5,597 words.

In which Woohyun is a real vampire but Sunggyu doesn’t believe him because according to Sunggyu he is too cute to be one.

Woohyun may be the tamest vampire ever existed.

That, says a lot about him. Even if he’s a dead creature and mayhap has had blood for far too many times for him to remember, he’s actually dislikes drinking blood. But he also needs them. Like they’re the essential essence that keeps him alive, or maybe half alive as he’s not actually alive. You know how it works.

Just like any other vampire out there, Woohyun possesses clear skin, youthful face and nicely proportioned body. In other word, he is perfectly handsome.

Where other vampires use their body and face to lure their victims at the most easiest place, which is nightclubs. Woohyun plays otherwise. He hates dark and noisy places like the clubs or parties.

No. He prefers more quiet places like the library or cafes, whereas they aren’t as much attractive person as they are at the clubs, they are nicer people there. And Woohyun misses being around good people.

He has lived for a few centuries but he is as lonely as ever. Even if he has a companion, a friend, who also acts as his guardian, Myungsoo. He still feels like he’s missing something that he has been seeking for throughout his life.

It’s been decades since he’s been in a serious relationship. Having a relationship with a human is forbidden but Woohyun has had a few shares in having human companion. A one night stand is what people called them. Nothing more nor less. Having a relationship with another vampire is kind of a pain in the as they tend to act more dominant more than the others when they are in a relationship, and Woohyun is tired of it, so that’s really out of question.

So tonight, he has decided to visit the book café in town. The one he’s often heard of but has never visited before. In searching of, maybe a companion for the night. Moreover, this would be the few last month he’ll live here. Woohyun would have to frequently move out every few years as people would get suspicious over his never aging face. He still looks like he’s in his late 20 when he’s more than century old already.

As he moved around all over the country, he would change his identity and occupation; right now he is Nam Hyunsoo, a lecturer in a private college.

It’s been an hour yet no one has truly captured Woohyun’s eyes. He thinks that maybe tonight is not really the night and has think of leaving.

As Woohyun sips on his hot latte; his 3rd cup, the bells hanged on the door chimes when a human pushes the door open and enter the café. Woohyun’s attention pique as a sight of a man shivering from the cold entering his frame. It’s winter, and the weather tonight is not one Woohyun would call comfortable when the temperature dropped so relatively low.

The man's jacket is full of fallen snows, and he tries to brush it off as much as he can. But that's not what really draws Woohyun to him. What really captured Woohyun's attention is the blood red hair the man has. It's strikingly daring, and contrast to his pale complexion, the man really stands out in the café.

The vampire rarely would give his time scrutinizing over human when it’s not the time for him to feed yet, so it’s quite an anomaly for him to gaze on the man, who seems like by now has finished ordering his beverage. He waits for his order as he cranes his head in searching for a vacant seat. The café is buzzed with people at the moment, and the only vacant seat available is at the table Woohyun is sitting currently. It seems like the human is also aware of the fact as he stares straight at Woohyun’s direction, probably thinking whether it would be worth it for him to stay in the café or just take his order and go. He shifts his attention to the window and immediately frowning at the sight of the even more heavily snowfall. He changes his gaze towards Woohyun again, and that’s when they meet eyes. The human has small eyes, but Woohyun can still see the certainty swims in them.

Seems like he has made his choice.

Soon after his drink is finished, the man struts over Woohyun’s table. Woohyun lifts his head up as the man stopped right in front of him. The man offers his best smile, but not over friendly smile. There’s a hint of mischievous in those eyes; youthful and something else, the essence of life. Something Woohyun doesn’t have. Woohyun his lips shortly, suddenly realizing he’s thirsty.

“Hi.” The human greets him and Woohyun blinks.

“Y-Yea?”

“Sorry, is this seat taken?” He refers to the seat in front of Woohyun.

Woohyun shakes his head gingerly.

The human smiles. “Uhm, if you don’t mind. Can I take it? As you can see, everywhere else is full.”

Woohyun knows, but he still cranes his head around, just to create the illusion that he hasn’t checked the place a moment before when he realized the human’s intention. After a few seconds that Woohyun deems as appropriate to answer, he looks back at the human who’s still standing still, waiting patiently for his reply.

“Yea sure. I don’t mind.” Woohyun tries to act nonchalant about it.

The glint in the human’s eyes flicker. He pulls the chair out and plops his bottom on it.

“Thanks.”

Woohyun smiles politely. “Pleasure.” The thirst he felt intensifies.

The human places his hot coffee in front of him and he uncaps the lid off the paper cup. The smell of crisp acidic coffee infiltrates Woohyun’s nose. He has an acute sense of smell after all. The human doesn’t directly drink it, instead he places both his hands on the cup, undoubtedly transferring the heat to his frozen hands. Although he pulls one back when he offers it to Woohyun.

“My name is Sunggyu by the way, what’s yours?”

Woohyun blinks once, twice, before he finally registered what happened and he reaches over the hanging hand with his, immediately taking in how the human, Sunggyu, subtly flinch at the contact. He must have feeling how cold Woohyun’s hand at the moment. He can’t help that his body temperature is a notch lower than other people.

“I’m Hyunsoo.” He replies with a smile. They part hands after.

“Are you new here?”

It seems like his companion for tonight is a bit chatty. Woohyun doesn’t mind it though.

The vampire nods once. “More or less.”

Sunggyu scrunches his face lightly. “That’s a very vague answer.” He retorts. Woohyun only shrugs. He’s more of a chatty person at home, or anywhere else, but tonight, tonight he suddenly has an impulse to just be a listener. Sunggyu seems like he has a lot to say.

“It’s rare to see someone as attractive as you sitting alone. That too here, when you,” Sunggyu scrutinizes Woohyun’s outfit quickly, “look like you belong to every fancy nightclub with your wear.”

Woohyun dons a long black velvety jacket, a fitting silver button-up shirt, and equally fitting black slacks, and a pair of dark brown boots. He looks y to put simply.

Woohyun chuckles lightly. “How do I look like? And it's you to speak of yourself. You are alone too right now, when you,” Woohyun stops briefly to parroting what Sunggyu has done a moment before, “not bad yourself. What were you doing in this book café? It doesn’t look like you’re one that likes to read.”

Sunggyu looks a bit more comfy in the outfit department than Woohyun. He is cladded in a black jacket, with a white hoodie inside, a pair of black jeans and a pair of sneakers. He also has a beanie on, which honestly makes him look younger than he truly is.

Sunggyu tch-es, but not in an offended way, it sounded more like an amused one to Woohyun’s ear more than anything. “You look freakishly attractive if you asked me…but,” the human suddenly reaches into his jacket pocket. What he brings out makes Woohyun’s heart a bit flutter and his face fluster. It’s not something too big, but for a complete stranger, it’s a lot. “Your hand is so cold, I think you need this more than me.” Sunggyu pushes the heat pad across the table. Woohyun hesitantly picks it up. The heat pad helps nothing with his body temperature, but he’s not about to tell Sunggyu that.

At the very moment, Woohyun thinks that Sunggyu is very interesting.

“Thanks.” He timidly says as he puts the pad in his pocket.

Sunggyu just shrugged as he sips on his now lukewarm coffee.

They both drink in silence for a few moment but it’s not awkward per se. If anything, it’s very aromatic and calming. For once in Woohyun’s life, he doesn’t feel as lonely.

“I read.”

Woohyun lifts his head up at the sudden remark. “Hm?”

“You said it doesn’t look like I’m the type to read.”

Woohyun nods at that, urging the man to continue.

“I read.” Sunggyu repeats. “Not often though. When I have time, I’ll come here to read.”

Woohyun nods tardily as if he’s thinking of the fact seriously.

“That’s why I asked you. I have never seen you around here before.” Sunggyu continues as he props both his elbows on the table and plant the fists under his chin.

Woohyun smiles amusedly. He too, props his elbows on the table, imitating the human. “So, you’re a regular here?” He says, avoiding the prior question.

Sunggyu hums at the blatant avoidance. “That’s not the answer I’ve been waiting for though.”

“Oh? And what is it you’re looking for then?”

“What a cute guy like you doing alone on the weekend in a book café when you look like you belong in the darkness.”

Hah. What a spot on.

Woohyun leans back. He feels dangerously attracted to the human in front of him, and that’s never a good sign. He ponders whether to keep the conversation (and the undeniable attraction) on or whether to cut the line here. He is a human after all. And Woohyun doesn’t play with his food.

But then Sunggyu tilts his head since Woohyun takes his sweet time just staring into the alluring small eyes instead of quirking his witty reply and maybe Woohyun’s dead heart gives a thump. Woohyun concludes that he’s doomed already. What more could possibly happen then?

Woohyun smirks. “Again, this brings to the previous question. What are you doing here then?”

The human in front of him sends him a toothy smile. Mischievous.

“This,” he gestures around him, “is my territory. But what’s your reason?”

Woohyun chuckles at the chosen word, “I’m marking my new territory.” Woohyun says playfully.

That brings out a big smile on Sunggyu’s face. “I like the way you talk Hyunsoo-ssi.”

For a beat, Woohyun forgets that he’s using the said name, and that makes him a bit sad Sunggyu doesn’t know his true name but he quickly brushes them off.

“Hyun is fine.” Is Woohyun reply. Which honestly shocked himself too. Maybe a part of him wants to be recognized with his real name by this stranger.

Sunggyu one of his eyebrows up. “Okay Hyun-ssi.”

That last one small smile that’s plastered on Sunggyu’s face is what keep Woohyun’s awake for the night.

What has been a single encounter has turn to two, three, four, and many more after that night. There’s nothing undeniable about their attractions to each other.

Woohyun find himself to always go back to the book café in hope to meet the beautiful man he’s met the first night. And true to his word, he’s a frequent at the café. They meet every night since then, and Woohyun’s thirst hasn’t be satiated even when he drank the supplied packet of blood that he bought from the black market.

His friend, a.k.a. his guardian, Myungsoo has expressed his worries on how Woohyun looks to be weakened everyday even with his constant feeding. At first, they thought it to be some sort of adapting mechanism with the new kind of blood he had, but the fatigue trait doesn’t go away after two weeks. And if the constant growl Woohyun lets out is any indication, it doesn’t look like he’s in a good condition. Myungsoo called it as the hunger symptom. What a vampire would face sometimes when their body yearn for something they couldn’t get easily. It’s a very rare condition since vampire usually just fed on human without having to think twice. But it’s different with Woohyun.

He knows that too.

And if Woohyun is truly honest with himself, Sunggyu smells sweeter each night they spend time together; like honeybun and cinnamon tea. He knows for the fact that if he could have Sunggyu’s blood, the awful thirst would have gone forever. But he couldn’t afford to harm Sunggyu.

And asking him for a pint of his blood is not possible.

Not possible if he’s to ask them without explaining his condition to the man first anyway. And Woohyun doubts Sunggyu would just understand and give his willingly. The best thing that could happen probably is Sunggyu running away from him, and they would never met again. Ever.

And Woohyun would've rather died of thirst if that means he wouldn’t have to harm Sunggyu for that matter.

Today marked a month of their encounter.

Their relationship has progressed to meeting outside the book café. Often they would go out for dinner or drink or maybe late snack at night. With it, worsens Woohyun’s state of craving for Sunggyu’s blood. The human even smell sweeter tonight, as if that’s possible. But it happened.

“So, I told my friends that I'm meeting with an interesting guy every night. And that’s why I haven’t been home for this couple last weeks and they told me to be careful.”

“Why?” The vampire manages dryly. His throat feel patchy.

Sunggyu chuckles. “They said that you might be serial killer or something because we only met at night. I know…ridiculous right?”

Woohyun who’s pretty much been in a trance flinches a little. They