Shine Bright Like A Diamond

Chapter Thirteen:

Scared screams and boisterous laughter could be heard all across the dark castle halls as Ji Yong and Seungri both intended nothing more than to scare poor Daesung to death. Seung Hyun had watched them run from afar, as Young Bae begged them to leave poor Daesung alone, only to be a victim of their tricks. It was Hallows Eve, and Seung Hyun so far had managed to keep his distance from Ji Yong. Being a vampire though, Ji Yong had a knack for popping out of nowhere to keep him from completely staying away- but in all honesty Seung Hyun found himself caving in and not putting his best effort to actually staying away.

But it was bad.

If they got to talking- it led to touching and kissing – and why really kissing Ji Yong was about the most pleasant thing in the world he could not understand but he feared that if he got over his avoiding Ji Yong they’d get to doing more than kissing…

Yes, he realized his thoughts had turned deeply dark and turned to that of the ual nature, but a man could only take so much, especially when temptation was soft and sweet.

But let’s get serious. Seung Hyun took a deep breath and kept rolling the thought about how he was going to tell Ji Yong about whom he was. First, he was going to have to get better at avoiding him if he was really going to be serious. Then he was going to have to tell him, once he deemed it to be the right moment. Another scream sounded from somewhere within the castle followed by a loud thump- this time having the king coming out of nowhere to yell at all his sons to stop all the disruption. Only laughter answered the Kings scolding.

Dong Wook strolled down the stairs and paused at Seung Hyun’s side, looking him over one time, before clearing his throat. “Hello” he said.

Seung Hyun flicked his eyes to him, frowning before he turned away from him and started to head down the stairs. He had to help prepare the treats that were going to be served to the royal family tonight. But Dong Wook decided to follow instead. He hated how every time he greeted Seung Hyun he would get the cold shoulder. It wasn’t fair!

“I have a favor to ask.” Dong Wook started, “There is no one closer to Ji Yong than you as his personal slave, and I couldn’t help but to think it wise that you give this present to him, from me”  Dong Wook held out a silvery wrapped package but Seung Hyun didn’t even turn around to receive it. Dong Wook frowned, and kept on following the blue haired servant that seemed determined to ignore him. Sighing to himself, Dong Wook decided on a different approach, “You know nurses talk, and Gummy, the head nurse had been having some difficulties with inconclusive blood that not even other labs can seem to solve.”

Seung Hyun threw a glance over his shoulder at Dong Wook. “And?” he asked.

“And Minzy seems to think you are the one that she’s trying to figure out. Although she’s not sure, she says that Gummy is not giving up. But really, what kind of human has blue hair the way that you do?” Dong Wook asked. “I haven’t seen even the slightest shade of different colored roots growing on you so I know it can’t be a dye—just what are you hiding?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. Seung Hyun tilted his head a little to the side, and at that moment Ji Yong’s pink and blue head, as well as Seungri’s dark head flashed by them, causing Dong Wook to turn to look after them. When he turned back, ready to launch bouts of questions to Seung Hyun, he found that the servant had already disappeared from his sights and he was no longer around. “Damn, he’s definitely hiding something” he muttered to himself, before turning around to leave.

Only to fall flat on his face as his feet failed to move properly due to the shoe laces being crossed together. It was happening again! He quietly grumbled as he leaned down and started to undo the laces so he could properly do them again and stood up again, making his way towards his guest room, while being careful that he was not suddenly going to trip or bump into a wall. He needed to take a nap or something before he drove himself crazy.

Seung Hyun sighed to himself as he finally reached the kitchen and got to working.

It was going to be a long night.

Ji Yong and Seungri both frowned when Young Bae and Daesung suddenly teamed up together and ended their game. It wasn’t any fun if they couldn’t scare Daesung silly. For some reason their blond brother had always been easily frightened. It would usually drive their father insane if someone even dared to speak loudly around him when he was a toddler.

“Okay, now that the two of you are settled, father said that no one was invited to this Hollows Eve, but he is going to let us have it.  But it’s just going to be us” Young Bae explained.

“Well that’s a first, what made him suddenly not want to invite people to a huge celebration?” Ji Yong asked, curious, although he was pleased by the news. Finally, an event just for him and his brothers to fully enjoy.

“Father is unhappy with how most of the guest treated the bedrooms and thought that they didn’t deserve it” Young Bae said, “not to mention that he has gotten several other mating proposals all asking for your hand, Ji Yong. I heard Prince Eli, and Prince AJ, have joined in, what are you going to do Ji?”

Ji Yong frowned, “there’s nothing more that can be done, and I’m already mated.” Ji Yong said.

“Yes, but father doesn’t know that” Daesung reminded him, “In fact no one does. And if they all find out that you mated to a human…”

Silence fell in the room.

“No one needs to know, and dad said that I don’t have to make up my mind anytime soon. So…”

“So what? You will just wait until Seung Hyun dies?” Young Bae cruelly asked, making Ji Yong, Daesung, and Seungri all glare at him.

“We get the reality of it,” Seungri harshly said, “but what can we do, no one chooses whom they suddenly fall for.”

Young Bae’s eyes widened, “You’re in love with Seung Hyun?” he asked, looking at Ji Yong with an incredulous look on his face. Ji Yong lowered his head, but he didn’t deny it. He didn’t even know if he could call this feeling love, but he certainly could say that he was attracted enough to Seung Hyun to call it something.

“I know everyone will say that it’s a mistake, what the hell am I thinking. He will die before I know it and by the time he does I might be in too deep! But you know what, I can see myself being by his side even if he does grow old and wrinkles and he can no longer move. I am more than willing to make his old age more pleasant for him, so long as I can be by his side. We don’t have to be in love, we don’t even have to share anything intimate if he doesn’t want to—but I want to be by his side!” Ji Yong said with such strong conviction that tears were threatening to fall from his eyes. He didn’t want to cry in front of his brothers though.

Seungri leaned into his side and hugged him. “We get it Ji, don’t get so defensive. You know that we are all on your side, but Young Bae is worried about the fact that in the end you will be hurt. You’ll be heartbroken when he dies.”

Ji Yong sighed, sinking himself into Seungri’s before he pushed himself up to his feet and walked around the couch. His brothers sadly watched him.

“Wouldn’t it be awesome, if he wasn’t human?” Daesung asked, getting a hopeful look in his eyes. Everyone looked at him with perplexed look on their faces.

“That would be a treat,” Seungri hummed, a toothy smile coming onto his face. “Is there any way to turn a human into an immortal?” he asked, his eyes turning to Young Bae whom frowned and crossed his arms as he got a thoughtful look on his face.

“Well…” he muttered. “There might be one way, but it would be like selling his soul. Changing a human can be dangerous. You could end up changing their personality and even risk highlighting bad traits about them” he stated, “but it could be possible”

“Should we take that risk?” Daesung asked.

“No” Ji Yong suddenly said, turning his glaring eyes to his brothers. “We are not changing Seung Hyun’s nature in any way. I refuse to.” He stated, and sat back down, a book in his hands that he heavily dropped into the coffee table in front of him. His brothers blinked and looked at it.

“Recipes?” they asked.

“I saw one last time I was reading this book.” Ji Yong said as he opened the book, and flipped page by page, until he stopped at a page, depicting on how to create a green goop that could stick to someone’s hair.

“Who’s going to be of this joke?” Seungri asked, his eyes shining with excitement. Young Bae pursed his lips and Daesung curiously read the ingredients.

“No one really, I was hoping that we could use this to scare…” Ji Yong shuddered “the spider”

“Mr. Spider?” Seungri blinked, before vigorously nodding his head. “Oh yes!”

“That damned spider soiled all the marigolds this year and has kept the playground unlivable!” Daesung angrily said, “I’m in,”

“Yes, this is war” Ji Yong said, pulling out what seemed to be blue prints. “Oh and it’s Mrs. Spider, Ri, he had a lot of ugly babies”

“No” Seungri said in disbelief.

“Ji, he is Mr. Spider, he’s a hermaphrodite,” Young Bae explained to him and Ji Yong scrunched his face up in confusion.

“He’s a hairy fright?”

Young Bae stared blankly at him for a second before he nodded, “Yes, that’s exactly what I just said,” he muttered making Seungri snort.

“Well, we already knew that! He is a tarantula after all.”

“A twenty foot tarantula” Daesung added and all three started to go over the plan that Ji Yong had come up with. They even threw in their own ideas as Young Bae watched them. It was nice to see them conspiring together about a common enemy. Mr. Tarantula had been in their back yard, where they had once played in slides, swings, and monkey bars and had turned it into a spider palace. Ever since then Hallows eve became the one day that they would wage war. Ji Yong might have come up with this but there was no telling what Mr. Tarantula had planned this year.

Last year they had ended up glued to the palace wall where their father had to get them down one by one and it had hurt to be there. The spider that wants that year- but it was unclear as to who will win this year.

However, really what worried Young Bae more was how attracted Ji Yong was to Seung Hyun. It was apparent from the very beginning how Ji Yong had been passionate about saving him, even looking at his worst. So he didn’t doubt Ji Yong’s words when he said that he would love him even as an old man with white hair and wrinkles. It was no secret to their family that when Ji Yong found something he was fond off he would latch onto it with such force that losing it as the same as tearing a part of him away. It would hurt when he lost Seung Hyun. However, it would also hurt to let him go now and change the status of the bond.

Well, that was closing the chapter in that book of trying to change the mating bond to a bonding bond of servant and master.

“Are you coming?” Seungri suddenly asked him, shoving his face close to his own and Young Bae blinked in slight confusion. He noted that they had gathered the book and were heading out the door. More likely, to the kitchen to see if they could acquire all the ingredients.

“Yah” he smiled, and wrapped his arm around Seungri as both of then followed just a bit behind Ji Yong and Daesung. When they walked into the kitchen they found Seung Hyun there, immerse in chopping a few vegetables into small pieces. Mischievously grinning, Ji Yong slowly approached his way to Seung Hyun, intending on hugging him only for him to suddenly move away and towards the stove where he dropped the vegetables. Ji Yong blinked a bit in confusion, before he pouted.

“Seung Hyun, what are you doing?”

“Huh” Seung Hyun turned around, making all three brothers snicker as Ji Yong stomped his foot to the ground.

“What are you cooking, it smells good?” Daesung tried a more polite approach. He moved closer towards Seung Hyun, and placed his hand on his arm. Ji Yong groaned, and moved to remove Daesung’s hand from Seung Hyun’s arm.

“Why are you being so touchy feely!” he snapped.

“I’m only being friendly, relax” Daesung smiled brightly.

Ji Yong fumed. Why couldn’t he keep a cool head around Seung Hyun? He probably looked like some derange jealous lunatic.

“Hey Seung Hyun, we need help looking for these ingredients” Seungri suddenly said, snatching the book away from Ji Yong and opening it up in front of the blue haired man. Seung  Hyun looked down at it, reading it over.

“You’ll find everything here,” he said opening a few cabinets. “Except for the food coloring.” As Ji Yong. Daesung, and Seungri moved to raid all the ingredients they needed as well as thinking of adding a couple of other things, Young Bae stood by Seung Hyun. He looked at the blue haired man up and down, taking in the new clothes. He had on a fresh white chef shirt on, and black dress pants. His blue hair was neatly combed, and his pale skin seemed a little unearthly as to how it seemed to glow. It was as if every part of him was designed to draw your eyes to him and once it did, it you into his void.

His sharp black eyes turned to him, and Seung Hyun looked at him questioningly. “Outvoted again?” he asked. God’s sake, even his velvety deep voice was made to further pull you into him.

“Uh...yeah. Well, this time it’s war” he felt himself awkwardly replying.

“War?” Seung Hyun sounded slightly surprised.

“Yeah, the tarantula outside” Seungri chirped from where the others had dug nearly everything out of the cabinet. Daesung had already grabbed a large cauldron, and Ji Yong had already started mixing in some ingredients.

“Green goop?” Seung Hyun sounded confused now.

“We’re planning on getting his hairy stuck to the sand.” Ji Yong grumbled as he stirred what he had so far.

“Sorry about the mess” Young Bae apologized.

“Think nothing of it, it’s my job after all” Seung Hyun said, smiling slightly as he went back to chopping up the vegetables. Young Bae wondered how Seung Hyun could be so cool about the mess when he had to clean about a hundred different messes that Ji Yong caused daily. It was really a wonder that he managed to get everything back into order. Hyun Joong must have taught him well.

“Young Bae, don’t just stand there, come help us” Daesung suddenly called and Young Bae turned towards them, a surprised look on his face when he saw the bubbling concoction that they were brewing. It was nearly time for the war. He couldn’t help but go in and add a few of his own ingredients.

“Think we should mix in some crazy glue?”

Twenty minutes later, they had made it outside, near the rocky terrene. They hid behind some large boulders, while gently placing down their supply of balloons filled with green goop. Looking out, Seungri smirked when he turned to his brothers. “The spider is waiting already” he called, “and he looks ready, so let’s do this”

Ji Yong and Daesung nodded as they both finished setting up their catapult. “Test time!” Daesung said as he placed a head of cabbage into, Ji Yong pulled, and off it went- waging the beginning of this year’s war. They could hear the tarantula loudly screech that it was ready, and it blasted off a large ball of spit and sticky web, that landed dangerously near them. All four of them gulped down in slight fear that they could have been caught.

Never again! They vowed.

“Let’s load up” Ji Yong commanded. Seungri turned to Young Bae who handed him two balloons. Daesung ready the catapult. Once loaded, Ji Yong released and sent them off flying. The tarantula was swift, and it moved out of the way in time, jumping high into the air, and blindly aiming into the rocks, hoping to get one of those little vampires.

By the end of it, all four brothers were pulling sticky webs out of their hair with unhappy looks on their faces but they were more than happy that they had been able to blow the spider under a lot of green sticky goop. It was going to take it forever to get itself free from it and they couldn’t help but to think that it served it right.

When they entered the castle, they noticed the slow music playing at the way that the staff were all talking amongst themselves. Their father was off to the side, in his own little corner flirting and being ‘smooth’ towards all three of his wives/mates.  

“Why does he always have to hit on our mothers as if it isn’t bad enough that they are already mated to him?” Ji Yong grumbled.

“I think it’s nice, it shows how much he loves his mates. Besides, think about you and Seung Hyun wouldn’t you want him to flirt with you even if you are mated?” Young Bae said making Ji Yong blush.

“Shut up”

“Look, Dong Wook is flirting with Minzy” All three brothers turned to where Seungri was pointing and gapped. There was Dong Wook, and he was making moony eyes at Minzy who kept blushing and lowering her face as he seemed to smile and talk to her in a matter that just made her giggle and shrink into herself. She never looked like that when Daesung tried to talk to her. Her expression was usually always serious and hard. It was rare to see her blushing and  looking all flustered as she was now.

Daesung looked to his brothers, and all three of them nodded and followed him towards Minzy and Dong Wok. As soon as they approached, Dong Wook turned his attention to Ji Yong, making Minzy give them a slight annoyed look. “Prince G-dragon, how was the war?” he asked, trying hard not to laugh at how Ji Yong’s hair was covered and tangled in spider web, making him look completely disheveled and hilarious. Ji Yong crossed his arms, shrugging his shoulders.

“We won,” he said.

“Despite how we might look like right now,” Seungri added, running a hand through his hair as he did so.

“What were you and Minzy talking about?” Daesung asked his tone cold and his eyes hardened. Dong Wook was surprised by the hostility but shrugged his shoulders.

“Just explaining some medical methods to creature biology,” Dong Wook said, glancing to Minzy sideways, making her smile a bit, “All very fascinating really,” he then turned to look at Daesung, “Are you feeling alright, Prince D-lite?”

“Just fine” Daesung said, his eyes flicked to Minzy. All he could feel was hurt. He got it. He understood it. He may care and even claim to love her, but it was clear that she was always pushing him away. It was clear that she did not love him in return. Noticing the slight shake in Daesung’s frame, Ji Yong wrapped his arms around his brother, much like Daesung always did when he helped him to get away from Dong Wook, and pleasantly smile.

“Please excuse us, Daesung promised to help me go clean this gunk out of my hair” he said.

“But can’t your servant--” DongWook started saying when all of a sudden Young Bae stepped in, cutting him off.

“Prince Seven, I heard that your father had fallen ill just recently,” he stated, making Dong Wook flinch slightly and look at him with a bit of trepidation. “If  my father had fallen ill I would have gone and stayed at his side,” he narrowed his eyes, being really serious. This made Dong Wook flinch back and frown.

“Why, Prince Taeyang, where have you heard of such a rumor?” He asked, “I can assure you that my father is of perfect health, If he wasn’t Seon Woong would be the first to notify me of such” Dong Wook said, and Young Bae hummed, looking at him as if asking if he was sure of such. Of course, by this time Daesung and Ji Yong had slipped away.

Minzy felt a sharp guilt go across her heart as before Daesung had left he had given her a sad smile, and the look in his eyes for some reason or the other worried her. It made her feel like her heart was sinking and she couldn’t explain what it meant. All she could do was watch him and Ji Yong leave while Yougn Bae and Seungri distracted Dong Wook.

Turning back to look at them, she noted the way that Seungri wrapped himself comfortably to Young Bae’s side, smiling pleasantly as he pulled him along. “I want to dance,” he told Young Bae, his voice sounding a little whiney but cute. The look on Young Bae’s face when he turned to look at Seungri, the warm look in his eyes was exactly how Minzy wished Dong Wook would look at her. What was that spark? Why did Young Bae smile like that to Seungri, and pull him closer as he softly told him his response and gently grabbed his hand as he led him towards the dance floor where the king and his three mates were currently dancing to a love song. She could already see other couples dancing. It was all cute, and she turned to look at Dong Wook, her eyes filled with an expectation of him inviting her out to dance.

Dong Wook noticed it, but he smiled pleasantly at her and gestured to the side. “I am going to go look for Prince G-dragon” he told her, waving at her goodbye before moving to go down stairs. Minzy watched him go, with wide eyes and a disappointed look on her face. She started to follow after him, before she halted at the stairs as Chaerin came up, giving her a look as she tried to ran away from Hyun Joong whom was trying to ask her to dance.

She looked back at them, as Chaerin walked into one of the rooms and slammed the door closed on him. Even through that, Hyun Joong smiled as he knocked on the door, and finally gave up and came down stairs. He smiled at her, brushing some of his longish brown hair out of his expressive eyes as he made his way back down stairs.

How could he still smile through rejection, she wondered as she watched him go.

In the bathroom, Daesung sat back on one of the seats and tried his best not to cry. Ji Yong walked straight to the mirror, frowning at his reflection as he the water and tried to wash his hair out of the spider web gunk that was littering it. Daesung sighed, not caring f he had any spider web in his hair. He was just too sad to care. Ji Yong glanced at him through the mirror and huffed, closing his eyes.

“I know how you feel Dae, and it . But…maybe she just isn’t the right girl for you.” He muttered, brushing his fingers through his hair, before dipping his head down into the cool spray of water. Daesung narrowed his eyes at him.

“Wouldn’t you feel a bit offended if I told you that maybe you and Seung Hyun aren’t meant to be?” Daesung bitterly asked.

“He’s a human Dae, I know better than anyone that we are not meant to be. But what a cruel wall for making me choose him out of the other thousands of vampires that I could have chosen”

Daesung lowered his head. “I’m sorry Ji”

“It’s okay.” Ji Yong said, “Because I also know you are never going to give up” he grinned.

“I don’t know,” Daesng said, “As I see it now at least you and Seung Hyun are mated. As for Minzy, if there was ever the choice I doubt that she would ever choose me and me. There is just no way that she would ever become my mate”

”Wouldn’t that suggest if Seung Hyun had the choice maybe he would have never chosen me as his mate?”

“You didn’t do it intentionally though Ji, your heart was in the right place at trying to save him, and things just ended up being this way” Daesung softly smiled, “It was fate, you and Seung Hyun”

across his lips in slight frustration at not being able to get rid of the gunk in his hair he turned to his saddened brother. “Well, what do you plan to do?”

“I haven’t decided yet, I think I will think things over first though” he dropped his smile and looked off to the side. Ji Yong walked over to him and grabbed Daesungs arm.

“Come, and dance wth me brother you know that is an honorable privilege!” Ji Yong teased, pulling a smile out of Daesung whom nodded at him.

“I accept your dance” he said.

When the two of htem walked outside, there was a lively dance song playing, which had the, all dancing. Ji Yong pulled Daesung with him and both of them joined in the fun, trading off with their mothers, and even Young Bae and Seungri.

It had been a long time since they had shared a dance as family and Ji Yong couldn’t help but feel like there was someone missing as he did so. Every one of his family members were there, and he was having fun—but his heart felt a little empty at the fact that the blue haired, black eyed male that he had become so fond off, his own mate, was not able to join them in this dance. Not that it was against anything, but he couldn’t risk rising suspicion from anyone.

So it wasn’t until later that night.

.When his parents had bid good night, and the staff had started to clean up.

Ji Yong rushed into the kitchen, where he remembered last seeing him, and yes, Seung Hyun was there—cleaning up and offering his help, which the old maids kept thanking him for. Ji Yong smiled pleasantly at them as they fearfully moved out of his way, and he grabbed Seung Hyun’s hand, pulling him out of his thoughts and making him turn to look at him with wide eyes. Seung Hyun had not expected Ji Yong to return after so late at night, or even come and grab him—but the boy was right there in time to get him out of his thoughts just as he had come up with the perfect plan of avoidance.

He didn’t want there to be any more surprises.

But just as he was about to pull away and tell Ji Yong that he had work to do, his breath caught as he was pulled into the nicely decorated space of the dungeon. The place having been cleaned and decorated in advance with the help of his brothers, which had the pink blue haired vampire thankful for. Ji Yong turned to look up at Seung Hyun with his fiery brown eyes, smiling so breathlessly as he softly asked, “Dance with me” sounding so cute and so soft, that Seung Hyun forgot how to breathe.

How could he refuse.

He could hardly even tare his eyes away.

Dumbfounded, he nodded his head, and brought his hand out to Ji Yong whom immediately took it, and pulled him towards him. Seung Hyun had to keep himself from fully stumbling into Ji Yong’s smaller frame, before taking the hint and placed one hand around Ji Yong’s waist, and the other one he used it to hold his hand.

Seung Hyun had never danced before, but with Ji Yong pressed to him, and looking up at him with such adoration in his eyes--- even the awkwardness of his moves and stiff body melted, and he allowed himself to get lost in his eyes. Suddenly soft music started to play and Seung Hyun briefly looked away and spotted Seungri, Daesung, and Young Bae from a corner watching them with happy looks on their faces. It was near enough fo make him feel self conscious and stop dancing then and there, but Ji Yong’s soft hand reached up.

Caressing his jaw, down to the collar of his shirt, to forcefully pull him down towards him and kissed him.

Not even the catcalls or whistles could tear Seung Hyun away now, as he eagerly kissed Ji Yong in return and lost himself in the taste that was solely his.

By all means, when he told Ji Yong what he was, he feared that this one would be the last kiss they would ever share. Because he had his doubts, he had his own insecurities—and they were painfully obvious to him.