Chapter Text
God, that was some cheap tequila.
Hanbin’s mouth burned as he finished the shot Matthew had pushed into his hands.
“That was terrible."
Sucking on the lime like his life depended on it, Hanbin made a face at Matthew. Matthew just grinned at him, fixing his sparkling plastic crown that read Birthday Boy on top of his head. As the man of honor for the night, Matthew had taken it upon himself to ply both Hanbin and Taerae with as much alcohol as he could for his own amusement. Hanbin could see Taerae staring down at his empty shot glass with the same disgust Hanbin felt.
“I love tequila!” Matthew drunkenly proclaimed, gesturing widely at the dance floor behind them. “And I love dancing! Let’s dance!”
Hanbin held his groan in as much as he could. Matthew’s only request for his birthday was a night out with his roommates, with as many drinks and hot men and women as he could handle. Now that part one was complete, it was on to phase two.
As his best friend, Hanbin was trying his absolute hardest not to ruin the night in spite of his less than stellar attitude recently. Matthew’s pout had been aimed predominantly at him before they went out, begging his roommates to come celebrate with him. Hanbin had folded easily.
Matthew had been surprisingly patient with Hanbin’s recently adopted hermit-like habits— letting him sulk between their apartment and his job for months on end without a word—so Hanbin figured he owed it to Matthew to act like a good friend and wingman even if he didn’t love the idea of a night out.
So, the faster Matthew found someone for the night, the sooner Hanbin got to go back to bed. Eyeing his friend, who was wearing his jeans that laced up the sides and a cropped black tank top that showed off his arms, Hanbin figured that getting Matthew laid wouldn’t take too long.
The club, Trax, had a large open dance floor and a stage that always had a go-go dancer or two on top of it. It was Matthew’s favorite place to dance, promising cheap drinks, hot bartenders, and a plethora of drunk people for him to enjoy for the night.
“One more round?” Taerae asked, pulling Matthew back to the bar by a loop in his jeans. “I need one more before I can survive out there.”
Matthew laughed loudly and nodded at Taerae, wrapping himself around the other. “Hell yeah! One more!”
Taerae caught Hanbin’s eyes, eyebrows raised in a slight challenge, unmoving under the birthday boy's weight. Hanbin shrugged back at him with a grin and Taerae flagged down the bartender.
“Not more tequila.” Hanbin called firmly, making Matthew roll his eyes.
“La-a-ame,” he whined. He left Taerae and threw himself bodily onto Hanbin, who nearly slipped off of his stool when he caught Matthew. “I like tequila.”
Smacking a hand over his best friend's mouth, Hanbin said, “I know, but even the smell of it on your breath is going to make me throw up —ew!” Shoving Matthew off of him, Hanbin wiped his hand on Matthews tank top. “Don’t lick me!”
“You put your hand on my mouth!” Matthew proclaimed in self defense. “And it’s my birthday so I get to do whatever I want.”
“That is not how it works,” Hanbin laughed, squishing Matthew’s face in between his hands. “You do not get to lick people just because it’s your birthday.”
In protest, Matthew wriggled in Hanbin’s grasp, tongue reaching for Hanbin’s hands on his cheeks. With a scream, Hanbin released Matthew, holding him at bay by his chest as Matthew continued his attack.
“Ewww,” Hanbin heard Taerae from somewhere next to them, sounding positively disgusted, “stop whatever the hell you’re doing!”
He waved the three shot glasses he had acquired, filled to the brim with clear liquor.
Hanbin eyed the glass suspiciously as Taerae handed it to him. “This looks like tequila.”
“It’s not, don’t be such a baby.” Taerae said, handing the other shot to Matthew.
Matthew raised his drink high in the air, shouting, “To me!”
Taerae and Hanbin followed suit, the drink—vodka, thankfully—burned its way down Hanbin’s throat. Before his eyes were done watering, Matthew had already grabbed the sleeve of the sheer shirt he had dressed Hanbin in, tugging him to the dance floor.
“Dance now!” He yelled over the blaring music.
Hanbin giggled and stumbled a little in his boots, reaching for Taerae as he was pulled away. Taerae had been right. That last shot made dancing seem a lot less terrible.
Pushing through throngs of people and pulling Hanbin and Taerae to the center of the floor, Matthew laughed, the noise quickly lost in the crowd. In spite of the fact that he had not been out dancing in months, Hanbin found himself falling back into the easy movements. Even in a sea of sweaty bodies, life flooded through him and he became one with the pulsing crowd, rolling his hips in time.
Beginning to dance to the beat, a thrumming bass line, he turned and grabbed Taerae by the hips and swayed them together. Matthew was behind Taerae and, between the two of them, they were able to loosen him up a little. Taerae wasn’t a bad dancer, not by any means, but without enough alcohol in him, public dancing was a tall order. And if Hanbin were to do the math, he was pretty sure Taerae was right on the edge of it, so he was left with a slightly off-rhythm but very giggly dance partner.
He didn’t mind.
Pushing his hair back, he wrapped his arms around Taerae’s neck and let himself relax. Maybe they were right. A night out felt good. Better than anything else had in months. The next few songs were a blur, melding together as the night wore on. At some point, Matthew had been lost to the crowd, dancing from one pretty girl to another pretty boy.
Hanbin let himself be pulled from Taerae by several partners as well, high off the heat of the dance floor. A few of them were okay, while one was completely terrible—offbeat and handsy—but the next guy after him was solid. Hands were hot on his hips and he was thrilled that this man could at least follow the beat. The guy was attractive enough, but he wasn’t quite Hanbin’s type, shorter than him and dressed in ugly neon pants.
Sticking around for more than one song, Hanbin caught Taerae’s eyes over the man’s shoulders. He was grinning approvingly. Taerae had been the number one proponent of the ‘get over him by getting under someone else’ method of healing Hanbin's broken heart. Hanbin had been vehemently opposed.
But for the first time, Hanbin made an effort to stay close and think about giving the guy a chance. He tried to imagine kissing the man in front of him, guiding him smoothly across the floor, but it made the alcohol rise in his stomach. As they danced, a sort of numbness seeped up through Hanbin’s limbs, unfeeling of anything around him.
The man’s hands were heavy on his waist. Everything about him was slightly off. His hair was too short, his eyebrows too neat. He was attractive, the perfect rebound, but Hanbin couldn’t bring himself to get any closer.
“Do you wanna get out of here?” The man yelled into Hanbin’s ear, which, ow, that was loud. He pushed against the other's chest lightly and gave him an apologetic smile.
“Can’t, sorry! Promised my friend I’d be a good wingman tonight.” Hanbin waved vaguely in the direction that Matthew and Taerae had last been seen.
He hoped the man with the ugly pants hadn’t seen him dance with them earlier, as it was now painstakingly obvious that neither of them needed his help. Matthew was completely intertwined with a tall college-aged kid who looked a bit nervous as Matthew ground against him, while Taerae had found some other man to dance with.
The man nodded. “Chill. Have a good night!” Nonplussed, he turned off to find a more willing party.
Sighing, Hanbin tried not to let the interaction ruin his night. It was fine, he just wasn’t ready. It was aggravating to know that he was wasting a whole year on this broken heart, but with how he was feeling he wasn’t sure that he would be getting over it any time soon.
Hanbin pushed his hair back from where it had fallen out of its meticulous styling, and wound his way back to Matthew and Taerae. He figured he would try his luck separating Taerae from his partner first. He tapped impatiently at Taerae’s shoulder to get his attention. Taerae nodded at the man apologetically, before turning to dance with Hanbin again.
“What happened with that guy? He was hot.” Taerae yelled in his ear, swaying with Hanbin in time.
“Did you see his pants?
Taerae rolled his eyes, coming to a stop. “You’re just being picky. They weren’t that bad.”
Of course Taerae would say that. Hanbin loved his friend, but Taerae was not someone who he would ever go to for fashion advice. Even now, he was wearing tall, bright orange platform sneakers with patterned blue pants.
Hanbin pitched forward, draped himself around Taerae, and whined, “Picky is good! Picky means I only date quality people.”
Picky is the reason that you’re lonely, Hanbin’s mind supplied. He swore he could feel Taerae thinking it beneath him. The alcohol he had been downing earlier sat heavily in his stomach.
He felt Taerae awkwardly pat his back before gripping his hand, sensing the change in Hanbin’s demeanor. “Come on, let’s go get some water.”
The two of them pushed their way out of the crowd, winding their way over to the area with sticky, drink covered tables. Hanbin dropped solidly into a booth and Taerae fell into the seat next to him, more than a little tipsy.
“You know, I know we don’t talk about it…” Taerae started loudly, cheeks flushed. Immediately, Hanbin groaned and dropped his head onto the table with a loud thunk, unable to meet his friend's eyes. “But I think it’s good that you’re having fun tonight. Even just dancing with people is a good start.”
“It’s not like I got broken up with or anything, Taerae-yah.” Hanbin said. He sat up and fiddled with one of his rings. “It’s not like we were official.”
“I know, hyung, I know,” Taerae said, leaning in close with a pout on his lips, “but I think that it’s made it harder on you.”
Before Hanbin could say anything else, a sharp “There you guys are!” cut through the air.
Matthew arrived at the table, the tall boy he had been dancing with in tow, hand gripping Matthew’s tightly. “You just disappeared!”
“Sorry!” Hanbin smiled, grateful for the interruption. “My feet were getting tired.”
Matthew rolled his eyes. “I saw you dance twelve hours a day in college. Can’t believe you’ve gotten so weak in your old age!”
“That was one year ago!” Hanbin protested, looking at Taerae for help. The other merely shrugged.
“You’re the one who said it.” Hanbin should have known better—Taerae was never helpful in an argument. He was always keen to point out facts and inconsistencies, but never to help defend someone in the wrong.
“I got tired! I’m not old, I’m just out of practice!” Hanbin stole Taerae’s drink in retaliation.
Sighing dramatically, Matthew fell into the booth opposite them, tugging his companion down. The guy came easily, draping his arm over Matthew’s shoulder.
“Who’s your friend?” Taerae asked. In a moment of confusion, Matthew stared at the man next to him in alarm. He laughed at Matthew's expression.
“I haven’t told you my name yet, don’t worry!” he said, giggling into Matthew, fixing his birthday crown from where it had fallen askew. “It’s Gunwook.”
Gunwook, Hanbin thought, was exactly Matthew’s type—tall, dark hair, with a broad set of shoulders under his shirt. The perfect birthday present, who, judging by his hands already running underneath Matthew’s tank top, was already a more than willing gift.
Matthew seemed to notice too, leaning up to kiss Gunwook without offering his own name in return. In seconds, Hanbin and Taerae were lost to the pair in front of him.
Unwilling to witness his best friend's tongue down the stranger’s throat, Hanbin glanced at Taerae in alarm. He was having no such issues, staring at the two in front of him with a look of abject disdain on his face. He coughed pointedly, but to no avail, Matthew quite literally waving him off without looking.
“Well,” Taerae said, clapping his hands, “I’m going to see if I can find the guy from earlier. Hyung, do you want to dance again?”
Hanbin was trying to ignore the couple in front of him. In all honesty, he should take Taerae up on his offer, even just for exposure therapy. The thought of his most recent dating attempt still filled him with an untouchable wave of sadness and embarrassment. He deserved redemption, he deserved something fun. Something new. But he just didn’t want it.
He shook his head at Taerae’s request. “I’m alright. I think I’ll just call a cab!”
At that, Matthew detached himself from Gunwook, looking at Hanbin with a frown. “Hyung, you should stay!”
Hanbin shook his head with a laugh. “And how much longer are you going to stay?” He gestured to Matthew’s hand that had found its way beneath Gunwook’s shirt.
Flipping him off, Matthew climbed fully into Gunwook’s lap. “Fair point! Thanks for coming out tonight!”
Hanbin stood, leaning over the table to drop a kiss on Matthew’s head. “Happy birthday, Chuu-yah.”
Leaving the newly formed couple behind, Hanbin and Taerae wandered towards the door. It took a minute, the club was significantly more busy than it had been when they arrived. Taerae was still looking at him critically while Hanbin was trying desperately to think of something, anything, to change the topic from what it was before Matthew had interrupted them.
Before Hanbin could find words, Taerae pulled him into a quick hug. Hanbin sighed and patted him on the back. Taerae wasn’t one for big emotional moments, but recently Hanbin had been getting more physical affection from his friend than before.
Taerae only squeezed him tighter and whispered in his ear. “Hyung, you deserve to be happy.”
Immediately, Hanbin blushed, pushing Taerae back slightly and stumbling over his heel. Ducking his head down to avoid his friend’s gaze, Hanbin rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. “Don't be so dramatic. I am happy.”
Taerae threw Hanbin a look that clearly said, well I don’t believe you, and spun back towards the dance floor. This was the Taerae Hanbin was comfortable with, calling it as it was and wasting no time to argue it. The flashing lights of the club illuminated his silhouette as he blew a kiss at Hanbin.
“Just think about it!” He called over his shoulder before getting lost within the crowd.
Pushing the door of the club open into the freezing night air, Hanbin did not want to think about it. He had been specifically not thinking about his love life—or lack thereof—for almost a year, and it had been working perfectly fine.
Sort of.
Maybe he cried a little bit more than he should and maybe the idea of dating again made him want to peel his skin off, but it was okay. Maybe he thought about dying alone most nights as he lay in his cold bed, staring at an empty pillow next to him. It wasn’t anything to be concerned about. That was something everyone felt in their mid-twenties.
Suddenly, several gasps behind him made him jump.
“Oh my god, it’s snowing!”
A group of girls who were huddled out in front of the club smoking, shrieked in delight at the large flakes that had begun to fall from the black sky.
“Oh, the first snow of the year! So roma-a-antic.” One of them exclaimed, smacking a loud kiss on her friend's cheek. She dissolved into tipsy giggles, holding herself up on the wall.
“Do you think it’s romantic?”
The voice, painstakingly familiar, echoed through Hanbin’s head, rooting his boots to the sidewalk. It had snowed much earlier last year, late one September night. That night, Hanbin had finally understood why people said that it was romantic to spend the first snow with someone.
Above him, a white flurry spiraled down from the darkness, Hanbin’s eyes tracing its arc as it fell. Slowly, more and more followed, catching on his hair.
“For the first time, I might.”
Hanbin wished so badly that he could take it back.
The snow began to fall thick and fast in front of Hanbin, exactly like it had done a little over a year ago. White swirls danced their way through the night air and landed on top of Hanbin’s eyelashes. He could almost hear a familiar laugh through the cold darkness.
He blinked, glancing up and down the street. There was no tall figure under a street light, no fluffy hat and long legs offering him an arm on the slippery snow. Hanbin was alone on the road, trekking up the street far away from the laughter and thrumming bass of the club behind him.
There were few people on the road this time of night. Several others wandered loudly between clubs as Hanbin nearly slipped in the fresh snow, distracted by his ever growing misery. A cab would get him home in a little over five minutes, but Hanbin carried on, hoping that walking would make him feel better.
Vaguely, Hanbin wondered if he would feel this miserable each time it snowed for the rest of his life. By the time things had ended it was a bit into spring, but, before that, Hanbin had spent nearly every snowfall that year with him. This was the first time that he was alone again.
His miserable spiral paused at a noise. Hanbin heard a rustling to the side, snapping his head towards the dark alley on his left.
Nothing looked out of place, the shadowy shapes were still and quiet underneath a fresh blanket of snow. Hanbin had always been a bit too jumpy for his own good and walking home at night, even on a familiar path, had his heart thudding loudly.
Hurrying faster up the hill, Hanbin wished that he had brought a coat with him. The cold snow and the night air pierced through the sheer shirt and tank top he had borrowed from Matthew. Alcohol was a better coat when he wasn’t alone. He stuck his hands in his armpits, ducking his head down. Maybe a cab wouldn’t have been such a bad idea after all.
A muffled series of thumps echoed down the street, this time coming from behind him. The hair on the back of Hanbin’s neck stood straight up. As he turned quickly, his foot slipped on the snowy pavement. A sharp pain cut through his hand as Hanbin collided with the sidewalk, rough cement tearing through the skin of his palm.
“Oh my god! I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you!” An unfamiliar woman’s voice rang out, frantic at his fall.
Hanbin sat up, clutching his injured hand to his chest, and looked at the woman. She was tall, in a long winter coat with bleach blonde hair. Her eyes were wide as she ran over to him, nearly slipping herself in the snow.
“Careful!” Hanbin said when she nearly fell on top of him. He struggled to his feet, standing a little over her. “We don’t need two people hurt!”
“Oh no!” She gasped, “Are you hurt?”
Hanbin curled his hand up, hoping to hide the bubbling spots of blood from her.
“Just skinned my palm, that’s all. Nothing to worry about!”
“Gosh, I’m so sorry. I really didn’t mean to scare you.” She said, eyebrows still knotted in worry. “Do you need me to take a look at it?”
“Ah, no, that’s okay!” Hanbin waved his non-injured hand at her. There was something about this that was giving him déjà vu. “It’s just a graze.”
She worried her lip between two perfect rows of teeth, still staring at his palm. “If you’re sure…”
“I am!” He reassured her. The snow was falling densely now, blurring the road around them.
“Okay…” she looked back up at him, tilting her head as though she was studying him, “um, I’m sorry, but you look pretty familiar… Do I know you from somewhere?”
The woman wasn't recognizable to Hanbin at all as he squinted at her, hoping he wasn’t so drunk he was forgetting faces. She was in her late twenties, with sharp eyeliner and a dark red lip balancing out her high cheekbones. There was a mole above her left eyebrow. It wasn’t a particularly forgettable look.
Hanbin shrugged. “I’m not sure? I graduated from SNU last year and I work at a nearby dance studio. Maybe we went to school together?”
“Hmmm, no, that’s not it,” she said, still studying Hanbin’s face. Her eyes widened as she snapped her fingers, “Oh! I know! You know Zhang Hao!”
Cold breath caught in Hanbin’s lungs. He hadn’t heard Zhang Hao’s name in months—not after he had banned it from being uttered in his apartment. But now this woman was standing here, grinning at him, as though she hadn’t just plunged his heart into an icy ocean.
“I-I—” Hanbin stuttered, words caught in his throat, “I… I do. I know him, yeah.”
He finished lamely, hoping that that would be it. He had no idea how she knew that he and Hao had been involved in any capacity.
She laughed gleefully, high pitched joy echoing off of the buildings on either side of them. “I knew it! You’re Hanbin, right?”
Taken aback, Hanbin nodded jerkily, “Yes. Um, I’m sorry, but I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t think we’ve ever met?”
“Oh, no, we haven’t,” she said tossing her hair absentmindedly. “I just recognized you from pictures and his stories, that’s all!”
Pictures…
Hanbin had never taken a single picture when he was with Hao. The other had never liked them, always insisting that neither of their beauty could be captured on something as simple as a camera. Besides, he doubted that Hao had truly ever cared about Hanbin enough to talk about him with his friends. Hanbin himself hadn’t even known that Hao had had friends.
In time, Hao had made himself into a rather convincing ghost. Hanbin had no trace of him except a contact in his phone and his memories. He knew that Hao had the same—no pictures to speak of. The other might have even deleted Hanbin’s contact at this point.
Before he could explain that, a sleek black car pulled up alongside them. The tires crunched in the snow as it slowly came to a stop. A handsome man stepped out, tall with a square jaw and a heavy winter coat on. He was the kind of man that looked like he belonged in film, with a face that deserved to be projected large across a cinema screen. At the sight of him, the woman in front of Hanbin stepped back, rolling her eyes at his presence.
“What brings you here, Jiwoong-ssi?” She called, arms crossed.
The man smiled, but it wasn’t imbued with any kindness. There was a sharp quality to it, one that sent a chill running through Hanbin. Stepping around the car, the newcomer—Jiwoong—Hanbin’s intoxicated brain supplied, positioned himself near Hanbin. Instinctually, he immediately tried to move back from the man. As he did, a firm hand gripped his shoulder tightly, holding him in place.
“Just here to take Hanbin-ssi home.” Jiwoong said, pulling Hanbin closer to him, who nearly fell again on the icy ground.
“What?” Now, Hanbin truly had no idea what was going on. There was no world in which this man, dressed in a thousand dollar jacket, was here to take Hanbin home. He tried to move away, but the other held fast to him.
“Ah,” Jiwoong said, seeming to catch his confusion. He turned, locking eyes with Hanbin for the first time. Hanbin couldn’t look away as the man’s voice dipped low. “Don’t worry about anything. Your friend sent me to pick you up when he saw it was snowing. He didn’t want you walking home alone tonight.”
Jiwoong’s irises were dark, inky black, and inviting. For some reason, Hanbin found what Jiwoong was saying plausible. It had probably been Taerae, worried about him walking. He nodded at Jiwoong, unable to take his eyes off the other.
He was right after all, there was no need to worry when he had a friend as good as Taerae keeping an eye on him.
The woman snorted derisively. “Subtle as always, Jiwoong-ssi.”
Jiwoong paid her no mind, guiding Hanbin smoothly towards the passenger seat of his car. Hanbin found himself moving easily, letting Jiwoong’s hands help him into the car.
This isn’t right. A small voice was whispering somewhere in the back of Hanbin’s mind. Jiwoong slammed the door shut next to him, leaving Hanbin alone inside.
Voices carried on, muffled by the car, while Hanbin sat motionless, a pleasant ringing in his ears drowning everything else out.
This isn’t right.
Hanbin’s body was as heavy as lead as he shivered in the cold car. Jiwoong apparently hadn’t needed the heat on with his thick coat, but Hanbin’s sheer clothing was doing nothing to trap his body heat. His head was swimming, but not from the alcohol. A fog blanketed his mind, pierced only by a soft voice, his own, whispering, not right, not right, not right.
After a few moments, the driver’s side door opened and Jiwoong slid into the car next to him. Despite how thick Hanbin’s tongue felt in his mouth, he tried to form words to ask Jiwoong a question.
“Do you…” Hanbin trailed off as Jiwoong’s eyes found his again. Shutting his own tightly, Hanbin leaned back against the seat, shivering. “Do you—do you need my address?”
“No, your friend gave it to me. Don’t worry.”
The words washed over Hanbin, lulling him deeper into the seat. There was nothing to worry about. He would be home soon.
Not right, whispered the tiny voice in his head.
“I-I’m not…” Hanbin started, unable to continue, “I think I had too much to drink.”
A cold hand patted Hanbin’s forearms. “That’s okay. We will be there soon. Just rest.”
Hanbin's eyes slid shut unknowingly.
The car moved smoothly up the road, lights passing over Hanbin’s eyelids. Time seemed to be moving like molasses. Hanbin was unable to track where they were going as he tried to open his eyes again. His brain was fighting him, trying to force his body to move, but each time he shifted, a strong current of manufactured calmness ebbed through him as the ringing sound returned. Everything grew dark and hazy around him.
.˚⭒⏾⋆.˚
It’s not right.
Hanbin wrenched his eyes open, sitting up against the passenger seat of the car. His back was coated in sweat, sticking to the leather upholstery. His head spun from the alcohol as he tried to focus on what was in front of him.
The car lurched into a parking garage that Hanbin had never seen before. Panic overrode everything else in his mind.
“This isn’t—this isn’t where I live!” Hanbin gasped, fighting to get each word out. They were lodged in his throat, sticking on their way up. “W-what are you doing? Where are we?”
Jiwoong stared at him in something that seemed to be amazement.
“Are you…” With a disbelieving grin, Jiwoong didn’t bother finishing his sentence, backing smoothly into a parking spot. “It’ll make sense in a moment, Hanbin-ssi.”
Hanbin struggled to undo his seatbelt, everything in him pushing him to get out of the car as fast as he could. As soon as he undid the clasp, his door opened, revealing the strange man. Jiwoong smiled at him placatingly through the window, but it didn’t reach his eyes. A shiver ran down Hanbin’s back.
Hanbin leaned away from the door. Jiwoong was blocking his only exit and even if Hanbin did escape the car without Jiwoong immediately grabbing hold of him, he had never been a particularly fast runner. He was sure that the other would catch him in a moment.
Before he could make up his mind, Jiwoong opened his door all the way, reaching in and grabbing his forearm.
“Come with me.”
Hanbin froze in his seat, skin prickling as cold air filled the car. Every fiber in his body urged him to move, to follow Jiwoong, but something was wrong.
He shook his head. “No. Not until you explain where you’re taking me.”
Jiwoong exhaled exasperatedly, muttering something under his breath. Lowering himself further so that he was even with Hanbin, Jiwoong’s eyes met his own, black pools drawing him in again. “Come with me. Now, Hanbin-ssi.”
Hanbin’s body moved against his will. He followed Jiwoong out of the car towards the elevator, fighting to regain control of himself. They entered the elevator, Jiwoong gripping Hanbin’s arm in one hand and swiping an ID card against a scanner below the buttons. He pressed the button on the top of the wall labeled P-3. Immediately, the elevator lurched upwards, pulling them up higher and higher, until Hanbin’s ears popped. With a ding! the elevator doors slid open, revealing a gently lit, elegant hall.
Numbly, Hanbin was led out of the elevator and down the hallway, towards a door with a gold P-3 plaque screwed into it. The faint and soothing ringing in the back of his head returned, growing louder and louder with each passing second. Jiwoong typed the code into the apartment lock, pushing open the door and leading Hanbin inside.
The apartment was beautiful. If Hanbin had been able to open his mouth, he would have made a comment about the chandelier in the center of the foyer ceiling and the matching antique furniture and wooden floors. It was a sort of grandeur that he hadn’t seen in his lifetime. Intricate rugs and paintings blurred together in front of him.
“Hello?” Jiwoong called out, bringing them through the foyer. There was no response. Jiwoong sighed, pointing at a plush armchair. “Wait here.”
Hanbin was forced to follow the instruction, his feet shuffling along the polished floors. Everytime Jiwoong told him what to do, everything grew quiet and fuzzy in his mind. He sat still in the armchair, unable to move or think for himself.
Hanbin stared at his hands where they were resting in his lap, fingers aching to play with his rings from stress. No matter how hard he tried, not a single finger moved.
“I told you just to watch him, why did you bring him here?” A voice hissed from down the hall.
I know that voice. Hanbin’s mind whispered through the static.
“It wasn’t safe, they know who he is now. I told you. You have to take responsibility.”
Hanbin tried to turn his head. He wanted to see where the voices were coming from. Were they looking at him? It felt like they might be. His fingers swam in front of him as he remained motionless.
Wait here.
The command zipped through his head again, urging him back under. The voices faded into a dull whisper again. His vision blurred again, growing dark at the edges.
“Hanbin?”
I know that voice.
Hanbin’s eyes focused. Familiar wide eyes blinked back at him.
Hao.
This couldn't be happening.
“Hanbin, can you hear me?”
Zhang Hao was kneeling in front of Hanbin’s chair, one hand placed gently on Hanbin’s knee. He had no idea when it had gotten there. Hanbin fought to jerk back, wanting nothing more than to get Hao’s hand off of him. His leg muscle spasmed in place as Hanbin’s mind tried desperately to gain control of his body again.
He didn’t want Hao to be this close to him, to be touching him.
Immediately, Hao removed his hand, somehow aware of what Hanbin was trying to do.
“Hey, Hanbin. It’s okay.” He was speaking softly, caringly, as though calming a frightened animal.
Mutely, Hanbin shook his head. It only moved a centimeter back and forth. Something’s wrong. The words failed to escape his throat, still trapped below what Jiwoong had done to him.
“God, Jiwoong, how far under did you put him?” Hao snapped at Jiwoong.
Jiwoong raised his hands in self defense. “He kept breaking out of it, I had to do it a couple times.”
Hao shook his head, angry. “You shouldn’t have brought him here if he didn’t want to come!”
In the months that he and Hao had known each other, Hanbin had never heard him raise his voice once. He shrank back further, his mind returning to him bit by bit.
“I told you, I had no other choice!” Jiwoong argued, “Did you want me to leave him with her? Or just take him back to his apartment? Put him and his friends in danger?”
Still kneeling, Hao shook his head.
In the time they had been apart, his dark hair had gotten longer, falling past his eyes. He looked the same to Hanbin, still just as handsome in the oversized pink hoodie he wore so often. Hanbin wanted to cry. He had hoped to never see Hao again.
“You could have taken him to yours,” Hao muttered, “it’s safe there too.”
“And told him what, exactly, Hao? Do you think he would have believed me?”
It was like Hanbin's ears couldn’t quite catch up to the conversion while his eyes tried to believe that Hao was in front of him. Belatedly, Hanbin registered something that Jiwoong had said.
“D-danger?” He stuttered out, so softly he would have sworn the words were impossible to hear if the two men hadn’t turned to look at him in surprise.
“Back already?” Hao asked gently, hand reaching for Hanbin’s leg again, only to pause, dropping it back through the empty air between them. Hanbin’s hand twitched. He didn't know why.
“I told you. He still must have an attachment to you,” Jiwoong stated, arms crossed, “this is bad.”
“Jiwoong.” Hao said warningly, eyes still fixated on Hanbin. “Stop.”
Hanbin blinked slowly. “W-what did you do… to me?”
Hao grimaced at the sound of Hanbin’s voice, small in fear. “Jiwoong put you in a trance. He thought it would be easier than just asking you to go with him.”
Squeezing his eyes shut, Hanbin focused as hard as he possibly could on Hao’s words. The more he spoke, the clearer the world around Hanbin became.
“How did he… how did he do that?” Hanbin asked, glancing at the man behind Hao.
In the dim lighting of the room, Jiwoong stood in a white button down, eyeing Hanbin in distrust. He looked older than he had seemed on the street, with a deep set exhaustion to his eyes, but he still looked like a normal man.
Hao sighed. “Hanbin…” he pursed his lips together, as though what he was saying was the last thing on Earth he wanted to be sharing. “There's some things that I need to tell you. I owe you an explanation.”
“I’m a vampire,” Jiwoong said crossly, “and so is your boyfriend.”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
“I’m not his boyfriend.”
Hao and Hanbin spoke at the same time, anger meeting resignation in their words.
Hanbin bristled, embarrassed at Jiwoong’s word choice. “This isn’t funny.”
In all honesty, he didn't have a clue why Hao would be friends with someone like Jiwoong—someone who not only did something to him that made Hanbin feel like he was drugged, but then had the audacity to joke about it instead of owning up to what he did.
Vampire…
How stupid did they think he was?
He tried to push himself to stand, but his legs still refused to listen to him.
“Is this some kind of a joke? S-some funny game to play on the guy who you led on for half a year? You decided you needed a little bit more fun?”
In front of him, Hao bit his lip, eyebrows drawn in concern. Hanbin had to give it to him—he was a good actor.
“I—” Hao cleared his throat, turning back to look at Jiwoong, “it’s not a joke.”
With that, he stood up, moving to the chaise across from Hanbin. He gestured for Jiwoong to sit as well before turning to Hanbin.
“Hanbin. He wasn't lying. Jiwoong is a vamp—”
“Right!” Hanbin said, hysteria creeping in. He had accepted that he hadn’t meant much to Hao, but he had no idea that Hao was mean. Did he think that he was stupid? “Because vampires are suddenly real? And you’ve both decided to kidnap me?”
“No that’s not—”
“But he did kidnap me!” Hanbin pointed at Jiwoong, relieved that his hand moved. It was unsteady in the air, but under his own control nonetheless. “You said he put me in some kind of trance.”
Jiwoong snorted. “We aren’t messing with you.”
“Jiwoong, stop.” Hao said sharply. "It's not funny."
“Humans are so stupid sometimes.” Jiwoong muttered, sinking into his chair. "I hate this part."
“Humans…” Hanbin repeated back faintly. “I’m not… I’m not stupid.”
“No, of course you aren’t,” Hao said, shooting another glare at Jiwoong.
Jiwoong rolled his eyes again, before settling them on Hanbin again. Hanbin couldn't bear to meet his gaze again, fixating on the painting on the wall behind him. Its painted mountains were yellowed with age.
Hao’s warning didn't stop Jiwoong from saying his piece, gesturing at Hanbin with a wave as he spoke.
“He spent months around you, Hao, and didn’t think anything was weird? He didn’t notice that he was in love with a vampire? Pretty stupid if you ask me.”
“I wasn’t—I didn’t.” Hanbin protested, cheeks flaming hot. Miserably, Hanbin glared at Jiwoong before he looked at Hao angrily. “Why aren’t you saying anything? You’re just going to let your friend talk to me like this?”
Hao was silent for a moment. His shoulders hunched protectively around himself as he tugged on the hem of his sleeve. His eyes slid over Hanbin’s face briefly before glazing over, flitting around the room.
“He’s not lying to you.” Hao said quietly. “About me being a vampire.”
This was the stupidest conversation of Hanbin's entire life. Whatever Jiwoong had done to him left his already inebriated brain unable to handle another second of it.
Finally—thankfully—Hanbin had the strength to get to his feet.
For half a year he had found himself at Hao’s beck and call. He had planned his days around spending time with the other. He had thought that he might have known Hao, at least what kind of a person he was. While Hao had never let Hanbin particularly close to him, he had never done anything like this. Whatever this was, whether it was some kind of stupid prank Hao and his friend thought of or a psychotic break, Hanbin wanted no part in it.
Humiliated, Hanbin moved towards the front door.
“Hanbin, wait, please.” Hao sounded like the words had left him unbidden.
Hanbin shook his head, staring at the floor.
“Hyung,” Hanbin’s voice cracked, “if you don’t stop messing with me, I’m going to leave.”
In the blink of an eye, Hao appeared in front of Hanbin. With a strangled yelp, Hanbin fell backwards, only to be caught by Hao who had somehow moved behind him without a visible step.
“What?” Hanbin gasped, pulling himself out of Hao’s grasp as quickly as he could. “How–” he backed up until his back hit the wall of the hallway. “How did you…?”
Hao ran his hand through his hair, leaving a single strand pointing upwards in the air. Last year, Hanbin would have reached out to smooth it down. This year, he stared at Hao in abject horror.
“Jiwoong was telling the truth, Hanbin.” Hao sounded miserable, staring at the empty floor between him and Hanbin. “I’m so sorry.”
“T-that you’re a vampire?” Hanbin laughed in disbelief. “There’s no way, they don’t—they aren’t…” but Hanbin trailed off when Hao looked back up at him. He was so upset that Hanbin couldn’t help but pause.
Zhang Hao’s emotions had always pulled on Hanbin’s heart, as though they had some larger than life gravitational pull.
In the silence, Hao lifted his upper lip. Slowly, Hanbin watched as Hao’s incisor elongated, descending until it formed a sharp, deadly tip. He gasped, pressing himself further up against the wall. At the movement, Hao dropped his lip, stepping back even further from him.
“I’m sorry, Hanbin," Hao wasn't even looking at him. "I didn’t want you to find out.”
Before Hanbin even understood what he was doing, he turned and ran out towards the front door. Heart pounding in his ears, Hanbin couldn’t hear what Hao was saying to him from the living room as he fumbled with the lock. He sprinted down the hall, jamming the elevator call button over and over, not breathing a sigh of relief until the doors slid shut in front of him. Surely they would follow him.
But as the elevator door opened to the ground floor, the lobby was silent. The apartment complex was opulent, a vaulted ceiling with cascading lights shimmering down on the marble floor. Hanbin paid it no mind, rushing towards the door. There were no pounding feet in the stairwell or shouts from above. Hanbin didn’t want to wait to see if there would be. The doorman simply watched as Hanbin ran, too panicked to stop to explain anything.
Hurrying out of the building, Hanbin phoned a taxi, reading the building's address off the numbers etched into the brick exterior. He moved towards the shadow, out of sight of the door out of the building.