"What?" Kija asked.

Jae-ha couldn't blame him for being surprised. He hadn't told Kija about the rumours Hak mentioned, mostly because he didn't want to give him false hope in case it turned out to be nothing. Even after hearing Kija's story the previous night, Jae-ha hadn't expected another village to actually exist.

"We were looking into some rumours for a while. I finally found the truth, but it seems we weren't careful enough about who we'd been posing questions to," Soo-Won said.

Yona nodded and added, "That's probably how they found out about us."

"Wait, you're talking about an actual village? With demons and angels living in it?"

"According to what we've heard, yes," Yona agreed. She turned to Jae-ha. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. We didn't know if we could trust him," she motioned towards Kija, throwing him an apologetic look.

"At the time, you probably couldn't," Jae-ha said, making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "That doesn't matter anymore. If they tracked you through your questioning, does that mean that now other demons know the location too?"

Kija turned pale, but to his relief, Soo-Won shook his head. "I don't think so. Those who know don't give out that information easily, and when they do, it's not where someone could overhear."

Jae-ha looked at his friends. Even if there were more preoccupying matters to discuss, he couldn't help but wonder what this meant to them. From the way Hak had talked at the club, it seemed like their decision to live in the village was set. Now that they had confirmation, it made no sense for them to wait any longer, and Jae-ha said as much.

"It's not that simple," Hak said. "First of all, we can't just appear there, or they'd attack us. We have to send a warning through Soo-Won's contact, and in the light of recent events, it would be too risky to do that so soon."

"Besides," Yona continued, "We said we'd investigate those demons. If there's more of them and we do nothing, what guarantees that they won't find the village eventually and destroy it? It's a representation of everything they hate."

Jae-ha had to admit they had a point. Thanks to Kija, he had a pretty clear mental image of what Yona was saying, although he didn't say it out loud. He looked at the demon, who had been quiet for some time. Despite his silence, however, his eyes were narrowed and he paid attention to everything they were saying. Compared to his attitude after he and Jae-ha had been attacked, he seemed like a completely different person.

"I heard something at the club," Hak said, causing Jae-ha to tear his gaze away from Kija. "Apparently, there's a heavenly weapon seller who operates in this city. His name is Hiyou."

"Never heard of him," Jae-ha said.

"I hadn't either. The few people who talked about him said he's rather shady, doesn't make deals out in the open very often."

"Shady, you say?" Jae-ha pondered. The guy seemed like a good lead to start with, and even if he turned out to be innocent, sellers tended to know the whereabouts of a lot of heavenly weapons. If there was another place where demons could get them in large quantity, he would probably know. "Did you happen to hear where we can find this Hiyou?"

Hak handed him a piece of paper with an address scribbled on it. Jae-ha examined it, not surprised to find that it referred to a place in the slums.

"We don't know if he is the one we're looking for, but we should still be careful about approaching him," Soo-Won said. "It would be better to observe him first, see if we can find out anything without revealing ourselves."

It was a reasonable idea, so they all agreed. Predictably, Hak was the first to offer to follow Hiyou, but Jae-ha cut him off before he could even finish talking.

"Don't get me wrong, but you look exhausted, Hak."

"I can go," Yona said. The effect was immediate; Soo-Won tightened his hold around her and Hak frowned, dismissing the idea of her going without him, both of them ignoring her protests. Jae-ha smiled at their overprotectiveness.

"I'll go," he said.

"Me too," Kija added, causing everyone to turn to him, but he was staring directly at Jae-ha.

Even though Kija's voice betrayed nothing, Jae-ha could see the plea in his eyes, a reflection of his desperation the previous night. He didn't have to think twice before he agreed. It would be the best chance for Kija to prove to the others he was serious about being on their side - Jae-ha couldn't say he still had doubts, but he wouldn't be able to explain his reasoning without exposing Kija's secrets.

After reassuring Hak and Yona about his decision, Jae-ha told them they'd leave as soon as he and Kija were ready. Now that Soo-Won was awake and they had nothing to do but wait for Jae-ha and Kija to come back, Yona insisted Soo-Won, Hak and she would return to her and Hak's apartment downtown, having already abused of Jae-ha's hospitality. They would still be safe from any attacks there, since they'd never met at their own places before, making it unlikely for any enemies to know the location.

"I could never complain about having so many beautiful people in my house, Yona dear," Jae-ha said, making her laugh, but it was impossible to change her mind.

A couple of hours later, with the others already gone, Jae-ha and Kija left the building, this time on foot instead of flying since the sun was high in the sky. Before they went to the designated address, however, Kija insisted on dropping by his place to get some of his own clothes. Though their bodies were similar, Kija was shorter, and he'd had to roll up both the sleeves of his shirt and the jeans he'd borrowed for them to fit. No matter how many times Jae-ha joked that he looked adorable, it only seemed to make him angry and more determined to get changed.

Jae-ha was amazed at how at ease he felt with Kija now, despite the fact that he'd tried to kill him not even two days ago. It was like a weight had been lifted off the demon's shoulders during their conversation that night, and while sometimes he still got that dark look on his face, he mostly seemed enthusiastic about their mission.

To Jae-ha's surprise, Kija lived only a few blocks away from him. His apartment was almost bare except for a few personal belongings, but everything was neatly organized. It was common for immortal beings such as themselves to have extravagant homes, since so many years on Earth often allowed them to earn enough money to live comfortably - Jae-ha admitted that he had spared no expense when choosing his own apartment - but this small place suited Kija.

They didn't stay for long; as soon as Kija was ready, they called a cab to take them to the most dangerous side of town. The further away they got from the richest neighborhoods, the more apparent the changes in scenario became. The abandoned buildings increased in number, just like the amount of litter on the streets, and the few businesses that had their doors open were nothing more than shabby, suspicious looking places.

"Such a lovely place," Jae-ha mused out loud as soon as they got out of the cab.

"If this is where he makes his deals, it's no wonder people say he's shady," Kija said. "Should we use the buildings to get closer? There's no one around."

Jae-ha agreed, checking again for any onlookers before opening his wings. Next to him, Kija took on his demon form, getting ready to climb the walls of the nearest construction. They made their way towards Hiyou's meeting place, switching from walking on the rooftops to sneaking through the abandoned buildings, always keeping an eye out for any strange movement.

Finally, they reached the address written in the note Hak had given them. It was a street like all the others, except for the man sitting in front of an old hotel. Jae-ha sucked in a breath when they got close enough to take a look at his face; he was most likely Hiyou, since Jae-ha could see the man was stunning like every other fallen angel, but his beauty was marred by a huge scar on his forehead.

"How can he have that?" Kija whispered, looking as taken aback as Jae-ha. "Even wounds made by our claws leave no marks after they heal."

Jae-ha gritted his teeth, sweeping his gaze once again over the other buildings. They were hidden in the abandoned second floor of one of them, where a window allowed them to look outside without being seen, but that man had left Jae-ha feeling restless.

"The only way to have a scar," he explained, "is if it was done before you were cast down. It's a punishment from Heaven." He sighed. "This guy isn't good news."

For a few minutes, nothing happened, but suddenly Kija gripped Jae-ha's arm, motioning to the corner of the street. A young boy, apparently human, was walking towards the man, something held tightly in his hand. He approached Hiyou, saying a few words and handing him a piece of paper before running away.

Hiyou looked at the paper for a brief moment before tearing it to pieces and scattering them in the wind. Then, he got up, looking around with narrowed eyes. Both Jae-ha and Kija held their breath, but the fallen angel didn't notice them, disappearing inside the hotel.

"There was something in that paper. We have to find out what it is," Kija said. He was about to jump out the window when Jae-ha stopped him, hissing "Wait!" and pointing to the higher floors of the surrounding buildings. Though they'd go unnoticed for anyone who wasn't paying attention, several figures were making their way through the construction towards the street that faced the back of the hotel.

"He's going somewhere," Jae-ha whispered. He looked at Kija, a warning clear on his voice when he said, "We have to be careful. We don't want to have to fight those guys."

Kija nodded. As soon as they made it to the other street, they saw Hiyou turning the next corner, having left through the back door of the hotel. Keeping as much distance as they could, Jae-ha and Kija followed him through the slums, until the fallen angel stopped in front of a closed warehouse. He kept looking impatiently at his watch; not long after, however, three demons came out of the shadows cast by nearby buildings, fully transformed even though it was broad daylight.

"It's them," Kija hissed, his voice trembling as his eyes turned red. "Let's kill them."

"Shh," Jae-ha shushed, grabbing hold of Kija's hand before he could do anything stupid. "We are just observing."

A few feet away from them, Hiyou frowned, looking with distate at his newest companions.

"Does Kumji tell you to do this on purpose? He knows I hate to be kept waiting."

"Where are the weapons?" the tallest demon asked, ignoring the other's rhetoric question and flexing his claws.

Hiyou extended his hands and with a flash two identical swords appeared, both blades shining with the gold color of heavenly steel. One of the demons stepped forward, holding out a box in which the swords were placed.

"I heard some of you were killed and the weapons stolen yesterday," Hiyou said, his voice taking on a dangerous edge. "Tsk. That's troublesome. I will let it go this time, but the next I won't be so kind." In a second, he was close to the demon holding the box, the blade of one of the swords held extremely close to his neck. "I do not wish anyone to trace them back to me."

The other men started to advance towards him, but before they could do anything Hiyou had stepped away, putting the sword back in its place.

"Tell Kumji I expect better payment the next time he wants an order on such short notice," Hiyou said, already turning his back to the demons and going back the way he'd come.

In the place they were hidden, Jae-ha was struggling to keep Kija from attacking. Only after both Hiyou and his clients had been gone for a few minutes did Kija relax and Jae-ha felt it was safe to release his hold on him. Both of them were breathing hard as they stared at the place the transaction had taken place, the danger of the situation finally made real by what they'd witnessed.

"Let's go back," Jae-ha said, "And tell the others we found our man."

As soon as they got back to Jae-ha's apartment, he called Hak to share the information they'd gotten. In a way, there were lucky that their first clue had proven to be useful, but now they could see that their enemies were more than just random demons they could easily confront. From what Hiyou said, this Kumji man was the one responsible for arming them with heavenly weapons, so it seemed reasonable to believe that he could be the also giving out the orders for the attacks.

"We need to find out more about Kumji," Hak said. In the background, Jae-ha could hear Soo-Won and Yona's voices, though he couldn't distinguish what they were saying. "Right now, our best source of information is Hiyou. You've proved that he can be followed, so we should use that to try to find out where Kumji is hiding."

"The meetings don't seem to be planned, so there's no way to know when he'll meet Kumji's men. We'll have to tail him all day long," Jae-ha said. It was more of a statement than a complaint; it would be hard, but they could all take turns, and once Soo-Won was fully recovered he could help as well.

The rest of the conversation with Hak consisted of a discussion of how they should proceed, since he intended to continue following Hiyou the next day already. As soon as Jae-ha hung up, Kija asked him from his place on the couch, "Well?"

"We'll gather more info on Kumji until we find his hideout. Hak and Yona offered to follow Hiyou tomorrow morning, and we'll take their place later."

Kija assented, and an awkward silence settled over them. Now that the action was over, Jae-ha became aware of how strangely their relationship had progressed. He had no idea what to do next; Kija wasn't his prisoner anymore, but it felt wrong to think of him as just a friend, especially because their make-out session from two days ago was still fresh on his mind.

"I should, ahn, go home," Kija said, getting up and twisting his hands nervously. "We'll meet tomorrow then?"

It took a moment for Jae-ha to realize what Kija had said; it had slipped his mind that the demon would want to go back to his own apartment, even though that should've been obvious. He opened his mouth, hesitated, then said, "Sure. Should I call you when it's time for us to go?"

"I don't have a phone."

Jae-ha looked with disbelief at Kija, who just shrugged. "There was no need for one."

"I know we live forever, but this is the twenty-first century. Who doesn't own a cellphone?"

Kija huffed, crossing his arms and refusing to answer. Jae-ha laughed at his attitude. He might make a habit out of teasing him, since this kind of angry Kija was one he enjoyed seeing.

"I'll come by your place before we leave, then," Jae-ha said.

With that decided, Kija didn't take long to leave, saying an awkward goodbye before closing the door behind him. As soon as he was alone, Jae-ha pressed his forehead against the door, his eyes closing. He'd had so many lovers throughout the years he barely remembered the last time he'd been so clueless of how to react in such a situation, and it made him restless to be feeling like that because of Kija.

"Damn it."

During the following weeks, they maintained a heavy surveillance over Hiyou, taking note of everything about his meetings with Kumji's men - how often they happened, how the demons talked, what weapons were ordered the most. They were able to gather bits of useful information, but Kumji's hideout remained unknown. Even following Hiyou's clients proved to be fruitless, since the weapons were taken directly to the other demons' hands instead of brought to their leader.

While it was stressful for things to be moving so slowly, Jae-ha found himself enjoying the missions that allowed him to be close to Kija. They had created somewhat of a routine whenever it was their turn to follow Hiyou. It had started when, after a particularly tiring meeting that had forced them to hide in the same spot for over three hours, Jae-ha suggested they get something to eat. The same thing repeated itself the following nights - stalk Hiyou, then go out to get dinner or order something at Jae-ha's place. Sometimes, they lost track of time and Kija ended up sleeping on the couch, always blushing when Jae-ha half-joked about him being welcome to share his bed.

Nearly a month after their first meeting in the Broken Wings, while they were walking around trying to decide on a place to go, Jae-ha suggested they go back to the club. He missed dancing, and the atmosphere in there could surely make them forget about the dangerous stuff, even if for just a few hours. Kija, however, didn't seem so keen on the idea.

"Have you forgotten what I am?" he asked, but Jae-ha laughed, shaking his head as he threw an arm around Kija, playing with a strand of his hair.

"No one will notice. You had me fooled the first time, after all," he winked, loving the way Kija stuttered before finding his voice again.

"I don't really enjoy crowded places."

"Just focus on my beautiful face and you won't even notice there're other people," Jae-ha said. As they'd become closer, it'd gotten easier to flirt with Kija, even if sometimes Jae-ha was more serious than he'd like to admit through his playful tone.

It took some convincing, but Kija finally agreed to go to the Broken Wings. They were lucky enough to arrive early, before the usual crowd had gathered outside - with a demon in tow, Jae-ha couldn't risk entering through the VIP line.

If Yona was surprised to see them there, she didn't mention it; handing them drinks, she just smiled before getting back to her other clients. Jae-ha was thankful, since he hadn't gone there to chat. He wanted to focus on making Kija have fun, which didn't seem to be happening if he judged by the other's expression.

Leaving his drink on the bar, he took hold of Kija's free hand and kissed it, mimicking how he'd done the first time they'd met.

"Do you want to dance?"

Kija smiled at the echo of his own words before nodding, putting his glass next to Jae-ha's and following him to the dance floor.

It was the same from their first dance together, but it was also completely different. There was no tension in Kija's body, nor hesitation on Jae-ha's part when he pulled him closer, yet they still moved in sync easily, enthralling those who watched them. Jae-ha had always loved dancing, but he thought he'd never enjoy it the same way if he didn't have Kija moving next to him.

They stayed like that for hours, through slow and fast songs. Jae-ha tickled Kija's neck with his lips, making the other let out a breathless laugh; in return, Kija wound his fingers through the hair on his nape and tightened his hold, causing Jae-ha to suppress a groan.

"You're killing me," he whispered in Kija's ear, not caring about how things were moving towards a path they had yet to discuss, even though it had been looming ahead of them for some time now.

Kija's answer was to pull Jae-ha's head towards him and press their lips together. The familiar need sparked inside Jae-ha, making him crush Kija's body against his, deepening the kiss until his breath was coming out in gasps.

"There's no way we're going to that back alley this time," Kija said and Jae-ha laughed, already pulling him away from the dance floor in the direction of the exit.

"Don't worry, we won't."

As soon as they were in a deserted place, Jae-ha opened his wings and picked Kija up before taking off to the skies. His place had never seemed that far, but eventually they arrived on the balcony, tumbling inside with their mouths glued to each other.

Once they were settled on Jae-ha's bed, however, the desperation that had been consuming them vanished. Jae-ha took his time discovering Kija's skin, sucking at every new sensitive spot he found and making the demon whimper; Kija's hands wandered down Jae-ha's chest, short nails scraping lightly against his nipples, drawing a low moan from his throat.

"Kija," Jae-ha groaned when their lower bodies made contact.

"How do you want this?" Kija asked, his face flushed as he brought his hand down to brush against Jae-ha's cock.

"I want you inside me," Jae-ha gasped, pleasure flashing hot behind his eyelids as he pressed against Kija's touch. He blindly reached towards his nightstand, opening the drawer and pulling out a bottle of lube.

One of Kija's hands reached to pull off the elastic that held Jae-ha's hair, letting the strands fall, shielding them both. His fingers found Jae-ha's entrance and the angel whimpered, need coiling in his gut as he trembled with the effort to stay still.

"Please," Jae-ha said, and then Kija was slowly stretching him, and it was too much but it was also not enough, and Jae-ha's thoughts stopped making sense as he could only focus on Kija's touch and the burn of his skin against his. The demon's eyes had turned red, and Jae-ha couldn't look away as Kija replaced his fingers with his cock.

They both moaned when he slid in, Jae-ha's wings unfolding as he lost control over his transformation. He froze for a moment, but before he could make them disappear again Kija grabbed hold of the feathers near his shoulder blades with enough force to make Jae-ha feel like he would come right then. Kija raised his upper body until Jae-ha was sitting on his lap, burying his face in his hair as he willed Jae-ha to move by the pull on his wings.

"Jae-ha," Kija groaned. Jae-ha tightened his hold on his shoulders, moving to capture his mouth in a kiss, and then he was lost; the world narrowed down to Kija's skin sliding against his, to the feel of his fingers as they moved through his feathers, to the sound of his voice when Jae-ha's name fell from his lips as his hips stilled, to the teeth that bit into his neck and made him scream as Jae-ha's release washed over him with a blinding force.

Jae-ha's wings disappeared and they fell back on the bed, their breaths coming out in short gasps as he raised his head to look at Kija. The demon smiled and Jae-ha's heart sped up again, the feelings he'd been fighting for the past month coming to the surface. He smiled back, threading his fingers through Kija's and kissing his knuckles one by one before settling their joined hands over his chest.

Later, they'd have to move in order to get cleaned up, but for now all Jae-ha wanted to do was stay in Kija's arms for a little longer.

When Jae-ha woke up to the sound of his ringtone, his arms were draped over Kija's waist. He tightened his hold, pulling the demon closer and ignoring the annoying sound until Kija started to stir, his hair brushing over Jae-ha's face as he turned his head back as far as he could.

"You should answer that," he said with a yawn, and Jae-ha cursed whoever was calling him at this hour and preventing him from having a nice morning in bed with his recently-turned-lover. He reached for his phone, pressing the call button before checking the caller ID.

"Time to wake up, lovebirds," Hak's voice sounded through the speakers. "Droopy Eyes, I sincerely hope you two are dressed and presentable within the next fifteen minutes, because we're dropping by."

Jae-ha didn't even have time to think up all the names he wanted to call Hak when his friend spoke again, his voice serious this time.

"Soo-Won has a plan to defeat Kumji."