Chapter 10 - Surprises

 “What has your boss told you about Lucifer?”

Yunho returned to us later that night with news that one of our fans—the older sister that we had met weeks ago—had fainted at the scene of an accident. One of the many cherubs that patrolled the earth, looking out for the prophets, had alerted him of the accident, and he had sped off without hesitation. She had not been hurt, but he thinks that she had seen a vision and fainted in his arms.

More days passed, much slower than before. Had we not made any progression in our search for the demon? How did we not know that he was in our very midst?

How could we not sense him? How was his stealth so indistinguishable?

The album kicked off with a bang; in the first week alone, we managed to snag the top spot on the charts as well as #3 on Billboard, which was impressive considering that we had only done that once before—as JYJ. Our manager worked us like dogs, but we welcomed the labor; the fans could not be happier, we could not be happier (well, most of us, at least), and things were finally going well for us. Finally, the music industry’s original big moneymaker had returned. What more could the universe hand to us than peace?

-Raphael

~~~~

“One of these days,” swore Yuri as she caught her big toe on the coffee table, “I am going to kill the man who installed the loudest doorbell known to mankind in this apartment.” She hopped and skipped over to the door and yanked it open. “Oh. I wasn’t expecting you until…well, actually, I just wasn’t expecting you.” She stood aside—still on one leg—to let Jaejoong in. He spared her a quizzical glance before moving his eyes to her injured foot. She rolled her eyes and answered his silent question. “Damn table.”

He picked at his flawlessly smooth bottom lip. “Did you stub your toe?”

Yah. I think you should smile less and be a bit more worried. “Well, I had to answer the door,” she murmured.

Still looking amused about the whole situation, he held out the gift he had bought on a whim down the street. “These…are for you.”

“They’re beautiful!” she gasped in awe, taking the bouquet from him. Gardenias made up the majority of the flowers; amazingly, a few magnolias wrapped around artificial stems, stood in the center (for the pretty flower blossomed on trees). She caressed several of the soft petals before gazing back over at him. “Thank you, Jae.”

“You’re welcome.” He flashed his signature bashful smile before faking a sigh and snaking an arm around her shoulder. “I’m feeling adventurous tonight.”

…come again?

“I know I haven’t met up with you since the coffee date, and we’ve only spoken on the phone, so why don’t we go out tonight? Catch a movie, have dinner?” Before she could respond, he wiggled his finger in her face. “I’ve already made a reservation at my favorite restaurant downtown for 9:00, so don’t think about backing out on me.”

Her answering smile was just as dazzling as his. “How could I ever refuse you?” When he cocked his head to the side and examined her, she blushed. Her words, given correct context, could be construed into something that suggested she would allow him to go as far as he wanted. “Let’s beat the traffic, hm?” She jumped up and playfully pulled him upwards, too. “Wait right here while I get pretty.” A light tap on her butt was the go-ahead; she giggled quite unlike herself and danced up the stairs, determined to make her outfit unforgettable.

A navy tea-length dress that sheathed her figure and matching strappy heels achieved her fun-yet-elegant evening look. Black pearl earrings that he surprised her with once she descended the loft stairs put the finishing touches on her; he held back her long hair while she hooked them into her ears. “See?” He tucked her hair behind an ear and pointed into the mirror. “You look ravishing.”

For one long moment, they stared at their reflections in the mirror, though she could not help but notice his eyes lingered on her reflection much longer than his own. His hand enchanted her neck with a feeling much too comfortable for her liking, and she had forced herself to break the spell by pulling away from him. “Don’t want to miss the previews, do we?”

He bent down and let his lips skim her exposed shoulder. “No, we don’t,” he said huskily, drawing a shudder from her.

~~~~

Instead of driving to the theater, they decided to walk since it was only down the street from her apartment (Just like everything else, she thought smugly. Thank you, Metatron, for that hookup). Along the way, they talked about casual events from the past, though she was careful to keep things as vague as possible since—in reality—her vessel’s past was quite unknown to her. They stuck to the basics, which gradually became odder and odder—hometown, favorite restaurants, favorite hang-outs, least favorite brand, and favorite time of the day.

“Just past three in the morning,” she confessed as they stopped at a crosswalk.

His eyebrows rose. “Just past the witching hour?”

“…yes, I suppose.” She wrung her hands anxiously. I forgot that the witching hour is three hours past midnight. “It’s like…you know the darkest time of the night is past, and dawn is approaching, but it’s so peaceful and still.”

“Hmmm…” He tapped his chin thoughtfully, his other hand taking her hand without hesitation. She stared at their clasped hands before looking back forward, cheeks slightly pink. “With the setting sun/ Now the day is done/ In the still and quiet hour/ Twilight comes.”

She bumped shoulders with him. “We can cross, and what was that poem?”

“Not a poem, but a song.” They walked in front of blazing headlights, not noticing that the people around them stared curiously at the two beautiful creatures striding carelessly down the street. Immortals among mortals. Some keenly trained eyes saw them for what they really were and stared, but said nothing. Just a trick of the light, then. “Twilight is the time between day and night. Not of one or the other.” He smirked and swung their joined hands back and forth. “Some scholars used to believe that it was when the walls between worlds were the most vulnerable.”

Her heart beat frantically against her chest, but she remained aloof and even playful. “Every story and legend has truth in it. You just have to know where to look.”

“Yeah?” He leaned into her, nibbling on her neck. She giggled—what was wrong with her tonight?—and tried to move away, but his dominant arm kept her by his side. “And what type of legends are you intrigued by?”

“The semi-true ones. The believable ones.” He nudged her again, and she scoffed. “You know, you should not poke and prod a lady—” Suddenly, she bumped into something quite solid. “Oh, excuse me…”

“…didn’t think you were actually serious about dating.” They both whipped around in disbelief to see Yunho coming to a stop, swirling a set of keys around his finger while staring straight ahead, as if the two holding hands did not bother him at all. “Jaejoong, I’m surprised you’re taking her out in public. What if our fans get wind of you two snuggling and cuddling like there’s no tomorrow?” He scrunched up his face in an attempt to look cute, but it came out as demented and menacing. “Toodle-loo.”

“YUNHO!” In a flash, Jaejoong took hold of his friend’s upper arm and yanked him about face. “What the hell?”

“What on earth do you mean, ‘what the hell’?” Yunho asked, looking politely confused.

Before any real damage could be done—physical, emotional, or psychological—Yuri stepped between the two men and placed a hand on Yunho’s chest, pushing him back a few steps.

“You and me are due for a talk,” she hissed under her breath. His pupils contracted as he glared down at her; normally, that look alone would have sent her reeling back, but she felt that he had finally crossed the line. “What is it with you two and having an ego swordfight every five minutes? And don’t tell me this just started recently,” she added when he opened his mouth to interrupt. He snapped it back shut and continued to give her his evilest eye. “I know it started recently. Ever since the group reunited, I’ve noticed the animosity build up. Now I’m telling you both…” She turned her serious expression to Jaejoong. “…to knock it off.”

Yunho’s voice rang out, startling both her and Jaejoong. “You of all people should know better than to tell me to stop what I am doing.”

Bastard. He knows I hate when he pulls rank on me. At any other time, his I’m-Heaven’s-general-therefore-what-I-say-goes voice would earn him a swift kick to the shin but also a reluctant bow since he was in a higher position than her. However, they still lingered in front of many curious onlookers, and a bow would spin things into even more confusing details. “Fine. Whatever.” She turned back to Jaejoong, flinging her hair back deliberately so that it would slap Yunho across the face. “We’ll be late to the movie, Jae. Let’s go.”

He smiled at her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, throwing a triumphant smirk over her shoulder at the fuming man left in the dust. Yuri didn’t seem to notice; she pressed closer to him and continued to rage inside her head at the embarrassment she had just undergone. Damn it, I wanted this to be a peaceful evening…

“Forget about that jerk,” Jaejoong breathed into her ear as they finally reached the queue for the ticket booth. “Just focus on me.”

She twisted herself in his hold to gaze up at his face. He stared straight ahead with his jaw set, but his eyes swiveled to meet hers. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards as she said sardonically, “You seem overly confident in your ability to keep me entertained.”

“Darling, it isn’t confidence. It’s certainty.” He dodged a hit from her and pulled his wallet out to pay for the tickets. “Now do me a favor and stop aiming for my flawless face. Our schedule is packed these next few days, and I would rather not resemble a raccoon in front of my lovely fans.” A quiet snort from her made him laugh, but she said nothing more on the subject.

~~~~

“You should have let me take that waiter on. He was asking for a beating,” Jaejoong said with just the barest hint of a slur (a combination of the drafthouse as well as wine at the restaurant lead to them being trashed) as they exited the theater. He slung an arm over Yuri’s shoulder, who stumbled into a passerby and did not bother to apologize. She giggled shrilly and pushed her date back, earning a tiny laugh from him. “You’re a bit feisty now…”

“Mmm…” She tugged on his side, pulling him against a wall. Her small hands clenched his waist fiercely. “Jaejoong-oppa…”

“Nah, don’t call me that. Sounds so…dirty.” The tip of his nose traced an invisible line down her neck, and he inhaled the heady scent exuding from her skin. “You smell wonderful.”

With another high-pitched giggle, she forced their hips into contact. “But what if I wanna sound dirty? Ever think about that?”

“You’re a good girl,” he lightly chided her, nibbling on her exposed shoulder. His teeth grasped a strap and pulled up before releasing it with a snap. “Good girls don’t think naughty things. I’m a bad boy. I do bad things to good girls. I corrupt them…like this…” His hand snaked up her abdomen and cupped the underside of her breast. Her breath became ragged as he continued to bite all along her neck. “I make good girls go bad,” he sang softly, and then laughed at his own joke.

So good…he can’t stop…I’ll die if he stops…wait…wait. Wait! Her principles came back to her in a rush, and she shoved against his shoulder. “Jae. Jaejoong, wait. Back up a second.” She pushed again; his body moved back, but his mouth stayed glued to her neck. “Kim Jaejoong!”

His name ripped him from the beautiful reverie he had been in. Slowly, he lifted his head away from her. She almost jumped when she saw how dark his eyes had become. Almost black…like a demon…get a grip, Yuri. He’s just excited and turned on, like any other mortal. “Why are we stopping?” he asked in a deadpanned voice.

Laughing nervously, she slipped out from underneath his arm that he had braced against the brick wall behind them. “I told you that I wanted to take things slowly if we were going to date, and this…” She motioned between them. “…is definitely not taking things slowly.”

As she spoke, he straightened up and smoothed the front of his shirt. Fury radiated from his body language, but his expression remained cool and collected. Have I pissed him off? “Fine. Take things slow. I can do that.” He held out his hand, though he seemed to be looking through her. Yep, I’ve pissed him off. “Let’s go.”

Only a moment passed before she gently laid her hand in his. “Don’t take this the wrong way,” she began warily, “but you get scary when angry.”

“Who said I was angry?” he mumbled under his breath as he led them into the rushing crowd that never seemed to completely dissipate in Seoul’s downtown district.

“You’re hurting my hand and your eyebrows do this funny thing when you’re angry,” she pointed out.

“I’m not angry.”

“And I’m the queen of England.”

“You’ve gotten a lot younger, Majesty. New facial creams?”

“My masseuse works wonders on my body, and you’ll never believe how a little racquetball can relieve so much stress.”

He rubbed his forehead self-consciously and sighed. “I am a little irked. Am I not allowed to do anything but hold your hand?”

Her lips gave way into a smile. “For the time being.” He kept his stony silence, but loosened his grip on her hand. Instead, he slid his fingers between hers and hardly hung on at all, but that was enough for Yuri. She began to lay her head against his shoulder as they walked.

~~~~

Despite it being spring, the night became cold fast, so Jaejoong shrugged out of his jacket. Yuri smiled when he draped it over her shoulders and let go of her hand to wrap an arm around her again. He appeared to be in deep thought as they continued to walk with the bustling crowd. Not one word was spoken between them for over twenty minutes; their touch spoke volumes, interestingly enough. But it proved to be a distraction. When they passed her favorite coffee shop, she halted in her steps. He stopped ahead of her, confused. “What is it?”

“I think we took a wrong turn…hmm…” She glanced around quickly, trying to get a sense of where they were. If I can just find that fountain…aha! “This way!” She hurried down the sidewalk, maneuvering around the people. Behind her, Jaejoong struggled to keep up with her; he had no idea she had such grace in running, especially at this speed. “Ha!”

In front of them rested an extravagant fountain, donated by an unknown philanthropist several years ago. At the base of the bowl, cloud motifs were engraved into the clay. Patterns of the moon and stars could be made out just above the clouds, some with the delicate facial features artist treasure during the Renaissance. Cherubs and angels rose in the center of the fountain, their arrows pointed to the sky and water shooting out from the tips. In the very center of them all were two tall, angelic figure—one male and one female. Upon closer inspection, Yuri almost cheered aloud. “The archangels Michael and Gabri—”

“I thought Michael looked manlier.” Jaejoong tilted his head sideways, staring up at the statues with a most odd expression on his face. Is it just me, or…no, a trick of the light…for when she blinked, the look had disappeared. “He doesn’t exactly look like a general of the armies of Heaven. Arrogant bastards should have a certain look towards them.” When she gaped at him, he chuckled. “I do know a bit about scripture.”

“But how…why did you assume that he’s an arrogant…you know?”

He looked back at the statue, his eyes immediately narrowing. “My boss always spouts stuff about the angels. How they were proud and so full of it. How they were blinded by their love for God. None of them seemed to care about anything else but each other and their father.” He scratched the side of his face, still staring up. “The way the written Word is, they’re made to seem like the purest beings on this earth, but that wasn’t always true. They have their rules.” He started listing things off his fingers. “No sinning, no indulgences, no coming to Earth without explicit instructions, no uncalled fights…the list drags on and on…”

Whoever told you that list reads a little too much into the Bible. Not that he was off; in fact, he had listed many of the rules she and the others had to follow. “That’s different…”

“And why Lucifer was even cast down from Heaven is a lot stupider than their rules.” He scoffed. “Michael’s so full of himself.”

…say what? How does even know about…? The Bible doesn’t exactly detail the fall of the morning star. “What has your boss told you about Lucifer?”

For a minute, he seemed reluctant to answer. His posture became stiff, and he turned his back to her, no longer staring at the statue. Finally… “Why did you bring me here? This is nowhere near your apartment.”

“Oh. Right!” She had forgotten entirely why they had ended up by the fountain. “Um…” She rummaged around in her tiny clasp purse before she found two coins. “Here, take one.” He did so, though with a perplexed expression. She hardly dared to believe her eyes. “Have you never made a wish and then tossed a coin into a fountain?”

He looked down at the coin. “Oh. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”

Is he for real? One minute, he’s got the upper hand in seducing me right in public, and the next minute he has no idea what a wishing well is. “You are too cute,” she cooed, pinching his arm (much to his distaste). She closed her hand over the coin, closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. Several heartbeats later, she threw the coin over her shoulder—and watched as it landed in the pitcher one of the cherubs held. “Wow, nice!”

Following her example, he closed his eyes and clenched the coin in his palm. “What am I supposed to wish for?”

“Anything you want.”

He took a deep breath. Many seconds passed before he tossed the coin behind him into the fountain. Yuri winced when it bounced off the forehead of Michael and into the water below. A single jet shot it into the air and back into the water, where it lay undisturbed at the bottom of the basin. “My luck,” he chuckled. As they stood there, the jets started to bounce across the surface in perfect arches. Lampposts turned on as the last jet dissolved into droplets. The trees glistened with tiny twinkling lights. A few strolling couples paused to gape and gawk at the spectacle. Yuri lifted her eyes to the sky; despite being in the center of the city, she could still make out the North Star and several of her favorite constellations. Ah, what pretty sights one may behold with the vision of an angel…

“Yuri.”

“Hmm?” She turned around to see Jaejoong staring at her with something akin to a painful gaze. “What’s wrong?”

He reached for her and pulled her into the circle of his strong arms. “It’s rather romantic here,” he mused, pushing her hair behind her shoulders. “The lights, the fountain, the night sky…” He leaned closer to her. “Have I ever told you how…pleasant your aroma is?” He sniffed her hair, and she froze. “So very pleasant. Nothing I’ve ever smelled before…it’s intoxicating…”

“Are you going to describe my scent all night…” She reached up and twined her shaking hands around his neck, pulling his face close to hers. Their hot breath mingled between them. “…or are you ever going to kiss me as you and I have been waiting for this entire time?”

He smirked victoriously. “Well, if you so eagerly insist.” And he bent his head to capture her mouth, as he had wanted to do for so long now.

~~~~

“Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation

Darkness stirs and wakes imagination…”

With a heavy sigh, Jaejoong closed the front door behind him and hung his jacket onto the hook near the entryway. “What the hell do you think you’re doing here?”

Yoona popped her head over the issue of Cosmopolitan that she had been leafing through. “I hear you had a rather romantic date this evening.” He let out a snarl, and she giggled. “Leave it to the hellhounds to pick up on your scent so very far from home.” She stood up and approached him with a strut in her walk. “May I ask what you were doing with a mortal girl?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but we went out to dinner and saw a movie, though not in that order.” He stretched out on his leather couch, one leg over the arm and the other hanging off the side. He eyed her curiously. “My turn for a little Q and A. How did you get into my apartment?”

“Do not insult me, Bayne. Kim Jaejoong,” she corrected herself at his eye-roll. “I am a sorceress. I have access to the most secured facilities in the world. One just needs to use…a bit of black magic.” She waved her fingers at the stereo, which ceased playing Music of the Night at once. “I have come because Lucifer ordered me here. He’s rather concerned about your involvement with the humans around you, and wants to be certain…” At that, she trailed off suggestively, prompting him to threaten her with a fate so horrible and cruel, it cannot be mentioned in writing. “The Lord is worried that you may begin to feel for the human girl.”

His next words turned her blood to ice. “Then he is sadly mistaken, which is something I never expected the great Lucifer to ever be.”

“How dare you question Lord Lucifer! How dare you say he is mistaken!”

“Oh, believe me, I question him all the damn time, but I remain obedient to him, and it is this quality, lovely sorceress, which keeps me in his innermost circle.” He held out his arm. “Well? Are you going to see if there’s any cause for concern, or do you have a conveniently-placed fortune cookie waiting for me on my kitchen table?”

She flushed angrily at his arrogant tone, but proceeded to grab his hand and read the lines trailing across his palms. “Hmm…nothing worrisome there…” She grinned. “Your lifeline is short, but since you are not alive in the medical sense, we have nothing to worry about. Your vessel, however, does. Hopefully he lives a much longer life than I perceive him to.” She ran a finger over his skin. “Interesting…you seem to have run into a bit of money recently…I can’t possibly imagine how.” Despite his intense dislike for the woman, Jaejoong had to admit that she had her funny moments. “And…ah…now this is something.”

“What? Should I be expecting Loki to come knocking on my door?” he joked, referencing the Reaper that worked both ends of the moral spectrum.

“No…” She mumbled incoherently, constantly tracing a pattern of dashed lines. “That is very odd. Very odd, indeed.”

Another exasperate sigh. “Ce—Yoona…what’s odd?”

“Your fate line,” she whispered. She showed him the line, and where it branched off. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It goes two different ways. A fate line should never do that, but since it does…” She looked up at him curiously. “Do you plan to leave us soon, Bayne?”

“It’s Jaejoong and no, I don’t. I know better. Lifetime of service, or death the flaming way,” he recited from the long speech Lucifer had given him many eons ago.

She nodded absently, now staring at his face intently. “I know you know better…but this is rather amusing. Sometime soon, you will have to make a choice that can continue life as you know it…” She traced the line that led back to his lifeline. “…or, you can choose differently and head off on an unknown path.” She followed the other line that ran off the side of his palm. “A big decision. Life-changing, I’ll bet.”

He drew his hand back to his side. “Thank you, witch,” he said slowly, staring straight ahead, beyond the solid things in front of him. Yoona waved her hand in front of his face impatiently, and he snapped out of it. His eyebrows came together as he growled, “Don’t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out.” And with that, he stalked off to his bedroom, mumbling unintelligibly about what he had just been told. She stared after him with pity in her eyes. Even the great lieutenant of the morning star has flaws and faults. Perhaps…I just hit one.