angel ♡ wings

 “—i still think talking to the chief might help. i know he got my back, and wouldn’t want you to suffer the consequences of all this.” sure, nothing could be reversed as she said, but other things could be prevented if he took action. the chief was still at the palm of his hand, fighting for his innocence because he reminded him of the son that he once had. it was only to be expected that the man would try to make up for the loss of his own child by doing everything in his power to clean his name.

   his hand picks up the one that he had been squeezing to entwine their fingers together, giving her a small smile in return. his eyes appeared tired, because he was. if this whole experience was tiring for her, it was ten times worse in his case. the only difference was that he didn’t have that uncertainty that she did. he was certain that they didn’t have anything on him other than circumstantial evidence that wouldn’t hold on court. it wouldn’t be enough to convict him of anything, and the fact that he was beaten up before his arrest, well… that detective may have done him a favour by losing his cool.

 “—don’t forget i’ve forgotten about our little trip once this is all over. i told you i’d make it up to you, didn’t i? just hang in there for a little longer.”

ଘ♡     what did it say about her that she was the one that had actually forgotten about their trip. it had blurred into the backdrop of all of this that she was convinced that he had merely said it to do little more than calm her in that time & place. even she was caught of guard by the prospect of him remembering something like that. as if it had actually held meaning & mattered to him. with how surprisingly soothing he was being with his words, it took a lot to keep from pinching herself to ensure it was real. the only version of sangwoo that she had been familiar with these past few weeks was an open nerve; someone irritable & lacking charm. not that she would hold such a thing against him. maybe she would let him mention it to the chief of police. even if just to prevent further atrocities from happening.

there was a soft sigh that escaped her lips as she exhaled, tension still very present in her demeanor & features. as much comfort as she wished his touch could bring, it wasn’t doing the trick like it usually did. why weren’t her internal storms calmed at the prospect of sweet nothings from him? a side effect of stress, she told herself. though, funnily enough, for a girl that was so smart, she found herself to be so stupid when it came to him. “ any place that gets me away from here & able to sleep peacefully at night is more than enough of a welcomed escape. ” his smile was returned, even if it seemed to lack it’s usual luster. watching him closely, it was moments like these that made it so hard to decipher what his true nature was sometimes. so often angel found herself wishing & hoping these rare but soft moments were it. 

   this was the most amused he had been since the whole investigation started, and he would not let her bad mood ruin his fun. sure, he understood why she was pissed, but it was incredibly ridiculous how far people were willing to go for some sort of ‘revenge’ against her, being now a person of importance to the case. those people were hypocrites, they were no different from then detective that broke into his home to attack him. they wanted justice, but couldn’t bring themselves to trust on the police force to give it to them. it just showed their ineptitude. 

   as his laughter died down and the atmosphere took a serious turn, he placed a hand on top of hers, curling fingers around them to give it a squeeze. the smile he wore wasn’t mocking as before, but sympathetic. people could do or say nasty things, and he wasn’t exempt from it either. he had to take his car somewhere else to avoid stuff like that, and he had pretty much made a bargain with the chief that as long as he was being investigated, he should be protected. if they were going to harm his reputation over nothing, it was the least they could do.

 “—hey, they don’t know anything about you. it’s not true.” though he doubted she needed to be told that, especially coming from him. those people were just trying to bring her down, to make her succumb under the pressure, and he couldn’t let that happen. not when she was an important part in his plan.  “—i’m sure if i talk to the chief ‘bout it, he can help. he agrees that all of this is getting ridiculous, and you shouldn’t be dragged into it.” even if he had been the one to pull her with him. “—besides… if you were anything of mine, it certainly wouldn’t be that.”

ଘ♡     there was a time where that sentiment would have been enough to have her melting, heart in her hands. but by now, she was tired & exhausted. even if this wasn’t what was meant to be happening, even if they both logically knew that these people didn’t know anything about her, that didn’t change her own nagging feelings. the ones that made her want to question more than what she knew. the nagging that made her feel like what if there was something of truth in the hate that was being hurled her way. how would it feel to wake up one day & find out that she had been an accomplice in something all along. even worse, to know that she had avoided acknowledging it all this time. these were the thoughts that came & went far too frequently as of late, angel instead choosing to neglect them. almost as if shooing the possibility away like a fly. after all, would she be able to live with herself if something like that was true? much rather to smile & take his word without question. it was an easier pill to swallow thinking someone was framing him than to even consider doubting his words.

the placement of his hand over hers was enough to quiet her thoughts momentarily, even if only to give her a chance to focus on his words. he did it so well, switching between emotions & expressions with such ease that sometimes she had a hard time keeping up. from a laugh that felt like mockery to now what she could only deem as his own form of reassurance. it was remarkable. & sadly, so easy for her to fall victim to. how much resolve could she really build up against him? would time ever have the answer to that question?

continued from here ♡ @scrinja

ଘ♡     the poke at her cheek was as insulting as his words were. it wasn’t the first, nor the last, time that angel’s anger had been underestimated. chalked up to something that was meant to be adorable & soft. “i can’t take you serious when you pout” what a load of shit. when had he ever taken her seriously? even after all that she had put her own self through just to make sure that he was able to remain comfortably living a life of freedom, he still had this taunting air about him when it came to her. like she was little more than a toy & something for him to play with when he was bored or needed the convenience. though, there was some personal blame to be added on her part. after all, getting her to fall for his manipulations had been just too easy. 

leaning away from his touch, angel’s face became more stern. the reason for her anger came from the fact harassment towards her had switched from just that of detectives to whomever it was that had vandalized her car. who didn’t love to see the words “ murderer’s whore ” scratched into the paint of their door? at least make it something that was true. even as her expression hardened, she prepared herself for what his retort would be. something along the lines of how he had it worse? or maybe how she was taking this too seriously & it was an easy fix? by now she was playing russian roulette with the possibilities.

   he wasn’t in the mood to deal with any of her shit, so most of what she said is ignored as he glances at the ceiling, silently praying for her to shut up before he gave the detectives even more reason to suspect about him. it didn’t matter if she implied anything or not with that comment, it wasn’t something that he had asked from her. all he needed to know was that she believed him over anything. angel had made the right choice by ending her sentence that way, and when he feels her hand against his cheek once more, he leans against it as he closes his eyes.

 “—that was what i was hoping to hear.” otherwise, she would be the next body to be found in the mountains; bruised and battered after he took all of his anger on her. luckily, he had her at the palm of his hand, easily manipulated to believe in his innocence when he portrayed himself as a victim of police brutality.  “—my ribs are gonna hurt tomorrow for sure.”

ଘ♡     how subtle it could be, but there was always something about him that had her wanting to step back during moments like this. he could say the nicest things & act as though her presence was necessary, but that didn’t stop the fact that angel kept thinking she was nothing more than something beneficial for him. & in the most circumstantial way at that. it was always going to be the ‘sangwoo show’ between them. so there was never going to be any room for her to expect any care of consideration in terms of her own well-being from him. even a small amount of concern was out of the picture. but there was never going to be a place to mention that, so instead she stayed quiet on the subject. instead allowing him to lean against her hand & indulging whatever topic he chose was best to speak on.

  “—yeah, next time i will give that detective a memo about avoiding my face…” she made it sound as if it was somehow his fault ( which partially it was ), and he acted defensive about it. whether she was joking or not, he didn’t care to find out. there was barely an energy left in him to remain sit upright and keep his eyes from shutting close. he wouldn’t argue with her, not when he relied on the tenderness of her touch. the mild sting soon fading away when he leans his head against the palm of her hand.

    he never wanted to involve her, not like this, at least, but it was too late. there was no one else that he could rely on. everyone he knew from school would only make things worse by acting so nonchalant about it, or be concerned about his reputation and therefore, their own. he couldn’t trust any of those idiots.

   he looks at her with tired eyes, the smile that he had forced along with his comment was quickly fading. after all, he wasn’t entirely off suspicion. “—you don’t think… he had a reason to do this to me, do you? i mean… the guy broke into my home.”

ଘ♡     she should have known better. he had managed to find an accusatory tone in her words without one being present. by now it wasn’t surprising, if anything, exhausting would be the right would to use. there was no way she could understand what he was going through completely & she wouldn’t pretend to, but the aftermath of it was still not easy to deal with. hell, when would she have the chance to be soothed even just once? after all, he wasn’t the only person that had been dragged into all of this. but those were thoughts angel knew better than to even voice. a sensitive temper like his isn’t one she had any desire to poke at. 

holding his gaze, angel shook her head as she removed her hand from his face. “ i didn’t say that. i’m never going to imply that you deserved something like this. i understand that you might need the constant reassurance & i can do my best to give that. but— ” the words halted as she held her breath momentarily, hesitating on finishing her statement.

continued from here ♡ @scrinja

ଘ♡     something like this wasn’t supposed to be welcomed so easily & without question, but here she was; not the least bit fazed by his appearance. at least not in a manner that shocked or scared her. if anything, she simply had concern for his well-being. especially after everything that had transpired & still hadn’t seemed to quiet down to a safe level. his thanks barely registered to her, focus set on at least trying to clean up his face some.