It’s a humid Friday night and you stay up late working your weekend job at the small city bar. It was a fairly easy task—mixing drinks, wiping tables clean, making sure the leeches keep their fangs to themselves. 

Tonight is different, though. Tonight, you find it hard to concentrate, to restrain yourself from the pull that’s dragging you towards the club stage. You keep your gaze on the table, pretending to occupy yourself with your cell phone. It gets more and more difficult with every second, because you know his eyes are on you, gazing over every bit of you he can get. 

Finally, you bring your stare up towards the stage. He plays his red electric guitar with passion, tapping at every note and fret with nothing but pure skill. Female (and a reasonable number of male) fans flock below him, screaming and clawing at the guitarist rabidly. He rolls his head back for the finale of his solo, ending it with one last, piercing note.

The crowd roars with applause while you shake your head in disbelief. He mumbles a low thank you to the audience and then turns to your direction, his lips gradually twisting into a smirk. He keeps his impeccable brown eyes locked on yours before he finally disappears behind the curtains. 

I’ll come for you later, a melodic voice says into your ears. You cringe at the sound of it as it brings you back to the memory of a night not so long ago. 

**

“HEY!” you shout at the man running with your bag. “GET BACK HERE! THIEF! THI—.”

You abruptly lose your strength and fall to the concrete, lying under the solitary street lamp. A sudden sharp pain prickles on your stomach; you put a hand on it to see the damage. Blood begins staining your t-shirt and spilling into your hands. The sight of the crimson red pool dripping onto the streets reminds you just how quickly the bandit stabbed your abdomen. 

“Help,” you utter, and it barely even comes out as a whisper. Your vision gets hazy, but it manages to catch a glimpse of a dark figure looming over you. You then feel arms effortlessly lifting you up from the ground, taking you to somewhere dimmer. The figure puts you down and you attempt to take a better look at its face. 

The first thing you notice are the fangs protruding from its mouth. A patch of moonlight falls onto its face, subtly revealing his piercing brown eyes and his startlingly white skin. 

He’s one of them. 

You struggle briefly until he stops you. “Don’t move another inch or else the wound will tear even more.” 

He then brings his wrist to his mouth and nips into his own skin. A small trail of blood begins trickling down his arm as he passes it over to you. 

“Drink,” he urges gently, carrying your head over to his lap. “Drink now before you bleed to death.”

You move your head away from his wrist. “N-no. I’ll be d-different if—.”

“You won’t,” he whispers. “My blood will heal you. It’ll close up your wound and that’s all that it will do.”

You stare at him and your vision starts darkening. Shutting your eyelids, you heave out a deep breath and you drink. 

**

Time passes quickly until you notice it’s already an hour before closing time. The club has emptied by now; all that’s left are a group of drunkards and a bloodsucker flirting with a human girl. You take the glasses from the bar and turn around to wipe them. An odd feeling then causes the hairs on your back to rise. Someone’s watching you and you know who.

“So how’s my favorite bartender doing this evening?”

You turn back only to find yourself locking gazes once more with him—dressed in a simple black polo and jeans. His scruffy ebony hair is different now, cropped short and dyed a dark shade of brown. Besides that, he still looks the same—young and drop-dead gorgeous. He leans on the bar, patiently waiting for a response.  

“Lee Jonghyun,” you say, cocking your head at him in a cold manner. “I was doing pretty darn fine before you showed up.”

Jonghyun doesn’t seem bothered, simply chuckling at your less-than-friendly greeting. “Ever the ice princess now, are you.”

You roll your eyes at him and take more empty glasses to clean. “What are you doing here? I told you to leave me alone.”

“Oh, and I did! For two whole months,” he pouts. A steady mischievous smile then forms on his lips. “But I didn’t say I would forever.”

“You’re one sick monster.”

Jonghyun raises an eyebrow and rests his chin on his palm. “Am I, really? After saving your life?”

You open your mouth to answer him until you spot the one bloodsucker on the corner of the bar bearing his fangs on the girl’s neck.

“Hey!” you shout to the couple, calling their attention. “Take it outside, you leech.”

Both of them glare at you but say nothing, darting out of the club in seconds. Jonghyun, on the other hand, tries hard to muffle his laughter. 

“What’s so funny?” you ask humorlessly.  

He shrugs. “That’s why I’m so fascinated by you. You’re feisty and tough; you’re hard-headed, yet fiercely attractive.”

“Nice try,” you tell him. “But I’m not falling for your kind of again.”

The smug smile he has on never falters, but he keeps quiet for a while before he finally asks, “Have you still been dreaming about me?”

Your stomach drops and you look away from him, instead concentrating on wiping the counter clean. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you perfectly understand exactly what I’m talking about.” 

You move to the far edge of the counter to put the glasses back in place, and Jonghyun follows you. 

“You know what I mean,” he says as if it’s no big deal. “Dreams. Of me. Romantic, usually. And mildly ual at times.”

“SHUT UP!” you hiss, giving him a glare. Jonghyun smiles even wider.

“So you have been dreaming about me.”

You stare him down, unable to contain your fury. “They’re not my dreams. They’re the dreams your stupid blood makes me have!”

“Well, don’t tell me you don’t enjoy them.”

“I…I do not enjoy them by any means!” you argue, feeling your face grow hot. 

“You hesitated. So you do like them.”

You angrily throw the rag you’re holding onto the counter. “You told me that all your blood would do is heal me! You said I wouldn’t be different!”

“And you’re not different,” Jonghyun sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re still human, aren’t you? These dreams are simply a small side-effect.”

“They’re not just dreams,” you say through gritted teeth. “They’re feelings, emotions, a pull towards…I feel like I belong to—.”

You pause, not wanting to give him the pleasure of hearing it from your own mouth.

“Like you belong to…?” he smirks, casually tracing his slender finger on the top of your hand. “Tell me more.”

You pull your hand back and check the clock. 3 AM. Closing time. 

“I have to go,” you tell him suddenly. He jumps out of his stool and follows.

“I’ll walk you home.”

“NO.”

**

“So I think we should totally go out one time, you know. Like on a proper date. Get to know each other more,” Jonghyun ponders out loud as he purses his lips and shoves his hands into his jean pockets. He strolls lightly beside you and you keep a reasonable distance from him. This guy is impossible, you think. 

“One, I’m never going out with a dumb, cocky vampire like you. And two, I don’t need you to babysit me all the time,” you mumble, looking up at the darkened early morning sky. 

“Fat chance,” he replies while shaking his head. “The last time you went off walking alone at night, you got stabbed and nearly died if I didn’t happen to rescue you.”

“I think I would’ve rather died.”

Jonghyun playfully nudges your shoulder as you both walk down the pavement. “You don’t mean that.”

Completely worn out and frustrated, you don’t answer him and merely trudge your way to your apartment. 

“Oh come on,” Jonghyun reasons out. “For one, you’re still alive. Plus, no other vampire could touch you now that you have my blood running through your veins. And I’ll be able to find you whenever I want. We’re bonded to each other now. You even said it yourself—you feel connected to me.”

You stop in front of your apartment door, shivering at his words. Bonded. Connected. His blood running through my veins. 

“Conversation’s over. I’m going to bed. You should head home now too,” you quickly say, bringing out your keys and shaking them in front of his face. But in a flash, you notice that they’re in Jonghyun’s hands now, dangling them in front of your face. 

“You’re forgetting the fact that I have superhuman speed.”

“LEE JONGHYUN, YOU GIVE THEM BACK OR I’LL KICK YOU.”

“Oooh, that’s really scary.”

You charge after him but he’s fast, moving in random places at the speed of a bullet train. After a good minute, you give up, resting your hands on your knees. Breathless, you groan impatiently at him. “What do you want from me?”

Jonghyun bends over to your level and takes your chin in between his fingers. He grins wickedly and says, “I want a taste.” 

“A…taste?” you repeat, looking into his eyes, which is now a crimson red color. He pulls down the collar of your uniform and caresses the length of your neck. Jonghyun gives a one-sided smile and nods.

“One bite. Just one,” he croons softly. “And it’s only fair that I have your blood running through my veins, too.”

You stand up straight, giving your own arm a squeeze. You don’t want to do it; it’s risky, dangerous, and you don’t trust him at all. But something’s telling you to give in to his wishes. What frightens you is that you have no idea if it’s his blood talking or you yourself. You abruptly sense this nagging need—the need to satiate a certain hunger, an indisputable craving. 

Jonghyun notices your long silence and shrugs, turning away from you. “Guess you’re sleeping outside tonight.”

“Wait,” you finally say, causing him to look back at you. “I’ll do it. Just promise me you’ll give me back my keys already.”

You cannot completely fathom just how quickly it happens. The next thing you know is that you’re being pushed up against the secluded alleyway behind your apartment building; the weight of his body crushes against yours and he’s kissing you fiercely, his hands exploring the contours of your back. Strangely, you don’t stop him. It’s exactly like one of the dreams you’ve been having recently—heated, aggressive, and passionate. The adrenaline rush flows fast within your veins, both his blood and yours entwining together.

Unable to breathe, you pull away from him for air and he starts trailing kisses on your neck. Jonghyun then s your shirt halfway and pulls it down, revealing bare shoulders. His fangs protrude at the sight of your skin and his eyes glow a deep red once more. 

Your heart starts beating so fast that you’re almost sure he can hear it. And he does.

“You’re nervous,” whispers Jonghyun. “Don’t worry; it’ll only hurt a bit.”

You gulp down your uneasiness and turn your head to the side for him to have easier access. Jonghyun cradles your nape gently, and before he brings his lips to your neck, you feel the tip of his fang graze your earlobe. He lowly murmurs, “Remember that you’re mine.”

Then, his breath is against your skin. A small pinch touches your neck and…

“That’s it for tonight,” Jonghyun chuckles as he presses his forehead to yours. His eyes are back to brown and his fangs are gone. He tucks stray locks of your hair back in place and starts walking away. 

“If ever you’re in need of some service, you know where to find me,” he winks. You’re too unnerved and dishevelled to even come up with a coherent reply. Jonghyun then disappears into the darkness, leaving you leaning on the walls of the alleyway. Quickly, you pull up your shirt and start examining your neck.

It’s still in one piece, you notice. He didn’t do anything. 

Sighing in relief, you head back to your porch.

You’re halfway there when you notice something. 

Your keys are still gone. 

“That sneaky bastard,” you mutter under your breath. You turn east and start walking to the direction of that conniving vampire’s home.

FIN