“Now, what brought you here?” Hyukjae asks, raising an eyebrow at the intruder who's currently press up against the glass wall and looking down on the mob of neon lights and club-goers. “Besides just causing a raucous in my club of course.”

Donghae pushes himself away from the glass and spins around, and approaches Hyukjae's desk with a determine stride. He stands before Hyukjae, with nothing but the desk separating them, smelling of spice and the summer breeze and temptation.

"I believe you have heard about the missing students," he starts off, arms folded across his chest and looking intently at Hyukjae.

It surprises him a little that Donghae would meet his eyes like that. Hyukjae is use to bowed heads, the slight tremble of their voice that they carefully tried to hide as they talk to him, and the ardent respect that they show--lest he ripped their head off of course but then this is the same kid that waltz into his nightclub unannounced and picked a fight with a man that easily dwarfed him in size.

"Ahh," Hyukjae says, nodding his head in acknowledge. "I assure you, I have nothing to do with it. I would be considerably stupid to bring the attention of the mundane to our little establishment here. As much as the media like to portrayal our people as dangerous animal, we like our peace." He pushes his chair back to stretch his legs out from under his desk.

Donghae rolls his eyes, unconvinced. "Right, I did my homework before I came here, Lord Hyukjae. Your territory is by far the largest in Seoul and sure you wouldn't make the grave mistake attracting unwanted attention to you and your people but you can't know everything that goes under your nose. I believe that one or several of your people are ed up enough to have done it,” he says, and despite the heat in his words, his voice is calm and latent with lead but Hyukjae could hear Donghae’s heartbeat roaring in his ears.

Donghae’s cool demeanor doesn’t fool Hyukjae one bit.

“So what is it that you want from me then?” he asks, raising an eyebrow curiously.

“Several of my classmates were last seen here before they went missing so I would like you to help me get them back please.” A pause, then Donghae adds, “Alive and in one piece of course.”

“And why should I do as you ask,” Hyukjae says, just to be a and because he wants to see what Donghae would do next. It isn't often that a human boy would have enough guts to sneak into his club and cause such enough disturbance to attract his attention.

"You're the Premier Lord of this city, your word is basically law and if you say you would help me then I can move through the district easily enough without people stopping me and wondering what a human is doing here and if you could use some of your connections and people, it’ll be faster to find them,” Donghae says, hands clasping together and looking urgent.

“You want to use my resources to aid you,” Hyukjae states flatly and at Donghae nods he gives a saccharine smile. “I think not.”

Donghae narrow his eyes, pushing himself forward and leaning over the desk. “Then I will report you to SLEA and they will open an investigation on Elysium, and even I know you wouldn't like humans going in and out of your club and interfering with your business in the name of solving a case,” he snaps, eyes flashing bright and furious.  

Hyukjae leans back against his chair, amused. “It’s cute that you think we don’t already have the SLEA our pockets,” he says, his smile growing bigger. “I don’t have to do anything for you.”

Hyukjae watches as Donghae goes still and hears his heart beat to an erratic rhythm against his chest, leading Hyukjae to think he got Donghae there but then--Donghae abruptly slam both of his hands down on the desk, jolting Hyukjae’s papers and pens, and glares at Hyukjae, fiery and heated like an angry god.

“Your club was the last place they were seen and even though you say none of your people didn’t take them, it doesn’t change the fact that it had happened in your club and you let it happened so that make you partially responsible for it. You can buy out the SLEA all you want but I will go directly go to the media and leaked to them that three humans went missing here and it’s all your fault for not putting a stop to it. You may have bought your way into the SLEA but you can’t control what the media print and they will kill your hard earned reputation that you have carefully built. I’m sure that’s not what you want and I don’t want to do it either but you forced my hand,” he huffs, breathless and the last part sound almost regretful as he say them. “And even if you manage to do damage control on it, I will do everything in my power to be the biggest pain in your and bring everything you owne and love crashing down if you don’t help me find them.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Hyukjae says gutteringly low, eyes flashing gold and fangs protruding out of lips.

But Donghae mostly looks unimpressed. “Try me,” he says defiantly.

The entire room is filled with one loud frantic heartbeat that echoes in Hyukjae’s ears, he could taste the tiny trace of fear that is hastily covered up with anger on his tongue as the air around them crackles uneasily, even the large office space feels suffocating and charged but none of them back down.

Though it wouldn't take much for Hyukjae to grab Donghae by the throat and rips out his heart but Hyukjae is willing to admit that the kid is smart, resourceful, even if he’s completely reckless to the point of stupid--entering a nest full of vampires and daring to oppose Hyukjae who could easily tear him from limb to limb and turn his mind to mush with just a careful suggestion in Donghae’s ears.

But he won’t because Donghae is an unexpected wonder, brave but not entirely fearless and the length he would go just to accomplish his goal is--admirable.

Hyukjae retracts his fang and his eyes go back to its normal color as he throws his back laugh, shocking Donghae enough that he could hear the jump in speed in Donghae's heart.

"What?!" Donghae demands, face scrunches up in confusion.

Hyukjae recovers himself enough to throw Donghae a grin. “You have underestimate how far my influence go, my dear. I assure you if you go talk to a news outlet about me, they will quickly shut you down before you could even say another because you forgot that sometimes the monster hide in the shadow it’s not because they’re afraid of the light,” he says, and his smile must have been quite foul enough to makes Donghae gives a tiny, barely there flinch. “It’s because they prefer the dark. True monsters are more fearsome if they are let out into the light. “

Donghae moves slightly back, there is a shift in his stance--defensive and careful. The fear tastes heavier now but Donghae continues to meet his eyes even as Hyukjae notices the slight tremble in his hands and the nervousness emanating from his body.

Hyukjae untwists his smile and tries to appear harmless by raising his hands up and flashes his teeth. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to do anything to you,” he tells Donghae, and tries to sound comforting but Donghae only narrow his eyes and doesn’t drop his guard one bit.

Hyukjae sighs and scoots his chair closer to the desk. He might as well bring that out now.

He opens his left drawer and finds the thick blue folder, labeled in big bold letters, “4/13/13 Humans Missing,” and places the file on the table. He flips to the first few pages, till he finds what he wanted.

Hyukjae starts to read from the file, “Gok Minyuk, twenty-six years old nurse, living in Jongno District was reported missing on April 13, 2013; Nam Sung, twenty-three years old office worker, living in Guro District was reported missing April 17, 2013; Doko Taen, twenty years old student, living in Mapo District was reported missing April 18, 2013; and here in this folder there’s twenty-four more, making it a total of twenty-seven people that have gone missing including your classmates.”

Donghae opens his mouth but quickly snaps it close, and then carefully he says, “There are more? And--and how did you get that information?”  

Hyukjae shrugs, looking down at the files lay before him. "I've already started the investigation on the missing humans since Gok Minyuk went missing in the undercity two months ago. These are the twenty-seven people that we can confirmed who stepped foot in our city and disappeared,” he says, lifting his head up and gazing at Donghae’s wide eyes, “but I know there are more that went unreported and as you can see we have yet to find out who the culprit is.”

The last sentence leaves a slow simmering anger burning inside him, even thinking of the rouge bastards that are stupid enough to hunt humans in his city makes him want to set this entire building into cinder and when he find them he’s going to break every bone in their body and tear off their skin, and feed it back to them. He’ll make sure that every moment that they are alive would be torturous and grueling that they wish death would come sooner. No mercy are given to people who try to destroy the very thing that Hyukjae and his people work so hard to create, the peace that they fought hard to have.

“Hyukjae?”

Hyukjae is pull out of his musing and looks right at Donghae frighten eyes, and for someone like Donghae who is so good at putting up a brave front Hyukjae must have been caught up in his anger that he dropped the carefully crafted cool veneer and showed Donghae the monster beneath all that human appearance.

“Sorry about that,” he says, grimacing. He had let his emotion got the better of him and he did it in front of a stranger.  

Donghae shakes his head. “No, I’m sorry,” he says, ducking his head shamefully and sounding so sincere that it takes Hyukjae back briefly. “I forgot that you got more to lose because of this—” his right hand flapping madly and Hyukjae just stares in respond, because what, “and as much as I freak out about my classmates going missing and I’m sure all those that those that disappeared has people that worrying about them too, but you—you got thousands of your people relying and needing you to keep them safe and you held this entire city together despite the prejudice and hate against vampires and I—I’m sorry that I didn’t consider that. Sometimes, I get too caught up in what I’m doing that I ignore everything around me and don’t think about other people feelings. I should have just talk to you instead of bursting into your club and making threats to get what I want.”

He looks bashful as he meets Hyukjae’s in the eyes.

Hyukjae is—speechless. This rarely ever happen to him but he doesn’t know what to say. It’s such a turnabout event that it took him for surprise. Donghae, who practically stormed into the scene and demanded to be listen to, is a force of nature but person right now seems entirely different and new.

“Its fine,” Hyukjae says, because what else can he say. It’s actually extremely hard for Hyukjae to be floundering for his words but this human boy had left him scrambling to think what to say next.   

Donghae jerks his up, and loudly and earnestly says, “No! It isn’t fine. I was being an to you and I’m so sorry. It’s just that my classmates been missing for a several week now and nobody seems to care but that’s not an excuse to be a . And I’m not a , not usually anyway. I mean I been told I can be a little dickish but I don’t mean to be it’s just it been exhausting week and half looking at every lead that could help me find them and I—”

“Okay, okay,” he says, with barely contain amusement. “I get it, say no more. Just breathe.”

Donghae’s cheek are red and his breath are shallow now. “Sorry,” he mumbles.

Hyukjae raises a hand out, palms up and signaling a stop before Donghae could go on another ramble. “Don’t worry I understand,” he says, and glances back down at his folder, flipping through several pages to find a school picture of a handsome young man with rainbow color hair.

He gestures for Donghae to come closer and Donghae easily complies to it, walking forward till he’s press up against the desk and leaning over it as Hyukjae flips the file to face Donghae so he could see. "Because this is the real reason why you're really here, right?" he says, pointing to the picture of the young man. “Oh Sehun, your cousin.”

Donghae breath hitches and he lets out a soft gasp. "How did you know?" he demands, arms stiffen by his side.  

Hyukjae smirks. "I did my homework too. The moment you stepped foot in Elysium I was made fully aware of it."

Donghae swallows, then bites his lower lip. "So was this whole charade some sort of a joke to you?" he asks, gesturing wildly and glares at Hyukjae but it wasn’t the same level of heat that he had earlier.

"No, I was just curious why a human boy who has no business in city filled with vampires is wandering around and asking for information about some missing humans. So, I had my people looked into you and found your connection to one Oh Sehun who went missing two weeks ago.”

Donghae sighs and rakes a hand through his hair tiredly. “Yea, he is my cousin and we always been very close so when I heard he was missing I couldn’t leave it alone. I started digging around until it lead me here,” he says softly. “He’s my family and I would have done anything to get him back.” Donghae places a hand over the picture and traces the profile of Sehun in the picture with gentle fingers.

Hyukjae doesn’t know what made him do it, but he suddenly drops his hand over Donghae’s that it jerks Donghae’s out of his reverie and he looks at Hyukjae with startled eyes. “Donghae,” Hyukjae begins, clasping Donghae’s hand tightly in his, “I promise to you that as the Premier Lord of this city I’ll find your cousin. So go home and wait because I’ll return him to you.”

"Thank you for that,” he says, smiling softly, “but—” he surges forward and abruptly Donghae’s face is several inches away from Hyukjae, “but let me help you out at least. I don’t want to stay behind and wait it out. I’m too involve in this to let it go so easily.”

Hyukjae shakes his head and leans away from Donghae, being so close Donghae makes his teeth throb and throws his tightly woven control into chaos. Hyukjae had noticed that Donghae smell incredibly good since he’d first entered the club but Hyukjae isn’t a newborn vampire that he’ll let his instinct rule over him.

He’s Lee ing Hyukjae and a human boy is not going break him.  

"What made you think that what you offer, I can’t find somewhere else? I already have enough people and resource put into this case and I don’t need a human child getting in the way," he says, and winces internally, even the words sound harsh in his ears but he doesn’t intend to let Donghae get anymore deeper into this.

People had died already and Hyukjae has no intention of putting Donghae at risk. Like it or not, Hyukjae is becoming fond of this odd little human.  

“You still haven’t find the culprit though,” Donghae unhelpfully points out, not backing down one bit, “that mean you’re probably doing something wrong so if you have a different set of eyes, a human one at that with you as you investigate, it can give you a different perspective.”

Hyukjae quirks up a brow. “Oh really.”

“Yes! I bet you did most of your investigation in the undercity because that’s where it happened right? But have you tried to go to the victim’s home because I found enough stuff in Sehun’s room that led me back here.”

Hyukjae shakes his head wearily, he can already tell where this is going.

“See? And that’s probably why you’re not making head way and not a lot of humans would openly interact with vampires so if I'm there I can certainly help you,” he insists, looking at Hyukjae expectantly.  

Hyukjae lets out a heavy sigh and drops his head on his open palm before looking back at Donghae. "Alright fine, and I’m only saying this because I’m sure that even if I tell you back off of this investigation, you’re won’t leave this alone, right?”

Donghae nods his head, looking hopeful. “So is that a definite yes?”

Hyukjae actually has several human liaisons that worked under him so technically he doesn’t need Donghae there with him but knowing that several of his agents landed up dead from getting involve in the investigation already and Donghae is too reckless to think of his own safety. It’s better if he’s with Hyukjae so Hyukjae could watch over him at least. He doesn’t want another death on his conscience when he could easily prevent it and he pretends it isn’t because he really does enjoy Donghae’s company, the way he challenges Hyukjae and doesn’t mind putting Hyukjae in his place.

“Yes, you can help me,” he says. Hyukjae sighs, he’s going to regret this he knows it.

Donghae gives him bright smile in respond and it’s the first real smile Hyukjae has seen from Donghae, and for some reason it delights him and leaves him wanting.

Then, Donghae abruptly throws himself over the desk, spilling papers and pens onto the floor, and wraps his entire body around Hyukjae like some sort of anaconda. “Thank you, thank you! I definitely won’t hinder your investigation and I’ll be so good that you barely notice me there. It’ll be great!”

Hyukjae awkwardly clears his throat, it’s a little too weird for him that moments ago he was pretty sure that Donghae would have sooner stabbed him than hug him but now Donghae is all earnest and handsy and smells so lovely. He gently removes Donghae’s hands off of him and pushes him back onto the desk.   

“Sorry, sorry,” Donghae says, embarrassment colors his cheek and still sitting on Hyukjae’s desk. He glances over the side of the table and looks down at Hyukjae’s stuff littering all over the floor. “I’ll clean those up.” He hops off the desk and somehow falls over and there’s a loud thump resonating the room.

“Donghae?” Hyukjae calls out warily and consider checking on him.   

“Sorry, that was all me! My legs gave out from all the standing and walking I did this entire night,” he says, popping his head up and gives Hyukjae a thumb up as a sign.  

Hyukjae has to hold back a choked up laughter because wow that was unexpected, it’s like all the bravado that Hyukjae had seen earlier had dropped and died off once Donghae realizes that Hyukjae wasn’t his enemy.  

“I just got too excited at the prospect of helping you with the case but seriously thank you,” he continues, falling back onto a chair and flashing a big wide grin at Hyukjae and Hyukjae is momentarily taken back by it because this quick to smile brat wasn’t the person that he had meet earlier.

Since the moment Donghae had entered Elysium, he’d been hostile, demanding, and uncompromising but this Donghae right now in front of him is clumsy and sweet and hopelessly adorable. It’s discerning, and nearly gives him a whiplash with the sudden change of personality but he finds that he doesn’t mind both versions of Donghae. One is particularly tough and unbending and the other soft and sweet but both are equally headstrong and willful and they have pique his interest.

“You’re a really strange,” he muses, resting his elbow on the arm chair and his head on his knuckle.

Donghae flushes, hands fold across his lap. “Well, I didn’t think you would take me seriously if I didn’t come on strong and confident and when I thought you weren’t going to help me I just got really pissed because you were being an .”

Hyukjae smiles, amused. “I see. I hope that doesn’t stop you from wanting to work with me now."

Donghae shakes his head frantically. “No, no, I’m really looking forward to working with you now!” Donghae says, eyes bright and looking so delicious and good.

As soon as that thought hit him, Hyukjae almost groaned out loud because he might just doom himself by bringing Donghae in. Now he’ll deal with spending more time with this weird human that stormed into his life like a whirlwind and command all his attention like its owe to him.  

This is going to painful affair, if whatever been taking the humans in his city doesn’t get them both kill first.

a/n: vampire lord/club owner met his match in the stubborn and annoying human boy donghae :DDDDDDD. also donghae is 21 years old and in college so technically he is legally an adult but hyukjae sees anyone less than 200 years old as a kid b/c hyukjae is really really old so yea. also SLEA stands for Supernatural Law Enforcement Agency.