Wherever, Whenever

by Mntsnflrs

Summary:

Jaemin remembered a lot about Lee Donghyuck. It wasn’t so weird when they spent most of their early childhoods fighting whenever and wherever they could.

What he didn’t remember was Donghyuck being a vampire.

That was decidedly new.

Jaemin remembered a lot about Lee Donghyuck. He remembered the moles that dotted his skin, the scabs that were always being picked at, the sullen turn of his mouth as he sat across from Jaemin in the principal’s office again and again.

Jaemin remembered a lot about Lee Donghyuck. It wasn’t so weird when they spent most of their early childhoods fighting whenever and wherever they could.

What he didn’t remember was Donghyuck being a vampire.

That was decidedly new.

“I don’t know how it happened, but he’s pretty open about it,” Jeno said in between bites of his burger. “Said he’s been one for almost a year now, that the thirst can get pretty bad, but the sunlight isn’t like movies made out. He can go outside; he just needs to wear lotion.”

“Why’re you telling me this?” Jaemin asked, mild. He knew what vampirism was like, because he knew Ten. What he didn’t know was why Donghyuck had been brought up, never mind the reason Jeno was describing him like he was attempting to sell a used car.

“Um,” Jeno said, suddenly awkward in a way that spoke of bad news. “So you know you were looking for someone to take my room when I move in with Chenle?”

“Oh,” Jaemin said, soft. He put a hand on Jeno’s leg and felt the muscle tense. “No. Jeno, absolutely not.”

“He’s already talked to the landlady,” Jeno squeaked. “He’s signed the room’s lease.”

Jaemin threw his head back and groaned. The sound echoed around the food hall, causing a couple of harried looking students to send him glares he ignored. He was too deep in despair to care about their disdain. “Why?”

“You haven’t seen him since he was a kid, Jaemin. It’ll be fine.”

“You’re telling me he’s improved?”

“I mean, he’s definitely taller,” Jeno hedged.

Jaemin groaned again, this one quieter, more resigned. “You’re making me share my home with my childhood enemy. Not just my childhood enemy, but my childhood enemy that’s now a vampire.”

“Don’t discriminate,” Jeno said, frowning. “You’ve managed to live with a shifter just fine.”

“Because it’s you. And a shifter is different – the worst you could do was hump my leg. He could kill me.”

“Hey!”

“You’re not denying he could kill me!”

“He could, but he wouldn’t!”

“He’s tried before.”

“He was eight.”

“And evil.”

Jeno sighed, and Jaemin could actually see the moment he stopped investing in their argument. “Well, whether you like it or not he’s taking my room at the end of next week. You can move if you want to, or you can grow up and deal with a new housemate like a functioning adult.”

But Jaemin valued ingenuity, and he didn’t like choosing options laid out for him. He was the master of his own destiny, a man that would create his own path.

He decided to stay in the house and act like an asshole, and see how long it took for Donghyuck to move out or kill him. Either way, Jaemin would be proven correct, and could therefore be laid to rest as a winner.

‘Here lies Na Jaemin,’ his headstone would read, ‘stupid but correct.’

 

-

 

 They were twenty-two, but Jaemin couldn’t help but picture Donghyuck exactly as he was when they last saw each other, eight years old and bloody.

“I hate you,” Donghyuck had spat, eyes red and wet, fists balled at his side.

He’d knocked one of Jaemin’s baby teeth loose. “Yeah? I hate you too.”

“Good.”

“I hope I never see you again.”

Donghyuck’s chin had wobbled, but he turned away and marched home before Jaemin could feel any kind of guilt.

At the time, Jaemin didn’t know Donghyuck was upset because his parents had finally told him they’d sold their house. All he knew was that he went home, and despite his words he was sure he’d see Donghyuck the next day to continue their stupid feud.

Then he went to school and Donghyuck’s desk was empty, and Renjun was staring resolutely at the front of the class in a way that said he was holding back tears.

Donghyuck had left, and suddenly Jaemin was stuck with the fact that his last words had been I hope I never see you again.

And now Donghyuck was going to live with him, and all he could picture was that sad, angry eight-year-old boy with a bloody nose and scrunched up fists.

“I don’t know why I have to explain this to you, but he actually has matured,” Renjun said, helping Jaemin move Jeno’s things from the apartment and into Chenle’s. Jeno and Chenle were both suspiciously absent, and Jaemin wasn’t going to make the mistake of looking for them again. Fool him once, shame on Jeno. Fool him twice, and the shame was his own. “I doubt many twenty-two-year-olds are the same at eight as they are as an adult. He’s not going to start rubbing dirt into your face.”

“Can you say that with absolute certainty?”

“I can say it with roughly ninety percent certainty. That’s higher than your percentage.”

“Okay.” It would have to do. Not that Jaemin had much of a choice in the matter anyway.

“He didn’t transfer to torment you, Jaemin. He’s coming back because he wants to be closer to his grandparents.”

That was the one good thing Jaemin could have said about Donghyuck. He was a brat, but he’d always loved his family.

Renjun shuddered beneath the weight of a box of books, so Jaemin pulled it from his grasp and balanced it on his left shoulder. “Stop trying to get the heaviest stuff, Junnie. You don’t have anything to prove here.”

Renjun’s jaw clenched, but after a moment he nodded. He didn’t need to posture around his friends, because they knew better than to tease him for being half fae. What the general population didn’t seem to realise was that fae, though delicately built, were scary. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome,” Jaemin said, and meant it. “Wanna go to that bookshop you like after this? I heard from Soobin that they restocked on Monday.”

“Oh, sure!”

So they moved Jeno’s stuff into his old car, and when it became clear that Jeno and Chenle wouldn’t be returning for the foreseeable future, they walked to the nearest bookstore.

Jaemin carried Renjun’s basket as they perused the aisles, staring at the back of his blonde head. The fact that Renjun and Jeno had stayed friends with Donghyuck had never escaped his notice, but they’d never pressured him to join their visits.

“Renjun?”

“Hm?” He didn’t turn around, a book in each hand, eyes flitting between the blurbs.

“Do you think we’ll get on now?”

“I think that depends on the two of you,” Renjun said, finally pulling his gaze up to meet Jaemin’s. “And how reasonable you both decide to be.”

It was a shame that Jaemin had already decided to be unreasonable, then.

 

-

 

There was a Spongebob moment for most of life’s many torments, but a specific scene came to mind when Donghyuck let himself into the apartment and found Jaemin stood over the sink, noodles dripping down his chin.

He stared for a moment before breaking out into a horribly familiar smirk. “Still a mess.”

The specific Spongebob moment at the front of Jaemin’s mind: Squidward, pretending to run the Krusty Krab as a fancy restaurant. His enemy Squilliam visiting, and laughing. Squidward, in panic, saying to himself, ‘Just imagine him in his underwear.’ Then, the alarming realisation: ‘Oh no, he’s hot!’

Donghyuck was burnished gold. Gone was the awkward kid that flew into fury too quickly for his body to handle, and in his place was a man was unfairly comprised of long, slender legs, broad shoulders, and a face too pretty to be fair. His moles were there, familiar, and his eyes, big and brown and challenging. They stared at Jaemin, unimpressed.

Jaemin slurped up his noodles, finally. “Thought you weren’t arriving until three.”

“I got an appointment mixed up, so I have to be at the clinic for two. Thought I’d dump my stuff before then.”

“Clinic?”

“Th blood clinic. Jeno told you, didn’t he?”

Oh. “Yeah, I know what you are.”

“I know what you are?” Donghyuck repeated, smile widening into something more genuine. Excited. “Oh, are we doing Twilight? I wasn’t ready, start again.”

Walking into an exam for a major he wasn’t taking would have been less confusing. “What?”

“Just say it again.”

For some reason, Jaemin humoured him. “I know what you are.”

“Say it,” Donghyuck said, voice low. “Out loud.”

“Ugly.”

“Hey!”

“What?”

Donghyuck scowled. “Fuck you.”

“You wish.”

“Oh please, I’m not that desperate.” Donghyuck stepped closer. He tilted his head up a little, and Jaemin realised he had a hight advantage if nothing else. “Na Jaemin, huh? Still an asshole.”

“Lee Donghyuck. Still shorter than me.”

“Whatever. Are you going to help me bring my stuff up?”

“Why should I do that?”

“Because I’ll make your life hell if you don’t.”

It wasn’t what Jaemin would call a persuasive argument, but he ditched his noodles anyway. If only to stare at Donghyuck’s ass as he made his way up and down the stairs.

 

-

 

“You didn’t tell me he’s hot.”

“You didn’t ask.”

“I shouldn’t have to ask.”

Renjun sighed, the noise rattling down the phoneline. “It doesn’t change anything, does it?”

Jaemin scoffed. “Of course not.” It didn’t change a thing. Donghyuck was still Donghyuck, even if he’d grown into the epitome of Jaemin’s type of guy. Pretty and coy.

Whatever. He wasn’t the only man that fit that brief description. He wasn’t even the only one in the apartment.

“If it doesn’t change anything then it shouldn’t matter that I didn’t say anything,” Renjun said evenly. “Are you going to be doing this for the next month? Ringing to demand answers to something I didn’t tell you about because over the past fourteen years you never asked?”

“Ouch.”

“Well?”

“I’ll try not to bug you too much.”

“It’s not about bugging me,” Renjun said, clearly on the edge of exasperation. “You live with him now, Jaemin. If you have a question just fucking ask him.”

 

-

 

Donghyuck returned to the apartment two hours later, the door hitting the wall loudly before slamming back into the frame. He staggered into the lounge as if drunk, rosy cheeked, mouth slightly open.

“I thought you went to get blood,” Jaemin said from the couch. Donghyuck was stumbling precariously close to his collection of porcelain sea creatures, and if that tiny whale smashed so would Donghyuck’s skull.

“I did!”

“Then why are you acting high?”

The noise Donghyuck made was rude and kind of gross sounding. He balanced on one leg as he pulled a shoe off, then fell ass first to the floor before he could get the other. “You wouldn’t get it. Blood is… for the first hour, it’s like wine. Like you’ve just had a pint of wine, and everything is soft and spinning.”

“I’ve met vampires before,” Jaemin said, frowning. “They don’t act like this.”

“It’s because I’m new,” Donghyuck said, still on the floor, still with only one shoe on. “I’m a baby.”

“A baby?”

“Yeah,” Donghyuck murmured, staring at Jaemin over the back of the couch. From the floor, he looked tiny. The pink stripy sock didn’t help. “Only turned last year. It’s all still new, and it’ll take a while for my system to settle down.”

I’m a baby.

Jaemin definitely wasn’t going to let that keep him awake at night. “So you’re essentially useless?”

“Only for an hour or so,” Donghyuck said. He seemed to give up taking his shoe off, leaning his head against the wall with a thump. “Glad I moved. The clinic here is walking distance, which is nice. My last apartment was over an hour away.”

“So you moved here for convenience?”

“I moved here because I was lonely.”

It was much more honest than Jaemin expected. The blood must have done a number on him. Either that, or he really had changed from the sulky kid that would only speak on his own terms.

Whatever the reason, he looked sad.

“You were lonely?”

Donghyuck nodded. “I had good friends at college, but it wasn’t what I needed. Emotionally… I don’t know. I needed to be near my family. I didn’t like being away.”

“You needed to be with your family, so you moved in with your childhood enemy.”

“Renjun and Jeno said you’d changed.”

“They said the same of you.”

The smile Donghyuck cracked was wry. He closed his eyes and sighed, still smiling. “Our friends are liars.”

Since Donghyuck had his eyes closed, Jaemin let himself smile. “I guess so.”

 

-

 

Donghyuck fell asleep in that spot, and Jaemin left him there.

He took the remaining shoe off, shoved one of the couch pillows beneath Donghyuck’s fluffy hair, then went into his own room and climbed into bed, something deep in his gut that felt uncomfortably like amusement. Not even malicious amusement, just amusement. Donghyuck had grown into someone funny. That kind of sucked.

Jaemin climbed out of bed and wandered back through to the lounge. He took the pillow out from under Donghyuck’s head and put it back on the couch, then went back to bed.

 

-

 

The first couple of months were an uneasy truce. Donghyuck had moved in just in time for the brunt of Jaemin’s deadlines, so even if he’d wanted to fight, he would have been fighting a corpse. Jaemin knew he was beautiful, but whatever he looked like for those weeks was between whoever saw him and God. He didn’t sleep, barely ate, and absolutely refused to look in the mirror until all of his essays were submitted.

Donghyuck, for the most part, kept to himself.

When they’d moved his stuff in, Jaemin had seen a gaming PC, and most of Donghyuck’s time was spent on that. On the odd occasion Jaemin remembered to eat, he could hear Donghyuck through the gap under the door, murmuring to whoever was on the other side of his headset, something about healing items and revival.

It was fine.

Jaemin missed the easy companionship of living with Jeno, but Donghyuck was fine.

The deadlines passed, and somehow Jaemin survived until winter break. He emerged from his room and stumbled straight into the hottest shower he could bear, face upturned to the spray, washing away the exhaustion, grime, and despair of overlapping essays.

When he finally made it to the kitchen, his hair was still dripping down his neck, soaking the thin material of his shirt, but he didn’t care. Hunger had hit and it had hit hard, and he pushed every other need aside as he made the fattest sandwich possible, layering meat and lettuce and whatever else he could find in the fridge. At some point during his stacking Donghyuck entered the kitchen, but he didn’t speak, just leant over Jaemin to get a glass out of the cupboard. He had a pencil in his mouth, a habit that Jaemin had noticed the very first day. Donghyuck was almost always chewing on something.

“You drinking blood out of a glass like an anime villain now?” Jaemin asked, adding more ham to a sandwich that was definitely going to cause some serious meat-sweats.

“No,” Donghyuck said, sending him a strange look, the pencil sticking from the corner of his mouth like a cigarette. “I’m drinking water out of a glass. Like people do.”

“Like humans do.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes and moved over to the sink. He pulled the pencil from his mouth and filled the glass with water before taking a sip and showing Jaemin the glass, as if to prove he’d swallowed. “I thought you already knew vampires? We drink water, we eat food. On almost every level, we function like we always have.”

“I do know vampires, I wasn’t lying.” He knew a vampire, but that vampire was Ten. Maybe Ten didn’t count. Maybe he was just weird.

“Well, so that you don’t faint at the sight of me eating cereal or something, I’ll give you the rundown,” Donghyuck said, turning back to Jaemin. He leant his upper body against the sink and crossed his ankles. His dark shirt was too big, and his shorts were too small. There was so much tan leg on display that Jaemin felt like the one on the edge of biting. “I can drink like normal. I can eat like normal. My favourite food is still kimchi jjigae. I can go outside in the sun, I can touch holy water, a stake in the heart will kill me, but only because it would have killed me as a human too. Garlic doesn’t burn, but I am vaguely intolerant to it. I get blood every two days, because I like food, but it does nothing for me nutritionally.”

“Every two days? That seems excessive.”

“Excessive? Do you go longer than two days without eating?”

“No, but humans-“

“I’m still a human,” Donghyuck said. “I’m just a vampire now too.”

“I don’t think that’s how it works.”

“You don’t know how it works, clearly.”

He was too hungry to fight. “Okay, fair enough.” Then he slapped the bread onto the top of his sandwich and shoved as much as would fit into his mouth.

Donghyuck frowned. “That’s fucking gross.”

Jaemin didn’t give a shit. Food. Sustenance. Maybe he could understand the every two days thing. Longer than that without food and he’d be beyond hangry and into whatever combination of starving and furious sounded best.

Donghyuck continued to stare. “Fucking hell. I can’t believe I used to have a crush on you.”

He wandered back into to his bedroom and closed the door lightly.

Jaemin stood and stared. The sandwich tasted like ash.

Donghyuck had a what?

 

-

 

“Again,” Renjun said, teetering on the edge of violence, “You never asked. You never cared. Why would I have said something?”

“Because that’s something I should know about!”

“Says who? The person Donghyuck likes is his business alone. Even as a kid I understood that.”

“He was so fucking mean to me.”

“You were mean to him too, Jaemin. You made him cry at least once a week.”

“He made me cry.”

“Yeah. You were eight-year-olds, and stupid.”

“So defend me!”

“Why should I? You were both stupid eight-year-olds, but the only one being a stupid twenty-two-year-old is you!”

 

 -

 

“What the hell do you mean you used to have a crush on me?”

Donghyuck looked up from his PC. He didn’t seem particularly bothered that Jaemin had barged into his room without asking. “You’ve been thinking about that for the past three days, huh?”

“I have. You hated me; you didn’t have a crush on me.”

“It was both,” Donghyuck said. He cocked his head, considering. His legs were crossed in his gaming chair, and he was wearing those tiny shorts again. Jaemin wanted to throw him onto the unmade bed and make him scream. “You never liked someone and hated them at the same time?”

“No, because I function on a healthy brainwave.”

Donghyuck turned back to his computer screen. “I don’t know what you want me to say, Jaemin. When I was eight my favourite film was Transformers and my crush was you. On all fronts, I had bad taste.”

 

-

 

Winter break passed, and classes started up again. It was cold and miserable outside, and Jaemin spent his time dozing through lectures, gently rejecting plans, and running home to the warmth and familiarity of the apartment.

University was mostly fun, but he’d been there long enough for the wonder to wear off, and fun or not, winter was miserable when you had to wake up when it was dark and get home when it was dark. Jaemin had little energy to do anything other than study, eat, and sleep.

Donghyuck, it seemed, was the same. He was home more often than not, and his school schedule must have been as fucked up as Jaemin’s, because they left for the bus at the same ungodly early hour, returning around the same time too.

It was strange. Jeno’s physiotherapy lectures had been the exact opposite of Jaemin’s comp sci, so they were never home at the same time on weekdays. Donghyuck’s lit classes seemed to match almost perfectly, and after a while, Jaemin got used to returning home to find the lights already on, the smell of something cooking in the air.

 

-

 

As a kid, Donghyuck’s attitude had been downright sour. He’d been clingy to the people he liked, mean to the people he didn’t. Quick to cry, quicker to start swinging. He’d been sour and unpleasant, and Jaemin had hated him, but he’d enjoyed it, too. As a fellow sour kid that was clingy with the people he liked and mean to the people he didn’t, he found enjoyment in poking Donghyuck until something snapped and they were both grounded, covered in grazes and bandaids.

Donghyuck as an adult wasn’t sour. He was quick-witted and sharp, and it was worse.

He didn’t hit Jaemin when something was said out of line. He didn’t start crying.

He looked at Jaemin as if disappointed, a sweet moue on his heart shaped lips. “That was weak,” he said once. “You got into college, right? You should really have the intelligence to think of a more creative insult.”

It was infuriating.

Donghyuck as an adult wasn’t sour, he was sly.

And he was stronger than Jaemin, for the first time ever.

“Give me the fucking remote.”

“I’m watching Love Island.”

“Donghyuck, that’s my TV. Give me the remote!”

“Make me.”

But Jaemin fucking couldn’t, because Donghyuck was a vampire. Trying to pry his fingers from the remote was like trying bend marble. Worse was his expression, nothing short of gloating as he watched Jaemin struggle with both hands while his own hand remained exactly as it was, not even tight on the remote. He chewed his gum and popped a bubble while holding eye contact.

“Fuck you,” Jaemin spat, yanking himself away. He moved to the other side of the couch and stared at the TV. His fingers ached.

“It’ll be finished in half an hour, then you can have the remote.”

“You’re missing the point. It’s my TV, my remote.”

“I don’t see your name on it,” Donghyuck said. He blinked coquettishly. “If you really want to change the channel, you can try and take it again. It was fun watching you struggle for nothing.”

“You’re really going to be that mean to your childhood crush?”

Donghyuck’s laugh was loud and full of raucous disbelief. “That’s the angle you want to play from? I thought we were enemies, huh?”

“You said both.”

“I did,” Donghyuck agreed. “Unfortunately for you, even in love I’m selfish. We could be married and you still wouldn’t be getting this remote until Love Island finishes.”

“It’s trash and you’re not even watching it!”

“Because you’re whining over it.”

“I’m not whining.”

“You are,” Donghyuck said. “And the longer you whine, the further back I’m going to have to rewind, meaning it stays on even longer.”

Jaemin shut up then. He stared at the TV, mulish, and absolutely did not get upset when one of the nicest girls got dumped.

“She was too sweet for that hellhole anyway,” Donghyuck muttered, seemingly to himself.

“Yeah,” Jaemin said, ignoring the way his voice cracked.

Donghyuck didn’t ignore it. “Are you crying?”

Jaemin scrubbed at his face. “She’s heartbroken, and probably the only nice person in that entire villa. She deserves better.”

“Yeah, but she gets to go home now,” Donghyuck said. “She loses the competition, but she can go back to her family.”

“She should have won.”

“She should have, but it’s called trash TV for a reason,” Donghyuck said. He sighed, shifted over the arm of the sofa, then pressed a tissue into Jaemin’s hand. “You’re still a crybaby.”

“I actually stopped for a while, but I think I just remembered the reason I hate reality television.”

Donghyuck smiled, and for once it wasn’t scornful. He was pretty, so damn pretty. His dark hair caught in his eyelashes, and he blinked it away. “I’m going for drinks with Renjun and Jeno later. Why don’t you come along? I’m worried if I leave you like this you might melt into a little puddle. You don’t seem to be in the kind of mood where you should be inside on your own.”

How would you know my moods?

But he couldn’t bring himself to snap when Donghyuck was genuinely trying to do something nice. “I don’t want to intrude on your time with them.”

“Intrude? You won’t be intruding.”

“I know you like time alone with them, you don’t have to pretend. I’m not offended.”

“I do like time alone with them, but if I didn’t want you to come along I wouldn’t have invited you.”

“But we’re enemies.”

Donghyuck’s smile widened. “Still a crybaby and still stupid. Never change, Jaemin.”

“I’m so different. You couldn’t ever comprehend how different I am.”

“Sure,” Donghyuck said, placating. “Come for drinks with us, Mister Different. The whole time I’ve lived here I haven’t seen you do anything fun.”

“I have fun.”

“Stop arguing, Jaemin,” Donghyuck said, tone taking on the specific colour of Renjun’s frustration. “We can fight over beers.”

And it did sound better than sitting in his room and wondering what he was doing with his life.

“Okay.”

Donghyuck smiled again, just as pretty as before, and Jaemin’s stomach balled itself into a hard knot.

 

-

 

It was better than sitting in his room and wondering what he was doing with his life, but only in the way that the scenery was different. Jeno was an attractive man, and he was more fun to stare at than a blank wall, even if Jaemin’s general despair was the same.

“Do I have something on my face?”

“What?”

“You’ve been staring at my nose for a long time now.”

“It’s a good nose. Strong.”

Jeno blushed. “Thanks. Is there something on it?”

“No, Jen. Sorry, I was zoning out.”

Immediately Jeno’s bemusement turned to concern. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah.” With Renjun and Donghyuck getting drinks, he felt like he had a chance of speaking his mind without being smacked, if only because Jeno was very much against violence. “Why do you like Donghyuck?”

“Excuse me?”

“Why do you like him? Is it one of those friendships that has survived so long that you feel obligated to keep seeing him, or do you genuinely like him?”

“I like him,” Jeno said, frowning in a way that would have spoken of danger from any other shifter. “I hope you’re not thinking of asking Renjun the same question. He’ll break your arm.”

“I won’t, I just-“ Jaemin broke off with a groan. “I don’t know. He’s so antagonistic, always has been.”

“It doesn’t mean he’s a bad person. Doesn’t mean he’s a bad person to have as a friend.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Jeno’s frown turned into something worse: disappointment. “Jaemin, he was your friend.”

“No, he really wasn’t.”

“He was. Looking back at our childhood as a four, I think you two were the closest.”

“We hated each other.”

“When you’re a kid, everything is mixed up.” Jeno sipped his beer. “You say you hated each other, but at every sleepover Renjun and I would fall asleep to the two of you still talking. Every game we played, you would demand to go against Donghyuck. He was all you talked about, and he was just as bad, maybe even worse. You were all he talked about too.”

“Yeah, because he had a crush on me.”

Jeno sent him a strange look and took another sip of his beer. “Yeah. He did. He had a crush on his best friend.”

Renjun returned to the table, passing Jaemin a glass of white wine as he sat down. Donghyuck followed closely behind, a water in one hand and a deep red wine in the other.

“Hey,” Jaemin said to him, too caught up to feel guilt about the way his aggressive tone made Donghyuck startle. “Were we best friends?”

Donghyuck blinked. In the dim light of the bar, his dark eyes shone. Was it the vampirism, or was he already so hauntingly beautiful before he was turned? It was eating Jaemin up inside. “What?”

“When we were kids, were we best friends?”

Donghyuck’s gaze moved down to his wine. “At the time I thought so.”

‘I hope I never see you again.’

Fuck.

 

-

 

They had been best friends.

Donghyuck had had a crush on him, and they had been best friends.

And Jaemin hadn’t realised any of it. Not when Donghyuck was there, not even when he left.

He finished his wine and excused himself from the bar, citing a headache, waving off Renjun’s attempts to take him home, more forcefully waving of Jeno and Donghyuck’s attempts to do the same.

The walk back alone was cold, and exactly what he needed.

‘I hope I never see you again.’

Even as a kid, he’d been a total asshole.

Jaemin scrubbed his hands through his hair and kept walking, faster now. He wanted to get back to the apartment, stand in the dark, stare out of the window, try once again to examine whatever it was inside of himself that made him so awful.

“Hey!”

Fuck. “Donghyuck, go back to the bar.”

“No, what the hell is wrong with you?”

Jaemin stopped, waiting for Donghyuck to catch up. By the time he’d jogged over, he was breathing lightly, the tip of his nose red in the cold. There was a flush across his cheeks, but that might have been the wine. But – he was a vampire. Could it be the wine? Did alcohol have the same effects? Jaemin didn’t fucking know. He didn’t know anything.

“Seriously,” Donghyuck said, frowning. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I have a headache.”

“Headache my left ball. You’re fine, at least physically. What’s going on?”

“Don’t bring your balls into this.”

“Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Why should I?”

Donghyuck frowned. “Because I’m worried.”

“Why?” Jaemin asked. The knot of Jaemin’s stomach tightened again, sending sharp pains up to his chest. “Why the hell are you worried about me? I’ve been nothing but horrible to you, Donghyuck. Is this an exercise in masochism, or are you really this dumb?”

“What the hell?” Donghyuck stepped back, eyes widening. “What? Why are you acting like it’s been one sided? And why does your sulking mean I can’t care about your wellbeing?”

“It isn’t just sulking though, is it? I’ve called you names, I’ve broken your things, I’ve hit you.”

“You didn’t even have front teeth, Jaemin! You were a child!”

“I was an asshole!”

“No,” Donghyuck said, even. “You were a kid, and I was a kid, and we goaded each other because we thought it was funny. You’re being an asshole now.”

Jaemin rubbed his hands over his face again, full of tension he didn’t feel strong enough to contain. “I’m sorry for what I said.”

“Okay.”

“Not now, I mean – back then. I’m sorry.”

“Can you try forming a whole sentence please? I’m really struggling to keep up.”

“When I said I never wanted to see you again,” he whispered. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry I said it.”

Donghyuck swallowed. “Oh.” He looked down at the pavement, and when he finally glanced back up, catching Jaemin’s gaze, the flush across his cheeks deepened. “That’s okay. I’m sorry too, for breaking your toy train.”

“What?” Jaemin asked, uncomprehending. Then it hit – his train. His little green train, his favourite toy. “You – you told me Jeno broke it!”

“I lied.”

“You said he cried because he was so sorry, you told me not to say anything to him because it would upset him!”

“Yeah. I lied.”

“Donghyuck, that was my favourite toy!”

“I know.” He smiled, faint. “If you were an asshole kid, so was I. You can drown in self-loathing if that’s really what you want to do, but don’t lie to yourself. What happened wasn’t one sided, and it doesn’t make you a bad person.” He put his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. “I’m gonna go back to the bar now. Text me if you need anything.”

“Sure.”

“Watch a film or something. Watch the previous episodes of Love Island, see if you can choose another favourite to win. The next episode is out tomorrow, and we’ll be watching it.”

“No, I hate all of them.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, smiling. “Good night, Jaemin.”

“Goodnight,” he replied, faint. All of his anger had sapped away, and he was left feeling exhausted, vaguely hollow, out of sorts enough to know that only a deep sleep could help. “Enjoy your evening.”

“You too, loser.”

Donghyuck was jogging back before Jaemin could reply. He stared at the back of Donghyuck’s head and told himself that the way Donghyuck’s hair bounced wasn’t cute.

 

-

 

It wasn’t a truce, not exactly. Donghyuck looked like shit the next morning, and Jaemin pointed it out and received on bruise on the top of his arm in the shape of the remote because of it.

It wasn’t a truce, but he made a coffee for Donghyuck when he made his own, and Donghyuck apologised for throwing the remote.

It wasn’t a truce, but it almost felt like one.

“Shouldn’t have had that third glass,” Donghyuck muttered into his coffee. Jaemin had almost cried making it; the waste of his expensive roasted beans going into a mug that was mostly creamer hurt him in ways he’d never hurt before.

“You feeling tender?” Jaemin asked, trying to distract himself so that he didn’t start demanding answers about the state of Donghyuck’s coffee.

“Very tender,” Donghyuck replied. He was wearing those shorts again, and Jaemin was beginning to wonder if it was physically possible for him to wear different pants in the apartment. He looked out of the window at the grey skies and sighed. “Have to go to the clinic, but the fresh air might make me vomit.”

“So alcohol has the same effects?”

“Yeah. They’re actually a little amplified.”

“Wow,” Jaemin said. “Remind me never to be a vampire.”

Donghyuck snorted. “Wish I’d had that reminder.”

It brought an awkward film over the room, and Jaemin chewed the inside of his bottom lip, unsure what to say, unsure what he could say. He wanted to ask, but it felt like an area out of bounds. Something private that should only be told on Donghyuck’s terms.

Donghyuck sipped his creamer and sighed, closing his eyes. His posture was horrifying, like if he slouched anymore his head would be hanging between his knees. “Feel like shit.”

“Wine does that to you. Did you have fun?”

“Yeah, it was nice. The part where you threw a tantrum wasn’t the best, but I’ve dealt with worse.”

“Don’t act like you haven’t been worse.”

“I never said that. Unlike you, I didn’t spend the last fourteen years in denial.”

“Denial? What makes you think I was in denial?”

“Renjun said you never spoke about me; you didn’t even ask. Not once.”

He felt guilty for that, but at the time he thought he was doing the right thing. He didn’t want to visit, but he also didn’t want to make Renjun and Jeno feel like they had to invite him. “I didn’t want to cause any problems for Renjun and Jen. Didn’t want to make them feel like they’d ever have to pick a side.”

“We were too idiotic to have valid sides, Jaemin. Neither of us made any good arguments.”

He smiled at that. "True.”

“I don’t know how Renjun and Jeno put up with us, looking back. They couldn’t go anywhere without us causing a scene.”

“We were the entertainment. Their private little circus.”

Donghyuck giggled. “It’s funny, isn’t it? The two humans caused the most trouble.”

“If you look back through history, most of the world’s problems were caused by humans. Maybe all of them.”

“Good point.”

“Me?” Jaemin pointed to his chest. “Lee Donghyuck thinks I made a good point?”

“Rescinded.”

But he wasn’t going to let go of it that easily. “I made a good point? Me, with no brain power, with only an empty skull between my ears? Me? Little Na Jaemin?”

“Little? Fuck off, if you’re little what does that make me?”

“Miniscule. I can barely see you at all.”

Donghyuck giggled again, though he tried to hide it in his coffee. He did look small in the moment, though Jaemin acknowledged on some level that Donghyuck had more leg than anyone morally should be allowed. But that Saturday morning, curled up on the couch with his bed hair and sleepy eyes, smile hidden behind his mug, he looked small. He looked warm and inviting. He looked like if Jaemin tugged on his arm, just a little, he’d fall into Jaemin’s chest and sigh against his neck, maybe close his eyes, maybe fall asleep with Jaemin’s fingers running through his hair.

He looked like a Saturday morning Jaemin hadn’t ever wanted before.

“Hey,” Jaemin said. He waited for Donghyuck to meet his eyes before he asked, “Why did you have a crush on me?”

Donghyuck blinked. “I don’t know, Jaemin. I was a child. I wanted to be Shakira when I grew up, and I can’t tell you the reason for that either.”

There was a disquiet in his chest, but it was somewhat covered by the amusement of the memories Donghyuck’s words brought back. “Shit, I forgot you used to sing.”

“All the time. How’d you forget?”

“Guess I forced the memories down. Must have been a trauma response.”

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “I wasn’t that bad.”

He’d been fine. Loud, but fine. “You took lessons, didn’t you?”

“I did. Kept them up until I was eighteen.”

“Wow. Seriously?”

“Yeah. I really loved singing. Still do, though I don’t have much time for it now.”

He’d been a fickle kid, which was why so many toys had been broken. Donghyuck had flitted between interests like a hummingbird, like if he paused for too long he’d drop. Jaemin couldn’t ever have imagined Donghyuck keeping up something for a year, never mind ten. “This is an old building, so the walls are pretty thick. You can sing here if you want to.”

“So you can barge in and laugh at me? I’m okay.”

“I wouldn’t,” Jaemin said. “Not… not about something like that. I have limits, and mocking people for their passions is one of them.”

Donghyuck’s eyes widened. “You grew a heart?”

“Yeah, somewhere down the line. Did you grow at all?”

“I’m not even short!”

“You are compared to me.”

“You’re like a centimetre taller, Jaemin!”

“It’s enough to win.”

“Win what?”

He shrugged. “I’ll figure it out sooner or later.”

Donghyuck laughed, loud and boisterous, and it sounded like Jaemin’s childhood.

It was only when Donghyuck got up to take a shower that Jaemin realised he hadn’t touched his own coffee, which sat cold and still on the table, forgotten entirely in Donghyuck’s presence.

 

-

 

The clinic trips were becoming something Jaemin started to dread. Not because of the blood, or because Donghyuck made a big deal out of them, but because of how he acted afterward.

Even in the month or so since he’d moved in, the effects had started to lessen, but they were still very much evident.

He’d stumble in, happy and sweet and pliant, staring at Jaemin with doe eyes. “I don’t feel like shit anymore, Jaemin.”

“I can see that,” Jaemin said, trying to keep the fondness out of his voice. He was in the same spot on the couch as he had been when Donghyuck had left, getting as much reading done as possible so that he’d at least have a semblance of an idea about what Monday’s classes were about. “Good blood today?”

“Yeah, really sweet.”

Jaemin nodded. Donghyuck didn’t talk about it often, but on occasion he came home dopey but scowling, unhappy with having to settle for blood type B. He still drank it, but apparently the aftertaste was sour. “What are your plans now?”

“I don’t have any,” Donghyuck said, still staring. When he got like this, he seemed to forget to blink. He anchored his focus on something, usually Jaemin, and then just watched. “How come you never ask?”

Jaemin abandoned his readings. He was going over the same three sentences anyway. After closing his laptop and putting it on the coffee table, he turned to face Donghyuck fully. “Ask about what?”

“Being a vampire. You haven’t even asked to see my fangs.”

He’d been beginning to doubt that Donghyuck had them. They were never visible, not even when he threw his head back and laughed, all of his teeth on show. “I figured that’s your business, not mine.”

“You can ask questions. If I don’t want to answer them, I won’t. But you can ask.”

He wanted to ask a lot. Maybe too much, really. Questions that had nothing to do with vampirism, nothing to do with anything other than Jaemin’s greed. Instead of digging into those thoughts, he cocked his head and looked at Donghyuck, who was hovering by the edge of the couch, nibbling on his lower lips. “Fangs,” Jaemin decided. “I want to see them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Show me.”

“Okay.” Donghyuck took a seat next to Jaemin, his legs curled up underneath him. A blush was climbing up his neck, and even in his unfocused state, it was clear he was slightly embarrassed. “Um, give me a second.”

“No rush,” Jaemin said, amused. “Do you have to like, tense? Push?”

“I’m not having a shit, dude.” But it made Donghyuck smile in the way Jaemin had hoped it would. “I don’t push, I just need to focus. If I don’t, and they protract too fast, I’ll cut my lip, maybe my tongue.”

“Ah. Sharp?”

Donghyuck sent him a withering glare, but the impact was lessened by his rosy cheeks. “They’re fangs, Jaemin. Of course they’re sharp.”

“Show me,” Jaemin said, enraptured by the concentration of Donghyuck’s expression. He wanted to take Donghyuck’s jaw in his hand and rub the tense edge just below his ear, but he folded his hands in his lap instead, and waited.

Donghyuck swallowed and looked up at the ceiling. “Hurts,” he murmured, as if to himself. “Just for a moment, but they ache.”

Immediately, Jaemin’s attention shifted. “Don’t do it if it hurts, Hyuck.”

“Hyuck?” Donghyuck repeated. His eyes had glazed somewhat. They were darker, deeper. “You haven’t called me that since we were kids. Are you scared, Nana?”

He looked, for the first time, inhuman. Even his pallor had shifted, something less like a glow and more like a luminescent shine. He looked like a vampire. Jaemin swallowed down whatever it was in his throat, looking only close enough to understand that whatever it was, it wasn’t fear. “I’m not scared, idiot. I don’t want you to hurt yourself.”

“Doesn’t hurt anymore,” Donghyuck murmured. He tilted his head, hair falling into one eye before he blinked it away. “Makes me hungry.”

“You just ate.”

“Never had it fresh before.”

Jaemin shifted back. When Donghyuck spoke, he finally saw a glimpse of the fangs. They were small, but that didn’t matter. A small knife was still a knife.

Donghyuck grinned. “Kidding,” he said. “I’m still full.”

Jaemin let out a sigh and told himself it wasn’t relief that made him lightheaded. “Asshole.”

“Kinda, yeah.” Donghyuck shifted forward on his hands and knees, pressing close to Jaemin. He still looked inhuman, but there was a new, impish quality, teasing. He looked less like a threat and more like an invite. “Give me your hand.”

For once, Jaemin did as he asked, and lifted one hand.

Donghyuck took it, his own grip warm, and brought it to his mouth. He bared his teeth and to show Jaemin, the small points barely longer than his normal canines. “Cute, right?”

“Very cute,” Jaemin agreed, enraptured. Cute was the right word. Everything about Donghyuck was cute, human or not, hungover student or apex predator. Like a bear. Why were bears allowed to be so fluffy if they were just going to maul you? It wasn’t fair. Donghyuck wasn’t fair.

He lifted Jaemin’s hand and pressed the pad of his finger against his tooth. It felt like any other tooth, until he moved it down, towards the point. His finger just grazed the tip, but that was enough to know just how dangerous it really was. That kind of sharpness could cut through anything with very little force.

“Wow,” Jaemin said. He laughed, and it sounded nervous. He swallowed. “Remind me not to piss you off.”

“But I like it when you try,” Donghyuck said. His gaze was still locked on Jaemin’s, eyes backlit by something that would have truly scared Jaemin if it was in someone else. Donghyuck pulled Jaemin’s hand from his mouth and pressed a soft kiss to the pad of his finger. “I’m gonna take a shower. Are you ready for more Love Island?”

He’d rather scoop his own eyes out than watch more of that show, but he nodded anyway, desperate for the breathing room that would come with the end of the conversation.

When Donghyuck clambered off the couch and locked himself in the bathroom, Jaemin stuck his head between his knees and tried to breathe past the arousal clouding his chest in dense fog.

 

-

 

It was a turning point, of sorts.

Jaemin had already known Donghyuck was a vampire, but now he knew. He’d stared it in the face, and he was painfully aware of it all of the time.

Donghyuck was stronger than Jaemin, and not even in a normal way. He was faster, too. He was dangerous.

And then Love Island ended, and Donghyuck burst into tears because his favourite couple didn’t win.

“Donghyuck,” Jaemin said, watching him, “You were the one that told me not to cry.”

“I hate this show!” Donghyuck yelled, rubbing his eyes. His shoulders were hunched, and his huge shirt hung loose over his frame. For once in his life, he was wearing sweats instead of shorts. “I hate this stupid show, I know it’s a popularity thing, but they didn’t deserve to win!”

After the trauma of the first episode they’d watched together, Jaemin had learned not to get attached, so he was dry-eyed as he watched Donghyuck hiccup, scrubbing at his face until his cheeks and undereye were red and raw.

“Hey,” Jaemin said again, low. He reached out one hand gingerly, stroking a hand down Donghyuck’s shoulder. He was a tactile person, but not with Donghyuck, so it felt pretty damn awkward. Even so, Jaemin wasn’t in the habit of letting people cry alone. “Hyuckie, come on. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Hyuckie,” Donghyuck said, tiny. He sniffed. “I missed that.”

“Hm?”

“You’d call me that when you were really happy. I missed it.”

Something uncomfortable twisted in his stomach, but he kept his hand moving, stroking across Donghyuck’s shoulders, down his back, up to the soft skin of the back of his neck.

“Hyuck and Hyuckie in the same day,” Donghyuck whispered, eyes still covered by his hands. His lower lip trembled. “I must really be a mess if you’re being that nice, huh?”

“You are a mess, but maybe I’m just being nice for the sake of it.”

Donghyuck laughed, but it was a wet sound. “I hate it when mean people win,” he said. “Jaemin, I hate it. It makes me feel like there’s no reason to be kind.”

Jaemin moved his hand from Donghyuck’s back. There was a lock of hair stuck to the wetness of his cheek, so Jaemin gently pushed it back, tucking it behind Donghyuck’s ear. “There’s a lot of kind people in the world, even if it doesn’t feel like there is, even if it feels like right now they aren’t winning. If you give up kindness, that’s one less chance they’ll win.”

Donghyuck sniffed again, this time less tearful. “That sounded like a Star Wars morality speech. I’m not going to the dark side, Obi Wan.”

Jaemin untucked the hair he’d put behind Donghyuck’s ear and then flicked him in the head. “Pull yourself together, Donghyuck. If you’re crying and I’m not, that means you’re losing.”

“Losing what?”

“Uh, I didn’t think that far ahead.” He looked around, and his eyes landed on the remote. “Your right to choose what we watch on TV.”

Donghyuck giggled, soft and fragile, and the sound went straight to Jaemin’s chest and embedded itself deep between his ribs. When Jaemin’s hand returned to Donghyuck’s back, he leant into it, a slight weight that Jaemin didn’t mind at all.

 

-

 

Things started to mellow.

Only slightly, but it was noticeable.

They still fought daily, but it was casual, passing remarks and hidden smiles. It was kind of fun.

And despite his dictatorship over the TV, Donghyuck was still a good housemate. He still gamed late, mostly kept to himself, chewed pencils, and did his share of the chores.

He started to share more of his cooking, too, and Jaemin was both surprised and delighted to find out he was a good at it. It was rare in students, rarer still in Jaemin’s small friend group. The last time Jeno had tried to cook something on their temperamental hob, he’d set of the smoke alarm and had the whole building evacuated. If he’d been in his dog form, his tail would have been between his legs as the old woman in the apartment opposite glowered from under the edge of her umbrella, waiting in the rain for the firemen to give the go ahead to return inside.

Donghyuck didn’t set off any alarms, and when he shared his food with Jaemin, he didn’t cause any food poisoning either, which was a bonus.

If Jaemin was honest with himself, Donghyuck was a good housemate.

Unfortunately, he was never honest with himself.

 

-

 

Aeri was unimpressed, as she was by most of the things Jaemin said. “If you start a dick measuring competition with a vampire, you’re destined to lose.”

“I’ve never once tried to measure his dick, thank you.”

“You know what I mean, dude.” She made herself at home, feet on the coffee table, legs crossed at the ankle. Donghyuck was out somewhere for the evening, friends from his old university in town and sharing a too small hotel room together. “Trying to be better than a vampire is the same as dick measuring against someone like Chanyeol. You go into that knowing you’re going to lose.”

“I’m not trying to be better than him at anything, what part of this are you not understanding?” he complained. “I invited you over for pizza and complaining, not a lecture.”

“I’m not lecturing you; I’m bestowing wisdom you’re clearly lacking.” But reminded of the pizza, she sat up to take another slice. “Sounds to me like you’re either forcing a rivalry where there isn’t one anymore, or you’re pitifully horny and channelling that into being petty. Maybe both, actually.”

Jaemin sat in silent for a moment. The talk of dick measuring had missed, but every word of that hit where Aeri intended. Right on the accuracy button that caused Jaemin to clam up.

She smiled, triumphant, and took a bite of pizza that left cheese stuck to her chin.

Renjun and Jeno emerged from the kitchen with their fresh drinks, taking seats on the cushions on the floor before reaching for what was left of the pizza.

“What are we shaming Jaemin for?” Renjun asked, passing Jeno a napkin.

“Forcing a rivalry and being horny.”

Renjun nodded. “You hit the nail on the head.”

Aeri hummed, smug. “I thought so.”

“Hey,” Jaemin said, weak. “Hey.”

“You are being a little… childish,” Jeno said, about as mean as he could possibly get. It hit Jaemin like a bullet.

“Hey.”

“Why don’t you just kiss him?” Renjun asked, as if he’d ever done anything as impulsive.

“Renjunnie, I’d die for you,” Jaemin said, earnest. “But that was the most hypocritical advice I’ve ever received. The last time you liked a guy, he asked you out and you turned him down because you said he seemed to eager.”

“He was too eager.”

“No, you’re just scared of reciprocation.”

His expression was turning thunderous. “No, I-“

“Can we not do this?” Jeno asked. “It’s rare we’re all in one room, let’s not ruin it by fighting.” He took a sip of water. “Besides, I don’t think the two single guys should be arguing about who has better technique for not being single.”

Aeri laughed so loudly that Jaemin startled. “Fuck,” she said, delighted. “I think Chenle is rubbing off on you.”

“He does, frequently,” Jaemin said. “Unfortunately I’ve witnessed it.”

Jeno flushed. “I mean yeah, he does, and he is. But I mean it. Renjun and Jaemin sharing advice is as good as doing nothing. It might actually be worse than nothing.”

“If you were anyone else, I’d have smacked you for that,” Renjun said, deceptively placid. He was a deep lake; all the violence was beneath the surface, in the dark. Jaemin wondered for a moment if Renjun would win in a genuine fight against Donghyuck. A half fae and a freshly turned vampire – who held more power? He didn’t want to know.

(He kind of wanted to know).

“What we’re trying to say,” Jeno said, looking at Jaemin now, “Is that Donghyuck doesn’t have any bad feelings for you. Not anymore.”

“That doesn’t mean he’d appreciate me kissing him.”

“So you admit it?” Renjun asked. “You want to kiss him?”

“Right now I want to see if I can fight a fae and win.”

“You can’t,” Renjun said, grinning. “But I welcome you to try.”

“Boys,” Aeri said, disapproving. “None of you are sexy enough to fight in front of me without it being a waste of my time.”

“We’re sexy,” Jaemin said, frowning. “Just because we’re not Jimin.”

“You caught me, I’m loyal to my girlfriend,” Aeri said. “Doesn’t mean I want to see you fight. That bit was true.”

And Jaemin wanted to argue more, but before he could open his mouth he head his phone buzz from his room, where he’d left it charging. “One second, I think someone is calling me.”

He closed his door behind him in case it was his mother wanting to chat for a while, but when he flipped over the phone he saw two missed calls from Donghyuck.

He called back immediately, because Donghyuck had never called. Two calls in a row meant someone was either in hospital or dead.

Donghyuck picked up on the second ring. “Hey!”

“What’s wrong?” Jaemin asked, looking around for his house keys. Were they by the door? Where was his wallet? “Where are you? Are you safe?”

“What?”

“What happened?”

“Nothing. Jaemin, what the hell?”

He stopped searching for his wallet. “Nothing is wrong?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah. Why’d you think something was wrong?”

“You’ve never called me before. We’ve lived together for three months, and you’ve never once called. Excuse me for panicking.”

“I’m sorry,” Donghyuck said, surprisingly abashed. “I didn’t think of it like that. I tried calling Renjun, but it went straight to voicemail. You’re together, right?”

“Yeah,” Jaemin said, telling himself it was relief that made him sag and not disappointment that he was being called to relay a message. “You need me to tell him something?”

“No, nothing like that.” There was laughter behind him, high pitched and fast. It was a very distinctive laugh, one that Jaemin had heard from under Donghyuck’s door, whenever he was calling his friend Mark. “I just wondered if you guys would want to come and join me and my friends. We’re at a really weird bar, and it’s almost entirely empty. They said that if we can bring more customers in then they’ll let us use the karaoke machine.”

“So you’re using us?” Jaemin teased, “To fulfil your dreams of being Shakira?”

“If I can’t sing the full Laundry Service album in this bar I might do something drastic,” Donghyuck said, too serious to be anything close to serious.

Jaemin found himself smiling, glad he’d closed the door. “Yeah? You gonna get sulky because you can’t sing?”

“I won’t have to sulk if you do what I want.”

“Rewarding bad behaviour isn’t a good thing, Hyuck.”

“Well it’s too late to stop now, I’m already used to getting what I want.” Jaemin could hear the smile in his voice. “But seriously, no pressure. We’re having fun here, and it would be nice for you to join us, but only if you want to.”

“I’ll go ask everyone and see if they’re up for it.”

“Okay. Let me know?”

“I will.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah,” Jaemin said, soft. “Speak soon.” He hung up, then stood in the dark for a moment, enjoying the quiet. When he returned to the lounge, the last of the pizza was gone, and Renjun had found the wine. “Hey, Donghyuck rang. He said he’s at a weird bar with his friends and wondered if we’d want to join. If we bring more people they’ll let us use the karaoke machine.”

Renjun’s eyes lit up at the mention of karaoke. “Fun!”

“I’m in,” Aeri said. “I’ll call the girls if you like, bring more people.”

“Sounds good,” Jaemin said. He crouched down near Jeno. “You in? We don’t have to, you know. We’d be just as good here.”

“I’m in, it’s okay,” Jeno said, smiling gently. “I was meant to be meeting Chenle and Jisung at ten, but I can invite them too, if you guys don’t mind.”

“Of course you can invite them. It’s been too long since I forced affection onto Jisung, anyway.”

So he sent Donghyuck a message confirming their attendance and asking for the address, and received a slew of hearts as a reply, followed by a screenshot of the bar’s location.

It was only as they were piling into the Uber that Jaemin remembered to nudge Renjun. “Donghyuck said your phone went straight to voicemail. Is it dead?”

Renjun sent him a strange look. “My phone’s on. No one has called me, Jaemin.”

He took his own seat and closed the door, then thought about the implications of Donghyuck’s lie all the way to the bar.

 

-

 

He stuck to Jeno as soon as they entered the bar, because Jeno got nervous around large crowds he didn’t know, and Donghyuck’s friends were strangers entirely.

Handsome strangers, but strangers all the same.

“Feel like we walked into a Calvin Klein casting room,” Jaemin muttered, linking his hand with Jeno’s as they made their way to the bar first. “What do you want to drink, angel?”

“I’ll have whatever beer is on tap.”

Jaemin nodded. “Two beers then, please. Tap.”

The server nodded, looking them up and down with a stoic expression. “Anything for your friends?”

“They can get their own. Though, I did hear a karaoke machine would be on offer for the extra patrons.”

Finally, a smile. “The kid really wanted that machine out, huh?”

Wherever Donghyuck was, Jaemin hadn’t seen him yet. “Yeah. There’s more of us coming, so he upheld his part of the deal.”

And as if summoned, Yerim burst through the doors with Jimin, Yizhuo, and Minjeong close behind. They went straight to where Aeri was laughing with a guy Jaemin had never seen, long black hair and a killer smile.

“Seriously,” he muttered, handing over cash for the beers, “Calvin Klein casting room. It’s ridiculous.”

“Like you can talk.” The server handed over Jaemin’s change with a wink. “Your next beers are half off. Just for the two of you, though.”

Jeno turned to look at Jaemin with big, round eyes. “Um.”

“Thank you,” Jaemin said, hoping his smile was convincing. He squeezed Jeno’s hand. “Come on, angel, let’s go say hi to Hyuck.”

That alone was enough to distract Jeno from whatever nervous prison he’d trapped himself in. “Hyuck? Since when do you call him Hyuck?”

“Since I decided I don’t hate him.”

Jeno had the audacity to look at Jaemin with pity at that. “Oh, Jaemin,” he said, soft. “You’ve never hated Donghyuck.”

“Guys!”

As if summoned, Donghyuck waved them over. He was stood next to the most gorgeous men Jaemin had ever seen, and he was tempted to turn around and walk back out. Was it too late to ditch? Definitely. But he was still tempted.

Donghyuck pulled Jeno in for a hug first, then Jaemin. It was brief and light, but his cologne was sweet and left Jaemin in an uncomfortable cloud of things he wanted but would never ask for.

“Jaemin, Jeno, this is Jaehyun and Johnny.”

Johnny waved, chill. “Hey. Good to meet you both.”

Jaehyun nodded. He smiled, and Jaemin wanted to get on his hands and knees and bang his head on the filthy floor until he got cholera or concussed. He couldn’t, though. Jeno was too nervous to stand here without support, so Jaemin stayed upright and took a sip of his beer.

“You’re friends from university?” Jeno asked, voice a little shaky. Jaemin squeezed his hand, proud of him for initiation further conversation.

“Yeah,” Johnny said, smiling wide. He had whisker dimples, and it was only then that Jaemin realised he was a cat shifter. He had the playful air of one, and it explained Jeno’s voice shake. He was inherently intimidated by other types of shifters. “Unfortunately for Donghyuck, he didn’t get rid of us after he transferred.”

“I didn’t want to get rid of you,” Donghyuck said with a pretty pout. He was wearing skinny jeans that were more rips than material, and they were maybe the only pants worse that his tiny shorts. Jaemin could see just as much thigh, but restricted in the jeans, it was even more appealing. Fuck, he needed to get laid.

Jaehyun nudged Jaemin lightly, drawing him out of the conversation happening around him. “Hey,” he said, low and peaceful. “You’re Donghyuck’s housemate, right?”

“And the guy that was mean to him as a kid? Yeah, that’s me.”

Jaehyun smiled, wide and handsome. “I wasn’t gonna bring that bit up, but yeah. That guy.” He shrugged. “People change, and you seem nice.”

“Thanks.” His gaze flicked back to Jeno, just to check, but he seemed much calmer, talking to Johnny and Donghyuck about classes, his grip on Jaemin’s hand lax. Eyes back to Jaehyun, he replied, “You seem nice too.”

“Thanks,” Jaehyun parroted. “I am.”

Jaemin laughed.

“Donghyuck said you were human, but I didn’t believe him.”

That was an odd thing to say. “Why?”

“I don’t know many humans. Donghyuck was one of the first. I don’t know, I guess I just thought there were less around than there are.”

“Yeah?” Jaemin asked. “Humans pretty rare at your college?”

“You could say that.” Jaehyun turned him gently and started to point people out in the crowd. “Johnny is a shifter, Taeyong is fae, Taeil, Doyoung, and Jungwoo are witches, Yuta is an incubus, Mark is a selkie.”

Jaemin’s eyes stuck on Mark, the blonde, giggly kid, who was talking to Renjun with hearts in his eyes. It was kind of cute. What was cuter was Renjun’s tumultuous expression, like he didn’t know if he loved or hated the attention.

“That’s a lot,” Jaemin agreed. “I’ve never met an incubus or a selkie before.”

Jaehyun hummed. “And you’ve got little to no experience with vampires, right? Donghyuck said you were pretty clueless.”

“I know one vampire, but the more I learn from Donghyuck the more I think Ten is just a weird dude.”

Jaehyun laughed. “Lots of vampires are weird, even more than other species. It’s like eccentricity is ingrained in us.”

Us.

Jaehyun was a vampire too.

“You and Donghyuck match then, huh?” Jaemin asked, raising a brow. “What, you snack on him one too many times?”

Jaehyun went pink. “He told you?”

Oh.

Oh.

 

-

 

Jaemin moved very quickly through his beer after that revelation. Then through his second, then third.

At some point during the evening he ended up sharing a chair with Mark, watching Donghyuck and Doyoung set up the karaoke machine while Taeyong pretended to help.

Mark was still giggling, and he seemed to like touch just as much as Jaemin, which was a welcome surprise, considering most of his friends vaulted away whenever he reached out a hand.

“Super stretchy cheeks, man,” Mark said, tugging on Jaemin’s face. “Super cute.”

“Thank you,” Jaemin said, one hand on Mark’s thigh, stopping him from falling off the chair. “You’re pretty cute too.”

“Thanks!” Mark said, all sparkly eyes. Jaemin bet he had the most adorable seal form. “I think your friend is really cute too.”

“Donghyuck?”

Mark laughed. “No, not Donghyuck, though he is cute. Don’t tell him I said that.”

“I won’t. Promise.”

“Good. I meant Renjun.”

“Yeah? You think Renjunnie is cute?”

“Really cute.”

“Do you want his number?”

“He already gave me it!”

If Jaemin wasn’t already drunk, that would have shocked him. “He did?”

“Yeah. He said I should text him in the morning.”

“Wow. Not many people get that far with Renjun, you should be proud. He must think you’re cute too.”

Mark glowed pink. “I sure hope so!”

“Testing!” Donghyuck yelled, loud enough to deafen the room.

Jaemin and Mark both flinched, attention back to the karaoke machine that was very clearly working.

“Okay, who wants to go first?” Donghyuck asked, microphone still to his mouth. His hair was messy, as he’d been running his hands through it while he figured out the machine. His knees were red from kneeling, visible through the rips in his jeans.

Jaemin swallowed and kept silent.

“You coerced the staff into unearthing this for you and you’re not even going to use it first?” Chenle complained. He stood with a huff, Jeno’s eyes following him with a small smile. “Fine. I’ll go first. Requests?”

“Shakira!” Jaemin called.

Donghyuck sent him a glower that could have melted glass. He pointed at Chenle. “Sing Shakira and we fight right here.”

Chenle, a seasoned witch, just grinned. “She’s all yours. Mainly because humiliating you in front of your friends would be too mean. Any other requests?”

There were some suggestions, both good and bad, and in the end Chenle settled on Maria Carey, because of course he did. Jaemin cheered for the opening notes of Always Be My Baby, and because it was Chenle, a guy that was unfairly talented in literally every aspect of his life, he got a standing ovation at the end of the song. Only Chenle could sing Maria Carey, drunk off his ass, and sing well.

Doyoung went next, singing Love Song by Sara Bareilles, and as soon as the song finished Taeyong was grabbing the microphone from his hand and kissing him, way too graphic for an audience. Jaemin covered Mark’s eyes with his hands and listened to his sweet giggle.

Then it was Yerim’s turn with Minjeong, a truly indescribable duet of Rihanna’s Umbrella. They forgot most of the words, but at no point fell off pitch.

After that, people became more eager. The drinks kept flowing, and in the end Jaemin was pushed up to the front to sing a duet with Renjun, laughing all the way through Summer Nights at Renjun’s scarily convincing impression of Olivia Newton-John, swooning all over Jaemin and the tables and whoever else would catch him.

They finished, laughing, and Jaemin helped Renjun back into his seat to the sound of applause and cheers, Donghyuck’s laughter almost twice as loud as everyone else’s. “Well done, Junnie,” Jaemin said, passing over a glass of water. “Pretty drunk now, huh? Will you have some of this for me?”

Renjun nodded. He took a sip, hazy and sweet. “What do you think of Mark?”

“He’s a nice guy. What do you think of Mark?”

“I think I want him to take me home.”

Jaemin laughed, rubbing Renjun’s leg. “I don’t think that should happen tonight honey, you’re really drunk.”

Renjun nodded. He took another sip of his water. “I know. I like him, though.”

“That’s good. He likes you too.”

“Did he say that?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Jaehyun, Johnny, and Yuta went next, performing what was definitely a captivating rendition of Say My Name by Destiny’s Child.

Then, when Jisung balked at Chenle’s loud encouragement and hid behind Jaemin, surprisingly, Mark stood up and started searching for a song. Jaemin used the excuse of Jisung’s shyness to coddle him, stroking a hand though his hair until he’d had enough and moved onto his own seat, pink cheeked and unable to force his smile down.

Then Mark’s song started, and the opening notes were familiar and startling.

“Oh my god,” Jeno murmured. He shifted on Chenle’s lap. “Is he-“

“Yeah,” Jaehyun said, smiling. “He’s a big fan of Taylor Swift.”

Jaemin had never heard anyone perform Love Story at a karaoke session, but Mark kind of blew it out of the water, to everyone’s shock and delight.

He stayed up at the front even after the applause, gesturing for Donghyuck to join him. They whispered for a second, evidently close just from the way they looked at each other, and that now familiar lump landed in Jaemin’s chest as they flicked through the songs together.

“Oh no,” Johnny murmured, almost too quiet to be heard. “Not again.”

“Not again?” Jaemin asked, leaning over Jaehyun to look at him.

Johnny was grinning so wide it looked like it hurt. “Every single time, it’s always Brandy and Monica.”

Oh god. The Boy is Mine.

Jaemin watched in abstract horror as Donghyuck started singing and pulled off every single fucking note.

His voice was stunning.

Mark matched it, slightly huskier, but just as good. They sounded incredible together.

Jaemin reached for his beer, found it empty.

Jaehyun looked at him, sympathetic. “If it helps, we all reacted like that the first time.”

With nothing to drink, Jaemin brought his hands back to his lap and curled them into tight fists.

It didn’t help.

 

-

 

What a weird night. The bar closed at three, and as the only patrons in the building, they decided to stay and help the staff clean up. It was fun, in a way, and Jaemin certainly didn’t mind wiping down tables, especially knowing he’d contributed to the spills.

“We’re always open on Saturdays,” one of the female staff said, rosy cheeked as she stared at Yerim. “If you want to use the karaoke machine, you’re more than welcome to come back as often as you like. You were great customers.”

“We’ll definitely be visiting again soon,” Johnny said, holding Mark upright with one arm, Jungwoo under the other. “Donghyuck, are you coming back to the hotel or going home?”

Donghyuck stretched, his shirt rising to show off his midriff as his face scrunched up. “I think I’ll go home. Will you guys still be good for brunch tomorrow?”

“Come rain or shine, we won’t miss it.”

And then there was the steady trickle of goodbyes as people either walked away or called a taxi. Renjun shared a cab with Chenle, Jisung, and Jeno, and then Jaemin and Donghyuck were left to find another, the night air cold.

Donghyuck sniffed, the end of his nose red. “That was fun. Thanks for coming.”

“He’s three minutes away,” Jaemin said, staring at his Uber app. “You’re welcome. It was fun.”

“I liked your Summer Nights duet. You made a great John Travolta.”

“Thanks. I think the lyrics are disgusting, but I can’t deny that Renjun’s Sandy impression won me over in the end.”

Donghyuck laughed. “He was born for a role like that.”

“He was.” Jaemin shoved his hands in his pockets, cold to the bone. “You didn’t sing Shakira.”

Donghyuck nodded. He sniffed again and rubbed at his nose. “Didn’t want to do a solo.”

“Why?”

He shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I sang in public.”

“But you were so eager.”

“That was before.”

“Before what?”

He shrugged again, eyes on his shoes. “Before you said you’d come too.”

 

-

 

It was early morning when they got back to the apartment, but Jaemin went through to the kitchen and filled the kettle. He needed cheap coffee, and he needed it as soon as he could get his hands on it. If the kettle didn’t boil soon, he’d chew the fucking granules.

“Shouldn’t you go to bed?” Donghyuck asked. He’d gone to his room as soon as walking in, and of course he emerged wearing the damned shorts. Of course he did.

“Shouldn’t you?”

“I was planning on it, until I heard you stomping around out here. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Seriously Jaemin, you’re being weird.”

He shrugged. There was a muscle in his jaw twitching, he could feel it on the left side, so kept his right side to Donghyuck as he waited for the kettle to turn itself off. “Just need some coffee.”

“That won’t help you sleep.”

“It’s fine. At this point, there’s no reason for me to sleep. I’d just get up in an hour.”

“Even on a Sunday?”

“Yeah.”

There was silence for a moment, and then Donghyuck reached over and unplugged the kettle. “You’re doing it again.”

Jaemin plugged the kettle back in. “Doing what?”

Donghyuck unplugged it again. “Throwing a fucking tantrum without explaining anything.”

Jaemin plugged it in again. “I’m not. I want a coffee, Donghyuck, stop that.”

He unplugged it again. “No. Tell me what’s going on.”

“Nothing.” Jaemin plugged it in again, then kept his hand over the socket.

Donghyuck wrenched it off, his grip like iron. He unplugged the kettle again. When he spoke, his voice had softened. “Look at me, Nana.”

He knew he shouldn’t, but he did it anyway.

Donghyuck looked soft and tired in the early morning light. He didn’t look like a vampire, he looked like the boy that Jaemin was beginning to realise he had genuine feelings for. “Will you tell me why you’re upset?”

Jaemin reached one hand up and tucked Donghyuck’s unruly hair behind his ear. “I was really looking forward to hearing you sing Laundry Service.”

 

-

 

He went to bed without his coffee, at Donghyuck’s request. Surprisingly, he fell right asleep.

When he woke up at seven, only a couple of hours later, there was a thermos of steaming coffee just outside his bedroom door, and Donghyuck was sprawled across the couch, sleeping with his mouth slightly open.

Jaemin covered him with a blanket then went back to bed and savoured the coffee.

 

-

 

Donghyuck left for brunch with his friends, and only then did Jaemin emerge from his bedroom, hungry and very close to pissing himself. He pissed first, then showered, and then scrambled some eggs and ate them with stale toast and wondered what the fuck he was doing falling for Lee Donghyuck of all people.

Unbidden, he rang Jeno, unsure why until he head Jeno’s soft, “Hello?”

“Hey,” Jaemin replied, throat tight. “Will you come over?”

“Sure,” Jeno said, nothing else needed. “I’ll be twenty minutes. Do you need anything picking up?”

“No, angel, just come home for a while.”

“Okay,” Jeno replied. “I’ll be with you soon, Jaemin.”

True to his word, he turned up twenty minutes later, cosy in sweats and a huge hoodie, a Starbucks bag in one hand. He passed it over with a smile, and Jaemin wrapped him in a hug, probably too tight. Jeno just hugged him back, warm and familiar and so comforting.

“I know you said you didn’t wany anything, but a drink and a croissant never hurt anyone, right?” Jeno asked, rubbing Jaemin’s back.

“Thank you,” Jaemin said, a little emotional. “You’ve always been the best.”

“Don’t tell Renjun you said that.”

“He’d agree with me. Our angel.”

Jeno flushed, warm and happy under the praise. Jaemin could practically see his tail wagging. “So, what do you need?”

“Advice, I think. Or, no, maybe not advice. I don’t know, Jeno, I think I just needed that hug.”

“Okay,” Jeno said, nodding. “Would you like another?”

“Please.”

He was wrapped up, Jeno’s nose pressed against his neck. “Jaeminie, what’s wrong?”

He breathed in the scent of Jeno’s hair and the freshly brewed coffee he’d brought. “I think I’m falling in love with Donghyuck.”

Jeno hummed, as if it wasn’t a surprising thing to hear. Really, Jaemin shouldn’t be surprised. He’d never been able to hide anything from Jeno. “Is that so bad?”

“It’s awful!” he complained. “My enemy, my nuisance, my-“

“Best friend,” Jeno finished. “You’re falling in love with your best friend.”

“He’s not my best friend; that’s you.”

“You can have more than one, Jaemin, that’s okay.”

“He’s not my best friend.”

“Then what is he?”

“Annoying.”

Jeno smiled. “I can’t argue with that.” He patted Jaemin’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go sit down. Things will seem better once you have some good coffee and something to eat, right?”

Jaemin nodded, despite the fact that with Donghyuck’s early morning gift, he’d already covered both bases and still felt like absolute shit.

So they sat down, and Jaemin nibbled on his croissant as Jeno got comfortable.

As soon Jeno found his spot, he sighed and sat back, ready to start whatever was about to happen. “Let’s get to the bottom of it, then. You’re falling in love, and that’s clearly bothering you. Why is it bothering you?”

Jaemin kept nibbling. “I don’t know.”

“Is it because of the kid thing?”

He shook his head. “We’re well past that.”

“Okay. The vampire thing?”

He shook his head again. “No. Doesn’t bother me.”

“Then what? Is it because he’s a Gemini?”

“No, Jeno. I don’t care about his star sign.”

“Maybe you should. Of all the reasons to be wary about falling in love with him, I think his star sign is the most valid.”

It made Jaemin smile. He took a real bite of his croissant and sipped his coffee. “I genuinely don’t know why it’s bothering me. Just feels like – there’s a lot there, you know? And we deliberately don’t talk about any of it. Last night was the first time he’s ever called me, and he’s been here for a quarter of a year.”

Jeno nodded. “You’re both very outspoken, but somehow you manage to be introverts too. It’s kind of funny how similar you are, and at the same time you’re worlds apart. I can see communication being an issue, but that’s not something I can fix for you, unfortunately. I would if I could.”

“I know, angel.” Jaemin squeezed Jeno’s knee. “I know. I need to stop being a baby.”

“I think you both do,” Jeno said, soft. “Donghyuck called Renjun this morning, who then called me. I think both you and Donghyuck have things you need to say, questions you need answering. You’re not alone in that.”

Jaemin couldn’t figure out if that was better or worse, so he shoved the rest of his croissant into his mouth and then curled up around Jeno and refused to let go.

 

-

 

Donghyuck returned late in the afternoon, surly. He stomped his way to the bathroom, had a shower that was definitely going to take up a third of their water bill, and then stomped to his room, changed into clean clothes, and threw himself onto the couch beside Jaemin, still so evidently sour. “Clinic double booked me, so I have to wait until tomorrow.”

Jaemin’s vague amusement morphed into genuine concern. “Shit, will you be okay until then?”

“Should be. Hangover is killing me, though.”

The amusement returned. “Did you have fun with your friends, at least?”

“Yeah, it was really nice, thanks. Good to see everyone, and they liked you guys too. Said they’d be happy to visit again soon.”

“How far away are they?”

“About an hour by train, nothing too bad.”

“Cool,” Jaemin said. He’d been watching TV, but it was almost second nature to pass Donghyuck the remote.

Donghyuck passed it back. “Keep your movie on.”

“It’s okay.” It was the Mummy Returns, possibly one of the best films of all time, but Jaemin had seen it before. Too many times, if he were honest. Each viewing was a prolonged debate with himself over if he wanted to be Brendan Fraser or Rachel Weisz. He actually kind of wanted to be rawed by the ancient mummy priest dude, but that was a separate argument, one he had not with himself but with Renjun, over the morality of fucking a bad guy.

“No, honestly. You’re watching it.”

Jaemin sent him a glance. “You’ve never cared about that before.”

“Yeah, well I like the Mummy. Usually you have bad taste.”

“I have bad taste? Mister To All The Boys I loved Before, Mister Tall Girl, Mister fucking Kissing Booth?”

Donghyuck pouted. “Enjoying romance isn’t a bad thing.”

“I know that,” Jaemin said. “I love romance. I just hate bad films.”

“They’re not bad films just because you don’t like them!”

Jaemin levelled him with a look Donghyuck wouldn’t meet. “You’re telling me that on any level, Tall Girl is a good film?”

“Well… maybe not Tall Girl, but To All The Boys I Loved Before is good!”

Jaemin had enjoyed that one too, but he kept that to himself. “Just admit you like bad, cheesy romances.”

“I do admit that,” Donghyuck said, still pouting. “There’s nothing wrong with it.”

Oh. He was getting sulky.

Jaemin had joked about it, seeing Donghyuck sulk, and god knows he liked to sulk, but he hadn’t actually seen it happen. Not since they were seven, when Jaemin had taken the last ice-cream while Donghyuck was made to wash his hands by his mother.

“Wow,” Jaemin said, unable (unwilling) to stop himself. “You’re gonna sit there, cross your arms, and pout? How old are you again?”

“We’re the same age, asshat. I’m actually older.”

“You don’t look it right now. Sulking in front of the Mummy Returns because I said that the Kissing Booth is bad? It is bad, Hyuckie. It’s awful.”

“I’m not insulting your film taste! Maybe be nice and do the same.”

“You tried to insult my taste first, actually.”

“Shut up, Jaemin.”

“You getting hangry?”

“Shut up.”

“Hungover and hangry and sad because you know deep inside that your taste in movies sucks?”

“Shut up.”

And Jaemin was stupid. He was a grade A fool, because who taunted a vampire? A freshly turned vampire with unknown strength? A freshly turned vampire with unknown strength and a well-known history of fighting Jaemin?

“What are you gonna do, Hyuckie?” Jaemin asked. “You gonna make me?”

Donghyuck wrapped a fist in Jaemin’s shirt, swung himself onto his lap, and kissed him.

Immediately Jaemin opened his mouth and kissed back, eyes closing, hands settling on Donghyuck’s sweet waist and squeezing. Donghyuck moaned, light and airy, and sucked on Jaemin’s bottom lip.

Fuck.

This wasn’t talking about things.

Jaemin lifted one hand from Donghyuck’s waist to place cup his jaw. There was the lightest hint of stubble against the pad of his thumb as he tilted Donghyuck’s head down and encouraged him to open his mouth further so he could lick the taste of Donghyuck’s unbearable sweet coffee off his tongue.

Fuck.

Donghyuck twisted, angled his hips as he tried to settle more comfortably, and ground his ass down onto Jaemin’s lap.

Jaemin threw his head back and groaned, already embarrassingly turned on, but Donghyuck was apparently very goal oriented, because he gripped Jaemin’s hair and dragged his head forward forcing his tongue into Jaemin’s mouth, all soft noises and soft skin and soft everything. It was fucking unbearable, and when Jaemin moved his hands down to grip at the thighs bracketing his lap, he remembered the shorts. The tiny shorts that barely covered anything, that left all of Donghyuck’s long, slender legs on show all of the time.

He dug his nails into the skin and swallowed Donghyuck’s needy whine, intoxicated by the noises, rising in volume and pitch, as he rolled his hips again, rubbing his growing erection against Jaemin’s stomach as he played with the ends of Jaemin’s hair, grip gentle now, encouraging as he nipped at Jaemin’s mouth and pulled back just to watch Jaemin follow.

His eyes were almost all pupil, blown out, as glossy as his lips. It was too much, it was too Donghyuck, because even now Jaemin wanted to tease him, wanted to make him squirm and complain half-heartedly, wanted them to bicker and argue and pinch too hard.

Donghyuck stared at him silently. He licked his lips and swallowed, and kept staring, his chest rising and falling unevenly beneath his thin shirt.

And Jaemin stared back. How long had it been since he’d done this? An almost embarrassing length of time, because he hated picking people up at clubs, felt like a weird dude making people uncomfortable, but he hated smalltalk even more. Hated those early stages of relationships where you didn’t know each other and everything was made of nerves and uncertainty, hated the polite shell he forced himself into because he was too anxious to be himself.

It had been a long time. Months, almost a year.

And here he was now, with Lee Donghyuck in his lap, looking like everything he could have ever wanted, more than he could have imagined.

“I want it,” Donghyuck murmured, finally breaking their silence. He moved one hand from Jaemin’s hair to run his fingertips down the column of Jaemin’s neck, down his chest, stopping just beneath his navel. “Want you to fuck me, Nana.”

And the way he looked when he said it, all eyes and flushed cheeks and slightly parted lips, it all brought Jaemin back to that first time after the clinic, Donghyuck on the floor with his stupid stripy sock and –

“Fuck.” Jaemin stroked a hand down Donghyuck’s cheek, gripped his chin again, brought him close enough to kiss, hot and deep and slow, too wet, too everything. “You wanna get fucked, baby?”

“Yes.” Donghyuck pawed at the hem of Jaemin’s shirt, lifted it up so he could rake his short nails against Jaemin’s toned stomach. “Wanted it since the first fucking night here, you’re so damned sexy all of the time, even when you look like a slob, when you eat like a caveman, when you call me short and start a fight, I fucking want it, Jaemin.”

He kissed Donghyuck again, slid his hands under the back of Donghyuck’s thighs, then used strength he didn’t know he had to lift them both of the couch.

Donghyuck squeaked, immediately wrapping himself around Jaemin’s waist as they staggered for a moment.

“Not actually strong enough to be doing this,” Jaemin wheezed, locking his knees so that they didn’t buckle. Donghyuck wasn’t light, he wasn’t tiny in the way that Jaemin chose to see him as. He was a grown man, and Jaemin went to the gym approximately twice a month if the weather was fair.

Donghyuck laughed into his neck. “If you put me down, we can swap.”

Jaemin huffed, beginning the arduous walk to his room. “No. You’re not putting me to shame like that, how would you expect me to stay hard?”

“I could think of some things, I’m sure,” Donghyuck murmured. It would have been sexy if he wasn’t stuck to Jaemin’s chest like a little koala bear.

Somehow, Jaemin stumbled his way into the bedroom, dropping Donghyuck on his bed just before his arms gave out. He rolled his shoulders and pretended he wasn’t gasping for breath.

Donghyuck stared up at him, a smile playing at the edges of his lips. “Cute,” he said, voice low.

“I’m not cute,” Jaemin panted. “I’m so handsome.”

“You can be both,” Donghyuck said. “And unfit too, apparently. Come here.”

And despite the fresh, blossoming argument, when Donghyuck held out one hand and spread his legs, his shorts riding even further up his thighs, Jaemin complied.

Donghyuck pulled Jaemin’s shirt off, stared at his chest, and then scowled. “What the hell? You live like a slug, why are you so built?”

“Can you maybe not stare at my chest like that?” Jaemin asked. “You’re intimidating my nipples.”

Donghyuck burst into unrestrained laughter. “I should have known you’d be weird here too.”

“What, you expect me to turn that part of me off when I get naked?”

“Most people would.”

“Yeah, well,” Jaemin said blithely, tugging at Donghyuck’s shirt. “Most people are boring.”

“I think so,” Donghyuck agreed. He pulled his own shirt off, and immediately Jaemin’s greed reared its head. He smoothed his hands down the expanse of tan skin, traced Donghyuck’s constellation of moles, and watched the way his breathing hitched when Jaemin’s thumbs brushed against his nipples. “Stop tickling me.”

Jaemin put more force behind his touch, and grinned at the way Donghyuck immediately whimpered, squirming as if to get away, only to arch into the touch. “So sensitive, Hyuck.” He trailed his hands down, pressed against Donghyuck’s waist again, addicted to the feel of his skin, the softness of it all, the way he looked against Jaemin’s sheets, hair splayed across his forehead, blushing down to his clavicles. All he was wearing was his shorts, and they left nothing to the imagination, cupping his erection in a way that told Jaemin he wasn’t wearing underwear. “You’ve been wearing these without underwear around the apartment for months, haven’t you?”

“I have two pairs, I’m not a filthy pig,” Donghyuck said, frowning. “They get washed.”

“That was not my point,” Jaemin said, biting back laughter. “You just walk around freeballing?”

“Kind of hoped you’d take a hint and bend me over the couch, but you didn’t.”

“Consider the hint taken,” Jaemin murmured. He wanted to touch more, but he couldn’t stop looking. Fuck. Donghyuck was probably the most beautiful person he’d ever seen.

“Jaemin,” Donghyuck said, pouting again, “Kiss me.”

He leant down and obliged, soft at first, just a gentle press of lips. This was the part of sex he’d missed the most – how fun it could be with the right person. Hard and fast with strangers was good, sure, but this was better, drawn out and full of trust, arousal paused to laugh, awkward limbs and stolen kisses, sweet silences.

Donghyuck tugged Jaemin down, only huffed out a little air when they collided, then used the moment to shove his tongue in Jaemin’s mouth, hands moving to grope at Jaemin’s ass, greedy. He rolled them over and sat up, once again on Jaemin’s lap, and grinned, triumphant. “Can I suck your dick?”

“I don’t know, can you?” Jaemin asked, as if he hadn’t immediately hardened to the point of dizziness just at the thought of Donghyuck’s pretty lips wrapped around his cock.

“I can, and I want to,” Donghyuck said, uncharacteristically serious. “But – you know, being a vampire, some people don’t want it. The teeth scare them.”

Jaemin laughed. “I’m not worried about them protracting on my dick, if that’s what you’re saying. I saw the way you had to strain to get them down, I’m not scared of a slip up.”

Donghyuck smiled, happy. “Good.” And then he was moving back down the bed, throwing his shorts over his shoulder in a dramatic fashion before pulling Jaemin’s sweats off, lamenting the fact that he was wearing underwear.

“We can’t all be shameless hussies,” Jaemin said, stroking a hand through Donghyuck’s hair. “Someone here has to be virginal and abashed.”

“I don’t think wearing underwear makes you virginal,” Donghyuck said, tugging them off. He licked his lips when Jaemin’s cock slapped against his stomach, hard and already leaking. “Wow. You really do like the shorts, huh?”

I like you.

But now really wasn’t the time for that. Not if he wanted to get his dick sucked, which, emphatically, he did want.

So he propped himself up on his elbows and watched as Donghyuck made himself comfortable, kissing and nipping at the skin of Jaemin’s hips, playful even as he stared up through his lashes. “You definitely want this?”

Jaemin nodded so hard he was surprised his head stayed attached. “You?”

“Yeah. You’re so pretty,” Donghyuck murmured. He wrapped one hand around Jaemin’s length and stroked. “S’annoying, you’re pretty everywhere.”

And then Jaemin’s cock was being pressed between his lips, his mouth hot and wet and perfect, and Jaemin could only watch, not breathing, as Donghyuck flattened his tongue and pushed himself down so far that he gagged.

“Oh, fuck,” Jaemin groaned, moving one hand back to Donghyuck’s hair, not pulling but anchoring him, needing the contact.

Donghyuck pulled up and spat, his face already slick and messy, and then sank back down, hand around the length he couldn’t quite fit in his mouth. God, Jaemin could feel the back of his throat fluttering, could feel the way saliva pooled at the corners of his mouth, could see the way he was rutting desperately into the sheets as he forced himself down again and gagged again, hard.

Jaemin tightened his grip in Donghyuck’s hair and pulled him off, ignoring the whimper. “Don’t hurt yourself,” he managed, “Baby, don’t hurt yourself.”

“Doesn’t hurt,” Donghyuck said, fuck, his voice scratchy and uneven. “I like it.” And with that he took Jaemin back into his mouth, sinking down too far again, this time swallowing before he could gag. It was – fuck, Jaemin had received some pretty good head in his life, but this was something else entirely. Donghyuck’s throat was so tight it almost felt wrong, and the sounds he made as he choked and sucked and gagged were filthy.

It was all too much at once, and Jaemin wasn’t going to last if it continued even another thirty seconds.

He pulled Donghyuck off again, this time ready for the unwillingness, the jutted lower lip and almost fierce glower. He pulled Donghyuck up the bed and kissed him, pressing their hips together, uncaring of the fact that he could taste himself on Donghyuck’s tongue, uncaring of anything other than making Donghyuck feel good. “Had to stop baby, wasn’t gonna last,” he said against Donghyuck’s mouth. “Still wanna be fucked, right?”

“Yes,” Donghyuck moaned, “Yes, I want it.”

He rolled onto his stomach and propped his hips up with a pillow while Jaemin searched for the lube and condoms he knew he had somewhere. Whether they were in date was another matter though, and he breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw that the condoms had another six months. The lube, however, was cutting it pretty close. Another three weeks and they’d have been using lotion and prayers.

Donghyuck laughed into his arms when Jaemin told him the dates. “Don’t sleep around much?”

“You live here, you know I don’t.”

Donghyuck hummed. “I thought you’d be a partier. That’s what I pictured before I arrived. Renjun showed me photos of you sometimes, and you always looked hot enough to be getting whatever you wanted whenever you wanted. Was a surprise to move in a realise you’re a recluse.”

“You haven’t exactly brought hundreds home while you’ve been here either, baby.”

Donghyuck burrowed his head back into his arms and wiggled his hips, his cute ass in the air. “I was busy trying to seduce a boy with an empty head, remember?”

“Oh yeah, it’s all coming back to me now,” Jaemin said, slicking up three of his fingers. “You know, I think it might be working.”

“Really? Think he’s starting to get the picture?”

Jaemin watched Donghyuck shudder as his finger grazed his hole. “I think so. I hope he’s worth all the effort.”

“Me too,” Donghyuck said, panting now. “Jaemin, come on.”

He pressed one finger in, wincing at how tight Donghyuck was until Donghyuck moaned, so high pitched it was almost a scream.

“Fuck,” he said. “Feels good, come on, hurry up.”

Jaemin pulled out for a second to add more lube, then pressed back in. Donghyuck was burning hot, soft even here, and Jaemin felt half mad with it when he pressed back in with two fingers and Donghyuck just spread his pretty thighs further apart and took it. “Made for this, aren’t you?” Jaemin asked, pressing deeper, searching until he rubbed against Donghyuck’s prostate and made him scream. “Baby, so tight and so good for me, can’t believe you can take it so easily.”

Donghyuck shuddered so hard Jaemin worried for a second, started to pull out until Donghyuck shook his head. “More,” he said barely audible. “I want you inside, Jaemin.”

His own straining erection twitched, but Jaemin pushed his need aside entirely and worked on sliding a third finger into Donghyuck. He wasn’t about to be the asshole that skimped on prep and left his partner hurt in the morning. “Nearly there sweetheart, you’re doing so well, being so good, baby.”

“Keep calling me that,” Donghyuck moaned into his arms. He wouldn’t show his face, refused to lift his head, but Jaemin let him stay low, using his spare hand to rub circles into the tight muscle of Donghyuck’s lower back.

“Call you what?”

“Baby,” Donghyuck said. “Sweetheart, Hyuckie, anything. I like it. Like that you use names like that, makes me feel special.”

Jaemin’s chest ached. “You are special.”

Donghyuck laughed, a little uncertain sounding, and Jaemin swore they’d talk about that afterwards, whatever it was that made Donghyuck hide his head in his arms and laugh like Jaemin was lying to him.

Another couple of minutes of gentle stretching and Donghyuck was writhing, close to begging, and Jaemin pulled out, satisfied that he’d done enough.

He rolled the condom on and flipped Donghyuck over, repositioning the pillow beneath his hips, then took another moment to look at the boy beneath him.

Donghyuck’s glow spread from his neck down his chest, and he covered his eyes with his hands, even as his cock twitched, leaking, and his legs spread to let Jaemin settle between them. “Stop staring at me, creep.”

“But you’re hot,” Jaemin said plainly.

Donghyuck peeked out between his fingers. “Even without the shorts?”

“Especially without the shorts,” Jaemin said. “I want to burn them, actually. I’ve never hated an item of clothing more.”

“You always stare at my thighs when I wear them, don’t lie.”

“I can stare and still hate them,” Jaemin said. He grabbed Donghyuck’s cock with the hand still covered in lube, and stroked him, slow but tight, just to stop another argument from happening.

It worked, and Jaemin realised that out of all the ways to stop a fight with Donghyuck, this was probably his favourite.

He stretched Donghyuck with his fingers again, just to check. After a muted whimper and a not so muted threat to Jaemin’s skull, Donghyuck admitted he was more than ready.

“Going insane over here,” he said, red faced. “Thought you’d carry me in here and fuck me, but instead it’s all slow and soft. What are you doing?”

“Appreciating you. Is that so bad?” Jaemin slicked himself up with more lube and pressed in, just as slow and soft as Donghyuck accused him of being, even though the tightness made him want to jackhammer his hips. He squeezed his eyes shut and stopped midway, giving Donghyuck time to adjust.

Donghyuck started at up at him, quiet other than his uneven breathing. He’d moved his hands from his face to grip at the sheets beside his thighs, his gaze dark and veiled. He swallowed. “Can you move now, please?”

Jaemin leant down and kissed the tip of his nose. “Since you asked so nicely.”

He deserved the smack on his waist, but he also deserved Donghyuck’s immediate yell, too, when he started to roll his hips.

It was tight and hot, but Jaemin had prepped Donghyuck well, and the slide was easy, good, perfect.

And maybe it was cliché to fuck him like this, slow and steady, missionary with the lights on, but Jaemin didn’t give a shit. He wanted to keep looking at Donghyuck, the way he fisted his own cock, the way he bared his neck and arched his back, the way his gorgeous thighs shook with each thrust. He wanted to see it all, felt something greedy, hot, possessive rise up his throat.

It made him dizzy to know that he was doing this to Donghyuck, causing his cut off moans, his sweet whines, his euphoric expression.

Jaemin changed his angle slightly, searching for Donghyuck’s prostate, certain he’d found it when Donghyuck’s eyes widened and he wailed.

“Fuck, fuck Jaemin there don’t stop, please don’t stop, please-“

“I’ve got you, sweetheart,” Jaemin said, speeding up. His thighs and lower back burned from the strain, and he was getting close, too fast maybe, but none of it mattered, not when Donghyuck looked like this, sounded like this, felt like this.

“Kiss me again,” Donghyuck begged, eyes wild. “Please, kiss me again.”

Jaemin did as he asked, knowing he always would. He kissed Donghyuck, and it was messy, their teeth clicked together and Donghyuck pulled away midway to gasp before yanking Jaemin’s head back down, but it was perfect.

It all felt so perfect, everything about Donghyuck, his intelligence, his attitude, his humour, his kindness, his body, his smile, his-

I love you.

Jaemin groaned, speeding up until the pace was brutal, until Donghyuck’s head rolled back, unable to do anything other than take it. He tightened impossibly and came all over his stomach and chest, silent but for his stuttered breathing.

Jaemin started to slow, ready to pull out, but before he could move, Donghyuck’s hands anchored onto his ass, vicelike. “Come in me,” he said.

“Don’t want to make you sore, baby,” Jaemin said, unable to stop the minute twitch of his hips as Donghyuck’s grip tightened. Come in me. Another sentence that would haunt him into the distant future.

 Donghyuck pouted, that sweet expression that had started this all. “Please?”

Jaemin couldn’t help but laugh. It was a dirty tactic, but Donghyuck knew it would work, and Jaemin could see that in the slight raise of his chin. He clenched down again and Jaemin choked back a moan, succumbing too easily because he could do nothing else.

It didn’t take long. With Donghyuck’s murmured encouragement, so gorgeous, always so pretty, made me feel so good, wanna kiss you again, want your fingers in my mouth, wanna ride you next time, wanna fuck you dumb, pretty baby –

Jaemin came hard, Donghyuck’s arms around his shoulders, petting his hair.

When he slumped down, Donghyuck didn’t even complain. He rolled them onto their sides, staring at Jaemin in a way he rarely did. “Thank you.”

Jaemin laughed tiredly. “For the sex? You’re very welcome.”

“For growing up to be someone I always knew you would be,” Donghyuck said. He kissed Jaemin, soft on the lips, then climbed out of bed. “Are you coming to shower?”

“What?” Jaemin asked, like he wasn’t reeling, “No cool down period, just straight to rinse off?”

“If you lie there you’ll get stiff. Better to shower while you can still move.” Donghyuck stood in the doorway, naked and covered in lube and spit, and Jaemin wanted to pin him to the bed again. “Are you coming or not?”

Jaemin followed.

 

-

 

They showered together in a cubicle that was too small for two grown men, but it wasn’t unpleasant. The water was hot, and Jaemin washed Donghyuck’s hair, spiking it into a mohawk with the shampoo suds trailing down his neck. Donghyuck made Jaemin bend down so that he could wash his hair too, and there was no mohawk this time, just suds that went in Jaemin’s eyes and then in his mouth when Donghyuck went to kiss him but there was a bubble between their lips.

They kissed until the hot water started to run lukewarm, and only then did Jaemin grab a towel and wrap Donghyuck up tightly, keeping him cosy until he could get into clean clothes.

Donghyuck’s eyes started to drop midway through Jaemin drying his hair with the hairdryer, towel still over his shoulders, swaying in front of the mirror. “Sleepy.”

“I bet you are,” Jaemin murmured. “It’s been a pretty long weekend, and you haven’t been to the clinic since Friday.”

Donghyuck nodded, a minute movement that Jaemin felt more than saw. “Can I nap on you?”

“At your own risk,” Jaemin teased. “If you fall asleep on me I can’t guarantee where you wake up.”

“As long as it isn’t in the garbage bin, I don’t care. Too tired for that.”

Jaemin hummed. He switched off the dryer, leaving Donghyuck’s hair still a little damp, a little curly. “Go get dressed then, and I’ll meet you on the couch.”

He meandered to his bedroom to strip his bed and shove the sheets in the laundry machine before dressing in a fresh pair of sweats and the first shirt he could find, ugly and orange with Garfield eating lasagne on the back.

Donghyuck was already face down on the couch when Jaemin made it to the lounge, but he lifted his head to laugh at the shirt, which was a relief. He’d looked dead there, for a second.

With some gentle encouragement, Donghyuck managed to sit up just long enough for Jaemin to get comfortable on one side of the couch, but instead of returning to his position he frowned. After a long, silent moment, Donghyuck climbed off the couch entirely.

“Lie down, Jaemin. I said nap on you, not with you.”

Jaemin matched his frown but complied, stretching across the couch with his head against one arm, his feet propped up on the other.

Donghyuck nodded, appeased, and passed over the remote. “Watch another film or something.”

The Mummy Returns had long since finished, but when Jaemin checked the next channel he saw that in fifteen minutes Labyrinth was due to start, so he put the remote beside his head and then held his arms out.

Donghyuck climbed over him and wedged himself into the tiny gap between Jaemin’s side and the back of the couch. He pressed his face into the space between Jaemin’s neck and shoulder, throwing one arm and leg over him. Conquest successful, he was finally wearing normal sweats.

Jaemin would cut out his tongue before he admitted he already missed the shorts.

Donghyuck kissed his neck, feather light. “What’s on?”

“Labyrinth.”

“I only watched it for the first time last year. Kinda wanted to be Sarah.”

“You wanted to have your infant brother kidnapped by a goblin king?”

“No,” Donghyuck said. Greedy for contact, he slid his hand under Jaemin’s shirt, resting it against the warmth of his stomach. “Wanted to be kidnapped by David Bowie and held in his goblin palace. A sexy, magic, bisexual king? What does the rest matter?”

Jaemin nodded and found himself smiling. “And when you watch The Mummy? Which character would you fuck?”

“All of them,” Donghyuck replied. “But mainly the actual Mummy dude. Villains are sexy.”

It’s kind of funny how similar you are, and at the same time you’re worlds apart.

Jaemin pressed a kiss to the top of Donghyuck’s head and wondered what the hell he was doing. “Are you gonna sleep now, sweetheart?”

Donghyuck shook his head, stubborn. “I’ll stay up a while longer. I want to watch Labyrinth with you.”

He was asleep before the opening credits finished, breathing lightly, hand still on Jaemin’s stomach, hair fluffed up and ticklish.

Jaemin kept him there for the entire film, and then when another started, something he hadn’t seen with blood and gore and violence that didn’t interest him, he turned the TV off. After gently shifting Donghyuck over, Jaemin rolled onto his side and kissed Donghyuck’s head again, breathing in the scent of his shampoo until he fell asleep and joined Donghyuck in dreams too.

 

-

 

Jaemin woke up in the middle of the night, in Donghyuck’s bed. The dim bedside light was on, and Donghyuck was staring at his ceiling with an empty expression Jaemin had only seen him wear once before.

‘So you moved here for convenience?’

‘I moved here because I was lonely.’

“Hyuckie?” he asked, voice rough from sleep. “What’s wrong?”

Donghyuck looked down at him and the blank expression softened. “Hungry. It’s keeping me awake now.”

“Ah.”

“Jaehyun said that you guessed it.”

Jaemin tried harder to wake up when he realised Donghyuck wanted to keep talking. “Hm?”

“He said you guessed it. That he turned me.”

“I made a shit joke; I wouldn’t call it a guess. That gives me too much credit.”

“Still,” Donghyuck murmured, “You know now. Not many people do.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Donghyuck looked away. “I didn’t realise what I was asking for, but at the time I thought I did. I convinced Jaehyun that I knew exactly what I was doing – that was wrong of me. He was my friend, he wanted to help me, to make me happy. I took advantage of that.”

Jaemin reached out a hand to link their fingers together. Donghyuck’s hands were petty but flawed, with his dry cuticles and bitten nails. Jaemin rubbed this thumb along Donghyuck’s knuckles. “Why’d you ask for it?”

“Humans are pretty rare now,” Donghyuck said, a forced lightness to his tone. “Fragile in comparison to most other species. I was tired of being treated like glass, in a lot of ways. Being the only human in a group isn’t much fun.”

“You’re preaching to the choir,” Jaemin said. Not that it really bothered him much, but sometimes when Renjun and Chenle argued and the furniture started to vibrate, Jaemin wondered if he’d die in some kind of angsty explosion. That wasn’t great.

“I know. Looking back, it was such a petty reason to change something so drastically, but I did what I did and there’s no changing it now. I’m just glad that Jaehyun was there to help me, that they all were.”

“They seem like a good group.”

“They are. I love my friends,” Donghyuck started, voice wavering slightly, “But I was always Donghyuck to them, their little human. Suddenly I wasn’t, I was Donghyuck, their little vampire, and things changed. I don’t blame them – in fact, I needed them, I needed what they taught me. I’m lucky to have such a good group of friends that will go so far and do whatever they can to help me, but it got to a point where I wanted to move on, but they couldn’t stop themselves, they just kept trying to help me. I don’t want any more help, Jaemin. I just want people to act like I’m the way I always was.”

“So you came back here to see your family?”

“And Renjun and Jeno. I called Renjun the first day, and even then I knew that it wouldn’t change a thing. They’d always treat me like Lee Donghyuck, and not Lee Donghyuck the vampire.”

Jaemin hummed. “They’re good friends.”

“They are,” Donghyuck agreed. “And then I moved in here, and you made things better too.”

That was a surprise to hear. “I did?”

“You did.” Donghyuck looked over again, and this time when he smiled it reached his eyes. “If there’s one thing I knew I could count on as a human or a vampire or something else entirely, it was that Na Jaemin would still be an asshole to me.”

 

-

 

When Jaemin woke up again, it was morning, and he was alone in Donghyuck’s bed, alone in their apartment. Sun was streaming through the blinds, and he felt disorientated, full of contradicting feelings.

There was no hiding from it now – how he felt. After an entire night wrapped up in Donghyuck, Jaemin’s first thought upon waking alone was, I miss him.

He found a text on his phone, sent an hour before, a brief message detailing Donghyuck’s trip to the clinic, asking if Jaemin needed anything from a store on the way home. He’d clearly decided to skip his classes, and Jaemin decided that he’d do the same. He was probably already hours late, anyway.

He replied to Donghyuck’s text, a brief, ‘Nothing. Hurry back.’

Donghyuck replied with a selfie that had too many chins, and Jaemin immediately saved the picture and stared at it for longer than was healthy.

I like you.

Donghyuck was the single most infuriating, annoying, beautiful, funny, intelligent, kind person that Jaemin knew.

I love you.

He sent a selfie back, and received a blunt, ‘Get out of my bed, squatter.’

 

-

 

Donghyuck returned to the apartment thirty minutes later, while Jaemin was sipping his second coffee of the day. He’d showered, dressed, and then moved to the kitchen and stayed there.

As soon as Donghyuck walked through the door, Jaemin placed his mug beside the sink and walked over to the doorway, where Donghyuck was, as always, wrestling with his shoes.

He looked up at Jaemin’s arrival, smiling. “Hi.”

“Hi, sweetheart,” Jaemin said, bending down to help Donghyuck with his laces. Once his shoes were off, Donghyuck threw his arms around Jaemin and burrowed into his neck. Jaemin held on. “Did everything go okay?”

“Yeah, I feel much better.”

“That’s good.”

“Can I have a kiss?”

Jaemin kissed him soft, chaste.

Donghyuck blinked up at him. “Another?”

Jaemin kissed him again. Donghyuck’s lips were plush and velvety, perfect, perfect, perfect.

When he pulled away, Donghyuck was red, still staring. “One more?”

“Not when you’re like this,” Jaemin said, gently removing Donghyuck’s wandering hands from his waist. “Wait a couple of hours until your body settles down, okay?”

Donghyuck pouted. “But I feel fine.”

“I’m glad, but I still want to wait.”

The pout dissipated, because Donghyuck was a brat, but he wasn’t the kind of person to argue something like this. “Okay. Can we watch a movie? I missed the Labyrinth yesterday.”

“I’ll find it online; we can watch now.” Jaemin cupped Donghyuck’s face and placed one last lingering kiss to his forehead. His heart felt so full, so heavy it ached. “I’m gonna grab my drink. Do you want anything?”

“I’ll have a chamomile tea, please.”

“Sure, baby. Go sit down.”

“I like this,” Donghyuck said once Jaemin had already turned away.

He turned back to face Donghyuck, found him leaning against the wall, almost entirely red now, eyes on Jaemin’s feet.

Jaemin followed his gaze. “You like my socks?”

Donghyuck giggled. “I like being honest about how much I like you.”

Jaemin’s heart burst. It left a gross, sticky residue coating all of his other organs, and his chest felt like it was collapsing inwards, the structural integrity entirely compromised. Dizzy and full of blood, Donghyuck was always a little more lax with his actions and his words, free from his typical barbs and sarcasm, and Jaemin wanted so desperately to talk about everything right then, but he knew he couldn’t. Talking about it while Donghyuck wasn’t himself would be taking advantage in a way that Jaemin wouldn’t allow himself to do. “Hey,” he said, quiet, “We should wait to talk about this too, okay? Go and get comfortable and I’ll bring you your tea.”

“Okay,” Donghyuck said, a sure sign of his intoxication. Docility was rare in Jaemin’s friends, rarer still in Donghyuck. He patted Jaemin’s cheek and then walked through to the lounge and flopped onto the couch with a little oof sound. Jaemin, as always, stared longer than was healthy, before returning to the kitchen to make Donghyuck’s tea and a fresh coffee for himself.

 

-

 

“I don’t want to go,” Jaemin had said, eight years old and on the verge of petulant tears.

His mother wasn’t amused. “Since when do you hate birthday parties? All of your classmates are going.”

But Donghyuck wasn’t. He hadn’t been invited. He’d been a polarising person, even then, and he’d been the one kid in class without an invitation. “I’m not going,” Jaemin had said. “I want to go to Donghyuck’s house instead.”

“Donghyuck? He isn’t going to the party either?”

“Minsu doesn’t like him.”

And of course at the time, that’s all Jaemin’s mother had needed to hear to understand what had happened. Looking back, Jaemin could see it, but as a kid, he’d been shocked when his mother had called Donghyuck’s family and invited him over instead. She’d ordered pizza and let them watch whatever they liked on the TV, and when Renjun and Jeno got back from the party, they came over too, and shared their slices of cake.

Afterwards, she’d sat Jaemin down, alone, and took both of his hands in hers. “Jaemin,” she’d said, solemn. “I’m very proud of you.”

He’d blinked. “For what?”

“Not leaving your friend alone.”

And he’d laughed at the time, no longer upset, no longer honest. “Donghyuck isn’t my friend.”

“I’m proud of you,” she repeated. “For being mature, and for being kind. Donghyuck will remember today.”

Two weeks later, Donghyuck was living in another city, and the last thing Jaemin had ever said to him was, “I hope I never see you again.”

If there was one thing he’d remember of Jaemin, it would be that, Jaemin had been sure.

 

-

 

They started Labyrinth, but in true Donghyuck fashion, he fell asleep twenty minutes in. Jaemin sat with him a while, watching a film he had seen less than twelve hours ago just for the sake of being Donghyuck’s headrest.

Was this really what love felt like? Jaemin had thought he already knew the feeling. He had love for Renjun and Jeno, Chenle and Jisung, all of their other friends, his family too. He had love for animals, for strangers, for everything that had some good in it. He had love for everything, but growing up he’d thought Lee Donghyuck the exception.

Turns out he was the exception, but not in the way Jaemin had thought. He didn’t have love for Donghyuck, he was just in love.

He shifted as slowly as possible so that Donghyuck didn’t wake up, then went to his room and closed the door.

Renjun picked up the call on the third ring. “Hey, shouldn’t you be in class?”

“I’m skipping,” Jaemin said. He sat on the edge of his bed and stared out of the window, wondering when the temperature would rise again. He didn’t like being cold. “Renjun, why didn’t you tell me?”

Renjun sighed, tired. “What didn’t I tell you this time?”

“That I’m in love with Donghyuck.”

“Ah,” Renjun said, gentler. “Well, it’s not my place to tell you something like that, Jaemin.”

“How long have you known?”

“A month or so.”

Jaemin rubbed a hand down his face. “Is that like, special fae powers?”

“No. You’re pretty obvious.”

“Come on, lie to protect my dignity,” Jaemin complained. “I’m suffering here.”

“Why are you suffering? Surely you know how he feels. He’s even more obvious than you.”

I like being honest about how much I like you.

“I don’t think… I know what to do.”

“Tell him the truth.”

“I’ve never been able to do that,” Jaemin said, sad. I never want to see you again.

“Things will never change if you’re content to stay the same,” Renjun replied.  “You’re the kindest, most placid person I’ve ever known. You’re sweet and strange and a pillar to me and our friends. There’s only one person that’s ever been able to budge you from your spot, Jaemin. Think about that before you close yourself off again.”

He was more touched than he’d admit. “I’m not closed off.”

“You’re an introverted freak,” Renjun said, decidedly less kind than his last character analysis. “And if I could pair you with anyone, there’s only one guy I can think of that matches the same description.”

There was a knock on his bedroom door, and Donghyuck peered in. “Hey,” he stage-whispered. “Sorry, but I’m making another tea. Do you want a coffee?”

“Please,” Jaemin said. “I’ll be through in a minute.”

“No rush.” Donghyuck blew him a kiss, eyes sparkly. He was back to himself then, alert and bouncy.

“Jaemin?”

“Shit, sorry Junnie.”

“Go and talk to him,” Renjun said. “Please. I can’t deal with another fourteen years of separation. I felt like a kid in the middle of a custody battle.”

“For the record, which of us would you have wanted to live with? You know Christmas would have been better with me.”

Renjun hung up, which left Jaemin with no choice but to face his demons. Or demon, singular. Vampire.

Face his vampire.

His vampire.

Jaemin scrubbed his face and took a deep breath, then left his phone in his room and walked through to the kitchen.

Donghyuck was nibbling on another pencil as he moved around the space easily, grabbing mugs and sugar and milk, humming.

“Hey,” Jaemin said. “Donghyuck.”

He paused, milk in hand, pencil in mouth. “Yeah?”

“I’m in love with you.”

The pencil dropped to the floor.

So did the milk.

“Fuck!” The carton split on impact, spraying milk over the cupboards, the floor, and their legs.

“Oh come on,” Jaemin said, staring down at the mess. “Seriously?”

“You confessed to me when I had shit in my hands!” Donghyuck said, red. “This is your fault as much as it’s mine!”

“It really isn’t,” Jaemin said. He rolled his eyes and pulled open a drawer, throwing a handful of hand towels at Donghyuck. “Come on, let’s clean this up.”

“Can I reply to your confession first?”

“No,” Jaemin said, bending down to start mopping up. “Do you want the smell of spoiled milk ingrained in the grouting? Help me clean this up before it starts to soak in.”

“Jaemin!”

He looked up to see Donghyuck still stood there, towels in his arms. “Donghyuck, help me clean up this milk or I am never watching reality TV with you again.”

Donghyuck bent down and started mopping the milk up. He was pouting.

Jaemin reached over and kissed him.

Outraged, Donghyuck pulled back and threw the milk-wet towel at Jaemin. “No, fuck you! You can’t have this all on your terms, asshole!”

“My terms would not include us crouching in milk,” Jaemin said. “I can promise you that.”

 “I love you too,” Donghyuck said, still pouting. “I’m sorry I dropped the milk. You surprised me.”

“Shouldn’t you have superhuman reflexes?”

“Shouldn’t you have better taste in men?”

Jaemin frowned. “That was a self-own, baby.”

“I know,” Donghyuck said, quieter. “But I mean it. Shouldn’t you like someone better?”

“Better than you?” Jaemin asked, confused. “Like who?”

“I don’t know. Jeno?”

“Jeno is kinder than you, but he isn’t better.”

“Hey. He’s not kinder than me.”

“Jeno is kinder than everyone, that wasn’t me insulting you.”

“I guess.”

“I really…” Jaemin trailed off, still frowning. “I don’t get where you’re going with this. Why would I like someone else?”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m a fucking mess,” Donghyuck said, deceptively light. “I’m a freshly turned vampire that doesn’t know his own strength or limits. I’m a messy friend, I’m insecure, sometimes I want to bite you and I don’t know if that’s the vampire thing or my oral fixation, I’m horny literally all of the time, I-“

“I did notice,” Jaemin said. His sweats were soaked through with milk, and it was uncomfortable as hell to know he was covered in dairy. Felt wrong, somehow. “I live here, Donghyuck. I know you’re a mess.”

“So why?” Donghyuck asked. “Why would you love me?”

“Because you remind me that there’s more to life than being nice,” Jaemin said, realising the truth of it only as he said it. “Because you’re my best friend, and you’re beautiful. Because I think that in a lot of ways, you’re the only person that understands me.”

Donghyuck sat back. He swallowed. “Really?”

“Really.”

“I feel the same,” Donghyuck whispered. “I love you too.”

Jaemin nodded. “Can we clean this up now?”

“Okay.”

They mopped up the milk, then Jaemin sprayed everything down with disinfectant and rinsed again.

“I feel really gross now,” Donghyuck said, stumbling out of his sweats. “Think I need a shower. Wanna join?”

“Sure, I’ll see you in there,” Jaemin said, rinsing off the towels before throwing them into the washing machine.

“Okay,” Donghyuck said. There was a pause. “Can I have that third kiss now?”

Jaemin kissed him, hands still in the sink, and Donghyuck smiled against his lips, unbearably sweet.

When he pulled away, he was pink. “I love you.”

“I know, sweetheart,” Jaemin said. “I love you too.”

“I’m sorry I broke your toy train.”

“I’m sorry I lied and said I never wanted to see you again.”

Donghyuck nodded. “I’m sorry I seduced you with my tiny shorts.”

“I’m not sorry,” Jaemin said. “But never wear those shorts again.”

Donghyuck broke into a grin, full of sun. “No promises.”

He headed through to the bathroom, and after a minute the shower started, along with some music.

It took Jaemin a moment to realise what was playing, but when Donghyuck started singing, he realised it was Whenever, Wherever.

Jaemin dumped the wet towels in the sink and ran through to the bathroom.

There was no way he was missing Laundry Service.