The sun had already begun to set when Ryeowook slowly woke up, feeling somewhat disoriented yet safe. Kyuhyun’s arms were loosely wrapped around him, his breath so even and deep that it stirred a suspicion in Ryeowook’s mind.

The young prince carefully opened his eyes, as if the moment of serenity could vanish if he did anything too fast, but in the dimming light, he immediately saw his thought confirmed, leaving him unable to do anything but watch in awe. In front of him, Kyuhyun was still fast asleep. Some strands of hair had gotten loose and covered parts of his face that looked so peaceful and relaxed that Ryeowook almost forgot how to breathe. So often, Kyuhyun looked tense, seeming to have his attention everywhere at the same time, knowing about even the most miniscule potential danger before it happened, ready to intervene at any point if the situation called for it. Guilt and warmth spread through Ryeowook, feeling so contradictory and so right at the same time. How many hardships did Kyuhyun take on just to keep both of them safe? And how little could he give back? Even the guards at court had never taken on as many hardships as constantly as Kyuhyun did and even at court, Ryeowook had been able to give back to the people for granting him the prosperous life he had lived.

He raised a hand to gently run it along the side of Kyuhyun’s face, but then halted in his movements, carefully pulling the hand back and hugging the other again. What if he woke Kyuhyun up? No, he wouldn’t risk it, who knew how little Kyuhyun was sleeping these days?

Ryeowook couldn’t tell how much time passed, only that the sun had already set by the time that Kyuhyun stirred, frowning lightly as if he was waking up without wanting to. Ryeowook raised his hand again, gently smoothing out the frown with his thumb before he ran his hand along the side of Kyuhyun’s face, then down into his long, full hair, smiling when the other’s features relaxed right away. Not much later, Kyuhyun slowly opened his eyes.

“Morning,” he mumbled, sleep making his voice a little lower than usually, and Ryeowook couldn’t hold back an amused smile, still not used to that phrase at that time of the day.

“Good morning,” he replied nevertheless, watching as Kyuhyun’s eyes flickered about the room as if to ensure himself where they were and if they were safe, then his features relaxed again and his eyes returned to Ryeowook shortly before he sealed the younger vampire's lips in a leisure kiss. Ryeowook responded to it immediately, his hand still playing with Kyuhyun’s hair lazily. All of his worries and doubts were pushed back by the warm love that spread through him and he wished that moment could last forever.

He was barely done wishing when Kyuhyun leaned back, almost looking energized from the kiss, making Ryeowook giggle.

“What?”

“You look a lot more awake and ready to start the day right now.”

“How could I not with someone as cute as you right by my side.”

“Mm? Just a few days ago you said you’d rather never get up if that meant spending more time lying next to me, so how can you feel ready to start into the day today?” Ryeowook deadpanned, feeling a blush rise into his cheeks as he said those words aloud. They were definitely easier thought than spoken! How could Kyuhyun flirt with him so often as if it was nothing and yet he himself could barely say those words out loud?

Kyuhyun looked at him, stunned for a moment, before he laughed, the sound making butterflies flutter in Ryeowook’s stomach. “Can’t both be the case? I feel ready to start the day, but if the day consisted of you and I just lying here and doing nothing, I definitely wouldn’t complain.”

Ryeowook blushed a deeper shade of red and looked away. “Dream on,” he muttered, turning back to Kyuhyun when a different thought crossed his mind as he remembered that Kyuhyun hadn’t gone to bed together with him. “Were you still searching for a place to stay yesterday?”

Kyuhyun nodded, his expression becoming serious in an instant. “Yes, but it seems like no matter whom I ask, they either just deny me or refer me to the mansion.”

“Could you get some information about the ones living there?”

“Hardly. They’re two men who, as the townspeople said, should be about our age—in human years, anyway. One of them is employed at the city council, but no one really knows about the other one. He’s said to help out around town irregularly, but other than that, the only other place where the two of them are frequently seen, is the market place. I plan to ask around the vendors and the elderly women there tomorrow, maybe someone else knows anything.”

“But if one of them works at the city council, wouldn’t that contradict them being vampires?”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “No, not at all. I told you that vampires who want to settle down for a while often have a contract or something going with the elites, didn’t I? Working at the city council just means that he has a more secure position to guarantee their stay in the area.”

Thinking about it, Kyuhyun had mentioned at one point that there were probably even vampires working at the royal court, so Ryeowook could only hum in understanding. “You’re still suspicious of them.”

“From what I heard, I’m by far not the first one looking for a place to stay outside the city—yet so far, all of the others seem to not have taken the offer provided by those two vampires.”

“Why?”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “There are two possible reasons, in my opinion: One is their attitude or personality, the other their powers. The townspeople couldn’t give me an answer, though, so I guess if we can’t find any other place to stay, we’ll have to find out the answer in person.”

With this new piece of information, Ryeowook too began to feel torn about this place where they could stay. If the other two vampires had always been denied because of their personalities, then what kinds of personalities did they have and why would they keep on offering to share their home with other vampires? Of course they might not know that it was their personalities that made people turn away, but this option still didn’t feel entirely right. But if the problem was their powers, what kind of powers could they possibly have that scared others off? From the sound of it, they had also been staying in the area for a long time already, so if the power was an active and potentially dangerous one, shouldn’t they be able to control it by that point? And wouldn’t the townspeople know if there was something strange happening nearby often? But if it was a passive power, what options existed that could scare people off? And if the problem was power-based, wasn’t it really a sad thing that they couldn’t find people who were willing to stay? Or was there really something dangerous or uncomfortable about them, so much that Ryeowook and Kyuhyun would also turn away?

“What do you think about trying some dried fruit?”

“Huh?” Ryeowook blinked, a little confused about the sudden distraction from his thoughts, needing a moment to catch up to what Kyuhyun had said while the other’s expression became increasingly amused the more time passed. In the end, Ryeowook huffed. “I really won’t throw up, though, will I?”

Kyuhyun shook his head. “I don’t think you will. I can’t say for sure, of course, but I think you’ll be fine. Let’s try a little and when your body doesn’t react badly, we can try a little more later before we go to sleep, okay?”

Ryeowook nodded and sat up, stretching. They both got up and went to the small table where they sat down on opposite sides. Kyuhyun gently pushed the pack of fruits over to Ryeowook who opened it carefully. A variety of scents that had been wafting from the pack immediately intensified, some of them seeming achingly familiar while others seemed exotically foreign. He carefully looked through the various fruits and eventually fished out a piece of plum, holding it between two fingers. His first attempt at trying water flashed before his eyes and he couldn’t help the worry that the same thing would happen again. He knew he’d never be able to look into Kyuhyun’s eyes from shame if he threw up right in front of the other.

But Kyuhyun had said that wouldn’t happen. Ryeowook pushed all over thoughts aside and raised the dried plum to his lips, biting off a small part. He tried to evaluate the taste as he chewed, but no matter how familiar this fruit had always been, it tasted entirely different. The texture was still roughly the same yet felt all wrong, and the taste was suddenly too sweet, too strong, too… just too. He couldn’t even find the right words. He forced himself to swallow, not wanting to chew any longer, but even so, he could feel the mushed plum all the way until it reached his stomach the same way he had felt a refreshingly cool drink go down on any summer night, only that the feelings that were evoked were entirely different.

His expression must have been very obvious, because Kyuhyun asked, “What is it?”

“It’s just…” Ryeowook shook his head. “It just seems all wrong. The texture seems weird right now and the taste is just… it’s too sweet and too intense and, like, you know, when—Why are you laughing!?”

Across from him, Kyuhyun had burst out laughing, seeming to be unable to hold back any longer. Annoyance flashed through Ryeowook and he frowned, looking back at the plum. Was there something wrong with the fruit? First, he couldn’t understand any of the locals, so were their fruits just as different? No, that didn’t feel right.

He looked up again at Kyuhyun who was trying hard to stop laughing. “Sorry, sorry. It’s just, this is something we all have to go through,” he explained breathlessly.

“You should have told me about this!”

“But then it wouldn’t have been so much fun.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes were twinkling, his lips curved into that same amused smile that Ryeowook had seen so often back at the royal capital, and suddenly, all of his annoyance dissipated. He faked a huff, looking down at the dried plum, not wanting to eat it anymore.

“It’s another thing we have to get used to. It’s not only your stomach that has changed when I turned you—how else could it be that you can drink blood and aren’t repulsed by its taste? During the turning process, everything that had to do with food and drink was replaced with blood—we crave it, we need it to survive, we will have favorites, and we will react more strongly to certain… let’s say, sources, than to others, just like anyone would prefer cold noodles over hot pot in summer. But just like a child can learn to eat its vegetables and all the spicy food that might make it cry and might even cause stomach aches at first, we can learn to eat and appreciate human food again. Your stomach has had the chance now to get used to its natural food, like a toddler learning to eat normal food.” Kyuhyun’s voice became calmer the more he explained and Ryeowook’s curiosity and fear subsided, making room for frustration once again.

“Still, you should have told me.”

Kyuhyun, though, shook his head, the amused smile never leaving his lips. “I’ll protect you from anything harmful—but do allow me some fun here and there.”

Ryeowook huffed and, unable to look at the remaining plum piece in his hands any longer, put it into his mouth as well, chewing and swallowing it with disdain. Unlike the normal purpose of human food as Kyuhyun had explained it, he just felt the craving to drink blood and erase that plum’s taste increase.

“By the way, on the market, I hardly understood anything…” he changed the topic, then trailed off. His eyes landed on the pack of dried fruit and he closed it, absentmindedly playing with the strings afterwards.

“Oh really?” Kyuhyun sounded sincerely surprised, so Ryeowook nodded in response. “They speak a pretty strong dialect here, but I hadn’t realized it was that different from the capital. Maybe you also couldn’t understand it because everything was new and the words didn’t sound entirely like you remembered them? You did say that you were overwhelmed, after all.”

Ryeowook nodded once again, humming softly. “Maybe… But you seemed to understand it without problem and when you spoke, you seemed to mix dialects…”

Kyuhyun laughed again, but it was a short, sheepish sound that made Ryeowook look up, seeing the other divert his eyes and looking embarrassed. “Well, I never formally learned Mandarin, after all… Somewhere near here is the furthest that I travelled out, I stayed for a while, then decided to go back to Joseon, hoping that I wouldn’t come across my sire. But since I was on my own, I had to follow the civilization, so I actually didn’t realize the dialects were that different… I would have thought you’d understand the people here.”

Ryeowook shook his head lightly. “You really didn’t know any Mandarin when you came to China?”

“No, none. But when you’re reliant on a certain language and constantly hear it, it’s surprising how fast you can learn it. I can’t read much and have only ever written Hangeul since I heard there’s a certain order that needs to be followed for Chinese characters, so, since there has never been anyone who could teach me and there has never been any need for me to learn, I never tried. Who knows, I might actually be able to enrage some ancestors if I did wrong!”

“Or they might be proud of you for writing, seeing how their descendant has reached high enough to know how to do such an exclusive thing.” Ryeowook didn’t know the other’s background except from him coming from a farmer family, so he simply assumed that Kyuhyun’s ancestors had to be the same.

Kyuhyun looked at him in surprise and Ryeowook smiled, thinking that if Kyuhyun had learned Mandarin from scratch upon first arriving in China, then he himself could certainly learn this dialect.

☆ ☆ ☆

They continued to take trips to town every other day, always making sure that Ryeowook had fed shortly before they left to minimize the risk of anything happening. On their second trip, Kyuhyun led them to the market through another side street and on the way back, they stopped at a tailor’s house to finally get both of them clothes that wouldn’t make them stand out. Not wanting to have to wait, they simply picked sets that the tailor had available, agreeing to get another set once Kyuhyun had earned more money since he still refused to let Ryeowook spend any of the money he had brought along.

Ryeowook could tell that Kyuhyun was getting more and more tense and nervous as time passed and the other two vampires’ place was still the only place that might offer them a long-term stay. At the same time, the only news that Kyuhyun could get about them was that they seemed to have a very close relationship. Even those vendors and elderly women who were usually quick to chat about anything and anyone couldn’t come up with many good or bad things, leaving Ryeowook and Kyuhyun at a loss but also unable to look too deep into the matter, not wanting to stir trouble.

On their third walk to the city, Ryeowook was grateful that he could at least still wear his old undershirt and underpants because the material of his new outer robe was much rougher than anything he had worn before, but at least it had long sleeves again where he could easily hide his hands. His robe was a light shade of blue; a stark contrast to the black robe with a red sash that Kyuhyun had gotten, though Ryeowook still couldn’t figure out where the red sash came from—wasn’t red still the emperor’s color? So how could a simple wandering artist like Kyuhyun get such a sash so easily?

Ryeowook kept on stealing glances while they chatted on the way to the city and he couldn’t help but marvel at the amazing fit of Kyuhyun’s outer robe, of the way it was hugging Kyuhyun’s form in a way that it simultaneously showed off and hid everything.

He only stopped stealing glances when Kyuhyun chuckled, obviously having noticed that Ryeowook couldn’t help himself. Luckily, they left the forest at that time, so Ryeowook had another reason to square his shoulders and act like nothing had happened, keeping his hands securely in his sleeves, fumbling with the wide fabric. The sleeves were by far not as long as those of his prince robes, but they were at least wider than those of the shirt he had run away in.

When they got closer to the gate, Ryeowook sensed the tables turning and Kyuhyun glancing at him, but he kept his composure, not reaching for Kyuhyun’s hand even when they passed the guards. They walked close together, but after having visited the market twice, Ryeowook knew better what to expect and it was only when they got close to the market that he reached out, searching a bit, both of them having to reorganize the fabric before they comfortably held hands, Ryeowook’s anxious heart finding its anchor once again.

“Kyuhyun, what kind of gift could we bring when we meet those other two vampires?” he asked quietly, his senses on high alert even though he managed to keep his expression under control, looking like he was lazily glancing at the carts that they started to pass slowly.

“Gifts?”

“Well, of course. If we get along upon getting to know them, we might make the request of staying with them, so of course we have to offer a gift.”

“And what kind of gift would that be?”

“What are vampires potentially interested in?” Ryeowook asked back just as he saw a cute array of wooden figures. Without waiting for an answer, he gravitated towards that cart. The vendor noticed them instantly and praised his goods in the highest—and, sadly, loudest—tones, but all Ryeowook could really take along was that those figures were supposed to thwart off evil. Even though the idea was good and the figurines looked cute, Ryeowook quickly lost interest, the vendor’s voice making his head hurt, and since he didn’t look like a cultivator, Ryeowook didn’t believe that the figures would work. They moved on to the next cart that held different kinds of seasoning, but the memory of those dried fruits that still wouldn’t taste good no matter how much Ryeowook tried to tell himself otherwise brought immediate disgust to him and he pulled Kyuhyun further without the chance to stop.

At the following cart, though, Kyuhyun halted, pulling Ryeowook to a stand as well. The prince was surprised and confused at the sudden lack of movement, especially since they were standing in front of a cart that held various kinds of knives. Kyuhyun already had a knife and a grindstone, so they wouldn’t need more than that, would they?

The vendor instantly started talking to them and Kyuhyun hummed every now and then, encouraging the vendor further, while Ryeowook lost interest. He looked at the knives, but didn’t see anything remarkable about them. Growing bored, he couldn’t help his mind drifting to all the other impressions around them: the abundance of smells and colors, the chatting, the vendors calling out every so often to the few people who had already gotten up this early… A group of young women was at the spice cart that he and Kyuhyun had just passed, chatting animatedly among each other while paying no mind to the eager vendor, making Ryeowook smile as he somewhat pitied the vendor.

His gaze went to his other side and suddenly, his entire body froze. In front of him was a cart that offered porcelain dishes, not as exquisitely made as those he knew from the capital or from the royal court, but his heart still clenched at the sight and he couldn’t help but immediately think about his brother. How was he doing? How was he and how were the others coping with Ryeowook having left?

He took a step closer to the next cart, but Kyuhyun was still unmoving, talking to the vendor. When Ryeowook turned around, he frowned and tried to withdraw his hand, making Kyuhyun snap out of it in instant alarm.

“Don’t worry,” Ryeowook said quietly and nodded behind himself. “I just want to check out that cart. I’ll only be one cart over, I won’t go further than that.”

Kyuhyun’s eyes wavered to the cart and his expression immediately softened as he seemed to remember something, then he allowed Ryeowook to pull away, turning to the vendor again, though Ryeowook could tell that this time Kyuhyun’s attention was divided. He smiled and glanced around, suddenly feeling somewhat frozen in place while the women he had seen earlier walked past him. The thought that they might ambush him came and passed in the blink of an eye and Ryeowook was about to attach himself back to Kyuhyun, his hand stopping midway, then falling back slowly. No, he could do this. He was a grown-up man. No one around knew that he was a runaway prince, so there was no one who would try to do anything to him. And even if there was, Kyuhyun was right by his side. They were both vampires.

He took a deep yet shaky breath and finally turned around, walking one step, two, three, then he was in front of the porcelain. He glanced back to the other cart, finding Kyuhyun still in the same spot, but his posture a little more tense than before.

Ryeowook had done it. He was standing on his own two feet, three steps away from Kyuhyun, on a free market place. His heart was fluttering anxiously and he was tempted to look around, expecting to see his two maids on his other side, impatiently waiting for the moment at which they had to drag him away to keep him from buying things he didn’t need, but instead, he turned to the vendor, flashing her a small smile, before his eyes shifted to the porcelain. He didn’t dare touch it or even reach out his hand, afraid to get reprimanded by this vendor who immediately started talking to him, but Ryeowook paid her no mind, not wanting to add the stress of being unable to understand her well to his fragile self-control.

He tugged his hands into his sleeve, letting the words of self-praise rain upon him while he looked at the plates and tea sets. At first glance, they might look pretty, but the more Ryeowook looked, the more did he notice uneven spots and parts that looked like a child had drawn them, the brush somewhat messy and random. He glanced to his side and found Kyuhyun still in the same spot, this time animatedly talking to the vendor.

Ryeowook turned back to the porcelain and spotted one teapot with white and blue pattern that looked especially childish. There were a few color spots that looked accidental and the entire lower part was unclean, the brush most likely having been pressed down too hard, and wavy lines showing where the hand had probably been shaking. If he were in the royal capital, he would buy it for Leeteuk just so they could sit down and make up the story of the teapot. What would Leeteuk say? Would he also think that a student, probably the daughter, must have drawn those parts? And was there maybe another child in the household, one who had made mother and daughter mess up and had probably caused the spots? How had they reacted? They had certainly been—

Something brown entered his peripheral vision and Ryeowook instantly froze in spot, his breath hitching in his throat. He glanced to the side, not daring to move his head, but he couldn’t see Kyuhyun, he was completely blocked by the man who had stepped into the spot between them. The man didn’t notice anything and quickly chatted up the vendor, their voices drowned out by the blood rushing through Ryeowook’s ears. He had to get back to Kyuhyun. He had to get back right that instant!

But his body refused to move, completely frozen in place. His heart was beating so fast that Ryeowook thought it would run away, taking that one move that he himself couldn’t. He felt cold sweat suddenly running down the side of his head, even making his hands damp, yet he couldn’t move. Kyuhyun. Why didn’t he notice? Why didn’t Kyuhyun notice!?

A wave of foreboding crashed over him and this time, there was no hand to hold on to, no one to keep him from drowning. That was it. With Kyuhyun unable to see him, someone was bound to come for him. Attack him, maybe. Kidnap him. Use him as bait. Maybe kill him right away. There was no one left who could defend him.

A hand appeared on his arm. Kyuhyun!

Ryeowook’s head whipped around and a hand cold as ice squeezed his heart that seemed to stop beating completely. A man dressed all in black, also with a red sash stood in front of him, but there were also red patterns on his robe and his face was entirely unfamiliar. The man’s lips moved, but Ryeowook could only shake his head, trying to take a step back, yet that hand on his arm held him in place. The man motioned towards the side and then gently, yet determinedly guided them away from the stall.

Ryeowook’s heart sank and his body froze once again, yet somehow, he was already at the entrance of that street and just a few steps later, the man let go of him, turning to the side and saying something. Ryeowook stumbled back until he collided with a wall. Was the earth shaking or was that himself?

The man in black raised his hands, showing Ryeowook his palms, his lips moving, but Ryeowook could only shake his head again and again. He heard sounds, sounds that seemed familiar, but he couldn’t understand them. Why didn’t his body work? Why wasn’t he running away? Where were his maids? Why didn’t they protect him?

He started to feel dizzy and another wave of panic rushed through him. His legs were about to give in and he knew that everything was over. This was exactly what everyone had always warned him about.

“Ryeowook!”

A single voice made it through to him. Ryeowook didn’t dare to take his eyes off the attacker, but just a moment later, his world turned black.

No, it wasn’t that his world turned black, but someone was standing in front of him, shielding him. Ryeowook’s hands clutched on to Kyuhyun’s robe before he even knew what he was doing and he felt something wet on his cheeks. He drew in a deep, shaky breath, and his head cleared a little right away.

“You’ll know where to find us if you should need us again,” a gentle voice said, confusing Ryeowook. Why could he understand it so easily if it wasn’t Kyuhyun’s?

He heard steps that walked away, soon mingling into the noise from the market, and a moment later, two warm hands covered his own cold ones, pulling them away from the fabric. Ryeowook didn’t resist and a heartbeat later, Kyuhyun turned around and he was engulfed in a tight hug, one hand on the back of his head and the other caressing his back.

Ryeowook didn’t know how much time had passed until he could stop crying, Kyuhyun gently drying the remains of his tears, but a headache was forming and if crying alone hadn’t already exhausted him, the sun did the rest. Kyuhyun had stopped muttering apologies at one point and Ryeowook didn’t have the energy to tell him that he wasn’t at fault—it was Ryeowook himself who shouldn’t have left. How was Kyuhyun to blame for that?

Did they talk on the way back? Did they walk in silence? Ryeowook didn’t know, his entire body working on autopilot, even taking off his shoes without noticing. Their hands were once again intertwined and even when he tried to pull back to take off his shoes more easily, he couldn’t. Then he wanted to go to the bed, but once again couldn’t.

With a light frown, he turned around, sobering a little when he noticed Kyuhyun’s conflicted expression. “What’s wrong?”

“Ryeowook… I know you’re tired, but there’s one thing that I wanted to ask first…” Ryeowook nodded, waiting for Kyuhyun to continue. “I was just wondering… Did you tell them my name?”