Do I know you?

No. But I know you.

Minseok awoke with a start. He shot up and breathed heavily, his vision blurring and his mind spinning. He groaned when pain started to shoot through his head and he fell back against plush pillows. His memory was hazy. Memories from the previous night flashed across his mind and Minseok once again shot up from his bed. He ignored the pain as he scanned the room.

It took a moment to register that he was inside his own room and sitting on his bed. He looked down and saw that he was wearing his pajamas. There was a wave of relief that washed over him as he fell over once more and lain on his bed. However, he couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.

I know you...

The words lingered in the back of Minseok’s mind. What do they mean? Where did those words come from?

“It was all a dream.” He tried to convince himself.

Before he can give himself second thoughts, his alarm started to blare obnoxiously and he sighed. Sometimes he wonders why he lets Jongdae convince him to go drinking on a work night.

***

As soon as he slumped himself into his seat at his cubicle, he heard a loud groan and a thump. Minseok rolled his eyes. Serves Jongdae right for partying on a weeknight. He was turning his computer on when he noticed something sliding towards him. Minseok noticed a mug of steaming coffee and his gaze followed the arm up to…

“Good morning.”

“S-Sir..?”

Junmyeon gave Minseok a smile before he glanced over at the neighboring cubicle. He clicked his tongue in slight disapproval at the sight of Jongdae sprawled on his desk, still half asleep. The boss made his way over to Jongdae’s work area and sipped his bitter drink.

“First he arrived late and now he’s asleep.” Junmyeon sighed. “I should do something to stop him from doing this on a work night.”

Minseok chuckled into his mug. “Threaten to fire him or something.” He mumbled jokingly to himself. However, he heard a hum of agreement.

“I think I might just do that.”

He couldn’t help but snicker at his boss. He wouldn’t have imagined Junmyeon to be like this when they first met, being a vampire and all. Then again, he still couldn’t believe his boss would agree to that. As he sipped his coffee, his eyes wandered to a different part of the room. His eyes locked with dark ones that seemingly appeared out of the shadows. He blinked again but the eyes disappeared. Minseok shivered, but he pushed it to the back of his mind. He had a whole day of work to do, after all.

***

“I can’t believe they called overtime,” Minseok groaned rubbing at his temple and taking a sip of his coffee.

He was leaning against the wall, his blazer long since discarded after the morning and his tie starting to loosen around his neck. Work was stressing him out and he was having a hard time staying awake, even though he was on his fifth coffee for the day. It wasn’t enough. Jongdae slumped into one of the big chairs and rested his head against it, an empty mug still in his hands as he tried to take another sip. He frowned at the discovery of the lack of drink in his cup.

“I don’t think Junmyeon likes me much,” Jongdae said yawning.

Minseok raised an eyebrow, “I wonder why.” he said sarcastically.

“But did he really have to threaten to take away my job?” Jongdae whined.

“It’s your own fault.”

Jongdae huffed, “That Junmyeon, if I ever got my hands on him I’d-”

“You’d what?” A deep voice came from behind Jongdae and an amused grin formed on Minseok’s face as he tried to cover up his laughter by bringing his coffee mug to his lips.

Jongdae felt his heart come up in his throat as he jumped from the chair, turning to face his boss standing in the doorway of the staff lounge. Junmyeon’s shades were sitting on top of his head and he blinked his bright red eyes in the direction of the two troublemakers. He was slouched against the doorframe with his signature ‘World’s Greatest Boss’ mug in hand.

It was only about an hour after work hours, even so, Junmyeon looked completely relaxed and unlike his usual cheerful self during the day. His tie hung loose around his neck, his blazer missing and the first two buttons of his shirt were undone. Jongdae tried to look the man in the eyes, but it was useless. Vampire eyes made him feel uncomfortable, he’d have much rathered if Junmyeon kept his shades on. He almost considered tearing open the curtains to let the light into the room just to avoid this situation, but his conscience got the better of him. He wouldn’t exactly be able to live with himself if he killed his boss…

“I’d… Uh…” Jongdae coughed and Junmyeon rapped his knuckles against the wall as if waiting for him to continue. But the silence persisted.

“My office. Now.” Junmyeon said sternly, turning on his heels and walking out the door.

Jongdae felt his jaw hang open and he turned his eyes to his best friend, pleading  and begging with a look on his face for help. Minseok diverted his eyes quickly and tried to hide that fact that he was laughing, but it was useless, because at this point he was snorting with amusement.

“I’m so fired…” Jongdae mumbled gloomily to himself as he mope after the echoing footsteps of his boss down the hallway.

Minseok rolled his eyes at his friend’s dramatics and downed the rest of his coffee, replacing the mug in the sink before finding his way back to the cubicle. From the corner of his eye, he thought he saw someone staring at him… He turned and saw only himself in the reflection of a mirror hanging on the wall. Nonetheless, he felt hairs standing on the back of his neck as if he were being watched… He felt haunted and quickly took his seat, the memory of piercing, red eyes nagging at him. Those eyes… Whose eyes?

It was a full half an hour before his friend returned from Junmyeon’s office. Minseok took a quick glance to see his friend stumbling towards his desk in embarrassment. Jongdae never even stopped to say anything, in fact he didn’t even look at his friend. He was being unusually quiet and this worried Minseok.

“Are you alright?” He asked peeking around the dividers between their cubicles.

Jongdae waved his hand and kept his eyes down on his desk.

“Your face is flushed!” Minseok whispered in surprise, “Are you sick?”

Jongdae didn’t respond.

“And when did you get this scarf…?” Minseok tugged on it loosely before it hit him, “Oh.”

Jongdae shook his head and kept his eyes down on his desk, fidgeting with papers.

“Jongdae,” Minseok whispered, “Did you let Junmyeon drink your blood?”

“WHAT?!” Jongdae finally looked at Minseok, his eyes rounded in shock and his jaw gaping. His sudden outburst had drawn the attention of some sleepy co-workers and he automatically blushed at the attention. “Don’t be ridiculous!” he muttered under his breath, but his face was bright red and Minseok could tell by the way he fidgeted that he was lying. He knew him too well.

“Oh my god,” Minseok breathed out in a whisper, “You let our boss drink your blood…”

“Shut it.” Jongdae snapped quietly, “I did not.”

“Suit yourself.” Minseok muttered turning his eyes back to his computer screen, but he couldn’t help, but notice the way Junmyeon seemed more cheerful during the rest of the evening.

***

As Minseok walked home, his mind was clouded with the thoughts of the eyes he had seen earlier that day. It seemed strange and… Familiar. Where could he have possibly seen those eyes before? He shook his head. It might have been a part of his imagination. There wasn’t anything to worry about, was there?

He let out a heavy sigh. When he walked past an alley, he suddenly felt cold, as if someone was watching him. Minseok quickly turned around but there was nothing. He cautiously started walking again, glancing back every once in awhile to make sure no one was following him. He felt that he was being silly and that this was all because his nightmares were finally starting to get to him. Despite this thought and continuously seeing no one, he kept feeling someone watching him. I’m just being paranoid...

Minseok took a detour to his apartment. ‘Just in case’ he told himself, not wanting to risk leading anyone back to his home. He continuously felt eyes on him as he took a different corner. It made him feel nervous and he suddenly broke into a sprint. Minseok ignored every bewildered look he received from other pedestrians - he didn’t need them to make him feel more crazy than he was already feeling. However, that feeling that someone was following him never went away. His heart was pounding against his chest, from the sprinting or from anxiety, he wasn’t sure. The young man burst into a coffee shop to take shelter, but realized he startled the early evening crowd along with the workers.

The man behind the counter blinked several times before he grinned.

“Yo! Minseok! You’re early!” Jongin commented. “By like… Three days!”

“No time to talk, Jongin.” Minseok nervously glanced over his shoulder. He had a strange feeling in his stomach and the stares from the customers were unsettling as well. “Is it okay if I just hang around until you get off?”

Jongin widen his eyes but nodded anyway. “Sure, I don’t see why not. Only if you tell me what’s going on.”

“Later.” Minseok started to make his way through the Employees Only door. “I’ll tell you later.”

It wasn’t long until Jongin’s shift was over and he was bringing a coffee out to Minseok who was sitting in one of the plastic chairs in the storage room, his hands holding his head. He looked like he was stressing out over something and Jongin couldn’t help but to worry about his friend. He sat down in the chair just beside him and held the coffee in front of his face. Minseok hadn’t notice him come in and nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw it there.

“Sorry,” Jongin smiled, “I didn’t mean to scare you. What’s on your mind? You look terrible.”

“Thanks,” Minseok muttered, taking the coffee from his hands, “I guess… I guess I’m alright. There’s been a lot happening to me to me today and I’m just… Paranoid. I think I need to get a good night’s rest is all.”

“Mhm,” Jongin hummed and then leaned back in the chair, nearly tipping it over, “You know, there’s only so much my powers can work on a person. The more often I do this, the less effective it will be, you know that right? Can’t you wait a few more days?”

Minseok nodded, “I… I really just need one full night of rest, Jongin. Please help me out.” his eyes were full of desperation and Jongin couldn’t help but feel sorry for his friend.

“Alright, alright,” Jongin clucked his tongue, unintentionally flashing his fangs, “I’ll see if I can help calm you down.”

“Thanks, Jongin. You’re the best.”

He grinned, “You don’t need to tell me, I already know!”

***

Minseok slipped into his apartment in the dead of the night. He was exhausted both physically and mentally. He had taken the long way home after he’d left the coffee shop. He sincerely hoped that Jongin’s hypnosis would help him finally get some rest tonight. It usually did, but it would only last for so long before the awful nightmares would return.

On the way home, he had taken a few detours, dipping in and out of tight spaces. Just in case. He had felt someone watching him since he’d left Jongin. But, no matter what he tried, he constantly felt eyes watching him… Those same piercing red eyes every time… Always staring at him. Why?

A long sigh escaped Minseok’s lips and he locked his door as he slunk into the apartment further, searching blindly in the dark for the lightswitch. He flicked it on and noticed that the window was open.

‘Strange, I thought I closed that this morning?’ Minseok thought as he rushed towards it. A cold breeze blew in from outside, flapping his curtains in front of his face. He stumbled and pushed them out of his face and looked out the window, his eyes meeting with the most terrifying sight.

There was someone standing there.

A shadowy figure in all black. Minseok froze in fear as the man lifted his head to reveal a ghostly white face and bright red eyes. It took all of three seconds for Minseok to recover and slam the window shut tight, but as he did so he caught a glimpse of something in the apartment with him through the reflection. Or rather, someone.

Minseok screamed at the sight of the vampire from the bar, the one who had saved his life, Byun Baekhyun. He quickly turned around, his heart beating out of his chest and his mind a complete mess, reaching out for anything as a weapon to defend himself only to grab a table lamp. He pointed it in the direction in which the vampire should have been standing, but he wasn’t there… No one was.

He sunk to crouching position, dropping the lamp beside himself and burying his face in his hands. His heart beat rapidly and he felt like it might explode at any minute. Desperately, he tried to clear his mind, tried to make sense of what was happening to him. However, there was no logical explanation.

‘I’m going crazy,’ He thought to himself as he calmed down, ‘I’ve finally snapped. I’m insane.’

Regardless of Jongin’s hypnosis, Minseok was convinced he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink tonight.

And he was right.

***

It didn’t stop there.

Everywhere Minseok went, he saw him. At first he thought maybe it was from lack of sleep, or maybe too much caffeine consumption. However, he quickly realized that it was neither of those two things. That man was everywhere he went. If on purpose or not, he doesn’t know. But one thing was for sure, he was never really there.

Minseok couldn’t explain it. The man was not physically present. It was as if he were just a shadow, a memory come to life. There was no way that he could just appear from thin air and even in his dreams… He knew that for a fact. Even vampires’ powers are limited. It didn’t make sense.

As much as he tried, he couldn’t ignore the fact that he was showing up all over the place. He was always there. At his workplace in the corner, in the bookstore behind a shelf, a reflection in his bathroom mirror, behind the curtains of his apartment, within the shadows of just about everything… Everywhere. He couldn’t ignore it anymore. He had to find out what was going on. He had to know why this was happening, had to know why it was that this vampire was constantly on his mind.

“He’s stalking you.” Jongdae decided.

“I don’t think he’s really there though, Jongdae,” Minseok said, sipping his iced coffee through a bright pink straw (Jongdae had picked it for him), “I think he got into my head somehow. Vampires can do that, right? They have weird powers.”

Jongdae nodded, “I guess you’re right, but… What should we do about it?”

“We?” Minseok took another sip of his coffee, “I plan on going back to that club to see him again.”

“Who says he’ll be there?”

“Sehun.”

“Oh and you two are best friends now, I take it?” Jongdae crossed his arms over his chest and huffed, “Good to know I’m replaceable.”

“You idiot,” Minseok muttered bopping Jongdae lightly over the head, “Sehun told me that he’s a regular there.”

“Oh.”

Minseok sighed, “Will you come with me then?”

“Tonight?”

“Yes, tonight.”

Jongdae fidgeted with his hands, “Actually… I already have plans for tonight.”

“What? And you dared to accuse me of replacing you? How rude.”

“I’m sorry, Minseok,” Jongdae’s face was turning slightly pink, “But I can’t back out of these plans.”

Minseok rolled his eyes, “Yeah, whatever. I’ll see you tomorrow at work then.”

***

The unforgiving smell, sound and sight of the club hit Minseok like a ton of bricks as he was let in. He felt a wave of nausea as he entered the dimly lit room with the beat that gave him a pounding headache. More and more strangers grinded against him as he searched anywhere, everywhere, for that man. When he couldn’t see him at first, he frowned and instead made his way to the bar. He took a seat quickly and was greeted by Sehun.

“Where’s your friend?” Sehun asked with almost a smirk playing on his lips as he flicked his tongue over his fangs.

Minseok shook his head, “He’s not coming tonight.”

“Ah.” Sehun wiped down the countertop, “Can I get you something?”

“Can you tell me if Baekhyun has been here tonight?”

Sehun blinked in confusion, “Are you sure about this?”

“What?”

He shook his head, “Never mind. I just… Don’t think talking to him is a good idea, man. He’s more powerful than you can even fathom and honestly…” Sehun lowered his voice to a whisper, “It’s probably best that you stay away. For your own safety.”

“No.” Minseok said sternly, “There’s something I need to speak with him about.”

“Something?”

“I can’t explain it, Sehun. Can you just tell me where he is?”

Sehun stood there for a moment, as if turning the idea over in his head. Minseok could tell that he was sincerely weighing his options and he wasn’t sure if he should be concerned or not. Something about Sehun actually caring made him feel a tad bit more uneasy than he was already. Finally, the bartender let out a long sigh and tilted his head slightly in the direction of a dark booth.

There he was. Black leather, thick eyeliner, red eyes, dark hair, pale skin and all. Byun Baekhyun.

Minseok gulped and took a deep breath. He turned to Sehun who had already placed a beer on the table for him. He chugged it down in one go hoping that he might be able to use the liquid courage. Instead, as he turned to look at the vampire, his stomach twisted and turned and he felt overly anxious. So much for that. One shaky step after another, he made his way to the booth. The man sat alone and he watched Minseok with an icy glare as he walked towards him.

"I need to speak with you," Minseok said sternly as he reached the table, he was afraid of the intimidating vampire before him, but he had questions that needed answers and nothing would stop him.

“If this is about me saving you the other night, you don’t have to thank me,” he muttered emotionless, keeping his red glowing eyes on Minseok, not even blinking once.

Saving me…?

“What are you talking about?” Minseok asked confused.

Before Baekhyun could answer, a loud gunshot went off in the middle of the dance floor. Minseok spun around and watched in horror at the sight of a man standing there, with his head down, arm reaching above his head with a gun in hand. He wore all black and from what Minseok could tell, he was wearing a mask as well. He raised his head, his eyes momentarily meeting with Minseok’s. He was a vampire…

Then others began to appear from out of the darkest corners of the club. People began running and screaming in fear at the sudden attacks from these masked vampires. Minseok froze in his spot, watching as the scenes before him unfolded as if he were watching a movie, but he was a part of it. He was an extra scripted to be killed. A sudden cold hand wrapped around his wrist brought him out of his terrified trance.

"L-Let go of me!" Minseok screamed and began to struggle against Baekhyun, afraid he could fall victim to this attack. For all he knew, this vampire could be one of them too.

"I will answer your questions if you just come with me!" Baekhyun snarled.

There was no response from Minseok. There couldn't have been, not after the loud boom  that rang through the streets of downtown. Bright flames could be seen from blocks away and crowds of people ran shouting down the streets for help. The club had been bombed. Sirens in the distance blared as first responders and firefighters began to show up on the scene. People crying out for help, people taking their last breaths, people losing everything… And it all happened in a matter of mere seconds.

From Silver (silverblizzard): It is an absolute honour to work with Tasha unnie! I'm so happy to receive all of these positive feedbacks from new and old readers! Thank you to all of those who read, subscribed, upvoted, and commented! You guys mean the world to us! :-)

From Tasha (TadaChi): WAH I wasn't expecting all of this support, but I am so, so glad ^^ I really do hope you guys enjoy this fic... Ahhh and Silver you are my favourite person in the whole world, thanks a million for agreeing to write this with me! xoxo