Vampires.
As far as humans knew, they were merely a myth.
Let's start with that; there were numerous silly rumours regarding the species.
Vampires weren't mortal; no living species had really been capable of beating time no matter how advanced technology became.
However, they aged and matured very slowly, three times slower than humans to be exact.
They also weren't harmed by garlic, steaks, crosses, nor light. In fact, there were many religious vampires as well.
Also, vampires also slept like any other person as they needed to renew energy and rest to remain energetic and stealthy to hunt.


One of the silliest assumptions was that a vampire biting you would turn you to a vampire. Let's be real; when has a dog biting a person turned the person to a dog?

Also, modern human media had amazingly succeeded in convincing people that a vampire bite was and enjoyable.
How in the world can sharp fangs breaking skin be at all-- at most, it was painful to a paralyzing degree, even to vampires themselves.

Another thing that set vampires aside were their eyes which were usually light or neon shades of green, blue, orange or purple.

For centuries, they lived among human societies in order to survive.
However, that was too suspicious and dangerous so they preferred to live alone in peace, preferably away from any possible human contact.
Because of low fertility rates among them, they had to be safe at all costs; meaning living independently.
Living together was too much of a risk to take.
However, for the sake of safety and regulations, there were annual checks on vampires and their areas. The downside was that the Council was very suspicious. Leo knew it was just a cover to find an excuse to take someone in. They were strict and didn't settle for anything besides conformity.
Leo didn't bother with them as they barely had contact. He'd know they'd only pass by.
With a sharp sense,  they could sense a territory, the vampire living there, and their length of time there.
They didn't bother Leo.
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Leo had been living on his own for about ten years now. He had a comfortable modern house all to himself and he was very antisocial as he mainly kept to himself.

Most would argue his life to be terribly boring but Leo was content-- maybe not entirely happy, but content.
He spent most of his time reading, feeding (occasionally), or working out.
He had broad shoulders and a strong build -- not with huge muscles but just right.

However, it was around Spring when he was returning home from his midday run, that he sensed a disturbance around his territory.
And as he investigated further into the forest, he discovered two male vampires.
Leo wasn't one to become excited to see more of his kind; if anything, it was a threat.
However, they were preoccupied and didn't notice Leo who observed the situation before him

A male had a smaller, tan male pinned to a tree. The latter seemed to be trying his best to defend himself as he sneered and didn't tire of thrashing in his attacker's hold.
Leo debated on leaving the two to settle their problems but they were on his land.
He coughed to make his presence known.

The two pairs of eyes fell on him.
"You're on my property", Leo stated.
"Please help me!" the smaller male called out desperately as he was roughly grabbed by the throat.

For some reason, when Leo looked into the smaller male's teary ice blue eyes, he felt attracted to him. He couldn't find it in his heart to ignore the crying male.
He was shocked when the larger male struck the smaller across the face, "Shut up", baring sharp fangs dangerously close to the latter's neck.
The man's head snapped to the right as he whimpered from the impact, flinching away.

Leo acted by instinct, attacking the larger male suddenly.
The moment his hold weakened, the smaller male sprinted behind Leo who held a protective stance in front of him, baring his fangs, "Get off my property".

"Give me what belongs to me", the latter yelled in anger.

"Yours?" Leo raised an eyebrow, "He's not mated. He isn't yours".

"He will be after today", the other pounced. Leo easily blocked him and kicked his side, making him hit the ground.

Leo didn't like the way this arrogant male spoke. He punched him in the stomach, leaving him groaning on the ground.
"Get out", Leo spat.

Finally, the other finally left bitterly.
Leo turned to the tan male he defended. The other's almond shaped eyes looked up at him, "Thank you. I'm Hakyeon".

Leo merely scanned the attractive thin male. He had a small waist, handsome looks and a small bone structure; he could see why this boy was sought after.

"Leo".

Leo invited the boy inside, not minding his company much. He served some pasta as the two sat down for supper.

"What brought you here?" Leo asked.

"I was sent out by my guardians", Hakyeon said, "That guy attacked me suddenly; I didn't realize he was following me for a while now. Thank you so much!"
It wasn't uncommon for vampires to refer to their parents as guardians as that was their role more than anything. Feelings were rarely involved or minimal.

Leo frowned as he saw the dark bruise on Hakyeon's cheek.
"We'll have to fix that".

He sat Hakyeon down as he brought out a bag of ice and gently placed it on the boy's cheek.
"Are you hungry?" Leo asked.
"No, I- I don't drink human blood", Hakyeon replied, "I stick to animals".
Leo was surprised but didn't question the other.
 Thankfully, he had many empty rooms in his house and offered one to Hakyeon.

And just like that, Hakyeon stayed with Leo, also helping around with chores.
They both didn't approach the topic of the length of Hakyeon's stay as it was obvious and clear that Hakyeon wouldn't survive a day on his own.
Leo wondered why his parents made leave in the first place. Although vampires were usually indifferent to their kids; they cared for their offspring's safety and they made sure their kids were strong enough to survive in the real world without their protection.
Hakyeon obviously couldn't fight and he wasn't one with a lot of strength.
Leo didn't bother with the past and decided not to question Hakyeon.
Leo didn't mind the company that much and it was a pleasant change from his quiet home.
Hakyeon didn't seem to mind Leo's silence and filled in for him, chattering away about anything and everything that came to mind.

It was one night when Leo's only friend Ravi visited without warning.
He and Hakyeon were seated on the couch, watching some chic flick that Leo wasn't paying attention to.
His head was on Hakyeon's lap.
They grew a close relationship and it was almost natural now.

His eyes were about to close when there was knocking on the door loudly.
Hakyeon slightly jumped from surprise.

"I'll see who it is", Leo said tiredly as he got up.

"Hyung, I didn't know you got a mate! How'd you find someone like that?" Ravi asked curiously when he spotted Hakyeon.
Leo rolled his eyes and hit Ravi's head, "His not my mate idiot".
The two were introduced and Ravi was surprised to learn that Hakyeon only lived with Leo.

"Hyung! How can you not get laid with that piece of ?"
Ravi was carefree and didn't block his words even when Hakyeon was right there.
Hakyeon looked down and blushed deeply, now looking self conscious.

Leo growled in annoyance before replying, "Because I don't think with my ".

"Touché".

Leo noticed Hakyeon's discomfort and told him to go to bed.
"Nice meeting you!" Hakyeon smiled softly.
Ravi nodded.
Once he was gone, the two friends talked for a bit but the topic kept returning to Hakyeon.

"So if he's not your mate, can I have him?"

Leo scowled, "Yah! He's a being; not an object. You can't just have him!"

The way Ravi spoke reminded Leo of the male with Hakyeon when he saved him.

You see, vampires had a different view on mate selection.
The stronger, more dominant vampire choses their mate, making them submit by force; they had no belief in love nor fairness.
After marking, the submissive vampire would go into heat which was stimulated by the toxins in the saliva transferred from the bite. This heat lasted about a day or two but it was basically in the control of the dominant; he'd be able to activate it at will by simply biting his mate
The heat would cause the submissive's body to ually react and beg for pleasure even though they didn't want it.
It was often the source of justification for forced matings and was for the purpose to fulfill the ual needs and desires of the dominant mate.

There were too many incidents of dominants misusing this power and biting their mate too many times.
Although vampires had a higher endurance, they also had a breaking point.
In this case, ual activity wasn't the only problem.
When bit by a vampire, the person or creature loses a significant amount of blood.

Mutilated vampires weren't an unusual sight and it was one of the many flaws to independent lifestyles without any proper laws or regulations on rights of living.
In such cases, the Council claimed it was "survival of the fittest".
It was the way they lived but that didn't mean Taekwoon was okay with it; he thought everyone should be treated equally and not forced to be mated upon without consent.
Rather than love, it was the battle of the fittest.
The stronger would mark his opponent and they'd be stuck for life; no matter what.
Eventually, they'd have to learn to live with each other.

"By the way, Hongbin is mated", Ravi's voice broke through his thoughts.

"Oh? With who?" Leo asked. Hongbin was a mutual friend of Ravi's that Leo had come to accept over the years.

"A male he's been tailing for a while. He's quite young though; only 57 (19) years in total".

Leo's eyes widened, "That young?"

He felt pity for the boy; he must be quite afraid in that type of situation. Hongbin was a nice guy and Leo had no doubt that he'd treat the kid well. He was only worried about the boy's fighting spirit. At this age, he wouldn't easily submit. But the more he'd fight, the more force Hongbin would have to use against him.
Shaking his head, he cleared his head-- he really should stop worrying about others.

"Yeah, I heard the kid scream for hours on the night they mated", Ravi shuddered, "Even I said the boy was too young but Hongbin had his eye on him for a while".

"Why'd you visit?" Leo asked, changing the topic to stop Ravi from going into too much detail.
"I just wanted to see my favourite hyung", Ravi grinned widely, "But even you beat me with this mate thing".

Leo sighed, deciding not to waste his breath on his silly friend, "Well you visited. Leave".

Ravi pouted but got up, "Yeah, I guess I should be on my way; I need to hunt tonight."

"I'll come too".

When Ravi asked about Hakyeon, Leo said he fed the previous day.
In reality, he didn't want to explain the fact Hakyeon was a vegetarian; it would be too much trouble.
 Hakyeon fed two to four times a week since animals blood didn't always have enough nutrients or blood to satisfy his hunger.
......................................................................
Hakyeon was the clingy type.
He barely left Leo's side except to hunt.

"Hakyeon, your room is across the hall".

"I know but I wanna sleep here", Hakyeon said, snuggling closer to Leo's side.
Leo would never admit it but it felt comfortable next to someone rather than alone.
Hakyeon was out like a bulb in a few minutes as Leo could see his chest move up and down slowly.
He decided that this change wasn't too bad.
Hakyeon was always at Leo's side, whether they were in the kitchen, watching TV or sleeping.
He was also very affectionate and touchy as well.

What made Leo nervous was how his heart sped up when he was with Hakyeon.

He felt his chest swell whenever the two held hands or even when he pretended to be annoyed at Hakyeon's antics.

"Leo, why are you so nice to me?" Hakyeon asked on night when they laid down to sleep.

"What do you mean?"

"... Well, compared to others that I've met, you're kinder... You see me as more of a person I suppose."

Leo wasn't surprised by Hakyeon's explanation; more submissive vampires were seen as objects and possessions unless they were mated.

Leo didn't know how to answer the latter so he merely stated, "Is that a bad thing? Must you question everything? Do you want me to treat you like everyone else?"
It was a cold response and certainly not something Hakyeon was expecting. He became flustered, "I'm s-sorry; I didn't mean it that way".
Leo felt guilty and regretted his cold words when he saw Hakyeon's gaze go to his lap as he blushed in embarrassment.
Leo really wanted to apologize but Hakyeon got up, "Um, I'm going to hunt tonight. I'll see you later".
Hakyeon didn't meet his eyes.
"Do you want me to come?" Leo offered.

"I'll be fine."

Of course Leo wasn't satisfied and tailed the oblivious vampire.
He was amazed on how bad Hakyeon's senses were at multitasking.
The latter didn't sense Leo following him when he was focused on hunting.
'No wonder you're such an easy target', Taekwoon thought in amazement.
Anyone could tell Hakyeon wouldn't survive a single night on his own.

The only skill Hakyeon possessed was speed and unfortunately, for vampires, that wasn't very unique or useful as they all had quick speed.
It was now clear to him that Hakyeon must've been sent away from his family with the fate of death. This arose a curiosity in Leo.
He silently watched the boy hunt a doe and drink its blood dry before returning back to their home.

"Hakyeon-ah, I'm sorry for being cold to you",
Leo said when the latter returned.

Hakyeon seemed genuinely surprised before he flashed Leo a convincing smile, "You don't have to apologize. I know I get too talkative and annoying with my questions; I should've been grateful. It's alright".

Leo stared at the latter before patting the seat on the couch beside him.
Hakyeon took the sign and sat next to him.
"I think we should start trusting each other", Leo began.
Hakyeon looked at Leo with his head cocked to the side cutely in confusion; where was Leo going with this?

"Where exactly are you from? Who exactly are your parents?" Leo dead panned.

"If I tell you, I'll have to leave", Hakyeon whispered, "That basically means I'll die if I tell you".
Leo searched the boy's face for a joke but he seemed dead serious.
"Well it's been months. I think you should trust me. Why would you leave? Is it that shameful?" Leo asked, even more curious.

"It's not that. You'll have to kill me or kick me out at the least", Hakyeon said.

"I promise not to".

Hakyeon sighed, "Fine. I guess I owe you this much to thank you for taking me in and being kind to me... Frankly, I'm considered a 'mutt'. My mother was a human".

Leo stared for a while, "A human? How would the Council not know? How is that even possible?"

"My genetic components are no different from a regular vampire since vampire genes are dominant to humans. My father kept me hidden. I was an embarrassment and proof of his sin so I was chased away as soon as o came of age", Hakyeon said bitterly, "It doesn't take a genius to realize that he probably hoped I'd be killed."

Leo was mind boggled; he was still trying to process what Hakyeon told him. He was expected something to do with hateful parents but not this.
It all made sense though. The fact that Hakyeon was a 'vegetarian' and why his senses were so lacking.
This was concerning the law and was something serious, punishable by death.

His thoughts were interrupted by Hakyeon.
"Don't worry. I'll leave by tomorrow morning".

"No!" Leo said quickly, "I promised not to kick you out; why would you leave?"

Hakyeon chuckled, "Shouldn't you be thanking me? I'm doing you a favour without you having to break your promise."

"I never said that", Leo soda between gritted teeth.

"Let's be realistic", Hakyeon said, "The annual check is coming around and the Council will be here in a week's time. If I leave tomorrow, my scent will be covered and it'll be like I was never here".

Leo's stomach churned at the thought; the feeling of forgetting Hakyeon didn't seem realistic at all.

"Don't talk about being realistic to me", Leo snapped, "Your senses are seriously lacking since you seem oblivious to that same vampire not too far from my territory".

Hakyeon frowned at the news; he really didn't have many choices right now.
Leo didn't know how he'd get past the council but right now, Hakyeon leaving wasn't an option.
He simply couldn't imagine the loneliness without his chattering nor a day without his bright smiles and addicting laugh. They'd spent a mere three weeks together but the loneliness without Hakyeon seemed impossible to bear for Leo.

"I'd rather it would be you than anyone else".

It was quiet but with his hearing, Leo heard quite clearly. He turned to Hakyeon suddenly, trying to decide if the latter was serious.
Hakyeon looked away and blushed, "I'm sorry; that was uncalled for".

Leo's fingers went to Hakyeon's chin, lifting his face to look at him, "Well think about it."

Leo would've preferred better circumstances but he wasn't complaining. Hakyeon was the only one he came to like; he never felt such a natural connection to anyone in his entire life. There was something about the boy that Leo couldn't help but be attracted to. And not to mention, he was pretty lucky that someone like him turned up in his territory.

Leo got up and went to his room and the two were extremely quite the next day.
It wasn't until the late afternoon when Hakyeon spoke up.

"I don't want to leave".

Leo looked at him, "Cool, then stay".

Hakyeon was a bit taken aback by Leo's ease on the issue, "That means we'd have to be mates".

"I like you Hakyeon, don't you get it?" Leo demanded in a tired tone.

"I like you too", Hakyeon replied quietly, "But we've only known each other for three months."

"And?"

"I'm scared", Hakyeon confessed, looking down.

Leo got up and lifted his chin to look into the soft eyes, filled with confusion. He glanced at Hakyeon's lips, inviting him.
Their lips met in a soft kiss, filled with something unknown, love.
It gave a weird feeling but neither was complaining as their bodies fit together in harmony.

Leo's strong arms wrapped around Hakyeon in a gentle hug, "We have eternity together. You'll never have to be afraid again".

theyre a couple now <3

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Okay so i hope you al enjoyed the beginning! please look forward to more :D 
BTW the next chapter will be dedicated to hyukbin so look forward everyone ^^