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Moze uncomfortably and shakily shuffled his way to the meeting room, unconcealing himself from his shadow form once outsiders could no longer see him. He didn’t expect the journey to be so tiring, as he’d made far longer in the past without breaking a sweat. Shockingly to him, it seemed like the Yaoqing had an entire building for military conferences. Moze never had any business in places like this, and never expected he would, until Feixiao texted the day prior.

‘Moze’

‘I know it’s sudden but I need you to have an important meeting with me tomorrow morning, ok?’

‘I’ll send the address in a sec’

‘Understood.’

‘Feixiao reacted with a thumbs up.’

Out of all the years he’d been working with Feixiao, he’d never been called for a conference like this. He was an assassin, not a higher-up who had to sit through and take notes on boring meetings. Because of this, even though the general insisted the two of them were equals, Moze couldn’t help but feel like he was being called by a teacher to get a scolding.

If a scolding was the aim of the meeting, then the reason behind it was no mystery to him. Moze always had a hard time fighting the mara-struck and abominations of abundance, not to mention his recent exhaustion. Just walking himself across the city to this building was enough to make his breathing heavy, despite his usually almost inhuman stamina. The last mission was far messier than his typical clean and swift killings. His time with the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus had made him quite accustomed to scolding for improper missions, which always ended unpleasantly one way or another. At the very least, it would ensure he’d never make the same mistakes twice. A scolding from Feixiao, though, who he almost dared to consider his friend? Moze had no idea what to expect.

Moze took a deep breath and turned the handle to the room. Once inside, he took off his hood and lowered the handkerchief he used as a mask. He sat down across a short, round table from Feixiao. She looked at Moze and smiled, only increasing his confusion on the situation. Was he in trouble, or not? With her was Jiaoqiu, for some reason, which only made Moze more embarrassed about the situation.

“Glad you could make it,” the general chirped. “Part of me was afraid you wouldn’t show.”

Moze huffed. Speaking was normally hard, but it felt especially so at that time, both due to his dry throat and the lump he could feel in his chest. “It seemed urgent. Of course I’d come.”

“You seem tense, Moze,” Feixiao’s eyes traveled across Moze’s body, paying special attention to his tight shoulders and the way his eyebrows were knit. His expression was somehow more fervent than normal. “Don’t think of this as a meeting. Think of it more as a friend having an honest conversation with you.”

Feixiao’s comments didn’t do much to quell his paranoia, but he appreciated the sentiment.

“Understood.”

Feixiao looked over at Jiaoqiu, as if she still needed a second opinion. He briefly looked over in Moze’s direction, before shrugging. He brought up his fan to his mouth, covering it. Surely it was to tell Feixiao something secretly. Needless to say, Moze didn’t enjoy being spectated like this. After taking some time, evidently to pick out the right words, Feixiao spoke, making uncomfortable eye contact with Moze. 

“You know I only want the best for you, right?”

Moze shuddered. Out of all the words she could’ve picked, she had to pick the same ones that the higher-up Disciples would use when forcing Moze to do things he didn’t want to do. He wanted to get up and turn around immediately, or at least close his eyes to mentally escape. All he could do in response was nod.

“I don’t mean to ‘call you out’, or get on your ass, or lecture you, but the last mission we had was pretty sloppy, yeah?”

Moze nodded again. “It wasn’t as swift as I was capable of.”

“No, I don’t really care about your efficiency. As long as you get the job done, the manner that you do it doesn’t really matter to me. It’s just that…” she gestured over to Jiaoqiu, her eyes clearly asking for help. Despite her status as a general, she seemed bad at giving criticism, Moze thought. She was undoubtedly being too nice to him. This only gave Moze more negative anticipation, since Jiaoqiu definitely wouldn’t follow that precedent.

“Your refusal to take care of your body is not only affecting your performance as Feixiao’s guard, but also your health in general, which is what we care more about.” Jiaoqiu cautiously got up, making his way towards the other man, which only served to stress Moze out more. “Regardless… you hold one of the highest positions within the Yaoqing’s military. You’re the general’s right-hand man. You cannot afford to slip up.”

Jiaoqiu attempted to place a hand on Moze’s shoulder in an attempt to comfort him, only for Moze to move out of the way. Surprised, Jiaoqiu clasped his hands together and gently closed his eyes.

“I understand. I accept any punishment you wish,” Moze muttered.

Jiaoqiu and Feixiao looked at each other incredulously, then back to Moze.

“There’s no need for all that.” Suddenly, Jiaoqiu understood why Moze had been so tense this whole time.

“You just need a break,” Feixiao sighed. “You’ve been basically fighting nonstop since you were way too young to even know what a soldier was. The fatigue is seriously messing with you.”

Moze’s heart dropped. He made an expression of disdain, without saying anything. Somehow, this felt worse than a scolding. He was suddenly aware again of his growling stomach and parched throat.

“If you have qualms, you may speak up, Moze,” Jiaoqiu soothed. Moze wasn’t used to voicing his frustrations—the reminder was appreciated, though it was still difficult

“I don’t need a break, Feixiao. Your protection is more important than my—”

“I’m not going on any missions for the next week, anyway. I’m stuck in virtual meetings with other Xianzhou leaders, so there’s nothing for you to miss out on. Use this time for yourself, and not training like you usually do.”

Moze started automatically gnawing at his bottom lip, which he knocked off as soon as he realized he was doing it. “Lack of practice will make me rusty.”

“Moze, I’ll be fine. There’s nothing for you to protect, so don’t sweat it. Just relax—you’ll have a great time! If you want, Jiaoqiu and I can hang out with you, too.”

Moze slowly started to accept his fate. Nothing he could say would sway her mind. ‘Hanging out’ with the other two definitely wasn’t going to happen, either, in his condition.

“Also! I noticed how badly you got injured a few days ago. Go over to Jiaoqiu’s residence tomorrow and have him take a look. He told me you’ve been avoiding your checkups, which honestly might be why you seem so worn out. One of his meals is gonna fix you right up!”

Jiaoqiu slowly flapped his hand while smiling, as if to say, ‘oh, stop it’.

That was even worse, Moze thought. The last thing he wanted were the other man’s slender fingers prodding at his skin. He didn’t think vulnerability or proximity with Jiaoqiu would be a good idea, either. He could feel his heart start to thump harder in his chest. 

Once again, though, there was nothing he could do, in the interest of not seeming suspicious.

“Understood. Though if anything changes and I need to jump back into action, don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“But of course. Now, please, go home and rest. I have no idea what you do for fun, but do lots of it,” Feixiao snickered. Moze wasn’t offended at this—he couldn’t even think of anything he found pleasurable, other than cleaning. He simply nodded again, then waved a short goodbye to Jiaoqiu, before concealing himself in the shadows and swiftly leaving the room. His legs felt weak, but he was used to working through weakness.

Moze was hungry, though he knew couldn’t eat for a good while. Urgently, he needed to do some research as soon as he got home.

Before Moze knew it, the next day arrived, and he had to grapple with the difficult day ahead of him. His research only confirmed what he thought from the beginning—seeing Jiaoqiu was a bad idea, but he was sure the foxian would show up at his house if he skipped this checkup. Moze hoped, at least, that it would be “in and out”. His wounds weren’t as bad as Feixiao made them out to be. The less injuries he had, the less serious Jiaoqiu would think his condition was, and the faster he’d be able to leave.

He dipped into his shadow form to avoid the outdoor conditions, and also to make the journey to Jiaoqiu’s house quicker. The journey also made Moze wonder why the ordeal had to be done at Jiaoqiu’s house, rather than his medical office. Day by day, his limbs only felt heavier, making it much harder to make the journey, no matter how short it was. 

As he got there, the smell wafting through the doors and windows answered his question. Typically, Moze would be quite excited for the delicious food Jiaoqiu would make whenever anyone visited, but the smell didn’t do much to stir his appetite at all. Moze groaned. This visit wouldn’t be as seamless and quick as he’d hoped. 

Moze’s shadow form phased through the door. Jiaoqiu had said before that he had permission to enter this way in order to make himself feel more comfortable. Moze sat on the couch and decided to watch Jiaoqiu in the kitchen, curious to see how long it would take for Jiaoqiu to sense his presence. 

“Moze,” his answer came quickly, despite the fact that he hadn’t even turned around yet. “How long have you been here?”

Moze revealed himself, shocked. Jiaoqiu’s senses were sharp, but it usually took him a few minutes. “Seconds.”

Jiaoqiu smiled. “You definitely need rest. I could feel you here immediately.”

“You should hurry with the medical examination, then.”

Jiaoqiu gestured to his cooking, the ear closer to the stove twitching. “I’m preparing a soup base. After taking a look at your condition, I’ll add ingredients ”

Moze shivered. He had a bad feeling about this. His paranoia was sickening, telling him Jiaoqiu would figure everything out, despite every rational thought that told him otherwise. Moze tried to take deep breaths. He didn’t want his obvious anxiety to give Jiaoqiu any reason to be suspicious, either.

Jiaoqiu lowered the heat on the stove then covered the pot, muttering a simple “follow me” before walking into an adjacent room. Moze swallowed around the lump in his throat, then followed.

The room was a lot like Jiaoqiu’s office, though smaller and with less tools. It was enough for home use, Moze supposed. He sat on the bench in the center of the room, awaiting further instruction. 

Vision and hearing tests went as usual, though it took longer than usual for him to react to the sound cues. Reflex tests showed the same slowed responses. Jiaoqiu checked his ears and throat, once again finding nothing out of the ordinary. He definitely noticed Moze’s heart starting to pound whenever their skin made contact, though. When he reached to get the stethoscope, Moze felt like he was going to throw up. Jiaoqiu pressed the cold instrument to Moze’s chest, making Moze shudder. After a second, Jiaoqiu’s tail fluttered in curiousity. 

“Nervous?”

Moze awkwardly coughed. “Yeah. I think so.”

“Moze…” By this point, Jiaoqiu had gotten close to Moze’s chest, and looked up at him through his eyelashes. Aeons, it definitely wasn’t making Moze’s heart rate slow. The frigid stethoscope travelled across Moze’s chest, breath shuddering as it crossed over more sensitive areas. Moze was sure this wasn’t the proper way to check someone’s heart rate. It couldn’t have been much of a problem, though, since he was sure his heartbeat could be felt perfectly fine by the other man. “There’s no need for you to be nervous around me. I only want to make you feel better.”

Moze wasn’t stupid. Jiaoqiu’s tail swayed, obviously showing his interest. They had moments like this often. The assassin decided to ignore it, for now. He let out an affirmative hum.

“You turned away from my touch yesterday. Why? You’ve never done that before, and you’re not doing it now, either.” The stethoscope had been long discarded at this point, though his head stayed close to Moze’s chest. 

Moze’s mouth felt extremely dry. His tongue darted out to wet his lips, while Jiaoqiu’s half-opened eyes tracked every movement. “Not. Um… in front of the general.”

The corners of Jiaoqiu’s mouth curled upward. He repeated the answer under his breath, seemingly satisfied with his answer. Jiaoqiu smiled, then got off Moze. It seemed that he had his fun. “I wonder what could get your heart beating so fast. Though, something tells me that it’s not a symptom of whatever’s going on with you. Would you agree?”

It felt like Moze could properly breathe again after the other man got up, though the way Jiaoqiu was speaking made him unable to shake the nervousness plaguing his body. He felt cornered. It made him hungry.

“Y-Yes.”

Jiaoqiu smirked. Moze played right into his hand. 

“Sorry for the teasing, I couldn’t resist. You’re just so cute when you’re shy!” Moze groaned in his mind. This was about the worst time for Jiaoqiu to be teasing him. “To be serious, your symptoms look a lot like withdrawals, though you’ve never done any substances, right?”

Moze crossed his arms. “Out of the question.”

Jiaoqiu hummed. “I didn’t think so. Other than that, your health is as I assumed from what Feixiao told me. You’re fatigued, tired, and dehydrated. Have you been eating enough lately?”

Moze hesitated before nodding.

“Hm…” Jiaoqiu closed his eyes for a moment, a habit of his, then opened them again. “Take your shirt off.”

After all that just happened, Moze was a little more flustered than usual. Jiaoqiu had seen him topless numerous times, as expected for a military doctor, but after all that teasing, it felt embarrassing. Either way, Moze easily complied, since this sort of thing was technically normal between them. Jiaoqiu slowly traced his fingers over the scarred skin, making Moze shiver. The latter was holding his breath, heart thumping again in his ears. Jiaoqiu was so close that Moze could smell him, and all Moze could do was hope that Jiaoqiu would move away before he lost his mind. 

“This is peculiar.”

Moze’s head snapped over to where Jiaoqiu was standing. “What?”

“I am aware of your self healing capabilities due to the vidyadhara experiments, and yet…” Jiaoqiu looked at him up and down, making Moze almost feel like prey again. Despite Moze being larger, in height, strength, and sheer size, it felt as if Jiaoqiu had so much control over him. “Most of these should be healed by now, but they aren’t.”

Moze’s eyes were wide open as his sight shuffled around, looking at the floor. He hadn’t even realized they were taking longer than normal to heal, since so many other things in his body were distracting him from the pain. 

“Why is that?”

Moze’s blood almost ran cold. He had absolutely no damn clue how to play this one off. His heart was beating so fast he felt like it would explode. An ache in his stomach got worse and worse until his mouth felt like it was about to drip with saliva—a telltale sign that he was going to throw up.

“Moze?”

“I don’t know.”

His head felt so loud. His eyes were still glued to the floor, but after a long-feeling moment of silence, he looked up. Jiaoqiu’s eyes were closed, eyebrows knit, deep in thought. He shrugged, then opened his eyes to look at Moze.

“You’re probably malnourished for some reason, that’s all. You’re definitely also overworked, maybe not getting enough sleep. Good thing I was cooking—I’ll try to make a nutrient dense soup for you, and hopefully you’ll start feeling better. Take your time and come back to the living room.” He handed Moze his shirt back, then swiftly left. 

And with that, Moze was alone in the room. He was safe. While Moze was technically out of “danger” now, nothing about him was calming down. He didn’t have the energy for anything at all and rationally knew he shouldn’t be paranoid, but no matter what, he couldn’t stop shaking. He decided to put his shirt on and leave the room, hoping the food would make him feel better. If Jiaoqiu’s food could heal the body, surely it could heal the soul, right?

The living room faced the kitchen, so walking in gave Moze a full view of Jiaoqiu’s back. He was chopping vegetables, as normal, as if nothing had happened. Moze’s head was clouded, and he could barely hear whatever Jiaoqiu was trying to tell him.

“It’s very hard cooking without garlic,” Jiaoqiu started, trying to make small talk. 

“Hm?”

“Your allergy? It’s unfortunate, really. The flavor of garlic really can’t be replicated with anything else. Every time I cook for you, Moze, I deep-clean all of my pots, pans, and silverware. Though with how much you love cleaning, maybe I should have you help out.”

“Oh.” Moze was flustered. Too much was going on. His paranoia was telling him that every little thing he did was suspicious.

“Moze.” Jiaoqiu put the knife down, looking back at him. Moze was across the room, keeping his distance. “Could you be a doll and help me out here?”

“What do you mean?”

Jiaoqiu had a puzzled look on his face, one of his ears flicking in confusion. “There are lots of dishes I need to put away. I thought it would be therapeutic for you to help, but you somehow didn’t even notice.”

Moze focused, and sure enough, clean dishes were all over the counter. The overwhelming need to tidy all of it itched under his skin. Jiaoqiu was right, how could Moze not notice such a thing?

“I-I’m sorry.” In the blink of an eye, he was grabbing the dishes. It felt like the mess was dragging him. Even though he rationally knew that staying away from Jiaoqiu was the best thing to do, his need to clean had overridden his better judgement. “I guess it’s the exhaustion. I wasn’t paying attention.”

The proximity to Jiaoqiu had somehow gotten exponentially maddening when compared to the medical examination. Every second that went by, the danger increased, his senses attacking him and threatening to make him lose control. Moze purposefully didn’t want to get near the other man, but he didn’t have much of a choice anymore. Once he saw a mess, he wouldn’t be able to rest until it was dealt with. Overwhelmingly, it also took every ounce of control in Moze’s body to not instantly pounce on the foxian. His body and brain were working overdrive, and when it was combined with the dead exhaustion of his body, it all became too much. His head felt heavier and heavier, until a brief moment of lightness, followed by his vision darkening. He stumbled, knees and forearms hitting the floor.

“Moze are you—“

Within Moze’s daze, he heard a sharp breath, then a clang as the knife in Jiaoqiu’s hand cluttered against the table. He was confused, his brain not fully being able to put together comprehensible thoughts just yet. But, before he knew it, his nostrils flooded with a thick, sweet smell that made his mouth water and the primal part of his brain awakened.

Fuck, this was bad.

Jiaoqiu ignored the evident injury on his finger, deciding to help Moze up instead. As Jiaoqiu got closer, Moze felt like he was being sent into overdrive again. Thoughts raced through his head, none of which made sense. He tried to move away and stumbled backwards, but could only go so far due to his back hitting a cabinet under the sink. 

“I’m okay,” Moze said with a quivering voice, in a way where it seemed like he was trying to convince himself, as well.

“You basically fainted on my kitchen floor! Moze, you’re not telling me the whole story, and you need to start being honest now. ” 

“I… um… your finger,” Moze muttered, in a trance. He was completely unable to focus on what Jiaoqiu was saying. His eyes were glued to the small wound, a bead of blood dripping down the pad of Jiaoqiu’s finger. Suddenly Moze was hyper aware of his dry mouth and throat again, and had to lick his lips.

“It’s just a little cut, Moze. I’ll be fine, but there are far more pressing issues at hand right now. Come on, let me help you up, and I’ll take you to bed. Then we need to talk.”

Once again, everything was too overwhelming. Moze was exhausted, in pain, hungry, thirsty, and Jiaoqiu’s scent was all-encompassing. He couldn’t register anything in his surroundings other than the potent smell and a primal want, hunger, and desire. His brain was being taken over by sensory overload—everything Jiaoqiu did only made Moze lose himself even more.

Jiaoqiu held out his hand to help Moze up—the bloody one. Jiaoqiu’s finger was now tantalizingly close to his face, an inhuman sense of need took over every neuron in his brain.

He lost all his self control.

Without thinking, Moze slipped Jiaoqiu’s finger into his mouth, tongue skillfully wrapping around the wound. Moze’s eyes rolled back, the small quantity of the thick liquid feeling like a shot of heroin straight into his veins. He felt himself stabilize, now being able to stand back up on his own.

Only after seeing the look of disturbance that was on Jiaoqiu’s face, did the dread of what he’d just done settle in his mind. Several moments of silence passed between the two of them, but the main thing catching Moze’s attention was Jiaoqiu’s continued bleeding. He grabbed a paper towel from the counter, then quickly pressed it into the other’s hands.

“Clean it. Please.” His breathing was labored, having to swallow the saliva his mouth was overproducing. While he was gaining his senses back, his body wasn’t satisfied at all. His starvation had morphed into greed, his instincts wanting to drink Jiaoqiu up until there was nothing left. He took great care not to open his mouth, as if there was any saving the situation.

Jiaoqiu looked at him, then down at the towel, then back up.

“I’m not sure what to make of this,” Jiaoqiu whispered. His face had a completely unreadable expression, only stressing out Moze further.

“It… um…”

Suddenly, the thumb of Jiaoqiu’s non-injured hand shot into Moze's mouth, pulling the corner of his upper lip away. Moze pushed it away as quickly as his weakened reflexes would allow, but it was already too late.

The image of fangs, not dissimilar to Jiaoqiu’s own, had already burned itself into the fox’s memory.

Silence settled over the two once more. Moze felt like he was going to throw up more and more every second that passed by. The life he’d finally built up for himself after leaving the Disciples would start crumbling down any second. Jiaoqiu was calm. Too calm. Like the pot of broth that had been left on the stove, he felt in his soul that Jiaoqiu was about to start bubbling over.

In that instant, Jiaoqiu turned the heat off and moved the pan. Then, he removed the towel from his finger, and held it in front of Moze’s face. His eye contact with Moze felt threatening and dangerous.

“Is this what you need?”

The rationality in his brain was seemingly turned off at the question. He nodded feverishly and licked his lips.

“Then take it.”

Moze didn’t have to be told twice before latching onto the finger, drinking until the small wound stopped bleeding. The deep taste of iron enveloped his mouth. This fix gave him quick satisfaction, though he was still left wanting more.

“Better?”

Moze nodded, trying to ignore the sense of want still pounding in his veins. After his long period of starvation, that small amount definitely wasn’t going to be enough. 

“Good.” Wasting no time, Jiaoqiu hopped and sat atop the newly clean counter, making stern, threatening eye contact with the slit-like pupils that had formed in Moze’s eyes. “Now please, explain yourself.”

Moze thought hard, trying to choose his words carefully. He decided, as usual, that short and to-the-point would be the best course of action. “I don’t think there’s much to explain. I feed on flesh and blood. Without it I get extremely weak. Is that not obvious by now?”

Jiaoqiu had so many questions in his head, it was almost dizzying. He didn’t even know where to start. Despite all the uncertainties, he somehow knew Moze wasn’t a danger.

“I assume it was… the Disciple’s experiments?”

“An adverse reaction, I suppose,” Moze shrugged. “It happened to all of the soldiers they raised. They didn’t know it would happen, though the transformation was really obvious. Honestly, even I don’t know everything about being… the way I am. All I know is that with immortality comes a price—this is mine.”

“They turned you into a vampire, Moze?” Jiaoqiu’s eyes weren’t scared or angry, just slightly sad. Regardless, the intense stare made Moze squirm.

“You could put it that way.”

“Why has this never been an issue before? I mean, surely either Feixiao or myself would’ve noticed something like this?” Honestly, Jiaoqiu felt like an idiot for not realizing earlier. He was a doctor who had done multiple checkups on Moze, and somehow couldn’t figure out that the assassin was hiding a secret like this.

“Usually I feed on those I assassinate. It’s not ideal, but it’s enough to keep me satisfied. We’ve been fighting mainly mara-struck and they don’t actually bleed proper blood, as I’m sure you know. It’d be toxic for me. I’m not going to go out of my way to kill a random person, so I’ve just been…waiting.”

“So your current affliction is because you haven’t had enough blood lately.” At the very least, Jiaoqiu thought, he was able to figure out what was wrong.

“Yes,” Moze stated. He didn’t know why Jiaoqiu was being so nice to him. The Disciples had always taught him not to tell anybody, and that anyone who found out would kill him instantly. Jiaoqiu, though, was acting perfectly normal about it.

Jiaoqiu seemed to think for a moment, looking deeply into Moze’s eyes. The contact was so tension-filled, Moze’s sight quickly averted somewhere else.

“Mara-stuck blood is toxic…” Jiaoqiu placed a finger under Moze’s chin, forcing their eyes to meet again. “And what about foxian blood, hm?”

“It’s not a good idea.” Since Jiaoqiu brought it up, Moze was once again reminded of the thick scent under Jiaoqiu’s skin. It took over his entire sense of smell, demanding his attention. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to breathe through his mouth to ignore the saliva-inducing scent.

“A bad idea, on who’s end? The foxian or the vampire?” Moze could hear the soft swish of Jiaoqiu’s tail. The foxian was intrigued.

“It… if I’m not mistaken, foxians emit pheromones that create illusions for other species, and also can signal mating habits towards fellow foxians.”

Jiaoqiu’s face lightly flushed. It was a natural part of foxian life, but hearing Moze describe it was beyond embarrassing. “And?”

“The effect on… my kind is mixed between the two reactions.” Moze leaned in, taking a long whiff near Jiaoqiu’s neck. He had to hold back a pleasured sigh. “It’s like a drug, and I can barely resist. Especially when I’ve been so starved…  I couldn’t hold myself back. I apologize for drinking from you without warning, and it won’t happen again.”

Jiaoqiu thought for a moment again. Moze could see through his poker face—he was trying to hide a smile. “Moze… as your healer, it’s my responsibility to relieve you of your condition by any means necessary.”

Moze didn’t even want to consider what the other man was implying. “Jiaoqiu, the only thing that can fix me right now is feeding. You can’t—”

“But I can. It’s extremely important for you to be safe, as you’re irreplaceable for Feixiao’s military. I will offer myself up until you have another consistent method of getting sustenance. First you’re passing out in the safety of my home, next you’ll be passing out on the battlefield, knocking at death’s door. It should be common sense for you to feed on me.”

Moze looked at him in disbelief, before shaking his head. “Jiaoqiu, you can’t just—”

“Moze. I am a foxian, so any wounds made will heal quickly. My blood cells will regenerate fast, as well. It’s safer than you starving or killing random people and taking it from them, at least.”

“Well… um…” Moze was sputtering to come up with any excuse possible. “The pain would be very intense. I don’t want to put you through that.” He knew if he was allowed to drink the other man’s blood to his heart’s content, he wouldn’t be able to control himself. And yet, the still thickening scent of Jiaoqiu’s blood weakened his resolve by the second. If Jiaoqiu kept insisting, he wouldn’t have the strength to refuse anymore.

“Pain?” Jiaoqiu chuckled, and looked at Moze with a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Moze, all I eat is spicy food because of the pain. Pain makes me feel alive— colors the world that’s been dulled by the horrors I’ve seen. I have absolutely no qualms with this arrangement, and honestly, you’d be an idiot not to take it.”

Moze wouldn’t have even thought of this in his wildest dreams. He was about to crack. That damned smell, and Jiaoqiu basically begging Moze to use him as a blood bank was making Jiaoqiu look absolutely delectable. Well, he may as well make the most of his weakening sanity by ensuring this was what the other man wanted.

“...are you sure? Like, completely, 100% sure?”

“Of course.”

Moze snapped, a darkness filling his eyes while his pupils only thinned further. His fangs grew more until they were, Jiaoqiu assumed, at their full length. 

“Where?” he growled against Jiaoqiu’s neck. It took every ounce of control he could rip out of his body to not bite down already.

Jiaoqiu shifted his weight to each side of his body as he pulled his pants off his hips, lowering them down to his knees. Moze’s jaw dropped at the sight of his pale, smooth thighs. He wanted nothing more than to defile them, covering them in bitemarks.

“Thighs would be the easiest access, right?”

Moze didn't even make an attempt to respond, as he knew any words would come out as a jumbled mess. If he waited any longer, he was sure he’d start drooling. He grabbed one thigh, metal claws digging deeply into Jiaoqiu’s skin. The latter bit his lip, trying to hide the twisted smile on his face. 

The other hand gently rubbed on Jiaoqiu’s inner thigh, gently coaxing his legs further apart. Moze positioned himself between them, then lowered onto his knees. The counter wasn’t very high, giving him perfect access to Jiaoqiu’s flawless skin. He stared into Jiaoqiu’s eyes as he bit down slowly, teeth tearing the flesh and drawing the addictive elixir of blood from underneath the skin.

Jiaoqiu’s breath hitched at the sensation, enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would. In fact, he needed to bite back a moan as he felt Moze’s tongue glaze over each mark made by his teeth, before his lips attached to Jiaoqiu’s thigh. He started to suck, the sensation similar to that of getting a hickey, though much more sensitive due to the recent wound. To Jiaoqiu’s dismay, there was a warmth twitching in his lower stomach.

Moze closed his eyes, since he didn’t want to embarrass himself by rolling his eyes. Jiaoqiu definitely never would’ve let him live that down. But Aeons , the taste of the foxian’s blood was almost orgasmic, as if he swallowed pills of ecstasy. He could feel his dick mortifyingly stir to life. If Jiaoqiu knew, surely he would humiliate Moze. 

The thick blood from Jiaoqiu’s thigh coated Moze’s lips, tongue, and throat, and he drank it like the most luxurious wine. Moze felt like he was getting drunk off the liquid. No matter how much he drank, he would never get enough. Jiaoqiu, on the other hand, felt like he was getting drunk off the pleasure, needing more of the sickening way that pain and pleasure intertwined. Moze took a small break, resting his head on Jiaoqiu’s thigh, and looking up at him through half-lidded eyes.

“You really do like this, don’t you?”

“Yes,” Jiaoqiu gasped. “You should’ve told me about this earlier.”

“I’d have done this since the day I met you if I knew it’d feel like heaven.” The lower half of Moze’s face was covered in blood, next to the huge mess across his leg, near the bite mark. Jiaoqiu couldn’t help but notice how sinfully good the other man looked covered in his blood. Normally, Moze would even feast neatly, but his desperation was so deep that he cared more about getting his fix rather than being neat.

After a moment, though, Moze licked the remaining blood off Jiaoqiu’s thigh (he was nothing, if not a thorough cleaner), then teasingly bit in other places on the thigh, though not hard enough to break skin. Jiaoqiu whined. “You can’t just show me how good it feels when you suck my blood, then tease me now.”

“I’ve had enough, for now. Honestly, I think it’s going to last me a while.”

Jiaoqiu looked down at him, a little disappointed, though he was happy to see Moze back to his regular self. If anything, he seemed much more alive than usual—bold and confident. Jiaoqiu hoped that it was because he felt fulfilled, and not that he was just effectively high on pheromones.

“Regardless, I’m very thankful that you’d do this for me, Jiaoqiu.” Moze was usually the type to maintain intense eye contact for long periods of time, but his eyes flickered downwards, being met with a wet patch on Jiaoqiu’s underwear. “How ever could I…” He made suffocating eye contact again. “...repay you?”

“You don’t need to worry about all that. I’m more than happy to be of service.” Jiaoqiu felt himself throb, want still pulsating through him. Sure, he always found Moze attractive, but he’d never thought in either of their hundreds of years of life that they’d hook up. Despite this, his attraction for the other man was almost palpable in that moment. This chance was too good to be true, he thought, so he decided to add “…unless you really want to.”

Moze got off his knees, leaning over Jiaoqiu, lips impossibly close together. Jiaoqiu wanted to skip the formalities and smash their faces together. Moze muttered against his lips, “Do you want me to do this?”

Jiaoqiu rolled his eyes. “Take a hint.”

The pink-haired man wrapped his arms around Moze’s neck, closing the miniscule distance between them. They pulled away from the chaste kiss, before immediately delving back in to kiss each other more deeply. Jiaoqiu could taste his own blood on Moze’s tongue, which made him moan shamefully. Jiaoqiu hadn’t done anything like this in so long—he’d forgotten how good it felt to feel the warmth and touch of another person. He was sure, now that he’d felt it, he’d be craving it all the time. Moze lifted Jiaoqiu’s legs, taking his pants off properly. He picked the other man up effortlessly, only breaking away from the kiss to ask where the bedroom was.

After getting the directions, Moze picked up the other man as if he weighed nothing. He carried Jiaoqiu the short distance from the kitchen to his bedroom, shutting the door behind them. Moze gently placed Jiaoqiu down on his bed. If anything, it was too gentle for Jiaoqiu’s liking. He took his time opening each button on Jiaoqiu’s shirt, helping him shrug it off. 

Moze started trailing the kisses from Jiaoqiu’s lips, down his neck and chest, ears taking in every hushed and desperate sound the other man would make. Every so often, he would teasingly gnaw at different patches of skin, though lightly enough for it to not leave a mark. This was infuriating Jiaoqiu, who wanted to be littered with the evidence of their intimacy for days afterward. The sweet kisses continued down Jiaoqiu’s waist, stomach, and hips, before stopping at Jiaoqiu’s waistband. 

“May I?”

Honestly, Jiaoqiu had wanted nothing more than for him to get to it for the past ten minutes. His lack of action for the past few years had made him pent-up and desperate, now that he was finally getting something. He simply sighed and nodded.

The vampire started by licking over the already wet part of Jiaoqiu’s underwear, long stripes of his tongue making the other man already breathless. Jiaoqiu wasn’t having any teasing, so he opted for quickly pulling off the piece of fabric that separated them himself. 

“Eager, aren’t you?” Moze smirked slightly, a rare sight to see.

“I thought this was supposed to be some kind of thank you… I do not feel very appreciated yet.” Jiaoqiu knew he was being a brat. He hoped it meant Moze would start treating him harsher.

Moze, ever the gentleman, didn’t fall for it. He sweetly smiled, looking up at Jiaoqiu between his legs. “Don’t worry, you’ll feel it very soon, I was just savoring the moment.” To punctuate the sentence, Moze ran a finger from Jiaoqiu’s wet hole upward, making the other man shiver. 

His tongue followed soon after, almost in an attempt to lap up the mess Jiaoqiu had made of himself. The efforts had the opposite effect, though, as his actions would only make Jiaoqiu more wet. Slowly, his tongue drifted upward, licking long strokes around Jiaoqiu, yet ignoring the part Jiaoqiu yearned for the most. 

It felt amazing, though Jiaoqiu was still annoyed. Where in Lan’s name did Moze learn to be such a tease? Jiaoqiu lightly grinded into Moze’s face, hoping he would get the message. In response, Moze’s grip on Jiaoqiu’s thighs tightened, pressing his face further into Jiaoqiu’s wet heat. 

Moze’s tongue finally met Jiaoqiu’s clit, starting with a darting lick before devolving into brutal and messy sucks. Jiaoqiu’s fingers laced into Moze’s soft hair, pulling slightly to test the waters. Vibrations sent across Jiaoqiu’s body from the other man groaning were enough encouragement to pull harder, hips rolling into Moze’s mouth. Moze was feeding off the other man as if he hadn’t just drank his blood to his heart’s content—like he was still starving, and like he would never be satisfied. A familiar tightening in Jiaoqiu’s stomach, made his hips screech to a halt. He tapped Moze’s shoulder, getting him to stop. With his age, he wasn’t sure if he’d have the stamina for multiple rounds. The vampire looked up at him with big, confused eyes.

If Jiaoqiu had a dick, he would surely destroy Moze until those cute eyes were rolled into the back of his head. Unfortunately, he would just have to settle for the next best thing.

“Take me. Now.”

Moze looked confused, like a question mark was plastered across his face. His eyes were still wide. Aeons. How could an assassin act so innocent?

“Fuck me now. ” Jiaoqiu corrected. After a beat, he added, “If that’s okay with you.”

Moze blinked with realization, processing the request. He shot upwards, peeling his skin-tight top off his body, and removing his gloves. Jiaoqiu lamented the loss of Moze’s metal claws—it would be much harder for the man to scratch him, since his fingernails were always trimmed and well-kept. ‘Oh well’ , Jiaoqiu supposed he had enough claws for the both of them. 

On the other hand, Jiaoqiu had seen Moze close to naked more times than he could count, even just an hour or so earlier. Regardless, this was the first time he had the ability to truly appreciate Moze’s perfectly sculpted body. From every healing scar, to his toned figure, large shoulders, and waist probably smaller than even Jiaoqiu’s own. The foxian couldn’t help but grab onto it, long nails lightly scraping at the pale skin.

Moze got on top of Jiaoqiu again, burying his face into the latter’s neck.

“The taste of the rest of you is almost as addictive as the taste of your blood,” Moze murmured, before sucking a few marks onto Jiaoqiu’s skin. Once again, his teeth would tantalizingly glide across Jiaoqiu’s most sensitive areas, without enough force to break the flesh. This time, though, indented bite marks littered the smooth skin. Jiaoqiu was glad his clothes were so modest. If he wasn’t fully covered, he was sure people would be able to tell what had happened between them. Feixiao especially would never let them live it down. 

Moze shifted his weight, reaching his arm downwards, between Jiaoqiu’s legs. His hand made a small stop to rub on his clit, making Jiaoqiu’s hips roll into his grip. His finger tantalizingly slid between Jiaoqiu’s legs, a fingertip catching on the man’s hole. Deciding Jiaoqiu had exercised enough patience for the night, Moze wasted no time plunging in. 

Jiaoqiu made a small sound, but it wasn’t enough. “P-Put another…”

“I want this to be as painless as possible.”

“I don’t,” Jiaoqiu gasped as Moze curled his finger. “I-I want all of you inside already.”

Moze took the opportunity to slide in another finger, relishing in the stretch. He could only imagine how it would feel around his dick. “You’re somehow more insatiable than I am.”

“Don’t make me get up and do it myself.”

Jiaoqiu heard a low laugh. It wasn’t like Moze’s normal laughs, which were rare enough as-is. It had a layer of darkness over it. When Jiaoqiu opened his eyes, he was met with the sight of Moze on his knees, leaning back. The click of his belt being undone resounded through the room. Jiaoqiu could feel himself start to salivate, his stomach twisting with anticipation. As Moze slipped it out of his pants, Jiaoqiu licked his lips. Just the sight of it made Jiaoqiu hungry in every way possible. Another time, he thought, he needed it in his mouth. 

Moze laughed again, this time more lightheartedly, then got on top of Jiaoqiu again.

“It’s rude to stare, you know.”

“If I had the patience right now, I would suck you off so hard you’d think I was the vampire.”

Moze’s face slightly reddened, which Jiaoqiu didn’t know was possible. He reeked of shyness and inexperience, which only made Jiaoqiu want to ruin him more. Moze cleared his throat. “How do you want it?”

“Like this is fine,” Jiaoqiu whispered, arms sliding underneath Moze’s arms, wrapping around his back. “I just need it as soon as possible.”

A hand lifted Jiaoqiu’s hips upward while Moze placed a pillow underneath. He could also feel pressure between his legs—Moze less than millimeters away from being inside him. He whined, tired of telling Moze to hurry up. He was so turned on it hurt, and he wanted nothing more than for his carnal needs to be filled.

“I want to fucking devour you,” Moze whispered as he took his time sliding into Jiaoqiu. Even if Moze wasn’t entering him at that very moment, Jiaoqiu was sure he would’ve moaned just hearing those words.

Even after bottoming out, Moze took it extremely slow. A hand covered his mouth as the other left a bruising grip on Jiaoqiu’s waist, stabilizing him while their hips carefully rolled together. Jiaoqiu could feel every inch of the dick inside him, splitting him open with a sweet burn. He grasped at the sheets and pillowcases near his head, puncturing holes into the silky fabric with his long nails. The pace was maddening, Jiaoqiu hyper aware of the way he sucked Moze in every time he started to pull out.

“M-Moze… please…” Jiaoqiu groaned with overstimulation. The sensations were too much, and yet still not enough. The drag of Moze’s dick felt better than anything ever had before, but it was missing an edge. It felt too good, and Jiaoqiu needed sharp torment to balance it out.

“What?”

“I need more…”

“I told you. I-I’m not… trying to hurt you.” Moze had a hard time concealing his sounds, obviously embarrassed about it. Jiaoqiu, to the best of his current ability, made a mental note to fix that later.

“How many times do I have to tell you?” One of his hands flew to Moze’s head, grabbing a fistful of hair and pulled until their faces were an inch apart. Caught off guard, Moze loudly whimpered at the sensation. “I want to be in pain for days b-because of this. I-I want to feel you, even when… you’re not with me.”

Jiaoqiu tried to come up with another snarky remark, though his mind turned up blank. Even if the sex was gentler than he wanted, it still felt more than good enough for his brain to be surrounded in fog. Instead, he opted to close the distance between them, putting them into a sloppy and rough kiss. The small pains Jiaoqiu inflicted on Moze only spurred the latter on further.

Moze’s hand grabbed right above the backside of Jiaoqiu’s knee, pushing his leg backwards and onto the bed. He took a deep breath against Jiaoqiu’s lips, before quickly snapping his hips inside Jiaoqiu. The latter yelped, hands attaching like velcro to the bed sheets again. With Moze’s other hand, he ripped both of Jiaoqiu’s hands off the bed and placed them on his own broad shoulders. He pressed on Jiaoqiu’s nails, claws leaving light imprints across the ripped muscle. It was adorable, Jiaoqiu thought, how Moze showed him what we wanted.

“Good?”

“ Fuck yes, keep doing that.”

“Understood,” he said quickly, before snapping his hips again, repeating the action over and over again at breakneck pace. Jiaoqiu screamed, nails painting dark, painful lines across Moze’s already-scarred back. Jiaoqiu was happy he was Moze’s doctor—the scars were for him to see, and him alone. 

Moze leaned down to kiss his lover deeply once again. A fang caught on Jiaoqiu’s lip, slightly puncturing it. The warm and strong taste of Jiaoqiu’s blood flooded his mouth again. His tongue migrated from swirling in Jiaoqiu’s mouth to swirling around his lip, sucking on it in order to squeeze every drop of blood out.

“ Aeons, Jiaoqiu…” Moze groaned with his face irresistibly close to the other man’s. “Your blood is… like an a-aphrodisiac.”

His statement was punctured by harder thrusts, absolutely taking the breath out of Jiaoqiu. He could barely form words anymore, much less full sentences, so his only response was an affirmative moan.

“I need more of you… Jiaoqiu…can’t get enough…” Moze let out with shaky breaths, before opening his mouth and lightly tracing his right fang along Jiaoqiu’s jawline. The danger was thrilling—one wrong move and his face would be cut open—making his hips thrust upward to meet Moze’s. 

Realizing how much Jiaoqiu enjoyed it, Moze continued a line down the center of Jiaoqiu’s neck, pressing a little harder along his collarbone, though not hard enough to tear the skin. The sensation, all things considered, should've been extremely faint, though every touch between the two of them felt blazing hot at that moment. Moze could feel it—they were both getting close.

His mouth, after being done with the collar bones, settled at the junction between Jiaoqiu’s neck and shoulders. His tongue eased onto it, coating the area in saliva. Jiaoqiu almost went silent out of shock.

“I-I read… this is special for foxians… right?”

Jiaoqiu’s eyes rolled back at the thought of what Moze was implying. He moaned a loud ‘yes!’ and moved his head away to give Moze more space. 

“May I…?” 

“D-Do it. Now.” Somehow, even though Jiaoqiu was getting brutally fucked, his voice was more threatening than Moze had ever heard from the man before. After a second, he added a whiny ‘please, Moze. I-I’m so, so close,’ as he reached a hand down to harshly rub at himself.

Moze couldn’t argue with that. He opened his mouth wide, bearing his fangs.

“Look at me,” he whispered, making Jiaoqiu open his eyes and watch as, slowly but surely, Moze’s teeth sunk through the delicate skin. The eye contact was hypnotizing. He kept applying pressure, until there was a full bite mark, each side punctuated with a hole going deep into Jiaoqiu’s neck.

Moze started drinking the blood, the energy he gained becoming more inhuman the more he drank. Every second, his grip on Jiaoqiu would tighten and his pace would increase. Jiaoqiu was in pure bliss, thoughts spinning and not connecting properly. His grip on reality weakened, the only thing he could focus on being Moze and how good he was making him feel. His moans were loud, almost drowning out the filthy sounds of their activities—skin loudly slapping skin, and the slurps of Moze on his neck. He started to get light headed as that familiar knot formed in his stomach again.

“Close?” Moze asked, stating the obvious. Jiaoqiu had no energy to be sarcastic, so he could only frantically nod in response. Moze pressed a kiss to Jiaoqiu’s cheek, then pressed a hand down on Jiaoqiu’s collarbone, intoxicatingly close to his neck. His eyes shot open.

“N-Neck—please!”

Moze looked at him for a second, then realized what his lover was asking for. The hand trailed upward. Moze cocked an eyebrow, essentially asking if this was what he wanted. His response came with a loud moan, and a whine of ‘tighter!’

Moze obliged, taking orders from Jiaoqiu like a dog. His thumb and fingers squeezed on the sides of Jiaoqiu’s neck. It wasn’t very hard, as Moze wasn’t fully comfortable with the action just yet, but Jiaoqiu’s reaction only encouraged him. The light pressure was still enough to send Jiaoqiu tumbling over the edge, back arching and hole clenching as he came with a loud, strangled cry.

Moze felt himself get closer to the edge, too, being only further turned on by Jiaoqiu’s world-shattering pleasure. His thrusts didn’t slow, but he gently threaded his fingers through Jiaoqiu’s soft hair, relaxing him after the orgasm.

“Mmh… good, Jiaoqiu… you’re gorgeous,” Moze moaned. Jiaoqiu’s eyelids fluttered, still feeling the aftershocks of bliss. His hips twitched with every trust, still sensitive. The sensation and hard thrusts into Jiaoqiu’s tight hole brought Moze to his edge as well. Jiaoqiu, desperate to make Moze finish, returned to what he already knew worked. He pulled Moze’s hair hard , pulling him into a final lazy kiss. Jiaoqiu was so fucked-out that he could barely kiss back, but it only got Moze closer.

Moze pulled away, then pressed a sweet, chaste kiss to Jiaoqiu’s lips instead. Moze murmured, “Where should I…”

“Inside, please…” Jiaoqiu whispered, completely exhausted. He was operating on sheer instinct at that point, rather than any actual thoughts.

Moze had no qualms. With a few more hard thrusts, he whimpered, “Cumming, J-Jiaoqiu…” as he finished. He slowly pulled out, pressing another kiss to Jiaoqiu’s lips.

Moze laid down next to Jiaoqiu, whose chest was still heaving, trying to catch his breath again. He took the smaller man’s cheek in his hand. Part of him felt bad—Jiaoqiu looked rough . Maybe he went too hard on him.

“Is your back okay?”

“Hm?” Jiaoqiu was just barely coming back to full awareness. His whole body ached, and fatigue wore on his mind. 

“Your back,” Moze chuckled. “You always talk about how it’s getting fragile with age.”

“Oh. Ha-ha,” he let out a sarcastic laugh. As pretend angry as Jiaoqiu was, he was happy Moze was normal again, if not even better than usual. His skin had color dusting his cheeks, a smile on his face, and even cracking jokes. It was lovely seeing him in this condition, and Jiaoqiu would sacrifice his blood in a heartbeat to see him like this. Moze put his large arms around Jiaoqiu.

“Nothing a massage can’t fix, don’t worry,” Moze murmured, pushing hair out of Jiaoqiu’s face. Moze was finally able to fully enjoy the other man’s beauty, staring at him close up. It left him breathless.

“Absolutely not . You and I both know how a massage would go, and I do not have the energy for another round of that. You, on the other hand…” Jiaoqiu sighed. His eyes shone brightly, which Moze felt like he’d been seeing more lately. Jiaoqiu didn’t open his eyes often, so Moze was glad the other man was comfortable enough to be vulnerable with him. 

“I ate very well today, that’s why. Thanks to you, I think any feeding I’d have in the future other than you would be deeply unsatisfactory.”

“So, we’ll be doing this more often?” Jiaoqiu tried to hide the giddy feeling that bubbled up within him.

Moze paused to think for a moment. “The amount I had today will last me for over a week, but afterwards, I’ll need to feed again.”

“And next time you feed… will all this same stuff go down?”

Moze blushed, as if he didn’t just cum inside Jiaoqiu. “Ah. If you’d like.”

As much as Jiaoqiu tried to fight it, he couldn’t hide the smile spread across his face. He’d have time to act out all his fantasies with Moze, then. “... and will we be doing it when you’re not feeding as well?”

“Um… I would… really like that.” Once again, Moze somehow acted innocently, juxtaposing the events from only a few minutes before. “But, we can discuss the details later. For now, you need to rest.”

“I need to go back to cooking, Moze. Even if you aren’t actually sick, the base is definitely cold by now. After fucking me so well, you at least deserve a meal,” Jiaoqiu teased, with a playful hint to his tone. 

“I got enough of a meal, Jiaoqiu. And anyway, if you rest now, maybe you’ll have enough energy for that massage later.”

Jiaoqiu had absolutely no complaints. In fact, he was more than eager to get in bed with Moze as soon as possible. “Put some pants on, then,” he said as he turned onto his side, facing Moze. Despite his status as a vampire, his body was warm, probably because of the blood he just drank. Jiaoqiu could barely remember the last time he was like this, body pressed against another—feeling safe in somebody else’s arms. It was beyond comforting, and Jiaoqiu was sure he’d sleep easily. He didn’t want that moment to end. His tail twitched in satisfaction, obvious enough that Moze noticed. His hand reached up to Jiaoqiu’s ears and pet the space between them softly, lulling him into a nap. 

Moze wasn’t sure where this spontaneous decision would take him, though he hoped it would be for the better. Even against Feixiao, Jiaoqiu was the one who knew the most about him and his past. Moze even dared to think that Jiaoqiu was the person he was most comfortable with. He had no experience with these kinds of feelings and intimacies, but he was glad that it would be Jiaoqiu who could be the one to teach him. He pressed another kiss to Jiaoqiu’s cheek, who was already starting to fall asleep. 

“It feels good to finally tell somebody, and I’m glad it was you. Rest well, Jiaoqiu.”