Luhan’s attire had attracted significant, unwanted attention on the campus and Mei inwardly questioned his disguise. If their purpose was to stay hidden in the throng of university students, Luhan was doing a terrible job. He stood out like a sore thumb, garnering laughs and people stopping to snap pictures while he flaunted his privates – the bodysuit was unfortunately tight in all the wrong places – with a confidence Mei both envied and resented.

She’d turned up the collar of Baekhyun’s shirt and slouched, trying to make herself as small as possible while Luhan chattered mindlessly, either oblivious or intentionally ignorant. After a while, she also let her hair down to cover her face, especially when students started coming up to Luhan to ask him to pose for pictures. He took to it like a pro, flashing peace signs and thumbs up and even flirting with girls. It was fun and everything, perhaps, but she was too heartbroken and too mortified to enjoy it.

When they reached her building, she all but ran away after thanking him hurriedly, not wanting to be seen with the infamous Yellow Scuba Diver any more than strictly necessary. Thankfully, her roommate had yet to return from her vacation, which meant that she wouldn’t have to explain her absence over the weekend to anyone.

Alone in the privacy of her room, she had a chance to sit back and truly take stock of everything that had happened in her life.

Emerging in the morning light had been like waking up from a crazed dream in which vampires ran rampant among the humans, where she was the bride of the most perfect vampire in existence, whose heart was filled with sorrow and yet, who loved wholeheartedly.

Aside from the stares Luhan had garnered, Mei felt disconnected with the people milling around – her life had been changing the past couple of months and all of it had risen to a screaming crescendo over the weekend. She would never be the same, could never go back and frankly, she didn’t want to. Not even with the threat of purist vampires on her tail.

She was Baekhyun’s bride and that was something she was proud of. She just wished she had gotten the chance to tell this to Baekhyun.

She sniffed, tears filling her eyes unbidden. The heartbroken look on his face had been haunting her since he’d vanished. Baekhyun was elusive even on the best of days – it had taken her six freaking months to catch him again. Now that he’d intentionally gone away, she knew she stood little chance of seeing him until he decided he wanted to be approach her again.

Kris had been beyond kind and understanding, had even offered to have Baekhyun kidnapped but Mei feared it would make matters even worse, so she’d rejected his offer. She just hoped he would deem to show up in her dreams… though who knew? Maybe he was too mad at her for even that.  

She just wished she’d gotten a chance to explain herself clearly before he’d decided to run away, presuming the worst when her intention had been completely different. When she’d said she’d left on her own, she’d only meant to tell him that Kris hadn’t kidnapped her, so they wouldn’t fight even more.

And yet, he’d probably taken it to mean that she wanted to get away from him when that was the farthest thing from truth.

Swallowing around the rising lump in , she busied herself with rearranging her room. She’d been in such a hurry to meet him when he’d invited her that she’d strewn everything about. Her roommate wasn’t too bothered with the mess since she’d been leaving for the weekend anyway. The room was terribly messy; it gave Mei something to do besides wallowing in self-pity.

After spending a good chunk of time clearing up, she felt good enough to order herself some takeout and settled in to watch some TV. She stared at the screen unseeingly, not paying attention to anything until her phone rang, telling her that her food had arrived. Paying the deliveryman, she sat down to eat without tasting anything.

When even that was done, she found herself at a loss. Her body felt too jittery and her mind refused to settle as she watched the sun move frustratingly slow across the sky. She’d done everything she could think of, but it was barely past noon…

Which meant that it was nighttime for the vampires. Would… would Baekhyun be asleep right now? What if… what if she sought him out?

Granted, she’d never done it before. She wasn’t even sure if she could do it because she was a human, whereas dream-walking was a vampire thing. But she had to try, right? She couldn’t just sit here and do nothing, she’d go crazy!

Decided, she went around the room, locking her window and checking the door before lying down on her bed and determinedly closing her eyes. After several minutes of blinking uselessly, she rolled over.

She was too nervous to relax, and it wasn’t helping anything. Her mind kept running itself in circles, worrying over Baekhyun’s safety, his health, his broken-heart, her own broken-heart, the sibling rivalry between Kris and Baekhyun, the council, Baekhyun’s mother…

‘Ugh!’ she whined, pulling her hair. ‘Ugh, stop it, just stop!’ She smacked her own head before lying down again. ‘You want to see him or not?’ she asked aloud. Naturally, no one answered but it was a rhetorical question anyway. ‘Yes, you do. Now, close your eyes and think about something pleasant.’

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, practicing the relaxation technique she’d been taught in the stress-management workshop. ‘Pleasant thoughts…’ she called out, willing her mind to conjure up the most pleasant thing it could imagine.

Baekhyun’s laugh echoed in her head, making her lips twist into a smile. Indeed, his laugh was the most beautiful sound. With it, Baekhyun’s face emerged and she could feel herself relaxing as she imagined him smiling at her in that sweet, sweet way.

Did you miss me? she recalled him saying, the cadence of his voice so clear, it was like he was speaking next to her.

Yes, she thought forlornly, I miss you so much…

‘Baekhyun…’ His name left her lips in a sigh of longing as she closed her eyes and let sleep overtake her.

………………………………….

After fighting with Kris over his stupid demand to relinquish his place as the rightful heir – which thankfully stayed clear of physical violence, because Baekhyun would be no good in his current state and Kris, surprisingly, had enough honor not to take advantage of his situation – Baekhyun stretched his arms over his head, grinning.

Teasing Kris was so much fun, he was so easily pushed. The look on his face at Baekhyun’s refusal had been absolutely priceless. Maybe he should commission an artist to paint that look over Kris’s face before he unveiled the grand portrait in the middle of his staircase. A fine present it would make.

Snorting in delight, he turned to his side, his body feeling much better. Truly, Kris’ blood had done wonders. In his time, he’d come close to death many times, but it had always been in the battlefield, be it the council or other vampires trying to encroach his territory.

Never before had he dared to step out in the morning sun, knowing how dangerous it was. But for Mei… he’d done it twice. His bride had him twisted in knots, made him lose sense and he was happy for it.

‘twas true he’d intended to leave her be as long as she needed but his heart… his heart ached, just as his body longed for her touch. It was hard to believe he’d just consummated their bond – what did a few days matter in eternity? – because he was so starved for her touch, already addicted.

Even now, with his body recovering from its close scrape with true death, he couldn’t help but relive their night together, couldn’t help but imagine the way she’d felt underneath him, around him, calling for his name over and over while he drank her lifeblood.

Vaguely, he felt himself regressing to his primal form, but it mattered naught. How he wished his Mei was by his side in this moment, tending to his wounds, kissing them better. Kris and their clansmen were doing all they could for his ease – he’d been provided with soothing balms and ointments for where his skin had burnt, and Xiumin had even offered to cook his favorite food, a gesture he greatly appreciated. But the only thing he truly wanted was Mei.  

He remembered kissing her palm where she’d scraped it, the memory bringing a fond smile to his face. His sweet, sweet Mei…

Whom he’d left in such a dishonorable manner. It was unmanly, he realized, to run away from her like that. He should’ve stayed, reclaimed her right there, to show her that she belonged with him, that she needn’t second-guess anything at all. Instead, like a coward, an insecure fool, he’d abandoned his Bride.

And now, he couldn’t leave until the council was taken care of and he’d recovered. He truly was a fool in love.

‘Mei, sweet Mei,’ he muttered, imagining her face. He lifted a hand as if to her cheek before dropping it slowly. ‘How I miss you so… do you miss me too?’

Slowly, his eyes slid close, exhaustion catching up to him.