Returning to Earth was, for everyone, a breath of relief. Each group was exhausted, mentally and physically but they were happy to be back. Mingi let Jongho stay home from school for the week and Hongjoong and Seonghwa did the same for San and Wooyoung.

After all of that, all they wanted was a break and maybe a little therapy to process it all.

Jongho wasn't sure what to do with his time off, feeling nothing but lost after the events that had just transpired. Every now and again, i.e. most of the time, his thoughts would wander back to Yeosang and how he was. With no clue what his fate was, his mind went into overdrive at every possible punishment he may be receiving.

Thankfully enough, Beomgyu was there to keep him company and distracted, better yet. He allowed Jongho to lay on his chest, keeping him calm with his heartbeat alone while he racked his hair through the boy's brown hair. Though his presence was appreciated, he still couldn't help but think. "Is Yeosang going to be okay...?"

Now, Beomgyu had been expecting a question like this for a while. So he put quite a bit of thought into his answer. "Probably not," The angel said matter of factly, causing all of Jongho's movement to cease. "He will be broken. Emotionally, physically and mentally. To be honest, I think the chances of him recovering are gonna be slim, and he'll most likely be reduced to a husk of whatever man you knew before."

"What!?" Jongho shouted in concern. Beomgyu wasn't expecting him to react like that and immediately attempted to make him feel better.

"Ahahaha! I'm joking!" He exclaimed, followed by a convincing laugh. "Wait, please don't cry! I'm not being serious!" Beomgyu quickly pulled him closer, whatever cries Jongho may have made being muffled in the depths of his chest. "Hey, hey, it's okay."

"Is it really though?" Whimpered the demon, moving away to lay back on the bed. "Beomgyu, someone is going to die because of me."

"Well, he won't die. He'll just be tortured-"

"Repeat exactly what you just told me because becoming a husk of a person is pretty close to death if you ask me." Beomgyu didn't like the way Jongho was going about this. It wasn't his fault what had happened. Yeosang's feelings were all his own and the way he expressed them landed him in hot water with every side. So the angel would need to explain this to him.

Jongho was caught off guard when Beomgyu suddenly rolled on top of him. It wasn't a very provocative position yet it still managed to bring some heat to his cheeks. "Jongho, listen to me. At the end of the day, what happened wasn't on you. If it was, you would have been in that court with him."

The older teen opened his mouth to speak but a finger was quickly put to his lips. Beomgyu sat up, still sitting on Jongho, and sighed. "Don't let your mind fool you," He whispered. "Deep down, you know what you said to him was true. Would you take it back?" His silence was the only answer the angel needed. "Exactly."

"Yeah, you're right. It's just that a part of me wonders if it could have worked out in the end..."

His frown made Beomgyu upset. Tilting Jongho's chin towards him, he smiled. "Hey, I have something for you," He said, earning a curious look from the other teen. "Remember when we were in the purification chambers and I disappeared?"

"Mhm?"

"Well it's because you were right, you did see Taehyun. And he asked me to give you this..." Time has a habit of slowing for situations like these. When their lips met, Jongho felt his heart pound in his chest, limbs weakening the longer this kiss went on. He could only focus on how soft he felt against his mouth. When they broke apart, it was because Jongho's smile parted his lips, bringing forth a grin from both parties.

"He asked you to do that?" Questioned Jongho, still sceptical of the angel's intent, though the smile still remained on his face.

What he got was a shrug and giddy chuckle. "Well, he told me to send you something that let you know he missed you. I just chose a kiss."

"You're ridiculous."

"And you didn't pull away. Come on, admit it. I'm a great kisser." Jongho scoffed and finally pushed Beomgyu off the bed, making him yelp in surprise.

"I've had better."

"Oh? And exactly how many people have you kissed?" Rolling his eyes, Jongho got up, just to meet him on the ground.

"Let's do something," He suggested, avoiding Beomgyu's question. Which the angel noticed but decided to leave be. "When I'm done with school and all this trash, you're still going to be here, right?" Beomgyu giggled, nodding happily. "Then...Then let's travel! Let's go around the world and see what we can before-"

"Before nothing, Jongho. We've got all of eternity. Let's just enjoy it together."

------------------------------

Wooyoung giggled and opened his mouth for San to slide his fork into it. "Nice, right?" He asked, watching his boyfriend chew the piece of cake he had given him.

"It is! I can't believe Mr Seonghwa made this. He doesn't seem like the type to bake."

"Trust me, he doesn't seem like the type to do a lot of things." They shared a laugh, turning their attention to the front counter of the cafe. Seonghwa had the deepest scowl they had ever seen directed at a customer. Whatever she was rambling about must have really been an ear sore. "I mean, does he look like someone who would want a kid?"

Wooyoung hummed. "Not sure? What does father material look like?" San quirked his brow, sizing his partner up before shrugging.

"Who knows. Have you ever thought of having a family?" The bluntness of his statement made Wooyoung chuckle.

"We haven't even graduated yet! I've barely thought that far ahead." The topic was funny to him. Marriage was something he never thought of, let alone taking care of a child. At first, he assumed San wasn't being serious but when he noticed the way the demon frowned, Wooyoung's laughter ceased. "Have you ever thought of it?"

"It's crossed my mind a few times, yeah. I just want to spend as much time with you as I can, you know? And I wouldn't mind starting a family with you, Wooyoung." His sincerity wasn't something the blonde had been expecting. So it took him by surprise when San answered this way.

"Are you serious?" San nodded at him.

"Completely," Once again, Wooyoung began to grin. He shifted to the seat next to his boyfriend, since he was sitting across from him, to peck his cheek. San met his smile then pulled him closer to kiss his lips. "Jung Wooyoung, you're mine. Don't forget that. I'll never let you go, not for a single second or for the rest of eternity."

"Then let's enjoy this lifetime while it's still fresh."

Mingi eyed the exchange from the front counter and didn't hesitate to coo at how sweet the two of them were. It wasn't hard to ignore the heated argument Seonghwa was currently having with the customer in front of them in favour of watching the teen's adorable antics. Something about God and how 'Hell's Kitchen' was an evil name? He wasn't really paying attention. His mind was preoccupied with thoughts about Yunho. Looking at how cute Wooyoung and San were made him wonder if he could have had something like that with the angel.

Finally, the customer stormed out, her coffee in her hand, that was all Seonghwa cared about. "It's about time. If that woman had to speak to me any longer, I swear I would have jumped over his counter and slapped her. I hate humans..."

The brunette glanced over at him, pouting. "All of them?" Seonghwa looked down at him. The scornful glare he saved for every human he interacted with wasn't present, softening the moment he and Mingi made eye contact.

"No, not you Mingi." He sighed, patting his coworking on his head. As Mingi chuckled, Wooyoung piped up and said:

"What about me?"

"You're really pushing my buttons kid. Watch it."

"Rude..."

Seonghwa rolled his eyes, dawning back the usual distasteful look he held while at work. His attention was stolen when Hongjoong called him to the back. Before asking if he should come with, Mingi sharply turned back around when his boss muttered the word "emergency" He had learned not to interrupt them when "emergencies" arose.

So Seonghwa scampered off, giggling as he pushed his husband into the closet, while Wooyoung and San continued to hold one another and kiss. It all made Mingi feel rather envious. There wasn't much he could do about it, he supposed. Even if Seonghwa had returned to Earth, there was still no news on whether or not Yunho would be back to watch him.

Moving on was the last thing he wanted to do but if there was truly no hope of seeing him again, then it was his best option. Mingi took out his phone, grinning when he saw that he had received a text from Jongho informing him that he and Beomgyu were on their way to the cafe for the afternoon. "At least they're getting along..."

"Pardon me. Could I get a tiramisu, please?" Mingi hummed, shoving his device in his pocket to give the customer his attention. Yet he froze the moment he glanced up. The same silver eyes that stared at him on his first day at work, gleamed ahead of him, while their owner smiled at the younger male. "Hello, stranger."

"Y...YUNHO!" His exclamation had earned the eyes of everyone in the building but it didn't stop Mingi from sprinting around the counter and throwing himself in the arms of his missing partner. A hug, although simple, was something he had longed for greatly from the angel. His familiar warmth and enticing aura brought waves of happiness to his heart, filling him with the urge to keep like this forever.

Yunho didn't hesitate to return his affections, cradling Mingi's head on his shoulder to hold him as close as possible. "I'm here princess," Those words, spoken with such earnestness and love, nearly brought tears to the barista's eyes. "Don't cry, Mingi."

" 'M not gonna cry," He murmured, clearly a few moments away from tearing up. Yunho moved him back, brushing a finger under his eye to do away with his grievances. Despite his emotional state, Mingi couldn't help but smile. "I thought I would never see you again."

"Nor did I. But someone has to keep an eye on Mr Park-Kim, hm?" Hearing his name, Seonghwa popped his head out of the closet and walked out with a frown. Hongjoong followed close behind, his red hair looking extremely dishevelled with most of the buttons on his shirt coming undone.

At this point, they expected nothing less but Wooyoung and San still stuck out their tongues with childish jeers. Seonghwa responded with a similar action and Hongjoong swiftly hit him across the back for his juvenile behaviour. "What a surprise, I was expecting to see you back here," He said towards the angel, ignoring how Seonghwa began to pout. "After Mingi told us how you vanished, I didn't think you'd be able to come back."

Yunho chuckled. His arm snaked around Mingi's waist to pull him closer, an action the younger more than happily accepted. "I'll always find a way back to him. Even if I have to move Heaven and Earth to do so." While Hongjoong smiled at how romantic it sounded, Seonghwa didn't hesitate to roll his eyes.

He brought Hongjoong closer, resting his head by his neck and whispering, "Joongie," To regain his attention. Which proved to be futile based on the way Hongjoong so easily ignored him.

When the bell above the door jingled, it was hardly enough to alert Yunho of the force barreling towards him. Then angel nearly had the wind knocked out of him when Jongho threw himself at him to hug him. "Hyung! You're back!" He exclaimed with a bright grin.

Though Yunho did his best not to make his wince noticeable, the other adults all chuckled at how he tried to hide it for Jongho's sake. "I didn't think you'd miss me this much," He laughed, gently pushing Jongho away so they could hold a proper conversation.

"Of course I missed you! Especially with how mopey Mingi's been," The brunette in question turned to him, visibly flustered by this accusation. "He couldn't go five minutes without going 'I wonder what Yunho would say about this' or, 'he would love this so much' if that's what it means to be a couple, then I don't want any part in it."

"Ouch," muttered Beomgyu. He flinched when Jongho punched his arm, playfully of course but that didn't stop him from going to the corner to sulk at how hard he was hit. The teen apologised under his breath, however, his gaze continued to wander afterwards and Yunho had taken notice.

"Looking for something?" He inquired which had snapped Jongho back to reality. Realising how he spaced out, the brunette smiled while he shook his head.

"No, I was just checking to see if Beomgyu was alright." It was obvious by the expressions on both Mingi and Yunho's faces that they knew what he was saying was a lie. They knew what, or rather, who it was he was searching for.

On the other side of the room, the water angel's presence didn't go unnoticed, of course, but while Seonghwa and Hongjoong could hardly care less about the boy, he had piqued the other teen's interest. "New angel, Choi?" San remarked from his seat, now having Wooyoung on his lap while the blonde ate the remainder of his cake. "What happened to the other asshole?"

Hongjoong glared towards his son, ready to chide him for his use of language. Seonghwa, however, beat him to it. "Don't tune him. That was the kid who stabbed Sannie, right? Let him say what he wants."

His comment, no matter how off-handed, still made Jongho's fist clench. Keeping his eyes on him at all times, Beomgyu had noticed his irritation and draped himself over the demon's shoulder, simply saying, "Yeosang isn't available right now." and leaving it at that.

"Oh my god, you killed him?" Wooyoung gasped.

"Well, he might as well be dead." This time, Yunho and Mingi hit him across the head for this comment. Beomgyu whimpered yet again, hiding his head in Jongho's shoulder as the older teen patted his head.

Since he was curious, Seonghwa asked, "I heard you all went to Heaven. How was it?"

"Horrible," all four of them exclaimed, making the demon put his hands up in defence.

"I don't know why people make such a big deal about wanting to go to Heaven then," Wooyoung mumbled. "If Heaven and Hell are both so terrible, why is one better than the other?"

Hongjoong cleared his throat. "Simple," He said "The better you are as a person, the less of a horrific punishment you receive."

"Isn't going to Heaven just as bad as going to Hell?"

"No, it's just boring. Imagine having to do nothing but sit in bath water for months? That's enough punishment if you ask me."

That answer was good enough for San, returning his attention to his boyfriend. With the tension fading quickly, Mingi showed Yunho to the booth he used to sit at, proclaiming that he had kept it clean just for him. No visit to Hell's Kitchen would be complete if he wasn't offered a piece of tiramisu and the treat was placed carefully in front of him as if it was the most precious gift in the world.

"Stunning," He gasped, taking a bite just as Mingi sat in front of him, chuckling.

"Me, or the tiramisu?"

"If I answer that, I might hurt someone's feelings." To make sure he didn't get upset, Yunho scooped a spoonful of his food and put it towards Mingi's mouth. "It's you, of course."

Throughout the room, each of the couples were left to their own devices. Yunho and Mingi began catching up on what they had missed, Beomgyu and Jongho were going back and forth on something that most likely didn't matter, Wooyoung and San were continuing with their cute antics and the two eldest demons were overlooking it all.

Seonghwa came behind his husband, resting his head on the smaller's shoulder and delivered a gentle kiss to his cheek. "Hongjoong, moving here was the best idea you ever had..."

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Thank you for reading Hell Born! Don't take the book out of your library just yet though, I'm still going to do the epilogues just for a bit more closure! Then it's the extras and we're officially done. And I mean it this time, lol.

I'll do the Q&A questions after the epilogues, so if you have any more, feel free to drop them here.

Sorry for this one being so dialogue-heavy! I guess I just wasn't all that focused on the descriptions for this one. I hope you all enjoyed it nonetheless. This story has definitely been a ride, I'll tell you that. Do you honestly think my dumb story about demons would get to 11k? No. But I'm a thankful gal for that. 

All those thoughts I said I had ended up being a couple of paragraphs long, so I'll put them with the extras. 

I do have a question for all of you though since I'm curious: Who was your favourite/least favourite couple or characters? I feel like I know a few of your answers already though lol.