[Fic] Irresistible - 2/10
Mar. 11th, 2014 12:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
coley_merrinTitle: 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.
***
Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Epilogue
***
Zhou Mi’s mouth was warm, wide, and giving. The taste of him sharp, his smell masculine and deep. Want coiled at the back of Kyuhyun’s neck, sliding down his spine. Want, as he nudged Zhou Mi’s mouth open. He would loosen Zhou Mi up, make him want. He had no way of making Zhou Mi feel his want, but to show it. No thrall to transfer those feelings for him. But he felt Zhou Mi give, the touch of a hand to Kyuhyun’s arm, a quiet sound as Kyuhyun nibbled his lip.
But as Zhou Mi’s head rose to press, Kyuhyun pulled back, considering. Liking what he saw, and the want in Zhou Mi’s eyes.
But Zhou Mi swallowed, frowning. “Do you like to play with people? Like a lion with mice?”
Kyuhyun felt his mouth turn up at the corners. “Why? Are you planning to jump out of bed and have me chase you?”
From Zhou Mi’s expression it seemed that was the answer he’d been expecting, and that Kyuhyun’s humor wasn’t amusing him. Or maybe it was. Just a tiny bit.
“Do you worry you won’t be able to make it good for me?”
“Ouch. Do you hope I’ll be able to?”
“How stupid would I have to be to say no?”
Entirely stupid. His eyes went to Zhou Mi’s mouth, soft and a bit damp from their kisses. He found he liked this human. He wasn’t giving in, didn’t hang on Kyuhyun’s words. More than that, he wasn’t begging. Though perhaps he would be by the time that Kyuhyun finished with him.
Though he admitted that was more like a wish than an expectation.
“Is this your first time with a man?” Kyuhyun asked.
Zhou Mi chuckled, amused and deep in his throat as he stared beside Kyuhyun’s ear. “Would I wait for my first time, to have a vampire?”
“Apparently not.”
But Zhou Mi was still stiff beneath him. He wanted to know that Zhou Mi wanted everything. Perhaps he should have let Zhou Mi take control. But there was a certain amount of trust that they put in each other, just the way they were.
“Relax,” he murmured, kissing Zhou Mi’s chin. “Just feel my hands, and how warm we are together. Let me please you. Forget about the bite.”
“Hard to forget when you bring it up,” Zhou Mi said, swallowing audibly.
“Just feel. Tell me what you like. Tell me what you don’t.”
The slide of skin on skin and softest gasps, and Zhou Mi’s hands holding - not in fear any more, but fingers curling to grasp. And then not holding, but touching. Hands, a little damp from fear, or nerves, or arousal, against Kyuhyun’s back. Opening his mouth and sucking Kyuhyun’s lower lip in, teasing, playing.
He wanted the bite right then, seeing Zhou Mi’s lashes against his skin, cheekbones sharp and high and mouth wet. He could smell himself on Zhou Mi’s neck as he nudged there, licking, kissing.
But he couldn’t yet. Couldn’t. He hadn’t shown either of them what they could be together. Zhou Mi’s rapid pulse, quick breaths, they had changed for him. He teased the skin of Zhou Mi’s chest with a hand, catching at a nipple, tracing ribs, and sternum. The give of flesh and muscle over bone, on a spare man.
But his hips were never quiet. He rocked, shifting, rolling. And against his own growing arousal, he felt Zhou Mi begin to match him.
“I don’t intend to play,” Kyuhyun whispered.
He nipped, hard, at Zhou Mi’s sloping collarbone, and Zhou Mi’s startled cry filled the room. Bitten off, like Zhou Mi had swallowed it. Trying to hide it from himself, from Kyuhyun. But there were things that he couldn’t hide, like the exhale, and the plea.
“Kyuhyun.”
Unsure. He was unsure, Zhou Mi. Unsure if Kyuhyun would eat him up. That invocation of his name…
But that bite hadn’t been a punishment, wasn’t a tease. It was invitation to loosen more, to draw Kyuhyun in.
“I want you to please me, like I want to please you,” Kyuhyun said against his cheek. “You can feel it?”
There were the spaces of heartbeats before Zhou Mi exhaled. “Yes.”
“Zhou Mi,” he said, smoothing the hair at Zhou Mi’s temple. “Kiss me. Kiss me, and maybe—“
He urged Zhou Mi’s arm up, so he could grip the back of Kyuhyun’s head. Maybe it’d make him feel like he had some control. That Zhou Mi might meet his mouth, swallow his moans. It was slow, but somehow… Zhou Mi’s spine relaxed into the bed, at first. Knees drawing up, widening almost in invitation. But that was an invitation he couldn’t take, not yet.
The man who had laughed with nerves, to the man who met his tongue, fingers twisting behind his ear, and hips lifting into his. Forgetting where they were, forgetting what they were doing. For Kyuhyun it was nearly the same. Lost in the taste of a man’s mouth, the heat of his skin, the smell of his arousal. Every man was different. But Zhou Mi was sharp, fragrant, soft and strong, all at once. A man who was currently fucking into Kyuhyun’s hand with little grunts, and moaning as Kyuhyun left his mouth. Red, wet, inviting. Eyes trying to focus, but Kyuhyun dipped his head, pressing his lips along Zhou Mi’s cheek. His hand, stroking, moving skin along Zhou Mi’s erection, was all he really needed to finish Zhou Mi. But he could smell Zhou Mi’s blood - and he knew, knew that Zhou Mi would let him.
He licked along Zhou Mi’s throat and waited, waited for the shudder that would tell him that Zhou Mi knew what was coming. He could feel the pulse of the flesh in his hand, hear the pounding of Zhou Mi’s heart. And he hungered for relief.
The slide of teeth through skin and flesh as Zhou Mi inhaled and froze.
The moan, mingled his and Zhou Mi’s.
The blood, coating his tongue and warming his mouth. He always savored it, that first taste, rich and scented and unique. And he knew when the pain faded, as Zhou Mi’s hand began to knead his back.
His hand stroked, thumb over the head of Zhou Mi’s arousal. The moan.
And he swallowed, warm blood filling him.
And for every stroke he swallowed, faster and faster, driven by Zhou Mi’s moans and the rocking of his hips and the scent of his sweat and blood, until his eyes went wide and blank at the smell of Zhou Mi’s orgasm. The semen on his fingers, mingled with the taste in his mouth. And he grabbed his own erection, needing no more than a minute to spill over Zhou Mi’s body. And as Zhou Mi’s heart slowed, his own body found its control.
His mouth came away wet from Zhou Mi’s neck. A small bloom of blood like a painted rose on Zhou Mi’s skin. He had drank right to the end. It took a lick, two, to clean the wound. Welts where his teeth had been, and Zhou Mi’s deep breathing. He sat beside Zhou Mi, and considered him. The trim body. He wanted more.
As the bed rocked, Zhou Mi moaned again, focusing on Kyuhyun’s face.
“You… I thought you wanted sex.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to come back for more of if I showed you everything,” Kyuhyun teased.
Zhou Mi’s face tightened, and Kyuhyun wondered at that.
“I didn’t come here to be mocked.”
Kyuhyun nearly laughed before realizing Zhou Mi was serious. “Wait! Don’t get up. Don’t—“
Zhou Mi was too quick, evading his hand. But Kyuhyun could be quick as well, vaulting off the bed just in time to be there as Zhou Mi’s knees began to buckle.
“Hey, take it slow,” Kyuhyun said, getting both arms around Zhou Mi’s torso and shoring up his weight until Zhou Mi could get his legs under him again. “You can’t stand up too quickly. You’re too new at this. I took too much from you.”
“Oh,” Zhou Mi moaned, his head on Kyuhyun’s shoulder. “Why?”
“The sounds you were making made it hard to stop. That and I was a little distracted. Now, back into bed.”
“I should go,” Zhou Mi said, his voice still a bit thick as Kyuhyun eased him onto the bed, and back against the pillows.
“The only place you’re going if you get up again is on your face. It’d be a shame to break it so soon. Besides, you promised me the night. I barely got a nibble.”
That got the beginnings of a smile, and Kyuhyun wondered at Zhou Mi again. He was the most confounding man, not like anyone he’d ever dallied with. From those smiles, to the slender, though decidedly masculine, ankle that he lifted and slipped up under the blankets. Zhou Mi’s eyes were closed, getting the room under control, undoubtedly.
***
Kyuhyun didn’t employ a cook. It seemed like a waste of effort when the only thing coming out of his kitchen regularly was tea for occasional guests, and anything required for that was usually simple and both bought and made up by one of his more competent housemaids. But he saw no reason to disturb them when all he needed was a cup of tea, and something to put on Zhou Mi’s stomach. Their store of food was meager, and that was his primary concern.
He hissed as the pot scalded him as he poured water over the leaves. It didn’t burn his skin, but it damn well hurt for a moment. He watched the red subside as he scowled at the brewing tea. That wasn’t all he’d gone for, though. Every vampire he’d spoken to seemed to have a different remedy for helping a human, if there was an overindulgence. Especially on a new human, unused to the effects of the bloodletting. He hadn’t found himself in that situation too often, so he was searching his mind for those accounts. But spotting the fruit basket on the table had him moving to it. A few peaches, rare and perfect. It took only a few minutes, wrestling with the knife and winning, to get one pitted and sliced so that Zhou Mi could eat it easier if the fruit was to his liking.
After all, Kyuhyun really didn’t like sleeping on sticky sheets.
Delicate cup in one hand, bowl in the other, he moved carefully back up to his room. Zhou Mi’s eyes opened immediately at the sound of him coming into the room and Kyuhyun smirked.
“Didn’t get up and rush off, did you?” he asked, glad that Zhou Mi wasn’t asleep yet.
“No, I like my face,” Zhou Mi murmured, brushing a hand over his nose. “What is this?”
“Tea, and fruit. It’s a trial remedy. I hear sometimes it helps humans feel a little less drained after a feeding.”
The tea was still hot, so he put it on the table, but the fruit he handed to Zhou Mi. Watching, as Zhou Mi lifted the bowl and inhaled. Perhaps, there was a tiny little whimper that left him, but perhaps Kyuhyun imagined it. But he left Zhou Mi’s side, going back around to the side of bed he had been on, and sliding into the cool sheets in time to see Zhou Mi stick an entire slice of peach into his mouth.
“Greedy?”
Zhou Mi rolled his eyes, chewing. Kyuhyun knew what that indicated. You’re calling me greedy? You’re the reason I’m like this.
And Kyuhyun knew it, too. From the satisfied sigh that Zhou Mi gave as he swallowed, to the next eager bite. White teeth biting through soft, golden flesh. It made him simultaneously think of biting Zhou Mi again, and giving him a mix of guilt and satisfaction. No, he had no reason for guilt. He was making up for his overindulgence.
Even if it seemed like another type, to watch Zhou Mi eat. Juice escaping Zhou Mi’s mouth, trickling over his lower lip and onto his chin. Kyuhyun’s hand fisted in the pillow, and he waited until Zhou Mi had swallowed. He tipped up Zhou Mi’s face and watched those eyes widen when he realized what Kyuhyun intended. The sweet tang of the juice against his tongue, Zhou Mi’s skin. Pretending he was a napkin, against the softness he found there.
“Messy,” he whispered against Zhou Mi’s mouth, grinning.
Zhou Mi laughed back against him, letting Kyuhyun have his kisses, until Kyuhyun moved back. But leaning in close, even closer before. His body right beside Zhou Mi’s shoulder, and able to watch him eat that much clearer.
Zhou Mi considered the fruit between his fingers before glancing over at Kyuhyun. “Can you taste the peach?”
“I can. It is sweet. But it does nothing for me.” Kyuhyun trailed his fingertips over Zhou Mi’s chest, up his breastbone, around his nipple. Watching as Zhou Mi’s breath shallowed at the touch. “It doesn’t compare to the taste of your blood.”
Zhou Mi was silent, looking down, his face in perfect profile. And Kyuhyun cursed his mouth.
“Drink your tea, and rest. You’ll need strength for what’s next.”
Not even he was sure what was next, as Zhou Mi sipped the tea. Asking if Zhou Mi felt better was right on the tip of his tongue, hesitating there as Zhou Mi leaned back into the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before looking over at Kyuhyun.
“Thank you.”
There was a smile there, and it wasn’t so much in the baring of teeth, as it was infused on Zhou Mi’s face. The way his eyes caught the light, the softness of his mouth. He kept having that same feeling. The uncomfortable one followed by the acknowledgement that Zhou Mi spoke as his own man.
“That’s why we’re here,” Kyuhyun said, shrugging off the words as though it would shrug away his awkward feelings. But it was both curiosity and pride that had him asking, “So, how was it? Worse than you thought?”
“It was…” Zhou Mi took a moment, staring down into the teacup before turning his head toward Kyuhyun. Their eyes met. “Dizzying.”
It was said in such a peculiar way that at first the joke didn’t hit him. But Zhou Mi couldn’t keep the smile from spreading, and it had Kyuhyun first scoffing, and then almost crowing with laughter. Falling back against his pillow and chortling, trying not to weep with it and hearing Zhou Mi laugh beside him. Dizzying. So much so that Kyuhyun had had to catch him when he stood. A response, and yet not a response at all.
“Well played,” Kyuhyun congratulated him, still too amused to be annoyed at being thwarted. And when Zhou Mi had put aside the teacup, Kyuhyun rolled to his side, blowing out the lamp there, and plunging the room into darkness. “You aren’t afraid of the dark, are you?”
“No,” Zhou Mi said. “Are you staying?”
“This is my bed. And it would be a crime to leave it when you’ve warmed it for me.”
That bubbling laugh again, a sound he wanted to touch, examine. More expressive than chimes, warmer. He wondered if he could get that laugh when they were locked together on the bed. A tickle, a laugh. A gasp, and then a moan with the twist of his hips.
“You are cold?” Zhou Mi asked, startling Kyuhyun from his thoughts.
“I’m rarely ever warm, unless I’m near a human. Right after I’ve fed is best. My baths are always as hot as I can stand them.”
But he forced himself to stop speaking, both because Zhou Mi was moving, and because his own mind was ordering him to stop. Too much information wasn’t good, especially to a human he was trying to convince to stay. Maybe a little pity was good, but it wouldn’t inspire want.
But Zhou Mi did not touch him, merely shifting beneath the covers. He wondered at that, wondered what it would be like to touch Zhou Mi and sleep. He didn’t know if he’d have that chance, or if he’d chased Zhou Mi away for good. But he’d had his one night.
The next time he opened his eyes, he knew it was daylight, from way his body felt. He could have woken Zhou Mi then, demanded more. The sun hadn’t come up so far as to prevent him. But it was warm, and Zhou Mi was near, and he slept again.
***
Kyuhyun was deeply asleep when Zhou Mi woke, knowing he was in a different place even before his eyes opened. The soft, thin sheets, the heavy blankets. The dark room, even though Zhou Mi could feel that it was late in the morning, possibly even afternoon. His nakedness didn’t concern him as much as the indecision of what to do. He’d had no intention to stay, but leaving while Kyuhyun was asleep hadn’t been in his plans. Kyuhyun, any vampire, tended to spend most of the daylight hours asleep. Even shielded from it, it was draining to them, like a natural relaxant. He could rouse Kyuhyun enough to tell him he was leaving, but it seemed useless. It was better to go, and return after Kyuhyun had woken. So he rose, carefully pressing the covers back so that Kyuhyun would stay under them, and dressed.
He felt better, but not perfect. But he rang for a servant, and had assistance descending the stairs, and food waiting for him to his surprise. It seemed Kyuhyun had known Zhou Mi would rise alone.
He needed time to decide what to do next. It wasn't just a simple affair. He needed Kyuhyun's continued help no matter what happened in the bedroom. Perhaps it was the way to ensure it. And he couldn't disregard his own selfish wants. Of course he was a sexual being and Kyuhyun offered something he could not easily obtain. There were not droves of men who openly admitted their preference for other men. Everyone got something from the arrangement.
He'd wanted to be in Kyuhyun's bed as soon as the offer was made, and he'd been more than a little displeased when Kyuhyun had teased him short of what he'd been expecting. He was lying to himself if he tried to pretend that it had not been good and that he did not want more. He wanted to know everything. And Kyuhyun had shown concern for his welfare, whether that was to lure him or not. It was easy to hide true inclinations for one night, until a bargain was struck.
Perhaps it was that he was too trusting, too likely to believe in the goodness of people, but he didn’t think so. Kyuhyun curled beneath the covers had been incredibly vulnerable. He could have shoved Zhou Mi into another room, sent him home while weak, or left him there alone. No matter how prepared he had thought he had been, he knew there was no possible way he could have been prepared for everything. Unbitten, though no stranger to men, he had only hopes and no small amount of trust. Trust that Kyuhyun would not maim or kill.
He felt for his neck and could feel the slight soreness where Kyuhyun had bitten him. Not painful, but just enough to tell him that his touch was true. Kyuhyun’s face poised over his, half in shadow. His desperation, Kyuhyun’s mouth wet against his neck. He hissed. It wasn’t in him to be overly embarrassed for his actions, especially when it wasn’t deserved. Kyuhyun had come over him, seemingly just from the pleasure of his blood and sounds. Had Kyuhyun tipped up his hips and demanded entry, Zhou Mi wouldn’t have protested. There wasn’t shame in that. That was what he had gone there expecting. No. Anticipating. He hadn’t gone home after Kyuhyun’s offer and wrung his hands at the possibility.
He was trading his blood in return for sex - and Kyuhyun’s cooperation. And Kyuhyun was trading his time and body in return for blood. He wasn’t sure which was worse, or if that trade negated everything.
He didn’t bother wondering if he would be able to face Kyuhyun after what they had done, so that the work could be completed. He knew he could. And if Kyuhyun deliberately attempted to make him uncomfortable, he could be reminded of their deal. Zhou Mi was too determined to let Kyuhyun or anyone else stand in his way. Kyuhyun would be distraction, true. But also motivation.
He wouldn’t give up.
***
Waking alone hadn’t been a surprise. Kyuhyun had expected it. What he hadn’t been expected was the unease, as he prepared for his waking hours. They’d made no plans, had no guarantees. If Zhou Mi agreed to the month, or didn’t, Kyuhyun figured he would know about it. He figured, per the terms of their deal, that Zhou Mi would get back to him and soon. Within the next day, for sure. Zhou Mi wasn’t a coward. A coward didn’t walk into a strange vampire’s room and strip for him. Maybe it made Zhou Mi stupid, or maybe it had just been what Zhou Mi had wanted.
But it nagged at Kyuhyun as he looked over his mail, and frowned at his ledger.
A brief knock at the door, and a footman stood there.
“Zhou Mi to see you, sir.”
“Bring him.”
He’d had to have come in the servant’s entrance, Kyuhyun thought, but stood as Zhou Mi was seen in. He was dressed for riding, impeccable and impossibly straight. Tall and slender, that was the man he’d had.
Kyuhyun stepped forward. “I see you navigated the stairs without harm. You must be feeling better.”
“I rang for a servant, just in case,” Zhou Mi said with a smile. “After your rather vivid warning that I could break my face, I didn’t want to risk a broken neck. And your staff thoughtfully procured some soup, so I am much improved.”
Kyuhyun had left a note to see that Zhou Mi would have food when he woke. No man was leaving his home without being fed, and he’d wanted no repeats of Zhou Mi’s weakness.
“I’m glad to hear it. It was my fault. I took too much from you, what I would take over two days.” But he forced himself to stop speaking, instead picking up the papers detailing more about the Euphoria. Zhou Mi had left them, and he had read through them with care. “I never did ask you what made this such an important task. Why would you trade your body for these people?”
Zhou Mi’s face tightened, shuttering.
“People have done much more for people they know less.”
“Certainly, people have. But that doesn’t say why you did. And it doesn’t tell me what your decision is now. Did you come to bring me money, or did you come back to agree to more?”
“You would prefer me than the money?” Zhou Mi asked.
“I offered for you first, didn’t I? Money is easily gotten. A man to glut with isn’t.”
Zhou Mi nodded. “Yes. You asked me last night if it was worse than I thought. And it wasn’t.”
He sat forward, searching Zhou Mi’s face. “So you agree to the month?”
"Given how you tricked me, I decided that the best way to see that you upheld your part of the bargain was by being with you. And I doubt you'd want me here if I'd refused you. Your pride."
Kyuhyun smirked. It seemed he was plainly seen through. But again, Zhou Mi wasn’t telling him everything. He wanted more, needed it like a cat yearning into a touch. He didn’t want a sacrificial lamb, and unlike with a human in thrall, he couldn’t make Zhou Mi tell him what he was thinking. So he walked as close as he dared, needing the answer in the only way he felt he could get it. And Zhou Mi’s eyes widened as Kyuhyun leaned into his space.
“Money might be slightly less palatable to my tongue and my pride, but if you’re falling on your sword…?”
“I am just a man,” Zhou Mi said. “And eager to explore the other pleasures your bed might offer.”
Well then. Well then, indeed. Pride blossomed up until his buttons nearly strained, and he took in Zhou Mi from ankle to hairline. His for the month. His to bite, his to please. There because he wanted to be. And there seemed to be no reason to wait.
He reached for Zhou Mi’s lapel. “Well, since you're here..."
Zhou Mi's hand held him back, smile firm. "No. You said that you ate enough for two days. So tonight we work and sleep. Tomorrow you bite."
Among other things. How feisty Zhou Mi was made for continual surprise. He wasn't used to his meals talking back.
***
The small office of the Organization was cool even with the fire burning in the late afternoon. It had likely just been lit, but Zhou Mi knew it wouldn’t be cold for much longer. He didn’t intend to stay long enough for it to heat, when the sun was already low in its descent.
“Did you make your decision?” Daniel asked.
It had been two days since he had checked in with more than a note, so the question was understandable. Not only that, it was a possibility for Zhou Mi to express his regret, for them to start the process of extracting himself from a deal that was something he didn’t want. And he knew, that if it came to that, he could. They’d be able to buy Kyuhyun out - perhaps to the loss of his assistance - but that he had never doubted.
“I have no reason to fear him, and so far it’s been going well,” Zhou Mi confirmed. It had been two nights, and yet still, so much had been accomplished. “He is a fresh set of eyes, and willing to help.”
Not eager, when he’d stared at Zhou Mi’s lists and letters. But willing.
Still, Zhou Mi left the Organization’s office with more folders, and more buzzing in his head. He knew the work was barely started, and there was no stopping now that they had started the path of helping those afflicted.
Still, it gave him time to eat and a moment of rest before making his way to Kyuhyun’s home. Besides meeting with Daniel, he had been able to make more inquiries, make hints at the cure they were looking into. He made good use of his daylight hours. Euphoria would not be stopped with the help of vampires alone, but with human help also. They were intrigued by the thought that Kyuhyun could give them names, leads. But it was not the vampires like Kyuhyun who were infecting humans with their blood, and Kyuhyun had already told him he didn’t know of anyone who would. But the more vampires Kyuhyun spoke to, the more information they collected, together and apart, the better chances they had. Maybe they’d never stop it entirely. But they could slow it. And they could find a way to help.
He listened intently as Kyuhyun read aloud, responses he’d received from vampires he’d known of. Some had refused to speak with him, finding the topic distasteful.
“I know a vampire who might be of particular help,” Kyuhyun mused. “He’s on his way back from the country, so he should be calling in the next few days. His alliances are a bit more widespread than mine.”
“Should I have gone to him first, then?” Zhou Mi teased.
Kyuhyun actually chuckled. “I don’t think you’d have gotten the same reception.”
“He wouldn’t be tempted by a man resistant to thrall?”
They sat in silence for almost a minute, before Kyuhyun responded. “The ones you met, that asked. Those were undoubtedly the thrill-seekers. Most vampires would treat you as though you were poison.”
“Why?”
One of Kyuhyun’s shoulders jerked. “That’s one of those secrets you may never find the answer to.”
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. “Then why were you willing to take the risk?”
“I was hungry. I’m hungry now. So to finish up, I sent another note,” Kyuhyun said, making a flourish with his hand almost as though he’d thrown it himself. “If it turns out as expected, there could be a young vampire willing to try to heal one of your…patients. I’ll know more tomorrow.”
“Oh. Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“Yes. So, I think we’re making progress. And I’ve waited long enough to eat.”
Zhou Mi chuckled, feeling the shiver go down his spine. “Same as last time?”
“If you’re asking me if I want you naked, yes. I won’t make you wait tonight.”
That was good, Zhou Mi thought as he climbed the stairs. He wasn’t sure he’d be as patient, waiting for Kyuhyun. Either getting dressed to find him, or borrowing a dressing gown, if Kyuhyun forgot about him, he’d be reminded. Zhou Mi was embarrassed enough that he’d fallen asleep the first time, though when he remembered how pleased Kyuhyun had been to wake him, he understood that might have been what Kyuhyun had been wanting. It had certainly kept him off guard. Just being in an unfamiliar place had done that, but Kyuhyun’s room was much more familiar that time. The heavy curtains that would block out all light, the wide bed with its dark spread. It looked like a bedroom of a sensual person, someone setting up for seduction just in the richness of colors and soft textures, lit only with two lamps. But he wasn’t going to make love with the bedspread.
It wasn’t as terrifying, undressing that time. He was aware that Kyuhyun could come through the door at any moment, as he put aside each piece of clothing. He knew it hadn’t hurt - much. And also that Kyuhyun had talented hands. He breathed in deeply, and then exhaled. If it were just a man he was bringing to his bed, arousal would be his first thought. He still had apprehension edging in before that. But that didn’t quiet the small voice in the back of his head that wondered if Kyuhyun would do more than touch. He was curious, paid more attention to the way that Kyuhyun’s clothes fit him. And he had been too unsure to do much exploring.
And it had only been two days earlier that he’d first slipped between the soft sheets. Cool against his skin, and he nearly shivered as he covered up. They warmed to him, as he wondered if Kyuhyun would. He also wondered if Kyuhyun would feed too much, if he wouldn’t leave until morning because he was too woozy to.
Perhaps Kyuhyun would carry him down the stairs.
“Something funny?” Kyuhyun asked, as he slipped in the door and heard Zhou Mi’s laughter.
That sobered him a bit. “Just amusing myself while waiting.”
And while watching. Eyeing Kyuhyun as he tossed aside his jacket, padding on bare feet to the bed. Something about the way Kyuhyun loosened his cuffs, his collar, as he got a knee onto the mattress.
“I won’t keep you waiting any longer,” Kyuhyun told him, and tugged the blanket down nearly to Zhou Mi’s waist.
He reminded himself to breathe, as Kyuhyun sidled closer beside Zhou Mi’s body. He was happy with what Kyuhyun saw. He’d grown out of the gawky youth he’d been, finally seeing a man instead of something too thin to be believed in the mirror. Harder, when his own friends had filled out and he had not. But he imagined Kyuhyun was pleased. He was man who could, if Kyuhyun wished, fight back.
Fighting was least on his mind as he inhaled, Kyuhyun leaning over him, teasing fingers along his collarbones. He tensed, at the first swipe of Kyuhyun’s tongue against his neck.
“Relax,” Kyuhyun murmured after a minute, accidentally reminding Zhou Mi to breathe.
The nerves simmered deep. Not so much for the pain, but remembering how dizzy he’d been, and the unsure footing they were on. But Kyuhyun didn’t bite. He pressed wet kisses along Zhou Mi’s neck, taking warm swipes with his tongue as though tasting Zhou Mi’s skin. He teased the edge of Zhou Mi’s earlobe, and in relaxed him in some ways.
Made him more tense in others. But those ways, were arousal. Interest. Wondering what they would do, beyond the bite. What Kyuhyun would ask of him. He raised a hand, tentative at first. Touching the back of Kyuhyun’s head, and then sinking his fingers into Kyuhyun’s hair. It was rich, slick against his hand, and he inhaled, trying to catch the scent of it. He licked his lips, smile tugging as he imagined rolling Kyuhyun over, his hands in Kyuhyun’s hair, and kissing him until he was gasping. Kyuhyun hadn’t wanted a man susceptible to thrall, and he could show Kyuhyun why he’d made a good choice.
He wasn’t used to being so passive. He was used to knowing what he wanted, and asking for it in any way he knew how - whether he got it was up to his partner. But it was no human man humming against his neck, and that was what was holding him back. But he was taking a step. Or a touch, he thought, massaging the back of Kyuhyun’s head. And it came as a shock, the bite. The first break of the skin, the inhale and tense. He forced himself to relax, still startled as Kyuhyun gripped his arm to hold him still. He wasn’t sure if the soft sound Kyuhyun made was to reassure him, or in enjoyment. But he focused on the inhale, the exhale. And it seemed he had not taken half a dozen slow breaths before Kyuhyun was cleaning his skin and moving back.
They stared at each other a moment, before Kyuhyun licked his lips.
“That’s good for today,” Kyuhyun said, and pushed away.
Zhou Mi stared as Kyuhyun settled back against the pillows, looking like had every intention of staying there and resting.
“You aren’t— That’s it? Why did you have me undress?”
Kyuhyun turned his head, eyes steady on Zhou Mi’s. “They say we eat with our eyes. And you made a pretty picture.”
There was a tease there, but also a test. If Zhou Mi protested too much, it would make it seem like he wanted too much. It would put him in a position where Kyuhyun held power over him. And Kyuhyun did already, but the less he knew about Zhou Mi’s thoughts, the better. Though the way Kyuhyun considered him, he’d given too much away already.
“You can please yourself. I’d be glad to watch,” Kyuhyun suggested.
“You haven’t earned that,” Zhou Mi said, and swung off the bed to get his clothes. His driver was waiting to take him home, and Zhou Mi had had no idea how long he would be. He did right then. He didn’t even bother buttoning his shirt, instead buttoning his jacket over it.
“You’ll be steady enough getting down the stairs?” Kyuhyun asked.
There hadn’t been the same reaction after he’d gotten up after the last bite.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Zhou Mi said, shoving his feet down firmly into his boots.
“And getting home?”
“I have a driver here,” Zhou Mi told him. The carriage would be hitched up, and he would go home to his own bed with a vampire bite on his neck and an uncomfortable arousal. Though thankfully more mental, than physical. Perhaps he’d overestimated what Kyuhyun wanted. Perhaps being a pretty bauble for Kyuhyun to toy with and bite had been all Kyuhyun required, and games in bed had just been to toy with Zhou Mi’s mind, to entice him. Perhaps Kyuhyun had been able to smell the interest, and had used it to get what he really wanted - blood.
“Be careful going home, then,” Kyuhyun said, at Zhou Mi’s elbow and almost made him jump. “I have to make sure you’ll be able to live out the remainder of the contract.”
Kyuhyun’s hand patted at Zhou Mi’s chest, fingers sliding through open fabric to tease Zhou Mi’s skin.
“Come earlier tomorrow.”
“It seems you don’t need much time to feed,” Zhou Mi began. “So I might—"
“I won’t be shorted time,” Kyuhyun interrupted. “I won’t be allotted fifteen minutes to feed at your whim, your jacket buttoned to your chin as you walk out the door. This bargain was for all of you, and you may order me as you like, but I’ll have what’s mine.”
Zhou Mi’s mouth thinned, taking in Kyuhyun’s words. “I have no say.”
“You have every say. But there is a time.” Kyuhyun’s fingers gripped his shirt, pulling him until he was forced to take a step toward Kyuhyun and meet his eyes. “You won’t enjoy the fuck, if you’re worried about the bite. You nearly passed out the first time, and forced me to wait the second. Now you dress under your own power, leave on your own time. I’ve given you no reason to fear.”
Zhou Mi was abashed. He’d seen what he was denied, but not what Kyuhyun was doing for him. They were bartering, one thing for another, but that didn’t mean that they were not working together on both. He’d forgotten that. Still, Kyuhyun’s tease was too much. Perhaps he knew that, and that was why he explained himself. Kyuhyun wasn’t haughty, merely reserved. There was a lot there he didn’t know how to describe about Kyuhyun, even to himself.
“So my anticipation will cancel out my apprehension?”
“Maybe not entirely. I can’t make you want, and I can’t calm you. Go. I’ll see what I want tomorrow.”
And Kyuhyun let him go, walking back to his bed. Zhou Mi left him there, the feeling of Kyuhyun’s fingers against his chest an echo to the pleasant lingering ache from the bite on his neck.
***
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.
***
Chapter One - Chapter Two - Chapter Three - Chapter Four - Chapter Five - Chapter Six - Chapter Seven - Chapter Eight - Chapter Nine - Chapter Ten - Epilogue
***
Zhou Mi’s mouth was warm, wide, and giving. The taste of him sharp, his smell masculine and deep. Want coiled at the back of Kyuhyun’s neck, sliding down his spine. Want, as he nudged Zhou Mi’s mouth open. He would loosen Zhou Mi up, make him want. He had no way of making Zhou Mi feel his want, but to show it. No thrall to transfer those feelings for him. But he felt Zhou Mi give, the touch of a hand to Kyuhyun’s arm, a quiet sound as Kyuhyun nibbled his lip.
But as Zhou Mi’s head rose to press, Kyuhyun pulled back, considering. Liking what he saw, and the want in Zhou Mi’s eyes.
But Zhou Mi swallowed, frowning. “Do you like to play with people? Like a lion with mice?”
Kyuhyun felt his mouth turn up at the corners. “Why? Are you planning to jump out of bed and have me chase you?”
From Zhou Mi’s expression it seemed that was the answer he’d been expecting, and that Kyuhyun’s humor wasn’t amusing him. Or maybe it was. Just a tiny bit.
“Do you worry you won’t be able to make it good for me?”
“Ouch. Do you hope I’ll be able to?”
“How stupid would I have to be to say no?”
Entirely stupid. His eyes went to Zhou Mi’s mouth, soft and a bit damp from their kisses. He found he liked this human. He wasn’t giving in, didn’t hang on Kyuhyun’s words. More than that, he wasn’t begging. Though perhaps he would be by the time that Kyuhyun finished with him.
Though he admitted that was more like a wish than an expectation.
“Is this your first time with a man?” Kyuhyun asked.
Zhou Mi chuckled, amused and deep in his throat as he stared beside Kyuhyun’s ear. “Would I wait for my first time, to have a vampire?”
“Apparently not.”
But Zhou Mi was still stiff beneath him. He wanted to know that Zhou Mi wanted everything. Perhaps he should have let Zhou Mi take control. But there was a certain amount of trust that they put in each other, just the way they were.
“Relax,” he murmured, kissing Zhou Mi’s chin. “Just feel my hands, and how warm we are together. Let me please you. Forget about the bite.”
“Hard to forget when you bring it up,” Zhou Mi said, swallowing audibly.
“Just feel. Tell me what you like. Tell me what you don’t.”
The slide of skin on skin and softest gasps, and Zhou Mi’s hands holding - not in fear any more, but fingers curling to grasp. And then not holding, but touching. Hands, a little damp from fear, or nerves, or arousal, against Kyuhyun’s back. Opening his mouth and sucking Kyuhyun’s lower lip in, teasing, playing.
He wanted the bite right then, seeing Zhou Mi’s lashes against his skin, cheekbones sharp and high and mouth wet. He could smell himself on Zhou Mi’s neck as he nudged there, licking, kissing.
But he couldn’t yet. Couldn’t. He hadn’t shown either of them what they could be together. Zhou Mi’s rapid pulse, quick breaths, they had changed for him. He teased the skin of Zhou Mi’s chest with a hand, catching at a nipple, tracing ribs, and sternum. The give of flesh and muscle over bone, on a spare man.
But his hips were never quiet. He rocked, shifting, rolling. And against his own growing arousal, he felt Zhou Mi begin to match him.
“I don’t intend to play,” Kyuhyun whispered.
He nipped, hard, at Zhou Mi’s sloping collarbone, and Zhou Mi’s startled cry filled the room. Bitten off, like Zhou Mi had swallowed it. Trying to hide it from himself, from Kyuhyun. But there were things that he couldn’t hide, like the exhale, and the plea.
“Kyuhyun.”
Unsure. He was unsure, Zhou Mi. Unsure if Kyuhyun would eat him up. That invocation of his name…
But that bite hadn’t been a punishment, wasn’t a tease. It was invitation to loosen more, to draw Kyuhyun in.
“I want you to please me, like I want to please you,” Kyuhyun said against his cheek. “You can feel it?”
There were the spaces of heartbeats before Zhou Mi exhaled. “Yes.”
“Zhou Mi,” he said, smoothing the hair at Zhou Mi’s temple. “Kiss me. Kiss me, and maybe—“
He urged Zhou Mi’s arm up, so he could grip the back of Kyuhyun’s head. Maybe it’d make him feel like he had some control. That Zhou Mi might meet his mouth, swallow his moans. It was slow, but somehow… Zhou Mi’s spine relaxed into the bed, at first. Knees drawing up, widening almost in invitation. But that was an invitation he couldn’t take, not yet.
The man who had laughed with nerves, to the man who met his tongue, fingers twisting behind his ear, and hips lifting into his. Forgetting where they were, forgetting what they were doing. For Kyuhyun it was nearly the same. Lost in the taste of a man’s mouth, the heat of his skin, the smell of his arousal. Every man was different. But Zhou Mi was sharp, fragrant, soft and strong, all at once. A man who was currently fucking into Kyuhyun’s hand with little grunts, and moaning as Kyuhyun left his mouth. Red, wet, inviting. Eyes trying to focus, but Kyuhyun dipped his head, pressing his lips along Zhou Mi’s cheek. His hand, stroking, moving skin along Zhou Mi’s erection, was all he really needed to finish Zhou Mi. But he could smell Zhou Mi’s blood - and he knew, knew that Zhou Mi would let him.
He licked along Zhou Mi’s throat and waited, waited for the shudder that would tell him that Zhou Mi knew what was coming. He could feel the pulse of the flesh in his hand, hear the pounding of Zhou Mi’s heart. And he hungered for relief.
The slide of teeth through skin and flesh as Zhou Mi inhaled and froze.
The moan, mingled his and Zhou Mi’s.
The blood, coating his tongue and warming his mouth. He always savored it, that first taste, rich and scented and unique. And he knew when the pain faded, as Zhou Mi’s hand began to knead his back.
His hand stroked, thumb over the head of Zhou Mi’s arousal. The moan.
And he swallowed, warm blood filling him.
And for every stroke he swallowed, faster and faster, driven by Zhou Mi’s moans and the rocking of his hips and the scent of his sweat and blood, until his eyes went wide and blank at the smell of Zhou Mi’s orgasm. The semen on his fingers, mingled with the taste in his mouth. And he grabbed his own erection, needing no more than a minute to spill over Zhou Mi’s body. And as Zhou Mi’s heart slowed, his own body found its control.
His mouth came away wet from Zhou Mi’s neck. A small bloom of blood like a painted rose on Zhou Mi’s skin. He had drank right to the end. It took a lick, two, to clean the wound. Welts where his teeth had been, and Zhou Mi’s deep breathing. He sat beside Zhou Mi, and considered him. The trim body. He wanted more.
As the bed rocked, Zhou Mi moaned again, focusing on Kyuhyun’s face.
“You… I thought you wanted sex.”
“You wouldn’t have anything to come back for more of if I showed you everything,” Kyuhyun teased.
Zhou Mi’s face tightened, and Kyuhyun wondered at that.
“I didn’t come here to be mocked.”
Kyuhyun nearly laughed before realizing Zhou Mi was serious. “Wait! Don’t get up. Don’t—“
Zhou Mi was too quick, evading his hand. But Kyuhyun could be quick as well, vaulting off the bed just in time to be there as Zhou Mi’s knees began to buckle.
“Hey, take it slow,” Kyuhyun said, getting both arms around Zhou Mi’s torso and shoring up his weight until Zhou Mi could get his legs under him again. “You can’t stand up too quickly. You’re too new at this. I took too much from you.”
“Oh,” Zhou Mi moaned, his head on Kyuhyun’s shoulder. “Why?”
“The sounds you were making made it hard to stop. That and I was a little distracted. Now, back into bed.”
“I should go,” Zhou Mi said, his voice still a bit thick as Kyuhyun eased him onto the bed, and back against the pillows.
“The only place you’re going if you get up again is on your face. It’d be a shame to break it so soon. Besides, you promised me the night. I barely got a nibble.”
That got the beginnings of a smile, and Kyuhyun wondered at Zhou Mi again. He was the most confounding man, not like anyone he’d ever dallied with. From those smiles, to the slender, though decidedly masculine, ankle that he lifted and slipped up under the blankets. Zhou Mi’s eyes were closed, getting the room under control, undoubtedly.
***
Kyuhyun didn’t employ a cook. It seemed like a waste of effort when the only thing coming out of his kitchen regularly was tea for occasional guests, and anything required for that was usually simple and both bought and made up by one of his more competent housemaids. But he saw no reason to disturb them when all he needed was a cup of tea, and something to put on Zhou Mi’s stomach. Their store of food was meager, and that was his primary concern.
He hissed as the pot scalded him as he poured water over the leaves. It didn’t burn his skin, but it damn well hurt for a moment. He watched the red subside as he scowled at the brewing tea. That wasn’t all he’d gone for, though. Every vampire he’d spoken to seemed to have a different remedy for helping a human, if there was an overindulgence. Especially on a new human, unused to the effects of the bloodletting. He hadn’t found himself in that situation too often, so he was searching his mind for those accounts. But spotting the fruit basket on the table had him moving to it. A few peaches, rare and perfect. It took only a few minutes, wrestling with the knife and winning, to get one pitted and sliced so that Zhou Mi could eat it easier if the fruit was to his liking.
After all, Kyuhyun really didn’t like sleeping on sticky sheets.
Delicate cup in one hand, bowl in the other, he moved carefully back up to his room. Zhou Mi’s eyes opened immediately at the sound of him coming into the room and Kyuhyun smirked.
“Didn’t get up and rush off, did you?” he asked, glad that Zhou Mi wasn’t asleep yet.
“No, I like my face,” Zhou Mi murmured, brushing a hand over his nose. “What is this?”
“Tea, and fruit. It’s a trial remedy. I hear sometimes it helps humans feel a little less drained after a feeding.”
The tea was still hot, so he put it on the table, but the fruit he handed to Zhou Mi. Watching, as Zhou Mi lifted the bowl and inhaled. Perhaps, there was a tiny little whimper that left him, but perhaps Kyuhyun imagined it. But he left Zhou Mi’s side, going back around to the side of bed he had been on, and sliding into the cool sheets in time to see Zhou Mi stick an entire slice of peach into his mouth.
“Greedy?”
Zhou Mi rolled his eyes, chewing. Kyuhyun knew what that indicated. You’re calling me greedy? You’re the reason I’m like this.
And Kyuhyun knew it, too. From the satisfied sigh that Zhou Mi gave as he swallowed, to the next eager bite. White teeth biting through soft, golden flesh. It made him simultaneously think of biting Zhou Mi again, and giving him a mix of guilt and satisfaction. No, he had no reason for guilt. He was making up for his overindulgence.
Even if it seemed like another type, to watch Zhou Mi eat. Juice escaping Zhou Mi’s mouth, trickling over his lower lip and onto his chin. Kyuhyun’s hand fisted in the pillow, and he waited until Zhou Mi had swallowed. He tipped up Zhou Mi’s face and watched those eyes widen when he realized what Kyuhyun intended. The sweet tang of the juice against his tongue, Zhou Mi’s skin. Pretending he was a napkin, against the softness he found there.
“Messy,” he whispered against Zhou Mi’s mouth, grinning.
Zhou Mi laughed back against him, letting Kyuhyun have his kisses, until Kyuhyun moved back. But leaning in close, even closer before. His body right beside Zhou Mi’s shoulder, and able to watch him eat that much clearer.
Zhou Mi considered the fruit between his fingers before glancing over at Kyuhyun. “Can you taste the peach?”
“I can. It is sweet. But it does nothing for me.” Kyuhyun trailed his fingertips over Zhou Mi’s chest, up his breastbone, around his nipple. Watching as Zhou Mi’s breath shallowed at the touch. “It doesn’t compare to the taste of your blood.”
Zhou Mi was silent, looking down, his face in perfect profile. And Kyuhyun cursed his mouth.
“Drink your tea, and rest. You’ll need strength for what’s next.”
Not even he was sure what was next, as Zhou Mi sipped the tea. Asking if Zhou Mi felt better was right on the tip of his tongue, hesitating there as Zhou Mi leaned back into the pillow, staring at the ceiling for a long moment before looking over at Kyuhyun.
“Thank you.”
There was a smile there, and it wasn’t so much in the baring of teeth, as it was infused on Zhou Mi’s face. The way his eyes caught the light, the softness of his mouth. He kept having that same feeling. The uncomfortable one followed by the acknowledgement that Zhou Mi spoke as his own man.
“That’s why we’re here,” Kyuhyun said, shrugging off the words as though it would shrug away his awkward feelings. But it was both curiosity and pride that had him asking, “So, how was it? Worse than you thought?”
“It was…” Zhou Mi took a moment, staring down into the teacup before turning his head toward Kyuhyun. Their eyes met. “Dizzying.”
It was said in such a peculiar way that at first the joke didn’t hit him. But Zhou Mi couldn’t keep the smile from spreading, and it had Kyuhyun first scoffing, and then almost crowing with laughter. Falling back against his pillow and chortling, trying not to weep with it and hearing Zhou Mi laugh beside him. Dizzying. So much so that Kyuhyun had had to catch him when he stood. A response, and yet not a response at all.
“Well played,” Kyuhyun congratulated him, still too amused to be annoyed at being thwarted. And when Zhou Mi had put aside the teacup, Kyuhyun rolled to his side, blowing out the lamp there, and plunging the room into darkness. “You aren’t afraid of the dark, are you?”
“No,” Zhou Mi said. “Are you staying?”
“This is my bed. And it would be a crime to leave it when you’ve warmed it for me.”
That bubbling laugh again, a sound he wanted to touch, examine. More expressive than chimes, warmer. He wondered if he could get that laugh when they were locked together on the bed. A tickle, a laugh. A gasp, and then a moan with the twist of his hips.
“You are cold?” Zhou Mi asked, startling Kyuhyun from his thoughts.
“I’m rarely ever warm, unless I’m near a human. Right after I’ve fed is best. My baths are always as hot as I can stand them.”
But he forced himself to stop speaking, both because Zhou Mi was moving, and because his own mind was ordering him to stop. Too much information wasn’t good, especially to a human he was trying to convince to stay. Maybe a little pity was good, but it wouldn’t inspire want.
But Zhou Mi did not touch him, merely shifting beneath the covers. He wondered at that, wondered what it would be like to touch Zhou Mi and sleep. He didn’t know if he’d have that chance, or if he’d chased Zhou Mi away for good. But he’d had his one night.
The next time he opened his eyes, he knew it was daylight, from way his body felt. He could have woken Zhou Mi then, demanded more. The sun hadn’t come up so far as to prevent him. But it was warm, and Zhou Mi was near, and he slept again.
***
Kyuhyun was deeply asleep when Zhou Mi woke, knowing he was in a different place even before his eyes opened. The soft, thin sheets, the heavy blankets. The dark room, even though Zhou Mi could feel that it was late in the morning, possibly even afternoon. His nakedness didn’t concern him as much as the indecision of what to do. He’d had no intention to stay, but leaving while Kyuhyun was asleep hadn’t been in his plans. Kyuhyun, any vampire, tended to spend most of the daylight hours asleep. Even shielded from it, it was draining to them, like a natural relaxant. He could rouse Kyuhyun enough to tell him he was leaving, but it seemed useless. It was better to go, and return after Kyuhyun had woken. So he rose, carefully pressing the covers back so that Kyuhyun would stay under them, and dressed.
He felt better, but not perfect. But he rang for a servant, and had assistance descending the stairs, and food waiting for him to his surprise. It seemed Kyuhyun had known Zhou Mi would rise alone.
He needed time to decide what to do next. It wasn't just a simple affair. He needed Kyuhyun's continued help no matter what happened in the bedroom. Perhaps it was the way to ensure it. And he couldn't disregard his own selfish wants. Of course he was a sexual being and Kyuhyun offered something he could not easily obtain. There were not droves of men who openly admitted their preference for other men. Everyone got something from the arrangement.
He'd wanted to be in Kyuhyun's bed as soon as the offer was made, and he'd been more than a little displeased when Kyuhyun had teased him short of what he'd been expecting. He was lying to himself if he tried to pretend that it had not been good and that he did not want more. He wanted to know everything. And Kyuhyun had shown concern for his welfare, whether that was to lure him or not. It was easy to hide true inclinations for one night, until a bargain was struck.
Perhaps it was that he was too trusting, too likely to believe in the goodness of people, but he didn’t think so. Kyuhyun curled beneath the covers had been incredibly vulnerable. He could have shoved Zhou Mi into another room, sent him home while weak, or left him there alone. No matter how prepared he had thought he had been, he knew there was no possible way he could have been prepared for everything. Unbitten, though no stranger to men, he had only hopes and no small amount of trust. Trust that Kyuhyun would not maim or kill.
He felt for his neck and could feel the slight soreness where Kyuhyun had bitten him. Not painful, but just enough to tell him that his touch was true. Kyuhyun’s face poised over his, half in shadow. His desperation, Kyuhyun’s mouth wet against his neck. He hissed. It wasn’t in him to be overly embarrassed for his actions, especially when it wasn’t deserved. Kyuhyun had come over him, seemingly just from the pleasure of his blood and sounds. Had Kyuhyun tipped up his hips and demanded entry, Zhou Mi wouldn’t have protested. There wasn’t shame in that. That was what he had gone there expecting. No. Anticipating. He hadn’t gone home after Kyuhyun’s offer and wrung his hands at the possibility.
He was trading his blood in return for sex - and Kyuhyun’s cooperation. And Kyuhyun was trading his time and body in return for blood. He wasn’t sure which was worse, or if that trade negated everything.
He didn’t bother wondering if he would be able to face Kyuhyun after what they had done, so that the work could be completed. He knew he could. And if Kyuhyun deliberately attempted to make him uncomfortable, he could be reminded of their deal. Zhou Mi was too determined to let Kyuhyun or anyone else stand in his way. Kyuhyun would be distraction, true. But also motivation.
He wouldn’t give up.
***
Waking alone hadn’t been a surprise. Kyuhyun had expected it. What he hadn’t been expected was the unease, as he prepared for his waking hours. They’d made no plans, had no guarantees. If Zhou Mi agreed to the month, or didn’t, Kyuhyun figured he would know about it. He figured, per the terms of their deal, that Zhou Mi would get back to him and soon. Within the next day, for sure. Zhou Mi wasn’t a coward. A coward didn’t walk into a strange vampire’s room and strip for him. Maybe it made Zhou Mi stupid, or maybe it had just been what Zhou Mi had wanted.
But it nagged at Kyuhyun as he looked over his mail, and frowned at his ledger.
A brief knock at the door, and a footman stood there.
“Zhou Mi to see you, sir.”
“Bring him.”
He’d had to have come in the servant’s entrance, Kyuhyun thought, but stood as Zhou Mi was seen in. He was dressed for riding, impeccable and impossibly straight. Tall and slender, that was the man he’d had.
Kyuhyun stepped forward. “I see you navigated the stairs without harm. You must be feeling better.”
“I rang for a servant, just in case,” Zhou Mi said with a smile. “After your rather vivid warning that I could break my face, I didn’t want to risk a broken neck. And your staff thoughtfully procured some soup, so I am much improved.”
Kyuhyun had left a note to see that Zhou Mi would have food when he woke. No man was leaving his home without being fed, and he’d wanted no repeats of Zhou Mi’s weakness.
“I’m glad to hear it. It was my fault. I took too much from you, what I would take over two days.” But he forced himself to stop speaking, instead picking up the papers detailing more about the Euphoria. Zhou Mi had left them, and he had read through them with care. “I never did ask you what made this such an important task. Why would you trade your body for these people?”
Zhou Mi’s face tightened, shuttering.
“People have done much more for people they know less.”
“Certainly, people have. But that doesn’t say why you did. And it doesn’t tell me what your decision is now. Did you come to bring me money, or did you come back to agree to more?”
“You would prefer me than the money?” Zhou Mi asked.
“I offered for you first, didn’t I? Money is easily gotten. A man to glut with isn’t.”
Zhou Mi nodded. “Yes. You asked me last night if it was worse than I thought. And it wasn’t.”
He sat forward, searching Zhou Mi’s face. “So you agree to the month?”
"Given how you tricked me, I decided that the best way to see that you upheld your part of the bargain was by being with you. And I doubt you'd want me here if I'd refused you. Your pride."
Kyuhyun smirked. It seemed he was plainly seen through. But again, Zhou Mi wasn’t telling him everything. He wanted more, needed it like a cat yearning into a touch. He didn’t want a sacrificial lamb, and unlike with a human in thrall, he couldn’t make Zhou Mi tell him what he was thinking. So he walked as close as he dared, needing the answer in the only way he felt he could get it. And Zhou Mi’s eyes widened as Kyuhyun leaned into his space.
“Money might be slightly less palatable to my tongue and my pride, but if you’re falling on your sword…?”
“I am just a man,” Zhou Mi said. “And eager to explore the other pleasures your bed might offer.”
Well then. Well then, indeed. Pride blossomed up until his buttons nearly strained, and he took in Zhou Mi from ankle to hairline. His for the month. His to bite, his to please. There because he wanted to be. And there seemed to be no reason to wait.
He reached for Zhou Mi’s lapel. “Well, since you're here..."
Zhou Mi's hand held him back, smile firm. "No. You said that you ate enough for two days. So tonight we work and sleep. Tomorrow you bite."
Among other things. How feisty Zhou Mi was made for continual surprise. He wasn't used to his meals talking back.
***
The small office of the Organization was cool even with the fire burning in the late afternoon. It had likely just been lit, but Zhou Mi knew it wouldn’t be cold for much longer. He didn’t intend to stay long enough for it to heat, when the sun was already low in its descent.
“Did you make your decision?” Daniel asked.
It had been two days since he had checked in with more than a note, so the question was understandable. Not only that, it was a possibility for Zhou Mi to express his regret, for them to start the process of extracting himself from a deal that was something he didn’t want. And he knew, that if it came to that, he could. They’d be able to buy Kyuhyun out - perhaps to the loss of his assistance - but that he had never doubted.
“I have no reason to fear him, and so far it’s been going well,” Zhou Mi confirmed. It had been two nights, and yet still, so much had been accomplished. “He is a fresh set of eyes, and willing to help.”
Not eager, when he’d stared at Zhou Mi’s lists and letters. But willing.
Still, Zhou Mi left the Organization’s office with more folders, and more buzzing in his head. He knew the work was barely started, and there was no stopping now that they had started the path of helping those afflicted.
Still, it gave him time to eat and a moment of rest before making his way to Kyuhyun’s home. Besides meeting with Daniel, he had been able to make more inquiries, make hints at the cure they were looking into. He made good use of his daylight hours. Euphoria would not be stopped with the help of vampires alone, but with human help also. They were intrigued by the thought that Kyuhyun could give them names, leads. But it was not the vampires like Kyuhyun who were infecting humans with their blood, and Kyuhyun had already told him he didn’t know of anyone who would. But the more vampires Kyuhyun spoke to, the more information they collected, together and apart, the better chances they had. Maybe they’d never stop it entirely. But they could slow it. And they could find a way to help.
He listened intently as Kyuhyun read aloud, responses he’d received from vampires he’d known of. Some had refused to speak with him, finding the topic distasteful.
“I know a vampire who might be of particular help,” Kyuhyun mused. “He’s on his way back from the country, so he should be calling in the next few days. His alliances are a bit more widespread than mine.”
“Should I have gone to him first, then?” Zhou Mi teased.
Kyuhyun actually chuckled. “I don’t think you’d have gotten the same reception.”
“He wouldn’t be tempted by a man resistant to thrall?”
They sat in silence for almost a minute, before Kyuhyun responded. “The ones you met, that asked. Those were undoubtedly the thrill-seekers. Most vampires would treat you as though you were poison.”
“Why?”
One of Kyuhyun’s shoulders jerked. “That’s one of those secrets you may never find the answer to.”
But that didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. “Then why were you willing to take the risk?”
“I was hungry. I’m hungry now. So to finish up, I sent another note,” Kyuhyun said, making a flourish with his hand almost as though he’d thrown it himself. “If it turns out as expected, there could be a young vampire willing to try to heal one of your…patients. I’ll know more tomorrow.”
“Oh. Oh, that’s wonderful.”
“Yes. So, I think we’re making progress. And I’ve waited long enough to eat.”
Zhou Mi chuckled, feeling the shiver go down his spine. “Same as last time?”
“If you’re asking me if I want you naked, yes. I won’t make you wait tonight.”
That was good, Zhou Mi thought as he climbed the stairs. He wasn’t sure he’d be as patient, waiting for Kyuhyun. Either getting dressed to find him, or borrowing a dressing gown, if Kyuhyun forgot about him, he’d be reminded. Zhou Mi was embarrassed enough that he’d fallen asleep the first time, though when he remembered how pleased Kyuhyun had been to wake him, he understood that might have been what Kyuhyun had been wanting. It had certainly kept him off guard. Just being in an unfamiliar place had done that, but Kyuhyun’s room was much more familiar that time. The heavy curtains that would block out all light, the wide bed with its dark spread. It looked like a bedroom of a sensual person, someone setting up for seduction just in the richness of colors and soft textures, lit only with two lamps. But he wasn’t going to make love with the bedspread.
It wasn’t as terrifying, undressing that time. He was aware that Kyuhyun could come through the door at any moment, as he put aside each piece of clothing. He knew it hadn’t hurt - much. And also that Kyuhyun had talented hands. He breathed in deeply, and then exhaled. If it were just a man he was bringing to his bed, arousal would be his first thought. He still had apprehension edging in before that. But that didn’t quiet the small voice in the back of his head that wondered if Kyuhyun would do more than touch. He was curious, paid more attention to the way that Kyuhyun’s clothes fit him. And he had been too unsure to do much exploring.
And it had only been two days earlier that he’d first slipped between the soft sheets. Cool against his skin, and he nearly shivered as he covered up. They warmed to him, as he wondered if Kyuhyun would. He also wondered if Kyuhyun would feed too much, if he wouldn’t leave until morning because he was too woozy to.
Perhaps Kyuhyun would carry him down the stairs.
“Something funny?” Kyuhyun asked, as he slipped in the door and heard Zhou Mi’s laughter.
That sobered him a bit. “Just amusing myself while waiting.”
And while watching. Eyeing Kyuhyun as he tossed aside his jacket, padding on bare feet to the bed. Something about the way Kyuhyun loosened his cuffs, his collar, as he got a knee onto the mattress.
“I won’t keep you waiting any longer,” Kyuhyun told him, and tugged the blanket down nearly to Zhou Mi’s waist.
He reminded himself to breathe, as Kyuhyun sidled closer beside Zhou Mi’s body. He was happy with what Kyuhyun saw. He’d grown out of the gawky youth he’d been, finally seeing a man instead of something too thin to be believed in the mirror. Harder, when his own friends had filled out and he had not. But he imagined Kyuhyun was pleased. He was man who could, if Kyuhyun wished, fight back.
Fighting was least on his mind as he inhaled, Kyuhyun leaning over him, teasing fingers along his collarbones. He tensed, at the first swipe of Kyuhyun’s tongue against his neck.
“Relax,” Kyuhyun murmured after a minute, accidentally reminding Zhou Mi to breathe.
The nerves simmered deep. Not so much for the pain, but remembering how dizzy he’d been, and the unsure footing they were on. But Kyuhyun didn’t bite. He pressed wet kisses along Zhou Mi’s neck, taking warm swipes with his tongue as though tasting Zhou Mi’s skin. He teased the edge of Zhou Mi’s earlobe, and in relaxed him in some ways.
Made him more tense in others. But those ways, were arousal. Interest. Wondering what they would do, beyond the bite. What Kyuhyun would ask of him. He raised a hand, tentative at first. Touching the back of Kyuhyun’s head, and then sinking his fingers into Kyuhyun’s hair. It was rich, slick against his hand, and he inhaled, trying to catch the scent of it. He licked his lips, smile tugging as he imagined rolling Kyuhyun over, his hands in Kyuhyun’s hair, and kissing him until he was gasping. Kyuhyun hadn’t wanted a man susceptible to thrall, and he could show Kyuhyun why he’d made a good choice.
He wasn’t used to being so passive. He was used to knowing what he wanted, and asking for it in any way he knew how - whether he got it was up to his partner. But it was no human man humming against his neck, and that was what was holding him back. But he was taking a step. Or a touch, he thought, massaging the back of Kyuhyun’s head. And it came as a shock, the bite. The first break of the skin, the inhale and tense. He forced himself to relax, still startled as Kyuhyun gripped his arm to hold him still. He wasn’t sure if the soft sound Kyuhyun made was to reassure him, or in enjoyment. But he focused on the inhale, the exhale. And it seemed he had not taken half a dozen slow breaths before Kyuhyun was cleaning his skin and moving back.
They stared at each other a moment, before Kyuhyun licked his lips.
“That’s good for today,” Kyuhyun said, and pushed away.
Zhou Mi stared as Kyuhyun settled back against the pillows, looking like had every intention of staying there and resting.
“You aren’t— That’s it? Why did you have me undress?”
Kyuhyun turned his head, eyes steady on Zhou Mi’s. “They say we eat with our eyes. And you made a pretty picture.”
There was a tease there, but also a test. If Zhou Mi protested too much, it would make it seem like he wanted too much. It would put him in a position where Kyuhyun held power over him. And Kyuhyun did already, but the less he knew about Zhou Mi’s thoughts, the better. Though the way Kyuhyun considered him, he’d given too much away already.
“You can please yourself. I’d be glad to watch,” Kyuhyun suggested.
“You haven’t earned that,” Zhou Mi said, and swung off the bed to get his clothes. His driver was waiting to take him home, and Zhou Mi had had no idea how long he would be. He did right then. He didn’t even bother buttoning his shirt, instead buttoning his jacket over it.
“You’ll be steady enough getting down the stairs?” Kyuhyun asked.
There hadn’t been the same reaction after he’d gotten up after the last bite.
“Yes, I’ll be fine,” Zhou Mi said, shoving his feet down firmly into his boots.
“And getting home?”
“I have a driver here,” Zhou Mi told him. The carriage would be hitched up, and he would go home to his own bed with a vampire bite on his neck and an uncomfortable arousal. Though thankfully more mental, than physical. Perhaps he’d overestimated what Kyuhyun wanted. Perhaps being a pretty bauble for Kyuhyun to toy with and bite had been all Kyuhyun required, and games in bed had just been to toy with Zhou Mi’s mind, to entice him. Perhaps Kyuhyun had been able to smell the interest, and had used it to get what he really wanted - blood.
“Be careful going home, then,” Kyuhyun said, at Zhou Mi’s elbow and almost made him jump. “I have to make sure you’ll be able to live out the remainder of the contract.”
Kyuhyun’s hand patted at Zhou Mi’s chest, fingers sliding through open fabric to tease Zhou Mi’s skin.
“Come earlier tomorrow.”
“It seems you don’t need much time to feed,” Zhou Mi began. “So I might—"
“I won’t be shorted time,” Kyuhyun interrupted. “I won’t be allotted fifteen minutes to feed at your whim, your jacket buttoned to your chin as you walk out the door. This bargain was for all of you, and you may order me as you like, but I’ll have what’s mine.”
Zhou Mi’s mouth thinned, taking in Kyuhyun’s words. “I have no say.”
“You have every say. But there is a time.” Kyuhyun’s fingers gripped his shirt, pulling him until he was forced to take a step toward Kyuhyun and meet his eyes. “You won’t enjoy the fuck, if you’re worried about the bite. You nearly passed out the first time, and forced me to wait the second. Now you dress under your own power, leave on your own time. I’ve given you no reason to fear.”
Zhou Mi was abashed. He’d seen what he was denied, but not what Kyuhyun was doing for him. They were bartering, one thing for another, but that didn’t mean that they were not working together on both. He’d forgotten that. Still, Kyuhyun’s tease was too much. Perhaps he knew that, and that was why he explained himself. Kyuhyun wasn’t haughty, merely reserved. There was a lot there he didn’t know how to describe about Kyuhyun, even to himself.
“So my anticipation will cancel out my apprehension?”
“Maybe not entirely. I can’t make you want, and I can’t calm you. Go. I’ll see what I want tomorrow.”
And Kyuhyun let him go, walking back to his bed. Zhou Mi left him there, the feeling of Kyuhyun’s fingers against his chest an echo to the pleasant lingering ache from the bite on his neck.
***
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 12:47 am (UTC)Hmm, this is an interesting chapter. Is Heechul going to be entering the story soon? That vampire from the countryside sounds sort of like Heechul. XD #randomtangent
I noticed that you wrote "He listened intently as Kyuhyun read aloud aloud" about two-thirds of the way down the page, and there were a few omitted words here and there...(sorry I'm being nitpicky. D:)
Thank you for the new chapter! ^^ This is such an awesome story.
no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 01:37 am (UTC)Oops. /fixed that double word. (That was a sentence I'd messed with today...the others I have no such excuses lol) Also I found one omitted word and a total typo. No matter how many times I read over it, it seems like I always miss something, so please don't be sorry, because I appreciate it. XD
I'm really glad you're enjoying it~! <3
no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 01:31 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 06:52 am (UTC)their interactions are very interesting!
kyuhyun seems like he thinks everything through to the end, but i think he doesn't have as solid of a plan as zhou mi assumes. about their relationship i mean. not the research and help with euphoria.
love this and can't wait for.more!
no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 07:07 am (UTC)He leaves clues and breadcrumbs to entice Mi.
I wonder why would vampires treat Mi like poison.
Are they afraid that he can harm them?
Or they just instinctively fear the unknown?
no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:36 pm (UTC)But yeaah...though we will be learning more about that. It's definitely a fear, because with the thrall at least they can pretend that humans are....a meal? And without it, they can't pretend it's just that. <3
no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 08:19 am (UTC)Thank you <3
Cannot wait for the time where zhou mi decides to take control in bed haha :-D
no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 07:02 pm (UTC)I dont think I mentioned it last time (too busy being starry eyed tbh) but this universe is really fascinating. It's so much fun to read vampire stories with a twist! :3
qmi's relationship is really interesting as well of course *__* not to mention glorious and sexy :D
no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-12 10:42 pm (UTC)Anyway! the smut was beautiful. their interaction was funny, yet kept teasing each other like that. I like how zhoumi didn't just become submissive....
will stick around for more..good job colley!!
no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-13 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-19 09:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-20 01:51 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-03-23 02:55 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-04-02 05:07 am (UTC)