Little King (Seoksoo)

Joshua

Joshua relished the hot spray of the shower beating on his back, the feel of it washing away the grime of an emotional day.

My mom remembered me today.

He still couldn't believe it. He hadn't known how to feel at first. His initial reaction, beyond blatant disbelief at what was happening, had been anger at Seokmin for messing with his mom's mind without even asking Joshua for permission first.

But Joshua hadn't been able to hold on to that anger for long. How could he when Seokmin had so clearly wanted to help? And had so clearly succeeded.

My mom remembered me today.

The rest of their time at the care home had felt like a dream. To have his mom smiling at him again. It hadn't been a perfect reset. She hadn't known what year it was, obviously, and hadn't been quite all there, not like she used to be. But still.

She'd known him.

He wished he could tell Seungcheol. His brother could be a thoughtless jerk sometimes, but he deserved to know there was a way for their mother to remember them now. But Joshua wasn't quite sure yet how to have the "my boyfriend is a semi-immortal vampire being who can sometimes sort of control minds but not always in a bad way" talk with his brother.

Was he even allowed to tell Seungcheol? Was there some sort of vampire code about humans knowing they existed?

Joshua should probably ask about that at some point. Although, there wasn't anyone for him to tell, really, besides Seungcheol. Chloe, maybe. And that was it. He hadn't realized quite how lonely his life had become until Seokmin had swept in, and suddenly there was someone else there, someone to hold him while he cried, to kiss his tears away.

It would be so easy for Joshua to depend on him. So easy to love him, demon and all. Joshua was probably more than halfway there already.

But what if Joshua was just a fun diversion for Seokmin? A little blip of existence, like Jeonghan had said. Seokmin said he would be there always, but what did that mean? Would Seokmin still want him when Joshua grew old and decrepit?

Or...would he want to turn him after all? Would Joshua even want that?

Eternal life.

Eternal health.

It had been there, in the back of Joshua's mind, since his mom had gotten her diagnosis. The thought that maybe it would happen to him. Some early onset Alzheimer's cases were genetic. Not always, but it was possible.

Joshua was terrified of waking up one today to find himself losing his memories, without him even having lived a full life to forget.

He would have to leave this town eventually if he turned. He couldn't stay young forever and expect no one to notice. Which would mean leaving Seungcheol alone.

But Seungcheol had abandoned Joshua first. And moving from town to town didn't sound horrible, not when Joshua had never even gotten to travel before.

It sounded wonderful, honestly. To finally be able to see the world.

And he wouldn't be doing it alone. He'd have Seokmin.

Seokmin.

Sweet, dangerous, protective.

A man who listened and comforted, a demon who protected and possessed. He was everything Joshua had never had the guts to admit he wanted out of a partner.

After the sobfest in the car, Seokmin had kissed Joshua's tears away and taken him to the movie theater, of all places. A tribute to Joshua's mother assuming they worked there together. She must have thought the older vampire was Joshua's manager. Joshua couldn't really picture his elegant lover working somewhere so mundane, but Seokmin had assured him he'd had worse jobs over the centuries.