Chocolate Covered Strawberry
Title: Chocolate Covered Strawberry
Length: 4353w
Rating: PG
Summary:Just like not all humans are good, not all monsters are bad.
Buried deep in the woods was a town filled with much lore. There lay stories of witches, of magic, dark and new. Stories of Children of the Night, of bright, red eyes and sharp sharp fangs. However, with each passing generation the stories faded into oblivion and less and less people feared the dark and all its hidden monsters. They aren't real. There's no such thing as monsters.
At least, that's what Sanghyuk kept murmuring as he clutched his pillow to his chest and stood outside his brother's door. They're not real. I'm ok. The whisper of phantom footsteps reached Sanghyuk's ear. Without a second thought, Sanghyuk threw open his brother's door and ran into Hakyeon's surprised arms.
"Hyukkie, what's wrong?" Hakyeon asked gently.
"Hyung, there's a someone in my room. I swear! I see him at the window and, and...I'm scared. Really really scared," Sanghyuk ended in a whimper burrowing closer to his brother. Hakyeon sighed. His brother has been whining about seeing someone in his room for days now but no matter how many times Hakyeon went to check, he never found anyone there.
"You said by the window, right? I'll go with you to check it out but if there isn't anything there then you better go back to sleeping in your own room, got it." Sanghyuk only whimpered in response and clung onto Hakyeon's arm as he led the way back to his room.
Just as Hakyeon had expected, the room bore no traces of anyone else having been there. The bed covers were still in disarray from Sanghyuk's haste to leave the room. The window remained firmly closed and, after a quick inspection, the closet and the space under the bed were deemed clear.
"See? Nothing here. Now go back to sleep in your own room this time." Hakyeon made to leave but stopped when he saw his brother staring past him. He turned and found himself face to face with a boy? A man? Whoever orwhatever he was, his face seemed ageless, round cheeks and pink sensual lips pulled up in a teasing smirk. But what really caught Hakyeon's attention were his eyes. A clear hazel too light to be normal. Hakyeon felt spellbound, unable to tear his eyes away even though he could feel his brother pulling at the back of his shirt. He blinked and suddenly the stranger was much too close and was he smelling him?! Hakyeon blinked again and the man was once again sitting on the center of the bed.
"You smell sweet," he grinned lazily putting his teeth on full display and were those ... fangs? Hakyeon would've fallen over if his brother hadn't been clinging to him.
"Are those ... plastic?" Sanghyuk whispered from behind. This time Hakyeon really did fall over. The man sputtered, all previous composure lost.
"Did you have them on this whole time? Isn't that annoying?" Sanghyuk inquired, all previous fear forgotten. The man seemed even more flabbergasted than before.
"Wha- I'm- NO!" The man cleared his throat and stepped down from the bed, towering over Sanghyuk. "The name's Minseok and, for your information, I am a vampire." Minseok hissed out the last words, hazel eyes flashing a bright red before he bent forward, ivory fangs mere centimeters away from Sanghyuk's neck. Hakyeon sprang up and shoved at Minseok to get him away from his brother. Behind him, Sanghyuk stood frozen in fear.
"Not so plastic, are they?" Minseok teased, eyes a glowing ruby red now.
And now we're gonna pay the price, Hakyeon thought. Minseok seemed to sense his dismay and backed away until he was by the window.
"I'm a vampire but I'm not going to hurt either of you. A ghost got lost here and I just came here to bring them back. We watch out for each other ... like how you watch out for your brother." Hakyeon felt Sanghyuk clutch his hand at the mention. Maybe they would get lucky and pretend this never happened.
"This was fun. I'll be sure to drop by when you least expect it. Until then ..." with one last teasing smile, Minseok was up and out of the window. Hakyeon and Sanghyuk walked cautiously to the window. Together, they looked out and only saw empty shadows and trees waving in the dying wind. They withdrew, shut the window, and this time Hakyeon was the one who stayed in Sanghyuk's bed unable to sleep for a long long while.
>------------------<
Minseok slipped back into the forest that was home for all the 'monsters' that haunted the little humans' nightmares. The lost, little ghost was trailing after him, her desolate cries a sigh in the wind. Minseok didn't bat an eyelash. The lost ghosts always cried, scared, ripped from their bodies and mostly invisible to the world they once belonged in. But his brother would lead this one home too. He always does.
He tried hard not to think of the two human boys he had left. And that ridiculous comment -Plastic? Plastic?! What an insult. He had been dealing with humans for decades and had never been more insulted.And their faint, sweet smell. As fun as it had been teasing them, he knew it wiser to forget. Forget their adorable frightened looks and focus on his duties as his brother's right hand man.
Minseok was surprised to already find himself at the lake in the center of the woods - too lost in his thoughts to notice them nearing their destination.
"Brother, I'm here with another soul in need of your guidance," Minseok spoke into the crisp air. There was no one in sight, only the swaying trees and the lake. Yet, Minseok waited with the sobbing ghost beside him. Finally, ripples appeared, seemingly from nowhere. They started at the center and spread outward to the shore.
Minseok waited.
Soon the ripples escalated into small waves pulling at his feet.
Minseok waited.
With one last crashing wave, the water retreated, leaving a man standing in front of Minseok. His blond hair was pushed back from his face, revealing a strong jaw and pale pink lips the same shade of enticing as Minseok's. Instead of hazel eyes, Junmyeon, his brother, had shocking light blue eyes as deep as the lake he watched over.
Minseok waved behind him at the lost spirit crying silently now. Junmyeon stretched his hand out and the ghost girl took his hand, the tears halting all together. He smiled gently at her before leading her to the water's edge. The water's reflection began to change, hues of green and blue and yellow slipping in to form a picture of a small pasture filled with a multitude of flowers. The girl looked back, smiling and solid and, most importantly, at peace.
They watched as she stepped into the water, past her ankles, waist, until finally, she was gone - the image of her dissolving until the water was back to reflecting the forest.
"How you do it I'll never understand," Minseok whispered as his brother let out a sigh. It always cost him so much energy to see a spirit's happy place and recreate it.
"Not important," Junmyeon nudged him. "Anyways, where did you find this one. And just why do you smell like human?"
"She was haunting some kid's closet. I smell like human because I felt like playing with him and his brother a bit." Minseok cleared his throat and explained and Junmyeon nodded his head.
"That's good. Instill some greatness into the humans' hearts. Especially the young ones." Junmyeon patted him on the back.
"I'll be sure to do so, Brother," Minseok smirked. He might be a vampire who only drank the blood of criminals, but he could never find anything as enjoyable as seeing the terror in someone's eyes.
>----------------<
Terrorizing humans was something Minseok did along with all his other ghoulish friends. But no matter how many houses he visited, he never forgot to stop by and see his favorite pair of siblings. He'd given them little scares from bite threats to popping out when they least expected it.
Or at least he used to.
It had been a while since Sanghyuk and Hakyeon had last seen Minseok. He had been coming less and less frequently and now it was almost as if he'd stopped coming altogether. They just couldn't understand why.
It's not like either of them were afraid of him anymore. His bites had gone from scary to playful and to the point where they would jokingly bare their necks. Past Minseok would have laughed at their joke but Present Minseok's expression would harden and he would vanish soon after, echoes of his scolding in the air. Minseok had changed.
But so had the two brothers. Especially Hakyeon. Sanghyuk was taller than his six year old self had been but at age twelve he still had that aura of innocence, baby fat still adorning his face. Hakyeon, on the other hand, had changed in many more ways. Gone was the overprotective eleven year old hyung and in his place stood a confident still overbearing, Hyuk would insist seventeen year old. His growth spurt left him towering over everyone except his group of friends, Taekwoon, Wonshik and Hongbin. He had taken up dancing shortly after entering middle school and he was lean and flexible as a result.
He had changed. And it was that change that was keeping Minseok away, unbeknownst to the brothers.
"His smell ... it's changed. It's so much sweeter now. Intoxicating. I just want to bite him, drown in the taste of his blood and touch-" Minseok halted, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself from the mental images that had burst out.
"That does sound troubling," Junmyeon commented. They were at the lake, Junmyeon playing with the water, pulling figures out from strings of water as he listened to Minseok's struggles. He had grown fond of those humans. Even he could see that despite being tied to his water home.
"Do you want to drink him dry?" Junmyeon asked, calm as ever. Minseok looked up at the sky and thought.
"No," he breathed out. "I want to taste him forever." Junmyeon smiled, spraying water gently at his brother.
"Someone has a crush," he teased. Minseok sputtered before jumping at his brother.
"We want to join in on the fun," a voiced whine from behind. Both brothers turned to find two giant wolves crouched and ready to pounce.
"Not today," Minseok snapped before storming off to wallow in his thoughts alone. The smaller, tan wolf whined low in his throat. His companion, a slightly larger black wolf named Tao, bumped his nose against his head in comfort.
"Don't worry too much, Sehun. Minseok is just going through a rough time right now," Junmyeon explained motioning for the two wolves to come closer. They lay down on either side of him, tails thumping softly against the ground as he pet them. "But I can think of a way you two can help ..." Both wolves looked up always eager to please.
>------------------<
Sanghyuk was standing at the edge of the woods peering into the foliage, wondering. Minseok always disappeared in this direction. If they followed along, maybe...
But everyone knew you didn't come back if you dared to enter the forest, home to all the evil creatures haunting the town. Home to Minseok. Sanghyuk had the strongest urge to enter, to search the area until he found him. Not even the stories of how Jaehwan had yet to be found after venturing into the forest didn't deter him.
However, he stopped at the thought of his brother. He was still in school, dance practice having run late today with the spring festival coming up. He made to turn when he spotted something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and was that ... a dog? It was tan and just sitting, his fur standing out against all the green. He heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him and whirled around to find a much larger black wolf prowling towards him.
Sanghyuk's heart was thundering in his chest. They're not dogs. He slowly backed away hoping to reach the the way out before either wolf reached him. Not that he had much hope. Werewolves were much much more intelligent than wolves or dogs. Just as he thought about screaming for help, both werewolves pounced, cutting off any cry for help before it could reach anyone's ears.
>-------------------<
It was dark and Hakyeon was walking back home with Taekwoon, Wonshik and Hongbin, because it was a known rule to never travel after dark alone. You never knew what was lurking in the shadows.
Hakyeon felt a cold shiver run down his back. Something was wrong. He quickened his pace making some lame excuse about hearing things to his friends. They were practically jogging when they reached his house, and Hakyeon fumbled to get his keys fitted in the right lock. His friends eyed him questioningly but didn't say anything; for that, Hakyeon was grateful. He couldn't really explain why he had this sudden urgent need to check on his family.
Finally bursting through the door, Hakyeon went around checking the rooms as nonchalantly as possible. Mom resting in bed after working odd hours. Dad doing paperwork in the study. Sanghyuk ...
He wasn't in his room, or Hakyeon's room, or the kitchen, or the living room.
"Hakyeon," Taekwoon's firm soft voice broke through his growing panic. He turned and stared at his friends, fighting down the need to cry and break down in hysterics. They made weak attempts at comforting him with words and Hongbin even reached out to hug him. His brother, his brother ...
The sound of something crashing reached them from Sanghyuk's room. Hakyeon didn't waste a second and quickly dashed into the room. He was definitely not expecting to see Minseok standing there rubbing at his knee. He wasn't surprised when Minseok instantly stiffened at sensing him in the room, however. Before his friends even made it into the room, Hakyeon had already crossed to the other side of the room, hands fisting Minseok's black button down shirt in desperation.
"Give me back my brother. Help me find my brother, please. He's gone and I don't know where-" Hakyeon took a deep, shuddering breath. "Please."
"Follow me," Minseok replied smoothly, only his eyes betraying his concern and shock. Hakyeon softened his grip and stepped back.
"See you in the backyard?" Minseok nodded before slipping out the window again. Hakyeon turned and found himself face to face with his friends, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright shock.
"He's not human, is he?" Wonshik asked.
"No, but he is my friend."
>----------------<
"You brought me the wrong brother," Junmyeon sighed, irritation clear in his voice. Both wolves whined and lowered their heads. Sanghyuk bolted up, however, at the mention of his brother.
"Whatever you plan on doing to my brother you can just stop! He's done nothing wrong and I refuse to let him get hurt!" Sanghyuk glowered at the man only slightly taller than him. Even this feat felt difficult to do for long. The man's skin was so pale it seemed to glow and his pale hair only accentuated the deep blue eyes and rosy cheeks. He seemed kind and that confused Sanghyuk.
"I wasn't planning on hurting Hakyeon." Sanghyuk felt all his inner turmoil instantly evaporate at the sound of his voice. It was soft, calm and filled with such warmth that Sanghyuk couldn't help but trust him. "I just wanted to talk to him."
"Talk to him? Why not just stop by our house then, like Minseok does?" Sanghyuk sounded confused. Junmyeon smiled sadly.
"I can't leave. My soul is tied to the lake. If I were to leave it-" Junmyeon left the sentence hanging. Both wolves padded up to Junmyeon and nosed his hands until he petted them. They were obviously close.
"The bigger one is Tao and the tan wolf is Sehun and I think these two owe you an apology." The air shifted and Sanghyuk heard the sound of something snapping and breaking. He cringed and only looked up once the noises stopped. Beside Junmyeon stood two very tall VERY naked boys. The taller of the two had ebony black hair, ears and strangely, very catlike eyes. The other one was pale, though not as pale as Junmyeon, and his hair was a ridiculous shade of every color in existence
"We're sorry," they chorused. Their mouths were twisted into pouts and Sanghyuk couldn't find it in himself to stay upset.
"It's ok. I mean the kidnapping thing, no, that's never ok! But I'm ok and you're not going to eat me so it's ok," Sanghyuk rambled on, unaware of the two teenage boys turning back into wolves. So he was surprised to find two very happy werewolves licking at his face.
Once everyone had calmed down, Sanghyuk turned to Junmyeon. Curiosity was eating away at him and he was burning to ask.
"What did you want my brother for?"
"Ah, that. Well, I also have a brother..."
>---------------<
Out in the backyard, Minseok was already waiting for them at the edges of the forest. Hakyeon made to follow him before the sound of Wonshik's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"You're not really going to follow him in there, are you? Hakyeon, think! One of our classmates disappeared in there you can't go do that to us."
"My brother's in there and I know I can at least try and bring him back. I would never ask any of you to go in there with me. Who knows what could happen but I can't just sit here. And I have Minseok. He'll keep me safe." Wonshik looked like he had more to say but Taekwoon shot him a glare.
"We understand," Taekwoon said in that soft voice of his. "And we're sorry we can't-" Hakyeon shook his head. He understood too. Hakyeon watched them leave quietly, grateful. He doesn't want to know that he led them to their doom. Minseok never once rushed him or made any noise of impatience from behind him. He just stood and waited for Hakyeon to turn around and show he was ready.
After the last of them had disappeared down the sidewalk, Hakyeon and Minseok began trudging through the forest in silence. Minseok focused on the scent of Sanghyuk, a familiar scent, and followed it. He was curious to find it mixed with the scent of Tao and Sehun and he was starting to have a really good idea of where they were probably located.
"How do you know we're going in the right direction?" Hakyeon asked.
"Smell," Minseok answered briskly. Focus on Sanghyuk's smell. Homey and spicy like cinnamon. Nothing like the sweetness behind him. Focus, focus!
They trekked through the forest, Minseok taking the shortest route he knew to the lake. Unfortunately, it was a difficult path, for humans, filled with twisted roots and hidden bunny holes. It was dark outside, and though that changed nothing for Minseok, Hakyeon would only stumble and fall twice as many times than if they had been traveling in the daytime.
Minseok stood stock still waiting for Hakyeon to stand up and untangle himself for the nth time. Minseok didn't trust himself. Not with Hakyeon's heart pumping blood faster from the exertion. It would only spell trouble.
Minseok was debating whether he should just call out to his brother. They weren't that far from the lake so he would be more than able to answer. Before he had the chance, however, a cold wind swept through the area, the shadows stretching and contorting into frightful images. Shades.
He moved quickly until Hakyeon was safe in his arms. Shades couldn't physically harm people. Instead, they twisted images until they showed a person's worst fear. Hakyeon was moaning in his arms and Minseok pivoted around until he saw it. A shadow outlining the body of a dead boy looking eerily like Sanghyuk.
"Hakyeon, look at me." Hakyeon was still gasping, not able to hear him over the roar of fear. Minseok grabbed his head with both hands and forced him to look into his eyes.
"Look at me." The chill in the air seemed to disappear and Minseok could feel the calming aura that came with his brother's presence. There was an inhuman shriek as the shade was dragged down down by his brother. Hakyeon visibly flinched at the sound. Not all of the creatures living in the woods were kind. Humans had every right to fear them.
Minseok sighed and made to step away when Hakyeon grabbed him. His hands were trembling and there were tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. Minseok wiped away at the tears gently, trying to calm Hakyeon down.
"It wasn't real. It was just trying to scare you. Hyukkie's safe. I can smell him, Hakyeon, and he's safe." Hakyeon pulled him closer burying his head in his chest. Minseok was bent down awkwardly, Hakyeon on the floor and Minseok standing over him in a lame attempt to hug him. Minseok resigned himself to his fate and lowered his head despite knowing the kink that would be sure to develop. He inhaled the dizzying scent that was all Hakyeon. Sweet and heady on his tongue like chocolate covered strawberries. He dropped a kiss on his jugular vein ignoring the skip in his heartbeat. He continued leaving butterfly kisses up his neck and one final one on his cheek. By the end of it, Hakyeon had stopped trembling and was staring at him wide eyed. He cleared his throat and stepped back, going back the way they were originally heading before the attack.
"We should get going." It was quiet for a few seconds. Minseok continued walking, knowing Hakyeon would follow. Sure enough, the telltale sounds of him scrambling to his feet echoed loudly in the silence.
Minutes passed and they were finally at the lake. Minseok could see his brother meditating on top of his favorite rock a little past the edge of the lake. Near him was a boy playing with two werewolves he recognized as Tao and Sehun.
"Hyukkie!!!" Hakyeon shouted, practically flying in his haste.
"Hakyeon!" He embraced his younger brother tightly, hammering him with a barrage of questions. Don't you ever scare me like that again. Are you ok? Did they hurt you? Why are you here in the forest? Do you know how dangerous it is? Were you just playing with werewolves? Do you know what happens to you if one bites you accidentally?? Tao and Sehun growled, obviously offended at the question. As if they would ever bite someone by accident. The insult!
"I'm fine. Really! It was just a misunderstanding and Junmyeon was taking care of us. He said you would come and you did!" Hakyeon loosened his grip enough to look around for this Junmyeon person.
"That's Junmyeon," Sanghyuk pointed to a man talking to Minseok. "They're brothers." Hakyeon blinked. They were both so different. Junmyeon was all pale colors and almost ethereal, while Minseok was swathed in dark colors, dark hair, and appeared so much more solid.
"Hyung, you're blushing," Saghyuk commented and Hakyeon sputtered. He had been thinking about Minseok kissing his cheek, his neck.
"Sanghyuk."
"Minseok!" Sanghyuk untangled himself from Hakyeon and went to hug him. "Why did you stop visiting? We were worried. Is it because we're not scared of you anymore? We can pretend if you want us to." Minseok shook his head, giving Sanghyuk a reassuring grin.
"That wasn't it. Though I was sad you guys were no longer scared of me when you should be." Minseok looked up at Hakyeon who felt his cheeks reddening at the eye contact. "I stopped coming because I was scared of myself." Both brothers looked up at him confusion written all over their face.
"I...I'm a vampire. I'm attracted by the smell of blood. Some humans' blood smells sweeter than others. The sweeter the smell the harder to resist." Minseok could see the gears turning in Hakyeon's head putting two and two together. "I left because I didn't think I could control myself. I don't want to hurt you." This time Minseok was speaking directly at Hakyeon.
"And you won't," Junmyeon interjected. "A vampire in love is a harmless vampire. Vampires were created from vengeful witches. You were damned to fall in love with a human from the start, unable to turn him and only be by his side as he ages and you don't. But never to hurt him."
"That sounds really sad," Sanghyuk whispered.
"But you would never hurt me, right?" Hakyeon asked stepping closer to where Minseok is standing.
"Of course I wouldn't! I would never-" Hakyeon grabbed him by his wrist shouting back at the rest about privacy. He didn’t stop walking, still dragging Minseok by the wrist until the were back at where the shade had attacked them.
"And you love me, right?" If vampires could blush, Hakyeon was sure a pretty hue of pink would be streaked across his face.
"Y-yes," Minseok whispered. Hakyeon stopped inches from where Minseok stood.
"I don't know whether I love you or not yet," he took a deep breath. "But I do like you. And I trust you." Hakyeon whispered, swooping down and landing a proper kiss on Minseok's mouth. Minseok felt his eyes slipping close. The smell was still there, as intoxicating as ever. He still wanted to bite and taste Hakyeon, but ...
He also wanted to hold him, protect him, mark him, because he's mine mine mine. He felt Hakyeon smiling against his lips and he nipped teasingly at his lower lip.
“I don’t know if I’ll grow to love you or not but I trust you and I’d like to try.” Minseok beamed, silencing the need to drink by taking all the sweet kisses from Hakyeon’s lips.
Length: 4353w
Rating: PG
Summary:Just like not all humans are good, not all monsters are bad.
Buried deep in the woods was a town filled with much lore. There lay stories of witches, of magic, dark and new. Stories of Children of the Night, of bright, red eyes and sharp sharp fangs. However, with each passing generation the stories faded into oblivion and less and less people feared the dark and all its hidden monsters. They aren't real. There's no such thing as monsters.
At least, that's what Sanghyuk kept murmuring as he clutched his pillow to his chest and stood outside his brother's door. They're not real. I'm ok. The whisper of phantom footsteps reached Sanghyuk's ear. Without a second thought, Sanghyuk threw open his brother's door and ran into Hakyeon's surprised arms.
"Hyukkie, what's wrong?" Hakyeon asked gently.
"Hyung, there's a someone in my room. I swear! I see him at the window and, and...I'm scared. Really really scared," Sanghyuk ended in a whimper burrowing closer to his brother. Hakyeon sighed. His brother has been whining about seeing someone in his room for days now but no matter how many times Hakyeon went to check, he never found anyone there.
"You said by the window, right? I'll go with you to check it out but if there isn't anything there then you better go back to sleeping in your own room, got it." Sanghyuk only whimpered in response and clung onto Hakyeon's arm as he led the way back to his room.
Just as Hakyeon had expected, the room bore no traces of anyone else having been there. The bed covers were still in disarray from Sanghyuk's haste to leave the room. The window remained firmly closed and, after a quick inspection, the closet and the space under the bed were deemed clear.
"See? Nothing here. Now go back to sleep in your own room this time." Hakyeon made to leave but stopped when he saw his brother staring past him. He turned and found himself face to face with a boy? A man? Whoever orwhatever he was, his face seemed ageless, round cheeks and pink sensual lips pulled up in a teasing smirk. But what really caught Hakyeon's attention were his eyes. A clear hazel too light to be normal. Hakyeon felt spellbound, unable to tear his eyes away even though he could feel his brother pulling at the back of his shirt. He blinked and suddenly the stranger was much too close and was he smelling him?! Hakyeon blinked again and the man was once again sitting on the center of the bed.
"You smell sweet," he grinned lazily putting his teeth on full display and were those ... fangs? Hakyeon would've fallen over if his brother hadn't been clinging to him.
"Are those ... plastic?" Sanghyuk whispered from behind. This time Hakyeon really did fall over. The man sputtered, all previous composure lost.
"Did you have them on this whole time? Isn't that annoying?" Sanghyuk inquired, all previous fear forgotten. The man seemed even more flabbergasted than before.
"Wha- I'm- NO!" The man cleared his throat and stepped down from the bed, towering over Sanghyuk. "The name's Minseok and, for your information, I am a vampire." Minseok hissed out the last words, hazel eyes flashing a bright red before he bent forward, ivory fangs mere centimeters away from Sanghyuk's neck. Hakyeon sprang up and shoved at Minseok to get him away from his brother. Behind him, Sanghyuk stood frozen in fear.
"Not so plastic, are they?" Minseok teased, eyes a glowing ruby red now.
And now we're gonna pay the price, Hakyeon thought. Minseok seemed to sense his dismay and backed away until he was by the window.
"I'm a vampire but I'm not going to hurt either of you. A ghost got lost here and I just came here to bring them back. We watch out for each other ... like how you watch out for your brother." Hakyeon felt Sanghyuk clutch his hand at the mention. Maybe they would get lucky and pretend this never happened.
"This was fun. I'll be sure to drop by when you least expect it. Until then ..." with one last teasing smile, Minseok was up and out of the window. Hakyeon and Sanghyuk walked cautiously to the window. Together, they looked out and only saw empty shadows and trees waving in the dying wind. They withdrew, shut the window, and this time Hakyeon was the one who stayed in Sanghyuk's bed unable to sleep for a long long while.
>------------------<
Minseok slipped back into the forest that was home for all the 'monsters' that haunted the little humans' nightmares. The lost, little ghost was trailing after him, her desolate cries a sigh in the wind. Minseok didn't bat an eyelash. The lost ghosts always cried, scared, ripped from their bodies and mostly invisible to the world they once belonged in. But his brother would lead this one home too. He always does.
He tried hard not to think of the two human boys he had left. And that ridiculous comment -Plastic? Plastic?! What an insult. He had been dealing with humans for decades and had never been more insulted.And their faint, sweet smell. As fun as it had been teasing them, he knew it wiser to forget. Forget their adorable frightened looks and focus on his duties as his brother's right hand man.
Minseok was surprised to already find himself at the lake in the center of the woods - too lost in his thoughts to notice them nearing their destination.
"Brother, I'm here with another soul in need of your guidance," Minseok spoke into the crisp air. There was no one in sight, only the swaying trees and the lake. Yet, Minseok waited with the sobbing ghost beside him. Finally, ripples appeared, seemingly from nowhere. They started at the center and spread outward to the shore.
Minseok waited.
Soon the ripples escalated into small waves pulling at his feet.
Minseok waited.
With one last crashing wave, the water retreated, leaving a man standing in front of Minseok. His blond hair was pushed back from his face, revealing a strong jaw and pale pink lips the same shade of enticing as Minseok's. Instead of hazel eyes, Junmyeon, his brother, had shocking light blue eyes as deep as the lake he watched over.
Minseok waved behind him at the lost spirit crying silently now. Junmyeon stretched his hand out and the ghost girl took his hand, the tears halting all together. He smiled gently at her before leading her to the water's edge. The water's reflection began to change, hues of green and blue and yellow slipping in to form a picture of a small pasture filled with a multitude of flowers. The girl looked back, smiling and solid and, most importantly, at peace.
They watched as she stepped into the water, past her ankles, waist, until finally, she was gone - the image of her dissolving until the water was back to reflecting the forest.
"How you do it I'll never understand," Minseok whispered as his brother let out a sigh. It always cost him so much energy to see a spirit's happy place and recreate it.
"Not important," Junmyeon nudged him. "Anyways, where did you find this one. And just why do you smell like human?"
"She was haunting some kid's closet. I smell like human because I felt like playing with him and his brother a bit." Minseok cleared his throat and explained and Junmyeon nodded his head.
"That's good. Instill some greatness into the humans' hearts. Especially the young ones." Junmyeon patted him on the back.
"I'll be sure to do so, Brother," Minseok smirked. He might be a vampire who only drank the blood of criminals, but he could never find anything as enjoyable as seeing the terror in someone's eyes.
>----------------<
Terrorizing humans was something Minseok did along with all his other ghoulish friends. But no matter how many houses he visited, he never forgot to stop by and see his favorite pair of siblings. He'd given them little scares from bite threats to popping out when they least expected it.
Or at least he used to.
It had been a while since Sanghyuk and Hakyeon had last seen Minseok. He had been coming less and less frequently and now it was almost as if he'd stopped coming altogether. They just couldn't understand why.
It's not like either of them were afraid of him anymore. His bites had gone from scary to playful and to the point where they would jokingly bare their necks. Past Minseok would have laughed at their joke but Present Minseok's expression would harden and he would vanish soon after, echoes of his scolding in the air. Minseok had changed.
But so had the two brothers. Especially Hakyeon. Sanghyuk was taller than his six year old self had been but at age twelve he still had that aura of innocence, baby fat still adorning his face. Hakyeon, on the other hand, had changed in many more ways. Gone was the overprotective eleven year old hyung and in his place stood a confident still overbearing, Hyuk would insist seventeen year old. His growth spurt left him towering over everyone except his group of friends, Taekwoon, Wonshik and Hongbin. He had taken up dancing shortly after entering middle school and he was lean and flexible as a result.
He had changed. And it was that change that was keeping Minseok away, unbeknownst to the brothers.
"His smell ... it's changed. It's so much sweeter now. Intoxicating. I just want to bite him, drown in the taste of his blood and touch-" Minseok halted, taking deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself from the mental images that had burst out.
"That does sound troubling," Junmyeon commented. They were at the lake, Junmyeon playing with the water, pulling figures out from strings of water as he listened to Minseok's struggles. He had grown fond of those humans. Even he could see that despite being tied to his water home.
"Do you want to drink him dry?" Junmyeon asked, calm as ever. Minseok looked up at the sky and thought.
"No," he breathed out. "I want to taste him forever." Junmyeon smiled, spraying water gently at his brother.
"Someone has a crush," he teased. Minseok sputtered before jumping at his brother.
"We want to join in on the fun," a voiced whine from behind. Both brothers turned to find two giant wolves crouched and ready to pounce.
"Not today," Minseok snapped before storming off to wallow in his thoughts alone. The smaller, tan wolf whined low in his throat. His companion, a slightly larger black wolf named Tao, bumped his nose against his head in comfort.
"Don't worry too much, Sehun. Minseok is just going through a rough time right now," Junmyeon explained motioning for the two wolves to come closer. They lay down on either side of him, tails thumping softly against the ground as he pet them. "But I can think of a way you two can help ..." Both wolves looked up always eager to please.
>------------------<
Sanghyuk was standing at the edge of the woods peering into the foliage, wondering. Minseok always disappeared in this direction. If they followed along, maybe...
But everyone knew you didn't come back if you dared to enter the forest, home to all the evil creatures haunting the town. Home to Minseok. Sanghyuk had the strongest urge to enter, to search the area until he found him. Not even the stories of how Jaehwan had yet to be found after venturing into the forest didn't deter him.
However, he stopped at the thought of his brother. He was still in school, dance practice having run late today with the spring festival coming up. He made to turn when he spotted something in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and was that ... a dog? It was tan and just sitting, his fur standing out against all the green. He heard the sound of a twig snapping behind him and whirled around to find a much larger black wolf prowling towards him.
Sanghyuk's heart was thundering in his chest. They're not dogs. He slowly backed away hoping to reach the the way out before either wolf reached him. Not that he had much hope. Werewolves were much much more intelligent than wolves or dogs. Just as he thought about screaming for help, both werewolves pounced, cutting off any cry for help before it could reach anyone's ears.
>-------------------<
It was dark and Hakyeon was walking back home with Taekwoon, Wonshik and Hongbin, because it was a known rule to never travel after dark alone. You never knew what was lurking in the shadows.
Hakyeon felt a cold shiver run down his back. Something was wrong. He quickened his pace making some lame excuse about hearing things to his friends. They were practically jogging when they reached his house, and Hakyeon fumbled to get his keys fitted in the right lock. His friends eyed him questioningly but didn't say anything; for that, Hakyeon was grateful. He couldn't really explain why he had this sudden urgent need to check on his family.
Finally bursting through the door, Hakyeon went around checking the rooms as nonchalantly as possible. Mom resting in bed after working odd hours. Dad doing paperwork in the study. Sanghyuk ...
He wasn't in his room, or Hakyeon's room, or the kitchen, or the living room.
"Hakyeon," Taekwoon's firm soft voice broke through his growing panic. He turned and stared at his friends, fighting down the need to cry and break down in hysterics. They made weak attempts at comforting him with words and Hongbin even reached out to hug him. His brother, his brother ...
The sound of something crashing reached them from Sanghyuk's room. Hakyeon didn't waste a second and quickly dashed into the room. He was definitely not expecting to see Minseok standing there rubbing at his knee. He wasn't surprised when Minseok instantly stiffened at sensing him in the room, however. Before his friends even made it into the room, Hakyeon had already crossed to the other side of the room, hands fisting Minseok's black button down shirt in desperation.
"Give me back my brother. Help me find my brother, please. He's gone and I don't know where-" Hakyeon took a deep, shuddering breath. "Please."
"Follow me," Minseok replied smoothly, only his eyes betraying his concern and shock. Hakyeon softened his grip and stepped back.
"See you in the backyard?" Minseok nodded before slipping out the window again. Hakyeon turned and found himself face to face with his friends, their expressions ranging from confusion to outright shock.
"He's not human, is he?" Wonshik asked.
"No, but he is my friend."
>----------------<
"You brought me the wrong brother," Junmyeon sighed, irritation clear in his voice. Both wolves whined and lowered their heads. Sanghyuk bolted up, however, at the mention of his brother.
"Whatever you plan on doing to my brother you can just stop! He's done nothing wrong and I refuse to let him get hurt!" Sanghyuk glowered at the man only slightly taller than him. Even this feat felt difficult to do for long. The man's skin was so pale it seemed to glow and his pale hair only accentuated the deep blue eyes and rosy cheeks. He seemed kind and that confused Sanghyuk.
"I wasn't planning on hurting Hakyeon." Sanghyuk felt all his inner turmoil instantly evaporate at the sound of his voice. It was soft, calm and filled with such warmth that Sanghyuk couldn't help but trust him. "I just wanted to talk to him."
"Talk to him? Why not just stop by our house then, like Minseok does?" Sanghyuk sounded confused. Junmyeon smiled sadly.
"I can't leave. My soul is tied to the lake. If I were to leave it-" Junmyeon left the sentence hanging. Both wolves padded up to Junmyeon and nosed his hands until he petted them. They were obviously close.
"The bigger one is Tao and the tan wolf is Sehun and I think these two owe you an apology." The air shifted and Sanghyuk heard the sound of something snapping and breaking. He cringed and only looked up once the noises stopped. Beside Junmyeon stood two very tall VERY naked boys. The taller of the two had ebony black hair, ears and strangely, very catlike eyes. The other one was pale, though not as pale as Junmyeon, and his hair was a ridiculous shade of every color in existence
"We're sorry," they chorused. Their mouths were twisted into pouts and Sanghyuk couldn't find it in himself to stay upset.
"It's ok. I mean the kidnapping thing, no, that's never ok! But I'm ok and you're not going to eat me so it's ok," Sanghyuk rambled on, unaware of the two teenage boys turning back into wolves. So he was surprised to find two very happy werewolves licking at his face.
Once everyone had calmed down, Sanghyuk turned to Junmyeon. Curiosity was eating away at him and he was burning to ask.
"What did you want my brother for?"
"Ah, that. Well, I also have a brother..."
>---------------<
Out in the backyard, Minseok was already waiting for them at the edges of the forest. Hakyeon made to follow him before the sound of Wonshik's voice stopped him in his tracks.
"You're not really going to follow him in there, are you? Hakyeon, think! One of our classmates disappeared in there you can't go do that to us."
"My brother's in there and I know I can at least try and bring him back. I would never ask any of you to go in there with me. Who knows what could happen but I can't just sit here. And I have Minseok. He'll keep me safe." Wonshik looked like he had more to say but Taekwoon shot him a glare.
"We understand," Taekwoon said in that soft voice of his. "And we're sorry we can't-" Hakyeon shook his head. He understood too. Hakyeon watched them leave quietly, grateful. He doesn't want to know that he led them to their doom. Minseok never once rushed him or made any noise of impatience from behind him. He just stood and waited for Hakyeon to turn around and show he was ready.
After the last of them had disappeared down the sidewalk, Hakyeon and Minseok began trudging through the forest in silence. Minseok focused on the scent of Sanghyuk, a familiar scent, and followed it. He was curious to find it mixed with the scent of Tao and Sehun and he was starting to have a really good idea of where they were probably located.
"How do you know we're going in the right direction?" Hakyeon asked.
"Smell," Minseok answered briskly. Focus on Sanghyuk's smell. Homey and spicy like cinnamon. Nothing like the sweetness behind him. Focus, focus!
They trekked through the forest, Minseok taking the shortest route he knew to the lake. Unfortunately, it was a difficult path, for humans, filled with twisted roots and hidden bunny holes. It was dark outside, and though that changed nothing for Minseok, Hakyeon would only stumble and fall twice as many times than if they had been traveling in the daytime.
Minseok stood stock still waiting for Hakyeon to stand up and untangle himself for the nth time. Minseok didn't trust himself. Not with Hakyeon's heart pumping blood faster from the exertion. It would only spell trouble.
Minseok was debating whether he should just call out to his brother. They weren't that far from the lake so he would be more than able to answer. Before he had the chance, however, a cold wind swept through the area, the shadows stretching and contorting into frightful images. Shades.
He moved quickly until Hakyeon was safe in his arms. Shades couldn't physically harm people. Instead, they twisted images until they showed a person's worst fear. Hakyeon was moaning in his arms and Minseok pivoted around until he saw it. A shadow outlining the body of a dead boy looking eerily like Sanghyuk.
"Hakyeon, look at me." Hakyeon was still gasping, not able to hear him over the roar of fear. Minseok grabbed his head with both hands and forced him to look into his eyes.
"Look at me." The chill in the air seemed to disappear and Minseok could feel the calming aura that came with his brother's presence. There was an inhuman shriek as the shade was dragged down down by his brother. Hakyeon visibly flinched at the sound. Not all of the creatures living in the woods were kind. Humans had every right to fear them.
Minseok sighed and made to step away when Hakyeon grabbed him. His hands were trembling and there were tears gathering in the corner of his eyes. Minseok wiped away at the tears gently, trying to calm Hakyeon down.
"It wasn't real. It was just trying to scare you. Hyukkie's safe. I can smell him, Hakyeon, and he's safe." Hakyeon pulled him closer burying his head in his chest. Minseok was bent down awkwardly, Hakyeon on the floor and Minseok standing over him in a lame attempt to hug him. Minseok resigned himself to his fate and lowered his head despite knowing the kink that would be sure to develop. He inhaled the dizzying scent that was all Hakyeon. Sweet and heady on his tongue like chocolate covered strawberries. He dropped a kiss on his jugular vein ignoring the skip in his heartbeat. He continued leaving butterfly kisses up his neck and one final one on his cheek. By the end of it, Hakyeon had stopped trembling and was staring at him wide eyed. He cleared his throat and stepped back, going back the way they were originally heading before the attack.
"We should get going." It was quiet for a few seconds. Minseok continued walking, knowing Hakyeon would follow. Sure enough, the telltale sounds of him scrambling to his feet echoed loudly in the silence.
Minutes passed and they were finally at the lake. Minseok could see his brother meditating on top of his favorite rock a little past the edge of the lake. Near him was a boy playing with two werewolves he recognized as Tao and Sehun.
"Hyukkie!!!" Hakyeon shouted, practically flying in his haste.
"Hakyeon!" He embraced his younger brother tightly, hammering him with a barrage of questions. Don't you ever scare me like that again. Are you ok? Did they hurt you? Why are you here in the forest? Do you know how dangerous it is? Were you just playing with werewolves? Do you know what happens to you if one bites you accidentally?? Tao and Sehun growled, obviously offended at the question. As if they would ever bite someone by accident. The insult!
"I'm fine. Really! It was just a misunderstanding and Junmyeon was taking care of us. He said you would come and you did!" Hakyeon loosened his grip enough to look around for this Junmyeon person.
"That's Junmyeon," Sanghyuk pointed to a man talking to Minseok. "They're brothers." Hakyeon blinked. They were both so different. Junmyeon was all pale colors and almost ethereal, while Minseok was swathed in dark colors, dark hair, and appeared so much more solid.
"Hyung, you're blushing," Saghyuk commented and Hakyeon sputtered. He had been thinking about Minseok kissing his cheek, his neck.
"Sanghyuk."
"Minseok!" Sanghyuk untangled himself from Hakyeon and went to hug him. "Why did you stop visiting? We were worried. Is it because we're not scared of you anymore? We can pretend if you want us to." Minseok shook his head, giving Sanghyuk a reassuring grin.
"That wasn't it. Though I was sad you guys were no longer scared of me when you should be." Minseok looked up at Hakyeon who felt his cheeks reddening at the eye contact. "I stopped coming because I was scared of myself." Both brothers looked up at him confusion written all over their face.
"I...I'm a vampire. I'm attracted by the smell of blood. Some humans' blood smells sweeter than others. The sweeter the smell the harder to resist." Minseok could see the gears turning in Hakyeon's head putting two and two together. "I left because I didn't think I could control myself. I don't want to hurt you." This time Minseok was speaking directly at Hakyeon.
"And you won't," Junmyeon interjected. "A vampire in love is a harmless vampire. Vampires were created from vengeful witches. You were damned to fall in love with a human from the start, unable to turn him and only be by his side as he ages and you don't. But never to hurt him."
"That sounds really sad," Sanghyuk whispered.
"But you would never hurt me, right?" Hakyeon asked stepping closer to where Minseok is standing.
"Of course I wouldn't! I would never-" Hakyeon grabbed him by his wrist shouting back at the rest about privacy. He didn’t stop walking, still dragging Minseok by the wrist until the were back at where the shade had attacked them.
"And you love me, right?" If vampires could blush, Hakyeon was sure a pretty hue of pink would be streaked across his face.
"Y-yes," Minseok whispered. Hakyeon stopped inches from where Minseok stood.
"I don't know whether I love you or not yet," he took a deep breath. "But I do like you. And I trust you." Hakyeon whispered, swooping down and landing a proper kiss on Minseok's mouth. Minseok felt his eyes slipping close. The smell was still there, as intoxicating as ever. He still wanted to bite and taste Hakyeon, but ...
He also wanted to hold him, protect him, mark him, because he's mine mine mine. He felt Hakyeon smiling against his lips and he nipped teasingly at his lower lip.
“I don’t know if I’ll grow to love you or not but I trust you and I’d like to try.” Minseok beamed, silencing the need to drink by taking all the sweet kisses from Hakyeon’s lips.