She watched intently as the man opened his mouth to let out a long yawn, his eyelids gradually closing as he shifts on his seat. He raises his arms for a stretch; extending straight up first then falling down following a pattern of an arch until his arm finds perch on the headrest behind her blushing charge. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the young girl was a little awkward around the guy, at lost as what she would do now.

Seohyun shook her head. The girl was the perfect poster child for naïve. Coming from a conservative family she was poor at picking up subtle cues and hidden agendas. She had completely missed the smug look on the guy and his not so subtle glances down her chest. Fortunately, there wasn’t much to see as the girl liked to wear modest shirts that covered everything up, but still.

If Seohyun could only touch the human she would have jumped at him and slapped some manners into his thick skull. The longer she was around the living the more she was convinced that chivalry was dead. What happened to those mafia men feared by many yet acted accordingly around innocent civilians?

She rolled her neck, loosening the tight tension around her shoulders before taking a sweep around the place. She resisted the temptation to roll her eyes at the choice of location for their “date” – A fast food place? Really?

An employee making his way towards them caught her attention. The boy had a tray full of rubbish and a few cups of varying drinks he’s gathered from vacated tables. Her eyes fell back on the couch seat her charge has unwillingly cornered herself in between the wall and her not so chivalrous date. The corners of her lips lift up in mischief as her sights shoot back at the approaching employee.

Perfect.

“What the hell!” The date yelled as he pushed off the chair. A mixture of soda was dripping all over his hair, staining his white shirt a vibrant colour of orange, pink and dull brown. The employee was muttering apologies, grabbing wads of tissues from a table over and trying to placate the fuming customer. The date growled threats under his breath, moving out of the booth to shake the drinks off his hair, stepping over the growing puddle beside their table. He takes a glance at the concerned look from the girl to the employee -collateral damage- trying to rectify the situation she got him into.

Seohyun stared down the dripping man, calculating the quickest karma if he does something incredibly, incredibly stupid.

“Whatever.” He finally scoffs, turning to leave without another glance back.

. Seohyun glared at his retreating back until the door closed behind him. She was itching to divert karma his way, but she was fair. She’d let him go, this time.

It came as no surprise when the girl was out of the booth and crouched down to help the employee in gathering the things he dropped. The young man was still laying down napkins in hopes to avoid another slip, shyly thanking her charge for the help. Her charge smile back and even giggles a little at the cute boy stuttering through his thanks.

Seohyun nodded her head. She approved of the young man, a way better choice than that .

The smile left her lips the moment she felt the familiar invisible tugging. She managed to mutter an “Oh, no.” before her surroundings twisted and whirled like she was shot out of a rollercoaster in the middle of winter.

A rainbow of colours flashed past her eyes as her surroundings began to morph into something like a tunnel, taking her to the place one of her charges needed her to be. It was her duty to protect after all, as a guardian angel. It was pretty the first time- and woozy with all those colours flashing past and the rush going to her head. She couldn’t really complain. It was the quickest way to get where she needed to be. So she breathed out a long exhale, closing her eyes in the process.

When everything around her began to settle she opened her eyes. What greets her is a sight that should have shocked anyone.

The gangly girl was literally hanging by a line, wounded around the second-floor balcony. The line, of what Seohyun knew to be Christmas lights, was digging into her jean-clad leg to keep her from continuing her plummet and smashing her delicate head on the ground. Her head hovered a couple of feet off the first-floor landing, the tips of her fingers just barely brushing the floor as she swayed helplessly upside down. The girl doesn’t seem to mind her predicament much and her face broke out into a toothy grin seeing Seohyun in the same space as her.

“Oh, hey there, y.” She chirped in greeting at the intruder as if the situation was a normal everyday thing.

Seohyun sighed loudly as she crouched to one side delicately to get eye-level with her, keeping in mind that she was wearing a dress and that this particular charge was special in that she can see and touch her. “Yoona, what in the name of all things holy are you doing?”

“Oh, you know.. Just hanging around.” Her grin widened, eyes practically glittering as she met Seohyun’s dull ones. “Get it? Cause I’m hanging by-”

“I’m getting you down.” Seohyun interrupted, not wanting to hear the rest of Yoona’s joke. Once she gets started it was hard to stop the girl with all the puns. The last time she sat through half an hour as Yoona dished out pun after pun. It felt like her brain was turning to mush the longer she listened.

Standing up, she swept Yoona up with one hand, pulling her towards her chest and cradled the girl like a child as she worked her way around the line wrapped around her ankle. With the bind loosened enough gravity took over the rest leaving Seohyun with a whimpering Yoona as the jarring movement had her injured foot shot a burning sensation through her nerves. She gritted her teeth, instinctively wrapping her arms around the angel for balance as the pain flooded her sense.

Seohyun stood her ground, the unusual feeling of guilt gnawing at her chest, as she waited for the young girl to stand on her own. The rib-crushing hug she was subjected to doesn’t faze her -the perks of being an immortal, heavenly being- and she gently runs a calming hand down Yoona’s back.

When the hug lasts a little longer than necessary and thinking that the pain the girl was feeling had subsided and Yoona was just enjoying cuddling up to Seohyun, the angel ran her hand up to the top of Yoona’s head. Her cool fingers danced across the warm skin of Yoona’s forehead and, keeping note of her strength, she pushed the human back. The arms around her pulled back as the younger girl staggered backward, eyes wide at how easily the angel had broken her firm grip.

“Whoa.. I can never get over how strong you actually are. Are you sure you’ve never worked out?”

Seohyun rolls her eyes at the bright glint returning in Yoona’s eyes.

“You know, I happen to know a fun activity for two that can burn 500 calories per hour.” Her grin widens to a point that it reminds Seohyun of a sleazy man trying to woo an uninterested woman. “Wanna exercise?” She ends with a suggestive wink which has the angel rolling her eyes.

“Seriously, Yoona...” Seohyun sighs already feeling her head start to throb. Yoona isn’t affected by her lack of enthusiasm and had already readied her next line.

“You know, there’s a side view, rear view, and what else? Iloview.” She makes hearts out of her fingers and bats her eyes, Seohyun pretends she doesn’t notice.

Unperturbed by the lack of reaction, as usual, Yoon continues. “Kiss me if I’m wrong but dinosaurs still exist right?”

“Oh, hey, did it hurt? .. When you fell from heaven.” Yoona had already used that one more than Seohyun can count. Seems to be her favourite. It was also the one Seohyun found the most grating.

“Do you believe in love at first sight, or should I walk by again?”

“Sure, just don’t stop this time.” Seohyun irritably replies as she directs Yoona to sit on the couch. When her charge melts into the couch Seohyun takes to kneel and gently lifts the injured foot up to rest across the empty space. Her hand glided across the angry red welt, worry settling in her mind when Yoona hisses and fists her hands. She was barely touching the skin. She shook it away immediately. These feelings were just distractions for her work.

“How badly does it hurt?”

“Not as much as my heart pains to see a beautiful angel like you with no one to treat you like you put the stars in their night sky.”

“Yoona.. I’m serious.” Seohyun lightly berates the young girl, again ignoring the way her heart twisted at the words. She mustn’t be distracted too much, not when Yoona was hurting. “What were you thinking to end up in that dangerous situation? You could’ve been killed.”

“Well, I knew you’d save me.” Yoona declared smugly. Not everyone can say with a hundred percent conviction that their guardian angel can swoop in any time to save them.

“What if I don’t get here in time? Yoona, I can’t see you all the time. I have other charges to look after too and there’s only one of me.” Seohyun holds her hand out, a soft white glow emitting from her hands over the injury, warming the area as the cells regenerate at an inhumane speed. When she lifts off her palms the red welt had gone leaving light, supple, healthy skin.

It was forbidden to have direct interaction with any of her charges. As a guardian angel, she had the oath to protect but not interfere, to keep dangers at bay to the best of her ability. She was not supposed to mess with her charge’s life because they can’t always expect her to be there for them. Life wasn’t always easy and she was only there to slightly influence them on the right path.

But Yoona was different. Seohyun knew that the moment she saw the young girl look directly at her and asked to be her playmate. She hadn’t known of any child younger than a toddler to actually see her, much more touch her. Yet, here was one bubbly girl she watched grow up to a fine young lady, still able to interact with her like she was just a run of the mill human. It was bizarre, but Seohyun found that, over time, she didn’t mind breaking the rules for this special one.

“I’m sorry.” Yoona hung her head. Seohyun can hear the sincerity of her apology and for a moment, for a very brief second, she felt the want to pull the girl into her arms. She her lips, straightening up as she pretended to look over the injury.

“So, what were you doing? Isn’t it a bit too early to be putting up Christmas lights?”

“Oh, I’m putting them up for a Halloween party! The folks won’t be home until two days later so what better time to host a party?”

“Yoona..” her tone was already low, ready to berate the girl.

Yoona holds up her hands in defence, cutting off Seohyun before she could start. “Chill, I asked for permission. They gave me the go ahead, just as long as we don’t touch appa’s mini alcohol collection. I’ve got the study room locked up, just in case. I got this.”

“You nearly killed yourself not more than 5 minutes ago.”

“Ah, but I didn’t. I’ll be more careful, I promise. But now that you’re here, mind giving me a hand? Party’s not until a few hours later, but this place looks too…”

“Normal.” Seohyun helpfully supplied.

“eh.. immaculate. Great respect for mom with how she kept it this way with me and appa around.” Yoona looks around the well-kept living room, feeling a newfound respect for her dear mother. Her mother wasn’t exactly award-winning when it came to rearing a child, but she somehow made things a lot interesting with her empty-threats and sarcasm that never failed to make father and daughter do her bidding.

“Your mother’s an.. interesting character.”

Yoona gave a half-assed shrug. “She lacks in a lot of things, but boy does she have a way with her words and attitude.”

“Yes.” Seohyun nodded in agreement. An interesting family Yoona had. Sometimes Seohyun catches herself wondering how she grew up sane with one parent on an on-going cold war with their own family while the other seemed to follow the hakuna matata way of living. She had watched both struggle to figure out how to raise a child they had initially did not want to finally getting their lives semi-sorted through the years. It seemed like nothing short of a miracle. Something Seohyun would admit she had no hand in. Yoona was her only priority in this family; she couldn’t really meddle with her parent’s lives even if Yoona asked her to. Or, at least that’s what she regularly tells herself. Hear it a hundred times and it’s as if that was the truth.

“Where are they anyway? Your parents.”

“I’m not really sure.” Yoona admits quickly. She begins checking the damage to the Christmas lights she had been trying to tie around the second-floor banister, raising the line to eye level and scrutinising every single bulb. “Maybe they went to see appa’s parents. Or maybe mom wants to speak to her parents. They had their passports with them.”

“And they just left you here?” Seohyun asked, feeling the irritation begin to flare at the irresponsible duo. Yoona was just barely at the legal age. This wasn’t even the only time as, in the past, they’ve left their young daughter multiple times to visit friends and families. They didn’t even have the thought to hire a babysitter and left the youngster with a packet of biscuits and a glass of milk. Fortunately, Seohyun had always been at Yoona’s beck and call and nothing bad ever happened to the girl.

“I asked to stay here.” Yoona interrupted her thought process. She looks to the young girl, quirking a brow. “Mom wanted to take me along, even packed up my stuff before I came home. I told them I could stay back and look after the house. I’m old enough.” She looks up from her fiddling, smiling brightly that Seohyun couldn’t keep up the frown on her face.

Seohyun huffs as she takes a seat on the vacant space. Yoona jumps off the couch a few seconds later, rushing back up to the second floor to continue where she’s left off. “It’s still pretty irresponsible of them.”

“Yeah, that perfectly describes them.” Yoona readily agrees. “Do you think letting it hang like this makes it less.. Chirstmasy?”

Seohyun tilted her head to look at the drooping line of lights and Yoona’s doubtful expression. “They’re Christmas lights, Yoona. No matter what you do to them they’re gonna look.. er.. Christmasy.”

“Damn… but what if I put cotton balls over them?”

“And increase the risk of burning the whole house?” She retorts with a long sigh.

“Well… how about..” Yoona pauses and stares blankly at the line wound around her hands. Seohyun idly thinks she sees the semblance between her mother and her in that act. “I guess there really isn’t much I can do with Christmas lights..”

“Your place looks fine, Yoona.” She shuts her eyes, relishing the rare downtime she had. Being with Yoona seemed to be the only time she can really breathe easily. The girl knew exactly what she wanted and would find a way to get it without getting into trouble. That is, after she gets herself into some trouble to get Seohyun by her side. Yoona thinks she doesn’t notice, but Seohyun did. She couldn’t be angry at how cute it was that Yoona thought having her by her side made her feel safer. If only she’d be a little less drastic in her methods of calling her. A cut finger would have sufficed.

“It’s going to be a party, right? Just put on some music and layout food and refreshments” She internally cringes at the memories of scattered bags of chips and questionable bowls of punch. Maybe she could turn this one around, take a more.. mature route for Yoona’s party. It’ll still be fun, minus all the unhealthy junk everyone just loves to love. Avocado seems to be a trend recently, little expensive but a lot more classy. “and let everyone else hype the place up. No need for decorations, you’re going to have to take it down after the party anyway.”

When Seohyun opens her eyes she’s rewarded with Yoona gaping down at her in wonder. “How do you know that?”

Seohyun grinned wearily. The number of parties she’s been with her charges had been one of the highlights of her work. The worst and also the funniest she had been in was a frat party. There were just so many drinks involved in a tiny space packed with hundreds of semi-intoxicated college students with questionable decisions. She was pretty sure some of them were high off , arriving at the party with a trolley of chips, a few canned goods and a crackpot half full of mixtures Seohyun doesn’t care to know. “I’ve seen my fair share of parties.”

“Oh, master, care to give me some pointers?” Yoona crackles at her own joke, something that flies over Seohyun’s head.

The angel doesn’t even take a second to answer. “Try not to get arrested.” And Yoona’s laugh intensifies. Seohyun keeps a straight face, watching as Yoona leans on the banister for support, one arm clutching her stomach from too much laughing. “I’m serious. Pre-adult parties tend to get wild and have the police knocking on the door.”

“I can believe that, but I can’t believe you’re saying pre-adult with a straight face.” Yoona continues to snicker, untangling the line running along the stairs.

“Unruly adolescents then… though that does seem to be redundant.”

“As a member of the adolescent crowd, I would like to point out that not everyone is the same, we aren’t all unruly. Also, as a guardian angel, that’s such a pious thing to say.”

A proud smile lifts the corners of Seohyun’s lips and she’s more than welcome to the body that crashes into her moments later, fondly carding her fingers through the soft locks of Yoona’s hair. “Just generalising, sweetie. I know you’re a good kid.”

“I’m not a kid anymore. You just lumped me in with the ‘unruly adolescents’ and now you’re taking it back.”

“I’m hundreds of years old. To me, you’ll always be that rambunctious little kid who liked climbing cabinets and trees.”

“I resent that.” Yoona huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. Her anger soon fades when Seohyun gently adds pressure to her scalp, throwing a little cooling spell to ease her into an even better mood. Yoona had always been receptive to that treatment, calmed her down when she was younger and in a bit of a temper tantrum when she didn’t get her way, which really wasn’t a usual occurrence.

“That’s cheating.” Yoona groans, though she doesn’t do anything to stop Seohyun’s ministrations.

“Well, I recall someone saying they liked this and wished to fall asleep to this feeling.” Seohyun cheekily fires back, which get Yoona to whine in embarrassment with a light, rosy flush on her cheeks. She doesn’t try to break away and merely pouts her bottom lip and closing her eyes.

“Still not fair. You know practically everything about me.” Seohyun held in the laugh that was trying to come out of her chest and settled for an amused smile instead.

“I’m your guardian angel. I’m supposed to know everything about you.” And all of my other charges, Seohyun added silently.

“Stalker.” Yoona scoffs jokingly.

Seohyun doesn’t even take a second to contemplate her next move. With her thumb and index curled like a hook, she pinched a good portion of the warm, stretchy skin of Yoona’s cheeks, pulling firmly as the younger girl yelped and held onto her hand, trying to ease the ache on her cheeks.

“Okay. Okay. I was joking. I’m sorry.” Yoona whimpers, raising from her position to ease the tension applied on her cheeks. Big, glassy, doe-like eyes peer at Seohyun and that was all it took for the angel to release her grip and softly cradled her charge’s face in her warm hands.

Soehyun’s eyes soften when her young charge leans into her hands, eyes fluttering shut as she leans her side to Seohyun’s. The angel shifts her position, falling back to the cushions and wrapping Yoona into a side hug. She gently runs the back of her fingers against the soft cheeks and the younger sighs in content, melting against her side.

This girl was just too good for this world.

“Promise me not to get a douchbag for a boyfriend.” Seohyun finds herself muttering to the girl and Yoona burst out laughing at the random comment.