✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
the endless dark, both terrifying and strangely familiar.
jeongguk stood in the pitch darkness. he couldn't see anything, he never does.
he was no stranger to the darkness that surrounded him. it was a familiar companion that had been by his side for centuries.
he waited to wake up. he always does.
all of a sudden, he was startled by the voices. jeongguk's body stiffened in response. it had been such a long time since he last heard those voices and their sudden appearance was quite jarring. jeongguk wanted to wake up now.
the voices got louder— sinister. jeongguk covered his ears but he could still hear them.
and then,
the darkness that had engulfed him was suddenly illuminated by flames, swirling around him in a hypnotic dance. the fire circling him and his eyes fell ahead, his breath hitching in his throat. now, before him stood a man, his presence sending a wave of unease through jeongguk's body.
jeongguk knows the man.
he was immobilized. what the hell was happening?
he watched the hell fire surrounding him—surrounding them growing increasingly perilous. he could see the man so clearly now that made him wonder, was this man always standing there in the darkness thus why he couldn't see him all this time? it sent shivers down jeongguk's spine. no he wasn't scared— he knew who this man was after all.
jeongguk's fists tightened as he locked eyes with the man who approached him, each step deliberate and measured. the fiery glow from the flames engulfing them illuminated the man's pale complexion, making him look so human that jeongguk wanted to puke.
when the man stood right in front of him. jeongguk's lips trembled to utter the word,
"father?"
the man stared.
"speak, please" jeongguk insisted.
but his father he never thought he would see again just stared at him.
and then,
his father's body was set on fire.
jeongguk's eyes widened, and he tried to step back. not because of shock but because he didn't want the fire to touch him. he could feel the heat of it, could see the misery in his father's red eyes. he has his father's eyes and when he saw the misery in them, he sees himself in the man. jeongguk wants to wake up.
the man placed his burning hand on jeongguk's shoulder. jeongguk wanted to push it away but he couldn't. he watched as his father leaned to his ear,
"history will repeat itself"
jeongguk shook his head aggressively. suddenly he felt an unknown emotion— fear.
"history will repeat itself" his father repeated. the fire nearing him. but he couldn't move, couldn't get away from the fire or his father who slowly hugged him.
his body caught fire.
"history will repeat itself"
jeongguk screamed.
jeongguk woke up in a cold sweat, causing his body to shiver as he attempted to sit up. he hardly ever slept, let alone lost consciousness— this may have been only the second time in his immortal life that he had fainted. the vulnerability he felt in the dream was terrifying and jeongguk never wanted to experience it again.
as the vampire wandered his gaze across the room he knew so well, his eyes eventually landed on taehyung, who was lying next to him in a rather uncomfortable position. his head was tilted at an odd angle and his chest was awkwardly pressed against the bed.
perhaps he had fallen off of jeongguk.
looking at taehyung, jeongguk recalled the dream, the words.
history will repeat itself.
jeongguk closed his eyes for a few seconds and attempted to rid himself of any thoughts. he couldn't let a mere nonsensical dream shake him up.— but here's a thing, jeongguk knew.
this was just not a dream. it was a warning.
jeongguk hesitated, his hand hovering over taehyung's bare shoulder, contemplating whether to try and wake him up. if falling unconscious had that much of an effect on him, jeongguk can only imagine what impact it had on taehyung.
however, just when his fingers touched taehyung's shoulder, jeongguk was taken aback.
taehyung was burning up.
the heat brought back memories of the dream. while it wasn't as intense as in the dream, it was still enough to cause concern for the vampire. as he observed taehyung's discomfort, jeongguk couldn't help but wonder if he was also feeling the same way. his curiosity prompted him to touch his own forehead, confirming he indeed was.
how come even he was burning up?
licking his lips to moisten them, jeongguk tried to get down the bed. however, as soon as he tried to stand, a wave of dizziness washed over him. luckily, his quick reflexes allowed him to catch himself before tumbling to the ground.
a thousand years he lived yet he never felt this way. jeongguk for a split second felt fear and terror that gnawed at him. what the hell was happening?
was completely marking taehyung what made the situation like this?
he walked over to the opposite side of the bed and gazed down at taehyung in a daze. jeongguk felt incredibly weak, to the point where he could collapse onto his knees at any moment but his only concern at that moment was taehyung. the human was burning up so bad, it couldn't be a normal fever.
he swiped his hand over taehyung's burning head and traced his face, while the words kept replaying in his mind.
history will repeat itself.
jeongguk won't let it.
he rushed to the bathroom and came back with a bowl of cold water and a soft towel.
fortunately, taehyung was already naked, which saved jeongguk the effort of undressing him. he turned taehyung onto his back, noticing a troubled expression on his face as if he were experiencing a nightmare. jeongguk pondered whether he was having the same dream as him? a notion that seemed absurd but fitting given the bizarre circumstances.
he attempted to steady his trembling hands but they continued to shake uncontrollably as he soaked the towel in cold water and gently wiped down taehyung's body. despite feeling so feverish and on the brink of collapsing again, jeongguk persevered, meticulously cleaning every inch of taehyung's body with great care.
the hell are you doing jeon jeongguk? he asked himself but there was no answer. really, why was he prioritizing taehyung over himself? if this was the mating effect, jeongguk might be regretting marking taehyung after all— or maybe not.
no matter what, he couldn't feel any hatred for taehyung. at that moment, surprisingly all he wanted was for taehyung to be okay.
after being done wiping his body, jeongguk brought some clothes that he made taehyung wear with much difficulty before he pulled the blanket over him. placing the wet cloth over taehyung's forehead, jeongguk let out a shaky breath. he was burning up badly.
he looked down at his bloody clothes and decided to take a quick bath. it was rather difficult but he somehow took one and came out in new clothes. laying down beside taehyung, he stared at the side of his face. it seemed as though taehyung wasn't burning up as much as before.
maybe jeongguk could rest for a while now. dragging his body closer to taehyung, he snuggled his face in the crook of taehyung's neck and wrapped his arm over the human, being as close as he could be.
a wave of unexpected serenity washed over jeongguk. embracing taehyung felt like a balm, soothing the tension that had coiled tight in his muscles. the feverish heat that had plagued him receded like a tide, leaving behind a pleasant coolness.
for the first time in his ever-long life, he slept that night, peacefully.
┅┅┅┅
when jeongguk woke up, he was met with the empty space beside him.
taehyung was gone.
sitting up quickly jeongguk groaned. his head was aching so bad. but he had no time to waste. taehyung was gone— his mate, his reason to live now, was gone.
the voices whispered to him. told him what could happen if he actually lost taehyung and jeongguk never felt the fear this thick before. he used his speed, running through every corner of the mansion in just a few seconds. his head did hurt but he paid no attention to that.
if he lost taehyung, he might as well lose everything else and jeongguk was selfish, he didn't want to become nothing— just like his father.
he will not let history repeat itself.
however, his lightning-fast legs came to a sudden stop once he arrived in the kitchen. jeongguk released a deep sigh and leaned against the pillar, his eyes filled with anger directed towards the figure inside the kitchen.
taehyung was starlet by jeongguk's sudden appearance. he could never fully comprehend or adapt to the vampire's extraordinary abilities.
"what the hell are you doing here?" jeongguk breathed out, surpassing the urge to place his hand over his head since it was hurting really bad.
"i... you were burning up. i thought i'd make you some porridge—"
if any other times, jeongguk might have found amusement in the human's words but now, he just growled, sounding so animalistic that taehyung visibly flinched.
"do i look like i need that stupid porridge you're making?" taehyung lowered his head, his hand coming to a halt from stirring the content.
when taehyung woke up by jeongguk's side. he had noticed the care the vampire had taken of him. he remembered burning up with fever but he was not anymore and he could tell jeongguk was the reason for that. he thought he would do little to something for the vampire.
taehyung wanted to help jeongguk but the vampire's harsh words reminded him,
he was a nobody.
"right, i'm sorry" taehyung turned off the stove. not able to meet jeongguk's now normal brown eyes.
jeongguk just stared at the human. confused as to why he looked so gloomy all so sudden. he tried to speak to taehyung but his head spun and he gripped the pillar for support. upon noticing this, taehyung ran to him and held his arm to assist jeongguk to the living room, making him sit down on a couch.
gulping onto nothing, jeongguk threw his head back and closed his eyes, eyebrows knitted together and fists clenched. it was truly embarrassing to let such a vulnerable side of him to be out, that too in front of a damn human but jeongguk didn't know what else to do. he had no idea why was he feeling so weak in the first place. even taehyung looked okay after sleeping but here he was.
sensing taehyung just standing there, jeongguk peered at him and motioned his hand to the other side of the couch. "sit down"
taehyung did so without asking any questions. pressing his knees together and fiddling with his fingers, taehyung nibbled on his lower lip. so many questions in his head and yet he knew asking wasn't one of the options. so they just sat there in silence and soon the silence gnawed at jeongguk. it called him weak, to just sit there and bear the results of his own consequences.
should he have bitten taehyung?
jeongguk couldn't bring himself to say no.
"w-why"
jeongguk lifted the hand that covered his eyes as he turned his head to look at taehyung who had tears in his eyes.
"why it had to be me?"
"why?" jeongguk repeated with a dry chuckle. "i don't know, you seduced me first so you should know better"
"fuck you" taehyung spat out, regretting his words right after when he saw jeongguk staring at him. however the vampire wasn't offended by his words. he just blankly stared for a few seconds and then refocused on the old aged ceiling.
"you're confused, you're scared and you don't trust me." jeongguk breathed out. "i know you don't want to stay here. you want to go back to your world, don't you?"
as their gazes locked, taehyung found himself unable to control the tears that welled up in his eyes. he clumsily attempted to brush them away, his head bobbing in a silent yes. he wanted to go back, even though there was nothing to return to.
taehyung didn't have a home. he had nobody.
but little did he know, neither did jeongguk? the wealthy arrogant bloodthirsty vampire had no home, no one to hold onto.
they both were lonely souls.
so did fate play tricks in bringing them together? jeongguk didn't believe in fate. he believed in nothing— not even himself.
that ends up making him feel even more lost. he depended on his sharp instincts so far and as a vampire, they have never failed him. but now, jeongguk's instincts are all over the place, he has little to no idea what to do, with himself or with taehyung.
he knew he wasn't ready for a mate and it had been already a thousand years, with the possibility of even more thousands to come. so what?jeongguk could have continued killing until he couldn't anymore.
he shouldn't have mated, shouldn't have fallen for the human's charms.
yet he can't seem to admit he regrets mating taehyung. why?
seeing taehyung nod like that, jeongguk sat up. he looked so vulnerable, jeongguk couldn't bring himself to be harsh on him. but he never lied, right now was no exception.
"i'm sorry kim taehyung. you can't go back anymore"
taehyung knew it. he knew death was the only way he could get out of there yet when he heard jeongguk say it aloud, his heart shattered. a gut wrenching sob tore through his chest as he crouched and cried in his hands.
jeongguk stared down at him, softly. pity? he didn't pity taehyung. he knew the feeling all too well, to not get out of the cage he entrapped himself into, alone for all these years. there was no one who understood taehyung better than him.
placing a hand over taehyung's shoulder, feeling the vibration of each sob that left the human, jeongguk closed his eyes. what a mess he had created.
"we are mates, taehyung. we can't—"
taehyung's hand whipped away jeongguk's in a violent motion, his eyes then burning into jeongguk with a harsh glare.
"to hell with your mates! i don't want to be your mate! i don't want to do anything with you! just fucking kill me! tear my fucking heart apart!"
jeongguk chuckled, "you don't mean that"
"i don't now. but for how long? do you think i'll always crave life in such a situation? what if one day i crave death, will you give it to me?"
jeongguk's heart clenched. he was hurt but he didn't know why.
"never."
"why? just fucking kill me already" taehyung cried, lowering his head he just cried.
"you need me, kim taehyung and i need you"
"i don't need you. i'm better off without you" taehyung spat. the hatred he had harbored for jeongguk all these days was coming out and the vampire found it rather amusing taehyung surpassed it for so long.
"oh yeah?" jeongguk sneered. "if i let you go now, do you know what will happen?"
taehyung didn't reply. he didn't want to know what would happen. but jeongguk spoke either way.
"you'll die"
"staying here is killing me bit by bit anyway"
"you hate me so much" jeongguk rasped out. looking into taehyung's tearful eyes, he chuckled. "you liked me once though. human's feelings change so fast"
taehyung had nothing to say in response to that. it was true that he had liked jeongguk the first time they met but that was before he discovered what was hidden beneath his facade. he had been drawn to jeongguk's charm and appearance, falling for something that turned out to be fake. taehyung was betrayed yet jeongguk was now painting him as the villain.
taehyung looked away, not wanting to answer the vampire and jeongguk just stared at him regardless. he loved staring at his little human, who was so weak, so vulnerable— one snap of his finger and taehyung would be dead. yet this very taehyung held so much power over him now that it baffled jeongguk.
"doll" jeongguk rasped out but taehyung didn't respond. rather he was about to stand up but jeongguk was quick enough to grab his wrist. he looked at the hand that grabbed him and then at jeongguk who blankly stared at him.
when jeongguk looks at him with his usual brown bambi eyes, he appears so effortlessly ordinary, just like the man taehyung had first fallen for. despite wanting to avert his gaze, taehyung finds himself captivated by jeongguk's beauty, unable to break free from its enchanting hold.
on the other hand, jeongguk was as much captivated by taehyung's beauty, his warmth and just him. it must be the mating effect, it had to be.
and suddenly he had the answer to his question. did he regret marking taehyung? no.
"i don't regret you"
taehyung was taken aback by the words and the softness in that always taunting tone.
he sniffled, "but i do"
"will your mind ever change?"
taehyung was quick to reply, "never"
jeongguk chuckled dryly, his grip strong on taehyung's wrist. he then looked into taehyung's eyes, "neither will mine"
there was something about jeongguk's tone, his words and his those brown bambi eyes that made taehyung believe him. suddenly he became nervous, wanting to break free from his tight grip and look away but again jeongguk's beauty held him there, and so did his words that taehyung didn't want to accept.
"stupid vampire" taehyung grumbled under his breath, rolling his eyes to somewhere else and jeongguk actually laughed hearing him.
something about that giggle was so angelic that caught taehyung off guard. he stared at jeongguk laughing so freely. all his anger seemed to disappear at the sight but again, taehyung was too stubborn to admit that.
after done laughing, he glanced at taehyung, a soft puff of warm air escaping his lips – a reminder of the feverish heat still coursing through him.
"hug me, doll"
"no"
jeongguk's eyes silently plead and taehyung felt an indescribable force compelling him to respond.
almost instinctively, his body began to move towards jeongguk, closing the gap between them as he enveloped jeongguk's massive figure in his arms. jeongguk closed his eyes and gently rested his chin on taehyung's shoulder. unbeknownst to himself, a subtle smile began to grace his lips.
as soon as they hugged, jeongguk instantly sensed the relief washing over him, as if his headache, bodyache and all the other pains were being effortlessly expelled from his body. contentedly, he enveloped taehyung in his arms as well, keeping the human secured within his warm and surprisingly comforting hold. taehyung on the other hand, found himself at a loss for what to do, completely overwhelmed by the sheer bliss that brought along a mere hug. it was as if the fever, the agonizing sensations of being bitten or penetrated, had never even occurred in the first place.
that was the moment when taehyung realized, they indeed needed each other.
but did they want each other as well? taehyung knew he didn't, he couldn't and he shouldn't.
but fate had other things planned.
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