FIC: Like Blood to Water (Chapter Thirteen)
Konbanwa, minnasan, I hope everyone out there in Cyberland is doing well. It was a busy couple days but in least I was able to stay out of work. The next few weeks are going to be the trial since I'll be taking over for the Pricing Coordinator since she's getting surgery. But, it'll be a good learning experience.
The fantastic news is that I finished the newest chapter of "Like Blood to Water." I'm thrilled that the chapter is done and I am so pleased with how it turned out. It was two weeks of careful planning in my head and a number of rewrites, but I think it flows well. Plus, we have the return of the SiHanHae and the introduction of Yuu! Enjoy and ja ne for now! =~.^=V
Like Blood to Water"
By: Miracle Shining
PAIRING (Main): 2U (YunChun)
SUBPAIRING: SiHanHae, HyukSu
GROUPS: TVXQ, Super Junior, Big Bang, Actor Yuu Shirota
RATINGS: PG-13 to NC-17 (Will be notated if R or NC-17)
GENRE: Angst/Romance/Action
LEGAL JUNK: Don't own the 2U, they own each other.
SUMMARY: AU Band!verse~After a fateful letter over 500 years ago, Jung Yunho makes a very unusual pact with a stranger. Now, that choice will effect not only the future of TVXQ, but Yunho's unknown link to his bandmate, Park Yoochun.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dedicated to march_kyo, renichifreak, volatileflame, and music_loner. This fic was inspired heavily by "The Masked Fencer," a special 2U vid done by March, as well as traditional and modernistic takes on vampiric culture.
*****
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Familiarity
"My dear friend, that's a beautiful flower."
"Thank you."
"Who gave it to you?"
"One of your other servants, my lord."
"The Foreigner?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you like him?"
"My lord?"
Yunho opened his eyes slowly to the blackened room. The shades had been pulled thick around the windows to prevent excess light from seeping through. His long raven hair remained tangled and fanned out across the tinged white sheets. A blanket had been placed over him at some point in time. He side glanced to see a digital clock glowing a garish red in the otherwise darkened space.
He knew Yoochun was gone. He felt him leave. He had placed his hand between his mouth and bit through his own flesh. He used the pain to divert his urge to push off the bed and tear the door off it's hinges. The smell of his friend lingered like a dangerous perfume. It hung heavily in the air. It only faded when one of the Dark nurses slipped into his room and pushed a syringe of thickened white liquid through his arm.
Yunho didn't know what the concoction did but his hunger seemed to wane after a half hour. Then an unexpected sleep overtook him. But the dreams, no memories, they didn't stop.
Yoochun was not his Yoochun but was still himself. Yunho knew that. The greater difficulty for the Dark was how to explain to Yoochun he never cared to begin with. He had always been drawn to the beautiful, slender pianist long before his memories returned. His still heart called out for completion. Yoochun had always been his other half. The reason he existed.
"It never mattered that we were together before. It only mattered to me that you stayed with me. Why couldn't have I stayed unaware? Then maybe you wouldn't hate me so much now!" Yunho sobbed into his hands.
He stopped crying immediately when his acute hearing picked up someone speaking. The person sounded as if he was standing right next to Yunho's bed.
"Don't waste too many tears, my lord. You'll won't have enough to spare when it's time to truly shed them."
Yunho's red pupiled eyes shot to the right and left of the dim room. He could easily cut through the inkiness. There seemed to be no viable shape to anything other than the objects stereotypical of a hospital room. Yunho watched the shadows against the farthest wall. His fangs tingled in his mouth as he hunched over. The urge to attack was rising. He could feel his defensive instinct begin to curl through his nerves and tether down into his clenching fists. He growled softly in his throat.
There was someone in the room with him. Or something. He just couldn't pinpoint the source. His eyes looked back and forth before narrowing on a particularly black spot in the corner of the room. The shadows were barely seperated in color.
"Who are you?" Yunho hissed through his teeth.
"In due time, my lord. In due time. But perhaps this will refresh your mind?"
Yunho didn't have time to react as something hard struck him. It seared through his delicate skin and seemed to burn right down into his nerves. The fire crawled up through his arm and settled in his shoulder blade. Yunho tried to open his mouth to cry out but his voice was silenced. He fell back to the bed. Blackish red liquid blossomed from the jagged cut and just as quickly sealed.
The room went silent. Yunho drew in ragged breaths as the painful strike started to wane and simply become a faded memory. His red pupils flew back and forth. The shadows were now all the same color. Nothing looked out of place except for the smell. Yunho drew in the smell and felt himself choke.
Rubies. It smelt like rubies.
*****
"Mr. Park?"
Yoochun glanced up from the hospital bed he was sitting on. The ER doctor gave him a small smile. In his hand was a clip board with a series of papers attached to it.
"How are you feeling?" the doctor questioned.
"A little tired still." the young man said wanely.
"That's understandable. You'll need to try and rest the best you can for the next couple of days. I wanted to let you know that your friend Mr. Jung is recovering in his room. He seems to be a bit listless still so we're going to keep him over night."
Yoochun just numbly nodded. His mind flashed back to Yunho's troubled expression and the anxiety the Dark felt. His thoughts than drifted to the strange memory he had only an hour before. He knew he should have recognized the person. It was not his lord, he was certain.
His lord.
The words felt foreign to him even now. He felt a jab of despair strike at his heart. He could not be who Yunho wanted him to be. Yunho refused to let Yoochun help him. There was now a wall that seemed impossibly high for the youth to scale.
"Mr. Park?" the doctor's voice interrupted.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, you grew very distant while I was trying to give you your instructions."
"Forgive me, doctor. So much has happened." Yoochun replied.
"It's all right. You've been through a very stressful situation. I was telling you to try and get some naps in between any promotional work. Take plenty of iron supplements to make up for your blood loss. Be sure to use pain medicine to treat your hands and make sure you have your friends help change the bandages twice a day for the first three days."
Yoochun made a sound of agreement to the specifics.
"What about Yunho?"
"His doctor is going to continue to monitor his progress. We will see if we can alter his medicine to fit his current needs. I assure you that he'll be back and bright as ever. Now, I just need you to sign these papers for your release. Your friends are waiting for you."
"Thank you doctor." Yoochun whispered.
The young man began to signature each line over the glistening white paper. His mind drifted to the last sentence the doctor said.
"But the one I want will not be waiting for me."
The final signature was put in place. The doctor smiled as he took the clipboard back from Yoochun. He gave a gracious bow and then gestured with an open arm toward the door. Yoochun slipped his feet into his shoes and moved quietly past the doctor and back into the corridor once again.
The physician walked beside him chatting very lightly. He could feel his heart rate go up the closer and closer they drew to Yunho's door. The young man felt a little dizzy and his throat seemed to constrict as his stomach tightened. His nerves seemed to fire off and he felt as though he was sweating through his already sticky clothes.
The duo passed by the door. Yoochun wanted to turn his head and look to see if it was open. He wanted to see if Yunho was watching him. He wanted to see if his friend was all right. Most of all, he wanted Yunho to look at him.
But some unseen force kept him staring forward. His own will stilled his raging pulse and kept the fear and passion from rising into his brain. He drew in a slow breath and kept his pace steady and careful. The ER doctor pushed open the swinging doors.
Jaejoong's head immediately went up when the doors opened. He sprung to his feet and jumped over a nearby coffee table to rush toward Yoochun. Changmin quickly dropped his book as Junsu and Eunhyuk were joined behind the taller youth.
"YOOCHUN!" the foursome cried happily.
Yoochun's eyes began to water almost against his will. His bottom lip trembled as he saw both the overjoyed and worried expressions on his companion's faces. Little glistening tears began to slip down his cheeks. He held out his arms and wrapped them tightly around Jaejoong's neck. The elder raven haired man stroked the brunette's back gently and whispered soft words of comfort to him.
"I'm sorry I made you all worry!" Yoochun sniffled through his tears.
"No, Chunnie, it's okay. Everything will be fine, all right? We'll go back to the apartment and get you to bed. You need all the rest you can."
Yoochun drew back from Jaejoong. He wiped his eyes as he felt Junsu's hand come to rest on his shoulder.
"You look like hell." Junsu poked lightly.
Yoochun choked out a little laugh and barely smiled. Eunhyuk offered a thumbs up to his long time friend. Changmin paused before he walked over and hugged Yoochun around his neck.
"I'm so glad you're okay, hyung. I was so scared for both of you." Changmin said softly.
"Thank you, Minnie. I'm so sorry." Yoochun apologized again.
"I'll entrust Mr. Park in your care. Make sure he does not over extend himself. He's been through quite a bit and anything more could further damage his already weakened system." the doctor warned emphatically.
Jaejoong gave a curt nod. The doors swung open again and Yunho's Dark doctor appeared with a clipboard. He smiled pleasantly at the group.
"I'd like to inform everyone that Jung Yunho is sleeping soundly in his bed. We have altered his medications to include a syringe based internal medicine. He will need to give himself an injection once in the morning and once at night just as a diabetic would. He will also need to continue taking his pills in congruence with the injections."
"That's in least a bit of good news from all of this." Junsu said softly.
Yoochun tried not to flinch as the Dark physician related the new medical procedures Yunho would have to endure. If he had not awakened their past lives, none of this would have happened. They could have continued going on as if nothing had ever occurred.
The singer berated himself immediately for that line of thought. He knew he had never viewed Yunho as simply a friend. His heart and soul had called out for the elder Dark long before he even knew who he once was. He had always known he belonged to Yunho.
"But it's too late now. I don't even know who I am any more." he thought silently to himself.
"Can we see Yunho?"
Jaejoong's words interrupted Yoochun's rapidly darkening thoughts. The Dark physician smiled gently and shook his head.
"For now it would be best for you to take Mr. Park home. I promise we'll call tomorrow evening. He'll be ready to be released by then."
"Thank you."
The five men all bowed graciously to both doctors. The group took their leave. Eunhyuk sighed softy and then pressed a light kiss to Junsu's lips.
"I had better just grab a cab back to the dorm. I'm sure everyone is worried sick."
"Call in the morning, please?" Junsu added.
Eunhyuk nodded and kissed Junsu quickly again before heading down out a nearby door. He waved his arm for a taxi before he disappeared from everyone's view.
Jaejoong looped Yoochun's arm through his. He squeezed his hand in an assured manner.
"Everything will be fine in the morning, Yoochun."
"Yeah, if management lets us have the morning off."
"What do you mean?" Yoochun asked as the group headed toward the next Exit sign.
"SM Town isn't willing to let us have a day off. Manager-hyung tried his best but they're insisting we shoot the new music video for our Japanese single in the next couple days. They even have a big name Japanese actor for the video. Guess he's a huge fan."
"But you don't have to go, Chunnie!" Changmin quickly interrupted. "They said that Yunho-hyung and you can shoot at different times."
"You need to try and get your rest." Junsu added.
"Actually..." Yoochun began, "I think I would like to go back to work."
"You're not suited for it yet." Jaejoong objected.
"It might not seem like it but I really want to start working right away. No point in just sitting at home. Really guys, I don't feel that bad. Maybe the designers can just give me some gloves to wear for the video? You know, I could even start a new trend!"
The humorous quip caused everyone to laugh. Yoochun joined in but the laughter never reached his eyes. As their vehicle pulled up, he continued to make light jabs and banter with the other members. However, as he slipped into the car's seat, his stomach began to feel tight once again. He continued to joke lightly even as he felt his soul was being left behind.
Yunho was already too far away.
*****
Eeteuk hummed softly. The television was already filling with broadcasts about the "accident" that had occurred at the TVXQ flat. He sighed softly as he lifted the switcher to flip through the channels.
The door opened to their dorm and Eunhyuk slipped in. Eeteuk quickly stood and walked over to the younger man. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Eunhyuk drew in a deep breath and tried to smile.
"They're both doing okay." Eunhyuk said softly.
Eeteuk let out a shaky breath and gave a short nod. He gestured for Eunhyuk to come and sit on the couch.
"Teukie?" Eunhyuk began as they sat down.
"Yes, Hyukkie?"
"I need to ask you something. Does... Does Hannie do anything different?"
"Different? What do you mean?"
"I... It's hard to explain and I don't think this will make any sense. But Seunghyun, well, we just found out he's Yunho's Father."
Eeteuk blinked twice before rubbing his eyes with his hand. He shook his head and seemed to be trying to grasp at the information.
"He... He made Yunho?" Eeteuk asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. It's really confusing, stuff involving Darks and Vessels and Rogues. It was all pretty scary. But Seunghyun said that Hannie was special. What does he mean by that?"
"I don't think I'm the one to answer that, Eunhyuk." Eeteuk said softly.
"You know that's not true, Teukie." Eunhyuk replied firmly. "I've seen you with Hankyung. It's different from how Siwon and Donghae. It's like you're keeping secrets."
Eeteuk's eyes looked tired when he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Hankyung's gentle eyes. The elder Dark knelt down by the couch. Eeteuk patted Hankyung's hand. The vampire turned his attention to Eunhyuk.
"It's Eeteuk's job to keep secrets, Hyukjae." Hankyung said softly, using Eunhyuk's real name. "You might say he helps me record everything that happens while I'm with you."
"Records?"
"It's very difficult to explain. You see, I've already broken a major law among Darks."
"Which is?" Eunhyuk pressed.
"He drinks from us."
Eunhyuk blinked as he looked up to see Siwon and Donghae standing behind Hankyung. Siwon was smiling warmly. Donghae simply bounced by them and threw his arms around Eunhyuk's neck. The youth couldn't help but laugh despite the odd announcement.
"You don't seem too surprised about Hannie drinking from us!" Donghae chirped to his best friend.
"After everything I've seen tonight, Hae, there's very little that is going to shock me tonight. Does everyone else in SuJu know?"
"No, we've made a point of trying to keep it a secret. And now that you know, I'll expect you to honor it the same as I have, Eunhyuk." Eeteuk said softly.
Eunhyuk nodded as Hankyung looked between Siwon and Donghae affectionately. He then placed his hand over Eeteuk's again and squeezed it.
"Jungsu's job is to record my actions. To ensure that I never go out of control. That I always stay within the realm of sanity."
"So Eeteuk's like a record keeper?"
"Something like that. It's very hard to explain. Let's just say that some humans know from the beginning that they are destined to keep track of we Darks. It's something inbred in them."
Eunhyuk nodded slightly. His thoughts drifted to Changmin. Was he like Eeteuk? Someone who was predestined to watch Darks. Was that why he was so sensitive to the subject?
"So what happens if you, you know?"
"If I go crazy?" Hankyung asked.
The younger man nodded. He could feel the sudden tension in the room. He glanced between Siwon and Donghae. Siwon fingered the cross on his neck. Donghae simply said nothing, dragging his bottom lip between his teeth. Eunhyuk wondered if he had just asked a very taboo question. Eeteuk was the one who broke the silence.
"Then it is my job to kill him before other Darks do."
Eunhyuk tried to wrap his mind around the information. Hankyung was ready to open his mouth when he suddenly froze. His short hair immediately gave way to his shimmering white mane. His eyes darted back and forth in the room.
"Hannie?!" Donghae cried.
"Geng?!" Siwon dropped to his knees beside the Dark.
Hankyung's lips opened and closed and his body suddenly jerked. One of his arms flew upwards. The shoulder blade area of his short sleeved t-shirt became soaked with the Dark's blackish red fluid. The sweet smell permeated the room. Just as quickly, the wound closed up leaving Hankyung staring blankly up at the ceiling.
"HANNIE!!" Donghae shouted as he descended beside the vampire.
"Geng, talk to me. Don't you do this to us!" Siwon commanded.
Hankyung's lips opened and closed two times before his eyes came into focus. He sat up slowly. He touched the sealed wound on his shoulder. The remaining viscous substance slipped down his fingertips. The room was deathly silent.
The commotion brought Kangin into the room with Sungmin and Kyuhyun following close behind.
"What the hell is going on?!" Kangin boomed.
Hankyung simply looked at everyone before whispering in a shaky voice.
"...it's beginning..."
*****
"Are you sure you're okay with this, Yoochun?" Jaejoong pressed.
The younger man nodded as he carefully slipped some thin spandex gloves over his bandaged hands. He had pulled his hair up into a ponytail and had hid it underneath a baseball cap.
"I don't know how you can look so chipper after the hellish night you had." Junsu commented as he brushed some of his hair from his eyes.
"I swear guys, I'm doing fine. It's bad enough this is going to be splashed over every T.V. station and tabloid in South Korea."
Changmin watched with a worried expression. He had spent the whole night sitting up and watching Yoochun sleeping in his room. The youngest member had seen Yoochun's face morph between fear, pain and loss. He had wanted to wake his friend up a number of times but stopped when he heard the name fall from Yoochun's lips.
"Yunho...why?"
There was so much that Changmin wanted to tell Yoochun. He wanted to tell him about how Seunghyun had been there with the rest of Big Bang. That he was Yunho's Father and maybe could help Yoochun too. He had asked Jaejoong but the older man had told the youth to wait until Seunghyun had spoken to Yunho.
"Maybe I could call Hankyung though." Changmin thought to himself. "Seunghyun said he was very special. Maybe he could help Yoochun too."
The four men had been sent to the airport to pick up the Japanese actor. The group's manager had argued with the main company representatives on the phone for over an hour. They continued to insist that it would look good on the group's part if they greeted the actor personally.
"I still think this is bull." Jaejoong grumbled. "I mean, it's not like we're going to actually do much work with him. He's going to be shooting mostly on his own."
"Bottom line, Jae, bottom line." Junsu said blandly.
"So, where the hell is this guy any ways? His plane landed over an hour ago." the raven haired man replied.
Yoochun flexed his injured hands in his gloves. He sighed softly and turned to pick up a magazine. He haulted when another hand was hovering above his.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to take..."
Yoochun stopped speaking when his eyes locked with a set of honey colored ones. Blondish brown choppy hair framed a very handsome face. The man tilted his head curiously before smiling. His fangs were barely visible.
The young man drew back. He felt frozen. There was something so familiar about this person. The gentleman stood straight up. He was much taller than everyone else, six feet if not higher. He was dressed in a simple button up shirt and jeans.
A sensation crept through Yoochun's blood. For the briefest moment, the youth felt pure, unhindered fear.
"I'm sorry, I can some times startle people." the man said in clear but accented Korean. "My name is Shirota Yuu."
Yoochun blinked and then immediately shook out of his daze. The fear literally melted as he bowed rapidly at the older man.
"Park Yoochun. I'm one of the members of TVXQ."
"Yes, I know." Yuu said with a warm laugh. "I was very upset when I didn't get a chance to see you on that variety show we were both on."
"Shirotasan?" Jaejoong asked in Japanese. "Welcome to Seoul."
"Please, call me Yuu." Yuu said brightly in Korean. "I'll try my best not to murder your language. I'm such a huge fan."
"That's what management told us." Junsu interjected. "We're looking forward to working with you on our new music video."
Yuu bowed very deeply and graciously to the members.
"The honor is all mine." Yuu added as he uprighted himself. "I hope that you won't find it awkward to work with me."
"Because you're Japanese?" Jaejoong questioned.
"No, because I'm a Dark. I didn't know if your management told you or not."
"It's okay, Shir... I mean, Yuu." Changmin said nervously. "We know quite a few."
"That's right. Your leader Jung Yunho is one of us, isn't he? Where is he? I was hoping to meet him."
"He's ill right now. He'll be with us later tonight." Jaejoong quickly stated. "Do you have any bags?"
"Nope." Yuu smirked.
"You came without anything?!" Junsu asked incrediously.
"Well, I was hoping to do a bit of shopping while I was here. I don't get to Seoul very much and I wanted a chance to take in the sites. Oh, but I do have one thing! I left it on the chair over there. Be right back."
Yuu took two large steps easily before returning with a bouquet of assorted flowers. He bowed once again in front of the group. He offered the flowers to Jaejoong.
"As a token for you allowing me to be in your music video."
"Wow, thanks." Jaejoong said.
The raven haired man took the gift and bowed in return.
"Why don't we head back to the car? We're starting to gather a fan base." Junsu said lightly.
Changmin nodded. He couldn't shake the strange, eerie feeling he was getting from Yuu. There was something just not quite right about the Japanese Dark. He didn't seem like he would be a problem but he felt a bit odd to the much younger man.
"Changmin, are you coming?" Junsu cut through his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh yes, yes I'm coming!" Changmin replied quickly.
A few cell phone cameras started flashing. The group turned to see a number of fans happily clicking away.
"Looks like we've been discovered." Yuu said with a chuckle.
The five men gestured lightly at the cameras. A small, yellow flower tumbled out of the bouquet Jaejoong was holding. Yoochun spotted the bloom and leaned down to pick it up. He raised his head to see Yuu gazing at him intently. The Dark said nothing as he took the delicate flower from Yoochun's gloved hands. He broke part of the stem off and then slipped the yellow blossom behind one of Yoochun's ears.
The sound of young women squealing at the act caught the attention of Jaejoong, Junsu and Changmin. The trio turned to see Yoochun looking up at Yuu as the older Dark adjusted the flower.
"Here, a yellow flower. It's a sign of true friendship in my country."
"Thank you." Yoochun whispered.
Yuu slipped his arm around his shoulder and turned him to face the cameras. They both waved as Yoochun reached up unconciously to touch the yellow petals.
Familiar. This all felt too familiar.
The fantastic news is that I finished the newest chapter of "Like Blood to Water." I'm thrilled that the chapter is done and I am so pleased with how it turned out. It was two weeks of careful planning in my head and a number of rewrites, but I think it flows well. Plus, we have the return of the SiHanHae and the introduction of Yuu! Enjoy and ja ne for now! =~.^=V
Like Blood to Water"
By: Miracle Shining
PAIRING (Main): 2U (YunChun)
SUBPAIRING: SiHanHae, HyukSu
GROUPS: TVXQ, Super Junior, Big Bang, Actor Yuu Shirota
RATINGS: PG-13 to NC-17 (Will be notated if R or NC-17)
GENRE: Angst/Romance/Action
LEGAL JUNK: Don't own the 2U, they own each other.
SUMMARY: AU Band!verse~After a fateful letter over 500 years ago, Jung Yunho makes a very unusual pact with a stranger. Now, that choice will effect not only the future of TVXQ, but Yunho's unknown link to his bandmate, Park Yoochun.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Dedicated to march_kyo, renichifreak, volatileflame, and music_loner. This fic was inspired heavily by "The Masked Fencer," a special 2U vid done by March, as well as traditional and modernistic takes on vampiric culture.
*****
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Familiarity
"My dear friend, that's a beautiful flower."
"Thank you."
"Who gave it to you?"
"One of your other servants, my lord."
"The Foreigner?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Do you like him?"
"My lord?"
Yunho opened his eyes slowly to the blackened room. The shades had been pulled thick around the windows to prevent excess light from seeping through. His long raven hair remained tangled and fanned out across the tinged white sheets. A blanket had been placed over him at some point in time. He side glanced to see a digital clock glowing a garish red in the otherwise darkened space.
He knew Yoochun was gone. He felt him leave. He had placed his hand between his mouth and bit through his own flesh. He used the pain to divert his urge to push off the bed and tear the door off it's hinges. The smell of his friend lingered like a dangerous perfume. It hung heavily in the air. It only faded when one of the Dark nurses slipped into his room and pushed a syringe of thickened white liquid through his arm.
Yunho didn't know what the concoction did but his hunger seemed to wane after a half hour. Then an unexpected sleep overtook him. But the dreams, no memories, they didn't stop.
Yoochun was not his Yoochun but was still himself. Yunho knew that. The greater difficulty for the Dark was how to explain to Yoochun he never cared to begin with. He had always been drawn to the beautiful, slender pianist long before his memories returned. His still heart called out for completion. Yoochun had always been his other half. The reason he existed.
"It never mattered that we were together before. It only mattered to me that you stayed with me. Why couldn't have I stayed unaware? Then maybe you wouldn't hate me so much now!" Yunho sobbed into his hands.
He stopped crying immediately when his acute hearing picked up someone speaking. The person sounded as if he was standing right next to Yunho's bed.
"Don't waste too many tears, my lord. You'll won't have enough to spare when it's time to truly shed them."
Yunho's red pupiled eyes shot to the right and left of the dim room. He could easily cut through the inkiness. There seemed to be no viable shape to anything other than the objects stereotypical of a hospital room. Yunho watched the shadows against the farthest wall. His fangs tingled in his mouth as he hunched over. The urge to attack was rising. He could feel his defensive instinct begin to curl through his nerves and tether down into his clenching fists. He growled softly in his throat.
There was someone in the room with him. Or something. He just couldn't pinpoint the source. His eyes looked back and forth before narrowing on a particularly black spot in the corner of the room. The shadows were barely seperated in color.
"Who are you?" Yunho hissed through his teeth.
"In due time, my lord. In due time. But perhaps this will refresh your mind?"
Yunho didn't have time to react as something hard struck him. It seared through his delicate skin and seemed to burn right down into his nerves. The fire crawled up through his arm and settled in his shoulder blade. Yunho tried to open his mouth to cry out but his voice was silenced. He fell back to the bed. Blackish red liquid blossomed from the jagged cut and just as quickly sealed.
The room went silent. Yunho drew in ragged breaths as the painful strike started to wane and simply become a faded memory. His red pupils flew back and forth. The shadows were now all the same color. Nothing looked out of place except for the smell. Yunho drew in the smell and felt himself choke.
Rubies. It smelt like rubies.
*****
"Mr. Park?"
Yoochun glanced up from the hospital bed he was sitting on. The ER doctor gave him a small smile. In his hand was a clip board with a series of papers attached to it.
"How are you feeling?" the doctor questioned.
"A little tired still." the young man said wanely.
"That's understandable. You'll need to try and rest the best you can for the next couple of days. I wanted to let you know that your friend Mr. Jung is recovering in his room. He seems to be a bit listless still so we're going to keep him over night."
Yoochun just numbly nodded. His mind flashed back to Yunho's troubled expression and the anxiety the Dark felt. His thoughts than drifted to the strange memory he had only an hour before. He knew he should have recognized the person. It was not his lord, he was certain.
His lord.
The words felt foreign to him even now. He felt a jab of despair strike at his heart. He could not be who Yunho wanted him to be. Yunho refused to let Yoochun help him. There was now a wall that seemed impossibly high for the youth to scale.
"Mr. Park?" the doctor's voice interrupted.
"Huh?"
"I'm sorry, you grew very distant while I was trying to give you your instructions."
"Forgive me, doctor. So much has happened." Yoochun replied.
"It's all right. You've been through a very stressful situation. I was telling you to try and get some naps in between any promotional work. Take plenty of iron supplements to make up for your blood loss. Be sure to use pain medicine to treat your hands and make sure you have your friends help change the bandages twice a day for the first three days."
Yoochun made a sound of agreement to the specifics.
"What about Yunho?"
"His doctor is going to continue to monitor his progress. We will see if we can alter his medicine to fit his current needs. I assure you that he'll be back and bright as ever. Now, I just need you to sign these papers for your release. Your friends are waiting for you."
"Thank you doctor." Yoochun whispered.
The young man began to signature each line over the glistening white paper. His mind drifted to the last sentence the doctor said.
"But the one I want will not be waiting for me."
The final signature was put in place. The doctor smiled as he took the clipboard back from Yoochun. He gave a gracious bow and then gestured with an open arm toward the door. Yoochun slipped his feet into his shoes and moved quietly past the doctor and back into the corridor once again.
The physician walked beside him chatting very lightly. He could feel his heart rate go up the closer and closer they drew to Yunho's door. The young man felt a little dizzy and his throat seemed to constrict as his stomach tightened. His nerves seemed to fire off and he felt as though he was sweating through his already sticky clothes.
The duo passed by the door. Yoochun wanted to turn his head and look to see if it was open. He wanted to see if Yunho was watching him. He wanted to see if his friend was all right. Most of all, he wanted Yunho to look at him.
But some unseen force kept him staring forward. His own will stilled his raging pulse and kept the fear and passion from rising into his brain. He drew in a slow breath and kept his pace steady and careful. The ER doctor pushed open the swinging doors.
Jaejoong's head immediately went up when the doors opened. He sprung to his feet and jumped over a nearby coffee table to rush toward Yoochun. Changmin quickly dropped his book as Junsu and Eunhyuk were joined behind the taller youth.
"YOOCHUN!" the foursome cried happily.
Yoochun's eyes began to water almost against his will. His bottom lip trembled as he saw both the overjoyed and worried expressions on his companion's faces. Little glistening tears began to slip down his cheeks. He held out his arms and wrapped them tightly around Jaejoong's neck. The elder raven haired man stroked the brunette's back gently and whispered soft words of comfort to him.
"I'm sorry I made you all worry!" Yoochun sniffled through his tears.
"No, Chunnie, it's okay. Everything will be fine, all right? We'll go back to the apartment and get you to bed. You need all the rest you can."
Yoochun drew back from Jaejoong. He wiped his eyes as he felt Junsu's hand come to rest on his shoulder.
"You look like hell." Junsu poked lightly.
Yoochun choked out a little laugh and barely smiled. Eunhyuk offered a thumbs up to his long time friend. Changmin paused before he walked over and hugged Yoochun around his neck.
"I'm so glad you're okay, hyung. I was so scared for both of you." Changmin said softly.
"Thank you, Minnie. I'm so sorry." Yoochun apologized again.
"I'll entrust Mr. Park in your care. Make sure he does not over extend himself. He's been through quite a bit and anything more could further damage his already weakened system." the doctor warned emphatically.
Jaejoong gave a curt nod. The doors swung open again and Yunho's Dark doctor appeared with a clipboard. He smiled pleasantly at the group.
"I'd like to inform everyone that Jung Yunho is sleeping soundly in his bed. We have altered his medications to include a syringe based internal medicine. He will need to give himself an injection once in the morning and once at night just as a diabetic would. He will also need to continue taking his pills in congruence with the injections."
"That's in least a bit of good news from all of this." Junsu said softly.
Yoochun tried not to flinch as the Dark physician related the new medical procedures Yunho would have to endure. If he had not awakened their past lives, none of this would have happened. They could have continued going on as if nothing had ever occurred.
The singer berated himself immediately for that line of thought. He knew he had never viewed Yunho as simply a friend. His heart and soul had called out for the elder Dark long before he even knew who he once was. He had always known he belonged to Yunho.
"But it's too late now. I don't even know who I am any more." he thought silently to himself.
"Can we see Yunho?"
Jaejoong's words interrupted Yoochun's rapidly darkening thoughts. The Dark physician smiled gently and shook his head.
"For now it would be best for you to take Mr. Park home. I promise we'll call tomorrow evening. He'll be ready to be released by then."
"Thank you."
The five men all bowed graciously to both doctors. The group took their leave. Eunhyuk sighed softy and then pressed a light kiss to Junsu's lips.
"I had better just grab a cab back to the dorm. I'm sure everyone is worried sick."
"Call in the morning, please?" Junsu added.
Eunhyuk nodded and kissed Junsu quickly again before heading down out a nearby door. He waved his arm for a taxi before he disappeared from everyone's view.
Jaejoong looped Yoochun's arm through his. He squeezed his hand in an assured manner.
"Everything will be fine in the morning, Yoochun."
"Yeah, if management lets us have the morning off."
"What do you mean?" Yoochun asked as the group headed toward the next Exit sign.
"SM Town isn't willing to let us have a day off. Manager-hyung tried his best but they're insisting we shoot the new music video for our Japanese single in the next couple days. They even have a big name Japanese actor for the video. Guess he's a huge fan."
"But you don't have to go, Chunnie!" Changmin quickly interrupted. "They said that Yunho-hyung and you can shoot at different times."
"You need to try and get your rest." Junsu added.
"Actually..." Yoochun began, "I think I would like to go back to work."
"You're not suited for it yet." Jaejoong objected.
"It might not seem like it but I really want to start working right away. No point in just sitting at home. Really guys, I don't feel that bad. Maybe the designers can just give me some gloves to wear for the video? You know, I could even start a new trend!"
The humorous quip caused everyone to laugh. Yoochun joined in but the laughter never reached his eyes. As their vehicle pulled up, he continued to make light jabs and banter with the other members. However, as he slipped into the car's seat, his stomach began to feel tight once again. He continued to joke lightly even as he felt his soul was being left behind.
Yunho was already too far away.
*****
Eeteuk hummed softly. The television was already filling with broadcasts about the "accident" that had occurred at the TVXQ flat. He sighed softly as he lifted the switcher to flip through the channels.
The door opened to their dorm and Eunhyuk slipped in. Eeteuk quickly stood and walked over to the younger man. He placed a hand on his shoulder. Eunhyuk drew in a deep breath and tried to smile.
"They're both doing okay." Eunhyuk said softly.
Eeteuk let out a shaky breath and gave a short nod. He gestured for Eunhyuk to come and sit on the couch.
"Teukie?" Eunhyuk began as they sat down.
"Yes, Hyukkie?"
"I need to ask you something. Does... Does Hannie do anything different?"
"Different? What do you mean?"
"I... It's hard to explain and I don't think this will make any sense. But Seunghyun, well, we just found out he's Yunho's Father."
Eeteuk blinked twice before rubbing his eyes with his hand. He shook his head and seemed to be trying to grasp at the information.
"He... He made Yunho?" Eeteuk asked disbelievingly.
"Yeah, that's what I thought. It's really confusing, stuff involving Darks and Vessels and Rogues. It was all pretty scary. But Seunghyun said that Hannie was special. What does he mean by that?"
"I don't think I'm the one to answer that, Eunhyuk." Eeteuk said softly.
"You know that's not true, Teukie." Eunhyuk replied firmly. "I've seen you with Hankyung. It's different from how Siwon and Donghae. It's like you're keeping secrets."
Eeteuk's eyes looked tired when he felt a hand settle on his shoulder. He glanced up to see Hankyung's gentle eyes. The elder Dark knelt down by the couch. Eeteuk patted Hankyung's hand. The vampire turned his attention to Eunhyuk.
"It's Eeteuk's job to keep secrets, Hyukjae." Hankyung said softly, using Eunhyuk's real name. "You might say he helps me record everything that happens while I'm with you."
"Records?"
"It's very difficult to explain. You see, I've already broken a major law among Darks."
"Which is?" Eunhyuk pressed.
"He drinks from us."
Eunhyuk blinked as he looked up to see Siwon and Donghae standing behind Hankyung. Siwon was smiling warmly. Donghae simply bounced by them and threw his arms around Eunhyuk's neck. The youth couldn't help but laugh despite the odd announcement.
"You don't seem too surprised about Hannie drinking from us!" Donghae chirped to his best friend.
"After everything I've seen tonight, Hae, there's very little that is going to shock me tonight. Does everyone else in SuJu know?"
"No, we've made a point of trying to keep it a secret. And now that you know, I'll expect you to honor it the same as I have, Eunhyuk." Eeteuk said softly.
Eunhyuk nodded as Hankyung looked between Siwon and Donghae affectionately. He then placed his hand over Eeteuk's again and squeezed it.
"Jungsu's job is to record my actions. To ensure that I never go out of control. That I always stay within the realm of sanity."
"So Eeteuk's like a record keeper?"
"Something like that. It's very hard to explain. Let's just say that some humans know from the beginning that they are destined to keep track of we Darks. It's something inbred in them."
Eunhyuk nodded slightly. His thoughts drifted to Changmin. Was he like Eeteuk? Someone who was predestined to watch Darks. Was that why he was so sensitive to the subject?
"So what happens if you, you know?"
"If I go crazy?" Hankyung asked.
The younger man nodded. He could feel the sudden tension in the room. He glanced between Siwon and Donghae. Siwon fingered the cross on his neck. Donghae simply said nothing, dragging his bottom lip between his teeth. Eunhyuk wondered if he had just asked a very taboo question. Eeteuk was the one who broke the silence.
"Then it is my job to kill him before other Darks do."
Eunhyuk tried to wrap his mind around the information. Hankyung was ready to open his mouth when he suddenly froze. His short hair immediately gave way to his shimmering white mane. His eyes darted back and forth in the room.
"Hannie?!" Donghae cried.
"Geng?!" Siwon dropped to his knees beside the Dark.
Hankyung's lips opened and closed and his body suddenly jerked. One of his arms flew upwards. The shoulder blade area of his short sleeved t-shirt became soaked with the Dark's blackish red fluid. The sweet smell permeated the room. Just as quickly, the wound closed up leaving Hankyung staring blankly up at the ceiling.
"HANNIE!!" Donghae shouted as he descended beside the vampire.
"Geng, talk to me. Don't you do this to us!" Siwon commanded.
Hankyung's lips opened and closed two times before his eyes came into focus. He sat up slowly. He touched the sealed wound on his shoulder. The remaining viscous substance slipped down his fingertips. The room was deathly silent.
The commotion brought Kangin into the room with Sungmin and Kyuhyun following close behind.
"What the hell is going on?!" Kangin boomed.
Hankyung simply looked at everyone before whispering in a shaky voice.
"...it's beginning..."
*****
"Are you sure you're okay with this, Yoochun?" Jaejoong pressed.
The younger man nodded as he carefully slipped some thin spandex gloves over his bandaged hands. He had pulled his hair up into a ponytail and had hid it underneath a baseball cap.
"I don't know how you can look so chipper after the hellish night you had." Junsu commented as he brushed some of his hair from his eyes.
"I swear guys, I'm doing fine. It's bad enough this is going to be splashed over every T.V. station and tabloid in South Korea."
Changmin watched with a worried expression. He had spent the whole night sitting up and watching Yoochun sleeping in his room. The youngest member had seen Yoochun's face morph between fear, pain and loss. He had wanted to wake his friend up a number of times but stopped when he heard the name fall from Yoochun's lips.
"Yunho...why?"
There was so much that Changmin wanted to tell Yoochun. He wanted to tell him about how Seunghyun had been there with the rest of Big Bang. That he was Yunho's Father and maybe could help Yoochun too. He had asked Jaejoong but the older man had told the youth to wait until Seunghyun had spoken to Yunho.
"Maybe I could call Hankyung though." Changmin thought to himself. "Seunghyun said he was very special. Maybe he could help Yoochun too."
The four men had been sent to the airport to pick up the Japanese actor. The group's manager had argued with the main company representatives on the phone for over an hour. They continued to insist that it would look good on the group's part if they greeted the actor personally.
"I still think this is bull." Jaejoong grumbled. "I mean, it's not like we're going to actually do much work with him. He's going to be shooting mostly on his own."
"Bottom line, Jae, bottom line." Junsu said blandly.
"So, where the hell is this guy any ways? His plane landed over an hour ago." the raven haired man replied.
Yoochun flexed his injured hands in his gloves. He sighed softly and turned to pick up a magazine. He haulted when another hand was hovering above his.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to take..."
Yoochun stopped speaking when his eyes locked with a set of honey colored ones. Blondish brown choppy hair framed a very handsome face. The man tilted his head curiously before smiling. His fangs were barely visible.
The young man drew back. He felt frozen. There was something so familiar about this person. The gentleman stood straight up. He was much taller than everyone else, six feet if not higher. He was dressed in a simple button up shirt and jeans.
A sensation crept through Yoochun's blood. For the briefest moment, the youth felt pure, unhindered fear.
"I'm sorry, I can some times startle people." the man said in clear but accented Korean. "My name is Shirota Yuu."
Yoochun blinked and then immediately shook out of his daze. The fear literally melted as he bowed rapidly at the older man.
"Park Yoochun. I'm one of the members of TVXQ."
"Yes, I know." Yuu said with a warm laugh. "I was very upset when I didn't get a chance to see you on that variety show we were both on."
"Shirotasan?" Jaejoong asked in Japanese. "Welcome to Seoul."
"Please, call me Yuu." Yuu said brightly in Korean. "I'll try my best not to murder your language. I'm such a huge fan."
"That's what management told us." Junsu interjected. "We're looking forward to working with you on our new music video."
Yuu bowed very deeply and graciously to the members.
"The honor is all mine." Yuu added as he uprighted himself. "I hope that you won't find it awkward to work with me."
"Because you're Japanese?" Jaejoong questioned.
"No, because I'm a Dark. I didn't know if your management told you or not."
"It's okay, Shir... I mean, Yuu." Changmin said nervously. "We know quite a few."
"That's right. Your leader Jung Yunho is one of us, isn't he? Where is he? I was hoping to meet him."
"He's ill right now. He'll be with us later tonight." Jaejoong quickly stated. "Do you have any bags?"
"Nope." Yuu smirked.
"You came without anything?!" Junsu asked incrediously.
"Well, I was hoping to do a bit of shopping while I was here. I don't get to Seoul very much and I wanted a chance to take in the sites. Oh, but I do have one thing! I left it on the chair over there. Be right back."
Yuu took two large steps easily before returning with a bouquet of assorted flowers. He bowed once again in front of the group. He offered the flowers to Jaejoong.
"As a token for you allowing me to be in your music video."
"Wow, thanks." Jaejoong said.
The raven haired man took the gift and bowed in return.
"Why don't we head back to the car? We're starting to gather a fan base." Junsu said lightly.
Changmin nodded. He couldn't shake the strange, eerie feeling he was getting from Yuu. There was something just not quite right about the Japanese Dark. He didn't seem like he would be a problem but he felt a bit odd to the much younger man.
"Changmin, are you coming?" Junsu cut through his thoughts.
"Huh? Oh yes, yes I'm coming!" Changmin replied quickly.
A few cell phone cameras started flashing. The group turned to see a number of fans happily clicking away.
"Looks like we've been discovered." Yuu said with a chuckle.
The five men gestured lightly at the cameras. A small, yellow flower tumbled out of the bouquet Jaejoong was holding. Yoochun spotted the bloom and leaned down to pick it up. He raised his head to see Yuu gazing at him intently. The Dark said nothing as he took the delicate flower from Yoochun's gloved hands. He broke part of the stem off and then slipped the yellow blossom behind one of Yoochun's ears.
The sound of young women squealing at the act caught the attention of Jaejoong, Junsu and Changmin. The trio turned to see Yoochun looking up at Yuu as the older Dark adjusted the flower.
"Here, a yellow flower. It's a sign of true friendship in my country."
"Thank you." Yoochun whispered.
Yuu slipped his arm around his shoulder and turned him to face the cameras. They both waved as Yoochun reached up unconciously to touch the yellow petals.
Familiar. This all felt too familiar.