I Have to Be Invited, You Know [Oneshot]
Author: erodedveins
Pairing: Jongkey
Genre: Angst, Supernatural
Word-count: 1760
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "I have to be invited in, Kibum. Didn't you read any of those tales as a child?"
There was a new guy named Jonghyun living across the street. Apparently, he'd moved back in with his mother because of her health, but Kibum couldn't remember a time when the old lady across the street mentioned anything about having a son. It wasn't any of his business, though, so he shrugged it off. It was probably just the curiosity that came along with getting a new neighbor anyway.
Until he actually saw his new neighbor couple of nights later at one of his mother's neighborhood parties. He had to bite his lip to keep from letting out an embarrassing noise. Jonghyun was gorgeous enough (and sang well enough, from what Kibum had heard) to be an idol, but he wasn't interested. Said he needed to take care of his aging mother. He was the talk of practically everyone in the neighborhood, and Kibum had a sneaking suspicion that he liked it that way.
Especially since he had some... rather unusual habits. Like how he asked to be invited inside a house. Even Jonghyun himself admitted it was a weird fancy, but he claimed it was just a silly notion of his. He liked to feel welcome, or so he said. And when his answer was backed with a charming smile, everyone easily accepted the answer. Everyone except Kibum.
Jonghyun went through a lot of girlfriends (and boyfriends), which wasn't really all that surprising once Kibum thought about it. He had a new one just about every week. He apparently wasn't picky about looks, either. All kinds of men and women came and went.
Kibum couldn't help but hope to be one of them, but at the same time, he didn't. He knew that even one week with his neighbor would be amazing, but eventually he would be dissatisfied with only one week. People always want more.
So he tried not to show just how interested he really was. But every single time his mother had a neighborhood get-together, Kibum found himself hopelessly drawn in. It was impossible to ignore such a strong presence. Jonghyun was confident to the point of being cocky, and Kibum had to admit he really liked it.
Kibum was sitting in his front yard stargazing late one night, after the umpteenth party his mother had thrown that month, when he felt someone settle down next to him.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure," Kibum gulped loudly when he heard his neighbor's voice. "My name's Jonghyun. What's yours?"
"Uhm.. K-kibum," he wanted to smack himself for stumbling all over his words. Jonghyun nodded.
"Why don't I see you more often at these parties, Kibum? After all, they are thrown by your mother," the silky tone of Jonghyun's voice made Kibum feel mistrustful. It was too fake.
"Most of the time, I'm stuck studying. Since, you know, I'm still in high school," he replied flatly. Jonghyun looked surprised for a moment, but it had to be put on. There was no way Jonghyun couldn't know he was still in high school.
"Really? I had no idea. You look so much older," Jonghyun turned and crawled in between Kibum's thighs. "I won't tell if you won't," he breathed lowly in Kibum's ear, and a thrill of excitement ran through Kibum. He shook his head dumbly.
"Not a soul," he promised. Jonghyun smirked victoriously and stood up.
"Good. Come by my house tomorrow, if you'd like. I'm having a party. And it's not a neighborhood party, like your mom likes to throw so she get the latest gossip," Kibum laughed a bit at that. "See you tomorrow, Kibum. The party starts at 8, by the way."
He watched Jonghyun walk across the street in a daze. He'd just been invited to a party. One that would probably have alcohol and drugs and sex involved. And he'd be willing to bet that his mother could care less, once she knew it was Jonghyun's party. She'd want all the details. But on that score, his mother was going to be sorely disappointed.
Kibum never told her anything he didn't want repeated.
~~
At school the next day, he was so lost in thought that his teacher had actually taken him aside to ask what was wrong. He played it off as being tired, and thankfully his teacher bought it. During the rest of the day, Kibum smiled stupidly to himself. He couldn't help but be excited for the party.
"What's up with you?" Minho asked when he sat down to lunch. Kibum stared at him for a moment.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he scoffed. Minho looked seriously at Kibum.
"Alright, fine. You don't have to tell me," Minho shrugged. There was silence between them while Minho started eating his rice. Kibum started fidgeting nervously, having already finished his lunch by the time Minho sat down. It was only a few minutes later when Kibum broke.
"I got invited to my new neighbor's party tonight," he admitted to Minho. "And I don't even know what I'm going to wear." He groaned. "Fuck my life." Minho patted Kibum's shoulder sympathetically.
"You're talking about Jonghyun, right? So isn't it a good thing you got invited to his party? Besides that, you look great in anything you wear, Kibum," Minho smirked when Kibum punched him in the arm, blushing. "Hey, hey! I can say that, okay? I'm your best friend." Kibum sighed dramatically.
"What am I going to do with you?" Minho looked thoughtful.
"Hm... Let's see.. You could invite me over later so I can help you get ready for the party and go with you, or you can freak out and just rush to put on the hot pink skinny jeans and dark grey t-shirt you turn to in times of need..," Kibum scowled and Minho started laughing in earnest.
"Fine, then. I'll get ready myself, you douche," Kibum heard Minho laughing as he got up and started to walk away.
"I'll be there at 6," Kibum didn't reply and instead kept on walking back to his classroom. The rest of his classes were shot. He couldn't stop thinking about the party later.
~~
By the time Minho arrived, Kibum had already tried on a couple of outfits. He was beyond relieved when Minho helped him decide what went together and what didn't. He was the only guy Kibum knew that was interested in fashion like he was.
After Kibum was completely satisfied picking an outfit, the clock read 7:30. He just barely had time to take a shower, if he rushed. It would be okay if he was a little late. He was always fashionably late, anyway. Minho looked amused.
"This happens every time you go to a party, Kibum," Kibum glowered.
"Could you kindly shut the fuck up?" Minho noted the seriousness on Kibum's face and sighed.
"Fine. Wouldn't want you to be too late for your precious party now, would we?" Minho's mocking tone didn't escape Kibum's notice but he had too little time to do anything about it. He let it go and went to take a shower. Things couldn't get any worse.
Or so he thought, until he was about to walk out the door and his mother started lecturing about how he was supposed to give her all the details. He nodded impatiently and made an irritated noise in his throat.
"Mom! I'm already late," he snapped, and she was suddenly shoving him out the door.
"Go, then! Why didn't you tell me?" It was times like these that he really questioned who was the parent and who was the child.
When Jonghyun opened the door to his house, he was wearing a bemused expression.
"My dear mother was lecturing me," Kibum explained sarcastically. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind. I brought my friend Minho with me." He gestured behind him towards Minho. He noticed Jonghyun's expression darken briefly before brightening up. Kibum couldn't help wondering why.
"Come in. The party's just getting in full swing. Make yourselves at home, but please be quiet.. My mother's already asleep," Jonghyun gestured towards the kitchen table and Kibum was disappointed to see only a few faces there. He'd thought it would be a party with lots of people and drugs and sex, and loud music. At least he'd been right about the alcohol. There was at least 4 bottles of different kinds of liquor on the counter. And there was probably more in the fridge. He came to stand nex to the table nervously, noticing that all of Jonghyun's friends were as gorgeous as he was.
"You must be Kibum. I'm Jinki, nice to meet you," Jinki stuck his hand out, and Kibum nearly yanked his hand back when Jinki's cold hand came in contact with his. Minho stared stupidly at Jinki with his mouth open. Kibum elbowed him in the ribs, and Jinki smirked when Minho jumped.
"Ahh, I'm Minho. I'm Kibum's friend," he bowed. Kibum was amused. Minho was never this nervous, and it was funny to see him squirm so much.
"So I see you've met Jinki. This is Joon, Kyuhyun, and Taemin," Jonghyun gestured around the table. Kibum sat down next to Jinki and Joon, not knowing exactly what to expect.
"Tonight, we planned on playing spin the bottle. Is that okay with you and your friend Mr. Flaming Dork over there?" Jonghyun asked Kibum, and he nodded before Minho had a chance to protest.
"Yeah. We're okay with that," he answered in a challenging tone. He saw Jonghyun and his friends exchange a wicked-looking smirk, and wondered just what the hell he'd gotten himself into.
~~
When Kibum woke up the next morning, he was in his own bed in his pajamas. His head was pounding and when he tried to think about last night, the ache got even worse. He looked at his clock and his eyes widened when he saw it was past 3 in the afternoon. It didn't matter what kind of party he'd attended the night before. He never woke up this late. Ever.
He grabbed his phone and texted Minho, asking if he could remember what happened. But Minho was either still asleep or his phone was dead, because Kibum waited an entire hour without a single text. When his phone finally did tell him he had a message, he picked it up to see that it was from Jonghyun. Since when was Jonghyun's number in his phone? They'd probably exchanged numbers sometime last night, Kibum reasoned.
From: Jonghyun
To: Keybum
DUDE. U went WILD last night. Thanx 4 making my party OSM. <3
Kibum frowned. How much had he actually drank last night, to make him go as wild as Jonghyun said he did? Now that he was awake a little more, he tried to go over the night. He remembered sitting at the table, seeing Jonghyun and his friends smirk... Then he blurrily remembered playing spin the bottle, and by pure chance the bottle landed on Jonghyun, then they both took a few shots... He remembered Jinki and Minho getting up together announcing that they were "tired"... Then things went blank.
There was no way he'd been drunk on a few shots. Kibum could hold his liquor with the best of them. He knew that from previous experience. The only reason he wouldn't be able to remember so much of last night was... if he'd been drugged. That was the only other explanation he could come up with. He didn't even know how he'd gotten home. And he wouldn't dare ask his mother. He'd never hear the end of it otherwise.
But as it turned out, he didn't have to ask. In fact, his mother wouldn't shut up about last night. Apparently, he'd stumbled in around 4 am with Jonghyun supporting him. Jonghyun was the perfect gentleman, according to his mother's swooning. Kibum scoffed at that image. He seriously doubted Jonghyun was a gentleman. Not with how he remembered Jonghyun kissing last night. No gentleman kissed like that. The kiss had been rough, with teeth clashing and tongues swirling around each other.
"Thanks for the coffee, Mom," he said sincerely, and ran straight back up to his room. Downstairs was a little too bright and open for a hangover like Kibum's. He immediately went to his phone, seeing that Minho had texted while he was downstairs drinking coffee with his mother.
From: CharismaticFrog
To: DivaKeybum
Nope. Everything = blurry. I think I had sex w/ Jinki tho.
Hey btw, do YOU hve any weird marks?
That was no surprise. Jinki and Minho had been all over each other, from what Kibum could remember. But he furrowed his eyebrows at 'weird marks'. What did Minho mean by 'weird marks'? He went to the bathroom to satisfy his own curiosity. The marks Minho had were probably just from Jinki being rough.
He took off his shirt and pants, looking over every inch of himself. What he hadn't expected to find were what exactly what he found. There were marks all over his upper arms, on his torso, on his neck... And they looked, oddly enough, like fresh bite marks.
Kibum frowned. Why would someone be biting him? Unless Jonghyun and his friends were cannibals. But that didn't make any sense. Wouldn't they have wanted the taste of the drugs out of his system before taking a bite of him? And besides that, wouldn't they have killed him already? So cannibalism was out. Maybe a fetish...?
He went back in his bedroom and texted back that yeah, he did have weird marks. They decided that Minho would come over and they could compare stories. Maybe between the two of them, they could piece last night together.
Minho came over less than an hour, looking extremely agitated and nervous. Kibum couldn't blame him. Minho wasn't the kind of guy who went to parties and had sex with strangers. Even Kibum had had a hard time getting Minho to open up to him when they first became friends.
"What do you think they're from? Oh god, Kibum, what if my dad sees these?" Minho roughly ran his hands through his hair. "I'm so screwed."
"Hey, calm down. Things are gonna be fine. All you gotta do is keep your clothes on around him. You're a modest person. Shouldn't be that hard, right?" Kibum tried to soothe. Minho sighed.
"I guess not. Thanks," Minho quirked his lips in a small smile. "Anyway. The last thing I remember is getting undressed in the bedroom with Jinki." Minho's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "The thing is.. I don't remember being so attracted to him I was willing to have sex with him. You know me, I'm not that kind of guy."
"Yeah, and I'm totally the kind of guy who likes to get bitten," Kibum replied sarcastically. "No. I dunno, Minho. Maybe the alcohol made you horny and you don't remember." Minho shrugged.
"Or... we could've been drugged," Minho said uncertainly. Kibum's eyes widened.
"I was thinking the same thing, Minho. I mean, you know I can hold my liquor. And supposedly, I was drunk enough to black out from a few shots of tequila? I don't think so," Kibum was relieved that Minho felt the same way.
"But wouldn't that mean... Jinki raped me?" Minho looked thoughtful. "I think it does. Oh my God, he raped me, Kibum." Minho started hyperventilating. Kibum rocked Minho back and forth.
"Shh. Hey, things will be fine," he soothed. "Minho, I need to talk to Jonghyun and tell him what Jinki did to you. Is that okay?" Minho squeezed his eyes shut.
"Do I have to go with you?" he asked in a tired voice and Kibum shook his head.
"No. Of course not," he answered in a calm voice. "I'm gonna go over later, after you leave. Then you for sure don't have to go with me okay?" Minho nodded.
"Fine. But if they drugged us, wouldn't Jonghyun already know what Jinki did?" Kibum remained hopeful.
"Maybe not. I need to tell him, Minho. To see if he really does know or not," Minho sighed.
"Alright. Let me how things go tomorrow at school," Kibum saluted.
"Yes sir," he mocked, and jumped out of Minho's range when he aimed a punch in Kibum's direction.
~~
It was a couple of hours later when Minho finally left, and Kibum marched across the street to Jonghyun's. He knocked and it only seemed a moment later when Jonghyun was opening the door. He gestured for Kibum to come inside, looking surprised.
"What's this about?" Kibum took a deep breath to calm himself. He looked into Jonghyun's startlingly brown eyes and almost got lost in them.
"Jinki raped my friend Minho," he answered in a dreamy tone. It hadn't come out as harshly as he'd hoped at all. Jonghyun only looked slightly scandalized.
"Did he? That's the third one this week. He really needs to learn to perfect his technique," confused, Kibum opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about when Jonghyun suddenly pressed their bodies together in a very erotic way. Kibum's mouth snapped shut and Jonghyun smirked. "He always was a bit amateurish anyway."
Jonghyun started running his fingers over Kibum's torso and Kibum forgot all about being angry. It was like Jonghyun's touch intensified any sort of lust Kibum had ever felt for him.
"Whhat...?" he slurred a little. Jonghyun pressed a finger to his lips and looked clearly into Kibum's eyes.
"My self-control slips around you, Kibum," Jonghyun leaned down and breathed in Kibum's scent. "That's a dangerous thing for you." When he came back up, his eyes were bright red. Kibum started struggling to get away, but his body felt weak and heavy.
"Whatt arreee youuu?" his words were badly slurred and jumbled, but Jonghyun seemed to understand anyway. He grinned wickedly, revealing sharpened incisors.
"I think it's obvious by now, Kibum," he brought Kibum's neck up to his mouth and bit down, the skin opening easily. Kibum moaned lowly with pain. But the more blood was drained out of his body, the more euphoric he felt. The initial pain completely disappeared and was replaced with pure pleasure. He felt Jonghyun's fingers tracing random shapes in his stomach, slowly going lower and lower. He gasped when Jonghyun's fingers finally reached his crotch and squeezed lightly. He slid down and rested on the couch, his eyes drooping with fatigue.
"Jonghyun...," he mumbled with a smile on his face. Jonghyun bent over him, looking him clearly in the eyes again.
"I like you, Kibum. I haven't had blood as savory as yours for decades, and I.. well. I'm not about to drink it all in one go. So I'll tell you what... I'm going to let you live for now. Then, I'm going to give you time to recover and replenish your wonderful warm blood. But once that happens... I'm going to drain you again.. And again.. and again," Jonghyun's smile was vicious. "And you're going to want me to drain you dry."
Jonghyun dragged Kibum to sit up like a limp doll. He was only barely aware of Jonghyun moving around the room. He was sitting on the couch, feeling his life source drip down his neck, and he really didn't care. He was still high from Jonghyun's feeding, and it seemed so amusing to him. He chuckled.
"I feel like I'm dying," he mumbled, and Jonghyun turned back to him, this time genuinely caught off-guard.
"Fuck," he cursed. He swiped his tongue across the mark on Kibum's neck, and immediately, Kibum felt pain and weakness flood his system. He sagged even further on the couch and whimpered. Before he could notice what Jonghyun was doing, he passed out.
~~
Once again, he woke up in his own room. But he was still dressed like he'd been earlier, and he felt very very weak. He struggled to even get out of bed. The first place he shuffled to was the bathroom. He wanted to make sure... Was what happened even real?
The marks on his neck were scars. Completely healed. They looked a little pink, like they were fresh scars. But otherwise, they were totally different than the marks he had on his chest and upper arms. He, for some reason, wasn't that surprised.
He noticed how pale he looked in the mirror, and almost panicked before he remembered that's what happens when you lose a lot of blood. He went downstairs and by the time he reached the kitchen, he was panting and sweating with the effort. His mother looked up and did a double take when she noticed his pale skin. She shrieked.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kibum shrugged, though it stung a little that his mother was so horrified. He didn't think he looked that bad...
"I dunno. I think I might be sick," he answered, and his voice only served to make it more convincing. His throat felt scratchy and raw, and once he thought about it, he really did feel hellish.
"Oh. Christ, kid. You looked like a zombie walking in here," his mother sounded relieved. "Well get back to bed, and I'll make you some soup." She shooed him out of the kitchen and he groaned when he thought how much more challenging it was going to be climb up the stairs.
He didn't go to school. He would've gone but his mother, the concerned (haha, right) soul she was, forced him to stay in bed and 'rest to regain his health'. He thought it was more likely because she didn't want people talking about her son's appearance.
Minho came over after school. He appeared furious when he entered Kibum's room, but once he actually took a good look at Kibum, his expression changed into one of horror.
"What the fuck happened yesterday at Jonghyun's?" he demanded. Kibum sighed dreamily.
"The best thing ever," he answered and Minho looked at him with sheer disbelief.
"Obviously not. You didn't even go to school today, Kibum. And you never miss school, even if you're sick," Kibum glared at the door.
"No thanks to my dear mother. She wouldn't let me go to school today, otherwise I would have been there," Minho crossed his arms.
"She was right to do it. You look awful, Kibum. What did he do to you?" Kibum coughed out a laugh.
"Gee, thanks," he said drily. "But I found out.. Jinki didn't rape you, Minho. Jonghyun told me you seemed pretty into Jinki. And we weren't drugged. The alcohol was just a lot stronger than we're used to, because Jonghyun doesn't like cheap liquor. Apparently, both of us really were just plastered." Kibum didn't like lying, but the lies jumped out of his mouth before he could stop them. Minho still didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you don't believe me we can both go talk to Jonghyun. Jinki isn't there. He lives pretty far away, from what Jonghyun said."
"That's perfectly okay," Minho scrambled to collect himself. "I believe you. What I want to know is how the hell did you get so sick so fast? You were fine when I left last night." Kibum shook his head.
"I dunno. I woke up early this morning feeling like shit, and I went downstairs to make myself something to feel better. I looked so bad I scared my mom," Kibum laughed a little. Minho relaxed.
"Oh. It's probably just one of those 24 hour bugs. They've been going around lately," and just like that, Minho forgot all about asking what really happened at Jonghyun's house.
~~
It was later that night, after Kibum had already eaten dinner when Jonghyun appeared at his window.
He heard a light tap at his window and couldn't decide if he was more joyful or horrified when he saw Jonghyun's smirking face there. He went to his window and opened it, letting in a chilly, wintry breeze. It felt good on his rather feverish skin.
"Kibum.. Won't you let me in?" Jonghyun was using that fake, silky tone that Kibum hated. But he found himself unable to resist it now.
"Yes," when Jonghyun didn't move, Kibum raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting."
"I have to be invited in, Kibum," Jonghyun's smile chilled him to the bone. "Didn't you read any of those tales as a child?"
"Would you come in, then?" without a word, Jonghyun stepped fluidly into Kibum's room. "What are you doing here?" Jonghyun glanced around the room before returning his gaze to Kibum.
"I think we should get to know one another," Kibum was conflicted after hearing Jonghyun say those words. On one hand, he was happy that such a gorgeous being actually wanted to know more about him. But he also hated it, because he didn't want to know a single thing about Jonghyun. Jonghyun was a monster that, until recently, he'd believed only existed in fairy tales. If the truth be known, he was afraid of Jonghyun.
"What's there to know? I'm nothing but a meal to you," Jonghyun smirked at the bitter resignation in his voice.
"Oh Kibum... I don't think you understand. This is a long term arrangement. We're going to become such good friends," Kibum shuddered. Jonghyun's voice was dangerously seductive in his ears. "So... let's start with family, shall we?"
"My mother is a gossip-monger, and my father has been dead for for the last 6 years. My mom works full-time at a coffee shop and part-time at a grocery store while I go to school. I have no brothers or sisters," Kibum recited. "Anything else you'd like to know, Your Excellence?" Jonghyun's amused expression had morphed into annoyance.
"You're defiant," he murmured. "I could fix that very quickly, but I'm in a good mood today. So I'm going to let it slide. And yes, there is something else. How did your father die?" Kibum froze, his shoulders hunched inward as if to fight the memories that swamped him. He took a shaky breath.
"He was hit by a drunk driver," Kibum's voice was small when he answered. "He wouldn't have been hit if he'd been paying attention to the road and not listening to me complain about my grades." Kibum shrank into the fetal position in his bed, suddenly feeling drained. "I'm tired, Jonghyun. I won't answer any more of your questions." Jonghyun laughed.
"Aww, do you feel like your father's death is your fault?. How humanly disgusting to blame yourself so you can wallow in self-pity," Kibum flinched. "I think that's quite enough today. Any more, and your spirit would break, I think. Wouldn't want that, now, would we? I'll be back tomorrow night. Pleasant dreams, Kibum," Jonghyun mocked and jumped out of Kibum's window, leaving Kibum to wonder about the real reason behind his visit. But Kibum couldn't come up with a single logical answer.
~~
Kibum returned to school the next day, and all he could hear were people whispering about his absence yesterday, about his suddenly pale skin. He bore it in silence. He wasn't in any shape for a confrontation, even if he was getting angry enough for one.
"Do you want me to say something? I will if you want me to," Minho said sympathetically at lunch.
"No, I'm okay. Honestly, I could care less what people think. Let them talk," he scoffed. But Minho saw right through his front.
"I'll talk to Yuri and tell her you were sick yesterday. She'll spread it around the rest of the school, and you'll be left alone. That sound good?" Kibum nodded his head slightly, embarrassed that his best friend was having to stand up for him. He could usually handle his own fights. If he was going to be this weak a lot of the time because of Jonghyun... He might as well get used to it, he figured.
"Thanks, Minho," out of the corner of his eye, Kibum saw Minho looking at him with a bitter expression.
"Any time," Minho muttered and went back to eating.
They rode the bus back to Minho's house to study and when Kibum opened the door, for him, it was like stepping into a real home. The smell of household cleaners, the sound of Minho's mother welcoming them home, the taste of hot chocolate with cinnamon spinkled on top. It was so nostalgic that he wanted to cry, but he smiled and pretended to be okay in front of Minho's mother. Who was like the mother he lost when his father passed away.
"Kibum, dear.. Why are you so pale? Is it the winter air?" Minho cut in before Kibum could answer.
"Yes, Mom. He's just a little tired, is all. We're gonna go up to my room now and work on homework," he pulled Kibum up out of his seat and dragged him down the hallway. When they entered Minho's room, Kibum couldn't help it anymore. He teared up and Minho hugged him. There were no words spoken. None needed to be said, because they'd already been said.
After Kibum stopped crying, they both took out their homework and started working quietly. The only time the silence was broken was when one asked the other if they thought an answer was right. Minho was worried about Kibum, but Kibum didn't seem to notice. He was focused entirely on his homework, and seemed not to notice that it was now 11 pm.
"Uhh.. Kibum? I think you should call your mom and ask her if you can stay the night over here," Minho whispered quietly. He was pretty sure that by now his parents were already asleep, but they didn't need to ask his parents (it wasn't like Kibum hadn't stayed the night at his house a million times before). It was always Kibum's mother that needed to be asked permission. Kibum looked up sluggishly, and his eyes widened when he realized it was so late.
"Shit.. I can't. I have to go home," he started shoving things in his backpack haphazardly. Minho was confused.
"But--... Why?" Kibum looked at Minho desperately.
"I forgot... I'm supposed to have a visitor tonight," he muttered and didn't give Minho enough time to even say goodbye.
~~
By the time Kibum got home, it was nearly 1 am and he swore loudly in the street. Jonghyun couldn't still be up there at his window, waiting... Could he?
"So nice of you to finally show up," Jonghyun jumped down from the roof. "And where were you all night?" Kibum could feel the waves of anger coming his way. He visibly stiffened.
"I was doing my homework at M-minho's house," he answered as steadily as he could. "Lost track of the time." Jonghyun hm'ed an acknowledgment.
"And tell me, Kibum... What is Minho to you? Just a friend, I assume," Kibum nodded.
"Yes. We've been friends since before my dad died," He hated even mentioning his dad's death, but the explanation came out of his mouth as casually as if he was talking about the weather.
"What a relief," Jonghyun smirked. "I don't like people touching my things without permission." Kibum shuddered at the murderous look on Jonghyun's face.
"I'm not your property," Kibum replied furiously. "I would rather die than belong to you." Jonghyun's face went blank.
"I would watch what you say, Kibum...," Jonghyun grabbed Kibum by the throat. "I could easily make your wish come true." Kibum choked out a laugh.
"Do it, then," he challenged. "My life has been a shithole since my dad died. It wouldn't be much of a loss to my mother. In fact, she'd more than likely celebrate, because she wouldn't have a dead weight son to feed.The only person who'd care is probably Minho." Jonghyun looked into Kibum's eyes and his grip slackened. He seemed genuinely surprised by what he saw.
"You really mean that," he murmured. Kibum scoffed.
"Of course I do. My dad was the person who held my family together. When he died, me and my mom fell apart. She smacked me around for a while, but she stopped when people started asking questions. Then she just stopped caring. She only keeps me in the house out of obligation," Kibum sighed. "But you wouldn't know that. You come into people's lives, and drain them dry like it's nothing. And for some people, Jonghyun, that's a blessing in disguise."
Jonghyun left not long after his outburst. 'Probably got his fill of details for today,' he mused bitterly. Kibum felt extremely foolish and vulnerable when he thought back on the things he'd let slip. Telling Jonghyun about his family had only given him more ammo to hurt Kibum.
~~
Weeks passed. It usually took about a week and a half for Kibum's body to heal from the blood loss, and once he was finally healthy again, Jonghyun would swoop in like a vulture. And Kibum was dying from it.
His body couldn't cope with the constant blood loss, and even if his brain refused to register it, his body told him. Through vision trouble. Through the way he was tired all the time. Through his constantly cold, pale skin. Through the way his body sometimes rejected the food and water he so badly needed.
Minho was worried about him, but every time he tried to let his friend know what was happening.. His mouth refused to move. He couldn't tell if it was because Jonghyun had done something to him, or if it was because he didn't know how to tell Minho that everything he'd said before was a lie. In fact, lies kept piling up, and Kibum didn't know if he could handle it anymore.
Kibum had just closed his eyes to try to go to sleep when he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He shrieked, thinking it was Jonghyun.
"Look, I don't think I can do this anymore--," "What the hell does that mean?" Minho's deep voice reached Kibum's ears and he relaxed. He sighed.
"Nothing. I was just about to go to sleep, Minho, now if you don't mind--," Actually, I do. You're going to tell me what the fuck has been going on lately, and you're going to tell me now. Your mom is actually getting concerned for your well-being, Kibum. Tell me now that it's nothing," Kibum turned over and looked at Minho fiercely.
"I've been trying. Believe me. But I don't know if I can tell you. My mouth shuts every time I try to tell you that I'm dying, and there's nothing anyone can do for me...," Kibum trailed off.
"What?" Minho sounded confused.
"I'm dying. No one can save me, because the cause of my death comes in my window every night. He's a vampire, Minho. Even though they're not supposed to be real, they are. Jonghyun is a vampire. And he has me under his spell," Kibum shut his eyes. "I'm so ready to just die already. I'm so sick of him coming in here to drain me until I'm so weak I can't even stand up, and him terrorizing me in my fucking sleep. I can't lie to you anymore, I won't do it, Minho," tears built up at the corners of his eyes. There were several seconds of silence before Kibum turned around. Minho was looking at him like he'd grown 2 heads.
"A vampire? You seriously believe that Jonghyun's a vampire? And wait, you've been lying to me? What.. Kibum, do you even hear yourself? The truth can't be hard enough to handle that you have to lie to me some more," Minho scowled. "Thanks for nothing, Kibum." Before Kibum could say anything else, Minho left. Not even a second after Minho had closed his bedroom door, Jonghyun's voice drifted through his window.
"Kibum... can I come in? Just one last time, I promise," Kibum started crying in earnest, knowing he couldn't resist.
"Yes, Jonghyun. Please.. come in."
Pairing: Jongkey
Genre: Angst, Supernatural
Word-count: 1760
Rating: PG-13
Summary: "I have to be invited in, Kibum. Didn't you read any of those tales as a child?"
There was a new guy named Jonghyun living across the street. Apparently, he'd moved back in with his mother because of her health, but Kibum couldn't remember a time when the old lady across the street mentioned anything about having a son. It wasn't any of his business, though, so he shrugged it off. It was probably just the curiosity that came along with getting a new neighbor anyway.
Until he actually saw his new neighbor couple of nights later at one of his mother's neighborhood parties. He had to bite his lip to keep from letting out an embarrassing noise. Jonghyun was gorgeous enough (and sang well enough, from what Kibum had heard) to be an idol, but he wasn't interested. Said he needed to take care of his aging mother. He was the talk of practically everyone in the neighborhood, and Kibum had a sneaking suspicion that he liked it that way.
Especially since he had some... rather unusual habits. Like how he asked to be invited inside a house. Even Jonghyun himself admitted it was a weird fancy, but he claimed it was just a silly notion of his. He liked to feel welcome, or so he said. And when his answer was backed with a charming smile, everyone easily accepted the answer. Everyone except Kibum.
Jonghyun went through a lot of girlfriends (and boyfriends), which wasn't really all that surprising once Kibum thought about it. He had a new one just about every week. He apparently wasn't picky about looks, either. All kinds of men and women came and went.
Kibum couldn't help but hope to be one of them, but at the same time, he didn't. He knew that even one week with his neighbor would be amazing, but eventually he would be dissatisfied with only one week. People always want more.
So he tried not to show just how interested he really was. But every single time his mother had a neighborhood get-together, Kibum found himself hopelessly drawn in. It was impossible to ignore such a strong presence. Jonghyun was confident to the point of being cocky, and Kibum had to admit he really liked it.
Kibum was sitting in his front yard stargazing late one night, after the umpteenth party his mother had thrown that month, when he felt someone settle down next to him.
"I don't think I've had the pleasure," Kibum gulped loudly when he heard his neighbor's voice. "My name's Jonghyun. What's yours?"
"Uhm.. K-kibum," he wanted to smack himself for stumbling all over his words. Jonghyun nodded.
"Why don't I see you more often at these parties, Kibum? After all, they are thrown by your mother," the silky tone of Jonghyun's voice made Kibum feel mistrustful. It was too fake.
"Most of the time, I'm stuck studying. Since, you know, I'm still in high school," he replied flatly. Jonghyun looked surprised for a moment, but it had to be put on. There was no way Jonghyun couldn't know he was still in high school.
"Really? I had no idea. You look so much older," Jonghyun turned and crawled in between Kibum's thighs. "I won't tell if you won't," he breathed lowly in Kibum's ear, and a thrill of excitement ran through Kibum. He shook his head dumbly.
"Not a soul," he promised. Jonghyun smirked victoriously and stood up.
"Good. Come by my house tomorrow, if you'd like. I'm having a party. And it's not a neighborhood party, like your mom likes to throw so she get the latest gossip," Kibum laughed a bit at that. "See you tomorrow, Kibum. The party starts at 8, by the way."
He watched Jonghyun walk across the street in a daze. He'd just been invited to a party. One that would probably have alcohol and drugs and sex involved. And he'd be willing to bet that his mother could care less, once she knew it was Jonghyun's party. She'd want all the details. But on that score, his mother was going to be sorely disappointed.
Kibum never told her anything he didn't want repeated.
~~
At school the next day, he was so lost in thought that his teacher had actually taken him aside to ask what was wrong. He played it off as being tired, and thankfully his teacher bought it. During the rest of the day, Kibum smiled stupidly to himself. He couldn't help but be excited for the party.
"What's up with you?" Minho asked when he sat down to lunch. Kibum stared at him for a moment.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he scoffed. Minho looked seriously at Kibum.
"Alright, fine. You don't have to tell me," Minho shrugged. There was silence between them while Minho started eating his rice. Kibum started fidgeting nervously, having already finished his lunch by the time Minho sat down. It was only a few minutes later when Kibum broke.
"I got invited to my new neighbor's party tonight," he admitted to Minho. "And I don't even know what I'm going to wear." He groaned. "Fuck my life." Minho patted Kibum's shoulder sympathetically.
"You're talking about Jonghyun, right? So isn't it a good thing you got invited to his party? Besides that, you look great in anything you wear, Kibum," Minho smirked when Kibum punched him in the arm, blushing. "Hey, hey! I can say that, okay? I'm your best friend." Kibum sighed dramatically.
"What am I going to do with you?" Minho looked thoughtful.
"Hm... Let's see.. You could invite me over later so I can help you get ready for the party and go with you, or you can freak out and just rush to put on the hot pink skinny jeans and dark grey t-shirt you turn to in times of need..," Kibum scowled and Minho started laughing in earnest.
"Fine, then. I'll get ready myself, you douche," Kibum heard Minho laughing as he got up and started to walk away.
"I'll be there at 6," Kibum didn't reply and instead kept on walking back to his classroom. The rest of his classes were shot. He couldn't stop thinking about the party later.
~~
By the time Minho arrived, Kibum had already tried on a couple of outfits. He was beyond relieved when Minho helped him decide what went together and what didn't. He was the only guy Kibum knew that was interested in fashion like he was.
After Kibum was completely satisfied picking an outfit, the clock read 7:30. He just barely had time to take a shower, if he rushed. It would be okay if he was a little late. He was always fashionably late, anyway. Minho looked amused.
"This happens every time you go to a party, Kibum," Kibum glowered.
"Could you kindly shut the fuck up?" Minho noted the seriousness on Kibum's face and sighed.
"Fine. Wouldn't want you to be too late for your precious party now, would we?" Minho's mocking tone didn't escape Kibum's notice but he had too little time to do anything about it. He let it go and went to take a shower. Things couldn't get any worse.
Or so he thought, until he was about to walk out the door and his mother started lecturing about how he was supposed to give her all the details. He nodded impatiently and made an irritated noise in his throat.
"Mom! I'm already late," he snapped, and she was suddenly shoving him out the door.
"Go, then! Why didn't you tell me?" It was times like these that he really questioned who was the parent and who was the child.
When Jonghyun opened the door to his house, he was wearing a bemused expression.
"My dear mother was lecturing me," Kibum explained sarcastically. "Oh, and I hope you don't mind. I brought my friend Minho with me." He gestured behind him towards Minho. He noticed Jonghyun's expression darken briefly before brightening up. Kibum couldn't help wondering why.
"Come in. The party's just getting in full swing. Make yourselves at home, but please be quiet.. My mother's already asleep," Jonghyun gestured towards the kitchen table and Kibum was disappointed to see only a few faces there. He'd thought it would be a party with lots of people and drugs and sex, and loud music. At least he'd been right about the alcohol. There was at least 4 bottles of different kinds of liquor on the counter. And there was probably more in the fridge. He came to stand nex to the table nervously, noticing that all of Jonghyun's friends were as gorgeous as he was.
"You must be Kibum. I'm Jinki, nice to meet you," Jinki stuck his hand out, and Kibum nearly yanked his hand back when Jinki's cold hand came in contact with his. Minho stared stupidly at Jinki with his mouth open. Kibum elbowed him in the ribs, and Jinki smirked when Minho jumped.
"Ahh, I'm Minho. I'm Kibum's friend," he bowed. Kibum was amused. Minho was never this nervous, and it was funny to see him squirm so much.
"So I see you've met Jinki. This is Joon, Kyuhyun, and Taemin," Jonghyun gestured around the table. Kibum sat down next to Jinki and Joon, not knowing exactly what to expect.
"Tonight, we planned on playing spin the bottle. Is that okay with you and your friend Mr. Flaming Dork over there?" Jonghyun asked Kibum, and he nodded before Minho had a chance to protest.
"Yeah. We're okay with that," he answered in a challenging tone. He saw Jonghyun and his friends exchange a wicked-looking smirk, and wondered just what the hell he'd gotten himself into.
~~
When Kibum woke up the next morning, he was in his own bed in his pajamas. His head was pounding and when he tried to think about last night, the ache got even worse. He looked at his clock and his eyes widened when he saw it was past 3 in the afternoon. It didn't matter what kind of party he'd attended the night before. He never woke up this late. Ever.
He grabbed his phone and texted Minho, asking if he could remember what happened. But Minho was either still asleep or his phone was dead, because Kibum waited an entire hour without a single text. When his phone finally did tell him he had a message, he picked it up to see that it was from Jonghyun. Since when was Jonghyun's number in his phone? They'd probably exchanged numbers sometime last night, Kibum reasoned.
From: Jonghyun
To: Keybum
DUDE. U went WILD last night. Thanx 4 making my party OSM. <3
Kibum frowned. How much had he actually drank last night, to make him go as wild as Jonghyun said he did? Now that he was awake a little more, he tried to go over the night. He remembered sitting at the table, seeing Jonghyun and his friends smirk... Then he blurrily remembered playing spin the bottle, and by pure chance the bottle landed on Jonghyun, then they both took a few shots... He remembered Jinki and Minho getting up together announcing that they were "tired"... Then things went blank.
There was no way he'd been drunk on a few shots. Kibum could hold his liquor with the best of them. He knew that from previous experience. The only reason he wouldn't be able to remember so much of last night was... if he'd been drugged. That was the only other explanation he could come up with. He didn't even know how he'd gotten home. And he wouldn't dare ask his mother. He'd never hear the end of it otherwise.
But as it turned out, he didn't have to ask. In fact, his mother wouldn't shut up about last night. Apparently, he'd stumbled in around 4 am with Jonghyun supporting him. Jonghyun was the perfect gentleman, according to his mother's swooning. Kibum scoffed at that image. He seriously doubted Jonghyun was a gentleman. Not with how he remembered Jonghyun kissing last night. No gentleman kissed like that. The kiss had been rough, with teeth clashing and tongues swirling around each other.
"Thanks for the coffee, Mom," he said sincerely, and ran straight back up to his room. Downstairs was a little too bright and open for a hangover like Kibum's. He immediately went to his phone, seeing that Minho had texted while he was downstairs drinking coffee with his mother.
From: CharismaticFrog
To: DivaKeybum
Nope. Everything = blurry. I think I had sex w/ Jinki tho.
Hey btw, do YOU hve any weird marks?
That was no surprise. Jinki and Minho had been all over each other, from what Kibum could remember. But he furrowed his eyebrows at 'weird marks'. What did Minho mean by 'weird marks'? He went to the bathroom to satisfy his own curiosity. The marks Minho had were probably just from Jinki being rough.
He took off his shirt and pants, looking over every inch of himself. What he hadn't expected to find were what exactly what he found. There were marks all over his upper arms, on his torso, on his neck... And they looked, oddly enough, like fresh bite marks.
Kibum frowned. Why would someone be biting him? Unless Jonghyun and his friends were cannibals. But that didn't make any sense. Wouldn't they have wanted the taste of the drugs out of his system before taking a bite of him? And besides that, wouldn't they have killed him already? So cannibalism was out. Maybe a fetish...?
He went back in his bedroom and texted back that yeah, he did have weird marks. They decided that Minho would come over and they could compare stories. Maybe between the two of them, they could piece last night together.
Minho came over less than an hour, looking extremely agitated and nervous. Kibum couldn't blame him. Minho wasn't the kind of guy who went to parties and had sex with strangers. Even Kibum had had a hard time getting Minho to open up to him when they first became friends.
"What do you think they're from? Oh god, Kibum, what if my dad sees these?" Minho roughly ran his hands through his hair. "I'm so screwed."
"Hey, calm down. Things are gonna be fine. All you gotta do is keep your clothes on around him. You're a modest person. Shouldn't be that hard, right?" Kibum tried to soothe. Minho sighed.
"I guess not. Thanks," Minho quirked his lips in a small smile. "Anyway. The last thing I remember is getting undressed in the bedroom with Jinki." Minho's cheeks burned with embarrassment. "The thing is.. I don't remember being so attracted to him I was willing to have sex with him. You know me, I'm not that kind of guy."
"Yeah, and I'm totally the kind of guy who likes to get bitten," Kibum replied sarcastically. "No. I dunno, Minho. Maybe the alcohol made you horny and you don't remember." Minho shrugged.
"Or... we could've been drugged," Minho said uncertainly. Kibum's eyes widened.
"I was thinking the same thing, Minho. I mean, you know I can hold my liquor. And supposedly, I was drunk enough to black out from a few shots of tequila? I don't think so," Kibum was relieved that Minho felt the same way.
"But wouldn't that mean... Jinki raped me?" Minho looked thoughtful. "I think it does. Oh my God, he raped me, Kibum." Minho started hyperventilating. Kibum rocked Minho back and forth.
"Shh. Hey, things will be fine," he soothed. "Minho, I need to talk to Jonghyun and tell him what Jinki did to you. Is that okay?" Minho squeezed his eyes shut.
"Do I have to go with you?" he asked in a tired voice and Kibum shook his head.
"No. Of course not," he answered in a calm voice. "I'm gonna go over later, after you leave. Then you for sure don't have to go with me okay?" Minho nodded.
"Fine. But if they drugged us, wouldn't Jonghyun already know what Jinki did?" Kibum remained hopeful.
"Maybe not. I need to tell him, Minho. To see if he really does know or not," Minho sighed.
"Alright. Let me how things go tomorrow at school," Kibum saluted.
"Yes sir," he mocked, and jumped out of Minho's range when he aimed a punch in Kibum's direction.
~~
It was a couple of hours later when Minho finally left, and Kibum marched across the street to Jonghyun's. He knocked and it only seemed a moment later when Jonghyun was opening the door. He gestured for Kibum to come inside, looking surprised.
"What's this about?" Kibum took a deep breath to calm himself. He looked into Jonghyun's startlingly brown eyes and almost got lost in them.
"Jinki raped my friend Minho," he answered in a dreamy tone. It hadn't come out as harshly as he'd hoped at all. Jonghyun only looked slightly scandalized.
"Did he? That's the third one this week. He really needs to learn to perfect his technique," confused, Kibum opened his mouth to ask what the hell he was talking about when Jonghyun suddenly pressed their bodies together in a very erotic way. Kibum's mouth snapped shut and Jonghyun smirked. "He always was a bit amateurish anyway."
Jonghyun started running his fingers over Kibum's torso and Kibum forgot all about being angry. It was like Jonghyun's touch intensified any sort of lust Kibum had ever felt for him.
"Whhat...?" he slurred a little. Jonghyun pressed a finger to his lips and looked clearly into Kibum's eyes.
"My self-control slips around you, Kibum," Jonghyun leaned down and breathed in Kibum's scent. "That's a dangerous thing for you." When he came back up, his eyes were bright red. Kibum started struggling to get away, but his body felt weak and heavy.
"Whatt arreee youuu?" his words were badly slurred and jumbled, but Jonghyun seemed to understand anyway. He grinned wickedly, revealing sharpened incisors.
"I think it's obvious by now, Kibum," he brought Kibum's neck up to his mouth and bit down, the skin opening easily. Kibum moaned lowly with pain. But the more blood was drained out of his body, the more euphoric he felt. The initial pain completely disappeared and was replaced with pure pleasure. He felt Jonghyun's fingers tracing random shapes in his stomach, slowly going lower and lower. He gasped when Jonghyun's fingers finally reached his crotch and squeezed lightly. He slid down and rested on the couch, his eyes drooping with fatigue.
"Jonghyun...," he mumbled with a smile on his face. Jonghyun bent over him, looking him clearly in the eyes again.
"I like you, Kibum. I haven't had blood as savory as yours for decades, and I.. well. I'm not about to drink it all in one go. So I'll tell you what... I'm going to let you live for now. Then, I'm going to give you time to recover and replenish your wonderful warm blood. But once that happens... I'm going to drain you again.. And again.. and again," Jonghyun's smile was vicious. "And you're going to want me to drain you dry."
Jonghyun dragged Kibum to sit up like a limp doll. He was only barely aware of Jonghyun moving around the room. He was sitting on the couch, feeling his life source drip down his neck, and he really didn't care. He was still high from Jonghyun's feeding, and it seemed so amusing to him. He chuckled.
"I feel like I'm dying," he mumbled, and Jonghyun turned back to him, this time genuinely caught off-guard.
"Fuck," he cursed. He swiped his tongue across the mark on Kibum's neck, and immediately, Kibum felt pain and weakness flood his system. He sagged even further on the couch and whimpered. Before he could notice what Jonghyun was doing, he passed out.
~~
Once again, he woke up in his own room. But he was still dressed like he'd been earlier, and he felt very very weak. He struggled to even get out of bed. The first place he shuffled to was the bathroom. He wanted to make sure... Was what happened even real?
The marks on his neck were scars. Completely healed. They looked a little pink, like they were fresh scars. But otherwise, they were totally different than the marks he had on his chest and upper arms. He, for some reason, wasn't that surprised.
He noticed how pale he looked in the mirror, and almost panicked before he remembered that's what happens when you lose a lot of blood. He went downstairs and by the time he reached the kitchen, he was panting and sweating with the effort. His mother looked up and did a double take when she noticed his pale skin. She shrieked.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Kibum shrugged, though it stung a little that his mother was so horrified. He didn't think he looked that bad...
"I dunno. I think I might be sick," he answered, and his voice only served to make it more convincing. His throat felt scratchy and raw, and once he thought about it, he really did feel hellish.
"Oh. Christ, kid. You looked like a zombie walking in here," his mother sounded relieved. "Well get back to bed, and I'll make you some soup." She shooed him out of the kitchen and he groaned when he thought how much more challenging it was going to be climb up the stairs.
He didn't go to school. He would've gone but his mother, the concerned (haha, right) soul she was, forced him to stay in bed and 'rest to regain his health'. He thought it was more likely because she didn't want people talking about her son's appearance.
Minho came over after school. He appeared furious when he entered Kibum's room, but once he actually took a good look at Kibum, his expression changed into one of horror.
"What the fuck happened yesterday at Jonghyun's?" he demanded. Kibum sighed dreamily.
"The best thing ever," he answered and Minho looked at him with sheer disbelief.
"Obviously not. You didn't even go to school today, Kibum. And you never miss school, even if you're sick," Kibum glared at the door.
"No thanks to my dear mother. She wouldn't let me go to school today, otherwise I would have been there," Minho crossed his arms.
"She was right to do it. You look awful, Kibum. What did he do to you?" Kibum coughed out a laugh.
"Gee, thanks," he said drily. "But I found out.. Jinki didn't rape you, Minho. Jonghyun told me you seemed pretty into Jinki. And we weren't drugged. The alcohol was just a lot stronger than we're used to, because Jonghyun doesn't like cheap liquor. Apparently, both of us really were just plastered." Kibum didn't like lying, but the lies jumped out of his mouth before he could stop them. Minho still didn't seem convinced. "Look, if you don't believe me we can both go talk to Jonghyun. Jinki isn't there. He lives pretty far away, from what Jonghyun said."
"That's perfectly okay," Minho scrambled to collect himself. "I believe you. What I want to know is how the hell did you get so sick so fast? You were fine when I left last night." Kibum shook his head.
"I dunno. I woke up early this morning feeling like shit, and I went downstairs to make myself something to feel better. I looked so bad I scared my mom," Kibum laughed a little. Minho relaxed.
"Oh. It's probably just one of those 24 hour bugs. They've been going around lately," and just like that, Minho forgot all about asking what really happened at Jonghyun's house.
~~
It was later that night, after Kibum had already eaten dinner when Jonghyun appeared at his window.
He heard a light tap at his window and couldn't decide if he was more joyful or horrified when he saw Jonghyun's smirking face there. He went to his window and opened it, letting in a chilly, wintry breeze. It felt good on his rather feverish skin.
"Kibum.. Won't you let me in?" Jonghyun was using that fake, silky tone that Kibum hated. But he found himself unable to resist it now.
"Yes," when Jonghyun didn't move, Kibum raised an eyebrow. "I'm waiting."
"I have to be invited in, Kibum," Jonghyun's smile chilled him to the bone. "Didn't you read any of those tales as a child?"
"Would you come in, then?" without a word, Jonghyun stepped fluidly into Kibum's room. "What are you doing here?" Jonghyun glanced around the room before returning his gaze to Kibum.
"I think we should get to know one another," Kibum was conflicted after hearing Jonghyun say those words. On one hand, he was happy that such a gorgeous being actually wanted to know more about him. But he also hated it, because he didn't want to know a single thing about Jonghyun. Jonghyun was a monster that, until recently, he'd believed only existed in fairy tales. If the truth be known, he was afraid of Jonghyun.
"What's there to know? I'm nothing but a meal to you," Jonghyun smirked at the bitter resignation in his voice.
"Oh Kibum... I don't think you understand. This is a long term arrangement. We're going to become such good friends," Kibum shuddered. Jonghyun's voice was dangerously seductive in his ears. "So... let's start with family, shall we?"
"My mother is a gossip-monger, and my father has been dead for for the last 6 years. My mom works full-time at a coffee shop and part-time at a grocery store while I go to school. I have no brothers or sisters," Kibum recited. "Anything else you'd like to know, Your Excellence?" Jonghyun's amused expression had morphed into annoyance.
"You're defiant," he murmured. "I could fix that very quickly, but I'm in a good mood today. So I'm going to let it slide. And yes, there is something else. How did your father die?" Kibum froze, his shoulders hunched inward as if to fight the memories that swamped him. He took a shaky breath.
"He was hit by a drunk driver," Kibum's voice was small when he answered. "He wouldn't have been hit if he'd been paying attention to the road and not listening to me complain about my grades." Kibum shrank into the fetal position in his bed, suddenly feeling drained. "I'm tired, Jonghyun. I won't answer any more of your questions." Jonghyun laughed.
"Aww, do you feel like your father's death is your fault?. How humanly disgusting to blame yourself so you can wallow in self-pity," Kibum flinched. "I think that's quite enough today. Any more, and your spirit would break, I think. Wouldn't want that, now, would we? I'll be back tomorrow night. Pleasant dreams, Kibum," Jonghyun mocked and jumped out of Kibum's window, leaving Kibum to wonder about the real reason behind his visit. But Kibum couldn't come up with a single logical answer.
~~
Kibum returned to school the next day, and all he could hear were people whispering about his absence yesterday, about his suddenly pale skin. He bore it in silence. He wasn't in any shape for a confrontation, even if he was getting angry enough for one.
"Do you want me to say something? I will if you want me to," Minho said sympathetically at lunch.
"No, I'm okay. Honestly, I could care less what people think. Let them talk," he scoffed. But Minho saw right through his front.
"I'll talk to Yuri and tell her you were sick yesterday. She'll spread it around the rest of the school, and you'll be left alone. That sound good?" Kibum nodded his head slightly, embarrassed that his best friend was having to stand up for him. He could usually handle his own fights. If he was going to be this weak a lot of the time because of Jonghyun... He might as well get used to it, he figured.
"Thanks, Minho," out of the corner of his eye, Kibum saw Minho looking at him with a bitter expression.
"Any time," Minho muttered and went back to eating.
They rode the bus back to Minho's house to study and when Kibum opened the door, for him, it was like stepping into a real home. The smell of household cleaners, the sound of Minho's mother welcoming them home, the taste of hot chocolate with cinnamon spinkled on top. It was so nostalgic that he wanted to cry, but he smiled and pretended to be okay in front of Minho's mother. Who was like the mother he lost when his father passed away.
"Kibum, dear.. Why are you so pale? Is it the winter air?" Minho cut in before Kibum could answer.
"Yes, Mom. He's just a little tired, is all. We're gonna go up to my room now and work on homework," he pulled Kibum up out of his seat and dragged him down the hallway. When they entered Minho's room, Kibum couldn't help it anymore. He teared up and Minho hugged him. There were no words spoken. None needed to be said, because they'd already been said.
After Kibum stopped crying, they both took out their homework and started working quietly. The only time the silence was broken was when one asked the other if they thought an answer was right. Minho was worried about Kibum, but Kibum didn't seem to notice. He was focused entirely on his homework, and seemed not to notice that it was now 11 pm.
"Uhh.. Kibum? I think you should call your mom and ask her if you can stay the night over here," Minho whispered quietly. He was pretty sure that by now his parents were already asleep, but they didn't need to ask his parents (it wasn't like Kibum hadn't stayed the night at his house a million times before). It was always Kibum's mother that needed to be asked permission. Kibum looked up sluggishly, and his eyes widened when he realized it was so late.
"Shit.. I can't. I have to go home," he started shoving things in his backpack haphazardly. Minho was confused.
"But--... Why?" Kibum looked at Minho desperately.
"I forgot... I'm supposed to have a visitor tonight," he muttered and didn't give Minho enough time to even say goodbye.
~~
By the time Kibum got home, it was nearly 1 am and he swore loudly in the street. Jonghyun couldn't still be up there at his window, waiting... Could he?
"So nice of you to finally show up," Jonghyun jumped down from the roof. "And where were you all night?" Kibum could feel the waves of anger coming his way. He visibly stiffened.
"I was doing my homework at M-minho's house," he answered as steadily as he could. "Lost track of the time." Jonghyun hm'ed an acknowledgment.
"And tell me, Kibum... What is Minho to you? Just a friend, I assume," Kibum nodded.
"Yes. We've been friends since before my dad died," He hated even mentioning his dad's death, but the explanation came out of his mouth as casually as if he was talking about the weather.
"What a relief," Jonghyun smirked. "I don't like people touching my things without permission." Kibum shuddered at the murderous look on Jonghyun's face.
"I'm not your property," Kibum replied furiously. "I would rather die than belong to you." Jonghyun's face went blank.
"I would watch what you say, Kibum...," Jonghyun grabbed Kibum by the throat. "I could easily make your wish come true." Kibum choked out a laugh.
"Do it, then," he challenged. "My life has been a shithole since my dad died. It wouldn't be much of a loss to my mother. In fact, she'd more than likely celebrate, because she wouldn't have a dead weight son to feed.The only person who'd care is probably Minho." Jonghyun looked into Kibum's eyes and his grip slackened. He seemed genuinely surprised by what he saw.
"You really mean that," he murmured. Kibum scoffed.
"Of course I do. My dad was the person who held my family together. When he died, me and my mom fell apart. She smacked me around for a while, but she stopped when people started asking questions. Then she just stopped caring. She only keeps me in the house out of obligation," Kibum sighed. "But you wouldn't know that. You come into people's lives, and drain them dry like it's nothing. And for some people, Jonghyun, that's a blessing in disguise."
Jonghyun left not long after his outburst. 'Probably got his fill of details for today,' he mused bitterly. Kibum felt extremely foolish and vulnerable when he thought back on the things he'd let slip. Telling Jonghyun about his family had only given him more ammo to hurt Kibum.
~~
Weeks passed. It usually took about a week and a half for Kibum's body to heal from the blood loss, and once he was finally healthy again, Jonghyun would swoop in like a vulture. And Kibum was dying from it.
His body couldn't cope with the constant blood loss, and even if his brain refused to register it, his body told him. Through vision trouble. Through the way he was tired all the time. Through his constantly cold, pale skin. Through the way his body sometimes rejected the food and water he so badly needed.
Minho was worried about him, but every time he tried to let his friend know what was happening.. His mouth refused to move. He couldn't tell if it was because Jonghyun had done something to him, or if it was because he didn't know how to tell Minho that everything he'd said before was a lie. In fact, lies kept piling up, and Kibum didn't know if he could handle it anymore.
Kibum had just closed his eyes to try to go to sleep when he felt a hand shaking his shoulder. He shrieked, thinking it was Jonghyun.
"Look, I don't think I can do this anymore--," "What the hell does that mean?" Minho's deep voice reached Kibum's ears and he relaxed. He sighed.
"Nothing. I was just about to go to sleep, Minho, now if you don't mind--," Actually, I do. You're going to tell me what the fuck has been going on lately, and you're going to tell me now. Your mom is actually getting concerned for your well-being, Kibum. Tell me now that it's nothing," Kibum turned over and looked at Minho fiercely.
"I've been trying. Believe me. But I don't know if I can tell you. My mouth shuts every time I try to tell you that I'm dying, and there's nothing anyone can do for me...," Kibum trailed off.
"What?" Minho sounded confused.
"I'm dying. No one can save me, because the cause of my death comes in my window every night. He's a vampire, Minho. Even though they're not supposed to be real, they are. Jonghyun is a vampire. And he has me under his spell," Kibum shut his eyes. "I'm so ready to just die already. I'm so sick of him coming in here to drain me until I'm so weak I can't even stand up, and him terrorizing me in my fucking sleep. I can't lie to you anymore, I won't do it, Minho," tears built up at the corners of his eyes. There were several seconds of silence before Kibum turned around. Minho was looking at him like he'd grown 2 heads.
"A vampire? You seriously believe that Jonghyun's a vampire? And wait, you've been lying to me? What.. Kibum, do you even hear yourself? The truth can't be hard enough to handle that you have to lie to me some more," Minho scowled. "Thanks for nothing, Kibum." Before Kibum could say anything else, Minho left. Not even a second after Minho had closed his bedroom door, Jonghyun's voice drifted through his window.
"Kibum... can I come in? Just one last time, I promise," Kibum started crying in earnest, knowing he couldn't resist.
"Yes, Jonghyun. Please.. come in."