Chapter Text
Ten is on to him.
And he’s pretty sure Kun knows this too, from the way he no longer wastes a second in class before bolting out the door. Every time they do end up crossing paths, Kun doesn’t even dare making eye-contact, acting like he doesn’t know Ten and going the other way.
“To be fair, you guys aren’t exactly…friends,” Mark interrupted, chewing his fries. Ten scowled. He bought the boy food and this is how he’s repaid; challenged on his own immaculate observations. Whatever Mark may say, Kun was still his lab partner for a semester, and granted, they might have not had the most amicable of relationships, he still expected maybe a nod or even a small smile. Even a sneer, and Ten would be satisfied, for it was better than acting as if Ten did not exist at all. After all, Doyoung and Ten had even thrown shoes at each other, but that didn’t stop Doyoung from occasionally muttering a small ‘hi’.
“Don’t you think you’re a little…” Mark started, wiping the ketchup off his face. He contemplated his words, with Ten’s pointed look weighing him down. “Like, a little too…obsessed? With him?”
“I’m not obsessed. I’m just curious,” Ten retorted. He wished the boy would support him a little more. After all, Ten had come up with the perfect explanation.
Kun was a vampire.
Mark spluttered, choking on his water. Ten ignored him. He had compiled the list perfectly, with independent and dependent variables just like how Professor Jung had taught him, complete with a hypothesis and a power point presentation.
“It only makes sense,” Ten continued, offhandedly passing Mark some more water when he still wouldn’t stop choking. “Have you seen how pale he is? And he never comes to the cafeteria to eat. I don’t think he even goes outside, locking himself inside his room probably. I’m not sure about garlic though—but I do think he might be a daylighter.”
Mark just stared at him.
Ten grinned, excited.
“Hyung,” he said, standing up, “get some help. Preferably from Johnny hyung.”
*
“Don’t you have a pending essay?”
Johnny is not helpful. He says the same thing as Mark (go figure; no wonder everyone thought they were siblings) but also judges him. Ten feels cornered, unsupported, and sad. Johnny’s cat meows at him. Ten rubs under his ear, satisfied when he starts purring.
“Look, Ten—look at me,” he does, coming face to face with Johnny. The older had gotten into extensions recently, and now sported a blonde long hair look. It was nice, paired with Johnny’s knack for fashion. “What is this about? Like, truly. I know you, and you don’t get bothered by this stuff, so something is most definitely up that you’re not telling.”
Ten held his gaze for a moment, surprised to see genuine concern in the other’s eyes. It made him feel guilty, for some odd reason. “It’s nothing, hyung,” he said, trying for a reassuring smile, “just me being…overdramatic I guess.” He can tell Johnny doesn’t buy it, but he doesn’t press it any further. He feels a wave of relief wash over him.
“Wanna’ watch a movie?” Johnny eventually suggests, and Ten agrees, squeezing next to him on the sofa immediately. He’s glad for the distraction, and even gladder that Johnny is a bear of a man, making him an easy human plushie. Ten lets his mind wander, following the dumb characters as they try their hands at romance, and ignores the way that Johnny’s words from earlier still leave him feeling a tad bit raw.
*
Kun and he were assigned as lab partners in the beginning of the first semester. They were both anxious, so were all the others, for this is the first time they were allowed in the university’s new science building, and everything shined with how recently bought it was. Ten had come earlier than the required time, surprised to find Kun already setting up his own things on the counter.
Ten had only seen him a handful of times before, in and out of their shared chemistry class. Kun was quiet for the most part, tended to blend in at the back, but still outscore everyone else in the room. He was Professor Kim’s favourite student, and liked by most of their class, for he never hesitated to help if anyone asked him for it.
Ten was nervous. He’s never been really that good with strangers, and Kun’s lack of expression made him even more intimidating. He walked towards him, footsteps light and as soundless as they could be, before reaching their station. He placed his own belongings, getting ready to grab a coat and a pair of goggles, when Kun suddenly turned to face him.
“Oh, uh, hi!” Ten managed, giving him a smile, “we’re partners. My name is Ten.” The other just stared at him in shock, his mouth slightly agape, eyes widening in…surprise? Awe? Ten couldn’t really tell. A few moments passed, and he was starting to get uncomfortable, feeling his cheeks burn in embarrassment. “I’ll just…go,” he murmured, averting his eyes before going to the back.
What the hell was that?
Thankfully, Kun got his bearings together—at least enough for the rest of the day to go smoothly. They didn’t talk, except for when it was related to the procedures, and Kun didn’t dare to spare him another glance. He tried not thinking of it much. Once class had ended, he’d muttered a ‘bye’, unsure if the other even heard it, and headed out.
The next day wasn’t any different, neither the day after that, nor the whole following week. They would have the barest of interactions, greet a ‘hi’ and a ‘bye’ (mostly from Ten with a hum of acknowledgment from Kun) and that would be it.
Every. Single. Time
Ten tried to not let it get to him. But it had started to prick his nerves when he saw Kun talking with the others, sometimes even smiling or full-on laughing. It pricked his nerves, and he didn’t know why, which made it even more infuriating. Maybe it was the fact that Ten felt somehow singled out, maybe it’s the fact that he’d been trying to make even the smallest of conversations to get nothing in return. Either way, it had started occupying his mind a little too much, and he couldn’t stand it. So when the Professor had given them the duty of cleaning and closing up the lab nearly a month into the semester, Ten decided to confront him about it.
“Kun,” he called out, the other placing test tubes and boiling tubes in a plastic basket. Kun hummed, but other than that made no effort to look at Ten. “Kun,” he gritted out again, this time his voice more firm. Kun turned around, his face blank.
“What is it?” he asked, sounding a bit irritated. Calm down, Ten told himself, don’t get yourself worked up so easily.
“Do you have a problem with me?” and when Kun told him ‘no’, he sighed. “I’m not blind, okay? I’m the only person in class you won’t talk with,” and before Kun could refute him, he took a step forward, “and I want to know why.”
He watched, as Kun tried to keep his expression neutral, despite obviously a little surprised at Ten’s boldness. “I…,” he trailed off, biting his lip. “I—I don’t have a problem with you.”
“Then why—”
“-It’s just that, you look really similar to someone I used to know. And…I don’t know—it threw me off. “
Bullshit.
“So you decided ignoring me was the only solution?” Ten crossed his arm. “Was the person so horrible you can’t even look at me straight?”
“No!” Kun hurried out, then rubbed a hand over his neck, “it’s—umm, complicated.”
Ten stared at him. Did he believe it? No. Did he have any other choice but to just accept the answer and move on? Also no. Letting out a sigh, he packed his stuff up. He could feel Kun’s gaze on him, but he paid him no mind. Two could play this game. Ten picked up the folded lab coats from each station, placing them in the cupboard. He made his way back, slung on his bag, and headed out, not sparing another word or glance in Kun’s direction, before leaving.
That was the lamest excuse he’s ever heard. It’s even worse than the time a guy broke up with him after telling Ten that he was allergic to silver and couldn’t be with him because of his earrings. The earrings were metal, and the man was trash, so Ten had let him go.
(Okay, so maybe it wasn’t that bad. But you get the point.)
But Qian Kun was not trash, at least not to everybody else, and maybe that’s the reason he feels a little hurt, even though he knows he shouldn’t.
You’re not even friends, he tells himself, an attempt to make him feel better. Instead, all it does is drive the hurt deeper, and Ten wishes he had not brought it up in the first place.
Ten stops trying. They do each of their things in peace, and even earn a compliment somehow from the Professor on how good their teamwork was. He was tempted to scoff, if only to piss Kun off. But he’d held it in, and gotten back into the rhythm.
At least there was a positive.
Ten bid the Professor goodbye, after their last day at the labs. He’d stayed a little longer to get some of his doubts cleared, but now he was starting to regret the decision, for the hallways were dark, and there seemed to be no one else in sight.
He closed his eyes, braving through it. The windows lining the wall were huge, and while during the day they served as a beautiful view for the garden outside, at night they only seemed to instil further fear in him. Ten quickened his steps, trying not to look out, when a flash of thunder had him dropping his book. The ‘thump’ echoed loudly, his ears deafened from the sound earlier. Ten tried to get his bearings, scrambling to pick the book and stuff it in his bag, when another strike thundered the skies outside.
Goosebumps rose along the length of his arm, and he briefly lamented not bringing an umbrella when the splattering sound of rain made its appearance. He clutched his bag tightly, and hoped the university buses were still running. Ten got out there as fast as he could, shutting the door to the building close.
It was pouring. Droplets hitting the pavement hard, the sound of it roared in his ears. Ten glanced around, when his eyes fell upon the bushes, flowers on the asphalt. They were shades of red and blue, from what he could tell. Blood on stone, his mind supplied, blood and tears, shed on stone.
Ten shook his head. Why was he thinking of blood of all things? The fear must be muddling his brain, all those horror movies finally taking a toll. After few more minutes of waiting, he made a beeline for the bus stand, paranoid they wouldn’t stop if they saw no one there.
He was soaked, by the time he took a seat. He rummaged through his bag, relieved to find everything dry. Johnny’s advice turned out to be actually useful, for once; buying a water-proof bag even if it made a hole in his savings.
Ten tapped his feet anxiously. It was cold, getting colder by the second. The rain had only amplified that, his skin freezing. Red spilt on ice, lips blue and col—Ten shook his head. He concentrated on the bench instead, focusing on their curved designs. He texted Johnny a few minutes later, and Mark after a few more. None of them had read the message yet, and he belatedly realised it was a Friday night; which meant they’d both probably made plans.
Ten rubbed his hands together. He now wished he accepted his Professor’s offer for a drive home. The weather forecast hadn’t said anything about the rain though, and he cursed his luck when he called his roommate to no avail. His teeth had started to chatter, and he was full-on shivering now. Ten’s hands tended to be cold normally—but now, they were turning to ice.
His dorm was a twenty minute walk. He could do it, he psyched himself, he could do it. With a deep breath in, Ten tied his shoelaces tightly, sending a small prayer, before he made a run for it.
The burn in his body helped chase some of the cold away, as he ran through the courtyards and exited the area. He’d just need to not slip on the road, and then he could make it to the east wing. All the dorms were connected, so he wouldn’t have to run all the way towards the end to his building.
It felt good, as he kept running straight. There was still cold that bit his skin and rain that continued to hit and soak him, but running in the rain made him feel oddly liberated. It was fun, and Ten had forgotten just how much until now. If he wasn’t scared of catching a cold and ruining all his books, he might’ve even considered slowing down. But Ten couldn’t afford to miss any classes, the thought fuelling him to go faster.
He sees the gates, thrown open, the usual seat of the security guard empty. Ten felt relief course through him-
—a sword pierces his stomach, blood running with the rivers of rain, the white cloth blooming with red an—
—Ten slipped, and came in hard contact with the ground. He landed on his palms, and his knees burned; scraped and lightly bleeding. The water felt like it was trying to push him back down, the rain pouring with so much force against his back it hurt to even get up. He wanted to cry, his head already aching. His ears were ringing too, and it all felt like too much. The image of it was still so clear in his head, when Ten was sure he’d never seen it before. He kept seeing glimpses of things in his head, a bloodied robe, a soft smile, a broken teapot and he pressed his hands on either side of his head, trying to get himself together.
He let out a sob, and felt himself grow weightless for a second. Ten shut his eyes, opening them a moment later. He was still in front of the gates, his bag on the ground next to him. The rain was still pouring, and he felt the world tilt. No, he thought, no, I’m so close.
There’s an image of a sword that flashed through his mind, and he whimpered, until he felt someone’s arms around him, and his focus clearing. “I’m here,” the person shouted against the rain, “you’re safe, don’t worry.” The voice was familiar, but he could barely put a name to it, once he felt his vision start clouding again. He fisted a hand in the stranger’s shirt when he felt him shift away. No, don’t leave me.
“Can you—can you get up? I’ll carry you on my back,” but the words drowned themselves in Ten’s mind, becoming a tangled mess with all the other thoughts in his head. His ear were still ringing, but there seemed to be a tune laced within them, and Ten felt so utterly powerless to it all; for he had no clue of what was happening to him.
“I’m scared,” he sobbed, and the stranger shifted again, this time pulling him closer. “something—I don’t know—I don’t know what’s happening,” and the conviction behind his own words was enough to strike another pang of fear in his heart. He felt a hand slide under his knees, and when he squinted, he could make out his bag on the man’s shoulder. Ten tried to get a glimpse of who it was, but black spots start to dance across his vision. Just as the building’s entrance comes into view, Ten’s eyes fell shut, succumbing to darkness.
*
“Hey,” came the voice, gentle and soothing. Ten groaned, and flipped towards his side. There’s a chuckle, and Ten felt like he’d heard it somewhere before.
His body ached. He tries peeling his eyes open, the intruding light making him close them just as fast. There’s another laugh, before he feels fingers card through his hair. “You need to wake up, love,” the man says, “you need to eat something. The doctor is waiting.” And if only Ten could put a finger on who’s voice—
--he sits up, his body protesting, eyes disbelieving as he stares at him. “Kun,” he breathes out, and what the fuck. What the actual fuck. He’s wearing some type of yellow robe, emblazoned with golden designs. “Why are you wearing that?” he asks, voice frantic, “you don’t normally wear that. Take it off; it’s making me feel weird.”
Kun’s eyes widen, his face turning scarlet. There are giggles outside—outside? Ten looks to his side to see the sliding brown doors. He takes in his surroundings. This was not the dorm room. Oh, this was not the dorm room. This was some weird room straight out of a period drama, and oh god, had he been drugged? Had he been drugged and this was all a hallucination? Was this a dream? He pinched himself, and nothing happened. It was only then, that Ten noticed he was in robes too.
The panic settled in. “Yongqin,” and Ten’s head snapped up. Yongqin? He’s pretty sure he’s never told Kun his Chinese name. Did someone tell him? “Are you okay? You seem to be under the weather.”
Why is he speaking like that, Ten thought, horrified. Was this a prank? Did Kun drug him to make him a part of some role play he wanted to do? Was this revenge for ignoring him back (despite the fact that Kun was in the wrong)? Many questions swirled in his mind, answers to seemingly none. Kun suddenly placed his palm on his forehead, oh god, Ten was going to faint.
“You are still quite warm,” Kun murmured, pushing away his bangs. “I was in the rain, of course I’m warm,” he snapped. Kun frowned, and Ten wanted to punch him. First, he drugs Ten, then, he acts like all of this is seemingly normal, and now, he has the audacity to frown?! Before Ten can start screaming, Kun speaks up.
“There was no rain, dear. You were found nearly drowning in the river last night. Do you not remember?”
Literally what the actual fuck. He’s pretty sure he had slipped in the rain, and then fallen unconscious later. There were pieces here and there that seem to fall out of his memory in between though, and Ten suddenly felt terror overcome him. This was strange—downright insane. Was he being manipulated? Like those criminal shows? He felt his anxiety bubble over, his heart beating faster by the second. Before he could say anything, he feels himself go lightheaded. The last thing he hears is Kun’s voice shouting for the doctor, as he faints once again.