“EAT! I SAID, EAT! GODDAMN IT!”

“Argh. N-No– hmm! UWAHHHHHHH!”

A grown man tried to force the food down a teenager’s throat as the latter tried to resist with all his strength, but his fragile body could only resist so much against a strong, well-built man. In tears, he was forced to swallow the food. When the man finally let go of his jaw, the teenager fell on the floor coughing as he continued to wail even louder – like a child throwing a tantrum.

“WAAAAAHHH!”

“S-Sir… Should I take him away?”

“No, you’re dismissed. Leave us.”

“Y-Yes, sir.”

The lady looked at the teenager with worried eyes before leaving hesitantly. Seeing that she was leaving the room, the teenager’s cry became hysterical. The only sweet person to him in this house was gone and now he was left behind with the scary man. It reminded him of an old, dreadful memory, when his favourite person left him and never came back, leaving him all alone with the mean aunties. His body curled up as he covered his head with his thin arms – a reflex he has developed after a decade of abuse. His body trembled in fear as he anticipated a beating, but surprisingly… it never came.

After what seemed like hours of crying, exhausted and curious, the teenager slowly turned his head around, peaking at the scary man between his fingers. Amidst the darkness, the soft light shone through the cracks of his slender fingers and the first thing he saw was a pair of brown jewels shining behind a veil of smoke; a predator, his gaze was sharp and forceful. In a trance, the boy stared at the man’s features as the smoke from his cigarettes escaped his luscious lips. It was the very first time he ever initiated any eye contact with the scary man. He was still same frightening, evil man that was nothing like his favourite person and yet… somehow, his eyes felt calming.

Was it because they were so similar? No, at a glance, he couldn’t help but mistake him for his favourite person. They looked so similar that he had thought that person finally came back for him after 10 years. However, just one look in the eyes and he knew it wasn’t him.

He was scary and mean, but he was warm.

“Heh. After crying like a baby for hours, now you’re giving me a death stare?” The man spoke up in a milder tone, unlike his furious, loud yelling earlier.

He was tactless and unlikeable, but he was tender.

“Come here, let me wipe all that snot off your face.”

The teenager flinched at the man crouched in front of him, using his expensive handkerchief to wipe his face clean. The touch was so gentle, as if he was handling a national treasure.

“Don’t be scared. I don’t want to be like this as well, but I’m not patient. You have to eat. Your art isn't going to run away when you eat. But if you don't eat, you will die. If you’re dead, you can't draw. Simple, right? Now be good and eat.”

He wasn’t sure what the scary man was saying. He could only stare at him as he gently cleaned up the mess on his face and clothes. There was something about his voice that was so soothing and enchanting. Still… why was he not looking at him? The boy wanted the man to look at him. What was his name again?

“W-W–”

“Hmm?”

The man hummed as he continued to carefully clean up a spot on the pants that had been spoiled.

“W-Wo–”

“…”

The man’s hand immediately froze as he finally realized what the teenage boy was trying to say. Excitement filled up his body as he waited in anticipation.

“W-Woo.”

“…Yes?”

Ah, the man finally looked at him. Oh, and he smiled.

He was not him, but he was irresistible.

“Woo…!” Sunggyu woke up abruptly with his hand reaching out. It didn’t take him long to realize that he had been sleeping on top of the Banyan tree. Sighing out of frustration, Sunggyu proceeded to fix his bed hair only to discover that his cheeks were wet with hot tears.

Tears… Haha… I can’t believe I actually cried while dreaming. Sunggyu chuckled in disbelief as he slumped his back against the tree sluggishly.

Who were those two? Why do I feel like I know them? It’s similar to those random flashbacks I have with Woohyun, but this was less hazy. However, for some reason, even though I remembered every single word from their conversation, I cannot recall their faces. Why…?

Sunggyu frowned as he tried to connect the dots.

“Woo… Who is that?” Sunggyu mumbled.

“Urmm…”

Sunggyu was startled when he heard the voice. Casting his eyes towards his stomach, he finally noticed that there was a body sleeping on top of him. It was none other than the God of Light.

Huh…? Why is he– Oh no! I did it again. The God of Darkness was embarrassed at the thought of how he had probably violently forced his friend to stay close to him when he was sleeping. It was a bad habit of his. He hated being disturbed when he was sleeping so his resorted to violence if it means he could maintain his beauty sleep longer. It was the most effective method, especially against a certain trainer of his.

After retracting the black smoke that was tying Woohyun up, Sunggyu then carefully readjusted the God of Light so that he would be in a more comfortable position beside him. The trunks on this Bayan tree was humorous. There was enough space for two men, giving that they stayed close enough that their shoulders were touching. Sunggyu chuckled when he heard the other mumbled something about food in his sleep. The two gods had been inseparable as of lately. From the morning till nightfall, Woohyun was always by his side and he enjoyed his noisy company. This dork of a friend never failed to make him laugh. Sunggyu was staring at Woohyun amusingly when a sudden realization hit him hard.  

No way… ‘Woo’… Is that ‘Woo’ short for ‘Woohyun’? – Sunggyu’s eyes widened at the thought – No, that’s not possible, is it…? I mean, if that was truly Woohyun, and that was a memory of his past life, then why would I dream about it? Unless…

I was there.

This conclusion left Sunggyu bewildered. He couldn’t help but stare at Woohyun again and again, trying to find a resemblance between him and the mysterious people he saw in the dream. As hard as he tried, the God of Darkness simply couldn’t recall the faces in his dreams. Everyone was reduced to a mere silhouette.

It was then that his eyes landed on Woohyun’s lips. All of a sudden, Sunggyu could feel his heart beating loudly. He remembered one time when he had woken up with Woohyun by his side like this. He remembered tracing his luscious lips as the man mumbled incoherent words in his sleep. At that time, he had thought of nothing as he tried to touch Woohyun all over just to see if he could activate those flashbacks to learn more about them. Yet, at this very moment, just one look sent his heart flying. With trembling hands, Sunggyu anxiously traced his fingers along Woohyun lips once again. The God of Darkness was so nervous like he was committing a major crime as the tip of his finger moved from one end to the next. A sense of disappointment washed all over him when he reached the other corner of Woohyun’s lips.

Once more. Sunggyu thought as he traced it backward. Without realizing, he found himself scooting closer and closer until their nose were only millimeters apart.

You need to stop now! That’s enough. There is no flashback. No more excuses! Sunggyu reprimanded himself, repeating the words like a hopeless chant as his eyes were locked on the man’s lips. Hovering over the latter, his sense of reason vanished when he saw Woohyun’s lips had parted slightly. Hot air came rushing out with each breath Woohyun took, revealing just how moist the inside was. Blood was rushing to his head when Sunggyu decided to lean in and impulsively, he stole a kiss.

J-Just this once. He will never find out–  

As Sunggyu placed his lips on Woohyun’s, all he could think about was how soft they were. This rush of excitement… It was nothing like he had ever felt before, not even when Jiyeon was still alive. He was more nervous and shy back then. But this was not just about being nervous; there was a thrilling sensation with a weird adrenaline rush to the head. And so, one peck after another, with one hand against the trunk for support and his eyes closed, Sunggyu just couldn’t stop like he was a lustful teenager. When he finally opened his eyes, he was shocked to find Woohyun’s eyes opened just as wide.

Sunggyu immediately pushed himself away and struggled to find an explanation.

“I-I… erh... umh–!”

It wasn’t even a second later when Sunggyu felt a hand grab his head from the back and push him back down. His words were taken away when Woohyun began to kiss him passionately. It wasn’t just pecking like what he did; rather, it was aggressive and forceful like a starved man. Woohyun forced his way through his teeth and rambled all over the inside of his mouth. Sunggyu was bewildered at the sudden turn of event. His eyes opened wide, watching the other man’s eyelashes fluttering in the heated moment. As his body froze in place, a moan involuntarily escaped his lips when he felt a current running down his spine as Woohyun’s fingers slid down to the back of his slender neck. The God of Light caught on this reaction and chuckled.

So his neck is the erogenous zone huh?

Desperate to get more reaction from the other, Woohyun purposely teased the back of his sensitive neck as his kiss became softer and sweeter. Regaining his senses, Sunggyu tried to push back, but when he felt Woohyun locking his other hand together with his, he gradually lost all motivation to fight back. The God of Darkness, most powerful god in Paradise, could easily blast the other away with just one spell, but instead, he had chosen to indulge in this sinful act as his fingers slowly return the affection they had received.

Sunggyu eventually started to counterattack and began to take over the initiative. With one arm placing against the tree for support and the other locking with Woohyun’s hand, Sunggyu began to push the other beneath him up against the tree with his kisses. Unlike Woohyun’s kisses which were a little too assertive and bold, his were gentler and sentimental – albeit, a bit clumsy – yet addictive nonetheless. It didn’t take the God of Light long to give himself up to the other as he drowned himself in the tender touch, savoring the sweetness in the air. Funny enough, even after he had gained the upper hand and won the fight for domination, Sunggyu’s cheeks and ears were bright red as he listened to Woohyun’s moans and felt the saliva trickled down the corner of their lips. All goes to show just how naïve the God of Darkness can be in a certain field.

“Woohyun…” Sunggyu called out softly the moment they finally broke away from each other. He didn’t know what else to say. His mind was still muddled as the heat in the air remained. The God of Light was normally very chatty so seeing him staring at him in silence was stressing for the usually composed man.

“Hey, say something… wah–!”

Sunggyu was unprepared when the man beneath him decided to push him over so that he was now sitting on top of him. The God of Darkness gulped as he was left speechless seeing the provocative God of Light, his lips as he pushed his hair back. He didn’t want to admit it but the other was too y, even more so as they were in such a suggestive position. His eyes unconsciously the follow a trail of sweat down Woohyun’s well-defined collarbone and body that was toned to perfection. For the first time ever, the God of Darkness noticed just exactly how handsome his friend was. Nervous, Sunggyu looked away, trying to back out of the situation through small talks.

“Woohyun, I-I think we should probably… s-stop.” He suggested, although the hesitant at the end sort of gave him away.

“Why?” Woohyun asked as he placed both of his hands on top of Sunggyu’s chest, leaning in closer. So close that Sunggyu’s neck was ticklish from his feverish breaths.

“B-Because… erhm…” Sunggyu was too scared to turn his face back as he tried to hold onto his sanity by counting the number of branches on a dead tree nearby.

“You were the one who attacked me in my sleep. Or did you already forget?” Woohyun Sunggyu’s neck and began to on it. The latter shivered at the sudden touch. Yet to be satisfied with such a half-hearted reaction, Woohyun took a step further and bit into the spot where he had left behind a hickey.

“Ah! W-Woohyun, stop!” Sunggyu yelped out, half in pain half in excitement.

“Haha. Telling me to stop with such a shaky voice, it doesn’t sound so convincing.” Woohyun chuckled as he teased Sunggyu’s ears with his hot tongue. Contented with the hickey he just made, Woohyun couldn’t help but caressing his work of art. He could feel the latter getting tense under his touch.

“Relax. I’m not going to eat you alive.” Woohyun leaned in dangerously close and blew seductively into Sunggyu’s ear as he whispered in a low, y voice. It was then that he felt something poking his lower half. A not-so-modest bulge could be seen underneath Sunggyu’s black cape.

“Oh dear… what do we have here?” Woohyun smirked as he pulled back, “accidentally” kneading against the sensitive region with his knees in the process.

“Aah–!” Sunggyu quickly covered up his mouth in order to suppress the embarrassing sounds he was making. Not knowing doing so only aroused the devil even more.

“Now, now.” Woohyun pulled away the other hands only to find him biting into his own lips in an effort to control his voice. The God of Light smiled as he reached out to caress the abused lips.

“You shouldn’t bite your lips like that. You will end up cutting yourself you know.” Woohyun chuckled, as he tried to get the other to calm down.

At this point, even Woohyun was surprised at how daring and composed he had been thus far. There he was, completely at his mercy. Never once had Woohyun ever dreamed about having Sunggyu under his control like this. Heck, he had never once thought he could even touch him like this. Even though he had been putting up a tough front, only he knew what sort of a turmoil was going on in his heart. The combination of excitement, anxiety, and lust caused quite a stir in his power and eventually Woohyun found himself changing his appearance unconsciously. This sometimes happened when his desire was at its peak. However, at the sight of Woohyun’s new appearance, Sunggyu’s eyes widened.

“J-J…” Sunggyu was struggling to even say the word. He could feel a sharp pain in his heart as if someone had just plunged a dagger deep inside. Letting go of his emotions, tears began to fall down Sunggyu’s flushed cheeks. His eyes clouded as he reached out his hands, shaking.

“Jiyeon…”

The word was like a bucket of cold water. Just the mere sound of it immediately brought the two of them back into the harsh reality. The heat in the air was gone and in its place, a heavy atmosphere as the two stared at each other. If Sunggyu’s gaze was that of hopelessness and desperation then Woohyun’s was cold and lifeless. He plucked out of a single strand of his hair and laughed bitterly at the sight of it.

“Ji–”

Sunggyu’s hand was slapped away when it was about to touch Woohyun’s down casted face. The slap wasn’t light. Sunggyu could feel his hand burning as he sat there motionlessly as tears quietly fall.

After what seemed like forever, Woohyun was the first to react. He cupped both of his hands onto the other’s face and lifted it so that their gaze would meet one another. With his usual appearance, Woohyun smiled. It was the same as always but for some reason, it seemed a bit forced and sad.

“Don’t worry, my friend. All of this is but a dream.”

Woohyun began to wipe away the remains on Sunggyu’s cheek. The tears had stopped falling but one could tell with just one look at his bloodshot eyes just how much pain he was going through.

“I am the God of Light, Woohyun. The one and only.” Woohyun then leaned in for a hug.

“I am your friend. Forever and always.” With his arms wrapping around Sunggyu’s neck tightly, he whispered.

It was then that Sunggyu finally noticed something was strange. However, he was a moment too late. A spell had been cast and before Sunggyu could say a word, his eye became heavy and soon thereafter everything went dark.

Thank you, for whatever that may be. Even if it was a spur of the moment act for you, it was everything to me. Still, a mistake is a mistake. Fear not, my dear, I shall free you from any burden and guilt.

Manipulation was the God of Light’s second best ability. If Jiyeon was still alive, she might have beaten him when it comes to healing, but no one could beat him when it comes to manipulation. Hence, even the most powerful god was powerless once Woohyun gained control of his mind. If anything, manipulation was Woohyun’s true power rather than healing despite the amount of training and effort he had put in the latter.

Woohyun began to mumble yet a different spell and placed his index finger in the middle of Sunggyu’s forehead. A symbol of light appeared on Sunggyu’s forehead and away his memories of their heated exchange. Once the chanting stopped, the symbol lost its light and disappeared without a single trace.  

As he fixed Sunggyu’s disheveled hair, Woohyun leaned in for one last kiss as a teardrop ran down his own hot cheek.

Thank you, my love. If we shall cross path again in our next life, I wish I could be reborn as a girl you love.

Woohyun took a step back and smiled as he stood up and called forth his teleportation hole.

For now, I guess it is goodbye. I will learn to forget you.

Without looking back, Woohyun jumped through the hole.

When we meet again, I hope to be your… friend.

⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰⊱⊰

Tada~ Their first kiss. This is my first time writing a kiss scene so... *nervous laughter* I know I've been dead for so long and I have no excuses. That said, the story is still being edited for minor plot holes atm. I've also polished up some chapters as I go. All in all, I don't think there is any major change that you need to keep in mind other than the fact that the format has changed. From now on, all of the characters' thoughts will not be quoted by * ... *  any longer but simply italic. That will be it from me, until next time~ 

P.s/ There will be two or three side stories featuring Woogyu's previous lifetimes at the end of TED. Can you guess who they will be? Hint: there will be both human and god lifetimes ;) 

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