Kibum sniffed quietly from the passenger seat of Victoria’s ship while Taekwoon and Wonshik politely didn’t notice him.  They lingered near the front where they could speak with Victoria in quiet tones that shifted between suspicion and curiosity in equal measure.  After having been detained by humans like they had, it was small wonder they were slow to trust.  Not that it mattered to Kibum all that much.  He wouldn’t have anything to do with them or Victoria after this.  And that hurt.  He was leaving Gunwoo and this time, he had the feeling it was going to be for good.

                Part of him didn’t trust that the angels would just let him be.  Every movie he’d ever seen about secret alien races usually killed off the people that discovered them to keep them just that: a secret.  What if he tried to tell somebody about them, after all?  The mere thought made him wipe at his eyes though, blurring his already teary vision.

                Even if he did try to say something, who in their right mind would believe him?  More so, who would believe him that could actually do anything about it?  There were scores of people that believed weirder things all the time, as he’d helped show Gunwoo when they were looking for Myungsoo’s contact info.  In the end, it didn’t really matter, did it?  He was just a human that had been friends with an angel, once upon a time.  And boy was everyone wrong about real angels.

                That thought at least made him snort under his breath.  They were far from the perfect, saintly beings mentioned in the Bible.  But they did have some pretty neat powers.  One of which had cost him his apartment…  He still didn’t know what he was going to do about that, but if he was thinking about that problem, he wasn’t thinking about Gunwoo.  And that stupid letter he’d left him.  Which had gone up in flames with his apartment.  But he remembered enough of it and the thought made him want to cry all over again.

                “Idiot,” he whispered as he looked up and wiped his eyes once more, trying desperately not to keep crying.  The looks he’d been getting from Victoria told him she was getting tired of it, if nothing else.  But how was he not supposed to get emotional when his good friend told him something like: ‘you’re amazing and I don’t know what I would have done without you,’ or ‘you showed me what it was to have a real friend without any expectations or wanting something in particular in return.’  And he was cruel when he told him to say goodbye to Junhong for him, because he knew ‘he would find a good excuse as to why Gunwoo was gone and not coming back.’

                Kibum was yanked from his thoughts when Victoria called to him, “We’re getting close.”

                “We are?” he sniffed in response, sitting up so he could look around at where they were.  Sure enough, the view through the screen showed his hometown, though they weren’t quite at his apartment complex yet.  He still didn’t know what he was going to do when he got back… but he’d always been good about figuring something out.  Still though.

                “We’re heading around to the back,” she explained as they finally approached the complex.

                With a frown, Kibum noticed that his apartment was cordoned off and hadn’t actually been repaired yet.  Then again, they were probably looking for him to figure out what had happened in the first place.  Or something like that anyway.  “So.  You just gonna drop me off then?” he murmured with a forced laugh, the sound tapering out when he got no reaction from her.

                “Yes,” she confirmed without looking back as she guided the ship into position over the alleyway.  With the wings tucked in, the ship was just small enough to fit between the buildings.  Barely.  “It’s up to you what happens now,” the angel explained, brow furrowed while she lowered them carefully.

                “Great,” Kibum hummed in reluctant agreement, smoothing his hair reflexively.

                Neither Taekwoon nor Wonshik said anything as the ship came to a stop a couple feet above the ground.  If she went any lower, she would hit a trashcan in the confined space.  As it was, she was perfectly unseen for the moment and there was no one nearby.  That any of them could tell anyway.  “Alright, Kibum,” the angel nodded, tapping a release button on the panel so the rear hatch opened.  “Try not to attract any demons in the meantime,” she raised her brow at him, the hint of amusement in her voice.

                “But it’s so fun,” he fired back, earning a confused expression from her.  When she seemed about to ask, he waved her off and shook his head.  It wasn’t even funny anymore.  He made his way to the ladder and paused with one hand on a rung.  “Take care of him,” he whispered, clenching his free fist before he looked at Victoria, long and hard.  “He’s strong, but he needs someone to look out for him too,” he waved, nodding as if from experience.

                “I know,” Victoria smiled at last, the expression soft and genuine.  “Thank you, Kibum,” she added with the barest of nods.

                Mutely, he nodded with a weak smile.  He waved with his free hand and gripped harder to the ladder.  Steeling himself, he finally clambered up so he could get it over with.  Out the ship and down the nose so he could carefully jump off and onto the top of a dumpster to help him make his way down.  The ship was invisible so it was hard to judge his distance, but he could mostly feel it moving when he turned to look.  There was nothing to show it was there at all, but Kibum stood and waited, staring into the sky as if he could see it anyway.

                “Really,” he whispered, shielding his eyes from the late morning light.  “Take care of him.”

                When nothing answered him, Kibum took a heavy breath and carefully clambered off the dumpster.  His feet slapped loudly on the ground and he grimaced at the smell.  He doubted he smelled much better – a shower sounded amazing for many reasons – but it was a subdued sort of want in light of the numbing ache in his chest.  Taking a deep breath, he wiped his mouth with his hand and looked around, feeling lost and alone and vulnerable.

                “Now what?” he wondered, top lip catching between his teeth as he thought he heard a very quiet hissing sound.  He had no money, no phone, no apartment…  “Ugh.”  And what the hell was he going to tell the police?  Or whoever was investigating his disappearance?  With an air of pained confusion, he started to move towards the entrance of the alleyway, but a calm, new voice made him pause.

                “Kim Kibum?”

                Eyes wide, Kibum turned around to look into the previously empty alleyway.  Standing directly behind him was none other than Kim Myungsoo, immaculately dressed in his typical business suit and appearing as if he wasn’t completely out of place in a dirty alleyway.  He would have recognized the face anywhere, but he was certainly not expecting him to magically appear behind him.  “Hi,” he blurted, too surprised to be more eloquent.

                Dark eyes met him, the depths appearing to sparkle slightly.  “Considering your most recent experiences, I imagine you may need some assistance in returning to your regular human life.”

                It felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.  Kibum didn’t know what to say or even how to respond, so he took a step back warily.  He raised one finger, intent upon responding with something, but all that came out was, “How did you get here?”

                Myungsoo laughed with an amused smirk and waved the question off.  “That’s not important.  What is important is how I can help you,” he added, the expression on his face never wavering.

                The other man’s eyes practically sparkled and Kibum inhaled.  “You’re not human, are you?”

                “Come along, Kibum,” Myungsoo chuckled, easily crossing the distance between them to grab the slender man by the elbow.  “We have much to talk about.”

                Victoria took her time in returning to the cave.  Her divinations weren’t telling her of any danger and she was happy enough to use the time waiting for a possible signal from someone.  It also allowed her to continue her education and understanding of Wonshik and Taekwoon.  They had enough military training to understand a temporary truce even when they didn’t have all the information, and she wasn’t secure enough in their safety of trying to enlighten them of all they were capable of.  Using their abilities would draw attention and the very last thing she wanted to do was make themselves into bigger targets.

                But given her three centuries of life, she did have a fair bit of information to explain to them about where they were in regards to their recent developments.  Wonshik at least was receptive and curious; his subdued excitement was obvious and it was a struggle not to smile too hard at his responses.  Taekwoon on the other hand, remained mostly impassive and was quite clearly unsure of how he should feel.  They hadn’t yet explained what had happened to them, but she had the feeling – and her powers told her as much – that he had been betrayed, at least in part.

                So around her wide scale patrolling, none of which turned up anything major – beyond a minor blip in the distance that faded out just as quickly – she essentially lectured them.  Even if the Council didn’t decide to do something with them, it was just a good idea to let them know what they were capable of so they didn’t do it by accident at a bad time.

                “You both appear to be standards though, so I don’t think it’s necessary to explain the changes a Royal undergoes,” she finished with a nod, narrowing her eyes as she tried to focus on strange flickers in her divination readings.  They didn’t solidify into anything useful though, so she kept swinging out and wide as they started to make their way back to the island.

                “Is there a big difference?” Wonshik asked quickly, peering at her with intense eyes.

                “Quite,” she confirmed with a quick nod.

                “Why?” Taekwoon murmured this time, making both look to him quickly.

                Victoria raised a brow and then laughed once under her breath.  It was a fair question.  “Initially, it was because of the distribution of angels and cosmic founts on my planet.  Those closest to the cosmic energies naturally developed a higher level of potential while those living in less saturated areas did not.  Standard genetics have shown that typically, only a Royal and a Royal will produce another Royal, thus keeping the blood and power lines separated.”

                “So if you and I had a child, it would be like me?” Wonshik asked as he pointed between himself and Victoria.

                She couldn’t tell if he was attempting to ask an honest question or make some effort to court her.  For a moment, she simply looked at him, a slight frown furrowing her brow.

                “Yes,” Taekwoon answered for her, looking to the angel for silent confirmation after he spoke.

                Victoria agreed slowly and then glanced between them.  “It’s exceedingly rare for a Royal to be born outside of a Royal family.  For both angels and demons,” she added, looking at Taekwoon again.

                “So what do angels like me have going for them?” the other man added, an easy smile on his face.

                “Numbers,” Victoria confirmed automatically, the simple fact drilled into them.  It was not the answer he was obviously expecting, or hoping for, and she paused.  “Strength too.  For all that I have greater power, we are surprisingly susceptible to certain illnesses and conditions.”  She shrugged and chewed her bottom lip.  “I have a cousin who’s a standard and she hasn’t been sick once in her life, and she’s over three hundred years old.  As for me… I’ve had to sit out at least a dozen times.  Also!  If we use all our power in any given situation, it takes us much longer to recover.”

                “Because you have a larger amount to restore,” Taekwoon murmured, stating the words as if they were fact.

                “Exactly.  This planet doesn’t have as much cosmic energy as I’m accustomed to and I’m still not back at full strength,” she admitted with a careful glance at both men.  Eyeing them, she waited to see if there would be any sort of bid to try and take her on.  When neither said anything and Wonshik’s mouth quirked into an amused smile, she realized they understood her words had been obvious bait.

                “Full strength or not, I think you’re probably our best bet of figuring this whole mess out without becoming test dummies again,” he admitted as he shifted closer to Taekwoon.  “I never expected to become… this,” he gestured at himself, “but it’s pretty cool actually.”

                “At least you’re not a monster,” Taekwoon muttered under his breath, looking away from the pair with partially closed eyes.

                “You are not a monster,” was the automatic retort from Wonshik.  One hand curled around a bowed shoulder as the angel leaned closer, frustrated hurt obvious in his posture.

                Victoria looked at them for a moment longer and then sighed as she angled them a bit closer to their destination.  “It’s in the nature of a demon to be a predator.  Their planet was darker and less hospitable than ours was,” she explained as both pairs of eyes looked up to watch her.  “In the early days, their powers developed to live with less light and stronger potential enemies around them.  In a more forgiving clime, we did not need such abilities and our own turned to protection and defense.  More,” she added with a smirk that indicated they weren’t without their own offensive abilities.

                Both Taekwoon and Wonshik looked at each other, questions obvious in their eyes.  “Is one more powerful than the other?” the former whispered, fingertip tracing his wing absently.

                At that, the piloting angel sighed.  She stared ahead for a long moment, seeing the island in the distance.  Her lips thinned and her brows furrowed.  At last, she her lips and opened to speak.  “It depends on the day.”  That was a truth she had learned over the years: some days you won and some days you didn’t when you went up against another Royal.  “But you both probably know that already,” she added with a sidelong look before she dipped the nose of the ship so that they could glide into the mouth of the cave in the late afternoon light of the day.

                She didn’t expect a response from the two and she didn’t get one, which made landing easier, if nothing else.  While she was mildly annoyed that she hadn’t actually heard any incoming signals or anything she could bounce a message back to, it was good to be back so she could check on the Heir.  Victoria waited for the angel and demon to depart first, bringing up the rear before she locked the ship down with one final scan of the area: all clear.

                Outside the ship, a quick flap of her wings had her settling on the hard ground and a sweep of the interior revealed Gunwoo and Changmin nearby.  As soon as she started to get closer, something felt different.  She didn’t know what it was so she looked between them and waved, “We’re back.”

                “We see,” Gunwoo nodded, standing near his former guard.  “How was he?” the Heir asked, chewing on his bottom lip uncertainly.

                Victoria glanced at Wonshik and Taekwoon before she realized he was talking about Kibum.  “Fine, so far as I could see.”  When Gunwoo frowned at her, she shrugged and added, “He was trying not to cry and asking that I look after you.  What did you expect him to do?” she asked honestly, her wings settling as she adjusted them absentmindedly.

                Gunwoo glanced at Changmin and then looked away quickly.  “I just… I don’t know,” he forced a laugh, a strange tension hovering around him.

                Something had definitely changed.  They weren’t exactly standoffish anymore, but there was something else and Victoria wasn’t sure she liked it.  “How’d your talk go?” she questioned nonchalantly, stepping close as she wandered further into the cave.  Both of them tensed minutely at the question, shifting nervously just a touch when she moved.

                “It was good,” Gunwoo answered again, apparently speaking for both of them.

                Nothing was amiss exactly.  The cave looked like it should have and she didn’t doubt they had talked but Victoria couldn’t shake the feeling that she missing something.  Not to mention there was a faint scent lingering in the air, but it was mixed with the salt of the water and she was having trouble placing it.  “Changmin, report!” she instructed, turning to face him directly.

                Immediately, he stood at attention, becoming ramrod straight.  The reaction surprised the other two men who were watching the scene unfold quietly.  “Nothing,” Changmin answered, his gaze fixed over her shoulder.  “Unusual, ma’am.”  Almost belatedly, his gaze shifted to meet hers, and if he’d done that in the first place, she might just think him unaccountably nervous, given the situation.  But it spoke too much of leaving information out.  She looked to Gunwoo with a curious expression and he shrugged, the movement jerky and more like a reaction, though she could tell he was trying to make it look natural.  Years of reading body language in combat situations made her more aware of natural movements and neither of them fit.

                “What did you do?” she asked softly, her intense eyes landing on Changmin again.  He seemed to shrink in on himself, leaning back while trying to suppress his presence.  When his eyes darted to Gunwoo as if he couldn’t help it, Victoria tilted her head.  Quickly, she tallied up a few things in her head – Changmin’s being here, their awkwardness around each other, this current avoidance of acknowledgement and… the subtle smell – and her expression deadpanned.  With a sigh and a quirked mouth, she looked back at Gunwoo and exhaled, “You didn’t just talk did you?”  The faint flush of color that stained his cheeks and ears was answer enough.

                “Victoria-” Gunwoo started to speak, taking a hesitant step closer to her before she raised her hand to stop him.

                She shook her head without looking at him and grimaced, one eye partially closing in her irritation.  “I’m mad at myself for not noticing it sooner,” the Royal explained tersely, glaring at Changmin in particular.  He wilted under her attention but at least held his ground.

                “Uh… what’s going on?” Wonshik interjected from the sidelines.  It was clear by his facial expression he had an idea but was just a bit lost.

                Victoria struggled to control the scathing response that immediately came to mind.  “How could you leave yourselves so open in this situation?!” she growled, hands balled into fists as she finally rounded on Changmin, stalking towards him with her wings bristling.

                “I-”

                “It wasn’t his fault!” Gunwoo immediately rushed over to defend the former guard.  “I asked him.”

                Her eyes flashed as she looked at the Heir and then glared at Changmin again.  “That’s even worse!  You gave in to the whims of a spoiled child-”

                “I’m not a-”

                “And put both your lives in danger!” the Royal raged, vocally overriding the Heir’s rebuttal.

                Changmin’s wings drooped and he bowed his head, expression guilty.  “I know,” he admitted quietly, standing tense and uncertain.  “Forgive me.”

                “Ugh!  Why?!” she growled, completely frustrated and confounded.

                “Because I love him,” the former guard murmured, looking up under his bangs.

                Victoria pinched the bridge of her nose and took a deep breath as she looked down.  “I know that, you fool.  Practically everyone knew you cared deeply for the boy,” she explained while looking up.  Again, Changmin looked down, but Gunwoo wasn’t ready to give in yet.

                “I love him too,” the young angel confessed defiantly, head held high as he came to stand beside the former guard.

                It wasn’t like she hadn’t expected it, but his response still made Victoria clap both hands over her face and groan.  “Highness,” she hissed, trying very hard to stay calm.  “Like I told you before, it doesn’t matter.  You’re only making it harder on yourself.”

                “I don’t care,” he retorted defiantly.

                “You should!” she snapped back, turning the full weight of her attention on him so that he stepped back.  “You are the Heir to the Angel Empire!  I am sorry you do not get to choose who you marry, and you are not the first Prince to sleep around before marriage, but you must know that you will never be together.”  She could see the words wearing away the happiness that had been just beneath the surface and it pained her to watch.

                  “He will still be my guard,” Gunwoo stated weakly, the words unsure to all of them.

                The Royal looked to Changmin, waiting for him to explain.  Gunwoo caught the look and glanced between them in uncertain fear.  “No, Woo,” Changmin sighed, shaking his head.  “I told you.  Your mother sent me for many reasons.  One of which was to take the blame for giving you wings back.”

                Victoria winced at the confirmation of what she’d feared.  “Unicorn’s blood.”

                “Then I will tell them the truth and command them to let you stay,” Gunwoo clenched his fists and stared at Changmin intently.

                “My Prince,” Victoria laughed sadly, shaking her head.  Her wings drooped and she suddenly felt so very old.  “You are still very much a child,” she sighed with pity.

                “I am not a child anymore!” Gunwoo growled in frustration.

                “Changmin,” Victoria called, easily ignoring the Heir’s outburst as she gestured for the former guard to accompany her towards the mouth of the cave.

                Changmin looked at Gunwoo with a torn expression on his face, but he didn’t argue.  “Yes ma’am,” he stated softly, one hand lifting like he wanted to touch Gunwoo as he walked by before he dropped it to his side and continued on.

                The silence was painful and Gunwoo trembled with his emotions as he watched the pair leave him behind in the company of the other angel and demon.  Angry and a little embarrassed and oh so uncertain, he crossed his arms hard over his chest and turned to walk deeper into the cave, his steps stiff and loud.  He didn’t go very far – he couldn’t see in total darkness after all – and he could feel Taekwoon and Wonshik watching him curiously, but he didn’t care.  “I’m not a child,” he stated again, finally just sitting down and wincing when his wings pinched under him because he wasn’t taking care with them.

                It was enough to make him sigh as some of his personal anger fled, leaving room for uncertainty and despair to creep in.  At eighty nine years of age, he wasn’t a child, and he’d been educated for being the Heir for as long as he could practically remember, but even he could admit that he was not acting like a Prince.  And part of him didn’t care.  He’d never wanted it in the first place and after finally experiencing true freedom, even at the cost of his wings, it had been worth it.  At least a little bit.

                It meant he got to be himself for a short time.

                It meant he made a friend in Kim Kibum.

                It meant Changmin had come to find him, rescue him, and… love him.

                “It’s so not fair,” he sniffed with stinging eyes as he pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.  For a moment, he stared into the darkness, trying to see anything in the depths.  But then he started to imagine shadows moving and it made him nervous so he shifted to look back and stare at Changmin’s silhouette.  Undoubtedly, he was enduring some sort of lecture or scolding or both from Victoria.  His head nodded in short dips as he listened along, accepting everything without complaint.

                Forsaken because of Gunwoo.

                Made an intergalactic criminal because of Gunwoo.

                Disgraced as his personal guard because of his love for Gunwoo.

                No.  It wasn’t fair at all.