“I don’t want to babysit a newbie.” Suho grounds out between his teeth as he glares at the back of Luhan’s head. They are towards the end of the line. Although they should be at the head of the line they chose to stay back in silent protest of the day’s event.

“Do you think I want to?” Luhan whispers out of the side of his mouth. The two garner a few looks from those around them at the noise in the otherwise quiet room, but no one dares say anything. They were two of the eldest active duty reapers. Usually after a thousand years or so reapers choose to retire and take on a desk job of sorts, which involves choosing the time of death for humans based on their past life’s transgressions, similar to the human concept of karma. They’re called weavers and endure exceptionally boring and mind numbing work.

But to Suho deciding on when to end a humans life is a little to unbearable, though he voices that he just likes to stretch his legs and enjoys the supposed “chase”. He would never admit to actually being fascinated by humans and their morbidly short lives to some extent. Luhan though actually does enjoy the “chase.” He is far too energetic and loud to be put in the library to watch video after video of human lives, when he could be out in the world doing the same thing, breathing in the air.

“Show some respect. After what happened to Kai, do you blame them for being nervous and taking new precautions? You were of the same generation as Kai after all. And you Luhan, should know better.” Xiumin says this as he walks up to join the other two. He was the only one that had been a reaper long before Suho was even created. He was of the first generation, A. Luhan was of B and Suho himself was of C. Upon being scolded, they both lowered their heads. Luhan because he was embarrassed and Suho because he was ashamed. Even though he had never been close to Kai, they were connected because of their common creation process, being in the same generation and all. When Kai had chosen to Fall, everyone in Generation C had felt it. It was as if a part of them had been ripped off and now Suho was stuck with a phantom limb that would never be whole again.

Xiumin gave them both a glance before making his way to the front of the line, back straight and head held high. Suho and Luhan had no choice but to follow after him, their superiority walks coming off a little awkward after the scolding. They made it to the front of the line, the younger reapers making way with a slight bow of their heads. Upon making it to the front a door cracked open and the Head Weaver steps out.

“Generation O will now be released. Take them under your wing, and guide them. Show them the way. Be with them always. And most of all, make sure they don’t get too close to their work. We can’t afford to lose any more.” She looks at the three of them as she says this. And Suho knows that she is right, they can’t afford to lose anymore. Only twenty come out every new Generation and a new Generation is only made every five hundred years. But that doesn’t mean he has to like it.

The Head Weaver steps out from in front of the door and ushers out the new generation. Despite himself Suho is slightly curious as they step out one by one from the opening. Suho had never seen a generation this soon after they were created. He knows they have had basic trainings with the weavers, but after that they are usually left alone to get to know their fellow generation’s members for a bit before being introduced to everyone else. However, for this generation they are skipping the last step, so this will be the first time the generation would have come into contact with anyone except for the weaver that originally trained them.

After Generation O is ushered out of the door they stand in front of the twenty older reapers with their heads bowed slightly, waiting. Xiumin is the first to move, making his way down the line slowly, eyes piercing the new generation. He walks up and down the line two more times before choosing a girl with pale skin and light hair and walking out of the room. The girl trails after him quietly, head still slightly lowered. Luhan is next and before he steps out he turns to whisper to Suho.

“If we have to do this at least I can have some fun with it.” Then he’s off to the line choosing the first person he comes into contact with, a tall dark skinned male with close cropped hair. Luhan throws his arm around his new prodigy, the prodigy in question bending his legs to accommodate for the height difference, a look of confusion on his face before Luhan whisks him out of the door. And then it is Suho’s turn.

Suho walks up the line, sizing them up as he goes, not sure what he’s looking for but knows that he will know when he sees it. And he does. He stops on the second to last newbie and stares at him for a second. He is taller than Suho by quite a bit and really lean, his body looking lithe but strong in the rooms lighting. The male in question looks up and meets Suho eyes for a fleeting second before lowering them again.

“You will do.” Suho says quietly to the male, causing him to startle and look up again but Suho is already halfway to the door. The male hurries to catch up.

“They told me you would give me a name. But you haven’t. Everyone else in Generation O has a name by now.” The boy complains as he watches Suho collect soul after soul one day, a few months into their partnership. Suho barley spares him a glance as he smiles at the elderly women before softly touching her chest. Then she is gone. He then gives his attention to the boy, glancing at him up and down. Why the weavers had decided to let the mentors name their prodigies was beyond him. He didn’t sign up for this. He was chosen for his skill, not his naming abilities.

“Give yourself a name.” Suho says and watches as the boys eyebrows furrow in confusion.

“I can do that?” The boy asks hesitantly. Suho shrugs his shoulders, not caring either way. The boy thinks for a moment before scowling.

“I was just created. I don’t know any names, other than the other reapers. And I can’t have the same name as them.” He complains again. Suho has gotten used to it and has learned how to tune him out. After the initial amazement and fear those first few days the boy had gotten more and more vocal to the point of becoming a major annoyance to Suho.

“Tough.” Suho says as he teleports back from Earth, hoping to lose the younger, but he follows. Suho sighs.

“Why don’t you go bond with some of those from your generation? We’re done for the day.” Suho asks him, a hint of desperation creeping into his voice. The boy hadn’t left his side for even a moment this whole time and it was driving Suho crazy. For someone who is used to being alone or working for 90% of the day, it had been a drastic change to have someone on top of him constantly. The others in Generation O were more social with each other and left their mentors alone, but the boy seemed to hesitate and shy away from those interactions, only having stopped and conversed with them for a few minutes every few weeks.

“Why don’t you give me a name?” The boy questions back smartly, eyes trained on the portal, intensely watching the humans run around in circles, and Suho grounds his teeth together for the nth time before snapping at the boy.

“Because I don’t want to. Now please, just leave me alone for an hour at least!” Suho pauses after yelling at him, regretting it immediately after seeing the boy look up at him in shock. Even though the boy had annoyed Suho to no end at times he had never raised his voice at the younger. Suho really regrets yelling when he begins to see tears form in the other’s eyes. The boy turns his face away in aggravation, rubbing at his face harshly. Then staring down at the tears on his hand angrily.

“It’s just, I need time alone too, ya know?” Suho tries again, softer this time and the boy looks up at him, face blotchy but thankfully tear free.It is an odd sight; Suho has never seen another reaper get too emotional before, especially not to the point to crying. 

“They don’t like me.” The boy barely breathes this out, wincing slightly as he says it. Suho furrows his brows in confusion.

“Who?”

“Generation O. They don’t like me.” He says a little louder and clearer this time.

“Why?” Suho asks, eyebrows furrowing even more. A reaper had never been ostracized before; it was just unheard of. Humans did it all the time, but they weren’t human. He was genuinely puzzled by the prospect of it. The kid was annoying that is for sure but so is Luhan and he’s liked well enough.

“They think I’m weird.” At this he looks at the portal again and Suho is still confused.

“Yeah. But why?” And the boys lets out a frustrated breath before answering.

“Because I like to watch the humans. They think I’m going to… to do what Kai did. Also, because you haven’t named me yet too. They think you don’t like me because you know I’m going to Fall. ” The boy answers bitterly, voice going soft on Kai’s name as if saying it will bring about bad luck. Understanding washes over Suho as he watches the boy glance at the portal, face tilted down. Suho had never seen him like this and it caused a bit of anger to fill him. How dare the others shun him. He is Suho’s prodigy. Suho is the best reaper of the time. Besides, he’s a good kid for the most part. So what if he finds the humans interesting? Some of the things they do are strange and fascinating.

“You’re not weird. I find the humans interesting too and you don’t see me Falling.” Suho says truthfully before he can talk himself out of it. Why he’s admitting this to the kid is beyond him.

“Really?” The kid asks quietly, looking at Suho like he has all the answers and Suho’s heart melts a little.

“Really. That’s why I’m still a reaper.” He answer, the words spewing from his mouth. Suho can’t stop the truth from coming out no matter how much he wants to.

“Oh.” The boy says thoughtfully, smiling softly into the portal. And Suho gets an idea.

“Oh.” Suho says with a smile of his own. The kid tilts his head to the side in confusion.

“Oh?” He asks and Suho nods.

“That’s your new name.” He responds.

“Why?” The boy asks in confusion.

“Because you’re going to rise above everyone in Generation O and become the best. It will be like the Generation was named after you instead of the other way around. And you tell the others that too. Tell them that that is why I named you.” Suho says this, voice growing stronger and stronger as he watches a wide smile stretch across the others face, determination glimmering in his eyes. For the first time Suho reaches out and pats the boys head, smile stretched just as wide as his own.

As the years and decades pass, Oh does become the best reaper out of his generation. Although his obsession with humans doesn’t lessen, he learns to hide it better and becomes a bit closer with the rest of Generation O, although he still spends the majority of his time with Suho. His favorite pastime as of late has been to try to outshine Suho and prove he is the best. Suho indulges his competitive behavior, amused by the determination and competitive streak that runs through his prodigy.

“Okay, first one to finish their list wins?” Oh asks Suho, stretching his arms out in front of him and cracking his neck. Suho watches on in amusement, arms crossed across his chest.

“And no cheating.” Oh says this with a sideways glance at Suho, as he does lunges to stretch out his long legs and Suho can’t hide his smile, scratching his head in mock confusion.

“Whatever do you mean?” Suho voice comes out the perfect level and pitch of a confused person, but the slow building beam on his face gives him away. Oh growls and stands up so that he’s towering over Suho, trying to appear threatening, and making Suho smile grow wider. Suho raises his eyebrows at him as Oh tries to intimidate him with a glare, until finally giving up with a huff of air.

“Last time you transferred a few names to my list.” Oh says, sounding rather whiny and undignified compared to his earlier façade. Suho thinks his face might bust open from smiling and can’t hold it in anymore as he begins to chuckle softly.

“Don’t laugh at me! It’s true.” Oh says, annoyed that Suho still didn’t take him seriously after all the time they had spent together.

Suho makes it back to base first, with Oh nowhere in sight. He moves to look down into the portal. What he sees makes him frown slightly. Oh is pacing back and forth in front of an obese woman who appears to be slowly bleeding out in a dark alley way. Suho knows that Oh can’t reap the soul until the women dies, and can tell from the way he is stiffly holding his shoulders he is extremely annoyed and disturbed by how long it is taking her to bleed out. Suho feels pity for the younger, knowing that he has a problem dealing with the prolonged deaths, and decides to take mercy on him.

Suho marks the name off of Oh’s list and transfers it to his own. Oh confusedly stares down at his book before glancing at the women and disappearing. Suho knows that he might find it a little odd but sometimes the name disappears, especially if the soul had been dark. Oh had yet to master being able to tell a dark soul from a light one, so he wouldn’t be able to tell if it was a normal occurrence or not.

Suho teleports back down to Earth to wait for the women to bleed out, offering words of comfort to the poor women even though she couldn’t hear him until she officially died. When her spirit finally appears, Suho transfers her and then goes back to base. Oh is waiting for him with his feet propped up and a bright smile on his face.

“So, I guess I won.” Oh says carefully, trying to reign in his smile. Suho smirks, but decides not to ruin his moment in the sun.

“I guess you did.” He says back evenly. The smile that breaks across Oh’s face might just be the brightest thing Suho’s ever seen, and his heart seems to stutter.

Suho heart stutters regularly after that time when he is around Oh, and he begins to worry if something is wrong with him. He vocalizes his worry one day to Luhan, when Oh is off with one of his few friends and they had both finished their list for the day.

“Maybe you’re dying. Isn’t that how humans go? Their hearts do that weird spasm thing and then bam. Dead.” Luhan grins over the brim of his cup of coffee, his new obsession from the human world. Suho knows he doesn’t like the taste and just the effect, or he should say the supposed effect it has on humans. Human devices don’t effect reapers in any way, but Suho suspects Luhan drinks it because it’s supposed to make one hyper, similar to his actual personality.

“You’re not funny.” Suho glares back at him, and Luhan shrugs his shoulders, before taking on a rare serious look. Suho raises his eyebrows at the other, surprised to see Luhan’s screwed up face as he thinks over what to say. It’s not very flattering at all.

“Maybe it’s a warning.” Luhan says carefully, afraid to invoke Suho’s wrath but Suho just squints at him in confusion.

“A warning? Against what?” Suho questions curiously and Luhan sets down his coffee to grace Suho with his full attention before doing his serious face again.

“You know, that Oh might be, uh, well, you know.” Luhan says, fumbling for words and waving his arms about it vague motions as if that could get his point across. But he doesn’t need to. Understanding strikes Suho hard in the chest, making his expression grow darker and darker.

“No. I don’t know. Please explain it to me.” Suho grounds out between his teeth and Luhan gives him a hesitant look before forging ahead.

“It might be a warning that Oh could possibly, maybe, perhaps...” Suho cuts him off.

“Spit it out Luhan!” Suho yells out angrily, attracting the stare of a few reapers from around the room.

“That he might Fall, Suho.” Luhan finally finishes quietly, head bowed and Suho sits completely still glaring at the closest thing a reaper could have for a best friend. He is surprised at how utterly betrayed he feels. He knows that the reapers still talk amongst themselves about Oh and his obsession but Luhan is another story. Luhan is Luhan. He would never expect this kind of behavior from him.

“I know him. He’s not like that.” Suho finally gets out after he visibly calms himself.

“You don’t know that. Suho, you want to see the best in him because he is your prodigy and is, in a way, an extension of your skill. But it could happen.” Luhan says, before picking up his coffee and leaving the younger to ponder over their conversation.

Suho doesn’t know how long he sits there glaring at the chair Luhan had vacated before another takes his place. Suho looks up and recognizes the big round eyes of D.O. D.O is a reaper from Generation D and had been very close to Kai, similar to Suho’s relationship with Luhan. They had been so close in fact that the council of weavers had decided against placing a member of Generation O under D.O for fear that he had been conspiring with Kai. They didn’t want the wrong type of mindset to set in.

D.O’s situation is actually similar to Oh’s in that people generally regarded them both with a sort of negative view and avoided the two. Ever since Kai had chosen to Fall, a slight shift in the way the reapers reacted to each other happened. Suho couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but it seems to him that the reapers were evolving. In some weird way becoming more, an effect of Kai’s decision.

D.O regards Suho squarely before deciding to talk. Suho is quite intrigued by his behavior, seeing as the younger had been avoiding all the reapers just as much as they had been avoiding him. Although reapers couldn’t age or die, Suho could almost detect D.O fading away in front of him. He looked older, dark circles had formed under his eyes and his complexion had lightened to that of snow. Suho found himself leaning forward in curiosity, wondering what could have caused the transformation. He knew D.O didn’t have the extra stress that mentoring a newbie could bring and all he had was his list, but Suho also knows that the younger had been MIA ever since Kai had chosen to fall close to three hundred years ago, right before Oh had been created. Suho is shocked out of his thoughts when the other speaks.

“They like to think we are different. That we are better, but we’re not. We just burry it deeper, hiding it from ourselves, even.” D.O says evenly, gazing off into the distance where a few reapers can be seen mulling around. If Suho wasn’t the only one in the room, he would think he was talking to someone else. He doesn’t know what to say in response so he says nothing; the other continues.

“But we are the same. So judgmental. So fearful.” D.O says the last word with so much hate and disdain it bleeds through the air settling around them in a thick haze. Suho can almost tangibly touch it.

“The same as who?” Suho wonders aloud. Not really expecting an answer, but at the same time desperately seeking something. Because as of late more and more has become uncertain. Something has wormed its way into his mind. Something that leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Something akin to… doubt.

“The humans.” He says flatly, looking deep into Suho’s eyes. Suho brows furrow in confusion. Something pricks at the back of his head, like a small itch that can’t be scratch. Fear.

“I…I don’t…” Suho stutters out, beginning to sweat. Only reapers don’t sweat. Sweating is something humans do. It’s a phrase they use for being nervous, uncomfortable. But Suho shouldn’t be feeling that either. Because reapers don’t feel fear, doubt, nerves, or discomfort. They just feel…content. Right?

Suho wasn’t so sure anymore and D.O could tell. D.O shrugs his shoulder and looks off into the distance, at the other reapers.

“Don’t let it bother you though. It doesn’t change much of anything. Not really. In the end humans die and we reap their souls. Simple as that. It’s a never ending cycle. Life. Death. Reap. Life. Death. Reap. Only they can escape it, or at least have the illusion of escaping it. They get to begin again where we have to sit here and rot, carrying it with us forever. For us, there is no escape. For eternity.” At that D.O looks down into one of the many portal placed throughout the room, glaring down into it with so much pain, Suho feels a little sick. The portal zeros in on a specific location, the pixilated images slowly clearing up until a person can be seen. A man. Suho can’t be sure from this distance but it looks as if it’s Kai, but when he blinks the image is gone.

Another long silence feels the room as D.O collects himself, continuing to gaze into the portal, unseeing.

“He’s right you know.” D.O final says, leaning back into his chair to fix his gaze on Suho once more.

“Who?” Suho questions out again, feeling more and more uncomfortable as time goes on.

“Luhan.” And it takes Suho a second to catch up but when he does the anger comes back fast and biting. But D.O just shakes his head sadly.

“It is a warning.” D.O says with a small sad smile on his face, glancing back at the portal that he had been glaring into previously with deep longing. Something in Suho stirs but he pushes it down.

“You’re wrong. Oh’s not like that. He’s not.” Suho says this with so much conviction that it resonates throughout the room. But D.O just shakes his head.

“Now that I cannot say because I do not know.” D.O says, and Suho feels immense relief, but it fade away after he hears D.O’s next statement.

“Human’s hearts do stutter when they die. That is true. However, there is another reason to cause such a phenomenon.” Suho freezes as D.O makes eye contact once more, staring deep into his eyes.

“Love.” There is another long pause and Suho’s heart speed up into overdrive. He stand up quickly, becoming light headed as he fumbles his way away from the other. But D.O just regards him calmly.

“When you accept it, come find me. Who knows? Maybe I’ll be of some help.” D.O says sadly, glancing down into the portal, bringing up the same image as before, only this time it zooms in closer and Suho can clearly see who it. Kai laughs brightly as he turns his face up into the evening sunlight. Suho turns and runs.

As Suho hurries away from the scene his stomach turns uneasily, because what D.O said had been spot on. He had as the humans called it, fallen in love. And he had fallen fast.

And find D.O, Suho does. It may have taken him another six hundred years to do it but he does it. By this point D.O has taken on the role of a weaver and looks less tired, but still just as haunted. It is Suho’s turn to look tired. To look helpless. To look jaded. To be broken.

“I ed up, D.O.” Suho says, stealing one of the most vulgar words from the humans to describe the most vulgar act he has ever commited. He's grasping at D.O frantically, surprised to feel liquid running down his face because reapers do not have tears, because tears were only something a human would need. As they were the only ones that would have a reason to cry. Right?

“What happened?” D.O ask, eyes having become softer over time but still just as knowledgeable. Still just as human.

And for some reason that alone is enough to have him spilling everything, from start to finish. Opening himself up bare to D.O who understands all too well the pain that comes with losing the only one he’s ever loved.

“What’s your dream Suho?”  Oh asks one day after both their lists have been cleared and they are resting beside a portal, Oh’s head in Suho’s lap with Suho running his hands through the others hair every now and then. This is the relationship they have had for as long as Suho can remember. Co-existing side by side, tip-toeing that invisible line, never quiet crossing it. Because even if one of them thought to cross it they wouldn’t know how. Reapers didn’t have lines in the first place, nevertheless cross them. So they stayed just like this. Touching but not touching. Together but not together. Loving but not loving.

“What do you mean?” Suho replies, pretending not to know what Oh means. Because reapers don’t have dreams. That’s a human thing. All reapers do is reap souls. And Oh doesn’t say anything for a few short moments, continuing to stare into the portal. The silence stretches out for a long while but it’s not uncomfortable. Nothing ever is between them.

“Mines to be alive.” Oh whispers this so softly it could almost be missed. And Suho knows it on purpose. Oh is giving Suho a chance to ignore what he said if he wants. To have things stay the same. Never changing. Forever reaping souls side by side. Existing but not living.

And Suho knows Oh would never choose to Fall. He has too much pride and commitment, even though Suho can tell it’s slowing eating the other up from the inside out. So Suho does the most selfish and selfless thing he could ever do. Because Suho lied. He knows what his dream is. To Suho this is his dream. Being with Oh and seeing him happy makes him feel alive. But to Oh to be alive is to be human. To dream means to awaken.

Suho doesn’t feel his palm press into Oh’s neck, and he pretends not to see the surprise in the other’s eyes. Instead he moves himself closer and captures the other’s lips in his own. He doesn’t give Oh time enough to reject him. He doesn’t look to see if there is hate or love in the other’s eyes. Instead he gives him just enough of a push to let him Fall because his dream is to be alive. And Suho knows there is no other perfect way to feel alive than to Fall.

A/N:

I know this is like four months late but I wanted it to be perfect. So I only wrote when I had inspiration. And I am so proud of this. I know it might sound cocky but I poured a lot of soul into this story and it really resonates within me, as cheesy as that sounds. I feel really empty after finishing this even though it was only supposed to be a side one shot fic. It turned into more. And I really like it. So please guys, let me know what you thing. I would mean a lot. Thanks:)

Also, I'm thinking about writing a one or two shot about KaiSoo, so don't unsubscribe.