Part 1: Routine (With a Little Cinnamon)
Love MortalitySleep was a nice thing when he got it, which was rare. Luckily, though, sleep to an angel was more of a luxury than a necessity. A sparse luxury, indeed, but every chance he got to rest his eyes made Kai understand why humans enjoyed it so much.
Angels were supposed to always keep busy. Each class had their respective duty, ranging from guardianship to welcoming passed souls to helping souls pass, the latter of which Kai belonged to. Helping souls pass was the nice way to describe his job, but it was technically more accurate than saying killing or ending lives. They were the smallest of the classes, but they were considered to have one of the most difficult jobs, a reality which earned them a considerable amount of respect from the other classes. Bringing a soul into the Afterlife was never an easy task, especially those of tragic passing, those who barely got to live, and especially those who were special to the angel, but it was a necessary evil, as Kai referred to it. Without it, passed souls would become more vulnerable to the demons of the Underworld, who preyed on the lost and confused. That had happened to him once or twice and it brought about even worse feeling of remorse than taking someone away from the people that loved them.
His eyes were just about to close when he heard the familiar ring. He sat up with a sigh and looked down at his watch. 12 minutes had lapsed since his last ring, which was considered long, nearly a record. Contrary to the other angels, who saw it as the humans kindly but unknowingly giving them a break by not dying, Kai saw it as a sign of progress; a sign that humanity was getting better at helping its people live longer and that gave him hope; hope that one day, his type of evil would no longer be necessary.
But that day clearly wasn't today. So, he lifted his hand and read the message as it appeared in front of his face.
Name: Ha Jae Yong
Age: 43
Location: Ulsan, South Korea
Time till passing: 8 minutes
Age: 43
Location: Ulsan, South Korea
Time till passing: 8 minutes
It wasn't the worst mission description he had ever read. That gave him hope it would be an easy passing, someone who had been suffering for a long time and him showing up would give him relief rather than suffering. Those were always the easiest to cope with.
He stood up and let out another breath before teleporting himself to the named location. There was a temporary moment where all movement of life stopped and this was no unusual occurrence for Kai. It was something that happened to all angels regardless of class, but it was considered amateur for the Angels of Death, as they were the class that visited Earth most often. Some of the older, more experienced angels could appear without causing any disruption to the lives of mortals, but it was a difficult skill for any to master. Pausing time was the simplest way for those who were still learning to complete their missions because most humans were too caught up in their own lives to take notice. They also didn't understand time the same way the angels did, so that helped.
Kai found himself standing in front of a city hospital, one he had been to before and this gave him even more hope for an easy passing. All of his missions here thus far had been positive ones. They were all cases of long-time suffering and his presence was actually appreciated by the souls. He smiled a little; he was hopeful.
He was led up to the hospital's sixth floor and around a few corners before he stopped at a door marked by the number 621. The folder inside the bin on the wall to the left of the door was labeled with the name he had seen in his mission description: Ha Jae Yong. That was another thing he liked about having missions in hospitals and other medical institutions, he could always verify he was in the right place if somehow his angel instincts led him astray. It rarely happened, but it was always a worry he carried around with him.
But he could let go of it for a moment with this mission. He walked through the closed door (because going through the trouble of opening it might cause unnecessary panic in the soul) and observed a man laying perfectly still in the hospital bed. He was wearing an oxygen mask over his mouth and nose, which confirmed to Kai this would be not only an easy passing but a peaceful one as well.
He walked up to the man with no rush in his steps and stopped at his bedside. He looked around at all the wires attached to him that were attached to machines and wondered what had happened to this soul. He found himself doing this often because his mission descriptions never told him what the cause of passing would be. The head angel said the cause never mattered unless the soul saw it to matter. This was one of those cases where he supposed it didn't matter. Clearly, this soul had been preparing for this passing and so had his loved ones. Kai's only job now was to make sure it was as painless and peaceful as could be.
He checked his watch again and saw he still had three minutes until the soul was due to pass. In a situation like this, he could get away with starting early on the basis of the Morality of Suffering Clause, but he never did that. He never liked doing that. It felt like corruption, an exploitation of his abilities. Just because he had the ability to take souls into the Afterlife didn't mean he had a right to do with that ability as pleased for his personal amusement or convenience. Would he like to be back home trying to get whatever amount of rest he could? Sure, he would, but this moment wasn't about him. When he went on a mission, it was all about the soul about to go into passing and making them as comfortable as possible. He had to forget his selfish desires and focus on what this soul needed.
The next thing he did wasn't routine to the other angels, but rather, it was a gesture Kai liked to do before he helped a soul pass. He prayed. In truth, there wasn't much praying that happened in the Afterlife because it was believed doing so to a specific deity tainted the peaceful and unbiased passing of the soul, yet he always found it to be a nice final gesture.
He closed his eyes and clasped his hands together and prayed. He prayed for the life the soul had lived, that it had been properly fulfilled with love and happiness. He prayed for the suffering of the soul, that it would leave his body promptly. He prayed for the peaceful passing of the soul into the Afterlife, that it wouldn't be a confusing or sorrowful experience. At lastly, he prayed for the loved ones of the soul, that each and every one of them would be able to properly grieve and then find their peace.
"Amen," he whispered and let his eyes open slowly. He checked his watch and saw that three minutes had now gone by, which meant it was now time. He took one or two steps closer to the soul and hovered both of his hands over its physical body. He shut his eyes again and allowed his abilities to come through. The soul was lifted from its physical body in a matter of moments. It floated above it for a moment before it finally awoke, at which moment Kai's eyes opened as well.
He could identify the expression of confusion on its face and he just smiled. "It's okay," he said. "You will be okay." This alone seemed to put the soul at some ease.
Kai led the soul back to the Afterlife and they came upon The Gates, where they were promptly greeted by two Angels of Passing. Their sole responsibility was to welcome the recently passed soul into the Afterlife.
Kai led the soul back to the Afterlife and they came upon The Gates, where they were promptly greeted by two Angels of Passing. Their sole responsibility was to welcome the recently passed soul into the Afterlife.
"Welcome, new soul," said Jonghyun, speaking softly and with a smile. "There's no need to worry. You're safe here." He turned to Kai. "Thank you, Angel of Death. Your service here today has been noted."
"Thank you." He bowed and waited until the soul disappeared through the gates. His job was done.
Normally, he would have headed back to his quarters until his next mission calling, but he had other plans. Plans he only made with himself when he was sent on a mission in South Korea. He entered the country again, but this time in its capital city.
Normally, he would have headed back to his quarters until his next mission calling, but he had other plans. Plans he only made with himself when he was sent on a mission in South Korea. He entered the country again, but this time in its capital city.
Time stood still around him, but he for his purposes, he resumed it. Doing so was risky for angels because it exposed them to mortals, which temporarily disabled their own immortality. They could only survive like this for three mortal days at a time and not a moment longer. If they rebelled and stayed in the nicknamed "mortal mode" for longer than this, they risked losing their angel status and would, as a result, become mortal. This was the worst fear of most angels, but there were a few stories of some who had done this and were allegedly now living happy, timed lives. Kai never really took a stance on it. He could see the fear, yet he could also see the appeal. He supposed should the right incentive presented itself to him, he would consider sacrificing this life for a mortal one, but thus far, it hadn't.
Nonetheless, he crossed over while time was still stuck in place. He exhaled deeply as it played on and smiled faintly. He, contrary to other angels, found joy and even fascination walking among humans. Kai never thought himself above them, also unlike others. Rather, he saw himself as their supernatural equals. No one ever quite understood what he meant by this, but it made sense to Kai.
He took his time strolling around the city, observing the buildings, sights, sounds, and smells. He had been here before on other occasions like today, but he always discovered something he missed before, which was part of the appeal for him. He admired that about humans, their constant desire to change and improve. Angels never changed, nor did they understand why anyone would want to. Kai found kind of funny, this backwards mindset of angels and humans; while one worked every day to find ways to change some aspect of their lives, the other looked down at them with judgmental scowls. Peculiar indeed.
The café hadn't changed, though, and Kai supposed this when he connected most to his fellow angels. He peeked into the window to see if he was there and to his comfort, he spotted behind the counter right away. He was smiling brightly, as he usually was, and he noticed that his hair was finally starting to grow back. Kai didn't really have a preference over his hairstyle, but he had a secret soft spot for his bald, fuzzy head.
He caught himself staring for a moment too long when the man noticed him and waved at him. A wide smile appeared naturally on Kai's face as he waved back and was motioned to come inside. He obliged happily and walked up to the counter.
"Kai! It's been so long since I've last seen you! How have you been?"
"I've been well, better now that I've seen you, though." He blushed at the angel's words. "What about you, Kyungsoo? How have you been?"
"Fine, mostly." Kyungsoo exhaled softly and rested his chin on his hand, pursing his lips as he spoke. "I think I'm adjusting back into average person life and finally exiting military mode."
"I take it you didn't enjoy your enlistment," Kai said, chuckling softly.
"It's not that I didn't enjoy it, but if given the option to not do it, I would have taken it." Kyungsoo laughed beautifully after he spoke. "I missed you while I was gone," he said, the sincerity of the words and his expression catching Kai off guard. "I always thought about the day I first saw you lurking outside the café a year ago. Well, I guess it's been two now. I thought it was weird at first, but I let it slide because you were so handsome. In a strange way, it kept me going, thinking about that day."
"I'm glad my handsomeness kept you motivated," Kai joked and the elder man slapped his shoulder playfully in response. "I missed you, too. I barely came here at all. In fact, I think I avoided this city entirely if I could help it. It somehow didn't feel the same knowing you weren't in it."
"Well, I'm truly flattered," Kyungsoo replied as the blush crept back onto his face. "Why don't I get you a coffee or something? You know, to commemorate our reunion. It'll be on the house."
"Sure." Kai smiled. "I'll take a latte."
"One latte coming up." Kyungsoo smiled and tapped his hand against the countertop once before turning around to start on his drink. Naturally, Kai watched him as he did, completely mesmerized by the way he moved and just existed. It was fascinating to the angel, how one human could radiate such beauty and purity while doing the most trivial of tasks. He didn't think he'd ever be able to wrap his mind around it.
"Here you go," he said upon his return. "I added a little cinnamon on top, too. I remembered you liked it last time I made you one."
"Thank you," Kai said as he pulled the warm cup toward him. His smile grew wider as he saw the milk heart drawn on the top of the drink and looked back at Kyungsoo. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I would think you were confessing to me," he said playfully. "Unless you go around giving milk hearts to every customer who orders a latte."
"I do not!" Kyungsoo chortled and hit him again. Kai rubbed his shoulder as he laughed; for someone as small as the elder was, he sure hit hard. "I only give hearts to you. And to people who ask for them, but those people usually give them to their dates, so they don't count. And so what if I'm confessing? We've been flirting with each other for long enough. It's about time one of us says something, even if it is with milk hearts."
Kai laughed again and picked the cup up, taking a sip. He hummed happily as the warm drink ran down his throat and comforted his stomach. "I'll see you next time, Kyungsoo. Take care of yourself," he said grinning as he began to walk toward the door.
"I expect something back next time!" he yelled after him. Kai looked back at him as he opened the door, and Kyungsoo smiled and waved at him. He waved back.
He continued to drink his latte as he strolled down the street. He felt more content than he did before, but that was the usual sensation he felt after spending any amount of time around Kyungsoo. It was during times like this he pondered the idea of abandoning his angel life. It wouldn't be the first time an angel had traded in the Afterlife for love and it worked out sometimes, though, not every time. That was probably what held him back. What if Kyungsoo got bored with him after a while and decided he no longer loved him? Truthfully, living with that reality was scarier to Kai than with not being able be an angel again.
He finished his latte about ten minutes later and decided it was probably time to head back. So, he disposed of his cup and paused time again, feeling his wings appear behind him. He was gone moments later, time resumed, and no remnants of his trip remained--except the little but of cinnamon on the corner of his mouth.
A/N
Sooooooooooooooooooo I've been having trouble finding the motivation/time to write my other stories, you know the ones I was excited to start, so what better way to get over that writer's block than to start a new story? :D No but seriously, this idea was in my head and I had to do something with it before I developed the whole plot in my head and forgot it, so here it is. I have no idea when this will be updated, so just keep an eye out is what I'll say I guess.
Sooooooooooooooooooo I've been having trouble finding the motivation/time to write my other stories, you know the ones I was excited to start, so what better way to get over that writer's block than to start a new story? :D No but seriously, this idea was in my head and I had to do something with it before I developed the whole plot in my head and forgot it, so here it is. I have no idea when this will be updated, so just keep an eye out is what I'll say I guess.
But anyway, I hope you liked this little taste and let me know what you think in the comments! You can also leave a vote if you want, but no one is making you. Lol but yeah, I'll be back at some point. I'm going to work on a requested one shot next and then I'll see what I feel like updating, so see y'all then I guess! Bye <3
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