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Of Searching and Alluring

No light. No movement. No sound. Nothing.

Actually, there was sound—the faintest vibrations of them. Sound such as the rumbling hum from the heater, or the sound of rushing water traveling through the complex’s indoor pipes. Other than that, there really was nothing.

Was this what humans referred to as ‘deathly quiet’—a deadly silence?

Oh, the irony. If a vampire heard that, they would scoff. Humans were incapable of comprehending the true meaning of deadly silence.

The dark confinements of the apartment room was threadbare and bereft, the hollow emptiness making the unowned niche bigger rather than smaller. Worthless pieces of furniture were sparsely arranged to fill the void space, untouched by the occupant currently residing in the so-called living room.

From the shadows that cloaked the living room emerged a soundless creature that edged closer to the wall—the rickety plank flooring unable to creak under the creature’s careful, light tread—where the only available window was installed. Curtains that were ugly and tattered obscured the dingy window, completely blocking out the near-noon sunlight. The creature slowly extended a pale-white hand to slip his fingertips underneath the shabby fabric and slightly nudged it aside. A stream of golden light intruded the darkly lit room. The creature braced himself as he took a peek outside at the light source.

Normally his retinas would’ve burned at the intense sensation of raw sunlight, but he was no weakling nor fledgling. As a vampire who lived through so much, been through so much, and continued to experience so much, sunlight, he thought ruefully, could never impair him. Yes, it was a pesky hindrance, but not a mortal weakness.

Peering past the streaky plane of the window, the vampire observed the city life. Cars jammed the roads, honking and signaling at each other. Stray pieces of garbage like plastic and paper littered the street. People dressed in their mid-autumn wear traversed the cramp sidewalks, bustling past each other mindlessly. They had to rush to work or for a date or an appointment. Of course they did—it was the weekend. The city was always ten times busier during the weekend.

The vampire let the drab sheet of fabric cover the window again—just on time, too. His ears prickled when he heard an audible click as the apartment door creaked open. Hush footsteps shuffled past the threshold, entering the dark hollowness.

“Hellooooo?” sang a lighthearted voice, the playful sound piercing through the quiet. “Master Joonmyun?” The owner of the voice flipped on the lights, a nasty flood of yellowish-white filtering the less-than-commendable condo.

Joonmyun, the vampire loitering by the window, sighed at the childish greeting and responded in a mild tone, “I’m in the conjoining room, Minseok.” The superior one had the wit to roll his eyes. “Obviously.”

Minseok swiftly crossed the bare space that was considered the dining room area and entered the squared-shaped living room where Joonmyun waited for him, boredly leaning against the plaster-chipped wall.

“I have an iffy feeling you rolled your eyes at me, Master,” the guard airily alleged, wearing his usual easygoing smile. Dangling from his hands were numerous shopping bags which he promptly dumped onto the scraped up floor. He raised a teasing brow at the older vampire. “What? Feeling sarcastic today?”

“...”

“Nevermind, you’re the same stick-in-the-mud as ever.”

“...You were supposed to be back an hour ago, Minseok.”

The reminder elicited a beam from the chubby-cheeked vampire—finely pointed incisors peeking out from under his pale lips. “Yeah, sorry about that—but look! I bought the stuff you wanted—and more!” As the guard rummaged through the bags at his feet, he prattled incessantly about his purchases, “These sunglasses were really expensive, but luckily the store had a sale today. I know you wanted a hat of some sort, but I honestly think scarves and gloves were a much better suit for our outfits, so I bought those in pairs. Oh, yeah! I also found a really cool belt that matched my pants. It’s made of leather—like the gloves!” He revealed the purchased items with a dramatic flourish. “Tada! What do you think?”

Joonmyun was looking at Minseok as if the guard lost his mind. That offended the younger-looking vampire and he pouted.

“Minseok,” sighed Joonmyun, pinching the ridge of his nose. “I thought I told you to simply buy two hats and two sunglasses. NOT an ENTIRE collection of winter accessories!”

The gruff reprimand didn’t deter Minseok; it only made him grin like a mischievous child caught in the grand scheme of things. “Aw, come on, Master, you’re no fun. You’re only proving that I’m right about you being a stick-in-the-mud.” Joonmyun’s thinly arched brow twitched, indicating the first sign that promised hell, and Minseok quickly defended himself, “Master, think about it. We rarely visit the city, so we’re poorly unprepared to fit in. But these human-made stuff that I purchased can conceal our vampire-styled image better—it covers up our skin and makes us look more modern.” He wrinkled his nose distastefully. “But I gotta admit, human-made materials have a funky smell.” He resisted the urge to gag. The frivolous bounty of products and accessories he’d bought reeked more than the cheap apartment room they’d rented.

Joonmyun shook his head exasperatedly, thinking it’d be a waste of time if he lectured Minseok any further. He snatched up a pair of fancy black sunglasses and slid them on. Then he willingly took the burgundy-colored scarf -eyed subordinate held out to him and winded it around his neck.

“So, when are we resuming the search?” Minseok casually inquired, jamming his wiggling fingers in the correct sockets of the glove. “It’s been six hours since we snuck into the city.”

Although he didn’t verbalize it, the vampire guard was impatient to restart the search. Considering it was partially his fault that Kyungsoo successfully snuck off from under his nose, he had to redeem himself and wanted to ensure his young master’s safety. The upside of the hunt was that Minseok could get a good tour of the city. It’d been a long time since he’d last mingled in a human metropolis.

“In the next hour,” Joonmyun supplied tersely, patting down the knitted scarf bundled around his neck. He adjusted his trim coat sleeves over the mauve leather gloves he’d slipped on. “We’ll search in three hour intervals, hide in the shadows for about one, and then repeat the process.”

“Sounds good,” Minseok agreed with a compliant nod.

Something hard and cold darkened Joonmyun’s distant round eyes. The change in attitude was subtle, but Minseok noticed it before his master relinquished the steely frigidness. “Make sure to cover up your scent and your tracks,” advised Joonmyun, a preoccupied look settling upon his handsome, pale features. “We don’t want to alert the Hunters of our whereabouts.” If we do, hopefully we won’t stir up an altercation with them, he added in his head, tension hardening his body.

Minseok winked at his master. “One step ahead of you.” From a small, folded bag, the guard took out something and gave it a satisfied shake, sloshing the liquid around. A squared bottle of cologne. “Do you think it’s possible to create a smell like vintage?” he inquired with an elfish grin.

“...I’m never letting you shop on your own again, Kim Minseok.”

...

It was a world of nothing, and yet could be described as a world of something—of blackness. A place of sweet oblivion as Kyungsoo would dub it.

To Kyungsoo, he laid adrift amidst a sea of blackness. Judging by how disconnected he felt from his consciousness, he was profoundly reposed and at peace. There had been an absence of dreams, he dimly noted as he rested. If he could’ve pouted, he would’ve. He was enamored by the concept of dreaming. It intrigued him. But it was fine. Sometimes there would be a lack of dreams when he slept, his father once told him when he wondered why he didn’t see vivid pictures upon closing his eyes. A random thought of Minseok joking around saying that dreams were all the television a person needed filtered his mind—but this was not the case. Nothing disrupted his fitful slumber. No troubles plagued his mind. He was just sleeping...

Kyungsoo.

Wait, what was that?

A voice, deep and warm, penetrated through his world of sweet oblivion; it lured him to the surface, asking him to wake up.

“Come on, Kyungsoo. Wake up.”

A big hand shook his shoulder gently, rattling his subdued nerves and drowsy senses. The small, raven-haired boy rolled onto his side and released an objecting moan into the couch cushions. “Nooooo. Still...tired...”

There was a sigh and another shake. “Kyungsoo, no. You have to wake up. It’s lunch time. I bought you a sandwich.”

“Not hungrrrrry,” slurred the half-conscious vampire. Kyungsoo pulled the oversized jacket that served as his blanket over his head, but Jongin, his annoying human alarm clock, didn’t give up, and yanked his jacket back. The owl-eyed boy grimaced when a blurry glare of fluorescent light smacked his disgruntled face.

Jongin chided the petite-framed boy, “No, Kyungsoo. You need to eat. If Mrs. Han finds out that you skipped lunch, she’ll skin me alive, then lecture me for being a bad guardian! Now, up!”

There was no coherent response—only a grumble and a snore. Jongin shook his head and thought exasperatedly, Guess we’ll do this the hard way. Tossing his jacket over his shoulder, it left his hands free so he could brace them on Kyungsoo’s stomach and backside, enabling him to sit the lethargic boy upright on the couch. Kyungsoo was like a floppy, limp pancake under Jongin’s ministrations, not fully aware what was happening to him. The young boy delicately yawned and loosely wrapped his noodle-like arms around Jongin’s neck. He nestled his loopy-smiling face into his human’s muscular chest whose scent and warmth made him slap-happy. Kyungsoo giggled dopily and asked, “Can you pick me up, Jonginnie?”

Jongin sounded surprised. “Pick you up?” he echoed.

Kyungsoo nodded blearily, resting his ample cheek on the older boy’s prominent collarbone. “I like it when you pick...me...up...”

“Okay, then,” the human acquiesced with a small portion of uncertainty, but obliged nonetheless, scooping the lightweight boy up. Kyungsoo fit in his arms perfectly, snugly tucked against his finely chiseled chest. An occasional coo escaped the boy’s plump, heart-shaped lips, the syrupy sound drifting to Jongin’s ears. Did this kid happen to swallow a music box when he was younger...?

Quickly dismissing the distracting thoughts, Jongin readjusted Kyungsoo so the little boy was propped up against his hip, using his jacket as a pillow as he continued to doze. After snatching up a to-go bag containing food in one hand, the older boy promptly carried Kyungsoo out of the stuffy work room. Loitering by the front counter was Mrs. Han, monitoring the activity of the library entrance whilst directing her attention to the catalogs.

“I’m heading out to the courtyard now for my lunch break,” he informed his boss as he passed by the counter.

“Go on ahead, Jongin,” dismissed the old lady, waving her metallic pen at him. “And make sure Kyungsoo eats something wholesome,” she firmly advised, her inner maternal instincts showing. “He’s such a skinny boy. He needs the proper nutrients to grow.” Her smile was warm and genuine (and a tad scary) for the mentioned cutie pie obliviously napping on Jongin’s shoulder.

“Right,” he mumbled and ducked his head, retreating from the old woman’s intimidating gaze. He shrugged past a pair of pristine glass doors and slipped outside to the library’s courtyard.

...

“Hey-hey, Master Joonmyun”—there was an insistent tug on his sleeve and Joonmyun resisted the urge to growl—“did you see that old lady? She was walking around dressed like a frumpy werewolf-clown hybrid!” Minseok cackled behind his hand in an indolent effort to hide his snickering. People he labeled as ‘fashion failures’ traversed upon the same streets he glided on, inadvertently entertaining him with their embarrassing ensembles. Obviously these gaudy humans didn’t have the sentimentality to preserve their own dignity—that’s what made it funny.

Minseok’s uproarious babbling and erratic hand movements pestered Joonmyun to no fathomable degree. It wasn’t his fault he was stuck with a talkative steam bun (at this point Joonmyun curses Yifan to the pits of hell). Was karma extracting revenge on him or something? And here he originally thought karma was just an expression—but no more!

An intensifying hiss swelled up in his throat and Joonmyun unleashed it upon his happy-go-lucky subordinate. “Minseok, can you please be quiet?” he snarled through gnashed teeth, a hint of glistening white fangs peeking from under his bared lips. The sight of his master’s fangs effectively froze the younger-looking vampire in his tracks. “You need to cease with the nonsensical distractions so you can invest your undivided attention to the matter at hand here!” He glared at Minseok from behind his sunglasses, his usual chocolate brown eyes tinged with red, indicating his snapped patience.

Immediately Minseok clamped his lips together and ducked his head in a submissive manner. “Oops,” he peeped pettily. “Sorry about that, Master. Right, we’re supposed to be looking for Kyungie.” The guard harshly berated himself for having an easily distractible mind combined with a short attention span. Stuffing his gloved hands in his coat pockets, Minseok studiously skimmed the densely populated area for any indication of a raven-haired, petite-framed vampire. To help with the search, he would try to find his young master’s scent by inhaling the polluted air, sampling it. Yuck, he thought, smacking his lips together in apparent repulsion.

Keeping a steady pace next to his subordinate, Joonmyun silently darted his gaze left and right—everywhere and anywhere—in dire hope to locate Kyungsoo. Technically he and Minseok have been searching for only an hour now, but would it have been too much to ask to have found his son right away?

Kyungsoo, where are you?

...

To anyone who visited or worked at the library knew that the library’s courtyard was a wonderful place to be. The area was enclosed by the roundabout structure of the library’s middle building, but in spite of that, it garnered an open-aired atmosphere designed for relaxation and tranquility. The courtyard was a large plot of land with a well-groomed landscape and professionally trimmed grass. Littering was strictly forbidden here—not a single stray piece of trash in sight. Various types of blossoming trees were grown here, but since it was mid-autumn, instead of flowering a multitude of fragrant blossoms, the trees shed a medley of red, orange, yellow, and brown leaves. A large number of employees and patrons loved seeking solace here—to take their minds off of stressful topics and to spend their well-deserved breaks here.

Nestled under a lovely patch of shade was a table jam-packed with library employees already chowing down their pack-full of lunches. Jongin originally didn’t mean to join their midst, but when a boy his age with neatly cropped hair waved him over, he had no choice but to accept the invite or risk looking stuck-up. Ignoring his onlooking peers, Jongin settled Kyungsoo—whose black-topped head poked over the tabletop—on the bench and gently shook him awake (for the third time today).

“Errrm?” Kyungsoo’s pouty pink lips shaped an O as he yawned. He cutely rubbed at his bleary owl eyes with a nubby fist.

“Cuuuuuuute!” everyone cooed.

The chorus startled the small vampire, effectively snapping him out of his languor. He smiled shyly and scooted over closer to Jongin who dutifully sat next to him. Doe eyes peering over the tabletop, the curious vampire surveyed what the humans were shoveling down the chutes of their mouths. Ugh, Kyungsoo thought nauseatingly, his nose picking up the pungent whiff of the supposed edible things. Fatty food, his mind registered. He could account what type of food was spread out before him: fried, baked, stewed, boiled, dried... His gagging reflex kicked in but he clamped his lips together to avoid showing it. How can humans eat so much starch and sugar and oil? Yuck!

Much to the vampire’s horror, his human unfolded a wrapped up sandwich and handed it to him. Though reluctant, Kyungsoo gingerly held the offered food in his hands, testing its weight and staring at it in bafflement. It was as if he never saw slices of meat and vegetables stuffed between two pieces of bread before.

That’s because he hasn’t.

“Does he know how to feed himself?” someone asked, watching how Kyungsoo eyeballed the sandwich as if it was going to bite him.

I was about to ask the same thing, thought Jongin, a puzzled look etching his normally blank face as he peered down at his little one. The pale-skinned boy delicately sniffed the sandwich then made a face that definitely meant: what in the world is this squared monstrosity?!

“You’re supposed to bite it,” instructed a fellow employee from across the table. To emphasis his point, he took a huge bite of his own food and chewed for Kyungsoo to see.

“Oh, okay,” peeped Kyungsoo. Reigning in his protesting instincts, the vampire child braced himself and opened his mouth to experimentally sink his teeth into the sandwich.

Thinkofbloodthinkofbloodthinkofbloodthinkofblood...

A mashed up flavor of junk that Kyungsoo couldn’t describe assaulted his taste buds. The texture was moist and soft and clumpy, the squished lump rolling over his tongue as he forced himself to chew. It had only been a few seconds later when he blinked owlishly. It’s...it’s actually not that bad, he admitted, a new light twinkling in his doe eyes. I thought human food tasted worse than this! But what is this creamy filling, though? It tastes awful!

Luckily his venom spared his taste buds from further torture as it quickly disintegrated the food into tinier chunks. All he had to do left was swallow the remaining morsels that would completely dissolve in his stomach.

Everyone watched Kyungsoo tentatively munch on his sandwich, too engrossed with the unintentional displays of utter cuteness to shamelessly force their gazes elsewhere.

Moonkyu, the boy who waved Jongin over, elbowed his friend and feigned mock hurt. “Man, Jongin. I’m honestly offended that you’ve never bothered to mention anything about Baby Soo here—and we’ve known each other since the beginning of high school!”

A surge of possessiveness seized Jongin’s heart when he heard the harmless endearment come from his so-called friend’s lips. Don’t call him Baby Soo, he wanted to bark at him. That’s a stupid nickname. “Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath, but his offhand tone portrayed otherwise.

Sensing his human’s downward shift in mood, Kyungsoo tilted his head so he could stare up at Jongin quizzically. Big, round eyes penetrated through the outer shell of the older boy’s armor, trying to identify the cause of the human’s moodiness. Jongin happened to glance down at the same exact moment and almost had a heart attack at the cute sight of Kyungsoo nibbling on his sandwich like a hamster. The older boy quickly whipped his head around so he could hide his flushed cheeks.

What is he doing to me? Jongin groaned. Why me?

...

Why me?

Time had since passed, and incredibly the agonizing question still echoed in Jongin’s befuddled mind. It lingered like one of those annoying songs (earworms?) that repeated in one’s head over and over again until they were begging for mercy. Every time he laid eyes on his little one—Kyungsoo—the pesky two-worded question would flash before his eyes like neon lights. But Jongin didn’t have the time or patience to seriously analyze the reason behind his strange shifts in mood and hyped inner instincts. Oddly enough, the strange occurrences only appeared when Kyungsoo entered his life.

No, he had to stop busting brains over this—his library shift had ended, the evening was progressing, and now he had to drop by for dance class. That’s what he had to focus on—dancing. Dancing was something he didn’t have to think about, just feel.

Kyungsoo’s eyes were enormously enlarged when he stepped foot into the dance studio. He was indubitably fascinated by the wall-to-wall mirrors, spotless floor, fancy light fixtures, and the large number of humans who liked dancing, too.

What he didn’t like was the sound.

A surround-sound stereo system was situated on a table pushed against the corner of the studio. Not only did it blast loud music that hurt Kyungsoo’s sensitive ears, but it also sent a colossal wave of vibrations into the building’s framework. Kyungsoo’s Gift was the earth, which also pertained to solid objects, so detecting the rumbling vibrations that traveled through the ground made the little vampire queasy. He wanted to curse himself for having his type of Gift at the most impeccable timing.

Thankfully he was saved from the torment when his human savior took notice of his swaying head and distressfully pinched face. Jongin placed a comforting hand on Kyungsoo’s tiny shoulder and guided him toward to a different set of doors. The door led to a conjoining room—the observing room, someone might say—with a see-through wall that showcased the parallel dance studio.

“You should stay here, Kyungsoo,” Jongin softly said as the smaller boy primly seated himself in a spare chair. “I think your sensitive hearing can’t handle the loud music volume—and I don’t think you'd want to hear my instructor’s bellowing either.” Kyungsoo giggled at his humorous choice of words, and Jongin permitted a sly grin. “Be a good boy and watch me dance, okay?” He gently squeezed his little one’s shoulder and was answered with an earnest nod. “See you later, kid.”

...

A strong, brutal tug done by a simple grip of three fingers on his scarf elicited a startled yelp from the victimized vampire. He was forcibly yanked back without preamble, reeling backwards until his tough, solid backside collided into a rock.

Oh, wait. He had to correct himself. He collided into a statue.

A statue that was his master.

Oof, the vampire guard wryly groaned, imagining a pair of well-placed bruises he’ll be seeing on his shoulder and buttocks sooner or later. His master, on the other hand, was unharmed. Of course he was—it required the strength equivalent to a bulldozer to even land a scratch on the superior one. That man—er, vampire—was built like a man of steel.

“What—what is it?” Minseok asked, disoriented, rapidly blinking his eyes. Why had his master snap him out of his trance? Was there a hostile presence nearby that he didn’t notice?

Raising his chin, Minseok found himself facing a massive, finely-structured, brick building. There was a large bronze plaque embedded into the wall by the stairs that led up to the building’s entrance. A library, he realized.

Then he understood why his master suddenly stopped him—he was a fool for not detecting it earlier.

This scent...it’s...familiar...

“Kyungsoo was here?” he gasped, baffled by the breakthrough. They found something! They actually found something after six hours of aimless searching! The vampire stepped closer to the stoops of the grand library and inhaled a large gust of air. “It’s faint, but that was definitely him,” he confirmed after running a diagnostic. Rigid by his side, Joonmyun silently nodded in tense agreement. Somehow he didn’t seem thrilled to have found a clue about his son’s whereabouts, and Minseok could figure out why.

Proven by the lingering scent, it validated that Kyungsoo had dawdled in this immediate area. A gut feeling told Minseok that if he stepped foot into the library’s dwelling, a thicker, denser form of Kyungsoo’s scent would still be detectable in there. Kyungsoo loved books, therefore libraries, and thereupon he would never miss the chance to peruse through a new collection of reading material. They should have visited here first, but they were too absentminded to remember by perhaps utilizing Kyungsoo’s preferences it would've possibly ensured bumping into the young child so they could preferably and quickly return home.

Minseok eyed his tight-lipped master debatingly, almost hopefully. “Do you think Kyungsoo’s still in there?”

There was no response at first, the heavy silence making Minseok uneasy, until a few seconds later there was a disappointed shake of a head.

“No,” Joonmyun replied edgily, his voice hoarse and posture disheartened. “No, my Kyungsoo has deserted the building mere hours ago. His scent trail from here has diminished.”

What Joonmyun meant by that was referring to how Kyungsoo’s scent trail had been diluted by the fast-paced humans who wandered these same streets, stirring up the air and thus reducing the condensed form of the scent. Only remnants of it were verifiable, but not enough to pursue from here on out.

Joonmyun stared at the library entrance solemnly, eyes rounded in slight disbelief. He had been so close—so close in finding his runaway son!

“Master,” Minseok whispered, wary not to ignite Joonmyun’s temper. “Do you want me to ask if anyone in the library saw Kyungsoo?”

The agonized father finally tore his gaze away from the building, quelling the animalistic urge to unleash his frustration by demolishing the establishment to rubble. Centuries of practice made it an easier job to wield his self-control and shove his inner turmoil down the drain. He nibbled on his bottom lip in deep contemplation. “No,” he decided obstinately. “We cannot openly interact with humans. They tend to remember our faces well, and fall for our charms too easily. Knowing them, they believe whatever silly belief they have, and pry when they’re suspicious. I detest having to deal with narrow-minded nitwits,” he scoffed. “Let’s continue our search from here.”

“Yes, sir,” obeyed his subordinate, and Joonmyun unsuspectingly swept past him, taking the lead. Minseok whined for his master to wait up and loped after him. The two vampires heightened their senses as glided down the street, hoping to catch another whiff of Kyungsoo’s scent.

...

It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Kyungsoo loved watching Jongin dance. It didn’t take a poll to figure out practically everyone loved the way Jongin danced.

When someone pressed the play button on the stereo, his aura changed by a single note of music, converting him—a silent, brooding soul—to a powerful and cunning lion. His body movements were captivating, seducing people by the way he rolled his lissom spine or flexed his wiry muscles. It left people breathless as they wondered how he was able to move like that. His footwork was precise and flawless, coinciding to the beat and flow of the music, never missing a step. His mind soaked up the newly introduced dance moves without delay or questioning, ready to experiment with the developing routine. But his expression—damn, his expression—was the most distinguishing aspect of his allurement. Dark, tantalizing eyes that sheltered a restless, charismatic soul were narrowed as he concentrated on the feeling the pounding music, eyesight blurring out any nuisances in his vision, allowing him to completely focus on nothing but himself and his instincts.

It was surreal. It was magnificent. Was Jongin truly human?

A vivid image of Jongin with chalky, pale skin, ruby-red eyes, and sharp, pearly incisors dazed Kyungsoo. Why had he thought of that?

Admiration soon overrode the disturbing thought as Jongin was signaled out to demonstrate and introduce the latest dance routine. Kyungsoo was amazed at how cool and collected his human was—like how his father and uncle poised themselves. Maybe that’s why he imagined Jongin being a vampire—because he acted like one?

The owl-eyed boy didn’t know how to make heads or tails of it. He was too awestruck with this other persona his human concealed within himself. Two beings contained in one vessel, he observed. That reminded him of something his father once said—whether or not they were wholly a blood-thirsty monster or the person they truly were inside...

A sharp clap startled Kyungsoo from his depressing recollection, and he perked up to see the dance instructor praising everyone for their hard work. Class was over for today, and would resume tomorrow.

The small vampire smiled and hopped off of his seat. Slipping through the door that conjoined the two rooms, he entered the dance studio and made a mad dash for his human.

“Oof!” If Jongin hadn’t been a tall, muscular dancer, then he probably would’ve toppled over by the charging force that tackled his backside. Skinny, pale arms encircled his narrow waist.

“Jonginnie!” sang Kyungsoo, nuzzling his beaming face into his human’s shirt, not minding the sheen of sweat coating his tan flesh and soaking his loosely-fitted clothes. “You were great! I like seeing you dance!”

Jongin chuckled, the warm, rumbling sound pleasant to Kyungsoo’s ears after enduring hours of torturous, pounding music. He ruffled the shorter boy’s hair, and marveled over the fact that Kyungsoo did have soft, glossy locks of hair like he'd previously assumed. “Thanks, Kyungie. I’m glad you liked it.”

“Are we going home now?” Kyungsoo asked, blinking up at Jongin.

The taller boy nodded, his expression replaced by the reserved, introspective mask he wore when Kyungsoo met him. Dark mocha eyes were guarded and thoughtful. “Yeah, let me grab my stuff and we can go.”

After doing so, Jongin and Kyungsoo interlocked hands as they left the studio, oblivious to the ogling stares directed their way by onlooking dancers. When had Kim Jongin been affectionate towards someone? Who was that tiny boy with skin like snow?

The world was going to end, wasn’t it? That’s what people thought as they witnessed the cozy interaction between Jongin and the short, petite boy. But no one guessed it was because Kim Jongin was falling under a vampire’s spell. He wasn’t the only one with the power of allurement, because vampires were known for their undying charm.

What in the poop did I just write? That was horrible! Gosh, please forgive me for such a lame chapter, I had a writer's block this week, and it didn't help that I got delayed a total of three days (I meant to update at least on Wednesday, but textbook pickup/registration form turn-in, all-day shopping, and everything-in-my-room cleaning was a must). I meant to extend the ending of the chapter and add a pinch more of cute Kyungsoo-ness, but the word count almost went over my regulated 5,000, so I shortened it. Sorry about that.

Okay, I got a very important question that's been bugging me...the last time I updated was around 8/6/13, so how in the world DID I ACHIEVE 104 SUBSCRIBERS IN LESS THEN TWO CHAPTERS!?!?! Where did you guys come from? Like seriously, it surprised me when more and more people subscribed in the few days after I updated. I am very thankful and I hope I won't disappoint (okay, maybe I disappointed with this chappie...). I LOVE YOU! To end my A/N, I leave you with more Kaisoo-ness.

Cr: to real owners