“Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul…” – excerpt from Hope by Emily Dickinson

Sehun had the urge to yank away from Kyungsoo, to just fly away and hope he would never see him again. Another part of him, albeit a tiny part, wanted to see what Kyungsoo was going to show him that could “open his mind” as Kyungsoo put it. It was intriguing to Sehun how Kyungsoo could put so much faith in everyone and everything.

The temperature was dropping quickly as the sun sunk behind the horizon. Kyungsoo’s lips formed a tiny frown and he knew they wouldn’t be able to see as much once it fully became nighttime. Not to mention the fact that Sehun was merely wearing a light sweater and he was surely freezing though he did not show it. Kyungsoo could tell from the way the hairs on Sehun’s arms stood on end. To save the boy from becoming an icicle on his first night in the human world, Kyungsoo thought it best to return to his apartment.

He led the angel who kept a cool composure, not giving away his thoughts and masking his heart with those empty eyes, back home. Their wings flapped in unison and the movement of their feathers bristling in the wind resembled the sound of leaves rustling. It was a soft shh, shh, that could have been mistaken as someone shushing another person. On the other hand, it might have deceived someone into thinking that waves were lapping on the shore. Kyungsoo always found the sound of an angel’s wings flapping to be magical. Depending on what kind of person you were, you could hear it differently.

To Kyungsoo, his wings sounded like a mother who was comforting her crying child, murmuring quiet shh’s in order to soothe the child. He only heard it in that way because of his own desire for a mother. Angel’s are created, they are not born. They have no mother or father in the sense that humans do. In a loose sense, their “father” would be their creator but humans know him by the name God.

Kyungsoo cast a glance at Sehun and wondered how the young angel would have turned out if he had known what a mother was. If he had the luxury of being born human and had a family, Kyungsoo was certain that Sehun would have been a delightful kid. Not that he couldn’t be one now. It’s just that Sehun had no one to teach him what is right and wrong and no one to point him in the right direction. Kyungsoo decided he would be that person.

He would teach Sehun what family was.

Kyungsoo could have turned out like Sehun if not for the fact that he had been like his dear friend Suho. The two of them had taken a liking to the world of humans and their lives. Kyungsoo never had the chance to observe the human world like Suho did, however his friend loved to recount what he saw to the wide-eyed angel.

 While thinking of human families, Kyungsoo’s mind wandered to other thoughts. What if all angels did have mothers and fathers? How would Heaven look like then? Would there be such a thing as “rogue” angels similar to Sehun? Kyungsoo could only make wild guesses as to what would happen.

Caught up in these thoughts, Kyungsoo nearly passed the apartment building. He swerved sharply and took Sehun by surprise, who had also drifted off into his own world. A grunt of annoyance escaped the angel’s lips and his empty eyes glared at the back of Kyungsoo’s head.

“Sorry about that. I got lost in my thoughts,” Kyungsoo said. The small, apologetic smile on his face went unnoticed by Sehun. He had turned away with a sour look on his face choosing to ignore the other angel.

Instead, he demanded, “What are we doing?”

“Well, it’s getting late out so I thought we could just go back to my place tonight. I’ll definitely take you out tomorrow and I’ll show you that humans aren’t to blame for everything,” replied Kyungsoo. Eyes shining, smiling widening, Kyungsoo landed on the roof of the apartment and turned to Sehun.

“Tomorrow’s Christmas Eve too! We have to start preparations tomorrow,” Kyungsoo stated. Sehun raised an eyebrow, completely confused as to what Kyungsoo was referring to. Preparations for what, Sehun did not know.

“What are you talking about?” he said, his tone flat and depreciating. Sehun watched as Kyungsoo lifted a finger to his lips, grinning all the while.

“It’s a secret, okay?”

It was a response that Sehun was not satisfied with. What was the point of a secret? People would find out a secret in the end anyways. Secrets were irritating ways of prolonging the truth, Sehun thought. However, he didn’t feel like getting into some quarrel with Kyungsoo about that so he let it go. Sehun was starting to realize how exhausted he was. The human world was draining him and he regretted ever coming down here.

There was a moment where neither of them moved and it seemed like they both ceased to breathe. Kyungsoo’s eyes scanned Sehun’s face and took in what little details he could see, extracting the emotions that Sehun tried to keep hidden. Sehun spun around, looking towards the rooftop door. He could feel Kyungsoo staring at him and he squirmed under the angel’s gaze. Sehun disliked the way Kyungsoo seemed to read him like a book. The angel looked naïve, innocent, harmless, but in reality he was much more than that.

“L-let’s just go inside. The air here is suffocating me,” Sehun mumbled. A tiny pat on his shoulder made him look up, meeting Kyungsoo’s gaze. Kyungsoo smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and he hooked his arm through Sehun’s. Even when Sehun attempted to pull away, Kyungsoo held tight.

“You’re going to be my brother from now on, okay?” said Kyungsoo as he led the way inside. The words would have been lost to Sehun, who had been grumbling in discomfort if not for the word “brother”. It stopped Sehun, emptying his mind of everything else.

“Brother?” he whispered under his breath.

“Yeah, siblings. Family,” Kyungsoo replied. “It’s hard to explain but tomorrow, you’ll see what family is.”

Family. What is family? The word flew right over Sehun’s mind and he couldn’t come up with a definition. He had actually never heard the word before. No one uttered words such as “brother” or “family” in Heaven. Those did not exist. There was only “creator” and “duty”.

So, as Sehun was ushered into Kyungsoo’s apartment the word “family” continued to echo in his mind.

---

A strange smell drifted through the air and tickled Sehun’s nose. His eyes fluttered open and he nearly forgot where he was at the moment. His first reaction was to escape but the view of Kyungsoo’s wall stopped him. Those pictures that covered the wall had been staring back at him all night while he lay on the couch. Sehun didn’t know when, but he had closed his eyes at one point and he had been stuck in between consciousness and unconsciousness. It wasn’t sleep because Sehun had still been aware of his surroundings.

Although, Sehun wondered what Kyungsoo had done all night. He had remained in his bedroom after getting into an argument with Sehun. Apparently, Kyungsoo was the “host” so he had wanted Sehun to use the bedroom while Kyungsoo would have taken the couch. For what reason Sehun needed to use the bedroom, he did not know. One thing was certain; he didn’t want to conform to human tendencies. Humans needed beds to sleep, angels did not.

Beds were merely a place where an angel could sit and meditate, entering into that state of half-consciousness that Sehun had just woken from. Completely aware of his surroundings yet utterly empty of all thought.

A soft clink of glass hitting glass alerted Sehun to the fact that Kyungsoo was standing a few inches away from him. He was shocked; no one was able to sneak up on Sehun like that. Kyungsoo didn’t notice Sehun’s bewildered expression. He merely smiled and gestured towards the plate on the coffee table.

“Here, eat some of this,” he said.

The food on the table was decorated in such a way that Sehun thought it wasn’t meant to be eaten. There were three circular, golden brown, pieces of food that were placed to look like a mouse with its two ears. Drawn in with some cocoa colored liquid were the mouse’s eyes, nose, mouth, and whiskers. Around the mouse were berries, both red and blue colored, scattered. It looked like a meal for a child and Sehun frowned at it.

Moments later, Kyungsoo placed a card in front of the plate. Sehun looked at it and read it. He scoffed and attempted to get up but Kyungsoo stopped him in his tracks.

“Come on, you read the card, right? ‘Breakfast for my little brother!’” Kyungsoo exclaimed. The grin on his face didn’t affect Sehun. Well, not totally. The extremely positive aura that Kyungsoo was exuding at the moment made Sehun’s lips curl up at the corners, but only slightly.

“Eat! It’s really yummy and I worked hard to make it for you,” Kyungsoo stated as he placed his hands on his hips, looking more feminine. “Pancakes for breakfast is a treat and I’m not gonna make them often but today is special.”

Sehun’s lips suddenly curved downwards and he puffed out his cheeks, turning the other way. He had no idea what to say to Kyungsoo. He refused to eat the human food that Kyungsoo somehow knew how to make. How long has it been since Kyungsoo was in the human world? It seemed as if he had been living there for years since he knew so much of human customs, food, and other things Sehun couldn’t care less about.

“Hey, Sehun. Are you listening to me?” Kyungsoo’s voice prodded at Sehun and the angel finally turned his dark eyes toward him. Kyungsoo, however, was unfazed by the glare the boy was sending at him. “Just try it please. For me?”

Sehun would certainly not do anything “for him”. But, Kyungsoo was getting on his nerves so Sehun gave in and picked up the fork on the table. A little cheer erupted from Kyungsoo whose innocence was starting to bother Sehun. He had decided before that the older angel was not innocent but now he was having second thoughts.

Tentatively, Sehun stabbed one of the pancakes and took a bite. What he tasted surprised him in the same way the hot chocolate had. It was sweet and the texture was soft and fluffy. But this time, he continued eating. The pancakes were a treat to him and he found himself truly enjoying the food despite it being a human confection. Part of him wondered whether Kyungsoo had drugged the pancakes in order to make Sehun like them but from the wide smile on Kyungsoo’s face and the way his eyes sparkled, it didn’t seem likely.

“How are they? Do they taste good?” Kyungsoo chirped.

Sehun felt his cheeks grow warm and he was certain Kyungsoo could see the pink tinge to them as he nodded. He heard Kyungsoo gasp and was unprepared for the sudden bear hug that Kyungsoo trapped him in. He struggled against him for a moment but gave in, realizing it was no use.

“Yay! I’m so happy you like them!” exclaimed Kyungsoo who was absolutely elated.  His arms were wrapped tightly around Sehun, practically crushing the boy. “Okay, finish eating and getting ready. Then we can go out!”

With that said Kyungsoo released Sehun and skipped into the kitchen while humming a Christmas tune. A sigh of relief escaped Sehun’s lips and he couldn’t help chuckling under his breath. He had to admit that Kyungsoo was very determined. Whether or not his perseverance and optimism would make a change in the end, Sehun himself wasn’t sure.

It took about ten minutes for Sehun to finish eating since he wasn’t used to eating in the first place. The chewing made his jaw ache a bit but he ignored it. Once he was finished, Kyungsoo immediately grabbed his dishes and brought them to the sink, proceeding to wash them. Curiosity nibbled at Sehun and he silently trudged towards Kyungsoo. Peering over the angel’s shoulder, he watched Kyungsoo rinsing off the bubbles and suds on the dishes.

“What are you doing?” The question left Sehun’s lips before he realized it. Mentally, he slapped himself for letting his guard down and giving in to his curiosity. Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun and he beamed at him.

“I’m just washing the dishes. It’s to get rid of germs and stuff so you don’t get sick the next time you use them,” he replied.

“Oh, I see,” responded Sehun curtly.

“The next time we eat, I’m making you do the dishes so you better pay attention to what I’m doing. Okay?”

“What makes you think I’m going to stick around?” Sehun retorted. Lips tugging down into a frown, he scoffed and walked out of the apartment.

“Tch, look at him. Already making plans for the future like he knows I’m somehow gonna change my mind. I won’t. I could never like humans,” Sehun muttered under his breath.

“You can’t say that yet. If you still haven’t changed your mind after Christmas is over, then I’ll let you go off on your own.” Sehun was startled when Kyungsoo appeared next to him. His eyes were fixated on Sehun, trapping him in those large eyes. Sehun found himself nodding, like he was entranced by Kyungsoo.

“Alright. Until Christmas is over,” he said.

“It’s a promise then,” said Kyungsoo. I’m going to give him hope. That’s my Christmas present to Sehun. Hope in humans, in changing his destiny, in family.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Lead the way,” Sehun huffed and glanced away from Kyungsoo. Chuckling, Kyungsoo started heading down the stairs. His eyes flickered towards his the door to his left, Tao’s. Eunra’s boyfriend. The girl Kris was in love with.  Then, he looked to the sky and wondered if his prayers had been answered and Kris was happier. Finally, Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun again and hoped he could help Sehun too.

Walking at an easy pace, Kyungsoo headed down the street with Sehun trailing behind. They didn’t say much. All they did was walk and walk until Sehun began to feel like they were going nowhere. Just as he was lifting his head and opening his mouth to say something, Kyungsoo stopped in his tracks and Sehun bumped into him.

“We’re here.”

“Where?” Sehun asked in an irritated tone. Suddenly, he heard the thundering of feet clapping on the ground. It was like millions of little feet were stampeding towards them. His eyes grew wide and he peeked out around Kyungsoo and saw what was coming. There were dozens of kids charging out of a building all bundled up in old, worn, snowsuits.

“Kyungsoo hyung!”

“Kyungsoo oppa!”

The girls and boys called out Kyungsoo’s name and ran to him, surrounding him till Sehun thought he had disappeared underneath the swarm of children. Grimacing, Sehun backed away from the chattering children. He didn’t want anything to do with them; they were loud, annoying, and whiny.

On the other hand, Kyungsoo was laughing and talking to the kids easily. He patted them on the head or ruffled their hair, his kind eyes shone brightly. Sehun could see that the kids adored him. They wouldn’t leave him alone for a second even when two female adults strolled out and scolded them for barreling down Kyungsoo.

After a couple more moments of chaos, Kyungsoo was finally able to stand up. The kids had been reined in by the two women. With that same, delightful smile that Kyungsoo usually had on, he introduced Sehun.

“Kids, this is my little brother. His name is Sehun. Say hi!” he said.

“Hi Sehun hyung!”

“Hi Sehun oppa!”

Sehun felt his cheeks grow hotter again as he kids chorused their greetings. He was at a loss for words. What was he supposed to say to these children? He knew that saying something offensive wouldn’t go down right. Especially since Kyungsoo was there and he would surely reprimand Sehun for it.

“H-hi,” Sehun stammered.

“Sehun hyung, do you like playing video games?” a boy asked. The size of his eyes seemed to parallel that of Kyungsoo’s and Sehun found it hard to hate the child for being human. He had almost forgotten that these children were human or that he was an angel. The thought frightened him.

“Sehun hyung doesn’t like playing video games. He thinks it’s better to play outside in the snow, right?” Kyungsoo said, glancing at Sehun and urging him to go along.

“U-uh. Yeah,” he said meekly.

“Oh okay. Then do you wanna have a snowball fight? Kids versus grown-ups!” the boy shouted and a wild throng of agreement erupted from the children.

Before he knew it, Sehun was dragged into a war. Kids surrounded him, pelting him with snowball after snowball. He gasped as snow soaked his clothes through and he looked to Kyungsoo for help. He saw him hiding behind a quickly made fort and he waved Sehun over. Running, Sehun used his arms to cover himself from the never ending assault of snow.

He was panting by the time he dived behind the fort. He hugged his knees as he sat beside a laughing Kyungsoo. His eyes widened in disbelief. How could Kyungsoo just laugh at him like that?

“Isn’t it fun?” Kyungsoo asked. The sound of snowballs whizzing through the air as the children moved on from their previous target, Sehun, and started attacking one another. There were shrieks of delight as a snowball hit the intended person or yelps as snow ran down their backs. Sehun peered over the fort and watched the kids. They laughed, giggled, smiled, beamed, and played in the snow. An odd, fuzzy feeling tickled Sehun’s chest. It was slightly painful yet mostly warm.

“Those kids are kinda like us. They have no mom or dad. No family. Just like us,” Kyungsoo whispered. “But, they are still happy.”

“Where are their parents then?” Sehun dared to ask.

“Some of them are dead. Others abandoned their kids or lost them,” Kyungsoo replied. His eyes were lowered, staring at the ground. Sehun felt a hole in his chest at the way Kyungsoo sounded so…sad. He could see that Kyungsoo felt sadder than the children did about their lives.

“They haven’t given up hope though. It’s Christmas for them Sehun. A time when everybody has hope and love around them. Where everyone is part of a large family. It’s when giving becomes the most important thing.

“Hope is a gift too Sehun. By being here and playing with them, you’re giving them a gift. They can keep going and believe that someday, someone will take them into their family. Or that their parents will find them and welcome them back into open arms. They’ll have hopes of growing up and becoming like you. Strong and brave.”

Sehun was rendered speechless by the raw emotions coating Kyungsoo’s voice. It was like every fiber of his being yearned to make those kids happy, like every part of him wished for them to live better lives. Sehun wondered how he could care so much for them or how he cared so much for Sehun as well. They were practically strangers. The only thing tying them together was the fact that they were both angels.

Strong and brave? Is that how he sees me? How can he even tell when he’s only known me for less than a day? Sehun shook his head at Kyungsoo’s naivety.

“You think I’m strong and brave?” Sehun asked.

“I think you are strong for living on your own for so long. And I think you are brave for voicing your opinions no matter what anyone else says,” replied Kyungsoo. His voice was tender and Sehun imagined that if his voice was tangible, it would feel like a soft breeze caressing his skin or one of his feathers tickling his cheek.

“And how can you get that from the little time we’ve spent together?”

“Your eyes tell your story.”

“My eyes?”

“Some people believe that the eyes are the gate to a person’s soul. I think that’s true too.”

Sehun never heard Kyungsoo sound so serious before. He shivered and averted his gaze from those two large, crystalline eyes staring back at him. He didn’t want Kyungsoo reading into him any more than he already had.

“I-I wonder what the kids are doing. We haven’t gotten hit by any snowballs in a while,” stammered Sehun. He carefully hoisted himself up a bit to peer over the top of the snow fort. That’s when he was hit smack dab in the face with a snowball.

Spluttering, Sehun wiped the snow off and stared in disbelief at the little boy who had thrown the snowball. He smirked and stuck his tongue out.

“Take that Sehun hyung! Try and get me back!” he taunted as he ran off. Sehun turned to Kyungsoo for help but he was already distracted with his own battle, laughing as he threw snow at a little girl who squealed and ran away. Left alone, Sehun realized he had to join in. Gathering snow into his hands, he scanned the area for the boy and found him a couple feet away. With a smirk, Sehun chucked the snow and missed the boy by an inch.

“Haha, you can’t get me!”

Sehun felt a blow to his pride as a child who was half his height taunted and . He had to get him back, so he did. And soon, other children joined in and it truly became a snowball war.

Unknowingly, Sehun felt like a child himself as he ran in the snow. The fact that he was in the human world playing with human children no longer mattered at that moment. He had become one of them, innocent and filled with hope. And he was having fun, though he would never have admitted out loud.

---

After an hour of playing outside and then two more spent inside the orphanage warming up and drinking hot cocoa, Kyungsoo and Sehun finally bid goodbye to the children. It came as a surprise to Sehun when, after the children swarmed Kyungsoo with hugs and kisses, they moved to Sehun.

“Goodbye Sehun hyung, we had a lot of fun today!”

“Yeah, we hope you come back again Sehun oppa. Merry Christmas!”

The girls and boys all surrounded Sehun in their embrace and his heart seemed to swell with some odd feeling he hadn’t experienced before. His lips curled up on their own and his eyes glowed warmly.

“Merry Christmas,” he said softly.

Kyungsoo was watching from afar. A soft smile was stuck on his face. The sight of Sehun smiling like that was the first step to Kyungsoo’s plan. He could see the boy’s heart opening up already.

“Goodbye kids. Have a wonderful Christmas,” Kyungsoo exclaimed as he waved goodbye to them. Sehun waved as well, following Kyungsoo who was walking away.

Once the orphanage was out of sight, Kyungsoo cast a glance toward Sehun. “So, did you have fun?”

“…Yeah. I did.”

“I’m glad you did. Now, we’ve got even more to do so be prepared!” Kyungsoo said. A tiny chuckle was Sehun’s response.

The pair continued in a comfortable silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Kyungsoo weaved his way through the crowd of people out in the streets on Christmas Eve dates. He turned down an alley and then smiled, looking up at the stairs of the fire escape. Putting a finger to his lips, he pointed up with his free hand.

“Follow me,” he whispered. With a light jump, his wings snapped open and he propelled himself up onto the fire escape. Plucking a feather off his wings, they disappeared in a puff of flames and he walked through the window. Sehun watched this happen with his jaw hanging open. Had the innocent angel Kyungsoo just broken into someone’s apartment?

The window opened and Kyungsoo called out to Sehun. “Hey, hurry up!”

Questioning the angel’s motives seemed like it would be too bothersome so Sehun merely spread his wings and flew up to Kyungsoo. He slipped inside and stood in what looked to be the kitchen of the apartment. He was shocked to find Kyungsoo carrying a bag he did not have before in his hands.

“What’s that?”

“Decorations. Now come on. We don’t have much time till they come back,” Kyungsoo whispered. They walked out of the kitchen and into the living room where a barren pine tree was sitting in the center. “Okay, time to get started!”

Placing the bag on the ground, Kyungsoo opened it and revealed a variety of Christmas decorations. There were ornaments of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Pine forest greens, ruby reds, and cerulean blues sparkled under the dim light. Silver tinsel shimmered brightly. There was a golden star that awed Sehun with its beauty. Its five points were intricately designed with little pictures of animals. In the center of the star was a complex design but Sehun soon realized that it was actually just several wings that seemed to overlap and intertwine with one another.

The smell of pine tree tickled Sehun’s nose and he actually found it pleasant. There were five stockings inside the bag that he pulled out. He saw his name embroidered in gold on one of them and read the other four. Kyungsoo, Jimin, Hyunwoo, and Hyunjae.

“H-how did you do this?” Sehun asked. “Why?”

Kyungsoo smiled and shook his head. “That’s a secret.”

“Now hurry and help me decorate! Everything has to be perfect for when Jimin and her brothers come back home,” Kyungsoo ordered.

Sehun shrugged and began to decorate, knowing that he couldn’t argue with Kyungsoo. Besides, he had promised the angel he would comply with his wishes until Christmas so he couldn’t go back on his word.

“Who is Jimin? And why are the three of them so special?” Sehun asked after fifteen minutes of silent decorating.

“Jimin is a girl. But she’s not just any girl. She’s strong-willed and confident yet she is also gentle and kind. She is brave even against all odds. She has two younger brothers and her parents passed away about two years ago. She’s been taking care of them since then, working several part time jobs and leaving them at a daycare or school until work is over. Then she picks them up and takes them home, cooking dinner for them and caring for them. She’s an amazing girl,” Kyungsoo rambled on and Sehun’s eyebrows rose. He knew who Kyungsoo was talking about now.

The girl in the picture on his wall with the two boys. The girl that the angel was falling in love with. It also wasn’t hard to figure out that Kyungsoo had feelings for her. From the way he spoke of her, it was clear to Sehun that the angel was falling deeply. But how was that possible, Kyungsoo had only met her two days ago. Just how special was this girl that she could capture Kyungsoo’s heart in two days?

“She’s been through a lot and I can tell that she struggles around Christmastime because she wants it to be fun for her brothers. So, we’re here to help her,” Kyungsoo finished his little monologue and Sehun remained silent. He gave him a short nod and kept his eyes fixated on the ornament he was hanging on the tree.

“It’s going to be the best Christmas for them this year. I can just feel it. Especially because you’re here too, Sehun. They’ll be happy that you’re here.”

Sehun wasn’t too sure about that. The first time he had met Jimin, he had aggravated her and angered her, insulted her brothers, and walked off like he didn’t have a care in the world. That was only yesterday but it felt like so many things had happened in between.

The sound of the lock clicking and the doorknob turning alerted the two angels to the new presence. “Uh-oh. Jimin’s home early,” Kyungsoo whispered. He dived to shut off the lights just as the door was pushed open. Sehun crawled to him and they hid behind the only couch in the room. Noticing the plug Kyungsoo held in his hand was connected to the lights that were wrapped around the tree, Sehun could tell what was going to happen next.

“Noona, since it’s Christmas Eve can we stay up late and wait for Santa to bring us presents?” a boy’s voice said.

“Hyunwoo-ah, you know that Santa won’t come if you’re not asleep,” Jimin replied. Just as she was about to flick on the lights, Kyungsoo plugged the lights into the outlet and the Christmas tree lit up. It glowed brilliantly and the two boys gasped in awe. They smiled widely and clapped their hands.

“Look noona! It’s a Christmas miracle,” the other boy, who Sehun presumed was Hyunjae, exclaimed. Jimin was tense however; she searched the room for the culprit and quickly the lights.

“Who’s there?” she called out. Seconds later, she got her answer.

“Surprise!” Kyungsoo cheered as he popped up from behind the couch. Jimin’s jaw dropped and she stared at Kyungsoo with wide eyes.

“H-how did you get into our apartment?” she stuttered helplessly.

“Your fire escape,” he replied. Before Jimin could ask any other questions, Sehun cautiously revealed himself.

“W-what is he doing here? Is he with you?” she shouted. “Why are you in my apartment?” Her voice cracked as she shrieked at Sehun who had no words to reply with. Jimin was so overcome with rage that even Kyungsoo was slightly taken aback.

“It’s okay, Jimin-ssi. He’s a friend of mine,” Kyungsoo said in a way he hoped was soothing.

“A friend? Do you even know what kind of person he is Kyungsoo-ssi?” Jimin asked incredulously. She stared at Kyungsoo as if he had just grown a second head. “He insulted my brothers and was rude to me when we first met.”

Kyungsoo glanced at Sehun. He bit his bottom lip and shrugged, looking anywhere but into Kyungsoo’s disappointed eyes. That disappointment flickered away in an instant and Kyungsoo frowned. “I’m sorry, Jimin-ssi. Let me apologize on my friend’s behalf.”

The older angel stood to his full height, which wasn’t very tall, but he was still taller than Jimin. His eyes softened as he stepped towards her. She took a small step back unconsciously. “He was just having a bad day yesterday and he didn’t mean whatever he said. He felt so bad about it that he volunteered to help me decorate your Christmas tree.”

“That’s the other thing. Why did you decorate our tree? I didn’t ask you to,” said Jimin.

“We wanted to help make this year a beautiful Christmas for you guys. You deserve it, Jimin-ssi.” The way Kyungsoo spoke was so sweet and tender that even Sehun found himself falling into his purity.

Jimin couldn’t form a sentence for a moment. She opened then closed it. This repeated several times before she finally just smiled widely. “Thank you Kyungsoo-ssi.”

Her eyes darted toward Sehun and their gazes met. She gave him a curt nod. “Thank you.”

Sehun didn’t know why those words made his heart clench and grow warm. He didn’t know why he smiled when Hyunwoo and Hyunjae, who seemed to have gotten over their trauma from yesterday, ran over to him and tugged his sleeves chattering excitedly. He didn’t know why he enjoyed the way the two boys rambled on about the colorfully decorated Christmas tree, thanking both him and Kyungsoo for their decorating job.

He didn’t know why he suddenly forgot that the girl who was standing next to Kyungsoo and giggling happily was a human.

No. He didn’t even think about the difference between humans and angels. All he could think of was the words Kyungsoo had said before. Family and hope. These people around here were his family for the moment. He had the hope that maybe they could truly become his family for the rest of his life.

“Since it is Christmas Eve, everyone gets to open one present. Tomorrow, we can open the rest, okay?” Kyungsoo said. Sehun blinked and watched as Hyunwoo and Hyunjae both grabbed one of the neatly wrapped boxes under the tree, finding one with their name on it. The two boys counted to three and ripped them open at the same time. Their gasps of surprise and the delighted look on their faces as they examined their new Nerf guns Sehun in.

“Can you open this for me mister?” Hyunjae asked timidly. He held the packaged Nerf gun out to Sehun and blinked several times. His hands were shaking slightly as the memory of their last encounter was still fresh in mind. Sehun didn’t move and stared at the toy. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kyungsoo nodding and urging him to take the toy. The small smile on his face encouraging Sehun to reach out.

“Sure. By the way, you can call me Sehun,” he replied with a warm smile. Hyunjae relaxed when he saw Sehun’s lips curling up and he grinned back. Sehun ripped the cardboard and freed the Nerf gun from its packaging, handing it to Hyunjae when he was finished. The boy beamed and took it from him.

“Thanks Sehun hyung!” he exclaimed as he wrapped his tiny arms around Sehun. He let go a second later to run after Hyunwoo and play with their new toys. While he watched him run off, Sehun placed a hand on his chest. There was a slight pressure there but it wasn’t painful. It felt nice for some reason and it made him smile.

“Kids are amazing, aren’t they?” Kyungsoo said as he stood by Sehun. “They have such large hearts, being able to forgive you for hurting them. I think they’ve already accepted you into their family Sehun.”

“Really? That quickly?” Sehun whispered, afraid that he’d somehow break the invisible bonds that magically tied him to the people in the room.

“When it’s meant to be, it can happen that quickly.” Kyungsoo nodded and beamed at him.

“Here, this is for you.” Sehun and Kyungsoo looked up to find Jimin holding out a chocolate chip cookie in front of Sehun’s face. “I don’t have anything to give you so I hope you can eat this and enjoy it.” She was blushing slightly and avoiding looking at Sehun at all costs.

“T-thank you,” Sehun murmured as he cautiously took the treat from her. He paused before biting it, the warm chocolate melting in his mouth. “It’s tasty.”

Jimin nodded curtly and shuffled away, leaving Sehun to finish the treat. Kyungsoo nudged him and smirked. “See, Jimin forgives you too.”

“Christmas miracle,” Kyungsoo murmured as he got up and walked away. Sehun repeated his words in his mind and he believed them. Miracles could happen. There was hope in Sehun’s heart that there would be even more miracles to come for him.

Kyungsoo followed Jimin into the kitchen. She was grabbing a plate full of cookies and a glass of milk. When she turned around, she gasped in surprise and nearly dropped the cookies but Kyungsoo reacted in time and placed his hand under hers, steadying it. A warm blush crept onto her cheeks at the feeling of Kyungsoo’s hand on hers.

“Thank you,” she mumbled. She still could not get over the angel’s charming looks. His eyes that crinkled in the corners whenever he smiled. His soft lips that tugged up into that sweet smile of his. She found herself falling for everything. The way his hair always looked like he had just gotten out of bed, sticking up on one side. That gentle aura that radiated from him all the time. She loved it even though she had known him for two days.

“You should open a present too,” Kyungsoo suggested.

“What present?” Jimin asked as she carefully moved her hand away from his. Just as she was about to walk out of the kitchen, Kyungsoo stood in the way. He grabbed the plate and glass from her, placing them on the counter. Instead, he replaced them with a tiny box wrapped in silver wrapping paper with gold angel wings printed on it. There was a pure white bow that Kyungsoo had shaped to look like angel wings as well.

A tiny gasp escaped Jimin and she clutched the gift in her hands. “It’s beautiful. How did you do this?” she asked.

“Magic,” replied Kyungsoo. Jimin laughed and looked him in the eyes.

“Don’t try and mess with me,” she chuckled. “Anyways, I can open it now right?”

Kyungsoo nodded. “Of course.”

With the utmost caution and tenderness, Jimin slipped the bow off to preserve its beauty and then peeled off the wrapping paper. The actual gift box was pure white as well, matching the bow. Jimin was afraid she’d taint it if she touched it so she removed the lid carefully. She let out another tiny gasp when she saw the snowy white feather attached to a silver chain. She picked up the necklace and examined the feather more closely. It seemed to glow under the dim light in the kitchen, making the room look even brighter as if it emitted its own light.

“It’s…beautiful,” she murmured in awe. Without saying a word, Kyungsoo took the necklace from her and put it around her neck. He clasped it and then turned her to face him. The smile on his face was mirrored on her own. “Thank you Kyungsoo-ssi. I love it.”

“As long as I’m near you, this feather will never fall off this necklace. It’s held on there by magic so if you get too far from me, it’ll fall off. So always stay near me, okay?” Kyungsoo said. He felt his cheeks getting hot from his own cheesy words but he didn’t mind it. Jimin mirrored him once more, her own cheeks turning pink.

“There you go with that magic stuff again. You weirdo,” she mumbled sheepishly. Kyungsoo chuckled and Jimin’s heart fluttered at the way his eyes turned into little crescent moons like they always did.

“Noona, we want hot chocolate!” Hyunwoo hollered from the living room, breaking the moment between the two of them. Jimin bit her lip and stumbled back a little.

“Alright, just wait a bit!” she called back.

“I’ll help you,” Kyungsoo offered. With a tiny nod, Jimin began pulling mugs out of the cupboard and the pair worked together to make five hot cups of cocoa.

When they finished and walked out with the tray of drinks, Sehun and the two boys were sitting around the Christmas tree admiring the twinkling lights. Kyungsoo noticed how Sehun’s eyes no longer looked empty. They reflected the warm glow of the lights, or maybe they were causing their own warmth to radiate. Either way, it made Kyungsoo happy that he had succeeded in opening the young angel’s heart.

It was already getting late and since it was Christmas Eve, Jimin allowed both Kyungsoo and Sehun to stay the night. She got two blankets from the tiny closet and brought them into the living room however, her little brothers also wanted to spend the night in the room so they charged into their room and retrieved their blankets and pillows. Jimin tried to change their minds but they wouldn’t listen. She finally gave in and the boys cheered.

All five of them were wrapped up in the blankets, sipping their hot chocolate. Sehun enjoyed the taste much more than the first time, clutching the cup tightly in his hands to feel the heat seeping from it. He gazed at the four people in the room who were smiling and laughing on a snowy Christmas Eve. It was hard for him to believe that just yesterday, he would have rather jumped into a freezing river than be anywhere near humans like them. The word “humans” now seemed odd for Sehun to think of though. Humans weren’t that different from angels in the end, he realized.

Hope is the thing that tied them together. Angels and humans. They all had hope hidden deep in their heart somewhere. Sehun had just needed help digging deep enough to find it within him.

In the end, the innocent angel had helped the rogue angel find hope in a life that seemingly had none to begin with.

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And that is the end to this story. I really hope you all enjoyed it :) I'm sorry if this last chapter got a little long by the way. If you really like the angel series, then please stay subscribed to this installment because you never know when I might get hit with inspiration and add another installment to it. ;D

Thanks so much for reading everyone!