Night Kiss

by E. T. Malinowski

  “Oh fuck!” Jin-woo moaned, drawing out the word as Ki-tae tortured his body with his tongue. He thought he was good at giving head. He was an amateur compared to Ki-tae. He could hardly catch his breath. Every time Ki-tae pulled back, the cool air on his wet shaft tormented him in an exquisite way, and then the molten heat of Ki-tae’s mouth surrounded him once more. Short bobs, long strokes, Jin-woo couldn’t have remembered his own name if he were asked. He repeatedly clenched one hand in Ki-tae’s hair, gripping the shelf he was shoved up against with the other. Ki-tae kneaded his ass with strong hands, stroked his balls, and teased between his cheeks as he used his mouth to work him into a frenzy.

  He tried to focus, tried to warn Ki-tae he wasn’t going to last much longer. All he could do was moan and bite his bottom lip to keep from screaming. The pulling at the base of his spine and through his scrotum was all the warning Jin-woo had. Then his body was one big explosion of pleasure as he spilled down Ki-tae’s throat on a loud cry, slamming his head back into the shelving. Black spots danced in front of his eyes, and Jin-woo fought not to pass out again… and failed.

  Ki-tae

  KI-TAE CAUGHT Jin-woo as he slumped, holding him in his arms and settling him astride his lap. He laid Jin-woo’s head on his shoulder with a smile, chuckling softly. “Such reactions you have.”

  As much as Ki-tae wanted to let Jin-woo come to on his own, they didn’t have the time to wait. Last time it took several hours. Seung-gi, being Seung-gi, stayed to watch over Jin-woo, observing his apartment from outside. When he reported back in, it was the next morning. They didn’t have several hours. They only had several minutes before wardrobe would fill with people. Gently Ki-tae tapped Jin-woo’s cheek until he got some sort of response. The fluttering of Jin-woo’s dark eyelashes signaled his return to consciousness.

  “You’re good for my ego, you know that?” Ki-tae teased when Jin-woo finally opened his eyes.

  “Huh?” So eloquent.

  “You passed out the first time too,” Ki-tae said.

  “I’m almost hesitant to have sex,” Jin-woo said sleepily. “It might just kill me.”

  “You don’t want to have sex with me?”

  “I said ‘almost.’ Pay attention,” Jin-woo grumbled as he snuggled closer to Ki-tae, tucking his head against Ki-tae’s neck, making Ki-tae chuckle again. “Sleepy.”

  “You can’t go to sleep. We have work to do,” Ki-tae pointed out.

  “Meh.”

  “Aren’t you the one always trying to get me to be responsible?”

  “Feh.”

  “If you don’t get up now, I’ll never blow you again,” Ki-tae said, knowing it was complete and utter—

  “Bullshit,” Jin-woo said.

  “Okay, you got me on that one, but we still need to clean up and get going. Do you want the others to burst in here and see us like this?” Ki-tae said. “What would Min-su dongsaeng say?”

  “Her exact words would be ‘Lucky bastard… I want deets,’ and then she would attempt to harangue me until she got them,” Jin-woo said. “She’s a Boy Love fangirl. Won’t admit it though. She hates being called a fangirl.”

  After a few more minutes of cajoling, Ki-tae managed to get Jin-woo back on his feet and straightened up. Then they chitchatted as Ki-tae pulled out the costume he was supposed to wear for the first scene they were shooting that day. Fortunately they were done with the historic scenes and could work with clothing that was easier to dance in.

  “Whose suggestion was it to have the top part historically influenced and the bottom leather?” Ki-tae asked as he pulled up the pants, tucked himself inside, and zipped up.

  “That was Jong-in-a’s idea. He figured after the way the period costumes restricted movement, these would be much easier and still carry the historic feel to them, especially since the dance steps for this section are more complex,” Jin-woo said almost absently as he sat on a worktable. Ki-tae turned to see him staring at his leather-clad ass and smiled. “You’re not letting me return the favor. Don’t think I didn’t notice.”

  “We don’t have time,” Ki-tae said quietly.

  “I understand why,” Jin-woo said, looking at him with serious eyes. “I just don’t like it.”

  Ki-tae walked over and cupped Jin-woo’s face, making him tilt his head up. “I would love nothing better than to spend hours loving on you,” he said earnestly before placing a sweet kiss on Jin-woo’s lips. “And I intend to do just that, but not here. I don’t want any interruptions when I finally take you.”

  “I’m supposed to function normally with that thought in my head? Not likely,” Jin-woo grumbled, but he stretched up to give a kiss of his own.

  “If I can do it, you can,” he said, returning to the rack to pull out his shirt.

  “Hello? Vampire,” Jin-woo said, pointing at Ki-tae and then at himself. “Human. Big difference in the control department, right?”

  “Not really. I’ve met Vampires who have less control than most humans,” Ki-tae said. “And there are some, much like with humans, who are obsessed with control. We’re different in some ways but alike in many others.”

  “What’s it like being a Vampire?” Jin-woo asked. Ki-tae could hear both curiosity and concern in his voice and it made him smile. Jin-woo seemed to be able to do that a lot, make him smile in a way only his brothers usually could.

  “That is a complex question and I’m surprised you haven’t asked it long before this,” Ki-tae said. “However, it is best saved for another time and more secure location.”

  “Oh man, I forgot,” Jin-woo said, his cheeks flushing an adorable pink. “It was stupid of me to ask a question like that.”

  “No, Jin-woo-ya, it’s not stupid. It’s actually a very good question. Most people would not bother to ask it. They would rather destroy what they don’t understand,” Ki-tae said. “It takes intelligence to learn about something that is, ultimately, frightening.”

  “I think it was more a matter of shock rather than fright. No, no, at first, it was very much fright right there with the shock, but part of me was really turned-on, watching you with the tech,” Jin-woo admitted, his blush getting brighter. “It wasn’t as good as when you fed from me because, oh my God, amazing, but it was still… arousing.”

  “You liked me feeding from you?” Ki-tae purred as he stalked closer to Jin-woo, still bare-chested, his shirt tossed onto the back of a chair.

  “One of the most amazing experiences of my life,” Jin-woo said as Ki-tae came to a stop in front of him. His eyes were locked on Ki-tae’s abs.

  “You liked the feel of my fangs in your throat?” Ki-tae stroked his neck where he’d bitten Jin-woo and watched the minute shivers race over his skin.

  “Yes.”

  Ki-tae took hold of Jin-woo’s wrist as he dropped to his knees in front of him. He brushed his lips over the sensitive skin. “You like the feel of my fangs in your wrist, the feel of my mouth sucking on you, bringing the exquisite taste of your blood into my mouth?”

  “Oh God, you know I do.” Jin-woo moaned.

  “Your cum tastes just as delicious,” Ki-tae murmured before sinking his fangs into Jin-woo’s wrist to the sounds of his moans.

  “Oh fuck.”

  Min-su

  MIN-SU REREAD what she wrote and snarled in frustration. She tore the paper from her notebook, crumpled it, and threw it in the waste bin. The bin was filled with similar attempts at writing. Tilting her head back, Min-su tried to give herself a pep talk.

  “Your journal is filled with lyrics and poems. You can do this,” she said out loud. “You can come up with a really good song. This is Bam Kiseu, your favorite band! You know their vocal styles. You know how Ki-tae hyung likes the low sultry sounds that bash you in the head with the beat drop. You know HanYin hyung’s voice is perfect for melodic ballads that blend into an R&B 808 rhythm. And you sure as hell know Cheongul-a’s voice is perfect for the harder, almost rock heavy metal sound with a pop beat that vocally rips you apart with his growl.
You can do this. You can write for them.”

  “You’re having trouble too, huh?” Jong-in said quietly from behind her. Min-su jumped only a little. She turned to watch him approach and take the seat next to her.

  “I’m having a bitch of a time.” She sighed. “I can’t seem to find the right words. I can hear the melody in my head and I can hear the beat, but the words just aren’t coming to me. All I can hear is a rehash of stuff they’ve already done, and that is as far from ‘original’ as you can get.”

  “I know the feeling,” Jong-in said as he leaned his head back.

  Min-su watched him closely. He seemed so much more worn-out lately. It worried her. Getting Jong-in to talk was always one of the hardest things for her and Jin-woo to do. She knew he told Jin-woo things he didn’t tell her, and it did bother her a little bit, but it was more important that he was at least talking to someone. Honestly she had her suspicions, but she was going to wait until he was comfortable telling her. It wasn’t something a person should push.

  Of course it probably didn’t help that he was physically working himself ragged. Min-su wasn’t the type of person to let things go, for the most part. When Jong-in first started hanging out with them at the beginning of high school, he was quiet but still had a certain amount of energy inside him. Over the last few years, that energy had seemed to drain away, so Min-su followed him one day. She was amazed at the sheer drive and determination Jong-in displayed. There were times when he worked three jobs on top of going to school. That was impressive, not conducive to good health, but still impressive. She hadn’t said anything then either, figuring he would tell her, but it seemed he was going to continue with his “strong, silent type” act.

  Eventually it was just going to piss her off and she would call him on it, but now was not the time. She wasn’t sure when that time would be, but she would figure it out. Now if she could just figure out what was going on inside her own head that was preventing her from writing lyrics, she’d be at least a little bit happier. It wasn’t until Jong-in reached for the bottle of water next to her, and she saw the raw state of his hands, that Min-su decided to throw her timetable out the window.

  “Do you think I’m stupid?” she asked angrily as she grabbed a hold of his hands.

  “What? No. Why would you ask me that?” he said.

  “Do you think I’m completely unobservant? That I don’t notice things about the people who are dear to me?” she said, trying not to let the emotions boil over as she saw cracks in his skin, his poor hands. Without looking, she reached into her backpack and pulled out her first aid kit. It was homemade and so had a lot more in it than a regular kit.

  “Min-su-ya, what are you talking about?” Jong-in demanded, trying to pull his hands out of her grip, but she wouldn’t let him, and he stopped when she glared at him.

  “I know you’re working multiple jobs after school,” she said quietly as she applied a homemade herbal salve to his hands. “I know you go straight from here to work, sometimes three jobs in a row, and then go home to crash, or go right back to campus to work on projects. I’ve watched you. I figured you’d confide in me at some point, but you never did. And now your hands are raw and bleeding in places, you’re exhausted, you’re so sad, and I can’t stand it anymore. I can’t take seeing you in pain like this, both physically and emotionally, Jong-in-a. You’re one of my best friends, and no matter what, I love you.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “No, you’re not ‘fine,’ dammit!” she said angrily, the tears tightening her throat as she wrapped some bandages lightly around his hands so he could use them. “You’re not! And it’s killing me not to be able to help you! Why won’t you talk to me, Jong-in-a?”

  “I—” He looked away. “I don’t want—”

  “If you tell me you don’t want to be a burden, I will smack you so hard,” she hissed. “You and Jin-woo-ya are the only friends I have. You could never be a burden to me.”

  She hauled him into her arms and held him tightly, refusing to let him go even when he tried to pull away. Finally she felt his body relax, and he wrapped his arms around her. Though he made no sound, Min-su could feel the tears soaking her shirt, matching the ones sliding down her face. He wasn’t talking, but he was holding on, and that was something. She turned her head and placed a kiss on his cheek, and he did the same before burying his face against her neck.

  Cheongul

  “WELL, I guess that answers my question,” Cheongul said quietly as he watched Min-su and Jong-in from several feet away. The kiss was tender and sweet, and it kicked him in the gut. “Figures, you always go for the ones who don’t want you, Cheongul. When are you going to learn? It’s been well over four centuries, and you still fuck it up.”

  He turned away from the touching scene, leaving the couple alone. He had to admit they were incredibly discreet. Cheongul didn’t think anyone on set suspected Min-su and Jong-in were together. He certainly hadn’t. In fact, he could have sworn Jong-in was interested in HanYin. He paused in his walk to wardrobe. He supposed Jong-in could be bisexual, but he didn’t think Min-su was the type to share, and he knew HanYin wasn’t.

  Why did his chest hurt?

  Cheongul rubbed his chest absently. He should have known someone like Min-su was taken. How could she not be? She was intelligent, beautiful, and sassy. She worked hard and was determined to make sure she got something, no matter how many times she had to do it over again. What man in his right mind would resist her? Seriously, if he, a Vampire, a being who lived centuries, couldn’t get Yi Min-su out of his mind, what chance did a human being have? If Jong-in was human. Cheongul had his doubts just as much as Ki-tae did.

  Despite the time they had spent together over the last few weeks, no matter how he had taken the time to teach her the dance moves to their songs, repeating it without complaint and flirting with her, it was clear Cheongul was firmly ensconced in the Friend category, regardless of her “hot and sexy and edible” comment from before. Cheongul paused again. Thinking back over his many years, he realized he’d probably done that to several people too, put them in a group of purely platonic people he would never sleep with. There had been no term for it back then when he was still inclined to try for more than just a simple hookup. It didn’t really make any difference, did it? If there was one thing Cheongul wouldn’t do, it was poach another man’s girl, especially when he considered that man a friend. He was just going to have to put his feelings for her aside. Thankfully this was their last day. It would give him time to adjust, a little break to get his head in the right space. Now after seeing the two of them together, Cheongul was glad he hadn’t said anything about his feelings to Min-su. He didn’t think she would laugh in his face, but what person liked being rejected? They could be friends, he supposed, but would that be a wise idea? Would he be able to keep his feelings buried or would the temptation prove irresistible over time? He wasn’t sure what to do. It had been literally hundreds of years since he’d last wanted more with someone.

  Thinking about Min-su and Jong-in brought on memories better left forgotten. He had to stop and take a deep breath. Memories were not his friends. They brought with them all the emotions that had triggered him that day. He’d been young, but that was no excuse for what he’d done. Sometimes, being a Vampire sucked. Everything was so much more intense: the emotions, the senses. When a human got angry, there was a good chance they could pull out of it and remain rational enough to function and not hurt anyone. For a Vampire, the feelings were almost overwhelming, especially for the younger ones. For Cheongul, he never really lost that weakened control over his emotions. Even now, he struggled a lot with the intensity of his feelings. Mostly, he worked them out in the weight room or dance practice. Sometimes, he took a trip into the underbelly of whatever city they were in at the time and found fight clubs for Spiritual Beings. They were mostly filled with Shifters of varying species, but other species competed as well. The money was good and it could be a heck of a lot of fun. Ther
e, in the ring, he could work out his anger with little fear of killing someone. Shifters were some of the heartiest and more aggressive Spiritual Beings out there. It took a lot of damage to kill one. Yet they were one of the most community-oriented groups he’d ever met. Once you befriended one, you would have to do something horrendous to make them leave you. He’d made a couple of friends in the ring and had kept one or two through the centuries.

  When he reached wardrobe, Cheongul wanted to smack his head against something. It just wasn’t his day. He could smell the pheromones from where he stood. It was a good thing human noses weren’t as sensitive. Jin-woo and Ki-tae would send everyone into a tizzy. The energy coming off his brother meant Ki-tae was feeding too. After he made sure no one was around, Cheongul pounded on the door.

  “Put it away, Ki-tae-ya. We have work to do,” he growled. He really wasn’t in the mood for another loving couple, even if they didn’t realize they loved each other yet. If he could, he would just avoid people altogether, but Cheongul prided himself on being a professional… antics with HanYin and Ki-tae notwithstanding. He would finish his work here and get gone as soon as possible. The hurt was building inside him, and he knew himself well enough that he could tell he was going to spiral downward quickly. He wouldn’t be safe to be around when he hit rock bottom, and he didn’t want to lose someone else he loved to his rage.

  The door opened a few seconds later. As he leaned against the wall, Cheongul watched Ki-tae look up and down the hall. He hadn’t realized he’d hidden himself from sight, a habit he developed when he was first turned. For the most part, he cloaked himself at will, but sometimes, he did it without thinking and it usually happened when he really wanted to be left alone. It was one of his admittedly few extra abilities. With conscious effort, Cheongul tried to relax. “I’m right here.”