chapter 20

“The Key, huh?” Hoya asks, gazing at Sunggyu. Woohyun’s deep in thought, his hand absentmindedly rubbing Sunggyu’s back. “So that’s why Sungjae wants you so much. I thought maybe it was just because you’re ing cute and you’ve got a nice .”

           Suddenly Hoya’s being held by his collar and Woohyun is glaring at him. “Excuse me?”

           Sunggyu tugs on Woohyun’s shirt and pulls him back, and Hoya has a triumphant smirk on his lips. “Don’t joke around,” Sunggyu deadpans, crossing his arms over his chest.

           Hoya suddenly turns very serious and he leans across the table until he’s so close that his nose brushes Sunggyu’s. “Oh, I’m not joking. Why don’t I show you—”

           Hoya is being thrown across the room and he crashes against the wall, grunting upon impact. Woohyun starts walking towards Hoya but he’s pulled back forcefully by Myungsoo. “The are you doing, Myungsoo? Let me go so I can teach him a lesson.”

           “Calm down, Woohyun. He’s helping us keep Sunggyu safe. Remember?”

           “Then tell him to keep his ing hands off of Sunggyu!”

           Sunggyu still doesn’t understand why Hoya seems to make his blood boil. Sure, he’s overprotective and if anyone gets a little too friendly with Sunggyu, Woohyun will get overly jealous and as a result, become unnecessarily angry. But with Hoya, Woohyun seems to snap a bit quicker, for longer, and much more frequently than with anyone else. Sunggyu has a few cousins he doesn’t get along with but not to this extent. He doesn’t hate his family like Woohyun seems to hate Hoya.

           Woohyun pushes Myungsoo off him and storms back to where Sunggyu is sitting. He wraps his arms around Sunggyu’s waist and leans forward, pressing his chest to Sunggyu’s back. Sunggyu turns to tell him to go easy on Hoya but Woohyun captures his lips instead, effectively interrupting him. Sunggyu makes a surprised sound from the back of his throat when Woohyun shoves his tongue in and Sunggyu turns involuntarily so that their chests are pressing together. Woohyun pushes him so that his back is against the counter and he’s leaning back over it. He brings Woohyun closer by wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him so that there is no space between them.

           They pull away breathless, chests heaving against each other. Woohyun his lips and Sunggyu looks up at him through his eyelashes, half-lidded eyes and dilated pupils. His lips are swollen and his skin is flushed a pretty red as Woohyun pulls away and Sunggyu realizes that there are actual people in the room that just watched that. Sungyeol whistles and Hoya raises a curious eyebrow at the two. Sunggyu wants to die in a hole while Woohyun looks like he’s the happiest person in the world.  

…

            It’s dinner when they’ve gathered around the table, elegant steaks prepared in front of everyone except Sunggyu, who is looking a little sick. Maybe it’s the overwhelming smell of bloody meat or maybe it’s the fact that Woohyun is glaring at Hoya who’s not paying any attention to him because his eyes are on Sunggyu.

           Sunggyu decides he’s going to talk to Sungyeol instead because at least Sungyeol isn’t staring daggers into people. “Why are we all eating?” Sunggyu asks him because dinners like this seldom happen. Make that never.

           “I think Hoya requested it? Steak is pretty tasty to vampires so I guess it doesn’t hurt to have it every once in a while. You know, to commemorate Hoya’s first night here.”

           Sunggyu glances down at his neatly tossed salad and then over to the thick steak in front of Woohyun. He almost throws up at the sight of blood pooling around the meat but gulps it down with a rather large swig of water. Sungyeol is about to ask Sunggyu something when Hoya beats him to it. “So how long have you been a vegetarian, Sunggyu?” he asks, chin resting in his palm.

           “Since I was around ten years old, I think.”             

           “Why don’t you eat meat? Just don’t like the taste?” Hoya leans forward slightly, eyes fixated only on Sunggyu. Sunggyu shifts in his seat and daintily stabs some leaves with his fork. The atmosphere is uncomfortable and it’s probably because of Woohyun.

           “I… I don’t think we should eat animals. I don’t think we should gain from their slaughter. It’s just an opinion, anyway.”

           “Interesting,” Hoya cuts a piece of bloody steak and pops it into his mouth. “That entire concept is lost on vampires so it’s very interesting to hear about humans who live by it.”

           Sunggyu nods, occupying his mouth with his salad. He glances at Woohyun to see that Woohyun’s looking at Hoya no longer, just gazing at Sunggyu as he eats. Maybe Woohyun finds it as ironic as Sunggyu does – the one who believes animals should not be eaten being in love with a vampire.

The atmosphere is awkward and heavy and all Sunggyu can hear is the scraping of silver against glass. No one speaks, just exchanges glances every so often. Thankfully Myungsoo turns to look at Sunggyu, lightening the mood with a few blinks. Thank God Myungsoo can control emotion. "So, Sunggyu, have you given much more thought to Sungjae's offer?"

"Offer?" Woohyun narrows his eyes at Myungsoo.

"Sungjae told me to meet him in three days and tell him whether I will help him or not," Sunggyu answers firmly, wanting to show that he's not worried or afraid in the slightest. He's been relying on Woohyun way too much. He needs to start doing things for himself.

"And you're going to say no," Woohyun says hopefully, although it sounds like an order.

Sunggyu pauses before opening his mouth to respond. Does he really want to say no? Maybe Sungjae can lead Sunggyu to the entrance and Sunggyu can take the Key for himself? But that's completely stupid and Sunggyu feels dumb for even thinking that. "Of course."

    “I’m telling the Council,” Hoya says after a moment. The sudden change of subject surprises Sunggyu slightly and he looks at Hoya, whose eyes have yet to leave him.

    “No you won’t,” Woohyun is starting to get angry again and maybe it’s because Hoya’s the one talking.

    “The Council needs to know about something so important.”

    “The Council doesn’t need to know anything.” Everyone has forgotten their dinners by now and Woohyun has risen to his feet.

    “The great prince can’t even control his emotions for the good of the vampire race. Amazing.”

    “Can’t control emotions, hm? How could you possibly forget your own emotions? Forbidden ones, might I add.”

    “Don’t even go there. You know that I would be much better for him than you. No reason denying it.”

    Sunggyu blinks and Woohyun is already punching Hoya hard. It happens very quickly and Woohyun is thrown back, digging his heels into the ground and stopping only to lunge at Hoya. Punches and kicks are thrown at each other until Sunggyu can’t take it any longer. He throws his fork onto the table, stands and yells, “Stop right now!”

    It surprises even himself. He yelled loud and clear and his voice almost gave out on him but it managed to catch the attention of everyone in the room. Myungsoo, who has rolled up sleeves and is prepared to jump in raises an eyebrow at Sunggyu, sitting down upon realizing that he won’t be needed for a bit. Woohyun’s back is pressed to the top of the table, Hoya’s foot in his stomach as the tip of a steak knife is pressed to Woohyun’s throat, threatening to pierce the skin with the slightest bit of pressure.

    “What is wrong with you two?” Sunggyu continues. “Why is it that you two can’t even hold a conversation before trying to rip each other’s heads off? Hoya is right, Woohyun. Your emotions are getting in the way of at least being civil. What does Hoya even do that makes you so angry?”

    Hoya steps off of Woohyun and places the steak knife down on the table. Woohyun stands and looks at Sunggyu with an expression that’s mixed between apologetic and surprised. “Is it really my fault, Gyu? He’s the one who-”

    “Yes it’s your fault!”

    Sunggyu notices a growing smirk on Hoya’s face and doesn’t plan to go easy on him, either. “And it’s your fault, too, Hoya. Stop provoking Woohyun just because you find it amusing. I thought that maybe you two were trying to work together but clearly the both of you are too childish to even do that! Hoya hasn’t even be here for one full day yet and you two haven’t stopped fighting. I’m sick of it and I refuse to be in the middle of your fights. Maybe I will just go with Sungjae, then. At least he won’t be constantly fighting with anyone!”

    Sunggyu storms out before anyone can say anything more. Up the stairs he goes and to his bedroom. He slams the door shut, surely loud enough for everyone in the house to hear, and locks it, throwing himself on the bed and burying himself in a sea of blankets and pillows.

    He hears the banging on the door, Woohyun’s voice, but he doesn’t move. Instead he pulls the blankets up to his chin and sings himself to sleep.

…

    “Give him some time,” Myungsoo says, kicking Woohyun softly with his foot. Woohyun sighs and pours two glasses of whiskey, handing one to Myungsoo. “Let him be angry at you. He’s got all the right reasons to be.”

    “I just want him to forgive me, though. I hate that he’s mad at me.”

    “But he has a point. Hoya and you haven’t stopped fighting since he got here. I’m sure it’s put more stress on him since he’s the reason you two are fighting so much. Maybe if you just put your differences aside at least for Sunggyu’s sake, he wouldn’t be so mad at you.”

    Woohyun places his drink down. It’s the afternoon after and Sunggyu still hasn’t left the room. Maybe he forgives Woohyun already and he just wants to keep some of his pride. He’s done nothing but apologize to Sunggyu through a door but Sunggyu hasn’t spoken a word to him and it really hurts.

    “I’m going to go apologize to him,” Hoya says and Woohyun wonders when he even got there. He sighs and watches as Hoya heads towards Sunggyu’s room, following far behind.

    “Sunggyu?” Hoya says as he approaches the door. “I know I’ve been just as childish as Woohyun and I’m sorry. All I want to do is help protect you and here I have been doing anything but that. I’ve sorted out my priorities and I will control myself if you’ll forgive me.”

    Woohyun can barely believe his ears. What a -up. But then the door creaks open and Sunggyu pokes his head out. He glances between Woohyun and Hoya and bites his lip. “I want both of you to apologize to each other and I want both of you to be friends. I won’t come out until you do that.”

    Hoya nods, turning on his heel. Woohyun looks at Sunggyu and sighs. It’s for Sunggyu, he repeats in his head multiple times. Hoya opens his mouth, probably to apologize, but Woohyun wants to do it first so he speaks quicker and louder. “I’m sorry. Let’s be friends.”

    Hoya chuckles a little and smirks up at Woohyun. “Let’s work together.”

    Sunggyu swings the door open, stepping out and smiling brightly. “No more fighting, okay? Or I won’t talk to either of you.”

there's a reason this took so long. my computer is pretty much broken and it shuts off if i touch it so i cant really use that one. and therefore while my brother is away im using his computer. so, since he'll be back in a few days i'll try to write as much as i can and get as much out as i can in these few days i have. 

i think im going to stop saying this is proofread because it never is and thats bad but im bad at everything so