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“If you don’t ask him out tonight, I will go mad.”
“Insane.”
“Screw that, you don’t ask him out, I'll find a sympathetic witch to cast a spell muting you! All you've talked about the last six months, every damn day and night, is how adorable he is.”
“And every scrap you’ve charmed out of everyone you meet!”
“Which! Is insulting to the magic within us. Glamours aren’t meant to get info on your crush!”
“Look, San, we get it. He’s lovely, and you think it’s endearing how 9/10ths of Korean supes are respectfully fearful of what he can do—what were you into when you were human?—he has 6 dozen degrees—“
“Only 32.”
“Still a nerd, and you think that’s enchanting. Ask him out. Please. Begging you.”
“He was born before Hangul was created. I’m a baby blood vamp in comparison. Why would he even think about saying yes?”
“You. Are so annoying. Psychic vamps aren’t obsessed with who sired whom and when—like we’re all horses instead of the walking dead—“
“That’s zombies.”
“Which don’t exist. And we are walking dead. Literally. You told us that they don’t care. So go find out. Damn werewolves think you’re hot enough to ask out though they know nothing’ll happen.”
“That weird status shit.”
“I know. I knooooow.”
“Off the main point. I’m tired, San. We‘re all so tired. He'ss right over there, looking bored as fuck, 'cause most everyone is too scared to talk to him outside working hours. And I cannot, absolutely cannot take another six months of you moping about missing your chance when it's right here!”
“I...okay.”
With a deep, useless breath, San started to make his way through the crowded 50th biannual Seoul Supernatural Solstice party toward the delicately-built psychic vamp standing near the wall. He did his best to ignore the stares following him. When he was within a few feet, he stopped.
Thoughtful dark eyes regarded him, and he looked from them to the outstretched hand, holding out a beautifully calligraphed business card.
“Um?”
“You’re anxious. I can help. I’d say to call the receptionist in the morning, but,” his eyes drifted around the dancers in the center of the room, “I don’t expect she’ll be fully functional then. Too high on pixie dust. But call Monday, and she’ll work you in.” He smiled at San.
Of course he could read his emotions. Though was a crush an emotion? Maybe? But he couldn't tell it was aimed at him.
“Um, I don’t need therapy. I just...wanted to talk to you? If that’s all right.”
The card was tucked away, and a patient, inquiring look trained on him.
Oh, boy.
“I, uh, was here last time, in winter, first time you’ve attended one of these parties—I’ve been going since they started, my coven leader was on the original planning committee and so we all have to go and usually it’s okay, but then you showed up, and, um, I didn’t know who you were at first, just that you were cute, and then the way you laughed when some of the wolves got a little drunk and started to flirt with the nymphs, and it irritated the high Fae so much they spelled them into an hour of TikTok dances, it was...you kinda made the room seem really bright when you laughed. But you left not long after and only then did I find out who you were and, um, I might have asked everyone I know and then those I didn’t know about you, and my coven-mates say I haven’t shut up about you since the last party and maybe I haven’t and I know you’ll probably say no, but would you maybe think about...going out with me? Once?”
A raised eyebrow. “You know who I am?”
“Kang Yeosang.” Famous, gorgeous, wonderful, amazing—
“And you asked about me?”
“Um...yeah.”
Yeosang's mouth quirked. “And despite everything you must have heard, you’re asking me out?”
“My coven threatened to get me hexed into silence if I didn’t try.”
“Huh. I suppose it—“
“Hey! Why’re you talking to him?”
San’s heart—metaphorically—sank. Why wouldn’t the werewolves leave him alone? And why now? He saw Yeosang cast a quick glance toward him, then focus his attention on the very drunk speaker.
“Why are you interrupting an obviously private conversation?”
“Looked like he was asking you out. He turned down our pack leader. He can’t ask you out.”
San inched closer to Yeosang. Well. Not inched. He was practically in his shadow. If he were to have a shadow indoors.
“That would be his choice, not yours. Though, truthfully, why any vamp would want to be a wolf's trophy date has never been a concept I could comprehend. I wonder if I should write a paper on it.”
“That sounds rude!”
Heads were definitely turning toward them.
“You live your lives controlled by hormones and smells. You have as much free will when it comes to sex as alley cats. We aren’t interested in any of that. How is it rude to wonder why a vampire would want to sit and look pretty surrounded by," Yeosang waved a hand, "all that? And the growling. You can’t control that, either. If it was a nice purr, maybe I could see the appeal, possibly soothing, but no. It’s meant to be a threat, which you young ones use all the time. It’s tedious and annoying.“
The growling grew louder and San’s nervousness grew. Yeosang looked at him and smiled.
The sudden leap shocked him. Here? Now?! But then—the wolf was on the floor.
“Oh, dear. There went your impulse to fight.”
“Kang Yeosang,” called out a low voice. The man strolled forward. Possibly he oozed, San thought contemplatively. “You can’t just do that.”
“Of course I can. Self-defense.”
“And you just fed off that burst.”
“His loss, my gain.” Yeosang shrugged. “Barely an appetizer, though, incubus. Watch what you say. I might still be hungry.”
The wolves dragged their dazed companion away.
“For desire? What good would that do a vamp? Dead dicks don’t rise.”
“True, true. But it doesn’t matter to me or my kind the energy's nature. It's all food. You, on the other hand, only live if you’re good enough to get your victims off. And I can take away your desire to fuck. Wanna starve for a week?”
San held back a laugh, watching the incubus scurry back into the crowds. The supernaturals who didn’t fear Kang Yeosang learned to.
“Still want to go out with me?”
He quickly stepped around to face the amused-sounding vampire.
“Of course. They were asking for it. And it was funny.”
Yeosang's eyes sparkled at his words. Sparkled. Wow.
“It’d help to know your name.”
“Oh. Oh! Choi San.”
“Lovely to meet you, San. How do you feel about a stroll in secret pathways under a palace?”
“I thought those were just rumors….”
With a sweet, mischievous grin that, decades ago, would have taken San’s breath away, Yeosang replied, “They’re only rumors for those not present when they were built.”
“Whoa. Yes. Absolutely!” He grinned back.
Yeosang held out a hand. “Shall we?”
“Now?”
“If you’d rather pick a different night, that’s fine.”
San darted a quick glance back to his friends. Their fixed, expectant stares were all he needed to see.
He beamed at the most wonderful vampire ever created, and happily linked their hands together. “Now is good. Now is wonderful.”
“Dear me,” Yeosang murmured as they walked toward the exit. “You are dangerously adorable.”
San laughed, giddy and delighted. An actual date with his crush! He owed his pushy friends blood-icanos for a month. Minimum.