Are You There - Chapter 35: Chapter 35

Minhyuk does not realize that it is the evening already until his phone comes alive in his pocket, begging to be answered. His mind has been far off since speaking with his father. It was not a particularly long conversation, but it has left Minhyuk in a stupor since its completion.
One question, and one answer. It had been a long reply, one with levels of importance. Bonds, and pain, and love, and trust. Everything under the sun was given up to Minhyuk, his father's soul trying its hardest to remain as long as he could. In the end, Minhyuk had left Hyungwon's warehouse with the right answer, but with little knowledge on what to do about it.
Could Hoseok's soul have actually bonded with mine?
Minhyuk shakes his head at the thought, slapping at his thighs to find his phone. He frees it from his front pocket, not even glancing at the screen before answering quietly. The street around him is alive and he worries for a moment that he will not be heard. "Hello-"
"Lee Minhyuk, you better have an excellent excuse for not showing up on time."
The telepath flinches at the sharp-edged voice barking into his ear, familiar and threatening. "Sir, I'm so sorry!" Minhyuk tugs his phone away from his ear to glance at the time, annoyed to see that his shift began nearly two hours ago. "I meant to call in earlier, I'm so sorry." He repeats his apology but it is to no avail. His emergency floor manager, though he is still a Registered Nurse like Minhyuk, takes his additional two semesters of schooling to heart when bossing about the other nurses. Minhyuk often takes the brunt of his orders.
"And what's the excuse? I hope it's a good one because I've been covering your emergency rounds for two hours and I'm getting sick of avoiding questions on where you are."
Minhyuk wonders what is safe to tell the man. They are not close, so saying that he had collapsed due to near starvation or exhaustion would not have much of an effect. But then again, Minhyuk has never been very good at lying. This flaw comes with being able to detect everyone else's fibs. Lies just do not sit well with him.
So he explains as best he can that he had fainted and slept most of the day, only half the truth. Though he can tell his floor manager does not buy it, Minhyuk has no particular care. He has been at the hospital for years now, if they choose to fire him, he cannot see it taking much pain to get over and past it. His floor manager agrees to let him take the rest of the night off, considering he has already missed enough, but to expect a harsh scolding when he returns the next night.
Minhyuk can feel a sigh of relief building in his chest, the first full night off in too long. Usually, his only days off are Tuesday nights, but that does not always stop the hospital from scheduling him in for the early mornings as well.
Though his body has come down from its high, his newfound energy subsiding and resting peacefully within him, he cannot seem to rest. He has been walking about the same dizzy neighborhoods for most of the afternoon. Hoseok has not made any contact since they parted ways, and with the knowledge that he has, Minhyuk wonders if he should just call the fae himself. Hoseok had given up part of his spirit to save Minhyuk, that much was clear. Though the reason behind it is where Minhyuk's mind gets hazy. His father had explained enough. A fae can only break their soul apart for three reasons.
The healing specialized tear bits of their soul away over time, never enough to harm themselves, so they can create nectar. Minhyuk has known this all his life. His mother had done so when she was young and free.
The fae more specialized in protection will break apart their soul to bond with their family or loved ones. The connection is almost like Changkyun and Hoseok's bond, and while Minhyuk knows that the pair are more opposed to the cord than the fae would be, he decides that his bond with Hoseok is different by every mean.
His father had explained one final method of splitting the soul, but Minhyuk finds this idea far less believable than the others. Hoseok is not specialized, so it makes no particular sense to push this idea onto the fae, but Minhyuk wonders over it anyhow.
A spirit specialization, one that deals with the souls of others to guide them through life, can give up almost all that they have to save a singular love. They are not like any other fae. They cannot worry at their center over time, or divy up their essence into vials for others to heal with. They have one powerful stretch, one single break, and then it is over.
They are either stronger with the bond, or weaker in comparison.
Minhyuk hates the idea of it. He feels stronger, personally, but he does not want to be the reason Hoseok is ever weak. He refuses to be the reason Hoseok is anything but him.
And so goes his mind. He has gone down the same tangent for hours, back and forth over what had happened, and why he is not dead yet. Why he has this stronger connection to the fae bloodline. Why the hell he smells different to the vampires.
Grumbling under his breath, Minhyuk dials the only number he can think of right now. Pacing a spot around a rather awkwardly placed tree in his path, Minhyuk listens as the line rings a few times in his ear. "Hoseok," he breathes out when the calls picks up.
"Thank God you called me first because I did not want to be the weak one right now."
[ x ]
To H.One: Hey, did anything happen with Minhyuk? He said he had to see you, but he was acting weird
Changkyun sits behind the counter to The Fourth Wall, not much to do on such a sunny day. He has not been fully replenished, his blood intake not nearly enough after being drained earlier. This keeps him rooted in his place, conserving his energy for a hunt after closing up shop.
From H.One: He came to me to perform a ritual he's been planning. Did you notice his scent?
To H.One: Yeah that's why I was asking. He smells like Hoseok
Changkyun does not get a reply, but he knows Hyungwon would not have brought it up if he had not smelled the telepath as well. Even in his weakened state, Changkyun had picked up on the subtle shift in Minhyuk's odor. Rather than soil and leaves, he has become sweeter. It is a unique scent, and Changkyun knows not what to call it, but he can compare it to an evergreen's sap.
Settling into his stool again, Changkyun wonders what he is meant to do. He worries still over Jooheon, and how to fix that mess yet again. Pair that with the worries for his brothers, and Changkyun feels as if he has been handed a full plate. While first going through their Claims, Changkyun had pushed himself away from Minhyuk and Hoseok both. He had a brother already, a man he had not seen in years. Now, he cannot imagine seeing any member of his birth family. Now, the odd grouping he has been dragged into are his only family. The only ones that are with him through each day and refuse to give up on him. At least not without good reason.
"Changkyun!"
The vampire nearly topples off his stool at the sudden shout of the store's owner. Standing at attention, Changkyun turns on a swivel to face the older man with a forced grin. "Yessir!"
The portly man shuffles through an order file for a newer series, his eyes skimming the papers. He has only just arrived, and sweat is still pressed to his temples from his time in the April heat. "Close the shop early tonight. The bills have been getting higher lately and business is hitting a lull."
Changkyun nods, having forgotten that he is not actually sat at home and daydreaming freely. He is at The Fourth Wall and is being paid unreasonably high amounts for doing a mediocre job. He has not rung up more than three customers in the five hours that he has been here, but he does not want to tell the man before him just yet.
"What time am I closing, Sir?" Changkyun's teeth worry at his lips, hoping that the older man will choose a time after the sun has already set. It is not too close to the summer months yet, and if he can just make it to eight without standing out in that direct glow of a sunset, he will be fine.
The older man shrugs, glancing towards the storefront still glinting with sunlight. "Maybe twenty more minutes," he suggests before turning his gaze back to the papers in his hands. "You've still got the keys right?"
"Of course." Though Changkyun knows he could easily snap the heavyset man in half, he feels the need to remain a respectful distance away, his voice never higher than a casual tone. "Have a good night, Sir," he calls gently after the man. He watches his manager lift a hand in parting, his other shuffling the stack of papers against his chest as he heads for the front door to the shop.
Twenty minutes. It is already past seven now, he figures that the sun will be far behind the Seoul skyline within the next ten and he will be safe. Safe enough.
Taking his leave on his stool again, Changkyun is just about to fade into another bout of struggling thoughts when his phone vibrates atop the checkout counter. Jooheon's old contact photo and name pop up onscreen, and the vampire smiles to himself as he swipes the screen to open the new message.
He does not even question the text, though in hindsight, he should have been worried from the get-go.
From Joohunnit: Yo, you work at the comic store with Ki right?
From Joohunnit: Hope so cuz I'm heading out there right now.
[ x ]
Jooheon sits at home after his shift ends, unsure of what else to do. His dreams from last night have been itching at the edges of his mind all day, but he cannot make any sense of them.
When he arrived home, only Kihyun was around. He looked upset, but Jooheon often found that the smaller man had swings to his mood wider than a river. So he ignored the forlorn look on his pointed features and wandered through the apartment to his room. Surely Hyunwoo would come around soon enough to cheer up his roommate.
Jooheon finds it near impossible to cheer himself up however, and takes to sitting still at the foot of his bed. He remains still for so long that he becomes surprised he has yet to faint. He cannot remember the last time he has taken a breath in. Or perhaps it is because he is holding this same breath in his chest, waiting to let it go.
Whatever it is that has him frozen in place must also be the sudden reason he decides to move. Changkyun.
There is too much he still does not understand. Too much that makes no match together. Too many blanks spaces that need to be filled in. He wants to start with something he has been questioning for days now, but has not had the courage to bring up. How could Changkyun's number already be saved into his phone if they had never met before yesterday, speaking for only a week before that? Jooheon does not often scroll through his contacts, but he knows who he has met in his lifetime and who he saves into his phone. Especially when he saves them under obscure nicknames. And Changkyun's is odd to say the least.
Grabbing his phone from his bed, Jooheon sifts through older messages before opening his last conversation with the younger man. The discovery of his number in his phone had piqued his interest. Had they met at a party before? Drunken nights have been known for Jooheon. That could easily explain the odd words Changkyun had whispered under his covers just the night before. That he had been waiting years.
Still, Jooheon does not like the uncertainty.
To Changkyuhh: Yo, you work at the comic store with Ki right?
To Changkyuhh: Hope so cuz I'm heading there right now.
Jooheon waits until both messages are delivered before standing. He listens for any signs of Kihyun in the apartment, but all is quiet. He drifts about his room quickly, dressing in crisp clothes and applying fresh deodorant. He does not smell as ripe as he ought to, but he figures he will not need to get close enough to Changkyun for the younger man to tell. So he settles.
Pushing out of his bedroom, Jooheon stutters to a stop when he spots Kihyun resting his head against the kitchen bar. There is not much room in the apartment for petty foot traffic, and Jooheon knows he will not be able to make it around the seated man without asking him to move his chair aside or move him by force. The blonde does not want to do either.
Since being with Hyunwoo, Kihyun has become far more independent in his everyday life, but Jooheon remembers the bad days like this of their own relationship. When he would go to work, or school, and Kihyun would sit alone in pain for the duration of the day. Then, Kihyun would make threats to keep Jooheon home with him. But the small man seems to have given up that tactic for now. Jooheon wonders just what it is about Hyunwoo that has Kihyun acting so human.
"Hey, Ki." Jooheon treads quietly, unsure if the small man is sleeping or just resting his eyes. Kihyun's dark gems open beneath his fringe, finding Jooheon's as he walks the length of the hall. "I'm just gonna head out for a bit, okay?"
The incubus sighs as he stumbles down from his chair, toppling its neighbor over onto the floor. He mutters an apology as he bends to pick it up, motioning for Jooheon to pass him by. "Don't stay out too late," he mumbles when Jooheon stops near the door in search of his shoes. "The crazies come out at night."
Jooheon does not take the cryptic message too seriously, only smiling at the small man before gathering his wallet and keys from the kitchen counter, pocketing both with his phone. "I should be back soon, don't worry. I'm just heading out to see Hoseok."
The lie tastes sour on his tongue, but he does not know if the truth will hurt Kihyun or not. Whatever is going on with the small man has no need being heightened further. Kihyun only lifts a hand, shuffling himself towards his own room to hide. "Bye then," Jooheon calls out before leaving the apartment.
He hopes that the crazies do come out, and that something happens before he can reach Changkyun. A piece of him is too scared to know the truth at this point.
[ x ]
Minhyuk stops mid-sentence, startled by Hoseok's sudden scream. "Hoseok what the f-"
The fae sinks into his chair, the other cafe-goers standing in fear and facing the broad man from their places. Minhyuk sets his cup of tea down on the table between them, standing as well to approach Hoseok cautiously. "Hoseok-"
The man screams again, veins blossoming against his neck and face as he bites back an excruciating pain that rips through him. He has only just finished healing, he cannot be dying already. He does not understand what this is. He feels as if his stomach has been ripped through, open and gaping. His hands lift at his shirt absently, his breathing faint as he begins to build up a sweat from the pressure. Every muscle in his body tenses at once, and a familiar shiver paces one after the other down his spine as the pain thickens and becomes almost unbearable. He knows what this is, even before the images hit his mind's eye, he knows.
Each time he blinks, he can see the shadows moving about him. Quick movements, sharp whispers, bright flashes. And an intense burning everywhere.
Minhyuk presses both his hands to Hoseok's temples, trying to figure out what has come over the man. He yelps when he catches snippets of memories that do not belong there. Prying one of the fae's eyes open, Minhyuk asks as gently as he can, "Is it Changkyun?"
Hoseok nods, the rest of his body stiff as he tries to swallow the pain of another's soul. This is not like earlier today. Changkyun could stop the pain then. He could give something up to halt everything in an instant. Hoseok is useless here. He does not know where the vampire is, and he has nothing to offer. His blood is not strong enough yet, though his body has healed.
Holding his hands still to Hoseok's temples, Minhyuk sifts through the pair of minds as carefully as he can. He recognizes the store front easily and sighs, setting a block in the fae's mind before releasing him. "Let's go," he commands, offering no words of consolation to the other patrons of the cafe.
Most stare on in a constant fear, amazed at the scene that has just unfolded before them. Each in turn watch the pair escape the cafe in silence. Their drinks remain still steaming on their table, almost as mementos of what had happened. So they cannot forget the man that had begun panicking in one moment, and stormed out in a fury the next.
Minhyuk is quick to lead Hoseok along the streets, knowing the path between their respective workplaces by heart after months of traipsing back and forth. Their footfalls are heavy, and the setting sun at their backs casts long, terrifying shadows before their forms. They look wrong, and far worse than anything they have waiting for them with Changkyun.
"Did you see what happened to him?" Minhyuk is out of breath, but he finds the strength to shout ahead to the fae that has already pushed through the worst of his pain. Minhyuk's block has helped, but he can still feel a hollow ache across his chest and stomach.
Hoseok does not answer, and that worries Minhyuk. He pretends that perhaps the fae simply cannot hear him, but he knows deep down that Hoseok just does not want to say it. All Minhyuk had looked for was a location, he was too scared to find something of Changkyun's missing. He was scared he would step into the vampire's mind and witness his death with him.
He is scared even more now; each sprinting stride he takes towards the comic store weakens his resolve to stay strong. He does not know if he can watch the vampire die. He does not think he can watch anybody die after the day he has had.
Hoseok's wall begins to crumble quickly, Minhyuk's grasp firm, but Changkyun's pain far stronger. Hoseok can feel everything, and even when blocking at full power, he is out of breath and nearly lightheaded. He cannot see Changkyun's memories anymore, not with Minhyuk locking them apart, and that scares him more than anything. He does not know if he is meant to feel his own pain if Changkyun dies. He does not even know if this is already his own pain.
There is a shout from the next street over, and Minhyuk jumps at the sound. The comic store is just on the next block, and the telepath wonders if it is Changkyun shouting for help. He cannot imagine so, not if he is in as much pain as Hoseok has made it out to be. That leaves more than a few options.
Either whoever attacked Changkyun is still lingering, or someone has stumbled upon a dying and thirsty vampire. Both fae men let the same thoughts trickle down their minds, and neither knows which would be better in this moment. When the next street opens up to the pair, and the sun has sunken completely behind the city of Seoul, they have to squint to see Changkyun's crumpled form on the ground. A pale figure kneels beside him, and Minhyuk thinks he catches the glint of a blade in one hand.
Panicking, Minhyuk sprints forward without Hoseok, unsure if he is strong enough to even try and fend off an attack. He is thin, and he is now incredibly winded from the mad dash to his friend. He cannot see himself surviving any kind of fight, even with all this pent up energy he has been given. But he cannot take the time to stop and think right now. Not when Changkyun is sprawled on the ground and the pool that surrounds him only grows wider.
Minhyuk's feet slap against the pavement, skidding to a stop just as the man beside Changkyun comes into view. Hoseok stops at his side, his breath coming in gasps as his eyes adjust in the blue darkness. Both men stare down as Jooheon shuffles back from the bloodied and weeping body on the ground, a knife in his hand and tears on his cheeks.
"I didn't do it-" He cuts himself off, dropping the knife with a yelp as he realizes he is still holding it. Minhyuk takes only one glance at the blade before recognizing a Rogue symbol pressed into the hilt. Cursing, Minhyuk shoves Jooheon aside rather gruffly, stooping low over Changkyun to assess just how bad he is.
The crimson pool that reaches out for contact grows larger and larger. Minhyuk's shoes stain through, and he grimaces as the scent of iron reaches his nose. He can still see an open wound in Changkyun's side, surely where Jooheon had pulled the knife from, and there are the tell-tale signs of a blessed metal piercing his skin. It looks almost burnt, and remains open no matter how long Minhyuk waits.
Cursing again, Minhyuk glances up at Hoseok. The fae has already stepped aside, his phone to his ear and his words coming too quickly to catch. Without thinking any longer, Minhyuk pushes his wrist to Changkyun's lips, his shoulders bunched up around his ears to fight off the first sting of a vampire's bite.
But it does not come, and he realizes that Changkyun's body is already too far gone to survive alone. He needs his Master.