Numbers [1/2]
Title: Numbers [1/2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KrisHo
Warning: BoyxBoy Love. Enough said.
Summary: It started with greed, but it ended with pride.
Author's Note: Originally posted here. Based on the seven sins prompt. This was really hard cries sorry for being a failure. Much love for Cat who has been helping me with this. Love you <3 AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
It was pride that changed angels into devils. It is humility that makes men as angels.
--Saint Augustine
“Hello?”
“Hey babe... I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“It’s okay, I wasn’t really asleep anyways. Where are you...?”
“I’m still at work...going home in an hour.”
“Okay. Did you bring your keys?”
“Yeah.”
“Mm. Don’t forget to kiss me when you get home.”
“It’s the first thing I’ll do. Well, I gotta get back to work now. See you soon, baby.”
“Junmyeon.”
“Yes?”
“I love you. Be careful.”
“I love you more, Yifan...”
***
Junmyeon had just moved in with Yifan last month.
They were celebrating their first anniversary when the idea came across Yifan’s mind (and Junmyeon said yes immediately).
Junmyeon had a job as a bartender at a night club, while Yifan was working daylight at a small company. Perhaps they couldn’t see each other as often as a normal couple would, but their relationship stayed strong. Yifan didn’t seem to mind about his boyfriend’s night work, but the question had slipped out of his mouth once, about why Junmyeon didn’t find a job that didn’t require him to work late-one that would preferably make it possible for them to stay together throughout the night. Junmyeon’s expression faltered at Yifan’s sudden question because he had never thought the latter would have something against his job.
It wasn’t that Junmyeon loved his current job very much, but he didn’t have the time to find a new job. Plus, there were bills to pay.
At least his job was interesting enough. Random people came and went every night to the club. People with different personalities and different styles asked for different drinks. Some of them were regulars, some of the faces were foreign to Junmyeon. It was tiring being a bartender, but it was also fun. Also, there was an added advantage that Junmyeon didn’t have to put up with shit that happened on the dance floor-that was what the security guards were hired for.
“Shit.”
Junmyeon snapped out of his daze by Yixing’s voice. He placed the shaker he was holding to on the counter and turned his head to look at his friend. “What’s wrong?”
“Trouble on the dance floor,” Yixing shook his head with a sigh. “Not that it’s new. Well, I guess we’re lucky it’s not murder?”
Junmyeon followed Yixing’s line of sight in curiosity. His friend was right. There was a man in the middle of the dance floor who seemed to be screaming, causing some of the people around him to stop dancing and stare with confusion. Judging from the way the man shouting, it seemed quite obvious that he was enraged. Right at that moment, the music went dead for a few seconds and Junmyeon could hear his voice clearly.
“-he must be here-“
The music started again in a heartbeat, drowning out the rest of his words.
He must be...here?
Junmyeon then saw Zhoumi, one of the security guards, shuffling forward to the angry man. Junmyeon unconsciously bit his lower lip, his eyes fixed intently on the screaming male, who looked even angrier knowing that a security guard was approaching. The fight was inevitable,
but the fuming man didn’t seem to able to get a hold of himself and Zhoumi easily beat him down onto the floor before dragging him away.
It wasn’t exactly new to Junmyeon. It was a rather common event to see someone drunken and yelling furiously on the dance floor.
But somehow, it bothered Junmyeon.
Yixing snorted with a ‘hmph’ as he grabbed a can of beer. “What did he say? ‘He’s definitely here’? Yeah, as if he can find whoever ‘he’ is in the sea of people.” The Chinese male was about to say something else, but it changed into frown when he realized Junmyeon was standing rather tensely next to him. “Junmyeon?”
Junmyeon flinched. “Y-yes?”
“Are you okay? We should get back to work.”
“Right...sorry.”
Junmyeon reluctantly grabbed the shaker. He turned his head to look at the dance floor, but the angry man was nowhere to be found.
***
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe...”
“Hey. Is everything okay?”
“...why do you ask that...?”
“I don’t know. Well, you don’t usually call before your shift ends.”
“Oh. I’m sorry...”
“Why are you sorry? Did something bad happen?”
“Yes. I mean, no.... Maybe. Ugh, I don’t know.”
“Junmyeon? You’re confusing me.”
“There was-there was this guy...he looked so angry and I just...I felt scared. That’s all. He’s done nothing to me, Yifan, I swear, he didn’t even come to the bar, but...”
“Are you okay? Do you want me to pick you up?”
“I...”
“Junmyeon?”
“I-I don’t want to bother you...”
“Baby, don’t be silly. I’ll come pick you up.”
“No, Yifan, no...it’s okay. You need to go to work early tomorrow. I’m okay. I’ll go straight home after the shift ends, alright?”
“But-“
“Besides, I feel better already just by hearing your voice...listen, I gotta go. Yixing will pass out if I leave him working alone any longer. See you, Yifan. Love you.”
“Junmyeon-“
***
Hearing Yifan’s voice on the phone did make him feel better, but not for long.
Junmyeon felt like snapping at everything.
Nothing felt right. The way Yixing mixed his drinks, the way he himself mixed the drinks, everything seemed wrong. Junmyeon felt like breaking all of the glasses in irritation. He felt like splashing a glass of martini to the customer’s face-just because she asked for an extra olive. None of the customers were being nasty to him, but he felt like throwing something at their faces.
Junmyeon spent the rest of the night suppressing his emotions.
It seemed like forever when his shift finally ended, and Junmyeon didn’t waste any time. He excused himself before heading straight for
home.
Even when Junmyeon had reached their apartment, the previous feelings still lingered. Junmyeon still felt like snapping and he didn’t understand why. He felt like screaming, but it was late in the morning and the neighbors would definitely kill him if he did. A soft whimper escaped his mouth as he dropped to his knees, his hands clutching his head in frustration.
Junmyeon was so angry that he felt like crying.
“Junmyeon-ah?”
Yifan suddenly showed up in front of him. The taller male looked sleepy-it was obvious that he had just woken up-but his eyes widened when he saw the condition Junmyeon was in. Yifan kneeled next to Junmyeon, his hands were aiming straight to his boyfriend’s face.
“No, Yifan, don’t touch me-“
But Yifan ignored him and wrapped his arms around Junmyeon’s smaller body.
And as if it wasn’t enough, Yifan pulled Junmyeon closer and their lips met halfway.
A surge of calmness and familiarity washed through Junmyeon’s entire body and his eyes fluttered close in defeat. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Junmyeon felt Yifan pulling away.
Whatever it was that he felt before, it dissipated.
Junmyeon was unable to do anything but lean forward to catch Yifan’s lips again. Both of them were lost in the kisses, and it wasn’t until later when Yifan had brought him to lie on their bed that Junmyeon realized.
He only felt calm with Yifan beside him.
***
When Junmyeon woke up the next morning, Yifan had already left.
He stretched out his hands and rolled to the other side of the bed. Junmyeon buried his face in Yifan’s pillow for quite a while, cherishing his boyfriend’s scent, before getting up to take a shower.
Sometimes Junmyeon wondered what it felt like to work during the day. He probably would be able to shower together with Yifan in the morning. He would definitely have the time to make breakfast and serve a cup of coffee for his boyfriend. Even if Junmyeon had the night shift, he would probably be able to come home before midnight. Yifan might even have the time to pick him up and they would be able to go home together.
Junmyeon sighed.
He knew that being a bartender wasn’t the best choice of career. But he didn’t go to the university, so he was probably stuck being a bartender for the rest of his life. Junmyeon had lived with his aunt when he was little, but she passed away when he graduated high school. She was all he had, and Junmyeon decided not to pursue his education in order to make money to survive.
Junmyeon never really thought about a relationship...
...until he met Yifan.
The male had stumbled upon Yifan just before he went to work.
It was late in the evening. The Chinese male was sitting with his back against the wall in an alley, bleeding and his lips were bruised. He was badly beaten, and Junmyeon just didn’t have the heart to walk away after seeing the condition he was in. It was too far to go back to his apartment, so Junmyeon went to the nearest pharmacy to buy a first-aid kit. He gingerly treated Yifan’s wounds (still in the alley), mostly on the latter’s lips and knuckles. Junmyeon tried to establish a conversation, but at that moment, Yifan didn’t respond to any of his words. His eyes were examining Junmyeon like the latter was some kind of an alien.
A week after that, Yifan showed up at the same place. He halted Junmyeon’s steps and handed the latter a bouquet of roses, asking him out without so much an introduction.
Junmyeon choked.
(But he accepted the flowers gladly and they started seeing each other after that).
Junmyeon smiled to himself at the memories. Time had passed by so fast, and it had been more than a year since they started dating. And not even once Yifan had protested about his job. Sure, Yifan had asked once about the possibility of him getting a new job, but he had never really protested. It was just a question, nothing more.
Junmyeon was walking home from the laundromat when he saw a new coffeeshop across the street. His steps slowly came to a stop as he stared. Before, whenever Junmyeon came home from the club, the place was already closed so he had never really given it a good look. But now, under the sunlight, it seemed like a nice, clean shop, and the way the place was decorated somehow gave a cozy vibe. Junmyeon must have been spacing out because he didn’t notice someone was approaching him until the person called out.
“Hello!” A male roughly his age greeted Junmyeon with a kind smile. “We just opened, you can just go in! Our coffee’s the best, you should try it!”
Junmyeon instinctively smiled back. “Um, no thank you, I’m just-”
“Oh,” the male’s expression faltered. “You don’t like coffee?”
“No, I do, it’s just...” Junmyeon trailed off. The male in front of him wasn’t wearing uniform or apron, so he could be the owner. The male’s eyes were so huge that it reminded Junmyeon of an owl. Oh well, it doesn’t hurt to ask. “Is there any vacant...position?”
“You’re looking for a job?” The male’s expression brightened instantly and Junmyeon absently thought of a broken light bulb. “Well, we’re actually looking for another barista... Do you have any experience working in a coffee shop?”
Junmyeon hesitated. “No, but I’m currently working as a bartender...”
“Close enough!” The male nodded happily and grinned as he offered to shake hand. “I’m Kyungsoo! When are you going to be able to start?”
Junmyeon’s eyes widened as he held up his hands. “So-so soon...? I’m just asking for information... Besides, I have to ask my boyfriend first...”
Kyungsoo immediately pouted at that. Nonetheless, his eyes softened in response. “Ah, yes, a boyfriend’s opinion is very important! Well, I think I like you already. If your boyfriend ever says yes, please come back. You’re more than welcome to work here!”
With that, Kyungsoo waved a hand and turned around to enter his coffeeshop.
Junmyeon kept on staring at Kyungsoo’s back until the latter disappeared into his coffeeshop. A minute later, he shook his head in amusement.
He had a feeling he would like Kyungsoo.
***
Junmyeon went to work that night, only to find out that Yixing had quit.
It shocked him to no end because Yixing hadn’t showed any signs that he was going to quit. It was all very sudden. The thought of working alone until morning almost killed him, but then Yoona, the club manager, showed up and introduced him to the new employee.
Oh Sehun.
Sehun reminded him of a Japanese manga character. He was tall, probably as tall as Yifan, and his hair was striking blonde. Junmyeon inwardly thought he kind of liked Yixing more because the male was closer to his height... At first, Junmyeon thought his new co-worker would be just a burden, because Sehun looked young and inexperienced, but he was wrong. Sehun was a fast learner and it turned out that he had a very good memory. Junmyeon only needed to teach him once or twice and then Sehun was able to do it by himself.
It had been three days since Sehun had started working, and Junmyeon already changed his opinion about the (surprisingly) younger male.
Unlike Yixing, Sehun was much more stern, especially when it came to Junmyeon. Whenever one of the customers started to flirt with Junmyeon, Sehun would appear all of a sudden beside him and tell the customers something along the lines of ‘You have your drinks already, so shoo’. Sometimes it was unnecessary, but sometimes Junmyeon needed it. Sehun was acting like an overprotective younger brother, and Junmyeon liked the feeling.
It had also been three days since Junmyeon took notice of a customer.
He was a good looking man, probably just a few years older than him. Despite the fact that everyone came and went, the man didn’t. He stayed silently by the bar, sitting on one of the stools, and he always ordered gin and tonic. Junmyeon noticed this after the third day. Whenever Junmyeon glanced at his general direction, the man would always smile and raise his glass. He didn’t think the man was addressing it to him-it could be to the other person behind him or Sehun-so Junmyeon shrugged it off.
But when Junmyeon accidentally looked to his right for the third time that night and the male was still staring-his smile even widening slightly at the eye contact-Junmyeon swallowed. He quickly broke their gazes and tried to concentrate on his drinks. Junmyeon somehow became nervous, and he could feel the man’s eyes on him, no matter what he did. The male gasped audibly when he felt someone grabbing his shoulder.
“Hyung? You all right?”
Junmyeon’s mouth went dry. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, and Sehun’s worried gaze just made it worse.
“Junmyeon-hyung?”
“I-I need to take a break. Five minutes?”
“Yeah, sure. Take as long as you need. You look really pale.”
Junmyeon nodded gratefully at Sehun and within a minute, he slipped out of the backdoor. The door closed with a sound behind him and he stepped forward to rest his head against the cold, dirty wall. I’ve gotten scared so easily lately...relax, Junmyeon. That man doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he was staring like a creep, but that’s not against the law. Junmyeon pushed himself off of the wall and took his phone out of his pocket.
He needed to hear Yifan’s voice.
Just as he was about to press Yifan’s speed dial, Junmyeon hesitated. Calling Yifan at this hour would only make the other male worried. It was rare for him to call Yifan before his shift ended, and the last time he did so, Yifan got very worried. Junmyeon brushed away his plan to call his boyfriend, deciding to just get back to work.
“Hello.”
Junmyeon almost cracked his neck from turning his head too quickly. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even react properly when the creepy staring man from inside was there next to him. It seemed almost impossible, because it took quite a while from the entrance of the club to get back alleyway-the backdoor was only for employees after all. Junmyeon eyed the backdoor behind the man’s back, wondering if he could run inside before the man did anything to him.
The man smiled at him, but it was different than the ones before. This time, it nauseated Junmyeon to the point of feeling ill. It was also somehow intimidating. Junmyeon felt something jolting at the bottom of his stomach. Scared, his thoughts immediately flew to Yifan, to his warm hands, to his smile, but they all vanished instantly when the man lunged forward to him.
Junmyeon’s back met the flat surface of the wall and his breath hitched. For a moment, all they did was just stared at each other. Junmyeon’s breath became ragged, dropping his gaze when he saw the man was going to touch him.
“You smell so good,” the man slurred and Junmyeon whimpered.
“Wh-what do you want...?”
“What do I want?” He chuckled like it was a stupid question. “I would think that it’s obvious. I want you. I want all of you. I want your heart. I want your brain, too. Your soul, if that is even possible. I want every piece of you.”
Junmyeon was lost. What the hell...? Gasping, Junmyeon closed his eyes when the other man’s hand crawled up to his arm. “L-let me go...”
“Why would I do that?” The male shook his head. “We’ve taken a long time to find you.”
“A long time to find...me?” Junmyeon was really lost now. We? “What are you talking about?”
“Your smell,” the man spoke too close on Junmyeon’s ear. His breath stink and Junmyeon felt like throwing up right away. “We like your smell.” He smiled for a second but it disappeared quickly. “Too bad I have to kill you.”
His eyes turned yellow after he finished his sentence.
“You are the obstacle to our plan.”
Junmyeon didn’t have the strength to scream anymore when the man lifted up his hand. Instead of fingers, there were claws. Yifan was the first thing he thought about. Memories of his boyfriend flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes, waiting for the sharp claws to dig into his body. Strangely, there were pictures of other things that he had been wanting too-money, decent place to live, cars-flashing in his mind.
Yifan.
“Hey, close your eyes.”
Junmyeon made the unfortunate mistake of opening his eyes at those words, because he witnessed how that man-that thing?-before him lost its life. The sound of a very sharp blade running its way through flesh and bone could be heard clearly. The man grunted and pulled away from Junmyeon. He writhed in pain as he looked down-a knife was piercing his body and coming out of his chest. Junmyeon felt his feet turning into jelly as he weakly dropped to the ground, witnessing everything that happened.
Within seconds, the man’s body was on fire and burned magically. His hands were the first to go. And then his feet. The fire then crawled up to his arms and thighs, to his torso...
...and Junmyeon saw it.
There was a number on the man’s chest. Even though it was engulfed by the fire, the number was glowing brightly. Junmyeon winced when he felt a painful throb on his left arm, but he didn’t care of anything else at the moment. When the body of the man who attacked him had completely disappeared into thin air, it was then that Junmyeon saw the face of his savior.
And then everything went black.
***
“Yifan!!”
Junmyeon woke up covered in sweat, but no one was there holding his hand. He immediately reached for the spot Yifan usually slept on, but his hand met the wall. Junmyeon gasped in horror. Where did his boyfriend go...?
He almost went hysterical and called out his boyfriend’s name once again, but then he realized that he wasn’t even in his own bedroom. He carefully pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around in confusion.
He didn’t know where he was.
Before he even got the chance to think, the only door to the room swung open and a male walked in.
Junmyeon drew in his breath the moment their eyes met. He remembered him. He had a towering height and a pair of long, slender legs. The stranger had a very stiff poker face as he stared at Junmyeon. If Junmyeon wasn’t so distracted, he would’ve thought that the male would be even more handsome if he smiled. But now wasn’t the best time to think of that, and the taller male’s blank expression made the atmosphere heavy between them.
“Are you feeling better?”
His deep voice didn’t match his boyish face.
Junmyeon ignored the question. He swallowed thickly. “Where am I...?”
“Our apartment.”
“Our...?”
“Me and Sehun.”
“Oh,” Junmyeon’s eyes shifted to the door behind the taller male. “You’re...Sehun’s brother?”
“Brother?” The male seemed thoughtful. “You can say that.” He stepped closer to the bed Junmyeon was on, and the latter instinctively leaned away. “Don’t be scared. I saved your life.”
If anything, those words only made Junmyeon remember the horrifying images he had witnessed earlier, terrifying him further. Yifan, help... He needed to get out of there. “I-I need to get back to work.” Junmyeon glanced at his watch. He was a bit shocked when he found out that it was a little past midnight-it seemed like he had been asleep for a little more than two hours. “Sehun’s working all alone-“
“Yixing showed up, and he’s helping Sehun now.”
“Yixing...?”
“Yeah.”
“But...but he had quit the job-“
“Sehun said you should just rest and he will take care of everything. So in the meantime, all you need to do is relax.”
“But-but I can’t-“
“Please, listen to me. I know you feel tired. It’s uncanny. Demons do that to you.”
Junmyeon was about to protest some more, but he froze upon hearing the last sentence. “D-demons?”
The tall male spun around to leave the room. “You should rest. I’ll take you back in an hour.”
“Wait!” Junmyeon exclaimed loudly and Sehun’s brother halted his steps. The other male gave him a really blank stare, and Junmyeon fidgeted nervously. “W-what is your name...?”
“...Chanyeol.”
“Chanyeol-ssi,” Junmyeon clutched his chest almost desperately. “Please, I...I don’t want to be alone...”
Chanyeol stood still for a minute. He finally turned around to face the ivory-skinned male and walked over, sitting on the empty bed next to Junmyeon’s. Neither of them said anything for the longest time. Junmyeon didn’t know how long had it been until Chanyeol spoke up to break the silence.
“How did you feel when that demon touched you?”
Junmyeon frowned. Such a nice way to start a conversation... He let out a long sigh and did his best to remember. He couldn’t really describe what he felt back then...the feeling was a bit too much. “...I felt pain. And fear, I guess.”
“Other than that? Did you feel like you wanted something?”
Junmyeon dropped his gaze to his knees. “I think I wanted money...”
Chanyeol snorted into a smile. “Don’t we all?”
“Yeah, but it was different...like I wanted everything...” Junmyeon pursed his lips and stared at Chanyeol in a serious manner. “What was
him...exactly?”
Chanyeol casually crossed his arms on his chest. “He was Greed.”
“Greed?”
“One of the seven sins.”
Junmyeon hadn’t really expected that kind of explanation. It was like his brain was receiving information, but it wasn’t able to fully process it. Junmyeon gaped, half expecting the other male to burst out laughing, but Chanyeol wasn’t joking. The taller male’s expression was deadly serious.
“There are seven,” Chanyeol continued nonchalantly and counted with his fingers. “Pride, Lust, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.”
Junmyeon recalled the number he had seen when the body was burning. “And they’re...here? On Earth...?”
“Well, considering one just attacked you right then...I wish I could tell you they’re here for Halloween, but it doesn’t seem like it.”
“B-but...” Junmyeon stuttered, his face turning pale. “Why are they here?”
Chanyeol’s eyes darkened.
“They’re here to start the apocalypse.”
[2]
Author: FloweryMisha
Pairing: KrisHo
Warning: BoyxBoy Love. Enough said.
Summary: It started with greed, but it ended with pride.
Author's Note: Originally posted here. Based on the seven sins prompt. This was really hard cries sorry for being a failure. Much love for Cat who has been helping me with this. Love you <3 AND PLEASE, NO TRANSLATIONS ALLOWED!
It was pride that changed angels into devils. It is humility that makes men as angels.
--Saint Augustine
“Hello?”
“Hey babe... I’m sorry to wake you up.”
“It’s okay, I wasn’t really asleep anyways. Where are you...?”
“I’m still at work...going home in an hour.”
“Okay. Did you bring your keys?”
“Yeah.”
“Mm. Don’t forget to kiss me when you get home.”
“It’s the first thing I’ll do. Well, I gotta get back to work now. See you soon, baby.”
“Junmyeon.”
“Yes?”
“I love you. Be careful.”
“I love you more, Yifan...”
***
Junmyeon had just moved in with Yifan last month.
They were celebrating their first anniversary when the idea came across Yifan’s mind (and Junmyeon said yes immediately).
Junmyeon had a job as a bartender at a night club, while Yifan was working daylight at a small company. Perhaps they couldn’t see each other as often as a normal couple would, but their relationship stayed strong. Yifan didn’t seem to mind about his boyfriend’s night work, but the question had slipped out of his mouth once, about why Junmyeon didn’t find a job that didn’t require him to work late-one that would preferably make it possible for them to stay together throughout the night. Junmyeon’s expression faltered at Yifan’s sudden question because he had never thought the latter would have something against his job.
It wasn’t that Junmyeon loved his current job very much, but he didn’t have the time to find a new job. Plus, there were bills to pay.
At least his job was interesting enough. Random people came and went every night to the club. People with different personalities and different styles asked for different drinks. Some of them were regulars, some of the faces were foreign to Junmyeon. It was tiring being a bartender, but it was also fun. Also, there was an added advantage that Junmyeon didn’t have to put up with shit that happened on the dance floor-that was what the security guards were hired for.
“Shit.”
Junmyeon snapped out of his daze by Yixing’s voice. He placed the shaker he was holding to on the counter and turned his head to look at his friend. “What’s wrong?”
“Trouble on the dance floor,” Yixing shook his head with a sigh. “Not that it’s new. Well, I guess we’re lucky it’s not murder?”
Junmyeon followed Yixing’s line of sight in curiosity. His friend was right. There was a man in the middle of the dance floor who seemed to be screaming, causing some of the people around him to stop dancing and stare with confusion. Judging from the way the man shouting, it seemed quite obvious that he was enraged. Right at that moment, the music went dead for a few seconds and Junmyeon could hear his voice clearly.
“-he must be here-“
The music started again in a heartbeat, drowning out the rest of his words.
He must be...here?
Junmyeon then saw Zhoumi, one of the security guards, shuffling forward to the angry man. Junmyeon unconsciously bit his lower lip, his eyes fixed intently on the screaming male, who looked even angrier knowing that a security guard was approaching. The fight was inevitable,
but the fuming man didn’t seem to able to get a hold of himself and Zhoumi easily beat him down onto the floor before dragging him away.
It wasn’t exactly new to Junmyeon. It was a rather common event to see someone drunken and yelling furiously on the dance floor.
But somehow, it bothered Junmyeon.
Yixing snorted with a ‘hmph’ as he grabbed a can of beer. “What did he say? ‘He’s definitely here’? Yeah, as if he can find whoever ‘he’ is in the sea of people.” The Chinese male was about to say something else, but it changed into frown when he realized Junmyeon was standing rather tensely next to him. “Junmyeon?”
Junmyeon flinched. “Y-yes?”
“Are you okay? We should get back to work.”
“Right...sorry.”
Junmyeon reluctantly grabbed the shaker. He turned his head to look at the dance floor, but the angry man was nowhere to be found.
***
“Hello?”
“Hey, babe...”
“Hey. Is everything okay?”
“...why do you ask that...?”
“I don’t know. Well, you don’t usually call before your shift ends.”
“Oh. I’m sorry...”
“Why are you sorry? Did something bad happen?”
“Yes. I mean, no.... Maybe. Ugh, I don’t know.”
“Junmyeon? You’re confusing me.”
“There was-there was this guy...he looked so angry and I just...I felt scared. That’s all. He’s done nothing to me, Yifan, I swear, he didn’t even come to the bar, but...”
“Are you okay? Do you want me to pick you up?”
“I...”
“Junmyeon?”
“I-I don’t want to bother you...”
“Baby, don’t be silly. I’ll come pick you up.”
“No, Yifan, no...it’s okay. You need to go to work early tomorrow. I’m okay. I’ll go straight home after the shift ends, alright?”
“But-“
“Besides, I feel better already just by hearing your voice...listen, I gotta go. Yixing will pass out if I leave him working alone any longer. See you, Yifan. Love you.”
“Junmyeon-“
***
Hearing Yifan’s voice on the phone did make him feel better, but not for long.
Junmyeon felt like snapping at everything.
Nothing felt right. The way Yixing mixed his drinks, the way he himself mixed the drinks, everything seemed wrong. Junmyeon felt like breaking all of the glasses in irritation. He felt like splashing a glass of martini to the customer’s face-just because she asked for an extra olive. None of the customers were being nasty to him, but he felt like throwing something at their faces.
Junmyeon spent the rest of the night suppressing his emotions.
It seemed like forever when his shift finally ended, and Junmyeon didn’t waste any time. He excused himself before heading straight for
home.
Even when Junmyeon had reached their apartment, the previous feelings still lingered. Junmyeon still felt like snapping and he didn’t understand why. He felt like screaming, but it was late in the morning and the neighbors would definitely kill him if he did. A soft whimper escaped his mouth as he dropped to his knees, his hands clutching his head in frustration.
Junmyeon was so angry that he felt like crying.
“Junmyeon-ah?”
Yifan suddenly showed up in front of him. The taller male looked sleepy-it was obvious that he had just woken up-but his eyes widened when he saw the condition Junmyeon was in. Yifan kneeled next to Junmyeon, his hands were aiming straight to his boyfriend’s face.
“No, Yifan, don’t touch me-“
But Yifan ignored him and wrapped his arms around Junmyeon’s smaller body.
And as if it wasn’t enough, Yifan pulled Junmyeon closer and their lips met halfway.
A surge of calmness and familiarity washed through Junmyeon’s entire body and his eyes fluttered close in defeat. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before Junmyeon felt Yifan pulling away.
Whatever it was that he felt before, it dissipated.
Junmyeon was unable to do anything but lean forward to catch Yifan’s lips again. Both of them were lost in the kisses, and it wasn’t until later when Yifan had brought him to lie on their bed that Junmyeon realized.
He only felt calm with Yifan beside him.
***
When Junmyeon woke up the next morning, Yifan had already left.
He stretched out his hands and rolled to the other side of the bed. Junmyeon buried his face in Yifan’s pillow for quite a while, cherishing his boyfriend’s scent, before getting up to take a shower.
Sometimes Junmyeon wondered what it felt like to work during the day. He probably would be able to shower together with Yifan in the morning. He would definitely have the time to make breakfast and serve a cup of coffee for his boyfriend. Even if Junmyeon had the night shift, he would probably be able to come home before midnight. Yifan might even have the time to pick him up and they would be able to go home together.
Junmyeon sighed.
He knew that being a bartender wasn’t the best choice of career. But he didn’t go to the university, so he was probably stuck being a bartender for the rest of his life. Junmyeon had lived with his aunt when he was little, but she passed away when he graduated high school. She was all he had, and Junmyeon decided not to pursue his education in order to make money to survive.
Junmyeon never really thought about a relationship...
...until he met Yifan.
The male had stumbled upon Yifan just before he went to work.
It was late in the evening. The Chinese male was sitting with his back against the wall in an alley, bleeding and his lips were bruised. He was badly beaten, and Junmyeon just didn’t have the heart to walk away after seeing the condition he was in. It was too far to go back to his apartment, so Junmyeon went to the nearest pharmacy to buy a first-aid kit. He gingerly treated Yifan’s wounds (still in the alley), mostly on the latter’s lips and knuckles. Junmyeon tried to establish a conversation, but at that moment, Yifan didn’t respond to any of his words. His eyes were examining Junmyeon like the latter was some kind of an alien.
A week after that, Yifan showed up at the same place. He halted Junmyeon’s steps and handed the latter a bouquet of roses, asking him out without so much an introduction.
Junmyeon choked.
(But he accepted the flowers gladly and they started seeing each other after that).
Junmyeon smiled to himself at the memories. Time had passed by so fast, and it had been more than a year since they started dating. And not even once Yifan had protested about his job. Sure, Yifan had asked once about the possibility of him getting a new job, but he had never really protested. It was just a question, nothing more.
Junmyeon was walking home from the laundromat when he saw a new coffeeshop across the street. His steps slowly came to a stop as he stared. Before, whenever Junmyeon came home from the club, the place was already closed so he had never really given it a good look. But now, under the sunlight, it seemed like a nice, clean shop, and the way the place was decorated somehow gave a cozy vibe. Junmyeon must have been spacing out because he didn’t notice someone was approaching him until the person called out.
“Hello!” A male roughly his age greeted Junmyeon with a kind smile. “We just opened, you can just go in! Our coffee’s the best, you should try it!”
Junmyeon instinctively smiled back. “Um, no thank you, I’m just-”
“Oh,” the male’s expression faltered. “You don’t like coffee?”
“No, I do, it’s just...” Junmyeon trailed off. The male in front of him wasn’t wearing uniform or apron, so he could be the owner. The male’s eyes were so huge that it reminded Junmyeon of an owl. Oh well, it doesn’t hurt to ask. “Is there any vacant...position?”
“You’re looking for a job?” The male’s expression brightened instantly and Junmyeon absently thought of a broken light bulb. “Well, we’re actually looking for another barista... Do you have any experience working in a coffee shop?”
Junmyeon hesitated. “No, but I’m currently working as a bartender...”
“Close enough!” The male nodded happily and grinned as he offered to shake hand. “I’m Kyungsoo! When are you going to be able to start?”
Junmyeon’s eyes widened as he held up his hands. “So-so soon...? I’m just asking for information... Besides, I have to ask my boyfriend first...”
Kyungsoo immediately pouted at that. Nonetheless, his eyes softened in response. “Ah, yes, a boyfriend’s opinion is very important! Well, I think I like you already. If your boyfriend ever says yes, please come back. You’re more than welcome to work here!”
With that, Kyungsoo waved a hand and turned around to enter his coffeeshop.
Junmyeon kept on staring at Kyungsoo’s back until the latter disappeared into his coffeeshop. A minute later, he shook his head in amusement.
He had a feeling he would like Kyungsoo.
***
Junmyeon went to work that night, only to find out that Yixing had quit.
It shocked him to no end because Yixing hadn’t showed any signs that he was going to quit. It was all very sudden. The thought of working alone until morning almost killed him, but then Yoona, the club manager, showed up and introduced him to the new employee.
Oh Sehun.
Sehun reminded him of a Japanese manga character. He was tall, probably as tall as Yifan, and his hair was striking blonde. Junmyeon inwardly thought he kind of liked Yixing more because the male was closer to his height... At first, Junmyeon thought his new co-worker would be just a burden, because Sehun looked young and inexperienced, but he was wrong. Sehun was a fast learner and it turned out that he had a very good memory. Junmyeon only needed to teach him once or twice and then Sehun was able to do it by himself.
It had been three days since Sehun had started working, and Junmyeon already changed his opinion about the (surprisingly) younger male.
Unlike Yixing, Sehun was much more stern, especially when it came to Junmyeon. Whenever one of the customers started to flirt with Junmyeon, Sehun would appear all of a sudden beside him and tell the customers something along the lines of ‘You have your drinks already, so shoo’. Sometimes it was unnecessary, but sometimes Junmyeon needed it. Sehun was acting like an overprotective younger brother, and Junmyeon liked the feeling.
It had also been three days since Junmyeon took notice of a customer.
He was a good looking man, probably just a few years older than him. Despite the fact that everyone came and went, the man didn’t. He stayed silently by the bar, sitting on one of the stools, and he always ordered gin and tonic. Junmyeon noticed this after the third day. Whenever Junmyeon glanced at his general direction, the man would always smile and raise his glass. He didn’t think the man was addressing it to him-it could be to the other person behind him or Sehun-so Junmyeon shrugged it off.
But when Junmyeon accidentally looked to his right for the third time that night and the male was still staring-his smile even widening slightly at the eye contact-Junmyeon swallowed. He quickly broke their gazes and tried to concentrate on his drinks. Junmyeon somehow became nervous, and he could feel the man’s eyes on him, no matter what he did. The male gasped audibly when he felt someone grabbing his shoulder.
“Hyung? You all right?”
Junmyeon’s mouth went dry. He couldn’t bring himself to answer, and Sehun’s worried gaze just made it worse.
“Junmyeon-hyung?”
“I-I need to take a break. Five minutes?”
“Yeah, sure. Take as long as you need. You look really pale.”
Junmyeon nodded gratefully at Sehun and within a minute, he slipped out of the backdoor. The door closed with a sound behind him and he stepped forward to rest his head against the cold, dirty wall. I’ve gotten scared so easily lately...relax, Junmyeon. That man doesn’t mean anything. Maybe he was staring like a creep, but that’s not against the law. Junmyeon pushed himself off of the wall and took his phone out of his pocket.
He needed to hear Yifan’s voice.
Just as he was about to press Yifan’s speed dial, Junmyeon hesitated. Calling Yifan at this hour would only make the other male worried. It was rare for him to call Yifan before his shift ended, and the last time he did so, Yifan got very worried. Junmyeon brushed away his plan to call his boyfriend, deciding to just get back to work.
“Hello.”
Junmyeon almost cracked his neck from turning his head too quickly. He was so shocked that he couldn’t even react properly when the creepy staring man from inside was there next to him. It seemed almost impossible, because it took quite a while from the entrance of the club to get back alleyway-the backdoor was only for employees after all. Junmyeon eyed the backdoor behind the man’s back, wondering if he could run inside before the man did anything to him.
The man smiled at him, but it was different than the ones before. This time, it nauseated Junmyeon to the point of feeling ill. It was also somehow intimidating. Junmyeon felt something jolting at the bottom of his stomach. Scared, his thoughts immediately flew to Yifan, to his warm hands, to his smile, but they all vanished instantly when the man lunged forward to him.
Junmyeon’s back met the flat surface of the wall and his breath hitched. For a moment, all they did was just stared at each other. Junmyeon’s breath became ragged, dropping his gaze when he saw the man was going to touch him.
“You smell so good,” the man slurred and Junmyeon whimpered.
“Wh-what do you want...?”
“What do I want?” He chuckled like it was a stupid question. “I would think that it’s obvious. I want you. I want all of you. I want your heart. I want your brain, too. Your soul, if that is even possible. I want every piece of you.”
Junmyeon was lost. What the hell...? Gasping, Junmyeon closed his eyes when the other man’s hand crawled up to his arm. “L-let me go...”
“Why would I do that?” The male shook his head. “We’ve taken a long time to find you.”
“A long time to find...me?” Junmyeon was really lost now. We? “What are you talking about?”
“Your smell,” the man spoke too close on Junmyeon’s ear. His breath stink and Junmyeon felt like throwing up right away. “We like your smell.” He smiled for a second but it disappeared quickly. “Too bad I have to kill you.”
His eyes turned yellow after he finished his sentence.
“You are the obstacle to our plan.”
Junmyeon didn’t have the strength to scream anymore when the man lifted up his hand. Instead of fingers, there were claws. Yifan was the first thing he thought about. Memories of his boyfriend flashed in his mind and he closed his eyes, waiting for the sharp claws to dig into his body. Strangely, there were pictures of other things that he had been wanting too-money, decent place to live, cars-flashing in his mind.
Yifan.
“Hey, close your eyes.”
Junmyeon made the unfortunate mistake of opening his eyes at those words, because he witnessed how that man-that thing?-before him lost its life. The sound of a very sharp blade running its way through flesh and bone could be heard clearly. The man grunted and pulled away from Junmyeon. He writhed in pain as he looked down-a knife was piercing his body and coming out of his chest. Junmyeon felt his feet turning into jelly as he weakly dropped to the ground, witnessing everything that happened.
Within seconds, the man’s body was on fire and burned magically. His hands were the first to go. And then his feet. The fire then crawled up to his arms and thighs, to his torso...
...and Junmyeon saw it.
There was a number on the man’s chest. Even though it was engulfed by the fire, the number was glowing brightly. Junmyeon winced when he felt a painful throb on his left arm, but he didn’t care of anything else at the moment. When the body of the man who attacked him had completely disappeared into thin air, it was then that Junmyeon saw the face of his savior.
And then everything went black.
***
“Yifan!!”
Junmyeon woke up covered in sweat, but no one was there holding his hand. He immediately reached for the spot Yifan usually slept on, but his hand met the wall. Junmyeon gasped in horror. Where did his boyfriend go...?
He almost went hysterical and called out his boyfriend’s name once again, but then he realized that he wasn’t even in his own bedroom. He carefully pulled himself into a sitting position and looked around in confusion.
He didn’t know where he was.
Before he even got the chance to think, the only door to the room swung open and a male walked in.
Junmyeon drew in his breath the moment their eyes met. He remembered him. He had a towering height and a pair of long, slender legs. The stranger had a very stiff poker face as he stared at Junmyeon. If Junmyeon wasn’t so distracted, he would’ve thought that the male would be even more handsome if he smiled. But now wasn’t the best time to think of that, and the taller male’s blank expression made the atmosphere heavy between them.
“Are you feeling better?”
His deep voice didn’t match his boyish face.
Junmyeon ignored the question. He swallowed thickly. “Where am I...?”
“Our apartment.”
“Our...?”
“Me and Sehun.”
“Oh,” Junmyeon’s eyes shifted to the door behind the taller male. “You’re...Sehun’s brother?”
“Brother?” The male seemed thoughtful. “You can say that.” He stepped closer to the bed Junmyeon was on, and the latter instinctively leaned away. “Don’t be scared. I saved your life.”
If anything, those words only made Junmyeon remember the horrifying images he had witnessed earlier, terrifying him further. Yifan, help... He needed to get out of there. “I-I need to get back to work.” Junmyeon glanced at his watch. He was a bit shocked when he found out that it was a little past midnight-it seemed like he had been asleep for a little more than two hours. “Sehun’s working all alone-“
“Yixing showed up, and he’s helping Sehun now.”
“Yixing...?”
“Yeah.”
“But...but he had quit the job-“
“Sehun said you should just rest and he will take care of everything. So in the meantime, all you need to do is relax.”
“But-but I can’t-“
“Please, listen to me. I know you feel tired. It’s uncanny. Demons do that to you.”
Junmyeon was about to protest some more, but he froze upon hearing the last sentence. “D-demons?”
The tall male spun around to leave the room. “You should rest. I’ll take you back in an hour.”
“Wait!” Junmyeon exclaimed loudly and Sehun’s brother halted his steps. The other male gave him a really blank stare, and Junmyeon fidgeted nervously. “W-what is your name...?”
“...Chanyeol.”
“Chanyeol-ssi,” Junmyeon clutched his chest almost desperately. “Please, I...I don’t want to be alone...”
Chanyeol stood still for a minute. He finally turned around to face the ivory-skinned male and walked over, sitting on the empty bed next to Junmyeon’s. Neither of them said anything for the longest time. Junmyeon didn’t know how long had it been until Chanyeol spoke up to break the silence.
“How did you feel when that demon touched you?”
Junmyeon frowned. Such a nice way to start a conversation... He let out a long sigh and did his best to remember. He couldn’t really describe what he felt back then...the feeling was a bit too much. “...I felt pain. And fear, I guess.”
“Other than that? Did you feel like you wanted something?”
Junmyeon dropped his gaze to his knees. “I think I wanted money...”
Chanyeol snorted into a smile. “Don’t we all?”
“Yeah, but it was different...like I wanted everything...” Junmyeon pursed his lips and stared at Chanyeol in a serious manner. “What was
him...exactly?”
Chanyeol casually crossed his arms on his chest. “He was Greed.”
“Greed?”
“One of the seven sins.”
Junmyeon hadn’t really expected that kind of explanation. It was like his brain was receiving information, but it wasn’t able to fully process it. Junmyeon gaped, half expecting the other male to burst out laughing, but Chanyeol wasn’t joking. The taller male’s expression was deadly serious.
“There are seven,” Chanyeol continued nonchalantly and counted with his fingers. “Pride, Lust, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Wrath, and Sloth.”
Junmyeon recalled the number he had seen when the body was burning. “And they’re...here? On Earth...?”
“Well, considering one just attacked you right then...I wish I could tell you they’re here for Halloween, but it doesn’t seem like it.”
“B-but...” Junmyeon stuttered, his face turning pale. “Why are they here?”
Chanyeol’s eyes darkened.
“They’re here to start the apocalypse.”
[2]