Trust Me
The angels, sublime creatures of the sky, are created to guard the heavens and bestow upon humans the gift of hope and miracles. Immortal children of God, the angels are trained from creation for the day they may descend from their home to Earth, where they would complete the miracle assigned to them and return to Paradise as archangels. Hamon, the great and beautiful prince angel of Heaven landed on the planet to perform his miracle. Angels are not impervious to strong human feelings, Hamon realized when he met the girl he would soon fall in love with. The immortal being understood remorsefully that while he lived on forever, his love would waste away, and eventually die. Refusing to live eternity without the woman he loved, Hamon prayed to the Lord to rid him of his gift. And so God, who loved all his creatures, granted him and all angels a song, one that would rid the angel of their immortality, and share their youth with the human of their choice. This was supposed to be the angels’ secret- guarded by Raziel himself-, but for their song to take effect, an angel had to show their true form, and humans were not as tight-lipped. And not as kind…
The old man sighed, crossing one leg over the other. His whip dangled loosely at his side, old and abused. His head rested on his shoulder as he watched the shining creature shackled to the golden cage. “You are a very stubborn one. It’s been two months, pretty angel. This would all end if you gave me your song.”
The angel said nothing. He was on his knees, his hands manacled on either side of the giant bird cage. His head drooped down between his shoulders, his face hidden from the man. His shoulder blades stretched his thin skin. He hadn’t been fed since he’d been jerked out of the sky, but his body refused to die. Each heaving breath blazed at his lungs. With great effort, he managed to raise his head to glare at the vile man. His golden eyes flared angrily.
“Don’t look at me like that.” The old man smirked, uncrossing his legs, and leaning into his knees. “The sooner you give me your song, the sooner you’ll die. Won’t that be a nice change?”
If he had any water left in him, the angel would have spat at the vile man. Instead, he pulled himself onto his feet, and stretched his wide wings apart. White feathers floated down, losing their golden glow, when the edge of his wings brushed against the top of his cage, almost reaching the high ceiling. His chest and stomach were exposed, showing swiftly healing cuts and bruises. A new cut on his shoulder leaked a golden liquid. It slithered down, clinging to his body, very much like blood.
“It’s no use. You might as well just take your human form. It’ll be less cramped in that cage of yours.” The man frowned.
The angel refused to show the man his human form. If he managed to escape, he didn’t want to be found. He let out a frustrated sigh. His beautiful wings fell behind him, and he let his head droop down, his golden hair spilling over his shoulders and almost touching the floor. He wouldn’t give his song to this man… this demon. In Heaven, he’d dreamt of the day they’d send him to earth to make a miracle. It all seemed like some cruel joke that this malicious man had summoned him out of Paradise to steal his song. He wouldn’t give it to him, not if the old man set him on fire. His song was for the person he would love.
“Stubborn, stupid boy.” The old man growled, shaking his head as if in sadness. “Don’t you see it would be better or both of us if you just gave up?” He stood up, the keys jangling at his hips as he approached the gilded cage. The whip cracked through the space between the bars, tearing a long gash into the angels arm. He bit his lip, refusing to cry out even as his teeth sunk into the thin skin of his lip and his mouth filled with his golden blood. “Do you think I enjoy doing this?” The whip snapped again, this time tearing at the skin on his waist. The angel pulled his teeth out of his lip, and pressed his mouth closed. “Do you think this is fun for me? I have to do this! I can’t die!” The leather struck him at the ribs. The angel clung to his manacles, the metal digging into his blistered fingers. “Useless creature.” The belt slashed at his skin, deeply and repeatedly. The angel’s eyes shut tightly, his teeth pressed into his lower lip. The searing pain assaulted his body over and over and over again. Tight, thin tears rolled slowly down his cheeks, leaving a golden trail in their wake. He fought back the unconsciousness that threatened to overcome him. He would not lower himself to this man. Why? The angel prayed, throwing his head back, and prying his eyes open to stare at the ceiling. Why is this happening to me? How could this happen to anyone?
As if in answer to his prayer, the old man went into a coughing fit. His whip stopped violating the angel. The agonizingly painful lacerations healed slowly, as if being gradually seamed back together. The recovery was almost as painful as the blows. The angel relaxed his teeth from his lip, and the cuts were mended as well. Throughout the whole agonizing torture-session, only a slight gasp slid past his lips, and the angel was quiet again.
“I’m getting too old for this.” The man growled unhappily. He unlocked the door to the cage and swung it open, stomping inside. He grabbed the angels chin, jerking the beautiful creature’s head up, and glaring into the swirling golds of his eyes. “You will give me your song! No matter what it takes, I will have it!”
The angel was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to lie peacefully, and not have to suffer anymore. He kept his eyes open, refusing to fall to the vile man, but it hurt. It hurt him everywhere, and he just wanted to sleep.
The old man sighed like it was all a heavy burden on his shoulders. He walked out of the cage, and shut it behind him, throwing the keys on the desk at the far end of the room. “That will be all for today. Change your mind.” He groaned as he left the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him like he usually did.
The angel stared after him for a short while. Then, unable to keep his head up for another second, he shut his eyes and let his head fall. His wide white wings folded into themselves and fit into the skin of his back. Dark colouring seeped through the roots of his hair, covering it in a black shade that was almost as beautiful as his golden hair. His eyebrows and eyelashes soon followed. Crumpled on the ground, with his arms shackled to the cage, the angel slept. He looked almost human…
The old man walked down the flight of stairs. His maids followed him handing him his coat, cane and hat as he readied himself for a long trip. He stole a glance at his study, where he knew that testy bitch was probably asleep. Stupid angel. He hadn’t planned on so much resistance from the golden creature. And now this stupid business trip had come up. What if the angel wasted his song on some maid just to spite him?
“Your nephew is here to see you off, Sir.” The valet bowed to the old man.
He smiled briefly, thinking of his ‘nephew’. He was quite fond of the boy, always polite and respectful. Smart, too. If he hadn’t planned on living forever, he would have bestowed his riches onto him. He stepped out of the house and was greeted by a tall handsome man. His striking auburn angular eyes scrunched up in the corners as he smiled brightly at his uncle. “Ahjussi, good morning!” He bowed respectfully.
“Yunho, stop calling me ahjussi! You make me feel like an old man.” His voice came out sharper than he’d intended. His nephew blinked, surprised by his uncle’s tone. The old man ruffled the boy’s hair. “Forget it, kid. Take care of the mansion while I’m gone, okay? No house parties.”
“I’m 21, for crying out loud! And I’ve already invited all my friends!” Yunho groaned in disappointment. His uncle shot him a warning glare. “I’m kidding.”
The old man looked proudly at his orphaned nephew, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I know. You’re a good kid, Yunho.” He smiled at the boy. The idea slithered into his head, like a black snake. Yunho was a good kid. And he respected his uncle’s wishes. “Yunho, I have a favour to ask of you while I’m gone.”
“Yeah?”
He pulled his nephew closer, a tainted smile printed on his lips…
Yunho looked down the hallway at the door that led to his uncle’s study. He’d never been allowed to enter it, even as a kid. It felt weird to have the right to do it now. He walked slowly towards the room, looking around himself like he was afraid to get caught. One of the maids passed by, making him jump half-way out his skin. The lady glanced lazily at him, nodded and walked by, without another word. Yunho sighed, smacking himself discreetly on the forehead for being such an idiot. He reached out to twist the doorknob, but the door opened on its own, beckoning him in. He stepped in quietly, making sure to close the door behind him as he entered. The first thing his eyes fell on was the huge golden bird cage. It looked very old. Some of the bars were losing their golden paint. It peeled off in patches, revealing a thick gray metal. Yunho kept his eyes at the top of the cage, where the bars joined in an intricate design, fearing what he might see if he looked at the imprisoned creature. With resolve, he let his eyes slide down to thing locked in the enclosure. It looked like a person. First, he mistook him for a woman. The long flowing black hair was sort of confusing. The boy couldn’t have been much younger than him. He was all skin and bones. He was breathing slowly and evenly, his ribs visibly expanding and contracting with every inhalation. Yunho was surprised the kid was even alive.
His hands grabbed at the bars and shook them, determined to keep his promise to his uncle. “Hey! Get up!” He said loudly, keeping his tone ice cold and dry. The boy whimpered quietly, but seemed otherwise unmoved. Yunho stared at the dark haired boy a bit longer. He spun around looking for the keys to the cage. He found them on the desk, unlocked and pulled the door open. “Hey, kid.” Yunho called out to the boy. “Get up.”
The boy remained immobile. The skin of his arms sculpted against his thin arm muscles. It was obvious the guy hadn’t eaten in a while. Poor thing, Yunho caught himself thinking. He shook his head to clear it from thought, and kneeled in front of him, his hand pulled up the boys chin gently. He sucked in a breath at the sight. Even though his cheeks sunk in and his eyes were closed and tired, the boy was gorgeous. His eyes were a long curved line of thick eyelashes. A small pointed nose led down to full rounded lips and a pointy chin. Yunho stared at the sleeping face. He could just kiss those…
He pulled away quickly, blinking in shock. He stumbled backwards, trying to get as far away from the beautiful creature as possible in the cage. Had he really just thought that? Yunho’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He stared at the stirring form, wondering what had come over him. Deciding to ignore it, he crouched down to look at the boy’s face. “Hey! I told you to wake up!” He barked sharply.
The boy’s eyes dragged themselves apart, and it seemed to take him a lot of effort. He was only able to open them halfway. Yunho blinked at the golden irises. The boy’s eyelids fluttered, and his eyes became a dark colour Yunho couldn’t describe. He snuck closer to the gorgeous boy. His footsteps crunched against the floor, and the boys head snapped up, giving Yunho a full frontal view of his beautiful face.
“Hey…” Yunho smiled slowly, forgetting his mission. The boy started trying to crawl back in his cage. “No, no. Wait. I’m not going to hurt you.” The boy glared at him disbelievingly. Yunho crawled closer to him, half wondering why he was doing it. “I’m not! I swear!” The boy backed away again. Something tugged at Yunho’s heart strings when the boy moved away from him, but he ignored it, stepping closer. “My name’s Yunho. Jung Yunho. What’s your name?” Yunho reached out to touch his face, but the boy jerked his head away from him. Yunho walked forward again, wanting to feel the soft skin of the boy’s face under his fingers. He stepped back a little, shocked again by his reactions.
“Are you hurt? Hungry? Thirsty?” The words spilled out of Yunho’s mouth before he could hold them back. “Do you need something?” He slid nearer to the trembling boy. “I just want to help.” He added honestly. He wanted to win the boy’s trust. What did it matter to him if the creature trusted him or not?
The younger boy shook his head slowly, trying to pull himself onto his legs. Yunho held him under the arms and hauled him up. The boy tried to shake away his touch, but Yunho refused to loosen his hold. He stared into the boys eyes. They were a strange mix of brown and dark gray, the colour of soot. They were exquisite. He couldn’t help his staring, unable to believe anything so beautiful could be meant for destruction.
The angel stared at the man standing before him. What did he want from him? Why was he holding him up? He couldn’t pull away, at least not in his current state. “Relax. You can trust me.” He smiled. The angel glared at him suspiciously. Yunho’s bright warm eyes bore into his. Embarrassed by the man’s relentless gaze, the angel turned his head away. Yunho sighed and put him down.
He backed away from the boy, crouching back down at the entrance of the cage. The angel turned his head away, forcibly ignoring the man. Yunho’s eyes raked over the creature. He was so skinny. Yunho’s heart hurt at the suffering he imagined the boy was enduring, and the hunger. He hesitated, torn between his loyalty to his uncle and his desire to help the creature. The angel turned his head back and stared at the man, wondering why he was just sitting there, watching him. They both stared at each other. Yunho met the angel’s dark beautiful eyes.
Making his decision, he walked to the cuffs tightened around the boy’s wrists. After trying a few keys on the key chain, he finally picked out the one that undid them, releasing the angel from his prison. He walked to the other one and undid it as well. “Come on.” Yunho smiled, stretching his hand towards the angel.
“What do you want from me?” The angel whimpered, his voice cracking from disuse. He shied away from the outstretched hand. Why was this strange man helping him?
“I’m just here to help you.” He leaned closer to the angel, putting his hand right under his nose. “Trust me.” The angel stared into the man’s eyes. Warm and bright, nothing like the old man’s. He reached his hand slowly toward Yunho’s, watching his eyes for any change. The second his fingers slid over the man’s hand, Yunho grabbed on to his and pulled him up. He smiled brightly at the angel. “There, that wasn’t so hard right?” The angel wobbled unsteadily on his feet, leaning heavily on Yunho to stay upright. His eyes were closing of their own accord. He was so tired and hungry. “You can sleep if you want. I’ll carry you.” Yunho said softly.
Unable to hold himself up anymore, the angel leaned on the man’s chest, and fell unconscious.
“Hey… Hey, it’s time to wake up.”
The angel pried his eyes open, staring at the blurry image of… something. He blinked a couple times, and his vision cleared. He was on a bed, a huge one. The mattress was so soft he almost sunk into it. A huge tray of food was placed in front of him. The smell wafted into his nose, and his mouth watered. He sat up slowly, not to flip the tray over. His eyes widened as he stared at the plates filled with all sorts of mouth-watering food.
“I knew you’d be hungry.” A voice said, and the angel jumped. The tray trembled dangerously, but nothing spilled over. The man that had freed him was sitting in a chair near the bed, watching him. The warm light in Yunho’s eyes was mischievous. He smiled brightly at his jumpy guest. “You can eat it. It’s not poisoned.” He laughed when the boy sniffed at the food suspiciously. The angel sighed. He wouldn’t die even if the food was poisoned. He watched the boy carefully, wondering why Yunho wasn’t reacting to the way he looked. He then noticed the dark colouring of the hair that fell just above his eyes, and was almost shocked to realize he was in his human form. “Try the pancakes, they’re really good.” He cut out a piece of the pancake and forked it. “Here, have some.” Yunho nodded encouragingly, holding the fork out towards the boy’s lips.
Why was this man feeding him? Didn’t he know what he was? The angel worried, unable to guess the man’s intentions. Maybe he doesn’t know I’m an angel. Maybe he doesn’t know about my song, he hoped silently. But he had been tricked before; it wasn’t going to happen again.
The angel blinked tiredly, pulling away from the man. The maple syrup on the pancake touched his lips, and dribbled down his chin, but he refused to eat it. “Aren’t you hungry?” Yunho’s warm eyes widened with worry. When the boy didn’t respond, he sighed, putting down the fork. “Not going to talk, huh. Will you eat if I leave the room?” The angel shook his head childishly.
Yunho pouted unhappily at the silent boy. He was going against his uncle’s wishes for this stubborn kid, the least he could do is talk to him. He rested his elbows on the bed, leaning his head into his hands. The dark haired boy watched him distrustfully as if he was some kind of wild animal that was about to attack. “Take just one bite. I’m not going to hurt you. Trust me.”
The angel looked at Yunho, then down at the fork with the bit of pancake on the end, then back up at him. The man watched him hopefully, his eyes shining. He doesn’t act like he knows. The angel sighed, having a hard time understanding why he felt he could believe this human. He grabbed the edge of the fork, and stared at the pancake before lifting slowly it to his lips. He took a tiny bite and chewed deliberately. The tiny pancake tasted like heaven. The syrup touched his tongue like an explosion of sweetness, melting tenderly in his mouth. Unable to hold back the moan that escaped his lips, he dug into the rest of the food. He kept the strawberries for last, anticipating their sweet and sour flavour as he went through plate after plate of delicious breakfast dishes.
Yunho smiled brilliantly at his guest. “Try the bread. It’s fresh out of the oven.” The boy looked up at him, then glanced at the bread basket, grabbed one and stuffed it right in his mouth along with everything else he was eating. Yunho laughed at the gorgeous boy digging in. He watched as the food on the huge tray started to disappear. Soon, the boy was licking his fingers clean. “So? Was it good?” The boy nodded reluctantly, and Yunho’s smile brightened. “Good!”
The angel gave him a tiny smile. His gaze wandered around the room. He took in the baby blue walls, and tasteful furniture. He gave Yunho an inquiring look. “What? Do you want to ask me something?” Yunho raised his eyebrows, smiling mischievously. “I know you can talk.” The angel pursed his lips unhappily. “Well, I guess you don’t want anything. I’m just going to leave.” Yunho shrugged, and made as if to get up.
“Wait. Don’t-” His voice was hoarse and dry. He didn’t want the man to leave. He didn’t want to stay alone in this unfamiliar room.
Yunho sat back down, smiling widely at the boy. “Yes?”
The angel smiled timidly in return. “Where am I?” He asked, still trying to take in all of the details of the room. There was a tiny statue in the corner, shaped like a ballet dancer. The angel stared at it, wondering if all human women could bring their knees that close to their faces.
“This is my house. I brought you over from my uncle’s place.” Yunho told the boy. “You like it?” He smiled excitedly.
“Why?” The angel’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes landed on the painting of a pear. Why anyone would paint a fruit when they could just eat it was beyond him.
“Hey!” Yunho chided, making the angel jump. “It’s my turn to ask questions! What’s your name?”
The angel bit into his lower lip, trying to think of a way to answer without revealing his nature. If this Yunho didn’t know what he was, there was no point in telling him. Besides, it was against the rules for humans to find out about angels. “I’m… well…” He looked around the room in embarrassment. “I don’t actually have a name.”
“What are you talking about? Of course you have a name!” Yunho laughed disbelievingly. The angel looked down at his knees, his fists curling in the bed sheets. “You really don’t have one?” Yunho’s eyes widened. “How come?”
“I… I got pulled out, before they could give me one.” He sighed, trying to explain himself to the man without telling him what he was.
“Pulled out of where?” Yunho asked, leaning forward in curiosity. The angel flinched and pulled back a bit. “Where are you from?”
“I… I answered your question! Isn’t it my turn now?” The angel pouted. This man was making him feel an unpleasant tingling
“You’re right.” Yunho nodded diplomatically. “But you didn’t answer my question!”
“I told you I don’t have a name!” He groaned. He’d never felt impatient before, but this was probably what it was like.
“What did they call you then? Back home?” The man continued his annoying questions.
“Well, the elders call all of us ‘young one’” The angel said the words in English.
“They call you Youngwoong?” Yunho repeated. “Like a hero? Did you save somebody?”
The angel shook his head vehemently. “No. ‘Young one’, because we’re not old. It’s not my name. I’m not a hero.” He bit his lip nervously.
“Don’t get upset. I’m sorry I asked.” He reached over and patted the angel’s hand reassuringly, and was almost surprised when the boy didn’t quickly pull away. “I was just curious. It’s going to be hard calling you if you don’t have a name.”
The nameless angel blinked at Yunho, wondering how it could be that humans of the same ilk could be so completely different. The old man had never asked him for a name. He had never mentioned his own. What did Yunho want from him? Why did he care what to call him? “I… I’m sorry.” The angel apologized, confused and disoriented.
Yunho laughed again. “Don’t apologize. We’ll just need to find you a name.” He held his chin pensively. “I could call you Youngwoong. It’s a nice name.”
“I… I don’t like it. I’m not a hero.” The angel shook his head.
“Okay.” Yunho nodded like he understood, patting the angel’s hand again. “I’ll think of another name.”
The angel nodded, and turned away from the man, looking around the room again. The window let in a stream of sunlight through the open curtains. He could see just a peek of the bright blue sky as the sun rose over the horizon. How long has it been since he’d been pulled out of home? He could never go back again. Not until he made a miracle, and he hadn’t finished his training for that. He sighed. He didn’t even have a name.
“Jaejoong.”
The angel’s head snapped in Yunho’s direction. He had a comically surprised look on his face that made Yunho want to laugh. He’d been shooting off names at the boy. He hadn’t reacted at all, and Yunho had started wondering if he was even paying attention. “What did you say?” The dark haired boy blinked at him.
“Jaejoong…” He repeated, and the boy’s lips twitched in a tiny smile. “Do you like it? Huh? Jaejoong?” He leaned closer to the boy, smiling brightly.
“It… it sounds… right.” The angel sighed softly. “Jaejoong…” He repeated it, over and over, testing it out. “Yeah… I like it.” He gave Yunho a shy smile.
“Alright! Then, I’ll call you Jaejoong from now on, ok? And you can call me Yunho.” The man smiled, stroking the younger boys hand again. “Now, get up. You’re going to need some new clothes.” He got off his chair and watched Jaejoong. “And a haircut.” Yunho reached over to touch the long black locks, but Jaejoong flinched away again. Ignoring the painful clenching, he smiled at the angel, and gestured to a wooden door. “You can use the shower in the bathroom. I’ll bring you some of my clothes.”
“Wait.” Jaejoong called after Yunho, as he started walking out of the room. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you helping me? Letting me sleep here… feeding me… giving me a name… and now you’re going to let me wear your clothes? Why?” He asked him. “And what’s a shower?”
Yunho bit his lip. “I don’t know. It’s just… I don’t know what my uncle did to you, but you looked really banged up. And I know how it feels to be suddenly pulled out of your home… so…” He scratched his head, unsure of how to continue. “Even though I’m not sure who you are… or what you are… you can stay here as long as you like, okay?”
“That doesn’t explain anything.” Jaejoong pouted.
“I guess not.” Yunho laughed. “Come on. I’ll show you how to use a shower.” He walked into the bathroom, fully expecting Jaejoong to follow him in.
The angel stared after the man, his brain muddled and confused. He hadn’t really explained why he was helping him at all. What did he mean by ‘I’m not sure what you are’? He sighed, and slid off the big bed, careful not to rattle the empty plates on the tray. His legs still wobbled slightly when he stood, but he could already feel his body gaining back its energy. Smiling slightly, he walked into to the white walled room after Yunho.
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**Hee... This is so completely out of the ordinary for me, but I wanted to try a serious fic. So if you guys have read my previous fics... this has absolutely nothing to do with my regular humor. I hope you like it anyway :)**
The old man sighed, crossing one leg over the other. His whip dangled loosely at his side, old and abused. His head rested on his shoulder as he watched the shining creature shackled to the golden cage. “You are a very stubborn one. It’s been two months, pretty angel. This would all end if you gave me your song.”
The angel said nothing. He was on his knees, his hands manacled on either side of the giant bird cage. His head drooped down between his shoulders, his face hidden from the man. His shoulder blades stretched his thin skin. He hadn’t been fed since he’d been jerked out of the sky, but his body refused to die. Each heaving breath blazed at his lungs. With great effort, he managed to raise his head to glare at the vile man. His golden eyes flared angrily.
“Don’t look at me like that.” The old man smirked, uncrossing his legs, and leaning into his knees. “The sooner you give me your song, the sooner you’ll die. Won’t that be a nice change?”
If he had any water left in him, the angel would have spat at the vile man. Instead, he pulled himself onto his feet, and stretched his wide wings apart. White feathers floated down, losing their golden glow, when the edge of his wings brushed against the top of his cage, almost reaching the high ceiling. His chest and stomach were exposed, showing swiftly healing cuts and bruises. A new cut on his shoulder leaked a golden liquid. It slithered down, clinging to his body, very much like blood.
“It’s no use. You might as well just take your human form. It’ll be less cramped in that cage of yours.” The man frowned.
The angel refused to show the man his human form. If he managed to escape, he didn’t want to be found. He let out a frustrated sigh. His beautiful wings fell behind him, and he let his head droop down, his golden hair spilling over his shoulders and almost touching the floor. He wouldn’t give his song to this man… this demon. In Heaven, he’d dreamt of the day they’d send him to earth to make a miracle. It all seemed like some cruel joke that this malicious man had summoned him out of Paradise to steal his song. He wouldn’t give it to him, not if the old man set him on fire. His song was for the person he would love.
“Stubborn, stupid boy.” The old man growled, shaking his head as if in sadness. “Don’t you see it would be better or both of us if you just gave up?” He stood up, the keys jangling at his hips as he approached the gilded cage. The whip cracked through the space between the bars, tearing a long gash into the angels arm. He bit his lip, refusing to cry out even as his teeth sunk into the thin skin of his lip and his mouth filled with his golden blood. “Do you think I enjoy doing this?” The whip snapped again, this time tearing at the skin on his waist. The angel pulled his teeth out of his lip, and pressed his mouth closed. “Do you think this is fun for me? I have to do this! I can’t die!” The leather struck him at the ribs. The angel clung to his manacles, the metal digging into his blistered fingers. “Useless creature.” The belt slashed at his skin, deeply and repeatedly. The angel’s eyes shut tightly, his teeth pressed into his lower lip. The searing pain assaulted his body over and over and over again. Tight, thin tears rolled slowly down his cheeks, leaving a golden trail in their wake. He fought back the unconsciousness that threatened to overcome him. He would not lower himself to this man. Why? The angel prayed, throwing his head back, and prying his eyes open to stare at the ceiling. Why is this happening to me? How could this happen to anyone?
As if in answer to his prayer, the old man went into a coughing fit. His whip stopped violating the angel. The agonizingly painful lacerations healed slowly, as if being gradually seamed back together. The recovery was almost as painful as the blows. The angel relaxed his teeth from his lip, and the cuts were mended as well. Throughout the whole agonizing torture-session, only a slight gasp slid past his lips, and the angel was quiet again.
“I’m getting too old for this.” The man growled unhappily. He unlocked the door to the cage and swung it open, stomping inside. He grabbed the angels chin, jerking the beautiful creature’s head up, and glaring into the swirling golds of his eyes. “You will give me your song! No matter what it takes, I will have it!”
The angel was exhausted. He wanted nothing more than to lie peacefully, and not have to suffer anymore. He kept his eyes open, refusing to fall to the vile man, but it hurt. It hurt him everywhere, and he just wanted to sleep.
The old man sighed like it was all a heavy burden on his shoulders. He walked out of the cage, and shut it behind him, throwing the keys on the desk at the far end of the room. “That will be all for today. Change your mind.” He groaned as he left the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him like he usually did.
The angel stared after him for a short while. Then, unable to keep his head up for another second, he shut his eyes and let his head fall. His wide white wings folded into themselves and fit into the skin of his back. Dark colouring seeped through the roots of his hair, covering it in a black shade that was almost as beautiful as his golden hair. His eyebrows and eyelashes soon followed. Crumpled on the ground, with his arms shackled to the cage, the angel slept. He looked almost human…
The old man walked down the flight of stairs. His maids followed him handing him his coat, cane and hat as he readied himself for a long trip. He stole a glance at his study, where he knew that testy bitch was probably asleep. Stupid angel. He hadn’t planned on so much resistance from the golden creature. And now this stupid business trip had come up. What if the angel wasted his song on some maid just to spite him?
“Your nephew is here to see you off, Sir.” The valet bowed to the old man.
He smiled briefly, thinking of his ‘nephew’. He was quite fond of the boy, always polite and respectful. Smart, too. If he hadn’t planned on living forever, he would have bestowed his riches onto him. He stepped out of the house and was greeted by a tall handsome man. His striking auburn angular eyes scrunched up in the corners as he smiled brightly at his uncle. “Ahjussi, good morning!” He bowed respectfully.
“Yunho, stop calling me ahjussi! You make me feel like an old man.” His voice came out sharper than he’d intended. His nephew blinked, surprised by his uncle’s tone. The old man ruffled the boy’s hair. “Forget it, kid. Take care of the mansion while I’m gone, okay? No house parties.”
“I’m 21, for crying out loud! And I’ve already invited all my friends!” Yunho groaned in disappointment. His uncle shot him a warning glare. “I’m kidding.”
The old man looked proudly at his orphaned nephew, resting a hand on his shoulder. “I know. You’re a good kid, Yunho.” He smiled at the boy. The idea slithered into his head, like a black snake. Yunho was a good kid. And he respected his uncle’s wishes. “Yunho, I have a favour to ask of you while I’m gone.”
“Yeah?”
He pulled his nephew closer, a tainted smile printed on his lips…
Yunho looked down the hallway at the door that led to his uncle’s study. He’d never been allowed to enter it, even as a kid. It felt weird to have the right to do it now. He walked slowly towards the room, looking around himself like he was afraid to get caught. One of the maids passed by, making him jump half-way out his skin. The lady glanced lazily at him, nodded and walked by, without another word. Yunho sighed, smacking himself discreetly on the forehead for being such an idiot. He reached out to twist the doorknob, but the door opened on its own, beckoning him in. He stepped in quietly, making sure to close the door behind him as he entered. The first thing his eyes fell on was the huge golden bird cage. It looked very old. Some of the bars were losing their golden paint. It peeled off in patches, revealing a thick gray metal. Yunho kept his eyes at the top of the cage, where the bars joined in an intricate design, fearing what he might see if he looked at the imprisoned creature. With resolve, he let his eyes slide down to thing locked in the enclosure. It looked like a person. First, he mistook him for a woman. The long flowing black hair was sort of confusing. The boy couldn’t have been much younger than him. He was all skin and bones. He was breathing slowly and evenly, his ribs visibly expanding and contracting with every inhalation. Yunho was surprised the kid was even alive.
His hands grabbed at the bars and shook them, determined to keep his promise to his uncle. “Hey! Get up!” He said loudly, keeping his tone ice cold and dry. The boy whimpered quietly, but seemed otherwise unmoved. Yunho stared at the dark haired boy a bit longer. He spun around looking for the keys to the cage. He found them on the desk, unlocked and pulled the door open. “Hey, kid.” Yunho called out to the boy. “Get up.”
The boy remained immobile. The skin of his arms sculpted against his thin arm muscles. It was obvious the guy hadn’t eaten in a while. Poor thing, Yunho caught himself thinking. He shook his head to clear it from thought, and kneeled in front of him, his hand pulled up the boys chin gently. He sucked in a breath at the sight. Even though his cheeks sunk in and his eyes were closed and tired, the boy was gorgeous. His eyes were a long curved line of thick eyelashes. A small pointed nose led down to full rounded lips and a pointy chin. Yunho stared at the sleeping face. He could just kiss those…
He pulled away quickly, blinking in shock. He stumbled backwards, trying to get as far away from the beautiful creature as possible in the cage. Had he really just thought that? Yunho’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He stared at the stirring form, wondering what had come over him. Deciding to ignore it, he crouched down to look at the boy’s face. “Hey! I told you to wake up!” He barked sharply.
The boy’s eyes dragged themselves apart, and it seemed to take him a lot of effort. He was only able to open them halfway. Yunho blinked at the golden irises. The boy’s eyelids fluttered, and his eyes became a dark colour Yunho couldn’t describe. He snuck closer to the gorgeous boy. His footsteps crunched against the floor, and the boys head snapped up, giving Yunho a full frontal view of his beautiful face.
“Hey…” Yunho smiled slowly, forgetting his mission. The boy started trying to crawl back in his cage. “No, no. Wait. I’m not going to hurt you.” The boy glared at him disbelievingly. Yunho crawled closer to him, half wondering why he was doing it. “I’m not! I swear!” The boy backed away again. Something tugged at Yunho’s heart strings when the boy moved away from him, but he ignored it, stepping closer. “My name’s Yunho. Jung Yunho. What’s your name?” Yunho reached out to touch his face, but the boy jerked his head away from him. Yunho walked forward again, wanting to feel the soft skin of the boy’s face under his fingers. He stepped back a little, shocked again by his reactions.
“Are you hurt? Hungry? Thirsty?” The words spilled out of Yunho’s mouth before he could hold them back. “Do you need something?” He slid nearer to the trembling boy. “I just want to help.” He added honestly. He wanted to win the boy’s trust. What did it matter to him if the creature trusted him or not?
The younger boy shook his head slowly, trying to pull himself onto his legs. Yunho held him under the arms and hauled him up. The boy tried to shake away his touch, but Yunho refused to loosen his hold. He stared into the boys eyes. They were a strange mix of brown and dark gray, the colour of soot. They were exquisite. He couldn’t help his staring, unable to believe anything so beautiful could be meant for destruction.
The angel stared at the man standing before him. What did he want from him? Why was he holding him up? He couldn’t pull away, at least not in his current state. “Relax. You can trust me.” He smiled. The angel glared at him suspiciously. Yunho’s bright warm eyes bore into his. Embarrassed by the man’s relentless gaze, the angel turned his head away. Yunho sighed and put him down.
He backed away from the boy, crouching back down at the entrance of the cage. The angel turned his head away, forcibly ignoring the man. Yunho’s eyes raked over the creature. He was so skinny. Yunho’s heart hurt at the suffering he imagined the boy was enduring, and the hunger. He hesitated, torn between his loyalty to his uncle and his desire to help the creature. The angel turned his head back and stared at the man, wondering why he was just sitting there, watching him. They both stared at each other. Yunho met the angel’s dark beautiful eyes.
Making his decision, he walked to the cuffs tightened around the boy’s wrists. After trying a few keys on the key chain, he finally picked out the one that undid them, releasing the angel from his prison. He walked to the other one and undid it as well. “Come on.” Yunho smiled, stretching his hand towards the angel.
“What do you want from me?” The angel whimpered, his voice cracking from disuse. He shied away from the outstretched hand. Why was this strange man helping him?
“I’m just here to help you.” He leaned closer to the angel, putting his hand right under his nose. “Trust me.” The angel stared into the man’s eyes. Warm and bright, nothing like the old man’s. He reached his hand slowly toward Yunho’s, watching his eyes for any change. The second his fingers slid over the man’s hand, Yunho grabbed on to his and pulled him up. He smiled brightly at the angel. “There, that wasn’t so hard right?” The angel wobbled unsteadily on his feet, leaning heavily on Yunho to stay upright. His eyes were closing of their own accord. He was so tired and hungry. “You can sleep if you want. I’ll carry you.” Yunho said softly.
Unable to hold himself up anymore, the angel leaned on the man’s chest, and fell unconscious.
“Hey… Hey, it’s time to wake up.”
The angel pried his eyes open, staring at the blurry image of… something. He blinked a couple times, and his vision cleared. He was on a bed, a huge one. The mattress was so soft he almost sunk into it. A huge tray of food was placed in front of him. The smell wafted into his nose, and his mouth watered. He sat up slowly, not to flip the tray over. His eyes widened as he stared at the plates filled with all sorts of mouth-watering food.
“I knew you’d be hungry.” A voice said, and the angel jumped. The tray trembled dangerously, but nothing spilled over. The man that had freed him was sitting in a chair near the bed, watching him. The warm light in Yunho’s eyes was mischievous. He smiled brightly at his jumpy guest. “You can eat it. It’s not poisoned.” He laughed when the boy sniffed at the food suspiciously. The angel sighed. He wouldn’t die even if the food was poisoned. He watched the boy carefully, wondering why Yunho wasn’t reacting to the way he looked. He then noticed the dark colouring of the hair that fell just above his eyes, and was almost shocked to realize he was in his human form. “Try the pancakes, they’re really good.” He cut out a piece of the pancake and forked it. “Here, have some.” Yunho nodded encouragingly, holding the fork out towards the boy’s lips.
Why was this man feeding him? Didn’t he know what he was? The angel worried, unable to guess the man’s intentions. Maybe he doesn’t know I’m an angel. Maybe he doesn’t know about my song, he hoped silently. But he had been tricked before; it wasn’t going to happen again.
The angel blinked tiredly, pulling away from the man. The maple syrup on the pancake touched his lips, and dribbled down his chin, but he refused to eat it. “Aren’t you hungry?” Yunho’s warm eyes widened with worry. When the boy didn’t respond, he sighed, putting down the fork. “Not going to talk, huh. Will you eat if I leave the room?” The angel shook his head childishly.
Yunho pouted unhappily at the silent boy. He was going against his uncle’s wishes for this stubborn kid, the least he could do is talk to him. He rested his elbows on the bed, leaning his head into his hands. The dark haired boy watched him distrustfully as if he was some kind of wild animal that was about to attack. “Take just one bite. I’m not going to hurt you. Trust me.”
The angel looked at Yunho, then down at the fork with the bit of pancake on the end, then back up at him. The man watched him hopefully, his eyes shining. He doesn’t act like he knows. The angel sighed, having a hard time understanding why he felt he could believe this human. He grabbed the edge of the fork, and stared at the pancake before lifting slowly it to his lips. He took a tiny bite and chewed deliberately. The tiny pancake tasted like heaven. The syrup touched his tongue like an explosion of sweetness, melting tenderly in his mouth. Unable to hold back the moan that escaped his lips, he dug into the rest of the food. He kept the strawberries for last, anticipating their sweet and sour flavour as he went through plate after plate of delicious breakfast dishes.
Yunho smiled brilliantly at his guest. “Try the bread. It’s fresh out of the oven.” The boy looked up at him, then glanced at the bread basket, grabbed one and stuffed it right in his mouth along with everything else he was eating. Yunho laughed at the gorgeous boy digging in. He watched as the food on the huge tray started to disappear. Soon, the boy was licking his fingers clean. “So? Was it good?” The boy nodded reluctantly, and Yunho’s smile brightened. “Good!”
The angel gave him a tiny smile. His gaze wandered around the room. He took in the baby blue walls, and tasteful furniture. He gave Yunho an inquiring look. “What? Do you want to ask me something?” Yunho raised his eyebrows, smiling mischievously. “I know you can talk.” The angel pursed his lips unhappily. “Well, I guess you don’t want anything. I’m just going to leave.” Yunho shrugged, and made as if to get up.
“Wait. Don’t-” His voice was hoarse and dry. He didn’t want the man to leave. He didn’t want to stay alone in this unfamiliar room.
Yunho sat back down, smiling widely at the boy. “Yes?”
The angel smiled timidly in return. “Where am I?” He asked, still trying to take in all of the details of the room. There was a tiny statue in the corner, shaped like a ballet dancer. The angel stared at it, wondering if all human women could bring their knees that close to their faces.
“This is my house. I brought you over from my uncle’s place.” Yunho told the boy. “You like it?” He smiled excitedly.
“Why?” The angel’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. His eyes landed on the painting of a pear. Why anyone would paint a fruit when they could just eat it was beyond him.
“Hey!” Yunho chided, making the angel jump. “It’s my turn to ask questions! What’s your name?”
The angel bit into his lower lip, trying to think of a way to answer without revealing his nature. If this Yunho didn’t know what he was, there was no point in telling him. Besides, it was against the rules for humans to find out about angels. “I’m… well…” He looked around the room in embarrassment. “I don’t actually have a name.”
“What are you talking about? Of course you have a name!” Yunho laughed disbelievingly. The angel looked down at his knees, his fists curling in the bed sheets. “You really don’t have one?” Yunho’s eyes widened. “How come?”
“I… I got pulled out, before they could give me one.” He sighed, trying to explain himself to the man without telling him what he was.
“Pulled out of where?” Yunho asked, leaning forward in curiosity. The angel flinched and pulled back a bit. “Where are you from?”
“I… I answered your question! Isn’t it my turn now?” The angel pouted. This man was making him feel an unpleasant tingling
“You’re right.” Yunho nodded diplomatically. “But you didn’t answer my question!”
“I told you I don’t have a name!” He groaned. He’d never felt impatient before, but this was probably what it was like.
“What did they call you then? Back home?” The man continued his annoying questions.
“Well, the elders call all of us ‘young one’” The angel said the words in English.
“They call you Youngwoong?” Yunho repeated. “Like a hero? Did you save somebody?”
The angel shook his head vehemently. “No. ‘Young one’, because we’re not old. It’s not my name. I’m not a hero.” He bit his lip nervously.
“Don’t get upset. I’m sorry I asked.” He reached over and patted the angel’s hand reassuringly, and was almost surprised when the boy didn’t quickly pull away. “I was just curious. It’s going to be hard calling you if you don’t have a name.”
The nameless angel blinked at Yunho, wondering how it could be that humans of the same ilk could be so completely different. The old man had never asked him for a name. He had never mentioned his own. What did Yunho want from him? Why did he care what to call him? “I… I’m sorry.” The angel apologized, confused and disoriented.
Yunho laughed again. “Don’t apologize. We’ll just need to find you a name.” He held his chin pensively. “I could call you Youngwoong. It’s a nice name.”
“I… I don’t like it. I’m not a hero.” The angel shook his head.
“Okay.” Yunho nodded like he understood, patting the angel’s hand again. “I’ll think of another name.”
The angel nodded, and turned away from the man, looking around the room again. The window let in a stream of sunlight through the open curtains. He could see just a peek of the bright blue sky as the sun rose over the horizon. How long has it been since he’d been pulled out of home? He could never go back again. Not until he made a miracle, and he hadn’t finished his training for that. He sighed. He didn’t even have a name.
“Jaejoong.”
The angel’s head snapped in Yunho’s direction. He had a comically surprised look on his face that made Yunho want to laugh. He’d been shooting off names at the boy. He hadn’t reacted at all, and Yunho had started wondering if he was even paying attention. “What did you say?” The dark haired boy blinked at him.
“Jaejoong…” He repeated, and the boy’s lips twitched in a tiny smile. “Do you like it? Huh? Jaejoong?” He leaned closer to the boy, smiling brightly.
“It… it sounds… right.” The angel sighed softly. “Jaejoong…” He repeated it, over and over, testing it out. “Yeah… I like it.” He gave Yunho a shy smile.
“Alright! Then, I’ll call you Jaejoong from now on, ok? And you can call me Yunho.” The man smiled, stroking the younger boys hand again. “Now, get up. You’re going to need some new clothes.” He got off his chair and watched Jaejoong. “And a haircut.” Yunho reached over to touch the long black locks, but Jaejoong flinched away again. Ignoring the painful clenching, he smiled at the angel, and gestured to a wooden door. “You can use the shower in the bathroom. I’ll bring you some of my clothes.”
“Wait.” Jaejoong called after Yunho, as he started walking out of the room. “Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why are you helping me? Letting me sleep here… feeding me… giving me a name… and now you’re going to let me wear your clothes? Why?” He asked him. “And what’s a shower?”
Yunho bit his lip. “I don’t know. It’s just… I don’t know what my uncle did to you, but you looked really banged up. And I know how it feels to be suddenly pulled out of your home… so…” He scratched his head, unsure of how to continue. “Even though I’m not sure who you are… or what you are… you can stay here as long as you like, okay?”
“That doesn’t explain anything.” Jaejoong pouted.
“I guess not.” Yunho laughed. “Come on. I’ll show you how to use a shower.” He walked into the bathroom, fully expecting Jaejoong to follow him in.
The angel stared after the man, his brain muddled and confused. He hadn’t really explained why he was helping him at all. What did he mean by ‘I’m not sure what you are’? He sighed, and slid off the big bed, careful not to rattle the empty plates on the tray. His legs still wobbled slightly when he stood, but he could already feel his body gaining back its energy. Smiling slightly, he walked into to the white walled room after Yunho.
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**Hee... This is so completely out of the ordinary for me, but I wanted to try a serious fic. So if you guys have read my previous fics... this has absolutely nothing to do with my regular humor. I hope you like it anyway :)**