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He can’t quite remember how old he is anymore - not like it matters - but when he meets Jisoo, it matters quite a lot.
He is old though. Much more older than he appears.
Junhui was there in the first war, a newborn created to fight - created to burn and ravage villages. He can’t remember who his creator was or who his fellow comrades were and he doesn’t want to either. He left that life behind him a long time ago.
Now he’s blending in with humans, only feeding when necessary and he has found quite a number of alternatives, but he does not entertain them until Jisoo takes his hand and leads him onto the right path.
Nothing ever mattered to him until he met Jisoo anyway.
Jisoo has never met anyone as pretty as Junhui.
He is Minghao's friend, someone who has only just transferred to their university. It is the same program that allowed Minghao to study here and Jisoo can't actually remember how the two even know each other, but Minghao has mentioned him often enough in passing that Jisoo never really stopped to think about it.
Not until he came face to face with him at least.
Minghao is giving him a weird look, the one that usually means Jisoo is making a face he does not approve of, but it isn't like Jisoo can control that. His face does whatever it likes and has never once listened to Jisoo when he's tried to stop it.
Junhui is staring at him too and Jisoo knows that he is, but he's too nervous to meet his gaze.
When Minghao introduced them and their eyes met, it felt like electricity had sparked in between them. Junhui had gone very, very still and froze, looking as if he had stopped breathing, only recovering when Minghao jabbed him in the side with his elbow. Jisoo had immediately looked away, his entire body tingling with a sense of anticipation.
Jisoo had no idea what he was expecting to happen, but it is not like he knew that at that moment Junhui had finally found his mate.
It becomes quickly apparent to Jisoo afterward that Junhui is not human.
He is much too pretty, too graceful when he moves and there are a few moments when Jisoo thinks Junhui is using very outdated lingo but he has no idea how to confirm it. Junhui is too much of everything really and yet Jisoo still finds himself playing along with the flirting anyway.
Junhui seeks him out - between classes, on campus, at parties, etc. - and sidles up beside him, making his presence known. He smiles wide, his teeth glinting in any kind of lighting they tend to find themselves in and then cracks a joke.
Jisoo doesn't think he's very funny, but Junhui is trying hard and he's never had anyone pursue him like this before. Jisoo has never had anyone pursue him before actually, but if Jeonghan's stories are anything to go by, then Junhui is doing a far better job than anyone who has shown interest in Jisoo's best friend.
That does not mean that Jisoo will give in so easily though. He is a grown man who is far away from home, but he is not gullible. He smiles and nods and chuckles politely at Junhui's jokes and does nothing more than that.
It is nice to have someone show interest in him so openly, Jisoo can admit that.
However, just because he's never been kissed before does not mean that he'll swallow down everything Junhui says and bend over backward for him. Jisoo has standards and his lack of experience in everything related to this does not affect that fact.
Of course, there's also the matter that Junhui is not human, which only fuels the mysterious aura about him that Jisoo can't quite pinpoint.
Junhui is kind, polite, and cute, but when they are alone sometimes, their gazes will meet and a look of hunger will shine back at Jisoo in his eyes. Jisoo will gulp and take a step back, fear and arousal clogging his throat. Junhui's eyes will clear up right away after that and then he'll crack another joke just to clear the tense and awkward atmosphere.
Jisoo does not know why someone like Junhui, an exquisite creature who Jisoo is sure could pick any one of his choosing, is interested so much in a person like him, but it feels good to be wanted.
He's relatively boring when compared to anyone else. He's not a bad catch, that much he'll admit to, but Jisoo is certain there is a reason why no one has ever tried flirting with him until now. Junhui can't be human if he's somehow attracted to Jisoo of all people.
Being honest is what Jisoo is good at and he's never made it a habit of lying to himself, even when the truth is not kind, but it is as it is and Jisoo cannot change that. If he lied to himself then there would be no point for Jisoo to be truthful with others like he has been thus far. If Jisoo cannot trust himself, then he cannot trust anyone else either.
Junhui studies Jisoo for a better part of the semester while he tries to interact with him.
They are mates, but half the time, Junhui is too nervous to actually hold a conversation with him. He never knows what exactly to say or how to hold himself whenever he is around Jisoo.
Is he allowed to touch him? Would Jisoo let him? Is he just overthinking things as per usual?
Junhui is confused and hesitant, but he does his best to become friends with Jisoo. He is obviously human and while Minghao had consoled him about this fact, it is not a dealbreaker for him.
They can be just friends if that is what Jisoo prefers.
But he won’t lie and say that he wouldn’t mind being able to take Jisoo in his arms and kiss him gently, savoring all the touches and little sounds that Jisoo would give him. Jisoo is a quiet man, but when he’s with Jeonghan, a mischievous side of him shows its true colors. Junhui relishes in all the glimpses he manages to sneak past the careful facade Jisoo has created for himself. With each new side of him, comes more insight and the feeling in the pit of Junhui’s stomach rumbles throughout his entire body, making him feel more nervous and excited at the same time.
So Junhui decides to bid his time and wait until Jisoo is more comfortable, until they are both in a place where they can be honest with one another.
Sometimes, however, Junhui finds himself staring at Jisoo’s mouth as they talk and he won’t notice it until Jisoo stops talking and stares back at him, the smell of his emotions attacking Junhui’s senses. Jisoo will step back each and every time and Junhui will laugh awkwardly, not knowing what to do at all when Jisoo doesn’t laugh as well.
It’s strange looking at his mate from afar sometimes because all Junhui wants to do is have him close. Especially when he discovers that Jisoo is taking a night class every Wednesday night and Junhui is sure that Jisoo would not appreciate this, but he watches him from the shadows to make sure that he gets back to his dorm safely.
Jisoo may not know about the night watching, but he does know something about Junhui’s nature at least. He has his guesses, Junhui knows, but Jisoo hasn’t said anything explicitly about it yet either so Junhui will simply hope for the best at the moment. He is no fool, Junhui knows that Jisoo is not one either, and the knowing looks Jisoo gives him all point towards the fact that Jisoo knows .
It’s in the sparkle of his eyes, the curl of his lips, or the knowing tone in his voice when he tries to pick at Junhui’s image, waiting for when he will pick a loose thread and the entire thing will come undone. He prods carefully, holding his breath as if he expects Junhui to lash back at him like some kind of trapped animal, but the retaliation never comes and so Jisoo is now slowly growing more comfortable around him.
The closer they get though, the more Junhui wishes to feed. It is difficult to deny his nature, to deny himself the right of having his mate, but he must if he really wishes to deserve Jisoo in the future. There is enough blood on his hands already and adding any more would not benefit Junhui in the slightest.
Junhui isn’t ashamed of what he is, but he doesn’t want to lose Jisoo. He doesn’t want Jisoo to force himself into being someone who he is not just to be with Junhui and he doesn’t want Jisoo to think that he has to either.
Junhui has gone through many wars, has been what the humans consider brave on a number of many instances, but when it comes to his mate, Junhui turns into jelly.
Things will continue as they are for now. When Junhui is ready (or, more likely, when Jisoo confronts him), Junhui will tell Jisoo all that he needs to know.
He’ll tell Jisoo everything.
"You're still on for the trip, right? It's partially for your birthday after all," Jeonghan chimes beside Jisoo, his poor acting not helping him at the moment.
Jisoo sighs and thinks back on when Minghao suggested they all go camping for the winter break, opting to skip both Christmas and New Year's for the great outdoors instead. Jisoo doesn't think it's a good idea and he knows that regardless of camping, they're still going to get smashingly drunk on Christmas and New Year's anyway, but he couldn't resist Chan. Everyone knows the youngest of their group is his weakness and they had exploited that to make him agree, the cowards.
Junhui has also agreed to come with and Jisoo seriously does not know why that makes his stomach tense up so much. But it does and Jisoo has quickly realized that his friends have all noticed the little game between Junhui and him by now.
The camping trip just feels like a plot schemed between Jeonghan and Seungkwan to get Jisoo and Junhui together and that feeling doesn't sit right with him. Jeonghan has been pestering him the entire week about the trip, double and triple checking that Jisoo really will go, and it is wearing on Jisoo's last nerves.
He should never have agreed in the first place to this ridiculous idea, but Chan is his weakness so Jisoo resigns himself quietly to his fate.
"Yeah, I'm still on," Jisoo sighs in response to Jeonghan's question, bottom lip caught between his teeth.
Jeonghan smiles and claps his hands together, launching himself into a new conversation about what kind of hiking boots he should bring while Jisoo tunes him out, trying his best to ignore the feeling of his stomach falling to his feet.
When classes end, Jisoo finds himself in Mrs. Chwe's minivan, squished against a window in the very back row of seats.
Hansol sits in the passenger's seat, repeating the GPS directions back to Seungcheol who is driving. Hansol's mother was kind enough to let them borrow her van for their trip, but Jisoo finds that he really wishes Seungcheol and Jeonghan were not the only ones in their groups of friends who have their license.
Jisoo knows how to drive of course, but he got his license when he was sixteen and still living in LA. He hasn't quite mastered the difference in traffic laws just yet so Seungcheol had told him to just sit back and relax while he and Jeonghan covered the rest.
At least Junhui isn't in the van with them. He's in Jeonghan's mid-sized sedan instead, probably in the passenger's seat because Jeonghan likes having another pretty face up front with him in case he gets pulled over. Not like Jisoo cares anyway, but he relishes any time spent away from him whenever their group gets together.
Not because he hates Junhui, but because he doesn’t know how he is supposed to interact with someone who is constantly trying to flirt with him. Junhui hasn’t made any other moves apart from flirting either so if Jisoo were to bring it up and reject him, he thinks it would ruin a lot of things between them that he doesn’t mean to ruin. He knows that Junhui wouldn’t hold it over him because despite the weird game between them, they are friends and they do get along well - really well. Jisoo just doesn’t want to risk anything right now.
Chan is dozing on his shoulder, mouth agape as he snores lightly. He can see Soonyoung staring at the younger from the corner of his eye, but Jisoo has found that it is much easier for him if he ignores whatever new romantic complication Soonyoung is dealing with now.
(Of course, he won't mention the fact that this complication with Chan has been going on since the beginning of the year, but he really wishes that Soonyoung would just grow a pair and tell the kid how he feels already. It's obvious that Chan returns the sentiment anyway. He also can’t deny that this is probably what everyone else has been thinking whenever they see Junhui try to flirt with Jisoo.)
Jisoo readjusts his earbuds and stares out the window as he increases the volume of his music. This will probably be the last time he gets to use his phone before they go full natural anyway so he is most definitely going to get whatever he can get out of this while his phone still has some battery life on it.
The scenery goes by in a blur and before Jisoo knows it, he too is nodding off with his forehead pressed into the windowpane.
If he dreamt of something, Jisoo can't remember it.
Chan nudging him awake is more important than clinging to the fuzzy image of someone with ruby red lips and eyes darker than the night though. Jisoo sits up and takes his earbuds out, listening attentively to Chan's sleepy voice in his ear. He smiles once the younger has finished and ruffles his hair affectionately, looking towards the van's open door as Chan leans away and begins to climb out.
He pauses his music and puts his earbuds away into his knapsack, turning his phone off quickly afterward and shoving it into his pocket as Chan steps out and turns back to look at him expectantly. Jisoo hands Chan his bag and shuffles forward, pressing his knees together so he can squeeze into the first row of back seats then takes the other hand Chan offers him to get out. The others are already gathered behind the vehicles, everyone grabbing their backpacks and double-checking their supplies.
Seungcheol is busy counting tents and Jisoo can see his furrowed brow which means that some of them will have to bunk up together in the too-tiny tents. Jisoo can already feel the dread dragging down on his bones when Seungcheol rubs a hand on his brow and frowns as he counts the tents again.
Jisoo looks away and takes his bag back from Chan, following the youngest so they can get their backpacks and supplies along with the others.
Once everyone has gotten what they needed, Seungcheol clears his throat and frowns again, explaining that they're short in the number of tents so a few of them will have to bunk up.
Seungcheol and Jeonghan will be sharing, to no one's surprise because they are the eldest and always inconvenience themselves for the sake of the younger ones in their group of friends. Which is why Jisoo does not react when Seungcheol meets his gaze and winces with sympathy as he declares Jisoo and Junhui tent mates.
Jisoo can hear Seungkwan and Soonyoung whooping, but it sounds very far away and things are going out of focus for him. He isn't sure what he expected, but if he had known he had to share a tent with Junhui of all people (or creatures, whatever), he never would have bothered coming - his Chan weakness be damned. The others are buzzing around him, but Jisoo is busy mourning the loss of an enjoyable winter break with his friends. When he finally comes back to, it is to Junhui nudging him with his elbow, notching his head towards the others who have already begun walking away.
He lets Junhui lead them, their tent slung across his back while Jisoo tries and fails to ignore the fact that Junhui's elbow was as cold as ice.
Green is all he can see. Green and brown and bits of blue, but the green is what's keeping his attention.
They've been hiking for almost an hour now, far from the campsite that Jeonghan and a few of the younger ones are setting up right now. Junhui had offered to set their tent up and Jisoo had nodded, latching onto Seungcheol when he planned their first hike.
Birds chirp in the trees high above them and insects buzz about. They have passed a few streams and Jisoo is itching to see the river that is near the campgrounds, but that will have to wait until they return. Leaves crunch under their feet as they continue, Seungcheol constantly checking the map and compass he holds in his hands.
No one is really speaking as they walk. It feels as if a hush fell over them as soon as they stepped into the forest, everyone holding their breath at the same time. Jisoo doesn't understand why he feels like something big is going to happen soon, he can't quite pinpoint why his tuition is trying to tell him this either, but it's big , obviously, and it only grows with each passing second that they are away from the campsite.
The trees clear out soon enough and Seungcheol stops them, looking in all directions before he suggests they get back to the campsite and get ready for dinner. Jisoo wants to disagree, but the others are tired and hungry and when his own stomach rumbles with hunger, he begrudgingly adjusts the straps of his backpack and takes up the rear of their group.
Minghao begins a game of I Spy as they walk back, the chatter of their voices feeling alien to Jisoo's ears now that they are surrounded by green again. Wonwoo wins every round to Seungkwan's dismay and Jisoo smiles whenever they look his way, making sure to remain two steps behind his friends as they continue to walk farther out of the forest.
The hike back feels shorter than it did when they left and Jisoo tenses up as he catches the first glimpses of the campsite. Soonyoung has gotten a fire going already, still tending to the flames now with Chan sitting on a log beside him, the cooler with half their food by his knees.
Junhui waves him over to their tent and Jisoo swallows before he walks over, unsure of what to do with himself now that everyone is focusing on dinner. Junhui is smiling at him, his eyes glinting in the dim light of the fire and remaining sunlight. His teeth are gleaming and just like every other time, Jisoo is enraptured by them.
"Tired?" Junhui asks when Jisoo has still made no move to enter the tent.
He blinks and kneels to unzip the tent, tensing as Junhui's hands grab onto the straps of his backpack and start pulling them over his shoulders then down his arms. Jisoo has to fight back the shiver that threatens to run down his spine because Junhui's hands are just as cold as his elbow and Jisoo really wishes he would warm them up often enough for others to not suspect him like Jisoo does.
"Kind of," Jisoo replies, still wondering how he is supposed to survive the rest of the trip if he has to share this tiny bit of space with someone as extraordinary as Junhui. "Do you know what we're going to have for dinner?"
Junhui hums behind him, hands still gripping on tight to Jisoo's backpack. "Jeonghan-hyung said something about hotdogs and smores, but I think Channie wants soup instead."
"So, soup," Jisoo mumbles, shifting out of the straps so Junhui can take his backpack. "Do you know who's going to get started on it?"
"Mingyu, I think," Junhui offers, still smiling as he holds both straps of Jisoo's backpack in one hand. "You can sleep for now, if you want. I'll wake you when the food is ready."
Jisoo tilts his head and opens the tent's flap before he looks back to finally meet Junhui's gaze. "No, it's okay. I'm hungry right now so I'm going to try and grab a snack before I rest."
Junhui's smile only widens on that note, leaning down to put Jisoo's backpack gently on the ground between them. "I'll get you something to eat, you rest."
Even though he is the hyung, Jisoo nods and watches as Junhui skirts along the campfire before flickering over towards their bags of food that Seungcheol is preparing to tie up in the trees. Seungcheol jumps when Junhui appears so suddenly beside him, but now Jisoo can add speed to his list of reasons why Junhui is not human.
He sighs and grabs his sleeping bag from his backpack, rolling it out beside Junhui's before hauling his backpack into the tent and resting it near the head of his sleeping bag. Junhui's backpack is also inside the tent as well and Jisoo finds now that his sleeping bag is out, he really would like to sleep until the soup is ready, even if he hasn't gotten his snack yet.
Before he can arrange himself into a sitting position though, Junhui is ducking into the tent right behind him, forcing Jisoo to shuffle forward on his knees until they can both fit.
"I found one of those granola bars that you like so much, but don't let Cheol-hyung see you eat it though," Junhui whispers, not a single hair on his head looking out of place as he hands the granola bar over, "he doesn't know I nicked it."
Jisoo takes the bar and tears right into it, eating quickly enough that it leaves Junhui to look at him in something like awe. "Wow. You must have been really hungry, huh, hyung?"
"Shut up, Junnie-yah," Jisoo shoots back, laughing despite himself when Junhui only grins in response.
Maybe the trip won't be as horrible as he thinks.
"Junhui."
"Hm?"
"You do know that you're not fooling me, right?"
Junhui lies very still in his sleeping bag, his back turned away from Jisoo. Jisoo has been watching him ever since dinner when they were all gathered around the fire. Junhui had shied away from the flames with a wariness that had shown on his face easily enough and Jisoo doesn't know how everyone else seems to be overlooking this, but for him, it is hard to ignore. Honestly speaking, Jisoo is sick and tired of pretending like everything is fine. He understands the fact that some people just prefer keeping things to themselves until they're ready to share, but he's known Junhui for an entire semester already and in college years, that's two lifetimes put together.
It is high time Junhui started telling him the truth.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Junhui says after a considerable amount of time has passed, still as stiff as before.
Jisoo sighs and inches closer, a hand outstretched to grab hold of Junhui's cold arm to keep him from trying to escape. "I know you're not human, Junhui-yah."
Junhui flinches, pulling away from Jisoo's touch. "That's a pretty fucked up thing to say to someone, hyung. Even for you."
"I tell the truth, you know that better than anyone here, so when are you going to start telling me the truth?" Jisoo shoots back, inching forward until his arm is encircling Junhui's waist, nose now buried in his shoulder blades. "You're as cold as ice, Junnie-yah."
"Some people just run at a lower temperature than others," Junhui replies, tense in Jisoo's arms. "And anyway, why are you hugging me if I'm so cold? If it bothers you so much, hyung, then just let go."
Jisoo sighs and decides that now would probably be the best time to finally lay things to rest. If he has to spend so much time with Junhui in such a small space, it's best if they bring all their cards to their table. No matter how confused or stupid Jisoo feels about all of it, he's going to put out first and hope that Junhui does the same in return.
"Because I care about you and I want to warm you up," Jisoo says, scooting even closer . "Because I like you and because you're my friend, Junnie. I want you to be honest with me as I have been with you."
Junhui remains silent as they lie there, but eventually, he begins to relax and it feels less like Jisoo is hugging a rock with each passing second. He still feels cold, yet Jisoo is warm in his sleeping bag as he hugs Junhui. Outside of the tent, he can hear the animals in the forest chittering. There is no wind tonight that he can tell of and the snores of their friends are relatively quiet in the night. It is a comforting sound and yet, Jisoo feels like Junhui still needs a little push to finally tell Jisoo what he really is.
"You know, I don't mind that you're not human, Junhui-yah. You're still my friend and I still care about you, no matter what you might be," Jisoo whispers into his neck, a thrill running through him when he realizes that Junhui shivered from the feeling of Jisoo's breath on his skin. "You're still Junhui despite not being human."
"Do you mean it?" Junhui asks, his voice so small and so soft that Jisoo finds himself hugging the younger even tighter than before just to give him some kind of comfort.
"Of course I do. You're still Junhui to me, I want you to be honest with me about what you are is all," Jisoo replies easily, burying his face in Junhui's back once more when he shudders in Jisoo's arms.
Junhui makes a strangled sound before he speaks again, his voice a little stronger than before. "But why does it matter so much to you?"
"I'd like to know any important things about you first before we start dating."
"Dating?" Junhui chokes, turning suddenly so their faces are a mere inches apart. "Who said anything about dating?"
"Isn't that what you want?" Jisoo asks instead of answering him, one brow raised in question.
Junhui makes a sound like he's dying. "Of course I do, but is that what you want? You've never given me any other reason to think so."
Jisoo shrugs, not knowing if Junhui can hear his heart pounding in his chest or not. "Well, I don't know. I've never dated anyone before, but I'd be willing to try it out with you though."
Junhui gapes at him, his eyes glinting in what little light they have in their tent. Jisoo isn't sure of what expression is on his face, but whatever it is, makes Junhui pause as he stares at him.
"I don't know if you'll believe me," Junhui begins with, tentative in the way he holds himself.
"I'm all ears," Jisoo reassures him, smiling as gently as he can. "Whatever you say probably isn't as bad as what I came up with in my head already anyway."
Junhui watches him for another moment, closing his eyes as he inhales deeply and puffs out his cheeks. He lets the air go and deflates in his sleeping bag afterward, expression open for the most part.
"I'm a vampire."
Jisoo blinks, startled even though he knew Junhui wasn't human. He never thought Junhui would be, well, something like... this . Junhui is still watching him though, awaiting a response and Jisoo makes sure to keep his smile in place, not wanting Junhui to pull away now that they're finally getting somewhere.
"Really?"
Junhui nods, his eyes glinting as he moves forward into Jisoo's space. "Does that scare you?"
"I know you'd never hurt me," Jisoo says instead, matching Junhui's action as he too moves in closer. "I'm not scared."
"But you do have questions," Junhui observes, chin tilted down so the light moves across his face.
"Obviously," Jisoo replies, grinning when the cut of Junhui's teeth flashes in the darkness. "Are you comfortable with me asking them now?"
Junhui reaches out and lays his cold palm on Jisoo's face, staring at his hand as he responds, "Go ahead."
“Do you drink human blood?”
Junhui sputters, laughing loudly. “No. I drink the color red.”
Jisoo blinks, unsure of whether to believe him or not. "Don't be so sarcastic."
"I'm only joking," Junhui murmurs then, feeling chastised when Jisoo had not reacted the way he had hoped he would.
Jisoo shakes his head and smiles anyway. "Do you drink human blood, Junnie?"
"Yes."
Jisoo nods because he expected as much, but he is surprised to find that fact does not bother him as much as he thought it would. He decides to move on to his next question then, wondering if Junhui will try to deflect it again.
“Will you drink my blood?”
"Why would you want me to do that?" Junhui chokes, his eyes as wide as saucers. "I'm pretty sure you know what it means for a vampire to suck your blood."
"I'm guessing that I would become like you, right?" Jisoo asks.
Junhui nods and winces, curling into himself as he tears his gaze away from Jisoo's. "I've never turned anyone before. If you're going to ask me to do it, I'd rather you didn't. This life isn't all bad, but I wouldn't want to risk you."
Jisoo scoots in closer and takes Junhui's face into his hands. "I'm not asking you to turn me into anything, I just wanted to know if you planned to do that at some point."
"Well," Junhui bites his lip as he hesitates, "seeing as we are mates, I would kind of have to at some point in the future. But it's all your choice! I would never force you into anything."
"I know you wouldn't," Jisoo murmurs. "What do you mean by mates though?"
Junhui is quiet again, mulling over his thoughts as he thinks of what to say exactly. Jisoo watches him, smoothing his thumb over Junhui's furrowed brows when he has started to think for too long.
"You didn't feel weird the first time our eyes met?" Junhui decides to ask, teeth worrying his lip.
Jisoo tilts his head and looks past Junhui's face, thinking over that instant in particular. He can remember the way time stopped when they saw eye to eye. How his breath had caught in his throat and Junhui had frozen like a statue, eyes wide as they continued to stare at one another. There was something electric in the air and Jisoo still doesn't know what Junhui means by mates exactly, but he does know that something big was going on in the background when they first met.
"I did," Jisoo decides to say, cautiously examining Junhui's face in the dark, looking for any signs. "Did you?"
"Of course I did," Junhui smiles at him, his bright teeth flashing once more. "My entire world point shifted until you were at the very center. I begin and end with you now, but I didn't want to say anything. Mates and all that is really serious business and I didn't want to dump that on you so soon."
Jisoo nods, smiling when it feels like Junhui is going to continue on with his rambling. "Thank you for holding back. It must have been really hard."
"Oh, you have no idea," Junhui sighs, scooting forward so that he can his raise his arm and let it fall over Jisoo's waist. "It feels like the world has been lifted off my shoulders now that you know the bulk of everything. I wanted to tell you on my own terms, but I didn't know how you would take any of it so I decided that being your friend was the best course of action to take."
"I'm glad you decided on that of all things. I don't think I would have believed you when we first met."
"And now?" Junhui asks, his voice quiet once more.
Jisoo meets his eyes in the darkness of their tent, a smile he can't fight spread wide across his lips. "I believe you. I'm happy you told me the truth."
Junhui grins at him, coming in close until their foreheads are pressed together and their eyes are closed, breathing in the same air as they hold one another.
"Me too."
Now that Jisoo knows, it is hard to keep his questions to himself.
They are on a morning hike that no one else wanted to join them on, now three days into the camping trip. The sun is just now peeking past the clouds in the sky and the air is fresh, most of the wildlife still asleep this early in the morning. Jisoo doesn't get why everyone had given them weird looks when they brought it up at the campfire last night, but he had ignored it anyway and curled up peacefully beside Junhui again in their tent afterward.
Junhui is ahead of him, excitement spilling out of him like sun rays. Jisoo doesn't know how he is able to keep this same level of enthusiasm at this time of day, but he guesses that's what happens when you go a couple hundred years without sleep. Or maybe it is just how Junhui has always been like.
Jisoo had, of course, asked about Junhui's age, but Junhui couldn't remember how old he was exactly. He remembered vague bits and pieces of the time era he was created in and that was all. He also did not need to sleep yet learned how to fake it when Minghao had decided to drill it into him.
Which is another thing that Jisoo discovered. Junhui isn't the only one in their group of friends who isn't human. Minghao himself is also a vampire, but he is younger than Junhui by a handful of centuries. Mingyu, to Jisoo's surprise, is a werewolf prince that is meant to marry Minghao in due time, but neither of the two is very willing to make that a reality any time soon. Seokmin as well is not human, but a druid and Wonwoo is a fae. The only ones who are completely human are Jisoo, Jihoon, and Chan. Everyone else in their group is sprinkled with a bit of this and that, but even Junhui has no idea what those bits may be.
Jisoo hasn't brought any of this up at the campfire or with the people in question, but thinking back on a few odd instances that he has done his best to forget about, it all adds up really. Plenty of things are now answered in his head, but that does not put a stop to the new spiel of questions he has taken to badgering Junhui with.
"How long can you go without feeding?" Jisoo asks now as they climb over a fallen tree, Junhui lifting him over the rest of the trunk when he almost slips on the moss clinging to it.
Junhui shrugs and sets him down, keeping his hands by his sides as they continue to walk deeper into the forest. "A year or more. I don't really know, I haven't exactly timed it before."
Jisoo nods and sidles up beside him, taking his hand when he realizes that he wanted to hold hands with Junhui as often as he could. "What about sunlight? Is that burning in it a myth then? Because I’ve seen you plenty of times out in the sun and you never looked out of place."
Junhui snorts and stops in the next patch of sunlight they come across glinting through the trees, illuminating Junhui's form easily. "Myth. Sunlight only makes us very bright but the human eye isn't strong enough to detect it like other creatures can. Humans glitter too actually, it just isn't anywhere near as bright as other things."
"Interesting," Jisoo murmurs, keeping Junhui still when he tries to take a step away. "Do you want to feed on me?"
It feels like the entire forest has gone silent at Jisoo's question. Junhui stares at him with wide eyes as if he cannot believe that Jisoo asked him that, but Jisoo only looks back at him fearlessly. Junhui would never harm him unless Jisoo wanted him to, there is nothing to worry about. Junhui gulps and looks away quickly after that, muttering something under his breath that Jisoo has to ask him to repeat louder.
"Of course, I do, but I'm not going to because I want my mate alive, thank you very much," Junhui blurts, his face paling even more than before as he stands there stock still.
Jisoo tilts his head and studies Junhui, brow raised in question. "Why not? And what are mates exactly, are they like a soulmate kind of deal?"
Junhui shrugs robotically, looking as if he already regrets what he has said, but there is no taking it back and Jisoo knew there was something more to Junhui deciding to pursue him soon after they met.
"So that really does explain the weird electricity that I felt when we met then? I thought you were joking about that in the tent a few nights ago," Jisoo decides to break the ice when it looks like Junhui will not offer anything anymore.
He shrugs again, not looking directly at Jisoo anymore. Jisoo sighs and steps forward, grabbing Junhui's chin with his free hand and putting a lot effort to move his face a centimeter in his direction. Junhui complies once he realizes what Jisoo wants, but does not meet his gaze as he turns his face the rest of the way.
Jisoo steps closer. "Soulmates, huh? I always thought that was just for all the pretty people in fairy tales. Then again, you are pretty and I guess you're kind of something out a fairy tale too, so that is reasonable at least. I don't see how that makes any kind of sense for me, but, I suppose, having you for a soulmate isn't all that bad either."
Junhui finally snaps out of his trance and takes Jisoo's face in his hands, stepping close once more. His teeth flash in the glow of the sunlight on them and maybe if Jisoo looked any closer, he would understand what Junhui meant by when he said that vampires become brighter in sunlight.
"You're the prettiest person I have ever seen. All fairy tales pale in comparison to you. A thousand poems and songs could be written about you and it would never be enough to truly explain just how beautiful you are. There are stars in your eyes and your lips are softer than any petal," Junhui murmurs between them, his gaze set on Jisoo's mouth. "I want to feed on you, but my need to have you forever outweighs that every single time and I know that I don't deserve someone as pure as you, but I would like to have you anyway. If you would let me."
The sudden turn this conversation has taken leaves Jisoo caught off guard and before he can think about it, he grabs the straps of Junhui's backpack and pulls him forward. He is completely entranced by Junhui's beauty and his honeyed words, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between them.
"I was going to wait to ask you this, but am I allowed to kiss you? Will your teeth cut my lips or something?" Jisoo asks breathlessly, feeling a tingle of warmth begin to work over him. "I really want to kiss you right now."
Junhui blinks at him, shocked for only a fraction of a second before he regains his composure and smiles, looking more like the Junhui that Jisoo got to know over these past few months. "You can kiss me."
So Jisoo does just that, feeling like an open flame has been exposed to his skin when Junhui pulls him closer and lifts him into his arms, kissing him like there was never anything to fear in the first place.
Jisoo knows that vampires have always been fabled to be creatures of the night, but he doesn't think that's right at all. Junhui is a being of the light, of the sun and it's ray upon the earth, giving life to everything it touches.
He is kind and he is doing his best to stick to the alternatives, to always handle Jisoo and others around him as something precious. And Jisoo knows that he can’t take all the credit for this, that Junhui was more than capable of deciding these things on his own, but it warms his heart knowing that Junhui decided to be a better person because of how he feels for him. Junhui isn’t changing who he is, Jisoo would never want that. He is simply changing what he is and that makes all the difference in the world.
And while Junhui can whine and pout about supposedly taking Jisoo's human life away from him all he wants, Jisoo knows how to shut him up. A kiss like their first one - the first of many - is more than enough to get Junhui to stop talking, but Jisoo still likes adding on to that by reminding him of what Junhui gave him in return.
A brand new life with a lot more love in it.