Every other day for the past three months, the Angel Devil sees you sneaking into the woods and eating the same bread over and over. He notices that instead of healing, you are getting more and more bruises each time he sees you.
"To have so many bruises like that, just what life do you have, huh, human?" The Angel Devil whispered. He paused and quickly looked back as he sensed a devil approaching near.
"You will die if you don't go now." He whispered, watching you unwrapping the bread.
"I won't lift a finger to help you..." He added.
"It will be painful to be eaten alive by a devil..."
"It will be here in a few minutes."
"Ah! Fresh out of the oven!" You happily said. The young lad paused as his eyes widened when he saw you smile as you smelled the newly baked buns. What the hell? Do I really feel pity for this human?
"Ah, what a drag."
You immediately looked up upon hearing a loud rustling sound. Leaves fell from above and rained down on you.
"Huh?" You stared at it for a moment, then shrugged your shoulders when you didn't see anything and continued to eat your favorite bread.
The Angel Devil is now standing in front of a devil's corpse. It's just a weak devil, but it can still kill a human in a single snap. "Now my hands are dirty, and I have to call Aki." He whispered.
"All this work for a damn human, huh?" A sarcastic chuckle escaped his lips, unable to believe he had killed the devil just so you could eat your damn curry buns in peace.
He froze when he suddenly felt a sharp sting in his head. "Argh!" He groaned in pain, holding his forehead. A high-pitch tone echoed inside his ear as the images of people who resented him for being a devil flashed through his mind.
You monster!
You killed them!
I don't want to be near that devil.
It is for the better that the devil not here.
Then suddenly, in the middle of his pain, your smiles appeared. And then, as if by magic, the noise and pain faded away... everything stopped. Angel raised his head up and looked back in your direction,
"Who are you?"
❀
"Aki, can you buy me something that humans use to treat wounds?" Angel nonchalantly asked his colleague. He's sitting on the huge metal bin, his legs crossed and his head resting on his palm.
"Why? Are you hurt or something?" Aki asked, puffing on a cigarette. It's their break from patrolling, and they're simply passing the time, away from the public eye.
"No."
"Then, why do you need it?"
"I just need it, and since I can't be close to humans, could you buy it for me?"
Aki looked at Angel, confused and intrigued by his sudden request. "You're not up to something bad, eh?"
"That takes a lot of effort, which I don't want to exert, so no."
Aki puffed his last smoke and threw the cigarette butt on the ground. "Fair point. Fine, I'll buy one for you. Just anti-septic?"
"Buy some band-aids too..." he paused and tilted his head to the side. "On a second thought, buy the whole first aid kit, and an Ice cream!"
"Jeez. Fine, wait here."
"I'll pay you."
"Nah. It's fine.
After Aki purchased a first-aid kit, Angel quickly went to the woods, arriving a little earlier than usual, so he could leave the kit on your spot before you arrived. He crouched down to position it in a place where you could easily see them. After he was done, he straightened up but quickly crouched back down to fix it... again.
"Ah, stop it! She'll see it, alright," he mumbled before returning to his usual spot above the tree. He then fixed his gaze on the bush where you always pop out.
"Not that I care. It's just annoying for me to see her face full of cuts." he reasoned, closing his eyes and resting the back of his head on his palms. He attempted to take a nap but was unable to do so, and It's irritating him for some reason.
"Where the hell is that woman? Why is she late? And why the hell do I care?" he said, leaning against the tree and clicking his tongue. He tried to close his eyes once more, but he opened them again after a minute. He couldn't sleep, so he sat up straight and used his two hands to hold the large branch where he was sitting while his feet dangled down. He then tried to peer through the bush.
He flinched when the bush rustled and returned to his original position; closing his eyes while leaning against the trunk with the back of his head resting on his palms. He then peeked by opening one eye to see your reaction.
You came to a halt when you saw a box on your spot. Confused about who will leave a box there, you bent down to get it. When you realized it was a first aid kit, your eyes widened.
"A first aid kit?" Still surprised, you shifted your head around, trying to find someone.
"Is this for me, or was it left here by mistake? Wait, no one comes in here because people are afraid of devils..." You turned the kit around and examined it. "It's also brand new."
"It's for you, idiot." Angel whispered.
Your lips formed a smile, touching your face. "I needed this."
Angel slowly curled his lips upward, smiling without realizing it. Shortly after, the young lad raised his eyebrows in shock when he saw you crying while hugging the first aid tightly like it was the most prized possession that you have right now.
"If this is for me, I'd like to thank whoever left it here," you mumbled, sniffing like a child.
And since that day, Angel has been watching over you. He protects you from the devils who want to devour you and allows you to rest for a while. He also kept leaving things for you, whether it was a single flower, bread, or even small cute things that he knows you'll appreciate. He'll do things he can to make you smile because he doesn't want to see those tears streaming down your cheeks again.
You referred to him as your guardian angel. Even if you can't see him, he makes you feel safe and loved... Just like the guardian angels from the stories that you've heard.
For a girl who has been deprived of love since childhood, a girl who has only known pain, and a girl who has been abandoned numerous times by those she trusted... You are genuinely happy to know that somewhere, out there, there is someone who doesn't treat you lower than trash.
For the first time in eighteen years, you finally felt what it's like to be cared for by someone.
You slowly closed your eyes, lifting your head up to feel the tranquility of this paradise. "Someday, I want to meet and thank you, Angel." You whispered.
Angel is now standing in front of you, bending closer to get a better look at your face. I wonder, what is your name, human? He thought as he traced your soft features with his eyes.
After a few moments of thinking, your reality hits you. Ah, what time is it? I need to cook. They'll kill me if I don't have anything ready when they arrive. You said to yourself as you slowly opened your eyes. You're hoping to see someone, but no one is there.
"Perhaps next time," you said before slowly standing up and leaving the woods.
❀
"Did you get what I asked you?" Angel asked Denji.
"Where are you going to use this? No one would dare to come close and smell this on you." Denji asked, carefully handing him a bottle of perfume. "And speaking of scent, It smells like flowers. Urgh!"
"Haha! I hate flowers!" Power added and handed Angel a box. "Here! Bread! Angel like sweets, huh?"
"It's none of your business," Angel said, noticing a bite on one of the bread.
"Hey! Why there's a bite in here?"
"I tasted it. What if there's poison in there? You'll die. I'm just saving you." Power reasoned.
"You idiot," Denji said, facing the blood devil.
"You're an idiot. Idiot, idiot, Denji, idiot!" Power smacked Denji's head, and ran.
"Come back here you!" Denji grabbed his axe and ran after Power leaving Angel dumbfounded. They are now running in circles as Power's laugh echoes around.
"You're being suspicious, Angel. What are you up to?" Aki asked as he handed him a pair of gloves and a scarf.
"Nothing. See ya!" Angel then left before they could even interrogate him more.
"What a weird devil," Denji said, stopping in his tracks and scratching his head.
"I'm weirder! HAHA!" Power proudly announced.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever."
"I think he's starting to care for someone, a human, perhaps?" Aki said.
"Angel? Care? Human? in one sentence? Nah. That's not possible." Denji said.
"Not possible, nah-ah," Power repeated.
The Angel Devil went straight into the woods, hugging the few stuff that he got from Aki, Denji, and Power. As he was about to leave them in your spot, he halted. On the ground, he saw the same paper bag that you'd been carrying since the first time he saw you.
There's a note attached to it, saying; To: My Angel, Thank you.
He stood there staring at it, unable to move. She's here. I need to hide. She must not see me. He said repeatedly in his head. He was about to take a step but froze as if his feet were nailed to the ground when he heard footsteps approaching.
"You..." you said monotonously. Angel closed his eyes tightly as he replayed the reactions of other humans in his mind. Fearful expressions, hurtful words, and an angry tone... Ah, these annoying humans.
"...really are an angel?" Your voice sound excited rather than frightened. Angel blinked open his eyes, taken aback by your reaction.
"It's you! I've finally met you, my angel."