Archive of Our Own

Hyun had known from the very first night that Rui was going to be a problem.

Not in the dangerous way, Hyun had centuries of experience with dangerous. He knew how to deal with hunters, rival clans, curses carved into moonlit stone, promises sealed in blood.

But Rui?

Rui was the kind of problem Hyun had absolutely no defense against.

Because Rui smiled at him.

Because Rui, with his bright eyes and soft laugh and the way he clung to Hyun’s sleeve whenever they walked together, had absolutely no idea that he was slowly, gently dismantling a vampire who had survived wars and famine and the quiet coldness of immortality.

Hyun never stood a chance.

The first weeks of dating Rui were torture. Beautiful torture.

Rui would bounce into Hyun’s personal space without hesitation, leaning into his arm at cafés, tugging Hyun closer when crossing the street, resting his cheek on Hyun’s shoulder while they sat on Rui’s couch watching some silly drama Rui insisted Hyun needed to see.

“Hyunnie,” Rui said one night, voice soft as the flickering TV light painted shadows across his cheekbones. “You can stay over again, right? Please?”

He asked it the way someone asked for a goodnight kiss, like it was natural, expected, safe.

And that was the part that terrified Hyun.

Rui had no clue what he was really asking for.

Hyun wanted to stay. He wanted to wake up next to Rui’s warmth every morning. He wanted to braid Rui’s hair out of his face when he slept. He wanted to hear Rui’s heartbeat every night like a lullaby.

He wanted forever.

But vampires didn’t get forever unless they took it.

And Rui didn’t know.

Hyun swallowed, eyes lowering. “If I stay too often… you’ll get sick of me.”

Rui’s head instantly popped up. “What? That’s impossible.”
He scooted closer, knee bumping Hyun’s thigh, hands sliding around Hyun’s wrist as if afraid he might slip away. “I love having you here. You’re warm.”

Hyun almost choked. Warm.
No one had called him that in centuries.

“And…” Rui added quietly, like a confession, “I sleep better when you’re beside me.”

Hyun’s unbeating heart clenched.

Rui didn't know how close Hyun was to giving him everything.

The fear came at night, when Rui finally fell asleep.

Rui slept like the world couldn’t touch him. Arms thrown around Hyun’s waist, forehead pressed into Hyun’s chest, breath soft, steady, trusting.

Trusting too much.

Hyun would lie awake, watching the moonlight spill across Rui’s skin, illuminating his cheekbones, softening his expression. Rui looked… delicate like this. Breakable. Human.

And Hyun’s fear would return like a cold tide.

What if Rui finds out?
What if he runs?
What if this warmth disappears the second he learns what I am?

Hyun brushed a thumb along Rui’s cheek, incredibly careful — the same way one touched something precious.

“I want eternity with you,” he whispered into the dark.
“But I’m scared you’ll never want that with me.”

Rui stirred, curling closer, mumbling sleepily, “Hyunnie… don’t leave…”

Hyun froze.

Even asleep, Rui clung to him. Held him like he was the safest place in the world.

Hyun had never been anyone’s safe place before.

It finally broke one evening—

because Rui was Rui.

Hyun was putting on his coat, preparing to head home before Rui could ask him to stay again and make him weak. Rui stood by the doorway, holding the hem of Hyun’s sleeve with both hands, bottom lip pushed out dramatically.

“You’re leaving?”
His voice was soft, a little disappointed, but trying not to guilt Hyun.

Hyun sighed. “Rui… I can’t impose–”

“You’re not imposing,” Rui cut in immediately. Then he stepped closer, looking up with those too-bright eyes that always softened Hyun’s entire existence. “I want you here. I want you close.”

He hesitated, voice dropping.
“…Unless you don’t want to be near me.”

Hyun’s control snapped.

He cupped Rui’s face, fingers trembling. “It’s not that. You don’t understand. I want to be with you every minute I can.”

Rui blinked.
“Then… stay? Hyun, you’re making it sound like you’re scared of me.”

Hyun let out a low, humorless laugh.
“I’m scared you’ll run. Rui… I’m not what you think I am.”

Rui tilted his head, frowning. “Hyun, you’re my boyfriend. That’s what you are.”

“I’m a vampire,” Hyun said quietly.

Rui didn’t even blink.

“…Okay?”
Then he shrugged. “Do you still like me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you still want me?”
“More than my own life,” Hyun whispered before he could stop himself.

Rui smiled, that sunshine smile that always ruined Hyun.

“Then you’re still Hyun,” he said simply.

Hyun stared at him.

Rui tugged Hyun’s coat open, slid his arms around Hyun’s waist, and pressed his cheek against Hyun’s chest. “I don’t care what you are. Stay. Stay tonight. Stay tomorrow. Stay whenever. I like it when you’re here.”

“Rui…”

“And if you want forever,” Rui added, looking up at him with disarming sincerity, “then we’ll talk about forever. Just don’t decide for me, okay?”

Hyun’s breath trembled.

Rui wasn’t afraid.
Not of him.
Not of forever.
Not of the truth.

Hyun closed his eyes, burying his face in Rui’s hair.

“…Okay,” he whispered. “I’ll stay.”

Rui grinned, pulling him inside and locking the door behind them like Hyun belonged there.

And for the first time in centuries, Hyun felt like he did.

—

Hyun didn’t even notice when it began— that quiet shift inside him, the one that made his fingers tighten around Rui’s wrist a little longer than necessary, the one that made his eyes follow Rui across every room like Rui was a flame and Hyun was terrified of losing even a flicker.

It started subtly. A hand on Rui’s waist that never left. Hyun positioning himself between Rui and anyone who dared stare too long. His voice dipping low whenever someone complimented Rui, polite on the surface, but sharp underneath, as if saying Enough. He’s mine.

At first, Rui found it amusing.

Because Hyun, despite all the things the world whispered about him, cold, calm, unreadable, turned into something else when it came to Rui. Something warmer. Something deeper. Something a bit dangerous.

And Rui adored it.

He noticed how Hyun’s jaw would tighten whenever someone called Rui pretty. How Hyun’s fingers curved around Rui’s chin to tilt his face up as if silently reminding him who he belonged to. How Hyun’s voice would soften only for him, melting at the edges in a way it never did for anyone else.

And then there were the pet names.

Hyun rarely used them, almost never. But the moment he did, Rui absolutely melted.

One morning, Rui was sitting on the bed, brushing his hair absentmindedly. Sunlight caught on his lashes, making him look like something not meant for the real world. Hyun entered the room, stopped like he’d been struck silent, and murmured,

“Princess.”

Rui dropped the brush.

A soft, startled sound left him, his cheeks warming instantly. He looked at Hyun with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe Hyun had said it. Hyun seemed just as surprised at himself, looking away, rubbing the back of his neck like he hadn’t meant to let the word slip.

But Rui moved quickly— crawling across the bed, grabbing Hyun’s shirt, and pulling him down until their foreheads touched.

“Say it again,” Rui whispered, breath trembling. “Please?”

Hyun didn’t. Not then. But he kissed Rui’s forehead, slow and possessive, and that was enough to make Rui glow for the rest of the day.

Since then, Rui had been milking it.

If Hyun’s attention was even slightly elsewhere, Rui would tug his sleeve. If someone else stood too close, Rui would loop his arm around Hyun’s, leaning his head on Hyun’s shoulder, playing the part of the spoiled little beauty who knew exactly how cherished he was.

Hyun never said anything, but everyone could see it, the way his grip always tightened on Rui’s hand, the way his eyes softened, the way his body instinctively angled toward Rui like Rui was gravity itself.

And Rui… Rui had his own kind of possessiveness.

Because for all his beauty, for all the attention he received, Rui was painfully aware of one thing,

People stared at Hyun too.

A lot.

Hyun had that quiet intensity, the kind that drew people in without him even trying. The cold, mysterious air. The kind of face that made strangers look twice. And Rui hated it. Not in a dramatic or jealous way— but in a soft, sulky, very Rui way.

Sometimes, when they were outside, Rui would cling to Hyun more than usual. Not because he was fragile, but because he wanted people to see. Wanted them to know. Wanted them to understand whose Hyun was.

One afternoon, they were out buying coffee when a pair of girls behind them started whispering about Hyun.

“He’s so handsome…”

“Do you think he has a girlfriend?”

Rui’s pout formed instantly.

Hyun didn’t even hear them, but Rui did. And Rui reacted the only way Rui knew how: dramatically.

He slipped his hand into Hyun’s, intertwining their fingers boldly. Then, without warning, Rui tipped his head up and kissed Hyun’s cheek— a slow, lingering kiss that left Hyun blinking in shock.

Hyun’s ears went red.

“Rui…?”

Rui glared at the two girls behind them, then buried his face in Hyun’s shoulder like a grumpy cat hiding its food.

“They’re staring,” Rui muttered accusingly.

Hyun’s brows drew together, protective instantly. His arm wrapped around Rui’s waist, pulling him closer.

“Let them stare,” Hyun murmured against Rui’s hair. “You’re the only one I look at.”

Rui’s pout slowly softened… but he didn’t let go. If anything, he held tighter.

And Hyun, who normally disliked public displays— didn’t push him away.

Because possessiveness, in their strange, fierce way, was something they shared. Something unspoken. Something that twined them together.

Rui, with all his beauty and delicate softness, clinging to Hyun not out of fear but out of love.

Hyun, with all his quiet intensity, protecting Rui not out of dominance but out of absolute devotion.

They didn’t need words for it.

It was there in every touch.
Every glance.
Every subtle movement that screamed, mine.

And both of them loved it.

Weeks passed.

Hyun was over at Rui's place again.

The movie kept playing, some soft-colored Disney classic where animals sang and clouds looked like cotton candy, but Hyun barely saw any of it. Rui was curled up on his chest, warm and small and endlessly sweet, legs tangled with Hyun’s, his cheek pressed over Hyun’s heartbeat as if that was his rightful place.

And Hyun… Hyun was trying very, very hard not to breathe too deeply.

He had forgotten.

Completely forgotten.

It was feeding night.

He usually timed everything: stocked bags in his apartment fridge, hunted ethically, prepared. Because ever since Rui came into his life, ever since Rui’s sunlight-warm laugh melted something frozen inside him, Hyun made a promise,

No more human blood. Not ever. Not when the person he loved was human.

But tonight… he messed up.

And Rui?
Rui had no idea.

Rui just sighed happily, nuzzling closer into Hyun’s chest, fingers tightening around Hyun’s shirt. “You smell really nice tonight,” he mumbled. “Like—warm.”

Hyun swallowed hard.

Warm.
Yeah. That was the problem.

His senses were sharper, his fangs ached dully behind his gums, his throat felt dry and tight. Rui’s pulse brushed against Hyun’s senses like a whispered temptation, steady, soft, wonderfully alive.

Hyun shut his eyes, breathing slow, controlled.
He would not slip. He would not scare Rui. He would not ruin this.

He wrapped his arms around Rui more loosely, trying to create distance without making it obvious. Rui immediately whined and pulled himself even closer, climbing half onto Hyun’s lap like a clingy cat.

“Hyuuuunnn, don’t move away~” Rui pouted, looking up with those big soft eyes. “Cuddle me properly.”

Hyun’s resolve trembled.

Not from hunger, well, yes, partially—but mostly from the way Rui said it, so trusting, so unguarded. Rui always forgot Hyun was a vampire. Always. He treated Hyun like someone warm, safe, someone human.

He didn’t even realize how that trust made Hyun’s chest burn.

“Princess,” Hyun murmured, voice lower than he intended. “I—”

Rui perked up instantly at the pet name, glowing. “Hmm? You called me princess again…”

Of course he would pick up on that.

Rui buried his face into Hyun’s neck proudly, smug that he drew out another rare nickname. “If you call me that again, I’ll melt right here.”

Hyun stiffened. Rui’s lips brushed his throat, soft, innocent, unaware, and Hyun’s hunger flared so sharply he had to grip the couch cushion.

“Rui,” he said, this time strained. “Angel. Don’t… do that.”

Rui pulled back, confused, eyes round and worried. “Did I do something wrong?”

God.

Hyun hated seeing that look. Even now, when everything inside him was coiled tight with hunger, he still reached up and cupped Rui’s cheek gently.

“No,” Hyun whispered. “Never. You could never do anything wrong.”

Rui softened, leaning into the touch, his smile shy and warm. “Then cuddle me…”

Hyun wanted to.

He wanted nothing more than to bury his face in Rui’s neck, inhale that soft human scent, hold him close like he was something precious.

But Rui’s pulse throbbed right there.

Too close.

Too loud.

“Baby,” Hyun said quietly. “I need you to sit up for a moment.”

Rui blinked. “Why?”

Hyun hesitated, he always avoided making Rui worry, but honesty was safer than risking a slip.

“…It’s feeding night,” he admitted quietly.

Rui froze. His entire expression shifted—from confusion, to realization, to a tiny “oh.”

“Oh,” Rui whispered.

He wasn’t scared.
But he looked shy. Concerned. Intrigued. And maybe… a little uncertain.

“Do you—” Rui cleared his throat softly. “Do you need to go home? I can pause the movie…”

Hyun opened his mouth to say yes.

He should.

He absolutely should.

But Rui’s face…

He looked disappointed. Like Hyun leaving would take away the warmth of the evening. Like he didn’t want the night to end.

Hyun exhaled. “I forgot to restock,” he admitted softly. “There’s nothing at home.”

“Oh…”

They sat in silence.
Rui’s fingers twisted in the hem of his own shirt, hesitant.

And then, quietly, timidly, he said,

“…You can bite me.”

Hyun froze.

Rui’s cheeks were pink, eyes down. “I-I mean—you need to feed, right? And I trust you. I really do. You’re always careful with me so… if you need to…” He swallowed. “You can.”

Hyun’s voice came out rough. “Princess. Rui. Don’t offer things like that so easily.”

Rui finally met his gaze, sincerity shining through every inch of him. “I want to. You take care of me all the time… let me do this for you.”

Hyun had never loved someone so much in his undead life.

He pulled Rui into his lap, not roughly, but firmly, like he couldn’t help it. Rui gasped softly, hands splayed on Hyun’s chest.

Hyun leaned their foreheads together, voice trembling despite himself.

“Rui… if I bite you, it won’t be gentle. I’m hungry, and you’re—” he exhaled shakily. “You’re warm and sweet and so close. I might lose control for a second.”

Rui’s voice softened. “Then lose it with me.”

Hyun’s breath hitched.

He kissed Rui first, deep, slow, reverent—because Rui deserved that, because Rui was offering something dangerous and intimate and precious.

Rui melted instantly, fingers clutching Hyun’s shirt, letting out the softest sound against his lips.

Hyun pulled back slightly, lips brushing Rui’s throat. Rui tipped his head, exposing his neck without hesitation.

And Hyun whispered, almost broken,

“Tell me to stop if it hurts.”

Rui whispered back, “I trust you.”

Hyun didn’t sink his fangs in immediately.

He pressed a slow kiss to Rui’s neck first—right where Rui’s pulse fluttered, warm and delicate under his lips. Rui shivered, fingers tightening on Hyun’s shoulders, legs curling a little around Hyun’s waist like he couldn’t help it.

“Hyun…” Rui whispered, breath catching.

That one soft sound nearly unraveled him.

Hyun held Rui’s waist with both hands, steady and protective, as if grounding himself. He didn’t want Rui to feel fear, only warmth, closeness, trust.

“Stay still for me,” Hyun murmured against Rui’s skin. His voice dropped lower, almost vibrating. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

Rui nodded quickly, too quickly, cheeks flushed. “O-okay.”

Hyun’s lips parted.
His fangs grazed Rui’s skin—just the faintest scrape.

Rui whined.

A small desperate, high sound that shot straight through Hyun like lightning. Rui slapped a hand over his mouth, embarrassed, but Hyun caught his wrist gently and pulled it away.

“Don’t hide your sounds from me,” Hyun said softly. “I want to hear you.”

Rui’s face turned rosy in an instant.

Hyun kissed that spot again, open-mouthed and slow, letting Rui feel the cool edge of fang and the warmth of his breath. Rui trembled, clutching Hyun’s shirt tighter until the fabric stretched under his fingers.

And then, finally—

Hyun bit.

Not harsh.
Not cruel.

A deep, controlled sinking of fangs into soft skin, precise and careful, his grip tightening around Rui’s waist as if anchoring him in place.

Rui gasped, then whined, long and breathy, his entire body pressing in closer as if he were seeking more of Hyun’s touch.

His fingers dug into Hyun’s shoulders, and his thighs tensed around Hyun’s hips. “H-Hyun—”

The sound of Rui saying his name like that almost made Hyun lose every shred of restraint.

Warmth spread across Hyun’s tongue, rich and intoxicating. Rui’s blood tasted exactly like Rui felt—bright, sweet, almost unbearably warm. It washed through Hyun like fire and honey at once.

He let out a low, involuntary growl against Rui’s skin, not anger, but something primal and possessive and worshipful. Rui shuddered when he heard it.

“Does it hurt?” Hyun whispered between shallow breaths, his lips still brushing Rui’s neck.

Rui’s voice came out small, trembling, but honest. “I-It—nn—feels weird. And warm. And—Hyun…”

His eyes fluttered, his face tipped against Hyun’s hair, breathing fast. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t pushing away.

He was clinging.

Hyun forced himself to feed slowly, taking only what he needed, savoring every heartbeat that echoed against his lips. His hands moved on instinct, one holding Rui’s waist, the other sliding up his back, rubbing slow circles to soothe him.

Rui whined again, softer, dazed.

Hyun pulled back just slightly, licking the wound gently to close it, careful and tender. Rui shivered at the feeling, leaning his full weight forward like he suddenly had no strength left.

Hyun caught him immediately.

Rui’s breath was shallow against Hyun’s chest, his fingers still curled tight, his body warm and pliant in Hyun’s arms.

Hyun pressed his forehead to Rui’s temple, voice low and rough with emotion he couldn’t hide.

“…You did so well, angel.”

Rui made a tiny, sleepy noise in response, melting completely into him.

“Don’t… call me that right now,” Rui mumbled weakly, cheeks flushed, eyelids heavy. “I’m gonna melt.”

Hyun smiled—soft, possessive, unbearably fond—and held him closer, brushing a kiss onto Rui’s jaw.

“You already did,” he whispered. “Right into my arms.”

The next morning,

Hyun cooked breakfast like he always did, moving around Rui’s tiny kitchen with that quiet, deliberate grace that made Rui feel spoiled without even trying. Sunlight poured through the window, hitting Hyun’s tan skin in soft gold, and Rui watched from his seat at the table, chin in his palms, eyes dreamy.

His neck still tingled.
He couldn’t stop thinking about last night.

Hyun set a plate in front of him, pancakes, eggs, fruit, and bent to press a chaste kiss to Rui’s hair.

“Eat,” he murmured.

Rui did.
But he never took his eyes off Hyun.

Hyun sat down across from him, beginning to cut into his own food when Rui finally blurted,

“Hyun, you can just bite me from now on.”

Hyun froze.

Knife halfway to the plate.
Shoulders stiff.
Eyes flicking up slowly, dark and almost warning.

“…No,” Hyun said firmly.

Rui pouted instantly, lower lip sticking out like it had a life of its own. “Why not?”

Hyun set down his utensils, crossing his arms—one of the few ways Rui knew he was being serious.

“Because last night was an accident,” Hyun said, voice low. “I shouldn’t have let it happen. I was starving. I wasn’t thinking clearly. I could’ve hurt you.”

Rui squinted. “But you didn’t.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Then what is the point?” Rui leaned in, relentless. “You didn’t lose control. And even if you did—I trust you.”

Hyun pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing. “Rui…”

Rui crawled closer, scooting his chair noisily across the floor until he was right beside Hyun. Then he tugged Hyun’s sleeve gently, trying to pull his arm down.

“Hyuuuun,” Rui whined, stretching his lover’s name into something soft and needy. “What if I want you to bite me?”

Hyun visibly flinched.
His jaw tightened.
His fingers curled against his bicep.

“That’s exactly why I can’t,” Hyun said, voice going rough. “You say things like that without understanding what it does to me.”

Rui blinked innocently. “Then explain it?”

Hyun gave him a look, half warning, half helpless affection.
He exhaled, leaned back in his chair, and forced his voice calm.

“Blood is intimate,” Hyun said. “It’s not food for me. Not really. It’s connection. Instinct. Trust. Hunger. You offering your neck is like offering your whole self. Letting me feed from you again and again…” He swallowed, eyes flicking briefly to Rui’s pulse. “It would make me more attached. More possessive.”

Rui stared at him.

Then smiled.

“So?” he said softly. “I like it when you’re possessive.”

Hyun’s composure cracked for a moment.

He looked away, hiding the faintest flush on his cheekbones.

Rui leaned closer, curling his fingers around Hyun’s wrist. “Hyun,” he whispered, voice suddenly warm and honest, “I want to take care of you too.”

Hyun’s jaw clenched again, but this time, not out of anger.

Rui lifted his chin a little. “You always protect me. Always take care of me. Always think ahead.” Then he reached up and tapped his own neck. “Let me do something for you too.”

Hyun’s eyes snapped to the exposed skin.

Rui saw everything,
the hunger,
the fear,
the desire,
the restraint.

Hyun tore his gaze away immediately, shaking his head. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not feeding from you again.”

Rui’s mouth dropped open in offense. “Why??”

“Because,.animal blood is fine.”

Rui gasped dramatically.

“Does animal blood taste better than me?!”

Hyun choked.

Literally choked on his own breath.

“Rui—!”

Rui leaned even closer, voice rising in disbelief. “Wait. Wait. Does it taste better?” He put his hands to his face. “Hyun. Do I taste bad? Am I like—like bitter? Do I taste like iron nails or something?”

Hyun stared at him, horrified. “What—no! Rui, no—”

“Then why don’t you want mine??”

Hyun dropped his face into his hands.

“Rui. Rui, sweetheart.” His voice was strained, muffled. “You taste too good. Too good. That’s the problem.”

Rui paused.

Then smirked.

“Ooooh,” he said slowly. “So I’m delicious?”

Hyun looked like he regretted waking up this morning.

He grabbed Rui’s cheeks gently but firmly, squishing them so Rui would stop talking. “You. Are. Not. Helping.”

Rui mumbled through squished cheeks, “But you said I’m delicious—”

Hyun groaned. “Princess. Please.”

Rui giggled, leaning forward until their foreheads touched. His voice softened to something warm and devastatingly sincere.

“I want you to need me too, Hyun.”

Hyun closed his eyes.

For a long moment, he didn’t speak.
Just breathed.
Slow, controlled, fighting himself.

Then he pulled Rui into his lap, slow, deliberate, careful, and held him there, one hand on Rui’s back, one on the back of his head.

“You’re already the one thing I can’t live without,” Hyun whispered against Rui’s hair. “Don’t give me another addiction.”

Rui softened completely, melting into his chest.

“…Then what if I already want to be your addiction?” he whispered.

Hyun tightened his embrace, trembling faintly.

And Rui knew,
even without looking,
that Hyun was dangerously close to giving in.

Days passed.

Hyun had survived many things in his long, long life.

But Rui pestering him for seven days straight might be the greatest test of willpower he’d ever faced.

Every morning,
“Hyun, bite me.”

Every afternoon,
“Hyuuuun, you need to feed eventually.”

Every night,
“Do I not taste good enough for you?”

And Hyun, disciplined, ancient Hyun—had said no every single time.

Firmly. Repeatedly. Exhaustedly.

But Rui never gave up. He pouted. He clung. He draped himself over Hyun like a warm blanket of temptation. He kissed Hyun’s jaw. He sat on Hyun’s lap like it was his natural seat. He whispered soft, teasing lines until Hyun had to physically pick him up and put him on the other side of the couch just to think straight.

Hyun held out.

Barely.

Then the second week came.

And Rui knew.

Because tonight… was feeding night again.

Worse—

Hyun had forgotten to stock animal blood.

Again.

Rui had been waiting for this moment like he was waiting for Christmas.

He showed up at Hyun’s apartment door at 7:01 PM.

And Hyun answered it.

And froze.

Rui stood there wearing the pinkest, cutest pajama set known to mankind:
Soft pastel pants with tiny strawberries.
A light top with spaghetti straps and a tiny ribbon in the middle.

Bare shoulders.

Bare arms.

Skin glowing.

Hair a little messy.

Eyes bright.

Rui smiled up at him, holding a tote bag shaped like a bunny.

“Hi.”

Hyun stared.

His hunger, already simmering under the surface, spiked so sharply he had to plant a hand on the doorframe.

“Rui… what are you wearing?”

“My pajamas,” Rui answered sweetly, stepping forward so Hyun had to instinctively step back. “I’m sleeping here tonight.”

Hyun shut his eyes, inhaling slowly through his nose.
Rui smelled warm. Sweet. Dangerously alive.

“Princess,” Hyun said tightly, “tonight is not a good night.”

“Oh, I know,” Rui chirped, as if Hyun had told him the weather. “You forgot to buy blood again.”

Hyun’s silence was answer enough.

Then Rui leaned forward, gripping Hyun’s shirt between two fingers, tugging lightly.

“You need to feed,” Rui whispered. “And I’m right here.”

Hyun’s jaw clenched.

His fangs throbbed.
His hands curled into fists.
He stepped back only because if he didn’t, he’d drag Rui inside and—

“Rui,” Hyun said, voice low, strained. “Stop. Don’t tempt me tonight.”

Rui tilted his head, exposing the soft slope of his neck.

“I’m not tempting you.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No,” Rui whispered, stepping closer again. “I’m helping you.”

Hyun retreated another step. Rui followed like it was a game. Hyun finally bumped into the entryway wall behind him.

Rui’s smile grew slow and triumphant.

Cornered.

Perfect.

Hyun swallowed, Adam’s apple bobbing, eyes darkening as he took Rui in fully, bare collarbones, delicate straps, the tiny bow that looked made to be pulled.

“You…” Hyun exhaled shakily. “You’re dangerous.”

Rui beamed. “Thank you.”

“That wasn’t a compliment.”

“It was.”

Hyun rubbed a hand over his face as if praying for strength. “Why—why would you show up dressed like that? Tonight of all nights—”

“Because you need me,” Rui said simply.

Hyun froze.

Rui’s voice softened, honest and warm. “You’ve been starving yourself all day. I can tell. You’re pale again. You’re tired. You’re trying to pretend it’s nothing.”

He stepped closer, touching Hyun’s shirt, fingers tracing lightly over his chest.

“I want to take care of you.”

Hyun’s breath trembled.

“You don’t understand what you’re offering.”

Rui’s eyes flicked up to meet his. “Then explain it again.”

“Rui—”

“Explain why you keep refusing me.”

Hyun grabbed Rui’s wrist, and Rui gasped softly at how cold Hyun’s fingers were.

“Because if I drink from you again,” Hyun said, voice a low growl, “I won’t be able to stop wanting you.”

Rui blinked. “I already want you.”

Hyun’s grip faltered.

Rui stepped even closer, until his chest pressed against Hyun’s. His voice dropped to a soft murmur.

“You’re my boyfriend. I’m supposed to be the one you go to.” His fingertips brushed Hyun’s collar gently. “Let me be yours too.”

Hyun shut his eyes, jaw tight, breath unsteady.

Rui lifted a hand, cupping Hyun’s cheek.

“Please, Hyun,” Rui whispered, cheeks flushed. “Let me help you.”

Hyun opened his eyes slowly.

Dark.
Hungry.
Shaking with restraint he was seconds from losing.

Rui knew he had him.

And Hyun—

Hyun finally whispered, voice breaking:

“Princess… if I bite you tonight…”
He shook his head, helpless.
“I won’t be gentle.”

Rui stepped closer until their foreheads touched.

“Then don’t be,” he whispered. “Just… hold onto me.”

Hyun’s breath hitched—

But he just stood there, pinned between Rui and the wall, breathing like every inhale burned, like every exhale hurt. Rui could feel it, Hyun’s hunger, the way it trembled under his skin, the way his fingers twitched at his sides like he wanted to grab Rui but was terrified of what he’d do if he did.

Rui lifted his hands slowly, placing them on Hyun’s chest.

Warm Rui.

Cold Hyun.

The contrast made Hyun shudder.

“Hyun…” Rui whispered, looking up through his lashes. “It’s just me.”

Hyun’s eyes flicked open.

Black with hunger.
Gold at the edges.
Beautiful. Terrifying. Wanting.

“Rui,” he breathed. “I’m trying so hard right now. You don’t know how close—how close I am to losing myself.”

Rui pressed closer, until their bodies touched from chest to knee. His voice softened, coaxing.

“Then lose yourself with me.”

Hyun made a strangled sound in the back of his throat.

His hand shot out—gripping Rui’s hip, pulling him forward with a force Rui felt in his bones. Rui gasped, hands flying to Hyun’s shoulders for balance. Hyun’s other hand slid up Rui’s back, fingers brushing bare skin beneath the thin ribboned top.

Rui shivered.

“Why are you wearing this?” Hyun asked, voice low and dark. “Why would you walk into my apartment on feeding night wearing—this?”

Rui smiled—soft, wicked, knowing.
“Because you forget you’re a vampire until you’re hungry.”

Hyun’s breath hitched.

“And I wanted you to remember I’m yours,” Rui whispered.

That did it.

Hyun grabbed Rui’s waist, lifted him effortlessly, pressing him against the wall. Rui gasped again, legs wrapping around Hyun without needing to be told—instinctive, natural, sweet.

Hyun’s forehead pressed against Rui’s jaw, voice shaking.
“You’re warm,” he muttered.
“You’re too warm.”
“It’s driving me insane.”

Rui cupped Hyun’s face with trembling fingers. “Then take what you need.”

Hyun groaned, deep, guttural, and Rui felt the sound vibrate through his entire body.

“No,” Hyun rasped, even now trying to hold himself back. “You’re tired. You didn’t sleep well last night. I can smell the exhaustion. I’ll drain too much. I’ll hurt you.”

“You won’t.” Rui’s voice was soft but certain. “You never do.”

Hyun’s hands tightened on Rui’s hips. “I could.”

“You won’t,” Rui repeated, leaning down to press their foreheads together. “Because you love me.”

Hyun’s eyes softened, just for a second. A tiny flicker of tenderness breaking through the hunger.

Then Rui whispered the one thing that shattered Hyun completely,

“I want you, Hyun. All of you. Even the vampire parts.”

Hyun’s mouth fell open, part shock, part hunger, part something almost desperate.

He pressed Rui harder against the wall. Rui gasped, arching slightly.

“Rui…” Hyun whispered. “Princess… angel… I can’t hold myself back anymore.”

Rui’s voice trembled. “Then don’t.”

Hyun didn’t need to be told again.

He kissed Rui first—hard, hungry, almost feverish. Rui kissed back instantly, fingers tangling in Hyun’s hair, body pressing flush against him. Rui moaned quietly into the kiss, and Hyun’s fangs brushed Rui’s lower lip—accidental, but enough to make Rui whine.

Hyun pulled back only when Rui needed air, lips wet, breathing ragged.

And then—

Hyun lowered his head to Rui’s neck.

Rui’s breath caught.

Hyun’s lips pressed to Rui’s pulse, slow, soft, reverent.

“You’re sure?” Hyun whispered, voice cracking. “Tell me now if you’re scared. Tell me now if you want me to stop.”

Rui wrapped his arms around Hyun’s shoulders, pulling him close.

“I want to be yours,” he whispered.
“Completely.”

Hyun growled, a sound so deep and hungry Rui felt it shake through his ribs.

Then Hyun opened his mouth—

—and let his fangs sink into Rui’s neck.

And Hyun’s bite wasn’t just pain.

It was heat.

Pressure.
A rush.
A sudden blooming warmth beneath Rui’s skin that made his entire body tremble against Hyun’s. Rui gasped, sharp, startled, and then his fingers curled in Hyun’s shirt like he was holding onto the only solid thing in the world.

His knees went weak instantly.

Hyun held him.
Lifted him.
Supported him with strong, steady hands like he had expected Rui to collapse.

“Breathe,” Hyun murmured against Rui’s neck between shallow pulls. “Just breathe for me.”

But Rui couldn’t.

Not properly.

Not when everything felt so good.

Not when the pull of Hyun drinking from him sent tingles racing down his spine, warmth unfurling through his chest, his stomach, everywhere. The sensation was overwhelming, strange, foreign, intoxicating, but Rui felt safe inside it.

Safe in Hyun’s arms.
Safe with Hyun’s hands gripping his waist.
Safe with Hyun pressed so close Rui could feel every breath he took.

Rui’s fingers slid up Hyun’s back, clutching tight, his head tipping back against the wall.

“H-Hyun…” Rui whispered, voice shaking. “It… feels…”

His sentence fell apart on a soft, helpless sound, somewhere between a sigh and a whine. Rui didn’t even realize he’d made it until Hyun’s grip around him tightened, steadying him when his legs nearly gave out.

Hyun pulled back just slightly, not enough to stop feeding, just enough to speak.

His voice was rough, deeper than Rui had ever heard it.

“Does it hurt?”

Rui shook his head instantly. Maybe too fast. His eyes fluttered open halfway, unfocused and warm.

“No… it—it feels…”
His breath hitched.
“…good. Really good.”

Hyun groaned softly at that, like Rui’s words did something to him he wasn’t prepared for. Rui felt the vibration of that sound through his skin, and it made warmth bloom all over again.

Hyun’s hand slid up his back, slow and careful, steadying Rui as if he were fragile.

“You’re shaking,” Hyun whispered.

“Y-you’re holding me…” Rui managed, voice thin. “I-I’m okay.”

Hyun kissed Rui’s neck, softly, briefly, before sinking his fangs in again, gentler this time.

Rui gasped.

His fingers threaded into Hyun’s hair, gripping but trusting. His heartbeat fluttered, quick and warm under Hyun’s lips, each thrum sending another wave of heat through him.

Hyun drank slowly now—controlled, measured—but Rui still felt every pull like a soft tug deep inside him, grounding and dizzying all at once. His eyelids fluttered, his breath going shallow, body relaxing completely into Hyun’s hold.

Hyun lifted him higher, arms strong and steady beneath him, voice low against Rui’s skin.

“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “Just… let me hold you.”

And Rui did.

He melted.
Boneless.
Warm.
Safe.

Hyun fed with reverence, devotion threaded through every touch, every steadying hand, every soothing thumb rubbing circles on Rui’s lower back, every soft breath against the bite.

Rui let out another small sound, quiet, overwhelmed, and Hyun pulled back at once, lips brushing Rui’s skin.

“That one wasn’t a pained sound… was it?”

Rui shook his head weakly, cheeks flushed. “No… s’not pain…”

Hyun’s grip tightened again.

“Rui,” he whispered, almost pained himself. “You feel too good in my arms.”

Rui smiled faintly, leaning forward until his forehead pressed to Hyun’s shoulder.

“Then don’t let go.”

Hyun didn’t.

He held Rui close, steady and protective, feeding slow and careful while Rui clung to him—warm, trembling, trusting completely.

And for the first time since he’d been turned…
Hyun realized feeding didn’t have to be monstrous.

It could be intimate.
Soft.
Sacred.

It could be Rui.

Minutes after,

Rui was still draped over Hyun, legs tangled with his, head tucked into the curve of Hyun’s shoulder as though he belonged there and nowhere else. His body felt deliciously warm, heavy with that soft post-feeding haze, and Hyun kept stroking slow circles on his back as if trying to soothe away the last shiver still running through him.

The apartment was dim, quiet, the only light the soft lamp beside Hyun’s bed. Rui blinked up at him with those sleepy doe eyes, cheeks flushed, neck showing the faintest marks, barely there, because Hyun was always careful, always impossibly gentle with him.

Rui nuzzled in closer, voice small and scratchy, “Hyun… can we talk about it again?”

Hyun tensed instantly. Rui felt it—felt the way the muscles under his cheek went stiff and hesitant.

“Rui,” Hyun murmured, thumb brushing over Rui’s jaw, “we shouldn’t. Not again.”

“But why not?” Rui lifted his head, looking wounded in that soft, dramatic Rui way that always unraveled Hyun. “You literally just fed. From me. And I’m fine. More than fine. I feel—” He cut himself off because Hyun was already giving him that look. The don’t-finish-that-sentence look.

Rui pouted instead. “I feel good. And you feel good. And you didn’t hurt me at all.”

“That’s not the point,” Hyun said quietly. His voice was deeper after feeding, rougher, like gravel warmed by sunlight. Rui could never get tired of hearing it like this.

Rui crawled up until they were nose-to-nose, lying on Hyun’s chest like a stubborn cat refusing to be moved. “Then what is the point?”

Hyun let out a breath, eyes dark, conflicted. “You forget I’m a vampire,” he murmured. “But I don’t. I remember every second. And feeding on someone you love, Rui, it’s dangerous. Even if I’m careful, even if I’m starving, even if you’re willing. It’s still—”

“Intimate?” Rui supplied, tone annoyingly teasing.

Hyun glared at him. Rui smiled sweetly.

“Serious,” Hyun corrected. “It means something. It’s… binding.”

Rui perked up immediately. “Binding how?”

Hyun avoided his gaze, but Rui caught the flicker of emotion anyway, the way his cheeks darkened in a very un-vampire-like embarrassment.

“It’s something vampires only do with someone they… belong to,” Hyun murmured. “Someone they choose. Someone they want to stay with—for a long time.”

Rui’s eyes widened, lips parting slightly. “So… like… a vampire marriage?”

“No,” Hyun said.

Rui deflated.

Hyun added, “…worse.”

Rui inflated again.

But Hyun looked tortured as he tried to explain. “If we make this a habit… if I feed from you regularly… Rui, it tells every instinct I have that you’re mine. And that I’m yours. And that it’s permanent.” His voice dropped lower. “It becomes something I can’t undo.”

Rui blinked at him for a few moments. Then he slowly, slowly smiled like a cat who just discovered the sunbeam was bigger than he thought.

“So… why is that a bad thing?” he asked softly. “I already think you’re mine. And I don’t plan on giving you back.”

Hyun groaned in frustration, burying his face in Rui’s shoulder. Rui giggled and wrapped his arms around Hyun’s neck, petting his hair.

“Rui,” Hyun muttered into his skin, “you don’t understand. If I get used to your blood, if I crave only yours—it means I can’t go back to animal blood. It means you become the only person I can feed from without getting sick.” He pulled back, expression painfully earnest. “And I don’t ever want you to feel trapped or obligated just because I—”

Rui pressed a finger to his lips.

“Hyunnie,” he whispered, eyes shimmering with something soft and fierce at the same time. “If needing me means staying with me for a long, long time… why would I complain?”

Hyun stared at him, stunned speechless.

Rui leaned closer, brushing their noses together, voice melting into something gentle and sure. “If you’re scared of taking too much… trust me. I’ll tell you when to stop. If you’re scared you’ll want more… good.” He grinned. “I want you to want me.”

“Rui—”

“And if you’re scared that you’ll get attached…” Rui whispered, settling back against Hyun’s chest, heart steady and warm, “it’s okay. I’m already attached.”

Hyun’s hand trembled where it rested on Rui’s waist.

Rui smiled into his collarbone.

“So,” he said softly, playfully, lovingly, “next feeding night… can we do it again?”

Hyun didn’t answer right away.

But he pulled Rui closer, closer than ever, and held him like the world might disappear if he let go.

And Rui knew.

He knew Hyun’s answer was already yes.

The next feeding night arrived like a secret both of them were pretending not to anticipate.

Hyun showed up at Rui’s apartment just past sunset, shoulders tense, hands tucked into the pockets of his dark jacket. He looked like he was preparing for war, not stepping into his partner’s pink-and-white living room filled with plushies and fairy lights.

Rui practically bounced to the door.

The moment Hyun stepped in, Rui’s eyes lit up, bright, excited, unbearably affectionate. He had tied his hair messily, cheeks already flushed, wearing soft pastel pajamas again because he knew Hyun liked how gentle he looked like that.

“You’re here,” Rui said, unable to stop himself from swaying side to side like a happy child.

Hyun’s heart almost tripped over itself. “Of course I’m here.”

Rui beamed and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them. He grabbed Hyun’s sleeve and tugged him toward the couch like it was a date night instead of a potentially dangerous feeding.

And then—Rui spoke.

“My blood really tastes good??”

Hyun choked.

Completely choked.

He coughed once, twice, ears turning red—even the tips, which almost never happened. “R-Rui—”

“What??” Rui asked, genuinely confused, leaning in and blinking those big eyes. “It doesn’t??”

Hyun sputtered even harder. “That’s not— You can’t just— Rui—!”

Rui’s lips trembled into a pout, lower lip sticking out in perfect slow-motion tragedy. “So it doesn’t taste good?” he whispered. “Or…” He paused dramatically, eyes welling with ridiculous wounded sparkle. “Or you don’t love me anymore?”

Hyun froze.

Absolutely froze.

“What,” he said flatly, eyebrows shooting up. “Where—where did that even come from?”

Rui huffed and crossed his arms, leaning back on the couch, looking like the saddest, grumpiest kitten alive. “You’re being weird. And flustered. Usually that means you’re hiding something. So!” Rui jabbed a finger at his chest, eyes shining in mock betrayal. “You only love me because of my blood?!”

Hyun inhaled sharply.

Then slowly exhaled through his nose to avoid bursting into laughter.

He knelt in front of the couch—Rui blinked, startled—and rested his hands on Rui’s knees.

“Listen to me.” Hyun’s voice was low, steady, firm. “If I loved you because of your blood, I would’ve bitten you on our first month. Maybe even our first week.”

Rui blinked. “...true.”

“If I loved you because of your blood, I would’ve used you. I would’ve demanded. Or pushed. Or insisted.”

Rui blinked again. “...also true.”

“And if I loved you because of your blood…” Hyun lifted Rui’s chin, thumb brushing gently over the soft skin there. “I wouldn’t have spent a whole year avoiding so much as thinking about feeding from you.”

Rui’s face softened.

Hyun sighed, leaning closer until their foreheads nearly touched. His voice dropped to a whisper, warm and raw.

“I love you because you’re you. Because you drive me mad. Because you’re kind. Because you cling to me like I matter. Because you smile at me like I hung the moon.” He swallowed hard. “Because you’re sunshine and softness and sweetness and you make me feel… alive.”

Rui melted—visibly, like candle wax under sunlight.

“Then…” Rui whispered, eyelashes fluttering, “you do like my blood?”

Hyun groaned. “Rui—”

“What??” Rui whined. “If you’re gonna feed from me it should be because you like it…!”

Hyun buried his face in Rui’s stomach, muffling a helpless laugh-sigh. Rui squeaked and squirmed, hands fluttering over Hyun’s hair.

Finally, Hyun lifted his head.

His eyes were darker now, hungrier, but steady.

“Of course your blood tastes good,” he said quietly. “Of course it does.”

Rui brightened in an instant, smile exploding across his face.

Hyun added softly, voice shaking just a little, “It tastes like you. Warm. Sweet. Alive.”

Rui swallowed, cheeks turning pink.

“And I love you,” Hyun finished, hand sliding up to cup the side of Rui’s face. “Not your blood. You.”

Rui leaned forward slowly.

“Then feed tonight,” he whispered. “Feed because you want me.”

Hyun’s breath hitched.

Rui’s fingers laced with his.

“And feed,” he added with a tiny, teasing grin, “because my blood does taste good.”

Hyun groaned again, but this time, he didn’t pull away.

He leaned in instead, lips brushing Rui’s jaw, breath shivering against his skin—

He stayed there, hovering just above Rui’s neck, breath trembling against Rui’s skin. Rui could feel it—each slow inhale, each quiet, controlled exhale—like Hyun was grounding himself, fighting instinct and desire all at once.

Rui tilted his head ever so slightly, exposing more of his neck. His voice was barely a whisper.

“Hyun… it’s okay.”

Hyun shut his eyes tight.

“Don’t say that so easily,” he murmured, his voice rough with restraint. “You don’t know what it does to me.”

Rui’s hand came up, fingers threading gently through Hyun’s hair. “Then let me know,” he whispered. “Let me feel it too.”

That undid Hyun completely.

His hand slid to Rui’s waist, pulling him closer, guiding him carefully into his lap so he could hold him, secure him, like Rui was something fragile and irreplaceable. Rui curled into him naturally, legs folding on either side of Hyun’s hips, arms looped around his shoulders. Their chests brushed with every breath.

Hyun opened his eyes again.

His pupils were darker now—deep, swirling hunger restrained by love. That contradiction made Rui’s heart stumble.

“Last chance,” Hyun murmured against Rui’s jaw. “Tell me to stop.”

Rui cupped his cheeks and whispered, without hesitation,

“I trust you.”

Something inside Hyun broke, gently, quietly, beautifully.

He leaned in.

His lips brushed Rui’s neck first, soft, reverent, almost apologetic. Rui shivered, gripping Hyun’s shirt tighter. Hyun kissed the skin once, then again, slow and tender, as if asking permission even now.

Then,

A breath.

A pause.

And Hyun bit.

Not harshly. Not hungrily. But with a precision and gentleness Rui didn’t expect from someone with fangs. Rui gasped, hands tightening around Hyun’s shoulders. Not from pain—Hyun was too careful for that—but from the electric warmth that spread from the spot, blooming outward in waves.

Hyun’s hands held him steady, thumbs stroking circles on his hip. Every movement was silent reassurance: I’m here. I won’t hurt you. I know what I’m doing.

Rui let out a shaky breath, leaning into the sensation.

He never imagined feeding would feel like this—not sharp, not violent, but intimate. Warm. Almost grounding. Like Hyun was pulling him closer not physically, but in some invisible way that tied them together.

Hyun drank slowly, carefully. He paused every few seconds, checking Rui’s pulse, gauging his breathing, reading every tiny twitch in Rui’s body like it was a sacred script.

And Rui…

Rui felt soft.

Floaty.

Safe.

His fingers traced Hyun’s nape, sliding through his hair, grounding him back as much as Hyun was grounding Rui. “Hyun…” he whispered, barely audible, “it’s okay. I’m okay.”

Hyun made a sound, quiet, pained, grateful all at once—and held him closer. His other hand moved up and down Rui’s spine in slow, soothing motions.

A few seconds more.

Then Hyun pulled back.

He immediately pressed his thumb gently over the spot, then kissed it, sealing the skin with warmth rather than teeth. Rui felt the soft brush of Hyun’s lips, the tremble of his breath, the unspoken apology and devotion in that tiny gesture.

Hyun leaned his forehead against Rui’s shoulder.

“Rui…” he whispered, voice thick with emotion. “You can’t imagine how hard it is to stop.”

Rui stroked his hair lovingly. “But you did.”

Hyun swallowed. “Because it’s you. I wouldn’t risk losing control with you.”

Rui pulled back just enough to see Hyun’s expression, the slightly flushed cheeks, the darkened eyes, the trembling restraint still coiling under his skin. Hyun looked wrecked, overwhelmed, but also… peaceful. Like something in him had been soothed.

And Rui smiled.

A small, sleepy, satisfied smile.

“See?” he whispered. “Told you it was okay.”

Hyun cupped Rui’s face with both hands and kissed his forehead with so much care it almost hurt.

“I don’t deserve you,” he murmured.

Rui curled into him again, knocking their foreheads together gently. “You deserve me,” he whispered. “And I deserve you. That’s why it feels like this.”

Hyun exhaled slowly, arms wrapping around Rui in a full, protective embrace, holding him, shielding him, cherishing him.

And Rui melted into him, warm and light and impossibly content.

That night, Hyun didn’t leave.

He stayed.

Holding Rui like he was something precious.

And Rui slept in his arms with a small smile, the faint memory of Hyun’s gentle bite lingering on his skin like a secret only they shared.

A year passed.

A whole year of Hyun feeding from Rui carefully, lovingly, with a tenderness that shocked even other vampires. A year of Rui healing fast, feeling warm, feeling close — connected — in a way he never had with anyone. A year of Hyun learning Rui’s rhythms, Rui’s tells, Rui’s little noises, Rui’s boundaries. A year of Rui learning what calmed Hyun’s hunger and what stirred it.

And now, they’d been dating for two years.

Their second anniversary.

Hyun had insisted they stay in his apartment— “More private,” he’d muttered, ears a little pink. Rui didn’t mind, he loved the place. Loved the scent of old books and cedar, the soft blankets, the huge bed that Hyun definitely did not need because vampires didn’t technically sleep, but Hyun had gotten it anyway because “you like cuddling.”

Right now, Rui was sprawled across Hyun’s chest, wrapped in blankets, Hyun’s fingers combing lazily through his hair. Soft music played in the background, but barely audible. Just enough to set the mood.

Rui hummed happily, cheek pressed against Hyun’s heartbeat-less chest. “You’re comfy,” he mumbled.

Hyun smiled softly, stroking his back. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.” Rui shifted slightly, tracing Hyun’s jaw with a gentle finger. “You’re like my giant vampire pillow.”

Hyun snorted. “That sounds like a bad YA fantasy novel.”

“But I’d read it,” Rui shot back with a grin.

Hyun laughed under his breath— that deep, warm rumble Rui adored. Everything felt perfect. Safe. Soft. Like the world outside didn’t exist and never had.

For a moment Rui just lay there, absorbing the warmth of Hyun’s arms around him.

Then,

He looked up at Hyun with that serious, almost fragile expression he rarely wore unless the moment was heavy.

“Hyun?” Rui whispered.

Hyun paused mid-stroke. “Mm?”

Rui placed a hand on Hyun’s chest, steadying himself. His voice came out small, but deliberate.

“Bite me.”

Hyun froze.

Completely.

The hand in Rui’s hair went still. His entire body tensed beneath Rui, like someone had just poured ice down his spine.

“Rui,” he said after a full two seconds of silence, “I just fed yesterday. I’m not hungry—”

“I’m not talking about feeding.” Rui lifted his head. “I mean bite me.”

Hyun blinked. Once. Twice. Slowly.

“…No.”

Rui frowned. “But—”

“No,” Hyun repeated, firmer, sitting up slightly. His eyes were wide, real fear flickering behind them. “Rui, no. You don’t know what you’re asking.”

Rui did not back down.

He pushed himself up too, now straddling Hyun’s lap in a soft, unintentional challenge. “I do.” His voice wavered only a little. “I’ve had a whole year to think about it.”

Hyun swallowed — or tried to, because vampires didn’t need to, but the motion happened anyway out of habit and nerves.

“Rui,” he whispered, “that kind of bite isn’t like the ones you let me do now.”

“I know.”

“It’s not gentle.”

“I know.”

“It’s not something I can half-do, or undo.” Hyun cupped Rui’s face, thumb brushing his cheek. “It means turning you. It means eternity. It means—”

“Being with you,” Rui finished softly.

Hyun closed his eyes. Fear, longing, love, conflict, everything tightened in his jaw.

“Rui… you’ll age,” he said quietly. “You’ll wrinkle. You’ll get tired easier. You’ll get sick. You’ll change. And I—” his voice cracked, barely audible, “I won’t. And that’s okay. That’s natural. That’s life.”

Rui bit his lip. Something tender and aching flickered behind his eyes.

“But you look at me like I’m something beautiful,” Rui whispered. “Like I’m something special.”

“You are,” Hyun said instantly.

“And I want to stay that way,” Rui said, voice trembling. “With you. For you. Beside you.”

Hyun’s breath hitched. Rui continued.

“I realized it.” Rui’s fingers curled into Hyun’s shirt, gripping tightly. “I’ll get old. You won’t. I’ll wrinkle. You won’t. One day I’ll maybe forget things, or get sick, or become slower, and you’ll still look like this—like the first night we met.”

Hyun’s hands tightened around Rui’s waist. Rui wasn’t finished.

“And I know you’ll stay. I know you’d take care of me no matter what. But I—” Rui swallowed hard. “I don’t want to fade away beside you. I want to be with you. Really with you. Not just for a decade or two.”

His voice softened.

“But for all of it.”

Hyun opened his eyes then, meeting Rui’s gaze. And for the first time in a long time, Rui saw uncertainty. Deep, ancient fear.

“You want eternity?” Hyun whispered.

Rui nodded.

“You want… my eternity?” Hyun asked again, voice breaking.

Rui leaned forward and cupped Hyun’s cheeks with both hands, gently, lovingly.

“I want you,” Rui murmured. “I want to stay pretty for you. I want to stay yours. I want to stay here, in your arms, for as long as time exists.”

His forehead pressed to Hyun’s.

“So bite me.”

Hyun shivered.

Not from hunger.

From emotion.

From the weight of it.

From the realization that Rui truly, wholeheartedly chose him.

“Rui…” Hyun whispered, voice cracking, “you’re asking me to change your fate.”

“I’m asking you,” Rui whispered back, “to keep me.”

Hyun’s hands moved up to Rui’s face, cupping it gently, trembling.

And Rui saw it in his eyes.

The war.

The love.

The fear.

The want.

The overwhelming, impossible devotion that Hyun had been holding back since day one.

And slowly, painfully slowly,

Hyun exhaled.

“…If I bite you,” he whispered, “it means you’re mine.”

Rui’s lips parted. “I already am.”

Hyun closed his eyes.

“When I bite you,” he corrected softly, “I’ll become yours. Permanently. Completely. Irrevocably.”

Rui smiled, small, gentle, glowing.

“That’s what I want.”

Hyun opened his eyes again. They weren’t black with hunger. They were soft. Vulnerable. Bare.

He brushed a thumb over Rui’s lower lip.

“Then let me… think,” Hyun murmured. “Let me hold you. Let me be sure I won’t ruin you.”

Rui nodded, curling into Hyun’s chest, arms wrapping around him.

“I’ll wait,” Rui whispered. “But I’m not taking it back.”

Hyun kissed the top of his head.

And held him as if eternity had already begun.

Hyun didn’t give Rui a date.

He didn’t promise a day, or a week, or a month. He just said quietly, “I’ll tell you when I’m sure,” and Rui respected that, even though he secretly counted the days on his phone like he was counting down to Christmas.

But when it finally came… when Hyun finally decided…

Rui knew the moment he opened the door.

Hyun stood there outside his apartment, hair slightly wind-swept, wearing the black coat Rui liked on him, and his eyes —god — his eyes were different.

Soft.

Resolved.

Quietly blazing.

“Rui,” Hyun said, voice lower than usual.

Rui froze mid-step, hand still on the doorknob.

“…Is it time?” Rui whispered.

Hyun nodded once.

Rui squeaked.

Actually squeaked.

He lunged at Hyun so fast Hyun had to wrap both arms around him to keep them from toppling into the hallway. Rui was kissing him immediately, cheeks, jaw, lips, neck, whatever he could reach, babbling between every kiss.

“You’re sure?—kiss—really sure?—kiss—Hyun I’m so happy—kiss—I love you—kiss—I love you—kisskisskiss—”

Hyun laughed, a breathless, helpless sound he only made when Rui overwhelmed him in the best way. He lifted Rui easily, carrying him inside the apartment like Rui weighed nothing.

“Rui, slow down—”

“No!” Rui wrapped his legs around Hyun’s waist, clinging like an overexcited koala. “Do you understand—Hyun, do you understand—” Rui grabbed Hyun’s face dramatically, “—I’m gonna be with you forever.”

Hyun blushed. Actually blushed.

His ears darkened. His jaw clenched. His eyes softened so intensely Rui almost melted into a puddle of cotton candy.

“I know,” Hyun murmured. “That’s why I took so long to decide.”

Rui kissed him again, firm and passionate and so full of love that Hyun had to close his eyes for a moment just to keep himself together.

Rui leaned back slightly and looked at him with bright, glowy eyes, hair tousled from all the excitement, lips pink from kissing.

He had dressed up.

Of course he had.

Rui wore a soft white sweater that fell off one shoulder, a satin ribbon tied loosely around his neck like a pretty offering, and small pink clips in his hair. His cheeks had a bit of blush, lips shiny from gloss.

He looked angelic. Ethereal. Almost unreal.

Hyun swallowed hard.

“You… dressed up?” he asked quietly.

Rui’s cheeks flushed. “Well, yeah. It’s a big day.” He tugged gently at the ribbon on his chest. “I wanted to look pretty for you. For… tonight.”

Hyun touched the edge of the ribbon with a trembling hand.

“You look beautiful,” Hyun said softly. “Too beautiful. I can’t—”

Rui kissed him again, stopping the spiral before it started.

“I’m yours,” Rui whispered into Hyun’s mouth. “And I want everyone to see it. I want time to see it.”

Hyun cupped Rui’s face with both hands, thumbs brushing his cheekbones like Rui was made of glass he worshiped. “Rui… do you understand what this means?”

“I’ll stop aging,” Rui said with a smile, leaning into Hyun’s touch. “I’ll stay like this. No wrinkles. No greying hair. No slow collapsing bones.”

Hyun huffed a soft laugh. “That’s not what I meant.”

Rui kissed his palm. “Then tell me.”

Hyun looked at him like he was the only thing in the universe.

“It means I won’t be able to live without you,” Hyun whispered. “It means I’ll be bound to you. It means your heartbeat will be the center of my world. It means your scent will be the only one I crave. It means… I’ll love you in a way that’s irreversible.”

Rui shivered.

Not from fear.

From joy.

From longing.

From the overwhelming emotion in Hyun’s voice.

He leaned forward, pressing their foreheads together, smiling through the softness.

“I want that,” Rui murmured. “I want all of that. I want you to love me forever, Hyun. I want eternity with you.”

Hyun exhaled shakily.

“And you’ll become a vampire,” he reminded gently. “It’s not glamorous like movies say. There’s hunger. Instinct. New senses you might not like. You’ll have to learn a new kind of living.”

Rui only smiled wider.

“I’ll have you,” he said simply. “That’s what matters.”

Hyun closed his eyes, overwhelmed. Rui took his hands, squeezing them, guiding them to his waist, then sliding Hyun’s fingers under the ribbon tied around his neck.

“Hyun,” Rui whispered, voice trembling with anticipation, “I dressed like this because… for the first time in my life, I know exactly what I want.”

Hyun opened his eyes.

Rui held his gaze.

“I want to stay beautiful beside you,” Rui said. “I want to stay yours. I want to stay your Rui, forever.”

Hyun inhaled sharply, chest finally, finally giving in.

He pulled Rui close, holding him like the universe was folding in around them.

“Then tonight,” Hyun whispered, voice shaking with emotion he couldn’t hide, “I’ll turn you.”

Rui’s breath caught.

He kissed Hyun again, slow, deep, full of decades and centuries and lifetimes of love packed into a single moment.

And Hyun kissed back with the same eternity.

Tonight… would be the night Rui chose forever.
And the night Hyun finally allowed himself to believe he deserved it.

Minutes passed.

Hyun held Rui for a long moment before biting, his hands steady on Rui’s waist, thumbs drawing small circles meant to soothe but only making Rui tremble harder with anticipation.

Rui looked almost ethereal in the dim light, dressed up, ribbon-tied, cheeks flushed, eyes shining with a mix of excitement and nerves.
“Ready?” Hyun whispered, voice hoarse.

Rui nodded immediately. “Yes. Hyun, I’ve been ready for months.”

Hyun still hesitated. This wasn’t feeding. This was forever.

He lifted Rui’s face with both hands and kissed him slow— grounding, tender, reverent. Rui melted into it, fingers clinging to Hyun’s shirt like he was afraid Hyun would vanish if he let go.

“Eternity is a long time,” Hyun murmured against his mouth.

“I know,” Rui breathed. “That’s why I want it with you.”

There was no more doubt left in Hyun. Everything in him settled into place, like a lock clicking open.

He trailed his lips down Rui’s jaw, to his neck, where Rui tilted his head without being asked. Offering. Trusting.

Hyun inhaled sharply. Rui smelled warm, alive, safe.

“Okay,” Hyun whispered, “I’m going to start now.”

Rui tightened his grip on Hyun’s shoulders. “Do it.”

Hyun bit.

Not the careful, measured puncture of feeding. This was deeper, heavier, meant to carry magic and permanence. The moment his fangs sank in,

Rui screamed.

The sound ripped out of him so suddenly Hyun jerked back in horror, hand flying to clamp the wound as if he could undo what he started.

“Rui—!”

But Rui’s fingers shot up and grabbed his wrist, stopping him, eyes already wet but blazing through the pain.

“No— don’t stop— don’t you dare stop,” Rui gasped, voice trembling, breath shaking. “Hyun, keep going— I want this— please.”

Hyun’s heart cracked and mended all in the same moment.

“You’re hurting,” he whispered, torn.

“I know,” Rui said, tears slipping down. “It hurts— but it’s you. I want this because it’s you.”

Hyun cupped Rui’s cheek with one shaking hand, then leaned in again, slower this time, giving Rui one last chance to pull away.

Rui didn’t.

He pulled Hyun closer.

Hyun bit again, gentler, more controlled, and Rui’s breath hitched, body arching at the shock of pain and heat and something indescribably overwhelming flooding through him.

Hyun held him tightly, supporting him, whispering against his skin, “I’ve got you. I’m right here. I’m not letting go.”

Rui’s fingers curled into Hyun’s hair, and even through the tears, he was smiling.
Ecstatic. Relieved. Overwhelmed.

Because this was it.

This was becoming Hyun’s.

Forever.

Minutes passed by.

Hyun felt the very moment Rui’s body gave out.

One second Rui was clinging to him, breath trembling, tears drying hot on his cheeks, and the next, his entire weight collapsed forward, legs buckling, fingers slipping from Hyun’s shirt.

Hyun caught him instantly.

“Rui— Rui?”
No answer.

His head lolled against Hyun’s shoulder, his body warm but completely limp. Hyun pulled back enough to see his face, and even unconscious, Rui looked like he was fighting something inside, eyebrows drawn tight, lips parted, chest rising in uneven breaths.

It wasn’t fear.

It was the beginning.

Hyun exhaled shakily, scooping Rui into his arms as though he were the most fragile thing in existence. In a way, he was, this stage was always brutal for humans. Hyun had seen it happen to others, long before Rui was even born.

Never once had it terrified him like this.

He laid Rui on the bed, carefully, brushing the hair from his face. Rui’s skin was already growing colder, paler, the change beginning beneath the surface.

“Everything’s okay,” Hyun whispered, though Rui couldn’t hear him. He said it anyway. “You’re safe. I’m here.”

Rui shivered violently.

Hyun immediately pulled the comforter over him, then sat on the edge of the bed, stroking gentle lines down Rui’s arm. He opened the window slightly to let in cool air, vampires overheated easily during the transition— then dimmed the lights.

Rui whimpered softly, almost pained.

Hyun’s heart clenched so hard he had to close his eyes for a moment.

“I know,” he murmured, leaning down to kiss Rui’s forehead. “I know it hurts… I’m sorry. I wish I could take it from you.”

Another shiver ran through Rui, stronger this time, his fingers twitching like he was reaching for something in a dream.

Instinctively, Hyun threaded their hands together.

Rui’s grip tightened faintly— unconscious, but aware enough to find Hyun’s touch.

Hyun nearly broke at that.

“You’re so stubborn,” he whispered, voice thick. “Even when you’re out cold.”

He stayed like that for a long time, brushing a thumb over Rui’s knuckles, adjusting his pillow, cooling his forehead with a damp cloth, whispering reassurances whenever Rui’s breathing hitched.

Hours passed.

Rui would tense, then relax, then tremble again. His heartbeat grew slower, fainter, until it was barely a whisper beneath Hyun’s palm.

Hyun swallowed hard.
The first time hearing Rui’s heartbeat fade wasn’t beautiful— it was terrifying.

But it was necessary.

Hyun tucked the blanket around him again and moved closer, lying beside him without disturbing the mattress too much. He wrapped an arm around Rui’s waist, pulling him gently against his chest.

Rui’s body fit perfectly even like this, slack and unconscious, yet unmistakably Rui.

“You’re doing so well,” Hyun murmured into his hair. “You’re stronger than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m proud of you.”

The words slipped out without hesitation. He’d never spoken so freely before Rui. Rui always brought the softness out of him, even in moments Hyun thought he was incapable of it.

A faint sound escaped Rui’s lips,na tiny hum, almost like he recognized Hyun’s voice.

Hyun’s chest tightened.

He pressed another soft kiss to Rui’s temple.

“Just rest,” he whispered. “I’ll stay right here. I won’t leave you, not now, not ever.”

Another wave of shivers passed through Rui, but slower now. Less violent. His breathing steadied, though it was shallow, quiet, almost nonexistent.

Hyun pulled him even closer, protective, gentle, terrified and relieved all at once.

Because this was the hardest part.

Once Rui woke…
He wouldn’t be human anymore.

And Hyun would finally have him — forever.

Hours passed.

Rui woke slowly.

Like surfacing from a dream he didn’t want to leave,.warm, weightless, wrapped in something that felt familiar and safe.

His eyelids fluttered.

For a moment, everything was blurry: the soft sheets beneath him, the cool air brushing his skin, the faint scent of cedar and warmth that always meant Hyun was near.

Then he inhaled.

And the world sharpened.

Every sound clarified, water dripping three floors down, a neighbor’s TV murmuring, the soft rustle of fabric as someone shifted right beside him. He could smell the faint sweetness of the blanket, the lingering metallic scent of his own dried blood on Hyun’s shirt.

He blinked awake fully,

And Hyun was leaning over him, eyes dark with worry, relief, and something impossibly tender.

“Rui?” Hyun whispered.

Rui blinked up at him… and the moment his eyes opened, they flashed.

A bright, shimmering pink, like rose quartz catching sunlight.

Hyun inhaled sharply, every instinct in him alert, but he forced himself to stay calm, gentle.

The flash softened. Rui’s eyes shimmered again, then slowly faded back to their original warm brown.

Rui blinked, confused.
“...Why are you looking at me like that?”

Hyun’s lips parted, and in the softest, breathiest voice he’d ever used, he said,

“Your eyes.”

Rui’s brows rose. “My eyes?”

Hyun nodded. “They… activated.”

Rui stared at him blankly for half a second.

Then—
“What? Did they change color?” Rui asked, already starting to sit up, excitement blooming across his face.

Hyun steadied him by the shoulders, gently, but firmly enough that Rui wouldn’t accidentally launch himself off the bed. “Slow down. You’re still transitioning.”

But Rui was practically vibrating. “Hyunnn, tell me! Did they change??”

Hyun’s mouth curved helplessly.

Of course Rui’s first concern wouldn’t be the pain, the hunger, the new senses, or even immortality.

No.

It would be whether his eyes turned pretty.

Hyun cupped Rui’s cheek, thumb brushing softly across his skin. Rui leaned into it instantly, sighing at the contact like a happy cat.

“Yes,” Hyun admitted quietly. “They flashed.”

“What color?” Rui demanded.

Hyun hesitated, eyes softening even further.
“Pink.”

Rui gasped. Loudly.

“PINK? HYUN— PINK??”

Hyun nodded with a tiny smile. “Pink.”

Rui practically squealed.
“Oh my god— that’s SO cute— I have pink vampire eyes?! Pink?! Like REAL vampire eyes? Like— like— pink??”

Hyun nodded again, overwhelmed by how Rui Rui was being, even now.

“Only when you’re hungry, or emotional, or using your abilities,” Hyun explained, brushing Rui’s hair back. “Otherwise they’ll stay your normal color.”

Rui’s face lit up so brightly Hyun swore the room warmed three degrees.

“Hyun, why didn’t you tell me they’d be PINK? You should’ve told me— I would’ve agreed sooner!”

Hyun let out a soft, breath of a laugh. Rui’s excitement was contagious.
“I didn’t know they’d be pink…” he admitted. “It’s genetic. And unpredictable.”

Rui blinked up at him. “So you’re telling me I lucked out and got the cutest vampire eye color ever?”

Hyun brushed his knuckles along Rui’s jawline.
“You would’ve looked beautiful with any color.”

Rui froze.

Then he turned bright red, well, as red as a newborn vampire could get, and buried his face into Hyun’s chest with a dramatic groan.

“Hyunnnn, don’t say things like that, I just woke up, I can’t handle it—”

Hyun chuckled, wrapping his arms around him, pulling him gently into his lap, like Rui weighed nothing.

Rui immediately climbed into Hyun’s embrace, legs curling, arms circling Hyun’s neck. He nuzzled into him, affectionate, clingy, thrilled.

“Pink eyes…” Rui murmured against Hyun’s skin. “I’m gonna be the PRETTIEST vampire ever…”

“You already were,” Hyun said simply.

Rui blinked, then pulled back just enough to stare at him with a tiny pout.
“You’re trying to make me swoon.”

“Is it working?”

“Yes,” Rui said immediately.

Hyun smiled, brushing a thumb over the curve of Rui’s lower lip. “Good.”

Rui leaned closer until their foreheads touched.

“Hyun,” he whispered, eyes glowing faintly again—just a flicker of pink before settling. “Show me. I want to see them again.”

Hyun laughed softly. “You’re obsessed already.”

“They’re pink, Hyun. Pink.” Rui emphasized dramatically. “How could I NOT be obsessed?”

Hyun kissed him, slow, careful, savoring this new cold softness of Rui’s lips, then pulled back just enough to whisper,

“You’re perfect.”

Rui’s eyes flickered pink again, soft, luminous, like rose-colored fire, before sinking back to brown.

But Hyun could see it now.
He could feel it.

A newborn vampire’s emotions were loud.
Messy.
Radiant.

And Rui… Rui had never been subtle a day in his life.

Hyun barely had time to process the glow before Rui suddenly crawled forward, settling himself right onto Hyun’s lap like he had every right to be there. His legs wrapped around Hyun’s waist; his arms looped around Hyun’s neck; his cheek pressed against Hyun’s jaw—soft, cold, needy.

“Hyun,” Rui whispered, breath brushing Hyun’s skin, “I can feel everything.”

Hyun slid a steadying hand to Rui’s back. “It’s normal. Your senses are stronger now. Your body’s trying to adjust.”

Rui hummed. “Everything is so sharp… your scent is—”
He stopped. Then whispered so quietly it made Hyun stiffen:
“It’s addicting.”

Hyun swallowed. “…Rui.”

Rui only tightened his arms around him, nose brushing Hyun’s throat like he was memorizing the shape of it.

“You smell warm,” Rui murmured, voice soft and dreamy. “And comfortable. And like— like home. You smell like home.”

Hyun’s breath caught.

Rui pulled back suddenly, eyes wide. “Oh! Oh my god, Hyun— I can hear your heartbeat. I mean— it’s slow, but— I hear it! It’s so calm! Why is it so calm?! Mine is— wait— do I even have a heartbeat??”

Hyun placed a finger gently on Rui’s lips.

“Breathe,” he said softly, thumb rubbing small circles on Rui’s hip. “Your heartbeat will return once the transformation finishes. Right now, your body is stabilizing. You’re safe.”

Rui blinked rapidly. “So I’m like… undead but cute?”

Hyun let out a small laugh. “You’re undead and very cute.”

Rui preened, leaning in to press a cold kiss to Hyun’s cheek. “Good.”

But the moment the kiss ended, Rui froze again—this time because he realized something else.

“…Wait.”
He stared around the room.
“The colors look different.”

Hyun nodded. “Enhanced sight. You can see in low light now. And your colors are sharper.”

Rui gasped. “HYUN! YOUR HAIR IS SHINIER.”

Hyun blinked. “…My what?”

“It’s glowing! Like— like you rubbed stardust on it! Oh my god— I’m going to stare at you FOREVER.”

“You already do,” Hyun murmured.

Rui ignored that entirely, instead grabbing Hyun’s face and pulling him closer like he needed to look at every millimeter of him.

“And your skin— it looks… warm. Hyun, you look warm. Like you’re lit from inside. Why have I never seen you like this before??”

Hyun brushed a thumb lightly over Rui’s cheek. “Because you weren’t a vampire.”

Rui’s eyes sparkled—just a faint shimmer of pink at the edges.

“And now I get to see you like this forever,” Rui whispered, voice gentle, awed. “We match now.”

Hyun’s chest tightened. He lifted a hand, letting his fingers trace along Rui’s jaw, the new cold smoothness of his skin.

“You feel different,” Hyun murmured. “But still you.”

Rui leaned into the touch instantly, like a sunflower chasing light.

“I feel… strong,” Rui said softly. “And light. And everything’s loud but in a good way. And—I feel you. Like— not physically, but— emotionally.”

Hyun’s fingers paused. “…You can sense me?”

Rui nodded, cheeks flushing pink, literally, his eyes flashed again. “Yeah. I feel… your worry. And your relief. And how much you love—”

Rui stopped, eyes going wide, and slapped both hands over his mouth.

Hyun’s eyebrows lifted. “…How much I—?”

Rui shook his head violently, muffled behind his palms. “Nope. Not saying it. You’re gonna tease me.”

Hyun tilted his head, gently pulling Rui’s hands away. “Rui. What did you feel?”

Rui pouted, tiny fangs showing. “Hyun loves me so much. It’s embarrassing.”

Hyun laughed, a warm, low sound that made Rui’s entire body buzz.

“Of course I do,” Hyun murmured. “You’re my mate.”

Rui froze.

“Mate?”

Hyun cupped his face. “Soul-bonded partner. For vampires… it’s rare. But it’s real.”
His voice softened, steady.
“And you’re mine.”

Rui’s eyes flashed bright pink, full and brilliant.

“Hyun…” Rui whispered, almost dizzy with emotion. “I’m so happy I could scream.”

Hyun leaned in, pressing their foreheads together. “Then scream.”

Rui did not scream.

Instead, he launched forward and kissed Hyun—messy, eager, cold lips pressing everywhere: Hyun’s mouth, his jaw, his cheek, his throat. Rui was practically climbing him, hands in Hyun’s hair, clinging like he might float away.

Hyun held him steady, grounding him with slow, firm touches up and down his back.

“You’re overwhelmed,” Hyun whispered against Rui’s lips.

“I’m happy,” Rui breathed. “I’m so—so— Hyun, I’m going to be with you forever. FOREVER.”

“Yes,” Hyun murmured, kissing his forehead. “Forever.”

Rui pulled back just enough to look at him again.

His eyes glowed—soft, bright, pink like dawn.

“Hyun,” Rui whispered, “I love my eyes. But I love you more.”

And Hyun—

He was undone.

Then—
A thought clearly struck Rui.

He froze.

Hyun immediately noticed. “What’s wrong?”

Rui looked up slowly, big eyes blinking, bottom lip poking out in the smallest, most dramatic pout a newborn vampire had ever produced.

“…Hyun,” Rui whispered.

“Yes?”

Rui hesitated. Then—

“Can you still feed from me though?”
He tilted his head, curls falling over one eye. “Even if I’m a vampire now?”

Hyun blinked. “…Rui.”

Rui’s pout intensified. He sat up straighter, hands sliding to Hyun’s shoulders. “No, seriously! Can you? Do I still taste good? Do I still smell good? Do you still like feeding from me?”

Hyun almost laughed—but Rui’s expression was so earnest, so worried, that he swallowed it back.

He cupped Rui’s waist instead.
“Rui, you’re not human anymore.”

Rui blinked again, dramatically. “Yes I know that, genius. But can you still feed from me?”

Hyun stared at him.
“Why does this matter so much?”

Rui sputtered. “Because— because— Hyun! You loved feeding from me!” His eyes flashed pink briefly—embarrassment or insecurity, Hyun couldn’t tell. “What if you can’t anymore? What if it tastes weird? What if I’m too cold now? Or too vampire-y? Hyun, what if you don’t like my blood anymore??”

Hyun blinked.
“Oh.”

Rui pouted harder, curling into himself.
“I liked giving you my blood,” he mumbled. “It felt… intimate. And you always held me so close afterward. And you always kissed me after. I…”
His voice softened even further.
“I felt wanted.”

Hyun’s hand immediately slid up to Rui’s cheek.

“Rui.”
His voice was low, soft, grounding.
“You are wanted. Always.”

Rui looked up at him hopefully.

Hyun brushed a thumb across Rui’s lips.
“But vampire blood feeds vampires differently. It’s not for regular feeding. It’s for bonding. Sharing strength. Healing. The magic in it is stronger.”

Rui perked up. “So… you CAN still drink from me?”

Hyun hesitated.
“…Technically, yes.”

Rui lit up like a lantern. “So my blood is still useful?!”

Hyun pinched the bridge of his nose. “Rui— you’re not ‘useful’ because of your blood.”

Rui whispered, still pouting: “But you can drink from me?”

Hyun sighed, giving in. “Yes. But it will taste different. Vampire blood is sweeter, more potent, and—”

Rui gasped. “SWEETER?? Hyun, are you telling me I’m literally sweeter now?”

“Yes,” Hyun admitted reluctantly.

Rui hit his shoulder weakly. “WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME SOONER?! That’s adorable!”

Hyun tried so hard not to laugh. “Rui—”

“Do you WANT to taste it?” Rui asked suddenly, leaning closer, lips nearly brushing Hyun’s. “Do you wanna try? For science?”

Hyun choked. “SCIENCE?!”

Rui nodded seriously. “Yes, scientific purposes. You should test it. Hypothesis: I’m sweeter now.”

Hyun groaned into his hands. “Rui… you’re impossible.”

Rui leaned in, whispering against his ear, “You love that.”

Hyun’s breath hitched.

Rui giggled—soft, musical, mischievous.
“I can FEEL that you love it. I’m so smart now.”

“That’s not how that works,” Hyun muttered, ears burning.

But Rui ignored him, wrapping his arms around Hyun’s neck again.
“So,” Rui whispered sweetly, eyes shining pink, “can you still feed from me…?”

His voice dropped, soft and vulnerable:
“Do you want to?”

Hyun breathed in, slowly, deeply—pulling Rui closer until their foreheads touched.

“I always want you,” Hyun whispered.
“Feeding or not.”

Rui melted.

But Hyun continued, voice even softer,

“And yes… if you want me to… I can drink from you again.”

Rui brightened so hard the pink flashed full and glowing across his irises.

“Hyun…”

He threw his arms around Hyun, tackling him into the bed in a cold, affectionate bundle of limbs.

“You have to try it later,” Rui insisted. “For science.”

Hyun kissed the top of his head.

“For science,” he agreed quietly.

Rui hummed happily, clinging tighter, as if immortality hadn’t changed him at all.

If anything—
It made him more Rui.

And, mid-rambling, Rui just—froze.

His body tensed in Hyun’s arms, every muscle tightening as though a string had been pulled through his spine. Rui’s breath hitched, not in pain but in need. His hand flew to his mouth, fingers brushing over his lips, then lower.

“…Hyun?” Rui whispered.

Hyun’s eyes went sharp immediately. “What’s wrong?”

Rui swallowed. His voice trembled.
“My… my teeth.”

Hyun felt it before Rui said the rest.
Newborns always reached this stage quickly. Faster than they expected.

Rui whimpered softly, curling in on himself.
“They— they ache.”

Hyun cupped his cheek gently. “Your fangs are coming in fully.”

Rui’s pupils dilated.
“Hyun— it hurts.”

He leaned forward instinctively, pressing his forehead to Hyun’s chest, gripping the fabric of his shirt tight. His small, shaky breaths spilled against Hyun’s skin, colder than before.

Hyun stroked slow lines down his back.
“I know. It’s normal. Your body is telling you what it needs.”

Rui shivered again. His fingers trembled.
“What does it need?”

Hyun hesitated,nbut not for long.

“Blood.”

Rui blinked up at him, eyes flickering pink.
“…Yours?”

Hyun nodded once. Slowly. Calmly.
“Vampire blood will ease the pain. It helps newborns stabilize. It stops the ache.”

Rui swallowed.
“So… I need to bite you?”

“You need to feed,” Hyun corrected softly. “But only if you want to.”

Rui didn’t even think.

He lunged.

One moment he was sitting in Hyun’s lap, trembling and confused,
The next, Rui had pushed Hyun back against the headboard, straddling him, hands clutching at Hyun’s shoulders as though anchoring himself to the only thing in the world that mattered.

And he really didn’t know his strength yet,
so the shove was stronger than Rui intended.

Hyun grunted softly when his back met the headboard. But he wasn’t angry. He wasn’t even startled.

He was ready.

“Rui,” Hyun murmured, holding Rui’s waist in steady, comforting palms. “Slow—”

But Rui shook his head violently, eyes glowing bright, raw pink.
“I— Hyun— it hurts. I need—I need—”

Then Rui’s lips pressed to Hyun’s throat.

A cold, desperate kiss.
Then a second.
Then Rui’s breath, shuddering against Hyun’s skin.

Hyun tilted his head back in silent permission.

That single motion broke whatever restraint Rui had left.

Rui bit.

Hard.

Fangs sinking deeper than his human teeth ever could, sharp and new and hungry. Rui gasped against Hyun’s skin as the taste hit him—thick, powerful, warm in a way he couldn’t understand but instantly craved.

Hyun exhaled sharply, fingers tightening around Rui’s waist.
He had expected it to hurt.

It didn’t.

It felt like being claimed—finally, completely.

Rui whimpered as he drank, small desperate sounds muffled against Hyun’s neck. His hands fisted in Hyun’s shirt, pulling him impossibly closer, like the ache in his teeth was burning through every nerve in his body.

Hyun stroked the back of his head slowly, grounding him.

“That’s it,” Hyun murmured, voice low but steady. “You’re doing fine.”

Rui fed harder.

Greedy.
Needy.
Starving in a way only a newborn vampire could be.

His cold body pressed flush to Hyun’s warmth, trembling with relief each time he swallowed. The pain was fading, Hyun could feel it, sense it in the way Rui’s grip loosened, then tightened again with a softer rhythm.

Rui’s fangs hurt less.
His breathing steadied.
His trembling calmed.

But he didn’t stop.

He clung to Hyun as though the blood, the bond, the closeness itself was life.

“Rui,” Hyun whispered, thumb brushing his spine. “Easy… easy. You don’t need to drink everything.”

Rui growled—soft, possessive, instinctive.

Hyun froze for a moment.

Then smiled faintly.

“You’re still you,” he whispered.

Rui finally slowed, lips pulling back slightly, breath cold and shaking against Hyun’s throat. He licked once—instinct, newborn reflex—before lifting his head.

His mouth was pink.
His eyes were glowing.

And he looked… dazed.
Soft.
Sated.

“Hyun,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “That… that felt good.”

Hyun cupped his cheek, guiding his forehead to Hyun’s shoulder.

“You needed it,” Hyun murmured.

Rui nodded weakly, cuddling in, curling his fingers in Hyun’s shirt like he was afraid to drift away.
“My teeth don’t hurt anymore.”

“Good,” Hyun whispered, pressing a kiss to the top of Rui’s head. “My blood did its job.”

Rui hummed contentedly.

Then—
“…Hyun?”

“Yes?”

Rui looked up with a soft, sleepy pout.

“I want more later.”

Hyun inhaled slowly, steadying himself.

“…I know.”

Rui smiled against his skin, eyes flickering pink one last time before settling.

Then, a question strucks Rui again.

Rui asks it so innocently that Hyun actually freezes.

They were still on the bed, Rui draped over Hyun’s lap, lips red, chin messy with traces of blood he didn’t manage to lick clean. His fangs are finally retracted, small and neat now, but his cheeks are flushed a soft rosy color—vampire transformation glow still warm on his skin.

Hyun is gently wiping Rui’s mouth with his thumb when Rui suddenly looks up at him, eyes wide and pink-tinted, and says,

“Hyun… if I consume too much of your blood… will I get pregnant?”

Hyun physically chokes on air.

Rui blinks. “What? Is that a yes?”

“No—Rui—what— why— why would that even be your first thought?” Hyun splutters, ears turning so red they look like they’re burning.

Rui sits up straighter, offended but still clingy enough to loop his arms around Hyun’s neck. “Because!” He pouts dramatically, lips jutting out, “Blood is the vampire equivalent of, you know… semen. You always say it’s… intimate. And I drank a lot. Like, a lot a lot.” He spreads his hands like he’s describing the size of an entire watermelon. “So mathematically speaking—”

“Mathematically speaking? Rui—no, drinking my blood does not get you pregnant.”

Rui gasps softly, almost disappointed. “…So I can’t carry your baby?”

Hyun covers his face with both hands, groaning. “Rui, please. My heart is not ready for these kinds of conversations right now.”

Rui crawls closer, pushing Hyun’s hands down and squishing their faces together. “Just answer properly.”

Hyun sighs, defeated. “No. You can’t get pregnant from my blood. That’s not how vampire biology works.”

Rui thinks about it for a second… then tilts his head, eyes sparkling.

“…So we’d have to do it the normal way?”

Hyun’s soul nearly leaves his body.

“RUI—!”

“What??” Rui whines, shaking Hyun by the shoulders. “You’re blushing. That means it’s a yes—”

“It’s NOT— that’s not— Rui, stop making assumptions!”

Rui melts against him, arms wrapping around Hyun’s waist. “But what if I want a tiny little vampire baby that looks like you? Hmmm?”

Hyun sputters, pushes at his forehead gently, but Rui refuses to move. He simply curls tighter, resting his chin on Hyun’s chest.

Then Rui mumbles, voice soft and unguarded,

“I just… I wanna be connected to you. Forever. In every way.”

Hyun’s irritation melts instantly.

He cups Rui’s face, thumb stroking the new, slightly sharper curve of his cheek. “You already are,” he whispers. “You’re mine. Eternally. No child required.”

Rui blushes so violently he hides his face in Hyun’s shirt.

“Still…” Rui mumbles into the fabric, “if blood doesn’t do it, you could’ve just said so earlier instead of yelling…”

“I was not yelling.”

“You were, like, emotionally yelling.”

Hyun sighs again, long-suffering, but hopelessly fond.

He lifts Rui’s chin and kisses him, soft and slow, before saying against his lips,

“No, Rui. You cannot get pregnant from blood. But you can give me a heart attack with these questions.”

Rui beams, proud. “Then I’ll just keep asking.”

And Hyun knows—he absolutely will.