Chapter Text
— Month x Year xxxx —
The sounds of shallow panting and quick footsteps against the frosted pavement echoed off the walls of the empty streets. Time was nearing midnight with the only things left illuminating the area being the dim lamp posts every few blocks. His legs were hardly avoiding slipping on the black iced surface of the sidewalk as he continued surging forward, the -20°C cold of the winter night making his dead lungs burn.
If any ordinary person were to pass by, all their eye would be able to catch is a blur of a silhouette and a swoosh of wind. That is because right now Seungmin was running with a speed no ordinary human could possess. But at the moment, he couldn't care less about being caught or seen. The feeling in his chest grew stronger and stronger as he felt himself approaching what he so desperately needed to find.
Or rather whom.
He skidded to a stop as his eyes took in the deserted alley in front of him. The street lamp was casting a dark shadow on the two silhouettes situated under its flickering light but Seungmin's sharp gaze could see enough to make his blood boil. There was a hooded person who had a tight hold on the other man's throat, lifting him up effortlessly in the air like he weighed nothing. Upon noticing Seungmin's arrival, he slowly turned his head, and not even a hood could conceal two crimson red eyes flash towards him, the mouth spreading out in an inhumane, predatory smirk, revealing two sharp white fangs. Seungmin had his gaze glued to the human in his grip, whom the hooded man slowly turned by the back of his neck to face in his direction, as if proudly showing off to Seungmin just what he got.
Seungmin could feel his whole body begin to shake, with anger and fear, and regret, and endless furry. The man’s body in his grip was tense, as if still trying to master some kind of resistance. The scarf around the man's neck was ragged and tossed to the side, the coat on his right ripped open as if by sharp claws. A dark stain was slowly spreading in the area of his torn shoulder, soaking the cloth.
And one look at his face was enough for Seungmin to almost lose it. Because the eyes that usually held shining galaxies within them were dimmed, the mischievous face that he's gotten so used to for the past few months and loved so much was twisted in pain. A trail of blood was running down the side of the man's temple, collecting at his chin and dripping down to the ground, drop by drop, staining the pearly snow surface with dots of red.
The man refocused his eyes back on Seungmin's with a squint, a trickle of blood keeping his right eye from opening fully, and that look, glassy yet still so full of fight, made Seungmin's heart swirl with the spectrum of emotions so intense it was almost unbearable. But in the end, they all converged into a single word, a name echoing ceaselessly in his consciousness.
Minho.
And in that moment, a distant thought had yet again briefly crossed his panicked mind, that maybe it would have been better if they never knew each other after all.
— August 2023 —
“Happy” is not a word that Seungmin had thought would ever apply to his life again. He had lost that feeling too young and almost too long ago to remember what can even be considered as such. Yet, he could confidently say that with the way things are right now… he is happy.
Not in the giddy, butterflies in the stomach kind of way happy, no. But in the way that his life has finally reached this semblance of normality he so desperately craved yet had not felt in over half a century. It's as if, bit by bit, the scattered pieces of what was left of the former Seungmin have slowly been pieced back together. And meanwhile he knows things can never go back to the way they were before, he feels like he's finally ready to move forward. To start building his life again, as eternal as it may now be.
So yeah, as unbelievable to him as it is, Seungmin realized that he was happy. He felt sated with his life, and with himself. It might have been with small steps, but with the help of a few people who cared, he managed to climb up from the dark pit that had him swallowed for the past couple of decades.
And now, in the year of 2023, his life is as stable and normal as it can get. Meet Kim Seungmin, a 21 year old boy, a 1st year university student, a part-timer at a local pizza place… And a vampire.
The last part is essentially what stops him from calling his circumstances “normal” completely. How could you, when you have an eternally young body, the ability to hypnotize people into doing whatever you want, and a fridge full of blood bags at home. But he will work with what he got.
For this year, Seungmin had set himself a goal, and so far he's been quite pleased with what he achieved. After he miraculously got himself a job at quite a popular pizza place without any documentary evidence to back him up whatsoever, he saved enough to rent out a small apartment. As cheap and shaggy as it was, it was his, and the thought alone made a small silly smile form on Seungmin's lips.
He has also entered a Performing arts university to pursue singing, something he always loved. This time, unfortunately not without the help of mind control, since he basically had no necessarily study records to apply. They have all been burned a long time ago, and even if he did have them still, he doubts the commission would’ve appreciated his high school graduation certificate of a couple decades old. In the end, he reassured himself, it was all for the greater cause of becoming a rightful part of society, so it should be okay.
Why go to such lengths, you'd wonder? It's not like he didn't have all means possible to live his life carefree, without ever lifting a finger while drowning in luxury.
But still.
Even if no longer human, he wanted to try living like one. Seungmin also had principles, so he wanted to be a righteous citizen just like everybody else. Or as righteous as he could be in his predicament.
And he guessed he was doing something right if he already passed through a semester of studies with quite a good score, managed to keep his job as well as his flat. A success, if you'd asked him.
Right now they were barely two weeks into the 2nd semester, and Seungmin was just on his way to his morning lecture, as well as the last day of studies for the week. But not without taking a detour and grabbing a handful of his friend first.
After climbing four sets of stairs, he rounds the corner and, once he enters the code, slams the door to the apartment open.
“Jisung! Wake up or you'll be late!”
An unintelligible groan could be heard from somewhere under the pile of blankets on the bed. Which Seungmin so unceremoniously pulls off and to the side.
“...Nooooo,” the boy mumbles as he tries to shield his face with his hands, pulling the legs closer to his body.
“Get up, come on, the lecture is in 30.”
“...How do you even know, it's literally not your schedule?” Jisung continues to stubbornly clutch his pillow to his chest, not moving.
“I just do. Now go get ready.”
“Nooo don't wanna, let me sleep a lil bit more, who needs a lecture anyway,” Jisung grits out as he tries to fight Seungmin back from taking away his pillow.
“You literally don't need to sleep!”
“Just because I don't need to does not mean I can't enjoy it!” he pouts when Seungmin eventually manages to pull the pillow away from him. He finally sits up, his messy bed hair flopping from one side to the other in sticking out brown locks. Seungmin is not able to hold himself back from petting a few particularly unruly pieces down.
“Ok-ok, now go make yourself presentable real quick before then we head out.” he pulls Jisung up and urges to the bathroom with the palms on his back.
“I'm always presentable!”
“Sure.”
After the door to the bathroom closes with a click, Seungmin rolls his eyes and lets out an exasperated yet fond sigh before heading to the small kitchen connected to the living room. After about 10 minutes Jisung is out with a brushed hair and a fresh look to his face, sporting a pair of sweatpants and an oversized red hoodie.
“I took your blood bag out of the fridge.”
“Thanks Minnie.” he throws a small smile before grabbing the bag from the counter and piercing it with a straw. Seungmin eyes it with gulp and a deep frown, then looks away.
Another 5 minutes and they finally exit the apartment complex, heading straight to the campus which is thankfully only a few minute walk away.
“Will the day ever come when I won't need to literally drag you out of bed? Would I ever even see you in uni if I didn't?”
“Don’t underestimate me, okay? Just so you know, I set alarms,” Jisung grumbles, throwing up his index finger, “and I do wake up to them, but since I know you'll come fetch me up anyway when our classes align, why bother?”
“Oh my god, you are insufferable,” Seungmin utters in disbelief.
“Hey! At least I can wake up on time if needed. I am not the one who has a record of being late.”
Seungmin feels his chest give a pang at the words said in a scoffing, almost accusatory tone. Jisung knows it's a sensitive topic to him and uses it anyway. Yeah, sometimes it's hard for Seungmin to wake up on his own and no amount of alarms would help.
They were over this – why he is like that – many times, he sees no point in arguing with him.
“...I hate you.”
“No you don't. You love me.”
“...Okay. I do,” a minute of quiet. “Now let's get you to your favorite 2 hour history of composing lecture.”
“Ughhhhh..!” he hears Jisung groan. “Remind me why I agreed to this in the first place…”
Seungmin grins to himself. Because, despite claiming this whole ordeal as bothersome, he is insanely grateful. Jisung became his 1st friend after what happened and still is his closest, and has been with him through a lot. He firmly believes it's only thanks to him that Seungmin was able to pull through all those years back.
Jisung and Seungmin met in the 80s, when he had already relocated to Seoul completely. It was at a night club of some sort, Seungmin can't even recall why he was there in the first place but that period of his life was pretty dull and depressing, so he can only imagine. Meeting someone like him, another vampire who was actually willing to talk, to listen and help him learn about his own kind was life changing. Despite being relatively rare species, vampires were not a friendly kind and preferred to stick to themselves or their families, and mind their own business. So the very few Seungmin did encounter before could not be bothered to spare him their time.
However with Jisung, it was somehow different. Maybe it was the alcohol talking that night – which vampires were prone to reacting to just like humans thank you very much – but something about Seungmin caught Jisung’s attention, and instead of mockery, he was met with someone who was ready to lend an ear. Which Seungmin has probably talked off that night, but Jisung had still found him the next day to drag around the city with him anyway. Sure, Jisung was not perfect, a little bit morally ambiguous like most vampires tend to be. But compared to others, he felt more real. Simple and genuine, and without the usual arrogance of the “higher” race. He was friendly, adventurous, easily excited. And he loved people, even if he had to feed off of their blood.
By now, Jisung's almost a century old, yet his fascination with the human kind has never ceased. Not a day passes without him trying out some new “authentic” – as he calls them – human activity. Instead of looking down on them, he was more curious to understand. And maybe, as a vampire born, he wanted to try and understand Seungmin, who was born a human, too.
It was also thanks to Jisung that he was able to come to terms with being a vampire and stop the self-hatred he experienced towards himself as a result; to start accepting himself the way he was.
Ever since then they have been inseparable. A few years later they met Hyunjin, who is not always around because of his job, but is also a very important friend to Seungmin nonetheless. He and Jisung met the elder by accident, and they hit it off instantly. Funny thing, a trio of vampires of no relation whatsoever sticking together, but who cares really. Sometimes he still can't believe his luck, that he got to meet two such amazing people who chose to stay with him and be a part of his life too.
Coming back to the present, Jisung's affinity for trying out new “human” things is what led to him attending the university with Seungmin, who asked him to try it together. A thought that he won't be going alone through this was a reassurance and a final push that Seungmin needed in order to pursue one of his past dreams, and well, Jisung had no reason to refuse. Making music has been his biggest hobby for a few years and having a degree won't hurt, so during a quick talk (hypnotizing session) with the principal Seungmin had no problem enrolling Jisung in a composing department.
It's not like Jisung had much to do anyway, and Seungmin promised him it should be fun.
“Fun you said, huh!? Nothing fun about a 10 page essay.” Jisung's rumbling brought him back to reality. “What do they even need them for?”
Seungmin snorted at that.
Despite all the complaints, he hasn't dropped out yet like he said he would under any slight inconvenience. He'd say Jisung was doing pretty great, though he did tend to skip classes when he didn't feel like studying that day.
“I believe in you,” Seungmin said only half mockingly as he placed a hand on Jisung's shoulder as they reached the Performing arts building. Sadly, their auditoriums were in the opposite directions. “Have fun at your lecture, Sungie!”
“You bet I will..” Jisung frowned but waved to him with a smile anyway. “See ya.”
For Seungmin, the 1st period was also a lecture, albeit a mixed one that several majors attend and thus takes place in the spacious main lecture hall. So that's where he will spend his next two hours and 15 minutes. Honestly brutal, but Seungmin finds something to enjoy even in this scenario.
He hums to himself as he climbs the stairs along numbers and numbers of rows, taking a seat by himself on the further end.
Seungmin was one of the first students to arrive, but soon the mostly empty auditorium starts filling up with people, small groups flowing in through the front door one by one. A pair of girls pumps in the row right in front of him before turning around.
“Hi Seungminnie!”, one of them says in a cheerful greeting while the other grins and waves at him.
“Hi.” Seungmin smiles and raises his hand to wave back. The girls turn to the front shortly after.
The room quickly fills in with chatter as everyone waits for a professor to arrive, people discussing their plans for the weekend or where to go for lunch today, a few occasional laughs ring here and there. While Seungmin just sits there quietly and watches.
Truthfully speaking, Seungmin's social life was sad. He knows it and – even though he would never admit it – does suffer because of it.
For instance, it's not like Seungmin is unlikable, or antisocial. On the contrary, people seemed to be naturally drawn to him. He was also popular, really known actually in the music department for his smooth, stable, violin-like vocals. Students admired him, professors praised him. Seungmin would have a nice social circle, if only he'd let people close.
Seungmin was what they would call an “extraverted” introvert. He needed breaks to spend some time alone for a few days every once in a while, but simultaneously, he loved meeting new people, craved human interaction. In the past, he would freely cave to those needs. Now, he refused to let someone new into his life. Jisung would constantly tell him that he needs to loosen up a little bit, start exchanging more than a few “hellos” with his group mates, form connections that could become meaningful to him.
Except in the past, Seungmin got hurt once. Tried again, and got hurt twice, and ever since then he decided that if humans could not accept him, then he wouldn't allow himself to get attached either. It was not worth it.
He's just scared.
People in university seem to have caught on, because no one tries to openly befriend him anymore. And he was content with keeping all his relationships like this, on a superficial level, just like with those two girls in front of him. They worked on a group project together last semester, they got along, they exchanged a few words from time to time, and that's it. Groupmates, acquaintances, hookups – this is safe. He feels safer if he keeps it with no strings attached. That way, no one gets hurt.
Two hours later the lecture is dismissed, and suddenly all two hundred something heads rise from their seats and start pouring out of the classroom. Seungmin unhurriedly tags along, mixing in with the crowd.
The corridor is packed since the next group of students is already squeezing into the lecture hall to attend a class right after theirs. The air is so dense with the human odor from the number of bodies cramped in the small space that it almost makes him sick. Seungmin couldn't avoid bumping into a few shoulders, eager to get out of there as soon a s possible. The thoughts from before continued circling in his mind.
Right, he was perfectly fine by himself.
It's not lonely at all.
The next thing Seungmin knows he's seeing patches of white, the world in front of him slowly spinning. His legs wobble and he goes tumbling down to the side. Shit.
Before he can either stabilize himself or completely topple over, he bumps into another body, then feels a foreign hand press under his left rib.
“..Ah, sorry.”
Fits of lightheadedness like this were nothing new, they happened from time to time, but having one in the middle of the crowd like this is a first and he felt more than a little bit embarrassed and annoyed. His view was still swimming as he tried to regain his composure and take in the face in front of him.
“It's alright.”
The person he bumped into was still holding him by his side, a frown of concern painting his face, lips parted slightly in surprise. Seungmin found him distantly familiar, but could not quite pinpoint just where he could've seen him before. The man had soft looking copper brown hair, the light fringe gently framing his face and stopping right above his eyes – big and shiny, and so dark you could not distinguish the pupils from the irises if you tried. His face features were clean and sharp, cheekbones so prominent it was almost mesmerizing. And he found himself unable to look away.
Somewhere at the back of his head his mind was sending him signals, screaming at him to break eye contact. Yet his eyes were glued to the man's, so dark and intense, that were staring right back into his own. If gazes could burn.
Seungmin came to the conclusion that he would remember someone with such a striking appearance if they crossed paths before.
He didn't know him.
The flow of the crowd parted into two around them, a few people throwing curious glances in their direction. When Seungmin finally felt stable enough on his feet, he snapped out of it and quickly pulled away.
“You okay?” The soft, breathy voice almost took him off guard.
“Um, yeah. Just wasn't looking where I'm going.” A lie. But Seungmin was not a fan of sharing his weakness with a stranger. Or anyone at all, for that matter.
As he straightened himself he took in the man in front of him once more. He appeared to be a few inches shorter, but you could see even under all his baggy clothes that he was fit. The light gray hoodie he had on had an orange cat print that Seungmin thought was strangely cute. Before he could get carried away, he bowed down slightly.
“Thank you.” Based on the way the man looked and carried himself, Seungmin guessed he was an upperclassman, so being polite was only right.
“Ah look, it's Lee Minho.” He froze midway to raising his head back up before both of them snapped in the direction of the voice. The girl flushed, probably not intending for her whisper to come out so loud. She immediately took off to the classroom, disappearing behind the door. Seungmin, not wanting to stand there awkwardly any longer, looked back at the man and repeated.
“Thank you again, sunbae. I don't want to hold you anymore, and sorry for the trouble.” he gave a tight smile before bowing again and promptly getting himself out of there. In his peripheral vision, he could see the man opening his mouth as if wanting to say something else, but Seungmin got away before he could do that.
He had an hour till his next class so he decided he could grab himself a drink and chill in the library, he thought as he quickened his pace.
Lee Minho. That was the name of the man he had run into. He was a famous and very talented junior from the dance department. Seungmin recognized the name almost instantly, recalling it being the main talk of the spring showcase. Unfortunately, Seungmin was not present on Lee Minho’s part of the performance, leaving right after his own turn to avoid the crowd, that's why he was not able to recognize his face. He did hear some students fawn over him, and had seen him on campus in passing, hence the distant familiarity, but that's pretty much it.
Seungmin was not gonna lie, he could understand them. The man was extremely, out of this world attractive. There was something about him that pulled you in. But he decides he won't ponder on that any longer. They were probably never gonna interact again in the first place.
Oh how he would laugh at himself for those words in the future.
◆◆◆
It was Friday evening, one of his favorite times of the week. Seungmin finds himself standing in front of his small wooden wardrobe, eyes pointedly skimming through his clothing options.
The rest of his classes for the day passed by rather quickly, and he is in no way complaining – Friday lessons are the most tedious of the week. That's why he considers taking himself out to a nice night club a small but very pleasant reward.
People would constantly say that Seungmin did not strike them as a “club” person, but he’d just shrug his shoulders. On the contrary, he basked in the comfort of the busy city, the chilly air and illuminated signs. He loved music, loved the way it was vibrating off the walls. And he did not consider himself good at it, but he also enjoyed dancing.
Well, tightly crowded spaces was a thing he disliked, but even then he knew just the right places, clubs and bars alike, that suited his taste and gave him just the right amount of room to breathe. So all things considered, there was nothing for him not to love about those outings.
Of course, there was the other side to his affinity for clubbing activities.
Alcohol and hook-ups.
That was the other reason why Seungmin frequented club areas. For those were the perfect places for fleeting acquaintances, brief interactions that would stay behind once the night is over. A simple talk over a glass of martini, a dancing partner for a few heated songs, and if it gets to it – a one night stand.
Human proximity – in this case sex, or whatever you wanna call it – gave him a sense of normality, the pleasure mixed with slight intoxication brought him to a pleasant high, enough to forget about the dull thirst that never quite goes away.
Seungmin clang to those feelings, one of the only few left that still take him closer to feeling human. Vampires can get drunk, just as they can get aroused. Learning that was both a surprise and a relief. Because to function, vampires did not need to sleep, their bodies did not require to consume human food.
He didn't need to breathe.
All of that was once a bit too much for a newly turned Seungmin, so sue him, he will enjoy the remaining semblance of humanity he's got.
After a few minutes of consideration, he pulls out a two piece leather set. Tonight he's going for the all black look, so he pulls on a pair of high waisted black leather pants that are not too tight and sit on his hips just right. He pairs it with a short sleeved leather button up that hugs his waist perfectly. To top it off, a silver necklace as well as some brown smokey eyeshadow makeup on his eyes (Jisung taught him that one).
Black combat boots go right underneath his pants and Seungmin is out of his apartment with but a phone in his pocket, since it's basically everything that he needs.
Sungie
Are you coming today?
no srry Seung, a project got me still in the studio
Oh wow, look who's so serious about his studies
But no problem, see you
this one is for composing class! it's the guys i got paired with last semester, they r really cool
Okay, then I'm glad
have fun! tell me about how it went later!!!!!
Seungmin reacts with a thumb up to Jisung's last message before pocketing his phone and quickening his pace a bit. Thankfully, the night club district was only a ten minute walk away.
The cool breeze of the approaching autumn gently hits his cheeks. The weather has started getting more chilly recently, yet it was still warm enough for Seungmin to pull off his short sleeves without getting confused glances. You see, vampires are pretty insensitive to temperatures either.
He strode down the streets with confidence, knowing the way like the back of his hand at this point, until he saw a familiar sign outlined with purple-pink neon. It was Seungmin's personal favorite, with tight security and a nice retro vibe, though the name being “Lilac Blood” was still almost ironic.
After showing his ID to the security, Seungmin gets inside and is immediately greeted with a cool blow of the air conditioning and steady beats. The establishment had black and white tiled checkered flooring, with a few tuxedo sofas – the shade of leather being dark blue – placed around. The gentle red and blue lights were bouncing off the walls in rhythm to the mellow edm track. Groups were collecting at the tables, and multiple people were already hitting the dancefloor to the very right.
The bar counter to the left was empty, and that's where Seungmin headed first, like he always does. He needed that bit of liquid first to loosen up, and then he was all but ready to strike conversations and dance away. If lucky, and that's actually what he was intending to do today, he will find a partner for the night.
“Hey. The usual?” The bartender greets him once he plops himself on a bar stool, covered in the same dark blue leather.
“Yep,” he propped his head with one hand, elbow resting on the counter and legs swinging back and forth just a bit. The bartender starts preparing his drink right away.
Seungmin watches the guy throw a few circles of ice into the glass. He skillfully pours the martini base, then orange juice and syrup, making the drink go from almost transparent to orange to bloody red in a satisfying succession. To finish, he throws in a slice of an orange before sliding the drink over the counter to his client.
“One Blood Orange ready for you, enjoy!” he smiles, before swiftly switching to a newly arrived customer.
“Thanks.”
The first few sips send a pleasant burn down his throat. Before, when he was still human, Seungmin did not enjoy alcohol, never craved it and didn't understand people who did. Both the sensation and taste were just awful, and the state after drinking one too many not any better. But now?
It felt almost nice. At times quite tasty even. He was not in a hurry, so he continued slowly sipping on his cocktail, feeling a few gazes already thrown his way, and waiting for the alcohol to hit. He was not necessarily a lightweight, but thankfully could feel the buzz pretty quickly.
As he finished his drink, the edm changed to a more energetic beat. He could hear the club getting even livelier, louder now that he focused his senses on the noises. The alcohol, however, did its thing and rather than finding it annoying, Seungmin starts to vibe with it.
He turns around in his stool towards the club grounds, leaving the empty glass on the counter, though not before picking the slice of orange from the bottom of the cup and taking it between his fingers. He eyes the area with curious eyes as he nibbles on the sweet orange piece with his teeth, one elbow still propped on the counter behind him. The tartness spreads on his tongue.
Before he can even decide his next course of action, the voice startles Seungmin out of his daze.
“Oh, aren't you the guy who almost collapsed this morning?”
He turns his head to the side, surprised to be met with a pair of familiar eyes.
And if Seungmin possessed any less composure than he did, he would “ah” openly, maybe even cover his mouth with his hand for effect. Because the man in front of him looked nothing short of gorgeous.
This time, his hair was parted to the sides, while somehow still maintaining that messy, fluffy look and revealing his forehead. And a pretty forehead that was. His already sharp eyes were accentuated with dark eyeliner in the inner corners, making them look even more feline. The black silky blouse fit snugly in the area of his well defined chest, flowing down to the waistline of the black leather pants where it was tucked into – leather that hugged those thick thighs tight enough to drive people mad.
Seungmin wanted to believe he was stronger than that.
“Ah, look, it's Lee Minho”, he deadpanned, mimicking the girl’s words and intonation from that very morning.
The man's passive expression immediately morphed into that one of surprise – of disbelief, eyes widening a fraction with mouth simultaneously spreading in an awed grin. A second later an amused breathy laugh leaves his lips.
“So you know me?” The stare of brown eyes is back on him, and for a moment he sees something akin to sparkles flash within. Curiosity.
Seungmin leans back for a second to toss the remainder of his orange slice back into the cup, before looking again.
“No, I don't,” he replies stubbornly, and it's not a lie. Though he knows what the man meant, he won't entertain him with a positive answer.
“Well, I've heard about you too.” Minho takes a step to stand closer, no longer smiling but with amusement still visible on his features. He looks directly in his eyes, watches him. “Kim Seungmin.”
Now it was Seungmin's turn to part his lips in surprise. He did not expect Lee Minho to be aware of who he was. And whatever expression he sees on Seungmin's face right now must satisfy him, because his eyes crinkles in the corners.
Seungmin instantly feels a prick of annoyance in his chest: there is something about this man he already dislikes, and it has not even been 5 minutes.
The retort does not have time to leave his throat as he hears a slide of glass against the counter.
“Seconds? Or would you like something stronger?” the bartender asks him after taking the empty cup. He glances between him and Minho before settling on him again.
“Yeah thank you, the usual please.” Seungmin decided he wouldn't mind a stronger cocktail just about now.
“Anything for your companion?” The bartender asks, turning his head towards Minho. The corner of Seungmin's lips twists at the choice of a word.
“No thanks, I still have mine,” Minho raises his hand and shakes the glass a few times. How did I not see he was holding a drink? A short nod and the bartender walks away.
Seungmin was still puzzledly eying the drink in Minho's hand like it was his mortal enemy. When the heck did it appear? Or there was just no way Seungmin was going to admit that maybe he was too busy looking at something else to bother noticing what the man had in his left hand.
“Wouldn't have taken you for a person who frequents places like this”, Minho's words bring him back once again. His expression was back to indifferent, he looked almost bored as he watched the liquid splash from side to side with each flick of his wrist.
“I hear this more often than I'd like to admit,” he leans against the counter with a sigh, turning forward to observe the club area once again. “I genuinely think clubs can be fun if you know what exactly you're looking for. Are you not a fan, sunbae?”
“I was literally dragged here. So no, not really.” The apparent annoyance in his voice is so funny Seungmin has to stifle a laugh. “And then the bastards who call themselves my friends vanish somewhere within the first ten minutes.”
One glance is enough to understand that there's no real bite behind the elder’s deadly stare and indignant words. He's complaining just for the sake of it, and Seungmin just so happened to be a face he recognized. Apparently.
“Was it not for the promise of good music to dance to and the need to get wasted, no foot of mine would be set here.” Minho finishes dramatically before tipping his cup over to swallow the remnants of his drink. Seungmin feels himself gulp when his gaze falls to his adam's apple. Concentrate.
His own second drink arrives a few seconds later. Seungmin takes a sip.
“Aren’t you already a dance major though?”
Minho tsks at his remark.
“Well don't you think I'd sometimes like to dance for myself? Freely, just to enjoy it. You don't sing just for assignments now, do you?”
He can't counter that one. “Fair.”
The following silence lasts several minutes or so, and Seungmin starts to get a little uncomfortable. He recalls he actually had a goal for today, and this unexpected conversation has done nothing but send him off-kilter on multiple occasions.
At that moment Minho turns his head towards him. Something flashes in his cat-like eyes.
“Do you wanna dance, Kim Seungmin?”
No. He wants to say, only because a logical part of himself yells at him to stop getting involved with this man any further, that this is a perfect, and probably last chance to keep this interaction at bay. Well, a shame Seungmin was never compliant.
“Under the surveillance of a pro dancer? Hmm, don't know,” he tilts his head to the side, considering.
“Oh, I am not going to judge”
One look at Lee Minho was enough to prove otherwise. Seungmin ends up agreeing anyway.
“Okay. Let's go. Not like it wasn't what I was gonna do anyway.” He throws his glass back to drown his drink in one go, his face scrunches from the burn.
He jumps off the stool, glad to see the legs keep him steady, before standing next to Minho. And he swears he sees him shamelessly look him up and down, the gaze lingering on his calves, then his thighs and hips before coming back up.
“Hooo. So you dance?”
“It's one of the things I come here for,” he shrugs. “I think it's fun. And relaxing,” he takes Minho's glass out of his hand before leaving both of them on the counter.
“Then let's go.” Minho says nonchalantly before grabbing him by the arm and dragging him forward. He just lets him. His palm is smaller than he thought, and lies hot against Seungmin's ice cold skin.
Seungmin decides to accept his fate for today. He was planning to find someone to dance with anyway, so why can't that someone be Minho?
Once Minho leads them to the dancefloor, he lets go before turning to face Seungmin. He gives him an expectant look, brows going upwards. The track changes once more.
And it just so happens to be one Seungmin knows. Without as much as a glance, Minho gets into motion along with the new song. It's on the older side, and Seungmin danced to it enough times before for his body to easily match the beat. Being nervous won't do him any favors, so he joins right away too. Minho can judge him all he wants.
And he does.
Seungmin is not by any means shy, not usually at least, but somehow Minho makes him feel more conscious of himself. With those eyes on his body, taking in his every movement, he almost feels like a prey. How ironic, considering that in the food chain hierarchy the one who will actually end up as a prey is none other than Minho.
Nevertheless, he ends up having much more fun than he expected. The moves are coming naturally to him, and he even adjusts to Minho's rhythm, to which he receives another surprised raise of eyebrows. The elder says nothing, but Seungmin can notice his movements intensify: the turns of his torso, the swiveling of his hips.
Minho's expression remains unfazed, but he feels it – the amusement, the intensity of it flickering in his irises along with the pinks and purples of the ceiling lights – he wants to see how long Seungmin can keep up.
This time Seungmin can't stop the awed grin spreading on his face. What the hell.
Not the one to decline a challenge, he tries to follow along, even though he's perfectly aware the strength of those moves is not something he can match. Minho skips backwards, Seungmin takes a step forward; Minho rapidly moves to the side, he follows. If it's Minho who leans in, he bends back.
Seungmin feels an unexplainable ardor spreading in his body. The dance turned into an unprompted back and forth, and he finds himself enjoying it.
Another song, and like a switch has been flipped. Minho instantly readjusts to a completely different tempo, unperturbed. The same can't be said about Seungmin, who short circuits at the rapid change. It's only for a few seconds, but they are both aware Minho takes it as a small victory if his sly smirk is an indication enough.
Minho spins around – which would be a fascinating dance move had Seungmin not known it was just to tease him – and takes a few steps backwards in a practiced succession. Seungmin moves forward to catch up, but of course the elder slips away.
Since when did dancing turn into a game of chase? Seungmin huffs in annoyance but follows, at this point walking rather than dancing, whichever direction the elder chooses next, mingling fluidly past the dancing crowd. Seungmin reaches out, this time almost gets him, but Minho dodges to the side. And he fucking giggles. And it’s such a pretty giggle but Seungmin has only so much patience.
He decides to play dirty, and uses a bit of his supernatural speed to round the crowd and out of the elder's sight. The next thing Minho knows is someone is spinning him around from behind, and catches his wrist midair in a tight grip.
“Who'd have known sunbae was so childish?” Seungmin grits out as he finally manages to get Minho to stop. The man blinks at him, one two three four five, before the thin line of his pressed lips morphs back into a lopsided grin.
“Don't know what you're talking about,” he sing-songs, eyeing his own hand clasped in Seungmin’s.
“Stop running.” He furrows with a pout. Without much thought, he leads Minho's hand down to punctuate his statement, holding it firmly like that of a naughty child.
Another blink of those long lashes against the soft cheeks. Then Minho places his other palm on Seungmin's waist and dips him over till his back is almost parallel to the floor, all while perfectly holding his weight.
Their faces were so close now, barely inches apart, to the point where he could feel Minho's soft breaths on his nose. He was, after all, able to see Minho's pupils, and that his irises were indeed of a beautiful shade of dark brown.
“Okay okay, I won't.”
Next song, and he lifts him back up.
This bickering energy they established never quite goes away, as both of them keep on finding a way to test each other's nerves. Like how Minho spins him around and Seungmin rolls his eyes, or how Seungmin “accidentally” steps on Minho's foot three times in a row. It's annoying. But it's fun.
At one point Seungmin starts mindlessly singing along – the song he knows by heart pops up – as he dances in tiny jumps. He decides to pretend he doesn't notice the look of amazement the elder sends his way.
It may have been 20 minutes. Or an hour. Judging by Minho's heaving chest, or the drops of sweat running down his damp temple, he'd guess the latter. They decide to take a break and go back to the bar.
Seungmin all but forgets his intention of stopping engaging with Minho. Almost. They order more drinks, and before he knows it, get into a casual conversation. No oversharing – they keep it on a surface level, just how Seungmin likes it.
He learns that Minho is 23, that he is in his 3rd year of studying dance. He grew up in Gimpo and is an only child. Apparently, he also loves cats, and when they get even tipsier, proudly shows Seungmin an entire folder.
In return, Seungmin shares that he is “21” (or at least his body is), that he comes from a small town near Seoul and is in his 1st year of singing major. After further nudging, the elder gets it out of him that he's a big fan of a band Day6. All questions even remotely related to his family are avoided like plague.
Thankfully, Minho does not push and instead proceeds to ramble complaints about his workload and people, and life overall, dragging out the words when he gets especially annoyed, and Seungmin finds it oddly endearing.
They are noticeably drunk now, slightly uncoordinated as they jump off of their bar stools before Minho grabs his bicep and is dragging them back towards the dance floor. The combination of ceiling lights makes the room spin.
“Minho? There you are, man!” There stands a short, but very buff man with raven black hair and a glass in his hand. Judging by his overall state as he waves in their direction, he might be even more gone than they are.
“Not now Binnie, I'm busy,” the elder raises his hand in a blocking motion, not sparing a glance as he stubbornly strides forward. The last Seungmin sees of the man is a confused expression before it gets swallowed by the crowd.
Any other time Seungmin would question, but right now he was a tad bit too wasted to care. With his free hand, he pulls out his phone to check the time before Minho pulls them into the dancing crowd. A quarter to midnight, huh. So he's been here for over two hours, most of which he's spent with the man tagging him by the arm. How weird.
He pockets his phone just as they are back on the dance floor, now even more cramped, which pushes them closer to each other. As if to further prove a point, at that exact moment some really tall man accidentally kicks a shocked Minho's head with an elbow. For some reason it punches a small giggle out of Seungmin (oh fuck, he's that gone), before he reaches out for the side of the elder's head to cradle the place that got hit.
“There-there.”
Minho deeply frowns at his audacious reaction, but let's Seungmin pet the place a few times anyway, like he would a dog (or maybe a cat). When Minho deems it enough, he slaps his hand away, making him belatedly aware of their proximity. The proximity the sober Seungmin would definitely dislike. Once again, he was far from sober.
Minho was too, apparently, because his hands somehow find their way on Seungmin's hips, kneading the leather under his touch. He's not looking at him, but rather somewhere in the area of his collarbones, Seungmin notes, as he starts swaying to the beat. As the taller of the two, he has no choice but to place his palms on Minho's shoulders.
So they dance, just like that, from time to time jokingly leaning a part of their drunken weights on each other. Everything seems so chill, comfortable even if a little hazed.
That is until Seungmin feels a hand slide on his ass and an inquisitive, firm squeeze on his right ass cheek just a few seconds later. He tenses, throwing a questioning gaze down at the elder who hums to himself like he reached some sort of miraculous conclusion after the evaluation of Seungmin’s butt.
So Seungmin brings his right hand behind and places it right atop Minho's. With his other, he threads his fingers into the soft hair on the back of his head, pulling to tilt it up.
“What are you doing, sunbae?” Sternly.
That makes Minho finally look up.
“Earlier, you said clubs can be fun if you know what you're looking for,” he avoids the question completely, answering with his own. “What was it that you were looking for today, Kim Seungmin?”
Something tells him Minho already suspects the answer. And if he doesn't, Seungmin will tell him anyway. In this state, his filter was long since gone. (not that it was present much in his sobriety either)
“I was gonna find a hookup for the night.'' He lays it out straight, leaning forward, words a bit slurred. “Planned to. That is, until sunbae showed up.”
“So I ruined your plans?”
Accusatory, Seungmin replies. “Yes, you did.”
With that, he gives Minho's hair a slight tug, not missing the way a small gasp of air leaves his parted jaw at the action. He lets his eyes linger on the plumper upper lip only for a brief moment, before meeting Minho's gaze again, dimmed with intoxication, eyelids heavy. So hot.
The hands move to grasp his waist. He realizes he's temporarily forgotten about the music – some slow r&b playing right now – swinging his body alongside Minho's on pure instinct.
“Can I become a part of your plan instead?”
Ah.
So this is where it's all going after all. Usually, he wouldn't spend the night with someone he knows from uni – he'd rather keep his sexual life and school life apart. Strangely, this time Seungmin lets that principle slide. He really wants.
That's why he will make an exception.
He brings his left, free hand to the side of Minho's neck – a mere touch of the cold fingertips to the warm skin, almost uncertain – receiving a short, pleased hum in return. “Do you want that, sunbae?”
He stares at Seungmin pointedly, like he is stupid. Maybe he is. Then Minho leans in, their noses nearly touching for a second before he goes past towards his ear, letting out in a low murmur. “If I didn't, I wouldn't ask.”
It’s like a string snaps, and Seungmin pulls Minho towards himself by the hold he shifted to the elder's hips, their bodies flush against each other when he starts moving his hands upwards, intending to feel every curve of that ridiculous body.
Minho tenses just slightly, hands darting to wrap around Seungmin's wrists, though he does not tear them away like Seungmin thought he would. Instead, he presses the palms more into his body, helping him guide them upwards so the palms cup his chest.
At the same time, he continues watching him intently as if looking for something, some sort of confirmation.
“You can, sunbae.”
Minho leans in instantaneously, and a tickle of the fluffy hair on his neck is the only warning Seungmin gets before plush lips come intact with the column of his neck in an open-mouthed kiss. A shudder curses down his spine.
Minho nibbles at the skin, hands still keeping his firm against his chest, before he sucks harder, in a way that would unmistakably leave a mark. Seungmin thinks he might be going crazy, and a thigh that suddenly wedges itself between his legs might just be the final straw.
He jumps up and curses under his breath at the sudden pressure to his crotch when Minho moves his leg up and down a few times, experimentally. He brings his hand up and roughly pulls at his hair again, taking a fistful to punctuate and tugging roughly but letting him remain at his neck.
“What do you think you are doing, subae?”
The elder only lets out a quiet moan into the skin of his neck, his thigh not ceasing its movement where it still presses between Seungmin's legs, making him hold back a moan of his own.
“I can do that too, you know?” he says and proceeds to push his thigh in between Minho's. He may or may not have pressed a bit too hard because he hears Minho cuss before biting down on Seungmin's neck. Hard. “Argh..”
Surprisingly, it felt nice. He keeps his hand in the silky hair, baring more of his neck and allowing Minho to suck a few more bruises to his pale skin. Their thighs remain mostly still but they could both undoubtedly feel that they were already half hard. A tad bit more and things could turn publicly indecent.
“Sunbae. Thoughts on relocating?”
That makes Minho detach from his neck, lips puffy.
“Where? Something tells me you're not the ‘dirty tiles of the club bathroom’ kinda guy too.”
“Ew, of course not. There's a hotel right next to here, the simple rooms are quite cheap.”
“Okay, sure. Let's go.” Minho proceeds to grab his wrist for the 3rd time that night, leading them towards the exit. Somehow, Seungmin finds himself minding that blunt habit less and less. He's only distantly aware of the quizzical look some guy regards them with once they stumble towards the entrance.
◆◆◆
The moment they enter the elevator Minho's back slams into the mirrored wall. He pulls Seungmin onto himself by his collar, making the top few buttons of his leather vest pop open from the force.
This time Seungmin dives for his neck, tagging the already halfway unbuttoned shirt to the side and moving onto the firm shoulder. Minho is surprisingly pliant under the touch, breathing heavily while gripping his waist. Seungmin doesn't bite—can't risk it—but sucks and nibbles plenty, feeling Minho wrap one of his calves around the back of his leg, pulling their hips flush together. The friction is pleasant.
The elevator dings and he drags Seungmin out. Minho stumbles over nothing in the process, punching a laugh out of Seungmin which earns him a deadly glare. He reaches the needed door before pressing the key card and letting them in. It's a fairly simple room, one big bed in the middle, with 2 drawers on the sides and a tv screen on the opposite wall.
Minho sits on the bed, pulling Seungmin onto his lap. He grabs at his waist again, kneading the leather again like a cat, then moving his fingers up to unbutton the vest in one swift motion, the buttons popping open. Minho doesn't waste time reaching underneath the material to palm onto the pale skin.
“You are so cold…” he mumbles matter of factly, a hint of wonder, before looking up. “So, how we gonna do this? Your position?”
Seungmin blinks, thoughts reeling for a moment there. The thought of fucking Minho feels so hot; the thought of getting fucked by Minho makes him weak in his knees. Both options seem so good and his non-sober brain is indecisive, almost a shame he gets to only experience one.
“I can do both. What about you, sunbae?” There, he can leave the choice to Minho. Maybe he has a strict preference, who knows.
“I am fine with either too.” Oh? That is a pleasant surprise. “You can pick.”
“I said I am okay with both.”
“You– Okay, then can I fuck you?”
The question is followed by a firm squeeze on his ass. Seungmin lets himself be stunned by only a second before raising a smug eyebrow, followed by an even more smug grin.
He jumps off the lap and quickly waddles over to the bedside drawer to fetch condoms and lube kindly prepared by the hotel. He tosses it next to Minho before quickly unbuttoning his top with a popping sound and throwing it to the ground.
Minho continues eyeing him as he tugs the leather pants down along with his underwear as well, gulps hungrily once Seungmin plops himself back on his lap.
He silently proceeds to unbutton Minho's blouse, flattens his palms against the firm pecs as soon as the piece of clothing is gone. Minho was very fit, he had a firm waist with a strong core and a slight ab definition on an otherwise toned, smooth stomach. The elder jolted under his cold touch but didn't say anything.
After a final appreciative look, Seungmin lets go and reaches directly for the lube, popping the cap off and squeezing a necessary amount onto his fingers. He spreads it evenly before reaching behind himself when a hand stops him mid-air.
“You are going to do that yourself?” Minho asks in confusion. He seems to be almost offended.
“Was going to. Do you wanna?”
A huff is the only reply Seungmin gets before the lube is snatched from him and he watches Minho generously coat his fingers instead. “Lift yourself up just slightly.”
The command is said with more gentleness than Seungmin would've ever anticipated, and it makes him feel all weird and fluttery as he shifts a bit higher on his knees from where he was sitting on Minho's thighs.
He feels the first prod of the finger against his rim before it slowly slides in. It's been a while since he bottomed, but surprisingly the feeling is already pleasant. Seungmin braces himself on Minho's shoulders as the first finger reaches all the way in to the knuckle.
Minho eyes him as he does a few experimental thrusts before setting a slow, steady pace. A second finger follows and that's where Seungmin’s breath hitches. The fingers gently push in, before stopping around the second knuckle to let him adjust. Once he feels himself relax, he sits down all the way to the final knuckle himself, letting out a heavy, contented sigh that quickly turns into a moan as Minho starts to scissor the fingers inside him. Seungmin feels him hum quietly as he continues to work him open.
Thrust of two fingers soon turns into three and Seungmin starts to feel the heat building inside his core, completely and shamelessly hard now. He begins to meet the movements of Minho's fingers, and feels the first hit on his prostate after an especially deep thrust that makes him let out a particularly high keen.
“There-there.” Minho massages the same spot with a firm press of his fingers a few more times, leaving Seungmin as a writhing, gasping mess, and maybe the smirk against his neck should feel more irritating than it does. He continues to hit his prostate and stretch him out some more before pulling out with a wet squelch.
Seungmin untangles himself from where he was pressed to Minho closely. He didn't even realize just how affected Minho has been, eyeing the noticeable bulge in his tight pants; that must hurt. He brushes along the contour of Minho's dick which earns him a startled buck of the hips and a hiss.
“Let's get you out of these.” Seungmin moves to the side to let Minho tug the pants off, and his boxers next, leaving him equally naked. His dick was red and painfully hard (Seungmin was just slightly proud to elicit such a reaction).
Minho was around the same size, a bit shorter but thicker than him, and Seungmin couldn't help being excited seeing that girth. The elder quickly tore the condom packaging before wrapping it onto himself and urging Seungmin back on his lap. “How do you wanna do it?”
The latter takes Minho's dick into his hand, eliciting another hiss followed by a moan when the touch turns into pleasurable pressure. Seungmin strokes him a few times before sitting up and bringing his dick right under himself.
“Like this.” He feels the press of the head to his rim before pushing it in, pressing down on it with his own body till he feels the head pop in. “Agh.” It is for sure bigger than three fingers, so he tenses, bringing his hands back to gripping Minho's shoulders.
He starts to sink down, feels Minho's cock pulsate against his walls. Seungmin is halfway through when he decides to drop down completely and without warning to the hilt, making them both moan loudly. Minho grips him at the waist, letting out harsh breaths while Seungmin gets used to the feeling. Feels so good.
It reaches so deep in this position, so he does a few experimental circles of his hips, hearing Minho let out a chain of curses. Then he raises himself on his thighs, just a bit, before dropping back down. He quickly learns that he likes Minho’s moans, likes when people are loud actually as it ignites tingles of his own arousal, so he repeats the movement several times.
Pros of being a vampire is that you get infinite physical stamina, so his thighs won't give in easily. He goes almost all the way up Minho's dick where only the tip remains inside before sinking all the way down. Somewhere along the way Minho starts bucking up inside him as well, deep and surprisingly precise considering their intoxicated state.
Eventually the room gets filled with the sounds of skin on skin, as well as grunts and occasional moans. The pace of the rhythm they've set quickens, and Seungmin feels delirious with the pleasure, and fullness, and the alcohol clouding his brain. The pressure and hotness in his core builds up, and he brings a hand to get a feel of his lower abdomen, breath hitching at the sensation. He could almost imagine the slight, barely there outline, the delicious drag of Minho's cock through his stomach as it pressed in and out, and couldn't help letting out another loud moan.
Seungmin has always been thin, and just something about the feeling of being stuffed so full brought him closer. He gives a tentative touch to the area, his thighs working on autopilot, before pressing in deeper into his taut skin. The sensation is borderline maddening, and so he does it again, this time hearing Minho jolt and moan under him.
The new shift makes Minho hit his prostate dead on and combined with a newfound sensation Seungmin almost screams.
“Do it again.” Minho says hoarsely into his ear and Seungmin complies. He presses firmly into his stomach just as the elder plunges in, feels the lightest bump of his dick through his stomach as it hits the sensitive spot hard and that's what ultimately tips him over the edge.
He comes with a cut off scream, completely untouched, back hunched and thighs shaking with the intensity of his orgasm. Seungmin feels himself practically burst with accumulated pressure, painting both of their stomachs in white streaks. He tries but probably fails to meet Minho's movements, instead sitting down, shaking and squeezing around his base.
That triggers Minho's release, and his hips buckle under him before he comes deep inside into the condom, breathy moans and grunts echoing off Seungmin's skin from where he muffles them into his shoulder.
Seungmin feels the sparks tingle behind his eyelids, the added fullness inside himself as he comes down from his high. Minho is still panting harshly when he untangles himself from his shoulders, vision swimming and refocusing and blinking in shock when he sees the red imprints of his fingers left behind on the skin. Oops.
But what shocks him even more is feeling the softened dick inside him slowly hardening again.
He shifts back slightly, the squelch of the cum inside him making him wince, to raise a surprised brow at Minho, who looks the slightest bit sheepish. His face was reddened, tiny drops of sweat accumulating at his temples and some hair strands matted to his forehead.
“I happen to have a very short refractory period.”
Seungmin didn't need to be told twice. “Then we're going for round two.”