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To Want and To Enjoy

Dawn was a few hours away, but it was hard to tell because the far horizon was obscured by the massive height of city buildings. Generally the air should’ve been devoid of sound and motion if living things were still slumbering the early hours of the day, but in the city, nothing could remain entirely quiet. The outdoors thrummed with sound and movement and disturbance, vibrating through the hard-packed ground or traveling through the dusty-pollutant air.

The wind picked up from where a lurking creature trailed along the path of an alleyway. The breezed stirred up microscopic dust and litter that made the soundless creature rapidly bat his eyelashes, but it didn’t stop his advancement. No light, aside from the dim lighting of a nearby streetlamp, could unveil the form of the night predator creeping towards the end of the alley. He braced his short, petite body against the rough-textured wall and peeked around the corner.

There.

Target acquired, the little vampire prepared to attack, but before doing so, he instinctively paused and nibbled on his lower lip as a surge of regret coursed through him. He had to do this, so he could hug his human and be enveloped in his warmth...

A barely detectable rumble shook the ground, then there was a sudden crack in the street. It extended forward like a lightning bolt and—

The unsuspecting man yelped when he lost his footing and sailed forward, landing face-first sprawled out on the solid pavement. The harsh fall badly bruised the man’s hands and cheeks, bloody scrapes penetrating his calloused skin. He groaned and shook his head, dazed. When had there been a crevice on the path—

Something sharp jabbed his neck.

Blackness.

...

An hour later, Kyungsoo returned to the apartment fine and dandy—not a single smudge of blood visible on his remarkably tailored clothes. Prancing up the complex’s spiraling staircase, Kyungsoo steered towards the upper floors and skipped over to his human’s apartment door.

When Kyungsoo had gone out, he had left the door unbolted and unattended. Now returning, he carefully pried open the door and slipped past the threshold with dainty footsteps. Inside, the chic-styled apartment was cloaked in darkness without the light fixtures . Needing no light to guide him, Kyungsoo removed his shoes and soundlessly drifted into the living room blanketed in shadows. There, he both smelt and sensed a slumbering figure limp on the maroon-colored couch.

Kyungsoo beamed. Jonginnie! Just thinking about the tan-skinned dancer made him sport a gummy smile—which he did now. Padding over to the couch, the short-statured boy braced the heel of his palms on the cushions and raised himself on his tippy toes so he could peer down at the sleeping face of his human, marveling over seductive facial features and defined contours.

He’s too handsome. Too attractive. Too... He tried to dredge up the right word. ...surreal.

Somehow, humans could be just as beautiful as vampires.

Dropping to his knees on the rug, Kyungsoo pressed his seemingly fragile chest against the couch and rested his chin on top of his folded arms, his elbows jutting out and poking Jongin’s limp arm. He admired Jongin in blissful silence, watching the human’s eyes flutter from beneath his eyelids and the soft exhales that correlated with the steady rise and fall of a tone chest.

Freeing his hand, the little vampire gently squeezed his throat, registering the ebb of itchiness there. He had yet again smothered his unruly cravings by venturing out for another snack.

Two kills, he counted. One yesterday and one today.

Kyungsoo hated himself for breaking the rules, but it was all for Jongin. He stared up at the mentioned male and grimaced. Jongin’s blood—his inner animalistic instincts cried for it. The feeling was intense and mind-fracturing, like being caught in the heat of the moment, but Kyungsoo fought against it. He refused to succumb. He would have none of it.

But it was hard to resist.

The owl-eyed boy would cringe at the thought of his human’s blood. He wasn’t implying that it was disgusting—no, it was far from that. It smelled rich, powerful, untainted—too appetizing. Kyungsoo lost count to how many times he would inwardly salivate, to how many times his gums would throb, and especially to how many times his fangs would unwillingly extend as if to lash out for a quick nip. Jongin was no help to the situation either. Clueless to the younger boy’s ailment, he would hold Kyungsoo close and shower him with attention. Curse his cravings, the vampire deadpanned. All he had to do was bare his fangs and sink them into his human’s lush, unguarded neck...

Wait. Whoa. Did he actually...? Nononono! Kyungsoo nearly choked on his venom, his spastic fingers knotting into the comforter draped across Jongin’s waist. He actually imagined biting Jongin! No! He wouldn’t! He would never hurt his human savior! Jongin protected him, cared for him, and held him in such an affectionate way that butterflies would flutter in the younger boy’s stomach. The way those dark mocha eyes bore into him...it was as if Kyungsoo was the only one in Jongin’s world. The attention, the tenderness, the adoration...it was sincerely heartwarming. As selfish as it was, Kyungsoo wanted to bask in it forever.

Raising a pale hand, the little vampire fondly traced his cold fingertips against the downward curve of Jongin’s graceful jawline, a sweet yet exasperated look in his doe eyes. The taller male made a small hum in the back of his throat and leaned towards the touch. Though unconscious, the action made Kyungsoo smile.

My human savior...mine.

From time and time again, Kyungsoo had to critically remind himself that Jongin was not bitable. The restriction drove him to the brink of insanity—his stomach would growl continuously and the telltale signs of eye bags and pronounced veins indicated his impending hunger.

Kyungsoo’s trailing fingers paused at the slope of Jongin’s neck. Gaze fixated on unmarred flesh, doe eyes tightened, showing confliction.

Drink Jonginnie, don’t drink Jonginnie. Don’t drink strangers, then I’ll drink Jonginnie. I don’t want to damn him, he groaned. I can’t. I won’t.

Having Jongin in his life...spending hours enjoying the dancer’s company...experiencing new things and new wonders with him...it was worth abandoning his vampire self, Kyungsoo dictated.

As if to prove his self-declaration, Kyungsoo leaned forward and lightly pressed his cold, plush lips against Jongin’s temple. The latter stirred slightly but did not rouse. The young vampire inhaled his human’s manly pheromone and sighed contently.

That giddy smile laced his lips again. I really like you, Jongin.

Convinced that his thirst was temporarily tamed for the time being, Kyungsoo clambered up onto the couch and wiggled closer to his human’s prone form from under the battered comforter. Snuggled up against Jongin’s well-toned side, Kyungsoo laid his ear on his human’s broad chest and closed his eyes. The rhythmic tune of a strong heartbeat lured the little vampire to sleep.

...Warm.

...

Something caused Jongin to wake up despite the fact it wasn’t even past dawn yet.

Maybe it was because that something he felt was a small body snuggled up against his side.

Kyungsoo.

Jongin blinked rapidly, trying to focus. Was he dreaming...?

But when Jongin slowly raised a hand to Kyungsoo’s pale cheek, the coldness convinced him he wasn’t dreaming. Initial surprise subsiding, a warm, tender smile graced the dancer’s lips. Kyungsoo looked so cute sleeping. The boy’s sweet, squishy-cheeked face was slack as he peacefully dreamt, his puckered pink lips parted as he softly breathed. Nothing looked more angelic and tranquil than the sight that Jongin feasted upon now.

He’s wearing his jacket and socks again, Jongin noted, furrowing a brow. He leaned forward gingerly and took a delicate whiff of the scent that clung to the smaller boy’s body.

Did he go outside? Jongin questioned himself, puzzled by the assumption. Underneath Kyungsoo’s sweet, nature-like scent was the unmistakable odor of the city and the night.

A confused frown upturned his lips, but Jongin quickly dismissed it, blaming it on his five-in-the-morning-lethargy. Turning over to his side, he hugged Kyungsoo closer to his chest and pressed his warm cheek against the smaller boy’s temple.

His last thought was:

His skin isn’t that cold to me anymore.

...

Temporarily settled into a different apartment room since a few hours ago, Joonmyun passively stared out the drape-drawn window, his arms folded across his chest, side-profile angled against the plastered wall.

“It’s been exactly a day and a half since we snuck into the city,” he murmured, mulling over the time frame in his head. The superior one’s round, intellectual eyes wavered in disheartenment because his statement reminded him that his son—Kyungsoo—had been out there, alone, in a filthy, human-infested city for the same amount of time calculated.

The mere thought of that revolted him.

From where he was lazing around on the beat-up couch, fiddling with his scarf, Minseok’s tone was probing as he inquired, “Do you finally want to split up?” The guard’s crescent eyes glimpsed upward, quizzical as he softly studied his master’s rigid standing posture.

“...That may be the best alternative we have now,” relented the older vampire with a dispirited sigh. “We need to find Kyungsoo as soon as possible.” A crease dented his smooth, marble forehead. “I have an itchy feeling that’s been bugging me lately...like something I don’t like is happening right under my nose...”

“You’re just being overly superstitious, Master,” Minseok mildly alleged, waving his frazzled scarf tail around. “Besides, Kyungsoo can take care of himself. He has phenomenal control over his vampiric instincts like you and Master Yixing—not to mention his Gift is overwhelmingly strong.”

If Minseok was trying to placate his master, it worked if not at all by a fraction. That tautness in Joonmyun’s squared shoulders subtly loosened its firmness.

“I guess my only option is to have faith that Kyungsoo can protect himself,” Joonmyun allowed reluctantly, satiny thin lips twisting into a wry line. His dark eyes flickered away from the dull-planed window to regard his subordinate thoughtfully—gaze squarely matched with a hopeful one. “I trust that you will dawdle or get distracted if I let you search on your own?”

Minseok shouldn’t have grinned, because it made Joonmyun start to regret his decision. The crooked grin uplifted the dampened mood, but was uneasy to Joonmyun’s better judgment.

Minseok put a hand over his unbeating heart. “I promise to put all my effort and determination into finding Young Master Kyungsoo and nothing else,” swore the guard. “You won’t be disappointed.”

There was no response to the earnest pledge. Instead, Joonmyun silently turned sideways and refixed his dejected gaze to the window (causing Minseok to pout at the lack of attention). The older vampire rested his temple against the wall and closed his eyes, sounds echoing from outside the thin, plastered walls traveling to his sensitive ears.

Why do I...still feel like something is wrong?

...

At eight o’ clock in the morning, Jongin woke up to be treated by the presence of an angel.

Upon opening his eyes, the dancer found Kyungsoo still snuggled up against his chest like a clingy baby. Drowsy face growing warm, Jongin tenderly brushed his knuckles against the boy’s pale, round cheek. A tiny, blissful smile bloomed on Kyungsoo’s pink, heart-shaped lips, eliciting the older boy to mimic the lovely action. Sliding his hand under Kyungsoo’s snoozing head, he gently repositioned his little one’s head off of his numb arm to the smushed pillow and tucked him in with the blanket, then he painstakingly made sure not to jostle the little boy as he eased off the more-than-one-person crowded couch.

It wasn’t until Jongin slipped into his room did he raise his prickling arms over his head to stretch, his back and joints making a satisfying pop! “Ah,” he hummed and hastily went to freshen up and change into a casual, yet stylish outfit.

Afterwards, he snatched up his phone and he pursed his lips as he searched up the local news webpage. Why was he doing that? It’s because he wanted to check for any missing child’s report.

“Oh, thank God.” Relief flushed out the anxiousness clogging his chest as he found nothing about a missing child that looked like or went by the name of Do Kyungsoo.

“Wait.” Jongin froze. “Why do I...feel relieved?” Kyungsoo’s family was out there looking for their precious son. Seriously, who wouldn’t be worried about Kyungsoo? That lovable cutie pie was too precious to be easily forgotten or casted off...

The tan-skinned male shook his head wildly then threaded his fingers through his upswept hair that was slightly damp from his earlier shower. A disgruntled groan built up in his throat.

He...he was growing too attached to Kyungsoo.

“Damn it,” he growled. Why was he just realizing this now? This was bad. Did Kyungsoo feel the same? That meant...if they parted ways...they’d be devastated.

Jongin didn’t want to be alone again. Not ever.

“Jonginnie?” At the drowsy voice, the dancer whipped around to face the bedroom’s doorway. Sluggishly shuffling in was Kyungsoo, his mass of raven hair bedraggled and his slept-in clothes crumpled. One of his small hands was fisted to rub at his droopy doe eyes. The small boy let out a cat-like yawn (the sugary sound making Jongin’s heart flip-flop). “I woke up and you weren’t there,” Kyungsoo accused as if actually betrayed.

Jongin immediately darted over and swept up the boy in a smothering hug. Kyungsoo giggled and clung to Jongin’s neck.

“Sorry about that,” Jongin said sincerely, using his free hand to pat down Kyungsoo’s dark, ruffled locks. “I wanted to take a shower.” He quirked a questioning brow. “Anyways, why were you sleeping on the couch with me when you had the bed?”

Kyungsoo pouted, bottom lip jutting out profusely. Jongin resisted the urge to pinch those puffed out cheeks. “Because you’re warm.”

“B-because I’m warm?” he repeated dumbly. He hadn’t been expecting an honest answer like that.

The younger boy bobbed his head fervently in response. To prove his point, Kyungsoo buried his nose in Jongin’s neck and murmured, “Warm.”

This time, Jongin resisted the urge to shiver because, dangit, even though he was used to Kyungsoo’s cold, smooth skin, it still caught him off guard sometimes.

“I—” The taller male awkwardly cleared his throat and coaxed Kyungsoo out from under his chin to look at him in the eyes. “I think you need a bath, Kyungie.” Not that you smell bad, he inserted in his head. “It’s just—it’s been nearly a day and I think you need new clothes, too.”

Kyungsoo blinked owlishly, as if confused by his words. The boy’s button nose twitched as he delicately sniffed his sleeves. “Eh?” he peeped. “I do? Okay.”

Consent given, Jongin carried Kyungsoo over to the commodious bathroom and started preparing a bubble bath. The owl-eyed boy was delighted as bubbles swarmed the decently large basin, and he ecstatically tackled the older boy’s leg to thank him.

It was only when Jongin turned off the faucet did he nearly stop short, belatedly realizing that he was going to personally bathe Kyungsoo. His cheeks heated up—and not because of the steam condensing the bathroom.

No, wait. There’s nothing wrong with this, he hastily assured himself. I’m a guy and Kyungsoo’s a guy—er, boy. Nothing should be awkward about this.

Ironically, Jongin was half-correct. He was the awkward one. Kyungsoo appeared blissfully unaware of the taller male’s skittishness and began to discard his multiple layers of clothing. The dancer modestly averted his gaze downward and only lifted his chin when he heard Kyungsoo slosh into the white marble tub. Jongin could barely fend off a smile when he saw Kyungsoo engulfed by a monstrous sea of livid bubbles. His little one’s head was a random black blotch amidst a canvas of sudsy white.

Somehow, hearing Kyungsoo’s contagious fit of laughter dispelled Jongin’s uneasiness. The latter rolled up the long sleeves of his buttoned up t-shirt and grabbed a loofah to begin scrubbing down the owl-eyed boy’s beautiful pale skin of clinging filth. Doing so, he marveled over how incredibly soft yet abnormally smooth the skin was (and vaguely noticed how it absorbed the water’s warm heat).

New discoveries unfolded as Jongin bathed Kyungsoo.

Kyungsoo was ticklish.

“Hahaha, that tickles, Jonginnie!” The dancer had purposely grazed his dancing fingertips underneath the boy’s sensitive ear and was rewarded with helpless squirming and giggling. God, he could listen to Kyungsoo giggle all day, every day. It was that beautiful.

Jongin let Kyungsoo fool around with the soapy water (soap suds were blown his way and he playfully retaliated) as he lathered, massaged (Kyungsoo purred at that and Jongin fiercely chanted to himself not to fanboy), and rinsed his little one’s silky midnight locks. After a full body wash, the water was drained and Jongin looked away again as he handed a towel over to Kyungsoo. The little boy hummed in satisfaction as he wrapped the proffered towel around his petite body—dripping wet but squeaky clean.

As he helped Kyungsoo out the tub, Jongin told the boy, “I’m going to grab another towel. Stay here and don’t hurt yourself.”

He may have exaggerated his paranoia when he added the don’t hurt yourself part. It’s not like he fretfully imagined Kyungsoo slipping on an unsuspecting pool of water and cracking his head open by hitting the marble sink edge—yeah, that’s what exactly could happen. He would take no chances.

...

His human had ditched him to go toss his only spare set of clothes in the washer and to also grab another towel. Waiting for Jongin to return, Kyungsoo shuffled out the bathroom—stray water droplets trickling down from his flattened hair—and decided to poke through his human’s dressers. Knowing Jongin, the tall male wouldn’t mind if Kyungsoo sorted through his things.

With one hand gripping the towel to maintain it around his form, Kyungsoo used his free hand to paw through the dresser’s multiple drawers. Ooooh, cool sunglasses. Minseokie would’ve loved these. He drew out another drawer. Oopsies, wrong drawer. Nice colored underwear, though. He smothered an amused smile before moving on to the next one. This one is just socks. Squatting down, the little vampire opened up the bottommost drawer. Huh? Junk? The boy’s thin fingers sifted through outdated receipts, an old, screen-cracked phone, a mini flashlight, a forgotten pencil, and several opened envelopes containing mail. Lastly, a metallic tin box was shoved in the far corner of the drawer, as if purposely abandoned there. Something about the way the box seemed to glint in glee when once again revealed to the world called out to the curious vampire.

Totally disregarding the possibility that there might be private contents in the box, Kyungsoo unearthed it from its prison with the intention of discovering it anyways. Since he couldn’t pry open the lid with one hand, he clambered up onto Jongin’s bed and settled it on his towel-draped lap.

Pop! The lid and container separated with a crisp, crackling sound. Kyungsoo peered inside.

Pictures.

Kyungsoo’s eyes brightened with rapture. Pictures! Jongin actually had pictures stored somewhere! Having lived with the quiet human for the past two days, the little vampire had noticed no memorable printouts laying anywhere around the apartment. He picked up a stack of photos and studied them. So this is where he was hiding them all along...but why?

The nosy vampire was enthralled at what he found. He eagerly browsed through the visual accounts. Young Jongin at the playground. Young Jongin at a dance recital. Young Jongin with two older girls. Older sisters? Kyungsoo wondered speculatively, tilting his head.

Kyungsoo paused on one particular picture. What he saw made his eyes widen.

He...he looks familiar.

Too immersed in his thoughts, the young vampire failed to hear footsteps padding down the empty hallway.

“Kyungsoo?”

The preoccupied vampire let out a startled “eep!” and nearly dropped the pictures but managed not to. Uh-oh. He was caught red-handed!

Jongin reentered his bedroom, a towel clutched in one hand. There was a pinch between his furrowed brows, eyes fixated on what Kyungsoo had cradled in his hands.

“Where did you find that?”

Half-startled and plentifully guilt-shamed, Kyungsoo’s lips quavered as he stammered out, “I-I found i-it in t-the bottom drawer! I-I was looking for clo—”

Appearing as if he sensed the younger one’s fright, Jongin softened his piercing gaze and calmly strode over to the bed. He tossed the towel on Kyungsoo’s bashfully drooped head and gently dried the boy’s hair.

“I’m not mad, Kyungie. It’s just that...I haven’t thought of that box until I saw you holding it just a second ago.”

Jongin gathered the pictures scattered on the boy’s teeny lap and tucked them back into the tin container. He was about to take the remaining ones from Kyungsoo when the little boy blurted out, “Wait!”

The taller male blinked, surprised by the outburst. “Wh-what?”

A picture was shoved in his face. “Who’s this?” demanded Kyungsoo.

Jongin had to lean back so he could get a better view of the photo. His curious expression fell when he figured out the two people in the image.

One person was him...the other was his best friend.

Jongin’s voice was hoarse and low. “Oh...he’s—was—my best friend. His name was Chanyeol.” He gently took the picture from Kyungsoo and swept his thumb over the two happy faces that belonged in the irreversible past. He remembered the day the photo was taken. It was around four years ago, back when Jongin and Chanyeol were still in junior high. During that time, they had just finished exams and decided to hang out afterwards with several other schoolmates to pig out at a favorite restaurant of theirs. “Chanyeol...he disappeared years ago. He’s probably dead”—his voice cracked—“now.”

Kyungsoo watched his human caringly store the mementos away in that photo-crammed box and place it on the nightstand.

“He’s not dead.”

Jongin sharply snapped his head over to Kyungsoo who stared at him unwaveringly. “What?”

An honest smile blinded him. “I said, ‘He’s not dead.’”

Jongin’s chest constricted. The hope he had buried six-feet-deep in soil was digging itself back up again. He had to withhold it because...because...

Was it stupid of him to gullibly believe random words from a child he just met?

Jongin shook his head disconsolately. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he responded flatly, effectively dropping the subject that tore at his insides. Looking away, he gestured with a limp hand. “Come on, let’s dry your hair. You’ll have to wear some of my clothes until yours are washed and dried. It’ll take half an hour.”

Pouting, Kyungsoo hopped off the bed—towels almost unwinding, but he clutched them tighter—and followed the downcast human back into the bathroom.

He really did mean it when he said that Chanyeol wasn’t dead.

...

The public gathering place was immensely populated with straggling, shallow-minded bloodbags. Seamlessly blending into their midst was a lone, observing figure. A human’s less-than-keen eyes could not catch the swift pace of the inhumane one—nor his maintained covertness or dignified poise.

Minseok inhaled a gust of what he called processed air. It reeked of perfume, cologne, deodorant, laundered fabrics—scents mingling with others like a cauldron of stinky potions. Provided that he’d been a vampire a well over a century now, the disturbance of the air didn’t bother him anymore.

The slit-eyed vampire grinned from under his sunglasses, a wink of his pearly-white fangs making an appearance. Thrill had gotten the better of him for he was intent on enjoying a brief excursion of fun. During his human years, malls didn’t exist in his era, but after he became a night walker, he longed to experience the society’s growing luxuries. Now would be his only chance in a long run.

If Master Joonmyun finds out, he’ll have to get through—and I mean quite literally—Jongdae before he can bite my head off.

Frankly, Minseok was undaunted by the possible punishment he’ll receive for being off task. Although Joonmyun frequently snapped at him, rolled his eyes because of him, or swatted him aside like a pesky bug buzzing in his face, the superior one never physically beat Minseok. Normally vampire masters were known over the eons to be physically brutal to those who unnerved them—even at the slightest annoyance. But Joonmyun and, of course, Yifan, were the contraries of those inbred customs.

The happy-go-lucky vampire had a skip in his step as he surveyed the pristine windows of name-brand stores. Many humans gawked at him along the way, enamored by his flawless, model-like appearance (or maybe because he was acting like a caffeine-dosed lunatic). The chubby-cheeked vampire basked in the attention (it's not like they could see his full facial features underneath his sunglasses, anyways) and smirked inwardly because people were on the verge of asking if he was single.

Sorry, ladies and gents, but I’m already taken because I am b-o-n-d-e-d to the one and only Kim Jongdae.

After a moment of deliberate consideration, Minseok finally entered a store with the full intent of enjoying his me-myself-and-I time.

...

Kyungsoo bounced like a hyperactive bunny addicted to carrot-flavored coffee. His child-sized hand tightened around Jongin’s as he restrained the fleeting urge to dash forward.

They were at a mall!

I’ve always wanted to go to one! Kyungsoo exulted, beaming widely. This is so cool!

Back when they were at the apartment, Jongin had told the younger boy that he needed another set of clothes—preferably something that wasn’t tailored in an old-fashioned design. Since the dancer didn’t have to arrive at work until after lunchtime, Jongin deemed it as the perfect opportunity to take Kyungsoo shopping.

Jongin flickered his dull-glinting eyes to random store windows as he murmured to himself, “Kid’s store, kid’s store, kid’s store...”

A tug on interlocked hands made the musing male glance down.

“Jonginnie! Jonginnie! What’s that?” Kyungsoo eagerly pointed across the mall’s spacious common place.

“...That’s a toy store, Kyungsoo.”

Pleading doe eyes peered up at them. “Can we go in there? Please? Pretty please?” Kyungsoo sweetly batted his eyelashes, effectively flustering Jongin by the adorable display.

Pretty please? Jongin thought incredulously. Pretty please?! Why did he have to say that? And who the hell says that anymore?

But, of course, his willpower crumbled in mere nanoseconds, and Jongin found himself stumbling after his short charge as he was dragged into a colorful toy land—a child’s heaven on earth.

Kyungsoo didn’t stop there.

That cutie pie knew no limits as he insistently yanked Jongin to every store or attraction that caught his eye—the playground teeming with shorter-than-four-foot-something youngsters; the cake store where sugary temptations destroyed someone’s diet; the bookstore because, well, duh, books.

The owl-eyed munchkin bombarded Jongin with all kinds of amazed questions like, “What’s rocky road ice cream? They put ice and cream on a road?” or “Why is there a fake puppy powered by batteries?”

Jongin’s head was spinning by the onslaught of endless questions, but he exasperatedly answered them nonetheless. Finally, he whisked Kyungsoo away to a decent looking clothing store.

It turned out Kyungsoo was a picky-chooser when it came to wearing clothes (not like he complained when he wore Jongin’s oversized clothes).

“Do you like this one?”

A lip-pursed head shake.

“What about this one?”

An unimpressed frown.

Sigh. “How about this one?”

“...What’s that on the front of it?”

“That’s a dinosaur.”

Kyungsoo stomped his feet childishly. “No! I want something sophisticated!”

Mildly shocked that his little one had a fancy vocabulary, Jongin quickly shook it off and asked in puzzlement, “But why? That’s boring.”

“Because my Mommy dresses me like that!”

“...Fine.”

Jongin put the kid-sized t-shirt away with a defeated sigh. Taking Kyungsoo’s hand again, he navigated them through the maze of clothes and scouted the designer brands for kids. Everything organized on these shelves and hangers were manufactured from good-quality fabrics and endorsed by top buyers.

The admiring gleam in Kyungsoo’s doe eyes made Jongin think the boy was staring at a city of gold.

“I LOVE IT HERE!” Kyungsoo squealed and raced forward to grab what he liked. Jongin blinked twice. That short-legged kid was fast.

...

Time flew by in a breeze as Minseok entertained himself. He ducked in and out of numerous stores and boutiques—not buying anything because it was forbidden to bring home ‘outsider’ stuff without permission. The footloose vampire tried on countless accessories and outfits, sporting a playful grin as he checked himself out in the store’s full-length mirrors, striking a haughty peace-out pose.

I am a handsome devil, the vampire sighed contently. I wonder if the devil wishes he was as hot as me.

In only about two hours, Minseok had shamelessly deserted a dozen of stores without purchase. He cheerfully strode across the downstairs level and bypassed the fountain spouting sparkling blue water.

Then he froze mid-step, an invisible stop sign smacking him in the middle of his face.

This scent...

Minseok whipped around, wide, frantic eyes darting left and right. He couldn’t be hallucinating. It wasn’t a hallucination! This scent trail belonged to—

Kyungsoo.

A heavy gravity forced Minseok’s peppy mood down, replacing it with sheer severity. The refocused vampire sidestepped over to the fountain and sniffed the surrounding area.

It’s fresh, Minseok confirmed in bafflement. Hope stirred up in his chest, making him think how miraculously lucky he was. I-I can’t believe it. Kyungsoo is here! At a mall! Where I am! He blinked rapidly. I-I gotta find him right away!

A young couple yelped when a dark-clad figure breezed past the minimal space in between them, but when they glanced back to find the rude rascal who dared to interrupt their lovey-dovey moment, they found no one.

Ten minutes later, Minseok scratched his forehead in mounting frustration.

The fountain, the toy store, the cake store, the playground, the bookstore—Kyungsoo had left his scent everywhere! It was giving the chubby-cheeked vampire a headache—which was impossible because vampires couldn’t get sick!

Minseok rode up the escalator, gnawing on his lower lip anxiously. Did Kyungsoo know he was nearby? Was that why Kyungsoo devised a clever evasion tactic to throw him off course? That adorably squishy, owl-eyed boy was too smart for his own good. He resembled his parents too much that Minseok wished he could retire from being the Kim family guard if he had the chance.

I’ll have to inspect every single area, devised Minseok. If that fails...well, it’s a good thing I have a Plan B.

Nodding briskly to himself, the antsy yet determined vampire scoured the mall’s second story in lightning speed.

Okay, so many lame excuses, so little time. I'll break it down real quick.

I hate school, and I really want to get out of one class. If I don't, I'll break down. Homework is literally killing me. My family is having so much problems, and I wish I can shut it all out. Another thing: what in the heck did I just write? The beginning was fine, then the rest was what-is-this-fuddgin'-nonsense. I must've been half-drunk when I wrote Minseok's parts (JK, I'm a minor). Please forgive me. When I have time, I'll revise it again.

I know this is asking a lot, but can I update this story every 3-4 weeks? It's hard to balance two ongoing fics and school at the same time...

Thanks for reading this! It really warms my heart! T^T *throws you cracked heart-shaped cookies*

And here's the chapter's Kaisoo-ness because they're my joy in life.

Cr: to real owners