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Mr. Haung was a head of the supernatural committee of Korea. He, along with other non-humans, negotiates with the world leaders to make sure that the planet is safe for all species. It was him that helped pass the law of one human to each vampire back in the 1940's. Back then the human population was very thin because of the war and it was dropping even further thanks to the pickiness of vampires.

Mr. Haung suggested that each vampire should be assigned a human that suits their taste so that both species could flourish. It was troublesome to get the human leaders to agree but once he asked if they could pick from the orphans so that the humans wouldn’t riot from their loved ones being fed upon, they were fully on board with the idea. It was the perfect solution. Vampires got fed and parent-less children got a place they could call home.

Ever since Tao found out how it was possible for him and Yifan to be together he has taken a deep pride in the history and is always ecstatic when he is able to be a part of his father’s job. The meeting was one way that Tao could contribute to the committee.

It always held in April, though never annually. It’s chosen randomly when the human world and the supernatural world collide. The last time it was held was two years ago, the time before that, eight. Tao’s father once proclaimed that the record in the span of time has been fifty years, where it was broken on the account of the shadow people who thought it would be a great idea to uproar and steal human children. Though, the man does like to tell tall tales that even the supernatural wouldn’t believe. Yifan isn’t quite sure if it’s the truth; shadow people are the ledges of the supernatural.

Yifan wonders what happen this time to make the vampires call a meeting as he walks behind Tao through the double white doors into the grand gathering. Everything in the high ceiling room is cream coloured- excluding the podium on the far side made out of a dark wood. Tables and chairs have been removed to make room for the amount of people attending. There are three steps leading into the gathering and a man stands in the middle of the last one facing the flow of traffic and calling out, “Guest to the right of the room, chosens to the left.”

Tao turns around and waves at Yifan meekly before scurrying over to his area. Yifan shoves his hand in his pockets and saunters over to the left. He awkwardly stands in the middle of the human group and looks across to the other side. Everyone there is greeting each other and dipping into a conversation while all around him is deadly silence.

Yifan sighs and tugs on his tie. Tao forced him to wear it, insisting that it was going to be a formal event. Now that they were actually here, it is obvious that the dress code was casual.

“Hello.” A voice says as he slips off the useless accessory and puts it in his coat pocket. He could probably have worn his earrings as well.

“Oh, Hi.” He says once he notices that the voice was talking to him. It belonged to a blond haired boy with a stretched smile and sparkly eyes that starred up at him creepily.

“You’re tall.” The stranger comments.

“Yes, I know that.” Yifan rolls his eyes and undoes the first two buttons of his blue shirt. The air touches his exposed skin and he feels himself relax a bit to the atmosphere.

“Are you sure you’re supposed to be on this side?”

“If I wasn’t you would be talking to me like that, would you?”

“No, I guess not.” The boy chuckles, then puts out his hand. “I’m Taemin.”

“Yifan.” He grasps it and gives it a firm shake. The hall is almost filled with guest, making everyone speak up in their conversations to be heard. Yifan raises his voice a bit. “I don’t think I’ve see you before.”

“That because you haven’t.” Taemin’s informs, not looking at Yifan as he talks. He seems more interested in the crowd then the conversation, his head turning this way and that as he bounces on the ball of his feet with his hands clasp behind his back. “At the time of the last meeting I was really sick and Onew made me stay home.”

“Onew?”

“Oh, you might know him by Lee Jinki.” Taemin lips make a slight pout and his eyebrows frown when saying the name, like it’s a foreign word on his tongue. Yifan knows this name; he was a vampire from the eastern side of the country. Though he didn’t know him personally, he did know that he was someone of power.

“You call your master by his nickname?”

“You don’t?” Taemin turns to Yifan quickly with bewildered eyes, now more engrossed with their exchanged. When Yifan shakes his head the boy’s stare softens and his voice comes out cautious, like he was trying to sooth a nervous animal. “Who is it?”

“Master Haung Zitao.”

“Isn’t he the negotiator’s son?” he snorts then drawls, “No wonder why he’s a hard .”

“Nah.” Yifan denies, looking over to where Tao was. He suddenly finds embarrassment roll through him for talking about said teen. He peers downward, a sly smile on his face. “He’s a marshmallow.” He states, trying to find something that could keep him from gawking at a certain someone across the room. His focus somehow lands on the other’s wrist. The cuffs on Taemin’s shirt were rolled back slightly, making the two puncture wounds visible to anybody who had a wandering eye.

“He couldn’t be that squishy if he doesn’t let you call him by name.” Taemin shrugs. “Onew doesn’t like the title. He thinks of me like a little brother.”

“Some brother;” Yifan scoffs, “He doesn’t even clean up his mark.” he points his chin to the pierce skin.

Vampires have this elixir in their saliva that lets injuries heal on the spot. It’s only the more cruel ones that don’t heal there chosens after they feed. You hardly come across anybody like that since the fifty’s, but there are some here and there.

“He usually does!” Taemin proclaims, moving the other hand to hide the small pink dots. “It’s just that he was late for a meeting and forgot to heal it after he fed. What’s your excuse?”  He Interrogats, chin raising up like Yifan had just did but directing the attention to his neck.

Yifan touched the little scabs on his neck. Tao had a bad habit of forgetting to seal him up. Most of the time the chosen didn’t mind, he was used to the slight sting by now and the mark reminded him that he was useful, that Tao actually wanted his blood.

“It’s a school holiday.” He says passively. “It will go away before I go back.” And even if that sentence wasn’t the truth, Yifan would just apply a bit of makeup on it before he left the house.

Taemin’s eyes narrow and he lets his hand drop from his arm. “Why is it on your neck? I though only the opposite does that.”

“He can pick wherever he wants. It’s the first rule.”

“No, the first rule is to never refuse not be opinionless!”

“Well, I don’t mind.” Yifan looks to the ground, remembering all the times he had to actually plead with his chooser to take his blood after an incident when he was ten. “As long as he’s drinking.” He chokes, a sad smile on his face.

A frustrated huff travels to his ears. He glances up to see Taemin’s expression scrunched up in a way that would make other’s believed that Yifan suggested they should murder kittens for sport. The boy shakes his head and heads off to the back of the crowd without a word.  

The chatter in the hall is extremely loud. The room is to its fullest and as Yifan tries to rub the encounter with Taemin out of his head, he thinks that if everyone isn’t called to order soon, his head will explode. It seems like the noise is at its peak when the sound of knocking travels overhead of everything else. All eyes point to the podium, conversations going from deafening to whispers to no utterance at all. Tao’s father stands on stage, scanning the room for any lingering voices. When he is content that everyone is fixated on him, he clears his through and starts.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the hundred and seventy-eighth meeting of plasmatics. I would like to start out by reminding everyone, old and new, that during this time period it is strictly forbidden to feed from chosens.”  

Yifan moves to the side to find a spot near the windows. These things could take hours and if you didn’t find a spot to lean up agents, your legs fall asleep easily. Yifan crosses his arms as Mr.Huang continues. Right now it was mostly protocol of behavior for the newcomers.

“First order of business.” The negotiator’s voice rises the slightest after a five minute run down, a way of telling everybody who was drifting to start paying attention.

“Blood bags are disappearing from hospitals all around the surrounding cities. Though I am sure that it is no one from this community and that it is just a medical mistake, I have been told to tell you that you have been supplied chosens for that reason-”

Nothing that concerned the Yifan’s side of the room. He looks out the window, watching the wind play in the leaves of the tree on the lawn. The movements were calming and Mr.Haung’s fading voice made Yifan’s lids droop.

“There are forever children moving into Jaesang park.” He didn’t know how long he had been in that drowsy state, but as soon as those words were uttered, Yifan was on high alert. “We would like to welcome them into the community. Anybody want to volunteer?”

Don’t you dare. Yifan thought, glaring holes into the side of Tao’s face. He hated meeting anybody new. It took him everything he had to not walk away from Taemin. He had been with Tao long enough to know that the boy will jump at any chance to help his father. If his master was picked for the job it would mean that he had to be nice to more people.

Tao hand shot up, his father nodded towards him. “All right, Zitao, you can do it. They will arrive on Thursday. Please treat them with the respect of an elder.”

Yifan made a noise in the back of his throat, rolling his head to the side so he wouldn’t be able to see Tao’s eager smile. As Mr.Haung carries on, Yifan decides he will eat zucchini for the next week as revenge.  

“Creations are strictly forbidden. This law has been put into act since 1920. Anyone found creating will be strictly punished.”

It was the one vegetable that Tao couldn’t stand in Yifan’s system. If the chosen took even a bit in between feedings, Tao would scrunch up his face in disgust. It was perfect payback.

“Lastly,” Mr. Haung finishes after a dreary hour of uninterrupted information. “Vampires have been finally allowed to visit the ocean side towns. After years of research, we have been able to insure the human leaders that we don’t multiply with water.” His serious tone fades then with a snort. “What were they thinking?” he asks to a person off to the side, completely forgetting that his voice is being amplified. “I don’t know. Maybe they were mistaking us with mogwai.”

Cheers of both excitement and relief rise up over the restless crowd as the meeting is adjourned. Yifan trudges to Tao side when people start to file out. He waits patiently as the other makes plans with some of his friends to go to the beach. They say their farewells and Tao turns to his chosen with a blinding smile. It diminishes as soon as he spots the scowl on Yifan’s face, his crossed arms displaying his annoyance.

“What?” Tao breaths, warily scanning the other’s demeanor.

“Really?” Yifan spits irritably. “Welcoming committee?” Tao rolls his eyes.

They wait as Tao’s parents chat with some lingering counsel men. Though they spoke in hushed tones, the vacancy of the room makes every sentence echo off the walls. The hollowness of it feels penetrating, like his soul left his body vacant for a while. The dreadfulness vanishes from Yifan in a whoosh when he sees his guardians approaching them, in the middle of a conversation.

“I didn’t see Tiffany or Nichkhun this year.” Mr.Haung frets. “It’s strange; they always make the meeting.”

“Maybe they couldn’t get a flight in time.” Tao’s mother suggests.

“I’ll have to write to them when we get home.” He looks to the kids, an exhausted smiles playing on his lips. “Ready to go?”

“Yifan~” Tao’s voice drifts into the navy room. Yifan had been right in his suspicions as a kid; it was the living room. It became one of their favorite spots growing up, playing board games and recalling the days to each other. Now, Yifan sits on an ash colour couch as black scruffy hair peeks into the door way. Tao beams when he finds the very person he was looking for. He scampers towards the older teen and climbs onto his lap, fixing his hands to rest on the other shoulders and leaning back on the arm rest.

“What is it, Master?”

“I’m thirsty.” Tao pouts.

“Already?” Yifan tries to hide his thrilled surprise. If the younger knew of his anxiousness, he would definitely get an ear full.

“Is it okay if I have a sip?” Tao asks meekly.

“Hey, it’s all yours.” The human chuckles at the other’s expression. He stretches he neck to show off his beautiful long neck. Tao shifts in his lap to get closer. He feels a kiss of gratitude on the curve of his neck then the pinch of entrance. He anticipates the feeling of light-headedness that he loves so dearly, that he sometimes secretly craves like a drug addict. The euphoria is cut short though; Tao release him in the half of the time that he did his previous feeding.

He admires the stunning vampires face as he pulls away, his eyes are closed and he on his bottom lip to rid of the excess liquid. Yifan feels the slow trickle of crimson rivers gravitating to his back. He clears his throat to get Tao’s attention.

“Master, you forgot something.”

“What?” Tao peers up at him, his eyes still hooded in a daze.

“Your mark.”

“Why don’t you keep it?” He asks, trailing his finger to collect the drippings. The sensation make Yifan shiver. “It made that creepy Seungho stop staring at you.” Tao sticks the bloodied finger in his mouth like it was a lollipop.  

“I would love to wear it but I have school in two days. I’ll get in big trouble if it’s seen.”

“What’s the big deal about school anyway? Stay home with me.” Tao leans into his chest. The way that his body was radiating heat from him almost made Yifan give in to the request.

“I need to go to learn about humans and how they interact.” Yifan wraps an arm around his master, unconsciously rubbing soft circles into his flesh.

“Well I’ll just call Youngjae over and you can talk with Jongup.”

“I said humans not chosens. I need to learn everything a normal human would so I’ll be prepared for when you release me.”

Tao pulls away to study him. “Who says I’ll release you?” he sneers.

“It’s the law.” Yifan deadpans.

“Well it’s a stupid law.” Tao mumbles, scrunching his nose up in displeasure. “I should get father to find that wretched fountain of youth sooner so you don’t have to retire.”

“Just because I won’t be your chosen anymore doesn’t mean we can’t still be friends.”

“Really?”

“Of course!” Tao snuggles his face into his chosen’s chest, making the man squeeze him closer.

“Still, I wish we had some more time.”

“Yeah,” Yifan sighs.

“Thirty years seems like a short time.” There was a pause where the pair drifted off into their own private thoughts. All noise was omitted and time appeared to stop completely. Tao tilted his head up and blinks a couple of times with a glint in the corner of his eyes. “Maybe I could go to school too!”

Yifan eyebrows shoot up to the ceiling. “You want to go to school?” Supernatural creatures are normally home schooled to prevent rumors from spreading. Most of the time they enjoy the separation since humans are considered lower class.

“Yeah!” Tao exclaims. “That way we won’t waste time apart. Can I? Please?”

“You’ll have to ask your father,” Yifan insisted wearily. Really the decision was not his to be made. "though he hardly ever says no to you.”

“I’ll go ask him right now.” The teen springs up from the humans lap like a jack in the box and rushes to the dining room door.

“Master,” Yifan calls before the boy can escape. When the other halts his movements he continues on in a teasing tone “you’re still forgetting something.”

“What?” Tao regards him with an oblivious expression. The chosen simply points to his neck where two red dots are clearly visible. Tao chuckles, flustered as he rubs the back of his own neck. “Oh. Sorry.”  he strides back to the couch and gives the wounds a swift .