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The door flings open as Beomgyu waddles towards the bed with his cape trailing behind him, a soft grunt escapes his lips the second he falls flat against the plushness of their bed.
“And to think, just a little while ago you were calling me an old man. What happened to that youthful exuberance you were telling me about, Gyu?”
Taehyun only laughs at the scrunched up ball of fabric thrown at him, smile growing at the petulant huff he hears as he smoothes out the cape and places it on the chair next to their vanity.
“I think I lost it after the fourth espresso martini,” Beomgyu grumbles.
Taehyun looks on with adoration, shaking his head at the way Beomgyu has curled into himself. His dark clothes a sharp contrast to the white sheets that Beomgyu had been so insistent on buying when they went on sale last year.
He decides to make himself useful and speed up Beomgyu’s night time routine by peeling off each sock from Beomgyu’s feet, fondness filling his chest at the half hearted efforts of the human when he sees one dangling off one foot and the other half off. The vampire presses a sweet kiss to his boyfriend’s nose in response to the muffled thank you from his other half.
Taehyun has spent all too many years on this earth, but he’s yet to feel so in awe of any other human in the same way he is for the man lying beneath him.
Beomgyu is all things wonderful with the softness of his hair and the brightness in his eyes when he speaks excitedly about gaming or music; especially so when Taehyun is awake late at night and feels the warmth of his lover’s bare skin against his. He is equal parts soft and challenging and altogether charming in a way that leaves Taehyun breathless at a mere hair flick from the human. He has no need for oxygen, a fact that he’d proven to Beomgyu once which resulted in him holding his breath for half an hour while the other watched curiously with eyes wide like a puppy. But he thinks he understands what it means to need something so desperately when he feels Beomgyu press his lips against his hand in gratitude.
This, he knows, is as close as he’ll ever get to ever needing something beyond his base instincts.
He allows Beomgyu to play around for a few moments more, watching the way his kisses turn into playful bites, giggling as he pokes at the fake vampire teeth still in his mouth. The other's movements are a little sluggish with all the alcohol flowing through his system, but he thinks it's Beomgyu's attempt at comparing his plastic teeth with the sharp glint of Taehyun's piercing canines.
Beomgyu proves him right as he chirps happily, “Hyunie, we match!”
It’s silly, it really is, but Taehyun is all too in love as he brushes the dark locks away from Beomgyu’s face. “We do, baby. You know what, I think you even pull it off better than I do.”
Beomgyu laughs brightly, conjuring up images of stars sparkling in Taehyun’s mind.
Beomgyu's grin is mischievous when he utters his next words.
“Mortal 1. Vampire 0,” his lips pop at the last word, hands cutely pawing at his face as he tries to remove the fangs. Taehyun steps in, wiping the residual drool of the fangs on his t-shirt before placing the fangs on their bedside table.
Taehyun is so close to giving in and allowing Beomgyu to pull him down and be content in his warmth, but he remembers the last time he’d given in and woken up to a grumpy and hungover Beomgyu. He knows Beomgyu will be glad in the morning even if he is pouting at him in this moment.
The thought of that is enough for Taehyun to strengthen his resolve against the sparkly eyed man before him, “Alright mere mortal, your prize for winning is me taking off your makeup.”
The other pouts as he pulls away from his boyfriend, digging his face deeper into the security of the duvet cover. “No, I want to stay here. It’s soft and warm and smells like my Hyunie.”
The vampire laughs brightly at the sprawled out figure beneath him, feeling helplessly endeared, “Well what if I told you that your Hyunie wants a hug?”
One eye opens, peering up cautiously at Taehyun's molten red irises, “He does?”
“Yeah, you wouldn’t say no to a hug from me, would you?”
“No, never! I love your hugs,” Beomgyu exclaims as he shuffles towards Taehyun, his arms stretched wide to await the incoming—sweatshirt. He frowns up at the other feeling betrayed.
“This isn’t a hug.” Beomgyu responds unamused.
“Sorry baby, but I have to get you changed. You like this one right? It’s cute just like you.”
Beomgyu’s eyes skim the teddy bear print on the fabric and nods approvingly, “Just like me.”
Taehyun sighs with relief when Beomgyu tugs off the black silk shirt in favour of the soft sweatshirt he’d just handed him.
"But I still want cuddles. You promised me a hug," the human grumbles.
“Baby, please don’t be difficult,” he sighs. Beomgyu was insistent on a regular day, challenging Taehyun in ways he enjoyed, but drunk Beomgyu was something else altogether.
“What if I carry you to the bathroom?”
“You would do that for me?” Beomgyu gasps dramatically, eyes glazed over with alcohol.
“I’d do anything for you, Beomgyu. A walk to the bathroom is nothing.”
In all honesty, he’s a little surprised at how easy it is to get Beomgyu to listen to him as he’s propped up on the counter between Taehyun’s legs, but the arms that tug him closer reflect Beomgyu's eagerness for Taehyun to fulfil the promise he'd made. In just a couple of minutes, Taehyun is able to get Beomgyu to brush his teeth and aids him in washing his face and applying his skincare- another demand he’d agreed to guaranteeing. The human had been very insistent on Taehyun promising to get Beomgyu to do all five steps of his skincare routine. Taehyun glanced over Beomgyu’s face, peppering kisses over his cheeks, forehead and nose in order to bide the other’s attention. Once he was satisfied that he’d successfully completed his task, he carried Beomgyu back to their bed.
He lays on the bed, smiling at the way his boyfriend shuffles around to drape himself ceremoniously the vampire, arms stretched wide like a bear cub. The human’s breathing slows to a peaceful rate and Taehyun peers down to check if Beomgyu has fallen asleep only to meet two round eyes already looking at him.
“Will you ever turn me into a real vampire, Hyunie?”
The fingers Taehyun runs through the soft wisps of Beomgyu dark hair freeze only for Beomgyu to push his head further into Taehyun’s palm. Don’t stop, he seems to say.
“Taehyun?”
“Would you believe me if I said I’ve never actually thought of it?”
Beomgyu rises from Taehyun’s lap with a pout. Even Taehyun in all of his omnipotence as an immortal being was weak against the puppy-like appearance of his boyfriend.
What a funny idea, Taehyun thought, immortality crumbling at the hands of cuteness. If anyone could do it, it would be Choi Beomgyu.
“You haven’t thought about it, not even once? Wow, I never would have thought of you being such an Edward,” Beomgyu shook his head in feigned disappointment, brushing his chin against Taehyun’s bare chest.
Taehyun’s brow raises, “Wait, is that the reason you made us do the Twilight movie marathon last weekend?”
“Yes, but also I wanted to see the baseball scene,” Beomgyu answered honestly, blinking at him.
“And is that why you dressed up as a discount Dracula?”
“Yes, but I think it turned out well,” Beomgyu responded as his head turned to look behind him, “The pants made my butt look very cute I think.”
Taehyun’s hands swooped down from Beomgyu’s lithe waist to his hips, gently cupping his round ass, “It is a very cute butt, you’re not wrong.”
Beomgyu giggled cutely before swatting the vampire’s arm. The effect is nonexistent but Taehyun makes sure to feign pain just to hear Beomgyu laugh a little more.“
Why are you trying to distract me?" he whines.
"You’ve really never ever ever thought about it?”
“Why, have you?”
“I mean yeah. I have.” Beomgyu shrugs with practiced nonchalance.
“You have?”
“A lot.”
“A lot?”
He sighs, “Listen, Gyu, I love you and you know I love hearing your thoughts on literally anything. We literally debated on the potential existence of dragons-”
“All I’m saying is that if you exist, why can’t they?”
“And that’s very valid, but please get to your point about the vampire thing. You have a in class tomorrow.”
If there was one thing Taehyun had learned about his human boyfriend, it’s that he was not a morning person by any means. He was adorable when he woke up, fluffy dark hair curled every which way paired with puffed up lips and somehow even more cuddly than he was during his sleep. But god, a Beomgyu denied of his eight hours of sleep could wreak havoc even in cute pyjamas.
Beomgyu peered up at Taehyun through long lashes, “Don’t laugh at me okay?”
“I want to be with you forever.”
Taehyun sighed in relief, “Oh, well you know, I love you as you are, Beomgyu. You being human doesn’t really change that-“
“No, you don’t understand, Taehyun. That’s not,” the other frowned, a thoughtful expression on his face, looking suddenly very sober. “That’s not what I mean. I want to be with you forever, like forever forever. Like, from now until the cockroaches die out and then we’re literally the only beings on earth because our love is stronger than cockroaches’ ability to withstand death.”
“That’s oddly specific.”
Beomgyu shrugs, “I told you I’d thought about it.”
“I didn’t actually transform into a vampire. I told you this, right? I’ve always been this way, I don’t know anything else but this.”
He feels more than sees Beomgyu nodding as Beomgyu’s fluffy black hair rubs against his jaw.
“So I don’t really know how it works. I’ve never even seen it happen because I’ve only met one other vampire and they just kept talking about how much it hurt,” he continues before Beomgyu can interrupt.
“And I know you’re strong. I believe it, but Hyuka described it as just burning from the inside out for days and I don’t want that for you. That sounds like a horrible thing to go through and I don’t know if it would be worth it.”
Taehyun’s chest squeezes at the sincerity in Beomgyu's voice seeping through so effortlessly.
Beomgyu’s hands reach out for Taehyun and the weight of his palm feels like an anchor keeping him from drifting away.
“If I die then you’ll be all alone and you’ll be lonely and I don’t want you to be lonely.”
Oh. Oh.
Taehyun blinks.
“What made you think,” he clears his throat, his voice uneven. “I mean life wasn’t bad, you know. It was fine.”
Beomgyu frowns, “Life shouldn’t just be fine, Hyunie. It should be wonderful and exciting and all good things. Especially for someone dealing with forever. I want you to be happy. And I don’t want to be presumptious and assume you wouldn’t find someone after I, you know.” He makes a comical display of putting his hand against his neck and splaying out on the bed that the weight of that thought feels almost light. The thought of Beomgyu’s end has inevitably circled around Taehyun’s mind. He’s all too aware of it like a haunting of sorts. Beomgyu has always been good at toeing the heaviness of life with such grace, even in this moment, but Taehyun’s chest constricts at the admittance. He holds onto Beomgyu’s hand a little tighter.
“There won’t be.”
Beomgyu’s head tilts cutely in confusion, “I don’t know if you can stop me from dying if you don’t give me immortality, but be my guest. I’d be cool with becoming a mermaid or something.” The vampire’s eyebrow quirk up, unable to resist indulging the human’s imagination.
Taehyun’s eyes meet his insistent gaze. He needs Beomgyu to understand this and if the drunken haze Beomgyu is under erases this from his memories, Taehyun will gladly repeat it as many times as he needs to. Beomgyu deserves that much, he knows.
“No, I mean. There won’t be anyone after you... It’s just you for me.” It's a truth that Taehyun has come to realise he means sincerely. He wonders how that fact has slipped past him, how he's never really put into words the way Beomgyu is simply just everything to him.
The lighting in the room is dim, but Taehyun’s sharp eyesight allows him to witness the rounding of Beomgyu’s lips before he covers it with one hand covered by an oversized sleeve.
“Oh, Taehyun. You don’t have to do that, I’d understand.”
Taehyun watches Beomgyu carefully, wanting to make Beomgyu feel certain of his feelings. He knows he has to do this right, that Beomgyu deserves to feel loved. That Taehyun considers himself the luckiest man on earth for being able to be the one to do so.
“Gyu, you know that I didn’t date anyone before you, right?”
The human nods.
“I honestly just didn’t get it. I didn’t understand why someone would want to spend so much time with anyone. Sure, I’d felt attracted to people, but they weren't really anything to me. I didn't feel the things they talk about in those romcoms you like. They didn’t matter enough for me to give up travelling and learning about the world. Not a single one of them. Absolutely no one made me feel that way in all of my years on this earth. But I understand what they meant now, because I feel like I've missed you my entire existence and I need you to know that I would give up those thousands of years to get to your side faster.”
He hears a sniff and Taehyun’s eyes fly upwards to meet Beomgyu's eyes glistening in the dark, unshed tears hanging off long lashes.
“All two thousand years?”
“Even the year when the strawberry harvest was record topping,” Taehyun responds without hesitation.
Beomgyu wails and thrusts forward to throw himself into the vampire’s arms. Taehyun welcomes the weight of Beomgyu as his arms wrapped tight around the softness of Beomgyu’s limbs against his own. Patiently, he waits for the sound to fade to a soft sniffle as he wipes away the tear tracks on Beomgyu’s cheeks.
Taehyun chuckles in disbelief. “I can’t believe it was the strawberry season of 1978 that convinced you.”
Beomgyu blinks down at him, a few tears caught in his long lashes like stars brushing in the night sky and Taehyun feels fondness wrap around his heart. He knows that if his heart could beat, it would be pounding against his chest at the beautiful boy in his arms.
“Well, I know how much you liked that year. I didn’t even know vampires could put away strawberries like that and well, you describe it like it was the best year of your life.”
Taehyun presses a kiss against his cheek. “Well, that’s not quite right. I think the best year would have to be 2019.”
“Were strawberries good that year-”
Taehyun sighs exasperatedly, although there’s no real malice when he’s brushing Beomgyu’s hair like this.
“It was the best because it’s when I first met you.” And the bright smile he receives is so blinding that he feels a little dizzy with the way it makes his head spin.
“That was a good year for me too.” Beomgyu echoes.
The vampire pauses, “Okay but I'm pretty sure I said it was the best year.”
Beomgyu nods and sighs thoughtfully, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
“I heard you, Hyunie, but well, I had a pretty awesome birthday party when I was seven so that’s probably the best year for me.”
Taehyun deadpans. He can't believe this. “Meeting the love of your life comes second to a birthday party?”
“Hyunie, it was a racing themed birthday party! We went go karting and everything.”
The sparkle in Beomgyu’s eyes and the way he doesn’t deny the title is enough to appease Taehyun, although he supposes the thought of a young Beomgyu racing around a track is all too cute of an image anyways.
They’ve digressed a little too far from the earlier topic, but Taehyun has to know that Beomgyu understands the weight of his request. He’ll ask again in the morning, when Beomgyu is sober and there aren’t traces of glitter on his neck, butthe thundering in Taehyun’s mind is all too loud. He thinks it would be impossible for him to spend the next few hours in peace while his human sleeps.
“So, you're willing to go through the whole ordeal of becoming a vampire for me?”
“Does it hurt that much?” Taehyun’s heart sinks at the worry seeping into Beomgyu warm brown eyes.
Abruptly, Beomgyu throws a hand up, “Don’t answer that, because it doesn’t matter. You know me, I’ll get scared.”
For a moment, the other looks truly frightened like he's realising the gravity of his grand romantic gesture. In spite of the other's taller stature, his shoulders shrink in on himself making Beomgyu look so much smaller. Much much smaller than he ever looks with all of the usual boldness he displays, but Taehyun understands. If Beomgyu wanted to take a step back, he would hold his hand and take the step with him. It's only a minor bump as far as Taehyun's concerned, they can just start with tomorrow and work their way to forever. Or really, not even that. He'll take whatever Beomgyu is willing to offer to him.
But suddenly, Beomgyu looks up at Taehyun with a hardened gaze, something decidedly concrete in his eyes and the vampire can only watch in awe at the return of Beomgyu's boldness.
“Even it it’s scary, I won’t back down though. I’ll bear with it if it means I’ll be with you forever.”
Taehyun wants to say something to alleviate the conflicting expression Beomgyu is showing, with his lips pulled in between his teeth Beomgyu’s lips worry his teeth even as his eyes remain assured.
Beomgyu’s bravery is sweet like a salve to the years Taehyun has spent in solitude. It is perhaps even more meaningful because Beomgyu’s bravery is so human of him.
Beomgyu who whines when the oil splatters against his hand while cooking barbecue, Beomgyu who wears a beanie, gloves and a scarf the second the first snowflake falls from the sky in the cooler months, Beomgyu who likes watching horror movies but hates when Taehyun creeps up on him. Somehow the love that Beomgyu holds for Taehyun is enough to trump all of those fears. Taehyun wants to be deserving of that adoration, wants to return it in tenfold. He wants to tell Beomgyu that it’s fine, but the image of forever spent with Beomgyu is all too tempting even if it is a hazy one.
He wants it all the more when Beomgyu looks at him like this, with so much trust in his eyes.
“Gyu-“
“Just. Just make sure to stay by my side when it happens, okay?”
“Of course, Gyu. I'll be there the entire time.”
“And let me hold your hand when it happens. I won’t be scared if you do that.” Even in this moment, with Beomgyu offering his mortality to Taehyun, his earnestness pours out of him like an overfilled cup.
Taehyun doesn’t fail to notice the way Beomgyu’s grip tightens as he speaks, his fingers curling around the hair at Taehyun’s nape. The sentiment is endearing, for all of Beomgyu’s worries about the whole process, he’s determined and brave. It’s so much, maybe too much and Taehyun doesn’t really know what to make of it. He can only close his eyes as he presses his forehead against the human’s own, making an oath to himself to strive to be deserving of the love Beomgyu is promising to him.
Being immortal isn’t easy, nor is it fun.
He’s been immortal for all but two thousand years and in that time, he’s felt the waves of time drift him towards joy and away from it. He’s felt the agony of watching humans hurt one another out of cruelty and greed, so withered by the sight of it that he had he resigned himself to a life alone. That’s what he’d decided. He could tolerate that, after all, humans had only shown themselves to be capable of such barbaric acts. But Beomgyu had crumbled every wall Taehyun had built around his heart so effortlessly as if he’d had a key to the front door, making himself at home in every corner of Taehyun’s heart. He’s known Beomgyu for no more than four years and yet, those four years make the two thousand years he’s lived feel like nothing at all.
Sure, Taehyun’s immortal, but being alive is not the same thing as living and he feels for the first time the potential of a future spent by someone's side. He thinks of the possibilities before them, the hand in his grounding him against the torrent waves of time. It's an unbearably gentle feeling that leaves Taehyun feeling dizzy.
“In return for your literal soul, you want to hold my hand?”
“When you say it like that, I feel like I should ask for more. Sounds like a lousy deal to me.” Taehyun can only snort.
Beomgyu pouts cutely, “Can I get back to you with a list, Hyunie?”
The vampire can’t help but ruffle his boyfriend’s hair, a smile breaking across his face.
He leans forward, capturing Beomgyu’s lips with his own, pulling away to peck his nose, “You could ask me for literally anything and I’d give it to you.”
Beomgyu beams at him.
He wonders if Beomgyu really understands how long he’s just spent on this earth merely surviving.
Beomgyu is, Taehyun is fully aware, the first truly good thing to happen to him.
He’d spent years trying to convince himself that he was fine with gaining merely knowledge, learning of every secret the world would unveil to him if he looked hard enough- at one point, he even believed it- but after knowing what it’s like to bask in Beomgyu’s warmth, all of those years feel tinged with a cold he can’t quite bring himself to go back to. So perhaps selfishly, he’s thankful that Beomgyu is so determined to spend eternity with him.
He’s snapped out of his thoughts with an insistent poke on his ribs, finding Beomgyu’s teasing smile and soft pyjama sleeves hiding the tips of his fingers.
“You’re going to regret saying that, Kang Taehyun. I can write a mean list.”
“I’m sure you can, my love.”
Beomgyu huffs, “That’s not fair. You can’t be all romantic when I’m joking, you know it makes me flustered. Now I can’t think up stuff for my list.”
“You have time, Beomgyu. I’m not going to turn you into a vampire right away. This isn’t actually Twilight, you know. There’s no time limit.”
Beomgyu nods, tightening his arms around the vampire in a sweet embrace and Taehyun feels Beomgyu fit against him like a puzzle piece falling into place.
All too quickly the tenderness falls away for something more like their everyday teasing and playfulness.
“You know, this moment would be a lot sweeter if your hands weren’t literally on my ass right now.”
“Beomgyu!” Taehyun warns.
The other laughs brightly, “I’m just kidding, Hyunie. Feel free to keep them there forever.”
Taehyun presses a gentle kiss to Beomgyu's forehead, grazing his hands up his body set on its destination.
"You sure, Gyu? You don't want me to," Taehyun grazes his lips against the other's plump ones, brushing against them lazily.
Beomgyu squeals, "Hyunie!"
But Taehyun's heart glows bright at the way Beomgyu leans into him, pressed against him like he wants Taehyun entirely, almost as much as Taehyun wants him.
For the first time in Taehyun's existence, Taehyun is at peace with his immortality. It settles pleasantly. Almost oddly in the way his immortality does not feel like an ache or burden that haunts him. It feels like no less than a promise. But then again, he's never felt more at home than in the small studio apartment he shares with Beomgyu. The life they've made here is evident. From the rug with a maroon stain in the corner to the pictures of the two lovers hanging on their refrigerator and the love letters slipped in between. The details that grow around them, marking the passing of time in soft warmth not unlike their love.
Tomorrow, he predicts that Beomgyu will wake up frazzled before his afternoon classes and Taehyun will inevitably get to the museum late where he works as a research assistant, because Beomgyu comes first. Always. He most definitely comes before the school kids who are all too eager to ask mindless questions just for the sake of it.
He considers the lunch he'll pack for Beomgyu, wonders if he should choose the chicken or pork, before settling on Beomgyu's favourite. He can already imagine the text message Beomgyu will send to thank him for his efforts — no doubt filled with cute emojis and all of his exuberance.
His mind circles around these details as they wrap around him like a comfort in certainty, in knowing he has tomorrow with Beomgyu and the day after that and the day after that.
They have time, he now knows.
Beomgyu reaches for his hands and Taehyun reveres the gift of a lifetime spent by Beomgyu's side.