Your Heartbeat Running Through Me [Onho] [PG-13] [2/5]
Title: Your Heartbeat Running Through Me
Pairing: Onho [Tofuho]
Genre: Supernatural, Romance
Rating: NC-17 (Over all) [Language, Smut] - This chapter PG-13
Betad By: luvzcappietau
Word Count: 3,546
Summary: Lee Jinki passes out at the sight of blood, so how did he end up with a guy who drinks it?
A/N: Life is getting a little crazy, but I hope to keep posting this regularly!
A meal waits on his bedside table when Jinki finally stirs from a restless slumber sometime in the afternoon. Isn't that fucking grand. He massages his temples, tries to forget the unfathomable number of questions mucking up his thoughts. This is just a completely normal day, in a completely normal home, with completely normal people.
Right.
He eyes the food, but he can't seem to find his appetite. Instead, he spots a bathroom connected to the room. A shower would be real nice right now.
He peels himself from sweat drenched sheets. When he enters the bathroom, he locks the door soundly behind him. He will have no surprise visitors.
Clothes shed, hot water blasting, Jinki steps into the shower. He wonders briefly just what Minho does besides eat people for a living, to afford the steam shower with multiple jets of water shooting from the walls. He lets the thought fall along with the grime on his body, down the drain and out of his mind.
Proud of the immense hot water bill he had to wrack up during his lengthy shower, Jinki steps out feeling like he's done at least something to act out against the man keeping him prisoner. He wraps the towel around his waist and after a deep, calming breath, opens the bathroom door.
The ceiling fan slaps the air overhead.
Relieved, he crosses the white carpeting to the closet. He quietly opens the door and inhales sharply in surprise. A walk in closet full of clothing. He reaches out for the closest piece of clothing, pulling it forward to find a price tag still on it.
“Do you like them? I can return them if you don't.”
Jinki slams the closet door shut. “You can just return them all.”
Minho blinks in surprise. “Why?”
“Because I have my own clothes!” Jinki exclaims in exasperation, spinning on his heels to face Minho. “I have my own clothes, in my own apartment! If you would just stop holding me prisoner here, I could go back to them!”
“I can't do that.”
“Why the fuck not?” Jinki is yelling at the top of his lungs, and damn does it feel good. “You won't fucking eat me, you won't let your friends turn me into a fucking vampire, what good am I to you?”
The words are allowed time to settle. Jinki's shoulders are working as he sucks in air after exhausting himself yelling. He's never let his anger burst out like that before.
Minho fixes hard eyes on him. “Because I love you.”
The rush from expressing himself drains from him. “You ... what?”
“I love you,” Minho repeats, eyes softening ever so slightly.
Jinki stares, dumb founded. “No … No! Go, get out of here!” he shouts, jumping back to life.
“Jinki - “
He scrunches his eyes shut. “Get. Out.”
He doesn't even hear the door shut behind him this time.
Jinki falls onto his bed. A lunatic vampire is in love with him. He looks down. Great, he's still only in a towel
Sitting cross legged on top of the covers, dressed in jeans and a tee, Jinki feels close to a normal human being again. After an hour of absolutely no noise in the entire apartment, he grew bored of sulking and decided to explore the room. Along with the clothes, Jinki found shoes, watches, even his favorite cologne - how Minho had known that, he doesn't even want to guess. He'd sworn to himself he'd never touch the bottle, disgusted at the thought of using a gift from the man keeping him hostage. But another hour in, he was testing how many spritzes of the bottle it took before it would run out.
Half empty cologne bottle lying on the bed beside him, Jinki lets out a deep sigh. Now what to do?
“Enjoying yourself?”
Jinki jumps to his feet. “Fuck, do you people ever make noise?”
Taemin pushes himself off of the wall he was leaning on. “It's kind of important we don't.”
“Why are you here?” Jinki questions, suspicious and slightly horrified to see one of his attackers again.
“Kibum wanted me to come and apologize for him, for the other night and all.”
“Why bother?”
Taemin frowns, sits down on the edge of the bed. “Jinki, you have to understand, we all forget what it's like to be a human. I mean, we have to. You can't live the way we do with those feelings attached to you.”
Shuffling further away, Jinki shoots back, “And how does that make up for anything?”
Taemin shrugs. “I guess it doesn't. But he is sorry, and so am I, for when I bit you that time.”
Jinki nods. “Great, I hope you feel better. You can leave now.”
Ignoring his words, Taemin presses, “Has Minho explained anything to you?”
“What, the fact you're all vampires? Yes, he got that down.”
“No, about the bond.”
Jinki stops moving away, interest caught. “You mean the fact he “loves” me?”
Taemin winces. “He's so cheesy … Look, Jinki, it's not what you think. Vampires, we have this thing where we bond with one person in our life time. We never know when the bond will be formed or with who.”
“Don't you never die?” interjects Jinki from where he's slowly easing his hip against the wall to get more comfortable to listen.
Taemin shrugs. “None of us really know, but that's the common thought.”
Jinki blinks. “Is this like Twilight?”
A bubble of laughter rises from the red head. “Sure, Jinki, whatever helps you get through this.”
“Wait, so if Minho is bonded to me … Does that make me Bella?”
“In a sense.” Taemin plays with the bed's comforter. “This is serious, Jinki. I know we were trashed the other night, but we really should turn you. It's not fair to Minho.”
“Not fair to Minho? What about me?” he shoots back, then begins to inch away again.
Taemin smiles. “Don't worry, Minho doesn't want you turned. And as much as we all hate to admit it, he's the strongest among us, so we can't really go against what he says.”
“What if I don't accept this bond?” Jinki asks softly, afraid to hear the answer.
“Then Minho will keep trying to win you over, or live the rest of his life alone.”
Jinki slides down the wall until his nose is parallel with his nose. This is a hopeless situation. He was hoping there was someway to get out of this … It's not as if Minho isn't attractive, but the fact he kills people, sucks out their blood, and his friends try to eat Jinki - oh, not to mention they met because Minho was trying to eat him. Yeah, Jinki has finally mastered his bladder around these freaking people. Dating, being bonded, whatever, with one is just .. too much.
“I'll see you around, Jinki.”
He looks up, but Taemin is gone. Instead, the door to his room cracks open.
“I ordered take out … “ Minho says cautiously, large eyes studying Jinki closely for his reaction.
Jinki rests his chin on his knees. “What kind?”
The corner's of Minho's lips twitch upwards, a small smile forming at the positive response. “Chinese, is that okay?”
Jinki returns his smile, a little unsure but determined. “That's fine.”
“Okay, I'll just bring it in for you - “
“Minho?”
The man stops, pokes his head back into the room. He looks expectantly at Jinki.
“I think we should start over.”
“Start over?”
“If … this, is going to work, I need it to start slower.” Jinki tilts his head to the side, watches Minho hopefully.
An undeniably enthused grin lights up Minho's face. “Okay! That's - Okay! Great, Jinki, great! I can do that!”
Jinki laughs lightly. “Then I'll come have dinner with you. It'll be like .. a first date?”
Minho nods fervently, dashing off to get everything ready. Mind flashing back to his dream, Jinki can't help but think about what a perfect catch Minho would have been as a regular guy. But there's no sports trophies in this house, just empty bags of donated blood.
Can he deal with that?
The television screen lights up the living room, flashing bright colors and painting their faces with the scenes from the movie they're watching. Trance like, Jinki lifts his chopsticks to his mouth, unknowingly forgetting to grab more noodles. Absently, Minho reaches over and puts his chopsticks to Jinki's lips, noodles' tempting smell wafting into Jinki's nose. Eyes still glued to the screen, Jinki opens his mouth and allows Minho to feed him.
If Jinki had to rank the night, it would probably be one of the highest on his first date's list. If it weren't for the awkwardness involving their whole meeting, Jinki would be completely love struck.
“Are you ready for bed?” Minho asks sweetly, turning the volume low on the TV and shifting to face him.
Jinki rests the side of his face against the back of the couch. “Yeah … But we need to talk first.”
Minho's face falls. “Yes?”
“Look, I understand what's going on with you - “
“You do?” Minho looks shocked.
Jinki carries on as if he wasn't interrupted, not wanting to explain Taemin's surprise visit. “But I need to go back to work.”
“Oh ...”
Beginning to chew at his bottom lip, Jinki nods. “I'm understanding of you, so I need you to be understanding of me. I can't just abandon my life. Even .. Even if you're apart of my life, I need more, too.”
Minho nods. “O-okay … “
“How about afterwards we go to my apartment and move my stuff out?”
Bright eyes meet his. “Really?”
Jinki nods. “I don't know what this is yet, and I'm insane for going along with it, but … I don't know, this seems like the best option.”
Minho smiles, and this time it reaches his eyes. “I just want you to be happy.”
Struck speechless, Jinki just nods before getting to his feet. Light headed, dizzy,, that's what he feels like, but it's not unpleasant. When he nearly walks into a wall, a guiding hand is placed on the small of his back.
“You must be really tired,” Minho observes with a chuckle.
“Yeah, tired .. “
“I'll see you in the morning?”
Jinki crawls under his covers. “Mmhm,” he hums.
He can feel Minho's eyes on him, but he chalks up all of the watching as a vampire thing, and settles into his comfortable bed for a fitful night of sleep.
Jinki wakes up feeling well rested and slightly insane. What is he doing? Courting a vampire …
There's a knock at the door before Minho's voice drifts to his ears, “I made breakfast.”
Checking the clock, he finds it is in fact time to get up and get ready for work. He grabs a quick shower before going into the kitchen, the tantalizing smell of eggs beckoning him along. Minho is propped against the counter, absorbed in reading the newspaper. With a spark of wit, Jinki shifts onto his tip toes to sneak up on the man.
Deciding to slide the last foot for extra speed, Jinki puts his foot down to glide only to catch his toe and be sent flying forward. Strong, defined arms catch him easily while voice laughs at him from above.
“What were you doing?” Minho asks, helping Jinki right himself.
Straightening his tie, Jinki tries to hide his embarrassment. “I was trying to sneak up on you … “
“Are you always so clumsy?” he smiles taking the half hearted laugh from his mate as a “yes.” “Besides, you can't sneak up on me.”
Jinki tilts his head to the side from where he's taken a seat at the table. “Why not?”
“I can hear almost everything in this apartment - it's a vampire thing - and your heart beat is the most distinct sound.”
He sets a plate down in front of Jinki with breakfast, still warm and inviting to eat ,but Jinki doesn't spare it a second glance. “But isn't that a lot of noise to take in?” Minho nods.
“So … How can you hear my heart beat over those things?” he watches the man's face intently. “A vampire thing?”
“A bond thing,” Minho corrects, absently flipping through the newspaper.
Right, the bond. Jinki needs to take the time to seriously consider what he's getting in to, weigh the pros and cons of getting involved with a vampire, of all things, whether he can handle - Shit, he's going to be late for work. He jumps up, thanks Minho quickly for breakfast, then makes a run for the door. On top of explaining his unexcused absence he can't be late as well!
He stops dead at the door. “Wait. Minho, where are we?”
The man sidles up to him. “Sinsa.”
“Ah, not .. too far … “ Jinki sighs. “Where's the nearest station?”
“No worries, I'll drive you.”
A freaking gorgeous sport's car. How the hell does Minho afford these things? Jinki plays with the bobble head on his desk, wishing he knew something, anything, about cars so he could brag on his once in a lifetime viewed blog about driving in whatever it is Minho owns. His manager walks by, which snaps him back into reality and pretending to do work again, but the man just gives him a sad look.
“You're sure you're okay to work after what happened to your mother?” he asks, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Jinki forces a smile. “Oh, don't worry about me, sir.”
The manager shakes his head. “You're a strong man, Jinki.”
He ducks his head in thanks, then waits for the man to leave before playing on his computer. His last project was already completed by one of his fellow workers, so now he had nothing to do but wait for something new. Maybe this time he could design something for a video game, that would be cool …
He casts his gaze out the window from where his cheek is resting against the palm of his hand. Minho stares back.
Jinki jumps out of his chair, heart pounding in his chest. Fuck.
“Jinki, are you okay?” one of his coworkers quips from his cubicle beside him.
“I'm .. fine, just need some air,” he explains quickly.
Just as he reaches the hallway outside of his work area, Minho steps out from a shadow. Jinki chokes on his own breath. “Sorry for surprising you. Again.”
“You can't be here,” Jinki hisses, taking Minho by the arm, “You need to go.”
He begins to lead him out. “But I was worried about you,” Minho argues.
“Why?” Jinki questions, eyebrow raised.
“Because I'm not here to protect you.”
“As sweet as that is, I really can take care of myself - “ Jinki nearly trips over the rug in the hallway, “Ignore that.”
Minho's thick lips form a small pout. “But I missed you.”
Placing a hand on his shoulder, Jinki looks the man in the eyes with a little bit of adjusting and tilting of the head to reach that gaze high above. “Look, going slow means you can't follow me everywhere, okay? Go home, go around town, go do whatever exactly it is you do all day, then come back at five like I told you and we'll go to my apartment.”
“But - “
“Jinki?”
He jumps at the sound of his name, turns with wide eyes. “I can explain - “
His manager smiles kindly. “Don't worry, I heard you were getting some fresh air. I just wanted to know if you could take on a new project .. “ He continues to discuss the details as Jinki looks around, wondering just where Minho could have disappeared to so quickly.
“I'm so hungry,” Jinki groans, leaning back in his chair to rub his stomach while removing his glasses.
“Boss gave you a new project?” one of his coworkers chats.
Pushing his chair to see his fellow employee better around the cubicle wall, they start up a small conversation about his new piece for the company. It's refreshing talking with someone other than a vampire, a normal person in society. Jinki wheels back to his desk with a grin on his face. He's caught off guard when he finds a bag of chips from the vending machine on his desk.
Must've bought them and forgot about it, he tells himself. “I need some water to drink with them,” he says absently, stands and turns to go to fetch the beverage, then remembers he needs his wallet. He turns back to his desk to find a cold bottle of water beside his bag of chips.
That was definitely not there before. He peeks his head around the office. Is someone treating him nice because of his “mother's death”? He looks back at the chips and water. No. This has someone else's name written all over it.
He checks the time.
With a sigh, he shuts down his computer and turns off the light in his cubicle. “I'm going to head out a little early.”
“No problem, Jinki,” his manager says with an easy smile, “Go rest.”
Jinki nods, picks up the chips and water and his satchel and heads out.
“Minho,” he calls as soon as he's out of the company's doors, “Come out, I know you're here.”
A presence at his side lets him know Minho's joined him. He doesn't bother looking, just offers the opened chip bag to him. He tentatively takes a few.
“You came to get me early?”
Minho smiles uneasily. “Are you mad?”
Eying Minho from the corner of his eyes, he shakes his head. “How could I be? But what I want to know is how you knew to get potato chips?”
“Well, when I drank your blood I tasted it,” explains Minho while averting his eyes to the passing road.
He didn't think he age them that often. “That's impressive .. “ Jinki shivers inwardly. “Let's head to my apartment. Be warned, it's not nearly as nice as yours.”
“Mine is yours.” The lines crinkle around the corner of Minho's eyes.
Heart leaping into his throat, Jinki can't find any words. How'd he find someone this sincere and kind? He should've been looking at guys a lot earlier than now.
“But it won't be an issue for you to move in with me?”
Jinki blinks, focusing back on the conversation. “Nah, no one really .. knows where I live, anyway.”
Minho grins. “Perfect.”
Perfect. Fucking perfect. Jinki forces his thoughts to go to his new project and off of his whirlwind of feelings.