Chapter Text
"Bin, I've got another job for you!"
Changbin quickly lifts his head at the sudden shout echoing through his office, a sigh escaping his lips as his superior enters the room with a sealed, red envelope in hand. It was way too early for this. Too early for work. The Hell Clock hadn't even striked nine yet.
Why was he sent to this part of Hell all these decades ago? Couldn't he have at least gotten a job with one of the most fearful demons of this place and actually enjoy the rest of his eternal life? He heard a few of his friends say work with Berith wasn't so bad, even Beelzebub didn't pay his employees as bad as this. Why did he have to end up with Death as his boss? Damnit, Chan.
Being a Grim Reaper was such a boring job.
You get a letter, inside the letter is the name and the cause of death of the soul you need to collect, you go Upstairs to the living world, you watch the soul die, you collect it, and bam! You're back to sitting at your desk, writing emails and classing documents until another letter comes.
Boring. Boring! Boring!!!!
Changbin ruffles his black hair and slumps back into his chair, his hand lazily spinning a pen between his fingers before bringing it to his teeth to gnaw on it. He was so damn tired. He was even wearing the same clothes he wore the day before, a white tee shirt, black ripped jeans and combat boots, not wanting to put in the effort nor having the patience to change. He didn't care, honestly, it's not like many people would be seeing him anyway. No one ever did.
Changbin stares at his friend with tired eyes, an eyebrow raised in an annoyed arch. "You gotta be kidding, Chan, I've already gone Upstairs twice this morning."
"Well you're going again," the blond haired man says with a cheeky grin, his dimples showing. "Orders from the top."
"Can't you take this one?"
"I was going to!" Chan slips in the chair on the other side of Changbin's desk and crosses his arms, a big pout forming on his lips. Seriously, who was the oldest of the two, again? "After seeing you so grumpy because someone that I will not name coughseochangbincough spent the whole night doing something that I will not say coughwhothehellliftsweightsatfouramcough, I was going to let you off the hook and take it, but then I saw what the job was and I thought ehhh maybe not ."
Changbin squints suspiciously. A reaction like that from Chan meant it was either a boring death to witness or an absolute pain in the ass soul to collect. He prays it's the first one. "Who is it?"
Chan quietly slides the envelope over the ebony wood of the desk and leans back in his chair, his hands stuffed in his dark red leather jacket, his expression unreadable. Changbin reaches for the red wrapping and turns it in his hands, breaking the seal open. His gloved fingers taps his thigh absentmindedly as he unfolds the black paper.
The first thing he sees is the cause of death written in the usual bloody red.
"Crushed by a– seriously?"
That was such a stupid way to go Changbin had to do a double take and make sure he read that correctly. He did. This was so dumb and cartoony, and the idiocity of this death sounded way too familiar.
The second thing he sees is the name of the soul.
Ah.
That explained a lot.
Changbin rubs the bridge of his nose and tightly shut his eyes.
Of course it's him.
Again.
"Han fucking Jisung..."
Chan nods at his friend. "Yep. Him again. How many times have you gotten his name by now?"
Changbin groans and puts the letter down, rolling his chair back to get up. "I've lost count."
That was a lie. He remembers all the letters he's gotten for this human.
"That guy just can't seem to die…" Chan gets up as well, slowly making his way towards the door of the office as he looks upwards, hands on his hips. "His stupid Guardian Angel always makes our work even more complicated."
"Yeah…" Changbin grabs his leather jacket, an uneasy feeling settling in his stomach. "Stupid Guardian Angel..."
♤♡◇♧
Changbin rolls his shoulders back and cracks his neck to the side. He glances at his watch and purses his lips.
10:37.
His job should be here soon.
He was leaning against the wall next to an apartment building, staring up at the sun already high in the blue sky. It was such a beautiful day, no clouds in sight, birds chirping here and there, children running around the already busy streets. He almost missed being alive.
Almost .
He’d been stuck in Hell for so many decades now, he forgot what it was like being an actual human. Not that he minded that much. Being in Hell wasn’t as bad as people would think. True, he hated his job but what was he expecting when he ended up there? This wasn’t Heaven. He wasn’t going to have fun and relax for the rest of his days. Staying Upstairs and running away sounded nice, however. Not like he would actually do it, he’d be chased around by the Sentinels forever and never get a break until he would finally get caught and destroyed. It was too risky.
But the thought did cross his mind a few times.
Hell was pretty much like the living world just… way darker and filled with more screams of the damned. But it wasn’t so bad. You get used to it after a while.
Changbin still remembers the first time he set foot in there. Chan was the one in charge of collecting his soul back then. That’s how they met. The oldest man had guided him through the Gates and brought him to the Hall of Judgment where it would be decided whether Changbin would stay in Hell or be sent to Heaven. He doesn’t remember how he died. He just knows it must have been something bad enough for the Judges to stare at him and lock the Gates of Heaven in his face though. He just wishes he could remember.
That’s the one memory demons have to give away in order to be able to work as Grim Reapers. Not remembering how painful dying can be makes it easier to watch others go through it and then bring them to Hell.
When Chan took him in and told him he’d have to get a job, Changbin wished he was sent to the Void instead. A painful life Upstairs, working his ass off everyday only to die and do this entire thing all over again for all eternity? Ugh.
But maybe not remembering his death was a good thing after all. If he gave that memory away in exchange for a boring job, it must have been because he didn’t want to remember.
“Lee Felix, you get back here!”
Changbin tears his eyes away from the sky and looks over the rock wall to see a young man with bleached hair and cute freckles run out of the building with a laugh that could make flowers grow. He was holding a bag to his chest as if it were some forbidden treasure he shouldn’t be touching–which it probably was.
Reminiscing almost made him completely forget why he was Upstairs in the first place! He checks his watch.
10:51.
It was almost time. He needed to get ready.
His hand grazes the Scythe attached to his hip and makes sure it's well secured so it won't accidentally hurt a human if he moves too harshly. Changbin passes his hand through his hair, brushing the black locks away from his eyes. He needs to be able to see what he's doing clearly or he could make a mistake. And no one wanted that.
He could get in so much trouble with his boss from doing what he was about to do. If the others Downstairs ever found out... No. They couldn’t. They wouldn’t . With a little luck, he could pass this whole incident as a Guardian Angel’s fault again.
Those feathery assholes always messed with human lives and made Grim Reapers’ work so much harder because they keep saving humans from their deaths, and that’s annoying when your job is to watch those people die and collect their souls.
Changbin had a few run-ins with those angels during jobs before.
Did not like it.
1/10.
Would not recommend.
Never again.
Pompous jerks full of pride and ego.
And too much white too, ew.
Not like he has any right to complain about that right now, though.
“Catch me if you can!” Felix’s voice brings Changbin back to his task at hand. No time to think about those stupid angels, he needs to move. The Grim Reaper straightens up and watches as the freckled blond waves his hand at his current target coming out of the building.
Only eight more minutes.
“Give me that,” grumbles Han Jisung, grabbing the bag from Felix’s grip. The blond giggles and raises his hands in defeat before pouting.
“What do you have to hide in there?”
Jisung flushes a deep shade of red and makes sure the zipper on his bag is tightly closed. “Nothing, I just don’t want your little gremlin hands to snoop around my stuff. I know you’re gonna gossip to the others.”
“Hey!” Felix brings his hand to his heart dramatically as he fakes being hurt by that statement. “I would never do something like gossiping or snooping! I am hurt that you think me, your best friend, would ever do such a thing!”
Jisung sighs, shaking his head, but a small smile rests on his lips. “You spend too much time with Hyunjin, drama queen in training.”
As Changbin suspected, the young man wore an oversized white tee-shirt and some ripped jeans, his usual look completed with platform boots. His brown hair was messily covered by a blue beanie as if he just woke up and barely had the time to get dressed before running down the stairs. Which was probably what happened, knowing these two.
Four minutes.
Clock is ticking.
Jisung glances in Changbin’s direction as you would with a stranger near you. The young man turns his attention back to his friend quickly and throws an arm over his shoulders.
“So! What do you have planned for today, Lix?”
Changbin follows behind them closely, but still keeps a bit of distance. His Scythe might be invisible to humans but he himself is not.
Three minutes.
Almost there.
Felix clasps his hands before taking a deep breath. “Hyunjin asked if we could stop by his place before going to the café. Said he needed to show us something important.”
“What is it?”
“No clue. He sounded super excited about it though. I lost count of how many times he yelled he was right. So maybe it’s worth seeing.”
Jisung hums. “Alright. That means-“ he checks his phone for the time before slipping it back in his pocket. “-oh yeah, we have enough time for that. We have to be at the café by 11:30 or Minho hyung is gonna have our heads though.”
“Oh shit, you right. Let’s hurry, then.”
Changbin watches as the two friends start jogging.
One minute.
His hand finds its way to his Scythe, holding onto it as he runs behind the boys who started chatting again.
Almost.
He could already see it in the distance. This was gonna hurt so bad. For who, however, he couldn’t tell yet. And as always, Jisung wasn’t paying attention. He never did. Which was why Changbin had so many letters with his name on it. This man was so clumsy, Bin wondered why his higher-ups haven’t already asked why his soul still hadn’t been brought back yet.
Damn Guardian Angel.
The first time Changbin got a black letter with Jisung’s name on it, he didn’t think much of it. Another day, another soul , was what he thought. How many times has he sighed over the cause of death of that poor guy. The first one was a simple hit by a car. But the second, third, fourth, fifth and so on had been absolute cartoon bullshit!
Fell in a sewer left open on the sidewalk . That was the second time he got his name.
Crushed by a TV . That was when he first moved into the apartment he stays in now, which was three years ago.
Electrocuted while plugging his razor .
Banged his head on the counter after slipping on a banana peel .
All stupid, cliché deaths.
Changbin remembers every, single, one of the 249 letters by heart, this one included.
So how was this guy not dead yet?
Thirty seconds.
The boys stop at a light, waiting for their turn to cross the street. It's a busy morning, shops opening, people on their way to work, movers moving…
Felix's eyes wander to the other side of the street before he breaks into his usual happy smile, waving his hand to a young man standing near the lights. "Oh, Seungmin's over there!"
Jisung turns towards their friend and takes a hand out of his jeans pocket to grab his bag, stuffing his hand inside to look for something. An expression of horror crosses his face.
“Oh no.”
Felix turns to him, his little fingers busy with the buttons of his overalls.
“What’s wrong?”
“I forgot my hard drive, he’s going to kill me! I’ll be right back!”
One.
Jisung turns around towards the direction of his apartment again. His eyes meet Changbin’s one last time before a warning scream is heard.
“Look out!”
CRASH .
♤♡◇♧
Changbin groans loudly as he sits down in his chair, a headache pounding around his brain, the events of the previous day dancing behind his closed eyelids.
Han Jisung's death.
He recalls the black letter with the blood red writing.
Crushed by a piano.
He remembers how he saw the grand, shiny, black piano fall from the sky, one of the ropes having snapped. How as soon as Jisung had turned around to run back to his apartment, the instrument landed on the ground with the loudest breaking noise Changbin had ever heard. The polished wood exploded into a million little pieces covering the sidewalk.
He doesn't think he's ever going to forget Felix's scream of terror as he saw the whole scene happen right in front of his eyes.
And how Jisung stared at the broken piano from the safe spot he was sitting on the sidewalk with disbelief.
Because he still wasn't fucking dead.
Nope! By some goddamn miracle, the boy was able to dodge just in time and safely fall on his ass thirty centimeters farther.
At least that's what Changbin told his higher-ups.
Was he going to tell them he's the one who pushed Han Jisung out of the way just in time? Absolutely not. If he purposely forgot to add his target didn't stop staring at him the whole time people were checking if he was alright, well that's no one else's business but his own.
Although it was strange. They made eye contact. Heavy eye contact. Jisung looked at him. And not anyone else. Bin could swear on it. That means the human may recognize him.
The man raises his head as he hears footsteps in the hallway leading to his office.
Great.
What is it this time?
The carved, ebony door slowly opens with a quiet creak, letting Chan's familiar blond hair appear little by little as if he was shy to come inside. His red leather gloved hand stays on the handle, his body hidden behind the door.
Changbin gathers the loose sheets on his desk before putting them away neatly. He raises a brow in question. "Chan?"
"Hiiii…"
The younger man stares at his friend's blond curls, confused. "Aren't you coming in?"
"You're gonna yell at me if I do."
"Why would I yell at you? What did you do? Did you eat all my gummy bears again?"
The gummy bears Changbin got from Upstairs. He wasn't actually allowed to bring anything back from the living world but what Death doesn't know won't hurt Him.
Chan's gloved hand appears from behind the door and shows the red envelope. Changbin throws his head back with a loud groan.
"A vacation sounds really good right now."
Chan cocks his head to the side, showing himself finally. He wore a black shirt under his usual red jacket, leather pants and black polished shoes. He raises an eyebrow at his friend, "you've only been at work for six hours today."
"Your point?"
"Binnie."
"Fine, gimme the damn thing."
His superior crosses the office in a matter of seconds and hands him the envelope. Changbin rips the seal off and takes out the black letter to inspect it.
"Fucking what!?"
This has to be a joke!
"What kind of an idiot is he?!" The man sits up harshly, an annoyed wrinkle between his eyebrows. Only a day had passed, how was Jisung still about to die? Was he just that clumsy or did the universe have a grudge against this boy? This was becoming ridiculous, even Changbin couldn't understand what was happening. Maybe this was his actual punishment. Maybe the whole time, his fate was waiting for Han Jisung to be born and torture him for the rest of eternity! This had to be it. There was no other explanation!
At least from what Changbin could understand.
Why…
There was something else to this whole thing, though, he could feel it. Was this a game? Was someone purposely getting Jisung in danger just to push Changbin's buttons? This was annoying, to say the least. Having to go Upstairs so much was a real inconvenience. But he wouldn't snap because of that. He wasn't known for having a temper, he was even one of the calmest residents of Hell. So what was the goal, here?
Could it be…?
The Grim Reaper stares down at the letter in his hand as if to make it catch fire with a simple glare. Unfortunately for him, these damned pieces of paper were undestroyable, not even the biggest fire pits of Hell could get rid of them, and those were rumored to have burned entire armies in milliseconds. He'd have to find answers with this next trip. And he might need a hand.
Changbin looks up to Chan who is staring down on his own black shirt, his attention solely focused on a wild thread sticking out. He looks about ready to tear it out and maybe ruin the fabric along with it.
The younger man clears his throat, successfully gaining his friend's attention back.
"Chan, I need to tell you something important. And really stupid."
♤♡◇♧
Changbin looks up to the apartment building Han Jisung resides in. The Grim Reaper recognizes Felix's electric blue bicycle locked on the bike rack next to the main door, having seen it a number of times already.
He turns to Chan who's eyeing the area with an unsure glance. He's fidgeting with Jisung’s envelope, probably wondering if they really should be doing this. Never in his decades of working as a Grim Reaper did he ever think about saving one of the souls assigned to him. They could get in so much trouble…
Changbin is grateful he even accepted to help him in the first place.
He puts a reassuring hand on his friend’s arm. He understands why the man is so worried, he himself is. But he feels that what he was doing is right. And he’d be damned forever if he were to go against his principles. There were still a few minutes left before Jisung was supposed to trip and fall off his balcony. If they played their cards right, they’d be able to keep him alive once again and maybe figure out why he was such a disaster magnet.
“We have to be quiet and stay hidden.” Chan nods at his words. Changbin had told him about the eye contact he experienced with the target before. If they were seen, it could ruin everything. They needed to be sneaky.
Changbin drags Chan up the stairs leading to Jisung’s apartment. Once they reach it, they can hear a conversation going on through the door. The younger man recognizes them instantly.
“So this is why you didn’t want me snooping around your bag yesterday!” Felix's voice calls from somewhere inside, most likely from the couch.
A shy noise answers him. “Don’t you go tell the others about it, though!”
"Why not? Sungie, why haven't you ever told me you could draw?"
"Well first of all I'm not the best artist out there and second, I know for a fact the guys are gonna make fun of me."
"No they won't? Why do you think that?"
"Because this man is–"
"What are you doing here?" Another voice speaks from behind Changbin and Chan, the two men turning around in a flash. There, in the middle of the hallway, stands a tall figure. His eyes were as dark as his hair, his lips pursed into a scowl. His arms were crossed over his white jacket, his thin legs hugged by the black leather of his pants. He had a white choker around his neck, a golden chain dangling on the front of it, probably to keep him on a leash like a good guardian dog.
"Kim Seungmin." Changbin sneers.
"Seo Changbin," answers the other with a repulsed tone. "I will not repeat myself."
"That's too bad because I forgot what you asked. Looks like you ain't getting an answer."
Seungmin's eyes seem to glow, clearly annoyed. He opens his mouth to say something but immediately closes it, deciding to keep his dignity. He takes a step towards the two Grim Reapers. Chan sniffs the air before growling.
"Ugh. Should've known this kid had an actual Guardian Angel hanging around."
"Yeah, he does." Changbin rolls his eyes. "A bad one, though."
Seungmin lets out an incredulous scoff. "Bad? I'm not bad at my job. You're just always in the way."
"Honestly yeah, you're right." Changbin smirks. He has every right to be cocky about this. "At this point I should be paid for doing your job."
The angel clicks his tongue in annoyance. "You can leave now."
"And why would I listen to you?"
"I don't want you near him."
"Well–"
"Sungie watch out!"
Felix's voice snaps like thunder, followed by Jisung's scream, making the men outside the apartment jump. Changbin and Seungmin rush for the door, the angel somehow getting a hold of the knob before the Grim Reaper despite being the one farther away. He swings it open in a matter of milliseconds and soon, the trio is tumbling inside Han Jisung's apartment in a panicked pile.
The scene before their eyes isn't exactly what they expected. Changbin thought he forgot to check the time and missed Jisung's fall. But what he sees is not it at all.
Jisung was standing up on the kitchen island, actually far from the balcony, looking startled. Either by the three men's sudden intrusion or something else. Felix looked like he just scrambled on top of the couch like a terrified animal, hanging onto the back cushions for dear life. The two friends looked like they just ran a marathon, their eyes frantically searching the ground.
"Is everything alright?!" Seungmin breaks the heavy breathing filled silence, running towards the kitchen where Jisung is standing.
"Seungminnie!" Felix cries from his own perch in the living room. "I just saw a fucking mouse! Help!"
A falling pin could be heard. A mouse? All of this for a tiny mouse?
Changbin gets up on his feet, Chan quickly following. Well, there went the sneaky option. Straight out the window. Changbin dusts off his knees and looks around the place. He's been there a few hundred times already, he practically knew where everything was. The kitchen was on the left, the living room on the right with a television in the corner. In the middle of the two was the hallway leading to the bathroom and Jisung's bedroom. A pretty simple place.
Finally, Changbin's eyes lock with another pair. Jisung's. The brunet is quick to look away when Seungmin groans however, and the Grim Reaper could have sworn he saw his full cheeks glow a light shade of pink.
"What in the world is wrong with you guys, scaring me like that…" Seungmin glares at his friends who lower their heads in apology. "You knuckleheads wanna tell me why you freaked out over a tiny mouse?"
"Dude, it came out of nowhere!!" Felix shouts from the couch. "We were just calmly chatting and then it ran right in front of our eyes, it appeared like magic! And now it's gone, poof!"
Chan purses his lips and with a sheepish cough, points to the obvious hole in the wall next to the couch. Felix follows his gaze then quietly gets off the cushions to sit properly on the couch, his face red and about to burst from embarrassment. Poor little one.
After a moment, Jisung clears his throat, just now realizing there were two strangers in his apartment.
"Are… you guys friends of Seungmin?" He asks, eyeing the two Grim Reapers still standing in his entryway.
As the angel opens his mouth to strongly protest, Chan is thankfully quicker. He slides an arm around Seungmin's shoulders as best he could, considering he is shorter, and flashes his most charming smile. "Yeah, we are! Sorry for bursting in like that."
"That's fine! We did scream pretty loudly…" Jisung chuckles, embarrassed, and lifts his head to the ceiling he was almost reaching in an attempt to avoid any eye contact.
Seungmin, taking advantage of his friends being distracted, tries to shift Chan off him.
"Don't touch me," he says through gritted teeth, "or I'll–"
"Or you'll what?" The Grim Reaper tightens his grip around him, cutting him off instantly. He brings his face closer to Seungmin's, his smile not fading for a single second. "Tell on us? Funny. Go with it or I'll also tell your superiors you're playing besties in the human world and you can say bye-bye to your pretty wings, angel."
Seungmin groans before looking away, crossing his arms in annoyance. Chan is right. If he got caught interacting with the human he was assigned to protect, it could cost him his job. And his wings. So all he could do about the Grim Reapers invading his human's space was sulk in his own corner. Changbin tears his eyes away from his superior to look up at Jisung, only to find him already staring back.
Taken by a sudden impulse, the older man reaches up his hand to help him down. He shouldn't be doing this. Being seen by him was already crossing the line, now he was initiating contact? Changbin was asking to be thrown in the Void at this point. But Jisung, unaware, innocent, grabs his hand with a grateful smile and jumps down to join everyone else walking towards the living room.
"Sorry for the intrusion." Changbin apologizes, glancing down at their hands still locked together. He doesn't make a single move to get away.
"Don't worry," Jisung shoots a heart-shaped smile in his direction, his eyes practically sparkling. "Any friends of Seungmin are welcome here!"
"Guys!"
Four heads turn towards Felix, the young man whispering and pointing towards something. "It's there!"
Chan is the first to move and in the blink of an eye, he is holding the mouse by the tail. Changbin muffles a laugh behind his fist. Did Chan really use his demon speed to catch a mouse? The younger Reaper could hear the awe of the humans in the room, both Jisung and Felix letting out a few ooh's. Seungmin's eye roll was also audible.
"Someone's showing off." Changbin raises an amused brow at his friend who sticks his tongue back at him before walking towards the sliding doors leading to the balcony. With a swift move, the glass is opened and the Grim Reaper is putting the mouse down on the ground. Considering they were on the eight floor, there wasn't anywhere else the rodent could go unless it decided to plunge to its death.
Which is probably what made Jisung walk up to the sliding doors too, Chan already stepping away to go wash his hands in the kitchen.
"You're just gonna leave it there? This high up?" The human asks, confused.
Changbin shrugs. He doesn't really care. Now that this was done, they probably should go back. He'd get his answers at another time, when he wasn't in plain sight of humans. He glances at his watch to look at the time.
Hang on...
At this exact moment, Jisung opens the doors to his balcony. This man… This man is going to be Changbin's demise. The mouse squeaks and zooms in front of Jisung in an attempt to get back inside. The young man jumps with a yelp in the attempt to avoid it...
… and loses balance.
But before he has the chance to fall over the railing, Changbin is behind him, grabbing his arm and tugging him back to safety in his own. The two stumble into the apartment for a bit, Jisung getting a hold of Changbin's biceps to ground himself. The brunet stares in shock at the Grim Reaper, this expression ever so familiar. The usual ' did this really just happen?' face Changbin was so used to seeing every time he'd save him. The round eyes full of surprise, the youngest's lips turned into a slight 'o'... The flushed cheeks were new, however.
Not like Jisung would remember. No matter how many times Changbin had saved him, he blended with the crowd right after so his features could not be recognizable. And the times he had to save him in his own home, he would simply use some of his "demon magic", as Chan liked to call it, and make the human forget the few seconds he saw him. He didn't like playing with his mind like that but those were the rules if a demon were to be seen by a human on accident.
Changbin wasn't supposed to use this power for anything else other than accidents but thank goodness magic use couldn't be looked at like a bank account history or he'd get in serious trouble.
Used after saving Han Jisung from choking on his shaving cream.
Used after saving Han Jisung from his shoelace caught in the door of a cab.
Used after–
"Ahem." Changbin blinks as Seungmin clears his throat somewhere behind them. The annoyance is easy to pick up in his tone, but when wasn't the angel annoyed? The Grim Reaper soon realizes he is still holding Jisung, the younger man's face now the shade of a full grown tomato. How long had they been staring at each other like this? Why was he getting lost in his thoughts so much around Jisung?
From the corner of his eye, he sees Chan smirk slightly. Oh boy. He knows that expression too well. That was the face of a guy who had found some good blackmail, and Changbin handed it right to him.
Jisung shifts in his arms and straightens his back, dusting off the non-existent dirt off his baggy clothes. Changbin feels a bit reluctant to let go, for some reason. He just doesn't want him to trip again, yeah, yeah that's why. He can see Seungmin ready to kick him and Chan out of his human's space, but before he has the chance to, Felix, oh sweet sweet Felix, speaks up first. "Are you guys hungry? Anything to drink?" He offers with a smile.
"I'm sure they have other things to do," Seungmin mumbles, trying to convince the blond to let them go.
"Aren't you supposed to see Minho hyung today?" Felix raises a brow, his lips curled into a smirk. "Did you ditch him? You got a death wish or something?"
" Please ," Seungmin scoffs, "I'm not stupid."
"Haha, yeah, and I'm 100% straight," the blond says while rolling his eyes, earning a glare from his friend which he immediately ignores by turning his attention back to the Grim Reapers. "So?"
Jisung chuckles and Changbin feels his throat run dry. His heart did NOT just skip a beat, he just miscalculated.
"Oh, you live here now?" The human teases his best friend and Felix grins, already making his way towards the refrigerator despite not having heard any answer to his question.
"Might as well!"
"You're gonna have to pay rent my dear friend!"
"Absolutely NOT!"
Changbin silently laughs at their little banter. Yeah, Felix spent so much time in Jisung's apartment he might as well live there too.
The rest of the afternoon went on like this, with Seungmin and Jisung sitting on the couch, Felix happily munching on snacks in a comfortable bean bag on the side whilst Changbin and Chan shared the cold wooden floor, thanks to Chan who insisted that the floor was perfectly fine and taking two chairs from the kitchen wasn't necessary. Changbin was sure he could hear his tailbone cry for something softer but he'd rather die again than make Jisung feel bad for leaving him on the ground.
The five of them talked about all and nothing, the Grim Reapers expertly making up fake lives for themselves on the go, having practiced lying about their identity in case of human contact for decades already. Felix went on and on about how Jisung was working hard with writing songs, boasting for his friend who looked about ready to explode from embarrassment. But Changbin kept staring at his red puffy cheeks, a small smile resting on his lips. He already knew all of that. He had been around Jisung for three years now. Yet no matter how many times he thought about it, it still made him somehow feel proud. Like a mother whose child keeps getting praised by everyone.
Jisung was a hardworking student, staying up late to either study or write more songs. Mostly the latter but still. He put so much feelings in his lyrics and so much passion in his beats, it was hard to not root for him everytime he would get a call to perform at the local bar. He would get so excited yet so stressed he could get sick, thank goodness Felix was always there to hug him tight and reassure him.
Soon enough, night comes around faster than expected. Changbin and Chan say their goodbyes, needing to get back to Hell before their absence could get noticed. The cool wind hits Changbin right in the face as soon as he sets foot outside. It was already dark. Hopefully, no one in Hell would even realize Chan and him were gone for a good part of the day. Maybe the higher-ups would ask questions but nothing the two couldn't handle.
Changbin sees Chan pat his pockets, making sure Jisung's envelope is still there. Once he seems content, he turns to Changbin. "Let's get going."
"You go on ahead," the younger man answers, stuffing his hands inside his jacket's pockets. "I'll breathe in some more actual oxygen before going back to sulfur."
Chan raises a brow but a knowing grin soon replaces his confusion. "Ahhh… It's okay, I'll deal with the higher-ups for tonight. You look like you have a lot on your mind."
Changbin shoos him away with a snort. "Shut up."
The oldest gives him a thumbs up, looks around to make sure no one else is looking, and disappears in a column of red smoke and flames, leaving Changbin alone with his thoughts. If Chan was going to take care of the higher-ups, he could stay Upstairs for a few more minutes… for some reason.
The moon is barely visible behind the upcoming dark clouds, the sky ready to cry tonight.
Changbin misses the rain. The normal kind, not the acid one they have in Hell. He's getting tired of that one, he's already burned over sixteen umbrellas and the smell of burnt flesh it leaves behind sticks to his clothes just like cigarette smoke would. But it's not all bad. Well, it kind of is, but Hell also has its good sides… Yeaah, no, not really. Except the cookies of the old lady who lives across the hall from Changbin's flat. They're always burnt to a crisp, they look like charcoal, they taste like charcoal, but that lady's smile every time she brings them over to Changbin is sweet enough to cover all that. The Grim Reaper always wonders how such a nice woman ended up in Hell.
Thinking of that old lady somehow makes Changbin think of Jisung. He knows for a fact the human cannot bake cookies to save his life. He should know. He saw him try once. Just once. Let's just say the firefighters tried their best to not giggle at Jisung's pouty lips, and so did Changbin. That was the fifty-third letter he's gotten with Jisung's name. As soon as he got Upstairs and saw the time of death, he called the fire department in advance, telling them there was a fire at his human's apartment. When they showed up, the fire had just started and they were able to put it out just in time, saving Changbin the trouble of having to drag Jisung out by himself to save him.
He remembers the human's puffy cheeks and his embarrassed pout. The way his eyes watered slightly at his failed attempt at baking, his quiet mumbling to himself about how he should have asked Felix for help. How he complained to his friend Hyunjin that the messy blond hair he had back then was going to smell like smoke for an entire week. And it did.
"Hey."
Changbin jumps, being so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear his human join him outside. Hopefully he hasn't been there long enough to see Chan poof away. Jisung stares down at his shoes that look like they were put on in a hurry, his feet not even entirely inside. He shifts from one leg to the other, his hand ruffling the hair at the back of his head. Something's weird.
Changbin stills when a thought forms in his head. Did Jisung see Chan poof? Oh hell, he did, didn't he? Is that why he's so nervous? Changbin can feel his heartbeat quicken, a bead of sweat already forming on his forehead.
But Jisung purses his lips and finally manages a few words out. "This is… going to sound crazy but…" He pauses, looking like he's searching for the right words. "Have we met before?"
Changbin blinks slowly as he lets out a breath he didn't even know he was holding. Okay, so Jisung didn't see anything. Good. The Grim Reaper worries his lip between his teeth and looks up, pretending to think. "Hmm… I don't know. Maybe? I mean, it's a small world, we've possibly crossed paths once before."
( Possibly my ass, he still remembers all the 250 times)
Jisung hums in return, contemplating if he should say something else or leave it at that. They stay in a somewhat comfortable yet awkward silence for a few more minutes before Changbin sighs. "It's getting late... I have work tomorrow. I have to go."
Jisung quickly nods his head in agreement, not wanting to keep him any longer. "O-of course! Yeah, sorry, no, you should just get out. I MEAN–!" Horror crosses his features at the realization of his words. "Wait! No! I don't mean I want you to leave, no, I just– yeah, no, you have work so it's better if you go back…! Oh my god, what is wrong with me!"
Jisung turns back into the building at full speed and he quickly disappears from Changbin's line of sight, leaving the poor man standing in front of the entry door more confused than ever. Yet, a small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.
It doesn't take long before Changbin enters a dark alleyway a few streets down, wanting to make sure he won't be seen nor followed. He checks from left to right, up and down, then makes his way back Downstairs in a column of grey smoke and purple flames.
♤♡◇♧
The next morning, Changbin is back at Jisung's apartment. Not because he misses him, no, no way, absolutely never!
He just has ANOTHER! FUCKING! ENVELOPE!!!
Three days in a row!? Is it even possible to be such a fucking klutz? This was becoming increasingly suspicious. Being a little clumsy was normal for humans, of course, but not to the point of kissing death on the lips every damn time!
Changbin stays outside of Jisung's apartment door, his black boots kicking the carpet in annoyance. The Grim Reaper usually has lots of patience and it took a lot to make him lose it, but today was the day he was ready to snap. It had to be a joke, right? It was the lower class demons responsible for it all, right? These little Imps, always pulling pranks and messing with human lives… Changbin wouldn't be surprised to find out one of them was the cause of Jisung's incredible bad luck. They tended to look for human attention by pranking them or messing around. It had to be an Imp's fault.
All he had to do was go down to the lowest parts of Hell after work and find which one of those tricksters was being a real pain in the ass.
The letter said Jisung is going to electrocute himself to death in his bathroom. It doesn't say how but it wouldn't be the first time one of these accidents happened with his clumsy butt.
Changbin has about five minutes until it happens, so until the last one, he waits. His eyes slide over the pearly white paint of the walls and the seemingly stained maroon carpet, the opened window at the end of the hallway letting the sun shine through and the dark wood of the residents' doors. There's really nothing impressive to look at and a bored sigh crosses his lips. He checks his watch again, ready to count the seconds to pass time. But when his eyes land on the longer needle, he realizes he only has thirty seconds left. Time never flew this fast before.
As Changbin's hand reaches for the door handle, he unlocks it with a simple twist of the wrist and enters the apartment. His black boots heavily hit the wood as he quickly makes his way to the bathroom, his heart pounding in his ears, and he swings the door open.
What the fuck?
Okay, Changbin's seen a lot and I mean a lot of weird shit both in his human life and his demon life. But somehow, this one takes the cake. And the cherry. And the ice cream. And all the fucking cookies that come with it.
Jisung is standing in his bath, fully clothed. Not the strangest thing to see, right? Wrong. Because he's holding his plugged hair dryer over the water, his eyes focused on what he is doing. As soon as the door opens, letting a panicked Changbin come through, the human straightens up at the sight of the Grim Reaper and pumps a fist into the air, his face split by a victorious smile. "Ah-ha! I knew it!"
Changbin looks him in the eye way longer than he should be allowed to. Every thought has left his brain, no words come out of his throat. He simply moves. He grabs a fluffy towel from the small cupboard to his right and hangs it on his arm. He steps further into the bathroom and extends a hand to grab the hairdryer from Jisung's grip. He places it on the counter and then unplugs it. Changbin then takes the towel on his arm and puts it down on the floor for him to step on. His hand goes back towards the human, waiting for him to take it. Jisung smiles gratefully and steps over the edge of the bath.
The human simply stares at Changbin with doe-like eyes and lets himself be moved away from the bath, closer to the bathroom door. Changbin stands in the hallway, silently examining him. The quietness of the place is heavy as they both just look each other in the eye, although Jisung seems ready to burst from excitement. As if he almost didn't just die a painful death.
Changbin won't be the one to talk first, it's obvious he wants answers. So Jisung finally speaks.
"It started a few years ago. At first I didn't pay much attention to you because every time it happened you were just one with the crowd. But with time, your face started becoming more familiar and after a while, I could recognize you easily. You're always there when something life threatening happens to me."
The Grim Reaper keeps quiet, observing Jisung's body language. He's shaking, though he doesn't look scared. Changbin guesses he might be cold, still clothed and wet, so he silently grabs another fluffy towel and rolls him in it.
Jisung blushes, thanks him, and continues.
"I realized you're… always there when I'm about to die. And a few months ago, I…" he bites his lip, not to keep it from trembling but because he has to think of his next words carefully. "Most of the time I know I'm just really clumsy and I don't always look both sides before crossing the street, but a few months ago, after I started being suspicious of your presence, I… I tried to see if you would appear if I, somehow, walked towards an open sewer or purposely ignored a red light while crossing…"
Changbin blinks slowly, his breathing becoming more and more spaced.
"And you were there," Jisung continues. "You've been around for three years now. That can't be a coincidence. And just now, t-that moment in the bath, that was proof."
Jisung brings his head up to finally look Changbin in the eye, his hands clutching the towel. "I was right."
Changbin takes a step closer to him, his eyes dark. Despite being a tiny bit taller than him, Jisung suddenly feels small yet still secure. The oldest's arm comes to rest against the door frame, almost looming over the human, an inexplicably warm aura emanating from his body. Jisung shivers but as he expected, he can stay in place. He can practically feel the older man's breath on his face, a light scent of apple cinnamon and brown sugar. Jisung knows what he's trying to do, but intimidation won't work on him. He's not about to back down from such a heavy stare after all this time. He has him in front of him at last.
'I finally know what you are."
"Is that so? Tell me, Han Jisung, if that's the case... Why aren't you scared?" Changbin's voice is so low he would have missed it if their faces weren't so close to one another. Jisung's eyes quickly shift from his lips back to his fiery eyes, his breath almost catching in his throat. But he's right here. He can do this. And to the Grim Reaper's surprise, Jisung simply flashes one of his cutest smiles.
"Scared? Why would I be scared of my Guardian Angel?"