Chapter 4 - More Run-ins

"Bayne, this is disgusting."


Our relationships with humans have so far remained platonic and nonromantic. We are not demons; our needs differ drastically from ones who desire to procreate and leave their offspring on the Earth. Of course, there have been occasions where some angels feel the need to bend the rules a little in order to get what they desire. The Almighty Father punishes those who stray from the rigid path of life we take, because their desire opposes what we believe; no human is thus ever worth the temptation, for banishment from Paradise is all that awaits a fallen brother. We are to love God and worship Him, and He shall love us in return. We give our love only to him, never to another.

But…there is a flaw in this plan. Can you see it yet?

-Raphael

~~~~

Instead of fighting the vast crowd that threatened to break out into a riot every five minutes, Yuri chose to linger at the front of the stage, leaning against the large guard rails. A single security guard told her to beat it, but hurried away after lifting his eyes to hers—a trick taught to her by Raguel (Siwon, she mentally corrected herself; if they were in vessels, it was usually best to refer to them as the vessel). Most humans had an unreasonable aversion to brightly colored eyes; the immense aura of angels could make the darkest hue shine with authority and (oftentimes) power. Just look a human in the eye, and most will retreat in fear. No one else bothered her after the security guard. With the exception of a few straggling fans (one had misplaced her watch and was now frantically looking for it), she was the only one left in the stage area.

“Milady!” someone suddenly called behind her.

Only one person ever calls me that. “Hello, Junsu.”

The bubbly young singer leapt off the stage, wavering slightly on his landing, but still grinning confidently. “Hello, milady! Did you like our fan event? It feels so good to be back with the others! Well…” He trailed off before recomposing himself. “Junsu is pleased to be back with the other members…he was really hurt during their time away.”

Yuri lightly pinched his arm. “If you don’t wish to come off as speaking in the third person, you might want to remember that you are Junsu.” She widened her eyes to convey her meaning; thankfully, he understood and nodded. “Good. While we’re on the subject of names, don’t call me Milady or Lady Gabrielle. It’s incorrect in this time and age, plus…I go by the name Yuri down here.”

“Oh.” He looked a little confused, but nodded again. “Okay, Yuri. I get it.” He stretched his arms out. “Oh! Yunho wanted to talk to you. He thought he was going to catch you in the crowd, but it looks like you hung around.” He glanced at the girls remaining in the arena, who had now locked their gazes on him. “Crap. Uh…I’m out of here.” He ruffled her hair and bounced away, singing softly to himself.

If any of us perfectly match our vessels, it’d have to be Castiel. He’s always so happy-go-lucky; sometimes I must admit I get jealous of him. Wonder where the others are…and why does Yunho want to talk to me…?

Just then, a tall, willowy blonde woman and a young, pretty girl (Most likely sisters, Yuri thought) approached the stage slowly. The tall blonde woman fumbled with some papers. “Miss, we’re looking for a way to get backstage. We have passes to get backstage to meet the group, and uh…” She cut off, staring above Yuri’s head. The younger girl squirmed and giggled.

“You two must be…Anastasia and Giselle,” said a quiet voice above and behind Yuri.

Yunho slid from the stage onto the floor; ignoring the squeals of the fangirls still in the arena, he held out a hand to the girls. “I’m U-Know Yunho. Pleased to meet you.”

With a trembling hand, the younger girl reached out to shake his. “Oh…my…god…”

The taller sister cleared her throat. “My little sister is rude.” She waved shyly. “Just call me Taz.”

“Taz,” Yunho repeated smiling. They shook hands briefly. “And your sister?”

“I’m Zell,” the little girl squeaked.

He laughed. “It’s nice to meet two of our fans. Of course, you two were invited backstage after this event, right?” They showed him the passes, and he smiled again. “Great! I’ll alert the other guys.” To Yuri’s surprise, his face slightly darkened, but he quickly snapped out of it and turned his soft gaze to her. “You mind going to tell them to lay out some food and drinks for our guests?”

Doesn’t seem like he wants to talk in front of them. It must be about the mission, then. She nodded imperceptibly and climbed onto the stage. Before she could walk very far, Changmin and Yoochun attached themselves to her side and hauled her to the back. “Hey! What’s the big rush?!” They only guffawed and let go of her once they had all stumbled into their dressing room. She nearly lost her footing, but recovered quickly. “Why’d you have to drag me in here? I was coming regardless.”

Junsu stopped playing with his DS long enough to pull Yuri into an exuberant bear hug. “Yuri, Yuri, Yuri~” he sang. She laughed and pushed him away gently. His smile widened. “Are our guests here? Do they mind sodas and pastries?” He bustled away, muttering to himself as he started setting up cookies and coffee cakes on a large table against one wall.

Changmin groaned quietly, and Yoochun raised an eyebrow at him. “And once again, Jae has taken off before telling us.” He rolled his eyes. “Probably off seducing more girls. That boy needs to learn to keep it in his pants.” He sighed and smiled at Yuri. “Are you gonna join us and the guests?”

“No, I think I’m going to go home. I’m tired. Tell Yunho I’ll call him if he still wants to talk.” She hugged them once before taking her leave.

~~~~

Oh, dear god. What am I doing here? These guys are just way too good-looking and Zell’s practically letting drool dribble down her chin. “You might want to close your mouth while walking around,” Taz whispered to her little sister, who was gawking at the magnificent stage equipment. “Giselle!”

“Eh?” Zell looked over distractedly.

“That’s what I thought. Just don’t drool or anything when you meet the other guys.” Why was I so flustered around that Yunho guy? He’s just another guy…another Korean guy…another handsome, Korean guy…who has a firm handshake…and the softest eyes I have ever seen on a grown man…

“Ah, you guys must be the girls with the backstage passes!” The tall one Zell had pointed out as Changmin stepped out of a dressing room. His open shirt revealed a toned body. Before her sister could squeal in delight, Taz held out her hand. “Welcome, welcome!”

“Thanks for having us,” she said gratefully.

“No problem! We’re really excited to meet some new fans—”

“CASSIOPEIA!” Junsu flung himself onto the two girls, gathering them in a giant hug. Zell nearly fainted from excitement; Taz struggled against him. “I’m so happy you could make it!” He smiled cheekily. “Yoochun’s inside and…” He wildly looked around. “Where’s Yunho?”

“Right here.” Yunho cuffed the side of Junsu’s leg, grinning. “Shall we have a bit of food before we sit down and talk?” He smiled at Zell, who nearly melted into the floor. Taz settled against the wall; this was going to take a while.

~~~~

Her mouth traveled down his neck, trailing over his chest, before it reached its target below his waist. His hands went under his head and a smug smirk lit his handsome features. Meanwhile, the other girl—what was her name? Jaehwa?—kissed along his face before crushing her mouth against his. Ah, I can already feel her energy…sweet and innocent…and a boyfriend? Even better…her soul will be tainted and easier to take…

“Bayne, this is disgusting.” Boa leaned against the far wall, taking in the spectacle before her.

He grinned. The more, the merrier, no?

“Hero,” moaned the girl sitting between his legs. She rubbed his legs provocatively.

“Don’t talk,” he said in a hushed voice. He pulled her to lie beside him so he could give her a bit more attention. The other girl seized the opportunity to finish what the first girl had started. Jaejoong held back a sigh and looked across the room at Boa. Where’s your counterpart? And don’t call me Bayne. I don’t care if the humans can’t see you with the glamour.

“Oh, give it a rest…Jaejoong,” she chirped sickly sweet.

Jessica slunk into the room, shutting the door behind her quietly. “Found you at last. There are way too many condominiums in this place. Why couldn’t you ask for something closer to the ground?” She pouted. “I hate being far from the ground.”

Ah. My apologies. I didn’t think to take that into consideration. “Eun. Yes, right there.” He feigned a moan, since he knew the girls would not question his utter boredom with them. What are you two doing here? Come to watch?

“As if!” Jessica scoffed. “We’re bored ourselves. But we felt the energy and decided to see what you’re up to. Looks like you’re pretty damn busy.”

You guessed right. I may be on a mission, but that doesn’t mean I can’t collect souls while I’m at it. Besides, I could use the energy. A girl a day keeps the doctor away. He laughed at his own joke and pulled the one called Jaehwa to meet his lips. Again, he felt her energy slide into him. That’s the ticket…

“Disgusting,” Boa sneered again. “Take all the energy you want, Bayne.”

“Jaejoong,” he snarled. Eun lifted her head from her task, lips red and swollen. Her eyes questioned him; Jaehwa glanced down at him. “Call me that.” The girls were not aware of their audience being addressed by him; they believed he was speaking to them. They both mewled and crawled down his body. He arched his back unconsciously and sighed in satisfaction. Now get out before I throw you out.

“With pleasure.” Jessica ran a hand down the wall. “Hmm…don’t you smell it?”

Boa grabbed Jessica’s wrist and pulled her close. “Yes. I smell it.” Jaejoong nearly rolled his eyes in exasperation; all the demons had no qualms who they were sexually involved with, be it man or woman or (on the rare occasion) beast, not counting lower demons. Of course the two women would act this way now, if only to spite him. “It’s that smell of the calm before the storm. Electricity in the air. Can you sense it, Jaejoong?”

His body rolled into a spasm as the girls, working together, accomplished their goal. Once he was done, he would turn to them…for pleasure a second time and for their energy. The energy from two virgins should suffice him for a month. I sensed it when I set foot on the earth a few days ago. Now leave.

~~~~

Yunho’s hand brushed hers as he handed her a piece of the cookies ‘n cream cake Changmin was now devouring like a mad man. “Jaejoong actually made this,” he noted. “He likes to cook whenever a lot is on his mind. Lately, he hasn’t been up to it, but he came across this the other day and couldn’t resist making it.” He winked at Taz, who froze and nearly spilled her Coke onto the white plush carpet.

“Y-yeah, that’s nice of h-him…” My heart’s fluttering…stop it, right now! Heart! Listen to me! “Eh?” She realized belatedly that Yoochun had said something to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite catch that.”

“You’re from the States,” he repeated in English.

“Oh. Yes, I am. Err, we are. From New York.”

Yunho sent him a tiny smile, which Yoochun returned before looking back at Taz. “Ah, where in New York? The Big Apple?”

“Uh, yes, actually.” Wonder what that smile was for…oh, no…not now…but even as she attempted to stave it off, it still hit her. That sensation that she was falling over the edge of a cliff into a dark abyss below. Even after so many years, she had never become accustomed to it. What had her mother said? Just sit down and wait for it to pass. “I need to sit,” she mumbled, swaying on the spot. Concerned, Yunho led her over to the sofa and helped her sit. “Ugh, I hate when this happens…”

“Is everything okay?” Changmin asked worriedly.

“Yes…just give me…a minute…” And of course, with the falling comes…the…jab. “AH!”

“Taz?” Yunho exclaimed, grabbing her arm. He stared at her with the same expression as the others—concerned and wary. “What’s wrong?”

She grabbed at her head, hissing from the pain. Oh, my god, go away…just please, let the vision end soon… “Just a minute!” she moaned. “Bad headache. Ugh…” She shut her eyes tightly, trying to fight off the pain, but just then, the actual vision hit her.

Voices echoing…a mall…a café…the rustle of wings…

The face of a man…two faces…a man and woman…

The man…I know the man…who is that…his name…what’s his name?

“Jaejoong!” she gasped, lurching forward. Yunho caught and gently leaned her back.

Everyone exchanged looks of caution before Junsu knelt before her and shook her. “Taz? Are you okay? What about Jaejoong? He’s not here.”

“Hey, out of the way. Please.” Zell pushed her way forward, snatching up her sister’s wrist. “It’s okay, Taz. We can go home now. Thanks for the food and autographs, but we really have to go now.” She helped her sister up and led her to the door.

“Wait!” Junsu chewed on his bottom lip, looking back at his leader. Yunho inclined his head once before going back to helping Yoochun clean up the trash. “We’re going out for coffee and croissants on Friday. It’s like a ritual for us. Why don’t you two join us to make up for today? That way, you can meet Jaejoong and we can talk properly.” He gave Taz a saddened look.

Zell smiled stiffly and nodded. “Yes, that sounds good. Sorry.” With her sister still clutching her head, they quickly exited.

~~~~

A knock on the door had Yuri setting down her large chef’s knife. She quickly cleaned her hands on a kitchen towel, fixed her hair, and turned the heat low before rushing to answer the door. She glanced through the peephole. “Hey, Yunho,” she said as she opened the door. “I was just cooking dinner. Did you want to join me?”

“That’d be nice, actually.” He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the stylish coat rack nailed to the wall. “What are you making? Need help?”

“A Mexican dish. Arroz con pollo. Just finishing cutting up some cilantro for the salsa. Very spicy.” She winked at him, and he shook his head. “You know my love for spicy foods.”

She did need his help with setting the table, however. After carefully folding the napkins into the style she wanted, Yunho laid out the silverware. On a whim, he lit two candlesticks and placed them equally apart on the table. He noticed a small glass bowl full of red rose petals on the coffee table and set it between the candles. A few minutes later, when she walked out holding plates for both of them, her gasp made him smile. “Just a little touch can make a dinner special.”

“Well, you’re right about that,” she laughed. “Let’s eat.”

For a while, the only sounds were the forks and knives scraping the plates. Twice, Yuri caught him staring at her curiously, and her eyes lowered to the plate. It’s been so long since…just the two of us sat down and talked to each other. Maybe that’s why he wanted to talk. He misses that, just like I miss it. “Junsu said you had something to tell me.”

He lifted his eyes from his plate, forking halfway to his mouth. He set it down and frowned thoughtfully. “Did he now?”

“Um, he mentioned it to me at the fan meet. You did want to talk to me, right?”

“I still want to talk to you…” His frown deepened. “But now I’m wondering if it’s not the best time. What I want to talk to you about…well, I’d rather not discuss it over dinner,” he joked, and she laughed. “I do want to talk. But…” He smiled briefly. “It can wait.”

“Are you sure?” Her hand reached across the table, but he tugged his hand back. Right. That was deliberate. What’s on his mind?

“Yes, I’m sure.” He stabbed a piece of chicken and chewed on it slowly. “Delicious.”

That’s an archangel for you. Lethal on the battlefield but wary when it comes to conversations and discussions. “Thank you.”

~~~~

Zell hurriedly locked the door to their apartment, turned all of the lights down, and settled Taz into the old rocking chair by the lamp. “What’d you see? Was it the angels again? Taz, you just had a vision the other day. Two this week. That’s more often than before. Your headaches are worsening…maybe we should take you to a doctor.”

I know she’s worried…but this one wasn’t about the angels. Why did I have a vision about Jaejoong…? And who is that woman? Her face was blurred, like a mosaic. But I feel like I know her…how can I know someone I’ve never seen before…? The voice…so familiar…who could that have been? It wasn’t me or Zell or any of my friends back home. Not mother. So who then?

“Taz? You’re worrying me!”

“Sorry, Zell,” she said breathlessly. “I just need to rest. But it wasn’t the angels this time. It was Jaejoong. And a woman.”

Her younger sister frowned. “As in…Kim Jaejoong? Hero? And who was the woman?”

“I don’t know…” What did that vision mean? Why no angels? She shuddered at the memory of the last vision. The reason that the powers that be had granted her the gift of the Sight escaped her…but she did not feel particularly thankful towards them for it at the moment. Her last vision had left her curled into a ball on her bed, trembling more than she had ever in her life. Not even the death of her parents had left her feeling so scared and vulnerable.

Fire. Consuming everything. The morning star.

The one cast down into the fiery caverns of Hell.

Lucifer.

Across from him, the brother…the comrade that had sentenced him to his prison.

Michael.