Yixing stood at the foot of the red velvet bed his eyes downcast on the occupants. They stopped their ministrations upon his entrance. Yifan licked the blood off the corner of his mouth but didn’t move from his straddled position atop of Tao’s hips.
“You’re turning him…” Yixing murmured.
Yifan didn’t look guilty. “Yes.”
The bluntness of his reply contradicted the sharp pain he felt in his abdomen. He couldn’t hide the pain from his features as Yifan looked away, his sharp canines purposely biting into the skin of his bottom lip, drawing his extraordinary blood from the wounds. The last few beats of Tao’s heart and the smell of Yifan’s blood as he lowered his bloodied lips to his caused a burning sensation in Yixing’s heart like poison.
It was more than a broken heart, it was jealousy.
Years flew by, Yixing had moved from the establishment into the mansion Joonmyeon’s family built centuries ago. Many others lived there that he got accustomed to. Jongin followed him, having gotten bored at the brothel. Vampires kept moving in, one by one, some alone or some with their prodigies.
Yifan left the brothel, leaving it out of his management after meeting Joonmyeon, Tao came too and as much as Yixing wanted to hate the dark vampire, he saw how happy his mentor was, he dropped the veil of jealousy and then came trust and companionship. Yixing had his own whores now, he was well looked after.
Then it happened.
He wasn’t sure Yifan heard. He was already a small figure in the distance but Yixing still pleaded.
“Don’t go.”
***
“The business you started, I want it to leave with you.”
Joonmyeon was stoic as he faced Yifan at his desk, devoid of any emotion, anything to betray the stirring upset in his stomach at the thought of his leaving - again.
“I actually wanted to discuss that with you.” Yifan replied just as stoic if not more so.
“Oh.” Joonmyeon deadpanned.
“I want to continue the business here, in the South wing.” Yifan continued, ignoring the uninterested tone of his former brother.
“You understand, don’t you, why I can’t allow that anymore?” His eyes narrowed, zoning in on Yifan with aggression.
“Joonmyeon--” Yifan leaned forward on his chair, his voice heavy with promise. “We’re vampires, we’re always going to have enemies, we’re always going to be hated, I’ve accepted that, why can’t you?”
Joonmyeon tightened his jaw, anger showing on his soft features, betraying his unemotional facade. “We have lost too much to just throw everything we have built away! Not only Tao but Luhan as well.”
Yifan opened his mouth to retort but Joonmyeon continued with a higher pitch. “Not only do we have a new wave of hunters on us but you have created more enemies for us with this abominable sex trade.”
“I handled that.” Yifan cut in. “As for the new hunters, they’re dead.”
“Not very well!” Joonmyeon spat. “We hadn’t had an outbreak like that in centuries and then all of a sudden there’s news about what you did, the village created a curfew for their people. You set alight to their fear of us!”
“I’ll get rid of the sex trade if that’s what it takes to gain your trust and your partnership.” Yifan’s tone was hopeful as he pressed Joonmyeon. “The business of sex is changing, the little brothel you have been renting whores from is run down, small and distasteful. Think about it, if we put everything into the South wing like we proposed last year we would be rich beyond relief. We would cater to every desire, fetish and need for every man and woman across the continent.”
Joonmyeon remained silent throughout Yifan’s plea. “A partnership I could do, as for trust…” They locked eyes. “That will take some time.”
It was risky, Joonmyeon wouldn’t ever stop thinking about the risks, but then again that’s just how he was - he worried while everyone indulged. He wasn’t best suited for change, he could barely get used to the fact that Yifan had been back for the year. The new south wing would create a direct link from them to the humans. Humans would come and go from their land quite frequently and while they didn’t have to know about how the inhabitants were the vampires they so feared, it was still dangerous.
Joonmyeon was alone not long after proclaiming that nothing was to happen without his word. Yifan could only change and organise changes with his authority; much like the human saying ‘you’re under my roof, you live under my rules’.
“You’re letting him come back?” Yixing had been told the word from an eavesdropping Chanyeol.
With the mouth of that giant vampire, it wasn’t long before the mansion had heard of the proposed renovations to the barely used south wing. Chanyeol dare say he was excited, he was barely allowed to rent whores like the rest of them but he hoped with what Yifan had planned that he could finally get himself one.
“No, we just have a new agreement.” Joonmyeon replied, nonchalant. “You wouldn’t have a problem with that would you?”
Yixing stepped inside. “It’s not my place to say.”
“It’s more your place than you realise, Yifan was your mentor, you have a right.”
Yixing stood, his hands in his pockets, his head slightly bobbed. “He’s not the same as he once was. He’s angry, he’s too cold.”
“He lost the only one who followed him out this house all those years ago, to him, in his own mind he thinks he’s alone. Not only that he lost his favourite prodigy years ago, it’s hard to find another love that that.” Joonmyeon’s voice was laced with nostalgia, his eyes far away in a distant memory.
“Consider yourselves lucky to have loved like that. “ Yixing mumbled.
Joonmyeon blinked, his focus returning to the solemn vampire in front of him and sighed noting the own nostalgia in Yixing’s tone.
“Truthfully, Yixing, I’ve forgiven Yifan for what he did, for how he left us in our most difficult time. It’s easier like that. There is no reason you can’t either.”
Yixing left, his head still low and his hands still in his pockets. His mind was fighting, his heart still felt, no matter how much he had healed his hurt over the years, he still felt. He was different than most of his brothers, he was the most human, he still felt emotions like humans did, he was just good at concealing it.
Chanyeol was somewhat the same, save for his sadism with his kills, he was still chirpy and clumsy, most mentors would have left him for dead - Yixing never could, he kept him closer.
Along with the hurt Yixing burdened, he felt jealousy. He was never Tao.
Grinding his teeth together he headed to his chambers. He hoped to be alone when he reached the privacy of his own room but he was wrong, so wrong. He paused after pulling out of his key; his room was unlocked already. Only one person had the key to his room, there was only one person that had shared his bed, apart from his girls.
“You have immortality but you never had the time to get a new lock?”
The velvet voice made his eyes perk up immediately as he entered his dimly lit room. “I didn’t see the point.” He replied.
Yifan smiled. “Of course not.”
“Why are you in my room?” Yixing asked.
“We haven’t had the chance to really talk since I came back.” Yifan said.
“We lead separate lives, it’s understandable.”
Yifan’s stare was concentrated on every movement Yixing made as he spoke. He had years upon years to memorise everything about Yixing, the way he spoke when he was happy, the way he would drag out of his sentences when he was unsure and nervous, or like now, how his voice was almost too stern, on the brink of anger.
“You’re angry about me staying?”
Yixing clenched his fists in his pockets, shaking his head. Yifan sighed. “Then why are you avoiding me?” He asked. “You know I hate being ignored.” He paused. “Will you ever forgive me?” Yifan asked, his voice becoming exasperated.
Yixing swallowed, taking a seat by the vanity, his head lowered, and his eyes closing as he spoke. “For leaving, no, For everything else… No.”
“Everything else?” Yifan repeated unsurely.
Yixing shook his head, running his hands over his face, through his hair. He couldn’t take back his words now, he couldn’t hold it in or conceal his feelings now, Yifan wasn’t about to let him.
“You had me… Why did you need Tao too?”
The air thickened and it felt like the world had paused. Yifan drew in a sharp breath and Yixing waited. Yifan became as if even he had stilled with the world. His crimson eyes peircing across the room into Yixing’s. The words had been said, the one question Yixing had always held close to him, never to have been uttered aloud had finally been spoken.
“I loved Tao.” Yifan said.
“You told me you loved me too.”
“I loved you too.” Yifan’s replies were short, his voice low and steady. “You know I loved you.”
“Yeah.” Yixing looked at his hands in anxiety. “For a while I thought you did.”
Yifan’s eyes narrowed. “I made you, regardless of who I slept with I always held you dear.”
Yixing shot up from his stool, his eyes ablaze with emotion, the emotion he kept inside for 500 years. “You didn’t just sleep with him though did you!” He proclaimed. “You turned him, you made him yours, you replaced me!”
“I replaced you?” Yifan kept a low voice but his tone had turned venomous. “Let me remind of something, you left me. I loved you both I would have continued to love you both, it was you who stole us that opportunity.” Yifan stood, rising to his full height, his face contorted with controlled anger.
“You loved him more than me, don’t lie.” Yixing shrank away, away from the threatened intimidation.
“Yes.” He replied without hesitation. “I did. You want to know why? While you were alienating himself from me he was there for the whole thing. You left me, you chose to leave me.”
Yixing stood by the window, the sun had just set, casting an eerie glow on the snowy lands. It was silent for a few minutes and Yifan watched Yixing with sad eyes.
“You still have your humanity in you, I envy that.” He started. “You’ve made a life for yourself and whether or not you want me in it, I am so proud of you.”
Yixing was stunned into silence as he turned his head to his now cold, empty room.
