Telling stories of terrors in the dark, of frightening hauntings and strange creatures, was part of human nature, right? Xu Shu had grown up with them as any other child had, believing every word that his mother told him (and she would do so in what he admitted later on was an excessively eerie tone) when he was a boy, but for the most part growing out of that belief as he'd slipped into adulthood. Sure, there was probably grains of truth in some of those tales, but the human-made horrors that came from the wars plaguing the country were bad enough on their own. He'd had no reason to concern himself with any other kind.
That had changed several months after being captured by the Wei army and absorbed into their forces. Xu Shu had found himself a nobody, passed over because he'd not dared to share or consider any kind of ambition whilst kneeling bound on the floor; filled with deep remorse and a sense of just how much he lacked, how little he could do, he'd not made any effort to change that at all until something with devious intent crept into his place of work one night.
Staring into a tiny flame, his menial tasks complete, Xu Shu's usually honed warrior senses did not pick up up on the overly-solid shadow until it stepped into the tiny circle of light shed by the candle. The shock of it sent him to his feet in an instant, hands looking for a sword that wasn't there, and the beautiful man who had crept up on him so well laughed softly.
“I'm sorry,” said the intruder, laugh eventually settling instead into a wide smile. “But standing here waiting for you to notice wasn't turning out to be much fun. Is this little fire so interesting you'd miss something like me hovering over your shoulder?”
His lips parted, revealing long, sharp fangs that most definitely weren't human; primal fear burst into life in Xu Shu's chest, recognising what was stood before him on some kind of unconscious level, and he took a few steps back.
“You are... who?” he managed to stutter, holding in his instincts to flee.
“Guo Jia.”
The name of a dead man, one of the most talented minds to ever serve Cao Cao but stricken with sickness that had consumed his still-young body some years ago. He was brought up often in the halls of Wei's castles, whispered about with reverence, fondness and no small amount of sorrow (no doubt those that had disliked him, and Xu Shu knew there were certainly a handful of such retainers, knew better than to speak ill of him where they could be heard). This couldn't be that Guo Jia, of course. Definitely not. It made absolutely no sense. No matter how much one wished otherwise, you couldn't bring back the dead.
Xu Shu's gaze shifted from the fangs and settled on eyes that were far too golden to be natural. He took a moment of quiet to steady himself before speaking up again.
“Lord Cao Cao's favourite?”
“Yes.” Guo Jia's expression turned a little more thoughtful, though the smile didn't drop for a moment. “Impossible but true! I did die, it just wasn't permanent; an offer was made to ensure I could stay by my Lord's side for a while longer and I just had to take it up. Some sacrifices had to be made for it to work, as I'm sure you can tell.”
It had to be a lie, of course, but this not-quite-human in front of him was now sitting in the air, legs crossed casually, the shadows moving in a very strange way at his back. No specific creature that fit this came to mind but Xu Shu's mind still shifted to his mother's stories. He wondered, briefly, what those fangs might be used for. It was not a welcome thought at all.
“Umm... Lord Guo Jia,” he muttered, and Guo Jia shook his head.
“I don't really have rank anymore, so no need to be so formal.”
“Guo Jia, then, I... I'm not sure why you're here? I don't do anything important, so I, well... you're making me nervous, if I'm honest.”
“That usually happens when I first meet people now, but don't worry.” Guo Jia's voice softened. “I have no intentions of taking a drink without permission, Master Xu Shu. Why I'm here? Conversation. Company. There aren't too many people who linger awake this late at night alone, without purpose.”
True enough, that, but even through the fear and uncertainty he was feeling Xu Shu still felt some kind of hurt in hearing it said. Doing so had become a habit, hadn't it? It was easier to keep yourself hidden from view in the late hours; raise a hood, curl into yourself, do the jobs people found easy to ignore and a person even vaguely focused on something would pass by without a thought. He inhaled, breath shaking, and took a seat again. If this 'apparition' meant him harm then Xu Shu would deal with it (or not). Until then, well, who was he to shy away when all he'd do otherwise is sit and stare into space? Especially if this really was Guo Jia. Rank or not, creature from a dark tale or not, he was important, and someone as lowly as Xu Shu couldn't deny him.
“I'm a bad choice for company,” he said, offering a weak, uncertain smile. “But if I'm all you've got right now I won't tell you that you can't stay.”
Guo Jia tilted his head a little, still smiling, eyes gleaming oddly in the candlelight. The sense of deep, natural fear was crawling up Xu Shu's spine by now; it wanted him to run away, to flee, or otherwise to fight for his life.
“Let me share some fun secrets.” Guo Jia's voice was warm and attractive, a contrast to the fear he was inspiring. “Maybe you'll start to want me here, if I whisper enough of them to you?”
The secrets were not 'fun.' But they were... interesting, if that was the right word. The mere presence of Guo Jia was enough to prove some of the old stories potentially true, but the things they discussed that first night, strange and unbelievable as they were, could potentially reshape the world as Xu Shu knew it. When he finally slipped under the sheets of his simple bed hours later his mind was ablaze in a way it hadn't been for a long time, and when sleep finally came it brought nightmares of a different kind to the sort that usually haunted him.
Fear, fangs and rivers of blood, shadows that curled around him, a lovely but threatening smile in the dark. Waking up with sweat on his brow, Xu Shu cleaned himself up and went to complete his work. Instead of lingering over it, though, he afterwards went into the castle town, got a few drinks and spent some time amongst others listening instead.
That night Guo Jia came again. Just to talk and nothing more, he said, fixing his golden eyes on Xu Shu and running the tip of his tongue across his bottom lip. It turned out that he still meant it. Meant it several nights later, too, the night after that, three times the next week and time and time again beyond, slipping himself into Xu Shu's routines with remarkable ease.
Eventually Xu Shu grew somewhat used to it. Not enough to dull the feeling of being a prey animal sat in a predator's shadow, but enough that he started to ask direct questions rather than gathering scraps of local conversation and trying to weave them together.
“I have special arrangements.” Guo Jia was bothering to sit on an actual chair this time, though the shadows around him retained the peculiar quality they always did in his presence. “There are people willing to share their blood with me, and I only visit each on occasion.”
The knowledge that Guo Jia needed to drink blood, that it was his only food and source of nourishment, was something Xu Shu had learned about on the first night. It hadn't come up since, no doubt as some kind of kindness to Xu Shu himself, but... well, he needed to know. This strange relationship they'd started to form would never be comfortable without some kind of honesty and it didn't look like the night-time visits would be ending anytime soon.
“That's brave of them,” Xu Shu replied, glancing down at his wine but not taking a sip; he'd poured it a while ago but only managed a few drops. “It must be frightening... I know you're careful, but, well, you know...”
“You'd be surprised at how many find some enjoyment in it, Xu Shu.”
“I'm not sure why...”
“Think carefully about it.”
He did. It was impossible not to with Guo Jia smiling at him like that, reddish fluster rising in his cheeks as his lips spread; that kind of reaction was definitely not caused by embarrassment. Lately Xu Shu had started to think him attractive. A sight like this did not help in the slightest and it was disturbing, deeply disturbing, how easy it was for that attraction to mingle with the discomfort and sit so easily in his chest. Was this allure part of the hunt? A trick to bring in a target willingly, even as their survival instincts screamed at them to run?
What about being fed upon could bring pleasure? Xu Shu's mind provided a mental image of falling into bed, of tangling limbs, of being pinned down and pin-sharp teeth sinking into his flesh... was it the energy of it, the rapidly pumping heart common to both fear and lust?
“Ah, well... I can imagine it, but there's no way I could know for sure,” he murmured, licking his lips slightly. “If it's okay to ask, how do you feed?”
“Of course it's okay.” Guo Jia tilted his head, still smiling, and leaned forward over the table. “Usually I take it from the neck. Don't ask me how, dear Xu Shu, but I can tell where the best spots to take blood from are. I'll hold my friend gently, press my mouth against the skin, then bite down... when it flows, I press my lips against the wound and drink.”
“Oh, that's....”
“I won't take too much, no matter how delicious... and when done, the press of my tongue helps seal the wound. Is that something like the scene you pictured, just then?”
Xu Shu felt himself blush, because, well. It had something in common with it, yes, but had gone quite a few steps further and something about the way Guo Jia was watching him told him that this was suspected. Just how bare was he, before this darkly perfect vision?
“A bit,” he said eventually, settling on honesty. “I think it's... the intimacy in the act that can be appealing? The closeness, especially at the neck, it's...”
“Good, Xu Shu. It's good.”
It was unfair, how breathy Guo Jia sounded, how inviting and frightening at one and the same time. Was he doing it on purpose or was Xu Shu's addled mind just imagining it? Maybe not. Maybe it was just another part of the trick, the magic, the potentially deadly spell. Who was to say this wasn't all a lie and Guo Jia had in fact drained his victims, killed them, and spoken so sweetly beforehand just to ensure they let their guards down? Perhaps it would be wise to focus on that thought to keep steady.
He looked to the side and inhaled softly, tugging at the collar of his clothes. His companion chuckled, leaned forward yet further and held out a hand; had those nails always been that long? They weren't exactly pointed, but...
“I'll share an echo of the experience with you, if you like,” Guo Jia murmured, inviting. “Don't worry, I never bite without invitation. No matter how tempting it might be.”
Steady, sensible. Xu Shu chanted in his head that this was dangerous, that he had to be cautious, as he nonetheless held out his free hand and prepared himself to snap it back at a moment's notice. Guo Jia took what was offered and raised it to his mouth, blowing warm air over trembling fingers before pressing his lips against the palm; a second later he dragged the points of his fangs across the skin, so lightly it wouldn't even leave an impression. It was simple. It was silly.
Xu Shu's heartbeat was thundering already in response.
“This is... it, it feels nice, it does, but it can't be... much like it...” What was he saying, exactly? So much for being careful. “Are you trying to trap me? Because I...”
“You?”
Guo Jia spoke the words against Xu Shu's wrist, kissing it lightly, once, twice, again. Such a soft gesture. None of this should be as erotic as it was.
“...I'm not really worth the effort,” Xu Shu said, which was his honest opinion but not the actual response in his head. “You know what I am. Why I'm in this position, so... I don't really understand why you keep coming back.”
“You're a clever man,” replied Guo Jia fondly, still tracing his teasing light kisses. “But blind to yourself. The first night we met, you didn't want me there. You were only afraid of me. I could see it, hear it, smell it. But you were lonely too, right?”
“Well, yes, but...”
“Do you feel lonely now?”
There was no easy way to answer that. Yes? No? Sometimes he was, but at other times... not so much. Because of Guo Jia. Xu Shu couldn't lie about that. His existence in Wei had been a long depressing spiral where he'd contributed nothing to the world, or even to one single person. He'd spent his free time mourning what he'd wanted to be for Liu Bei, or looking at his remaining desires to make a difference and trying to snuff them out until they hurt less. Nothing about that left room for bonding with anyone, but... that didn't mean at heart that he actually wanted to be on his own. Xu Shu wanted to be useful to someone, to be desired, to be worth having around.
He stared at his, well, friend, whose gaze had not wavered for a moment, and found that he couldn't form the words.
“Maybe you're the one making the trap?” Pushing Xu Shu's sleeve down, Guo Jia finally closed his eyes and shifted his mouth to the newly exposed skin. “Because I feel like I've fallen into one right now. You smell so lovely... this is a true test of my hunger.”
That right then should have been the moment that this ended. Where the arm was pulled back, where Xu Shu stepped back and ended all of this. But he couldn't. Just... couldn't. Because he felt wanted, because the spell was too strong, and because the sucking kiss Guo Jia was giving now sent tingles down his spine. It was soft and warm, a damp pressure against his skin, and it was all Xu Shu could do to stop the needy sound from passing his lips. Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. It was just another small gesture, but one that fueled the undeniable and growing desire he had to feel something sharper. A bite... he wanted to be bit down on. To feel it for real.
It wasn't the only thing he wanted. Too much more of this and the heat in his stomach would spread, become noticeable.
“You should... you should probably stop,” he said, staring firmly upwards at this point, and Guo Jia did as asked after a second or two. That wasn't exactly the end of their shared moment, though. Neither said a word, but the tension was thick and the creature from the depths of a dangerous myth grasped Xu Shu's hand, held it for a while and filled the silence with his laboured breaths. The obvious struggle tugged at Xu Shu's heartstrings despite the threat but he didn't dare ask, didn't dare offer, not yet. So he just sat there, eyes fixed on the ceiling, and waited until Guo Jia finally let go.
“Good, right?”
A heartbeat after the huskily spoken words he was gone. Xu Shu spent several long moments steadying his breath before drinking down his cup of wine. He drank down a couple more of them, too, before falling into bed and dreaming things that he couldn't recall in the morning. The sight of what he woke to said more than enough about what they'd probably been like. He spent a day trying very hard not to think about that 'evidence' and every single aspect of what had happened the previous evening, then waited a single hour once the sun set before going to bed when nobody showed up. There was no sign of Guo Jia the following night either, and eventually it turned to two weeks without so much as a strange movement in the darkness. No surprise there.
Not really.
Guo Jia was continuing to serve as a strategist under Cao Cao, utilising his vast intelligence as he always had for the sake of Wei (though now it was a secret affair). There were 'other things' he was responsible for in his new 'life' too, mostly undefined but explained away as unique to the kind of creature he was. Xu Shu had imagined bloody things, assassinations in moonlight, one-man assaults behind the walls of shadows that seemed to twist and move and grow solid at their master's command. That was nothing more than a guess, though, and hardly a thought to linger on.
Yet linger it did. Was he off doing something like that now, leaving Xu Shu to wait? Wonder? Fall deeper into the pit he'd dug for himself?
No, no, that was wrong. It was more like spreading one's self on a ritual altar and waiting to be sacrificed.
His friend... fixation... suitor? Whatever he was, Guo Jia did not return for a good more handful of days and Xu Shu's mind had spiralled yet further into the abyss by then. The loneliness that had previously been soothed had returned in full and, with this new longing in his chest, become an even more powerful poison; to try and distract himself he tried to search out any written copies of the stories he'd treasured as a boy. The ones that he now knew might not be entirely fiction. Somewhere, somehow, there had to be a trace of Guo Jia's curse in them. Some indication of what he was. Why he was. The powers he had, a solid explanation of the allure, some reasoning behind the unnatural appeal inherent in those golden eyes.
Why he could give Xu Shu a sense of home, of security, despite the overwhelming sense of fear and threat and the knowledge that told him this was bad. Wrong. Dangerous. Such opposing emotions didn't belong together. It had to be something Guo Jia was doing, right? It had happened so quickly, too, so surely...
He ran a hand down a page detailing a tale of snakes-that-weren't, trying to focus despite his spinning mind, and thus, yet again, left himself open to ambush.
“Is it a good story?” Guo Jia was almost flush against Xu Shu's back, hands on shoulders, speaking right into his ear. “You've been staring at that part for quite some time now.”
There was no jumping up like the first time they'd met. It wasn't because he was being held down, though, more that he'd adjusted to this routine enough that his inner prey-beast had been somewhat tamed. Not enough to stop the cold shivers and the sharp intake of breath (nothing would ever dull that in full) but enough that he held still in his seat and curled his fingers against the surface of the scroll, ignoring all other urges for the moment.
“How long have you been here?” Xu Shu closed his eyes, body shaking for reasons beyond fear. “You... you've been gone for a while now, I would have preferred you gave me some warning.”
“I'm sorry, but I really do enjoy watching you, my love. I've learned so much.”
“My... your love?”
“You've known of my feelings for a while, haven't you? Don't doubt your powerful allure.” Guo Jia sounded quiet and serious; he pulled back Xu Shu's collar as he spoke, pressing a light kiss against his neck. “You are so very lovely, so distracting... ah, but tell me, how have you been since I saw you last? I hope you had more fun than I've been having.”
It felt like the most pointless of questions, something to fill the air and distract from what hung between them. A final mercy to Xu Shu, an opportunity to divert from what was obviously going to happen.
“I missed you,” he said, slowly, turning over each word in his head as he said it. “You were right. I didn't feel lonely, but when you were gone... it came back. I've been reading the old stories, trying to learn more about what you are, to work out why...”
“Did it help?”
“No, but it doesn't matter. I don't think anything could... Master Guo Jia, please, I've been lying to myself, it all comes from me, and I need... I...”
“Tell me.” There was a soothing note in Guo Jia's tone, but as he spoke his arms wrapped around Xu Shu, holding him gently. “Don't you remember? I won't take anything without permission, dear.”
There was a brief moment of quiet, one moment of holding it in, before the final thread snapped and Xu Shu plunged into the abyss. His request came out in a burst of frantic words, spilling out after being held back for so long and cutting straight into the heart of the entire situation.
“Please, make use of me!”
He could have said so much more, and the words were on his lips. Begging was not beyond him in that moment, desperation for this purpose driving him to that low, but before it could become necessary Guo Jia kissed his neck again. Murmured happy praise as the grip tightened, speaking of courage and kindness, whispering little promises. One more kiss, another, and then one that lingered... this was more of an answer that anything his 'captor' had said out loud and Xu Shu's body immediately tensed up. He felt scared, naturally fearful of what was coming, but also relieved beyond words. This meant he was wanted, maybe even needed on some level, and it was... it was...
Guo Jia bit down.
Xu Shu did not scream as the fangs sunk in. It was hard to stop the urge but he chewed hard on his lip and groaned instead, stuck for a few seconds in the white-hot pain that flooded his body and drove out every other thought. His heart pounded fast and his entire being told him to thrash, to fight, to make it stop; there was no pleasure at all to counteract it in that handful of moments. But then the worst part was done, teeth pulled free to let the blood flow, and things changed very quickly.
Pain remained, of course, his body rightfully alarmed at the dangerous loss and begging him to finally do something about this danger, but at the same time something had been sparked; those soft lips working at the wound felt almost good and beneath them warmth was starting to spread, radiating out and sending wonderful tingles throughout his body. His ears were filled with the pleased, throaty sounds Guo Jia was making as he sucked, too erotic for someone merely satiating his hunger. Might have been Xu Shu's imagination again. He couldn't focus enough to think about it, though.
“Guo Jia...” The name passed from his lips freely, spoken in a throaty tone. “Guo Jia, ah... you... please...”
This was so good, so strange. It hurt and he felt light-headed, like clouds were filling the inside of his skull, but that didn't diminish the growing sense of pleasure. Perhaps it even enhanced it? Maybe. Possibly.
The room started to move and swirl, Xu Shu's eyelids grew heavy, and as he closed them in full Guo Jia finally pulled back to press his tongue against the still-flowing blood. Xu Shu didn't really feel the moment when the wound 'closed,' lost in wonderful sensation as he was. For a handful of seconds he was left to drift in his sublime waking dream and might have stayed that way for quite some time, had Guo Jia not shook him by the shoulders.
“Not yet,” Guo Jia said, deep and warm. “The taste of your blood on my tongue, the thing I've longed for since we met, was so sweet, so delicious... it makes me want to enjoy a lot more fun with you. Do you want the same? I can feel your pacing heart beneath my palms, Xu Shu, smell the scent of desire on your skin... it's so, so enticing...”
Oh. Xu Shu's opened his eyes in an instant, inhaled sharply and pulled out of Guo Jia's grip, though only so he could stand and turn. Finally take a look at the predator who had gotten his meal.
It shouldn't have been so beautiful. This illogical mess made no sense, not at all, but the hapless prey who had willingly given himself up watched his own blood drip from Guo Jia 's smiling lips and form a trail over ghostly-pale skin. Traced its path. Looked up and met narrowed, focused eyes that, yes, really did see right through Xu Shu, didn't they? In front of them he was completely bare, no matter how much he masked his form. Guo Jia was dangerous, but still perfect. Frightening, but impossibly gorgeous.
For better or worse, Xu Shu felt like he'd give up everything for him.
“I... yes, I want... the same,” he said eventually, pushing aside the doubting voice that was still trying, in vain, to be heard. “I want you to need me. You can do what you like, just...”
“What I like?” Guo Jia tilted his head, gaze softening a fraction as he held out his arms. “Anything... because it's with you. Come back here, Xu Shu. We'll both enjoy this.”
All Xu Shu could do in response was exactly as he was told, walking right into that tight grip. Getting a proper kiss from bloodied lips and a clever, copper tongue, listening to more quiet words of praise as he was guided to his ramshackle bed. He leaned right into Guo Jia's greedy hands, thrust into his fist and bit into his shoulder, earning a throaty groan and another bite right back. Not enough to draw blood but close, Xu Shu could feel it, feel Guo Jia wavering and holding himself just back enough and the sensation was almost maddeningly good, another surge of heat for a body already on fire.
By the time he spilled into his lover's soft palm there were indents and bruises littered all over Xu Shu's shoulders, a litany of throbbing pains to accompany the lingering pleasure.
“I know you understand why people can enjoy it now, dearest.” Breathing rough as their bodies calmed, Guo Jia ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of Xu Shu's ear before drawing back and gazing down. “Will you spare me a drink again, soon? We must be careful, of course, but the thought of you drives me to distraction. Ah, even just going too long without your scent makes me feel a little... wild.”
There was no need to ask. It was obvious, out in the air, and there was nothing to hold back from anymore. For good or for ill Xu Shu had thrown himself fully into this and it wasn't the kind of situation you could back out of so easily, even if you wanted to.
“Whenever you want,” he murmured, settling fully into the sheets and staring up to meet those terrifying but gorgeous eyes; his fingers were gripped firmly onto Guo Jia's arms, hard enough to bruise. “Whatever you want... I'm nothing much, but I'll do all I can for you.”
Guo Jia's smiled widened; he leaned in to kiss Xu Shu one more time, lingering at his lips, stealing his breath for a handful of blissful seconds before sitting back and regarding him with a bright but peculiar expression. Was it the imagination again, or did he look... triumphant?
“You're everything while you're mine, my love.”