“Can I get you anything, sir?” the bartender asked, his voice polite and lilting as he stared over at Jooheon. Sitting down onto the barstool, Jooheon pondered the thought, glancing over at the well-dressed man behind the bar for a few seconds before replying.

“Just a glass of red wine, please,” Jooheon replied, and the bartender quickly grabbed the proper glass and the finest bottle he could locate. Normally, Jooheon wasn’t one for drinking, since vampires really had no use for it, and in high vampire society it was seen as unbecoming, but lately he’d started to realize that letting loose and breaking a rule or two was much more fun than just mindlessly obeying. Taking the glass as it was handed to him, Jooheon glanced over, taking a small sip as he recognized a few vampires sitting down at the bar beside him.

“Ah! Jooheon-ah!” a tan-skinned vampire called out, his asymmetric dark hair falling into one eye as he waved over at Jooheon. There was another vampire beside him, one whom Jooheon had only encountered once and wasn’t properly introduced to, but if his hunch was right…

“Hello Hyunwoo-ssi, and you must be Hyungwon-ah?” Jooheon greeted, smiling politely at the two men. Hyunwoo was a much older vampire than Jooheon, and while he wasn’t an aristocrat like Jooheon, he was endlessly kind and welcoming beyond any aristocrat Jooheon had ever met. And beside him, clad in a dark brown button-down with a purple tie, was Hyungwon. From their first, very fleeting, encounter, Jooheon had the impression that Hyungwon was a baby vampire, and now that he was seeing him up close- he was sure of it.  

“Yes, I’m Hyungwon. Hyung told me that you’re with Kihyun?” Hyungwon prompted, smiling as he reached his hand over, shaking Jooheon’s. “From what I saw tonight, it seems like you two have quite the bond~” he continued, chuckling a bit. Jooheon’s eyes widened in surprise, and he dropped his hold on Hyungwon’s hand, laughing a bit in embarrassment.

“Are you friends with Kihyun-ssi?” Jooheon asked, trying to direct the conversation somewhere a bit less awkward. Hyungwon hummed, his hand running along Hyunwoo’s shoulders as he pondered just how he’d respond.

“We went to high school together,” Hyungwon offered, pouting his lips as he thought about how he’d reply to the actual question. Understanding his predicament, Hyunwoo spoke for his boyfriend, his hand curling around the thinner man’s knee as he looked into Jooheon’s eyes.

“They’re friends, they just bicker like cats and mice,” Hyunwoo replied, and Hyungwon nodded his head in agreement, casually playing with the collar of Hyunwoo’s silk shirt.

“Kihyun being the mouse, of course,” Hyungwon offered, laughing to himself. Feeling his face darken in a possessive sense of responsibility, Jooheon clenched his jaw, not liking the way Hyungwon was speaking about his Kihyun. As if sensing his discomfort, Hyungwon straightened his back, blinking a few times.

“I’m only joking, of course,” he explained, and Jooheon nodded his head, taking a sip of his wine while he tried to collect himself. Hyungwon seemed like a nice person, he was just rubbing Jooheon the wrong way since he spoke about Kihyun so disrespectfully.

“So what made you decide to get turned?” Jooheon prompted, trying to change the subject before he said something uncouth to Hyungwon. “It’s obvious that you’re new,” he continued, hoping his tone wasn’t too bitter. Hyungwon blinked a few times, glancing over at Hyunwoo for support.

“Well… Hyunwoo is the love of my life, I want to be with him forever” Hyungwon began, and Jooheon blinked, a little surprised by the honest, pure confession. “Since he is a vampire, naturally I would have to get turned to stay with him eternally,” he continued, absently playing with the back of Hyunwoo’s head, his eyes bashfully staring over at Jooheon. “Of course, I love Hoseok equally, but he isn’t ready to leave his life as a human just yet,” Hyungwon continued, and Hyunwoo nodded, confirming this statement.

“That’s beautiful,” Jooheon said, finding their commitment to be both admirable and utterly romantic. Hyungwon smiled bashfully, his eyes darting over to Hyunwoo’s as he stared at the love of his eternal life. Hyunwoo rubbed his hand across Hyungwon’s knee, their bodies literally pressed together. Jooheon’s heart surged at the public affection, feeling a pang of jealousy for some reason.

“Will you be turning your human as well?” Hyunwoo asked Jooheon, removing himself slightly from Hyungwon as he asked the vampire an honest question. Taking another sip of his wine, Jooheon looked away, his chest tightening at the sudden and unexpected question. Not sure how to reply, Jooheon takes another sip, clearly frazzled.

“Aish, hyung, don’t ask somebody something so personal out of the blue,” Hyungwon chastised, saving Jooheon from a potentially awkward conversation. Shooting the vampire a look of gratitude, Jooheon set down his now half-empty glass.

“Sorry,” Hyunwoo sheepishly apologized, but Jooheon waved him off, smiling over at the older vampire.

“It’s okay, I’m not offended by it,” Jooheon assured him, even though he kinda was. Hyunwoo smiled, and Jooheon noticed just how adorably Buddha-like that smile was. Seeing the way Hyungwon’s eyes widened and a giant smile passed over his features as he looked somewhere behind Jooheon, Jooheon turned around, spotting a familiar human making his way across the club. 

Sauntering over to the group was Hoseok, holding his signature bunny bag and dressed in casual wear. As he noticed his two boyfriends, his face broke out into the brightest, most innocent smile Jooheon had ever seen, and he gave the two a huge hug when he got to them. Now with his human boyfriend in such close proximity, Hyungwon felt his restraint slip away, and he snarled, his fangs fully extended and eyes darkening in lust and hunger. The atmosphere took a sudden, and very dark turn, and Jooheon lurched up in his chair, unsure if he should step in considering how ravenous Hyungwon was acting, even if it was towards his boyfriend.  Hyungwon reached forward, his long fingers curling around Hoseok’s powerful shoulders as he widened his mouth, clearly about to bite the man, a broken, choppy growl dripping from his lips. His eyes were wide and blown out in hunger, and the look in his gaze was frighteningly intense. Jooheon had never seen a baby vampire behave so strongly just from the presence of a human before, especially not one he was already acquainted with. The feelings and attraction he has for Hoseok must be beyond anything Jooheon could possibly think of fathoming.

“Calm down, Hyungwon,” Hyunwoo commanded, his voice powerful and clear, just as Hyungwon was about to sink his fangs into Hoseok’s pale flesh. He obviously wasn’t upset with the over-excited vampire, but was exerting his power flawlessly to get Hyungwon back in the right frame of mind. “We’re still in public, just take a deep breath,” Hyunwoo continued, his voice taking a softer, warmer tone as he worked to get his boyfriend under control. Hyungwon inhaled deeply, but Jooheon could clearly see just how close he was to completely ravaging the red-haired man, his chest heaving in labored pants.

Hoseok smiled nervously, taking a step back and flushing in embarrassment. Sometimes he forgot just how much of a temptation he was for his vampire boyfriends, especially Hyungwon, who was still trying to learn how to keep his desires in check... Jooheon blinked a few times, a little taken aback by how interesting their dynamic was. It was a good thing Hyungwon had Hyunwoo there to guide him through his early years as a vampire, but it must be hard to be around his tempting human boyfriend… Jooheon shook his head, turning to face the employee lounge as he felt like he’d oddly intruded on a personal moment. Just as he was gazing that way, he spotted Kihyun walking towards him looking more stunning than ever.

“Jooheony!” Kihyun called out, waving to Jooheon from across the club. Blinking a few times as he processed the cute nickname, Jooheon shyly smiled, his eyes flickering down to the surface of the bar as Kihyun neared closer to him. 

“How are you doing, Kihyun…” Jooheon began, attempting to leave off any honorifics. “-Ssi?” Jooheon added, chickening out at the last second. Giggling at the cute reply, Kihyun leaned against the counter of the bar, setting down the sensible bag he was holding with him for a few seconds while he chatted with Jooheon.

“I’m feeling pretty damn good, actually, and how about you?” Kihyun asked, his eyes staring exclusively at Jooheon despite the fact that he had three of his close friends not even a foot away from him. Jooheon, noticing this fact, flusters slightly, wondering why Kihyun was only acknowledging him.

“Very good,” Jooheon replied, nodding to himself. He knew he probably had no reason to feel awkward about the situation, but the direct, definitely flirtatious look in Kihyun’s eye as he ily leaned against the counter while they were both sitting right beside Kihyun’s friends… well, it certainly made Jooheon feel a tiny bit embarrassed. 

“That’s great~ I was actually about to head home soon, um… would you be interested in walking back with me?” Kihyun offered, his heart thudding incessantly in his ears. He’d asked out plenty of people before, and verbally asked to do much more intimate things with people that he knew far less, but there was something about Jooheon that made Kihyun feel the need to do everything right. He didn’t want to say anything offensive to the vampire, or overstep any boundaries.

“I would love to, but how far do you live? The sun will be rising soon,” Jooheon asked, wishing he could just spend time with Kihyun without having to worry about severe physical pain but… he kinda had to ask. Kihyun’s eyes widened and he made a small gasp, pressing a hand to the side of his face in regret.

“I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking,” Kihyun apologized, his cheeks tinged pink and a nervous smile on his face. “But I live around 15 minutes away? I understand if you can’t join me, but I… I’d really like to spend time with you,” Kihyun continued, his voice trailing off at the end. Jooheon had been a constant at his club for a while now, and yet Kihyun had barely been able to talk to the man for more than a few minutes after his shift ended, simply because it ended so late at night. Kihyun wanted to learn more about this powerful, stunning man. 

“I think I could do that,” Jooheon said, too flattered by Kihyun’s genuine intentions to say no. He’d find a way to get home intact in that amount of time for sure, and besides, Kihyun was worth the risk. Visibly brightening, Kihyun jumped up, excitedly grabbing a hold of Jooheon’s wrist to drag him out of the club. Smiling at the haste of a mortal, Jooheon quickly got up from his chair, but didn’t walk away just yet, instead hovering beside Hyunwoo and his lovers for a few moments to say goodbye.

“I’ll see you again soon, Hyunwoo-ssi, and it was lovely meeting you Hyungwon-ah,” Jooheon said, giving a short nod to Hoseok as well, not quite comfortable conversing with the human just yet. Smiling, Hyunwoo gave him a small wave, and Hyungwon chuckled, shaking his head at everything he’d just witnessed.

“I’ve never seen Kihyun so interested in another person before, I know I’ll see you around here again,” Hyungwon said, his lips quirking up in a friendly smile. Flustering at how genuine Hyungwon’s words were, Jooheon nodded his head, swallowing dryly. Unsure of what else to say, Jooheon merely began walking away, waving at the group of men as he made his way out of the club.

Walking out onto the mostly dark street, Jooheon inhaled deeply, his gaze flickering over to Kihyun’s. He’d never been with Kihyun outside the club before, and it felt like new territory he was excited to explore. It was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time; being a 90-something year old vampire and all, it was rare to experience something truly new and thrilling. Kihyun gave him a gentle smile, and then began leading the two down the street. Silence overcame them for the first few minutes of their walk, and Jooheon took this time to reflect on the beauty of amicable silence, and just how nice it felt to be somewhere quiet with such an interesting man. The streets were mostly empty at this hour, as usually vampires were back in their lairs and humans were still asleep, so it was just Kihyun and Jooheon, completely alone together.

Glancing over at the human, Jooheon observed his clothes, finding something charming about the oversized hoodie and jeans he was currently wearing. He looked so… boyfriend… it made Jooheon’s metaphorical heart pound, his eyes roaming over the side of Kihyun’s face. He looked beautiful in the dim lighting of the street, something so effortless about his makeup-free face and casual wear, but as Jooheon continued staring at the boy, he began to notice something a little off on his neck: there was only one pair of fang-marks. From what Jooheon remembered, there were three men that bit his neck on that side tonight, but there was only one bite still visible. Scrunching his eyebrows together, Jooheon slowed his pace, eagerness swelling up in his chest.

“Only one bite is on your neck,” Jooheon stated, not quite questioning it but still obviously confused by his observation. Kihyun blinked, his cheeks dusting a tell-tale shade of red as he nervously wrung his hands together.

“Ah, yeah… just one is still there,” Kihyun agreed, knowing that Jooheon would need more information. “I put the healing salve on the other two, but um,” he paused, his throat constricted with embarrassment as he said the rest of his sentence. “I decided to… leave… yours…” Kihyun concluded, laughing a bit as he tried and failed to brush it off like it was no big deal.

“Oh,” was all Jooheon could muster out, bringing his hand to his face and covering his mouth, trying not to let Kihyun see how happy he was after learning that. “I-I see,” he continued, unsure if he should prompt Kihyun further or just let it be. Swallowing thickly, Jooheon flickered his eyes back over to Kihyun, startled by the flush across his cheeks and the subtle way he was biting his lip. Jooheon knew he couldn’t just let it slide anymore, and reached his hand down, gently grabbing onto Kihyun’s soft hand.  

“I’m glad you kept mine,” Jooheon said, his voice radiating honesty and emotion, and Kihyun felt a smile grow across his face. Truthfully, Kihyun was a little worried that Jooheon might’ve taken Kihyun’s gesture the wrong way, or even thought it was creepy, but luckily Jooheon interpreted it exactly as how intended.

“After what we shared, I couldn’t help but want to keep a physical reminder of it,” Kihyun admitted, intertwining their fingers and feeling the soothing cool of Jooheon’s touch resonate throughout his entire being. Jooheon’s touch calmed him down, making Kihyun feel a sense of love and trust unlike any other. Continuing to walk down the street, Kihyun suddenly took a left turn, taking the two down a different street and likely in the direction of his home. Now that Kihyun had reminded him of what happened at the club a while ago, Jooheon hummed, a question popping back up at the sudden memories.

“Actually, speaking of that,” Jooheon began, lightly swinging his and Kihyun’s conjoined hands. “After I’d claimed you, why didn’t you, um, kiss me?” Jooheon asked, a little embarrassed to state it so plainly but his curiosity was killing him. The passion that was circling in the air around them at that moment was so sensual it was almost suffocating, but neither had made that final push towards kissing each other. It was strange, how even though they weren’t dating, Jooheon still felt like they should’ve kissed in that moment. Kihyun was an intoxicating human- one that made Jooheon feel all sorts of things that didn’t make sense.

“Oh!” Kihyun exclaimed, his heart pounding so loud he could actually hear it. “I was pretty intense back then, wasn’t I?” He’d been so overwhelmed by the feeling of vampire blood pounding through his body that he almost didn’t have the self-restraint to hold back from ing Jooheon, let alone kissing him, but he’d somehow managed. Apparently there was still a rational part of him deep inside that knew that what Kihyun wanted wasn’t just fast love. “I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable,” Kihyun added, for some reason feeling the need to say that despite how Jooheon didn’t seem the slightest bit uncomfortable.

“It’s okay, you didn’t, I was just wondering. It seemed like a very… intimate moment. After everything we’d shared, I was surprised that you drew the line there,” Jooheon explained, hoping to bring clarity to his reason for asking the awkward question. As he spoke, he could see the sky becoming a few shades lighter, turning into an indigo shade. Birds were chirping, and Jooheon his lips, comprehending that his time with Kihyun was about to run out. Kihyun hummed thoughtfully, squeezing Jooheon’s hand and internally reveling in the feeling of sharing such a couple-y moment with the vampire.

“I guess I just wanted to do it right,” Kihyun said, and Jooheon’s eyes widened, staring at Kihyun as he spoke. “I didn’t want to share that first kiss with the hundreds of vampires around us,” Kihyun added, hoping he didn’t sound too cheesy. Relationships were hard, especially at this stage- Kihyun was constantly at war with himself about what to say and not say, but the more he got to know Jooheon, the more he realized that truth was typically the best answer.

“I feel the same way,” Jooheon replied, his voice soft as he thought about Kihyun’s words over and over, repeating the cadence and delivery of every letter Kihyun said to him. They truly felt the same about the other, every feeling mirrored beautifully in the other’s eyes. Jooheon smiled softly, sharing a meaningful look with Kihyun as they continued walking towards Kihyun’s house.

The silence that passed over them was so calm and comfortable that Jooheon almost didn’t notice when the sun started rising on the horizon, painting the city in shades of warmth and energy, breathing life onto the once flat scenery. Kihyun took a few excited steps towards a flowering dogwood tree, reaching up to gently touch the delicate white petals. A sense of peace overcame Jooheon’s body, and he inhaled sharply, watching the sunlight begin to fall onto Kihyun’s beautiful, and painfully mortal, flesh. He looked stunning, his gray hair sparkling like angel wings in the sunshine, and when he turned around, Jooheon felt his breath catch in his throat. A creature of the sun, radiating vivacity and passion and undeniable strength stared back at him, his eyes so dark and deep that they drew Jooheon in, intoxicating him and startling him at the same time. A thought raced into Jooheon’s mind, and his chest ached with an influx of negative thoughts.

“Kihyun-ssi, why do you devote your life to serving vampires?” Jooheon asked, his voice thick and serious, stepping back into the shadow of the building behind him, his eyes staring unwaveringly at Kihyun, his body beginning to feel weak. “You are so beautiful in the daytime, why do you never spend time in the sun?” Jooheon continued, his voice not even stuttering as he compliments Kihyun, too focused on the purpose of his question to really feel embarrassed. Kihyun hummed softly, his cheeks warm and hair blowing softly in the breeze.

“There is no greater passion than the passion of a vampire,” Kihyun replied, plucking a twig from the branches of the tree, playing with the flowers as he stared resolutely into Jooheon’s eyes. “I’ve been with humans before- my ex was cold, and lifeless, and weak,” Kihyun said, emphasizing every word with a conviction that made Jooheon’s eyes widen. “I crave power and strength, and emotion, like no human could ever provide me,” he continued, his voice confident. Jooheon felt the oddest surge of hope in his chest, and the vulnerability in Kihyun’s eyes resonated deep within Jooheon.

“I can see those things in you,” Kihyun concluded, his voice taking a softer tone as he stared over at Jooheon, watching the vampire step further into the shadow of the building as the sun rose higher into the sky. Jooheon’s head was throbbing at the daytime light, but he stood strong, his lips parting in a shaky exhale as he stared into Kihyun’s face. The light shining in Kihyun’s eyes, he looked so fragile to Jooheon, so frighteningly delicate it almost drove Jooheon to tears.

A sharp pang rushes through Jooheon’s head, and he knows that this one isn’t because of the sunlight. No, it was a different pain- an emotional one. Memories of Jooheon’s ex-fiancé flooded his mind, and he couldn’t help but feel like he was somehow betraying the man by looking at Kihyun like this- like he was the love of his immortal life or something. Slouching onto himself, Jooheon brings a hand to his face, conflicting feelings of love and guilt crashing together and leaving him feeling depressed and emotional.

Sensing this, Kihyun blinks a few times, shrinking up into himself as he starts wondering if he’d caused Jooheon’s sudden mood shift. Just a few seconds ago, he was calling him beautiful, and now that Kihyun had damn near confessed to the man, he shuts down? Kihyun was almost mad about it, but he couldn’t possibly feel anything but sympathy for Jooheon as he starts to realize Jooheon’s history and the things he’d told him the first night they’d met. Jooheon had gone through something terrible, and it wasn’t that long ago. It obviously still ate away at him, even if he put on the cool, professional act most of the time.

“I must… return to my dwelling, before my energy is sapped with the rising sun,” Jooheon suddenly declares, the awkward atmosphere dissipating as Kihyun chuckles at Jooheon’s odd wording. Walking closer to the shadow, Kihyun stares at Jooheon, reaching his hand out and rubbing Jooheon’s shoulder comfortingly.

“’Dwelling’? Hehe, just how old are you, Jooheon?” Kihyun asked, unable to resist the curiosity bubbling up. He desperately wanted to make things right between them, and bringing up something light would probably do the trick. It broke his heart watching Jooheon look so damaged. Shifting his eyes around, Jooheon swallowed, trying to ignore the swell of attraction as Kihyun stares at him with such an adorable gaze. 

“Um… well, I was 23 when I was turned,” Jooheon noncommittally answers, avoiding the topic of age so he wouldn’t make Kihyun feel uncomfortable. Kihyun hummed, finding it interesting that Jooheon wasn’t admitting to his actual age. He’d have to investigate more into that later.

“Oh? Then I guess that makes me your hyung~ hehe,” Kihyun said, a slight cockiness to his tone that brought an immediate smile to Jooheon’s face. Kihyun was so undeniably charming at times, it nearly drove Jooheon crazy.

“I suppose you are,” Jooheon said, clearing his throat before continuing, one foot already stepping away from Kihyun. “Hyung,” he hastily added, embarrassment evident in his voice as he takes another step away from the human, his ice blue eyes flickering with an unnamable, almost flirty look. Kihyun’s face breaks out into a huge smile, and he laughs brightly, raising his eyebrows as he watches Jooheon back away from him. 

“Get back home. I’ll see you at the club?” Kihyun said, half-asking, hoping he didn’t sound too terribly eager to see Jooheon again. Jooheon nodded once, his plump lips quirking up into a small smile.

“You will, hyung,” Jooheon said, before rushing out of Kihyun’s view, running through the shadows towards the south end of town. Kihyun felt a strong gust of wind, and then Jooheon’s presence was completely gone, leaving Kihyun breathless. Pushing a hand through his hair, Kihyun smiled fondly, straightening the strap of his bag as he continued his walk back to his apartment. Jooheon might’ve been a vampire, but he was far more alive than Kihyun had ever met, and he was falling for him hard.