It was a mess, Taekwoon thought to himself. Hyunseung was unconscious, Hongbin was dead, Wonshik had left the chalet in the middle of the day, risking his life to bring back blood for when the newborn woke, and Sanghyuk was crying. On top of it all, their guide was a pile of ashes, and Jaejoong was in god knows what condition under the hands of Yunho. Everything was simply so messed up, Taekwoon didn’t even know where to begin fixing it all.

Sanghyuk was draped over Hongbin’s chest, uncontrollable sobs tearing from his throat. The sound made Taekwoon ache in ways that made him rather uncomfortable. He hadn’t felt...what was he feeling? Was it pity? It couldn’t have been sympathy, or even empathy for that matter. No, those emotions were so human, Taekwoon was nearly certain he didn’t have feelings like those anymore. It had been far too long since he’d been human.

...But what if it was empathy? What if he really and truly felt sorry for Sanghyuk? His hands clenched in his pockets as he turned his gaze to the floor as another wave of broken sobs tore from the slayer’s body. After a millennium of living as an immortal, he was feeling human emotions. He always felt as though he’d held onto some form of his humanity over the years – it was what stopped him from becoming a careless, psychotic vampire like many others of his kind. But this, hanging around these slayers, seemed to be not only further emphasising his humanity, but bringing it back entirely.

Taekwoon groaned in frustration, the sound quiet enough that none of the slayers could hear it, but Jaehwan turned towards him curiously, tilting his head to the side. He began to approach, but with a quick wave of his hand, Taekwoon dismissed the silver eyed vampire and turned his back on him. He stepped past the slayers, most of which were torn between relief and sorrow, staring numbly around the room as they tried to decide which emotion to feel.

Taekwoon slipped quietly into the kitchen and pushed open the sliding glass door, stepping onto the shaded back porch. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he leaned back against the wall behind him, allowing himself to fall apart, even just slightly, now that he was alone. He let his shoulders sag, staring up at awning above his head. Though he tried to avoid weakness like this, it still forced its way into him at times. He usually tried to hide it, but this time, he just couldn’t seem to.

“Taekwoon,”

He jumped so forcefully, his head smashed into the wall behind him with a crash. He grimaced, rubbing the back of his head as he cast an irritated stare towards the one who had interrupted his thoughts. His exasperation only grew when he realized Hakyeon had caught him in his brooding.

“I just wanted to talk to you,” the slayer said, fidgeting slightly. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Taekwoon insisted, probably a little too forcefully.

Hakyeon smiled weakly, the expression so close to pity the vampire almost lost it then and there, but the sadness that quickly replaced the slayer’s expression quelled the anger so fast, Taekwoon wasn’t entirely sure he’d felt it to begin with.

The slayer approached cautiously and leaned against the wall beside him, sighing heavily as he bowed his head. Hakyeon, it seemed, was more open with his emotions than Taekwoon was. Frustration began to sink into him as that wonderful, spicy scent began to curl around him, wafting from Hakyeon’s smooth, tanned skin. His fingers itched to touch it, and his fangs begged to place their mark on it. The thought of Hakyeon squirming beneath him as the venom burned through his blood made him feel high and oh god he wanted to taste him.

“What’s going to happen to Hongbin?” Hakyeon asked, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye.

“Wonshik is taking care of him,” Taekwoon said. “When he wakes up, he’ll be extremely thirsty, and it’ll be difficult for him to be around mortals, but he’ll be alright,”

“I just...want to know that he’ll be okay,” Hakyeon turned his face towards him. “He’s like a brother to me,”

“He will come with us,” Taekwoon promised. “We’ll take care of him,”

“Promise?”

Taekwoon nodded.

Hakyeon’s posture relaxed, his head thumping back against the wall behind him. “Thank you,” he sighed, closing his eyes as a smile played across his lips.

Taekwoon’s breath caught in his throat at the sight of Hakyeon’s long, slender neck. The slayer’s heartbeat filled his mind, thudding strong and bravely despite the nearness of a creature like him. A song began to shiver in the back of the vampire’s throat as he inadvertently leaned towards the slayer.

Hakyeon opened his eyes as he smiled a little wider, turning towards Taekwoon to say something more, but immediately froze – a sure sign he was about to reach for his stake or otherwise try to protect himself. The feral side rushing through Taekwoon sprung, his hands grabbing Hakyeon rather roughly and pinning him against the wall behind them. The slayer let out a gasp and shuddered rather deliciously, only making Taekwoon want him even more. That neck...that beautiful skin...and that voice...

“T-Taekwoon,” Hakyeon gasped.

The vampire let out a shiver as he buried his face in the crook of Hakyeon’s neck. He let out a soft hum of longing, his lips brushing the tender skin over the jugular. The slayer whimpered, squirming against him as he struggled futilely to get free.

“Taekwoon please,” Hakyeon’s voice choked in his throat, broken pleas sliding between his lips, trying desperately to push him away as the vampire slid his fingers into his thick hair. “God please no Taekwoon, stop, don’t bite me, please—“

Please no—please don’t—stop!

Taekwoon jerked back from the slayer, clamping a hand over his mouth as he clutched at the porch railing, breathing heavily. Hakyeon collapsed to the ground against the wall, a choked sob slipping between his lips. For a moment, he panicked, pulling his hand away from his lips to check for blood but quickly realized he couldn’t taste any. Hakyeon’s neck was unmarked, but that had been far too close.

“Hakyeon,” Taekwoon rasped. “Stay away from me,”

 Luckily, the trembling slayer didn’t need to be told twice. He staggered to his feet and slipped into the house, not sparing a single glance back at him.

Taekwoon groaned, pressing his face into his hands. Now he was desperately thirsty, and all because of Hakyeon’s tantalizing scent. He needed to feed, but he knew if he even tried right now he’d kill the first human he found. The blood Wonshik was gathering wasn’t for him. It was for Hongbin, and surely Hongbin would need it more. He wouldn’t have Taekwoon’s control.

An arm slid around his waist, making him jump. A moment later, Jaehwan’s scent replaced Hakyeon’s, bringing a calm to his raging thirst almost immediately.

“I figured something was wrong when Hakyeon came in shaking,” Jaehwan said calmly, rubbing his back. “I can’t believe you held yourself back,”

“Neither can I,” Taekwoon admitted. “My lips were on his neck...”

“No wonder he was shaking...” Jaehwan bit his lip, his silver eyes darting back down to his elder. He offered his wrist once, smiling weakly. “Take the edge off?”

“We did this yesterday, Jaehwan,” Taekwoon shot him an accusing stare. “I’m starting to think you’re taking advantage of the situation,”

Jaehwan flinched, pulling his hand back, hurt filling his silvery eyes. “Hyung...no. I mean, yeah, I want your blood, I have since about two hours ago, but I know you’re trying to cut us back on it, and that’s okay with me,” he wrinkled his brow before he continued. “But the way you’re reacting to Hakyeon...it’s reminding me of the other vampires I knew back when I was still with noona. You want him like I wanted noona – but we both know you can’t have him. So...” he glanced away, shifting from side to side. “I just want to help you, hyung. I don’t like seeing you suffer,”

Taekwoon bowed his head, guilt creeping through him. How could he even think for a second Jaehwan had such selfish intentions?

“I’m sorry,”

Letting out a light laugh, Jaehwan held his arm out again. “It’s okay, hyung. Just feel better, okay?”

Taekwoon gently gripped Jaehwan’s elbow, tugging the vampire into him and wrapping an arm around his back. A confused sound slid from the vampire’s throat, Taekwoon’s fingers sliding into his hair.

“Oh...oh....” Jaehwan breathed, Taekwoon’s lips sliding so softly across his throat, tongue snaking out just slightly to taste the skin. His head fell back into Taekwoon’s palm, his eyes fluttering closed, his fingers curling into the front of Taekwoon’s cloak.

“I should’ve known you better, Jaehwan,” he said softly, his fingers softly tangling in his hair. “You never were selfish...”

Jaehwan laughed lightly, his breath catching in his throat as Taekwoon softly nipped his skin. “I’d die again for you, Hyung...”

“Please don’t,” Taekwoon closed his eyes, finding the vein in Jaehwan’s neck. “I think I’d be lost without you,” It was an admission of weakness, but Taekwoon found it didn’t matter. Though Jaehwan had always been a thorn in his side since day one, he’d also been a comfort and a delight to have around. Jaehwan, who was only a decade or so younger than him, had never lost the joy in his heart despite hundreds of years spent as a vampire. He was a breath of fresh air, and even now, though it was late summer, there was the scent of spring on his skin.

As Taekwoon’s fangs sank slowly into Jaehwan’s throat, the silver eyed vampire let out a moan, quite unlike the others that had come before – as though for the first time, he truly enjoyed the feeling of Taekwoon drinking his blood. The fog, though now more like a refreshing mist, washed through Taekwoon’s mind as Jaehwan’s fangs bit into his neck in return. He let out a soft moan, the fingers in Jaehwan’s hair clutching just a little tighter.

With glazed eyes, Jaehwan lifted his head once more, meeting Taekwoon’s golden ones.

“Treat me gently from now on, hyung...?” he breathed, the faint trail of blood on his lips tantalizing as he smiled lightly.

Taekwoon could only nod, closing his eyes as their lips met in a kiss, warm and welcoming.

...

Jaejoong had hidden in the library the moment he’d left Tao alone in the arena cage. He hated that Tao had given him the charms, but he understood just why it was he’d done it. Jaejoong thought he would’ve done the same thing. But even then, the fact that the slayer had given him his most precious possession told him he’d given up hope. He thought he would die in that cage, and to Jaejoong, that was the worst thought. The mere thought of his old friend dying by Yunho’s hands hurt. The fog might’ve obscured every other memory of his past, but they couldn’t obscure Tao, especially since he was right there in plain sight.

He wouldn’t let Tao die, and the fog wouldn’t make him forget him either.

But as time wore on, Jaejoong found it more and more difficult to resist Yunho’s pull. He couldn’t count the hours he’d spent away from his hyung, and he could barely remember the last time he’d tasted his blood. He was growing cold once more, and the hands that were holding the old books began to tremble and shake with withdrawal. He let out a groan and slammed the book shut when he couldn’t handle it any longer. He needed Yunho, even though the vampire sent waves of terror crashing through him. After all, what if he knew about what he’d done for Tao? Would he be punished...? Would Tao be killed?

He shook his head at that thought. No, there was no way Yunho would kill the slayer. Tao was far too strong, far too skilful to be defeated by his hyung. If there was anyone who could defeat Yunho in single combat, it would be Tao. Unfortunately, Jaejoong had learned from experience that Yunho never fought alone. He let his blood addicted followers who would do anything for him fight and watched and waited for the opportunity to strike, and that was what made him terrifying.

Jaejoong trembled, the fog whispering to him as he roamed the halls, searching for his hyung. Yunho wasn’t that bad. He was just doing what he needed to do to survive. He bit to grow his family, and he really loved Jaejoong. He was convinced of that. Yunho wouldn’t be mad at him at all would he?

Jaejoong gently knocked on the set of double doors leading to Yunho’s room. He heard the quiet response a few seconds later, telling him to come in. He pushed his way into the room with a smile. Yunho was seated at the ancient ebony desk; a thick tome spread open in front of him.

“Hello, hyung. How was your day?” Jaejoong asked, smiling, the door swinging shut behind him.

“Lonely without my little Jaejoong,” Yunho said, looking up at him, his scarlet eyes dancing. “Come, keep me company,”

Jaejoong barely hesitated to step towards him, taking his place by his side with a smile. Yunho patted his thigh, gesturing for him to sit down. He took the invitation gladly, straddling his hyung’s lap.

“I’ve been back for some time, my Jaejoong,” Yunho said, smiling as he curled his hands around Jaejoong’s waist. “What was so important that you couldn’t come to greet me?”

“Books,” Jaejoong managed to force the lie, hoping that if he kept it simple, Yunho wouldn’t ask many questions.

“Ah, the library again,” Yunho said softly, his thumbs finding their way beneath his shirt, brushing over his skin. Jaejoong shivered weakly at the contact, his eyelids growing heavy as the fog began to cloud his mind even more than before.

“Yes, hyung,” Jaejoong breathed.

Yunho hummed softly, sliding more fingers beneath the shirt of the man in his lap. Jaejoong shivered, finding the touch of his hyung more than a little delightful.

“What were you reading?” Yunho murmured softly in his ear, his lips brushing against the lobe.

I wasn’t reading...I was hiding... the words nearly passed his lips but he held them back just in time, letting out a faint whimper. “An old book...about Korea...a long time ago...” he knew his words were vague, but he couldn’t bring himself to say anything more. The fog was simply too thick.

Yunho’s hands were trailing higher, his fingers tracing over the muscles of his abdomen and chest, firmly, yet gently. “You know, Jaejoong,” he said softly. “You’re so beautiful...”

The compliment only made the fog cloud even more. He tried to fight it off to little avail, Yunho’s thick, lavender scent washing over him in waves. The scent of his skin, so tantalizing, and the thought of the blood just beneath it sent his head spinning.

One of Yunho’s hands slipped out from beneath his shirt and brushed the back of his neck briefly, sending a shiver down his spine. “So beautiful...” he murmured again, fingers sliding gently into the thick locks of hair at the back of his head. Jaejoong had fallen into a haze, feeling little choice but to give in to that beautiful, warm fog...

Yunho’s fingers tangled in his hair and yanked hard, pulling a cry from Jaejoong’s lips. Frightened green eyes met angry red ones, and almost immediately, the young vampire felt fear grip his entire being.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Jaejoong,” Yunho growled, his grip tightening even more. “Tell the truth,”

Jaejoong let out a whine, his hands scratching at Yunho’s chest. “Hyung...it hurts—“

“You should’ve thought about that before you dared to cross me. Do you really think you could lie to me, Jaejoong? Do you think I didn’t notice the way you hid yourself from me? I tracked your scent down to that cute little farmhouse. Let’s just say that little girl was a mouth-watering snack, and her mother? I enjoyed slitting ,”

“No...” Jaejoong whimpered. “No,” Not that family; not the little girl... “How could you—“

“So why don’t you tell me, Jaejoong, just why was it you were down at that farmhouse collecting human food, huh?” Yunho growled, shaking his head roughly by his hair.

Jaejoong shuddered, wishing he could rid himself of the fog, but Yunho’s thick enchantment made it impossible. “Tao...” he whispered. “For Tao,”

“Zitao in the arena?” Yunho asked.

“Yes,”

Yunho’s eyes narrowed slowly. He continued casting Jaejoong a rather sharp stare, his fingers loosening just a little, giving the young vampire some form of relief. “You got the food for Tao?”

Jaejoong nodded. “Yes, hyung,”

“Why?”

“Because I knew you weren’t going to feed him anymore and you were going to kill him when he was half starved,”

Yunho stiffened, his scarlet eyes narrowing further. “I never told you I wouldn’t be feeding the boy anymore. How did you know this?”

No, the voice at the back of his mind attempted to penetrate the fog. Don’t tell him. Don’t tell him—

But the fog couldn’t be stopped this time.

“I can see the future,” Jaejoong rasped.

Yunho froze. Fear flashed through his eyes, and in that moment, the spell on Jaejoong shattered like a piece of falling glass. In an instant, the future crashed into him like a tsunami, washing away the fog, destroying what his eyes could see in the present, and dragging him into a world that was yet to be.

The moment Yunho recovered from his shock, he would immediately force feed Jaejoong enough blood to leave the elder vampire half mad with hunger. When Jaejoong dropped into a stupor from the blood, he would leave him there, heading straight for the arena and Tao himself. Jaejoong would be powerless and completely helpless to stop the events that were to follow. Yunho would kill Tao. And Jaejoong would be trapped with him forever, inevitably becoming not only his favourite pet, but his eternal prisoner. There would be no freedom for him.

Unless...he saved Tao right now. Jaejoong could carry him to a river half a mile away. After that, he would follow it upstream until he reached a small lake with a series of small waterfalls crashing down from rapids from the mountains. To the left, there was a path leading up through the trees. At the end, a ski chalet. Inside, a group of people he’d only met briefly, and some that he loved for many years.

The tsunami ended as quickly as it began, leaving Jaejoong impossibly clearheaded. He stared at Yunho, the names of his friends and coven rushing through his head; Yoochun, Junsu, Taekwoon...

He had to save Tao.

.

.

.

A/N: Ah Keo for the Keo fans...so sweet~

Also yeah. ’s going down in the next chapter. Look forward to it~ I’m going to try not to get distracted by real life again and take a whole week to update – sorry about that!

Peace, Love and Potatoes~

~starlitskies