Chapter Text
Going home to spend precious time with family…that’s what most college students did during their winter holiday break. That was also something that Byun Euijoo had failed to do for the past two years. It wasn’t because he didn’t want to. It was because he was never asked to come over.
Ever since he graduated high school, his parents had been at each other’s throats every second they spent breathing. It was unbearable to be around, so much so that he decided to attend a college in Japan rather than South Korea. When he got the call this holiday break to come visit, he was elated. It had been a while since he had seen his parents in person, even if they talked over text quite often. He looked forward to having fun with them during the holidays like he used to when he was a child. But then he actually arrived…and as he stood here watching his parents relentlessly argue in front of him, he could see that there was anything but love under this roof.
“Stop it!” He screamed, immediately shutting the both of them up. “If all you were gonna do was fight while I’m here, then why the hell did you even call me to come home in the first place?!”
He rarely raised his voice…anyone that knew him was aware of that. He was sort of shy and smiled often, but that was far from the persona that he was showing right now. His parents only looked mildly surprised, because it was apparent that they expected this much from him seeing the atmosphere they were trapped in. It was as if they had intended this to happen, as if they intended on having him show up only to make him miserable. He didn’t want to understand it….but the moment his mother opened her mouth…the reality of their future became crystal clear to him.
“…We’re getting a divorce.”
Euijoo couldn’t stop his mouth from falling open slightly, his heart sinking six feet under into the deep depths of the grave he would inevitably be placed into eventually. Somehow, he still felt shocked even if he should have seen the signs that this was coming. For the moment, he wasn’t sure if he could really feel the pain. All he felt was anger, the fact that they chose to do this to him during a season where it was essential to seek warmth from loved ones. He started thinking about all of the good memories they shared when he was a child…all of the time they spent laughing and smiling together. Seeing the three of them like this now, it was hard to tell that they were even the same family…or really a family at all.
“…How could you do this to me? You called me to come all the way home for this?!” He shouted, feeling the need to lash out just to continue feeling anything at all.
“Euijoo, this isn’t really about you! This is about us! You think I wanted to end up here?! It’s not my fault that your father loves the smell of cheap perfume!” His mother vented, and Euijoo was appalled by the fact that she was implying that his father was a cheater. Was that actually true?
“Don’t make this all about me! Euijoo, your mother isn’t a saint either! She’s been stealing money from my bank account for the past year and a half!” His father failed to deny the accusation against him while simultaneously throwing his wife under the bus.
Euijoo just stood there in disbelief with a pounding heart as his parents continued to lay into one another right before his eyes. Any hopes he had of them sharing a warm holiday together were now shattered into a million pieces. They didn’t even seem to acknowledge his presence in the room as they continued to loudly throw shade at each other.
What was this world that he was currently living in? It was completely alien to him…and he couldn’t recognize a single face around him. He wanted to escape. He needed to escape…and he needed to do it now.
Seeing that they failed to notice him at the moment, Euijoo turned around and walked out of the house. He made sure to slam the door, just so that they knew he wasn’t coming back. He hurriedly began to head down the busy streets of Seoul, his eyes filling with tears as the pain finally began to set in.
He couldn’t believe this was happening. He didn’t want to be from a broken home. He tried so hard to be a perfect son. Had he done something wrong? As his mother had said, this wasn’t really about him though. He had done nothing that could have changed how his parents saw each other. They were the ones who started the war, he was just the one who got trapped in the crossfire.
Several tears began to spill from his eyes; his whole world felt like it was crumbling down on him. He pulled out his phone and dialed his best friend’s number, unable to think of anyone else who could comfort him better. He wished his parents would have told him over the phone, to save him the wasted trip here. At least then, his best friend would be around to give him a hug.
“Joojoo, what’s up?” Nicholas nonchalantly answered the call, unaware of the dire situation of his friend’s world.
“They’re getting a divorce.” He trembled out as he continued to aimlessly walk down streets, attempting to hang his head low enough for oncoming traffic to avoid noticing his tears pouring out.
“Wait, what?!” Nicholas exclaimed, Euijoo crossing his arms to ease the cold breeze seeping into his broken heart. He didn’t want it to freeze any more than it already was.
“My parents are getting a divorce. My dad’s been cheating on my mom and my mom’s been stealing money from him. I feel like I don’t even know them anymore. They don’t feel like the same people to me. They feel like strangers.” He cried, immense pain beginning to overtake his being. This wasn’t how he wanted to spent his holiday. He didn’t want to be left alone.
“Euijoo, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.” Nicholas sympathetically apologized, also sounding rather distraught. It wasn’t unnatural, given that the two of them had been friends since middle school. Nicholas spent a lot of time over at his house with his parents. He probably didn’t expect that they’d ever end up here either.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe this is happening to me.” Euijoo sobbed, embarrassed that he was breaking down like this in the middle of the street. He detoured into an alleyway and leaned his back against the brick as tears continued to fall unrelentingly.
“Where are you right now? Are you coming home?” Nicholas worriedly wondered as Euijoo let out a heavy sigh to try and control himself.
“I’m on the street. I’m gonna have to stay in a hotel tonight and book the first flight out.” He explained, unwilling to even sleep under the same roof as his parents. They’d probably keep him up all night with their bickering, and he was positive that one of them was probably sleeping in his room to keep them separate.
“Come see me as soon as you get home. I promise I’ll take care of you and listen to everything you say. Until then, please stay safe and be careful out there, okay?” Nicholas consolingly assured him, somewhat putting Euijoo at ease. He was thankful that he always had one person to come back to that cared so much about him.
“I will. I miss you, Nicho.” He solemnly voiced as he wiped his stained cheeks. He just wanted to be hugged so badly right now.
“I miss you, too. I’ll see you soon, Euijoo.” His friend reciprocated his feelings, putting just a little warmth in his chest.
“Bye, Nicho.” He bid farewell before ending the call.
As soon as he lost his best friend’s voice, he began to feel empty again. He didn’t want to be alone…and he just wanted this pain to go away, even if only temporarily. Although he knew he shouldn’t have, he found his feet leading him to a bar. Now more than ever, he really felt the need to drink.
He continued to wipe away his tears, hoping that no one could tell that he had been crying. From what he remembered, this used to be one of Itaewon’s most popular bars. It definitely still looked like it was, seeing how many people were present inside.
As he looked around, it seemed like so many other people here likely had nowhere else to go. The mood was solemn and the lighting was pretty dim…and for the first time today, he seemed to fit in perfectly. Though maybe he should have paid more attention to where he was going, because he ran face first into someone’s back. The guy turned around and his somewhat piercing gaze had Euijoo frantically bowing to him out of respect.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to run into you. It was an accident.” He hastily voiced in panic with wide eyes. He wasn’t about to get beaten up, right? Despite his cold appearance, the dark haired guy didn’t seem too concerned about the situation. Euijoo figured he should be thankful for that.
“No problem…” The young man quietly assured him, Euijoo awkwardly bowing to him once more in relief before making his way to the bar. Damn, that could have been a close one.
With a heavy sigh, he sat down on one of the stools. How did he end up here? When he woke up this morning, everything felt like it was gonna be okay somehow. He was excited about seeing his parents…and now he couldn’t even face them. He didn’t think he would again for quite some time. He just wanted to go back home to Japan.
A moment later, the guy he ran into surprisingly sat down next to him. It threw Euijoo for a loop, and he couldn’t deny that he felt a little nervous in his presence.
“Hey, sorry about earlier…if I seemed cold. Can I buy you a drink?” The cunning stranger delicately asked, to which Euijoo found himself smiling for one reason or another.
Not only was the apology kinda sweet, but no one had really offered to buy him a drink before. Maybe this guy wasn’t the kind of troublemaker Euijoo thought he was when he ran into him. If anything…he was actually pretty attractive…in a way that lured Euijoo in. Maybe he just wanted an excuse to avoid being alone.
“No, it was me that ran into you. I’m the problem. You don’t have to buy me anything.” He softly assured the charmer who gave him a slightly sly smile.
“But I wanna treat you. Can I?” He asked, Euijoo unable to hide a shy grin. He could suddenly feel his heart beating a little fast. He wondered if it was thrill. Would this end up being a mistake?
“If you insist…then I guess some whiskey might be nice.” He timidly replied, his new friend gesturing for the bartender.
“Can I get a whiskey, please?” He ordered, the bartender nodding in response.
“Sure; it’ll be right up.” He answered before stepping back to make the drink.
Euijoo suddenly found it difficult to look away from the stranger next to him. Everything he did seemed so alluring somehow. It felt like a trap…but maybe…he didn’t mind falling into it in this state of mind.
“Thanks for this…” He expressed his appreciation, the bad boy smiling at his politeness.
“What’s your name?” He asked, Euijoo once more finding his heart racing. Was it dangerous to answer that? He really didn’t give a shit at the moment.
“Euijoo…and you?” He introduced himself with a likewise question, overwhelmingly curious to have it answered.
“Jay.” The other simply replied as Euijoo was handed his drink.
“Jay…that’s a cool name.” Euijoo breathed out with a smile as he stared into his drink, suddenly too shy to face Jay.
There was something about him…something Euijoo couldn’t put his finger on. Being around him just felt…different somehow.
“I think you’re cute.” Jay quietly though boldly professed. His words quickly caught Euijoo off guard, but he found himself smiling radiantly nonetheless. He was starting to feel quite weak for this man’s attention.
“No…I’m a mess.” He admitted, taking a rather large drink from his glass.
It was true, especially today. He was more of a mess than anyone. What would Jay think if he knew he just spent ten minutes crying in an alleyway? Would he call him pathetic? Or would he understand the situation? He didn’t feel the need to bring it up…to show just how damaged he really was.
“All the good ones are.” Jay assured him, much to Euijoo’s curiosity. That was an interesting way of putting it.
“You think so?” He asked Jay with mild curiosity, as if he was hoping for that to be the truth.
“Why else would we both be sitting in a place like this right now?” Jay spoke with a chic gaze, having Euijoo completely captivated. He didn’t think he could look elsewhere even if he tried.
“Good point…” He voiced a bit hopelessly, reminded of just how far he had fallen to end up in a place like this.
“But we don’t have to stay here if we don’t want to.” Jay seriously reminded him, leaving Euijoo wonderstruck. “Do you wanna get out of here?”
“With you?” Euijoo asked in a near whisper, his mind beginning to shut down hearing such an offer. What exactly was on Jay’s mind?
“If you want to.” Jay replied, leaving Euijoo with a lot to think about, too much to think about to answer that question in under sixty seconds.
It was dangerous to say yes, he knew that much. Jay was definitely looking to get something from him…and he had a few guesses as to what that something might be. He was so used to being a good boy, to saying no in this sort of situation. But right now, he was really lonely and in desperate need of comfort. He didn’t doubt that Jay might be good at giving him comfort in the various ways that were currently in his mind.
The look in his stranger’s eyes was so gentle and compelling…he was almost positive that he wouldn’t get hurt…at least not threateningly. They had only just met and despite how shady Jay seemed to be…Euijoo felt compelled to try and trust him. Truthfully, he was a loose cannon right now. Maybe it’d be good for him…to get into a little trouble tonight.
“Okay…” He quietly gave in, earning a tiny smile from Jay. Euijoo smiled a little as well…even if he had no idea what state he'd be in by the dawn.
(No way) Who were you with
(No way) Where you came from
(No way) What kind of past it was
(No way) It doesn't matter
Euijoo nervously fidgeted with the bottom of his shirt, his fingers gripping the fabric anxiously as he stared around this luxurious hotel. He wanted to seem like he had done this before, whatever this was. If he let on that he was insanely nervous to the point that he felt like he could throw up, he was sure that Jay might kick him to the curb. Did he look like the mess he was inside?
He glanced over at Jay, who was wrapping up signing them in at the counter. He was maybe one of the most attractive beings Euijoo had ever laid eyes on. He had done good…so he couldn’t afford to screw this up. Despite how cold Jay appeared decked in jet black like he was, Euijoo could tell that he was sweet under the surface. He felt more compelled to believe that when Jay gently took his hand and led him to their room. It was a gesture that said he was trying to make Euijoo comfortable, and that feeling was definitely appreciated.
Jay’s hand was quite cold, but having the physical touch of anyone felt pretty good to Euijoo right now. He was just so broken inside…and all he really wanted was to be held in a warm hug. But he had a feeling that might not be what he was getting tonight.
Jay unlocked the door to their room, allowing them to step inside. He respectfully let Euijoo go first, allowing him to make himself comfortable in this rather dark space. Jay shut the door back and locked it before turning back to Euijoo, who was standing in the middle of the room.
He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t scared at all right now. Even so, he was thankful that Jay found a hotel for him and even went as far as to pay for his stay here. There was only one bed in the room, and that further confirmed Euijoo’s suspicions about what he was getting himself into tonight. It was hard not to be anxious, but that was only natural, right?
“Euijoo…” Jay calmly called out from a safe distance, earning Euijoo’s eyes. “Do you like vampires?”
It wasn’t surprising…to hear a thing like that from Jay’s mouth. From the moment they met, Euijoo could tell that something was different about him. Now, he knew what that something was. Jay was a vampire.
Vampires were pretty rampant in South Korea, unlike Japan. Japan had a much bigger problem. Unlike Japan’s problematic beasts, Euijoo had never found himself fazed by vampires. If anything, he was kinda into them like most people he knew in high school. Now that he had met one, he understood just how powerful that attraction was. Jay had lured him in like it was nothing, and he fell for it quite submissively. There was no harm in admitting his true feelings now, right?
“…Yes…” He admitted as the two continued to lock eyes several feet apart. It wasn’t hard to tell what he was going to be getting tonight for sure now.
“What would you think…if I was a vampire?” Jay cautiously asked the captivated human. He honestly adored how careful Jay was about trying not to scare him off. It felt kinda sweet; he had only ever pictured vampires acting a bit arrogantly.
“I wouldn’t mind…” Euijoo quietly replied, prompting Jay to step closer to him.
“Have you ever been bitten by a vampire before?” He wondered as he now stood in front of Euijoo, who was more than dazzled by him. Euijoo wasn’t used to being this close to another person…but he kinda enjoyed it.
“No…” He timidly admitted, Jay gently running his hand through the other’s brown hair. Somehow, it relaxed Euijoo rather than concerned him…even if he knew what was going to be spoken next.
“Do you wanna know what it feels like?” Jay carefully asked, and Euijoo didn’t think he could hide what he really wanted.
“Maybe…” He softly spoke, Jay’s eyes shifting to his neck. He lightly ran his fingers along Euijoo’s neck, sending chills up the human’s spine.
He must have been sick…to want to get bitten, to have fangs injected into him hard enough to drain his blood. He felt a little disgusted by himself…for being turned on by the lustful look in Jay’s eyes. It was evident that the vampire wanted to lay into him right here and now.
“Can I bite you, Euijoo?” Jay respectfully asked, significantly amping up Euijoo’s heartrate.
He was scared…but not as much as he should have been. Honestly, he was just thankful…thankful that he could still carry feelings of any kind. He wanted to know…what kind of feelings getting bitten would throw him into.
“…Yes.” He submissively gave the vampire consent, earning a tiny smile from Jay.
He nudged Euijoo towards the bed, which had the human feeling slightly short on breath already. It felt like they were about to get more intimate than he expected, and it was starting to put butterflies in his stomach. That feeling only intensified when he lied back and found Jay crawling on top of him. He had never been bitten before. Did he really expect to get it a different way? He wasn’t sure if he was even in the right mind. No, he knew he wasn’t himself in the moment.
“Jay?” He nervously called out, the vampire giving him his full attention. “I’m kinda scared…”
Jay gave Euijoo a gentle smile, one that felt more consoling than he expected to get.
“I promise, nothing bad will happen to you.” He sincerely assured Euijoo who found his heart melting at such words. Jay was honestly quite the sweet-talker. Euijoo could only blame himself for being stupid enough to fall for his sweet nothings.
“Okay…I trust you.” He blindly spoke, his words appearing to slightly surprise Jay. Nonetheless, they seemed to please him…maybe too much.
The vampire carefully nestled into the right side of Euijoo’s neck, taking a second to inhale his scent. Euijoo carefully exhaled in attempt to calm himself, slowly closing his eyes in the process. Maybe it’d hurt less if he couldn’t see it happen. Jay eventually bit down into his neck, his fangs somewhat cautiously piercing through the human’s skin. Euijoo whimpered at the pain, causing him to tightly grasp at Jay’s arms to try and ease it.
How did he end up here? All he planned on doing upon coming back to Korea was spending time with his family. Now, in just the last two hours, he had been told his parents were getting a divorce, got picked up in a bar, and now was being bitten by a vampire. He wanted to question why he had done this to himself…but the act of what was being done was starting to dope him up with unfamiliar feelings.
Euijoo became a little vocal, finding pleasure quickly overtaking the pain that he initially felt. It didn’t make sense to him, how getting bitten by a vampire could make him feel this good. He could feel his own blood running down his neck. How was that not terrifying? Why did it hurt only for a moment? The only thing he was feeling now was intense satisfaction…and that was a bit strange to him. Even so, he didn’t want to question it too much…because he was desperate not to further drive a knife into his already cracked heart.
He lightly squeezed Jay’s arms as he felt the vampire take every suck of blood out of him. Somehow, he wasn’t disturbed by it. If anything, he wouldn’t have cared much if Jay sucked him dry…because he didn’t have much to live for. The only thought that crossed his mind is that Nicholas might miss him.
He felt his face flushing thinking about his friend at a time like this, while his body was on fire. Every fiber of his being was pulsating; it was kind of embarrassing to be thinking about anyone right now. Would Nicholas be disappointed in him if he knew what he was doing?
Jay eventually pulled his fangs from Euijoo’s neck, causing the brunette to wince in slight pain. Euijoo impulsively moaned as the vampire licked up his neck to clean up the bloody mess. He couldn’t stop himself from squirming a little, never having anyone all over him like this before. Was it wrong that he basically just gave himself up to a stranger in a moment of weakness? As much as he wanted to regret it, he wasn’t sure if he could. He felt really good right now. Jay pulled some sort of packet from his back pocket and busted it open.
“Hold still.” He gently instructed Euijoo as he applied what looked like a medical patch to his neck. “Leave that on for a couple of hours before trying to remove it. It’ll prevent any infection that could occur.”
Euijoo wasn’t sure if it was intentional or not, but Jay was so sweet with how attentive he was. He didn’t really think about vampires often, but when he did, personas like Jay didn’t come to his mind. He hated to admit it…but he was kind of smitten with Jay.
“That wasn’t scary at all…” He honestly breathed out despite catching a glimpse of the vampire’s fangs. His words appeared to relieve Jay for some reason.
“You did good…thanks.” The vampire quietly voiced before sitting up.
It immediately hit Euijoo like a ton of bricks that this was just a hookup for Jay’s pleasure rather than his own. Was he about to get ditched now that the vampire got what he wanted? He felt intense loneliness set in the minute Jay slipped from the grasp of his hands.
“Jay?” Euijoo quickly called out, earning the vampire’s attention. “Are you leaving?”
Hearing those words seemed to have Jay hesitating. Were they unfamiliar to him? Or were they just uncomfortable?
“Did you want me to stay?” Jay wondered, and Euijoo didn’t waste much time to give a response.
“Kind of…” He softly admitted, feeling a little vulnerable at the moment. He didn’t want to be left alone at a time like this. Was his innocence showing? It seemed to be complicating Jay’s agenda.
“I’ll sleep here until morning…then we’ll go our separate ways. Okay?” The vampire calmly suggested, mildly disappointing Euijoo. What was he expecting to hear? It’s not like they were ever going to be anything more. He didn’t know what kind of life Jay led…but it was one he probably had no place in. After all, he no longer even lived in Seoul. He was instantly reminded of how much he missed Japan…and his friends in it.
“Yeah…that’s fine. I just…don’t wanna wake up alone…” He solemnly confessed, Jay eying him with slight sympathy.
Without a word, the vampire took off his shoes and jacket before pulling the covers back on the bed. He crawled under them and Euijoo followed his lead on the opposite side of the bed.
“Goodnight, Jay.” He whispered, feeling the need to at least try to kill their awkward air since they were still sleeping in the same space.
He hadn’t shared a bed with anyone, well…at least not like this. He had shared a bed with his best friend when he was like seven years old, but nothing since then. He was grown up now, and the idea of sharing a bed felt almost exclusively intimate. He wished that wasn’t the case…because he missed those childhood memories of falling asleep after pillow fights with Nicholas.
“Sleep tight…” Jay responded, Euijoo closing his eyes shortly after.
He was disappointed that he couldn’t get that warm hug. He wished he never had to grow up.