WORD COUNT: 4100 and some change
WARNINGS: kissing (same sex and opposite), sex (kinda rough but not really), biting, blood
“Shall we begin?” The central Councilor asked. Though it was phrased as a question, it was no such thing.
Heechul knew the rules inside and out, though, so he pretended it was one in order to say, “Let me summon my secretary.” When the Councilor’s eye twitched minutely, he knew he’d won. A small red spark shot up from his fingers; inside of a minute, the demon arrived at the vampire's side, still with half his hair pulled back into a ponytail, strangely unmussed. “I name Donghae-” Heechul gestured in his direction with an open, upturned hand, an old tradition to show a lack of weapon or artifact held at the ready, “-my secretary for this session.”
The Councilor folded his hands together, his flat expression somehow still skeptical. “He brought no writing instruments.”
“He has a great memory,” Heechul lied. Then knocking against the gate of his mind, he heard a voice. Who’s supposed to be the brainless idiot this old guy is complaining about? And why do all three of them think so loud? I want pizza too, but you don’t hear me whining about it. When these mean assholes get stuck in traffic later, they'll deserve it.
After a moment of being startled, he realized it was her voice - the nameless woman several rooms down. He scanned the Councilors. No sign that they’d heard anything. Heechul’s shoulders, arms, thighs, every muscle in his body stiffened in shock.
It was then that he realized all at once what she was: Untrained. Untamed. And very, very dangerous.
Not only a connection of such strength and focus, made without knowing it, but she was... Oh god, they can’t know about this. None of them can know about this! Hastily, Heechul schooled his expression. Without even realizing it, she was doing something he’d never seen nor heard of. She was reading the Council.
“Enough of this insolence!” The central Councilor roared. “You have long pleaded for an audience. Courier after courier, day. After. Day. You have it now; do not waste our time further.”
The outburst was strangely reassuring, as it contained no hint that they’d detected the reading of their thoughts and futures. That gave Heechul the strength to go on. And the will. Because if he didn’t- If the formless destruction he foresaw came to pass...
He couldn’t bear the thought.
"Very well, I’ll get right to the point,” he said, placing his hands on the desk, spreading his fingers wide, steadying against the feeling squeezing his chest that was all too much like a tightrope wobbling beneath his feet. “Something is coming.” He leaned forward. “It will not only turn our community upside down, but may well be the end of the world as we know it. I- We can't let that happen."
The spurned Councilor from earlier cut in without the necessary request. "And do you offer any evidence for such a farfetched claim?" He sneered. "Or do you just have a baaaad feeeeling?" He finished mockingly.
God, this jackass again, Heechul thought, barely keeping himself from saying so out loud. Happy to doom us all just because he doesn't get to fuck whoever he feels like.
With his attempt disastrously rebuffed, the remaining formalities of the meeting were both disorientingly short and endlessly long. Two minutes in a flash that also went on forever.
Just as Heechul had thought it was over, the very thing he dreaded happened. He didn't know what precisely had been shot in their direction; a second's warning was all he had, and it was all he needed. Immediately, his hand shot out to grab one of Donghae's muscular biceps, pulling hard on his energy reserve to put up a quick burst shield strong enough to dissipate it. Hopefully.
If it was from anyone in the audience, or only a casual shot from a Councilor, it would hold. If not...
His shoulders slumped in relief. It held. He could tell because he was here rather than being burned to a crisp.
"What a pity," he heard faintly in the voice of the Councilor who had apparently decided to become his nemesis, right before the high-pitched shriek of wind that signaled his leaving.
Turning around, Heechul found the room empty. He nearly dropped to the floor, grateful for the ordeal to be over. Fucking Claude, he thought with no small amount of resentment. In his grasp, he could feel Donghae trembling faintly, so Heechul steeled himself to look more steady than he felt and turned to the demon.
"Good boy," he said, patting Donghae's cheek. His demon looked a little sallow. "Oh, I bet you're hungry after all that, aren't you."
"Yeah," Donghae replied in a near-monotone, though his eyes regained a bit of their usual shine at the words.
Because he knew what needed to be done, Heechul told him, as he released Donghae's arm, "Let me indulge for a moment, hmm?" After a split-second magic scan confirming the room was indeed empty, he took Donghae's face into his hands, cradling his jaw, then slipped his tongue into the demon's mouth, clearing his mind of all but the pure physical sensation, the sheer pleasure of their tongues sliding against each other's edges, their lips slipping together, every nerve ending that lit up to hum in decadent enjoyment. Only a few seconds of that before he pulled away. "Feeling better?"
Before him, Donghae beamed, his complexion restored to its usual smoothness, too. "Much better."
"Good." Heechul ruffled the demon's hair. "Run along, now. I've got a date with a pretty little witch." Not to mention, Heechul thought, all the more reason to watch my back after that stunt. With a sigh, he brushed imaginary dust off his clothes, straightened his collar, and headed to the endless night's next task.
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No sooner than he’d crossed the threshold of the cozy quarters did you launch into a tirade.
“What was all that about a formal claim?!” You’d waited for who knows how long, stuck in this room because who knows what else is out there, and all you’d had was the bowl of stew the confused-looking, very tall butler brought you. After the day you’d had, you were at your limit of patience.
But the vampire - Heechul, that’s what the unnervingly handsome man from earlier had called the leader - only waved your objection away with an infuriatingly causal but dramatic flourish of his hand. He raised his eyebrow. “We’ve barely known each other for, what, two hours? I’m not about to go that far.”
You scoffed, rolling your eyes. “That's not what I meant and you know it.”
He stared you down, but you weren’t about to budge. “Rudeness aside,” he drawled, “what brought you to me in such bad shape?”
In that moment, your heart dropped to your feet. “I… can’t tell you that.” No matter the horrible things he’d said to you or terrifying things you’d just witnessed, you couldn’t put him in danger. You couldn’t allow someone else to suffer because of you.
Surprisingly, Heechul only smiled indulgently. “Yes, yes, just about everyone here answers the same way.” With a world-weary sigh, he continued. “Very well. You need my protection, don’t you?”
Even without knowing any of the situation, he’d hit the nail on the head. “...I do.” The admission made you shrink in on yourself. You’d never imagined you’d have to ask anyone for such a thing, but after last week-
No. You couldn’t think about that. Not now. Not unless you wanted to fall apart. And you were close. Dangerously so. Showing up at Delicious Rendezvous was the only saving grace you could think of on the fly. Its reputation drew you there. Strength resided within its walls; your soul knew, somehow, that you would be taken in. So, no, you weren’t going to fall apart now. That would be a terrible idea while asking for help.
“Then, given…” He looked meaningfully towards the door, presumably in the direction of where the mysterious meeting you’d been politely kicked out of had been held. “Given all that you’re facing, I can offer you temporary protection. A barrier that can repel most magic I don’t allow.” He stepped closer. “It’s not foolproof, as no shield is, and it cares nothing for the intent of the caster, mind you.” His lips forming the words were distracting, even more so than his unaffected, haughty stare. “But it will last three full moons, not a sunrise more.” Heechul brought his folded hand up, examining his nails. The tension in his brow made his nonchalance look strained. “Be that as it may, there are only two options for how to go about this.”
The way he delivered the lead up to his solution was almost hesitant. But if he was going to be insufferable about everything, you might’ve been better off taking your chances with your own skills. You sigh, knowing that you have to agree to one or the other. “Spit it out already.”
His gaze locked with yours; the corner of his mouth curled up in an all-too-enticing smirk, leaving you with the distinct impression that he was trying to toy with you. Drowning in gold, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. If he was using his powers to enchant you, it nonetheless felt as though he’d cast nothing at all. “Blood magic or sex magic. I’d say dealer’s choice, but you have to be willing for one or the other. It won’t work any other way.”
“Wait, but what about-” You started, mind going in a million different directions at once. Knowing good and well that blood magic was a life or death type of ritual. Sex magic was a different ghost of its own. While you weren’t extremely versed in this form of ritual, you knew enough to understand that both parties had to finish and it had to mean something.
He cut you off by saying, “You don’t have to worry, sweetheart.” As though he’d read your mind, he continued, “Vampires are made, not born.”
Absently nodding, you did what you always do when you get nervous - you bit your bottom lip, nibbling anxiously on the plump muscle. Couldn’t help it. Your eyes scanned the room as you searched for a place to walk away; anywhere to be away from his intoxicating presence. Yet, you couldn’t find it in your being to go anywhere that could get you far enough to make that happen. In the process of scanning the room once more, your eyes landed on his back as he stood at a countertop rifling through an ornate box, its very shape captivating.
“Have you made a decision?” He seemed to know you were about to speak. Without turning around, he nonetheless continued without waiting for an answer, “I’ll need to set up either way. Should you choose blood magic, I need to contact my healer so he’s on standby.”
You blanched at the thought. There would be no knives involved tonight. Taking a deep breath and steeling your nearly set mind, you spoke the words breathily: “Sex magic.” You saw him perk up at your decision. “Please. I don’t know if I can handle blood right now.” Heechul turned around and your stomach tightened at the sight of his face. If you could describe it in one word, it would be desire.
He took a deep breath in through his nose, shutting his eyes and rolling his shoulders back. “Wonderful choice,” he said as if savoring every syllable; the lust-filled tone of his voice sent shivers down your spine. He stood before you, taking your face into his hands, gently cradling it. “Keep in mind, both of us have to cum and it has to mean something. Doesn’t have to be love, but can’t be just to get off either. Make sense?” His eyes bore into yours, desperate to make sure you understood just what was at stake.
You nodded small, eyes wide. You couldn’t help but wonder just how this was going to work. Mind reeling, you felt his fingertips at your waist. A small gasp escaped your lips as you were drawn back into the present moment. The look on his face told you this wouldn’t be any plain sex.
“You have to communicate with me. If it feels bad, if it feels good.” He began to guide you backwards to the overstuffed settee. “Sit here for a moment. I need to gather some components, and you need to relax. Have a drink.” He brought up a single finger, still with that devilish smirk plastered across his face, his gaze focused solely on you in a way that shouldn’t be so thrilling. “Only one, though - I need you sober enough for this to work.” The glint in his eyes made it clear that he’s excited, though the stiffness nearly hidden in the movement of his body said differently. He moved a curtain to the side and disappeared to an adjacent room as you helped yourself to the bar.
One whiskey sour later, you heard Heechul calling for you. You tipped the glass up and went to find him. Patchouli scents the air as you cross into a bedroom you didn’t know existed. He was standing to the side, one eyebrow cocked up as he watched you walk in. He wasn’t just pretty, as you had originally mused. Truth be told, he was otherworldly and vaguely threatening and you had never been more turned on in your life.
His suit jacket lay across the dresser next to the curtain-drawn entry. The top two buttons of his shirt were undone, giving you a glimpse of a smooth, toned chest. His sleeves were rolled up, showing a hint of a tattoo on one arm. His wide-legged stance was commanding, inviting. You found yourself wanting to wrap your arms around him and kiss the smirk away, but you held off, though it wasn’t easy in the slightest.
Heechul cleared his throat, crossing the room in two strides; invading your space. In a heartbeat, his arms were wrapping around your waist and drawing you close. Foreheads almost touching, you could feel the warm breath coming from his parted lips. His eyes searched for any signs of uncertainty. When he found none, all traces of it burned away from within you, his lips brushed against yours and you swear the spark you felt could jumpstart anyone’s heart.
You gasped and he chuckled, deep and throaty. Easy as anything, he spun you around so your back was against his chest. “A few things first,” his lips brush the shell of your ear, “mainly, I need your verbal consent. Say it like you mean it.” He walked you towards the bed, hands tightly gripping your hips.
“I want you to fuck me, Heechul.” You tried to sound loud and strong, but his lips worked down your neck and found their home over your collarbone, where he began to suck deeply, bending your voice in the process. “Fuuu...” You whined, feeling a wetness in your panties.
He growled at the sounds he was drawing from you. “Mean it, princess.” His right hand found the waistband of your leggings, pulling it out and allowing it to snap back into place. Your body jerked into him and he made sure you felt the outline of his hardness. “You have to mean it.” His wandering hand dips into your bottoms, fingers searching for your wetness. “Say it.”
“Fuck me, please,” you moaned as his fingers hit your clit, rubbing slow, deliberate circles. Combined with the subtle motions of him grinding on you from behind, your mind was in a haze and you didn’t want to come out of it. It’s delicious. It’s addictive. Heechul knew what he was doing and dammit if you don’t want to ever stop. Your free hand reached back to slide into his hair, threading through his luxurious locks. Like a reflex, you pulled on his hair when he hit a certain spot. He bit down on your earlobe in kind.
“Clothes off. Now.” Domineering words got you clenching around nothing and moving faster than you expected to in your lust-filled state. Once your top was gone, you felt cool fingertips working to free you of your bra. You watched as the offending garment flew across the room. One second passed, then his hands were cupping your breasts, kneading and tugging. His dulcet tones guided you as he worked you into a frenzy. “Bottoms now, sweetheart.”
You pulled away, albeit hesitantly. His ministrations had your nipples harder than they’d ever been. “Not fair,” you whined when you realized he was still fully clothed. He smirked wickedly in your direction, hands slowly moving to undo buttons one at a time. “I’m naked and you’re nowhere close.” You roll your eyes and saunter up to him, your bodies achingly close, taking over the task.
Heechul’s eyes widened at your boldness - gone was the timid little witch from before. He saw the desire radiating from behind your eyes. It was as though another person had taken over, making him harder than he was; you could feel the twitch and press of it against you, irresistible, leading you to press even closer. His eyes looked to the ceiling and then shut tightly as a sigh crossed his lips as your fingers traced the outline of his abs. He could feel your hands as they tried to quickly rid him of the belt and unzip his trousers. Sensing your frustration, he looked down and grasped your hands, moving them away from his body softly but insistently.
“I’ve got it. Just lie back.” He leaned in for a deep kiss, tongue sweeping across your lips, begging for entrance. Impatient, you granted it eagerly, trying to wrap yourself around him. But Heechul had other ideas. His hands gently pushed you back onto the bed, and he let out a dark chuckle as you bounced back. After he finally made quick work of his remaining clothing, he crawled to settle himself over you.
His hardness was nestled between your thighs just out of reach of where you wanted him to be. You rutted against his hips, aching for some sort of friction. “Nope. We’re not gonna do that. Don’t be so needy.” His patronizing tone made you flush with embarrassment. Your hand began to sneak down to your core to get some much needed relief; before you could get there, he caught your hands, both the wandering one and the other, bringing them over your head and pinning them there with his own. “Be patient. Good girls get rewarded.” The look in his eyes begged you to test him. The grind of his hips gave away that it wouldn’t be much longer.
“Trust me?” His sly question caught you off guard. Your eyes grew round as you felt a thick cord wrap around your wrists. You wanted to cry out, or to resist. You didn’t, though. Whatever the reason for that, in the next instant, he slipped inside you with no resistance. You gasped at how easily he slid in. “Good girl. Taking it all. I knew you’d be ready for me,” he groaned into your ear.
You didn’t even want to pull at your bindings because it all felt better than you could have ever imagined. Heechul was filling you up better than anyone ever had. “Fu...” was all you could manage as he began to test the waters. His thrusts sped up slightly. One of his hands found your throbbing bud and began to work you over. You were babbling. You writhed against him, utterly helpless beneath an onslaught of sensation.
He pistoned his hips, finding that one spot that had you seeing stars. You knew he had to be able to feel you clench and know you’re close. He continued his brutal pace; you whimpered, long past any embarrassment about it. “You’re close, I can feel it.” He gritted his teeth. “Look at me.” You couldn’t help but obey his command. His eyes seemed different right now, still primal, but with a sort of protective determination behind them. The next words he spoke bore that out. “Hear this. I will protect you. You have my word. I don’t give that lightly.”
It couldn't be clearer that he meant it. You believed him, and the feeling of something formed in the instant you realized that - something powerful that intertwined the two of you in a place far beyond words.
However, a moment later, he blinked and his irises changed colors. A deep red hue shined through; though it frightened you, deep in your soul, you knew he wasn’t going to hurt you.
Then he grunted, the sound frustrated. Its faint echo reverberated in your chest.
“I’m sorry,” Heechul said, the meager syllables painted in something like desperation. “I know you said no blood. I tried to avoid it, but we don't have- We barely-” Panting, he cut himself off, ducked his head to rest on yours for a moment. “It's not going to work otherwise. I can feel it. It... It'll help me protect you. Please.” He whispered his plea into your ear, so softly it was almost inaudible.
You can kind of feel it, too. How the bond is incomplete, how you’re reaching towards it but can’t quite make both ends join.
“How bad will it hurt?” You asked, trying not to sound scared.
“For about a second, bad,” he admitted. “But it feels fantastic after that.” After he pulled back, his lips met yours firmly, though gently. “I’m asking you to trust me one more time. Or say the word and we can stop right now.”
The very notion was unbearable. You bucked your hips up towards him with as much leverage as you could manage in your current position, showing as well as telling him, “Don’t stop! Fucking do it, finish this.” Even if your words sounded more desperate than you’d wanted to let on, hovering on the edge, every bit of your body straining up to meet his. “I’m ready,” you breathed, hoping it was enough.
Before his eyes blazed in hunger, you could’ve sworn you saw them gentle for a moment. But if it’d ever been there, it was gone by the time his lips dragged a pleasurable path along your jaw, then down, down, down.
He stopped at your heaving breasts, nuzzling and licking. The pressure of his canines against your nipples sent your body into overdrive. His eyes meet yours one more time as his hips pick up their tempo. You see it in his eyes, the genuine meaning behind this ritual. He snapped into you harshly, finding your sweet spot over and over. One hand rubbing deliberate circles on your throbbing nub as he brought you closer and closer to finishing.
Stabbing pain, here then gone. A euphoric feeling soared through your veins. White light danced behind your eyes as you came hard. Your back arched more than it ever had, and you barely noticed the stutter in his hips when he came.
For a moment, you lost your breath. He gently suckled at the bite mark on your breast, tongue laving over the marks and cleaning you up. When he looked up at you with what must’ve been a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, the tip of his tongue caressing the closing wound, something mysterious hidden in his expression nonetheless left your heart feeling warm and full.
Before the two of you could come down from your high, you noticed a thick golden cord linking around your right wrist and his left. It glowed intensely, hot against your skin. You hissed in response to the pain, but Heechul quickly hushed you with a kiss to the bite mark he’d left behind. The spellwork joining you tightened, then seeped into your skin, his following immediately after. Your eyes went wide, but neither of you bothered to say anything. Couldn’t, maybe, for a small stretch of time that felt too momentous for it.
In the silence permeating the room, you felt the seal before he acknowledged it. Strong, safe, those were the closest words to how it felt, a layer over you but also nothing at all, somehow in you but not quite that, either. Carrying something without it having any weight.
Brushing up against your mind was something you could’ve sworn was Heechul’s smile, his expression hidden from view against your skin. Your magic surged up to tug on it hard, wanting to wrap yourself up in him and never leave.
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Author’s note: Again, a huge thanks goes out to @thesirenandtheking for his amazing collaboration skills and editing. I wouldn’t be able to post this goodness without his expertise.
