椿 [Tsubaki] - White
White
For once, Kyuhyun was thankful for all the years and money he’d spent on hours of strategy games - he was pretty sure that that was the only reason they’d escaped capture by the hunters so far.
Zhou Mi was certainly no help. Over the course of the few days, it became apparent why the vampire had been captured in the first place - he had absolutely no sense when it came to self preservation.
"Are you sure you won't put that coat away?" Kyuhyun asked one day, after he noticed Zhou Mi being the subject of some not very subtle stares.
"Why?" Zhou Mi had asked as if it wasn't obvious.
"It attracts a lot of attention," to which Zhou Mi returned a genuine look of surprise. It was then Kyuhyun realized that Zhou Mi really didn't realize just how much he stood out.
He gave up then, muttering a soft 'never mind. It was hard remember Zhou Mi was eons older than him sometimes, but with his dealings with old people only thought him one thing - it was hard to change the mind of someone so set in their ways.
Besides, it wasn't really like it would have made any difference. The girls hadn't been attracted to just the coat.
~*~
“I have a question.”
“Why am I not surprised?”
“The first day I met you why did you attack me so fiercely?”
“I don’t think insulting your sense of judgment counts as a fierce attack.”
“Wha- oh, no. That wasn’t the first time we met. It was the day that I was checking your chains and one of the senior guards decided to play a trick on me and cut the silver fed to you, and you attacked me… very violently actually.”
Zhou Mi raised an eyebrow. “I’m a vampire. I guess I was thirsty.”
“The second time I met you, you didn’t jump at the prisoner you changed like that.” Kyuhyun pointed out.
“...”
“Well?”
“You probably caught me on a bad day or something.”
There was something in Zhou Mi’s eyes that hinted at another reason, but along with that was also a warning - a dark pitfall that told Kyuhyun would probably regret it if he pursued that line of interrogation any longer. And for once, Kyuhyun wisely decided that he didn’t want to risk a broken neck just to satisfy his curiosity.
~*~
They ran out of blood bags a few weeks after. This was despite Kyuhyun calculations, and Zhou Mi’s restraint.
It was rather obvious that neither of them had expected to last this long from the way they had a lack of a solution towards the problem.
“We could always raid a hospital.” Kyuhyun suggested.
Zhou Mi went to sleep without feeding that night.
~*~
“You can’t go on like this.” Kyuhyun snapped at Zhou Mi when they walked too near to a crowded area, and the human had to forcibly pull the vampire away before he could go berserk. Although, on hindsight, Kyuhyun knew that it wasn’t really fair since Zhou Mi had actually let him. If Zhou Mi had wanted to stay, Kyuhyun knew that he’d probably already have had his neck snapped.
“Well what do you want me to do?!” Zhou Mi burst out, looking frazzled. Kyuhyun couldn’t really blame him - he knew he’d be just as worn out if he went without food and water for 4 days. “I can’t possibly go out and feed now. We’re on the run - the report of a vampire attack would only lead them to us!”
"Why don't you just drink from me?" Kyuhyun sighed, stepping closer to the vampire. He had offered over the past few days, and every time, he had been rejected.
It was actually no surprise for the human when Zhou Mi refused him yet again. But today, Kyuhyun wasn't going to back down.
Frankly, if he hadn't held Zhou Mi in a position of respect, Kyuhyun would have already decked the vampire for being so stubborn.
There were times for pride and scruples, but this wasn't one of those times.
"Look. We don't have much of choice. It's this, or you going berserk in the middle of a crowd." Kyuhyun sighed sitting down on the step of a nearby set of stairs. "And unless you have an inventory of blood packs hidden in that coat of yours, I suggest you start drinking before you lose all shred of self-control on a feeding spree which would most likely start from me anyway."
For a moment, Zhou Mi turned to him with blood red eyes and Kyuhyun thought he had crossed the line. But then, Zhou Mi slowly let out a frustrated sigh before he sat down beside Kyuhyun, cold hands pulling down the material that covered the human's neck and shoulder.
"You'll regret offering." was Kyuhyun's only warning before the vampire bit down.
He wasn't prepared for the sharp sting that came first, letting out a yelp that was constituted more of surprise than pain. But that was quickly overcome when Zhou Mi took his first draught, and Kyuhyun's heart fluttered at the strange sensation that really wasn't that all unpleasant.
He didn't know for how long Zhou Mi drunk, only that it took long because the vampire was being cautious. Kyuhyun almost didn't feel the blood leaving his body, the effect unapparent except for the slow dulling of his senses.
When Zhou Mi pulled out, Kyuhyun didn't feel it. It was only at the warm breath on his ear that he realized that it was over. "You can get off now."
And with a start, Kyuhyun realized, that somewhere in the course of the feeding, he had conveniently draped himself over the vampire. Pulling himself off, he still somehow managed to flush despite the lack of blood. "Sorry..."
Zhou Mi shook his head. He didn't blame Kyuhyun for what he did. "After you rest, we should go get some food. Get something sugary, to replenish your blood cells."
A small smile crossed Kyuhyun's face. "Sounds like the advice people give at blood donation centers."
Despite himself, Zhou Mi managed to laugh. "I guess you could think of this arrangement as donating blood."
"I guess you could." Kyuhyun grinned as he slowly got up. "Come. I
have a craving for chocolate."
Kyuhyun had gotten up from the stairs, so preoccupied with trying not to fall over, he didn't realize that Zhou Mi wasn't following.
He turned around at the sound of laughter and he stood there, absolutely stunned to see it had come from Zhou Mi.
That night, Kyuhyun dreamt of canaries.
~*~
It was several days after their new arrangement when it happened. They were both at a motel, Kyuhyun having reluctantly checked in after Zhou Mi threatened not to drink from him if he didn’t otherwise.
He had ordered tea - Earl Grey without sugar as he had found out Zhou Mi preferred, and was pouring it out after the serving staff had brought it in when he suddenly felt a cold breath ghosting over his neck.
He didn’t need to turn around to know who he was, only to smile and put the teapot gently back down onto the table. “I knew you were hungry.”
But his smugness was forgotten when Zhou Mi turned him around, and hungry red eyes captured his own. Suddenly, he wasn’t safe anymore and for the first time when Zhou Mi dug his fangs into his neck, he felt fear.
The vampire drank from Kyuhyun faster than he ever did before, and after a few seconds, Kyuhyun was already feeling light-headed from the blood-loss, but to his horror, Zhou Mi didn’t stop.
He let out a sound - a whine, a grunt, a mumbled word, he didn’t know - only that the noise was made to tell Zhou Mi that he was drinking too much. That he needed to stop.
And still, Zhou Mi didn’t stop.
His breath was beginning to come out ragged, and his vision swam. Seconds later, his hands fell limp to his side, and he couldn’t sit straight anymore, leaning forward onto the vampire for support.
What was Zhou Mi doing? Had he suddenly taken leave of his senses? Or had he been suppressing his hunger for so long that he had finally cracked? The questions swirled around in his head, muddling together in a messy pool of thoughts like a drain clogged, stuck, gone.
He didn't notice when Zhou Mi finally pulled out of him, placing him too gently on the bed for it to have been madness. Nor did it register to him what it meant when Zhou Mi looked down at him with an apologetic look on his face. Nor did he understand the implication behind Zhou Mi's whispered words before he left.
"I’m sorry... But you don't belong here with me. Go home, back to the light where you belong."
~*~
Kyuhyun woke hours later with a sharp pain in his neck and a pounding headache. It took him a while and a few more seconds of darkness before he could even start to comprehend what had happened.
"Zhou Mi." Kyuhyun suddenly said as if that explained everything. And shooting up and out of bed, he ignored the protest of his body as he stumbled down to the motel reception, probably scaring the hell out of the girl on duty when he practically fell onto the desk in exhaustion.
"The man with me..." Kyuhyun gasped out, ignoring the enquiries towards his health, "Did you see him go?"
The girl must have sensed his desperation, for she stopped asking stupid questions and began answering his instead. "Y-yes! The tall, thin, gentlemanly man right? I remembered because he tipped his hat at me and I thought it was funny-"
"Did he say where he was going?" Kyuhyun asked breathlessly, hoping he didn't sound too rude, cutting the girl off. But she seemed to understand, only mutely shaking her head on response.
Kyuhyun kept silent for a while, before he looked back up at her with a pleading look. "I'm sorry... But can I trouble you to check me out? I'll also need you to help me pack a week of provisions... The camping sort." Kyuhyun pulled out the last of his notes and gave them all to the girl. "This should be enough."
Probably having never seen so much money in her life, the girl immediately stood up at attention, "I'll get straight to it, sir!"
Kyuhyun nodded and began to limp back up the stairs to pack. But then, the girl called out something which made him pause and turn around.
"Good luck, sir!" was what she said. And when Kyuhyun's face showed only incomprehension, the girl elaborated. "On getting him back."
And Kyuhyun wondered for a bit, exactly what it was that had given him away.
~*~
Kyuhyun caught up with Zhou Mi five days later, two days earlier than he had predicted. Later, he would contemplate why this was so and would come to the conclusion that it was a mix of Kyuhyun's persistence, as well as the fact that Zhou Mi’s movements had probably slowed, having to deal with the problem of being chased.
Zhou Mi was deep into one of these confrontations when Kyuhyun neared the area which he was in. His lips thinning at the sounds of gunshots and screams, Kyuhyun quickly hid behind the dense cover of the trees, remembering the lessons in stealth Zhou Mi had given him after the human had gotten fed up with being the subject of amusement.
Those lessons, despite the mirth that they had been given in, must have had some merit to them, for Kyuhyun managed to sneak up to the clearing where all the commotion was coming from.
The number of dead bodies in the clearing ironically filled Kyuhyun with a sense of relief. If more hunters were dead, then there would be lesser of them to take a shot at Zhou Mi. But then, he saw a familiar figure in the clearing and that sense of relief died.
The vampire looked worn out - paler than Kyuhyun had last saw, his chest heaving from exertion when it should not have been; and as Kyuhyun inched closer for a better look, his breath caught when he saw the horrible rend that tore across Zhou Mi's coat, revealing the pale skin underneath. The vampire seemed unhurt, but Kyuhyun knew better. He must have used up a lot of blood and energy to heal the horrible gash that it must have been.
Then, the vampire disappeared from Kyuhyun's sight just as a silver bolt shot into the ground where Zhou Mi once stood. The human bit his lip, trying to spot where the vampire was, but could only see where he had been - a broken branch, a footstep in the mud, a hunter that was once alive thudding to the ground a corpse.
It seemed like Kyuhyun would only be useful as a blood bank now that Zhou Mi had taken care of everything else. The vampire, as fatigued as he was now, would not be so lacking in self-preservation as not to offer the help Kyuhyun would provide, however angry he might be.
Finally, the clearing was quiet again, and somewhere, a carrion bird landed and began to feast. Zhou Mi himself appeared again, this time, hunched over in obvious pain and exhaustion.
He didn't notice that a hunter, lying on the ground near him, had only been pretending to be dead.
The hunter lifted up his gun, aimed it, and took his shot.
There was no way that he could have missed that point blank shot.
"BANG!"
Zhou Mi gasped at the sound of the gunshot, swerving around just in time to catch the heavy body that fell onto him.
The hunter cursed once, trying to reload his gun to take another shot, however, he would not curse a second time as a knife pierced through the middle of his forehead and he collapsed to the ground, now truly dead.
Zhou Mi pulled back the hand that had shot out to throw the knife, taking a minute to double check if the deed had indeed been done. Only when the hunter did not rise again did Zhou Mi return his attention to Kyuhyun.
Yes, he had known it was Kyuhyun the minute the human had stepped into the clearing. Zhou Mi would have recognized his scent anywhere, let alone the smell of the blood now pouring out of the bullet wound from his side.
"Kyuhyun-sshi!" Zhou Mi stared at the blood, both appalled and wary at the same time. He wasn’t sure whether to push Kyuhyun away, or to pull himself close - both would have their own consequence, neither of which Zhou Mi was willing to face.
Then, the decision was made for him, when Kyuhyun said something too soft to be heard, and Zhou Mi leaned in closer without a second thought. “What? Sorry… Kyuhyun-sshi… you shouldn’t speak…”
There was a sigh, and Zhou Mi was surprised to see that same spark in Kyuhyun eyes staring up at him, a spark that shouldn’t be in a man who had a bullet in his side. “And there it is again… the ‘sshi’… I really don’t understand why a vampire who’s eons older than me would address me with such formality… I mean… why aren’t you making use of the only perk of being old?”
Zhou Mi stared speechlessly at Kyuhyun and resisted the urge to slap him. He took a shaky breath and regretted it, the smell of Kyuhyun’s blood overwhelming him, almost pushing him over into a blood-frenzy.
Noticing the eyes flashing red, Kyuhyun’s lips curled as he gestured to red liquid that flowed from his wound. “It’s getting wasted you know… you should drink up before it’s all gone.”
There was a strange prickling sensation in his eyes as Zhou Mi scowled at Kyuhyun. “You idiot! That’s…” He bit his lip from saying anymore. He could see the energy slowly seeping out of Kyuhyun’s eyes, the human’s breath slowing with the growing lack of lifeblood… but why was the spark still there? It defied any natural laws - defied Zhou Mi’s understanding of the universe as it was.
He couldn’t understand how the spark was because Kyuhyun’s heart wasn’t rooted in his own life anymore. It was why he asked his next question, a question that Kyuhyun thought was so dumb, it hurt his heart.
“Why?” Zhou Mi asked, and if Kyuhyun didn’t know better, he thought that maybe, Zhou Mi might be crying. “Why are you here? I… left you because I didn’t want you to tie your life down to me…But why… why did you take that bullet…? Idiot… you bloody idiot! You had your whole life in front of you…! I didn’t want you to give it up for me!”
‘Silly vampire... I had already given it up the day you made me have a nightmare about you...’ was what Kyuhyun wanted to say, but instead, he smiled and shook his head. Lifting up a hand coating with red, he placed a single finger to a horrified Zhou Mi’s mouth. “Drink.” - was his single order.
He was too tired for anything else.
There was a silence, as if a sudden change had come over the vampire. And somehow, Kyuhyun still managed to smile as, with the last of his strength, he reached up and pulled the vampire’s head slowly down.
He thought he might have seen a tear fall from Zhou Mi’s eye, but it was most likely wishful thinking on his part. And when Kyuhyun felt Zhou Mi’s fangs digging into his neck, a sharper sensation than even the throbbing pain of his side, his lips twitched with the satisfaction of knowing that he’d kept his promise to the end.
The last thing Kyuhyun saw before he blacked out, was the sun going behind the clouds as a monarch butterfly lifted off from its perch on a nearby branch, circling lazily before rising up towards the skies.
~*~
Red