Behind the scenes
Moonless NightsAfter getting the directions from Minji, Minho drove Taemin out to her house. Minji would have helped them get in touch with the werewolves, but she always used Chaerin's address book and didn't have anything memorized.
Taemin bit his lip nervously as Minho rang the doorbell, sighing in relief when the door opened and they were met with a warm smile.
"Come in," Seunghyun said softly, ushering them into the living room to sit. Chaerin entered with a tray of tea, crossing her legs as she looked at the pair before her.
"If there was a demon involved, we'd have all five," the woman commented. "A vampire comes with his human boyfriend, to see his cousin's witch girlfriend's sister, about a pack of werewolves," she chuckled and placed her tea on the coffee table. "As it happens, I do know how to get in contact with a few packs, one specifically that I think might be best for you. I'll do this for you, but what can you do for me, Taemin?"
The vampire took a deep breath and squeezed Minho's hand tightly. "I can't and I won't do anything that would reflect badly on my coven. I won't give you any secrets and I won't do anything that would harm my friends and family. Other than that, I'll do anything," he answered slowly, lowering his gaze briefly. "Minji noona speaks very well of you, and Jinki doesn't have anything bad to say, either. I trust that you will be reasonable with whatever price you require, Chaerin," he said softly, hoping the witch would accept his offer.
"You really hate them that much? You'd do anything I asked?"
"It's not that I hate them. I just need them to understand what they've done. I know I could hate, but I just don't see the point. All I want is for them to really see and feel how horrible they've really been.
The witch nodded with a small smile, handing Taemin a piece of paper with a name and phone number. "Tell him I gave you this, it will help him say yes," she said quietly, taking her own small breath. "And the only price I have for this is to be Minji's friend. I've talked to her a few times, and I know you accept everything. I just want you, and Minho, to keep supporting them. Be her friend and be nice, help her feel more loved," Chaerin explained. "Do that, and come to see me every once in a while to let me know how things are going. I know your elders and council don't know about Minji or the baby yet, so just keep me informed better than what Seunghyun and I can see. Minji doesn't want me to worry, so she doesn't always tell me everything," she sighed, shaking her head even though a soft smile graced her features.
Taemin nodded slowly, only hesitating for a couple seconds before hugging the woman tightly. "That's from Minji. She said to tell you she misses you and that she's pretty sure the right moment is near. And that you would understand exactly what that means," he smiled as he pulled back and sat with his boyfriend.
Seunghyun took the empty tea cups to the kitchen, letting Taemin and Chaerin say a final goodbye for the night. He smiled once the vampire and human left, wrapping his arms around his wife and kissing her softly. "When are we gonna make a baby, huh?" he whispered against her lips.
"We can make a baby after we've practiced a little more," the woman chuckled, pulling him to the bedroom once their guests were gone completely.
~*~
The young and still freshly ignited vampire was even more worried as he stood before the door that was supposed to lead him to a pack of werewolves. "Maybe I should have brought Jonghyun or something, just in case things go bad," he sighed, closing his eyes as Minho pulled him into a tight hug.
"Everything is going to be okay, Taemin," the human whispered, kissing the top of his head and making his boyfriend knock on the door. He pulled away from Taemin just a little when the door opened to reveal a sharp looking man with black hair and a smirk.
"J-JR?" Taemin stammered, biting his lip hard when the other male stayed silent and opened the door further to invite them in. Taemin knew ahead of time that the pack was small and relatively new, or young. So when he saw four other werewolves sitting in a circle in the living room, he wasn't all that surprised.
Minho blinked when he was pointed to a chair outside the circle, Taemin being led into the middle to sit on the floor. He knew his boyfriend was scared, but he didn't seem to be in too much opposition to the arrangement, so he didn't speak up. He definitely didn't want to interfere and mess anything up.
"You know I'm JR," the leader, er, alpha started. "This is Aron, Minhyun, Baekho, and Ren," he introduced the other werewolves in turn.
"Taemin, I'm... Taemin," the vampire whispered, looking back to his boyfriend. "And my boyfriend, human, Minho..."
Minhyun leaned in to sniff at Taemin, chuckling lightly at the way he shivered from the closeness. "What's wrong, Taemin? Scared I'm gonna getcha?" he smirked, dragging his nose along the vampire's neck and biting at the air next to his ear.
"Minhyun, back," JR snapped, the other boy backing away slowly and nodding. "So, what are you here for, Taemin? You said you wanted to hire us, but for what?" he inquired, leaning back in his chair and looking down at the vampire.
Taemin nodded and took another deep breath. "I just recently ignited. Or awakened, or became a full fledged vampire, whatever terms you might be familiar with," he started quietly. "And um, before that, there were two other vampires. They're a little older, and they ignited a long time ago, and uh..." he fumbled, his gaze lowering as he tried to find all the right words.
"May I interject?" Minho finally asked softly, using all the politeness he could fit into the small amount of words. He nodded shakily when JR waved him closer, sitting on the floor with his boyfriend and reaching out to take Taemin's hand. "These other vampires bullied Taemin for years. Well, for decades, really. Physical and emotional abuse, both at school and on the way home. They got other students and vampires the same age to be cruel to him, and he couldn't ever fight back because they were just so much stronger," he explained and squeezed Taemin's hand tighter.
"Bastards..." Aron mumbled, blinking when the two on the floor looked up to him. "Well, all of us have had some sort of deal with bullies. I hate people who think just because they're stronger or smarter or better looking that they have the right to look down on others," he told them quietly.
Minho opened his mouth, closing it again before smiling lightly at his boyfriend. "That's why Chaerin sent you here, baby. Smart lady, that one," he smiled bigger and relaxed his hold on the other's hand.
Taemin nodded, smiling before looking back up to JR. He glanced around at the whole group and took a deep breath. "One of the ideas they had planned for me, but didn't get around to before I ignited, was to tie me up on the full moon. They were going to beat me up really bad, cut me and make me have a bit of bloodloss, then tie me up in the woods where werewolves often run during that night. And they were going to leave me there, all night. All alone. Beaten and bleeding and just barely out of reach from any wolves that might pass by," he said slowly, remembering just how excited Howon had seemed to be with that plan.
"You know we aren't in control of ourselves on the full moon, right?" Ren asked curiously. "I mean, there are measures we take to help prevent human encounters or any casualties, but especially if you put two bleeding vampires in the path of a pack of wolves on the full moon..."
"No, it won't be the full moon," Taemin shook his head and smiled bigger. "I'm planning to have them for one week, and I'm going to make them think it's the full moon. But it will actually be the day before the full moon," he explained, chuckling at Minho who was hearing this all for the first time. "I got permission from one of the Elders to meet with a witch to get into contact with a pack of werewolves, to arrange for this all to take place. I'll have a trial soon, and that's when the week will start. If you agree to my request to terrorize two s the night before a full moon, dropping them from their hanging places and hurting them even further, I will contact you once I have a trial date to arrange the fake full moon," he said quietly, his confidence barely growing as he looked up to JR.
The alpha nodded slowly, the others agreeing easily as well. "What do we get in return?" he asked, tilting his head down to the other. After Taemin gave him the same response he'd given Chaerin, he nodded once more. "What if we decided that you would pay each of us a different favor sometime in the future?" he proposed, then thought of something else, "And in the event we are ever at war with another pack, you'll come to our aid."
Taemin took a deep breath and glanced at Minho. "I can do that. I swear on my blood that I will come to you if you need me," he agreed. "And I will owe you each a favor that you can collect at any time after the full moon just after your end of the deal," he said firmly.
A contract was written quickly, the six parties involved sealing it in a thumbprint of blood. Ren pulled Taemin to the side and flushed slightly. "I know you're gay, so you probably won't have any kids. Not biologically, anyway. And it's fine if you can't, but I really really want a baby named after me. My real name, Minki. If it happens, it happens. And if it doesn't, I don't really have any other favors I'll probably ever ask," he said softly. "I'll feel silly naming my own child that, and none of the others would do it, so..."
Taemin smiled and nodded slowly. "Yeah, I might know an unborn baby without a name yet. And I know a few other people who I might be able to convince," he smiled again. "I'll let you know."
Minho took the elder's hand once they were ready to leave, bowing shortly at the door. He hugged Taemin tight once they were in the car, kissing him softly. "So now all that's left is the trial, and the actual week of punishments," he thought out loud, holding the vampire even closer to him. "I'll be right here for you the whole time, baby. I'll come stay with you and hold you just like this any time you need me, I promise."
~*~
The introduction to the other vampires' week of hell over, Taemin took a shaky breath when he closed the door to the dungeon, walking to his room quickly and crawling into his bed. He let Minho wrap his arms around him, feeling slightly guilty for how bad Minho felt for not being able to help him any. The guilt only made his tears worse, and before long he was sobbing in his boyfriend's arms and soaking his shirt.
"I love you, Taemin," Minho finally whispered. "No matter what happened in the past, what happens in the future, or what happens this week with them, I love you," he said firmly and kissed his boyfriend's mouth gently. He kissed him again, then again, then again, chasing away all of Taemin's tears with his kisses.
"I need to sle-" the vampire started, giving up when Minho just kept kissing him and rolled on top. "I need to sleep, Minho," he finally got out, softly as the other kissed his neck instead.
Minho chuckled and nodded, a little harder and slipping his hand between Taemin's legs to massage him softly. "I know you just had your first fun down there, but you're mine. I'm the only one who gets to touch you here," he murmured. The human crawled between the sheets, showing Taemin just why he should be the only one to do so.
After an even more amazing release, Taemin hummed against Minho's mouth and cuddled closer. "Thank you, baby," he whispered, his eyes drooping slowly. Minho mumbled something he was too sleepy to hear, the human waiting for Taemin to fall asleep to even close his eyes.
~*~
"I... I feel guilty," Taemin confessed at the dinner table, the eating schedule off for all of the boys. He had to use the schedule he set for Dongwoo and Howon, and the others had decided to do it too for moral support.
"What's making you feel guilty, Sweetie?" Kibum asked quietly, not liking it when Taemin didn't feel well.
The youngest vampire sighed and lowered his gaze. "I just feel like I'm being the bully now. I mean, I know that's the point. For me to pay them back for what they did, but it just feels really mean," he tried to explain, grateful for the hug Minho gave him.
The human kissed his boyfriend's cheek and smiled. "It's like a child getting a spanking or someone going to prison for what they did. This is their punishment, and they know it. You're doing what you think should happen, and you'll stop when it's over, Taemin. You are not a bully," he said quietly, helping the older male eat and smiling as Taemin finished his food. Excusing them from the table, Minho took Taemin to bed and held him close to help him be able to sleep.
~*~
Each night was the same, Taemin having a really hard time with what had happened downstairs or during the punishment. Dongwoo and Howon would have no idea how relieved Taemin was when all the punishments were over. After breakfast at his apartment and Jonghyun and Kibum took Dongwoo to a vampire run hospital with Sungyeol, Minho was happy when everyone left, Howon taking the bus home and Jinki taking Minji out on a date.
"Let's watch a movie, baby," Minho suggested quietly, finishing up the dishes and taking Taemin to the couch. He pulled the vampire close to lie against him, picking a movie and pressing play. It wasn't that he actually wanted to watch the movie, but he knew Taemin needed something to distract him a little so he could unwind and de-stress from everything that had been happening recently.
"You're so good to me," Taemin murmured, letting his eyes close and dozing during most of the movie. He slept better than he had in about a month, since that's when he started planning everything for the punishments.
Minho woke Taemin just after lunch, smiling softly and pulling him to the bathroom. He took a shower with the younger looking man and pulled out a nice outfit for both of them. "Let's go," he smiled, chuckling when Taemin asked where they were going. He finally gave in a little, telling his boyfriend they were going somewhere fun.
"You... You brought me to your work?" Taemin sighed deeply, smiling when Minho chuckled at him and disappeared only for a few moments, coming back out with a bottle of something he assumed was fancy. He got back in the human's car, deciding not to pester while Minho just drove.
It took a while for the drive, but Taemin could smell the ocean as they got closer. He let his boyfriend lead the way inside the restaurant, after Minho did something in the trunk that he kept secret.
"I love you, you sneaky thing," the vampire chuckled lightly, happier than his face or words could ever show that Minho was taking him so far away to take his mind off everything.
Minho pulled Taemin close in a booth, wanting to be closer to his boyfriend than just across the table. "I know you like all the seafood stuff, so order whatever you want," he smiled, letting Taemin lean on his shoulder while they shared a menu. He smiled even bigger when they ended up liking most of the same things, knowing that they would both be sharing the two meals they ordered.
"Are you really okay, Tae?" he asked once they were alone again, taking a small sip of his water while the vampire thought about his answer.
Taemin chewed his lip briefly before nodding. "I think it's going to be a while before I'm back to 100%, but yes. Dongwoo was already getting better, especially the way he brought Sungyeol over and checked in on me," he sighed, squeezing Minho's hand lightly. "And once Howon really had to think about everything they had done, everything I had been through, he really made a change, too. I know it may not seem like it to you guys, but I was down there with them and I saw it," he explained and smiled a little, happy that things would be working out for him better.
The human smiled and kissed the other's hand. "I'm glad, then. You know I'm here for you no matter what, right? You can come to me and talk, even if I might not understand everything at first," he said quietly. He leaned his head on Taemin's, eating slowly once the food got to the table after a few minutes. As he expected, Taemin picked off his plate some, and he had his own bites from Taemin's food.
Staying away from any dramatic topics, their dinner helped Taemin relax from all the important things that had happened recently. Taemin sighed happily once their plates were empty, letting Minho pick up the check easily. His boyfriend wanted to treat him, and he had no complaints, even if he was undoubtedly the senior.
"Ready?" Minho asked after a few minutes of letting their food settle more. He took Taemin's hand and took him back to the car, driving only a few more minutes to the beach. Grabbing a cooler and blanket from the trunk, he led his boyfriend onto the sand. "I know I said I was too full for dessert, but I'd actually planned this out already," he explained as he sat down, opening the cooler to show Taemin the wine he'd gotten from his work, since it was cheaper to pay his manager for it, and a strawberry cheesecake.
"I wanted to say congratulations for graduating to ignited vampire sooner, but there was just so much going on..." the human said softly, his cheeks heating quickly. "And I know you don't like cake all the much, so... Cheesecake."
Taemin smiled softly, then bigger, pulling Minho down to kiss him lightly. "I love it, Minho. I absolutely love it," he murmured and got more comfortable with his boyfriend. He let Minho pour into the glasses he had brought with the blanket, clinking the plastic together and taking a small sip. "You're really great, you know..." he mumbled, humming contentedly as he emptied his glass into his mouth.
Minho grinned as he cut the cheesecake. "Oh, I know," he chuckled and fed Taemin a bite. They chatted a while longer, eventually eating all of the cheesecake and having about two full glasses of wine each. Minho did a few exercises to make sure he was sober enough to drive, happy on the way back that everything was really working out. He knew there was another big hurdle to jump through before he mentioned being turned, but he knew he could wait just a little longer. Jinki and Minji would need him to be himself when they spoke to Jinki's family.
"Baby..." Minho whispered when they got to the beach hotel, Taemin having dozed off. He went inside to check in, then carried the high schooler inside and put him on the bed. After stripping his boyfriend to just his boxers, he did the same with himself and crawled under the covers, kissing the sleepy vampire lightly.
"You'd better not take advantage of me when I pass out," Taemin pouted, giggling when Minho kissed him again. "Soon, though, Minho. I think we can do it soon."
"Now how am I supposed to sleep, Taemin," Minho sighed, getting no answer from his snoring boyfriend. "I need to talk to Kibum, I guess. Find out when 'soon' is..."
A/N: Happy Full Moon!
I hope you've enjoyed everything, even my y 'fluff' chapter.
As always, comments make me smile. And if you have any questions, please please please ask. I'll explain anything until it makes sense to you.
A/N2: Whoops. Stupid freaking hide button. I had this all up on the actual full moon, promise...
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