Through Her Eyes (2Yeon)

xxxi. Angel Without Wings

Chaeyoung found herself sitting under a mango tree, a warm breeze blowing her long bangs just enough that she could see the ocean beyond. Every facet was as good as a mirror and a different hue of blue.

How odd she thought, that she'd never noticed how many shades of blue there were. It occurred to her that she was a good deal older than she felt, her limbs hadn't been without pain these past ten years yet she sat slumped like a fifty year old elder, her legs jutted up like coat-hanger wires.

She stared off into the distance, intrigued by a sudden mist creeping on the shoreline. This drew Chaeyoung's attention for a moment, watching the fog get thicker and thicker.

Her eyes caught a dragonfly briefly before she heard light footsteps coming her way, hollering from up the sandy path.

After a time she became aware of a glowing up ahead too low and too white to be the sunrise and she squinted her eyes to meet it. She stopped.

Through the gathering mist came the form of a woman, nearing, not human, but human form. It was not reflecting the morning light, but emitting it, actually glowing from within. Her skin was almost metallic, pale perhaps and she was tall, taller even than Chaeyoung.

Her eyes were like fire, reds, oranges and yellows that flickered and sparked. Despite the sand on the walkway, the figure's white robes were quite spotless, even her shoes.

A girl approached her from the beach, moving over the sand in great strides. Black haired, beautiful, looking like M—the name was right on the tip of her tongue but she couldn't even think of it. She smiled at Chaeyoung and her heart stopped for the second time that day.

No-one smiled like that but Mina.

So this was heaven. Somewhere there were other angels, even Jeongyeon's dear Bbosong. But all that could wait. Mina was close enough to touch.

"Hey watcha doin' down there lazy bones, where's my kiss?"

Chaeyoung couldn't believe the sight in front of her. Yet, she jumped to her feet, hardly daring to touch in case her hand went right through the girl.

Heaven, Mina, mangos...

"Heaven," Chaeyoung breathed, "This must be heaven."

Chaeyoung wrapped an arm around Mina's shoulders and pulled her close, gently squeezing her arm. Despite the heaviness in her stomach, it fluttered at the feeling of her little body pressed against her. She sunk into the warmth of her side, appreciative of the simple gesture. Mina's touch made the atmosphere warmer somehow, seeming a little less bleak. Like the fog had suddenly cleared.

"Hello, my Chaeyoungie," Mina whispered into Chaeyoung's ear. Even her whispers sounded like a sweet melody.

At that moment the arms squeezed a fraction tighter and Chaeyoung breathed more slowly, her body melting into Mina's as every muscle lost its tension to the spring air. It wasn't real, but it felt like it.

"M-Mina...you're here. You're actually here."

"I should be the one saying that to you, love."

Mina continued to wrap Chaeyoung in a warm swaddle of her chest and arms. She sadly smiled at the sound of the shorter one's distressed tone.

Chaeyoung didn't want to leave. It felt as if when she was in her arms all her pain went away - mental and physical, mostly the depressing pain. If she could only stay in her arms forever, safe from the world's harmful people. One could only hope.