Work Text:
In all honesty, Jingnu should have known there was something off about her college roommate turned girlfriend from the very start.
Ever since they started dating (so nearly a month ago) Jingnu began to pay a lot more attention to Qi Yan and just how odd her mannerisms were. She was the perfect roommate at face value— unobtrusive, always offered to do the food shopping, kept everything neat and tidy (often cleaning up after Jingnu without much complaint) and helped Jingnu with studying sometimes.
But at the exact same time, it always felt like Qi Yan was hiding something? Had this been before they became a couple, Jingnu was unsure she would have noticed much, or rather, she would have pretended not to care. Now, she could care and would get to the bottom of this, because wasn’t that what good girlfriends were supposed to do?
So, she compiled a list of all the things she thought were strange, hoping to put together the pieces of this puzzle. The main things she took away from her investigation were that:
- Qi Yan was always sick— Since living together, Jingnu couldn’t count how many times her girlfriend had fallen ill. Of course, part of her delighted in taking care of Qi Yan, but the more often it happened (especially now that it was summer) the more she worried. She asked if Qi Yan was planning to see a doctor last week, because it was really beginning to get concerning. Qi Yan smiled softly and pressed a kiss to her cheek, said, “Sorry to worry you, but I’m ok I promise. If you want I’ll book myself for a checkup soon.” Whether she actually went to the doctors was a mystery.
- Qi Yan often forgot important food items— this was a weird one, considering how bright she was. But Jingnu couldn't help but notice certain items never made an appearance in Qi Yan’s weekly shopping runs. The repeat offender was garlic, but other items such as certain vegetables and herbs were also forgotten on a semi regular basis. It had become a running joke at this point, and as much as Jingnu would reprimand Qi Yan, she didn’t feel inclined to go all the way to the convenience store for a pack of garlic. In the end, Jingnu just had to deal with meals lacking in an ingredient or two.
- Qi Yan hardly ever slept— sometimes during lazy afternoons, the two of them would nap together, but Jingnu was unsure as to whether she had ever seen Qi Yan sleep. A workaholic might be one word for it, but even suffering college students needed some time to rest. Even stranger, Qi Yan was rarely tired either, which made no sense because didn’t humans need sleep to operate??
But a foolish thought began to consume Jingnu. A small, silly voice in her head said, “but what if she wasn’t human?”
It seemed like she had cracked the case.
-
The question was, what now? Jingnu paced in the kitchen of the tiny apartment, staring at the grey tiles of the floor. She had just got back from her classes, a message from Qi Yan reading: be back in half an hour with a heart. What do you do when you suspect your roommate, and your girlfriend of three and a half weeks, may be a vampire? She wasn’t exactly scared, but she was also pacing up and down the kitchen like a maniac.
Her mind was bursting to the brim with questions, like surely her girlfriend wouldn’t try to brutally murder her, or turn her into a vampire?
It made her laugh out loud, shaking her head like the silly idea would fall away with it. Qi Yan was so gentle and earnest and polite, always asking her “is this alright?” in a way that made Jingnu’s heart melt. She had hardly even kissed her over the course of their relationship, which didn’t seem like something to add to the list, but as she continued her pacing maybe it was after all. That past week specifically, Jingnu noticed how Qi Yan would try to put some distance between them whenever she got too handsy, and how... restrained she was.
How was she supposed to talk to Qi Yan about this? Jingnu supposed she could just bring it up, but it seemed like a sensitive subject. Perhaps, Qi Yan would just outright deny it, or get defensive or maybe even get mad—
The rattling of keys against the door and a click of a lock drew her away from the pacing and the unanswerable questions swarming in her head.
“I’m back!” called Qi Yan from the hallway (if one could even call the tiny walkway that).
“In here,” Jingnu said, heart welling up with a strange mix of emotions. Anxiety and infatuation, as if she were about to confess something and not the other way around.
Qi Yan opened the door to the kitchen and carefully placed down the bags of shopping onto the counter. When she faced Jingnu, her amber eyes were grave, mouth in a solemn, straight line. She didn’t step any closer, but stayed frozen in place, lips parted as if to say something.
“Jingnu,” Qi Yan started, hand on the counter though not quite leaning against it. “We've been roommates for a while now, and now we're dating, and I...I think I should tell you, I’m...not who you think I am.”
Was this it? Was Qi Yan about to come out and say it? Jingnu’s heart hammered in her chest, legs shaking. All at once nerves consumed her whole, stood in their dingy, shared kitchen, evening light filtering in through the windows, painting the beige counters gold.
“You’re...you’re not?” Her throat was scratchy, and her words sounded like some distant murmur, rather than something that had come out of her own mouth. Even though she had been thinking on this for a few days now, it was finally happening and she couldn’t quite catch her breath.
Qi Yan tilted her head. “Or I guess it’s more like...what I am.” She finally lifted her hand off the black countertop, her moves slow and deliberate. Jingnu watched the raised hand, how Qi Yan neatened up a loose strand of hair, how her gaze was unyielding and how she couldn’t look away, even as her heart beat in her throat. There was a shift in the air, though maybe it had been there since Qi Yan stepped foot in the kitchen, and she had only just noticed it.
“You’re aware I’ve been keeping something from you.”
It wasn’t a question, but Jingnu nodded.
“And you... really want to know?”
This time, she managed to croak out a, “Yes,” though with each passing second, grew more unsure of her answer.
“OK,” Qi Yan breathed in a deep sigh, eyes still locked onto Jingnu, and started to say, “The truth is, I’m a—”
But before she could finish, the world began to sway as Jingnu’s legs gave out. She would have hit the cold hard tile floors had it not been for Qi Yan, catching her and wrapping her in a tight embrace. She eased them down onto the kitchen floor, basically hugging Jingnu with her arms winding around her back, stroking her hair. Like this, Jingnu’s face pressed into Qi Yan’s chest, she breathed in the faintness of a fresh smelling cologne long worn off, and the scent of those vanilla incense sticks she liked to buy sometimes that clung to her. For a moment her fear was gone, but as soon as she realised how close they were, and the unsteady rise and fall of the chest she lay on, Jingnu stiffened. She shifted onto her side, off of Qi Yan.
“Sorry,” she breathed, about to shift away from Qi Yan and the palpable heat she exuded.
But Qi Yan didn’t let go, one arm still curled around Jingnu’s shoulder.
“You’re...scared of me.” Qi Yan didn’t look at her anymore, but at the clenched fist in her lap. She smiled, but it carried a chill to it, the sort of smile that didn’t reach her eyes.
Jingnu swallowed hard, heart aching all the while continuing its erratic beat.
“I’m not— “
“—You don’t have to lie...I can hear it, the beating of your heart.”
Her gaze on Qi Yan wavered now, and Jingnu settled for staring ahead, eyes trained to the bottom of the fridge where a flower shaped magnet was, had probably fallen from higher up.
“I’m not scared,” she mumbled, half trying to convince herself. “Well, say it then. Tell me what you are.”
“You already know.”
“I want to hear you say it.” Maybe then, it wouldn’t be so scary, and outlandish. Jingnu looked expectantly towards Qi Yan out of the corner of her eye, waiting with baited breath.
“I’m a vampire.”
For the first time since the start of their conversation, laughter bubbled up inside her. It was a surprise to her too, the sudden laughing fit. But there was something so silly about the two of them sitting on the kitchen floor, her shaking like a leaf and Qi Yan muttering her big secret feebly, in a similar way to her quiet confession to Jingnu all those weeks ago. Qi Yan’s head snapped up to her as she tried to stifle her laughter.
“Jingnu, what’s so funny?” Qi Yan asked, though she’s smiling too, wide and bright. Her laughter began to subside after a minute or two, and Jingnu couldn’t help but to take in Qi Yan’s lips curved upwards, exposing a sharp canine. Had that always been there, had her teeth always looked that sharp?
“I don’t even know…” she sighed, relaxing against Qi Yan now. “You're right, I was just...scared. A bit.”
“I understand.” Qi Yan pressed a kiss to her forehead. “But what do you think I was going to do to you? You’re my girlfriend, I would never— “
“—Well I didn’t know that!” In her head, Jingnu was already asking a million questions, but didn’t think now was the right time. She nuzzled closer, throwing an arm over Qi Yan’s waist. "Maybe going out with me was all a part in your wicked plan."
“I bet you thought I was going to bite you, or something,” said Qi Yan, soft smile more of a smirk now.
Jingnu’s face heated up, prickling her cheeks as she grew embarrassed. “No- I- Qi Yan!—”
Her heart seized in her chest when Qi Yan kissed her, twisting so that she was more opposite Jingnu than beside her. She kissed slow and gentle until Jingnu pushed back with more ferocity, hand already tangled in Qi Yan’s perfectly neat hair. And when those reddened lips trailed down to her neck, grazing pale skin with sharp teeth, Jingnu shuddered.
“Are you...really going to do, that?” she asked, words falling clumsily out of her mouth, quick and breathy.
Qi Yan stilled and raised her head up, meeting Jingnu’s eyes with a soft and adoring gaze. The excited little tremor in her heart faded, replaced with warmth, melting at how beautiful her girlfriend was.
“No I was teasing, I would never bite you,” she paused, considering her words. “Unless of course, you wanted me to.”
Jingnu flushed at that, embarrassed yet again. Indignation rising up within her, she pushed Qi Yan off her and got to her feet. “You’re making fun of me!” She could hear Qi Yan scrambling up from behind her, and grinned.
“It was a serious question!” Qi Yan protested, the smile in her voice all too clear.
“Yeah right.”
That evening was the same as most others, doing homework and watching movies, hovering in each other’s space, cooking a late dinner together. But something felt special about it too. In all honesty, Jingnu should have known there would be no difference in her and Qi Yan’s relationship, whether she was a vampire or not. And also, that she made her so stupidly, ridiculously happy.