As they continued to sleep that close together during the next few days, Ryeowook began to grow a little more used to their proximity. At the same time, something started to stir in his mind, something he couldn’t quite label but that gave him an odd feeling. It was only on the second day of this feeling persisting and him paying more attention to everything around him that a realization dawned upon him. They were walking more slowly. They had dismantled and left behind their makeshift tent after that day because it started to get unstable, but the night before, Ryeowook had carried it for the most part.

A different thought seemed to finally explain what was off.

Feeding.

He had to feed that night, but how long had it been since Kyuhyun had last fed? Had six or seven days already passed since they had last left civilization? How often did Kyuhyun usually feed?

Ryeowook glanced over at the other, finding him looking unusually exhausted until he seemed to notice Ryeowook’s gaze and their eyes met, Kyuhyun instantly sporting a bright, encouraging smile. Ryeowook responded to it, not wanting Kyuhyun to worry, but when he turned to the front again, he couldn’t keep the smile up.

The terrain changed at some point during the night, becoming more uneven until Ryeowook could see mountains which Kyuhyun revealed he planned to pass through. For the time being, Kyuhyun led them right towards the mountains and their goal was to find a cave that they could stay in during the day.

Ryeowook kept on watching Kyuhyun with worry, noticing how the other seemed to be struggling the longer they walked upwards and Ryeowook made sure to stay close to him, afraid that something might happen.

“I think I see something over there.” For the first time that night, Ryeowook left Kyuhyun’s side to explore the dark spot in the rock that he had noticed just a moment earlier.

“Wait!” Kyuhyun’s voice stopped him after just a few steps, making him turn around. “If this is really a big-enough cave, wild animals might occupy it. We don’t want to startle anything that could attack us, do we?” 

Ryeowook’s mind flashed back to the first night when they had turned away from the coast and he had instantly been faced with a wolf, quickly making him shake his head. “No, we don’t want that,” he admitted quietly and waited until Kyuhyun was back by his side, walking together with him.

As they approached the cave together, Ryeowook couldn’t sense the presence of anything else, but he didn’t relax immediately, not wanting to be caught off guard and defenseless like the last time. When they nearly arrived at the entrance, Kyuhyun gently pushed him back with one arm, staying close to the rock. He peeked around the corner, taking a moment before he continued moving, Ryeowook sticking close to him. He wished he could protect Kyuhyun instead, but despite how weak the other had seemed earlier, Ryeowook still had the feeling that Kyuhyun would do a much better job at keeping them safe.

That expression lasted as long as it took them to ensure that the cave was empty. The moment he turned around to assure Kyuhyun that the small tunnel that seemed to branch off was more of a niche than a tunnel, the smile fell from his lips when he saw Kyuhyun stumble, leaning against the wall, eyes closed. When he opened them, their gazes met.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m fine.”

“Remember our promise for total transparency?” When Kyuhyun looked away, Ryeowook repeated his question. “So what’s wrong?”

“Really, Ryeowook, I’m fine. There’s no need for you to worry about me,” Kyuhyun said, attempting a smile as he pushed off the wall, but his voice betrayed him.

Ryeowook narrowed his eyes on Kyuhyun, but the other did nothing to take back his words. He took a deep breath, suppressing his annoyance over the other’s dishonesty, before he continued his questions. “How often do you usually feed?”

“Every five to six days.”

Then that wasn’t it? But what else could possibly weaken Kyuhyun that much? Yes, the walking was exhausting and Kyuhyun did use his power a little each day to make fire for them, but that surely wasn’t enough to exhaust Kyuhyun that much, was it? Unless…

“How often did you feed recently? Since you turned me, I mean.”

Kyuhyun averted his gaze and squirmed, instantly telling Ryeowook that his intuition had been correct. “Every three to four days,” Kyuhyun admitted, his voice a lot quieter than before.

“Every three to four days?” Ryeowook’s eyes widened and he was unable to believe his ears, yet Kyuhyun just nodded. “We’ve been on the road for twice that long! You need to feed!”

“I’ll be okay. But you need to feed tonight, don’t you?”

Ryeowook balled his hands to fists, trying to suppress the trembling, and he clenched his teeth. He swallowed his anger, reasoning with himself that it wouldn’t get him anywhere, yet he was still surprised at how level his voice sounded when he said, “I’m not feeding before you have fed. Clearly, I am currently in a better condition than you are, so I’m sure I’ll be able to wait another day before I feed.”

“Chances are that you’re right—but not necessarily if I feed from you.”

Those few words got him seething again. What had happened to him being supposedly so composed? And what about the fact that they slept close together every day and still Ryeowook never thought about feeding from Kyuhyun? Wasn’t that worth anything? Wasn’t that proof enough that he’d definitely be able to make it through Kyuhyun feeding from him plus maybe the next night?

“And who do you think will be helped if something happens to you because this gets too much for you? What do you expect me to do if something happens to you, I don’t know, if you do happen to faint or you lose control for whatever reason?”

“I am definitely not going to lose control. But believe me, me feeding from you would take a too high toll on you. It’s too exhausting and will cost you too much strength.”

Ryeowook opened his mouth, but he was shocked speechless from Kyuhyun’s argument. Take a too high toll on him? Too exhausting? Cost him too much strength? Was Kyuhyun even in his right mind to suggest that he should feed from Kyuhyun but Kyuhyun himself wouldn’t feed?

“I’m getting firewood.” With another glare at Kyuhyun, Ryeowook stormed out of the cave.

What was wrong with Kyuhyun? He was always so reasonable, so why did Kyuhyun refuse to see that him not feeding was extremely dangerous at that point, especially if it took such a huge toll on the one being fed from. Also, why had Ryeowook only found that out that morning!? Why had Kyuhyun never mentioned the effects that feeding had on the person being fed from?

Ryeowook pulled on a twig, stumbling back a little when he had used too much force. He glared at the spot that the twig had been stuck to before, angry even at that branch for having given in so easily. He kicked a small stone out of his way, irritated at how far it flew in response, glaring into the direction that the stone disappeared into as well, before he continued to collect twigs.

As he re-entered the cave with their firewood quite a while and lots of silently cursing and contemplating the entire situation later, Ryeowook kept his gaze pointedly averted. He went to the spot that Kyuhyun had prepared with a circle of small stones, then he stacked the small branches, breaking some of them to make them fit better.

“You don’t look like anything happened…” Kyuhyun observed carefully.

Ryeowook’s head shot up. What? “You expected something to happen?” His fragile self-control was crumbling again and he felt anger shoot through him, an internal fire that spread even faster than the vampire hunger could take control. “You let me go out there expecting something to happen? How—“

“Ryeowook. Li—“

“No, the hell I will!” Ryeowook jumped up, the remaining branches tumbling to the ground. “You said you’d make sure I’m safe at any point, but what are you doing? You’re risking your health like this and now you’re also putting me at risk? If there was something out there, you should have—“

“I planned this, Ryeowook!”

The younger vampire flinched and took a step back. Kyuhyun had never raised his voice at him before, not even during their fight earlier. He had gotten irritated or annoyed, yes, but he had never raised his voice at him. And planned? Planned!?

“It’s related to powers. Now will you sit and let me explain?”

Ryeowook took another step back, wrapping his arms around himself. The anger was put out by a wave of insecurity and the same fear that had plagued him for a few days already: what if he didn’t have a power? He hadn’t shown any signs of anything, so what if Kyuhyun was wrong and there actually were vampires who didn’t develop a power? What if his disease even had to do with it? His body might have needed so much strength to heal from the disease that it hadn’t been able to create a power.

Kyuhyun sighed and moved over to the stone circle, stacking the wood into a neat pile while he started talking, “I initially planned to ask you about feeding two days ago, but then I suddenly got the idea that I could use this opportunity for something else. I think I told you once that we often show our powers, if they’re active powers, when we get angry, so I had hoped that you’d get riled up enough if I refuse to feed, causing your power to show—if not in front of me, then at least when you’re on your own.”

“Then could it be that I don’t have a power at all?” Suddenly, Ryeowook felt small and insignificant, making him give up and walk back to the firepit that Kyuhyun finished stacking, lighting it up with the same ease as always.

“Impossible.” Kyuhyun turned to him, but Ryeowook continued to stare at the fire, hugging his legs close for extra comfort. “Believe me, Ryeowook. Since I was turned, I have met a lot of vampires and also seen many newborns. All of us have some kind of power, the nature of it as diverse as we are.”

“But you haven’t met every vampire to have ever existed.”

“No, that would be impossible.”

“Then how can you be so sure? What if there have been others before who are like this, who just… might not have a power? Maybe my body had to focus on healing first and that’s why I don’t have a power.”

“That’s nonsense. Turning isn’t exactly a big conversational topic, but a few vampires already told me that they had been in much worse health than you were when I turned you.”

“But you also said that I’m fragile because I grew up very protected and not as part of the working class. What if—“

“No. Your power not showing so far just means that it hasn’t gotten the right trigger yet. Each power is individual. You’re a very gentle person, so your power might also be of gentle nature, which would explain why it doesn’t show when you get angry. Or it could still be a passive power that neither of us thought of yet. There are so many possibilities, Ryeowook, so believe me when I say that your power will show eventually, okay?”

Ryeowook glanced at Kyuhyun, but then couldn’t look away again, the sincerity in those warm eyes capturing him, the golden specks casting a spell on him that only left him the option to nod. How could he deny such an intense look?

“Good.” A smile transformed Kyuhyun’s eyes into equally beautiful crescents, the golden spots sparkling like stars. “Now, how about we get your mind off this topic for a little?”

“How?”

“I told you that I’d like you to learn how to feed from humans, right? You don’t have to feed from them all the time, but I want to give both of us the choice in case we need it.”

Ryeowook nodded, but doubt manifested in his thoughts. “But I can’t feed from you right now and there are no humans around…”

Kyuhyun shook his head and laughter resonate in his voice as he spoke, “Silly, of course we won’t do any of that. But I have to feed, remember?” Ryeowook blushed and he nodded, embarrassed that he hadn’t thought of the most obvious solution. Kyuhyun rose to his feet, the movement much smoother than before as if the thought of feeding was enough to energize him. “Come on, get up. We generally feed from humans who are standing or maybe walking somewhere, so let’s do this as realistic as possible.” 

Ryeowook also stood and faced Kyuhyun who shook his head, motioning for him to turn around. “You’ll want to approach them from behind. No need to give them a chance to identify you, right?”

Ryeowook rolled his eyes but turned around anyway. His heart was beating fast and Kyuhyun stepping right behind him and wrapping one arm around him didn’t help either. “You’ll want to keep one arm locking them in place and unable to fight against you,” Kyuhyun instructed quietly, so close to Ryeowook’s ear that he could feel the other’s breath. A heatwave rushed through him and he could merely master a comprehensive hum, distracted by the closeness of Kyuhyun’s body. “With the other hand, you better cover their mouths, but make sure to leave the nose free.” Kyuhyun demonstrated what he meant, his touch gentle even when he pulled Ryeowook’s head to the side, his hand still giving Ryeowook the chance to speak and breathe, something the younger vampire was certain he wasn’t supposed to do during actual hunting. “Remember to be especially careful with this step. Humans are fragile. I know I keep saying that, but I mean it.”

“You already told me that I was fragile when I was a human.” Did he hear wrong or did his voice sound somewhat breathy?

Kyuhyun chuckled softly, the sound doing things to Ryeowook’s body that he had never felt in this intensity—much less with anyone else. “You were extra fragile, little prince. Now, if you have some hair in the way, I’d recommend using this hand down here,” Kyuhyun tapped a finger against Ryeowook’s trapped arm, “to brush the hair aside with vampire speed. Using your other hand would give the poor person a chance to scream and is more difficult.”

Kyuhyun raised his hand leisurely and back some hair, the fingertips brushing over Ryeowook's neck sending small shocks through him. How did breathing work again?

“Won’t I faint?”

Kyuhyun shook his head lightly, but Ryeowook still felt the motion so close to him. “We react… a little different from humans,” Kyuhyun replied, an amused smile tinting his words. He put his arm back in place, pulling Ryeowook even closer and Kyuhyun’s lips appeared on Ryeowook’s neck, placing small kisses on the sensitive skin.

“May I?” Kyuhyun whispered and something sharp graced over Ryeowook’s skin, causing a shiver of anticipation to run through him. The prince could merely nod, his breath taken away by the sensation. He was rewarded by another kiss on his neck, swiftly followed by an unexpected pain when Kyuhyun’s fangs pierced his skin. Ryeowook flinched, but the pain was replaced the instance that Kyuhyun started to drink.

Each drop of blood that left Ryeowook’s body was replaced by pleasure. He felt lightheaded and alive with an ocean emotions almost immediately, leaning against Kyuhyun even more as his eyes closed. One of his hands searched for Kyuhyun’s, found it, and their fingers intertwined on their own accord.

Way too soon, the fangs disappeared, and Ryeowook whined at the loss. Kyuhyun over the two small wounds, smiling as he trailed butterfly kisses up Ryeowook’s neck, halting right under his ear. “And that’s how you feed.”

Ryeowook opened his eyes and turned around slightly. The first thing he saw were Kyuhyun’s lips, looking as soft as they had just felt. “I want you,” he whispered, tearing his eyes away to look into Kyuhyun’s. Was he imagining it or were the golden spots really sparkling?

Kyuhyun smiled and just when Ryeowook thought that the other would , he leaned in and sealed Ryeowook’s lips with a kiss. Sparks lit up Ryeowook’s insides and he pressed closer, needing a moment to sort out his hands and arms before he could wrap them around Kyuhyun’s neck, feeling the other’s arms slip around him as well. He pressed himself closer against Kyuhyun, slightly embarrassed to feel his body already reacting to the feeding and their proximity, but too to focus on it.

Kyuhyun’s hands traveled over his back, leaving behind tingling traces. Ryeowook gasped when one hand squeezed his and suddenly, a tongue was in his mouth, teasing him, making him crave more.

He had no idea that those feelings could still intensify, but they did when Kyuhyun’s hand slipped under his shirt, finding a way through the layers of clothes until it rested against Ryeowook’s bare skin. He pulled away a little, shaking his head, trying to sort his thoughts and find the ability to speak through the feelings.

“Kyuhyun…” How did forming sentences work?

But the hand disappeared, finding its way back to the safer territory on top of Ryeowook’s clothes while Kyuhyun’s other hand appeared on his cheek and Ryeowook was met with a dazzling smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t do anything that you’re not ready for.”

Kyuhyun’s voice took the prince’s breath away, so warm, so close, somewhat breathless. And before Ryeowook could even attempt to respond, he was caught in another kiss. He closed his eyes and gave in to the feelings that Kyuhyun conjured inside him.

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A/N

Hey everyone! I hope you're staying safe and healthy <3

This chapter is the last finished one so far. There are still a lot more to come and I'm currently working on the 24th chapter, but I just wanted to let you know that updates will probably become infrequent from this point onwards and will take longer.

I'm looking forward to reading your comments nevertheless! They're always a great source of motivation for me and make my days! Thank you <3