X. CAN'T WE LOVE AGAIN?

Seunghyun was utterly baffled when Ji-Hyo called and asked if she could come visit him. They had not spoken since the day of Daesung’s funeral – not really, anyway. In the weeks after Daesung's death, she had stopped past the apartment, called through the door, and gotten sworn at. That was not the same as speaking to one another. So, the sound of her voice over the phone had truly surprised Seunghyun; he would have thought he would be the last person she called for help. The man had hesitated only a moment before acquiescing to her request. Sitting across from her was strangely awkward; it unnerved Seunghyun. She had become like a sister to him over the years, but he had never seen her like this before. Her normally shiny brown hair hung limply about her too pale face, and her amber eyes were bloodshot from too many tear-filled nights. He cleared his throat. “What happened?”

Ji-Hyo dew in a shuddering breath. “Junsu cheated on me.” Her voice was strangely flat with the admission – as though someone had taken away her ability to feel. It reminded him of how she had sounded at the morgue. His mind tickled with a memory: Daesung telling him that Ji-Hyo would shut down emotionally when distressed. This must have been what he meant, Seunghyun thought with a frown.

“Did you catch them together?” He personally could not imagine Junsu – who seemed to worship the ground Ji-Hyo walked on – ever cheating on her. But, then again, he knew from personal experience that cheaters came in all shapes and sizes. His heart stung a little at the thought.

She gave a particularly emphatic sniffle, even though her expression did not so much as flinch. “No.”

Seunghyun blinked. “Then…how do you know he was cheating on you?” This situation seemed to be getting stranger and stranger by the moment.

The woman began to wring her slim hands – twisting them nervously in her lap. “I found messages on his phone. From a number I didn’t recognize.” Seunghyun felt his breath catch; that was not a good sign. “They said things like ‘how are you’ and ‘thank you for yesterday.’”

He tilted his head. “There was nothing, I dunno, about meeting up or anything –“ he flushed, “suggestive?”

She blinked at him owlishly, her eyes wide. “N-no. But there didn’t have to be.”

He sat back in his chair and crossed his legs. “Has Junsu been staying late at work or going on business trips or come home with any weird bruises or-“ Seunghyun ran a hand over his eyes; he could not believe he was about to ask this, “has he been more ually demanding?”

That really made Ji-Hyo gape at him. flopped open and closed like she was a fish that had just been dropped on the deck of a ship, and her eyes managed to get even wider. “N-no!” It appeared to be quite the struggle for Ji-Hyo to get that one little word out, but it made Seunghyun feel better.

“Honestly, Ji-Hyo, it doesn’t sound like he’s cheating on you,” he admitted. “If he were, he would be acting different in some way. Staying late at work or being more aggressive in the bedroom. Anything. It could be that you’ve mistaken the situation.” Seunghyun tried to speak gently, but it was very difficult to be both blunt and kind – for him at least. Her hands began to tremble in her lap, so Seunghyun reached over to take them in his. “I think maybe you should talk to Junsu and hear his side of the story. Communication is important in any relationship, and listening is just as important as talking.”

A frown furrowed her brow as she looked at him. There was a long stretch of silence – her sleep deprived brain was not particularly sharp – before she murmured, “How did you get so smart about relationships?”

He chuckled softly. “Daesung taught me.” Their eyes met, and the man shared a sad smile with the woman he practically considered his sister-in-law.

“…He was the best at listening.”

“I know.”

“Maybe…”

“Hm?”

“I guess I can listen to what he has to say,” she hazarded, frowning to herself. She was still not certain she believed Seunghyun, but the woman just knew that Daesung would want her to at least try to listen to her fiancé. He had always said that love deserved a second chance - it was too rare and special to give up on right away. Ji-Hyo thought she could practically hear Daesung saying that love took a lot of work, a sprinkling of kindness, and the ability to put someone else's needs first. He had always managed to balance being a romantic and a realist; Ji-Hyo never understood how he did it.

“I think that’d be a good choice, Ji. If nothing else, it would mean you were completely certain about your actions.” Seunghyun gave her hands another squeeze. “But you should meet on neutral ground – not his place or yours. Daesung taught me that too.”

She nodded – dazed. “Yeah. I – that makes sense.” Her gaze yet again fell to rest on their hands, and she teased at her bottom lip with her teeth. “Could you call him for me? I…I don’t want to screw it up before I hear him out.”

Seunghyun’s lips twitched. In moments like this one, he could really see how Daesung and Ji-Hyo were related. He could remember Daesung asking him to place calls for him, because he hated the lack of body language and expression phones created. And he gave Ji-Hyo the same reply he used to give Daesung: “Let’s call together.”

It did not surprise Seunghyun in the least that Junsu had immediately agreed to meet with Ji-Hyo – he had actually sounded quite desperate when he heard her voice again. Soon the brunette was walking the woman to the designated restaurant: a little place he had recommended. It seemed best to send the lovers to a place that held no memories for them, just to keep the balance as fair as possible. Dae would be so proud that I remembered all of his rules from our fights. He really did train me well, he thought with a tiny smile. Stopping in front of the pizzeria, he turned to look down at Ji-Hyo. “Remember to listen,” he advised her one last time. “And…be willing to forgive.” Seunghyun gave Ji-Hyo a last hug before sending her into the restaurant; it was now between the lovers to sort things out for good or ill.

When Ji-Hyo approached the table, Junsu surged to his feet and let his gaze take in all of the changes a week had wrought on her. The faint hollowing of her cheek and the bags around her eyes told him that the woman was not getting enough to eat or sleep. His gaze then flickered down to rest on her twitching fingers; she was nervous. Even the way her feet dragged a little as she walked made it seem like she was approaching her execution rather than a meeting with her fiancé. Junsu silently pulled out a chair for her, helping slide in it as she sat. He then settled in the chair opposite of hers and waited with bated breath, hoping she was not going to break up with him in the first ten seconds of their meeting.

“Junsu?”

His gaze slowly rose to meet hers. “Yes, Ji-Hyo?” The taste of her name was as sweet as ever, but he rued the bitter aftertaste of fear it left in his mouth.

“Who were those text messages from?”

Junsu stared uncomprehendingly at her, his head tipping slightly to one side. “What text messages?”

“The ones about thanking you and hoping you have a great day and you’re so wonderful,” she said in a rush, the words nearly tripping over each other in their hurry to fall from .

He stared at her – not quite comprehending her words. And then, suddenly, understanding made his eyes bright. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his phone and brought up the series of messages he figured she was talking about. Silently, he slid it across the table for her to read. Her eyes poured over the familiar messages – the ones that made her lips draw into a tight line – before she hit the more recent texts. Her heart stopped at the last one: “The song turned out great. We’ll record it tomorrow. Thanks for the last minute rewrite.” A sudden, shamed blush heated her skin even as her head sunk down in embarrassment. The phone was gingerly sat down on the table and slid back towards Junsu. “…Oh.”

Junsu hesitated before running his finger around the edge of his phone. “Are those messages why you thought I was –“

“Yes.” She cleared . “I – oh…” Ji-Hyo swayed about in her seat, absolutely miserable. “I’m so sorry, Junsu. I don’t even know what put that thought into my head.” Tears began to gather in her eyes; she felt like a complete moron. Junsu had been so constant and loyal over the years, but she had doubted him over literally the smallest thing ever. It was as though she no longer recognized herself. 

Carefully, Junsu reached across the table and took her small, delicate hand in his. “I wouldn’t cheat on you, love,” he murmured. “If – and this is a pretty big if – I thought our relationship wasn’t working, I would talk to you first. Even if I was developing feelings for someone else, I would want to be honest with you about that, because you deserve it. And I hope you can trust me on that.”

His fingers were quickly caught in a vice-like grip as Ji-Hyo tugged him across the table for a deep kiss. “I love you, Junsu,” she said, sounding utterly miserable. “Can you forgive me for doubting you?”

Junsu quickly moved around the table and crouched beside her chair, wrapping his arms around her. “Of course I can. After everything that's been going on this year, I think the stress just...made things difficult for us. Especially for you.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek. “Can you forgive me for giving you any room to doubt me?” She eagerly nodded. A small, almost shy smile drew itself on his lips. “Does this mean that the wedding’s back on?” Another nod met his question even as Ji-Hyo began to choke on the strange combination of tears and laughter that meant she was incandescently happy. Junsu just beamed at the love of his life, grateful that he had been given the chance to win her back.

From where he stood watching through the window, Seunghyun smiled to himself as the couple shared a soft kiss. It seemed love could triumph, at least in the small things. He turned to walk down the street, a distinctly lighter bounce in his step as he headed towards the subway. But Seunghyun’s happiness was not to last.

Seungri was very displeased to see that yet another of Taeyang’s supposedly brilliant ideas had unraveled so quickly. Either the younger demon was utterly incompetent (super likely) or sabotaging the operation (laughable). “Time to take matters into my own hands,” he sighed, shaking his head. “I guess there’s a reason I’m the fabulous demon lord and Taeyang’s not even managed to get out of training.” Not that he cared about Taeyang or the punishment he was likely to face if he failed. If anything, Seungri would enjoy watching the cocky little upstart suffer. Turning, he disappeared into the shadows.

It was time to get to work.

Ever since helping Ji-Hyo, Seunghyun found his mind frequently occupied with thoughts of blond hair and eye smiles. But, for once, it was not Daesung's blond hair and eye smiles he found his mind lingering on. No, his mind was filled with a wilder, more rambunctious blond who played life loose and fast. Zico. In a way, it bemused Seunghyun to find his thoughts so thoroughly enraptured; but, it seemed that even a brief meeting had been enough to leave an impact. It felt almost like he was an alcoholic who had been clean for six years only to have taken a sip of vodka by accident. His throat practically burned with needs he had thought were buried and forgotten. And maybe, the man reasoned, alcohol was a good solution.

Rising, Seunghyun snagged his phone, keys, and wallet. A drink at the bar was not pursuing Zico, he thought. It was going out – being social – at a location where he had happened to run into the blond just once. The likelihood of running into Zico again was so low, it was not a concern – definitely not. Why, he did not even check around the bar for that familiar head of platinum hair as he pushed through the crowd of bodies. He was perfectly well behaved as he placed an order for a beer, and there was nothing unnatural about the way he turned to watch the dancers pressing together.

And then his heart began to race as his fingers curled tightly around the neck of the beer bottle.

There, dancing as though the world itself was ending, was Zico. His arms flailed loosely about as he tipped his head back in utter abandonment, a look of pure ecstasy on his broad features. The lights of the club caught on his pale skin and hair, making him seem far more ethereal than Seunghyun had ever seen him. Every move was punctuated with Zico’s usual boundless energy; it reminded the brunette so much of the countless parties they had attended together. Zico had a way of lighting up a room and setting the mood on fire. Some of their friends had joked that a party did not begin until the blond all but kicked down the door and stepped onto the dancefloor. Apparently Zico was as he always had been while Seunghyun felt as though he had lived a hundred lifetimes.

Finishing his beer, Seunghyun was about to rise – he was satisfied at having at least seen the object of his obsession – when their gazes happened to catch. He gulped. Zico’s face managed to split into an even wider smile, one that seemed to halve his face, before he was suddenly swimming through the crowd towards the brunette. Seunghyun froze even as his grip on the empty bottle tightened, making his knuckles go ghostly white. 

Standing face to face with the blond was like stepping back into the past. It was like he was back in undergraduate – working on his business degree and scant months into his relationship with an angelic guy – except that this time things were different. Seunghyun was older and carried the weight of incredible loss in his heart, but this time there were no strings on him, either. He had an alien realization that there was no Daesung waiting for him to message him when he got home, no Daesung worrying about him drinking too much, no Daesung to cheat on … No Daesung. Seunghyun’s heart lurched in his chest.

“Hey, handsome,” Zico said with a laugh. “How’s it going?” His gaze fell to the bottle in Seunghyun’s hand. “You need a refill?”

Seunghyun instinctively leaned away from Zico – coming to rest on the bar. “I’m fine, thanks.”

Zico tipped his head slightly to the side, his eyes sparkling impishly. “Well, I already knew that,” he teased. “But, seriously, let me buy you a drink. Or else I’ll make you dance with me.”

The brunette was not certain which fate sounded worse, honestly. Another drink could wear down what defenses he had while dancing was just as dangerous with someone like Zico. It was like being asked to pick the lesser of two evils only to realize that both options were a bad idea. He cleared his throat – sweat beginning to gather at his temple. “I should go,” he mumbled. Yes, that was a good choice, he thought. Leaving meant getting away – being able to breathe.

A pout turned Zico’s lips. “Hyunnie, how can I catch up with you if you run away? I just want to know what you’ve been up to.”

Seunghyun looked away. “…Just one drink.” He could last for a single drink. It was not like he was unable to control himself, when the need arose.

Zico grinned as though Seunghyun had offered to buy him an entire store worth of Hello Kitty paraphernalia. “Another beer or do you trust me to order for you?”

The brunette sighed. “Whatever.”

Far too soon for comfort, Seunghyun found himself being guided over to a table with a mojito in his hand. Zico’s choice was surprisingly adult – six years ago it would have been jaeger bombs or tequila – and it made the brunette relax a little. Perhaps he really did just want to talk. Sitting down at the selected table, he took a small sip of the drink and avoided really looking at the man across from him. “So.”

“So,” Zico repeated, clearly teasing him.

“Six years.” Seunghyun nodded a little and began to fiddle with the lime on the rim of his glass.

“Yep. Six years.” Zico laughed. “What has the great Choi Seunghyun been doing all these years? Causing a lot of trouble?”

Seunghyun barked a laugh. “No. Not really. I own an antiques store.” He could feel Zico’s disbelieving stare burning into his forehead. “Gave me the chance to channel my love of antiques into something productive. I do pretty well.”

“Well, I mean, that’s cool. You did always have a weird thing for furniture.” The blond laughed. “I mean, I remember the time you proposed to that chair when you were completely wasted. You even tried to take it home with you.”

Seunghyun laughed – just a little. “Yeah. I did.”

“Is that all you’ve been doing? Just…owning a store?”

The brunette knew what Zico meant; he was asking if Seunghyun had been doing anyone. A frown creased Seunghyun’s brow, and he took a particularly deep draught of the mojito – silently cursing its lower alcohol content. “Do you remember Daesung?” He glanced up at Zico, catching the look of surprise that flashed across the man’s face.

“How could I forget him?” Zico laughed a little, though the sound was a bit strange - hollow. “He ranks in the top five scariest people I’ve ever met. And the kid didn’t even have to yell.”

Seunghyun pulled the lime from his glass and began to twist it between his fingers. “He and I were together until this past April.”

Zico’s mouth hung open. “What happened?” Last he had known, Daesung had made it very clear that he and Seunghyun were over. The fact they had gotten back together was surprising enough, but that they had lasted so long… Seunghyun must have really screwed up to lose him twice.

The man took a slow breath. “He died.”

Reaching across the table, Zico gave Seunghyun’s hand a squeeze. “I’m so sorry. That must’ve been awful.”

“Awful?” Seunghyun gave a tired laugh. “Yeah, that’s one word for it.” He tipped back the rest of his drink. “Skies, I think I could use something stronger.”

“Let me go get you something better,” Zico murmured, pushing his drink across the table to Seunghyun before rising to his feet. He returned from the bar with sake – lots of sake.

Watching the pair drink, Daesung frowned as Seunghyun began to get more and more wobbly; he had nearly fallen out of his chair twice now. Zico seemed to be behaving himself, though, which surprised the angel. He remembered the sorts of things Zico had liked to add to drinks when he thought no one was looking – little mood enhancers, he called them. But this time Zico was just letting Seunghyun drink and talk his problems away, like a normal human. Maybe the man had changed for the better over the years.

And then he caught sight of Seungri and Youngbae standing in the shadows near the duo’s table.

Daesung’s breath caught as he noticed the way the demons were smirking. A chill of dread ran down his spine. From his side, Jiyong murmured, “Maybe we should get Seunghyun home. He’s getting completely wasted.”

The blond nodded and moved forward to place a hand on Seunghyun’s shoulder. “You should get a cab and go home.” But, Seunghyun continued tipping back his sake as though he had not heard a word Daesung had said. The blond frowned. “Seunghyun. You need to go home. Stop drinking.”

Nothing.

Daesung’s gaze snapped up to rest on the demons, who had broken out into rather raucous laughter – well, Seungri had. “He can’t hear you,” Seungri called with a grin. “Funny thing when you’re drunk: You can’t hear angels anymore. It’s why people get into so much trouble once they get drinking.”

Unwilling to give up, Daesung decided to try a different tactic. Zico had been drinking less, and so it was worth a shot to talk to him, he thought. Going to the man’s side, Daesung lightly placed a hand on his shoulder. “Zico, you should send Seunghyun home. He’s way too drunk and needs to sleep it off.”

He thought he could feel Zico still beneath his hand – a sign that he had heard him – but the man just poured Seunghyun another helping of sake. Daesung stumbled back at the sight of the smirk that twisted Zico’s lips as Seunghyun tossed the shot back. He then watched in horror as Zico reached across the table and caught Seunghyun’s hand in his. Rubbing his thumb along the inside of Seunghyun’s wrist, the blond leaned across the table and his bottom lip. “You need a ride home, handsome?”

Daesung’s heart lurched.

Seunghyun’s skin began to heat at the gentle contact of Zico’s thumb. His eyes lidded as he leaned onto the table. “That’d be good,” he slurred. “So good.”

Using his grip on Seunghyun’s hand, Zico pulled him up and started for the door. “Then let’s go, gorgeous.” He hailed a cab and tugged the man in with him. Seunghyun managed to give the driver his address; he lived in a much nicer neighborhood than Zico had expected. As they rode towards their destination, Zico traced his fingertips along the strong shape of Seunghyun’s thigh. He could remember the last time they had been together like this. The brunette had come storming into the café where Zico worked – he clothing had been plastered to his body by the outpouring of rain – and insisted the blond come with him. Seunghyun had pulled him into his car and raced back to his apartment; the tension between them enough to set the blood crackling beneath Zico’s porcelain skin. And when Seunghyun had gotten him home – oh! That man could kiss like the devil himself. It had been heat and impetuous demand and burning dominance. Zico knew he brought out something special in Seunghyun: the wildness in him. But then Daesung had come in. A frown touched Zico’s lips at the memory. After that, Seunghyun vanished from his life without a trace, and oh how Zico hated Daesung for it.

Seunghyun would regret leaving him for that pitiful little weakling.

They stumbled into the elevator together, and Zico pulled Seunghyun in close with an arm about the man’s waist. Seunghyun leaned eagerly into the warmth of Zico’s body, and his head fell to rest on the curve of the blond’s shoulder. He kept having the feeling he should peel himself away from Zico – that he should run – but it felt so good. Why would he try to escape something that made his blood race pleasantly through his veins? What a ridiculous thought. He did not even have the will to protest when Zico left his arm around his waist as they walked down the hall to the dark mahogany door of his apartment. Surely, Zico was just making certain he did not fall on his face as they walked. He was thoughtful like that. The blond was even kind enough to help Seunghyun unlock the door and step inside.

The brunette flashed him a crooked smile in the semi-darkness of the apartment. “Thanks for making sure I made it home.”

Zico used his grip on Seunghyun to pull the man closer – their chests brushing lightly. “My pleasure, Seunghyun.” He tipped his head a little. “Be shame if you’d gotten lost on the way.”

Seunghyun chuckled, the sound strangely low and rough. “Yeah… Shame.” His long fingers lifted to curl around Zico’s jaw. The blond parted his lips slightly, his tongue peeking out to sweep across his bottom lip. Seunghyun’s blazing dark eyes were caught on the motion. Zico sunk his teeth lightly into his own bottom lip even as he pressed their bodies closer together. His gaze caught briefly with Seunghyun’s, and it was as though something had snapped in the older man.

Their mouths met in a clash of teeth and tongue as Zico’s hands began to wander over the strong shape of Seunghyun’s chest. They stumbled over each other through the darkness as wandering fingers found buttons and hems, tugging ruthlessly until fabric began to gave way to skin. As they spilled into the bedroom, Seunghyun caught sight of the bed from the corner of his eye as Zico set about pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses along his neck. The man went cold at the sight of sky blue sheets peeping out from beneath the coverlet. His throat went dry, and he planted his hands firmly on Zico’s chest. “Stop it.”

Zico scoffed a little. “Come on, Seunghyun.” He caught his mouth for a deep kiss that almost got Seunghyun to melt. But only almost.

Cursing, the brunette firmly shoved Zico away, making the man nearly stumble back into the wall. “Get out,” he gasped.

“Seunghyun, what are you –“

Whirling, Seunghyun grabbed the glass he kept on the nightstand and threw it against the wall. “I said get out,” he barked. Zico’s lips drew into a tight line before he grabbed his shirt off the floor and stalked out. He was far from finished with Seunghyun; this was just a temporary setback.

The moment the front door clicked shut, Seunghyun collapsed on the bed and began to sob. He grabbed Daesung’s pillow from the empty side of the bed and curled tightly around it – some part of his alcohol-soaked brain reasoning it was his lover he was holding onto. “I’m so sorry, Dae,” he choked. “So sorry. I love you. Please don’t leave me.”

Crawling onto the bed with him, Daesung wrapped his arms tightly around the brunette and pressed soft kisses to his heated skin. “I love you, Seunghyun. I promise, I’m here. Always.” He held the brunette until his tears had dissolved into snores and the frown had melted into an uneasy sleep. But, the angel’s heart was ill at ease. He was…afraid. The demons were more dangerous than he had realized, and he could not let Seunghyun pay the price for his mistake. 

But the fight had only just begun.

---

So, if you would like to flip tables and curse my name, feel free to do so in the comments below. I'm sorry if this chapter distresses you. ... I love you?