too fragile for your love (too strong for your heart)

you open your window (and pull me into your cube) pt four

after he's done disclosing everything he knows about his undead ancestry and the possible run-in with his sire today, the other vampire doesn't speak a word.

jake waits for the other shoe to fall. he waits for heeseung to- do what, he doesn't know, but he suspects that it won't be something good. heeseung is a trusted member of the high council, he's got a coven to look after, and he doesn't take kindly to anything that poses danger to people he considers family. jake, on the other hand, is a walking backpack of problems, that have no easy solutions in sight.

the best thing for heeseung to do in this situation would be to report jake to the council, and shut him up in one of the containment cells he's heard sunoo and ni-ki joke about.

he almost expects heeseung to put him down like a rabid dog, right here and now.

all heeseung does is lean down and press a soft kiss onto jake's bangs, stunning him in place. "my sweet, sweet jaeyun-ah," he says, patiently. "do you remember what i promised you that day, when i asked you if you were ready to commit yourself to my coven?"

after a beat, he tilts his head to look jake in the eye. "i told you that an alpha always protects his own," he says, answering his own question.

jake remains mute, hope and shock warring for dominance behind his silent facade.

"you're mine now, jaeyun," heeseung says, his eyes flashing blood red, before reverting back to their natural dark hue. "you're one of my own, and no one threatens my own, and gets away with it."

"i thought-" he says, and his voice catches in his throat. "you- aren't you mad at me?"

heeseung looks at him questioningly. "do you think i'm mad at you?"

he shrugs, helplessly. "i thought you would be. i've been keeping secrets from you, secrets which could potentially endanger all of us."

"did you turn the cashier?"

he balks at the sudden question. "what- no!"

"did you know about your grandmother before?"

he shakes his head emphatically. "i swear i didn't!"

heeseung smiles gently. "then, why do you think that i'm mad at you?"

jake finds himself speechless.

"you have a bad habit of beating yourself up for things out of your control, jake," heeseung says, his smile turning a little sad. "you aren't alone anymore. you can lean on me, when you need to."

i want to lean on you. i do. but, how long will it be before you start to notice how heavy i am?

heeseung strokes a delicate thumb over his cheekbone. "you're allowed to want things, jaeyun-ah."

"wanting things makes me selfish," he says, quietly.

"sometimes," heeseung says carefully, like he's sharing one of his secrets with jake, "it's alright to be a little selfish. it's what keeps us alive."

***

jungwon catches up with him after his thermodynamics lecture, the next day, when he's still sat in the classroom, and sorting through his finished assignments. the next lecture isn't until two hours later, and his professor doesn't mind him using the space as long as he doesn't make too much noise.

"heeseung hyung said that your sire tried to get in touch with you," the dark-haired boy says, slipping onto the bench he's occupying. "did she try anything? are you alright?"