“You are a fallen angel.”

Minho tilts his head, “Excuse me?”

“You're a fallen angel. The proof is right there,” Changmin holds the mirror close until it's right in Minho's face showing two long identical scars run down Minho's back. They were poorly healed leaving misshapened evidence behind.

The perfect position of where angel wings should be.

Minho scoffs, knocking the mirror out of Changmin's hand. “You're lying to me. Because how else I wouldn't know those things are on my back.”

“Do you make it a habit to look at your back?” Changmin shakes his head. “More than a century and you have no idea what you are. I would have pity you but it looks like you're taking this fact very well.”

“Because I don't believe it and you're playing a prank,” Minho retorts.

“Really? That's what you think?” Changmin raises his eyebrow. “Do you think I would lower myself to say you're a angel as some sort of prank?!” He pulls off the glove from his hand, revealing burnt and peeled off flesh. “Look at my hand. Did you forget that you're able heal from holy water when demons would have burned? You were practically drenched but you turned out just fine. We can test it out if you're not sure, there's a priest a couple street down who can lend some holy water to dump on your head.”

Minho glares at Changmin but when he sees Changmin didn't waver, the thought finally sets in. But the more he thinks about it the more it seems absurd.

“Demons are not too particular with labels,” Changmin studies his fingernails of his injured hand. “We get grouped together but there are differences that separates us. Made demons, fallen angels, pure demons - honestly its nothing special. There are things fallen angels can do that demons can't and vice versa,” he explains, looking practically disinterested. “How you are somewhat immune to hell fire and holy water but not completely? There is nothing special about your predicament; many angels fell before you but not all of them survived the ordeal.”

“Then why didn't you tell me earlier?” Minho closes his eyes, clenches his hand. “Why now? You've known me since the very beginning.”

“You fell to Hell the same way demons are born and made; screaming and crying, tortured from even breathing,” Changmin breathes deeply through his nose, the topic heavy. “There weren't any wings on your back – burned away leaving nothing but bloody scars. When I was there, you couldn't tell one from the other unless the proof is staring right in your face. You were strong and managed to survive the fall, resentful enough to be reborn and thrived in Hell. Happy?”

“I remember the pain,” Minho clutches his head. “But I don't remember that. And why? How?”

“Most who fell don't remember,” Changmin shrugs. “Memories too painful and prefer forgotten. Discarded and thrown out of the Heavens without a chance of redemption?” He shoots an unkind smile to Minho. “I assume trauma related what do humans call it – PTSD?”

“Enough!” Minho's thoughts are in turmoil, slams his hand against the surface. In his case the mirror, breaks into little pieces and his hand bleed from the shards. “Whatever you think I am... I-I'm not... I'm a demon...”

“Then why are you reacting like this? The reason I'm telling you this is because you're unaware becoming soft and that's dangerous,” Changmin stands. “Why does it take you this long to make a contract with a human, to take their souls and move on? A fallen angel with sentimentality? They still need to feed. If it was a demon they would be a laughing stock in the entire realm. But now that you know, what will you do next?”

--

Changmin's question turns in Minho's mind even after leaving the bookstore with an unanswered question. This revelation of what he actually is... doesn't make him feel any different than from what he feels before. There was a feeling of numbness in his chest, wallowing Changmin's question. What should he do now?

In his musing he finds himself wandering around until he arrives at a particular route. He spots Taemin leaving the convenience store with a bag of snacks in his hand.

When Taemin sees him, his eyes light up with a big smile. “Demon hyung!”

The nickname has Minho bewildered, now that he isn't what he thought he is. A nickname Taemin has taken to calling him since the beginning. But he doesn't want Taemin to stop calling him that.

Taemin walks up to him, oblivious to the turmoil in Minho's head. “Where have you been?” he asks. “I haven't seen you around lately.”

When Minho doesn't answer Taemin mistakenly follows Minho's eyes to the bag he's holding. Eager, he takes out two ice cream cones he bought from the store. “You hungry?” He removes the wrapper from one of them and holds it for Minho to take.

Minho looks at the ice cream weirdly and Taemin just waves it at him. “Hurry up, hyung. It's going to melt soon.”

Minho hesitantly takes it, allowing Taemin his hands free to open his own. Taemin tastes it little by little, making a satisfied noise. “So good and so cold~”

Cone in hand, the two stroll to the walkway that overlooks the buildings and roads. A perfect place to hang out and relax. On the way Taemin chatters about his day. For some reason Minho doesn't find it boring or annoying, but content by Taemin's side. The turmoil thoughts in his head slowly but surely calms the more Taemin talks.

Something as simple as eating ice cream and walking leisurely, it's nothing Minho personally experience. And experiencing a feeling he never thought to associate himself with. With all his years of more than a century, only having met Taemin does he discover such things.

Seeing Minho silent and not eating the ice cream has Taemin stop and frown, “Do you not like yours? It's chocolate.”

Minho looks down at the ice cream in his hand and finishes with less than five bite without stopping from the coldness of the treat until nothing is left. This fills Taemin with awe, whose own ice cream is dripping down on his fingers that was holding the cone. Without thinking, Minho takes Taemin's hand and taste the ice cream staining his fingers. His tongue dances between the digits, cleaning them from the melted treat.

Taemin squeaks and snatches his hand away. “Minho! What was that for?!”

Minho carefully looks at Taemin, who suddenly looks shy and unable to meet Minho's intense eyes. It was cute in a way like a small animal or child. There is a hint of a pout that has him chuckle in his head.

And the thought momentarily bewildered him, since when had he thought of Taemin like that? When Changmin told him he is a fallen angel? Preposterous.

Minho shrugs. “Just because.”

“Just because?!” Taemin repeats, touches his hand that Minho had his mouth on causing his cheeks to color. “If you wanted more I can always buy more for you. There's a lot of different flavors too and... you don't have to eat my fingers!”

The last part of the sentence has Taemin's ears turning red, giving a cute hue to his complexion. The look has Minho smile before he caught himself and turn away, his arms leaning on the railing. “This is the first time I ever had ice cream.”

“What really?!” Taemin exclaims, his hands clutches the railing next to him and his shyness forgotten. “The first time?! Are you joking?”

“Little one.”

Minho can feel Taemin perked up from the nickname. So he isn't the only one who has an attachment given to the name. It made him feel slightly better as he is the only one to call him that. Just as how Taemin is the only one to call him demon hyung.

The only person to call him hyung.

“If you were to do everything over again,” Minho says, staring out to the hills behind the sight of buildings and roads. “Would you still allow yourself to summon me in your bedroom?”

Taemin hums. “I'm afraid that isn't up for me to decide. I still don't know why and how you were summoned in the first place.”

“Then in that case even if you knew from the beginning that you would become hopelessly entangled with me, you wouldn't regret it?” Minho asks.

“Now you're trying to sound so important than you're not,” Taemin snickers at the thought. “But nope. I won't regret it. I'd probably do it again but in the living room next time. More space and better lighting that way.”

But Taemin's answer doesn't make Minho feel better, making him think of other possibilities. But there's another possibility, a thought nagging in his mind.

“If I wasn't a demon,” Minho starts. “If I were something else...”

“Huh? What brought this on?” Taemin asks, moving closer to Minho to see his face. “Hyung... you're pouting!”

Minho feels surprised by Taemin's outburst, unaware of the expressions he's making. He turns away from Taemin's eager eyes. “No I'm not!”

“You are and your face is red! Its so cute!”

The sound of cheerful laughter rang in his ears. Minho glances and sees Taemin chuckling whole-heartedly with a wide smile on his face. The afternoon sun setting down casts a warm glow, wrapping Taemin's whole being like a halo. The sight made him feel lost for words, unknowingly lower his guard.

“I don't think it's important if you're a demon or not,” Taemin answers smiling, his laughter subsides. “Whether you're a demon, angel, or a human. As long as you're you, Minho, that's what matters. But Minho, do you regret it? Being summoned by me?”

Do you regret falling from heaven? Will you change your answer when the time finally comes to take your soul? Minho turns his head away, with a wistful look watching the sun set. An golden like glow fills the space in between the sky and earth, basking the two in warmth. The setting sun falls between the split in the hills far away, creating a line separating them.

After a while Minho answers. “Does it even matter?”

I wonder if another world exists. It will still be you and me in the end. I hope that there will always be us and that we will find our way to each other.

Short chapter just to get Minho's existential crisis out of the way and I promise you big is about to go down next chapter.

Just posted a sketch of Taemin on my twitter. Just a little doodle as I'm trying out a different art style so go check it out here.

SHINee MMORPG AU is now in session! Basically SHINee members are playing virtual reality MMORPG with unique characters. I'm mostly going to do sketches and as this is more of idea rather than a full fledge fic, they will be posted here. Check it out if you can and I will hopefully post a sketch of Taemin's character soon.

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