Chapter Text
It was late at night.
The wind howled outside, rattling faintly against the windows, while distant alley cats screeched and fought somewhere far off, their cries echoing through the quiet neighbourhood.
Inside, the house was still.
Khaotung was fast asleep, his breathing steady, chest rising and falling in a slow, even rhythm. His body had long given in to exhaustion, unaware of anything beyond the comfort of his bed.
Unbeknownst to him, a shadow crept closer.
Slowly.
Silently.
A hand reached out, hovering just above his neck before gently brushing against his skin, as if testing, as if resisting.
Then
Khaotung’s eyes snapped open.
He shot up slightly, his breath catching. He glanced around the empty room in panic.
“Was that a dream?”
In the living room
“What do you think you’re doing?” First said, his hand gripping tightly around Leo’s arm.
“Just getting to know our new friend,” Leo replied casually, “He smelled really nice. I wanted to find out what perfume he uses.”
“It’s dangerous. You have to be careful, he can’t find out,” First said flatly, his grip not loosening.
“Aww, are you worried for me?” Leo teased, “Oh my god! Are you up this late because you were waiting for me?”
“You’re so full of yourself,” First said as he let Leo’s arm go.
Leo chuckled, clearly amused.
“Hey,” he added, “He’s cute.”
“Who? Him?”
“Yeah.”
“Cute my ass.”
“Sure, your ass is cute,” Leo shot back smoothly, “But he’s cuter, I think.”
First huffed in annoyance.
“I don’t understand why me going to uni suddenly means that we have to live with a human.”
“To learn how to blend in, I guess. I don’t know what Namtan has in mind either,” Leo said casually.
Then, as if remembering something, he pulled out a thermal cup out of his bag, “Speaking of blending in…here. I bought you some soup. It’s good for your, uh, condition.”
First narrowed his eyes slightly.
“How did you know I was sick?”
“Namtan told me.”
“Of course she did,” First muttered, “Damn it. I can’t even stand in the sun for more than 2 hours. How am I supposed to go to uni? I just wanted to find a book.”
“You mean this book?” Leo said, pulling something out.
A first edition copy of The Shape of Love.
First’s eyes widened the moment he saw it.
“No way.”
He sat up straighter, the irritation completely gone from his face.
“Where did you get this?” he asked, almost in disbelief as he took it from Leo, “This is a first edition copy of The Shape of Love.”
Leo leaned back casually.
“I told you,” he said, “I have my ways.”
First flipped through the pages carefully, almost reverently, like he was afraid of damaging it.
“I’ve been looking for this everywhere,” he murmured.
“I know.”
A small pause.
“Thank you.”
Leo smiled.
“You can always repay me,” he said lightly, tapping his cheek, “With a kiss right here.”
First held the book up with an empty stare.
“Do you want me to hit you with this book?”
Leo laughed.
The tension eased.
For a moment, the two of them simply sat there, First quietly flipping through the pages and Leo watching him with an amused expression.
From upstairs, unnoticed, Khaotung stood by the railing, peeking down.
He blinked.
“Huh,” he muttered softly. His gaze lingered on First for a second longer, “So he does know how to smile.”
In the other room
“You know…” Mix said, rolling dramatically onto his back, staring up at the ceiling, “I heard that human blood is delicious.”
Earth slowly turned toward him.
“Well,” he said thoughtfully, “We do have a human in our house now.”
Silence.
Then suddenly Earth grabbed Mix by the shoulders with wide eyes.
“This is a sign.”
Mix blinked.
“What?”
“This is fate,” Earth continued, his voice rising with excitement, “This is the universe telling us something.”
Mix’s eyes widened.
“No way.”
“Yes way,” Earth said, shaking him slightly, “This is God telling us that our time has finally come.”
A pause.
“IT IS!” Mix shot up instantly, “OUR TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED! QUICK! GET THE BOOK!”
Earth leaped off the bed and rushed to their shelf, digging through piles of books before pulling out an old, dusty, black leather-bound one. The pages were yellowed, edges torn, the spine barely holding together.
They flipped straight to the middle.
Earth cleared his throat.
“When a vampire feeds on a human,” he read out dramatically, “It is important not to cause harm and to keep your identity a secret.”
Mix leaned in.
“To feed,” Earth continued, “You must bite the vein directly and only take an appropriate amount, or else you will lose control.”
“Okay, okay,” Mix said, flipping the page eagerly, “Conditions of a suitable human…”
He squinted.
“Height, weight, diseases…”
He froze.
“Why is this so detailed?”
He flipped faster.
“Blood type? Body fat percentage? Nutritional status??”
He dropped the book dramatically.
“THIS IS TOO MUCH, MAN!”
Earth frowned.
“Should we ask Leo?”
They both looked at each other.
“…Yeah.”
The next day
Khaotung was out for his first day of internship.
Earth, Mix, and Leo were huddled together in the living room, their heads close as they whispered intensely.
“Why is First suddenly changing his room?” Mix whispered.
“I don’t know,” Earth replied, “Did something happen?”
“Hmm was it because of me?” Leo asked.
“What? What did you do?”
“I tried to suck-”
“BRO WHAT THE HELL?!” Mix exploded, “You should have waited for us!”
“Yeah!” Earth added, “This is our only chance, Leo! You better get me some!”
“Relax,” Leo said, holding up his hands, “I couldn’t even do it. First dragged me out before anything happened.”
“Hmmm I wonder,” Mix said slowly, “Why isn’t First tempted?”
“He hates it,” Leo said simply, “Half-bloods don’t crave it the same way we do.”
Earth leaned forward slightly.
“Is it really that good, Leo? Human blood, I mean.”
“How does it compare to blood plasma?”
Leo immediately looked offended.
“Don’t ever compare human blood to blood plasma,” he said, “It’s on a completely different level. The moment you sink your teeth into human skin, the sweetness just fills your mouth instantly, and when it flows through your oesophagus-”
“What flows through your oesophagus?”
They froze.
Slowly, all 3 turned.
First was leaning against the hallway wall, arms crossed, staring at them.
“I just remembered I have something to do,” Leo said quickly, already walking away.
“Me too,” Earth added.
“Me three,” Mix said, disappearing just as fast.
Later that evening, Khaotung found himself standing in front of the house door, clutching a box of pastries his boss had given him, contemplating life. His boss’s words rang in his head.
Here, a box of pastries. You can share it with your housemates to get closer to them. Works every time!
He looked down at the box.
“I’m going to be here for a month anyway,” he murmured, “Might as well try to get along… right?”
Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside.
And froze.
All his belongings were gathered in the living room.
“What the fuck?”
He turned just in time to see First coming down the stairs, holding another box.
Khaotung stared at him in disbelief.
“What the hell, man?!” he screamed.
“Huh,” First replied blankly.
“You know, if you don’t like me, just tell me straight to my face. you don’t have to show it like this! There are other ways! Like telling me!”
First said nothing.
Khaotung continued, frustration spilling out.
“You talk about personal space, and now you’re touching my stuff? Don’t worry, First. I will move out after one month. Do you really think I want to stay here? I will happily move all my things out once the month ends! I don’t ever want to see your- your- ridiculous face again!”
Behind them, Earth, Mix, and Leo stood silently, watching.
“What’s wrong with them?” Earth whispered.
“Don’t you have anything to say?” Khaotung demanded, arms flailing.
“You’re right,” First said flatly, “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Mix quickly stepped forward, tapping Khaotung’s shoulder.
“Uh… Khaotung?”
“Yeah?” he turned.
“We texted in the group. First moved your room downstairs.”
Khaotung blinked.
“Huh? So I’m not getting kicked out?”
“No, silly,” Earth laughed, “He gave you the bigger, nicer room downstairs.”
Khaotung felt his heart drop.
Outside, later
Khaotung spotted First again.
“Hey,” he started, his voice coming out more awkward than he intended, a hand rubbing the back of his neck, “Sorry about earlier. I honestly thought I was about to get exiled or something.”
First didn’t respond.
Khaotung hesitated for a brief moment, then forced himself to continue anyway
“I just- I want to get along,” Khaotung continued, “Even if it’s just one month. We’re living under the same roof, right? It’s gonna be my home-”
“This isn’t your home,” First replied coldly.
Before he could respond, First turned and walked away without another glance.
Khaotung stood there, rooted in place, watching as First’s figure slowly disappeared from view.
“Right,” he muttered under his breath.
From the side, Leo stepped forward quietly.
“He may sound cold,” Leo said quietly, his gaze following the direction First had gone, “But he changed rooms for your sake. He felt like you shouldn’t be left alone upstairs.”
Khaotung let out a soft scoff, crossing his arms as he turned slightly toward Leo, “And how do you know it’s not for his own personal gain?”
Leo let out a small chuckle, shaking his head lightly.
“First is…” he paused briefly, as though searching for the right words, before continuing, “Well, once you get to know all of us better, you’ll eventually realise that he’s probably the most humane out of all of us.”
Khaotung frowned.
“First? Humane?” he scoffed again, unconvinced, “You’re only saying that because you’re close to him.”
Leo tilted his head slightly, a faint hint of curiosity crossing his face, “We look close?”
Khaotung shrugged, glancing away, “Last time I checked, yeah.”
Leo smiled faintly, though something about it seemed a little sad.
“Anyway,” he said after a short pause, “Just try not to fight with him. Get along if you can.”
The Next Day
The kitchen was filled with a gentle kind of warmth that made the entire space feel almost homey, the soft sizzle of butter melting against a heated pan blending with the faint sweetness of eggs and milk, while the comforting aroma of toast crisping to a perfect golden brown lingered in the air.
Khaotung moved with quiet confidence, completely in his element.
He whisked eggs smoothly, dipped slices of bread with practiced ease, and placed them carefully onto the pan. At the same time, he chopped lettuce, diced tomatoes, and mixed a simple dressing from scratch, tasting it briefly before nodding in satisfaction.
Everything he did felt natural.
Effortless.
From the doorway, Earth, Mix, and Leo stood watching in complete silence
“Is he a chef?” Mix whispered under his breath, eyes fixed on Khaotung’s movements.
“I don’t think normal humans cook like that,” Earth whispered back.
Leo, however, remained silent, his gaze steady and unreadable as he continued observing.
A few minutes later, Khaotung turned around with a small, shy smile.
“I made breakfast,” he said, placing the plates down in front of them.
Golden French toast with fresh salad on the side.
It looked picture perfect. Like Khaotung pulled it out of a cooking magazine.
Mix stared at it and whispered to the others, “But we can’t eat this.”
Leo ignored him entirely, reaching forward without hesitation to pick up a piece.
“He made it for us,” he said simply, “Don’t be rude.”
With a deep breath, he took a bite.
Earth and Mix leaned in immediately, watching his reaction like their lives depended on it.
Leo chewed.
Paused.
Then frowned
“Did you put something in this?” he asked, his tone suddenly serious.
Khaotung froze instantly, “What?”
Mix and Earth leaned even closer.
“Is it poison?” Mix whispered in panic.
“Or holy water?” Earth added with wide eyes.
Leo swallowed, “Khaotung…this is SO GOOD!”
Earth, Mix and Khaotung watched in astonishment as Leo started to stuff his face with whatever Khaotung had prepared.
Then
“GIVE ME THAT-”
“HEY I WANT SOME TOO-”
“STOP EATING EVERYTHING-”
Khaotung blinked, stunned, “But it’s just toast…” he muttered weakly.
Right then, First walked in.
Khaotung instinctively picked up a slice of bread.
“Do you want some?” he asked, holding it out.
First barely glanced at it, “I’m full.”
And walked past.
Khaotung slowly lowered the plate, his shoulders slumping slightly.
Later
Khaotung was deep-cleaning the house. He was wiping down surfaces, reorganizing shelves, and vacuuming corners that looked like they hadn’t been touched in years..
“At least I can be useful,” he murmured under his breath, glancing around at the now noticeably cleaner space.
From the living room, 3 pairs of eyes were on him.
Earth leaned slightly toward Mix, “He’s very… domestic.”
Mix nodded slowly, “Yeah…or he is just hardworking?”
Leo, who had been leaning casually against the wall, said nothing at first.
His gaze followed Khaotung’s every movement carefully.
“You cook,” Leo said casually, breaking the silence.
Khaotung looked up, “…Yeah?”
“You clean.”
“…Yeah?”
A small pause.
Leo tilted his head slightly, “You work so hard. You don’t eat much, do you?”
Khaotung frowned, confused, “I mean… I eat a normal amount?”
Another pause.
Leo pushed himself off the wall and walked a little closer, as if trying to get a better look.
“So how much do you weigh?”
Khaotung froze mid-wipe, “What?”
The vampires were all gathered together in the living room, their expressions unusually serious, On the table between them law an open book, its pages filled with Vampire Information Earth and Mix had been reading,
“His weight doesn’t meet the requirement,” Mix said as he tapped lightly against the page.
Earth nodded, “Based on the criteria, he fulfilled each and every compulsory one except weight.”
“Then we ask him to move out,” Mix suggested after a moment of silence, “If he’s not useful to us, there’s no reason to keep him here.”
“Or,” Leo cut in smoothly, “We make him meet the requirement.”
All eyes turned on him.
“We make him gain weight. We feed him properly, make sure he gets good sleep, and build him up over time.”
“You guys are crazy,” First said with a huff.
“I heard no objection there,” said Leo with a smirk, “We start tomorrow.”
And just like that, the vampires had a completely normal plan to take care of Khaotung.
To make sure that he eats well, rests enough, and has a great 1 month stay.