Work Text:
Johnny doesn't think this could go well.
The word that travels through kingdoms is that Taeyong is a cold, frigid bitch, whose lack of connections to his people has caused many of them to turn against their own royal family. Clearly, this arrangement is to uphold the good of the Lee's family name, because if not then Johnny wouldn't be here, in this room that is as chilly as the energy that Taeyong radiates.
Being the new head of his own clan clearly comes with a burdensome weight, such as this; tied down in a loveless marriage with a prince who would rip his throat out in a second if his own life isn't bound to Johnny's. Johnny is no prince, he knows that. The only reason he's been made to marry Taeyong had been for the sole fact that the Suhs have a strong influence and hold over the general public and for the people to remain loyal, a marriage was expected to seal an alliance.
During a normal meeting with his now husband, he would have to be on his knees and bow to show his respect.
He guesses there are some perks in this marriage; he no longer had to get on his knees for Taeyong. The prince is a true creature of the night, Johnny acknowledges this. Taeyong's power is no match for a normal vampire, or even those of a higher rank. The only reason Taeyong couldn't rule in this society was because he was born a Junoesque, the usually submissive individual with male features and female reproductive systems. With his cold reserve, he would make an intimidating king, but his biology only allows him the ability to make the next heir.
Johnny could only guess how much this would piss off Taeyong, who is known for his opulence and haughty personality. It must be such an inconvenience to be burdened with the responsibility of carrying the next king and not be king himself. Johnny ought to be pleased that he would be prince-consort, once Taeyong is crowned Regent, but power isn't what drives Johnny.
He seeks the comfort of a simple life, leading a clan he would protect and love and build his own family, have his own children that he would raise to be leaders, no matter their gender, no matter their rank. He would make his Junoesque child leader, if they were firstborn, and he would not care what the society would have to say.
That has obviously been taken away from him. Being tied to a royal family means his children would carry the royal blood and Johnny would have no way of living the life he wanted.
Now with Taeyong's immortality and life bound to his own, the connection is impossible to sever. They are in this for life, quite literally so. If he dies then Taeyong would have to die too. It would have been such a romantic notion, if there were romance at all between them. All Johnny feels is resentment.
"Here to consummate our marriage, are you?" Taeyong speaks up, breaking the silence. They are in their new chamber now, prepared by the royal servants for their first night after the marriage bond. "I can't stand the thought of you enjoying this."
Johnny clenches his jaw. He doesn't say anything as he removes his jacket, leaving only his white tunic on with the trousers he had been wearing all day. Taeyong himself is still fully clothed, full sleeves covering his arms up to his wrists, the jacket wrapped around his body tight, like a corset and if he turns, Johnny knows he would see the lace collar around Taeyong's throat.
He is not so repulsed that he doesn't think Taeyong attractive. The prince is the fairest of them all, pale skin a contrast to his jet black hair, and no other clan members or royal vampires would compare to his beauty. Johnny is a man with desires, and Taeyong is his husband. Their duty now is to consummate their marriage and Johnny is a man of honor. He doesn't break rules but carries his responsibilities. Not even his resentment towards Taeyong would stop him from doing his duties.
"It is our duty," He says simply, removing his belt. The servants had prepared his bath and he intends to clean himself before the night begins. Feeding off of each other would be a mess, but it has to happen.
He hears Taeyong scoff, his back still turned as he faces the window. Up in the mountains, the castle is coated with snow and if they were capable of feeling cold, then Johnny knows they would be freezing. Alas, they are incapable. This is home.
"So dutiful," Taeyong comments, finally turning to face him. "Surely your hate for me would make you reconsider this duty of yours. I can't say I would have any respect for you if you chose your manly lust and reasoned it as duty."
Johnny stays calm. "I can't quite believe you have any respect for me at all as of this moment, which is a sin, as both you and I know. I am your husband. I will not touch you if you do not wish for me to, but it remains that way. You are bound to me by blood, your highness. And you have a duty. We all do."
The silence stretches on. Taeyong looks displeased, though there are no colors in his pale complexion to indicate his anger or any other emotions. Johnny expects it would take some time for their marriage to seal, seeing as Taeyong seems to be against doing his duties. He would not touch his husband without consent but to officially seal their bond, they would have to feed from each other. It simply could not happen. Not tonight.
"I will have the bed," Taeyong says after a long moment of silence. He goes over to sit upon the mattress. "I won't sleep as long as you are in the room with me. You can have your bath but you will leave after. Have the servants prepare another room for you."
This, Johnny expected even before the ceremony earlier. He nods his head but he adds, "We would have to eventually. You are aware of that, I believe? I'm sure your mother has taught you well about honor and duty."
"My mother teaches me nothing," Taeyong counters, his icy stare meeting Johnny's. "I remember my duties. I will perform them as I see fit."
He rises then, closing the distance between them until their chests are almost pressed together. For a long time, they only stare each other down before Taeyong continues, "You may be my husband and you may have the reins to steer me whichever way that pleases you, but remember that I am the prince. I am the only heir to the throne and your loyalty is to me. I can have you executed at my will, Johnny. Don't think that I will not."
It is nothing short of a threat but Johnny remains silent. He knows better than to anger the prince even further. He casts his gaze down, as a show of understanding and respect and he lets Taeyong walk off and out of the chamber.
Eternity would feel very, very long.
Life in the palace is a drastic change. Johnny finds close to zero privacy in his time here as compared to back in his cabin lodge within the village where his family leads. The Suh clan home would always be much more preferable. Here there is no sense of home or belonging but the unwelcome, icy presence of an unhappy prince. Johnny finds no joy in it.
Except Taeyong makes it both hard and easy for him to hold a grudge against. On the one hand, Johnny is almost a victim of Taeyong's sweet pretense. The smiles and the laughter he makes sure the court sees, as if being married to Johnny is a joy. In those little moments, it's easy to believe that Taeyong could be lovable.
On the other hand, however, and Johnny suffers this directly, Taeyong is far from the warm presence he shows himself to be in front of his parents. He doesn't smile or speak, not to Johnny at least. He doesn't allow Johnny entrance to his room unless invited. All he is when they are off the public eye is the aloof prince, quiet and reserved, and at some point could be cruel.
Perhaps Johnny is used to feeding off of mortals the kindest way, with permission and consent and usually taking no more than necessary. It would be safe for the human servants, whose only purpose is to serve the vampires with an exposed neck. He genuinely doesn't enjoy inflicting pain, though his nature forces his hand to do so in order for him to survive.
Taeyong, however, is merciless.
A whole mortal, if you drain them dry, would keep you sated for at least the next month or so. Johnny rarely kills anyone for a full supply, which is why he keeps a few of them as servants to feed him when he needs it. But Taeyong… He can't explain it.
Two months had passed since their marriage ceremony, and Johnny had walked in on Taeyong's bloodbath at least three times. The bloodbath is as what the word would mean; a bloodbath. Taeyong's feasting chamber is at the top of the east wing, a usually lavishly decorated space with a bed and zero windows. Johnny should not have been revolted but the room looked nothing like the nice space he once saw.
No, it looked like a battlefield, and the massacre caused by a singular, undead prince.
One would think Johnny is used to the sight by now, it's the fourth time he's had to go and fetch his husband and still he's surprised by the amount of blood he sees in the room.
Taeyong doesn't practice clean feed, clearly. There is blood soaking into the sheets and mattress, on the carpeted floor and splashes along the walls and the canopy. The white lace collar that is Taeyong's signature accessory is no longer white and his pale skin is now patterned with blood stains.
His mouth is unsalvageable at this point, covered in the thick crimson liquid, too much to be dry by now. He only throws Johnny a brief glance as he uses the back of his hand to wipe his mouth off, rising from the bed and effectively pushing the dead mortal off his lap, a heavy heap plopped on the floor.
"Has it ever occurred to you that you are unhealthily addicted?" Johnny asks. He's used to Taeyong's cold reserve by now to know what he's allowed and not allowed to say, though it doesn't stop him from saying them. "The mortals will start to suspect."
Taeyong waves it off with a hand before he's distracted by the sight of more blood between his fingers, licking it off and then moaning at the taste. "I can have whatever I want, however much I want it. What do you want? Have you finally decided to join me? It's a bit too late now, I think. I've finished them all."
Johnny swallows the wave of nausea, the sweet scent of blood filling up his nostrils and making him dizzy. Still, he fights it off with a pressed smile. "I've come to fetch you. I can't have you dead from overfeeding now, can I?"
"Charming," Taeyong releases a tormenting giggle, walking up to Johnny and then taking one of Johnny's hands to use the sleeve of his jacket as a makeshift napkin, wiping the rest of his mouth on the clean, expensive cloth. "You know how they said a certain amount of blood could substitute for an aphrodisiac? Surely you didn't come to talk me into letting you fuck me? I think you're better than that, Johnny."
He moves, stepping out of the room and gesturing for the servants to go ahead with cleaning after him. Johnny ignores the dark red stain on his sleeve and follows his husband. "As much as I would like to avoid consummating our bond, I'm much too aware that if it doesn't proceed, the consequence won't be pretty. You could die, Taeyong. And so would I."
Taeyong tenses next to him but he doesn't stop walking, his feet taking him away from the chamber at a leisure pace. Surprisingly, after what felt like forever, Taeyong says, "Okay, then. Fuck me."
It takes Johnny by surprise, to hear such words from Taeyong and even though he knows this is purely a duty, he's reluctant to bed Taeyong without his full consent. Some hidden part of him wants this to be a mutual decision and, as far-fetched as this sounds, he hopes there would at least be some form of attraction.
He clenches his jaw and forces himself to hold his tongue except to say, "I had them prepare your bath. And the king and queen would appreciate it if you would join them for dinner."
Taeyong releases a short puff of air, looking ridiculously small and dangerous at the same time. "Tell them I've fed enough to last a decade."
And then he's gone.
Six months and Taeyong grows even more distant. It's not for the lack of trying, because Johnny is doing his best. Six more months and this halfway bond would expire, taking both him and Taeyong with it. Now he's pretty sure Taeyong doesn't give a shit about making it through, but Johnny doesn't want to die yet.
Where Taeyong is hostile, Johnny tries to be the opposite. He doesn't even let the idea of controlling Taeyong be an option, because he knows that's the last thing he should do to gain the prince's respect, but being good has proven unhelpful. Taeyong's cold exterior becomes colder. These days he doesn't even let Johnny fetch him from his feast room, unless Johnny decides to join him, which isn't going to happen.
Most days, however, Taeyong would stay in his room for hours. He doesn't feed because he's fed enough to last a couple of months and he only comes out when the moon is high in the sky. Johnny has seen him on the balcony multiple times now, just staring up at the moon, like he longs to be far away.
Johnny takes it as an opportunity. He ought to keep trying, at least, for the sake of them both. Taeyong still has years ahead of him; he will not be the reason Taeyong loses motivation to live.
"Is there something out there you're yearning for?" Johnny asks one night after finding Taeyong on the balcony.
Taeyong only flashes him a brief glance, his features softer than Johnny has ever seen him, a clear sign that he's caught at a moment of vulnerability. He schools his face so he looks the way he usually does. "And what if there is?"
"Freedom?" Johnny asks, leaning against the railing not too far from Taeyong. "Or is there someone else you wish to be married to instead of me?"
The expression Taeyong puts on is one of pure disgust. "I have no capacity to long for another person that way. I won't apologise that you being my husband wouldn't make you special."
"What are you afraid of, exactly?" Johnny questions daringly. He had stalled this question and shoved it deep into the back of his head for months because it's only logical; the only reason Taeyong is the way he is must stem from having fears. He isn't a downright cruel individual. He isn't a monster.
Taeyong's entire body goes rigid. "I fear nothing."
"There must be something," Johnny sighs. "You could have denied your parents' wish for you to marry me but you accepted it. Did you plan for us to get killed? Because if it was for any other reason, you would have sealed this bond."
For a moment, Johnny expects Taeyong to hurt him but the silence stretches on. Taeyong casts his gaze down, at his feet, his jaw clenched. There's a sliver of time that Johnny thinks Taeyong would open up, even a little, but the soft vulnerability on Taeyong's face is gone as he repeats. "I fear nothing."
Johnny nods his head. It's enough prying for today and he decides Taeyong doesn't deserve the pressure. "Would you like to come with me? I have something you might like."
Taeyong hesitates at first, but then he nods.
Obviously they could go on foot, but Taeyong is royalty.
He orders to be without his retinue, putting on his long-sleeved jacket that buttons up right to the base of his throat, not forgetting the lace collar and the riding boots Johnny thinks he looks good in. When he mounts his white dutch warmblood, white like his pale skin, Taeyong looks like a painting.
Johnny's own horse is black, less elegant but more brute, built to carry Johnny's weight. Together, just the two of them, they ride down the mountain and onto the hills below, where the snow is thinner and where Taeyong as a royal blood has probably never ventured into. Only clan members have been this far below the mountains, to hunt for themselves and offerings for the King.
Taeyong rides ahead, going at a steady pace but not too fast for Johnny to lose him. Perhaps he'd chosen a good night to ask Taeyong to ride out with him. He spurs his horse on to keep up with Taeyong, enough to be the one leading them towards the hilltop he had intended to show his husband.
Here he had laid claim to this land. No clan members are to step upon it and the royal family would know better than to trespass without his permission. No humans ever traveled this far up because of the temperature. Those who have usually become dinners, or Taeyong's feast. Johnny takes pride in owning this patch of land; it has the greatest view of the life below.
"By lawful right, this land is now yours as well," Johnny tells the prince as he dismounts the horse, tying the reins to a nearby tree and he offers Taeyong a hand to help him off the warmblood.
Taeyong stares at the proffered hand before he takes it, allowing Johnny to help him dismount. He hands the reins to Johnny, who ties it alongside his own horse. Taeyong is silent for a long time, going over uphill to look at the view.
"What other consort have you shown this place to?" Taeyong asks rather dismissively, as if he's simply wondering and not because he genuinely wants to know. "I reckon you couldn't have said the same to them considering they aren't married to you."
Johnny laughs, not offended in the slightest. It has been six months of this back and forth; Johnny knows Taeyong by now. "No, I haven't said that to anybody, though simply because I haven't brought anyone here. You do know that lands are sacred to us? If you are not bound by blood, you can never step on this land, your highness. You are the only one I have shown this to."
The composed way Taeyong holds his expression falters for just a second, but because Johnny is watching him, he doesn't miss it. It's in these little moments that convinced him Taeyong isn't pure monster, that he still has humanity within himself, covered by that veil of rebellion and resentment for the way he was perceived, the way his own people treats him as no more than a breeding machine, whose sole purpose is to carry an heir.
Many times, Johnny has tried putting himself in Taeyong's position, and each of those times he comes out of it with a clearer perception. The resentment he held once six months ago has long been gone, replaced with quiet understanding. He would guide and love the prince if only he was given the chance.
Taeyong clears his throat, looking pristine in his royal getup, high collar tickling his neck. Johnny finds himself wondering how soft Taeyong's pale skin would be against his lips. This revelation had been unwelcomed the first time he realised it within the last three months, but over time Johnny has been accepting his attraction towards Taeyong. It's only natural; Taeyong is the fairest of all his kind throughout the planet after all.
"Tell me something, Johnny," Taeyong says then, looking out at the world below them. "Why did you agree to marry me?"
Johnny doesn't find this difficult to answer, "It was my duty as the only heir of my clan. And it was an honor in the eyes of the people to know I will be married to the prince. It has kept your family name intact, as it has mine. For that, I am grateful to you."
"Do you wish it isn't so?"
A pause. "I did envision a different path for my life when I was a boy. And no, it did not include marrying you, but it is what it is and I do not regret it. I hold no grudge against you or our families."
"Why?" Taeyong whips his head to look at Johnny, his eyes flashing red, as if this angers him, of all things. "Why do you take this so calmly? Have you no sense of loss?"
Johnny carefully phrases his words in his head. "You are afraid and I understand. Why don't you tell me what it is that you fear?"
"I do not fear anything," Taeyong hisses, the lie coming so easily after years and years of practice.
It's easy to believe Taeyong might mean it, but Johnny has spent the last half a year studying him. "Then why do you run away?"
"I-" Taeyong starts to say but halts when he realizes he doesn't know the answer to that. He's caught and it shows in the way his jaw ticks, red eyes glazing now that he's angry. Johnny rarely sees them in this color. Taeyong is usually composed and unemotional, so his eyes remained a dark hazel.
"I will tell you mine," Johnny offers.
Taeyong scoffs, "I know you have fears. It is typical of your kind. I am a prince. I am born this way. I have no reason to be afraid."
"There is always reason to be afraid," Johnny counters as he watches Taeyong's face, holding his gaze long enough for the prince to look away. "My fear in the beginning was letting my parents down. I am their only child and I'm responsible for continuing the line of our family. You don't know how badly I wished I didn't have to marry you, but my fear of letting them down outweighed my personal desires. And here I am."
Taeyong is quiet for a long, long time. The winds are blowing in their faces, fluttering Taeyong's black hair. He doesn't think Taeyong would have anything else to say but since the prince doesn't make a move to return to the palace, Johnny waits.
Finally, after what felt like forever, Taeyong whispers. "It is not the same. Your fears and mine."
Johnny steps a little closer, keeping a close watch on the prince. "Will you tell me anyway? Mayhaps there are ways I could help."
"I do not fear letting my parents down," He says, his voice firm but with a softer edge to it. "I simply do not care if they were let down. They never cared about me or what I wanted, what I needed. I am only afraid of letting myself down."
"And how would you do that?"
Taeyong turns his head again to meet his gaze, jaw clenched. "I have spent many years alone. I am my own protector, my own friend. Every emotion that would make me weak, I have disposed of them without turning off my humanity. I do not care for anyone. And then- Then there is you. Don't be fooled into thinking that I care. I only fear that every feeling I have thrown away will return if we seal the bond. I heard it has happened."
Johnny understands this, at the very least, and Taeyong's confession makes it all so much easier. A final sealing of the bond would open up walls one has that protects one's self from the dangers of the outside, typically feelings. Emotions are widely known as weaknesses, something that holds a person back from becoming who they truly are. It only makes sense that Taeyong is afraid he would suddenly care too much.
He himself does not harbour feelings for the prince outside of the general attraction he feels, but given time, and with the bond fully sealed, he has no doubt that this marriage would not be completely loveless. "Will it help if I make a promise?"
"What promise?" Taeyong asks, looking incredulous, as if just the idea of overcoming his fears is absurd.
"I have no intentions to harm you," Johnny says, keeping his gaze on Taeyong's face. "Once we seal the bond, it will be the same for me. It will open up things that I never thought I would see or feel. I will protect you and be your friend, if not the consort I am meant to be. I will promise that our children will not be perceived by their gender for I believe any individual, if fit, would make a good ruler. I would even love you and there would be no need for you to change who you are, especially not for those who do not wish to love you. This is only between us, Taeyong."
Taeyong seems to consider this. He thinks for a long time, arms crossed over his chest and his jaw clenched so hard Johnny thinks he might break it. And then finally, Taeyong turns to him again.
"I will do it," He says, surprising even Johnny. "And if you hurt me I will not hesitate to rip your head off your shoulders, Johnny. I do not care if that means I would die with you."
Johnny only smiles but he dips his head in understanding. "I would never dare to."
"There is something I want you to do, though. I will not seal the bond if you refuse."
"What is it?" Johnny frowns, racking his brain to think of something Taeyong would want him to do. He suspects it wouldn't be the most pleasant thing, if he knew Taeyong at all.
"You will feast with me."
The choice to deny it is fatal, since Taeyong refuses to seal the bond if he doesn't comply and feasts with him and if the bond is incomplete then they would simply perish. How cruel.
Johnny isn't squeamish. How could he be squeamish if blood is his source of food and energy? Though he would much rather prefer the human food that the kitchen servants prepare for them, Johnny enjoys blood as much as the next vampire would. Taeyong's kind of enjoyment just goes beyond anyone would expect. While Johnny will not shame anyone for their diet, he isn't particularly keen on the idea of losing control.
He is all about it, growing up. Control is the one thing that keeps him grounded; no overfeeding, no talking back, no going against what his parents say, and absolutely no rebelling against what the society wants him to do. Control has kept him a calm and composed man. He doesn't let anger or frustration drive him and he doesn't seek power where anyone else would kill for a sliver of authority, of being on top.
There is the notion that Taeyong is testing his loyalty as a husband and as a servant of the royal family. Maybe even as someone Taeyong is deciding to trust and Johnny is overcome by the realization that he needs to do this for them to move forward. It disturbs him just a tad to find that he is willing to prove to Taeyong that this is important and not for the fact that he is the honorable son of the Suh family, but for the reason that he wants Taeyong to trust him and to allow him behind the walls he had created.
“You are going to scare our meals away if you keep pacing the floor, dear husband,” Taeyong says mockingly, a half smirk tugged up at the corner of his lips as he leans back against the seat, a finger toying with the lace collar around his neck.
Tonight he has a white jacket on, lined with purple lace, buttoned up right to his throat with each sleeve covering his entire arms. Johnny is struck by the revelation that he has never seen Taeyong’s skin underneath all the clothes that he wears. He has just the slightest urge to see and feel them under his fingers. He stops his pacing just as the doors open and the servants bring in at least a dozen mortals, male and female. All of them seem to be wide awake, willing participants of this event. Johnny isn’t surprised; he has heard of a community or two that are devoted to sacrificing their blood and life to the vampire royals.
Each one of them goes down upon their knees as a sign of respect when Taeyong rises to his feet. Johnny watches this closely, unfamiliar with the etiquette Taeyong is used to. When the prince looks back at him, Johnny keeps a steady gaze on that pretty face.
“What are you waiting for?” Taeyong asks, more amused than annoyed.
Johnny clenches his jaw, “Your highness should have his first bite. I wouldn’t want to offend you.”
Taeyong laughs at this, but he doesn’t linger. It has been almost a full month since his last feast; he must be starving now, with the diet that he has. Without hesitance, Taeyong leans over and takes one of the mortal’s hands to guide her up to her feet. He wordlessly leads her to Johnny, dropping her hand once she’s directly in front of him. “Please, do the honor, husband.”
The sneering way Taeyong calls him husband isn’t the most pleasant, but it is a start. Johnny eyes the prince with a hard gaze before he looks down at the human woman. There is no graceful way to do this, he thinks. The most he has done from a direct source was a bite to the human’s wrist. With all the blood he has seen Taeyong in, he doubts they would be going for wrists.
“I would appreciate it if you would show me how,” Johnny says carefully.
Taeyong’s gaze flickers up, back at him from where he had been eyeing the neck of another human male. “Do you mean to tell me you never had one of these before?”
Johnny clenches his jaw, “Not this way.”
This brings a laugh right out of Taeyong, and what happens next go by in a blur. Taeyong is lightning fast, attaching his mouth to a specific point of the mortal’s throat before he sinks his canines into skin in no gentle way, ripping flesh off easily and causing the excessive spray of thick, red substance that immediately stains his clothes, the floor and the ones closest to him. The sweet scent of blood fills up the room, causing Johnny’s nostrils to flare as he inhales and the hunger he feels is easily one he has never felt before. That uncontrollable, urging thirst that makes him dizzy, the only reason his parents hadn’t wanted him to overfeed.
Johnny notes that Taeyong kills instantly, so there would be no prolonged pain inflicted upon the mortal. There it is that sign of his humanity, in an act that shows nothing of human kindness.
Taeyong looks up at him, red eyes flashing. “Your turn, Johnny. Feast.”
Swallowing is an impossible task, not without tasting the hints of blood on his tongue. The servants had all left the chamber, and the remaining mortals stayed in their place. They exude no fear but the bubbling anticipation of providing life for Johnny and Taeyong, the undead. He finds it almost humorous. With Taeyong’s demonstration in mind, Johnny eyes the prominent vein in the girl’s neck, standing right in front of him, and he doesn’t allow himself too much time to think.
His own fangs extended, Johnny sinks them into flesh and immediately, the explosive, rich taste of the human life bleeds into his tongue, staining every nook and cranny of his mouth and flows like a hot stream down his throat. It’s different from when he had a taste through the vein in a mortal’s wrist. This time it is addicting, in the way that they have all spoken of it. Johnny wants more.
So he takes.
He doesn’t know how much time passes and he doesn’t care. He drains this woman dry and goes for the next mortal. He drinks and he drinks and he does not care for the heaps of bodies collected upon the carpeted floor of the chamber, he does not care for the blood that seeps into the stone floor. All he knows, in the heat of this moment, when he looks up to meet Taeyong’s gaze, is that he wants the prince more than his system needs blood. And he knows, in the way Taeyong’s eyes flash, that he wants the same.
It’s Taeyong that moves, his inhuman speed brings him crashing against Johnny as they both fall upon the mattress. Lips meet in a hungry, needy kiss. It’s messy and filthy, their mouths covered in the thick crimson liquid now molding together; Taeyong surges forward to taste him and Johnny meets him halfway. Hands and limbs tangle between the red-stained sheets and Johnny is too dazed and intoxicated to notice the way his fingers pull at Taeyong’s clothes. He manages the collar at least, ripping it off and bunching it within his hand as he leaves open-mouthed kisses down the pale expanse of Taeyong’s neck.
The need is prominent, a natural response to facing an exposed skin of someone he is halfway bonded to. Johnny sobers up enough to pull back, breathing heavily as he searches for Taeyong’s eyes. “I want to - The bond-”
Taeyong is straddling his hips now, his own breathing rapid and hushed against Johnny’s mouth and his red eyes look just a shade brighter. He knows the words Johnny isn’t able to say. “Do it. Drink from me.”
Johnny doesn’t need any more prompting, his need pushing him into being bold as he curls his fingers around a lock of Taeyong’s hair and tugs his head back enough to fully expose his neck. It’s an invitation. It is an addiction, and Johnny sinks his teeth into pale flesh with this as a reminder; Taeyong would be his uprising and downfall, his drug and antidote, his life and death.
And when Taeyong’s set of canines pierce through his skin, Johnny sees nothing but stars, and an eternity ruled by the brains of the Regent Taeyong and the brute power of prince-consort Johnny.
Their marriage remains unconsummated, a stark reminder of what they have yet to accomplish even though the blood bond has been sealed. A week has passed since their feast, and nothing has quite changed. Taeyong still only allows Johnny’s presence if he is invited and he still refuses to join dinners with his parents. Johnny wonders if sealing the bond has had any impact on Taeyong at all, as it had with Johnny himself. He would speak of it, if he knows how exactly to describe it.
Has it really changed him? In a way, yes. He had woken up the morning after longing for Taeyong’s presence, his absence made even more prominent now that they are connected. He found himself missing Taeyong if they don’t meet for a full day. Taeyong’s decision to stay within his chambers meant that he felt the same, or nothing had changed at all.
He is studying a map in his solar when the doors open and his guards walk into the room, accompanying two of the servants manning Taeyong’s needs that he recognized.
He raises a brow in question and one of them bows before she speaks. “My lord, the prince has asked for your presence.”
Johnny composes himself enough not to show the obvious elation he feels upon getting to see Taeyong again. He clears his throat and rolls the map to put aside. "Tell him I will be with him shortly."
The two servants bow once again before they take their leave. It takes Johnny no time to rise to his feet, abandoning all the tasks he had planned to see through tonight, and there is not a single way to explain the kind of joy that warms his unbeating heart. Clearly sealing the bond has somehow triggered an affection he didn't know existed for the prince and he could only hope that Taeyong feels the same. It is what he had feared, having emotions, but Johnny is prepared to care for him.
The walk to the prince's quarters isn't far but Johnny doesn't rush it. He's overcome with nerves, suddenly, but he makes sure he doesn't take too long to piss off Taeyong. The guards Taeyong sent for him led him not to the prince's chamber but the room that was supposedly theirs, the one they had been in the first night after their wedding ceremony.
Upon reaching the guarded room, the guards allow him access without question and Johnny steps into the room to the sight of Taeyong, dressed in a loose white shirt he'd left unbuttoned, exposing a pale torso. Johnny has to fight to look away, pushing aside the fact that this is the first time he has seen so much of Taeyong's skin.
Taeyong is biting into an apple as Johnny walks in, his eyes lighting up. It's the only indication that Taeyong is happy to see him. Perhaps the bond has changed him too, in a way.
"You asked to see me," Johnny starts. Someone has to, before Johnny acts on impulse and kisses Taeyong without permission.
Taeyong releases an amused sound, "Don't be so formal, Johnny. Are we not married? You are my husband as I am yours. I wish to drop the formalities."
Johnny smiles, nodding his head. "Is there something you need?"
"Yes," Taeyong says, rising to his feet and closing the distance between them. He abandons the apple, coming up close to Johnny, eyes lingering upon Johnny's clothed chest. "I wish for our marriage to be consummated. It is time."
To say that Johnny isn't surprised would be a lie. He is obviously elated to be able to see Taeyong now, but he had expected a ride out to the stables or off the mountains at the very least. He hadn't expected Taeyong to initiate physical intimacy. Consummating the marriage is a huge step forward and now that their blood bond has been sealed, a consummation wouldn't be necessary. Could it possibly be that Taeyong simply wants him? Johnny would like to think so.
"Are you certain?" Johnny asks for good measure.
Taeyong meets his gaze and he answers the question with a kiss, leaning forward with his lips parted and slotting them between Johnny's pouty ones, arms winding around his neck. Johnny's response is natural, kissing him back as his hand curls around the back of Taeyong's neck, deepening their liplock by licking into the prince's mouth. He tastes of apples and cherries, something like the sweet flavor of blood that lingers on his tongue.
Johnny is addicted. There is no other word to call it.
"I don't want your gentle hands," Taeyong whispers against his mouth when they part, noses brushing against each other. "I want you to fuck me. Really fuck me. You can use me in however ways you wish to. I don't want you to be soft. I want your imprint inside me and I want you to give me my heir."
The growl Johnny lets out is inhuman and he has no hesitance as he kisses Taeyong again, rougher and hungrier this time, backing him up until they both tumble onto the mattress. His hands pull at Taeyong's open tunic, leaving him bare from waist up, and he doesn't hesitate to do the same with the latter's trousers.
Taeyong is panting as Johnny pulls off his trousers, his usually modest clothing now gone as he laid there naked from head to toe. Johnny drinks in the sight before him, so exquisite and breathtaking, so flawlessly unblemished he could easily mistake him for a marble statue. Except this, he loves. This, Johnny could touch and kiss and claim, over and over again.
Hovering above him now, Johnny doesn't think he had ever expected to be blessed with such a sight. Taeyong is beautiful, eyes glazed with need and lust and he shivers like a virgin when Johnny's fingertips run down the middle of his torso and his palm cups over his cunt. He adds pressure upon it and Taeyong keens, legs spreading wider in invitation.
Johnny keeps at it for some time, using the flat of his palm to rub Taeyong's pussy in circular motion, making sure his clit is well stimulated. Taeyong moans, back arching off the mattress as he grows wetter and wetter against Johnny's palm. He didn't want Johnny to be gentle, so Johnny will not be.
He spreads the prince's legs roughly, keeping them wide apart before he dips his head and closes his mouth around the swollen nub. He wastes no time in sucking at the folds and the throbbing clit, encouraged by the sinful sounds Taeyong lets out. He tastes as sweet as all that he's drank, sweeter even, and Johnny wants more. He licks between the folds, bobbing his head whilst he does just that and continues to lap his tongue over the bud.
Aware that he has been at this for some time, Johnny forces Taeyong's legs apart when they start to tremble and squeeze together. Taeyong is close, Johnny knows this, and he urges the latter's climax by pressing his tongue flat against his clit and stimulating it by moving his head from side to side.
"Fuck- Fuck!" Taeyong cries out as he cums, squirting colorless release as his entire body shakes, thighs quaking.
He's panting and squeezing his legs together when Johnny pulls back, pleased to know that he's able to drive Taeyong into climax so easily. For that alone, Johnny doesn't allow too much time for Taeyong to calm down, forcing his legs apart once more though this time it's to shove his cock into the latter's cunt. He doesn't even need to remind himself that this is what Taeyong wants; it's what he wants, what they both do, and Johnny will deliver.
One of his hands curls around Taeyong's neck and he squeezes as he snaps his hips, picking up the pace of his thrusts and moaning with every squelching sound they produce. Taeyong's heat is tight around his cock, clenching and keeping him locked inside him. It's so good, Johnny's pace starts to grow sloppy, cock occasionally slipping right out of Taeyong's cunt before he guides it back into the male. How long has it been since he's had sex with anyone? Johnny has been loyal to the core.
Taeyong seems to know because then he rewards him by wrapping his legs around Johnny's hips, pulling him close so his cock is pressed deep within his heat. Johnny cusses, calmed down just a tad and enough to leave kisses along Taeyong's pale neck.
"Drink," Taeyong pants out as their bodies move in sync. His voice is breathy, eyes closed even as he urges Johnny's mouth to his throat. "Drink from me again."
He only has a sliver of a second to be aware that vampires do not feed from each other, even after they are sealed in a blood bond. It is dangerous to be addicted to Taeyong’s life flow but Johnny finds that he does not care. He lets his fangs grow and he wastes no time in piercing through Taeyong's flesh. The burst of flavor on his tongue drives him into fucking Taeyong harder, and he drinks and drinks, his own eyes closed as he takes his husband apart. Taeyong returns the favor by sinking his teeth into Johnny's shoulder, moaning as he drinks as well. This copulation, coupled with feeding from each other, makes everything so much more intensified.
He's still drinking from Taeyong's neck when he cums, spilling hot and thick into the latter's body and he knows Taeyong has reached his climax as well by the way he moans into Johnny's shoulder, his body convulsing and legs tightening around Johnny's hips.
For a moment, Johnny is certain that they had both passed out at some point, because when he comes to, Taeyong's eyes are closed and the bite wound in his neck has healed, unblemished once again. Johnny is almost saddened by this if not for the reminder that they are now officially bonded, connected in all the ways possible. He smiles, kissing the same spot he had bitten into.
They stay that way for a while before Taeyong speaks, his voice laced with affection, "You are getting too familiar."
"Do you wish for me to leave?" Johnny asks teasingly, kissing along Taeyong's jaw and then his chin, before he finds the prince's mouth and kisses him there.
Taeyong sighs into the kiss, his body relaxing, melting against Johnny's bigger form. "No. Stay. Will you go into the baths with me?"
"Mm," Johnny hums, kissing Taeyong again. He can't seem to stop and his words don't come, too preoccupied in slotting his lips over Taeyong's. Kiss after kiss after kiss. "I will go with you anywhere."
The prince hums, cold fingers running through Johnny's black hair. "Really? Does that mean you’d give me anything I ask?"
Johnny pulls back, meeting Taeyong's eyes. His answer comes too easily. "Anything as long as it pleases you."
The smile on Taeyong's lips is borderline menacing. Johnny sees the affection in his eyes, triggered by the sealing of their bond, even if Taeyong's cold reserve would remain as so. It is as he expected; they would grow into an eternity of love, thanks to this bond. After, when they are bathed and clean from their time together, Johnny helps Taeyong into his clothes. The buttons take forever to secure and by the time Taeyong has himself fully clothed, Johnny is once again mesmerised by what he sees before him.
It's when Taeyong helps him into his attire that Taeyong says it, casual and authoritative as ever. “I want you to make me king."
Johnny gazes at him, the prince he is married to. Taeyong must have taken this from when Johnny had promised that gender matters little to him. He knew, at some point, that Taeyong would use his help to be what he was born to be; a king. But Johnny sees it; he sees a future where they would reign together. They would love each other, he knows this without a doubt, proven in the way they carry the other’s blood in their system. They would raise children that would someday be rulers. He likes the image, likes the way Taeyong smiles at him as he leans in and slots their lips together, likes the way Taeyong’s cold and hard exterior melts as he presses himself within Johnny’s arms.
Johnny realizes this with a start; he would do anything Taeyong asks.
He would make Taeyong king.