Archive of Our Own

"Sir!! Sir!!"

Tiny, high-pitched voices echoed across the empty hallways of the bright palace. The owners of these voices rushed past walls full of large portraits of a single person– the God of Love, in all his various moods and favourite outfits. They finally stopped in front of the large mahogany doors, knocking almost impatiently as they waited for the deity himself to reply. 

Inside, the pink-haired God arose from his bed, his hands running through his soft hair as he looked into the mirror placed right in front of his bed. He was presentable at the very least so he hummed an affirmative response and the doors opened to reveal two, foot-long creatures that the world called 'cupids'. Yeonjun, as the God of Love favoured to call himself, gave them a sleepy pleased smile as they flew through the air and right into his lap.

"What's all the ruckus for?" He asked softly, gently stroking the younger cupid of the two. "Did Mimi and Suri shoot the same person and get in a fight again?"

"No, no, sire," the older of the two rushed to present the papers in his hand. Yeonjun plucked them out of his hand and glanced over what seemed to be information regarding a certain human. "There's a human boy who is actively dodging our arrows. We have received rumours that he can apparently see us cupids and is avoiding all attempts at matching him with someone."

"This is definitely unheard of," Yeonjun frowned, looking down at the documented experiences of every cupid who had attempted to shoot the boy. There wasn't really a protocol for any of this, Yeonjun simply did what he felt like. A few humans have been able to see certain 'mythical' creatures for certain due to some special reasons, but cupids were swift and tricky. They were never really seen by anyone enough to dodge their arrows. Perhaps a glimpse or so, but never actually to avoid them! "Don't worry about this and leave it to me, okay? Keep trying if you can. Has he initiated contact with any of you?"

"No sir, he keeps to himself and always runs away when we try to shoot," the younger cupid said with a shy smile as he looked at Yeonjun with stars in his eyes. 

"Miri!" The older cupid hissed and tugged at his hand, getting him to come out of Yeonjun's lap. Yeonjun, who was busy thinking over this new occurrence, didn't realize it until the two were by the doorway again and the older cupid, Dori, called out with a quiet, "We'll be taking our leave, sir!"

"Yeah," Yeonjun trailed off, watching them close the door behind them. A human boy who can see cupids… and is avoiding their arrows… Interesting indeed.

✿

"I will need to go see this boy for myself," Yeonjun said to the line of cupids standing in front of him in his throne room. The pale pink and lavender hangings and curtains matched the cupids' outfits. Their wings were a translucent baby pink and Yeonjun loved to pet them but right now was not a time for that. "Let's go now–"

"I'm sorry to interrupt sir," one of the cupids said in a squeaky voice nervously, "but you have a meeting scheduled for now and you cannot miss it. The human can wait, but the other Gods will get angry…"

Her voice trailed off as she looked at him with pleading eyes and Yeonjun knew it was not because she was scared of him, but rather of the others. Nobody wanted to face the wrath of the God of War… He just smiled kindly at her and got off his throne just to give her a gentle pat on the top of her head.

"Don't worry, I'll go there first," he reassured her. "Thank you for reminding me. I'll be taking my leave then."

With a snap of his fingers, he teleported himself right to his seat in the meeting room. It wasn't really a room, just a circular monument with twelve large marble statues of each god with its palms outstretched where high marble chairs designed with intricate details sat. Yeonjun, who had teleported right on top of his own chair, glanced over the other chairs to see that most of the others were here, save for Wooyoung, the messenger God and Kai, God of Hearth. 

"Ah, am I the last today?" Kai sighed, appearing right in his seat just as Wooyoung appeared on his. 

"No, you and Wooyoung both came at the same time," Taehyun, God of the Dead, smiled from his chair, his chin resting on his hand as he watched them all with an intense look. He always held this depth in his eyes that made everyone feel faint, even the Gods themselves so everyone generally just avoided his eyes. 

"Alright then, let's get on to talking shall we?" Wooyoung clapped his hands, his usual grin making its way to his face. 

It was all normal talk, just sharing the recent developments and obstructions faced by each God, like Sunghoon complaining about the constant pollution humans did onto his share of the world (the ocean really was being tarnished and Yeonjun hated to see it as much as the next God) or Taehyun speaking about the recent rise in occupants of his land, considering the increase in homicides and the likes. All uninteresting talk until Wooyoung, the one who knew every rumour and news without fail, spoke about the human Yeonjun was looking for.

"...heard he's been giving the cupids a tough time," Wooyoung said casually, not realizing the alarmed look on Yeonjun's face. "Certainly a peculiar happening that I did not see coming but I'm curious about how Yeonjun will handle it."

He cast an amused smirk to Yeonjun only to realize that he didn't find it funny. Belatedly, he realized that this was indeed the first time that Yeonjun had ever faced a problem big enough to land it in the court of Gods, but it was still not quite as troublesome as some of the other stuff so Wooyoung had deemed it pretty tame.

Seemingly, the others found it so too because Youngjo, the God of Thunder just passed Yeonjun a confident smile and said, "Well, it's nothing Yeonjun can't handle, so I'm sure he will be done with it very soon."

"Of course, I am going to get it done after this meeting itself," Yeonjun replied back instantly, not one to back down. He knew he could do it, it wasn't even that big. He just got worried about how they would view it but apparently, there were no problems in that department.

The chatter and discussions continued on until they deemed that all important topics had been discussed and one by one, the Gods started dispersing once Youngjo had left. Wooyoung left as well after calling out a short apology that Yeonjun waved over. The only ones who remained behind were Taehyun and Yeonjun. 

"Make your way over to our palace after you're done, yeah?" Taehyun passed him a small smile again. "Beomgyu misses you and wants to see you."

"Your little spring fairy always misses me," Yeonjun snorted, but not hiding the pleased look on his face. It always felt nice to be wanted and missed, even as a God. And one such as him, of Beauty and Love, definitely craved attention and good feelings from everyone. 

His comment made Taehyun roll his eyes but the God of the Dead didn't say anything and simply left with a wave. Deciding that it would be better to get the job done with, Yeonjun made his way to Earthland as well.

✿

Nature was a beautiful creation that the Gods had carved themselves but the humans had also evolved and started making their own inventions. It always fascinated Yeonjun when he came down to Earth and saw their weird 'gadgets', monuments and habits. 

Taking his human form of a 20 something year old boy with pink hair, Yeonjun made his way through the crowd of the shopping street, led by his cupids to the Earth boy who was causing all this trouble. The cupids had told him that his name was Choi Soobin and he had dyed blue hair.

It was therefore certainly not difficult to make out the blue head in the clothing store and Yeonjun slipped through the glass doors, his eyes trained on the boy curiously. Choi Soobin was beautiful, Yeonjun noted as he made his way to one of the cloth racks to pretend that he was shopping. He whispered an order to the cupids to try to shoot him, eyeing the friend Soobin was with. 

His cupids nodded and one of them flew over to behind the friend's head to get a clear shot at Soobin's heart but Yeonjun saw it. He saw the way Soobin's eyes snapped up to where the cupid was and saw how he ducked just in time to avoid the arrow.

"Soobin? Are you okay?" The friend asked concernedly and Soobin straightened up, giving him a politely nervous smile. 

"Not really hyung, my stomach feels funny," he lied smoothly. "I think I should go home and rest. I'm sorry to interrupt our shopping but I have to go."

"You keep running away from me," the friend pouted, looking genuinely sad. "Did I do anything wrong? Are you angry with me?"

"Hyung, no," Soobin flushed, apologetic of what his behaviour of constantly running from the cupids must have come across as. "I really am sorry for all the running. I really haven't been doing well recently… and I know you want to spend time with me and I want to as well but please understand. Just, just for a few days…"

"Okay," the friend sighed as he watched Soobin rush out of the shop. As Yeonjun followed him out, he noted the slight blush and anguish on the friend's face. Ah, his cupids must have already shot the other guy. One-sided feelings until they can shoot this Soobin guy.

Yeonjun had seen it himself now. It was clear as day that Soobin was capable of seeing his cupids and dodging their arrows. So, there was only one thing that could work– Yeonjun had to shoot him himself. But for that, he needed to know who Soobin's true love was. 

He followed the blue-haired boy out into the busy shopping plaza and let his eyes train onto his head. He needed to see his soul, learn his deepest secrets and relationships. 

Yeonjun didn't expect what the scan revealed. It pulled him into shock, and he stumbled, crashing into one of the other humans, who barked at him to watch it before shutting up and gaping at him wide-mouthed. Ignoring that, the pink-haired God just stared after the blue head that disappeared among the crowd.

Soobin's true love was Yeonjun.

✿

Yeonjun didn't know what to think of anything. 

He had immediately booked it for his home– the bright jeweled palace that belonged to him. This had never happened before but it wasn't unexpected in a general sense.

Yeonjun knew that as the God of Love, he himself was bound to another soul. He thought it would be another God, maybe a lesser God or a nymph or another creature that humans deemed as a myth– but a human? Someone mortal and perishable?

As it is, Yeonjun's head was already filled with thoughts about the blue-haired boy. He couldn't stop thinking of the curve of his lips and the way he spoke softly. The way he was genuinely sorry for the trouble he was putting his friend through. Yeonjun knew that there wasn't any way out of these feelings– true love was rare and deeper than any other feelings. Even one meeting was enough to leave Yeonjun feeling attached to the human boy and he felt helpless for the first time in his life.

What was the correct protocol now? Should he introduce himself to Soobin? Take a human form and get closer? True love happened naturally, even without shooting arrows. It was the highest form of love, capable of working by itself without needing cupids. 

Before Yeonjun could think of anything else, he saw a familiar brown-haired God sitting on the top of his spiral staircase that led to his bedroom in the palace. The God of Hearth was one of his closest friends and was often found around him but Yeonjun wished to be alone at that moment.

"Let's go over to Beomgyu and Taehyun's," Kai said, smiling warmly at Yeonjun. As always, it made Yeonjun feel comforted and warm and he found himself nodding. The two teleported right outside the palace, a courtesy of Taehyun's to let them come as close to their home as possible. No other Gods had this much leeway in the underworld but Taehyun hardly ever resisted Beomgyu's wishes so it was all unsurprising. "How did it go? Did you fix the problem with the human boy?"

Yeonjun, who was busy in his thoughts and hadn't heard him, continued to walk on autopilot to the familiar room where the three of them generally met. Kai didn't comment on the silence and just followed him until they were greeted by the familiar God of Spring and the underworld along with Taehyun. 

"Yeonjun! Kai! I missed you two so much!" Beomgyu immediately enveloped them into a hug and the floral scent rolled off him in waves, making Yeonjun feel like he's rolling in a field of flowers. Beomgyu was always soft to the touch, like the petals of a rose– his hugs were therefore pillowy soft. 

"Missed you too Beomie," Kai said, hugging him back. Yeonjun just patted lightly on his shoulder before stepping back. He needed to get his head out of the thoughts of Soobin and focus on his friends. It wouldn't do for him to be so distracted. 

"You didn't miss me Yeonjun?" Beomgyu pouted, tugging at his hand and leading him to the many floral printed couches in the room. 

"I did," Yeonjun said, giving a small smile. "Was your visit to your mom okay? Six months is a long time to stay away from Taehyun but I heard from my cupids that the flowers were especially beautiful during this year's Valentine's."

"I missed him so much that I bloomed each of them thinking of him," Beomgyu flushed, his hands running to his reddened cheeks in habit of hiding them. He and Taehyun were True Lovers and every time Yeonjun met Beomgyu, he was reminded of it simply by the way the spring God never tried to hide his feelings. "I overdid it a bit but oh well… didn't hurt, did it?"

Kai muttered something about people with allergies but Beomgyu didn't seem to hear him because he was focused on Yeonjun. The pink haired God seemed to have his mind on something else and the curiosity inside of Beomgyu didn't let him keep his questions in.

"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned as much as he was curious. It was very unlike Yeonjun to be distracted unless it was something big. "I heard from Taehyun that you had a human to take care of, did that not go as well as you had thought?"

"I…," Yeonjun paused, not knowing how to put his situation across. But both of his friends were looking at him with pure patience and concern and it made him feel better despite the raging thoughts crossing his mind. "The human– Choi Soobin, is my True Love."

Beomgyu let out a soft gasp and Kai's eyes widened comically as they both gaped at the God of Love. Beomgyu broke the few seconds of silence with a hushed, "That's wonderful then, isn't it?"

"I mean, I guess so," Yeonjun said nervously. It was very unlike him, to be vulnerable and nervous but Choi Soobin seemed to bring that out of him without even a proper meeting. "I have always wanted to meet mine but I thought that it would be a God. Or maybe a nymph or really, anyone but a human. Not that I mind him being a human, I just don't know how to deal with this. Humans are mortal, perishable. Their lives are small and quick."

"Yuna can grant him eternal youth, that isn't a problem," Beomgyu supplied easily, a smile drawing on his face at the prospect of his friend finally finding his true love. "I don't think you would forget that. So the problem must be something else?"

"Maybe I'm just… nervous," Yeonjun grazed his lower lip with his teeth as he spoke, the mumbles just soft enough for his friends to hear. "I know love but I have never been on the receiving or giving end of it for that matter."

"You're shy?" Kai asked, surprised. Even Beomgyu was shocked upon hearing that, the mere idea of the confident God being nervous seemed like something that would never happen but here they were. "Why?"

"Just ask him out, you're literally the God of Love!" Beomgyu exclaimed, throwing his arms open to establish the obvious nature of his statement. "He will fall in love with you the moment he sees you. That happens to every human and you know it. It's not even that hard."

"Wait!" Yeonjun's eyes widened as he realized what Beomgyu had just said. The said God startled and looked at him in question. "Soobin would fall in love with me the moment he sees me. No. Oh no. No, no, no. I don't want that."

"You don't?" The God of Hearth asked in confusion. "Why not?"

"I want us to fall in love," Yeonjun emphasized. "I don't want it to be over in two seconds flat. I want to get to know him, I want him to get to know me. I want us to slowly build trust and love in each other."

"You already love and trust him though," Beomgyu pointed out, the accusation making Yeonjun flush as he shyly looked away. "Oh my, you're blushing!! Taehyun needs to see this, stay just like thi–"

"No! Beomgyu!" Kai said in despair, pulling him back onto the couch that he had sprang up from. "Sit here. Right now, we need to help Yeonjun, then we'll get Taehyun to see him blushing. Why would you want to show him this anyway?"

Before Beomgyu could respond, Yeonjun sighed loudly, drawing their attention away from their bickering. 

"But he doesn't," Yeonjun pointed out. "And that's okay. I am willing to take it slow, it's just measly months or years. I want our love to be natural, so I can't show him my form, Godly or human. Both are just as lethal."

"But then how will you develop trust and love?" Beomgyu asked in confusion. His eyes widened as a sudden idea struck him and he cried out in horror, "You're not going to kidnap him or something right? I was understanding of Taehyun but this is a new age human we're talking about! He won't be happy with that!"

"No!" Yeonjun lightly hit Beomgyu's arm for even suggesting that. "I will talk to him– bodiless."

Huh?

❀

Choi Soobin was just a normal boy. Well, as normal as seeing cupids and being stalked by them goes. 

Ever since he could remember, he was capable of seeing much more than any normal human too. There wasn't much that missed his eye and the small foot-long winged creatures were no exceptions. He had never interrupted their work, just watched them curiously as he saw them shoot their arrows at random strangers on the road or even his friends. 

Until they started trying to shoot him. 

Now, Soobin wasn't against love. Oh no. He loved the idea of love, he wanted someone to love and someone who would love him back. No, his problem was that the cupids tried to shoot him when he was with his friend, Seonghwa. 

Don't get Soobin wrong, he loved Seonghwa. As a friend. And he also happened to know that his other friend Hongjoong, was shot by a cupid and now was in love with him. He didn't want to break Hongjoong's heart. And in his opinion, Seonghwa was more suited for Hongjoong than him anyway. They were better off as just friends. 

Trying to run from those cupids was a hassle and he kept hurting Seonghwa in the process. The whole thing made him want to rip his hair out and he didn't know what to do. Whenever he had some free time, he was always plotting on what lie or excuse to give Seonghwa, what to do about the cupids– and today was no exception.

Soobin was walking home from his university, crossing the short distance between his apartment and campus. He was by himself, his head full of thoughts revolving around the cupids and Seonghwa and love when he suddenly heard a voice from his right.

"Hi!"

Soobin's head whipped to the right, only to be met with nothing. The people walking around him either paid no heed or eyed him curiously for a second before continuing to walk. Soobin looked to his left and behind but there was no one he could see.

"I'm to your right," the voice said. It was slightly nasal, medium-pitched and seemed to have a soft and bright quality to it. "I know you can't see me but I'm here. My name is–"

Soobin started walking again, ignoring the voice. It had to be some weird spirit or ghost thingy. He could already see cupids and other weird things, this had to be one of them. And it was better to ignore and act like they don't exist because if he acted like they did, then everyone would call him cuckoo and send him to a therapist– but he doesn't need a therapist, he needs answers. 

"Hey! Don't ignore me!" The voice whined, drifting closer to his behind. Soobin shivered, resolutely making his way to the apartment he had on rent for university. He needed some rest after his classes and entertaining a bodiless voice wasn't on the top of his list at the moment. "You really shouldn't ignore a God, y'know… I can do things that will make you regret your entire existence."

The voice paused expectantly, as if whoever it was expected Soobin to suddenly respond. A God? Did the person think Soobin was dumb and easy prey? Why in the ever-living fuck would a God try to contact him? That made no sense. It was obviously some weird prank. Or maybe he was finally going insane and y'know, this was the first delusion his mind came up with.

"I can't believe this," the voice huffed, sounding upset. Soobin kept staring ahead, glad to see that his building was finally in eyesight. He just needed to quickly slip into his apartment and then keep ignoring the voice until it goes away. "I'm Yeonjun, the God of Love. I don't give up easily, you know? You can pretend not to hear me but I am persistent."

Soobin sighed mentally. Was he cursed with love? First the cupids and now someone who's supposedly the God of Love. It all sounded really sketchy to Soobin because why can't he just focus on studying Psychology in peace without having all sorts of weird creatures follow him all the damn time?

"I would say that it's proper manners to introduce yourself but no worries," the voice said in a casual tone, as if it gave no worries about Soobin ignoring him. Not caring, Soobin slipped inside the building, making his way to the elevator just in time to slip in. One of the residents from one of the floors above smiled at him and Soobin smiled back, a little strained and tired. "I know everything there is to know about you anyway. I am a God so it's not that hard. But it's kinda tiring to talk by myself, don't you want to talk back to me?"

Soobin stared at the digits displayed onto the screen window above the elevator doors until they changed into his floor's number. He rushed out the moment the doors opened, pulling out his key and quickly slamming it into the keyhole. He tumbled inside and shut the door behind him, hoping that the voice wouldn't be able to pass through.

"You really can hear me," the voice said from above him and Soobin yelped, crouching down and covering his head– he almost expected whoever it was to hurt him but nothing happened except for a concerned call of, "Are you okay? I'm sorry if I scared you, that wasn't my intention. But you keep ignoring me and that's not very nice you know?"

Would the person go away if he replied? Maybe this Yeonjun person didn't want anything big.

"If you talk to me, I can make the cupids stop following you all the time," the voice tacked on and Soobin lifted his head to where the voice was coming from and looked on with wide eyes. "You are tired of it right? I saw you run from them myself."

"How do I know you're real?" Soobin blurted out. It sounded like a weird question but Soobin wasn't sure if he was right in the head anymore. He needed to know if he wasn't having delusions. "How do I know you aren't a- a hallucination or whatever? Am I going crazy? First the cupids, now this…"

"If it makes you feel better, you're not crazy," the voice said, sounding gentle and warm for the first time since the "hi!". "You're just a special human. I'm Yeonjun, the God of Love, and the cupids you see are my workers. They help spread love around the world amongst all humans and animals."

"A God?" Soobin asked, doubtful. Whoever this Yeonjun was, couldn't be a God. Why would a God be interested in Soobin anyway. "Why would you follow me then?"

"Because I'm in love with you."

That wasn't the answer Soobin was expecting. It wasn't even the last answer he was expecting. Naturally, he burst out laughing, accidentally banging his head against the door and yelping from the pain that shot through him.

"Oh my, are you okay?!" Yeonjun asked loudly and Soobin felt a warm touch on his shoulder. It felt like a hand, almost similar to his mother's and it made Soobin well-up with tears. "Oh no, does it hurt a lot? Show me where it hurts, I'll try to heal it! Or I'll call Dongju, he can heal you–"

"Why does it feel so familiar?" Soobin asked, trying to keep in his sobs. He watched his own shoulder where he could feel the touch, as if it would grant him answers. "It feels so warm and healing. Just like my mom's hand."

The voice was quiet for a few seconds while tears finally crossed Soobin's cheeks. Then the warmth disappeared from his shoulder and the blue-haired boy almost whined in disappointment but then he felt it on the back of his head and suddenly, it was like the pain was gone.

"My touch is full of love," Yeonjun's voice was low and soft, comforting Soobin in the depth of his chest. "Because that's who I am. I know you're having trouble believing me but I am the God of Love. I'm made of love. My touch feels like the mix of all the loving touches you have ever felt in your life."

It made sense. If Soobin closed his eyes, he could also feel the rough callouses of his father's hands, the lines from his Grandma's hands, the smoothness of his friends' hands… It was the best feeling ever and Soobin didn't want him to let go. It felt like bliss. 

It felt wrong.

"You don't have a touch of your own?" Soobin asked, looking at his own knees instead of where the voice was coming from. 

"Well, I guess I do?" Yeonjun phrased it more like a question. "I'm a God, I can have whatever form I want. I am not bound by bodily limitations. I can have any kind of touch you prefer. Do you like smooth, soft hands? Or would you like a warm, rough one?"

"I would like no hands at all," Soobin said, clearing his throat. He was slowly going insane. That's all this was. He stood up and walked over to his kitchen, with Yeonjun making whiny sounds behind him to not just leave like that. The blue-haired boy paused in his walking and said without turning around, "You certainly aren't a normal ghost or spirit. I would have maybe even believed that you're the God of Love but you said you're in love with me. I don't believe that."

There was just no way.

✿

The next week was the most stressful week Soobin had ever faced in his life. 

Why, you ask? Because Yeonjun refused to leave his side. He followed him everywhere, talking and commenting all the time. He wouldn't leave him alone anywhere, even during lectures. (Though, he thankfully kept silent then to let Soobin learn and study in peace.)

The only place Yeonjun didn't follow him was the bathroom after Soobin voiced out his indignation with a loud yelp that shocked Yeonjun. That was succeeded by an embarrassing statement from Yeonjun about how Soobin has nothing to hide because Yeonjun is a God, he has already seen everything there is to see. But, he respected Soobin's wishes at that point and stepped out, which Soobin was grateful for.

A good result of this new development was that the cupids were no longer trying to shoot him. He could finally hang-out with Seonghwa without needing to run away – albeit with the added presence of a certain 'God'. It was nice until Yeonjun started commenting on how there had been a mistake by some 'Mimi' and now Soobin was in a love triangle which he shouldn't be in because, apparently Hongjoong and Seonghwa were fated to be but now Seonghwa was in love with Soobin. 

"This is worse than some shitty k-drama," Soobin grumbled under his breath. Yeonjun huffed in agreement from behind him as they entered Soobin's bedroom. 

"Mimi and Suri have such different opinions about who should end up together," Yeonjun sighed, his voice drifting towards the desk and chair that Soobin had for studying. The blue-haired boy flopped down on his bed and closed his eyes as he listened to Yeonjun speak. "They always end up creating these messes that I end up having to clear."

"Who are these Mimi and Suri?" Soobin asked through exhaustion, wondering if he'll get a straight answer from the bodiless voice for once. 

"Oh! They are two of my cupids," Yeonjun supplied easily and Soobin made a small sound of 'ah' to express his understanding. "They can be a pain in the butt but I love them to death so I always end up forgiving their mistakes."

As Yeonjun sighed to himself, Soobin found himself smiling at the last statement. Yeonjun did seem like the type to easily forgive those he cared for. In the short span of time that Soobin had spent with him, he could already tell that the God was full of energy and boundless love. He was always speaking gently and softly to plants and animals that they passed on the street and Soobin swore that they seemed to get brighter when Yeonjun finished talking to them. 

"Well, we can get this drama back on track, no worries," Yeonjun said, his voice coming determined from where the chair was. "All we need to do is make Seonghwa see what is in front of him and make him fall with Hongjoong. But for that, he needs to move on from you. And to move on from you, he needs to know that you don't feel the same way."

Soobin sat up, wondering why Yeonjun sounded so thoughtful and deep while planning out something that seemed to be copied from some movie. 

"And we can do that by showing that you have a boyfriend– me!" Yeonjun stated proudly. Soobin snorted at that.

"Yeonjun, I can't even see you," Soobin said through his giggles. "How am I going to show you to him?"

"Oh, right," Yeonjun sighed dejectedly. As Soobin eyed the empty air once again, he felt the need to voice out something that had bothered him ever since he met the other. 

"Why can't I see you?" Soobin pouted, tucking his knees close to his chin and looking over to the chair. "It's so weird talking to thin air. Can you like, start shining like a ball of light? It would be a very convincing display of God."

"Soobin," Yeonjun's voice was flat and indignant. "I'm a God, not a light-bulb."

It was a terrible joke but it made Soobin laugh and his entire body shook as he tried to not laugh at the God of Love that he still couldn't see. 

"Why are you so cute?" Yeonjun mumbled, which Soobin heard clearly. He shut up immediately, blushing at the unabashed statement the other had made. "I can't shine like a light. Well, I can do that, but then you wouldn't be able to look at me."

"I can't see you anyway," Soobin reminded him. "As it is, I don't even know if I'm looking in the right direction half the time."

"You aren't," Yeonjun replied helpfully, causing Soobin to groan. How embarrassing. "What if I hold that thing you humans call a plushie?"

"A plushie?" Soobin repeated, confused as to what Yeonjun meant. 

"Kai said I remind him of this fox plushie he once saw on Earthland and gifted it to me," Yeonjun answered. "Will that work?"

"Talking to a toy is hardly better than talking to air but I'll take it," Soobin replied, curious to see Yeonjun actually do something.

"Alright then!" Yeonjun clicked his fingers and a tiny fox plushie appeared in the air above Soobin's desk. It was just floating there without support which should have freaked out any normal human but Soobin was literally talking to a bodiless voice for the past five days. This was very normal for him. "This fox is orange but my hair is pink. So imagine me with pink hair, okay?"

"Okay," Soobin said, looking at the plushie and pretending that it was the one talking to him. He couldn't take it.

He burst out laughing again.

✿

The added presence of Yeonjun was something Soobin made sure to complain about whenever they were alone. The university boy had to acknowledge however, that Yeonjun was persistent and strong-willed because he never, ever left. 

And yeah, it was irritating but Soobin kinda secretly liked it. He liked having the attention of this bodiless voice on him. He liked hearing Yeonjun's comments on completely normal things like phones and shitty dramas and he liked hearing the now familiar voice sing whenever Soobin was taking a shower. 

He would never tell this to Yeonjun's face of course, because he knew that Yeonjun would gloat in happiness or something if he said that. So Soobin just held his tongue back and hid his real thoughts under a barrage of complaints.

For some reason, it was fun to annoy the pink-haired God. Teasing him about how he is nothing like a God, or how despite being one he wasn't quite familiar with a lot of human inventions or just anything in particular. Of course, Yeonjun never took any teasing well and always got into a competitive mood. Like now.

"No, but you don't get how busy I am!" Yeonjun whined, his voice drifting from the other end of the sofa. The tiny fox plushie lay in the corner of it, probably squished beneath an invisible Yeonjun but Soobin was too busy laughing at the tub of ice-cream in his lap. He was sitting on one end of the sofa and arguing about how Yeonjun should know something like Tinder when he was supposed to be the God of Love. "Soobinnie!! Stop laughing, I'm serious here!"

"You sound like a child when you whine like that," Soobin said, stifling another giggle. "It's hard to take you seriously!"

"I'm a God okay?" Yeonjun ignored his statement. "That means I have the lives of every single human, animal and bird on my hand. Do you know how many pairs I have to join? I obviously can't do so many by myself! That's what my cupids are for. They probably know this Tinder thing, but it had never really come under the ones I match."

"Hmm," Soobin couldn't help the fond smile on his face. He was suddenly struck by a thought and immediately asked Yeonjun, "Can you tell me more about the cupids? You never really speak about it…"

"Oh," Yeonjun paused. Soobin wondered if this was some sort of Godly secret or something but when Yeonjun spoke again, it was very cheerful. "I didn't know you would be interested! So like I said my cupids take care of most of the pairings around Earth. Did you know that there's 3 levels of love?"

"3 levels?" Soobin asked, intrigued by this. He hadn't heard about this before and if Yeonjun was being honest then this was actually how the world worked. "What are those?"

"First at the very base, we have ‘loving’!" Yeonjun said, his voice brighter as if he was excited to share this. It made Soobin feel more excited too. "That's the 1st level. My lower level cupids handle it. It's the most common type, and almost everyone has faced it at least once in their life. It's what it sounds like. Love. But it's the kind that rests on particular traits of a person. Maybe it's their looks, or their personality or something else entirely. So whenever that thing changes, the ones feeling the love just… fall out of love. It's the one where people seek someone who completes them, who complements them but when either of them changes, it creates tremors in the relationship and they break up."

"That is what we see everywhere," Soobin nodded, staring at the plushie as he continued eating his ice-cream. 

"You're right!" Yeonjun sounded like he was smiling. There was something warm in his voice that made Soobin feel warm and flush inside. "The second level is what you humans call true love I suppose. It's not what is actually true love but I suppose in human standards, it is more than enough. This love is deeper than the first one. It's attached to the person. Not their face, or their personality or any factor in general. Just the person. Their existence. This love can conquer change and growth. It's the one that lasts until someone dies. My upper level cupids take care of this."

"That sounds nice," Soobin smiled, hugging the ice-cream tub closer. "I would like a love like that. Someone I can grow old with. Someone I can depend on no matter what happens. Who will understand me when I change."

"You have someone better though!" Yeonjun said, his voice giving away how upset he was. "There's the third and final level of love, the one I call True Love. It's love that binds souls together. No matter how many times you are reborn, you will always find your way together. I believe your equivalent term for this is ‘soulmates’ but what we call it is True Lovers. It's not exactly like your idea of a soulmate."

"But soulmates can be platonic?" Soobin asked in confusion, his ice-cream forgotten in his lap. Yeonjun sighed loudly.

"Exactly what I said. Your idea of soulmates is a bit different from what True Lovers actually are. It's impossible for them to remain platonic. When they meet, they feel drawn to each other subconsciously. They are brought together until they start wanting to be together. They don't need to be shot in the heart to feel love. They just start feeling it from the start. It grows and grows and eventually gives way to a relationship. That's what you and I have. That's what we are– True Lovers."

There was silence in the living room as Yeonjun trailed off. Soobin's grip tightened on the tub but his face was blank and devoid of any expression. Yeonjun didn't continue or speak, as if he wanted to let Soobin think over this information in peace.

If this was true, then it made sense why Yeonjun would be so persistent after him. True Lovers sounded like something that is the most beautiful form of love. If Soobin could have that, if that someone for him was Yeonjun…

He could see it. Having Yeonjun around for the rest of his life sounded exhilarating and fun. Like slowly uncovering the tiniest details and secrets of a masterpiece. He didn't know Yeonjun so well but what he did know, Soobin knew he liked it. He liked having Yeonjun around. He could see himself falling in love with the other someday if he let himself. 

The thought itself was scary. 

"I'm the one who takes care of True Lovers," Yeonjun finally spoke, his voice quiet and low. Soobin focused back on what he was saying and pretended that his thoughts in the past two minutes hadn't happened at all. "I don't have any hearts to shoot. My job is to make them meet each other. To give the push they need towards each other. Not everyone gets this chance. Only a handful of them."

"I see," Soobin gave a tiny, pained smile. "I'm feeling tired. I think I'll head to bed for the night. Are you going to–?"

"No," Yeonjun's voice came from the doorway instead of the plushie. "I think you need some alone time tonight. I will be back in the morning. Don't let your thoughts keep you up. Sleep well, my Binnie."

"You too," Soobin responded automatically. There was only silence for the next minute. "Yeonjun?"

No one answered. The usual feeling of warmth and safety that Soobin felt in his stomach whenever Yeonjun was around was gone too. Yeonjun had gone somewhere. The blue-haired boy sighed to himself and made his way to his bed. When he had tucked himself in, he drew the blankets to his chin and stared at the ceiling.

‘Yeonjun’ was merely a voice for Soobin. Soobin wasn't a materialistic or vain person. He didn't care about outer beauty if the person inside was beautiful. And in those terms, Yeonjun glowed. He was as beautiful as Soobin could ever want. And he liked Soobin. He must, if he insisted on being around him all the time, right? The idea of being liked by Yeonjun made Soobin flush down to his toes and his heartbeat picked up.

He felt miserable. If Yeonjun had an existence, a form… then perhaps it made sense to like him and eventually love him. But he was a bodiless voice. It seemed weird and wrong to like and love just a voice. 

Not for the first time, Soobin wished he could see Yeonjun. 

✿

Soobin woke up to clanging sounds coming from the cramped kitchen in his small apartment. Drowsily making his way over, he rubbed at his eyes before seeing the cup slide out of the coffee maker and float over to the counter. Some kimchi fried rice was heating in a pan. The ladle picked up and stirred it by itself. Yeonjun was back.

"Where were you last night?" Soobin mumbled, dropping himself into the chair beside the kitchen island. 

"Went back home to my palace," Yeonjun said, his voice as casual and normal as it always was. "Rushed through all the work I had pending. Met up with my friends and decided that I should make you breakfast for once."

"From my leftovers," Soobin said amusedly, watching as the plate of kimchi fried rice floated and placed itself in front of him. "You have friends?"

"I'm a God, not a loner," Yeonjun snorted. He turned off the gas and covered the food before continuing. "I am close to some of the other Gods… my closest friends would be Kai, the God of Hearth and Beomgyu, the God of Spring and ruler of the Underworld alongside Taehyun, the God of the Dead."

"Wait," Soobin paused in his coffee as he stared at the fox plushie that appeared across him on the island. "Are you like the Greek Gods? Does that mean you're Eros?"

"Who's Eros?" Yeonjun asked in confusion. 

"Son of Aphrodite, who's the Goddess of Love," Soobin explained. "Because this Kai must be Hestia, and Beomgoo must be Persephone– and Taehyun must be Hades, right?"

"It's Beomgyu, not Beomgoo," Yeonjun corrected him automatically. "Don't let Taehyun hear you say that, otherwise you will become a resident of the Underworld before I can save your skin."

Soobin shivered and nodded hurriedly. Yeonjun started cackling, "Just kidding! Taehyun's not that bad. He would definitely not take this comment nicely but Beomgyu would forgive you and get all friendly so eventually Taehyun would follow in his footsteps since he is putty in Beomgyu's hands."

"Wait, doesn't that mean Taehyun kidnapped Beomgyu long back?" Soobin asked with wide eyes. Yeonjun made a startled sound.

"How did you know that?" Yeonjun asked. "Indeed, that's how they first met. Taehyun fell in love with him at first sight and kidnapped him. I wasn't friends with either of them back then so I couldn't advice him correctly but it all worked out because Beomgyu fell for him too."

"You really are like the Greek myths," Soobin said, stumped. "But then, you must be Eros? Aphrodite is a woman…"

"I don't have any sons," Yeonjun said immediately. "I'm the only God of Love. Perhaps the humans wrote down our stories with whatever gender they preferred. But we don't have any particular gender. We are all and none. We have our own preferences, or we switch things up sometimes just for fun. I prefer going by male now-a-days, but centuries ago I did go around as a female."

"That's really…," weird, is what Soobin wanted to say but that would be rude so he didn't say it. There wasn't anything wrong about it, it was just surprising and hard to take in suddenly. He had thought Yeonjun was a guy all along so it was suddenly just different from what he knew. "So um, anyway, you're friends with these 3?"

"They are the closest ones," Yeonjun said, his tone turning warmer at the mere remembrance of them. "I'm of course on friendly and good terms with all of the others too, but these 3 are the ones who know everything about me– as I do about them."

"That's nice," Soobin smiled. "So they know you're here, stalking me?"

"Hey!" Yeonjun whined, the familiar sound making Soobin grin. "I'm not stalking you. And yeah, Beomgyu and Kai do at the very least. Which means that news must have reached Taehyun because those two don't really hold secrets in between them."

"They sound lovely," Soobin said, taking a pause in sipping his coffee to say that. "Will I ever get to meet them?"

"If you fall in love with me, then yes," Yeonjun's tone was joking but the words still made something swoop in Soobin's stomach. His heart lurched in protest but Soobin played it off by wiggling his eyebrows suggestively before getting embarrassed by what he had done. It only served to make Yeonjun giggle, a cute sound that made Soobin's blush intensify, "You're so cute!"

‘So are you’ is what Soobin wanted to say but instead, he focused on his breakfast and didn't speak until he was done.

❀

Yeonjun knew he already loved Soobin.

Others would call it fast but that was how it was with Gods. Especially when he was the God of Love. It happened in a flash and Yeonjun wasn't an idiotic human to keep denying what he knows, simply because the idea of being in love was scary. The idea of being in love was amazing to Yeonjun. It was something he believed everyone, regardless of their race and species, should get to experience at least once. 

And to make his love come to fruition, he was ready to do whatever it takes. He could wait as long as Soobin needs. He could move mountains if Soobin asked that of him ("Why in the ever living fuck would I want to move freaking mountains?!"), he could even get the rivers to change course if Soobin needed that ("I live in a very developed city, Yeonjun. I don't face water scarcity. How about you send that water to the poor farmers who are facing problems because of climate change?") and he knew he could never say no to him.

In a short span of time, Soobin had started meaning more to him than even some of the Gods he knew. He knew he was down bad for the blue-haired boy, but it was to be expected considering who Yeonjun was. Love is the strongest where it originates.

So Yeonjun didn't leave Soobin's side as he tried to make the other boy fall in love with him too. Weeks later, Yeonjun was sure that they had at the very least become friends. It had been nearly 4 months since they had started this charade and despite all the complaining, Yeonjun was sure that he saw Soobin smiling whenever he popped up anywhere.

"...but I just can't think right now," Soobin finished with a sigh. It was a late December night and Soobin was complaining about his assignment to Yeonjun, who was patiently listening on his bed and making the fox plushie nod with an accompanying 'hmm!' every now and then. "Maybe I should take a break. Go to sleep and do this early tomorrow morning."

Even as he said it, Soobin was doubtful whether he would wake up in time. He never liked waking up early so it seemed impossible that he would wake up to do homework of all things. Yeonjun just giggled softly from the bed, his unspoken sign that he was thinking the same thing. 

"Hey Yeonjun?" Soobin suddenly asked, feeling wide awake at the moment. At Yeonjun's automatic, 'hmm?', he asked, "Why can I never see you? You must have a body right? Yet you never show it to me. If you're a God, why can't you do that? I didn't want to ask before because it might be rude and then I thought that it would be weird to ask now but I am dying to see you. I want to know what you look like. Not just your voice. I want to put a face to the person who has become one of the most important people in my life."

There was a stretched silence for a few seconds before Yeonjun sighed. Soobin wondered if he had crossed a line.

"I do have a face and I do have a form," Yeonjun said finally. Soobin fidgeted on the edge of his seat, holding his breath. "I'm just… waiting for you to fall in love with me."

"Why?" The question was out before Soobin could stop himself. "Why can't I see you before that?"

"Because I'm the God of Love," Yeonjun's frustration seeped through his voice. Soobin was confused. What did that have to do with anything? "It means that whoever looks at me… falls in love with me automatically."

Oh. Soobin just blinked owlishly at the fox plushie resting on his bed.

"I don't want that to happen to you," Yeonjun's voice was soft and sad. "I don't want you to feel like I forced you into these feelings. This would all be over in a span of seconds then but I want you to fall for me in your own time. I didn't want to force you into anything. I thought it would feel like I took away your choice and consent."

Soobin's heart was thumping loudly. Even if he couldn't see Yeonjun, it pleased him to hear that this was the reason why. Because Yeonjun respected those boundaries. But Soobin panicked over the surface, didn't want to let the God know how pleased he was and just blurted out, "You took my choice and consent away when you stalked me everywhere and that didn't stop you though?"

The realization crashed on Yeonjun, who felt fear spike inside him. More than anything though, he felt guilt and shame towards what he had done. He was ready to do anything for Soobin but he had crossed a line in doing so. Soobin had felt uncomfortable with his presence. 

"I'm sorry," Yeonjun said thickly, his voice wavering. He tried to keep it stable and not let the other know that he was close to crying. "I really am sorry, Soobin. I didn't realise that I was making you so uncomfortable. I kept telling myself that you would fall in love with me and that excused everything but it doesn't. It wasn't right of me to follow you everywhere despite your complaints. You weren't okay with it and I should have listened to that. I failed you, even though I'm a God and I should know better."

Soobin didn't know what to say. It wasn't a complete lie that he was uncomfortable. Initially, he didn't want Yeonjun around and it was crossing a line to stalk him everywhere. But Soobin liked having him around now. 

"I… think I need to give you some space," Yeonjun's voice was broken this time and Soobin's heart plummeted as he realized that the other was crying. "I'll be going."

Soobin tried to speak and get him to stop but the fox plushie tumbled down the side of the bed and the warm feeling that always accompanied Yeonjun's presence was gone. Only the cool air from the fan remained and Soobin felt a chill spread inside him.

He felt a sense of panic and confusion settle inside him. Yeonjun was gone. Not because Soobin needed space, but because he himself needed space. Because he wanted to get away from Soobin. And would he come back? What if he never comes back?

The mere thought made Soobin gasp and feel light– he couldn't do this without Yeonjun. He needed to talk to him, to figure things out. If Yeonjun never came back… Soobin might go crazy. Because he… he liked him.

Maybe even loved him.

❀

Yeonjun could have teleported straight to his palace but running away felt good. Well, flying away, that is. Flying up, up and into Olympus, wading through the various magical creatures without even a word of acknowledgement. Directly to his palace, running through the gardens until he bumped into someone instead of phasing through as he should have.

"Yeonjun?" Wooyoung's voice was concerned, eyes immediately latching onto the tear streaks present on the pink-haired God's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah," Yeonjun plastered on a smile, lying through his teeth even though he knew that Wooyoung would know he's lying anyway. "What are you doing here, Woo?"

"I was here to ask about that human, Soobin," he said, realizing that Yeonjun didn't want to talk about it and not wanting to push him. "You are gone away an awful lot of the time, so I thought I should check in. Is everything okay with him?"

"It's… really not," Yeonjun whispered, playing with his fingers as he tried to not start crying again. "He's, Soobin's my True Love, y'know… and I thought following him everywhere would make him fall in love with me– which sounds really dumb now but it sounded like a good plan when I first thought of it. And I'm so stupid because I ended up making him uncomfortable and unhappy and now he hates me!"

And then he started bawling. Wooyoung just patted his shoulder gently, freaking out over how to console him. 

Guess there was only one way.

✿

News travelled fast in Olympus, especially when the bringer of the news was Wooyoung of all people. Being the messenger of the Gods, he was quick on his feet and fast on his mouth filter. Which meant that in just a few minutes, every one of the 12 Gods and everyone they knew had learnt about what happened. 

Kai, being the good and concerned friend that he was, immediately booked it for the palace that was as natural to him as his own home. He rushed through the familiar halls and straight to where his heart told him Yeonjun was, only to find the other crying to himself and mumbling something to thin air.

Before he could try to get him to speak however, Taehyun appeared there and grabbed both of their hands before teleporting them straight to the Underworld.

"Taehyun!" Kai said, disgruntled at not getting a warning before the teleportation. 

"Sorry, I needed to get you two here," Taehyun sighed, beckoning them to sit on one of their floral printed sofas. Beomgyu, who was already sitting on one of them, clicked his fingers and immediately a tray full of cups and a teapot floated over to the teapoy in front of them. "Yeonjun? Would you like something to drink? You have been crying more than I have ever seen you cry. It's worrying."

Yeonjun just shook his head but when Beomgyu flashed the teacup beneath his nose, he just automatically took it and sipped it. 

"Do you mind telling us what happened in detail?" Beomgyu asked gently, not wanting to upset the God of Love. 

"Soobin asked me why he can't see my face and I told him that I didn't want to take away his choice and consent to fall for me," Yeonjun explained, holding his tears back just enough to explain what happened. "And then he said…"

When Yeonjun was done explaining, he was met with silence and pitiful gazes from his friends. 

"I don't want to be that person Yeonjun, but you know we were never happy with this plan," Kai said, looking down as he back-hugged Yeonjun to make him feel better. 

"As much as we understand your intentions and motives, it doesn't change that what you did was wrong," Taehyun sighed. "But I don't want to stay on just that fact. Your mistake can be forgiven– and maybe Soobin feels that you deserve it. For now, you should stay away from him. Give him time to evaluate his options, then go back to him and apologize again. Properly this time, without running away."

Taehyun said the last line pointedly, his eyes boring into Yeonjun's. 

"And listen to him this time," Beomgyu added. "Don't just make your own assumptions and run off with them."

"And you had said Taehyun was hopeless when he kidnapped Beomgyu," Kai said, shaking his head playfully. Yeonjun whined but didn't say anything, falling back into Kai's arms, seeking the familiar warmth and comfort the God of Hearth provided.

✿

Time was different for Gods. Being immortal, a few days meant mere seconds or minutes to them. But for the first time that Yeonjun could remember, he couldn't wait for time to pass. A week felt like a year and it was killing him inside.

It wasn't just because Taehyun had advised so; Yeonjun knew that he needed to give that space to both of them. To evaluate where the other stands in his life. To let him come to his own decisions. But it didn't quell the intense desire he felt to go back to Soobin. He already missed the blue-haired boy more than he would like to admit.

So the moment a week had passed, Yeonjun flew down to Earth, not even remembering to hide his body as he teleported right into Soobin's bedroom. To his disappointment, it was empty– but the disappointment did not last long when he heard television noises from the living room.

Yeonjun pushed the door open and stepped out to find Soobin's back facing him as he watched some k-drama. There was a tub of ice-cream in his hands and what shocked Yeonjun was that it was mint chocolate ice-cream. Soobin hated mint chocolate! 

A sob spilled out of the blue-haired boy's lips as the main characters in the drama kissed. Yeonjun took a cautious step towards the couch and said tentatively, "Soobin?"

Soobin hiccuped in surprise, nearly dropping the tub in his hands. Not bothering to place it back on the table, he just whipped around and at the sight of Yeonjun, flew over the couch and straight into his arms. Concerned and worried to no end, Yeonjun immediately wrapped his hands around the human boy and started stroking him in an effort to get him to calm down.

"Binnie? What's wrong?" He asked gently, awaiting an answer before he realized that he had forgotten to hide his form. Soobin would now fall in love with him. Agony spread inside him as he realized that all his efforts were for nothing. Except Soobin stepped back, not at all different in his behaviour, as he cupped Yeonjun's face. "S- Soobin?"

"You dumbass!" Soobin hit his shoulder and not lightly– thankfully, Yeonjun's body was like metal and unaffected by the punch but instead, Soobin got hurt. Yelping in pain, Soobin took his hands back to himself. Before Yeonjun could get a look at where it hurt, Soobin launched into a speech. "You're a God, aren't you? Then why are you such a dumbass?! Yeah, you should have listened to me when I expressed that I don't want you around and yeah it was wrong! But I'm glad you didn't listen. I'm glad you stayed. I'm glad I got to meet you, that you came into my life and made it so much better!

Yeonjun's eyes widened at the words spilling out of Soobin's mouth in a rushed rant. 

"I like you, you idiot," Soobin whispered, his hand curling around the collar of Yeonjun's shirt. "No, I love you. I don't understand all that True Love shit but what I do understand is that I love you. And I want to be with you. Whatever you want us to be, I'll be it. Just, don't leave like that ever again."

"I won't," Yeonjun said, stunned. Realizing that there was much more he needed to say, he quickly said, "I really am sorry, Soobin. I know you said you are glad we met but I still want to apologize for what I did. You don't have to forgive me for it–"

"I already forgave you," Soobin huffed, not letting go of his collar. 

"I think I'm being let off too easily," Yeonjun pouted, looking at Soobin with sad eyes. "I promise to be better. If you would like to be with me in a relationship, then I promise I'll always put you first. Your choice and consent comes first. I'll never, ever do that ever again. Really."

"I know," Soobin smiled warmly at him. He let go of his collar and instead curled his fingers around Yeonjun's soft, pink strands of hair. "You understood your mistake. And I know you mean it when you say that you won't do it again. I'm really proud of you."

It made Yeonjun smile and he finally let himself truly hold Soobin. After wanting to do this for months, he finally had the other boy in his arms and it was better than any feeling ever.

"I'm not getting reminded of any other touches right now," Soobin noted, tucking his head under Yeonjun's neck. 

"Because I didn't want you to start crying again," Yeonjun said, hiding his smile in Soobin's hair. 

"Shut up," Soobin huffed, barely even trying to hide his own smile. "You know, you're really beautiful."

"Oh," Yeonjun suddenly remembered that seeing him might have affected Soobin and could be the cause of this sudden behaviour but–

"It's not your looks," Soobin said, stepping back. Yeonjun almost whined at the loss of warmth but hid it to not let the blue-haired boy know. "I realized I liked you the moment you left… all this time, I was afraid to come to terms with my own feelings because I still couldn't believe whether you were real or a figment of my imagination. But y'know, Seonghwa came over to tell me about how his date with Hongjoong went and he saw your plushie. And I really just knew then that you are real. That I'm not crazy in the head."

"You were still worrying about that?" Yeonjun asked, his eyebrows furrowed. Soobin nodded, a small frown on his face.

"Well nobody has seen you and I have never met anyone from your side either!" Soobin pouted. Before Yeonjun could promise to take him to meet his friends, a crash sounded from Soobin's bedroom and the two rushed inside only to find Kai on the ground next to an upended laundry basket. 

"Kai?" Yeonjun said, confused. The other God just looked at him nervously and smiled shakily.

"Haha, hi," he mumbled, taking Soobin's hand to stand up. "I was just, um, y'know, thought I should check out–"

"Snooping on us," Yeonjun completed, crossing his arms as he raised an eyebrow at the brown-haired God. Before Kai could protest, he added, "You know I can handle this right? Stop worrying so much. Or did Taehyun send you?"

"No, not Taehyun, I was just worried myself," Kai pouted, giving Yeonjun an apologetic look. "I know how much you cried and I wanted to help because if something went wrong again, I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for not being there for you."

"Oh Kai–"

"You cried?" Soobin asked quietly, looking at Yeonjun with a small smile. 

"A little," Yeonjun said, rubbing the back of his neck shyly.

"Like a baby," Kai corrected him as he turned to Soobin. His eyes fell on the photo frame hanging next to the door. The familiar faces in it made his eyes widen. "Wait, is this…?"

"That's my parents and me," Soobin said with a polite smile. "You're Kai, the God of Hearth, right?"

"I, I am," Kai said, his eyes still wide as he understood the implications of what it all meant. Then he turned to Yeonjun with a look of excitement. "I figured out why Soobin can see the cupids and others!"

"You know why?" Soobin asked, looking at Kai eagerly. 

"Your parents were trying for a baby," Kai explained. "They were facing many problems in having a baby but they finally managed to conceive you. And while you were in your mother's womb, they prayed to me to help you grow healthily and well for every day of the nine months. When you were born, I blessed you. My blessing must have come with the side effects of being able to see other creatures."

There was silence as the other two took in the information. Then Soobin's nose wrinkled.

"I just realized that you were both there even before I was born," he said, turning to Yeonjun. "You're ancient as fuck!"

"Oi!!!"

The two started bickering and Kai just stepped back to not get involved in their fighting. But even as he looked at them, there was no mistaking the lovely, warm feeling blossoming in the middle of them. 

Kai could sense a home and family blooming right in that tiny apartment in Seoul.

°•❀•°

The End.