𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋. | 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘪

II.

Isn't it funny, Sunoo thought, how we can never be fully certain what burdens others have to carry until they come and tell us?

"So what you're saying is that you can smell me? As in, you can smell my blood?" He asked. The younger's gaze on him made him hug his knees toward his chest although the more rational part of his brain appeased him that Riki wouldn't just jump on him.

"Yes."

"Is that why you were so quick to help me yesterday? Because you already knew where to find me?" In the back of his mind, he knew he was still holding onto the lip balm though for some reason his hands had become numb to the sensation.

Another nod. "Pretty much so, yeah."

Riki looked as though he wanted to continue but got abruptly interrupted by the sound of a harsh knock on the door. Slightly irritated he sat up in his chair, his eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly and Sunoo wasn't sure if he had just imagined the light glimmer of red that had flashed across his eyes like ruby lightning. "Just give us one more minute, Hyung! We're almost done here!" He called out to the elder. On the other side, a resigned "Alright alright" sounded, followed by the muffled waddling of flip-flops.

Sunoo remained relatively unfazed by the disturbance. The only thing he could focus on was how Riki seemed to be more concerned with Heeseung finding them casually sitting in a room than with what he had just confessed to him. Although Sunoo doubted 'confessed' was the right word to use in that context. Confessing you did after having purposefully done something bad. Riki on the other hand...well, could you truly blame someone who had found out just four weeks ago they're a vampire?

Isn't it funny? Sunoo repeated in his head and was certain a plethora of stories could be started that way.

It was at that moment that he realised the boy opposite to him might've been just a boy but he also hid something much deeper, darker somehow. And as much as that idea frightened Sunoo, he was determined to not leave him alone to cope.

After having successfully chased away his Hyung, Riki turned around to Sunoo one more time. The emotions mirrored in his face were mixed. Disbelief. Defencelessness. Hope.

"Do you believe me, Hyung?" He breathed out.

Sunoo slowly made his way up from the ground, standing still for a couple of seconds to let the dizziness in his head fade. "Why wouldn't I, Riki-ah? I've seen your fangs with my own eyes." He assured while pointing to the younger's teeth which had already retracted by then.

Riki emitted a small laugh that came close to a cough. "Right."

He was already at the door to press down the knob when Sunoo gripped his shirt. "Wait", he said slightly out of breath. Looking into the other's eyes without losing himself in the process was a task on its own so it took him a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I-I can help you."

Riki looked dumbfounded but gave him a sympathetic smile nevertheless. "Thank you. But wasn't that what we-". Sunoo stopped him mid-sentence.

"No. That's not what I'm talking about, Riki-ah. I mean the blood. You need to feed, don't you?"

For a second or two, Riki's expression turned completely unguarded. Sunoo could recognise the resistance yet also something darker, sinister that didn't seem all that reluctant about his offer. Riki shut his eyes as if seized by migraine, blocking him out and leaving him with the premature, probably erroneous conclusions he thought he'd seen.

"Yeah, and kill you in the process. Not in your wildest dreams, Hyung." The tremor in his voice was barely perceptible, a string yanked once, then allowed to return to rest.