“You’re still alive?!” 

“How is that possible?! You should’ve died a long time ago!!”

“Don’t tell me-! You’ve become a demon?! You dared to betray the path of righteousness onto the demon path?!”

“Despicable!!”

“You murderous traitor!”

Under the pouring rain, he listened as his former friends threw all kinds of insults and comments at him. But he only looked at one person from the beginning - Arthur. And Arthur was looking at him.

“Take Fuyu to somewhere safe and continue dealing with the Fallen God,” Arthur suddenly spoke out.

“Huh?! Who gives you the authority to tell us what to do?” the Monkey Guardian remarked.

Arthur looked over his shoulder with a murderous cold glint in his eyes, “Did you not get the message? I’m telling you to leave us.”

Arthur was not one of the weakest Guardians. He was one of the strongest. And at this moment, the aura that came pouring out from his body was telling all of them to leave right away if they did not want to face his wrath.

The Tiger Guardian carried the unconscious Fuyu into his arms and took her away while the rest returned to battling the demons and the cocoon. None of the demons that had crawled from the underworld dared to approach Li Yun or Arthur; after all, Li Yun was more superior than all of them being the closest and most intimate person to the Fallen God who is about to become the Demon Supreme. And the aura surrounding Arthur was enough to scare them off. As the rain fell, they both stood there motionlessly with unwavering stares. 

“... You seem to be doing well. Are you living life happily?” Li Yun asked.

Arthur’s eyes slightly widened at that comment before returning to normal. “You… How are you still alive? There’s no way you’ve been reincarnated. The blessing was removed from you.”

Li Yun sighed softly, finally breaking their eye contact. Li Yun snapped his fingers and a barrier was formed around them, shielding them from the pouring rain.

“Of course I wasn’t reincarnated. Are you dumb? You were the most clever one out of us three. Did all these years of reincarnation dumb you down?” Li yun spat with a soft voice.

This person… it was not the Li Yun he knew…

“... What happened?”

A scoff escaped Li Yun’s lips. “Now you’re asking me what happened? I’ve lived all of these past thousands of years within the underworld, all alone. How do you think I’d feel?”

Li Yun then turned to look at Arthur with a dead fish-pan expression. “I felt betrayed. No one listened to me. No one stood by my side. Not even you, Urie Losse. And now, it’s something you will never understand.”

Arthur slightly pursed his lips as he took a step forward. It was a regret he had carried with him throughout all of his 99 reincarnations; his regret that he did not stand by Li Yun’s side that day of judgement.

“And I regret that...”

“Now you regret it? After however many lifetimes?! You got to live your life in glory; have a family; have children, find love! But what did I get?! I was banished and exiled! I suffered, starved and was humiliated!”

Arthur said nothing as he watched Li Yun with a broken expression.

Drenched from the rain, Li Yun brushed his loose strands up to show his face. “You wanna know what was the most ridiculous thing I did? It wasn’t turning to the demons,” Li Yun’s was calm again. He looked over to Arthur.

Arthur gasped. There were tears that were on the verge of falling from his eyes. “It was believing that you’d come to find me… but you never came.”

Arthur was speechless. The memories came flooding back in. 

“You let me down, Urie… But none of that matters now. Soon, everything will come to an end.”

Li Yun said as he snapped his fingers and the rain came pouring again. Li Yun walked right past Arthur. But before Li Yun could get any further, his wrist was gripped by Arthur.

***

“CUT!!!!” the director called out.

Every snapped out from the dream, returning to reality. The crew members turned off the water that created the rain.

“Kincade, I know you haven’t been acting for a while now, but grabbing Li Yun’s wrist was not in the script. You’re supposed to let Li Yun walk past you before saying, ‘what do you mean?’” the director pointed out.

Kincade ran his fingers through his wet hair and apologized. 

“Okay, let’s start from where Li Yun walks past Arthur,” said Dan. He was not the main director, but he was the producer for this film.

After this second take, although his mind told him to act accordingly to the script, his body kept moving on his own, taking a hold of Kirin’s wrist every single time. They had to do many retakes and when Kirin successfully made it past Kincade without him taking a hold of his wrist, he’d fumble his lines. 

“Let’s take a 30 minute break,” the director finally announced.

“What’s wrong with you? It isn’t like you to mess up on something as simple as this,” Dan went over and sat with Kincade.

Kincade was wiping himself down with a towel. “I don’t know. I’ve recited and practiced these lines with Liam before and did it perfectly, but for some reason, now that we’re filming it just feels so different.”

Dan was shocked by what he heard. “Why is it that you’re feeling like a rookie all over again? Did you hit your head somewhere?”

Kincade chuckled lightly. “I wished that was the case. But, now that we’re all dressed up and on set, acting as Arthur at this very moment, I feel like his relationship or feelings for Li Yun is actually much more intimate than what you wrote.”

Dan raised a brow, “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying, my initial portrayal of Arthur Fame is different now that we're filming. I know you were giving him the image of having a platonic brotherhood relationship with Li Yun. But when I’m finally acting Arthur out, those emotions of seeing Li Yun as a sworn brother just doesn’t fit with me for some reason.”

Kincade sighed. Dan looked at him with curious probing eyes. When he followed Kincade’s line of sight, he saw Kirin. A thought appeared in his mind. Standing up, he gave Kincade a pat on the back and walked over to where Kirin was reciting his lines.

=== 

After talking to Dan, Dan headed over to the director and Kirin looked over to the side to see Kincade, however, Kincade was no longer sitting in his previous spot.

After asking Kincade’s secretary, Kirin discovered that Kincade had escaped to his private dressing room. Giving four knocks before opening the door, Kirin walked in. Kincade was changing out of his wet clothes.

Kirin just laughed. “Your secretary let me come, and you left your door unlocked. What’s the point in changing out if you’re still gonna get soaked?”

“I’d rather get soaked with new clothes than wear the same old drenched ones,” Kincade remarked as he took off his navy blue t-shirt that was glued to his body, revealing the contours of his built and muscular body. Kirin could not help but ogle the man.

Kincade turned around with his back facing Kirin. Kincade’s birthmark was hidden once again. He wasn’t going to show him. How could Kincade love him if he can’t even open up about his insecurities to his partner? He was just like Jin. Shielding his heart and feelings, afraid to really fall in love because of the fear of disappointment. So, Kirin made the move.

Kirin grabbed him and moved him to sit down on the chair in front of the vanity mirror. Grabbing the towel, Kirin stood behind him and began delicately drying his hair like he did that one other time. Kincade sat obediently. 

After drying Kincade’s hair, he draped the towel over his head. As soon as his fingers touched Kincade’s skin, the electrifying pulse coursed through his body, giving him the sense of relief and exhilaration. 

“... Why do you hide it?”

Kincade was confused by the question Kirin asked. 

“Why do you hide it?” Kirin asked once again as he gently slid his fingers down to Kincade’s left shoulder.

Putting the smallest amount of pressure on his fingertips, Kirin sighed softly. Seeing that S-01 did not say anything or that no security alerts/blockers were implemented, what he was saying was still alright. Even if Jin did not remember him, Kirin did.

Feeling the muscle under his skin tense, Kirin looked over to see Kincade’s expression in the mirror but he could not see it clearly. With the towel shrouding his face, Kirin could not see what face he was making.

“Would you be able to love someone that has a birthmark like this?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve had many partners who said the same…”

“I’m not them.”

“That’s what they said too,” a scoff escaped Kincade’s lips. “It may not be such a big deal to others, but to me, it is. People always tell me to overcome it. I tried to. I really did,” Kincade said as he crossed his right arm and gripped his left shoulder as his fingers began to curl, making his nails dig into his skin. "They just don't understand."

Kirin gently placed his hand over Kincade’s.

“This birthmark… they’re your pair of wings. You’re free. You’re free to do as you’d like. If you’re not ready to show me, I won’t ask you to. And when you are, I’ll be right here waiting,” Kirin said soothingly.

Although Kirin did not hear it, Kincade drew in a sharp breath, as if those words struck a chord in him. No one has ever said such words to him. Not even his parents.

“It’s time to head,” Kirin said one last time before letting go of Kincade and heading off first.

===

“Okay. Now, let’s try to get this last scene wrapped up for the day,” the director announced before sitting back down beside Dan. 

Kirin looked over to see Kincade’s face; he could not read his expression but he could see his dazed expression. 

“Remember what I said, whatever he does, let him do it. I wanna see how he’s going to become Arthur Fame.”

“Alright, I’m trusting you on this one,” the director smiled. “Cue the waterworks!”

The crew members turned on the water.

“Ready… ACTION!”

***

“You let me down, Urie… But none of that matters now. Soon, everything will come to an end.”

Li Yun said as he snapped his fingers and the rain came pouring again. Li Yun walked right past Arthur. But before Li Yun could get any further, his wrist was gripped by Arthur.

Li Yun stopped in his tracks, confused. 

*But since the director or Dan did not call out ‘cut’, Kirin decided to play along.*

“What?” Li Yun hissed as he tried pulling his arm from Arthur’s grip, but Arthur was not letting go.

“...”

Li Yun stopped moving. “... What did you say?”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry... for leaving you all alone when you needed me most,” Arthur turned around to face Li Yun. “I should’ve been there for you like you’ve been there for me…”

Slowly turning around, he lifted his head up, showing the sadness within his eyes; the regret, the pain, the loss. “I was a coward… I was afraid… even now, I’m a coward. But more than anything.”

“I want to know more about you.”

Li Yun scrunched his brows together.

"Who are you to me? How significant am I to you? What secrets are you keeping from me? Tell me," his low voice whispered as if he was speaking to his lover, taking a step closer and closer. "Tell me. What happened that day?"

Li Yun sharply drew in his breath, pulling his arm away as he threw a slap across Arthur’s face. “I gave you the chance, and you threw it away! Don’t try to act all sad and depressed like that now! It’s too late!”

Arthur looked back over to Li Yun who was seething underneath the pouring rain. Li Yun gritted his teeth. “It’s too late,” his voice cracked.

Without him realizing what had happened, Arthur pulled Li Yun into his arms, embracing him within his big arms. Flustered and confused, Li Yun tried beating his way out. The more Li Yun battered him, the tighter Arthur held him.

“What are you doing?!”

“Holding onto you.”

“What do you mean?! Are you trying to trick me?! What game are you playing at?!”

Arthur said nothing, pulled back slightly to look upon Li Yun’s face then gave a sad smile. Li Yun was stunned for a moment. Next thing he knew, Arthur had leaned down, making their lips touch. Li Yun’s eyes widened.