[Fic] Irresistible - 1/10
Title: Irresistible
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, vampire, smut, historical
Warnings: References to issues of consent (not in fic itself), fictional drug use
Summary: The streets of Zhou Mi's city are being contaminated with a new drug - Euphoria. Pure vampire blood, it causes a high unlike any other, but when the high fades, the nightmares begin. It is the spread of Euphoria that Zhou Mi fights, and in that fight he needs a partner to get him to places and people that only a vampire can.
Original inspiration by congruencies
***
Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Epilogue
***
The screams.
That was what assaulted Zhou Mi first. Not the dark walls, stained and peeling. The acrid scent of urine, and sharp lye.
No. The screams.
Men and women in poorly constructed beds, some restrained, others unconscious. Some spoke, and moaned, and mumbled. Others pleaded, and yes, the loud desperate screeches that made his skin crawl. There was fear in those sounds, a haunting echo of whatever terrors chased the people through their waking, and sleeping dreams. The sound echoed down the halls and open rooms of the converted old house.
“They want more,” the doctor said. “They are both begging for the euphoria of their chosen drug, and driven mad with it, and without it. That’s what we call it. Euphoria.”
Zhou Mi stood in the hall and watched as a man younger than himself was sedated and calmed, from where he had been struggling, eyes bulging. It took four men to hold him down, and another to send him to stupor. The scent of vomit and waste followed the men as they filed past to help another patient, and Zhou Mi turned his head, breathing carefully.
“I had no idea,” Zhou Mi said, his teeth clenched.
“Most people don’t,” the doctor said. “The Euphoria brings nightmares that we can’t calm. Some of them we keep sedated, hoping they’ll be able mend themselves given time. But most of them are like this man here. If they wake, they scream, drool, cry. Most will never leave this sanitarium alive. You see why we need your help.”
“Yes. This can’t continue,” Zhou Mi agreed.
It was emotional blackmail, that much was true. No one, with a heart, could see those people and not want to help them. Maybe there was nothing he could do to cure them, but maybe, just possibly, he could do something to save others before they were sickened by what the doctors and investigators were calling Euphoria.
Vampire blood.
***
The human was brought to the library, lit with gas lamps, and overhead electricity. It wasn’t often he had unexpected callers, much less ones that dressed like the man in front of him. Zhou Mi, the card read, and Kyuhyun let his eyes skim from the highly polished black boots, right up to the elegant knot at Zhou Mi’s throat, wire-rimmed glasses, and the finely cut hair. Dressed in riding breeches and embellished jacket, he held a hat in the same hand with what looked like soft leather gloves.
Whoever his tailor was, he was earning his dues. But the human’s clothes were of less concern to him than his purpose for calling. Dressed for riding, after dark, it could be no little thing that brought a man of some status to his doorstep. It puzzled him, though the man’s quiet face gave no hint. Undisturbed to be there, that much was clear.
Even so, Kyuhyun wasn’t worried, standing to greet his guest. Humans could be subdued with a touch, a whisper. Compliant, and at times almost eager, they fell to the thrall that had kept him in sustenance all his life. It was how vampires did their business in the world. No matter what this Zhou Mi wanted from him, he would find his way around it, as he always had.
Or so he thought, waiting for the man to introduce himself.
“Mr. Cho. My name is Zhou Mi. I’m sorry to disturb you without any notice, but I could not wait.”
“You may call me Kyuhyun. It’s a little late to be making social calls.”
Zhou Mi nodded, acknowledging his point. “Perhaps, for me, since I’m human. But I knew you would be awake, and didn’t want to chance missing you.”
So Zhou Mi knew who, and what he was, Kyuhyun thought. That made the visit even more interesting. Not many humans wandered of their own volition into a vampire’s home, and those that did were usually there only for one purpose. Which was over-generalizing just a bit, but the number of times a human had come to him for reasons unrelated to feeding, he could count on one hand. And most of those times had been lawyers. A different breed of blood suckers.
“You have found me, then. Mr. Zhou, is it? What do you need.”
“Zhou Mi, please,” Zhou Mi said. “Thank you for taking a moment to hear me out. I am part of a group of people working to reduce suffering. Specifically, have you heard of the practice of ingesting vampire blood?”
Maybe most humans hadn’t heard of the practice, but the vampire underground had been buzzing about it for months. It was at first more of a joke, sort of a prey eating the hunter sort of situation. But as reports of addiction, loss of function, began to swirl, it was too much to make light of. The only way a vampire couldn’t have heard of the situation would have been if the vampire were dead.
And it wasn’t even meant ironically.
“I have heard,” Kyuhyun said. “Are you here to interrogate me, or here for my help?”
“I hope for your help. I have papers here, for you to read.”
So earnest, he thought, taking the papers from Zhou Mi’s hand. But Kyuhyun wanted the rest of the conversation to be on his terms. If Zhou Mi started asking questions or making demands, Kyuhyun could temper them, and make things easier on himself. He didn’t wonder that humans were catching on to the dangers eating what was killing them. It was strictly a one-way food chain, and he stepped closer. Too close by far, by society’s standards.
“So we’ll talk. But you will do exactly as I ask,” Kyuhyun said, his fingers skimming the edge of Zhou Mi’s jaw. Just enough of a touch to matter. That was all it took for any human he’d encountered.
“Why would I do that?”
Kyuhyun looked up, studying him. No blown pupils, just vague curiosity to go with the question that Kyuhyun had asked, as though Kyuhyun had asked him to stand on one foot. The lack of acceptance made one thing perfectly clear.
Zhou Mi wasn’t in thrall.
Curious. On the contrary, Zhou Mi seemed to be studying Kyuhyun’s reaction to him. It made him uncomfortable to be the subject, and he stepped back. Distance, as though he was the one in danger of falling under Zhou Mi’s command, instead of the other way around.
That movement had Zhou Mi’s lips curving. “It’s all right. You’re not the first vampire to be surprised by that. I confess, it’s amusing when I am found out.”
“You aren’t… You don’t…?”
Not even Kyuhyun’s tongue was working.
“Thrall has no effect on me. Very little, if any, with some. I’m immune, though I don’t know why.”
“I’ve heard of humans like that, of course, but- That is hardly normal.”
“You’re right,” Zhou Mi agreed. “I’ve heard other vampires describe it as if a dog talked back to you after you asked it to sit.”
Kyuhyun could tell when he was being made fun of. Maybe it was well-deserved, but it had him taking Zhou Mi’s measure. Not the pliant human he’d initially thought, but more hidden in those eyes than he could discern. He thought of Zhou Mi’s purpose, and nodded.
“I see why they sent you to me, then. Someone I could not manipulate.”
“That could have been part of the thought,” Zhou Mi said, grinning. But his expression sobered when he gestured back to the papers he’d put into Kyuhyun’s hand. “While this is amusing, this black market selling is not. People are being injured, driven insane. Not from the temporary euphoria, but from the waking nightmares that follow.”
“I’m not ignorant of what’s happening. Everyone hears whispers. Sit, please,” he offered, and when Zhou Mi took one of the library chairs, he took one directly opposite. Close enough to see every expression on Zhou Mi’s face. “Given that I’m not contributing my blood to this horror, I’m curious what help you think I could be.”
“Have you been approached by anyone to contribute?”
Kyuhyun shook his head. Maybe he wasn’t a vampire of the highest standing, but he knew of more that hadn’t been approached either. It wasn’t a matter of money or morals, but demand. If the humans were getting as much blood as they needed, there was no need to branch out. “I imagine I would attract suspicion if I tried to offer, as well. Unless they believed I was that sadistic. What do they offer the vampires that give their blood?”
Zhou Mi hesitated. “A source of feeding, is one theory we have. If the humans lose their wits, or are in stages of it, then they are ready to be taken. But we don’t really know. Whether they mean to start small, create a stir and expand…? They have to be stopped.”
“That goes back to my original question. What help you think I’ll be.”
At the very least, Kyuhyun had found his bearings again. He leaned back in his chair and felt so much more in control. It was like speaking to another vampire, except he knew very much that wasn’t the case.
“We hope that you might keep your eyes and ears open,” Zhou Mi said. “There are people I cannot speak to, vampires who will only speak to other vampires.”
“How elitist of them,” Kyuhyun drawled, and Zhou Mi’s eyes twinkled in understanding. Much like the humans who wouldn’t speak to vampires. There were those of both kinds. “So you expect me to spy, and possibly go where your prying human fingers cannot. And in return?”
It was a delicate balance. Maybe it was mercenary, but it was as well known as giving money to buy bread. A vampire’s favor wasn’t curried, a vampire’s help wasn’t obtained, unless something was given in return. The simplest of transactions, really. A vampire couldn’t stroll down the sunny street and pick up a leg of mutton, or basket of fruit. So they had learned to survive, getting what they could. And that meant nothing came free.
It seemed Zhou Mi relaxed as well, the stiff set of his shoulders going lax. Perhaps he thought that if they had gotten to the bartering phase, then Kyuhyun hadn’t refused him outright. Kyuhyun, however, was still uncertain. How worth his while it was going to be, on one hand. It wasn’t that Zhou Mi’s goal was a bad one. This Euphoria plague was tampering with the pool of Kyuhyun’s food sources, and possibly turning what seemed an increasingly dull-witted public against those vampires whose only goals were to feed and sleep. And perhaps seek a little debauchery.
“I’m prepared to offer you compensation,” Zhou Mi confirmed, reaching into his exceedingly fine jacket to pull out an envelope.
Money, perhaps. Probably a tidy sum, as well. Zhou Mi had come well-prepared. But it wasn’t the money that interested him, but the man holding it.
“How long have you know you were resistant to thrall?” Kyuhyun asked, not reaching to take the envelope. The paper ended up balanced on Zhou Mi’s knee as Kyuhyun was considered.
“For as long as I’ve had interactions with vampires,” Zhou Mi told him. “In the clubs, I’ve been approached, but it’s always a surprise to them when I don’t respond.”
Yes, that was what he thought. His eyes flicked down to Zhou Mi’s boots, the angles of his wrist, his throat. Not even realizing at first, that his breathing had quickened, fingers tight on the arms of the chair as he stared at Zhou Mi, and that his voice was rougher than he meant.
“So you’ve never been bitten?”
“No, but that doesn’t-“
“Is that money you’re trying to offer me?” Kyuhyun asked. He didn’t care that he had interrupted Zhou Mi, when there had been nothing but platitudes that could have come after.
That, Zhou Mi grasped at. “If the amount isn’t enough, we have stocks that could be offered. Properties. I have some leeway in the negotiation, as long as you are fair.”
A warning not to ask for too much, and Kyuhyun grinned. He wasn’t sure if his request was too much or not, but it was the only thing he wanted. He needed to know. Needed it more than any money or property could satisfy.
“I have money, and stocks, and properties. You can negotiate well, because you aren’t susceptible to the thrall. But there is only one thing that could tempt me to help you,” Kyuhyun said, leaning forward, his eyes on Zhou Mi’s. “I would bite you.”
***
Zhou Mi had been prepared for anything. He had lists of properties in his head, investments, referrals. He even had a second bank note, for an equal amount as the one in the envelope if he had to double his offer. He’d been told about, and had experience with, vampires that were shrewd negotiators. It was why his skills were in demand, because he could negotiate without potentially falling into thrall and offering more than was fair. Of course, most vampires would deal fairly, thrall or not, but for those that were unfamiliar, humans like Zhou Mi were invaluable. He’d even gotten used to it, as long as there wasn’t much confrontation involved. He could stand up for himself when he had to, but there was no reason being polite couldn’t get him results.
Though it helped that most vampires didn’t respond well to threats. Cajoling and a smile helped ease things along.
But no matter what he’d negotiated, and what he’d come in prepared to offer, having himself thrown out as a option had not been in his expectations. And Kyuhyun was watching him, like a big cat watching to see which way his next meal would spring. How appropriate. There had to be a way that he could turn Kyuhyun down, politely, and still make it seem like it was Kyuhyun’s idea to go back to the idea of money.
“I have been asked before if I was interested,” Zhou Mi said, starting light and not making it sound like an outright rejection. But his brain wasn’t keeping up with what his hopes were. “Because of my resistance to thrall, most vampires are unwilling to attempt it. We could certainly find someone who hasn’t been bitten for you, in addition to our offer here.”
“I can find my own meals,” Kyuhyun said, crossing his legs and leaning back. A clear rejection. “I’m not asking to bite you and let you go. I want a month contract.”
“I…I- A month?” Zhou Mi floundered, tried to get his mouth back under control. Month contracts were the ideal for the vampires he’d known, whether they got them or not, but that was not what he’d been offered in the past. Strictly a bite, and that was all. Month contracts usually were- “You mean for me to feed you for a month? I- But I’m a man?”
Kyuhyun looked a bit like a child with a new toy, and it didn’t reassure Zhou Mi in the least. “Yes. I know. If the idea of sharing a man’s bed doesn’t appall you, a month is the least I would settle for. There would be no option to test your resistance to thrall in a night. And you would be here, able to read all my correspondence, able to move me to do what you wanted. You would be at my mercy, but I would also be at yours. I’ll help you, but that’s my price.”
Too restless to sit any longer, he stood, and Kyuhyun with him. Appalled wasn’t quite the right word. And Zhou Mi’s face had flushed hot, following all of Kyuhyun’s allusions. To satisfy every hunger, every sexual desire, of a vampire who could be key to helping a lot of people. He wondered if the Organization would give the money allotted to Kyuhyun to Zhou Mi instead, if he put his own body on the line. Vampires didn’t kill humans, not normally, and any potential injury in bed would be consensual.
But it was so much more than that. And it was not a decision he could make without giving it proper thought, weighing the benefits and negatives of the choice. Getting Kyuhyun’s participation was important, but it depended on if the price was worth it.
“May I have time to think about your offer?” Zhou Mi asked, softening his posture, giving a little. “I did hope to show you the sanitarium, the patients there. So that you have a better idea of what we’re working to counter.”
Kyuhyun’s head cocked to the side. “Do you think that showing me the victims in pain would sway me into a lesser offer?”
“I think it would sway you into being determined to help,” Zhou Mi said. “And if one of the other vampires we meet with wants to bite me, too?”
Kyuhyun snagged his wrist. Not hard, not violently, but a surefire way of getting his attention.
“Not when you’re with me. I don’t know what all you know about vampires. But one thing doesn’t change: we don’t share well with others.”
The little titter of nerves. “But you don’t even know if I’ll accept.”
“I offered. That’s enough. If you refuse, that’s something else.”
“But if you won’t accept anything else, how does that allow me to refuse?”
“Then you find another vampire?” Kyuhyun laughed at Zhou Mi’s expression. “No, I’m a vampire, not heartless. I’ll go with you to your sanitarium. But that has a price, too. Give me one night. If you aren’t horrified by it, we’ll consider it the first night of our month contract. If you wish to stop, double what’s in that envelope, and I’ll help how I can.”
It was a better offer than Zhou Mi could have imagined. It still put himself precariously in the mix, and they needed Kyuhyun’s compliance.
“Come back when you have an answer,” Kyuhyun said. “Take as much time as you need.”
He was dismissed as easily as that. No pleasantries or a good evening, just guided to the door. Zhou Mi at least got out his thanks, before the door was closed behind Kyuhyun’s nod.
At least Kyuhyun had given him time to think. Though there was a bit of a mockery in it, since the longer that Zhou Mi waited, the more people might be harmed. He would take the night, think it through. Talk it through with a friend if he had to.
The problem was, as he mounted his horse, that he still didn’t know which way he wanted to respond. Kyuhyun had given him a way out, with the smallest insurance there was - one night. He had never been tempted to accept a vampire’s offer, would have laughed if someone had suggested that he would. He wasn’t susceptible to thrall, and therefore a less desirable source of food. Maybe if he’d been prepared for Kyuhyun’s curiosity, he could have done a better job of shaping the meeting.
And then he thought of the screams, the people in pain, in constant, unstoppable nightmares. The thought of being able to stop that from happening to more people made one night with a vampire seem a small price to pay.
***
Zhou Mi’s sleep was troubled that night. His urge was to find out any information he could on vampire bites, and either ease his mind, or make his decision. The dreams that followed were uncomfortable to wake from, visions of a man against him, cringing from the bite. One was distinctly sexual and left him gasping, and unprepared.
He should have remembered it, the way Kyuhyun’s voice had dropped low when he’d touched Zhou Mi’s face. He’d been trying to ease Zhou Mi into the thrall, but it had left him with tattered defenses hours after. The way Kyuhyun’s eyes had gone wide in anticipation, then shock, then consideration. Maybe he hadn’t expected Kyuhyun to act quite that quickly, but amusement had reigned, then, because he’d been setting up his negotiation. He had no idea that those expressions, Kyuhyun leaning in close, would be used for words Kyuhyun had spoken later.
“I would bite you.”
He woke to those words as well, several times during the night. Maybe Kyuhyun hadn’t been able to sink him in the thrall, but he had laid plenty of traps for Zhou Mi’s own mind, his curiosity, to fall into. What was the bite like, what was Kyuhyun like in bed.
Zhou Mi knew what he would be asked by others. What would have made him want to try, to put himself in that position. Just because he had never agreed to a bite in the past didn’t mean that he never could in the future. There were many humans who were curious and became a meal, with far less thought than he was putting to it. But none of them would have had to work closely with that vampire afterward. The worst that could happen was that it hurt, the bite. And if Kyuhyun wanted his body as well, then there were worse things to be had than a night of bad sex. Frankly, it was all the unknowns that discomfited him, more than the things that he was sure of.
If he had accepted any other vampire, it would have been a man. Not that there were no humans who appealed, but ones who were willing were few. And openly to his knowledge, even less. So in that respect, Kyuhyun was exactly as he should be. Maybe Zhou Mi’s curiosity could be sensed. Perhaps that was why Kyuhyun had pressed him, backing down from the month, to the one night. Perhaps it had been his way of testing Zhou Mi’s sincerity and dedication as well. But it was hard to get the make of man or vampire like that. It would be time that would tell him if he respected Kyuhyun for that or not.
Kyuhyun had a young face, at times very still as though his thoughts were consuming him. The dark eyes and sweeping lashes considering him, hair over his eyebrows, and curling at his collar.
He tried to keep those images far away from himself, especially as he reported in and prepared himself to tell of what had happened with Kyuhyun. The small office was off of his supervisor’s library, because they didn’t have the funds to rent an office for their cause. The funds went to vampires, and the humans who helped.
“I spoke with the vampire, Mr. Cho. He seems to recognize what we’re fighting against. But he wasn’t responsive to offers of money or property. He was more interested in acquiring a steady food supply,” Zhou Mi said, telling Daniel, and trying to not reach up to fiddle with his neckcloth.
“I’m sure we can help him finding someone. Doing that is easy enough, if he’s able to help us. Surely we know someone who’d be willing to feed him?”
“That isn’t quite the whole of it. He doesn’t want just any human. He wants me, sir.”
Daniel’s eyebrows rose. “You. He knows you resist thrall?”
“He does. Apparently that interests him. He has, however, made a concession. I can let him bite me once, and if I find it acceptable, I will continue on feeding him for the month. If I wish to stop, he will help us for the whole of the sum of money I took to him.”
“So he wants to feed from you once, or he won’t help us?” Daniel sat back in his chair and frowned. “I know vampires are just as unpredictable as humans, but that seems an arbitrary demand. He could pursue you outside of the work if he desired. It hardly gives you a choice, this way.”
Zhou Mi sighed, and realized he’d found his conclusion even before he’d arrived. “It is still my choice. There are other vampires we could approach, some in his same position, but we’ve already made the connection. I’ll give him his one bite, and see. I’ve never been bitten, so I can decide with a better understanding afterward.”
“You realize that most vampires don’t simply feed from humans.”
It was impossible to meet Daniel’s eyes right then. They both knew Daniel spoke of sex, and that what Zhou Mi wasn’t saying was more telling than what he was.
“I’ll meet with him after he wakes this evening, take him to the sanitarium, and tell him of our agreement.”
“Zhou Mi, I know your dedication to this cause cannot be matched. But you realize that you don’t have to do this. Like you said, there are other vampires. In fact, we can send someone else to Kyuhyun, make him see that he should help without this. Even if they succumb to thrall, they would stand for you.”
“I would stand for them as well. But I will do this. If anything, it will help me understand. And if I choose the month, it will give him a reason to continue helping us. He isn’t without scruples. In an odd way, I trust him. And I’m curious of him as well.”
“I won’t tell you no. Some of our operatives have had relations with vampires, and it has strengthened the help, or broken it. The decision is yours. I hope your meeting goes well.”
When Zhou Mi stood, arranging his hat and making his way out to his carriage, he hoped so, too.
***
With effort, Zhou Mi was able to quiet his mind after eating, sleeping until the sun had gone down. Vampires were ever nocturnal, and he needed his wits. If Kyuhyun wanted the bite to happen that night, then he wanted to be alert for it, and for the sanitarium. When it came down to it, it wasn’t about the biting, it was about helping people. That was something he couldn’t lose sight of.
But Zhou Mi did not move from the servant’s entrance, waiting there for Kyuhyun so they could go immediately. But his hands were tight on his hat, waiting for Kyuhyun to appear. Had he not been watching, he might not have heard Kyuhyun’s footsteps, light and quick, raking Zhou Mi from head to toe with a probing stare. And they considered each other for several moments, before Kyuhyun’s lips quirked. It seemed Zhou Mi showing up was answer enough.
Zhou Mi nodded his greeting. “We should go to the sanitarium before it is too late.”
“Your horse is in the stable?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then we’ll go in my carriage.”
“Is it unmarked?”
Zhou Mi asked that question as he followed Kyuhyun back out the door. It wasn’t as though the sanitarium was a secret, but for everyone’s safety, they tried to keep things as quiet as possible. Those who were sick, might keep more from getting sick. But those who fought the ones infecting them, they needed to keep to the shadows. Or risk everything. Kyuhyun just clucked at his caution.
“It doesn’t proclaim that I’m a vampire, if that’s what you’re asking. I understand discretion might be required.”
At least there was that. The carriage was not ostentatious, mostly serviceable, and it protected them from view. Zhou Mi was still in his riding clothes, and Kyuhyun dressed appropriate for the evening in trousers and a jacket. But nothing too fussy. A properly tied neckcloth would have made Kyuhyun look more put-together, but he had a certain charm as he was. Almost like he’d dressed himself to look like he didn’t care. It was perhaps an unconscious choice, and no real concern of Zhou Mi’s.
But he thought he saw Kyuhyun considering him as well, as the carriage bumped along. At that hour of the night, there was nothing to slow them, and the journey was quick. He’d had an entire little speech planned out, to prepare Kyuhyun. But that, like everything else, hadn’t gone quiet as planned.
“Some of them are hard to see, being ill. But we won’t stay long.”
“I know,” Kyuhyun said, nearly interrupting him.
“Dr. Lee is the one who will be showing us around. He is there almost all day treating patients. But you shouldn’t worry, he has no ill-feelings toward vampires.”
“It’ll be fine,” Kyuhyun said, his voice low.
An almost impatience to the words had Zhou Mi’s mouth closing tightly. If Kyuhyun didn’t want the information, then he wouldn’t give it. Perhaps it was a mood, or Kyuhyun lacked patience. But it was no trial to sit in silence, trying to anticipate what they would see, what questions he could answer for Kyuhyun. It was a visit that could create a passion in Kyuhyun to help, if he was able to find sympathy in himself for those who were suffering.
It was not purely a teaching visit. He carried donations in his pocket to keep the sanitarium running. Both reasons were equally as important.
He stepped down out the carriage first, waiting as Kyuhyun told their driver that they would not be long. Zhou Mi had nothing to refute there. Their visit was not to be lengthy. And as sorry as he felt for the people, it was not in him to stay long in any circumstances. It hurt him too much.
The doctor greeted them before they got far, and Zhou Mi took care of the introductions.
“Dr. Lee, this is Cho Kyuhyun. Here to see, and we hope to help going forward. I hoped you could give him a short overview of what you do here.”
“Of course.”
Zhou Mi followed after the introductions, letting the doctor speak to Kyuhyun directly. The most effective way. Through the parts where a couple of patients were beginning to function again, learning to walk. To the areas where those who screamed in terror were housed. Everywhere, no matter how much they cleaned, was the stench of humans. He’d finally learned how to breathe to protect himself from it.
They stopped last, in a small room where the youngest victims were kept. Just teenagers, reduced to crying and thrashing.
“He is thirteen,” the doctor said of one boy. “We are hoping because of his youth that he might have a better chance of recovery. But his nightmares have been the hardest to control, even with heavy sedation.”
Zhou Mi held his breath, as Kyuhyun stepped forward and reached to touch the boy’s face, turning it, to see the bruises left there. Probably from the nightmares, all those markings, and the boy’s face drawn up in fear, even while heavily asleep.
“He still has some of the vampire blood inside of him,” Kyuhyun said. “Have you tried bleeding him? Or better yet, finding a vampire to feed from him. It might stimulate his body to purge itself.”
“It was suggested to us, but finding vampires willing to feed from patients like these is difficult,” the doctor said, leading them back out. “They are seen as pitiful, and unwell.”
“There are vampires out there who would be willing somewhere,” Kyuhyun said, falling into step with Zhou Mi.
“Perhaps. But we don’t have the funds to pay them,” the doctor said.
Kyuhyun made a noise, as though that was an interesting point, and continued walking. And Zhou Mi knew it would be a subject they would revisit when they were alone. If there were vampires willing, without requiring exorbitant sums, then perhaps there was a way to help the patients after all. It sent a thrill through him that he had to quell, or else be caught grinning in hope while they were led past beds full of moaning patients. That was exactly what he had been hoping for in gaining Kyuhyun’s help. Someone with a new perspective to a battle that they were still learning how to fight.
Zhou Mi thanked the doctor, breathing in the clean night air that smelled mostly of smoke and horses. The most beautiful smell, right then. But as the carriage rolled back toward Kyuhyun’s home, Zhou Mi mused aloud.
“Your point about getting vampires to bite them is interesting. It’s a therapy I hadn’t thought of, and if there are vampires willing, it could be an amazing step forward.”
“If it worked. I’m surprised you didn’t suggest that I start biting them right there.”
Zhou Mi shook his head. “Vampire feeding rituals are very unknown to me, and I would not have called you out like that. I had nothing to offer in compensation. And there is only one of you. You could not hope to do it alone. But do you really know of vampires who might be willing?”
“None so altruistic as to bite an entire legion of ill and stinking humans. But yes. There are young vampires, always on the lookout for a meal. Thought it might mean more work, but each patient would need to be bathed. It isn’t as though they have to be made up like a bride on their wedding night, but vampires aren’t immune to smells. And no laudanum. The thrall will calm them enough for the bite.”
“All right,” Zhou Mi said. “I will write that down, and have you look it over. And you can let me know if there is anything I need to do, to help you with the vampires.”
“I know that’s why you’re here, don’t worry. I won’t strain myself if it’s something you can help with,” Kyuhyun said. But there was a tease there that had Zhou Mi sighing.
“It must be like the thrall, but a thousand times stronger,” Zhou Mi said. “Making them invincible, happy.”
“And then giving them unspeakable terror?”
“Perhaps good things come at a price.”
“Including help?” Kyuhyun asked.
It depended on what they were talking about. Kyuhyun’s help was coming at a price, yes. But they had already made some progress. That, at least, made Zhou Mi feel as though he was making the right decisions.
“If you have no want to be bitten, bring the money tomorrow. We will settle it, then,” Kyuhyun said.
“But I thought…” Zhou Mi began, his words dying out as Kyuhyun stared at him. They could barely see each other, but Zhou Mi didn’t have to finish the question to know what Kyuhyun meant. He was giving Zhou Mi an out, a way to avoid being bitten if it wasn’t what he wanted. It was more difficult to think about, because he was already set and ready. To be given another choice had his head reeling.
Maybe it was a test. And maybe, Kyuhyun wanted to know that Zhou Mi was truly willing. If he didn’t agree to the month, he might be paying Kyuhyun anyway. But he realized that he had made his decision, and that there was no reason to alter course, until it made sense to do so. They had agreed on a night, so they would have it.
“Our agreement hasn’t changed,” Zhou Mi said, and turned his head away, to watch the buildings pass, on their way to Kyuhyun’s home.
And the bite.
***
Kyuhyun was hungry, leading Zhou Mi to his bedroom. They both stank of humanity, but he knew that would be of little trouble when their clothes were gone. It was decadent to close the door after them, watching Zhou Mi take several tight steps into the room before pausing. Gratified wasn’t the word, that Zhou Mi had held to their deal. Perhaps it spoke to his integrity, though with little choice, Zhou Mi had taken the lesser offer. It was good business, to start with the least desirable and work back. But Kyuhyun had offered a way out, for more reasons than conscience. There was no thrall to relax Zhou Mi. No way to guarantee his enjoyment.
And since Zhou Mi had left the night before, his eagerness to sup at a human immune to the thrall had been replaced with a desire for the same - only with a human equally as eager to be bitten. So perhaps it was stubbornness or pride that brought Zhou Mi to his home and room, but not all, not nearly. Even if there were nerves, there was also want. And it seemed that made all the difference.
“Undress yourself fully,” Kyuhyun instructed. “Wait in the bed, and I will come to you after. If that is acceptable?”
“Of course,” Zhou Mi said, his back perfectly straight.
And Kyuhyun left him there, walking swiftly to the next room to undress, before following a hidden passage back into the bedchamber. There was a screen there, a seat for changing. And there, he would wait.
It wasn’t usual to watch the prey. Humans that fell into a vampire’s bed were often ecstatic to be there, posing little challenge. Hardly a conquest when the subject begged. And it wasn’t as though he wanted a struggle. He didn’t want someone to fight back. Taking people against their will wasn’t in his list of things to accomplish. But it seemed prudent to watch Zhou Mi. He could be quiet when he wanted to be, and he was then. Watching from behind a screen that was more for decoration than it was modesty, as he watched Zhou Mi undress. That had been his instructions after all. For a moment, he wondered if Zhou Mi would comply fully, pausing at the drawstrings of his drawers, before lowering those as well.
Perhaps it was also a way for Kyuhyun to get a better look at what he was getting into. The flexing of Zhou Mi’s shoulders as he had drawn off his shirt, the baring of a smooth, if not overly muscular back, lean hips, and long legs. He drew his eyes up from the curve of Zhou Mi’s calves, to see what he sported between his legs. Nothing that wouldn’t fit if he let Zhou Mi above him, and the thought of sucking him had him licking his lips. Not the least of his vices, the feel of a man writhing at the command of his mouth had become a desired pastime. Zhou Mi wasn’t the least bit erect, but he could see that cock growing to suit him very well. And a fastidious man, the way he put aside his clothes. Denied a valet, but not helpless because of it.
He had to muffle the laugh as Zhou Mi reached to touch the bed only to be surprised by what he felt. The silk sheets had been put on, slick and cool. Not something he enjoyed sleeping on alone, but it wasn’t something he ever spoke of. He got cold when he slept, not an uncommon vampire trait. So he much preferred stouter, warmer cotton. Zhou Mi sat, cautious, as though he expected Kyuhyun to enter at any time.
And Kyuhyun felt like the cat stalking his prey.
Waiting, patient, because he had all the time in the world. Watching Zhou Mi first stay sitting upright, before swinging his legs under the covers. Touching the soft coverlet and leaning back against the pillows. Eyes roving the room in curious sweeps. Taking in what he could about Kyuhyun, no doubt. But he wouldn’t find much of Kyuhyun in that room. It had been decorated according to the latest style, maybe five years previous. Kyuhyun used it to eat, to seduce, to sleep, but for little else. It served its purpose.
A noise down the hall, likely a servant, had Zhou Mi jerking, half sitting up and baring his chest and dark nipples to Kyuhyun’s eyes. Again, he licked his lips, biting down on one for a moment as he cautioned patience. He hadn’t found out all he had come to see. Kyuhyun was mostly curious what Zhou Mi would do. If he would wait, patient, in the bed, or dress again, to find out where Kyuhyun was. There was nothing for Zhou Mi to do, besides wait. And so, independently, they waited together. Kyuhyun with slightly more patience, as he watched Zhou Mi sink into the covers, only to sit up ten minutes later and stare at his clothes.
“Maybe I misunderstood,” Zhou Mi murmured.
And Kyuhyun had to pinch his nose shut to keep from laughing audibly.
Kyuhyun’s patience was rewarded, as Zhou Mi covered up again. Watching his eyelids droop, and flutter. Starting awake once, before relaxing fully into the pillow, unable to keep himself conscious any longer.
He waited a few minutes, for Zhou Mi to stay asleep, and stood at long last. Stretching his stiff back and legs, he padded on bare feet to the side of the bed. He could see a tiny mark at the base of Zhou Mi’s neck, his ear, his bottom lip slack in sleep.
It made him wonder. He understood Zhou Mi even less, because that hadn’t been the expected outcome, but somehow it pleased him as he tossed aside his clothes. His touch was very deliberate, squeezing Zhou Mi’s shoulder once. No response, not at first, except a small twitch. So he squeezed again, and cleared his throat, and watched Zhou Mi rouse. Eyes opening, clearing, as he stared up at Kyuhyun.
“Oh. Oh!” Zhou Mi would’ve sat up, had Kyuhyun not been holding him back. “I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”
“I made you wait,” Kyuhyun told him. Not untrue. But Zhou Mi smiled at his words, relaxing beneath his hand. And that confused him further. In a stranger’s bed, sleeping, relaxed. Trusting, as he was woken. He wasn’t sure a man like Zhou Mi existed. Many he’d seen would have come out of sleep with fists flying. Not smiling with sleep-bobbled eyes, as pliable as clay. But the man who’d been wary before sleep was still there, that he knew. It made for an interesting picture of a man he wanted to know better.
But no more tricks. He was hungry, and he meant to have Zhou Mi’s body, as well as his blood.
“Are you ready?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Yes, of course,” Zhou Mi said, and reached for the blanket edge to let Kyuhyun in.
“You got the bed warm for me.”
“I suppose I did.”
And the warmth sank into him as he slid beneath the covers, their hips rubbing as he displaced Zhou Mi from his spot. They were of a size to each other, if Zhou Mi had the advantage in height if not weight. But in bed, they were as equal as was possible.
The wary Zhou Mi was there, cautious, as Kyuhyun touched his neck. Feeling the pulse, high, and rising, and feeling the hunger growl in him. Zhou Mi would experience all there was, with a vampire. It was why he could not have let Zhou Mi go at a bite. True, he fed off the blood, but also on sounds, and scents, and textures. Zhou Mi was a challenge, with no thrall to help him. A test. Of prowess, of need. And he got his first sound, laying a cooler hand against Zhou Mi’s chest. The softest “oh,” that drew heat into Kyuhyun’s cheeks.
He’d drawn that sound of his own doing. Not because of thrall, or whatever it was in his skin, in his being, that humans responded to. But because he’d touched Zhou Mi, and elicited that response. It made him want others, watching as Zhou Mi struggled from the grips of sleep, finding his self-consciousness as Kyuhyun moved above him, straddling his hips. It was the most honest pleasure, skin to skin. Hedonistic, perhaps, but true. It didn’t matter how much of him touched a human, because the thrall did not grow stronger. But his skin warmed against Zhou Mi’s, thigh against thigh, torsos close. The covers settled over Kyuhyun’s shoulders and enveloped him in Zhou Mi’s lingering warmth. The touch on Kyuhyun’s side had him arching. Zhou Mi, a cautious hand, poised to shove Kyuhyun away if he had to.
He didn’t have to ask if Zhou Mi’s nerves were up. He could feel the swelling beat of Zhou Mi’s heart, the shallow, quickened breathing.
“Are you worried it’s going to hurt?” he asked, letting his lips bounce off of Zhou Mi’s jaw.
Not so self-possessed then, Zhou Mi’s laugh was breathy. “Which part?”
“Does sex usually hurt? I’m a vampire, not a sadist.”
And if anything, he had reason to be even more careful. To ensure that Zhou Mi came away with an appreciation of what they did. It would be partly his skill and want, and partly Zhou Mi’s own, that would determine the outcome of the night. Kyuhyun had no doubts that he would come away satisfied, but he was in no way disappointed in what he saw, or what he felt. The warmth of Zhou Mi’s hand as it spread against his skin, still wary.
“Are you here to be punished? Do you want for someone to tell you what to do, and make you do it? Or are you here because you want a man, even if the teeth come with him?”
“Does that matter?” Zhou Mi asked, his head turning as Kyuhyun nipped as his collarbone.
“It does. If you are here to submit, and I treat you softly, you won’t come back.”
“I am not here to submit,” Zhou Mi said, and the edge was back in his voice, as though it pained him to answer.
“On your back in a vampire’s bed, one might wonder,” Kyuhyun said. But he spoke again, before Zhou Mi could bristle. “But that means you’re here for the man. And that’s good, because I wanted you for more than the thrall.”
Another vampire might choose to bite first, and take later, or perhaps the opposite. It was decadent, for him, to have both at once, and he turned Zhou Mi’s face back toward him.
He intended for Zhou Mi to form his own opinions on what he liked best, and to have time to explore those opinions to their fullest. He hadn’t decided how far they would go, knowing that Zhou Mi’s response also would tell him. Even if it meant that Kyuhyun was denied the fullest of pleasures that night. No matter what words he spoke to force reaction from Zhou Mi, it was Zhou Mi’s presence that intrigued him.
So even before he pressed his lips to Zhou Mi’s, he knew.
He wanted the full month.
***
Pairing: Zhou Mi/Kyuhyun
Rating: NC-17
Genre: AU, vampire, smut, historical
Warnings: References to issues of consent (not in fic itself), fictional drug use
Summary: The streets of Zhou Mi's city are being contaminated with a new drug - Euphoria. Pure vampire blood, it causes a high unlike any other, but when the high fades, the nightmares begin. It is the spread of Euphoria that Zhou Mi fights, and in that fight he needs a partner to get him to places and people that only a vampire can.
Original inspiration by congruencies
***
Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Epilogue
***
The screams.
That was what assaulted Zhou Mi first. Not the dark walls, stained and peeling. The acrid scent of urine, and sharp lye.
No. The screams.
Men and women in poorly constructed beds, some restrained, others unconscious. Some spoke, and moaned, and mumbled. Others pleaded, and yes, the loud desperate screeches that made his skin crawl. There was fear in those sounds, a haunting echo of whatever terrors chased the people through their waking, and sleeping dreams. The sound echoed down the halls and open rooms of the converted old house.
“They want more,” the doctor said. “They are both begging for the euphoria of their chosen drug, and driven mad with it, and without it. That’s what we call it. Euphoria.”
Zhou Mi stood in the hall and watched as a man younger than himself was sedated and calmed, from where he had been struggling, eyes bulging. It took four men to hold him down, and another to send him to stupor. The scent of vomit and waste followed the men as they filed past to help another patient, and Zhou Mi turned his head, breathing carefully.
“I had no idea,” Zhou Mi said, his teeth clenched.
“Most people don’t,” the doctor said. “The Euphoria brings nightmares that we can’t calm. Some of them we keep sedated, hoping they’ll be able mend themselves given time. But most of them are like this man here. If they wake, they scream, drool, cry. Most will never leave this sanitarium alive. You see why we need your help.”
“Yes. This can’t continue,” Zhou Mi agreed.
It was emotional blackmail, that much was true. No one, with a heart, could see those people and not want to help them. Maybe there was nothing he could do to cure them, but maybe, just possibly, he could do something to save others before they were sickened by what the doctors and investigators were calling Euphoria.
Vampire blood.
***
The human was brought to the library, lit with gas lamps, and overhead electricity. It wasn’t often he had unexpected callers, much less ones that dressed like the man in front of him. Zhou Mi, the card read, and Kyuhyun let his eyes skim from the highly polished black boots, right up to the elegant knot at Zhou Mi’s throat, wire-rimmed glasses, and the finely cut hair. Dressed in riding breeches and embellished jacket, he held a hat in the same hand with what looked like soft leather gloves.
Whoever his tailor was, he was earning his dues. But the human’s clothes were of less concern to him than his purpose for calling. Dressed for riding, after dark, it could be no little thing that brought a man of some status to his doorstep. It puzzled him, though the man’s quiet face gave no hint. Undisturbed to be there, that much was clear.
Even so, Kyuhyun wasn’t worried, standing to greet his guest. Humans could be subdued with a touch, a whisper. Compliant, and at times almost eager, they fell to the thrall that had kept him in sustenance all his life. It was how vampires did their business in the world. No matter what this Zhou Mi wanted from him, he would find his way around it, as he always had.
Or so he thought, waiting for the man to introduce himself.
“Mr. Cho. My name is Zhou Mi. I’m sorry to disturb you without any notice, but I could not wait.”
“You may call me Kyuhyun. It’s a little late to be making social calls.”
Zhou Mi nodded, acknowledging his point. “Perhaps, for me, since I’m human. But I knew you would be awake, and didn’t want to chance missing you.”
So Zhou Mi knew who, and what he was, Kyuhyun thought. That made the visit even more interesting. Not many humans wandered of their own volition into a vampire’s home, and those that did were usually there only for one purpose. Which was over-generalizing just a bit, but the number of times a human had come to him for reasons unrelated to feeding, he could count on one hand. And most of those times had been lawyers. A different breed of blood suckers.
“You have found me, then. Mr. Zhou, is it? What do you need.”
“Zhou Mi, please,” Zhou Mi said. “Thank you for taking a moment to hear me out. I am part of a group of people working to reduce suffering. Specifically, have you heard of the practice of ingesting vampire blood?”
Maybe most humans hadn’t heard of the practice, but the vampire underground had been buzzing about it for months. It was at first more of a joke, sort of a prey eating the hunter sort of situation. But as reports of addiction, loss of function, began to swirl, it was too much to make light of. The only way a vampire couldn’t have heard of the situation would have been if the vampire were dead.
And it wasn’t even meant ironically.
“I have heard,” Kyuhyun said. “Are you here to interrogate me, or here for my help?”
“I hope for your help. I have papers here, for you to read.”
So earnest, he thought, taking the papers from Zhou Mi’s hand. But Kyuhyun wanted the rest of the conversation to be on his terms. If Zhou Mi started asking questions or making demands, Kyuhyun could temper them, and make things easier on himself. He didn’t wonder that humans were catching on to the dangers eating what was killing them. It was strictly a one-way food chain, and he stepped closer. Too close by far, by society’s standards.
“So we’ll talk. But you will do exactly as I ask,” Kyuhyun said, his fingers skimming the edge of Zhou Mi’s jaw. Just enough of a touch to matter. That was all it took for any human he’d encountered.
“Why would I do that?”
Kyuhyun looked up, studying him. No blown pupils, just vague curiosity to go with the question that Kyuhyun had asked, as though Kyuhyun had asked him to stand on one foot. The lack of acceptance made one thing perfectly clear.
Zhou Mi wasn’t in thrall.
Curious. On the contrary, Zhou Mi seemed to be studying Kyuhyun’s reaction to him. It made him uncomfortable to be the subject, and he stepped back. Distance, as though he was the one in danger of falling under Zhou Mi’s command, instead of the other way around.
That movement had Zhou Mi’s lips curving. “It’s all right. You’re not the first vampire to be surprised by that. I confess, it’s amusing when I am found out.”
“You aren’t… You don’t…?”
Not even Kyuhyun’s tongue was working.
“Thrall has no effect on me. Very little, if any, with some. I’m immune, though I don’t know why.”
“I’ve heard of humans like that, of course, but- That is hardly normal.”
“You’re right,” Zhou Mi agreed. “I’ve heard other vampires describe it as if a dog talked back to you after you asked it to sit.”
Kyuhyun could tell when he was being made fun of. Maybe it was well-deserved, but it had him taking Zhou Mi’s measure. Not the pliant human he’d initially thought, but more hidden in those eyes than he could discern. He thought of Zhou Mi’s purpose, and nodded.
“I see why they sent you to me, then. Someone I could not manipulate.”
“That could have been part of the thought,” Zhou Mi said, grinning. But his expression sobered when he gestured back to the papers he’d put into Kyuhyun’s hand. “While this is amusing, this black market selling is not. People are being injured, driven insane. Not from the temporary euphoria, but from the waking nightmares that follow.”
“I’m not ignorant of what’s happening. Everyone hears whispers. Sit, please,” he offered, and when Zhou Mi took one of the library chairs, he took one directly opposite. Close enough to see every expression on Zhou Mi’s face. “Given that I’m not contributing my blood to this horror, I’m curious what help you think I could be.”
“Have you been approached by anyone to contribute?”
Kyuhyun shook his head. Maybe he wasn’t a vampire of the highest standing, but he knew of more that hadn’t been approached either. It wasn’t a matter of money or morals, but demand. If the humans were getting as much blood as they needed, there was no need to branch out. “I imagine I would attract suspicion if I tried to offer, as well. Unless they believed I was that sadistic. What do they offer the vampires that give their blood?”
Zhou Mi hesitated. “A source of feeding, is one theory we have. If the humans lose their wits, or are in stages of it, then they are ready to be taken. But we don’t really know. Whether they mean to start small, create a stir and expand…? They have to be stopped.”
“That goes back to my original question. What help you think I’ll be.”
At the very least, Kyuhyun had found his bearings again. He leaned back in his chair and felt so much more in control. It was like speaking to another vampire, except he knew very much that wasn’t the case.
“We hope that you might keep your eyes and ears open,” Zhou Mi said. “There are people I cannot speak to, vampires who will only speak to other vampires.”
“How elitist of them,” Kyuhyun drawled, and Zhou Mi’s eyes twinkled in understanding. Much like the humans who wouldn’t speak to vampires. There were those of both kinds. “So you expect me to spy, and possibly go where your prying human fingers cannot. And in return?”
It was a delicate balance. Maybe it was mercenary, but it was as well known as giving money to buy bread. A vampire’s favor wasn’t curried, a vampire’s help wasn’t obtained, unless something was given in return. The simplest of transactions, really. A vampire couldn’t stroll down the sunny street and pick up a leg of mutton, or basket of fruit. So they had learned to survive, getting what they could. And that meant nothing came free.
It seemed Zhou Mi relaxed as well, the stiff set of his shoulders going lax. Perhaps he thought that if they had gotten to the bartering phase, then Kyuhyun hadn’t refused him outright. Kyuhyun, however, was still uncertain. How worth his while it was going to be, on one hand. It wasn’t that Zhou Mi’s goal was a bad one. This Euphoria plague was tampering with the pool of Kyuhyun’s food sources, and possibly turning what seemed an increasingly dull-witted public against those vampires whose only goals were to feed and sleep. And perhaps seek a little debauchery.
“I’m prepared to offer you compensation,” Zhou Mi confirmed, reaching into his exceedingly fine jacket to pull out an envelope.
Money, perhaps. Probably a tidy sum, as well. Zhou Mi had come well-prepared. But it wasn’t the money that interested him, but the man holding it.
“How long have you know you were resistant to thrall?” Kyuhyun asked, not reaching to take the envelope. The paper ended up balanced on Zhou Mi’s knee as Kyuhyun was considered.
“For as long as I’ve had interactions with vampires,” Zhou Mi told him. “In the clubs, I’ve been approached, but it’s always a surprise to them when I don’t respond.”
Yes, that was what he thought. His eyes flicked down to Zhou Mi’s boots, the angles of his wrist, his throat. Not even realizing at first, that his breathing had quickened, fingers tight on the arms of the chair as he stared at Zhou Mi, and that his voice was rougher than he meant.
“So you’ve never been bitten?”
“No, but that doesn’t-“
“Is that money you’re trying to offer me?” Kyuhyun asked. He didn’t care that he had interrupted Zhou Mi, when there had been nothing but platitudes that could have come after.
That, Zhou Mi grasped at. “If the amount isn’t enough, we have stocks that could be offered. Properties. I have some leeway in the negotiation, as long as you are fair.”
A warning not to ask for too much, and Kyuhyun grinned. He wasn’t sure if his request was too much or not, but it was the only thing he wanted. He needed to know. Needed it more than any money or property could satisfy.
“I have money, and stocks, and properties. You can negotiate well, because you aren’t susceptible to the thrall. But there is only one thing that could tempt me to help you,” Kyuhyun said, leaning forward, his eyes on Zhou Mi’s. “I would bite you.”
***
Zhou Mi had been prepared for anything. He had lists of properties in his head, investments, referrals. He even had a second bank note, for an equal amount as the one in the envelope if he had to double his offer. He’d been told about, and had experience with, vampires that were shrewd negotiators. It was why his skills were in demand, because he could negotiate without potentially falling into thrall and offering more than was fair. Of course, most vampires would deal fairly, thrall or not, but for those that were unfamiliar, humans like Zhou Mi were invaluable. He’d even gotten used to it, as long as there wasn’t much confrontation involved. He could stand up for himself when he had to, but there was no reason being polite couldn’t get him results.
Though it helped that most vampires didn’t respond well to threats. Cajoling and a smile helped ease things along.
But no matter what he’d negotiated, and what he’d come in prepared to offer, having himself thrown out as a option had not been in his expectations. And Kyuhyun was watching him, like a big cat watching to see which way his next meal would spring. How appropriate. There had to be a way that he could turn Kyuhyun down, politely, and still make it seem like it was Kyuhyun’s idea to go back to the idea of money.
“I have been asked before if I was interested,” Zhou Mi said, starting light and not making it sound like an outright rejection. But his brain wasn’t keeping up with what his hopes were. “Because of my resistance to thrall, most vampires are unwilling to attempt it. We could certainly find someone who hasn’t been bitten for you, in addition to our offer here.”
“I can find my own meals,” Kyuhyun said, crossing his legs and leaning back. A clear rejection. “I’m not asking to bite you and let you go. I want a month contract.”
“I…I- A month?” Zhou Mi floundered, tried to get his mouth back under control. Month contracts were the ideal for the vampires he’d known, whether they got them or not, but that was not what he’d been offered in the past. Strictly a bite, and that was all. Month contracts usually were- “You mean for me to feed you for a month? I- But I’m a man?”
Kyuhyun looked a bit like a child with a new toy, and it didn’t reassure Zhou Mi in the least. “Yes. I know. If the idea of sharing a man’s bed doesn’t appall you, a month is the least I would settle for. There would be no option to test your resistance to thrall in a night. And you would be here, able to read all my correspondence, able to move me to do what you wanted. You would be at my mercy, but I would also be at yours. I’ll help you, but that’s my price.”
Too restless to sit any longer, he stood, and Kyuhyun with him. Appalled wasn’t quite the right word. And Zhou Mi’s face had flushed hot, following all of Kyuhyun’s allusions. To satisfy every hunger, every sexual desire, of a vampire who could be key to helping a lot of people. He wondered if the Organization would give the money allotted to Kyuhyun to Zhou Mi instead, if he put his own body on the line. Vampires didn’t kill humans, not normally, and any potential injury in bed would be consensual.
But it was so much more than that. And it was not a decision he could make without giving it proper thought, weighing the benefits and negatives of the choice. Getting Kyuhyun’s participation was important, but it depended on if the price was worth it.
“May I have time to think about your offer?” Zhou Mi asked, softening his posture, giving a little. “I did hope to show you the sanitarium, the patients there. So that you have a better idea of what we’re working to counter.”
Kyuhyun’s head cocked to the side. “Do you think that showing me the victims in pain would sway me into a lesser offer?”
“I think it would sway you into being determined to help,” Zhou Mi said. “And if one of the other vampires we meet with wants to bite me, too?”
Kyuhyun snagged his wrist. Not hard, not violently, but a surefire way of getting his attention.
“Not when you’re with me. I don’t know what all you know about vampires. But one thing doesn’t change: we don’t share well with others.”
The little titter of nerves. “But you don’t even know if I’ll accept.”
“I offered. That’s enough. If you refuse, that’s something else.”
“But if you won’t accept anything else, how does that allow me to refuse?”
“Then you find another vampire?” Kyuhyun laughed at Zhou Mi’s expression. “No, I’m a vampire, not heartless. I’ll go with you to your sanitarium. But that has a price, too. Give me one night. If you aren’t horrified by it, we’ll consider it the first night of our month contract. If you wish to stop, double what’s in that envelope, and I’ll help how I can.”
It was a better offer than Zhou Mi could have imagined. It still put himself precariously in the mix, and they needed Kyuhyun’s compliance.
“Come back when you have an answer,” Kyuhyun said. “Take as much time as you need.”
He was dismissed as easily as that. No pleasantries or a good evening, just guided to the door. Zhou Mi at least got out his thanks, before the door was closed behind Kyuhyun’s nod.
At least Kyuhyun had given him time to think. Though there was a bit of a mockery in it, since the longer that Zhou Mi waited, the more people might be harmed. He would take the night, think it through. Talk it through with a friend if he had to.
The problem was, as he mounted his horse, that he still didn’t know which way he wanted to respond. Kyuhyun had given him a way out, with the smallest insurance there was - one night. He had never been tempted to accept a vampire’s offer, would have laughed if someone had suggested that he would. He wasn’t susceptible to thrall, and therefore a less desirable source of food. Maybe if he’d been prepared for Kyuhyun’s curiosity, he could have done a better job of shaping the meeting.
And then he thought of the screams, the people in pain, in constant, unstoppable nightmares. The thought of being able to stop that from happening to more people made one night with a vampire seem a small price to pay.
***
Zhou Mi’s sleep was troubled that night. His urge was to find out any information he could on vampire bites, and either ease his mind, or make his decision. The dreams that followed were uncomfortable to wake from, visions of a man against him, cringing from the bite. One was distinctly sexual and left him gasping, and unprepared.
He should have remembered it, the way Kyuhyun’s voice had dropped low when he’d touched Zhou Mi’s face. He’d been trying to ease Zhou Mi into the thrall, but it had left him with tattered defenses hours after. The way Kyuhyun’s eyes had gone wide in anticipation, then shock, then consideration. Maybe he hadn’t expected Kyuhyun to act quite that quickly, but amusement had reigned, then, because he’d been setting up his negotiation. He had no idea that those expressions, Kyuhyun leaning in close, would be used for words Kyuhyun had spoken later.
“I would bite you.”
He woke to those words as well, several times during the night. Maybe Kyuhyun hadn’t been able to sink him in the thrall, but he had laid plenty of traps for Zhou Mi’s own mind, his curiosity, to fall into. What was the bite like, what was Kyuhyun like in bed.
Zhou Mi knew what he would be asked by others. What would have made him want to try, to put himself in that position. Just because he had never agreed to a bite in the past didn’t mean that he never could in the future. There were many humans who were curious and became a meal, with far less thought than he was putting to it. But none of them would have had to work closely with that vampire afterward. The worst that could happen was that it hurt, the bite. And if Kyuhyun wanted his body as well, then there were worse things to be had than a night of bad sex. Frankly, it was all the unknowns that discomfited him, more than the things that he was sure of.
If he had accepted any other vampire, it would have been a man. Not that there were no humans who appealed, but ones who were willing were few. And openly to his knowledge, even less. So in that respect, Kyuhyun was exactly as he should be. Maybe Zhou Mi’s curiosity could be sensed. Perhaps that was why Kyuhyun had pressed him, backing down from the month, to the one night. Perhaps it had been his way of testing Zhou Mi’s sincerity and dedication as well. But it was hard to get the make of man or vampire like that. It would be time that would tell him if he respected Kyuhyun for that or not.
Kyuhyun had a young face, at times very still as though his thoughts were consuming him. The dark eyes and sweeping lashes considering him, hair over his eyebrows, and curling at his collar.
He tried to keep those images far away from himself, especially as he reported in and prepared himself to tell of what had happened with Kyuhyun. The small office was off of his supervisor’s library, because they didn’t have the funds to rent an office for their cause. The funds went to vampires, and the humans who helped.
“I spoke with the vampire, Mr. Cho. He seems to recognize what we’re fighting against. But he wasn’t responsive to offers of money or property. He was more interested in acquiring a steady food supply,” Zhou Mi said, telling Daniel, and trying to not reach up to fiddle with his neckcloth.
“I’m sure we can help him finding someone. Doing that is easy enough, if he’s able to help us. Surely we know someone who’d be willing to feed him?”
“That isn’t quite the whole of it. He doesn’t want just any human. He wants me, sir.”
Daniel’s eyebrows rose. “You. He knows you resist thrall?”
“He does. Apparently that interests him. He has, however, made a concession. I can let him bite me once, and if I find it acceptable, I will continue on feeding him for the month. If I wish to stop, he will help us for the whole of the sum of money I took to him.”
“So he wants to feed from you once, or he won’t help us?” Daniel sat back in his chair and frowned. “I know vampires are just as unpredictable as humans, but that seems an arbitrary demand. He could pursue you outside of the work if he desired. It hardly gives you a choice, this way.”
Zhou Mi sighed, and realized he’d found his conclusion even before he’d arrived. “It is still my choice. There are other vampires we could approach, some in his same position, but we’ve already made the connection. I’ll give him his one bite, and see. I’ve never been bitten, so I can decide with a better understanding afterward.”
“You realize that most vampires don’t simply feed from humans.”
It was impossible to meet Daniel’s eyes right then. They both knew Daniel spoke of sex, and that what Zhou Mi wasn’t saying was more telling than what he was.
“I’ll meet with him after he wakes this evening, take him to the sanitarium, and tell him of our agreement.”
“Zhou Mi, I know your dedication to this cause cannot be matched. But you realize that you don’t have to do this. Like you said, there are other vampires. In fact, we can send someone else to Kyuhyun, make him see that he should help without this. Even if they succumb to thrall, they would stand for you.”
“I would stand for them as well. But I will do this. If anything, it will help me understand. And if I choose the month, it will give him a reason to continue helping us. He isn’t without scruples. In an odd way, I trust him. And I’m curious of him as well.”
“I won’t tell you no. Some of our operatives have had relations with vampires, and it has strengthened the help, or broken it. The decision is yours. I hope your meeting goes well.”
When Zhou Mi stood, arranging his hat and making his way out to his carriage, he hoped so, too.
***
With effort, Zhou Mi was able to quiet his mind after eating, sleeping until the sun had gone down. Vampires were ever nocturnal, and he needed his wits. If Kyuhyun wanted the bite to happen that night, then he wanted to be alert for it, and for the sanitarium. When it came down to it, it wasn’t about the biting, it was about helping people. That was something he couldn’t lose sight of.
But Zhou Mi did not move from the servant’s entrance, waiting there for Kyuhyun so they could go immediately. But his hands were tight on his hat, waiting for Kyuhyun to appear. Had he not been watching, he might not have heard Kyuhyun’s footsteps, light and quick, raking Zhou Mi from head to toe with a probing stare. And they considered each other for several moments, before Kyuhyun’s lips quirked. It seemed Zhou Mi showing up was answer enough.
Zhou Mi nodded his greeting. “We should go to the sanitarium before it is too late.”
“Your horse is in the stable?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. Then we’ll go in my carriage.”
“Is it unmarked?”
Zhou Mi asked that question as he followed Kyuhyun back out the door. It wasn’t as though the sanitarium was a secret, but for everyone’s safety, they tried to keep things as quiet as possible. Those who were sick, might keep more from getting sick. But those who fought the ones infecting them, they needed to keep to the shadows. Or risk everything. Kyuhyun just clucked at his caution.
“It doesn’t proclaim that I’m a vampire, if that’s what you’re asking. I understand discretion might be required.”
At least there was that. The carriage was not ostentatious, mostly serviceable, and it protected them from view. Zhou Mi was still in his riding clothes, and Kyuhyun dressed appropriate for the evening in trousers and a jacket. But nothing too fussy. A properly tied neckcloth would have made Kyuhyun look more put-together, but he had a certain charm as he was. Almost like he’d dressed himself to look like he didn’t care. It was perhaps an unconscious choice, and no real concern of Zhou Mi’s.
But he thought he saw Kyuhyun considering him as well, as the carriage bumped along. At that hour of the night, there was nothing to slow them, and the journey was quick. He’d had an entire little speech planned out, to prepare Kyuhyun. But that, like everything else, hadn’t gone quiet as planned.
“Some of them are hard to see, being ill. But we won’t stay long.”
“I know,” Kyuhyun said, nearly interrupting him.
“Dr. Lee is the one who will be showing us around. He is there almost all day treating patients. But you shouldn’t worry, he has no ill-feelings toward vampires.”
“It’ll be fine,” Kyuhyun said, his voice low.
An almost impatience to the words had Zhou Mi’s mouth closing tightly. If Kyuhyun didn’t want the information, then he wouldn’t give it. Perhaps it was a mood, or Kyuhyun lacked patience. But it was no trial to sit in silence, trying to anticipate what they would see, what questions he could answer for Kyuhyun. It was a visit that could create a passion in Kyuhyun to help, if he was able to find sympathy in himself for those who were suffering.
It was not purely a teaching visit. He carried donations in his pocket to keep the sanitarium running. Both reasons were equally as important.
He stepped down out the carriage first, waiting as Kyuhyun told their driver that they would not be long. Zhou Mi had nothing to refute there. Their visit was not to be lengthy. And as sorry as he felt for the people, it was not in him to stay long in any circumstances. It hurt him too much.
The doctor greeted them before they got far, and Zhou Mi took care of the introductions.
“Dr. Lee, this is Cho Kyuhyun. Here to see, and we hope to help going forward. I hoped you could give him a short overview of what you do here.”
“Of course.”
Zhou Mi followed after the introductions, letting the doctor speak to Kyuhyun directly. The most effective way. Through the parts where a couple of patients were beginning to function again, learning to walk. To the areas where those who screamed in terror were housed. Everywhere, no matter how much they cleaned, was the stench of humans. He’d finally learned how to breathe to protect himself from it.
They stopped last, in a small room where the youngest victims were kept. Just teenagers, reduced to crying and thrashing.
“He is thirteen,” the doctor said of one boy. “We are hoping because of his youth that he might have a better chance of recovery. But his nightmares have been the hardest to control, even with heavy sedation.”
Zhou Mi held his breath, as Kyuhyun stepped forward and reached to touch the boy’s face, turning it, to see the bruises left there. Probably from the nightmares, all those markings, and the boy’s face drawn up in fear, even while heavily asleep.
“He still has some of the vampire blood inside of him,” Kyuhyun said. “Have you tried bleeding him? Or better yet, finding a vampire to feed from him. It might stimulate his body to purge itself.”
“It was suggested to us, but finding vampires willing to feed from patients like these is difficult,” the doctor said, leading them back out. “They are seen as pitiful, and unwell.”
“There are vampires out there who would be willing somewhere,” Kyuhyun said, falling into step with Zhou Mi.
“Perhaps. But we don’t have the funds to pay them,” the doctor said.
Kyuhyun made a noise, as though that was an interesting point, and continued walking. And Zhou Mi knew it would be a subject they would revisit when they were alone. If there were vampires willing, without requiring exorbitant sums, then perhaps there was a way to help the patients after all. It sent a thrill through him that he had to quell, or else be caught grinning in hope while they were led past beds full of moaning patients. That was exactly what he had been hoping for in gaining Kyuhyun’s help. Someone with a new perspective to a battle that they were still learning how to fight.
Zhou Mi thanked the doctor, breathing in the clean night air that smelled mostly of smoke and horses. The most beautiful smell, right then. But as the carriage rolled back toward Kyuhyun’s home, Zhou Mi mused aloud.
“Your point about getting vampires to bite them is interesting. It’s a therapy I hadn’t thought of, and if there are vampires willing, it could be an amazing step forward.”
“If it worked. I’m surprised you didn’t suggest that I start biting them right there.”
Zhou Mi shook his head. “Vampire feeding rituals are very unknown to me, and I would not have called you out like that. I had nothing to offer in compensation. And there is only one of you. You could not hope to do it alone. But do you really know of vampires who might be willing?”
“None so altruistic as to bite an entire legion of ill and stinking humans. But yes. There are young vampires, always on the lookout for a meal. Thought it might mean more work, but each patient would need to be bathed. It isn’t as though they have to be made up like a bride on their wedding night, but vampires aren’t immune to smells. And no laudanum. The thrall will calm them enough for the bite.”
“All right,” Zhou Mi said. “I will write that down, and have you look it over. And you can let me know if there is anything I need to do, to help you with the vampires.”
“I know that’s why you’re here, don’t worry. I won’t strain myself if it’s something you can help with,” Kyuhyun said. But there was a tease there that had Zhou Mi sighing.
“It must be like the thrall, but a thousand times stronger,” Zhou Mi said. “Making them invincible, happy.”
“And then giving them unspeakable terror?”
“Perhaps good things come at a price.”
“Including help?” Kyuhyun asked.
It depended on what they were talking about. Kyuhyun’s help was coming at a price, yes. But they had already made some progress. That, at least, made Zhou Mi feel as though he was making the right decisions.
“If you have no want to be bitten, bring the money tomorrow. We will settle it, then,” Kyuhyun said.
“But I thought…” Zhou Mi began, his words dying out as Kyuhyun stared at him. They could barely see each other, but Zhou Mi didn’t have to finish the question to know what Kyuhyun meant. He was giving Zhou Mi an out, a way to avoid being bitten if it wasn’t what he wanted. It was more difficult to think about, because he was already set and ready. To be given another choice had his head reeling.
Maybe it was a test. And maybe, Kyuhyun wanted to know that Zhou Mi was truly willing. If he didn’t agree to the month, he might be paying Kyuhyun anyway. But he realized that he had made his decision, and that there was no reason to alter course, until it made sense to do so. They had agreed on a night, so they would have it.
“Our agreement hasn’t changed,” Zhou Mi said, and turned his head away, to watch the buildings pass, on their way to Kyuhyun’s home.
And the bite.
***
Kyuhyun was hungry, leading Zhou Mi to his bedroom. They both stank of humanity, but he knew that would be of little trouble when their clothes were gone. It was decadent to close the door after them, watching Zhou Mi take several tight steps into the room before pausing. Gratified wasn’t the word, that Zhou Mi had held to their deal. Perhaps it spoke to his integrity, though with little choice, Zhou Mi had taken the lesser offer. It was good business, to start with the least desirable and work back. But Kyuhyun had offered a way out, for more reasons than conscience. There was no thrall to relax Zhou Mi. No way to guarantee his enjoyment.
And since Zhou Mi had left the night before, his eagerness to sup at a human immune to the thrall had been replaced with a desire for the same - only with a human equally as eager to be bitten. So perhaps it was stubbornness or pride that brought Zhou Mi to his home and room, but not all, not nearly. Even if there were nerves, there was also want. And it seemed that made all the difference.
“Undress yourself fully,” Kyuhyun instructed. “Wait in the bed, and I will come to you after. If that is acceptable?”
“Of course,” Zhou Mi said, his back perfectly straight.
And Kyuhyun left him there, walking swiftly to the next room to undress, before following a hidden passage back into the bedchamber. There was a screen there, a seat for changing. And there, he would wait.
It wasn’t usual to watch the prey. Humans that fell into a vampire’s bed were often ecstatic to be there, posing little challenge. Hardly a conquest when the subject begged. And it wasn’t as though he wanted a struggle. He didn’t want someone to fight back. Taking people against their will wasn’t in his list of things to accomplish. But it seemed prudent to watch Zhou Mi. He could be quiet when he wanted to be, and he was then. Watching from behind a screen that was more for decoration than it was modesty, as he watched Zhou Mi undress. That had been his instructions after all. For a moment, he wondered if Zhou Mi would comply fully, pausing at the drawstrings of his drawers, before lowering those as well.
Perhaps it was also a way for Kyuhyun to get a better look at what he was getting into. The flexing of Zhou Mi’s shoulders as he had drawn off his shirt, the baring of a smooth, if not overly muscular back, lean hips, and long legs. He drew his eyes up from the curve of Zhou Mi’s calves, to see what he sported between his legs. Nothing that wouldn’t fit if he let Zhou Mi above him, and the thought of sucking him had him licking his lips. Not the least of his vices, the feel of a man writhing at the command of his mouth had become a desired pastime. Zhou Mi wasn’t the least bit erect, but he could see that cock growing to suit him very well. And a fastidious man, the way he put aside his clothes. Denied a valet, but not helpless because of it.
He had to muffle the laugh as Zhou Mi reached to touch the bed only to be surprised by what he felt. The silk sheets had been put on, slick and cool. Not something he enjoyed sleeping on alone, but it wasn’t something he ever spoke of. He got cold when he slept, not an uncommon vampire trait. So he much preferred stouter, warmer cotton. Zhou Mi sat, cautious, as though he expected Kyuhyun to enter at any time.
And Kyuhyun felt like the cat stalking his prey.
Waiting, patient, because he had all the time in the world. Watching Zhou Mi first stay sitting upright, before swinging his legs under the covers. Touching the soft coverlet and leaning back against the pillows. Eyes roving the room in curious sweeps. Taking in what he could about Kyuhyun, no doubt. But he wouldn’t find much of Kyuhyun in that room. It had been decorated according to the latest style, maybe five years previous. Kyuhyun used it to eat, to seduce, to sleep, but for little else. It served its purpose.
A noise down the hall, likely a servant, had Zhou Mi jerking, half sitting up and baring his chest and dark nipples to Kyuhyun’s eyes. Again, he licked his lips, biting down on one for a moment as he cautioned patience. He hadn’t found out all he had come to see. Kyuhyun was mostly curious what Zhou Mi would do. If he would wait, patient, in the bed, or dress again, to find out where Kyuhyun was. There was nothing for Zhou Mi to do, besides wait. And so, independently, they waited together. Kyuhyun with slightly more patience, as he watched Zhou Mi sink into the covers, only to sit up ten minutes later and stare at his clothes.
“Maybe I misunderstood,” Zhou Mi murmured.
And Kyuhyun had to pinch his nose shut to keep from laughing audibly.
Kyuhyun’s patience was rewarded, as Zhou Mi covered up again. Watching his eyelids droop, and flutter. Starting awake once, before relaxing fully into the pillow, unable to keep himself conscious any longer.
He waited a few minutes, for Zhou Mi to stay asleep, and stood at long last. Stretching his stiff back and legs, he padded on bare feet to the side of the bed. He could see a tiny mark at the base of Zhou Mi’s neck, his ear, his bottom lip slack in sleep.
It made him wonder. He understood Zhou Mi even less, because that hadn’t been the expected outcome, but somehow it pleased him as he tossed aside his clothes. His touch was very deliberate, squeezing Zhou Mi’s shoulder once. No response, not at first, except a small twitch. So he squeezed again, and cleared his throat, and watched Zhou Mi rouse. Eyes opening, clearing, as he stared up at Kyuhyun.
“Oh. Oh!” Zhou Mi would’ve sat up, had Kyuhyun not been holding him back. “I’m sorry. I must have fallen asleep.”
“I made you wait,” Kyuhyun told him. Not untrue. But Zhou Mi smiled at his words, relaxing beneath his hand. And that confused him further. In a stranger’s bed, sleeping, relaxed. Trusting, as he was woken. He wasn’t sure a man like Zhou Mi existed. Many he’d seen would have come out of sleep with fists flying. Not smiling with sleep-bobbled eyes, as pliable as clay. But the man who’d been wary before sleep was still there, that he knew. It made for an interesting picture of a man he wanted to know better.
But no more tricks. He was hungry, and he meant to have Zhou Mi’s body, as well as his blood.
“Are you ready?” Kyuhyun asked.
“Yes, of course,” Zhou Mi said, and reached for the blanket edge to let Kyuhyun in.
“You got the bed warm for me.”
“I suppose I did.”
And the warmth sank into him as he slid beneath the covers, their hips rubbing as he displaced Zhou Mi from his spot. They were of a size to each other, if Zhou Mi had the advantage in height if not weight. But in bed, they were as equal as was possible.
The wary Zhou Mi was there, cautious, as Kyuhyun touched his neck. Feeling the pulse, high, and rising, and feeling the hunger growl in him. Zhou Mi would experience all there was, with a vampire. It was why he could not have let Zhou Mi go at a bite. True, he fed off the blood, but also on sounds, and scents, and textures. Zhou Mi was a challenge, with no thrall to help him. A test. Of prowess, of need. And he got his first sound, laying a cooler hand against Zhou Mi’s chest. The softest “oh,” that drew heat into Kyuhyun’s cheeks.
He’d drawn that sound of his own doing. Not because of thrall, or whatever it was in his skin, in his being, that humans responded to. But because he’d touched Zhou Mi, and elicited that response. It made him want others, watching as Zhou Mi struggled from the grips of sleep, finding his self-consciousness as Kyuhyun moved above him, straddling his hips. It was the most honest pleasure, skin to skin. Hedonistic, perhaps, but true. It didn’t matter how much of him touched a human, because the thrall did not grow stronger. But his skin warmed against Zhou Mi’s, thigh against thigh, torsos close. The covers settled over Kyuhyun’s shoulders and enveloped him in Zhou Mi’s lingering warmth. The touch on Kyuhyun’s side had him arching. Zhou Mi, a cautious hand, poised to shove Kyuhyun away if he had to.
He didn’t have to ask if Zhou Mi’s nerves were up. He could feel the swelling beat of Zhou Mi’s heart, the shallow, quickened breathing.
“Are you worried it’s going to hurt?” he asked, letting his lips bounce off of Zhou Mi’s jaw.
Not so self-possessed then, Zhou Mi’s laugh was breathy. “Which part?”
“Does sex usually hurt? I’m a vampire, not a sadist.”
And if anything, he had reason to be even more careful. To ensure that Zhou Mi came away with an appreciation of what they did. It would be partly his skill and want, and partly Zhou Mi’s own, that would determine the outcome of the night. Kyuhyun had no doubts that he would come away satisfied, but he was in no way disappointed in what he saw, or what he felt. The warmth of Zhou Mi’s hand as it spread against his skin, still wary.
“Are you here to be punished? Do you want for someone to tell you what to do, and make you do it? Or are you here because you want a man, even if the teeth come with him?”
“Does that matter?” Zhou Mi asked, his head turning as Kyuhyun nipped as his collarbone.
“It does. If you are here to submit, and I treat you softly, you won’t come back.”
“I am not here to submit,” Zhou Mi said, and the edge was back in his voice, as though it pained him to answer.
“On your back in a vampire’s bed, one might wonder,” Kyuhyun said. But he spoke again, before Zhou Mi could bristle. “But that means you’re here for the man. And that’s good, because I wanted you for more than the thrall.”
Another vampire might choose to bite first, and take later, or perhaps the opposite. It was decadent, for him, to have both at once, and he turned Zhou Mi’s face back toward him.
He intended for Zhou Mi to form his own opinions on what he liked best, and to have time to explore those opinions to their fullest. He hadn’t decided how far they would go, knowing that Zhou Mi’s response also would tell him. Even if it meant that Kyuhyun was denied the fullest of pleasures that night. No matter what words he spoke to force reaction from Zhou Mi, it was Zhou Mi’s presence that intrigued him.
So even before he pressed his lips to Zhou Mi’s, he knew.
He wanted the full month.
***