Pairing: Jeongin & Felix (ft. SKZ)
Genre: Vampire AU
!!TW!! : mild angst, mentioned stalking, mentioned kidnapping, attempted murder, minor character death, manipulation, hypnosis, blood because vampires
(requested by @Jamers)
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They had all been together for a very long time, longer than any of them could really be bothered to remember. Chan was the oldest, and his mate, Minho, hadn't been turned too longer after him. And then there was Changbin, soon followed by Hyunjin, and then Seungmin – the latter two who were also mates. Finally, Jisung also joined them after Changbin found him to be his mate.
And then, a few centuries ago, they took in Jeongin.
The poor boy used to be a mortal noble who was forced to flee his home with an assassin on his trail. He'd accidentally stumbled upon Chan and Minho, the couple taking a nightly walk not far from their home, and the two had gotten rid of the assassin in a heartbeat – but Jeongin was gravely injured and, in order to save him, Minho had turned him.
Jeongin had survived the turn, and the rest of the coven had been quick to accept him, happily welcoming "the baby", as Changbin put it.
A few months after Jeongin's turning, Seungmin and Hyunjin discovered that his own family was behind the assassination attempt. Jeongin had been absolutely heartbroken and, as per his request, they all agreed to help him get his revenge.
That night, they had stormed Jeongin's ancient home and killed everyone who had been in league with his traitorous family, and they'd forced the rest of the staff to flee. And, once they'd cleared out the place, Jeongin had gifted the mansion to the coven, figuring it would be a shame to let such a beautiful, spacious place go to waste. The coven had happily agreed, and they'd all settled quickly into their new home, which conveniently happened to be quite isolated from other human settlements and, as such, they were free to live in peace.
Though the entire coven absolutely adored to pamper Jeongin and take care of him – especially the older ones since Minho was his official Sire and Chan the mate of said Sire – the young vampire was still rather independent and, though he accepted being spoiled, he never demanded anything from them, preferring to do things on his own.
(He'd only ever asked for one thing from them, and that was when he practically begged Chan to help him get his revenge on his family.)
Unfortunately, with Jeongin's thirst for revenge now sated, the young Vampire lost interest in pretty much... everything. Nothing could hold his attention for very long, and he constantly picked up new hobbies only to abandon them the next day. And, though the others tried their best to distract him from his constant boredom, their attempts were rarely successful – and, when they were, they never lasted for long.
And so, though cherished so dearly by so many, Jeongin's first few centuries into eternity were morose, at best, and also incredibly lonely, in a way.
Thankfully, life was a matter of change, even for creatures immune to time.
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Jeongin was out hunting, letting his instincts mostly take over – though the others preferred when he was accompanied because a small incident with a bunch of a hunters about two centuries ago, he enjoyed hunting on his own. The thrill of the chase, the satisfaction of a successful hunt entirely done on his own...
Blood. He stiffened, his head snapping up as the midnight breeze carried over the faintest scent of fresh blood. Not far from here.
He took off without a second thought, following the trail at full speed – it was most assuredly a big prey, considering the thickness of the scent, but there was an unfamiliar undertone of sweetness that made him crave for more. So, he ran, his feet barely touching the ground as he sped through the trees.
And then, he stopped, reaching the source of the scent. Perched atop a rocky formation, he let his gaze wander around for a bit before a faint whimper caught his attention, and he lowered his gaze, instantly meeting a pair of frightened, very-much human eyes. He blinked slowly, the human further below staring right back at him with fear written all over his dirty face.
He was huddled on the ground, his back pressed against a tree and his knees pulled against his chest. His heart was beating wildly in his chest, Jeongin could hear it, but there was something in his expression that was... off.
He was terrified, but it wasn't of Jeongin.
"Come on out, Yongbok!!!" The unexpected call, harsh and loud, made both boys freeze, and Jeongin only then noticed the tears streaming down the other's face. "You think you can hide for much longer? Don't think I'll let you off easy!!! No one's here to help you!"
The human boy lifted pleading eyes toward Jeongin, and the Vampire didn't think twice, feeling a surge of anger burst into his chest – it was the first time in a very long time he'd felt something so strongly, really.
With a soft snarl, he jumped from his perch and made a beeline for the shouting man, who was about forty meters away.
He was a buff, gruffy guy with a brash voice and a bloodied knife in his hand. Not thinking twice, Jeongin pounced on him and tackled him to the ground. The man didn't even have the time to scream, Jeongin snapping his neck without hesitation. After a brief moment of stillness, he abandoned the body and quietly made his way back to the boy.
He was still in the same spot, his eyes now closed and his breathing ragged, pain and fear leaking into his scent. Jeongin carefully made his way over to him, frowning when the boy didn't react at his approach – even when he snapped a few branches and leaves on purpose, the boy didn't move at all. It's only once Jeongin crouched beside him and hesitantly brushed his fingers against the boy's cheek that he realized he was actually unconscious.
The smell of blood was thicker than before.
Carefully lowering the boy's legs, Jeongin noticed how tightly he'd wounded his arms around himself, the position obviously made uncomfortable by the tape tightly wrapped around his wrists and, when Jeongin unceremoniously ripped his bindings apart, he finally saw the stab wound in the boy's side.
It didn't appear to have hit anything vital, thankfully, but it was still bleeding a lot. Not wasting any more time, he ripped off part of his shirt and tied it tightly around the boy's waist. Then, he carefully picked him up, murmuring an apology when a soft whimper escaped the boy.
He smells... so sweet...
Jeongin didn't really know what he was thinking, rushing to bring the boy back to the mansion at once – but what he did know was that, for the first time in centuries, he felt the need to do something.
He was going to save the boy, no matter what.
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To say the others were surprised by the unexpected stray Jeongin brought home would be an understatement, but they quickly got over it when they realized just how bad a shape the human was in.
Hyunjin and Jisung had quickly taken over, bringing the boy to a spare room so they could treat his wound. Changbin and Seungmin had left to go and get rid of the body Jeongin had abandoned in the forest, and Chan and Minho simply questioned the younger about the whole situation. By the time the vampires returned, and the oldest were done interrogating their ward, Hyunjin and Jisung were also done treating him.
"He'll be fine," announced Hyunjin, wiping his hands with a rag. "He lost a fair amount of blood, but nothing a good night's rest and some proper nutrition can't help with. He should regain consciousness comes morning."
"I want to see him!"
Eager, Jeongin didn't even wait for the others' reaction, merely rushing into the room where the boy was resting. The rest of the coven exchanged surprised, curious looks, and Chan eventually dismissed them, thanking them for helping out and assuring them they would handle it from there. Chan and Minho soon entered the room not long after and were once again surprised to find Jeongin sitting right next to the bed, staring at the sleeping human with a startling amount of curiosity and almost childish awe.
"He's so pretty, hyungs," he whispered, not even sparing them a glance.
He really was. Hyunjin and Jisung had cleaned him up and dressed him in clean clothes after treating his wounds, and there was no denying he was quite pretty. A lithe form, delicate features, and little stars dotting his face made him appear like some sort of porcelain doll, really.
"What do you want to do with him, Innie?" softly asked Chan. "Obviously, he's welcomed to stay until he's recovered, but telling him the truth about our nature may be... unwise."
"I don't really know. Can we keep him?" replied the younger with a small grin.
He was joking, that much was obvious. And yet, Minho and Chan couldn't help but take him seriously. For the first time in forever, their baby vampire was showing genuine interest – not only in something, but in someone. He'd expressed more emotions in the past few hours than he'd done in the past few centuries.
Chan and Minho exchanged a look, easily coming to an understanding.
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"How should we proceed?"
"We can't go about this too brashly. Before anything, we need to find more information about him. We've managed to avoid the attention of humans for so long thanks to the magical wards we bought from the coven of witches a while back, but there's no way to know for certain if they'll hold up against today's human technology. If they send out their people to look for him—"
"Something tells me we don't have to worry about that," shrugged Minho. "We can question him once he wakes up, but the creep that was after him must have believed he could get away with possibly killing him, if the wounds he sustained are anything to go by. He probably targeted the boy knowing no one would notice he was gone."
"We can't act on assumptions, love. It's too risky."
Minho shook his head. "I'm aware. But forgetting about this for now, how do you think we should proceed with keeping him here?"
"What do you suggest?"
"Well, the dungeons under the mansion are still viable, are they not?"
Chan shot him an unimpressed look. "Minho, we're not going to chain him down in the basement. If Jeongin wants to keep him, then we can't just break him."
"He's a human. He's bound to be broken sooner or later, so why not use that malleability to our advantage and make it so he won't want to leave?"
"That's..."
Chan had long since given up on most human morals, but he mostly hesitated because he didn't want to risk breaking beyond repair the one thing Jeongin had shown interest in ever since he'd been turned. What if they did something wrong and Jeongin ended up hating them?
"... let's just wait, for now," he decided. "Let's wait until we know better what kind of person he is. He won't be able to leave until he has recovered, so it ought to give us ample time to figure something out."
Minho nodded in agreement, lazily draping his arms around Chan. He couldn't deny that he was quite tempted to just bite the boy and turn him and be done with the whole thing, but Jeongin was the one who'd found him and he didn't want to overstep. In the end, the human was legitimately Jeongin's to do with as he pleased.
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When Felix woke up, he was quite surprised to find himself laying in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, wearing unfamiliar clothes... with a not-quite-as-unfamiliar boy gazing at him from the large, velvety chair that had been placed next to the bed.
Felix didn't know who the boy was, but he did remember seeing him before.
"You're awake!" he beamed, scarlet eyes crinkling in the corners as he smiled broadly, showing off a pair of sharp fangs. "How do you feel?"
"... sore. Who- who are you...?"
"I'm Jeongin! And yes, soreness is only to be expected – you've lost a lot of blood last night. But you're okay! My friends patched you up, and they said you were going to be just fine! What's your name, by the way?"
"Felix." A tad hesitantly, he then decided to ask the question that was burning his tongue. "You're... a vampire, aren't you?"
Jeongin's grin widened a bit. "I am."
"Oh. I- I'm guessing I owe you my life, then...?"
"If you're referring to the creep that was chasing you through the woods yesterday, the guy is dead – I killed him," informed plainly the vampire, tilting his head curiously. "But you don't look scared of me. Why?"
Felix shrugged, unsure of the answer. To be frank, he was still a bit in shock, and he felt strangely numb. Had those been different circumstances, he would have probably freaked out a bit but, right now, he just felt tired. Also, while it was his first time meeting a real vampire, he'd known of their existence for many years, now, what with having befriended a werewolf pack a few years ago, back in Australia.
Plus...
"At this point, I'm more scared of humans than anything else," he admitted quietly.
He lowered his eyes, unable to stand Jeongin's intense gaze any longer. After a few seconds of silence, the vampire unexpectedly reached out to him and grabbed one of his hands, gently squeezing it in a show of support.
"You don't have to be scared anymore, Felix," he assured softly, but firmly. "I'll protect you, no matter what."
Felix's heart skipped a beat at the bold declaration, and he felt a blush spread through his cheeks, making him lower his head even more. Still, he squeezed Jeongin's hand back in a silent thank you, genuinely grateful. Even if Jeongin had outright admitted to killing someone without so much as a cringe, Felix couldn't bring himself to care.
Because he was safe, and it was all thanks to Jeongin.
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Felix met Minho and Chan a little while after waking up, and then he explained everything – how the man had been stalking him for weeks before ultimately kidnapping him, and how the creep was apparently a serial killer who'd been on the loose for months, now, without the human authorities being able to catch him or stop him.
He'd been taking Felix to his place, but Felix had miraculously regained consciousness on the way and had somehow managed to kick the trunk of the car open. The noise had alerted the murderer, who'd immediately stopped the car to check on him, and Felix had used that opportunity to make a run for it.
He'd been stabbed in the process, but he'd still managed to escape into the forest in the hopes of losing him – and that was how Jeongin had found him.
"What about your family, or your friends?" asked Chan, trying not to sound too inquisitive but still wishing for some answers. "Will they have noticed anything amiss?"
Felix cringed, averting his eyes. "I don't... really have anyone to worry like that. My family's back in Australia, and I haven't been able to make any friends here."
Chan and Minho exchanged a pleased look. Things would obviously be much easier than they first thought. Now that they knew for certain that the outside world wouldn't be an issue, it was simply a matter of convincing Felix to stay for good.
"Well, feel free to stay here for as long as you'd like," replied Minho, offering him a grin that was a tad too sharp to be solely friendly. "Innie, take good care of our guest, hm?"
"I will! Come on, Lix – I'll show you the library! It's my favorite place in the mansion!"
Felix smiled at Jeongin's eagerness, accepting his offer without issue. Since he couldn't walk on his own just yet, the vampire simply picked him up and carried him out, chatting animatedly about his favorite books. Watching them go, Chan and Minho only found their determination growing.
They'd never seen Jeongin so happy, and they'd be damned before they let anything ruin it.
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Biting Felix and turning him against his will wouldn't work – in order for a human to survive the transformation, they needed a lot of willpower and, most importantly, they needed to want it. So, forcing a transformation could only end one of two ways: either Felix died, either he turned into a ghoul – and that wasn't an outcome they'd ever wish on anyone, even less a boy as a sweet as Felix.
So far, the freckled boy hadn't shown any sign of wanting to leave, so Chan and Minho agreed on not doing anything brash like locking him up unless he actively tried to run away. They didn't want to frighten him and, if they made him hate them, then Jeongin would be upset, and they didn't want that either.
Unsure of how to proceed in order to ensure Felix wouldn't leave and would eventually agree to being turned, the two oldest vampires quickly roped the others into their scheme. They were unsurprised, and also eager to help – they had all noticed how much Felix's presence had helped Jeongin come out of his shell at last, and they wanted nothing more than to keep their sweet youngest happy.
As such, they decided to split up their efforts, so to speak. Hyunjin started teaching him how to draw and paint, Seungmin answered any and all questions about the supernatural world, Jisung engaged him in games and contests of all sorts, Changbin helped him physically recuperate from his wounds, Minho prepared him all sorts of delicious meals, and Chan helped him try and get over the traumatic experience. And, through it all, Jeongin was always there. He barely left Felix's side during the day and, when night came, Felix was the one begging him not to leave, terrified of the nightmares that would plague him otherwise.
(Jeongin had noticed the others were up to something, but he didn't say anything. Felix, however, didn't have a single clue of what they were planning.
He didn't realize that Hyunjin was painting his portrait because, once turned, he would no longer be able to see his reflection. He didn't realize that Seungmin was answering all of his questions, but particularly insisted on the aspects of mates and eternal love and companionship to try and make him interested.
He didn't realize Jisung's games and contests were meant to evaluate his capacities, or that Changbin's help was meant to strengthen his body – both with the purpose of properly preparing him for the turn. He didn't realize Minho's meals were already more... raw-oriented, and often flavored with blood, and most importantly filled with nutrients that would eventually help his body accept the turn faster than it usually would.
And finally, he didn't realize that all of his time spent talking with Chan wasn't just meant to help him overcome his trauma – it was Chan's way of subtly manipulating him by putting ideas into his heads, mentioning Jeongin's interest numerous times and trying to turn Felix's blatant idolization syndrome into genuine love.)
All in all, they were making good progress. Almost a month after Jeongin first brought Felix home, and the freckled boy had yet to say anything about leaving – though that may have to do with the fact that he'd grown a bit disoriented thanks to the nutrients Minho was slipping into his food and drinks.
He'd grown completely dependent of Jeongin, emotionally speaking. Chan had made sure to encourage that dependence, well aware that it would only help them achieve their goal, and Felix had developed severe separation anxiety. Jeongin hadn't said anything against it, overjoyed by the fact that, for once, someone was relying on him.
"I'm sorry, Innie," murmured Felix as he hugged the vampire's waist.
"What for, Lix?"
The two of them were in the library, cuddling on one of the numerous couches. Felix had proven to be quite the cuddle bug, and Jeongin was happy to indulge his need for physical contact, even if he lacked the natural warmth of a human body.
"I'm always monopolizing your time and attention," he huffed, pouting a bit. "But when I leave—"
He cut himself off, falling silent as a slightly troubled look graced his features. After a moment, Jeongin's finger slipped under his chin and carefully tilted his head up so their gazes could meet. Jeongin's eyes flashed a more vivid red, and Felix's own instantly grew a bit glassy, somewhat dull.
"You don't need to leave, Felix," he murmured soothingly, a strange echo underlying his words. "You don't want to leave. You're safe here, and you're happy with me."
"I'm... safe here," echoed Felix, a tad sluggishly.
"And you're happy with me," repeated patiently Jeongin.
"And I'm happy with you."
A smile spread on Jeongin's lips, and he leaned in, pecking the human's lips. As soon as he pulled away, a slightly dizzy smile spread on Felix's lips, and the human completely relaxed in his hold, exhaling contently as he laid his head against Jeongin's chest. The vampire began carding his fingers through Felix's hair and, soon enough, the human was deeply asleep in his arms.
"So that's why he hasn't been insisting on leaving."
Jeongin tilted his head back, glancing at Minho with a small grin. "I couldn't let you guys do all the work."
"So you knew, then?"
"Kind of hard not to notice. You guys aren't exactly subtle," he snorted. He then glanced back to Felix, his smile softening a bit. "Isn't he just precious, hyung?"
"Hm, that he is. So you really want to keep him, then?"
"I do. Is that okay?"
"More than okay. Just tell us once he's ready, alright?"
"Will do. Thank you, hyung."
"Anything for you, Innie."
Jeongin had to be careful when using his hypnosis on Felix. If he overused it on the poor boy, then he'd become completely incapable of doing anything on his own and would eventually sink into a completely unresponsive, catatonic state – which, obviously, Jeongin didn't want.
So, he only used his power to make Felix... forget, about the possibility of leaving. And, whenever the hypnosis began fading and the freckled boy regained his senses, Jeongin simply convinced him all over again that he didn't actually want to leave, and that he was very happy with staying in the mansion.
With Felix staying by his own will – kind of – it allowed everyone else to focus on slowly, but surely integrating him into the coven. He was still clear-minded enough to express himself and act like he normally would, so befriending him wasn't too hard, and they all grew genuinely attached to him.
Felix was meant to be with them, that much was obvious to everyone.
And then, eventually, Jeongin stopped using his hypnosis altogether and, when Felix finally began questioning why he had yet to leave even though he had been there for months, Jeongin simply told him that he didn't need to leave if he didn't want to, and it's not like anyone had come looking for him in the meantime.
(Which was true, and it only helped drive their point home: without them, Felix was completely alone. Why would he want to return to a life like that?)
With those arguments, it didn't take much more to convince him. At that point, he was completely enamored and dependent of Jeongin, too, so when he eventually announced his formal decision to stay for as long as they'd welcome him, none of them were surprised.
"So you want to stay with me, Felix? With us, for all eternity?" insisted Jeongin, staring down into Felix's beautiful eyes.
The freckled boy smiled as the vampire cradled his cheek. "I want that more than anything, Jeongin. Please, turn me."
Jeongin was admittedly a bit terrified, but Felix appeared completely certain and, though this decision ultimately resulted from a good amount of emotional manipulation, it didn't change the fact that it was Felix's decision and, as such, he should be able to turn into a vampire without issue.
And, of course, Jeongin was going to be his Sire. He had literally snarled at Chan when the older had first volunteered to turn Felix.
"Alright, then," he murmured, lowering himself onto Felix and pressing him into the mattress. He gently tilted his head to expose his neck. "Just relax, love. It'll be over before you know it."
Felix hummed softly, his eyes fluttering shut as Jeongin's lips brushed against the sensitive skin of his neck. The vampire gently lapped at a particular spot for a bit, the natural sedative in his saliva numbing the skin and, once certain Felix wouldn't be in any sort of pain, he sunk his teeth in.
The explosion of sweetness in his mouth was unlike anything he'd ever tasted before, and he was so startled he almost pulled back, but he restrained himself and kept on pumping his venom in. He could feel Felix quickly going lax underneath him and, as soon as he felt the boy's heartbeat stop, he pulled out.
He leaned back, cradling Felix's face once more. He was incredibly pale, the darkening veins on his neck a stark contrast with his complexion – dead, but not for long. He could tell his venom was taking roots properly and now, the only thing left was to feed Felix his own blood in order to complete the transformation.
Slicing open his own wrist, he took a few mouthfuls of his own blood before pressing his lips to Felix's and making him swallow it. It was rather messy, but the exchange was almost electric, making him yearn for more. Still, he held himself back and finished the process properly.
Pulling back, he gently brushed the hair out of Felix's face before getting up and fetching the bowl of water and the clean rag he'd brought in earlier. He began carefully cleaning Felix up, kissing him every so often, and he eventually put everything away to settle down beside him, patiently waiting for the transformation to finish.
It took a little over five hours for Felix's eyes to snap open, and Jeongin was immediately taken aback by the sheer beauty of hid scarlet irises. He gently traced Felix's jawline with the tip of his fingers, eventually cupping his cheek so he could tilt Felix's head his way, and the newborn vampire grinned when their eyes met, a tad dopily.
"Innie..."
"Hi, love," he grinned back. "How do you feel?"
"Floaty... It's nice..."
Jeongin hummed. "That's my venom taking effect. It works as an analgesic, so tell me when it starts hurting so I can give you more, okay?"
A tad too groggy to even think, Felix mutely nodded and shifted onto his side so he could cuddle up with Jeongin, who smiled again and hugged him tightly, kissing his temple. He was glad his instincts had been right, and that Felix was indeed his mate, but the good news could wait a little longer – until Felix was clear-headed enough to receive them, that is.
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"Aw, our baby's all grown up, now..." pouted Minho.
"That's alright, love," chuckled Chan, patting his head. "Something tells me we've just found a new baby who'll be a bit more receptive to our care."
Minho snorted at that. "That's assuming Jeongin will even allow us within ten feet of the boy. He was already possessive as is, so now that he's become his Sire..."
Chan sweatdroped a bit at that. "Point."
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Not me suddenly realizing I actually have a lot of Vamp!SKZ AU xD Now saying this, which Vampire AU (from any of my books) is your favorite? Feel free to share why, too!