Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

          It was the last night of winter and Kai was sitting at the bar, twirling his wine glass between his fingers, circling the red liquid inside it. 

          He wasn’t happy with the taste. It was bland, he thought, which was unusual because it was the one he always asked for. His favorite, AB Type. The finest one among the other types. When it comes to blood, the rarer the better. Yet, it tasted so bland and his body felt so weak. It must’ve been because he stayed out in the sun for too long that day. He stayed out on the streets, exposing himself too much. It was a dumb move, he figured. He thought he could look for his soulmate because time was running out but soulmates come to you unexpectedly, you can’t be the one to look for them. And Kai was unlucky enough to have a human soul as a soulmate and not a vampire soul like him.

          During the past thousand years, he always met the same soul on a winter night every two hundred years. Each time, they spent only a short while, not even catching any names, but there was a connection between them like they were two puzzle pieces fitting together. So Kai figured that they were soulmates, he was sure of it. 

          After the fifth encounter, spending only a few hours with his soulmate, Kai swore to himself. He was determined that in two hundred years — the next time they meet, he’ll make sure they’ll spend years, the whole lifetime of the mortal, together.

          But it was the last winter night, two hundred years after the last encounter, and he still hadn’t met his soulmate, so he spent the night at the bar with his two friends.

          “You keep talking about this soul and calling it your soulmate,” his friend Soobin said, sitting beside him, “But what if meeting it was just a coincidence?”

          “A coincidence doesn’t happen five times.” Kai kept twirling his glass around, not bothering to look at his friend.

          “Then, are you sure it’s the same soul each time?” Soobin still had his doubts.

          “I think I can recognize my soulmate, Soobin.” Kai finally turned to him. He was starting to get tired of being asked the same questions every two hundred years. “One look is all I need.”

          “If you say so.” Soobin took a sip of his own drink, his fangs slightly peeking under his lips as he brought the liquid to his mouth. The color of it was slightly lighter than Kai’s. He preferred the A type; It tasted cleaner, he once said. “I still don’t believe soulmates only meet for a few hours in a whole mortal lifetime.”

          “Soobin’s right,” Yeonjun chimed in from behind the counter. He was the owner and bartender. He looked busy wiping the glasses and attending to the other customers but he was listening to their conversation even from far away. “That’s strange. If you were soulmates, then why do you only meet for a day then never see each other again?”

          Kai sighed. Not this again. “My soulmate always had things going on in the previous lives. My theory is: that prevents us from being together.”

          “Sounds like bullshit,” Soobin scoffed, making Yeonjun chuckle lightly.

          The corner of Kai’s lips started to twitch in annoyance. “I told you last time, I’ll be sure to spend more than a day with my soulmate. We’ll spend years together. I’ll make it happen this time.”

          “But your soulmate will eventually die,” Soobin said bluntly. His words never failed to shoot Kai straight in the heart. “And you haven’t met yet. It’ll be spring soon.”

          “Maybe this time is different.” Kai tried to be hopeful, smiling his way out of his anxiety. Truth is, thoughts were running around in his head. What if the soul had stopped reincarnating? What if the owner of the soul already died in that lifetime? What if Soobin was right and he was actually wrong all those centuries? In the first place, vampires and mortals couldn’t be together. It wouldn’t work. And having a vampire and a mortal as soulmates was almost impossible. It was only heard of once, many many years ago, and it didn’t end well. But he tried to dismiss those thoughts and put his trust in destiny.

          Soobin and Yeonjun could see through Kai’s facade and they could feel his misery but none of them said a word. Instead, Soobin took the wine glass from Kai’s hand and placed it in front of Yeonjun to let him refill the “wine.” After Yeonjun finished pouring, Soobin dragged the glass on the counter back to Kai, asking him to drink up like how grandmothers tell their grandchildren to eat more.

          Kai appreciated the concern from his friends and formed a tiny smile on his face. His hand reached out for the wine glass to lift it but his body was acting up. He felt faint. “Screw the sun,” he thought to himself before the neck of the glass slipped from his fingers and tipped over, spilling the red liquid on the bar.

          “Shit!” he cried out, jumping from his seat, catching the attention of the other bar-goers.

          Yeonjun quickly grabbed a towel and wiped down the counter, cleaning the mess. Kai repeatedly apologized to him and Yeonjun repeatedly answered that it wasn’t a big deal, trying to reassure Kai. It was just the most expensive AB blood he could acquire and he could clean up the mess even if cleaning up blood stains wasn’t that easy. Kai then faced Soobin, asking if he was okay because he looked the most startled. 

          “Are you alright, Soobin?” Kai asked worriedly, checking to see if any blood got on him.

          “Yes, I’m fine,” Soobin replied but his face clearly didn’t look like it. He pulled Kai closer to whisper and pointed towards the person sitting on Kai’s other side. “More importantly, I think you should be asking that guy over there.”

          Kai turned to where Soobin was pointing and his mouth fell open. He saw a young man wiping down his white shirt, stained red, with a handkerchief. He was mumbling something under his breath but Kai heard it clearly with his vampire hearing. “Fuck, it had to be my white shirt,” the man was saying. The young man scratched his neck and clicked his tongue in frustration.

          Kai immediately went up to him. He wanted to apologize but the words wouldn’t come out of his mouth. A mix of emotions were choking him up, not letting him speak. He could only stare at the person in front of him. The person he was waiting for for two hundred years. The person he had loved since who knows when. The person he wanted to spend a lifetime with. His soulmate.

          Kai was overjoyed. He was ecstatic. His soulmate is right there in front of him, looking the same as when he met him a few times before. 

          The man had the same large eyes that stared straight into Kai’s soul. He had the same high nose bridge, the sharp nose Kai always recognized. And he had the same wide rosy lips, concealing the sharp teeth that made Kai almost mistake him for a vampire that had small fangs the first time they met.

          He looked exactly similar as that day a thousand years ago — the day Kai was trying to escape from the villagers who found out he was a vampire and ambushed him in his home. 

          Back then, humans knew of the existence of vampires and hunted them down. Vampires can live on until the end of time but they still die when they’re killed. They’re just like humans except they’re much stronger, they are numb to the cold, sensitive to the sun, and they feed on blood. And human blood is what they most enjoy so humans and vampires were two species that could never coexist and lived to kill each other. 

          But Kai hated that and loved humans. He wanted to prove to other vampires that he could live among humans and that they will learn to love vampires. He was foolish for thinking so. His foolish thinking led him to being tied up in front of an angry mob and attacked viciously. He had rocks thrown at him, scorching charcoal pressed on his back, and he was left under the sun for too long.

          When his skin had started burning from too much exposure to the harsh rays, he went berserk. He had to escape so even though he didn’t want it, he resorted to killing some humans off when they tried to resist him. He ran off to the woods and hid away in a cave to cover himself from the sun. From inside it, he could hear some villagers shouting and running around, trying to search for him.

          Despite the damage done to his body, he still managed to safely reach the cave he was hiding in but he had used up all his energy from running away so he couldn’t move his body freely. His body was resting on the wall of the cave as he panted heavily. He struggled to raise his trembling hand to cover his mouth and hush his heavy breathing. His whole body was burning and he knew he would die in a few hours if no one came to help him. He wanted to scream, scream out all the pain and call for help but no one could possibly be around to help. No vampire was brave enough to live near a human village, no vampire except him.

          With his hand still pressed against his mouth, he muffled the cries and the whimpering he let out as he wept. He wept for his poor life, his foolishness, and the hateful world. His vision started to blur and darken. He thought that was it so he said his goodbyes to the awful world and closed his eyes.

          Hours later, he awoke to find that night had fallen and miraculously, he was still alive. His body was heavy and still in pain, slightly burning and stinging, but he felt better. His vampire senses were faintly restored and although it was a silent night, he could hear that someone else was in that dark cave with him. He could hear low breathing and quiet footsteps slowly coming close to him. Kai grew his fangs and worked to move his body for his defense but he only fell, his cheek pressing against the ground.

          From a low angle, he could see the figure of the person who squatted beside him and was doing something with his hands. Suddenly, there was a weak light in the cave. Kai could see that it was a young man in front of him who lit the lantern that allowed the both of them to see better.

          Kai was filled with fear and was wary of what the man might do to him but he was helpless. He could only flail around like a bug, waiting for what would happen next. 

          The man brought his hands on Kai’s shoulders and propped him up against the cave wall, allowing him to rest with a more comfortable position. Now that he was back to his original position, Kai could see the man’s face clearly. The man looked harmless yet he was observing him closely, making Kai continue to doubt him and because he wasn’t saying a word.

          Then the young man suddenly started to speak. “Who did this to you?”

          The young man had an unexpectedly warm voice that sounded comforting to Kai but he didn’t want to trust him just yet. Kai scanned the man’s features starting from his dark brown eyes then followed the outline of his high nose and moved on to look at the wide line between his lips. He continued to move his gaze downwards, setting his eyes on the man’s hands. One of them was wounded and wrapped with cloth. The wound seemed fresh because Kai could see and smell the blood seeping through the cloth on his palm. Then Kai observed how he was very warmly dressed, fitting for a cold winter night, and the things that were placed behind him. Kai thought he was a vampire who had small fangs at first, after seeing his pointy teeth when he spoke, but after observing him more closely, Kai presumed that the young man was a traveler, a mortal, and thought he could at least give him a bit of trust.

          “The vi-” Kai tried to utter, but his throat was rough and dry like sandpaper, giving him trouble speaking. He furrowed his brows and huffed out his breath.

          The mortal patiently waited for him to finish his words, blinking at him in anticipation.

          “Villagers,” Kai finally croaked out. He saw the mortal curve his lips into a frown and lower his head.

          The mortal sat down, folding his legs, and raised his head again to face Kai. “Humans are such vile creatures, aren’t they?”

          Kai was startled by the mortal’s choice of words. The mortal specifically said “humans” and not “villagers.” Kai didn’t answer him and waited for him to continue.

          “They call vampires monsters but they don’t realize they’re monsters themselves,” the mortal said, a hint of vexation and disappointment in his tone. His face was blank but Kai could sense some sadness in him and wondered what could have caused it.

          Kai finally opened his mouth to say something. “Ho-How did you-” he struggled to get his voice out but it was much easier than the previous time. The mortal raised his eyebrows and leaned in to listen closer. “-find me here?”

          “I was just passing by and I saw you in this cave.” The mortal scratched his neck then placed his hands on his lap. “I thought you were dead but I checked and you were still breathing.”

          “What did you do?” Kai managed to ask. His condition was getting better and his voice was starting to get back to normal. “Why am I still alive?”

          “I, uhh-” The mortal looked down at his wounded hand and covered it with the other. Then he faced Kai again with confidence. “I- I killed a boar and let you drink the blood.”

          Kai blinked at him in silence. “So he was aware that I’m a vampire,” he thought to himself. He was puzzled, wondering why the mortal wasn’t afraid of him and even saved his life when he could’ve left him to die. He was surprised the mortal was also knowledgeable about vampires, knowing that any form of attending to wounds would be fruitless and that just by drinking blood, vampires would recover on their own. He watched the mortal who was staring back at him, sitting beside him with only a few inches between them. Hours ago, Kai had just lost faith in humans and the world but it seemed that there were still good people out there.

          “Thank you,” Kai told the mortal and smiled faintly at him. “But why did you save me?”

          “I see someone in trouble, I help them,” the mortal responded plainly.

          “But you’re aware I’m a vampire.”

          “It makes no difference.”

          Kai wasn’t convinced. He knew there must be a reason for his lack of fear and for saving an unfamiliar vampire dying in a cave. He slowly raised his hand, the pain nearly gone, and held the mortal’s face.

          The mortal jumped in his seat and was startled by the vampire’s cold hand against his cheek. He gazed at the vampire who still had his fangs out and his long fringe hanging in front of his face. The mortal’s heart started to race when he saw the vampire staring straight into his eyes without uttering a word. He turned away from his stare and said, “Fine, I’ll tell you.”

          Kai moved his hand away, pleased because he got what he wanted.

          “A friend of mine was a vampire,” the mortal started. Kai nodded his head when he heard that. It explained how the mortal knew things about vampires that normal humans didn’t. “He got in the same situation as you but I couldn’t save him from the people in my village. I wasn’t with him that day and I was too late.”

          Kai frowned at his words. That was the cause of the mortal’s sadness. “I’m sorry to hear that,” Kai said regretfully. He imagined the pain his friend must’ve felt and the pain the mortal must’ve felt after not being able to save a dear friend.

          The mortal shook his head, wearing a tiny smile on his face. He continued his story, “After that I couldn’t bear to live in the village anymore so I left.” He creased his brows and the smile disappeared from his lips. His hands curled into fists on his lap and he was shaking with anger. “I didn’t want to be secluded in a place with such people. I want to be free and know the world with my own eyes.” He relaxed his muscles and took a deep breath. “So here I am.”

          Kai lifted the corner of his lips. “That’s actually amazing. I’m happy for you.”

          The mortal chuckled lightly. He looked at the vampire and was curious about what happened. It was his turn to ask. “How did the villagers find you?”

          The vampire had a long sigh and fixed his posture as if he was getting ready for his story. He still leaned against the hard cave wall and had his long legs stretch out in front of him. His head was faced towards the young mortal, still sitting with his body facing towards the vampire. Kai finally said, “I lived there and they found me out but I’m not sure how.”

          The mortal’s face turned sour. He couldn’t fathom how a vampire could actually live with humans in a human village. He had many questions for the vampire and proceeded to ask one of them. “Why were you living there? Even I, a human, grew tired of my village but you, a vampire, chose to live there?”

          Kai laughed softly, amused by the mortal’s expression, then he wondered when the last time he laughed this sincerely was. He went on to answer the question, “Because I wanted to prove something — that humans and vampires could be together in peace.”

          The mortal’s rigid expression relaxed then he chuckled gently, for he too was amused by the response he received. “Then you’re just like me,” he said, making the vampire raise his eyebrows in surprise, “Foolish, aren’t we?”

          “But look at us,” Kai said, still wearing the fangy smile on his face, “I’m a vampire and you’re a mortal. Aren’t we together in peace right now?”

          Kai was right. They were together in that cave, sitting closely beside each other and talking like normal friends, like how they wanted the world to be. “You’re right,” the mortal acknowledged it and continued to chuckle to himself.

          They continued their conversations into the night. Their gentle voices lingered in the air along with their soft giggles. It was a cold winter night but it felt warm in that cave because a vampire and a mortal had warm conversations about themselves, their wishes, and their hopes for the awful world. Strangely enough, they both felt comfortable with each as if they hadn’t just met, as if they had known each other for a long time.

          Kai couldn’t remember the last time he felt this happy and pleasant. He felt safe with the company of the mortal, something he hadn’t felt in years. He had to admit, since living in the village, he was always on his toes. There was a part of him that still doubted the humans and hated himself for it but in the end, his doubts were correct. But on that night he felt out of harm’s way for he wasn’t alone, he was with someone he could trust.

          Both of them eventually got tired and fell asleep side by side, one’s head resting on the other’s shoulder with their backs pressed against the wall.

          When Kai woke up, he found that he was alone. There was no lantern, no things, no one. The mortal had left him during his sleep. Kai also found drops of blood on him which were dry. He assumed the mortal gave him more blood before leaving but what Kai also noticed was the blood smelled like the blood on the mortal’s wounded hand the night before.

          He felt sentimental. He was emotional because of the mortal’s actions and because he couldn’t even get his name before he left. But it’s fine, he thought. He had engraved every feature of the mortal’s face, his voice, and his kind personality in his mind. He would never forget that night and if they were fated, then they would meet again and Kai would instantly recognize the mortal.

          Two hundred years passed and they did meet again. 

          The vampire came across a farm during his solo travels and saw a farm boy chopping some firewood. Although the boy looked a bit differently from the mortal in the vampire’s memory, Kai immediately recognized him even from far away. He had the exact same facial features and the same body proportions. The only difference was the farm boy had his hair cut very short and wore layers of clothes that were too big on him.

          Kai suspected the farm boy was a reincarnation of the mortal’s soul and he knew that the human shouldn’t have memories of his past life but he didn’t care. He was thrilled upon seeing the mortal after two centuries since he was left in that cave so he approached him and made conversation.

          “We meet again, dear friend.” The words slipped out of his mouth before he stopped them. Kai was too excited. He called himself stupid in his head for saying those words.

          “Have we met before?” the farm boy asked. His voice was still as warm and comforting as ever. He had his eyebrows creased and sweat was dripping on his forehead. He was confused by the sight of an unfamiliar man before him.

          Kai wanted to say yes. He wanted to tell him that they have met, that the mortal saved his life and that he was eternally grateful for it. But of course he shouldn’t, he’d only confuse him. “No. I mistook you for someone else. I’m sorry.”

          “That’s alright,” the mortal said then continued on with his work. “What brings you here, sir?”

          “I’m just a passing traveler and I thought I’d rest for a bit,” Kai answered honestly. It was true that he was just passing by and found the farm. Meeting the mortal was purely a coincidence. “If that’s alright with you?”

          The mortal paused his work and turned to Kai. His eyes shone brightly and a wide smile appeared on his face. “You’re a traveler, sir?”

          “Yes, I am.” Kai nodded and wondered what made the mortal glow with joy.

          “Then I’d like to talk to you about your travels, sir!” The mortal was in high spirits and nearly jumped from being too excited. He was extremely enthusiastic about learning that Kai was a traveler. But his toothy grin suddenly turned into a frown. “Oh, but I might disturb you since you came here to rest.”

          “No, no, it’s not a problem,” Kai reassured him. He was actually delighted that the mortal wanted to talk to him.

          “But I have to finish this first and you might have planned only to rest for a short while, then I wouldn’t have the chance to talk with you,” the mortal continued to voice out his worries.

          “I can wait until you finish.”

          “But I have more work to do after this. My great uncle is arriving at dawn so the whole farm’s busy preparing for his arrival and I won’t finish until dark!” The mortal clearly looked sad, thinking the traveler would have to leave even before he finished the day’s work.

          “Then we can talk after it gets dark and after you finish all your work.”

          “But you’d be wasting your time, sir.”

          “I have all the time in the world,” Kai said honestly with a smile. That was true too. He could take his time in doing anything and everything for he was immortal. Besides, two hundred years have passed since their last meeting. He thought he could easily wait for a few hours just to talk to him again, especially when the mortal was so eager to have a longer conversation with him. “And we can talk while we watch the stars.”

          That statement brought a smile back to the mortal’s face. He was moved that the traveler was willing to wait for him even if he wasn’t obligated to. So he offered his room, a room in the tiny house built away from the main farmhouse, as a thank you for agreeing to his request and because he wanted the traveler to rest somewhere comfortable and warm before they watch the stars. The vampire accepted the offer with pleasure, he needed to find a shaded place to rest in before his skin started burning.

          Kai left his company and arrived in the farm boy’s room in a flash. The sound of his heels on the floor echoed as he stepped in. He looked around. It was small, only fit for one, and although it was filled with things, it was clean. Ornaments and little decorations were lined up neatly on a hanging shelf. A wooden chest was placed at the foot of the narrow bed. There was a small fireplace and a pile of firewood beside it. But what caught Kai’s eyes were the maps scattered on the table.

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed as he looked through them. The reason why the farm boy was enthusiastic after learning that he was a traveler became clear to him.

          Hours later, night fell and a knock came on the door. Kai immediately got up and shuffled his feet towards it. When the door opened, standing before him was the mortal who looked exhausted yet had a smile plastered on his face. Then the mortal arched a brow as he looked behind Kai.

          “You didn’t light a fire, sir?” He was confused by the lack of warmth in the room.

          Kai glanced behind him and let out nervous laughter. “Ah, I put it out earlier.” 

          He didn’t want to let him know about him being a vampire. Although it was the same soul, the person in front of him wasn’t the same person he met two hundred years before that. The previous owner of the soul wasn’t afraid of vampires but this one might be different, especially when vampires were still often hunted down by humans during that time.

          The mortal shrugged and entered the room to grab another thick layer of clothing to shield himself from the cold. He took out one more from the cabinet and handed it to the traveler, thinking he would freeze to death wearing such thin clothes in the winter. He was confused once again because of it and asked about it, and the traveler answered that he left his coat somewhere and just forgot. Weird answer, the mortal thought, but the traveler looked fine so he dismissed his suspicion.

          When they left the room, the mortal asked Kai to follow him somewhere, saying he knew the perfect place to watch the stars. They arrived atop a hill and sat next to each other. The mortal sat with folded legs and the vampire sat with his stretched out, similar to when they were in that cave.

          The atmosphere was quiet at first, only the sound of the two of them breathing in the cool air, then the vampire broke the silence.

          “So,” Kai said, catching the attention of the mortal, “What would you like to hear?”

          “Oh.” The mortal got back to his senses and was reminded why he was there. “Any story would make me happy, sir.”

          “Where should I start?” Kai mumbled to himself but it was clear enough for the mortal to hear.

          “How about starting from the beginning?” the mortal suggested, his large eyes shining brightly under the dark sky as he spoke, “Or what made you want to travel?”

          “The beginning, huh?” Kai smiled as he thought about it and remembered a beautiful memory again. “When I was on the verge of death, a passing traveler saved me.”

          The mortal scooched closer to listen more closely to what sounded like the beginning of a heartfelt story.

          “And he told me that he was travelling because he wanted to be free and see the world with his own eyes so I went to do it too,” Kai continued, the smile on his face only growing wider. He looked at the mortal beside him who was the reincarnation of the traveler he was talking about and was once again thankful for having met him, twice. “Actually that traveler was the person I mistook you for. You look just like him.”

          “That’s strange then,” the mortal said, giggling softly. Kai was puzzled by it and arched a brow. “I have the same wish and you said I look like him?”

          “Yes, exactly alike,” Kai said. He wasn’t lying, that was another truth. Of course, they looked alike. 

          “What a strange coincidence.” The mortal continued to giggle and ponder on his wish. He let his back fall on the ground and gazed up at the heavens with his arm acting as a cushion under his head. He was dazed again as he watched the twinkling stars etched in the black sky. That was a ritual he did whenever he felt sentimental, wishing upon the stars to make his dream come true, his dream of travelling the world. “I love it here and I love my family but I want to see more. I want a life more than just a life on a farm. I want to see the world with my own eyes too.”

          Kai followed and laid down on the ground beside him. The stars did look exceptionally stunning that night and he admired every one of them, then he remembered the maps in the mortal’s room. The mortal seemed prepared and passionate about it. “What’s stopping you?” Kai asked curiously.

          “My parents.” The mortal was downhearted, a complete change from his high-spirited self when they arrived at the hill. He sighed heavily as the breeze blew, making the mortal shiver. “They said they’d leave the farm to me and not to my lazy older brother.”

          “Have you told them about your dream?”

          “I have. I said I wanted to join my great uncle when he comes back but they said I’d only be a burden to him,” the mortal answered sadly. Although Kai couldn’t see his face, he knew exactly what it looked like. The mortal had the same sadness in his voice as when Kai heard it in that cave two hundred years before. But the sad tone vanished and was replaced with a determined one. “But I’ll try again and ask my great uncle in the morning.”

          A smile tugged on Kai’s lips and his heart went soft. He was happy and proud of the mortal for not giving up on his dream. “I’m sure he’ll agree to you coming along with him.”

          The mortal turned away from the sky and faced the vampire beside him, gazing at him with his large blinking eyes as he lifted the corner of his lips to form a wide smile. “You think so?”

          “I’m sure of it,” Kai said as he faced him too.

          They stared at each other’s eyes for a while and they both seemed to think they were still looking at the stars.

          The mortal closely observed the vampire’s fluttering eyelashes, his pleasant face, and his sharp features. He thought the vampire was absolutely gorgeous and admired his beauty.

          Kai thought the same. The last time he saw the mortal, it wasn’t this close and his sight then wasn’t this clear. He could clearly outline the shape of his doe-eyes and see its dark color. He loved how his wide lips were paired with his thick eyebrows and how his nose bridged them. He thought the mortal had charming looks and he had never seen anyone like him.

          The mortal’s cheeks and ears started to turn pink, possibly because of the cold or because of his racing heart. He shifted his gaze towards the starry sky again and cleared his throat. “I hope you’re right.”

          The mortal continued to ask his questions and the vampire continued to answer them. They talked about his travels, about the world and its beauty. The mortal’s heart was beating loudly like a drum in the silent night as he heard of Kai’s travels and he wished and wished that he too could do the same one day. The reality of standing before the world and appreciating its wonders in person was like a distant star to him but he hoped that it would become a shooting star falling in his direction and he would gladly catch it in his arms. 

          He knew that it was only something he could hope for and not something that would really happen yet chatting with the unfamiliar man he had just met in the afternoon was making him think otherwise. The traveler’s words were meaningful and gave him encouragement. Those conversations with him were unlike the conversations he had before with anyone. He felt connected to him and he was strangely comfortable being around him. He wondered why.

          Kai felt nostalgic. During the past two hundred years, he had never felt the same way he felt during the first time they met until they met again. He knew there was something about this mortal soul that made him feel safe and understood. Something that calmed him down and brought out his personality. He wondered what it was.

          When the cold became too harsh on the mortal and his weariness became overpowering, he thought he had to get back to his room and get some sleep. His great uncle was also supposedly arriving soon and he had to get up early to greet and ask him an important question. So he rose and stood on his feet, brushing off the dirt on his pants as he told Kai that they had to end their conversation and how he was thankful for meeting him. Kai followed and reflected his words back at him, flashing him a genuine smile that made him slightly reveal his fangs to the mortal.

          The mortal noticed this and everything clicked in his mind yet he paid no attention to it. He had grown fond of the traveler that whatever he was didn’t matter. Besides, if he were to become a traveler himself and see the world with his own eyes, then he shouldn’t be afraid of whatever came his way.

          The mortal tried to ask Kai to stay the night in his room and let him leave in the morning but Kai refused it and said he had to leave. The mortal didn’t question this anymore and bid farewell to the friend he made.

          As Kai walked away, the mortal gathered his hands beside his mouth and yelled, “When I finally fulfill my dream, I hope we meet again in the future!”

          “I’ll see you then!” Kai yelled back and chuckled to himself. Last time he thought he’d never see him again but did after two centuries, maybe it wouldn’t be impossible for them to meet again.

          Kai had been truthful to the mortal the whole time but he was lying when he said he had to leave. In truth, he returned to the farm to check on the boy a few days after their talk under the starry sky and was overjoyed when he saw the mortal leaving the farm with his great uncle. He felt happy for the mortal that he was finally on the way to fulfilling his dream and hoped that they’d really see each other again in the future.

          They weren’t specific enough when they mentioned the future so they met again after another two hundred years.

          Kai climbed a mountain one winter night and arrived at a cliff that overlooked the city, bright and full of life contrasting the dim and silent mountain. From the cliff, there was a glowing light, which seemed out of place, that came from a lantern. Kai found that beside the lantern was a petite figure sitting at the edge of the cliff, a woman with long flowing black hair, kicking her feet back and forth without a care in the world.

          Kai approached the woman slowly and asked, “May I sit beside you?”

          The woman glanced up at him and he slightly parted his lips upon seeing her face. She was beautiful, bewitching, and most importantly, she had the face that was deeply engraved in Kai’s mind. She was someone Kai could recognize.

          Kai was taken aback. It was absolutely incredible to him that he met the mortal soul for the third time in winter, two hundred years after the last meeting, but this time it was a woman. 

          “I don’t mind,” the woman said, her soft voice ringing in Kai’s ears, making him get back to his senses. Although it sounded different from the first two times, it still sounded warm and comforting to him. 

          Kai lowered himself and imitated the woman’s sitting position, hanging his legs at the edge of the cliff and used his hands to support his upper body. He noticed that the woman had bare feet, dirty and scratched, as if she had been running around without her shoes on. He also noticed how thinly she was dressed and how she sniffed and shivered every time the wind blew so he took off his coat and offered it to her.

          The woman glanced at the thick coat then back at his face. She flashed him a soft smile as she took the coat and wrapped it around her. “Thank you. You’re very kind,” she whispered.

          Kai smiled faintly too then gazed at her unhappy expression. “Why are you here alone?” he asked worriedly as he noticed her rose-colored cheekbones.

          “I wanted to see the city. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she said, not removing her eyes from the view in front of them. The city lights were shining in the dark like the stars in the skies. It looked as pretty as a picture, Kai acknowledged it, yet he could only see the attractive woman beside him. “I love the city so much, although I can’t see it upclose.”

          Kai creased his brows. “What do you mean?”

          The woman finally turned towards Kai’s direction and scanned her eyes starting from his hair to the shoes he wore, then returned them upwards to look him in the eyes. Kai raised his eyebrows and grinned, expecting her to say something. “You’re not from here,” she said directly.

          “How did you know?”

          “The way you’re dressed. You’re wearing foreign clothes,” she explained, making Kai lower his head and look at himself. She was right, he thought. That’s why he was being looked at when he was walking in the city in the morning. “You’re not wearing much too. Aren’t you cold?”

          “I’m fine, miss, don’t worry,” Kai reassured her.

          She didn’t believe him and moved closer, closing the distance between them and took one side of the coat to wrap it around Kai’s shoulder. Kai couldn’t move a finger. He was dazed in an unexpected situation, sitting too close to the mortal with their shoulders touching. He couldn’t even breathe properly and he was nervous, his heart beating against his chest. He was worried it was beating too loudly and the woman would hear it. Suddenly, he felt her hand brush against his, then it was wrapped completely with the warmth of her two palms. “Your hand is freezing!”

          Kai let out nervous laughter as he drew his hand back. “Ah, ha-ha, it is cold here,” Kai said, his voice shaking not because it really was cold but because he didn’t know what to say. “What on earth am I saying?” he asked himself in his head.

          The woman noticed his teeth and how it was a bit sharper than a normal person’s. She blinked her eyes at them then parted her lips to ask, “Are you a vampire?”

          Kai widened his eyes at the woman and gulped. What should he say? He thought vampires have become myths since the past century and that no one knew of their existence anymore. Kai didn’t want to scare her too, yet he was curious why she didn’t look a bit scared. With all the thoughts running and clouding his head, he unconsciously shot a word out of his mouth. “Yes.”

          The air was dead for a solid few seconds and they had blank stares at each others’ faces. Kai felt like he wanted to bury himself for admitting he was a vampire, especially looking at the face the woman was wearing, he also wanted to jump off. But the woman’s blank face turned into a pleasant one. Her cheekbones raised and her eyes curved into crescents, ones that looked like they could replace the moon in the night sky. Her rosy lips reached her ears and revealed her toothy smile, a smile Kai couldn’t remove from his memory. Kai felt his heart skip a beat, even with it already beating very loudly.

          The dead air sounded with laughter as the woman laughed her heart out while Kai wore a confused look. “Vampire’s don’t exist!” the woman exclaimed, clearly amused.

          “Ha-ha-ha.” Kai had a dry laugh. He felt exhausted, like a thousand years were taken off his life, but just watching the woman laugh and enjoy herself made him happy.

          “Actually, don’t laugh, but I saw a vampire once,” the woman shared as her laughter slowly faded. She looked at Kai to see reactions and she got one she didn’t expect. Kai was looking at her fondly, with warm eyes that were completely different to his ice cold hand and with curved lips grinning at her lovingly. Her heart suddenly jumped and she turned her blushing face away as she continued, “I don’t remember what he looks like though. I was in a dark cave with him and he looked wounded.”

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed. He clearly had a similar memory wherein he was the wounded vampire. 

          “Then I woke up and realized it was a dream!” She giggled softly then furrowed her brows as she described it in detail. “But it felt so real, like I was really there. Though in that dream I was a boy.” She turned to Kai again, chuckling. “Can you imagine me being a boy?”

          Kai simply laughed it off with her but he wanted to answer. Yes, he could. In fact, he knew the mortal as a man previously, but she came and changed everything.

          What amazed Kai was that she dreamt of her past life. He had heard of it before but he had never spoken to someone who experienced it. He wondered if she also dreamt of the night when they watched the stars just like how they were watching the lively city from the mountain. Then he was reminded of her peculiar statement a while ago. “I’m sorry but earlier you said you couldn’t see the city up close. What did you mean by that?”

          “Oh.” Her high spirits suddenly vanished after uttering a single word. Kai instantly regretted asking when she looked that down but he wanted to get to know her. “I’m not free. I can’t get around the city. I’m locked inside my own home.”

          Kai frowned. “That’s unfortunate. Why is that?”

          “My family is too overprotective of me and they said they wanted to keep me safe from the dangers outside.” She looked at her toes stained with dirt and hid them under her skirt when she brought her knees to her chest. The cold was biting her fingers too so she grasped her hands together and warmed them up as she smirked. “So I escaped. But they probably noticed by now.”

          Kai imagined her sneaking out of her home, running off without her shoes, and climbing the mountain all by herself. He thought he should be worried but he chuckled quietly. He was actually proud of her for wanting to be free of restrictions. He was reminded again of the kind traveler and the farm boy who both wanted to feel free and he felt soft that the mortal soul never changed.

          “Actually,” the mortal mumbled. “I’m here to say goodbye to this place.”

          Kai arched a brow. Now he got worried. “Where are you going?”

          “I’m getting married tomorrow.” She faced the vampire again, looking at him with her eyes glistening as the moonlight fell on them and the corner of her lips slightly turning up. “My family protected me for years yet they agreed to marry me off. Tomorrow, I’m going somewhere far away.”

          “Is that something you want?”

          “Funny…” she trailed off for a moment. “I asked myself the same.”

          “Then I’ll change my question.” Kai turned his upper body to face her, making the coat that covered them fall behind their backs. Both of them had forgotten that they were actually sitting that close and only noticed it when Kai made a bit of space. Kai stared straight into her eyes and his voice had a serious tone. “Will you be free then? When you get married?”

          She simply shrugged, making the creases in Kai’s forehead deeper. “I don’t know. Do you think women become free when they marry?”

          Kai had a heavy heart. That was the first time he was bothered by the mortal’s circumstances. He looked at how she slumped over, hugging her knees, hiding her bare feet under her skirt. She was a confined noblewoman who only wanted to live her life freely but she would have to face a new life in a day, unsure if it would finally allow her to be free or continue to restrict her. She was trembling, trembling because it was freezing and because she was afraid of the future. But Kai was proud of her. He was proud that she was a strong woman who went out into the world to say goodbye to her hometown and was ready to face her future despite her fear. 

          Kai took the coat from behind and wrapped it tightly around her to shield her from the chilly breeze. He raised his hand to brush strands of her hair away so he could get a clearer look at her then he cupped her face. His large hand was a perfect fit as he held it, feeling the heat from her blushing.

          The woman flinched when the vampire touched her face with his icy hand and her blood rapidly ran in her veins to color her cheeks pink. Her heart started racing again and she had a shuddering breath.

          “Miss! Where are you, miss!”

          A distant voice echoed in the mountain that startled the mortal and the vampire. The vampire retracted his hand to his side and the mortal stood on her feet then grabbed the lantern from the ground. The vampire followed as the mortal brushed off her skirt, still having the coat wrapped around her.

          “They found me,” she whispered under her breath. “I have to go. My family must be dead worried.”

          The shouting grew louder and louder and it didn’t come from one voice. A group of people have been searching for her and they were getting closer to the cliff where she was, possibly arriving there any minute.

          “Thank you.” The woman flashed her last smile to Kai. She wasn’t saying anything more but Kai felt it, that she was thanking him for keeping her company on her last night there, in the city she loved yet never saw up close with her own eyes.

          She walked away while Kai was unmoving, like his feet were glued to where he stood. He couldn’t do anything but watch her small back and watch the distance between them only grow. So he took in a sharp breath and raised his voice. “Will I see you again?”

          The woman stopped in her tracks and glanced back at him. The moonlight seemed to perfectly shine down on her like a spotlight. Her long black hair was flowing with the night breeze and a lovely smile was still etched on her lips when she said, “If we’re fated then we certainly will, sir vampire.”

          Her words repeated in Kai’s head even after she disappeared from his sight and as he heard loud cries in the mountain, a signal that she reunited with the people searching for her.

          That meeting was the shortest yet the most memorable, because that was when Kai officially fell in love with the mortal soul.

          He also realized that they weren’t simply two souls in the world but they were fated. They were soulmates. Strange and seemingly impossible but that could be the only reason why they met for the third time. 

          After that third meeting, he decided to wait for their next encounter and if he was right, they’d meet two hundred years later in winter.

          He only proved himself correct when he was strolling casually in a busy market square one winter day. He caught sight of someone trying to steal food from an unmanned stall. He quickly ran and grabbed the wrist of the thief, only for him to recognize her when she looked at him.

          Nothing had changed, he thought. She still looked as beautiful under the sun as she did under the moon. But she looked much thinner, had worn out clothes, and she had her hair tied up messily.

          The grocer came and looked delighted to see the woman. “I thought I wouldn’t see you anymore!” the grocer exclaimed. “Aren’t you leaving today?”

          “I thought I’d grab some food before I go,” the woman said, “It’s going to be a tiring trip.”

          “I see. I’m sorry again for your loss.” The grocer had a regretful look. “Your husband was a kind man and he was too young to leave you in this world alone.”

          “He was,” the woman started, her tone sorrowful. “But I won’t be alone, I’m going back to my family.”

          “That’s right.” The grocer smiled. “Safe travels!”

          The woman smiled back at the grocer then gave Kai the side-eye as she aggressively freed her hand from his grip. She left in a hurry without looking back, leaving Kai in a dumbfounded state. He quickly got back to his senses when the grocer called out to him, asking him if he needed something. He flashed the grocer a smile and bought some loaves of bread then he jogged to the woman’s side.

          When he had caught up to her, he remained silent, waiting for the right time to speak. Then the woman stopped so he stopped too.

          “Are you following me?” she scowled, glaring at the mysterious man. She scanned him from head to toe and figured he must come from a wealthy family just judging from his clothes and the way his hair was groomed. He was also holding an umbrella. Maybe he’s one of those arrogant rich people who never felt the sun on their skin, she thought.

          “No,” Kai said confidently. There was no hint of anxiety in his face and tone. “We must be headed for the same destination. I’m headed for the capital. You?”

          “Me too,” she simply answered, then she clicked her tongue and marched ahead.

          Kai chuckled to himself and thanked the heavens for his hearing. He had heard her mumble about the capital before he caught up to her and assumed she was headed there. He shuffled his feet to walk beside her then handed her the loaves of bread he bought from the grocer. “I’ll give these to you,” he said.

          The woman was still suspicious of him and hesitated for a second but she looked at his kind face. She didn’t know what it was but something inside her was telling her it was okay to trust him. She slowly reached out her hand and took them. “Thank you, for this and for not saying anything about what you saw earlier.”

          Kai faintly smiled. “It’s nothing.”

          Hours into the trip, not one word was said by any of them, yet there was no hint of awkwardness in the air. Both of them could only hear their huffing breaths, the background noise, and their heavy footsteps. The mortal wondered why she was oddly comfortable with the silence and thought it was like she was having a good time just by walking together with the unfamiliar man. Kai felt the same but he knew the reason for it. He was happy just by being with her.

          “Why are you going to the capital?” the woman started, glancing up at the man beside her. From that angle, he looked ethereal. His looks were out of this world. She had never seen such beauty, she thought. Even her dead husband wasn’t that handsome.

          “Sightseeing,” Kai plainly said. He actually didn’t have anything to do there so he might as well look around. “How about you, miss?”

          “I’m going home.” She looked emotional when she said that. She missed her family dearly, especially after just losing someone she loved so much.

          Kai wanted to ask her more questions but she looked like she wasn’t in the right mood to feel interrogated, so he kept quiet and looked at her fondly. He noticed the fading light around them and saw that the sun was starting to set. He closed his umbrella and held it at his side. “How long do we have left until we reach the capital?”

          The woman arched her brow. She was questioning why the gentleman didn’t know how long it’d take for them to arrive at the capital when he was supposedly headed there on his own but she simply shrugged it off and went to answer him. “We have to hitch a ride when we get to that road,” she said, pointing somewhere ahead of them. “We can’t possibly walk all the way there!”

          “You’re right. My feet are already killing me,” Kai whined and the woman giggled at him. He raised his eyebrows in confusion. He didn’t know what was funny but he adored her soft laughter.

          When they got to the place the woman was talking about, they hitched a ride from a passing truck. They rode at the back and watched the dim scenery move away from them as they munched on bread. The air between them was still quiet and still calming that it made the mortal fall fast asleep like a baby with her head falling on Kai’s shoulder.

          Kai tried not to move, not wanting to wake her, and simply glanced at her face. He could clearly hear the pattern of her breathing and the sound calmed him down. He looked up at the stars, reminiscing on the previous times they spent together, and he wished that he could stay like that forever. Little did he know, he too fell asleep in a moment.

          He awoke in the morning when the sun was shining on his skin. The woman was still asleep on his shoulder and he struggled to open up his umbrella without moving too much. But the struggle woke her up.

          The woman was dazed when she opened her eyes. She didn’t know she was using the gentleman’s shoulder as a pillow the whole night and ignored him as he opened his umbrella to shield them from the sun. Looking at her surroundings, she noticed that they were nearing the capital and tapped the gentleman’s shoulder to tell him. “We’re almost there,” she said then yawned.

          “I see,” Kai said sadly. The mortal was going to leave again soon. He didn’t want that so he mustered up his courage to say something. “Could we-”

          “We’ll part ways here,” the mortal cut him off unknowingly when the vehicle stopped. She hopped down and brushed her clothes. “I have to pass by somewhere.”

          Kai only opened his mouth but nothing came out so he pressed his lips together and formed a frown. He furrowed his brows and only blinked at the mortal’s expression. He knew he was unhappy but why did it look like the mortal was too?

          “Thank you,” the mortal spoke sincerely, “For keeping me company when I felt the loneliest.”

          The vehicle started moving again and Kai could only stare at her sorrowful smile. He wasn’t satisfied. He wasn’t happy that after waiting for so long, he wasn’t even able to talk much with the mortal. 

          So for days, he strolled around the capital and looked for a woman with her description, thinking maybe she had already arrived. He checked the market square when it became busy and explored the place just to see and talk to her again but to no avail. He only disappointed himself and he had to wait for another two centuries.

          He waited patiently and he got what he longed for. He was sitting in a cafe with a spectacular view of the bustling city when he spotted a familiar figure on the wide balcony. The time was right, it was a winter day two hundred years after the last meeting, so he thought of the possibility. He took his umbrella and opened it before stepping out under the high sun and approached the woman slowly. Just seeing her face from an angle made his heart skip a beat. That was the moment he was waiting for.

          The woman sat elegantly in her seat, wearing a long dress and her hair falling short on her shoulders. She was holding a sketchbook and a pencil, sketching out the scenery before her. Kai thought it was wonderful and admired it as he got closer to the woman. 

          “That’s a very beautiful drawing, miss,” he said softly as to not startle her. “It really captures the scene.”

          “Thank you,” she replied, still busy with her drawing. “I love to sketch the places I visit and this place has become one of my favorites.”

          “Where else have you been?” Kai asked curiously. A tiny bud of happiness and amusement grew inside him. He was pleased that the mortal still had the wish of travelling places and feeling free and heard about it many times except for the last time.

          “I’ve only been to a few places in a few countries,” she shared with him gladly then finally looked up at him with a beaming smile on her face. She was glowing with excitement. “But I plan to go as far as my feet can take me,” she continued with her voice shaking with emotion, making Kai smile back at her. But Kai’s smile dropped. “Together with my fiance!”

          His heart dropped too. She already had someone else in her heart. He waited for very long years yet he was still late. He wanted to tell her about it, about how they’ve known each other since long ago and how he had loved her too, but it would be pointless. He knew it would be. He’d only confuse her and be remembered as the strange man she met on the cafe balcony. 

          He didn’t want to hear anything more of her fiance so he focused on her sketch. “May I take a closer look?” he whispered but loud enough to let her hear. He noticed the tiny details as he leaned down, inching his face closer beside the woman’s to see her sketchbook. 

          He set his eyes at the drawing then noticed the silence in the air between them. Everything else was just background noise. He slightly turned his head and widened his eyes. He was surprised by the close distance between their faces, and how she was looking intently at him without saying a word, only blinking slowly.

          He straightened himself and turned away, trying to hide his nervousness around her. His heart was beating rapidly and he tried to calm it down before she noticed.

          “You’re very handsome,” she said blankly, still observing Kai’s face. She folded her sketchbook and grabbed her pencil then stood up in front of him. “Would you be my model?”

          He was flattered and not thinking properly. “Sure,” he said without hesitation, only realizing what he said after a few seconds.

          “Great!” she exclaimed. “Please sit over there.”

          “Oh no,” he strongly refused, waving his hand aggressively. He didn’t want to sit under the sun especially when it was noon. The woman arched her brow in confusion. “It’s too, uhh, cold here. Can we take this inside?”

          “You’re right. Let’s take this inside.”

          When they arrived inside the cafe and found the perfect area with the best lighting at the same time not exposing Kai too much, the woman quickly started her sketch. She sat across him with her legs crossed, one on top of the other. She scanned her eyes on him starting from his parted hair to his wide shoulders. She said she only wanted to draw a portrait of him and Kai didn’t know what expression to make. He wore a stiff smile and froze in place, only blinking whenever she wasn’t looking.

          “You’re so stiff!” she said, laughing at him like he was a friend she’d known for a while. “Loosen up! You don’t have to smile if you don’t want to.”

          Kai let out his nervous laughter and lowered his head. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, then raised his head only to make his heart beat faster. He saw her staring at him with warm large eyes and a smile tugging on her lips. It was the look he had been wanting to see.

          He tried his best to relax and after a few more encouraging words, he finally calmed down. With a clearer head, he could watch her better. He could watch how she furrowed her brows, curved her lips downwards, and clicked her tongue when she wasn’t satisfied with a detail then erasing it to redraw. He could watch her peek at him to accurately capture his sharp features with her pencil. And he could watch her grin triumphantly when she was happy with her drawing as she finished it.

          She had the same toothy grin as how Kai remembered it.

          “Ta-da!” she exclaimed as she flipped the sketchbook to show Kai the finished product.

          “That’s amazing!” Kai could only gasp and shower her with praise. She got every part of his face accurately and drew it beautifully. It was like a photo taken with a camera. “It’s wonderful!”

          “Thank you for your kind words.” She was flattered and couldn't take the smile off her face upon hearing his compliments on her drawing. She was very proud of it and thought it was the easiest sketch she did. The gentleman’s face seemed very familiar to her that her hand moved on its own.

          “You’re really talented,” another voice chimed in. The owner of the voice seemed to be the man who appeared beside the woman and saw the sketch as well.

          “You’re here!” the woman yelled, jumping to give the man a hug.

          Kai’s jaw dropped and he could only watch the scene. Everything else seemed to blur and even sound was drowned out. He couldn’t hear anything and see anything else except for the woman looking overjoyed to see the man he assumed was her fiance. 

          Kai was dazed even as the woman looked like she was trying to say something to him, something like saying goodbye, he wasn’t sure. He didn’t know why his vampire senses were failing him for a moment and only got back when the woman said, “Thank you, sir! I have to go now, we’re in a hurry. I hope I see you again!” 

          “Goodbye,” Kai simply replied.

          She flashed him a smile then walked away with her arm linked with her fiance.

          Kai wanted to catch up to her before she left his sight again. He wanted to at least tell her his name and get hers but something was preventing him, forcing him to stay seated and watch her back slowly disappear.

          Kai was extremely disappointed with himself and how things turned out. He was upset that last time, he didn’t take the clear chance of being with the mortal before she parted ways with him and he was upset that this time, he was too late and the mortal already had someone else. He knew they were soulmates but what could he do when the mortal had already found someone else to love?

          After watching his soulmate be in the arms of someone who wasn’t him, he felt determined. He swore to himself that the next time they meet, in two hundred years, he’ll spend more than a day with the mortal, spending years in the mortal’s life and becoming someone special just as he should be. He knew the mortal would still die eventually but he didn’t care. He was happy with just being with his soulmate and he thought he’ll just have to wait for another two centuries again. He’s used to it.

          So Kai waited for the next meeting. The next first meeting came very slowly but it still came on the last winter night of that year. The night when Kai spilled blood on his soulmate’s white shirt.

          The mortal was staring at Kai with the same eyes, the same rosy lips, and the same tall nose. He still had his charming looks, very pleasant to the eyes. His voice still sounded warm and comforting even if he used it to speak harsh words.

          Seeing the mortal soul again, Kai was euphoric and he smiled widely at him. He was waiting for that moment for the longest time and he was dead set on finally introducing himself.

          “I’m Kai,” he said without pause, “Your name is?”

Chapter Text

          “None of your business.”

          Kai blinked at the man in front of him, all confused. “Hmm?”

          “My name is,” the man said, “none of your business.”

          The man had furrowed brows when he raised his head to look at Kai. He was at least expecting an apology but all he got was a staredown. He observed Kai and how he seemed like he was struggling to speak. “What’s his problem?” he thought as he glared at him.

          Kai’s mind became a blank slate but he quickly snapped out of it. He knew the drill and he remembered it but he was just too excited to introduce himself to the mortal soul finally. He had been waiting for it for years and all season, it was understandable.

          He shifted his gaze from the man’s eyes to the white shirt sleeve that had blood seeping through the fabric, coloring it dark red. The man looked like he had just killed someone and it would bring him trouble if he bumped into some police officers on the street. He’d definitely be in deep trouble, so Kai came up with an idea which he thought was genius because it would make an excuse for them to meet for a second time. But first, he had to apologize to him.

          “I'm so sorry I ruined your shirt!” Kai said dramatically which slightly irked the mortal. “I’d like to get you a change of clothes.”

          “What?”

          “I’d like to get you a change of clothes,” Kai repeated, his face contorting to form a smile but showed a creepy look instead.

          “No, that’s unnecessary.” The mortal drew away from Kai, thinking it was weird.

          “No, no, I insist. Please, I’d be so guilty if I don’t get you a new shirt.” Kai furrowed his brows and pouted as he pleaded. 

          He learned to make that face from an old friend who was an actress. His friend had said she got whatever she wanted whenever she showed that face to anyone, even fooling Kai once into doing a favor she asked. Kai had never tried using it before and suddenly remembered it, so he thought that moment might be a good chance to use it. Kai waited for a response yet he got none. The mortal simply kept his disgusted frown on his face and blinked at him without saying a word.

          Kai swallowed his humiliation and continued, “I’ll go get something from my house then run back here to give it to you.” He had to initiate it and any more waiting would make the chance slip from his fingers. “I live nearby. Don’t leave, I’ll be right back.”

          Before the mortal could utter another word, Kai had already left Yeonjun’s bar and ran with great speed to his home (that was supposedly a thirty-minute walk away) and returned back in just a mere fifteen minutes from when he left. The travel time actually took him less but it would be strange if he had arrived too quickly so he took his time in choosing the best shirt he had that would suit the mortal and put it in a neat and pretty paper bag to make it presentable.

          He pretended to be out of breath when he gave it to the mortal and bent over his knees to show as if he had been desperately running on the street just to get him a change of clothes. It was true though, that he had been desperately running on the street, but it didn’t tire him out even if his body felt faint just a while earlier. Kai thought it must have been the adrenaline rush. 

          The mortal hesitated yet he still took it and entered the restroom to get out of his bloody shirt, literally. While the mortal was away, the three vampires had the chance to talk.

          “What was that?” Soobin asked, weirded out and amazed at the same time. He had never seen Kai that excited and energetic since he met him five hundred years ago. He narrowed his eyes at his chuckling friend, intrigued by his reactions.

          “I found him,” Kai simply said, smiling widely to himself. 

          The two vampires understood in a second, widening their eyes at his words and pausing whatever they were doing to process it. They had never met Kai’s soulmate before which led them to think that Kai was spouting nonsense and was being delusional all those centuries but this particular encounter made them believe him even a little.

          Yeonjun leaned forward behind the bar and raised his hand to point his finger towards the restroom. “ That’s your soulmate?” His mouth was hanging open, slightly exposing his fangs, and his eyebrows were raised. “I thought you said it was a woman.”

          “Here we go again,” Kai thought as he sighed heavily. He lost count of the times he had told them about his multiple encounters with the mortal soul. “Previously, yes, but apparently it’s a man now,” Kai said with a hint of annoyance in his tone. Sometimes he thought about not explaining for them anymore, it only hassled him. “I met him as a man the first two times too. I believe I already told you that countless times.”

          “Oh yeah, you did.” Yeonjun pursed his lips and nodded as he recalled Kai’s stories. “Reincarnation does work in beautiful ways.”

          “Shush, here he comes,” Soobin chimed in when he noticed the mortal coming over.

          A wide smile was brought back to Kai’s lips when he caught sight of the mortal dressed in his clothing. Kai had given him another white long-sleeved shirt to wear and he felt proud of himself for it. The mortal looked dashing in white and despite the shirt being quite simple, it made him completely stand out as if a glow of light was following him wherever he went. 

          When the mortal sat back on his seat, he looked at the vampire beside him with wary and glaring eyes. The vampire didn’t flinch though and only admired the way the mortal looked, especially at how his black hair crawling on his nape was nearly touching the white collar folded neatly.

          “I’ll return this to you as soon as possible,” the mortal said, his chin up and an eyebrow arched. He acted like a snob, not even thanking Kai for the change of clothes, but it didn’t matter to Kai because he was going to be even bolder.

          “Then can I have your number?”

          “Excuse me?”

          “So we can contact each other on when and where to meet up,” Kai explained, flickering his eyes innocently. He saw the mortal’s rigid expression turn into one of awkwardness. He wanted to laugh at it but he remained calm and tried to tease him instead, something he couldn’t do in the past and never imagined doing. “Did you think I was getting your number because…”

          “No!” the mortal shouted before the vampire could even finish his sentence, drawing more attention to him. He coughed in his hand then apologized to the other customers for the noise and continued to knit his eyebrows, glaring at the vampire for making him shout. “No, I wasn’t thinking… whatever you thought it was. Can’t we just meet up here on a set date and time?”

          “Oh no, we can’t.” Kai mirrored the mortal’s creased forehead as he shook his head. “I have an irregular schedule. It’s very unpredictable so I’m still unsure when I’d be available again.” Those were all lies. He wasn’t the type to lie so that was another unexpected thing he did — lying terribly. “But, if we contact each other, I can easily tell you when I’m free.” 

          Lies. In truth, he had too much free time. He had nothing better to do than to drink expensive blood with his rich vampire friends every so often and to wait for his soulmate to arrive in his life. He was what people called a bum. The mortal didn’t know that, of course, so he was easily fooled by Kai’s made-up story.

          The mortal politely asked Yeonjun for a piece of paper and took a fancy pen from his pocket. He glanced at the vampire for a moment, taking a brief look to see the face a fool usually made, then proceeded to smoothly glide the pen on the paper. He wrote out a series of numbers and handed the paper to Kai hesitantly, then he asked for another piece, asking him to do the same.

          They exchanged phone numbers and Kai received it happily. He gazed at the phone number nicely written out as a smile tugged on his lips. It was the key to starting his plan and he was too euphoric that he finally got something from the mortal. 

          He was happy with just a phone number but he had to get another thing from him, the thing that made Kai’s self a thousand years ago disappointed when he didn’t get it, the thing he had always missed getting before they went their separate ways. There was no better time so he had to ask for it right then and there.

          “I still haven’t gotten your name,” Kai uttered, his voice trembling with tension, his heart racing. “What should I call you?”

          The mortal never stopped giving Kai a death stare and he narrowed his eyes at the question, yet he still answered. “Taehyun.”

          “Taehyun,” Kai repeated softly. He was getting emotional, his heart was beating much faster as he muttered the mortal’s name under his breath one more time. After a thousand years, he finally got a name. “That’s a lovely name, Taehyun.”

          “Thank you,” Taehyun said blankly, still wearing a frown on his face, completely contrasting Kai’s beaming smile.

          Suddenly, a melodic tune started to ring. Someone was calling Taehyun’s phone. Someone by the name of Beomgyu, Kai read it when Taehyun swiped his thumb to answer it.

          “Hyung, where-” Taehyun’s voice was cut off then he listened to the person on the other line. He wore a confused expression, looking around the bar like he was searching for someone. “What do you mean? I’ve been waiting for an hour. Where the hell are you?”

          Kai didn’t mean to but he was eavesdropping. It wasn’t his fault, he thought, that he could hear Beomgyu, whoever he was, because of his enhanced hearing. It seemed to him that Beomgyu was also looking for Taehyun and they were having a misunderstanding. Beomgyu gave Taehyun the wrong address, that’s why. 

          “How stupid,” Kai made fun of him in his head and chuckled out lightly, but he had to thank him because if not for his mistake, then he wouldn’t have met Taehyun.

          Taehyun grabbed the paper bag which had his stained shirt and walked away without looking back, still on the phone. “Ugh, I’ll be there soon. Wait for me.”

          “Goodbye, Taehyun!” Kai yelled at his back as he watched it disappear, something he was used to seeing, but he wasn’t sad about it because he knew they were meeting again soon.

          “Are you happy?” Yeonjun suddenly asked, unclear if he was asking genuinely or mockingly.

          “Ecstatic,” Kai answered nonetheless. He really was.

          “He seems rude.” Soobin’s words were sharp, as always, shooting Kai in the heart for the second time that night.

          “Doesn’t matter,” Kai answered, acting tough, but he too noticed it. 

          Taehyun looked exactly the same as a thousand years ago, there’s no doubt about it, but something else was off. All the previous times, the mortal was always comfortable with Kai and trusted him immediately, even telling him personal stories, but Taehyun didn’t seem to be the same. Besides giving out his name and number, Taehyun looked wary of Kai like he really was a stranger to him. 

          Kai was ruminating on it. What if he was wrong, he thought again. What if Taehyun had a twin and it was the twin who was his soulmate? What if reincarnation was playing with him and made a random soul look like his soulmate? “Nope, that wasn’t how reincarnation worked,” Kai thought as if he knew how it worked. He just dismissed those doubts entirely and believed in himself and in fate. Kai knew it was Taehyun. He just knew it.

          “To think you’d meet your soulmate in my bar,” Yeonjun was still astonished, grinning slightly.

          “What was a mortal doing here anyway?” Soobin asked as he sipped his own drink, delighted by the taste.

          “Mortals occasionally find their way here without knowing that it’s a place for vampires,” Yeonjun answered as he finished wiping the spare glasses. “But only once and they never come back. I don’t know why. I treat them well.”

          “Isn’t it better that way?” Kai joined the conversation. “Some of your regular customers are dangerous, honestly speaking, like her over there.” 

          Kai pointed to a woman with short hair, her slim neckline showing, wearing a lavish dress and twinkling stud earrings. She often came to drink in Yeonjun’s bar alone or with friends and she always drank blood type B, the most flavorful one, as Yeonjun noticed. Aside from her beauty (she was absolutely gorgeous), there was something about her that made most mortal men fall for her. She was famous among vampires too but they knew her as a dangerous vampire who still did the traditional way of feeding every now and then — biting human necks — which was something modern vampires don’t do anymore. Modern vampires usually go to vampire bars like Yeonjun’s and get their fill there.

          “Anyway, you have to thank me and my bar,” Yeonjun smirked at Kai, feeling proud.

          “I will but I think I should thank that Beomgyu person more.” Kai smiled back at Yeonjun and asked for another glass of blood, since he wasted the last one, then raised it in the air. “Thank you Beomgyu, whoever you are, for bringing Taehyun to me.”

          Yeonjun and Soobin laughed at him, thinking it was cute. Kai brought the glass to his lips and drank the red liquid, finally tasting the right flavor of the blood, a balance between clean and savory. He got his energy back and his spirits were uplifted. It was a good night but there was always something that would bring his high spirits down.

          “He might be a threat, that Beomgyu,” Soobin thought out loud. He had no bad intention, he really just thought of it while he was running his finger around the rim of his glass. “He might be his boyfriend or something.”

          “Well, he could be his brother too, or his cousin,” Kai suggested. He shrugged and tried to be optimistic. Kai didn’t know who that person was but he won’t be a threat or let him become one, Kai told himself. 

          “But he really was rude, Taehyun I mean,” Soobin criticized. 

          Soobin didn’t like how Taehyun treated Kai who he thought of as an adorable little brother. He wouldn’t allow anyone to treat Kai badly, even if it was Kai’s soulmate, he'd do something about it. He only let this one pass because he adored how Kai was acting in front of Taehyun and he knew Kai had been waiting for him for too long. But if he saw Taehyun treat Kai rudely one more time, he’d intervene. That was how protective Soobin was.

          “Shut up, you don’t know him,” Kai scoffed. 

          He also didn’t like how Soobin was saying bad things about his soulmate. His friends didn’t even try to properly remember all the stories he told them about his soulmate so hearing them say bad things about him angered him. He thought Soobin was already judging him by one encounter and he felt insulted. 

          “Neither do you,” Soobin taunted him. He loved Kai but that was too much. He was offended too. He was only concerned about him yet he received such words of offense. Soobin continued with his calm low voice and his curled lips, “You only met his soul five times in the past and you met him again for the sixth time but you don’t know Taehyun.”

          Kai furrowed his brows and lowered his head upon hearing those words. Soobin was right. Kai only met the mortal soul six times but they were all different people living in different times. He could say he recognized the mortal soul but he couldn’t say he really knew Taehyun, because he didn’t. He was a person he had just met.

          Yeonjun felt the tension in the air as he looked at his friends, one sipping his drink casually and one lowering his head in defeat. He felt like he had to do something about it. 

          “Okay okay, never mind that! The thing that matters is Kai finally met him so let’s wish our darling Kai good luck!”

          Yeonjun glanced at Soobin who seemed as if he didn’t care but it was clear to Yeonjun that he was only acting. Yeonjun knew how much Soobin loved Kai like a younger brother and he knew how hurt he must have felt because of Kai. He also wanted to reprimand Kai but Soobin already handled it well, better even, and he knew choosing sides wasn’t going to solve anything.

          Yeonjun leaned his face closer to Soobin and smiled, sending him a signal. Soobin received it well as he made eye contact with Yeonjun, not flinching when their faces were only inches away, then he sighed. Yeonjun chuckled and looked at Kai who was also smiling faintly, waiting for a reaction.

          “Good luck, I hope you meet that bastard Taehyun again,” Soobin wished for Kai, making Kai’s smile grow wide. Soobin couldn’t resist that fangy grin of his and he too smiled widely, making his dimples pop out on his cheeks.

          “Sorry, Soobin,” Kai apologized then went in for a hug and patted his belly a few times.

          Yeonjun’s heart was warmed by the scene, watching them fondly. 

          “Before that, I hope he contacts you immediately,” Yeonjun said his wish for him. “You even went as far as to lie about being busy when all you do is hang around with Soobin.”

          “That’s true and thank you, both of you.” Kai looked at both his friends and felt touched. They were his only friends, the only ones that made him feel loved and not alone for the last five hundred years. “I do hope I get a message within the week,” Kai wished for himself.

          That wish of his wasn’t granted. Ever since he left the bar that night, he had been staring at his phone, waiting for it to chime and receive a message from Taehyun. He had been doing that for a whole week since the night they met and during that week, he never got a message. Not even one.

          He considered making the first move and message Taehyun but that would’ve seemed like he was demanding his shirt back, and he had to pretend that he was busy. I’m busy, I’m busy , Kai kept trying to embody it as he struggled not to type in the chat box. 

          It wasn’t until two weeks later did he finally receive one. It was at dawn when Kai was about to sleep but he checked his phone one last time, then he saw it, Taehyun’s message.

          “Hi. It’s Taehyun. Sorry for messaging you at this time. I’d like to return your shirt. When are you free?”

          “Hi! It’s Kai. I’m free today. Can we meet?”

          “Yes. Is 10am is alright with you?”

          Kai glanced at his wall clock. It was 5:53am. 

          “Sure! Where do we meet?”

          Taehyun sent Kai the address of a coffee shop located in the busiest part of the city and Kai agreed to meet there. Anywhere was fine as long it was with his soulmate.

          Kai was excited, he was restless, pacing around his house for hours. He was planning his outfit that would show his effort in dressing up yet not too much effort but he ended up wearing his usual clothing, a simple shirt and a long-sleeved outer layer to cover his arms. That day, he chose to wear a white shirt paired with a black blazer and black trousers. 

          An hour before the set meeting time, he downed a small box of blood to keep his energy high like he was preparing for a battle, a battle with the strong sun rays. He took an umbrella and inhaled a sharp breath as he walked out of his house and under the light.

          “Fuck the sun,” he cursed out as he watched his shadow walk with him. 

          It wasn’t that warm yet but the sun was getting stronger as the days passed. 

          Kai liked spring. He liked it because the flowers bloomed beautifully and the city looked more lively than during cold seasons. But he only liked it when he was indoors, watching everything from afar. He didn’t like it when he was outdoors, having the sun shine on him. Then about summer… let’s not talk about it.

          Usually, he didn’t leave the house much during spring days and only went out at night, but that spring day was an important day. That spring day was the day when he and his soulmate would have their first second meeting.

          He arrived at the coffee shop a few minutes earlier than the meeting time but he saw that Taehyun was already waiting inside, sitting in a booth by the wall, a spot hidden from the sunlight. “Thank god,” Kai thought, then felt his heart pound against his chest as he took each step closer to Taehyun. 

          That was it. It was the first second meeting. It never happened before. He was too exhilarated, he couldn’t breathe properly, but he had to stay calm to not mess it up.

          “Hi, did you wait long?” Kai greeted and slid in the cushioned seat across him, etching a smile on his lips, being careful not to do it too much and accidentally show his fangs. He was trying really hard because he was just too happy to see Taehyun for a second time.

          “No, I kinda just got here too, don’t worry.” Taehyun mirrored Kai’s smile and reached for the paper bag sitting beside him. He passed it to him over the table and said, “Here’s your shirt. I already washed it.”

          Kai took it and thanked him for the effort. 

          Then there was silence. There was awkwardness in the air and none of them spoke. The only sounds they could hear were the background noise in the coffee shop, the jazzy tunes from the speakers, and the tapping of Taehyun’s fingernails on the round buzzer. 

          They both had their gazes somewhere else until they shifted to look at each other.

          “I’m sorry-”

          “I’m sorry-”

          They cut each other off and both were startled by it. Kai motioned for Taehyun to go first and leaned in to listen to what he was about to say.

          “I’m sorry for being rude last time,” Taehyun apologized, making Kai raise his eyebrows in surprise. “I was having a really bad day and my friend made me wait for a long time. And that day was strange, like something that was supposed to have happened hasn’t happened yet and it made me so annoyed.” Taehyun noticed that he was going on about something Kai probably wouldn’t understand yet Kai looked like he understood everything he was saying. “But that shouldn’t be an excuse for my rudeness. Anyway, I’m really sorry.”

          “It’s fine. I understand.” Kai’s smile only grew wider. He understood what Taehyun was talking about because he too had the same feeling that day, the annoyed feeling of still not meeting his soulmate. That statement of Taehyun’s made Kai confirm that he really was the one. “I sincerely apologize for staining your shirt too. I should pay for the cleaning.”

          “No, no, it’s fine,” Taehyun strongly refused, waving his hand in the air. “I’m also sorry for not contacting you earlier and making you come here so suddenly. You said you’re really busy. I’m glad we could meet today.”

          “Don’t worry, I have a lot of free time on my hands.” 

          “Really?”

          “Err, yes, recently.” Kai laughed nervously and gulped as he recalled the lies he had told Taehyun the other night. 

          Taehyun thought it was suspicious but he shrugged it off. “I already ordered for us. I don’t know what you want so I just got you an Iced Americano too, is that alright?”

          “Yes, anything is fine,” Kai instantly replied.

          The buzzer on the table vibrated and lit up suddenly, catching the attention of the two. Taehyun took it and stood up, telling Kai that he’d just get their drinks from the counter. Kai nodded and played with his thumbs as he waited for Taehyun to come back. 

          He felt comfortable and nervous at the same time and thought about how he could naturally make the conversation flow well. He thought hard but nothing came to mind, so he just dismissed it and let everything fall into place. They were soulmates anyway, so it’d all work out.

          “Here,” Taehyun said as he handed Kai his Iced Americano.

          Kai thanked him, bowing slightly, and went ahead to take a sip. He lifted the corner of his lips as he tasted it, showing satisfaction. 

          It was extremely bitter to him, even more bitter than how a human could describe it. He was a vampire with enhanced senses, so his taste buds also enhanced the taste of everything he ate. Sweet things tasted much sweeter and salty food tasted much saltier, and the only one he could acknowledge as delicious was blood.

          But Kai had been living for over a thousand years and had been “enjoying” delicacies with his human acquaintances, so he had mastered the art of faking. He kept wearing the forced smile on his face and confidently commented, “This is good.”

          “Really?” Taehyun arched a brow and turned his wincing face towards him. “I think it’s bad.”

          Kai’s face dropped. “Was it really bad?” he thought.

          “I’m kidding!” Taehyun suddenly laughed, drawing his head back, until his laughter faded. “Actually, I can’t say, coffee really isn’t for me. I just… order it.”

          Kai felt his soul leave his body for a second as he released a breath of relief, thinking he messed up. He then said, “I remember the coffee I had in Vietnam.” Since they were talking about coffee, he thought he might as well bring it up. It would help the conversation flow naturally.

          “Oh, you’ve been to Vietnam?” Taehyun asked, a hint of enthusiasm in his voice. He had his eyebrows raised and his face was leaning in as if wanting to hear more.

          “Yes and I had the best coffee in the world there,” Kai continued. It was a pity he couldn’t taste it properly but he was sure it was the best.

          Taehyun’s head dropped on his hand and he murmured, “Ah, I wish I could go too.”

          “To drink coffee?” Kai arched a brow in confusion. 

          Taehyun chuckled, showing his familiar toothy grin to Kai, and shook his head. “No, I want to travel to Vietnam and everywhere else in the world.”

          Kai felt a pang in his heart. Taehyun really was the one, the soul he had been meeting the past thousand years, the soul who yearned to travel the world and feel free, his soulmate. Kai suddenly felt emotional, remembering all the times the mortal soul said it wanted to travel, and Kai loved that it never changed. But Kai was concerned because it seemed like something was holding Taehyun back from pursuing his dream.

          “Can’t you?” he asked curiously and worriedly.

          “I can,” Taehyun replied simply.

          “Then what’s wrong?”

          “I’m scared.” 

          Taehyun gazed at Kai’s worried eyes and for a moment he felt like he could show his weak self to him. He felt like he could trust him completely, which was very strange for Taehyun because he didn’t just trust anyone. There was something about Kai that made him warm and comfortable. Was it his calm eyes? Was it his smiling face? Or was it Kai himself? Taehyun didn’t know but he felt safe in his company, and for once he wanted to let his guard down around a stranger.

          Kai didn’t know what Taehyun meant but he could feel his heavy emotions just by looking at his eyes. It was a bit funny to Kai, because there was a famous saying on it, and he saw his soul through his eyes. He wanted to ask about it but didn’t bother and wanted to let him open up on his own.

          “Moving on.” Taehyun brushed his hand in the air and leaned forward while folding his arms on the table. “Have you gone anywhere else? Maybe Europe or Africa?”

          “I have, actually,” Kai said then sipped his coffee, not even flinching despite its bitterness. 

          His memories suddenly started playing in his head. He had gone to different places all over the world since he left that wretched human village, since the first time he met the mortal soul. And in different countries and in different years, he met the mortal soul during his travels. It was only during the last century did he finally settle down in Seoul, as Soobin and Yeonjun suggested and because Seoul held a special memory in his heart. It wasn’t called Seoul then, but it was where he first realized and fell in love with his soulmate. 

          “Ohh.” Taehyun’s wide lips formed an oval as he expressed his wonder. He was very much fascinated by Kai and wanted to know more, about his travels and about him. “Tell me more!” Taehyun exclaimed.

          Kai chuckled lightly at the sight of the man before him, acting like an innocent child who was in awe of everything. Kai remembered the farmer boy and he was amazed because Taehyun still had the boy’s twinkling eyes despite it being morning.

          Kai continued to share his own stories and heard Taehyun’s personal stories in between. Their conversations continued on without pause and Kai thought he was worried for nothing. It was flowing naturally and they enjoyed their time together, exchanging their thoughts and exchanging looks that held emotions. They were so into it that they didn’t realize that two hours had passed.

          “This is weird but,” Taehyun started, lowering his eyes to glance at his Iced Americano that he finished. “I feel like I know you. Have we met before?”

          Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. He didn’t expect to hear that question again. This happened before. Yes, he wanted to answer but he said, “No, I don’t think we have, but I feel the same. I feel like I’ve known you for years.”

          Taehyun frowned. It was unusual for him to be that relaxed with someone other than his friend Beomgyu and he figured maybe they did meet before and just forgot. But he also thought that if he was that comfortable with Kai then he wouldn’t have forgotten it. “I haven’t told you my last name, Kang. My name is Kang Taehyun. It doesn’t ring a bell?”

          Kai shook his head. It really didn’t. But it was nice to know his full name, Kang Taehyun, Kai liked the sound of it.

          “Your last name is?”

          “Huening.”

          “Huening,” Taehyun repeated under his breath, “Huening Kai.”

          Kai wasn’t sure why but his heart started racing when he heard Taehyun say his full name. Just hearing Taehyun’s warm and comforting voice say his full name also made Kai’s heart want to jump out of his chest.

          “How old are you, Huening Kai?” Taehyun asked out of the blue, wanting to get more information on him. He was trying to dig deep enough in his memory because he was definitely sure he knew him.

          Kai gulped. He didn’t know what to answer. He couldn’t possibly say his real age. “Think! Think!” he yelled at himself in his head. “Choose a number! Any number!” 

          “Twenty-five,” Kai uttered very slowly. He remembered he stopped aging at eighteen but the torture by the villagers, using the sun to attempt to kill him, made him look older by some years. He did the math.

          “We’re the same age!” Taehyun was surprised and thought maybe that was the reason for his being at ease with him, or maybe it was something else. He also weighed in the factor that Kai felt the same as he did. He lifted the corner of his lips and asked, “Are you my soulmate?”

          “Yes! Yes!” Kai just wanted to rise and shout it out. “We’re soulmates and I’ve been waiting for you to come!” He just wished he could say it, but of course he couldn’t. 

          He knew the drill, he knew it perfectly. So he remained seated, calm and composed, trying to stop himself from sounding like a creep. But he didn’t want to entirely lie and dismiss it, so he shrugged and answered, “Maybe.”

          They both blinked then stared at each other’s eyes. They were peeking into the windows to their souls without saying a single word. Then at the same time, they released their laughter into the air. They laughed together like someone just cracked a joke but nothing was said and they both felt lighthearted. When their laughter faded into the atmosphere, they returned to watching each other’s faces and Taehyun actually considered the possibility of them being soulmates.

          Taehyun’s phone interrupted their moment again by chiming. He fished it out of his pocket then noticed the time. It was past noon and just a bit later, he had to meet Beomgyu.

          “It’s already noon,” Taehyun thought out loud, locking his phone without checking the message he just received.

          Kai thought it was another chance. “If you’re still free, would you like to have lunch?” he offered and anticipated a yes from him.

          “I’m sorry, I have to meet a friend here after this,” Taehyun politely declined, feeling regretful that his time with his newfound friend was ending.

          Kai furrowed his brows and frowned. He didn’t want to leave again, then not see him again. Not again. 

          “Will I see you again?” he asked for the second time. This time he wanted a definite answer, a yes or a no, unlike the last answer he heard six hundred years ago.

          Taehyun’s heart skipped a beat. Looking at the man in front of him, with his mysterious eyes and pouting lips, Taehyun felt his heart go soft. Kai looked endearing, lovely, charming, and enchanting, Taehyun thought. Just a longer look and he’d have probably fallen in love. Maybe he already had even before that, but Taehyun knew that Kai looked like someone he could love for a very long time, whatever kind of love. And Taehyun knew he wanted to see him again. “Yes,” he answered, smiling from ear to ear.

          Kai raised his hand and covered half his face, turning away bashfully. He tried not to let it show but his happiness was overflowing, too much that he felt like he could take on the world. He thought he was starting to look crazy so he stood up and bid Taehyun goodbye while wearing a smile, then he left the coffee shop in high spirits, returning back home with an umbrella and a cloud over his head.

          Taehyun waved Kai goodbye and watched his broad back slowly become distant. He sat back down in his seat and pondered on their conversation, how their friendship was so natural, and why Kai had oddly sharp teeth when he smiled. Taehyun shouldn’t have found it strange because he too had sharp teeth but Kai’s were different. He was deep in thought until Beomgyu appeared in front of him.

          “You’re not late,” Taehyun sneered, teasing his friend. “Congratulations, hyung.”

          “Shut up,” Beomgyu scoffed. He put his elbow on the table and carried his head with his hand, tilting it to observe Taehyun’s face from an angle. He noticed Taehyun’s slightly blushing cheeks and his weird breathing. “Who was that?” he asked curiously, curling his lips to form a clever grin.

          Taehyun looked at Beomgyu’s narrowed eyes observing him closely for some weird reason. And for another weird reason, he knew Taehyun was just with Kai. Taehyun scanned his eyes from the blue beret on Beomgyu’s head to his mismatched earrings then down to the vest he wore over his collared shirt. “You dressed up nicely today,” he complimented his outfit.

          “Thank you but don’t change the subject,” Beomgyu said, shifting his position and sitting straight, lifting his chin and slightly parting his lips. He gazed at Taehyun’s troubled look, it was so readable, and chuckled at it while bringing his head back down. “Who was he?”

          The two crescents that appeared on Beomgyu’s eyes and his pretty set of teeth showing when he laughed irked Taehyun so much, not because he hated seeing his friend laugh but because his friend was laughing at him, at his face. Taehyun was fully aware of the pink tint on his cheeks and he didn’t need someone to notice and remind him of it. 

          He turned away from Beomgyu and gazed at the windows. “No one,” he answered softly.

          “Boyfriend?”

          “No!” Taehyun yelled unconsciously, making heads turn to him. He apologized to the other customers and whispered to his friend, “I just met him. How did you even see us?”

          “I was watching over there!” Beomgyu pointed somewhere inside the coffee shop. “I also know that you saw my message but didn’t bother to reply. Rude.”

          “Anyway, he’s not my boyfriend and I’m glad you’re already here.” Taehyun scooched over to the side and prepared to stand. “Let’s go or we’ll be late to the reservation.”

          “Wait,” Beomgyu said, pinning Taehyun’s wrist on the table with his quick hand and startling him. “Let me tell you right now.”

          “Tell me what?”

          “Don’t fall for him,” Beomgyu said blankly, like it was a normal occurrence to fall in love with the people you just met. “I’m getting a feeling that he’s dangerous.”

          Too late, Beomgyu, because Taehyun had already started to fall in love. 

          Taehyun huffed out a breath and released his wrist from Beomgyu’s hold. “I’m not like you, hyung,” he said with derision, reminding Beomgyu of the times he fell in love and had his heart broken. “Plus, I don’t think he’s dangerous. Your radar is inaccurate, as always.”

          Beomgyu rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Whatever. It’s your life, but remember I’m always here for you if you get your heart broken,” he said cheerfully and opened his arms wide, making Taehyun chuckle lightly.

          “Yes, hyung, I know you are,” Taehyun replied and looked at him fondly. “And let’s go now or we’ll be late.”

          Taehyun left the coffee shop with Beomgyu in high spirits too. He was blissful that he met someone else he could be comfortable with, and perhaps he was someone who could listen to his deep thoughts and impossible wishes without any judgement.

          Taehyun’s intuition was greater than Beomgyu’s but Beomgyu was right this time. Not that Kai was dangerous, but what their relationship could result in could be dangerous. But that wasn’t on Taehyun’s mind, he had no idea. He already let his guard down and unknowingly allowed a vampire to enter his life, a vampire that would change it.

Chapter Text

          “Will I see you again?”

          “Yes.”

          Those words echoed in Kai’s mind once again as another day passed since the last time he saw Taehyun in the coffee shop. He had been waiting for the next time they’d meet but it hadn’t come yet. Taehyun had been too busy, with work and other things, and Kai thought it might’ve been his fault. He might’ve jinxed it after all his lies about being such a busy person. Maybe the universe said he went overboard and made Taehyun the busy one instead.

          But it was fine, Kai thought and thanked god for technology, because he and Taehyun had been texting each other often, mostly at night when Taehyun finished work. Their conversations could go on for hours until Taehyun always fell asleep in the middle of replying to Kai. And over the course of three weeks, despite not seeing each other, they became very close friends, so close that Beomgyu started becoming jealous and felt like his best friend was being taken away from him as Taehyun hilariously told Kai over text.

          Kai thought it was amusing and ridiculous yet he had a sense of victory in him like he was winning a competition against Beomgyu. But it wasn’t like that because he already won and Taehyun had been tied to Kai since long ago.

          Kai was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling as he waited for Taehyun’s regular message to arrive but it was too late. It was already past midnight and Taehyun still hadn’t messaged him. Kai thought of different possibilities as to why. Maybe he was too tired to talk, maybe he was working overtime, or maybe he was at a company dinner? It was a Friday night so it was possible.

          Kai sighed heavily while he watched the circling ceiling fan, his eyes following its motions until he felt dizzy. So he turned to his side and curled up into a ball, wishing his phone would ring and display Taehyun’s name on the screen.

          During those few weeks, they only texted each other and never talked on the phone. Kai thought he wanted to hear Taehyun’s voice again, at least once more, but he was too nervous to call him or suggest it.

          Suddenly, his wish was granted. It was like magic. His phone rang very loudly and vibrated, buzzing around on the wooden nightstand. Kai quickly grabbed it, sat up, and stared at the name flashing on the screen. It was Taehyun calling, unusual, but Kai pressed his phone against his chest as he closed his eyes and thanked the heavens for answering his prayers.

          He cleared his throat, took a deep breath, and caressed his pounding chest before he swiped his thumb to answer the call. “Hello?”

          “Oh, hello Kai,” Taehyun spoke on the other line. His voice was a bit raspy, like he had just woken up from a prolonged nap, but it still sounded warm and comforting to Kai. Just those three words made Kai smile like an idiot and he was relieved Taehyun couldn’t see it. “Sorry, I immediately fell asleep when I got home. It’s been a long day.”

          “It’s alright,” Kai replied, “But you shouldn’t have called then. You should go back to sleep.”

          Kai thought just hearing Taehyun’s voice for a short moment was enough. He didn’t need to have a long conversation with him and he thought it was better to let him rest.

          “No, it’s fine. I’m already wide awake,” Taehyun said, his voice still rough. “And I called to tell you something. I might forget it in the morning and it'll be too difficult to type it.”

          “What is it?” Kai asked curiously as he rose from the bed, then he shuffled his feet out the door, towards the spiral staircase and climbed down to go to the kitchen.

          “Actually, I haven’t forgotten the other ones so I’m sure I’d still remember this one tomorrow,” Taehyun said vaguely, confusing Kai for a minute, but he continued, “I’ve been having strange dreams. They’re so vivid too and I dreamt of another one just now. So I tried calling Beomgyu hyung first but he didn’t answer. He’s sleeping most likely. I told you he sleeps like a log.”

          Kai smiled faintly when he heard Taehyun’s chuckling over the phone. He imagined what Taehyun probably looked like with his half moon eyes and high cheekbones and a wide grin.

          Kai put the call on loudspeaker and placed his phone on the kitchen island as he took a wine glass and a bottle of blood from his wine rack. He thought it was a good time to try a bit of the O blood Yeonjun had gifted to him last month. Kai didn’t usually like drinking O blood because it was either too sweet or too plain to him but since it was from Yeonjun who was an expert, he thought he’d give it another chance.

          “Kai, you there?” Taehyun asked over the phone, his voice starting to return to normal. There was little background noise coming from his side. Kai could hear something like the voices of people, probably from the television, and the sound of a glass being placed on a wooden surface.

          “I’m listening.” Kai raised his voice, allowing his phone’s microphone to receive it. He uncorked the bottle and pop! It sounded in the kitchen and traveled across the other line, letting Taehyun hear.

          “What was that?”

          “Oh, sorry, I just opened a new bottle of bloo- of w-wine!” Kai stuttered as he poured it in the glass. He shot his eyes wide and laughed nervously, then he took a sip. Whoops, he almost outed himself as a blood drinker. “I’m drinking wine!”

          “Me too!” Taehyun yelled and was surprised by the coincidence. 

          Such a coincidence didn’t happen only once but a few times before too. One of the past nights, they were both coincidentally watching the same show while they messaged each other. On another night, they were both stargazing at the same time. Just recently, they were both listening to the same song. And this time, they were both drinking wine as they spoke to each other on the phone. It was like they were connected, Taehyun thought. It was puzzling, a mystery to him.

          But it wasn’t to Kai. He just laughed it off and he felt his body fill with glee, not because of the coincidence but because Yeonjun’s gift was superb. It was different from all the O blood Kai drank before and wondered how it could taste that good. That was the mystery to him.

          “What happened in your dreams?” Kai asked Taehyun as he sat on one of the high bar stools beside the kitchen island, letting his feet dangle.

          “Right,” Taehyun started and inhaled deeply, preparing for a long talk, “I’ll start with the one I had just before I called because it’s the freshest in my mind.”

          “Go ahead.”

          “It started with me walking around in a forest or something. I was alone and then I saw someone in a cave. I thought he was dead at first but when I approached him, he was breathing heavily but he was sleeping, I think.”

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed as he heard Taehyun’s story. Familiar, both Taehyun’s dream and their current situation. Hundreds of years ago, they were also talking about the mortal’s dream of being in a cave with a vampire. And although he already knew what it would be about, Kai let Taehyun continue. He wanted to know more of what happened from his perspective, maybe also find out why he left so suddenly. “And then?”

          “And then it’s weird,” Taehyun continued with enthusiasm becoming more evident in his tone. “For some weird reason, I lifted the man’s lip and there were fangs! He was a vampire!”

          Kai pretended to be shocked, making a long oh sound with a blank expression on his face as he twirled his wine glass around carelessly. He already knew that part. It wasn’t new. He lived through it.

          “But I wasn’t scared. I took a knife from my pocket and cut my palm then I let my blood drip in the vampire’s mouth.”

          “Wow, how brave.” Kai tried to make the situation lighter, preventing himself from getting sentimental because that moment was very significant to him. That memory carried many emotions, both good and bad. And if not for that gesture of the mortal, Kai wouldn’t be drinking excellent blood in a posh kitchen while talking to the person he loved a thousand years later. “What happened? Did he wake up?”

          “No, actually I woke up,” Taehyun said plainly, “That was it.”

          “That’s it?!” Kai shouted, shaking the blood in his glass and spilling a few drops on the marble surface of the kitchen island. He was disappointed. He was expecting to hear more yet he only got what he already knew. The reason why the mortal left him still was a mystery, a case left unsolved. “Nothing else?”

          “You sound more disappointed than me.” Taehyun laughed out loud, making fun of Kai’s reaction. “I also wanted to see more but that’s it. But it felt so real, like I was really there!”

          Kai was hit with nostalgia. That exact statement of Taehyun’s he already heard six centuries ago from a woman with the same dream, the same face, and the same soul. The heavy feeling of disappointment quickly vanished and was replaced with a light feeling of joy. He enjoyed reminiscing about his past and it felt like he was reminiscing together with Taehyun. But he was curious about something else. He thought it was a bit risky to ask about it yet he still did. 

          “What did the vampire look like?”

          “The vampire looked…” Taehyun trailed off, thinking about what to answer. It slightly worried Kai, making him regret asking. He didn’t know what answer to expect. “That, I don’t remember much,” Taehyun said, sadly.

          Kai huffed out a breath and sipped his drink. He was unsure if that sigh was one of relief or of dissatisfaction. Part of him didn’t want Taehyun to recognize him from seeing his younger self while another part of him wanted Taehyun to know that it was him. He wanted him to know that he was the vampire he saved and he still hadn’t thanked him properly for it. 

          But if Taehyun did remember what the vampire looked like, then Kai would be in a little trouble. Taehyun’s smart, he’d have some kind of realization soon enough even just from his dreams. Kai just hoped it wouldn’t happen. He didn’t want Taehyun to know that he wasn’t human, thinking maybe if Taehyun found out then his plan would fail. He was at the starting point, he didn’t want to lose already.

          “Although I don’t remember his face, he felt familiar,” Taehyun continued, “I think he was someone I knew.”

          Kai formed a tiny smile on his face. That was good enough for him, he thought. He didn’t need Taehyun to know any more than that. “That’s interesting,” Kai commented.

          “Though I’m glad you asked about him,” Taehyun said over the phone. Kai arched a brow at it, wondering why Taehyun was glad. He didn’t think that was the right emotion. “Because he's the main character in my dreams, not me.”

          “What do you mean?” Kai asked genuinely. He did not have a slightest idea of what Taehyun meant. He only had the idea that Taehyun may have been having continuous visions of his past lives, calling them strange dreams, but what did Taehyun mean by the vampire being the main character?

          “Like I said,” Taehyun emphasized. “I’ve been having strange dreams since around two weeks ago and the vampire kept appearing in them. In every dream, I looked a bit different but the vampire was always there, looking the same.”

          “Of course he’ll look the same. He’s a vampire, he doesn’t age!” Kai tried to outsmart him but he was actually hiding his anxiety by doing so. He was anxious because Taehyun said he didn’t remember what the vampire looked like yet he said he appeared in every dream looking the same, meaning he recognized him. That didn’t seem to add up, Kai thought.

          “Yeah, I know that, smartass,” Taehyun sneered at Kai and clicked his tongue. They were already close enough to call each other such names and joke around. “But I only discovered that he was a vampire just from the last dream. At first, I thought he was like my guardian angel or maybe my soulmate, because why’s he always there?”

          “That’s funny,” Kai said but he didn’t know what to feel. He had furrowed brows, a racing heart, and he was thinking deeply. One of Taehyun's guesses was spot on but Taehyun shook it off after knowing it was a vampire he was dreaming about. Kai didn’t know how to react, and he said he didn’t want Taehyun to know about him being a vampire yet he unconsciously kept hinting on it. “Can’t a vampire be your soulmate?”

          “I don’t know. Is it possible? A human and a vampire, soulmates?”

          It was a slap in Kai’s face, a good one at that. Was it really possible? For a human and a vampire to be soulmates, to be together? Kai also didn’t know. It was only heard of once but it didn’t end well, so that made it seem like it was impossible. But he and Taehyun existed so he was sure it was possible, or at least he wanted to believe it was possible because he really didn’t know. “I don’t know. Don’t ask me.”

          “That’s a good topic for debate,” Taehyun thought out loud as he stroked his chin.

          “It isn’t,” Kai shot the two words straight out of his mouth then downed the rest of his drink. He let out a refreshed breath and explained why he thought so, “Vampires don’t even exist.”

          “You don’t think they exist?” Taehyun asked, his tone a bit vague.

          Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. He thought Taehyun was a realistic person who didn’t believe anything without proof. Kai never thought Taehyun would be one to actually say vampires could exist when they have become a mere myth to human beings. He leaned forward, pressing his body against the edge of the kitchen island and placing his crossed arms on it. 

          “You think they do? Kang Taehyun thinks vampires exist?”

          “Maybe.” Taehyun lowered the corner of lips and shrugged as if Kai would see it. What Kai also unfortunately didn’t see was Taehyun arching his brow like he was taunting him or challenging him to say something about his next statement. “They could be living alongside us, pretending to be humans. I think it’s feasible.”

          Kai immediately straightened his back, sitting right up, dumbfounded. 

          Although Kai couldn’t see Taehyun’s face, he could hear it in his voice. Taehyun’s tone had been strange since he started talking about the vampire. It was like he was trying to hint on something. Kai thought of a possibility of what it could be. But it couldn’t be, right? Kai thought it couldn’t be possible for Taehyun to know that he was a vampire, or at least have a suspicion on it, especially from only seeing him twice. Unless, Kai had been unknowingly spilling clues from the fragments of his life that he told to Taehyun over text and Taehyun had pieced them all together. But he’d only been telling him of his travels around the world and his friends Yeonjun and Soobin, nothing more. Nothing about blood-drinking, nothing about the true nature of Yeonjun’s bar, nothing about knowing Taehyun since many many years ago. Nothing about being a vampire.

          Yet he was uneasy. He couldn’t sit right in his seat so he stood on his feet and leaned back against the kitchen island, crossing his ankles while he continued to talk to Taehyun on the phone. He thought he had to change the subject, the vampire talk was making him crazy. 

          “Anyway, what other dreams did you have?”

          “Here’s the first one I had two weeks ago,” Taehyun immediately replied, “I remember it clearly like it really happened to me. In that dream, I was a woman.”

          “Attractive?” Kai interrupted him, trying to joke around and was curious to which century this dream was set, which of the three women was in that first dream.

          “Gorgeous,” Taehyun said blankly, making Kai laugh like mad on the other line. 

          Kai was amused by that and loved Taehyun’s sense of humor. He was speaking the truth too, because he really was gorgeous as a woman.

          “You don’t have to know what I looked like. What happened is, I was in a fancy room, like a small restaurant or something.”

          “A cafe,” Kai thought to himself as he rubbed his nape. It was their last meeting before that year, the meeting that made him determined to chase after the mortal soul finally. Kai smiled to himself because he was finally making a bit of progress although still at the starting point.

          “And I was sketching a portrait of the vampire. I didn’t know he was a vampire then. We were having fun together, I think we were friends and I think I really enjoyed drawing him. Then when I finished the sketch, someone arrived and I hugged him. I don’t remember that person’s face but I think he wasn’t that important.”

          Kai arched a brow and smirked arrogantly. That person really was of no importance, he thought as his jealousy took over him for a second. “And then?”

          “And then I talked to the vampire but he wasn’t answering. He was only looking at me with his mouth open. I don’t know why I didn’t notice it then but I could’ve seen his fangs. But what I noticed was he was really handsome. I remember he had really nice eyes and a charming face like an angel’s.”

          A smile tugged on Kai’s lips and he was flattered. He wanted to comment and thank him for the compliments but he knew he couldn’t. Then he creased his forehead and quickly curved his lips down upon having a realization. He swiftly turned around and spoke directly to the microphone, “Hold on, earlier you said you don’t remember what the vampire looked like?”

          “Yeah, I don’t,” Taehyun simply answered. If only Kai could see Taehyun’s face then he could probably judge if he was lying or not. “I just remember feeling that way, not that I really remember it.”

          “But you said it was vivid, like you were really there.” Kai was suspicious. It was weird.

          “Everything else was except his face, okay?” Taehyun explained and rushed to say, “Moving on!”

          Kai narrowed his eyes and dropped to the bar stool again. He leaned forward, planted his elbow on top of the kitchen island to carry his head, and drummed his fingernails against the cold marble surface. He was thinking about Taehyun’s strange behavior and planned to forgive him. Taehyun probably thought he was weird when they first met at the bar too, Kai recalled.

          He stretched an arm to grab the bottle of blood sitting on the side and poured some in his wine glass again. When he finished refilling it, he brought the rim of the glass to his lips.

          “I was in a hurry so I just said goodbye to the vampire or something like that then left with linked arms with the other man. We rode a carriage outside but I asked the coachman to turn around before we got too far.”

          Kai paused and turned towards the source of Taehyun’s voice. He kept his gaze on it as he brought the wine glass back down. He had to hear clearly what happened next.

          “I said I forgot to ask for the vampire’s name but when I got back, he was already gone.”

          Kai was alarmed. He was in shock, making him fix his posture. He remembered he simply left the cafe in low spirits after the woman left and he had no idea she came back. She came back for him, even.

          He asked himself many questions. He asked himself what would have happened if he had stayed there, dazed and distracted, and what if he had waited? Then maybe he could have known the woman’s name or even get to know her . He thought it was foolish of him to have wasted an opportunity because he immediately sulked and didn’t even do anything about it. He thought he was the dumbest person alive. 

          “Are you still listening?”

          Kai drifted away from his thoughts when Taehyun’s voice echoed in the kitchen for another time. When Taehyun’s warm and comforting voice rang in Kai’s ears, Kai was reminded of where he was and of Kang Taehyun’s existence. The vampire’s lips curled up as he looked fondly in the space in front of him, imagining Taehyun sitting there with him.

          If it was a month ago when he found out about what happened after their last meeting, he would have been so angry and regretful. He would have felt so aggrieved and he probably would be for the next hundred years or so, or he probably would be weeping in his home for the same amount of time. But because he found out about it after he had met Taehyun, he wasn’t so. He couldn’t help but be a bit vexed but for the most part he didn’t care anymore. He didn’t care because he already had Taehyun.

          He thought he was the dumbest person alive for disregarding his love for Taehyun even for a moment.

          “That’s a bit sad,” Kai commented then finally drank blood again.

          “It is,” Taehyun agreed. “Kinda like a movie, isn’t it?”

          “That’s true,” Kai said then chuckled lightly. If anyone made a movie out of his love story, people would probably go watch it. “I wish I had dreams like that, like movies,” he wished. He also wished to watch his memories play again and again and he mostly daydreamed about them. He was enjoying this conversation. He was enjoying it too much. “Do you have more?”

          “I do but look at the time!” Taehyun exclaimed, making Kai take a peek at the ticking wall clock in his living room. They had been talking for a while. “I have to catch up on sleep and I have to get up early tomorrow.” Kai heard a heavy sigh come from Taehyun’s side. “Time really passes by when we talk.”

          “Yes,” Kai agreed and twirled the wine glass around his fingers. He enjoyed watching the red liquid circle around. He was smiling, widely enough to completely reveal his sharp fangs. “It’s really fun to talk with you.”

          “We should call more often,” Taehyun suggested.

          Kai’s lips were already stretched out yet they still tried to reach his ears. He was that delighted by the suggestion. If he knew it was that easy then he would’ve suggested it a long time ago. 

          “We should.”

          Then there was a long moment of silence in the air. They both thought they should have said their goodbyes by then but it was as if both were expecting the other to say something more. It was as if none of them wanted to end the call. Even the universe was waiting but nothing was being said, so Kai tried to be bold and suggested something.

          “Actually,” Kai broke the silence, “What if you tell me about the rest of your dreams while we have wine in person and not through a phone call?”

          His heart was racing, pounding against his chest. He tried to contain it within him and slouched over the kitchen island, pressing his forehead on it too. He waited for Taehyun’s answer and he hoped it was an answer he liked.

          “That would be great,” Taehyun answered, “But the next time I’m free would be on Friday.”

          “Then it’ll be on Friday!” Kai exclaimed as he straightened himself. “I’ll pick you up after work and let’s have dinner. How does that sound?”

          “I like that.”

          “So do I,” Kai blurted out. He closed his eyes and slapped a palm to his forehead, mortified by the slip of his tongue.

          “Then I’ll see you on Friday?” Taehyun continued to ask as if he didn’t hear Kai’s comment but he couldn’t get the smile off his face.

          “I’ll see you on Friday,” Kai said, brushing off the embarrassment from what he said earlier. 

          “Okay then. Good night, Kai.”

          “Good night, Taehyun.”

          The call ended with both of them wearing wide smiles.

          Kai wanted to shout in triumph like he just won the hardest tournament. He wanted to race around the neighborhood and yell at his neighbors because he just got Taehyun to agree to a date with him. He pumped his fists in the air and pressed his lips together, suppressing the cries he wanted to let out.

          He was elated simply by the idea of seeing Taehyun again. Who knew it would take a month after that morning in the coffee shop? But it wasn’t a problem for Kai that it took that long. He had waited much much longer than that and he was used to waiting. Seven days weren’t long at all.

          On Taehyun’s end, it was quite similar.

          After ending the call with Kai, Taehyun raised his fists in front of him and performed jabs and straights, punching the air around him. It was his way of loosening up. After tiring himself from a few seconds of vigorous air boxing, he faced the ceiling as he huffed his breath then he put both his palms to his face, trying to cover the most idiotic smile he ever wore in his whole life. 

          He’s going on a date. He’s going on a date with Kai, the person he was falling for. Taehyun was aware of his own feelings, at least. He noticed it a few days after meeting Kai in the coffee shop, when he couldn’t stop thinking about him and how he felt so familiar despite being someone new, so he mustered up the courage to start messaging him consistently. And those consistent messages just made Taehyun fall deeper and deeper each day.

          Taehyun skipped around his apartment, still having that smile on his face even as he looked at the calendar. The upcoming week was full, he was booked, each weekday scribbled on except for Friday. Usually, Taehyun would be groaning as he marked something on the calendar but he wrote on the space under Friday gladly and without complaint.

          His only complaint would be about the distance between that Friday and the current Friday on the calendar. Seven days. It was too long, Taehyun thought. He couldn’t wait that long and he could just imagine himself shaking with impatience in his office chair each day before Friday came. He didn’t like it yet he had no choice. He wasn’t a magician who could control time so the only thing he could do was to wait patiently and pray for time to go faster.

          He prayed for that yet time did nothing but run at a consistent rate. And although it did, it felt excruciatingly slow for both Taehyun and Kai. Both of them had been staring at their calendars for an unhealthy amount of time that their stares could bore holes through the dates. Even Kai who had waited his whole life felt ticked at how the days could pass by so slowly, but still, Friday arrived.

          When it finally came, Kai suddenly started complaining about how it came so fast. He didn't have enough time to prepare, he muttered as he stared at himself in the mirror wearing outfit number… something. (He lost count.) He had been trying on different outfits for three hours and was also torn on whether he should part his fringe or not. Those six days of waiting, he only did that, so on the day of their date, he felt rushed.

          He ended up wearing a striped collared shirt under the red Mickey Mouse patterned sweater Soobin bought him recently. He partnered them with a pair of white jeans for a clean look. He also eventually decided to slightly part his hair in the middle that his forehead was simply peeking. “Good!” he declared before he headed for Taehyun’s office.

          On the way there, Kai had a mix of emotions within him. One of them was excitement, another was nervousness, and there was a feeling of contentment. Aside from that, he felt that his hands were empty and light. He didn’t bring an umbrella because the sun was absent, there was no need for it, and his valuables were resting in his pockets. 

          “Should I have brought flowers?” he thought when he stood before the tall building which was Taehyun’s office.

          When he started thinking about finding the nearest flower shop, his phone buzzed.

          “I finished work early today! Just message me when you’re here and I’ll come down immediately.”

          Upon reading the message from Taehyun, Kai instantly etched a smile on his lips and sent his reply. He couldn’t wait any longer. He could give him flowers some other time. There were plenty more chances in the future. There must be.

          “I’m outside. See you.”

          Taehyun wasn’t joking when he said he’d come down immediately. He didn’t even bother sending a reply when he received Kai’s text. He really did go down immediately like he was fighting against time and arrived in front of Kai exhaling heavy breaths.

          Kai didn’t know what to say when he saw Taehyun after four weeks, panting and looking so handsome in a proper business suit. It was an unusual sight to see him wearing glasses too, and his hair combed to the side, completely exposing his forehead. He was so striking that all Kai could do was gaze at him and the glow he was exuding.

          Taehyun also noticed how Kai was dressed. He thought he looked stunning and his style was completely different from the first two times he met him. He never imagined that Kai could be even more charming than he last remembered.

          They were both gazing at each other without uttering a word. They noticed each other’s charms but they didn’t notice this. They had spent weeks talking without actually seeing each other so finally being able to talk in person was a little strange to them, making them savor the sight of each other’s faces that both of them had missed for a month. It was only when a passerby sneezed very loudly like thunderclap did they flinch and realize what they were doing.

          “Shall we go?” Kai initiated and directed his hand to his right. 

          Taehyun nodded and followed Kai’s direction, walking a step behind him. From his position, he could very well see Kai’s build and height. He realized that that was the first time he could actually properly look at Kai walking near him. That night in the bar, the ambience was a bit dim and he wasn’t his sane self so he didn’t pay him much attention. That morning in the coffee shop, they were sitting down. And this evening on the sidewalk, Taehyun figured out how high he had to lift his chin to be able to watch Kai’s fluffy hair bounce as he took each step.

          “It’s only a walking distance from here,” Kai said. He continued walking with purpose, facing the direction of the restaurant he chose. It was two blocks away yet he could see it clearly and he watched the people sitting by the windows. “I thought you’d be exhausted and taking you somewhere far would only tire you more.”

          “That’s thoughtful of you,” Taehyun replied, still watching him from behind. 

          He had no idea where Kai was taking him but just walking together already seemed fun. The air between them was relaxed, not a hint of awkwardness present. It didn’t even feel like it was only the third time they met, Taehyun thought. It was very strange, especially when he thought things might get uncomfortable in person since all the talking they had done had been through their phones, yet it wasn’t at all. In fact, he felt more safe and secure with Kai around his space, like nothing could go wrong when he was with him.

          Contrasting the wish he had last week, Taehyun wanted time to go slower or maybe even freeze it. He wanted their walk to last longer.

          Taehyun lowered his eyes from the back of Kai’s head to his long limbs swinging on the side of his body. Then he felt an urge coming from inside him. He had the itching urge to link his own arm with Kai’s. 

          It was a habit of his — linking arms with the people he was close to — but he was holding himself back from doing it with Kai. They were close friends, enough to make Beomgyu feel threatened, yet not intimate enough to link arms, Taehyun supposed. So he didn’t dare do it and simply looked at Kai’s lonely arm.

          They halted before a pedestrian crossing and waited patiently for the signal, surrounding themselves with a crowd also standing by. It was quite noisy while they waited. Tires screeched on the concrete roads, businessmen yelled while on their phones, and loud chattering voices lingered in the evening atmosphere. Sounds were coming from everywhere except from Taehyun and Kai. Both had kept silent and were drowned in their own thoughts. Then another sound added to the mix. The signal went to tell the pedestrians that it was safe to cross and the heavy footsteps of the people sounded like light drumming.

          Kai and Taehyun followed and crossed the street, not looking at each other and only straight in front. But Kai was marching ahead, too fast, and he didn’t notice that Taehyun was a few paces behind him.

          Taehyun tried to catch up to Kai’s speed yet he remained behind, only able to see Kai’s broad back turned to him. When he lowered his gaze again, he saw Kai’s hand, free and empty. For a moment, Taehyun attempted to reach out and grab it. He wanted to hold on to it because he was lagging behind and because he wanted to know what it felt like to have Kai’s hand in his.

          This went on until they reached the next pedestrian crossing. Taehyun had been trying to match Kai’s pace and despite being an athletic person, he was short of breath. It was a wonder to him that Kai seemed fine, like he was simply taking a stroll in a park, not that they were rushing to cross the wide street with only seven seconds left on the timer.

          Six. Five.

          Kai dashed, increasing the distance between him and Taehyun, until Taehyun strived to match his speed and decrease the distance.

          Four. Three.

          Taehyun wasn’t looking on the road. He had his eyes still on Kai’s hand and this time he stretched his arm out to grab it. He was struggling and didn’t want to get left behind, but Kai’s hand was out of reach and Taehyun couldn’t touch it.

          Two. One.

          They successfully crossed the street but Taehyun was unsuccessful in holding Kai’s hand. 

          It was like Kai was moving away from him. It was like Kai was unreachable. It was like Kai was leaving him behind. And it was like Taehyun would someday become someone Kai would forget and bury in history. Taehyun was unsure but during a split second, he might have had a vision of it. 

          Taehyun bent over, held his knees, and tried to catch his breath. It took Kai long but thankfully he found Taehyun weary behind him. He approached him and asked how he was doing while he pretended to huff out breaths in an unstable pattern. He also apologized for running ahead without even checking on him. 

          It wasn’t that Kai actually forgot about Taehyun but it was that Kai forgot that Taehyun couldn’t run like him. Although he barely sped up, it was still too fast for a human. The thought completely vanished from his mind and he felt sheepish that he let Taehyun run that much in an uncomfortable suit and a pair of dress shoes on his feet. The only thought that filled Kai’s mind the whole trip was that he wanted to get to the restaurant straight away. He was too excited to have dinner with Taehyun.

          Taehyun straightened his back, then he brushed his left hand in the air while his right was resting on his hip. His breathing pattern was still shaky when he said, “It’s fine, it’s fine. We’re right on time, aren’t we?”

          Kai checked his wristwatch. “We’re a bit early.”

          Taehyun clicked his tongue and scratched his neck as he faced the ground. He hated that the restaurant was too close. He was annoyed that the walk was too quick. He was irritated that he couldn’t even be side-by-side with Kai while they went there. He only wanted to take the time walking with Kai and enjoy every moment of it yet what he got were painful feet and a rapid heart rate. 

          Taehyun lifted his head and looked up at the man standing in front of him. He knew he was looking directly into Kai’s eyes yet for a second he thought he saw the stars in them. He smiled faintly at him, still feeling regret but he was happy. He was happy just by being with him in person and made a suggestion that could make up for what was lost.

          “Then let’s take our time,” Taehyun suggested, “In going there.”

          Kai nodded while smiling vaguely and pointed the way to the entrance of a high building with numerous floors. This time, he took each step slowly and carefully.

          They felt the night breeze pass and ruffle their hair slightly as they walked next to each other quietly. It was as if they were surveying the path for land mines because of the hushed air between them. Although it didn’t bother them, Kai still broke the silence.

          “What kind of dreams would you tell me tonight?” Kai asked as he pocketed his hands, his voice smooth and relaxed.

          “Only the three dreams I haven’t told you,” Taehyun answered, watching his feet move together with Kai’s. “I didn’t have any more strange dreams after last week.”

          “I see.”

          “I’m forgetting them little by little though,” Taehyun rushed to say as he furrowed his brows, still looking down, “Can I tell you about them now? I might not remember much of the details by the time we get to the restaurant.”

          “Whenever you’re comfortable,” Kai said with an assuring voice, glancing sideways at Taehyun.

          Taehyun continued to knit his brows as he tried to recall every bit of his strange dreams. He couldn’t fully remember them anymore unlike last week when even the first ever dream was clear as glass in his memory. The only bits remaining were the general parts, but it was better than nothing, so he hurried and told them to Kai.

          “The second dream, if I remember correctly,” Taehyun started while he pinched the area between his eyes and concentrated, “I was also a woman like the first dream. Yeah, I think that’s right.”

          “Attra-”

          “Yes, I was also beautiful, that’s not to be questioned anymore.” Taehyun turned to Kai and chuckled lightly when he saw his surprised face. “That dream was short. The vampire and I were walking together.” Taehyun blinked at Kai who was also concentrating and listening to his words, then he turned to the sidewalk again to watch where he was going. “Just like we are right now. We were walking until it was dark then I remember it becoming morning and we parted ways.”

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed. He didn’t know what else to say or show. That dream was a memory that made his heart ache whenever he remembered it. It was when he had lost an opportunity that was right under his nose and he hated himself for a while after it. But he turned out fine after a few decades, so it wasn’t that big of a problem anymore. Not when he was this happy with Kang Taehyun.

          “The third dream was also short and I was also a woman there. I remember running away somewhere. I don’t know who or what I was running away from. I just remember feeling so scared.”

          Kai creased his forehead and frowned. That night brought him good emotions and a good memory yet it also made his heart ache. He felt distressed by the woman’s circumstances and he wondered if she ever became free after their chat.

          “Then the next thing I knew, I was sitting on the edge of a cliff and the vampire arrived beside me. And that’s all I remember of that dream.”

          Kai nodded and showed his genuine interest in Taehyun’s stories of his dreams. It wasn’t only because Kai had lived through them but because Taehyun looked enthusiastic while talking about them.

          They entered the building’s entrance and passed through the revolving door. When they arrived inside, they were greeted by strong lights coming from various shops. They were surrounded by expensive clothing brands and high end stores. They continued to walk inside and headed for the elevator while Taehyun kept going about his dreams.

          “Then the fourth one is the longest as far as I know but I just can’t seem to remember everything!” Taehyun cried out, showing his disappointment in his memory. Although his memory of that dream was failing him, he still went to tell the story with the same amount of enthusiasm as the previous ones. “I was a boy in this one, in a… farm, I think. And I was stargazing with the vampire. I don’t know what we were talking about but it was a lot of fun.” Then his face lit up in an instant upon remembering an important detail, stopping in his tracks. “Oh!”

          Kai’s reminiscing was interrupted and his attention was caught by that loud oh. He turned his heel to face Taehyun who was already looking right at him. He wondered why Taehyun had let it out and why Taehyun looked like he just discovered some buried treasure. 

          “What is it?”

          “I actually already knew he was a vampire then!”

          “You what?” Kai was also surprised. He didn’t know that. He knew the farmer boy might have been suspicious of him but he didn’t know that the farmer boy found out.

          “I don’t remember the other details but I saw his fangs when he said goodbye. He was smiling like this-” Taehyun raised the corner of his lips to demonstrate and showed his own toothy grin. “-then I saw them!”

          Kai had no idea. He had no idea his fangs were visible then, he didn’t even remember that he was smiling that widely. Was he really that happy talking to the farmer boy that he smiled that hard, exposing his fangs?

          “Anyway, that’s everything.” Taehyun slouched and pouted as he resumed his trip to the elevator.

          Although Taehyun had gone ahead, Kai’s feet were unmoving. He cocked his head to the side as he chewed over Taehyun’s fourth dream. “I should be more careful with smiling,” he thought, then caught up to Taehyun when he called his name.

          The elevator was empty when they went inside. Kai raised his hand to press the button labeled with “34” and stepped back to the space next to Taehyun. As the elevator brought them up to the 11th floor, there was still a bit of distance between them. Then when the elevator doors opened on the 12th floor, they were pushed back by a group of people stepping in as well. On the 24th floor, a few more people entered. Then when the elevator stopped at the 29th floor, another group squeezed in, closing the very tiny space between Taehyun and Kai.

          The elevator was dead silent and everyone inside it had vacant stares, only setting their eyes on either their phone screens or on the numbers on the wall. Taehyun couldn’t help but do the same. He was staring at the number 29 and watched how it went up to 30, then 31. It was taking its time.

          Normally, Taehyun would get pissed off and glare at the floor numbers because it took forever to move from one level to another and what made it worse was it was packed, but during that elevator ride, he was in high spirits. He was pressed against the wall and Kai and he didn’t know what to do except that he shouldn’t move, but he liked that they were close to each other. The only thing he didn’t like was the high-speed ringing sound of his heartbeat.

          On the 33rd floor, everyone else in the small machine dispersed when the doors opened, leaving Taehyun and Kai alone. And although they already had plenty of space for themselves, they chose not to move and remained compressed in one corner of the elevator. Taehyun knew why he himself didn’t move but he didn’t know why the other also chose not to.

          Ding! The elevator sounded. At long last, the doors opened for them on the 34th floor. They stepped off the elevator and sighed heavily. 

          Kai continued to lead the way for Taehyun and brought him to the restaurant. Taehyun craned his neck and kept looking around as the server took them to their reserved table on the far end by the glass walls. It was a fancy restaurant, much like Yeonjun’s bar but it served Italian food.

          Occasionally, Taehyun would go to pricey restaurants whenever he celebrated anything and when Beomgyu invited him but he still wasn’t used to being in such a luxurious place. He somewhat felt out of place and it was out of his imagination that he would go on a date with Kai there.

          He continued fidgeting in his seat as he stared at the menu. Only two words popped in his head when he saw it, “It’s expensive.” 

          He could afford it, it’s just that it was overwhelming because he normally chose to eat cup noodles over being generous and treating himself with high quality food when he could.

          He watched Kai talk to the waiter in a very relaxed manner. It seemed like Kai was used to it, like this setting was familiar to him. It was that look Kai had as he casually selected some things from the menu that made Taehyun feel a bit uneasy. Obviously, Taehyun had the idea that Kai was pretty well off, because how could he go to so many places around the world within only twenty five years of living on earth? He knew that yet seeing Kai naturally blending in the lavish scene struck Taehyun more than he expected. There was something about Kai, the aura he radiated, that made Taehyun figure they were different after all.

          “Isn’t this place too fancy?” Taehyun boldly asked Kai after the waiter took their orders and left them alone. He waited for an answer. He wasn’t expecting any specific answer, he could take anything except something along the lines of “It’s not much.”

          “It is, actually. I might be underdressed,” Kai answered as he shifted his gaze around the room. The tables were covered with white cloths and intricate tableware were neatly arranged on top, the furniture were positioned in a way that isn’t cramped, a golden chandelier was hanging in the middle of the restaurant, and soft classical music was playing somewhere. Kai could go on and point out all the elements that made the place an extravagant one but nothing could top what was on his left. “The good food is one thing but I chose this place for the view.”

          Taehyun first arched a brow at his statement then turned his head to the view Kai was talking about. Following that, Taehyun’s wide eyes grew a bit larger and his lips separated at the sight of it. 

          The city lights shone in the dark night like stars in the sky. The height from where they were looking from made it even more breathtaking. It looked as pretty as a picture. Actually, it looked even better than a picture, Taehyun thought, it was incomparable. It was a sight to be seen with one’s own two eyes and even the best camera probably couldn’t capture its beauty.

          “It’s beautiful,” Taehyun admired the scenery, not taking his eyes away from it.

          “It is,” Kai said although he was looking at something else. He placed both his elbows on the table and laced his fingers so he could rest his chin on them. He tilted his head as he gazed at his date for the night.

          Usually, Kai would compare the moments he had with Kang Taehyun to the moments he had with the previous mortals who had the same soul, and that particular point in time mirrored the time when Kai had just met the noblewoman on the cliff. Both times, they were viewing the night city from a high location and it was the very same city. Kai also would’ve observed all of the extreme changes that happened in six hundred years, but surprisingly, not a single thought of the past had entered Kai’s mind. He was looking at Taehyun and only Taehyun entered his mind. It was like Taehyun was the only thing that mattered at that moment in time.

          Taehyun didn’t immediately notice that he was being stared at until the waiter came to fill their glasses with the wine Kai selected. His heart skipped a beat when he did, yet he stared back at the warm and loving gaze Kai was giving him. Then he asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

          “I’ve missed you, Kang Taehyun.”

          Taehyun unknowingly raised his eyebrows upon hearing those words. He thought he had to say something before his blood rushed to his cheeks. He thought he had to act daringly to hide it. 

          “I’ve missed you too but we’ve been talking every single day.”

          “I’ve missed seeing you,” Kai corrected. His sentence carried weight and meaning. 

          “And why is that?” Taehyun felt the weight but he was unsure of the reason behind it. 

          “It’s nothing.” Kai just dismissed it and let out a sigh. 

          He fixed his posture, removing his elbows on the table, then reached for his wine glass. It wasn’t the usual “wine” he drank, but he had to give it some attention because it was one of the reasons he used to set that date. He watched the red liquid swirl around the glassware and sniffed it, imitating what he learned from a wine tasting session he experienced in France and Italy previously, then he brought the rim to his lips to taste it. It wasn’t disgusting but it wasn’t exactly something he’d enjoy either, Kai thought, blaming his vampire taste buds.

          “Nothing?” Taehyun was doubtful. What did Kai mean by he missed seeing him and by nothing? Taehyun furrowed his brows as he watched Kai sip the wine so elegantly. “Really?”

          “Nothing.” Kai set the glass back to its original spot. “I just wanted to see the person I fell head over heels for.”

          The world stopped. Everything was unmoving and in a blur. The air was dead. The only things giving life to that moment were the beating hearts of the mortal and the vampire. They both had blank stares at each other and they couldn’t read each other’s expressions. They didn’t know what the other was thinking during that moment when the world stopped.

          Taehyun immediately understood yet he couldn’t utter a word. He felt like the thin air was choking him, preventing him from replying, making him only stare at his date who just confessed. Then the vision from earlier came back to him, the vision of Kai turning his back to him and leaving him alone for eternity. It scared him. That vision gave him chills and he hated it. He didn’t want anything like it to happen to him, especially not Kai doing it. Then he remembered Beomgyu’s words, about Kai being dangerous, and how Taehyun shouldn’t fall for him. But what should he do? He already fell in love.

          “Beomgyu hyung is never right about those stuff,” Taehyun thought to himself, trying to shake off the unsettled feeling in his heart. “Kai isn’t dangerous. I know it.”

          He repeated it to himself. He thought it over and over again while he gazed at Kai. Suddenly, his dark view of the vampire became warm and soft, the air around him becoming lighter. He first saw him as a mysterious man who was so similar yet different to him but looking at him now, Kai looked like an innocent child, trembling because he just confessed without intending to.

          Kai just wanted to run away, flee to the ends of the earth and bury himself for admitting his feelings right away, but his feet were frozen in place. He wanted to grip his hair and rip it out of his scalp but his hands were glued to the table. He wanted to laugh in embarrassment and try to change the subject but his throat was dry and his lips were sewn shut. All he could do was blink and watch Taehyun sit there and do nothing.

          “I messed up!” Kai yelled in his head, “It’s too early to confess.”

          Then the world restarted. Everything else was clear and moving again. The air was revived. It was revived when Taehyun lowered his head and started chuckling to himself. 

          “Why is he laughing?” Kai thought and furrowed his brows. He still couldn’t move, or he dared not to.

          “Me too,” Taehyun finally replied. He reflected Kai’s warm and loving gaze back to him and leaned forward, placing his crossed arms on the table. After a bit of thinking and contemplating on the negative things which he brushed aside, he could smile and let his feelings out. What else could he do when he really liked Kai? Nothing could stop Kang Taehyun when Huening Kai was already there in front of him. “That’s why I’m here too.”

          Out of the blue, Taehyun reached out to touch Kai’s resting hand on the table and felt its lack of warmth. “You’re freezing!” He spotted the nearest air conditioner that was directly pointing towards Kai and figured it must be the reason why he was chilly. “Do you want to switch places?”

          Kai curled his hand into a fist but didn’t retract it. It still felt heavy and he was still dumbfounded by Taehyun’s reply. He was speechless and he couldn’t believe it. He simply let out his nervous laughter and said, “No, I’m fine here.”

          Taehyun smiled faintly and grabbed Kai’s hand with two hands, one on top and another below, enveloping it with the warmth of his palms. Then he brought it closer to him, making Kai stretch his arm out over the table, and pressed it against his cheek. Taehyun thought the heat from his blushing could be put to good use and let it warm Kai up.

          Unexpectedly, Kai moved his hand and slid his fingers under the frame of Taehyun’s thick-rimmed glasses, cupping Taehyun’s cheek instead. Taehyun didn’t mind and continued holding Kai’s hand on his face. 

          He wondered what holding Kai’s hand felt like and he finally knew the answer. It wasn’t exactly like he imagined it would be. It was cold but it still gave him comfort and tranquility. 

          Kai wondered too, for centuries, what it felt like to have someone to hold, and he finally knew the answer. And he was happy that it was Taehyun he held, no one else. After so many years, his feelings were reciprocated by his soulmate. And he was ecstatic that it was Taehyun, no one else. No one else mattered anymore, just Taehyun. 

          Kai thought if he was dreaming, then he wished he’d never wake up.

Chapter Text

          It never occurred to him before that it was possible for him to get excited about going out on summer days and he never imagined that he would be doing so since the season started. 

          Although he saw it coming when he and Taehyun started dating in spring, he never thought he’d agree to all the things Taehyun wanted to do despite it bringing danger to his life. Yet he took risks for his love even if it meant having to chug a bottle or two of blood for recovery after each date.

          But it was all fine, Kai thought. He looked on the bright side. Since dating Taehyun, he did plenty of things he’d never done before: he went on a picnic for the first time ever in his life, he watched a movie with someone who wasn’t Soobin nor Yeonjun, and he went shopping with Taehyun, not Soobin who usually picked out his clothes. Who knew hoodies were so comfortable? Since then, Kai filled his wardrobe with hoodies of different colors, making Taehyun amused at seeing a rainbow in his closet.

          The only date Kai couldn’t agree to was a date on the beach. That was a bit too much for him. Deadly, actually. Going to the beach was basically going to get some sun on your skin. He could take the umbrella he always brought with him, like he used to when he visited some beaches in the past, but bringing an umbrella to a beach date? Most likely, Taehyun wanted to play in the water or run barefoot on the sand so no, no, he’d look stupid with an umbrella, he thought. So he told Taehyun the reason why he couldn’t go to the beach and Taehyun was shocked when he learned about it.

          Taehyun felt guilty and regretted inviting Kai to outdoor dates at high noon. Kai said it was fine, that he didn’t have to feel guilty, because it was fault too. He said it was his fault for not telling earlier that he was allergic to the sun.

          Huening Kai, a liar, supposed it wasn’t exactly a lie. He really was sensitive to the sun. In fact, it could kill him. 

          And that’s how they ended up staying in Kai’s house, instead, on a Friday night, to watch movies while cuddling on the couch. 

          The coffee table was a mess; cans of soda were crowding the surface; bags of chips laid open and scattered; crumbs were everywhere on the table. Throw pillows were on the floor and half their blanket too. It looked like a storm passed by the living room yet it was peaceful.

          The lights in the living room were turned off and the only sources of light were from the paused television screen, the dim wall sconces, the tall lamp beside the sofa, and the strong light flooding from the kitchen. The night was silent. Only the occasional blaring of car horns sounded from a distance. The city seemed alive outside but in contrast, Kai’s living room was still and hushed.

          The last movie they watched was long over and they both laid on the sofa. Kai had his head resting nicely on its arm as he stared at the ceiling. He ran his fingers through Taehyun’s hair while he slept like a baby —part of his face buried on Kai’s chest, his arms wrapped around Kai’s waist, and his slow paced breathing played soothingly like music in Kai’s ears.

          Kai blinked at the ceiling while he contemplated on the life he’d led so far. It had been a long life —a little over a thousand years— and he had never felt that happy since the beginning of it. Just looking at Taehyun sleeping on his chest gave him joy no one ever gave him before. It was endearing to see and his heart warmed by it. He never knew it was possible to feel that much emotion. 

          He arched his neck to plant a kiss on the top of Taehyun’s head then scanned his eyes on his features like he usually did. He gazed at Taehyun’s closed lids and the pretty long lashes on them, his nose sharp as ever, and his lips pressed together wide and rosy. From whichever angle, under whichever light, looking at the heavenly face always felt like seeing it for the first time. Kai could never get tired of it. 

          Suddenly, Taehyun opened his eyes and angled his head to look up at Kai. Then he flashed him a faint smile while he struggled to lift his heavy eyelids, fluttering his lashes softly.

          “Sorry, did I wake you?” Kai whispered to ask.

          Taehyun shook his head slowly then helped himself up to sit properly, arched his neck and let his head fall on the back of the couch, closing his eyes as he inhaled a deep breath.

          Kai rose and shuffled to the kitchen to get him a glass of water then jogged back and handed it to him. “You should go back to sleep,” Kai said as he sat beside him, “You said you had a tough day, didn’t you?”

          “No, I shouldn’t be sleeping right now,” Taehyun said as he fixed his posture and lifted his feet off the floor to fold them on the seat cushion. He took the glass from Kai, thanked him and drank a little bit, then he placed it down on the coffee table along with the mess they made. “I won’t see you for a while starting Monday. I have to stay awake.”

          Kai chuckled softly as he turned to him. “Video calls exist.”

          “Yeah, but you get what I mean.” Taehyun faced Kai, his voice sounding worried and his eyes looking lonely. 

          Kai didn’t like seeing Taehyun like that but he too couldn’t help but wear the same expression. He had to hide it, he thought, and he had to act strong. 

          “It’s not too long, we can manage,” Kai said softly, reassuring Taehyun, “Remember, we didn’t even see each other for a month before we went on our first date.”

          Taehyun chuckled as he recalled it. It was true. They did get by and even managed to be very close friends just through sending messages and a few phone calls, but this was different. Back then, they weren’t dating, and this time, Taehyun couldn’t imagine how it’d feel to not see Kai for more than a week.

          He was going on a business trip and he wouldn’t be back until three weeks later. He just knew about it recently too. It was supposed to be his team manager who’d go on the trip with their boss but her maternity leave just started and she chose Taehyun to be her proxy. It was an honor to be chosen among the other employees who worked longer than Taehyun and it may give him a chance to be known better by their boss, maybe also give way to a  promotion. But when he excitedly told the news to Kai did he only realize that they wouldn’t be able to see each other until later.

          Kai was saddened by it yet he was happy for Taehyun. He figured he shouldn’t be a hindrance to him and be the one to support him in everything. He shouldn’t be selfish and give him the best.

          But there was another thing on Kai’s mind that worried him about this trip. He couldn’t get the timing right so he wasn’t able to ask about it. He thought it was a good time to finally voice out his concern.

          “I’m just concerned. Can you really go?” Kai asked carefully as he hunched over the edge of his seat, placing his elbows on his thighs.

          “I can but I’ll miss you badly,” Taehyun answered, reaching out to grab Kai’s hand. It felt cold but he got used to it. 

          “What about your fear?” Kai looked over his shoulder with furrowed brows, genuinely worried about Taehyun going on the trip. “Aren’t you afraid of planes?”

          “Planes?” Taehyun questioned, arching a brow in confusion. “Why would I be?”

          The crease on Kai’s forehead became deeper. He clearly remembered Taehyun’s words that day. When Kai was talking about coffee and Vietnam, Taehyun clearly said he was scared, that’s why he couldn’t travel to places. “You said you were scared when I asked you why you couldn’t travel the world,” Kai explained.

          Taehyun flickered his eyes before answering, trying to recall when he said such a thing, then when he remembered he said, “I did but I never mentioned airplanes.”

          Kai realized he was right. Taehyun never said anything about being afraid of planes. Kai just assumed it was the one holding him back from pursuing his dream of travelling the world. But then, what was the real reason? 

          “Then why?” Kai asked curiously yet unsure if it was right to ask so suddenly.

          Taehyun scratched his neck as he wore a serious expression. Seeing that look on him, Kai figured it was a bad idea and tried to take it back.

          “Actually, don’t mind. I won’t ask anymore.”

          “No, I’ll tell you,” Taehyun uttered under his breath, making Kai raise his eyebrows in surprise. Taehyun put one foot on the floor while the other was still on the couch and turned his body to Kai so they could talk more easily. Kai shifted his position for the same reason. He folded his legs on the seat cushion and let his body face Taehyun. “It’s a stupid reason.”

          “I won’t judge,” Kai said, shaking his head slowly. Then he bent over to pick up some of the throw pillows that fell on the floor when they were watching the horror movie earlier that night. He gave one to Taehyun and placed another on his lap.

          “I know.” Taehyun smiled faintly at Kai’s little gesture of giving him a pillow to hold. He saw it as adorable. As he spent more and more time with him, he discovered Kai’s cute antics one by one and he loved every single one of them.

          Kai pressed his lips together and lifted the corners to form a tiny smile. He did that a lot more now, smiling while concealing his fangs. He became conscious of smiling too much but sometimes he still couldn’t help but smile widely and laugh his heart out when he was with Taehyun. During those times, he just looked away or covered his mouth.

          “It’s because I’ll get addicted to it and it’ll make me sad,” Taehyun confessed, lowering his head. He nibbled on his lower lip as he gathered his thoughts. “I want to travel the world and see it for myself and I want to go to as many places as possible but my life wouldn’t allow me to just go freely. I have a busy life here in Seoul and I know that once I take a trip for myself, I’ll want more but I can’t have it. I’d rather not go then. Then when I die, I’ll die a sad man because I couldn’t go anywhere else other than the convenience store on my block and my office and my apartment!”

          “And my house and the movie theater and Han river and the coffee shop,” Kai continued Taehyun’s statement by enumerating the places they went together, still looking at him with the faint smile on his lips. He knew he wasn’t supposed to be judging Taehyun and he wasn’t but he couldn’t help but think it really was a bit of a stupid reason.

          Taehyun was irked. He was irritated by Kai’s behavior. He felt like he wasn’t taken seriously. “You said you won’t judge,” Taehyun scoffed as he glared at him.

          “I wasn’t,” Kai replied, “I’m just saying you already went to so many places. Just because you haven’t gone anywhere else outside the country, doesn’t mean you haven’t been anywhere else. And you’ll leave for the US in two days! That’s somewhere to you, maybe? No matter how busy you are, you’d still have time for it, and you can take me with you.”

          Taehyun was still annoyed and indignation still filled him but why was he struggling to hold back a smile? He was irritated by the man before him for speaking the truth and for making his heart flutter with his last sentence. But Taehyun didn’t want Kai to think that it was that easy to make his heart flutter, so he continued wearing a rigid expression and curled his lip. 

          “You say that easily because you’ve travelled a lot already,” he sneered, forcing a frown. “And with a ‘busy’ schedule that seems non-existent.”

          “You’re right, I travelled a lot already and I can tell you, it’s not as addicting as you think it is and it’s terribly exhausting,” Kai said, thinking of all the troubles he faced when he traveled, plus the risks and all the walking. Add to that the trouble with immigration with his fake passport issued by the vampire community. That’s why he hadn’t been flying out lately. “And my schedule is not non-existent!” he also exclaimed, countering Taehyun and trying to fight for the lies he made up just to set their first ever second meeting. 

          “Then how are you so free?” Taehyun started to interrogate him as he lifted his head, showing his narrowed suspicious eyes. “Every time I ask you out, you don’t turn me down. When I ask about your schedule, you just say you have nothing planned or you’re not busy that day. I don’t even know where you work.”

          Kai gulped. This was what he got for lying. But, it wasn’t a problem because he prepared for this. He knew it would come someday and it came that night. He pinched the corners of the throw pillow on his lap as he tried to explain, “I started working at Yeonjun’s bar a week after we first met and he’s very lax.”

          “Oh, what a kind boss he is,” Taehyun said with a sarcastic tone, “He just lets you take the day off when you need to, huh?”

          “After a bit of blackmailing, yes,” Kai answered jokingly, adding a shrug to his bluff, “Having your close friend as a boss has its perks.”

          “Shut up,” Taehyun said, laughing. He couldn’t pretend to be angry anymore. “You’re lying!”

          Kai was glad Taehyun was in a better mood but he couldn’t entirely be glad because Taehyun could see through his terrible lies. His hands continued to fidget around the pillow, scratching its sides as he tried to deny it, exclaiming, “It’s the truth!”

          “Tell me, Kai.” 

          Taehyun leaned in and stared straight into Kai’s eyes, trying to catch any hint of lying. Then he raised a hand to Kai’s neck to feel his pulse, checking if it would speed up when he answered the next question he was going to ask. His neck was cold too, which shouldn’t have been surprising but Taehyun still flinched when he touched it.

          “What?” Kai squeaked out, then he clenched his jaw. He was starting to get nervous, having Taehyun’s face too close to his own and having Taehyun’s hand on such a vulnerable part of his body. Taehyun wasn’t an enemy but the look he wore made Kai shake with fear.

          “Are you-” Taehyun started, having difficulty continuing because of the look Kai was giving him. He wanted to laugh at Kai for trembling with widened eyes and a racing pulse, not because Taehyun enjoyed watching his reaction but because Kai looked so endearing. “Are you a chaebol heir?”

          Kai’s jaw fell open then closed, and his eyes blinked a few times. “Huh?”

          “A chaebol heir!” Taehyun cried out, still staring right into his soul, unblinking. “You’ve travelled your whole life, you’re carefree despite being unemployed, you live in this huge house!” Taehyun brushed his free hand in the air and closed his eyes for a second to think. “No, no, no, not an heir. The reckless youngest son with no responsibilities, spoiled by your parents, and ‘Huening’ is just a cover up!”

          Kai was dumbstruck. Then he snorted with laughter after Taehyun finished, making fun of his dramatic story. “That’s nice but unfortunately, no.” He raised a hand to cover his mouth when he drew his head back from laughing too much. “I think you’ve watched too many dramas!”

          Taehyun scrunched his face, his annoyance written all over it. He removed his hand from Kai’s neck and kept it to himself.

          Kai thought Taehyun’s suspicions were funny yet they made sense. He thought he could use some of it to enhance his made up story about himself. 

          “But my parents did leave me an enormous fortune when they passed.”

          “Your parents… I didn’t know that,” Taehyun said softly, frowning. “You never mentioned them before.”

          “It’s been a long time,” Kai said, “I don’t remember much about them anymore. The earliest I remember… I was already living alone.”

          Although Kai had spouted lies, he still spoke some truth. His parents, his family, occupied very little space in his memory. He forgot most of them since he left the vampire village over a thousand years ago. He only recalled having sisters and having no one to believe him when he said humans and vampires could live together. Even when he left, no one bid him goodbye. If he were to call anyone his family, then it’d be Soobin and Yeonjun. 

          “You’ve lived alone all your life?”

          Kai nodded. “I don’t want to be a burden to anyone.”

          “I know how you feel,” Taehyun whispered, chuckling, “I lost mine in a car accident when I was fifteen. Beomgyu hyung’s family took me in. They fed me, clothed me, paid my tuition. I love them but they only saw me as a poor orphan, an outsider they were responsible for. I saw it in their eyes. They gave me looks of pity. And I hated it. I hated it so much.” 

          Taehyun was choked up and he lowered his head. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the looks he saw every morning when he woke and every night when he came home. The whispers he heard whenever he left the room echoed loudly in Taehyun’s head, the change in the tone of their voices whenever they talked to him, the way their guests tiptoed around when they found out how he came to live with them. All of them flashed by before Taehyun’s eyes and his tears fell, carrying all the weight of his ill will and bitterness during his stay there.

          Kai frowned upon seeing Taehyun shedding tears. It got to him too and he knew how it felt to be looked at differently. He raised a hand beside Taehyun’s cheek and wiped the beads of tears forming in his eyes with his thumb, cupping and lifting his face slightly.

          “I’m grateful to them for saving my life but I couldn’t take it. I only stayed until graduation, then I left. I didn’t want to burden them anymore and I want to be free. Beomgyu hyung was the only one who treated me like family. He’s my best friend.”

          Kai smiled faintly when he saw Taehyun’s face lighting up. In front of him was a face he could only look at in awe. He saw a man with lips slowly curving up, a nose with a pink tint, and reddish eyes glistening in his dim-lit living room. He saw a man who looked weak yet so strong. He was someone who overcame the hardships in his life alone for ten years, someone who should be proud of it too. Kai could only gaze at him fondly as he wiped away the tears Taehyun had been holding back for too long.

          For ten years, Taehyun had kept his guard up. He kept a fence, no, walls to shield himself from other people. All those years, only Beomgyu got a free pass until he met Kai. It even took Beomgyu a while before he crossed the walls but it took Kai only a second meeting.

          Taehyun had never felt so safe within the reach of anyone else in those ten years. Even Beomgyu who knew most of his troubles and worries in life never dived that deep in Taehyun’s dark world. It was a first for Taehyun to allow himself to be weak in front of another person and he was glad that it was Kai.

          He saw Kai looking at him fondly and his heavy feeling went away. It vanished into thin air. He felt lighthearted and secured within his space. In Taehyun’s eyes, Kai looked like an angel who was watching over him, one with a set of pretty eyes with long lashes and a mysterious smile on his lips. He was wearing white pajamas too which definitely suited his angelic vibe. His dark brown hair looked darker, contrasting his pale skin, and framed his charming face. It was a face Taehyun couldn’t look away from. It was a face that belonged to someone Taehyun loved with all his heart.

          Kai waited until Taehyun finished crying then he cupped his other cheek too and giggled softly as he stretched the corners of Taehyun’s lips to form a very wide grin. “You’re amazing, Taehyun. I’m proud of you,” he told him.

          Taehyun creased his forehead and attempted to pout but Kai’s forceful stretching on his face only made him look like a dumb duck. Kai laughed at the sight of it, so much that he had to bow his head to hide his face. It irritated Taehyun again. For the nth time that night Kai’s behavior annoyed him, so he pushed Kai aggressively, making him fall down on the couch. Then, Taehyun moved to straddle him, pinning his wrists down above his head with one hand.

          Kai gasped. He didn't know what Taehyun was going to do. That moment, he only knew that Taehyun looked like a demon who was about to eat him up. Taehyun’s body weighed him down, and seeing that arched brow and that devious smirk on Taehyun’s face froze him in place. Then Kai felt a hand crawling up to the side of his stomach making him scream a high-pitched scream. Kai realized he was doomed.

          Taehyun tickled Kai nonstop starting from the sides of his torso to his underarms then his neck. The sound of Kai’s endless laughter rang nicely in Taehyun’s ears that he simply smirked as he watched Kai scramble around, kicking his feet on the other end of the couch, shaking his head vigorously, trying to catch his breath, and attempting to break his grip on his wrists. It was pay back, Taehyun thought. Kai had been doing and saying foolish things to him since he woke up.

          Kai struggled to suppress his laughter, sewing his lips shut, yet he couldn’t help it and laughed his heart out but it wasn’t laughter that was good for the soul. He was fighting against such a strong opponent. “Taehyun’s a demon,” Kai thought, and he thought he had to do his best not to make his fangs noticeable as he laughed like a child from Taehyun’s unbearable torture of tickling. 

          “Taehyun!” Kai yelled out in between laughing and inhaling sharp breaths, “Stop it!”

          “What?” Taehyun mocked, still moving his hand around.

          “Stop, I can’t-” Kai pleaded and forcefully removed one wrist to catch Taehyun’s quick-moving hand, stopping his attacks. “I can’t breathe! Tyun!”

          Taehyun stopped. That was enough. He enjoyed it. He was satisfied. His evil self was happy.

          He released his grip on Kai’s remaining wrist and moved away to let him sit up. Then he handed him the glass of water that was sitting on the coffee table, letting him relax. Kai was breathless and his heart was racing. It was like he just fought a war or like he stood naked under the sun. He thought he was dying from exhaustion. He drank a bit of the water from the glass but he wanted blood. He needed blood. Water wouldn’t do anything but he couldn’t just get some blood from his kitchen and drink it in front of Taehyun, so he took a sip and put the glass back down on the coffee table.

          Then he glanced at Taehyun who was looking at him cunningly, which frightened him again. Then once more, Taehyun pushed him back down.

          “No, Tyun, I’m gonna die-” Kai shouted, his hands grasping Taehyun’s shoulders, as he watched Taehyun’s face inch closer and closer to his own. He shut his eyes and pressed his lips together to form a thin line as he waited for the second attack.

          Then he was attacked with kisses. 

          Taehyun placed both his arms beside Kai’s head as he bent over and brought his face down to peck his cheekbone. Then he kissed his other cheek. Then the tip of his nose, his forehead, his chin.

          Kai slowly lifted his eyelids to peek at the person who was giving him those soft kisses and his heart immediately started drumming against his chest when he saw Taehyun’s affectionate eyes, gazing at him lovingly.

          Taehyun lowered himself again to whisper something in his ear, “I love you, Huening Kai.”

          Kai felt a chill run down his spine and the butterflies fly around in his stomach. He thought it was the end for him. He thought he was going to die right at that moment but that didn’t sound like a bad idea. If he were to die, then he’d be glad to die right then. But he was elated and he didn’t want to pass yet, he had more years to live with Taehyun and those years would be better than that one night in his living room.

          When Taehyun’s face was over him again, Kai craned his neck up to give him a quick kiss on the lips. Then he wrapped his arms around Taehyun’s neck, letting him fall on his chest, and embraced him tightly.

          “I love you too, Kang Taehyun.”

          Kai wished they could stay like that forever but he knew forever didn’t exist. It could exist for him but not for Taehyun, so there was definitely no forever in the cards. Kai knew it would come — the day Taehyun leaves the wicked world — and he knew he’d have to bravely face it someday. But that someday wasn’t coming too soon, so he figured it was alright to still be a coward and not think about it. He said to himself just a week earlier that if he thought about it that early in their relationship, it would only bring him grief and depression, so he opted to just brush the idea away and decided to keep it away for at least a few decades. For the time being, he’d live in the moment as every moment with Taehyun was too precious to let pass by casually. He said that but a fleeting thought of it every now and then was unavoidable.

          Kai closed his eyes and dreaded just the thought of losing the man he was embracing. He squeezed tighter and he didn’t want to let him go, fearing he’d never come back in his arms. 

          “Hyuka, you’re killing me,” Taehyun squeaked out and tapped Kai’s shoulder aggressively.

          Kai loosened his embrace and unraveled his arms around Taehyun, realizing he used too much force. Taehyun rolled to Kai’s side and Kai shifted to face him, using an arm as a pillow, then he brushed Taehyun’s fringe away from his face to get a clearer look at it. 

          “Don’t leave me, Kang Taehyun,” Kai whispered as he pressed his palm on Taehyun’s cheek, his thumb near the corner of his reddish eye.

          “I would never,” Taehyun whispered back, “Why do you always say my full name?”

          “It’s a beautiful name,” Kai answered, fluttering his eyelashes slowly. “You always call me by my full name too.”

          “That’s because I think your name is beautiful too, Huening Kai,” Taehyun replied, chuckling to himself. He brought his hand to Kai’s hair, pushing it back to reveal his forehead, then he flicked it with his finger.

          “Ouch! What was that for?”

          “Revenge,” Taehyun simply said, then brought his lips to the spot turning pink to kiss it softly. 

          They both giggled bubbly at each other and at themselves as they savored every second of that moment. 

          The night went on with their soft giggles lingering in the air and day quickly came with both of them in each other’s arms, snuggled up in the narrow space of the couch.

          Taehyun roused from his deep sleep and found Kai’s angelic sleeping face still turned to him. He was lightly snoring and his lips were slightly parted. Taehyun gazed at him intently, appreciating his beauty like he always did whenever Kai dozed off on his shoulder, and stared at his separated lips.

          Taehyun didn’t know what it was but there was something within him, a faint voice, telling him to touch those lips, to lift the upper lip, and that he would find something surprising under it. Taehyun was unsure of the voice yet he followed it, raising his hand slowly and reaching for Kai’s face. Just as he grazed his lips with his thumb, Taehyun started getting nervous, not knowing what to expect. 

          “There isn’t anything to see, is there?” Taehyun wondered to himself. Yet he wasn’t taking his hand away, instead, he pressed Kai’s lips softly.

          “Mmm,” Kai whimpered. Taehyun quickly retracted his hand and scratched his neck when Kai opened his heavy eyelids. 

          Kai came to right before Taehyun was able to move the corner of Kai’s lips and find out what was waiting to be discovered. Kai found Taehyun’s large eyes staring at him and wondered what was on his face for him to stare that hard.

          “Good morning, Tyun,” Kai mumbled, his voice rough from the long sleep.

          “Good morning,” Taehyun replied, his voice already warmed up, smiling faintly through uncertainty. He was puzzled by his own behavior and wondered what came over him when he tried to lift Kai’s lip. He glanced at the wall clock. “But it’s past noon, darling.”

          “Darling?” Kai chuckled.

          “Yes, dear?” Taehyun quickly answered, grinning widely now. He was delighted to see and hear Kai giggling bashfully to himself like a child. He gave him a good morning, err, day kiss on the spot between his eyebrows, just above his nose bridge, then he rose and stood on his feet. “Let’s get lunch outside?” he suggested as he stretched his arms skywards.

          “Sure,” Kai agreed yet he was a bit worried. He sat up and ruffled his hair, then he took a glimpse outside the windows. It seemed sunnier than usual that day but he thought it’d be fine. They wouldn’t go somewhere exposed anyway now that Taehyun knew about his “allergy.”

          “Then I’ll wash up first and get ready.” Taehyun went straight to the bathroom.

          “I’ll go after you!” Kai yelled from the living room and waited to hear the bathroom door close before silently rushing to the kitchen. He pulled open his refrigerator and took out a few small boxes of blood to secretly drink. He had to get his fill before they went for lunch and he drank them dry in a flash.

          He wasn’t fully satisfied yet so he took out what looked like a carton of grape juice from outside but it didn’t actually have grape juice inside it. Then, he swiftly snatched a short glass from the cupboard but it slipped between his fingers and it fell on the floor, breaking into sharp pieces.

          The sound was loud and it reached Taehyun’s side. Taehyun peeked his head out of the bathroom to ask about the noise. “What was that?” he shouted while he brushed his teeth.

          “Nothing to worry about!” Kai shouted back from his side as he crouched down to pick up the broken glass shards. “I just broke a glass!”

          “Are you okay? Did you cut yourself?” Taehyun asked, slowly approaching the kitchen, still occupied with brushing.

          “No, I’m fine! Don’t come here. You might injure your feet!”

          “Be careful!” Taehyun said then went back to the bathroom.

          Kai let out a heavy sigh as he collected the pieces, being careful not to cut himself. He thought lightly of it even after he finished cleaning up and proceeded to get another glass for his “grape juice” but a part of him was uneasy. 

          A part of him felt like something was going to happen that day; something eventful; something he’d never expect; something he wouldn’t like; but he brushed it off and gulped down his juice carelessly.

          They cleaned up their mess in the living room and about an hour later, they arrived at the restaurant where they grilled meat. Vampires like Kai didn’t mostly enjoy what human beings ate yet they liked the taste of grilled meat, for as long as it wasn’t well done, so Kai was glad Taehyun chose to eat there for lunch.

          “What time are you flying out tomorrow?” Kai asked as he flipped the meat in the middle of the table.

          “My flight?” Taehyun asked through the smoke then answered, “Around 2pm.”

          “I’ll take you to the airport.”

          Taehyun smiled as he watched Kai wear a serious expression while clumsily cooking their food. “I’m really gonna miss you,” he said warmly.

          “Me too,” Kai answered and mirrored Taehyun’s smile.

          He had to wait again. For almost another month, he had to wait to be back in Taehyun’s arms. He thought he’d never have to again but Taehyun had his own life and he couldn’t just keep him to himself. 

          “Good thing I’ll be back on your birthday,” Taehyun said as he chewed.

          “My birthday?” Kai arched a brow and shifted his eyes to the ceiling as he thought. “Oh, right.”

          Birthdays didn’t matter much to Kai and it wasn’t like he had to celebrate his every year. He wasn’t even sure of the exact date of his birthday. He just knew it was in the unfornature season of summer, in the month of August. He just chose the fourteenth day of the month because he liked the number fourteen. It had a nice ring to it . It was only Soobin and Yeonjun who opted to celebrate his birthday and gave him gifts and cake (just for show because Soobin thought cakes looked pretty) and a bottle of high quality blood.

          But, his birthday that year made him excited. It was going to be his first ever birthday with Taehyun. 

          “Did you forget your birthday?” Taehyun chuckled while he made a wrap for Kai, then told him to say ahh .

          “Ahh,” Kai said, opening his mouth wide enough, but not too much to reveal his pointy teeth, and let Taehyun feed him. “Spicy,” he commented after tasting it.

          “Spicy?” Taehyun muttered under his breath, confused, but shrugged it aside.

          Kai was wondering what made the wrap so spicy. It was burning his tongue.

          Kai realized a few moments later, when he already swallowed it, that the burning was different. It wasn’t because it was spicy but because it had something that he shouldn’t have eaten. He realized it when he spotted the small plate of garlic on Taehyun’s side of the table.

          “Shit!” he cried out, alarming Taehyun and some of the customers near them. He dropped the tongs, then gripped his knee and held his mouth with his left hand as if it would do something to ease the burning on his tongue.

          Then the burning sensation crawled to the roof of his mouth and down his throat, making his other hand move from his knee to grasp his neck in pain. Then he started to be short of breath. He inhaled deep breaths slowly and tried to get air into his lungs until he had difficulty doing it, so he panted and wheezed, hoping even a bit of oxygen entered his system.

          “What’s wrong?” Taehyun asked anxiously, eyes wide in shock, promptly rising up on his two feet. He was looking at him in horror, like he was looking at a ghost.

          Kai didn’t want to know what Taehyun saw when he was looking at him like that. He probably looked horrifying, like a monster who wasn’t supposed to be there, like the vampire the villagers tried to kill a thousand years ago.

          Kai looked around him and saw eyes looming over him, watching him suffer on his own. He was helpless and dying. For a split second he thought he saw the villagers again, those villagers who enjoyed watching him writhe in pain, those who threw rocks at him and pressed charcoal to his back. He wanted to scream out and tell them to go away, to stop looking at him like a villain, to let him live. 

          All he wanted to do was live in peace. He just wanted a good life, one with somebody to hold and love for the longest time, but it seemed like the universe wouldn’t just give it to him. Instead, the universe gave him the misfortune of having a mortal soulmate, a soulmate he would lose over and over again. 

          Kai accepted his fate and worked his way around it but there was always something he missed that could destroy his plans.

          Kai feared Taehyun’s death that was to come one day but he never thought of the possibility that he might be the one to die before him.

Chapter Text

          He was an aloof child. Ever since he was born, the expression he always wore was one that gave off an air of indifference, only flashing smiles occasionally, but that was only something people saw from the outside. In truth, he was a bubbly person, but he revealed his real faces only to his parents —the only members of his family. That is, until he lost them.

          Even on the day of his parents’ funeral, he was expressionless. His eyes were dry and stony and his lips only moved to greet his parents’ co-workers who attended the funeral. And that was the day he started hearing whispers and the day he started building his walls.

          Despite his young age, he had an idea of how the world worked and how it revolved around no one. He knew the world wouldn’t stop for him even if he was in his darkest point in life, and he knew he had to be the one to work around it. Even if he wanted to throw himself away, he chose to live his life until the end of it. That’s why he never dismissed the thought of having new people to love, despite having walls surrounding him from all sides, and accepted the warm welcome of the Choi family when he was told he’d be living with them.

          The Choi family was very kind to him so he had to repay their kindness by not being a bother nor a burden, helping out with chores and trying to associate with them since he couldn’t do much at fifteen, but he couldn’t help but feel it. He tried to consider them as family but he knew he was an outsider to them, no matter how many months had passed, and he would never be treated as a real family member. He’d just be the son of the late Kang couple who the Choi couple took in because they were greatly indebted to them once upon a time.

          One night after a tiring day at school, he snuck out when the house was asleep. 

          He sneakily tiptoed outside his room, down the stairs, and out the front door. For the first time in a long time, he felt like he was unleashed, free from the suffocating place, and he could breathe in the cold night air properly.

          He walked on the streets wearing a simple hoodie, sweatpants, and slippers, clutching his arms, shivering from the cold. He scanned his eyes on himself and mumbled, “I should’ve worn a coat at least,” as he arrived at the playground he used to go to when he was in grade school. 

          He expected it to be empty since it was the dead of the night, but a figure was sitting on one of the swings.

          “Who would go to a playground this late?” he asked himself in his head, then realized he himself was an answer to that.

          The playground seemed eerie from a distance; only a single lamp post showered light on the small area; a squealing sound came from the swing slowly moving back and forth; the figure of the person sitting on the swings was silent and turned back. 

          The hairs on his arms were standing and he was unsure if it was from the cold or from fright. Nevertheless, he went forward, bravely taking the seat on the swing beside the stranger. He just decided not to turn his neck in case it was something unearthly sitting next to him.

          He inhaled a deep breath and sighed, trying to relax.

          Then it was silent. The harsh squealing sound from the swing stopped and it only frightened him more.

          “Kang Taehyun,” the figure beside him uttered.

          The voice sounded familiar and Taehyun was still too scared to turn his head, yet he still did and recognized the boy sitting next to him. 

          “Beomgyu… hyung.”

          The boy from the Choi family looked disturbed and interrupted. At the same time, he looked down. He didn’t have the usual vibrant air around him and he was giving Taehyun a death stare.

          “Nice seeing you here,” Beomgyu said, sarcastic and disgruntled.

          Taehyun blinked at him. He never really talked with him since he started living with his family less than a year prior. Although Beomgyu seemed friendly with other people, he never initiated a conversation with Taehyun. The only times they ever spoke to each other were when they first met and whenever Beomgyu’s mom asked Taehyun to call him whenever her hollering didn’t pass through the loud music in his room. 

          Taehyun didn’t know anything about Beomgyu except that he was very active and busy and that he was spoiled by his parents because he was the youngest in the family. Since Taehyun came into their lives, he had become the youngest but they never treated him that way. He was simply an outsider.

          “Did you want to be alone?” Taehyun asked directly, plastering a smile on his face out of habit. “I think I should leave.”

          “Not again.” Beomgyu rolled his eyes in exasperation, making Taehyun arch a brow in confusion. “You should stop.”

          “What?”

          “You should stop those-” Beomgyu twisted his face unpleasantly. “-fake smiles. Seeing them makes me sick.”

          Taehyun frowned and unknowingly started glaring at him. He felt offended. He was putting on fake smiles not just for show. It was out of courtesy and respect. He was already a bother to his family (it was obvious they were a little bothered), so he’d rather not add to their problems and worries by showcasing his grief, he thought.

          “I know all about it,” Beomgyu continued. “You’re just pretending to be fine. The walls are pretty thin so I hear you crying in your room every other night and your smiles are obviously so fake. My parents tell me I should be nice to you but your fucking acting just makes me want to throw up.”

          Taehyun didn’t take the rigid expression off his face but he averted his gaze somewhere else when tears started forming in his eyes. It was rare for that to happen. Usually, he’d just hold them in and only let them out whenever they’d bottled up, but that night was a bit more sorrowful than any other night because it was his mother’s birthday. 

          He gritted his teeth as tears streamed down his face and he wondered what Beomgyu might be thinking whilst watching him cry like he wanted him to.

          Beomgyu huffed out a breath then he took his padded jacket off and tossed it to the sobbing boy beside him. “That’s more like it,” he said. “Cry it all out and stop the shitty act, at least when you’re around me.”

          Taehyun caught the jacket and he gripped it tightly before wearing it. The sleeves were a bit too long and only his fingers were exposed to the cold. 

          He clenched his fists on his lap as he started bawling. His tears wouldn’t stop. Although he was crying, it wasn’t heavy like it usually felt and a lighter feeling came upon him. It was a freezing night but it felt a bit warm, maybe because of the jacket or because he had company.

          “Won’t you feel cold now?” Taehyun sniffled as he turned his neck to look at Beomgyu wearing a plain beige sweater paired with black pants and rubber shoes.

          “I’m okay,” Beomgyu reassured Taehyun, holding an okay sign beside his cheek. Then, he lifted his shirt partly, revealing another layer of clothing under it, and patted his lower back. “And here I have those sticky hot packs.”

          Taehyun chuckled lightly, seeing how well-prepared Beomgyu was. “Do you always sneak out?”

          “Only when my heart gets broken.” Beomgyu pressed his lips together and exhaled deeply through his nose.

          Taehyun suddenly laughed genuinely, for the first time in months. His breath lingered and looked like smoke in the air because of the freezing temperature and his toothy grin shone brightly on his face along with his wet eyelashes.

          Beomgyu didn’t know why, as he should’ve felt mocked, but he was laughing too and he admired the younger boy’s smiling face, finally real and not forced.

          “Your teeth are kinda sharp,” Beomgyu pointed out and asked jokingly, “Are you a vampire?”

          “If you think they exist, then I’ll say ‘yes.’”

          “Don’t you think they could exist?”

          “They don’t.”

          “Okay. Listen to this.” Beomgyu turned his whole body and his seat on the swing to Taehyun’s direction and firmly planted his feet on the ground so as to keep himself that way. He hunched over, placing his elbows on his thighs and looking Taehyun straight in the eye. “They could be living alongside us, pretending to be humans like how you were acting fine all this time but they’re slightly better, no, way better at acting than you.”

          “I get it already.” Taehyun groaned. He was starting to get annoyed but there was a happy feeling in his heart.

          “No, you don’t.” Beomgyu shook his head and his tone was very serious. “Look there.” He pointed a finger at three tall men not too far away from the playground. They weren’t the least bit noticeable if you weren’t paying attention to your surroundings but Beomgyu had a keen sense in different areas (his love life was an exception) and he saw them right away when they arrived at where they were standing. Taehyun turned his head to look at them. “Do you see them?”

          “What, those men wearing white?” Taehyun observed the way they were dressed very thinly when the season was bitterly cold.

          “Bingo. So you see the one that looks like a bunny? He’s laughing right now.”

          Taehyun nodded.

          “He could be a vampire,” Beomgyu said, making Taehyun’s face drop in utter disbelief. Yet Taehyun didn’t take his eyes away from the possible vampires. “Or that one with colored hair who looks like a fox, or that one with dark brown hair. Or maybe all three of them are vampires!”

          “Maybe you’re a vampire too,” Taehyun snickered, removing his gaze from the three vampires, and smirked at the mortal boy on the swing next to him.

          “If I were a vampire, you’d be dead by now, Kang. Bloodless.” Beomgyu said threateningly at a chuckling Taehyun. He lifted his feet off the ground, making his swing twist back to its normal direction, and he kicked his legs in front of him. “Vampires are so lucky,” he added as he gripped the chains connected to his seat.

          “How so?”

          “They’re immortal. They have unlimited time.”

          “And what would you do with that much time?”

          “Anything and everything!” Beomgyu exclaimed, gazing up at the night sky. The starry sky resembled tiny jewels embroidered on black velvet and Beomgyu’s sparkling eyes could join them as they looked just like stars. He was a dreamer and all his life he had done nothing but dream. He dreamt of learning many things and achieving many goals. “I’d learn to play every instrument, learn how many languages, play every sport! And hopefully, with that long life, I’d finally get a girlfriend.”

          Taehyun chuckled at his words. Oddly, the things Beomgyu mentioned, he was already doing. 

          “But hyung, aren’t you already doing those stuff? I hear you’re amazing.” Taehyun showed his hands and put down a finger whenever he mentioned something he saw Beomgyu do at home or in school that made him really busy and Taehyun ended up closing both his hands. “But you’re doing so much, too much. You’re young. Relax, you have a long life ahead of you.”

          “Not long enough to do all kinds of shit in the world.” Beomgyu lowered the corner of his lips. 

          “You’ll burn yourself out.”

          Beomgyu sighed heavily. Taehyun was right, he could admit out loud. 

          Actually, his hobbies and extracurricular activities plus his heavy school work did tire him out and he lacked sleep because of them. He was aware but he kept blinding himself and refused to think it was the real cause for his distress and insecurity, the real reason why he was at the playground at midnight.

          Taehyun’s words shot him awake. Maybe he did have to take a break from doing too much, or else he’d be the one cutting his own life span shorter. 

          “What about you?” Beomgyu directed the question to the younger boy, “What would you do if you had that much time?”

          “I’d rather not be immortal,” Taehyun answered blankly, making Beomgyu question his statement.

          “Why not?”

          “It’s a miserable life, to be immortal.” Taehyun faced forward and watched a few cars drive by at a distance. He felt a pang in his heart as a painful memory came to mind. “You’ll just watch the people around you die and you’ll only get left behind, like me.”

          Beomgyu shifted his gaze from the heavens to the earth and observed Taehyun’s straight face saying a very depressing line. Although the light was weak and he could only view Taehyun’s side profile, Beomgyu could see clearly how sorrow and grief were written all over his face. 

          Taehyun was never expressionless. Other people were simply blind.

          “Then the key is to not be acquainted with mortals,” Beomgyu said confidently. “Easy as pie.”

          Taehyun choked on air as he laughed loudly, his laughter ringing in the atmosphere. “Seems easy enough.”

          “Kang,” Beomgyu called him by his last name, making Taehyun stop his laughter and turn his head to him. He wore a pensive face, his eyes filled with concern and eyebrows creased lightly. “You’re not alone.”

          Taehyun flickered his eyes, glancing somewhere then back at the youngest son of the Choi family. He thought about his statement deeply, and he never thought he’d hear it from him, from someone in that house. He wasn’t sure if it was a statement he could trust and believe in or if it was a statement with words carrying no meaning. He hoped it was the former and smiled faintly at Beomgyu. “Thanks.”

          “Even vampires aren’t alone, dumbass.” Beomgyu smiled back, making an effort to comfort Taehyun in the least obvious way. “They probably have families too, and friends that also don’t die.”

          Taehyun snickered then pursed his lips. “But if vampires are real, what happens when a vampire and a human fall in love? Like the ones in dramas or fantasy novels. That would be so sad for both of them, don’t you think?”

          “Yeah, that’s shit. It won’t end well for sure.” Beomgyu clicked his tongue then pressed his lips together. “Like I said, the key is: vampires shouldn’t get too attached to mortals and vice versa.”

          “What great advice,” Taehyun said, his tone a bit vague but had a hint of sarcasm to it.

          Beomgyu simply shrugged and took the “compliment.” 

          They continued their conversation about vampires, their questions about the world, and their laughter that echoed in the small playground. They slowly discovered each other’s sides and they warmed up to each other, easily becoming close friends overnight. Even as they tried to sneak back in the house, they were giggling silently at their foolishness and clumsiness, trying not to wake the whole house with their antics.

          That night, Taehyun snuck out of the house feeling sorrow but got back in bed with glee. Although his walls had not been broken down, at least one person was allowed to cross them, and that person gave great advice for both vampires and human beings: vampires shouldn’t get too attached to mortals and vice versa. 

          Ten years later, their friendship was still strong and alive. Beomgyu’s advice was still relevant too.

          Though unfortunately and unknowingly, Taehyun didn’t take it so there he stood in front of a vampire, his dear vampire struggling for breath, in pain, dying. All he could think of was he didn’t want to feel left behind again. Not again.

          Taehyun grabbed his phone then hurried over to Kai’s side. He bent over and put a hand on his shoulder, telling him calmly, “Hang on, I’ll call an ambulance.”

          From the outside, Taehyun looked calm but deep inside, he was panicking. His knees were weak and his hands were trembling, giving him a bit of difficulty in using his phone. He didn't know what was happening to Kai. He just knew he was in pain. He also didn’t know what to do but the first thing that came to mind was he had to stay level-headed and call for help.

          “No!” Kai managed to shout out, still holding his left hand over his mouth. His voice was rough and speaking started becoming painful. He firmly grasped Taehyun’s arm with his right hand and continued to shout. “Call Soobin!”

          Taehyun’s eyes widened, shooting a stare on his arm, his heart staggered from Kai’s tight grip. It was hot. Kai’s touch was flaming, not cool like it usually was.

          “Soobin?!” Taehyun questioned as he dropped down on the chair next to him. “Kai, you need a doctor!”

          “Please,” Kai pleaded and looked at Taehyun with moist eyes. His vision was getting blurry and they started to sting. He bowed his head in hopes of hiding them and let go of Taehyun’s arm, bringing his hand back to grip his knee. “Call Soobin.”

          Taehyun was baffled. He didn’t understand why Kai wanted Soobin and not a doctor, but he trusted him, so he took Kai’s phone resting nicely on the table and unlocked it with Kai’s fingerprint. They respected each other’s privacy but this was an emergency and Taehyun had to call Soobin, as Kai desperately requested.

          Gum Soobin. 

          “This must be him,” Taehyun thought as he went over Kai’s contact list. It was fairly empty so Soobin’s name was easy to find and he immediately called the number saved under “Gum Soobin.” 

          He held Kai’s hand, not minding the extreme warmth it exuded, and rubbed his thumb over it as he listened to the continuous patterned ringing on the phone like his own loud heartbeat, only much calmer. Thankfully, the call went through not too long later.

          “Kai, you little shit. Why haven’t you been going to the bar lately?”

          “Soobin-ssi?” Taehyun started nervously. He realized he hadn’t met any of Kai’s friends yet so he still had to introduce himself. “This is Taehyun, Kai’s boyfriend.”

          “Oh! Taehyun!” the voice exclaimed cheerfully over the phone. “This is his friend Yeonjun, actually, Soobin is-”

          “Yeonjun, shut up, you’re ruining my beauty sleep!” another voice chimed in from the background, not knowing it was loud enough for Taehyun to hear. “Don’t put the call on speaker phone and take it somewhere else, what the hell!”

          Taehyun could hear shallow bickering from the other line and it was nice to hear something so lively and amusing amidst the panic he was feeling but he had no time for listening to a lovers’ quarrel, so he rushed to tell them about Kai’s situation.

          “Um, I’m sorry but Kai needs help right now. He’s in-” Taehyun glanced at Kai hunched over the table, pressing his forehead on the surface, struggling for air. “He can’t breathe, he’s in pain. I was about to call an ambulance but he wants Soobin-ssi here now.”

          “What?!” the two voices yelled in shock.

          “Where are you?” Yeonjun asked. “Don’t call an ambulance, we’ll be there in a few minutes.”

          “We can’t take minutes,” Soobin told Yeonjun then spoke to the microphone. “We’ll be there in a few seconds.”

          “Send your location. We’re leaving right now!”

          The phone call ended, leaving Taehyun in a daze. But he quickly snapped out of it and quickly sent their location to Soobin’s number.

          “Don’t call an ambulance?” Taehyun repeated Yeonjun’s words in his head as he went to dial the emergency hotline, not even bothering to switch to his own phone. “What’s wrong with an ambulance? Kai’s suffocating for god’s sake!”

          Before the call connected to the emergency hotline, Soobin and Yeonjun arrived at the restaurant yelling loudly and disturbing other customers while they searched for Kai. Taehyun immediately stood on his feet when he heard them and instantly forgot about the call that just went through. He locked the phone and placed it back on the table. He waved his arms in the air, signaling to Kai’s friends, as he wondered how they stuck true to their word and got there so fast.

          Soobin and Yeonjun rushed to Kai who was unmoving and still hunched over, then they asked Taehyun what happened. 

          “I’m not so sure myself,” Taehyun answered calmly, trying to hide his panic. “He just started panting a-and he’s burning!”

          Yeonjun shook Kai’s body and he wasn’t responding. Kai was passed out.

          Yeonjun crouched down, turning his back to Kai. He took Kai’s arms, let them hang over his shoulders, and held Kai’s thighs beside his torso before he stood up to carry him. Soobin pocketed Kai’s phone and helped Yeonjun prop Kai up on his back, then his face winced upon catching a whiff of a deadly scent.

          “Ugh, garlic!” he grumbled as he noticed the small plate on the table. Then he furrowed his brows, looking at Taehyun wide-eyed and in contempt upon catching a thought. “Did you feed him garlic?” he asked him, making Yeonjun’s jaw drop at the idea of it.

          “I- I did. Is there-”

          “How could you feed him garlic!” Soobin was nearly shouting as he buried his face into his palms in disbelief and bewilderment.

          “What’s wrong? Is he allergic to it?” Taehyun asked genuinely, showing them a worried and confused look. He honestly had no idea why Soobin and Yeonjun were reacting that way. Was there something wrong about garlic and ambulances he didn’t know about? “Is that what’s causing this?”

          Soobin and Yeonjun didn’t answer and only made eye contact in silence. They both had furrowed brows and they read each other's minds. With one look, one knew what the other was thinking.

          But Taehyun didn’t know what those looks meant. He was the only one kept in the dark and it frustrated him because his boyfriend was passed out yet he didn’t have the slightest idea of what was happening to him. His friends were of no help too! And where were they planning on taking him?

          “Where are you taking him?” Taehyun asked as they rushed to the door.

          “Someplace safe,” Soobin said while running behind Yeonjun who had Kai on his back. He didn’t even bother to look at Taehyun and went straight ahead, exiting the restaurant speedily.

          “Wait, I’m coming with you!” Taehyun was lagging behind, still perplexed yet aware that he had to see Kai get checked out by a doctor, or at least see him “somewhere safe.” 

          Right when he was about to leave with them, the lady behind the counter called him, “Sir! You have to pay!”

          Taehyun clicked his tongue as he glanced back and forth at the lady and at Kai’s figure going away from him. Then he ran to the counter and hastily fished out some bills, saying, “I’m sorry I have to go, please keep the change!”

          He pushed open the heavy glass door and ran out into the street, turning his head to catch any sight of two men running away with one of them carrying another tall man. Yet to no avail. It was like they disappeared, just like magic.

          Taehyun looked up at the sky and raised a hand to his eyebrows, shielding his eyes from the glaring sun. He was worried about it too. Kai was sensitive to the sun and it didn’t seem like his friends had an umbrella for him.

          “Ah right, his umbrella.” Taehyun forgot about Kai’s umbrella and left it in the restaurant.

          He went back in with clouded thoughts. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what else to do except ring Kai’s phone. He couldn’t possibly contact Soobin when he didn’t have his number. So he called and called Kai’s phone that Soobin took, expecting to hear their voices answer it and not some machine telling him the number he dialed is currently unavailable, please try again later.

          He took the folded umbrella under the table as he listened to the automated voice tell him to try again, which he already had been doing. He opted to send continuous texts, instead. He was starting to get irritated, and if he heard that line one more time, his annoyance would wash over his panic.

          Just as he filled Kai’s inbox, a message suddenly arrived from Beomgyu.

          “Are you home? I’m near your apartment and I want to take a nap. I’m coming over.”

          Taehyun had no idea where Kai was and he couldn’t go around the whole city without direction. So he clicked his tongue then wrote a reply.

          “I’m out but I’m on the way home. Wait for me.”

          The whole ride home, Taehyun was uneasy and he ruminated over what happened in the restaurant with Kai. It was strange, he thought. It was beyond strange, even. He had never seen anything like it.

          Even when he arrived in his apartment after meeting up with Beomgyu, he stayed quiet and motionless behind the door, still holding the folded umbrella with one hand. He kept chewing over Kai’s situation, so drowned in his thoughts that he didn’t hear Beomgyu’s voice calling him several times.

          “Taehyun. Kang Taehyun!”

          “Hmm?” Taehyun’s senses woke up and he finally turned to Beomgyu who was taking over his couch. Beomgyu had his legs spread across the space and arms under his head, feeling at home. “What?”

          “Don’t you have to pack? You’re leaving in around twenty-four hours.”

          That completely slipped from Taehyun’s mind. He had a lot going on in his head that he forgot about his trip the next day. With his current situation, could he even go on the trip?

          “Ah, right.” Taehyun put away Kai’s umbrella in one of the cabinets by the entryway then finally took off his shoes and walked directly into his bedroom. “Can you help me?” he asked Beomgyu who immediately agreed and followed him.

          Taehyun kept silent even as he unzipped his empty luggage on the floor at the foot of his bed. His worry and panic were battling against his anger and none backed down, only filling Taehyun up with negative thoughts. Although he looked undisturbed on the outside with his straight face, his hands trembled as he grabbed his phone every so often to check for replies.  

          A part of him was thinking it was fine for him to be there in his apartment packing for a trip while Kai was passed out with his friends to take care of him. He couldn’t do anything but wait for a location to be sent to him. Another part of him was thinking it was out of his character to be neglecting Kai's dire situation.

          “What’s up with you?” Beomgyu asked. He then dived, landing on Taehyun’s bed, and rolled around in the sheets noisily to find the best spot. Obviously, he wasn’t physically helping with the packing. When he found the spot and the right position — his back flat on the mattress, his head angled and supported by thick pillows, and his hands folded over his stomach — he simply watched his best friend toss random clothes in the luggage. “You’re acting strange and you’re going on a business trip, not a vacation! Don’t bring those!”

          Taehyun looked down on his half-filled luggage and realized he was just putting whatever he saw in his closet. He squatted down to pick the clothes up and put them back but he paused and hung his head low, sighing heavily.

          “Tell me what happened.” Beomgyu sat up and moved to sit on the edge of the bed as he ruffled his hair.

          Taehyun raised his chin and wore a troubled look, licking his lower lip as he pondered on where to begin. Although he mostly had heavy feelings, he was still glad Beomgyu was there with him. The past few months, he relied mostly on Kai whenever he had worries with work and all, but Beomgyu never left his side. And he was glad Beomgyu was there when he was troubled over Kai.

          “It’s Kai,” Taehyun started. He sat down on the floor and folded his legs, then he scratched his neck as he continued calmly, “We were having lunch earlier and something happened to him.”

          Beomgyu stretched out his legs and watched his socked toes wiggle as he listened to Taehyun’s story.

          “All of a sudden, he couldn’t breathe,” Taehyun said. He was getting jittery just from the memory of it. He furrowed his brows and goosebumps started appearing on his skin as the vision of Kai’s struggle became clear in his head. He still didn’t know what it was but he was terrified. He was terrified not of Kai, but for Kai. It was already painful for Taehyun to watch him fight for air, what more for Kai? “He- He was suffocating and- and his skin! His skin was burning! I told you how he had pretty low body temperature but he was burning up!”

          “Shit, that’s weird,” Beomgyu commented seriously. “I’m no doctor but I think that’s weird as fuck.”

          “I know! I’m worried. I’m worried to death!” Taehyun exclaimed. “And he didn’t want to go to the hospital. He wanted his friends, so I called them and I think they were mad at me.”

          “Mad at you?” Beomgyu creased his forehead. “For what?” 

          “I don’t know! About garlic!” Taehyun yelled, confusing Beomgyu with his statement. “I told them I fed Kai garlic and then they looked at me with those- they looked at me like I committed a serious crime!”

          “What is he? A vampire?” Beomgyu voiced out, his tone serious at the same time joking. He chuckled scornfully then quickly turned to Taehyun, raising his eyebrows. “You said he was allergic to the sun too, right?

          He tried not to show it but Taehyun gulped and unexpectedly took it into consideration. Although it sounded like nonsense, it made sense too. Kai’s skin was cold, he’s allergic to the sun, and eating garlic made him… made him like that , and his teeth were a bit sharp when Taehyun first saw them through his smile. And the dreams… No, it was impossible. It sounded like bullshit, Taehyun thought and tried to dismiss it, but the possibility remained lingering in one corner of his mind.

          “I don’t know what to do,” Taehyun expressed himself, “I have to see him but I don’t know what to do, what to say, what to expect to see, what to expect to hear from him. I don’t know! It’s all crazy! If only you’d seen him, Beomgyu hyung, you’d understand why I’m like this.” 

          “I don’t even have to,” Beomgyu said while looking at a distressed Taehyun. “If you think you have to go to him, then go! Don’t let anything stop you.”

          Taehyun furrowed his brows and blinked at Beomgyu looking so innocent. “I thought you didn’t like him that much?”

          “I just thought he’s dangerous. And It seems like I’m right this time, no?” Beomgyu flashed Taehyun a smug look, making Taehyun laugh lightly. Taehyun didn’t think badly of it because he knew his best friend was just trying to make his feelings lighter, and he was thankful for it. “This is your life. You can date any asshole you want and I’ll be here if you get left behind with a broken heart even if I warned you and you didn’t listen to me. But I trust you fully and you’re smart too, at least I think so, so I know you wouldn’t just date anyone.”

          “Not just you. Everyone thinks I’m smart,” Taehyun said confidently, lifting the corners of his lips. He felt more at ease, though the heavy feeling was still present.

          Beomgyu rolled his eyes at Taehyun’s remark, grinning too, and let his back fall on the bed.

          “You’re right, I shouldn’t be here,” Taehyun said, standing on his feet and taking his phone again to call Kai for the thousandth time. “I should go to him.”

          “That’s more like it,” Beomgyu mumbled under his breath.

          Right before Taehyun unlocked his phone, a glowing notification popped up on the screen. He finally received a message from Kai. 

          His heart jumped and started pounding against his chest as he quickly checked it out with his shaky thumbs. Beomgyu noticed this from the corner of his eyes and saw Taehyun fidget around from reading something on his phone screen.

          “I can’t take you to the airport tomorrow. Sorry.”

          Taehyun knit his forehead and frowned upon reading Kai’s text. He didn’t care about Kai not taking him to the airport. That was the least he cared about. He cared about him . He was worried to death about him and he wanted to know where and how he was.

          “It’s okay. How are you feeling? Are you okay? Where are you right now? I’ll go there. I have to see you.”

          “I’m fine. Yeonjun and Soobin are here with me. Don’t bother coming.”

          The reply was quick and it slightly irked Taehyun as he read it out loud, letting Beomgyu know of Kai’s safety as well. 

          “Don’t bother coming? What the hell?” Taehyun thought out loud. He thought he had to be there next to him. He just had to. Kai’s his boyfriend, the person he loved, he had to see him well.

          Without a second thought, he tried to call him, tapping his foot on the floor as he heard the ringing. But the ringing was cut short and his tapping cut short too. It was deliberately hung up. 

          Taehyun huffed out a breath in disbelief. 

          Out of all the texts Taehyun sent, worrying like hell about Kai, he received only two replies. Two. And both were obnoxious and insensitive. His calls too. They were never answered, not once, nor were they returned.

          Beomgyu watched the scene unfold before his eyes and he shook his head while he closed his eyes to take a nap. 

          “Dangerous,” he whispered to himself and regretted the words he spoke just a minute ago. He told Taehyun, “So you chose to date an asshole named Kai. Fuck it, just stay here and never mind that sick bastard. Continue packing unless you want to go on your trip naked.”

Chapter Text

          It still felt lonely but it was a different kind of lonely, Soobin thought as he looked around his spacy room in the inn he was staying at for a few days.

          He always felt alone in his mansion in the woods despite it being filled with his large family ever since he was born. He felt loved and cared for but he didn’t have anyone to talk to comfortably, at least not anymore. 

          Over dinner, his family mostly talked about business and money. They didn’t talk about how beautiful the flowers were in spring, how the clouds seemed to embrace the moon on cloudy nights, or how the sun was magnificent on warm days. 

          Soobin brought it up once and he received looks of distraught, then he was called deranged. They were vampires and vampires were to never love the sun, they said to him. 

          Soobin simply remained silent so as to not worsen the fuss around the dinner table but he kept thinking. He thought about how his family changed over the years. They were vampires, that was a fact, but they weren’t ordinary vampires. They were vampires who used to love the sun and frolicked under the warm rays for a time, then they’d indulge in huge barrels of blood to remove the effect of the heavenly body on them.

          But they changed. With only one dreadful incident, they changed completely.

          Soobin’s grandmother was too careless. She ventured alone someplace far without telling anyone and when they found her, she was already burning to ash. It was a tragic death. It was traumatic, very much that Soobin’s grandfather locked himself in his room and most of the family avoided leaving the mansion unless needed.

          The family lost a cherished member and their peculiar liking for the sun.

          Soobin understood how awful it was because he, too, witnessed it. He mourned for weeks and losing his dear grandmother was the worst thing that could ever happen in their lives. 

          But it wasn’t the end for him. After some time, he found himself looking for sunlight again and continued to love it. He grew up with the sun on his eyes, he couldn’t completely let it go, and he realized how addicting it was. It was a dangerous realization, indeed, but he couldn’t help himself. He figured his grandmother must’ve had the same addiction, it’s just that no one noticed, so he still took caution and promised to never turn out the same. 

          It was only him who got back out there. His family remained under the shade and in the dark in fear, so Soobin had to walk on eggshells and watch his words and actions around them. He couldn’t talk to them anymore about the beauty of the world and anything else. 

          He felt lonely. Like there was a hole inside him, or a dark thing consuming him slowly, eating him away. The dark thing temporarily went away whenever he stepped under the sunlight but he thought the permanent solution to that was not the deadly ball of warmth. It was to make friends, find someone to ease his loneliness because his family couldn’t. 

          So he left the woods with the mission of finding the cure to the dark thing. His family didn’t question his intentions to go to the capital because he provided them an excuse, saying he wanted to see how business was going in their shop. His family bid him farewell, all smiles, praying for his safe travels.

          He thought leaving the mansion would ease his loneliness even for a little bit but all he could feel was even more loneliness, only a different kind, and he hadn’t made any friends.

          He sighed and marched out of the room. It was hours past noon and he wanted to get more doses of sunshine. At least he could get out there without shame, having no relative to catch him doing what became forbidden. 

          He walked down the hallway of the inn leading to the main entrance, humming a tune, his shoes tapping the wooden floorboards. As he was about to leave, the hostess notified him of a rule the inn recently established.

          “Sir, we’ll be locking the doors two hours after sun down. Please make sure to be back by then as we won’t be unlocking them for anyone.”

          “Why is that? You didn’t tell me earlier.”

          “Due to the recent cases.”

          “What cases?” Soobin asked, confused and furrowing his eyebrows at the hostess. “I’m not from here.”

          “I apologize.” The hostess crossed her hands and bowed then she straightened her back. “There have been cases involving young women in the area. They were reported missing then found dead the next day, all in the same way. It’s a serial murder.”

          “The cause of death?”

          “Word has been spreading that they were impaled on the neck twice.”

          “I see,” Soobin responded, nodding his head. Obviously, it was the work of a vampire but the hostess didn’t know that. “And the murderer?”

          “Still running around, sir.”

          Soobin nodded again. “I’ll be back before you lock up.”

          Soobin exited the gate and took small strides as he headed for the busy street. He glanced up at the gleaming sun and smiled when his face was showered with warmth. Then he faced forward, stretching his arms heavenwards, and dropped them to his sides carelessly, hitting someone by mistake.

          “Oh! I’m sorry!” he apologized right away, bowing his head slightly.

          “It’s alright,” the man said, flashing him a tiny smile.

          Soobin took a glimpse of the man’s shadowed face under his wide hat. He resembled a fox, Soobin thought and viewed it as an unusual charm. But despite the man being a stranger, Soobin recognized the smile the man had etched on his lips. It looked similar to Soobin’s own forced smiles in front of the mirror in the mansion. He wore a smile full of misery.

          The man went ahead without saying another word and left Soobin standing alone outside the inn’s gate.

          The man was dressed neatly with a noble’s robe and a mysterious aura, and there was another thing Soobin recognized about him. It was his smell. It was a distinctive smell, a smell Soobin was used to — the smell of a vampire. Mortals and vampires smelled differently and only vampires could tell them apart. That’s why a vampire recognizes one even without talking, unlike mortals who think everyone is just like them. 

          Soobin paid no more attention to the man and went on his merry way. He wandered around the city without direction, just people-watching and basking under the sun. 

          Eventually, he found himself somewhere with fewer people where he discovered an abandoned garden with a few bare trees. The ground was covered with autumn leaves and tall grass that grew all over the lot yet it looked like a golden wonderland. The sun was starting to set and the light on the garden had a golden glow to it.

          Despite the messy look the garden had, there was a visible path leading to a flimsy swing tied to a bare tree branch. It moved steadily as the autumn breeze pushed it, and the daylight appeared like a spotlight on it, as if telling Soobin to come and sit.

          He accepted the invitation. 

          He crossed the garden, stepping on scattered crusty leaves, and slowly lowered himself on the rocking seat. In an instant, he felt peace even with dried leaves rustling and flying around.

          It was a pity the days were getting shorter as the season was getting cooler, Soobin thought, but he was happy there at that moment, feeling the light on his face. 

          He also thought to himself, why wasn’t he born human? If only he were human then he’d have nothing to worry about. He figured his grandmother must’ve had the same thought.

          Soobin could never raise his hypothesis to his family — that grandmother wasn’t careless, not at all, and she chose to be there — and Soobin couldn’t disregard it.

          Was that why she succumbed to the sun, even with knowing that it would lead to her demise? Did she hope that she’d be reborn as a human in her next life? But that wasn’t possible. A vampire remains a vampire even after rebirth, as far as Soobin believed.

          But it was truly addicting, the golden sun. There was something about that gleam of light that was hard to resist. Soobin had started to feel faint, but even so, he wouldn’t get out of the spotlight. He stayed there and wondered what his grandmother must have been thinking about before she burned to ash. Soobin swore he saw that smile on her face, a similar smile to what was on his lips at that moment.

          Soobin closed his eyes and let the setting sun decide his fate.

          Suddenly, it became dark and cold.

          The sun couldn’t have set that quickly, could it?

          Soobin lifted his eyelids and saw a tall figure before him. It was a man wearing a silk robe and wide hat, holding a wide umbrella, shielding him. The man simply looked down at him with a blank expression before speaking.

          “You’re already burning,” the man said, pointing to Soobin’s steaming red hand.

          Soobin noticed the man’s expensive clothing, quite similar to his own, and he noticed that he also wasn’t mortal. He was a vampire too, a nosy one at that.

          Soobin glared in reply and promptly stood on his feet, but his knees were weak and he fell to the ground, his feet kicking away a pile of leaves. Fortunately, the other vampire was quick enough to crouch down and cushion his fall using an arm.

          “You need blood.” The other vampire lifted him and helped him get back on his feet. Then he gently held Soobin’s wrist, pulling him somewhere. “Come with me.”

          He was right. Soobin did need blood and he needed blood fast. If the vampire hadn’t come, then Soobin probably would’ve joined his grandmother by the time the sun had set completely. 

          “Where are we going?” Soobin asked the stranger curiously and released his wrist from the loose grip. Although he was irked by this busybody, he supposed it would be better to have some company than to return to the inn alone and down some of the blood he brought with him. 

          “A bar.”

          “A bar,” Soobin repeated blankly, his throat a bit dry.

          “Yes. Bar, drinking house, whatever you want to call it.” The stranger took a round wooden flask from somewhere under his robe and handed it to Soobin. “It’s not very far but with your condition, I suggest we take our time, walk slowly, and you drink that in the meantime. Unless you’re comfortable with the idea of me carrying you while I leap on the roofs.” The stranger stole a glance at Soobin and chuckled at how aggressive he was at shaking his head.

          Soobin blinked a few times in hopes of clearing his vision and scanned the flask before twisting the cap open. It seemed risky to drink something from a stranger but it was enticing and it was fragrant and it smelled a bit like home. So he took a sip and unconsciously, he finished it. It wasn’t enough to completely recover but enough to give him strength to walk distances. He returned the flask to the stranger empty.

          “Thank you,” Soobin said, feeling a bit lighter. “What’s your name?”

          “Kai. You are?”

          “Soobin. Nice to meet you.”

          Kai looked back to smile at him with a little of his fangs peeking out, then he continued to watch his steps. He slowly took a right turn into a narrower street with no people, not checking to see if Soobin had caught up with him.

          Soobin managed to follow him even with heavy feet. He was a bit groggy still, but he enjoyed the feeling. He only needed more blood to fully sober up but it was fine being that way, he thought.

          “What were you trying to do back there?” Kai asked without pause, not halting once to talk face-to-face with Soobin.

          “Sunbathing,” Soobin answered plainly.

          “An unusual activity for a vampire.”

          “I suppose so.”

          Kai stopped in his tracks and turned his heel to face Soobin. It was getting dark as the sun was nowhere to be seen but Kai could see Soobin’s indifferent look clearly. It was like he had no care in the world.

          “I’m sure you’re aware of what it does,” Kai said, “Or are you not?”

          “I am,” Soobin replied, nodding his head. “But I love it.”

          Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise. He couldn’t fathom how the sun could be… lovable. It was horrible. He loathed it. He nearly died because of the sun half a millennium ago. But he figured there were many strange vampires in the world with different quirks, and he too was strange for falling in love with a mortal.

          “You do you, I guess,” Kai commented and turned around to continue their trip to the bar. On the far end of the street, lanterns had started to glow in the dark, giving light to the path which fewer and fewer people walked on because it was getting late. Kai walked towards it. “But go easy on your… sunbathing. It’s not going to look pretty when you reach that point. Take it from me. I’ve had my fair share.”

          “I don’t have to hear it from you,” Soobin scoffed, still following him. “I’ve seen someone burn to ash, happily, by the way. I don’t mind dying if it was the sun that killed me. The sun’s my only companion. It’s like a forbidden love.”

          Kai reached the end, arriving at a wider street. He crossed it and went straight ahead into another alley then swiftly turned left after getting to a dead end. Soobin didn’t think twice and only focused on getting to wherever they were going. Hopefully, he wasn’t wrong to trust this Kai because the alley looked pretty spooky.

          “A forbidden love is forbidden for a reason,” Kai jeered as if he didn’t have his own tragic love story, “If you want a companion, I’m interested. I’ve been feeling a bit lonely and I haven’t had any vampire friendships the past centuries. I’ve only ever talked to mortals since-”

          Soobin watched his footsteps. He only stared at the ground and avoided the pebbles here and there. “Well, I’m the opposite. All my life I’ve only talked to vampires until-”

          Soobin bumped into Kai and rebounded. Kai stopped walking abruptly and Soobin wondered what made him unmoving.

          He moved beside Kai and looked to the front. There was a hand held lantern sitting by the tall wall, its light faint and dying. The alley was shadowy but to Soobin, it was pitch black. His vision wasn’t well and the absence of light made it much harder for him to identify what was it that made Kai stop.

          Just as he was about to ask, the clouds drew away from the full moon and moonlight shone down on the path they were taking. Finally, Soobin saw that he and Kai weren’t alone.

          In that alley, there stood three vampires and a young mortal woman. Two of the vampires were Soobin and Kai, watching the third vampire puncture the mortal’s neck.

          The third vampire was dressed elegantly as a nobleman, though his robe was wrinkled on his shoulders from the mortal’s strong grip. The struggle between him and the mortal also made his hat fall and land below the back of his head. And although he most likely noticed his audience arriving, he didn’t mind them and carried on with his business.

          The mortal was a young woman with skin as pale as the moon, and dark blood trickled down her neck, staining her light pink collar deep red. She became stiff and let out a short whimper, then her eyes shifted to the corners when Kai and Soobin arrived. With the last bit of hope and strength, she tried to call them with her quivering whispers, asking them to save her, but they simply stood and watched her draw her last breath.

          “The serial murderer,” Soobin muttered, jolted at witnessing a gruesome scene. It had been too long since he last saw a vampire directly feed on a human. Seeing the act again reminded him that he was a vampire, not human. Someone who used to do it too. Someone who drank blood, just like the serial murderer.

          The serial murderer withdrew himself from his prey and let the body drop down. He took a step back, closed his eyes as he angled his head to face the black sky, and inhaled deeply. Then he lifted his eyelids open to greet the moon with a red fangy smile, to admire its beauty on another miserable night. The moon never failed to give him peace after a disturbing meal.

          He slid his tongue on the corner of his blood-tainted lips and used his fingers to wipe the excess off his cheek. With his neck still arched, he rolled his eyes sideways and took a glance at his silent audience.

          “Is this entertaining?” he asked with a mocking tone.

          Kai and Soobin didn’t answer and simply kept their stares on him with their mouths agape.

          Kai was unsure of it but it seemed to him that the murderer was on the verge of tears when his eyes glistened under the moonlight. Soobin, too, was unsure of it at first but after taking a longer look and after his vision became clearer, he was confident it was him.

          “You,” Soobin said, squinting. “I bumped into you a while ago, didn’t I?”

          “Did you?” The murderer turned his body to them and arched his brow, bringing his face down. Then he reached for his hat, fixed it on his head, and re-tied the strings on his chin. “And what of it?”

          “Nothing. Your sad smile just struck me earlier.” Soobin furrowed his brows and folded his hands behind his back. “But a serial murder of young women, huh? Is this entertaining?”

          “Sad smile,” the murderer snickered then gulped. “It wasn’t deliberate. They were following me-”

          “So you killed them,” Soobin interrupted.

          “So I took the chance and did what I had to do to survive,” the murderer corrected and lowered his head to hide his face. He looked at his fingers smeared with blood and curled it into a tight fist.

          Kai observed the way serial murderer acted. He didn’t seem as menacing as the rumors described him. He didn’t seem as vicious as he appeared, even after seeing him prey on a poor blooming young woman. 

          Seeing the young woman’s neck, Kai noticed that the punctures weren’t too deep, just shallow enough to draw blood. It was like the predator showed mercy so it wouldn’t hurt as much.

          “You don’t enjoy this,” Kai joined in.

          The murderer flickered his eyes and gawked at Kai for saying such words.

          “Come with us,” Kai invited him. 

          Soobin turned to Kai, stupefied by his sudden invitation to a serial murderer. Although Soobin did understand where the serial murder was coming from, that he was simply a vampire trying to survive and not actually killing for fun or for whatever motive, it was a bit odd to invite him. Did Kai like taking strangers to bars? He did mention his loneliness too, Soobin recalled and suppressed his chuckling. It was a bit amusing because he was in the same boat. 

          “The more, the merrier,” Soobin stated, glancing at the third vampire’s confused reaction. 

          Soobin felt a surge of softness and became attracted to the mysterious vampire who was baffled at receiving an invitation from unknown vampires he met in a dark alley. There really was an unusual charm to him, Soobin thought. Soobin’s attraction was strong and he only wanted to get to know the vampire better, unravel the mystery of him, and see how he was in different settings. And especially, he wanted to know what his sorrowful smile meant and what caused it to be plastered on his lips.

          “Where to?” 

          “To a bar.”

          The third vampire dropped his jaw. It confounded him. “You want me to go with you, to a bar, to drink? After judging me?”

          “Well, I judged you too soon,” Soobin replied, chin raised and lips curved. “Join us so we’ll see if we should regret asking you to come. Don’t worry, I just met him today too.” Soobin cocked his head in Kai's direction.

          “I don’t like alcohol. It tastes awful.” The murderer scrunched his face and waved his hand in front of him. “I’ll have to decline.”

          He approached the lifeless body lying down on the ground and bent over to prop it up on the brick wall. Then he fixed the young woman’s hair and clothes, and crossed her hands on her lap before leaning in, bringing his lips to the woman’s ear to whisper something. Then he bowed his head before he stood straight again.

          This intrigued both Soobin and Kai, and Soobin became even more interested in getting to know this vampire better. He didn’t notice it immediately but Soobin was wearing a dimpled smile across his face upon seeing the vampire’s uncommon gesture.

          “Oh yes, it does taste bad.” Soobin nodded with creased brows, removing his smile, and looked back and forth from the vampire in front of him to the vampire beside him. Then he added, “But blood, I love. Especially when it has that clean taste to it.”

          “The blood bar I’m taking you,” Kai said as he turned to Soobin then to the stranger. “Both of you.” He noticed the stranger’s frown so he hurried up to explain himself. It seemed like the stranger had no knowledge of this bar he was talking about. “Serves the finest blood in this country. That’s because there’s hardly any bars, actually, but you didn’t take as much blood as you need, did you?”

          The stranger tilted his head to the side. “Blood bar?”

          After a few words of convincing and explanation, after a show of astonished faces, and after another exchange of names, the three vampires arrived at the blood bar, drinking house, whatever you want to call it, together.

          “You’ve never heard of a blood bar before, Yeonjun?” Soobin asked Yeonjun — the serial murderer, the third vampire, his new found friend — as they sat cross-legged on the floor across each other.

          “They didn’t have to die if only I did,” Yeonjun replied, regret heavy in his tone as he cursed himself out loud.

          He quickly downed the blood served in his cup and released a refreshed breath. He felt stronger at the same time weaker. All those mortals he preyed on during the past few months could’ve lived if only he knew about vampire bars sooner, if only he came across one sooner when he arrived in the city, if only he had met Kai and Soobin sooner. But it was way past that and what mattered was he knew he didn’t have to go through the pain again just to survive. He promised himself. He’d never bite a mortal again.

          “Hunting is natural to us,” Soobin said as he pulled his robe sleeve and reached for his own cup on the table. “I used to hunt too. There’s something different when you feed traditionally. I just don’t like it when you expect a mortal’s blood to taste good but then it ends up being bland.”

          “It’s true,” Kai agreed and frowned, bringing his eyes down to look at his palms. “Personally, I hate hunting human beings so I turn to other options, but I’ve also killed. When I had to.”

          “But I’m sure you’ve never killed as much as I have,” Yeonjun said, deeply knitting his brows together and licked his lips in an attempt to clean the burgundy color smeared on them, but they remained and his lips were stained with the deep color of blood. “I’ve killed so many. It was my job. I was an assassin, hired by mortals to kill other mortals.”

          Kai lifted his head and gave his undivided attention to Yeonjun. Soobin did the same. 

          “I was excellent at it. I did every job perfectly, without letting the masters know of my true nature and how the victims died. Those didn’t matter to them anyway. And I got by for hundreds of years just with… assassinating mortals.” Yeonjun continued, still not loosening the creases on his forehead, and the corners of his lips drooped, shaping a frown. “I got blood. To survive my days. And gold, which is of little importance except for the benefit of allowing me to wear luxurious clothing.” 

          Kai and Soobin were drowned in Yeonjun’s past, imagining how life could have been for him. If it were other vampires who listened to his stories, they’d think he was lucky for having an exciting life — hunting all the time and even getting paid for it — but Soobin and Kai weren’t other vampires. They had empathy for their new friend and understood what made him feel such heavy emotions, and they knew what was coming next.

          “But it’s...” Yeonjun looked around him, watched the other bar-goers laugh merrily with their respective companions, and listened to the uproar resounding in the room. They were vampires that lived happily amongst mortals in secret. In secret because it had to be the vampires who adjusted, not the other way around. That used to be something Yeonjun hated, like he was taught to, something he hated mortals for and used as motivation to drain the blood flowing from mortals' veins. “It’s harrowing. It torments me.”

          As Yeonjun watched each and every vampire in the room, he imagined the faces of the mortals he came across in his everyday life wandering around the cities and provinces he visited. The mortals that also laughed merrily, making cheerful noises as they lived through their lives. 

          Yeonjun learned many things along the centuries and he hated that he kept denying the first thing he ever learned once he went solo — that mortals were just like vampires. And it took him centuries before he realized and admitted that he never enjoyed the killing. Not at all. He only did it to survive.

          Soobin stretched his arm over the table and reached for Yeonjun’s hand. He squeezed it, catching Yeonjun’s attention, and looked straight in his eyes. Because of the small gesture, Yeonjun loosened up and showed Soobin a tiny smile, to tell him he’s fine. But he couldn’t help but frown again and flare his nostrils when anger and anguish came over him upon recalling a miserable memory. 

          “The last I was hired to kill was an idiot,” Yeonjun said, his eyes starting to water and blur his vision as he looked down on the cup filled with red drink. “I met him often at the market when he accompanied his younger sisters so I tried to make it hurt less for the poor young man. He treated me like a friend whenever he saw me, and he was an idiot until the very end. With a bleeding neck and an idiotic smile on his face, he gripped my hand and whispered his last words to me. He asked me to tell his sisters to forgive their brother because he can’t buy them accessories anymore.”

          Yeonjun had tears streaming down his cheeks, passing by his fangy grin that appeared when the mortal’s face and final words became fresh. It choked him up and he couldn’t continue anymore. He was left unmoving, crying on his own in front of two vampires he had just met. He didn’t expect any more sympathy from them and he figured that after that night, they wouldn’t remain friendly with each other and continue living each of their lives, separated. 

          But Yeonjun also didn’t expect his hand to be held tightly and he didn’t expect to receive words of comfort, solace, and reassurance. Years of agony were washed away by one night. And even though he dreaded going to the dark alley just an hour earlier to prey on a mortal, he felt thankful that he did, because he met two souls kind enough to invite him to a bar.

          A friendship between three vampires was formed that fateful night of the full moon and it happened incredibly. Aside from all three of them having shared loneliness, it amazed them that they met in a place they were foreign to and that they were staying in the same inn (that they had to hurry and return to before it locked up).

          It was just a strange coincidence, Soobin said. It was serendipity, Yeonjun added. Perhaps it was fate, Kai suggested. But whether the three of them were destined to meet or not, they were all glad it happened.

          That day was eventful; Soobin nearly burned to ash; Yeonjun found peace from something other than the moon; Kai met vampires he could call family. Above all, both Soobin and Yeonjun were eternally grateful to Kai for saving their lives and five hundred years later, it was time to return the favor.

          When Soobin and Yeonjun carried Kai out of the restaurant, they flew across the city to get Kai “someplace safe” also known as “their penthouse apartment.” It was the nearest place they could take him. As soon as possible, they had to get Kai someplace safe to rest and where blood is plentiful.

          “Go, go, go! Quickly, put him on the sofa!” Soobin cried as he dashed to the kitchen to get Kai his blood supply and cursed at the wind when he almost slipped along the way.

          Yeonjun gently laid Kai on the L-shaped sofa, placing a throw pillow under his head, and touched his hand. “Tsk. He’s burning,” Yeonjun mumbled and neatly placed Kai’s arms beside his body. “Soobin, hurry up, he’s dying in a matter of seconds!” he yelled as he knelt on the carpet.

          “I know that!” Soobin scurried around the kitchen, carrying as many bottles as he could carry in his arms. Then he ran over, stopping behind the back of the sofa and uncorked them before handing them to Yeonjun.

          Soobin held Kai’s jaw open while Yeonjun directly poured the red liquid in Kai’s mouth. The blood overflowed on his cheeks, staining the throw pillow and the cushioned seat. 

          “I’ll just buy us a new one,” Yeonjun told Soobin as he fed Kai. “This one’s a bit old anyway.”

          While they were entirely focused on saving their poor friend’s life, a distracting and maddening melody played in the background. And when it stopped, Soobin sighed heavily in relief. But it was immediately replaced with a continuous chiming sound and Soobin felt non stop buzzing in his back pocket.

          Soobin’s lip twitched. He was fed up with the infuriating noise so he recklessly fished Kai’s phone from his pocket and put it on vibration mode, then tossed it aside. It landed beside its owner.

          “Taehyun seems really worried,” Yeonjun commented.

          “He should be,” Soobin scoffed and carried on.

          After giving Kai enough blood, the two vampires collapsed on the floor, exhausted from worry and curing their reckless friend. Which foolish vampire would carelessly eat garlic given to him by his boyfriend? The answer was right there, sleeping on the sofa like the dead. It was a miracle he wasn’t dead and was slowly healing from the severe damage inflicted on him by a piece of garlic.

          “Fucking garlic,” Soobin whispered, sitting on the floor behind the sofa, then chugged one of the bottles he brought from the fridge. “Such a small thing could kill us. It’s crazy.”

          “I witnessed someone die of it, once.” Yeonjun walked around the sofa to sit next to Soobin. He slowly lowered himself and kicked his legs in front of him like the other vampire, then he grabbed the bottle from him to help himself too. “The idiot thought it was a myth made up by humans and swallowed a whole bulb.”

          “Yikes, what happened to him?” Soobin asked, his face grimacing upon hearing Yeonjun’s story.

          “Dead. In exactly eight seconds.” Yeonjun glanced sideways at Soobin and chuckled at his adorable expression before downing blood. “It was a nightmare. But at least his life had purpose: to prove how deathly garlic is.”

          Soobin lightly pushed Yeonjun’s shoulder, laughing at his dark statement. His eyes curved into crescents, his fangs made an appearance under his thin upper lip, and his dimples popped out on the side of his cheeks, making Yeonjun smile fondly at him. Yeonjun leaned closer and gave him a quick kiss on one dimple. Soobin furrowed his brows and grinned bashfully at the giggling vampire who just kissed him.

          It was a fluttering scene to watch, especially heartwarming because it happened after a momentous event they experienced together. They felt like partners-in-crime except it wasn’t a crime they did together but saving a stupid vampire stupidly in love with a mortal that he almost died during a date. And that stupid vampire who was unfortunately soulmates with the mortal was their friend who they couldn’t lose. 

          Kai was always there for them, come hell or high water, so saving his stupid ass was an obvious thing to do. They loved Kai with all their heart (even more than Taehyun, Soobin thought) and he was family to them. It’s just that he was extremely, awfully, madly in love with this mortal that he became unwise and senseless at times. But he was family and you’d love your family regardless of how they were.

          “Kai used to lecture me so much about the sun but look at him now, because of a little smelly thing,” Soobin went off, shaking his head and letting out sighs of disappointment. “Tell me, who’s careless?”

          “You still are,” Yeonjun answered, looking at Soobin full on who was scowling at him in return. “Although you’ve changed, so much, I still catch you in the morning, Soobin.”

          “It’s not every morning.” Soobin lowered his eyes and faced front, pouting.

          “I know.” Yeonjun placed his chin on Soobin’s shoulder and inhaled his scent, a light smell of shampoo tickling his nose. “I know you know what too much sun does, but please be more careful, okay? ”

          “Mm. I will.”

          Yeonjun planted another kiss on the base of Soobin’s neck then drew away to drink from the bottle again. Soobin turned his head to him and gazed at his face, a face so familiar and comforting. A face that was once full of mystery and misery but now it seemed livelier and brighter, glowing even. Like the sun he loved. But this one, he could hold, tightly.

          Soobin chuckled to himself as the thought popped in his head. He had an obsession for the shining sun or pretty objects, and he realized the vampire beside him possessed both qualities. The vampire he loved for the past five centuries was radiant and gorgeous, and he didn’t know what he could have done to deserve him.

          Yeonjun shifted his eyes to Soobin and tried to battle against his stare but he lost again. Like always, he ended up averting his eyes somewhere else because Soobin’s loving stare was too much of an attack to his heart, especially when Soobin always inched his face closer and closer the longer the staring contest went. 

          Soobin chuckled when Yeonjun turned away bashfully, then he hooked an arm around him to forcefully bring him closer. Then he planted a kiss on the top of his head, on his cotton candy hair that suited him perfectly. Yeonjun couldn’t help himself and giggled like a child, revealing his hidden fangs and raising his cheekbones to his crescent eyes.

          In their very own penthouse apartment, they were enjoying each other’s company until they heard a noise. Kai groaned, straining to open his eyes and to lift his arms.

          Soobin and Yeonjun looked at each other wide-eyed then promptly stood up to go around the piece of furniture in their living room.

          “Bastard! Go back to sleep!” Soobin scolded and nagged Kai like a mother would to her children, holding himself back from crying on his chest with joy from seeing him conscious and alive. “Don’t wake up until tomorrow!”

          “Where is this dark place?” Kai finally lifted his eyelids, revealing his bloodshot eyes. Obviously, he hadn’t fully recovered yet, and he was even struggling to speak with his scratchy throat. His fangs were completely out and he felt them poking his lower lip when he moved his mouth. “Taehyun... Where’s Taehyun?”

          “Taehyun’s dead,” Soobin replied. He didn’t like him. He almost killed his little brother. He was unforgivable. He might as well be dead. “And this dark place is our apartment.” 

          The thick curtains were drawn to fully cover the floor to ceiling windows of the luxe apartment, not letting any daylight inside the place. The chandelier above their heads was the only thing illuminating the area and its light was strong. It was simply Kai who had darkened vision which slowly went away as the seconds passed.

          “We left him in the restaurant,” Yeonjun answered Kai properly, shooting Soobin a look telling him to stop being ridiculous. “Clueless, oblivious, like you probably want him to be.”

          Kai struggled and turned his head towards Yeonjun’s direction but didn’t answer.

          “Why haven’t you told him?” Yeonjun asked, concern and curiosity heavy in his voice, as he sat down on the cushioned stool nearby. “You’ve been dating, what, three months now? And for three months you’ve been going out with him on sunny days.”

          “I don’t want-” Kai croaked out, wincing at the pain in his throat. “-him to know I’m a vampire.”

          “So what’s your plan?” Soobin roamed casually around the living room with his hands resting behind his back, his gaze jumping from every piece of decor his eyes could set on, not setting them on Kai at first. The air around him changed. His voice was firm but the tone vague and his face blank, yet it gave off a condescending effect. Then, standing at a distance,  he looked Kai straight in the eyes. “You can’t possibly be thinking about living eighty years with that mortal, watch him grow old alone, and not expect him to ask you once why you’re not aging.”

          Kai’s vision had been restored so he clearly saw the look Soobin wore. He furrowed his brows and moved his gaze away from his friend who spoke hurtful truth. Kai liked it better when Soobin was shouting or cursing, twisting his face to form various faces, instead of wearing his stony expression and talking calmly with his deep voice. It was terrifying, that side of Soobin. It was especially terrifying when his fangs were displayed and over his lips like they were at that time.

          “You have to tell him,” Yeonjun said the obvious. “Sooner or later.”

          “Someday,” Kai managed to say.

          “Someday?” Soobin repeated, then he chuckled scornfully, only slightly curving his lip up. That sound was something Kai hadn’t heard in a while and he wasn’t happy to hear it again. “In ten years? Fifteen? Twenty?”

          “Soobin-”

          “You’re not dumb, Kai,” Soobin cut Yeonjun off. He took steps towards Kai and sat on one end of the sofa beside Yeonjun’s stool. He raised his chin and gave him a side-eye. “And the mortal isn’t either.”

          Kai felt a chill run down his spine. Soobin was right, as usual. Taehyun wasn’t brainless. Taehyun could find out at some point that Kai wasn’t human. Heck, he even could have already figured it out. Or he could have come up with the simple conclusion that Kai was not normal. 

          And although Kai had gotten away with all his lies, those lies would expire eventually. They wouldn’t work anymore and Kai would be put on the spot, forced to make an unready confession, or he’d be forced to run away. It’d be better for Kai to come clean and risk it all than end up being remembered as a liar or the one that got away.

          “And if something like this happens again…” Yeonjun added, “Kai, we can’t lose you.”

          After a few moments of deep silence and thinking, Kai tried to say something.

          “Tomorrow.” Kai inhaled a sharp breath. His throat was getting better but his body still felt faint and heavy. “I’ll tell him tomorrow.”

          “No, not tomorrow,” Yeonjun opposed, shaking his head and raising his voice. “Tomorrow, you’ll do nothing but sleep. You can tell him when you recover and when you can confidently beat the Flash in a race.”

          Soobin finally eased his expression, drawing his head back and laughing silently at Yeonjun’s statement. “No one can beat the Flash,” he said while giggling, “He’s the fastest man alive.”

          But Kai wasn’t amused and kept thinking. Then as he strained to stretch his fingers. His hand grazed the phone sitting beside his body and he recognized it, so he reached for it in hopes of using it to contact Taehyun.

          Taehyun was running in his head. Kai couldn’t just sleep the next day. He had to take Taehyun to the airport. Even if he couldn’t tell him the truth yet, he had to see him off. He wouldn’t be able to see him for weeks. He had to see him one more time before he left.

          Kai successfully unlocked his phone and angled his head to see it properly but Yeonjun noticed. Before Kai could even read the messages, Yeonjun snatched it away.

          “I have to take him to the airport.” Kai could speak clearly now though not loudly. “He’s leaving tomorrow.”

          “No,” Yeonjun said strictly, staring at Kai. He opened the chat box and dropped his jaw upon getting a sight of an absurd number of messages. Then he proceeded to type in a message for Taehyun. “I’ll tell him you can’t go.”

          “No, I have to-”

          “I’ll tell him you’re fine,” Yeonjun continued, ignoring Kai’s quiet protest, still pressing his thumbs on the keyboard. “Even if you’re not.”

          Yeonjun passed Kai’s phone to Soobin after sending Taehyun two messages. Soobin read them.

          “Don’t bother coming.”

          “How direct and unkind,” Soobin thought. For a second, he felt bad for Taehyun and wanted to reprimand Yeonjun for sending such messages. They were horrible, especially when you’re just worried sick. Yeonjun could’ve used kinder words. Soobin thought if he were in Taehyun’s shoes and if it was Yeonjun who sent him a message like that, he’d angrily make a call immediately.

          And that’s what Taehyun did.

          Kai’s phone murmured in Soobin's hands, making Kai panic and struggle to get his phone from him when he heard the intense buzzing. But the two other vampires in the room were calm. 

          Although Soobin felt Yeonjun’s messages were inconsiderate, they had to be said to prevent the mortal from coming over and disturbing Kai’s rest. Soobin declined the call without any hint of hesitation, then he shut the phone off to prevent further contact.

          Kai’s friends were vicious like that, and Kai had no choice but to give in because he was powerless.

          His love slipped away again, although fortunately this time only temporary but without proper words of farewell. He’d be spending the next few weeks alone, the way he had spent the year before and the year before and the year before. He had his mean friends with him but it wasn’t the same as having his soulmate in his arms.

          He was about to experience them again in a day and the day after and the day after, until Taehyun’s return. He dreaded it — being separated from his soulmate again. Away from Kang Taehyun.

          But if Kai already worried about those few weeks, then how would he cope the years after Taehyun’s inevitable death?

Chapter Text

          Drained. Exhausted. Hungry.

          If Taehyun was asked to use three words to describe how he was feeling, he’d say those words. And if asked to give three more:

          Sentimental. Pained. Upset.

          But none of those words could explain exactly how he was feeling. He buried his face in a pillow covered in white cloth and he wanted to scream in it. But instead, he groaned and his voice was muffled, unable to travel around his drab hotel room. 

          He was enjoying the trip, he had to admit. Seeing new sights, meeting new people, having great food. But after each hectic day finished, he dragged his body to his dreary hotel room in low spirits. Possibly because at the end of each day, he had time to focus on things aside from work, so he could think about the situation he left back home.

          When Kai declined the call after that specific lunch date, after his moment of life-and-death, Taehyun never stopped calling. Taehyun tried calling him every second he got but he never got through. Even at the boarding gate, he tried contacting Kai but he never answered.

          At some point, Taehyun considered abandoning the trip and knocked on Kai’s door the morning before his flight. Unfortunately for him, the door didn’t open and no one greeted him from the other side, so he headed to the airport with a heavy heart.

          Taehyun just wanted an update, another message that proved that Kai really was doing fine, but he didn’t get anything even after another swarm of messages he sent him. 

          He felt resentful. He felt resentful at Kai’s friends for not telling him anything and leaving him confused, like he didn’t deserve to know anything about Kai’s condition that time. He also felt resentful at Kai for acting indifferent, insensitive, like a different person.

          Taehyun knew he should’ve felt a surge of excitement when the plane took off but only a weighing feeling of worry settled in his heart. He knew he should’ve been exhilarated at watching the clouds pass by his window but he only felt gloomy at watching the buildings slowly shrink. He knew it should’ve been a beaming smile plastered on his face and not an ugly frown etched on his lips.

          Taehyun removed his face from the pillow and sat on the edge of his bed, hunched over and exhaling a deep breath. He loosened his tie with one hand then threw it on the chair where his blazer hung. He was so tired that he didn’t even change out of his work clothes before jumping on the bed but he decided to make an effort afterwards.

          He shuffled his feet to the bathroom sink, careful not to slip on the tiles, and turned the faucet. He let the water run on his cupped hands and splashed it on his face, hoping to wash away the signs of exhaustion in his eyes and the sorrow in his smile. He looked at the mirror, staring at the man with wet strands of hair stuck to his forehead who looked exactly like him, and wondered what was it that made him look so down, so dejected, so agitated. He wondered if he looked the same to other people.

          A tune came ringing from the bed and Taehyun’s reflexes acted. He instantly stopped the running water and grabbed a towel to wipe down his face. Then he jogged to the source of the ringing and picked it up.

          An incoming call from Huening Kai, a name familiar to Taehyun’s lips but somehow felt detached.

          Kai appeared on the phone screen with earphones plugged in both ears, blinking silently then shifting to a smiling expression. Taehyun couldn’t help but mirror it and stretched his lips from one ear to the other.

          “Taehyun!” Kai screamed from the other line as he looked at Taehyun’s face. “Kang Taehyun!”

          Taehyun’s creased eyes and toothy grin couldn’t disappear after seeing the best sight he ever saw during the trip.

          “Taehyun!” Kai screamed again. He propped his phone up on a stack of books Soobin brought down from the library upstairs, making sure the angle of the camera was just right and that he was safe from accidentally displaying his fangs. 

          Taehyun heard the loud chatter coming in from the background. There were some faint jazzy tunes playing too, possibly from the spinning vinyl turntable Kai had in the living room. He gathered that Kai was enjoying himself while he was away on the other side of the world. 

          “Another party?” Taehyun asked.

          “Supposedly just for the two of us but my mean friends invited themselves.” Kai fixed his posture on the dining chair and briefly looked at the two vampires playing a board game in the living room, arguing passionately about the rules, and ticking each other off. Kai covered his mouth when he cackled at the sight then raised a short glass to his lips and drank his favorite drink.

          Taehyun squinted, dropping the grin off his face, and inched closer to the screen. “What’s that you’re drinking? Don’t tell me you’re-”

          “It’s grape juice!” Kai exclaimed before Taehyun could even finish his sentence. He laughed nervously as he grabbed the box of “grape juice” nearby and brought it beside his cheek, showing Taehyun that he was just enjoying some juice in the morning. Not that he was drinking blood , nor was it wine, but grape juice. “It’s grape juice,” he emphasized.

          Taehyun kept his eyes narrowed, skeptical about it. “The color’s a bit off…” 

          “Perhaps it’s because It’s quite dark in here,” Kai tried to explain, looking around. “The curtains are drawn and the light’s rather weak. Or the… the filter!”

          “Hmm.”

          “What hmm?”

          “Hmm — I think you’re hiding something.” Taehyun’s body dropped down on one side of the bed and he ran his fingers through his hair, stretching one corner of his lips to the side and furrowing his brows. “I hope you’re not drinking alcohol yet. How are you feeling? Are you feeling better?”

          Kai had a faint smile on his lips. Taehyun had been asking those questions every single day since Kai finally got hold of his confiscated phone. How many times had he heard it but he never grew tired of it. “I feel heavenly. My babysitters are doing a great job.”

          Taehyun chuckled then he quickly frowned upon remembering something. “No, not again,” he thought to himself. He couldn’t stop remembering that day in the restaurant and he couldn’t forget Kai’s pained face as he struggled for oxygen. His moistened eyes and his chapped lips were clear as day in Taehyun’s eyes. Even his rough voice still rang in Taehyun’s ears, and his burning touch remained on Taehyun’s skin.

          A word for that moment: unforgettable. In a bad way.

          Taehyun was dazed but a sharp voice suddenly cut through.

          “Taehyun!” Kai yelled again, “Taehyun, can you hear me?”

          For a minute, Taehyun’s mind was away and the sight of the present Kai brought him back. Relief washed over him as he saw Kai perfectly healthy, enjoying himself back home, not in pain, not gasping for air. 

          Taehyun smiled. That was good enough.

          “I’m fine, just a bit tired,” Taehyun said, pressing his fingertips on his temples. “I want to meet them again when I get back. The last time, we had an emergency, so I couldn’t really meet them properly.” He put aside his bitter feelings towards them.

          “Sure! Let’s arrange it,” Kai replied cheerfully. He held his chin as he directed his eyes to the ceiling and thought. “We can have dinner somewhere. You should bring Beomgyu along too. I’d love to meet him.”

          “We can all celebrate your birthday,” Taehyun suggested, then yawned. His eyelids were becoming weighty and he had to exert a bit effort to keep his eyes open. He let his back fall on the mattress and raised his phone up in the air. “I’ll be back then, anyway. Unless you don’t want to?”

          “I don’t,” Kai bluntly answered, smiling his way through his words. He kept smiling even after briefly pressing his lips together and showed his soft cheeks beside them. “That day, it should just be the two of us.”

          “I’m looking forward to it.” Taehyun giggled and stared at Kai’s pressed smiling lips for a few moments. “But Kai, you’re really not hiding anything?”

          Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise and kept the smile on his face to conceal his anxiety. “Hmm? What?”

          “You can tell me, you know, Kai?” Taehyun’s eyes flickered, lids still heavy. His lips started to droop to form a pout. He rolled over, his dress shirt riding up with the movement, then he grabbed a pillow and placed it under his chest with his arms stretched in front of him to keep the conversation going.  “I can see it. You look worried or something’s been bothering you. And you haven’t told me what exactly happened that day. It still worries me, to be honest.”

          “I- I-” Kai stammered, lowering his eyes to the floor, looking for the right words to say. He heard light footsteps moving around so he raised his eyes again, and in his vision, there appeared Yeonjun busy fumbling with the turntable. Then over to the left was Soobin passing under the archway, holding a few vinyl records still in their covers, walking over to Yeonjun. Then both of them swiftly turned their heads towards Kai, alarming him and forcing him to return his eyes on the person he was talking to. “There’s nothing, Taehyun. I- I just miss you. That’s all.”

          “That’s all?”

          “No, that’s… that’s not all.” Kai wore a straight face but there was a throbbing sensation in his chest. His eyes were wandering, not knowing where to set, as he felt the stares piercing through his body. He swallowed his unease and prepared himself to tell another cover-up. A lie. Or a half-truth, he thought. “It’s because I still feel bad I couldn’t see you off.”

          “That’s not a problem, Hyuka,” Taehyun said, then he mumbled to himself, “That’s actually the least you could call a worry.” 

          Kai furrowed his brows, unsatisfied. “When you come back, I’ll have, err, a feast prepared.”

          “Then I’ll be there right after I land,” Taehyun responded warmly but the creases on his forehead stayed. “I’ll be going there, okay? Don’t come to the airport. I’m arriving in the morning.”

          “Are you sure?”

          “A hundred percent.” Taehyun was stern, his eyes unblinking and narrowed, and his lips pressed together firmly. “I don’t want you to risk it. The weather forecast says it’s going to be sunny.”

          “But it’s not always correct,” Kai argued, still feeling regret in his heart. 

          He wanted to make up to him and maybe finally tell him the biggest secret he kept from almost everyone he ever became acquainted with, all the mortals he became friends with. But this specific mortal is more than that, and if Kai had planned to spend a whole lifetime with him, then he’d better tell him the truth as soon as possible.

          “Better safe than sorry!” Taehyun exclaimed then yawned again. His eyes started to water and a tear formed in the corner of his eye.

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed. “Then I’ll roll out a red carpet for your return.”

          Taehyun chuckled. “I should save my best suit then.”

          “You should, and you should sleep now.” Kai noticed the dark bags under Taehyun’s eyes. “The next time I’ll see your pretty face, it’s when I open the front door this weekend.”

          “And you should stop feeling bad about the airport thing.” Taehyun tilted his head and used his arm as a cushion. “Maybe think about something else.”

          “I know,” Kai said vaguely, making Taehyun arch a brow. “I miss you, Taehyun. Good night, sleep tight. Dream of me.” 

          Kai winked and blew a kiss to the camera in an attempt to make the mood lighter. It seemed like it worked because Taehyun reacted nicely, giggling uncontrollably on the other side and displaying his full smile to Kai.

          “Good night, dumbass.” Taehyun waved to the camera and ended the call. “I miss you so.”

          The screen stopped showing Kai’s face and reflected Taehyun’s instead. He saw himself again, staring with a wide smile slowly disappearing. His beaming expression changed to an unemotional one, if others were to describe it for him. But underneath it was gloom and a bit of heartache. 

          He buried his face in his pillow again, shortly restricting himself of air, then he rose to climb out of bed and inhaled deeply. His hands searched for his pajamas in the closet and he hastily changed into them, the buttons done sloppily. Then he shut all the lights, leaving the lamp on on his bedside table, and wrote a quick message to Beomgyu before jumping back on the bed.

          “Kai wants us to have dinner sometime soon. You free?”

          Taehyun waited for a few minutes, staring blankly at the walls and the ceiling. Even with the dim lighting, he could see the washed out color and how bland they looked. He couldn’t believe he managed to spend each night confined in a lifeless room with no one but himself and the unexciting view from his flimsy windows. So he comforted himself with comforting thoughts — that in just a bit, he’d be back somewhere better, somewhere lovely, somewhere homey.

          It’s a warm place, that place he’d return to, and in that place he wouldn’t be alone anymore. In that place, he’d be washing away his worries, hopefully, and straightening out all the edges.

          Taehyun grew tired of waiting for his best friend’s reply (his best friend was probably still in dreamland that late in the morning where he was), so gradually and without realizing, he closed his eyes. His vision was pitch black, and right before he drifted off to sleep, another word came to him.

          Homesick.

          On the other side of the globe, Kai longed for the homesick Taehyun’s return and waited like he was used to.

          “Just a little bit more,” Kai told himself, praying that time would run faster. He knew it was useless to do that. He’d been doing it often and his prayers were never answered. Time always took its time, unless it was a moment he was enjoying.

          “Kai,” Soobin called for his attention, and held up two vinyl covers beside his head. “Billie Holiday or Peggy Lee?”

          “Don’t you have something from this decade?” Yeonjun asked as he walked over to the dining table and got himself his own glass. “Or the last decade?”

          “No, it’s been a while since I’ve gone to a store,” Kai answered, unplugging the earphones from his ears. “Your pick, Soobin.”

          Soobin pursed his lips and hummed.

          “How’s he?” Yeonjun asked Kai as he pulled out the chair across him and took a seat. He leaned back and crossed his legs, one on top of the other, while his left arm hung on the chair beside him. 

          “He’s fine,” Kai answered softly, folding his hands on the table and fiddling his thumbs. He clearly looked troubled, Yeonjun could see it, judging from his breathing pattern, his blank stares, and his body language. “He looked tired.”

          “You haven’t told him?” Yeonjun brushed his fringe aside, allowing his eyes to be free of any hindrance. He exhaled sharply through his nose and asked again, “When will you tell him?”

          Kai’s mouth twitched, eyes still down. Irritation was budding within him but he tried not to let it show. It was obvious enough that he was having trouble sleeping that past weeks just thinking about the best way to tell Taehyun the truth. And here, Yeonjun was of no help. Pressure was the last thing Kai needed but Yeonjun insisted on adding it. 

          “It’s not that easy, Yeonjun, and pressure from you isn’t what I need right now,” Kai snickered, still not making eye contact. He curled his lip in contempt and raised his short glass to his lips to take another sip.

          Yeonjun furrowed his brows as he scanned his eyes over Kai’s sneering. Then he fixed his posture — stepping both feet flat on the floor, straightening his spine, curling his fists on his lap. He then said after clearing his throat, “I’m sorry.”

          He realized that his questions weren’t doing anything but adding to Kai’s troubles. Just the night before he was ruminating on it and even discussed it with Soobin. What if he were in Kai’s shoes and Soobin were a mortal? Would he have planned to hide it for as long as possible like Kai, or would he have confessed straight away like he pushed Kai to?

          Soobin, on the other hand, couldn’t imagine Kai’s life, or he didn’t want to imagine it. It was painful and crushing. How could Kai have the strength and patience to wait and wait and wait for just a slim slice of time, a very short moment in the very long course of his life. Two centuries of waiting for half a day with a mortal, it’s outrageous! Soobin knew how tough it had been for Kai and that meeting the soulmate was something he always looked forward to, but Soobin also knew that it was certainly better to be honest and let the mortal love Kai for who he was. Though the problem remained: Will the mortal still love him after learning about it?

          Kai raised his eyes, at last, but it was to shoot Yeonjun a glare. “Are you really?”

          “Yes.”

          Kai kept his icy glare on a puppy-eyed Yeonjun. Then he perched his elbows on the tabletop and rubbed his hands on his face as he relaxed his expression, exhaling a deep breath, hoping his fatigue would go away with it.

          “How am I going to tell him?” Kai voiced out, sound muffled by his palms. “Do I really have to tell him?”

          “Yes.”

          “But it’s only been less than six months.”

          “Yes.”

          “Can’t I just tell him in the next few years?”

          “No.”

          “Why not?”

          “For many reasons,” Soobin chimed in, joining them around the dining table. The chair Soobin pulled screeched against the floor and Soobin settled himself, spreading his legs and pressing the base of his palms on the edge of his seat, slightly slouching as he talked to Kai.

          “Enumerate them.” Kai uncovered his face and carried his head with his hand on his cheek, one elbow still perched and the other arm folded beside it. “Please.”

          “Well, first…” Soobin’s eyes wandered, listing all the reasons in his head and decided on giving out just a few. “He will know it. He will have to know it, so delaying is pointless.”

          “But the time we’ll spend together while he doesn’t have the knowledge-”

          “Second,” Soobin broke off Kai’s counter-argument with an overpowering voice, making Kai grumble to himself. “You won’t have to keep lying. I’m assuming you’ve been telling him lies. How many lies have you made up since you found him?”

          Kai averted his gaze, trying to ignore the question, and directed his eyes at Yeonjun.

          “Honesty is the way to go,” Yeonjun added, making Kai blink blankly at him. “Building up your lies will be the death of you and no one’s gonna save you from that. And look at you!” Kai shot his eyebrows up and took a glance at himself. “You’re so on edge. That’s how you’re going to live the rest of your life, Taehyun’s life actually, so tense, worked up, and jittery. Your head is full of nothing but worries.”

          Kai frowned. He had to agree to that one. Since the garlic incident, he’d been frantic and stirred up, thinking about how to break it to Taehyun. He’d been preparing himself for the reaction he’d get too. The possibilities were endless and Kai hoped that he’d get something in his favor. 

          Kai reclined and slumped, hanging his head on the back of his chair and letting his long arms dangle beside him. He closed his eyes and took in a sharp breath to prepare for another slap from reality.

          “What else?” he dared to ask.

          “Third,” Soobin continued. “You haven’t provided him an explanation on what happened that day. He’s worried like hell. He deserves a fucking explanation, Kai. You need to give it to him. I still dislike that motherfucker but the texts this asshole sent were pretty harsh. He didn’t deserve that either.”

          Soobin gave Yeonjun a piercing side-eye and Yeonjun received it well, along with a chill running down his spine. “I’m sorry again, Kai. I didn’t think it through. I should’ve worded it better.”

          “Say it like you mean it!” Soobin pushed Yeonjun, unintentionally too strongly, so Yeonjun fell off his seat.

          Yeonjun was startled, nostrils flared, mouth hanging open, forehead creased, and eyes wide looking at Soobin who was laughing his heart out at his mishap. Soobin’s eyes narrowed and curved, his mouth open too and displaying his fangs out in plain sight, as he aggressively drew his head back, ringing his laughter in Kai’s home. He was laughing so heartily that he almost threw his balance off and almost joined Yeonjun on the floor. Kai watched it happen and Soobin’s contagious laugh got to him too. So he joined Soobin in making fun of Yeonjun by cackling like a crow. 

          “My apology was sincere! Why’d you have to push me?!” Yeonjun whined like a child, folding his legs on the floor.

          Soobin calmed himself and breathed, still lightly chuckling. “Anyway, Kai. That’s just three of many reasons. If you want to hear another one-”

          “Let’s hear it,” Kai demanded, also still giggling. He folded his arms across his chest and straightened his torso.

          “Okay.” Soobin also shifted his position; he sat upright, crossing his legs with one over the other, and rested his hands on his thighs. “You’ve been waiting for this to happen for a thousand years. I think you deserve to finally have it.”

          Kai formed a tiny smile across his lips while Yeonjun climbed up on his chair again.

          Soobin went on. “Don’t you want the bastard to love you — Huening Kai, a vampire who waited and watched over his soulmate for a millennium — and not some Huening Kai you made up?”

          The smile on Kai’s lips disappeared as Soobin’s words struck him again. 

          It was true. The Kai Taehyun knew was someone he met at a bar who was the same age as him, had lost his parents but inherited a huge fortune, allergic to the sun, a mortal. A mere mortal who felt like a soulmate. Whereas Kai knew Taehyun as Kang Taehyun, someone who had a sorrowful teenage life and lived with his best friend’s family, someone whose past lives were desolate yet hopeful, his mortal soulmate.

          It was unfair if one looked at it. It was unfair to both parties, because Taehyun would be loving someone unreal, and Kai would be loved not for who he was.

          “When Taehyun dies and another two hundred years pass, would you be doing this again? Would you trap yourself in a painful cycle?”

          “And this soulmate thing is taking over your life.”

          “What do you mean by that?” Kai asked apprehensively.

          “You were happy before this even without your soulmate,” Yeonjun explained, “And now that you’re getting what you’ve been wishing for, it’s all you’ve been thinking about. You don’t share much with us but we know it. You’ve been dreading the day all of this will end and it’s eating you away. I just can’t imagine what’ll happen to you later.”

          “You’re strong-willed but honestly, it’s making me worry too,” Soobin expressed his concern for his dear friend.

          Kai kept his lips together and thought about it deeply. Then he sighed.

          “I understand,” he said plainly, “That’s enough reason. I’m going to my room and sleep some more.”

          His chair screamed as he stood and planned to leave his friends in the dining room. His shoulders hunched over as he pushed his chair back under the table then he passed under the archway, heading for the spiral staircase ending near the entrance. He kept his cold hands resting in the front pocket of his hoodie while he took each step on the staircase with his slippered feet. Each step seemed strenuous to climb, as if the weight in his chest was pushing his feet down, and he huffed until he reached the second floor.

          Before he walked to his bedroom, he poked his head out from upstairs, calling his friends’ names. “I almost forgot.”

          Soobin and Yeonjun looked behind and above their heads, their eyes moving upwards following the high walls in the living room and stopping halfway to set them on Kai who was overlooking the first floor from the bridge on the second level. 

          “Taehyun said he wants to meet you two. I said we should all have dinner somewhere, maybe sometime after my birthday, or next week, depending on everyone’s schedules.”

          “Why not on your birthday?”

          “Because you’re not invited,” Kai said bluntly. “And on that day, I’ve decided-”

          Kai didn’t finish his sentence and went with a serious look on his face, chanting something under his breath.

          “It’s going to be alright. It’s going to be alright.”

Chapter Text

          It was one of those nights.

          Soft rain was falling outside and hitting the glass windows delicately. The drops of rain raced against each other as they trickled down the smooth surface. It was cold too. The sky was darker than most nights, with the rain clouds obstructing the moonlight from showering down, and it was quiet at the same time ringing.

          Kai closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, trying to feel himself at peace as he faced the outside world from the comfort of his own living room. 

          None of those should’ve bothered him but they did just that, especially when the rain grew stronger and came crashing down, bringing along a few thunderclaps.

          The weather forecast was incorrect once again and Kai had clicked his tongue for god knows how many times since it had started to rain. The rain was falling nonstop, only weakening and strengthening and weakening again, and Kai thought his ears would bleed from listening to the rain come down all day.

          But the day had finished and it was night, very late at night in fact, and Kai grew anxious as the clock ticked time away. Taehyun hadn’t arrived yet and he was supposed to have arrived in the morning.

          Kai had paced back and forth for very long that the soles of his slippers had probably become thin, and his fingers had fumbled around his phone, sending occasional texts to Taehyun in hopes of receiving updates. But when Kai opened his eyes and went over to the dining table where his feast was laid out, already cold, there was still no sign of any response from Taehyun when he checked his resting phone.

          Tsk.

          He had been too complacent, he thought, and decided that he had to go to the airport.

          Although it was nearly midnight, he figured it still wasn’t too late, there still might be a cab he could ride all the way to the airport. Worst case scenario, he’d run and fly over the city just to get there. 

          “I should’ve left earlier,” he grumbled as he took an umbrella wide enough to shield Taehyun when they finally met and dashed to the door.

          He kicked off his slippers and slid a socked foot in his sneaker as if preparing to go for a run (which might really happen), but he froze when a sound echoed in the entryway and traveled around his silent house. The doorbell rang.

          His hands dropped his umbrella and they were faster than light when they unlocked and pulled the heavy door open. Even without checking who rang, Kai knew who to expect and he really was standing before Kai’s eyes, with hair and clothes wet from the weather and a large suitcase sitting beside him.

          Kai furrowed his brows, hung his jaw open, trying to squeak out but nothing. He remained silent, not uttering a single word, before shutting his mouth again and swiftly pulling Taehyun inside his home.

          Besides the loud banging of the door when it closed, the crashing of the rain, it was soundless. Kai was speechless and Taehyun was, too, when Kai pulled him in to embrace him tightly. Kai wrapped his arms around Taehyun, landing his hand on the back of his head and felt the water run on his fingers as he pressed Taehyun’s face on his shoulder. Taehyun shook his head to move away and instead, placed his chin on Kai’s shoulder while his hands found their way on Kai’s shoulder blades. They both drew quivering breaths as they held each other closely and Kai felt it tickling his ear. Their ribs were against each other and their caged hearts were banging loudly, pounding against their chests.

          It took them a full minute before they released and gave each other space to breathe.

          Kai scanned Taehyun from head to toe. He was drenched; his white clothes stuck to his skin and became see-through, and his dark hair was wet from his fringe all the way to the strands on his nape. Kai pushed his hair back, completely revealing Taehyun’s forehead, and pressed his lips on it. Then he stared at Taehyun’s smiling eyes and his ever lovely grin, and he listened to his warm voice. Finally, he heard something soothing to his ears.

          “I’m sorry I’m late,” Taehyun said with his trembling lips, “Happy birthday.”

          Kai’s heart broke into pieces and he fell to the floor, crouching down and burying his face in his palms, now wet from holding Taehyun. “Shit. I was so worried, you won’t understand.” He raised his head and looked up at him. “Did something happen? Are you okay?”

          “Oh, I definitely understand,” Taehyun snickered then proceeded to squat down to talk with Kai eye-to-eye. “The flight was delayed and all the rain was bothersome. Sunny, my ass, right?”

          Kai lowered his head and chuckled, then brought it back up to gaze at the pretty face he was waiting for. It was mystifying but it seemed like Taehyun had become a lot more dazzling since he last saw him, despite the heavy bags under his eyes and the signs of exhaustion in them. 

          “I almost missed your birthday,” Taehyun said with a hint of regret in his voice.

          “Doesn’t matter. That’s not important. I’m glad you’re back in one piece,” Kai replied straightforwardly and stood on his feet, one wearing a sneaker and the other only a sock. He raised Taehyun up and continued, “You should warm yourself with a bath upstairs. You’ll get sick if you stay in those clothes.” He passed by Taehyun and opened the front door again for his suitcase that was left outside in the rain. He dragged it inside, not minding its weight. “Do you have clean clothes left, or should I get you some of mine?”

          Taehyun didn’t respond immediately and turned around, looking him in the eye before bursting into laughter, leaving Kai baffled. “Are you going to ask for my number after lending me your clothes?” Taehyun managed to ask through his laughter.

          For a second, Kai didn’t know what Taehyun was saying then he remembered himself months ago at the bar just babbling on and on, desperate to get the mortal’s name and his number. It happened in the past and he could finally laugh heartily with Taehyun. He applauded himself for doing his best despite having to look like a fool because in the end, in front of him was the mortal, his soulmate, and he was blissful he could call him by his name.

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed when he finished laughing, then he took steps forward. “Perhaps something else?”

          “Like?”

          Kai slid his icy fingers under Taehyun’s ears, framing Taehyun’s head with two hands and angled it properly. Then Kai leaned in, closing his eyes, and landed his lips on Taehyun’s, taking him by surprise. Taehyun quickly shut his eyes and felt the soft touch on his lips, then he guided his hands to Kai’s arms and gripped the sleeves of his hoodie lightly, just for support while Kai pressed deeper into the kiss.

          It was a bit chilly inside Kai’s house and Kai’s touch was cold but Taehyun could only feel the heat in his body as his blood rushed up to his cheeks. And his shaky breath was warm which he exhaled from his mouth when he shortly drew away to breathe, only for it to disappear when Kai went in for another kiss.

          After a short while, Kai pulled away and stared straight down at Taehyun’s fluttering eyes then glanced back and forth from it to his glossy and separated lips. Kai couldn’t help but smile, widely enough to show his fangs, while looking at Taehyun’s blushing face staring right back at him. It was too adorable, too sweet, too precious, and it warmed his heart completely, making it beat a thousand times faster.

          When Kai drew away, Taehyun slowly lifted his eyelids and found an angel gazing at him. The angel was absolutely lovely and alluring, and Taehyun drowned in his hazel eyes while his heart panicked inside his chest. He was hypnotized, fluttering his eyes to get himself together yet not taking them away from Kai’s.

          “You’re so cute, Tyun. Has anyone else told you that?” Kai asked, gradually breaking down from too much emotion.

          “How are you not blushing?” Taehyun furrowed his brows and formed a frown. He knew he was blushing like crazy even without a mirror and thought it was unfair to be the only one with bright red cheeks.

          “It’s a secret,” Kai teased him and planted another quick kiss on his frowning lips. Then he bent down, hiding the flush of faded pink slowly appearing on his cheekbones, and wrapped an arm around Taehyun’s waist while his other hand patted Taehyun’s belly a few times endearingly. He giggled softly before saying, “You should take your bath now.”

          “Mm. Okay.” Taehyun released his grip on Kai’s arms and yawned. He inserted his hand in his back pocket and fished out his phone, handing it over to Kai. “Will you charge this too while I wash up?”

          Kai formed a faint smile on his lips then took the dead phone from Taehyun, nodding his head lightly and wiping the screen on his sleeve. Taehyun removed his wet shoes, aligning them neatly by the entrance, and took weary steps to the staircase, heading straight to the bathroom upstairs like Kai told him to.

          Kai watched Taehyun’s back slowly drift away and it seemed to him that it looked a bit sad, slightly slouching and stiff. Kai worried again, about a few things, and reality dawned on him again. Taehyun was back which meant it was time.

          “After his bath,” Kai said in his head, “Then, I’ll try to open the conversation.”

          In the meantime, Kai changed into fresh clothes — an all white outfit consisting of an airy long sleeved shirt and sweatpants. Then he went and prepared clothes for Taehyun to wear, folding nicely a red hoodie and putting it in a small woven basket with a pair of black shorts and an oversized shirt. He knocked on the bathroom door and passed it on to Taehyun inside, then he entered the bedroom Taehyun usually slept in to plug his phone by the nightstand. 

          Kai roamed the spacy room and noticed the little details that had changed in it since Taehyun had entered his life. The white bedsheets and pillows used to look plain but now it looked comfortable and inviting. The stuffy furniture used to just be some pieces of dark wood and wool but now they looked like lovely pieces taken from a painting. The room that once had the scent of paint now had a hint of Taehyun’s scent lingering in it.

          Kai walked over to the wide windows covered by thin off-white curtains, scraping the soles of his slippers against the wooden floorboards, and took a little peek of the city under the night rain. The rain hadn’t quelled yet but it wasn’t as harsh as earlier, still washing the windows quite strongly and distorting the view of the city lights with its intense pouring. And it was still drumming against the ground and the roof above Kai’s head, but it didn’t make Kai’s ears bleed anymore. Instead, it gave him a bit of comfort.

          Kai was unsure why. Maybe it was because he knew Taehyun was back, or maybe because it overpowered the sound of his beating heart from being so nervous.

          Then he heard the twist of a doorknob and the squeaking sound of the bedroom door. He turned his head and saw Taehyun coming in wearing his clothes — a large red hoodie over a white shirt paired with black shorts cut a few inches above his knees — and bare feet with a flush of pink on his toes. His hair was damp and he was drying it vigorously with a small towel.

          Kai crossed the room and lowered himself on the foot of the bed. His neck was still turned, watching Taehyun sit beside him with only inches between them. The strong smell of soap on Taehyun’s skin and the fresh scent of shampoo on the strands of his hair mixed, making Kai a bit lightheaded and woozy from getting a whiff of some of it. So he blinked and shook his head, forcing himself to focus on his objective.

          His heart started to race and he started fidgeting in his spot, his nails lightly scratching the fabric of his pants as he looked for the words. Then his heart jumped when Taehyun plopped himself down on the bed, his back fixed on the mattress and his legs still folded over the foot of the bed beside Kai. Taehyun let out a prolonged sigh as he covered his eyes with an arm.

          “Taehyun,” Kai called gently, not turning and only setting his eyes on the floor as he prepared himself for a nerve-wracking confession. Making this confession was a much more daunting task than confessing his love, he thought. And he never thought it would make him tremble this much. In the past, he never thought of it that deeply, just thinking that he’d simply blurt it out with confidence. Oh, how wrong he was. 

          “Yeah?” Taehyun murmured behind Kai’s back.

          There was no response for a few seconds until Kai tried a conversation starter. “Did you have dinner before coming here?”

          If Yeonjun and Soobin were there, they were most likely groaning, sighing, and sticking their palms to their faces when they heard the question. But they weren’t there. There were only Kai and Taehyun in that peaceful house just as planned so Kai could take things slowly and not shoot the shocking truth to an unarmed Taehyun.

          “Just a little bit,” Taehyun answered with a tired voice, “But I’m not hungry. I’m sorry I couldn’t eat what you prepared.”

          “Oh, no, it’s fine. We can have it tomorrow.” 

          “Mmm.”

          Kai rubbed his nape and grazed the inside of his cheek with his sharp teeth while his eyes rolled around, looking down to up, from the floor to the walls, setting on each and every piece of furniture in the room, just to delay the dreadful moment. 

          It took Kai a while to gather himself.

          “Tyun,” he called again. This time, he was ready. He was going there, throwing away all the hesitation. He was going to say it. “I have something to tell you.”

          There was no stopping him. He was a train running at full speed. He was going to let it out, something he’d never done in the long span of his life. And in a second, he said it.

          “I’m not human.”

          His hands were shaking uncontrollably and he had a shuddering breath. His throat was becoming scratchy. But he had to fight it. Even when he was racking his brain on what expression Taehyun might have worn, he had to finish what he had to say, even without hearing Taehyun’s response and without seeing his probably appalled look upon hearing Kai’s words.

          “I’m a vam-” 

          Kai twisted his torso as fast as he could to finally look Taehyun in the eye while he admitted his truth, but the look on Taehyun’s face ended his confession abruptly. Kai didn’t know what to feel when he saw his face yet he still carved a smile on his lips, staring fondly at Taehyun who fell fast asleep, wearing a peaceful expression.

          Taehyun was exhausted from the long trip and Kai felt ashamed that he hadn’t thought about that. Kai was too in his own bubble that he forgot about it. So he thought he had to make up by letting him rest without disturbance. 

          He bent over beside Taehyun, inserting his arms under Taehyun’s body to lift him up. While one arm was under Taehyun’s neck for support and the other under his knees, Kai pressed him close to his chest as he carried him over like a princess to the other end of the bed. Then he laid him down gently, placing his head on a fluffed up pillow, and tucked him in with the comforter over most of his body.

          Kai settled himself, sitting beside Taehyun’s unmoving body. And while observing Taehyun more closely, Kai’s smile grew even wider that his lips would almost crack from the excessive stretch. Taehyun’s rosy lips were slightly parted and his tall nose was taking in the air slowly. Kai could hear his paced breathing play like music in his ears. It was soothing to listen to and just looking at Taehyun’s tranquil face relaxed Kai, although not to a large extent.

          Kai stretched his hand out to Taehyun’s cheek, tenderly rubbing it with his knuckles. Then his fingers followed the outline of his face, crawling their way up to Taehyun’s hairline, softly brushing the flying strands of hair away from his closed eyes. Then Kai leaned his face close to Taehyun’s, planting a soft kiss on the space between his eyebrows.

          Taehyun didn’t flinch as he was drifting on a steady boat, already far away into dreamland. And he had no inkling whatsoever on where Kai was mentally. 

          Kai stood up, sighing heavily, and flipped the lightswitch by the door before walking out of the room to give Taehyun his much needed undisturbed rest.

          After closing the door gently, Kai froze in the hallway and aggressively exhaled all the air out of his lungs. It was a failed mission, Kai thought and slouched, head falling along. He felt a surge of mixed emotions. There was disappointment then there was relief; and then anxiety, unease, distress, and fear all came back and filled him.

          He was back to square one. No, not square one. He was almost there, just a little push and he’d get there. He even almost finished his sentence. He was one syllable away. He could do it again. Some over time.

          But could he really? And when?

          Kai brought his chin up and for some reason, the room at the end of the hallway caught his attention. His eyes were attracted to the thin space between its bulky door and its frame. So he marched over to it, lifting his heavy feet one by one, to close the gap but instead, he widened it and stepped in. He then found himself in a room he hadn’t visited for a while.

          The room was the right size; it wasn’t too wide, not too narrow; just large enough to accommodate a few low shelves, a number of guitars, a massive drum set, and a grand piano. Kai continued forward after switching the dim light on, passing by the short shelves holding his vinyl records by the wood-colored walls. On the other side was a long line of clear glass windows to shield the room from the wind but not from the sun during the day. The curtains were drawn, surprisingly, making the knocking rain visible, and Kai knew who the culprit could be, recalling whoever was the last to retrieve a few records to play in the living room. 

          Kai went straight to the enormous thing taking up the most space in that room, sitting nicely next to the windows that were continuously getting hit on with rainwater. It was a beautiful instrument on its own, the grand piano, but there was an added effect to it because of the moody weather so he didn’t bother closing the curtains. Kai just wished the rain wouldn’t overpower the melodies he was about to play in the music room.

          He swiped a finger over the thin layer of dust resting on the fallboard and blew it away from his skin before lifting the fallboard up to reveal eighty-eight keys, a sight Kai had fallen in love with centuries ago. He pressed down on one key and joy quickly replaced one of the negative emotions he felt when a note echoed in the room. The small smile he wore was bright, shining like the stars hidden by the rain clouds that night, and looked exactly like the smile he wore long ago when he was first introduced to the piano’s beauty.

          It was a precious memory Kai always kept close to his heart, and the piano was another of the best things in his life. It was something that hushed his occasional crying heart when his eyes couldn’t bear tears. To him, it was a lullaby, a remedy, and a love. When Taehyun arrived, he was those too, and maybe that’s why Kai had neglected the piano and let it sleep at the far end of the second level of his home.

          Kai thought it was a good time to wake it up.

          He took a seat in front of the piano and aligned his spine while he fixed the nearly yellowing sheets of music already leaning on the music rack. Kai had left it there and never returned it, which explained the dust building up on it too. Written on the music sheets was a piece Kai enjoyed playing, Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1, and he had mastered it. 

          His slender fingers hit the keyboard delicately, letting the notes ring in the atmosphere and join the swooshing rain. But the rain gradually weakened, as if hushing to listen to his excellent playing, and the raindrops strummed lightly with the melody.

          Kai’s soul flowed with the music he was playing, but his playing was unusually drawn out and slowed, making the piece somber and dark and fitting for a rainy night. It was reflective of Kai’s inner self and how he was at that moment.

          He furrowed his brows as he continued moving his fingers across the keys, and the sound grew louder, vibrating in his ears as he pushed down on each key. The tune leaked through the narrow gap under the door and into the hallway, sharing the tranquil piece around the air in the sleepy house.

          Kai felt his heart calming down and his blood slowing its pace the more he played the piano and the more he heard the serene melody. His breathing was more relaxed too, not shaking nor deep but smooth and soundless.

          He continued playing, even as he heard the door creak and noticed the silhouette entering the room. He didn’t mind them and focused, flicking his eyes from time to time to the sheets above the keyboard. He was determined to finish it regardless of his audience and of the accompaniment of the strumming rain. 

          And when he did, he felt as light as a feather. He felt relaxed and at peace. He felt alive and was reminded of the things worth living for, one of which was standing by the door, watching and softly applauding his performance. 

          “That’s beautiful,” Taehyun whispered, praising Kai’s impressive playing as he approached him. From Taehyun’s vision, Kai looked captivating and the scene — a man dressed in white playing an ebony grand piano in a dim-lit room with the pouring rain as his background — was quite enchanting. Taehyun could not be more mesmerized by it.

          “Why are you up?” Kai retracted his hands and placed them on his lap, then he turned to Taehyun who was wearing the hood over his head and showing a delighted expression. “You should get some more rest.”

          “It’s the jet lag,” Taehyun answered with a low voice, yawning excessively and blinking a few times. “Can I come sit?”

          Kai lifted the corner of his lips and scooched over to one side of the bench. Taehyun collapsed onto the space, closing the distance between them, then he dropped his head on Kai’s shoulder, closing his eyes as he felt the comfort of his company. Kai hooked his arm around Taehyun and bore his weight. “Still. You need rest,” he told him.

          “Give me a few minutes,” Taehyun said, then he craned his neck to look at Kai from an angle. “I think you were saying something before I dozed off. That was rude of me. I’m sorry… what was it? I’m all ears now.”

          “Hmm?” Kai raised his eyebrows then knitted them together. He gulped and cleared his throat, turning his gaze to the wet windows to watch what resembled tiny jewels falling from the sky. “It’s… nothing.”

          “Are you sure?” Taehyun asked warily.

          “I- It’s,” Kai stuttered. “It’s not important.” He returned his gaze back to Taehyun’s big glowing eyes looking straight into his soul. His heart skipped a beat but he didn’t break the eye contact and even showed him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it.”

          He lied again. He was starting to get sick of it but it felt natural to him, and he hated that it was so. It wasn’t something he enjoyed but it was something he had to do for the time being, when he hadn’t let Taehyun know yet.

          He was going to find a better time, he thought. Not when Taehyun was dead tired, not during a storm, not after having a great time. But when else could Kai tell him if not right then and there? When was “the better time?” Would there even be a time better than this? Nevertheless, Kai was already set on saving the confession for later. So he simply smiled it off, hiding and dismissing the budding unease within him.

          But Taehyun wasn’t convinced. He knew there was something Kai had to say. He knew there was something that bothered him. He knew there was a reason why Kai felt a bit… distant, at times, since that day. Yet he didn’t force it out of him.

          Taehyun didn’t move, not a single muscle, and kept staring at Kai in the eye openly. Then he moved his lips, connected its corners to his ears to flash a wide smile, and parted them to speak.

          “I love you, Kai,” Taehyun said, loud and clear, bold and true.

          Kai blinked and felt a pang in his heart. Then he smiled a bit more (not too much) and engraved it on his lips as he said his response. “I love you too, Taehyun. Greatly. Terribly.” He kept the warm appearance even as he broke off eye contact just to peck another kiss at the top of Taehyun’s head covered with the red hood.

          Taehyun felt the kiss and chuckled, loving the gesture and the shower of kisses since he came home. Yes, home. He was home. That was definitely home, Taehyun thought.

          “I have something to confess,” Taehyun said, detaching himself from Kai.

          “What is it?” Kai asked curiously and nervously. It seemed like he wasn’t the only one hiding something, and he felt guilt coming over him again because he chose to keep his secret for a longer time.

          “Remember what I said three weeks ago?” Taehyun asked Kai to recall it. “About how I’m afraid of becoming addicted to travelling.”

          “Yes, I remember clearly.”

          “That’s not the real reason why I was scared to travel,” Taehyun confessed straightforwardly, facing Kai then lowering his eyes from embarrassment. “That fake reason was stupid enough but the real reason’s weird.”

          “What is it?” Kai furrowed his brows. Curiosity grew stronger in him and he wondered whatever that could be that made Taehyun so shy.

          Taehyun blinked his eyes at Kai and he could see his eyes burning, seriously wanting to know about it. He could feel himself shrinking and being self-conscious from the way Kai was staring so hard, yet he continued and fought with his stare. “A voice was telling me not to go.”

          Kai furrowed his brows deeper.

          “Because there’s something, or someone, looking for me, waiting for me here.” Taehyun wanted to explode and he might’ve had, just silently. He kept going on. “And that if I left to travel the world like I dreamed of, I might miss that person.”

          Kai’s face shifted. His stomach had butterflies.

          “But I’m not scared anymore because we already met.” Taehyun wanted to swallow his tongue and stop himself, but he couldn’t. “Kai, I think you’re my soulmate.”

          He was a brave man, clenching his teeth and trying his best not to cringe.

          Kai stopped functioning but he quickly repaired himself. The butterflies were fluttering around helplessly in his stomach and he wanted to throw them up, but Kai kept them inside while his feelings overflowed.

          He ducked his head and put a hand to his mouth, muffling the noises he almost made from his heart fluttering too much. Then he raised his head, moving his hand away, and returned the look Taehyun was giving him. “We’re soulmates, definitely,” he replied with a euphoric smile. He was blissful that he could finally say that out loud to Taehyun, though the reason why he knew would have to wait, he thought.

          Taehyun reflected his smile, then turned to the piano. “Would you play something for me?” he asked warmly.

          “I would,” Kai said.

          The night went on with Kai running his fingers along the keyboard, playing melodies for Taehyun who listened closely and appreciated his talent. It was another memorable night, Kai thought, and it might have been the best birthday he had among his many birthdays, despite everything else.

          Kai hoped that the unease would dissipate as soon as possible and that he’d soon find the “better time” to tell Taehyun about his true nature. “Let’s just not mention it to the lovebirds,” Kai told himself before he went to sleep that night. And he really didn’t. He never mentioned anything about an attempt, about his failed mission, nothing. 

          He just avoided any contact with them until the next time they’d have to meet, and the next time they’d have to meet wouldn’t just be the three of them so he was calm. He was confident too, about Yeonjun’s and Soobin’s behavior during dinner because another mortal was there, and Kai was entirely grateful for Beomgyu’s presence. In fact, he was surprised at how Beomgyu got along well with them and kept them entertained, distracting them from taking Kai aside and setting up for interrogation in another room.

          “I don’t believe in love at first sight,” Beomgyu said as he reached for the side dish on the corner of the rectangular table by Soobin’s elbow. Soobin passed the small plate to him. “Thank you,” he whispered to Soobin, then he continued. “Because you know, how can you say you love someone you don’t even know?”

          “That’s a good point,” Soobin replied, nodding, then he pursed his lips, his dimples appearing momentarily with the movement of his cheeks, and furrowed his brows. “But what should be talked about there is the spark. If there is or there isn’t. And at first sight, it isn’t only the physical appearance of a person you see. You don’t just see how handsome or beautiful they are, or how their best feature is their lips, you also see something more. You might see the wrinkles on someone’s face and think ‘Oh this person probably loves to smile’ or you see the sorrow in their eyes and then you wonder ‘What is the reason behind it?’ and the other things too. You’ll notice their aura, the way they walk, the way they speak to animals, and the way they treat humans. And if any of those caught your interest, I think it’s safe to call it the beginning of love.”

          Beomgyu cooed, knitting his eyebrows together and forming wrinkles on his chin as he pouted. Soobin smiled, giving his dimples more show time, and glancing at the love of his life seated beside him, also smiling back at him.

          “Was that from experience?” Yeonjun asked teasingly, pressing Soobin’s ear as he inched his face closer and closer just to make him blush. “Was it love at first sight?”

          “Shut up or I’ll bite your neck,” Soobin said threateningly through his smile, making Yeonjun back away and behave.

          “God, I hate seeing couples but you two look like a perfect match,” Beomgyu said with envy, still wishing for a nice love story for himself. But in the meantime, he’d like to know about theirs. “How’d you meet?”

          “You really wanna know?” Yeonjun laid his arm on the table, leaning onto the edge and looking Beomgyu in the eye as if asking the question would be the biggest mistake in his life.

          But Beomgyu was unfazed. “Yeah, tell me.”

          “Okay!” Yeonjun nodded and reclined, resting his torso on the back of his cushioned chair while crossing his arms across his chest. “We bumped into each other then Soobin asked me to go to a bar with him. Kai was there too.”

          “It was Kai who invited you,” Soobin corrected, “Not me.”

          “You did too.” Yeonjun glanced sideways at Soobin and he could see his face contorting in objection. “You said ‘the more, the merrier.’ You definitely said those exact words. That’s basically inviting me too.”

          “Wow. Okay. So you remember everything. You even remember the exact words I said that night,” Soobin responded, his words carrying sarcasm, making Yeonjun shrug on the side. “But damn, that was so long ago.”

          “Yeah, it was.” Yeonjun moved himself nearer the table, carrying the chair with his movement.

          “When was it?” Beomgyu was a curious cat, fixing his chopsticks on the side, and wanted to know more. 

          “About five hundred years ago.”

          Kai choked as he heard the answer. He was silently sitting at the end of the table, just mindlessly listening to the casual conversation happening over dinner, but now all the attention was on him as he coughed out all the air in his lungs. Taehyun, who sat between Beomgyu and Kai, rubbed Kai’s back in an instant, taking care of him in front of his friends, making Soobin narrow his eyes at him. 

          Yeonjun, on the other hand, laughed greatly, forming a fist in front of his mouth as he did. Then he turned to Beomgyu who was all confused, unsure whether to join Yeonjun in laughing at what sounded like a joke or not but he still did. Beomgyu chuckled lightly, not knowing that it was the truth he just got for an answer.

          “It was really long ago,” Yeonjun put it simply. He took his glass of soft drink and drank a little bit. It was sweet, way too sweet for a vampire. And he never had the tolerance for it, so he frowned upon drinking it down. He shouldn’t have copied Soobin and should’ve just asked for water. It was sweet, he thought again, and Soobin’s previous speech was a bit, too. “Anyway, the important thing is Soobin fell in love with me at first sight.”

          “I never said anything like that,” Soobin strongly countered and grabbed his own glass filled with the same drink. He kept a straight face as he drank it down, making Yeonjun wince from the side just from imagining how disgusting it must have been. He had mad respect for Soobin because of that, among many other things. 

          “Actually, Soobin-ssi. I like what you said about love at first sight but I have to disagree,” Beomgyu said as he watched the two vampires in front of him.

          Soobin arched a brow in question, still holding the glass to his lips.

          “Because what you’re talking about there is interest, not love,” Beomgyu explained. He placed an elbow on the table and pressed his knuckles on his jaw while he spoke. 

          Soobin placed his drink back on the table as he listened to Beomgyu’s argument. He was thinking about it but then Yeonjun’s sharp voice cut through his train of thought. “But still, Soobin fell in love with me at first sight. That’s all I need,” he said.

          “I agree with Beomgyu hyung,” Taehyun joined in after Kai calmed down. “Like Soobin-ssi said, it’s the beginning of love but it’s still not love. But I’d like to believe it.”

          Soobin darted his eyes over to Taehyun and they had a staredown. No hard feelings, just two men staring at each other blankly. Then Soobin raised another question. “How about soulmates? Do you believe in soulmates?”

          “I do,” Beomgyu said, nodding. Kai nodded too and was intrigued. “I think it’s possible to have soulmates. It’s also possible to not have them. And I think soulmates don’t necessarily have to be romantic.”

          Soobin’s lips formed an oval, voicing out an oh in wonder. Yeonjun felt the same and curved his lips down as he took Beomgyu’s point in consideration. 

          “Taehyun believes in soulmates.” Beomgyu turned towards him, still resting his head on his knuckles. “We also talked about this, didn’t we? Sometime ago.”

          Everyone’s attention fell on Taehyun when Beomgyu passed the baton to him. Kai was especially eager to hear more of his thoughts on it. “If it’s real, it’s real. I didn’t strongly believe in it back then.” Kai furrowed his brows. “But now it’s yes.” Taehyun took a quick glance at Kai. “Since last spring.”

          Then Kai chuckled. Too loudly. So the attention went to him and he saw the gazes on him, mostly confused about his reaction. “Well, I strongly believe in them,” he said confidently. 

          Yeonjun and Soobin had heard this already. Every two hundred years, they had been hearing this soulmate thing, and it was quite extraordinary seeing the soulmate together with them. All those times, they only heard of it and it was a first to finally see the mortal real and existing at the same time period in the same space with them. And if the mortal also felt the same about Kai, then it must be true.

          “We know you do,” Yeonjun said, then he turned to Beomgyu to scan his face. He felt a sense of familiarity to it. The moment Beomgyu walked in the room with Taehyun, a spark lit up in his brain for a second. He saw that face somewhere but Beomgyu wasn’t a celebrity and he had never met a Choi Beomgyu before. So the whole time, Yeonjun thought back to years and years before, trying to look for any clues in his memories. Then a certain idiotic face flashed before his eyes, making him smile faintly. “Beomgyu, I think we’ve met before, but I’m sure you don’t have any memory of it.”

          “When was it?” Beomgyu simply asked, facing Yeonjun. “I do feel like I’ve seen you somewhere too.”

          “It was too long ago, I can’t remember clearly,” Yeonjun lied. It was a merry memory and a haunting one at the same time. The clue for it was the first meeting with Soobin and Kai, and with that, he was reminded of the last mortal he assassinated, the one who treated him kindly and asked for such a heavy favor. Yet Yeonjun still carried it out, and prayed for the soul to have a better life the next time. Yeonjun was glad his prayers were answered and that the soul was well.

          Soobin flickered his gaze back and forth from Yeonjun to Beomgyu, his face expressionless and unreadable. Beomgyu noticed this then narrowed his eyes as if he was trying to remember something. “You too, actually, Soobin-ssi. I just don’t know when and where exactly.”

          “Me?” Soobin raised his eyebrows and blinked a few times, also trying to figure it out. Although nothing came to mind for Soobin, he did think the friendship between him and Beomgyu was formed naturally and effortlessly. “By the way, you can call me hyung.” Soobin looked at Taehyun who was seated across him. “You too,” he said hesitantly.

          Taehyun flashed him a genuine smile and Soobin for once thought it was cute, that maybe Taehyun really wasn’t so bad after all even after the mess he made weeks ago. It was an accident anyway. He had no idea. Well, now he must know because Kai said he was going to tell him. “How did it go, anyway?” Soobin wondered. Taehyun seemed too happy, too calm, too unbothered. He seemed too well, it was strange. Soobin thought he had to ask Kai about it.

          Out of the blue, a ringing sound joined their voices over the table. Taehyun recognized the ringtone, so he took his phone out to see who was calling him. “Excuse me, I have to take this call.”

          “Is that your boss?” Beomgyu asked, pointing his finger to Taehyun’s phone as Taehyun stood up and nodded.

          “It’s the weekend,” Kai said, his eyes following Taehyun as he slowly stepped towards the door of their private room. “And you were just with them yesterday!”

          “That was two days ago,” Taehyun corrected and opened the door. “Sorry, I’ll make it quick.”

          Taehyun left the room, leaving Beomgyu and Kai shaking their heads and sighing. Yeonjun and Soobin didn’t mind it and kept their discussions with their new mortal friend going, but Soobin left midway and focused on Kai who was simply listening and cackling with them while they talked.

          Soobin observed Kai and how he acted. He seemed like his normal self. But Soobin could feel it. He could feel that Kai still wasn’t completely at ease and he looked like someone who was hiding something.

          “Kai, I have to speak to you,” Soobin whispered to him aside, making Kai nervous. “Outside.” Soobin rose from his seat and walked over to the door. “I’m going to the restroom,” he said to Yeonjun and Beomgyu who were too absorbed in their discussion.

          “And you?” Yeonjun briefly asked Kai who was shuffling his feet behind Soobin.

          “Ah.” Kai ran a hand down his nape then brought it back down beside him. “Taehyun’s taking too long. I’ll check up on him.” He exited the room after Soobin, leaving the two alone.

          After gently closing the door, Soobin pulled him to a corner, making sure none of them blocked the hallway for other customers and the servers passing by. The restaurant was brightly lit and they were in plain sight, about to discuss something sensitive, but every single person there was occupied. It was like a different world, a lively one, and Soobin and Kai could freely talk in their hushed corner. For Kai, it felt nerve-wracking because he knew exactly what Soobin wanted to talk about. Kai preferred the different world instead of the interrogation corner.

          “Can't it wait until later?” Kai boldly asked, not lowering his voice amidst the risk of being overheard. He pulled the sleeve of his yellow wool sweater to check his wristwatch. “We can’t just leave them alone during dinner. You can’t take too much time. Whatever it is you want to talk about, let’s talk about it tomorrow.”

          “They’re having the time of their lives, it’s fine,” Soobin replied, brushing the air then folding his arms across his chest. He leaned sideways on the wall and crossed his ankles, feeling comfortable. His stance was saying that he was prepared to stay there for a while, prepared for a lengthy conversation, but his words said otherwise. “I won’t make it long, anyway. I’ll get straight to the point: How did it go?”

          “How did what go?”

          Soobin furrowed his brows and leaned closer to Kai’s space. He said under his breath, “You told the little mortal, didn’t you? How did that go?”

          Kai gulped and didn’t say a word. He couldn’t tell him the truth and he couldn’t give him an untruth, so he stared blankly ahead of him, right into Soobin’s blinking eyes. He only watched Soobin’s inquisitive look drop and turn into a look of realization after receiving a minute of silence. That’s when Kai turned away and faced the busy space with the overjoyed atmosphere, quite the opposite of the vibe in the corner.

          “No… no… Kai, you…” Soobin’s jaw was hanging, his voice breaking off. He didn’t have to hear an answer. He immediately knew just from the look Kai was giving him. That’s why it seemed like nothing had changed. It’s because nothing did change. Soobin wanted to scold Kai, tell him off, ask him why he hadn’t told Taehyun yet, but he didn’t want to and he didn’t have to. He was fully aware of what Kai was going through but he still had to remind him of what he had to do. Before it’s too late. He put his weight on both his heels and untangled his arms, then placed his right hand in his cardigan pocket and the other on Kai’s arm. “I’m not telling you to do this because I want you to. You should tell him because you have to.”

          “Fuck, I know that.” Kai aggressively shook Soobin’s arm off, his face still angled away from him. Then he shut his eyes and clenched his fists and jaw. “Sorry. This isn’t easy for me, Soobin. It’s not easy at all.”

          “You have to fucking tell him, Kai. It’s true Yeonjun and I assumed that Taehyun already knew months ago but we wouldn’t pester you about it if not for what happened. You could tell him on his deathbed even, and we wouldn’t say a single word. But shit, Kai, you almost died in front of him! And he has no fucking idea why!” Soobin was nearly yelling, catching the attention of some customers sitting nearby. He bowed politely in apology for the disturbance.

          “Ah shit, I’m also aware of that.” Kai finally faced Soobin. He breathed in and released the tension in his jaw but not in his fists, still clenching them tightly as he glared at the vampire with a similar piercing stare. “I tried telling him right when he came home but something happened.” He put his eyes down and relaxed his hands, proceeding to check the time on his watch again. “If you’re really worried, then I can assure you, I can do it and nothing like last time will ever happen again. Go back inside, your bathroom break’s too long.” 

          Soobin bit his tongue, preventing it from saying anything back. Without another word, he walked away, patting Kai’s shoulder heavily, then he returned straight to the room. Kai stayed and stood for a few moments, giving himself some time to breathe in and out, some peace, and some time to think a little bit. Then he decided. He decided again when the “better time” would be.

          “Next weekend,” he thought out loud, turning on his heel to follow Soobin back into the room. With that, he’d have a week of peace before the war. One whole week of the calm before the storm. “Next weekend, I’ll tell Taehyun.”

          Without warning, a hand gripped his wrist tightly, the sudden attack jolting him. He looked behind to see who the hand belonged to and he could only look with wide eyes.

          “Why not tonight?” Taehyun asked straightforwardly, mirroring Kai’s gaze.

          Kai wanted a whole week but it seemed like Taehyun had other plans.

Chapter Text

          “It’s not eavesdropping.”

          Taehyun clicked his tongue and hesitated. Then he said it once more, to convince himself that he wasn’t eavesdropping on Kai and Soobin’s conversation. He was just about to return to the room when he happened to hear a huge chunk of it, just like the customers sitting near the corner where they talked, so he wasn’t eavesdropping. He overheard it.

          He was supposed to wait until it was over and forget about it, then pretend he was never there, but hearing a raging Kai curse out loud in public was too appalling and he heard his name. They were talking about him. And what was that about a deathbed, and… Kai almost died?

          A flash of unpleasant memories and Taehyun stopped hesitating. His feet moved and before he knew it, he was gripping Kai’s wrist, desperate to finally get it out of him. 

          “Why not tonight?”

          “Oh, Taehyun!” Kai exclaimed and attempted to crawl his way out of the conversation he’d been dreading. He hoped Taehyun would let it slide and assume he misheard it, then he cursed himself in his head for thinking too loud. “Did your boss need anything from you?”

          “He asked about something,” Taehyun simply said, not batting an eyelash, still completely staring at Kai with eyes wide open. And without another hint of hesitation, he continued, “Let’s not wait for a week, Hyuka.”

          “Hmm?” Kai hummed, raising his eyebrows in question, playing dumb. But he knew Taehyun wouldn’t fall for it and that soon enough, Taehyun would stop playing nice if he kept his act going.

          “You know what I’m talking about.” Taehyun released his grip on Kai’s wrist, returning his hand back to his space. He told himself he’d wait for Kai to say whatever it was that was making him so tense and a bit distant, but he’d grown impatient. He was aware of the attempts, too, and the lying about how he was fine, but what made Taehyun want to force it out of him besides impatience was what Soobin said. “Tell me, tonight, whatever you have to tell me. Don’t tell me on my deathbed.”

          Kai flinched and asked, this time genuinely, “How much did you hear?” His voice was calm and coated with gravity, pulling in every bit of Taehyun’s attention that Taehyun completely dropped all care about the bustling energy in the restaurant.

          “Are you serious right now?” Taehyun raised his voice, shutting up the chattering nearby, and just a little more, he’d cause a commotion. He could tell it was more than disappointment washing over him. Anger was bubbling in him, and he was filled to the brim with resentment and frustration built up for weeks. “Kai, are you fucking serious?”

          “I am.”

          Taehyun was in disbelief. Looking down at him was Kai wearing a stiff expression on his face. For the first time, he frightened Taehyun, and for a second Taehyun might’ve thought the man before him was a stranger. He blinked his eyes, hard, hoping the vision would go away and it did, thankfully, but it was replaced with something else. Behind those dead eyes of Kai’s was pain, and Taehyun looked through them hard enough to see it clearly. It was a pained expression Kai was wearing, and Taehyun could still see it despite his feelings of resentment. “Everything. I heard everything.”

          Kai let out a sigh in response and Taehyun huffed out his anger, his lip curling to form an exasperated frown. His eyes were flickering up and down, still in shock by his reactions. 

          “Let me ask again. Are you fucking serious?”

          “I’m serious,” Kai said without remorse, his tone still, which irked Taehyun more. “I’ll tell you... tonight.”

          Taehyun didn’t seem satisfied but it was better than nothing. He took Kai’s word, and without saying another, he marched his way back to the private dining room. Then Kai followed a minute later after gathering himself.

          The rest of dinner was awkward. And finished quickly. The first few minutes after the couple returned were alright but everyone else around the dinner table felt it afterwards. The presence of bitterness was too strong. There was too much negative energy, if Yeonjun put it in his own words, and Beomgyu would agree silently. Soobin would, and did shift in his seat constantly and uncomfortably throughout the rest of it. Taehyun and Kai had kept themselves silent and morose, not minding anyone else but themselves, unless anyone dared to bother them which no one did until the three felt like it was time to go.

          Taehyun and Kai had no idea how but they found their way in Taehyun’s apartment. There was not one word spoken from when they left together to when they arrived in the small living space (compared to Kai’s home). 

          Taehyun’s place was just as homey and it was evident that someone was living there; sheets of paper and heavy books scattered all over, water rings marked the wooden dining table by the kitchen, a scribbled down monthly calendar still on July hung on the wall; there also was Taehyun’s lingering scent which was most noticeable of all to Kai. 

          When they stepped inside, they went their separate ways — Kai to the couch and Taehyun to the kitchen — and still did not utter a single word. With silence between them, the occasional blaring of horns outside and the wind knocking on the windows were obvious, even their shuffling feet and the sound of Taehyun gulping down a glass of water were a lot louder. But Kai and Taehyun both supposed the silence in the air was absolutely more deafening than anything else. 

          “Are we gonna be like this until we die?” Taehyun cut the silence but not the dead air. He placed the glass down on the dining table and walked over to the dirty calendar on the wall beside the fridge. He ripped the page off and crumpled it into a ball, then tossed it to the bin. The simple act made Taehyun’s displeasure apparent especially from how he aggressively did it. “We’re already here. Aren’t you gonna say anything?”

          “Give me a few more minutes,” Kai asked, slouching his shoulders over the edge of the couch, his hands clasped together on his knees as if saying a prayer. It wasn’t obvious but his mind was running around, his heart preparing itself for whatever it was he was about to get into. That was it, the “better time,” but it still came unexpectedly rushed when he was unprepared. Within his years, one of the many things he learned was that things almost always never go the way he expects it, and he felt stupid for not anticipating something like this. 

          “Tonight’s not gonna stay forever, Kai,” Taehyun scoffed. He went over to the wall opposite the couch. It was a good spot with just enough distance between them and everything in the living room was in his vision. He leaned his back on the cold wall, crossed his arms and his ankles, waiting for the few minutes to pass.

          “If you heard everything, then you must have heard how I said this isn’t easy, haven’t you?” Kai said out of spite, his head lowered, not wanting to look at Taehyun. The past few weeks were hell, because of his friends and the nightmares, and now, it was Taehyun who was giving him hell. Couldn’t he just have a few minutes in peace? “All of you are making this hard for me.”

          “You are so selfish.”

          It took one sentence for Kai to lift his head and look straight at Taehyun. He clenched his jaw and tightened the clasping of his hands, trying to fight against the urge to clap back. Taehyun was unmoving, still leaning against the wall, and his glaring eyes were all Kai could see. The eyes Kai always looked for for a thousand years were glaring at him, and the rosy lips that always smiled so lovingly were shaped into a frown because of him.

          “You are so unfair,” Taehyun added, hissing at the man sitting on his couch, looking at him with full offense. It hit him hard, Taehyun figured. He took the courage to decrease the distance between them, moving forward a few steps, before expressing himself. “Three weeks. I was alone for three weeks after you blocked all contact, after that fucking day. And when I finally got to you, you act like nothing happened, avoiding my questions and pretending to be fine. Who the fuck are you fooling?”

          Kai’s eyes traced Taehyun’s footsteps then settled on the floor. His lips were trembling while pressed together, jaw still clenched, hands still firmly clasped and too strong that his nails would soon draw blood on the back of his hands. He had no excuses. What Taehyun said was true, and he couldn’t blame everything on Yeonjun and Soobin. He had his part, too.

          “You have no fucking idea how I felt getting on the plane, how much I worried about you! And- and how excited I was to go back home to see you.” Taehyun held his head, fingers grabbing his scalp, and his eyelids blinking against the tears slowly forming on the corner of his eyes, all while trying to hush his quivering breath. “Kai, I just want an explanation.”

          “It’s not that easy!” Kai yelled out, jolting Taehyun. He was standing on his feet, untangling his hands. He creased his eyebrows, knitting them together, as he paced the tiny space between the coffee table and the couch. He bit his lip and stroked his chin as he tried to clear his head.

          “You keep saying that,” Taehyun said, indignation heavy in his tone, throwing his arms down. “Why can’t you just tell me? What the fuck happened that day? What are you hiding?”

          “I’ve been meaning to tell you, Taehyun, but I don’t know how you’re going to take it.” Kai turned to Taehyun completely, arguing with him straight on. “Telling you is a big risk.”

          “Too risky, it’ll kill me? Is that why you plan to tell me only when I’m finally dying?”

          “Stop saying that!” Kai roared. He pointed his finger to the floor. “Seeing you die is the last thing I want to see! Shit.” Then the haunting vision appeared before him, the one that was creeping inside his brain and giving him a migraine. He covered his eyes with a hand for a moment to keep it away. “I don’t know how I’m- I- I don’t want that day to come. I don’t even want to think about it. So please! Stop reminding me.”

          “Why the fuck are you thinking about my death? It was you who almost died that day! Please, Kai, just fucking tell me.”

          “I don’t think you’d even believe me.”

          “Just fucking tell me,” Taehyun repeated.

          “Taehyun, I’m not human,” Kai finally said, putting on a brave face. He told Taehyun who was standing in front of him, wide awake, all ears and unblinking. He shook and felt chills run from his toes to his fingertips to the top of his head. His knees felt weak, as if all his energy was drained out of him just from one sentence, and he fell to the floor. He didn’t know if he could manage to say another word, another sentence to answer all of Taehyun’s questions, when he was suffocating and his throat was rough. But he was one sentence away and he had to finish it. So he pressed his knees to his chest, slumping over, covering his face with his palms, and he mustered a lifetime’s worth of courage to shoot the finishing blow. His voice was muffled but loud enough to travel around the soundless room when he said, “I’m a vampire.”

          He didn’t want to uncover his eyes and see Taehyun’s face but in his head, there was an exhibition of a thousand different faces and the only thing left to do was to choose one from them, guessing which one Taehyun had on at that moment. What Kai hated too was that Taehyun was quiet. He didn’t receive a reply whatsoever. No noise, no gasping, not even incredulity. No protest, no more bursts of anger. Nothing. Kai had no inkling of whatever Taehyun could be thinking then. 

          Then suddenly, there was sound. It was the sound of Taehyun’s dragging footsteps. It was slow. It was taking its time. But Kai felt it coming closer. And closer. And closer. Then it was in front of him. Kai could see Taehyun’s feet through the little gaps between his fingers and he could see Taehyun’s body lowering, crouching in front of him, still quiet, still mysterious. Kai’s heart started racing, beating faster and faster, as if it wasn’t already beating fast enough. Then he moved his palms away from his face, revealing himself to Taehyun, yet his eyes didn’t move away from the floor, not daring to check how Taehyun was looking at him. He was preparing himself for what Taehyun was about to do, or what he was not about to do. Then it happened. 

          He felt Taehyun's hand brush his right cheek, the warm touch of his thumb moving its way to the corner of his lips. There was nothing left to hide, Kai thought and let Taehyun do whatever he wanted. Taehyun then pressed his thumb on Kai’s upper lip and pushed it upwards, stretching the skin on his face, and there, fangs. Those unusually sharp teeth were actually vampire fangs. Kai didn’t move to let Taehyun see them clearly. He’d been hiding them for months, for centuries, and he finally let Taehyun have a look at them. 

          Taehyun still didn’t say a word despite the discovery and it was bothering Kai, but he eventually let a noise out. It was a soft and short chuckle, to Kai’s surprise, so he raised his eyes and at long last, he saw the expression Taehyun wore. 

          Kai couldn’t help it. His heart stopped and he was overcome with emotion. Tears started flowing uncontrollably from his eyes which momentarily blurred his vision of Taehyun’s face but he blinked them away to see it crystal clear. 

          Taehyun was smiling lovingly, warmly, endearingly, just like he had been smiling at Kai. Just like that smile on the night they first met a thousand years ago, like the smile the farmer boy with twinkling eyes had, like the smile he fell in love with, like the widow’s sorrowful smile, like the smile of someone in love, Taehyun was smiling widely at Kai. 

          Kai was in the midst of breaking down, panting and sobbing madly. While his fingers held on tightly to his chest, creasing the fabric of his sweater, he ducked his head only for Taehyun to lift it up again. He wiped the tears away from Kai’s eyes. Hush, hush, Taehyun was whispering to him like one would to a crying child, and took his cold hands with the intention of warming them up.

          Eventually, Kai stopped crying and his breathing pattern calmed. But Taehyun’s look never changed and he still gazed at Kai fondly. Kai expected a number of reactions but in the end, he could never have predicted Taehyun’s reaction. He was taken aback and it was unfathomable how Taehyun could keep undisturbed. In fact, he seemed even more disturbed when they were arguing, and after it, he’d had on a serene face, weirdly enough.

          “Why are you smiling?” Kai asked and his voice cracked, making Taehyun chuckle again. He sniffed a few times and wiped the streaks of tears on his cheeks. He had a lot more questions for Taehyun but three should suffice. “Why aren’t you running away? Why aren’t you questioning anything?”

          “Because it all makes sense,” Taehyun plainly said. While folding his legs to take a proper seat, his eyes focused on Kai’s teeth. His fangs, actually, which he couldn’t take his eyes off of. They were extraordinarily attractive, and real. And because they were bare, Kai’s statement was all the more convincing, that he really was a vampire. Who would’ve thought Taehyun only needed to hear that one thing to have his questions answered? When he heard the words come out of Kai’s mouth, everything fit like puzzle pieces. Like lock and key. And Taehyun was assured that he wasn’t going crazy for considering the possibility back then, because it was true. “Everything makes sense now.”

          “I’ve been lying too much, haven’t I?” Kai pouted unconsciously and his eyes resembled a puppy’s, taking away Taehyun’s gaze away from his lips and putting them on his eyes.

          “Even Pinocchio would be shocked.” Taehyun pinched Kai’s sniffing nose, a gesture making Kai laugh loudly, erasing the quietness of the apartment and making the living space a lot more pleasant than it already was.

          Kai tugged the corner of his mouth and formed a very wide grin, similar to the Cheshire Cat’s, but instead of an eerie grin, it was bewitching. He could smile widely now without worry and Kai discovered how refreshing it felt to be smiling genuinely in front of the person he loved. 

          Taehyun loved it too. Seeing Kai smile without holding back gave him a sweet feeling and his heart fluttered for the first time that night. Kai looked no different from the Huening Kai Taehyun knew, but adding a small detail — his fangs in plain sight — changed his whole aura. His once angelic smile had become devilish and the flowering air of innocence around him had become one of mischief. His guardian angel was no longer with him; the only being left was his vampire. And Taehyun couldn’t be happier because it was someone true.

          “But really, it all makes sense now,” Taehyun thought out loud, recalling every little detail that aroused suspicion on Kai. He took Kai’s hand again, tracing its outline from the wrist to the curve of each finger like a child marking his palm on a piece of paper. “Cold hands, sensitivity to the sun, your inconsistent stories, and…” Taehyun trailed off and paused his tracing, flicking his gaze up at Kai who was watching him closely. “And garlic?”

          Kai nodded. Taehyun frowned.

          “It’s not your fault,” Kai quickly said, his thinking racing ahead. “I was too careless.”

          “I almost killed you. I guess Yeonjun hyung and Soobin hyung are vampires too, that’s why they’re-”

          “Let’s not talk about them,” Kai said promptly with strong intention to change the subject. He scooched a bit forward, inching a little closer to Taehyun, and held his two hands firmly, wrapping them in the large size of his. “I’m still baffled.” Kai saw Taehyun arch his brow. “By your reactions, I mean. How could you just believe what I said? You accepted it like it was expected.”

          “I have no idea, either,” Taehyun answered, giggling on his own. “Maybe I did expect it, maybe I already knew it at the back of my mind, or I just trust you too much. Like a fool,” Taehyun snickered.

          “You are a fool then,” Kai mumbled. This earned him a light kick to the shin from Taehyun’s quick foot and he could only chuckle at Taehyun’s grumbling. “Strangely enough, just like I am,” he followed. “So you actually believe in vampires? And you trust me completely that you have nothing to ask me?”

          “Not before this. I had no proof. But a vampire is talking to me right now, so I guess vampires are real,” Taehyun answered as if it was no big deal, as if they weren’t just fighting earlier, as if the past few weeks hadn’t been hell for both of them because of it. He shrugged them all off, putting the past behind him. But wait, the past could still be of use. “And, if you want questions, I have so many. I could even compile them and make you a questionnaire and have you answer with a time limit.”

          “What am I, a student taking the CSAT? Let's go for an interview.”

          “Okay then.” Taehyun cleared his throat and listed down the questions in his head, hoping he’d get answers for all of them. “First and foremost-”

          “No greetings?” Kai interrupted his interviewer, questioning the lack of formalities.

          Taehyun rolled his eyes and huffed out a breath. “First and foremost!” he exclaimed, overpowering Kai’s attempt to interrupt him again. He stared straight into his twinkling eyes. “Don’t vampires drink blood? How do you get it? I’m not in a relationship with a… am I?”

          “That’s a lot of questions right off the bat,” Kai commented then he answered each of them. “Yes, we drink blood. We get it from blood bars, also known as vampire bars, like Yeonjun’s. How do they acquire it? Don’t worry, murder isn’t involved. You’re not in a relationship with a murderer.”

          Taehyun sighed in relief, then inhaled a sharp breath upon a realization. “Like Yeonjun hyung’s? What the hell, that’s where we first met! He served me wine, though.”

          “He did.” Kai removed his hands from Taehyun’s and cupped his cheek, instead. He gazed at the face whose owner did nothing but shoot him glares the night they first met in his lifetime. Oh how Kai worried about that soon after, but months and a number of obstacles later, he could finally laugh at it, because with only a bit more waiting, he had uncovered the sparkling gem under the guise of the mortal’s death stares. “He has real wine stocked in case you mortals come.” He raised his eyebrows and wore a tiny smile. “Next question?”

          “Next question,” Taehyun said and scratched his neck, eyes blinking while checking his imaginary list. Then he returned them to Kai’s direction. He placed his right hand over Kai’s hand resting on his cheek while preparing to ask again. “Is Huening Kai your real name?”

          Kai nodded. “Definitely.”

          “How old are you?”

          Kai hesitated. “A thousand years.”

          “What an old man,” Taehyun bantered, his mouth cracking into a clever grin. “I’m dating an old man!” he cried out and laughed heartily along with the old man sitting on the floor with him. “‘With age comes wisdom.’ You should be the wisest man I know, then. Is it exactly a thousand?”

          “Wisdom does come with age, but I’m not a good example for that. I believe you’re much wiser than me!” Kai looked back on his actions along the years, especially of that year. He’d been too unwise, as Soobin often said, acting so not like someone who had lived that long and had seen far enough. “It’s a little more than that. I don’t like to count.”

          “Why not?” Taehyun tilted his head.

          “It’s too depressing,” Kai simply answered with a blank face.

          Taehyun pursed his lips and leaned sideways on the edge of his couch, making Kai remove his hand from his cheek. “You must be so depressed then, if you’ve been counting for a thousand years.”

          It was a shallow stab to Kai’s heart. Taehyun had a point. Kai had been counting them despite his feelings towards the knowledge of the amount of years he had lived through. Flipping, ripping pages off of calendars wasn’t the most exciting, especially when all those years he was wandering the earth alone. It was only five centuries ago when he found himself the best long-lasting friends who both preferred to stay in one place instead of jumping around the globe. But travelling solo was a choice Kai had picked after that fateful night and counting every year until it reached two hundred was somewhat thrilling.

          “I suppose so,” Kai responded and imitated Taehyun’s posture. Then his fangy grin appeared once more, glinting so brightly under the light. “But every two centuries, destiny makes a move which brings me to the top of the world.” He stared at the familiar face before him, feeling fortunate and grateful that destiny hadn’t cut their meeting short to just one night like the previous meetings. He was blissful that the mortal soul was within his grasp again and allowed him to enter his life, eventually becoming someone loved.

          “You used nice words. Hmm,” Taehyun hummed as he searched for Kai’s soul through his glassy eyes, trying to find out what move destiny had been making that gave him that much happiness. The answer was lying in wait for Taehyun to find, and he somewhat got it. “So you meet someone and fall in love,” he said jokingly.

          Kai raised his eyebrows and his lips formed an oval. “Right on! How did you know?”

          “I was kidding,” Taehyun answered, his tone dead.

          “Oh.”

          Taehyun climbed up the couch and fell with a flump, pressing his back on the cushions, then he grabbed a throw pillow to smack Kai with it. “So this time you met me…” Smack. “And you fell in love with my handsome face…” Smack. “And I’m stupid enough to like you back.” Smack. Three blows, good enough, Taehyun thought and threw the pillow to the side. He fixed his hair after exerting himself. “But that’s understandable. It’s impossible not to fall in love at least once.”

          “But it’s always been you,” Kai said behind his arms which acted as a shield. Then he lowered them and raised himself to sit on the couch too, relaxing his stiff body and facing forward. He turned his neck to flash his fangy grin to Taehyun again briefly, amusement smeared on it. His cheeky smile, as Taehyun liked to describe it, was no longer that. Mischievous and teasing sounded better, he thought.

          “Stop flirting,” Taehyun jeered, glancing sideways in judgement. He lifted his legs and folded them on the seat cushion, then fluttered them a few times.

          “I’m not joking,” Kai said with all seriousness. From the tone of his voice to his body language, it felt serious. Taehyun was alarmed by the sudden change of mood when he turned his neck to see Kai’s poker face, looking like his statement shouldn’t have been taken lightly. “You’re the only one. I met you for the first time a thousand years ago when I was barely half a century old, and ever since, I have been looking for you.”

          Kai knew it deep in his heart, that the real reason why he chose to live his life as a traveller wasn’t because he was inspired by the mortal but because he was searching for him. After the first meeting, he only knew a few things about the mortal — his face, his dreams, and that he travelled — and he held onto them, dearly, so he ventured out and longed to meet him again. He knew that very well but only ever said it out loud to Taehyun.

          Taehyun couldn’t understand but he held his questions back and leaned in to listen to Kai pour his heart out on his story. He shifted his position and fully turned his body to Kai, his legs still folded, and gave him his undivided attention.

          “Then two hundred years later, I got lucky,” Kai continued, turning his face towards the ceiling. Above him was only the blank white ceiling and a light bulb but in his eyes he could see the starry skies he once saw with the dreaming boy. Then he returned his gaze to the man beside him and saw them again in his sparkling eyes. Another smile tugged on his lips, just faintly, because of the sight. “I met you again. Nothing much had changed. Your features and your dreams were just as I remembered them. Only your circumstances and your memories were different.”

          Taehyun still couldn’t quite understand but he had a vague idea. He thought it was a heartwarming story he was listening to but why did he feel a pang in his heart? 

          “We parted ways and after another two hundred years, we met again.”

          “Third time’s the charm?” Taehyun cut in.

          Kai nodded, chuckling. “Yes. That’s when I knew I fell in love, and destiny must’ve intended it, because we met another three times after that with two centuries between each time. This time’s the sixth. You haven’t changed, Taehyun, and you never remembered me every time.”

          There was a pause. Taehyun studied Kai’s face during the tiny slice of time, going over his eyes brimming with secrecy, his long nose bridging them to his pressed lips. Taehyun recognized this face, not just because he’d been seeing him, but also because he saw him someplace else.

          “You’re the vampire in my dreams,” Taehyun whispered, connecting the dots. “The strange dreams I had months ago were my past lives, weren’t they? You were there each time.”

          “That’s right,” Kai affirmed. “I’m bound to meet you for only a night every two centuries.”

          “Only a night?”

          “Destiny likes to play.” Kai carried his body up, locking his knees to stand up straight. Then he stepped each foot forward, all the way to the sliding glass doors dividing the apartment and the cramped balcony. He stood before the thin barrier, looking through it and taking a glimpse of the moon in the sky. It was peeking and the view from inside wasn’t that great. He’d have a better look once he’s outside. “But I broke the rules this time,” he continued nevertheless, still standing and forming fists beside him. “So here we are.”

          He turned back to Taehyun, returning his look on the man he broke the rules for. He was curled up cozily on the couch, looking with eyes that never failed to make Kai’s heart stop, and Kai thought that breaking the rules for him must be the best decision he had ever made in his life.

          “We’re soulmates, Kang Taehyun,” Kai spoke through his crooked smile.

          “We are,” Taehyun agreed. His legs unfolded and made their way to Kai. “Vampire and human, soulmates? Debatable.” He giggled as his fingers pressed down the lock on the sliding door and moved the sheet of glass obstructing them from getting on the balcony.

          Taehyun stepped out, ignoring the feel of the balcony tiles touching his bare soles. He bent his body to perch his elbows on the metal railing, and interlaced his hands to act as a resting place for his chin as he craned his neck to view the moon. Kai followed, taking a spot beside him to do the same, only with a different position where he stood with a straight spine and his hands wrapped firmly around the railing. 

          The space was limited, but it felt oddly comfortable. It was like they were in their own world, their own place, where no one could see or hear them. Only they could observe the racing cars screeching on the main road, the ant-like pedestrians from below walking their way home, and the passing clouds up above covering the moon every now and then. 

          “Vampire and human soulmates, it’s one in a million,” Kai muttered. “No, one in a billion.”

          There was a pause again, a moment to watch the moon, as thoughts formed in their heads. 

          “Two hundred years, did you say it was?” Taehyun asked, still gazing at the moon.

          “Mm.”

          “Weren’t they lonely?” Taehyun turned to his left, facing Kai who had the moonlight on his skin. Then he noticed the single dot on his neck, seemingly resembling a lone soul.

          “Somehow,” Kai answered with a vague tone. Then he turned to Taehyun. “But just a conversation with my soulmate overpowered the loneliness during the waiting.” He saw Taehyun’s mouth twitch and grin, and he mirrored it. “You always told me about your dreams — travelling and feeling free. You have an adventurous soul. Maybe it’s what I love about you.” Kai removed his hand from the railing, bringing it over to Taehyun’s face, and brushed his fringe aside to uncover the corner of his eyes reflecting the light of the moon. He looked beautiful, as he had always been, but his beauty shone best under the moonlight, Kai thought. “You know, you’ve been travelling places for a millennium. And you saved my life. I wasn’t able to thank you for that.”

          “But all of that’s not me,” Taehyun said, his words shaking Kai for a moment. He removed his elbows off the metal railing and turned his heel, shifting his position to talk to Kai head on. “I’m Kang Taehyun and only Kang Taehyun. You may have met me in my past lives but they’re completely different people. We only share the same soul.”

          “And the one I love is Kang Taehyun,” Kai said firmly without another thought. His words held conviction and he was sure of them. His eyes gleamed with determination and his lips stretched to express his overflowing emotions. His hand crawled to the back of Taehyun’s head, messing his hair lightly, acting as support as he brought his lips to his forehead to kiss it lightly. “But still, thank you.”

          Taehyun was used to Kai’s cool touch and his kisses but everything seemed different since then. Before, they were simply heart-fluttering and light, or hypnotizing, lifting him off his feet, but they became weighty and carried something more than affection. Taehyun couldn’t quite put his finger on it but he could guess there was pain and passion in those gestures, and woe. 

          Kai’s fangs were over his lip as he smiled again, making him appear cunning, but Taehyun thought otherwise. 

          “I love you,” Kai continued, his dreamy eyes clear in the night. “The past months were better than most of my life, and telling you about my true self was harder than anything else because I was afraid I might lose you.”

          “I won’t leave you,” Taehyun assured him, leaning in to hold him tightly. “Because I’m a fool like that.”

          Kai laughed, bending down to accommodate the mortal in his embrace. He rubbed his hands on his back tenderly, moving the fabric of his shirt slightly, then used his nails to scratch lightly, the gesture relaxing the fast paced beating of the mortal’s heart.

          There was a pause, for the third time. Taehyun couldn’t relax his muscles, clenching his fingers on Kai’s sweater on his back, his chin stabbing Kai’s shoulder, and his brain running a thousand miles every second. No words were being said while they embraced each other on the balcony, basking under the moonlight, and background noise whirred in their ears but not did not disrupt the moment.

          A minute of silence to think is essential, Taehyun thought as a wild idea loomed in his brain.

          An overpowering noise, almost annoying, came ringing from the kitchen. Taehyun recognized it again and he clicked his tongue in displeasure.

          “I’m sorry, let me get that,” he said, holding Kai’s arms, twisting his face in apology. He jogged to the source of the sound, mumbling cursing words under his breath until the ringing stopped. Yet he still approached it to check who it was disrupting such an emotional time. It was Choi Beomgyu.

          Taehyun groaned at the sight of the words “Missed call from Beomgyu hyung” and he could just imagine Beomgyu’s whimsical face in front of him. His mocking giggles also echoed in his head. It was a haunting vision, too realistic, sending chills and making him shudder. “I spend too much time with this hyung,” Taehyun sighed. Then he received a message from said hyung at that exact moment.

          “Butt-dial. Sorry if I interrupted something,” Beomgyu sent. 

          Taehyun put a palm on his face. “No worries, it’s fine. Keep your phone away from your butt.”

          “Oh. That was fast. Is everything ok with Kai now?”

          “Yes and you interrupted us.”

          “Sorry again,” Beomgyu apologized, then a wink emoji followed.

          “Ah. Why didn’t I kill this hyung when I had the chance?” Taehyun thought as he typed in his reply. “Whatever. I was planning on texting you later anyway. I have to talk to you about something.”

          “You seek my wisdom?”

          “Yes. About this crazy idea I have.”

          “How crazy?”

          “Enough to kill me.”

          Taehyun put his phone down and inhaled a deep breath. He decided to ask for Beomgyu’s opinions. Perhaps this hyung would scold him and tell him to put his feet back on the ground, and perhaps Taehyun would rethink.

          Taehyun mulled over it as he walked across his living room, and right before he stepped out on the balcony, he took a second to look at the vampire’s wide back. Then he lowered his gaze to the vampire’s arms and his hands, free and empty. It took Taehyun a long while, just staring at the man turned back on him and recalling the chilling vision of Kai leaving him behind, alone for eternity. Now that Taehyun was aware of Kai’s true nature, he finally understood what the vision meant. Kai was immortal, unlike him who was mortal. Kai would be walking on time for as long as he could, while he’d be stuck at the end of his lifetime, only left to watch the vampire’s back walk away from him, moving on without him.

          Taehyun dreaded it. It was frightening to be left behind again, in a different way, Taehyun thought and he finally agreed with Beomgyu — that Kai was dangerous. But what frightened him more was that he might not be able to listen to Beomgyu’s scolding words when they come, because just looking at Kai’s lonely back was enough to make a decision crazy enough to kill him.

          Kai heard the footsteps come and halt, so he looked back to see Taehyun standing and silently gaping at him.

          “Was that your boss again?” Kai asked.

          Taehyun shook his head, moving his feet again to return to Kai’s side.

          “What’s wrong?” Kai could see the distress between Taehyun’s creasing eyebrows.

          “I was just thinking,” Taehyun replied, relaxing the muscles on his face, then turning to Kai, parting his lips slightly to say more. “...about some more questions to ask you.”

          “Shoot,” Kai said confidently, raising his chin.

          “Can vampires shapeshift?” Taehyun’s face was child-like and full of innocence.

          Kai cackled unconsciously, his shrilling laughter ringing in the atmosphere. Good thing there weren’t many people around to attract attention. 

          “Sorry, I didn’t expect that from you,” he told Taehyun with the frowning face. “That’s bullshit, sadly. Mortals are too creative with their stories.”

          “How else do you die?” Taehyun did not hesitate again.

          Kai frowned. “I told you it was my carelessness. I survived for a thousand years avoiding garlic but I was-”

          “I just don’t want it to happen again.” Taehyun closed his eyes, pressing his fingertips on his temples to ease his headache. The bad memory was just making it worse. “I’m sorry, Kai. I really am.”

          Kai swooped to take him in his arms again, this time much tighter. Taehyun jumped in surprise. “It’s okay. I’m here now,” he whispered in his ear.

          “I love you too,” Taehyun whispered back, tiptoeing to reach Kai’s height, and planted a kiss on the mole on his neck while his arms made their way to his broad back. 

          Taehyun hummed a lulling tune while they spent minutes embracing each other, calming down their hearts, but they could feel their aggressive beats against each other’s chests. It was long and heartfelt. And no one was watching the scene but the moon.

          It was always the moon that watched their passionate love story. It was always there to shine its light on them. And it would be there until the end.

          “I still have questions,” Taehyun uttered behind Kai. His hands moved from touching Kai’s shoulder blades to hanging on his shoulders.

          “What are they?” Kai asked, ruffling Taehyun’s smooth hair, and taking in a whiff of the faint smell of shampoo and the smell of laundry detergent on his collar.

          “It’s gonna take so long for you to answer all of them,” Taehyun worried. Concern was heavy in his tone. “I don’t want to waste your time.”

          “I have all the time in the world,” Kai said with a smile Taehyun couldn’t see. “And I can answer them all while we watch the stars.”

Chapter Text

          There would be nothing stranger than Taehyun in a daze, staring blankly into space at work. At the office, he was most favored by his higher-ups and everyone else around him felt admiration towards him because of his work ethic, his intelligence, and his good looks. He was always alert and he could solve any problem given to him in a flash, so it was absolutely strange that he was gaping slack-jawed at the blinking cursor on his screen.

          He’d been like that all day — suddenly stopping in his tracks when he walked, tripping on the steps, misplacing his things. He was like a malfunctioning robot, as his colleagues described him, yet he hadn’t made any mistakes with his work. It only seemed like his mind flew away at times and thankfully he had caught it before it flew too far.

          “This isn’t like you,” a voice beside him said, but Taehyun didn’t quite catch it.

          “Pardon?” he responded, his senses awakening.

          “Everything alright?” his coworker replied, typing away at his keyboard. “You should get a day off. The boss has given you too much work ever since you came back.”

          “Oh no, it’s not much,” Taehyun said humbly, clicking the mouse. Just a few more files and his day would be over. “But yeah, work’s been kinda exhausting lately. There’s been some stuff going on in my mind, though I can’t use that as an excuse. Work is work.”

          “Still strict as ever,” his coworker snickered. “It’s something to do with your boyfriend?”

          “Something like that. It’s more with myself, actually.”

          Taehyun recalled his last conversation with Beomgyu and the wisdom he received from him. 

          “Are you insane?” Beomgyu said when Taehyun mentioned his idea but Taehyun wasn’t surprised; he expected that to be the least he’d say. “You don’t even know if it works. You should think clearly about this. No. Actually, you shouldn’t be thinking about this!” Beomgyu’s voice resounded in Taehyun’s brain. “You’re mad, Taehyun, you really are. This is the dumbest thing that ever came out of your mouth.”

          “Hey, it’s just a thought, you know?” Taehyun defended himself.

          “This isn’t a fantasy movie, you know?” Beomgyu couldn’t stop himself. He was dumbfounded the moment Taehyun started spewing things about vampires and soulmates and past lives, and the crazy idea took the winning prize. “Love is a dangerous thing. I should probably stop finding love if there’s a possibility I could end up like you.”

          “What, dead?”

          Beomgyu looked at Taehyun, speechless for a moment. “I don’t like funerals, Kang.”

          “I know. Neither do I.” Taehyun frowned. “So I’m gonna survive it.”

          Beomgyu dropped his jaw and furrowed his brows, judging him hard. “Taehyun, just thinking about it makes me wanna go arrange a funeral. Fuck, I see it already.”

          “I’m gonna talk to him about it so shut up and stay put.”

          “Is he really worth it?” Beomgyu put on a concerned look, silent yet screaming, begging him to think twice. “I don’t want to lose my best friend.”

          “You won’t,” Taehyun said with a reassuring smile hiding away his discomfort.

          Since then, Taehyun had been thinking more deeply about it. Although his time with Kai had become happier since learning about his true nature, Taehyun’s concern arose whenever they weren’t together. And that work day was when he was most troubled because he decided to finally bring it up with Kai later that night.

          Taehyun finished his work and shut his computer off. Then he sighed as he reached for his bag and stood up to push his chair under his desk.

          “I’m getting off work now,” he told his coworker. 

          He wasn’t very close to this coworker of his when he was hired some time before Taehyun left for his business trip. But since coming back, they clicked and quickly became friends, yet Taehyun still viewed this person as someone full of mystery. Beneath his kind face, Taehyun could sense something enigmatic, mysterious, and this man never spoke of anything more personal than his feelings towards the world. The feeling of suspicion was unexplainable but Taehyun noticed how he always hid his wide toothy smile behind a hand. The man had no problem smiling when his lips were pressed together, and Taehyun thought he could be jumping to conclusions again when he wondered if he could be one of them too.

          “Be careful going home, it looks like the rain won’t stop anytime soon,” his coworker said, turning to Taehyun to look at him with his big doe eyes.

          Taehyun glanced at the big windows opposite his cubicle and watched the rain fall like knives from the sky. The sun had just set but outside it looked like the sun nor the moon didn’t exist, or they went on vacation, because the heavens were completely dark. If not for the city lights lighting up the world, Taehyun might not be able to find his way home.

          “Don’t worry, I have an umbrella with me,” Taehyun replied.

          “That’s good.” His coworker’s hands were resting on the keyboard, occupied with busy work which they paused momentarily. They didn’t even move to cover the huge smile that grew on his face. He was a smiley person and that was his major disadvantage, because it would ultimately bring questions to the people he smiled at. With his big teeth, his long pointy fangs were out in the open, pearly whites that gleamed and grabbed the attention away from his friendly eyes that everyone loved to compliment. “Take care, Taehyun.”

          “Thanks, Heeseung hyung.” Taehyun smiled back, looking in wonder. Heeseung’s fangs were much sharper than Kai’s, Yeonjun’s, even Soobin’s fangs, and Taehyun eased his unsettled feelings towards Heeseung, finally knowing the answer to why Heeseung always looked bashful when smiling. Turns out, he was actually just hiding his identity. “You have a nice smile. Be careful when you go home too and... with that.”

          Heeseung was hit with realization and his hand moved faster than the lightning that flashed outside, swiftly covering his mouth. Then he simply chuckled, unsure of what to say.

          Taehyun joined him and laughed, telling him he’ll keep it a secret, then turned his heels and headed for the elevator, leaving Heeseung amazed.

          Who knew another vampire was so close to him? Taehyun wondered how many more vampires could be roaming the streets, living unnoticed by mortals like him. He also wondered how they could live their lives that way, and if he were like them too, would he have the strength and tenacity to live such a life? He’d have to find out for himself.

          Ding! The elevator alarmed his thoughts and he stepped off, making his way to the tall clear doors of the lobby. He pushed them open and the crashing sound of rain flooded his eardrums when he exited. He stood under the roof hanging overhead, protecting himself from the heavy drops of rain that fell only a few inches away from his leather shoes. 

          He was the only person outside and the only person who watched how the rain locked people indoors. Usually, he’d glare at the rainclouds and think of them as bothersome for being a hassle to everyone, but that moment, he tried to appreciate them and stretched out his hand to feel the raindrops hit his fingers. He was in a sentimental mood while gazing at how his hand slowed the fall of the rain showering on his palm, and how they dripped from the back of his hand down on the short staircase before him. 

          It was calming and he could feel a grin being carved on his face.

          Suddenly, the moment was disturbed by thunder. He jumped in place, his left hand still extended while his right unconsciously formed a fist beside his chest from the scare. Then he cleared his throat and regained his focus, but another thunderous disturbance came from behind.

          “Boo!” Kai appeared out of nowhere, jolting Taehyun and joining him outside.

          “Aah!” Taehyun screamed and almost slipped but Kai was there to catch him. He retracted his hands and held Kai’s left arm with his right hand. “You scared me, asshole! When did you get here?”

          “I was waiting for you in the cafe.” Kai pointed to the dry and cozy cafe inside, then he hooked his arm around Taehyun’s waist, trapping him, keeping him close to his body while holding a long black umbrella. He brought his empty right hand up to Taehyun’s face, brushing away his messed up fringe, then placed his fingers behind his ear, gently, to angle his head, preparing to kiss him with the rainy night as the background. “I’m here to take you home,” he whispered as he leaned closer and closed his eyes.

          But Taehyun warded off his kiss. With the hand he used to catch the rain, Taehyun put his wet palm on Kai’s lips and pushed him away from his face. He pouted and furrowed his brows, showing his displeasure. “What are you doing in public? Outside my office building?” he asked condescendingly.

          Kai lifted his eyelids and his eyebrows, the lower part of his face still covered by Taehyun’s cold rigid hand, and he didn’t answer. He only laughed, his eyes curving, laughter muffled by Taehyun’s hand. Taehyun felt the shape of Kai’s mouth changing and thought it was a bit ticklish. Then Kai puckered his lips and pecked Taehyun’s palm, making Taehyun move his hand away and give him a chance for a quick kiss on the lips. 

          “Get off!” Taehyun pushed Kai’s chest, averting his gaze sheepishly, but Kai wouldn’t let go of his waist and kept him close. He giggled at Taehyun’s cuteness, wearing a suit and looking so serious yet acting so adorably in front of him. “Go away, bastard! Stealing kisses is a crime.”

          Kai finally released his body but grabbed him by his cheeks with one hand, squishing his pouting face. “Arrest me, then,” he said teasingly through his fangy smirk, irking Taehyun all the more.

          Taehyun was annoyed at Kai and he was annoyed that his heart still skipped a beat from the vampire’s teasing. Kai looked ethereal; his relaxed eyes were dazzling like stars, his smirk where his fang peeked was alluring, and his hair that hung over his eyes framed his face charmingly. Taehyun was mesmerized but he had to fight the urge to give in to him.

          “I’m going to sew your mouth shut while you’re sleeping.” He detached Kai’s large hand from his warm blushing cheeks and threw it away. “But tonight I’m going home alone,” he said, his tone filled with irritation.

          “But- but you’re supposed to stay over tonight!” Kai cried, his face pleading for forgiveness.

          “I changed my mind,” Taehyun said without remorse, making Kai whine and whimper. The tables have turned, Taehyun thought as he watched Kai act cutely. “Unless you do me a favor, then I’ll go home with you.”

          Kai’s eyes lit up, making Taehyun chuckle lightly, and he nodded his head aggressively. “What is it?”

          “Carry me home.”

          “Ughh,” Kai groaned, pinching the skin between his eyebrows and intensely shutting his eyes. Taehyun arched a brow. “I feel dizzy. Must be the aroma of the cafe.”

          “We both know that’s a lie,” Taehyun said bluntly. He twirled Kai’s body, facing his back to him, and hopped on. He moved his messenger bag to one side, wrapped his arms around Kai’s neck and his legs kicked the air. “Let’s go!”

          “Take this.” Kai handed the umbrella to Taehyun, then he hoisted him, positioning him nicely on his back.

          Taehyun shot open the umbrella and it was over their heads, ready to shield them from the rain. 

          Kai huffed out his breath and took great strides, his steps splashing water around the sidewalk while he carried Taehyun home. This was not how he imagined it in his head. He went to Taehyun’s office with the vision of taking him home by walking together side-by-side under the protection of an umbrella, with only little space, and perhaps also holding hands. An intimate walk home. Instead, he got wet shoes and pants damp at the hem and a noisy young man on his back. But Kai could do nothing but laugh at the situation and feel nothing but affection for the darling man enjoying the ride home.

          “I’m starving!” Taehyun exclaimed as Kai put him down on the entryway. He closed the umbrella and stuck it in the rack next to the main door. Then he removed his suit jacket, hung it on the clothes rack and straightened his shirt, pressing away the creases made from the struggle from the piggyback ride. “We should’ve bought dinner on the way home. I just remembered your fridge is filled with nothing but your dinner. Should we get delivery?”

          Kai stretched his arms upwards and straightened his spine. He swore he heard his bones crack when he did. He had carried Taehyun all the way to the subway station then from the station to his home. He could handle Taehyun’s weight but it still wasn’t very comfortable, especially with the rain pouring down. It was a miracle they still got home safely, Kai thought. “No one’s gonna deliver food in this weather.”

          Taehyun listened to the whooshing wind and the crashing storm that roared every now and then. He could just imagine the trees still dancing under the thunder clouds and how dangerous it still was outside. “Let’s wait until it settles down.”

          Taehyun took his shoes off with his toes and slid his feet in the slippers that he tossed from the shoe closet that sat below the wide mirror on the wall. He didn’t walk inside but stood in place and looked around as if it was his first time seeing Kai’s residence. 

          Even his first time visiting wasn’t like this. Taehyun observed every bit of the interior from where he stood; from the spiral staircase on his left, he traced his eyes on its path leading to the bridge on the second floor, the one he could see if he arched his neck a little bit. Then his eyes landed back on the first level; straight ahead was the archway leading to the living room. The back of the couch was in his view and he could visualize him and Kai playing around it. And he knew that on the right after crossing the archway was the dining area, then a wall separating it from the kitchen. 

          He had spent so much time in that home that he knew the layout very well, aside from the third floor which he hadn’t explored yet. He knew it since the first time he ever stepped in there, that it was a wonderful place, a home he’d love to live in and never leave, but it was only then did he really appreciate it. It must be because of the awareness of the value of each and every piece of the building, their beauty, and how they sheltered the vampire who resided in it for decades.

          Kai’s back appeared in front of Taehyun’s eyes, walking ahead of him. “What are you doing, just standing there? Come in.”

          Taehyun followed behind. “It’s been a while since I stayed over.”

          “I know.” Kai headed to the kitchen. He raised his voice so Taehyun, who was alone in the living room, could hear him clearly. “Your absence is very noticeable.” Then he returned and settled on a dining chair, sipping a box of blood with a straw. He continued, “And your presence fills the whole house.”

          Taehyun stood gaping at Kai while he talked. Before that, his eyes were still wandering, going up and down the high walls and the tall ceiling, then jumping from furniture to furniture. And finally, they stopped on Kai’s face, on his fangs to be exact. “Your fangs… they grow?”

          Kai felt the tip of his teeth with his tongue. “When I drink blood, yes, they grow. Or when I’m about to drink blood and when I feel threatened.”

          Taehyun nodded slowly, mouth still hanging open. Then he thought it was a good time for another interview. He had to grab the opportunity. “I have more questions, actually. Care to answer them for me?”

          “A brand new interview, or is this a continuation of the last one?”

          “You could say this is part two.” Taehyun moved to the dining area, pulling a chair across Kai and settled himself too. He placed his hands on the table, folded and full of determination. “So…” He leaned forward. “Will you answer them?”

          “Anything for my curious cat,” Kai answered, putting away his finished dinner. It wasn’t enough though, but he had to pause for an interview and it would be unfair for Taehyun to feel hungry alone. He copied Taehyun’s position, fixing his posture and his hair. “I’m ready.”

          “How do you fix your papers?” Taehyun asked with a straight face. “Documents. You know, like your passport? Birth certificate?”

          “We have someone to do that stuff,” Kai responded in a second. “There’s usually at least one vampire brave enough to be part of the government and they fix everything for our fellow vampires.” He tilted his head and focused somewhere else to think. “But lately, there’s no one, so we’re having a bit of trouble and turned to this little company that forges documents.”

          “That’s illegal,” Taehyun said, still with a straight face, then cracking into a smile.

          Shhh. Kai put a finger to his lips, asking Taehyun to keep his voice down jokingly. It was a crime they were talking about, they had to be discreet and beware of the listening walls. But of course, the walls didn’t have ears and they were completely safe inside that home, warm and dry. And the storm outside hadn’t calmed (but it was a bit weaker than when they arrived home) so it was the only thing knocking on the windows.

          Kai went on. “It’s tough for a vampire to be in the public eye. Tough isn’t even the right word for how difficult it is. I regard those who chose to be public figures with high respect. Especially the most popular ones, like that actor, Jin.”

          “He’s a vampire?” Taehyun’s face contorted to form a look of disbelief, then he clicked his tongue. “I knew it!”

          Kai laughed momentarily at Taehyun’s reaction. Then he leaned back, pressing his back against his chair, and relocated his folded hands to his lap. “There’s also this one figure skater who’s gaining attention recently, although it’s just a rumor. I have never heard of him before.”

          Taehyun shrugged. It was an interesting topic but he had to move on and get to the point. The point he’d been worrying over.

          “What's the current population of vampires?” Taehyun asked next, then he followed with a more important question, the question that acted as the last step towards his crazy idea, one crazy enough to kill him. “How do you grow in numbers?”

          “Since we’re immortal, there’s not that many of us. Not as many as humans, at least. Reproduction doesn’t happen often. I don’t know about the exact number but I know we’re all over the world, some even still prefer living away from society.”

          “But how do you grow in numbers?” Taehyun repeated with more emphasis.

          “Similar to human beings,” Kai answered, hoping to satisfy his interest. “By giving birth.”

          “Is that it?” Taehyun probed in, seeking more answers.

          “Yes, vampires don’t lay eggs nor do our body parts grow back if we were dismembered,” Kai snickered, irking Taehyun a little bit. He noticed Taehyun’s face had changed from bright to sullen. He wondered why then he shifted his position, moving forward and reaching for Taehyun’s hands on the table. “What’s up?”

          Taehyun blinked, brows furrowed, gaze on the floor, then he returned it to Kai’s eyes, brilliant and enchanting. “You can’t turn humans into vampires?”

          The simple question was unexpected yet expected at the same time. Kai knew Taehyun would ask all questions possible but this one was still quite surprising, making his eyebrows shoot up and his brain think.

          A faint vision flared for a moment, then it disappeared. Kai furrowed his brows, his hand was under his chin, his eyes laid on the surface of his dining table while the cogs in his brain went to work. Slowly but surely, the vision emerged from the foggy parts of his memory, and he hummed as it came to him.

          It was gruesome. Kai figured it must be because of that that he had stored it away. It was a scene from his younger days, when he was very young, around the time when he had just stopped aging. In short, it was a very old memory and it wasn’t pleasing. 

          Kai had witnessed a fellow vampire feed on a mortal who, oddly, wasn’t struggling a bit, not fighting for life, and the scene was still awful because of the dark-colored blood trickling down the mortal’s neck and the long duration of the feed. It took a while, so Kai had the time to scan over the mortal’s grimacing face, listen to the loud whimpering against the palm of the vampire pressed on his mouth, and watch the way the vampire was doing the deed. Usually, vampires would carelessly bite mortals’ necks but this particular vampire seemed to have done it with careful precision and aimed near the base of the neck. At that time, Kai thought nothing else of it and simply regarded it as an ugly scene, then left afterwards, not seeing the rest.

          Then another memory followed this.

          It was a memory of the next night when he returned to the place where he witnessed the act. He was intrigued after all and his fascination only grew when he came back. What he saw was unthinkable. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought was possible. But it was!

          Kai rubbed his eyes, doubting them, then looked again. His eyes were actually telling the truth. He saw the mortal from the night before, still alive — moving, breathing, even speaking with the vampire who drank his blood — and when Kai looked closer, he noticed the mortal wasn’t mortal anymore. He had turned into one of them.

          With burning interest, he hurried and approached the vampire and the mor-, and the other vampire. Like a fascinated toddler, or a skeptical investigator, he asked them many questions. One by one he received answers. He got to know about how the vampire came up with the idea, the procedure, the time it took, the ex-mortal’s conditions, and everything else. And he could only stand there and nod his head in awe, thinking about the endless possibilities on earth. But he knew that such information would be of no use to him since he hated feeding on humans and he had no plan to turn any mortal into a vampire like him.

          He was wrong about that, though he couldn’t be blamed because how could he have any idea that this information would be very useful to him a thousand years later? With this knowledge, he could provide an answer for an inquisitive mortal interviewing him who asked if it was possible to turn humans into vampires.

          He looked at Taehyun’s eager eyes and his attentively listening ears. Taehyun was waiting for a response, so Kai gave it to him.

          “As far as I know,” Kai said with his hand still glued to his chin. “It’s possible.”

          Taehyun’s lips stretched across his face and his wide toothy grin became the most obvious. “Then you can turn me into a vampire?” he asked, enthusiasm clear in his tone.

          For once, Kai didn’t like the smile Taehyun was wearing. It seemed devious, scheming, and Kai felt off. He stared straight into Taehyun’s eyes, attempting to peek into his brain, hoping to find the meaning behind those words and his grin. And he got the message; it was sent to him in a second and he also didn’t like it.

          “No…” Kai shook his head lightly, making Taehyun take off his smile and wear a frown instead. “No, no, Tyun-” He strengthened his voice, dropped his arms, and stood up. “No, you can’t do this. I can’t.” He stomped his feet to the living room, refusing Taehyun’s message. “That’s-”

          “Why not?” Taehyun cut in with his sharp voice. He turned his body to face the living room and his eyes followed Kai who drew the curtains and stared outside the tall windows. “If you turn me into a vampire then I’ll be immortal.”

          “Being immortal isn’t something you’d want,” Kai scoffed. He looked for the moon but all he could see were rain clouds and the occasional lightning.

          “But it might be something you want,” Taehyun said without hesitation. He was confident as ever and unlike the past few weeks, he was set on convincing Kai. That night, he had planned to just raise a proposal to Kai but he was turned down so strongly that it only strengthened his resolve. “You won’t have to see me die when I’m ninety and I can be with you.”

          “You don’t understand.” Kai turned around. “Being a vampire… it’s not easy!” he cried. He pointed his finger towards Taehyun and explained his thoughts. “Your life right now is the best life you could ever ask for. It’ll be difficult for you if you suddenly change it, drastically. You’ll have to live in hiding and everyone around you will pass.” Kai looked down, formed fists beside him, then he returned his melancholic gaze to Taehyun. “And what about Beomgyu? I’m sure he wouldn’t want that either.”

          “But I do!” Taehyun exclaimed. Contrasting Kai, he seemed calm and steady on his chair, decided and unshakeable. “He’d understand and I already thought long enough about it.”

          “What about me?!” Kai yelled out, completely outraged and offended. The roaring thunder could not compete with his anger. “You think I want this?”

          Taehyun frowned, parting his lips, thunderstruck. “You don’t?”

          “No!”

          Along with the rain banging on the roof and the thunder clapping a few times, there came silence inside that unshaking house. The shouting voices were halted and the eye contact between the two men were broken, their gazes set some places else. Then the clouds allowed the moon to lay down a little shine, and the storm weakened but only to let the mortal’s soft voice be heard clearly amidst the still deafening sound of heavy rain.

          Taehyun rose and walked over to the little table positioned next to the narrow wall space between the two tall windows. He pushed the heavy ceramic vase with the intricate design of blue and white lines to the wall, and sat on the space he created which was enough to accommodate his size. The height of the table was high enough to make his feet dangle a bit above the floor when he sat and high enough for his face to be leveled with Kai’s when they resumed their eye contact.

          Taehyun slouched and placed his palms on his thighs, his head turned towards Kai who was standing beside him and also had his head turned to look at him. His eyes were serious and unamused, still not liking Taehyun’s proposal, but Taehyun still wanted to express his side.

          “When my parents died,” Taehyun started, his voice finally cracking from emotion. He ducked his head and looked away, focusing on the lone turntable across the room instead. “I was at my lowest. They left me behind in this rotten world and I- I wanted to join them.” 

          Kai studied him and even from his side profile, his heartache was evident.

          “But I didn’t.” Taehyun continued, “And since that day, I’ve always told myself I’d never watch the people I love leave me behind again.” The creases between his brows deepened and his grief showed. “That’s why I was so scared when you almost died.”

          Kai put his hand on one of Taehyun’s and squeezed it.

          “Personally, I’d rather die before you so I won’t ever have to see you dead but I thought about it.” Taehyun raised his head, showing Kai his pensive look, lips curved down. “I also don’t want you to suffer those feelings.”

          Kai remained silent but his response was written all over his face. He squeezed Taehyun’s hand harder and clenched his other fist that his knuckles had turned white from the force. Taehyun covered Kai’s squeezing hand and continued regardless of the discomfort. 

          “I don’t want to leave you here and I don’t want to be someone you’ll only remember. I want to be with you.”

          Kai felt sharp pain in his chest, like his lungs were pierced with a hundred arrows. His mouth couldn’t speak but his eyes did all the talking for him. He shed a single tear and that was enough to convey his message to Taehyun. 

          He didn’t want it either. He couldn’t bear the thought of Taehyun leaving him on earth, and he despised the image of having to keep going, to walk alone for years and years and years. He was aware that his imagination was nothing compared to what would actually come eventually and he knew that he’d carry that agony of losing someone like Taehyun for the rest of his life.

          Soobin’s words echoed in his head: “Would you trap yourself in a painful cycle?”

          It was a painful cycle since the beginning, Kai thought. From the moment he met his soulmate in that cave, he had been running around in circles, always ending up with the same end. That’s why he decided to make a move this time and establish a special relationship with his soulmate like he should have done since way past. Although he was successful, the cycle did not break. It continued and he was still trapped in it. He’d still end up with the same end, only with a process much more excruciatingly painful.

          He used to say he didn’t care about witnessing his soulmate’s death, thinking he’d grown numb to all the deaths he’d witnessed throughout his life, but little did he know back then that he was not numb at all and this particular death could suck the life out of him. 

          So Taehyun’s proposition became convincing. And Kai had second thoughts. Maybe, it was the key to destroy the cycle. Maybe, it would be right to follow Taehyun. Maybe, he could do it. Maybe, he could really be with him forever. But he needed to think about it. And remember how to do it, down to every detail, in order not to fail.

          “Give me time,” Kai said with his mellow voice. Another tear slid down his cheek. “I have to think about it.”

          “Kai, I can’t give you time.”

          Kai raised his eyebrows, thinking if he heard that right.

          “Ten years for me is just ten minutes for you,” Taehyun said clearly, with eyes glowing brightly like the stars hidden by the dark grey clouds. “Your time is unlimited but not for me. I can’t give you time.”

          Kai didn’t know how to regard time. Sometimes he hated it, sometimes he loved it. It was just something that was there. And he handled it carelessly. But this time, it was something so precious. He glanced at the wall clock and it was poking fun at him, ticking away, mocking him and telling him to hurry up. “ Time won’t be stopping for anyone, why do you think it’d stop for you?” Kai thought he heard the clock sneering at him.

          He delayed for as long as he could, biting the inside of his cheek, trying to avoid Taehyun’s eyes. He wanted to use even a few minutes for thinking but his brain wouldn’t work. There was something wrong with him, he thought, because why do tears keep flowing out of his eyes?

          Then he finally nodded, agreeing to Taehyun’s dangerous proposition.

          Taehyun smiled faintly. “What do I have to do?”

          Kai darted his eyes to Taehyun’s. “Right now? We’re doing it now?”

          “When else?”

          Kai nibbled his lower lip and furrowed his brows, hesitating, thinking of taking his agreement back, but the look Taehyun was giving him wasn’t helping. Looking at his face just made him want it more, like he was being put under a spell. So he answered, “You have to give me your blood. Sounds simple but it’s not...”

          Kai watched Taehyun step down from the table and cross the room, leaving him still shedding tears. Taehyun went to the turntable and operated it, playing the vinyl record already settled on it. The record turned and Taehyun turned up the volume to the maximum, letting the classical tunes surround the home with sweet-sounding energy. The record was a collection of Debussy’s music (as Taehyun identified and noticed the cover lying on the floor) starting off with Clair de lune.

          He went back to his spot and fixed himself on the table again, grabbing two of Kai’s cold hands as he watched the line of tears connect his eyes and the corners of his lips. Then he moved to kiss Kai’s quivering lips, feeling the soft touch. Taehyun could point out the taste of salty tears and the taste of blood.

          Kai held his waist while Taehyun held his arms, and they kissed with the pouring rain and piano tunes playing in the background. Taehyun felt Kai’s fangs poking his lower lip a few times but he didn’t mind it and admired the way they looked hanging over Kai’s lips when Taehyun drew back to take a look at his angelic face. 

          Taehyun loosened his tie that strangled him, throwing it on the floor, and undid the first button on his dress shirt. Kai retracted his arms and combed Taehyun’s hair with his fingers, pondering how he could have the courage to bite this mortal’s neck.

          “I don’t bite humans, Tyun.” Kai expressed his worry, bringing his hand down to Taehyun’s neck and pressing his fingertip on the base. “What if- What if I kill you?”

          Taehyun was alarmed yet a smile grew on his face again, as if he was fearless. Boldly, he answered, “Then we’ll meet again in two centuries.”

          A look of shock covered Kai’s face so he buried his head on Taehyun’s shoulder, sobbing, sniffing his nose, and whined as he crumpled the fabric of Taehyun’s shirt. “You’re contradicting yourself.”

          “I trust you,” Taehyun said warmly. His hands crawled to the back of Kai’s head, flicking away a piece of fluff that found their way on his dark brown hair, and he whispered in his ear. “No one else can do this but you.”

          Kai agreed. No one else could be trusted to do such a thing to his love. His friends could be trusted but Yeonjun vowed to never put his teeth near a mortal’s neck again and Soobin most likely didn’t know how to turn a human, besides the fact that his favorite blood type flowed in Taehyun’s veins which he might enjoy too much. It was only Kai who could do this, he repeated it to himself, and recollected everything he’d learned from that incident a millennium ago. He had never done it before but it was explained to him thoroughly and he saw how it went.

          He wasn’t confident but Taehyun’s warm voice helped him get through it.

          He lifted his head and kissed Taehyun one more time, shortly and sweetly, then with a gentle voice he told him, “It’s going to hurt. Incredibly. You can bite my hand.”

          He brought his left hand near Taehyun’s mouth and traced his neck with his lips, searching for the best area to pierce his fangs into Taehyun’s vein. He muttered them again under his breath, “Not too shallow, not very deep, but enough. It shouldn’t be too fast but it shouldn’t take too long.”

          Kai gulped and took in a deep breath. He relaxed his tense muscles and right at the moment when the piano notes lightened, he sank his fangs slowly into Taehyun’s neck until it nearly reached the right depth.

          It was happening. There was no turning back. He didn’t have the luxury to change his mind because if he removed his fangs then and there, he’d be finishing Taehyun off. He had to focus, as much as his heart raced nervously, and he had to see himself to the end. He had to do this properly because with one wrong move, it’s over.

          Taehyun gasped and felt the puncture on his skin. He was scared too, greatly, but he didn’t want Kai to know and acted as if he was fine with everything. He didn’t feel pain at first and waited for it to come but it wasn’t coming. Not until half a minute later.

          Taehyun kept blinking and wanted to focus his eyes but they couldn’t seem to clear up. All he could see over Kai’s shoulder was a blur. He could not define the shapes in the dining area and he only saw colors around his view. And just like the music piece playing from the record player, the pain was building up and he could feel his neck throbbing from Kai’s bite. Ultimately, he had to shut his eyes, dismissing how worried he was over his blurry eyesight, and sank his own teeth on the skin of Kai’s hand. 

          Kai furrowed his brows when Taehyun bit his hand and he wanted to stop. Especially when Taehyun started screaming and dug his fingernails on Kai’s back, Kai wanted it to end. But it wasn’t over yet.

          “Hang on. Just a little bit more,” he at least wanted to tell him but he couldn’t. So he continued and pressed down a little bit deeper.

          Taehyun bellowed, biting Kai’s bones and ripping the skin off of his back from the extreme pain. It was unexplainable. It didn’t feel like a needle being injected in him, nor did it feel like an animal’s bite. It was something else Taehyun couldn’t spell out and a river of tears streamed down his face because of the extreme pain.

          His heart pounded and his blood rushed in his veins, a lot of it flowing down his shoulder and seeping into his dress shirt. He tried to take in deep breaths to calm himself but it wasn’t helpful. In fact, the stinging sensation only crawled across his chest and his body heated up from the top to bottom. And it made him dizzy, lightheaded, and his body could drop at any time. But he had to pull himself together and make it less difficult for Kai, too.

          The storm grew stronger and crashed down aggressively, covering the earth with rainwater and ear-splitting noise from the intense fall. Perhaps it was to overpower the harsh cries inside a particular house, so none would hear it and put the house under suspicion of becoming a murder scene or a torture chamber.

          Despite the storm, the fast pace of the piano notes still rang in Taehyun’s ears and it was the only thing keeping him sane, the thing keeping him awake, the last thing he held onto in this world. But when they slowed and became lighter, he did, too.

          Taehyun’s hands relaxed their grip and slid down from Kai’s back, swaying beside him, then his jaw unclenched, releasing Kai’s hand wet with saliva and imprinted with teeth marks.

          Kai sensed something wrong. There was something very wrong but within a few more seconds, it was done. So when the seconds passed, he removed his fangs from the mortal’s neck and to his dismay, the mortal was unconscious. He started panicking, moving his hands over Taehyun’s face and tapping his cheek several times to wake him up. Then his eyes traveled down to Taehyun’s red shoulder and followed the trace of his deep red blood.

          He shook and Taehyun’s body fell to the floor along with him. 

          On the hard floor, Taehyun laid with his disheveled hair, his unruly and blood-stained shirt, and his legs slightly bent to the side. Kai knelt and studied the scene. Beside Taehyun’s head was a small pool of blood but his face — his parted lips turning pale, his high nose, his closed eyes holding a number of long eyelashes and glistening teardrops —  looked hauntingly beautiful. He looked at peace and Kai was petrified because he looked like the dead.

          Shaking, he reached for Taehyun’s face, framing it with his large hands and he felt his warmth disappearing. Then he laid it back down and pressed his neck and his chest, looking for a pulse, a heart beat, but it had disappeared even earlier. 

          Kai went out of breath, panting heavily, but he stopped breathing when he noticed his red hands with teeth marks and the taste of blood in his mouth. Then the smell of Taehyun’s blood lingered in his nose and matched the smell of the red liquid that trickled beside his lips. He looked at himself in horror.

          Kai saw the big picture; it looked like a murder and he was responsible.

          “It was a mistake. It was a big mistake,” he mumbled as he turned towards the love of his life lying before him. He still shivered but he controlled himself and slid his right arm under Taehyun’s neck to lift him gently, and his left wrapped around his torso to embrace him. Taehyun’s collar was drenched in his blood and some more of it still flowed out of the puncture on his neck. “No, no.” Kai pressed down on it to make it stop. Then he pressed the mortal’s body to his own and looked up at the skies.

          The rain had started to clear up and the full moon was visible, finally showing itself very late. And the showering sound was softening, imitating the melody playing in the living room, and allowed other sounds to be heard, like Kai’s weeping.

          Kai held Taehyun tightly as he wailed and cursed the world, the universe, destiny, then himself. His tears were unstoppable and they continued to stream down his face and drip on Taehyun’s paling cheeks that were smeared with blood. Kai cried and cried and cried even after the rain went away, leaving only the moon to accompany him. It was always the moon that watched them. It was always there to shine its light, on cheerful nights and sorrowful nights. Moonlight shone through the windows of the house, reflecting light on Kai’s teary eyes.

          Eventually, Kai had used up all his tears and there were none left to cry, but he still whimpered and cursed as he held his soulmate in his arms.

          “Destiny likes to play,” he once said. Indeed, it did and it wanted to keep the cycle. 

          Then he remembered: having a vampire and a mortal as soulmates was almost impossible. It was only heard of once and it didn’t end well.

          It really didn’t.

Chapter Text

          It was the coldest night of the year and Kai was sitting at the bar, twirling his wine glass between his fingers, circling the red liquid inside it.

          He was extremely happy with the taste. It had been too long since he had Yeonjun’s special AB Type, the finest one among the other types, and the one he was drinking that night was the finest AB. He was having the finest of the finest, how could he not be happy?

          He was humming blissfully, wearing a scarlet grin, and allowed his red-painted fangs to peek under his blood-smeared lips.

          “Is it that good?” Yeonjun asked from behind the bar, leaning forward, mesmerized by his friend’s content expression. It also had been too long since he’d seen that cute little brother of his, so he too was happy.

          “It’s the best. Words could never explain how good this is,” Kai answered with complete honesty. Nothing beats a great drink after arriving home from a long trip. The blood he had during the trip was quite good but nothing could be on par with Yeonjun’s drinks. He wondered where the hell he got them and if it’s possible to ask for more to take home with him. “Can I take some bottles home with me?”

          “Yeah, sure,” Yeonjun said. “I already packed them for you just in case you did want to take some home.”

          Kai’s face instantly lit up. “Ohhh, Yeonjun- hyung , you’re the best!”

          Yeonjun chuckled lightly, shaking his head while he made his way to the room at the back, leaving Kai alone with his cutesy faces.

          “You’re here already?” a voice spoke from behind Kai.

          Kai didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was. Judging from the sound of his footsteps as he entered the bar, then his voice and how he exhaled breaths, he recognized the vampire settling himself beside him. “I’m always early,” he answered before he sipped from his glass.

          “Bullshit.”

          Kai chuckled, unintentionally bubbling the blood in his wine glass before drinking it down. “I missed you too, Soobin.”

          Soobin snickered, “Of course you did.” He reached his arm sideward to give Kai a short hug and rubbed his back. 

          Kai put his glass down after finishing his drink and released a refreshed breath, then he turned to Soobin who was tapping away on his phone. Soobin was dressed neatly, wearing a long brown coat over a white turtleneck and a black vest. He was dressed warmly, like the mortals you’d see on the streets on other winter days, although not warm enough for the coldest night of the year.

          “What’s with the coat?” Kai asked, arching a brow.

          “It’s nice isn’t it?” Soobin raised his brows as he looked at his outfit, smiling proudly for putting together nice pieces fit for the cold weather.

          “It’s nice,” Kai complimented, scanning his eyes over Soobin’s clothing. “But you don’t need all those. You’re a vampire.”

          “Hey,” Soobin said with his deep voice, “You’re wearing a padded coat and you don’t hear me complaining!”

          Kai glanced at himself, his white striped shirt, the sleeves of his yellow padded coat, then at Soobin. He smiled faintly, admitting that he too was dressed warmly this winter which was unusual because he usually didn’t care and wore thin clothes. “Heh. You’re right.”

          Soobin scrunched his face in satisfaction, briefly showing his dimples, then his face shifted to a bright one. He put a dimpled smile across his face for a longer time when someone else joined them.

          “Here you go,” Yeonjun said, carefully handing over the large bag of blood bottles to Kai over the counter when he returned.

          “All this?!” Kai exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement, counting the bottles to five. “This is a lot! Are you sure?”

          “If you don’t want them then I’ll take them back.” Yeonjun stretched his hand out, moving his fingers as if really asking for the bag back.

          Kai giggled. He hugged the bag and the bottles clinked loudly as they bumped. “Thank you, I love you, you’re the best, Yeonjun... hyung!”

          Yeonjun simply laughed and nodded. Kai’s emphasis on “hyung” was quite irritating yet he liked being called hyung, even while unsure of who really was the older between them. He saw Kai as a younger brother, just like Soobin, and Kai thought it was just right. The three of them never really tried to determine their age differences and never bothered counting. “Age is just a number,” Soobin always said and couldn’t care less about who was older or younger than him. He was just sure that all three of them had lived for over a thousand years now but still looking fresh with youth.

          “Soobinnie, you’re here!” Yeonjun said with a cute voice, reaching over the counter to pinch Soobinnie’s soft cheeks and poke his dimples. 

          Soobinnie didn’t respond and simply smiled, letting Yeonjun adore him. On the side, Kai was wincing and blinking blankly at the cringey vampire couple.

          “Thank god you only have a few unlucky customers to see this public display of affection,” Kai bantered, earning a glare from the bartender. “I’m kidding.”

          “Customers will come at a much later time,” Yeonjun said, retracting his hands and returning to his space. “In the meantime, I only have Soobinnie here. And you. And a few customers.”

          Soobin grinned to himself, shaking his head and returning his phone back in his coat pocket. Then he felt something small and cold inside, making his eyebrows curious as to what it was. He took it out and he discovered a key, one he recognized and he knew which door it opened. With the metal key on his palm, he extended his arm to Kai.

          “I almost forgot this,” Soobin said, giving the key to his friend. “Take it before I forget again.”

          “Oh,” Kai responded upon seeing the key. Although it looked ordinary, it was something precious. He picked it up from Soobin’s palm and inserted it in his pants pocket. “Thanks for watching my house while I was gone.”

          “It’s nothing.” Soobin faced the bar. “I was supposed to fill your empty fridge so you had something to drink when you arrived but I forgot. Sorry.”

          “No, no, it’s fine,” Kai reassured him. “If the fridge wasn’t empty then I wouldn’t be here right now to see you both.”

          “That’s true,” Yeonjun chimed in. “But Soobin had the key so we could’ve just barged in your house to see you!”

          “That’s also true.” Soobin chuckled. 

          He turned to Yeonjun and asked for a drink. The usual, he asked and Yeonjun delivered, filling a wine glass with A type blood, Soobin’s long-time favorite. Soobin thanked Yeonjun and admired the bartender’s look while he worked. His new hair color looked magnificent on him, Soobin thought again, but he didn’t want to say it out loud when Yeonjun was looking at him so intently and lovingly.

          Kai said it in his stead. “Black hair suits you, Yeonjun. Reminds of the old times.”

          “You make it sound like we’re ancient.” Yeonjun pouted and furrowed his brows.

          “Aren’t we?” Soobin scoffed before taking a sip of blood.

          Then the three of them laughed loudly without care. The few customers in the corner of the room were in their own world and didn’t seem to mind the noise, so the three vampires by the bar continued their laughter that brought a light mood in the dark place.

          It was different when all three of them were together. Whenever they were three, any place would feel warm and filled with sunshine. Wait, that sounded like a deadly place for vampires to be. Then it’d feel chill and relaxing and freeing. Like any vampire would hope to feel.

          “Oh, we missed you so much, you little shit!” Yeonjun cried, cooing.

          A smile tugged on Kai’s lips then he noticed the hands on the wall clock. “So did I but I guess it’s time to leave,” he said, standing up, grabbing the bag by its handle.

          “Already?” the couple said at the same time with the same bewildered tone. Soobin quickly turned to him. “But I just got here!” he added to his protest.

          “Yeah!” Yeonjun added too, folding his arms across his chest. “You haven’t even told us about your trip!”

          “I’ll tell you about it next time,” Kai replied, unmoved and decided on leaving the bar early. He glanced at the old ticking clock again. It was fairly early for them but he had to go. “I have to go.”

          “What’s the rush?” Soobin rested his arm on the bar while he turned his bar stool to face Kai who was already a few steps away.

          Kai smiled faintly but carelessly that the tip of his fangs still peeked over his dark red lips. “It’s been two centuries,” he said softly, his voice seemingly blue.

          It didn’t take long for the two to understand. In fact, it took only a millisecond.

          “Has it been that long?” Soobin furrowed his brows and pursed his lips, wondering how time could fly by so fast without even noticing it.

          Kai nodded, wearing a vague smile. His eyes were relaxed, blinking a few times before setting them on the floor.

          “Then you’re on your way to meet your soulmate again,” Yeonjun gathered, then he sighed.

          Kai nodded again, his smile still vague yet slowly reaching his ears. He brought his eyes back up and looked at his friends. Strangely, the setting was similar to when he met his soulmate two hundred years previously. The only difference was that it wasn’t the last night of winter, there was no spilled blood, and his soulmate wasn’t there with them. So he had to go because it was time to meet his soulmate again and unlike last time, his friends were understanding.

          “I’ll see you both again soon,” Kai said as he turned his heel and headed straight for the exit without looking back. 

          When he stepped out into the street, he halted and took in a sharp breath. The chilly air entered his lungs as he was greeted by snowflakes falling on his nose. He greeted them back with a smile and tilted his head to feel the snow on his face and his closed eyes. Then after a moment, he thought he probably looked like an idiot. There were only a few people passing by and he guessed maybe each one of them looked at him strangely, because on a night when everyone else was shivering to death, he was outside enjoying the freezing weather.

          He chuckled. That’s kinda funny, he thought. 

          He opened his eyes and admired the blanket of snow covering the pavement and the lonely bench situated in a random spot outside the building of Yeonjun’s hidden bar. Then he heard the crunching sound of snow approaching and becoming louder, then it disappeared. So he directed his eyes towards the source of the sound and he was left speechless.

          They were footsteps coming and stopping in front of him. And it wasn’t just anyone’s. They were the footsteps of someone whose face was familiar to Kai. It wasn’t just his face but also his height and build, and Kai was sure he’d have the same voice if it really was him.

          Kai was too struck that he didn’t notice himself approaching the man who stopped so suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk on such a cold night, trembling despite wearing thick layers. Without hesitation, he appeared in front of him and said, “Choi Beomgyu?”

          The man had his hands stuck inside his warm coat pockets and his body shook. He was sensitive to the cold and he disliked winter but for some reason he was out there, staring at some building and a sign pointing to an unfamiliar underground bar, and now some stranger came up to him saying an unfamiliar name. He took out a gloved hand and fixed his ivory muffler before answering, “You’ve got the wrong person.”

          “Right…” Kai responded. He scanned the man who was huffing out and creating clouds from his breath. He was a spitting image of Beomgyu and even his voice was exactly the same. It could only mean one thing. “Of course, he wouldn’t remember,” Kai thought, still watching Beomgyu’s reincarnation slowly freeze to death. “What is he even doing here when he can’t handle the cold?”

          The mortal gritted his teeth and sniffled, still looking at something behind Kai. He was unsure of what to do but he was sure that in just a few minutes, he’d turn into a block of ice so he had to take shelter somewhere. The underground bar seemed like a nice place, he thought. Maybe some drinks would warm him up, too. But it was unfamiliar territory and it seemed a bit sketchy, he contemplated, narrowing his eyes. Then his gaze moved to Kai who, for some reason too, hadn’t left him yet. 

          “You came out of that bar, didn’t you?” the mortal asked with a shaky voice.

          Kai nodded. “I did.”

          “Is it a nice place?” The mortal’s ears were red and the cold was biting his nose. It wasn’t that much of a smart move to ask about the bar to someone he didn’t know and trust yet, but he was desperate. “It’s a normal bar, right?”

          Kai didn’t know what to answer because for sure, it wasn’t a normal bar, and he knew he shouldn’t lead an innocent mortal to such a dangerous place, but something was telling him to do otherwise. The mortal in question wasn’t just any mortal, it was a mortal who held Choi Beomgyu’s soul, the soul Yeonjun and Soobin had a sort of connection with. Kai thought it was time to bring them a gift, a thank you for all the trouble he caused two hundred years ago.

          “Yes, and they serve excellent drinks.” Kai grinned carefully, to appear trustworthy. He had a pretty angelic face especially when he wore a rosy smile, and the mortal mirrored it. “You should sit by the bar. The bartender’s very kind. I’m sure he’ll get you the best he has if you ask nicely.”

          “I see. Thank you. I’ll get going then.” The mortal formed a tiny smile and took the vampire’s advice. He moved his stiff legs and dragged his feet all the way to the underground bar, imprinting his footprints on the layer of snow on the ground.

          Kai watched his wide back walk away from him and heard him mumble cursing words under his breath, showing his displeasure towards the weather. Kai laughed loudly, fascinated by the encounter with Beomgyu’s reincarnation. Nothing had changed about him; he still had the jawline he was proud of, his eyes that sparkled under any lighting, his charm when he spoke and smiled; from his handsomely sculpted face to his personality, it was the same.

          What Kai liked too was that the mortal looked so cuddly, like a polar bear, because he was covered in thick all-white clothes. He looked super huggable, Kai said in his head.

          “Brings back memories,” he thought out loud, reminiscing the good times, but a frown suddenly formed on his face upon remembering a bloody memory. The lingering taste of blood on the roof of his mouth just made things worse. He clicked his tongue and calmed his nervously beating heart. “It’s in the past, just forget it,” he told himself.

          He raised his head to the sky and all he could see were clouds. He was looking for the moon and just like that night, it was nowhere to be found. He exhaled a deep breath, which lingered and resembled smoke in the air, then he went on his way.

          “I should get flowers,” he whispered as he stepped on the snow.

          Although two hundred years weren’t enough for Kai to forget that tragic event on that fateful stormy night, that was enough time for the world to advance in many ways. Yet to Kai, the world was still quite the same. He was walking on an empty street when the thought came to him again, making his head turn to look around, notice and differentiate the city of the past and of the present. And Kai still used the same descriptions as he used when he pointed them out once: the buildings were just higher and had multiplied, the city was just noisier and busier, the sky was just brighter with more artificial lights, and technology unimaginably, greatly advanced — especially screens were everywhere; on every building, on every wall, on every hand; they were everywhere! Aside from those, pretty much nothing had changed. The world was still rotten, he joked, and the one he was destined to be with was still in his heart.

          When he arrived at the flower shop, he walked through the narrow path leading inside, searching for the best flowers fit for the winter night. The place was warm and filled with gorgeous flowers of different kinds and colors, mostly ones that were best in winter, and the floral scent from all corners tickled his nose. There was no one else in that shop besides him and the florist, so he took his time, until a certain flower caught his eyes.

          “I’ll take these pink and red Camellia flowers,” Kai told the florist who was waiting patiently until he made his choice. “Please wrap them nicely in a bouquet.”

          “Yes, sir,” the florist said. “Please wait for a moment.”

          Kai flashed the florist a warm smile, then he stepped out for a moment while his bouquet was being prepared. A few blocks away from the shop was a dark and silent cemetery, but it was covered white with snow and made the feel of the place less eerie. Beside it was a low hill and atop it were lines of stone walls that housed cremation urns. Kai could see (and he knew) that it was quite old but it was well-taken care of, so it had stood there for many many years. Kai admired the scene, thinking the snow looked beautiful and that they fell nicely on the lined up tombstones where bodies slept for eternity.

          Eternity. It was something easy to say but difficult to imagine. For mortals, at least, but for immortals like Kai, it was something he had with him. 

          Eternity. Eternal love. It was what the Camellia flower represented and Kai felt lucky that he saw some of that. It was perfect for the white night. It was perfect for who they were for.

          Kai kept his gaze on the far away cemetery as he muttered under his breath, “I finally remembered to give you flowers.”

          He didn’t hang around the flower shop and left immediately after. He passed by the white cemetery, just to take in the sight, and hurried home.

          He arrived home with mixed feelings, those he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. And why exactly. Of course that horrible memory weakened his heart every time he remembered it but why should it bother him now that two centuries had passed and when he was on his way to meet his soulmate again? He sloppily removed his boots in the entryway and slid his padded coat off his torso as he sighed deeply, releasing his bitter feelings out of his system.

          “Home sweet home,” he thought as he looked around his home, his home for over two hundred years, his home he stayed at the longest. He loved this house not just because it was homey and convenient for someone of his kind, but also because it held treasured memories that he would hate to let go of. Although many of the pieces of furniture and fixtures in his house had been replaced, it was still the same home that he loved and it still stood on the same ground. Thank god he was able to fix the papers to inherit the house from himself, for about a number of times now because he had to keep changing his identity.

          The bottles clinked loudly in his bag when he aggressively brought them to the kitchen and placed the bag on top of the kitchen island. He sat on one of the high bar stools beside the island and leaned forward, perching his elbows on the surface while he buried his face in his hands. He was taking in deep breaths through his palms so calmly and silently that he could hear every little sound in the house; he heard every tick of the clock, every drop of water from the loosely turned faucet, and every step of the person moving towards him. Yet he stayed still, pretending like he didn’t notice it.

          “Hey!” a voice that wasn’t Kai’s roared in the kitchen and two heavy hands strongly pushed Kai’s right shoulder.

          Kai remained motionless for a few seconds, not changing his position, until he looked at the man beside him and raised his hands in the air, contorted his face to look shocked, dropping his jaw and performing the reaction that man must’ve wanted to see from the scare attempt. The man wasn’t amused with it and dropped all expression from his face, making Kai cackle to himself. But Kai was so amused that he was out of breath from laughing too much and the smile on his face seemed permanent. The corner of his eyes even watered just from watching the man in front of him grumble quietly.

          And it wasn’t just that. Kai was extremely happy to see him because the man had the face he loved seeing, the face he’d always been looking for, the face that often made him smile. His appearance was still similar to that winter night over a thousand years ago and two hundred years following that. And he had the very same expression, a deathly glare, as that winter night two centuries ago in the very same bar Kai just returned from. His voice, too! It was still warm despite his harsh words.

          Kai was extremely happy to see this person who he had loved since long ago. The person he wanted to spend his whole life with. His soulmate.

          “What the hell?” his soulmate scoffed. “That’s no fun.”

          Kai cackled, irking the man in front of him. “Then what’s fun for you?”

          His soulmate exhaled a prolonged sigh, not wanting to answer Kai’s question. Then he turned around and ignored him, making his way to the living room on his own and left Kai in the kitchen by himself. Kai shrugged and carried on with storing the blood bottles Yeonjun gave him.

          One by one, he took the bottles from the bag and looked through the dark glass, observing the way the thick liquid flowed inside their containers. And one by one, he kissed them before putting them neatly on his empty wine rack. 

          He figured he was smart enough to not leave any blood supply at home before he left for his long trip but he was also dumb enough to not leave at least one bottle to drink for when he came back. That’s why he rushed to Yeonjun’s arms after realizing this, and simply told his soulmate to wait for him because he had an errand to run at night. His soulmate was understanding and let him go, but it seemed like he became grumpy during the long wait.

          Kai thought he had to make it up to him and peeked in the bag once more, looking at the thing he also brought home from his errand aside from Yeonjun’s gifts.

          He reached his hand in to take it out but before he could even touch it, he was hit by something light, though it was enough to get his attention. He looked down and saw his yellow padded coat lying on the floor.

          “Whoops.” Kai’s soulmate was standing under the archway leading to the dining space, staring blankly at the vampire who was genuinely startled finally, just like he wanted him to be. “I thought you’d catch it.”

          “I didn’t notice you standing there,” Kai responded and bent down, grabbing his poor padded coat that fell on his feet. Then he brushed it off and hung it on his arm. “Why’d you throw this poor guy? I really like this one too. You were the one who gave this to me.”

          “I’m glad you really like it. It suits you very well.”

          Kai smiled warmly.

          “So wear it,” his soulmate added, “and let’s go for a walk.”

          “A walk?” Kai questioned, raising his brows, unsure if he heard it right. “This late?”

          “It stopped snowing.” Kai noticed his soulmate was also holding a thick jacket on his arm, then his soulmate wore it swiftly, preparing to go out. “It’s a nice night. I’d like to walk, please?”

          “Just walk?” Kai narrowed his eyes at the man.

          The man nodded. “Walk.”

          “Hmm,” Kai hummed, still skeptical yet proceeding to wear his coat again while staring at his soulmate with narrowed eyes. “I’m not in the mood to run or whatever tonight.” He fixed his coat on his body and walked steps towards him, aiming to wrap him around his arms. “Aren’t you hungry?” he asked as his hands crawled to his soulmate’s lower back.

          His soulmate gulped, staring at the vampire intently with his large eyes. The tiny hairs behind his neck stood when the vampire touched him, and although he was used to it, he could never get used to that face Kai always wore whenever he looked at him. He was looking at him like that again, like how an angel and a devil in one body would look at people. And the light wasn’t helping. Not at all. Kai looked heavenly with the light shining directly on his face that glowed effortlessly. Kai wasn’t even doing anything and kept his face blank but he looked gorgeous, and his soulmate still could not fathom how he deserved to be with someone like him.

          “A little bit,” his soulmate answered despite the many thoughts running in his head. “But I can wait. I missed the neighborhood and I just want to walk around. With you.”

          Kai’s lips stretched again and pushed his cheekbones up. He was smiling gleefully until his emotions bursted. He lowered his head to rest his chin on his soulmate’s shoulder while his hand moved its way to pat the man’s belly. That antic of his was weird but cute, and the other chuckled at the most likely unconscious action.

          Then his soulmate imitated him but patted the back of his head instead. He felt the dark brown curls run through his fingers and the melted snowflakes that made some of the strands damp. And he briefly caught a whiff of the perfume Kai wore behind his ears when he brushed his hair aside.

          “He smells like flowers,” he thought as he played with Kai’s hair.

          After a while, Kai straightened himself and poked his soulmate’s cheek who was unfazed by his cold touch. His soulmate simply stared at him in awe but Kai misunderstood it as a look full of offense.

          “Heh. Sorry,” Kai apologized with a cute voice. His soulmate kept blinking without a word and hung his jaw, so Kai shot his brows up in curiosity and touched his face, checking if there was something on it. “What?”

          “Come here,” his soulmate finally answered, grabbing Kai’s hand tightly and pulled him close. Kai was dragged and his soles scraped the floor all the way to the archway that joined the living room and the space by the entryway. “Okay, stop.”

          “What are we doing?” 

          Kai had absolutely no idea what was going on in the other man’s head and why he brought him to a different part of the house as if something like a mysterious door would open if they stood on that spot. He glanced behind the shorter man’s head and he could see the main door of the house and the foggy glass windows. The snow really had stopped falling and the world outside looked like a wonderland. So this lifted Kai’s mood and he grinned as he stared outside the windows until a voice cut through his thoughts.

          “Have you ever seen a mistletoe before?”

          “What?”

          “Have you ever seen a mistletoe before?” his soulmate repeated.

          Strange. Unusual. Weird. But okay.

          “Yes, I have,” Kai answered plainly.

          “Oh.” The shorter man nodded then he pointed to the ceiling and asked again, “Does it look like this?”

          Kai directed his eyes upwards and saw something hanging above their heads. He wondered how he didn’t notice the mistletoe when he came in. It was definitely eye-catching — with its green leaves and the red ribbon tying it together — and without a hint of suspicion, he answered the question. “Yes.”

          Then he was alarmed by the sudden pull. His soulmate placed his hand behind Kai’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss under the mistletoe. What a cheesy excuse to give him a warm kiss in winter! With the man’s right hand on Kai’s nape and his left palm on Kai’s cheek, their lips met and Kai was taken aback, shooting his eyes wide, and gazed at his love’s closed wide eyelids before closing his own.

          Kai then moved his previously stiff limbs, hooking his arms around the shorter’s waist and pressed against his body, feeling his heartbeat through the fabric of his clothes. It resounded like a drum against Kai’s ears, or like a ticking time bomb, and it was louder than anything else. And just a bit after Kai pressed deeper into the kiss, they drew away, breathing in oxygen that they were deprived of for a few moments. 

          “I taste iron,” his soulmate thought, scratching the roof of his mouth with his tongue, then he arched his brow but he quickly put it down. 

          “Hey.”

          “Hmm?” The man felt his heart skip. And his blood racing towards his head. He must be so tired, and hungry, because he felt slightly dizzy just from looking at Kai’s focused face. Or maybe Kai somehow sucked up all his energy.

          “A mistletoe?” Kai said, staring straight into the man’s sparkly eyes. Then he flickered his gaze back to his slightly parted lips, glossy and rosy and smiling, and at his sharp teeth that shortly glistened when the light hit them. He held him close and took two steps forward, bringing the man together with him under the high ceiling without a mistletoe, then he planted a soft kiss on his separated lips. And he planted another one on his forehead, making him giggle like a child. “I have something for you, too.”

          “What is it?” his soulmate whispered, eyes shining, cheeks flushed.

          Kai unlocked his hold around the man and brushed the man’s fringe away from his eyes. Then he cupped his cheek and smiled faintly at him, not answering, as if teasing him for a second before leaving him alone beside the staircase. But the man stuck around, putting all his weight on one leg and bending the other, and rested his hands inside his jacket pockets. While waiting for Kai to come back, he hummed a lullaby and turned his gaze towards the frosty windows. He felt excitement rush in him and he couldn’t wait to feel the snow on his feet and the feel of Kai’s hand in his while they walked.

          Then he heard light footsteps from the kitchen coming towards him. So he darted his eyes towards Kai who was walking slowly with hands behind his back and his chin raised.

          “What’s that, your majesty?” the man asked with the corner of his lip curled up, enjoying the vampire’s adorable actions. But he furrowed his brows upon detecting a stronger floral scent. He thought Kai was the one who smelled like flowers but it turned out that it wasn’t that.

          Kai stopped in front of his soulmate and brought the bouquet of Camellia flowers between them. “Ta-da!” he said with a sing-song voice.

          A smile tugged on the man’s lips and reached both his ears, flashing Kai his handsome fangy grin. It was clear enough that he was overjoyed by the gift and that his heart was full just from receiving red and pink flowers tied together by the stems and wrapped with brown paper. It wasn’t even a special day nor did something happen for him to get them but he accepted them wholeheartedly, because it was the first time he ever got flowers from someone he loved.

          “Isn’t this what they use for weddings?” He took the bouquet and brought it to his nose to sniff the flowers. Then he flicked his gaze up, meeting Kai’s. “Could it be? Is this your way of proposing to me?”

          Kai raised his eyebrows in surprise, not speaking for a long while and just having a staring contest with his soulmate. Then like a signal was sent to them simultaneously, they broke into laughter and surrounded the lovely home with their chortling. They looked like two happy idiots having the time of their lives but they didn’t care. They didn’t care because they only had each other then, they had each other even before, and they’ll have each other from that day forward.

          “My bad, we’re practically married!” Kai’s soulmate exclaimed, adoring the look in Kai’s eyes and how it was filled with emotion. “And we’ll be together even if you don’t like it-”

          “-because we’re soulmates,” Kai finished his sentence.

          His soulmate smiled warmly, curving his eyes into crescents that could replace the moon in the sky. “We’re soulmates, definitely.”

          Kai could not explain how elated he was that moment because the person he loved for over a thousand years was right there in front of him, fully aware of the reason behind their meetings and their relationship. But all he could do was stop and stare and think: how on earth did he finally deserve to have him?

          His soulmate was still wondering about the flowers and the reason why Kai got them. Nothing came to mind even when he tried to rack his brains on what the occasion was. Kai wasn’t the type to just buy gifts impulsively, so there must be a reason why those flowers were in his hands. Did he actually forget an important event? “What day is it today?” he thought, concentrating on figuring out what those flowers were for. And… nothing. It was just a normal winter day. It wasn’t even the day they first met. (As if he remembered the exact date of their first meeting.) So what were those flowers for? Was it really possible? Could Kai be possibly proposing?

          “No, no, no, that’s unnecessary,” he thought, brushing the idea away from his mind. They had talked about that before and it was unnecessary, he thought again. Then he thought also, why not just ask? So he did.

          “Thanks for these but, really, tell me,” he said. “Why did you get me flowers, Huening Kai?”

          Huening Kai tilted his head, blinking his eyes a few times before chuckling. “He really doesn’t know, huh?” he said in his head, then the devil inside him spoke, too, telling him to tease him a little bit. But his angel side wanted him to just spit it out and satisfy his soulmate’s curiosity. But Kai himself wanted both. So he closed the distance between them and raised his hand behind his soulmate’s head, to caress it lightly like he would to a fluffy cat. With his soulmate slowly fluttering his eyelashes, though not breaking eye contact with him, he gave him a vague but truthful answer.

          “Because I’ll love you forever, Kang Taehyun.”

Chapter Text

          The moment consciousness hit him, Taehyun felt nothing. He couldn’t feel a single thing in his body but he gasped sharply for oxygen and he filled his lungs with it, held it for seconds until he exhaled a drawn out breath through his nose. Then pain followed. 

          He pulled a face and glued his eyelids to his already closed eyes when he felt the sting on his neck. It was building up and Taehyun wanted to scream, but he couldn’t. It was stifling. It felt as if the pricking wrapped around his neck and suffocated him, restricting him of air, so Taehyun caught any chance he could get to acquire oxygen. He panted heavily through the gap between his lips, strongly fighting for life, yet he couldn’t understand the situation he was in. 

          His memory was fragmented; pieces of them laid in front of him like broken glass; he couldn’t quite put them together. The last he remembered, he was on the subway. The tune and the announcements from the speakers were still fresh in his ears, then… piano tunes? The piece, he remembered it playing too. Clair de lune. In the subway?

          But he could hear nothing from where he was. It was void of sound. No ringing, no human voices, no piano, not even his own breathing. It was much like having his head under water. Maybe he really was under water, in a tank, somewhere far and soundless. He felt numb anyway, besides the pain, though he could breathe. Then maybe he became deaf and he was somewhere else, somewhere vast and deserted.

          “Am I dead?” he thought, still gasping for air. He heard emptiness and felt emptiness and stinging. He tried lifting a hand, but a finger was the only thing he could lift. His foot twitched but nothing more. His face muscles were at work, reacting to his throbbing neck, and he successfully controlled them to open his heavy eyes. Light quickly entered through the little opening and shone on his pupils, immediately making him close his eyes again from the sudden glare. But he pushed through and forced them open.

          A blur. That was what he could see. Shapes did not exist in his vision, only dull colors. He blinked countless times in an attempt to focus his sight but it didn’t, not until a few minutes later. 

          He rolled his eyes to look at his surroundings. Hopefully, he wasn’t already rotting in hell, he thought as his vision slowly cleared up. Although a few strands of his hair blocked his eyes, he discovered that he was lying down and that the moon looked full and beautiful, a white circle shining in the heavens. And despite his state, he found the time to admire the magnificent night sky.

          The pain on his neck subsided, though it had not yet completely disappeared, and every nerve in his body started to react. Taehyun felt fatigue and muscle pain come all at once. “How long was I lying down?” he wondered as he slightly moved his head. “Huh?”

          He was at Kai’s house; he noticed after he saw part of the living room. He asked himself three questions: How did he get there? What happened? Where was Kai? 

          Taehyun strained to move his arm and with a few struggles, he successfully brought it to his side then he pushed himself to sit up. His whole body hurt and a headache added to his pain, so he closed his eyes again as he hunched over his folded legs and swallowed the lump in his scratchy throat. His bones cracked rather loudly; his hearing finally got the sound of it along with his huffing breaths. Then he felt another wave of prickling pins and needles on the base of his neck and his left shoulder. 

          His courageous hand went to touch it and it was wet and a bit sticky. Still slightly disoriented, Taehyun furrowed his brows and took a glance just to discover his shoulder colored deep red.

          Taehyun was shocked to his core, definitely widening his eyes at the sight. His eyes cautiously followed the red path down to his sleeve and upon arriving at his hand, he noticed the arm resting beside him. He flinched upon seeing the bloody arm then he swiftly turned to the body connected to it and his mind went blank.

          Adrenaline rushed in him and without trouble, he bent over the body lying next to him, shaking it and tapping the cheek.

          “Kai! Huening Kai!” he tried to yell but his sore throat wouldn’t allow his voice out. Nevertheless, he continued, “Kai!”

          Taehyun hadn’t regained his memory yet. He had no recollection of whatever happened to them, but seeing the pool of blood beside Kai’s head was enough to let him know that something terrible had happened. A frown appeared across Taehyun’s face and his rough voice struggled to be let out. Then his hand crawled to the neck. “A pulse!” He felt Kai’s beating heart but he wasn’t satisfied. He started hitting Kai’s chest, desperate to wake him up, thinking he’d eventually die if he didn’t. 

          “Please,” he whispered as he pounded his fist, then he ducked his head, pleading to a higher being to give Kai back to him. Beads of tears started to form in the corner of his eyes and his mouth trembled as he gasped for more air. He adored Kai’s resting face but he didn’t want to see it. Not when blood covered his cheek and traced his lips and his chin. Then Taehyun paused and tried to grasp the situation, taking note of the clues.

          But a hand grasped him by the elbow, making him shoot his eyes towards it, then at Kai’s bloody face. His frown deepened and tears fell down his cheek when he saw Kai squinting at him. 

          “Tyun…?” Kai’s hoarse voice echoed in Taehyun’s ears and relief washed over him, especially when Kai eventually gave him an intense stare with his enlarged eyes, obviously similarly surprised.

          “Hyuka…” Taehyun replied, grabbing Kai’s shirt, and bumped his head on Kai’s chest, not minding the blood stains on it.

          Kai was perplexed but he had no time to think. Taehyun’s alive. Taehyun’s alive. That’s all he cared about. Taehyun was sobbing on his chest and aggressively holding on to him, still with a bloody shoulder and a blood-smeared face.

          Kai immediately lunged forward and embraced Taehyun, alive, breathing, speaking. “You’re alive!” he cried, tightening his hold around his love, not willing to let go any time soon. “You’re alive,” he said once more, this time much more heartfelt and grateful and weighty. 

          Taehyun was taken aback. That was supposed to be his line. What even happened? Everything was still a mystery to him, and how miraculous it was for Kai to survive when he bled that much! Were vampires that strong? Did he worry for nothing? 

          He gazed at the blood on the floor as he gripped Kai’s back, just wondering and admiring the bright moonlight radiating on the burgundy liquid. 

          Moonlight… Then it all came back to him.

          “It’s been two hundred years?!” Taehyun exclaimed as he hopped out of Kai’s house, or technically his house, too, two centuries later.

          “Yes,” Kai replied briefly after shutting the door behind Taehyun. He gazed at Taehyun  who was looking at him wide-eyed and with his mouth agape, and he focused on his teeth that glistened under the light. His fangs. The sight wasn’t new to Kai anymore, he had grown used to it, he thought with a faint smile. “We’ve been together a long time, haven’t we?”

          “Yeah,” Taehyun plainly answered while he was busy fixing the collar of Kai’s yellow padded coat. “That was one crazy year. Remember when you passed out after I gave you my blood?” He giggled.

          Kai furrowed his brows, the rest of his face empty. “Hey.”

          Taehyun arched a brow then quickly put it down. His busy left hand tapped Kai’s chest, a friendly gesture of comfort. “Sorry. It’s been so long, I thought you already got over it.” He turned his heel then walked away, leaving Kai standing by the front door. It wasn’t until he arrived at the sidewalk did he realize that his sides were empty, so he halted and looked back. “Hurry up, Hyuka!”

          Kai pouted and didn’t move an inch, upset by Taehyun’s words. And contrary to being the wise vampire that he was (or should be), he stood his ground and acted like a stubborn child. 

          Taehyun sighed heavily, huffing a cloud out of his mouth, then he stomped his feet back to the front door and grabbed Kai by his wrists, looking at him with wide eyes. 

          “I’m sorry,” he said, tilting his head, unconsciously looking adorable with tiny fangs peeking from the corners of his mouth. Kai could never get enough of that face and he was lucky enough that Taehyun had no idea he felt that way, or else Taehyun would use it to his advantage every time he found the chance. “I really thought it’s something of the past we could finally joke about. I shouldn’t have assumed things.”

          Kai couldn’t hold back a smile and surrendered to Taehyun’s words. “I guess it’s time to let go,” he thought to himself. “It’s been so long.”

          Taehyun blinked and gazed at Kai’s deadpan face. Then he cracked into a smile when Kai started chuckling to himself.

          “You’re right,” Kai mumbled, making Taehyun hum in question, then he said clearly, “I should forget about it.” He twisted his right wrist out of Taehyun’s hold and grabbed his hand instead, lacing their fingers. “But I will never forget how you tried to revive me by beating me up.” Kai teased Taehyun, earning a scoff from him.

          “And you passing out will never not be funny to me,” Taehyun said in reply with a mocking tone, his lip curling up, competing with Kai. “To think you’d have to be brought back to your senses by me when it should’ve been the other way around.”

          Kai let out a short high-pitched laughter loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood before they started their night stroll side-by-side holding each other’s hands. 

          “I blacked out from crying too much, thinking I killed you,” Kai added.

          “Hyuka, the shock of seeing you out cold with that much blood is just-” Taehyun let go of Kai’s hand momentarily to hold himself. “I thought you died!”

          “So you tried to beat up an unconscious man to wake him- oww!” 

          Taehyun punched Kai’s arm rather forcefully and without regret, even grinning in satisfaction. Kai whimpered like a puppy and rubbed the pain away from the area Taehyun targeted, then he chuckled quietly.

          “You’re still laughing?” Taehyun asked threateningly, yet his actions were quite not so. He never returned his hand to Kai's but instead, he linked their arms and clung onto him as they walked down the narrow street with a slow pace.

          “Uh huh.” Kai nodded through his silent giggles. “Never thought I’d laugh and joke about that incident.”

          Taehyun didn’t reply and only grinned as he kicked the snow on his path. The cold snow he loved to play with. Seeing the thick snow reminded him of his fifth winter with Kai, the time they built snowmen all over the neighborhood with no one around to see them. The season then was unbelievably freezing but it didn’t affect him anymore, unlike their human neighbors. 

          Taehyun had accustomed to his new life pretty quickly. 

          The changes didn’t happen so suddenly, he explained to Beomgyu during his time. 

          The first change was his eyesight that improved dramatically. He woke up one day to find his glasses had become of no use to him anymore when things looked much clearer and he could see as far as he wanted. The stars had become brighter and the moon more dazzling than ever. He appreciated every scenery he’d catch wherever he went, making adventures with Kai much more wonderful. 

          Then about a month later, he discovered his upgraded hearing. He was alone in the office way over time when it was vacant and free of sound, and he was about to finish work but a constant beating kept taking his attention away from his task. Then he realized that it was his own heart that he heard. He heard it so clearly because he was focused on it, and the more he listened, the more the beating sped up; the discovery freaked him out. It was utterly fascinating to hear his own heart beat that loud and utterly creepy at the same time. 

          He then noticed his enhanced senses of smell and taste at the same time when he passed by a cafe on the way to work. His nose was enticed by the scent of coffee and the smell of freshly baked pastries, and he was pulled inside, compelled to purchase them for himself. Oh, how disappointed he was when he took a sip of the extremely bitter drink and when his tongue tasted the ridiculously sweet bread. Instantly, he wondered how vampires could put up with human delicacies and not get found out by their strange reactions, but as time passed by, he had acquired new tastes and preferences and actually enjoyed human food more than ever. Blood, too. Blood used to taste like iron, nothing more, and he used to hate having to consume it for his survival, but the taste changed gradually, Taehyun also explained although vaguely and unconfident, thinking maybe he just became used to it. Sometimes, it still tasted like iron to him.

          Two hundred years of blood-drinking weren’t enough for Taehyun to point out a favorite amongst the types, and they weren’t enough to shake his human habits off him. He still dressed up warmly on chilly nights and he still enjoyed munching on food he grew up eating. He was the best at blending in with the humans, being one himself prior to becoming a vampire. There was not one soul yet that had found him out or had even a slight suspicion on him and he had his tiny fangs to thank for that. His fangs didn’t grow much, so he still passed off as a mortal with his pointy teeth that made him look cool and “like a vampire” like some kids say to him when they catch a glimpse of them. But the thing that could put suspicion on him was the difficulty of seeing him under the sun. 

          Beomgyu asked him about it once, too, and he answered with an exhausted look. 

          Among all the effects of turning into a vampire, sensitivity to the sun was the flaw that he hated to the highest degree. He was delighted by his newly enhanced senses, his immortality, and his stronger body, but the amount of thrill he felt towards them was equal to the amount of frustration towards not being able to see the sun as freely anymore. There came even a time when he missed the sun dearly so he had Soobin climb a mountain with him just to see the sunrise. Both reckless idiots were radiant until they came home to a mouthful of scolding from Yeonjun and Kai. Fortunately, his discipline allowed him to adapt to his new life in the dark and two centuries later, he could confidently say he was living a good life — as a vampire, walking down the narrow street with his soulmate at midnight.

          The midnight breeze passed by them, blowing their hair away from their eyes, and none of them shivered nor said a word. They observed the quiet neighborhood in the dead of the night, their eyes jumping from roof to roof, from gate to gate. The familiarity of the area was soothing to them both, especially Taehyun, and since taking the flight home from their nth trip together, he had been wishing to walk through that very same street again, to take the same steps as he and Kai usually took when they strolled around.

          Walking through this neighborhood felt nostalgic for a reason. That’s because it hadn’t changed much since Taehyun had moved into Kai’s house near the end of the street. It was a very old — ancient and historical — neighborhood and only slight developments had been made throughout the years; the brick walls were occasionally fixed; the cracks on the pavement seldom repaired; buildings were rarely reconstructed to fit the generations that came. But the layout, the paths, and the designs of each little house remained. It was like time had stopped in that area, or it was invisible, under a spell to keep it that way. 

          Taehyun continued to move his eyes towards the long beige brick wall stained with dirt and grime, and the untouched snow that fell below them. A hint of joy was present when he said, “I really love this neighborhood.”

          “It hasn’t changed a bit!” Kai commented, also looking around him. “It’s become a unique yet unpopular area to live in. Works for us!” He looked down at Taehyun. “Why do you think they haven’t changed it up?”

          “Perhaps because everyone’s afraid of the legendary haunted house near the end of this street?” Taehyun flashed Kai a smile. “And because they see two vampires often walking around at night?”

          Kai cackled at Taehyun’s guess. “Quite terrifying, I’d say. That’s probably why they haven’t attempted to touch anything around here for two centuries, and left it to grow old.”

          “That’s exactly the reason why I love this place: it’s old, different from the present world, reminds me of my time.” 

          Taehyun welcomed a gush of sentimental feelings from his statement. As much as he’d like to avoid it, he occasionally had thoughts about how much his life had changed. His life had always been something like a slow and safe ride with bits of surprises, but ever since Kai had entered his life, it had changed drastically to an exhilarating one with even more surprises. Along with it and out of the blue came bursts of melancholy, too. When Kai had told him how living this immortal life was depressing somehow, he thought he had understood it, but not until he started living it did he truly understand what he meant.

          Taehyun returned to looking at the neighbors’ homes as he thought. The houses he was looking at may resemble the first houses that stood there, but the people residing in them were never permanent. Their past neighbors had left and new neighbors had often moved in. And although Taehyun had not made relationships with every single one of them, seeing them leave saddened him every time. And each time, he imagined them finishing the race of life at some point, something he wouldn’t naturally experience anymore.

          If even his neighbors made him that emotional, what more towards a dear friend?

          He missed Beomgyu every so often. He had never forgotten him. Not ever. And he never would. Not his best friend who stood by him until the end. Not him who he left behind.

          No.  

          He didn’t leave him behind. He had brought Beomgyu with him in his memories and he’d keep him there until the end of time. He had never forgotten their last conversation and his words that struck him. He had them engraved in his head.

          “Maybe we’re soulmates, too, you know?” Beomgyu lightheartedly suggested, adding his bouncy laughter to it.

          Taehyun darted his eyes over to look at the two twinkling crescents on his best friend’s face and the pretty set of teeth that were always in view when he laughed happily. He could still see the sixteen-year-old boy behind that smiling face of his even when his face had aged and his hair had already turned grey. Taehyun beside him stayed the same — youthful and fresh-faced — and this just made things worse for Taehyun’s fragile heart.

          “Since you’re immortal now, we’d definitely live at the same time at some point when I reincarnate.” Beomgyu put a hand on Taehyun’s trembling shoulder. “We’ll meet again, I’ll make it happen.” He saw Taehyun starting to break down. He was, too, but he tried his best not to show it. So he etched a smile and made it stay all the way through his somber statements. “I’ll be your best friend again, Taehyun.”

          Taehyun lowered his head and chuckled lightly. “How are you going to make that happen, hyung?”

          “I’ll find a way. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it like always.” Beomgyu joked around and put on a reassuring face, shielding his true expression. “Trust me.”

          “The hell are you talking about?” Taehyun kept his face down, not showing how aggressively he was blinking against his forming tears. “Why not remember me too, then?”

          “Sure!” Beomgyu exclaimed and retracted his hand. He laughed and Taehyun joined him after a while, facing him again with quivering stretched lips. Mist surrounded them, mist thick with gloom, misery, anguish, and grief, yet Beomgyu found a way to blow it away. As always. Yet it was unavoidable, returning strongly around them, and for the first time ever, he failed to keep it away. So he gave up and continued his depressing words when they finished their burning laughter. “It was nice meeting you, Taehyun.”

          Taehyun frowned and gulped. Then he nodded. “It was nice meeting you, too, Beomgyu hyung.”

          Taehyun cried violently that day.

          Taehyun kept his head down and watched his feet mark the snow as they continued to walk without a destination in mind. He was contemplating something he hadn’t told Kai since it happened and thought it was a good time to bring it up. 

          Just as he opened his mouth to convey words, Kai beat him to it by a second.

          “You know,” Kai started. “I went to the bar earlier and-”

          “Your errand was at the bar?” Taehyun questioned instantly, pausing his planned speech, and accidentally cutting Kai off. He furrowed his brows at him. “You should’ve taken me with you instead of running off like you were escaping. I could’ve seen Yeonjun hyung and Soobin hyung after so long.”

          “Then we’d take too long there!” Kai replied, explaining that he just had to get some drinks from Yeonjun and the spare house key from Soobin, that he didn’t go there to have a long chat, and that he wanted to be alone with him for the rest of the night. Then after a rushed report, he went on to say what he intended. “Anyway, I was about to tell you that I met Beomgyu’s reincarnation outside the bar.”

          “What?” Incredulity was clear in Taehyun’s eyes.

          “Yes, he was freezing to death so I told him to go inside and sit by the bar.” Kai touched his chin and looked up at the clear sky that was foggy just an hour ago. “I hope it went well.”

          Taehyun was even more shocked, shooting his eyes wide at Kai and questioning him more after clearing his head. “You let him in? In a place full of vampires?”

          “It was empty, so it’s fine.”

          Taehyun pursed his lips. He was wondering about what Kai had just told him and questions filled his head. “How was he? Was he the same? How sure are you that it was his reincarnation?” One by one he tried to sort them out but one question took the top place.

          “Did-” Taehyun stammered with hesitation pulling his voice back down his throat. He received Kai’s undivided attention and Kai looked straight into his eyes, waiting patiently. “Did he recognize you?”

          Kai wore a half-smile before answering. “No.” Taehyun hummed and nodded, deepening the creases between his eyebrows. Kai wondered what he was thinking. “Why? What is it?”

          Taehyun contemplated again, then he decided to finally tell him. 

          “Actually, I also met him. Once,” Taehyun said.

          Kai raised his eyebrows. “Oh, you have?”

          “Twenty years ago.”

          Kai’s feet stopped.

          “He was a child,” Taehyun proceeded, “but I recognized him.” His face was unreadable when he kept going on and unlatched himself from the other vampire. “He recognized me, too.”

          Kai was fazed. It was unexpected; the new information was striking. He remained in silence, having no idea what to reply or how to react. He simply knew Taehyun was keeping this to himself for years, and he knew how he must’ve felt. So he listened.

          “It was only for a minute, though.” Taehyun’s tone somehow had a mix of misery and joy, thickly coating his words. “A strange child, coming up to me and calling my full name as if he knew me his whole life, then taking off and leaving me hanging by a thread.” His face was stony and blank of expression but Kai could read it so well. Kai stroked his hair, lightly as if lulling him to sleep. “That bastard kept his promise. However the fuck he did it.”

          Taehyun clenched his teeth as he was reminded again of the beautiful things, the ugly things, and everything in between. And he was amazed by destiny and its works, the higher being that gave him both suffering and happiness, immortals who were living that kind of life, at Kai who endured painful years of waiting just to meet him once every two centuries. He looked at him, silent and smiling and serene, and heavy emotions surged in.

          Kai feared this. He knew the unpleasant sides to living as an immortal, living alongside time. And he feared that it would hit Taehyun badly. He was right about that. But there was no turning back, he was well aware of that yet he wanted Taehyun to have his dear mortal friend beside him again, even in this new life of his. 

          “You’ll meet him again,” Kai said with all calmness, his voice not wavering the slightest. Without another word as he deemed them unnecessary, he wrapped the love of his life with the comfort of his embrace.

          Taehyun felt welcomed, comfortable enough to rest his chin on Kai’s shoulder as he raised his arms around Kai’s body. With the absence of noise, the sound of crunching snow and the previously whistling wind, he could focus on a single sound — the organ beating like a drum against his chest, the sign of life within the being he held — and it traveled to his ears aiming to soothe his own. 

          For a very long time, even preceding his transformation, Taehyun knew deep in his heart that he would have to get used to this life — to the harsh reality and everything that came with it. Yet despite his many years, he hadn’t gotten used to it. He would never get used to it, he reckoned. This brought him to be more careful with his relationships and held them preciously in his cupped hands, fearing and well-aware that they — or those involved — would break into pieces one day, without his knowledge, and fly away like dust.

          He thought about it sometimes whenever time allowed him to, how his life would’ve been if he had stayed in his own time. If he had never thought about venturing outside the gates of his own timeline for the sole reason of following the one he loved, how would it have been? Curiosity brought along regret and sorrow whenever he fell too deep in the dark well of his thoughts.

          But with a simple bend of his neck to catch a glimpse of the mouth of the well way above him, he’d see his soulmate, the sole being to get him out of that place and wash away all regret he could ever have in his body. And suddenly, every thought became reckless and ridiculous and Taehyun could not believe he’d even thought of them.

          It’s because of him, Taehyun reminded himself far too many times to count. It’s because of Kai that he chose this, and he chose this freely. And Kai always proved it to him, that it was a decision worth the risk, worth the pain. Just being with Kai outweighed them all.

          After getting back up on the surface to meet with his love, a different thought often occurred to him.

          “What if I didn’t wake up that night?” he had asked Kai a few times before. 

          Consistently Kai would raise his eyebrows, knit them together, then glance at the moon before parting his lips to offer his answer, different and short and sweet each time. Taehyun would smile at it, without fail, and accept the reassurance it brought him. 

          But there was no digging deeper. Taehyun would notice the spot of affliction in Kai’s face whenever he asked that question; it was also evident in his voice when Kai always attempted to swerve topics. 

          He knew how much Kai didn’t like remembering that bloody night. Yet for a reason, he wanted to ask again, now that his feelings towards that incident had become lighter. 

          Still with arms around Kai, he whispered his name, “Kai.”

          “Hmm?” Kai hummed in response.

          Taehyun licked his lips. He promised to never ask again after this, he just wanted to hear an answer one last time. One last answer to shake off the last bit of angst clinging to his soul. 

          “What if,” he pursued. “What if I didn’t wake up that night?”

          There was no reaction at first, not until Kai pulled away from the embrace and looked straight into Taehyun’s eyes. He was not speaking, only staring blankly, unblinking, and Taehyun knew his brain was racing around. He knew he was irked at the repetitive question and that he was making him worry.

          In truth, the question gave Kai another flashback, another wave of fear.

          What would’ve happened if Taehyun had never woken up? Kai was unsure. It was possible that he would’ve gone mad, he would’ve locked himself away, or he would’ve never gone after love anymore. “Screw soulmates!” he possibly would've said, if things didn’t work out. He was unsure of what exactly would’ve happened if Taehyun had died from his hands (or fangs) but he was sure of one thing: that his attitude wouldn’t allow him to stop seeking his Taehyun.

          “If you didn’t wake up that night,” Kai started, his voice soothing and tickling Taehyun’s ears, “then I’d be looking for you right now.”

          Short and sweet. Taehyun liked it and once again, it brought a smile to his face.

          “But you woke up,” Kai continued. He dropped his arms down to hold Taehyun’s cold hands, gently pressing his fingers together, treating him dearly. “And I’m looking at you right now. My soulmate, Kang Taehyun. You remember me, risked dying for me, have put up with my silliness, and have spent two centuries with this odd unwise vampire — the old man of over a thousand years old.”

          A quick chortle passed through Taehyun’s lips.

          “You who gave me the best two centuries of my whole life.” Kai dipped his head for a second before bringing it back to Taehyun’s level. He wore an affectionate gaze behind his hanging fringe, a tiny fond smile on his thin rosy lips. “I want to ask for more.”

          Taehyun turned away for a split second, not taking off the smile, then easily returned Kai’s gaze. The last answer. Not so short yet still so sweet. Lovable and warm. Charming and endearing.

          Taehyun once said: “It’s a miserable life, to be immortal.” Yet it wasn’t as miserable as he thought, after all. Not when he has someone like Huening Kai to walk this life with him, forever.

          “Deal.” 

          Taehyun ran his hands through Kai’s dark thick locks on the sides of his head, steadying it as he advanced and closed his eyes. Their lips grazed each other lightly until Taehyun pressed, slowly and softly, tenderly, hypnotizing him. Kai’s fingertips landed on Taehyun’s nape and his thumb under his jaw as he angled his head properly, unbothered by his bangs falling on Taehyun’s forehead while they kissed. He put a foot forward; the snow under them seemed to have grumbled from the disturbance, but only for a moment. Replacing it was the continuous thumping of heartbeats jointly filling the peaceful air.

          They pulled away with a mutual exhale and a mutual smile — plain blissful and fangy. 

          Their attention was taken away by a street light nearby, flickering constantly until it died, removing the light on the white path. But to Kai and Taehyun, the path was still well-lit, by the stars and the moon complete in the heavens showing up late to the show now that the clouds had totally left. Taehyun transferred his gaze to the sky up above and cherished the scatter of diamonds on a sheet of black velvet, along with the embellishment of the silver moon. This view had become rare as the city lights had drowned it out, and he thanked his power for allowing him to view its entire glory.

          While Taehyun was focused on the ceiling of heavenly bodies, Kai had his eyes on what’s most precious to him. He watched Kang Taehyun and the perfect stars in his eyes that were beyond comparison to anything else, and he admired him, as he has since the first day he saw him. With a fond smile pinned on his lips, he stroked his knuckles smoothly on Taehyun’s cheeks before bestowing him a kiss on the spot between his eyebrows. Taehyun’s line of sight was obstructed for a second but he didn’t mind.

          “This area really needs fixing, doesn’t it?” Kai remarked, now staring at the lonely dead lamp post standing by a traditional-looking house. They had reached the other end of the street — by the crossroad, intersecting and dividing the area — and beyond that would be a different ground of up-to-date and complex buildings looming over them like giants. “How did it take them so many years before deciding it?”

          “I told you,” Taehyun emphasized in his response. “They’re afraid of the big house occupied by the vampires who love roaming around at night. That’s why they planned reconstructions only when they decided to move out.”

          Kai laughed, clearly amused, adding another sound to the atmosphere besides the returning wind and their soft voices. “When we move out, everything will change. Time in this neighborhood will start to move forward.” His expression suddenly dropped to a pensive look.

          “Change is constant,” Taehyun said plainly, accepting the fact that even this place would leave the bubble of his time. It won’t stay permanent. It will move forward. Like him. 

          The past had passed, and nothing good would come out of staying there, Taehyun told himself. Remembering and looking back was the only thing he could do, nothing beyond that. The thing he must do, he decided, is to focus on what’s in front of him, the life he was blessed with and the companion he was gifted. For two centuries and more.

          It was certain that they would continue their lives together all the way until the world ends. They set it in stone.

          Taehyun retrieved his hands and turned towards the path they had walked on. Light and shadows spread across the way to the place of security and comfort, and he took one last look at his everyday view, something that would be gone soon, changed to something new and unfamiliar, all evidence of his being in that area removed. Or so he thought.

          He huffed and lifted one corner of his lips. He kept staring at the neighborhood he had lived in for two centuries and ghosts of the past appeared for a while as Taehyun reminisced. The miniscule alterations had become very noticeable suddenly. 

          Then he brought his eyes downwards. The once pristine snow had imprints of their feet, a mark of their existence, and he corrected himself: any mark of their existence and anyone else’s would never be erased. 

          Kai wasn’t a mind reader yet he knew exactly what Taehyun was thinking from the look in his eyes. And he’d like to agree with him. Every being in this world marks their existence and they will not be removed. No one has the ability to, for every single one is treasured. Despite the world being rotten, hateful, awful, distorted, there is beauty to it. Kai knew that very well. It took him a thousand years to confirm it and the one in front of him was proof.

          “Should we head back?” Taehyun asked, finally at peace with himself.

          “You don’t want to keep going?” Kai returned, glancing to the unfinished route they always took. The way seemed brightly-lit by newer lamp posts and sleek lighting devices hanging over the snow-covered pavement.

          “Oh, then if it’s fine with you, let’s keep walking.” Taehyun tugged Kai’s coat and pulled him to a different direction — in an alley leading deeper into the old area. Contrary to their usual route, this one was dim and poorly-lit by artificial lights. But the moon did its work, accompanying and watching over them as it usually did. “Let’s go this way.”

          Kai had no protest and followed behind, letting himself be dragged across the street, hearing the snow crunch with their treading.

          “When we get back home, would you tell me all your stories again? The ones you told me at the airport.” Taehyun requested with his back turned, wearing pleading eyes Kai couldn’t see. But he quickly took it back. “But it might be a waste of time to repeat everything from the start.”

          “We have all the time in the world,” Kai said as he made his way beside Taehyun, taking his hand firmly and clasping them, with a pleased smile Taehyun could see quite clearly. “I can start telling you about them right now, while walking-” He glanced at the moon that seemed to smile as it watched them and the stars that glittered so brilliantly with it. “-and while we watch the stars.”