"But... why are you trying so hard to help me ?"
His words echoed in his head and Minho wondered too. He stared at the ceiling, fingers carding through Jisung's hair who had cuddled against him.
He had noticed Chan a first time when this latter fell off the stairs in front of him. He remembered the sudden flash of pain he had that stopped him from doing anything and the blood seeping in between the tiles of the floor coming from Chan's head.
And without knowing why and how, he always found himself around Chan, silently watching him from the sidelines of his life. It was as if he was drawn to him, an invisible force pushing him more and more towards him.
Or maybe a call for help.
Chan seemed to be alone for a long time and yet he kept trying. He kept hoping everything would be better. It was understanding when people usually said that when you hit rock bottom, you couldn't go deeper. But Chan seemed to dig himself deeper and deeper or maybe his pit was just endless and his suffering would just keep going until he was the one breaking down from it.
He wasn't sure, but with how everything was against him, and the familiar black misfortune crawling on his back, he knew he was cursed.
But cursing a simple human without being around to watch his masterpiece of pain wasn't normal. Whoever cursed him might have done so with pure hatred if they weren't here. Or they might not like to waste time watching some guy.
But now that he knew Chan was a fallen angel, everything made more sense. The only way to become one was to fall in love with a demon or kill an angel. And punished by God was their sentence.
And when he watched him with his broken leg, limping to the bridge, a familiar anxious drop in his stomach and cold sweats took his body. As if it was warning him.
Warning him to go and help him. To not let him go like that.
But why ?
He carefully moved away from Jisung's embrace, sitting up on his bed. He glanced at the younger still asleep and he left the room quietly.
His eyes locked on Chan's who was already awake, "Hey," his voice was hoarse and Minho smiled until he noticed the dark bruises under his eyes. Possibly from the fever and the pain that might have kept him up all night.
"Hey, how do you feel ?" He asked quietly, gently pressing his hand on his forehead and feeling how warm he was.
"I'm tired and cold," He mumbled, "and my back hurts."
Minho hummed, sitting at the edge of the couch, "What about your head ?"
Chan shrugged a bit, "Pound a bit and there's this sharp pain here," he touched just next to his temples, in the crown of his hair and Minho swallowed thickly.
It started.
"Alright, the transformation started," He told him softly and Chan stiffened at his words, "you're gonna have two horns and your back's gonna grow wings."
Chan looked even more concerned, "Is it like... gonna tear my skin ?" Minho nodded with a sympathetic smile.
"Yeah, but you'll have a badass power."
Chan snorted and Minho relaxed a bit, he could still laugh in those moments, "But you don't have horns or wings."
Minho grinned, "I actually have but I usually hide them," he trailed, seeing him nod in understanding, "and now that my powers are sealed I can't show them anymore."
He could see a flash of guilt pass through the fallen angel's gaze and he looked ready to apologize, but Minho talked first, " Don't, don't apologize. It's not your fault."
It was too familiar, the way they could talk to each other as if they were friends from years. The way Minho couldn't help but be tender to Chan, or the way the fallen angel couldn't help but lean on him so easily.
The way they understood each other when they just met yesterday.
Something was missing from Minho's grasp, something that could explain everything, slipping from his fingers, no matter how many times he tried to catch it. It was just there, in front of him and yet he felt blind, unable to find such an easy answer.
"How... how's Jisung now ?"
Minho blinked a few times, processing his words, "He's fine now, he told me his manager kind of forced him to do extra hours," he sighed a bit in annoyance, "if he forces him again I'll make his life a living hell. "
Chan smiled at his words, fond and disapproving, "Why am I not surprised ?"
Minho winked at him, "Because I'm a demon," he stood up with a smile, "what do you wanna eat ?"
He could hear a long hum from the fallen angel, "Eggs ? Please ?"
Minho snorted, "Right away !"
Chan sat, almost forgetting his casted leg. He rubbed his eyes, letting out a yawn. He stood up, biting on his tongue to keep his whimper with how dizzy he suddenly got and bile started bubbling up his throat. Shutting his eyes tight, he put a hand on his mouth to calm his heartbeat pulsing in his ears but he couldn't control his need to vomit. Blurred vision as he jumped to the bathroom and nearly falling if Minho hadn't come.
He didn't know how he managed but his bile finally left his mouth to fill the toilet. Fat tears rolled down his cheeks as he threw up and he ignored how Minho started rubbing his back soothingly. A warm touch, until he paused his movement.
But Chan didn't even notice it because he was too busy emptying his stomach from whatever, a bitter taste on his tongue, disgusting and metallic and he gagged a few times at the sour smell.
When he finally opened his eyes, he wondered why he wasn't that surprised to see the mix of bile and blood, wiping the path of his tears on his cheeks, while Minho pushed his bangs up in swift movements of his hand through his hair.
"How's Hell ?"
Minho snickered at his question, looking at him pressing his back against the wall, completely tired. There was still blood tainting his mouth and chin and Minho closed the lid of the toilet, flushing it. "Not that bad, I can be your tour guide."
And the way Chan seemed to opt of becoming a demon instead of dying gave him a small light of hope.
Chan snorted and Minho took a tissue to clean his mouth, kneeling in front of him, one hand against his cheek as he wiped the tissue across his skin, Chan's head was heavying his hand, as if he didn't have the strength to keep it up anymore, "Cool, I'm kinda curious now that I know demons and all exist."
There was something tempting, in the way Chan looked tired and vulnerable, completely given up on his fate, and trusting him far too easily. And he was a demon. The fact Chan was so numbed to everything, not looking worried in the slightest about throwing up blood, and so content to be with him, talked loud.
"You look like you don't care anymore," He murmured for no reason and Chan laughed, bitter and dry.
"I've been hit too many times by car, got beaten up from some gang because I looked like one of their rival, lost anyplace to sleep or eat, fired too many times for breaking shits at my work, don't have any family and friends, so yeah I don't really care -" and then he seemed to realize something, looking at him with wide eyes, "- wait, does that mean I have a family ? But they're like in Heaven or something ?"
Minho nodded slowly, he didn't really know how Chan could react to that, "Except if they were banned from Heaven, I'll have to ask in Hell."
Chan's shoulders dropped a bit more, pressing the back of his head against the wall, "So I have a family," he uttered pensively, "this is... nice to hear."
Minho didn't have to ask, most fallen angels started their lives in orphanages or abusive households. And the way Chan phrased it explained everything.
"What's going on ?"
They both perked at Jisung who blinked, now completely awake when he saw the bloody tissue in Minho's hand.
"Nothing," They both blurted out at the same time and Jisung's shoulders dropped with a pout.
"Are you sure you're not dating or something ?" He mumbled as he rolled his eyes.
"Maybe we should," Minho replied with a teasing smile, satisfied with how Chan's ears turned pink at his flirting.
"What ? I- you want to- with me ?" He got cut by Minho's laughter and he sighed with an exasperated smile.
"I'm sorry to say that hyung, but you're a desperate case," Jisung added on top and Chan whined.
"Stop bullying me," He puckered his lips when Minho stood up and he gratefully took his hand to stand back up.
And here they were, trying to wash their faces all three of them at the same time, finishing with bickering and water splashing, a few offended noises changing to laughter.
Chan felt a tiny bit better, even hungry now that they were in front of omelets.
"So, care to explain where's the blood from ?" Jisung asked, starting to dig up his food.
Chan shrugged his shoulders, "I might have stomach cancer or something like that," he replied as if it wasn't a big deal at all.
Minho winced at how blunt he was, Jisung's jaw dropped, blinking slowly to process his words. " What ? " and then he looked at Minho, waiting some sort of real reply but this latter only shrugged his shoulders, "You have to go to the hospital then ! What are you waiting for !"
"But I'm hungry," Chan replied while Jisung was already pulling on his arm.
"And you really don't have priorities," He retorted, throwing the keys to Minho who caught them mid-air, "let's go."
Chan reluctantly followed.
"You have gastritis," The doctor told him as he looked through his file, "the other tests didn't show anything serious, you just have to take a few antibiotics and rest, no alcohol, coffee and smoking," Chan nodded slowly and the doctor added, "as your friend asked, we also did a scan of your leg and it is completely healed, a nurse will come in to take off the cast, if you have difficulty to walk after healing, it will be better to come and have physical therapy," he bowed slightly before leaving.
Jisung sighed, "Thank god it wasn't cancer," and then he frowned at Chan, "hyung, you have to take care of your health more."
Chan puckered his lips, "I know." But was he really going to ?
Minho silently stared at the fallen angel, sitting on the bed and staring at the floor dejectedly, "That's good you're finally getting rid of your cast."
But now, the problem was about the money because Chan didn't have any more left. His insurance would only pay a part of it and Chan couldn't even pay the rest, what was he supposed to do ?
"I'm gonna buy food," Jisung mumbled out of the blue, leaving them alone.
Minho sat next to Chan, hand patting his thigh, "I've already paid."
Chan blinked before looking at him with wide eyes, "You did what ?" Minho just smiled and he sighed tiredly, "Why did you pay ? It wasn't your problem-"
"It is," He cut him, locking eyes and Chan just wondered what he did to have someone so kind in this life, "I told you I'll make your life better and if paying is a start, then I'll do it."
Chan wanted to retort, but his lips parted with no words coming out, his shoulders slumped a bit with the weight of his burden and he faltered at how determined Minho was, "You didn't answer me before," he trailed instead, and Minho understood right away.
"But... why are you trying so hard to help me ?"
"I don't really know why I want to help you, but I know I want to, " It was something stirring from the deepest part of his soul, a tug of his heart begging him to do something so desperately, for him, for Chan, "and I will. "
I'll make you happy.
"You're back !" Changbin yelled as they entered back the flat with a bag from the pharmacy and he looked happy for some reason.
"Yeah but I'm going back in like two hours," Jisung mumbled after seeing the time, "I still work."
Changbin just patted his back in comfort before he suddenly said, "By the way Chan hyung, I took care of your computer and your phone," and then he noticed, "oh your leg's healed."
Chan hummed in surprise, still leaning on his crutch, "Yeah, but I still need to use my crutch, but you did ?" earning a proud nod as they walked into the living-room and Chan stared at his computer on the table, completely clean and looking new.
Chan sat on the couch, opening his computer and turning on while Minho decided to roughly pat Changbin's back who yelped and glared at him. Jisung just snorted before sitting next to Chan on the couch.
It was something Chan could easily notice when someone watched him silently, with the number of times people would glance- stare at him in school with mocking laughter. So he knew Jisung was watching him, maybe curious or wondering about something in particular.
Maybe he was wondering when he was finally leaving. Just thinking of leaving this place made him falter. He knew he would never find a place this peaceful after.
"Hyung," Jisung suddenly called and Chan hummed, already readying himself for the mental blow, "I don't know what's going on in your life but I just wanted you to know," he trailed and Chan dared look at him. But he seemed just anxious and hesitant, "you can stay as long as you want to."
Chan paused at his words, stared at him glancing at Minho who was still talking with Changbin, "Since you've been here, Minho hyung looks... different," Jisung smiled, more relaxed before looking back at Chan with grateful eyes, "he's happier I think and he looks..." Jisung didn't finish his sentence, shaking his head with a laugh, "if I say that he'll kill me."
"Why would I kill you ?"
Jisung shrieked at his dangerous voice, "For- for nothing," he blinked innocently, getting up to go far away from Minho who narrowed his eyes sharply.
But then he focused back on Chan, ignoring Jisung's sigh of relief while Changbin snickered at his suffering.
"Your phone's good too," He told him, sitting next to Chan and the latter gratefully took it, looking up at Changbin.
"Thank you for that, I'll pay you when I have the money," He spoke, a bit apologetic but Changbin waved him off with a grin.
"It's free for my friends."
Chan wondered in which way forcing his presence made him a friend. He didn't do anything to be considered a friend. He had been literally just using their kindness to survive.
"Hey," He felt Minho poking his cheek with his index finger, "I can hear your overthinking," Chan only hummed, gaze falling down. Minho didn't really like that, pressing his hand on his thigh, "if you're thinking of being a burden again, I'll have to threaten you."
Chan huffed a weak snort, "And how ? If you want me to leave, I'll leave."
Minho puckered his lips, "I think you don't understand what a burden is," he retorted with a serious gaze, Chan just shrugged his shoulders, too tired to talk, "a burden forced itself on others, I choose to help you. You're not a burden," he trailed and he wondered where the spur came from, because his eyes turned weirdly gentle and he took his hand, squeezing it, "not to me."
Chan stared at him, his words ringing in his head and filling his chest of a warmth he never knew before he could feel. He sighed shakily, eyes glowing as he looked down at their entwined hands, squeezing back tenderly, a small smile taking his features, "I don't know what I'll be doing without you."
Minho giggled happily, "I would've found you, no matter what," no matter the life or the circumstances, and Chan could only believe his words, feeling like Minho wasn't one to lie.
"Okay loverboys, I'm leaving," Jisung's voice piped in and Chan felt the rush of blood in his face, looking down embarrassingly and ignoring Changbin's weird giggle.
When the front door closed, Changbin clapped his hands, "Okay, Seungminie's supposed to come in an hour, you'll be alright with him ?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at Minho.
The demon shivered in disgust, "Well I have to, no ?"
"What about your family ? Are they in Hell ?"
Minho nodded with a smile, "I think you'll be surprised how boring it can be in Hell."
Chan smiled, "Really ? And I thought there would be slaughters every minute there," he spoke sarcastically, Minho rolled his eyes.
"I guess there's more wars there than here, and people tend to kill more," He shrugged his shoulders, "but other than that, it's just plain."
"That's why you decided to live on Earth ?"
Minho paused for a second, "No, I actually don't know why I'm here," he looked up at the ceiling, and Chan waited patiently, "I just suddenly wanted to come on Earth, just a spurt of the moment I guess."
He remembered the moment he woke up, and couldn't recollect a certain period of his life, - a punishment he received for whatever-, he suddenly had the urge to go on Earth and ignored Satan's warning.
He vividly remembered his heart aching and the emptiness filling him, hot tears rolling on his cheeks.
What a weird day.
"And now that I think about it," Minho trailed after some time, raising his head to look at him, "you're not really shocked to find out you were a fallen angel."
Chan just shrugged nonchalantly, pressing his head on his shoulder, "I just don't care," Minho smiled sympathetically, hand caressing his cheek gently, a touch Chan never was allowed to feel and it made him flutter his eyes closed, peaceful and content.
Being a demon wouldn't be bad.
"If I turn into a demon, will you... stay with me ?" He asked, keeping his eyes closed, doubtful about his own reaction if he saw Minho's.
"Oh Chanie," He cooed with a giggle, "even if you're not a demon, I'll stay with you."
Chan smiled, smiled until his dimples were shown and he melted a bit more against Minho, not doubting his words even for a microsecond. "Don't you think it's a bit weird how close we got in only two days ? It's like we're destined or something," he mumbled with a snort.
"I wouldn't mind."
Chan lifted his head to stare at him, expecting to find any ounce of a joke. But nothing. Minho just smiled at him, cat-like and his gaze was filled with anticipation.
"Why wouldn't you ? I literally have been only bawling in agony during those days, I really don't know what you could like in me," he mumbled as if trying to decode a secret code. "except if you're sadistic."
Minho laughed, loud and bubbly and Chan cracked a smile, proud to be able to make him laugh. "Well, a bit of pain in bed isn't always a bad thing," he replied cheekily and Chan looked unimpressed by his words, "but more seriously, I just can't help it, when it's about you I just feel... happy and full ?" and then he smirked, "And not full as in-"
"I get it," Chan cut him quickly, tips of his ears red, "you literally ruined the moment," he whined and Minho snickered.
"I had to," and then his expression turned more fond, "I always had a strange emptiness ? I felt shallow no matter what I did," he spoke, looking down at his hand, "as if something was missing," he smiled a bit brighter when he looked up to Chan, "but since I've met you, I'm full."
Hearing him talk so easily about his feelings made him realize how Minho was really in love with him. And no matter the nagging voices in his head, he knew Minho wouldn't lie.
His gaze softened a bit, "I- I don't know if I have feelings for you," he replied honestly, "I just never had someone treating me like that so it's kind of confusing," he mumbled apologetically but Minho only smiled more, tender and patient, something Chan wished the people around him had, "but I know that I want you in my life," he told him, feelings bare and he locked gaze with Minho who was equally honest.
"Then I'll wait for you," Minho replied with his confident smile making him smile fondly before sudden knocks echoed in the flat.
Minho made a grimace, earning this time a full laughter from the fallen angel, "Must be Seungmin," he stood up, not bothering to look through the peephole and opening the door wide.
And yes, it was Seungmin, unimpressed and even annoyed. "Nice to see you again, Minho-ssi," he said flatly as he entered the flat before closing the door and Chan wondered what was their history for acting this cold.
"Me too Seungminie," He replied before sitting back on the couch next to Chan and Seungmin seemed to notice him because he paused, lips parted in surprise.
Minho noticed it, the way his gaze almost turned shaky or how his whole facade fell down the second he saw Chan.
Something was off.
Chan quickly smiled, completely oblivious of the sudden tension filling the small place, "Hi, I'm Bang Chan, nice to meet you."
"You've found each other again," His voice was weak and filled with shock.
But Minho and Chan clearly heard him, sharing a look equally confused, before the fallen angel swallowed thickly.
"What ? What do you mean ?"
~~~
Heyyy ! How's your holidays going so far ? :D
What do you think of the chapters and story ? Enjoying it I hope !
What did Seungmin mean by that ? I wonder... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
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See you in two weeks !