FIC: Like Blood to Water (Chapter Sixteen)
Konbanwa, minnasan, I hope everyone out there in Cyberland is doing well! It's been a literal White Christmas this weekend where I live. Currently I'm snowed in my house with six foot drifts in front of my door and windows. On the up side, I don't work until Monday, so I've been enjoying the long holiday.
The good news is, just as I promised, I finished the next chapter of "Like Blood to Water!" This one took me a very long time because it's another "Transition" chapter which has set up the characters for the inevitable climax. I hope everyone enjoys 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 SIXTEEN: Links
Eunhyuk sat across the living room with a worried expression. He had seen Hankyung's shoulder burst open and seal up just as quickly. His white haired friend had spoken only a simple phrase and then had fell into a deep sleep. He had not awakened in nearly two days.
Hankyung was currently on the couch, his head pillowed in Siwon's lap. Donghae was kneeling beside their partner, holding the vampire's limp hand. Eeteuk had taken his position in the chair on the opposite side of the couch.
The other Super Junior members had been coming in and out during the evening. Eeteuk had assured them that Hankyung was just not feeling well and that some times Darks get sick just like humans. Eunhyuk was grateful that the other members didn't know or bother to learn much about Hankyung's kind. The only two who looked doubtful were Sungmin and Kyuhyun. Eunhyuk wondered how long it would be before the duo began to press Eeteuk and the others for answers.
"How's he doing?" Eunhyuk asked for what felt like the twentieth time in the past couple days.
"Resting." Siwon responded gently.
"Is he going to wake up?"
"Yes. When the time is right." Donghae returned.
Eeteuk gave Eunhyuk a tired smile.
"Thank you for keeping this all to yourself, Hyukjae. We appreciate it and I know Geng would if he was awake right now."
"No problem. It was just lucky none of us had any promotional stuff we had to attend too."
The others nodded. A soft murmur caught their attention. Siwon and Donghae's faces immediately lit up as Hankyung began to stir. The white haired Dark mumbled something in his native language before his eyes flickered open. He closed them quickly and brought his hand up, shielding his sensitive corneas.
"Hyukkie, could you please dim the lights?" Donghae asked his best friend.
The dancer nodded and jumped from the chair. He quickly pushed the dimmer switch down until the room was almost completely dark. The vampire took his hand away from his eyes. He blinked and then gave a shaky smile as he glanced back and forth between Donghae and Siwon's concerned faces.
"Hey." he croaked in his accented voice.
"You bastard, you had us worried sick." Siwon half sobbed before he kissed the Dark squarely on the mouth.
"Hannie!!!" Donghae cried as his lips replaced Siwon's.
Eeteuk just let out a sound of relief and slumped down in his chair. He rubbed his tired eyes and turned his head twice to pop his neck.
"You're going to be the death of this Umma." he added dryly.
Hankyung began to sit up but swayed. Donghae jumped up from his kneeling position and helped Siwon upright their mutual companion. The white haired Dark looked as though he was going to be ill. His skin was much paler than usual and his face was gaunt.
"Hannie, what's wrong?" Donghae asked desperately. "You started bleeding and then you went to sleep!"
"Hae, let him get his bearings." Eeteuk chided gently.
"No, it's all right, Jungsu." Hankyung replied. "It's been so many years since this has happened, I forgot how strong it could be."
"What happened?" Eunhyuk questioned curiously.
Hankyung shook his head as if trying to clear it. He paused and drew in a slow breath. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
"I'm a special kind of Dark. We are called 'Links.'"
"Links?"
"We have the ability to 'link' with either our Vessels or another Dark. There are different kinds of us. Some can see the future, some can only see the past. Or in my case, I can actually experience certain physical things that are happening to them."
"Which means?"
"I need to see Yunho. And soon."
******
Taeyang picked up his hooded sweatshirt from his room. Last night he had stood out with Seunghyun. He had felt the deep concern and fear that was riding underneath his Dark's generally cool exterior. Taeyang knew that Seunghyun desired that he speak to Changmin about becoming a Watcher when he finally went and saw his Son. He hoped that he was even worthy to do so.
However, his main focus was taking care of Jiyong at the moment. Their white haired member had fallen unexpectedly ill during the night. Taeyang had spent the past twelve hours running around the apartment trying to find medicine and cold cloths to keep Jiyong's fever down. Seungri and Daesung had went with Seunghyun for a promotional clothing photoshoot. They assured Taeyang that Jiyong and he would be excused.
Taeyang pulled on his sweatshirt and then a set of gloves. He slipped out of his room and approached Jiyong's door. The sensation of cold immediately struck the young man. He shivered as he opened the doorway. The air conditioner was on full blast along with a window being open. The crisp air added to the dropping temperature.
The youth's attention went to the young man lying on the bed. Jiyong's white hair was soaked with sweat. All of his blankets and sheets had been kicked off. His sleep pants were sticking to his skin with persperation. The dancer struggled and groaned, his eyes flickering underneath his lids. Jiyong's expression was contorted into one of fear.
Taeyang pulled up a chair and sat down. He reached for a cloth that had been soaking in ice water. He rang it out with his gloved hands before beginning to dab Jiyong's face. The other fought against an unseen force. Jiyong's fingers flexed in a clawing motion before he went still.
Taeyang paused. He had never seen his companion go silent during one of his fever based fits. The singer knew something was amiss.
Jiyong's eyes suddenly snapped open. He sat clean up in bed and began to scream at the top of his lungs. The sound startled Taeyang. He quickly shot out of his chair and grabbed Jiyong's shoulders. The white haired man continued to scream and then began to fight against Taeyang's grip.
"G! G! It's me! It's Tae!" he shouted.
Jiyong's shrieks continued for a few more moments before the sound died on his lips. He blinked a few times before turning to look at Taeyang. Jiyong's eyes were wavering with unshed tears. He reached up a shaking hand and touched his friend's face.
"There was so much blood, Tae." Jiyong whispered. "Blood all over. On the tiles. On the dance floor."
"Who's blood?" Taeyang questioned gently.
"It will happen again. They can't stop it. The whole cycle will happen all over again. I can see it already. There's nothing they can do. There will be blood all over and there will be so much pain. So much pain..."
"Who's blood, G?" Taeyang asked more firmly.
"Our friends. The ones who were meant to be together for eternity before and never came to be."
Jiyong expression changed and then morphed into one of exhaustion. He gave Taeyang a confused look and then looked down at his sweat soaked pants and sticky sheets.
"Damn... Did I come down with a fever again?"
"Yeah, you did."
"Did I... You know?..."
"Talk about a potential future? Yes." Taeyang responded as he eased Jiyong back into the bed.
"Did I tell you anything useful?"
"Kind of."
"Like what?"
"You said that there was going to be a lot of blood and the whole cycle will start all over again."
"I wonder what that means." Jiyong whispered.
Taeyang could tell that Jiyong was slipping into the arms of sleep. He stroked his forehead gently.
"Tae?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll ever get well again?"
"I don't know. Seunghyun-hyung says your gift is very special. He says that you're a 'Link' and they're very rare in Darks and even rarer in humans."
"I just want it to go away. I hate it."
"I know, G, I know."
*****
Dinner was a casual if not mildly tense affair at the dorm. Yoochun said very little during the whole meal, his eyes continually shooting to the staircase that Yunho had fled up. Changmin ate in near silence as he eyed Yuu suspiciously over his pasta. Jaejoong and Junsu carried on light conversation with their guest. Yuu just smiled warmly and answered their polite questions, his appearance generally interested.
"What else can you tell us about yourself, Yuu?" Junsu asked as he sipped a little wine from his glass.
"What would you like to know?"
"How did you get involved with this video project?"
"It's actually a rather boring story." Yuu responded.
"Oh?"
"I know that we both were on the same Japanese talk show a while back. I was a very big fan of your music and actually wanted to talk to all of you. But you had to return back to Seoul before I had the opportunity. I ended up chatting with the producer of the show and he told me that in a few months your group would be shooting a music video for your newest single. Your management said they were looking for a Japanese actor to star in it. I just couldn't let the opportunity pass me by."
Junsu nodded thoughtfully. Jaejoong noticed out of the corner of his eye that Junsu's lips were turned slightly down around the rim of his glass. The elder member wondered if Junsu was picking up the same strange vibe from Yuu that he was.
"When you helped Yunho a little while back, you said you use injections too." Changmin suddenly spoke from his food.
"Changmin." Jaejoong lightly scolded.
"No, it's all right." the Japanese Dark returned. "Most Darks have to when we get over five hundred years old. There have been leaps and bounds in the furtherment of medicine among our kind, but there still is the basest of desires in our nature. The need to feed."
"What do the injections do?" Changmin pressed.
"They simply curb our instinctive desire to seduce, possess and drain. However, I've been told that the injections only work for so long before my kind inevitably succumb to the drive to drink."
"So what does that mean for Yunho-hyung?"
"He has just started on his injections, so I forsee a long time before he'll have any negative or aggressive behavior."
"How long have you been on them?"
"Changmin, that's quite enough." Jaejoong interrupted. "He is our guest and we are to treat him as such."
"I'm sorry, hyung. I'm sorry, Yuu."
"No need to apologize. I understand that I can be a little intimidating."
Yoochun half listened to the conversation. Something else had caught his attention. He swore that he could hear scratching. As if long talons were being drug over and over again on wooden floorboards. His fingers were curled on the edge of the table and were starting to dig into the cloth. Yoochun's knuckles bent at an angle and he began to repeat the motion over and over.
"Chunnie? Chunnie?! Chunnie!"
His name pulled Yoochun's attention upwards. He blinked as his fellow bandmates were staring at him with confused expressions. His eyes moved downwards to see that the cloth had been shredded underneath his continual dragging motion.
"Yoochun? What's wrong?"
"I don't... I... I need to go to bed..." Yoochun whispered as he pushed back from the table.
Jaejoong, Junsu, Changmin and Yuu all stood as the slender youth quickly left the kitchen and headed rapidly up the flat's stairs.
"Should we go after him?" Junsu asked, his expression worried.
"Let him rest." Jaejoong returned softly. "It will be better for everyone if we all did the same. Yuu, I hope that you will forgive our abrupt ending to this evening."
"I completely understand. It seems that you have a situation on your hands right now. I look forward to working with all of you tomorrow and I hope that both Yunho and Yoochun will be feeling better. Don't worry about calling me your car, I'll just walk back to my hotel."
"But that's over fifteen miles away!" Jaejoong countered.
"I assure you, it will be a few minutes travel for me. Thank you again for allowing me to have dinner with all of you. I'll show myself to the door."
Yuu bowed deeply to the trio of men. He paused for the briefest of moments, his lips curling into an unreadable smile as his gaze moved up the staircase to where Yoochun had fled. He then promptly turned and opened the door, exiting quietly and disappearing down the hall on silent feet. The door closed a few moments after his exit, an eerie sensation following as the hinges came to a creaking hault.
"Anyone else just get the creeps right now?" Junsu questioned.
Jaejoong and Changmin both held up their hands in agreement.
"Something isn't right about this guy. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it." Changmin stated.
"Like I said, you've always been a suspicious child, Minnie. But I do agree with both of you. He seems too good to be true. And something else is bothering me. Did anyone else notice how much attention he seems to be paying to Yoochun?"
"And how did he know Yoochun would know that beautiful song they played together?" Junsu added.
Changmin felt a frown form on his lips. He needed to get answers and quick. Something inside of him was sending off a warning.
"We just need to get through the next three days. The video shoot and some of the promo work. Then Yuu can head back to Japan and hopefully we can figure out how the hell to fix what's going on with Yoochun and Yunho."
"Easier said than done, Jae." Junsu said dryly.
*****
Yoochun pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. His temples felt like they were on fire and he swore that the recesses of his eyes were going to burn through his palm. He took in a deep breath and tried to quell the rising bile. He rocked a little on his heels as he made his way down the dorm's upper hallway.
There was a memory flickering in the back of his head. Something that he couldn't seem to bring to the surface. Slight images would begin to come out of the mental haze and just as quickly vanish. There were some parts he could distinctively make out.
"That scroll. You keep saying it's a secret. What is it?"
"It's a contract, my dear friend."
"For who?"
"For you."
"Me? Why?"
"Do you want to keep your beloved lord safe? Because if so, you'll do exactly what the contract says."
".....I...yes."
Yoochun sucked in his air and pressed his hand on the nearest door. His eyes widened and his pupils dialated instantly as he felt the sheer power located behind the wooden frame.
He had inadvertently placed his hand on Yunho's door. The younger man's fingertips were gliding across the grain of the door. He reached the center and felt a vibration from the other side. Pressure met the tips of his fingers as he moved them back and forth over the wood.
"......yunho?" Yoochun barely whispered.
The response was not vocal. Instead Yoochun could feel more pressure through the wooden door. The amount of strength the Dark was exerting inwardly amazed the other man. Without thought, he leaned closer, letting his forehead rest against the hard material.
"Yunho... Yunho, please open the door. We need to talk. We can't keep tiptoeing around what's happening to both of us."
The sensation of the other's hands left Yoochun briefly. The singer was ready to panic when the door to Yunho's room opened just a fraction. Yoochun drew back. He felt as though his heart was jumping into his throat. The heavy thrumming of his heartbeat thundered in his chest. The pumping seemed to flood his skull and caused his cheeks to blossom red.
"Yunho?"
"Please, Chunnie. Please, you need to go away."
"You took your injection, I know you won't hurt me." Yoochun said very softly.
"It won't hold out. You don't understand." Yunho returned desperately.
"I don't understand?" Yoochun shot back, his voice beginning to rise in volume. "I don't understand because you're not telling me anything, hyung! You're shutting me out and there's nothing I can do. I'm seeing things again and they're scaring me!"
"Please, Yoochun, don't do this."
"Damn it, Yunho!"
Yoochun suddenly threw his weight against the door. The motion was so sudden that Yunho stumbled back from the other side. The entry way became clear as Yoochun stumbled into the room and into Yunho's shocked arms. The duo side stepped backwards before Yunho managed to upright both of them.
The two stood locked in the unintentional embrace. There was near silence in the room. All that could be heard was Yoochun's harsh breathing and the man's raised pulse.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Yunho could sense every beat with fine cut precision. He looked down at Yoochun. The long raven tresses fell to the right of his slender neck. His red pupiled eyes could see how the artery rose just a bit, the surface of Yoochun's flesh turning a very pale shade of pink.
His Yoochun. Yes, His. Perfect. Unflawed. Endless. His forever.
The Dark paused before he moved one his elegant hands and swept the remainder of Yoochun's hair from his throat. The gesture caused the much younger youth to startle. However, he didn't pull away from Yunho's grasp. Instead, he forced his eyes upwards to look at the vampire's face.
Yunho's expression was a mixture of unadulterated lust and unquenched hunger. The power and near ferocity of the emotions struck Yoochun to the core. He swallowed a lump and saw how Yunho followed the motion of his neck. How each tendon moved delicately under his unmarred skin.
Yoochun shifted slightly in Yunho's arms. He drew closer and moved his head more to the side. Yunho's nostrils flared as the smell of unshed blood began to fill his senses. His arms moved more, encircling his companion and drawing him tighter in a secure embrace.
The Dark felt his fangs quiver and then push through his sensitive gums. He could taste the barest hint of minerals in the back of his mouth. Yoochun's neck was there and he could already picture the liquid rubies sliding down his throat. Forbidden and glorious and perfect.
Yoochun wondered if his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He was full aware of what kind of embrace he was captured in. He was enthralled. Yunho was here with him, arms around him, and he didn't care what the end would be.
Yunho moved his mouth downwards. His silken lips slid lightly across Yoochun's rosed skin. The flesh felt like silk to his hungered mouth. He opened his jaw wider, giving his razor fangs more access. He readied himself to bite when he felt the very barest of tremors.
Yoochun was shaking in his arms.
The vampire immediately drew back with a growl and pushed his friend backwards, keeping the man at arm's length. Yoochun came out of his trance and stared at Yunho. The Dark's long raven hair spun around his shoulders. His red pupiled eyes were dialated. His fangs were visible and his mouth was partially open. Yunho looked like a caged animal ready to attack or flee at any moment.
"Yunho?" Yoochun barely spoke.
"Oh gods, Yoochun, please go." Yunho mumbled around his extended incisors. "Please, before I do something we'll both regret..."
Those words pulled Yoochun back into reality. He could feel the bottoms of his eyelids fill up with saline. He shook his head in anguish.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Yoochun sobbed.
The young man pushed off Yunho's arms and fled out the room. Changmin was just coming up the stairs to check on Yunho when he saw his older friend run out.
"Yoochun?" Changmin shouted.
The pianist never turned around. Instead, he ran to the room he shared with Jaejoong and quickly closed the door.
Changmin stuck his head in the doorway. Yunho dropped to his knees and laid his head on the floor. He began to tremble violently. There were flashing images coming to his mind. Words that sent chills up his cold body.
"Why do you continue to bother my dear friend?"
"He is also my dear friend."
"You have challenged my authority one too many times. If you continue to do so, I will have no choice but to banish you from our household."
"And what do you think that will do, my lord? Do you think that he'll stay?"
"What are you saying?"
"Don't put too much weight upon what your dear friend says. There are always others who may garner his attention.
Without thought or fear, Changmin entered the room and knelt down beside the Dark. He could see fingernail marks dug deep into the floorboards. His mind shot back to Yoochun only a while ago. How the man was dragging his fingers in the same motion over and over at the table.
"They're linked." Changmin realized.
Yunho continued to shiver. His desire to feed and his need for Yoochun almost overcame him. He felt a hand gently rest on his back. The touch was familiar and safe. He drew upwards and glanced over his shoulder to see his dedicated friend looking at him with gentle eyes.
"What shall I do, Minnie?" Yunho asked, his voice full of despair. "When temptation is there and I am too weak to withstand it?"
The good news is, just as I promised, I finished the next chapter of "Like Blood to Water!" This one took me a very long time because it's another "Transition" chapter which has set up the characters for the inevitable climax. I hope everyone enjoys 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 SIXTEEN: Links
Eunhyuk sat across the living room with a worried expression. He had seen Hankyung's shoulder burst open and seal up just as quickly. His white haired friend had spoken only a simple phrase and then had fell into a deep sleep. He had not awakened in nearly two days.
Hankyung was currently on the couch, his head pillowed in Siwon's lap. Donghae was kneeling beside their partner, holding the vampire's limp hand. Eeteuk had taken his position in the chair on the opposite side of the couch.
The other Super Junior members had been coming in and out during the evening. Eeteuk had assured them that Hankyung was just not feeling well and that some times Darks get sick just like humans. Eunhyuk was grateful that the other members didn't know or bother to learn much about Hankyung's kind. The only two who looked doubtful were Sungmin and Kyuhyun. Eunhyuk wondered how long it would be before the duo began to press Eeteuk and the others for answers.
"How's he doing?" Eunhyuk asked for what felt like the twentieth time in the past couple days.
"Resting." Siwon responded gently.
"Is he going to wake up?"
"Yes. When the time is right." Donghae returned.
Eeteuk gave Eunhyuk a tired smile.
"Thank you for keeping this all to yourself, Hyukjae. We appreciate it and I know Geng would if he was awake right now."
"No problem. It was just lucky none of us had any promotional stuff we had to attend too."
The others nodded. A soft murmur caught their attention. Siwon and Donghae's faces immediately lit up as Hankyung began to stir. The white haired Dark mumbled something in his native language before his eyes flickered open. He closed them quickly and brought his hand up, shielding his sensitive corneas.
"Hyukkie, could you please dim the lights?" Donghae asked his best friend.
The dancer nodded and jumped from the chair. He quickly pushed the dimmer switch down until the room was almost completely dark. The vampire took his hand away from his eyes. He blinked and then gave a shaky smile as he glanced back and forth between Donghae and Siwon's concerned faces.
"Hey." he croaked in his accented voice.
"You bastard, you had us worried sick." Siwon half sobbed before he kissed the Dark squarely on the mouth.
"Hannie!!!" Donghae cried as his lips replaced Siwon's.
Eeteuk just let out a sound of relief and slumped down in his chair. He rubbed his tired eyes and turned his head twice to pop his neck.
"You're going to be the death of this Umma." he added dryly.
Hankyung began to sit up but swayed. Donghae jumped up from his kneeling position and helped Siwon upright their mutual companion. The white haired Dark looked as though he was going to be ill. His skin was much paler than usual and his face was gaunt.
"Hannie, what's wrong?" Donghae asked desperately. "You started bleeding and then you went to sleep!"
"Hae, let him get his bearings." Eeteuk chided gently.
"No, it's all right, Jungsu." Hankyung replied. "It's been so many years since this has happened, I forgot how strong it could be."
"What happened?" Eunhyuk questioned curiously.
Hankyung shook his head as if trying to clear it. He paused and drew in a slow breath. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts.
"I'm a special kind of Dark. We are called 'Links.'"
"Links?"
"We have the ability to 'link' with either our Vessels or another Dark. There are different kinds of us. Some can see the future, some can only see the past. Or in my case, I can actually experience certain physical things that are happening to them."
"Which means?"
"I need to see Yunho. And soon."
******
Taeyang picked up his hooded sweatshirt from his room. Last night he had stood out with Seunghyun. He had felt the deep concern and fear that was riding underneath his Dark's generally cool exterior. Taeyang knew that Seunghyun desired that he speak to Changmin about becoming a Watcher when he finally went and saw his Son. He hoped that he was even worthy to do so.
However, his main focus was taking care of Jiyong at the moment. Their white haired member had fallen unexpectedly ill during the night. Taeyang had spent the past twelve hours running around the apartment trying to find medicine and cold cloths to keep Jiyong's fever down. Seungri and Daesung had went with Seunghyun for a promotional clothing photoshoot. They assured Taeyang that Jiyong and he would be excused.
Taeyang pulled on his sweatshirt and then a set of gloves. He slipped out of his room and approached Jiyong's door. The sensation of cold immediately struck the young man. He shivered as he opened the doorway. The air conditioner was on full blast along with a window being open. The crisp air added to the dropping temperature.
The youth's attention went to the young man lying on the bed. Jiyong's white hair was soaked with sweat. All of his blankets and sheets had been kicked off. His sleep pants were sticking to his skin with persperation. The dancer struggled and groaned, his eyes flickering underneath his lids. Jiyong's expression was contorted into one of fear.
Taeyang pulled up a chair and sat down. He reached for a cloth that had been soaking in ice water. He rang it out with his gloved hands before beginning to dab Jiyong's face. The other fought against an unseen force. Jiyong's fingers flexed in a clawing motion before he went still.
Taeyang paused. He had never seen his companion go silent during one of his fever based fits. The singer knew something was amiss.
Jiyong's eyes suddenly snapped open. He sat clean up in bed and began to scream at the top of his lungs. The sound startled Taeyang. He quickly shot out of his chair and grabbed Jiyong's shoulders. The white haired man continued to scream and then began to fight against Taeyang's grip.
"G! G! It's me! It's Tae!" he shouted.
Jiyong's shrieks continued for a few more moments before the sound died on his lips. He blinked a few times before turning to look at Taeyang. Jiyong's eyes were wavering with unshed tears. He reached up a shaking hand and touched his friend's face.
"There was so much blood, Tae." Jiyong whispered. "Blood all over. On the tiles. On the dance floor."
"Who's blood?" Taeyang questioned gently.
"It will happen again. They can't stop it. The whole cycle will happen all over again. I can see it already. There's nothing they can do. There will be blood all over and there will be so much pain. So much pain..."
"Who's blood, G?" Taeyang asked more firmly.
"Our friends. The ones who were meant to be together for eternity before and never came to be."
Jiyong expression changed and then morphed into one of exhaustion. He gave Taeyang a confused look and then looked down at his sweat soaked pants and sticky sheets.
"Damn... Did I come down with a fever again?"
"Yeah, you did."
"Did I... You know?..."
"Talk about a potential future? Yes." Taeyang responded as he eased Jiyong back into the bed.
"Did I tell you anything useful?"
"Kind of."
"Like what?"
"You said that there was going to be a lot of blood and the whole cycle will start all over again."
"I wonder what that means." Jiyong whispered.
Taeyang could tell that Jiyong was slipping into the arms of sleep. He stroked his forehead gently.
"Tae?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you think I'll ever get well again?"
"I don't know. Seunghyun-hyung says your gift is very special. He says that you're a 'Link' and they're very rare in Darks and even rarer in humans."
"I just want it to go away. I hate it."
"I know, G, I know."
*****
Dinner was a casual if not mildly tense affair at the dorm. Yoochun said very little during the whole meal, his eyes continually shooting to the staircase that Yunho had fled up. Changmin ate in near silence as he eyed Yuu suspiciously over his pasta. Jaejoong and Junsu carried on light conversation with their guest. Yuu just smiled warmly and answered their polite questions, his appearance generally interested.
"What else can you tell us about yourself, Yuu?" Junsu asked as he sipped a little wine from his glass.
"What would you like to know?"
"How did you get involved with this video project?"
"It's actually a rather boring story." Yuu responded.
"Oh?"
"I know that we both were on the same Japanese talk show a while back. I was a very big fan of your music and actually wanted to talk to all of you. But you had to return back to Seoul before I had the opportunity. I ended up chatting with the producer of the show and he told me that in a few months your group would be shooting a music video for your newest single. Your management said they were looking for a Japanese actor to star in it. I just couldn't let the opportunity pass me by."
Junsu nodded thoughtfully. Jaejoong noticed out of the corner of his eye that Junsu's lips were turned slightly down around the rim of his glass. The elder member wondered if Junsu was picking up the same strange vibe from Yuu that he was.
"When you helped Yunho a little while back, you said you use injections too." Changmin suddenly spoke from his food.
"Changmin." Jaejoong lightly scolded.
"No, it's all right." the Japanese Dark returned. "Most Darks have to when we get over five hundred years old. There have been leaps and bounds in the furtherment of medicine among our kind, but there still is the basest of desires in our nature. The need to feed."
"What do the injections do?" Changmin pressed.
"They simply curb our instinctive desire to seduce, possess and drain. However, I've been told that the injections only work for so long before my kind inevitably succumb to the drive to drink."
"So what does that mean for Yunho-hyung?"
"He has just started on his injections, so I forsee a long time before he'll have any negative or aggressive behavior."
"How long have you been on them?"
"Changmin, that's quite enough." Jaejoong interrupted. "He is our guest and we are to treat him as such."
"I'm sorry, hyung. I'm sorry, Yuu."
"No need to apologize. I understand that I can be a little intimidating."
Yoochun half listened to the conversation. Something else had caught his attention. He swore that he could hear scratching. As if long talons were being drug over and over again on wooden floorboards. His fingers were curled on the edge of the table and were starting to dig into the cloth. Yoochun's knuckles bent at an angle and he began to repeat the motion over and over.
"Chunnie? Chunnie?! Chunnie!"
His name pulled Yoochun's attention upwards. He blinked as his fellow bandmates were staring at him with confused expressions. His eyes moved downwards to see that the cloth had been shredded underneath his continual dragging motion.
"Yoochun? What's wrong?"
"I don't... I... I need to go to bed..." Yoochun whispered as he pushed back from the table.
Jaejoong, Junsu, Changmin and Yuu all stood as the slender youth quickly left the kitchen and headed rapidly up the flat's stairs.
"Should we go after him?" Junsu asked, his expression worried.
"Let him rest." Jaejoong returned softly. "It will be better for everyone if we all did the same. Yuu, I hope that you will forgive our abrupt ending to this evening."
"I completely understand. It seems that you have a situation on your hands right now. I look forward to working with all of you tomorrow and I hope that both Yunho and Yoochun will be feeling better. Don't worry about calling me your car, I'll just walk back to my hotel."
"But that's over fifteen miles away!" Jaejoong countered.
"I assure you, it will be a few minutes travel for me. Thank you again for allowing me to have dinner with all of you. I'll show myself to the door."
Yuu bowed deeply to the trio of men. He paused for the briefest of moments, his lips curling into an unreadable smile as his gaze moved up the staircase to where Yoochun had fled. He then promptly turned and opened the door, exiting quietly and disappearing down the hall on silent feet. The door closed a few moments after his exit, an eerie sensation following as the hinges came to a creaking hault.
"Anyone else just get the creeps right now?" Junsu questioned.
Jaejoong and Changmin both held up their hands in agreement.
"Something isn't right about this guy. I don't know what it is, but I can feel it." Changmin stated.
"Like I said, you've always been a suspicious child, Minnie. But I do agree with both of you. He seems too good to be true. And something else is bothering me. Did anyone else notice how much attention he seems to be paying to Yoochun?"
"And how did he know Yoochun would know that beautiful song they played together?" Junsu added.
Changmin felt a frown form on his lips. He needed to get answers and quick. Something inside of him was sending off a warning.
"We just need to get through the next three days. The video shoot and some of the promo work. Then Yuu can head back to Japan and hopefully we can figure out how the hell to fix what's going on with Yoochun and Yunho."
"Easier said than done, Jae." Junsu said dryly.
*****
Yoochun pressed the palm of his hand to his forehead. His temples felt like they were on fire and he swore that the recesses of his eyes were going to burn through his palm. He took in a deep breath and tried to quell the rising bile. He rocked a little on his heels as he made his way down the dorm's upper hallway.
There was a memory flickering in the back of his head. Something that he couldn't seem to bring to the surface. Slight images would begin to come out of the mental haze and just as quickly vanish. There were some parts he could distinctively make out.
"That scroll. You keep saying it's a secret. What is it?"
"It's a contract, my dear friend."
"For who?"
"For you."
"Me? Why?"
"Do you want to keep your beloved lord safe? Because if so, you'll do exactly what the contract says."
".....I...yes."
Yoochun sucked in his air and pressed his hand on the nearest door. His eyes widened and his pupils dialated instantly as he felt the sheer power located behind the wooden frame.
He had inadvertently placed his hand on Yunho's door. The younger man's fingertips were gliding across the grain of the door. He reached the center and felt a vibration from the other side. Pressure met the tips of his fingers as he moved them back and forth over the wood.
"......yunho?" Yoochun barely whispered.
The response was not vocal. Instead Yoochun could feel more pressure through the wooden door. The amount of strength the Dark was exerting inwardly amazed the other man. Without thought, he leaned closer, letting his forehead rest against the hard material.
"Yunho... Yunho, please open the door. We need to talk. We can't keep tiptoeing around what's happening to both of us."
The sensation of the other's hands left Yoochun briefly. The singer was ready to panic when the door to Yunho's room opened just a fraction. Yoochun drew back. He felt as though his heart was jumping into his throat. The heavy thrumming of his heartbeat thundered in his chest. The pumping seemed to flood his skull and caused his cheeks to blossom red.
"Yunho?"
"Please, Chunnie. Please, you need to go away."
"You took your injection, I know you won't hurt me." Yoochun said very softly.
"It won't hold out. You don't understand." Yunho returned desperately.
"I don't understand?" Yoochun shot back, his voice beginning to rise in volume. "I don't understand because you're not telling me anything, hyung! You're shutting me out and there's nothing I can do. I'm seeing things again and they're scaring me!"
"Please, Yoochun, don't do this."
"Damn it, Yunho!"
Yoochun suddenly threw his weight against the door. The motion was so sudden that Yunho stumbled back from the other side. The entry way became clear as Yoochun stumbled into the room and into Yunho's shocked arms. The duo side stepped backwards before Yunho managed to upright both of them.
The two stood locked in the unintentional embrace. There was near silence in the room. All that could be heard was Yoochun's harsh breathing and the man's raised pulse.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Yunho could sense every beat with fine cut precision. He looked down at Yoochun. The long raven tresses fell to the right of his slender neck. His red pupiled eyes could see how the artery rose just a bit, the surface of Yoochun's flesh turning a very pale shade of pink.
His Yoochun. Yes, His. Perfect. Unflawed. Endless. His forever.
The Dark paused before he moved one his elegant hands and swept the remainder of Yoochun's hair from his throat. The gesture caused the much younger youth to startle. However, he didn't pull away from Yunho's grasp. Instead, he forced his eyes upwards to look at the vampire's face.
Yunho's expression was a mixture of unadulterated lust and unquenched hunger. The power and near ferocity of the emotions struck Yoochun to the core. He swallowed a lump and saw how Yunho followed the motion of his neck. How each tendon moved delicately under his unmarred skin.
Yoochun shifted slightly in Yunho's arms. He drew closer and moved his head more to the side. Yunho's nostrils flared as the smell of unshed blood began to fill his senses. His arms moved more, encircling his companion and drawing him tighter in a secure embrace.
The Dark felt his fangs quiver and then push through his sensitive gums. He could taste the barest hint of minerals in the back of his mouth. Yoochun's neck was there and he could already picture the liquid rubies sliding down his throat. Forbidden and glorious and perfect.
Yoochun wondered if his heart was going to burst out of his chest. He was full aware of what kind of embrace he was captured in. He was enthralled. Yunho was here with him, arms around him, and he didn't care what the end would be.
Yunho moved his mouth downwards. His silken lips slid lightly across Yoochun's rosed skin. The flesh felt like silk to his hungered mouth. He opened his jaw wider, giving his razor fangs more access. He readied himself to bite when he felt the very barest of tremors.
Yoochun was shaking in his arms.
The vampire immediately drew back with a growl and pushed his friend backwards, keeping the man at arm's length. Yoochun came out of his trance and stared at Yunho. The Dark's long raven hair spun around his shoulders. His red pupiled eyes were dialated. His fangs were visible and his mouth was partially open. Yunho looked like a caged animal ready to attack or flee at any moment.
"Yunho?" Yoochun barely spoke.
"Oh gods, Yoochun, please go." Yunho mumbled around his extended incisors. "Please, before I do something we'll both regret..."
Those words pulled Yoochun back into reality. He could feel the bottoms of his eyelids fill up with saline. He shook his head in anguish.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Yoochun sobbed.
The young man pushed off Yunho's arms and fled out the room. Changmin was just coming up the stairs to check on Yunho when he saw his older friend run out.
"Yoochun?" Changmin shouted.
The pianist never turned around. Instead, he ran to the room he shared with Jaejoong and quickly closed the door.
Changmin stuck his head in the doorway. Yunho dropped to his knees and laid his head on the floor. He began to tremble violently. There were flashing images coming to his mind. Words that sent chills up his cold body.
"Why do you continue to bother my dear friend?"
"He is also my dear friend."
"You have challenged my authority one too many times. If you continue to do so, I will have no choice but to banish you from our household."
"And what do you think that will do, my lord? Do you think that he'll stay?"
"What are you saying?"
"Don't put too much weight upon what your dear friend says. There are always others who may garner his attention.
Without thought or fear, Changmin entered the room and knelt down beside the Dark. He could see fingernail marks dug deep into the floorboards. His mind shot back to Yoochun only a while ago. How the man was dragging his fingers in the same motion over and over at the table.
"They're linked." Changmin realized.
Yunho continued to shiver. His desire to feed and his need for Yoochun almost overcame him. He felt a hand gently rest on his back. The touch was familiar and safe. He drew upwards and glanced over his shoulder to see his dedicated friend looking at him with gentle eyes.
"What shall I do, Minnie?" Yunho asked, his voice full of despair. "When temptation is there and I am too weak to withstand it?"