The rest of Jin-woo’s day passed in a blur. He was sure he went to classes, but he wasn’t quite sure he didn’t do anything stupid or out of the ordinary. All he knew was he needed to come up with a way to avoid portraying Bam Kiseu as Vampires. Why did everyone always think of Vampires when they thought of immortals anyway? Weren’t the gods immortal? There were hundreds of those. Why did they go for the fanged ones first? Okay, fangs were hot; he could attest to that. They had felt amazing in his neck. Of course, having Ki-tae pressed against him the way he was probably went a long way to convincing Jin-woo fangs were a good thing.
He had to stop thinking of that… encounter? Hookup? Jin-woo didn’t even know what to call it. Every time he remembered, his body responded, and he didn’t want to have his friends show up while he was sporting an erection. Besides, it wasn’t ever going to happen again. He would just have to cherish the memories… in private… when he wasn’t expecting anyone. Then he could take care of the resulting problem at his leisure. Remember every touch, every kiss, the way Ki-tae had pressed between his thighs, hot and hard, and…. Jin-woo shook his head. He really needed to stop.
The knock came at his door just as Jin-woo pulled food from the oven. He figured they would get hungry while brainstorming, and all three of them could eat. Well, Min-su could out eat him, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. He liked living, and she’d make his death a lingering one if he ever said anything of the sort. Jong-in could pack it away, too, but he wasn’t as bad. Jin-woo couldn’t help it. He loved food, which was why he also exercised rigorously. If he didn’t, he would look like a waddling marshmallow. Okay, so he wasn’t exactly a gym sort of guy, but he liked to dance. He wasn’t very good at it, but that’s how he exercised.
“Jin-woo, what’s taking so long?” Min-su said after she opened the door. “I almost expected the door to be locked.”
“I was just pulling our snacks out,” Jin-woo answered as he set the bowls and plates on the small table in the center of his living area. “But if you aren’t hungry, I can always put it away.”
He laughed when he heard the thunk as she immediately kicked off her shoes, ran around the corner and across what little space separated them to snatch a bowl out of his hand. Immediately she popped a chicken wing into her mouth, pulled off all the meat in one go, and smiled at him with puffed-out cheeks.
“You’re a crazy lady, you know that, right?” Jin-woo said, shaking his head as he turned to get their drinks.
His apartment was long but narrow and made the most of the space by having the bedroom above the kitchenette and living area. In all, his home was maybe nine meters wide but about fifteen meters long. From the little entryway, there was a very short hall forming a U-shape from the door, around a corner, and then into the main room. His couch, armchairs, coffee table, and ottoman formed a living room of sorts along the right side of the main room. His stove, counters, refrigerator, and sink ran along the left side. The stairs leading up to his bedroom jutted out slightly about a meter from the end of his kitchen counter. A little area beyond them gave access to a set of sliding glass doors that led to a little balcony overlooking his neighborhood. He loved his apartment. It was tiny but cozy, and Jin-woo didn’t need more space.
Once everything was all settled, Jin-woo sat down on the floor and rested back against his couch. He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and sighed. It had been a long day and an even longer night. Well, at least the ending. He still couldn’t remember how he got home. It was not a little disconcerting. He lived by himself, mostly because his aunt wanted nothing to do with him if she could help it, and that worked for him because Jin-woo really didn’t want to deal with her either. While she would have preferred otherwise, he was family, and she felt a certain sense of duty where he was concerned. After all, his mother was her baby sister. When he started university, they both agreed it would be more beneficial for him to get his own place close to campus, and so Jin-woo did so with very little input from his aunt. If she had her way, he would be living destitute on the streets. Fortunately his grandparents hadn’t been unaware of her feelings toward him.
Wiping his hands down his face before pushing them back up and into his hair, Jin-woo mentally shoved the thoughts aside. He didn’t even know why he was thinking about that. He had his family right here, and that was all he would ever need. They were both staring at him, chewing on chicken wings.
“What?”
“What is up with you?” Jong-in said. “You’ve been a bit off all day today.”
“I’m just tired. We did go to the Bam Kiseu concert last night,” Jin-woo mumbled. “And I had to leave early because I wasn’t feeling good.”
“You should have told me. I would have driven you home,” Min-su said, pointing a chicken bone at him.
“I didn’t want you to miss the concert because of me.” How easily the little lie rolled off his tongue.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes.” Jin-woo smiled to reassure them. “I’m just still a little tired from it all, I guess. Now what ideas have you guys come up with?”
“I still like the Vampire idea,” Min-su said. “I think it’s the easiest to portray on film.”
“Yes, but because it’s easy, it tends to be overdone,” Jin-woo pointed out. “We have to stand out, and we can’t do that if we go with easy.”
“All right, Mr. Smarty Pants, what ideas did you come up with?” she said with a pout.
“Well, I had some, but I think we need to listen to the song. Jong-in-a, would you pull up a good copy of the lyrics? We’ll compare them to the song,” Jin-woo said. “I think I got most of them, but there are spots where I can’t hear them clearly.”
“And that’s why you have me,” Jong-in said.
Min-su snorted. “As if you’re the only sound engineer.”
“I know I’m not. I’m just the best at it.” Jong-in beamed.
“I’m surrounded,” she said with a huff. “You’re Mr. Ego, and he’s Mr. Humble!”
“Hey!”
“Well, you are. I swear half the people who speak with you are flirting with you, and you have no clue. Li Mei hubae is trying hard-core. She wants you, my friend. ‘We’re better with you,’” Min-su said in a fair imitation of Mei. “I mean, seriously? I have nothing against her, but that made my teeth hurt, it was so sweet.”
Jin-woo blushed. “Back to the music.”
“Okay, give,” Jong-in said, wiping his hands clean on a napkin before pulling the laptop from in front of Jin-woo and turning it to face him. He reached into his backpack, grabbed his headset, and then plugged them in. Jong-in took in about five slow, deep breaths and then nodded. Jin-woo hit the Play button, and Min-su got her pen ready. Jong-in was insanely good with sound. Now all they had to do was wait for the music to start.
Ki-tae
HE BLINKED slowly, coming back to consciousness in bits and pieces. The smells reached him first, as usual, and he knew he wasn’t alone, but neither was he in danger. The comforting scents of his brothers soothed him. HanYin’s face was right in front of him, and he could feel Cheongul at his back. The arms wrapped around his waist were tight. Ki-tae smiled softly, reaching up to brush a finger down HanYin’s cheek. Immediately silver eyes greeted him.
“Shhh,” Ki-tae whispered. “It’s all right. No need to be on alert.”
“How do you feel?” HanYin asked.
“I’m good,” Ki-tae said. “You still wake up expecting to be attacked.”
“We all have our issues,” HanYin said.
“True, such as Cheongul’s death grip on me.” Ki-tae chuckled as Cheongul tightened said grip.
“Well, you kind of lost it last night,” HanYin said with a small smile. “You even took a swing at Abeoji.”
“Shit,” Ki-tae said. “I didn’t hurt you guys, did I?”
“Not really. You threw Cheongul and me around a little, but not too bad. Nothing we haven’t done to each other roughhousing.”
; “Still, I… I thought I’d gotten over it,” Ki-tae whispered.
“Ki-tae, you don’t ‘get over’ something like that. He controlled everything for years. You just need to remind yourself you’re free, that Abeoji turned him into a smear on the ground, and the only person who controls you is you.”
“Joesonghaeyo.”
“Don’t apologize,” Cheongul said, the words muffled against Ki-tae’s shoulder. “You never have to apologize to us… for anything.”
“Not even when I borrow your favorite black shirt without asking?” Ki-tae teased.
“You need to keep your hands off my clothes, Ki-tae.” Cheongul bit his shoulder. “Of course, I’ve taken to buying two of everything. That way I don’t have to worry about not having what I want to wear!”
“You shouldn’t have to… holy shit,” Ki-tae said, panting sharply as every nerve ending in his body fired all at once.
“Well, that answers my question,” Soon-joon said as he came around the corner.
“He’s bound, isn’t he?” Cheongul asked.
“Yes.”
“Fuck!” Ki-tae screamed, a terrifying combination of rage, fear, and uncontrollable lust colliding inside him.
“Just let it happen, Ki-tae,” Soon-joon said as he moved HanYin out of the way and sat on the bed. “It will be easier to deal with that way. If you fight it, you’ll only hurt yourself.”
“I am not going to do what I want to do in front of my family,” Ki-tae hissed.
“And we appreciate that, believe me,” HanYin said with a blush. “I can practically taste your pheromones.”
“Yeah, and you stink,” Cheongul said, though the look in his eyes belied his apparent lack of concern. “I’m going to go get something to eat.”
HanYin followed Cheongul out the door, giving Ki-tae a little wave as he did so. Soon-joon looked down at him, and Ki-tae could see the sadness in his eyes.
“This isn’t your fault, you know,” Ki-tae said, suppressing a groan. “I did this to myself by being stupid.”
“You’re not careless, Ki-tae,” Soon-joon said, brushing Ki-tae’s bangs off his forehead. “This boy, he must be something special.”
“I couldn’t tell you what it was about him. When I chased after him, it was because he’d seen me feeding, and I had to take care of that. But when I caught him… he smelled so good. It sent my whole body humming… like now.”
Ki-tae knew he was blushing furiously.
“I’m going to give you some privacy,” Soon-joon said with a smile. “When you’re… finished, we’ll be in the tearoom.”
“Is there any way to break the bond, Abeoji?”
“Yes, but we’ll discuss it later.”
“Okay.”
Ki-tae whimpered as another wave of desire hit him hard. What in the hell was Jin-woo doing? He’d better not be doing it with anyone else, that was for damn sure. Ki-tae would shred them! He felt his fangs slide down from their sheaths to prick at his lips. Jin-woo’s smell filled his nose. Not just his normal one, no; that would have been easier on Ki-tae, sort of. The scent filling his nose right now was Jin-woo aroused, Jin-woo on the very edge of orgasm, just about to fall over. What. The. Fuck?
Ki-tae kicked off the blankets and pulled his shirt out of his pants. He tried to unbutton it, but his fingers were shaking too much. With a snarl, he ripped the soft cotton fabric and shoved it off as he sat up. Another wave of pleasure, and Ki-tae fell back against the bed. The next things to go were his pants and underwear. He couldn’t have anything against his skin. It was too much. He was too sensitive. When this was over, Ki-tae was going to find Jin-woo and beat his ass for making Ki-tae go through this by himself.
“Jin-woo, you little pervert,” Ki-tae said with a breathless chuckle as he stroked his hands down his body, lifting his hips slowly. He closed his eyes, allowing his mind to follow the pull on him, on his being, and there was Jin-woo lying in his bed, naked. It was a dream, of course, but Ki-tae had walked them before, just not while so fucking aroused. He’d certainly never walked someone’s wet dream… about him! Ki-tae laughed. He was going to do every single thing Jin-woo was dreaming about in person when he got his hands on the little bastard. Such a sweet, innocent face and a wickedly dirty mind. When he had full control of his faculties, he was going to explore that mind and make Jin-woo beg to cum.
He couldn’t stop himself anymore. He couldn’t just lie there and not do something. Ki-tae tried to take a steady breath and failed. He let go and allowed himself to just experience the pleasure. Once he stopped fighting, he could wallow in it, savor the sensations racing over his skin, through his muscles, making everything so much more aware of each touch, phantom though they were. Biting his knuckle, Ki-tae tried not to scream, but it was almost impossible. He had never been a quiet lover. Finally he slid his other hand down along his abs, lingering on them for a few moments as Jin-woo’s dream touch did. Then he continued until he felt the soft hair of his groin, his fingers sliding through the precum dripping from his aching cock. Ki-tae cried out at the first touch, like an electric current shooting through him. Strong, sure strokes from root to tip, and Ki-tae moaned at each pull. He dug the fingers of his other hand into his hair, pulling just enough.
He could hear Jin-woo’s sweet moans, the way he whimpered and clawed at Ki-tae’s back. He remembered how Jin-woo had turned his head to the right, offering his throat without conscious thought, how his blood had tasted on Ki-tae’s tongue, and Ki-tae wanted more. He wanted Jin-woo above him, straddling his hips as Ki-tae pumped into him from below. Ki-tae wanted to dig his fingers into those lean hips and hold Jin-woo steady as he fucked him. He wanted to hear Jin-woo scream as he came all over Ki-tae’s chest.
The base of his spine tingled and then jerked tight. Ki-tae reached up and grabbed the headboard, digging his claws into the fabric as he planted his feet and pumped his hips upward. He cried out as his orgasm shook him, spilling his seed over his hand, his lower stomach, and thighs. He strained, arching until the last few drops, the last electric sensations passed over him, before collapsing to the bed once more. Eyes closed, panting for breath, hand still loosely wrapped around his softening cock, Ki-tae couldn’t give a damn. Everything prior to that moment, that blissful glimpse at heaven, was wrapped in a fuzzy haze of satiation. The only thing that would make it better was to have Jin-woo, blacked out from the pleasure, sprawled across his chest.
“Damn, Jin-woo,” Ki-tae chuckled breathlessly.
When his body decided to stop telling him to fuck off with the moving thing, Ki-tae rose and went around the wall to the right of his bed and into his bathroom. This was one of his most favorite rooms of the house. The glass wall around the concrete tub offered privacy but still maintained a sense of openness. To the left was the shower with waterfall showerhead, his personal favorite. The rest of the bathroom was accented with smooth black marble walls and silver fixtures. The outer wall was all glass that opened onto a stunning view of Soon-joon’s garden.
As he walked into the bathroom, Ki-tae flipped a switch, and the soft whir of curtains being drawn filled the room. A double layer of white sheers slid along a track in the ceiling in front of the outer windows, granting privacy for the room’s occupants while maintaining the open feel. Grabbing a towel from the shelves built into the wall shared with his bedroom, Ki-tae tossed it over the edge of the tub before he entered the shower. He would have preferred to stay in bed, savoring the languid, sated sensation sex always left him with, but he had things he needed to discuss with his father.
While he would certainly be all for sex with Jin-woo frequently, the binding part had to go.
Jin-woo
JIN-WOO JOLTED up in bed with a cry, wet heat rushing over his groin. He jerked his head down, staring at his lap, embarrassment making his cheeks flush. He hadn’t had a wet dream for years. That he had one now, he blamed on Ki-tae. It was all his fault. He really had no right to be that damned sexy, and he certainly didn’t have the right to turn Ji
n-woo into a shivering mass of want just by the mere thought of him. No, sir, he did not! Jin-woo climbed out of bed. Then he pulled the sheets and covers off and threw them in the empty laundry basket before heading into his bathroom to clean up. He was not going to spend the rest of the night a sticky mess and then become a crusty mess by morning. That was not on his list of things to do.
Once he was cleaned up, Jin-woo found he was wide-awake. With a sigh of resignation, he pulled out his books. He opened his laptop and clicked on his study playlist. Immediately the sultry sound of Ki-tae’s voice filled the room, the lyrics of “Heat” giving Jin-woo goose bumps. He hit the fast-forward button, only to be confronted with “Master.” Jin-woo let his head drop to the table with a thunk. Was this some sort of sign? He hoped not, because it was never going to happen. He had thought of Ki-tae too much before the concert. Now if he didn’t force himself to focus on school or projects, he was thinking of Ki-tae all the freaking time, and it had been less than two days! It was utterly ridiculous.
In an act of desperation, Jin-woo hit the fast-forward button again. This time, VIXX came on with “Hyde.” This he could deal with. Finally Jin-woo could focus on his studies.
Morning found Jin-woo with his head on his coffee table, out cold. He could just hear his alarm clock in his bedroom. Slowly he raised his head, rubbing his eyes, and looked around the room, disoriented for a few moments. Then he remembered his dream and taking the shower, only to find himself unable to sleep afterward. He glanced at the clock on his wall. It was too damn early to think about anything other than getting his coffee. Since he’d woken up on time, Jin-woo didn’t have to rush getting ready. That always made the day start out well. It was his experience that waking up late made him feel rushed for the rest of the day.
Night Kiss Page 4
