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For someone who didn't have a lot of options to be radical, Sunoo sure knew how to be creative. He didn't even question Yeonjun, or anybody, why he didn't have any pictures of or with his boyfriend; no, he just saw an issue and solved it in the best and strangest way possible.
Like he didn't expect to be banned by his own boyfriend from his coffee shop with a sketch. He couldn't take a picture of Yeonjun so he found somebody to draw him a sketch. He didn't know whether to feel flattered or terrified, both for the level of commitment Kim had to punish him.
“Sorry, sir.” Did you know that Sunoo's shop didn't have a guard until Yeonjun fucked up? Yeah, the older didn't either. “I can't let you through. You're banned.”
“Riki, come on.” Nishimura Riki out of all people, the guy loved Yeonjun so much he looked torn for standing in his way.
“Hyung, Sunoo hyung gave me specific instructions. He does not wish to see you right now.” Riki said, peeking over his shoulder to see if his boss —his best friend— has seen him struggling to get his job done.
A job he didn't have until Yeonjun disappeared for two weeks to get his very much needed feed of human blood.
Oh, yeah. Because Yeonjun was a vampire.
To be honest, being a vampire in the 21st century wasn't as difficult as the media made it seem, probably because the same media went out of its way to paint them, vampires, as horny, thirsty monsters with no self control. Things were so out of hand that he'd sometimes catch himself being way too fond of Hotel Transylvania for his liking, just because he felt more at home with it than with whatever teenagers were obsessed with.
Literally, there wasn't anything really hot about being sensitive to sun exposure and having a specific diet. Yeah, he's got a few abilities he used to his advantage, but he also couldn't even think about eating garlic bread without threatening his somewhat weak mortality, so what was the point?
Of course, Sunoo didn't know about any of that.
Not that he didn't want to tell his boyfriend, he just never found enough time to do so. I mean, they've been dating barely for five months; it wasn't like Yeonjun could spill a secret like that and not have the pink haired barista running away from him. He needed time, he had to be sure Sunoo would take the news well.
He didn't imagine, though, that he would take a few days without communication this badly. The vampire didn't think it would be that big of a deal being blocked on Kakaotalk until he found out he got banned from his boyfriend's business.
The same one where they had met each other a year ago.
“Oh, hi.” If Yeonjun were to be honest, he'd say that fate brought him to Sunoo's coffee shop that night.
It was Halloween night and he had been running away from this group of guys that accused him of hitting on their leader's girlfriend. He didn't. He was hungry and the girl got on his way to catch an assaulter he had been eyeing all night at the bar. Call him a vigilante or whatever you wanted, he just knew how to spot bad people to eat and kill. That night he just happened to be unlucky, so he hid in the first place he found open after running around the corner of the bar.
There was when he saw him. Brunette at the time, wearing angel wings and a halo headband as a costume over his work attire, and his big, delicate, foxy eyes staring right at Yeonjun's soul. In his 250 years of existence, the vampire had never seen a human —or even a creature— as breathtaking and majestic as Kim Sunoo.
“Greetings.” He had said, like an idiot, after noticing he had stared at the human a bit too much.
“Greetings to you too.” Sunoo giggled and, in all his years without a heartbeat inside his chest, he felt a strong, but gentle, stroke of warmth setting his heart on fire. “Are you perhaps here for trick or treating? Because you're here to order, I'm sad to inform you that I'm about to close for the night. Halloween is a pretty crazy night and I don't wanna be egged… again, and I don't know why I'm telling you that. Just know I'm closing in a few minutes.”
“I'm- I just- I was…” Yeonjun stumbled on his words because Gods, seeing this much beauty had him feeling he had been struck by a lightning. “I happen to be hiding. There was this misunderstanding at a party and now there are guys coming for my neck.”
Choi knew he could lie. He could easily manipulate the barista's mind to work his way and then make him forget he ever saw Yeonjun's face. He didn't need to over-explain his situation and make everything so unnecessarily complicated, but he wanted to. He wanted this guy to keep looking at him with those starry eyes and flashing him that cute smile of his.
“Damn, did you do something to them?”
“They think I was hitting on this dude's girl.” The vampire couldn't help but grimace.
The human's eyebrows arched upwards after hearing that.
“Were you?”
“I don't go for taken people. It's the type of drama I would never sign myself up for.”
“And you decided to hide here?”
“Kind of. Are you gonna kick me out?” The black haired vampire couldn't help but gulp. Maybe telling him about his current situation wasn't the best of impressions.
Contrary to Yeonjun's pessimistic beliefs, the brunette hummed before walking around the counter and getting something he apparently kept underneath it. A brown apron with cute doodles sewed all over the fabric.
“You know how to wash dishes, right?” The human walked over to the vampire to hand him the apron. “Because they could easily see you through the glass if they looked for you past this street and I could really use some extra help. It's best for both of us if you hide inside the kitchen.”
Yeonjun didn't even consider missing that opportunity. He quickly grabbed the object and gave the guy a weak, relieved smile.
“Thank you.”
“Come on, you do the dishes while I clean the tables.” The barista turned around to guide around the place, but then stood in his place, looking at the vampire over his shoulder. “I'm Sunoo, by the way.”
“Yeonjun.”
“Nice costume, Yeonjun. With the makeup and trenchcoat I almost thought you were some kind of vampire.”
After that night, Choi became a regular at Sunoo's coffee shop.
He wasn't coffee's biggest fan. He was an inmortal being, the idea of humans inventing and drinking special beverages to keep themselves awake willingly, out of pure masochism, caused him a headache. The smell of it was nice, but the taste was too bitter for him and the purpose of drinking it seemed borderline dumbassery.
However, when Yeonjun saw Sunoo, standing there with his little uniform, as he proudly smiled at the design he finally got right while foaming a cappuccino, he prayed for the life of the person that invented coffee and hoped they had a nice trip on their way to heaven, because oh my God, the vampire couldn't be more delighted with the sight of Sunoo doing his job.
All thanks to some grounded coffee beans.
Though his social skills were lacking due to the fact he was always adapting to new eras of humanity, it was quite easy for Yeonjun to win the barista's heart. He had more than 200 years worth of experience on being a gentleman; he had been in numerous relationships and pleased many partners over the years.
Once he got his shit together and stopped stuttering every time they exchanged words, Yeonjun got that boy in a blink.
Sunoo was wonderful, probably the most captivating human Yeonjun was able to find during his entire life. He was compassionate and gentle with others. He loved his little shop, and making coffee first thing in the morning, and all the different new desserts he could come up with. He had passion, and ambitions, and so much courage. He was easily loveable.
Yeonjun was in love with him, so much that he knew, from the moment their lips first met, he would never love another like he loved Kim Seonwoo.
In fact, Sunoo was Yeonjun's first love.
And being his first time loving somebody, it was obvious that the older wouldn't know how to handle carrying a secret as big as his.
The first three months into dating were fine. Being new lovebirds, there was more space between them; they lived separated, they had their personal routines, they met and had dates when they could without risking the normal pace of their lives. However, one day in the middle of their fourth month together, Yeonjun, being drunk on the beauty of Kim Sunoo, couldn't help but ask the barista if he wanted them to move in together.
The now pink haired barista, just as in love with Choi as the man loved him, didn't hesitate to say yes. They both decided for Yeonjun to move in with the younger because he lived a floor above the coffee shop, so it wouldn't inconvenience either of them to get to work.
Yeonjun thought he had everything under control, but living together was forcing a proximity between them that left no space for secrets. The vampire couldn't explain why he needed to leave the apartment in the middle of the night without revealing himself; he couldn't tell Sunoo the reason why he was awake when he fell asleep or how he was up before him during mornings; he didn't have a reason to why they couldn't share the bathroom mirror or take pictures to hang on the walls.
Choi didn't think it through, and, when his hunger got bigger than him, he just left while the younger was sleeping, refusing to come back until his fuel was filled.
Unfortunately, Sunoo didn't take well being ghosted and abandoned for two weeks.
“Darling.” Yeonjun had been waiting around the alley where he knew his boyfriend took out the coffee shop’s trash.
Kim, being petty and upset, pretended to ignore his presence, walking a straight beeline to the trash containers. Yeonjun thought about taking bags from him and helping, but when he saw how much strength his boyfriend had used to thrust them inside the containers, he realized it was safer for both of them to just keep his distance.
Who would've known someone so tiny and delicate could be possessed by such heavy emotions?
“Baby…” The vampire tried again.
“I have a taser,” Yeonjun knew he did. He bought it himself after the younger almost got robbed while he was busy getting his weekly feeding. He wanted Sunoo to be able to protect himself even when he wasn't around; of course, he wouldn't have imagined it would be his worst purchase. “and I won't think twice before using it. Watch it.”
“Sunny, let me explain…”
*So I'm Sunny now, but I wasn't when you decided to ignore all my calls and run off where I couldn't find you, hyung?” The pink haired turned around to see him with his arms crossed. “Not even a ‘Sunoo, I'm okay’? Or a ‘Sunoo, something happened, but I'll be home soon’? Even a fucking pigeon with note tied to its paw would've been better than being kept in the dark.”
Looking at it from Sunoo's perspective, he knew the human was right, especially because his boyfriend thought he was a human as well. Of course he'd be devastated if the person he loved the most disappeared without a trace. Normal people got beaten up, abducted, and even killed; Sunoo probably imagined the worst.
He could've just sent a text before his battery died. It was Yeonjun's fault and his fault only.
“I know, and I'm sorry. I'm an asshole and I deserve your anger. Just talk to me, please.”
“Okay.” The younger nodded while humming. “Explain yourself, then.”
That was the hard part.
“Well, I-... You see, what happened was-.” Really, somebody needed to punch Yeonjun and get him to stop mumbling every time he had to talk with Sunoo. At first it was cute, but it was getting old.
And his boyfriend was getting annoyed.
“Let me guess, you cheated on me?”
“What? No!”
“You committed a crime and are running from the police?”
“No!” Well, not exactly. All the people he sucked to death were criminals that either no one cared or the justice system wasn't able to catch. If anything, he helped build a safer community by eating them.
“Then you're married and have a family I don't know about.”
“Jesus Christ, where are you getting all of these? No, I'm not married nor have children waiting for me, Sunoo. It's only you.”
“Then I can't possibly imagine why you would run away for weeks and then come back and expect me to take you back as nothing happened.” His boyfriend stared right into his soul and Yeonjun couldn't help but look away, feeling embarrassed by his behavior. That was, obviously, misunderstood. “Fine, don't tell me. But you're not allowed home or the coffee shop until you grow some balls and decide that you wanna be honest with me.”
):)
“Help! Please, help me!” Yeonjun couldn't care less about the human being dragged out of the living room carpet to Heeseung and Kai’s bedroom.
That was another pedophile getting what they deserve.
“Yeonjun hyung, you sure you don't want at least a quick taste? You could use some food.” Huening let his boyfriend handle all the wrestling with humans that liked to fight for their lives. He normally would be right behind Lee to enjoy the feast as soon as the screaming started, but right that instant it was impossible for him not to worry about his hyung and best friend. “Your banner isn't gonna go anywhere.”
The black haired vampire shook his head.
“I wanna finish this before closing time.” He took a step away from the sign he was making. It was pretty corny and dumb, but he was sure a hopeless romantic like Sunoo would love it. “I love you guys, but I can't stay here for another night.”
“It's alright.” The blond vampire shrugged.
“Are you sure he's gonna forgive you without actually telling him the truth, though?” They both heard Heeseung questioning from inside the room while struggling with the human they had hunted. “I thought Sunoo wasn't easy like that.”
“He isn't.” Yeonjun sighed. “But it's not like telling him the truth is an option.”
“Why wouldn't it be?” Kai questioned, like he didn't know how much was at stake.
“Because he'd hate me and think I'm a monster.”
“I didn't hate Hyuka.” Lee Heeseung took on the habit of being nosy since his best friend's bite got him powers, now he was getting involved in their conversation even while he's in another room. “Nor I thought he was a monster. I actually found it super hot.”
“That's because you're a psycho.” Yeonjun rolled his eyes.
“Psycho or not, we're both hot now.”
“Let alone the fact that Heeseung is a bit insane, there's nothing to lose about coming clean and telling the truth, hyung.” Kai was trying to be a good friend, Yeonjun knew. His advice just happened to suck this time. “Maybe he won't like the idea of being turned like our case, but who knows? He could just not mind it at all.”
Choi thought that was stupid. Even if they've known each other for a year and have been dating for five months, that wasn't enough time for Sunoo to want to completely destroy his life by becoming the accomplice of numerous murders.
He had fought his family to get them off his back about becoming a doctor. He was barely able to open his little shop a couple of years ago, everything without any kind of financial or emotional support. He did it all by himself; Yeonjun couldn't ask him to risk all that for his one secret. He didn't think Sunoo would love him enough to choose him over his now comfortable life and that was okay, because he wouldn't expect him to. In fact, he wouldn't even ask. All Yeonjun wanted was to love him.
To be able to hold him and feel the warmth and love he hadn't been able to experience since his heart stopped beating.
That night, Yeonjun took the banner he made, the flowers he bought and all the mintchoco candy he could put in a basket and headed to his boyfriend's coffee shop. He had his speech ready, convincing enough to get him forgiven but truthful enough to not be lying to his boyfriend.
However, when he got there, the sight inside the shop made him stop in his tracks.
Sunoo was there, drinking a glass of wine like they would do when he had an exhausting day and wanted to relax a little. Usually, Yeonjun would grab the bottle from upstairs and settle some candles while the younger just sat there and watched his lover do everything to get him into a comfortable and romantic mood.
At that moment, the person pouring wine on Sunoo's glass wasn't Yeonjun. It was Hojin.
When he met Sunoo, Yeonjun braced himself to fight a lot of possible wooers that desired to have the pleasure to call Kim Sunoo theirs. It wasn't the vampire's first rodeo; although Sunoo was his first love, he wasn't his first boyfriend. Yeonjun knew jealous people existed and that sometimes they would want to take what he had, that being his stuff or his lovers. Throughout the years, he had fought countless creatures and humans to defend what was his, but this one… This one never stopped to get on his nerves.
Why? Well, because Hojin wore a friend costume whenever Sunoo was around. Anytime the older would tell his boyfriend that he felt a weird vibe coming from the guy, Kim would tell him that they were just childhood friends and that Yeonjun needed to trust him. That millions of people could be interested in him, but his heart belonged to him.
To Yeonjun.
Of course, the vampire did as his boyfriend said. He was more mature than that. He was also old enough to know that Sunoo was right; that no one would take him away unless the younger let them himself, and that wasn't happening, right?
Right? Wrong.
Hojin was there staring at his boyfriend with those damn heart eyes that made Yeonjun feel like he was burning inside out. He never really wanted to murder innocent people, but there were times when they'd be exceptions. This was one of those times.
The only thing stopping him from storming in at full speed and ripping his throat out was Sunoo. Yes, he was jealous, but he knew his boyfriend wouldn't appreciate being traumatized that way.
He chose to just go to a nearby club and eat something until he could find Hojin alone and defenseless.
He was about to turn around and leave when his senses acted out themselves.
“Come on, Sunoo-ah.” He could hear Hojin speak even while lurking across the street. “Are you seriously waiting for a guy that faded on thin air and left you hanging all by yourself for two weeks? Isn't that enough proof that he's never gonna be a good boyfriend for you?”
Yeonjun heard Sunoo tsk. In fact, if he looked closely, without jealousy playing with mind and view, he would notice that Sunoo wasn't smiling like he normally did when the vampire and him shared a good glass of wine during a cold night.
He was glaring at his friend and he looked absolutely annoyed, like he was pissed at Hojin and his audacity to stand before him to shit-talk his boyfriend.
“Well, last time I checked, it was my relationship to handle and not yours, wasn't it?”
“He's not good for you.”
“I can't see when I asked you that.”
“Sunoo-ah…”
“No, you listen.” Though his words came out harsh and cold, he placed his glass back on the table with such gentleness that the clink of the glass against the wood couldn't be perceived. It wasn't like Sunoo wanted to appear graceful, he was actually holding himself back. “You're nobody to come here and express your opinion on what my boyfriend and I decide for our relationship. If I wanna kick him out for ghosting me and then expect him to come back to beg for my forgiveness like the drama king you always made me out to be, I'm gonna do that. If you think I'm stupid for waiting for an explanation instead of breaking up with him, well you sure are lucky that the one dating him is me and not you.”
“But you could do so much better…”
“Who's better? You?” Was it strange that Yeonjun was finding mean Sunoo so hot? “Don't look so surprised. I know about your little crush on me, and believe me, I'm flattered, but I'm not interested.”
Maybe the vampire and Hojin shared the same weird kinks, because, instead of being taken aback, the guy seemed smug. Confident in himself, even.
“I could change your mind.”
“Oh, please.” The barista's mock laughter seemed to knock him out of his high horse and hopes. “Listen to me carefully. Even if you were the last man standing on earth, even if you went and sold your soul to the devil for a chance, I'll never, ever, choose you over Yeonjun hyung. Never.”
What happened next was kind of predictable. Humans had the tendency to not take rejection well, even when they have it coming. What do you expect when you keep on asking the other party to be harsher with their words and actions —for example, whatever hot speech Sunoo had going on that instant— to get their message through your head? Some people never knew when to stop and sometimes they needed someone to teach them a lesson on why they should.
In Sunoo's case, Hojin didn't appreciate being turned down after multiple rejections and, like the predictable human that he was, his first response to being embarrassed was to take it out on Sunoo physically.
That was when Yeonjun decided he needed to stop standing there like a fucking idiot and do something for a change. Having super speed came in handy for situations like this.
No one of them had seen him coming, but Sunoo didn't question his presence, choosing to just hide behind his boyfriend before Hojin tried to do something again.
“Are you okay, darling?” Yeonjun asked without breaking eye contact with Hojin.
“I'm alright.” He could feel Sunoo grabbing onto the sides of his jacket. “I just want him out of here.”
“You heard him. Either leave or-.”
“Or what?” The guy had the nerve to ask, propping his chest up as if he was ready to fight Yeonjun.
Not a wise choice, Yeonjun hadn't drank any blood in two days.
“Trust me, buddy.” Whether it was his stern voice or the look on Yeonjun's eyes, Hojin immediately changed his attitude. In fact, Choi dared to say he looked terrified. “You don't wanna find out what I'm capable of doing.”
Without being asked twice, Hojin fled the shop faster than his legs could possibly take him.
Once he was out of sight, Yeonjun sighed and let go of the basket he was still holding. In a blink of an eye, Sunoo was in front of him, taking Hojin’s place and looking flabbergasted. Yeonjun felt himself frowning, confused about the expression taking over his boyfriend's face.
“What?”
“Your eyes.” But Sunoo didn't seem scared, just extremely amazed. “They're red.”
Red? Oh, no.
“Wait, hyung.” Sunoo protested as soon as Yeonjun looked down to hide from him. “Don't do that. I wanna see them.”
Something to learn about Yeonjun: in his 250 years of being a vampire, he wasn't very good at keeping his emotions at bay. His hunger? He could hold it, but his anger? People would be able to see it before he could even see it. This time with Hojin wasn't the exception.
And, for some reason, Sunoo looked astonished instead of threatened.
“I'm sorry.” Yeonjun didn't know what he was apologizing for, at least not exactly.
“Don't be silly.” Sunoo said while his thumbs caressed the vampire's cheeks, now making sense of why they were always so chilly and pale. “Is this what you've been hiding from me?”
Yeonjun nodded.
“It's not easy to tell your boyfriend that your favorite food is actually fresh blood out of a dead body.”
The younger chuckled as if it was the funniest thing he ever heard. “So you lied when you said you loved mintchoco?”
“Oh no, that shit’s amazing. Best food ever invented after ramen.”
“So how does it work? Do you see me and get hungry?” Sunoo asked while still holding his face, making the vampire pout and feel like a little baby. “Blood hungry, I mean. I'd be offended if you looked at me and didn't immediately feel the need to strip me out of my clothes after work.”
The vampire groaned, making his lover laugh.
“You're never gonna let me forget that, aren't you?” In Yeonjun's defense, during their first week living together, Sunoo had closed the shop earlier, not even taking his cute uniform or apron off before going upstairs. Choi was a simple creature with simple needs and desires and if the both of them ended up naked and tangled on the carpeted floor, none of them complained.
Actually, since Sunoo found out that his work attire had a certain effect on his boyfriend, he grew fond of testing the waters while he worked and the older helped out. The pink haired barista wasn't proud of the amount of quickies they had in the kitchen bathroom, but he was pretty much proud of the hickeys and bite-marks in the aftermath.
Speaking of which…
“So all those bites…?” For being someone who just found out his boyfriend is a vampire, Sunoo looked rather excited.
“You have a nice neck and thighs.” Yeonjun tried to shrug it out, feeling caught. “Doesn't mean I wanted to drink from you or anything.”
His nonchalance seemed to offend his boyfriend.
“Why not? I'm not delicious enough for your taste?” Sunoo was so close to pouting, definitely soon to be throwing a tantrum. “Oh, I know. You're inmortal, they've probably been other bitches. You liked their blood better than mine.”
“What? No. Literally no one can top yours!”
“So you did drink it!”
“Seriously, what do you want from me?” And now he was about to throw a fist. Good Lord, this little guy would be Yeonjun's death. “Aren't you supposed to be afraid of me now that you know I've tasted your blood? I could suck you dry.”
“Don't threaten me with a good time, hyung.” The younger grinned while wrapping his arms around the vampire's neck.
“You're impossible.” He said, but he also didn't waste a second to hold his boyfriend's waist. “Can't believe I was so scared you'd hate me after finding out.”
The barista frowned.
“Hate you? Hyung, I've loved you since the moment you came here looking for a hiding place. If you think this side of you is gonna make me stop loving, you couldn't be more wrong.” And Sunoo sounded so sincere that Yeonjun felt alive again. “To be honest, now that I know, I can't stop thinking about the possibilities.”
“Possibilities?”
“All the walls you could pin me against, even in high places if the movies didn't lie. Or do you get to choose between flying and super strength?”
“Are you really thinking about the places we could have sex right now?”
“Told you I was thinking about the possibilities!”
“Lord…”
“Uh, I bet you look good in red.”
Yeonjun didn't care if someday he had to give up his mortality or share his curse with his lover, he now knew that all he wanted was to spend his remaining days on earth next to Kim Sunoo, no matter how insane the barista could be.