Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [7/Previous] [9/Next]
Notes: I have never in my life had a consistent update schedule
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
“Hey, you know how you let me live here for free? And give me food, and blood, and plan to leave all your money to me when you die?” Changkyun asks, calmly.
“Yes?”
“So like does that make you a- make you my sugar-”
“If you finish that sentence I will personally beat you to death with the home phone.” Kihyun turns to glare at him.
“Why- why specifically the home phone?”
“Well I can’t risk breaking my cell phone.”
From across the room, Hoseok laughs at their entire conversation.
Changkyun is a starving freshman college student who just wants to get back to his tiny dorm and sleep for a week. He doesn’t want to be pulled into an alley and robbed. Yet there he is, with some guys’ foot pushing into him bellow his ribs and another guy telling him to hand over his wallet.
Changkyun does so- slowly- and tosses the wallet away from himself so the second guy-who has a knife- wont get any closer. They take the wallet. For a brief moment they actually seem like they’re going to leave. They take steps away from him while Changkyun pushes himself up in preparation to run once he thinks he can. To run and call the cops.
But then they freeze.
“He’s seen our faces.”
Changkyun tries to run. He’s caught. A hand covers his mouth. Changkyun struggles all he can until they stab him once. And then again. And again.
And Changkyun wakes in a panic, hitting his head on the bunk above him before he tumbles to the floor. He’s alone in the room, which he realizes as soon as his heart stops racing. At least, he thinks it’s racing, but he’s not sure it beats at all any more, and he’s too afraid to confirm this. Light is barely shining through the window, dull. It’s just sunrise.
After a moment, Changkyun breathes a sigh, and pulls himself to his feet. He hadn’t actually had a nightmare of the event, before. Not even after the second time he was in a situation like it, and not following seeing one of the people responsible. So he isn’t really sure what caused it, just that it happened.
The apartment in general is empty, he finds. Kihyun is nowhere to be found, but like usual there’s food left behind, so Changkyun guesses the other must have just gotten up early. Still, food seems entirely unappealing, and blood even less so.
When he was first turned into a vampire- or, rather, when he first woke up after becoming one- Changkyun was told that Minhyuk and Jooheon generally considered their bloodline like an adopted family. So, with nothing else to do with his time, and knowing those two were usually willing to waste time in his company, he asks both of them if they have time to- well- waste with him. A disappointing quest, when both respond with apologies about being busy.
He assumes whatever has Minhyuk preoccupied somehow involves Hyunwoo, and thus crosses the latter off of his list of people to harass. He already knows Kihyun and Hoseok are busy, which was the cause of his boredom in the first place, which leaves two options. Hyungwon, or his human friends.
He chooses the latter if only because he knows he doesn’t have as much time to spend with them as he does any of the vampires.
“You know,” Taehyuk starts, looking at Changkyun as if trying to figure something out, “you remember when you called me, after being gone for three days?”
“Oh- uh- yes?” He does. He remembers trying to make excuses for his absence, in order to not explain he was a vampire, or that he basically died. “What about it?”
“What actually happened?”
“Huh?”
“I know you weren’t telling me the truth, you know. I’m not an idiot.” He sighs, and Changkyun feels guilt well up in his chest. “I just wonder because-”
“Because?”
“You seem different?”
“Oh.” Different. It wasn’t like Changkyun thought he was wrong, either. Far from it.
“Did something bad happen? Can you not tell us?”
“I-” He can’t, he thinks. He can’t tell them. He can’t explain that, and if he tried- “you wouldn’t believe me.”
“I wouldn’t?” The look he gives Changkyun only furthers the guilt he feels. Only further solidifies the feeling that it was a mistake; not cutting ties, not leaving them behind when he had the chance. But he hadn’t wanted that. Hadn’t wanted to lose one of the few things that reminded him that he was still the same person.
“I- look, it wasn’t- nothing-” nothing bad happened? That would be another lie.
“You can’t even finish your sentence.”
“What if- what if I said something ridiculous? Like I died- or I- or I was something crazy like a vampire? You wouldn’t believe that. It’s something just as outlandish.” It was, after all, exactly that.
“I don’t know, I could see it.” Taehyuk offers a brief smile, while Changkyun avoids his eyes. “It would explain why your eyes are red, right now.”
“They’re what?!” Changkyun reaches up for his face, like that will confirm it. He didn’t understand why they were, but maybe his panic was strong enough to warrant that. Which is an upsetting thought, because it would make him more paranoid about interacting with normal people.
“Yeah.”
“I-”
“Still don’t want to explain?”
“Okay.”
So he does. Explains everything, from being robbed, to dying, to waking up in a strangers apartment. Everything he knew about vampires- excluding things specific to the others, knowing that’s not his place to share- to the fact that he was one. To his panic about walking home at night, now that it had killed him.
“So, I assume you don’t want me to tell the others?”
“Not really.”
“Okay, well, can you promise me something, then?”
“Yeah?”
“When you have to leave, you’ll at least keep me updated.”
“Okay, I promise.”
“Hey, so, want to hear something cool?”
“Like- actually cool or sarcastically cool?” Hoseok glances at Changkyun, from the other side of the table. The latter shrugs.
“Depends.”
“On?”
“Opinions.”
“Okay, sure.”
“I told one of my human friends I was a vampire.”
“Why?!” A pause. “No- I mean- you can do that, but I thought you didn’t want to?”
“I didn’t.” Changkyun frowns, replaying the event in his mind. “Apparently my eyes gave me away.”
“Oh, were you stressed?”
“I’m always stressed.”
“More than usual.”
“Yeah, a bit. Did nobody think to warn me about that?”
“Wait- didn’t we?”
“I mean-” Changkyun stops, trying to remember exactly what he was told. “Not specifically. Kihyun said, “under certain circumstances,” but that’s not really specific enough!”
“So what you’re saying is… it’s not my fault.”
“Dude.”
“Well it’s not. I- oh, I know.”
“Know… what?”
“I’m not your sire, so it’s not my job.”
“I don’t have one.”
“A sire?”
“Yeah.”
“I-” Hoseok stops, frowning.
“I mean, yeah, technically I do, but I was specifically told not to refer to him like that, so.” Changkyun shrugs.
“Still.”
“Still?”
“You can put all the blame-” the door opens, though Hoseok doesn’t seem to notice- “on Kihyun.”
Changkyun isn’t the one to speak next. “What?”
“Oh shit, mom’s back.”
"What?" Kihyun repeats, harsher this time.
“Do- do you really want to call Kihyun, mom? Is that what you want?”
“What? Isn’t he group mom? Isn’t that a thing?”
“Yes, sure, that’s the thing.”
“I feel vaguely like you’re making fun of me, and I don’t know why.”
“Just keep not knowing,” Kihyun finally speaks again, making his way into the kitchen.
“Are you stress cooking again?” Changkyun asks, turning his attention to Kihyun, and away from the clearly confused Hoseok.
“No. Just normal cooking? Probably. Haven’t decided if I’m stressed or not yet.”
“Is it,” Hoseok starts, muttering, “is it like dad-”
“Please stop speaking.”
Hoseok does, for a second, before he speaks again. “Oh, yeah, we were talking about Changkyun telling one of his friends he was a vampire.”
“Oh- right- I forgot.” Changkyun nods. “It was a half-accident, but I remembered to keep any details about you guys out of my explanation.”
“Are you okay, then?” Kihyun pauses what he’s doing to face Changkyun.
“Yeah, I think so… stressed, maybe, but.” He closes his sentence by shrugging, realizing he doesn’t actually have words to finish it.
“Maybe you should be the one stress cooking.”
“No, I just say dumb shit when I’m stressed, instead.”
“Like, “Can bite vampire you me,” you mean?” Changkyun glares at Hoseok for that, not wanting to relive that particular failure of speech.
“Oh- no- I think, responding, “okay. That’s kinky,” when I answered a question he asked, might be better.” Kihyun hums in thought. “Or maybe the humble potato thing.”
“Guys.”
“Or saying, “existed,” when I asked what embarrassing thing he did?”
“Guys.”
“No, it was definitely responding, “cool,” when he asked if he could kiss me, and I said yes.”
“Why do you both hate me?”
“You know,” Hyungwon starts, not looking up from his food, “if you want embarrassing stories from their pasts, I got you.”
“Since when do you want to help me?” Changkyun eyes the other with suspicion.
“Between making you suffer, and making them suffer, they win.” Hyungwon shrugs. “You’re amusing when you’re suffering, but they’re even worse.”
“Is- is it just a vampire thing to be a terrible, evil person.”
“I don’t know, is it?”
“Maybe not, Jooheon hasn’t done anything yet.”
“Only Jooheon?”
“Maybe Gunhee, too.” Changkyun nods, to himself. “I guess I could say Hyunwoo, but he hasn’t really had the chance.”
“Not yourself?”
“Oh shit I forgot about myself.” Changkyun pauses, then shakes his head. “No, I spend too much time here, they’ve probably influenced me.”
“Probably.”
“So- like- do you ever eat in your own home?”
“You’ve visited.”
“Sorry, do you ever eat in your own home when I’m not there?”
Hyungwon pauses a suspiciously long time, before nodding. “Yeah, obviously.”
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Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [5/Previous] [7/Next]
Notes: This got out of hand really quickly. It was never meant to be this long.
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
Changkyun, in an attempt to be more self sufficient, decides to cook for himself for once. It doesn’t go terribly. Though it certainly could have gone better- there’s a mess, as well as a few burnt pancakes- his food is edible and doesn’t taste terrible. A fact he’s rather happy about.
Hoseok is less happy. Changkyun takes advantage of now having his phone number- as well as everyone else’s, after finally asking them all for them- by calling him over for food. Then he proceeds to give Hoseok all of the burnt pancakes- after drowning them in butter and syrup- and hopes that he wont notice. He does.
“Did you just invite me over to feed me burnt food you didn’t want?”
“What? No…” Changkyun trails off and avoids his gaze. “Maybe?”
“You’re evil.”
“A little.”
“Don’t admit it!” Hoseok laughs. “You’re as bad as Kihyun.”
“Ah, is that why you like us both?”
“No- oh my god.” Hoseok gasps, feigning horror. “I like evil people.”
“Poor man.” Changkyun shakes his head in mock-pity. “Didn’t even realize he was falling in with the wrong crowd until he was dating two of them.”
“Someone should make a reality show about me.”
“Follow the life and adventures of local vampire as he struggles to live surrounded by evil. I’d watch it.”
“Speaking of the other evil, where’s Kihyun? Why are you cooking?”
“School. I want to be able to take care of myself a little.”
“School?”
“He needed to talk to a professor, I think? I’m not entirely clear on that.” Changkyun shrugs. “Why, is my cooking that bad?’
“Don’t make me answer that.”
“Rude.”
“Maybe if you gave me something that wasn’t burnt…”
“That’s fair.”
“So?”
“No.”
“Evil.”
Changkyun would like to believe that after literally having bitten someone, and being bitten by someone, he would be less reactive to other, less intense, things. Thus, he would also like to believe the same applies to Kihyun.
It applies to neither of them, as it turns out.
Kihyun is cooking, a not uncommon thing, so Changkyun waits until he’s done- as to not risk burnt food or, worse, a burnt home- before he does anything. It’s not like he plans to do anything particularly strange, either. When Kihyun turns the stove off, Changkyun strikes. Wraps his arms around Kihyun from behind and tries to pretend he’s not embarrassed about the action.
“Changkyun, why?”
“I’m being… romantic?”
“Sure, sure.” Kihyun laughs, turning around. “Is that it?”
“Yes?”
“Okay.”
“You sound like it shouldn’t be.” Changkyun frowns, pauses, then laughs. “Were you hoping there was something else? Wow, Kihyun, I’m shocked.”
“No!” Kihyun scoffs. “Don’t say shit like that.”
“What if I say something like-” Changkyun pauses, glancing to the side as to not meet Kihyun’s eyes- “I lied, and was planning something else?”
“I’m shocked, truly.”
“So… kissing?”
“Why… did you ask it like that?” Kihyun laughs. “Like it’s a conversation topic and not an offer.”
“Listen. Don’t judge me.” Changkyun flushes.
“The answer is yes, by the way.”
“Cool.” Changkyun nods, leans forward to press a small kiss to Kihyun, and turns even more red. “Why is it that you only ever seem to be embarrassed when I’m not?”
“I’m in a constant state of embarrassment, excuse you. How dare you insinuate I’m not. It’s just easier to deal with when you’re the one suffering from it, though.”
“Cool, that’s great. I’m glad, I think?”
Changkyun continues to avoid Kihyun’s eyes, and the other laughs before taking it upon himself to grab Changkyun’s face and initiate another kiss himself.
It should be expected that kissing beyond a peck is a very different experience. It’s even more so being a vampire. Vampires don’t need to breathe- though convincing one’s brain of that is a bit difficult- and that becomes increasingly important and very strange when kissing. Since neither breathing through his nose, or pulling back, is required, Changkyun finds himself slightly unsettled by not only his own, but also Kihyun’s lack of breathing. As well as becoming more, and more aware of the lack of chest movement that causes. It sort of freaks him out.
“You okay?” Kihyun asks, when they pull away from each other.
“Yeah.” Changkyun nods, though he has to think about breathing, and catch his breath. Something about not breathing, when he’s been breathing his entire life, is really uncomfortable.
“Still unused to not breathing?”
“It’s really weird.”
“I understand.” Kihyun nods, smiling. “You know what else is weird?”
“Hm?”
“I cooked all this food and you made me forget. What a waste.”
“Oh, right. It’s still warm, though, so does it really matter?”
“I guess not.”
“Besides, it’s not like we need food.” Changkyun meets Kihyun’s eyes, purposefully. “Just blood, right?”
“Correct. It only took you how long to figure out?” Kihyun laughs, ignoring the frown Changkyun gives in response.
“No, I mean- my point is that this distraction, and the blood thing, can go hand in hand.”
“Don’t do this to me.”
“If one of us were to-”
“Stop.” Kihyun’s face is red, which makes Changkyun able to resist his own embarrassment. “I mean, the idea is fine, just stop saying it.”
“Okay- the idea is okay?!”
“Why are you always surprised when someone says yes to something you asked?!”
“I don’t know.” Changkyun is unable to resist that embarrassment, though, and does go red.
“Oh that embarrasses you, not asking about biting each other!”
“I have my priorities in order.”
“No, you clearly don’t.”
“Guys as much as I love to walk in on lovers spats, you’re blocking the food.” Hyungwon’s voice is incredibly startling, and Kihyun makes that known by jumping, and then breathing out an annoyed sigh.
“No one invited you here!” Kihyun turns to glare, while Changkyun takes a step away from him.
“Hey, Hyungwon.”
“Don’t greet him.”
“Hey, Changkyun.”
“Don’t ignore me you assholes!” Kihyun huffs. “We also weren’t having a spat! Who even uses the word spat anymore?”
Changkyun can’t be sure, since he isn’t around them twenty four hours a day, but he thinks it’s been a while since Kihyun and Hoseok have been alone together. While he doesn’t know if that’s a problem, he does know that they used to spend time alone together, before he was around. Even after he was, too, before they- all three- started a relationship.
Which makes him feel like he’s taking something from them. Especially since Changkyun spends time with just one or the other of them fairly often. Thus he excuses himself from the apartment one day- with his laptop- while Kihyun and Hoseok are talking- and goes in search of something to waste his time on. Logically he knows he has reports to write, but he doesn’t actually want to spend his timing writing school reports.
He does try, though. Changkyun sits himself in the corner of a familiar coffee shop. When Hoseok isn’t working, it feels a bit strange to be there, but the place is still nice. It’s also a good distance from his apartment.
There isn’t much actual report writing he gets done, before he sighs and orders another coffee, glaring at the word document in front of him. Everyone, it seems, is busy, because none of them respond when he texts them asking for company. Changkyun sighs, again, before acknowledging the part of his mind telling him he hasn’t actually asked everyone. His human friends remain uncontacted.
Changkyun sets his phone aside, turning back to his computer. He’s been avoiding them lately. Part of him knows why, but he doesn’t want to admit that they’re growing further apart. There’s something about Changkyun that they don’t know, and it’s now something his life basically revolves around. Glancing back at his phone, he wonders if he should tell them he’s a vampire. If he should just tell them the truth so he doesn’t have to lie to them when they inevitably notice he’s stopped aging.
His phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Changkyun?” Jooheon’s voice has the tell-tell signs of having just woken up.
“Yeah? Why are you calling, did you just wake up?”
“You texted me.”
“Yeah but…” Changkyun laughs. “It wasn’t like it’s an emergency.”
“No, I know. My alarm just went off, too.”
“Oh?”
“I have to say on a ‘human’ schedule, or else I’ll never be awake for important stuff. Like dates.”
“Clearly the most important thing.”
“Exactly.” Jooheon clears his throat. “So, what’s up?”
“Oh, I’m just trying to distract myself from school work.”
“Don’t you have two great distractions?”
“Ha,” Changkyun gives a sarcastic laugh, “no. They’re together, and I’m at a coffee shop, ‘trying’ to work.”
“Trying, you say.” Jooheon yawns. “I need coffee, where you at?”
“Does coffee even do anything for you- never mind. You know where Hoseok works?”
“Yeah. Got it.” There’s movement, then Jooheon speaks again. “Also, yes. Just not nearly as much as it does for humans.”
There’s a silence, where Changkyun runs a hand over the lid of his closed laptop, and avoids Jooheon’s eyes. Jooheon sighs. “Have you thought about what you’ll do in four or six years?”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re in college, right?” Jooheon asks, and Changkyun nods. “You’re getting a degree you’ll only be able to use for ten or so years. You know that, right?”
“I… hadn’t thought about it.” Changkyun sighs.
“Kihyun goes to college mostly because he wants to learn more. He knows he wont be able to use that knowledge for very long, so you should too.”
“I know.” Changkyun sighs raising his eyes to meet Jooheon’s. “I just don’t like to think about it. I already didn’t know what I wanted to do, now it’s really a question of what I want, since I wont have much time with it.”
“What are you doing now?”
“Huh?”
“You were working on something, before you called me.”
“You called me, Jooheon.”
“Details.”
“Required classes. I wanted to get as much of that done this year as I could. Then I was going to choose a major, and do classes related to that.”
“Past tense?”
“Well I don’t know now. Maybe I should just… drop out.” Changkyun sighs. “Or take a break until I’ve figured it out? No, I’ve already signed up for classes next year, anyway.”
“Poor kid. You’ll figure it out.”
“I’m not a kid.”
“You are to me.”
“It’s not my fault you’re an old man.”
“I’m one of the youngest.”
“The youngest of the old people, you must be so happy.”
“Shut your mouth.” Jooheon glares halfheartedly, and Changkyun laughs.
Changkyun hasn’t interacted much with his new neighbors. In fact, he hardly remembers they exist. The fact he resides in an apartment something he only vaguely remembers. However, he’s pretty sure the guys kneeling in front of his apartment is not someone who lives on his floor, at the very least. The first floor of his apartment building is mostly old people, and Kihyun. When he thinks about it, that really makes him the only young adult on his floor.
“Can I help you?” The person squawks, jumping to their feet, and turning to face him.
“Uh, what?”
“What are you doing?” Changkyun crosses his arms, trying to look intimidating. He’s really not sure it works.
“What are you doing?”
“Going home to my apartment. Which you’re kneeling suspiciously in front of.”
“Your… apartment?”
“Yes.”
“Isn’t it Kihyun’s?”
“You know Kihyun?” Changkyun asks, before clearing his throat and remembering he’s supposed to be suspicions of the person in front of him.
“Well, we’re neighbors.”
“You live here?”
“Upstairs, yeah.”
“Okay… so why are you here?”
“He’s weird!” The guys throws his arms up. “Don’t you think?”
“Depends on what you mean, I guess.”
“I swear! He’s been here… ten years? I was in high school, and I swear the guy looks exactly the same.”
“It’s hard to notice someone aging when you see them on a regular basis.” Changkyun sighs, glancing at his door. “That doesn’t explain what you were doing.”
“Investigating.”
“I’m calling the cops.”
“Wait!” The guys holds his hands up. “I’ll go.”
“Kihyun,” Changkyun starts, chin resting in his palm as he sits at the dining table, “how long have you lived here?”
“Uh,” Kihyun hum, shrugging. “Don’t know? Nine, or ten years?”
“Apparently one of our upstairs neighbors thinks you’re suspicious.”
“Do they?” Kihyun spins around. “If it’s just one person, I’m not so concerned.”
“You’re not worried?”
“Ever watched a movie, Changkyun? No one believes the one guy claiming something weird’s going on. I’ll worry if anyone else thinks something’s up. Besides, some people just age well, and they should only think I’m… how old did I say when I first got here? Eighteen, Ninteen? So twenty 28.”
“You’re twenty two.”
“I am?”
“Physically, right?” Changkyun leans back. “I thought it was something around there.”
“It’s something around there, yeah.” Kihyun nods, setting food on the table and then sitting down himself. “Start out a few years younger, and leave when you’re too old to fit appearance.”
“What will you do?”
“Hm?”
“When you’re too old?”
“Leave?” Kihyun raises an eyebrow, confused by the question. Changkyun can only frown in response, unsure how to voice is worries. “I’ll keep in touch, if you’re worried about that. Or you could come with me.”
“Oh.”
“You worry too much, you know that?”
“I’ve been told. I’m pretty sure by you, even.”
“Then I shouldn’t have to say it again, but you worry too much.”
“So I’ve heard.”
Hoseok looks surprised. “When people realize?”
“Yeah,” Changkyun says, nodding. “What will you do?”
“Leave.”
“Right…”
“I’ll keep in touch, don’t worry. I’ve managed to maintain my friendships thus far. Gunhee and Jooheon are still close, despite having faked their deaths at different times.”
“I suppose.”
“Things wont change as much as you probably think they will.”
“It…” Changkyun pauses, biting his lip in thought before nodding to himself. “It seems like that’s always the case.”
“Oh?”
“Everything I think will be a big deal isn’t, and it’s the things I don’t think about that end up being more inconvenient.”
“You worry too much about the wrong stuff, then.” Hoseok shrugs.
“I was worried that drinking blood, and being a vampire in general, would completely change my life, but… well, I guess it sort of did. But I still feel like the same person.” Changkyun frowns, starring at his hands. “I didn’t think it would have an affect on my already existing friendships, at least not for years.”
“But it did?”
“I haven’t spoken to my human friends in weeks.” Changkyun runs a hand though his hair. “I can’t even figure out why I’m not talking to them.”
“You seem scared.”
“Do I?”
“That’s the best guess I’ve got, anyway.” Hoseok shrugs, and offers Changkyun a smile. “I never really had human friends.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I just…” Hoseok trails off, shrugging. “I don’t know. Never did.”
Changkyun isn’t under the illusion that he hasn’t been avoiding his human friends. Though he didn’t go out of his way to do it, he was still doing it when it was convient. Which happened to be all the time. So when they contact him, inviting him to the movies with them, he hesitates.
Hesitates, and stares at his phone. At the message. Knows he could easily lie. Could say he had other things to do, and continue to avoid them. Continue to lose his ties to his human life.
“What are you doing?” Changkyun asks himself, huffing. He responds to the message with agreement.
He’s not losing his human friends just yet. He only has so many years before he’ll have to, so he wont give them up now.
A trip to the movies somehow turns into an after-movie trip to a bar, and Changkyun isn’t particularly happy with the turn of events. Luckily he’s not the only one- Taehyuk seems rather uncomfortable too, but that might just be because he has classes in the morning- but that doesn’t stop their group from ending up in one anyway. His mood is not improved by the fact that he’s physically incapable of getting anything out of drinking anyway.
Changkyun plans not to drink, because there’s no point, and alcohol’s only good point is it’s affect. The taste leaves much to be desired. However, Byunghwa shoves a glass into his hands, before Changkyun’s left by most of the group. Taehyuk, next to him, rests his arms on the bar and motions Changkyun to hand the glass over.
“You’re not drinking.”
“No.” Changkyun shakes his head, handing it over. “You are?”
“Might as well.” Taehyuk shrugs. “Changkyun…”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” Changkyun knows exactly why. He knows what this question is about but… “Did I seem like I wasn’t?”
“You’ve been avoiding us. I don’t think you’ve spoken to any of your friends in nearly a month. Oh, no, sorry you’re old friends.”
“You guys are still- you are my friends.”
“Yeah?”
Changkyun’s gut fills with guilt. He’d known he was avoiding them, but he hadn’t thought he was replacing them. He realizes he was, though. “Y-yeah.”
“Okay.”
Changkyun avoids his eyes.
Weeks of living beside vampires, Changkyun thinks, should mean he isn’t still surprised by things so easily. Yet he’s startled when- after having a fight with their stove- Kihyun’s eyes fade into a deep black. Changkyun watches, wide-eyed, as the gas-stove sparks to life and Kihyun’s eyes return to their original colour.
“What, Changkyun?”
“What was that?”
“You already knew that,” Kihyun says, tilting his head to the side to look at Changkyun. “I know Jooheon told you that.”
Changkyun blinks, confused, until his mind processes what he’s saying. “Right, powers.”
“Right.”
“I thought that took a lot of energy? Jooheon said you don’t really do it often.”
“I don’t. I was just frustrated.” Kihyun pours oil into a pan. “Besides, small sparks don’t take that much. Maintaing a flame would be the hard thing.”
“Isn’t that… dangerous?”
“I know what I’m doing. I’m not going to set the apartment on fire.”
“If you say so.”
“Are you okay?” Hissing starts from the pan as Kihyun drops inredients onto it. He doesn’t face Changkyun, but Changkyun can still feel the concern coming from him.
“Yeah.” Changkyun rests his arms against the dinning table, tracing idle patterns into it. “I just… I think I’ve all but abandoned every- all of my human life.”
“Hm,” Kihyun hums, stirring food. “Why’s that?”
“I only talked to my friends once this past month and… I think I’ve replaced them. I already hardly contacted my parents. School is the only thing I’ve really… kept.” Changkyun sighs. “And, yeah, I know eventually I wont be able to keep my human friends or my life, but…”
“You didn’t think it would happen so quickly?”
“Yeah.”
“When I was first turned, the only person I kept in contact with was Minhyuk.” Kihyun pauses. “I stopped talking to my parents, barely kept up with the work I was supposed to be doing.”
“Oh.” Changkyun doesn’t really know what to say to that.
“I felt the same way.” KIhyun shrugs, letting out a sigh. “Like I was abandonding my entire life. It’s awful, and it feels terrible, and you don’t mean or want to do it, but it happens. You can make an effort, try to keep up those connections, if you’re so worried about it. You don’t have to let it keep happening, but change is inevitable, and eventually it will happen”
“I-” Changkyun shakes his head- “that was surprisingly wise of you.”
“I’m like a hundred years old, I picked up some wisdom along the way.”
“I’m… going to try.”
“Good luck.”
The school years end is approaching faster than Changkyun thinks it should. Between being stabbed, becoming a vampire, being stabbed again, starting a relationship, and trying to maintain some source of normalcy, a few months passed surprisingly quickly. Before he knew it, it was spring. Mid-may brought with it warmer weather, and the realization that only last winter he was living in a one-room apartment and struggling to survive.
With spring, also comes more school work. Though he had resolved to spend more time with his human friends, he finds himself so swamped with work, even Kihyun hardly gets the chance to speak to him. Not that Kihyun likely would, as he was dealing with his own school work, among other things.
Which is probably why Changkyun doesn’t notice until he finds the paperwork, left on their coffee table, revolving around bank accounts. It’s really not his place to look at, or ask about, them. So he sits on the couch, and tries to focus on his laptop.
The thought doesn’t leave him though, and he glances over his computers screen at the papers. Kihyun’s transferring a lot of money.
“I’m making preparations.” Changkyun jumps in his seat, head snapping to Kihyun. “For when I have to die.”
“Don’t say it like that.”
“I actually wanted to talk to you about it.” Kihyun sits next to him. “Got time?”
“Yeah.” Changkyun nods, setting his laptop aside.
“It’s a lot easier to leave my money to someone, and get it back in a more roundabout way. Still, leaving everything to Hoseok would be a bit strange, and he’s got plenty to work with anyway.”
“I don’t know what you’re saying.”
“Changkyun, can I put you in my will? That means you’d have to stay alive, and here, when I fake my death, but I think you have enough time left for that to work. Besides, you’d know I was still alive and it’s not like we wont be able to contact each other still.”
“You’re planning for your next death?”
“I don’t see it being for at least another year, but I gotta start early, you know.” Kihyun shrugs. “So?”
“Okay.” Changkyun nods. “I mean, it’s your will, I can’t stop you. Besides, I think I’m going to try and maintain this life for as long as I can get away with it.”
“Great.” Kihyun grins, standing. “Okay, I’ll leave you to your work.”
Changkyun makes an annoyed noise, which gets a laugh from Kihyun.
Of all the people who Changkyun expects to be knocking on their door, Minhyuk isn’t one of them. Not that he doesn’t expect a visit from Minhyuk- Changkyun has learned to expect the others at any given time- but it is rare for him to knock. Changkyun raises an eyebrow in question, and Minhyuk grins, shrugging.
“I’m being cautious.”
“Of... what?”
“What do you expect me to do? Walk into a couples house unannounced? I don’t want to think about what I could see.”
“A couple- no that’s not the most important part of that. What do you think we do?!”
“Well you’re both adults-”
“No, never mind, I don’t want to know. Though I guess it’s safe to assume I should never walk into your house uninvited, if that’s what you think couples do- oh god now I’m picturing in.” Changkyun groans, shaking his head. “I don’t want the mental image of you doing anything.”
“Rude.”
“Why are you here again?”
“I’m stealing blood.”
“So you just wanted to visit, got it.”
“Hey!” Minhyuk huffs, before muttering to himself. “I mean, yeah, but that’s still rude.”
“Kihyun isn’t here, you know.”
“I figured.” Minhyuk wraps an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders. “I’m here to hang out with you.”
“I’m honored,” Changkyun monotones, before smiling. He could use a break, anyway.
“Hey Hoseok-” Hoseok all but screams, startled by Changkyun’s voice- “how was work?”
“What the fu- fine? Why are you here?”
“I’m going on an after-dark adventure.”
“What?”
“I promised to hang out with my friends In about an hour, but I left early so Kihyun wouldn’t try to stop me from walking around by myself at night, so I came here.”
“I see.”
“You’re just getting off work?”
“Yeah.” Hoseok shrugs, adjusting his jacket. “How are you?”
They start a slow walk down the block, conveniently for Changkyun, in the direction he needs to go. “Good, fine, great.”
“Changkyun.”
“Multiple stab wounds are hard to get over.” Changkyun glances up at the sky, which is slowly turning dark.
“Want me to walk you where you’re going?”
“You don’t-”
“Changkyun, I’m offering, I know I don’t have to.”
“Yes. Please.”
“Okay. Where are we going?”
“Restaurant. It’s in this direction.”
“Okay.” Hoseok nods, giving him a smile. “Your friends are the human ones, right?”
“Yep.” Changkyun nods, idly messing with the hem of his shirt. “I’m trying not to… push them out.”
“I see. That’s good, the one I met seemed nice.”
“Oh yeah, you met Taehyuk. Don’t be fooled, he’s secretly a jerk.”
“Oh, is that so? Taehyuk, that’s his name?”
“Yeah. He lived across the hall from me. Well, I think he’s moved by now, too.” Changkyun sighs. “A lot has changed.”
“That tends to happen when you die.”
“How would you know?” Changkyun realizes the words come out harsher than he intends, and Hoseok stares at him, surprised. “I mean- you- you weren’t turned.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” Hoseok shakes his head, forcing a smile onto his face. Changkyun can tell it isn’t real, and wonders if it wasn’t just his tone that caused the problem.
“I’m sorry. Are you okay?”
“Why? You aren’t wrong.”
“Hoseok?”
“You know, I didn’t actually know I wasn’t human at first. I just knew there were things- like drinking blood- that I wasn’t supposed to mention to other kids.”
Changkyun doesn’t need Hoseok to continue, to understand what he’s saying. Though he didn’t die, and get turned- or get turned at all- he still dealt with the loss of a normal- human- life. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“I just sort of assumed you’d always known, that you never had human attachments.”
“That’s a fairly sound assumption.” Hoseok smiles, more truthfully this time. “I’d probably assume that too, if it wasn’t me.”
Changkyun feels like he too-often ends up sat across from Hyungwon over food that Kihyun has left, talking about life. Not that it’s really a bad thing, Changkyun doesn’t mind it, but it’s an odd thing to feel like it happens so often.
“Hyungwon, can I ask you something?”
“When have you ever hesitated before.” Hyungwon stuffs a piece of steak into his mouth, and motions Changkyun to speak.
“How long after you were turned did you stop… being you.”
“You mean when’d I cut human ties? Right away.”
“Really?! Why?”
“Someone assassinated me, Changkyun, it would have been pretty obvious I was immortal, had I lived.”
“I guess.”
“I relinquished my company, stopped talking to friends, and barely talked to my parents. Eventually I stopped talking to them, too.” Hyungwon shrugs, and frowns down at his food. “It wasn’t that long ago, compared to the others, actually.”
“Sorry.”
“It’s fine. It’s probably a good thing I did, anyway.”
“Why’s that?”
“My parents only passed away ten or so years ago. If I had kept in contact with them, and told them what happened to me, I probably… it would have been harder.”
Changkyun frowns, pushing his food aside while Hyungwon returns his attention to his own. Will keeping his friendships make things harder later, when he has to fake his death, or long after that? Hyungwon reaches over to him, and rests a hand on his head. “Wha-”
“Don’t over-think it.” Hyungwon pulls his hand back. “You’ve got plenty of time to pretend you’re still human. You can keep being you, without any hesitation.”
“Did everyone get way wiser over the past few weeks? That’s surprisingly solid advice from you.”
“Thanks. You have so much faith in me.”
“Usually you just mock my suffering.”
“Yeah because it’s usually funny. This is serious. I’m not a monster I know when to shut up.”
“Thanks, Hyungwon.”
“Yeah, yeah. If you’re really greatful you’ll hand over your food.”
“Ulterior motives.”
“Duh.” Hyungwon grins, and Changkyun shakes his head.
He can keep being himself, huh. Changkyun breathes out a sigh. He still has time.
Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [3/Previous] [5/Next]
Notes: This got out of hand really quickly. It was never meant to be this long.
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
It’s official, Changkyun decides. He’s not capable of being a normal person. At the very least he was hoping, this time, he could his question out properly. So his current situation is killing him inside.
“Why does being bitten- why doesn’t- why are vampires-” Changkyun stumbles over his words. Kihyun just nods, waiting for him to form an actual question. The smile he wears feels incredibly mocking. Hoseok is laughing, staring at Changkyun, and not at all being helpful. “Bites! Why do they not hurt and also sort of feel good?”
“There you go!” Hoseok pats Changkyun on the shoulder. Kihyun looks significantly less amused than he had a second before, flushing- likely with the realization that Changkyun is only able to ask that question because of him- and clearing his throat.
“Well, it’s related to the fact that vampires, naturally, are inclined to hunt humans.”
“What?’
“It’s harder for pray to get away if it doesn’t want to fight back.” Kihyun grimaces. “It’s not as strong on other vampires. See, a human being bitten is basically unaware of their situation, whereas a vampire being bitten has enough awareness and control of the situation to make choices about if they want it to be happen in the first place.”
“That, my friend, is one of the reasons we no longer bite humans,” Hoseoks says. “And why we do bite each other.”
“Vampires in general, or you two?” Changkyun’s logical half- that doesn’t think that’s an appropriate question to ask them- is screaming inside.
“Us-”
“Vampires in general!” Kihyun glares at Hoseok, who tries- and fails- to look innocent with the smile he gives.
“Right.” Changkyun nods.
Jooheon bursts into the apartment with more excitement than Changkyun has ever seen on his face. Changkyun nearly drop his cup- filled with blood- when Jooheon slams the door open and announces that something wonderful is happening.
“Changkyun!” Jooheon pulls him into a hug with no regard to the open cup he’s holding. “This is the best- okay third best- day of my life!”
“Why?” Changkyun manages to pull away, eyebrow raised to express his confusion.
“Gunhee!” Jooheon motions around himself, as if that someone explains everything.
“Gunhee?”
“He’s back!” Jooheon grins wider- which is almost scary, Changkyun thinks- and laughs.
“Now that you’ve announced that, can i come in before Kihyun’s neighbors decide I look suspicious.” The unfamiliar voice is almost as startling as the speed with which Jooheon spins around motioning, who Changkyun assumes is Gunhee, into the apartment.
“This is Gunhee, my best friend.” Jooheon holds onto Gunhee’s arm, motioning to him with his free hand. Gunhee smiles, bowing slightly. “Gunhee, this is Changkyun, Kihyun turned him.”
“Nice to meet you.” Gunhee lifts a hand- his free arm- in greeting.
“Nice to meet you.” Changkyun nods. “I’ve heard- uh- a bit about you.”
“Just a bit?” Gunhee frowns. “What, Jooheon, are you not talking about me all the time anymore?”
“I never talked about you all the time!” Jooheon gasps, looking offended. “I have better things to do.”
“You’re breaking my heart.”
“Don’t do this to me.”
“It hurts, Jooheon. Look, I’m dying, you’ve killed me. RIP Gunhee, his heart was broken.”
“You know what? You can go back to America, who wants you here?”
“I’m sad.”
“Stop.”
“You don’t love me anymore.”
“I love you!”
“Ha,” Gunhee grins, “got ya.”
“I’ve been tricked.” Jooheon pouts.
“I love you too.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
Changkyun can’t help but laugh at them. He wasn’t sure what he expected of Gunhee, but he somehow meets expectation. Someone suited to Jooheon, he thinks.
Minhyuk somehow finds out not only that Gunhee is back, but also that he and Jooheon are at Kihyun’s apartment rather than Jooheon’s. Changkyun isn’t sure how he does, but he’s learned he has to just accept certain things, or else get way longer explanations than he wants. So Changkyun sits in a chair, Minhyuk sits on the end of the couch closest to him, and the other two sit beside each other on the couch.
Gunhee talks about his visit to America mostly uninterrupted. Occasionally Jooheon or Minhyuk will stop him with a question, or Changkyun will comment about knowing what he’s talking about, but mostly Gunhee does all the talking in the conversation. At least until Jooheon and Gunhee start a conversation that eventually leads Minhyuk and Changkyun to share understanding looks.
They’ve got no idea what Jooheon and Gunhee are talking about. Changkyun tunes the conversation out. Minhyuk leans back on the couch, watching them but likely not listening.
“Yeah, well maybe I’ll get a new best friend!” Jooheon says. Changkyun looks up at the words, confused, until he sees how hard Jooheon is trying not to laugh. A faux argument, it seemed. “Minhyuk, you’re my new best friend.”
“Sweet.”
“Yeah, well maybe-” Gunhee pauses, then turns to look at Changkyun- “Changkyun will be my new best friend.”
“You just met.” Jooheon laughs. Changkyun gives a thumbs up to Gunhee.
“See, we don’t even need to speak.” Gunhee doesn’t manage to keep a straight face.
“Betrayal.” Jooheon clutches his chest.
“You replaced me with Minhyuk.”
“I just wanted to make you jealous.”
“Hm...” Gunhee pauses, “best friends again?”
“Sure.”
“I think I just lost my best friend,” Minhyuk huffs, mocking hurt.
“Same.” Changkyun sighs, as if the whole five seconds he was Gunhee’s ‘best friend’ made it worth being sad about losing him. “How the world has forsaken me, again.”
“Again?”
“This first time was when I was stabbed. The second was when I walked face first into a door trying to get away from Hoseok. This is the third time.”
“One of those things is significantly worse than the others.”
“I know, the door thing was the worst moment of my life.”
“Changkyun, you’re weird.” Minhyuk shakes his head.
“I like him.” Gunhee nods.
“Good, because me and Minhyuk adopted him.” Jooheon puts a hand on Minhyuk’s shoulder.
“I-” Gunhee shakes his head- “no, I don’t want to know.”
“That makes you my new step dad.” Changkyun points at Gunhee, who makes an expression of horror.
“I’m too young to be a dad.”
“You’re forty.” Jooheon laughs.
“I’m back!” Kihyun’s voice has everyone turning towards the entrance way as he enters the room. “Is that... Gunhee?”
“Yo.”
“You’re back already?”
“Yep.”
“Welcome back.”
While he knows there’s something going on, Changkyun figures he wont have to directly face it anytime soon. So he’s content with the idea that he can pretend to live in obliviousness. Meaning coming home to find Hoseok biting Kihyun on the neck is not high on the list of things he wanted to do.
Neither of them hear him enter the apartment, or notice him when he’s close enough to see them, pressed up against the dining room table. Changkyun is reminded of Kihyun’s comment about hearing be the first thing they block out. Thus leaves Changkyun with the choice to announce his presence- thus breaking them apart- or to turn and leave so he can later pretend he saw nothing. At the very least, those would be the logical possibilities. Instead Changkyun stands, flushed and embarrassed at the situation, and does nothing.
Vaguely Changkyun thinks he probably shouldn’t be standing there, staring. He want’s to leave, honestly, to suffer elsewhere without their knowing. Yet, he can’t make himself move. Kihyun makes a startled noise, and Hoseok pulls back. Changkyun suddenly realizes he’s lost his chance to leave unnoticed.
Hoseok’s face is hidden from Changkyun, but he can see him move his head to look at Kihyun’s face. He can also see Kihyun. Kihyun leans around Hoseok, hand on the dining table behind him steadying him, and meets Changkyun’s gaze. Then Hoseok turns around. With them both staring at him, Changkyun tries to get words out of his mouth.
“I-” he can’t form a sentence. So he freezes, and then turns around, bolting from the apartment. Once he’s outside, he drags himself to a nearby cafe, sits himself down with coffee, and wishes he had one of the other vampires phone numbers. The only one he has is Kihyun’s- acquired at the same time as the key to their apartment- and he’s not about to call Kihyun to discuss his current state of suffering, considering he’s part of the reason behind it.
He’ll have to settle for a human friend.
Changkyun’s youngest human friend- or friend in general- Jongyeon is also the least likely to ask questions Changkyun can’t answer. So Changkyun sends him a text asking him to hang out because Changkyun is suffering. He only has one question and Changkyun is able to lie while keeping the feelings basically the same.
“Why are you suffering?”
“My roommate and my other friend were-” Changkyun pauses, finding something to replace the real action with- “making out. Which would be fine and all if I hadn’t walked into the room without them noticing and then just stood there like a weirdo until they noticed me.”
“Changkyun, why?”
“I was startled! It doesn’t help that I like them both and I’m already suffering and then I come home to that and I…” Changkyun sighs. “I panicked and stood there then ran away like a moron.”
“You’re not a moron.”
“Thanks, man.”
“But you probably shouldn’t have done that.”
“Thanks, man.” Changkyun sighs.
There’s a sense of deja vu that settles uncomfortably in Changkyun’s mind. Walking home, by himself, after dark. At first he can’t place why it bothers him, until the realization that the last time he was in that position he was robbed and subsequently stabbed. It hadn’t even occurred to him that he hadn’t walked home alone at night since then. The only time that really would have been something that happened- since he stopped staying on campus if he wasn’t in class- was after meeting Hyunwoo, but Kihyun had come to get him, so that hadn’t happened.
His sense of familiarity increases when he’s roughly pulled into an alleyway at knife point and threatened for money. “I don’t have any money.”
“Bullshit.”
Changkyun doesn’t have any money. The person holding a knife disturbingly close to his neck seems unconvinced. A panic settles in Changkyun’s chest, reminding him of being stabbed, reminding him of almost dying.
He can’t breath. Though he doesn’t really need to, his mind isn’t convinced of that. There are no ways in which Changkyun sees this going well, so he quickly grabs the person’s wrist, forcing it away from him, and tries to run. He’s out of breath, stumbles, and falls to the ground.
Changkyun was really hoping to never be stabbed again. He’d be really disappointed if he wasn’t busy feeling like he’s dying.
An alleyway isn’t a great place to wake up. That’s especially true since, as far as Changkyun was aware, he was trying to escape a robber. Yet, he finds himself leaned against a building’s wall, said robber laying face-down on the ground, and with a hand running through his hair.
“Changkyun?” Kihyun’s voice is surprisingly soft, but Changkyun still manages to be startled by it. “Are you okay?”
“I think… I blacked out?”
“Yeah.”
“Did I…” Changkyun glances at the robber, suddenly very aware that he’s human and that Changkyun is very much not. “Is he alive?”
“Yes.” Kihyun nods. “You didn’t do anything to him.”
“He’s unconscious.’
“Yeah… I might have given him a concussion, maybe. I’d claim defense.”
“What?” Changkyun turns his full attention to Kihyun. “Why?”
“I tried to stop him from getting closer to you, because you were going to attack him, so I pushed him. Alley’s are surprisingly small.”
“Oh.”
“Can you stand?”
“Yes.”
“Good, we should go home then.”
Kihyun is bleeding. Changkyun probably should have realized that sooner, but it’s not until they’re home and Kihyun is handing him a cup of blood that he does. He takes the cup- Kihyun had started giving him blood only like that, upon realizing Changkyun preferred it- and frowns. “What happened to you?”
“Well you bit me, for starters.”
“i what?!” Changkyun sputters, covering him mouth. “I’m sorry.”
“You were hurt, and trying to bite a human, this was the better option.”
“But-”
“And I,” Kihyun holds up a hand, so Changkyun wont interrupt him, “let you, on purpose, so you wouldn’t. I figured you’d feel more guilty about that- though you shouldn’t since the guy fucking stabbed you- than this. Which you shouldn’t feel guilty about. If you try to be guilty about this I’ll hit you.”
“Okay.” Changkyun frowns.
“Now drink.” Kihyun motions to the cup. “Your eyes are starting to freak me out.”
“My eyes?”
“They’re red.”
“They are?!” Changkyun reaches up to his face, as if that will answer his question.
“You’re a secondary. I mentioned eye colours changing under certain circumstance, depending on that rank, didn’t I?”
“I… forgot about that.” Changkyun pauses. “So secondaries are red?”
“Yes.”
“What about others?” Changkyun takes a sip of blood. For a moment Kihyun looks surprised Changkyun is already back to asking questions, until realization settles on his face. Changkyun is trying to find something else to focus on.
Changkyun has decided he no longer hates Hyungwon. Hoseok is, it seems, very easily distracted and Changkyun will take even Hyungwon’s help to not talk about the last time he saw Hoseok. Which was when the other was latched onto Kihyun’s neck. Hyungwon is a great distraction, especially since he immediately started a- halfhearted- fight upon Hoseok’s arrival.
Changkyun has no idea what they’re fighting about- something about their apartment- but he’ll take it. That and the new knowledge that they live together, which Changkyun was unaware of. Hyungwon stuffs a spoonful of rice into his mouth after muttering about a mirror. Hoseok huffs.
“I’m sorry some of us want to look good from day to day.” Hoseok crosses his arms.
“I’m sorry some of us don’t have to try so hard.” Hyungwon shrugs. Hoseok gasps, looking genuinely offended.
“I look great all the time!”
“Sure, if you’re comparing yourself to a human, maybe. Aren’t vampires supposed to be extra attractive?”
“Whatever, you noodle man.”
“You take that back.”
“Children, please.” Changkyun holds up his hands, between them. “What are you doing?”
“Fighting, obviously.” Hyungwon shrugs.
“Why, though?”
“Hyungwon is an insult to my entire existence.” Hoseok nods to himself.
“What?” Changkyun sighs, not any less lost.
“We used to be such good friends, once.” Hyungwon turns his head, as if staring into the distance. “Then he broke my heart.”
“I woke you up one time, and I’m dead to you?”
“Sleep is all I live for.”
“You never sleep though! Except when it’s most inconvenient for me.”
“Get on my schedule.”
“I have a job!” Hoseok throws his hands up.
“Why don’t you two live with someone else?” Changkyun asks, looking between them.
“We used to.” Hoseok sighs. “Kihyun refuses to take Hyungwon back as a housemate.”
“Who needs Kihyun?” Hyungwon huffs.
“Why don’t you live with Kihyun, then?” Changkyun frowns, even though he’s the one asking. It seems like the logical choice, he thinks, since they’re already so close.
“You live with Kihyun, Changkyun. There’s only two beds.”
“I’ll go live with Hyungwon.”
“I’m cool with that.” Hyungwon shrugs.
“No!” Hoseok shakes his head. “Nope.”
“Why?”
“Because Changkyun has to stay here.”
“Why?” Changkyun frowns. “I don’t see how it matters? Unless you guys live super far away from my university. Well, I guess I’m changing universities next year, so that would be what I base it on instead.”
“Because of Kihyun.” Hoseok nods, as if that somehow explained everything. Changkyun looks to Hyungwon, wondering if he understood any better. Hyungwon shrugs.
“What does that mean?”
“Kihyun wants you here.”
“He does?”
“Okay even I knew that.” Hyungwon laughs at Changkyuns’ befuddled expression. “Poor, sweet, oblivious child.”
“I’m missing something here, aren’t I?” Changkyun frowns. “Wouldn’t he rather have Hoseok here? Since they’re- I mean- never mind.”
“Since we’re what, Changkyun?” Hoseok grins, Changkyun glares. “Speaking of, you ran away pretty quickly yesterday.”
“I crave death.”
“I feel ya.” Hyungwon pats Changkyun’s head. Changkyun wonders if that’s a thing Hyungwon does, since it seems to happens so much, or if Changkyun’s head just seems pat worthy. Either way, Changkyun doesn’t mind it.
Changkyun hadn’t meant to actually ask, was thinking to himself. Kihyun just happened to be right there, in hearing distance.
“So do you prefer being bitten or biting people?” That’s how Changkyun nearly kills Kihyun with words alone. Kihyun chokes on the water which he had been taking a sip of and coughs, spinning around to glare at Changkyun. Why would a vampire even drink water? Changkyun thinks It’s really his own fault. Changkyun also decides he wants to disappear never to be seen again when Kihyun speaks.
“What?!” Kihyun clears his throat. “Changkyun… what the fuck?”
“Nothing.”
“Changkyun.”
“Changkyun isn’t here, leave a message at the beep… Beep.” Changkyun sinks into his seat, trying to hide behind the table.
“I can see you, Changkyun.”
“Who’s Changkyun? I’m but a humble potato who lives on this chair.”
“I- what? Why a potato?”
“Please forget I ever spoke, ever.” Changkyun sinks further down in his seat. What was he thinking, he wonders. Why had he thought Kihyun wouldn’t just stare him down in confusion?
“I don’t think it’s possible when you ask something like that, Changkyun.” Kihyun, when Changkyun makes an ‘I don’t know’ noise, rolls his eyes, turns his head- and then his whole body- to the side, before turning back to Changkyun. It pretty well expresses his irritation and Changkyun would feel a little bad if he wasn’t busy dying inside. “Why would you even ask?”
“It was going to lead into my next question.”
“Your next question?” Kihyun raises an eyebrow, Changkyun shrugs. Kihyun pauses, bites his lip like he’s considering it, then sighs. “Being bitten.”
Changkyun looks up shocked that Kihyun actually answered. Kihyun doesn’t meet his eyes, and goes red. “Oh… Okay. That’s kinky.”
“You’re dead to me.”
“The next question, based on that, was going to be uh…” Changkyun ignores Kihyun’s glare- and logic- continuing. “Can I bite you?”
“Oh.” Kihyun mumbles something, Changkyun looks up, Kihyun looks away. “So if I had said the opposite…”
“Yeah.”
“Huh.” Then Kihyun takes very deliberate steps backwards, into the kitchen, and a steps sideways where he can hides from Changkyun’s gaze. Changkyun is almost relieved. Then he hears muffled screaming.
“You okay?”
“Yep!” Kihyun says, much too quickly. Changkyun is embarrassed for both of them, but mostly himself.
“Okay, cool.” Changkyun nods, then gets up out of his seat. “I’m going to leave the room and pretend this didn’t happen.”
“Okay, cool.”
The door opens. Changkyun prays to every deity that could exist it isn’t Hosoek. Footsteps echo out, Changkyun glares at the entrance way, waiting.
“Hey guys you here? I’m going to steal more blood packs.” Hoseok even brought the duffle bag he’d had the first time Changkyun met him- when he was taking blood packs from Kihyun- and everything. Changkyun internally screams. Kihyun not-so-internally screams.
“Get out of my house.”
“Dude, I haven’t even done anything yet?”
“Yet.”
“Hoseok,” Changkyun starts, “Please kill me.”
“What?!”
“I’m suffering.” Changkyun gives Hoseok the most pathetic expression he can, to properly display is internal turmoil. Hoseok stares as if Changkyun has lost his mind. Changkyun would argue he probably has.
“Are you two okay?” Hoseok looks between Changkyun and Kihyun; who he can most likely see from his angle, the pillar Kihyun is hiding behind sits next to a counter breaking the entrance way from the kitchen.
“No.” Kihyun groans. Changkyun can’t see him, but he has a mental image of Kihyun burying his face in his hands that he chooses to believe is real.
“Okay?’ Hoseok shakes his head. “What happened?”
“Nothing!” Changkyun coughs, clearing this throat after he responds too quickly. Hoseok looks disbelieving. Changkyun doesn’t know how to say ‘I asked if I could bite Kihyun because I’m a moron’ out loud.
“What embarrassing thing did you do this time?’
“Existed.”
“Changkyun.”
“No, he’s right,” Kihyun says, clearing his throat. Changkyun mentally notes they’re both doing a lot of that.
“Kihyun!” Hoseok gasps.
“I’m so sorry,” Changkyun mutters. “I should leave. Forever.”
“It’s dark out.”
Kihyun finally comes out from behind his hiding spot, pointing at Changkyun. “No going out after dark.”
“I’m an adult!”
“Clearly!” Kihyun huffs. Changkyun isn’t sure what that’s supposed to mean, but he feels vaguely embarrassed about it. “But you’ve been stabbed twice going out by yourself at night.”
“Hey look,” Hoseok interrupts them, “you’ve made up already.”
Changkyun feels like his entire day his a mess. Hoseok laughs when Kihyun goes back into hiding. Changkyun, deciding he currently would rather hide from Kihyun and Hoseok, follows Hoseok into the other room when he goes to steal blood packs.
Hyungwon is evil. Changkyun is one hundred percent convinced of this.
Hyungwon had, very calmly, invited Changkyun over. Being that Hyungwon was currently the easiest to be around- Jooheon was busy being excited about Gunhee’s arrival, Minhyuk is also evil, and Hyunwoo barely knows him- Changkyun had agreed. It hadn’t seemed like such a bad idea at first. It was a nice chance to finally get out of Kihyun’s apartment again without being at class or with his human friends. Hyungwon offered food, even. It all seemed great.
Changkyun forgot Hyungwon and Hoseok lived together. Hyungwon, who had promised food, had left Changkyun there- alone- with Hoseok to go buy ingredients after Changkyun had arrived. Changkyun decides he hates Hyungwon, again.
“So,” Hoseok says sits down next to Changkyun on the couch. “How are you?”
“Great.” Changkyun huffs. “Perfect.”
“Changkyun.”
“Yeah?”
“Why are you and Kihyun suddenly freaking out about each other?”
“Suddenly, he says.” Changkyun frowns. “I’m always freaking out about Kihy- everyone. I’m a human disaster.”
“You’re not human.”
“Fuck, right.” Changkyun sighs, he can’t even do that right. “Vampire disaster.”
“Right,” Hoseok scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Same.”
“Why?”
“Why, what?”
“Why would you be a disaster? At least he likes you.”
“You say that as if he doesn’t like you.”
“Not… that much. Or, not like both of you- you both like- how you, with each other…” Changkyun sighs, unhappy with his inability to ever form sentences when it comes to stuff like this. “How you like each other.”
“Oh, Changkyun.” Hoseok looks and sounds pitying. Changkyun wants to hit him. He doesn’t, of course, because he has some amount of self control left. With frown, Changkyun wonders which kind of pity it is. Is he being oblivious- he doubts it, but Hyungwon had said something like that- or is it because he’s right?
“Can… I admit something?” Changkyun takes a deep breath. There’s a part of him that would like to believe if he just admits it, he’ll feel better. So he steadies himself, and prepares to do just that.
“Sure.”
“I like you- both of you- and I’m dying.” Changkyun tries to smile. “So can we pretend I don’t and end my suffering?”
“How would that at all end it?”
“Well, not end, just ease.”
“Changkyun.”
“Yes?” Changkyun refuses to look at Hoseok.
“I like you. I’m pretty sure he does, too.”
“What?!” Changkyun stares at Hoseok, shocked, and Hoseok just laughs, nodding. “You do?”
“Yes. I don’t know why you’re so shocked.”
“Hyungwon was right.”
“That is surprising.”
“I’m back.” Hyungwon’s voice startles Hoseok- who jumps- and get’s Changkyun’s attention. “How is that surprising?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“Sure.”
Hyungwon isn’t a half-bad cook, and Changkyun returns home feeling pretty good about the day. Though he hadn’t discussed his feelings any further with Hoseok- because he didn’t want to subject Hyungwon to that- he still feels pretty good with the results of what conversation they did have. At any rate, he nearly forgets that he hadn’t warned Kihyun of his whereabouts.
Thus when Hyungwon drops him off at his apartment Kihyun grabs him, pulling him into Kihyun’s arms. “I’m back?”
“Where were you?” Kihyun pulls back, frowning.
“At Hyungwon’s? He offered dinner.”
“Hyungwon did?’
“Yes?” Changkyun shrugs. “Hyungwon is a pretty good cook.”
“No he isn’t.”
“What?”
“I’m a better cook.” Kihyun nods, as if confirming the fact to himself.
“Well… yeah.”
“So you agree?”
“Yes?”
“Good.”
“Kihyun?” When Kihyun meets his eyes, Changkyun laughs. “What, are you jealous I ate someone else’s cooking?”
“That would be dumb.”
“Yes. It would.”
“So, I’m not.” Kihyun looks away.
“Hoseok was also there.”
“So?”
“I just thought you’d like to know.” Changkyun grins, Kihyun sputters, Changkyun laughs. “Anyway, goodnight.”
“Yeah, right.”
Changkyun leaves the room before breaking into total laughter. After all the awkwardness he felt in the past few days, finally having the advantage in a conversation was pretty nice, and he finds himself feeling really happy. Vaguely, he remembers Hoseok’s comments about Kihyun- in relation to Changkyun- and wonders if he was right. He pushes the thought aside, and lays down on his bed.
“Kihyun never did answer me,” Changkyun muses, aloud and to himself. Kihyun had never actually given him an answer about the whole biting thing. “I guess that’s a no.”
Changkyun is having a pretty good day. He wakes alone and with food left for him- which is how his week days usually starts- and is glad for the excuse not to face Kihyun. He goes to class, and stops by administrations before he heads home to confirm his transcripts being transferred. When Changkyun returns home, Kihyun is cooking.
“You’re cooking again already?”
“I stress cook?”
“Why are you stressed?” Changkyun feels like Kihyun thinks he should know the reasons, when Kihyun glares at him. “Alright, then…”
“Changkyun?”
“Yes?”
“The other day- um- did you…” Kihyun trails off, sighing and running an hand through his hair. Changkyun tilts his head. “You… realize the difference between the first time you asked, versus then, right?”
“Yes.” Changkyun avoids his gaze. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Sure, the first bite- both given and received- for Changkyun was something he was experiencing as a vampire getting used the world as one. Now that he knows that it’s like, and what it means, it’s a different situation. Asking means something different. Though, Changkyun would argue, he always had similar intentions despite his status as a new vampire then.
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I’m not upset?” Kihyun sighs. “You caught me off guard, though.”
“Okay.”
“And you could have had some build up to that question? You just sprung it on me while I was drinking water. Do you know how startling that is? At least be like ‘hey Kihyun I want to ask you something because I like you and I’m a giant nerd’ so I know what kind of question you might ask.”
“You’re assuming I like you?”
“You do!”
“Yeah, but I never said that.” Changkyun laughs when Kihyun halfheartedly acts like he’s going to hit him. They’re not even technically in the same room.
“That’s beside the point.” Kihyun sighs.
“So… you’re okay with that?”
“Yeah?” There’s a pause, in which they stare at each other. “I like you too, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“So… can I bite you?”
“I’m cooking, you asshole!”
“Later?”
“Get out.” Kihyun glares. There a pause, then Kihyun smirks- Changkyun had been entirely convinced real people couldn’t smirk, so he’s rather surprised by that- and nods. “Sure, why not?’
“I- uh- okay. Bye.” Changkyun turns around and stalks out of their apartment. Somehow he feels like he just lost a battle, especially when his face goes red.
Hyungwon is smiling at him, a grin that Changkyun doesn’t appreciate. Changkyun frowns at Hyungwon. Hyungwon just laughs, shaking his head.
“So, you aren’t suffering today?”
“No, things are pretty good, actually.”
“Have you actually talked to them, about it?”
“No.” Changkyun sighed. “That’s for later. At least for now I’m just happy to know they both like me. Actual discussions about that can wait.”
“Okay.” Hyungwon nods, picking up as many noodles as he can at once. “Good luck with that.”
“Thanks?”
“What?”
“You’re usually more… mocking.”
“You’re too happy to mock right now,” Hyungwon sighs, shaking his head, “I can’t make fun of your suffering if you’re not suffering.”
“How sad for you.”
“I know.” Hyungwon laughs. “No, I’m glad. You’re angsting was painful to watch.”
“I wasn’t angsting.”
“Yes, you were.”
“Sorry, then., I guess.”
“It’s okay, you can get away with it.” Hyungwon pats his head. “Since you’re cute.”
“Thanks?” Changkyun frowns. “I feel like you want something.”
“Your food.”
“Right, of course.” Changkyun pushes his plate away, towards Hyungwon.
“Thank you.”
“I didn’t really seem angsty did I?”
“A little.”
Changkyun pouts at that, but can’t really argue. He watches Hyungwon eat. At least until Hyungwon says he’s being creepy, then he turns to stare down at the table instead. He’s not focusing on what he’s looking at, anyway, but thinking about Kihyun and Hoseok. They both like him, and each other, so he feels like everything should be fine. Even so, Changkyun still thinks they should all talk about it, though he doesn’t really want to talk about anything.
“You’re frowning, Changkyun.”
“Feelings are hard.”
“Yeah.” Hyungwon shrugs. “Friendships are hard enough, so I’d assume romantic ones are even worse.”
“Hey, Hyungwon?”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t think I’m weird.” Hyungwon raises an eyebrow at that, looking amused. “Can you… pat my head again?”
“Minhyuk was right.”
“About what?”
“You really are a dog.”
“You know what, never mind. Forget I asked.” Changkyun tries to sink into his seat- something he should know by now doesn’t work- but Hyungwon reaches over to pat him on the head.
Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [10/Previous]
Notes: it returns
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
He's doing it again; looking over paperwork. Somehow, Kihyun hasn’t noticed- or at the very least hasn’t mentioned- Changkyun staring at him, but the latter has been for the better part of ten minutes. The end of summer is approaching startlingly quickly, reminding them both that they’ll be back in college, again, but the paperwork in front of Kihyun has more of his focus. Has for weeks now. The plans for when he “dies,” and what will happen to his assets.
“What are you actually afraid of?” The question rings around in Changkyun’s head. He’d answered, when Minhyuk had asked. Admitted he was scared of more changing, so soon after he was finding an amount of normalcy in his life. So soon after he’d lost it in the first place. That Kihyun would leave, faking his death, and would suddenly disappear entirely from Changkyun’s life. Despite knowing this, despite knowing his worries aren’t warranted, he hasn’t brought it up.
“Is something wrong?” The question startles him out of his thoughts. Changkyun shakes his head, turning away from Kihyun, now that the other is looking at him.
“No, nothing. Thinking about school.” The lie comes easier than it should, probably. Kihyun nods, though he seems unconvinced when Changkyun finally turns back to him.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, I’m okay.” Changkyun shakes his head, again. Realizes he’s doing it, and frowns, standing. “I’m going to be with my human friends, okay?”
“Sure?” Kihyun raises an eyebrow at that. Presumably confused that Changkyun feels the need to say it like that. As if he needs permission. “Be safe.”
“When am I not?”
“Two separate stabbings, Changkyun.”
“Alright, I see your point.”
“You realize during that entire time, I’ve managed to maintain my friendships with the others?”
In a hundred years, Minhyuk and Kihyun had maintained a friendship. In nearly that same amount of time, Hyunwoo and Hoseok had also maintained relationships with Kihyun, too. The latter wasn’t so likely to just disappear entirely from someone’s life. Changkyun shouldn’t be worried about it. Or, at least, should talk to the other if he is.
But he doesn’t. And he wouldn’t be able to explain why he doesn’t, if pressed.
It’s late, dark out, as Changkyun makes his way home. He didn’t actually spend any time with his human friends, despite what he said, but was on his own, contemplating. Contemplation that didn’t help him any. Should he talk to someone else about it? Surely that would help, at least, to mentally prepare him to talk to Kihyun himself about it, right?
“Hey, look at that, you made it back without any problems,” Kihyun says, when Changkyun returns. He nods, closing the door.
“Let’s hope so. It was sort of getting out of hand.”
Everyone had said not to worry about it. That it wasn’t a big deal. That, logically, everything would be fine. And they were right, probably. Most definitely. But it didn’t help. It didn’t make him feel better or ease his worries, because he already knew.
“I’m scared of what’s going to happen, when Kihyun inevitably fakes his death,” Changkyun says. Admits it to Hoseok, as they walk back towards Changkyun and Kihyun’s apartment. Hoseok pauses, stops walking, startled by the words. “Not- like- the fact it’ll happen. But that things will change, and I’ll be there alone, when I had finally accepted what happened before.”
Before meaning when he was killed.
“Okay.” The word is simple, accepting. Hoseok begins walking again, and Changkyun falls into step beside him.
“Okay? That’s it?”
“Yeah.” Hoseok nods. Grabs one of Changkyun’s hands, and swings it between them as way of focusing on something else. “You know that’s okay, right?”
“What?”
“That you’re worried?”
“But I shouldn’t be.”
“You shouldn’t, but you also shouldn’t have had to worry about walking home at night, and yet.” Hoseok pauses, but Changkyun can tell he has more to say. “It might not help, but you should tell him that you’re worried about it.”
“I know.” It’s Changkyun’s turn to pause, before speaking again. “Does it bother you?”
“Which part?”
“That I’m worried about that, when you’ll still be here.”
“No.” Hoseok shakes his head, tightens his hold on Changkyun’s hand. “He was the first person you saw, after you died, right? And he saved your life. It makes sense that you’d be worried about him disappearing. The fact you still are, despite being given plenty of reason not to be, means that this goes far beyond you just wanting him around.”
“Oh.” A nod. “That makes sense, I think. Surprisingly insightful.”
“Okay- well- now I’m offended. What do you mean surprisingly?”
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Yes!”
The conversation Changkyun finally has with Kihyun is muted. Feels uneventful. Changkyun tells the other his worries, that he knows they’re irrational, and Kihyun responds as simply as Hoseok had.
“Okay.”
“Okay? Really, you too? That’s all?”
“What do you want me to say?” Kihyun’s words make Changkyun freeze, because he doesn’t know. Isn’t sure what Kihyun could possibly say that would help any. What kind of response would feel like a satisfying conclusion to Changkyun’s concerns. “You’re allowed to be worried, but that isn’t going to stop things from happening.”
“I guess not.”
“But- how about this?”
“What?”
“I promise I’ll be here until at least next summer. I’m sure our neighbors wont get too suspicious that quickly, all of the sudden.”
It doesn’t change anything, really. There’s still a guarantee there, in the words, that the conclusion is inevitable. That Kihyun will fake his death, and leave, like he must have done dozens of times since becoming a vampire. Still, knowing it wont be soon- knowing he isn’t going to suddenly leave the next day, or the next week- eases Changkyun’s worries immediately.
“Okay.”
“I just want to say I am not, in fact, suffering today,” Changkyun says.
“What a twist,” Hyunwon responds, paying little attention to Changkyun. “Then why I am I even here?”
“To steal food like you always do?”
“You’re absolutely correct.” A nod. “You know that offer to make them suffer with embarrassing stories still stands.”
“Ah, so we’re still awful people. Got it.” Changkyun pauses. “But what kind of stories?”
“Admittedly I haven’t known them as long as they’ve known each other.” Wasn’t possible, considering how long each of them had been alive. “But they’re embarrassing at all times, so they gave me plenty to work with.”
“I assume living with one of them helped.”
“I’ve lived with both of them,” Hyungwon reminds him. Changkyun had entirely forgotten about that, until now.
“Oh yeah. What happened with that?”
“What kind of monster gets up so early in the morning?” Hyungwon mutters, presumably to himself rather than Changkyun.
“What? Aside from for classes he doesn’t get up that early?”
“Oh, I see, when you live here he acts like a normal human being.”
“He’s not human.”
“My point still stands.”
So their neighbor is outside, again. Is standing there, when Kihyun kicks Hyunwon out, upon returning, and looks even more suspicious upon seeing they had a guest. Which Changkyun doesn’t think makes any sense, since that was normal. He’s already forgotten the kid’s name, admittedly.
“What are you doing out here, again?” Changkyun asks, while Hyungwon leaves and Kihyun seems to have taken to ignoring the other.
“I know something’s going on!”
“Don’t you have anything better to do?”
Without response, the other leaves, seeming to have taken offense to the question. Changkyun heads back into his apartment, feeling more annoyed than worried, now.
“Are we sure you didn’t just offend him, somehow?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Think so,” Changkyun repeats, disbelieving.
“Well if I did, I don’t know how.”
It happens, again. Another nightmare about that night. Changkyun doesn’t understand why they’re happening, or why they weren’t before. If he was going to be reliving that moment, so traumatically, he would have expected it to happen closer to the event. Yet, the further from it he gets, the more often it shows up. It makes blood unappealing, entirely, which is a problem all things considered.
Changkyun breathes a heavy sigh. One problem- temporarily- solved, another to deal with, he guesses.
Summer's end approaches startlingly quickly. While Changkyun still has another two weeks before classes begin for him, that wasn’t the case for a lot of people who had previously attended the same college as him. Or, rather, it wasn’t the case for his human friends. They begin classes within a few days, and thus had already moved into their dorms. Away from where Changkyun remains. Another piece of normalcy being chipped away at, in his life.
Yet, for some reason, it doesn’t bother him as much as he thinks it should. Despite losing the barely-reformed stable parts of his life being one of his major concerns, when it came to multiple things already, it doesn’t register. Doesn’t bother him. Which, in and of itself, bothers him.
Did his human friend's place in his life mean so little? Was it because he could still contact them, or had their space in his life- since becoming a vampire- shrunk so much it didn’t register as a change?
“You’re keeping your human friends?” Jooheon had given Changkyun a look that made him think he shouldn’t.
At the time he had been determined to keep them. To retain a place in his life, for them. Even more so recently, as one of them became aware of what actually happened to him. The thought, somewhere in the back of his mind, had been that this meant he succeeded. That he’d managed to keep them an important part of his life.
Was that wrong?
When he takes the time to think about it, Changkyun knows that he spends less time with them. Besides the majority of his time being spent with Hoseok and Kihyun, the rest of his time, too, was in majority spent with vampires.
Realizing this, Changkyun finds himself immediately calling the only one of them not gone to another college- Taehyuk- to spend time together. With no actual idea what to do, specifically. Still, the other agrees, maybe realizing something is up with Changkyun.
“So, what’s wrong with you?”
“What a way to ask if I’m okay.”
“Well?”
“I’m just trying to keep… something normal.”
“Is that so?” A pause. “You really think things were normal, before, just because you were human, and spending time with humans?”
Changkyun is caught off guard by the question. It was, probably, the last response he expected. “Yes?”
“Okay, well, as your wise friend-”
“Wise.”
“Let me tell you a secret.” Taehyuk glares and Changkyun remains silent. “There’s no such thing. Normal is nonsense. You’re just worried you’re extra weird now, but you’re really not. Different, sure, but if you were that weird I wouldn’t have been the only one to realize what happened to you.”
The conversation, like a lot recently, sticks in Changkyun’s mind long after it’s over. There’s no such thing. Was that the problem, then? Clinging to the idea of normal, when it wasn’t real. When, even if it was, he’d lost the ability to be normal a long time ago? It didn’t feel like that long ago, really, but it had been almost a year, he realizes. Almost a year since that night.
Was that why? Was that why it didn’t bother him that his human friend were out of reach? Was that why that night kept coming back to him, all of the sudden?
And, if it was, is there anything he can even do about it?
Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [9/Previous] [11/Next]
Notes: guess who just couldn’t abandon this story huh
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
In a way it was sort of difficult not to feel bad for their suspicious neighbor. After all, he wasn’t actually wrong that something suspicious was going on with them, but it was unlikely anyone else believed him. Sometimes, people just continue to look young no matter their age, so it wasn’t so difficult to believe that the past ten years hadn’t had much of an affect.
Still, despite this, feeling bad for him only went so far. When he began not minding his own business, to the extent of having been found multiple times hanging out outside of their apartment, trying to find some evidence something weird was going on, that feeling was stamped out and replaced with annoyance. Annoyance that easily spread to both occupants of the apartment. So when both of them- Kihyun and Changkyun- return to find him yet again outside their apartment- this time with his faced pressed against the door, apparently trying to listen into it- they aren’t exactly happy about it.
“Jinhee,” Kihyun begins, annoyance already clear in his tone. Changkyun suddenly realizes he wasn’t actually aware of their neighbors name until now. “What are you doing?”
“Right…” With a sigh, Kihyun pushes past the other, unlocks the door, and without waiting for Changkyun, slams it in Jinhee’s face.
“Um,” Jinhee stammers out what can barely be considered words, for a moment, before turning to Changkyun.
“What did you expect?”
The question goes unanswered, and Jinhee leaves without sparing him another glance.
“You think it’s getting worse?”
“What is?”
“Our suspicious neighbor?” The question comes out quieter than Changkyun means for it to. But he can’t help but be worried about the situation. If it keeps up, eventually someone else might catch on that something is up. And then what? Sure, there’s a plan in place, but…
“I’m not too worried.” Kihyun shrugs.
“If you say so.” That was all he’d said on the situation so far, so Changkyun isn’t really sure why he expected anything else. If you act like you have something to hide, they’re going to think you do. That had been what Kihyun said before, but they do have something to hide. Even if what it is might be hard to believe, it can easily end up convincing someone that something else strange is going on.
“Even if it was something to be worried about, I’ve already prepared for that. Remember?”
Of course he does, but that doesn’t help any. He doesn’t want to be left behind while the other fakes his death, just because they have a neighbor who’s too observant.
“I know that.” It just doesn’t help any.
Usually, when Changkyun talks to Minhyuk, it isn’t about anything particularly serious. Or it somehow becomes a less serious conversation. He doesn’t doubt the other is capable of serious conversation, of course; just that it hadn’t been something Changkyun had experienced when it came to Minhyuk before. Which is why he’s caught off guard by the tone with which Minhyuk asks the question.
“What are you actually scared of?” The tone of Minhyuk’s voice is strange. It's not really a question he wants answered, and the way he doesn’t actually look at Changkyun when he asks, makes that much clear.
Still, Changkyun responds with a startled, “what?”
“If things to reach that point, what are you actually scared is going to happen?”
It should be an easy question to answer. Something simple. He’s scared their neighbors will realize they are- or at the very least that Kihyun is- vampires. But, what would really happen if they did? Kihyun would have to leave, certainly. Changkyun might have to move, if he’s discovered too, but that’s less likely due to how little time he’s been there for. Then, what is he actually worried about?
Probably the same thing he was worried about when he first woke up, after that night, and realized how it might affect his relationship with his human friends.
“I-” He pauses, stares at his hands for a moment- “enough has changed too quickly, and I don’t want to… risk losing people.” Again, he thinks, despite the fact he had managed to keep his original friendships. Because something had changed, and what if more changed. What if the result was worse this time.
“Do you realize that I’ve been alive more than a hundred years, as a vampire?”
“Huh?” Surprised by what seems like a change in topic, all Changkyun can do is nod.
“And you realize during that entire time, I’ve managed to maintain my friendships with the others?”
“Oh.” What Minhyuk is trying to say hits him, finally. If, within a hundred years, Minhyuk had managed to stay in contact with the exact person Changkyun is worried is going to have to leave, then it’s perfectly plausible the same would be true for him.
“See, you get it now?” Any seriousness in Minhyuk’s tone disappears in a instant. He smiles and Changkyun can only nod.
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Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [8/Previous] [10/Next]
Notes: look at me, updating twice within the same week.
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
“You know, you might have explained this but- well- it’s been an eventful few months,” Changkyun starts, while continuing to walk beside Hoseok. The latter has just left work, and Changkyun is on his way home from spending time with his human friends. Something he’s found easier now that Taehyuk knows the truth.
“Yeah?”
“You and Hyunwoo are in the same bloodline?”
“Yeah? Hyungwon too.”
“Well- just- how’s that work? I mean, you’re a pure-blood, right?”
“Oh, right. Okay, so, my dad was a source blood, and the one who turned Hyunwoo, apparently. I wasn’t there for that, but that’s what I heard. My mom was another secondary, in our blood line. When- once they- with them gone, Hyunwoo became the source, like Kihyun did in your blood line. I guess, technically, I could be considered the start of a different bloodline, but I prefer to think of it like we’re all in the same boat, you know?”
“I- I guess so?”
“No?”
“I mean, I think I get it.”
“Okay.” Whatever continuation to the conversation there might have been is cut short by the chiming of Changkyun’s phone. He pauses, and stops walking, to check it. A message from Kihyun asking if he’s nearly home, to which he responds with a yes.
“Then can you let Jooheon in when you get there. I locked the door and apparently hes there”
“yeah sure.”
“What’s up?” Hoseok asks, a few steps ahead, where he stopped.
“Ah, apparently Jooheon is at the apartment, and locked out.”
“Oh? When did you two start locking doors?”
“I’ve always locked the door.” Changkyun shrugs, putting his phone away. “I think Kihyun finally started locking it after I found our neighbor crouched outside our door.”
“Your neighbor?” They start walking again, quickly falling into step next to each other.
“Yeah, apparently he’s suspicious of Kihyun.”
“Oh was that why you brought up faking deaths, a while back?”
“Yeah.”
“Weird, it doesn’t feel like it’s been that long.”
“Kihyun said he’d been here ten years?”
“It’s been ten years?” Hoseok hums, as if considering if this is true. “I guess so.”
“Well there’s that whole thing with time feeling shorter, the longer you’ve lived in comparison. And since you two are both really old, it’s no wonder it didn’t seem like that long.”
“I’m not old.”
“Aren’t you- like- four hundred years old?” Changkyun pauses, frowning. “That’s actually really weird.”
“What is?”
“You’re so old, man.”
“I am not!”
“The only person older is Hyunwoo, and he’s ancient.”
“Stop.”
“It’s a little creepy, maybe I should rethink things.”
“Why are you like this?”
True to expectations, Jooheon is waiting outside of the apartment. Briefly Changkyun wonders how Kihyun’s apartment became the go-to location for the others to gather, but he doubts even they have an answer to that. Jooheon is sitting on the ground next to the door, staring at his phone and pointedly ignoring someone trying to talk to him. Said person being a face Changkyun vaguely recognizes as the same neighbor who he’d found outside of his apartment before. Which, he thinks, is sort of amazing timing.
Still, it’s strange.
“Hey, come on, man. You can’t just hang out in our building like you belong here.”
Jooheon breathes a sigh, looking more annoyed than Changkyun has ever seen him. “I’m waiting for my friend to get home. You don’t belong here either.”
“I live here.”
“On this floor?”
“Well- well, no, but-”
“Then you don’t.”
“People like you hanging around just makes him more suspicious.” With a huff, the neighbor crosses his arms. Changkyun finally decides to make his way over, Hoseok in tow, and surprisingly quiet.
“Hey, Jooheon. Sorry to make you wait, but you really should give us more warning.”
“No, it’s cool,” Jooheon looks away from his phone, “when Minhyuk lived here, the same thing used to happen.”
“Did it?” Changkyun pushes past his neighbor, ignoring him, to unlock the door.
“Yeah. Right Ho- er- Wonho?”
Hoseok seems startled for a second, by the use of his current fake name. “Huh? Oh- yeah. Which is probably ironic since Minhyuk doesn’t do that now that he lives with Hyunwoo.”
The three enter the apartment, and Changkyun spares a glance at his neighbor before closing the door on him.
“What’s up with that kid?” Jooheon asks, after a moment.
“He thinks something’s up with Kihyun.” Changkyun sighs. “If he keeps this up, it might actually-”
Might be a problem. Might cause Kihyun to hurry his plan to fake his death, or at the very least make him move. Changkyun isn’t certain what his worry is, when it comes to their neighbor, but he’s worried none the less.
“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Jooheon pats Changkyun on the shoulder. “One person isn’t a big deal. If someone else starts getting on your case, maybe worry, but I’m sure it’s fine for now.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
“And even if it does cause a problem, you’ll be fine.”
“Uh- huh?”
“Yeah. I mean, it’ll happen eventually, anyway.”
“Still.”
“When it does, are you going to stay here?”
“Oh- well- I hadn’t thought about it.” That’s a lie, Changkyun has thought a lot about it. But he wishes he hadn’t, because it’s unsettling to think about the future, when it comes to faking deaths.
“When it does happen, you can move in with us,” Hoseok finally speaks, again, motioning to himself.
“Us?”
“Or I could kick Hyungwon out.”
“I’m telling him you said that,” Jooheon says, dropping onto the couch. “So, how are you two?”
“Please don’t.”
“Good.” Changkyun sits across from him. “What are you here for, anyway?”
“Was bored.”
“So you came here?” Hoseok places himself between them, on the couch, as he speaks.
“Yeah, well, I couldn’t think of anything else.”
“That’s sad.”
“Like you’re any better.”
“Yeah, but I can at least say I’m here because of those two.”
“One of, “those two,” is right here? Why’d you say that, like that?” Changkyun frowns at Hoseok, who shrugs.
“I don’t know.”
“And, anyway, what about Gunhee?” Changkyun turns attention back to Jooheon. In turn, Jooheon pouts.
“He’s busy.”
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Isn’t it!”
By the time Kihyun comes home, Hoseok and Jooheon have left. He returns with an absolutely ridiculous number of grocery bags.
“Kihyun what the fuck.”
“We were out of the food.”
“Still!”
Changkyun brings up their neighbor, while he helps Kihyun put things away. Once again, Kihyun doesn’t seem particularly concerned about this, which only makes Changkyun even more anxious. If he’s not worried about it, he could be caught off-guard if something bad happens. At least, that’s what goes through Changkyun’s thoughts.
“I think you’re forgetting how often I’ve dealt with this, Changkyun.”
“Am I?”
“Yes. Look, I get it. I was the same way when I was first turned, but you have to understand that if you freak out, they’ll only get more suspicious. If you act like you have something to hide, they’re going to think you do.”
“But we do have something to hide!”
“Which is exactly why you can’t act like it.” Kihyun turns to face him. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Changkyun breathes a sigh, nodding.
Another day, yet another night where Changkyun somehow finds himself outside of his home. This time, at least, he’s not walking home. At least, for the moment he isn’t. Another outing with his human friends. They’d been more common, in the weeks since summer started, and Changkyun assumes it’s because a lot of them will be moving, soon. So it will be more difficult to get together, then. Despite his expectation that his vampirism will be the thing that causes him to feel more distant from them, in reality it’s just the natural course of their lives.
Which is somehow worse.
Still, as the youngest of the group- Jongyeon- horribly butchers an attempt at grilling a piece of meat, things feel normal. For a small moment, he forgets that things are changing.
And then everyone is parting ways and he feels that hit him like a truck.
“Hey, Changkyun, do you want me to go with you?” Taehyuk’s question startles him, and he knows confusion shows clear on his face. “I mean: you have an issue with walking home at night, now, right?”
“Oh- uh- yeah. But I can- I’ll probably be okay.”
“You sure?” Absolutely not. Changkyun shakes his head, sighing.
“Let me see if someone else can come get me, before I make you do that.”
“Sure.”
Changkyun asks the others- or, some of the others, who he knows could be available if they can come get him- and gets a positive response from Kihyun. Which isn’t too surprising, all things considered. He was usually the first to be against Changkyun being on his own, especially since the second stabbing.
“Okay- so- you’re free to go.”
“Someone going to come get you?”
“Yep.”
“Want me to stay here, until them?”
“No?”
“Hm.”
“Do you want to stay here?”
“No, more so I’m just curious about your new, cool, vampire friends.”
“They’re not cool, trust me.” Changkyun thinks about Hoseok screaming at a horror movies, or Kihyun hiding in their kitchen out of embarrassment, and knows for sure they aren’t cool. Absolutely, one hundred percent, not cool.
“If you say so.”
Taehyuk takes the hint, and leaves Changkyun to wait on his own. It’s not like Changkyun, himself, has a problem with them meeting. In fact, Taehyuk- whether he remembers, or realizes it, himself- has already met one of them. It’s more so, that Changkyun had promised not to tell his human friends anything about the other vampires, if he reveled his own state. While he couldn’t avoid any information at all making it through, he had avoided most of it, and letting them meet would feel like a break in that promise.
There’s a lawyer at the door. This information repeats over and over in Changkyun’s head, as he stares at the person in front of him. Said person- the lawyer in question- waits patiently for Changkyun to process this fact.
“What- uh- why are you hear?”
“This is where Kihyun lives, right? I haven’t gotten that wrong?”
“Uh- well- yes.”
“I need to talk to him about his will.”
“Ah, okay, that makes sense.” Changkyun pauses, unsure what to say. “He’s not here?”
“Well, can I wait for him?”
“Sure… yeah, come in?” Changkyun moves out of the way, allowing the other into the apartment. A lot of thoughts go through Changkyun’s head, as the lawyer takes a seat at the dining table. Most prominent is a resounding, “what the fuck.”
“So, you’re Changkyun, I presume?”
“Presume?” Changkyun realizes what he’s said after a beat, and mentally curses himself. “I mean: yes.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yep.”
“Right…”
Changkyun could possible say he’s never been more glad to see Kihyun than he is when Kihyun returns ten minutes later. Possibly. Maybe when he saved Changkyun’s life could beat it, but otherwise, most glad he's been.
“I’m back- oh.”
“Hey, Kihyun.”
“Why?”
“Because you keep giving me more work, changing your will all the sudden.”
“You could have called me.”
“This was more fun.”
“How so?”
The lawyer motions towards Changkyun, who has just enough awareness of the situation to feel insulted. “And I wanted to meet your roommate!”
“Yeah, yeah. Did you even introduce yourself?”
“Oh.”
“Seokwon.”
“Well.” The other shrugs. After being glared at by Kihyun- which he laughs at- he turns his attention back to Changkyun. “Sorry, I’m Seokwon. Lawyer, human- for now- consultant to those faking their deaths due to vampirism.”
Changkyun is startled by the later half, and barely remembers to respond. “Uh- oh- cool. I’m Changkyun. Vampire, college student, embarrassment.”
“Um.”
“I didn’t mean to say that last one.”
“Right.” Seokwon laughs, nodding. “Anyway, Kihyun, you have time?”
“You know I do,” Kihyun rolls his eyes, and sighs. “Alright, what is it?”
Changkyun listens to about half of their conversation, before deciding he actually didn’t have the patience to listen to it. He knew one day this would have to be stuff he thought about, but for now it was just exhausting him. So he calls Hoseok to see if the other is busy, and then calls Hyungwon when it turns out he is.
“What?”
“Want to hang out with me?”
“Never. What’s up?”
“Bored, Kihyun’s talking about his will with someone and I really want to do literally anything else.”
“Fine, sure, bring food and we can hang out.”
“Sometimes I think you only spend time with us to get food.”
“Just sometimes? I thought it was obvious that was exactly the case.”
Hyungwon laughs at Changkyun, when he actually does bring food with him. He then proceeds to take the food, anyway, and let Changkyun inside. The first things Changkyun notices, upon entering the other’s apartment, is that some things have been moved since the last time he visited. The second thing he notices is that Hyunwoo and Minhyuk are both there, though the latter seems to be unconscious.
“Hey, Hyunwoo.”
“Hi.” Hyunwoo waves slightly. Next to him, leaned against his side, Minhyuk shifts. Though he doesn’t wake up.
“What are you two doing here?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“Minhyuk wanted to bother me,” Hyungwon says, shrugging. “For some reason he dragged Hyunwoo along. And then passed out. You know, classic Minhyuk things.”
Changkyun wants to argue that he does not, in fact, know. At least until he remembers waking up with Minhyuk laying on top of him, and waiting until Hyunwoo dragged the other away to regain his freedom. “Right, sounds like him.”
The three share would could probably be called a conversation, for the next few minutes, until Minhyuk wakes up and Immediately takes over said conversation. Which is fine, really, since Changkyun and Hyunwoo didn't have much to say, and Hyungwon is busy trying to inhale all the food Changkyun brought him. He sometimes wonders if Hyungwon was like that before he 'died,' too.
“By the way, Changkyun, I heard you told one of your human friends you were a vampire.”
Changkyun startles at that, facing Minhyuk in surprise. “What- how?”
“Hyunwoo told me?”
“How did you know?!” Changkyun switches his attention to Hyunwoo, who shrugs and motions to Hyungwon. Who, in turn, doesn’t look at all guilty.
“Was that a secret?”
“No- just- why?” Hyungwon shrugs, and Changkyun makes a small noise to show he’s annoyed. “Okay, then.”
“So- then- how’d it go?!” Minhyuk draws Changkyun’s attention, again.
“Oh, uh, fine?”
“Did he freak out?”
“No?”
“Aw.”
“Why do you sound disappointed?”
“I’m not,” Minhyuk says, sounding very disappointed.
“He was probably hoping something funny happened.”
“No…” Minhyuk draws the word out, in a way that makes in very unconvincing.
“Sorry, but it wasn’t a big reaction. In fact he was just like, “yeah, I could see that,” when I brought up vampires. Then again my eyes apparently were red, at the time, but… you know.”
“Oh! That’s right, you’re a secondary!” Minhyuk jumps to his feet. “Hey, let me see them.”
“My eyes?”
“Yeah!”
“How?”
“How?”
“Yeah, how?”
“Wait- okay- did nobody teach you any control of them at all?”
“No.”
“Okay, okay. I see.” Minhyuk nods, then claps his hands together. “Alright, then I’ll teach you!”
“Wait- so I can control it?”
“Well… there are some times when you wont ever be able to, but- like- if you are perfectly calm, then you can.”
“Oh.”
“Haven’t you seen the others do it?” Hyungwon asks, reminding Changkyun that he and Hyunwoo are there, too.
“No? Oh- no- I’ve seen Kihyun’s eyes, once, but that was when he set a fire.”
“Pyromania.”
“Cooking.”
“Of course it was.”
“Oh, you want to see mine?” Minhyuk moves closer to Changkyun, and suddenly the colour of Minhyuk’s eyes fades to red. After a second, they become brighter, and their nearly-glowing colour is somewhat unsettling to look at.
“Whoa- is that what they look like?!”
“It is for me!” Minhyuk grins. “Sources don’t get the cool glow because of their colour, though.”
“The creepy all-black eyes thing is pretty cool, too,” Hyunwoo says, quietly.
“True!”
“So then red always glows?” Changkyun asks.
“Nope.”
“Okay…”
“If they’re darker, they wont. Like Hyungwon’s.”
“Mhm.” Hyungwon nods, leaning against the table where he sits. “If they did, there’d be no point in him asking to see yours.”
“So what about you?” Changkyun tilts his head, in Hyunwon’s direction. In return, the other shrugs. “Aw, come on.”
“Okay, sure.” Hyungwon pauses, before nodding to himself. Then, after a moment, his eyes fade into a dark, somehow more unsettling red. Without the glow, they’re less obvious and unnatural looking at a glance, but somehow the almost-humanness of them makes it worse.
The twenty minutes that follow are spent with Minhyuk- and sometimes Hyunwoo- trying to teach Changkyun how to purposefully cause his eyes to change colour. Hyungwon is absolutely no help, though he makes an occasional comment about something Minhyuk says.
“Okay, how about now?”
“Nope. Hm, maybe you just need to think about something that would cause them to change anyway.”
“Like stress?”
“Yep.”
“Because this situation is stressing me out.”
“Not enough, apparently!”
Changkyun rolls his eyes, before breathing a sigh and trying again.
“Oh!”
“Did it work?!”
“Yeah!” Minhyuk grins. Hyunwoo leans forward where he’s sitting, to look at Changkyun.
“So?”
“They glow,” Hyungwon says, simply. “They’re darker than Minhyuk’s, though. Not glowing as much.”
“See, now you’re a certified vampire.” Minhyuk nods, emphasizing his statement.
“Pretty sure Jooheon said something like that to me after the- uh- biting incidents.”
“Well Jooheon was wrong.”
“I’m telling him you said that.”
“Pft.” Minhyuk scoffs. “I’m not scared.”
“This is why he revoked your status as his totally-legitimate-new-best-friend.”
“He never technically revoked it! He and Gunhee just made up after their definitely-not-fake fight.”
“What are you two even saying?” Hyungwon mutters, and glances at Hyunwoo. In return, Hyunwoo shrugs.
“Hey Kihyun, check this shit out,” are the first words out of Changkyun’s mouth, when he returns home. He knows Seokwon is gone, Kihyun having let him know before he headed back, so he doesn’t worry about that.
“Check what out?”
In return, Changkyun stands on the entrance way side of the counter that divides it from the kitchen, facing Kihyun, who’s standing it it, and motions to his own face.
“Yes, okay, that sure is your face.”
“No.”
“Uh? You’re… cute?”
“No, Kihyun.”
“What do you want from me, Changkyun?”
“It didn’t work.”
“What didn’t?”
“I’ve spent the past- like- hour, learning how to change my eye colour.”
“Oh.” Kihyun nods. “Want to try again?”
Changkyun pauses, nods, and turns around to leave. Then he comes back through the door, concentrating. “Hey, Kihyun, check this shit out.”
Kihyun turns around, again- Changkyun figures he turned away when Changkyun left the room- and nods. “Oh, you learned how to do that on your own.”
“Did it actually work, or are you humoring me?”
Kihyun pauses, oddly, before speaking. “It worked.”
“You’re a liar and a fraud.”
“That’s fair.”
After a few more attempts- without the theatrics- Changkyun finally manages it again. Then Changkyun makes Kihyun invite Hoseok over, despite it being near-evening. When the other arrives, Changkyun immediately jumps to his feet, and stands at the entrance way. “Hey, Hoseok, check this shit out.”
“Uh- oh, hey, your eyes.”
“It worked this time!”
“Congrats!” Kihyun calls from the other room.
“Oh- actually, now that I think about it, this is a good chance to ask what your eyes look like.” Changkyun eyes Hoseok, expectant. Hoseok looks vaguely startled, before nodding. Apparently, blue also glows. His eyes turn an unnaturally bright shade of blue, accompanied by a slight, unsettling glow. “Cool.”
“What brought this up, though?”
“Uh.” Changkyun pauses, trying to remember what exactly started the topic. “I’m going to say Minhyuk, because I can’t remember.”
“Hey, Jooheon,” Changkyun starts, the next time he sees the other.
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Jooheon says, before Changkyun can continue, “but Minhyuk told me about your eyes.”
Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [6/Previous] [8/Next]
Notes: it’s been six months but this story is back.
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
In a rare turn of events, the semi-newly turned vampire known as Changkyun ends up in someone else’s apartment for once. Rather than bursting his way into Kihyun and Changkyun’s shared home, Minhyuk ‘invites’ the latter over. Invite meaning once again practically kidnapping Changkyun from his home, and once again Kihyun not helping Changkyun at all. And for dinner of all things, with both Minhyuk and Hyunwoo. It’s not hard to guess this is a way to get Hyunwoo to spend more time with Changkyun, being that they’ve only really met once- aside from one time when they saw each other briefly- although the reason why Minhyuk feels like this is necessary s beyond Changkyun.
What isn’t beyond him, is that the dinner is a good chance to ask more about their pasts. As well as to find out that Minhyuk apparently can no longer stand rice of all things. Being a vampire must be difficult for him, Changkyun thinks, when Minhyuk dumps his serving of rice over onto Hyunwoo’s dishes.
“So…” Changkyun starts, not really sure where he’s going with his question. It’s not as if he can just go, ‘hey tell me all the fucked up details of your past,’ or something. Well, he could, but he’s not going to.
“So?” Minhyuk turns away from his task of trading foods with Hyunwoo, to raise an eyebrow at Changkyun.
“How’d you two… become vampires?”
“I thought my past was already spoiled for you?”
“I mean- I know you were sick? And then the former source blood of your- I mean our- bloodline turned you?”
“Well when you put it that way, it sounds boring.”
“Wasn’t it?” Hyunwoo asks, glancing at Minhyuk in his prereferral vision.
“Not when I tell it.”
“Doesn’t that just mean you exaggerate?”
“I would never!”
“So, yes.” Minhyuk turns to glare at Changkyun for that, before sitting back in his seat and crossing his arms.
“Now I definitely wont tell you!”
“That’s okay, I’ll just ask Kihyun for an extended version of his explanation.”
“Rude.” Minhyuk shakes his head, sitting forward. “Fine, if you really want to know…”
“Not really.”
“Nevermind, you’re dead to me.”
“Wait, before you mentioned near death by failed robbery on your end, so what was that?”
“Oh that was after I became a vampire.”
“Why?”
“Seemed like a good idea at the time.”
Changkyun pauses, not really sure what to say to that. “Okay... so… Hyunwoo, then.”
“I got kicked in the face by a horse.”
“I- I’m sorry, what?!” Changkyun’s surprise is matched only by Minhyuk’s laughter.
“I didn’t know the owner was a vampire until they turned me so they wouldn’t be responsible for me dying.”
“From… being kicked by a horse.”
“Yeah.”
“I really expected something cooler, if I’m honest.”
“Sorry to disappoint.”
“I can’t believe both of you had such… normal deaths.”
“You were stabbed, in a robbery. Isn’t that a ‘normal death?’” Minhyuk leans against the table, head resting on his hand. His expression could best be described at an attempt at looking judgemental.
“Yeah, but I figured I was the outlier.”
How to: tell your human friends you’re in a relationship when that relationship is with not only one, but two, vampires. A guide by Changkyun.
Step 1: Don’t.
At least that was the plan. Until Jongyeon had to bring up the incident in which Changkyun ran from his own apartment months earlier, to avoid explaining to Hoseok and Kihyun why he was standing there, staring at them. It was an incident which he covered with partial lies, and one that Changkyun really didn’t expect the other to remember Changkyun talking to him about.
So the, “hey, what ever happened with you suffering because of your roommate,” startles him.
And maybe, “oh yeah that happened before we started dating, didn’t it,” wasn’t the best response in the world. To be fair, he hadn’t actually meant to say it out loud, but that doesn’t make any less a problem. Especially when all of his human friends- at least in his most recent friend group- are around.
Maybe deciding to continue hanging around his human friends was a mistake. But how was he supposed to expect a simple lunch to go so wrong?
“You what.” It’s less a question, and more of a surprised statement. From beside Jongyeon, Byunghwa gives a startled laugh. Beside him- around the corner of the table- Jeongwook leans forward, expression questioning.
“Oh my god.” Changkyun sighs.
“Jeeze, Changkyun, it’s almost like you don’t tell us anything anymore.” Taehyuk looks far more amused than he has any right to.
“I just didn’t think about it.” That’s a lie, and they probably know it’s one, but he’s not about to admit to hiding stuff from them. If he does, then he’ll have to admit to hiding other things- at the very least, it’ll be harder not to- and he can’t exactly tell them about the whole vampire thing.
“Yeah, sure.”
“But you’re dating someone, and didn’t think to tell any of us?” Byunghwa asks.
“Well- I mean- two people. But- uh- yeah, basically.”
“Two?!”
Step 1: failed.
At least he can say his human friends are still a part of his life, he guesses.
An essay, on any topic one wants, is not something that you would usually expect to lead to revelations about people you know. At least not while you're doing research on the history of a company and find out it’s CEO was murdered around the same time as someone you know was turned into a vampire. It could be a coincidence, at least, but then Changkyun does a little more looking- because he’s invested now- and low and behold, it’s Hyungwon’s name that comes up.
“Well, that seems familiar.”
One would also think that being a vampire would make you more aware of your surroundings. As it is, Changkyun jumps up, startled, and turns to face Hyungwon.
“Can you just once warn someone before you break into their house?”
“It’s not breaking in if I have an open invitation.”
“Do you?”
“Well I haven’t been told to stop yet.” Hyungwon shrugs, making his way to the kitchen as usual. “What were you looking that up for?’
“I was researching the company for an essay. Didn’t realize it was… well, that.”
“I really wish it wasn’t that easy to look up, honestly.” Hyungwon turns around, frowning. “Why and when did your fridge get so empty?”
“Well someone keeps stealing our food. And Kihyun’s been stress cooking more, because we’re nearing the end of the year. If you were like-” Changkyun glances at the time- “two hours earlier you would have been around to stop him from dumping a ton of it out.”
“What a waste.” Hyungwon sighs, dropping down into the seat across from Changkyun. “Do you at least have some suffering to amuse me with?”
“I accidentally told my human friends I was in a relationship.” Changkyun shrugs. “That’s all I’ve got.”
“You used to be less boring.”
“You used to be nicer.”
“That’s a lie. You take that back.”
It occurs to Changkyun, while he’s supposed to be working on a project- which he’s very much not working on- that he knows the reason for almost everyone being turned. Aside from Hoseok who wasn’t and Jooheon. He even knows why Gunhee was turned, and he was the last person Changkyun met.
“Why I was turned?”
“Yeah. I know the reason for everyone else, at this point.”
“I had a vampire for a neighbor, and he decided to save my life, I guess.”
“Save your life?”
“Oh yeah, I was robbed, at gunpoint. And then shot. Because, you know, take everything from me and then kill me, that makes sense. Just make me suffer first. Assholes.” There’s a distinct bitterness in Jooheon’s voice that Changkyun understands. “Oh, you know, now that I’m saying it, that’s pretty similar to what happened to you.”
“Yeah, except with shooting instead of stabbing.” Changkyun pauses, frowning. “This- well- this might be a weird question, but do you have scars from the gunshot wounds?”
“Oh yeah. They’d make pretty cool scars if I didn’t have to hide them or risk being found out.”
“Huh.”
“Why?”
“I was just thinking about how I don’t have scars from the post vampire stabbing, but do from the one before it. Even though the wounds didn’t close until after I was turned.”
“Yeah- well- shit. I never thought about that. Weird. Well, about as weird as all vampire shit is.”
“Yeah. Anyway, thanks for telling me.”
“Sure? It isn’t that big a deal, anymore.” Jooheon pauses. “Well, usually.”
To be entirely fair, he did ask for this. That didn’t make the horrifying realization that being a vampire really has made biting people more appealing any less, well, horrifying. Nor did it change his level of embarrassment at having this realization as a direct response to doing just that. To his roommate/significant other. As it is, Changkyun stares wide-eyed at Kihyun, as this realization sets in.
“For someone who literally asked if they could bite me, you sure are freaked out about this.”
“It’s still weird!”
Kihyun laughs at him, running his thumb over Changkyun's cheek, under his eyes. “Maybe the red actually suits you, a bit.”
“A bit.”
“Yeah, well, it’s not as scary looking this time.”
“I wouldn’t know.”
“It’s probably less weird looking than entirely black eyes, if that makes you feel better?”
The end of year approaches with such startling speed, that Changkyun ends up barely seeing anyone else for nearly two straight weeks. Including Kihyun, who’s just as busy preparing for his own finals and projects. All in all, things fall into minor disarray, and it’s no surprise that as soon as everything outside of actual final tests are done, they’d be exhausted. Changkyun himself still has one project- a power point about a historical event of his choosing that relates to his history class- but Kihyun has finished everything that isn’t tests. Which, in theory, should put some amount of normalcy back into their home.
It really doesn’t. Kihyun manages to cook an entire month’s worth of food in a day, in order to avoid studying. Really, if he put that energy into studying, he probably wouldn’t be so stressed, but Changkyun isn’t going to be the one to tell him that. Especially since Kihyun looks like death; exhaustion is clearly catching up with him. Even vampires aren’t safe from the effects of college, it seemed.
Hoseok briefly stops by to pick up food that Kihyun is forcing on him and Hyungwon’s home, because there’s no way for Kihyun and Changkyun to go through it themselves. He wishes them both luck, but seems more amused at their unfortunate states than anything else.
“The evil is spreading.”
It’s really no surprise when Kihyun all-but passes out. Though, Changkyun would have appreciated if the other would have, at least, done so in his own bed.
“You know I sleep there, right?”
“My house, I can sleep where I want.”
“But-” Changkyun sighs, cutting off his own sentence. Instead of giving him any other response, Kihyun reaches out and grabs Changkyun’s arm.
“Suffer with me.”
“I already am.”
“Fine, then sleep with me.”
“Hey, whoa, that’s a bit soon.”
“Shut the fuck your mouth, you know what I mean.”
If you were to ask Changkyun how final exams went, he wouldn’t be able to tell you. He’s not entirely sure he didn’t just sleep-walk through the entire week before and after them. You’d think that someone who’s a vampire- who died- wouldn’t be so negatively affected by a lack of rest, but apparently he is.
He drops onto their couch, that weekended, and stares up at the ceiling wondering how that even works, before deciding it's too much work to think about. Changkyun doesn’t remember falling asleep there, either, but is woken by someone- it turns out to be Hoseok, when he looks up- dropping blood packs on his face.
“Why?”
“You guys look like you died… again.” Hoseok shrugs, motioning to where Kihyun is sat leaning against the kitchen table, barely awake.
“Well,” Changkyun sits up, blood packs falling onto the couch, “feels like it, too.”
“Cheer up, kids, you’re done for now.” Hyungwon’s voice rings out from the kitchen, though Changkyun can’t see him. Instead, he turns to Hoseok and raises an eyebrow in silent question.
“He was worried about you two.”
“I was not.” Hyungwon huffs, entering the room just to put containers down on the table in front of Kihyun. For his part, Kihyun raises a hand in silent greeting, without raising his head. “I just needed to bring these back.”
“With new food in them?”
“Shut up. I figured it’d keep Kihyun from hitting me, or something, for freeloading.”
“I don’t hit people.” Kihyun moves his head just enough to glare at Hyungwon.
“Now that’s just a plain lie.”
“Get out of my house, you noodle man.”
“Ouch, that hurts.”
“Liar.”
“Whatever, I have better things to do than fight with you.” Hyungwon shrugs, shaking his head, before moving to leave. “Hope at least one of you feel better.”
“Which one?”
“Changkyun, obviously. You’re mean.”
“Get out.”
“Well,” Changkyun starts, once Hyungwon has left, “that happened?”
“Why do you sound unsure?” Hoseok looks down at Changkyun, head tilted.
“The past- like- three weeks have been, I’m pretty sure, a fever dream.” Hoseok laughs at that, patting him on the head.
"Sorry it's been so rough."
With everything theoretically already covered when it comes to transferring colleges next year, there isn’t much left of Changkyun to do when the year officially ends. Except for celebrate. It isn’t much a surprise when his human friends invite him with them to do as much, but he once again finds himself hesitating. Though he decided he wanted to try and maintain his relationships with them, it’s hard to ignore the part of his mind that says this is the perfect chance to cut ties with them.
Maybe that’ll save them some pain, years from now when he has to fake his death.
Changkyun sighs, staring down at his phone, disappointed with his own thoughts. Even if that was the case, that isn’t what he wants. He wants to keep being their friend, to maintain some amount of his human life for as long as possible.
So he agrees, and goes to meet up with them to celebrate the end of the school year.
Changkyun decides to make an attempt to walk home on his own, for once. It isn’t like he’ll never need to, and it’s a short walk from where he separates from his human friends, and his apartment. A short walk, even shorter than the one from his- former- college and his old dorm.
It helps that there are a few other people still out, even after dark, this time.
He turns the corner onto the block his apartment complex is on, and passes someone as he does. It takes approximately six seconds for him to process that he recognizes the person he passed. And, when he turns around to look at them, they’re standing there, wide-eyed staring at Changkyun.
He recognizes the man’s face. He should considering that the fact he’s able to is one of the reasons he’d died.
“How-”
“You’re the fucker that stabbed me!”
They run. Changkyun can’t bring himself to follow them, either. Both because he's too shell-shocked, and the twinge of fear that still sits in his chest, knowing that he’d be dead because of that person, had it not been for luck. So he stands there, staring in the direction the man ran, unable to move.
And he continues to stand there, until the only thing he can think about his how screwed up it is that something bad seems to happen every time he goes anywhere by himself after dark. The universe is playing some sick joke on him, and frankly Changkyun doesn’t appreciate it.
He’s only broken from his thoughts, when his phone rings.
“Hello?”
“Changkyun, where are you?” There’s genuine concern in Kihyun’s voice. Not that Changkyun can blame him for being concerned, previous incidents considered.
“Oh, just down the block…”
“Are you… okay?’
“I just saw one of the guys who tried to kill me.”
“Want me to come get you?”
“No, no, I’m okay.”
Changkyun finally moves, turning around to walk home.
“Honestly universe, what the hell?”
There really isn’t much to say about the whole thing. Changkyun isn’t really sure how he feels- except for a small part of him that wishes he’d at least punched the guy, or something- and he doesn’t really feel like dwelling on it. Still, he’s sure it’s clear he’s a bit out of it, come the next day. Which is probably why Kihyun drops into the seat next to him at the table, and takes one of his hands, getting his attention.
“Hey, want to go harass Hoseok at work again?”
“God, no. Not with you. You’re embarrassing.”
“Rude. Also that’s too bad because you’re coming with me anyway.” Kihyun stands, pulling Changkyun up with him, without giving him a chance to argue. Not that Changkyun would have put up much of a fight, anyway.
“I hate both of you!” Hoseok yells, the second he finds them once he leaves work.
“I didn’t want this either.” Changkyun holds up his hands. They both turn to Kihyun, who just winks at Hoseok, causing the other to make an annoyed noise.
Pairing: I.M Centric, Kihyun/I.M/Wonho + Platonic I.M/everyone
Genre: Friendship, Romance
Universe: Vampire AU
Rating: PG13
Warnings: Blood, Swearing, Death mentioned, references to sexual stuff but no actual sexual stuff
Length: Chaptered (ongoing)
Chapters: [First] [4/Previous] [6/Next]
Notes: This got out of hand really quickly. It was never meant to be this long.
{ao3 version}
Summary: Changkyun was supposed to be recovering from midterms, not being robbed, stabbed, and then turned into a vampire. Yet that’s what happened. Luckily the vampires aren’t half bad company.
Kihyun is reading. Changkyun thinks this is pretty surprising, despite the number of books the other has, since he’s never actually seen it before. Kihyun is also laying on the couch, taking the entire thing up. So Changkyun does what any reasonable person would do. Which is not sitting in the chair instead, but to pick Kihyun’s legs up, sit down, and then put his legs back down, over his own. Kihyun doesn’t even look up.
“Hey, Kihyun?”
“Hm?”
“Can I talk to you?”
“Sure.” Kihyun pauses, reading one more sentence, then sets his book aside and sits up. “Go ahead.”
“So I like you, and you like me, and we both like Hoseok, right?”
“Right.”
“Then can we all… date each other? People do that, right? Will that work?”
“Changkyun,” Kihyun starts, cupping Changkyun’s face in his hands, “you’re over-thinking this. Yes, we can all date. It’s not like someone who’s dating multiple people without anyone knowing. We all know about each other, we all like each other, it’s fine. A nice, healthy, poly relationship that we can make everyone jealous about.”
“I don’t think anyone’s going to be jealous when everyone we know is already in a relationship.” Changkyun pauses. “Well, except Hyungwon but he wouldn’t be jealous, anyway.”
“No, we’ll be so great that they’ll be jealous, anyway.” Kihyun drops his hands from Changkyun’s face and smiles. “Okay?”
“Okay.” Changkyun nods. “So… we should probably talk to Hoseok then, huh.”
“Yeah.” Kihyun nods. “Can’t be in a relationship with someone if they don’t know.”
“Right. Okay, so then… can I do something?”
“Depends on what.”
“Can I kiss you?” Changkyun’s question feels like it should warrant less of a reaction than some of his other questions. At least he thinks so. Which makes him really amused that Kihyun sputters and turns red.
“I guess?” Kihyun nods, despite his words. Changkyun doesn’t move until Kihyun breathes out, speaking again. “Yes.”
It’s not much. Changkyun just reaches over and lightly places his lips against Kihyun’s, before pulling back. It’s rather innocent, all things considered, and a stark contrast to some of his questions- and even actions- before. Kihyun laughs, leans forward to press another quick kiss to Changkyun’s lips in return, and shakes his head.
“You’re cute, you know that?”
“I’ve been told that once, maybe, yeah.” Changkyun nods. “Though that was by Hyungwon and I think he and Minhyuk are convinced I’m a dog in disguise.”
“Puppy, more like.”
“Not you too.” Changkyun pouts. Kihyun laughs in response. “Hey, one more thing?”
“Yeah?”
“Want to go on a movie date? With Hoseok, too, assuming he agrees.”
“Sure, of course.” Kihyun nods. A ringing echo’s out, and Kihyun pulls his phone out to stop his alarm. “I have to go.”
“You don’t have classes today?”
“No, but I’m going to visit Minhyuk.” Kihyun sighs. “We’re running low on blood and Hoseok is working, so he wont be bringing anything from Hyunwoo today. Since Minhyuk insists I visit anyway, it’s a chance to kill two birds with one stone.”
Changkyun is an adult. That’s something he tells himself, when his parents text him asking why he moved without telling them, and he feels like he’s freaking out. With a deep breath, Changkyun dials his father’s number and makes up excuses in his head.
“Hello?”
“Hey, dad?”
“Changkyun. You didn’t tell us you had moved? We were going to visit you, but you’re house is empty, and Taehyuk says you moved.”
“Yeah, sorry, it was really recent and I forgot to tell you with all the chaos. I’m really sorry.” Changkyun pauses. “Wait, you’re here?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
“A couple of days.” His father says something that he can’t really hear- likely to his mother- before speaking again. “What’s your new address?”
“I don’t have it memorized, but I’ll text it to you.”
“Okay. See you soon, then?”
“Yes!”
Changkyun doesn’t actually know his address at all. Which is a pretty unfortunate realization. So he texts Kihyun- asking for their address and explaining why- and then realizes something else. His parents will want to see his new place. His parents will want to see his new place and make sure he’s eating right. His parent’s could see the second fridge in his room and think it’s just a normal second fridge and not full of blood. Luckily there isn’t much blood left in it, but that’s beside the point.
Changkyun ignores Kihyun’s texts momentarily, and empties the second fridge without actually knowing what to do with the remaining blood packs. Changkyun frowns, picks up his phone and adds another question- while ignoring Kihyun asking if he should come home- and moves the blood packs into the kitchen.
‘What’s Jooheon’s number?’
Changkyun frowns at the blood packs he sets on the table. He considers throwing them away, but that wouldn’t help, either. He glances at the trashcan, realizing it has empty blood packs in in, and sighs.
Kihyun gives him Jooheons number and Changkyun is quick to call Jooheon.
“Save me.” Jooheon doesn’t respond, likely startled by that being the first thing that he hears upon picking his phone up. “Please, Jooheon.”
“What’s happening?”
“My parent’s are going to visit me and there are blood packs in my house, Jooheon.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Take the blood packs away.”
“Yeah, okay, except I live pretty far away, you know?”
“I didn’t think of that.”
“Hold on, I’ll send someone else.”
“Thank you.”
Changkyun hangs up, decides he’s made his parents wait for his address long enough and texts them, then sighs. He opens the main fridge, finds the oldest thing in it he can- which is only a few days old- and dumps it into the trash can, covering the empty blood packs. One problem solved.
There’s a knock on his door, making Changkyun jump, and he hopes it’s anyone but his parents. Gunhee looks like he doesn’t know why he’s there, but Changkyun is just relieved he’s the one that is. He runs back into the kitchen, picks up the blood packs, shoves them into a plastic bag, and then shoves that into Gunhee’s hand.
“What am I doing with these? Jooheon didn’t really explain.”
“Whatever you want, they’re yours now. Just take them away from my house.” Changkyun sighs, relieved, when Gunhee nods. “Thank you so much, you’re the best.”
“Sure. We’re new best friends, after all.” The joke actually makes Changkyun laugh, and he nods.
“Right, I nearly forgot. Wait- no- I though Jooheon was again?”
“No problem.” Changkyun waves Gunhee off and turns back to his apartment, wondering if there’s anything else he needs to worry about. Deciding that he’s probably fine, he sighs.
Changkyun would like everyone to appreciate how good a job he is doing at not freaking out. Unfortunately the only people around to appreciate that fact are his parents, who he can’t tell. They took one look at his apartment and their faces formed into suspicion, sharing looks as they asked him questions. Which he expected to some extent, just not exactly how suspicions they are.
Kihyun’s apartment is much bigger, nicer, and more expensive than the one-room dorm that Changkyun had been living in for the previous year. So, of course, his parents have their doubts about Changkyun- jobless, college student Changkyun- living there.
“So you live here?”
“Yes.”
“By yourself?” His father frowns at him and Changkyun shakes his head.
“No, I have a roommate.” Roommate and now significant other, but they don’t need to know that part.
“You pay rent, then?” His mother asks, softly, frowning. Changkyun can’t afford to pay rent, and Kihyun doesn’t need him too anyway, so he nearly forgot how strange that arrangement is.
“Well, no…” That really has them suspicions, if they weren’t before. Changkyun smiles, trying not to look as nervous as he is, and shrugs.
“You don’t pay rent? Then how are you staying here?”
“I… my roommate pays for everything.”
“Everything?!”
“Yeah.”
“And you just live here, for free?” His father can’t seem to believe that, nor can his mother. Changkyun himself can’t, the more he thinks about it, but that’s how things are. In fact, Kihyun had never even brought up the idea of Changkyun paying rent or buying his own food.
“Well…” Changkyun clears his throat, trying not to show nervousness. If he seems doubtful they definitely wont accept his answers. “He’s sort of… loaded?”
“But…” His mother sighs, incredulous. “You’re telling us he just lets you stay here, for free?”
“Yes?”
“Changkyun that’s really strange. Can you really trust this guy?”
“Yes, of course.” Changkyun trusts Kihyun, how could he not? The guys saved his life and took him in, not to mention their shared feelings. Changkyun can’t explain any of that, especially the first part without telling his parent’s he’s a vampire, so he doesn’t know what to say.
“Changkyun, you do realize how this sounds, don’t you?”
“I… yes, but it’s not as weird, or bad, as it sounds. Trust me, Kihyun’s not some weirdo, he just…” Changkyun frowns, trying to figure out what to say. “He doesn’t like living alone? We became friends and offered me a place to stay that was better than my ‘apartment’ before.”
“Sure…”
Changkyun manages to get his parents out of his apartment with the idea of going to lunch. Lunch turns into lunch, some walking around and catching up, then dinner before Changkyun walks with his parents to their hotel and says goodbye. Changkyun is glad to see them again, happy to have time to talk to them, but he’s pretty sure he wont be seeing them for the next few days. Though he might see them off when they leave, his father is technically here for work, and his mother has friends she wants to see in person again.
By the time Changkyun is parted from them, it’s dark and he has an unsettling dread about walking home by himself after dark. So, instead of doing that, he quickly makes his way into a nearby 24 hour diner. He orders a coffee- because he’d feel bad about standing there and not buying anything- then calls Kihyun.
“Hello?” Kihyun answers, and Changkyun can hear him doing something with pans.
“Kihyun…”
“Yeah?”
“I… may have developed a slightly irrational fear. You see, I’m by myself, it’s after dark, and I don’t want to walk home like this.”
“I wouldn’t call it irrational; you’ve been stabbed on multiple occasions. That tends to make people scared of something.” Kihyun shifts, and Changkyun waits. “Where are you?”
“Oh,” Changkyun says, realizing he didn’t know. He finds- on a counter- a paper advertising the diner so people might later return, and reads the address off.
“That’s pretty close to where Hoseok works. I wonder if he’s still nearby… If he is I’ll send him, if not you might have to wait a bit more, but I’ll come get you, okay?”
“Yeah… thanks.”
“You okay?”
“I feel a bit like a child, you know?”
“You’re an adult. One who’s been stabbed, Changkyun. You died. It’s perfectly reasonable to not want to be in a situation similar to the ones in which that’s happened. That’s not childish.”
“Yeah. Yeah, you’re right.”
“Now I’m going to hang up so either Hoseok or I can come get you.”
“Thank you.”
Hoseok is the one who shows up. He’s a mess, too. Changkyun takes one glance at him, and wonders if there’s a storm outside. For starters, his hair’s a mess. His shirt is incorrectly buttoned, too. Changkyun thinks his jacket is inside out, as well.
“Hey.”
“Hey?” Changkyun laughs, downs the last of his coffee, and makes his way over. “You okay there?”
“Huh?” Hoseok turns, opening the door. “Yeah.”
“Dude, you’re a mess.”
“I just came from work.”
“You just got off work?! It’s dark. You work days.”
“Overtime.” Hoseok shrugs.
“I’m surprised you need to work at all. Kihyun doesn’t.”
“I don’t need to. I mean, I have enough money it’s just… something to do? Besides, eventually I’ll run out and then what would I do if I have to work after not working for decades?”
“Good point.” Changkyun nods as Hoseok runs a hand through his hair, trying to fix it. “Hey, do you work Sunday?”
“No?”
“That’s good. We’re all free then.”
“All of who?” Hoseok gives up on his hair.
“You, me, Kihyun. How’s a movie date sound? Kihyun already agreed, so it’d be great if you could too.” Changkyun smiles. “Also your shirt is buttoned wrong.”
“It is?!” Hoseok looks down, frowns at himself, and takes to fixing his shirt. “Wait, are we all dating now?”
“At the very least two of us are, so if you say yes, then yes.”
“Oh, good. Yes.” Hoseok nods, either because of the dating thing, or because he’s fixed his shirt. Changkyun doesn’t know which. “You’re surprisingly… not awkward about this? I expected more internal screaming and non-internal suffering.”
“Thanks, man. You have so much faith in me.”
“I just mean that’s what I’ve seen so far.”
“I’m running on a ‘the people I like, also like me, holy fuck’ high. Any embarrassment I have hasn’t caught up with me yet. I’m outrunning it. Get fucked, embarrassment.” Changkyun pauses. “Okay that last part’s embarrassment already caught up with me. For the most part, I’m good, though!”
“You’re cute, you know that?”
“I swear if one more person says that I am actually going to die. Am I cute? How did I never know?”
“Don’t know, how didn’t you?” Hoseok laughs. Then looks down at himself and frowns. “Is this inside out?”
“I think so.”
“Damn it.”
“Do you have a uniform?” Changkyun asks, as Hoseok takes his jacket off to fix it.
“Huh?”
“If you’re this messed up, you had to have changed right? So you have a uniform?”
“Yeah.”
“Where do you work?”
“Cafe.”
“Dude.” Changkyun gasps. “That’s so cliche. You’re the most cliche vampire I’ve ever met. You talk about biting all the time, work at the cafe, what next?”
“It’s not that cliche.”
“Where do you work?”
“Why?”
“So I can go there and ogle at you, duh.”
“Please don’t.”
“Or I’ll ask Kihyun where you work, he knows.”
“Oh god, that’s even worse.” Hoseok’s face turns to horror. “He’s be super up for that too. ‘Sure, let’s go embarrass Hoseok. I’m in, bring me too.’ He’s disgusting.”
“Disgusting?”
“You haven’t seen it, but Kihyun is the cheesiest person in the world. It’s awful. I’ve seen him flirt, it’s gross. He’s so cheesy I die inside every time he does it and he knows that so he keeps doing it.”
“Well now I definitely have to ask him. We can go on a nice little coffee date and flirt with you.”
“Stop.”
“This is my revenge.” Changkyun grins.
“Revenge for what?”
“All the embarrassment your existence has caused me.”
“You’ll regret this when Kihyun starts actively flirting with you. You’ll suffer, and I wont feel bad.”
“I can’t wait to embarrass you at work.”
“Please don’t.”
“Wait-” Changkyun pauses, and stops walking- “do you use your real name? Is this your real name? You’ve faked your death so…”
“The name you know is. We all use our real names with each other.” Hoseok smiles, happy with the change of topic. Changkyun makes a note not to forget about the embarrass Hoseok plan, though. “But we sometimes use fake names. I know Jooheon has, but right now he’s using his real name. And Hyunwoo uses other names all the time- sometimes really weird ones- if he feels like it.”
“So what name are you using right now?”
“Oh.” Hoseok reaches into his pockets and pulls out a wallet, then out of that his ID. “Shin Wonho.”
“Huh.” Changkyun pauses. “Yeah, I can see it. If you weren’t so solidly Hoseok in my mind.”
“Have you put any thought into a fake name? One day you’ll need one.”
“I’m trying not to think about my future fake-deaths and subsequent lives, actually.” Changkyun shrugs. “It… makes everything feel way too real.”
“I see.”
“I know eventually I will need to. But I can still pass for my age for a while.”
“Okay.” Hoseok nods. “That’s fair. I didn’t want to think about it all that much when I stopped aging either.”
“Okay that made me think of another question.” Changkyun sighs. “I feel like I’ve been a- like this for a long time already. It’s only been over a month, I know, but it feels like forever. It also feels like I still know almost nothing. Like, you are a pure-blood.”
“Yes.”
“So how does your aging work? You stopped aging but the rest of us don’t age because we became a vampire, you already were one.”
“Okay so I don’t know exactly how this works, either.” Hoseok sighs. “See, pure-bloods aren’t born all that often? Mostly because most vampires have the foresight to know it’s going to be really hard to fake your death while you have a kid, and eighteen years is too many to go without any signs of age.”
“Noted.”
“The most we do know is that somewhere around the age one’s parents are stuck at, is where you’ll stop aging. My parents had a few years between them, so I ended up right in the middle of that range. Why that happens, there aren’t enough vampire scientists researching pure-bloods to find out.”
“I should major in science, and find out.”
“You want to be a scientist?”
“Used to, but… no not really.” Changkyun shrugs. “Could be though. Or I could steal my dads key cards and steal lab equipment from his work. But then he’d get in trouble for that and it would be sort of messed up to do.”
“So he’s a scientist?”
“Oh, yeah.” Changkyun looks over, surprised. “I forgot you didn’t know. I keep forgetting it’s only been weeks since we met.”
“Aw, does it feel like you’ve known me longer?”
“Yes. You’re really exhausting.”
“Hey!”
“I’m kidding!” Changkyun holds his hands up in defense. “I just mean… a lot happened all at once, and I feel like I’ve known all of you longer than I actually have.”
“That makes sense.”
“Why are you always here? I’ve been to your house, you have food.” Changkyun stares down Hyungwon. Changkyun had returned from class to find Hyungwon- yet again- in the apartment. Not that it was strange, but Changkyun realized after having been to Hyungwon and Hoseok’s home that he could easily not do that.
“I don’t have to cook this way.”
“I see.”
“Also this is how I get my mandatory social interaction.”
“Mandatory?” Changkyun asks, sitting across from Hyungwon.
“When Hyunwoo turned me, that was a rule he made me promise once I woke up. I can’t hide away forever. At least once a week I have to talk to someone.”
“You… actually do that? Agreed to do that, and everything?”
“Yeah.” Hyungwon shrugs. “It’s not like I don’t like people. I just used to… be worse at dealing with them.”
“Oh?”
“Sixty years ago I didn’t know I existed, so I- as well as a lot of people- thought there was something wrong with me.” Hyungwon shrugs again, idly moving food around on his plate. “Thus I avoided people except to further my goals. Hyunwoo didn’t see what was wrong so he made me promise to keep talking to people, even as a vampire, and even if said people were also vampires. It’s not a big deal now, but it’s habit.”
“I see.” Changkyun can only nod. “Why were you turned? Like I and Minhyuk were both turned because we were dying. Gunhee and Kihyun because their sires didn’t want them to age. I don’t know about you- or Jooheon- though.”
“I was also dying.” Hyungwon meets Changkyun’s eyes. “I ran a pretty great company, once, and someone wasn’t so happy with that.”
“Ah.”
“It was way more personal than, say, being stabbed by a robber?”
“We’ve always gotta remind me of that, don’t we?” Changkyun turns away.
“Not if it really bothers you.”
“It… should? Saying I was stabbed is strangely easy.” Changkyun sighs. “I think… because I survived, and because I feel fine, it doesn’t feel real? It’s only when I’m alone, at night, walking home that I start to remember that it actually happened.”
“That makes sense.” Hyungwon nods. “I can’t be on the roof of a building by myself, and I’ve had sixty years to come to terms with it.”
“You can’t?”
“Nope.”
“That… actually makes me feel better.”
“Good. Because I’m about to make you feel worse.”
“Oh?” Changkyun turns back to Hyungwon, frowning.
“Are you nerds finally dating?”
“Yes.” Changkyun grins.
“So… you made out yet?”
“What?! No! Hyungwon what the fuck?!” Changkyun’s face goes red.
“I just wanted to see your reaction. Worth it.’
“I hate you.”
Kihyun is the one to suggest it. He’s also the one to suggest they don’t tell Hoseok. Changkyun isn’t quite sure why, but he agrees because the grin Kihyun wears is honestly a little scary. That’s how Changkyun ends up playing distraction while Kihyun buys movie tickets to a horror movie, and all the way until they’re seated. Kihyun makes Changkyun sit between himself and Hosoek, something Changkyun thinks is because Hoseok is going to be upset with Kihyun. It doesn’t take long after the movie starts for Hoseok to lean forward so he can glare at Kihyun.
Changkyun isn’t sure what he’s gotten himself into. Kihyun only smiles, as the unaware group of college students on screen go to a secluded place for a trip. Hoseok is already tense, prepared for scares and Changkyun is a little worried about him, if he’s already that freaked out.
There’s a jump scare. It’s not even a good one, and Changkyun would have just stared blankly at the screen if it wasn’t for the two next to him. Kihyun jumps, clutches his chest and let’s out an annoyed sigh. Hoseok screams. Honest to god screams like his life was threatened and clings to Changkyun.
This is going to be a long movie, Changkyun can just feel it.
Hoseok is very easily scared. Kihyun is less easily scared, but Changkyun still sees him jump a few times, which is usually followed by Kihyun looking annoyed. Changkyun himself manages to be mostly calm- aside from one particular scene- and finds them both really amusing.
It’s once they’re a far enough distance from the movie theater that they wont possibly disturb anyone, that Hoseok points accusingly at Kihyun. “You evil motherfucker!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Kihyun shrugs, smiling.
“You’re dead to me.”
“Changkyun helped.”
“Don’t drag this into me. I didn’t know he was so easily scared.” Changkyun hold up his hands, in defense, when Hoseok turns his glare to him. Changkyun gives his best puppy dog eyes.“Don’t be mad at me.”
“You’re fine.” Hoseok returns his glare to Kihyun. Changkyun drops his hands, laughing. “You, on the other hand, are still dead to me.”
“That’s fine, but as a dead man, I retain the right not to let you into my apartment anymore. Oh, you know who else lives there? Changkyun. What a shame.”
“Are you trying to bribe my forgiveness with Changkyun?”
“I’m okay with that.” Changkyun adds, raising a hand.
“You shouldn’t be.” Hoseok shakes his head, but Changkyun can only shrug.
Minhyuk is soft. Changkyun would think that’s great, and all, if he wasn’t only aware of that because the other has latched onto him and wont let go. Changkyun isn’t sure when Minhyuk got there, exactly, all he knows is that he wakes on his couch with Minhyuk clinging to him.
“Someone save me.” Changkyun’s plea goes unanswered, and he remains trapped. He’d be a lot less upset about that, if it wasn’t for the fact he could see Kihyun and Hoseok sitting at the dining table, and that they both have met his gaze at least once. “You guys are awful.”
Minhyuk shifts, and Changkyun has a brief moment of hope, but Minhyuk remains asleep. Changkyun would really like to know how he ended up like this. Though he’s not against it, completely, he would like to at least be more comfortable, and the arm of the couch makes a terrible pillow.
There’s knocking at the door, and Changkyun feels a little bitter when Kihyun stands to answer it. “Oh you can answer the door, but not help me. I see.”
Hoseok laughs at him and Changkyun resists the urge to make a rude gesture.
Changkyun has never been so glad to see Hyunwoo. To be fair, Changkyun doesn’t actually see much of Hyunwoo,to start with, but that’s besides the point. Hyunwoo looks apologetic, before he wraps his arms around Minhyuk and lifts him away from Changkyun. Minhyuk, though he doesn’t wake, does whine vaguely about being moved, before Hyunwoo starts dragging him away.
“Sorry about him.”
“Thanks for freeing me.”
Hyunwoo is gone soon after, and Changkyun turns to glare at Kihyun and Hoseok.
“What?” Hoseok feigns innocence.
“I hate both of you, you’re both dead to me.”
“How will I live with that?” Hoseok gasps.
“I’ll make your favourite food,” Kihyun offers.
“You’re forgiven.”
“What about me?!” Hoseok looks between them.
“Nah.” Changkyun shakes his head. Hoseok makes his way closer, so he can grab Changkyun’s hands.
“Please.” Hoseok almost looks convincingly worried. Almost.
“I don’t know.”
“I’ll kiss you?”
“Get out.” Changkyun scoffs. He looks away- because he hates that, for some reason, that actually makes him flush- and pretends to be upset.
“Ha, that worked didn’t it?”
“No.”
Hoseok’s hands move from Changkyuns hands, and to his face, turning Changkyun’s face back to look at him. Changkyun tries to glare, though it’s halfhearted at best, and Hoseok’s presses down on the side of his face, morphing Changkyun’s expression. “Cute.”
“Don’t mock me,” Changkyun manages to mumble out. Hoseok just laughs, and leans forward to steal a quick kiss, before he let’s go of Changkyun’s face. “Fine, you’re forgiven.”
“Wow, that’s much less work than Kihyun has to do for forgiveness.”
“I can’t believe this.” Kihyun gasps. “I have to cook and he get’s off with just a kiss.”
“You could too.” Changkyun shrugs, looking over to Kihyun who immediately turns around and walks over to the fridge.
“What’s your favourite food again?”
Hoseok and Changkyun both laugh. “Why is this more embarrassing to him than all the biting?”
There’s a thought latched onto Changkyun’s brain that he can’t let go since his parent’s visit. They’ve since gone back to America- Changkyun saw them off at the airport- and he had hoped the thought would go with them. It didn’t.
Kihyun is cooking again, as well as muttering to himself about one his professors. Stress cooking, Changkyun thinks. Instead of possibly upsetting Kihyun more, Changkyun sits at the dining table and watches him cook, idly tracing patterns on the table.
“I can feel you staring. What is it?”
“Why haven’t you asked me for anything?’
“What?” Kihyun turns around, lips pursed. Changkyun doesn’t respond. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t pay rent, or buy food. I’m sort of just, mooching off of you at this point, aren’t I?”
“You’re jobless and in college, and I’m pretty much rich. Why would I ask for anything?”
“I just feel like I get a lot from you.” Changkyun frowns. “A place to live, food and blood, walks home because I’m slightly traumatized.”
“I don’t like living alone, I like cooking and give everyone we know blood, I also go up to roofs with Hyungwon if he needs that. You’re not special. Wait- no- that sounds bad. I mean when it comes to those things. I just… you’re fine. You don’t owe me anything and I don’t want you to feel like you do.”
“Okay,” Changkyu says, sighing. “Okay.”
“If you want to do something, you can start doing dishes.”
“That, I can do.”
“Good. Because I’ve been stress cooking lately.”
“I noticed.”
The place is rather nice, soft colours accented by black, and with employees dressed in nice, simple uniforms. Kihyun inhales the sent of coffee as the walk in and seems rather pleased as they order and take their seats. Changkyun just wonders how badly this will end up.
Hoseok starts work approximately ten minutes after Kihyun and Changkyun have taken seats at one corner of the cafe. He enters the cafe from the workers area, takes one glance around, and sees them. Horror fills his face, and he turns away, determined to ignore them.
They sit there for an hour. Every so often Hoseok will turn to look at them and immediately regret it when Kihyun winks or blows a kiss or mouths words at him. Changkyun grows more and more embarrassed to be sitting across from Kihyun, and feels a little bad when Hoseok turns away after one instance and trips directly into a counter.
After that hour, they leave. Kihyun throws one more kiss and winks. Changkyun can only follow him out, groaning and muttering a small apology under his breath.
He finally understands Hoseok’s words.
Hoseok throws his arms around Changkyun upon arrival, whining. “I can’t believe you. You’re a traitor.”
“I regret it, too.” Changkyun says, sympathetic, and pats Hoseok’s head. “I thought you were exaggerating. Now I can tell that wasn’t even the beginning of it. Yet, I was suffering. I can’t even imagine the full extent of his powers.”
“Sometimes,” Hoseok starts, voice filled with a mix of sadness and regret, “I wish I had less morals. I could tell him to stop.”
“Damn you, morals.”
“Guys I live here. I’m right here. I can hear you.” Kihyun’s reminder does nothing to stop their loud complaints. “I’m breaking up with you both.”
“At least we still have each other?” Changkyun offers.
“I’ll take it.”
“At least pretend like you care,” Kihyun says, huffing.
“We do!” Hoseok pulls away from Changkyun so he can make his way to Kihyun, and throw an arm over his shoulders. “We love you, you evil man.”
“Good.”
“He didn’t even deny it.” Changkyun gasps. “Even he knows he’s evil.”
Hyungwon smirks. Changkyun buries his face in his hands. “Kihyun is awful.”
“I see you’re back to suffering.”
“Hoseok is bad enough, but mostly he just says embarrassing stuff.”
“Yeah?”
“If Kihyun winks at me one more time I’m moving out.” He sighs, annoyed.
“You can move in with me. I’ll kick Hoseok out.”
“Thanks man.” Changkyun sighs. “I thought I was done suffering.”
“See this is why I don’t do relationships.”
“No it isn’t.” Changkyun rolls his eyes. “I know better than that now.”
“Darn, you’re onto me.”
“Darn.” Changkyun repeats. “Darn, he says.”
“Don’t judge me. Judging people is my job. Like you, right now, I’m judging your inability to handle the cheesiness of your own boyfriend.”
“Kihyun’s awful!”
“I know right!” Hoseok drops down next to Changkyun. Changkyun hadn’t heard him arrive. “Why are you in my house?”
“Revenge. You two are always invading ours.”
“He brought food,” Hyungwon says, “I couldn’t not invite him in.”
“Do you two always talk about Kihyun over food?” Hoseok raises an eyebrow and steals a piece of chicken.
“No, sometimes we talk about you.”
“Don’t tell him that!” Changkyun glares. “Hyungwon, you’re the worst.”
“You talk about me?”
“Damn it.” Changkyun buries his face in his hands, again. “Now I’m really suffering.”
