Despite it being a once in a lifetime opportunity, Chanyeol was still thankful for the chance to properly say goodbye to his most beloved family member. The exchange was a short one since they were both worried about Baekhyun’s condition, but thankfully Chanyeol was able to get out everything he ever wanted to say to her in that small amount of time they had. Nana listened patiently to everything he had to say, her face morphing to express her feelings at those particular heartfelt moments. When Chanyeol was finished speeding through his words, Nana followed through with words of her own which were full of encouragement and love. There was no doubt in Chanyeol’s mind that he would ever be capable of forgetting such beautiful words, they would forever be ingrained into his heart while the memories made would have a special place in his mind for whenever he needed them.

A wish had been granted that day.

A seemingly childish wish, a young boy would wish when he learned of his grandparent’s death. Chanyeol had been hoping that there would come an opportunity where he would one day be capable of speaking with her again, to explain that he loved her and that the time they had spent apart was tortuous for him as he could only assume it was for her. The content of the wish was otherwise impossible, there never was a chance of him fulfilling it unless he too died. And yet, his soulmate, the very man the universe had sculpted for him, had granted this seemingly impossible wish. Baekhyun gave him something that Chanyeol had thought he had lost; he gave him hope.

“The universe couldn’t have picked someone better for you than him,” Nana’s words ran clear in his mind as he stared down at his peacefully sleeping soulmate. Baekhyun’s chest rose and fell calmly, his lips parted as he dreamt of cities of gold and beautiful flower fields. “He is going to be an essential part of your future Chanyeol. Hold onto him tightly, you don’t want him to slip between your fingers. His current state makes him vulnerable, there are going to be people out there who believe that destiny picked wrong. So, remember to stand by his side as he proves them wrong.”

It didn’t take a genius to know that Chanyeol wasn’t planning on leaving Baekhyun’s side ever again, the human’s fragile condition proved that fact and yet the vampire still found himself lugging over his grandmother’s words. Surely Nana knew that Chanyeol didn’t have any plans of leaving, especially now that it was clear that Baekhyun knew of their hidden secret. So, if she already knew that… what else was there for her to warn him of?

He watched as his soulmate’s brows furrowed in the centre of his forehead, a soft groan escaping past his parted lips as his eyelids squeezed tighter together. Chanyeol easily slipped back onto the bed, covering himself with the blanket while his other hand tended to his soulmate’s hair. Baekhyun hummed at the contact, creeping closer until he was happily pressed against Chanyeol’s chest. The vampire remained still for a moment, allowing his soulmate the opportunity to sleep a little longer in this new position. He only hoped that his beating heart was kept at bay long enough for Baekhyun to enjoy the extra few minutes of shut-eye.

The human’s grip on his shirt tightened a few moments later, his cold nose swiping against Chanyeol’s nape causing a shiver to run down the vampire’s spine. Baekhyun giggled happily as he pressed his puckered lips against his soulmate’s jugular, his fingers creeping up into Chanyeol’s hair where they gently tugged on the strands that threaded themselves through his fingers. The Prince released a playful groan, allowing his arms to come up and wrap themselves around their mate completely. Baekhyun hummed in content at the new weight adoring his torso and waist.

“Good morning..” he whispered against the taller’s skin, his lips dancing against the pulse point on his neck as he spoke. “Did you sleep well last night?”

“Good morning.” he replied, pressing an innocent kiss to the top of Baekhyun’s head. “Unfortunately I wasn’t able to sleep last night, I had far too much to worry about on my mind.”

Baekhyun released a groan of protest, his body thrashing about in Chanyeol’s grip as he tried to rid himself of his soulmate’s grip. The vampire refused to let go, keeping his weighted arms draped over the smaller’s body as an act of punishment for Baekhyun’s growing frustration.

“Chanyeol..” he huffed, spent from having been fought against for so long. “What happened to you promising me that you would rest?”

“Technically I rested just fine last night,” the vampire countered, pulling his soulmate back against his chest. Baekhyun groaned at the new position, his head pulling itself away so that he would be able to look the taller in the eye. “I just didn’t sleep. I lay with you for most of the night, just watching you as you dreamt-”

“Okay Edward Cullen, please say less.” Baekhyun groaned, hiding his blushing face behind his two hands. He shifted himself on top of Chanyeol at the first sign of opportunity, his soulmate welcoming him onto his lap as his hands naturally found themselves onto Baekhyun’s waist. “What is it?” he whispered, glaring down into Chanyeol’s eyes. “What has been keeping you up all night?”

“It’s a mixture of things…” the prince concluded with a sigh, his eyes closing to try and avoid looking into Baekhyun’s curious orbs. “...I’m overthinking..”

“You’re overthinking.” Baekhyun agreed with a nod of his head. His fingers sought out the edges of the blanket, when he had them in his grasp, he raised the material against his shoulders before diving against Chanyeol’s chest where he finally let them go. The vampire watched as the blanket fell against their sides, Baekhyun’s hands slipping behind him to hold him close. “I’m here if you want to talk about it..”

“I don’t know where to start..” he admitted, his hands creeping from Baekhyun’s waist to his lower back. Chanyeol’s fingers slipped beneath his soulmate’s t-shirt, spreading warmth against his lower back as he delicately traced invisible lines against his soulmate’s skin. “Maybe it’s what Nana said, about you being a human and being in much more danger than I could have ever expected.”

“I guess our whirlwind romance has finally started to catch up with you, huh?” the painter wondered, blinking up at his soulmate with stars sparkling in his beautiful brown eyes. “You were too enchanted with the idea of finding me, that you completely overlooked the dangers that came with me being human. That’s not something you should beat yourself up about Chanyeol, you’ve told me many times how excited you were to finally find your soulmate. It only makes sense that once you did, him being human completely escaped your mind for a while. Besides, Nana was only reminding you about the dangers of your world, which any normal family member would. Suho was trying to do the same thing, but he’s been going about it the wrong way. Nana took it upon herself to tell you because she knows how easily you listen to her, because you love her and cherish her a little more than the rest of your family and that’s okay too. But you also have to understand that despite being weaker than you, I am still strong in my own way and I’m getting stronger every-day I spend with you. She didn’t tell you that to scare you, she’s telling you to take a backseat and watch me prove everyone who thinks that I’m incapable of your love because you’re a vampire and I’m a human; wrong.”

“But you’re sick-”

“And you’re bringing me to a country where you said you would have incredible doctors look after me.” Baekhyun interrupted him, sticking out his tongue like a child. Chanyeol pouted at his soulmate’s insistence, Baekhyun’s body shaking as he released a giggle. “Stop thinking that I’m going to break under your fingers,” the human deadpanned, fingers reaching up to clamp against his cheeks. Chanyeol was forced to look his lover in the eye, Baekhyun’s narrowed gaze making him crack a smile. “I’m a lot stronger than I look.”

There was a mutual understanding that developed between them after that. Baekhyun’s grip on his cheeks loosened, and Chanyeol was granted the alluring feeling of his soulmate’s gentle fingers massaging their way from his neck to his temples. The feeling was euphoric. With every delicate rub, Baekhyun was capable of driving Chanyeol’s tension away until finally the vampire forgot what it felt like to have the world on his shoulders. With a content hum, Baekhyun sealed his words with a kiss. His lips were hesitant as they ghosted themselves over his soulmate’s. Chanyeol happily takes the invitation to kiss the man he had been waiting his entire life for. Though there were many instances for the kiss to deepen into heated waters, the couple somehow managed to keep themselves entertained by the innocence of the kiss though it was by no means any less mind-numbing.

They remained in bed for at least another hour, simply wallowing in each other's presence while also sharing sweet kisses. Chanyeol savored every moment, smiling happily before diving back in for more. He found himself incapable of pulling himself away from his soulmate, his heart hammering out a contented melody as Baekhyun's curious fingers trailed invisible paths along his forearms. There was nothing more tranquil in this world, then being granted the opportunity to spend his entire morning with the love of his life.

When they did develop encouragement to leave the comfort of their bed, they agreed that it was best if they also left their hotel room as it was time to move on as to avoid drawing attention. A quick phone call to Yixing allowed them the opportunity to set their gazes back on Baekhyun’s apartment, though as the protector was still wary of potential threats, Chanyeol reassured the elder that he would accompany his soulmate home. This idea did seem to quench Yixing’s anxiety, at least enough for him to grant them his permission to return to the scene of a crime that remained unsolved in the eyes of the law. For added protection, Chanyeol called Jongin and Sehun to join them as Kyungsoo had other commitments for Katherine who had called to request an update on matters that involved Kris now that he had returned to the country. Originally Baekhyun was scheduled to join him, in the hope that he would be able to strengthen his relationship with Suho but the human kindly refused with the excuse that he was beginning to feel a little home-sick.

With the added strength that came from Jongin and Sehun’s presence, Chanyeol felt confident in allowing his soulmate to return to his apartment. At least with the addition of his brothers, he could ensure his soulmate’s safety as he would be covered on all sides had something gone wrong. Thankfully, nothing seemed out of the ordinary when they arrived at the building, Baekhyun kindly bowing to the guard that he recognized at the main door whose gaze seemed to linger on the three tall men following close behind him.

The silence in the elevator was deafening, it wasn’t until they had gone up one floor that Chanyeol was capable of realizing why. Baekhyun hadn’t bonded with Jongin as much as he had with Kyungsoo, and now with Sehun’s presence, the human was possibly even more uncomfortable since they were surrounded by people he didn’t know. However, when Chanyeol turned to begin conversation to fill the void of silence, he was pleasantly surprised to see his soulmate’s lips curled upwards in a bright smile as his eyes watched the floor numbers above the double doors flicker on and off.

When they finally opened, Sehun announced to the group that he would be staying there to keep an eye on the hallway. Jongin quickly followed a moment later as he turned down an adjacent hallway to ensure that the coast was clear. An overwhelming sense of pride filled the Prince of Darkness’ chest as he watched his brothers get into formation, an arrangement that he had learned from Yixing all those years ago which Chanyeol had then passed on in his place.

Chanyeol stood outside while Baekhyun rushed to gather material around his apartment, the vampire capable of hearing him mutter quietly to himself inside his bedroom which was unfortunately out of view from the doorway. The Prince balanced on the threshold of his soulmate’s apartment door, an invisible forcefield pressing against the tip of his toes to prevent him from entering where he had yet to be invited. A part of him wanted to call out and ask his soulmate to grant him entry, but he prevented himself from doing so. Baekhyun was a human and despite their constantly growing relationship Chanyeol knew that the human would need a safe space, a place where he wouldn’t have to worry about intruding vampires or an overprotective soulmate. Chanyeol didn’t want to urge Baekhyun any further into his world, he needed Baekhyun to feel comfortable to approach these matters on his own.

A few more minutes of shuffling happened into the bedroom, Chanyeol’s strained ears being capable of picking up the noises of Baekhyun’s suitcase zipper as he officially closed the bag. He heard a faint thud and figured that the bag had been placed onto the ground, a click of the handle ringing out the next minute before its wheel rolled against the wooden floorboards. Baekhyun slipped into view the next moment, a backpack over his shoulder and another smaller bag placed on top of his suitcase. Chanyeol eyed the three bags in suspicion, wondering what was in each but not allowing these curiosities to slip past his lips.

“Okay,” Baekhyun announced with a tired huff, his cheeks flaring red as he tried to gather his breath. “I think I have everything.”

“Sehun’s going to take these bags for you so you won’t have much to carry when it’s our turn to leave.” Chanyeol explained, accepting the suitcase as it crossed over the threshold of Baekhyun’s apartment and into the hallway where he stood. “He’s going on ahead of us to finalize some things there before we arrive, your luggage will be there for you when you arrive.”

“Okay.” Baekhyun agreed, dipping his head as he accepted the information. He smiled up at Chanyeol who reached out to touch his cheek, the human nuzzling into his palm with a small grin on his lips. “Thank you.” he whispered, pressing a peck against the centre of Chanyeol’s palm.

“No need to thank me,” Chanyeol playfully scolded him, gently coaxing him over the threshold so he could claim his soulmate’s lips. “I just want to keep you safe.”

Baekhyun hummed before standing up onto his tiptoes, his arms falling against the taller’s shoulders as their heads tilted to allow their lips easier access to each other. Chanyeol gently pushed himself against the smaller, trying to grow closer but his gesture sent Baekhyun back over his threshold effectively breaking their kiss. The vampire huffed in silent frustration while his soulmate giggled on the other side, his tongue poking out between his kissable lips as if taunting the taller.

Jongin and Sehun’s footsteps prevented the Prince from doing anything else, merely accepting his defeat while his fingers curling against the handle of Baekhyun’s suitcase. When his brothers finally materialized before his eyes, Chanyeol got to work handing the suitcase over to Sehun while Jongin was given Baekhyun’s backpack. The two vampires looked between the three bags in surprise before their gazes returned to Baekhyun who stood with his arms crossed against his chest, while his upper body leaned against the doorframe.

“What?”

“Is this it?” Sehun wonders, a red blush heating the tip of his ears. “You’re only bringing three bags with you?”

“Since I don’t know how long I’ll be there I figured three bags would be enough.” Baekhyun shrugged, not seeing the overall point in the matter. “I packed enough clothing to last me a couple months,” he pointed to his suitcase. “While my hobbies take up the last two bags...” he paused, glancing between them. “Is it too much? Should I repack?”

“No!” Jongin and Sehun shouted over each other, their yell forcing Baekhyun to jump in surprise. Chanyeol glared at his brothers, not very fond of seeing his soulmate frightened by their behavior. “It’s just that..” Jongin continues, glancing at Sehun before they turn their attention back to Baekhyun. “It isn’t a lot...”

“I don’t have much to begin with.” Baekhyun giggles into his fisted hand. “Most of my closet is in that suitcase right now. The things that aren’t are supposed to tie me over until the day we leave. I still have a few small things I want to bring but I would feel better if they travelled with me.. No offence.”

“None taken.” Sehun offered his brother’s soulmate a small grin, his fingers curling around the handle of Baekhyun’s suitcase. He pulled it closer to himself, smiling widely when the bag slid against the carpet without much restriction. “I’ll make sure that everything you have given us gets there safely, I promise.”

Baekhyun, who was still very shy around Sehun, kindly bowed his head. With a prolonged glance at the boy Sehun eventually followed, turning to take the backpack from Jongin before ultimately disappearing before Baekhyun’s very eyes. The human couldn’t help but gasp at the sight, still fairly new to the whole witnessing vampire abilities thing. Jongin chuckled at his reaction, his hand slipping against his hair to delicately rustle through the strands.

“Although he hasn’t said it, he’s grateful for what you said.” Jongin announces, much to Baekhyun’s confusion. The younger brother to the Prince of Darkness, sent Chanyeol one last glance before disappearing before their very eyes as well.

When both brothers were gone, Baekhyun hoped to find answers with Chanyeol. The Prince happily willing to offer him his explanation once he was certain that the hallway was clear of other lingering ears. Baekhyun waited patiently to be given permission to exit his apartment, having already turned off the lights and prepared the place for when he came back that night as it seemed as though there were still more things to do before nightfall. When Chanyeol reappeared, Baekhyun stepped outside and closed his door, locking it with a key he had learned to carry in his back pocket.

“When you were asleep last night, Sehun came over.” Chanyeol explains as they make their way back down to the lobby. “We sat in the dining area so we wouldn’t wake you, but I used the time to tell him that you had been seeing Luhan. Since everyone knows about your ability, I figured that it would be a good idea if I share it with him. I know that wasn’t my place and that you should have been the one to do it but I couldn’t possibly ask that of you after what you had gone through that day, besides, I really believed that my brother needed some cheering up and that was the only way I knew how.”

“That’s alright.” Baekhyun sounded relieved, his shoulders releasing themselves of their tension. “If anything I’m grateful that you were the one to tell him, since I’m not entirely comfortable with him just yet to disclose that sort of information. I think that because it came from you -someone he trusts- the news was much more believable, and gave him the closure he needed.”

“Thank you.” Chanyeol felt his heart hammer against his ribcage. “I was hoping that you would see it like that, I was afraid that you might hate the fact that I overstepped-”

“Overstepped?” Baekhyun giggled, shaking his head. “Chanyeol, if anything you made it a lot easier for me to handle. I hate having to tell people that their ghostly relative is making themselves a close friend of mine against my will, it's awful especially when all they want is answers for questions I have no answers to. The fact that you told Sehun about what was happening, just so I didn’t have to isn’t something you need to worry about. I am very grateful, so thank you.”

“So you’re grateful are you?” Chanyeol teased, slipping an arm around his soulmate’s waist. Baekhyun giggled at the feeling of being pulled towards the taller, his cheeks painting over in a red hue as Chanyeol finally got him pressed against his torso. “If you say so, can I get a kiss to prove it?”

“You don’t need to ask for a kiss, you big dumbo.” Baekhyun giggled, raising himself up onto his tip-toes anyway. “You can just do it.”

“I know.” Chanyeol pouted, watching as his soulmate’s tongue swiped across his lower lip. “I just thought that I was being a gentleman for asking instead of taking.”

“I appreciate the kindness sir,” Baekhyun politely bows his head, naughty fingers returning to their place within Chanyeol’s hair. “but I think my soulmate is a lot hotter when he takes what he wants.”

In a haze of sudden heated emotions, Chanyeol completely miscalculated his position and his abilities. In a blur of speed, Baekhyun had been lifted from the ground and forced against the opposing wall of the elevator. His lips were quickly molded to fit Chanyeol’s, as he allowed his soulmate’s hands free passage around his lower back. Baekhyun broke from the heated kiss to gasp a few breaths of air into his lungs while Chanyeol turned his attention to his neck, as sensitive as he was to his soulmate’s advances, Baekhyun couldn’t help but crave more. He hummed out a moan, glancing up at the blinking lights above the doorway. He barely managed to get a word out before Chanyeol had disappeared from his arms only to reappear before his body crashed to the floor, the vampire capable of gathering him right back into his arms as if he hadn’t just vanished a second ago.

The blinking white lights above the doorway were now lit with a red hue, through the ministrations happening against his neck Baekhyun was capable of determining what had happened. Chanyeol, with the help of his vampire speed, had clicked the stop button on the elevator, preventing it from opening on any of the floors they were passing. One particular swipe of the vampire’s tongue, had Baekhyun’s attention return to the matter at hand. His eyes fluttered closed as he savored the attention his soulmate was granting him, his neck twisting to allocate space for his lust-driven vampire. Baekhyun used the tightened grip he had on Chanyeol’s hair to safely pull the vampire from his neck, pulling him back up and straight into his lips. The painter hummed at the touch, his legs tightening themselves around Chanyeol’s waist as the vampire’s fingers gripped against his thighs tighter.

A ping echoed throughout the enclosed space. A groan of protest slipped from Chanyeol’s lips into Baekhyun’s mouth, the painter trying desperately to keep his soulmate anchored in their moment. He succeeded for a total of five minutes, the two of them as their hips began to roll against each other in a desperate attempt to grant pleasure to each other. Unfortunately, that earlier ping got upgraded into a phone call that Chanyeol -being who he was- couldn’t afford to avoid. So, while Chanyeol worked to level his voice to accept the phone call, Baekhyun got to work repaying his soulmate for his earlier advances.

He started off slow, simply pressing closed lip kisses along the span of Chanyeol’s neck starting from his collarbones before he gradually began making his way up to his soulmate’s jawline. Chanyeol’s breathing was labored as he spoke to someone on his phone, the hand he was using to keep Baekhyun pressed against the wall tightened its hold on the human’s thigh forcing an ever so faint moan to slip past his lips. Thankfully, the noise was muffled due to his mouth already being preoccupied with marking his soulmate’s neck. He had already been told about the vampire’s healing abilities, but Baekhyun wanted to experiment just how quick a wound -like a hickey- would take before disappearing. The human was pretty upset to find that the mark disappeared within moments of being inflicted, leaving a pout to form on Baekhyun’s lips.

Chanyeol hummed as a response to whoever was on the other line, his eyes never straying from Baekhyun who grumpily pulled himself out of his neck to send the disappearing hickey a glare. The vampire swooped down to press his puckered lips against his soulmate’s pout, Baekhyun humming content as his fingers reached up to keep the taller one pressed against him. Unfortunately as Baekhyun wasn’t granted the vampire ability of super hearing, he was forced to hear only Chanyeol’s side of the conversation. And although it sounded important, Baekhyun wanted to be selfish and deem it unnecessary when the two of them had something much more interesting happening between them right now. So, when Chanyeol tried to pull away to respond back to the person on the other line, Baekhyun forced him right back against his lips which ultimately made the sentence sound a little muffled. From then on, Chanyeol was forced to say all of his responses against Baekhyun’s lips, speaking when he needed to before puckering his lips against to kiss the living daylights out of his soulmate.

It was definitely a situation that the other person could hear, but Baekhyun couldn’t find the means to care. He finally had his soulmate exactly where he wanted him and there was nothing anyone else could do about that.

Finally the phone call was finished and Chanyeol’s free hand forced his phone back into his back pocket before the warmth of his palm found Baekhyun’s other thigh again. The human let out a soft moan as Chanyeol squeezed the flesh beneath his fingertips, his gesture forcing Baekhyun to break away to heave for air.

“Who was that?” he panted, heart thundering in his ears as Chanyeol’s teeth played with the lobe of his ear. A shiver ran down Baekhyun’s spine, shaking his hips right against the stiffness of the vampire’s core. Baekhyun’s tongue instantly slipped out into the air, though he quickly forced it to swipe against his lower lip to avoid suspicion.

“My Appa.” Chanyeol responded briefly, his shoulders flexing as he forced Baekhyun even harder against the wall. The human moaned at the tension, his head snapping upward to provide even more access to his neck. His cheeks burned as he realised what had become of himself when his soulmate was on the phone.

“You didn’t think to tell me?”

“And have you stop what you were doing?” Chanyeol’s lips formed a smirk, Baekhyun capable of feeling it against his skin. “What do you take me for? I’m never passing up on that opportunity.”

“You do realise he heard everything right?”

“You knew that whoever was on the other line would hear it,” Chanyeol dared to look him straight in the eye. “That didn’t stop you.”

“He already hates me..”

“Well he can hate you all he wants,” Chanyeol admits, eyes blown wide with lust. “I can make up for it by showing how much I don’t.”

“We’re not doing this in an elevator.” Baekhyun deadpans, challenging his lover with an equally dangerous look in his eye. “You told me that you’re a gentleman and a gentleman takes their lovers for the first time in bed.”

“Don’t tempt me.” Chanyeol hisses, the white of his eyes deepening to their blood red for a moment. Baekhyun marvelled at the sight, his fingers casting behind Chanyeol’s locks to sweep onto his face and trace the vines that appeared beneath his eyes. “Even a gentleman can’t help but give into temptation at least once-”

“Twice.” Baekhyun comments. “Once here and once in the library-”

“Mere technicalities.” Chanyeol waves the comment off with a mere eyeroll. Baekhyun chuckles as he gently slaps his opened palm against his chest. “But,” he admits, voice sounding a little more serious now. “I won’t do anything until you’re comfortable. I plan on keeping that moment until we are in our bedroom where I can treat you like the queen-to-be that you are, but until then I won’t stop giving into temptation, especially when you look at me with those innocent sparkling eyes.”

Baekhyun’s cheeks burned a beautiful pink hue, his hands abandoning Chanyeol’s face in favour of hiding his own. “My eyes don’t sparkle.”

“Sure they don’t princess.” Chanyeol humors him, pressing a chaste kiss to the button of his nose. Baekhyun’s cheeks burn darker as he is gently placed back down onto the floor, his legs unstable after having been wrapped around his soulmate’s waist for a while. Chanyeol instantly wraps a protective arm around his waist, which Baekhyun uses to support himself to step out of the elevator once the vampire had allowed the machine to carry on its way back to the ground floor.

When they leave the guard at the front of the building can’t seem to take his eyes off them, his curious gaze landing on the protective arm Chanyeol had draped against the small of Baekhyun’s back. When he was certain that Chanyeol wasn’t looking, he offered a large thumbs up in Baekhyun’s direction. Secretly applauding him for choosing such a kind and caring guy. It was safe to say that once Baekhyun found himself in the passenger side of Chanyeol’s car a moment later, the blush on his cheeks had no plans of disappearing any time soon.

Kyungsoo knew that walking into this situation was going to result in him gaining a few extra emotional scars that would result from Suho’s unwillingness to think about his feelings while speaking to him; if he did. Initially Kyungsoo was hoping that he wouldn’t need to go alone, but when he got an encouraging message from Baekhyun, he realised just how much he needed this opportunity.

Baekhyun had somehow managed to give Kyungsoo the chance of being alone with the two older vampires, which would allow Kyungsoo the perfect opportunity to speak up for himself against both of them (or just Suho if the situation called for it). Chanyeol and Jongin were always looking out for him before, but without them Kyungsoo would finally be granted the opportunity to fight his own battles. A chance he never would have thought possible without Baekhyun’s involvement. The human knew how scary this situation was, so he promised Kyungsoo that he would have his back when the time came for it and sure enough that was all the reassurance the chef needed in order to face this battle.

When he arrived at the entrance to the hotel room Katherine had sent him the address too, Kyungsoo took a deep breath to collect himself and his sanity before reaching out with a closed fist to gently knock on the door. He was surprised to find Olivia standing behind it, welcoming him into the room with a kind smile on her pale lips. The elder vampire stood slightly shorter than him, but he could see how much she forced herself into looking smaller beneath his gaze willingly making herself smaller to appear less of a threat to the younger vampire. Kyungsoo had heard what had happened to her before the King had left for China, so it was expected to find her here under the care of the King’s lovers who had dealt with his horrors many times before.

Olivia led the way into the hotel room, kindly providing Kyungsoo with a pair of slippers when it became apparent that he hadn’t travelled with a pair of his own. He took his time, toeing out of his sneakers in exchange for the soft memory-foam slippers that the hotel had provided. He politely declined Olivia’s gesture for his hoodie, having already allocated a hanger for it in the nearby closet, she bowed her head in understanding and continued to lead him deeper into the room.

As they grew closer, Katherine and Suho’s voices became easily comprehensible while before their words had been muffled and difficult to understand despite his sensitivity to sound. Olivia politely announced Kyungsoo’s presence to the conversing duo, bowing her head in respect before she disappeared down another hallway. Kyungsoo assumed that she had retreated to one of the bedrooms, though because of his lack of knowledge about the current hotel he wasn’t entirely sure what was contained in this overly expensive suite.

“Good morning.” he addressed the duo, bowing politely to show his respect for the elder vampires. Katherine seemed pleased to see him, while Suho merely gazed at him before turning his attention back to the television show happening behind him. To avoid getting reprimanded for interrupting the Queen’s show, Kyungsoo quietly entered deeper into the room relief washing over his being as Katherine gestured to an armchair that had seemingly been moved so that it was directly beside her.

“Sit.” She urged, shifting herself around on the edge of the couch. She seemed to be having a bit of difficulty since it appeared as though she had chosen a larger hip framed dress for their meeting this morning, once she was finally comfortable and Kyungsoo had sat himself into a somewhat suitable position did she begin asking him questions. “So tell me,” she encouraged. “What has happened in the time that we have not seen you?”

“Where do I begin?” Kyungsoo muttered to himself, smiling apologetically to Katherine whose quiet gasp increased his heart rate. The King’s mistress gazed at him with such shock, that Kyungsoo wondered how she was going to be capable of hearing everything that he had to speak of. He knew that there were parts of the matter that he had to leave out for Suho’s sake, though there was a small part of him that wished that he could be the one to deliver the shocking news to the unexpecting Queen.

“Preferably from the start.” Suho announces, snapping Kyungsoo’s mind right back into reality.

The chef automatically bit into his tongue, preventing the words from slipping out past his lips despite his growing desire to deliver the finishing blow. Instead Kyungsoo steadied himself, turning his attention to Katherine who seemed to notice the whirlwind of emotions swimming in his darkened orbs. She reaches across the small space between them, delicate fingers curling through his as she then quickly tightens her hold on them. Kyungsoo offered her a thankful smile, squeezing back just enough to announce his gratitude to her without the need of speaking them aloud.

“Once you’re ready.” She encouraged him, her thumb gently swiping against the curve of his knuckles.

Kyungsoo took a deep breath before dipping his head, his eyes locked on their interlocked digits. An overwhelming feeling of security settled against his chest at the sight of their entangled hands, his heart lighter now that Katherine was allowing him to pace himself.

“As I’m sure the both of you are aware, Jongin and Chanyeol had matters to attend to during the course of the previous week. They had to travel to find Sehun due to a hurried phone call that predicted the brutal turn of his soulmate, Luhan. Fearing the worst for their brother and his soulmate, the two of them journeyed to Ireland to ensure that everything was okay and to give their brother a helping hand. During this time I was with Baekhyun, ensuring that he was safe the entire time Chanyeol was away. Our friendship has grown deeply over the course of that week and I’m grateful to say that I feel as though we have created a bond that won’t so easily break.”

“Well I’m glad that you and Chanyeol’s soulmate had the opportunity to play house while they were gone.” Suho deadpans, eyes never once trailing from the television. Katherine’s grip on Kyungsoo’s hand grows tighter, though she relents when she notices that Kyungsoo’s gaze hasn’t drifted from her.

“We were on break when Kris walked into the café Baekhyun usually works at. I was lending a hand at the time since we wanted to spend more time together to fill the void of our soulmates leaving.” Katherine nodded with a pleased smile on her lips, though Suho’s shoulders had risen in anger as he listened to more of what Kyungsoo had to say. “Despite not knowing what Kris looked like, Baekhyun still knew something wasn’t right so he signalled for me and told me to leave. At first I was worried that something may happen when he was alone with him, but I was surprised to find that Kris left without much hesitation after. He didn’t follow us either, I even began to doubt that he knew I was there.”

“Baekhyun did this while knowing nothing about him?” Katherine gasped, awestruck with the information.

“You were working?!” Suho hissed, fire blazing in his eyes as he completely turned himself away from the television. Kyungsoo continued to ignore him, focusing on Katherine who actually seemed interested in what he had to say.

“He knew nothing at that time,” Kyungsoo agrees. “It was even his idea for us to buy a hotel room that night since neither of us felt comfortable going home alone after the encounter. That was the night I called to inform you about what happened, while Baekhyun announced it through his mate-link to Chanyeol. They arrived late that night, Sehun came with them.”

At the mention of his youngest son, Suho’s eyes widened. He was beyond surprised to have learned that his baby, his youngest son, had travelled across the globe with Chanyeol to fight in a war that he had no part of. It was a disgusting sentiment, one that Suho wouldn’t allow to pass without consequences. Despite his growing frustration for the matter, he somehow managed to keep quiet about Sehun’s involvement, choosing to highlight Baekhyun again. “And how did Baekhyun react to the new addition? Surely he had questions, right?”

“Actually Baekhyun was pretty casual about it.” Kyungsoo deadpanned, looking Suho straight in the eye - a feat he had never had the courage to do before. “He knows about us,” his words brought gasps from the lips of the elder vampires. “He knows that we’re vampires, and concluded it all by himself without needing Chanyeol’s help.”

“Surely, he panicked..” Suho scoffed, seemingly finding it difficult to imagine that a human was capable of such a thing without at least some sort of mania.

“Not that I know of,” Kyungsoo announces, turning back to Katherine who seemed just as awestruck as earlier, if not more so. “Chanyeol said that he was quite chill about the matter, telling him to just outright claim it since he wasn’t going to allow him to lie to his face any longer. But you’re right,” Suho perked up. “He didn’t do it all by himself. Baekhyun had help when determining what we are.”

“Of course he did!” Suho shouts in obvious glee.

“He can see ghosts.” Kyungsoo continues, watching as the skin of Suho’s face grows white. “He can communicate with the dead just as easily as he can communicate with the living. He met someone very close to this family who helped him figure out everything, he was even able to allow us to see her but it was for only a very brief few moments. His abilities depend on his current state of wellbeing and unfortunately I’m afraid to say that Baekhyun’s condition is supposedly worsening as the days go on.”

Katherine’s brows furrowed in the centre of her forehead, her grip on Kyungsoo’s hand growing tighter as she visibly showed her dislike of his words. “What does that mean?” She questions, ignoring Suho’s surprised gasp as he realised just who Kyungsoo indirectly said was helping the human.

“Baekhyun’s dying.” Kyungsoo announces to the room, watching with a thundering heart as the faces of the two older vampire’s drop with sorrow. “We don’t know what is condition is, but Nana recommended that Chanyeol takes him home-”

“To the manor?” Katherine gasped, immediately shaking her head. “Not a chance. I am not bringing Chanyeol’s soulmate anywhere near Kris!”

“Not the manor,” Kyungsoo comforts her, allowing his own thumb to run along the back of her knuckles. Katherine instantly relaxes, her shoulders losing the tension that had disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. “She wants him to bring him back to Ireland. She thinks that the doctor there will be able to help him-”

“When he wasn’t capable of saving her, Luhan or Sky?” Suho scoffed, his head shaking from side to side in disappointment. “Even in death my mother is making baseless suggestions, I’ll send word to Chanyeol right away to completely disregard that message-”

“He’s not going to listen to you.” Kyungsoo stands up at the same time the Queen does. Katherine’s hitched breath goes unnoticed by the two glaring males. Suho’s shoulders square as the white within his eyes turns crimson, his canine teeth elongating into pointed fangs. Kyungsoo could sense a challenge when it called for one, but despite the circumstances he wasn’t going to accept. There would be nothing to win from fighting Chanyeol’s Appa, especially since the man was very obviously out of his mind. “Nana was the only person in this family that Chanyeol trusted with his whole heart. He's going to take her advice over anyone else's in the entire world though I suppose now she will share that position with Baekhyun as he is your son’s soulmate. You can continue to shove him in the direction you want him to go, but the more you do that the more you risk losing him forever. You’re already on thin ice with him for what you did to Baekhyun, don’t make this any harder for yourself.”

“Are you challenging your Queen?”

“Are you going to fight me?” Kyungsoo dared to speak, allowing his own eyes to shift into the blood red colour. “I hope you say yes.” Kyungsoo hisses, allowing his fangs to grow. “Because I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to land you on your , so please…” he begs. “Give me a reason.”

“Kyungsoo please,” Katherine begs him, supporting herself with a hand to his wrist. He spares her a glance, eyes returning to their original colour as he allows her to lead him back to the armchair. “Please,” she begs. “What else is happening?”

“There’s a plan in place to get Baekhyun out of the country, Chanyeol plans on getting everyone out so that we don’t allow Kris to have a hold over anyone while we try to regroup. Since you two are already being said to have duties to attend to, your absence from the manor will go undetected for a while. Jongin and I have been making ourselves scarce around the manor already so that Kris wouldn’t catch sight of us so our departure wouldn’t be as noticeable either. Chanyeol is going to be a little more difficult to achieve, since he’s not living in the manor anymore since he’s found Baekhyun, Kris will be trying to find him in the human territory. Since Kris hasn’t found him yet, though keeps a close eye on Baekhyun, we believe that Chanyeol will be able to fly under the radar as long as Kris believes that Baekhyun’s not with him.”

“And how do you plan on pulling that off?”

“That’s not in my interest.” Kyungsoo admits without much hesitation, he blinks his acknowledgement to Suho before turning straight back to Katherine who appears surprised by his sudden shift in attitude though she shows no means of hating it. “My main priority right now is to announce the plan to you two. Chanyeol has already scheduled a flight out of here for the both of you. Sehun is going to be joining you with some of Baekhyun’s things since it will be easier for him to fly with less baggage later. Jongin will arrive in a few hours to accompany you to the airfield, he’s going to stop off at the manor beforehand and grab some of your things since we weren’t entirely sure what you had packed in the beginning.”

“Very well.” Katherine nods her head, pulling herself up from the couch. She glances down at her son’s soulmate, a smile creeping onto her lips as she gently places both hands upon his cheeks. Kyungsoo couldn’t help but wallow in the warmth they provided, nuzzling against the palms before blushing slightly when Katherine pressed a delicate kiss to his forehead. “You did well.” she whispers, squeezing his cheeks just a smidge before allowing him his freedom.

She leaves the two of them alone after that. Kyungsoo chanced a glance at Suho who was studying his palms on his knee, he appeared to have the weight of the world upon his shoulders. The air was knocked from Kyungsoo’s lungs at the sight of tears welling up in the Queen’s eyes, his heartbeat quickening when he realised that Suho was making his way closer to him by scooting himself over the sofa cushions.

“Is it true?” he whispers, voice wet with unshed tears. Kyungsoo gulps. “Is it true that my son’s soulmate is sick? Is it true that he saw my mother and can communicate with her freely?”

Having lost the ability to speak, Kyungsoo simply nodded his head surprised to find himself not getting reprimanded for his lack of vocabulary. Suho simply nodded his head in acceptance, his lips curling into a small rounded circle as he delicately blew out a deep breath Kyungsoo didn’t even notice he had taken.

“Are they okay?” Suho continued, his sudden words after a moment of prolonged silence forced Kyungsoo to jump slightly in surprise.

“They’re fine.” he announced, thankful to find himself capable of holding a sentence without a voice crack.

Suho continued to nod, muttering a couple “good, that’s good.” beneath his breath.

All too suddenly a ringing echoed throughout the quiet living room, Kyungsoo paused to check to see if it was his own phone that was buzzing only for him to halt in his advances when he noticed Suho’s shaking fingers curl around his own phone. He politely bowed his head and answered the phone, gesturing with his free hand for Kyungsoo to remain seated where he was.

A familiar voice sounded through the other line on the phone. Kyungsoo had heard it many times before but he couldn’t place a name to fit with the image of the man that had come to mind upon hearing him speak. Suho seemed to know the significance of this particular man, his wide eyes fleeting from side to side unable to rest.

“I’m calling you as it is customary to do so when a mandate has been made.” the voice announces from the other line. Suho sends Kyungsoo a quick glance, the chef having been around the man long enough to know that something wasn’t right. “The King has issued the mandate to seek the council’s opinion on the current situation relating to Park Chanyeol’s soulmate, it is under our understanding that the Prince’s soulmate is a human male and the King has a few concerns regarding this matter. Chanyeol and his soulmate are requested to join our meeting on Thursday to address these matters, though I must warn you that this invitation does not extend to you Suho. The council do not want your presence there as they are aware of your fragile state, I am merely relaying this message to you as it seems that we are unable to contact Chanyeol.”

“I see..” The Queen huffs, looking horrified as he turns to Kyungsoo who appears in similar distress. “May I ask what could happen if Chanyeol and his soulmate are unable to attend this meeting? As you have said yourself, you are finding it difficult to locate him to deliver this message…”

“Unfortunately you know how impatient the council is for Chanyeol to take the throne, though they are quite stubborn when it comes to following rules. If Chanyeol doesn’t take his soulmate to the meeting on Thursday, I don’t think anyone would like to know the consequences of these actions-”

“But surely it won’t be his fault!” Suho gushes, frustration bubbling all over again. “No one has been able to reach Chanyeol since he has found his soulmate, he wishes to fly under the radar to avoid harm coming to him-”

“Then I suggest someone find him.” the familiar voice hissed through the speaker. “If not, you don’t want to deal with the consequences Suho. The council are desperate for Chanyeol to take the throne, but they will have no problem punishing him for not complying with their rules.”

And just like that the conversation finished, the line ended. Suho stared at his phone in disbelief for a moment, before his head snapped up to look at Kyungsoo. The chef reached into his back pocket, pulling out his own phone.

“I’m calling Jongin.” He announces just as Suho punching in the Prince’s phone number.

“I’m calling Chanyeol.”