angel horns ; norenmin [ ✓ ]

mean words²⁴

"that's why there's all those half-demon, half-angel children running around these days," the much older sounding demon woman was saying to her friend, a tight frown on her wrinkly face. "the younger generation never want to mingle with other demons for some reason. i don't understand the sudden new attraction to angels."

her friend nodded. "hear, hear."

"i personally think everyone should stick to their own kind and reproduce that way," the woman went on. "i can live alongside them and be ruled by one, but i could never imagine having a child with one."

"uh-huh."

"i mean, my nephew married one and had a kid and..." she paused. "do they always have to have two different eye colours? it doesn't look natural."

"i know a half-demon, half-angel who works at a flower shop," her friend finally spoke up. "the one down near the edge of the city. he's nice and all but i wonder how his parents could've ever thought of being together. two different coloured eyes, a hair that's weirdly a mixture of light and dark, and everything."

"see? that's what i mean!" the old woman said with a snort. "unnatural and definitely not meant to happen. don't get me started on half-humans."

"we hear that a lot," ten said passively, not noticing johnny slip a hand off of him to place it onto his stomach, still keeping his eyes firmly on the ground. "and it's always from an old sack of bones, too."

jeno frowned. "i bet."

how would those types of demons react when he does end up marrying renjun and jaemin? and jaemin's being a full human just makes it worse in their eyes most likely. humans aren't exactly allowed to be brought back and the only ways angels and demons still manage to end up with one if they regularly visit their world.

like jeno.

"ten, baby," johnny said suddenly, tugging at the sleeve of ten's black robes to win his attention, which wasn't hard for him to achieve whatsoever. "yongqin, i'm done eating. can we pay? i have to get to work."

ten looked confused, eyeing his partner's plate of food. "you didn't even finish, johnny."

"i want to get to work right on time," the angel said, though he was obviously lying. "you have work too, y'know, as a letter deliverer. come on."

"fine, alright..." ten paused. "don't tell me that ancient woman's words hurt your feelings, john. be honest."

"i'm fine," johnny forced a smile. "c'mon."

ten didn't look convinced but didn't continue to press on, placing the right amount of golden and silver coins and getting up and leaving, the angel right by his side.

jeno watched them go before shaking his head. some people really felt the need to voice their negative views aloud, didn't they?

then, he heard footsteps and demon prince finally saw who he was looking forward to seeing. jaehyun was trying his best to flatten his hair but no matter what he did, it just stuck up again. he tried one last time, easily avoiding his horns, but it failed once more.

"jaewon's classmates are little nightmares!" he muttered before looking down in front of him. "oh, your majesty," jaehyun said, noticing the teenager smiling at him. "what is it now?"

"can i change my day to today instead of monday?" he asked hopefully.

"why...?" jaehyun said slowly.

"because i'm planning to meet someone that day," jeno retorted.

"that's really the only reason?" jaehyun said suspiciously.

"do you ever trust me?" jeno said with a pout.

"no," jaehyun said truthfully.

"i — ouch," jeno placed a fist on his heart. well, more like punched his chest where his heart was. "i guess you won't change it, will you?"

"nuh-uh," the older demon shook his head. "monday and that's it."

"damn, so much for trying," jeno hissed under his breath as jaehyun moved aside to collect the coins that had been left.

"did ten and johnny leave already?" he asked the demon prince. "i can't find them."

"yeah," jeno said. "they already left. work, y'know."

"ah," he nodded. "dang, i didn't even get to properly talk to them because i had to take jaewon to school for these ankle biters to straight up attack me. viciously."

jeno couldn't help but laugh. "you lost... to a bunch of kids. amazing, jaehyun, i'm impressed."

jaehyun frowned and forced out a sarcastic laugh. "hahaha, your majesty. if you were the one getting your hair pulled and literally bitten on your ankle, funnily enough, you wouldn't be saying that. now," he closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them again, his nearly black eyes meeting jeno's dark chocolate brown. "if you have nothing to order — and that's definitely not alcohol — get out and i'll see you monday."

~*~

renjun loved reading.

there were so many things to learn that books held on their pages, available for him to open up and indulge in. well, he's always been a bit of a learner. he just likes to pay attention to interesting things.

as he turned to the next page, the two huge doors of the vast library he currently was in opened, revealing a familiar black-haired demon, who made a beeline for him as soon as he saw him by the tall shelf containing books about history.

"nono!" he said, closing the books about how the angels and demon came together close. the sound of his nickname made jeno bit his lip and go pink in the face. "what's up?"

"nothing," he said, taking a seat right next to his fellow prince on the soft carpet. "what are you doing?"

"reading, what else would i be doing?" renjun said, holding up the thick book in his hands.

"oh, i dunno..." jeno looked around the huge
place. the walls were lined with shelf after shelf full of books that seemed to actually reach the ceiling. "...kissing me?"

"ah," renjun looked amused before leaning and pecking him on the lips. "very smooth, nono."

jeno just grinned for a few moments before saying, "jaehyun wouldn't let me work there today."

"huh?"

"i asked him if he could switch it to today instead of monday since i really, really, really wanna see jaem, but he said no," he said with a cute pout. "it's so annoying!"

"we can just go tuesday, nono," renjun said, liking how the demon's nickname slid off his tongue. "he'll understand."

"yeah but it's still unfair," jeno went on.

"you have to pay back for what he did for you." renjun reminded him. "it's only fair. he got you out of a tight spot, according to ten."

jeno decided to childishly point his nose towards the ceiling and cross his arms with a huff, making renjun roll his eyes.

"oh well."