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Jackson looked around at his fellow “donors” of the night, feeling out of place. There were about a dozen of them gathered in the backroom of a “specialized” restaurant; half looked almost bored, as if they had been through many “orientations” like this one. Part of him had expected people decked out in black leather, collars, tattoos, and piercings (and some were) but other than some clearly healing bite marks, they looked…normal.
There were men dressed in suits as if they had come from work, women dressed in blouses and skirts as if they were just out for a day of shopping. Jackson even saw two guys dressed in jeans and hoodies who looked like they just stepped out of a college dorm.
“Attention please,” the manager walked through the black door that separated them from the main dining hall. No, Jackson thought, watching her move—she glided as if her feet weren't even touching the ground.
A shiver ran up his spine. People thought the vampires’ otherworldly nature made them sexy and desirable. It creeped him out.
But being a blood donor was good money and he was tired of living off ramen and sneaking into his apartment to avoid his landlord, so here he was.
“Welcome to Sang Delicieux,” she said in a voice as smooth as silk.
Jackson fought back a snort. Delicious Blood.
“Donors” were never officially employed at these places. They signed up and were put on a list, which the establishment rotated through until a donor opted out. Officially, they were “volunteers” similar to those who volunteered for pharmaceutical trials. Apparently, officially employing people to be food was unethical.
One of the employees walked by each donor and handed them a clipboard with the rules of behavior, some legal speak about their rights, and a waiver form confirming he had signed his previous one voluntarily and not under glamour, distress, or otherwise impaired judgement at the time of signing. Jackson signed it without reading. He was offering himself up as a vampire’s dinner for money. The risk seemed self-explanatory.
“Please review the rules of behavior as I go over them,” the manager said before she began reading off the list.
Donors must be 20-years (Korean age) or older to donate.
Donors are not permitted to donate more than 450ml of blood every three months and may not serve more than one patron on any given night.
Donors are not permitted to ask patrons to turn them while working on the premises.
No sex is permitted on the premises.
Unless part of the “drinks” menu, donors are not permitted to be intoxicated while serving patrons.
The list continued.
Patrons were not allowed to drain their “donor.”
Donors must give consent before they were glamoured.
Donors could refuse a patron at any time and for any reason except on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and so on...
Donors had to consent to the location of the bite.
The list continued for an entire page, front-to-back.
“Each of your blood types, dietary preferences, and photos will be on the menus. Please remain in here until you are called. Water and food is provided at the back table. The bathrooms are through the doors on your right.”
The door snapped shut behind the manager, and for the first time that night, Jackson felt his nerves spike. He looked around the room—many of the donors who knew each other began chatting while others played on their phones. Some stood and headed towards the food table that made Jackson think of a spread used at office parties—all fruit, vegetables, bread, crackers, and cheese. He looked away from it, feeling a bit sicker than he had moments ago. Only two other people looked as pale and nervous as he felt.
After several minutes, one of the nervous donors was called to the dining area. Jackson tried to flash him an encouraging smile, but it came out as a grimace.
He took a deep breath, and waited. Each time one of the waiters entered through the black door, Jackson felt his pulse race in nervous anticipation before it settled again when another name was called.
An hour passed. Finally, Jackson heard his name.
“Jackson Wang!”
Swallowing, he took yet another calming breath before he stood.
“Table seven,” the waiter said, pointing to a small corner couch, where Jackson's “customer” was seated with his back to him. “Im Jaebum.”
Jackson nodded, feeling as though he was watching himself from afar. As he walked over, he silently prayed he hadn't caught the attention of a psychotic vampire who got “carried away” with feeding.
He glanced around the dining room. Even the presence of one of the many security guards did little to ease his nerves. What if they didn't get to them in time and Jackson was sucked dry? What if he was turned? What if he wasn't and he just died?
Before he could turn and bail, he reached the couch.
Well, he told himself. Too late now.
“Jaebum-ssi?” he greeted with more confidence than he had. He even managed a smile.
The vampire looked up, and Jackson's breath caught. He knew vampires were beautiful; even if they weren't in life, glamour allowed them to be in death. But Jaebum was...ethereal. His was the kind of beauty Jackson knew almost instinctively, didn't need any kind of glamour.
He stood, speechless at the being in front of him with his coal-black eyes, smooth, pale skin, and jet-black hair. Vaguely, he wondered if the two moles above his left eye were glamour or part of him when he was human.
Jaebum quirked an eyebrow at him. It was such a startling human gesture that it shook Jackson out of whatever spell he had been under.
“So…” he cleared his throat as he slid onto the couch next to Jaebum, who moved just enough so their bodies weren't quite touching, but still didn't put much room between them. If Jaebum was human, he imagined feeling the heat radiating from his skin. Jackson wondered if Jaebum could feel his body heat and if vampires were drawn to it the same way humans were. He wondered if the ice cold of a vampires skin made them crave what they once had.
Jaebum tilted his head to one side—another oddly human movement—and stared curiously at Jackson.
He mentally shook himself. Right. He had to tell Jaebum which part he was willing to let him…feed from. A chill ran down his spine. It really was too late to turn back. And he needed the money. Badly.
Despite the nerves still churning his stomach, he grinned in what he hoped was a confident, playful way.
“Wrist or neck?”
The corner of Jaebum's lips twitched. “First time?”
Jackson's mouth dropped open. Was it really that obvious?
Jaebum chuckled. Jackson didn't think a laugh could be anything more than a sound, but Jaebum's made him think of smooth, rich chocolate that melted on his tongue and left a sweet aftertaste that made him crave more.
He licked his lips.
“Kind of,” he smiled weakly.
The anxiety lowered to a simmer—still present but no longer terrifying.
He sucked in a sharp breath as Jaebum shifted closer. He threw his arm around the back of the couch, his fingertips just inches from Jackson's shoulder. It felt strangely intimate. Like it was a date and not a meal (for which Jackson was the main course).
Jaebum's eyes dropped from his face and seemed to scan down his body before flicking back up again. Vampire safety 101 was to never look a vampire in the eye to protect the mind from glamour. It was a skill Jackson had always struggled with, and now, with his eyes locked onto Jaebum's, it was too late anyway.
He swallowed. He had never been glamoured before. He didn't know what it felt like. If his mind went blank or if he simply lost control of his own body. He didn't know if Jaebum’s gaze captured him with glamour or if he was simply drawn to how black and bottomless his eyes were. The thought was terrifying and somewhat thrilling at the same time.
“Glamouring me without consent is against the rules,” he breathed. The air seemed thick and too warm, like it would choke him if he breathed too deeply.
Jaebum's smile widened and Jackson thought he saw amusement somewhere in the black depths.
“I haven't glamoured you.”
Then why can't I look away, Jackson thought.
Jaebum leaned back again and suddenly the air thinned and Jackson could breathe freely.
Jaebum tilted his head again. “Wrist or neck?” he asked casually, as if nothing had happened between them.
And maybe it hadn't. What Jackson considered intimate and creeping close to sensual was probably just another meal for Jaebum. He didn't know why that made him feel so vulnerable.
He licked his lips, feeling nervous again. “I…” he dropped his eyes. “Which is better?”
Jaebum chuckled. He slid his hand over Jacksons wrist and turned it, exposing the underside. Jackson shuddered at the cool touch. Until now, he had never noticed just how delicate the skin was or how exposed his veins were.
Jaebum's lips curved into a cat-like smile as he ran his thumb over the soft skin. Jackson imagined what it might be like to have the same cool touch sliding along his overheated body. He imagined staring into the darkness trapped in Jaebum's eyes and becoming consumed by it...
“Most first-timers request their wrist,” Jaebum's smooth voice slid the world back into focus.
Jackson swallowed again. “Well…” he felt his competitive streak weave its way through his nerves and smirked. “I'm not most first-timers.”
It was feigned confidence but the shock on Jaebum's face had been worth it. His laugh had been an even better reward. For the first time that night, Jackson wasn't on the brink of panic.
He straightened a bit and tilted his head to the side so Jaebum had a full view of his neck. He looked at him through half-lidded eyes.
“Bon appetit.”
Jaebum snorted. Before tonight, Jackson never would have known vampires were capable of such an undignified sound. More and more Jaebum appeared more human than vampire.
The hand on his wrist never left as the other came up and brushed lightly against the back of Jackson's neck. The sensation made him shudder and tense.
This was it, he thought. All his earlier bravado seemed juvenile and silly now. He was exposing his neck to a vampire. For money. He could think of no other decision stupider than this in his lifetime.
Cool fingers tilted his head so the side of his neck wasn't quite as exposed or tense.
“Relax, Jackson,” Jaebum's voice was low and quiet and soothing next to his ear. Where his skin was cold, his breath was warm. “Glamour will make it feel good…”
After a deep, calming breath, he nodded. Anything to rid himself of the panic that was starting to creep into his gut again. He was going to need to sleep for a week with his nerves doing so many ups and downs.
Jaebum drew back enough so they could gaze at each other. Glamour hadn't been like anything Jackson imagined. It was like being drunk. Or numb. Or halfway between sleep and dream. Or something that was all three at once. He knew what was happening, who he was, and that he could stop it at any time. He just didn't want to.
He saw Jaebum in front of him. Clear and sharp where everything else faded and blurred because it wasn't important. He was more aware of how close they were. Of the cold fingertips on his wrist and the gentle grip on the back of his neck. Jaebum's touch felt stable and comforting. Jackson was safe because Jaebum would take care of him. He would make him feel good. He watched as Jaebum's lips spread in a soft smile.
“Better?” his voice sounded so close. As if he was in Jackson's mind and not in front of him.
Jackson nodded and licked his lips. “Bon appetit,” he repeated.
Jaebum's chocolate-like chuckle engulfed him again. Jackson never wanted it to stop.
Jaebum dipped his head and nuzzled against Jackson's neck. He fought back a whine when he felt Jaebum inhale deeply. Was feeding always so intimate, he wondered. Was this why people kept coming back? Jackson felt more like a lover than a meal.
There was a moment, when the glamour couldn't stop his pulse from spiking as Jaebum's fangs pressed into his skin. Jackson felt a sharp pain then pleasure took over before he could remember it.
“Fuck,” he gasped, throwing his head back against the back of the couch. His eyes fluttered shut as he felt Jaebum's jaw contract, pushing his fangs deeper.
I'll make you feel good, Jaebum had promised him.
Jackson had never felt so much overwhelming pleasure. It wasn't the kind of pleasure sex brought—the kind that eventually crested and climaxed before eventually crashing through him. It was a constant wave that rolled over him again and again, bringing him right to the edge and gently bringing him back down.
He felt the soothing strokes of Jaebum's thumb against the back of his neck as he drank. The cool hand on his wrist was the only thing that tethered him to reality. Jackson wondered what it would be like without it there. If he would be lost in the fantasy of Jaebum's hands and lips roaming over his body that was teasing around the edges of his consciousness.
A soft moan escaped the back of his throat as he imagined what it might feel like to have their bodies pressed together as Jaebum fed from him—hot skin pressed to cold.
Time ceased to be important. It passed slowly. It passed quickly. It froze. Jackson stopped caring about what would happen if Jaebum didn't stop...
Somewhere in the distance, he heard Jaebum's quiet chuckle. And Jackson slowly realized the pressure against his neck was gone. His eyelids felt heavy as he opened them. Jaebum's mouth was clean of the blood Jackson had expected to see at the corners. As if time had passed between when he stopped feeding and when Jackson finally coming back to his senses.
He watched Jaebum's hands reach for a small bottle of antiseptic someone had left on the coffee table in front of them. He twisted open the cap and tilted the contents onto a cotton ball.
“This might sting,” he muttered. Jackson saw him flash a quick smile. “Though the glamour still seems a bit strong, so you might not feel it...”
Jackson hissed as he pressed the cotton to his neck, where he knew two perfectly spaced puncture wounds marred his once smooth skin.
“Not strong enough,” he replied through gritted teeth, earning a wider smile from Jaebum. He caught a flash of fangs before Jaebum quickly hid them again.
Jackson leaned his head against the back of the couch again and let his eyes flutter shut. He could already feel a dull ache spreading from where Jaebum had bitten him.
“No magic healing powers?” he joked weakly.
“None that would benefit a human,” Jaebum chuckled again. “A bite is a bite.”
Jackson grinned. “Feels more like a vampire hickey.”
He cracked his eyes open when Jaebum's fingers froze over the wound. The bemused smile he received made something in his chest flutter. Were vampires allowed to be cute?
Finally, Jaebum laughed again and resumed dabbing an antibiotic cream on the bite before covering it with a small square of gauze and medical tape.
“Vampire hickey…” he muttered, still smiling to himself.
Jackson smiled back, reveling in the knowledge that he had made Jaebum laugh.
He sat for a few moments longer, still a bit dizzy. From the blood loss or the glamour, he wasn't really sure which.
“Well,” he finally said, that false bravado taking hold again as he sat up and turned his smile towards Jaebum, who looked back curiously.
“Guess I'll be going?” he wasn't really sure what the protocol was for this. He just knew there would be a nice sum of 300,000 won in his bank account tomorrow morning for letting someone suck on his neck.
Jaebum opened his mouth as Jackson tried to stand. The world spun and he stumbled forward. Right into a hard, cool body. Jaebum's hands gripped his arms in a steady hold.
“Most people order some some food and water before they leave,” he said, sounding amused.
Jackson swayed again. “Oh…”
Until he was paid, he didn't even have 50,000 won to his name.
“Would you…” Jaebum cleared his throat. Again, another un-vampire-like mannerism. “I can take you home…”
Jackson probably should have been more wary of the offer. Should have tensed and backed away and insisted he could get home on his own. But the awkward hesitation in Jaebum's voice was endearing. Cute. Almost vulnerable as if he was just as lost in the current situation as Jackson. He sagged against against Jaebum's side.
“Yeah...that would be nice...”
Everything after was like he was experiencing it in a dream. He felt his feet moving, heard Jaebum's voice as he spoke to one of the workers, whose face Jackson would forget as soon as Jaebum led him away. He felt the chill of the fall air hit his skin, heard the sound of a taxi pulling up. He felt Jaebum's hand on his back and heard a car door close.
He mumbled his address into Jaebum's neck. Remembered the cold bite of night air several minutes later and Jaebum's arm around him and the soft click of his front door.
His sheets were soft and warm. Jaebum had helped him in bed with a gentleness Jackson wouldn't think possible for a being that sucked the life out of the living for his own survival.
“Jaebum-ssi…”
Jaebum stilled, half bent over him from pulling the covers up over his shoulders. Jackson smiled at the gentle care he was receiving. He wondered if this was normal. If patrons took care of their “meals” like this or if Jaebum was just different. Or maybe Jackson was…
“Is it okay...if we do this again…”
He heard the low, rich chuckle again. Cool fingers brushed his bangs from his face.
“I'd like that.”
The next morning, Jackson awoke, his neck sore, his body weak, a headache threatening to form at his temples. He groaned and buried his head into his pillow. No one ever mentioned having a hangover after being bitten.
He reached out towards his bedside table, searching for his phone. What he found instead was a piece of paper. He opened his eyes again and propped himself on his elbows.
“In case you don't want to wait three months to see each other again...no biting this time :) —Jaebum”
Beneath the message was a phone number.
Jackson stared at it. At the messy scrawl, the little smiley, and the phone number. Instead of attracting a psychotic, ravenous monster, he caught the attention of a vampire who didn't seem to know vampires were supposed to be sexy and mysterious and not write cute notes with messy handwriting and smiley faces.
He snatched his phone from the bedside table and entered Jaebum's number. Knowing Jaebum wouldn't see it until the sun set, he sent a text anyway.
“Why can't there be biting ;)”