the door. He decided he wouldn’t go back walking, so as soon as he was out, he spread his wings and took off. He wanted to get as far away from that classroom as possible—and so he did.

• | O N E | •

Those paintings on the ceiling were wonderful. Yixing had heard Mr. Park say they were frescoes. What was the difference between a fresco and a painting, it was beyond him, but they still impressed him all the same. They were amazing. Art was amazing. Sometimes he wondered if he had thought the same when he was alive. Not that he wasn’t alive now, but… It was a different kind of alive.

“Easy, Yeollie. Wait for your sister to finish watching and we can go, alright?” Mrs. Park said.

Yixing snapped his attention away from the ceiling.

Next to him, Chanyeol was moving his legs impatiently. His knees bending fast and constantly, making him look like he was bouncing on his place. The hand that wasn’t holding his mother’s was closed in a tight fist, his mouth twisted into a pout. He was restless, and honestly, Yixing couldn’t blame him. He was three. Walking around a place full of paintings—frescoes, Yixing—wasn’t exactly the kind of fun a kid would enjoy. Nor the kind of vacation.

The Park family had chosen Italy as their vacation destination this time. They've been here for over six days and were about to go back to Seoul. Though they couldn't part without visiting the Vatican on their last day—Mrs. Park's words, not his. It had been a long, long day, and given the seriousness the place required, it wasn't as if they had done something interesting for the kid. Plus he had yet to take his nap, so it was no wonder why he was like this.

In an attempt to soothe him, Yixing patted his hair. As soon as his hand touched him, Chanyeol visibly relaxed. His tiny hand unclenched and he brought it to his face, rubbing one eye with the back of it. Yixing smiled and kept his hand there, just in case.

A few meters ahead, he saw Seulgi sitting on the floor next to Yoora, as the girl heard her father talking about something on the wall in front of them. Part of Seulgi’s wings were lying on the floor and Yixing scrunched his nose up. Her feathers would get dirty. It would take her a while to get them white again.

“The Sistine Chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere,” someone said behind him in… was that Korean?

Turning to the source of the voice, he caught a small group of tourists walking into the place, following their guide. His eyes jumped over them, noticing they were young; around their twenties and something. He was about to look away, when his eyes caught the guy standing at the back of the group. He was staring at the ceiling, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration.

Yixing fixed his eyes on him, as if wanting to tattoo his image on his corneas. He felt funny all over for no reason, and his wings flapped behind him as evidence of it.

There was something particular about him that attracted his attention. He wasn’t sure whether it was the way he moved—with flair and elegance. Sophisticated. Or the way he looked—quite decent, if the beauty standards for human beings were something to go through (or so he guessed). He was sure that, if this guy were of marble instead of flesh and blood, he could easily pass himself off as a sculpture in the other museums around.

He was thinking about this, when suddenly, the guy’s eyes left the ceiling and Yixing gasped. They had landed exactly where he was standing, as if sensing that someone was watching him. For a moment he panicked, thinking the guy had caught him. But any trace of fear immediately disappeared, for Yixing knew he couldn’t see him. Still, as those eyes remained looking at his direction, the funny feeling ran along his body once again.

The guy dropped his eyes down to where Chanyeol was standing, and a small smile appeared on his lips.

Yixing blinked, his head feeling fuzzy and his chest a bit tight. His wings flapped again. He frowned. Was he getting sick? He had never got sick before. This was weird. What was going on?

He couldn't dwell further into it. He felt movement by his side and faced his front again. Mr. Park was crouching down next to Chanyeol.

“Alright, let's get out of here,” he said, taking him in his arms.

The boy leaned his head on his father’s shoulder, looking relieved that he didn’t have to stand any longer. Mrs. Park took Yoora’s hand, then, and together, they began to walk, heading to the entrance of the chapel.

Yixing followed them, walking behind them with Seulgi next to him.

“He’s tired, isn’t he?” Seulgi said, her head jerking towards Chanyeol.

Yixing nodded. “Long day.”

“Good thing they’re heading back home tomorrow morning.”

"Finally," Yixing said, smiling at her.

As they were reaching the entrance, he couldn’t stop himself from turning around. His eyes scanned the place for the last time.

“What is it?” Seulgi asked, slowing down to wait for him.

“Hm?” Yixing looked back at her, feeling slightly lost. He recovered almost in an instant, as if he hadn’t got distracted at all. “Nothing. Come on.”

They left the chapel.

He didn’t see the guy again.