Archive of Our Own

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A few months back, Taehyung had lost his part-time job and one of his ex-colleagues told him they knew a nightclub, Eternal Night, that always needed extra hands. Coming there he'd been intimidated by the size. It was a big warehouse with some rooms built in one end and a stage in the other. Half of it was industrial, keeping the warehouse look with exposed metal scaffolding around the stage and in the high ceiling. Half was dramatic, almost gothic, like the sitting area along one wall and the VIP balcony, with black leather and red velvet couches, round stone pillars and thick black drapes.

The staff was very friendly, though, and had been happy to hire him. Since then he'd done odd jobs whenever the regular staff got sick or needed help. They'd been very clear that they valued long-term staff and it was unlikely any permanent positions would open up, but they paid well by the hour.

He'd barely been inside a nightclub before and felt a little out of his element, but it was fun too. He was good at adapting quickly, which was useful since he never knew if he would be helping at the bar talking to guests, or helping in the back cleaning or moving things, or whatever.

The back of the club consisted of store rooms, staff rooms, including lockers and showers, and a few offices. Taehyung had never seen the second floor, but he knew it had the VIP area with the VIP balcony, and the club owners office, among other things. There were stairs leading up there, one in the club to the balcony and one at the very far back near the back exit, but there was always staff guarding those.

One night the manager had taken him to the side and said they liked his work ethic and might have a permanent job for him. It was easy, but they needed someone reliable who would be there every day of the week and would follow the instructions. They'd pay him well. Excited about getting a steady job, because it was tough enough surviving, and even tougher not knowing how much he'd get every month, Taehyung had said yes on the spot.

There was a door in the back he'd never seen anyone use, right next to the back stair to the upper floor. It opened by pressing a few blank buttons in a specific order; it looked like an electronic lock with a keypad but seemed to be mechanical. Taehyung had been shown inside, through two more doors, one opening with a key and the innermost only locking from the inside with thick iron bolts.

Inside the three doors was a rectangular room with white walls and no windows. There was a bed, a desk, a bookshelf and a closet. It could have looked like a prison cell but the style of the furniture was a bit cute, all in light, pale wood with cozy pillows and blankets. All along the long side opposite the three doors were a bunch of smaller doors. The first one to the right was white, the rest black.

He'd been told the white door led to a bathroom, and he didn't need to care about the black doors. Every evening after 21:30, preferably before 22:00 but it wasn't critical, Taehyung was to lock himself into this room, door by door, and then disable the security system using a panel on the inside of the door. Then he could do whatever he wanted in here, although there was no internet and he couldn't count on getting wifi or cell reception. He had to leave between 5:00 and 5:30 in the morning and enable the security system before he went, but he was free to hang out at the club for however long he wanted in the morning, although it'd be mostly empty.

He could bring his own things inside, but if anyone asked him to bring anything in, he should not do it and tell the manager. If anything looked weird or suspicious, even if he just got a bad feeling, he should tell the manager. If anyone approached him and asked about the room, doors or security system, he should - yep - tell the manager.

When he'd asked why, well, any of this, he'd gotten a confusing monologue that hinted that a lot of things involved were not perfectly legal, including the security system itself. He was promised he wouldn't be committing any crimes, but the less he knew the better for everyone. Taehyung figured he wasn't in any position to look a gift horse in the mouth. In practice he'd be getting paid for studying or sleeping in a cozy, quiet room, which sounded almost too good to be true.

It was the strangest job he'd ever heard of, and it would probably get tiresome to have to do it every single night, but with a steady income he might be able to get his life back in some semblance of order. He'd had to borrow money a while back at a shitty rate from some shady people, and still didn't have enough to pay for his dorm room this month.

Tuesday night had been the first time on the job. He'd stood outside the first door and hesitated. The door had looked scary somehow, wide and dark with the strange dark brown metal keypad, and there were a few dents in one corner. He'd called his little sister.

She had been tired, but had cheered for his new job. Then she'd worried about him, hearing how he'd be in this strange place every day. She'd also asked if he actually needed to keep his room at school at all now that he wouldn't be sleeping there, and he had to think about that because he hadn't before.

When he'd hung up, two men had come walking towards him. As they'd separated from the shadows he'd realized he'd seen them before. They often hung out in the VIP area upstairs, he'd seen them on the balcony. One was tall, Taehyung thought of him as a typical dark mysterious stranger. He was always dressed elegantly and expensively in black or white; pretentious, Taehyung thought, but nonetheless impressive. Lately his hair had been dyed brown instead of black, but the dark, broody feeling hadn't changed. The other was smaller and brighter, wore clothes that showed more skin, and fit better in the club. His hair had gone through a few colors in a short time and was most recently orange.

As he'd stood in front of them, Taehyung had realized he himself was the same height as the dark guy, which hadn't seemed quite right. Well, it wasn't like that changed the fact that each one could kick his ass blindfolded. The clothes had done very little to hide how fit they were. Taehyung was a scarecrow.

The dark one had locked eyes with him to ask, "What are you doing back here?"

"Ah, I, um, I work here," Taehyung had stuttered and pointed to his staff name tag clipped to his shirt. "I-I'm Kim Taehyung."

Dark eyes had narrowed. "You're fired."

Taehyung had been speechless, but only for a second. "I don't, you can't fire me!" He'd taken a step back when the guy took a step forward, squeezing the shoulder strap of his backpack in his hands. "I mean, you don't, you're not the manager…" He'd briefly wondered if he was the owner, but he looked young, more or less the same age as Taehyung.

The dark one had looked unimpressed by the stuttering and come closer again, making Taehyung twitch backwards. Why was he so scary! But he'd simply walked past around the corner and continued towards the stairs to the second floor. Taehyung's eyed had slid down the guy's back, over a pair of black leather pants that looked painted on. He'd only seen the guy from below before, leaned on his elbows on the balcony railing, and that had been a lot by itself. The rest of him did not disappoint. Then he'd twitched and blushed, realizing the orange-haired one was right there looking at him.

"Give him a break, Jungkook," the orange-haired one had said, amused. "He's the new guy. Hi, I'm Park Jimin and this is my broody friend, Jeon Jungkook. And you're not fired."

"Oh good. Hi," Taehyung had said. Jimin had looked fantastic as well, slim body wrapped in tight white jeans and tight white tank top. There was something elegant about them both, they moved as if completely without effort. Taehyung had felt like an awkward mess in his cheap clothes and flat light brown hair that was less a haircut and more chopped off to not get in his eyes. Except it had grown out so much it was in his eyes again.

Jungkook had stopped some distance away to wait for his friend.

"I heard you study," Jimin had said. "What's your major?"

It had been difficult to say it because it felt so selfish. Every coin in his hand mattered, both to himself and his family, but he'd still chosen to pursue a vain dream. "I'm studying media and communication too, but, um, mainly I'm taking acting classes."

"You're doing two, on top of working?"

"I- yes, that's why this job is great. Since I basically... get paid for sleeping, right?"

"If you're tired from studying so much, won't you forget the time," Jungkook had stated.

"I won't," Taehyung had immediately assured him. "Never."

"Give him a break," Jimin had said again. "It was nice meeting you, Kim Taehyung. I'm sure we'll speak again sometime."

"Better get to work," Jungkook had said dryly.

Taehyung had hurriedly pushed the buttons on the door. "Um, yes, nice to meet you too."

Jimin had waved, while Jungkook had walked away. Taehyung had slipped inside the door, closed it and heaved a heavy sigh, leaning against it. He looked like a vagrant next to those guys, but did he also have to act like a nervous wreck? He was an actor, he knew how to talk to people and turn on the charm, why did those guys make his knees turn into jelly? Who were those guys anyway, not just regulars? Were they involved with the owner somehow?

After he'd turned off the security system, which had a few steps but was easy enough, he'd explored the room. The bathroom was just a sink and a toilet. The black doors were locked, didn't budge a centimeter. The bookcase held some books but they were old and dry. He'd checked his cell phone but as they'd told him there was no coverage in here, he hadn't even heard the club music inside. He'd unpacked his backpack and done some studying before he'd gone to sleep.

Wednesday morning he woke up to his alarm as planned. There were showers in the staff area that he could use, so he could go straight from here to school. He turned on the security system and made his way out the doors. When he opened the outermost one, a person was standing outside.

"Oh great, you're still here!" the guy said, bright smile and warm eyes, clapping his hands together like he'd won something.

"Who are you?" Taehyung asked, still half asleep.

"I'm glad I caught you, I need help with something," the guy said.

Something was not right. Taehyung had never seen this guy before. He was clearly reporting this to the manager, but first he had to get through this situation, and this guy was shorter than him but more or less twice as wide. Yes, Taehyung was sort of tall but if they expected that kind of trouble they should not be hiring his skinny ass.

"Could you go back in and turn the security system back off for five minutes?" the guy asked and said something about wires and electricity that Taehyung didn't understand any of. Actually, looking at him the guy wore a jacket with a logo for an electric company.

"Sorry, I need to check with my manager," he said. "He should be in the office, if you go that way and take a left, it's the first door on the right."

"You mean that way?" the guy asked, pointing.

Taehyung came out the door to see what he was pointing at, although there was just a corridor that way, and suddenly there was a knife in his face.

Violence was not his thing. As much as he thought people who could fight were cool and wished he could be a person who protected the ones he loved, he wasn't a fighter and violence frightened him. His only real experience with it was being bullied as a kid once or twice. So he got his hands up and said, "Whoa! Whoa! No need for that!"

The guy held out his hand. "Give me the key."

"Okay, but it's in my backpack," Taehyung said. "I swear!" He was given some space so he could open his backpack and dig through it. He found the key he was looking for, threw it at the guy and ran. The guy catching the key gave him a second or two, and he wasn't athletic but he was a pretty good runner. He was fairly confident he could reach the main hall before the guy caught up, but he'd barely gotten a few steps before his shirt was grabbed and he was flung to the side, crashing into the wall and rolling over the floor.

A moan of pain came over his lips. The guy came to stand over him and grabbed his shirt, pulling him up. "Try that again and I'll cut you!" he hissed. "Come on!" He yanked at him to come back to the doors, but Taehyung barely understood what he was saying, feeling dizzy. The guy immediately lost patience. Taehyung was hit in the face, then in the ribs. "Get up!"

Then the guy disappeared. One moment he was there, then not. Taehyung was dropped to the floor and looked around in confusion, and found him crawling on the floor a little closer to the doors, with Jungkook standing over him. He lifted his knife and Jungkook grabbed his wrist and-

"Hi there," Jimin said on his other side, scaring the life out of him. The guy was half screaming, rambling excuses and apologies Taehyung couldn't make any sense of. "Are you hurt?" Jimin helped Taehyung to his feet and led him away in the other direction, towards the main hall.

They came out by the bar. The club was dead and empty at this time of day, the staff had gone home. Taehyung was placed on a stool and Jimin ducked behind the bar for a cloth and some water. He sat on the stool next to Taehyung and handed the damp cloth to him.

Taehyung's heart was hammering, he still felt a bit dizzy. His face, ribs, actually everything hurt. He wiped his face and tasted blood but his lips seemed fine, his gums must be bleeding somewhere. There were two empty glasses on the counter next to a whiskey bottle, Taehyung spit blood into one.
He thought someone should be putting a blanket over his shoulders and tell him he'd be okay, actually Jimin should be taking him to the hospital, not to sit at a bar. Or was it no big deal? To cool people like this, getting a punch in the ribs was probably a regular Wednesday. He tried to straighten his back and force his mind to clear.

He felt a bit embarrassed, he should have been able to fight back better than that; he was a guy after all. So uncool. "Who was that guy?" he asked, trying to formulate all the questions swimming around in his head. Still, all he could think about was keeping the job, he must be crazy, but what other job would pay this well and still let him study? "You're not going to fire me, are you? I really tried, I didn't give him the real key, I gave him the one to the front door." He picked the key to the second of the three doors out of his back pocket and showed Jimin.

Jimin tore his eyes away from the glass to look at the key but didn't seem to understand. "You're hurt," he said.

"It's nothing, mouths heal fast," Taehyung said bravely. He thought he sounded brazen enough and not like he'd been about to piss his pants. "You don't have to tell me who that guy was, who cares. I know to look out now, I'll look before I leave so no one is waiting outside."

"Um, your," Jimin said, slowly. His eyes dragged away from the key and down Taehyung's throat like following the trail of a drop.

Taehyung felt his neck. He wasn't bleeding anywhere, but his ribs still hurt a lot. He lifted his shirt to check and, yeah, he'd gotten a scratch, it didn't look deep but it was bleeding some. "Ah my shirt!" He didn't want blood on it, so his first instinct was to take it off.

Something flashed in Jimin's eyes. Quite literally so; Taehyung could have sworn his eyes changed color for a second, before he turned away. Ah, shit, his shirt was already stained. He stared at it sourly, holding it in his hands, not sure what to do with it now.

Jimin cleared his throat. "I can, we can fix that for you. I know someone who's very good at getting bloodstains out of things. Just leave the shirt with me and I'll get it back to you good as new." He attempted a little smile and quickly turned away again.

"Oh my god," Taehyung said. "Holy shit, no way."

"I'm sorry you had this happen to you," Jimin said.

"You're a vampire!"

Jimin snorted, shook his head, smiled like it was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. “Excuse me?”

Apparently vampires weren't very good at lying. “Wow you don't look at all like how I imagined vampires would look,” Taehyung said, leaning to try to see his face better.

“What's that supposed to mean?!” Jimin demanded, frowning at him, forgetting himself and looking directly at him.

“Whoaaa!” Taehyung took his cheeks and leaned forward. Yeah, fangs. Real fangs. They hadn't been there when this conversation started; yes he'd been dazed from the fight but he wasn't blind.

Jimin let out some garbled noises and pushed him off, angrily wiping his mouth. “Hey, what do you think you're doing!”

“That's why I've only seen you in the club? Because you can't go outside during the day?”

“It's not like we'd hang out in the same circles anyway!” Jimin snapped.

“Ah, right, no.” Taehyung sat back. No, a guy dressed up in brand shirts and shoes, each of which probably cost more than he earned in six months, who hung out with someone who walked around in actual silk shirts, no. Taehyung was probably lucky to be sitting this close to one.

“Hey,” Jimin said, sounding sorry he'd snapped. He poured whiskey into the clean glass and pushed it towards Taehyung, perhaps thinking he needed a drink at this point. “Look, I'm sorry this happened to you. The last guy was attacked so we've kept an eye out and it looked like it was safe. But now we got this guy so it shouldn't happen again, he won't bother you again, ever, at least."

“Is he...” Taehyung glanced over his shoulder. “Your guy, is he... he's not killing him, right?”

“Don't worry about that,” Jimin said. When Taehyung still looked worried, he shrugged. “We don't kill people, Taehyung, not except in self-defense. He's just a regular guy; once he tells Jungkook who sent him he'll be kicked out on his ass.”

“He moved awfully fast for a regular guy,” Taehyung muttered in an attempt at saving face.

“There's ways to... never mind.”

“So you're really a vampire?”

“Vampires don't exist,” Jimin said, but he was smiling and the hint of fangs peeked out between his lips.

Taehyung smiled back. “I won't tell anyone! I promise! Wow this is unbelievable, it's so cool, can you like, transform into a bat?”

“Stop leaning in, you're still bleeding,” Jimin complained, leaning away from him.

“Oh, right, oh.” Taehyung sat back again, and swallowed the blood he'd meant to spit into the glass. “You don't kill people?”

“Killing is messy,” Jimin said. “We're just trying to mind our own business.”

“But don't you need to, you know...” he put his hands up like claws and went rawr, silently.

Jimin laughed, his eyes disappearing into happy lines. “What is wrong with you! Who are you? You're not freaked out at all?”

“Well, apparently you don't kill people, so what's there to freak out about?”

In an instant, Jimin was serious. “Oh, you have no idea.”

Chills ran down Taehyung's spine. Was this how sheep felt around wolves? He sat back meekly, suddenly extremely self-aware, and put the shirt down on the counter. He'd have that drink now, actually. But drinking whiskey was a mistake, he still had an open wound in his mouth, it burned. He moaned and coughed, instinctively spitting it out although it didn't help. Jimin chuckled at him while he pushed the glass away from himself, miserable.

"I'll take this and get it cleaned," Jimin said, nabbing his shirt from him and wiping the blood off his ribs briefly in the same motion. "Don't worry about it. It's our fault you ended up like this.” When he stood up, Jungkook came in. “Hey, what did he say?”

“It's as we thought,” Jungkook said simply.

Taehyung wasn't sure what to do, stay or go, sit or stand up, so he just froze in place. “I, uh, I kind of need a shirt to go to school,” he said.

“Ah, let me fetch something for you to wear,” Jimin said. “Jungkook, keep an eye on our employee for a second, will you?” He left.

Jungkook only glanced briefly at Taehyung, who tried to smile and wave but was ignored. Jungkook looked even broodier than last time he'd seen him, Taehyung thought. Maybe beating people up made him grumpy, that would be understandable. He looked at Jungkook's hands for signs of blood but there were none.

Coming up to the bar, Jungkook picked up the glass of whiskey and swept it.

“Ah! Wait, that's...!” Taehyung trailed off, watching the honey liquid disappear between Jungkook's lips. “Kind of gross,” he muttered to himself.

Jungkook's eyes snapped up to him, no longer brown but glowing the color of whiskey. No,

this

was how sheep felt around wolves. Taehyung got off his stool. He'd taken a mouthful and spit it back out with a bleeding wound in his mouth; his blood had been mixed into that whiskey. Taehyung had seen vampire movies, he could guess this was not good. “No, uh, okay, I shouldn't have left that there, I...” His heel got caught on the stool and he stumbled backwards, hands up, as Jungkook moved towards him. “Um, hi, your name was Jungkook, right?” Taehyung looked around but Jimin was still not back. “Wait wait,” was all he had time for before Jungkook had closed the distance.

He thought he could

smell

the hunger on Jungkook's skin, and his heart was racing. Jungkook's hands, steady as rocks, caught him and turned them, putting Taehyung's back against the corner pillar of the bar. Dark lashes swept down over honey eyes as Jungkook's gaze dropped to his neck and his lips parted. His skin was so smooth, so picture perfect it felt unreal. Taehyung swallowed, saw the motion of his own adam's apple in Jungkook's eyes, and drew for breath when Jungkook's lower lip touched his skin, anticipating pain.

There was none.

Instead his senses were instantly flooded. He felt like he was groaning but couldn't hear his own voice. Instead his heartbeat thundered in his ears, heat spreading uncontrollably through his body. Jungkook's grip on his arms softened but he didn't want to fight, didn't want to go anywhere. His knees were giving in and Jungkook's body came in close against his, holding him up, the silk shirt sliding against Taehyung's skin and Jungkook's sweet perfume drowning him in a sea of flowers.

Somewhere deep down he knew his life was being drained away, but he didn't want it anyway, he wanted Jungkook to take it, take it all. All he wanted was for his blood to run down that beautiful throat, warm that perfect porcelain skin, flow into the fingers that stroked his sides and set him on fire. He didn't have any control of himself and he wanted desperately for Jungkook to take control; for the hands that gently touched him to grab and hold; he wanted to the floor, he wanted Jungkook's weight on his chest, oh if only he...

All the beauty and fantasy disappeared at once. The heat was torn from him, and the wave of cold that hit him was like being punched in the ribs all over again. He stared with incomprehension at Jimin shouting at him and shouting at Jungkook and dragging Jungkook away and pushing something at Taehyung.

The glow in Jungkook's eyes was slowly fading. He straightened, corrected his shirt, looked at Jimin at last. “What the hell!?!” was the only part of Jimin's shouting that Taehyung understood.

Jungkook glanced in Taehyung's direction just as he felt something run down his neck. He touched it carefully. A tiny little drop of blood. His hand was shaking. He looked up and Jungkook took a step forward, and Taehyung's entire body lunged in response. Yes. Take it, the voice in his head said, take it all, all of me is yours. His body, his mind, it all moved on its own. He struggled to make some kind of sense of it.

Jimin pulled Jungkook away. “Get a grip!” he was yelling. “Go home!” at Taehyung. “Put the shirt on! Go home!”

The twentieth or maybe the fortieth time the words finally found some footing. Taehyung blinked in what felt like the first time in forever and started stumbling in the direction of the changing rooms. By the time he got there the spell seemed to have let go. His hands were still shaking as he showered and dressed. The shirt Jimin had given him was white and felt amazing against his skin, it was a bit big but hung nicely anyway. His backpack has been left by the three doors. He went there to pick it up and saw no one, the bar had been cleaned from glasses and bottles.

He tried his best in class but he couldn't focus. He came out of classes without a clue what anyone had said at any point. Every time he closed his eyes all he could see was glowing gold. He kept remembering Jungkook grabbing him, pressing their bodies together. He kept thinking he smelled Jungkook's perfume.

Half of him was freaking out, saying that this wasn't right, his mind wasn't supposed to be doing this, he was probably in shock. The other half said he was fine. Getting a punch in the ribs was nothing, it was fine, it hurt a bit but he wasn't a crybaby. The knife had been terrifying, of course, but he'd not been cut. There were no marks on his neck. Jungkook had drunk a drop of his blood and lost control, it had been an accident, he hadn't meant to attack Taehyung. Jimin had sat with him the whole time and not touched him, so they weren't bloodcrazed monsters. The existence of the supernatural should probably worry him but his thoughts kept getting interrupted by warm honey gold and soft lips against his neck. He'd worry about it later.

The half of him that was freaking out told him to never go back to the club again. But the other half said he had to be pragmatic here, he desperately needed the money. No one had fired him so he still had his job. He wondered how it'd feel to see Jungkook, but he promised himself that he'd stay away from him. He was a person who tried to stay honest with himself, and what he honestly wanted was to go back to work and try to get his life back in order again. The people he'd borrowed money from were probably a bigger danger to his life than the vampires.

At nine in the evening he was back in the club, stuffing his backpack into a locker since he was a little early and would hang out for a minute before going to the back room. The whole day felt like a dream that he was slowly waking up from.

The right smile could win him a free coke from the bartender. And people thought acting classes weren't useful. He sat at the corner of the bar and leaned his shoulder against the pillar that Jungkook had backed him into, sipping the coke, enjoying the music and watching people dance. He could think a few sentences in sequence now without glowing gold distracting him, so it was fading, he was fine.

Then he saw them.

Jimin and Jungkook were up on the balcony, casually hanging out together with some other familiar faces; a skinny guy who sometimes came down to have dance-offs that he always won, and a guy that Taehyung had seen talking to the manager many times, broad shouldered and handsome, dressed now as often in a pink dress shirt and flashy jewelry. There were some guests that had been invited up, in fancy clothes and expensive jewelry. Girls with hair like silk and guys with sparkling white teeth.

Jungkook was talking to a curvy girl in a tight white dress, hand resting on her lower back, just high enough to be respectable in public. Memories flashed by, faint like forgotten dreams, of Jungkook's hand against his bare skin, right there at the waist of his cheap jeans. The feeling of wishing those resting fingers would dig into his flesh and take him down on the floor and…

He shook his head. Okay, he'd seen Jungkook, and it felt… amazing and like shit at once. Kind of like seeing an ex when you hadn't been the one who broke up. So he should go to his room now, and forget about all this. Yet he sat where he sat, eyes locked on the dark mysterious stranger on the VIP balcony, and he would give his soul... Was this feeling some kind of vampire magic bullshit?

Jungkook glanced down from the balcony and spotted him. Somehow, even if they had a floor between them in the smoke and flashing lights, Taehyung knew Jungkook's eyes were regular brown now. Jungkook's eyes locked on Taehyung the same way Taehyung's were locked on him. He left the girl, walked up to the railing and leaned on his elbows, and kept watching Taehyung with an unreadable expression.

If the guy wanted to talk to him he could come down, or send for him to come up, but he just stood there, staring. Inexplicably more and more annoyed, breaths speeding up, Taehyung turned away and drank his soda.

“Hey,” someone said in his ear.

He spun around to find Jimin casually leaning against the bar next to him.

“Hi,” he said.

“I have your shirt," Jimin said.

“Ah right!” Taehyung started unbuttoning the shirt he'd borrowed.

“What are you doing,” Jimin laughed, “Don't take it off here! I'll just leave it in your locker, and you can pick it up in the morning.”

“Ah, right, of course,” Taehyung said, buttoning the top button again. “Uh, so, should I just leave this shirt there too...?”

“Oh that,” Jimin said. “Keep it, it's one of Jin's shirts and he has a million of them. As long as it's not one of his pink ones he doesn't care.”

Taehyung's fingers were still holding the button, and he looked down at the fine fabric and immaculate stitches. If he sold this shirt, even if it was used, he could pay off some of his debt, maybe even afford to send his sister a present for her birthday. “Thank you,” he said, feeling it.

Jimin waved it off like it was nothing. It probably was nothing, to him. “We've looked over the security,” he said, “but as you said last time, it's probably best you check if anyone is outside the door before you come out. This is the first time something like this happens though, so you don't need to worry. It was bad luck on your first day.”

“What about my gun?”

“What?” Jimin said, blanking.

“If I'm a guard I should have a gun, right?” Taehyung grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.

Jimin laughed and pushed his shoulder. “No guns in the club,” he said. “Jin's orders.”

“He's the boss?”

Jimin gestured up at the balcony. “Also known as Mr. Pink. If anyone tells you he's nobility, don't bring it up with him, he hates it.”

“He owns the club?”

“He owns a whole bunch of clubs, and hotels, and some other stuff.”

“And what do you do?” Taehyung asked.

“We work for him,” Jimin said. “Set up the new businesses. We get everything in place and hang around for the first months or years to get things running smoothly, and then it's on to the next one. Moni!”

The manager Taehyung had been hired by had walked by and stopped now at Jimin's call. “Don't call me that,” he complained. “What's up?”

“This is Jin's right hand man, Kim Namjoon,” Jimin said. “Otherwise known as RM. Or Moni.”

Namjoon made a face at the nickname. “He knows who I am, I hired him,” he said. “Shouldn't you be working,” he told Taehyung.

“In a minute,” Jimin told him.

Namjoon moved on, and Taehyung glanced back up at the balcony. Jungkook was sitting down with the girl in the white dress now, arm on the back of her chair.

“I'm... sorry about that too,” Jimin said, checking where he was looking.

“It's okay,” Taehyung said, shaking his head. He forced his eyes back to Jimin. “It was an accident. It was my fault too.”

“He's young, doesn't have the same control as the rest of us.”

“Aren't you guys a bit young to run lots of clubs?” Taehyung asked. “Ah! You're much older really, aren't you? Like thousands of years!”

Jimin laughed again, happily. “I can't believe you think this is fun. After what happened to you! You're the weirdest person I've ever met.” Normally Taehyung didn't like being called weird, maybe because it happened too often for his liking, but Jimin's affection seemed so sincere he didn't mind.

“Did you see Jesus?” Taehyung asked.

“You did not just ask me if I saw Jesus! Do I look that old?”

Taehyung grinned. “Tell me!”

“No! I'm a hundred and some, Jungkook has only been doing this for ten. Jin is old, like really old, but he says the years blur after a while so even he's not sure how old.”

“And... manager?”

“Oh, Moni isn't one of us.”

“He's not?!”

Jimin shrugged. “There's ways to give humans some of our abilities. Like how that guy who attacked you yesterday was extra fast. So Namjoon's aging is held back, but he'll eventually grow old and die. He's a few years older than Jungkook, they knew each other before.” Jimin looked sad for a moment, for some reason. Taehyung was just about to ask when Jimin turned to him and said, “You better get to work now.”

Ah the time! “Okay! I'll be careful this time!” Taehyung got up.

“Don't forget, check before you go out,”Jimin said. "Stay safe!"

“I remember!” Taehyung assured him. “Say thanks to Mr. Pink for the shirt!”

Jimin laughed and waved him off.

After fetching his backpack, Taehyung went through the same procedure as last time and locked himself in. He read some, to try to catch up on one of the classes he'd had today, and it went better now, but eventually he ended up sitting on the bed lost in thought. This time it wasn't glowing gold that was on his mind but the girl in the white dress with Jungkook's hand on the small of her back.

Both his halves were in complete agreement that thinking about that was a waste of time. Beyond Jungkook tasting his blood, Taehyung and Jungkook were nothing to each other. The vampire magic bullshit seemed to have faded, he was doing fine. Jungkook was probably drinking his fill elsewhere by now.

A stab of jealousy went through him. Maybe it was crazy to be jealous of being bitten, but it was fine. For a moment, he'd gotten to live the dream of being wanted by Jeon Jungkook, the dark mysterious stranger on the VIP balcony, the fairy tale prince in silk and leather. All it had cost him was a few drops of blood and a few drops of sanity. That seemed like a fair deal.

Eventually he managed to sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Taehyung dragged himself out of bed and left the room in the morning, after turning on the security system. The club was quiet and dead, a ghostly version of its lively night-self. Since no one was there, Taehyung dug out another soda to drink for breakfast along with a piece of bread he'd found in the fridge in the staff room and sat at the bar with his books, next to the pillar, it was his spot now. He had a bit of homework to do before he went to school.

Half an hour into it, he scratched his neck for the sixteenth time with the feeling someone was watching him. He'd already looked around several times but there was no one there. This time when he lifted his head, someone was sitting two stools away.

His heart couldn't decide between stopping and beating faster, and thumped against his ribs so hard he thought he heard the impact. He didn't know if it was fear or hope, didn't know if he wanted to run away or lean closer. All he knew was that Jungkook was here and nothing was more important.

Leaned on an elbow, sipping slowly from another whiskey, Jungkook was staring into the bar counter. His white shirt was crinkled and the top buttons undone, his hair was falling into his eyes. He had one foot on the floor as if he would get up and leave at any time, but there was something settled about his presence, like he had been there a while and wasn't going anywhere.

Taehyung swallowed and tried to get back to writing, but he couldn't concentrate, he could barely breathe. That feeling of wanting to give Jungkook anything and everything surfaced again. Vampire magic bullshit for sure but also irresistible. Okay, he negotiated with himself, he could settle for Jungkook's attention. No biting. Just get his attention. “So,” he said, way too loud, and cleared his throat. “Uh, so, like, how, how did you get like this?”

With a scowl, Jungkook turned his head just enough to glance over at him.

“Is it a secret?” Taehyung asked.

Jungkook flinched a little, just slightly thrown off, the cool facade cracking a little. “It's not a secret,” he muttered, looking down into his drink. “Not any more than all of this. Jimin shouldn't have told you.”

“He didn't tell me, I figured it out,” Taehyung said proudly.

“Then he should have killed you.”

A flash of gold, just for a fraction of a second, and Taehyung's breath caught in his throat. He tried a smile but wasn't sure how it came out. “He said you d-don't kill people,” he stammered.

The most amazing thing happened. The dark expression cleared, for just a moment, as Jungkook smiled into his drink before bringing it up to take a sip.

“You were joking,” Taehyung realized, stunned.

Jungkook sat up straight, pushing the drink away from himself and his hair out of his eyes. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“Um, this? I'm supposed to compare various media channels based on the speed of information.” Taehyung tapped his pen. “Like, internet versus printed papers. Hey, you can help me right? There wasn't internet. When you were... not... like that.”

“Alive,” Jungkook said. “You mean when I was alive. And there was, just slower.”

“You look pretty alive to me,” Taehyung said.

“Can't be alive without a heartbeat,” Jungkook said.

“Your heart really doesn't beat? It's like... but aren't you... do you breathe?”

“Not necessarily. We pretend to, or people would notice.”

“That's so weird. Not having a heartbeat.” Taehyung put his hand over his own chest and felt his heart. Damn it was beating fast. Calm down, he thought to himself.

Maybe Jungkook didn't like being called weird either. He slid off the stool and walked over, and Taehyung fought simultaneous urges to flee and to get up and meet him, gripping the pen so hard he thought it would snap. Jungkook kept walking past him. “Hey,” he said, stopping Jungkook, “can I feel it?”

“What?” Jungkook asked, taken aback, the coolness cracking a little again.

“Can I, your heart,” Taehyung said, but his hand was already moving and Jungkook was too surprised to react. He put his palm flat against Jungkook's chest, touching his skin ever so slightly because the shirt was so open, it hadn't been intentional but he was struck again with how smooth the man's skin was. There was nothing. No heartbeat, no movement, nothing. Jungkook just stood there, not pretending to breathe, not doing anything. “You're too warm to be dead,” Taehyung noted.

“We're warmer when we've eaten recently,” Jungkook said.

The girl. He was talking about the girl, and that's why his shirt was crumpled and undone, he'd taken her somewhere private and dug his teeth into her neck and she'd felt all the things Taehyung had felt. Had smelled his perfume, almost sickeningly sweet, and given herself to him. Maybe she'd gotten even more. She was a girl, with hair like silk and no Jimin to rescue her. Maybe she'd gotten his weight on her chest and his hands crushing her thin little arms. Maybe his shirt had been even more open just a little while ago, maybe his pants too, maybe some of this warmth was hers in more ways than one.

Taehyung took his hand back. It was hard to breathe, took all his effort to keep the air moving in and out... in and out. His chest churned with jealousy, it made his eyes water.

“Like I said,” Jungkook said. “Dead.”

Before Taehyung had regained the ability to speak, Jungkook had left.

This time it wasn't honey gold that distracted Taehyung all day, but rather the softness of Jungkook's voice, as if he'd been apologizing for being dead.

That evening when he came back to the club, Jimin came looking for him again. They talked some and danced a little with a couple of girls that came looking for Jimin, before sitting down again by the bar.

“Why do you only drink soda?” Jimin asked.

“I have to go to school in the morning,” Taehyung reminded him.

“Ah right,” Jimin said. “Some people do useful things and don't just party all night. Speaking of, it looks like some fool has challenged Hope again.”

The skinny guy from upstairs was walking downstairs, followed by a few groupies. A challenger was waiting on the floor and a spontaneous circle was clearing for them. Jimin took Taehyung's hand and pulled him along, pushing people out of the way and getting them a space in front.

“Is he?” Taehyung asked and, when Jimin looked at him, licked his canine.

Smiling, Jimin nodded.

Hope danced like the devil he was. The other guy wasn't bad, but he still didn't stand a chance. Taehyung had never seen anyone dance like that.

“Hey,” Jimin said, close to his ear since the music nearly drowned out everything. “Go get a bottle of champagne for the winner.”

When Taehyung came back with the bottle, Hope was standing with his arms around two girls. He'd been announced winner and the crowd was cheering him on, so Taehyung shook the bottle and sprayed the three of them. Right when he popped the cork he thought this might have been a terrible idea, but it was already happening now. They shrieked, Hope loudest of them all. Suddenly one of the girls ran up and tore the bottle out of Taehyung's hand.

“Oh my god!” she screamed. “My dress! You idiot!”

He tried to back away but she followed him, still screaming, trying to hit him with the bottle. “Wait wait,” he stammered, trying to fend her off.

“Oh please,” Hope called, getting hold of her. “Calm down! Who cares?” He took the bottle from her and poured the last of the champagne over her head. “Whooooo!” he cheered and the crowd joined in, carrying Hope and the girl away in a stream of people.

Everything was chaos for a moment, Taehyung being pushed this way and that. Then Hope appeared in front of Taehyung again, without girl, swiping champagne out of his eyes. “You alright, buddy?” He patted Taehyung's shoulder.

“Sorry,” Taehyung giggled.

“No, no, that was brilliant. Awesome. You work here? Here.” Hope pushed a bill into his hand. “Best show I've had since I came here,” he laughed and turned away, then made a quick double-take as if he hadn't actually seen him before. “Handsome one, aren't you?”

Taehyung grinned shyly. “Thanks, but, um, that girl, her dress...?”

“Don't worry, I gave her some money for her dress, she'll be okay.”

“Okay good,” Taehyung said, because he didn't want to ruin some dress that cost more than his entire wardrobe three times over. Even if they all looked like they could afford it, some of these people were barely better off than him, and wore their best here to get to feel like kings for the night.

“Hope!” Jimin called, coming over.

The two of them high-fived and tried to hold a conversation but fairly quickly Hope said, “Can't talk here it's too loud. Come on up?” They headed for the VIP stairs but after three steps Hope turned back. “Aren't you coming?”

“I'm working,” Taehyung said.

“So what?”

“Come on, come on,” Jimin said, taking Hope's shoulder and pushing him ahead. “Let the man do his job. C'mon you have to show me that move.”

Taehyung watched them leave through the sea of people, his hand still holding the crumpled bill in his pocket. Jungkook met them upstairs, talking and gesturing and trying the dance moves. Hope looked down and saw Taehyung, pointed and said something. If Taehyung wasn't entirely delusional, it looked like he said “cute”.

Jungkook glanced down. Literally looked down his nose at him.

Suddenly it was all too much. The money in his pocket and the cheap shirt on his back.

You idiot! My dress!

He wondered how much that white dress cost, the one on the girl from yesterday. That was how much it took to get up there and get Jungkook's arm around your waist. His stomach burned thinking of Jungkook's open shirt and the heat of someone else's blood, someone else's body.

He left the floor. Locked himself in and tried to forget all of it. Jungkook had always been out of his league. It hadn't bothered him before he'd been bitten, it was only bothering him now because he'd gotten a taste. He'd let it go and move on with his life. He was fine. It was fine. He'd go to sleep and go on with his life.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23rd

Taehyung had ended up staring at the ceiling for half the night. He wondered what was behind the black doors, and what was up with the security system, and why this job existed. Did anyone else than him ever come in here? When he left in the morning he wrote a note and put it on the bed, asking that they at least update their library because the books were too boring. It was half a joke, half to check if they came in there.

When he came out into the big hall after showering and changing, he heard faint noises from upstairs. Normally the club was cleaned up when he woke up, but this time as he scaled the stairs he found bottles and trash. Upstairs, by a table in the corner, Namjoon and Hope were sat together with a guy in a black bomber jacket and hat that didn't look like the usual club visitor.

“Oh, it's the cutie!” Hope exclaimed.

Taehyung jumped. “Ah, sorry, I just heard... I'll just go.”

“No, come here, sit down.” Hope patted the bench next to him. “What's your name?”

“Kim Taehyung,” Taehyung said.

“You're a student?” Hope took one of his books. “

Modern communication

? Sounds dry.”

“It's interesting. But I'm really studying acting,” Taehyung said.

“Ooh an actor. You've got the face for it. And you're tall.”

Taehyung tried to laugh it off, but then Hope tried to hug him so he got busy fending him off.

“So as I was saying, I think we need something with a bit more... impact,” Namjoon said. “Dubstep, maybe, big drops, something to hit hard. Those two tracks you gave us last time really works for the energy, but we need something spectacular too.”

The guy in the black hat nodded, tapping his pad. His hair was mint green, Taehyung noticed. “I hear you. Like this?” He played ten seconds.

“Whoooooaaaa,” Hope said.

“Just like that,” Namjoon agreed.

Hope leaned back while Namjoon and the guy kept discussing music. “Aren't they cool, working?” he asked.

“Very,” Taehyung agreed. Each time Namjoon said something, the guy produced a sample that pretty much exactly corresponded. “Who is that?”

“Suga,” Hope said. “Music genius.”

“We go to school together,” Suga said suddenly, looking up from his pad for the first time.

“Me?” Taehyung asked, pointing at himself.

“Yes. I've seen you around, and in the play this spring. I wrote the music for the original song they added to that play, by the way.”

“You study acting?”

“Music,” Suga said, like he was an idiot.

“We have a music department?” Taehyung asked, feeling like an idiot.

“Not a very big one,” Suga said, “But it's five minutes from my house. I already support myself, but I need a diploma for formality's sake, so it's convenient.”

“Oh. I'm sorry for not noticing you,” Taehyung said, thinking he should remember any mint green heads.

Suga shrugged, like he didn't care. “So you want this one?” he pointed for Namjoon.

“Isn't it sexy?” Hope asked. “Seeing someone be good at something.”

“Don't fish for compliments for your dancing,” Suga said, “it's pathetic.”

“Min Yoongi is good at composing and at being mean,” Hope said, smiling, undaunted. “Like I said, sexy.”

Suga glared at him, but then he shrugged, a tiny smile flashing by. “I know.”

Seemed like they knew each other. Hope seemed approachable but since Taehyung didn't know if Suga was in on the whole vampire thing, he tried to come up with a question that was safe to ask.

“So you work for Mr. Pink too?” he asked Hope.

Namjoon looked up while Hope giggled. “Mr. Pink? Don't listen to Jimin. Just call him Jin.”

“He's my boss, I can't just...”

“Everyone says Jin,” Suga said. “Just go with it.”

“I'm just passing through,” Hope answered the original question.

“You've said that for months,” Namjoon pointed out.

“I like the view,” Hope said.

“Tell me he isn't looking at me,” Suga groaned.

All of them giggled, Taehyung as well, as Hope waited until Suga raised his eyes and gave him an exaggerated wink. With a disgusted sigh, Suga turned back to his music and they returned to work.

Taehyung looked around at the mess and said, “If you want me to come in earlier and help clean today, I have a free afternoon.”

“That would be nice, I can pay you a little extra for the hours,” Namjoon said. “And don't forget we need you here over the weekend too.”

“I'll be here,” Taehyung assured him. “Later, then.”

“Later, cupcake,” Hope waved.

For once Taehyung actually got some work done. He got the result from a test from before and it was better than expected. One of his teachers gave him advice on his essay. While he'd been distracted from school, his acting classes had gone well and he was told he had made great progress this last week, the emotions in his readings were much clearer and more believable. He felt on top of the world. He stopped by his dorm room to drop off and pick up books, and went over his schedule.

It was Friday night. He was cleaning at the club early afternoon, and then had some dead time before he had to be in place for his night job. With any luck he'd get some work done on his essay during that time window but he'd have an hour or two to just hang out. At the club.

He tried on the white shirt he'd gotten from Jimin. He should sell it. He'd seen a really pretty backpack that didn't cost too much, he'd be able to buy it and mail it and his sister would be so happy. She'd never owned a brand new backpack, she'd always been stuck with his old ones. But the shirt was already used, what harm would it do to wear it one single night more. Except he didn't have any pants that went with it, only worn cheap trash that made him look stupid. He tossed the pants across his tiny student room and the bill he'd gotten from Hope fell out.

It was a much bigger bill than he'd understood at the time. He stared at it wordlessly. There were a lot of things he could do for this money. Pay off some more of his debts, send some for his parents, buy his sister maybe a pretty charm for the backpack or a new phone case; she'd be the star of her school. Or. He could buy a pair of pants to go with his shirt.

He went into town just to look, visiting stores he'd never been in before. He found a great pair of brand blue jeans and calculated some, and figured if he sold the jeans and the shirt after, the pants would have lost value yes, but not that much. No charm or phone case, a little less debt paid off, but all in all, wasn't it worth it? And in total, shirt and pants, wouldn't it... wouldn't it add up to almost the same as that white dress?

Before he knew it he'd bought the pants, but now he was late, so he packed up the clothes and went to work. There was a lot of staff in action at the club now, cleaning, refilling stocks, repairing things, switching some of the sound system. He worked and talked and laughed and time flew by so fast; it got much later than he'd expected. He still had to work on the essay, so he hid in the staff room and wrote while the test runs of Suga's new pieces blasted in the main hall.

Suddenly Jimin showed up. “Hey, there you are. Why are you holed up in here?”

“I'm studying a bit,” Taehyung said. It was this late already?

“You've got nothing to drink? Get yourself a beer, on the house. It's Friday, no school tomorrow.”

“I don't really like beer,” Taehyung said. “I prefer sweet things.”

Jimin grinned and winked and disappeared. When he returned moments later he brought a drink.

“I... I don't really like alcohol,” Taehyung admitted.

“Try it, I made it myself, you'll like it,” Jimin promised.

So he did, and it didn't taste alcohol at all, just like the tastiest soda he'd ever had. “What is this? Some kind of vampire magic?”

Jimin laughed. “No, stupid. It's just a drink. Enjoy. Don't sit in here all night.”

He finished up writing and changed into his clothes and checked himself out in the mirror. The pants were fantastic, fit him right in all the right places, but he looked stupid. He didn't have a two hundred dollar haircut or jewelry, and the shoes... He'd spent all this money on this vain idea, and… why was he even doing it? Why was it so important? But it was, he felt is all the way into his soul, he needed Jungkook to look at him, to-

“So that's where my shirt went.”

He jumped, turning around. “Uh, hello, sir! I didn't... I mean, Jimin gave it...”

“I know,” Jin said, calming him down. “He told me. It looks good on you.”

“Yeah well,” he grimaced.

“Mm,” Jin nodded. “Shoes.”

“And hair and jewelry...”

Jin nodded again. “You know what you're missing. That's promising. Come with me.” He beckoned Taehyung to follow him. “Leave your stuff, no one would dare to steal anything at my place. You,” he tapped a staff that they passed, “send Jimin up.”

Taehyung followed him upstairs. Going deeper into the back from the VIP area brought them past a few rooms to the corner in the furthest back. Here was a door that led into a large square room that contained all kinds of things. Clothes and more clothes on hangers, shoes lined up on shelves on the walls, a big mirror and a table full of products. Boxes and boxes of accessories. Taehyung ran his hands over the expensive fabrics in awe and wonder, feeling privileged to even get to touch them all.

“Take these,” Jin said, handing him a pair of earrings.

Since he didn't seem to have a say, Taehyung put them on. Those stones were probably not glass, he considered. Then he noticed a long, dark brown string among the accessories. The ends were some sort of polished metal, silver or steel, but most of it was just a beautiful leather string. He picked it up and felt the strength, the quality.

“Ah, great, you're here.” Jin waved to Namjoon to come that way. “Get the kid a pair of shoes.”

While Namjoon picked out shoes, Jimin arrived and was put to work on Taehyung's hair. Embarrassed about the state of his hair, Taehyung apologized, but Jimin said it was no problem, he could work with it. Somehow Jimin managed to fluff it up into a chaotic mop that to be honest made him look messy but sexy. The shoes Namjoon picked fit perfectly.

Taehyung looked at himself in the mirror, his three fairy godmothers watching from the side, and felt like Cinderella. Was this good enough? Would Jungkook… “I'm... I can't take all this stuff...”

“You're just borrowing it,” Jin said. “Here.” He took a ring off his own finger and handed it over. “Final touch. Excellent.”

“But, if I lose it or...”

“I'm told you're someone who understands the value of things,” Jin said. “I trust you won't lose or break anything. Besides, Namjoon has probably broken things worth his own weight in gold.”

Namjoon rolled his eyes but didn't argue.

“Enjoy yourself tonight,” Jin told him. “Now off you go. I need to pick a new outfit, since I gave away my ring.”

Jimin followed Taehyung outside. “You look great!” he said, with sparkling sincerity. “Hope was really right, you know. You've got great looks, you could really become a movie star!”

“Ha!” Taehyung said playfully, flicking bangs out of his face and posing.

Jimin laughed and hit his shoulder.

“Hey, that drink was pretty good,” Taehyung said, not daring to ask for another outright but looking at Jimin with unconcealed puppy hope.

“Sure!” Jimin lead the way back to the bar. He mixed the drink, explaining what each ingredient was and how much to add in what order but Taehyung didn't really follow.

They sat down and talked.

“Is Hope part of your... group?” Taehyung asked.

“Sort of, right now. Remember I said it's more complicated than just starting clubs? These clubs work like hotels for our kind. It's a bit tricky to travel as a vampire, we need somewhere safe to sleep during the day and access to food. So travelers can use Jin's network of clubs to get around, and stay here in return for favors and other things. Hope was one of those just passing through but for whatever reason he's stayed for months now, so he's sort of become part of the family. When it's time to move on we'll see if he comes along or heads off on his own.”

“He said he likes the view,” Taehyung remembered.

“More like, likes the music,” Jimin smiled, as one of Suga's compositions came on.

“Does he know? Suga?”

“Not as far as I know,” Jimin said. “A bunch of rich guys with superpowers living the good life? He'd hate us even more than he already does. He thinks we're rich jerks now, imagine if he knew.” He chuckled. “Hope really has his work cut out for him.”

“What do you mean?” Taehyung asked.

“Weren't we talking about the same thing?” Jimin asked. “The

view

and the

music

and the reason Hope has hung around for months.”

“Oh, he's... I thought he was just playing around? He's really... into guys?”

Jimin hummed a little. “I didn't even think about that. It's a little different for us... we don't really see people like that anymore. A person is a person.”

“And blood is blood,” Taehyung realized. “I thought you meant sex.”

“I did,” Jimin said, tipping his head to the side as he thought how to explain. “They're not that different for us. And well, blood is blood but sex is sex too. It doesn't matter as much anymore when you've lived a hundred years and it's never going to be two kids and a dog and picnics in the sun.”

“Huh,” Taehyung said. He hadn't thought about any of that. This club was their lives, more or less, sleeping the days away and partying the nights. They didn't have school or family or friends outside of this. “Do you miss it? That kind of stuff?”

“Not anymore,” Jimin said. “Everyone I knew and all my family are dead now. There's nothing to go back to. It's harder at the start. Jungkook has only done this for ten years, his old friends are out there somewhere, chasing promotions and raising children. His parents and his brother still put flowers on an empty grave. That kind of stuff is hard.”

That was awful. Taehyung didn't want to think about it.

“He'll be okay,” Jimin said, maybe seeing his distress. “There's good things about this life too. Everyone gets something out of it.”

“How come Namjoon is human?”

“Jin offered to turn him but he didn't want it,” Jimin said. “Jin doesn't turn anyone against their will. Almost anyone, I guess.” He looked down at his hands.

When Taehyung asked what that meant, Jimin quickly dragged him out on the dance floor. They danced, and drank, and danced again. At least two girls hit on him, and he was feeling pretty good about himself, when he spotted Jungkook entering the place and heading upstairs.

“How come Jungkook never dances downstairs?” he asked Jimin.

“He's shy,” Jimin said.

“Shy?!”

Jimin nodded, smiling. “Believe it or not. He's still young, not used to all this. Flirting with the VIP:s is part of the job so he does it, but… it's a good thing girls like the quiet broody type because he gets nervous around them.”

It sure hadn't looked that way the other day, Taehyung thought. Jungkook had had his hands all over that girl. Shy?

Suddenly Hope was by his side. “C'mon c'mon, Namjoon is about to rap battle.” He ushered Jimin in front of himself and they both went up the stairs.

Taehyung hesitated at the foot of the stairs. He still worked at this place. Maybe they didn't want worker ants up there, no matter how nicely dressed they were. But. Jungkook never went downstairs. He didn't have a choice. He scaled the steps one by one, warily, expecting someone to tell him to fuck off.

A little crowd had gathered around Namjoon and a woman in silver leggings. Suga was turning on the right music. Taehyung walked up behind a couple of guys that had pressed swelling muscles into way too tight shirts, hiding behind them. Soon Taehyung was cheering and booing and gasping in awe with the rest of the audience, bouncing to the beat. The alcohol was getting to his head and he was a bit unclear on who won, or even how they were supposed to win, but the event ended and people scattered.

Jungkook stood leaned against the railing again, whiskey in hand, like every night was the same night for him. Taehyung got stuck staring at him. Long legs in leather pants, black shirt. A dark prince overlooking his court. Jungkook saw him and for a second his eyes traveled the distance down, down the sheer white shirt that Jimin had told him to half tuck in, and the jeans that cost more than he'd ever paid for a piece of clothing before. Then Jungkook stood up and walked the other way.

Taehyung hadn't been prepared for how that would feel. Somehow he'd gotten it in his head that as long as he made it up here, if he could stand in front of Jungkook as an equal, as a guest, as the girl in white had done, everything would solve itself from there. It hurt more than it should, more than being punched, almost as much as leaving his family. It was just a guy walking away from him, dammit, a guy he didn't even know.

A guy that had had his fangs buried in Taehyung's neck, who he'd been willing to die for right then and there. A guy who, no doubt, it was a once-in-a-lifetime for Taehyung to meet, much less interact with, and he didn't want this to be one of many for him. The thought was unbearable. No, it wasn't going to be this easy; at least Jungkook had to remember this, one way or another. Taehyung followed him. When he sat down with Namjoon and Jin in the furthest back of the balcony, Taehyung sat right next to him on the couch.

“Oh, hey,” he said, like it was a total accident.

Jungkook looked him over again. “What are you doing up here?”

“I'm... I'm a guest, right now. I don't work until later, so, for now I'm just... me.”

“Just you,” Jungkook repeated, smiling ever so slightly. “Seems somehow the wrong words.”

Cruel but unstoppable hope sparked in Taehyung's chest. He didn't know what he was fishing for anymore, if he wanted to be bitten again or wanted Jungkook to kiss him, or… but he couldn't stop. “So... why don't you also dance downstairs? The other guys said you dance well.”

Jungkook shook his head. “I don't need to show it off.”

“But isn't it fun? Do you dance up here then?”

“It's a bit early in the evening for that,” Jungkook said.

“That doesn't have to stop you!” Taehyung got up. He started digging the music.

Namjoon was laughing, Jin was cheering him on. He danced, probably not very good, and slightly unstable because he was a little drunk, but it was fun. Suga looked like he was in pain but didn't stop watching, and soon Jimin joined him, and then Hope. The other guests didn't dare to get up. Taehyung danced over to Jungkook and held out a hand.

“Come on,” he said. “No showing off, just having fun.”

Jungkook pushed his hand away. Sighed. And got up and rocked to the beat with him. Taehyung grinned his best, most sparkling grin and ugly-danced. Finally Jungkook cracked. Glancing around shyly, he joined in, knees bent, rolling his shoulders and throwing his head back and forth, properly stupid and properly fun. Taehyung took his arm and spun them around.

The four of them danced for a while, giving up the ugly-dance and actually dancing, earning them cheers and claps from their little exclusive audience and drawing the attention from the floor below where people moved to try to see them. Hope started waving up guests to join them, and the place got fairly crowded. Taehyung was just digging it, appreciating Jungkook's moves, when a girl bumped into Jungkook and sent him into Taehyung and they both fell onto the couch. Jin complained trying to push them out of his face.

Taehyung laughed, while Jungkook lifted him out of his lap like he weighed nothing.

“Suga really knows how to make music,” Jungkook said, leaning back into the couch.

Taehyung pulled one leg up, casually resting his knee on Jungkook's thigh. “He's really good. Why isn't he a DJ?”

“He doesn't want the attention,” Jungkook said. “He just wants to make the music. He's like a hermit.”

“Hey,” Suga said from the other couch.

“Even dresses like a hermit,” Jungkook said.

“Don't listen to him,” Hope said, crashing into the couch next to Suga. “You look good.”

“He would say that,” Jungkook said.

“Hey, mind your own business,” Hope said. “Am I cockblocking you? No. So go play with your own toys.” He nodded at Taehyung openly and without hesitation.

Taehyung giggled, blushing a little but warmed up from the dance so it probably didn't show. “Don't you mean fangblocking,” he giggled.

Hope paused, Jungkook's eyes went wide.

Oh fucking shit. “Hangblocking,” Taehyung slurred, pretending to be more drunk than he was. “Gangblocking! That's the one. They all think I'm pretty!” Jimin stood nearby so he took Jimin's hand, pulled him down to sit next to him and rubbed his nose in Jimin's hair.

Laughing and groaning at once, Jimin tried to fend him off.

“I think your fancy shoes have gone to your head,” Jin chuckled.

“You go ahead and get gangbanged then,” Suga muttered and got up, moving away from Hope.

“Oh come on,” Hope groaned. “Don't get mad, boo. Come back!” He hurried after.

“You idiot,” Jimin said, hitting Taehyung's arm, but he didn't seem particularly angry. Namjoon was shaking his head, but Jin was busy building a card house, apparently not interested anymore.

Jungkook only sighed, but the sigh hurt more than any reprimand.

“I won't do it again,” Taehyung swore. “I'm sorry.”

“No more drinks for you,” Jimin joked.

“Damage control?” Jin asked the cards.

Jimin followed Suga and Hope as if he'd been ordered by his army officer.

Taehyung tried to find Jungkook's eyes, but he was watching Jin's card house. “So, uh, see, dancing was fun,” he tried.

“It was,” Jungkook said, surprising him, and looked up at him. “I can't figure you out.”

“I'm an idiot,” Taehyung offered. “Not much to figure out.”

“You joke about it so easily,” Jungkook said, frowning slightly. His eyes drifted slightly, trailing down to Taehyung's neck. “Like it was just another day in your life.”

“It was,” he said. Thought about it and wasn't sure. “Or not at all. I don't know. It was... just... um... wasn't it just another day for you though?” he smiled.

“No,” Jungkook said. Only that. He met Taehyung's eyes and his body didn't move, but Taehyung felt like they were closer than they were before, Jungkook's physical presence so much stronger. He looked down at his knee on Jungkook's thigh, the eye contact too intense for him, and wondered at the size difference of their legs. Jungkook was strong. Had been a guy in his physical prime even before getting supernatural powers. He had to touch it and slid his fingers over Jungkook's thigh testing the hard muscle beneath the leather.

An iron grip closed around his jaw, lifting his head and forcing him to resume the eye contact. His body trembled in anticipation as Jungkook's nostrils flared slightly, his eyes shifting color.

“Not here,” Jin's voice commanded, calm and steady.

Jungkook let go of him and turned forward.

Taehyung wondered how it worked. Did they have back rooms where they took people? “Right now,” he said, leaning in to speak into Jungkook's ear, “I'm not working right now. So just treat me like another guest, right?”

“Then I'd tell you to go downstairs,” Jungkook said.

It took a moment for Taehyung to understand. Downstairs, with the rest of the trash, the people who couldn't afford tight white dresses and fancy shoes, the people Jungkook didn't want to mix with and had no desire to show off to.

So close. He'd been so close. He suddenly hated Jin with all his heart. Fuck if people saw anything, fuck if they had to kill every single person on the upper floor, he'd almost had it, seen Jungkook's lips part, his eyes glaze over with that power. It was all imagination though, the fancy clothes and the seduction; he was Cinderella and the clock just struck twelve. Time to stop thinking you were someone and return to the ashes. Stop thinking shabby, poor Kim Taehyung could sit this close to a prince.

He got up, definitely unsteady now, and wobbled away. Somehow he made it downstairs but he felt like he's been so close to finally breathing, like he hadn't breathed for days. He'd kept telling himself he was fine, but he'd not been fine for one second since Jeon Jungkook's lips had been on his skin. He would die without another touch, he knew it, but he wasn't wanted. He would die here on this floor and Jungkook wouldn't even see it. He'd wanted to give his life for this person, so wasn't it only right that he died? He missed the last step of the stairs and tumbled forward, into a couple of people.

They shouted at him and he mumbled an excuse.

“Oh no fucking way,” someone said.

He looked up and found the woman he'd sprayed with champagne. “I'm sorry,” he said.

She took the drink from her friend's hand.

“Wait, please,” he said, “I didn't...”

Without listening, without caring, she threw both drinks at him. The cold alcohol hit his face and his chest, soaking the shirt instantly, dripping down over his pants and shoes. He pulled for breath from surprise at first, and then didn't seem to know how to keep breathing. Everything came crashing down. The clothes were soaked, the ones he owned and the ones he borrowed, he'd never be able to sell them now. He'd promised Jin to take care of the things he'd borrowed. In the end, everything was in vain, because the very reason he'd done all this, wasted all this money, taken other people's things, was sitting upstairs in his showy silk shirt and leather pants, thinking too much of himself to even consider fucking him like the whore he was trying to be.

Somehow he made his way through the crowd, stumbling and crying, wiping tears and alcohol out of his eyes. The staff room was thankfully empty. He saw himself in the mirror, his ruined hair and red eyes, and the sobbing simply wouldn't stop. Crying wouldn't solve anything. He took off his shoes and jewelry and tried to get out of the shirt but the wet buttons refused his fumbling hands.

The door opened and he turned away to not be seen.

“Are you okay?”

He spun around, found Jungkook, and panicked. He couldn't see him like this. He rushed out the other exit and through the back area around to the three doors, but when he paused to lock the door behind him Jungkook was right there following him so he just continued inside all the way to the room with the bed and the bookshelf.

Except it wasn't just a bed and a bookshelf anymore. He stopped in confusion, trying to take it in. There was a microwave and a fancy computer and the bed was bigger. The books in the bookshelf were different. He walked up to the shelf, feeling like he was in someone else's skin, or dreaming, for sure dreaming. The bookshelf was full of books on his exact school topics. Rare actor biographies on the top shelves and various media handbooks and a bunch of recent magazines. He ran his hand over them, feeling the fresh new covers.

“I don't really know what's good,” Jungkook said.

Taehyung turned towards him, the tears having been shocked to a stop but his breaths still hitching a little.

Jungkook gestured at the bookshelf, a little awkwardly. “You said it was boring. I don't really know books; I wasn't any good in school. I only read comic books, but I asked Namjoon for help.”

“You sleep in one of these rooms don't you?” Taehyung asked, realizing it as he said it.

“Yeah,” Jungkook said. “That one.” He pointed at the third black door from the right.

“Can I see it? Is it a coffin?”

“Is it…? No, not exactly, or... sort of.”

“I want to see it,” Taehyung insisted.

Jungkook chewed on his lower lip briefly. “Okay,” he said then and unlocked the door.

It was a small room, almost like a prison cell. No window, of course. There was just a high cabinet, like a fancy locker, and some kind of pod. It was bed-sized, sort of egg-shaped, and had a few buttons and knobs by the middle of the long side. There was no lamp or light source, but from the light coming in through the door it looked dark blue.

“It's a last layer of defense,” Jungkook said, walking up and pressing a button. The pod opened like the boot of a car, revealing a padded interior. "They're nearly indestructible, even resist explosions."

"Wow," Taehyung said.

Jungkook chewed some more on his lip, staring at the floor, for a moment reminding Taehyung of a frightened rabbit. Although he didn't understand what Jungkook had to be frightened of.

“It looks like a coffin,” Taehyung said. “An alien coffin.”

"I'm sorry I creep you out," Jungkook said.

“I'm not creeped out. It's not stone, right?” He touched the cold smooth surface, it felt like touching a car.

“It's okay. Don't lie to me, please.”

Taehyung shook his head. “It's much cooler than a coffin. Space vampires.” He felt a little light headed, the cold air caressing his eyelids gently, wanting them to close.

“You're shaking.”

Taehyung looked down at his own hands. Oh yeah, he was. “I'm just cold.” This room was much colder than elsewhere. It didn't matter for them, he guessed. He followed Jungkook out into the other room.

“You should probably... get out of those clothes,” Jungkook said.

Whatever it was he'd been crying over, Taehyung couldn't remember. The rejection, the pity, the wasted money, none of it could touch him anymore; he felt empty, like he had nothing left to lose. And somehow, he felt safe here in the room behind locks upon locks, filled with things to make him happy. He tried to unbutton the shirt again and managed this time, let it fall to the floor and stepped over it.

“I should probably go. I'll go,” Jungkook said but hesitated. “Just, you don't look so good, you're not going to faint or anything...?” Jungkook's voice trailed off as Taehyung continued right into his personal space, so close that his elbows were almost touching Jungkook's chest as he started unbuttoning Jungkook's shirt for him. “Taehyung,” Jungkook said softly.

“It's alright if you don't like me, if I'm just food,” Taehyung said. “But please do it. I can't take it anymore, I just want you to do it.”

He waited for Jungkook to stop him or walk away, but Jungkook stayed. He let Taehyung push the shirt open and reveal the prize beneath; a body like chiseled marble, perfectly toned without unnecessary bulk. Taehyung let his fingertips scrape down his skin. Jungkook caught his hand, his grip strong but not quite steady.

“How do you want me?” Taehyung asked. “Should I shower first? I smell like those drinks.”

“It doesn't matter,” Jungkook said.

“Then how do you want me?”

The change was slow this time. Just a subtle glow slowly getting stronger, the brown in his eyes fading into honey gold. “Sit down,” Jungkook said, commanded, and Taehyung felt like all the tension ran out of his body. He sat on the side of the bed more or less without having a choice. Jungkook sat with him, took his neck and leaned in, and whispered, “Expose yourself for me. Show me your neck.”

Taehyung's eyes closed. This, this was all he wanted. Jungkook's sweet voice commanding his body like he'd paid for it, his flowery perfume taking over the air. He leaned his head back, craving touch so much he had to touch himself, running his fingers over his mouth and his throat. A dark hum drifted into his ears as Jungkook groaned quietly against his skin.

“Fuck,” Jungkook breathed. “Fuck I want you so much.”

“Then take me,” Taehyung told the ceiling, so much hope, so much want filling him up that he knew with absolute certainty that he'd die if he didn't get it, if Jungkook got up and left now he'd be over, there's be nothing left of him. His voice was breaking up with emotion.

Jungkook's hand, gently holding Taehyung's neck, hardened into an iron grip.

Like before, Taehyung never felt any pain. He felt the fangs pierce his skin but it was as if they were too sharp to hurt, like his skin was made to open up for them. Then Jungkook's lips were on his neck and his world exploded, his senses shattered trying to make sense of anything. His hands sought something, anything, to hold on to and found Jungkook's body, tugging at his shirt helplessly.

Jungkook let go of him, hissing from the effort, and Taehyung groaned with unbearable separation. “Tell me what you want,” Jungkook murmured, lapping at the open wounds.

“Hold... hold on to me,” Taehyung begged, tugging harder to get Jungkook on top of himself. “Hold me down.”

Jungkook tipped him over, easily yanked him up into the bed and crawled on top of him, his hands closing around Taehyung's arms, pushing him into the mattress as he bit him again. Taehyung felt him suck at his neck, could feel his blood going out, his heart and his soul being taken along with it. Nothing could ever compare to this. Nothing else in the world could possibly matter. He opened his eyes briefly, seeing Jungkook's body on top of him, Jungkook's muscles strained and bulging. His own strength was disappearing. He had to close his eyes again.

“Ah, I'm,” he tried to say, his voice giving out completely at this point. He was dying, maybe. How much could Jungkook take? But it didn't matter. He wanted him to take it all, absorb him into his body so they would never be separate again. He wanted to tell Jungkook all those things but he couldn't gather the strength to speak.

Suppressing a roar into a growl, Jungkook tore free of him. He rested his forehead against Taehyung's chest, cursing, his crushing grip on Taehyung's arms becoming painful. It took him a few seconds to gather himself, and when he came up his eyes sought Taehyung's face and filled with worry. “Taehyung? Taehyung!”

But Taehyung was tired. All he wanted to do was rest. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24th

When he woke up he found Jungkook draped over his legs. He wasn't sure what time it was. His head hurt though, so the hangover had definitely kicked in. He wiggled free of Jungkook's weight and rolled out of bed, fetching a glass of water from the bathroom. Jungkook stirred when he came back to sit on the bed.“Hi,” Taehyung said, as warm brown eyes opened to meet his.“Hey,” Jungkook said, looking relieved. “You're awake.”“Most of me at least,” Taehyung said, trying a smile but had to tone it down. Too much facial muscle movement hurt too. “I only had like two drinks...”“Jimin's drinks are death,” Jungkook chuckled. “I could taste it in your blood.”“Wow, really?” Taehyung sat cross-legged in the bed, cradling the glass of water.
“Mm,” Jungkook said, rubbing his eyes. “God, what time is it? I should be asleep.”“Can you be awake during the day?”“Yeah, but I feel like shit, it sucks.” Jungkook climbed up to sit next to him. “I almost thought for a second... but the guys said I didn't take much, not even half as much as I could have, you probably fainted from alcohol and tiredness.”“Oh they saw us?”“They came in to sleep.”Right. All of them would have to walk right past the bed. “Nice walk of shame. More like a display of shame I guess, since they were the ones walking.”Jungkook chuckled. “It's not like we had sex.”Something about the way he said it tore up the settled feeling in Taehyung's stomach. That fantastic relaxed feeling he'd woken up with was suddenly gone. There wasn't anything to argue though; whatever it was it couldn't be called sex. “I'm... I don't know why you did it, but, um, thank you, anyway.”“Why are you thanking me,” Jungkook said, leaning back against the wall. “I don't get you.”Was this vampire magic bullshit? This need? Or, he considered, stealing glances at the sculptured chest and soft, arched lips, was it something... else? “What about the girl?”“Who?” Jungkook asked.“I mean,” Taehyung said, surprised at how calmly he could talk about this today, when it had seemed to gouge his heart out yesterday. “Was she like this too, all needy?”“I don't want to sound like an asshole, but, who?” Jungkook asked, frowning, thinking hard.“The white dress girl. The one you... ate... the day after... me.”Jungkook shook his head. “What? Where did you get that idea?”“You said you're warmer after you eat,” Taehyung said.“Yeah. Because it was the day after you. We're warmer for a couple of days, while the blood is fresh I guess.”“You didn't eat her,” Taehyung realized.“I don't even know who you're talking about,” Jungkook stated.“Oh my god,” Taehyung said. He'd built up this whole idea. This entire fantasy world centered around that stupid girl and Jungkook's stupid hand on her stupid waist, and he was the stupid one. Spending money he didn't have on pants, worrying so much about upstairs, dying of jealousy because of two unbuttoned buttons. Suddenly he was laughing, because it was dumb, so endlessly, incredibly stupid. So selfish and self-centered, he couldn't even recognize himself. “This is some kind of vampire magic bullshit right?”“What is?” Jungkook asked warily, like he wasn't sure what was going on or which planet Taehyung was from.“This... this need. That I want you to bite me so bad I feel like I'll die if you don't.”Jungkook blinked. Seemed to re-evaluate everything. “You...”“You don't know,” Taehyung realized.“No,” Jungkook said, “we should probably ask the other guys. I haven't been doing this for very long and to be honest this is the first time I actually… drink from a person.”“What? But how...?”“Jin has a deal with hospitals all over the country,” Jungkook said. “We eat from blood banks. I've never drank it fresh before, it's... it's way better for sure but... there's a lot of downsides too. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to stop. The other guys warned me it's hard, and they weren't kidding.” He pushed his hair back. “Holy shit.”He looked so young. Like the guy that must have been Taehyung's age when suddenly thrown into this world of blood and death and coffins. Taehyung leaned his head on his shoulder. “Thanks for not killing me.”Jungkook stiffened a little. “Thanks you too... for letting me...” Taehyung heard him lick his lips. Did this make him nervous? He settled in more comfortably on Jungkook's shoulder, amused. “Um, do you... I mean, if it's the magic or whatever that makes you want it, then now, do you regret it?”Taehyung looked back on the past twenty-four hours and there were a lot of things he regretted, and a lot of things he'd have to try to deal with once he left this room. Then he looked up at Jungkook. The face that was so handsome and cold in the darkness seemed softer and younger now, and he didn't regret a thing. “Nope,” he said.
Jungkook only nodded in silence. Then, quietly, “I'm sorry I told you you should go to the lower floor. I didn't mean it like that.”“It's okay,” Taehyung said, “it's true I don't belong up there.”“But that's not what I meant,” Jungkook insisted. “It's our job to entertain the right people up there, and usually that means entitled assholes, all about appearance and money. If you were like that, and up in my face like you expected something I'm not interested in, I would tell you to fuck off.”“It's all about money for me too, I need this job,” Taehyung said, trying to figure out what all that meant, but abandoned that as he realized, “Oh shit, I was supposed to lock up and turn off the security system and I don't think I'm supposed to let anyone inside-"“I live here. Whatever.”“No,” Taehyung said. “Not whatever. I need this job, you don't get it because you've got all this money and...”“Hey, stop,” Jungkook said. “You think I ran around dressed like this when I was alive? All of this,” he picked at his shirt, “is Jin's stuff, it's just for work. I said it's whatever because no one's going to fire you. If I say you stay, you stay. They let me have whatever I want.”“Whatever you want...” Taehyung echoed. Like he was a toy, like the other guys would talk about him as Jungkook's pet , and he bit his lip as his mind drifted and he wondered if the title came with a collar.Jungkook's eyes swept over him, all sated desire and lazy interest, before he licked his lips and got out of the bed. “I need to sleep.”“Wait, you have to lock the doors after me,” Taehyung said. He gathered up his discarded clothes and let Jungkook escort him outside. He couldn't even look at the stained shirt, he only thought of his sister and the backpack she'd never have.He changed into his regular clothes and left the shirt and the pants and everything else in a neat pile. Someone would find it and return the things that belonged to Jin, and throw away the rest. He couldn't bring himself to throw it out. He called his parents on the way back to the dorm room, didn't tell them anything important but just chatted for a while about everyday things. They congratulated him on the test and reminded him to eat. He was actually starving. The way back went past a couple of restaurants and he peeked in through the windows at people eating lunch, delicious looking sushi and big greasy steaks, and his stomach begged and cursed, all in vain.Back at the dorm he ate some cheese sandwiches and stole a glass of orange juice from whoever had left a pack in the communal fridge before he locked himself in his room to study. His sister sent a picture of her friend's puppy. She really wanted a dog but there was no way they could afford to raise one, so she sent pictures of every other dog she found. It made him think of all the things they couldn't have or do and he cried a little, because he was learning acting so crying was studying too.He considered never going back. It was as if by getting what he'd wanted he'd also gained some perspective on the whole thing, and he could see that it wasn't terribly good. He'd let the quest for Jungkook take over his whole life. He had a plan that was much more important than a backpack and he couldn't let some guy, or whatever you'd call him, ruin that. His family was the most important thing; he'd left them to go study halfway across the country and he was going to pay them back what he owed. Speaking of owing, he had to talk to the administration again because he was late with rent again, and when that ordeal was over (and he'd smiled and kissed ass so much his cheeks hurt) he felt settled in his decision. It was time to get back on track and focus on school again. So he went back to the club in the evening with iron determination.The moment he stepped inside he saw Jungkook on the balcony, and Jungkook saw him too and gave him a little nod. No, no distractions. Taehyung ignored the nod and headed for the bar and his not actually complementary coke, although he'd never paid for one. He could see the VIP balcony from the bar, so he found a table far in a corner where he could barely see anything at all. Halfway into his glass his eyes found Suga on the other side of the room. Suga beelined right at him and sat down, an almost empty glass of beer in his hand.“Hi?” Taehyung said.“It's for real, isn't it,” Suga said. Pushed his hat back and thought about it. “What you said last night.” What had he said last night? Suga saw his confusion, because he paused with indignation and said, “You don't remember? It's that easy? See it and believe it, and you're done?”“What are we talking about?” Taehyung asked.He could probably not be a bigger idiot in Suga's eyes. “I mean, what you said! About those guys, the owners!”Taehyung thought back. ”That uh, I wanted to fuck them?” he asked, blushing a little at the memory of Suga telling him to go get gangbanged then, but feeling proud too for daring to be so outrageous.Okay, so he could be a bigger idiot in Suga's eyes. “I heard what you said, and I've been thinking about it since then, all of it fits. I've never seen a single one of them in daylight. They never eat anything. They drink alcohol like sponges but never get drunk. And all these perfect smiles and perfect skin and the dance moves, for fuck's sake. They're so obvious it hurts, but I guess they can be; who the fuck would believe it.”“I don't know what you're...”“You do know!” Suga said, intense eyes focused on Taehyung. “Don't make me say it.”Taehyung licked his lips. “Vampires don't exist,” he said, but remembered the way Jimin had said exactly that that first night and couldn't help smiling.“Vampires,” Suga breathed. “That's why you're the only employee running around up there with them, isn't it? They... you're food.”Suga made it sound like an insult, so he answered, “Yeah,” in defiance, taking another mouthful of coke. He wondered if he minded being food. It didn't seem much different than selling your blood to hospitals; in fact he'd had part time jobs that were much harder on his health and self-respect.“Figures, with those legs and that face.” Suga muttered, hunching forward over his glass.How did this guy make even compliments about his looks sound like insults? Taehyung was fascinated, on top of feeling a bit injured at this point. “So I'm a pet, what about you,” he said. “Aren't you also up there because of Hope?”“They buy my music!” Suga protested.“They buy music from a lot of people, and I don't see the other guys hanging out in the VIP section,” Taehyung said.“Fuck,” Suga said, with the full impact of all his thoughts and questions in that single word.“It's actually... pretty great,” Taehyung said.Suga eyed him with equal parts disgust and fascination.“I mean, it doesn't hurt or anything, it's like... drugs.”“You've really let them...?”Taehyung nodded slowly. It was strange talking about this, but it also felt really nice to be able to. He knew he could probably talk to Jimin about it, but it wasn't the same.“So what, you're some kind of groupie? Junkie? Or do they pay you?”“I'm not a hooker,” Taehyung protested.“What's wrong with being a hooker,” Suga countered. “I'm just saying, you're providing a service, I assume you get compensated. Don't you need to eat more food if someone's taking your blood all the time? How come you don't have bite marks.”“They heal right away. Vampire magic bullshit,” Taehyung said.“Huh,” Suga said.Both of them thought in silence. Taehyung didn't know much about medicine, but Suga was probably right and he was extra hungry because he'd lost blood. Some of the other students on campus donated blood, and they were reminded to eat well. In fact, Taehyung pondered, if Jin bought blood from the blood banks, didn't that mean that they could be drinking blood from those very students? It was weird to think about. Some of those people were pretentious jerks. He kind of didn't like the idea of Jungkook eating them.“You can't tell anyone,” Taehyung remembered to tell Suga.“Do I look like an idiot,” Suga said. “Who would believe me, it's insane! Are you sure you're not just on drugs and hallucinating?”“You want proof, go offer your neck to Hope,” Taehyung snapped back.“Insane,” Suga muttered again, swept the last of his beer and left.Taehyung watched him go, wondering if he'd be okay. He checked the time. Not long now until he had to lock himself in. He headed back to the bar to drop off his empty glass and spotted Jungkook coming down the stairs. Since when did he deign to move among mortals? Taehyung went and dumped his bag in his locker and ran into Jimin on the way out.“There you are,” Jimin smiled.They'd all walked past the bed this morning. They'd all seen him there, disheveled in Jungkook's arms. Taehyung blushed. He could pretend to be all worldly in front of Suga, but the truth was very different.“How are you feeling?” Jimin asked.“Fine,” Taehyung said.“Not tired?”“I'm just hung over.”“Maybe it's a little more than that.”Taehyung turned away. “I have to go. Actually,” he paused, looking back. Jimin waited patiently. “Is it part of the vampire magic bullshit?” He knew he wasn't making sense.“It's complicated,” Jimin said as if he read his mind. “Jungkookie freaked out because he's not used to it, but with a little practice it's not difficult to stop. Only young vampires kill by mistake. That's not why we don't bite people. A lot of stuff happens when we do, so, it's just easier not to.”“A lot of stuff like...?”“Hm. For example, we gain some control; maybe you noticed when Jungkook gives commands it's hard for you to resist.” That was the understatement of the year. “You'll even want him to give you commands. Some people like it, some get really freaked out, but you don't seem like the freaking out type. I told Jungkookie everything, and he wanted to tell you himself so I won't say any more now.”“Will I die if I never see him again?”This question surprised Jimin. “No, of course not. Why?”“Could I talk to Namjoon about it?”“Talk to Moni about what? Ah, no, Mr. Pink doesn't eat him. It's actually the other way around. That's how we give humans part of our abilities. They have to drink from us. It works between vampires too. We don't all have the same abilities, but we can borrow.”“What can Jungkook do?”“He's pretty much all-round. Nothing really weird, just good at everything. Our little golden boy,” Jimin smiled.“What about you?”“I read minds,” Jimin said casually. “Not all the time of course, it takes effort. And I hate it, so there's that. Don't worry, I've never done it to you and I never will.”“I'm not worried. That's so cool.” Taehyung couldn't even imagine. Hearing what people thought? Never having to wonder how they felt or what they... hm, but wouldn't it also mean knowing all the terrible, mean, ugly things people thought about too?
“There really is nothing that freaks you out,” Jimin said. “I could tell you we turn into giant bat monsters and you'd just ask if we could fly.”“Can you?” Taehyung asked happily.Jimin patted his shoulder. “Go to work.”“Um one last thing?”“Yeah?”“Suga... figured it out.” Taehyung tried to look cute and harmless. “Sorry!”A brief look of worry passed over Jimin's expression. “Okay, I'll check it out.”“I'm sorry.”“No, I'm sorry. You said you don't drink alcohol and then I mixed you the strongest drinks imaginable. Jungkookie was kind of pissed off at me,” he chuckled.“But they were really good,” Taehyung said.“I think your special ability is looking at the bright side of things,” Jimin said.Maybe so. Taehyung headed off to lock himself in for the night. One, two, three doors later, and he stood in the familiar room filled with the not so familiar things. He'd already studied and there was no school tomorrow so he could try the computer and see what was on it...The door to Jungkook's room opened and Jungkook came out. He wore torn jeans and a big white t-shirt, at least two sizes too large, and no jewelry except a single discreet earring. It was so different to see him like this, he looked like one of the campus freshmen, young and full of energy and innocent to the world. Taehyung couldn't help staring. When Jungkook turned his way and saw him, he tensed up, already defensive.“What are you doing here,” Taehyung said, after a moment of looking for words.“I live here,” Jungkook said. “If you didn't avoid me all night we could have talked somewhere else.”“I'm not avoiding you,” Taehyung said and realized it was a lie as he said it. Seeing Jungkook on that balcony, all dark and suave, drink in hand, it had rocked him, ever so slightly. Ever so gently flipped everything he was and everything he knew on its head, including his decision to focus on the plan. So he'd avoided him. “You can't be here.”“I live here,” Jungkook repeated stubbornly.Taehyung fidgeted. “I don't want to talk to you,” he said, walking over to the computer.“Fine, whatever,” Jungkook said. “Look, I'm just tired of all of it. The clothes and the music and the people... we do it every night. Just for one night, I want to chill out here and wear clothes I actually like and not talk to anyone.”“This is the clothes you like?”Jungkook defensively spread his arms. “What?!”They were cute, they were just so... simple. It wasn't even a brand t-shirt, it looked like convenience store stuff, like the stuff Taehyung could afford. “Whatever,” Taehyung said. “Fine, hang out, don't talk.”“Fine.”Taehyung turned the computer on. Jungkook fussed around in the bookcase and sat on the bed with a magazine. There wasn't a lot of stuff on the computer. “You have this fancy computer and no games? Not even any movies?” Taehyung demanded.“There's no internet in here,” Jungkook said.“There's single player games.”“I didn't think about that, okay, I thought you'd just want to study on it!”“How am I supposed to study without internet?”“You could write.”“And do what, since I can't get the text, there's no printer and no email and no...”“Whatever. Why are you talking, we weren't talking!”“Fine,” Taehyung said again. He fetched one of the biographies he'd seen before that looked interesting and sat in the computer chair and read.Jungkook put away the magazine and picked up a thing Taehyung hadn't noticed before. It looked like a large gamepad but with bigger buttons and dials on. Jungkook pushed a few and a strange whirring noise filled up the room as a little machine rolled out from under the bed and slowly started lifting into the air. A drone. Taehyung watched with big eyes as it flew a lap around the room. Jungkook was concentrating hard, fingers fighting the controls with the greatest precision.“Wow, it's pretty fast.”“This is nothing, the room is too small, if I go faster I'll hit the walls.”“Can I try?”“I thought you weren't talking to me.”Taehyung grit his teeth. “I'm not, it's just hard to read with that noise!”“There's headphones in the drawer,” Jungkook said and shifted where he sat on the bed to turn his back on Taehyung.Goddamned kid. Taehyung crawled up on the chair to sit cross-legged, but it was awfully uncomfortable. He moved over to sit on the bed. Jungkook threw a glance at him that he ignored. He tried to read, he really did, but the noise and Jungkook's focused face and the sweeping rounds of the drone were all too distracting. He put the book down and leaned over.“Let me try,” he asked.Jungkook glanced at him again.He made cute big eyes and nudged Jungkook's shoulder. “Please?” It worked on most people, and it turned out to work on stubborn vampire boys too. Jungkook landed the drone and handed over the controller.“This one,” Jungkook said, showing him how to make it fly. “And then you pull that one back, slowly... slowly!”“I get it, I get it.”“No, you're... be careful it's,” Jungkook's hands twitched in the air over Taehyung's, wanting to take over. “You're going too fast! Taehyung!”The drone crashed into the wall and bounced over the floor.Taehyung felt his own shoulders go up in an apologetic smile. “Oops.”Sighing, Jungkook got up and fetched the drone, sitting with him again as he looked it over. “You could have broken it.”“You could buy a new one.”Jungkook shook his head. “I got all this stuff with my own money! I don't want to spend more just because you're not careful!”“You... got all this stuff with your own money?”Jungkook froze up, trapped, drone halfway turned over in his hands. “It's... just some stuff, don't get weird about it.” At Taehyung's growing smile he rolled his eyes and turned away.“Thank you,” Taehyung said, trying to convey the feeling of the room in his voice, because the room felt safe; it felt more his than his dorm room did, almost like his old room back home. That room didn't exist anymore. After he left his parents had moved to a smaller house and the new owners had torn everything up and remodeled, his sister told him.“So...” Jungkook said carefully, “we're okay?”Taehyung woke up from his thoughts. “Yeah. Of course.”“You're not like, afraid of me?”“No. Especially not dressed like that.”Jungkook glared at him. “And um, the guys said you might have taken what I said yesterday as that you have to let me bite you or you'll get fired. That's not what I meant, no one's going to fire you.”“Okay.”“And you don't think it's weird? I know the whole undead thing is disgusting, but...”“Definitely weird,” Taehyung said.Jungkook's head snapped up, worried brown eyes trailed on his face, before Jungkook realized he was smiling. “I'm serious,” he said.“So am I,” Taehyung giggled. “It's not weird, but you're being weird.”“I just thought...” Jungkook sighed and hit his shoulder. “Stop laughing.”“What?” Taehyung asked, gathering himself out of mercy.“The guys said...” He shook his head. “All this weird stuff happens when you bite someone, and most people, they don't like it, they run away. So I shouldn't expect you to come back, but then you came back, and I... I honestly don't know why.”“Well,” Taehyung said, “I really need the money.”“Wow,” Jungkook said, truly annoyed now, “if you need money that bad maybe you should be working at a strip club instead.”“You think people would pay to see me?” Taehyung asked, tipping his head, well aware of that it exposed his neck for Jungkook. “Maybe I should sell my blood. You know, cut out the middle man and let Jin take it directly from-”The drone clattered to the floor for the second time as Jungkook simply dropped it when he lunged at Taehyung, grabbing his neck and pushing him into the bed, body hard and heavy on top of him, keeping him in place. Jungkook fought to control a snarl and Taehyung caught teasing glimpses of his fangs. “You will not let anyone else have a single drop of your blood. Not one,” Jungkook growled between tense lips. Jungkook's fingers were clutched around his throat or he'd risen up to meet him, wanting, desperately, to kiss. Wondering if the fangs were sharp enough that he'd cut himself on them. Jungkook was so close, it was so close, just another few centimeters.“Yes, sir,” he whispered.The gold flared, then faded, in Jungkook's eyes as he let go and sat up.Swimming around dazedly somewhere between relieved and disappointed, Taehyung slowly sat up as well.“Fuck," Jungkook said. "I'm sorry, I… I'm not used to this, it just…""It's fine," Taehyung said." Yes sir ?" Jungkook imitated him. "I can't fucking believe you'd still be joking with me acting like a fucking monster.” He groaned, running his hand through his hair. “What the fuck are you?”“I'm not joking,” Taehyung said.Jungkook turned to look at him.“I'm not,” Taehyung said, trying to look honest, look his best. It was like drugs, hearing Jungkook's words solidify into commands. He wanted more. Anything he could get. If Jungkook wouldn't put a collar on him, maybe he'd do something else. His arms hadn't bruised from last night and it disappointed him, he wanted some kind of proof.“Get up,” Jungkook said. His eyes still had remnants of hesitation, but his voice was calm and commanding. Taehyung stood up, and Jungkook pointed at the floor in front of him. “On your knees.”He didn't dare hope for much. Jungkook was a fickle master, who didn't seem to be sure if he would give him what he wanted or not. Taehyung wished there was some way he could show him, convince him, that this was what he wanted beyond anything else in the world and Jungkook didn't have to feel bad for doing it. He got on his knees, more or less seated between Jungkook's legs.Jungkook reached out and touched his hair, and he nuzzled into the touch like a cat. “Taehyung,” Jungkook said, leaning forward. “Do you want to kiss me?”“Yes,” Taehyung whispered. Desperately.“Ask me,” Jungkook commanded.“Please,” Taehyung said, carefully touching Jungkook's leg, not sure if he was allowed. Jungkook didn't react so he got bolder, running his hand over the rough jeans fabric. “Can I kiss you?”With just the touch of a fingertip, Jungkook teased his chin up, leaned forward and kissed him. Taehyung was instantly lost in the kiss. There weren't any fangs for now, he explored carefully but they were held back. Knowing that, he tried Jungkook's lips instead, thoroughly tasting each spot, testing how they fit into his mouth and what made Jungkook shudder ever so slightly. “Mmmm,” he hummed happily, as his hand unknowingly crept up higher on Jungkook's thigh.Just like that Jungkook pushed him aside and got up. Pacing once back and forth, he stopped to look at Taehyung who still sat on the floor. “This isn't real,” he said.“What? Jungkook...” Taehyung tried.“This isn't real,” Jungkook repeated, looking torn, and fled.“Wait, you can't go outside! Ah!” Taehyung ran after him, but he had already made his way out the last door. Looking around once to assure that no one had slipped inside, Taehyung locked the doors again.What did he mean it wasn't real? Taehyung sat on the bed and picked up the drone. It looked okay but he couldn't get it to work. One of the two falls seemed to have broken it. What wasn't real, because the rejection sure felt real as hell. As did his hard-on.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25th

Come morning he felt grumpy and tired. He hadn't slept more than a few hours. He left the broken drone on the bed and headed out, but then remembered that his bag was still in his locker. When he came back, someone was on the upper floor. Curious, and a little bolder since Jungkook kept swearing that he wouldn't get fired, he climbed the stairs.

Jin was sitting in his favorite place, a velvet couch by a glass table, Namjoon next to him showing him some papers. “We're doing better,” Namjoon said. “The profits are stabilizing. I'll get the numbers on the last few months by next week, and if there's nothing unexpected we can start wrapping up.”

”Hi,” Jin said, looking over to Taehyung.

”Hi,” Taehyung said, fidgeting nervously. “I'm... I'm sorry about your clothes...”

”Yeah, those shoes,” Jin said, sighing. “I liked those. More importantly, Namjoon looked great in them.”

Namjoon smiled and waved, looking like he'd like to get back to the papers.

”I'm sorry,” Taehyung repeated.

”I could deduct it from your salary,” Jin said.

”No! I mean, I... I have to pay my rent this week or...” or he'd be on the street, except he could sleep here, but there was still the matter of his debts and...

”Not all at once,” Jin said. “You can pay it in installments.”

Taehyung looked down at his feet, eyes burning. He barely made rent while skipping food, and he had to start paying off his debts or someone would come after him. What if they came after his family? Sure they lived far away, but who knew. “I... please...” he mumbled. His mind was locking up looking for solutions to a problem that had grown out of his capacity to fix, and suddenly he remembered his joke to Jungkook before. He looked up with the kind of crazy confidence only desperation could muster. “What if we make a deal?” he asked. “Blood is better fresh, right? I could be here whenever I'm not in school, and you could...” he trailed off, a little confused because the words refused to come.

”Who cares about the damned shoes.”

Taehyung turned around and Jungkook was standing right there, with Hope and Suga coming up the stairs behind him. He hadn't heard them coming at all.

”I care,” Jin said. “Namjoon looked great in those shoes.”

Namjoon sighed and shuffled some papers, looking like he'd rather not be involved in this.

”Fine, give me the shoes,” Jungkook said.

Jin's eyes narrowed; Namjoon glanced up. “Don't push your luck, Jungkook,” Namjoon said.

”Well, I want them,” Jungkook said. “I wanted them before you lent them to Taehyung. Give them to me, please.” The final

please

was coldly polite.

Namjoon's fingers tapped the table. Behind them, Hope and Suga had stopped in their tracks, Suga still technically in the stairs. The air was thick with tension while Jungkook and Jin were locked in a battle of wills, neither one flinching. Until Jin made a dismissive gesture. “Take them.”

Taehyung felt Jungkook relax and realized the younger vampire had been steeling for a possible confrontation. Would Jungkook really fight someone much older and stronger than himself for Taehyung? He looked at Jungkook in awe.

”Stop it,” Jungkook told him. “Do you have time to work here more, not focus on school? Shouldn't you stop coming here at all?”

”I need the money,” Taehyung said, wondering why he was being pushed away so suddenly. Jungkook kept going hot and cold and Taehyung was tired of it. He had an idea worth trying. “If you're so worried about what I do and don't do, then pay me.”

”What?” Jungkook frowned, while Hope and Suga unfroze and headed for the couches.

”Pay me,” Taehyung said. “You want this, don't you?” He bared his neck a little, running his fingers over the veins. “Then pay me for it.”

”Aren't you already paying him?” Suga asked.

”No!” Jungkook exclaimed, exasperated.

”What, so you're just using him?” Suga leaned back in his seat. “Someone told me if you get bitten you can't refuse, so you're keeping him as food without any compensation?”

”No!”

”Then what? Just face up.”

”I'm not...” Jungkook looked between the people gathered, desperately seeking a friend, ending on Taehyung. His expression closed again, scanning Taehyung's face. Taehyung had no idea what he thought he found. “Why do you need money so badly anyway,” he asked.

”I didn't always have work, so I had to borrow money. There's debts to repay and the rent for the dorm and tuition, and literature and material, and I'm sending money to my family. My sister.” He didn't like talking about it, but it felt easier to tell Jungkook. “I thought about... selling myself, but if I become a famous actor people will dig into my past. I can't have that kind of skeleton in the closet. But you guys, they won't be able to dig you up, you're good at hiding.”

Hope was nodding in agreement.

”Just pay him,” Suga said. “What kind of asshole are you, taking advantage? It's not like you can't afford it.”

”Doesn't that make him...” Jungkook protested, but his protests sounded weaker now.

”A whore?” Taehyung met his eyes bravely, blushing just a little still but less than before, so maybe he was getting more shameless. Jungkook's eyes darted to their audience and back, but Taehyung didn't care about them. “That's fine. You can do what you want,” he said. “You can put a collar on me and everything. Whatever you want.”

”Don't be gross,” Jungkook said, and Taehyung's stomach churned. In fact he wasn't even nearly as sure as he sounded, not nearly as cool as he tried to be, but maybe he'd be paid more and maybe he'd be able to buy his sister a birthday present after all, something small, like a phone case. Maybe Jungkook would fuck him. He took a shaky breath, just as Jungkook said, “Fine, okay,” and turned away.

Cruel, unstoppable hope.

”Do I have to find a new night guard?” Jin complained.

”You mean, do I have to,” Namjoon said patiently. “I think the roles overlap just fine. No?”

”Quit your dorm room,” Jungkook said, back turned. “If I'm paying for it, I want it here, available. You're sleeping here already. The room is set up for you.”

It had felt scary to maybe lose the dorm room because he couldn't pay for it, even if he could sleep at the club, but not anymore. “Okay,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook turned to him, features set, the young boy hidden away again and the cold prince back in his place like he'd never been gone at all. “What's that?”

Despite everything, a tremor went through Taehyung's body, and his fingers curled in. “Yes, sir,” he said.

”Oooohh,” Hope sang.

Taehyung ignored him, but felt his cheeks heat up a little. “Can I put my things in the room then? I need to go fetch them.”

”Go,” Jungkook said.

So he went.

As he walked down the stairs, he heard Suga's voice. “So how does this work? You guys are immortal?”

He got to his dorm room and looked around at the near empty desk and shelf. He didn't have a lot of possessions. Most of his stuff was school supplies. He had a few framed photos, a stuffed animal his sister had sown in school and given him when they were small, some clothes. When his backpack was full he stuffed the rest in a plastic bag. Administration didn't open until Monday so he'd have to finalize the details later.

When he came back to the club, the fairy tale creatures were asleep and Suga had gone home. Only Namjoon was left still at the table with his stack of papers and a tall iced coffee.

”You can put your things in the staff room until tonight,” he told Taehyung. “Sit down for a second. Are you serious about this?”

”Yeah,” Taehyung said, dropping his things on the floor and sitting next to Namjoon.

”We should write something formally then. I'll get something drawn up during the day. That way Jungkook can't withhold your pay, for example. It's to protect you.”

”I trust him,” Taehyung said.

Namjoon smiled. “That's good, but doesn't mean you should be naive. Jungkook isn't cruel but he can be very oblivious and very stubborn which isn't the best combination. It's important to ensure that you, and by extension your family, get paid fairly and that you have your rights protected.”

He couldn't argue with that. “How long have you and Jungkook been with them?”

”About ten years,” Namjoon said.

”How come you didn't take Jin's offer?”

”I can always take it later,” Namjoon said. “I want to experience life before I leave it. Maybe I'll end up wanting to experience death too, or maybe I'll take his offer one day. There's some things they can't do. Some things Jungkook will never know.”

”Jimin said you knew him before?”

”Mm.” Namjoon spun a ring on his finger, reminiscing. “He was my junior at university. You saw me rap, I did it more then. Jungkook became a fan, very into my writing. He approached me, this shy teenage bundle of nerves, and asked if I would write some lyrics for him.”

”Lyrics?”

”He wanted to become a singer.” Namjoon smiled at the memory. “Worked his ass off. It was his big dream, the stage and the lights and the fans singing along. You must feel that way about acting?” Taehyung nodded. ”We formed a duo. He sang and I rapped, we made songs together, performed. One night Jin was in the audience. We became friends, he made me the offer, I said no.”

”But Jungkook said yes?”

Namjoon sat back. Rubbed his lower lip with his long, slender fingers and his eyes got lost in memories for a moment. “No,” he said. “He didn't.”

”But…” Taehyung said.

”Jin hates people dying,” Namjoon said. “He seems happy-go-lucky and like he doesn't care, but he cares more than anyone. All of this,” he gestured at the club area, “is because of that. He's set up all these businesses, generous deals with blood banks, bribes and agreements with various offices. If a vampire wants shelter in our clubs, they have to abide by our rules, and the most important of those rules are, you never kill an innocent, and you never turn anyone against their will.”

”So what happened?” Taehyung asked.

”Jungkook sometimes stayed late practicing singing. One night going home I found him by the side of the road, bleeding out.” Namjoon closed his eyes, remembering. “He was dying. There wasn't a hospital in the world that could have put him back together. I didn't call an ambulance, I called Jin. I asked him to save him. He said no.”

”What… he was attacked?"

”I don't know what happened, he says he can't remember," Namjoon said thoughtfully. "All I know is I'll never forget that image. The switchblade, they'd dropped it right next to him. Like even they couldn't believe what they'd done." He rubbed his forehead like he wished he could forget it. "I couldn't let this kid, this innocent, kind-hearted, hard-working kid, die like that. I told Jin, Jungkook had never said no either. He still refused. So I took that switchblade and I told Jin, if you don't save him, I'll cut my own throat and you'll have to stand there and watch me die. Because I'd already said no.” Namjoon chuckled bitterly. “Jungkook had already had his integrity obliterated, and I chose to defile what was left. When he woke up, it turned out that my fear of losing him doomed a kid to eternal suffering, and laid it on a good man's conscience.”

”That's why he gets whatever he wants,” Taehyung realized.

”Jin spoils him rotten. I guess I do too.”

”But he would have died,” Taehyung said.

”He lost everything. Everyone he loved, everything he loved doing. His dream that he sacrificed everything else for. He can't be a singer so he stopped singing. He'll never grow up, he always looked younger than he was so he was looking forward to his late twenties, thirties, being met with respect like an adult. Now he'll be seen as a kid forever. And the whole supernatural thing freaks him out. He was a pretty down to earth guy. He's not alive, he says. He would have said no if anyone had asked him, even as he lay bleeding. It's not real, it's unnatural, wrong.”

Not real

. Taehyung hugged himself, curled up in the couch. Those were the words Jungkook had used when he'd freaked out before.

Not real

. “I think he's alive. I mean, not in the same way as regular people, but dead people don't walk around.”

”I'm glad he met you.” Namjoon smiled at him. “He's been a little happier. A little weird too, but happier. He even smiles once in a while.”

Taehyung felt himself blush as he smiled back.

Namjoon had to get back to crunching numbers, so Taehyung dropped off his bags and wrote some on his essay and lent a hand to the staff that arrived. When Namjoon returned from his nap Taehyung got to help him pick designs for the wall paintings they were getting done, and make a few business calls. He was giddy, restless. Waiting. If he napped, time would pass faster. He finally managed to fall asleep on one of the VIP couches.

Waking up with a start, he almost crashed into Jimin who was leaning over him.

”Um, hi,” he said, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. Shit, how long had he slept?

”Namjoon wants to see you in Jin's office,” Jimin said. He led the way; the office was next to the back room filled with clothes and things, the simple door made it look like just another closet but it opened up into an office with walls the color of blood and a desk set that must be antique. No windows. No electronics aside from a phone. Not even electric lighting; actual candles. Jimin came along inside.

Two chairs were placed in front of the desk, Namjoon had pushed the desk chair aside to stand behind it. Jungkook was sitting on one chair, impatiently tapping the armrest. He looked up when they entered, but immediately looked away again.

”Here,” Namjoon said, and pushed two small stacks of paper across the table.

Taehyung sat in the other chair while Jungkook leaned forward to read the paper. “Are you serious?” Jungkook asked, looking at Namjoon in shock.

”It's for both your protection, but mostly his,” Namjoon said, gesturing to Taehyung. “Are you refusing the terms?”

”No, I...” Jungkook stared at the stack.

Taehyung skimmed the top sheet. It was the contract Namjoon had talked about. Basically it seemed to detail exactly what being Jungkook's pet entailed. He flipped to the last page and the salary except... “This is my pay?” he demanded, pointing at the number.

”If you agree to it,” Namjoon said.

”Of course I agree to it,” Taehyung said, reading it again just to be sure. All those zeroes...

”What is this?” Jimin asked.

”Where do I sign?” Taehyung asked.

”You should read it,” Namjoon said.

”I don't need to read it.” Taehyung looked at Jungkook and Namjoon. “Where do I sign?”

Namjoon pointed to two dotted lines on the last page and handed him a pen.

”Wait,” Jungkook said, reaching out and catching Taehyung's hand. “You really want to do this?”

His hand was a little cold, but his skin so soft. Taehyung looked into his eyes, full of the warmth his body couldn't muster, and if this would lift some of Jungkook's pain, take away some of his doubts, then he was happy to. “This doesn't say anything about clothes?” he asked Namjoon.

”Clothes?” Namjoon asked.

”I think,” Taehyung said, “if he decides what I wear, he should provide the clothes.”

”Jungkook will decide what?” Jimin said.

”And any other... stuff I need, to do what he tells me,” Taehyung added.

”Jungkook, do you accept those terms?” Namjoon asked, not in any way showing any surprise at Taehyung's request.

Jungkook was rolling the pen between his fingers. Finally he closed his eyes and nodded. “Yes.”

”Then I'll have that added,” Namjoon said. “You can sign on this.”

”Wait a second, what is going on?” Jimin asked.

Taehyung licked his lips and signed the dotted line. Kim Taehyung. The ink flowed beautifully over the white paper, he wondered if it would make sharp lines on his skin too. Silently, Jungkook signed his paper also and they switched. Writing his name next to Jeon Jungkook's felt definitive; permanent. Meaningful.

Jimin slammed his hands down on the contracts, so hard the desk rocked beneath him. “What. Is going on. Here.”

”Read the contract, if you want,” Taehyung said and got up. “I'm moving my things into the room now.”

He'd gotten halfway there when he heard Jungkook's steps behind; he knew it was Jungkook, and he knew he walked silently normally so his new master must be making himself heard on purpose. He strained to not react, just kept walking. Could Jungkook hear his heartbeat? Once he got inside the room with his things he dumped his backpack and started unpacking the plastic bag first. He couldn't be bothered folding his clothes properly so he just shoved it all into the closet. He thought about where to put the stuffed animal, and decided on the bookshelf. Jungkook had closed the door and leaned back against it, watching him.

It only took him a minute or two to put up the photos and place his school supplies in the bookshelf and desk drawers. Done. Jungkook's eyes were burning holes in the back of his head.

”That's all you own?” Jungkook asked.

”I pawned everything else,” Taehyung said. “Even my dad's wrist watch.”

”The money will be on your account tomorrow morning,” Jungkook said, standing up straight. “You should buy back your watch.”

”I need to pay off the debts,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook closed in on him, and his heart started beating faster although he wasn't sure what he was anticipating. “I said,” Jungkook said, “Tomorrow, you will go back to that shop, and if the watch is still there, you'll buy it back.”

”Yes, sir,” Taehyung said. Jungkook's commands were like silk against his skin. So soft he could barely feel them, but so strong he could never break them.

”And you have to start eating more. You won't be able to feed me otherwise. Proper food, lots of meat.” Jungkook stopped right in front of him.

”Yes, sir,” Taehyung said.

Faster than he could see, Jungkook's hand closed around his throat and his hands came up defensively out of instinct; he grabbed Jungkook's arm as he was walked backwards to the wall and slammed into it so hard the air was pushed out of his lungs. There was a tinge of fear behind the emotions that sped up his heart even more, the contrast between Jungkook's care and this rough treatment jolting him into hyper awareness.

”According to what you signed, I can do whatever I want to you,” Jungkook said.

”Yes,” Taehyung said, breathlessly, and grinned. "Sir."

Jungkook shook his head a little. “

Anything,

do you understand? Anything that doesn't leave permanent damage. You didn't even read anything. The moment you signed you gave your consent to anything that follows. If I want something, I can just take it.”

He was so close his words blew air against Taehyung's lips, and Taehyung wished he'd make use of the rights he'd just declared.

”Money means so much to you?” Jungkook questioned, letting go of him and walking away.

Frustration ripped through Taehyung, not only at Jungkook's constant teasing but also at the endless veiled insults about money. Because yes, it was about money, but ultimately it wasn't about that at all. “Family,” he said. “I left them. I could have gotten a job, helped provide for my sister. Instead I came out here. Because I want to be an actor. I've already given up the thing I love most to follow that dream, so whatever else I give up is not important.”

Jungkook stopped. “And what if you can't?” he asked over his shoulder.

”Can't what?”

”Become an actor.”

”I will,” Taehyung said stubbornly. “I've gotten this far, I'm doing well in school. I will.”

”Life has a funny way of not following your plans,” Jungkook said.

”Tell me about it,” Taehyung said, because he'd had a plan, a great job of sleeping in a safe place, slowly paying off his debts and getting back on his feet and then Jeon Jungkook had invaded his life, his body and his mind. “But I won't stop trying just because it's hard!”

”You'll give up everything you are then? You'll sell yourself, just like that?”

”That's what I just did!” Taehyung shouted. “You can judge me all you want, you signed that paper too!”

”At least like this I can protect you! If I didn't you would have thrown yourself at the next guy willing to pay for you!”

”No.” Taehyung pocketed his hands so he could ball them into fists out of sight. “I literally can't do that, because you already ordered me to not let anyone else drink from me. Or was it something else you wanted to protect me from, Jungkook?” They were locked in place, staring at each other, Jungkook's hands also curling into fists. “Something else you want to do to me? Because you can, now. Like you said, you can do anything you want.”

Jungkook closed his eyes, his body relaxed. He was shutting down, and Taehyung was about to explode from frustration, but then the door opened. Walking in like he wasn't sure which universe he was in anymore, Jimin looked them both over.

”What the fuck is going on?” Jimin demanded.

Jungkook left.

”Taehyung?” Jimin said.

”Did you read it?” Taehyung asked.

”That ridiculous so called contract that belongs in some fucked up porn novel, yeah,” Jimin said, sitting down on the bed. “He actually signed it! He has to know it's not real. You know it's not real, right? No court of law would consider it valid even if you bribed them.”

”Namjoon said it would protect... my interests?” Taehyung answered, sitting down with him, not entirely sure about the correct terms. "I can't take vampires to court. I thought Jin would..."

”Jin would have held Jungkook to his word anyway, I don't know what that piece of paper will do other than thoroughly embarrass the two of you if anyone gets hold of it.”

”I'm not embarrassed.”

Jimin looked up at him from under a worried frown, trying hard to understand but coming up just a little short. “Taehyung,” he said, “if you're desperate for money, I could pay your debts and you can pay it back whenever you want. I'm immortal, it doesn't really matter when.”

Taehyung licked his lips, trying to decide what to say and how. “I'm not embarrassed,” he ended up repeating. Then, “I'm not doing this just for money.”

”That's what Namjoon said too,” Jimin mused. “I don't understand.”

”Has Jungkook said anything to you? About me?” Taehyung asked.

”We had a fight. Before. We're probably going to have another one now. He wanted me to read your mind. I told him I won't.”

”Why?”

”Because I like you,” Jimin said. “I was going to ask if you wanted to come along when we move on. You'd probably say no because you want to follow your dream, but I wanted to ask at least.”

”But now you don't want to,” Taehyung said, gaze dropping to the floor.

”Is there any point? If Jungkook owns you, won't you just go where he tells you?”

That far, Taehyung had not thought. In fact he hadn't considered how long this would last or that they would move on at all. “He knows I have school,” he said. “Three more terms...”

”We won't be here that long,” Jimin said. “The club is going well. We're soon done.”

Taehyung's heart sank. He tried to not show it, but Jimin's concerned face told him his new friend saw right through it. Some actor he was.

”If you're not doing it for the money, then why?” Jimin asked.

He picked at a speck of dust on his pants. “Why does Hope hang around here,” he said.

They sat in silence for a moment while Jimin processed that. Then he took a deep breath. “Okay,” he said. “I'll talk to him. But this whole owning thing...”

”I don't mind,” Taehyung said. “Does, um, does Jungkook hate it?”

”A few days ago I would have bet my life on that he'd never sign something like that,” Jimin said, shaking his head, “so you're asking the wrong person. I guess he does like to boss people around, when he gets the chance, everyone else are always older than him. But it won't be easy to, hm...”

”What?”

”He hasn't gotten over the whole gender thing yet. Like, remember I told you we don't really care? He's still young, he still cares a bit. He only hangs with women upstairs. I mean, he'd probably prefer to not hang out with anyone, but he has to do his job. But he refuses guys.”

Taehyung thought about that, chewing on his lip. He'd sensed that already, but in plain sight like this it was a hurdle that was a little scary to challenge. He was putting a lot on the line here.

”I'll talk to him,” Jimin assured him. “You know, in another ten, twenty years he'll have gotten over it, and if he lets you go because of only that, he'll look back and think, what the fuck was wrong with me to let such a cute guy slip through my fingers.”

”Hehe,” Taehyung giggled.

It earned him a pat on the back from Jimin. “Why can't you just be regular boyfriends? Why this whole... contract stuff?”

”I think he feels guilty for biting me,” Taehyung said. “Namjoon said the supernatural stuff freaks him out. I thought if he paid me... And then, I thought I'd probably look pretty cute in a collar?” He sought Jimin's eyes, wondering if he sounded insane. They said that wanting Jungkook's commands was vampire magic bullshit, but was thinking about collars that too?

Thankfully, it was amusement not judgment playing in Jimin's eyes. “You are the weirdest person I've ever met. Eternity would probably never get boring with you.”

That wasn't exactly what Taehyung had wanted to hear, but it wasn't the worst he could imagine either, so he gave Jimin his best, most brilliant smile and held out a hand. “Friends forever?”

Jimin shook it. “Forever.” He got up. “I'll see what I can do with our favorite tough guy.”

”Thank you,” Taehyung sang, as Jimin left.

It wasn't late yet, but Taehyung didn't feel like going out there among the staff and guests. He didn't have anything to do and he didn't want to watch Jungkook touch women in expensive dresses. His position was still too fresh, and besides, he didn't know what it meant, exactly. Instead he read for a while, then tried to fix the drone and got three engines running but the fourth kept randomly shutting down so he stopped to not break it further since it kept crashing. He'd just kicked back on the bed and opened his notebook when Jungkook came in.

”Are you upset?”

About as smooth and subtle as a brick wall, Taehyung thought. “No. I'm going through my schedule for next week.”

”Now?”

”It's going to be Monday morning soon, so, yeah.”

”Move.” Jungkook pushed him aside and sat next to him. “What's this?”

”These are days,” Taehyung patiently pointed, “and these are times, the blue blocks are media classes and the red are acting classes, and the green are study groups and seminars, and the pink is my own study time. Orange are tests but I don't have any this week. The gray blocks are work.”

”And the purple?”

”Sometimes my classes crash so I have to choose which one to go to, and try to catch up on the other.”

Jungkook stared at the colorful brick wall. “And free time?”

”Not really,” Taehyung said. "Not during the day, I mean, I obviously have some right now."

”Lunch?”

”I don't have time, I grab a sandwich or something.”

Jungkook looked around, found his pen case and dug out an eraser. With great care he erased some of a pink block on Monday, took a pen and made a square around it. “This is about an hour, right? You're going to eat lunch,” he wrote with the same great care. His handwriting was unexpectedly cute, neat and round. “And then you'll go to the pawn shop and get your watch back.”

”I need to read up on the...”

”You have two more hours to read, how much can you need,” Jungkook said. “How far is the pawn shop? Maybe you only need 45 minutes.”

”I can take care of my own studies,” Taehyung insisted.

”Did you or did you not sign a paper saying you hand over control of yourself to me,” Jungkook asked, although it didn't sound much like a question.

”Yeah but...”

”Yes or no?”

”Of me, yeah, but it can't interfere with my studies...”

”Then you should have read the contract more carefully before you signed,” Jungkook said, “because it didn't make any exceptions. At 13:30 tomorrow, what will you do?”

Taehyung stared at the schedule and realized just exactly what vampire magic bullshit was, because he knew exactly what he would be doing. “Eat lunch and get my watch back.”

”Proper lunch, like steak or hamburger or something,” Jungkook said. “No sandwiches. Now come with me.”

”Where?” Taehyung asked, already climbing out of bed.

”You can't sit in here all evening.”

”I don't have anything to wear.”

Jungkook briefly looked him over. “That shirt is fine.”

”It's just cheap trash, and I don't have any good pants.”

”No one can tell what the shirt cost, you're too self-conscious. Some people need expensive shirts but according to Namjoon you're not one.”

According to Namjoon? ”And according to you I am?”

”No! But I don't know anything about fashion and stuff, Namjoon knows. Your pants are in the closet.”

His pants were in the closet? Taehyung went to look. The closet had a section with hangers, where he'd mashed his old clothes in on the bottom, and a section with drawers. In the top drawer were two items. Clean and neatly folded, Jin's shirt and his own expensive pants waited for him. “How...?” he said.

”They came back from the dry cleaner earlier,” Jungkook said. “I'll get you more pants later. Put them on, let's go.”

Switching pants while moving to not slow Jungkook down, Taehyung was jumping on one leg buttoning his fly by the time he went out the third door. “But,” he stammered, “they were ruined...?”

”I only know Jimin sent them to get cleaned,” Jungkook said.

”That girl...”

”Is this the girl in the dress because I don't know who that is still.”

”No, the... other girl... in the dress,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook stopped, grabbed his wrist and yanked him in. “You talk about a lot of girls,” he said.

”I.. eh... n-never mind,” Taehyung stuttered, caught in those beautiful eyes, so much so that when Jungkook started walking again he almost fell, stumbling over his own feet.

Jungkook kept holding his wrist. They made it upstairs where the rest of the regular group were seated, this time Suga as well, curled up in a corner between Hope and Jimin. Jin was for once not in the middle, but at one end talking to a tall brunette. Jungkook guided Taehyung to sit and sat outside him at the edge of the couch.

”South?” Jimin asked.

”It'll be winter so it'd be nice,” Namjoon said.

”We're heading south already?” Jungkook asked. “Isn't it a bit early?”

”We're staying another month so I can tally up the results properly,” Namjoon said.

”Are you coming along?” Jimin asked Hope.

Hope shrugged. “We'll see.”

Jungkook left for a moment, and Jin looked down at Taehyung's shoes with a disapproving face. "Go get something from the wardrobe," he said.

"Um, I don't want to ruin another pair..." Taehyung said, not wanting to cause more fights.

Jin laughed. "You didn't think I actually cared about some shoes, did you? It was amusing! Jungkook coming running to your rescue, like out of a romance novel. That grumpy brat!" He patted Taehyung's shoulder, still amused. "Don't embarrass us. Go get a better pair of shoes."

So he did. When he came back Jungkook was back. Taehyung had wondered what they did up there all night. He wasn't sure what he'd imagined, but not this. They talked about everyday things, like the things he heard his classmates talk about. News, weather, business, gossip. Suga said barely a word but listened attentively. They picked up random guests and talked to them here and there, saying hi to regulars and flirting shamelessly with anyone in sight. Even Jungkook, in a quiet, broody way that the girls seemed to love.

He hadn't wanted to come up here and watch Jungkook get his hands all over some girl, so when Jungkook had this skinny blonde with a really annoying voice sit down next to him, Taehyung got up.

”Sit down,” Jungkook said without looking.

Like his legs stopped carrying him, Taehyung fell back into the couch.

”Oooh you're the boss here,” the girl said.

Jungkook squeezed Taehyung's thigh, and then he said, “This is my pet.”

Taehyung resorted to what he always did when out of options; he smiled. A big bright smile at the girl, a light shrug like

sorry, that's just how it is

although why the fuck he did that he had no idea.

”Pet?” she said, thinking for a second. “Like a cat?”

”Exactly like a cat,” Jungkook said. His hand was still on Taehyung's thigh. Taehyung tried desperately to not look at it, because it would be weird, he didn't know why that was either but he'd given up on understanding anything at this point.

”I don't think exactly like,” she giggled.

”Exactly like,” Jungkook repeated and his hand finally came off Taehyung's leg to reach up and, fuck, his fingers sought their way through Taehyung's hair and scraped his scalp gently. “Right here behind the ear.”

Taehyung did everything in his power to stay exactly where he was and not lean into the touch, glaring at Jungkook. This guy did nothing but tease him, and now in public too?

”That's exactly how my cat looks at me when I'm doing something stupid,” the woman laughed. “Does it talk?”

”Maybe it bites,” Taehyung said, showing his teeth.

The smile he got back, not from her but from Jungkook, took him by surprise because it was genuine, affectionate even, and Jungkook's fingertips trailed down his skull and crept around the back of his neck and stayed there. Just a reassuring, possessive weight.

Okay, if Jungkook wanted to play he could play.

”Do you dress up your cat in cute outfits?” he asked.

She had to lean over Jungkook a little to hear him, and a touch of her perfume reached Taehyung. Some kind of citrus fruit. “I actually did last year's Halloween,” she said. ”He was a bat. Hold on.” She dug up her phone from her purse and flipped through some pictures. Taehyung tried to ignore the way Jungkook was studying him, and not staying on his face either. Was he hungry? “Here!” A photo of a slightly annoyed cat with a set of bat wings on its back and a black hood showed up in front of him.

”Waaah so cute!” he said spontaneously because it was super cute, and Jimin leaned over him to see, also making awed, cooing noises.

"I love cats," Jimin said, and Taehyung wondered if he was talking about the animal or him.

The woman nodded like Jimin was wise. ”My friend showed me this photo of a cat dressed up as a lobster, the other day. Now I'm thinking of making him a crab this Halloween.” Actually, this close, her voice wasn't annoying at all, she'd probably just been forced to scream before to be heard.

”That's awesome,” Taehyung said. “I wish I could have a dog, puppies are the cutest.”

”Oh why can't you?”

Because it cost too much and where would he put it. “I wish my owner would dress me up in cute outfits too,” he said, winking at Jungkook.

”Don't roll your eyes,” the blonde said, and Taehyung glanced at Jungkook but he wasn't doing anything now at least. “If he wants an outfit, you should give him one.”

They'd drawn the interest of a girl and a guy seated across the table with Hope, with the same shade of maroon hair and similar features. Maybe they were siblings, twins even.

”Oh my god totally,” the twin guy said, leaning forward.

”Is this some kind of kinky thing?” the twin girl said, looking around.

”You want to be a crab?” Jungkook asked Taehyung.

”Wow,” the blonde said, rolling her eyes now. “It's a hard life for you with this one, huh?”

Taehyung nodded, making big innocent eyes for pity.

”Go get me a drink,” Jungkook said, pushing him out of his seat. “Whiskey.”

”What else,” Taehyung said, stepping over legs and feet and table corners to get out. He made his way downstairs and... hey, they ordered up their drinks! He didn't have to go fetch anything, they employed people to do this! “Whiskey for Jungkook,” he told the bartender just in case Jungkook wanted some special type, and looked up towards the second floor while he waited. Had he said that to get rid of him? He ordered a drink for himself too, no one asked him to pay.

When he came back up, his seat was taken by the blonde girl. Jimin and Hope had gone somewhere, leaving only Jungkook with the three clubbers.

”Oh I'm sorry!” the blonde said when he handed Jungkook's whiskey over. “If we scoot in you can...”

”I don't think cats should be on the furniture,” Jungkook said.

Taehyung couldn't believe he was so easy. He smiled cutely and sat on Jungkook's lap. Tilted his head and wiggled his eyebrows. “Meow.”

Jungkook coughed. Their audience was laughing and cheering. “I think pets should stay on the floor,” Jungkook said, and it wasn't an order, it left plenty of room for Taehyung to decide for himself. So he nuzzled his nose into Jungkook's hair once and slid off his lap and sat on the floor, back to the couch, one leg bent, and sipped from his drink.

The guests cheered for him, he was blushing a lot but it was probably too dusky to see.

Hope returned and the six of them talked about other things for a while, getting more drinks and playing some kind of drinking game, the rules of which Taehyung never quite understood and maybe that was why he lost so much. The others lost their fair share too at least. Hope tried to get Taehyung off the floor, but one glare from Jungkook dissuaded any further attempts.

Finally the blonde girl leaned back, drink in her hand, and said, “What should we dress your pet as for Halloween though?”

All eyes turned to Taehyung, who resorted to smiling again.

”A cat?” the girl across the table suggested.

”That's not even a costume, is it,” the blonde said, then looked at Jungkook and reconsidered. “But maybe it's a soft start for you. Cat ears and a tail.”

”Ah, can't I be something scary,” Taehyung protested.

”Scary and cute... a vampire cat?”

They laughed, Taehyung laughed too but for other reasons. ”Don't you think a cat should have a collar though?” he asked. Everyone turned to him again. “I'm just wondering what you think.”

”Oh yeah,” the twin guy said. “Definitely.”

”With a little bell?” Hope asked, chuckling.

”No, just a nice band,” the blonde said. “With an expensive clasp, like gold or silver, in the back where it won't disturb the cat.”

The others cheered and continued to discuss it.

Taehyung wondered if Jungkook was angry. He was very silent, and certainly wasn't laughing, but then his arm slipped off the back of the couch and his hand grazed Taehyung's shoulder before two fingers dug in under his shirt collar and sent shivers all across his skin like lightning.

Someone had said something to him. "Hm?" he asked and they teased him about being drunk.

”Really though, are you two really...?” the blonde asked.

”They definitely are,” Hope helped.

Whatever that meant? "I wish," Taehyung said and made dreamy eyes at Jungkook, making them laugh again.

Jungkook got up. “Stay there,” he told Taehyung, like telling a puppy. Was he really angry? Taehyung watched his wide shoulders disappear around the corner.

”Someone's a little grumpy,” the other girl said.

”Always,” Hope said.

They started discussing designer brands, handbags Taehyung thought, but he wasn't really listening anymore. He wasn't sure why Jungkook played along. He didn't seem to like the whole pet owning idea, so why was he encouraging it? Taehyung was stuck here though, because of that one careless command off Jungkook's lips, he wasn't sure Jungkook had even meant it to be an order.

A few minutes later Jungkook returned. Instead of taking his seat again, he stopped in front of Taehyung. The party at the table went quiet. “Get up,” Jungkook said.

Taehyung got to his feet, putting his drink aside, heart rate picking up, wondering what Jungkook dared to do in public. Swiftly, gently, Jungkook swung something around his neck. Taehyung looked down and recognized the leather string with metal ends that he'd found in Jin's room of treasures; he hadn't understood what it was, but he'd liked it. Now Jungkook wrapped it twice around his neck and tied it loosely together. Jungkook's focus was on the necklace, fingers brushing against Taehyung's skin, but when he was done and his gaze lifted, their eyes met.

Taehyung couldn't breathe.

”It's not a collar, but I couldn't find anything better,” Jungkook said.

The girls laughing brought Taehyung back to life. He had no idea how long they'd been standing there, ten seconds or an hour. He tried to smile but was much too overwhelmed.

”Sit down,” Jungkook said, guiding him to the couch. “Just this once you can sit with the humans.” A smile was playing on his lips, Taehyung saw it even if he tried to hide it.

When Taehyung sat, the kinky girl started chanting “Kiss, kiss,” and without reservation Hope joined in, and suddenly they were all doing it, even people from other tables joining in while looking around to see what was going on. Taehyung was blushing, mostly from pure nervousness, worried that Jungkook would get annoyed with the attention.

Not seeming the slightest bit annoyed, however, Jungkook leaned over him, one hand on the back of the couch, and Taehyung didn't believe it, not even at the very last second, didn't really believe it when their lips touched either. Jungkook's lips were soft and tasted of whiskey, and Taehyung should be happy, should be grateful, but greed exploded through him. He took Jungkook's arm because he had to touch something and that was the least dangerous he could come up with. It only made him want to lift himself up by it, forcing all his weight on Jungkook. Jungkook sucking gently on his lower lip made him think of him sucking on his neck, and oh god he would moan, he could feel it pushing its way up his throat.

The girls were still cheering; screaming now in fact, laughing and squealing, and Hope and the guy were squealing too and also hugging each other.

Jungkook pulled away.

Before Taehyung could stop himself, “Thank you,” had already escaped over his lips, fortunately just a whisper. No one could have heard it over the noise. No one but Jungkook.

Calm and cool like ever before, Jungkook pushed him further in and sat down next to him, arm on the back of the couch behind Taehyung's head. “We're having a big party Halloween night,” he told the clubbers. “You should come. Costumes encouraged.”

”Oh here? Absolutely. I have this great idea...”

”I really have no idea what I'm wearing...”

”I think you'd look so fucking great as a vampire,” the blonde told Jungkook.

”But that's his normal look,” Hope teased, “not much of a costume.”

Taehyung tried to follow the conversation but his mind was swimming, his head intoxicated by Jungkook's sweet perfume. He dug his fingernails into his own thighs trying to distract himself. These pants were too tight to get excited in, and he was already past excited.

Jungkook nudged him lightly.

”Hm?”

”They asked you,” Jungkook said.

”What do you want to be on Halloween?” the blonde girl repeated.

”Ah, um, I could be a detective, like in comic books, spyglass and...”

”You mean magnifying glass,” Hope said.

”Oh with big glasses and a cute bow tie and...” everyone started chatting at the same time, the clubbers claiming it wasn't slutty enough and arguing with each other over it.

”Are you okay?” Jungkook murmured in his ear.

No, no he really wasn't, and Jungkook's voice rumbling in his ear wasn't helping. He gave a little shake of his head helplessly, shifting to cross his legs.

”Go back to your room,” Jungkook said. “Wait for me.”

”I have to go to work,” Taehyung said and got up.

"So hot though," the twin girl said.

"Mm, I know," the blonde said.

"Swing your tail, kitten!" the twin guy called.

Him, they were talking about him, he was so hot? Taehyung glanced behind himself and all five of them at the table were looking at him. Actually, all five were looking at his ass. Somewhat stunned, he wiggled his hips slightly, a little awkwardly. The clubbers cheered and whistled. Blushing, he ran off.

Once he was inside the room, back in the safe space behind all the doors, even if they weren't locked now, he paced once back and forth before he sat on the bed.

Wait for me

. He couldn't expect anything; Jungkook was a goddamned evil tease that never gave him what he wanted, and he'd fucking explode this time, he'd lose it. So he had to bring expectations down, but what the hell, what the

fuck,

the necklace and the kiss – the kiss! Right in front of everyone! – what was he supposed to think?

Why the fuck were these pants so tight!

He got up and paced again to work away some energy. Was it hot in here? He pulled the shirt over his head and threw it in the corner. God tomorrow was Monday, how was he supposed to...

Taehyung jumped, turning and finding Jungkook standing inside the door. “Fuck!” he said before he could stop himself. Sneaky fucking vampires.

Something was weird. Jungkook's eyes were trailing his movement, but something felt off. Taehyung walked up to him carefully, feeling somehow like he was pulled by a magnetic power, and he realized what was wrong when he reached Jungkook. “You're not breathing,” he said.

”Does it bother you?” Jungkook asked.

”No,” Taehyung said, putting his palm to Jungkook's chest. “It's a different feeling, but it's not bad. It's like you're a dream. A good dream,” he added, giving Jungkook a crooked smile.

”More like a nightmare,” Jungkook said.

Taehyung remembered what Namjoon had said before. “You're alive,” he said. He sounded so sure he impressed himself. “Before you said that you're dead because you don't have a heartbeat, but there's animals that don't even have hearts, right, and they're alive.”

Jungkook's hands came up, gently taking his elbows.

”But you had to die to turn, right? Do you remember it?” Taehyung asked.

”You really ask whatever comes to mind,” Jungkook said. “Let me ask you something.”

Taehyung nodded.

”Did you touch yourself when you got here?”

The little butterflies came alive in Taehyung's stomach again. “No,” he said.

”I didn't tell you either way.”

”You said wait for you.”

”That could mean a lot of things,” Jungkook said.

”No,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook's hand moved up to the back of his neck again, like it belonged there. “You like your collar?”

”Yes.”

Slowly, gently, Jungkook wrapped the string around his finger, tightening it around Taehyung's neck, looking into his eyes. Taehyung's air supply was slowly being cut off and Jungkook attentively watched his body fill up with restlessness until his hands started lifting of themselves, wanting to free him, his eyes closing. Then Jungkook yanked him forward, digging his nose into his neck, and Taehyung realized if he bit, that was it. It was amazing, mind-blowing in fact, but he wanted something else tonight. Enough with the teasing.

”No!” Taehyung shoved Jungkook in the chest, so hard it would have separated them except Jungkook's fingers were still trapped in the necklace and they were both yanked to a stop. “Ah!” Taehyung groaned as the leather string cut painfully into his neck.

Jungkook untangled his fingers and grabbed his neck properly instead, his eyes had already shifted color, his lips slowly parting.

”No,” Taehyung said again, hands against his chest, muscles cramping up in preparation for having to fight.

The hint of a snarl passed over Jungkook's face, a flash of anger that got Taehyung's heart hammering, then he paused, the hunger controlled. “You can't refuse me,” Jungkook said.

”I can tell you no,” Taehyung said. “You can take it, or order me, but I can still tell you what I want.”

”You've been asking for it all night,” Jungkook growled.

”No.” He took a new breath as if the fresh air could give him more confidence, but he only breathed in more of Jungkook's perfume. “I want something else.”

Jungkook didn't like that, Taehyung could see it. His cold poker face had been abandoned when he bared his hunger and he couldn't get it back under control.

”Let me,” Taehyung said. Licked his lips. “You'll like it. We'll trade. Let me, and then you can do what you want with me.”

”Let you what,” Jungkook said warily.

Taehyung nervously licked his lips again, trying to hold on to the confident tone he'd managed to conjure out of nowhere. “I'll show you,” he offered, reaching his hands around Jungkook's waist and pulling his shirt out of his pants. Button by button he opened the shirt, his fingers sliding over skin and silk. Just testing a little he raked his nails down Jungkook's front, not too hard.

Fangs were coming into the game again. Taehyung quickly moved on, wondering if pain triggered them. His fumbling hands managed to unbuckle Jungkook's belt and get his pants open. Oh god. He knew Jungkook was watching him but he couldn't resist looking down to see his own fingers disappear inside those smooth leather pants.

Jungkook caught his wrist.

”Ow,” Taehyung said, hurt in more ways than one. “Just let me...”

Jungkook's eyes were burning. “Taehyung, what do you want,” he demanded between his teeth and Taehyung just dropped to his knees, and if Jungkook hadn't held on to his arm he would have hit the floor painfully. He reached for Jungkook's fly. ”No,” Jungkook said.

For a moment he was trapped there, with everything he wanted so close, just breathing while his blood boiled.

Jungkook let go of him. “Hands on your back.”

Taehyung hurried to comply.

”Don't move your hands. Take your left hand with your right and do not. Let. Go.”

”Yes, sir,” Taehyung said. Anything. He was afraid of how much he wanted this, because what if Jungkook didn't give it to him. Anything to increase his chances.

Jungkook pushed his own pants and underwear down, right there in front of Taehyung, just a couple of inches away from his lips that were probably red from all the chewing. Taehyung had never wanted anything or anyone the way he wanted Jungkook. Jungkook touched himself slowly, didn't make a sound so Taehyung moaned in his place.

”You really want it?” Jungkook asked.

”Yes,” Taehyung said immediately.

”Then ask me,” Jungkook said.

”Please,” Taehyung begged, struggling to hold still and not squirm forward to get closer.

Jungkook ran his fingers down the side of Taehyung's face. “You do want it, don't you,” he whispered, like it was mystifying and surprising.

Nothing was surprising. Taehyung had wanted this for days, for weeks, god damned. From the first moment he'd seen the dark, mysterious stranger leaned against the railing on the VIP balcony, he'd known exactly what he wanted. He'd tried to ignore it because how could it ever happen, how would someone like him ever even get to speak to someone like that, but here he was, his fingers still remembering the sensation of Jungkook's pale skin beneath the black silk shirt.

”Jungkook,” he said, the name itself delicious because he was allowed to say it. “Please, can I blow you?"

”No,” Jungkook said, and Taehyung groaned with disappointment, clenching his jaw to stay in place and not lunge, lunging would just make Jungkook angry, he knew it. Jungkook still looked like he found it hard to believe. “You get off on this? Show me. You can move your hands, show me.”

Taehyung fumbled his fly open, letting out a relieved sigh because the tight pants were quite painful at this point. Jungkook nudged him to lean back so he could see properly.

“No one will touch you tonight,” Jungkook said, “so if you want something you better do it yourself.”

Taehyung's hands were shaking as he followed the directions, moaning between labored breaths. He looked up to Jungkook's face and wasn't prepared for the fact that his dark, mysterious stranger seemed to be enjoying himself too. He'd thought it was just him being sick and perverted, maybe Jungkook taking pity on him, but Jungkook's eyelids were heavy, his gaze wandering Taehyung's body. “Please,” Taehyung tried again, “let me, I'll do anything you want, anything.”

”Open your mouth.” Jungkook took a step closer, eyes roaming Taehyung's lips. “Oh fuck,” he groaned. In that unguarded moment, Taehyung sucked him into his mouth. Latching on like a leech he worked for his life, coming up to gasp for air only long enough to see Jungkook's head falling back. Knowing Jungkook liked it was such an amazing rush. That was all that mattered. He got a little too ambitious and had to sit down and cough.

"Sorry!"

Jungkook grabbed his hair, forcing his face up so their eyes met. There were no more doubts. “Good kitty,” he whispered, smiling gently.

”I'm sorry,” Taehyung said again. “It's… it's the first time. I'll get better. I'll practice!”

Jungkook shook his head. ”You did well. Is there anything you want?”

Anticipation shot through Taehyung's body, he chewed on his lips. What did he dare ask for? "I… can I see you…?"

Jungkook frowned for a second like he wasn't sure, but then he stood up straight and worked himself.

Taehyung couldn't figure out where to look. At Jungkook's chiseled body, muscles working to his own music? Or Jungkook's face, waiting for signs, wanting to see him come? Or Jungkook's hand working right there in front of him, glistening. He was still trying to decide when Jungkook groaned, letting out one single breath, or more like having the air pushed out of his lungs. Jungkook pulled him forward and Taehyung hurried to comply. Done, he sat back panting, just looking at his vampire prince standing over him because he couldn't believe… Jungkook crouched in front of him, the golden honey glow in his eyes slightly dampened, like someone had pulled a thin black veil over them. He shook his head but his eyes were affectionate, like he couldn't believe what he was looking at.

”Thank you,” Taehyung said. Jungkook's eyes dropped to his crotch, and he was embarrassed but he needed it. “Please,” he whispered.

”You want to come?” Jungkook asked.

”Please don't tease me,” Taehyung begged.

A quick smile passed over Jungkook's lips. His fingers gently threaded through Taehyung's hair as he leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Show me.”

His voice dripped down Taehyung's spine like hot honey. Jungkook's words alone almost pushed him over, all he needed were a quick few strokes, his body having been tensed to the max for so long that coming was a relief of suffering, draining the last of his energy in an instant. He fell backwards, but Jungkook caught him.

”Now can I take what's mine,” he murmured against Taehyung's skin, kissing his collar bone.

”Whatever you want,” Taehyung swore, “everything is yours.”

This time his body was already overwhelmed. When Jungkook's fangs pierced his skin it couldn't handle the flooding of senses, but chose to shut down instead.

He dreamed of home. His old house where he grew up, the room that didn't exist anymore, family dinners with the four of them gathered, poor food but rich with love. Putting pieces of his sister's favorite foods on her plate when his parents weren't looking, and her smiles like little suns. When he woke up he didn't know where he was. Nothing was familiar, the bed, the walls, the empty space, most of all the empty space. The only thing he knew was that it was all horrible and wrong,

wrong

, and he sat up and his head spun. It frightened him, his breaths caught in his throat and he couldn't seem to get them back under control.

”Shhh. Taehyung.”

Fingers feathered over his cheek, hands took his shoulders. Oh, okay. “I thought I was alone,” Taehyung said. ”I thought you left me.”

”I went to fetch something to drink for you.”

”I can't... I can't...” How could he explain that it felt like being torn in two, right down the middle, flesh and nerves and sinews ripping. Leaving his family had ripped his heart right out of him but he'd learned to ignore that empty space inside, for months and years he'd ignored it, but now he remembered what it had felt like to have a place where he belonged in a way that could never be put into question. A place where he was always welcome, where he never had to apologize for being himself. Just like his old room, that place didn't exist anymore because leaving his family, betraying them, meant he could never go back. How could he explain what it meant to him, this room made only for him, and his place by Jungkook's side. That he felt like he belonged here, secured by their signatures in perfect black ink, and a leather string around his neck. That losing it, being ripped apart again, would drive him insane. “Please don't leave,” he whispered.

”Shhh.” Jungkook sat behind him and put an arm around his shoulders.

Little by little the feeling faded until he could breathe normally again. “I feel dizzy.”

”You've drank a lot and lost some blood,” Jungkook said. “Here, have some water.”

He drank from the glass Jungkook handed him. The cold water seemed to clear his head. “Oh my god, work...”

”You've only been out a moment, and I locked us in now,” Jungkook said. He let go so Taehyung could turn around to see him, but kept a hand on Taehyung's thigh. The touch was reassuring. “How much do you eat in a day, normally?”

Taehyung shrugged.

”You're so thin,” Jungkook said, moving his hand to Taehyung's ribs and running his fingers over them. “I shouldn't have bit you tonight. You need to recover.”

”It's okay.”

”You'll have money now,” Jungkook promised. “You need to eat. Promise me.”

”I promise,” Taehyung said, because what else could he do?

”And if the money isn't enough, if you want to eat something, anytime, when you're here or... whatever. If you suddenly want banana ice cream at 3AM, just tell me and I'll figure it out.”

Taehyung smiled, stupidly touched by banana ice cream.

”I mean it,” Jungkook said, determined but a little flustered, out of his comfort zone.

”You don't have to feel guilty,” Taehyung said.

Jungkook frowned. “For what?” he questioned.

Desire and fulfillment pulsed once deep inside Taehyung's chest, his body too tired and sated to make anything of it, just a simple reminder of how Jungkook just kept hitting the right spots. “I just meant...”

”Let's not talk about that,” Jungkook said, looking away.

Okay? “How often do you need to eat?” Taehyung asked instead.

”It depends, not very often,” Jungkook said. “We lose body heat after a few days, it might not be comfortable for you. I can still eat Jin's blood packs when you don't want to so...”

”But I can be enough right? You don't need so much that one person isn't enough?”

”If you eat well,” Jungkook scolded. “But it really isn't a problem, Jin has a steady supply and I'm not picky.”

”I don't want you to drink those anymore,” Taehyung said. “Please? Please say you won't?”

”I thought I was the one who could do whatever I wanted?” Jungkook teased.

”That's why I'm asking,” Taehyung said. “Begging?” He got up on his knees. “Please, I want to be enough for you.”

”Alright, alright.” Jungkook pushed him to sit down again, embarrassed. “As long as it's safe to.”

Good. Taehyung didn't want to share him with those campus jerks. Well, they were good people for donating blood, perhaps, but they were still jerks, some of them. “Do you have to treat me like I'm made of glass?”

”What?” Jungkook frowned at him, trying to follow.

”I mean, you're strong, right? Like, you could lift a car?”

Jungkook actually considered that. “Probably. I've never tried. I don't know what cars weigh.”

”Doesn't that mean you have to be careful to not hurt people all the time?”

”It doesn't work like that,” Jungkook said. “Like this I'm a normal person, I have to make a conscious effort to do the... other stuff. Same thing with the other guys; Jimin's mind reading, Hope's flight.”

”Hope can fly?!” Taehyung tried to imagine it, that skinny, agile guy zipping across the skies.

”It's more like hovering,” Jungkook said.

“Jimin said you don't have any special powers.”

”I'm boring. A little stronger, a little faster, a little sturdier.”

”A little smarter?” Taehyung asked.

Jungkook gave a definite head shake, chuckling quietly.

”Hey,” Taehyung said, “you're always so stiff when we talk outside... it's like I have to seduce you to have a regular conversation.”

Jungkook looked surprised. “I... am? I haven't really thought about it, but it's different in the club. We have roles to play, that's our job. It's part of Jin's marketing.”

”You're the quiet cool guy,” Taehyung realized.

”It wasn't my idea,” Jungkook said. "But uh, Jin says I suck at acting so... it's better if I'm quiet."

”It suits you, I thought you looked like a prince,” Taehyung said. “Ah, was it really okay?”

”What we did out there? Now you're concerned about that?”

”I didn't do anything! You started! In front of everyone!”

”They usually like when we flirt with each other," Jungkook said with a little crooked smile. "I thought they might like this too, and they did, but then, when you talked about the collar you looked like you… actually wanted one, and I just...” he shrugged.

”You did it for show?” Taehyung said, eyes widening. "You used me to market the club?"

”Don't pretend you're upset. I know you liked it, it turned you on, those girls talking about you and looking at you.”

Taehyung blushed, very much so against his will, and demonstratively turned the other way. Maybe it was true but that was beside the point! If Jungkook had only done it for show... but he said it had changed along the way. The giving of the collar had been honest, and that was the most important part. Taehyung reached for it and... “Ah!” he looked around, lifting the cover. “Where...!”

”I took it off you, so you wouldn't strangle yourself as you slept,” Jungkook said. “What?” he added when Taehyung kept staring at him. He felt his pockets. “I must have left it outside.”

He said it with such flippancy, like he didn't care one way or another. Taehyung moped.

”You can't sleep in it anyway,” Jungkook pointed out, “and it's Monday tomorrow, which is very soon, so you need to sleep.”

Ah right, damn it. “But you could have just put it here...” Taehyung whined.

”I'm sorry, I didn't realize it was so important,” Jungkook said.

Jungkook saying that felt worse than losing it in the first place. Taehyung touched his own throat. He'd only worn that leather string for an hour, but he missed it, his neck felt empty.

“I'll let you sleep,” Jungkook said, getting out of the bed.

"Will I get superpowers?" Taehyung realized, just as Jungkook was about to leave.

"Huh?"

"Jimin said humans get your abilities if they drink vampire blood. Is it only blood?"

Jungkook looked him over, like he'd forgotten what they'd done before he bit him, then quickly turned his back. "I don't know," he said. "I guess we'll find out."

"Do you cry? Could I eat your tears and get superpowers?"

"How do you have so many questions," Jungkook chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Taehyung drank all the water, sensing that the hangover would not be great. He thought he'd have a hard time falling asleep, he felt pretty worked up with a lot of thoughts spinning, but he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26th

Taehyung felt like a zombie, hung over and probably a little anemic. After leaving his room he fell asleep again on one of the VIP couches and woke up to raised voices.“Why are you angry?”Suga walked past Taehyung's couch, closely followed by Hope. ”Stop following me!””Why are you upset?” Hope asked again.”I'm not upset!”They stopped a short way away. Taehyung pulled a pillow over his head.”I know you're angry with me, so just tell me what it is?” Hope said.”You have no idea?” Suga demanded. “Don't come any closer!””I'm not going to bite you,” Hope said, sounding hurt.”Stay over there!””I'm not going to bite you! Listen, for one Jin would kick me out on my ass if I even tried to bite anyone inside the club, and secondly, I like you! I told you already.””Yeah, you like me, and my nice warm tasty blood!””Not like that.” Hope sighed. “Yoongi, whatever you think you know about vampires, can you just relax and let me explain how it really is? I like you. I like talking to you, and hanging out with you, and if you would let me within touching distance, there's a few other things I'd like, concerning other body fluids than blood.””The moment I'm out of sight you've got girls on your arms,” Suga said.”It's just for show, for the club, the others do the same thing.” Taehyung lifted the pillow off his face because Hope sounded closer, and in fact Hope was standing right next to him pointing to him. “These two too, they put on a show for the guests yesterday but it's just for show.””Um,” Taehyung said.”So the whole 'if you get bitten you become a slave' thing is just bullshit?” Suga asked.”Actually,” Taehyung said.”No, but I already told you I don't want to bite you.” Hope's gestures were intended to calm Suga down, but didn't seem to make him lose any steam.”So Taehyung asked to get bitten? He woke up one morning and decided he'd like to live out his days bending over whenever Jungkook raised an eyebrow?” Suga demanded.”It was an accident,” Taehyung said. Both of them finally kept their mouths shut long enough for him to speak. “Some of my blood got into Jungkook's drink accidentally and... yeah. So. And also, yesterday, it wasn't, not all of it was for show.””An accident.” Suga shook his head. “That's believable.”Taehyung was taken aback by the accusation. “You think I asked for it?””Apparently not all of yesterday was for show,” Suga said. “So you tell me.”Taehyung blinked slowly, trying to come up with something to say but he was too tired.”So he accidentally tasted some of your blood and went berserk and bit you,” Suga continued. “That's reassuring.””He's young, something like that wouldn't happen with the rest of us,” Hope said.”Well, I'd rather be on the safe side,” Suga said. “My mind stays my own, alright? I won't even risk it. You stay over there.””For fuck's sake,” Hope sighed.”I have to go to school,” Taehyung realized. Neither of them cared, though, didn't even seem to notice him leaving but kept arguing.He spent half the morning chewing on pens and thinking about what Suga had said. Apparently not all of yesterday was for show. He hadn't literally asked to get bitten, he did remember the chain of events with crystal clarity, but what he'd told Jungkook was also true. He'd seen that dark mysterious stranger on the VIP balcony and tried his damned best to un-see him, because he hadn't imagined walks on the beach, or picnics in the park with his sister, or growing old in matching garden chairs on a porch. What he'd imagined had involved a lot more blood, sweat and tears, long before he'd known about Jungkook's special relationship to one of those.He hadn't asked for it, he'd wished for it. Just like he'd wished for money and, just the other day, food. What kind of ungrateful bastard didn't appreciate getting exactly what he wished for? Clearly trying to evict Jungkook from his mind was pointless, and Taehyung was more the type to roll with the blows. Let's just fucking go for it, he thought to himself, while chewing on his third pen of the day and drawing in his T he modern handshake: how to present yourself online textbook.At 13:30 he opened his schedule and found Jungkook's adjustments. Lunch + pawn shop. He went to the place he'd walked by a few days ago and ordered a steak. He got full halfway through because he wasn't used to eating this much at once. When he swept his card he fidgeted, suddenly convinced the woman would stop and give him a stressed look and say the payment was refused, and when he tried to stammer explanations her expression would turn into pity. Instead she handed him a receipt and wished him a nice day.He paced outside the pawnshop a little, nervous. What if the watch was sold? Then he thought of Jungkook's calm, steady brown eyes when giving the command, and went in. He had to search the many displays carefully before he found it, furthest into the store, thrown in with a bunch of cheap bracelets. He felt sad seeing it there, like it was a piece of junk that no one cared about. The old man behind the counter fetched it and slowly and meticulously pushed buttons on his ancient equipment. While they waited for the graying card machine to get into contact with the server, perhaps by sending a pigeon, the old man pushed down his glasses and stared at Taehyung.“Aren't you the young man who sold me this watch,” he said.“Yeah,” Taehyung said.“Ah you looked so sad, it broke my heart,” The old man hummed. “I see a lot of sad bastards in here, but you're different. I won't charge you any extra.”“No, no, I want to, you have to earn your living too,” Taehyung said. “I'm happy it was still here. I'm doing well now, it's no problem.”“I put it in the case with the worst lighting,” the old man admitted. “I hoped it'd give you a month or a few. I'm glad things worked out for you.”“Thank you,” Taehyung said.He felt infinitely better when he left, the watch safely locked around his wrist. Then he had to study like a crazy person because he couldn't remember a thing from the morning seminars.“Your emotional growth these last few lessons has been amazing,” one of his acting teachers told him. “Did anything happen in your life?”“It has to be because of teacher...!” He smiled brightly in response. Jungkook wasn't just solving all the other problems in his life, he was improving his acting too.When he arrived at the club that evening, Jimin was waiting for him.“Hey,” he said, casually falling into step with Taehyung.“Hey.”“So, I wanted to tell you first before you heard it somewhere else.”“What?” Taehyung stopped walking.“Namjoon made the call,” Jimin said. “The numbers are excellent. We're staying for the Halloween event, and then we're packing up and leaving.”Halloween was on fucking Saturday. This Saturday. “But...”“I know it's too soon,” Jimin said. “There's other reasons too. The longer we stay in one place the more trouble arrives. There's rival vampire groups; we don't usually fight directly but some have human followers that can be a lot of trouble. And there's those that kill our kind in general.”“Vampire hunters,” Taehyung realized. “Of course.”“The guy that attacked you is part of a cult that follows one of these other groups, they're more or less always running after us trying to cause trouble so we're used to them. But we've got news of a bigger storm coming to this town and we'd like to be out by then.”Less than a week. “Where's Jungkook?”“Moping.” Taehyung looked at Jimin in surprise, and Jimin smiled and shook his head. “Moni wants live music in here a couple of hours on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, local bands, new talent. They had a woman here test-singing just before you came, she was great.”“He gets upset? But people must sing here all the time?”“Yeah and he hides in the back then too, but Moni rapped with her, and they sounded great, and suddenly Jungkookie shut himself in his room to mope. It's the kind of stuff he did with Moni before he was turned into an unspeakable horror. We've told him a hundred thousand times he can still sing, death didn't rot away his talent, but he just gets angry so we gave up.”“Should I try?”“If you want,” Jimin said. “Don't get upset if he ignores you. He's extremely stubborn.”Taehyung headed for the back rooms, not thinking twice before he opened Jungkook's door.He had time to hear a single tone before Jungkook had jerked away and stared at him like he'd just tried to kill him. “Oh, hi, um, that's...” Taehyung started.“Out!” Jungkook said.“I thought you didn't sing anymore,” Taehyung noted.“Get out!” Jungkook said, and that did register as a command so Taehyung backed out of the room.“When you're done not singing, I want to show you something,” he said.“Close the door!” Jungkook barked and Taehyung shut the door.Staring at the door, Taehyung thought being magically compelled to follow someone's commands made it a bit difficult to argue with them. It was actually quite annoying. However, Jungkook had just told him to close it and he'd done that, that command was done. So he tried opening it again and could do that without problem.Jungkook glared at him, surprised, but at least not yelling. “Didn't I tell you to get out,” he said.“I did that already,” Taehyung answered. “Now I'm coming in.” He went inside and closed the door behind him. The room got pitch black. Jungkook tried to leave, but there was so little space next to the alien coffin that Taehyung could bravely stand in the way. “Don't mind me,” he said.“Move,” Jungkook said.Just like out , that didn't register as a command for some reason. Taehyung stayed. “I'm your pet anyway, who would be self-conscious about their cat being in the room,” he tried. Jungkook's anger was only a paper thin layer over other emotions, Taehyung knew, so when Jungkook gave up a tiny sigh and stopped trying to leave, he teased, “Meow.”They stood there for a little while. Apparently Jungkook wasn't going to sing, or say anything, so Taehyung thought for a second, and launched into, "Why would you say my confession is a cruel joke? You think I make my tears fall to make fun of you?" He'd played Lysander in his school's modern version of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He gestured, properly into the role as if on stage. "Please, look at me, I swear! Do I look like I'm lying? How can you think my feelings aren't real, when I'm laying them bare here in front of you!" He sniffed, and the next breath was a little shaky. This was his strength as an actor, his teacher said. He felt the emotions he acted. Out of it came a sort of confidence; he wasn't trying to convince anyone of something that wasn't true, he really felt sad.Lysander was trying to convince Helena his love was real, while she thought he was mocking her. It wasn't difficult to find the emotion; Taehyung was trying, in his own way, to convince Jungkook of his sincerity. While Lysander's love was the result of a magical mishap, and Taehyung wasn't sure how much of how he felt was vampire magic bullshit, that didn't make the emotions less real, didn't make it hurt less. He sniffed a second time and felt tears roll down his cheeks.He twitched as his face was touched, a thumb to wipe a tear away.
"Don't cry."Taehyung smiled wide, laughing through the tears. "Good, aren't I?" He couldn't see a thing, could only guess from Jungkook's touch where he might be. He heard nothing but his own breaths, but then something flashed right next to his face, a brief glimmer of gold. Taehyung twitched away, then realized it had to be Jungkook's eyes. "Whoa! Your eyes actually glow?" he asked, reaching out and touching Jungkook's hair.Jungkook silently let him run his fingers through his hair for a moment. "You're acting?""It is the heart and mind that loves, not the eyes; there is a reason they say love is blind," he recited more lines. "You can see, can't you? You see in darkness.""Yeah," Jungkook said softly. "You can make yourself cry, just like that, in a minute?""My record is 21 seconds," Taehyung said. That was without lines though. "One girl in my class can do it in 16.""I see why you want to be an actor," Jungkook said."Why do you want to be a singer?"Jungkook moved out of his touch and disappeared. He moved silently and didn't even breathe, so that Taehyung had no chance to figure out where he was."I showed you mine," Taehyung complained. "Show me yours.""No," Jungkook said from further away."Meow," Taehyung tried again."Taehyung," Jungkook said, coming closer again. Taehyung felt around and found him right in front of him. Guided by his hands, emboldened by feeling invisible in the darkness, he leaned in to kiss. "Get out of this room, don't touch the door and don't come back in."Taehyung froze, but still somehow let go of Jungkook and left the room. He stopped outside to watch Jungkook close the door in his face. He could cry in 21 seconds, but he couldn't get rid of the feelings he provoked as easily. Squeezing his eyes shut to not cry more, he wiped his face and went back out into the club.Jimin fell into step with him. He wished he could get used to them showing up out of nowhere without a sound. "Like I said," Jimin said. "Stubborn.""Oh, he sang for me though?" Taehyung said, curious. When Jimin didn't say anything, just shot him an amused look, he asked, "So super hearing too?""Not really," Jimin said, "mostly I can see the look on your face."Taehyung laughed, because of course. He didn't know why his instant assumption was that Jimin could hear their conversation through four thick doors, when he'd probably looked like a kicked puppy. "He said you can see in the dark," he said, as if that was an excuse. "Is it in black and white, like a cat?""Kind of," Jimin said. "Black, white and… red? Living things, no that's not right trees live too, I guess it's things we can eat actually. Anything that has blood, gets a special… color.""Is it pretty?"Jimin smiled and thought quite seriously about that. "Yeah," he said, nodding slowly. "It is, actually. It's not quite a color, it's like… energy.""Can you cry?"The smile died. "No.""Oh." He'd planned to ask the superpower question, but the mood was wrong."Hope asked me to ask you," Jimin said, shaking his head as if shaking out thoughts, "if you could talk to Suga and explain about us. He said Suga doesn't believe him.""He won't believe me either," Taehyung thought. "He thinks Jungkook controls my mind and stuff.""Could you try?"He shrugged. "Okay."Out in the club he got a coke, not having to wink and smile his way to it this time because he planned to pay for it, but no one asked him for any money. When he asked if he shouldn't pay, they said wasn't he in with the brass now and got the same benefits, and he told them to treat him like before. "You leeched coke before too," they told him, so he gave up and brought his coke to a table in a corner.Some people were moving things around to prepare the stage. The club would open soon. Taehyung watched them run back and forth like worker ants. He tried to imagine himself the way the guys at the bar had, and leaned back in the black faux leather seat the way Jin did upstairs. In with the brass. He was an upstairs guy now, right? No one would send Jungkook's pet downstairs.Suga slid into the seat next to him, throwing him a curious eye. He scrambled to sit up normally, and snickered with embarrassment. "Hey," he said."You wanted to talk to me?" Suga asked."You think it's a bad thing? The vampire bullshit?" Taehyung asked, wondering where he was going and how to convince Suga it was fine. And also if he wanted to convince him."Not you too," Suga said.Taehyung shook his head insistently. "I'm asking honestly.""You don't think so? You don't mind them treating you like food, and controlling your mind? Not to talk about the… the many, many problematic things, like, what even is consent for you at this point? And how do you know they're telling the truth when they say all that stuff about how they'd never kill anyone and are nice, friendly vampires?"Taehyung thought about that."What if Jungkook's control is what makes you accept all this shit?""No," Taehyung said, sure about that at least. "I was the same before. I found out what they were before he bit me, and, don't you think it's a little bit cool? I mean, vampires! It's real!""Great," Suga said. "You're an Anne Rice groupie."Taehyung laughed at that. "I haven't really thought about it like that. Mind control and consent and if they're telling the truth and stuff. I like it here."Suga gave him a disgusted glare, and he turned away to drink some coke. Being judged wasn't the greatest feeling, but he could handle that. What bothered him, really, was that Suga's questions were probably the same as Jungkook's, and it wasn't like he could prove what was his own decisions and what was vampire magic bullshit."You're clearly the stupidest person I've ever met, and at the same time… there's something about you," Suga said."Fine, explain to me then, about consent and whatever.""No," Suga said. "You're not going to get it. You want to stay so you stay, it's that simple?"Taehyung frowned at his glass. He'd left everyone he loved to pursue his dream, he'd refused to give up even when so poor that his only shot at getting reasonable nutrition was to charm people into buying him fruits in the cafeteria. He wanted to stay, so he stayed. "Is being a musician logically the best way to live?" he asked.Suga leaned back, a little stunned. "Hah," he said, looking up at the spotlights covering the ceiling. "So fucking stupid, but definitely something.""Why do you care?" Taehyung asked. "Did Hope offer?""Offer what?""To turn you."Suga shook his head. "Any one of them could attack me and it's not like I could stop them," he said. "I have to decide if I'm coming back here ever again.""You've hung out with them a lot," Taehyung said. "They don't attack people.""Taehyung," Suga said, amused but also somewhat worried. "They're predators, and we're prey. Everything about them is designed to entrap us. They're gorgeous, for one. That perfect skin, those eyes. And all this," he gestured to the club, "the music, the clothes, the drinks. Bait."Taehyung spun his glass, thinking. Jungkook slid in on the other side of him, dressed for the club in black silk and leather, hair messily swept back. Just looking at him made Taehyung's heart beat faster, and the flowery perfume pulled his mind in predictable directions. A shard of him was still scared of Jungkook but that only increased the irresistible pull. Bait?"Was there something you wanted to show me?" Jungkook asked.He put his arm forward on the table and pulled up his sleeve to show the watch. "I went to the pawn shop and got it back as you said. And I ate a proper lunch. Steak."Jungkook smiled. "And dinner?""What?""Dinner," Jungkook enunciated."I don't really eat dinner.""You should." He nodded towards the front door. "There's a couple of restaurants down the street."Taehyung shook his head. "It's fine. This is dinner," he said, pointing at the coke.Jungkook turned to Suga. "Have you eaten?""Nah, I was going to grab something in a bit.""You eat around here all the time, don't you?" Jungkook asked, and when Suga nodded, he turned back to Taehyung. "Hey. You're going to bring Suga and let him show you a nice place to eat, and have dinner there."Taehyung smiled a fairly annoyed smile. "Really?"Jungkook waited until they had eye contact, frowning with thought, and said, a little carefully, "You're feeling hungry." He kept watching Taehyung like he was testing something.Actually, Taehyung was a bit hungry, that's why he was filling his stomach with fizzy bubbles, he was just so used to it that it didn't really register. "Just a little. Okay fine. Want to go eat?" Taehyung asked while ushering Suga out of his seat. Suga was watching the exchange with narrowed eyes, Taehyung could only imagine what he was thinking about mind control and everything. "Do you have a favorite place?""There's a place that has really nice burgers," Suga told him, a faint hint of a smile starting to play over his lips. "Are you a little piggy being fattened up for Christmas?""Fuck you," Taehyung told him.They went to Suga's burger place, it was somewhat expensive but once smelling the food his mouth was watering, and anyway he literally didn't have a choice. There were so many options for fillings and toppings and bread that he didn't know what to do and Suga had to recommend him something. The burger was home made and so big that Taehyung couldn't finish it despite not eating any fries. His stomach was still in shock from the steak earlier. He sat back staring at the remaining third."I think I need to go throw up so I can eat the rest," he chuckled. It was delicious."I already feel complicit in fucking you up, I'm not letting you develop eating disorders," Suga told him, brushing crumbs off his fingers. He ate slowly, deliberately, always looking at what he was about to put in his mouth like he needed to inspect it for safety, so he wasn't more than halfway done."Complicit?" Taehyung asked."I'm standing by letting it happen, aren't I?""You're respecting my choice," Taehyung thought."Should I respect your choice to develop eating disorders too?"Talking to Suga was too hard on his head. "I'm not studying ethics," he muttered.Suga chuckled.They talked a bit about this and that while Suga finished his meal; school, acting and music, TV shows they'd watched as kids. Taehyung lamented being too full for dessert, because this place had a lot of options, with ice cream and chocolate and flavored syrup, and Suga told him he could always come back another day. He hadn't thought about that. Today wasn't a special day of spoiling himself, this was his new everyday life. He could eat like this, all the time?"I'll be such a fat little piggy," he declared, patting his stomach, and Suga laughed at him. On the way back Suga kept glancing at him. "What?""You're happy," Suga noted.He shrugged. "I'm probably not getting what I want tonight though.""Why?""I pissed him off," Taehyung said cheerfully. He had no idea if Jungkook held grudges or what to do about it. Actually, it was possible Jungkook had insisted on dinner just to annoy him."What's it like?""Um… good? It's not much different than sex with normal people, I don't think."They kept walking in silence for a moment, before Suga said, "I mean being bitten.""Oh, well, good. It feels… actually it's better than sex." Suga snorted. "I guess that's bait too. Except they said people still freak out and run away.""But not you," Suga guessed. "Namjoon?""He's not food." Suga's eyes narrowed again, that way that meant he was judging and thinking he was mind controlled. "Ask him, then."They arrived at the club."All those guys, and you're the only food? Ah gangbang…" Suga said, remembering the drunk conversation."No! No, I'm only Jungkook's." He wasn't sure why he was protesting it so fiercely, it wasn't like Suga's opinion of him could get any lower."If he told you to kill yourself, would you?""I don't know," Taehyung answered honestly, blindsided by that question.As soon as they got into the main hall Namjoon called Suga over wanting to talk business, and Taehyung went looking for Jungkook. A DJ had set up on stage and was starting to get the night going, and it would soon be time for Taehyung to lock himself in. He went upstairs. He was in with the top brass now, right, so he could do that, he could go up whenever he wanted, even if he was dressed in his cheap school clothes. It still made him nervous. Hope and Jimin were sitting by themselves in a corner talking. Taehyung leaned against the railing like Jungkook did a lot, looking down at the rest of the clubbers. He knew he wouldn't find Jungkook down there though.When he pushed himself away from the railing, Hope waved him over. Taehyung sat down, and a guy in a shimmering light blue shirt headed for them. Before he'd gotten one word out, Hope had flipped down his green tinted sunglasses from his head and waved the guy away. Leaving, he shot one look back, and his eyes dipped down Taehyung's body for a fraction of a second. Wondering, no doubt, what this loser was doing here. Taehyung stuck his tongue out at him.Left to themselves again, Hope returned the glasses to where they'd started, sitting pretty in his spiky dark hair. "What did he say?" he asked."If Jungkook told me to kill myself, would I?" Taehyung asked.Hope and Jimin exchanged a glance. Hope shrugged. Jimin said, "Yes.""Really?" Hope said, as if this was news to him too. "That generic?" Jimin nodded. "The more specific, the stronger the compulsion," Hope explained to Taehyung. "If he tells you to eat a pineapple pizza at a specific restaurant at 7PM, it's more or less impossible to resist. But something like, eat something, you can break.""Maybe you could break through a command like, kill yourself," Jimin thought. "Maybe. But if he specified, like shoot yourself in the head…"Hope put a finger gun to his own head. "Bang.""What if I can't get a gun?" Taehyung asked."Try it," Hope said. "Let him command you to do something impossible. Like, jump and touch the ceiling." He pointed up at the high ceiling, far, far beyond reach. Then elbowed Jimin to stop him from speaking."I won't tell him," Jimin protested."Sorry, but sometimes you're such a stuck up bore," Hope said."You mean to say I have compassion. He'll find out sooner or later anyway," Jimin said. "What did Suga say?""He asked me that question," Taehyung told them. "He said he's not sure he should come here because you could attack him and he wouldn't be able to stop you. And he said…" that all their fancy clothes and music and friendliness was bait, to lure prey. But he didn't want to tell them that. "He feels guilty for letting you fuck me up."Hope sighed. "I should slap that kid for cockblocking me. Or you! If you and Jungkook hadn't gotten into this…" he gestured wildly and very unspecifically, "thing, he wouldn't know what the bite does, and I could have gotten in his pants without this drama!""I don't think getting in his pants was very likely to begin with," Jimin said."It was a hell of a lot more likely than it is now! He seems to think that losing his precious free will is worse than death. As if being dead is more free?!" Jungkook came up the stairs, and Taehyung was halfway out of his seat when Hope grabbed his arm and pulled him back to sit down. "We're talking, you can suck dick later." Jimin giggled, highly amused."There's nothing else, he didn't say anything else," Taehyung rambled.Jungkook spotted them and came over, and sat next to Jimin across the table. Taehyung pouted, slightly, not enough to be noticed, just for his own sake."Jungkook, tell him to jump and touch the ceiling," Hope said.Jungkook glanced up to confirm the impossibility of that, and at Hope, a question in his eyes."Oh right, you haven't seen it either," Jimin realized. "Maybe it's better you do, so you know what happens. It's not dangerous.""I'm a guinea pig, hit me," Taehyung told him, curious.Jungkook's nose twitched. "Jump up and touch the ceiling."For a second nothing happened. Then Taehyung realized the impossibility. He looked up, and fuck that was high, it just wasn't happening. Shit. Looking at Jungkook, his breaths sped up as devastation set in. He couldn't give Jungkook what he wanted, what he deserved. Suddenly he was crying. People were probably laughing at him already for thinking someone like him could associate with Jungkook, they'd applaud Jungkook's inevitable decision to get rid of him. He desperately had to apologize but couldn't bring himself to bother Jungkook, he'd wasted enough of his time already. All the things Jungkook had done for him and he couldn't even do this one thing. The hyperventilating combined with crying made it hard to get any air into his lungs, his head started spinning.Jimin nudged Jungkook. "Let him off the hook before he passes out.""Never mind, forget about it," Jungkook said, a little confused, overwhelmed by the response.The crying stopped as suddenly as it had started. Disoriented, Taehyung stared at Jungkook. He could clearly remember being upset, echoes of it made him want to thank him for forgiving him, but from the outside he could also see that the reaction had been so far overblown it looked like comedy. He wiped the tears off his cheek mostly to confirm that they were there and he hadn't hallucinated the whole thing."Some people get on their knees and beg," Hope said. "The craziest I've seen was this woman who tore her clothes off and tried to scratch off her own skin. I don't think I've ever seen someone cry that quickly, though, in all my decades.""He can cry on command, he's an actor," Jungkook said, and Taehyung felt proud. Not trying to be, he was an actor. "You said it wasn't dangerous!""If he started scratching himself we'd stop him," Jimin said. "But he wouldn't. The way he handled finding out about us, and the bite, and your control, he's not the self-harming type.""Wow, that was horrible though," Taehyung said. "It was like, why would someone as awesome as you waste your time on someone like me who can't even... jump?" It still blew his mind, he could easily call back the emotion."Sorry," Jungkook said."No, I said it was okay. I mean I know it was magic bullshit, but it felt really real.""Like how wanting me to bite you feels?" Jungkook asked."Uh," Taehyung said. He'd felt like he would die if Jungkook didn't want him, at the culmination of the need to get bitten, which could be considered overblown too. But that had been intermixed with his sexual frustration, which was what was currently driving him up the walls, so maybe it had just been the combination? And it wasn't like he just wanted to be fucked, Jungkook was cute and funny and kind, and there was definitely a shade of save the sad bad boy at play here, not to mention that Taehyung had been lonely and struggling before. Jungkook was more or less his sugar daddy now.Jungkook was still watching him waiting for an answer. Taehyung still felt a little out of balance, and the music was loud, and all the ways he wanted Jungkook were so fucking tangled up he didn't know what to make of it. Yes, there was vampire magic bullshit, but had he also watched vampire movies and fantasized about being a rich, powerful, sexy vampire's babygirl? Yes. Whatever. In the end he just wanted Jungkook, was that so wrong? Wasn't that enough?He didn't know what to tell Jungkook. Jungkook definitely hadn't fantasized about having any babygirls, at least not any looking like Taehyung. If Jungkook thought he was an unwilling blood slave compelled to say he wanted him, he'd probably kick him out. So Taehyung licked his lips and said, "No, that's different." Although maybe vampires heard heartbeats and knew when he was lying.While they'd been talking, Hope and Jimin had exchanged a lot of looks. Hope wanted to say something, Jimin kept signaling no. Jungkook turned to Hope and said, "Just say it.""No," Jimin said."Getting impossible commands," Hope said, "triggers their worst fears about other people. So the woman who scratched her skin off was convinced she was ugly and no one could want to touch her. The people who crawl and beg usually have abandonment issues. Our Taehyungie seems to have an inferiority complex." He chuckled, Jimin slapped his arm.Taehyung felt himself blush and cleared his throat. "I have to go to work," he said and got up. He couldn't help it, he glanced back at Jungkook wishing he would come with him, but Jungkook was staring into the table and didn't see him. A whisper of the freak out tickled the hairs at the back of his neck, saying, look at you, of course he would pity fuck you yesterday when you were dolled up and drooling in his lap, but you can't seriously think someone like him would fuck someone like you in these clothes. He shook it off and went to his room.He paused at the doors, looking over his shoulder again, but Jungkook wasn't coming. The time was rapidly approaching 22, so he locked up and sat on the bed, bringing pen and notepad from the desk and drawing up an outline for the last part of the essay.When he'd gotten tired of that he was ready to sleep. There was something on his pillow, he realized, half hidden by the covers. A leather string with simple metal pieces at the ends. His makeshift collar. He couldn't believe it, had to pick it up to make sure he wasn't dreaming.Of course he thought about it, all the time, even if he tried not to. Mind control, consent, truth and lies. The impossible command being reversed had made his emotions shift almost instantly, like water vaporizing off a hot surface leaving no trace. It had made it abundantly clear how much control Jungkook had, and how fake those emotions had been, despite feeling absolutely real in the moment. And even now, remembering it, he felt unsure, like maybe this inferiority complex or whatever had always been in him and the magic bullshit had only nudged it up to the surface.There was no room or time to get stuck on that. Taehyung was honest about how he felt and what he wanted, wherever those wants came from, and he was going to go for it with all he had. He couldn't think too much because he'd inevitably remember that Jungkook's interest in him began and ended with his juicy veins. Jungkook didn't actually like him, the way he liked Jungkook. That hurt, so unfathomably much. So no thinking.But then there were these things. Not a word spoken, not a glance. Jungkook filling the room with things just for him. Jungkook seeing that he wanted a collar for real and getting him one. Jungkook seeing that he cared about losing it and making sure to return it, quietly like this, not expecting thanks. Why do these things, if Taehyung would think and feel whatever he decided anyway? Why bother? Now that he thought about it, why had Jungkook chosen this collar to begin with? He hadn't been there when Taehyung had shown interest in it. Someone must have told him. Had he asked around? Did he feel sorry for Taehyung, or guilty, or was there some little part deep down in Jeon Jungkook that actually cared?He pushed the urge to cry aside and put the leather string under his pillow as he slept. Come morning, he wrapped it loosely around his own neck the same way Jungkook had done, before going to school.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27th

Taehyung's acting class went stellarly. They talked about types of fear, the differences between jump scares, slow creeping terror, and abstract fear of ideas. At the end of the class, his teacher took him to the side and told him his display today had been mind blowing. Would Taehyung be interested in talking to someone who was looking for unpolished talent for a short film? Taehyung got a business card and was told to call them as soon as possible.Taehyung looked at the card while walking to a new restaurant for lunch, the sushi place. When he got inside, two of his classmates from the communications course were eating. He stayed out of their sight so they wouldn't feel obligated to ask him to join them. He'd never really fit into that class, his classmates had never really tried to talk to him, and he'd never made an effort to try either. Safely hidden away in a booth, he ate with the card in front of him on the table. It had a green logo, a name and phone number. Simple, but rather elegant.He had a dream. His acting class today had gone excellently because he could call back the fear response from the impossible command. Whatever was real or not in his fairy tale nightlife, it was producing real opportunities for his dream during the day. He should capitalize on that while he could. He finished off the food and called, nervous but determined.A reasonably not awkward phone conversation later, Taehyung was invited to an audition on Thursday at lunch. He'd have to sacrifice some time when he'd planned to finish the essay to make the trip over there, but he could try to catch up that night after he locked the doors. He'd be okay even if he lost some sleep. He went through his afternoon schedule feeling on top of the world.
He stopped by the hamburger place and picked up food to go before going to the club, including dessert. There were a lot of people at the club already, listening to a band with a female singer, with a style somewhere between folk music and rock. Ah, Tuesday, Namjoon's project of inviting local upcoming talent. Namjoon was sitting upstairs watching the stage, as always a stack of papers in front of him on the table, although these were filled with scribbles, not numbers.While he unpacked his food, Namjoon complained a bit and moved the papers a safe distance away from any liquids or grease."Technically I'm still your boss," he scolded. "Even if it's your second job.""Technically, you outrank me anyway since you're my master's boss' pet," Taehyung agreed and pushed the basket of fries closer to him as a peace offering. Himself, he was going to eat the dessert first to make sure he could fit it.Namjoon snorted, licking his teeth briefly."Not a pet?" Taehyung took it."I prefer assistant or, more romantically, familiar ," Namjoon informed him."Oh, are you like, a sex pet or a boyfriend?""No," Namjoon sighed. "Romantically as in the notion of… never mind let me try again. I like the term familiar because it has an air of mysticism."Taehyung laughed. "I'm studying… I mean I'm an actor, I know what romantically means," he told him. "It's a joke." He dug into the ice cream. "Familiar sounds cute.""Isn't it witches that have familiars," Suga said, sitting down opposite Taehyung on Namjoon's other side."There's very little consensus on the words, and too many different types to ever get a consensus," Namjoon said. "Like Taehyung, who is technically under domination…""I'm what?" Taehyung said."Domination," Namjoon said. "The power to control another's will. You're technically under it, and the common term for you would be thrall, however typically thralls are kept against their will or at least on very shady grounds. You're here voluntarily, and your relationship with Jungkook is... entangled, so I think the term doesn't quite apply to you." Which was just as well, Taehyung thought, it wasn't very cute."Isn't he kept against his will," Suga said. "It's not like he can leave.""Have Jungkook forbidden you from leaving?" Namjoon asked."Um, no," Taehyung thought. He couldn't remember every word Jungkook said. "I'm running away!" he declared and met no resistance in himself. "No, I don't think so.""Even if he could theoretically leave, he's mind-fucked to want to stay," Suga suggested.Namjoon looked between them a couple of times. "Do you feel an uncontrollable desire to stay with Jungkook?" he asked Taehyung."Um, sometimes," Taehyung answered honestly. At this precise moment it wasn't too bad. The first time he'd felt like he'd die if Jungkook didn't bite him, even one day had been torture, but come to think, it had been more than that now and he didn't feel desperate at all. "I'm never seeing Jungkook again! Hm, medium level."Namjoon laughed, Suga looked reluctantly amused. Taehyung smiled, finishing off the ice cream. "Most people that are bitten run away within the first three days, despite or rather because of the compulsion, even if they asked for it. It's a scary feeling. He comes back every night after being on his own for a lot of consecutive hours, not under threat or addiction," Namjoon said. "I think it can be considered free will, unless you think large sums of money interferes with his agency.""I think emotional vulnerability does," Suga stated. "Addiction?"Namjoon pointed to himself. "A less romantic term for what I am would be ghoul. I drink from Jin, inherit some of his abilities, and am really, really addicted. I don't think I could leave without help. I entered into it knowingly and willingly, however. I'll live at least four times as long, don't get sick, heal quickly from injuries - and I'm clumsy and hurt myself a lot so that's nice - see in the dark…""You get night vision?" Taehyung cut in to ask. "With the… seeing blood like energy?""Not as sharp as theirs but yes.""It seems really cool. I wish I could see it. Is it pretty?""I'm sure you could ask any of them and they'd let you try," Namjoon said. "Once won't get you hooked.""It doesn't worry you that you've chained yourself to a blood-sucking undead drug dealer?" Suga asked."Jin is a good guy," Namjoon said. "Not all of them are, but he is. And I wanted to stay with Jungkook, at least for a while, keep an eye on him, see if I could make up for what I did."Suga didn't know the story, so Namjoon told him while Taehyung ate his burger. His stomach was still a little overwhelmed with the amount of food it was getting, so he didn't manage more than two thirds this time either, especially since he ate both dessert and some fries this time.
"Suga," he said, when Namjoon was done with Jungkook's origin story. "If Namjoon had stood by and let Jungkook die, when he knows Jin can save him, would that make him complicit to his murder?" He had taken a moment to craft that question, while the story was being told, and was quite proud of it.With a grimace, Suga pulled the hood of his dark green hoodie over his head. "Everything becomes so damned complicated with this supernatural crap," he told them. "If someone lets a guy bleed out, then yeah, complicit. But if the method of saving him is… this, then… complicated.""What would you have done?" Taehyung asked. "In Namjoon's place."Suga glanced at Namjoon. "That kid is an ungrateful bitch. Fine, he didn't want it, but you couldn't ask him. You risked your life to save him and all he does is complain?""Imposing my will on someone, even to save their life, isn't right," Namjoon thought."Oh come off your martyr cross," Suga said. "He has a choice now! Why doesn't he kill himself? Should be easy, shouldn't it, just walk into the sunlight?""Sunlight doesn't kill them in itself, it makes them mortal, stops them from using abilities including healing.""So they could walk around out there anytime?" Suga said, not liking that."Jungkook says it feels like shit," Taehyung said, remembering them waking up together after the second bite, the first intentional bite."From what I gather," Namjoon said, "it makes them feel that they're dead. The constant regeneration that keeps their bodies fresh is held back, meaning they feel themselves… decompose."Taehyung pushed the remaining third of the burger away from him. "Ew.""What abilities are we talking about here," Suga asked. "Their super strength and stuff?""They each have some abilities, and get more with age, but different ones," Namjoon said. "They stay in their physical prime so Hope and Jimin have the strength of someone of their size at the top of their game, but not more. They can do other things that make them dangerous.""Wait," Taehyung said. "When Jungkook says he's nothing special…""He's being humble," Namjoon said. "Normally the first powers are weak, but Jungkook started out with all physical abilities heightened. Strength, speed, healing, senses, everything. Makes you wonder what more he'll get. That's also the answer to your question of why he sticks around. A short while after he and I joined, we were attacked. We lost a vampire and a familiar like me from the inner circle, and everyone else at the club, even regular human staff who had nothing to do with this. It's only thanks to Jungkook that Jimin and I survived. He stays to protect us." Namjoon snorted. "I try to think I keep him alive this way, but really, I'm a hassle for him still.""You certainly brood like a vampire," Suga accused him."You wouldn't, knowing my story?""He's a whiny kid," Suga said, shrugging. "You saved his life, you sold yourself into service to look after him, you left everything behind to keep him company. I think you do more than enough to make up for one desperate decision he happened to not like."Namjoon didn't answer, eyes flickering across the papers on the table, but perhaps not seeing them.Gathering up the trash, Taehyung got up. "Do you know where Jungkook is?""Is your neck starting to itch?" Suga asked."At least one of us miserable humans should get laid tonight," Taehyung grinned.Namjoon was too busy thinking to react, but Suga grimaced and waved at him to go away, so he went. He checked here and there but couldn't find Jungkook. Eventually he went to try Jungkook's room, but found himself staring at the door. Don't touch the door, Jungkook had told him, so he couldn't even knock. "Jungkook!" he yelled, but wasn't sure he could be heard inside. Taehyung kept staring at the door, feeling like his mind was tying itself into knots. Commands could be broken, Jimin and Hope had said. He just needed to raise his hand...Actually whatever, Jungkook probably wasn't even there, he could try this again if he didn't find him anywhere else. He turned around and headed for Jin's wardrobe instead. Going up that way, he met a woman coming out of Jin's office. As they passed each other she did a double take and Taehyung noticed her, and it was his acting teacher. He stopped, stunned, but she kept walking quickly, disappearing downstairs.Jin came wandering out of his office and went into his wardrobe, and Taehyung jogged after him. It wouldn't take super senses to have heard him run, but Jin didn't acknowledge his presence at all. Instead he ran his hands over some shirts, back turned.Bold, perhaps with all the food and his new pet privileges going to his head, Taehyung exclaimed, "Did you set me up?" Jin turned his head slowly, eyes running over Taehyung like he couldn't remember who he was. For a second creeped out, Taehyung remembered Namjoon saying that Jin sometimes seemed crazy, but was a good man. "I said…""I haven't done anything related to you except regret lending you some shoes," Jin said and turned back to the shirts."The offer, the acting offer," Taehyung said. "You didn't arrange that?"Frowning now, Jin looked at him again. After a couple of seconds of staring like Taehyung's presence offended him, he said, "What are you wearing?"Cheap jeans, cheap cardigan over slightly less cheap but instead very worn t-shirt. Taehyung withdrew a little, but no, he had to clear this up right away before anything else. "Answer the question. Please.""Arrange what," Jin asked."The acting offer. To split us up. Me and Jungkook.""I don't interfere in Jungkook's life unasked," Jin told him, suddenly very soft spoken."But if Jungkook chooses to stay here with me, you'll lose your bodyguard.""Me?" Jin laughed. "I'm immortal.""Jimin is also…""No," Jin said again, going serious. "I'm immortal ."Did he mean literally? Immune to sunlight even? Or was he just messing with Taehyung? "But for Namjoon and Jimin's sake then…?""Jungkook gets what he wants, does what he wants, and goes where he wants," Jin told him. "And it would be extremely rude of me to meddle with another's slave. Besides, since he met you, he's starting to look, if not alive then at least undead, instead of like a walking corpse. He even dares to relax and stop breathing sometimes. I never thought I'd see the night.""Don't you decide where you go? And when? Suddenly you're leaving much faster than planned, just after I came?" Taehyung wondered where he got this courage from, but Jin was also very friendly now, gentle gestures and eyes full of kindness. Bait, Taehyung thought, because it was laid on a little too thick."Namjoon decides when," Jin said. "Technically where too, but unless there's immediate business needs, Jimin chooses destinations because he wants to look at the ocean or frost in the trees or whatever lyrics he's gotten seduced by this time.""But…" Taehyung said, confused, "what do you do then?"Jin laughed and picked out a shirt. "I own everything," he said and tossed off his current shirt.A gasp escaped Taehyung. Jin's back was covered in marks, scars upon scars. Hearing him, Jin turned around, and his front wasn't much different. All the way down his arms. Was this why he always buttoned all the way up, and never showed an inch of skin?"Ah, yes, the treasures of a life well lived," Jin said, gesturing to himself, before putting on the new shirt. Taehyung wasn't sure, but he thought it was identical to the previous one. "If you're done accusing me of things I didn't do, might you change into something that isn't," he looked Taehyung over again, "that."Taehyung blushed with indignation. "I'm, um, I don't have any clothes," he said. He couldn't wear the same set every day.Jin gestured to the room. "You're family now. You can borrow whatever you like, same as the other guys."He took a tentative step into the room, seeing all the clothes and accessories with new eyes. "Anything?""This rack is mine," Jin said, patting the one he stood in front. "The guys have their own preferences and try to respect each other's, but in the end it's free. Jungkook took that necklace from Jimin to give it to you, I doubt Jimin minds. If he does, I'll get him a new one."The improvised collar. Taehyung ran his fingers along the leather string and felt better, if only slightly."That was one of my favorites though, Jimin looks spectacular in it," Jin complained. "You have a nose for my most expensive items.""Expensive?" Taehyung said, looking down at the leather string. "Oh my god this isn't elephant is it?!" He'd watched a documentary pretty recently about how intelligent and kind elephants were and the horrible poachers that killed them.Jin laughed. "Not the leather.""These?" He held up the metal pieces at the ends, plain polished, maybe an inch and a half."Platinum," Jin said.Taehyung just stared at him like an idiot, because he knew platinum was fancy but had no idea what level of fancy they were talking about."Whatever, it's yours now," Jin said, waving his hand. "He could have picked worse, to mark you as his slave.""I, um," Taehyung said, cringing a little, "I prefer pet, if you don't mind."For a second he thought Jin would laugh at him, but then he gave a courteous nod. "Ah, my apologies. Maybe it's an old-fashioned word.""It's not really cute," Taehyung thought.This time Jin did laugh, quietly. Walking over to a shelf, he picked out a pair of shoes and came to hand them over. Brown, thick soled, not boots but a bit rough. "Do you prefer jeans or slacks?""I, think, slacks?" Jin nodded as if he agreed. "How, um, how often do you need to eat?" Taehyung asked, because Jungkook hadn't given him a proper answer. Today was the second day, and he couldn't even find Jungkook."A lot of things influence that. How much we drank last, the quality, what we've done since, even the weather. As well as individuality. Hope burns through more than most vampires I've met, but then, I suspect his abilities are always slightly active and that's why he's so… energetic.""But, like, roughly, on average?"
Jin came over and handed him gray pants, a belt and a purple shirt. "Pick a jacket," he said, nudging Taehyung towards the hangers. "Most of us like to take a sip here and there, to enjoy the taste, since we have an easy supply. Jungkook tended to eat once a week, but enough to last a week wouldn't be healthy for you to lose at once.""But I can be enough? One person is enough?""Potentially," Jin said. "Every human is different. You're so thin I'd say no, but you're also tall, so with a good diet you might. It perhaps comes down to quality. If he fights a lot or gets very injured, however, he'll need more than you can give while also feeding him day-to-day. Don't go too far, you'll only hurt yourself and by extension him."Taehyung ran his hand over the fabrics. Quality. He didn't like any of the jackets so he stopped in front of a mirror and changed into the clothes Jin had given him. Seeing his skinny body in the mirror, he thought maybe Suga was right and Jungkook was trying to fatten him up. To make him taste better? Jungkook seemed to like it, but then fresh blood was maybe always tastier than blood bank stuff. Not only a mess on the outside, but even Taehyung's blood was below standard? Hm, with this shirt and pants… He flipped through some stuff and found a vest that seemed his size, gray with silver details, a decent color match with the pants."Do we taste different?" he asked."Very," Jin said. "Jimin likes vegetarians, he says they taste fresh. I think they're tasteless, but to each their own. I once knew a woman who liked people with diabetes. There's all kinds.""What does Jungkook like?""I don't know," Jin said. "You, I suppose. Want me to taste and see what your flavor is?"Taehyung put on the vest and laughed. "What was that about not messing with other people's pets?""Not bite you," Jin protested. "Cut your finger, I only need a drop. Hey, look at you!"Blushing, Taehyung tugged a little on the vest and stuck one hand in his pocket, posing. Not awful, even with everyday hair. "If another vampire bites me, does it overwrite Jungkook?""Yes," Jin said. "But we won't. Poaching another's slave - sorry, pet - is against the rules, not just my rules but the unspoken ones between all the civilized groups. If Jimin bit you, Jungkook would be allowed to kill him without any questions or repercussions.""What if they do by accident? You can't see that I already belong to someone, can you?" Taehyung asked. "Hm, I guess I could refuse.""Biting you against your will isn't a crime," Jin said. "That's why we mark slaves - sorry, pets - so that other vampires know they're off limits. Unmarked, you're free game, although it'd be a bit rude if you tell them you're taken.""Biting people against their will isn't against the rules?""There's no point banning it, most of us prefer not to anyway," Jin answered. "Most of those who do, are the type who drink until there's nothing left. The bite didn't just change you, it changed Jungkook too. And having control isn't simply a good thing. If you want to know more, ask Jimin about his calico cat." Jin patted his shoulder. "Now you look the part. You're Jungkook's pet, so what you do and look like reflects on him, and by extension me. Don't embarrass us." He turned to leave while Taehyung stammered something incoherent."Wait, what about my teacher," Taehyung mumbled."Who?""That you talked to, that's why I thought you set me up with the acting job.""Who?""Just now," Taehyung tried. Jin looked like he was tired of repeating himself. "Woman, red hair, about this high." He held out his hand to show height; his teacher was a lot shorter than himself.After a few seconds of intense thinking, Jin said, "Ah her, she buys illegal alcohol off me in bulk and distributes it in her circles. She assured me she doesn't sell it to the minors she teaches. She doesn't, does she?""Uh not that I know," Taehyung said, too stunned to laugh. An elder vampire concerned about selling alcohol to minors?Jin unceremoniously left Taehyung standing in the wardrobe. With the air free of words, the first thing his mind went back to was, two whole days. His skin crawled faintly. He should have showered before changing into these clothes. Glancing in a mirror he wondered if this outfit was too handsome and not sexy enough. Maybe if he folded up his sleeves, and undid a button or two? What style did Jungkook prefer anyway? He undid the buttons and his own fingers touched his throat.
It made his eyes flutter shut by themselves, remembering Jungkook leaning over him, growling, now can I take what's mine . He'd humored Taehyung's refusal, and even let him blow him, if reluctantly. Taehyung had wanted to go slowly and carefully, but he only had until the end of the week to get Jungkook to fuck him before he left. A slight tremble went through his body. What would that feel like? Jungkook sinking his fangs into his neck while thrusting into him.Blowing him hadn't given him any superpowers though, he thought. He opened his eyes and Jungkook was standing right in front of him. He twitched back, even as he tried not to."Oh, hi," he said shakily, heart up in his throat. Medium level, he'd told Suga, but then he hadn't been looking at Jungkook, and more importantly, Jungkook hadn't been looking at him.Jungkook tried really hard. They stood there for quite a few seconds, before his gaze finally dipped down to the two open buttons of Taehyung's shirt, just for a second, and just as briefly honey gold flashed by. Taehyung's fingers curled in. As if failing to resist released him from the struggle, Jungkook finally spoke. "Jin said you were looking for me."Ah right. "I ate well!" Taehyung reported. "Lunch and dinner!"The intensity in Jungkook's eyes let up; he smiled and asked what he'd eaten, so Taehyung told him about the sushi, the hamburger, the ice cream and parts of the conversation with Suga and Namjoon."I have other news too," he told Jungkook, remembering his audition. "Let's go sit down."Jungkook stayed where he was, looking uncomfortable. Taehyung opened the door and music streamed in, but Jungkook didn't move."Come on," Taehyung said. He went and took Jungkook's hand and backed out the door. Jungkook resisted for a second, but then let himself be tugged along. Taehyung took him all the way back to the VIP area. The place was full of people now, and Jimin and Suga were standing by the balcony railing nearest the stage watching the band play."Hey," Jimin said, and threw a surprised eye at Jungkook being dragged in next to him."Hi! How long are they playing?" Taehyung asked."Another half hour," Jimin said."This song sucks," Suga declared. "She's too good a singer for this crap."Jungkook turned his back to the railing, leaning back on his elbows, as if searching for something in the ceiling. "You had news?" he asked."Yeah! I got an audition!" Taehyung told him.Behind Taehyung, Jimin cheered, "Congratulations!""For what, a mental health awareness-" Suga started, on the other side of Jimin, but then chuckled. "Too mean even for me," he decided. "Good for you."Jungkook was staring at him. "It's just a-an audition of course b-but I think, they wanted raw talent," he blushed, rambling because Jungkook wasn't saying anything, "untrained, I mean, for a short film, s-so…" He could hear his own pulse hammering in his ears. Suddenly he didn't know why he'd told him, why he'd been so excited to tell him. They weren't boyfriends, they had barely talked about anything else than blood and sex, Jungkook didn't care, why would he care? His voice was getting ragged, so he stopped talking and leaned forward to look down at the band, hiding.Stupid. He closed his eyes and gathered himself, like slipping into a role, before returning to Jungkook and smiling. "You don't like this music?"Jimin made a strange noise and elbowed him, and made angry eyes at him when he looked over. What? Jimin gave a tiny nod towards Jungkook and then the stage. Oh wait, Jungkook didn't like listening to live singing because…"It's not my favorite style but she's good," Jungkook said, turning around to look as well."Uh," Taehyung said, freaking out, "what style do you like?" Shit."Lately, I've started thinking pop music these days isn't too bad. And of course I like Namjoon's stuff." He pushed himself away from the railing and rubbed his hands on his thighs a little, still uncomfortable, but didn't leave."Does he, like, make music or just rap to it?" Taehyung asked."These days he has Suga make the tracks for him, but he used to make basic beats and I'd help with the melody for…" For a moment, a different look had passed over Jungkook's face, a tiny smile and this brightness, like all his problems disappeared for one short second. Then the usual hard expression returned.Taehyung scrambled for a different topic. "Um, so, you said you got the stuff in my room for your own money, but how do you even make money?""Jin pays us, and we all get a small share in each club, so…""So you are filthy rich, like Suga says.""Mostly because we don't spend anything," Jungkook said. "Jin provides food, clothes, and anything we might need for work. Namjoon set up a charity that we give a lot to but it still builds up.""Kookie and Moni don't spend anything," Jimin said. "Because they have no interests. Jungkook gets martial arts lessons, Namjoon buys books. That's about it.""Jin tried to pay for the lessons too," Jungkook told him."Of course he did.""Why do you need lessons?" Taehyung asked."Being strong isn't all there is to fighting," Jimin said. "Wildly swinging won't cut it if your opponent has practiced for centuries. Hunters often know how to dampen or counter abilities."Jungkook rolled his shoulders. "The faster I win, the less damage they have time to do," he said, and it wasn't even bragging or arrogance but a practical statement. He clearly noticed Taehyung's eyes slip down to his lips, and Taehyung jerked away, looking forward again."What do you spend it on?" Taehyung asked Jimin."Everything," Jimin said. "I sponsor a lot of artists of different kinds, I have animal shelters set up here and there, I find rare wines to try, I have a project to set up ecological gem production because the mines-"Jimin stopped speaking when Jungkook gestured at him. Then Jungkook's hands came into Taehyung's field of vision to grab onto his vest and yank him up from the railing and he smiled briefly at Taehyung's stunned expression.Jimin cheered loudly, scaring Taehyung, but Jungkook held him in place. "Look at me," Jungkook told him. He heard how Jimin's cheers were joined by others, while Jungkook shook him a little. Acting, he was acting, Taehyung realized. Jungkook was trying to put on some kind of show. He wished he knew what he was supposed to do. And then Jungkook commanded, "Kiss me."It was the easiest command imaginable to follow. Taehyung's hands came up to take Jungkook's head, and he pressed his lips against Jungkook's soft. Jungkook jerked away, he followed. Jungkook pushed at him, but his actions weren't commands. The whole club was cheering and whistling at them. While struggling to keep Jungkook in the kiss, Taehyung accidentally bit his lip. In an instant he'd cut his tongue on fangs and pulled away slightly."Enough," Jungkook breathed. He paused. Amber was quickly fading out of Jungkook's eyes, the fangs already gone again, but Jungkook's eyes had locked on his mouth.The club exploded in cheers as Jungkook wrapped an arm around his waist and forced him back in, latching on to suck on his tongue. Jungkook's eyes closed to hide the golden glow, and Taehyung moaned softly against him. Afraid to cut himself again, he held still and let Jungkook lead. Jungkook made small, hungry growls, wanting more. Frustrated by the drip feed, he nicked the inside of Taehyung's lower lip. The wince of pain was stopped short by an iron grip on his hair while Jungkook lapped up the blood, but this wound was also too tiny to satisfy him. Taehyung trembled and whimpered, turned on, but also started to get scared that Jungkook would lose himself and slice him too much."Alright, okay," Jimin said, breaking in between them. "Wrap it up." Suga pulled at Taehyung, dragging him away while Jungkook was held in place by Jimin. "Jungkook."Jungkook shook his head and stopped struggling, putting a hand over his eyes to hide the glow. The cheers had died down a little, the band was playing another song. Taehyung wiped his mouth, trying to feel if he had blood on his lips because he couldn't taste anything, the sweet perfume had invaded all his senses. Jungkook wanted more, he had to give him more, he needed it. The only thing keeping him from lunging was Suga's steady hold on his arm, anchoring him in place. Jungkook gathered himself enough to raise his eyes, saw Taehyung's red lips and heaving chest, and rushed away down the stairs.He heard himself make this pained, needy sound, because it hurt to let him go, hurt to be left behind. What he'd wanted most was Jungkook activating his strength and shoving Jimin and Suga away to grab him, so he could give him what he wanted so much. He leaned back against the railing and bent forward, rubbing his face. At the same time he'd been a bit afraid of getting injured, and now his own desire frightened him too.Jimin crouched next to him. "How bad did he cut you?""It's fine," he answered. "It's not even bleeding anymore.""Let me check." Jimin tapped his chin, and he stuck his tongue out. "Alright, that's not so bad." He sighed. "You stupid kids.""It was an accident," Taehyung said. "I bit him, and cut myself on him.""Accidents happen a lot with you two?" Suga said, voice flat to avoid sarcasm.He stood up straight again, and Suga's face wasn't as judgmental as he'd thought, in fact he looked amused. Taehyung smiled at him, and this rush went through him, adrenaline and arousal and excitement. Everyone had been looking at him. Him, Kim Taehyung, in lavish purple and silver, on the VIP balcony making out with the dark, mysterious stranger everyone on the lower floor wanted to meet. And Jungkook, Jungkook hadn't forgotten about him after two whole days, wanted him just as much as before, even felt comfortable playing with him here with the woman singing and everyone watching. He was smiling so wide his cheeks hurt."I think he broke," Suga told Jimin.Jimin was laughing at him. "Aren't you going to follow him?" he asked.Jungkook had gone downstairs; he'd gone to his room. "See you guys later," he said and ran off. He forced himself to walk, not run, back to his room. Checking his father's wristwatch, it was a little early to lock up but whatever. He locked the doors one by one going in, and inside the last one he found Jungkook sitting on his bed, leaned forward, elbows on his knees. Taehyung turned his back to turn off the security system right next to the door.Jungkook's hands closed around his upper arms, he was shoved face first into the door and hit his hip against one of the bolt handles. "Ah, Jungkook," he protested, but only had time for a half second of struggle before Jungkook's fangs sank into his neck.Shit, he'd forgotten how good it felt. He'd wanted it so bad, remembered it like whole and final fulfillment, and it still couldn't remotely compare to the real thing. Jungkook's presence behind him, rocking slightly with him pushing him into the door, was the only thing left in his mind other than the world-obliterating euphoria. Everything Jungkook wanted he should have, it was all he ever wanted to give it to him, and he was, he was mercifully allowed to do what he desired most, more than living.And then it was torn from him. The pain of it never dulled no matter how many times he felt it.Gasping, he set his shoulder against the wall and slid down to the floor. "Fuck," Jungkook said over him. This was not what Taehyung's plan had been for the night, he thought, as his mind slowly put itself back together. He could, not blackmail, but… negotiate sex in return for letting him drink, but Jungkook had already taken what he wanted. He couldn't quite bring himself to be disappointed. No one could feel like that and be disappointed. He could, however, still be turned on.Jungkook pulled him to his feet. Standing face to face with him, Taehyung wanted a kiss, like the cherry on top, but his window had closed. He followed Jungkook back to the bed and sat down, and Jungkook glanced at him and half turned away. Right, he was hard, it was noticeable, he crossed his arms and leaned forward to hide. "Um," he said, panting a little, wracking his brain for anything to talk about, "what do I taste like?""Kind of… kind of… old," Jungkook said. Seeing the look on his face, Jungkook smiled. "I mean, like aged whiskey, or like… when wood gets polished from use after a long time. Smooth and strong and kind of… full. Like whiskey."Whiskey was the only thing he'd ever seen Jungkook drink. He blushed, and got all kinds of stupid romantic flutters, from a guy comparing him to alcohol. Yeah, he was so desperate it was passing pathetic and becoming cute, he thought, snickering to himself. "I thought maybe I'm too thin. Like… it'd taste… weak?""Mm, no," Jungkook said. "The guys tell me skinny people tend to taste a little sharper, but your taste is really smooth and round.""Um, what do you like, normally?"Jungkook shrugged. "I haven't really thought about it. It's just food. It's not even food, it's sustenance. To be honest, sometimes... even if we want it, it's still blood, you know? You wouldn't want to drink blood.""A little would be fine, I think," Taehyung mused. "Not like, a whole glass of it.""Some heat up the blood packs to body temperature." Jungkook grimaced and shook his head. His eyes flickered around the room before he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about just now. I don't want to hurt you. I mean, the biting is what it is, but I shouldn't have, I cut your mouth.""Mm," Taehyung said, a bit torn about it. "How does that work? Why does it hurt when you cut me with the fangs, but when you bite it doesn't hurt at all?""I don't know, but they've told me a lot of things happen when we bite. I mean maybe it does hurt, but you… feel too good to notice?""Maybe the fangs have to stay in," Taehyung mused. "Like some kind of snake venom injector."Jungkook almost snorted into laughter, but then said, "Maybe." His smile gradually disappeared though, looking at Taehyung, until he turned away with what almost looked like pain.More topics… "The fangs came out because I bit your lip, right?" he asked and Jungkook nodded. "Does it hurt?""Yeah, but…" Jungkook scratched the back of his head. "It's a bit dull. Certain things hurt more, like wood, but if you cut me with a knife, I mean I feel it, but it doesn't feel like a big problem. I, because I fought so much early on, I kick into fighting mode really easily, that's why, even if it doesn't hurt, it's like self-defense. If you bit Hope he'd probably just like it."Taehyung smiled because he'd made Jungkook smile again, but just as quickly his expression fell a second time, and this time he got up, wandering over to the bookshelf a little aimlessly."You know if you're really sorry," Taehyung said, "you could do something for me, to make it up to me."Jungkook chuckled a little. "Do what?""Promise me first.""No way. That's not happening. Do what?""Sing for me," Taehyung said. "One song!" he insisted when Jungkook frowned and turned away. "Just one. Half a song. 30 seconds, and I'll forgive you."Not answering, Jungkook took a random magazine from the shelf and flipped through it.Taehyung sighed quietly. There were other things he had half a mind to ask for, but even he had limits, he wasn't going to literally ask Jungkook to fuck him because he felt sorry. But he got a full view of leather-clad thighs and ass, an almost explicit promise of what they could do, and pulled his legs up. His problem had been about to go, but now he was the one who needed distraction. "What music was it you liked? Ah we don't have internet…"Jungkook came back and dug his phone out of his pocket. Tapping it a few times, he held it out, showing a playlist. Taehyung tapped the first song, and it played. He had them downloaded. It was a pop ballad, Taehyung thought he'd heard it before, maybe on the radio. He hummed along haphazardly, thinking the tone was a bit sad and fragile. When the song ended, the playlist kept playing. Jungkook put the phone down between them. While Taehyung went through some lesson notes and Jungkook tried to fix the fourth engine of the drone, they listened through Jungkook's playlist. Some were famous songs, some Taehyung had never heard before, most of it was pop with a touch of singer/songwriter, but there were some rap tracks too, presumably Namjoon's influence."Hey, by the way," Taehyung said, focused on coloring some notes to make them easier to look through quickly, trying to not look at Jungkook, and most of all not at Jungkook's rolled up shirt sleeves and the little frown as the fiddled with the tiny drone components. "Jin said, you have to mark your pets or someone else might bite them, did you know?""Yeah," Jungkook said. There was a click, like plastic snapping, and Jungkook cursed under his breath."What does that mean, mark? Like do you… brand me somehow or…" He twitched his eyes away when Jungkook looked up at him. "I just thought, what if some other vampire… I mean, Jin said otherwise I'm free game, and I don't think I want to be free game." Jungkook was nice. Frustrating, but nice. Who knew what another vampire might order him to do. "It's up to you obviously, I'm just asking." He dared to throw him a glance again and Jungkook was smiling, so that was promising. "Do you have to, do you need some kind of ritual or…?""You're already marked," Jungkook told him. "Since the first time we… got off." The smile went slightly crooked."Is that how it's done?!" Taehyung exclaimed. Was that why he'd let him blow him? Was that why he'd told him to swallow? Could other vampires somehow tell that he'd eaten…Jungkook laughed. His laughter was so silly, so happy, like the kid he'd been before all this blood and violence. "This," he said, tapping his own throat."The collar?" Taehyung asked, feeling the leather string."I put my own blood on it," Jungkook told him. "Other vampires can smell it.""You… this collar is like piss-marking your territory?""Mm, well, isn't that what collars are for," Jungkook said. "Letting everyone know who owns you."He felt himself blush. "Mm," was the only thing he managed to say.Jungkook laughed again. "You should have seen your face!"Goddamned tease. Thinking about that night had gotten him horny again, he preemptively hugged his legs to not let Jungkook notice."Did you pay off some debts today?" Jungkook asked.Fuck. "I forgot, but it's fine, I'll do it this week before the month ends.""You'll get more money on the 1st, so don't worry about spending it," Jungkook told him. "If you want some to be sent directly to your parents, we can set that up before the month ends too.""That would be kind of cool," Taehyung thought. "But…" They were leaving."The money you got right away was a signing bonus," Jungkook said. "You really didn't read a thing in that contract, did you? Namjoon was too nice to you. You'll get this month's pay on the 1st. Full month's pay too, even if it's only a week or so.""Whoa really?" He smiled. "I can buy my sister a birthday present then, a really nice one!""How old is she?""Twelve," Taehyung told him. "I need to bribe my way into her good graces now, so she doesn't start hating me when she becomes a teenager." Jungkook chuckled. "How old were you when… you went rawr? Wait I can guess. You were at university with Namjoon and he's a couple of years older than you, so you're probably a first year. Eighteen? Nineteen?""Technically I would have turned twenty that year, if I'd lived a few months longer.""Then we're almost exactly the same age right now," Taehyung thought out loud. "I'll be older than you in like two months."Jungkook snorted. "Don't you start. The guys will still call me a kid when I'm a hundred.""Namjoon will age away from you.""Yeah, serves him right, let him become a senile old man.""Jungkook," Taehyung said, wondering what they were to each other and how close he was allowed to come, "do you really blame him?"Jungkook focused back on the drone. A few seconds passed, another plastic click but no swearing this time. Not this close, apparently, Taehyung thought."Do you really hate it?" he asked instead."Yes.""All of it?""Yes." He shouldn't take that personally, Taehyung thought, but it still hurt. "Why do you… why do you keep coming back here?" Jungkook asked. "You're alive, you have a life! Why would you want to hang out with some animated corpses?""This is the first time since I came to the city that I've felt like I belong somewhere," Taehyung told him. "I can't go back home. This is my life now. I don't regret it, but it's been lonely, I don't know anyone or anything, I grew up on a farm, you know, in the middle of nowhere." He tipped onto his back on the bed, feeling himself tear up and not wanting Jungkook to see it. "Wah, today you kissed me in front of a thousand people! The vampire prince! Me! A farm boy!" He tried to laugh to not cry, but ended up doing both. "I miss my family so much, but this week, you've all kind of felt like family. I know it's probably just… bait. You're nice to people so you can eat them. That's okay. I've still felt happier than I have since I left home." A pair of tears, in perfect sync, ran down the sides of his face into his hair.Jungkook set down the drone and started it up, and it lifted and hovered in the air right next to Taehyung's head."You fixed it!""There was a loose part inside, the tricky thing was to get in there without breaking anything," Jungkook said. Taehyung watched the drone fly around a bit and land on the desk. "Taehyung?""Yeah?""When's your audition?""Thursday, at lunch," he answered."Will they tell you right away if you get the part?""Probably," Taehyung thought. "Or on Friday. It sounded like they were in a hurry to cast.""Good," Jungkook said. "I'd like to know how it goes. Before…" his voice trailed off.Taehyung burst into tears. Again, he was doing this again, choosing his dream over people he loved. Not just Jungkook, he'd done everything he could to make all of them like him, made himself into the cutest pet on Earth, and they'd given him everything he wanted, anything he asked for. Jimin, Namjoon, even Jin. All his wishes had come true. But the fairy tale would end, and he would be ripped apart and adrift again.Jungkook stayed where he was, not saying anything. Eventually Taehyung curled up on his side, exhausted, wiping his tears against the sheets. Soft sounds made it to his ears, he tried to figure out what it was, had to sit up to check. Leaned back on his arms, not looking at him, Jungkook was singing. His voice was soft and emotional, light as clouds, clear and flawless like a recording. His song was a cry, a prayer, and Taehyung laid back down and closed his eyes to listen.

Please, don't see
Just a boy caught up in dreams and fantasies
Please, see me
Reaching out for someone I can't see

Take my hand
Let's see where we wake up tomorrow
Best laid plans
Sometimes are just a one night stand
I'll be damned
Cupid's demanding back his arrow
So let's get drunk on our tears

And, God, tell us the reason
Youth is wasted on the young
It's hunting season and the lambs are on the run
Searching for meaning
But are we all lost stars
Trying to light up the dark?

Taehyung slept.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28th

When Taehyung woke up to his usual alarm, his phone wasn't where he usually put it. Sleepy and very confused, he rummaged around until he realized it was on the floor. Next to it was his collar, coiled up; Jungkook must have taken it off him while he slept. Under those was his schedule, which he was pretty sure had been in his bag, as well as a note with Jungkook's round, neat handwriting. He'd erased the last block on today's schedule, he wrote, so that Taehyung could come back to the club early, around five thirty. "Don't forget to eat lunch, don't make me wait," Taehyung read out loud. "Don't sleep in the collar, you'll get choked. Man, he's nagging like my grandma." He ate some bar snacks for breakfast, all by himself. Suga was asleep on one of the VIP couches, otherwise he didn't see another soul, all the staff had gone home. After showering and changing into his normal clothes he went to school.

Written notes were not commands either. Taehyung thought about that while doing his lessons for the day. To make sure, he skipped lunch. It worked fine, but he got very hungry and eventually bought a piece of pie from the cafeteria. The time for lunch, that Jungkook had forced into his schedule, he instead spent on paying off his debts. He didn't get rid of everything, but the vast majority. With the money he would get on the 1st, he'd be able to get rid of them entirely. He also bought the cutest backpack he could find, a phone case and a charm, and got it all nicely wrapped to be sent to his sister. The last of the money, everything but what he'd need to eat the last few days, he wired to his family.

In the afternoon his parents called him. They thought there must be some mistake, why was he sending them so much money? He said he'd lucked out and gotten a bonus at his job, and they very reluctantly accepted it. Hanging up, he thought they'd felt so far away, in several senses. He'd never lied to them this way, there'd never been something in his life that he really could never let them know about. He had this strange feeling like it had been the last time he spoke to them.

Soon after five he was back at the club. Not much was going on at this time, a couple of guys were carrying in a delivery. Since he'd hurried back he'd not eaten, and hung out at a high table near the door snacking on an apple that he'd actually paid for.

"Hey," an unfamiliar voice said, and a guy joined him at the table. It took Taehyung a moment to recognize him. He'd been upstairs before, wanting to sit with him, Hope and Jimin. Hope had turned him away. He'd given a rough, manly impression then despite the sleek, shimmering blue shirt. In proper lighting he looked Taehyung's age, with a relaxed body language and a mischievous glint in his eye. He was in a t-shirt and a worn leather jacket now, and torn jeans that fit him extraordinarily well, might be the best jeans Taehyung had ever seen. Or maybe it depended on what was in them.

"Hey," Taehyung said, warily.

"What do you think of this place?" the guy said, glancing around.

"Um, it's nice?"

"A bit pretentious," he said with a friendly smile. "Better than I thought, I half expected candelabras in the ceiling you know? But all the black leather, and the drapes up on the VIP balcony…" He rolled his eyes. "I can't believe people like this stuff."

Taehyung snickered a little. "Okay, yeah," he agreed. There was a certain level of cliché to the club, knowing it was run by vampires, even as the neon lights and naked metal around the stages and bar managed to carry the gothic drama into modern time. "All the silk and velvet. But it's nice too, it's like a fantasy world."

"Hm I guess," he said. "We can all pretend we're Dracula in Blade Runner."

Taehyung laughed, but was unsure if it was a coincidence or not. "I was called an Anne Rice groupie the other day, so I guess it suits me."

"Have you read them?"

"Most of what I know about vampires comes from movies," Taehyung admitted. "But I have seen the old movies too."

He laughed. "So you know we don't sparkle, at least."

Taehyung tried not to flinch but it was already too late. Defaulting to smiling, he said, "Isn't this a bit early for you to be out?"

The guy's eyes dropped for a second to his neck. "Wow," he said, voice a teasing drag. "I could have smelled that spike of fear from the other side of the room. You don't have a lot of faith in him protecting you, do you? Want to switch? I'd take care of you better."

"Th-that's not, you can't, mess w-with someone else's…"

The guy leaned away to not laugh straight into his face. "Adorable! I see why he chose you," he chortled. "Has he told you a bunch of horror stories, so you won't get tempted to… branch out?"

Taehyung blinked again. "Who," he said automatically, even if he was fairly certain they both knew who. The question was maybe more, "How do you know?"

The guy's eyes dropped to his neck again. Oh the collar, the mark, he could smell Jungkook on him. "I'm sorry," the guy said, although he was smiling like he wasn't. "I didn't realize you were so fresh, didn't mean to scare you. Here, I'm Yugyeom." He held out his hand.

"Taehyung." He shook the hand, it was cold.

"I saw you up there," Yugyeom said, nodding at the VIP balcony, "with Hope and Jimin, so I thought you'd been around for a while. The lambs usually don't go far from their wolf for the first month or two, but I haven't seen you around Jungkook."

"Um, Jungkook doesn't let me stalk him."

Yugyeom laughed again. "Speaking of what he lets you, are you… allowed to branch out?"

"What does that mean?" Taehyung asked, wondering at the way Yugyeom's eyes roamed over him.

"Ah. I'm not sure if telling you might be considered messing with another man's mutton," Yugyeom said, gesturing at him to forget it. "Want to have a beer sometime though? This isn't really my crowd, but I'm stuck hanging out here sometimes, it'd be nice to have someone to talk to who… feels the same way about silk."

Was he hitting on Taehyung? As a guy or as a vampire? Taehyung stared at him, not sure how to take any of it. "Please tell me anyway?" he chose. "Branch out, what does it mean? I won't tell him who told me."

"You mean until he commands you to?" Yugyeom smiled, all cheeky defiance. "Fuck it. The bite is one thing, but there's a lot of other ways to play. Drinking indirectly, for example." Jin had said that too, that he could cut his finger to taste a drop. Maybe that was why Jungkook cutting his lip and biting him were so different. "Other examples… Some driven lambs set up a business selling blood, protected by the mark. Considering your wolf is somewhat of a celebrity, some of us would pay well to try what he's having. We're all wondering why he finally got a taste for fine mutton after all those years sticking to roadkill."

Taehyung smiled nervously. "What, like you?"

"I'm not saying I'd turn it down if you offered, or that it wouldn't be amusing to see the look on his face, but I wasn't planning on drinking anything else than a beer. You seem like an interesting person, in a place I didn't expect to find one."

Definitely hitting on him. That look he'd given Taehyung upstairs might not have been related to Teahyung's low class outfit. "I don't have a drink with just anybody," Taehyung said, trying to keep his gaze steady. "Considering my wolf is somewhat of a celebrity."

Yugyeom's eyes lit up, amused and provoked. "Alright," he said.

"Is it a power, to be able to be out this early?" he asked, since the question had been dodged before.

"I'm a daywalker," Yugyeom said. At Taehyung's confused look, he explained, "My bloodline. Anything other than direct sunlight is fine."

"Bloodline?" Taehyung wondered. "Ah, like in the movies. Like, you get the same powers as whoever turned you? Like Jungkook would be of Jin's bloodline?"

"Wow he really hasn't told you anything. They're imperators," Yugyeom said. "The vampire world's self-proclaimed nobility. More like self-assured assholes. Hm, you like movies? They're Terminators. Or… Wolverine without the claws. Stubborn, physically strong, very hard to kill. But they also slowly but surely lose it," he pointed to his head, "until they have to be put down. A daywalker on the other hand could go out with you like a normal person. How about it? Want to switch for something that isn't destined to snap and eat your heart?" He winked, and laughed again at Taehyung's sheepish smile. "So what do you do, all on your own, while he sleeps?"

"I'm studying… I'm an actor," Taehyung said, feeling proud again.

"I would have guessed model, but I can see it," Yugyeom said. His eyes seemed to sparkle, and Taehyung got shy, turning away to blush. He'd winked and smiled to get stuff, but he hadn't flirted this way a lot. Still relaxed, wearing a playful grin, Yugyeom rounded the table to come eye to eye with him. "The big dog won't be awake for a while, right? I could keep you company until then."

You will not let anyone else have a single drop of your blood, Jungkook had said. "Sorry but I'm not allowed to branch out," he told Yugyeom, not feeling very sorry.

"That's not what I'm interested in." Those cold but strong hands feathered up his sides, Yugyeom watching his eyes carefully for cues as he took one more step into his space. "I thought we could play the old fashioned way." One hand slid down over Taehyung's hip and he leaned in closer still.

Even if the flirty devil-may-care attitude was attractive, Taehyung would have pushed him away. But Jungkook might be grateful if Taehyung got what he needed elsewhere, relieved that he didn't have to humor him anymore. All Jungkook did was tease him, make out with him in front of the crowds only to bite him and sing him to sleep. Jungkook had told him to not give anyone else blood, but he hadn't claimed exclusive access to anything else. So, "Fuck it," he agreed. He closed his eyes and allowed Yugyeom to come all the way in against his lips.

He kissed playfully too, kept pushing and pulling and chuckling into the kiss, and his fingertips toyed with Taehyung's t-shirt, eventually finding their way in under the hem. "Where can we go," Yugyeom urged against his lips. "Show me somewhere nice and I'll show you something dirty."

Not the room, he couldn't take another vampire in there, maybe the VIP side rooms? Taehyung opened his eyes and met Jungkook's over Yugyeom's shoulder.

With a not fully articulated curse, he jumped back a step. The daywalker could tell what he'd seen from his expression, or maybe he could sense Jungkook somehow. Yugyeom's lips, kissed red, split in a wide grin before he turned to face Jungkook. "You're up early," he said, while pushing back his hair.

For a second Jungkook had looked angry, but as soon as Yugyeom had turned towards him his face had gone cold and unimpressed. He was dressed in all-black today as well, but this time rough, loose black pants tucked into black combat boots, as if ready for a confrontation. "Taking freedoms in someone else's house? Aren't you getting a bit too comfortable."

"Isn't this exactly where I should take freedoms?" Yugyeom asked. "Where he's protected and not afraid to say no, if he wants to."

Jungkook's eyes slid from Yugyeom to Taehyung and back. "Let's go," he said, beckoning Yugyeom with his fingers as if telling him to give him something.

Yugyeom's tongue was playing in the corner of his mouth. "I changed my mind," he said. "New deal. I want," he nodded his head towards Taehyung.

"He's free to do what he wants," Jungkook told him.

"Yeah I can tell. You really don't give a shit about him."

"Go play with your own toys," Jungkook snapped.

"Mm, I don't have any as pretty as him. Fine, promise you won't give him any commands concerning me, give me a sporting chance to win him over, and you can have your day in the sun."

Jungkook's eyes went between them, twice.

"What, I can't play?" Taehyung demanded, wanting to challenge Jungkook's coldness. "You've told me what's yours. I can't do what I want with the rest?"

"Fine," Jungkook said, and Taehyung wished he hadn't.

Grinning like a shark, Yugyeom held out his arm. Jungkook grabbed it and sank his fangs into his wrist without any ceremony. Wincing, Yugyeom hissed faintly. "Making it hurt on purpose," he scoffed. "That's pretty childish, for the cold, untouchable heir to Jin's empire. If you're upset by his lack of loyalty, how about you take care of him better."

Jungkook stood up, dropping Yugyeom's arm like a cleaned out chicken bone. The glow in his eyes remained even when his fangs went out of sight. "Don't tell me what to do with what's mine," he growled, voice made rough by the blood and the provocations.

"Don't hiss at me, kitten," Yugyeom said, unfazed. His eyes had taken an eerie blue at the pain, but were already fading fast. "You do realize he's like prime mutton out there, with your mark? He has no idea who I am, you haven't even tried to tell him who to trust, or warned him what that mark means. Most of us see it and would have to be suicidal to touch a hair on his head. But a few will see it as a chance to challenge you."

"Like you?"

"I know better than to steal from you," Yugyeom said sweetly. "But you know I can't stand to see pretty lambs wrapped in silk and put on a shelf to waste away. If you're not going to keep him entertained, let me find you a nice replacement and give him to me instead, I'll look after him." He winked at Taehyung.

A minimal snarl passed over Jungkook's face, a slight twitch in Yugyeom's direction that couldn't even be considered the beginning of a lunge. Yugyeom slid away around the table. The playful, fearless smirk was instantly replaced by fangs and the intense blue glow. The two of them stared like dogs before a fight, but Jungkook wasn't even showing teeth, his eyes still his regular brown. Yugyeom looked away first, having already lost by his initial reaction, clearly aware that if it came to blows he was outclassed. Jungkook took Taehyung's arm and pushed him towards the exit.

"Where are we going?" Taehyung asked, letting Jungkook walk up next to him so he could follow. He didn't get an answer.

Outside the door, a black minivan waited for them, polished until it shone, with tinted windows. Jungkook opened the door into a white interior with two luxury seats and two lounge seats. Despite the windows being tinted, there were also black curtains on the inside, and a dividing wall with a hatch to the front seats. Making impressed noises, pretty much unintentionally, Taehyung climbed in.

"Shouldn't I have changed for wherever we're going? Where are we going?" he asked. Jungkook seemed to have lost all desire to speak to him, however. While Taehyung went and tried the lounge chair, Jungkook got in and closed the door and the inside of the car went very dark. There were two knocks, and they took off in near perfect silence, only a faint engine hum, no tires against asphalt.

There was a control panel in the middle, gently backlit. Taehyung leaned over it, curious. So many buttons. He pressed the big one with a shining green circle around it, and a soft blue light seemed to come from all directions at once. The black ceiling of the car got covered in tiny stars. "Whoa!" He lay back to look at it.

"Put on your seat belt," Jungkook told him, so he looked around and found the lounge seats also had seat belts, just one around the waist. Since he'd been told to, he put it on.

"Why did you bite that guy?" he asked.

"Why did you kiss him?"

Since the command was completed, Taehyung got free of the seat belt again and poked the control panel some more. Two small tables folded up from the sides. Another button turned on music, and the faint light coming from everywhere seemed to pulse slightly to the beat. Turning a dial changed the color of the light.

"You drank from him to get his abilities," Taehyung realized, thinking about it. "Daywalker. So we can go… wherever we're going. So other vampires don't get… dominated? By the bite?" Jungkook didn't answer, maybe didn't think it was necessary. "Do you get addicted, like Namjoon?"

"Yes. But to one specific vampire. Namjoon can fill his addiction by drinking from anyone."

"That's why you can't do it all the time, borrow abilities all the time." Taehyung looked around and found a mini fridge in the back stacked with various small bottles, and some glasses. "Should I have known who he is?" he wondered, remembering Yugyeom's provocations.

"You really never stop asking questions," Jungkook said.

Taehyung never lost his temper, but he did get a little fed up. "I wouldn't have to ask so many questions if anyone told me what I need to know," he said and sat down again, opposite Jungkook. The cold expression cracked slightly, but Jungkook looked away to conceal it. "Where are we going?" he asked for the third time.

The car stopped. Jungkook climbed out and gestured. "Get out of the car," he said when Taehyung rebelliously stayed seated, and Taehyung clenched his jaw and followed him. They were outside a storefront, a tall but not very wide white building. The front doors were glass but the inside of the glass was covered in patterned metal plates, layered to create textures. No windows. There was a logo above the doors, but no letters, no name.

Jungkook ushered him forward. There was a white desk inside, with a female receptionist in black and red uniform and hair slicked back in a tight ponytail. Jungkook walked up to her. "I booked a double slot," he said. She nodded and tapped a pad in front of her. "We're going to need some food for him."

She listed two food options and a deluxe sweets option, and said if they were looking for actual meals they could have something delivered.

"Sweets?" Taehyung asked.

"We'll have the seafood," Jungkook said.

"Aw."

A woman in a dark suit that shimmered a touch towards green, like the shell of a beetle, with her cinnamon hair pulled back in an equally perfect ponytail as the receptionist, came out of a side door to greet them. "How lovely to see you, are you on your own today?" she asked and Jungkook gave her a short nod. "Wonderful." They followed her upstairs. The entire floor was one open space with seats and mirrors and various lighting. Still no windows. "What can I do for you then?" she asked them, after Jungkook chose a big canvas armchair to sit in. Taehyung found a giant white pillow, larger than he was, and realized it was a bean bag as he sat down on it.

"We're here for the whole thing. Full everyday set, a few for special occasions."

"Accessories?" she asked. Her demeanor had slightly changed, her eyes coming to life and not just the standard service face. Anticipating a big payday.

"That too. No jewelry." Jungkook nodded towards Taehyung.

"Would you stand up, please, sir," she asked Taehyung. No one called him sir. He got up. "Take off the shirt and pants." Jungkook gave him a glare saying he better follow orders, so he did. She held up a pad at him, took his photo maybe, got him to turn and did the same from the side. Then went back downstairs.

Since no one told him otherwise, Taehyung put on his clothes again. "You've been here before?"

"A few times, with Jin and Jimin," Jungkook told him. He had taken out his phone and swiped somewhat aimlessly.

Taehyung wandered the room a little, looking at things. The metal plates in the door repeated here and there, cutting off the mostly white walls and furniture. "Am I Julia Roberts?"

"Who?" Jungkook said.

"Pretty Woman. The movie. It's classic!" Taehyung sighed. "What do you do with your time? Clearly not watch movies. What do you do when you're not… working?"

Jungkook watched him for a moment. "Why? Because I sang for you once, we're friends now?"

He knew Jungkook was pissed off at him about Yugyeom, whatever level that was on, but it still hurt. "Fuck you," he said softly. Jungkook frowned at his phone. "What am I then? I'm not a pet because you won't tell me what I'm supposed to do or need to know, I'm not your friend because you won't share anything about yourself, and I'm not a whore since you won't fuck me. I'm whiskey," he realized, heart sinking. "A nice drink."

"What did you expect when you signed those papers," Jungkook said.

"You're not Edward, you're Phillip," Taehyung accused him, insulted him, but Jungkook hadn't seen the movie and didn't know what that meant. The woman came back up the stairs carrying three bottles; two wines and champagne. She was accompanied by the receptionist who brought a plate with a wide selection of seafood finger food and some glasses. All of it was placed on a table at the center of the room by the side of the stairs. A chunk of the mirror wall Taehyung was standing in front of opened. He jerked away, and a few racks with clothing were rolled in before the mirror closed again.

No one had introduced themselves with names or had name plates, Taehyung realized when he wanted to address the woman. "What do I call you?" he asked.

"Her title is conservus," Jungkook informed him. He shot Jungkook an annoyed eye. He hadn't been talking to him.

"I have some everyday options to start with here," she told him, took him to the first rack and talked a little about fabrics. "Is there any color you like?"

"Purple," he said.

"Do you prefer gold or silver?"

"I don't know."

She turned to Jungkook, who had put down the phone and was watching them. "Let him try some," he said, so she pulled out a few pieces of clothing with gold or silver details, just small things like a logo or a button, and let him try them on.

Taehyung smoothed out the t-shirt with matte gold leaf decorations around the neck and one shoulder. "I like this one," he said, glancing at Jungkook in the mirror.

"Silver," Jungkook decided. The conservus nodded politely and picked out two other tops.

"Hey," Taehyung said. Jungkook met his eyes, and looked more grumpy than intimidating. "You're just saying that to be contrary! Doesn't this look nice?"

Jungkook stared at him for a moment before saying, "You like silver."

The shirt the conservus handed him was pretty nice, a white shirt with purple patch and silver details by the buttons. He changed into it, and maybe Jungkook was right. The gold was a little gaudy, silver went well to the white jeans he was wearing. "I guess it matches better with the necklace," he realized. That was important, he would be wearing that all the time.

Jungkook was laughing for some reason, the cold, hard look on his face melting for youth and energy. He got up. "I'm sorry," he told Taehyung, then turned to the conservus. "Can we do both?" She nodded patiently and put the clothes back and looked for some other.

"You don't have to apologize," Taehyung told him. "But please don't pick stuff because you're pissed off at me."

"I thought I got to decide what you wear," Jungkook said quietly, coming even closer. His hand wandered across Taehyung's waist to rest on his hip, opposite him. He was smiling, relaxed, but a flicker of hunger went through his eyes and got Taehyung's heart beating faster. "Isn't that what I'm paying for." Jungkook's breath tickled his ear.

He pushed at Jungkook. "Not here."

"She's seen it all before," Jungkook told him.

"Please don't get blood on the samples," she told them. "You'll have to pay for them." While Taehyung gave up a huff of disbelief, she held up two shirts. "Which style do you prefer?"

He looked at them and at Jungkook by his side, who still looked amused like he knew something Taehyung didn't. "I want to wear what you like," he told him. "What style do you like?"

"I really don't know a lot about clothes, Jin and Jimin always helped me," Jungkook said. "Try them on. Sorry, forget that. You can try them both on if you want, we have time," he adjusted the command into a suggestion.

Taehyung still wanted Jungkook to choose, but now Jungkook had decided to let him play and insisted Taehyung pick what he liked himself. For each question he answered the conservus seemed to home in on what he liked until he was fairly sure she knew better than he did himself. Still, Jungkook's disinterest took a lot of the fun out. She helped him put together some outfits, the finished ones were laid out on a large table on the far side of the room.

He stopped glancing and outright stared at Jungkook, and Jungkook still just poked his phone. The conservus clapped her hands and two more rows of clothing were rolled in, looking different. Taehyung was put in all black, a hoodie under a thin jacket, and a beanie. Jungkook glanced up, and Taehyung was happy for a moment before he said, "Doesn't really seem like your style." When he turned away, the conservus was smiling at his grumpy face. She signaled one more.

This time she handed him a loose dress shirt with faint blue and silver stripes diagonally, one shoulder entirely missing. Then a pair of high-waisted, black pants and the same black jacket and beanie as before. "Is it too provocative, sir?" she asked, directed at Jungkook, and made Taehyung turn towards him. Jungkook looked him over as if he didn't understand, and she folded the jacket aside to show the exposed shoulder. Her hand stayed on Taehyung's back, making him stay still although Jungkook was quiet for a while.

Finally, he said, "I like it." When Taehyung looked at her, she winked. The clothes she picked out now seemed to walk a middle road between what Taehyung liked and what got Jungkook to look, and before the next outfit was even done, Jungkook had put down his phone.

Taehyung ate some food and had a glass of champagne and started to have fun. Jungkook laughed at his strutting around trying on clothes, and when he broke into way too serious recitals of movie lines the conservus couldn't keep her professional face any longer. When he picked shoes, Jungkook said he was a boring old man but Taehyung was trying for classic.

A display came in with accessories. Back in his old clothes, Taehyung looked at the selection of belts, ties, tie pins and cufflinks. Jungkook had sat down again, signaling he should decide for himself. There was a nice, wide, leather belt. Taehyung picked it up. "Jungkook!" As soon as Jungkook looked up from his phone, Taehyung patted his own ass with the end of the belt and winked. Jungkook broke into giggling laughter, surprising the conservus. Clearing his throat, he recovered quickly.

Pretending he wasn't blushing, not sure if he was happy or not that Jungkook laughed, Taehyung looked at ties. There was a nice velvety tie in dark red. He tried it on, fumbling a little because it had been so long since he wore one, but eventually managed to get it right. As he tightened it around his neck, his shoulder got yanked, turning him around, and then he was pushed into a mirror. Jungkook set both hands against the mirror glass on either side of his head. "Nice choice."

"If I'd get blood on it for some reason, it won't really show," Taehyung thought, and found himself sounding breathless. Jungkook was so close.

Jungkook leaned in even closer and whispered against his cheek, "Clever kitty." Then leaned down to nuzzle against his neck. Taehyung closed his eyes. The only thing he got was Jungkook's soft lips against his skin, then a silken tongue sweeping over him. Bending his arms to press their bodies together, Jungkook sucked carefully on his neck without fangs. Taehyung was trying to tell himself to not get his hopes up, but then Jungkook took his hand and pushed it down between them. "How about you entertain yourself," Jungkook suggested.

"Here?" Taehyung gasped, looking around. The conservus was doing something with the outfits laid out on the table, turned half away from them, but certainly able to see them, if not directly then in the many mirrors. "Ah, tell her to leave."

"What's that?"

"Please."

Jungkook pulled back slightly to look at him, honey gold set in determination. "Am I going to have to command you?" He guided Taehyung's hand into his pants, which were loose enough to give him some space to work with. Taehyung shuddered, wanting the command, and let his head fall back a little. It wasn't intentional but Jungkook's eyes immediately locked on his throat, a hint of sharp tips between his parted lips. Jungkook grabbed his shirt, digging his fingers painfully into his chest for a second and pushing a groan out of him. Then the glowing amber in his eyes flared in a way Taehyung hadn't seen before, and Jungkook ripped his t-shirt apart, literally to shreds.

"Ah," Taehyung gasped, pulse skyrocketing. Jungkook kept going, ripping the collar and hem like he was ripping paper, taking chunks out of the sleeves. Taehyung was at once scared and more turned on than ever before.

"Keep going, but don't finish without permission," Jungkook told him carelessly, discarding the cheap fabric scraps and yanking off the last remaining pieces. Taehyung gasped helplessly, clinging to Jungkook's voice and Jungkook's will locking him into place. Jungkook leaned down and pressed his lips to his side and Taehyung anticipated pain, would it hurt if Jungkook bit right into his ribs hitting bone, or would he be nicked with a rogue fang, but Jungkook sucked on his skin without any violence.

"Jungkook, please..."

"What's that," Jungkook said.

"Please. Sir. Tell her to leave," Taehyung begged, embarrassed. She was still standing over there, folding clothes.

"No," Jungkook said again.

"Please!"

"Conservus," Jungkook called.

"Sir?" she said, turning towards them.

Taehyung's cheeks burned, he turned away from her but could still see her in a mirror across the room. Jungkook came up to look at his face and licked his lips. "Get the rest of the staff up here."

Taehyung's fingers clung to Jungkook's shirt. "No, no, please," he whispered desperately.

"I can hear your blood," Jungkook murmured in his ear. "There's no point lying to me, I know it turns you on." Jungkook pushed his pants down, kicked them the last bit scraping his leg with the rough combat boot sole. He stepped on the back of Taehyung's shoes and got him to step out of them, and now the only thing Taehyung was wearing was the tie. "When I kiss you in the club, in front of everyone, it makes your blood scream for me. You love people watching you. Turn around."

He'd thought that would help, but when he turned he didn't just see himself and Jungkook in the mirror, but the receptionist coming up the stairs, as well as three others that he hadn't seen before. "Oh fuck." He was naked. His back was covered from their view by Jungkook, but they could see everything he saw in the mirror, his hand still working on Jungkook's command.

"My pet is putting on a show," Jungkook told them, hand closing around Taehyung's throat to make sure he stayed in place. "Stay and watch if you like. If anyone is uncomfortable they can leave." Not one of them moved. "Keep going," he growled in Taehyung's ear. As if Taehyung had a choice, when he'd already told him to.

Jungkook's steady grip around his throat was delicious enough, seeing his strong fingers digging into his skin made Taehyung moan. Jungkook smiled at him over his shoulder and glanced down at the edge of his collar bone, and Taehyung saw it in his eyes, the hunger getting overwhelming. A single sharp fang pinched his skin, and it was Jungkook's turn to moan, lapping up the drops. Jungkook leaned his head back, forcing himself to not dig in properly, but there were a lot of fangs in the game now and only a sheer veneer of control left.

Jungkook took his hip and pressed him back against him, and Taehyung felt his hard-on dig into him. "Ah, Jungkook, sir," he mumbled incoherently. He wanted to ask for it, the words were on his lips but seeing the staff in the mirror held him back. Instead he pushed back against Jungkook and rolled his hips a little, letting his body do the talking.

"You want it?" Jungkook growled softly, low enough to only be for him.

"Yes," he whispered back.

"I can't hear you."

"Please, don't make me..."

"Can't win if you don't play," Jungkook told him. "Seems like you don't want it enough." Jungkook found the tie around his neck to hold on to.

He didn't believe it, Jungkook would never do it, not in front of everyone. Would he? "I want," Taehyung tried, blushing furiously. If he missed his chance, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He cleared his throat and managed to raise his voice a tiny bit. "I... please, I want you to fuck me."

"Right here?" Jungkook asked, slowly grinding against him once.

"Anywhere," Taehyung admitted. "On the street if you want." With people passing by, stopping to point and stare; with Jungkook's ownership and his own perversions laid out for the world to see.

"That's not what I meant," Jungkook smiled. "Where, do you want me to fuck you?"

Taehyung whimpered, chills running through him hearing the words in Jungkook's soft voice, getting close to his limit and finding it more and more difficult to follow instructions. Jungkook's eyes, like candle flames, staring into his in the mirror made it difficult to think at all. All he knew was that he wished more than anything that Jungkook would stop talking and do it.

"I want you to fuck my ass," Taehyung said, and once it was over his lips it got easier to say more. "I want it so fucking much, I'll do whatever you want, please." His eyes accidentally met the eyes of the female receptionist in the mirror and he thought he'd die of embarrassment but there was something in her expression. She envied him. She wanted to be in his place, she wanted Jungkook to run his hands over her like her surrender was delicious. Taehyung licked his lips, his breaths shaking his chest, and she mimicked the move, her eyes traveling his body. Taehyung only realized he was moaning in the middle of doing it.

"Let's not keep them from their jobs all night," Jungkook said. "Come."

He writhed against Jungkook's body for a moment, finding it difficult to stand still. "Are you going to bite me?" he panted.

"Do you want me to?"

Yes and no. Yes, more than anything. No, he thought his mind would break. Thankfully his body was busy following Jungkook's command and didn't let him answer. He strained against Jungkook's hold on him, grabbing his arm to stay standing, and felt the culmination wash over him. The instant he relaxed, thinking it was over, he got a flash of Jungkook's mouth opening like a striking snake before he dug his fangs into his shoulder. A flash of instinctual fear, before it was wiped away by ecstasy.

The world whited out. The satisfaction of orgasm was engulfed by the satisfaction of laying his life in Jungkook's hands. Whatever he wanted, Jungkook should have, and he wanted this, he wanted Taehyung. He got some faint image of himself in the mirror, Jungkook holding him up because his legs barely functioned, a drop of blood running down his chest drawing a red line over his heart. He wanted to give his heart to Jungkook. Yugyeom had said something about Jin's bloodline going crazy and eating his heart, and he imagined it, Jungkook's fangs sinking into it. He could feel how each heartbeat would strain against Jungkook's smooth, wet tongue and the crushing authority of his jaws.

With a gasp of effort Jungkook let go, snarling at nothing, one angry, hissing breath pushed out of his lungs. A second later he'd gathered himself and picked Taehyung up, laying him down on the big white pillow. "That's all," he said over his shoulder, "Thank you," as an afterthought, and Taehyung heard steps as the audience dispersed. Jungkook left and came back with a fresh glass of champagne, and Taehyung managed to sit up enough to drink.

He couldn't meet Jungkook's eyes, and not because of the very public sex. Jungkook had said he could sense him getting turned on… had he known the whole time, every time? Mortified, he rubbed his nose wanting to shrink into oblivion. His mind was still swimming in the afterglow, he irrationally wanted to run away and hide but was too tired to move.

Jungkook pulled the tie off him and left him. "This one, and that belt," he said. "And those two. That's all. Thank you." He came back to sit on the floor, one elbow on the bean bag, watching Taehyung recover mental functions one by one.

Over by the table, the conservus was packing the clothes into several big bags. "What are you doing?" Taehyung asked, confused, still a little out of it.

She carried the packed bags over to them. "Will that be all?"

"It will," Jungkook told her from the floor.

"If you excuse me for the impertinence, you carried yourself excellently today, sir, I'm sure Jin would agree. And I'm honored to meet your companion."

"Thank you, Jeanne."

"And I believe this is the first time I've seen your smile. It's spectacular." She went down the stairs.

Taehyung thought she shouldn't flirt with customers, annoyed that Jungkook looked after her. If he were a girl, would Jungkook have fucked him there against the mirror? It would have been so easy. Instead Jungkook was teasing him again, getting his hopes up. "What is all this?" he asked, trying to distract himself. "Should I pick one? I liked the white shirt with the purple patch... that one," he agreed when Jungkook lifted it out of one bag. Jungkook moved the whole bag closer.

"Put it on."

Recovered enough to not consider that an impossible command, Taehyung got up and changed into the whole outfit with the shirt, and the shoes, and got handed a brown leather jacket he'd picked. It was a simple model, but it sat really well on him. Jungkook scrutinized him top to bottom and gave up a tiny snort.

"Do I look stupid?" Taehyung asked, scared.

"What do you think?" Jungkook countered, gesturing to the closest mirror.

Standing there in the full outfit, polished brown leather shoes and all, he realized he looked like the master here. Jungkook's casual getup, and the rough boots, made him look like a bodyguard or perhaps more like some handsome hooligan that Taehyung the star actor had picked up as entertainment. "I look grown up," he realized. Like a man who knew what he was doing, which was the furthest possible from the truth.

Jungkook smiled and patted his arm. "Come on, let's go home." He gathered up all the bags.

It didn't really sink in until they were back in the minivan that Jungkook was bringing all the clothes. "Um, but, all of this?" Taehyung stuttered, looking at the bags filling the floor of the van between them, seated in the same places as before.

"Do you own any clothes you want to keep, that have sentimental value or something?" Jungkook asked him.

"No," Taehyung thought. Just the watch.

"Then when we get back to the club, you throw all your old clothes away. This is your new wardrobe. If we've forgotten anything you need, let me know and I'll get it. Ah, you didn't get any beach- or swimwear."

"But I..." Taehyung started, but didn't know what to say. "Jin said I could borrow clothes like you do?"

"I know what wearing borrowed clothes feels like," Jungkook said. "And those are for when you're at the club. This is yours. You can wear it anywhere, anytime. Even after we..."

Leave. Taehyung looked over the many bags and suddenly hated them. Jungkook was doing this for him, to make him happy, had made deals with a rival vampire to be able to go out like this with him, but he was trying to ease the separation. He wanted to yell, why haven't you asked me to come with you, why aren't you fighting for me, even if he knew the answer. Jungkook also knew what it was like to want to follow your dream so much you gave up everything else.

"I won't interfere with Yugyeom," Jungkook said, not looking at him. "I wouldn't. I don't want to see you put on a shelf to waste away either. If you... feel neglected, then you're free to do what you want." He didn't look like he meant that at all, but nonetheless he said it.

"Is that why you did that, in there?" Taehyung asked. "To keep me entertained?"

Jungkook's eyes closed for a moment, before he met Taehyung's. "No."

"Put on a show," Taehyung remembered him saying. "You're putting on shows. That kiss on the balcony, that was a show too."

"No," Jungkook said.

"No? You got Jimin to-"

"It wasn't a show," Jungkook said, turning away and pushing a curtain out of the way to look out of the tinted window. There were trees, they were passing a park. "It was an excuse."

Taehyung shook his head. "If you want to kiss me, just kiss me."

So smoothly it all seemed like one flowing move, Jungkook snapped free of his seat belt, pushed the folding table aside, stepped over the bags and pushed Taehyung down on the lounge seat. He leaned over him on a knee by his hip and came to Taehyung's lips with a different kind of hunger, soft and urging. Taehyung's blood was so fresh in Jungkook's veins that he almost felt hot. Taehyung swept his hands down his body to find the proof of that his desire wanted more than what was in Taehyung's veins. He got his hand into Jungkook's pants and Jungkook moaned a quiet rumble against his lips. "I want you."

Despite having come just before, Taehyung's body hummed at the words, hungering for more than it could eat. "Tell me," he whispered.

Jungkook grunted and shook his head.

"Order me to."

"No."

"Please."

"You want me to?"

Taehyung pulled out of the kiss, enough that he could reach up and whispered into Jungkook's ear. "Yes. I want to feel it. Tell me to do it." He tightened his grip and kissed Jungkook's neck.

"Taehyung," Jungkook growled. "Suck my cock."

Jungkook's commands felt like a hot drink after hours in the snow. Jungkook let him guide him around to lie down on his back, and Taehyung threw off his own jacket and settled in between his legs. He knew a little more this time, enough to not push himself too hard. His reward was Jungkook's breathless little sounds, and his hand on the back of his head trying not to grab on.

The car had stopped at some point because the door started opening.

"Fuck off!" Jungkook shouted, and it closed again immediately. Taehyung chuckled, and Jungkook pushed him back down.

He got tired, but the command pushed him on and he went the whole way to the end. "Mm," Jungkook hummed, "drink from me." So he drank and cleaned up and slid off the seat to sit on the floor, exhausted, jaw aching.

He rested, feeling fulfilled in a different way than before. The moment of Jungkook charging him replayed over and over in his mind. His hunger for blood satisfied, Jungkook still wanted more. Hadn't just allowed him to get him off, but wanted it, took it, commanded it.

"Good kitty," Jungkook mumbled, teasing a little, kissing the top of his head.

If he was a cat he would purr. "Thank you. For the, for this I mean," he added, gesturing to the bags. Some of them had fallen over, either when Jungkook had lunged for him or when he'd slid off the seat, and spilled their contents on the floor.

"Whatever you need," Jungkook told him and got up, fixing his clothes and picking up bags. Taehyung lazily shoved the spilled contents back in some bags randomly and let Jungkook take them from him. When he got out of the car, Jungkook winked at him and said, "Maybe now they'll ask why a guy like you would ever hang out with a guy like me."

Left on the sidewalk as the minivan drove away, Taehyung watched Jungkook go inside. The simple black t-shirt stretched over his shoulders, his chestnut hair was casually half pushed back. The neon lights at the entrance reflected in his wristwatch, the only thing he wore that could possibly match up to even one piece of clothing in the bags he was carrying. Taehyung thought he was an idiot. The cold dark vampire prince on the VIP balcony didn't exist. It was fiction, like the woman in the white dress and his hand on her back, like Vivian Ward in Pretty Woman.

Jungkook had listened to what Hope said was Taehyung's greatest fears and insecurities, and set out to destroy them like he charged at any enemies that threatened his people. Today, the person Jeon Jungkook had tried to make Taehyung feel good enough to stand next to the fairy tale vampire prince. Taehyung thought only one of those two was real.

The club had started filling up with people, Taehyung had to push his way through them to get to the back and his room. Jungkook wasn't there, had left the bags inside, probably needed to change into his character and get to work. Following the commands he'd gotten in the car, Taehyung gathered up his old clothes, moved the new ones into the closet, put the old clothes in a few bags, took them out back and threw them away. Goodbye to old, starving, lonely Taehyung, the boy who ran away from home with nothing and thought he was worth even less, he thought, and saluted the dumpster.

He went to the VIP balcony looking for Jimin but no one was there. Not a single one of them. In his new clothes, he tried on this new persona. He was the pet of a prince now, the guy other vampires looked at and wanted a taste of, wanted to know what made him special. Leaned against the railing like Jungkook did a lot, he listened to the music and watched the lights flicker over the people downstairs. Some of them looked up at him, a woman with a deep purple dress gestured to show they matched. A guy Taehyung had seen upstairs before tried to go up, and the staff stopped him.

"It's okay," Taehyung said, and he was let through.

"Thanks," the guy told him and introduced himself. They talked for a moment, until Taehyung realized the guy was trying to butter him up. The compliments came a little too fast and easy.

Pushing his hair back like he'd seen Jimin do, he said, "Can I do something for you?"

"There's a girl down there, think you could let her up too?" he asked.

"Your girlfriend?"

"I think she might become," he smiled. "I'd never dream to tell you what to do, but I think she'd love the view, right?" His hand came up to nudge Taehyung's elbow, with the same hopeful puppy smile that Taehyung was used to making himself.

He put a hand on the guy's back to bring him to the railing. "Where?"

"There, in white and gold, by the stage."

Taehyung had no idea how this was supposed to be done, so he put his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Half the floor stopped to look at him, and he got eye contact with the girl. Hoping it was too dark to see he was blushing, he waved at her to come up.

"Oh my god," the guy said. "Oh my god, thank you, that was so cool!"

The girl came up, the guy talked to her, Taehyung sat down at an empty table watching over his lovebirds. The way she was smiling and excitedly glancing around, the guy was scoring some good points with her. Another woman came up the stairs, in a tight black dress with a short train, almost like a superhero cape. Her eyes scanned over the area and locked on him.

"Not drinking?" she asked, sliding in opposite him.

Taehyung realized he'd leaned back in the leather seat exactly the way he'd played pretend the days before. Clearing his throat, he sat up.

She thought he wasn't answering. "No need to be difficult, I'm not here to fight," she said. "Where's your... boss?"

"Busy," Taehyung said.

She hummed. "And the tall brainy cutie?"

"Namjoon?" he guessed. "I don't know."

She hummed again, not happy. "Think you could get one of them for me, sweetie?"

Taehyung was only one person's sweetie. "I'm busy," he said, and her eyes went scary.

He didn't have time to regret it, as an, "Um," interrupted them. The guy and his soon-to-be girlfriend had drifted closer. "Sorry, but how do we, could we order up some stuff? The other guys usually…"

"Get lost." A hand landed on Taehyung's shoulder. Jungkook turned his back on the lovebirds. "Suga was looking for you, he's in Jin's office."

The couple was being shown downstairs. "Um, wait," Taehyung said, standing up. "They just, let them stay." The woman in black, still seated in front of him, chuckled, amused, watching Jungkook.

In fact everyone was looking at Jungkook. "Get them out of my sight," he told the staff without looking and locked eyes with Taehyung. "Don't forget your place." The couple was quickly ushered downstairs while Taehyung froze up. Was Jungkook acting? This was the cold prince character, right? He tried a smile, and Jungkook said, "Sit down," so he sat.

"They were just..." he said, standing up again.

Jungkook's hand closed around the leather string around his neck and twisted, letting it cut deep into his throat. He didn't get a sound out but grabbed Jungkook's arm with both of his, in so much pain that he just reacted. A quick flash of gold and Jungkook's grip might as well be steel for all the good it did him to pull on it. He was forced to sit down like a dog being pulled by a leash, and pushed further in so that Jungkook could sit down next to him.

"What are you doing here," Jungkook said to the woman, letting go of Taehyung as if he'd lost interest in him. Taehyung coughed. "You're usually too afraid to show your face."

"Forget that other group and their pets. The vultures are coming, and fast," she told him. "It's a matter of days. I'm getting out tonight, you should too."

Jungkook snorted. "They won't come here."

"I don't know," she said. "They're too confident, they're up to something, I don't like it."

"We're staying for the Halloween event."

"Don't say I didn't warn you." She got up and shot Taehyung an amused eye. "See you around, kid. If you live that long." Taehyung involuntarily glanced at Jungkook, not sure what he was allowed to do or say, and she laughed at him before she left.

They sat in silence for a beat before Jungkook turned to him. He was angry, and Taehyung withdrew a little, putting a hand over the collar preemptively so Jungkook wouldn't grab it again. "Did the clothes go to your head?" Jungkook demanded, shoving his hand down. "Defying me in public? In front of one of us?"

"Sorry," Taehyung said. "But they-"

"They're just some humans."

Taehyung blinked. "So am I," he thought.

"Yes," Jungkook agreed. "Which is exactly why, if I tell you to sit down you stay the fuck down, and you don't revoke my orders to the staff unless you're damned sure I want you to."

Taehyung stared at him, wide eyed. Just before he'd been sure the role Jungkook put on in public was fake, but now he looked into the eyes of his dark prince and adrenaline pumped through his body. "Th-this is, f-for your role, right? You're in ch-character?" he stuttered.

Moving further away was meaningless because when Jungkook moved he did it so quickly that Taehyung couldn't even see it. From one instant to the other, Jungkook was in his face, grabbing his hair with both hands, and kissing him. He whimpered slightly, scared and because the grip in his hair was painful, and a sharp fang cut his lower lip. It wasn't like the tiny nicks for Jungkook to take a drop or two, this time he felt his lip split. He tried to tear free, and the only reason he succeeded was that Jungkook let go of him. "Ah, ow!" he gasped, taking his mouth.

"What's that?" Jungkook growled at him.

"I'm sorry," Taehyung said. Talking hurt, he had blood on his hand. "But..."

"Shut up," Jungkook told him, voice dark and hard as steel. "Don't you fucking dare duck or back up or put your hands up in defense when I talk to you. If I want to punish you, I will, and you won't lift a finger to stop me. Never question me, or pretend to know who I am or what is or isn't an act." Jungkook's eyes were warming up into gold again. He took Taehyung's hand holding his lip and Taehyung had to fight with every cell to hold still and let him. Staring into his eyes, Jungkook licked the blood off his fingers. When he let go, Taehyung didn't dare to raise his arm again and just sat there, feeling a drop of blood run down his chin. "Maybe I've spoiled you," Jungkook told him, eyes still faintly glowing, eyelids heavy with simmering hunger. "I see the way you look at me sometimes, you think I'm a cute little boy. People who act on that assumption tend to not live very long. I'm not a fucking house cat."

Taehyung's heart rose up, thinking this was unfair. No one told him anything! He hadn't known that woman was a vampire! Who was coming? Could he invite people upstairs? Who was Yugyeom? Sure, he'd remember his fucking place if someone told him what the fuck it was! But he didn't dare to ask, much less complain. "Yes, sir," he said, and hated that his voice trembled.

"Jin's office," Jungkook said, getting to his feet so Taehyung could get out. "Now."

"Yes, sir," Taehyung said and went.

As soon as his back was turned, Taehyung held his lip together again. It stung enough to make him wince. Wiping the blood off his chin, he swallowed down angry sobs he'd been too scared to let out before. He was still holding his lip when he opened the door to Jin's office. Jin wasn't there, but Namjoon stood leaned against Jin's desk, Hope sat on the couch, and Suga was pacing.

"I'm not doing that," Hope said.

"Now suddenly?" Suga said, annoyed.

"I told you from the start that I'm not interested in eating you."

"That's not what I asked…" Suga trailed off, spotting Taehyung. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Taehyung said, but it was followed by an awkward silence with all three staring at him. "I hurt myself."

Suga glared at Hope. "What?" Hope said, also annoyed. "I don't speak for every vampire in the world! If you have a problem with how Jungkook treats him, take it up with him! I don't take on..." he gestured at Taehyung.

"Pets," Taehyung said.

"I don't take on pets," Hope continued. "Or anything. My maker is dead, I have no children, no group, no pets, no commitments, I'm free as a bird!"

"Jin would do it?" Suga asked Namjoon.

"Theoretically, but I doubt he takes requests," Namjoon answered. "It's not as simple as transforming, it comes with consequences for both sides."

"Jin has some control over Jungkook?" Taehyung guessed.

"In a way. Think of it like a weaker version of Jungkook's control over you," Namjoon said.

"Fuck," Suga said. "You're saying whoever turns me would do," he gestured at Taehyung, "that."

"You want to be a vampire?" Taehyung asked, stunned.

"Everything seems pretty fine on that end," Suga said. "Immortality means I can work on my music forever. Or as long as I want until I'm tired of it. I can hang around and see what becomes of my legacy."

"Is it really that easy?" Taehyung asked. "Jungkook hates it."

"Because he's a whiny bitch," Suga thought. "I'm never outside during the daytime anyway. Hell, I pretty much have the same skin tone already."

"This is ridiculous," Hope said. Namjoon sighed and crossed his arms. "What you see here is the king's castle, a world of silk and splendor that doesn't exist. Jimin asks why I stay, and it says everything about him that he has to ask. Jin is carving out this small haven in a world of pain and desperation. I'm tired of fighting for my life all the time. Tired of the constant competition over food and territory, of always pretending to be something else, but most of all of gangs and friends stabbing each other in the back for scraps of power. The vampire who turned me, she and I had these stupid, naive dreams of eternity, but two months later she was dead, and her group didn't want some clueless newborn and chased me off. I've been running ever since, for almost seventy fucking years, and this is the first place where I feel like I can be a person again and not an animal."

Taehyung went and sat on Jin's desk, pulling up his legs. Hope was talking animatedly on the couch so he didn't want to disturb him.

"The animals, they turn people and use them as cannon fodder, they force other vampires into service by getting them addicted, make them turn on old friends like crazed dogs, they cause chaos and suffering for no other reason than boredom. And every time someone tries to build something stable the hunters flood in and tear it down, so we're stuck in this shitshow."

"Jungkook fought like a dog the first years," Namjoon said. "Four or five years before his reputation brought us a shred of safety. But we still lose people, and the best he can do is avenge them. What you see here is a carefully crafted illusion. Jin's resources and experience, supported by Jungkook and Jimin's abilities, are creating the impossible. Reality is just a drop of blood away. If we lose one of them, or if the hunters find a way to get to us, it's over. Everyone is watching, waiting for us to fuck up. At any given time there's a handful of vampires and followers of other groups hanging around here, looking for signs of weakness."

"Like that daywalker," Hope said. "Supposedly here as an envoy, he's obviously actually here to try to convince Jungkook to join them. He trades daywalker abilities for favors here and there, seems small and harmless, but who knows what he's building up to."

"His group is reasonably stable, neck deep in drugs and prostitution but any violence has been strategic, not wanton destruction," Namjoon said. "Our interactions with them have been very civilized. If anything his boss seems to want to figure out how we do it, but they're based here. The reason we can do this is that we move around."

"The reason you can do this is named Jeon Jungkook," Hope told him. "All credit to your way with numbers, and Jimin's rare abilities, but every vampire on the continent knows why Jin hasn't even tried to do this before in all his, what, one thousand years."

"Still," Suga said, thinking hard. "Immortality. Sure, I might get killed, but the opportunity to create music forever, a tiny chance of creating a masterpiece like the world has never seen, isn't it worth the risk?"

"If someone gave you a die and said, even and you lose your life, odd and you become the greatest composer of all time..." Namjoon asked.

"Then I'd roll," Suga answered. "I'd roll on a lot less than a 50/50."

"That's great," Hope said, clearly thinking the opposite, "but I'm not turning you so you can go get ripped to shreds, and Jin or Jungkook won't either."

"Jimin?" Suga asked.

Namjoon shook his head. "Jin won't allow it. None of us would. He's lost enough."

"But if I stay with you..."

"More mouths for Jin to feed, more people for Jungkook to protect," Hope said. "I don't have the conscience to ask them to look after me; I might come along but I do it on my own. Free as a bird. What would you bring to the table? Music?"

"Fuck you," Suga said.

"I'm done with this conversation," Hope declared.

"Was there something you wanted to ask Taehyung?" Namjoon asked.

Suga turned to Taehyung. His lip had at least stopped bleeding while he listened to them talking. "Are you happy, where you are now," Suga asked.

He reflexively smiled to buy himself time to think, and his lip split again. "Ow," he sighed and pressed the back of his hand to it.

"Did he give you that?" Suga asked. "Honestly."

Taehyung nodded.

"He hit you?"

"It's obviously a cut," Hope said. "That's not how a split lip from a hit looks."

"Excuse me for not knowing how different injuries look," Suga snapped.

"You should be happy you don't."

They glared at each other for a moment. "So not very happy at the moment," Suga assumed, turning back to Taehyung.

"I wasn't," Taehyung told them. "But... there's people out there watching him all the time? His reputation protects all of you?" Namjoon nodded grimly. "This was… part of the show…?" The dark prince might be fiction, but Taehyung had forgotten that Jungkook was actually a vampire. If Jungkook had fought so much and was used to violence, then was what he'd done on the balcony just now nothing to him? It hadn't felt like a show, or like Jungkook had been uncomfortable doing it. He'd not hesitated.

"The more I talk to you, the more I think I can't possibly leave you here with them," Suga told him. "You're romanticizing this whole mind control and abuse thing like the kid you are."

"You're willing to accept the risks and the pain to get what you want," Taehyung told him, not afraid to talk back at him at least. "Why can't I? Is this thing about becoming the greatest composer so much more noble?"

"I thought you wanted to be an actor," Suga said.

He had. He used to. He'd closed his eyes and imagined himself on set, in flowing traditional clothes or tight white suits, diving into characters with more interesting fates than his own. He'd used to imagine sneaking into a movie theater to watch all the people watching him on screen, see the emotions and reactions on their faces. But now when he closed his eyes all he saw was the sea of clubbers cheering when Jungkook took his waist and yanked him in, and the expression on the receptionist's face as she watched Jungkook's hands on his body, and the fangs sinking into his shoulder.

Now he imagined his dark prince sweeping in to save him, and himself showing Jungkook all the things he didn't know about normal life, making him smile and healing the wounds that his powers couldn't. He knew he shouldn't put being a fairy tale creature's concubine over his acting dream. Nothing else had managed to overpower the dream, not even the love for his family, but his heart didn't care.

"I don't… I don't know. I… I don't fucking know what's real anymore," he confessed. "I'm trying to be honest with myself, okay? I'm just trying to follow my heart."

"Fantastic," Suga said and looked over Namjoon and Hope. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

"If you could roll a die," Namjoon said slowly, turned to Suga, "even, you give away your free will to become the greatest composer of all time, odd, you live out your days free but mediocre...?"

The room was silent. Slowly, Suga started shaking his head. Still doing it, he closed his eyes, and turned away and went towards the door. Then came back and held out a hand to Taehyung. "Come with me," he said. "We can walk out on this shit together, right now, and never come back. I'll help you, we'll get your life in order without any slavery and brainwashing."

Namjoon had crossed his arms. Hope was staring at the floor quietly. "You signed a contract," Namjoon reminded Taehyung. "If you want to break it, we have to make a..."

"Fuck you, sue us," Suga said. "Taehyung, come on."

Taehyung had no idea how he felt anymore, but he did know one thing. "They're leaving after Halloween. He hasn't asked me to come along. Whatever I want, this ends before the week is over."

"I strongly doubt they'll let you off that easily," Suga said. He took a pen from Jin's desk and wrote his phone number on the back of Taehyung's hand. "If you need anything." Then he left.

"He should never have found out," Hope stated into the air, and left too.

Taehyung slid down from the desk. "Let me see," Namjoon said, one finger tapping Taehyung's chin to bring it up so he could see his lip properly. "Mm, he knows how much is too much, you'll be okay. Whatever happens," Namjoon told him, catching his eyes to convey his sincerity, "I can never repay you for making him smile again. Like the kid he used to be. I almost didn't think there was anything left of him."

Namjoon thought there was more vampire than man in Jungkook? "I have to go to work," Taehyung said.

He locked himself in once, twice, and came into his room. Jungkook stood up from his bed, wearing the very dark purple shirt, shimmering like snakeskin, and black leather pants that he'd worn before, when he'd cut Taehyung's lip. Taehyung disabled the security and when Jungkook reached for him he didn't duck, or move away, or raise his hands in defense. But Jungkook read his emotions from his eyes and his heartbeat, turned away and wandered into the room.

"Jin calls her Lilith, says she's several hundred years old. She moves ahead of us, gathers information, we rarely ever see her face. This time since we moved the date up she didn't go until now. She tells us if hunters are coming our way." Jungkook sat down on the bed again. "And they are. There's a group of hunters that's been tracking us from location to location. Usually they creep closer, carefully, but this time they're coming straight at us. They already chased us off twice, they won't stop coming. We're staying for the Halloween event and if they come... I make sure they don't leave."

"All this death," Taehyung said, leaning his back against the door.

"I know," Jungkook said.

"I mean, of course I knew it had to be this way, you're vampires. But..."

"I know."

"Hanging out here at the club you look like you haven't got a worry in the world."

Jungkook smiled faintly. "Some days it really is like that. That's the goal, to have as many of those days as possible."

"Why did Yugyeom think I should know who he is?"

"He's got the strongest daywalker power on this continent, maybe in the world," Jungkook told him. "He trades that ability for safety and protection for his group. Everyone thinks that he's trying to recruit me. But the truth is… we know what it's like to be the poster boy that everyone depends on. So he comes by and we pick on each other, or glare across the room, and it's... nice."

"You're friends?" Taehyung asked, surprised and amused.

"I don't have friends," Jungkook said.

"Did he get upset that you hadn't told me about him? Did he use me to fuck with you? Oh wait, I kissed your best not-friend," Taehyung said, mostly to himself.

Jungkook came up and closed in on him again, and this time whatever he'd seen in Taehyung's eyes he didn't see now. Softly like a lover, Jungkook put his hands on Taehyung's hips and kissed him, careful to not open up the wound on his lip. "Taehyung," he said, very serious. "If anything happens, you come here and lock yourself in."

"You won't need to get in here? Or the other guys?" Taehyung asked.

"I can't order you, because it's too broad and anything could happen, but promise me."

"Lock myself in here," Taehyung echoed. "Yes, sir. Shouldn't I help? I honestly really suck at fighting but I can do other things, I'm not a bad runner..."

"I can't fight if I have to worry that you're not safe."

Until the end of the week, Taehyung thought, he could be Cinderella, and then he'd go back to his dream and his plan. He looked into Jungkook's warm brown eyes and knew Jungkook felt sorry. He didn't know how it would be possible to live without those eyes. They meant so much more than a beating heart could ever. "Okay, but promise me something too," he told Jungkook. "Promise me you'll do what it takes to survive, so you're there when I come back out."

A kind of hardness came into Jungkook's eyes. "I promise," he said.

"And those hunters," he told Jungkook, "This is self-defense. You do what you have to do, I understand. I won't freak out. I understand."

"Thank you," Jungkook whispered and kissed him again. "You have an audition tomorrow, have you had time to prepare?"

Oh right. Not a lot. He dug the papers out of his bag and opened the document on his phone, handing Jungkook the phone. "Read the red ones," he asked.

Jungkook took the papers from him and gave him the phone instead and started reading, and his acting was so awkwardly mechanical that Taehyung spent ten minutes just laughing. Jungkook got grumpy and threatened to leave if he didn't take the practice seriously, but it wasn't that easy when Jungkook got a pout of concentration while reading, and then looked up to sound like a fourth grade recital.

"How do you manage to act all cool and dangerous out there?" Taehyung asked.

"Maybe because I'm not acting," Jungkook muttered, and it would be scary but it was accompanied by an angry rabbit death glare. "Are we reading or not?"

Eventually Taehyung had at least gone through his lines a few times and felt satisfied. "What's up with you guys and electricity?" he asked, packing the papers back down. "You don't want to read on the phone? But you're on your phone."

"It's just uncomfortable," Jungkook said. "It distorts our senses. I can activate my powers to cancel it out, so I'm the only one who uses a phone more than when absolutely necessary. Jin doesn't go outside this building a lot, because it's constructed to minimize the impact. That's why you shut off the security system," Jungkook said and gestured at the panel on the wall. "It's powerful, and it's important to keep this place safe, but it's also very uncomfortable for vampires to be around."

"I sleep in here so you can relax at night?" Taehyung wondered. "Wow, the way to protect against vampires is to surround ourselves with electricity?"

"I mean, it gives us a mild headache," Jungkook said. "And makes us unable to hear a heartbeat at a hundred meters. We can still kill you just fine."

"Then are most vampires in the countryside?" He got settled into bed, and Jungkook kicked off his shoes and climbed in behind him.

"No, it's much easier to get food in the city. Don't sleep with this, you'll get strangled." Fussing a little, Jungkook managed to get the leather string necklace off him and dug in to spoon him. Because he didn't breathe he was just a warm presence, it was actually nice. Taehyung started drifting off. "Taehyung," Jungkook whispered into his hair. "Tell me you understand what I did before."

His lip still ached a bit. "I understand what you did before," Taehyung said. "But you made me say that."

Jungkook hugged him harder with a tiny, frustrated grunt. "Fuck. I didn't mean to… I…" Taehyung felt him take a few breaths, like he wanted to say something but ended up not. If Jungkook ever got around to saying it, Taehyung didn't remember it when he woke up the next morning, alone.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29th

Taehyung showered and chose one of the new outfits, put on his collar and went to school. At lunch he took the bus to his audition. The studio was small but bright and cheerful with lots of colorful movie posters for indie films. While he waited he tried to find one he recognized, and there was one about a shark that got turned into a human, and chose to return to being a shark but was changed by the experience and couldn't be brutal enough to survive, ending up getting killed. He'd seen it years ago because his sister had wanted to and the tickets were cheap.

Two guys in well-groomed beards held the audition, with a woman watching from the back who never said anything. It was very casual, but Taehyung got nervous and rambled a bunch about the shark movie, how he'd been heartbroken but his sister, too young to really get it, had loved it. They laughed but were a little taken aback, so when he was going to read his lines he was freaking out. They were supposed to be intense, almost a bit angry, at the start, and then frightened at the end, but he bungled it completely. "Wait," he said, seeing their hesitance. "Let me try one more time."

He closed his eyes and saw honey gold. He remembered proudly standing next to Jungkook on the balcony, the cheers of the crowd, Jungkook's arm around his waist pulling him in to kiss, the taste of blood in his mouth overpowered by the taste of victory. He remembered Jungkook's hand tightening the leather necklace around his neck, the hardness of his voice saying, don't you fucking dare duck or back up or put your hands up in defense when I talk to you. Jungkook's anger had felt like the stare of a predator, had kicked every primal fear response into action. When he opened his eyes again he wasn't Kim Taehyung the boy who dreamed of becoming an actor, he was Kim Taehyung the man who got what he wanted from monsters that could kill him in a heartbeat.

This time he knew he got it. Even before the final word had left his lips, he saw their expressions, and how the woman in the back had pushed away from the wall to come a few steps closer at his transition into terror, and knew he'd gotten the part. They shook his hand and one of them told him to wait for a second, left and came back with an envelope. "Consider it a signing incentive," he smiled. Taehyung peeked inside and found limited edition shark stickers and an official key ring, and laughed and thanked him sincerely.

When he'd come, he'd been an actor because Jungkook said so. When he left, he was one on his own merit.

Because of the audition he hadn't had time to eat, so once the day was done he was ravenous. He wandered around looking at restaurants, and suddenly a group of three called him over by name, and he realized they were classmates from the communication class. They asked if he wanted to join them for dinner and gestured at the upscale place they were standing outside. Taehyung watched their expectant eyes, and the way one of them looked over his new clothes, and understood they were testing him, if he was willing to go to an expensive place like this. A lot of the communication kids were upper class with fancy cars their parents had bought them. He smiled and said sure, and told them about his audition, and at the end of the dinner he insisted on paying for all of them. He blew a lot of his food budget, but he'd get more money very soon.

After dinner they were bored and asked what he was up to and he invited them to the club. Today was Thursday so Namjoon's local talent project was on, which meant the club was already open for guests. This time some kind of punk band was playing, just like on Tuesday a pretty strange, unexpected choice, but this was the idea perhaps.

They sat down at a table and Taehyung got them a discount on drinks, the same as they gave out to people when trying to lure them to come back to the club, and they talked about the band, not sure if it was fascinating or funny. Namjoon and Jungkook walked past and noticed him.

"Hey you're back," Namjoon said. He was usually formally and neutrally dressed, but today more playful and colorful, accentuating his long legs. "Who are your friends?"

Taehyung introduced them to his new minions.

"How did the audition go?" Jungkook asked, standing a little to the side, hands in his pockets.

"Great!" Taehyung grinned. "They gave me the contract to look over to sign and return to them tomorrow. I've already signed it, though."

"Give it to me later and I'll look through it real quick, so they're not cheating you," Namjoon told him.

Taehyung would be happy to be cheated as long as he got the part, but, "Sure!"

Not saying anything, Jungkook had turned away to look at the stage, frowning. Not his type of music, perhaps. Taehyung got up and carefully got into his space, half expecting Jungkook to just walk away from him.

"Are you mad?" he asked quietly, a whisper of the fear from yesterday at the back of his neck. Jungkook shook his head, a little puzzled by the question. "Can I take them up to the VIP balcony?"

Jungkook's eyes swept over the three classmates as if he'd not realized they were there until now. "Who are they?"

"Minions!" Taehyung grinned. "Classmates. I know they're just hanging out with me like I'm a fascinating freak, but it's kind of funny to see their faces."

The shadow of a smile crept into a corner of Jungkook's mouth. "The short, blond guy is the son of a politician Jin has been trying to butter up," he said. "Let's impress him. Take them, and whatever eye candy they fancy, up, I'll send Jimin over." His hand took Taehyung's hip on the side out of sight from the table. "Good kitty, bringing home mice," he teased.

His heart hammered in his chest again, for another reason, as Jungkook's eyes lingered just a second on his neck. "Yes, sir," he mumbled, a little light headed by the praise and by the fact that he was getting turned on. He'd gotten himself worked up remembering things to get into the role at lunch, and the memories had simmered in the back of his head since then. He wanted Jungkook to tell him to get on his knees.

"Not now," Jungkook told him.

Blushing, remembering that Jungkook could tell when he got aroused, Taehyung looked away from him to gather himself. "Yes, sir."

Jungkook leaned in to whisper a promise of, "Later," before leaving.

While Namjoon got up on the stage, talking to the audience and the band, Taehyung brought his three minions upstairs. He gathered them at the railing and asked if they saw anyone they liked, and waved them up. Some turned them down, but quickly three people had come up to join them. A tray of expensive bottles arrived, ordered by Jungkook or someone, and they drank and had fun. Jimin came by, dressed in dreamy light blue, with an extravagant collection of golden earrings, smiled and was flirtatious in a way that even the guys enjoyed. His hair had changed color again, this time golden blond. On the stage, Namjoon was rapping with the band in a fusion of hip hop and punk.

A bit tired with the minions and their drunk conversation now, Taehyung got up and went to the railing. That's when he realized Jungkook was also upstairs, sitting further away alone, with his usual whiskey, watching him. Jungkook was out here while Namjoon rapped with another singer, and he couldn't help but think it was because of him.

Jimin joined him. "They're having the time of their life," he thought. "Nice work."

"It was mostly an accident," Taehyung told him.

"Luck is a skill too," Jimin thought. "Jungkook said your audition went well." Taehyung told him about it, all of it even the shark stickers, and Jimin laughed, bright and happy. "That's awesome. Sounds like it might be fun too."

Spoken like someone who wouldn't be there to see it. Taehyung swept the last of his glass. He hadn't planned to drink tonight, there was still one day of school left, but fuck it.

"I think a part of him wanted you to fail that audition," Jimin told him.

Taehyung's brain stalled. "Jungkook?"

"Yeah." Jimin saw that he didn't understand. "If you give up on your dream, you might come with us," he explained. "I know it probably wouldn't happen just from one failed audition, but I think a part of him was hoping."

"He hasn't asked me to come along," Taehyung protested.

"He can't," Jimin said.

"Can't, like... magic bullshit stuff?"

Jimin shook his head. "Jin told him not to."

"Oh," Taehyung said. Hadn't Jin said he didn't interfere with Jungkook's life? "So how does that... control work, between the two of them?"

"Mm, he didn't forbid it, that's not what I meant," Jimin said. "Jungkook asked for advice, and Jin told him it was a really bad idea, that's all. There's a lot of... complicated things, with the bite. A lot of things that are new to Jungkook. It's not easy." He smiled a sad smile at him. "It'll get even more difficult before it's over."

"He'll miss me?" Taehyung asked, picking at his shirt sleeve.

"Of course he will."

"He can get a new pet," Taehyung thought. "I'll... never meet another one of you again."

"I don't think he considers himself the pet-owning type," Jimin said. "And nothing is like the first time, you know."

"I really wouldn't know," Taehyung confessed.

Jimin's eyes widened slightly, sensing delicious gossip, but then he laughed. "Ah, you mean the bite, of course."

"No," Taehyung said, clearing his throat and blushing. "I mean all of it."

"No way. Not you?" Jimin looked him over.

He blushed some more. "I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere until two years ago! And I've been busy surviving since then! For sure not him, he's lived, what, ten years like this?" He gestured at the club, and the easy hunting ground for someone who looked and dressed like Jeon Jungkook.

"Yeah, ten years as an unspeakable horror," Jimin told him. "It took him six months to allow anyone to touch him. If guests get too enthusiastic he storms away. Hm, now that I say that I wonder if it helps, with you, that he knows he's in control and you can't do anything he doesn't want you to."

"What... what kind of life has he had, for ten years?" Taehyung wondered, and counted on his fingers, "Fighting, hating drinking blood, not singing, not wanting to be touched..."

"That's why we all love you," Jimin said, patting his shoulder. "You've brought him back to life. Well, that, and you have a certain irresistible puppy charm."

Something he hadn't quite thought of occurred to him. "What happens to him, when you go?"

"He's learned a lot about himself, in just a week and a half with you, that ten years didn't manage to teach him," Jimin said. "Even if the bond effects fade, I hope he'll remember some of it. But yeah, it'll be difficult. Separating from the one you've bonded to... it's hard for the human, but it's hell on us too."

"Like you're... addicted?"

"It's difficult to explain. By now, all his blood is yours. You're literally what keeps him alive."

Taehyung remembered something Jin had said. "Jimin, can I ask you something? What's this about your calico cat?"

"Ah," Jimin said, staring at the stage without seeing it, expression blank. "Why do you...?" He looked at Taehyung and realization seemed to dawn on him. "You should hear it," he decided and held out his hand. "Come with me."

Taehyung wasn't sure he should abandon his minions, but when he turned around, Jin and Hope were sitting with them, Jin with his biggest, most extravagant smile. Jungkook was still watching him and Jimin, but looked away when he saw him. So he went with Jimin.

They stopped by the bar because Jimin needed a drink, then he brought him back to his room. Jimin locked the innermost door for privacy and sat on the desk chair, and Taehyung on his bed. Legs pulled up, balled up like a soft blue cloud, Jimin took a sip of his drink and said, "Once upon a time."

There was something strange in Jimin's eyes, a peculiar kind of dreaminess. His eyes started glowing faintly in a color that was like the ocean, difficult to separate into blue or green. Taehyung winced when a big book, like a story book, materialized in the middle of the room. Then it flickered, like a hologram in a movie, and he realized it was Jimin's powers, illustrating his story.

"There was a boy who was rescued from a very bad person," Jimin continued. "Traveling together with his savior, he met a lot of strays that he tried to save the way he'd been saved. One night he found two brothers, named Roman and Sabin."

The book had faded out. On the floor in Taehyung's room appeared two cats, one deeper red-orange and the other several shades lighter. A flickering version of Jimin, dressed in simple clothes with a blanket over his shoulders, appeared to pick them up.

"They had been drugged by a very bad person too, and were suffering. The boy brought them along, to help them get free of the addiction. They were loud and playful, and filled a calm and empty life with noise and action, constantly getting into trouble and needing rescue. Then one night the boy met a calico cat on a rooftop, the prettiest cat that he'd ever seen, and he did what he'd promised to never do, and bound them together."

A bright full moon rose into the ceiling and beneath it sat Jimin with the same blanket over his shoulders. A calico cat, mostly white with spots of brown and black, sat next to him. Jimin reached out and gently put a glimmering collar around its neck, and the cat rubbed its head against his hand as if saying thanks.

"The boy and his cat became inseparable. They slept together during the day, and played together during the night."

An alien coffin just like the one Jungkook had shown Taehyung appeared, Jimin climbed into it and the cat jumped in to curl on his chest, before the lid closed.

"Not long after that, the twins were finally free, but they didn't want to be free. They had nowhere to go, and nothing to do. They asked if they couldn't be turned into humans like them, and he said yes since they were already family."

The twin cats appeared again, sitting, waiting expectantly. Jimin walked up and touched their foreheads and they turned into humans with the same hair color as their cat fur. The red-orange one, called Roman, immediately ran off, shouting and jumping although there was no sound. The pale orange one stayed, looking at his new arms, and then up at Jimin.

"Before content to be a pet, Sabin dreamed bigger now when he was an equal. With little things like bringing silly gifts and coming for comfort when the world hurt, he tried to win affection."

Sabin came to Jimin who was sitting on the floor and showed him a daisy, carefully tucking it behind Jimin's ear before sitting down next to him and resting his head on his shoulder. But then the three-colored cat came running, jumped into Jimin's lap and hissed at Sabin.

"The collar was a bond that could not be broken. As the calico cat got jealous, it started pulling the threads of that bond to get closer, closer perhaps than a boy and a cat should. His friend tried to convince him to leave the cat behind, but how could he leave his beloved cat? They who were more than friends, more than lovers, were inseparable, like one. Sabin too tried to convince him, but the collar was stronger than both of them."

Sabin talked and gestured at the cat, and then, in desperation, leaned over and kissed Jimin. The cat swiped at him, scratching his cheek. Hugging the cat, Jimin defended it, and Sabin got up and left. Then the cat left, and Sabin came back. Talking gently now, Sabin made a new attempt, and this time Jimin kissed him. There was a moment of breathless hesitation between them, then Jimin shook his head. Both of them turned their backs on each other. The scene faded away.

"Then one night."

Two humans in masks, with glowing blades with some kind of symbol at the hilt, came sneaking, encountering Sabin and Roman. A fight broke out. As Jimin and the calico cat walked into the scene, Sabin ran over and kicked the cat away. Jimin yelled at him, soundlessly, and ran to pick the injured cat up. Meanwhile the fight with the intruders was lost, Roman and Sabin pushed into a corner, calling for help. The cat, with shining yellow eyes, stared at Jimin as if imposing its own will. Jimin turned his back on the twins and ran away, still carrying the cat. The glowing blades came down, and just before they struck the illusion snapped out of existence.

Taehyung looked at the real Jimin, who had closed his eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Sorry," Jimin said. "I just felt a little dizzy, I'm fine. They fled, boy and cat. The cat recovered, but a question remained in the boy. Why had Sabin attacked it? In the end, the boy broke another promise and read the cat's mind."

A new scene appeared, a closed door. Outside stood the two masked humans with the glowing blades, and inside the cat came skipping, jumped up to push the handle down, and quickly ran away again as the humans entered.

"The twins were supposed to be there alone, the boy had gone to visit them. So the cat's intrigue was revealed, and the boy's heart was broken."

Jimin, in his blanket, sinking to his knees, holding in his hands the daisy Sabin had put behind his ear. The cat came, belly low against the floor, begging for forgiveness, and Jimin screamed at it, making it bolt away.

"

You rip open your throat like their throats were cut

," Jimin said. "All it took was one moment overcome with grief and anger, one careless sentence."

The kneeling Jimin startled and got to his feet, and ran forward to find the cat in a pool of blood. Falling to his knees in the blood, the blanket edges soaked in deep, dark red. Taehyung cried, wiping his eyes quietly to let the story continue. The illusion of Jimin picked up the glittering collar from the cat's body. It was slashed open.

"As the last drops of blood left the calico cat, the bond of the collar was broken. In an instant, the body in front of him went from being his other half, to just a dead cat, like any other cat. The strings the cat had used to pull the boy along were cut, and once free, the boy found that he'd lost what was real, while protecting what was not."

The broken collar and the daisy both slipped out of Jimin's hands, falling into the puddle of blood that kept growing, endlessly, until the entire floor was the same disgusting shade of dark red. Taehyung pulled up his feet, even if he knew it wasn't real. A few of his tears fell into that red ocean, disappearing beneath the illusion. The dead cat was covered in thick blood too, and on its flank the blood gathered into a glowing red symbol, the same symbol that had glowed in blue on the masked humans' blades.

"The calico cat was never meant for him. Trapped by the collar it had abandoned its original intention, until jealousy drove it back to its real masters."

Jimin stood up, hugging the dirty blanket around himself, and ran in the other direction, blood splashing under his feet. He ran for a while, before he reached Jin. Jin was staggering, his blood a lighter shade dripping into the sea of red, the two humans surrounding him lifting their blades. Screaming soundlessly, Jimin swept his hand through the air and simultaneously, in the exact same movement, both humans turned towards each other and cut each others' chests open. The glowing blades fell into the blood and sizzled, as if burning, raising a cloud of smoke. Jimin was still screaming, holding his head. Jin staggered out through the smoke and hugged him tight. The blanket slipped off his shoulders and fell to the ground, and was soaked until it couldn't be separated from the blood.

The illusion vanished, the floor instantly clean. The real Jimin sat up, eyes empty. He'd stopped breathing, stopped moving, like a toy running out of battery. Taehyung managed to stop crying and wiped his eyes, glad to have that little thing to do because what could he possibly say.

Jimin blinked and returned to life. "Don't cry. It's just a story," he said to Taehyung, smiling softly. Taehyung shook his head. "Just a story about a cat."

Once he started calming down, Taehyung tried to grasp the meaning of the story. "What does that mean, the bond," he said, "what threads? You're saying it's not just me, that when Jungkook bit me, he also...?"

Surprised, Jimin nodded. "Yes, didn't you know?"

"No one tells me anything!" Taehyung exclaimed.

"Sorry, Jungkook asked to let him tell you himself," Jimin said.

"He... but he doesn't have to do what I say?"

"The human desires domination, the vampire to dominate. Getting and giving orders is only a shallow version of this. Some say the vampire's side is the more cruel one. You desire to follow his commands, but he," Jimin said, eyes glowing faintly like an echo of a memory, "he desires to command every bit of you. The complete obliteration of self that the bite makes you feel is the ultimate expression of this; in that moment he commands your body, your thoughts and your emotions."

"So I don't tell him what to do, but he wants to do things for me? Like the boy in your story," Taehyung said. "Giving up the one he loved to make the cat happy."

"Yes, sort of. He aims for nice, happy feelings because he's a good person, but it's controlling your emotions that gives him satisfaction, making you sad or scared would work too. It doesn't feel very good, though, getting satisfaction from hurting someone you care deeply about, it… it's hard to describe, but it's deeply disturbing. Some actively aim for bad emotions, out of desperation or as punishment, but… for anyone that's not sickly twisted, doing that feels awful."

Taehyung's mind was struggling to wrap around all this, and all the implications. "But that power," he said, needing to be distracted this instant, and swept his arm like Jimin had done to steer the enemies to slice each other. "Can you do that? Control people like that?"

"Me? No, it's just a story," Jimin said calmly.

He hadn't thought of this, but obviously Jimin wasn't of Jin's bloodline. "What is your bloodline called?"

A small grimace went over Jimin's face, like shame. "Siren," he said.

"That's bad?"

"The mind powers screw with our heads. Most likely I'm already a bit crazy, but I wouldn't know, would I, you'd have to ask the other guys. If I'm lucky, the crazy will stick to being cute." He looked happy, like that didn't bother him at all, like it was even a bit funny.

"Do all vampires go crazy," Taehyung wondered. "Jin and Jungkook too..."

Jimin chuckled. "No, that's a myth. The other vampires don't want imperators to live too long since the healing powers eventually make them immortal, so they make up some excuse, for example that they've gone crazy, and band together to kill them. Some kill themselves, too, once they get close, because not being able to die is a pretty scary concept. Jungkook is too strong, so once he comes up around an age where the next set of powers would manifest, I'm sure they'll start saying he's losing it and needs to be stopped too."

Taehyung had this creepy feeling crawling around at the back of his neck. Jungkook was controlled by the bite too? And Jimin was too happy after telling that story. "Is it really just a story?"

"What else would it be," Jimin snorted. "Cats turning into humans?"

"But even if it's a story, parts of it could be real, like you could really have had a friend called Sabin?" Taehyung suggested carefully.

Jimin looked amused. "I think I would remember that."

"Yeah," Taehyung said, getting out of the bed. "Yeah of course. Um, so I need to go check with Jin about the minions I brought. Thanks for telling me the story!"

"Of course," Jimin said, getting out of the chair.

Taehyung hurried to leave before he could come with him, meaning he was almost jogging by the time he got back up on the VIP balcony. His minions were still there, a few more guests with them, and Jungkook. Jungkook with an arm casually flung over a girl's shoulder, looking at her as she talked to the others, holding her snug against his side.

The bite didn't just make him want Taehyung's blood, it made him want to make Taehyung feel happy. Suddenly nothing was real. Jungkook had never been interested in him. Their first meeting outside the three doors came back to him, Jungkook's obvious indifference. While Taehyung had looked up at the VIP balcony dreaming of his prince, Jungkook hadn't noticed him, and when he was forced to notice, hadn't cared for a second. Not until Taehyung's blood had touched his tongue. The collar, the room, their kisses, Jungkook charging at him in the car, none of it was real, it was all vampire fucking bullshit.

He ran towards Jin's office, tearing at the necklace around his neck. Just outside the door to the office the leather string snapped. He stopped, feeling it slip through his fingers, and saw it fall to the floor.

It's not real.

Jungkook hadn't been worried about Taehyung's feelings, he'd been trying to fight the compulsion, knowing his own weren't real. Taehyung left the necklace and burst through the office door.

Hope was sitting on the couch again, Jin was standing by a painting in the corner. "Hello?" he said, curious more than he was surprised or angry.

"The calico cat story, it's real isn't it," Taehyung said, discovering that he was panting. Hope waved at him to come sit, so he did.

"Yes," Jin said.

"Why does Jimin not remember it?"

"He showed you the lightshow?" Jin asked. "The blanket dropping is a metaphor, I think, for the moment his mind snapped. When we came out of that hug he couldn't remember anything else than this cute story he'd heard about a cat. And the powers he used there, he'd never used them before and he's never used them since."

"Typical siren weirdness," Hope said, spinning his finger. "They're all cupcakes filled with tipsy juice. Cute and completely insane."

"Or simply a trauma response, humans repress memories too," Jin said.

"You don't need to be worried," Hope said, seeing Taehyung's wide-eyed expression. "Jimin is the least scary vampire I've ever met. Trying to point out the... obvious similarities in his story and his light show to himself, he doesn't understand, like he's not looking at the same thing the rest of us are. I pushed pretty hard, and didn't even manage to mildly annoy him."

"He can still rip my throat out," Taehyung thought.

"He won't," Jin assured him. "Nothing else has fazed you, but Jimin's cat story is scary?"

"It's not just a cat story!" Taehyung sank down on the couch and didn't have the energy to shrug off Hope's one-armed hug. "Nothing is real. Jimin let someone he loved die because he thought he loved the cat, like… like Jungkook thinks he loves me."

"Real," Jin said, wandering a little, looking at the three big paintings on his wall. "Vampires aren't real, yet here we are," he said, pointing at one very old with a knight impaling a vampire with a lance. "This club isn't real, it's a front for our kind to move undetected, yet people come here every night and have a good time." The next painting was from above, a man standing on air looking down a deep hole below him, at the bottom of which was the sky. "Love isn't real, it's just a bunch of chemicals." The final painting was of a man looking at a woman with stripy hair and tattered clothes. Inside his head stood a creature, something between a demon and an angel, painting on a canvas the same woman but in shining beauty and extravagant dress. "Would what you feel be more valid if it involved oxytocin instead of vampire magic bullshit?" Jin smiled.

Taehyung shook his head. "Suga was right, you're all full of shit."

"Puppy got hurt," Hope taunted, trying to kiss his temple like he was a child. Taehyung fought him off and got out of the couch.

"You think it's real?" he asked Jin. "Jungkook loves me?"

"No," Jin said.

The air got pushed out of his lungs. He didn't know why he cared what this thousand year old psychopath thought, but he did. He'd hung his sanity on a bunch of fairy tale monsters. "Did you tell Jungkook to not ask me to come along?"

"I told him it was a bad idea," Jin said.

"But he gets what he wants, so if he wanted me to come..."

"No," Jin said calmly but definitively. "I won't allow it."

Taehyung's eyes closed, trying to deny reality.

"Come on, puppy," Hope said gently. "This whole situation was an accident, you know that. You came back and wanted to continue, no one forced you."

"He didn't tell me," Taehyung said, hearing how strange his voice sounded but he couldn't get it to do anything else, so he sank down into a whisper. "No one told me. I knew I was fucked up, but I thought he was real."

Hope came out of the couch. Jin had turned his back, looking at the painting of the knight and vampire. "I'm sorry," Hope said. "He's too young to know better. This is his first time." He raised his hand to pat Taehyung's back, and Taehyung couldn't stand to be touched so he left.

All the fine clothes, the flirting, talking like Taehyung was one of them now, all of it was fake. Jin gave Jungkook whatever he wanted, but not this. Not going so far as to let him bring along some human trash he didn't actually like. Taehyung rushed out and down the stairs to his room, it wasn't time yet but he didn't care, he needed to get away from all of them.

"Taehyung," Jungkook called, coming behind him in the corridor, and he sped up and reached the first door. Before he could close it, Jungkook caught it. "Taehyung! Wait!"

"Go hang out with your girlfriend," Taehyung told him.

"My what? Are you jealous of some stupid club girl? It's work! Taehyung, what is," he paused when Taehyung turned to face him, seeing the tears streaking his cheeks. "What is going on?"

That look of concern on his face, so perfect, so flawless that even knowing it wasn't true Taehyung couldn't see the lie. "It's not real," he said. "You don't actually care about me."

Jungkook didn't move, not a single muscle, but his entire being seemed to change. Taehyung tried to close the door again but Jungkook was still holding it, big brown eyes frozen wide open.

"Why didn't you tell me!"

"Because you wouldn't have come back," Jungkook answered without hesitation. "The guys said almost everyone runs away."

This was unspeakably cruel. Taehyung cried more.

"I tried," Jungkook said. "I tried to stay away from you but you kept coming back. I couldn't make myself tell you. I tried to not let you get too deep, but… it feels so real, I keep telling myself it's not but it doesn't matter. So then, until we leave, I thought, why not just let you believe it. At least you'd have this memory of your vampire prince falling in love with you."

He'd never felt real pain before this moment. Getting what he wanted, the confession he'd never even dared to hope for, much less imagine, yet in the most perverse way possible. He couldn't stop crying.

Jungkook stuck his hand in his pocket to pick out the leather necklace, split into two parts. "I'm sorry."

Taking it out, he'd had to let go of the door. "I liked you before you bit me," Taehyung told him. "Asshole." And closed the door in his face. Jungkook could open this door with the keypad, so he hurried to lock the second and third door. Once the bolts were in place Taehyung slid down to sit on the floor, hugging himself and crying. He wanted to call his parents, but he had no signal in here and what would he tell them. That a beautiful undead monster had broken his heart? Or had he? Would he even be crying right now if not for the bite?

Real or not, closing the door in Jungkook's face had felt like tearing his own skin off. His body was howling in despair, having been so close to getting a touch, a kiss, a nip of fangs. He had to fight himself to stay where he was and not unlock all the doors and run off to find him. He must have been insane to think any of this was real.

I won't allow it, Jin had said, like it was preposterous, and it was. Vampires belonged in fairy tales, and so did Cinderella stories.

Before he knew it he was tearing books and magazines out of the bookshelf, sweeping down pens and papers from the desk, and throwing out all the clothes from the closet. Anything to not feel the pain, and to stop himself from looking for Jungkook to crawl on his knees and beg to be taken back. Finally he was sitting in the middle of the chaos, on the floor, just breathing. What if his mind had made up the story of him wanting Jungkook before he was bitten? There was nothing he could trust, the whole world was shifting under his feet, he was actually losing his mind.

He had some painkillers in his bag so he took two and curled up on the bed, not even getting out of his clothes, and all the crying and throwing things had exhausted him. He slept.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30th

When he woke up, Taehyung took off as he was, with only the clothes on his back. He met the three minions in school, who were hung over but very happy with yesterday, and let him borrow pens and books and whatever else he wanted. They took his gloomy mood to be a hangover too. He hadn't finished his essay as he was supposed to and had to ask for an extension.

At the end of the day he had nowhere to go and no money, he'd left everything including his wallet at the club. He told the minions he'd lost his wallet while drunk, and they laughed at him and bought him dinner and offered him to sleep in a guest house while he waited for the bank to give him a new card.

His skin was crawling, every time he closed his eyes he saw Jungkook's face saying those lines, you'd have this memory of your vampire prince falling in love with you, and fuck him. The pathetic thing was that he wasn't angry that Jungkook had lied, he was angry that Jungkook had let him find out. He wished he'd never asked Jimin about the stupid cat story, that he'd never learned how the bite really worked, that he could have had the memory Jungkook had intended for him. If he was going to screw Taehyung over, he could at least have done it properly to the end.

Being Friday night the minions were going to a home party and dragged him along. His goal was to drink himself stupid to forget, but either because of time passing or because the alcohol lowered his judgment, the urge to run back to the club grew. After the minions threw a few girls his way he told them he was gay. He expected them to abandon him, he didn't care at this point, he could sleep on the street. He'd been the one with prejudices apparently because they cheered for him and started pointing out guys they knew were available.

One of them was a red haired guy with a brilliant smile. In fact he reminded Taehyung of Roman in Jimin's story. Taehyung's mind kept replaying moments, not even to examine if they were real but because seeing Jungkook in his mind was the only way to soothe the screaming need for Jungkook's fangs. For every stranger that bumped into him, his skin burned, longing for Jungkook's steady hands. He made out with the red haired guy, not remembering his name anymore, drunk and desperate for distractions.

Then he looked up and realized they were alone in a dark corner of the back yard, and the guy tried to kiss his neck. His hand went to his throat but there was nothing there. The collar was gone, and with it Jungkook's mark and protection. Anyone could be a vampire, and he was free game now. This was a new kind of fear he'd never felt before. He excused himself and returned to the party, and stayed glued to the minions until they were ready to go.

It wasn't until he was on his back in a guest house bed, between two blankets because in their drunken state they couldn't find any sheets, that he remembered the short film contract. He'd left that too at the club, it should have been handed in today. They wouldn't pass him over because of that, would they? He'd left his phone so he couldn't call them, and besides it was the middle of the night. If this was how it ended, he thought, it would really have been a fairy tale. After all this he'd be back where he started, with no money, no job, behind in school and having to lend money for rent so he could get somewhere to sleep. Alone and fighting through every day. Fine, okay, he'd done it before, he could do it again.

If you suddenly want banana ice cream at 3AM, just tell me and I'll figure it out, Jungkook said in his memory. "I want banana ice cream," he said into the empty darkness, and cried himself to sleep.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31st - HALLOWEEN

Taehyung's minion host woke him up sometime past noon, even more hung over than yesterday. They made something that vaguely resembled scrambled eggs with toast in the ridiculously large kitchen and drank generous amounts of coffee trying to recover some brain functions.

He had to go back to the club. The money and clothes and everything were one thing, but he'd left his personal things. His photos of his family, and the stuffed animal his sister had made. Not to mention his life would be a lot easier if he had his phone and wallet with his ID-card and such. All his things were locked behind the three doors, though, so there was no point in going until the monsters had woken up.

His new friend insisted on buying him some clothes, mainly underwear, because he'd worn the same ones too long, Taehyung could pay it back later. They went shopping. Taehyung made the mistake of saying that he needed to stop by the club, and that there was a Halloween party, and for some reason that he might run into his ex. A lot of arguing later he was set up in shiny black leather pants with a dramatic golden belt buckle, a silky shirt and a black jacket covered in sequins in glittering gold and purple. He'd been talked into the idea that he had to look fucking fantastic for when Jungkook saw him, and he looked in the mirror and thought the clothes were a good start, but they weren't enough. His minion friend was amused and agreed to take him to a hairdresser as well, where Taehyung filled his flat, faded brown hair with half a dozen tones, bringing it to life, and impulsively added a temporary splash of green to his bangs. No one could accuse him of looking common now.

It was time. They picked up the two other minions, since this was now a group event, and headed to the club. There was a line already despite them being there reasonably early, but the bouncer recognized Taehyung and let them in.

The club had been decorated, the whole staff wore various masks and sexy outfits. A DJ was setting up on stage while Namjoon stood up front talking. He spotted Taehyung and had to start the sentence over. Taehyung turned his back on him and got the minions set up with drinks, and they found a table near the stage.

"Wow," someone said when he left the table to go get a new drink. He looked over and found Yugyeom seated with two other guys in similar clothes, maybe members of his group.

"Want your beer now?" Taehyung asked.

Yugyeom's eyes wandered over his new outfit and hair. "You really bought into this stuff huh."

"Does your group have some rule against looking good?" Taehyung asked.

"I don't know, does yours have one saying that arrogant jerks have to wear silk shirts?" Yugyeom grinned at him and his silky shirt and nodded towards the VIP balcony.

Up there, leaned against the railing with whiskey in hand like he always was, was Jeon Jungkook. Brown hair swept back, dressed in all black with one white epaulette and shoulder strap, and an actual fucking spiky silver crown, he was looking like an actual fucking prince. Taehyung had dressed up specifically to piss him off, and it was extremely annoying that Jungkook looking so good pissed him off. "What is your problem," he told Yugyeom, taking it out on him.

"My problem is that you seemed like a nice, chill guy," Yugyeom said, "but a couple of days and that douche has already had you wrapped in silk and turned into wannabe nobility like himself."

"Fuck you," Taehyung told him. "I chose these clothes myself."

"Yeah, that's what I said. My mistake, thinking better of you," Yugyeom said, further put off.

"You know what? Jungkook told me that you and him understand what it's like to be responsible for the lives of the people you care about. He said he doesn't have friends but you respect each other. So you can stand here and pretend to be better because you sneer at people who like to dress up and dream big, but he's never talked shit about you like you talk shit about him behind his back, so who's the arrogant jerk here really?"

"Wow, jeez, did I poke a sore spot," Yugyeom said defensively, literally backing up a step.

"Sit down, have a beer, enjoy yourself," Taehyung told him. "Don't talk to me again." He continued to the bar.

Namjoon had left the stage, Jimin had joined Jungkook at the railing, both of them had spotted Taehyung now. He pretended not to look at them as he waited for his drink. Suddenly, Suga was sitting down next to him.

"Hey."

"Back already?" Taehyung teased.

"I came to check on you," Suga told him. "See if you were still staying behind or if he'd talked you into abandoning your whole life for him."

"We're over. Happy now?"

"He doesn't look over anything," Suga said, glancing up at the balcony. "In fact, I don't know if he wants to eat you or kill you but it's definitely one of them."

Taehyung had a brief but bloody fight with himself to not look. "I'm just here to pick up my stuff. My friends wanted to hang out for a second."

"I would recommend picking up your stuff and leaving, because the way he's looking, you'll be food before the night's over whether you want to or not."

It's not real, he tried to tell himself, over and over. All he wanted was to give Jungkook what he wanted, maybe get just one kiss before he... no. Not real. Perhaps it was best to leave. Suga came along unasked as he headed for the doors.

The room had been cleaned up. The stuffed animal had been placed next to the photos, his backpack on the bed. Taehyung went through his backpack and found both phone and wallet, but no contract?

"It was signed, so Namjoon went and handed it in. It looked good, better terms than he expected, he said." He turned to find Hope casually leaning against the door. "The address was on the envelope."

Taehyung stared at him, wanting to thank him but also still angry.

"I realize it makes no difference, since we're leaving tomorrow night, but for all it's worth, we're sorry, and Jungkook most of all."

"I'm not talking to him," Taehyung said, because he knew the moment he got close enough to smell Jungkook's sweet perfume he'd be lost, no amount of willpower would save him.

"I'm not expecting you to. I'm actually here to tell you to hurry up and leave. If Jungkook's control snaps, he's too strong, none of us can stop him, not even Jin."

"Animals, underneath all the bait," Suga commented.

"Bait?" Hope said, mildly offended.

"All of this. The looks, the club, the smiles. Baiting the rabbits to come to the hunter."

Hope chuckled. "That's actually kind of flattering. But wrong."

"You would say that."

"Whatever, darlings," Hope said. "You've broken enough dead hearts. Just go."

Taehyung threw his things into the bag and walked past him out. They got out into the main room, when there was a strange swooshing sound and a thud behind him. Then a groan, that he didn't think was quite right. He turned around, seeing Suga do the same thing, and Hope was staggering backwards, an arrow shaft sticking out of his shoulder.

"What the," Suga said and there was another swoosh.

Aware this time, Hope's eyes flared up in an explosion of burning red and he seemed to blur, in one place one moment and then in another. The second arrow flew past Taehyung and off into the corridor. "Shit," Hope said, and then he was flying. The third arrow hit the wall where he'd just been, as he lifted off the ground.

"Taehyung," Suga said, and when Taehyung managed to tear his eyes off Hope, Suga had an arrow too, right through his left thigh. He was holding his leg but otherwise frozen. Taehyung grabbed him. If anything happens, lock yourself in your room, Jungkook had told him, so he half dragged half carried Suga along down the corridor. Some people were shouting behind him, but nowhere near the chaos he'd expected, with someone shooting arrows and a guy flying through the air.

They were almost there when a person appeared from the side corridor, face hidden behind goggles and mask. They held bow and arrow, and upon seeing the two of them, charged Taehyung with the arrow in their hand. Taehyung stumbled, pushing Suga the other direction hoping to draw the person away from him, and as Suga fell over the arrow in his leg snapped under his weight. He screamed in pain, while Taehyung felt the tip of the arrow catch on his shirt as it swept past him, slicing it open but not touching his skin.

The next moment Hope came crashing into them, rolling across the floor with them. They struggled, the person grabbed the arrow still lodged in Hope's shoulder and twisted, and Hope faltered. Taehyung picked up the discarded bow on the ground, ran up and swung it as wide as he could, hitting the attacker in the side of the head. They tumbled over, Hope pounced and dug his fangs in, there was a light twitch through their body and then eerie silence.

"Get up," Taehyung told Suga.

"Why shoot at us in the main hall," Suga muttered. He wasn't all there, his eyes were a little glazed over with pain, and his leg was bleeding rather generously after the arrow had snapped. "Why in the main hall with all those people. Why risk civilians."

"Get up!" He resorted to dragging Suga towards the room.

Hope came to him, helping him drag Suga along.

"Taehyung," Suga said, slurring slightly. "Taehyung, it doesn't make sense. Why in the main hall, it's so easy to miss in the chaos. If they wanted to take them out why not shoot the guys on the balcony first. It's almost like they want chaos. It's not an assassination."

"They're trying to make us break our masks," Hope realized, listening to Suga's rambling.

"The party?" Taehyung said.

"No, the masks. Never let the public know we exist. The hunters have kept silent too to avoid chaos and panic, but this group, maybe they're tired of us slipping through their fingers."

"It's not bait," Suga said, grabbing Taehyung's arm. "It's not bait, it's camouflage. Taehyung. Those assholes aren't aiming for vitals, they're trying to provoke the vampires to reveal themselves. All of this, it's not bait, it's protection, hiding, Taehyung, the vampires,

they're

afraid of

us

."

Hope looked up meeting Taehyung's eyes, the red slowly fading.

"The main hall," Taehyung realized. He had to stop Jungkook from making a horrible mistake.

"Taehyung." Hope held out his arm. Blood from his shoulder had run down covering his arm. "When you're flying, don't think about what you're doing, just think about where you want to go."

"Fuck," Taehyung said and licked up his blood. It wasn't as sickening as he'd thought it'd be, the taste of blood wasn't new and this was no different. While Hope got inside the first door and closed it, Taehyung ran for the main hall, feeling a tickle over his skin and how the world passed by faster than it should. He passed the body of the hunter and vaguely registered the ripped throat, but didn't have time for that now.

Reaching the main hall, it was already a disaster. Jin was shouting from the balcony, something about staying, and the crowd wasn't running but was screaming and pointing in horror. Because by the bar, Jungkook was standing over three bodies, two discarded and broken, fangs deep in the neck of the third. He was bleeding from a rip at his side, the crown was crooked.

There was a sound from above and Taehyung looked up to find Jimin and one last hunter running on the scaffolding up there that the lights were attached to. Moving with breathtaking grace, Jimin caught up, and they had a very brief fight before Jimin gave them a single, well-measured push and the hunter reeled and fell, right in front of Yugyeom's table where he and his friends were standing.

The vampires had only one option now, which was to kill everyone in there. Taehyung thought for a second, Jungkook dropped the hunter he was drinking from and licked his lips. The front of his shirt was soaked in blood, the white parts of his outfit more red than white. Taehyung felt a waft of his sweet perfume mixed with the scent of death.

He spotted the microphone on the stage, and the DJ still there, also frozen in place. Think about where you want to go, Hope had said. He waved at Jungkook to follow him, and focused on the stage, jumping up. His body somehow knew how to do it, even if his mind didn't. He felt weightless for a moment, then almost crashed into a person in between himself and the target and had to get higher. This was too high, it was too scary, he looked down and lost his focus and then he was falling.

Strong arms closed around his waist, he was yanked sideways as Jungkook jumped into him, catching him and setting them both down on the stage flawlessly. Taehyung brushed at some blood on his jacket briefly, as if that would help, and gathered himself quickly.

"Trick or treat!" he shouted as loud as he could, grinning.

Jin went quiet. The audience turned towards the stage. By the side, Yugyeom and his friends grabbed the dead body and dragged it away out of the hall. Jimin was climbing down from the ceiling.

"Welcome to the Halloween party! An applause for our performers!" Taehyung waved at the audience, smiling so wide his cheeks hurt, and giggled. Some people were starting to recover, getting pulled along. He kept talking about the show and the role of each person. "Sorry about the scare, folks, but I'm not great at wire work, I'm better at talking!" he referenced his own fall. "Luckily, my dark prince always has my back." He talked some more, about Hope's role and the dolls falling, and made up an anecdote on the spot about some fake blood packs exploding early and almost ruining the show. "Don't tell anyone but some of those arrows were real," he told them. "We got some of the best performers in the country, so you were perfectly safe! Probably! Mostly!" He got some laughs, then some more. Yugyeom and friends had removed all the bodies, some staff were cleaning up blood. Jin had relaxed, watching with a smile. "Give it up for Jin, the master designer!" Jin bowed and waved. "And now the highlight of tonight's show, for the first time, and for tonight only," Taehyung turned and winked at Jungkook. "Jeon Jungkook."

Jungkook watched him walk up to him and accepted the microphone he got handed with a stunned expression. Namjoon, having stood by the stage for a while now, jumped up on the stage and got a second microphone from behind some speakers. He talked to the DJ.

Jungkook's perfume was going to his head, making him dizzy, making his body recall every touch and every pleasure associated with it. They were trapped there, staring into each other's eyes, Taehyung not able to do what he wanted to do with everyone's eyes on them. Jungkook took his cheek, walking right into his space. "Kim Taehyung," he whispered, lips soft against his ear. "I love you." Taehyung's eyes closed, from pain and pleasure indistinguishably intermixed, and Jungkook bit his neck.

He moaned, taken by surprise, overwhelmed. His legs gave out but Jungkook held him up. A gasp had gone through the crowd, it sent a shiver through his body. Jungkook was biting him, was claiming him, openly in front of everyone. Everyone would know this was where he belonged. If only Jungkook would stay, would drink it all, would absorb him until they were inseparable and nothing else mattered. Real or not real, nothing mattered except this feeling, except what Jungkook wanted, except what he could give him.

The music started up behind them, Namjoon launching into a rap, just a few phrases. Jungkook let go of Taehyung and Taehyung reeled to the side. Jungkook had to grab his jacket to let him fall down gently. Then, carelessly, shirt still soaked in human and vampire blood both, Jungkook stepped over him, raised the microphone and sang.

Jimin came, smiling and laughing, helping him drag himself off the stage to sit with him on some steps to the side. "Oh my god you're amazing," he giggled, hugging his arm. "That was so cool! Even the flight! Is Hope okay?"

Shit, Hope and Suga. "They're injured, Suga too, they locked themselves in. How do we tell them it's safe to come out?"

"Jin will do it," Jimin said, signaling Jin on the balcony. Jin backed up and disappeared out of sight. "Are you hurt?"

"No, it missed," Taehyung said, feeling the rip in his shirt. It was starting to sink in how close that had been, how dangerous this had been, how Suga might have been seriously injured. He was shaking slightly, feeling cold.

The crowd was jumping to the beat of Namjoon's rap while Jungkook filled in with ad libs in his breaks to breathe, flawlessly as if they'd never done anything else.

"Hard to imagine that they haven't done this in ten years," Jimin said.

The three minions had made their way through the excited party people. "Hey!" they called and erupted in exclamations. Their unabashed hyping of his acting and the realism of the show turned his mind away from the terrifying reality, and he smiled and laughed and blushed at the praise.

Up on stage, Jungkook showed the cut on his side while singing, and wiped the blood off to reveal there was no injury, just flawless porcelain skin. The audience cheered as he winked.

"I need to talk to the guys," Taehyung told the minions. "Thanks for helping me out the last few days, I'll get your money to you on Monday." He and Jimin left, heading for his room. On the way Yugyeom caught his attention to give a nod; he nodded back, grateful for the assistance. When they got to the room, the doors were open and Jin was inside with Hope and Suga, Suga laid out on the floor in Hope's lap, unconscious but breathing. The broken arrow was discarded to the side.

"He's lost a lot of blood regardless," Jin was saying.

"Is he okay?" Jimin asked, running up to kneel by Suga's side.

"He will be," Jin said. "But he'll be very tired. Jimin, could you get hold of some proper food and water for him?" Jimin left. "Quick thinking, pet," Jin praised Taehyung.

"Suga figured it out, their plan," Taehyung said.

"Of course I did," Suga mumbled, eyes still closed. "So obvious." He groaned. "Why is my leg on fire?" He reached, and Hope caught his hand to stop him from touching.

"The healing is somewhat uncomfortable for humans," Jin said. "Your bodies aren't meant to burn energy this quickly. It'll pass in another hour."

"I'm... I'm still me, right?" Suga opened one eye like it took massive effort. "You didn't...?" He touched his neck but seemed to realize he wouldn't find anything either way.

"Your precious mind is still untouched," Hope assured him. "You were bleeding a lot, you're white as a sheet, and I still didn't do anything. Jin gave you a few drops, to boost the healing."

"Consider it a bonus, you've done a lot for the club," Jin said dismissively. He turned to Taehyung, and he was carrying Taehyung's backpack that he'd dropped in the corridor and forgotten about. "Your photo frame shattered, so I cleaned out the glass."

"Thank you," Taehyung said and held out his hand.

"Don't think I'm not grateful," Jin told him, not giving him the bag. "You've not only saved my club, but us from a lot of heat. Even if we move on, word spreads. I may have to add a holiday bonus to Jungkook's salary tomorrow. However." He met his eyes firmly. No threat, only calm authority. "I think it's best you leave now."

Taehyung's heart could have stopped, he wouldn't have noticed. Jungkook's strong arms catching him, setting him down on the stage, the thick smell of flowers and fresh blood. Jungkook's lips against his throat, and his body on fire before everyone's eyes. Friend, lover, whore, actor, employee, MC, none of it was real. He was only one thing, Jeon Jungkook's.

"Go home, Taehyung," Suga told him from the floor. "I'll be okay. Get out of here."

"Go home," Jin agreed. He looked deep in his eyes and shoved the backpack into his arms, but Taehyung didn't want it anymore so Jin forced it over his shoulder. "Taehyung. Go home."

Jimin came in carrying a bunch of stuff, a box of food, a bucket of water and a rag, a water bottle, a beer bottle. He glanced at Taehyung and maybe he didn't agree with the majority, but all the same he turned his eyes down and sat down to clean Suga's leg.

Go home, they said, but the only home Taehyung had was right here. Recognizing that Taehyung wasn't going anywhere, Jin turned him around and put an arm over his shoulders to walk him out. The body in the corridor was gone, cleaned away, leaving only a smear of red and a few arrows. Everything felt surreal. It had been a show, it must have been. All those bodies. The composite bow hitting the hunter's head with a tiny, horrific crack that had echoed into Taehyung's hands, up his elbows and shoulders. Jimin's calm, measured push sending the hunter flailing the far too many meters to the floor. Namjoon walking up on the stage, calm and cool, not a hair out of place, talking to the DJ like this was any other night. Jungkook's fangs buried in his neck.

In the main hall, Jungkook was singing without any background music, his sheer voice spreading through the massive room like the intoxicating smell of flowers. The audience was eerily quiet, gently swaying, a few had raised lighters like at concerts. Yugyeom stood leaned against a pillar, watching the stage.

They were halfway through the hall before Taehyung registered the lyrics and paused. Jin tried to pull him along but he resisted, and turned his head to the stage. His eyes met Jungkook's across the smoky hall, past a hundred heads.

Open up your mind, clear your head
Ain't got to wake up to an empty bed
Share my life, it's yours to keep
Now that I give to you all of me

When it comes to you
There's no crime
Let's take both of our souls
And intertwine
When it comes to you
Don't be blind
Watch me speak from my heart
When it comes to you

It comes to you

BTS · 2U (cover) By JK Of BTS

Whatever Jin was saying wasn't registering. Jungkook's hand holding the microphone came down, Namjoon started talking to fill the silence. The audience cheered on his encouragement, but Jungkook was walking off the stage. He came all the way to them.

Jin had gone silent. Watching the two of them for a second, he rolled his eyes, fixed Jungkook with a deadly stare and said, "Tomorrow."

"I know," Jungkook promised.

Jin left.

"What's tomorrow," Taehyung asked, dazed, lost in Jungkook's warm brown eyes.

"Nothing," Jungkook said. "Nothing at all. The world ends tonight."

He'd already fed several times, the latest on Taehyung, and the way Jungkook was looking at him lit crazy, undying, excruciating hope. Hunger sated, nothing left for Taehyung to give him, Jungkook still looked at him like this. He asked for permission with his eyes and took Jungkook's hand. "Let's go clean up," he said. When he walked, Jungkook came along.

They got into the staff rooms and Jungkook tossed the ruined shirt off, then dropped the crown on top of it. Taehyung shrugged out of his jacket and got to his shirt, but his hands were still shaking slightly. Jungkook came, grabbed the edges of the cut and ripped the silk apart, roughly pushing him around to get him out of it. Done, he got to Taehyung's pants, ran an appreciative hand over the shiny fake leather and undid his fly.

"Sir," Taehyung whispered, halfway teasing. "Can I kiss you?"

Jungkook's lips curved up in a crooked smile, and he pushed strands out of his eyes. "Let me wash the blood out of my hair first," he thought.

"I don't care," Taehyung told him honestly.

Jungkook squatted down to help him out of the pants and shoes, then slid back up his body to end up eye to eye, a tempting inch between their lips. He hadn't gotten permission, but Taehyung still leaned in. At the last moment before their lips touched, Jungkook said, "But I do," and turned away. Taehyung smiled with frustration. Always teasing him! Back turned, Jungkook got out of the rest of his clothes. All that smooth, perfect skin. Taehyung reached out to touch and Jungkook slipped away, as if he knew without looking. He went into the shower, the water started. "Coming?"

Oh fuck right yes. Taehyung walked around the corner to find him standing under the warm water, head tipped back, eyes closed. He bit his lip to not moan out loud, but that was the best he could do, he couldn't also resist walking in behind Jungkook and wrapping his arms around him, holding that flawless, soft skin and hard muscles against him full body.

Taehyung didn't get to hug him this way for more than a second before he turned around and pulled him into the water stream in front of him. There were some shampoo bottles left behind on the floor, Jungkook opened and smelled each one, disapproving of all of them but eventually selecting the least offensive. He poured some directly on Taehyung's head and snickered when he complained.

Once Taehyung had gotten the shampoo out of his hair Jungkook had started washing his, which meant his hands were busy. His arms were up, muscles swollen from the fight. Taehyung didn't know where to begin but when he set his hand on Jungkook's waist, Jungkook opened one eye and removed it. It didn't take more than Taehyung lifting his eyebrows to make Jungkook seem to regret it. He took a tiny step forward. Since his hands had returned to his hair it was like he offered his body to Taehyung, on display. Taehyung got to explore freely. It felt intimate, even more so knowing Jungkook hadn't liked people touching him. Taehyung's thumb swept over a nipple and his fingertips counted the groves over his ribs.

After Jungkook had rinsed his hair, Taehyung leaned in to kiss, because the blood was out of his hair now! But Jungkook dodged again and left the showers. Taehyung lingered for a moment, freaking out. But Jungkook wouldn't have asked him to shower with him and thought he wouldn't get turned on, right? Still, blushing, covering himself with his hands, he walked quickly out to his clothes. Jungkook had put on underwear, saw him and snickered again before turning his back to stare at his ruined clothes.

Taehyung got into his pants since they were clean. He grabbed the silver crown. Up close it looked like twisted branches and razor sharp leaves curled into spikes. He put it back on Jungkook's head. When Jungkook turned to him, to see what he was doing, he stole a kiss.

Touching his head to confirm what Taehyung had put on it, Jungkook captured him with an arm around his neck and kissed him properly. He was still only in underwear, didn't have any clothes not soaked in blood. Reality caught up with Taehyung. He felt himself shiver, and his breaths catch, as he remembered the crack reverberating up his arms again. Jungkook hugged him and kissed his hair.

"I could have killed someone," Taehyung realized.

"The first time," Jungkook said thoughtfully, "I had no choice, it was them or me. But the second time I had to make a decision, trust their words and risk Jimin's life, or kill them and be safe. I trusted them, Jimin only survived because of dumb luck, and since then, I've not hesitated again. It became work. Tonight, when you looked at me, for the first time in years, I… saw what I'd done, like a person, not a monster, would see it."

"It was self-defense," Taehyung thought.

"I know, that's not what I mean," Jungkook said softly. "I mean that I've stopped thinking. I've started assuming this is the only way. But tonight when you looked at me, I wished there was another way. Almost like a person would."

"You are a person," Taehyung told him and kissed him again. "Come back to the… Suga and the guys are in my room," he realized.

Jungkook smiled. "Come." He pulled Taehyung along up the back stairs and towards Jin's office. Coming inside, Jungkook locked the door, then his eyes lit up with crackling gold and he pushed the massive desk halfway across the room like pushing a plastic chair across ice. The door was blocked, in every sense because no one else could move that desk. Taehyung was literally trapped in here with him now. Using the strength he'd already activated, Jungkook picked him up, making him smile and bite his lip to keep from giggling, and laid him down on the couch. He frowned, maybe wondering why Taehyung was giggling, and saw him look at the top of his head. His hand found the crown, and he made a disbelieving, embarrassed noise and tossed it away on the floor. Climbing in over him, Jungkook made out with him again.

"Ah please," Taehyung begged, "stop teasing me."

Jungkook's hand traveled down his waist and stomach, until it worked its way into his pants. He'd been too preoccupied to button the fly before. Taehyung groaned and his hips rose to meet Jungkook's strong grip sliding over him, and then he had to grab his arm in panic. "Stop, stop, wait!"

Tongue playing over his teeth, Jungkook watched his expression with amusement. "That quickly?"

"Ah, you've never touched me before," Taehyung said, and would blush except his face was already lit up with desire. "Wait, wait, not yet!"

Chuckling, Jungkook let go and lay down half on top of him. Fuck, he was hard, Taehyung could feel it pushing against his hip. "Uhn, Jungkook, let me blow you." Jungkook shook his head. "Why are you such a tease!"

"I just want to be sure," Jungkook said. "Even if that's impossible. You'd probably drink bleach if I wanted you to. But what does that mean for what we do together?"

"You're worried about that?!" Taehyung demanded. That was why he kept pushing and pulling, going hot and cold every two seconds? He thought Taehyung couldn't give consent? "I told you I liked you before you bit me! The first day I worked here you stood up on that balcony in those goddamned leather pants and I've wanted you to fuck me since the moment I saw you." Jungkook's eyes widened, a hint of warm honey flashing by. "Shouldn't I be more worried? You don't even like guys! You're just doing this to make me happy!" He didn't even care right now, he'd take any pity or magic bullshit if it meant Jungkook looked at him like this, if he could be here with him like this.

"There's a lot of ways to make you happy," Jungkook thought. "I'm not doing anything I don't want."

"You're brainwashed! I brainwashed you," he said to himself, wondering. That sounded a bit like he'd seduced him, like people said witches enticed men into doing their bidding. But he was just a guy, and Jungkook was a vampire. Jungkook snorted though, not amused with that, and Taehyung told him, "Jimin did things with his cat that he didn't want to, because of the bite."

"The cat got him off, nothing more," Jungkook said. "Jin told me."

"How the fuck would he know?"

"They were together all the time, him and Jimin, he knows."

"You never get me off either," Taehyung pointed out.

"Because I don't want to... go too far," Jungkook protested. His eyes dropped to Taehyung's neck, the faint warm honey glow returning. "Taehyung," he said, "do you want me to fuck you?"

"Don't fucking tease me!" Taehyung warned him. "If you start again and don't actually do it-"

Jungkook smiled. "Say yes."

"Yes," Taehyung echoed, annoyed because Jungkook was grinning like a victorious villain, like he'd done something bad boy cool when Taehyung was always going to say yes anyway. Jungkook pushed himself up and pulled the leather pants and underwear off him. Taehyung's stomach was knotting up in unstoppable anticipation although he still wasn't sure Jungkook would actually do it even when Jungkook sat between his legs. Fangs slipped out and Jungkook bit his own wrist, letting blood drip down his fingers. No way. Jungkook kept staring into his eyes, and when his fingers, slick with blood, pushed into him, Taehyung's body tensed up and a grunt escaped him. It was more discomfort than pain, and the heat that rushed through him made it more than worth it.

"Tell me what you want," Jungkook told him.

Taehyung hummed, electricity racing through him. He wanted it but what he always wanted most of all was to give Jungkook what he wanted. "Fuck me," he said, and Jungkook's lips parted, a hint of fangs, the embers in his eyes kindling slowly into fire. "I want you to fuck me, now, like this, take me the way you want, like what I am."

The fingers left him, Jungkook yanked his hips to get him into position. "What are you?"

"I've been trying to whore myself out to you since the second you started wanting me," Taehyung told him. He felt Jungkook finding the place. "Jungkook," he asked, "tell me."

Jungkook only hesitated a second this time, and that alone, that he dared to, didn't hold back, felt fantastic. What followed was even better. "You want me to fuck you," Jungkook commanded, words smooth and thick like warm mouthfuls of blood and the tingle through his skin of vampire magic activating, mind and body unfolding to be more than what they could be. "You get off on spreading your legs for me. You want me."

"I want you," Taehyung agreed, closing his eyes to moan as Jungkook pushed into him.

Even if it tore his heart out tomorrow, he would do it all over again. This time it felt like the commands amplified his own wants, turned them up to max and beyond. Jungkook rocked into him and he writhed, naked skin against Jin's leather couch, with far too many wishes being fulfilled at once, drowning in his own desire. He'd bit off more than he could chew, he'd wanted more than he could handle, this was insane, he was losing his mind.

"Please," he begged, needing some kind of distraction, "please kiss me."

Jungkook leaned over him to kiss him, careful to not cut him, and Taehyung bit his lip. With a growl, Jungkook left the kiss, honey set on fire to burning amber, and slammed into him without restraint. Taehyung grabbed on to the couch like a drowning man grasping for anything to hold his head over the surface, as Jungkook fucked him.

He was so close to climaxing, he felt it pushing against the final restraints, but it was just very barely not enough. He reached for himself, and Jungkook swatted his hand away and did it for him. It only took a couple of strokes for the dams to break, and Taehyung came so hard his mind blanked for a second. Returning to reality, Jungkook was holding on to him so that his thrusts wouldn't push him off the couch. Taehyung made desperate little sounds because Jungkook's grip was crushing him but he didn't want it to stop, it was the only thing keeping his mind from sliding away too.

"Ah fuck," Jungkook breathed and curled forward over him, hips speeding up. The look in his eyes, meeting Taehyung's, was almost one of suffering, perhaps drowning in pleasure as well.

"Come in me," Taehyung whispered, running a couple of fingers through Jungkook's hair. "I want you to come in me. Mark me."

Eyes drifting shut, Jungkook's hips jerked, and maybe orgasm made him lose control because he grabbed the arm Taehyung had raised and sank his fangs into the inside of his wrist.

It was the same uncontrollable euphoria as before, with the one difference that he could look directly into Jungkook's eyes. No, he'd been wrong again.

This

was how sheep felt around wolves. The predator completely unveiled, fear and power both rushed through Taehyung. He heard nothing else but his heartbeat, smelled traces of Jungkook's perfume mixed with the borrowed shampoo, and Jungkook's eyes held his captive, locked together. The predator was terrifying, but that only made the fact that Taehyung had him, owned him as much as he was owned by him, so much more of a power trip. This man, this monster, both, couldn't get enough of him, would do anything for him. Taehyung was his and he was Taehyung's.

Jungkook sat back, dropping his arm carelessly, mouth open as he licked his lips and teeth clean. After gasping through the initial staggering pain and cold of being separated, Taehyung thought of what Suga had said. Romanticizing mind control and abuse. But to romanticize was to make pretty what wasn't. If this felt horrible or he was really harmed, physically or mentally, and he tried to justify it, that would be one thing. It felt fucking fantastic, and the wounds on his wrist had already healed without a trace. Jungkook had spent this week wanting to be sure Taehyung actually wanted to do this. He never took more than Taehyung could give.

Jungkook slipped down to sit on the couch, leaning his head all the way back onto the back. Taehyung rested. Sweeping his hand over Taehyung's leg aimlessly, just wanting to feel him, Jungkook accidentally met Taehyung's eyes and turned away, shy.

Taehyung propped an arm under his head. "I wanted to become an actor to live lives that were more interesting than mine," he said. "But this life, it's like a movie. Standing on the stage tonight, talking everyone through a disaster, it was..." He smiled to himself. "I could do that. Namjoon does it now, right, does the talking in between acts and stuff. Does he like it?"

"Not really," Jungkook thought. "He'd prefer to focus on the paperwork and writing. He says MC:ing causes so much interruptions that he loses all the ideas and lyrics he thinks of."

"I like interruptions," Taehyung thought. "Playing with guests and talking some shit on stage in between, I could do that. Acting is fun! But it's not... it's not the most important thing anymore." Suga thought giving up his dreams to run after a vampire fantasy was insane, but that's not what he was doing. He was following his dream, a new one. "You could sing sometimes, couldn't you? Even if you can't be a world star, wasn't it nice tonight? Wouldn't it be nice to have something you're good at that doesn't involve blood, and that you don't have to be the best at?"

Jungkook said, "Do you want me to ask you to come with us, tomorrow?"

He wouldn't, Jin had told him not to and wouldn't allow it anyway, but Taehyung still said, "Yes." Jungkook was silent for a long time, his handsome profile serious and thoughtful, so Taehyung got up. Too late he realized that he had nowhere to go and nothing to clean up with, and then he felt warm drops rolling down his legs. "Oh shit," he said, turning red, freezing up.

Jungkook came, kissed the back of his neck softly, and crouched behind him to wipe the worst of it away with Taehyung's underwear. The drops were red, and for a second he wondered if he'd gotten hurt without feeling it, but then remembered Jungkook using his own blood at the start.

"Sit down," Jungkook commanded. "Stay there until I come back." Back in his underwear, Jungkook pushed the desk out of the way and put on Taehyung's pants. The glossy leather that had been loose on Taehyung hugged Jungkook's thighs like a second skin. He slipped out the door and closed it behind him. Taehyung waited. He wanted to go lock the door, but he'd been ordered and was stuck on this couch now.

A while later Jungkook returned, dressed in his regular matte leather pants and a simple black t-shirt, and carrying a wet towel, a pack of tissues and a set of Taehyung's new clothes. While Taehyung cleaned himself and got dressed, Jungkook very carelessly wiped away the worst mess, saying the cleaners would get the rest when Taehyung complained.

"Isn't Jin going to…?" Taehyung wondered. Get mad, or something.

"He really doesn't care about this kind of stuff," Jungkook told him. "Jimin has sex with people all over the place, like it's a sport, and if it was, Jin would be keeping the score."

"Jimin?" Taehyung asked, not expecting that.

"He likes to pick up all kinds of strays, sometimes for selfish reasons," Jungkook smiled. "You okay to go?"

Taehyung's legs were slightly unsteady, but not worse than that he could walk. "What about Hope?"

"Hope hooked up at the start, but after he got his eye on Suga he lost interest in everyone else," Jungkook said. "Jin doesn't have sex with, uh, monkeys, his word not mine! He hooks up with visiting vampires, but very rarely. Hm, who else. Namjoon… I don't keep track, it feels like spying on my brother."

They were walking down the corridor together, Taehyung smiled at Jungkook's attempt at anticipating his endless curiosity. "And you?"

"No," Jungkook said.

"Jimin said you think you're an unspeakable horror."

Jungkook chuckled slightly at that. "Yeah I think I said that to him at some point."

"I don't think you are," Taehyung told him.

Seeing him glance at him a few times, Jungkook shrugged. "You saw me today."

"I mean of course I don't... like it, but they came to hurt you," Taehyung told him. "It would be great if there was another way, but I don't think there was, tonight. They even shot at us normal people, we're lucky only Suga got hit! To be honest, Jimin is a lot more creepy than you. Wait, he ran around and fought up under the ceiling with no powers to help him?!"

Music was still playing in the main hall. The party would continue through the night, and was still packed. They came out on the VIP balcony and met Namjoon there, who told them Hope and Suga were settled into a staff room. Suga was fine, the wound had healed perfectly, but he was very tired and probably sleeping now. Hope had insisted on staying with him to keep watch.

Taehyung's three minions yelled from the stairs, wanting to come up. Taehyung looked to Jungkook, who waved them forward. They fell on Taehyung like a pile of drunk puppies, trying to tell him about their night but all at the same time. Then they looked him over, noticing his new clothes, and glanced at Jungkook. "This your ex?"

Taehyung hushed them, but Jungkook gave them a suave smile and said, "Not anymore."

"Oh, now I get why you're in with the club!" they exclaimed, slapping his shoulder and cheering around him. One of them slapped Jungkook's shoulder too, but Jungkook's expression discouraged any further attempts at physical contact. Taehyung tried to get them to calm down.

"I'm really tired," he told them. "I'll stay here tonight so you can go when you feel like it."

It provoked another wave of cheers and embarrassing exclamations. Taehyung fretted to shush them while Namjoon and Jungkook watched in amused silence.

"Your room has been cleaned," Namjoon told him. He eyed Jungkook. "We don't really need you, you're probably tired after all the... acting and acrobatics anyway, why don't the two of you retire for the night. It's high time to lock up the back anyway."

"Sure," Jungkook said and grabbed Taehyung's arm.

"Bye!" Taehyung waved while being dragged down the stairs. Somewhat stunned, the three waved back at him.

Jin had put Taehyung's backpack on his bed again, where it had started out this evening. Taehyung took the stuffed animal out and put it back in the bookshelf, where it belonged. "When you go," he said, "I won't need to lock up anymore, right? So I'll be out of a job."

"This works like a hotel, people will be passing through, so you can keep the job," Jungkook told him. "Keeping the routine makes it harder for others to know if anyone is here or not."

"So I can still live here?"

"Of course. In fact, you can take over some of Namjoon's things," Jungkook said, kicking off his boots and sitting down on the bed.

"Manager?" Taehyung asked, smiling. "But I have school, and a day job." As an actor, no less.

"Not manager, we've already hired a replacement for Namjoon, but you could take up as many hours as you like to assist them."

"You've talked about this?"

"We made plans," Jungkook said vaguely. He dug through Taehyung's backpack, looking at the photos and flipping through his books. Taehyung sat by the desk.

He'd achieved his goal. Get Jeon Jungkook to fuck him. And it was amazing, and perfect, and everything he wanted, but he'd achieved so much more than that. Rather than worry about himself being left behind, Taehyung worried for Jungkook. What if Jungkook slid back into being cold and lonely? "Are you sure you're not a house cat?" he asked, because Jungkook looked adorable, hair messy, legs pulled up under him, biting his nail a little while frowning in concentration, trying to understand one of Taehyung's notebooks.

Jungkook glanced up at him. "You want to come here and say that?"

"No," Taehyung giggled. He spun a lap on the chair. "What about before you became an unspeakable horror?" he asked. "Did you date a lot of girls?"

"No," Jungkook said.

"A special one?"

"No."

"Were you a virgin? When you got turned?"

Jungkook glared at him again. "I've gotten blowjobs before, I wouldn't call that dating."

"Girl or guy?"

"Girls. Plural," Jungkook said, as if he had something to prove. "Namjoon and I performed at clubs and stuff, you know."

"Groupies?" Taehyung giggled. "But nothing more than blowjobs?" He tried to tone down his smile because Jungkook looked increasingly annoyed. "I had a girlfriend back home. After I came here there was a guy… we hung out for a while but when I asked him to be my boyfriend he said I was just a kid, so that sucked and I decided to focus on school. And then I saw this dark mysterious prince on a VIP balcony and thought… that's the one, that's who I want to fuck me for the first time." Jungkook cheered up at the end.

"Didn't your mom teach you to not throw away your first time on unspeakable horrors?" Jungkook said, and laughed when Taehyung burst into laughter.

"Didn't your vampire dad teach you to not throw away yours on a monkey," he giggled, and they laughed again. He moved over to the bed and tore a clean page out of his notebook and found a pen. "Tell me stuff I need to know. I'll be here, right, and there'll be vampires moving in and out so I'll see a lot of them. What types are there? Why are there types?"

"There's this legend that the bloodlines come from different places in the world where vampires stole abilities from the local gods," Jungkook said. "So the truth is nobody knows why."

He saw Taehyung's delighted, curious look and sighed, settling in for a long talk.

"Okay, so the names you've heard are what we call them in everyday speech. The traditional name for them are the names of the gods they stole their abilities from. Imperator," he pointed to himself, "from eastern Europe, a goddess of life, Mokosh. Jin told me in other places they call us whatever the local word is for emperor. I have no idea why. Eclair, that's Hope, from a god of lightning, Shango. Uh from Africa somewhere." He gestured like it didn't matter.

Taehyung wrote it down. "How many are there?"

"I have no idea, a lot," Jungkook said. "Jin has tried to teach me all this but I never remember any of it. Why would I? I know the eye colors and powers of the bloodlines, so I know what I'm fighting, that's the only useful thing."

Taehyung kept asking questions and Jungkook dutifully answered them. Does religious stuff like crosses work? No. Garlic? No. Can they eat human food? Yes, but it's uncomfortable, drinks are better. Can they have kids? No. Do they die from stakes through the heart? No, but wooden weapons hurt a lot more than metal.

"So nothing works? How do you kill vampires?" Taehyung asked.

"A lot of things work," Jungkook said. "In sunlight we're no different from a human. Otherwise, you need to drain us of blood. The hunters like to cut our heads off, that tends to bleed us out a lot faster than we can heal. Explosions work wonders. Fire too, but some have resistance, like daywalkers. I can heal through it for a while, but it fucking sucks, it's awful, the smell alone!" He waved his hand, grimacing. "Cruelty to vampires. I'd prefer to get my head chopped off."

"Are you all this pretty?" Taehyung asked.

Jungkook laughed shyly and waved his hand again, but happily this time. "Some powers affect how we look. Imperator healing is known for making us," he gestured to himself, "you know." Taehyung chuckled at his awkwardness.

"Namjoon says you start decomposing in sunlight. Do you start smelling?"

"I have no idea. Wow, the questions you ask sometimes."

"Can I recognize which vampires are dangerous?"

"Not any more than you can with people. Yugyeom's group won't let just anyone in here though, since the club is surrounded by their territory. They tend to look like he does, in the jeans and leather jackets or vests, like they forgot their mullets somewhere in the 80s."

Taehyung snickered. "I just told him you don't talk shit about him behind his back."

"It's not shit, it's truth," Jungkook said, smiling. "Otherwise, stay away from anyone whose eyes glow green. There's only two bloodlines that do, and you don't want anything to do with them."

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, that became a command... well, it might as well be. They're bad news. Speaking of Yugyeom." Jungkook's eyes wandered. "You've been seen with me a lot already, the word may have spread that I took on a pet. Someone might come for you. So I've made a deal with Yugyeom and his group for protection. He'll keep an eye on you, if you need help you can go to him."

Without a mark he was free game. Not just to anyone who wanted what Jungkook had, or wanted to hurt him, but to any random vampire passing through. Taehyung fought some air into his lungs, thinking of course he'd been before too, but now that he knew vampires existed... Not having Jungkook there to protect him was terrifying. He loved his room here at the club, it felt like home now, but so many vampires would pass through. "The world ends tonight," he said, tears threatening.

Closing his eyes, Jungkook nodded almost imperceptibly.

"You can't cry," Taehyung remembered, and it made him sad. Crying was a relief somehow, when it felt like his heart would tear from within. The tears he'd held back came.

"You cry enough for the both of us," Jungkook told him, wiping his cheek.

"Don't go," Taehyung cried. Jungkook's eyes closed in pain again. "I'm scared. What if someone else bites me? I don't want to feel this way about someone that's not you. What if Yugyeom wants me for himself? I can't stop him. I don't even have a mark anymore."

"Yugyeom will behave, if he wants to keep his eyes in his skull," Jungkook promised. "And to be honest he likes you. I don't know about his group but you can trust him. Do you want a new mark?"

"You'll be gone."

"But it would still protect you." Jungkook hesitated. "Or it might provoke some, or remind you..."

Taehyung shook his head, wiping tears away. "Can I have one?" he asked.

"Of course," Jungkook said. "I didn't think you wanted it since..."

"You can put blood on a scarf," Taehyung thought, moving to get up to fetch something from the closet.

"Not now," Jungkook said, catching his arm. "It's not just any blood. It's heartblood. I'll do it later."

"From your heart? How does that... you cut your heart? Won't you die?"

"We don't actually use our hearts for anything."

"Wait, how... how can you even..."

"Vampire magic bullshit," Jungkook said, patting his shoulder. "Thinking about how any of it is possible will drive you nuts, it hurts my brain to try. I'll make you a new mark tomorrow. You should sleep," he said but Taehyung had seen the tiny dip his eyes had made to Taehyung's lips, and he crawled up on his knees and kissed him. Jungkook's arms came around him. "Since the world ends tonight, how about we make the most of it," Jungkook whispered.

"Tell me one more thing," Taehyung asked, running his fingers through Jungkook's soft brown hair.

"Anything," Jungkook promised, hands working on getting under his shirt.

"What really happened the night you died?"

Jungkook let go of him and stood up. While Taehyung waited he walked a few steps away. "I presume Namjoon told you I don't remember," he said, back turned.

"Do you?" Taehyung asked.

A few seconds passed. "Yes."

"Was it so terrible that you can't tell anyone? Or why are you keeping it a secret?"

Jungkook walked a few steps again in a little half circle before returning to Taehyung. There he went down on one knee between Taehyung's legs and, looking up at his surprised face, said, "Will you come with me?"

But Jin, and his dream, and his family, and the violence and death, and who the fuck was he kidding. "Yes," he heard himself say.

"It's not that it was terrible," Jungkook explained. "It's that… the guys who cut me were after Namjoon, not me. We walked the same path to get home, it was dark. It would crush him to know. You can't ever tell him. You'll never tell him what I just told you."

Jungkook had been protecting Namjoon this whole time? Taehyung was melting into a puddle, thinking of noble fairy tale princes again. "I promise," he said, unnecessarily.

"I'll tell you the full story," Jungkook promised, "but not tonight."

He sat down on the bed and navigated Taehyung around to straddle his lap, and made out with him there. When he'd gotten Taehyung out of his shirt he kissed his chest and there was a nip of pain as he nicked him slightly, licking up a drop of blood.

"Ow," Taehyung protested, slapping his shoulder, and smiling when Jungkook threw him an annoyed eye.

"You still have Hope's blood in you," Jungkook said. "Look." The tiny cut visibly healed as they both watched. There was a dangerous glow growing in Jungkook's eyes.

"That's, th-that doesn't mean," Taehyung stuttered, "please, um, please d-don't hurt me..." Jungkook's desire was like a monsoon obliterating the winds of his mind, and he wanted to give Jungkook anything he wanted, that was the most important thing, but still. Don't duck, don't pull back, don't put your hands up in defense. Trapped, his breath caught when Jungkook's lips parted to fully reveal the fangs. "Oh shit," he breathed as Jungkook's hand on his neck forced him down into a kiss.

Despite the threat, Jungkook only cut his tongue a tiny little bit, just enough to suck a few drops of blood from him, filling their make-out with the taste of iron and hunger. Taehyung moaned into the kiss, still frightened, and Jungkook let him up.

"What do you think?" Jungkook asked, smiling at him. "Want me to blow you?" Taehyung shook his head about two hundred times, and Jungkook laughed, eyes sparkling with mischief. "Then what do you want?"

"Uh, maybe, do you want to do it again?" Taehyung suggested, still not convinced Jungkook wasn't up to something.

"Like this?" Jungkook asked. In his lap, with Taehyung on top.

"Or, um, from behind? Or whichever, actually, I'm not picky. Both?"

"Mm… get up and take your clothes off." Jungkook put a hand against his chest to feel his breaths getting deeper. "Slowly."

"Yes, sir," Taehyung said and slid out of his lap.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1st

Panting, slowly recovering consciousness, Taehyung watched Jungkook get up and clean them both off a bit. The sheets were stained with blood, Jungkook's not Taehyung's, and a couple other fluids. In the end Jungkook had been satisfied with teasing and scaring him, played nice when it came down to it, and hadn't broken skin again. The school books had been knocked down to the floor. He wiped at his chin, having a vague memory of drooling and hoping Jungkook hadn't noticed, and managed to sit up.

"It's dawn," Jungkook said, fetching a glass of water from the bathroom.

Taehyung drank gratefully. "You can feel it? In here?"

"Yeah."

"You need to go to bed."

"So do you," Jungkook thought.

Taehyung remembered Jimin's calico cat story. "Can I sleep in the alien egg with you?"

"I don't know," Jungkook said, stopping to think about it. He went over and opened the door to his room, and pushed a button to make it open. "You'll definitely fit," he said, checking the space.

"Is it hard?" Taehyung walked over and peeked in through the door. Right, the coffin was lined and padded with what looked like... something soft.

"Won't it be cold?" Jungkook asked.

"I can bring a cover and blanket," Taehyung thought. He went and picked up his cover and came back and stood outside the door. Jungkook took the cover from him and put it on the furthest side of the pod.

"Changed your mind?" Jungkook asked.

"No, um, you told me not to go in, before."

Jungkook snickered.

"Don't laugh! It's not like I can help it, it's not funny!"

"It's a little funny."

Taehyung laughed despite not really finding it funny, because Jungkook was giggling like a cute kid again. "Let me in!" For a moment Jungkook gathered himself and looked him over, but then broke back down in giggles. "Jungkook!"

"My mom, she always told me to not bring food into bed," Jungkook said and laughed, and Taehyung fought to swallow chuckles because he was annoyed, dammit. "Go unlock the doors so the guys can come in, and then come in here."

Taehyung unlocked the two inner doors, the third door they could unlock with the keypad, and put on underwear while he was at it. Coming into Jungkook's room it was freezing, and Jungkook closed the door so it went pitch black. Except it didn't. A second later, Taehyung's borrowed vampire powers activated, prickling his skin, and the room reappeared in grayscale. He could see Jungkook, but faint red lines marbled Jungkook's skin, glowing slightly. It wasn't that he saw through Jungkook, saw his veins, exactly, it was more like the presence of blood was so strong that it shone through his skin, muscle and bones. When he looked down at himself he was similarly patterned, but his glow pulsated slightly with each heartbeat.

"Whoa, it's beautiful," he said, looking at his hand from different angles.

Jungkook climbed into the coffin. "Come on."

"But it's so pretty." He walked closer to look at Jungkook as he rummaged around a little and lay down. "You're so pretty."

"I'm so tired," Jungkook said.

"Because you're decomposing?" he asked, having second thoughts about sleeping together.

"Not here, not when not in sunlight."

"But then why do you get tired and stuff?"

"Taehyung," Jungkook said and grabbed him, making him laugh as he was pulled into the coffin. "I don't know. Can you consider the answer to any questions you have to be

I don't know

, until I wake up tonight?"

"How do I get out of here if I need to?"

Jungkook took his hand and led it to the side of the pod, where the buttons were, but inside. There were a few buttons here too. Jungkook made him push one and the lid sank down over them soundlessly, only a faint hiss just as it sealed. The lid was curved, since it was an alien egg, and it was cozier than he'd expected, although that might be because he could see in the dark right now. He settled in half on top of Jungkook, head on his shoulder, and pulled the cover over them both.

"What if I'm a calico cat?" he asked, not Jungkook but himself. What if he didn't love Jungkook for real?

"Go to sleep," Jungkook mumbled, already drifting off.

Taehyung wasn't sure how commands like that worked, he couldn't consciously go to sleep, but he was pretty tired so he closed his eyes.

When he woke up he was in complete darkness. He wasn't claustrophobic but the total sensory deprivation was quite unsettling. He saw and heard nothing, smelled only a faint tone of Jungkook's perfume, felt Jungkook's smooth, room-temperature skin under him and it felt less like a person and more like a person-shaped pillow since Jungkook didn't breathe or make the slightest movement and his skin was so eerily soft. "Jungkook," he said, but got no reaction, so he felt around until he found the buttons and opened the pod.

There he faced his second challenge. Jungkook had undone the order to not enter, but not the order to not touch the door. He went in that direction, started wondering if he'd bump into the door, and turned back. It was possible to break through commands, Jimin had said. It was just a door. He turned again, followed the wall to the door, accidentally brushed the door handle and, Jungkook would get mad, he'd told him not to, he knew best, he probably had a good reason to not want Taehyung to touch it. He backed up a few steps, heart hammering like he'd done something illegal.

God fucking dammit. Okay, if he took it extremely literally he just couldn't touch the door himself. He pulled the cover out of the pod and closed the lid again, hung it over his hands and went forward. This time he managed to push down the handle enough that the door cracked open before he had to stop and let his heart calm down. He was getting a headache. Keeping the cover between him and the door he charged through it.

Jimin and Namjoon were standing in the room outside; he almost crashed into Jimin. With a sigh of relief he pulled the cover around himself, cold. "Jungkook told me to not touch the door," he said. Jimin nodded in understanding, Namjoon struggled greatly to not laugh. "It's not funny!"

"We wondered where you were," Jimin said, explaining why they were standing there. "If something happened last night that made you run off without your things again."

Namjoon walked over and pushed the door shut, Taehyung went and changed into one of his outfits, this one with a thin, slightly glossy blue jacket over white t-shirt and black jeans.

"I guess something did happen, to the opposite effect," Jimin commented.

"Sleeping in the pod is cold, how did your…" Taehyung started, then recalled that Jimin couldn't remember sharing coffin with his cat.

"I have some papers for you to sign," Namjoon told him, waving a stack at him. He put them down on the desk and Taehyung leaned over them. Some type of contract similar to the one he'd signed when he got this job. "Your new role at the club." Namjoon flipped to the third page with a list of all their names, and Taehyung's at the bottom. Above that list was a header saying Partners. "Jin made the transfer last night, we've confirmed it went through. Your share is very small, but it should cement your status here so the staff doesn't start a mutiny or something."

"I, own, this?" Taehyung asked, overwhelmed.

"This was part of the arrangements for us leaving," Jimin said. "Jungkook insisted. He didn't tell you?"

"He told me some things, but not that," Taehyung said.

"Your main job remains the same, and a new manager will take over the day-to-day tasks that I've been doing," Namjoon said. "You outrank her though, so if there's anything you want to take over, you can talk to her about it. I've told them you probably won't want to be involved in the business decisions, but you have the right to if you want. You'll get your share of profits the same as we all do, yearly. Your regular pay stays monthly." Namjoon held out a pen. "Welcome to Jin's empire."

Taehyung stared at the stack and backed up a few steps. "I can't sign that."

"The second thing is your contract with Jungkook, which we obviously need to nullify," Namjoon said. "I told... what? Why can't you sign it?"

Taehyung took a deep breath and glanced at the door. Waking up in Jungkook's alien egg coffin had made it starkly real that Jungkook wasn't alive in the usual sense. Asleep, he wasn't much more than a flawless, unchanging corpse. He thought he probably didn't want to sleep in there again, but it didn't change his feelings or his decision. "Jungkook asked me to come with you," he said. "And I said yes."

Namjoon and Jimin looked at each other and then at him. "Right," Namjoon said.

Jimin came and hugged him. He hugged back, feeling settled in that decision. It wasn't just Jungkook, it was this whole new adoptive family.

"How is Suga doing?" he asked, thinking of that new family.

"Like it never happened," Namjoon said.

"Except he's somehow both more and less suspicious of us," Jimin chuckled. "Want to go talk to him? He's up on the VIP balcony drinking his worries away."

"Okay, sure," Taehyung said. "When are we going?"

"Whenever we get ready, most likely after midnight," Namjoon said.

His school books were still spilled out on the floor. He gathered them all up and put them back in the backpack. Then changed his mind and poured them out on the bed, fetched the stuffed animal and his photos, one of which was missing the glass in the frame now, and added his wallet and phone. He'd get something to pack his clothes in later. Aside from them, this was all he owned that mattered now. The backpack felt so light. The school supplies had taken all the space and weight in his life. He had to inform the studio that he couldn't take the role, but he could do that on Monday.

While he walked towards the VIP balcony he called his sister and talked to her a bit. It was her birthday on Tuesday. His mom joined the call. He couldn't bring himself to tell them. What the hell would he say? That he was abandoning the reason he'd abandoned them? For a guy? They didn't even know he liked guys. He hadn't known for sure himself until he'd come to the city. He'd planned to tell them, he didn't think they'd be that upset, but he hadn't wanted to worry them.

He said good night and hung up when he came up on the balcony. Suga was sitting at his favorite table, black cap pulled low over his eyes, spinning a glass of red wine in a way that suggested he'd been doing that for a while. Taehyung ordered up a drink for himself and sat down with him. Suga ordered some shots.

"I'd be dead if not for them," Suga said. "Then on the other hand, I wouldn't have been shot with a fucking crossbow if not for them."

"You still want to be a vampire?" Taehyung asked.

Suga groaned and held his head. "I have the mother of all headaches. Hope says it's because I burned through so much energy to heal and lost a lot of blood. No existential questions please."

"I think you have to make up your mind," Taehyung told him. "We're leaving tonight."

Suga shook his head. "Decisions like this shouldn't be rushed. What do you mean we? Taehyung," he sighed, "I told you it wouldn't be that simple. Did he tell you to come?"

"He asked," Taehyung said, shaking his head. "Because I told him to ask. I did dream of becoming an actor, but it's not just some magic spell I say. I dreamed of it for reasons, and those reasons have changed. I told myself to be honest with myself and follow my dream when I left home to study, and I have to do the same thing now."

"You're so annoying."

The drinks arrived, Taehyung sipped his to not snap at Suga and his judgmental tone. "Do you only hold on to this dream of becoming the greatest composer because you've set your mind to it? Don't you also have reasons? Can't you make music even if you lose some of your free mind?"

"I say you're so annoying because you're right," Suga said. "Following my heart would be to go with them, with you. Becoming immortal is obviously the best move, and I should do it while I'm young since I assume I'll be stuck in the form I am when turned. But suddenly I'm wondering if the dream is worth that sacrifice."

Taehyung sipped again. That wasn't what he'd expected Suga's philosophical dilemma to be, but he understood it. "Didn't you say you don't go outside during the day anyway?"

"Life is a lot more than that," Suga said. "Going to school and having normal friends. Marrying, having children. Hell, enjoying a goddamned cheeseburger. Working with music didn't conflict with any of those before, I've never had to consider if I'd give them up."

"Namjoon's is the middle path I guess. Live four times as long. Maybe that's long enough? Although then it's the addiction."

Suga took his head again, groaning. "What about you?"

"I'm going with them," Taehyung repeated.

"I mean, would you want to be turned?"

Taehyung leaned forward on his elbow, running his fingers over his lips. "The bond of the bite would break," he said. "It would change everything."

"But eventually you'll have to make that decision anyway. You'll age away from Jungkook. Even if you start drinking from them too, sooner or later you will."

"Hm," Taehyung said.

"Afraid he won't like you once the bite mind-fuckery is broken?"

"That too," Taehyung said, his chest faintly cramping but surprised by how calmly he could talk about it. Maybe it was easier when Jungkook wasn't right in front of him. "But what if I'm a calico cat? What if I turn to be with him, but it turns out I don't like him?"

Suga wordlessly pushed one of his shots across the table to him, and they raised them before drinking together.

"Get up." Taehyung looked around, confused, because that wasn't Jungkook's voice. Hope was standing a few steps away. "Jin wants to see you. Now."

"Why do you sound like an army officer," Suga complained. "Lower your voice."

Taehyung got up, Suga followed them as they went. "Is Jungkook up yet?" he asked Hope.

"Jimin and Namjoon went to wake him up," Hope told him.

They filed into the wardrobe where Jin was inspecting a suit jacket. He completely ignored their arrival, but Taehyung had learned that was normal. A short while later Jimin and Namjoon appeared, half dragging a very sleepy Jungkook along. Jin was throwing clothes into different boxes, some marked with yellow tape and some with red.

"Don't throw that away," Jimin said, and Jin picked up a shirt from a red-marked box and moved it to a yellow-marked one.

"There's a conversation we need to have," Jin said, turning towards them, then startling a little at finding everyone present. "I only need those two, the rest can leave," he said.

"I literally can't," Namjoon said. Jungkook only stayed standing thanks to leaning on him.

Jin walked up and grabbed Taehyung's hand. Taehyung realized what he was doing and tried to squirm away but couldn't. Jin used his fang to prick his finger, and waved his hand with the resulting drop of blood in front of Jungkook. Drawing a deep breath, Jungkook's eyes filled up with golden fire and he stood up, snapping forward to catch Taehyung's finger in his mouth. His eyes met Taehyung's and he flinched and stepped back, realizing where he was and what was going on.

"Good morning," Jin told him. "Now everyone who isn't interested can leave."

Namjoon left, no one else moved a step.

"What are my rules," Jin asked the air.

"No killing, no turning anyone against their will," Taehyung said, looking around, wondering why no one else was answering.

"And?"

"Uh, did I consent to Jungkook turning me into a vampire when I signed the contract?" Taehyung suddenly wondered. Jungkook had said he could do whatever he wanted.

"The contract inherits my basic rules," Jin said. "He can't turn you without consent." He turned towards them again. "What are my rules, aside from what the pet just said?"

"Consent can only be given by healthy adults who are not under threat, addiction or domination," Jimin said.

"Want to repeat that, Jungkook?"

Jungkook glared at him but looked away when Jin turned to him.

"Domination... like the bite?" Taehyung asked.

"Indeed," Jin said. "And how do you reclaim the ability to give consent, Jungkook?" Jin's voice went hard as Jungkook's eyes closed. "Answer me."

It took Jungkook a few seconds to answer, despite Jin's power over him. "You have to shake the bite. Six months for the main influence to fade. Six more to make sure no subtle influence is left. But to be considered capable of consent, you have to be formally released first."

"A year may seem like a long time for a mortal, but it's necessary," Jin told Taehyung.

"No, I, um, I thought it was permanent," Taehyung admitted. Jin picked up a belt and threw it in a yellow box.

"Permanent?" Jimin said, staring at Jungkook.

"I suppose I shouldn't send a siren to hold the introductory lesson," Jin said.

"Excuse me," Jimin said.

"It's my fault, not Jimin's," Jungkook told them. "I asked him to let me tell Taehyung. And then I didn't. Because I..."

"Because you won't say anything that might make him leave. Because you'd rather dig your own heart out with a spoon than let him walk away from you," Jin said, spinning towards them. "Which is exactly why you weren't told to inform him, Jimin was!"

"But he asked so cutely," Jimin said. "Look at them, they're in love."

"I would fire you, if I could," Jin informed him. "From now on Namjoon holds the lessons. So, not only were the events surrounding Jungkook's bite questionable, and involved Jimin again..."

"Hey," Jimin said.

"... but Jungkook has also kept you in the dark about your own basic rights as well as some other important information the whole time. The only situation that requires formal consent is to be turned, normally, but since your whole relationship is a dumpster fire of bad decisions with siren gasoline on…"

"Hey!"

"... I don't think you can be considered capable of consenting to anything with more permanent consequences than two hours, certainly not to abandoning your entire life for a guy you met less than two weeks ago."

"I asked him to come with us," Jungkook said. "I have the right to bring whoever I want."

"Not if you've not only dominated them, but also lied to and manipulated them!" Jin exclaimed, and his normal flippancy was replaced with righteous anger and searing disappointment. "You, of all people! You think I don't know why you sang that song yesterday, just as we walked by?"

Jungkook recoiled slightly, not looking anywhere near Taehyung's direction.

"I said, asking him to come along is a really bad idea! Why even ask for my advice if you're not going to listen to a word I say!"

"I didn't sing that on purpose!" Jungkook protested.

"You still twitch the left corner of your mouth when you lie," Jin informed him. "Which isn't even one of the top three reasons why you're an awful negotiator."

"I didn't sing it to make him come with us! I wanted a better good-bye than what we had, I wanted his memories to be nice! Not," he gestured at the room, "this!"

Jin walked straight up to him and slapped his face, backhanded. Jimin and Taehyung twitched away in both directions, Hope sat down with Suga on some stools behind them. Jungkook's eyes lit up, features twitching with the effort of holding back a reaction. "For ten years," Jin said, "you have whined about not being given a choice, when what was done to you was out of love and selflessness. You stupid, immature hypocrite."

"Jin, come on," Jimin said softly. "They're in love, of course they're acting stupid."

"Taehyung is not coming," Jin told them.

"If," Taehyung said, clearing his throat, "if there's no victim there's no crime, right? So if I forgive Jungkook for lying and hiding things then, aren't we okay?"

"Did you hear a word I said?" Jin asked. "I wouldn't trust you to consent to a haircut."

"If I release him, formally," Jungkook said, "For one year, couldn't he come then? If we come back after one year and he still wants to come with us?"

Taehyung looked over but Jungkook was still not looking at him.

"If?" Jin said. "You're going to release him formally, whether you like it or not."

"What does that mean?" Taehyung asked. "Formally?"

"Here," Jin said, pointing to the floor in front of him.

"In the wardrobe?"

"In front of me," he answered, as if that was a sensible question, which it wasn't when Taehyung thought about it for more than a second. "Long term commands, in a strong bond, are permanent even after the ability to give more commands have faded. If he told you to eat cake every day, you would, even if you never saw him again. That's why, for you to be considered free, he has to recite a set of commands that revoke any other commands he's given you, here in front of me, before you're split up."

"Like a divorce," Taehyung thought. They'd signed the contract like a marriage, and this would be how they got divorced.

"Sure," Jin said.

"But after one year," Jungkook tried again.

"Don't you think you've done enough damage?" Jin demanded. "Child, if he's not capable of consent, I don't even know what to say about you. You're so far down the rabbit hole I doubt you can see the sky. I thought it was a good thing that he made you smile, even that he got you to sing again, but clearly it's proof of how well he can pull your strings. I should have realized sooner. For his sake, you're releasing him. And for your sake, you're never seeing him again."

If Jungkook could be paler, he would have paled, but as it was his big brown eyes grew even bigger. "Never?" he whispered.

Taehyung was trying to think, he was getting so much information so quickly. "I'm not pulling any strings!" he protested.

"Jungkook," Jin said. "Ask him to tell you what he's wanted since you bit him, what his goals and wishes have been."

"No, no, no," Taehyung said, panicking. Food, money, safety. Improvements to his room at the club. Clothes that he could stand next to Jungkook in. Kisses, bites, sex. Jungkook fucking him. Every last thing he'd wanted, Jungkook had given him. Even permission to play with Yugyeom, when it clearly hurt him to give it. "Wait, wait," he said to Jungkook. Jungkook would misunderstand, they'd all misunderstand.

"Yesterday," Jungkook said, frowning, thinking so hard Taehyung felt like he should smell burning, "everything you asked for..." The sex, the specific ways they'd had sex, Jungkook not cutting him again, answering all his questions, letting him sleep in the pod with him, promising him a new mark, even promising to tell him how he'd died, a secret he kept so close to himself that no one even knew he had it. "You asked me for something I've never given anyone," Jungkook realized, "and I said yes. You even wanted me to ask you to come along, and I did."

"Oh my god," Taehyung said. "I don't know, I'm not doing anything on purpose!"

"We're done here," Jin said. "Everyone pack up your things."

"I liked him before he bit me!" Taehyung declared, desperate. "From the first moment I saw him! I don't know about all this vampire magic bullshit, but I know that!"

"Please," Jungkook pleaded. "One year. One chance." Jin shook his head, and Jungkook saw no hope. "Please. I love him."

Jin sighed. "I'm sure you think you do. But it's not like you're lovers," he said.

"Um," Jimin said.

"We are," Taehyung said.

"They're definitely fucking," Suga piped up. "Taehyung told me about it days ago."

"Sex," Jin said, as if he needed to be absolutely extra sure with a cherry on top. "Consensual, as far as that is possible with you two, voluntary, reciprocal, proper sex?"

Taehyung nodded insistently. If Jungkook could blush, he would have blushed. "Yeah," he said.

"Of course," Jin sighed, rubbing his forehead, and stopped there to think.

"Why does this matter?" Taehyung asked.

"Remember what I told you," Jimin said. "The bite makes the human want to be dominated and the vampire want to dominate. But that's all it does. There's no reason to mix in sex, unless..."

"You want to," Hope said. "Of course it's possible to get into it for strange reasons, but usually?"

"Usually not," Jimin said. "I've met a lot of pets and almost all are platonic, and most of the ones that aren't, aren't... healthy."

"Aren't had out of desire, but usually of cruel vampires abusing the domination, or desperate pets manipulating their masters," Hope said. "Like how, um, in Jimin's story about the cat, the cat only turns to sex as a means of manipulation, and even then it wasn't reciprocal."

Jin had tossed a few more pieces of clothing into different boxes, frustrated. "It doesn't prove you genuinely want to be here, but it does complicate things a lot. For the human it's easy," Jin said, turning to Taehyung. "The desire for the command is easy to separate from sexual desire, as long as no command to confuse the two has been expressed. You claim you were interested in Jungkook before the bite?"

Taehyung nodded. "He told me," Jimin said, "really early, that he felt that way."

"What?" Jungkook said. He was looking more and more confused. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I did," Jimin said, then laughed. "I did! But you've never... you've never been in love. You didn't understand, did you?" He curled up, very happy and finding Jungkook very cute. "Sorry, I thought you understood."

"Siren. Never conveying information again," Jin repeated.

"Don't blame his ancestors, I'm pretty sure that's just Jimin," Hope said.

"For the vampire it's a lot more difficult," Jin continued. "The effect of the bite, the wish to dominate your pet's emotions, which in any sensible case means the good ones, comes dangerously close to love, especially perhaps when the vampire in question is... inexperienced and naive to the point of idiocy. You've never been in love, so you don't have the slightest chance to tell the difference."

"Hey, be nice," Jimin said, as Jungkook gritted his teeth.

"But a lot of vampires interpret that feeling as nothing sexual," Hope said. "I've met a lot of pets that are treated as children, or even beloved possessions."

"Indeed," Jin said. "Of course Taehyung's desire would encourage Jungkook, but there's plenty of space to handle that in various ways. So even if my child is an idiot, if there wasn't at least a basic interest, I doubt he'd fall for it. If for no other reason than that he protects his own consent and control like a bulldog. While not being quite so worried about it for other people, I guess."

"That's not...!" Jungkook looked down at the floor again, because Jin kept kicking where it hurt.

"Raise a hand if you've never done stupid, selfish, scared things because you were in love," Jimin said. Jin tossed some more clothes into boxes. Hope and Suga glanced at each other and away. No hands were raised.

"Jimin, get out," Jin said, glaring at him.

"Excuse me?"

"These proceedings will continue without you."

"No."

"You're not helping. In fact at no point have you been any help at all."

"I help," Jimin claimed. "I'm Taehyung's best friend forever, I need to stay as his representative."

Jin cursed and wandered further into the wardrobe, picking up clothes at random and tossing them into boxes, thinking. Taehyung really wished Jungkook would look at him. Even if the guys had arrived at a possibility that their relationship had something real in it, the road there had not been nice to listen to, and everything was still uncertain. Did Jungkook think he'd manipulated him into sex now? Had he? The world was still coming apart, there was nothing stable to hold on to, he couldn't trust his own motivations any more than he could Jungkook's.

He saw Jimin behind Jungkook's back, and Jimin smiled at him. Taehyung smiled back. Jimin was real, had no reason to pretend to like him. He'd known Jungkook a long time and thought they were cute together. He'd never said anything about Hope and Suga being cute, so something about Taehyung and Jungkook made him believe in them.

"Why didn't you just read his mind for me to begin with," Jungkook asked Jimin.

"Because that's the beautiful thing about love," Jimin claimed. "Finding the thing in you that wants to trust someone, in all the uncertainty and against all odds. Maybe it's not real. But maybe it is! Trying to skip steps will ruin what you could build together."

"Why do you even care," Suga asked from his seat in the back. He'd rolled his stool all the way back, behind Hope, as if trying to get away from the whole thing but still listening in.

"Of course we care," Hope said.

"But why? If they feel like they're in love, why not let them be in love?"

"Taehyung's life could be destroyed for no reason."

"But why do you care? About some random human? Once Jungkook gets tired of him or he ages away from him too far you could get rid of him and get your bulldog a new toy."

"Have you listened to a word anyone has ever said in this place?" Jimin asked. "No killing. No turning people against their will. Clear directions for what is considered consent."

"Easy," Suga said. "Don't kill people or you attract attention. Don't turn people against their will because it creates pissed off vampires, and some may not be as well-behaved with that as Jungkook is. It's self-preservation. Just like everything else, the fancy clothes, the money, the looks and the winks and the skills. Everything because you're afraid to get discovered. But Taehyung is a perfect victim. A young, stupid, emotionally vulnerable, broke nobody in a big city with no family nearby. I doubt anyone would give a shit if he disappeared. So why this whole... farce?"

Hope and Jimin looked at each other, Hope shrugged.

"Get out," Jin told him, coming back to them. "Now. Get out of this room, and my club, and don't come back."

"Don't like being questioned?" Suga asked, fearless in the face of a rising storm.

"Whatever he is, Taehyung is family," Jin stated. "Nobody speaks of my family that way, in my own house. Get out. Or I'll throw you out in parts."

His sincerity got through. Suga glanced at the other guys, and no one moved a muscle to defend him or dispute anything, so he got up and left. Through the briefly open door Taehyung spotted Namjoon, waiting outside, leaned against the corridor wall, arms crossed, worried. He looked after Suga with surprise. Then the door closed again.

Jungkook was staring at Taehyung. "One year," he said again, recovered and filled with determination. "If I release him now, then..."

"That is not in question!" Jin snapped.

"No, no of course not!" Jungkook assured him. "That's not what I mean, of course I'm releasing him, but then, in one year, we come back and he gets a chance to consent of free will. Please."

"Fine," Jin said. Jimin wanted to shout and jump, but barely contained it at Jin's warning glare.

That one word lit up hope in Taehyung's chest. Stupid, stubborn hope. He wasn't even sure what he wanted, if he believed in any of it, what he was. The past week and a half was a tornado of actions, choices and emotions, and he had no idea what was real or not. Maybe he was a calico cat, and one year from now he'd curse himself for ever being this stupid. But maybe not. Maybe one year from now he'd be certain, and everything would be real, and he'd be able to look into Jungkook's eyes without a shadow of doubt. Maybe.

"Namjoon!" Jin yelled.

The door opened, Namjoon stuck his head in, looking around as if expecting to find a blood bath and relieved that that wasn't the case. "Yes?"

"We're leaving in two hours."

"But we," Namjoon said, saw Jin's face and said, "Absolutely. Two hours."

"Once you formally release him, you can't speak to him, not one word, until one year has passed," Jin told Jungkook. "So if there's anything to say, do it now. Namjoon I believe the pet has some papers to sign."

"Yep, right," Namjoon said, waving at Taehyung. "Come with me."

Taehyung glanced at Jungkook, who nodded. He went with Namjoon out onto the VIP balcony. The club was in fervent activity, the main hall was filling up with guests while people were running around packing up things for the owners' departure. Namjoon waved someone over and told them to get someone else and hurry up, two hours. Then he produced the stack of papers from a brown leather bag that he'd offered Taehyung before, and handed him a pen again.

This time Taehyung had learned his lesson. He spent fifteen minutes reading the contract while Namjoon barked orders to everyone, stressing them and himself. Once done Taehyung asked for a few small adjustments, as well as that he was informed whenever any important guests were at the club. Namjoon noted it down on the back of the last page and signed it with his name to show it was official additions.

"Can you tell who is and isn't one of them?" Taehyung asked.

"Sometimes," Namjoon said. "But some blend so well that it's impossible, you'd never guess it from seeing Jimin, especially since he often wears colored lenses that obscure the," he pointed to his eye. "I'm told it's hard even for them to spot him."

So it was important he was told, so he knew who were vampires and could stay out of their path. "What about the contract between me and Jungkook?"

"We do that in front of Jin," Namjoon told him. "Anything else?"

Everything was happening so quickly. "No, I don't think so."

"Don't worry," Namjoon said, patting his shoulder. "You're family. Jin will make sure you're looked after, no matter what happens, now or later."

Taehyung nearly started crying again. He looked down at the table and nodded, and wondered where Jungkook was. They had one and a half hours left, give or take. Jimin and Hope came and sat with them.

"Hey, sweetcheeks, can I ask you a favor?" Hope asked, putting an arm around Taehyung. Taehyung tried to duck out of it but only got squished tighter. "Let Suga know we're okay."

"Jin gets really protective, but he'll get over it," Jimin said. "Once we're gone, you've got the most authority in this place. If you want to let him back in, or buy music from him again, that's up to you. Jin won't get involved."

"He was a bit of an asshole, but I get it," Hope said. "He's a bitter, bitter old man." Jimin giggled.

Taehyung got it too. "I mean, he's right. Why do you care what happens to me?" he asked.

"Once upon a time," Jimin said, leaning back to look at the ceiling. "There was an old man who achieved immortality. He hadn't really thought about what immortality would be like, but now that he had it, there was no going back. Looking at life, he thought that some are careless with it because if it gets too bad or too painful they can leave. But he can't. So he'd rather the place he's stuck in is a nice, happy, pretty place."

"It's a way to handle the concept of eternity without going mad," Namjoon said. "Then he attracted kids who are also too nice for their own good."

"Hey," Hope said, "I am not a kid."

An ancient vampire, trying to build a nice, happy, pretty world. Taehyung smiled at the idea.

"So where is Jungkook anyway?" Jimin asked. "Shouldn't the two of you be, like, at least making out?"

"At least," Hope agreed.

"I don't know," Taehyung said. Everything felt somewhat dulled, like he was dreaming.

"Speak of the devil," Namjoon said.

Turning his head, Taehyung suddenly noticed the music thundering downstairs and the smell of alcohol and a hundred different deodorants, as if the world didn't matter unless it had Jungkook in it. Jungkook came walking from the direction of Jin's office and wardrobe, one hand in his pocket, a dark shadow in the smoke and neon lights, whose presence seemed to fill the massive hall.

"Good luck," Hope said, squeezing him one last time before getting up.

Jimin ran around the table to hug him. "Best friends forever," he promised. "We'll see each other again, sooner or later!"

"Forever," Taehyung agreed. "Don't get hurt."

"Me, never," Jimin laughed. "You too." He left.

Namjoon shook his hand. "Don't destroy our club," he warned.

"I won't," Taehyung promised. Although he had no idea how to run a club. "I'll try not to."

"And thank you, again," Namjoon said. "For what I said before. No matter what, seeing him this week made me think, maybe there's a way for everything to be okay. For all of us."

"You're a good person," Taehyung told him, and if he wasn't mistaken in the dusk, Namjoon's eyes got a little shiny before he turned away and followed Hope and Jimin.

Jungkook came, sat in Hope's place. Looking at him, all the conflicting emotions rose up to the surface again and Taehyung wanted to cry, but he didn't have time for crying. He held out his arm with the wristwatch. "If you're saying something, be quick, or we won't have time to make out."

Jungkook snorted into a chuckle that made Taehyung smile. "I have something for you," Jungkook told him. "Turn around." He took Taehyung's shoulders to make him turn his back.

A silky, slightly stiff band closed around Taehyung's neck, a metal clasp was fastened at the back, a short chain dangled along his spine. He touched it, and there was a small metal piece at the front, with two stones. It was clipped on, could be removed. A new collar, a mark? Jungkook turned him back and kissed him.

"Thank you," Taehyung whispered.

Jungkook took his head to look into his eyes and said, "I know you didn't mean to pull any strings. Whatever happens twelve months from now, I will never take that mark from you, you can wear it as long as you like. As I am tonight, I love you, and that is real. Don't forget that."

Taehyung cried.

"You make me feel alive," whispered against Taehyung's skin.

He kissed Jungkook, wetting his lips with tears, hurting but most of all terrified of the pain he knew was waiting for him, an hour, a day, a week away. Six months before the main effects of the bite would fade; six months of dying without the relief of death. "One last time," he begged, and tipped his head to bare his neck.

He didn't have to ask twice. For a blissful moment everything else was wiped from his mind, wrapped safely in Jungkook's arms, loved and protected, and giving everything he was, his life itself, to the one person who should have it. Time was nothing, this moment was forever. His arms around Jungkook's shoulders lost strength and fell, and the euphoric desires settled into a kind of peace and finality. Everything he'd ever wanted, realized.

"Jungkook." Strong hands separated them, Taehyung blinked, disoriented, dizzy. "Jungkook, enough." His vision was swimming but he saw Jungkook being pushed away from him, staggering back, honey gold glowing like the sun. "You're taking too much." A hand was extended to him. "Taehyung, it's time. Come on." He took the hand and was pulled to his feet, and his legs gave in for a second so he had to be supported. The body next to him was cold. He turned his head and found Yugyeom. "Alright, let's go. Use your legs." He found his legs and stood up, and Jungkook slid into place next to him, supporting his other side. "Man, you are one arrogant jerk. You're lucky you have me, or what the fuck would have happened here."

"I'm sorry," Jungkook said, presumably to Taehyung.

"You've never taken anything I don't want to give," Taehyung told him, fighting a little against the drowsiness of his mind to construct the sentence.

"Wow, you're giving the sparkling vampires a run for their money," Yugyeom said, dragging Taehyung and by extension Jungkook towards Jin's office. "I didn't realize you were in it this deep."

When they got into Jin's office Taehyung had managed to recover some manner of coordination and could walk on his own, although Jungkook held on to him. Yugyeom stayed outside, closing the door behind them.

Jin sat at his desk and glanced up. "Oh great, you nearly killed him, how reassuring."

"I'm okay," Taehyung said. His vision was almost normal now. It felt like having low blood pressure after standing up, except it recovered very slowly.

"I'm sorry," Jungkook said again.

"I told you not to bite him tonight, with all the emotions and the bond trying to make you stay together."

"He asked me to."

"I… don't know what to say," Jin sighed, and held out a paper. "Here."

Jungkook left Taehyung to take the paper, eyes skimming over the text. He didn't like what he read, that much was clear. Jin set his elbows on the polished wood surface, weaving his fingers together, and waited. Taehyung watched Jungkook's eyes flicker over the page, back and forth, endlessly, while seconds ticked by.

"I can't," Jungkook breathed.

Jin waited.

Jin's patience would run out, Taehyung sensed, and his permission to do this, to let Jungkook return to get him one year from now, hung in the balance. He closed his eyes to gather himself. "Do it."

"I can't."

"Jungkook," Taehyung told him, "I want you to read me that paper. Please." He started crying, because he'd never spoken a worse lie, but they had no choice.

"Don't cry," Jungkook told him.

"Then just fucking do it!"

"Kim Taehyung," Jungkook said. "Any right to your body, your mind or your life that I may have claimed, past, present or future," he paused, steeled himself and took a new breath, "I hereby surrender. Any command, or any perceived command, you have received, even those you may not be consciously aware of, from the first word I spoke to you until now, I hereby revoke. Any obligation you may feel to respect or fulfill my wishes or wants, desires or needs, I hereby release you from." Jungkook closed his eyes, hands trembling ever so slightly, as he gathered himself to finish. "I, Jeon Jungkook, return you, all that you have and all that you are, to yourself."

Taehyung hadn't been able to stop crying at any point, each word hurt. As Jungkook lowered the paper and went quiet, no longer allowed to speak to him, Taehyung felt cold and alone and abandoned. Frightened into anger, he ran forward to grab the paper and tore it apart, throwing the pieces to the floor. "You never thought I was good enough for you!" he shouted. Jungkook closed his eyes, trying to shut him out, and it scared him even more. "You never even wanted to bite me, all of this is just a mistake for you! I'm just some stupid human you can make love you and then throw away! You're right, I'm not good enough for you! I could never be! Without you, I'm nothing! Who would care about me, if not you? How could anyone love me, if you can't?"

Jin watched quietly, still waiting.

"Don't go," Taehyung begged. "Jungkook. Please. Please, don't go." Jungkook turned his back, and he fell to his knees. "I love you. Please, don't leave me, I love you. I can't live without you, I'll die without you!"

"Make him stop," Jungkook asked.

"Please!"

Jin got up, grabbed Taehyung's shoulders and pulled him to his feet. Taehyung struggled against him, shouting, crying and screaming but Jungkook stood motionless. Jin pushed him out of the room, and he went quiet, no point in begging anymore, hurting so much he couldn't produce any more sound. Yugyeom stood up from where he was leaning against the corridor wall and Jin handed him over to him.

"One last thing," Jin said, left and came back with a stack of papers. The contract he and Jungkook had signed. Before Taehyung's despairing eyes, he tore the whole stack in half. "Now get him out of here." Yugyeom led him away, and he was exhausted, dizzy with all the screaming, no strength left to fight with. He was led all the way outside of the club.

As the doors closed behind him the cold air seemed to give him some clarity. He said, with perfect calm and composure, "I have to go back."

"I don't think so," Yugyeom said.

"We can't part like that. I lost my head. I... I said I love him, for the first time, like that, like I was just saying it to make him stay. I have to go back and explain."

"If you see him, you'll just end up screaming again," Yugyeom said.

"I won't."

"You will."

"How the fuck would you know?" Taehyung demanded.

"Believe it or not, I was a lamb with a wolf of my own once upon a time," Yugyeom told him. "I know."

Taehyung wondered if that was why he couldn't stand lambs being wrapped in silk and put on shelves to waste away. "Where's your wolf now?"

"By the time I was turned and the bond snapped," Yugyeom said, looking up at the dark night sky, "whether our relationship had ever been real, by that point all that was left beneath the bond was disdain. I have no idea where my wolf is now. We haven't spoken a word since then."

"I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. I made my choices," Yugyeom said. "Sometimes it was bad, but sometimes it was really good too. Breaking the bond doesn't change the memories. I know this is going to

suck

," he emphasized, "but you're getting a chance to do it right. Trying to love someone through the bond, even if you feel the way you feel the question will always gnaw on your mind. This way, when he comes back, if he comes back, and if you go with him, you'll both know for sure."

Taehyung ran his fingers over the silky choker. He unclipped the metal shape at the front to look at it, it was a mesh of gold, the outlines of a tiger head with diamond eyes. "I don't like silver!" he exclaimed as he realized, now that all commands were nullified, that Jungkook had told him to like it.

Yugyeom stared at him and laughed. "Excuse me?"

"Asshole," Taehyung told the tiger head.

They stood out there for a while before a huge, black truck came around the corner. It had no logo or identifying marks beyond license plate, the windows of the driver's cabin were slightly tinted. It drove slowly past the club and towards the highway. Behind it came two more identical trucks like a gigantic funeral march with roaring engines in place of sobs of the mourning. Taehyung's whole body tensed. It was them, he knew it. As the last one passed him he started walking alongside it, speeding up into a jog. The trucks cleared the corner and gained speed, and Taehyung ran, ran like it was for his life with the cold night air in his face and the chain at the back of his choker swiping back and forth over his spine. His lungs were burning already, he hadn't run very far but already felt weak, Jungkook had taken too much blood; he kept running on willpower alone while his vision blurred.

Because he couldn't see, he hit his foot against a pavement stone and stumbled, staying on his feet but dropping the golden tiger head. It bounced away across the asphalt into the road and disappeared underneath massive rubber wheels. Taehyung stopped, panting, feeling unsteady. The trucks got more gas and left him behind, and he cried, hugging himself trying to ease the pain as he sank to his knees. Loud music was leaking out of the club mixing with the constant sound of traffic, creating a backdrop to the wails of grief that were pushed out of him. Another family torn away. Jungkook, and all the wonder and safety and love he'd experienced the past two weeks, out of his reach, maybe forever. Alone, again.

Steps of boots on the pavement, a pair of ripped black jeans coming into view. He didn't care, he couldn't stop. At first he was annoyed, like they'd stopped to watch as if he was a zoo animal, but then he was glad to not be by himself here in the cold. An eternity passed, and they stayed, quietly. With no more tears left, unless he started crying blood, Taehyung wiped his face and raised his head.

Suga took one hand out of the pocket of his black bomber jacket to hold something out for him. The golden tiger head, squashed and bent but still recognizable. "I would give a shit," he said. "If you disappeared, I would give a shit."

Taehyung painstakingly got to his feet, feeling like his joints creaked and barely listened to him, like he had to concentrate on each movement. His body ached, his face felt swollen; he shivered from the cold. He took the golden tiger head. "You're rehired," he told Suga.

Suga snorted, a small, sad smile on his lips. "Come on," he said, patting Taehyung's back. "You're freezing your ass off."

Yugyeom was still standing outside the club waiting. Taehyung looked at the two of them. One vampire that clearly wanted to fuck him but had somehow been roped into looking after him for someone else, and one grumpy musician that kept insulting him to his face but also seemed to really care about him. Not perfect, but not that bad either. He wasn't actually alone.

"What kind of bodyguard are you, anyway, you don't even have any fighting abilities," he said to Yugyeom.

"Alright, your highness, calm down. I'm not your bodyguard, I'm just keeping an eye on you. If we get into that kind of trouble, I have group members that can take care of that."

"What kind of tone is that, I'm your boss."

"Uh, no," Yugyeom said. "You're not anyone's boss, you're just a trophy wife that got some shares in the divorce, don't get all bitchy about it."

"Jungkook said you should be nice to me," Taehyung informed him, "if you want to keep your eyes in your skull."

"You get a speck of authority and it's like this huh," Yugyeom snorted. "And I don't know what kind of threat that is, because they'd just grow back. Come on, let's go inside before you freeze to death. Or is that your plan, to die slowly of pneumonia so he comes back to save you?"

"If I'm dying he'll come back!" Taehyung realized.

"Great," Suga said. "Great idea to put in his head. You want to take first suicide watch or should I?"

Yugyeom laughed, not worried. "If you die, I'll consider my duty to be done and raise you and keep you myself," he told Taehyung.

"No you won't," Taehyung said, touching his collar. "And isn't it worse that your eyes grow back, then he can keep digging them out over and over."

Suga was also eyeing Yugyeom. "You can walk around in daylight," he said. "Does that mean someone has some special skill that lets your kind eat normal food?"

"There's a few versions of that... Scales eat all kinds of meat. Most eclairs can burn other things than blood," Yugyeom said. "They burn through food quickly, so I guess it helps make sure they don't starve to death if they can't find blood."

"Eclair? Like Hope? Hope could eat a cheeseburger?"

"Cheeseburger?" Yugyeom walked up to put an arm around each of them. "You're both batshit insane," he thought, leading them inside, "I thought babysitting would suck, but this is going to be an interesting year."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SATURDAY, JUNE 3rd

Taehyung woke up from his alarm at 5:30 but at that point he'd slept all of two hours and rolled over and went back to sleep.Around noon someone knocked on his door. He woke up and stared at the ceiling for a bit, waiting to see how urgently he was needed, but there were no more knocks. Ruffling his golden brown hair into his eyes, he dragged himself to his nightstand and picked up the leather-bound book stamped with the year and flipped to June 3rd. Right, the new part-timer was coming later, he had promised to take care of the introduction because the manager was busy doing inventory. The two guests that had come yesterday were staying one more night.Yawning and scratching his stubble he got up and went over to the notice board, which showed a bunch of notes about bands, drinks and various phone numbers. It also had the notice for his graduation ceremony, June 2nd at 10:30. He tore it off and balled it up and threw it away. Unlocking the notice board with the button underneath, he flipped it over to show the profiles of the two vampire guests.Foreigners, very old, generally considered friendly but unpredictable, putting rules and patience to the test because they were powerful enough to get away with it. Their bloodline was called seraph, they had a main animal form that they could transform into and out of without spending any blood, and by spending it they could take any human or animal form. That didn't sound that dangerous, compared to some powers, but the real thing about them was that no injuries, mind-control, poisons or addictions persisted when shape-shifting. To actually harm or kill them, one had to somehow stop them from shifting, and aside from sunlight, that was very difficult.He'd meant to ask Yugyeom what the name seraph had to do with shape-shifting, even if Yugyeom didn't know much about the lore and called it romantic nonsense, but he'd been busy drinking away any semblance of sentience yesterday. He had the hangover to prove it.He couldn't be bothered putting on clothes so he went to the showers in his underwear, and walked back upstairs to his room in the towel. A couple of staff noticed him but let him be; they were the same staff that had served his drinks yesterday so they knew what mood he was in now. When he got up there, Suga was waiting by his door."There you are.""Get lost," he muttered and went inside.Suga followed him, and flipped the noticeboard back to hide the vampire stuff that he'd forgotten out in the open. "Still drunk?""Hung over.""Where's the cute redhead?""Who?""The guy you disappeared with this morning, shouting some embarrassing monologue about how blowjobs don't count."Taehyung rubbed his eyes. "I don't know. I don't remember.""Classy," Suga said, sitting down by the desk and flipping through some papers he found there.Taehyung looked through some clothes on the hangers on the walls. Three months after the world ended, he'd not been able to keep the job locking up the three doors, mainly because his chosen career involved a lot of late night activities. There were a lot of times he couldn't lock himself in at 21:30. So they'd hired a new guy to do it, and Taehyung had moved into what had previously been Jin's wardrobe. He could have taken Jin's office, Namjoon's replacement stayed in Namjoon's office downstairs, but this room was bigger, and he liked the look of all the hangers and shelves on the walls."You're starting to look pathetic," Suga said. Could always trust him to give it to him straight.He picked out some clothes and moved to the big mirror to try the shirt on but it was too small. Eating proper food and starting to work out for a role had put some meat on his bones. A memory floated by of Jungkook running his fingers over his ribs, a lazy pondering if Jungkook would have liked his new body better or preferred him thinner, before he reminded himself that it didn't matter. "No," he told Suga. "Pathetic would be to stay faithful to someone who never liked me-" As I am tonight , Jungkook's voice said in his mind."Stay faithful to someone who's forgotten I exist," he changed to. He touched the silk choker around his neck. He kept it as protection, not because he thought he was anything to Jungkook anymore."So to prove you're over it, you're abandoning all self-respect?" Suga said. "Oh wait, I forgot you never had any.""Fuck you," Taehyung told him, getting into the pants. They were newer, and did fit, quite nicely if he could say so himself. Of all the benefits from working out, he was tempted to say his ass was his best gain. "Can you give me the moralizing speeches some other day. Yesterday was my graduation ceremony. Did you forget?""Shit," Suga said."It's not like I expected you to come.""Who else would come," Suga said."Fuck you," Taehyung said again. "Yugyeom came." He'd told his parents and his sister not to. While he could pay for their trip, they were busy. His mom had just started a part-time job and was worried about taking time off so soon, and it was difficult for them to leave the farm. He was about to throw the too small shirt aside, but stopped and looked at it again. White, with a purple patch. He'd thought he'd thrown this away already. "The only one that matters didn't," he said, mostly to himself, feeling the silky fabric."Is that why you were drinking like a sponge?" Suga asked. "Way to prove you're over it."Twelve months, thirteen months, fourteen months, he'd kept up hope. Fifteen and sixteen had been like dying all over again, while trying to finish school, filming another short and going to the release party, smiling and shaking hands and supposed to feel happy. Months seventeen and eighteen he'd thrown away everything Jungkook had bought him, the clothes, the books, even the bed. He'd gotten a bigger one and considered letting Yugyeom fuck him in it, but in the end he'd settled for getting head from this cute blonde guy and then throwing him out like the pretentious jerk Yugyeom accused him of turning into. He'd soon given enough head to make up for it, he thought. Nineteen months and he was over it.Until yesterday afternoon, leaving campus for the last time. He'd stood at the school gates and suddenly thought, what if Jungkook had wanted him to finish school? Seven extra months. Sure, Jungkook could have dropped him a fucking line to say so, but that wasn't how they rolled. Seven months might seem like nothing, when you were immortal. And because Jeon Jungkook was an oblivious, sappy moron, he might think reminding him without actually showing up would just be cruel. This terrifying, horrific hope had sprung in him, and he'd rushed back to the club like a child running down the stairs on Christmas morning.As the night had passed, he'd drank more and more, trying to kill that hope, drown it with rum, vodka and tequila, anything except whiskey. Still, he'd stayed up until long past 3 in the morning, just in case, just to cry himself to sleep for old time's sake."I know the way he felt about me was all bite and no bark," Taehyung told Suga, "but I guess I thought he'd still show up so we could both confirm it and get closure.""Yeah, I think you expect too much from what he is," Suga said."Vampires don't need closure?""Assholes. I mean he's an asshole. He always was. He lied to you the whole fucking time. I hate that you still love him.""I don't love him," Taehyung said. "I love someone who never existed." He balled up the white and purple shirt and threw it in the trash can, and went looking for a specific new one. A black one with large splotches of fiery orange and silver; his very own calico cat outfit. "I don't even know how I'd feel if I saw him. That's why I wish he'd come. So I could figure out if I'm a calico cat or not.""Yeah, I'd drag him here by his ridiculously shiny hair if I could," Suga said. "If only so I wouldn't have to have this conversation ever again.""Thanks. Why are you here bothering me?""Two things," Suga said. "One, we need to talk about the setlist for tonight.""Again?" Taehyung sighed. "We decided.""You decided wrong. The open mic, which is already a bad idea, doesn't need a wind-down, it needs a kick at the end to bring the mood up after the disaster.""We argued about this for hours already.""I changed the list while you were sleeping it off."Taehyung sighed, turning to stare at him. "One day I'm going to fire you.""You know I'm a genius so I don't know why you keep arguing with me," Suga said. "The second thing, if you get any eclairs passing through let me know."Under Taehyung's quiet gaze, Suga spun his chair around to turn his side. "You've decided, then," Taehyung said."There's no rush, so I'll not take any fool, but I want to know if there are any so I can talk to them and see if they're a good fit.""You're selecting vampire bloodline like people select car brand," Taehyung said, not even surprised. "And now you're screening car models. I'm not sure this is how it's supposed to be done.""What, I'm supposed to run in like an emotional idiot and get seduced into giving up my whole life, and literal life, for someone I've known for two weeks?""Fine, I'll let you know," Taehyung said. "But I can't believe the most important factor when choosing brand of immortality is cheeseburgers.""I'm giving up having kids, let me have the cheeseburgers.""You could have kids first, and then turn into Wolfgang Amadeus Dracula.""Find me a good woman before you find me a sensible eclair, and sure."They left Taehyung's room while bickering. Taehyung pointed out that he probably had more chance of finding one than the other while he hung out at the club this much. Suga said he hung out plenty with intelligent women while working on his music elsewhere but they didn't want to have kids without love and marriage and all that. He didn't want to lie to them knowing he would leave.When Taehyung called his parents, they wondered if he was coming home to see them now that he was done. That sounded nice actually. He promised he'd come back sometime during next week and stay a few days. They demanded he bring photos and videos, so he spent some time wandering around the club taking photos of everything and everyone.He documented the VIP balcony, where he and Yugyeom had redecorated heavily and gotten rid of the gothic drapes, instead building on the industrial feeling of the exposed scaffolding. In the corner of his eye he saw a staff member point to him, and a handsome guy in blue t-shirt and jeans carefully came up the stairs like he thought he'd get yelled at."You're the new part-timer?" Taehyung asked."Yeah, I'm Ong Seongwu," the guy said. "Wow you're a lot younger than I expected."They figured out that they were the same age, and Seongwu said he was trying to become an actor. He'd gone to school in a different city, but he'd lived there with his sister and when she got a new job here he'd come along. He'd heard about the job, locking up at night, and thought it was a chance to get out of his sister's hair and not be a burden to her while starting to look for opportunities."It's selfish of me to want to be an actor, when I could get a normal job and help pay the rent," he said, smiling sheepishly.It was eerie, Taehyung thought. Like meeting an alternate dimension version of himself. He took him around, showing him the club and the locking of the doors. Seongwu stared at the black pod doors but didn't ask. "If there's anything you want to have in here, just ask," Taehyung told him. "The guy before you was a painter so that's why there's art supplies.""Um, a mirror?" Seongwu asked, looking around."Of course. There's no employee discount at the bar for you, but with the right smile you can get both this and that in this place."Seongwu's eyes flickered over him before he shyly turned away to hide a smile. "Right."Was Taehyung the tall, mysterious stranger on the VIP balcony now, he wondered. He didn't feel terribly different, maybe slightly more confident, he still fucked up a lot and smiled his way through it. Mostly he ate properly and dressed better. But then, this club was all about illusions.He told Seongwu he was free to hang out at the club as much as he wanted since there was still plenty of time before he had to lock up, and left him. After telling someone to put a mirror in the room, he got to some paperwork, sitting upstairs like Namjoon had used to with papers scattered over the table in front of him. Yugyeom arrived and sat with him for a moment, boasting about winning some sport thing. He had normal human hobbies since he could walk around at day."Can you not shout," Taehyung complained."You can't possibly still be hung over. Hey!" He waved over someone and ordered drinks. "Best way to recover is to drink more.""I bet you're a favorite with the in-laws.""Fortunately, I'll never have to meet any," Yugyeom thought. A dark haired head appeared by the stairs, then a pair of eyes that stopped and watched them carefully. "Who's your stalker?""New part-timer.""Is he cute?"Taehyung called Seongwu up, who apologized and said he didn't know what to do while he waited. The door had opened and guests had started coming in. "But I'm not exactly dressed for that.""Hm," Taehyung said. "Come with me. Why are you coming?" The last to Yugyeom that tailed them.Yugyeom gave him an incredulous look. "Because you're a lost case but I'm not letting you wrap this one in silk too, he's too cute for that.""Wow you live in a wardrobe?" Seongwu asked as they walked into his room. "That's awesome!"Taehyung and Yugyeom argued about clothes like two very snarky fairy godmothers, while Seongwu used the hair products Taehyung lent him. Eventually they managed to arrive at an outfit all three of them could live with, and returned to the main hall. "Go," Taehyung told Seongwu. "Enjoy your new playground.""You know he'd rather have stayed here with you," Yugyeom told him, as Seongwu wandered down the stairs."It'd be like dating the alternate universe version of myself," Taehyung thought."I would totally have sex with myself, I'm great," Yugyeom thought."You date him, if you think he's so cute.""Hm," Yugyeom said, "maybe I will. Hey, there they are. Over there." He nodded down at two guys moving through the gathering crowds, one tall and blond, the other slim and dark. "Look at them. They give me the creeps."There was absolutely something about them, Taehyung had noticed when they arrived yesterday. Any room they entered immediately had a different feeling. The crowd parted before them by itself, like making room for royalty. They sat down at the bar and talked to the bartender, and the way she was smiling, Taehyung figured she liked what she saw but was also intimidated.He found them fascinating, himself. They moved like predators among predators. For Taehyung it didn't matter, any vampire was far beyond what he could manage in a fight, but for Yugyeom they probably made him feel, well, like a wolf before lions."Shape-shifters can look like anyone," Yugyeom justified himself. "Whenever I look at one, I wonder, maybe I've met them before as someone else, how would I know? It creeps me out. I need another drink."The open mic started with two girls singing, not half bad. Taehyung finished his paperwork. One of the staff members had asked if they could MC tonight, since it wasn't so serious, so he had nothing to do, which wasn't too bad considering the state he was in. The girls were replaced by a guy with a guitar who was probably nervous, it wasn't great. Taehyung gathered up his papers and looked around for the new hire. Not in the main hall, so he headed for the room to tell him to not waste his borrowed fashion sitting in there all night.Opening the second door, he found the third left wide open giving a perfect view of Seongwu sitting frozen on the bed, eyes wide, while the two guests surrounded him, the dark one unbuttoning his shirt. Before Taehyung had time to think about it, he called, "Hey!"All three looked over at him. Seongwu's eyes got shiny, like he'd been too scared to cry but now saw hope of rescue. There was a distinct jade green glow in the eyes of the guests."Jun," Taehyung said, coming further inside. "Eight. Please don't poach my staff.""Poach?" Jun, the tall blond one, said, amused. "We'd never dream of it.""We thought you'd left us a gift," his slim, dark friend, Eight, said, running a long, bony finger under Seongwu's jaw, definitely showing fangs."It smells like you," Jun said. "We thought you'd wrapped it nicely for us.""He's not an it, and you know that's not how Jin runs things," Taehyung told them and bravely walked right up to them, taking Seongwu's arm and pulling him up. Seongwu immediately slipped around him to hide behind him. Taehyung turned and whispered, more like mimed, over his shoulder, "Don't run!" Running, he'd noticed, provoked them, the instinct to chase too strong like in many other predators. Seongwu's hand held his shirt at the back so hard it shook. They slowly moved towards the door."But Jin doesn't run this place. You do," Eight said, and his narrow eyes had seemed calm, almost a little lazy, but when the green flame lit up the intensity was terrifying.Jun got up and swept in between them and the door. Taehyung's pulse was rising. Jungkook had warned him of the bloodlines with green eyes, but he hadn't told him why, or what to do with them. All he knew was what had been in Yugyeom's report; old and powerful, not cruel but happy to test limits."This got us hungry," Jun said, eyes glittering, watching Taehyung like a cat playing with a mouse. Seongwu grabbed his shirt again."We have a wide selection in the cold locker, as you were shown when you arrived," Taehyung told him, with all the professional calm his acting classes had taught him how to fake. "And if that isn't good enough, I'm sure someone as powerful as you can go get what they want without disturbing my staff. Good help is hard to find, you know." He smiled, trying to lift the tension."Oh your staff is adorable," Jun said, shooting Seongwu an amused eye, "but what we find really interesting isn't that." He stepped into Taehyung's space like he owned it, and his hand landed on Taehyung's hip.Proud that he hadn't flinched, Taehyung said, "Don't touch what isn't yours."Jun's eyes dropped to the black satin band across his throat, and he looked over at his smaller companion as if waiting for permission."That child whose mark you wear is barely old enough to own his own fangs," Eight said from the bed. "And we were here first. We were everywhere first."Seongwu's hand tugged at his shirt when Jun turned back to him, jade green lighting up. "Word is he hasn't been here in a year and a half," Jun said. "So what does that mark mean, exactly?""This?" Taehyung touched the satin. "It's just a sentimental trinket. It keeps the young ones from making rash decisions.""A mark is a word of honor," the dark one said, relaxed as if they were having a casual conversation over tea. "He allows you to wear it, yet he offers no actual protection. You choose to wear it, yet expect nothing. A curiosity, and we're rarely curious at our age.""Makes me wonder," Jun said, hand on Taehyung's hip feathering up his side, "will he come to defend his honor? If I take what you don't want to give, will he come to take it back? If I enslave you, will he save you?"Taehyung met his eyes fearlessly and undid the clasp of the choker, letting it fall to the floor. "He won't," he said. "When I say don't touch what isn't yours, I'm not talking about him. I'm my own."Not breaking eye contact, Jun bent down and picked up the choker. Taehyung's fingers curled in seeing the satin in someone else's grip. Jun's hands came around his neck as he reached to put the choker back on him. Taehyung drew for breath, not happy about how shaky it sounded, but they could hear his hammering heart and knew already that his calm was only skin deep.Jun leaned in to look as he fastened the clasp behind Taehyung's neck, stepping so close their bodies brushed against each other, Jun's lips just barely not touching his skin. Taehyung closed his eyes. Seconds passed, faint music leaked in from the main hall, the only sound in the room the soft rustle of the golden chain against his shirt and Seongwu's attempts at staying quiet. It felt like an eternity passed before Jun stood back, fingers lingering for a moment on Taehyung's throat. "Bold words, but you have nothing except that mark to protect you.""Any wild animal can bite," Taehyung told him. "He won me the old fashioned way, so if you really want to know what I've got, why don't you try that? Or are you afraid of losing to a child, if you don't use brute force?"Something angry flashed through Jun's eyes, something that made the hairs at the back of Taehyung's neck stand up. Eight got up from the bed. "Jun," he said, relaxed and amused, and raised his eyebrows when Jun looked over at him. "Not confident? You usually like a challenge."Jun turned back to Taehyung, and like a cobra he grabbed his neck and attacked his lips. Taehyung twitched and whimpered when his lip was cut by a sharp fang. Pushing as hard as he could didn't move the vampire an inch, and Jun hummed, licking up a few drops before letting go of him."So force is all you have," Taehyung sneered, panting. He fought to regain control of his face, and his hand shook when it came up to touch his mouth.Licking Taehyung's blood off his own lip, Jun grinned. "That wasn't force," he said, making chills run down Taehyung's spine, like something about these two woke primal instincts, primal fears. His eyes dropped down Taehyung's body. "I'd say for you, it was seduction."Refusing to be rattled, Taehyung answered, "This really isn't my style. Try again."Jun studied his eyes for a second, and smiled as if he found what he was looking for. "Indeed." He turned and left. Eight was snickering."Not bad," Eight said. "You've got his interest now. Don't make it too easy for him." He left too.Taehyung waited while they walked down the corridor, waited the whole time until they disappeared through the doors to the main hall, before he rushed forward and closed the innermost door, bolting it and leaning his forehead against it. Fuck them, and fuck vampires, and fuck everything in general but especially, particularly, above all else, fuck Jeon Jungkook for abandoning him. Fuck him for introducing him to this world and then leaving him to deal with it on his own, fuck him for not being here, fuck him for not saving him.He squeezed his eyes shut to not cry. As I am tonight , he reminded himself for the thousandth time. The worst thing about Jungkook not coming was that it meant those two weeks had been a lie. So he kept saying it, kept remembering Jungkook's serious eyes, because even if it had been vampire magic bullshit, he had to believe that for a short moment Jungkook had loved him back. It was that or going crazy, because he wasn't over anything. Nineteen months and nothing had changed.
He touched his choker. Jun wasn't the first to take the mark as a challenge. He'd had to learn fast on the job. How to get respect from the predators, how to appease them without showing weakness, and how to be as safe as possible. And he'd learned to drink alcohol, and gotten pretty good at blowjobs, and could get a crowd to laugh in ten words or less. All that to survive as a pet without a master, and he was tired.When Jun had picked up the choker he'd prayed in his mind for him to give it back, thinking it was over, he'd lost it. It was the only thing left tying him to where he belonged. When Jun had leaned in to put the choker back on him, he'd been convinced he'd get bitten instead. A part of him had felt relieved to finally be forced let go. But what had happened was almost worse.Wiping his lip again he almost broke into tears. First the choker, then his neck, then the kiss and tasting his blood by force, he felt like he'd been violated on a level he could never wash clean. His blood was Jungkook's and no one else's. He'd fought so hard for months to make sure no one stole even a drop from him, as if Jungkook would come back if he could prove his loyalty hard enough. Jun had taken so much more than a few drops of blood, he'd taken his dignity, his hope. He felt dirty.But Jungkook obviously didn't care anymore. Why did Taehyung hold on? Every time the door opened, he hoped. Give up, he told himself. Please, you fucking idiot, just give up. But he stayed at the club, he smiled at the fairy tale monsters, and every time the door opened he looked over. He was so fucking tired.A warm hand landed on his back. "Are you okay?" Seongwu asked breathlessly."Yeah, sorry," Taehyung said, wiping his nose with the back of his hand and clearing his throat. His lip stung a little but it wasn't bleeding anymore. A second or two later he dared to stand up and face Seongwu, clearing the emotions and the numbing pain from his face. "It's fine," he said. "They'll leave you alone.""They," Seongwu said, looking at him like Taehyung was his only link to sanity. "Vampires, that's what we're talking about here, right? Vampires.""Yeah," Taehyung said. "You know, I had somewhat the same experience when I first started working here. You have two options," he told Seongwu. "You leave, and forget this ever happened, and never think about it or come near this place again. Or, you stay, and accept it's real, and figure out a way to deal with that."Seongwu thought about that for a second, before he turned and stared at the black doors. "They sleep in here, during the day.""Yeah. This is like a hotel. They have business in town or are passing through.""And you're running it?""That's my job.""Why?""Why?" Taehyung echoed. "Because... it's my job."Seongwu gestured towards the door, or perhaps the things on the other side of it. "Then quit! No matter what they pay you, it's not worth it, being treated like that! I know it's not easy to find jobs, and money can be convincing, but you... you deserve better than whatever the fuck that was!"Taehyung smiled at his righteous fury. "It looks worse than it is.""No!" Seongwu shouted, having worked himself up. "It doesn't!"Ambushed by wanting to cry again, Taehyung turned his back. He didn't know how to justify it to someone else. While he didn't think about it, the days just ticked by, this was his life. He'd turned down jobs to stay in the city, unlike his classmates he didn't have anything lined up after graduation. He had to stay here. Just in case. Because he was someone who went for what he wanted with all his heart, and his heart had mercilessly locked in. As I am tonight , he reminded himself, and it soothed the pain."I need to go back to work," he told Seongwu. "If you want to leave, let someone know, so I can send someone else to do your job."
Taking a deep breath, he unbolted the door and walked back into the main hall. Seongwu was right. This couldn't continue. He'd failed, Jun had taken those few drops and now he didn't deserve Jungkook anymore. The longer he stayed here, the higher the risk that someone really attacked him, killed him or bit him. But where would he go? This was his life now, going back to the normal world without vampires felt alien and empty.A woman was finishing up her act on stage, so the place was relatively quiet. He went up to the VIP balcony and found the two seraphs at a table talking to Yugyeom. Seeing Jun's blond head, remembering his breath against Taehyung's throat, he realized there was a way. A surefire way to forget about Jungkook, get the protection he needed and belong somewhere. But he'd heard a lot of stories and seen some other pets, and a lot of them were treated horribly. The ones that were talked down to like actual pets, like dogs, had it easy compared to the physical and mental abuse of others. So instead of one day getting attacked by some monster, he could choose a new master himself.The seraphs definitely seemed interested, but he needed to know more. Another deep breath to gather strength, and he sat down next to Yugyeom, opposite Jun, who looked intrigued at him voluntarily joining their company."Why do they call you seraphs?" Taehyung asked, because Yugyeom was mostly speaking to Eight, Jun seemed only peripherally involved in the conversation."That's a kind of convoluted story," Jun said."I've got nothing better to do.""Our ancient name is Shiva," Jun told him."What does that have to do with seraphs or shape-shifting?""There's a belief that a cobra can receive the gift of shape-shifting from Shiva. So our name is Shiva, but the idea of the snake was still closely tied to us. Seraph is an old word for burning or venomous snake. It was used to describe angels, because they were thought of as the flame of god." Jun counted on his fingers, "Shiva, shape-shifting cobra, burning snake, flame of god - seraph.""Wow," Taehyung said."We have other, equally convoluted, snake-associated names in other places. Laufey, naga, the wingless.""Romantic nonsense," Yugyeom inserted."You would say that, daywalker," Jun teased. "Your name is… not very creative, is it.""Children of Amaterasu, goddess of the sun," Eight said. "You were for a while called serpent-slayers for hunting us in daylight, when we are trapped in animal form; you hunted us to near extinction. Ironically, drunk on power you killed off your own elders two centuries ago, and lost all your history, like you took ours from us.""Now, calling it romantic nonsense, our once most feared hunter trembles before us," Jun smiled.Yugyeom rolled his eyes, a little apprehensively like he wasn't sure if they were making this up to make fun of him."Not that you're the only ones. The imperators have forgotten why they're known as emperors. The scales pretend to be dragons," Jun chuckled.Eight groaned. "The name refers to the old Egyptian belief that your heart is weighed on scales after you die, and their goddess Ammit devours it if it is impure. Like her, scales eat hearts, or even flesh, as much as blood. Now they tell legends younger than a century, and pretend to be descendants of dragons. I can't listen to it, it's so painfully embarrassing." He grimaced and turned back to Yugyeom, returning to their earlier conversation. "Your group member, he can read the old dialect?""I said he doesn't want to see you," Yugyeom said, defensively."But there must be something he wants. We're not animals," Eight joked, eyes sparkling, "we can negotiate."Jun gestured for Taehyung to come, and led them around the seats to the corner where the balcony railing met the wall, above the front door to the club, private and in shadow. Taehyung leaned his back against the railing, drink in hand, while Jun watched him with unconcealed interest."What do you think?" Jun asked. "Do you believe we stole the powers of the gods?"Taehyung took a sip of his drink and said, "I'm an actor, I can appreciate a good story, and I think your stories are beautiful.""A dozen centuries can turn any brute into a poet," Jun thought."Alright. Then make poetry of something right now. Hm, what do I taste like?"Jun smiled and his eyes nearly closed as he thought. "Like setting down a paw on thick, soft moss, covered in morning dew, with the fresh scent of a deer in the air," he said. "Like comfort, clarity, and the promise of good things to come.""Heh," Taehyung said, reluctantly flattered, turning his eyes down at his drink. Jun gently closed his fingers around Taehyung's hand holding the glass and raised it to steal a sip. A tickle of fear went through him, but Jun let go of his wrist without doing anything more.There was this air around them of confidence and power. No one would dare lay a finger on what was theirs. Yugyeom had picked on Jungkook incessantly and hated the seraphs, but didn't dare to walk out on the conversation with Eight. If Taehyung was looking for protection they were perfect. And they weren't like the other vampires. Taehyung was sometimes almost disappointed with the banality of the supernatural. Vampires weren't mysterious lord and ladies, the vast majority were just people with some small superpowers and an attitude problem. He'd always been more interested in his one vampire prince than the vampire concept as a whole, but it was still kind of off-putting to see behind the veil. These two were different."I'm sorry for my behavior earlier. I got carried away," Jun said.It would have been easy to steep that in compliments or seduction, but Jun chose not to, in favor of showing sincerity. "Jungkook warned me of the bloodlines with green eyes," Taehyung told him, not handing out forgiveness. "He didn't tell me why.""Most of them find us uncanny, they spread a lot of rumors," Jun said, shrugging. "One of our abilities is a kind of… presence, that is out of our control. The majesty of legends , Eight calls it. He says you feel it like the mythology of world serpents and original sin woven into your subconscious. Our kind feels it like… the gaping emptiness of everything they've forgotten and a reminder of how small and unimportant they are. But it's right, both green-eyed kinds treat humans very poorly, although for different reasons."Taehyung wondered why he'd admit to that. "What's your reason?"Jun smiled brightly. The conversation could have been, not necessarily hostile, but tense, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. "The others have a sentimental attachment that we do not. Because we have never been human. Or so they say. There's all kinds of stories but my favorite one," he said, sounding quite proud of it, "is that we, like the snakes given power by Shiva, were animals given the ability to shape-shift.""And the truth?""The truth?" Jun thought about that, like he hadn't expected to be asked directly. "Funny isn't it? They have so many powers, but what strikes fear into them is just a suggestion that instead of being vampires that transform into animals, we are animals that transform into vampires."That was quite funny. Taehyung didn't have to fake a smile. The seraphs didn't live on brutality, they lived on legends and camouflage like all the others, except they'd managed to trick even their own."This presence is more of a curse, however," Jun said. "We have always been forced to live on the edges of vampire society, or get attacked. Four centuries ago, fear triggered a witch hunt. The daywalkers killed every last seraph they could hunt down. Eight and I may be the last two left. No one has seen another seraph for at least a hundred years. Some may be hiding in the wild, or so we hope.""Why don't you make more?"Jun smiled softly. "Because seraphs can't be made with the regular ritual of turning. Eight and I are so old, and have spent so much time on our own in animal form, that we've forgotten a lot of things. The truth, about whether we were animals first, is simply that we don't remember. At some point it faded."Taehyung watched him quietly for a moment. The last ancient ones of a dying breed. Jungkook and the other guys weren't fairy tale monsters, they were humans with some quirks. These guys were the actual fairy tale monsters."How old are you?" he asked, then understood at Jun's smile, "you don't remember that either."No wonder they were eccentric.Jun looked over at Eight and Yugyeom, who were still negotiating. "We are here because one of Yugyeom's members is one of few who can translate some old texts we found. It's not important, just a way to spend our time. Eight and I have the ability to keep our powers on animal blood, so we can go where we want, when we want. We're free. If we grow bored we leave, but if we find something interesting," his eyes roamed over Taehyung, "we stay."Taehyung smiled, feeling a little better. It didn't sound too terrible to travel around like that, seeing the world. And Jun was of course putting his best side forward, perhaps provoked into taking the challenge, but he was also giving Taehyung time, telling him to not stress the decision."In a thousand years, I've never seen you lay it on so thick," Eight commented, turning around to talk to them over the back of the couch. Yugyeom met Taehyung's eyes, wary, finally figuring out what Jun's interest in him was. After a year, he wasn't obligated to look after Taehyung anymore, but Taehyung still felt a sting of betrayal when he sat back, as if showing he wouldn't interfere. But he hadn't expected anything else. It was okay. "Or pick up someone else's sloppy seconds." Maybe it wasn't okay.Jun winked at him, as if telling him not to worry. "I am tired of you, I want some new company," he told Eight."How would we even bring someone along, the way we move?" Eight complained, not upset at all over that declaration. Taehyung wondered what their relationship was, they didn't touch or seem like lovers, and as shape-shifters, they could be anything."We might have to take a boat, once in a while," Jun thought. "Or put it on one. It might like to have some time to itself, once in a while."" It might? I would like some time to myself, sometimes! You've never offered to put me on a boat!" Eight chuckled."I need your permission to bring someone? What am I, your guard dog?""Does he want to come?" Eight asked. "I won't travel with some whimpering slave that you've scared into submission. I receive enough desperation and," he glanced at Yugyeom, "frightened groveling from a few days in civilization."Jun raised his hands, smiling playfully. "No force! He said our stories are beautiful.""Fine," Eight said and held out his hand for Taehyung.Taehyung stared at that hand, not sure what it meant, not about to take it. Majesty of legends by all means, but there was also something wild and incomprehensible about them. These two actually felt like something out of legend… perhaps they'd really never been humans."Eight and I are like one, we share everything," Jun told him, checking if he understood.Eight wanted a taste sample. Shared everything... in every way? Two masters, not one? Yugyeom was shaking his head at him, but Yugyeom wouldn't even try to defend Taehyung from them, so what right did he have to judge? Yugyeom had a group and a home, a place that was his and people who supported and protected him.
These two would show him things no one else had seen, the real fairy tale magic. Not cruel, but testing limits. Certainly not afraid to cause a fuss to defend him. If he drank from them, would he also be able to shapeshift? In the end, it didn't matter. They were better than any other vampire he'd met, but most of all he couldn't do this anymore. You will not let anyone else have a single drop of your blood. Not one. He felt like he could hear Jungkook's voice, like a soft, commanding caress down the back of his neck, and he couldn't do this anymore, couldn't keep holding his breath every time he saw the back of a brown-haired head. Jungkook wasn't coming. He put his hand in Eight's and saw his lips part, and like a broken record, his mind prayed, one last time, for Jungkook to save him.But that voice wasn't coming from inside his head.He spun around, Eight's fingers slipping off his wrist, and ran up to the balcony railing. A lone guy was sitting on a bar stool on the stage, in suit pants, black shirt and jacket. His dark brown hair was styled a bit wet, so that it closed in on black. No it wasn't him, because the hair was longer, reaching almost below his ears and falling over his eyes in soft, messy waves. Vampires didn't change, their hair didn't grow.
But that voice.
Lately I've been thinking, thinking about what we had
I know it was hard, it was all that we knew, yeah
Have you been drinking to take all the pain away?
I wish that I could give you what you deserve
Because nothing can ever, ever replace you
Nothing can make me feel like you do, yeah
You know there's no one I can relate to
And know we won't find a love that's so true
Jeon Jungkook raised his head and met Taehyung's eyes. The world had ended nineteen months ago, and suddenly it began again. Taehyung drew a breath and it felt like the first one.
There's nothing like us
There's nothing like you and me
Together through the storm
There's nothing like us
There's nothing like you and me together, oh

BTS · Nothing Like Us (cover) By JK Of BTS
He rushed away from the railing towards the stairs, wanting to run right up on that stage and kiss him like he'd never left, but… what did he want, why hadn't he come until now, why was he here? He turned and fled towards his room instead. Jungkook was still singing when he slammed the door, backed away from it and he could still hear music faintly, but this wasn't real. He was hallucinating, this couldn't be real. He backed until he hit the bed, curled up and slid to the floor, wrapped his arms around his head because his mind kept hearing the song anyway, like a snake dancing to the snake charmer's flute.No, the hair, why would he hallucinate the hair? He was here, Jungkook was here and he'd run away like a child, what if Jungkook thought he didn't want to see him and left again. Why the fuck had he kept singing and not come after him?! He got up and tore the door open.Jungkook's dark eyes stared back at him, wide open, frightened bunny and big bad wolf at once. Taehyung had been so scared of this moment, of discovering that he was a calico cat. Seeing Jungkook, a breath of relief escaped and then Taehyung was crying, because all those fears and all the others, fighting for his life every day to hold on, bled out of his skin and vaporized. Here, surrounded by the smell of sweet flowers, he was finally back where he belonged. For the first time in nineteen months he didn't have to be strong. The crying split open the cut on his lip, Jungkook's eyes dropped to his mouth and then they were kissing.Taehyung backed up, Jungkook followed like he'd rather die than separate. A rumbling moan rose up Jungkook's throat, his fingers digging into Taehyung's skin. He sucked on the wound so hard that Taehyung started making involuntary noises out of pain, pushing at him weakly, not finding the strength because nineteen months later, with his mind free, nothing had changed. All he wanted to do was give Jungkook what he wanted.Jungkook let him back out an inch, eyes like flames of gold, the hunger unmasked and held back by a thin and fragile veil of control. Against Taehyung's best efforts, desire made his chin rise just a touch, wanting to bare his throat, and he pushed at Jungkook with strength this time because if he bit, oh the world of shit they were in. Jungkook refused to be shoved away."No!" Taehyung told him, although he wanted to say the opposite.With a hissing exhalation, Jungkook broke away, almost crashed into the desk and leaned over it on his hands, struggling."I'm not doing this again!" Taehyung told him."Who's cut you," Jungkook said, voice a little raw."No one, I split my lip, it's...""You think I can't tell?" Jungkook turned back to him, only a faint glow remaining. "It was done today. I can smell them on you. Who? It's not Yugyeom. Tell me!" he yelled and Taehyung flinched. Turning his back with another struggling exhalation, he said, "Why are you still wearing it, if you're giving yourself to…"Taehyung remembered Jun leaning in to breathe against his neck and his gut churned with fear. "I'm sorry," he sobbed. "I tried, I really did. I've not let anyone, not a drop, as you said. But today, he didn't listen, I couldn't stop him, I'm just me!"Jungkook was shaking his head. "Don't cry," he said softly. "I don't have any right to yell at you, of course you're not following any commands anymore. I'm sorry. I wasn't prepared to taste you, I lost... heh, control is a very small word for it.""I don't have to follow your commands anymore, but I want to. I've tried. If I'd fought harder to stop him... just a little more…""Don't cry," Jungkook said again."The last things I said to you, they were horrible," Taehyung cried. "I couldn't tell you I didn't mean it, that it was awful, so I tried to remember all the commands but it was like they slipped out of my mind once you'd canceled them. I kept the ones I could remember. Like this." He held out his shirt to show one of the spots. "Silver."Jungkook smiled, and laughed, and touched the silver seemingly just to feel him. "I know you didn't mean it," he said. "It was the bond making you say it.""When you didn't come I thought..." he cried more, not less."Hey! Hey." Jungkook hugged him, digging one hand into his hair to hold Taehyung's cheek against his shoulder."Nineteen months!" Taehyung yelled, suddenly angry, trying to push himself out of the hug. "Seven months, Jungkook! Not a fucking word! What the fuck are you doing here!""Hey, shh," Jungkook said again and held on. "I'm sorry but there were reasons.""You could have sent a message!" Although he knew that just wasn't how they rolled."I… I just couldn't," Jungkook said, stepping back and avoiding his eyes. "I didn't want to tell you over text, what kind of bullshit… I wanted to say it in person. Ah, this didn't go as I expected."Say what, oh god, was he here for closure? But the song and the kiss… he'd smelled the blood and lost control, maybe he'd never intended to kiss him. If Jungkook left again he would fall apart, the thought hurt so much he couldn't breathe, the world spun. Jungkook reached for him, seeing him reel, and he didn't want to be touched. He pushed past him out the door, going down the back stairs and out the back exit. When he turned around to pace, he almost crashed into Jungkook. Fuck these sneaky, soundless bastards. He cried again."Taehyung," Jungkook said."Go away! I just need some air!" Taehyung claimed, but he had air, the cool summer night was fantastic, and it wasn't helping.After a moment of intense, worried thinking, Jungkook held out a hand. Out of options, more or less out of habit, Taehyung took it. Jungkook led him around the corner to the mostly empty back parking lot, up to a big, black motorcycle with flawlessly polished full body fairing. There was a red streak across the side, like a smeared blood splatter, Taehyung stopped for a second to look at it."I know," Jungkook said, holding out a helmet."This… is yours?" Taehyung asked, not taking it.Jungkook smiled a tiny, embarrassed smile."I know. Predictable. Dark broody vampire with a motorcycle. I parked it back here because Yugyeom would throw a party if he saw it." He put the helmet on him and got on the bike, and the engine rumbled as he waved at Taehyung to get on."Don't you need a helmet?" Taehyung said, struggling onto the bike. He had no choice but to wrap his arms around Jungkook's waist. Jungkook didn't answer what was probably a stupid question.They rolled across the parking lot, got out on the road, and with a roar the bike kicked off into breakneck speed. Taehyung shouted and hugged himself tight against Jungkook's back, terrified as they swept through the maze of smaller streets. No one should be able to drive like this, Jungkook must be using his abilities to boost his reflexes. They wove between two meeting cars and through a side street and onto the highway. At least here Taehyung didn't feel like they'd crash into the nearest wall at any moment but Jungkook sped up again, to what must be the upper capacity of the bike, only meant for perfect race tracks. The slightest unevenness took both wheels off the ground for a second, and Taehyung screamed.The bike slowed down, he dared open his eyes, they rolled off the highway at a rest stop with a view over the city. Jungkook rolled all the way up to the edge, by a low fence, and stopped there."You can't drive that fast with me!" Taehyung yelled, pushed the visor up and repeated it, hitting his shoulder. "You have powers but what if I lost my grip! What if the wheels…"Jungkook swung his legs over to sit facing him, took the helmet off him, wrapped an arm around his waist and kissed him. When he sat back again Taehyung had forgotten what he was saying. "Got enough air?" Jungkook teased gently.Taehyung's brain had been left behind somewhere on a side street. He swung one leg over Jungkook's and felt his thigh. "Are you… bigger?" He undid a few more buttons on Jungkook's shirt, other than the ones already open. "Wow, you're cold.""Ah, I forgot about that," Jungkook said. "I haven't eaten in a while."The words barely registered because Taehyung was busy exploring. Jungkook hadn't been this muscular, had he? "Am I remembering things wrong? Vampires don't change hair and stuff…?""Who told you that?" Jungkook asked, amused. "My hair is obviously a lot longer.""But… Yugyeom's hair is the same?""Mm, it's a special power, what is it called… ah, getting a haircut," Jungkook teased.He kissed Jungkook to wipe that smug smile off his face. "But you don't age," he stated then."Our bodies don't age or change in any major way, but hair still grows. We with physical abilities can eat well or use our powers a lot to raise the base strength and gain weight. Starving vampires get freaky thin and all dried up, it's kind of gross.""So you've eaten a lot? Or worked out?" Taehyung wondered."Um, I usually go up and down a little depending how much I'm… fighting," Jungkook said. "We had a rough few months in spring.""Is that why you didn't come…?""Partly, yes," Jungkook said. "We had a lot of business during winter, and in spring Jimin found a stray that turned out to be a runaway and the original owner wasn't exactly happy Jimin refused to return him. We had no right to take him but it wasn't like we'd send the kid back to a kingslayer." Jungkook ran a hand through his hair, Taehyung watched the soft curls slip between his fingers. "That's the other green-eyed line and they're… fucked up. We fought, ran, tried to hide and wait it out, but in the end… it still became a bloody mess. Jimin's strays are always a fucking mess. By the time we were in any shape to come get you, we figured you might as well finish school."Taehyung tried to figure out what he wanted to ask Jungkook next, and arrived at a statement, not a question. "I'm not a calico cat," he said."I know," Jungkook said with a smile.That smile was so confident and happy, like Jungkook had never had a doubt that Taehyung would be waiting for him no matter how long he took, that in a flash of anger Taehyung slapped him. Jungkook barely reacted, his eyes widened slightly as they lit up for a half second, he was probably used to getting hit a lot harder than that. Filled with regret, Taehyung froze up.Jungkook's lips parted, but he stopped there like his mind was trying to think too many things at once. "I'm sorry?" he said slowly, trying to figure it out. "I should have told you? But partly we were in hiding for a while, and partly… if I let myself contact you, I wouldn't be able to stay away. Namjoon kept talking about how he and I missed out on life and I would never experience certain things, and I obviously don't know but it seemed important." He watched Taehyung shake his head and took his neck to stop him. "I wanted you to be able to come with me without regrets." Taehyung very nearly burst into tears again and nodded. Jungkook seemed to understand it was happy tears. "Sorry, I thought it was obvious from the song.""Jerk," Taehyung said, sniffing."There's nothing like us," Jungkook sang. "There's nothing like you and me. Together through the storm."
Jungkook's voice was too beautiful, all of him was too beautiful. Taehyung smiled at him, and Jungkook beamed, as happy to make him happy as he had been while under the influence of the bite.The stupid certainty was starting to sink in. Jungkook had really been convinced that Taehyung would still choose him when free of the bite? Nineteen months ago too, Jungkook had never hesitated, he realized. When asking Jin over and over to let them meet again after they were free, Jungkook had never once shown any sign that he thought that year might be the end of them. As I am tonight, I love you, he'd said, and it had been true because nothing was this idiotically stubborn if not love."I haven't sung a note in front of anyone since we left," Jungkook told him. "I've saved it for you." Taehyung saw his eyes drop to his lips, and he almost leaned in to kiss again before he realized Jungkook was looking at the cut. Looking at the evidence that Taehyung hadn't managed to do the same, had, by less than an hour, failed to prove his loyalty.The smile faded off Jungkook's face. Not letting anyone else taste his blood had been important to Jungkook, not one drop. Remembering Jun's forced kiss his skin crawled, but then he remembered being flattered by how Jun described his taste, and he felt like a cheater. He felt dirty, thinking of not only Jun but also all the guys at the club, the redhead this morning that he couldn't even remember. He felt unworthy of the absolute faith Jungkook had put in him. What if Jungkook felt the same?Aside from a few cars driving by, the silence was deafening. The moon was high in the sky, it must be nearing midnight.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SUNDAY, JUNE 4th

The road wasn't very busy this late at night, mostly they sat as if in a private bubble in the night. Face to face on Jungkook's motorcycle, legs interwoven, Taehyung felt like the peace was fragile. Like any one word could be the one to make or break the moment. He needed to know what Jungkook thought about Jun taking his blood, if it was okay, if he could forgive him, but didn't know how to ask. He was terrified of the answer.Jungkook's eyes wandered over Taehyung's body, avoiding his face. "I'm not the only one who's bigger," he noted. His hands took Taehyung's sides."Uh, well I started eating actual food, so..." Taehyung said. "If you don't like it, I don't have to work out now after the filming stopped."Jungkook shook his head. "I didn't want to say then, but you were too thin. I didn't dare hold on to you too hard, it felt like your bones would snap. But like this..." His hands slid down the back of Taehyung's waist, down over his ass. "Mm. I think I can go harder here too, now that you're not so bony." Taehyung blushed a furious red, happy that Jungkook had noticed and approved of his best new feature. To preserve some pride, he slapped Jungkook's hands away. Suddenly awkward, they avoided looking at each other, staring at the view instead."Did Jin come?" Taehyung asked."All the guys are here and want to see you," Jungkook told him."Oh you all came?""I can't split off from them, they'd get killed," Jungkook pointed out. "I worry even when I take the bike out for half an hour, like this. So if you want me, you get the in-laws too. But they adore you, Jimin especially." Taehyung looked around and found the helmet. "Hey, wait, not yet." He took Taehyung's arm."I need to talk to Jin.""If you mean telling him you're coming with us, you can do that anytime, what's the rush?""The rush?" How could Jungkook ask that? Because he wanted too much, wanted everything. Wanted to tell Jungkook about every day of his life the past nineteen months, wanted to touch every inch of Jungkook's skin, but most of all, wanted to reclaim his rightful position. Did Jungkook not want that? "You're assuming I'm coming, just like that?" Taehyung challenged."You told me," Jungkook said, and when Taehyung shook his head, "Your body told me." He took Taehyung's hand and put it against his chest again while leaning in to kiss. "Your eyes, your lips," he whispered, Taehyung's fingers curling against his smooth skin. "Your heartbeat, and…" His fingers ran down Taehyung's front, down over his heart, his stomach, and in between his legs. "Your blood."Fuck it. Taehyung slid forward, getting his other leg over Jungkook's too and pulling himself into his lap, pressing their bodies together from hips to shoulders. His lips found Jungkook's neck, and he shuddered slightly when Jungkook took a single deep breath against his skin, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tight."Taehyung," he said, while Taehyung tried to tug his shirt out of his pants. "Stop." He made negative noises and kept going. Time to let Jungkook try out the new, no longer bony Taehyung. "Taehyung, enough, stop, I can't!" Jungkook separated them, his eyes glowing bright. "I can't, not without, I'll forget myself!""Shit," Taehyung said, because of course.Jungkook pushed him out of his lap and turned towards the view instead. The night was getting deeper, but the moon hung above them, very barely not completely full. The glow from the city below seemed like fire compared to the pale white light from above."Fuck, this is going to be hard," Jungkook mumbled to himself."That's why we have to talk to Jin," Taehyung told him, picking up the helmet again."Wait," Jungkook said, eyes still bright gold."Um, do you need…?" Taehyung held out his arm. "You can cut me."Jungkook swept up from the motorcycle, walking away a few steps. "Don't," he said when Taehyung started getting off it as well. "Stay there.""Just until we've talked to Jin," Taehyung said, sitting down again. "Then you can have whatever you want.""Don't say that," Jungkook said, leaning his head back to look at the moon. "While we defended ourselves, I kept thinking about what you told me. Do what's necessary, to be there when you come back. So I did what was necessary, no matter how… no matter what that was. I should be able to do this, how can it be harder! But whenever I look at you," he groaned between clenched teeth. "All I want is to tell you to..."Taehyung got off the bike this time, met his eyes fearlessly. "Tell me to what?""Get on your knees," Jungkook breathed, a tint of relief at letting it out, and Taehyung dropped to his knees on the old, worn asphalt. The burning amber in Jungkook's eyes calmed slightly, he walked up and brushed his fingers over Taehyung's temple. "No," he said when Taehyung reached for his fly, "I'm cold.""I don't mind," Taehyung told him."Your knees.""I don't mind."Still, Jungkook dragged him to his feet and pulled him over the low fence. Between the fence and the steep cliff there was a streak of grass, still in view from the highway but shaded by a tree. There Taehyung got to go down on his knees again and unbutton Jungkook's pants and do what was only right that a pet should do for their master, he thought. Jungkook was a bit cold, but warmed up from Taehyung's own heat. Jungkook braced against the fence, shielding Taehyung from view from the road while also hiding the fire in his eyes. Taehyung had new tricks to show him, and Jungkook's sounds of appreciation made him squirm. His body was begging him to touch himself, but he hadn't gotten the order, not even permission, and holding back, playing concubine again, turned him on even more. Within a rather flattering time, Jungkook was cursing and coming."You know," Taehyung said, getting up and wiping his mouth, "someone pointed out to me that vampires don't have diseases, so you can be as promiscuous as you want."Jungkook glared at him, half folded forward still."That is to say, we didn't make any promises so… if you got a new pet…?"Before he had time to react, Jungkook had grabbed his throat, spun them around and shoved him against the tree trunk. "That's rich of you to say," he growled. "Just after showing me you've gotten plenty of practice.""Ow," Taehyung protested, prying at his fingers until Jungkook let go. "Not the first year. Not for months after you didn't show up! Can you blame me?""For wearing my mark around your throat while someone else fucks it?" Jungkook demanded."You could have let me know you were alive, at least!""Did you wear it while you spread your legs for them too?""Fuck you!"Jungkook grabbed his shoulders and turned him around to face the tree, pushing him against it again, painfully digging his hands in around him to undo his pants."Ow!" Taehyung protested, struggling against him. "Not so hard! Jungkook!" Once his pants were open, Jungkook forced his hand down the back. Taehyung couldn't get anywhere, and he didn't think Jungkook was even using any powers. "Ah, what are you doing!""Taehyung," Jungkook said. Taehyung stopped struggling, twitching slightly from the cold fingers against his skin. "What have you let them do? Did you let them put their fingers in you like this?"Jungkook wasn't just fucking with him, he was angry, Taehyung thought. But even as guilt came skipping through his stomach, his body was occupied with more immediate things. Having Jungkook here, having been on his knees for him, smelling that sickeningly sweet scent again… He groaned when Jungkook pushed a finger inside him, no preparation at all. "Wait, slow down, please-""You better take care of yourself then," Jungkook told him, pushing his pants down, taking his hand and setting it over himself. Taehyung shuddered, he'd ached to be touched. Jungkook's voice in his ear, the cool night air. "I've thought about you so much, about today, about coming here and taking you back. All of you. I'd imagine you were thinking about me-""I was thinking about you! I was always thinking about you!""I want to fuck you," Jungkook murmured against him."Y-you can't," Taehyung whispered. He couldn't stand being teased, and he was afraid Jungkook would lose control."Then you get off on my fingers," Jungkook commanded. "Or I'll fuck you right here." He pulled at the back of his shirt collar, exposing the black silk and his skin. "Fuck, I want you so much.""You can't!" Taehyung repeated desperately."Why can't I," Jungkook growled. He worked his hand more, and Taehyung moaned. "Stop telling me what I can't do! Tell me you want me. Tell me you've thought about today too!""I want you," Taehyung said immediately.
Jungkook fucked him with his fingers, matched to Taehyung's rhythm getting himself off, rocking with him full body. Taehyung wanted more, wanted everything. Without the bite the commands weren't as delicious as before, but echoes flew through him, especially when he followed them, like his body rediscovered what it had been starving for."I've thought about you coming back a million times," Teahyung said, remembering. "I imagined you'd slide into the seat next to me in class and grab my neck and make out with me in front of everyone. That you'd come into the shower and t-take me against the wall without saying a word. Ah, that you'd wake me up in the middle of the night… and whisper that you'll never leave again, and… kiss me like you love me." He was there, Jungkook's strong, steady rhythm pushing him on. "Because I want you, I want you to do whatever you want to me, I... Jungkook, Jungkook, please… ah-" Taehyung came with a low, breathless grunt, pressing his cheek against the cool tree trunk to soothe the fire inside. His mind returning to him like a leaf slowly floating to the ground, he confessed, "And every time the fantasy ended and I was still alone, I felt like I died again.""Good," Jungkook whispered against his ear. At first Taehyung was recovering, but when he tried to move Jungkook held him in place. "Did you practice this too?" he hissed, and Taehyung realized Jungkook had just said it was good that he'd felt horrible, like he deserved it. "Did you wear it?" Jungkook asked, his thumb running over the black silk and golden clasp. "In bed with someone else?"It blew puffs of air against Taehyung's ear. He looked over his shoulder into Jungkook's eyes, only a very faint glow remaining. "You weren't there," he whispered. He wished he could take it all back, erase every touch of skin that wasn't Jungkook's, but he couldn't. He'd done what he'd done.
"Answer me! The collar, did you wear it?"He didn't know if it made it better or worse, but the truth was that, "I've never gone a day, not even an hour, without it." Jungkook rested his forehead against his shoulder, grip hardening around Taehyung's neck. "Because I wished it was you! Because it should have been you. Because I was pissed off as hell and I wanted you to know, wearing it was like making you watch me. I wanted to let Yugyeom fuck me in it!"He'd raised his voice, getting angry, remembering the pain and frustration and incomprehensible rejection of Jungkook never showing up. But a rumbling groan went through Jungkook's chest and he was afraid of Jungkook biting, but he was more afraid of this; that Jungkook wouldn't want him after he'd been touched by someone else. Not a drop, Jungkook had commanded, and Jun had taken that from them. What if they discovered they loved each other for real, only for Jungkook to not be able to bear knowing someone else had tasted him, in either way?"Stop, let go of me," he pleaded, more frightened by how cold Jungkook's grip was."Regular guests, or our kind of guests? Taehyung," Jungkook spoke slowly, voice no more than a low rumble, "did you let other vampires fuck you with my mark on your neck?"He'd been so angry with Jungkook, but, "No. No vampires. I was afraid they'd bite me or cut me, and I promised, not a drop.""No vampires? Just humans," Jungkook understood. "Fucking you, in my club, wearing my collar." Taehyung could feel his pain through the little tremble to his voice."I'm sorry!" His voice fell to a trembling whisper. "I love you! I did it because I love you, because I couldn't stop loving you!" He regretted it right away. He'd regretted the way he'd said I love you to Jungkook back then, as if only saying it to make Jungkook stay with him, and he'd just done it again.Jungkook's touch left him, and even if Jungkook's body was cold, he immediately missed the heat of him. Panting, he pulled his pants back up and sat in the grass, wiping his hand on the ground. Jungkook had walked away a little and come back, standing close to him with his back turned, looking out over the city embers."I'm still yours," Taehyung tried, struggling to hold his breaths steady. If he'd lost Jungkook with those meaningless, desperate attempts at getting over him…Jungkook snorted. "I know. And because I'm an arrogant jerk, I let you wait all this time.""You were busy saving Jimin's stupid ass," Taehyung thought."I could have let you know," Jungkook said. "You're right. There's a thousand ways I could have let you know, but… It's not Jimin's shit, I was so damned sure. When we split up, I worried that what I felt wasn't real and I'd made you do all these things… What would I do if it turned out you did it for nothing, for an idiot who couldn't control himself after one drop of blood?"Jungkook held up his hands, staring at them for a moment before shaking his head.
"I hated all of this for so long, but suddenly hate feels like a waste of time. You… woke me up, and now… Namjoon and Jin, I've been an asshole to them too. You changed everything. What if I'd tricked you into loving me only to break your heart? How would I make up for that? Then, after six months I felt exactly the same about you, I missed you more, not less. I couldn't wait to come get you. I never even thought that you might not be here."Taehyung watched his silhouette against the dark sky, soft moonlight falling over his shoulders like illuminating snow. He wondered what he'd done that had convinced Jungkook so strongly."I didn't think of it when we got delayed either, that you'd think I'd abandoned you. On the way here I practiced that song over and over, thinking how you'd look when I… It wasn't until just before, when I saw you on the balcony, looking great and grown up and flirting with two of the most dangerous vampires in the world like you'd never done anything else, that I realized that… you're alive, and life moves on. While I was dead and frozen in time, you were..." he had to force the words out, "on your knees for someone else.""You weren't here," Taehyung told him."I know, I know we didn't promise anything, and I let you wait-""No, you weren't here," Taehyung told him. "You have no idea what it's been like for me! When you didn't come, I thought you'd never loved me." He teared up again. "I've been drinking and hooking up trying to forget. Those two on the balcony, right before then, they… He took what he wanted from me, I tried but I couldn't stop him. I thought he was going to bite me! All I could think was, I just want to be your pet again."Jungkook turned around to look at him sitting in the grass crying."But you didn't want me to give my blood to anyone else, so if you didn't want me before, you definitely wouldn't want me after someone else had taken it. So what was I going to do? I'd rather choose a master myself than get attacked by some monster. Those two, they're strong, they'd protect me." He curled up sobbing. He'd told himself they'd treat him okay, and he'd get to see the world. But holding out his wrist for Eight had made him feel sick.Jungkook crouched next to him. "You were going to let them bite you?""I'm tired," Taehyung said, wiping his eyes. "Of dealing with all these vampire assholes that think they're irresistible, and being afraid someone will steal me from you.""Yugyeom was looking after you," Jungkook said, increasingly worried."Yugyeom," Taehyung scoffed, "what was he supposed to do? Would his group risk their lives for me? I don't even know them. If someone stole me away, it'd be too late. And you wouldn't come save me, you'd think I was disgusting after someone else had had me." He burst into more tears, when he'd just managed to gather himself a little."Shhh," Jungkook whispered softly, hugging him close. "I'm sorry.""Please don't leave," Taehyung begged."Taehyung," Jungkook said gently, taking his head with both hands to look into his eyes. "I would never think you're disgusting, I… I'm just an idiot. I expected to come back and find you exactly as I left you, as if you're not a real person. And I'm being an idiot now too. Whatever you've done, I would never leave you. Never."He cried for a while into Jungkook's neck, and stayed for a bit after the tears stopped. "It's kind of cold," he mumbled, then, and Jungkook let go of him. Instead he set his forehead against Taehyung's."I'm sorry," Jungkook said. "From now on you're coming with me, I won't leave you ever again, I promise. With or without the bite, you cry and I want to take down the moon for you. No matter what you are, I'll-"Taehyung pulled back, frightened, trying to understand what that meant. "You don't want to bite me?" he asked, not sure what to do with himself. He'd be safe with Jungkook, but he also immediately knew that wasn't enough. He wanted what was his."You said you weren't doing this again," Jungkook said, confused."This! This year!" Taehyung said, gesturing. "I'm never doing it again! That's why we have to talk to Jin. So I can consent or whatever the fuck it is he needs, and then you can…" He paused, doubt creeping in. "Do you not want to be like before?" The bite did things to Jungkook too, maybe he didn't want to get strings pulled and…"Fuck, it's all I want," Jungkook said, and seemed to feel the same relief Taehyung felt. "I thought you meant you didn't want to, I was freaking out over how the fuck I was going to be your boyfriend or whatever and not do it!"Taehyung looked up at him and all the knots in his chest bloomed into bright, bubbling hope, if it could be called hope when it felt like certainty. "I'm sorry. I'll never touch anyone else again."Looking up at the sky, Jungkook sighed. "It's a lot of guys?""S-some," Taehyung mumbled. "I live in a club!" He saw Jungkook's expression in the moonlight and freaked out. "I'm sorry! They didn't mean anything, I was drunk, I barely remember-"Jungkook squeezed his leg. "Shh, Taehyung, shut up." He smiled weakly, struggling but still wanting to reassure him. "I left a skinny, clueless kid and… came back to a man. Give me a moment to get used to it. Let's go back. The other guys were dying to see you." He got up and headed for the motorcycle.Taehyung scrambled to his feet and ran after him, and caught his shirt tugging him to a stop. "Jungkook, you didn't get any new pets, did you?""Idiot," Jungkook said. "Get on the bike.""You've changed too, you drive this now, so maybe…" He followed Jungkook to the bike like a tail, still holding his shirt. Jungkook picked up the helmet."It was my birthday in September," he explained. "They've left me alone before but now Namjoon kept going on about celebrating so I told him I'd get myself something to shut him up." They got on the bike."So I got you to open up a little, and maybe… maybe you met a nice girl…""I'd forgotten how annoying you can be," Jungkook informed him. "I was literally counting the days until you'd graduate. And I don't count anything, Namjoon handles my money like I'm five, I don't know what this bike cost, what year it is or how old I am.""No, I doubt you can read the speed limit signs," Taehyung muttered, and Jungkook pushed the helmet over his head and the visor shut.The ride back was more comfortable, Jungkook still drove fast but not as breathtakingly fast as before. This time Taehyung could almost enjoy hugging himself tight against his back and feeling the world fly by. As much as Jungkook made him feel safe, he still closed his eyes a few times when he took corners like someone with a death wish.Jungkook parked out of sight at the back again, but when they turned to walk back inside they saw Yugyeom watching them from across the road. Jungkook cursed but Taehyung headed over there, because Yugyeom wasn't alone. With him was the new guy, Seongwu. Yugyeom had said he might go for Seongwu, but Seongwu was processing a lot already and maybe they could flirt another day than the day Seongwu discovered the supernatural by almost getting attacked and eaten. He took a deep breath, set his face in fearless determination and steeled himself, marching towards them."Hey!" he called, addressing Seongwu. "Did you quit?"Seongwu looked stunned. "No," he said."Then go back inside, you're late!""I just wanted to get some air and then..." he glanced around and Taehyung realized it wasn't just him and Yugyeom. The two seraphs were standing nearby, in the darkness away from any streetlights. Seongwu didn't look as freaked out as he had before, but still tense."He came because he was curious," Eight told them all but mostly Yugyeom. "We didn't lure him out. He wanted to see the transformation.""Yeah right," Yugyeom said."No, it's true," Seongwu admitted. "I must be crazy but… I mean, do they really turn into animals? Isn't it crazy?""It is, but don't risk your life for it," Taehyung told him, although he felt a little like a hypocrite. He took Seongwu's arm and pulled him further away from all the vampires. The seraphs followed them though, coming closer, making Yugyeom back up. Taehyung tried to stay calm, but Jun's eyes were locked on him and they came too close; he backed up one step.And bumped into Jungkook. He didn't have to fight alone anymore, he belonged somewhere, to someone. As if knowing how he felt, Jungkook put a palm against the small of his back, reassuring."It is quite fascinating," Jun said, looking over Taehyung's shoulder at Jungkook. "A few drops of blood, and he's here.""He glares like a child too," Eight commented."I think you've abused our hospitality enough," Jungkook told them, stopping them from coming any closer with a gesture. "Our staff is off limits, not to mention what is marked."Next to him, Seongwu was looking at Jungkook, eyes dropping to his hand on Taehyung's back."We mean no disrespect, perhaps the opposite," Eight said. "We were interested in the power of the mark. Heartblood is capable of great magic.""Like the ritual of turning, except people have forgotten, and it's no more than a meaningless gesture," Jun said."It used to be called a heartblood amulet," Eight said. "Only to be given in absolute trust because it allows the bearer to summon the dead heart that made it, no matter where or what. We felt the making of this amulet, many months ago, for the first time in centuries. When passing nearby, we came to see if it was true, if someone had managed to call on the old magic." He turned to Taehyung. "We nudged to make your desperation immediate, and here he is.""Romantic nonsense," Yugyeom thought, but his eyes were wide."We set the date months ago, and traveled for days to get here," Jungkook said. "It's not like he wished for me and I suddenly appeared.""Hm, still, at just the right moment," Eight said. "Exactly as his will faltered and he called for you with absolute sincerity, in that instant, there you were. What a coincidence."
When he'd given up on the promise to Jungkook and been about to give his blood willingly? Taehyung stuck his hands in his pockets and wondered. It wasn't that he believed in all this stuff about gods and rituals, exactly, but it was fascinating and beautiful. If vampires existed, then why not other magic?"I apologize," Jun said, coming closer to Taehyung. "We meant no harm, but admit we caused some." His hand reached for Taehyung's cut lip.Taehyung was pulled back, as Jungkook stepped into his place. "I think it's time you move on." Jun's eyes flashed, Yugyeom grabbed Seongwu's arm, dragging him out of harm's way."I am not speaking to you," Jun told Jungkook."You will, if you want to speak to him," Jungkook informed him.Jun looked at Taehyung around Jungkook's shoulder. "Allow me to apologize.""I said," Jungkook said, pushing Taehyung in behind him, "you don't speak to my pet without asking me.""Jun," Eight called.It made all the difference to have Jungkook there to defend him, so Taehyung would have been fine to let Jun apologize, but he wasn't about to argue. Partly because Jungkook had a reputation to protect, but mostly because hearing Jungkook call him his pet made him way too happy to care about anything else."But this child is amusing," Jun said, suddenly smiling, every trace of hostility gone. "Look at it, practically raising its fur. Don't take risks," he told Jungkook. "What you're protecting is too precious. Either you strike or you don't. Showing teeth for anything other than a smile will slow you down.""Don't embarrass the child," Eight told him."I'm not embarrassing anyone, I'm helping, I'm giving advice," Jun claimed."We've gotten what we came for, we're moving on," Eight said.Mischief played in Jun's eyes, he clearly wanted to provoke more. He looked Jungkook over, and spoke to Taehyung over his shoulder again. "It was an honor to meet you. Raise the child well, it has great potential. But should it bite more than it can chew, we would be happy to look after you instead."Jungkook took a step forward, but Jun had already turned his back. He and Eight walked into the shadows. Seongwu had gotten free of Yugyeom and came up to Taehyung's side again, and both of them peeked around Jungkook's shoulders like kids hiding behind a parent.The pair kept walking, and the darkness blurred around them. Taehyung's eyes suddenly had trouble focusing, he more felt than saw several things at the same time in the same place, inexplicably. Shadows of people, animals, and creatures he'd never seen before. Then soft paws hit the asphalt and agile wings lifted into the sky, and a wolf and a raven took off down the street."Holy shit," Seongwu breathed."Are you insane!" Yugyeom came, yelled and pushed Jungkook with both arms. "Are you trying to kill all of us? Are you so fucking arrogant that you think you could take on those two? Or just suicidal?""Holy shit !" Seongwu said again, next to Taehyung, still staring after the animals."Go do your job, you're late," Taehyung told him.Seongwu glanced at Jungkook and then back to Taehyung. " Holy shit .""That one's taken, find your own," Taehyung told him calmly. "I said go to work.""Oh right, of course, yes boss!" Seongwu skipped away, shaking his head, still having his mind blown. Taehyung wondered if he'd get any sleep tonight."They would rip you apart, and then continue with the rest of us, you know they would, someone must have told you about Mexico City!" Yugyeom was still yelling. "You have another two centuries to go before you can even think about it!" Jungkook had patiently let him shout, but when Yugyeom pushed him again his eyes lit up. "Fucking hell," Yugyeom said but calmed down a bit. "If they really wanted him," he pointed at Taehyung with a straight arm, "you hand him over or you die! So there's no reason for you to glare, like you have something to prove!"
Jungkook gave him a taste of that glare, and Yugyeom waved his arms, like he gave up.
"And that bike, are you fucking serious, that paint job hurts my fucking nonexistent undead soul! Especially since it has to be custom, you went out of your way to look like the biggest fucking emo child Hollywood wannabe badass what the fuck! Fuck this!" He spun around and marched off around the corner, to the front of the club.Jungkook sighed, and looked kind of like how Taehyung felt when he'd steeled himself to challenge vampires who could eat him for breakfast, so Taehyung told him, "I think it was cool.""He's right," Jungkook said. "I could have gotten us all killed. But… it was him I smelled on you. I felt it when he came closer and I just…" He sighed again. "I'm sorry. That I wasn't here.""It was cool," Taehyung repeated. "He wasn't going to fight you for me."Jungkook snorted. "Those two… Ask Jin or Hope to tell you about Mexico City, 1984. But anyway I can't afford starting stupid pissing contests. He was right too, you strike or you don't. The guys depend on me, you depend on me." He shook his head and then his body, like leaving it behind. "Let's go talk to Jin."Taehyung followed him in the side door. "Did Jimin bring his stray?" he asked and Jungkook nodded. "Ooooh, pet friends," he declared."That kid is insanely annoying," Jungkook said. "He's not staying."The door to Jin's office was open and Hope's laughter was coming from inside. He found them all there, as if they'd never left. Namjoon leaned against the desk, Hope and Suga on the couch, Jimin playfully leaned back in the desk chair with his legs crossed up on the desk, Jin standing by the paintings again. All of them had hair colors in shades of brown now, Namjoon lightest, Hope darkest. Sitting on the armrest of the couch next to Hope was a young guy, at most eighteen Taehyung thought, in a bucket hat and jeans jacket contrasting sharply against the others' shirt and tie fashion. Hope said something and he laughed, a loud, squeaking, incredibly happy laugh."Taehyung!" Jimin exclaimed and almost tipped the chair over in his efforts to get out of it quickly. He ran up to hug. "Oh wow there's a lot more of you to hug! In a good way!""In a very good way," Jungkook mumbled behind him, and Taehyung was too unprepared to suppress a pleased little snicker.Namjoon came to shake his hand, and then the kid came, shy and eager at once. "Wooyoung," he introduced himself."Isn't he a… bit young to be yours?" Taehyung asked Jimin, carefully."It's Jimin's son," Hope said.The kid returned to the armrest, calling Hope uncle and laughing with him. Jimin neither confirmed nor denied his position as father, instead saying, "He's no one's. He's his own, now. He's coming along until we find a safe place for him.""Aw, I thought I'd have a pet friend," Taehyung said."There'll be more strays than you want, before you know it," Jungkook told him.Jin turned towards them, looking between them. "Where have you been?""We went for a drive," Jungkook said, still standing by the door. Taehyung walked further in, stopping in front of Jin's desk."I want to make a formal statement," Taehyung told Jin. "Here." He pointed at the floor in front of Jin, as Jin had done one and a half years ago in the wardrobe. Jin said nothing. "I, Kim Taehyung, of free will and sound mind, not under threat or domination or..." Fuck. He'd practiced this for a year before, but now he hadn't for several months."Addiction," Jungkook said."Or addiction," Taehyung continued, blushing as everyone was staring at him. "Want to give my formal consent to... Jungkook.""What?" Jungkook said."Just, to you," Taehyung confirmed. "Anything. Whatever I may have to consent to. Jungkook has the right to give my consent if I'm not considered able to.""I... can he do that?" Jungkook asked, tensing up."Of course," Jin said. "Next-of-kin, advocates, spokespersons, guardians, there's a lot.""Basically, you're just going to say what I say," Taehyung told him, because he looked a bit overwhelmed with the responsibility. "If they ask if I want to go somewhere, and they don't think I can consent, I tell you yes and you tell them yes.""Oh, okay," Jungkook said, relaxing again. Jin sighed like the two of them continued to surprise him in increasingly disappointing ways, but didn't say anything."I'd forgotten how cute they are," Jimin said, leaning back in Jin's chair, eyes sparkling. "Look at them.""You mean how stupid they are. Together. As if the stupidity compounds," Suga said. "Taehyung has taken care of this club like a pro, wrangling deadly storybook monsters with wits and guts alone, but ten minutes after Jungkook is back, it's like this again."Taehyung remembered wrangling those storybook monsters, and how terrified he'd been each time. Remembered Jun licking his lips in front of him while Seongwu trembled behind him, the terror multiplied by being responsible for someone else's safety too, and was even more sure of his decision. "I also formally consent to being turned," he said. "Since that'll presumably become a thing sooner or later. I'm too pretty to get old."Jungkook snickered, his nose scrunching up with half embarrassment and half happiness. Seeing it, it was very hard to not smile too, Taehyung licked his lips and fought to stay serious."Although I'm not sure I want to be one of you," he added, looking over Jungkook and Jin. Suga looked proud of him, as if shopping for brand of immortality was the grown-up thing to do. "Huh, do you think Yugyeom would do it?" Jungkook's eyes narrowed. Maybe a discussion for later. "Anyway, Jungkook can also give my consent, but just so we're clear and there's no bullshit down the line. Because I am never doing this year again. Ever. And I need to give it now, because the next thing I consent to will be the last one you'll allow me to." He turned to Jungkook. "Please take me back," he asked, turning his head slightly to bare his neck and happy shivers ran down his spine as the familiar honey gold flared."Hold on. Give him a command," Jin told Jungkook."For real?" Jungkook demanded. "You think I bit him while we were away and told him to pretend to consent? What the fuck?""This is a court," Jin told him. "It works on evidence, not personal opinion."Jungkook sighed and grimaced with frustration, but still said, "Taehyung, go kiss Jimin.""Um, no," Taehyung said. Jimin made disappointed noises between giggles."One more, of a different type. Details," Jin said.Jungkook rolled his eyes. "Taehyung, come over here right now and take the choker off, put it in my pocket and ask me to bite you."Taehyung felt another tickling echo of the command. He was more sure every time he heard Jungkook's voice shift from casual to commanding. Even more so because giving those commands had embarrassed Jungkook before, but now he did it easily and comfortably. "Later," he promised."Was that detailed enough?" Jungkook asked Jin like a petulant child, still pissed off at not being trusted."Are you coming with us?" Jin asked Taehyung."I mean, I'm doing whatever Jungkook says, but yes.""The rules have been observed, however you've managed to twist them, I'm satisfied. Namjoon?" Namjoon waved, no comment. "Hope?" Hope said he was good. "Wooyoung?""Who, me? I say stuff?" Jimin's kid said. Jin impatiently told him he was part of their family now. The kid giggled and blushed at that, somewhat like Jimin. "Sure, I mean…" he noticed Jungkook glaring at him and put a finger to his cheek. "Hm, I don't know, Kookie-bro is so rude to me all the time for no reason.""Kookie-bro?" Taehyung coughed and couldn't hold back laughter.Jungkook had taken a couple of steps towards the kid, who put up his hands and, while laughing happily, assured everyone that he was fine with whatever Kookie-bro wanted. "Enjoy it while it lasts, because the first thing I'm telling you after I've gotten my fangs in your neck is to never say that again," Jungkook told Taehyung."The nicknames are worse than Jimin's," Hope said, sounding oddly proud. "I'm Hobit.""Suga, your turn," Jin said."Why does he get a say," Taehyung demanded."Because ten minutes ago he accepted Hope's offer to come along," Jin said, "which gives him the same rights as any other member of this family."Taehyung stared at Suga in silence, Suga's eyes going back and forth between him and Jungkook. Suga had never been anything but critical to their relationship. Being first by ten minutes was going to give him the right to veto the most important moment of Taehyung's life?"Is there anything you need to take care of before leaving?" Suga asked. "Your family?"Oh shit. "I said I'd go visit them next week," he remembered."We can wait here a week," Jimin offered."Or... couldn't we go visit them together?" Jungkook wondered. He looked around at the others. "We're on the road right now anyway, it wouldn't take that long."Namjoon looked thoughtful. "If we arrive at sundown we can spend the night with them and move on in the morning, without them suspecting anything," he suggested."You want to meet my parents?" Taehyung asked, stunned."And your sister," Jungkook said."That's totally insane and I love it," Hope said. "A vampire road trip, spending a night with a normal countryside family, drinking Irish coffee and eating home made buns and telling them backstories we've lied together that make any sense at all for a normal person, it's psychotic and amazing, please can we do it.""Sounds cute," Jimin said. He spun the chair and looked at his adopted son thoughtfully. "Maybe you could stay there. Taehyung, do you think your parents could help him get settled in?"Taehyung nodded. A replacement son, he pondered, looking at the kid glancing around. A replacement big brother?
"Me, in the countryside?" the kid asked. "You're just going to dump me in some… dump?""You make friends easily, you'll be fine," Jimin said. Noticing Wooyoung's hesitant expression, he added, "Don't you want a normal life? To put all this behind you?""You're just saying that to get rid of me. I'm fine! I'm used to this... stuff now, it's fine!"Jimin smiled and shook his head, but didn't seem to know what to say."Could we go?" Taehyung asked Jin.Jin turned to Namjoon. "Jimin and I make the mundane decisions," Namjoon said. "I think it sounds like a good way to tie up loose ends. We can put together a job contract that you can show them, to explain why you're leaving and why you're sending them so much money.""Suga?" Jin said again."It's a good thing Jungkook was away when they voted on me coming along" Suga said. "I'm going to be such a pain in his ass, looking out for you."Jungkook stuck his hands in his pockets and grunted in agreement."That's everyone," Jin said."Hey, you didn't ask me," Jimin cut in.Jin gave him a slow blink. "Moving on, I accept appointing Jungkook as your advocate, able to consent if you cannot, but Namjoon will need to draw up a simple document for you both to sign.""I'm not waiting for that!" Taehyung protested. Jungkook fidgeted behind him, agreeing."There's templates, give me fifteen minutes," Namjoon promised. "I'll go down to the staff office right away." He patted Taehyung's shoulder. "Good to have you back." And left."What is the deal with all the signing papers!" Taehyung asked."This is a court," Jin repeated and left to help Namjoon.There was no point arguing, and fifteen minutes was acceptable. Taehyung jumped up and sat on the desk where Namjoon had been leaning against it, and Jungkook came over to stand in front of him instead of by the door."No one's going to come after him, right? To my parents'?" Taehyung asked, looking at the kid.Jungkook shook his head. "You don't need to worry about that.""They're all dead," the kid stated. His animated face went blank and still. All vampires looked away at once, as if on cue, studying floors and walls. Hope reached over and patted the kid's shoulder, a little awkwardly. "You should have seen it," the kid said, brightening again, looking at Taehyung. "He's like Captain America, or Captain Kookie-bro I guess-" Jungkook turned towards him frowning and the kid squeaked into laughter, hiding behind his hands."You know the more you get angry, the more fun he has," Jimin chuckled."Sure, Mini-Man," Jungkook told him. Jimin wrinkled his nose a little."An entire kingslayer line, elder and all!" The kid mimed grabbing something and tearing it apart. "He ripped them to pieces like…" His eyes filled with something else, a flash of pain and anger and vengeance, before he visibly threw it aside and forced the cheerful tone back. "Wham! Just like that, no sweat, barely a scratch on him! Your boyfriend is a superhero!"The memory of Jungkook standing over the hunters' dead bodies rose in his mind, and suddenly Taehyung hesitated. All this death and violence. It wasn't like we could send him back to a kingslayer , Jungkook had said. "What do kingslayers do?" he asked, and immediately regretted asking because the haunted look returned to the kid's face and he pulled his legs up and curled up hugging them."They have poisons in their fangs, like snakes," Jimin answered, fiddling with a detail on his jacket. "All kinds of different types, all of them bad. The problem is they can only drink blood infused with their own poison, and eventually they start associating the suffering of their victims with the high of drinking, and-""It all goes to shit from there," Hope broke in, casting a worried glance at the kid like he didn't want any more details mentioned in front of him. "Anyway, Jungkook put them all down, you don't have to worry about it." Taehyung wasn't sure if Hope was talking to him or the kid.However much the kid was laughing and picking on Jungkook, maybe he was calling Jungkook a superhero because to him he was one. "Whatever is necessary," he assured Jungkook. "Captain America.""It's not a joke," Jungkook grumbled, uncomfortable. "If there was another way…"Taehyung pretended to fix Jungkook's shirt collar to try to get him to relax, and his fingers touched his skin. "Even if you're cold, you're not stiff or anything," he noted, trying to switch subjects. "So pretty." He snickered a little.Jungkook grabbed his jaw to playfully threaten him, but never got there, instead his eyes slid down Taehyung's throat like a caress. His eyelids were getting heavy, setting off happy sparks in Taehyung's gut. "I, uh, well," Taehyung stuttered, trying to come up with something to lead them away. "Did you meet any sexy… any cute girls?" He watched Jungkook carefully for the reaction."Dozens," Jungkook said, a small smile playing over his lips."Don't be an asshole," Jimin told him."I already answered that," Jungkook defended himself."No you didn't, you just said it was a stupid question," Taehyung thought."It is," Jungkook maintained.Jimin waved at his son to help, and the kid gave a thumbs down. "Boo, asshole!"Jungkook, easily provoked by the kid, rolled his eyes."Such a player," Hope said. "What about that girl with the great," he put his hands on his chest. "Didn't you tell her she was special?""Yeah, her, the red haired one," the kid said. "That you gave a ride on your bike!"Taehyung felt his own eyes widen, his heartbeat pick up, and Jungkook took his neck and glared at the guys on the couch. "Don't do that, he'll believe you!" He stared into Taehyung's eyes. "It's a stupid question," he told him firmly. "There's no girls. Or guys. Or pets of any kind. Only you.""He did kiss a girl," Jimin giggled.Jungkook's patience was running out, something dangerously close to a broody pout on his lips. "She kissed me because she was drunk off her ass," he said. "Stop upsetting him."It was too cute, he felt better. Taehyung nuzzled slightly into his arm and asked, "Don't you have questions too?""I'm not very good at questions," Jungkook admitted. "Tell me something?""I finished one more short film," Taehyung said after a moment of thinking. "And they're sending the first one to a festival competition in august. I don't expect anything but it's cool that it'll be shown, right?""My pet, the movie star," Jungkook mused."I think you could expect, it looked really good," Jimin said."You saw my film?"Jungkook's eyebrows came up at his surprised tone. "I know how to use the internet. I saw the play you did at Christmas too, someone filmed it and posted it.""Is this why you're so sure? You've been checking up on me, that's why you're so confident I would love you after the bite faded? Has Suga been spying on me? Yugyeom?""Calm down," Jungkook said. "No one's been spying on you. Mostly I was an idiot, but also," he nodded at the choker, "the months passed, and the rumors said you were still wearing that.""For protection," Taehyung maintained.Jungkook looked like he thought that was ridiculous, and Jimin explained, "We kept hearing that the manager for this place was hot, but good luck trying to get some. He won't give up a drop, won't bend the rules even with fangs right in his face, nothing gets to him.""The mark didn't protect you, you protected yourself," Jungkook said.
"You told anyone who asked that it was just a sentimental trinket," Jimin smiled. "Because of that they started saying, he wears that imperator's mark like a hunting trophy. He doesn't care about protection, just wants to show off that he's the only one who's ever gotten Jin's golden boy to go down." Taehyung was blushing and laughing and choking because what the hell?Jungkook smiled, proud. "My pet, the movie star!""It wasn't on purpose!" Taehyung told him. "I said it was a trinket because I was afraid if they knew how important it was to me, they'd take it or break it!"Jungkook ruffled his hair a little, and Jimin said, "We can't take marks. No other vampire than the one who gave it can take it off.""You never tell me anything!" Taehyung complained. "I took it off in front of them to prove it wasn't important! Oh fuck me, that's why they thought I was arrogant!" The guys were laughing, and it wasn't funny because he'd been so afraid and so tired having to act tough all the time, but he was so relieved it was over that he laughed with them. "You have to tell me things!""You should ask someone else," Suga suggested. "Considering his track record.""You don't need to know, you're doing fine anyway," Jungkook teased."Don't push me, I have a lot of experience dealing with annoying vampires and I'm two years older than you now," Taehyung threatened.Jungkook came over to wrap an arm around his waist and pull him away from the desk. Trying to maintain his status as older, Taehyung leaned his head back to attempt to get a centimeter or two on him, and chewed on his lower lip. Unfortunately that bared his throat and when Jungkook dove for it, adrenaline shot through him and he fought to free himself."Aaah, no! Not yet!" A pinch, and Jungkook's tongue lapping up a drop of blood. "Jungkook! Don't get carried away!""I'm also older now, and have better control," Jungkook informed him."He's gotten zero practice, so no," Hope told him. The kid was watching them like he was at a tennis game, fascinated."You know," Jungkook said thoughtfully, allowing Taehyung to push them apart a few centimeters. "Some vampires use their pets as… spokespersons. You're clearly better at talking than I am, so if I back you up, you could handle vampires the way you have now, and maybe we wouldn't have to fight so much. If you can talk our way out, I don't have to kill everything.""Wonderful," Suga said. "No pressure.""Kind of no pressure," Jungkook said. "If you fail, I get rid of the problem like I would have if you hadn't done anything.""Is this cool or psycho?" Taehyung asked the others, pointing at Jungkook, because he felt torn, himself. Jimin smiled happily, clearly thinking the former, and Suga snorted, clearly thinking the latter. Hope and the kid looked at each other, opting out. So that told him nothing. "I can try, I guess," he said. To be perfectly honest, Suga was right, he had wrangled storybook monsters with brazen proficiency, but it had also been terrifying. With Jungkook there, it'd be different. All the fun and none of… less of the scariness?The door opened again and Jin and Namjoon reentered. Namjoon was carrying a document in a plastic binder, and took it out to put it on the desk, with a pen next to it. Taehyung read it with Jungkook looking over his shoulder, and before he was done Jungkook signed his name. "You should read it," he told Jungkook, sure that he read faster."Namjoon wrote it," Jungkook said, as if that was enough for him.Taehyung took the pen from him and signed while Jungkook wandered a few steps toward the door. Under their two signatures, Namjoon and Jimin signed their names as witnesses. "That's it?" Taehyung asked. "We're done? Everything is done?" Jin nodded."Come on," Jungkook said, waving at him from the door."Wait, you have to do it here," Taehyung told him, pointing at the floor in front of Jin again.Jungkook glanced around. "Let's go to your room.""No," Taehyung insisted. "This is official business!""I don't think..." Jungkook started, eyes narrowing. Jin was watching with some amusement now, which annoyed Jungkook for some reason. Maybe he thought Jin thought Taehyung pulled strings even without any bite."Like how marriages aren't real until they're consummated, right?" Taehyung blushed slightly. "You have to bite me here, so the deal is sealed. There has to be witnesses.""Consum-huh?" Jungkook said."That is all bullshit," Hope said. "You just want to be bitten in front of an audience. No one wants to see your..." He paused, because the kid, chewing on his lip, had poked his side.Jungkook had come a few steps back into the room, mostly to talk to him, and Taehyung walked up in front of him. He took the choker off and stuffed it in Jungkook's pocket, which already made Jungkook lick his lips, and leaned his head to the side watching Jungkook's eyes run over the exposed veins. His pulse was going up at the same rate as the glow in Jungkook's eyes intensified. "Please bite me," he whispered, feeling a little shy suddenly.Jungkook's claim to have gotten better control had been somewhat overstated. His hands closed around Taehyung's shoulders, grip crushing harder than he'd dared to do before."No going back," Taehyung told him."Never," Jungkook promised, and his fangs pierced Taehyung's skin.Taehyung felt his body arch and then lost control of it. Swallowed by a familiar, dark ocean, for a second the icy waters made his body gasp for breath by itself. He wanted to swim down, hurry, because he couldn't wait, but he had no control, could only slowly sink. Down there in the soothing darkness was eternity with Jungkook, the most secure he could ever be, impossible to separate from him again. All he had to do was let it happen, and he couldn't do anything else even if he'd wanted to.Re-entering reality was always a first instant of absolute pain, when the bliss was torn away and even the smallest slightly uncomfortable thing felt unbearable. Jungkook was holding him up. "Taehyung," he growled in his ear. "You will never, ever call me Kookie-bro again."Taehyung laughed, feeling Jungkook's command surge through his body, like his senses unfolding to make him able to feel things a human shouldn't be able to. Both the laughter and the high of domination greatly eased the transition, he managed to stand up on his own. "Yes, sir," he teased, finding his voice a little thick. Some of the others were also chuckling."I wish I could tell everyone else the same thing," Jungkook said, shooting a pointed glare at Jimin's child, and his eyes were still glowing faintly.The kid laughed, blushing, fear and fascination in his eyes. "You like it?" he asked Taehyung, with a strange tone like he really needed the answer to be yes."Like it is an understatement," Jungkook answered for him. Taehyung smiled."Isn't it scary?"Taehyung shook his head at the kid, but then Suga talking about romanticizing stuff came back and he wondered if he wanted to glorify the vampire thing to an abused teenager, and he changed to nodding. Then paused. Both felt like lying somehow. "I'm just trying to follow my heart," he tried to explain. "No matter what people say or what I think is difficult or cool or embarrassing, I want to be honest with myself about what I want." The kid looked surprised, then thoughtful."Are you happy now? Is it con… consum… whatever, can we go?" Jungkook asked impatiently."Where?" Taehyung asked, a little out of it still. "Why?" He'd already drank. Not that Taehyung would object to more biting."I'll be nice and warm in a minute," Jungkook told him, with a crooked smile."Oh," Taehyung said, because he'd forgotten. He'd fallen back into the habit of thinking Jungkook only humored his desires because he wanted blood, and if Jungkook bit him it meant he wouldn't get any more. But, "You love me," he remembered, with wonder. Not just tonight, but every night from now on."I love you," Jungkook confirmed and pulled on his arm again."I love you too," Taehyung said.He met Jungkook's eyes and felt himself light up in places, anticipating. Oh fucking hell he'd missed this so much. "Tell me."Jungkook's eyes filled up with desire, a different kind of hunger but just as overwhelming, the grip around Taehyung's wrist hardened. "Go to your room," he said, the sweet drug of the command like the realization of the sweet promise of his perfume. Taehyung was pulled in close, so Jungkook could murmur in his ear, although they both knew the vampires could still hear him. "You really want me to fuck you. So when you get there, you're going to take off your clothes and get on the bed, and show me how you want me to do it.""Yes, sir," Taehyung said, and heard the shivers running down his spine in his voice.Before the door closed behind them, he heard the kid say, "I think I want to try staying with regular people."And Jimin answer, "I know."

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30th

The sound of many blunt claws scratching the hard floor preceded two dogs crashing in through the unlocked door, one small and fluffy and one big, black and lean. They jumped up onto the bed, making Taehyung groan as they stepped all over him. "Not in the bed!" he yelled.Both dogs more or less fell out of the bed, ran a few steps away and came back, standing by the side waiting, panting, confused."This is your fault, you keep letting them in here," Taehyung complained, pushing Jungkook off of him. Jungkook made a very low-effort attempt at keeping him there, rolling his eyes with a smile, but he got out of bed."At night it's my rules. What was it you said," Jungkook said, lazily spread out on the crimson sheets, naked, "before sunrise, they're your sons. From some kids' movie?""Some kids' movie? The Lion King! It's classic!" Taehyung sighed dramatically. He was the pet of an uncivilized, uncultured brute."They don't jump in during the day, do they," Jungkook maintained. "They're good dogs. Yes you are." Both dogs came closer to bump Jungkook's extended hand with their noses, wondering if they'd be yelled at again. "They understand day rules and night rules, unlike you."Taehyung had to gather himself to stay serious, wondering where the vampire movie was that showed its broody male lead baby-talking his scary big black dog. "Out," Taehyung told the dogs, holding the door. They stared at him, clearly thinking he was not the dad in charge at night."Stop yelling at them," Jungkook said.Taehyung glared at him, sure that he hadn't even realized he'd just given a command. An uncivilized, uncultured, oblivious, stubborn idiot brute. "Fine, sure, but you're not getting laid with the kids in the room."Jungkook licked his lips, definitely aware of the command, "Come back here and we'll see about that." He got hold of Taehyung's wrist and pulled him back into bed, and on top of himself. Trapping him there with his arms around his waist, Jungkook watched him squirm and complain with a smile on his lips.Wiggling around while pressed chest to chest against Jungkook's firm body pretty quickly distracted Taehyung from the dogs. "The door is open," Taehyung pointed out."The others are busy," Jungkook countered."They'll hear.""They're vampires," Jungkook said. "They hear just as well with the door closed.""Wait…" Taehyung felt himself blush. "I… they…" He hadn't thought about this before. "Last night I… said a lot of things that…""Mm, you should have seen the way Suga glared at me after," Jungkook grinned, and mimicked, "Master, please.""We were playing!" Taehyung protested, cheeks getting redder. Although he didn't know why he defended himself to Jungkook who had been a central part of the proceedings and had certainly seemed to enjoy himself. Jungkook was nodding with a very annoying, smug expression though. "Wait, you can hear when the other guys get it on? You can turn your hearing off!""No, we can't. The senses are what they are," Jungkook said, not sure at the turn this conversation had taken. His hands swept down over Taehyung's ass. "Hey, want your birthday present?" He squeezed a little."Wait," Taehyung said, slapping his hand. "You listen to the other guys having sex? You… have you ever gotten off to it? Have you since we-""Taehyung," Jungkook said, somewhere between amused and desperate. Since Taehyung kept rambling, he kissed him. "Relax," he tried, and Taehyung felt himself settle down. "I said do you want your present?""What is it?" Taehyung asked, looking around but he already knew there were no presents in the room. Jungkook had had flowers delivered for him in the afternoon, but there had been no other presents, so Taehyung had searched everywhere. Just for fun. He'd found nothing. This morning Jungkook had fallen asleep here in bed instead of going to his coffin, so now as night fell Taehyung had come to wake him up and been trapped in harmless cuddles for a while, trying not to be too nosy about presents."Me," Jungkook said, snickering."You?" Taehyung's eyes narrowed. "Did you forget my birthday?""Excuse me," Jungkook said, insulted. "I've prepared your present for a while, you have no idea what I had to suffer through to get it. Remember the guy I talked to this morning before we went to bed, in the black hat? He's a kingslayer, a kind of famous one.""The crazy poison guys?""Mm, except this guy is unique. They all have their own poisons, and one of his is special because it doesn't hurt. In fact, it does way better than that. And I bought a taste. But he said," Jungkook licked a human canine with a smile that made Taehyung's stomach flutter, "I should wait until tonight, when the power is fading, or it'll be too strong. And we better make sure not to get interrupted for a couple of hours because you'll be riding so high it won't-" He blinked, like something had stung him. "I thought you turned that off!"Taehyung rolled off him and reached for his phone on the nightstand, which had both sound and vibration turned off. Jungkook could sense the signals, so he had to completely turn it off most of the time to not annoy him. "It's my birthday, I want to get the birthday wishes," he said, checking the message he'd gotten. Wooyoung had sent a photo of himself, some other guy and Taehyung's sister, holding up a card saying Happy Birthday.Taehyung wondered how many far too old guys his sister was hanging out with, with her replacement big brother. He replied questioning if she was allowed to be out this late, but mostly to tease them. Wooyoung was endlessly grateful for his new home, adoptive family and calm country life, and very protective of her. He instantly got an answer calling him grandpa and asking if it wasn't time to become a vampire before all his teeth fell out. Jungkook saw it and laughed."Um, do you… think I'm old?" Taehyung wondered. He was only a couple of years older than Jungkook, but maybe Jungkook wouldn't like him being too old.Jungkook laughed again. "I'll love you the same when you're fifty," he promised. "And you'll be just as handsome then. Hm, but won't you start feeling weird about being together with a kid?"Shaking his head, Taehyung kissed him briefly. "Won't it be cool," he thought, imagining it, "when I'm thirty, and people will think you're my twink boy toy?" He could see it, sitting out in the clubs with Jungkook on his arm, showing off like a smug asshole.Jungkook's eyes lit up with simmering desire. "You'd like that, wouldn't you," he growled playfully and tickled him, not stopping until he squealed and begged for mercy."Hm, maybe, I was thinking," Taehyung panted, when they lay tangled together, "maybe I should be a daywalker. I would honestly be shit at fighting anyway, so any fighting abilities would be wasted on me, and a daywalker could be useful to you guys. And Yugyeom could turn me since we-"Jungkook growled again, nipping at his ear."Don't be jealous," Taehyung told him. "I said I don't think I want to be an imperator, and like, I don't want to be your kid, and if I'm Jin's kid I'm kind of your brother, it's too weird.""You're weird," Jungkook informed him. "You know what people will think when you're thirty? That you're some desperate guy I'm playing with, who'll do anything to get to stay with me."
Taehyung shuddered a little thinking of people watching them together, wondering what pathetic things he did to keep Jungkook's interest. They'd see that silky collar around an older guy's throat and imagine the bruises on his knees and his eager whimpers. His cheeks were heating up, even more so because he knew Jungkook could hear his heartbeat and that it turned him on."Mm, so clearly we don't have to worry about your age for a while," Jungkook said, sliding a hand over his skin. "So, do you want your present…" He glared at the phone that Taehyung had dropped in the bed. "Put that away for a second, it's so loud. Something is happening outside? I think we have to take a look."They threw on clothes, Taehyung his Christmas themed striped shirt and slacks, Jungkook a hockey hoodie and workout pants. Even if Jungkook still wore silk and leather for work, Taehyung was coming to appreciate his own fashion, or lack thereof, more and more. Wandering into the hallway they met Hope and Suga coming out of an office.Steps, running. "Guys!" Jimin came around the corner so fast he had to catch himself on the wall, snow flying around him from his hair and shoulders. Behind him came another guy, same height as Jimin, dark haired, slim. Probably close to Taehyung's age or slightly older."Here we go," Jungkook told Taehyung, pushing him aside. "Another stray." Jimin and the guy passed him, as Jungkook went up to the corner and looked down the corridor, eyes lighting up. Taehyung thought he didn't look quite as intimidating in those clothes, maybe he'd forgotten what he was wearing."Sorry!" Jimin called."What the fuck," Hope said. "What is it this time?""I, um, I may have bit him," Jimin said."I volunteered," the guy claimed, but then, his judgment was no longer entirely reliable."I may have bit him but he was already bitten," Jimin said."What the fuck?!" Hope raised his voice. "What the actual fuck, Jimin? How exactly do you define stray?"Jungkook still stood in the corner looking down the corridor. Something flew past him and hit the wall, some sort of small knife. Jungkook hadn't dodged, hadn't even blinked, so whoever threw it either failed at hitting him or failed at scaring him."Sorry!" Jimin called. "But that woman was abusing him with the bite! It was the fastest way to break the bond and get him out of there!""If you get any of my pets hurt, human or canine, I will kill you myself," Jungkook told him.Taehyung herded the dogs, Jimin and his so-called stray into his and Jungkook's room. Hope and Suga took up post by the door, to make sure no one slipped in."Happy birthday?" Jimin said, trying to be cute. "You wanted a pet friend, right?""Great, thanks," Taehyung answered. "It's only my birthday for another couple of hours and I was getting laid so you better hope this doesn't take long."Jungkook backed up a few steps and a woman walked into view, eyes shining bright purple. Witch. Claws, heightened senses, did some creepy stuff with blood sacrifices, but those were slow and complicated rituals. They weren't fighters, needed time to prepare. "Taehyung, get over here already," Jungkook told him.Taehyung took a deep breath and steeled himself before walking up to Jungkook's side. "Hi," he said to the woman with his best winning smile. "I'm very sorry about my colleague, he has a problem with respecting other people's ownership.""You mean he's a thief," she said. Two more women came up behind her, their eyes glowing two different shades of red. Eclair, which was bad, and scales, which was even worse. Scales were the most brutal fighters, the only type that could rival Jungkook at raw physical strength, and the ones Jun and Eight had told him ate hearts and flesh, not only blood. The eclair was eyeing Jungkook like she knew who he was and didn't really want to be here, but the scales looked at Taehyung and licked her lips."Today is my birthday and my boyfriend was about to give me my gift," Taehyung told them and patted Jungkook's shoulder with all the cheerful confidence his acting training could produce, "and I like his sweater, I'd rather you didn't ruin it by dying all over it. So let's be civilized, and discuss how we can, uh, reimburse you for the loss of property, yeah?"He held out his hand to the vampire who could tear it off. While the purple glow faded, he saw Jungkook glance at him in the corner of his eye, and the proud little smirk that flashed by."I'm Taehyung. You look fantastic, by the way, is that jacket Dior?"
"Jisoo," she said and shook his hand, guarded but pleasantly surprised. "Good eye."
END