𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐋. | 𝘚𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘪

IV.

.⋅ ۵♡۵ ⋅.

In hindsight, Sunoo should've seen the storm coming, should've seen the last pieces of restraint slipping through Riki's grasp like sand through an hourglass.

What mattered though, was that he didn't.

Instead, he found himself pushed against the wall in gentle urgency, Riki's hands trapping him. Taking in his sight with desperate eyes, he looked both brittle and unyielding. Sunoo stood as if paralysed, watching their reflection in the mirror on the other side. He assured himself none of it was real, merely a feverish dream, but the lips brushing his neck insisted it was.

"Hyung", Riki reprimanded with a low growl, guiding Sunoo's head to look at his face again, "eyes on me". The light neon lights silhouetted him in a haze of white.
His eyes sparkled with mischief and something verging on regret, although he was sure Riki was already too far off to control his responses at that point.

"You need not worry, Hyung", he spoke with a calm that contradicted his external state, "I'm not going to do anything you don't want me to."

"But", he stilled, lazily dragging his slender fingers across Sunoo's neck, "I'm afraid you were right last Friday. I do need you, how foolish of me to think I'd be able to resist, hm?" With that, he pressed a last kiss on his sensitive skin before collapsing to the ground, the initial rush of adrenaline leaving his system.

                                                                              ┊┊❁ཻུ۪۪♡ ͎. ｡˚ °

Riki's grip around him had loosened, his body grappled by the inevitable pull of unconsciousness, and Sunoo didn't know how to act. His brain had inconveniently turned into fog and time seemed to stretch, each second reiterating his state of helplessness as if to taunt him. Then his body started to move like the carriages of a train slowly finding its way back to its original track. Kneeling, he made sure the younger boy's pulse was still intact.

Knowing better than to burst into their leader's meeting, he did the second best thing his brain told him to do: call Jay, who he knew was too kind to turn him down but also gullible enough to believe the lie already taking shape inside his head. Shortly after, Jay came rushing into their practice room, his eyes landing on their maknae and Sunoo who was still kneeling in front of him.

"I told him not to overwork himself", Sunoo looked up at him.

"Didn't work out that well, huh?" Jay asked, gingerly touching the younger's forehead. "Geez", he exclaimed, "he's freezing. Physics has never been my strong point but I'm pretty sure that's not supposed to happen."

Sunoo shrugged his shoulders in what he hoped looked like uncertainty. "I mean, it's not that warm in here either so that might explain why". Giving Riki a piggyback ride, they made their way out of the building. Strolling next to Jay, Sunoo felt a pang of guilt rising in his chest.

I shouldn't have tested his limits like that. He showed me his struggle and all I did was trample over it.

Upon their driver's questioning looks, they hurried to explain the boy simply hadn't been feeling that well all day and just needed some rest. The man acknowledged the statement with an indifferent nod, grateful to have the problem already taken care of.

                                                                                            ¡! ❞

Fate must've pitied him. When they arrived, Sunoo received a call from Jungwon telling him he was already informed about Riki's collapse by their driver. After convincing him the boy was stable now, Jungwon let him go into his evening. Relieved, he let out a breath he very well knew he was holding since he had been the one suppressing it.

Letting Jay know he was going to bed, he entered their room where he was greeted by the sleeping form of Riki. Tiptoeing his way around their belongings, he carefully slipped under his blanket. He was already well on his way to sleep when he heard Riki stir to life in the bunk underneath his.

"Hyung", he whispered into the dark. Sunoo didn't —couldn't bring himself to — respond, the touch on his neck still lingering on his skin. Restlessness crept over him.

"Hyung", Riki repeated, this time with more urgency. "I know you're awake. I can hear your heartbeat."

Sunoo sighed. "I'm listening", he said finally.

"Hyung-".

"Stop 'Hyung-ing' me already!" Sunoo hissed, taken by a sudden surge of frustration.

"Sure. Hyu- sorry. Listen, I want to apologise for what happened earlier. I was fighting it, I swear I was", his voice was trembling ever so slightly. "It's just that I was starving and you were...you were right there. I know it's not an excuse but please don't make me feel even more of a monster", Riki pleaded. By the way his movement halted Sunoo could tell he was waiting for an answer.

"Riki-ah", Sunoo began even though he had no idea what he wanted to say, "I'm not blaming you for what you did. I was frightened, maybe, but I should've seen it coming. I wanted to help you but all I did was tempt you even more."

Riki shifted in his bed. "That's what I've always wanted to avoid, I don't want you to be afraid of me."

Sunoo looked at the ceiling right above him, its surface covered with white spots. "I respect that, Riki-ah, but right now we can't afford ourselves that privilege."

Suppressing a yawn, he added, "You and I both know that you can't keep up this façade forever. You're not doing anything wrong. Not if I give you permission to."

They could hear Jake yelling from the living room, followed by Jay screaming for him to be quiet.

Okay", Riki whispered eventually. It sounded like defeat.

                                                                                              ೃ⁀➷

The following days went by in a haze of incidents not worth mentioning. The majority of it Sunoo couldn't even remember. He'd been rehearsing a lot. Probably got mad once or twice. Everything else seemed insignificant in comparison to what was yet to come. The closer they got to the weekend, the more nervous Sunno became. He and Riki would be alone, all alone, without a nosy Heeseung to interrupt them like he had the last time. Sunoo hadn't decided yet if that was a good thing or not. While the others were going on a three-day vacation to Jeju Island, their dance instructor had raised concerns regarding Sunoo's dance parts for their upcoming comeback. Ever the gentleman, Riki had volunteered to stay with Sunoo and give him one on one lessons, claiming that, to him, dancing had always felt more rewarding than going on vacation anyway.

Had it not been for the way he dragged his tongue over his fangs, Sunoo would've almost bought that lie. His body tingled in tentative anticipation, knowing their arduous choreographies wouldn't be the only thing taking his breath away. Wanting to try his best to prepare himself for the upcoming event, he looked into every possible resource regarding vampires he could find or, as of lately, handle. After the fifth time reading about the excruciating pain the victims of vampire attacks were suffering, he regretted having sought out the internet's assistance in the first place.

I shall cross that bridge when I come to it, he mumbled while switching off the light that was fixed to his bed rail. Shortly after he could hear Riki clamber into his bed, spooning him from behind. At first, he thought that would be it but then he sensed the younger boy slightly tensing up beside him. „Tomorrow, Hyung", he whispered, his voice hoarse from recording. Sunoo nodded weakly, too exhausted to care whether the movement could be seen in the darkness or not. „I know. Let's hope everything goes well", he responded groggily before drifting off to sleep. He couldn't feel the hesitant kiss gently placed on his neck.

                                                                                          *ೃ༄