| f a l l e n   f r o m   t h e   g a l a x y |

Chen decided to take a closer look at Earth so he spread his white wings and descended down. His first destination was much too hot even though the sun was just rising in the sky, its warm rays faintly piercing through the windows of the Earthlings' homes. His wings carried him across the vast ocean and he landed in South Korea. The skies were full of thick, gray clouds that dropped cold water down on the Koreans, but fortunately it was late into the night and the majority of them were indoors fast asleep.

He wandered aimlessly on the sidewalk after folding his wings and masking them from other angels' eyes. He need not worry about the humans seeing his wings, only other angels, including fallen angels, could see. Besides, he didn't want his wings getting wet, it would be difficult to return home.

The angel passed under a street lamp that kept flickering on and off. He frowned and slowly shook his head; apparently the tax money hadn't yet been invested in fixing the street lamp. He continued down the sidewalk until he faintly heard voices overhead. Out of curiosity he headed toward the voices that had not been drowned out by the rain. He peeked over the corner of a building at the scene before him.

"Where's the money? We've been searching for you for awhile now, now give us what you owe," a lean man said to the man taller than him. The one who spoke jabbed a finger at the other's chest, "Give us our money."

Chen eyed the two other men both holding umbrellas over the four of them. The victim replied, "I told you already, I don't owe you anything."

"Your old man's debt becomes yours," the man took the victim's collar and shoved him against the wall. "Do you have any idea how much you two owe us?"

The tall man pushed his assailant back, "I don't owe you !"

Both the umbrella holders reached into their pockets and pulled out a switchblade, pointing it at the tall man. Chen's eyes widened; should he intervene or allow the scene to continue? The angels were always told to leave their people be; often times a bigger issue erupted when an angel attempted to interfere. The tall man hurled himself at one of the men holding the umbrellas and the rest happened so fast Chen wasn't even sure what took place until the victim lay on the floor with blood oozing from various stab wounds.

When Chen saw wounds on the victim's eyes he decided then he would attempt to save a life. As one man raised his arm up ready to plunge the knife into victim's leg, Chen summoned his wings and dove straight toward the group, shielding the wounded man lying on the floor with his large, white wings. The blade harmlessly hit the wings and the three assailants jumped back in alarm.

"What the hell?" the lean man gasped and nearly lost his balance.

Chen stood up and turned to face them, "You three best be leaving." The lean man whipped out a handgun and fired in a frenzied panic, the bullets harmlessly hitting the wings and clattering onto the wet ground. Chen narrowed his eyes and reached for the weapon, aiming it at him, "Are you trying to kill me now?" Chen tossed the gun back to its owner, rendering him unconscious.

The other two bravely, or foolishly Chen didn't wasn't sure, stepped up and readied to strike the angel. Chen easily knocked them out cold along with the first man, but a wave of dread filled him and he quickly knelt down the three and searched for a pulse. There were none... the three were dead. Chen had underestimated his own strength and the fragility of the humans.

His eyes widened when he realized what he had done. He had broken the rules. He hurriedly folded his wings and buried them away so that even the angels couldn't locate him. Heading to the injured man, he slowly lifted him up, "Are you okay?"

"You killed them," the human was at a loss for words. His eyes would have been wide open if they weren't so swollen. "How did you do that?"

"Where do you live?" Chen winced at the human's weight leaning on him. The rain pounded his head and back as he waited for an answer.

"I'm not telling you... you could be a serial killer for all I know."

Chen grunted, his wings threatening to spread open. He couldn't allow them to free themselves else the angels from the Galaxy find him and tear them off. He said to the human, "You're hurt, and unless you want me to take you to the hospital, you better tell me where you live."

The man guided the angel to his place in the cold rain. In the small one-room apartment, Chen set the man on a wooden chair. The man looked up at the angel, "My name's Wu Yifan."

"Chen," the angel replied. "Do you have a medical kit?" Yifan shook his head. Sighing, Chen debated whether or not Yifan was in a critical condition. "Well, that's quite unfortunate for me." Chen quickly released his wings and plucked a feather before hiding his wings again.

Yifan blinked in surprise at the feather that suddenly appeared in the strange man's hand, "H-How did you do that?"

Chen held up the white feather, "You have to eat this."

"Wh-What?"

The angel forced Yifan's mouth open, "Eat it. It will heal you."

Yifan stubbornly fought back until Chen shouted at him, "If you don't eat this then I'll kiss you!" Surely, Chen was a madman and Yifan was not going to eat a feather, nor was he going to let a madman kiss him.

"You bastard, I did not kill three to save one, only to have the one end up dying too!" Chen shouted angrily. "I should have just let you die!"

"Then why didn't you? I never asked to be saved!" Yifan retorted, nevertheless, he took the feather from Chen and analyzed it, "Eating this will heal me? Are you an angel then?"

"Yeah, I am."

Yifan glanced up at Chen, "If you're an angel, where are you wings?"

"You're holding a piece of it. Hurry up and eat it."

"Is there another way I can get healed without eating a feather?"

"Yeah, if we kiss."

Yifan gently brushed his lips with the soft feather, but then he pulled Chen closer to him by the neck and pressed their lips together. Yifan figured he had nothing to lose, a madman was insisting on being an angel and death was coming soon anyway. Unless... unless the angel could heal him. An illuminating light emitted from where their lips met and surrounded Yifan, his injuries vanishing and leaving no trace of any wounds or scars.

Chen jerked back in surprise, "Wh-What was that?"

Yifan flashed a smile that caused Chen's heart to throb, "If you really are an angel, I'd like to keep your feather as a souvenir." Chen ran a finger across his lips. It was the first time anyone ever kissed him and he felt violated. Yifan glanced down at his body, fingers pressing his face; he was perfectly okay. Yifan gasped in awe, "Chen, you must be my angel."

"I'm actually one of Earth's angel," Chen replied, "or was." He looked around at Yifan's place, it was surprisingly neat and organized -- books were in place on the bookshelf, dishes were washed and stacked, picture frames parallel to the ground.

"What do you mean was?"

"I just killed three people. It doesn't matter if I've been an angel for over a hundred years, if I go back to the Galaxy, they're going to rip my wings off and I'll die."

Yifan frowned, slowly standing up, "That's harsh. Does that mean you're staying on Earth? Do you have a place to stay?"

Chen gave Yifan his best smile, head slightly tilted down, eyes glancing upward at the human. He clasped his hands together down below him and slowly twisted side to side, "Can I stay here? Please?"

The human crossed his arms, looking the angel up and down. Yifan smirked to hide his smile, how could a young man look so adorable and vulnerable? Yifan took note of Chen's long eyelashes and curly lips, his ears turning warm from a sudden wave of nervousness. "You don't have another place to stay?" Not that he was planning to refuse the angel who Yifan could tell was just his type.

Chen shook his head, "I don't and you know about me already. It makes things easier for me."

"You can take the couch, Mr. Angel," Yifan quickly walked away, feather in hand.

The angel sauntered over to the couch and carefully laid down. He couldn't go back home, couldn't use his wings. The second he opened his wings they would locate him in a split second. He closed his eyes wondering how long he could hide from them.

In his bedroom, Yifan sighed heavily. There was no harm letting an angel stay at his place for awhile, was there? It wasn't like he had many years ahead of him. In fact, Yifan had been ready to die that evening. Maybe a miracle had occurred; maybe Chen was his savior and angel. Maybe.

He wanted to ask the angel but he kept quiet. He had taken an instant liking of the strange creature that came to save his life. Yifan was starting to suddenly believe all the special guardian angel crap his parents had told him about when he was younger, how every human on Earth had a special angel watching over them. If that were true, perhaps Chen was his angel.

Maybe Chen will guide him to his death peacefully that night.

---

The next few days, Yifan the human and Chen the angel were both still alive. Yifan had left Chen alone in the apartment as he attended his doctor's appointment. Chen wondered why he had never seen Yifan before while he was in the Observing Room. The tall young man was an interesting companion. That evening they first met, Yifan was ready to die, that was for certain, but Chen didn't know why. Why would a young man like Wu Yifan allow himself to get beaten and accept death so easily?

Had Yifan known Chen was watching? Or was Yifan hoping to die?

From the hundred years of watching over Earth, Chen understood that each human being had his or her own story. The angels don't remember anything from their past and what they are exposed to made up who they are. Chen was an obedient angel and he never allowed his curiousity to get the better of him, thus he had survived for many years. But now, that has changed. While in the Observing Room, he didn't feel obliged to do anything, but when someone that needed help was within an arm's reach Chen couldn't simply ignore him. Chen wouldn't have been able to live with himself if he had walked away and allowed the three to kill Yifan.

When Yifan returned to the apartment Chen embraced him, much to the human's shock. "Why are you hugging me?" Yifan questioned uncertainly, his arms raised above his head. Yifan didn't like to be touched without a reason.

"I missed you," Chen whispered. He wanted to ask the human about that night, but he kept his thoughts to himself. Instead he asked, "Did you want a cup of tea?"

---

Their relationship began to blossom into something more than a simple friendship. After about two weeks, the two couldn't deny their attraction toward one another and Yifan finally let the angel share his bed instead of sleeping on the couch out in the living room. Yifan knew his time was running out and he couldn't waste it; he wanted to spend as much time as he could spare with the angel. After all, it seemed he owed the angel his time because the angel risked everything to save him... even if it had been unintentional.

He never thought he would leave someone behind, especially not an angel, especially not someone he loved back. He had to tell Chen, but how?

He would start with a question, but first, he needed to get physically closer. He got up and turned up the air conditioning and walked out to the couch where Chen was sitting reading a book. Yifan sat beside the angel and the two got closer by cuddling together under a blanket. The human glanced down at the angel and waited for him to put his book down before speaking, "Chen... can I ask you something?"

"Yes?"

"What is your limit in healing?"

Chen paused and looked up into Yifan's eyes, "What do you mean?"

Yifan smiled at him, "How much healing can you do? Are you able to cure diseases or cancers?"

"I'm afraid not. Even angels can't. Why do you ask?" Chen felt that something was wrong. Why would Yifan suddenly bring up the question? Yifan's smile slowly faded and he sighed. Chen sat upright still holding onto Yifan's hand, "Is something wrong? Please don't lie to me, you know how that makes me feel."

Yifan averted his gaze from Chen's. He figured Chen wouldn't be able to heal him, after all, the hospital hadn't sent him any spectacular news that his illness had disappeared. He moistened his lips before reluctantly saying, "Chen, I'm sick. The doctors called a few days ago and they said I have less than a month left. They want to admit me into the hospital starting tomorrow."

Chen felt like as if Yifan had struck him with lightning, "Y-You... how long?"

"About four years now. Why do you think my father had to borrow money from those loan sharks?" Tears began rolling down Yifan's cheeks and he quickly wiped them away. "I told him not to, that I'd be okay, but one day I was sent to the ER because I nearly stopped breathing. We didn't have the money for treatment so he desperately went to the loan sharks, but he only elongated my time on Earth and put us in debt. Before he disappeared, he contacted a friend of his to spare me money to live in hiding from the sharks so they couldn't harass me while I lived my last few moments."

The angel embraced Yifan while he cried, "Why didn't you ever tell me?"

"I didn't know how to tell you. I-I'm so sorry, Chen."

---

The very next day Chen brought Yifan to the hospital. Now Chen knew the answer. Yifan had been ready to throw away his life because he knew his time was ending quicker than it should. Yifan must have hated him... yet it seemed once Yifan was saved by the angel, the human lived as if that night never occurred. Other than the fact that an angel was living with him, Yifan continued his life as it would have gone like he never encountered those loan sharks.

"Sir?"

Chen glanced up at the female doctor smiling down at him.

"Wu Yifan is ready, you can visit him now."

Chen smiled and thanked her before heading to his human friend's room. For some unknown reason, Chen felt... scared. He didn't want to see Yifan, who was slowly dying while he was immortal. If he could, Chen would take several years off his own life and give it to the man who didn't deserve to die so young. So Chen dropped his hand before he touched the door knob. Stepping back, he went elsewhere to be alone. He couldn't face Yifan, it hurt his chest too much... but then, Yifan's time was extremely limited. Chen had to spend every second he could spare with the dying young man, he couldn't just abandon him. Chen was Yifan's angel. He turned around on his heels and once again faced the door, but this time he grabbed the knob and twisted it.

When Chen entered the room and sat down beside him, Yifan smirked to hide his worry, "I was starting to think you had run off."

"Yifan," Chen immediately stated, "do you regret meeting me?"

The human shook his head. He loved the angel with all his heart that he wished he had more time to spend with him. "Why do you ask?"

"Because it's like I'm mocking you. I dropped down from the sky and saved your life when you didn't want saving. Now I can't save you when you want to be saved. I don't have an expiration date like you, I will continue living until my wings are gone."

Yifan's smile slightly faltered as the words sunk in. It was true, what the angel was saying, but Yifan didn't care. He said to the angel, "That may be true, but you've given me a reason to want to live. Before, I was honestly just going through each and every day wondering who would miss me if I just dropped dead. It's you I feel a little sorry for, for having to meet me. While I'll die, you'll still be stuck here because you can't return to your home. So don't worry about me, we all know what's going to happen. Just worry about yourself, worry about what would happen if the angels found you."

Chen's eyes welled with tears as he reached out for Yifan's hand, "You're so cruel. You're the one dying but I feel like I am. Don't you know that my home is where you are?"

"At the hospital?" Yifan asked incredulously. He wanted to stop Chen from crying, but the tears only seemed to double.

"Stop it. I'm going to miss you so much. Let's... let's talk about something else, something pleasant."

Yifan frowned as he racked his mind for another topic, "Did you hear back from the company?" Chen shook his head.

---

Over the next several days, Chen visited Yifan and kept him company whether they were talking about random things, Chen was reading a book to him, singing to him, or silently spending the moment together.  For Wu Yifan, Chen kept a smile on his face and his voice light and loving. Everything he did, he did it with love and care. He wouldn't speak of negative things happening around them. He wanted Yifan to be happy when he passed.

The angel was almost convinced that Yifan was going to be all right, that in several more days he would get up and finally go home and the two could turn up the air conditioning despite it already being cold just so they could snuggle together under the blankets. But reality hit him that the days were ending too fast and the time running thin. It took more energy from Yifan to simply sit up in bed. The human's eyes were droopy and he slept more often than either would like; the remaining time was precious but Yifan couldn't help it if his body demanded him to sleep. Chen wanted more time with Yifan, he wished he could freeze time and spend an eternity him the human.

On the day the doctors predicted Yifan would die, Chen took a hold of Yifan's hand and gazed down at him longingly, "You shouldn't have to die so young."

"Who says I'm dying?" Yifan pursed his lips and gently squeezed Chen's hand.

Chen bit his quivering lower lip and broke into a sob, "Stop lying to yourself Yifan. It hurts me too much."

"Chen Chen," Yifan said suddenly, "you said when we die we have the option of becoming an angel?" Chen nodded. "How? Who does it work?"

Chen wiped his face, "Why? Why do you want to know?"

"I want to become an angel."

"B-But... you will lose your memories... you will forget me, Yifan. You won't remember me," Chen broke into tears. After he calmed down and was able to speak again he answered Yifan's question with, "They say once the soul leaves the body it rises into the Galaxy. All lifeforms have the opportunity to become angels, even those who have done wrong. It is a chance to redeem themselves if they truly wish. Those who do not want to become angels simply become the stars that paint the Galaxy."

"Would you be willing to become an angel again after this life?"

Chen shook his head, "I've served the angels for over a hundred years, it's not as pleasant as you think."

Yifan smiled, "Let's not say farewell then. I'll rise again as an angel and find you." The angel slowly nodded sadly. "Tell me everything about the evening you saved me," Yifan said, feeling his time running out. He wanted to keep Chen talking because he wanted his angel's voice to be the last thing he heard.

Oblivious to Yifan's life slipping away right before him, Chen replied, "I was walking down the street and I heard voices so I peeped over to see what was happening." Chen paused, looking anywhere but at the man lying in the hospital bed, "I was afraid you were going to get killed so I intervened and accidentally killed them. They wouldn't have stopped with just you, so technically by ending their lives I was doing everyone a favor... I think. But I noticed something, that you weren't necessarily fighting back and you looked prepare to die. I couldn't fathom why and I had to save you so I could ask you."

"You must remember our first kiss," Yifan smiled warmly.

Cheeks turning pink, Chen chuckled again, "Yeah, sure, if you say so."

"Tell me your most memorable moment of us."

A genuine smile appeared on the angel's face, "That would be when you allowed me to share your bed with you. That's when I saw the feather pressed in a glass frame hanging above the doorway." The smile faded when he caught the change in his ears. The rhythmic beeps coming from the machine turned into one long, flat screech. The angel released Yifan's hand and glanced down at the small smile on the human's lips, "I hope you find your way back to me." With those words he returned to the apartment.

---

It upset the angel that people had to die so young. He was angry with himself for not being able to cure his love's illness. Even angels didn't have that kind of power. Staying by his side, protecting him, caring for him -- Chen did all he could manage until Yifan's death.

He glanced at the letter in his hand; he had gotten the paid internship Yifan had urged him to apply to, knowing he won't ever get to tell Yifan. It had been a month since his passing and Chen's heart was still hurting. After leaving the hospital that day, Chen bought a journal and began to write in it; the journal was a long letter for his Yifan when they met again. Chen wasn't losing hope, he knew one day he would see the face of his love. He was still an angel with immortality. He could wait for a long while.

He sat down and began pouring his thoughts onto the pages. He sat back and took a sip of his hot chocolate. He glanced up at the stars twinkling in the sky through the window of the bedroom. His eyes landed on the feather above the door and a small smile appeared on his face, "I wonder what you're doing right now, my Yifan. You wouldn't be Yifan anymore... I wonder what your angel name is." He looked back outside the window, "You would be one of those stars if you chose not to become an angel."

---

There was a knock at the door. With a sigh, Chen placed his pen in between the pages of his journal and shut the book. He got up and headed for the front door wondering who it could have been when the knocking resumed again, more urgently this time. Chen reached for the door knob, but the moment his fingertips brushed against the brass finishing, he froze. His heart raced inside his chest and his blood turned icy cold. The angels from the Galaxy had found him. He jumped back in time before the door flew open on its hinges.

"Hello Chen, it's been awhile," the angel in the middle stepped inside the apartment. "You're quite good at hiding your wings."

"How did you find me?" Chen asked, fear gluing him to the floor.

"Doesn't matter. You know why we're here, don't you?" the angel beckoned the other two to advance toward Chen as he closed the door.

"Please, you don't have to," Chen begged when the other two seized him and forced him onto his knees. "D.O, please."

D.O shook his head, "We have our orders." Grabbing a towel from the counter, D.O stuffed it into Chen's mouth to silence the screams that would soon erupt. Then he disappeared from Chen's view, sending a jolt of fear coursing through Chen's veins. "Release your wings." When Chen refused, D.O plucked one of his own feathers and brushed it against Chen's spine.

Chen groaned and bit into the towel as his wings became visible and unfurled. Keeping the wings folded and unused for so long hurt now that they were free to breathe and stretch. Chen whimpered, tears streaming down his face. He knew the day would come but it happened so suddenly he wasn't ready and it frightened him.

"Chen, you have fallen from the Galaxy. I, D.O, along with angels Xiumin and Luhan, will administer the punishment you deserve," D.O stated, pressing his left hand against Chen's back right above the left wing. With his right hand, he firmly gripped onto the right wing, "You murdered three humans. You intervened with a human's death. You disguised yourself as a human and lived amongst them. You fell in love with a human."

How did D.O know he fell in love?

D.O tore Chen's right wing. Xiumin and Luhan winced at the crunch of the wing ripping off as Chen cried out in agony, the towel muffling his sobs and cries. His body went slightly limp and the two angels on either side of him helped support him up. Swallowing a lump in his throat, D.O switched hands; his right hand pressed above the bloody patch while his left gripped onto the left wing, "You have lost your privilege of being an angel. You are no longer Chen." He proceeded to tear the left wing off with a quick, powerful jerk of his wrist. Chen released another scream into the towel, feeling as his life was being stripped away from him.

The wings disintegrated and D.O quickly plucked one of his own feathers and appeared in front of the fallen angel. In a small whisper D.O said, "I'm so sorry." He removed the towel and forced the fallen angel to eat the feather. Wrapping his arms around his friend's neck, D.O whispered over and over again even after his voice broke and tears coated his cheeks, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The other two angels fixed the couch in the room and lifted the human up, gently laying him down.

Wiping his tears, D.O stepped out the apartment complex; Xiumin and Luhan gave the fallen angel one last glance before following D.O out and ascending to the Galaxy.

~

Kris slowly shook his head at all the wrongdoings that were occurring on the planet called Earth. So much destruction and greed, it made him sick. He focused on the positive, the kind-hearted, yet foolish in his opinion, humans who cared for others they didn't even know. There was a man who fit in this category and Kris enjoyed observing his daily life to see how he struggled through to get to the end of the day.

Kris didn't know his name, but his face was imprinted in the angel's heart and seared into his mind. Kris couldn't pinpoint exactly lured him to the human, but when Kris got bored he would locate the man in the country of South Korea and sit back and watch the human go about his life. There were many occasions where Kris wished he could fly down and speak with the man, to shake his hand, share a laugh. As much as Kris admired the man, the human had his flaws.

For one, from his friendly and cheerful demeanor, no one would suspect that the man was most likely coping with emotional stress. Ever since he returned from his military service and resumed his old job, he had been bullied by three of his co-workers. The human did nothing although Kris believed the man could easily fend for himself. The man was too passive and obedient.

At the moment, the man was sitting alone in a cafe surrounded by interns and college students. He sat in the corner where he had the advantage of seeing everyone in the cafe, scrawling into a journal that propped open in front of him. A waiter brought him his croissant and mug of coffee; the man thanked the waitor with an eye smile and resumed writing in his journal.

The angel from the Galaxy compressed his lips together. It seemed a routine; the human would head to the cafe during his break and sit in the same spot, order the same thing, always writing in that journal of his. Kris wanted to know what Jongdae was writing. Ever since the angel found the human about a year ago, he was always seen writing in a journal. He must have gone through two or three whole journals by now.

D.O appeared beside him, "What are you doing?"

"I'm just observing the humans," Kris replied, glancing at the shorter angel whose wings were as white as snow. He pouted, "I'm jealous of your wings."

D.O smiled, "What? You want to be old like me?"

Kris spread his black wings out, "I've been an angel for about three years and my wings are still black as a dark hole."

D.O patted Kris' shoulder, "They will lighten up every ten years." Kris nodded and walked away, leaving D.O alone in the Observing Room. D.O located the fallen angel that was once Chen. His friend was eating a croissant and slowly sipping his coffee. The angel wanted to reach out and sit beside his friend; he just wanted his company. The two had become angels in the same year and had been together since then. It had pained D.O so much when he was sent to tear his friend's wings off.

D.O had found Chen about a week before the death of Wu Yifan. Because he watched alone, he let it slide, pretending he hadn't spotted the angel that had been hiding amongst the humans. He had observed the angel and the human together from the Observing Room, noticing how happy Chen was with the human, how heart-broken but strong Chen was after the human's death.

Soon after, a new angel came to life -- Kris. D.O knew Chen was waiting for his angel even if that angel didn't remember him. He didn't understand love or how strong the link was, but after turning Chen into Kim Jongdae and seeing Wu Yifan become Kris, he realized it was an unbreakable bond. Was it a coincidence Kris would take a liking to Kim Jongdae of Earth not remembering Chen of the Galaxy? It had to be fate. Jongdae was waiting for his angel to return to him, but because of D.O, Jongdae didn't have long to wait. D.O had stripped Jongdae of his immortality.

A hand landed on D.O's shoulder, "Don't beat yourself too much. You did as you had to."

"What are you talking about?" D.O shrugged the hand off.

Suho didn't reply to D.O's question, but instead asked, "Do you think the two will have a happy ending?"

"I believe that Jongdae will grow old and wither while Kris' wings slowly become white."

"If Jongdae chooses to become an angel again, he will see Kris. Kris will remember him."

D.O snapped angrily, "It's not the same and I doubt Jongdae would want to become an angel again. Most fallen angels don't."

Suho beckoned D.O to follow him, "Spending too much time in the Observing Room is dangerous. Let's go."

---

Jongdae finished his lunch and placed his belongings into his bag before stepping out into the open world. His break was ending and he had to return to work unless he wanted to lose his job. As he was about to enter his work building, two figures stepped out and blocked his bath. Jongdae sighed, he was sick and tired of these humans. His eyes scanned the surroundings until he spotted the 'leader' of his three co-workers. Why did they have to pick on him? Not that he wished his suffering on another, but Baekhyun, Chanyeol, and Sehun were a huge nuisance.

"Can I help you?" Jongdae asked with a plastic smile.

The three didn't smile back. Sehun gestured for Jongdae to follow him but before Jongdae could even walk a step toward him, Baekhyun and Chanyeol stepped closely to his side and prodded him forward. Jongdae always put up with the three's treatment toward him and he figured today wasn't going to be any different. Not until they continued up the stairs to the rooftop.

"You ratted us out, didn't you?" Sehun demanded without an explanation. As if Jongdae had any idea what he was talking about.

"I'm sorry, I'm confused," Jongdae replied impatiently. He really didn't enjoy wasting his time with these three jerks when he had so much work to do in his office.

Sehun jabbed a finger at Jongdae's chest, "Don't play dumb."
    
---

From the Galaxy, Kris narrowed his eyes to get a better picture of what was happening on the rooftop. The three were at it again, but it seemed they were angrier than ever. If only Kris knew what they were saying.

"What are you doing?" D.O asked curiously. He peered over to find Kris observing Jongdae. With a shuddering sigh, he said, "His name is Kim Jongdae."

"Huh?"

"The man you've been watching -- Kim Jongdae. I just thought you'd like to know." With that, D.O walked off.

Kris returned his attention to the scene before him. His heart nearly skipped a beat when Jongdae's left foot stepped half-off the building. What was happening?

---

"You don't want to this," Jongdae said quietly but urgently.

"We've found out something," Chanyeol smirked, taking out a white pill bottle. "You've been taking depressants."

Jongdae eyed the bottle in the tall man's hand, "And what if I do?"

"If we push you off the building, we could always say you committed suicide due to your depression. We tried to stop you from overdosing on your pills and you got angry and jumped off the building," Sehun replied with a small smile.

Jongdae suddenly felt afraid, afraid he was going to die alone. Oh, how he dearly missed his Yifan. He should have known it would never happen between the two when he became Kim Jongdae. Yifan would be stuck in the Galaxy until he was a hundred years old when his wings gleamed white and he was free to travel to Earth. By then, Jongdae would be another body buried in the ground. Death was inevitable for him now. Yifan's time had come and now his was too.

"So, what's it going to be?" Baekhyun asked. "Are you going to help us out?"

"No," Jongdae replied flatly.

Sehun casually stepped closer to Jongdae with his hands in his pockets, "I was wondering when you were going to get tired of us."

"You have no fear, do you?" Jongdae whispered.

"No, do you?"

Jongdae smiled, "I'm not afraid of you or your threats. If you want to kill me, do it. I'd gladly take you with me and maybe your friends can say you attempted to help me but in the end we both fell."

Sehun's eyes narrowed, "I hope you aren't afraid of heights."

Jongdae was unable to contain his laughter. Him, afraid of heights? Hilarious. When he calmed down he replied, "Never." Then he shoved Sehun safely back away from the edge of the building and stepped off. As he was falling, he gazed up at the puffy white clouds, imagining his angel flying down to catch him. Much to his surprise, a figure emerged from the sky and was coming down straight toward him with wings black as night. When he recognized the angel's face, his heart jumped in delight... but soon horror stopped his heart from celebrating. It was too early. Yifan shouldn't be here, especially not with wings like those.

Kris caught the falling man in his arms and swooped away from the prying eyes. "Yifan," Jongdae whispered as Kris carefully set him on his feet. Jongdae was speechless as he took in the sight before him. Yifan was an angel, still a youngling judging by the darkness of his wings. Of course, it had only been three years. "What is your name?" But Kris said nothing. Instead, he stepped back and readied to return, but Jongdae quickly grabbed his wrist, "Wait! Don't go! You'll lose your wings!"

Kris gasped at Kim Jongdae, stunned at the words coming out of his mouth. "What are you saying? Let go."

"No," Jongdae said urgently. "They will tear your wings off. Please, trust me, I know what you are. Hide your wings or they will find you."

Kris slowly shook his head, "How do you know-"

"Only angels with white wings are able to come down to their planet. You have broken that rule and they will break you. Please Yifan, you have to trust me!"

"Who is Yifan?" Kris demanded, folding his wings as he awaited an answer.

Jongdae grabbed the angel's shoulders, "Don't go, please. They will hurt you."

Kris unfurled his wings and pushed Jongdae back before ascending back to the Galaxy. "Yifan!" Jongdae shouted, tears running down his cheeks. He stumbled and fell on his knees, gasping for air. He tightly shut his eyes; the angels in the Galaxy were going to punish the angel that saved him. If he had stayed on Earth at least they would be together, but if he were punished in the Galaxy... only angels dwelled up there. He would die... his Yifan would die again.

---

Kris was greeted by Suho, Tao, and Kai. He felt his blood run cold at the sight of them, Suho's snow white wings and the darkness of Tao's and Kai's. Although Tao and Kai were fairly new angels like himself, the two were merciless; he had witnessed three occasions where the two assisted other elder angels in containing falling angels. So to see the two with Suho... Kris knew he was in trouble. He should have listened to Jongdae.

The moment he landed, Tao and Kai forcefully pinned him down on his knees. Suho slowly approached him, "Kris, you have fallen from the Galaxy. I, Suho, along with angels Tao and Kai, will administer the punishment you deserve." Suho walked behind him and gripped one wing, "You descended onto your planet before your wings whitened. You intervened with a human's death." Kris howled in pain as he felt his right wing tearing from his skin. He quickly threw his body against Tao and broke free before Suho began with the second wing. He staggered on his feet, gasping in pain and wincing at the sight of his right wing lying on the floor. "Kris, don't make this worse than it has to be," Suho pleaded, eyes wide.

"Why?" Kris groaned. "I had to save him, he was innocent."

"Innocent? No one is innocent," Suho replied. "If they were, does that mean you're going to save everybody? Everyone has their own timeline and each one comes to an end, some more quickly than others. We don't intervene with the lives of the humans."

His back burning and stinging, Kris gasped in pain and struggled to stand. "No, but does everyone have to die? What is so wrong about saving a life? What is the point of being an angel if we can't help those who need help?" Two more angels appeared -- D.O and Lay. The two tackled Kris and along with Tao and Kai, they pinned him down once more. Suho pressed his right hand above the wound and tightly gripped Kris' left wing. "No!" Kris screamed as he struggled to break free.

"You have lost your privilege of being an angel. You are no longer Kris," Suho said with finality. A blood-curdling cry escaped the victim's throat as the remaining wing was torn off.

Immediately, the fallen angel's vision blurred and he was unable to breathe. Suho forced a feather in his mouth and, along with D.O, lifted the fallen angel up and made their destination to a small apartment in South Korea. The human's head lolled forward as he went unconscious. The door to the apartment was locked, nevertheless, D.O broke it open and the angels dragged the body inside.

Suho gently touched Kris' shoulder after laying him on the couch, "I'm sorry Kris. I did what I had to." As he and D.O began their departure, Jongdae burst through the front door panting heavily. His hair was matted to his face, his chest violently heaving and legs wobbly. He shoved past the angels and fell on his knees beside the couch as he burst into uncontrollable tears.

"You let him live," Jongdae gasped between sobs. He turned to the two angels, "Thank you so much."

D.O smiled tearfully at the man that was once an angel and a close friend, "Grow old together and become stars."

---

Jongdae stayed by the fallen angel until he aroused, sitting silently on the floor until the other came to his senses. The man sitting on the couch blinked rapidly before turning his head and staring back into Jongdae's eyes, "Where am I?"

"Our apartment," Jongdae whispered shakily. "You're a human now."

"Our apartment?"

"What is your name?"

"I... I don't know," the fallen angel replied, shaken and distraught. "What was that name you called me?"

"Yifan. Wu Yifan," Jongdae's voice cracked from the threat of uncontrollable tears.

"Then my name is Wu Yifan," the man stated firmly. "And you... you are Kim Jongdae."

"Yes, I am. Do you remember me?" Jongdae gazed deeply into Yifan's brown orbs. He knew it was wishful thinking, but perhaps there was a small chance Yifan remembered him.

Yifan's response diminished the hope rising in Jongdae's chest, "All I know of you is what I have observed from the Galaxy. Everyday you repeat the same thing, everyday you're writing in a journal. I have been dying to know what you write about."

Jongdae slowly rose from his seat and perched himself on the couch beside Yifan, "I was waiting for my angel to come to me. He was the owner of this apartment." Jongdae's lips curved upward as his eyes appeared to fade into the distant, "I had been keeping an account of my days for him, but it seems he's been watching me all along, haven't you?"

Yifan's cheeks tinged a light pink, "I'm still confused."

With a small smile and a chest slowly twisting, Jongdae replied, "You know that all angels were once the species they watch over? You were once human? An Earthling?" Yifan nodded. "Well, before you lost your memories and became an angel, you were Wu Yifan and you lived in this apartment by yourself, until I came along."

"Who are you?"

Jongdae replied, "I am like you, a fallen angel. I had saved you from an earlier death and you allowed me to hide here." Yifan hesitated before asking the next question that formed in his mind. How did he die? As if Jongdae read Yifan's mind, the first fallen angel said, "You had an incurable illness that resulted in dying at a young age. You told me you wanted to become an angel and..." His voice trailed off as he recalled sitting beside his dying friend.

"And what?"

"You said that you'd rise as an angel and find me."

YIfan blinked uncertainly; did he believe the things Kim Jongdae was spouting? He seemed to know a lot about the Galaxy. Not to mention how Yifan was so attached to Jongdae even when the angel was up above in the Galaxy while the human was down below on Earth. They had a connection, they must have. Why else would Kris have broken all the rules to descend to Earth to save one human?

Jongdae spoke quietly, "If you want to leave, go on ahead. I'm not stopping you." He could sense Yifan wavering and contemplating all he had told him. It would have been too easy if Yifan simply fell into Jongdae's arms. The two both understood the risk Yifan was taking when he had chosen to become an angel -- the risk of forgetting and not loving. Jongdae would be the one most hurt, but he trusted Yifan. He had no other choice.

"I just need time to absorb it all," Yifan fidgeted with his hair.

Jongdae wet his lips and gazed at his hands that were tightly clasped together on his lap. It wasn't safe for Yifan to stay here, he would have to move elsewhere. "You might have to do your thinking in another country. You died here about three to four years ago; they will suspect something if they see you. You will have to change your name as well."

"I can't just use Wu Yifan?" the taller male's lips twisted in a deep frown. "I'll be Wu Kris then. Or Kris Wu, whatever it is."

Jongdae chuckled nervously, "I'm sorry. It's just to keep your identity a secret; you know how humans are."

"Where should we move to?"

Jongdae raised his brows and glanced up into the other's eyes, "What? We?"

"You said I have to move to another country. Well, did you expect me to go alone? I'm taking you with me and you have to keep calling me Yifan. I will only let you call me that, got it?"

Even now, his Yifan was still the same. A smile danced on Jongdae's lips, "I understand. How about Canada?"

"Canada? Why?"

"There's not a lot of people there and it's cold. I like the cold."

"Why?"

"Because it means I can snuggle with you."