Title: Like It or not

Pairing: none

Related Chapter: 032, 039

Word Count: 459

Taekwoon scowled slightly as he watched Hakyeon interacting with his family. He had no problem with Hakyeon interacting with his family – he swore he didn’t. The problem was what they were talking about. He knew that they were vampires. He knew that they were all hundreds of years old. And yet…….and yet hearing about them drinking blood, about them needing a shipment sent to the mansion…….it made him sick.

Hakyeon had no problem with any of it. He viewed it all as normal. He was even offering to help them bring in the new shipment of blood.

Taekwoon couldn’t listen anymore and left the room as silently as he could.

“So,” Sanghyuk said as Taekwoon was opening the door to his room, “might I ask why you left?”

“Wh-what?” Taekwoon gasped, jumping a foot in the air over the others sudden appearance, “what are you talking about?”

“You aren’t comfortable with us drinking blood, are you?” Sanghyuk frowned, “you find our nonchalance on the topic sickening, don’t you?”

“No,” Taekwoon tried to deny, not wanting to upset or offend his friend’s oldest brother, “I don’t find it sickening.”

“Don’t lie,” Sanghyuk rolled his eyes, “you’re human, it’s only natural you’d find drinking blood disgusting. I’m not offended or anything, so don’t think you need to lie to me about how you’re feeling.”

“I,” Taekwoon frowned, trying to find the right words, “I……I don’t…….it isn’t………” He paused, “fine, I don’t understand how you can be so cold about something like that. How many humans die to feed you and yet…….and yet you don’t seem to care!”

“No one died to feed me,” Sanghyuk replied, “it’s been years since someone gave their life in order to feed me. The same goes for most vampires. As soon as humans learned how to donate blood, vampires learned as well.”

“Huh?” Taekwoon blinked.

“The whole system is very detailed,” Sanghyuk shrugged, “only willing people can donate blood and we only take what is needed. People can only donate once every eight weeks at least. Honestly we encourage them to wait at least ten, but the standard is eight so…..”

“I….I,” Taekwoon tried to find words. He still found the idea of drinking blood disgusting and horrible, but knowing that people weren’t being killed was a comfort.

“Look,” Sanghyuk said, seemingly understanding the other’s thoughts, “like it or not, this is how things are. If you’re dead set on thinking badly of it, I can’t change your mind. Just like you can’t make me stop drinking blood in order to stay alive. All I ask is that you do your best to hide your distain from the others. Hakyeon is especially sensitive about things like this.”

With that said, Sanghyuk left Taekwoon to his thoughts.

A/N: I feel like the whole “vampires drink blood, that’s just how it is” is a pretty important plot point to have in a human-vampire romance story. I mean, most humans would be grossed out by someone drinking blood, right? It’s something that you’d have to address and get over if you were gonna date a vampire