Clubs were loud and noisy places. Clubs are loud and noisy places. Clubs will always be loud and noisy places and that made each and every one the perfect hunting ground for Zitao to find a quick young before he tore the poor boys throat apart to feed from them in a back ally, leaving them crudely displayed in a feigned pose of human murder or animal attack. Both deaths were true in their own rights but neither one was quite exact. Tao lived on a plethora of double edged swords, each a new precipice in itself. He strolled the line between life and death like it was a walk in a park. Animal and human were both such dull choices he decided to walk between them. He fell into the bad side of good and evil a long time ago, but he still liked to pretend he had moral standards, but he didn’t, no one did after five hundred years of pretending to be 21 years old.

Tao found himself in a club, a different one of course from the night before, and the night before that. He’d decided against a full on murder scene for many weeks now, taking up the advice of his clan. While they were the most fun, as they’d all allowed themselves to admit, they took a lot of effort to clean up with legal matters, particularly Tao’s. He’d taken it upon himself to act like a common serial killer, leaving each victim propped upright against a wall with a bunch of flowers in their lap. A calling card in the mind of the law was Tao’s simple way of saying thank you to a young man who’d given his life to feed Zitao’s own. But he had been disallowed the pleasure. For many months now he’d persuade people to bleed for him into glasses and cups, mostly in the heat of passion when they didn’t notice him flicking their wrists open with filed iron for nails. But he was back in a club for what he truly wanted, he was bored, life was boring, and a little bit of fun could only be expected of him.

Blonde hair slicked back, white dress shirt tailored to his sculpted form and black jeans which clung to the curves of his legs like water, he sat and awaited any one to come to him. Not that it would take long; people were drawn to him like moths to flames. A survival perk for his kind, pheromones that reeked of plain attraction and seduction. But something about the club was ever so slightly different; the music wasn’t plain thumping bass. The walls weren’t heavy velvet curtains and the people, the people weren’t the kind of people he’d ever seen dancing before. He never paid attention to where he walked into, he usually followed the bass lines he felt vibrating through the street until he was jammed in amongst sweat sheened bodies. This was new. Yes, the crowd was covered in sweat, but glitter too. The music hung in the air, bass low and entrancing. People were grinding on one another, but they looked incredibly graceful while doing so, others were dancing alone but their faces were content in the action. Some people wore only thin gossamer for dresses, others were head to toe clad in leather and feathers. No one seemed ordinary, no one was plain. The stench of a hallucinogen hung unnoticed in the air to everyone but Tao, and for once in his long life, he felt himself being drawn in by the music to a dance floor of what seemed like a new species of people.

Wavering synthesised beats penetrated his core to his very bones. His hands were soon drawn above his head, allowing himself to drape his own body in feather light touches as his hips automatically swung and grinded on air in an easy flow with the music. His eyes were closed but every other sense was even more hyped, even more aware of every being around him. The fact that his hunger wasn’t sending him overboard both confused and amazed him while he got lost in the beat of new rhythms over and over again. An unknown length of time had passed when he became so acutely aware of one particular person behind him, swinging his hips in time with Zitao’s own, not quite grinding, but he was certainly dancing with the vampire in front of him. Tao moved backwards, letting his back meet the strangers’ body in an easy attempt to get closer to him. The strangers arm s around his waist as Tao reached his arm back and looped it around the others neck, pulling him nearer Tao’s body as they continued to dance against one another.

They danced. They danced and no one else in that room could have parted the pair from the beat and melody that surrounded them so fully and wholly, not that anyone would try, everyone cared about nothing but their own bliss in a night that could only be seen as enchanted. Tao knew he would have to know the stranger who was dancing so perfectly behind him. Would he him? Hopefully. Would he kill him? Probably. But he had to know him before he could allow himself the pleasure of drinking from this strange being behind him. He carefully grabbed the others wrist, the hand belonging to which had begun to creep towards Tao’s crotch, and led him away from the dance floor, bringing him into the subtle light of the bar. Tao didn’t let go until they’d found a booth, nor did he look at him until he sat down.

The man sitting across from him was surprisingly fresh faced. He was surprised that such expert hips belonged to such an almost cute looking boy. The others hair looked so white it became purple under low, sensual lighting. His face was slightly full, though sharp cheekbones threatened to chisel his face into something like that of an Adonis with maybe a few months more aging. A white smile was lingering on tight lips as Tao allowed his eyes to fall to what he could see of the others Torso. He wore a lose vest of wide mesh, letting Zitao fully take in what seemed the like beginning of a very toned stomach which led up to broad shoulders and defined collarbones. All in all, the man could only have been a year, at the most, younger than Tao when he was bitten.

“Sehun, my name, it’s Sehun” the stranger shouted over the music which had now retreated into a more regular melody, not nearly as enticing as it was earlier but still enough to make Tao want more.

“My name’s Zitao, or Tao, whichever you prefer” he answered, letting his own name drip from his flushed lips like honey.

“Zitao” the word weighed on Sehun’s tongue, all Tao wanted to do was hear him say it more. “So, Zitao, which one of us is buying drinks?”

“I will, it would be my pleasure to drink with you Sehun” and when his sentence had been uttered a waitress appeared from what seemed like the bare brick walls around them. Her eyes bore holes into Tao’s skull as she took their orders, shouting them in repeat over pulsating bass which was now threatening to shatter the old glasses left from patrons who’d left. A whiskey for Tao and a double rum and coke for Sehun were being left in the hands of a ditzy waitress who couldn’t keep her eyes off of Tao when in the presence of Sehun, an idiotic decision, Tao thought to himself. The boy across from him just looked so beautiful, almost radiant the more he sat and talked with him.

They talked of everything and nothing at the same time over timid sips of drinks. Tao’s hand eventually slid over the table to grasp Sehun’s in a strong grip, fingers interlocking as he continued to listen to Sehun natter on about his own life. Compelling effects, he reminded himself as he found himself getting lost in the lilting lisp of the younger boy. It’s all mere compulsion. Soon enough he wasn’t listening, he spent the remaining minutes of conversation with his eyes fixated on Sehun’s chest and shoulders. The way his muscles rippled as he animatedly talked with his free hands, the way they glistened under a dusting of sweat and golden body powder that made his almost white skin look translucent under the changing harsh lights that were beginning to break the crowd and rush them to leave. The sun was nowhere near rising, not quite a danger to himself yet, Tao led Sehun once more away from where they’d settled into a gentle rhythm of listening and talking. He led the all too trusting boy out of the club and into the cold night air. Sehun halted him once they stepped outside, rooting to his spot as he patted himself down and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. Tao used the time to get a better grip of Sehun’s curves and muscles and the way he flexed his shoulders if he thought a little too hard on his lisp or the way he held his cigarette like it wasn’t a secret and almost brandished it at Tao as he offered him one.

“They’re really not all bad Zitao, I didn’t start smoking until I was sixteen!” he exclaimed, waving his lighter about this time as he explained to Tao “Three years later and I’m perfectly fine, look at me, I look okay for a pack a day habit” He was waving at himself now, smirking as he noticed Tao looking at his toned, slim body, pendulum hips encased in skin-tight black leather.

“You like what you see?” he smiled, taking a deep drag from the cigarette.

“There’s little logic in me lying to you Sehun” Tao had him pinned to a wall before Sehun could even notice. Speed, he thought to himself, was to be kept from these endeavours from now on. Sehun looked up at him wide eyed at the sudden restraint of both his wrists above his head, cigarette still burning to embers where it had fallen twenty feet away. He went to say something but kept it in as Tao’s lips brashly met his own. Smoke still filled his lungs, he swore he could’ve walked over here with Tao. But that didn’t matter, he still couldn’t quite breathe. Using Tao’s messy kisses as an excuse to test his theories on the practise, he pulled his head back and shook his head, motioning his eyes to the cigarette and hoping Tao got the message. The elder placed his lips slightly open centimetres away from Sehun’s own. A deep sigh and an exhale of smoke broke the sudden silence as he felt his own breath return to normal. He watched the other inhale the smoke as he was returning his lips to Sehun’s, they kissed once more before Tao pulled away and tilted his head back, releasing the smoke from his mouth in one heavy breath.

“I’ve always wanted to try that” Sehun said, a light blush spilling across his white cheeks in the process.

“Glad to be of service, Oh Sehun”

Sehun couldn’t recall telling Zitao his family name in their long conversations, but maybe he did. In fact, he probably did, he did love to ramble on about himself. They resumed their sloppy kisses, both enjoying the basic give and take of a plain old make-out session. Tao found himself to be winning in the kiss, using centuries of experience to lap at Sehun’s tongue with a delicate disposition. A light moan and a brush of a against his thigh let Tao know that he was dragging this out, it always ended the same way, the route never quite the same each time. Sehun wasn’t boring him by any means; in fact, he would have gladly kept the boy around if he wasn’t so damn hungry. Their lingering kisses made fire in his veins burn bright and painful, he craved Sehun. He craved the one thing that kept the young boy ticking over, but it seemed such a shame to let him go to waste. He overcame the thought quickly and allowed his mouth to move down the Youngers chiselled jaw. He left playful little nips in his wake that if Sehun lived, would have lasted until the morning. Sehun was giggling beneath Tao, carelessly running his fingers up and down the others back. His breath hitched as he felt Tao’s teeth brush over his sweet spot, just under his jaw, to the left of his Adams apple. The alarming thing was, Tao just kept nipping, nipping and kissing at the same spot at what he soon realised to be the vein in his neck.

            He should have worried, maybe even told Tao to stop but the warmth of honey and caramel that was flooding his brain calmed him as he allowed Tao to do as he pleased with him. If he wanted , he could have it. He wanted to leave a lasting mark, and so he could. It was almost sleep inducing, he was calm, so, so calm. But then he felt it, pain crashed over him like of fire and he quickly thrashed out against it. Sehun pushed Zitao’s head as far away from his neck as he could before his teeth finally detached themselves from his jugular.

“WHY DID YOU BITE ME YOU ING CREEP!” he made an effort to run but couldn’t. Arms stronger than iron bars were now on each side of his head, his neck burst with new explosions of agony whenever he thrashed and tried to duck away.

“You ing idiot, you’re gonna ing turn now and you’re gonna be my responsibility”

“I.. what?” confusion, only confusion could paint itself on Sehun’s face. Tao let Sehun free and turned away, heaving ragged breaths of anger and frustration as he paced the space behind them. He turned to Sehun once more, pulling at his hair with deft hands before attempting an explanation.

“I bit you. You’re changing. What about that is so ing hard to understand?”

“I.. I’m sorry Zitao” Sehun stumbled over his words. He couldn’t form a logical thought. What did he mean by changing? His breath caught as a hand wrapped around his neck, pinning his head back against the wall. In a situation where there wasn’t a puncture wound in his neck, this may have been a turn on, but a fresh wave of fiery pain washed over his body as new pressure was applied to the bite.

“Sorry isn’t going to cut it, you imbecile” Tao’s eyes narrowed, looking into what felt like the depths of Sehun’s soul. The younger boy beneath him was frightened, still aching with new found pain whenever Tao squeezed harder on his neck. Struggling for air, he tried once more for an explanation.

“What’s happening to me?” he choked as Tao loosened his grip.

“YOU’RE ING CHANGING. GET THAT INTO YOUR THICK SKULL” Tao completely let go and his heel to walk away, only stopped by Sehun’s hand attempting to grab his wrist, why couldn’t he just explain, Sehun thought, cursing Tao mentally before looking at him wide eyed. Before more questions Sehun fell to the ground. He landed with a thud on his hands and knees, a thin hand clutching at his neck during a wave of the worst pain he had ever felt. Blood poured out between his fingers, burning the wound like acid until it stopped once more. He couldn’t stand, only looking up at Tao with tears threatening to spill down his face.

“Tao please, please fix this I don’t understand.” Tao took pity on the boy. So clueless, so naïve.

“That’ll be the change Sehun. You’re gonna die or become a vampire”