So I was finishing wips. Have a vampire AU that was for Halloween.
Shen Qingqiu wakes up in a rush, almost jumping out of the bed, and shoves away his unexpected visitor.
Mu Qingfan retreats, contrite. "Shixiong, I apologise."
Yeah, right. If he really was sorry, he and his brethren would wake him up properly instead of pulling at his robes and trying to bite him as soon as they enter the room.
Shen Qingqiu sighs, sits up properly and loosens the collar of his robes.
Mu Qingfan recognises the invitation for what it is, instantly scooting closer and piercing Shen Qingqiu's neck.
Mu Qingfan's hold on him is relentless, leaving him no escape. Not that Shen Qingqiu would fight him off. His fellow peak lord needs to feed. Better him than one of his disciples, who wouldn't know what to do with themselves if a peak lord showed up in their room in the middle of the night.
So he focuses on his breathing until Mu Qingfan's suction slows down and stops, until he's done licking the wounds closed and releases Shen Qingqiu.
His voice is a bit shaky and his eyes, dilated, still glued to Shen Qingqiu's exposed neck when he thanks him for his continued support.
Shen Qingqiu waves him away, the lethargy caused by the bite and the late hour making anything more than lying on his bed, eyes already half closed and unbound hair flowing freely around him, unthinkable.
He falls back asleep still feeling Mu Qingfan's stare.
Peak lord meetings suck. Sometimes literally.
It is perfectly logical that they are held in the dead of the night. It's not like the vampires could face the sun without repercussions, or at least, not easily.
Shen Qingqiu just like his sleep okay? And he's human; he needs sun to live. He's so grateful his peak is human-only and can function on a normal schedule. Not everyone can thrive like Liu Qingge, who loves being able to beat up his human students during the day and his vampire disciples during the night. Always a fight to be had! He never sleeps anyway, so what does it matter?
Then he tries to visit Qing Jing and bitches because everyone there sleeps at night.
Shen Qingqiu tries to smother his yawn, but he suspects he failed from the way Yue Qingyuan winces and looks guilty.
Shen Qingqiu doesn't get it. It's not Yue Qingyuan's fault he's a vampire. Shen Qingqiu doesn't blame him for the hours he has to keep or for the blood he needs to live.
Okay, he can be a little bit annoyed when he wakes up with fangs sunk in his neck and a whole lot of hungry, grabby vampire plastered against him, but anyone would. How hard is it to ask before you take? They can't be that mindless with need. They can feed whenever they want. There are plenty of volunteers who enjoy the process, or those like Shen Qingqiu who think that refusing them food would be cruel.
Shen Qingqiu spends the meeting half-aware, lazily fanning himself to keep sleep at bay. He wants his bed, and the prospect of getting back to it is both inviting and dreadful. It's far, far away, and the sect at night is eerie. Vampires have perfect night vision and make little to no sound, so it's not rare to believe oneself alone only to stumble on a bunch of disciples busy training in utter darkness.
Yue Qingyuan approaches, and Shen Yuan sighs. He doesn’t even know why the sect master bothers with this charade, but here we go. “It’s late. Shidi is tired, and his peak is far. Would he prefer to remain here for the night? Qiong Ding would gladly welcome him.”
He’s too tired for this bullshit. “Yes, Zhangmen-shixiong can feed on me if he’s hungry.” It’s not like everyone present doesn’t know that was what Yue Qingyuan was angling for.
Yue Qingyuan stumbles, obviously surprised by his bluntness. “Ah, I see. Well, if Shidi is sure… He can follow me.”
Qi Qingqi is probably the one laughing in the distance. Fucking vampire senses. She’s not getting his blood, that’s for sure.
Shen Qingqiu finds himself in the bedroom that might as well be his, considering how often he ends up spending the night here.
The familiarity does not help him staying awake. The bed is very comfy, and the sheets, soft. All he wants is to nest into it and sleep until noon.
Sadly, he can’t do that right now. “Shixiong was hungry, wasn’t he?” Shen Qingqiu shrugs his robes off his shoulders to give Yue Qingyuan access. “Here.”
Shen Qingqiu ignores the staring. Hungry vampires always stare.
Yue Qingyuan approaches, his steps so light they are inaudible, and takes Shen Qingqiu into his arms, which is a good thing because Shen Qingqiu is already half asleep; he will lose consciousness before Yue Qingyuan is done drinking from him. If the sect master doesn’t support him, Shen Qingqiu will crash and possibly hurt himself on Yue Qingyuan’s very sharp fangs.
Yue Qingyuan is always so careful with him. Shen Qingqiu has no fear of anything like this happening. Yue Qingyuan will drink his fill and tuck Shen Qingqiu in. Shen Qingqiu will wake up the next morning and return to Qing Jing Peak. Life goes on. Nothing to worry about.
The last thing he remembers is Yue Qingyuan’s hand petting his hair.
Shen Qingqiu responds to Luo Binghe’s distressed tone instantly. “Binghe? Is there something wrong?”
Luo Binghe closes, obviously hesitant. “I’m sorry to bother Shizun, but I don’t know who else to turn to. I went to Qian Cao Peak and they said everything is fine, but I’m always, always hungry. Shizun lets me make as much food as I want, and it works for a while, but then hungers comes right back and I can’t soothe it. Shizun, what is happening to me?”
Oh. Right. In Proud Immortal Demon Way, Luo Binghe had turned to Ning Yingying at first, but his white lotus trusts him.
Binghe’s parentage being what it is, Binghe himself is a strange mix of his mother’s vampiric heritage and his father’s demonic blood, which makes him able to eat normal food and stand the sun, but crave blood. The cravings showed up alongside his demonic traits.
Shen Qingqiu doesn’t usually let disciples drink from him, but Binghe’s situation is different. He couldn’t exactly explain to others why he wasn’t born a vampire but needs blood now. “I believe Binghe doesn’t know who his parents are?”
“It’s always been my mother and me.”
“Are Binghe’s canines sharper than they used to?”
“What?” Luo Binghe passes his tongue over his teeth. “Maybe? I’m not certain. Why?”
Shen Qingqiu exposes his inner arm, pulls out Xiu Ya and makes a small incision on his arm. “Does this appeal to Binghe?”
He gets his answer from the way Luo Binghe’s eyes immediately go for the incision. “Hum, what is Shizun talking about?”
“The blood. Does Binghe want it?”
“Oh! Why would I… Oh. I… Maybe?”
“Sometimes, people born out of a human and a vampire don’t favor one or the other. It’s rare, but they can have characteristics of both. If Binghe has a vampiric parent, maybe he just developed a hunger for blood. Does he want to see if it helps?”
“Shizun wants me to… put my mouth on him!?”
Shen Qingqiu is confused. “How else are you going to try? Well, I suppose you could scoop out the blood.”
“No, if Shizun is fine with it, I have no issue! I just thought it would be disrespectful!”
“Binghe is never disrespectful. And I might be wrong about his condition.” He’s not.
Luo Binghe closes on him, obviously nervous. Who wouldn’t be? He was raised as a human. The idea of drinking blood must make him a bit queasy.
Luo Binghe takes Shen Qingqiu’s arm and lifts it to his mouth. “If Shizun would allow me.”
Shen Qingqiu nods and stays still when Luo Binghe’s presses his mouth to his arm and laps at his skin like a newborn kitten.
When Luo Binghe frees him, his eyes are dilated and he’s flushed from the blood he just ingested. “How is Binghe feeling?”
“Shizun was right. The strange hunger has calmed down.”
“I see. Well, since Binghe is a hybrid, he shouldn’t need much blood. He should probably keep this quiet, considering Qing Jing Peak does not allow vampires. When he’s hungry, he can come to me.”
Luo Binghe’s eyes widen. “Shizun will keep me and feed me himself?”
“Of course. Binghe is my disciple. Sending him away now makes no sense, and I would never let him starve.”
Tears fill his little sheep’s eyes. “This disciple will forever be grateful for his shizun’s support.”
“Think nothing of it. This is normal.”
Shang Qinghua pushes back and wipes the blood off his mouth. “Never going to complain, but I don’t understand how you manage to be both so prudish and such a ho.”
That wakes Shen Qingqiu right up. “Excuse me? What did you just call me?”
“What else do I call the guy that offers himself to everyone, lets them into his bedroom, undresses for them and then acts like he has no idea what a tease he’s being?”
“What the fuck are you talking about. I’ve never teased anyone.”
“You’re so willing to “help out” Yue Qingyuan you have your own bedroom on his peak. You’re totally fine with people sneaking into your bed at night and pulling off your clothes. You leave them with your unconscious body without a single care. And yet, everyone knows you’d raise hell if they dared plant a chaste kiss on your lips. Talk about mixed messages!”
Are they living in the same world right now? “I am not the person who made blood a mandatory food source! You are! Everyone acts the same way here! Don’t make me sound like I’m easy.”
“Bro, you totally are. Sure, vampires need blood to live, but they’re usually way more lowkey about it. Feeding is kind of a taboo. You flaunting your availability the way you do is… let’s say provocative.”
“No it’s not! Everyone was begging Binghe to feed on them in the book! It wasn’t taboo at all!”
“Because Binghe was the main character of a stallion novel! Of course they act horny around him! They don’t around normal vampires!”
Shen Qingqiu’s stomach is starting to sink. “But how do vampires feed then?”
“It’s usually a private affair. You’d arrange for a meeting, where the human would probably be sitting in a chair, and offer his wrist to the vampire sitting beside him. None of your whole “slipping into the victim’s bed at night to bite their throat” Dracula schtick you’ve got going on. Not to mention most people stick to one vampire for health reasons. You’ve got half the peak lords drinking from you on the regular, not to mention Binghe. I’m surprised you haven’t been drained dry yet.”
“They don’t need that much blood. I’m perfectly fine. And why are you here if I’m the bargain bin? Get yourself your own blood bank then.” Oh god Shen Qingqiu is grocery store wine: always available because it’s cheap, but no one’s first choice.
“Well, feeding from you isn’t complicated. We appreciate the ease of access, okay? No weird conversations, just a few minutes where the price to pay for sweet, sweet blood is to ignore all the signals you’re sending. It’s fine. Also, congratulations. All those vampires that drink from you? Would kill for you in a heartbeat. We’re all aware that you’re not into it, that you’re just really willing to help, so you’ve captured everyone’s hearts. You’ve basically gathered a harem of devoted vampires.”
“I…” Shen Qingqiu is going to die. All this time where he thought he was just following the rules of this world, he was destroying Shen Qingqiu’s image by turning him into a floozy. “Kill me now. Please.”
“Nope. Not happening. I would be signing my death warrant, plus why would I? It’s fine. Everyone has accepted you’re strange, but no one will take advantage of it. You could be a bit more guarded, but honestly, at this point it would be meaningless. Keep doing what you’re doing. Everything is better for it.”
“I can’t. How can I face the sect master or my fellow peak lords now? They think I’m making moves on them!”
“No they don’t. They know you’re not. They don’t understand why you act the way you act, but they respect it. Changing now, that would attract attention you don’t want.”
Fuck. “I wish you hadn’t told me.”
“Maybe I should have done so earlier, but I was freaked out too before, and by the time we were close enough that I felt comfortable bringing up the subject, the damage was done.”
“Okay. Okay. I’m going to go on a mission for a couple weeks to recenter myself, and by the time I’m done, I will have integrated this. Don’t tell anyone why I’m leaving.”
“As if I would. As I said, I would be thrown into the sun if they found out I disturbed you. They treasure you and what you offer way more than they care about me.”
At least that’s a good thing? He apparently managed to gather an army to protect him from Luo Binghe when the time comes, so, success?
Shen Qingqiu blanches. “Oh no. Binghe. Are you telling me I’ve been putting the moves on Luo Binghe!?!”
“Believe me, that’s not a problem. He seems to be perfectly fine with it.”
“I’m a shame of a teacher!”
“Nah, you just wanted to help him. Bing-ge isn’t dumb. I’m sure he understood that.”
“I should arrange for someone else for him to feed on.”
“How are you going to explain it without Bing-ge feeling like he’s being rejected? The status quo is your best path here.”
He’s right. Binghe is very susceptible to rejection. He won’t take well to Shen Qingqiu refusing to feed him. “Shit.”
“You dug your own grave, now lie in it. Pun intended.”
Shen Qingqiu hates Shang Qinghua so, so much.
Shen Qingqiu is instantly on his guard. His lover’s unease is palpable. “What is it?”
“Shizun is mine now, right?”
“Just as Binghe is mine.”
“Then, there is something I must discuss with Shizun. I’ve known for a long time that Shizun is very generous and companionate. He considers it his duty to offer his blood to vampires.”
Oh. Oh no. This is where this is going. “Binghe, this isn’t something we need to-“
“I must apologise to Shizun, but we must discuss this. I would never blame Shizun for being so kind, but as his future husband, I insist he stops accepting visits from men during the night.”
Shen Qingqiu chokes. “Binghe! That’s not how it is and you know it! You lived with me for years!”
Luo Binghe nods. “I did. I am aware that nothing untoward was happening. Still, the appearances are damning. Now that Shizun is attached to me, those who want to feed from him can choose someone else, or make a proper appointment so that I can chaperone.”
“I’m sorry? Did Binghe just imply I need a chaperone?”
“Shizun doesn’t need one, but he should have one so that no one can doubt his honor.”
“Binghe, I did not intend on allowing others in our shared bedroom at night. Arrangements will be made to protect our privacy. Your presence is unnecessary.” He can’t imagine letting someone bite him while Luo Binghe glowers and urges them to hurry.
“But Shizun is mine to protect!”
“None of my fellow peak lords are a danger to me. They will all respect my will and my promise to you. Calm down.”
“Shizun is certain he doesn’t need his Binghe by his side?”
“I am certain. All propriety will be respected.” No matter what Shen Qingqiu says, Binghe will be sulking for days, he’s sure, but that’s life with an overprotective stallion protagonist as a partner.
“Fine. I trust Shizun. But I will slaughter anyone who dares to be untoward toward him.”
Honestly, Shen Qingqiu expected nothing less. “If anyone dares, I’ll cheer you on.”
“Mu-shidi, if you would?”
“What is it, Zhangmen-shixiong?”
“It’s about Qingqiu-shidi. Have you noticed anything… different since he woke up?”
“He’s been… more willing to help than usual.”
“Ah. You mean around vampires. I did notice, and I wasn’t the only one.”
“So you know! Is he all right? Being this forward is… very unusual for him.”
“Lack of inhibitions can result of a qi deviation. I did examine him, and haven’t found anything wrong. He seems to function perfectly well in society beside this, maybe even better than before, so I do not believe it’s a major issue.”
“But what if someone were to take advantage of his condition?”
“Shen-shixiong is still quite able to defend himself, and while he’s being a bit too vulnerable, I haven’t noticed any concrete hint of him making advances at anyone. The sect is a safe environment. We’ll be careful around him.”
“I can trust Mu-shidi to keep an eye on Qingqiu-shidi?”
“Thank you. I will be doing the same. Qingqiu-shidi will remain safe. I’ll make sure of it.”
