Work Text:
“I told you, FUCK OFF” Yong Kang hears Zhang Zhao growl as Senxu hisses, his eyes narrowed as he glared at the flex player.
“You’ve got to tell him someday.” Senxu says gently, although his eyes betray his thoughts of: ‘I’m going to rip your head off your neck if I had the chance.’ Yong Kang coughs loudly and Senxu sighs, running his hand through his hair as Zhang Zhao’s door slams.
Senxu walks over to Yong Kang, eyes filled with worry. The duelist cocks his head to the side questioningly. The initiator sighs, running his hand through his silver locks, brows furrowed in stress.
“What just happened da ge ?” Yong Kang whispers, as if Zhang Zhao was going to burst through the door at any moment. But Senxu just sighs, his eyes meeting Yong Kang’s. He rubs the back of his neck anxiously, not saying a word. Yong Kang began to worry, grabbing Senxu’s shoulders and pushing himself up to his tip toes, their noses brushing.
Senxu could see with perfect clarity how Yong Kang’s breath quickened and how his eyes widen as worry swamps him, the grip on his shoulders tightening. Senxu shakes his head quietly and Yong Kang growls.
“Go ask him, Yong Kang. He won't speak to me at all…” Senxu trailed, Yong Kang groaning as Senxu sighs again, patting the duelist on the back gently.
“He trusts you Kang. He won’t hurt you.” Senxu reassures, voice softening. The initiator sounds so distant, as if recounting a lost memory. But Yong Kang nods, exhaling.
“Good luck and ask him about the blood bags in the fridge.” Senxu says and before Yong Kang ask, the initiator has already left.
Yong Kang hand trembles slightly as he reaches for the door knob of Zhang Zhao’s room, his mind swarming with vivid scenarios of what could possibly happen.
Zhang Zhao in his room, the contract paper in his hand as he signs to leave.
Zhang Zhao completely ignoring him, whispering for him to screw off and that he was a mistake that took his role as a duelist and made him–
Yong Kang shook his head, ridding his mind of the thoughts flooding him. He realized how his breathing was erratic and his hands were trembling. The duelist slapped himself on the cheek, holding in the tears that threatened to spill down his face.
Stop it Zheng Yong Kang. None of it is real. Just go and talk to Zhang Zhao and be done with it, okay? Yong Kang thought to himself. So, he took a deep breath and opened the door.
To Yong Kang’s relief, Zhang Zhao was just on his balcony.
Cigarette in hand, Zhang Zhao looked incredibly pale when the night sky was contrasting with his skin. Yong Kang would even say he was sickly pale. He knew how his teammates would tease him, especially Senxu, who had tanned skin.
“Zhao ge ?” Yong Kang called, his voice softening, it was like Zhang Zhao was a stray cat and Yong Kang was afraid of startling it away.
The flex player turns his head, breathing out a relieved sigh as he sees Yong Kang, standing awkwardly at the doorway, fiddling with his fingers. The duelist looked so different from when he was on stage or on stream, Yong Kang acted like nothing was holding him back.
Now, Yong Kang’s eyes are downcast, his head dipped as he shuffled his feet and fiddled with his fingers anxiously.
“What’s wrong Kang Kang?” Zhang Zhao asks worriedly, walking in quick strides towards the duelist and cupping his cheeks in his hands.
Yong Kang realises how cold Zhang Zhao’s hands were in contrast to his skin.
Yong Kang’s skin was warm.
To Zhang Zhao, Yong Kang was the sun and he was a person, blinded by him. Everything about Yong Kang radiated warmth, his skin, his voice, his body language.
He was the sun and in folklore, vampires hate the sun.
But Zhang Zhao was a vampire with no self preservation.
So he goes out and stays in the sun.
“Nothing ge .” Yong Kang says, breaking Zhang Zhao out of his stream of thoughts.
The flex player cocks his head, staring into Yong Kang’s eyes. The duelist’s eyes are a dark brown, deep pools of worry and swarming thoughts. Zhang Zhao drags Yong Kang to his bed, plopping the confused duelist onto the bed before sitting next to him.
“It's not ‘nothing’ Kang. Tell me.” Zhang Zhao says, eyes not leaving the duelist’s.
Yong Kang’s shoulders heave as he sighs deeply, rubbing his arm anxiously before muttering:
“Why are there blood bags in the fridge Zhao ge ?”
Zhang Zhao freezes but Yong Kang continues on.
“No one goes to that fridge in the middle of the night to grab a suspicious looking bag from the fridge. Zhang Zhao, I’ve watched way too many horror movies to know that when a person takes a random bag from the fridge and looks around before leaving, is suspicious. No one goes to the fridge at night. Less to take a random bag from the fridge.” Yong Kang says, finally gathering up enough courage to look at Zhang Zhao, who froze like a frame in an animated movie.
“So that leaves you, ge .” Yong Kang concludes, folding his arms and looking slightly proud from being able to spurt out a whole thesis paper on how Zhang Zhao was taking blood bags from the fridge in the middle of the night.
Zhang Zhao out of all people. Yong Kang thought, looking at Zhang Zhao. He didn’t look like the person to be taking blood bags from the fridge. Hell, Yong Kang would even go a step further to say that Zhang Zhao looks normal .
But all of that was about to come crashing down.
Zhang Zhao sighs and he shifts softly on the bed, looking at Yong Kang.
“I’ve been trying to hide it from you Kang, but it seems Senxu got to you first.” Zhang Zhao whispers and Yong Kang looks shocked, but Zhang Zhao continues.
“So, do you believe in vampires, Yong Kang?”
Yong Kang chuckles, leaning over to Zhang Zhao. The duelist looks at him up and down, a grin forming on his face.
“Make me believe, Zhang Zhao.”
Zhang Zhao’s lips quirk up into a smile as he pats his thigh invitingly, Yong Kang quickly climbing onto his lap like he always does. It wasn’t the first time Zhang Zhao found Yong Kang nestled on his lap, leaning against his chest as he tilts his head up to meet Zhang Zhao’s gaze. The flex player’s hands easily find their place on Yong Kang’s waist and his head rests against the duelist’s shoulder.
“So? Gonna bite me now Zhao ge ?” Yong Kang prompts and Zhang Zhao sighs.
“Vampires only bite their partners or close friends .” Zhang Zhao replies and Yong Kang huffs, shuffling in the flex player’s hold.
Then Yong Kang starts laughing and Zhang Zhao can feel the vibrations from the duelist’s chest. Zhang Zhao looks at Yong Kang incredulously as he squeezes his waist gently, eliciting a yelp from him.
“Okay, okay I love you Zhang Zhao! Stop fucking squeezing me already-” Yong Kang says before getting cut off by a gentle peck to his lips.
“Love you too.” Zhang Zhao murmurs before grazing his teeth on Yong Kang's shoulder. The flex player can feel him shiver as he licks a long stripe of his shoulder before sinking his teeth in.
Yong Kang whimpers softly, shifting uncomfortably as he feels Zhang Zhao’s tongue lap up his blood. The flex player’s tongue is icy cold against Yong Kang’s heated skin. The duelist could hear Zhang Zhao’s satisfied purrs as he fed, hands not leaving Yong Kang’s waist.
“ Baobei , wake up.” Yong Kang heard Zhang Zhao say, as he groans groggily, rubbing his eyes through his glasses. He never knew when he dozed off.
“Are you done?” Yong Kang murmurs and Zhang Zhao hums, planting a chaste kiss on the duelist’s neck.
Yong Kang turns around to straddle Zhang Zhao, planting his face into the flex player’s chest, sighing softly. Zhang Zhao obliges, wrapping his arms around Yong Kang’s waist.
“Do you believe now , Kang?” Zhang Zhao asks, smiling. From his position, he could clearly see Zhang Zhao’s sharp canines, still littered with specks of blood, shining in the dim light.
Yong Kang nods and Zhang Zhao leans down to kiss the crown of his head gently, listening as Yong Kang’s breathing evens out.
“Love you.”