People often came into Paradise for the trinkets and harmless occult themed books for show more than anything. Most people never intended to practice so they would never see the hardcore stuff stashed away in Paradise. Sometimes though Sungyeol would get a customer who knew exactly what they needed and he was always excited to show them the way but many times these customers looking for real magic were also the ones who thought Sungyeol could fix all their problems with a spell. Sometimes he could and sometimes he couldn't but for god's sake he did not do love potions. After all, his grandmother had always said "Will can be a strong thing." and what she meant was that it was the only thing. Whether a potion, spell, or hex would work all depended on a person’s power of will. Convincing middle school kids and paranoid spouses of that was another matter entirely. Eventually he just put up a sign so no one would ask.

When Nam Woohyun walked into Paradise all Sungyeol saw was a pale worried face that he was going to have to break the news to. No love potions or alternatives. He had other things to worry about: Hoya had been missing for about three days and Dongwoo hadn't said a word since he'd returned. His body was still and his mouth clenched and they couldn't even be sure he heard them at all.

"Um. I know this going to be a stupid question," he started haltingly, "but do you--" he sighed, running a hand through his hair and Sungyeol took a moment to notice that it was a mess. He looked frustrated. He looked desperate. Maybe Sungyeol would help him out. A truth serum usually worked as an alternative for love potions, though if a secret wanted to be kept badly enough then it would be. This man seemed determined enough to win out.

"It won't be stupid, I promise. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can help." Sungyeol tried to make his smile look promising.

The man still looked a bit unsure but he sighed again with finality. "Can you tell me how to see angels? I- do you have anything that can help me see them?"

Sungyeol's mouth opened in surprise, only closing when the man groaned in frustration.

"God, I knew it was stupid. ."

"What makes you think there's anything that can give you that ability?" Sungyeol tried to recover, moved by this man's desperation.

The man looked at the ground for a long moment and Sungyeol could tell he was debating whether or not he should continue and make himself seem even crazier. Of course, he didn't sound all that crazy to Sungyeol, not after everything he'd heard and seen from his grandmother, not to mention being in the shop all his life and growing up with a bunch of stray reapers.

"You can tell me," he said honestly.

Again the man looked up decisively and nodded, "Okay," he said softly and took a breath. "I've been seeing an angel for a whole now and he just... disappeared. I didn't see it coming and I-- I know that sometimes he can look different to other people and I don't want to-- I don't want to lose my ability to see him. I don't want to lose him." He swallowed hard when he finished.

Sungyeol nodded like he heard this every day, and he did for the most part. Angels and demons came up pretty often in the shop; there was no way around it. They appeared more often in books than in regular conversation since the shop rarely got anyone looking to stir up bad magic. As for as he knew it was all up to interpretation. So far no one had gotten it exactly right but there were similarities across the board that couldn't be ignored. He could be sure of a few things though: there was a paradise at the end of life for good souls and a harsh final ending for the souls too genuinely evil to be allowed continued existence. These souls sometimes wouldn't be reaped and learned to evade the hellhounds. Souls with this kind of power had power to affect the living and Sungyeol could see why they were called demons. Most unreaped souls took their heaven after confronting the hellhounds. So Sungyeol supposed the closest he'd ever gotten to angels were the reapers.

"How do you know it was an angel?" Sungyeol asked, leaning forward, chin in his hands, completely interested.

"He came to me after my brother's death and then he just kept coming. He was always around and surprised that I could recognize him." So far there was nothing to prove this 'angel' wasn't just an ordinary man. A really weird ordinary man. "Then he told me that my brother was safe and happy and that he'd watched over the transaction of my brother's soul himself."

Sungyeol furrowed his brow wondering if maybe this man was just gullible or if maybe there was truth in what he was saying.

"I know how it sounds, but-- I did try to test it. He looks like a different person to everyone he meets, and people don't remember him after meeting him. He knew everything about me and my brother too. I would have been worried but... he knew things that only my brother and I knew. Like he'd spoken to my brother."

"Okay, I believe you." Sungyeol said encouragingly though he felt unsure and not just a little sad for him. Sungyeol wasn't sure what he could do here. "Do you know the angels name?" He asked for the man's sake.

"Yes. His name is Kim Sunggyu."

Sungyeol stopped again, back straightening and the breath in his chest seizing. It took a moment for the man to realize Sungyeol was frozen.

"Are you okay?"

"You're Nam Woohyun?" He asked. He already knew. He knew with certainty that this was the man Sunggyu was risking his for-- the man Sunggyu couldn’t stay away from.

Woohyun blinked, "I am... but--" he cut himself off, "you know Sunggyu, don't you?"

"All my life." Sungyeol's mouth felt dry.

"Do you know where he is?" Woohyun sounded hopeful as he leaned into the counter. Sungyeol's stomach sunk.

"We thought he was with you. He always is nowadays."

"He disappeared the day before yesterday but he didn't tell me. He tells me when he's going to go do... whatever he does. He always tells me."

"Yeah, he's pretty good about that." Sungyeol still wanted to easy Woohyun's worry but he wasn't sure if he could-- not if Sunggyu had also been taken. "He was in the imperial army when he was alive, y'know" He tried to smile for Woohyun.

Woohyun smiled shakily back, "Yeah, he said that."

"Okay." Sungyeol reached under the counter for the store keys and began locking everything up. "Woohyun, I can help you but I need you to come to the backroom with me." He realized how creepy that sounded only after it was out of his mouth. "Uh."

"You know Sunggyu. I'm gonna have to trust you." Woohyun laughed and Sungyeol sighed in relief. It was short-lived, though, because he remembered that Myungsoo was in the backroom.

"." He cracked the door open and peeking his head in to where Myungsoo and Sungjong had been all morning, still trying to get something out of Dongwoo. "." He repeated and murmured, "Hold on." to Woohyun apologetically before slipping through the door and closing it in Woohyun's face.

Sungjong looked up from his conversation with Myungsoo, "What's up with the look on your face? Did you accidentally curse someone again?"

"What? you, okay," Sungyeol griped, "if you can cancel it out by burning rosemary then it's not a curse. That's not the problem." He glanced back at the door. "I've got someone I'm about to bring in. He's got something important to tell us. It could help with Dongwoo and Hoya." He took a breath, "I think Sunggyu is missing."

"What?" Sungjong stood up. Myungsoo's hand unconsciously reached for his hand and Sungjong let him lace their fingers together. "How do you know?"

Behind the door Woohyun started knocking and calling out for Sungyeol. When Myungsoo's eyebrows furrowed Sungyeol grimaced, "I have someone out here who can tell us, but you've gotta be ready Myungsoo. I'm sorry, don't freak out."

He apologized in his head again as he turned to open the door and a flustered Woohyun poured in. He knew how frustrated Myungsoo had been since he'd died: able to see his brother almost every day but unable to communicate with him properly. And Sungyeol knew how jealous he'd been when it turned out Woohyun could only remember Sunggyu's face. It was a comfort and a torture to him.

He just stared at Woohyun and Sungyeol couldn't make himself speak, waiting for someone to relieve him of the responsibility. Of course Woohyun didn't recognize his brother but he held Myungsoo's gaze for so long that Sungyeol's breath caught in his chest before Woohyun finally looked away, seeming confused.

goddamn i'm so sorry about the long hiatus. but i promise i'll never abandon. i hate lot waits for wips too, to i'm really sorry and i hope you'll still stick around. ♥