Kihyun’s sitting across from the human in the little café, watching as Jooheon sips from a plain Americano. The man is much less nervous to be around this angel, having grown more accustomed to his company throughout the past month.

“How’s work today?” Kihyun asks, glancing around the café devoid of any sign of human life save for themselves and Jooheon’s brother behind the counter. Jooheon chuckles under his breath, those dimples Kihyun has come to adore so wholly making an appearance.

“Just booming,” he replies sarcastically, earning a snicker from the angel. “How’s work for you, hyung?” Kihyun hums, sobering up a bit. He looks out the window, seeing how the entire town has taken on a bit of a rougher visage than it used to have. The streets have fallen into a constant state of disrepair due to the corruption seeping into the local government, and the cop car hiding out in the alley across the street has only one officer in it, asleep on the job.

“Not great,” Kihyun answers finally, doing his best to ignore the guilt gnawing at his heart. He hasn’t exactly been all that present in his battles with Minhyuk lately... He knows the demon is on this plain, skulking around and coaxing out the worse habits of the humans in this town, but he strangely doesn’t want to fight him much anymore. After all, Jooheon would be beyond worried if he came to meet him one day with this form battered and bruised. He wants the human to think fondly of him, to not cause him distress.

So, if that means he doesn’t fight with Minhyuk, so be it.

“Okay hyung, I’m done,” Changkyun calls from the counter, already taking off his apron. He flips the counter up to let him out from behind the register, practically tripping over himself to get to the door.

“Yah!” Jooheon calls, pouting confusedly. Kihyun glances between them, curious. He can feel the anticipation coming off the younger human, can hear the way his heart pitter-patters so quickly... He can’t help but smile, turning his attention to his own drink.

The boy’s planning to go meet someone.

“What’s with the rush?” Jooheon asks, though it’s clear the way he smirks that he knows the reason, too. Changkyun huffs out a breath, pouting.

“I’m already running late because you decided to leave me with all the cleaning... again,” the boy grumbles, throwing his apron at Jooheon in retaliation. Jooheon chuckles, shaking his head as he sets the fabric on the table.

“Just be safe, Kyunnie, okay? Don’t stay out too late.” Changkyun waves off the comment, saying a quick goodbye to Kihyun before sprinting out the door. Jooheon shakes his head, watching after his little brother fondly. Kihyun loves seeing how caring the human is for his brother. It reminds him of that beautiful heart the man has, the thing that Kihyun first began to fall for...

“Sorry,” Jooheon says, breaking Kihyun free from his thoughts, “Changkyun’s started seeing some guy that’s new to town...” A glimmer of worry flickers across Jooheon’s eyes, and Kihyun finds himself worried, too, though he doesn’t know why.

“Do you... not like him?” Kihyun prompts, reminding Jooheon he can tell him anything. He knows they haven’t known each other long in the mortal’s mind, but he knows the man trusts him despite how they met. Again, it’s one of the things Kihyun likes—loves—most about him. Jooheon hums thoughtfully, his plump lips puckering out in a pout.

“I haven’t met him yet,” Jooheon finally says, not really answering the question. Kihyun can’t help but chuckle slightly under his breath, recognizing the apprehensive tone in the blonde’s voice. He glances down, staring at the drink in his hands as if it could give him some sort of answer. “I’ve told Changkyun to just bring him to the apartment, or here to the cafe, just so I could see how he talks to him, but he wants to keep him secret.” Kihyun purses his lips at this, remembering how he hasn’t been home in weeks now, spending more and more time with the human. He’s even gotten a shack of an apartment here in town, just so he won’t have to continuously go back and forth between realms.

He hasn’t even seen Hoseok or Hyunwoo since he snapped at them like he had that day.

“Is there something wrong in wanting to keep someone special to you secret?” he can’t help but ask, a strange sense of guilt slowly filling his mind. How strange, he’s never felt something like guilt before… Is his time on Earth making him… more human?

“I-I guess not,” Jooheon replies, meeting Kihyun’s gaze again. The strange new feeling is instantly quelled by the affection that always floods every cell of Kihyun’s body when Jooheon looks at him with those sparkling, adorably small eyes of his. “I just want to make sure he’s treating my brother right, y’know? It’s my job to protect him, especially from awful people who would break his heart.”

Kihyun can’t help but smile, reaching out with his hand to grasp onto Jooheon’s. He curls his fingers around the man’s hand, rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. Jooheon’s shoulders drop ever so slightly, as if relaxing at the simple touch, and a whisper of a smile pulls at his lips.

“You’ll meet him when the time is right,” Kihyun assures him, making a conscious point not to let go. “There’s a plan for everyone, Heonney. You and your brother are destined for great things, I know it. Everything will happen in its own time.” Jooheon’s adam’s apple bobs with the force of his gulp, his eyes not leaving Kihyun’s gaze.

“I can never get how you can say stuff like that so sure of yourself,” he mutters, barely audible. He stretches out his fingers, braiding his with the angel’s and not showing any intention of letting go. Kihyun lifts a shoulder in half a shrug, his eyes brightening just a bit at the gesture.

“Because I am~” he replies vaguely. After all, what could he say? That he knows there’s a plan for everything because he’s an actual angel who could list off all the other angels working to keep the grand design in balance on a daily basis? No, of course not. The time’s not right yet. Jooheon isn’t ready to hear his secret yet…

Kihyun makes sure Jooheon’s in the door of his own home before heading off towards his new place. He really only has it to have somewhere to go when Jooheon is working or sleeping, because there’s no way he’d ever bring Jooheon somewhere so run-down and full of so many potential health hazards. But, it’s necessary. Going home is just such a hassle now, because he knows he’d just turn right back around to visit the mortal man again.

He slumps into the shack, going to sit on a couch with only one cushion, springs protruding from the lining on the other side. A puff of dust poofs out at the weight that settles on it, and Kihyun has to remember to hold his breath for a few seconds. He found out the hard way how unpleasant breathing in dust could be.

Sirens blare through the streets, but that’s typical in this town. He’s noticed more and more popping up since he met the human, but it doesn’t matter to him like he knows it should. The battle for this town was a losing one, anyway, so he might as well accept defeat. That demon Minhyuk gets this town, and that’s fine. His brethren will just defend against some other demon at the next town, and then the one after, and then the one after… Thus, the neverending battle between good and evil.

None of it matters to Kihyun much anymore, because he knows he can protect Jooheon and Changkyun much better than he could an entire town, and that’s enough for him.