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•

It'd been years, but Yoongi never found it hard to reach out and hold Jimin's hands in his. Although it felt cold, Yoongi being warmer as a demon, the contact always sent a fuzzy warmth to his heart.

"Where to now, Yoon?"

Jimin's voice softly brought Yoongi back to the moment, getting his attention on the mission at hand.

"Yoon?"

Yoongi's voice held an amused affection, but he saw Jimin's sheepish smile, making him let out a delighted laugh.

"Taking inspiration from your own book, hm?"

The words brought a breathy laugh from Jimin before Yoongi was finally going into the topic.

"Let's just look around? We got the spare keys, right?"

There was a hum from Jimin, eyes looking around and out the door of the food hall.

"I suppose so. Let's go?"

Their hands were intertwined still, not parting as they depart to investigate.

"Everyone's busy, now... we'd been gone for that long, huh?"

The sad nostalgic tone in Jimin's voice despite the soft smile on his lips made Yoongi's heart ache a little in nostalgia as well, the real memories from years and years ago, and... what they were now.

Namjoon and Jin used to be careful with secretive freedom in each other's presence, reliving their youths in each other, but now, even if you couldn't age, their faces looked old, tired from the work and load.

Jungkook and Taehyung used to be the couple completely infatuated with each other, a pair that even after years of marriage still seeming like they'd just fallen in love, but now, albeit still very much in love and expressive, they seemed mentally mature, having grown over the century.

And, Hoseok.

The friend that shone with bright hope. Even with his own hardships and sadness, he persevered and helped all of his friends get through their hard times, became the light in the darkness everyone else was in. Yet, now, he seemed to be the most changed of all.

"Okay, first door. Let's see which key-- this is gonna take forever!"

The exasperated sound from Jimin following his words made Yoongi let out an amused chuckle before taking the keys in his hand and looking at the individual ones, checking back at the door again.

After a few seconds of silence, he clicked his tongue in realization.

"It won't take forever, the keys have these roman numerals engraved on the side of the shaft. And, look, roman numerals are also on the design of the door."

Considering Yoongi's words, Jimin looked closer, and he did see it.

"Yeah, you're right."

Picking out the respective key, Yoongi unlocked the door, pushing the door open to make entryway for the two.

Jimin let out a sigh of awe before he entered, it was a room with lots of paintings. The ones of the old Authorities, some ones that were reported missing from Earth.

"This is the past of Afterlife?"

Yoongi muttered, looking at the one right next to the door, on the wall while Jimin was looking at the ones piled on the floor.

"Hm, looks so. There are also ones from Earth, look, I remember learning about this in Art HIstory, Lost Michelangelo, it went lost I think, makes sense, now, where it went."

Yoongi looked over in surprise.

"I didn't take Art History, but this is strange. Why didn't anyone take it back?"

"Who knows. But, it's better off now, after all these years. I don't think this room would be much of importance, though, right?"

Jimin didn't receive a response from the other, looking over to see what's keeping Yoongi busy. He was looking at something amidst a pile of paintings, forehead scrunched in thought.

"Yoongi?"

Not receiving a response again, the angel walked over, peering over Yoongi's shoulder.

"What're you looking at?"

"Just this-- this."

He said, pointing at a certain painting.

"Isn't that weird?"

"What is? The painting? Looks nothing wrong."

Chin tucked on Yoongi's shoulder, Jimin took a closer look, still confused.

"The dust on the frame, I mean."

"Hm?"

"That, little smudge over there. On the right edge. It looks like someone picked it up. But, why would anyone need to?"

"Don't know. But, that is strange. There's no need to. Looking at the painting, it's clear from here what it is. It looks like the time when the... what is it... the passing on field? Yeah, it looks like when that was built."

"Yeah, that's why it's weird. It's not even all dusted off, just the one space perfectly for a hand. Why would someone need such a thing?"

"Who knows. Let's look around if we find anything, then soon go to the next one?"

Yoongi nods, crouching down to take a closer look as Jimin looks in the other side of the room.

"Ah!"

Jimin's exclamation got Yoongi's attention, looking over instantly.

"What?"

There was a happy giggle before Jimin pulls Yoongi along to show him.

"It's the time the famous couple from Afterlife got married a couple centuries ago! Don't you remember? That was a huge deal back then."

Yoongi made a face, showing a playful look of disappointment towards Jimin.

"D'you think I waste my time remembering something like this?"

There's a dramatic gasp from Jimin before he's laughing, leaning his weight on Yoongi.

"Why're you like this, hyung?"

The word brought a flush to Yoongi's cheeks. He patted Jimin's shoulder, flustered.

"Not here, you idiot."

Jimin pouted, wrapping his arms around Yoongi's neck and hanging off like a koala.

"Then where?"

The demon pulled on Jimin's soft cheeks, making his pout disappear replaced by an odd expression. Chuckling, Yoongi pressed a kiss on his lips, pulling back before it could go any further.

"When we're done, in our room. How does that sound?"

Gleaming happily, Jimin kissed Yoongi's cheek.

"Awesome. Let's hurry, then."

As Jimin scurried to look around, Yoongi also went back to his side of the room, laughing internally at the adorable way Jimin had said 'awesome' -- a modern word, that he'd have never imagined Jimin from before would say.

As Jimin turned the key, the click sounded, signaling the room was locked.

"Alright. Now, moving on to the next one."

Yoongi nodded, looking at all the fancy door designs. This palace sure has a lot of interesting designs.

The walls had been painted the scenery of angels, demons, the three types of souls, humans -- anything that would be considered a part of the world beyond life and death, including humanity. And the woodwork of the doors were all small and tiny statues of the different lands and creatures as well, along with the Authorities.

When they entered the next room, both of them were stuck at the threshold, looking in with unsettled eyes.

In the middle stood an empty glass case, with a plaque -- Wings of Park Jimin and Min Yoongi.

They both looked back at their own wings, averting their eyes to meet each others'. After a few seconds, Jimin pulled his gaze off, walking into the room, noticing the piles of newspapers.

"Hm?"

Crouching down, he read the headlines.

"The Authorities Dead -- Revolutionary Park Jimin and Min Yoongi."

"What?"

The sound of Yoongi's footsteps echoes in the almost empty room as he leans down a little behind Jimin to look, eyes scanning the paper.

"What?"

He repeated, but Jimin didn't say anything, reading further like his lover was.

Flipping over the pages, he looked at the rest, it had it all, the list of new authorities, something a typical newspaper would have.

But, why would this be here?

Yoongi looked over at the other piles, checking all the ones in the stack.

"They're all the same one. The hell is this?"

"They actually... made a newspaper about it. I didn't think they'd actually do it."

Straightening his back to look around the room, Yoongi ended his eyes on Jimin with a confused gaze.

"But, why are they in here?"

There was a moment of silence before Jimin spoke up, remembering what Namjoon had said.

"Namjoon'd said something about rebels. Maybe... maybe this started it. The news of an angel and demon passing was new to everyone. The ones who wanted out... probably wanted to head in. But..."

"It would cause chaos. An imbalance between worlds. Makes sense, now. That's why newspapers probably don't exist anymore, no one in Afterlife had any."

Nodding along to Yoongi's words, Jimin reads through the other pages of the newspaper.

"Yeah, otherwise, we'd have seen it somewhere at least -- ah! Look, Jungkook's art is here, that's cute. I want to keep one."

There's a heavy sigh from Yoongi's end.

"Are we even sure if this will help Hoseok?"

Folding and putting the newspaper back where it was, knowing it wasn't safe to keep it for himself, Jimin stood up straight, stepping towards Yoongi to wrap his arms around the latter's waist, blending their warmth together in a comforting embrace.

"I don't know. But, we've got to find everything we can. Everyone else is doing their part, we can't slack off."

Yoongi slides his arms up Jimin's back, pulling him closer. He rests his head on the angel's shoulder; he's tired, it's not even been a week since he's died again, and there's already another plan they're figuring out and executing. It has been over a century since the last time, but in his mind, the memories are still fresh.

"....yeah, you're right."

There's a soft smile from Jimin as he closes his eyes, loving the heartwarming proximity.

"What do you say about sleeping a little before we continue?"

"What? But, we have to--"

"I can hear your heart, Yoongi. You're tired. Even in the demon body of yours, I know you. Let's go, and come back later."

Instead of pulling back, Yoongi tightens his hold, his lips stretching into a joyful grin. His Jimin still understood him even after all these years.

"I love you."

•

A man, wings folded behind his back neatly so as to not drop any feathers, leaned against the wall, hearing the hushes conversation of the two lovers behind the wall.

A smirk etched on his face, eyes looking back, almost as if he was looking behind the wall.

"Hm, I see they've found their old glory on newspaper. They're probably happy with their efforts, making a revolutionary change and everything. But, it won't be long before it changes."

His eyes go back in front of him, looking straight into another pair. The other man's eyes shone with confusion, seeming unsure of something.

"Right, Hoseok-ah?"