When the Creator made the angels to be his companions, He was beyond ecstatic. These winged-creatures He deemed family possesses an immeasurable amount of beauty and big strong wings that seemed to glow because of its purest white color. But not only were these angels perfect from the outside, but they were too on the inside. They were genuinely kind, understanding, selfless in so many ways. Their voice sounded like a thousand wind chimes that had that soothing factor, and their eyes just ooze with untainted compassion.

Heaven was perfect and all were happy.

But then humans started acting in a way that the Creator had to spend most his times amending their mistakes. Humans were also his creations and they were precious to Him that he just can't watch them destroy themselves over something so qustionable like power, greed and lust.

When nothing changed and the Earth was still poisoned with things that mean nothing, Heaven started deteriorating. The Creator spent most of His time looking after his human children that He unconsciously left out his other creations. But these creations were loyal to the Creator that they volunteered to go down to earth and try to amend more damage that the Creator couldn't. With a heavy heart, He complied. But whatever hope He thought ths action would bring vanished when humans started corrupting His angels.

His pure, untainted angels were hurt, lusted over---their wings torn as humans cannot fathom how these creatures even came upon them. Whatever undescribable phenomenon they encountered, they treated it like a curse and having the angels were synonimous to that. The once beautiful, kind-hearted creatures lost their magnificence. They could not fight back since they know just how precious these humans are for their Creaotr and so they allowed the slavery-treatment. They held on and bit their lips from the pain of getting their wings torn out and one by one, they died.

*

2 months after the nosy, cheery brunet transferee started invading his school life, HyukJae was quite surprise that he really does not mind him. Sure, DongHae is a chatterbox who likes babbling about everything and anything no matter how irrelevant it was, and he was also quite vocal about being his friend.That day he asked the brunet why he wanted to be friends with a freak, he panicked when DongHae was actually crying and started shouting at him for being such a fool and for being stupid for not seeing just how special he was. He didn't really know what the other meant but he just needed to make the younger stop because they started garnering unwanted attention. He was only able to sigh in relief when DongHae stopped crying when he offered to buy him some triple chocolate chip ice cream after class.

The other was also quite a touchy person, in his opinion. It was subtle touches; a slight brush of their arms, or their thighs lightly touching when they seat side by side by a bench or under the tree. Sometimes, when the brunet was excited over some ice cream or scared because of some ghost stories one of their classmates told, he would find his right arm being clutched tightly by the other. At first he was totally weirded out by another person touching him gently. He's used to being pushed aside harshly, tripped unaccidentally or punched once or twice a week. But those touches the brunet was giving him was just so---gentle, like a caress, and it reminded him of how his mother used to touch him when he was a child. And sometimes---or maybe more than that--- he wanted those touches to last more than the brunet intended. There's that urge to snatch back those hands that radiated so much warmth no matter how tiny they might have looked, or have his arms wound around the other to seek some comfort. He never needed comfort before; that word seemed so foreign and unknown that he never would have thought having his daily brunet companion would be the one who'd make him knwo what it is. And no matter how much he denied it, he actually likes it.

He likes it that DongHae only talks cheerily at him.

He likes it when DongHae would look at him with those tantalizing eyes.

He likes it when DongHae would not do anything without an act of confirmation from him.

And he likes it when DongHae just sticks beside him everyday.

The once hellhole he called school, was now the reason he looked forward to every morning.

Because he likes it that DongHae would always be there when he arrived.

*

It was mid-afternoon, the sun was quite low on the sky, the breeze quite chilly as winter was fast approaching and the two friends were seated together again, under the tree they frequented. The two had books scattered around them as they study for their upcoming exams. HyukJae had a biology book on his hands while DongHae was trying so hard to comprehend the numbers on his History textbook. The redhead would once in a while glance to his side to see that same pout adorning the brunet's face ever since he opened that book, and he would have to supress a chuckle everytime he sees it.

"Give me that," HyukJae finally said, snatching the book out of DongHae's grasp while he passed on his biology book. "Start with that then I'll teach you whatever topic you don't understand on history."

When DongHae gave him that radiant, grateful smile, HyukJae just could not stop the same smile on his face when he turned and buried his face on the history book.

*

"Do you want to grab a bite?" Hyukjae quietly offered. Class just ended and they were halfway out the gate when something made him ask his companion. Maybe it was because it is a weekend and he had nothing better to do--- or maybe he just wanted to spend more time with DongHae.

"Sure!" the other replied, "Where to?"

"Uhh," he started, not knowing what to say. "I'm not sure. Do you want to go to my house? I think we have some pizza from last night---if that's okay with you," he ended, suddenly feeling nervous. He just asked DongHae to come over to his house. He was actually the one who invited another person in his home. This was so unlike him, but weirdly enough, he wanted DongHae to say yes.

After a few seconds of nervous waiting, he let out a subtle content sigh when he heard DongHae saying, "I would love to. Let's go!"

*

The way to HyukJae's house was actually more comforting, that with DongHae blabbering about how Siwon started acting quite friendly towards him and the assignments given to them for the weekend. It was the usual chatter, but Hyukjae found himself quite uncomfortable with the mention of Siwon getting closer t DongHae. According to the brunet, Siwon offered to teach him Math lessons because he got a passing mark on their last test, and also asked if he wanted to join the soccer team. It was quite a blast when almost half the school learned the brunet's skill on that certain sport when he was asked to do some friendly play with some of the varsity player. And even if he isn't training or haven't mentioned being a player on his previous school, he showed such agility on the field that the word got out; apparently, Siwon also heard. His thought were cut off when he saw his house, and pointed it out to the brunet. It proved to be a wrong move as DongHae grabbed his hand and started sprinting towards the appointed house.

"We're 2 blocks away," Hyukjae asked, breathing hard, "we didn't have to run, you know."

"I know! But I want to go in your home sooner," was the innocent reply of the other that HyukJae let it go and got the key from the second flower pot on the right of the door.

"Well, come in, then. Make yourself comfortable."

*

DongHae did not waste any time reaching out for a reheated pepperoni pizza once HyukJae put down the plate. They were at the living room, the flat screen on with some cartoons playing and they both sat on the carpetted floor. They also had a can of soda each as they ate in silence, focusing on the movie randomly playing. It was about an android who went against all odds just to be human. The android, Andrew, fell in love with the granddaughter of the daughter of his first owner. They were at the part where his request was granted by the court, and he was officially a human being but he died just as the confirmation arrived.

HyukJae was jolted back from the movie when he felt DongHae's head resting on his shoulder, their bodies closer than earlier.  But then, he felt the slight tremble coming from the brunet's body.

"DongHae?" he asked softly, "Are you crying?"

He felt the head on his shoulder nodding before he spoke, "It's just---this movie is so sad."

"Yeah," Hyukjae breathed, "It is."

"I don't get it...why would Andrew want to be a human? He's above them; he's smarter, and he could live on forever---why does he want to be a human so bad?"DongHae asked, turning his head towards the redhead's neck and buried deeper that Hyukjae could feel the air coming from his lips and his breathing as he finished asking the question.

"Hmmm...maybe because humans have what androids don't. He could be smarter and immortal but he could never have that one thing humans have," Hyukjae started. He shifted, unconsiously placing his arm around the brunet's shoulder and allowing DongHae to lean on half of his chest, as his fingers started playing with the soft hair from the back of DongHae's head.

"And what is that?"

"Emotions. Feelings...it's what makes a human human. We cfy when we feel sad, shout when we feel angry, laugh when something is happy---it just makes everything more wonderful. And mom once told me that one of the most important emotion we have is love."

"Love?"

"Yes. Love. We could find love in the most small things, but there is that kind of love that could surpass whatever it is we ever thought we wanted," HyukJae explained.

"What is it?" DongHae asked.

"It is the love you find with your other half---your soulmate."

"Soulmate?"

"Yeah, soulmate. I once read that soulmates are two people brought apart only for them to find each other again. They were made for and to each other that no one, not even fate, could keep them apart. They say that these soulmates are binded by an invisible thread that connects them, and others say that they just have to search for each other. Maybe that's why Andrew wanted to be human---because somehow he knew that he found his soulmate. And without her, life just wouldn't be worth living."

"It sounds scary," came the hushed reply.

"What is?"

"That someone had that kind of power over you. It sounds scary that you would rather sacrifice your life to be with someone that could hurt you, that you would give everything to be with someone as fickle-minded as a human."

Hyukjae lets out a small chuckle and said, "You make it sound as if you're not human yourself."

"It's just a thought."

"I know," he replied and said, "but that is part of the bargain. You sacrifice things in order to have a chance on that happiness. People always wanted that kind of happiness, and if you were given a chance to experience it, you would want to give it a shot. I know I would."

"You will? Even if your supposedly-soulmate is not a human? What if your soulmate is an android like Andrew is?"

"I will in a heartbeat. If my soulmate would is not a human, then so be it. If we could be happy, it does not matter what he or she is," he answered with conviction.

*

A few minutes after their little chat, Hyukjae felt DongHae's body relaxing by the second. He didn't have the energy to actually wake the other as he felt his eyelids getting heavier too, so with one arm still wrapped around the brunet, he let his head fall on DongHae's as he was soon on dreamland.