Chapter Text
The air inside the pawn shop was heavy with the smell of dust and cigarette smoke.
Changbin coughed into his hand as he waited, watching the old man behind the counter work. It took nearly half an hour of Changbin standing there, trying to avoid eye contact with the taxidermied bat on the counter next to him, but eventually the old man took off his goggles.
“This is a nice watch.” The old man held up the golden watch Changbin had given him. “A little scuffed, but valuable nonetheless. To be honest, it’s worth a lot more than I’m able to pay you. Are you sure you want to sell it to me?”
Changbin nodded, trying not to seem too desperate as the old man searched his face for any sign of hesitancy. Changbin knew the watch was worth more than anything else in this dingy pawn shop, both in price-per-gram and sentimental value, but he didn’t have time.
So, he said “please” and motioned for the man to ring him up.
After looking Changbin up and down, the old man sighed and placed the watch on the counter between them. From a drawer below the till, he procured a notepad and an old-fashioned ink pen.
“Watches like yours go fast, so make sure to come in soon,” the old man explained as he filled in the details of the watch, adorning it with a little paper tag that matched the number on the notepad before he continued, “If you’re sure, sign and stamp at the bottom.”
For the first time since he’d come in, Changbin felt a twinge of hesitancy. He knew he wouldn’t be able to buy the watch back. He didn’t have that kind of money. It was the reason he’d come in here to sell the watch in the first place. The watch had been given to him by his father and was the last thing he’d left of him apart from a plate in a memorial hall that he never visited. Changbin took a deep breath, putting his signature and stamp at the bottom of the pawn contract. His father was dead. He no longer needed the watch. Changbin had family that was still alive and needed the money.
The old man took the notepad and handed Changbin his bleed-through copy and just like that, it was done.
“I don’t have that much cash in the till, is a wire transfer okay with you?”
Changbin smiled. “A wire transfer is perfect.”
He held out his phone and the man tapped away on his own phone until Changbin’s dinged. His heart stuttered a little at the number popping up on his screen. He didn’t think he’d ever had this much money in his bank account.
“Son,” the old man called him back when Changbin moved towards the door.
Changbin stopped short, his hand on the polished silver handle of the shop.
“You look like a fine young man. Sensible. Don’t you go spend that money on drugs, or worse, at one of those fanger clubs. You won’t come out alive of those, boy. I’ve seen it before.” The old man patted the stuffed bat next to him. “It’s best to stay away.”
Changbin felt a little laugh build up in his throat. Maybe it was the money high or the outdated way the old man spoke about their fellow fanged citizens, but he knew it was best not to argue.
“Yes, sir.” He ducked his head and he wasn’t lying when he said, “I don’t plan to go anywhere near any vampires.”
The old man seemed satisfied with that, waving him away.
Changbin left the shop. It was cold out, the autumn moon high in the sky. It stank in the back alley, but Changbin still smiled as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. The first thing he did was another wire transfer. Then, he pulled up his contacts and pressed on the only one he had saved under Favorites.
He let it ring until an automated voice told him that his call had failed.
Changbin frowned, pulling his phone from his ear before he noticed the date displayed on his lockscreen. It was a Wednesday so his brother had a late class.
9.54 p.m. [changbinbin]: hyung took care of your semester fees. i transferred the money already so don’t even try to argue with me. rather tell me what u want for dinner. i’ll get some take-out on the way back.
He finished his text off with a sticker of a cheering pig and sent it off.
Feeling quite satisfied with himself and the world, he started walking up the alley towards the main street. He now had plenty of money he could have spent on a taxi, but taking the bus was more economical and he knew tiny allowances led to big allowances led to him being broke again sooner rather than later. It was something he had to try to avoid, at least until his brother was out of university.
He was almost at the mouth of the alley when a noise to his right startled him. He flinched, cursing as his phone slipped from his fingers. Gagging at the heightened smell of piss and garbage, he crouched down to pick it back up.
“Holy shit!”
He nearly dropped his phone a second time when he came back up to find that he was no longer alone. The man in front of him was probably the most beautiful he’d ever seen. He was taller than Changbin and slimmer, with elegant features and a beautifully shaped mouth.
It pulled into a bashful smile as Changbin stared at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”
The smell of alcohol and cheap perfume filled Changbin’s nose as the stranger leaned closer, staggering a little. He must have come from one of the clubs on the main alley, his eyes glassy as he tried to focus on Changbin.
“No worries.” Changbin chuckled, his smile falling when he noticed that the stranger was shivering. It wasn’t that surprising, considering he was dressed scantily in tight leather pants and a sheer top. Changbin hastily took off the cheap zip-up hoodie he was wearing. “Here, you must be super cold! Did you lose your friends? Do you want me to take you back to the club?”
The stranger watched as Changbin placed the hoodie around his shoulders, his pupils visibly dilating. “You’re kind.”
Changbin shrugged, feeling his cheeks flush when the stranger curled a cold hand around his bare arm. “It’s nothing.”
“You look strong too.”
“Well,” he laughed awkwardly, instinctively flexing his biceps. “I work out sometimes, yes.”
The stranger looked up at him and Changbin felt his smile fall when he found himself struggling to break eye contact. A chill went up his spine. Suddenly, those dark eyes unnerved him. They were devouring him as if hungry, and not in a fun way.
Changbin forced another chuckle, subtly trying to shake the stranger’s hand off his arm, but it was impossible. Like being caught in the grip of a marble statue.
“You are strong.” The stranger smiled, red bleeding into the whites of his eyes as he bared his teeth. Changbin gasped when he saw fangs.
“You’re a—”
The rest of his words got caught in his throat when the cool hand holding him moved from his arm to his cheek, softly caressing his warm skin.
The vampire cooed, looking at him with what almost looked like adoration. “You will survive, won’t you?”
“W-what?”
He struggled openly now, trying to free himself but he might as well have wrestled with a boulder. He was powerless when cool fingers wrapped around his throat, his back hitting the brick wall behind him as the vampire pushed them into the shadows.
“Please,” he tried. “I have a family.”
Something about his words seemed to enrage the vampire instead of calming him and Changbin whimpered when the vampire dropped his jaw, his fangs flashing.
“Please,” Changbin begged, but it was of no use.
His world exploded into pain as sharp teeth dug into the juncture of his neck. The last thing he registered was the smell of iron, and a cool hand wiping the tears off his face as he fell away.