Your Vanilla Scent (Junhao)

Myungho

The next week of waiting—waiting for news from Soonyoung, waiting for potential threats from the den—should have been stressful. And it was. Kind of. Because it would be weird not to be stressed about it, right?

But also, it was really, really nice.

Myungho had a mate. A person just for him. And he was living in Myungho's apartment, wanting him all the time.

How could that be anything but the nicest?

And if Myungho was being honest, he had to admit he'd always been a little scared of the mate bond. It had always sounded magical, yes, but he'd also imagined how painful it could be for someone to feel every time their partner was angry at or disappointed in them. How badly it would hurt his feelings to know for sure he was letting his mate down.

But it was turning out Myungho didn't have to fear that at all with Jun. Or at least not over the little things that had once made Vee so angry.

If Myungho was messy, or too talkative, or emotionally needy, or wanted to be held all the time, all he felt from Jun were these warm, delightful washes of affection. It was the nicest, most comforting thing Myungho had ever experienced in all his life.

Who knew love could feel so good? Who knew it didn't have to hurt? That you didn't have to push down parts of yourself just to be accepted?

He'd seen it, of course, with his friends and their mates—he'd technically seen what acceptance could look like—but it was different being inside it. A warm cocoon where Myungho felt safe to grow and explore and feel all the things he'd never gotten to before.

And then sometimes it was almost...sharp, Jun's love for Myungho. A little dark, a little possessive, a little obsessive, even. But that felt just as good as the warm, soft love. To know he inspired that kind of devotion in Jun...Myungho couldn't help but be pleased. Because Myungho really was an endless pit of need, and he was realizing for the first time how truthful Jun had been, when he'd said he was hungry to give Myungho affection.

Nonetheless, sitting down to their first movie together, Myungho felt it best to warn Jun what was coming. He queued up the movie they'd selected—Jun had described it as sci-fi horror, and wasn't that an exciting concept?—and turned to Jun, who was sprawled back on the couch. "Um, I can be a little...loud."

Jun gave him a lazy, heated look. "Mm. I know, kotyonok. You moan with the best of them."

Myungho's cheeks grew warm. "I'm not talking about that. Watching movies. I had to stop going to the theaters because I kept getting shushed by everyone." Myungho hadn't even known how loud he was being until the other audience members got mad at him. He'd been afraid to go back after that.

Myungho could feel a pulse of anger coming from his mate, but Jun's face didn't show it. Instead, he cocked his head. "You think I'd mind? You can talk through the entire movie if you like, sweetheart. You can yodel for all I care."

Myungho giggled at that. "Why would I yodel?"

Jun shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "I'm just saying. I'll enjoy myself because I'm with you."

"You're the nicest hum—" Myungho paused, feeling unaccountably horrified. "Oh my God. Jun. I can't—I can't call you the nicest human anymore."

"Why not?" Jun teased. "Finally changed your mind?"

"But...you're a vampire now."

"You can still call me that if you want, kitten. I'm afraid it was never a very accurate moniker anyway. I hate to break it to you, but I've never been very nice. Not before I met you."