Fallen Grace - Kris x Tao - Oneshot (2/2)
Part one here.
It must have been a two-hour drive because it's already quite late when Kyungsoo's friend arrives in the house. "Did they tell you what happened?"
Kyungsoo shakes his head, "Not yet. After fixing my boss, I called you and when I came to check on them, they're asleep. They're still asleep."
Kyungsoo's friend checks on the symbol the wide-eyed boy pointed at, "I don't know what exactly this is, but I might be able to help your friend."
"What do we need?"
"I just need him on a bed, I'm just gonna talk to him."
"Then come inside."
The two of them heads inside the room, Kyungsoo wakes them up. Yifan rubs his eyes and looks at the two, Tao just huddles closer to Yifan.
"Who's he?"
"This is Joonmyun. He's my friend from way back. He's a psychic. I'm a skeptic of what he's doing but I just thought that maybe he could help."
"Shall we get started?" Joonmyun asks, Yifan nods. Joonmyun asks Tao to lie on the bed, close his eyes and stay still. "On the count of five, you will tell me who you are." Joonmyun starts, he covers Tao's eyes with his hand, "1... 2... 3... 4... 5."
The room goes eerily quiet, Yifan and Kyungsoo are holding their breath as they watch Joonmyun sit by Tao's side. "Who are you?"
"I'm Tao."
"How did you come here, Tao?"
"I don't know..."
"Clear your mind and think further back. How did you come here?"
"I don't know!"
"Clear your mind. Again, how did you come here?"
"I ran. I fell."
"Fell from?"
Tao starts thrashing his body, "I ran away from Father! He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!!!!" Yifan runs to the bed, Kyungsoo stops him. Joonmyun throws his body over Tao and puts his hand over his eyes again, "You will wake up in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5."
The blond takes a deep breath and stops throwing his body violently. There are tears in his eyes when he opens them, "Thank you, Joonmyun. I know what I am now." He tells the psychic as he sits up. He looks at Yifan with conviction, "I'm an Angel of the Lord."
"What?" Yifan asks, his voice suprisingly not lost by the revelation. "Yixing and Luhan... They're angels too. And I ran away from Heaven because I lost my Faith."
"I don't believe this..." Kyungsoo mumbles, Joonmyun sighs and looks at his friend, "There are many things we would never have believed until we see it."
"... I need to find my Grace if I want to keep my brothers from me. And to protect you, too, Yifan."
"How do we even find your Grace?"
"It's in the place where I fell."
Yifan turns to his butler and Joonmyun, "Thank you both for your help, but I'd rather you leave this to us. His brothers haven't seen you both and it's for your own good."
Kyungsoo nods, "But come back alive. If he truly is an Angel, you're dealing with a very powerful being."
"Call me whenever you need my help." Joonmyun gives his card to Yifan. The brunet takes the card and smiles at the two, "Thanks, I won't see you guys out, Tao and I need to talk immediately. We don't have enough time."
The two leaves the room and Yifan walks towards the blond. Tao turns his gaze away from him, "I'm so sorry. I placed you in danger." Yifan takes Tao's chin in his hand so that the blond is looking at him, "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't have met you if you didn't come here."
"Yifan..." Tao's eyes start watering, Yifan kisses him briefly then asks, "Why did you run away?"
"I've watched you humans for so many years, getting orders from a Father I haven't seen." Tao sighs, "And we rely on blind Faith, to keep on believing he's still there, but do you know how many angels have seen him? 4! I'm not even one of them, and I'm far superior than my brothers."
"They said they won't kill you if you come back before His rising. What's going on?"
"I disobeyed and ripped my Grace when I fell. It's almost like committing murder, because I lost my Faith to my Father."
"And they're gonna kill you for that?"
"We're not as holy as you think." Tao smirks, Yifan brushes Tao's bangs from his eyes, the blond continues, "Our brother, Lucifer, he's rising back up to retake Heaven now that Father has suddenly disappeared." Tao sighs, "I guess that's why they're pardoning my life for a while. I'll get killed one way or another after He rises."
"Can't you stay with me?" Yifan cups Tao's face, "I love you, Tao. Angel or not, I'm in love with you."
"I'd trade everything that I can to stay, Yifan." Tao starts crying and leans his forehead against the other's, "But if I don't get my Grace back, they will kill you, too. I need to protect you."
"I'll kill Yixing and Luhan for you. I don't care, I just need you to stay."
"Only an angel can kill an angel. Or if you can get hold of an angel sword, but that's impossible too." Tao hugs Yifan, "I want to stay, too. I love you. This is worth trading my wings; being with you feels better than flying."
Yifan lets Tao cry on his shoulder, they stay in that position for a while until the blond is suddenly looking around the room, whipping his head from side to side, then faces Yifan, "We have to leave or we'll run out of time."
The brunet nods and reluctantly jumps off the bed. He takes his keys, phone and wallet. Yifan takes Tao's hand and they leave the house. They get inside Yifan's car and when the brunet starts the engine, Tao stops him. "I think I know where my Grace is."
"Where?"
"The sakura tree. I'm so afraid to go near it, right? Maybe because I didn't want to be an Angel again."
Yifan nods and drives the car out of the garage before stepping out of it and dragging Tao across the field. They run faster despite the human's pain and they're both out of breath when they reach the tree, "Yifan, I can feel it. Its power is what scared me."
"Go on. It's what you have to do." Yifan tells the other, Tao circles the tree and touches it. It is then enveloped in bright light, vanishing immediately and turning into a puff of thick, white mist and it enters Tao's mouth. Tao doubles over, Yifan tries to go near him but he screams, "Don't look! Yifan! Cover your ears and eyes! Don't look!!!"
Yifan does as he's told and he hears Tao scream in pain. He doesn't see it but he knows that there's a stream of white light surrounding them now. It takes only a few seconds before it's over. Yifan opens his eyes and he finds Tao panting in all fours on the ground. There is smoke coming out of the boy's body and Yifan had to retract his hand from touching Tao because of the unbearable heat coming off from him.
"Are you okay?" Yifan tentatively asks, Tao takes a deep breath without looking at him, "I'm fine. Give me a minute."
A flash of lightning suddenly cuts through the night sky, and Yifan sees them - Tao's large wings are casting shadows on the ground. The human blinks his eyes, thinking it must be his imagination, but another flash of lightning and the wings are still there. Tao turns to him, "We have to go."
Yifan nods, Tao walks to his side and places his palm on the human's side, "What are you doing?"
"I'm healing you."
The pain on Yifan's ribs disappear and he feels brand new. They run back to the car just in time before the heavy rain starts to fall. "Where are we headed?"
"To my beach house. I told you I'll take you there, right?"
"Hoping to make it until morning for me to see the ocean."
"Don't say that. You'll see it."
Tao remains silent and leans his head against the glass window. Before he knows it, he has fallen asleep.
-----
The both of them arrives at the beach house 2 and a half hours later. It's fairly small, a quaint cottage a few feet away from the shore. There's one couch, a small kitchen, a table with two chairs on the side, a bathroom and a single bedroom. "I come here alone whenever I need to get away from work." Yifan tells Tao, he locks the door behind him and the blond turns to face him.
"Yifan..."
"Hmn?"
"Take me. Mark me. I'm yours, only yours." Tao leans up to kiss the taller, "Make love to me."
Yifan leans down to capture the blond's lips and lifts Tao up from behind his thighs. The taller carries the blond to the bedroom without cutting off the kiss. They fumble to get their clothes off their bodies as they consummate their love physically and intimately for the first time.
Yifan marks Tao all over his neck and chest with love bites, they whisper countless 'I love you's' and they hold each other close - hoping that if they connect their bodies closer, they wouldn't have to separate. Tao cries out Yifan's name when he reaches his euphoria, the other does the same after the minutes that follow.
Yifan cries on the crook of Tao's neck without removing himself on top of the angel, Tao does the same as he hugs the human closer. They don't speak any words of farewells and goodbyes that they know they cannot avoid. The angel rests his right hand over Yifan's chest, a soft white glow emits from it and the human feels a spark shock his body, "What are you doing...?" He asks in between his cries.
"I carved an Enochian sigil on your ribs so that no angel can ever find you."
"Even you?"
Tao nods his head, "Even me."
"Take it out!" Yifan cries again and gathers Tao tighter in his arms, "Take it out. If you make it out alive from Heaven, you need to find me."
Tao smiles against Yifan's neck, "I will look for you, I will find you." He breathes against his ear. The angel turns to the window and the sky is turning into a lighter shade of blue. "The dawn is breaking, I want to see the ocean."
Yifan kisses the angel briefly before removing himself on top of him. He puts on his boxers and trousers, nevermind the shirt. Tao puts on his clothes and they leave the cottage. They sit on the sand, Tao in front of Yifan, back pressed against the human's chest. They let the cold sea water kiss their feet and the both of them silently listen to the soft sound of the sea, "What's Heaven like?"
"Not as grandiose as humans perceive it to be." Tao leans his head back on Yifan's shoulder, "I've never felt happier. Thank you."
The human kisses Tao's temple, they revel in silence again until they hear a loud flutter of wings from behind them. The two of them jumps up, Tao pushing Yifan behind him.
"I come alone, Brother." Yixing starts, "I will not threaten to kill the human, I will do no such dirty tricks if you would just come quietly."
"I am not going back. Brother, I am in love and I intend to stay."
Yixing comes closer angrily, "You are selfish. Angels are dying at the hands of the filthy demons and here you are, rather than fight to save our Family, you choose to be human?"
"Yes." Tao tells Yixing. The shorter angel shakes his head in disappointment before disappearing in front of Tao and teleporting behind Yifan, the human turns to find the angel glaring at him, "Luhan is right, you are the only one keeping my brother from going home."
Tao turns his body so he is between Yifan and Yixing, "I am sorry, Yixing. I love you, but I am in love with Yifan." The blond grabs Yixing by the neck, the shorter tries to remove Tao's hand but to no avail. Yifan watches in horror as Yixing's face starts to burn and bright lights starts glowing from his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Yifan closes his eyes when he couldn't take it anymore, he opens them again when he hears a loud thud. He finds Yixing lifeless on the ground, huge angel wings drawn on the sand where he lays.
"Let's go." Tao grabs Yifan's hand and they run from the shore. They are near the cottage when Yifan flies off from the ground and is knocked face down on the sand by an unseen force. "Yifan!!!" Tao runs to the human and shakes him up, "Wake up!"
"I never understood why you're one of Father's favorites."
Tao recognizes the voice, he stands up, walks and stops by Yifan's feet, covering the human with his body so that Luhan can't go near him, "Luhan, please. Stop it."
"You killed our own brother!" Luhan screams and steps closer to Tao, "I will kill you first, and then your precious human after."
"Stay. Away. From. Him." Tao releases an unseen force and aims it at Luhan, he hears the other angel's laughter before a punch lands on his face. Tao is strong where Luhan is agile. Where Tao is a skilled fighter, Luhan counters with swift moves. If Tao fights fair, Luhan certainly does not, especially since he's now at the losing end. Tao's opponent suddenly disappears from his line of vision, the blond teleports in time before Luhan can kill the unconscious Yifan.
"Leave him alone!" Tao grabs Luhan by the neck, just like what happened to Yixing, Luhan stars burning slowly, the doe-eyed angel laughs, "Let...s go... H...ome." And with the last strength Luhan has, he produces the angel sword and stabs Tao. Luhan falls lifeless to the ground, Tao on top of Yifan, bright light explodes from the both of them before disappearing almost instantainously.
'Father... Forgive me...'
***
Yifan wakes up to the bright morning sun. His whole body is in pain. He sits up and nurses his head, he still has his eyes closed when he stands and turns behind to find a pair of large angel wings on the sand. He kicks the sand off but the angel wings are still there, it's different from Yixing's based on its shape. He doesn't bother looking around the sand and runs around the area - he doesn't find an incomplete pair of angel wings from where he was lying down.
"Tao?!" He screams when he enters the cottage, "TAO?!!!"
He runs around the house but stops on his tracks when he catches a glimpse of his bare shoulder in the mirror hanging on the wall in the bedroom.
"Feathers..." Yifan mumbles and he turns completely around, cranes his neck to see his back in the mirror. He screams when he realizes that the base of Tao's wings are imprinted perfectly on his back. He falls to his knees and cries harder than he's ever had.
-----
For the years that followed Tao's disappearance, Yifan busied himself with his work. Kyungsoo never questioned him, never forced him to date anybody else.
Every morning he wakes up to look at the angel wings on his back and he feels the same as the imprint - he feels incomplete. There are nights he cries and nights he sleeps in Tao's room. Yearly, he goes back to the beach on the day Tao has disappeared.
It's the fifth year and the break of dawn.
Yifan sits by the shore, his feet getting kissed lightly by the seawater. Yifan feels bittersweet every time he comes back because it's always the same as that morning with Tao - the weather, the howling of the sea, the soft crashing of the waves and the morning breeze enveloping his bare skin.
He is lost in his thoughts that he almost jumps when someone speaks from behind him.
"I found you."
Yifan doesn't need to turn around to know who's back, doesn't need to say his name when familiar arms wrap around his shoulders, "I don't know you, but I've been looking for you."
"I'm Wu Yifan." The brunet starts as he holds the other's hands in his, his tears running down his cheeks, "I've been waiting for you."
"I'm Huang Zitao. I'm here to stay."
-----------------------------
Author's Notes: 13096 words. Longest oneshot fic i've written so far.
I'd rather you click here, i will explain A LOT about this story. Take time to read it, just in case you got confused.
It must have been a two-hour drive because it's already quite late when Kyungsoo's friend arrives in the house. "Did they tell you what happened?"
Kyungsoo shakes his head, "Not yet. After fixing my boss, I called you and when I came to check on them, they're asleep. They're still asleep."
Kyungsoo's friend checks on the symbol the wide-eyed boy pointed at, "I don't know what exactly this is, but I might be able to help your friend."
"What do we need?"
"I just need him on a bed, I'm just gonna talk to him."
"Then come inside."
The two of them heads inside the room, Kyungsoo wakes them up. Yifan rubs his eyes and looks at the two, Tao just huddles closer to Yifan.
"Who's he?"
"This is Joonmyun. He's my friend from way back. He's a psychic. I'm a skeptic of what he's doing but I just thought that maybe he could help."
"Shall we get started?" Joonmyun asks, Yifan nods. Joonmyun asks Tao to lie on the bed, close his eyes and stay still. "On the count of five, you will tell me who you are." Joonmyun starts, he covers Tao's eyes with his hand, "1... 2... 3... 4... 5."
The room goes eerily quiet, Yifan and Kyungsoo are holding their breath as they watch Joonmyun sit by Tao's side. "Who are you?"
"I'm Tao."
"How did you come here, Tao?"
"I don't know..."
"Clear your mind and think further back. How did you come here?"
"I don't know!"
"Clear your mind. Again, how did you come here?"
"I ran. I fell."
"Fell from?"
Tao starts thrashing his body, "I ran away from Father! He's going to kill me! He's going to kill me!!!!" Yifan runs to the bed, Kyungsoo stops him. Joonmyun throws his body over Tao and puts his hand over his eyes again, "You will wake up in 1, 2, 3, 4, 5."
The blond takes a deep breath and stops throwing his body violently. There are tears in his eyes when he opens them, "Thank you, Joonmyun. I know what I am now." He tells the psychic as he sits up. He looks at Yifan with conviction, "I'm an Angel of the Lord."
"What?" Yifan asks, his voice suprisingly not lost by the revelation. "Yixing and Luhan... They're angels too. And I ran away from Heaven because I lost my Faith."
"I don't believe this..." Kyungsoo mumbles, Joonmyun sighs and looks at his friend, "There are many things we would never have believed until we see it."
"... I need to find my Grace if I want to keep my brothers from me. And to protect you, too, Yifan."
"How do we even find your Grace?"
"It's in the place where I fell."
Yifan turns to his butler and Joonmyun, "Thank you both for your help, but I'd rather you leave this to us. His brothers haven't seen you both and it's for your own good."
Kyungsoo nods, "But come back alive. If he truly is an Angel, you're dealing with a very powerful being."
"Call me whenever you need my help." Joonmyun gives his card to Yifan. The brunet takes the card and smiles at the two, "Thanks, I won't see you guys out, Tao and I need to talk immediately. We don't have enough time."
The two leaves the room and Yifan walks towards the blond. Tao turns his gaze away from him, "I'm so sorry. I placed you in danger." Yifan takes Tao's chin in his hand so that the blond is looking at him, "It doesn't matter. I wouldn't have met you if you didn't come here."
"Yifan..." Tao's eyes start watering, Yifan kisses him briefly then asks, "Why did you run away?"
"I've watched you humans for so many years, getting orders from a Father I haven't seen." Tao sighs, "And we rely on blind Faith, to keep on believing he's still there, but do you know how many angels have seen him? 4! I'm not even one of them, and I'm far superior than my brothers."
"They said they won't kill you if you come back before His rising. What's going on?"
"I disobeyed and ripped my Grace when I fell. It's almost like committing murder, because I lost my Faith to my Father."
"And they're gonna kill you for that?"
"We're not as holy as you think." Tao smirks, Yifan brushes Tao's bangs from his eyes, the blond continues, "Our brother, Lucifer, he's rising back up to retake Heaven now that Father has suddenly disappeared." Tao sighs, "I guess that's why they're pardoning my life for a while. I'll get killed one way or another after He rises."
"Can't you stay with me?" Yifan cups Tao's face, "I love you, Tao. Angel or not, I'm in love with you."
"I'd trade everything that I can to stay, Yifan." Tao starts crying and leans his forehead against the other's, "But if I don't get my Grace back, they will kill you, too. I need to protect you."
"I'll kill Yixing and Luhan for you. I don't care, I just need you to stay."
"Only an angel can kill an angel. Or if you can get hold of an angel sword, but that's impossible too." Tao hugs Yifan, "I want to stay, too. I love you. This is worth trading my wings; being with you feels better than flying."
Yifan lets Tao cry on his shoulder, they stay in that position for a while until the blond is suddenly looking around the room, whipping his head from side to side, then faces Yifan, "We have to leave or we'll run out of time."
The brunet nods and reluctantly jumps off the bed. He takes his keys, phone and wallet. Yifan takes Tao's hand and they leave the house. They get inside Yifan's car and when the brunet starts the engine, Tao stops him. "I think I know where my Grace is."
"Where?"
"The sakura tree. I'm so afraid to go near it, right? Maybe because I didn't want to be an Angel again."
Yifan nods and drives the car out of the garage before stepping out of it and dragging Tao across the field. They run faster despite the human's pain and they're both out of breath when they reach the tree, "Yifan, I can feel it. Its power is what scared me."
"Go on. It's what you have to do." Yifan tells the other, Tao circles the tree and touches it. It is then enveloped in bright light, vanishing immediately and turning into a puff of thick, white mist and it enters Tao's mouth. Tao doubles over, Yifan tries to go near him but he screams, "Don't look! Yifan! Cover your ears and eyes! Don't look!!!"
Yifan does as he's told and he hears Tao scream in pain. He doesn't see it but he knows that there's a stream of white light surrounding them now. It takes only a few seconds before it's over. Yifan opens his eyes and he finds Tao panting in all fours on the ground. There is smoke coming out of the boy's body and Yifan had to retract his hand from touching Tao because of the unbearable heat coming off from him.
"Are you okay?" Yifan tentatively asks, Tao takes a deep breath without looking at him, "I'm fine. Give me a minute."
A flash of lightning suddenly cuts through the night sky, and Yifan sees them - Tao's large wings are casting shadows on the ground. The human blinks his eyes, thinking it must be his imagination, but another flash of lightning and the wings are still there. Tao turns to him, "We have to go."
Yifan nods, Tao walks to his side and places his palm on the human's side, "What are you doing?"
"I'm healing you."
The pain on Yifan's ribs disappear and he feels brand new. They run back to the car just in time before the heavy rain starts to fall. "Where are we headed?"
"To my beach house. I told you I'll take you there, right?"
"Hoping to make it until morning for me to see the ocean."
"Don't say that. You'll see it."
Tao remains silent and leans his head against the glass window. Before he knows it, he has fallen asleep.
-----
The both of them arrives at the beach house 2 and a half hours later. It's fairly small, a quaint cottage a few feet away from the shore. There's one couch, a small kitchen, a table with two chairs on the side, a bathroom and a single bedroom. "I come here alone whenever I need to get away from work." Yifan tells Tao, he locks the door behind him and the blond turns to face him.
"Yifan..."
"Hmn?"
"Take me. Mark me. I'm yours, only yours." Tao leans up to kiss the taller, "Make love to me."
Yifan leans down to capture the blond's lips and lifts Tao up from behind his thighs. The taller carries the blond to the bedroom without cutting off the kiss. They fumble to get their clothes off their bodies as they consummate their love physically and intimately for the first time.
Yifan marks Tao all over his neck and chest with love bites, they whisper countless 'I love you's' and they hold each other close - hoping that if they connect their bodies closer, they wouldn't have to separate. Tao cries out Yifan's name when he reaches his euphoria, the other does the same after the minutes that follow.
Yifan cries on the crook of Tao's neck without removing himself on top of the angel, Tao does the same as he hugs the human closer. They don't speak any words of farewells and goodbyes that they know they cannot avoid. The angel rests his right hand over Yifan's chest, a soft white glow emits from it and the human feels a spark shock his body, "What are you doing...?" He asks in between his cries.
"I carved an Enochian sigil on your ribs so that no angel can ever find you."
"Even you?"
Tao nods his head, "Even me."
"Take it out!" Yifan cries again and gathers Tao tighter in his arms, "Take it out. If you make it out alive from Heaven, you need to find me."
Tao smiles against Yifan's neck, "I will look for you, I will find you." He breathes against his ear. The angel turns to the window and the sky is turning into a lighter shade of blue. "The dawn is breaking, I want to see the ocean."
Yifan kisses the angel briefly before removing himself on top of him. He puts on his boxers and trousers, nevermind the shirt. Tao puts on his clothes and they leave the cottage. They sit on the sand, Tao in front of Yifan, back pressed against the human's chest. They let the cold sea water kiss their feet and the both of them silently listen to the soft sound of the sea, "What's Heaven like?"
"Not as grandiose as humans perceive it to be." Tao leans his head back on Yifan's shoulder, "I've never felt happier. Thank you."
The human kisses Tao's temple, they revel in silence again until they hear a loud flutter of wings from behind them. The two of them jumps up, Tao pushing Yifan behind him.
"I come alone, Brother." Yixing starts, "I will not threaten to kill the human, I will do no such dirty tricks if you would just come quietly."
"I am not going back. Brother, I am in love and I intend to stay."
Yixing comes closer angrily, "You are selfish. Angels are dying at the hands of the filthy demons and here you are, rather than fight to save our Family, you choose to be human?"
"Yes." Tao tells Yixing. The shorter angel shakes his head in disappointment before disappearing in front of Tao and teleporting behind Yifan, the human turns to find the angel glaring at him, "Luhan is right, you are the only one keeping my brother from going home."
Tao turns his body so he is between Yifan and Yixing, "I am sorry, Yixing. I love you, but I am in love with Yifan." The blond grabs Yixing by the neck, the shorter tries to remove Tao's hand but to no avail. Yifan watches in horror as Yixing's face starts to burn and bright lights starts glowing from his eyes, ears, mouth and nose. Yifan closes his eyes when he couldn't take it anymore, he opens them again when he hears a loud thud. He finds Yixing lifeless on the ground, huge angel wings drawn on the sand where he lays.
"Let's go." Tao grabs Yifan's hand and they run from the shore. They are near the cottage when Yifan flies off from the ground and is knocked face down on the sand by an unseen force. "Yifan!!!" Tao runs to the human and shakes him up, "Wake up!"
"I never understood why you're one of Father's favorites."
Tao recognizes the voice, he stands up, walks and stops by Yifan's feet, covering the human with his body so that Luhan can't go near him, "Luhan, please. Stop it."
"You killed our own brother!" Luhan screams and steps closer to Tao, "I will kill you first, and then your precious human after."
"Stay. Away. From. Him." Tao releases an unseen force and aims it at Luhan, he hears the other angel's laughter before a punch lands on his face. Tao is strong where Luhan is agile. Where Tao is a skilled fighter, Luhan counters with swift moves. If Tao fights fair, Luhan certainly does not, especially since he's now at the losing end. Tao's opponent suddenly disappears from his line of vision, the blond teleports in time before Luhan can kill the unconscious Yifan.
"Leave him alone!" Tao grabs Luhan by the neck, just like what happened to Yixing, Luhan stars burning slowly, the doe-eyed angel laughs, "Let...s go... H...ome." And with the last strength Luhan has, he produces the angel sword and stabs Tao. Luhan falls lifeless to the ground, Tao on top of Yifan, bright light explodes from the both of them before disappearing almost instantainously.
'Father... Forgive me...'
***
Yifan wakes up to the bright morning sun. His whole body is in pain. He sits up and nurses his head, he still has his eyes closed when he stands and turns behind to find a pair of large angel wings on the sand. He kicks the sand off but the angel wings are still there, it's different from Yixing's based on its shape. He doesn't bother looking around the sand and runs around the area - he doesn't find an incomplete pair of angel wings from where he was lying down.
"Tao?!" He screams when he enters the cottage, "TAO?!!!"
He runs around the house but stops on his tracks when he catches a glimpse of his bare shoulder in the mirror hanging on the wall in the bedroom.
"Feathers..." Yifan mumbles and he turns completely around, cranes his neck to see his back in the mirror. He screams when he realizes that the base of Tao's wings are imprinted perfectly on his back. He falls to his knees and cries harder than he's ever had.
-----
For the years that followed Tao's disappearance, Yifan busied himself with his work. Kyungsoo never questioned him, never forced him to date anybody else.
Every morning he wakes up to look at the angel wings on his back and he feels the same as the imprint - he feels incomplete. There are nights he cries and nights he sleeps in Tao's room. Yearly, he goes back to the beach on the day Tao has disappeared.
It's the fifth year and the break of dawn.
Yifan sits by the shore, his feet getting kissed lightly by the seawater. Yifan feels bittersweet every time he comes back because it's always the same as that morning with Tao - the weather, the howling of the sea, the soft crashing of the waves and the morning breeze enveloping his bare skin.
He is lost in his thoughts that he almost jumps when someone speaks from behind him.
"I found you."
Yifan doesn't need to turn around to know who's back, doesn't need to say his name when familiar arms wrap around his shoulders, "I don't know you, but I've been looking for you."
"I'm Wu Yifan." The brunet starts as he holds the other's hands in his, his tears running down his cheeks, "I've been waiting for you."
"I'm Huang Zitao. I'm here to stay."
-----------------------------
Author's Notes: 13096 words. Longest oneshot fic i've written so far.
I'd rather you click here, i will explain A LOT about this story. Take time to read it, just in case you got confused.