calypso ❈

          once again, caught off guard upon learning they were both fairly inexperienced in dating. though to a degree, it was a relief. pressure taken off his shoulders, without that looming expectation for something extravagant. 

          having just come out of a relationship himself, though, there was still a certain amount of unease. moving on was something he needed, and minah was the only person as of late that had managed to catch his eye, no less forced him into a throes of needing to get to know someone. for that, alone, he was grateful.

          junho had ducked his own head, the notion of her enjoying their little back and forth was enough to draw slight colour to his cheeks. “dinner sounds nice,” spoken sheepishly, until he could gather himself once more, settle upon resting his eyes over her features. taking her in as he thought, “or we could spend the night at the beach? bring some stuff out with us, to eat or drink, i don’t mind. we’d be alone, that way.” 

she felt this odd hybrid of excitement and nervousness. now that she felt as though they were on the same page there was less uncertainty. while that gave her a semblance of comfort, she also still felt a pit in her stomach. it was mostly from various insecurities that had settled in. she didn’t pride herself in being a good date. she hardly knew how. 

minah liked the idea of them being alone though. there was less influence of outside forces, in a way less pressure. she wanted to see more of what he was actually like one on one. they were both a little nervous; a little shy. maybe if they were alone that would fade a little bit. 

          his avoidance of eye contact meant he hadn’t caught the grin that spread across her lips, instead focusing on the ring of condensation coming as a cost of the drink he’d had earlier. it was only when she’d chosen to speak up, his head snapped upwards. perhaps wasn’t expecting such a response to come from her, if his wide eyes were anything to go by. as much melted away as quickly as it had come, however, as his grin mimicked her own.

          “you would?” if he was coming across enthusiastic, he’d neglected to realise, too caught up in the moment to pay any mind to anything else. only her, and her agreement to a proposal he wasn’t entirely sure of himself. all he knew was his feelings and wants. 

          “uhm…” a hum came, joined by the toying of the short hairs at the back of his neck, “i’ve actually never been on a date. not a proper one, at least,” he’d taken to explaining, which was the truth. always found himself stumped on the matter, thus went into relationships head first rather than taking baby steps, “i’d be down for a movie, though. or a candlelit dinner. anything you’re into, so long as i can spend time with you in the process.”

“i’ve been on maybe three dates, so i’d say you’re pretty fairly matched,” she admitted with a nod. the only dates that she had ever been on were the one’s that lead up to a failed marriage. minah had mostly shied away from conventional relationships since then to say the least. she had always opted for casual flings with the sincere promise of no strings attached, but with this new start in seoul the only question that rang in her head was why not? 

it may be a bit naive to think, but she figured that putting herself out there a little bit wouldn’t be the worst. she enjoyed the gentleman across the table from her. he was handsome and polite, and the conversation and the company were all lining up well.

          the grin that overcame his lips after learning they shared the same relationship status, was almost blinding. admittedly caught by surprise, half expecting her to have been humouring the notion of conversation with him, if only to make things less awkward going forward. after all, he truly wouldn’t have been caught off guard if she had told him that she was taken. would’ve understood as much, though now caught in the idea of excitement.

          and perhaps it had become awkward after their announcements, with no real insight to what the future would hold. a stall in conversation. for a moment, junho panicked, was convinced that was it. they’d jump into business, as was intended, and forget about everything that came beforehand. perhaps that was the reason he was so eager to jump forward, fingers gripping the sides of his chair as he leaned into the table.

          for a moment, he couldn’t help but think over what he was going to say. how he was going to word it. braced himself for either conclusion. “how… how would you feel about going on a date with me?” the weapons tech had asked quietly, loud enough to be heard over the distant sounds of conversation in the background. though his nerves were becoming obvious, “it’s totally cool if you don’t want to. we can just get straight to business if not,” and a shrug of the shoulders followed as he ducked his head, leaning back once more.

minah didn't anticipate the question that next left his mouth. in fact it left her feeling a bit stunned. she paused for a second and a wide grin took her features. she felt flattered, and relieved. it was really nice to have her feelings in this moment matched. she now just felt nervous that she wouldn’t make a good first date. it had been a while since she had gone on one; it was safe to say she was a bit out of practice when it came to the world of dating.

minah felt a bit of guilt wash over her as junho quickly back tracked, suggesting that they could go straight to business. she hoped that her pause wasn’t what caused any insecurity. "oh, no, no. I'd enjoy going on a date very much." she quickly answered with a pleased, pink-faced, grin. 

          “doesn’t sound easier. kids are just hellbound on eating glue,” followed promptly by the makings of a laugh, though he could admit that he found a newfound respect for the other. teaching in and of itself didn’t seem like the easiest of things, perhaps one of the most rewarding if one loved their job, though. he could understand where she was coming from, though. many a time he’d thought about dropping everything to pursue something vastly different, if only to find a new meaning. 

          junho couldn’t help but lean back as a burst of laughter overcame him, though. the notion of both of them exchanging what they were good at, simply for the sake of it, was amusing enough. two completely opposing services. “no, no, it’s a promise. i’ll bring my toolbox, and my study head.” the further he thought about the idea of the two spending more time together, though, in such a manner, he couldn’t complain. in fact, he’d more than welcome it, if only to give him an excuse to see her more often. 

          the question, however, had caught him off guard. hadn’t expected the conversation to delve into such a topic, despite him wishing exactly that. perhaps it was the confidence she held as those words passed from her lips, or the idea that he’d thought he’d made it clear that there was nobody else to worry about. even so, he’d straightened himself up, thumbs rolling against each other. “i’m single, so there’s nobody out there looking to cause trouble. don’t you worry your pretty head,” came his response, makings of a grin pulling at his own lips. junho went through the motions of clearing his throat, however, as he returned the question, “you’re not with anyone, right? i mean, i wouldn’t be surprised if you were. look at you,” and of course, he was rambling. yet another habit he was prone to, no matter how much he tried to shake it off.

when junho had revealed that he was single minah smiled and nodded. it filled her with a bit of excitement that resembled the feeling when of a school girl talking to her crush. that’s what this felt like in a way. an innocent crush.  the vampire wasn’t entirely sure what she would do with this new information. she was pleased to hear about this relationship status, and hoped that maybe if she gained enough courage she would make better use of the information. though, for now she was simply flattered. 

minah chuckled and shook her head as she watched her painted nails tap her martini glass. eye contact felt a little more difficult when she felt a little more flustered. "no. i am also single." she said simply. she sat up a bit and cleared her throat as she looked back up towards him. with the answer, she didn’t know where to take the conversation from there. maybe she was too timid.

          junho couldn’t help but soak it in, the notion of being the other’s highlight. and perhaps he didn’t want it to be business related. didn’t want that edge of seriousness to linger over the two. not now. after they’d gotten into the rhythm of getting to know each other, on a more personal note. almost dreading the moment it would progress into such a discussion, if only to hang onto the notion of delving deeper into her life. he wanted to ask something, as much was on the tip of his tongue, though his progressive nervous fidgeting was bringing light to the fact he hadn’t gathered the courage to do so just yet. 

          his head ducked at her comment, smiling to himself. “there is that. if you’re ever looking for a handyman, at least, you know where to look.” 

          fully grasped by her own story, however, almost refused to look away, as though he’d lose the sound of her voice if he’d dared to do so. and it was fascinating, learning more about her. hadn’t realised the depths she’d partaken in until now. and it only made him further realise the two knew next to nothing about each other. what he wouldn’t give to change that. “being a teacher sounds pretty neat. i don’t think i could ever have the patience to stand up in front of a bunch of people and teach them anything,” spoken with a hint of laughter behind his voice, to which he shook off, “do you enjoy what you do now, at least?”

          eyes dropped to her fingers against the glass she cradled, deep in thought. he could take up the opportunity to learn something new, he had nothing else to lose after all, “i’m taking that as an offer of you teaching me things. you can’t take it back now.” perhaps the widest grin he’d worn in a long time, had taken its place upon his lips at that. a joke, for the most part, though he certainly wouldn’t turn down the chance to spend more time with the other. 

minah let out a small laugh a he explained that he wouldn’t have the patience for teaching. “well i was mostly a teacher for younger children, so it was easier to get them to listen.” she explained with a smile. minah sat back in her chair a little more comfortably. “yeah, i do like what i do.” the vampire clarified. “it’s just different. it’s exhausting in different ways than i’m used to, but i can’t complain. that’s exactly what i wanted when i came back to seoul. i wanted something different than i was doing before.”

minah felt a wide smile curve her mouth. “oh, me teaching you is what you’re getting from it?” a small genuine laugh left her as she nodded her head. “okay. fair. i’ll teach you anything you wish to be taught, but... only if you’ll be my occasional handyman.” she proposed lightheartedly. “i’ve got an apartment filled with small things that could be fixed or worked on.” she tapped the glass with her fingers again before taking another drink. she was teasing, but she wouldn’t mind spending time with him, even if it was something as mundane as teaching him something new.

          it was strange, junho had never paid much thought into the operations of the higher roles of gangs, mainly just delved into his own work; kept to himself. hearing the other talk about her own set of tasks, though–or rather, lack of them, drew a slight furrow to his brow. still, a softened response, given he couldn’t draw his eyes away from her lips. 

          “oh?” junho questioned, hint of a smirk resting on the corner of his lips. he’d come to lean forward, arms resting on the tabletop, fingers tapping. “i’ll have to make sure this is enough to make it a good day, then, right?” it could have been suggestive, or simply playful. had chosen to leave that up to minah to decide, though once more refrained from hiding the way his eyes skimmed over everything she did, from the smallest of details. 

          with her questioning, the weapons tech sat back once more, head tilted with deliberation over how he’d answer. the truth of it was too deep to discuss with someone who qualified too close to be a stranger, though he didn’t want to make himself out to be a liar, neither. “it wasn’t my choice, i kind of got thrown into it. but, it’s the only thing i can do that would allow me to make a living, so i’m just rolling with the punches,” it was vague enough to leave deeper explanation open for a later date. “how does one find themselves becoming an adviser, anyway? anything specific, or was it just an absent calling?”

minah knew that at some point they would have to transition towards the actual business of their meeting, but for now she was happy letting this play out. she enjoyed the company junho was providing, and learning a bit more about him was fascinating to an extent. a small blushed smile curved her lips when he had mentioned making sure that today was a good day. she couldn’t quite tell the intention of the comment but it flattered her nonetheless. “you’re doing quite well i’d say.”

she found curiosity mulling over how exactly one is thrown into such a profession, but she knew that digging for some kind of answers was less than polite. “at least it’s something you can make use of in this way.” she nodded her head.

the vampire should have anticipated questions about her career choices but she still need to take a second to think of how to explain it. it wasn’t that she hated her job, by any means. it was something that was more out of her comfort zone from past careers. “it’s something different. i was a teacher for a few decades in the town i grew up in. which i enjoy, but i needed some change.” it felt strange actually talking about, but also pleasant. “so i figured i’d go a different direction. i moved back to seoul. i was learning computer programming anyways and it all kind of fell into place.” she admitted. she was a very organized and premeditated person, so living without much of a plan was a bit chaotic to her.

          and he didn’t hide the fact that he was consumed by her, if his lack of attention to the wait staff was any indication. startled to look once they’d cleared their throat to garner it, only to mutter out a sheepish “i’m good, thank you,” in response, apologetic smile in its wake. perhaps he was making himself too obvious, didn’t know how else to compose himself other than to lose himself.

          as much became even more obvious when she’d asked such an off-topic question, only to be met with the bubbling of laughter from the sin demon. it was unexpected, the male otherwise expecting the duo to delve straight into business, into the reason they were meeting. proven wrong, though he couldn’t deny that he preferred this direction. 

          “it’s been okay. i’ve spent the majority of the day tuning my car, fixing it up. neugdaedeul seem to think i’m a runner, lately, so it’s been through better days. what about you?” asked with genuine curiosity, in an attempt to get to know her. his hand dipped underneath the table to toy with the frayed fabric of the rips in his jeans, to take his mind off of how nervous he was. had settled down since they’d come to meet, but it hadn’t toned down the anticipation of wanting to know more about the adviser. call it external liquid courage, but he’d look for any reason to allow him to spend more time with her. 

“ah, i see.” she nodded her head. she listened intently and felt a bit fascinated. she didn’t have the slightest bit of knowledge of cars so it was interesting to her to find people who did take interest in them. she wished he would continue, truth be told she could happily watch his lips tell stories all night long. 

when he had asked her the same minah shrugged one of her shoulders. “for me it’s been okay. a little uneventful actually. i mostly kind of listen to people it feels... as well as taking on any other little miscellaneous tasks i can take on.” sometimes she wished that she was in a role that gave her a greater sense of purpose, but that was a little much to dish out so quickly. that seemed a bit heavy, and to minah, this wasn’t about her. who knows. maybe she was just in a rut. “this has been the most eventful thing i’ve done today,” the vampire chuckled.

          perhaps he’d arrived too early in his excitement, not too early where he’d find himself on the borderline of desperation, but early enough to familiarise himself with the spot they’d agreed to. now sitting here in nervous anticipation, leg bouncing up and down, and hair slightly mussed through his consistency of running fingers through the strands. he’d made the effort today, after all, to make himself more than presentable. 

          in his own little world when the adviser had walked through the door, hadn’t truly noticed her until she came close to the table he’d situated himself at. immediately stood in wake of as much, if only to catch a better glance of the girl. perhaps it was a mistake, left him without words. he’d continue to deny as much for his own sanity, but the real reason for his boost of excitement was simply because of her. had feelings for her he’d never thought he’d have. 

          “don’t be silly. i’ve barely waited myself,” the empty glass that sat before him suggested otherwise, hoped she wouldn’t pick up on such a minuscule thing. once more taking his seat when she had, fingers tapped against the tabletop, once again partaking in nervous habits he’d wished he’d grown out of by now. “did you want a drink or something? before we get started?”

junho was polite as ever as he stood to greet her as entered. he was handsome and it left her feeling a bit jittery; nervous. minah smiled and nodded her head  “oh, um, yes. a drink does sound quite nice.” she smiled as someone from wait staff seemed walked over to take her order “oh, I’ll just have a martini, please. thank you.” Not necessarily her favorite drink, but it was simple and enjoyable.

she relaxed into her seat but not too much. she made sure to keep a relaxed but proper position as she rested her hands in her lap. she kept them out of sight so he wouldn't see any of her needless fidgeting.

{ ♡ } just what exactly is human ? starter for @minahxcalypso – ! 💕

There were so many different kinds of people up on the surface. Not everyone could breathe underwater, much less grew a tail when they touched the water. It was sou fascinating seeing different kinds or people for a change, but also a little overwhelming at times.

Never having been to the surface until now, Caspian often times finds himself at a loss for words or feeling a little lost about what actions are appropriate on the surface. He recently experienced a bit of an embarrassing moment on the street the other day, walking out onto the street to run his hands along the smooth reflective surface of a car. To say the driver wasn’t all too pleased to see this would be an understatement.

Today wasn’t that much better, the young merman found himself feeling slightly swamped with all of these new changes up on the surface. He huffed slightly as he crossed his legs together, pulling a blanket over his lap and turning to his new friend, a vampire who had shown him kindness and opened her heart to him. Wearing a gloomy expression on his face he spoke up over the television show they had been watching together, 

“Minah? Is it hard to interact with so many different species?” he sighed softly and pinched the blanket between his thumb and index finger, “I feel like I’m not talking to them right and they just get upset with me…”

minah felt relaxed and comfy in her seat, buried in the couch covered with a blanket and a pillow. her eyes stayed focused on the drama in front of her and her company. she wished that she could say that drama bored her, but she was the type to get drawn in deep.

her eyes cut back over to caspian as he spoke up. the way he spoke made her worry that it was something he had been doting on for awhile.

"awh, cas..." she felt her heart sink a couple inches for him. she could only imagine how lonely it felt to live in a world where you believed no one liked you. "i dunno if it's that. maybe you're just talking to the wrong people?" she suggested hopefully.

there was a stifling silence. one that’s so suffocating that it almost makes jae regret speaking his thoughts so freely. but at the end of the day it was better to be honest and let minah know where he stood rather than put himself through more unnecessary doubt. he still had hope for the two of them. he had never been able to get over her and he surely wasn’t planning to now. “at the end of the day, the most important thing is that we’re both still alive.”

jae gave himself a couple of minutes to unwind, the last tears dripping down his cheeks as minah’s hands trailed his chest. it’s been a long time since he’s felt this safe. this comforted. he knows it will hurt in the morning, when it’s time for her to leave and pretend the attack never happened, but he’ll take the little he can get for now. if only to temporarily soothe his yearning heart.

“thank you, minah” he mutters, bringing her hand up to his lips and pressing a gentle kiss against the back of it. it was not just about feeling lonely or needing someone to take care of him. it was about her safety. he would never be able to forgive himself if something happened to her now. he would never forgive himself for running and putting minah in more danger instead of taking the matter into his own hands. “i think-“ jae takes a deep breath, extending his spine to feel out his condition, “i think i can make it to the couch if you help me up.” he says with a careful smile, fingers already gripping at the worktop of his kitchen island so he can try and have himself back up. “but while we’re still here… there’s blood bags in the fridge. i’m going to need it. we both are.”

she looked over his back, it had been ages since she had bandaged someone for such an intense injury. she was no medic, but it was still decent work.

minah did just that. she very carefully helped him to his feet. she still warily watched him once he was up; he looked exhausted enough to just drop. once she felt more confident in his ability to make it to the couch she quickly moved over to the fridge and retrieved the blood bags. he was right if she was being honest. they would both be needing these after what they had just been through, especially him. she eyed the cabinets attempting to figure out which one held glasses. first guess she found them though. a small smile graced minah’s face as she realized that he kept a similar placement of dishware in cabinets as they had in their shared home, many years ago. her heart ached.

jaesung grits his teeth together, fingers digging into the palm of his hand until they bleed. the air between is tense. desperate. and jae doesn’t want to make it worse by letting his little whines and whispers escape his lips. he couldn’t imagine what it would have been like if it had been the other way around. if it had been jae cutting bullets out of minah’s back. it would have been a lot more painful than the flame licking at his skin, that’s for sure… so he tries to pretend for minah’s sake. if only so he could relieve part of her suffering.

turns out that the knife cutting through his marbled skin, the vervain slowly slipping his veins shut, was only like a nail scratching at the surface. there was nothing that could have prepared him for the flame tugging and biting at his flesh, vaporising the poisonous liquid oozing out of the bullet wound. he screams, louder than he ever has before. he screams until it feels like his vocal chords will rip apart, drowning out minah’s quiet apologies. though, he wishes that he had heard them, so he could tell her that she’s actually saving his life.

he only breathes, gasps for air as soon as he feels minah’s comforting hands on his back, wrapping the gauze tightly but securely around his chest. it still stings. his back still whines with every movement he makes. there was no way she could have burnt out the vervain that had already travelled through his body but at least it no longer felt like he was dying.

or maybe it was the way minah’s head rested against his back. the way her arms carefully wrapped her waist in an attempt not to cause him any further pain. maybe it was the comfort, the nostalgia of her hold that truly made him feel alive. “there’s nothing to apologize for, minah.” he reassures her softly, smiling even though his cheeks feel stiff due to the dried up tears. “you don’t have to repay me for anything because i know you would have done the same for me.”

the words escape him before he can really realize it. that may have been true in the past but he shouldn’t be too sure of that right now, if only to try and protect himself. his chest feels heavy again but the sentiment is up in the air already and not even the chewing at his own lip can stop him from spilling more. “i would really like it if you stayed for the night. i don’t want you out there alone tonight. not when that guy is still running free and possibly still looking for us.”

minah paused at his words. she knew they wouldn’t have been so free if he hadn’t had the life drained from him. despite all of that she couldn’t even deny it. no matter how much she believed that her life had moved on, he was right. she’d take a bullet for him anytime, any day. “yeah,” she agreed softly. “if i can’t apologize for that, then i suppose i’m sorry that i wasn’t wasn’t fast enough to do it for you.” 

the vampire’s head still rested gently against her past love’s back. her arms were still wrapped around him, her hands comfortingly trailed over his chest and shoulders. it was interesting that they had been uncomfortable and awkward in each other’s presence shortly beforehand, and now skinship came so easily. a soft smile broke her lips, she didn’t know what to think of it.

the hand that comes to rest on his shoulder is calming, reassuring. minah will take care of him, he’s sure of it. she will make sure he survives and so he tries to sit as still as he can. he grits his teeth together, tries to bite through the pain. still the most painful aspect of it all are minah’s tears and her urgency to blame herself for what had happened. a life without her is not a life worth living, the only thing that got him through the past 113 years was knowing that at least she was still breathing. at least she would be happy, even if that meant he would never get to see her again.

his senses have gone into overdrive, shoulders tense as he can feel the scalpel hovering over the wounds. hands grip around the metal pipes of one of the bar stools planted around the kitchen island, preparing himself for another jolt of pain as the blade picks at his skin and exacerbates the wounds. another screams rumbles into the deepest pits of his chest and jae is once again thankful that his neighbours are usually out for the day, sparing him from the worried whispers and knocks on his front door.

the sound of the compressed bullet clattering against the kitchen tiles echoes through the room together with the relieved sigh that escapes jae’s lips, breathing in deeply as he prepares himself for the second cut. it hurts a little less the second time around even though the second bullet will take a little more digging from minah’s hands. the pain has almost become a second nature, or maybe it’s the prospect of almost being painfree that helps him bear a little longer. either way, the screams have stilled down into weak groans and even quieter tears. he will live and it’s all thanks to her.

❝ minah, please… ❞ the words come out weakly, eyes fluttering shut as he rests his forehead against the edge of the kitchen island. he wants nothing more but to tell her that there is simply nothing to make up for. her words only make his heart beat faster and that’s exactly what he doesn’t need right now, not as long as he still has vervain running through his veins. ❝ you are the love of my life. i wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt. it will always be your safety over mine. ❞ his hand comes loose from the bar stool, wiping away the tears on his cheek before he utters a few more words. ❝ minah, please, the bullet – you need to take it out. ❞

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry. i’ll hurry.”  and she did. she focused in on removing the difficult bullet until it made another similar clinging against the ground. she hated that she couldn’t just make this pain go away instantly. seeing him suffer like this was awful.

the sounds of his agony were utterly haunting to her. she was sure it would make appearances in her worst nightmares. no matter how gently are carefully she worked she knew that the pain wasn’t going to stop unless the vervain was burned out. another process that was going to tear her heart. igniting the lighter she looked over the flame with her tear stained eyelashes. she squeezed her eyes closed as put the flame of the lighter to the bullet holes to burn out the poison that tortured her love. little i’m so sorry’s muttered out constantly as she burned out the poison

after she was done she pressed gauze to the wounds and started to wrap the gauze around his torso. the vampire was hardly able to hold them back now all that she needed intense focus for was done. once he was wrapped, she let out a long slow sigh. her eyes glanced over his back; smooth and lean until you saw the gauze that disrupted it all. 

the hand that comes to rest on his shoulder is calming, reassuring. minah will take care of him, he’s sure of it. she will make sure he survives and so he tries to sit as still as he can. he grits his teeth together, tries to bite through the pain. still the most painful aspect of it all are minah’s tears and her urgency to blame herself for what had happened. a life without her is not a life worth living, the only thing that got him through the past 113 years was knowing that at least she was still breathing. at least she would be happy, even if that meant he would never get to see her again.

his senses have gone into overdrive, shoulders tense as he can feel the scalpel hovering over the wounds. hands grip around the metal pipes of one of the bar stools planted around the kitchen island, preparing himself for another jolt of pain as the blade picks at his skin and exacerbates the wounds. another screams rumbles into the deepest pits of his chest and jae is once again thankful that his neighbours are usually out for the day, sparing him from the worried whispers and knocks on his front door.

the sound of the compressed bullet clattering against the kitchen tiles echoes through the room together with the relieved sigh that escapes jae’s lips, breathing in deeply as he prepares himself for the second cut. it hurts a little less the second time around even though the second bullet will take a little more digging from minah’s hands. the pain has almost become a second nature, or maybe it’s the prospect of almost being painfree that helps him bear a little longer. either way, the screams have stilled down into weak groans and even quieter tears. he will live and it’s all thanks to her.

❝ minah, please… ❞ the words come out weakly, eyes fluttering shut as he rests his forehead against the edge of the kitchen island. he wants nothing more but to tell her that there is simply nothing to make up for. her words only make his heart beat faster and that’s exactly what he doesn’t need right now, not as long as he still has vervain running through his veins. ❝ you are the love of my life. i wouldn’t be able to live with myself if you got hurt. it will always be your safety over mine. ❞ his hand comes loose from the bar stool, wiping away the tears on his cheek before he utters a few more words. ❝ minah, please, the bullet – you need to take it out. ❞

“i’m sorry, i’m sorry. i’ll hurry.”  and she did. she focused in on removing the difficult bullet until it made another similar clinging against the ground. she hated that she couldn’t just make this pain go away instantly. seeing him suffer like this was awful.

the sounds of his agony were utterly haunting to her. she was sure it would make appearances in her worst nightmares. no matter how gently are carefully she worked she knew that the pain wasn’t going to stop unless the vervain was burned out. another process that was going to tear her heart. igniting the lighter she looked over the flame with her tear stained eyelashes. she squeezed her eyes closed as put the flame of the lighter to the bullet holes to burn out the poison that tortured her love. little i’m so sorry’s muttered out constantly as she burned out the poison

after she was done she pressed gauze to the wounds and started to wrap the gauze around his torso. the vampire was hardly able to hold them back now all that she needed intense focus for was done. once he was wrapped, she let out a long slow sigh. her eyes glanced over his back; smooth and lean until you saw the gauze that disrupted it all. 

immortality suited minah well. in the one hundred and thirteen years jae hadn’t seen her she hadn’t changed one bit, making it too easy for jae to read her. sure, in situations like this knowing the other’s sentiment and thoughts with just one blink of the eye came in handy, acting faster than speaking, but right now jae really wished he didn’t have to know what the knit of her eyebrows represented, the guilt and concern flooding her features. he didn’t want her to worry for him, not when it would have been so much worse of she was the one who had gotten hurt.

❝ there’s nothing to be sorry about. ❞ are the only words he manages to squeeze out, fingers reaching out and catching the last of tears that minah had failed to wipe away before they curl around the hand that rests on his shoulder and holds it tight. the vervain was still pushing its way through his body, desperately searching for that secret passage to his heart and driving his body temperature up to feverish levels. he was getting weaker with every passing second, a mixture of sweat and tears leaving marks down his cheeks.

as soon as minah had pulled up into his neighbourhood, jae flung the door to the passenger side open, having fallen to the ground if it hadn’t been for minah’s arm around his waist supporting most of his weight. the hunter seemed to have disappeared but he was the least of his worries right now. all that mattered now was getting those damned bullets out of his back. ❝ i’m fine. ❞ an obvious lie considering jae is looking paler than he already does and the burning of usual ice cold skin. ❝ we’re close. it’s the smallest of three, the red building on the corner of that intersection. ❞ he points his finger to guide minah in the right direction, drawing out a wince that he tries to ignore to the best of his abilities as he trips and stumbles by minah’s side towards the safety of his home.

they’re lucky it’s still early in the day and there are none of jae’s neighbours around to stall them and ask questions they couldn’t answer. a relieving ping of the elevator door soon announces their arrival on jae’s floor, pointing to the left so minah could drag him to the right door. ❝ the code. it’s–  ❞ the vampire grits his teeth together once again, trying to supress a growl with his features distorting painfully when he fails to do so. ❝ our wedding day. ❞

it feels like a billion knives are being pushed into his body, twisting and turning before repeating the same movement over and over again. not even his transformation, with his organs giving out on him one by one, had been this painful, stars dancing in front of his eyes when jae’s knees finally give out on him and he falls to the ground, crawling into his home and further into the kitchen on his hands and knees.

 ❝ there’s – there’s a medical bag in one of the upper cupboards to the left. you – aish ! you need a scalpel and something that looks a lot like tweezers. and – and a lighter.  ❞ he sounds weak, leaning his shoulder against the kitchen island before he pushes his body up and uses the last of his abilities to pull the shirt over his head, turning his body to give minah easier access. ❝ you need to make the wound bigger and take the bullets out before burning out the vervain. ❞ 

minah tries to act like she has everything together. she tries so damn hard. there was nothing that she wanted more than to be collected and effective in removing his pain, but she wasn’t she was a hot fucking mess, and she felt as though she was crumbling under this pressure. the squeeze of his hand both calmed and broke her. the touch was reassuring, but also sent more waves of guilt through her body.

the vampire followed the directions closely and quickly guided them to what was his apartment. hearing the words our wedding day sent a knife through her chest. she was such a big part of his life even after everything that she had done. she didn’t deserve this kind of thought. it was the same thought that she had for him. of coarse, she’d never admit that her’s was birthday, or that the password to her computer was the date of their first coffee date. she swallowed the heavy emotion that welled in her throat and punched the numbers in without any thought. she memorized the date far too well simply forget.

once the door was opened, she tried to catch him and prevent him from falling, but he was far too tall compared to her. the vampire did as he asked and immediately went to the upper left cabinet and searched for the medical kit he had talked about.

she turned back towards him to see him already shirtless and leaned against the island. his skin looked ghostly, and the wounds looked very very painful. her heart sank. she caused this. because she wasn’t fast enough, or smart enough to get away from the hunter jaesung was in unspeakable pain. he took literal poisoned bullets for her.

minah sank to her knees and looked over him for a moment before resting a soft hand on his shoulder. he felt even colder than he should and worry burrowed through her chest. she needed to work fast.

it was quiet as she started to focus. her attention was pulled entirely to making sure he was taken care of now. the tears streaming down her face slowed as she started to raise the scalpel. she paused and took a steadying breath as she used the blade to widen the wound. the vampire squeezed her eyes closed again and held in a small sob, hating the fact that she has to add additional pain to remove the pain that he was in. the only noise was her sniffling nose. 

minah then took the tweezers and began to take hold of the bullet and slowly remove it from his back. once it was finally out she allowed it to drop to the floor. a small clink sounded the room and she let out a small breath. one more to go, then she’d burn the vervain out and bandage him up.