Are You There - Chapter 18: Chapter 18

The moment Kihyun leaves the comic store, Jooheon thankfully not following after, Changkyun is on the phone with Hoseok.
"What happened to your wall?" Hoseok demands without so much as a hello after answering the call. "Kihyun was there, what was happening?"
Ducking into the bathroom, Changkyun keeps his voice low so Hyunwoo and Jooheon will not hear from the front of the store. "What can an incubus do? I know you said something about shape shifting, but what else? Because I swear to God Kihyun was just walking through my head trying to change things around."
Though it had not worked, Changkyun could feel Kihyun's presence in his mind. He could feel emotions he did not want to feel. They had swelled and struck him for only a moment, before they died down again and Changkyun could think clearly.
"Compulsion," Hoseok breathes out slowly. His stress has risen a few notches already today, his nap on Changkyun's couch halted when his dreams had morphed into everything that the younger was seeing at the comic shop. "He can dig around in your head through touch, but he can't put memories there like I can, and he can't actually read your thoughts like Minhyuk can. He can really only pluck emotions and sensations from your head.
"Compulsion is his ability to influence and develop those emotions, so he can stop you or encourage you to do something of his bidding. Obviously, it doesn't work on you, because your mind now runs off zero inhibitions like any other vampire. He's probably never had to compel one before so he doesn't know."
Changkyun takes Hoseok's words in slowly, digesting them as he stares into the mirror above the bathroom sink. Though he feels drained, he looks as well-kept and shiny as he had when he first saw his newborn self. The still most startling change is the now silvery hue to his hair, something he still has yet to get used to.
"Stop gawking at yourself, please." Hoseok, still speaking into Changkyun's ear, yawns. "Did Kihyun get his hands on Jooheon?"
Changkyun shakes his head, sitting down on the closed toilet to gather his thoughts. "He was gripping my coworker in a vice though. I think that's how he managed to stay in the store so long. Hyunwoo wouldn't let me kick him out no matter how much I tried."
Hoseok hums over the line, thinking on how to settle this. "Well why did he try to compel you? I can't see that part of your memories for some reason."
Changkyun's cheeks accidentally flush as he thinks back to his kiss with Jooheon; it was a bit of a shock then, but now that he has actually registered what has happened, his body is in complete chaos. The fresh thoughts reach Hoseok, and he gasps into his phone before shouting.
"YOU KISSED!?"
Dragging his phone away from his ear with a hiss, Changkyun glares at the device before bringing it close again and whispering an affirmative. "I couldn't help it," he explains. "Jooheon was bleeding-"
"WHAT?!"
Groaning, Changkyun waits for Hoseok to stop shouting into his phone and settle so he can continue. "His lip was bleeding, and he just looked really fuckin' good, y'know? I can't control myself, you literally just said that."
"No, I said you had no inhibitions, you can learn to control yourself!" Hoseok is in a state of panic as he stands from Changkyun's couch. God how he wishes he were with the younger. He would wring his hands round the darker man's neck and throttle him for being so insolent. "You can't just bite people!"
"I didn't, though." Changkyun scratches at the back of his neck, the taste of Jooheon still on his dark lips. "His lip wasn't bleeding because of me. But uh, it stopped bleeding because of me."
Changkyun almost smirks at the thought of Jooheon's shallow gasp against his lips. The feel of Jooheon's erratic heart against his own chest. His warmth. His life.
"Your saliva has a healing solvent in it," Hoseok tells Changkyun with a sigh. "That's why he stopped bleeding. And why I don't have any bite mark left on my neck. If you were to have bitten him, since he's human, it would've left a mark for a few hours. Dunno why they take so damn long to heal."
"Okay, yet again I'm confused on why I still don't know anything about myself. And why my apparent Master hasn't really told me anything other than the fact that I'm probably being hunted down to be killed."
Hoseok grimaces at the younger's words, concern spiraling down his spine. "It's kinda just something children of the night should know. What the others can do, what we can do. Seeing as we all stem from the same creator, y'know?"
Changkyun does not know, but he sighs and says yes anyway. "Well what am I supposed to do about Jooheon? Because Kihyun hounded me about staying away from him, and did his little magic tricks on me so I would listen."
"There's no such thing as magic," Hoseok deadpans over the line, staring hard at a photo of Changkyun from when he was a child. The living room is not highly decorated, but there are a few trinkets on the shelves across from the sofa.
"Hoseok, I died and came back to life. You and I can read each other's minds. My spit heals things. And you're telling me there's no such thing as magic?" Changkyun's words bring Hoseok to silence, and Changkyun can only sit on the toilet again and stare hard at the wall before him. "What do I do, Hoseok?"
"I don't know," the older admits quietly. "Date the guy?"
Scoffing, Changkyun almost ends the call right there. "This isn't some prime time drama special, okay? If I can't guarantee that Jooheon can stay safe when I'm around him, why in the hell would I stay by his side?"
"Because you love him, obviously." Hoseok's words draw another scoff past Changkyun's lips, but it fades and fizzles out before it can really take shape and hit the air properly.
"Not true," he mutters halfheartedly. "He's my best friend. I just want him to be safe."
"He's your best naked friend," Hoseok grumbles. He can very easily recall the daydreams Changkyun had had the day before, of stripping their blonde friend down and completely changing their friendship forever. "I understand your desire to keep him safe," Hoseok begins as he moves towards the fridge.
He had not seen the text Changkyun had left him, he just feels the need to eat. He knows Changkyun will not do it. "I get it, really. But whether you're beside him or not, he'll always be at risk. With Kihyun attached to the poor kid, Jooheon will always be in danger of being killed, attacked, stolen, all kinds of things. At least with you, the only risk is that you accidentally bite him during sex and kill him yourself."
Changkyun's stomach churns at the thought, unpleasant thoughts of losing his best friend by his own hand roiling about in his mind. "Don't talk like that," Changkyun mumbles as Hoseok pops open a Tupperware on the other end of the line.
"Sorry," he replies, only half listening as he sniffs at what looks like phad thai. "Hey, is the stuff in the blue plastic container okay to eat?"
Changkyun thinks back to when he had last stored anything in his fridge, answering before Hoseok can learn that it is certainly not okay to eat at this point. "Yeah, it's only from Wednesday afternoon," he lies. "Have at it."
"Can do," Hoseok replies casually, popping the plastic bowl into Changkyun's microwave and watching as the fried noodles begin to heat up behind the glass door. "You know, Changkyun. You shouldn't be hiding behind your new life. It's not really an excuse to keep out of the world forever. Sure, you're like some killing machine now-"
"Hoseok!" Changkyun's voice holds a warning edge to it, and the older man chuckles before continuing.
"Sorry. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that you can still live normally. Blood can come to you easily enough, especially with Minhyuk in the hospital." Both men hear the microwave beep, and Hoseok hums in glee as he pulls the hot bowl out before rummaging about for some chopsticks.
"Drawer to the left of the sink," Changkyun says into the phone, trying to move the process along so Hoseok can continue talking.
"Thanks," the older mumbles before settling himself at the kitchen table. "So yeah, I think you should talk to Jooheon instead of me. He likes you, Changkyun, if that's any consolation. And if you like him, then that makes it a mutual thing. Why wouldn't you go with that?"
"But his safety-"
"Isn't something you can guarantee, no matter what you try to do for him."
Changkyun frowns as Hoseok begins to eat, hearty bites that sounds like a cow chewing on cud. Changkyun can't help but feel pleased by the thought of Hoseok eating food from over a week ago. "Fine, Hoseok. I'll talk to him."
Before Hoseok can end the call, Changkyun calls out a quick parting gift. "That food is from Last Sunday! Bye!"
[ x ]
Jooheon sits with Hyunwoo behind the comic store counter, his lips still tingling as he waits for Changkyun to reappear so they can talk about what has just happened between them. He does not exactly want to talk about it, but he knows it is not something they can just drop.
After four years of being thick as thieves, something like that cannot just be forgotten or dropped like the drunken lap dance.
"So you're the one Kihyun keeps coming in to ask about?"
Hyunwoo, an obviously gentle giant, stares sideways at the blonde beside him. Jooheon, oddly comfortable beside the imposing physique of Hyunwoo, nods quietly. "Sorry about that. We had a messy break up a few months ago, and he's been hounding me ever since. He keeps trying to get back together, but that's not exactly where I'm at, y'know?"
Hyunwoo does know. He knows all too well, unfortunately. "Yeah, he basically told me your entire relationship story the first time we met," Hyunwoo admits. "Like, he nearly had a full meltdown in the middle of the store." The dark man gestures towards the center aisle of comics, recalling how Kihyun had stood there and demanded to speak with Changkyun, threats and curses flinging every which way.
"Well I'm sorry," Jooheon grumbles, tapping his bare feet against the rungs of the stool beneath him. Though he still has Changkyun's long coat wrapped around him, he cannot fight the chill of the comic storefront. "Isn't there any heat in here?" Jooheon wonders aloud, feeling rather weak.
Hyunwoo, warm in just a thin sweater, glances at Jooheon curiously. "You're not wearing any shoes," he tells the blonde with a frown. "That's probably why you're so cold. It's consistently  less than twenty degrees in here." [approx 60F] Jooheon takes note of Hyunwoo's hefty pull-over, noting that his future visits should be held with better preparation.
"Changkyun didn't leave with Kihyun, right?"
Hyunwoo shrugs, walking his fingers along the edge of the counter out of boredom. "He better not have, he hasn't been in work for days, I'm sick of covering for him. Next time it happens, I'm tossing his dead body into my car trunk and driving him into the river."
"An empty threat," Changkyun points out as he enters the storefront. His phone is tucked away in his back pocket, his eyes on the blonde beside his coworker. "Can we talk?" He asks Jooheon softly, not even sparing a glance for Hyunwoo when the elder scoffs.
"Yeah," Jooheon replies almost immediately, hopping down from his spot beside Hyunwoo. "Thanks for the chat, big guy."
Hyunwoo rolls his eyes at the comment, but lets the two go back into the break room again. He does not know what they will be doing back there, but judging by the way Kihyun had stormed out not ten minutes ago, the broad man has a few ideas. "Just don't soil that sofa," Hyunwoo mutters under his breath.
Changkyun's ears burn at the comment from the front of the store, embarrassed that everyone seems to believe that he and Jooheon are having sex at any opportunity. Or at the very least when they have more than a few spare moments. Changkyun closes the door to the break room, ignoring Hyunwoo's scoff that filters through the wood.
"As if I can't hear you doing your shit through that-"
Changkyun blocks out Hyunwoo's snide comments, motioning for Jooheon to sit beside him on the break room's sofa. Jooheon drapes Changkyun's coat over his front, tucking his icy feet beneath his rear as they settle on the couch together.
"What's up?" Though Jooheon makes an attempt to sound casual, his voice cracks as he turns to face his best friend. Changkyun picks up on the blonde's unease, sighing as they both try to figure out what to say; or what to say first that is.
"I'm sorry," they both blurt out at the same time, laughing at one another a moment later.
"Why're you apologizing?" Changkyun asks, averting his gaze from those dark stones faceted into Jooheon's porcelain face.
"Uh, just 'cause I probably made you feel uncomfortable." Jooheon squirms in his place, his head turned away so Changkyun cannot see his discomfort.
Changkyun is not looking anyway, his own head turned in the opposite direction. "I was gonna say the same," the younger admits with a small sigh. "It wasn't exactly fair of me to just jump you like that."
"You did warn me," Jooheon reminds his best friend with a faint smile. He resists the urge to run his tongue across his bottom lip, the tingle of Changkyun's own lips still resting there. He wants to feel that again, not as a wistful memory, but as the real thing. He however is not strong enough to make it happen himself. Not with Changkyun apologizing for even kissing him in the first place.
"I shouldn't have done that," Changkyun says with another sigh, raking his dark hand through his silvery hair. He catches its glisten in the light from the window behind them, the sun still high enough to make him short of breath. Or perhaps he should blame talking to Jooheon like this. "And I shouldn't have said what I did yesterday."
"What did you say?" Jooheon remembers, but he wants to hear it again. After the kiss, Changkyun's words have a different meaning than they had late last night.
"When I said not to let other men touch you," Changkyun mutters quietly. He swallows a rather harsh lump that grows in his throat, suddenly more uncomfortable than ever before. "That's not my business, and I shouldn't talk like that. So I'm sorry."
Jooheon, cheeks flushing with no shame, finally turns to stare at Changkyun's profile. Just as he had been when they first met, Changkyun is beautiful.
He can notice subtle differences in his face now; from the new slant of Changkyun's jaw, to the smooth skin along his dark cheeks. Even the way his eyebrows rest low on his face, perfectly quirked at the edges before dipping down to give him that serious demeanor. To Jooheon, before and after these changes, his best friend was perfect.
Though now Jooheon feels more than a little enticed by Changkyun's visuals. The subtle changes had been done by his body's natural vampiric DNA; to create the visual impact he would need to lure his meals in. Beauty in this world is everything, and his body had done everything it needed to to create the perfect entity.
But Changkyun is still just Changkyun; gorgeous at every angle, and simple at every curve.
Mustering up all his courage, Jooheon stands from the couch in one quick movement. He draws Changkyun's attention, and the younger's glimmering eyes find the blonde's for only a moment before Jooheon suddenly makes his move.
"Listen, Kyun," Jooheon whispers as he drapes his legs over either side of Changkyun's lap. "I'm going to be completely honest with you, since today seems to be the day everything just falls through."
Changkyun opens his mouth to say something, perhaps curse in fright as Jooheon settles onto his legs, but Jooheon lifts a hand to press it against the dark man's lips. Changkyun mumbles something against the blonde's palm, but Jooheon talks right over him.
"I've pretty much been waiting for you to grow a pair and find someone to love since we met." Winding his free hand around Changkyun's neck, Jooheon begins to feel that familiar flutter of nerves at the base of his stomach. "I'm not telling you to love me, or anything like that. I'm just asking for the truth, okay?"
Changkyun nods, and Jooheon smiles before freeing Changkyun's lips. I'll tell you anything, he replies in his head, feeling too weak to give Jooheon the words he deserves.
"If I kiss you right now, are you going to apologize in five minutes?"
Practically growling, Changkyun forces the words past his lips like a prayer. "Not a fucking chance."
Satisfied, Jooheon gives his best friend not even a moment to hesitate before leaning forward and pressing his soft lips against Changkyun's. Closer than they were earlier, Changkyun can feel every inch of Jooheon's warmth against him, cradling him, welcoming him.
Beyond just the feel of the blonde's lips smashing against his, Changkyun can feel everything. Breathing out in surprise, Changkyun forces his desires down for now and just lets Jooheon control the situation. He cannot afford to give in to his own body's reactions right now. He has eaten today, twice technically, but he cannot trust that he will not hurt Jooheon yet.
He lets out a low groan when Jooheon's small hands wind through his hair, goosebumps raising on his dark arms as they twine around the blonde's waist to hold them flush against one another. Jooheon, though his brain is a flood with thoughts of stopping, of running and hiding, takes every chance he can to push his emotions into this one kiss. Their lips part together, and their breaths mingle just before their tongues can. Changkyun does not have to fight Jooheon for dominance, the blonde backing down as soon as the darker man's arms tighten around his waist. It is not until Jooheon moans into Changkyun's mouth that they break apart, the sound a shock to the both of them.
Jooheon is short of breath, while Changkyun can almost feel his heart beating in excitement. He knows it rests silent in his chest, but he feels alive for the first time in days, and with Jooheon hovering above him like this, he cannot keep the ignorant smile from his dark lips.
"I'm gay," Changkyun blurts without thinking, his tongue darting out to taste the caramel on his damp lips.
Jooheon, with a cackle, ducks his head to lean his cheek against Changkyun's shoulder. "Thank God," he replies quietly, his lips pursed to fight his broad grin. "Otherwise this would be a lot less fun for you."