Work Text:
Yoo Joonghyuk would like to think he is a competent vampire hunter, but he never expected himself to yield to a vampire who dances to mourn his loss of his children, mortal children.
The vampire he saw at the lake is none other than Kim Dokja. They meet the first time when Yoo Joonghyuk went to an unused route. It used to be a route for transporting goods, but it became abandoned after an incident that happened in the past and it just… stayed that way for generations.
He freezes when he hears a distant splashing of water. Ever the curious human that he is, he went closer to inspect instead of avoiding it and heading back for the day.
Cautiously, he pushes his hand to brush away the bushes to see a man bathed in moonlight. He had his eyes closed as he danced gracefully in the water. He looked ethereal, as if a single disturbance would make him disappear.
“I know you’re there, vampire hunter.” The man speaks, but he didn’t stop dancing.
Having been caught, Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t know if he should come out, stay in his spot, or leave quietly. “Don’t you think it’s rude to watch someone like a creep?” he adds, opening his once closed eyes to travel and meet with Yoo Joonghyuk’s own who had been hidden between the bushes.
“Hm?” he hums in suggestion, an urge for the man to convince the other to come out.
There’s no use in hiding any longer, right? Well, there’s no use, but being wary has its usefulness in the situation. After all, the man isn’t normal. He’s a vampire.
When he reveals himself to the other, Kim Dokja stops dancing. He fully turns to look at Yoo Joonghyuk with assessing eyes. “Ah, so you’re the vampire hunter that the others feared.” Dokja points, earning a raised brow from Joonghyuk. “To what pleasure do I owe the infamous ‘Supreme King’ to accidentally meet me, here of all places?”
Frankly, Yoo Joonghyuk only wanted to explore a bit. He never expected to meet such a strange vampire in a place like this.
Instead of answering, he asks something else instead. “Why were you dancing in the lake?”
Kim Dokja stares at him for a moment, contemplating an answer to give to the man. “Do you have time to hear an old tale?” he asks, smiling a little when he gets out of the water. “It depends if it’s true.”
Dokja looks away from Joonghyuk to stare at the water, any sign of amusement completely gone from his face. “Children died in this place,” he starts, sitting down on the grass with a melancholic expression.
“If my memory serves me right, those children were from your village.” He murmurs, “They were outcasts from your village, but they were lovely kids.” When Kim Dokja first saw them, it was like seeing himself. An outcast. The black sheep of your kin. “I decided to take them under my wing but made them promise me that they wouldn’t mention their relation with me to other villagers.”
If the villagers knew, the kids would be killed. And oh, he wished he’d never associated himself with those kids at all. No matter how they avoided such predicament, they still ended up getting caught.
Kim Dokja isn’t even a very powerful vampire, he’s just… an ordinary one. So imagine his grief when the kids were desperately calling for him that night when he was waiting for them. He let himself distract the villagers so the kids could get away safely, but little did he know that the kids had already died in the very lake he met Yoo Joonghyuk at presently.
“Those kids were chased to their deaths and their blood mixed in with the lake’s water. I gave them a proper burial, but it wasn’t enough to satiate my grief.” He whispers, reaching his hand to dip into the water with regret.
“No matter how many centuries passed, I didn’t forget them even once. They always loved dancing here, so I dance in the lake just like I used to when they were still alive.” He explains, and Yoo Joonghyuk listened in silence.
Kim Dokja is a strange being. To think that he would be fond of children, not in the way that other vampires do. “Have you never once used them as your food supply when you came into contact with them?”
The other throws Joonghyuk a horrified look, “Goodness, no! I make sure the kids don’t meet me when I’m hungry, and most especially, I don’t let them meet me when they get hurt enough to draw blood.” Kim Dokja loved the kids, the only thing that stops him from being with them more was that they’re different. Dokja would still be influenced with his instincts, and he can’t afford hurting the children that way.
After that, he didn’t receive a reply. They stayed there in silence until another question is thrown in Kim Dokja’s way when the vampire reared his head back to stare at the water. It didn’t show his reflection, as expected.
“…what is your name?”
“You wish to know your victim’s name?”
“I won’t kill you.”
“…”
Kim Dokja slowly turns to Yoo Joonghyuk in small surprise. “You… why?” The other didn’t answer him, he only stared at Dokja with a serious face. Kim Dokja slowly stands up, taking steps back in obvious confusion as the man didn’t look like he’d back down from his statement. “A vampire hunter who refuses to harm a vampire hunter? How ironic.” He humors, absolutely dumbfounded.
He searched for any sign on Joonghyuk’s face if he were lying, joking, anything that could say he wasn’t serious.
He found none.
“I’ll only come back here every day until you tell me your name, how will you continue to mourn for those children if you avoid me?” He deadpans, knowing he had a very clear point. Kim Dokja’s brows were knitted together in hesitance. He makes his decision, but he doesn’t sit back on his earlier spot.
“…Dokja, Kim Dokja.”
He breathes, flinching when Joonghyuk stands up out of nowhere.
“Kim Dokja, I will see you tomorrow.” He declares, turning around to leave. Kim Dokja stares at his retreating back with shaky eyes. Crazy. Yoo Joonghyuk is crazy.
Seeing as the man had completely left, he also left the lake to think of what just happened. At first, Kim Dokja didn’t mind the vampire hunter, if the man wanted to kill him, he’d let him. Especially if he were to die by the lake just like his children. Immortality is a curse, those kids were his lifeline in this cruel world, that’s why he tried to provoke the other a bit. He didn’t expect the man to say he won’t kill him.
“You’re here again,” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice echoed through the dark forest, eyes locked on Kim Dokja’s form. Dokja’s movements grew rigid until he stopped dancing. He looks at Yoo Joonghyuk with a frown, so unlike the time he smiled at the other. “I can’t abandon my daily practice just because of an intruder.” He retaliates in displeasure. Where else will Kim Dokja go? He dedicated his days to this lake, wasting his tears for so long.
“Hunter,” he calls, getting out of the water once more. “why won’t you kill me?” he asks, in search of an answer from those dark eyes.
“I just don’t feel like it.”
“That’s not- you’re neglecting your duty.” Kim Dokja voices out his concern, or rather, his frustration at the man’s attitude. Yoo Joonghyuk walks closer to the vampire, too close for comfort that he was sure Kim Dokja could smell his blood pulsing through his veins.
“What makes you think a vampire hunter is my only duty? What makes you think, killing is my only duty?” he questions, “I don’t know! Don’t you vampire hunters kill us without hesitating?! How am I any different?!” He snaps, taking a step back to keep their distance, only to be caught by an arm wrapping around his waist to stop him from falling in the water. Kim Dokja is right. How is he any different?
“You and I both know you have to kill me one way or another, unless you want the other villagers to kill you for not doing your job right.” He adds, hands reaching over to grasp at the man’s arm who had it wrapped around his waist. He knew what the villagers were like, surely, Yoo Joonghyuk would care about what would—
“I don’t care.”
…Huh?
He stares at Yoo Joonghyuk’s blank face. “…why? You’re going to die. How can you say-” Yoo Joonghyuk lets the man ramble on without care. All he could stare at was the vampire’s face. The smaller man is beautiful. Other than being strange, he felt some sort of familiarity with the man. It’s strange, but it’s not unwelcomed.
“Kim Dokja,” he murmurs, pulling the other closer. Uncaring of the way the man squeaked in surprise. He knew the vampire for only two days, why is he acting like they knew each other more than that? “That’s not something you should worry about.”
“It is, stupid hunter! You’re going to die and I’ll be the reason for it!” he isn’t wrong, Kim Dokja is involved with Yoo Joonghyuk. If other humans found out, they would think Yoo Joonghyuk had been corrupted and they would kill him immediately. It doesn’t matter if he’s a vampire hunter, he’s already seen enough when they decided to kill the kids.
“Worry about yourself.” Joonghyuk mutters, letting the other go in favor of leaving again. “I’ll be back tomorrow, come.” He says, leaving Kim Dokja alone in his utmost bewilderment. He’s heard of the Supreme King having the habit of not listening to others, but isn’t this too much? The man even has the audacity to barge into his space, and order him to come back here tomorrow?
After that day, Yoo Joonghyuk always made time to visit the lake. Either Kim Dokja is already found dancing in the water, or Yoo Joonghyuk would come in earlier and wait for him. And every single day, Yoo Joonghyuk slowly came to understand why he felt drawn to the man. Kim Dokja grew accustomed to Yoo Joonghyuk’s presence, opening up to him more and letting his guard down, but he still had this wall around him.
He was still wary of what’s to come.
No, wary isn’t the right word. He was terrified.
“You’re really not going to regret anything?” Kim Dokja whispers, afraid that anyone else would hear of their secret. Yoo Joonghyuk would look into those eyes filled with fear and worry, but Joonghyuk only thought that it was useless thinking. After all, if Yoo Joonghyuk died for being with this man, then it doesn’t matter.
He'd do it all over again if he had the chance.
“Never.” He answers, stamping his final decision with a kiss on the man’s chapped lips. Yoo Joonghyuk could kill Kim Dokja, but he didn’t. Kim Dokja couldn’t kill Yoo Joonghyuk, he was too weak for a human that’s killed numerous vampires, weak to strong alike.
Kim Dokja had a chance to run away.
But he didn’t.
They became thorns in each other’s lives that it would be difficult to live without the other. And as if their relationship is taboo, the world would rain down their punishment and be the death of each other one way or another.
Yoo Joonghyuk knew something was wrong when he made his way to the lake. It’s worrisome to think of people following him, but he’s unsure of how many were there.
He's tried walking his way around longer routes to shake off most of them, but it seems that some still managed to follow. He worried that if he arrived by the lake, Kim Dokja would be there and they’d have him dead.
It's then that he arrived with no Kim Dokja in sight, meaning that the other hasn’t come yet.
Hyperaware of his surroundings, the ones that followed him went out of their spot one-by-one.
One, two, three…
Yoo Joonghyuk curses under his breath when he realizes there were more than five people. He’s outnumbered, yes, but it didn’t seem like he couldn’t handle them.
He concludes that he’ll just have to make quick work until Dokja finally shows up.
Kim Dokja knew.
He knew something was going to happen.
When he was making his way to the lake, the uneasiness he felt the entire day dipped him in a bucket of cold water when a strong scent of blood contaminated his sense of smell.
Specifically Yoo Joonghyuk’s blood. Kim Dokja can’t mistake it for anyone else when the other practically shoved his neck to Kim Dokja's mouth whenever they made love on the dirty ground.
As if he felt his stomach drop in dread, he ran to the lake in desperation. Eyes unfocused, he falls to his knees to find the man laid on the ground. His blood staining the ground as some of it mixed in with the water.
Just like what happened to the kids.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s face was pale. He crawls closer to the man, shaky hands reaching up to look for any sign of life, begging anyone to save this man.
He couldn’t find a single pulse, his eyes blurred with tears as he hugged the man’s head close to his chest. He cried and cried, cursing those who did this to the man he’s come to accept.
Everything felt so muted when he screamed in pain, wanting nothing more than to deny this reality.
He's lost another one special to him.
Before everyone knew it, a vampire went rogue. The village that once housed Yoo Joonghyuk and the children Kim Dokja came to love blew into flames, everyone screamed, everyone begged for mercy.
And all of those went to deaf ears.
He never considered himself a monster, he barely hurt anyone. So why did everyone take away his happiness? Just as they ruthlessly tore away his life, they’ll pay them back tenfold.
He stood in front of a vampire hunter that knelt in front of him, apologizing over and over to the man who glared at him with bloodshot eyes.
He leans down, grabbing a fistful of the man’s hair, forcing him to look at him. He smiles bitterly at the other with crazed eyes.
He could smell Yoo Joonghyuk’s blood on him.
“Would your apologies bring him back to life?”
Seeing that he won’t get the answer that he wanted, he rips the man’s head off his torso, turning to the remaining survivors of this foolish village that took everything away from him.
“I’ll make this a final reminder, humans.” He declares out of resentment, throwing the severed head and letting it roll to their feet.
“I have no intention of letting you live.”
He’s done it. He stares at the bodies and burnt houses, and nothing was left. No sign of life other than Dokja’s as he stands in the middle of sea tainted in wine red.
He's killed people. No, they deserved it. It was justified.
He was supposed to be weak, but how did he…
Shaking his head, he downplays the suffering of those he murdered. He walks sluggishly, aimlessly looking for his salvation until he found a silver dagger on the ground.
He picks it up slowly, whispering soft apologies to the kids and to his Yoo Joonghyuk. This much is enough to avenge them, right?
As he stands, he stares at the silver dagger as if it was urging him to do it.
With a smile, he digs the knife deep into his chest, wanting nothing more than to rest than to stay in a world without the ones he loved.