Mornings at the apartment were downright mad when everyone gathered together under the roof of what seemed to be the smallest kitchen to ever be constructed. Seven people; three vampires, three half vampires and one human all bustling around in the compact space got crowded and started arguments when someone’s elbow jammed here or another person’s knee bumped into there. It wasn’t a true Kim family morning without unnecessarily loud quarrels.
The blame always fell on the humans; the twins, Hoseok and Seokjin. The four who obtained energy by consuming food found it necessary to fight over what would be for breakfast every single morning. Seokjin wanted pancakes, Hoseok wanted French toast, the twins wanted rice and fish, and there were never agreements met between them. Seokjin nearly always won, partly because he was the goddamn cook and he was going to whip up what he damn well wanted, thank you. Namjoon, Jungkook and Yoongi would already be patiently seated at the dining table, they were all forced to eat together (blame the human for his strange family traditions), and would watch the others bicker back and forth while slowly sipping on their thick refreshments of blood.
Today was barely different. The usual four were acting out their predictable scene of bellowing over each other, Namjoon, Jungkook and Yoongi perched in the hard wooden chairs a few feet away, two elders slurping red liquid into their mouths with the assistance of the thinly attached tubes. Jungkook decided he wasn’t particularly hungry and skipped out on his portion of blood, went for frowning at his lap for most of meal time, even when the twins began throwing their food back and forth and Seokjin knowingly squeezed at his knee beneath the table’s surface.
He was awake last night; felt Namjoon’s chest rumble the spot between his shoulder blades as he groaned, scrunched his face immediately at the lack of security, vanishing sense of protection as the vampire’s arm reluctantly slid from the dip of his waist when the barely audible blubbers of the youngest seeped through the thick walls of their bedroom, realized Namjoon probably heard them like Jungkook was right beside him crying directly into his ear. He repeatedly contemplated on if he should go in to help but then he’d remember how Jungkook felt small and childish and too babied if he or Namjoon got even the slightest bit parent-like towards him, knew Namjoon had it under control if the careful murmurs that replaced the weeping were anything to go by. He heard the faint bicker of the twins too, figured he could help there instead but the bed was significantly warmer with his frosty Demon gone and he found it difficult to slip away when it seemed so much easier to fall back to sleep instead. Jungkook was being eased and the twins fighting wasn’t anything new, so he was able to peacefully close his eyes and drift off to a land where he didn’t have five immortal children and a few millennium old roommate.
Seokjin leaves for work at the coffee shop just a bit after breakfast is finished; once his lavender-smelling sweater and crisply ironed pants are thrown on, once he makes sure Namjoon swears to take the twins for lunch because we don’t need our building catching fire because you tried to cook again Demon, once he’s satisfied with the annoyed expressions of Jungkook, Taehyung and Jimin as he leaves sloppy smooches at the crown of all three of their foreheads while they’re squished together in a line on the couch, too concentrated on their video games to put up much of a fuss.
Namjoon pitched him a coat before he, along with Yoongi and Hoseok who were on their way to the gym, disappeared behind the elevator doors. Paranoia surged through him and he waited out in the smelly, dimly lit hallway and listened until the familiar sounds of glass mugs clinking against each other rang back into his ears as the cafe was set up.
When Namjoon spun to enter the apartment, his son was leaned against the threshold of the door, bundled up in a black pull over jacket and matching beanie, leader’s shoulders jerking in slight shock since his hearing was channeled to one place and left him unaware of his surroundings, therefore startled by Jungkook’s sneak up.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Jungkook steps out to stand with his father when his brothers kick up another argument behind him, hand quietly shutting the door with a twisted arm.
“She’s leaving,”
Namjoon takes a step forward, brings himself into Jungkook’s personal space and manages to make them both feel slightly uncomfortable when he tilts his head back and their faces are close enough to be considered inappropriate between a father and son.
“She,”
Namjoon could see into Jungkook’s mind, which was in shambles, chaotic jumbled thoughts unconfined and loose from their places because the simple thought of you had everything crumbling down in Jungkook’s world.
“Y/n,”
He says your name quietly, so delicately like he wasn’t worthy of speaking it out loud and if you heard him, you’d unleash the wrath from hell itself down upon him. Namjoon observes his body language, grows confused at the distressed, needy, helpless expression on his son’s face.
“Bunny,” Namjoon sighs and Jungkook glances to where he was weaving his fingers together; his tone didn’t sound promising. “Just… Remember to eat something. Don’t skip lunch too or your- Seokjin, he’ll kill me. Try to anyway.”
Namjoon himself could skip a feeding for a day or two, sometimes weeks then sometimes there’s months where he forgets to eat while trying to keep his household from falling apart, but he’d be damned if any of his kids missed even one of their three daily doses of enriched blood. Jungkook wasn’t feeling decent this morning and blood only would’ve made him feel worse, so Namjoon allowed for him to ditch his bag. But now, Jungkook was happier, sunrise depression long forgotten and he could feed without feeling like he could die, again.
Jungkook’s dull eyes flash a brilliant cerulean blue in excitement when he lifts his head at his father’s response. He easily nods, finding it hard to keep his happiness masked.
“Okay, I will-”
“You better. I mean it,”
Namjoon didn’t mean to be so stern all the time but it was the only way to get through to teenagers effectively, he learned that very quickly.
“Go,”
He reaches for the golden handle and Jungkook’s face at the same time, palm affectionately patting the younger’s cheek twice before the door is swung open and the leader enters the apartment.
Outside, Jungkook huddles beneath the safe shade of the building’s arch over the doors, away from the blazing sun that would have his skin bubbling after a few minutes of contact. He feels his chest explode when his eyes land upon your figure across the busy street, glimpses of you descending the stairs of your own apartment building flickering at him between the spaces of the passing cars. He couldn’t help but think about how adorable you were, dressed similarly casual like him in a hoodie and pair of sweats with unruly hair carelessly done, black rimmed pair of glasses perched on your nose. Jungkook could smell your sweet perfume from where he was stood, the supple scent riding the waves of the breeze that swirled into his nose and forced him to face the brick wall when his eyes went blue again with lust. He wanted nothing more than to nuzzle into the crook of your neck and smell you up close instead of from across the street, really hold you to his body with his hands instead of just dream about it.
On the other side of the road, you were stomping your heels and huffing the loose strands of your messy hair out of your face while you frustratingly dug into the dark confines of your bag. You had to push your glasses back up from where they slid down the bridge of your nose multiple times, only furthering your irritation. A forever long trip back up to the sixth floor of your apartment building, courtesy of the broken elevator, didn’t sound like a cup of tea and only sent your mood spiraling downwards until-
“Fucking finally,”
Your hand grips around your cellphone and you yank it out from the bottom of your pencils and notebooks and cases and scarf and everything else it decided to bury itself beneath to make your morning harder. You throw the strap back over your shoulder and continue on your journey to the coffee shop, your body easily fleeting between the traffic of passengers on the walkway while you dialed a familiar number.
“Hello, love,”
“Mark,”
You were seething angrily through your teeth, quietly under your breath as to not attract the attention of the others around you.
“Yes, baby. That is me,”
“Where the-“
You cut yourself off when your voice unintentionally gets louder, taking a glance around to double check no one could hear you before safely lowering your voice more.
“Where the fuck is my car,”
“Oh, did you need it?”
“Mark Tuan!”
Your frustration was becoming apparent and your boyfriend was laughing on the other end of the call.
“You have god damn super speed, I do not!”
“Baby, calm down,”
“I have so much shit to do today, it’s unbelievable,”
The scratch in your voice is whiny and makes you seem like you’re on the verge of tears as you pull on the handle of the shop, and your boyfriend sighs into your ear.
“Do you need the car back y/n? I can bring it to you,”
It was your turn to slowly breathe out, exhaustion weighing down your shoulders while you walk up to the counter and comb some fingers through the front of your hair to clear your vision of curled strays. You order something hot, large and strong to help with the bags beneath your eyes, smiling at the cute barista with defined muscles and a pretty face.
“No,”
You finally reply to Mark, swiveling on your heels to lean against the marbled edge of the flat top.
“I can just walk; it’s really not that big of a deal. You just have to tell me when you’re going to use my car next time Mark so I can get a head start on all the errands.”
“I will not take the car without your permission anymore love; I apologize for doing so,”
A frown adorns your face and the small flame of hope you had left diminishes with his distant tone.
“You’re not even paying attention,”
“Miss,”
You flip around and mouth a thank you at the boy, taking your warm cup and sliding him a few bills.
“Keep the change,”
His face brightens up and his thankful wave is the last thing you catch before you’re shuffling away with hands full, purse tucked under your arm, coffee in one hand and phone in the other.
“Mark, what the hell are you doing that you can’t talk to your girlfriend for five fucking minutes? Hello? Who are you with?”
“Love, I’ve got to call you back,”
“You better think twice before you hang up on me Mark Tuan,”
It was the second time you’ve said his full name and he knew that meant you were seriously upset and just wanted him to reassure you and calm you down before your day got any worse, but he had a situation on his hands. You are turning around to open the coffee house door with your lower back when he speaks.
“I’m sorry, I love you,”
“Mark!”
The dial tone reaches your ears and you gape in astonishment, not believing that he had actually ended the call with you. You grumble silent profanities at him, mapping out ways to kill him in your mind as you stomp your way out into the busy morning. One more step brings you in contact with the firm chest of an innocent man, a very tall innocent man. There’s sharp pain in your nose and there’s scalding liquid splashing through your hoodie and soaking your torso in burns. Your bag disappears, your phone flies and the awkward position of your feet has you falling to the sidewalk with each of your belongings.
“Fuck, are you alright?”
The man you glance up at has dark eyebrows that are turned down, soft looking pink lips pressed tight, eyes the color of your spilled drink drowning in concern flicking back and forth between your own.
“I um,”
His hand is outstretched for you and when you wrap your own around his, the yank away is inevitable with his palm the temperature of snow, icicles finding home in your veins. Your wide, knowing eyes go to his and suddenly you’re okay to help yourself up, heart skipping a few beats when you see his jacket, looking similar to your own.
“I-I’m sorry, holy shit, I’m so sorry. You’re all,”
You go to gesture to the mess you’ve made but his face distracts you, still scrunched up in mixed emotions.
“Um..”
“I asked if you were alright,”
He repeats himself and you can’t tell if the blush on your cheeks and neck is because of appreciation or fear.
“I’m fine I’m,”
Your eyes grow larger and you look down to search the sidewalk, knees quickly collapsing under you to bring you close enough to grab your phone. You flip it over and your face falls at the artistic cracks that tree branched over your screen, your finger delicately smoothing them over. Sadly enough, that wasn’t your biggest problem. You stuff your totaled phone into your bag and throw it over your shoulder when you stand up, facing the boy again after you grab your still thankfully intact glasses and slip them on.
“I’m really sorry again I,”
You bite your lip and his eyes are immediately on your mouth, hungrily taking in the sight of you rolling flesh between your teeth until it’s released and he’s forced to look away in embarrassment, hands scrambling to fix the beanie that was fine without adjustments.
“Can I take you to a laundry mat to clean your clothes? Maybe buy you a drink; I know I’m going to need a refill,”
You sensed the rejection even before he tried waving you off and shaking his head.
“Please. It will make me feel a lot better if I know I’m the one who cleaned them; the building is just around the corner. It’s the least I can do after running into you so roughly,”
“Really, it’s-“
“Great, let’s go,”
He’s shocked when you reach for his wrist, freezing under your tight grip but you ignore the familiar feeling to it and begin dragging him towards the closest cleaners you could remember off the top of your head. But then a thought enters your mind and you abruptly stop and turn to him, yelping when you’re met with the firm wall of his chest for the second time.
“Jungkook,”
You take a step back and look up, dropping his arm and letting it fall to his side.
“What?”
“My name,”
He confirms and your suspicious only grow about him but you slowly nod and recite yours back. After the uncomfortable exchange and listening to him quietly murmur your name a few times, you’re back to walking beside each other in silence. You learn quickly that he isn’t much of a talker, though neither are you, especially to people with intimidatingly handsome faces.
The heat wasn’t helping the strong stench of coffee weighing down your clothing as you made your way passed people and their judgmental stares. The uneasiness doesn’t lift from the air until you’ve both rounded the corner and the cleaning department comes into your view. Unconsciously, the both of you began to quicken your pace.
Jungkook’s arm stretches around you and beats your hand to the door, effortlessly pulling it open and gesturing you first. You thank him under your breath and duck inside the empty building quickly to avoid his notice of your pink cheeks, body weaving through the maze of washing machines and dryers with him trailing behind you. As you walk to the back, your nose catches onto the sharp stench of stinky bleach and the overwhelming perfume of mixed laundry detergents, from lavender to ocean breeze. You could’ve chosen any of the machines, given the place was vacant of anyone besides you, Jungkook and an elderly worker and all were available, but you pick the appliances closest to the vending machines and waiting tables.
You slowly lift up the lid and peek into the shiny tumbler before you fingered the hem of your coat and glanced at Jungkook.
“Is this one okay?”
He distractedly nods, eyes boring into the small sliver of skin you were revealing to him. Suddenly, you felt embarrassed to get undressed in front of a stranger, but you needed your jacket washed and you weren’t going to be the only one feeling exposed you hoped.
Upon realizing that you were a bit shy and hesitant, Jungkook steps forward and bends his arms over his shoulders to take fistfuls of the back of his hoodie. When he yanks on the material, dragging it up and over his head, his shirt gets caught on the inside but before you were able to catch a glimpse of the blindingly pale skin of his lower back, his hand is positioning his shirt back into place as he tosses his coat into the machine. Noticing his bed-infused mess of hair, you squat to pick up the beanie that had fallen off and drape it over the ledge of the machine in front of him.
“Thanks, your turn,”
He shoots you a sly smile and you puff air into your cheeks, sliding your purse off of your shoulder and prying it open to find some cash. Jungkook’s confused at the bills you shove into his hand, but you just hand him your purse and point behind you.
“Get us drinks and pick a seat? Uh, please,”
He stares down at you in amusement, completely sensing the insecurity washing over you and he nods, slides your purse on and maneuvers his way around towards the tables. You let out a breath and quickly rip off your soaking coat to toss into the washer. You scoop up the grains of laundry soap and dump them in, turn the dial until water is gushing out and you watch, mesmerized for a few seconds before you drop the lid and go to join Jungkook.
“Does this usually take a while?”
You smile sympathetically at him leaned up against the vending machine, arms crossed over his chest, and hope he doesn’t have to be anywhere anytime soon, pulling yourself out a chair to sit on.
“It’s not a necessarily fast process, the washing is about ten and then drying maybe another fifteen. Could be less since it’s not a full load you know? It’s only our jackets,”
Jungkook shrugs and you watch him push off of the drink dispenser and slowly drag his finger over the many buttons of choices, eyes locked on yours. It almost makes you choke, almost.
“What would you like?”
“Anything hot,”
You fold your arms over each other and lay your head down, a deep sigh escaping your lips. You keep your eyes closed and enjoy the darkness, basking in the loud heavy shake of your washing clothes and lemony smell of the clean table surface beneath you. You only look up when you feel warmth radiating next to your hand, groaning thankfully at the sight of a steaming drink placed in front of you. Your fingers close around the small cup, palms warming quickly while you raise the rim to your mouth and take a careful sip. Humming in satisfaction, your eyes peek over the edge at Jungkook leaning all of his weight onto his hands, curled around the sides of the vending machine while he scanned the soda options.
Under his form-fitting black shirt, you could see his shoulder blades bulging with his defined surrounding muscles, the arm holes looking about to rip at the seams at the abnormal yet beautiful size of his biceps. You tilt your head and wonder if he knows about the tear he had in his back pocket that was revealing the smallest patch of navy blue underwear.
One of his large hands swiftly blocks your view as if he had been listening in on your thoughts and it causes you to jump in surprise, eyes widening and fingers quickly tightening around your cup when it almost slips from your grip. You clear your throat and avert your eyes to the chipping paint on the wall instead, waiting for him to pick something and sit down across from you.
“So,”
You try to hide the fact that you were shamelessly staring at his ass less than thirty seconds before, knew it was written all over your face in permanent marker and knowing Jungkook could read you better than your own boyfriend was able didn’t make you fidget any less under his intense gaze.
“How old are you?”
“Eighteen,”
His answer is fast; so fast it takes you a few extra seconds to comprehend that he had already replied.
“Right, okay,”
Your nails pick and pull at the ledge around your cup, peeling at the paper and uncurling it as a distraction.
“Do you live around here?”
When he doesn’t respond as quick, your eyes flick up to meet his heavy glare, the way his eyebrows were frowning giving off the impression of conflict inside his head. You could tell by his shiny eyes he was hiding something from you when he spoke simply.
“Somewhat,”
You decide not to pry and go with nodding, gulping down another drink. You’re scoping out the bright white of every small and big item in the space, skipping over the worker who was busying herself with a magazine straight into the old, dusty gaming area, scrunching your face up in disgust at the lack of wipe downs when Jungkook says something.
“Sorry, what?”
Your eyes are back on his and you couldn’t understand why it felt so familiar, why it felt like you stared into those same eyes every night.
“Do you?”
He repeats himself and he must notice that you’re confused because the cutest laugh you’ve ever heard come from a man tumbles from his plush lips and floats over the table into your ears.
“Live around here y/n, do you?”
Once he clarifies what he meant, you contemplate slapping yourself for forgetting about the conversation.
“Up the street, a few buildings down from the coffee shop,”
His tongue prods at the corner of his faint smile, his dark corneas glued onto yours as if he were in awe of you, unable to tear away or blink.
“Are you okay?”
You swipe your hand through his sight line but he doesn’t flinch, retracts his tongue and raises his eyebrows in questioning.
“Hmm?”
“Are you okay? You like, dozed off,”
“Yes.. yes!”
You get startled when he raises his voice and there’s an unpleasant screeching as he abruptly shoves himself backward in his chair to stand up.
“Sorry um, I’ll switch our clothes to the dryer,”
“I don’t think..”
He’s gone before you could tell him they weren’t finished washing yet, your eyes landing upon his untouched can of Mt. Dew. You wait for him to return, watching his every move as he purposely avoids your gaze.
“Do you have family?”
“What?”
You could tell by the tone of his voice he wasn’t surprised by what you had asked, was expecting it to come sooner or later.
“Family, you said you were eighteen,”
“Right, uh,”
His arm is back to flexing when his fingers comb through black curls, stretching above his head to scratch the back of his neck.
“You don’t need to answer,”
You rub at the surface of the table, hoping he wouldn’t notice the way you were looking at him. He did, and you knew because he cleared his throat and had to look away, jaw clenched and hands curled into fists.
“It’s fine,”
He replies but doesn’t look back.
“My… family is pretty scattered,”
“Why did they leave?”
He finally looks at you and your cheeks flush of heat and color.
“Sorry,”
“No it’s, okay. They,”
He swallowed, carefully searching for the right words.
“My dad’s got quite a few kids, and we don’t all get along I guess? So a lot of my brothers and sisters took off when us youngers came,”
You push your empty cup away from you and fold your arms in a comfortable resting place for your head, blinking at him in interest.
“At the house now, there’s just me and a couple of my other brothers. My dad of course and his, I don’t even know what Seokjin is. He acts like such a mother sometimes, I suppose that’s what he can be,”
“You don’t have a mom?”
Your eyes widen with your rude question and you lift up, quickly shaking your head.
“I’m so sorry, that’s not what I,”
“It’s okay,”
He chuckles and waves you off and you slowly lower yourself back down to rest, embarrassed. Jungkook sucks on his bottom lip when he can’t find anything to say.
“None of us have a mom, I know that much. None of us ever knew her, about her, if she even existed in the first place. It’s always just been my dad and us, raising us all up by himself. Seokjin helps with that though, a lot. He cooks for us every day, he goes to work and spends every penny earned on us kids, he protects us, he treats us like we’re his own and I’m very grateful for him, immensely,”
“You’re the youngest?”
He nods.
“There’s me, then the twins, then Hoseok, then Yoongi. He’s the oldest and he’s the most grumpy but also the most protective. Hoseok is, he’s.. um,”
You giggle and Jungkook smiles at his lap.
“He’s happy, all the time. Very energetic and jumpy and just, loves everyone and everything. Really values life I guess. The twins, huh,”
“Identical?”
His eyes meet yours for the briefest moment and it sends shivers down your spine.
“Actually, no,”
You nod as best you could with your chin tucked between your elbow.
“They’re completely different when it comes to looks. Tae has blonde hair, Jimin has black. Jimin’s eyes are a different shape, Tae’s nose is more defined. Jimin’s short, Tae’s taller. Their appearance plays a huge part in their differences but they’re brothers you know, they don’t care about that, only the similarities matter. They’re also something, always arguing but it’s mostly just playful bickering back and forth between siblings,”
“Then there’s me, the baby,”
“And what are you like?”
Your eyes were closed, ears greedily capturing the smooth sound of his voice, the skillfully hidden affection wrapped around the words he spoke.
“I’m… quiet. Shy, anxious about everything, constantly worried about the small things, protective. I- sad?”
When you open your eyes at the sudden drop in playful joking, Jungkook’s frowning at you in shock. Before you can say anything, you’re startled by the loud buzzer of the dryer behind you, signaling the end of the cycle. Jungkook crosses his eyes and imitates the sound in a deep voice, bringing a smile to your face while he stands up to check your clothes.
—
Jungkook painfully itches at the irritation blooming along his body as he walks into the apartment, skin red and flaky from the blazing sun and poisoning lights at the laundry mat. He strips his coat at the door, kicks his shoes off and makes his way into the living room.
“Dad,”
His father offers a nod in greeting from his comfortable position in the loveseat, not tearing his eyes away from the screen of his laptop, perched on his lap as he typed away at the keyboard.
“You didn’t feed,”
It wasn’t a question but Jungkook took it that way, slumped down onto the couch and lets out a huge breath of relief.
“I couldn’t just drink a bag of blood in front of her, she thinks I’m human,”
“No, she doesn’t,”
Jungkook sighs and pouts.
“You read her mind far too many times, answered her questions too quickly. She suspected you weren’t like her. She’s been with someone of your kind, your brother, for how long? She knows the tells but she wasn’t scared of you,”
“I know Father,”
“Doesn’t change the fact that you still haven’t fed. You promised me,”
“I know, Father,”
Jungkook repeats himself gruffly, huffing his long bangs out of his eyes much like you had that morning. His ears tune into the fight happening in the kitchen, his face twisting and eyes flaring up blue when he hears his brother speak.
“I’ll eat now,”
He pushes himself up, shuffles out of the room and into the kitchen with no sure intention of feeding. He fumes with anger as he stealthily approaches the arguing twins who were stood in front of the ice box.
“At least my tummy isn’t so big that it has stretch marks on it, even your thighs have them-”
Before Taehyung could insult Jimin even further, Jungkook swipes his arm from his sides and twists it out of socket like it was an everyday task, the scream of agony that left his brother music to his ears.
“You were saying?”
Taehyung groans in response to the voice in his ear and Jungkook pulls at his arm further, feels it crack and thinks he would’ve torn it clean off if it wasn’t for the frightened look on Jimin’s face. He rolls his fading eyes and throws the injured boy to the tiled floor, carelessly steps over him and wraps his arm around Jimin’s waist in order to gently move him out of the way. When he’s pulling away to reach for the fridge’s handle, he makes sure his hand affectionately slides over the precious bump of a stomach his brother was so insecure about, gives his pudgy hip a brief, loving pinch before he’s gone with a blood bag in hand.
“And the point of breaking Taehyung’s arm was?”
Jungkook falls back into his previous position on the couch, teeth easily sinking into the corner of his plastic bag and tearing a hole for him to gulp down thick blood.
“Why do you let them argue like that,”
“They’re twins Jungkook, there isn’t a lot I can do,”
“He unnecessarily used Jimin’s insecurities against him-”
“Jimin taunted him about his darker skin-”
“I don’t care,”
Jungkook rises, wiping the slimy red from the corner of his lip as he circles around the couch, the annoyance radiating off of him so strong it catches the attention of his Father.
“Where are you going?”
“Room,”
Namjoon watches the teenager disappear down the hall, not questioning when Jimin appears in the doorway, longing after his younger brother with a frown. He spares Namjoon a short look before he’s trotting down the hallway and leaving the destination of his padding feet to his father’s imagination.
—
The sound of keys jingling outside of your front door has your eyes enlarging and your feet loudly slapping along the hard wood floor as they carry you to your bedroom. You hear the locks click and your boyfriend call out your name just as you spin your body behind the bathroom door and out of sight.
“Baby?”
You nibble on your bottom lip and hold your breath but not even a full second after you heard the front door firmly close, Mark’s smug face is in front of yours, smirk ripping a startled scream out of your throat.
“Found you, sweetheart,”
He shoves the door out of the way so he can slip his cold hands beneath your shirt, grip your waist and slide your back up the tiled wall. He dismisses the way you smack his shoulder and buries his face into your neck, groans deeply as he inhales the feminine scent of your body wash he loves so god damn much.
“Why were you hiding, love? Hmm? Didn’t think I would find you?”
Your nails are curling into the muscles of his back as his hovering lips raise a trail of goose bumps on a path to your ear.
“I could smell your blood in the elevator, hear your heart thumping as if I was laid upon your chest,”
He talks quietly, mentioning your heart and moving to sink his teeth into the exposed swell of your breast right above to feel your pulse on his lips. His moan when your fingers tangle themselves into his grimy hair trembles through your body and straight to your core.
“Mark,”
The sharp breath you suck in when his wet tongue swipes beneath the cup of your bra has him growling impatiently and tightening his hold on you. He spins you around, your head just missing the edge of the door, and carries you into the bedroom while kissing at your neck. You bite your lip when he tosses you onto your mattress and tauntingly crawls up your body, his red eyes glowing bright in the dark room. His teeth replace yours and you whine at the sudden sting of your flesh splitting beneath his razor fangs. You wiggle under him, causing him to pull back.
“Mmm, are you frightened of me human,”
A second whine grabs his attention, his vivid iris’ deeply boring into yours while he slithers closer, heavy body dropping onto your own when his hands switch from holding his weight to holding your cheeks. Cold thumbs trace beneath your eyes, your chest falling and rising to push against his shirt, your heart thumping loudly as he leans to the side and licks along the shell of your ear.
“You should be,”
“Mark, please,”
The breathy chuckle he releases fans across your neck as he pulls back, lovingly glares at you before capturing your bloody lips in a gentle kiss. He smirks against you when you painfully hiss into his mouth, his tongue swiping over the small punctures and effectively healing them while evading your mouth with wet warmth.
Finally growing impatient with his teasing, you desperately pull at the back of his shirt, rolling it up until he pulls away and throws it off. His hands easily rip the material of your top down the front, careful and gentle when it comes to helping you shrug the torn fabric from your shoulders.
Your thighs are spread over his cool hips while he worked at the drawstring of your pants. He silently slides from the bed once they’re untied, knees roughly hitting the floor and pinches the bottoms of your sweats to pull them off in one swift motion. In a second, he’s spreading your legs painfully wide and pressing them as far up as he can, the top of his hair all you see when he disappears between your thighs and swiftly licks over your soaked panties.
“Fuck, your scent,”
He turns to bury his face into your thigh, nose pushing into your skin as he inhales deeply.
“So good,”
He murmurs, dragging his bottom lip over you before carefully biting down, as gentle as he could manage.
“Mark, now, please now,”
He peeks at you from behind your tummy, arrogant smirk hidden but evident in his cheeks.
“You got it, sweetheart,”
One last kiss is placed to your leg then his fingers are hooking into your panties and pulling them down. Once discarded, he stands himself up, looking sinful while he removes his belt and shucks his pants off. His boxers are next and he’s on top of you after, hard cock resting against your lower stomach, leaking precome onto your pudge.
He hovers over you and gathers your wrists into one hand, pins them above your head in a tight grip to ensure you can’t escape. His lips brush over yours as he aligns himself up with your entrance.
“Don’t let me hurt you,”
You only nod once before he’s pressing inside, the heat of your core squeezing around his freezing dick and forcing him to push in faster than intended, a gasp breaking through the silence as you’re suddenly jabbed into by a seven inch stiff cock. His forehead drops to your shoulder as his grip tenses with his self restraint, hips grinding into you slowly.
“Fuck, fuck,”
Mark growls almost angrily into your neck, his free hand slamming down next to your bodies and curling into the sheets. You nose at his ear for a few seconds, patiently waiting for him to catch his breath.
“Okay?”
He slowly releases a sigh before nodding, pulling up to look at you with red eyes and a strained smile.
“Let me kiss you,”
His whisper is quiet yet dangerous and you nod anyway, accepting the plush pressure of his mouth against yours with a soft moan. His hips pull back and jerk forward in the first thrust and in turn the sheets shift beneath you both as he struggles to hold back from just pounding into you endlessly. He whimpers into your mouth, body shivering above you in torture.
“Mark, just go,”
“Don’t,”
He grunts in warning, testing for a second thrust before setting a steady pace for you. You throw your head back at the feeling of him pressing inside so deep and pulling back so slow, eventually losing his control and grinding up into you faster. His breathing becomes shallow by your head, fingers impossibly tight around your wrists but hips circling in such a way that has your back arching.
You call out your boyfriends name, encouraging a snarl out of him that has him moving quicker. Before he turned to bite your neck and cause a mess, you break free of his grasp and hook your nails into his shoulders, the pain dull but grounding him slightly enough to moan and switch back to careful grinding. You go to pull away and he chokes.
“Scratch me, make me bleed, sweetheart,”
He pulls back and you notice the vein straining on his forehead.
“Own me, own me,”
He starts chanting in whispers, dropping quick kisses to your chin and jaw, hand pinning your hip to the mattress so he can pound into you faster. You both ignore the squeaking and creaking of the bed, the sounds quiet compared to your moaning while he stretched your tightness around him. You’re scratching at his flexed biceps, gripping so tightly he’s hissing into your ear, when he’s suddenly laid on his back and holding onto your waist as you sat on his lap. You’re shocked, looking around with wide eyes but him whining impatiently and pushing up into you brings you back.
You smack your hands onto his chest and lift yourself up, dragging your tight rim over the entire length of him and dropping back down in circles. His hands on your hips assist you in bouncing in his lap faster, his fangs sunk into the flesh of his own bottom lip as he watched you ride him into the mattress. His fingers curl around your body, easily leaving dark bruises in their wake as he comes closer.
“I’m,”
“No,”
You sit up and bend your back, slipping him in deeper and ripping loud groans from the both of you. He scrambles to capture your wrists and clasp them together behind you, keeping you restrained as he begins to push up and meet your falls.
“Baby, I have to, I can’t,”
“Mark,”
Your warning isn’t enough to hold him off, his hips slapping up into you in one last powerful thrust, the stretch almost painful as he discards your human sensitivity.
“You can’t-!”
Mark’s head tosses back and everything tenses beneath you, his stomach muscles, his chest, his arms as his grip tightens impossibly on your waist and hair, your shout too late as he empties himself inside of you with a demonic-sounding groan that scarily echoed off the walls of the room.
Your neck was sore and pain throbbed through it and down your spine when he gently pushed you from on top of him, rolling himself over and burying his face into the blankets. Frowning, you scramble to grab for the sheet and cover yourself up, body heated and slick steadily leaking out of you, wide eyes drilling into the back of his head.
His shoulders rose and fell with his controlled panting, a scream slicing through the silence when he appears an inch in front of your face. Eyes returned to natural color, he cradles your cheeks with shaking hands and scans over your bruises with concern.
“Fuck, baby I-I’m,”
You try leaning away from him but he surges forward.
“I’m so sorry. I never meant to, sweetheart, I’m sorry,”
He kisses over every purple fingerprint, every sore spot, the pain disappearing with the careful pressures of his soft, healing lips on your skin. It ends with him pressing a hesitant kiss to the corner of your mouth, worried eyes flicking to yours in search of any left fear. None found, he captures your lips in the sweetest kiss he could manage, tongue gentle as it soothes over the tip of your own in desperate apology.
“It’s okay,”
You murmur but he whines and grasps at your sides, pulls you and the sheet into his lap, wraps it around you so you aren’t exposed.
“It’s not,”
He disagrees, kiss growing deeper, tongue reaches further back, lips sliding faster.
“I told you not to let me hurt you, I,”
“You didn’t,”
He pulls away and looks for the lie in your face, frown weighing the corners of his lips down when he finds that you actually believe it.
“I did-”
“You didn’t,”
You repeat yourself, comb your fingers through his messy hair for reassurance and pull his head to your chest. His arms circle around your waist, squeezing you close and he relishes in the silence and your warm touches. You know he hears the way your heart skips beats and drops when he mumbles quietly under his breath.
Summary: Richard’s restless dark nature draws him out for a late hour hunt. Under the cover of night, he visits a familiar territory and takes advantage of an unexpected scenario.
Relationships: Richard Armitage x OC Sofia & Matthew Clairmont x OC Sofia (Vampire AU)
Words:2,9K
Warnings: 18+, mention of blood.
A/N: This is the third part of this story. You can read the previous parts here.
The distant sound of a bell echoed in the dark. Three vibrating tolls revealed the late hour. The sound traveled through the night and the silent stone wall, illumined by a lonely street lamp, was the only witness to the dark silhouette moving in its shadow. With the collar of his dark coat pulled tightly around his neck, Richard’s tall figure covered distance quickly, and he set his target on one of the few areas where he still could find a suitable prey. The lively streets in the city center.
Summary: Sofia is torn between her strong feelings for Matthew and the raw attraction Richard awakes in her. Unaware of the dark desires that hide behind their well-groomed appearance, she longs for something more than their company.
Relationships:Richard Armitage x OC Sofia & Matthew Clairmont x OC Sofia (Vampire AU)
Warnings:18+, smut, mention of blood
Words:5,2K
A/N: Not following ADOW canon, just two hot interesting male characters being brothers.
”You should go inside.” Richard’s voice sounded restrained, and in the unusual moonlight that fell on the small balcony, Sofia could see how tense his jaw was. The raw stubble on his cheeks made his handsome face harder, and the veins running on the side of his neck were more visible than before. When he met her gaze, his eyes appeared darker so that they reflected the light of the moon. He let go of her wrist, and when she didn’t immediately leave him, he slowly repeated his words. His piercing gaze made her hold her breath, and he crooked his head slightly. ”Unless you don’t…” his voice faded to a hoarse whisper and then died on his lips.
Sofia didn’t understand his reaction, but something in his eyes told her that she should leave him alone. She didn’t feel rejected, nor had she rejected him. Something dark and possibly even dangerous lurked in the depth of his eyes, and it called to her against her better judgment. When she opened the glass door to the living room, the sound of his dark groan followed her inside.
Oh, give me two vampires like that wonderful predatory vibes coming off this story and it’s hot As always, I loved the description of the senses and I love the ending, Richard the vampire hunting in the night with a blood moon in the sky
It was only a matter of time till I put @apollyna ’s Tgrek through the Occult ringer of 70’s backwoods bimbo hair and big fangy sneer… Gila approves of these nefarious activities and would love to invite Tgrek along sometime
“What if there is a universe out there where there I’m a different kind of Chat Noir? Where some tiny decision, possibly not even made by me, has had the power to alter my reality as I know it in this world?”
An impromptu physics lesson on the roof leads to unexpected revelations. MariChat.
Written for the ML Writers Guild September 2020 Event. Based on the prompt: “Ever wonder how different your life would be if that one thing never happened?”
Ahhh!! I love this one ❤️marichat balcony talk with half identity reveal, mutual pining, marinette pov.
Marinette probably should have listened to her instincts the first time. It was risky to get too close to Chat Noir, even if they were just friends. (Because the fact her heart was pounding a little faster around him meant nothing at all. Absolutely nothing.)
Marichat friendship shenanigans, some crêpes in the park, a run through a rainstorm, and a talk in a bedroom on friendship and trust.
It was the kind of cliché featured in romcoms: pretend to be a couple, attend a fancy party, nab a miraculous. And, of course, make sure to stay in character. That was the important part.
Ladynoir undercover fake dating!!! HDHSKSJQLNSM!!! These two!! CN: sorry I panic kissed you LB: wanna panic again? ❤️❤️
While on a solo, late night patrol, Ladybug discovers something about her “Sunshine Child” classmate that is more sinister than she could have expected. She flees the scene and finds comfort and a new understanding through her partner Chat Noir.
!!!!!! Holy fucking shit!! It updated!! I can’t believe it updated!! It’s been years!!!!!!!! *screams incoherently*
One of my favorite vampire au’s (technically already rec’d it here but whatever)
Chat Noir was not sure what to do - maybe she could help since she’s all he has left.
I really love this one, it gives me plot bunnies (it’s like, just the beginning or a story, but omg the potential it creates!!!) Chat Blanc but Marinette survives the initial blast (my guess is a mix between Chat doesn’t want to hurt her and Tikki deciding to sacrifice herself (or her physical firm) in order to save her wielder)
A comment on this Something’s Wrong With Sunny Day Jack AU plotbunny got me thinking about it again, so I figured I’d share the thoughts for anyone interested. Just as I heads up, I have a specific gender and name for Y/N that I’m going to be using, but I imagine this would apply to various types of sunshines just as easily.
Since this list is pretty long, I’ll just show a couple before putting the rest under a read more. Also since this game is 18+ there’s going to be some spicy ideas here and there.
The vamp AU is not too different than canon universe. Like, literally the only difference is that Alice is half-vampire on her dad’s side. Basically take sunshine’s sensitivity and crankiness towards sunlight and crank it up a little. It’s not lethal, just really annoying and can lead to nasty sunburns. Sprinkle some angst on top about having to fight the urge to drink peoples’ blood.
Yes I went with a dhampir instead of a full vampire entirely because the idea of an angsty broody vampire being forced to work a day job as a yogurt slinging clown is hilarious to me.
Plus it’d be criminal if Jack couldn’t make Alice his special blueberry pancakes made with love.
Jack’s ghost blood probably tastes like birthday cake mixed with cotton candy to a vampire - super addicting to someone with a sweet tooth, which Alice has. It’s extra addicting for her given the special connection they share.
On that note, everyone probably has their own unique flavor profiles to a vampire. Not sure on the specific flavors for Shaun and Ian… maybe something a bit spicy like cinnamon for Shaun, and something more mellow like butterscotch for Ian.
Shaun and Ian are already aware that Alice is half-vampire. Shaun thinks it’s the coolest shit ever that he’s friends with a vamp and this maaaaay have contributed to his crush on her.
The two have donated blood to Alice at least once in the past, though Alice feels the typical vampire blood drinking guilt over it. Ian donated more often because drinking blood for vamps tends to be a pretty intimate thing, and they were in a very intimate relationship after all.
On that note, the breakup was… not good.
Ian cheating was even more of a betrayal to Alice than in regular canon since he knew her secret on top of everything else. She refused to see him again for fear she might snap. As you might imagine, a vampire snapping is not good. When making people bleed is a regular thing for you, you teeeeend to be more aware of how dangerous you can be if you lose control of your primal urges.
That said, Alice went out drinking that night, and I’m not talking alcohol.
Don’t worry, no one died that night. Fortunately, Alice hasn’t killed anyone yet, but has the typical vampire worries that she could if she wanted to.
There maaaaaaaay have been a close call involving Ian and the girl he cheated with though.
Naturally when Jack enters the picture Alice has reason to wonder if it’s got something to do with her being half-vampire, either because related to the supernatural aspect of her nature… or she’s having a mental breakdown from all the stress of it.
The first time Alice drinks Jack’s blood convinces her that he’s real because good golly does he taste good. No one else can compare, and you best believe Jack takes full advantage of that fact to make Alice more dependent on him.
Even better is the fact that ghosts aren’t bound by the normal laws of physics so Jack can feed his sunshine as much blood as she wants~.
Too bad ghost blood probably doesn’t have any nutritional value. Sure, it’d be filling, but all empty calories.
Still, it’d definitely feel good. We’re going by vampire feeding is like sex rules here - pleasurable for both the vampire and the blood donor and rather addicting.
Which as you can imagine leads to a lot more sexy moments… and jealousy from Jack when Alice has to get blood from an actual living human or suffer from blood withdrawal.
You best believe Jack is less than thrilled to have to watch Alice neck some strange guy in an alley to get her fix, especially with the knowledge that it feels good. The jealousy is strong in him even before they officially get together and he gets to fill his sunshine up with his love for the first time.
This of course will lead to Jack considering alternative means of getting his sunshine the blood she needs…
It took a while for Jack to convince Alice to feed from him the first time. Some vamps don’t like to hunt near where they live to avoid getting caught and only feed off those they can trust sparingly, since it’s not good for people to donate blood too often. Alice only fed from her friends when hunting just wasn’t an option, and as an extra form of intimacy when she and Ian were in a relationship.
Though a big reason why Alice was hesitant to feed from Jack was because she wasn’t exactly convinced he had any blood for her to drink, being hallucination or ghost.
Jack convinced Alice to give it a try since what’s the harm if it didn’t work? He’s her friend and he wants to help her in any way he can. Hunting isn’t exactly easy after all, and there’s always the fear of her getting caught or the person she fed on somehow remembering the experience despite vampire powers.
Jack absolutely showered Alice with praise while she fed from him, which is really effective on someone suffering from the usual vampire angst. Between that and his addicting blood, she maaaaaaay have drunk a bit too much. Fortunately there were no ill effects on Jack’s end from Alice getting blood drunk off him.
Being blood drunk would be just a lot of really good warm and fuzzy feelings, similar to the affect Jack has on Alice in general. Add them both together and Alice felt a lot of strong feelings towards Jack and got very affectionate towards him.
Naturally, this led to their first kiss.
Of course, Alice started fretting after she did it because she didn’t ask first, then got really apologetic when it hit her that Jack’s blood was still on her lips when it happened.
Fortunately Jack didn’t mind and reassured Alice with words and a few more kisses. As long as Alice felt good, then he doesn’t mind at all~! After all, Jack doesn’t mind a little blood so long as he can be happy with his sunshine.
This then led to some making out, which particularly included Jack lavishing attention on Alice’s neck like she did for him, only with kisses and nibbles instead of drawing blood with his teeth. Jack doesn’t want to hurt his sunshine after all.
Then, of course, the boss calls to make Alice come in for work because interrupting their first make out session is still hilarious.
Though this time Alice actually did snap her phone in half like a candy bar because vampire strength and the high of both Jack’s love and being blood drunk. Oops.
Needless to say, Alice didn’t go into work that day, and things progressed between her and Jack pretty quickly after that. Alice still wound up pretty worn out by the end of the day, though instead of it being because of work with Jack finishing her off at the end, Jack had the whoooooole day to thoroughly show his sunshine exactly how much he loves her. Not that Alice was complaining~!
I’ve barely started writing stuff for Sunny Day Jack and already I’ve got an AU plot bunny running away with me. Oh well, at least this bunny led me to draw a really nice and pretty spicy picture.
Good thing Jack is a very special kind of ghost who has blood (and other body fluids) to feed his half-vampire sunshine. Whether or not ghost blood will actually sustain her is another question, but I’ll bet it at least tastes absolutely addicting.
I went with half-vampire rather than a full one because Alice can’t get out of the curse of needing to work a day job that easily. She still has plenty of reason to curse the sun though. Also it’d be criminal if she couldn’t enjoy Jack’s pancakes anymore.
It’s funny that between the blood sucking (half-)vampire and the sunny kid-friendly clown, it’s the latter who is the dangerous one. Alice gets to have the vampire angst and fight against her murder instincts, fortunately never killing anyone. Jack… not so much, at least when it comes to ensuring that he and his sunshine will be happy together.
A/N: IMPORTANT!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. I say this with full sincerity because I sorta accidentally left this on a cliffhanger. I may very well write a part 3 (I currently have a vague idea where this would go), but I don’t want to promise it and have anxiety. So. Yeah. At your own risk, friend.
A/N: IMPORTANT!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK. I say this with full sincerity because I sorta accidentally left this on a cliffhanger. I may very well write a part 3 (I currently have a vague idea where this would go), but I don’t want to promise it and have anxiety. So. Yeah. At your own risk, friend.
Dark red, high gloss liquid lingers on the tip of the brush, and you swipe it across your toenail in an even coat. Two more swipes and you’ve finished with your big toe. You got just a bit on your skin, a byproduct of being too hasty, and you grab for the paper towel and bottle of clear liquid on your night stand.
You pause in your actions when you hear a small knock on your window. You remember a time when such a sound would have freaked you out, or at the very least surprised you. But now it was so very common.
You glance up to see a deadly attractive boy perched outside your window. He flashes you a charismatic smile, displaying canines that were slightly longer, slightly sharper than the average humans.
You go back to painting your nails, barely acknowledging the vampire as he lifts the window and lets himself in.
Concentrating on getting the spot off your skin, Wonho plops down on your bed, grabbing the bottle before it can tip over and spill out.
“Oh nooo she’s painting her nails with the instruments of death!” He exclaims in mock fear, chuckling at his own joke.
You start to paint your smaller toes. “Laugh it up but if that polish remover got in your eye you’d feel like you were dying.”
“Yeesh,” he grimaces, sitting the bottle back down on the nightstand with a weary eye. You can’t help but laugh this time.
“You know,” you muse, “I could make a pretty good vampire slayer; I obviously have all the right tools.”
He seems mildly annoyed by the subject. “Calm down there, Buffy. You wouldn’t want to be a vampire hunter. You’re way too smart to be employed by that cult of idiots.”
“I said slayer, not hunter. I don’t need to hunt vampires; they crash into my room willingly for pedicures and late night snacks.”
“Touche,” he grins, the annoyance leaving his voice.
Then it hits you, and you pause mid pinky toe to look up at him. “Wait, employed? Cult? There are actual vampire hunters?”
His eyes shoot up to yours. There’s tension in his body that wasn’t there before, but you barely register it.
Your eyes get big with wonder, quickly recapping the nail polish bottle and setting it aside. “And there’s employment opportunities?! How much do you think–”
You’re smacked in the face with a pillow.
When your vision is unobstructed again, the serious face Wonho is sporting–coupled with the fact that this dangerous vampire took his annoyance out on you by throwing a pillow–has you guffawing.
Faster than your human brain can process the movements, he’s diving at you, tackling you backward onto the bed.
If it’s meant to scare you, it doesn’t work, as you just laugh harder.
“Excuse me! Hello! I am a terrifying vampire!” He demands above you, eyebrows pinching together in an attempt to look menacing.
Perhaps if you hadn’t known him, it would have frightened you. As it were, this is the same boy who has been coming over for weeks, insisting on climbing through the window instead of using the door because “it makes me look more boss”. The same boy who, more often than not, came in with arms full of snacks and food because “I get to eat, it’s only fair that you do too.” The same boy who always tucked you into bed after you let him feed on you, propping the pillows up just so, and making sure the blanket was secure around you because “why is it weird that I don’t want you getting cold–stop looking at me like that.”
Oh yes, he was terrifying. But not because he was a vampire, but because you knew you were falling for him.
You clamp your mouth shut trying to stifle your laugh, but tears gleam in your eyes from the effort and you don’t trust your voice. So you just nod emphatically.
He raises a cocky brow, “so you’re terrified?”
Again you nod, biting back your smile.
“That’s more like it. You’re lucky because I was going to eat you.”
“Oh no,” you stretch your neck, hastily moving your hair out of the way, exposing the tender skin to him, “that would just be awful.”
He groans at the sight, his pupils dilating.
Wonho bends his head down, his nose running the length of your neck, inhaling as he goes.
You shiver, your body eagerly awaiting the bliss of being bitten.
“You smell incredible…”
“Glad to know your dinner smells appetizing,” you barely manage to get out, closing your eyes at the sensation of his breath on your skin.
“No I mean,” he lifts his head, looking at you now, his eyes scanning your features, “you smell really lovely. Did you get a new body wash?”
Your eyes pop open and you turn to meet his gaze. “…um, yeah, I did actually.”
For a moment he looks almost embarrassed. “Oh,” he says, as if he’s just as surprised by his observation as you are that he pointed it out. “Oh well it’s lovely.”
“So I’ve heard…from you.”
He laughs nervously, “yeah, duh, I already said that.” He rubs the back of his neck, clearing his throat.
He pulls away from you, sitting back on his heels. You take the opportunity to sit back up.
“You alright?” You finally ask when he doesn’t say anything.
“Go out with me,” he blurts out in a whoosh of words.
Your jaw unhinges. “I, wait, what?”
He shakes his head, laughing at himself, then looks down at his lap. “Let me take you out.”
“Out?” You ask lamely.
He laughs again, looking back up at you. “Yes out. Like outside. Like going somewhere. Like–”
“Like a date?”
He bites his bottom lip and it’s so incredibly attractive you almost lose focus on the conversation.
“Like a date,” he confirms.
You can’t help the smile that blooms on your face, especially when his eyes light up gleefully at the sight.
“Ok,” you nod, “let’s go on a date.”
You put in your earring, then lean back in your vanity chair to appraise your appearance. You smile at your reflection as you remember who you’re getting all dolled up for and why. The butterflies that begin to assault your belly have obviously just remembered as well.
You’re not left with your thoughts for long, because right on time, there’s a knock on your front door.
You nearly laugh out loud at this fact. He always comes through the window. But you guess he thinks a date is worthy of a good, old fashioned, front door entrance.
Taking a deep breath, you open the door to reveal an impeccably dressed Wonho. Slim fitted, white button down, rolled up at the sleeves, left little to the imagination of this boy’s physique. You watched as that well toned chest heaved a breath, causing you to remember yourself. Your eyes shoot up to his.
But he was busy taking you in, as well. He expels the air he had just sucked in.
“You look amazing,” he says with utter sincerity.
You chuckle nervously, his comment affecting you more than you would wish. “Yes, well, it’s amazing the difference a little effort and some actual clothes can make. Have you ever seen me in anything other than my pajamas?”
“I don’t suppose I have, but I think you look beautiful either way.”
There’s silence for a beat where you stare at him for a moment too long. You clear your throat and try to gain control of your rapidly beating heart.
Trying to ease the sudden tension, your mind searches for anything to say to change the subject. You opt for poking fun at him, which is really your default.
“So, what, no flowers?” You raise an eyebrow at him in reproval.
It takes him half a second to register what you said; then his eyes fall to his empty hands as if they were the culprits who betrayed him. Glancing back up at you he looks mildly panicked and you immediately feel bad for teasing him.
Just as you’re about to tell him you’re joking, his eyes light up, a smile spreading on his face. He points to himself.
Your brows furrow in confusion. So he circles the finger around his face. “Me. I’m the flower.”
A laugh bursts from your lips.
The look on his face morphs into one of excited surprise. “And look you got me a flower too!”
With those words, he cups your cheek, effectively cutting off your laugh. You feel a blush rising up, so you swat his hand off before he can feel the tell-tale heat on your face caused by his cheesy words.
“What a dork. I thought vampires were supposed to be smooth,” you retort.
“Haha! Please! You couldn’t handle me if I put on my–” he pauses, lifting an arm up to lean on the threshold of your door “–full charm.” He leans in, giving you a wink coupled with a cocky grin.
He’s so close, you get a whiff of his cologne and you swear it makes your head spin.
You lean in too, until you’re inches from his delicious looking lips. You glance down at them; slowly his grin leaves, his expression changing at your proximity.
“You’re right,” you whisper, “I can’t handle you.”
And with that you give a quick jab to his gut, causing him to bend at the waist with a grunt as you quickly take a step back to give you both some breathing room.
“You’re mean,” he says simply before righting himself, leveling you with a look.
“I get that way when I’m hungry. Let’s roll, date!” You smile widely at him, pointing a finger out.
He just shakes his head, laughing. He grabs your outstretched hand bringing it down, then pulls you along.
He doesn’t let go of your hand and your mind doesn’t let go of that fact.
The strong breeze whips your hair behind you as the two of you stroll beside the river. There is an electrical charge in the air that could only be felt before an impending storm, but you can’t bring yourself to be worried because there is a current running through your veins that has nothing to do with the weather.
And a lot to do with the boy walking next to you.
Wonho looks over at you with a smile as you’re laughter fills the air, brought on by one of his stories of adjusting to the vampire life. Which, as it turned out, is very comical.
“What else would you like to know?”
“Hmmm…” you tap your chin in thought. There is something you are very curious about.
“You mentioned before about being part of a clan?” You ask. He cuts his eyes your way and nods hesitantly. “Could you tell me about them? Am I going to get to meet them?”
He stretches his neck, rubbing the back of it to get rid of the tension that has just settled there, trying to look nonchalant as he answers.
“I’m surprised you remember that,” he laughs, “you were pretty blissed out if I remember that night correctly. That was the night I met you, the night of my change.”
“Oh! Are you going to tell me about the change?” You ask excitedly, momentarily forgetting about your previous question.
He smiles at your excitement, then straightens up looking very serious. He waves a hand in front of both of you, as if he’s about to paint a visual with his words.
In a foreboding tone, he begins, “Picture it. It was a dark and stormy night when–”
He’s cut off from his story when you punch him in his arm.
“Ow!” He shouts, but he’s laughing, “what was that for?”
“For starters, that is so cliche,” you say. “Secondly, what do you mean it was a ‘dark and stormy night’?”
“…that it was storming and also dark?” He questions.
“No it wasn’t. I was there, remember? There was zero storming. And also, isn’t ‘dark night’ a bit redundant? How can a night be anything but dark? I mean, this is opposed to what? A sunny night? Dumb.”
“You harshly critique my story,” he puts a hand on his chest. “My heart…it’s wounded…”
Your eyes light up at the thought of another question. “Oh! Another thing! Do you even have a heart?”
“That is rather offensive,” he deadpans.
“Oh come on, you know what I mean!” You quickly backtrack.
He eyes you up and down with amusement, “you sure are nosey about the vampire gig, aren’t you?”
“You were the one who asked if there was anything else I wanted to know…” you trail off feeling a bit embarrassed by your own curiosity.
“Yeah, but I thought I’d get questions like ‘what pizza toppings do you like’ or ‘what’s your favorite color’.”
“Ok then,” you concede, “what’s your favorite color?”
“Black…like my soul,” he says dramatically, ending with a “MUAHAHAHAHA”.
“AHA! So you do have a heart!” You leap up with a triumphant whoop. “It’s about time you finally answered one of my questions!”
He laughs, but it sounds forced, “What? Why would I be dodging questions—oh look we’re here!”
Your curiosity is momentarily derailed when you see the layout before you. Next to the river’s edge, a plaid blanket covered the ground, and atop it sat a picnic basket. The smells hit your nose before you even hit the blanket, and you swear you have to keep yourself from drooling.
“This is for us?” You ask. He nods, hesitantly trying to gauge your reaction to the unconventional dinner.
“Wonho…this is…this is amazing,” you say, getting teary eyed as you sit.
Noticing this, he quickly sits next to you, pulling you into his arms. “Hey hey, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just…this is so sweet…” you trail off, taking in the scene. “It reminds me of my parents. We used to have picnics by the river when I was growing up. With work and everything, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. I guess I didn’t realize how much I miss them.”
“Perhaps you should visit them soon,” he says, continuing to hug you close. “Family is important.” The conviction in his voice at his last statement gives you momentary pause. You know there’s more behind those three words to him than he’s saying. But you know better than to push it.
“You’re absolutely right,” you say, matching his conviction.
After the delicious dinner, he vows to take you out for ice cream “like a real gentleman should”.
Fortunately, there was a ice cream shop nearby. Unfortunately it was in the mall that was always packed on the weekends.
The two of you walk in, bumping shoulders with a few people to get properly into the little parlour situated in the food court.
He looks over the crowd with a weary eye. “I should have maybe planned this better. Want to bail and go get coffee or something?”
You think about it, but, “nah, the wait shouldn’t be that long, I think most people are just hanging out. And besides, what about coffee says ‘real gentleman’? No no, proper etiquette calls for ice cream.”
He laughs, “you’re so right, what was I thinking? Why don’t you start picking out a flavor while I head to the restroom.”
You nod, thankful for the time to decide. You scan the selection behind the glass counter, tapping a finger to your lip in thought.
You’re so absorbed with reading the labels that you don’t notice the guy breaking away from the crowd to approach you, eyeing you with interest.
“There’s too many to choose from…” you mumble to yourself.
“That’s why you go big and get the three scoop. It seems excessive, but really there’s no such thing as too much ice cream,” he says when he reaches you, leaning a shoulder casually against the glass display.
You startle, realizing that the new arrival is addressing you. You look up at the boy who is smiling down at you. He’s trying to be subtle about it, but you can see his eyes roving, checking you out.
You blink at him. “There is if you’re lactose intolerant.”
His smile drops. “Um, yeah, I guess…I guess that’s true.”
“Sad but true.”
“Really a shame.”
“Truly tragic.”
“Are you always this chatty?”
“Only when I put forth effort.”
He sighs, dropping his shoulders, “I’m going to go out on a limb here and say I’m barking up the wrong tree.”
“I’m confused. In this scenario are you on the tree’s limb or barking up it’s trunk?”
His mouth pops open, then it morphs into a pout. “You’re mean.”
“Surprisingly, you’re not the first person to tell me that today.”
“…I’m not sure what part of that is supposed to surprise me.”
Ignoring that comment, you continue, “admittedly, this time it was unintentional. You’re cute, but I’m here with someone.” You eye him accusingly, “which I betyou already knew.”
He puts his hands up defensively, “I honestly didn’t; I didn’t see you walk in. I swear I’m not that kind of douchebag.”
You look at the sincerity on his face. Your defenses lower, and you now begin to feel bad for being so cold to him. So, naturally, you make up for it by teasing him. “Then what kind are you?”
“‘Scuse me?”
“You said you weren’t that kind of douchebag, so what kind are you?”
He looks like he’s taking offense, until he catches the smile creep up on your face. You stifle a laugh. He can’t contain his. And when he laughs, you notice the most adorable dimples on his face. He really is cute. Had you not been so enamored with Wonho, you would have definitely given this guy a chance.
His laughter trails off, something behind you has caught his attention.
You turn to see Wonho making his way through the crowd and back toward the counter.
The boy in front of you visibly stiffens, his eyes snapping back to yours.
“Is that the guy you came in with?” he asks with an edge of aggression that wasn’t there before.
“Um…yes…?” you tilt the end of the sentence in a question. His severe reaction to Wonho has knocked you off kilter.
“I don’t want to scare you, but you’re in danger. Come with me, I’ll get you out of here,” he grabs for your arm and begins to pull you away.
You’re so shocked, he’s dragged you several feet into the crowd before you come to your senses, jerking your arm causing him to halt.
“I don’t think so, dimples,” You scoff, incredulous of his audacity.
“Look, I’m going to need you to trust me. I’ll explain everything once we get you away from him.”
“You have 3 seconds to let go of me before I start screaming ‘stranger danger’,” you say in a flat voice, conveying how serious you were.
He’s breathing heavy through his nostrils, clearly trying to contain his annoyance. “Why do women have to be so stubborn?”
You choke out a laugh, “why do men have to be so unrelenting in their futile pursuits?”
He grinds his teeth in irritation.
“I’m not…this isn't…” he takes a breath, “this is not me trying to pick you up. I’m not that desperate, thank you. You’re boyfriend is a dangerous man.”
“A danger to your ego maybe,” you shoot back.
He cautions a quick glance at Wonho, who appears to be searching for you. “I don’t have time for this.”
With a frustrated grunt, he drops your arm. “You know what? Your problem, your funeral.”
And with that he turns around and disappears into the crowd.
You stand there momentarily stunned, trying to make sense of such a weird encounter.
A hand lands on the small of your back and you let out a surprised squeak.
Wonho laughs at your side. You didn’t even realize he’d walked up. “Jumpy? And here I thought you weren’t afraid of anything.”
You give yourself a mental shake, and try a smile. You’re not certain you succeed. “Psh, me? I’m afraid of a lot of things. Like how much jail time I would serve if I had to hurt some stranger for touching me. Luckily it was just you.”
“Just me? I’m wounded!” He says in mock offense.
“Don’t you have, like, magical healing or something?”
“Perhaps, but ice cream will expedite the process,” he grins broadly at you.
You smile back, “you aren’t wrong.”
And just as quickly as Mr. Dimples had shaken you up, Wonho has put you at ease.
You can’t help the smile on your face as you walk up to your door with Wonho.
He looks down, scuffing his feet, swinging his shoulders in mock shyness. “I had a really great time tonight,” he says, punctuating the statement with a falsetto giggle.
You laugh at his antics, pushing his arm gently, “you are such a dork.”
He laughs too, looking up at you so that you’re able to enjoy the full effect of his beautiful smile. “I’m serious though, I really did have a great night.”
You paste on your best sultry look, which apparently isn’t very convincing, if his barely contained grin is any indicator. You run your hand up his chest to his shoulder, stopping at the nape of his neck. The humor in his eyes changes to surprise.
“There’s no reason it has to end now,” you say in an attempted smokey voice. “Hows about a little night cap, yeah?” You tap at your neck.
He cocks an eyebrow, leaning into you. “Why, _______, how indecent of you.”
You open your mouth to rebut but he silences you with a finger to your lip. “That is definitely a great idea. I’ll go get some snacks, you go get comfy and pull up Dramafever.”
And with excitement in his eyes, he kisses your forehead, lingering momentarily before pulling away and dashing down the hall.
“Don’t forget the Pocky sticks!” You yell after him. He waves an arm in acknowledgement without slowing down.
You make your way inside, heading straight to your room to exchange your date outfit for your pajamas. You reach to turn on your bedside lamp when the sound of the window opening has you turning.
“There is no way you got my pocky sticks that fast,” you say to Wonho as he straightens up.
That’s when you realize it’s not Wonho at all. It’s the boy from the mall. He seems just as shocked to see you as you are to see him. But you don’t take the time to analyze that.
You quickly grab the bedside lamp and throw it towards him. He puts his arms up to brace for the impact but there was no need. You didn’t think about the fact that the lamp was plugged in; and the cord had the lamp landing lamely several feet from your intruder.
You growl in frustration, “I have got to start keeping better weapons in this room!”
You turn to run, but he’s quickly there grabbing you, stopping your retreat. And before you can let loose a scream, he clamps a hand over your mouth.
You whimper, fear pumping through your veins.
“Calm down, calm down. I’m not going to hurt you. I just didn’t want you running off. If I let you go, will you let me explain? Please?” He asks.
You nod emphatically.
He sighs. “You’re going to bolt as soon as I let you go, aren’t you?”
You shake your head no, as convincingly as you can with a hand over your mouth and an arm holding you immobile.
He throws you on the bed, then darts to block your door. He’s effectively trapped you in before you even have a chance to right yourself.
“You ok?” He asks from where he’s now stationed.
“Are you—are you seriously asking me that right now?” You ask as you stand from the bed.
“….good point. Ok. Look, I didn’t mean to scare you. Honestly I didn’t think I’d even find you in here alive. I was worried I’d be too late.”
“Dude you are seriously off your rocker. You’re crazy.”
“No, I’m a hunter. Which admittedly is a bit close some days.”
“A hunter?” You ask. Then realization dawns on you.
“Yes, and I can protect you. But I need for you to…”
“Um no thanks. I’m solid,” you interrupt.
He lets out a sad sigh, as if he’s about to break some devastating news to you.
“I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you’re little boyfriend, he’s—
“A vampire,” you say.
“—a vampire, and—oh. You already know.”
“Yep.”
“Well this is different.”
“Sorry to steal your thunder.”
“Yeah, that’s usually the big reveal. I’ll live, though. Now I’m just hoping you do.”
“What’s that supposed—“
“You human?”
“Yes, most definitely. I was actually going to see if you guys were hiring. I can get Wonho here for you to…do whatever it is you do with vampires. Just let me go grab my phone.” You knew you needed to text Wonho a warning, but you couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t have him rushing here anyways.
Sadly, that struggle was moot because Dimples wasn’t falling for it. As you move towards the door, he angles his body to block you in more effectively.
“No need, he’s already here.”
In horror, you turn to face the window that is now filled up by a familiar form. He’s so focused on getting the bags of snacks over the sill, he hasn’t even looked up to see your uninvited guest.
You go to run to him, but the boy grabs your arm, pulling you back to him. That doesn’t stop you from screaming though.
“Wonho run!”
Wonho drops the bags, whipping his head up, finally taking in the scene. His eyes go wide.
“Jooheon!?”
“Hello, brother.”
Told you it was a cliffy. You totally should have listened to me. To be honest, I’m glad you didn’t listen to me, I wanted you to read it. It’s sorta why I wrote it.
Anyways! Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, I’d kill for some feedback, it fuels me. Thanks for reading!!
This is another ficlet from the universe for my @yoidreadfulzinefic.There are going to be a lot I can’t help it. This is actually set right after the fic which is in the zine, so if you want some context, want to know how these two met, want to know what drove Yuuri to this point, you’ll have to check out the zine. Preorders are open now ;D
“Yuuri…?”
With knees pulled to his chest, Yuuri sat in the middle of his bed, tear tracks staining his cheeks. They’d taken everything. The few things Yuuri truly cared about had been torn apart. He was living in fear, knowing that at any moment, they were going to come for him, they were going to kill him because of their own delusions. Yuuri couldn’t prove he wasn’t what they said he was. Humans were horrible creatures. That was the only thing Yuuri could be certain of. He wished he wasn’t one of them, wished he had no connection to them. Yuuri didn’t think he was a monster, and he certainly didn’t want to be one, but being human felt like being a monster after all the pain and suffering they had put him through.
Victor sat in front of Yuuri on the bed, resting his chin on Yuuri’s knee as he watched him curiously, “Talk to me.”
“What…” Yuuri’s voice was barely a whisper, “What do you want me to say?”
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” Victor shifted himself closer, brushing a hand along Yuuri’s arm, “I need to understand where your head’s at.”
“I want to hurt them,” Yuuri murmured, staring down at his knees, “I… I want them to hurt like they hurt me.”
“Yuuri—”
“I don’t want them to be able to hurt anyone else.” Yuuri finally glanced up at Victor, “Help me.”
“Oh, my Yuuri…” Victor moved to sit beside Yuuri on the bed, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him to his chest. Victor had always been oddly comforting. It was at that point that he’d realised just how badly he needed Victor, no matter how dangerous he might have been. Yuuri rested his head against Victor’s chest, closing his eyes and listening to his voice, “I promise I will make them pay for everything they’ve done to you.”
“I want to help.” Yuuri insisted.
“I know, darling, but you can’t,” Victor’s fingers combed gently through Yuuri’s hair, every touch so gentle and soothing.
“Why not?” Yuuri sniffled, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.
“Because you’re human. You can’t hurt them like I can,” Victor reached for Yuuri’s hand, placing his own over top of it and letting their fingers thread together, “I’ll keep you safe and I will bleed them all dry. I promise.”
“You said you’d teach me,” Yuuri pointed out.
“I know,” Victor sighed, resting his head against Yuuri’s, “But, you know what you’re asking me to do.”
“Take away my humanity,” There was desperation in Yuuri’s voice as he turned in Victor’s arms. Victor was the only person he knew who wasn’t… human. He was the only link Yuuri had, and though he didn’t know much about vampires, he’d heard plenty of things about humans being turned with a bite. If there was even the slightest chance, he wanted to take it. He wanted to stay with Victor forever, to strip himself of that link to the monsters who had always hurt him before. Yuuri gripped the front of Victor’s shirt in his hands, “I don’t want to be like them.”
“I… It’s not that I don’t want to. Believe me, I’ve thought about taking you away from this since the day I was created,” Victor sighed, looking away. Yuuri had never seen Victor looking so uncertain before. He brushed a hand delicately along the ridges of Yuuri’s spine, “But, I need it to be for the right reasons.”
“What do you mean?”
Victor smiled fondly, dipping his fingers beneath Yuuri’s shirt and resting his hand at the small of his back, “You gave me life. All I have ever felt for you is love. This… intense desire to protect you, to see you smile, to spend my long life at your side,” Victor’s free hand took Yuuri’s, pressing a kiss to his palm, “My darling Yuuri… I would tear the world apart for you. But, I can’t condemn you to an eternity of life if you only want it for this one moment in time. If this is just… anger, hatred… that’s not enough. They’ll all die whether you’re human or not. So, you can’t base a decision like this on revenge.”
“You’re beautiful,” Yuuri spoke before he could stop himself.
Victor chuckled, “What?”
“I was scared when I first saw you. And then… curious. And then excited,” Yuuri looked down at Victor’s chest, watching as his finger traced circles, “I wait for the nights I get to spend with you. You’re the only one in the world who has ever listened to me and understood me, and accepted me for who I am. You’re so… weird and funny, and charming. And my heart… it goes so fast when you’re around.”
“I know,” Victor laughed, resting their heads together and cupping Yuuri’s face in his hands, “Such a cruel heart, tempting me.”
“You’re the one that does that to it,” Yuuri tangled his fingers in Victor’s hair, “It’s not just revenge. You’re the only one who understands me. I don’t… I don’t want to lose you. Spending eternity together… that sounds nice.”
Yuuri knew what Victor was asking, that Victor was putting his heart on the line and telling him exactly how he felt. Yuuri would be lying if he said he never thought about Victor in a romantic way. Victor was everything Yuuri wanted. Every moment they spent together was filled with temptation, with the thought of what Victor’s lips tasted like, of what it would be like if Yuuri simply gave into his desires and let himself be happy. He’d always stopped himself. He’d always told himself that it was too dangerous, that giving into Victor would be the final straw, the one thing that would change him forever. But, Yuuri didn’t care anymore. He wanted to be changed. He wanted to be happy. After so long trying to be quiet and stay to himself, was it so wrong for him to let himself be happy? To let himself become something else? To tear apart every monstrous human and fall into Victor’s embrace?
Victor closed the gap between them, chuckling against Yuuri’s lips, “Your heartbeat… It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”
“I want you to,” Yuuri murmured, pressing Victor back against the bed as he followed his lips, sighing contently as he stole kiss after kiss.
“You want to give me forever?” There was a teasing lilt to Victor’s voice, taking Yuuri’s lip between his teeth and tugging gently.
“Of course.” Yuuri pressed a kiss to Victor’s jaw. It was like a dam had broken. He wanted to touch, to kiss, to feel out every inch of Victor’s body now that he was allowed. Victor was still something he had to learn about. Yuuri wanted to memorise every curve.
“Even after we’ve finished with them all?” Victor’s gloved fingers dragged into Yuuri’s hair, tilting his head to give him more room.
Yuuri gently nipped Victor’s skin, speaking softly, “This isn’t my home. I never felt safe here,” He admitted, “It’s only when you’re here. You’re… you’re my home.”
Victor went quiet, going still beneath Yuuri and suddenly a new kind of fear washed over him. Was that the wrong thing to say? Was he being too honest, too needy? The last thing Yuuri wanted was to push Victor away, the only person he had in his life, the only person he truly cared about. Yuuri yelped as Victor suddenly flipped them, pinning Yuuri to the bed. Victor’s hands ran along Yuuri’s arms, pinning down his wrists. Yuuri’s heart raced, a mix of anticipation and excitement running through him.
Victor nuzzled against Yuuri’s neck, taking a deep breath and sighing happily, “Hm you know, if I bite you, that makes you my responsibility.”
Yuuri’s teeth dug into his lip, tilting his head to give Victor more room. All he could think about was Victor, how easy it would be for Victor to sink his teeth into his neck and just do it, to drink his blood and take away his humanity. They’d talked about it before. Victor had said so many times before that he wanted to taste him.
“That tempting heartbeat…” Victor sighed, “You’d taste so good…”
“Do it,” Yuuri whined.
“I’ll take care of you,” Victor promised, peppering kisses along Yuuri’s neck as he spoke, “You’ll always feel loved and protected. I’ll teach you how to bleed them… how to hunt them… my sweet Yuuri.”
Here’s another short fic written in the same universe as my piece for @yoidreadfulzine! Pre-orders are on sale right now so be sure to order yours!
It was the first time Yuuri had opened his front door with the intention of inviting Victor into his home. Yuuri didn’t want to admit how lonely he was, the fact that his vampire pumpkin was the only person in his life who actually wanted to be around him. It was still strange and Yuuri still didn’t quite understand him, but he couldn’t deny how intrigued he was. This was all his fault and in a way, he felt responsible for Victor. Yuuri opened the door to the sight of his familiar pumpkin looking a little worse for wear. The rough orange flesh was beginning to peel away and Yuuri could see pale skin peeking out from beneath. The blue flames behind the empty crevices for eyes actually had eyes behind them, silver lashes fluttering as he looked at Yuuri with utter adoration.
“You um… you can come in.” Yuuri stepped aside, looking down at the floor.
The visits had become more and more frequent, though Yuuri hadn’t seen Victor’s pumpkin head looking that broken before. It seemed the process, whatever it was, had finally reached it’s last few stages. At least, that was what Yuuri assumed. He still had so much to learn about vampires. Victor was such a mix of things the books said and things he’d never heard of before. It was the first time Victor had visited and actually come into Yuuri’s home. He idly wondered if Victor needed to be invited in, but it didn’t make much sense. He hadn’t specifically asked if he could come inside. Then again, Yuuri felt instinctively willing to let Victor enter his home.
Yuuri watched tentatively as Victor slowly walked through his home. He’d never felt self conscious about his home until that moment. Suddenly he wanted to impress. He wanted Victor to want to come back. But, whatever Victor thought, he said nothing.
Instead, Victor turned back to Yuuri, smiling sweetly, “Darling Yuuri, would you help me clean this up?”
Yuuri didn’t know exactly how he had been planning to spend his evening, but cleaning away the pumpkin flesh on Victor’s face was not at the top of his list. Still, he couldn’t deny how curious he was. If it was really time for the pumpkin to be removed, Yuuri would finally be able to see Victor’s face beneath. He didn’t know what to expect. He didn’t know what vampires actually looked like. Did they look just like humans? Would Victor look like something else entirely? Would he have obvious fangs? Strange markings on his skin? It was a mystery Yuuri was excited to uncover.
“Get comfortable, I’ll heat up some water,” Yuuri smiled shyly as he turned away, heading straight to the kitchen to sit a pot of water on the stove. Victor was already pretty in his own ways. As pretty as someone with a pumpkin for a head could be. Especially when that pumpkin was beginning to tear away and looked worse for wear. Despite the mess that it had become, Victor still wore his pristine suit. He still had pretty tufts of silver hair escaping from the orange skin. His shoulders were broad, he was tall and he looked to be in good shape. But, Yuuri wanted to be able to see his face, to be able to match all the features that made up the vampire he’d grown so dangerously fond of.
Yuuri made sure the water was just comfortably warm before taking it off the stove, grabbing a hand towel and dunking it in. When he turned back from the stove, Victor was nowhere to be seen. Yuuri had expected Victor to have found a seat in the living room, or maybe even to have settled himself at the small kitchen table, but instead, his home was empty. Frowning, Yuuri carefully carried the pot as he searched, eventually finding Victor lounging comfortably on the bed.
Yuuri raised an eyebrow, “Did I say you could use my bedroom?”
“You didn’t say I couldn’t. Besides, this is the easiest way you can get close to me,” Victor’s grin was bright and beautiful, the orange flesh peeling around the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, “Do you need me to take my shirt off?”
Yuuri blushed, looking down at the pot in his hands. If Victor asked, he’d say he was focused on keeping his hands steady and that it had nothing to do with the thought of Victor stripping in the middle of his bed. Once Yuuri had settled the pot on the nightstand, he sat beside Victor on the bed, chewing his lip nervously, “Where… where should I start?”
“The back half should be the easiest,” Victor admitted, reaching behind his head to the bulbous back half of the pumpkin.
He was right. The back half of the pumpkin was barely attached at all. It was only the very edges, the parts that reached the skin of Victor’s face that clung on. Yuuri wasn’t entirely sure about the best method. He could get a knife and carve out the bigger chunks of the pumpkin, but he wasn’t sure how deep in Victor’s head actually was and he didn’t want to injure him. Besides, would carving into the pumpkin flesh cause pain? It was part of him, after all. Or at least, it once was. A knife sounded too dangerous, but he couldn’t imagine pulling would be much better.
“It’s okay,” Victor chuckled, as if sensing Yuuri’s uncertainty, “Help me lift this section?”
Yuuri nodded hesitantly, shifting closer and carefully pulling at the back of the pumpkin. It seemed like such a bad idea. Yuuri imagined it like someone pulling roughly on his hair, but Victor didn’t react badly at all. The sound of the back half of the pumpkin tearing away from the flesh attached to the skin at Victor’s face sent a spark of fear through Yuuri. If it was going to hurt, that would be the moment. Instead, Victor reached out, resting a hand on Yuuri’s knee as if to reassure him. The large chunk of pumpkin tore away to reveal a full head of silver locks. Yuuri stared in awe. He wasn’t sure exactly what he was expecting, but it wasn’t the urge to run his fingers through that pretty hair. Yuuri placed the large piece beside the bed, starting what he assumed was going to be a pile of pumpkin pieces.
Victor looked at Yuuri, smiling sheepishly, “This is gonna suck.”
Yuuri chuckled, pressing a hand to Victor’s chest and pushing him gently to lay back on the bed. He wouldn’t admit that the bed was a good choice, that this was actually the perfect angle for their task. Yuuri did his best to ignore the way Victor was staring at him, instead focusing on the towel as he wrung out the excess water in the pot. When he turned back to Victor and saw those soft blue eyes watching him, Yuuri felt his stomach flip. Victor had an effect on him he still wasn’t sure of. He didn’t know what it meant. He didn’t know if he liked it. Before Yuuri could get too lost in his thoughts, he draped the warm towel over Victor’s face, obscuring his view.
Victor’s voice was muffled as he spoke, “I’m sorry you have to see me like this.”
“You probably think it’s worse than it is.” Yuuri carefully brushed the towel down, making sure it was pressed into Victor’s skin. His hope was that the damp warmth would soak in, making the shards of pumpkin easier to peel away, but Yuuri truly had no idea if it would work. He didn’t even know if they were doing something wrong. Maybe this was like cuts. Maybe Victor wasn’t supposed to pick at it. Maybe he was meant to simply wait for the pieces to fall away on their own. But, Victor seemed restless. He wanted to be… himself. And Yuuri really couldn’t blame him.
It was a few minutes of silence. Victor seemed to relax into the bed. Yuuri simply watched him curiously. With the towel over his face, he looked like any other person. Of course, Yuuri would never normally know anyone with such fancy clothing, but despite that, Victor was just like any other human when the pumpkin was hidden from view. Would it be that way when the pieces were removed? Would Victor just blend in? It was that curiosity that drove Yuuri to take the towel away and start working on peeling away the pieces and exposing Victor’s face.
Yuuri wasn’t sure where he wanted to start first. Eventually he decided on a piece just above Victor’s eye, carefully picking at the corner. Victor remained quiet and still until Yuuri had gotten a good grip on the corner. It was the moment Yuuri started peeling it away that Victor hissed in pain.
Yuuri laughed. He wasn’t sure how else to react. He was so close to Victor’s face, concentrating so hard on getting these pieces off, he swatted at Victor’s arm with his free hand as he giggled, “Don’t be such a baby.”
“It’s stuck to my eyebrow, it hurts!” Victor pouted.
“I have to pull it off,” Yuuri retorted, pulling again.
“I’m gonna lose my eyebrow,” Victor whined.
“You came here asking me to do this,” Yuuri smirked, tilting his head as he looked down into Victor’s eyes, “You want me to just leave it?”
“Yuuri!” Victor clenched his eyes shut, taking a deep breath, “Alright, alright. Just do it.”
Yuuri was less gentle than before as he tugged the rest of the piece off, wanting to get it done before Victor continued to protest. Yuuri laughed to himself as Victor cried out in pain, dropping the piece to the ground with the rest and reassuring him that he did still have an eyebrow when Victor began to panic. Yuuri brushed a finger along the now exposed eyebrow, confirming for himself that it was still very much in place. Victor’s skin was so smooth, so pale. The anticipation was killing him. Still so much to see, so many more little details about Victor’s face to uncover.
Piece after piece was slowly peeled away with Victor whining and protesting between each. It pinched, it pulled, but eventually, each piece cleanly came away from Victor’s skin. There were a few red marks left behind at first in places where Yuuri hadn’t been careful enough and had let the pumpkin flesh tug rougher than necessary, but it soon faded and with time, the pieces of pumpkin were all peeled away.
Yuuri handed Victor the damp towel, watching as he rubbed it over his face again. When he lowered the towel, Victor combed his fingers through his short silver hair, making sure it was sitting properly and looked back at Yuuri with a shy smile, “How do I look?”
To say Victor looked normal would be unfair. It was true that he looked like a human, that he didn’t look like a creature or a monster, but he was so much more than any human Yuuri had ever met before. His hair was like moonlight, and the few times Yuuri had gotten to touch it, it was silky soft. His eyelashes matched, silver and long, framing his beautiful eyes. His lips looked soft and inviting as they curved at the corners with his smile, and his jawline was strong. Victor looked human in all the traditional ways, but his beauty was beyond anything Yuuri had seen before.
Reaching out, Yuuri brushed his fingers along Victor’s cheek, feeling how smooth his pale skin was. Victor’s eyes fluttered, looking up at him through his lashes, “Your heart is racing.”
Yuuri looked away, trying to hide his blush, “O-Oh, sorry…”
“My Yuuri,” Victor reached out, resting a hand under Yuuri’s chin and tilting his head back to look into his eyes, “Do I look that bad?”
“No!” Yuuri never felt more vulnerable than when he was with Victor, and yet, he’d never felt more safe. Smiling shyly, Yuuri spoke under his breath, “You look stunning…”
The first time it happened, it was at the dawn of the Harpstring moon. A student does not leave his dorm at the first rays of light and lays on his bed as pale as death, two red dots painting his neck.
“Hide him.” Seteth gestures to Manuela, a frown settling on his face. “Do not let him leave his room until he’s back to normal.”
It leaves the teaching corps in a shamble Seteth does not dare to report to Rhea just yet, so to Manuela he confides asking for her discretion which she offers on the sweet-and-sour condition of having a drink with her later this week.
Seteth begrudgingly agrees. Hopes it to be but a single occurrence yet still warns off Flayn to remain in her quarters from dusk to dawn and to never, under any circumstances, leave to the outsides once night has fallen, fears for his child and the rare blood she bears.
On the other side of the dormitories, Ferdinand wakes with the harsh sun rays on his pale skin, cursing at himself once he feels the blood sticking on his lips.
“When the hunger is finally satisfied, all of a sudden you feel disgusted and scared of yourself, as the realization hits you: if there was a human being in front of you instead of the blood pack, you could easily rip their throat. What kind of a monster have you become?..”
You were attacked and stabbed on your way from work, and Braxton saves you… But at what cost…
Warnings: mentions of blood and injury, light angst, hurt/comfort, SMUT
(…) his eyes trace the string of blood trickling from your chin down your neck, to the valley between your breasts. He leans down to catch it with his tongue somewhere at your solar plexus. You shiver, breath quickening, as he slowly licks his way up your body, pausing at your collarbones to leave a couple of soft bites and suck on the tender skin of your neck.
Warnings: SMUT- oral sex f receiving, a bit of overstimulation, unprotected vaginal sex
“You’ll never be able to explain what kind of witchcraft it is, but no other man ever had this effect on you. You might be questioning your relationship with him, ask yourself if it’s healthy or not, but not when you’re in his arms. In his arms you lose your ability to think completely. He didn’t even touch your… Hell, he didn’t even reach your underwear yet, but you’re already melting, your mind hazy with desire. Surrender to him and let him do anything he wants with you. Allow him to simply devour you whole - that’s what you’re craving for.”
You’re getting used to your new vampire nature, but there are still thoughts and questions that trouble you. You are not sure how you really feel about Braxton, but the reunion after some time apart brings the two of you to a new level of trust.
“Would you mind putting this down? It’s awfully uncomfortable to talk business like this.”
Instead of obeying, Inej pressed the stake in a little further. “I have no business with you, Kaz Brekker.” She enjoyed the brief flash of surprise on his face. She had done her research too. “And our hearts are nothing alike. I know why you killed the Menagerie’s clients. For profit. You don’t care about slavery, you care about selling that fake blood of yours.”
“Did that disappoint you?” Kaz asked, and maddeningly, Inej couldn’t tell if this was mockery or curiosity. “Did you think I might be some kind of hero?”
“No,” she said, teeth gritted. “I always knew what you are.”
A quick sketch of a scene from thekanej vampire/hunter au fici wrote for gvbb this year, cause i’m *always* a fan of death threats pinned against a wall. (check out the other art pieces made for the fic! [X][X] [X])
Patton cocked his head, a slight frown on his face. The hair on the back of his neck stood up, and he eased Virgil off of his lap, careful not to wake him as he stood. He rubbed his arms, feeling almost chilled, a shiver running down his spine. Something was wrong.
“Lo? Ro?” He called, and instantly, they appeared from in the kitchen, loosening a bit of the worry growing in his chest, safety in numbers, but something was still niggling at him, eating at his mind, screaming danger.
“Patton. Breathe.” Logan, gently squeezing his shoulders.
“something is wrong.” He answered, panic rising.
“Patton, your eyes…” Roman gasped. He spun, gasping as he saw his reflection, his eyes glowing a dim red. The strange panic pulsed harder, and he flinched, shoving the others down behind him, just as the glass windows of the living room shattered.
His instincts took over, the alarm cry of danger screaming in his head, rushing in his bones, and he growled. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt his family again.
He snarled as he leapt into the fray, not bothering with weapons, his nails sharpening into claws, his fangs bared and ready to tear, as he immediately pounced on one of the assailants, rolling across the floor in a bloody scrap.
Roman had his katana drawn, trying to fend off the attackers, Logan at his back with his crescent moon blades, Patton darting between them all with his extra speed, blocking the hits the others couldn’t see coming, keeping them away from the couch, away from Virgil, whom they seemed to hone in on.
There were so many of them, too many of them, and they were faltering. Roman had a slash across his cheek, Logan was bleeding from his arm. Patton was scraped and bruised, still snarling and spitting furious, like an angry alley cat, trying to defend all three of his family members, unable to keep up, unable to stop one from getting through his line of defense, eyes locking on Virgil as one of the attacking vampires reached him, a scream building in his throat.
Then there was a brilliant burst of black violet light that threw them all off their feet. Patton blinked furiously, breath freezing at the sight before him.
Virgil was standing, eyes a deep, electric storm violet that covered the whites. The light sparked from his hands, wreathed up his arms, wove around him almost like a cloak. The power was so black it was white, shifting between the two, lightning crashing against his skin, the power radiating out from him, his entire being aglow with it. The other attacking vampires hissed, focusing on their target, leaving the others alone. A smile split Virgil’s face, a cold, cruel thing, that made Patton shiver.
“You’ve made a mistake.” Virgil’s voice was an echoing boom, thunder crashing, rattling window panes, shaking the earth, a powerful reverb to it that had all of them wincing as it echoed in their mind.
In an instant, Virgil’s hands twisted in a complicated pattern, glowing circles and runes appearing in the air before him, drawn with his fingers, then he threw his arms wide and the spell circle blew wide, encompassing all the charging vampires, enveloping them in devouring darkness. Their screams were the only sound to the room as they dissolved into smoke, and with a flick of his fingers, the dark spell was gone, along with the attackers. Then Virgil turned to the three of them, his eyes still burning nearly black, novas of light crackling across his skin. Roman shoved to his feet, katana drawn, standing guard before Patton and Logan.
“It’s not safe here.” Virgil’s voice still boomed as he held out a hand, and Roman hesitated. He didn’t want to hurt Virgil, but this was scaring him. This wasn’t anything he’d ever seen before, and he wouldn’t let anyone, even Virgil, harm the others.
“Roman. It’s ok.” Patton murmured, gently pushing down his hand holding the sword, stepping around him, taking Virgil’s outstretched hand. “I trust you.” He whispered to Virgil, noting the slight smile that played at Virgil’s lips.
“I know, baby bat. Thank you.” Virgil replied, squeezing his hand, before looking back up at the others. Logan was next, hesitantly placing a hand on his arm, Roman following suit with a huff.
Virgil closed his eyes, weaving another spell circle in the air, one more complicated than Logan had ever studied, then the world blurred like a wet water color painting, shifting and spinning around them, slowly resettling until it was solid again, and they were in a completely different place.
“And I thought I was one for dramatic entrances.” A low whistle was accompanied with the words, and the group spun to face the small table against the wall, Remy leaning back in it, a smirk on his face, that slowly faded as he noticed the sparking light emanating from Virgil, expression shifting to shock as Virgil turned to look at him, eyes nearly black as coals, his veins pulsing with dark light.
“they found us. Didn’t know where else to go. Keep… keep them safe…” Virgil swayed on his feet, and Remy swore, barely managing to catch Virgil in his arms as the magic instantly vanished, the black leaking from his eyes as they rolled back and he slumped unconscious, skin ashen.
“Shit, Anx, you really know do know how to make an entrance.” Remy whispered, watching with baited breath as Virgil groaned, eyes blearily blinking open. He tsked scoldingly.
“Did you have a stroke and forget the first lesson of magic, you moron?!” Remy shook him lightly, and Virgil hissed, rolling his eyes.
“Be careful what you cast-“
“If it’s too much it’ll draw from your lifeforce itself.” Remy chorused with him, glaring down at him angrily.
“Cool. Now bitch, explain.”
“attacked in our house. Pack of ‘em. Was… was the only option.” Virgil mumbled, eyes slipping shut once more.
“Nuh uh, babe, not on my watch.” Remy muttered, silver light enveloping him for a moment, channeling his own magic into Virgil. Almost instantly, Virgil’s complexion evened out, his breathing steady, and the glow faded from Remy. Virgil didn’t open his eyes, but he stirred slightly, letting out a deep breath and relaxing in Remy’s arms, the pained tension leaving his body. It was a deep, restful sleep of recovery, Remy had made sure of that. It was his specialty, after all.
He took a deep breath, then turned his attention to the others, scowling as he saw Patton, standing with Roman and Logan.
“Someone wanna explain why you all showed up with my half dead adopted brother and him?” Remy asked accusingly, glaring at Patton, who waved nervously. Roman opened his mouth, but Logan stepped forwards first, eyes narrowed.
“Actually, I would say that it was you who led trouble to us. Given that Virgil has been dormant in his role as Anxiety, and you have been searching for Deceit, it seems probable that you were tailed when you paid us a visit, thereby leading your enemies to our doorstep. The only reason we got out is because he used magic more powerful and complex than any I’ve read about.” Remy softened, looking back down at Virgil.
“Of course he did. It takes a ton of magic to teleport two people, let alone three, including yourself. No wonder it pulled at his life force.” Remy sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I thought I was being careful.” He muttered, pushing back Virgil’s hair, before lifting him with a sigh and depositing him on the couch. In a literal blink of an eye, Patton was there, Virgil’s head in his lap. “He’ll be all right in a bit, just needs some, well, sleep. Remy smirked slightly, pushing up his dark glasses.
“So what do we do? He said the house isn’t safe anymore, those vamps are probably watching it. So now what?” Roman asked, pacing, eyes never leaving Remy, full of distrust.
“They seemed to be targeting Virgil specifically, and if it’s true they did indeed follow you to our location, it stands to reason they are after ‘the coven’ as you referred to it. It seems our goals now align. If we wish for these vampires to leave us alone, we must find their leader, and therefore find Deceit. Whether we like it or not, we must now work together.” Logan stated, standing near the arm of the couch, hands clasped behind him. Roman scowled, not halting in his pacing.
“You think I like it either, pretty boy? The last thing I wanted was your pet vampire in my secret hideout.” Roman growled, katana half drawn, silver light sparking on Remy’s hands.
“Say that again, I dare you.” Roman hissed out.
“Gladly, bitch-“
“Enough, you two. Just… enough. I get it. You don’t like me, don’t trust me, don’t want me here. I… I get it. But I’m not leaving. He’s part of my family, and I will do anything to protect him. So can we skip the hating me part, and focus on the problem?” Patton said, voice tired instead of biting, as he looked between Remy and Roman. Remy bit his tongue, looking hard at Patton for a moment, before sighing.
“Alright. Alright, fine, fine, for now. Once we figure this out, I make no promises.” Roman hissed again, cut off by Patton’s glare.
“I’ll just have to change your mind about me by then! Now, what do you know?”
…
He was exhausted. He was slumped against the wall, crouched uncomfortably, his restraints biting into his skin, keeping him from any kind of sleeping position. Every time he drifted off, the collar dug into his neck, jerking him awake. He was stained with blood, but his eyes were still defiant as he heard footsteps approaching, glaring up at the vampire who stopped before him.
“Well. That certainly went interesting. Seems I underestimated your little Virgil. He’s a slippery little shadow, I’ll give him that.” He smirked, relief filling his chest, Virgil got away. He’d always been smart, been strong, the strongest of the three of them, really.
“If you were smart you’d let him go. He’s capable of far more than you can imagine.” He kept his voice even, making sure the exhaustion didn’t give him away, keeping his cool façade intact, as the vampire grinned, fangs showing.
“Oh, but so am I. Something interesting happened, when my followers stormed their house. See, I expected four hunters. I didn’t expect three hunters and one very protective vampire. Wouldn’t you know, my coven turned a human a few months back, and got chased off before they could drag him back to the nest. What a lovely coincidence!” The vampire clapped his hands, green eyes flashing as his heart sunk.
He knows what that means. If vampires from this clan turned Virgil’s friend, and this vampire is the leader of the clan, then Virgil is in grave danger. He can see through Virgil’s friend’s eyes, can listen through his ears, can get inside his head and control him like a thrall, if he’s close enough. There’s an enemy on the inside, and no one, including Virgil’s vampire, knows it.
“Oh, don’t look so glum! You’ll get to see each other again soon, won’t that be great? Now, I’ve gotta go prepare my next move, but don’t you worry about a thing, pet. I’ll be back to play with you soon.” The vampire patted his cheek, making him wince, before he sauntered away, whistling, leaving him shaking.
He closed his eyes against the wash of helpless hopelessness filling him from the inside out. There’s nothing he can do.
He sunk down into his apathy, shutting himself off from the pain, from any emotion, because there is nothing, nothing he can do.
You invited him inside your home for the first time just weeks ago despite knowing him for almost two years. He stood behind you in the mirror, arms wrapped around your waist. His reflection was clear as day, it was it all an elaborate scheme? Some man living in his head with manners of someone from the late 1800’s??
“I don’t understand” you murmured to him.
“Hmm?” He hummed back. He left light kisses over your neck purposefully teasing the skin with his sharp canines. He glanced up and saw you looking at his clear reflection. “Ah. You see, when they first started manufacturing mirrors they were of sliver. But silver is far too expensive now, but the rumors still create quite the story”
You stared at him, not quite understand but leaving it at that.
