This fic was written for the AkaYona Big Bang Event on Tumblr.

When the world was still young, there were three realms that coexisted in peace.

Two of them were polar opposites, their rules black and white. Heaven, home of angels, of the just and unblemished who held no emotions in their hearts. Hell, home of demons, of the wicked and chaotic who were slaves to their dark desires. Brought together, these realms would collapse, but despite their knowledge of the other's existence, their occupants never met and kept their distance at all times.

The reason for that was Earth. The last realm was the middle ground, full of people who were oblivious of the existence of any reality other than their own. It stood as the point of balance, where there was no such thing as purely good or evil, creating a neutral ground that prevented a confrontation between the other two.

While the realms were kept apart, this balance persisted. As it happens, however, black and white can't keep their pure state for too long, and both Heaven and Hell felt their peace disturbed by those who didn't quite fit within their strict molds. There were rumors of angels who felt too much and rebelled against the rules, of demons who complained at the lack of them and had control over their emotions.

Regardless of the consequences, these misfits were kicked out of their respective realms and thrown into the only place left: Earth.

And so the everlasting war between fallen angels and demons began.

Jae-ha had a very important principle in his life, apart from appreciating all things of beauty: to avoid unnecessary conflicts.

Of course it was a bit hard to follow through with that, what with having lived for hundreds of years in what was essentially a battlefield. He'd lost count of how many times he'd gotten involved in fights against demons, but unlike most fallen angels, he didn't hunt down the cast-offs from Hell, nor did he look for this kind of confrontations. That didn't stop demons from coming after him though, so Jae-ha was well-versed on how to defeat his attackers and protect himself, even if he didn't make use of that knowledge often.

As it were, even if he enjoyed moving around from place to place, Jae-ha tried to search for options that were known territory of fallen angels, where he was less likely to encounter demons lurking around. That night, he was headed towards the Broken Wings, one of his favorite nightclubs. He could feel the vibrations of music reverberating through the ground as he walked the familiar streets, adjusting his scarf against the biting cold. Soon the entrance of the club came into view, its glowing sign a stark contrast against the darkness of the surrounding buildings, a small line of people waiting to be let inside already formed.

Jae-ha ignored the awaiting humans and stopped in front of the bouncer, his eyes flashing gold for the briefest of moments. The man nodded and lifted the rope barrier, letting Jae-ha into the welcoming chaos of the Broken Wings' first floor.

His eyes got used quickly to the pulsing lights that were barely enough to illuminate the room. The music was loud in his ears, drowning out all other sounds as Jae-ha pushed through the mass of bodies that crowded the dance floor, going straight to the bar at the back. There, he was greeted by a red-headed bartender, who stopped mid-way through preparing a drink when she saw Jae-ha leaning against the counter.

"Jae-ha!"

"Missed me, Yona?" he asked, opening his best smile.

Yona laughed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before getting back to the drinks.

"You shouldn't disappear like this, it's been ages since we've seen you. You can't think just texting every once in a while is enough," she said.

"You have my apologies. But you know me, I like to visit new places."

"Yet you always come back here." After handing a couple of girls their drinks, pointedly ignoring how they kept whispering and staring at Jae-ha, Yona motioned towards the closed door behind the bar, which was being guarded by a guy who looked no older than fifteen. Jae-ha, however, knew that the truth was a lot different than that, and the guy - Tae-Woo, if he remembered correctly - was one of the club's most capable guards. "Go ahead. And try not to tease Hak too much."

"And what would be the fun in that?" Jae-ha said with a wink, pushing himself off the bar and making his way around it. "I'll be back to taste those delicious drinks of yours soon, Yona dear!"

The sound of Yona's laughter was cut off by the door closing behind him. As Jae-ha climbed the narrow stairs, he let his eyes change back to their normal color. Being restricted to the human public, the second floor of the club was, at first sight, not very different from the one below, packed with people dancing, drinking and trying to talk over the music. If you looked closely, however, there was something obviously eerie about the inhumanly beautiful faces, their gold eyes glowing in the dim light.

Jae-ha scanned the room, greeting a few people he recognized from his previous visits before finally locating the man he was searching for. Hak stood in one corner, arms crossed, a glass held loosely in his hand. To anyone else, it would look like he was simply lazing around, but Jae-ha knew Hak well enough to know he was always paying attention to his surroundings, especially in the club that was his and Yona's.

The moment Hak's eyes fell on Jae-ha, his features turned into a scowl, and he scoffed as the other approached him.

"Thought it would be a few more years before I had to see your face again, Droopy Eyes," he said by way of greeting.

"You mean my beautiful face?" Jae-ha answered, not taken aback by Hak's less than friendly words. After years of friendship, he knew better than to think he was being serious.

"It'll be a bleeding face soon if you don't stop clinging to me like this, pervert." Hak's lips were turned up in a smile as he pushed Jae-ha's arm from where he'd put it around his shoulder.

Jae-ha laughed. "So mean, Hak. Yona's welcome was much warmer than this. You should get a few tips from her."

It was with amusement that Jae-ha watched Hak's expression sour once again. Even after being in a relationship for so long, Hak was still overprotective of Yona, and the fact that Jae-ha had openly had a crush on her before they got together probably didn't help. Not that his advances could've ever been successful; those two were so close that Jae-ha had been surprised when, the last time he'd been to the Broken Wings, they'd told him that there was actually a third person who was also part of their relationship.

"Years gone and the first thing you do when you come back is harass my girlfriend."

"Oh, don't get jealous, Hak," Jae-ha teased. "I'm harmless. Besides, you still have your demon boyf-"

There was a hand to his mouth before he could finish, muffling his words. It was gone just as fast, but Hak's eyes were burning with rage as he grabbed Jae-ha by the collar and dragged him towards a door with a sign that read Do not enter without permission. Ignoring Jae-ha's attempts of breaking free, Hak all but threw him inside his office and closed the door behind them, hastily putting the glass he'd still been holding on the first place he could find before turning to stare at Jae-ha. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Now, now, Hak, if you wanted to get rough you could have just said so."

"This is not a joke, Jae-ha!"

There was a floosh of air as Hak's wings stretched wide behind him, their tips nearly touching the ceiling, the deep black feathers blending in with the darkness. Jae-ha's smile vanished. This wasn't like their usual banter. From the way he used Jae-ha's real name instead of that stupid nickname and the waves of power rolling off him, Hak was really angry.

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that was?" asked Hak, voice trembling as he tried to keep control. "Do you have any idea what would happen not only to me, but to Yona as well, if anyone found out about us and Soo-won?"

"No one heard me. The music was loud."

"But they could have!" Hak turned to smash his fist against the wall, and Jae-ha was glad he hadn't directed the blow at him instead. As fun as it sounded, getting into a physical fight with Hak was not in his plans for the night. "We trusted you with this. Don't make us regret it."

The truth in his words made Jae-ha flinch. Hak and Yona had been his closest friends for decades now, and that they had entrusted him with this secret was proof of that. He still saw no problem with them being in a relationship with a demon - Jae-ha couldn't claim to understand it, but they seemed happy, and that was enough for him. Others, however, would never accept it. Hatred was engraved in most of his race's heart, and it could be a powerful thing, capable of erasing any possibility of understanding from one's mind.

Jae-ha was a fool to have played with that so lightly.

"I'm sorry," he said, trying to put as much sincerity in his voice as possible to make Hak see that he meant it. "I wasn't thinking."

Hak sighed, his posture deflating as he willed his wings into hiding again. He walked past Jae-ha and sat on the couch, head falling back and eyes closing. "Just... be more careful."

Jae-ha nodded even if Hak couldn't see it, sitting down next to him. There was tiredness etched on his face, accentuated by the faint moonlight that illuminated it. It was unusual for Hak, who was never fond of showing weakness in front of others. Jae-ha was about to ask what was wrong, but before he could say a word Hak spoke again.

"Yona and I... we don't want to hide it anymore. It's difficult, having to lie and keep looking over our shoulders all the time, for years."

"But you just said-"

"There are rumours," Hak cut him off, eyes opening to stare out the glass windows, "of a place. A village where fallen angels and demons live together. We've been looking into it. So has Soo-won."

"What?" Jae-ha straightened up, trying to find any signs of a joke, but Hak seemed dead serious. "You don't actually believe that, do you? It's impossible."

"Why? Because demons and angels hate each other? Our relationship with Soo-won is proof that it's not always the case. Even you, Droopy Eyes," Hak added, "You might not love them, but you don't seem to hate them for no reason either. You only attack when it's self-defense. You didn't judge Soo-won when we told you about him just because he's a demon."

"Yeah, but that's…," Jae-ha didn't know how to respond. Hak was right in what he said, but to think that there could be others - enough to form a village - that shared the same point of view as theirs was difficult to believe. Much less likely was that such a place could exist without suffering the wrath of both races, and Jae-ha said as much, but Hak shook his head.

"That's why it's just rumours," he said. "They don't exactly go around announcing it, and the place is well-hidden. It hasn't been easy to find information, and we have to be careful who we ask. It could be that the rumours are fake, but it's worth a try."

Jae-ha thought he could understand Hak's perspective. He'd never been in a relationship for such a long time, but hiding behind lies was bound to be tiring. Still, the idea of them leaving to some kind of hidden place left him a little unsettled. What Yona had said earlier was true; the Broken Wings had become one of the only constants in his life, and Jae-ha was pretty sure the place itself wasn't the reason for that.

"I should go back out there," said Hak, getting up. Jae-ha followed suit, hating the heavy atmosphere that was left after such a serious conversation.

"Tired of my lovely company already, Hak?" he asked, feigning a hurt expression. Hak muttered, "Shut up, Droopy Eyes," but there was a mocking tone to his voice, and just like that the tension was gone and they were back to their usual banter.

Promising he would behave around Yona, Jae-ha went back to the first floor, only to find it even more crowded than before. He wanted to talk to Yona about about his conversation with Hak, but there was no way to do that while she was working. Deciding to think about it later and seek a distraction, Jae-ha made his way to the bar and waited until Yona's attention turned to him.

"Busy night?" he asked, watching as she started preparing his drink without him even asking. He always ordered the same thing, anyway.

"We've had worse," said Yona. Noticing the way he was scanning the room, she added, "Looking for tonight's victim?"

"Victim? You wound me, Yona dear, that makes me sound like some kind of predator," Jae-ha said, taking a sip of the drink she had given him. "Love is a beautiful thing. I merely do what I can to help people experience it."

"You're hopeless."

Jae-ha laughed. Then, his eyes fell on one of the corners of the dance floor, where a silver haired man stood alone. He was clearly out of his element - he kept looking around the room with an anxious stare, fidgeting as if he didn't know whether to start dancing or not. But it wasn't his awkwardness that caught Jae-ha's attention.

The man was beautiful. The silver bangs that shadowed part of his face seemed to glow under the dim light; his face was pale as well, and it looked so delicate that Jae-ha would've thought he was another fallen angel if it weren't for the fact that, apart from Jae-ha, most of them preferred to stay on the second floor instead of mingling with the humans.

Jae-ha smiled and downed the rest of his drink, leaving the empty glass on the bar.

"Time for me to go, Yona dear. Love is calling."

Yona was busy taking some orders, so she just made a shooing motion with her hand. Jae-ha laughed and headed towards the man, who was still oblivious to his approach. He was serious, and his mouth moved as if he were talking to himself; he didn't look up even when Jae-ha stopped beside him.

"You look like you could use some company," Jae-ha said, leaning forward to speak closer to the man's ear under the pretense of not having to yell over the music.

The man jumped in surprise, taking a step back and turning startled eyes towards Jae-ha, who caught his breath when a beam of light fell on the stranger's face, much more beautiful now that he was seeing it up close. Bright blue eyes ran over Jae-ha's face, and for a moment they seemed to darken - a trick of the flickering lights, no doubt, for they were back to normal in a moment.

"W-What?" the man said, voice a bit harsh. Jae-ha backed away a little, giving him some space as if to show he was harmless.

"I was simply wondering what a lovely man such as yourself is doing all alone in a club like this."

For a few moments, the man stood speechless, hesitancy written across his face. Jae-ha was about to apologize and walk away - maybe he wasn't interested in other guys - when his expression changed to one of determination.

"I was... I'm Kija. Do you want to dance?" the man asked, and Jae-ha had to hold in his laughter at his awkwardness. It was almost endearing, the way Kija looked like he was readying himself for battle instead of trying to flirt with a stranger.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kija. I'm Jae-ha." Jae-ha took Kija's hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it. "I would love to dance with you."

He pulled Kija towards the middle of the dance floor, noticing the tension that still remained in his body even as he followed. Determined to get him to relax, Jae-ha kept his hands on Kija's waist even as they started dancing, glad that the crowd gave him an excuse to stay close without scaring him away.

Jae-ha was used to being the center of attention whenever he started dancing; his race's graceful way of moving was a beacon to human eyes, made even more apparent on the dance floor. This time, however, he felt like he wasn't the only one drawing fascinated stares. Kija's movements didn't look practiced, but they were flawless nonetheless. Jae-ha found himself pulling him closer still; Kija's hands made their way around his neck, nails scraping the skin with just a little too much force, making him shiver. Jae-ha's hands tightened on Kija's waist. He had no idea if the other was teasing him on purpose, but he didn't seem to be nearly as cautious as before. Seeing this as a good sign, Jae-ha brought his lips close to Kija's, giving plenty of time for him to pull back. He didn't, instead meeting Jae-ha halfway in a forceful kiss; no trace of hesitancy left as he opened his mouth for Jae-ha's tongue. Regardless of his previous awkwardness, Jae-ha was surprised to realize that Kija was a really good kisser.

Even though he wished he didn't have to let go of Kija so soon, being in the middle of the crowded dance floor was getting a bit uncomfortable. Leaving a trail of kisses on his jaw all the way to his hear, Jae-ha said, "Why don't we go somewhere more quiet?"

The grip on his neck tightened and Kija's eyes seemed to darken once again when he answered, his voice almost too low to be heard over the music.

"Okay."

Since he already knew the place, Jae-ha led the way through the dance floor towards a door at the back. This wasn't the first time he had taken someone to the alley behind the club; even if he'd rather go somewhere nicer, it wasn't smart for him to take just anyone to his house, which meant he was used to having to settle for whatever place he could find, as long as it was away from prying eyes.

Not loosening his hold on Kija's hand, Jae-ha ignored the cold air that hit them as they stepped outside the club. The alley was dark, and after the door slammed shut behind them all that was left of the music was a low beat slipping through the walls. Those things were barely registered in the back of Jae-ha's mind as he pushed Kija against the wall, their lips meeting once again in a desperate kiss.

Kija's hands were fisted in his shirt, pulling him closer, his lips moving down Jae-ha's chin to his neck. They burned a trail on his skin and Jae-ha groaned; every single thought skipping his mind as he focused on the heat, on how Kija's body trembled and heated up, almost like-

Jae-ha's eyes flew open and in a split second he'd pushed Kija away with all his inhuman strength. Pain tore through his chest, and when he looked down there were three long gashes, the blood already soaking through his torn shirt. His gaze moved to Kija, who had been thrown against the wall with enough force to crack some of the bricks behind him, but was already getting back up. His eyes glowed red, and his nails were now long and sharp, like claws - claws that had just tried to tear a hole through Jae-ha's chest.

"Oh, fuck," Jae-ha muttered, letting his wings unfold behind him as his eyes turned gold. This was definitely not the way he thought his night would go; if he hadn't sensed the demon's transformation in time, he'd be in pieces by now. "That's not what usually comes after kissing, you know? Attempted murder tends to ruin the mood."

"Quiet, angel," the last word was spit out like a curse as Kija attacked again. Jae-ha used his wings to get himself out of reach, but the alley was narrow, not giving him much room to maneuver. He could fly away from the building and hope that the demon would follow him, but there was a chance that he might stay and go after someone else instead, and Jae-ha couldn't allow that.

Kija was fast; he turned around, using the wall as leverage to jump, claws stretched out. Moments before they made contact, Jae-ha took advantage of Kija's lack of control over his jump and tried to dive below him, but the other managed to grab hold of one of his wings. Jae-ha hissed as the sensitive feathers were mangled; he willed the wings to disappear, getting rid of Kija's hold but causing them both to fall to the ground in a tangled mess.

Jae-ha kicked hard to dislodge Kija's body from the top of his own, ignoring the stabs of pain on his chest and back as he rolled to the side, raising himself so that he was the one hovering over Kija.

"You leave me no choice," he muttered, swinging his arm as if he was going to punch him. Midway through the movement, however, there was a flash of light, and what made contact with Kija's blocking arms was not Jae-ha's fist, but a glimmering blade, its color the same gold as Jae-ha's eyes. It sunk through flesh with a wet sound, grazing the bone, and Kija gritted his teeth against a scream, his eyes widening at the sight of the heavenly weapon.

Jae-ha smirked. He always got the same reaction whenever he used his dagger against demons. Instruments made from the steel of Heaven were not in the possession of many nowadays, but he'd always been careful with his collection; the element of surprise was a nice advantage to have in fights such as this one. The blade heated up in his hand when it made contact with Kija's arm, and Jae-ha was about to call the fight a win - most demons either ran away or succumbed quickly to their biggest weakness - when Kija did something unexpected. He pushed his arm forward and to the side, forcing the blade to slice through flesh until it was free, slick blood coating it and making Jae-ha's hold slippery.

Temporarily distracted by the shock, Jae-ha didn't move away from Kija's good arm in time. Fingers closed around his throat, the point of the demon's claws prickling the sensitive skin as he squeezed. A choked sound escaped Jae-ha's throat as his air was cut off; the hand that was holding the dagger loosened and caused the blade to fall to the ground and skitter to the side. Eyes starting to water, Jae-ha reached for it again, struggling against Kija's hold. Luckily for him, Kija was still debilitated by the effects of the heavenly weapon, so he was able to lean forward enough to grab the dagger again and blindly stab Kija's side, pushing the blade in as deeply as he could.

The demon let go of him with a hiss of pain, and Jae-ha was quick to push himself up and take a few steps back, pulling out the dagger as he went. He watched as Kija tried to stand up, leaning on the wall for support as he swayed unsteadily on his feet. Blood oozed out of his injury, darkening his clothes and pooling on the floor, filling the air with a metallic tang.

Incapable of speaking, he cast one last look at Jae-ha, eyes burning with hatred. Jae-ha prepared himself for another attack, but Kija turned his back to him, jumping high enough to catch hold of the top of the wall, pulling himself up with a groan. Jae-ha stood quietly, simply watching as the demon disappeared on the other side, conscious of the fact that his body hurt and he was still bleeding, until the sound of steps stumbling as they tried to run vanished.

Then, he reached inside his jacket, giving a sigh of relief when he saw that his cellphone had survived the fight nearly intact. He quickly dialed a well known number and brought the device up to his ears, gaze still fixed on the place where Kija had disappeared.

"Hak, you need to come outside."