The wind roared in Yixing's ears as he plummeted down to the last sky. Before this, whenever he fell, he felt weightless— light as air with no worries of getting hurt when he actually met the surface of the ground. But right now, fear overwhelmed him and his body weighed so much from the gravitational pull of the notoriously barren sky below him.

As he neared the bottom, Yixing tried to manoeuvre his body around to the side as to not attain as much injury when the impact met him. He grunted and bit his lip to prevent himself from screaming out in utter pain. The ground had greeted him unceremoniously, cracking a few of his ribs and lacerating his bare arms from the countless tiny jagged rocks that littered the land. Yixing rolled and tumbled for a few agonizing minutes before finally coming to a stop to catch his breath.

He groaned and tried to sit up, but his spine seemed to have been damaged and he fell back in defeat. The tears that he had forcefully kept back as he was pushed into the chasm down to this very scornful land cascaded down his pale cheeks and he trembled uncontrollably. His fist slammed onto the ground and he screamed in frustration.

A few crows from the branches of a bare tree squawked and scattered into the grey sky. They circled Yixing for a long while, curious at the new life form that dared to interrupt them of their leisure time on the tree.

But after a long inspection, they made noises towards each other and flew away— Yixing decided that they were tired of seeing such an unattractive meal or that they have somehow figured out that he was a Fallen, so ignorance was a total bliss in these parts of the skies. He continued to sob because 'hey, if the crows hate me, then he'd hate me too.'

Bringing his arm to cover his tear- smeared face, Yixing thought about him; the one he loved. If it wasn't for his carelessness in letting his emotions get the better of him, Yixing would not even be in this kind of unruly situation. If he'd been anyone else staring down at himself right now, he'd snort in disgust; because being a Fallen meant anything but holy. Even the Demons held greater pride in being their corrupted selves than wanting to be one of the Fallens.

Now deemed tainted and dried of his tears, Yixing tried once again to get up and walk to someplace conditional as a shelter. Heavy and dark rain clouds were hovering menacingly above him and thunder rumbled in the distance. There would be little light source down here on the last sky and Yixing knew that. Gathering his strength, he tried to make haste.

"Aaahhh!" Yixing yelled in anguished pain and went back to square one. The throbbing not only intensified when he had forced himself to sit up straight, it got worse. Now, it felt like it was shattering to pieces.

"Goddammit!" he screamed and slammed his fist to the ground, venting his anger on the only thing he could reach for in the barren land. "Why...? Why...?!"

Squeezing his eyes shut, Yixing brought his legs up and pushed his weight off from the ground and sat there, trying to endure the excruciating pain that was his spine. He looked back at it and felt more tears invading his vision, making them hazy. Just on either side of the middle of his back, there were charred remains of the burnt belongings he had once thought of having for an eternity.

They symbolized purity and balance. He had grew up with those things being dear to him, but now he allowed the stinging tears to wet his cheeks yet again as he thought about his wings; clipped without mercy.

And it was all because of one particular Angel.

<--•-->

The Angel Realm was never a calm place to be in. There were different types of angels, all of whom shared something with another and have their respective responsibilities to take care of. But Yixing was getting tired of his job.

Sitting alone in one of the vast parks, he pouted as he looked down into the lake to view his human. Yixing was a full- fledged Guardian Angel, and his assigned Earth-bound being was something that Yixing had taken a slight bore in. It was his first real assignment issued by the Archangel himself and he was all the more honoured to accept his role.

'This kid does nothing but play basketball... I mean, look at him; he's as tall as the Statue of Liberty for crying out loud!' Yixing thought, frustrated at another unfruitful day of him and his human.

But seeing as Yifan— Yixing's supposed human to guide and nurture— was an ordinary boy who spent his time shooting hoops or having his regular outings with his peers, Yixing would teeter on the edge of sanity. He loved his work, he really did. The responsibility of a Guardian Angel towards a human was such a huge rank and every angel would look up to them. But Yixing would sometimes wonder if any of his colleagues ever experienced the feeling of discarding their human for another.

Being the timid Angel he was, Yixing could never pluck up the courage to even ask his older and more experienced peers. They were always seen busy and Yixing did not want to interrupt them with his petty problem. He sighed at the thought and dipped his finger into the lake, creating ripples that blurred his human's face slightly.

"What can I do for you since you've adapted to your lifestyle?" Yixing asked aloud as if the human boy could hear and answer him.

"Well, for starters you can treat me lunch," a soft yet teasing voice sounded from Yixing's left ear and he stumbled to the side, almost diving head first into the lake from shock.

A laugh full of childish mirth came from the mouth of Yixing's best friend as he tumbled onto the grassy embankment with an amused expression. Yixing blushed furiously and got up, dusting some of the grass that stuck to his clothes. He crossed his arms and pouted in what seemed to be an angry gesture towards his friend, who was still laughing.

"Luhan, that wasn't funny!"

"Yes, it was. I laughed," the Angel named Luhan said and wiped a few tears that were begging to come out.

"Yeah, well... I told you to stop sneaking up on me like that; I could have a heart attack," Yixing grudgingly helped his friend up.

Luhan gave Yixing a look before bursting into a fit that really made Yixing's face resemble the colour of a tomato. "We're angels, Yixing! We can't have heart attacks!"

At this point, knowing how infectious Luhan's laugh could get, Yixing joined in and dismissed the fact that he was actually mad at the older. But whenever he was around Luhan, he could never get angry or yell at him. They had been the best of friends since the beginning of time and they were inseparable— like brothers, they were always there for one another and Yixing loved the fact that the older was very concerned in every little thing Yixing did.

It made him seem important to Luhan. And he would do anything to keep it that way.

The two friends came to the little cafe and placed their orders before taking their seats. Yixing watched in admiration as Luhan folded his wings neatly behind his back; tucking the few feathers that poked unevenly from the back before sitting comfortably. Luhan was very organized and he liked everything clean and neat, and that included his well-being and appearance. Yixing would never get tired of Luhan's constant image checking wherever they went. He liked that quality about Luhan.

"So, how's it going with that Yifan kid?" Luhan asked as he stuffed the salad into his mouth the moment his plate of food arrived. Yixing could only chuckle because eventhough Luhan liked tidy things; he wasn't the most gracious eater.

"I honestly don't know... He's being Yifan, that's all," Yixing shrugged and played with his salmon strips.

"How's your human?"

At this, Luhan put down his cutleries and clapped his hands like a five-year-old receiving candy. He had an excited look on his face and Yixing could not help but smile along. Luhan had the most beautiful smile Yixing has ever seen.

"Oh! I forgot to tell you; Minseok has been accepted into a music company," Luhan's eyes twinkled. "He's gonna be a star, just how he wanted! I am so proud of him."

Yixing frowned and flipped a salmon strip over. He did not really know how to react, seeing as he was having an unfruitful time with his own human. But nevertheless, seeing Luhan happy gave him strength, and Yixing would do anything to keep that brilliant smile displayed on the elder's lips for all eternity.

"That's great news! I hope his love life comes around smoothly too!" Yixing chirped, feigning his disappointment.

"I know, right?" Luhan winked and twirled his fork around the noodles. "I can't wait to meet his soul mate. She has got to be the sweetest thing out there!"

"You're acting like that baozi's father," Yixing teased, earning him an affectionate kick to the shin.

"Well, that's because I care about him so much. We Angels have to protect our humans at all cost; our love is undivided. We stay true to our jobs."

At the mention of one of the lines from the Holy Manifesto, Yixing pursed his lips. Deep inside, he knew he was neglecting his duty as a Guardian Angel, and pushing aside all knowledge he had learned in order to become a full-fledged angel. Yixing knew he had to get a knock in the brains to wake himself up. He could not abandon his human for anything, because he was tied to him. Their bonds were unbreakable until the human or Angel dies. He knew all this, but he chose to ignore it.

"Hey there, what's the matter, Yixing?" Luhan patted the boy's shoulder gently. "Aren't you hungry anymore? Should we go someplace else?"

Yixing tensed at the sudden contact of skin against his own sleeveless arm. His eyes locked onto Luhan's concerned ones and they stayed there for a while longer because Yixing wanted to. He wanted to spend his whole life looking at that precious smile that belonged to Luhan and stare into those magnificent doe orbs that shone with love.

It wasn't until Luhan's voice penetrated into his hearing senses did the spell broke. Yixing shook his head and shrugged his arm away. The sensation was driving him on the edge of sanity.

"I-I'm okay, Luhan," Yixing tried to give the elder a smile, but his mouth twitched awkwardly and he settled on a frown. "It's just that... how can you be so happy with your human if he does nothing at all? Yifan has given me nothing to help him out with. He doesn't have any problems I could fix and he keeps mostly to himself. He doesn't seem like the type to open up to anyone and I can't change that about him because that would mean going against his will—"

A finger hushed Yixing's fast mouth and he looked at Luhan with wide eyes. His heart must have stopped beating at that point, because the eternal beauty that was staring at him, having his finger to his lips made the entire problem relating Yixing's own human dissipate.

"Yixing, I know how you feel. You're feeling so helpless, so angry at yourself for having been bonded with a human who does not have a problem," Luhan said, advising in a gentle tone that melted Yixing. "But please realise what you're trying to say. This is what we were created to do: to guide the humans to the path of light. If you think that Yifan is giving you a hard time, then let me tell you a story."

Yixing held his breath as he came to realise his grave mistake. He lowered his head in shame as the elder continued.

"Do you still remember my old friend, Jongdae?" Luhan smiled sadly, and Yixing could do nothing but nod slowly. He knew this story because many a time, Luhan would narrate the tale of how helpless his friend was in his Angel occupation.

"Jongdae was a great Angel, and a good friend. He and the other Element Angels had tough jobs ahead of them; creating natural phenomenon that would sometimes result into a catastrophic play on earth. One day, Jongdae, as one of the head Storm Angels, had to conjure up a tempest so great that a whole island would have been wiped clean of its inhabitants. He hesitated, Yixing," Luhan said and flashed a weary smile towards the listening younger.

"He could do nothing. He wanted to save the people of that poor town, but as it was how the Archangel wished, so be it. Jongdae created a massive storm that killed almost every human and he blamed himself. He felt helpless but what could he do? He was nothing but a Storm Angel, whose task is exactly that."

Yixing gulped. He knew what Luhan was about to say next. He had been told this same story from very different angels, including his best friend. Those two sentences were always etched into his mind, never to be taken lightly. He shuddered.

 "He went up against the Archangel's orders and was exiled from the Realm. He is now a Fallen."

By now, Yixing had tried to control his tears from escaping and prevented his steaming face from exploding. It was such a heart- wrenching story and the reason why Luhan wanted to tell him so was because of his own idiocy in complaining about his job. Other angels could have gone through a lot more serious situation than Yixing, but all he could think about was himself. Sometimes, he did feel like going up against the Council and demanded them for an exchange in human bonding, but knowing the consequences, he felt very scared to do so.

Luhan's touch soothed Yixing yet again as he rubbed his thumb along the younger's trembling knuckles. Yixing looked up with teary eyes and tried to force a smile back in his face, but he could not. The guilt of how he had shown his weakness to Luhan and himself was too great; he settled his expression with a grim face.

"You're strong, Yixing, I know you are," Luhan said and smiled, still Yixing's hand tenderly. "Yifan's inability to let you guide him might be one of the Trials the Archangel has set up for you. Be positive! He will need help one day, and you will be the only one who can solve it."

At that time, Yixing did not know if he should burst into tears or just hug his best friend, squeezing the distance between them. Luhan knew him so well, and would always give encouragements to him no matter how troubling his problem was. In the end, Yixing gave the elder a broad smile and wiped his tears away.

"Thank you, Luhan."

For the sake of his best friend, he would change his perspective towards his job. For the sake of Luhan, he would see light in Yifan and go through the Trial like the courageous Angel he was supposed to be.

And for the sake of his lover, Yixing would do everything to make him happy.

<--•-->

His fragile body trembled as more tears wet his face and he sobbed uncontrollably. He hugged his knees towards his chest tightly, closing in the space and trying to find as much comfort in doing so. But all he felt was a jabbing pain in his chest and at the mere thought of that person made the small angel burst into more tears.

His head was a myriad of emotions— an expressway of different messages that he has yet to decipher each and every one of them. His heart throbbed painfully as he continued to weep alone without anyone to provide solace, because no one could.

Thunder rumbled in the distance and the smell of rain hung heavily in the air, like a lead block weighing down on him. He tried to get up, wiping away the tears that were still rolling down his fair cheeks, but his frail body proved to be too attached to the ground. He fell back in defeat and looked at the grey clouds above him, staring at how ugly it was and why it had to taint the Realm with its blackness; for dark colours only belonged to the Underworld. He had always hated rain but he also knew how essential it was to all living beings on earth.

The same thing could be said about the angel, whose eyes now began to lose its original spark of brilliant blue and morphing into a tint of grey; blandness. He had tried to hate his feelings from the very start. They would do nothing but betray him, making him succumb to them.

But now he realised that the only way to make this pain vanish was to eventually surrender to the lifelong emotions he had kept buried in the depths of his slender frame. The angel decided to Fall.

<--•-->

A warm fire was blazing in the hearth as it woke Yixing up from his terrible sleep, head still aching and body still stinging from the countless wounds he had obtained. There was a faint scent of honey and lemongrass lingering in the air, as well as the smell of wood and herbs. Yixing opened his eyes and was instantly drawn towards the flickering fire creating ominous shadows on the walls.

"Where am I?" he whispered groggily. The first thought that crossed his mind was that he was at home in the Angel Realm, lying on his bed and that he still had his pearly wings. Yixing wanted to think that the events he had gone through that very day was nothing but a horrible nightmare.

But he couldn't convince himself to believe, because Luhan wasn't with him. Yixing could still remember his best friend's horrified expression when his wings were clipped, sending a searing pain into his back and pushed down the chasm towards the last sky, the exiled realm for the Fallen. He had tried to reach for Luhan, but the elder would not even look at him— the other angels throwing sympathetic glances to him and some even scowled. The pain invaded his chest yet again, cutting all oxygen to enter and causing Yixing to curl into a ball to fight off the urge to cry.

The booming voice of the Archangel who declared Yixing a Fallen echoed in his mind and he cringed. It was the most aching scar that left its cruel mark on Yixing's being but he was all the more thankful, for when the Council had decidedly sentenced him to a life without wings, they did not know the real reason as to why they had suspected him of breaking one of the sinful taboos in the Realm.

He sighed wearily and massaged his nape, only to feel an unfamiliar type of cloth keeping him in its warmth. Yixing pushed the blankets off from his body and inspected his new set of clothes; a white long-sleeved V-neck shirt with beige pants that were too long for him.

"Wh-what?" Yixing was baffled. The last thing he remembered before passing out in the deserted land was the cave he had stumbled in, and his tattered cloths along with his trail of blood that was last seen pooling below him.

Yixing sat up and looked around, trying to absorb his surrounding better. He was in a small house— the fireplace pushed to the wall with an old armchair placed near it for comfort, a small kitchen at the far end of the room, a round wooden table with two chairs, the bed he was sitting on and a wooden door to his right. Following his sense of smell, Yixing found a small table by his bed with a folded parchment of medicinal salve, two small bottles of herbs and a bowl of yellow water— in which Yixing soon found out was honey.

"Oh, hello there. You're finally awake," a gentle and sweet voice said and Yixing whirled his head to the direction of the person. Evidently, there was another door next to the kitchen hidden by the darkness and a Fallen with silver-blonde hair emerged from the shadows, revealing his face.

"Don't worry, I'm the one who treated your wounds," the stranger came closer to Yixing but instead of getting up hastily and bombarding the mysteriously kind Fallen with lots of questions, Yixing had a feeling he knew him. The Fallen sat on a stool beside the bed and inspected his patient's bandages, in which Yixing squirmed uncomfortably as soon as the stranger's hands brushed against his spine, where his wings should have been.

Sensing the discomfort and pained expression on Yixing, the Fallen grabbed a small towel from the headboard and soaked it in honey. Yixing watched in amazement as the Fallen then dabbed the wet towel into the herbal salve and began cleaning the dried blood on the broken bones of the wings Yixing used to have. At first, a hot sensation seeped into his back, creating a wave of burning ripples to ride his spine. Yixing gasped.

"That's okay, stay calm. It's just the side-effect of the serum," the Fallen soothed. "You'll feel better soon."

True to his word, Yixing gradually felt satisfied as a cool wave washed over his body and he relaxed. As soon as he was done, the Fallen excused himself to wash the towel and left Yixing to adjust to the effects of the handmade serum. It truly felt good; his back wasn't aching anymore and Yixing could sit up straighter.

"So, what brings you to the exiled realms?" the Fallen asked with a tired smile as soon as he came back, busying himself treating Yixing's cuts and deeper injuries.

"I..." Yixing started but pursed his lips soon after. Why was he hesitating?

'You're a Fallen now, Yixing, the same as him,' he chastised himself. 'I don't have to keep the truth from him, and the sooner I get this stupid weight off my shoulders the better. I have to live here from now on. But Luhan will be...'

Taking deep, shaky breaths, Yixing mouthed a few words, trying to assemble them into one story of how he became a Fallen. The stranger beside him sat in silent patience.

"I was a newly appointed Guardian Angel, and I was excited," Yixing bit his lip as he continued. "But I wasn't happy with how my human was. You see, he had no problems that I could help with— no dissatisfaction about his life whatsoever. So, every day, I would complain about it to my best friend..."

He decided to keep Luhan's name a secret, though.

"I was even contemplating on the decision to discard my bond with my human for another, but my friend woke me up, encouraging me to see the light in things. I... I would do anything to keep him smiling and make him happy. So, I worked hard every day and night to keep watch on my human, to see if there was any secret complication in his life that I didn't know of. Our bond instantly escalated— the truth was that my human only needed me to pay attention to him, to watch over him and to ensure his well-being and happiness. I was really happy that I passed the Trial that has been haunting me ever since I received the job from the Archangel."

"My friend couldn't have been more proud of how I executed my job," Yixing smiled unconsciously at the thought of Luhan. "He wanted to celebrate, just the two of us. But then..."

Yixing hung his head and tried to prevent the tears from squeezing through his eyelids. The next part of his story was too fast; too real to believe even when he is now a Fallen. The stranger beside him waited calmly, as if he knew what Yixing was going through and he understood him.

"...the Council Angels took me away. It flashed by so quickly," his shoulders trembled at the memory. "They brought me to face the Archangel and I was accused of falling into an emotional relationship with my human. I tried to defend myself, because it was absurd. But they silenced me and showed the evidence of how I would always watch over my human without any limit, and that was how I knew I would lose everything that I had known and loved."

"They clipped my wings in public, just like how they always did to the other soon-to-be Fallens. I would never have thought I would be one— I had always been an onlooker, telling myself to not walk the path of a Fallen."

Yixing took a deep breath and gulped. The lump in his throat was beginning to become very annoying.

"But they did so without mercy, and before they pushed me down the chasm, ultimately exiling me from the Angel Realm, I caught a glimpse of my friend looking away. He... I guess he was really upset with me."

A single tear managed to escape and it dropped onto the surface of the blanket. The Fallen beside Yixing said nothing at first, giving time to the other because he knew how hard it was to leave everything so abruptly. He then gave a small reassuring squeeze on Yixing's shoulder and flashed him a knowing smile.

"You really do love this friend of yours."

Yixing wiped the tear stain on his cheek and gave the Fallen an incredulous look. But he softened and grinned sheepishly before nodding slowly. There was no mistaking his affection towards Luhan, and he deeply regretted not telling the elder so.

"Love is a powerful thing," the Fallen went on. "It cannot be stopped even by the Archangel himself. It connects us all to the world, for it is boundless and eternal. The taboo in which the Angels have long feared is such a harmless thing, but they cannot see it for they are also corrupted."

He didn't know if this person was even sane to say all these poisonous accusations towards the Angel Realm, but Yixing could not help but agree to every word he said.

"Falling in love with a human is a sin, but love has no boundaries. If our soul yearns for that person, so be it. No one decides who you should love, because love is your own decision; your life; your happiness."

The Fallen smiled broadly and his eyes crinkled cutely. "Everything came into place once I met Kai, a Demon from the Underworld."

"D-Demon?" Yixing gaped. Maybe he really did know who this stranger was.

"Yes," the Fallen nodded. "It was by pure fate. Once in every millennium, a few chosen Healing Angels would travel down to the Underworld to collect the ever rare withered herbs that could resurrect the death of Angels. I was scared to be down in such a tainted place, for I knew sanity has no meaning in the Underworld. But when he looked at me through the trees, innocently yet passionately with his beautiful green eyes, I knew my destiny wasn't to become one of the head Healing Angels that I had wanted so badly."

"And so I kept stealing visits to the Underworld, just to meet him and eventually, the Council found out and declared me a corrupted Fallen," the stranger reminisced but he shrugged the painful memory away. "At the same time, the Underworld banished Kai from its kingdom and we found a place to live here on the last sky."

Yixing intercepted after a few pauses. "B-but... He's a Demon."

The Fallen laughed. "Like I said, love has no boundaries. It is fathomless and eternal. Demons are cruel in most Angel perspectives, but some of them do have a sense of rationality. I opened my eyes to this truth, and so did Kai."

The silence that drifted was comforting as Yixing tried to absorb the Fallen's story. There was so much of what he said made perfect sense and Yixing wanted to believe it was true. But does it count if Luhan does not return his feelings? After all, he was like the big brother figure to Yixing and nothing more. What could he say about that? There was no way of communicating with Luhan nor any means to go back to the Realm. He will be stuck here and live his pitiful life as a Fallen, and wallow in his own guilt as to have not expressed his emotions towards the one he loved the most.

"Thank you, Sehun. For everything," Yixing smiled to the silver-blonde Fallen beside him and the latter nodded in acknowledgment.

Suddenly, the front door swung open to reveal a handsome tan Fallen with marvellous emerald orbs that shone brightly in the dimly lit house. He had a weird look on his face; a mix of excitement and fear painted on the same canvas. Sehun stood up and cocked his head to one side, their eyes doing all the conversing.

Yixing couldn't help but realise that there was a strong amount of affection oozing from the two Fallen and he concluded the newcomer as Kai, the Demon in which Sehun had fallen for.

"You have got to see this!" Kai said with a malicious glint in his eyes. "An angel fell from the Realm, with his wings still intact and burnt from the fall. He's alive and Jongdae's already there; says he knows the guy. C'mon!"

"Kai, can't you see I'm attending to Yixing?" Sehun pouted. "Why don't you go ahead? You look like you might piss if you don't get the front row seat."

"W-wait...!"

Sehun gasped and quickly caught Yixing's long arms, swinging it over his shoulder to balance the Fallen. "You can't move yet! You're still injured."

"Y-you said Jongdae knows the Angel who fell out of his own free will, right?" Yixing asked, his heart racing. When Kai nodded in affirmation, Yixing took an unsteady step forwards.

"Then what are we waiting for, let's go. I want to see."

After much hesitations from Sehun, who could not stand seeing his patient exceeding his limit to just spectate a new Fallen, Sehun complied and helped Yixing out towards the location Kai came from. Once outside, Yixing's eyes widened at how dishevelled this part of the land was. It looked as if the slopes were threatening to cave in on what little civilization existed there and the dead trees were menacing. Small houses of wood were built in every corner— the Fallens' shelter. Yixing tore his gaze from the dark valley and focused on Kai's back as he led them towards the angel who recently fell.

Could it be...?

Yixing shook his head vigorously and denied the thoughts that came to his mind. It could not be Luhan. Who would be willing to fall on his own initiative? It was such an incredulous and rash action that Yixing could not associate it with his former best friend and lover.

Jongdae could have recognized the angel as one of his Element Angel colleagues before he fell. Luhan was not the only friend Jongdae could have had, right?

'Do you still remember my old friend, Jongdae?'

The sadness in Luhan's quivering orbs was evident as he spoke about Jongdae. Yixing could tell how close they were before he entered the picture, but he still denied the possible fact that Luhan was the mysterious Fallen whose wings weren't clipped by the Council. He must not have gone though the sentencing. How crazy was that?

"There! Look, there he is," Kai pointed excitedly at a crumpled figure on the ground, smears of blood were painted around him and his once white wings were damaged— the bones bent in such an awkward fashion, the feathers torn and looked very ugly with gaps and blood was dripping onto the ground from the tip.

Sehun gasped sympathetically at the angel and Yixing wanted to follow suit, but the system in his entire body suddenly halted, making his body go numb. His eyes caught sight of the poor angel's hair— soft, honey golden locks with a tinge of blackness from the dirt. Even if it looked out of place and tangled with matted blood, Yixing knew who he was looking at. His heart beat stopped altogether as the Fallen who he presumed as Jongdae helped the angel to sit up, and their eyes met. Yixing's mouth grew dry as he gaped at Luhan's bruised face.

"L-L-Luhan..." Yixing managed to squeak.

The angel gave him a smile he had missed so much and made his heart ache. Sehun brought Yixing closer to the unfortunate angel and placed him down next to the injured latter while busying himself inspecting the severe wounds. Jongdae gave Luhan a comforting squeeze on his shoulder before moving aside so his fellow Healing Fallen could carry on with his duty.

All around them, Fallens of different origin stood staring in sympathy at the bloodied angel and Yixing wanted them out of his sight and cease giving Luhan, his lover, those pitiful eyes. He did not need them; he only needed Yixing alone. Thankfully enough, Jongdae seemed to have read Yixing's mind as he ordered the other Fallen to return to their homes.

They complied, and Yixing stared in bewilderment as none of them took a second glance back at them. Jongdae must have a strong influence on the Fallen community here. A groan escaped Luhan's delicate lips and Yixing turned back to him, seizing his hands in his as a sign of solace.

Sensing that they needed time alone, Sehun skimmed over Luhan's body one last time for anything that he had missed before getting up and walking a short distance away to where Kai and Jongdae were standing. He smiled warmly towards Yixing on his way and the former could not have been more appreciative. He turned his attention back to Luhan.

"Wh-what have you done, Luhan?" Yixing asked in a strangled voice, his body quivering at the sorry sight that was his lover.

"Yixing... Yixing, thank goodness you're alright," Luhan wheezed, his hand caressing the latter's cheek lovingly. "I thought you were dead. That fall could have killed anyone who came down here without wings."

The younger could only nod, his tears already ahead of his own emotions. He did not know what to do; Luhan looked ready to die and he was helpless yet again. Yixing squeezed Luhan's wandering hand and hushed him. It was no wonder Luhan was in such pain— the weight of his wings were crushing him now that they were on the last sky, and they were almost mortal. If Yixing were human, he'd think he would have died from the pure agony he attained from the menacing fall.

"Hang in there, Luhan," Yixing whispered, unable to control his tears as they slid down his cheeks. "You're gonna be fine. Sehun will patch you up like how he did to me. We're... You're gonna live."

"I just lost it, Yixing," Luhan seemed to not have heard what Yixing was saying. "When the Archangel declared you a Fallen, I just looked away because I couldn't bear to see your face when they cut your wings and push you down here. It felt like I just lost a piece of myself. So, I had to get it back..."

"By jumping down here with your wings? Luhan, you could have really been dead. We're not as light as we were in the Angel Realm," Yixing fretted. "Our body weights are the same like that of a human's and our wings weigh much more than that. If we don't clip them now, you'll never make it."

Even though he said those words, Yixing did not want any of them to happen. He wanted to have Luhan by his side for all eternity, and now that he had a chance to redeem himself and his feelings, he could not let Luhan die.

"I know..." Luhan grinned, wiping away the tears that were rolling carelessly down his lover's fair cheeks. "But I wanted to see you. I couldn't imagine my life as an Angel without you by my side. It didn't matter if my wings are still with me. I... I just wanted to see you, Yixing."

"Nobody in the Realm would remember you, but I did; I would never forget you. You're my best friend and I would do anything to ensure that we'd stay like how we used to be, regardless if you're a Fallen. We are complete when we have each other, Yixing, don't you see?"

Yixing's felt his heart constrict and a churn in the pits of his stomach started. Slowly, he knew what he was experiencing— the raging emotions crashing like violent waves in his slender self were too much to bear. Was Luhan...?

"Yixing, I love you."

The next series of events were too fast for Yixing to comprehend, but he knew he wanted this as much as Luhan. The elder cupped Yixing's face in his hands and brought it closer until their foreheads touched, admiring the breath taking features he had come to love so much. Yixing laughed, a sort of flutter in his heart made it seem as if he was flying— the similar sensation was incredible and he came to understand how it was that love conquered everything, just like how Sehun described. Their bodies moved simultaneously and their lips touched.

Soft as butterfly wings, their lips moved slowly; skimming and brushing, trying to familiarize themselves with each other's scent and mouth structures. Yixing soon found out that they fit each other, their lips clicking into place like the last piece of a puzzle and it felt amazing. There were no words to describe how weightless Yixing felt as he held Luhan in his arms, kissing those lips he had yearned for and fondling the angelic face he had loved and would cherish forever.

When they part, Yixing stared lovingly at Luhan as the elder tenderly reached up and pecked the former's lips again. Luhan was truly the most extraordinary Angel Yixing has ever met, and even though they were absolute exiles from the Angel Realm, he could still see how radiant his lover's face glowed regardless of how dark it was on the last sky.

"I love you too, Luhan. Always and forever, I will never leave you ever again."

"Thank you, Yixing," Luhan sighed and rested his head to Yixing's firm chest. They stayed as they were for a while, hugging each other closely and not letting go.

Luhan snuggled tightly against Yixing as the younger picked him up and carried him towards the waiting Fallens. Maybe his emotions that he had believed would have betrayed him were wrong. Luhan now knew how precious love was and how crucial it was to never let go of the one you love. Seeing Yixing again, alive and well, was the right remedy for him and Luhan's heart soared even higher when they kissed.

The only thing he regretted was not having to realise this type of special and intimate bond between Yixing and himself sooner.

Sehun gave his lover an affectionate gaze before walking up to Yixing and draping Luhan's other arm over his shoulder for better support. Yixing voiced out his gratitude as they walked back to the small town where all the Fallen lived with Kai and Jongdae both close behind.

"May the both of you love each other for the whole of eternity."

Sehun flashed them a kind smile, in which both Yixing and Luhan blushed furiously before nodding and thanking the Fallen next to them. Yixing smiled shyly to himself as they trudged through the barren landscape and stole a glance at Luhan, whose face seemed brighter and more luminescent after the blessing Sehun had uttered for the both of them.

But through all the events that had happened, no matter how painful they were to him, Yixing was just happy that he could spend the rest of his life with the Fallen Cupid who had the most divine quintessential traits than any Angel he had encountered.