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Vampires weren’t real. They weren’t. They only existed within pages of fantasy universes, where garlic and sunlight were fatal, damned by crucifixes and exorcisms. They were imagined to be creatures that slept in coffins, hid away in dungeons, and stalked the streets at vulnerable hours of the night to prey upon their next victim, all while exhibiting supernatural abilities that helped them go undetected for centuries, only dying with a stake to the heart, arson, or gross decapitation
Humans demonized their fanged counterparts, and through years of skillful hunting, they were finally convinced of complete annihilation. However, they were ignorant of the creatures' adaptability in the 21st century, and vampires were able to successfully deceive them, living amongst mortals without detection.
Some vampires, the luckiest of their families, are granted unique powers that with training can control them with fine divination. Individuals who are blessed and not limited to, increased strength, otherworldly agility, telekinetic abilities or even memory alteration, each gifted creature are sought out to be strongest of their name.
The truth behind the myths and legends of vampires was meant to be secret, only shared and kept by a trusted few. But one fateful day, the existence of these wondrous creatures fell into the hands of an unsuspecting victim; someone in the right place at the wrong time.
Park Jimin had no intention to figure out if there was any truth to the existence of vampires, or receive the punishment of a gruesome death if he was unable to keep his lips shut. So he wished–he oh so desperately wished–that everything about Kim Taehyung was nothing but a sick dream.
~ ~ ~
A family decided to sell their generational home after their millennial-aged children had no desire of living in it. Being too large to upkeep, it didn’t fit into their plans post-high school. The house was behind many modern-day trends, but nonetheless still gorgeous and very well kept. If Jimin didn’t make the move to buy this house right away, it would, without a doubt, sell very quickly — and he simply couldn’t let that happen. He knew that after flipping this house inside and out, it would be his crowned jewel.
Before prospective homeowners came marching through the front door, he snatched the house off the market before anyone could even have a glimpse at it. A little selfish, but what can he do? It’s just good business.
After the inspection and the appraisal, he closed the sale without haste, and the house was finally his. Walking up the steps of his new project, he unlocked the doors and walked in, embracing the aura of his next masterpiece.
Chills ran down his spine when a heavy gust of wind flew by him, followed by the slam! of the front door. Confusion clouded his thoughts as he looked outside to see the trees and grass were still, not a hint of a windy day. Ambling towards the front door, he reached out for the doorknob and was taken aback. It was locked.
Wait.
Locked?
He hoped that once opened, he would catch the neighborhood kids snickering behind a nearby car — wouldn’t be the first time it had happened. To his dismay, after he unlocked and swung the door open, no mischievous neighbors were spotted. The only thing out of the ordinary was the bright red “sold” sign missing from its post in the front yard.
“It’s only me,” A deep voice hummed, startling him. He spun around, finding a tall figure, dressed head to toe in all-black chic attire. The stranger moved forward, and if it weren’t for the clicks of his soles against the hardwood, Jimin could have sworn he was gliding. He swallowed dryly as he studied the man, his side profile graced by a strong nose and sculpted jaw; he was almost hypnotizing to look at.
It was only when the stranger passed by him that he finally realized the “sold” sign was in his hands. The man walked around the empty foyer with his long-legged steps, an umbrella pressed underneath one of his arms, a questionable accessory for a clear forecast.
“And who’s me?” Jimin asked kindly, yet playfully. But he didn’t say anything, seeming to be more interested in his surroundings.
Standing in front of him, Jimin noticed how the man’s height undeniably stood out, and while he was not the tallest tree in the forest himself, he knew he couldn’t have missed this man making his way through the house. Still not acknowledging him, the stranger came close enough for Jimin to see his sharp light green eyes under the ends of his curls. He stared at him, eyes delving into the color of his lips, his glass skin, and dark eyelashes, and his stomach dropped when he looked into the man’s eyes to find his gaze already on him. Jimin’s grin turned flat to mimic his expression, and just as he was about to say something else to him, the stranger cleared his throat and handed over the ‘sold’ sign for him to take.
Jimin took the sign and kept it in his hands as he watched the man venture the house, confidence dripping with each step he took. Jimin traced behind him and wondered how many more seconds would pass before he would need to call the cops. He was about to reach for his phone when he realized… The mysterious man knew the house.
Almost as much as he did.
“Can I help you?” Jimin asked, almost demanding an answer.
“Actually,” His voice was rich like honey, “You can.” Jimin raised an eyebrow.
Jimin watched as he stood at one side of the kitchen island, and Jimin faced him from the other side. Coolly crossing his arms, Jimin placed the signage on the table, “W-with?” His voice shook, and it didn’t take a second for him to catch it.
An amused chuckle slipped past his smirk, starting to answer his question. He stood up with his straight, giving him a look that darkened so slightly. “Nice to meet you,” he smoothly started, “Call me, V. We’re going to be…” His voice and eyes trailed off in thought and an amused chuckle matched his confused curiosity, “Great… Coworkers?”
Jimin was quick to scoff, “Coworkers?”
~ ~ ~
For a first meeting, it was easy to say that it was memorable, but not favorable. It only took minutes to realize he had meter-thick walls around him and wasn’t planning on letting anyone through. He was very coy and secretive for the most part, but at the end of the conversation, at-long-last revealed that it was his family’s generational house. There were more than enough thoughts in Jimin’s mind that he wanted to ask, but the more he tried to prod, the colder he got.
Eventually, he said what he was wanting to hear.
His intention was to buy the house, but it just seemed he was just a bit too slow. They didn’t even have to negotiate the price when he slid Jimin an offer that he just couldn’t refuse. Finally, he allowed him to hover around if he had promised to not interfere — which in his opinion, meant different things.
Between working on the blueprints at his office, his studio, and checking up on the previous flip as it was going through its own open house, a week had passed since he had met Mr. Kim Taehyung, who preferred to be called “V” .
After dinner ended earlier than expected, Jimin swung by the new house to install some security cameras — a simple habit he picked up to prevent any unfortunate guests during the flip.
When the last camera was installed, he made sure all the angles were correct, then sighed in contentment.
“Keeping the demons away?” The recognizable deep voice asked as he was still at the top of the ladder.
Climbing down carefully, he tossed his tools into his storage box and turned to see the familiar face, “Only you,” he joked. Jimin laughed, Taehyung didn’t. ‘Tough crowd’ , Jimin’s conscience mumbled. Dusting his hands off on his thighs, and lifting one to him, “Good evening, V.”
“Good evening,” His voice was still as rich as ever, echoing in both ears as he took his hand to shake it. His hands were chill to touch, but whose weren’t while the late-autumn evening temperatures started to drop as the holidays approached?
Taking his hand back, Taehyung slipped it back into the front pocket of his oversized black hoodie, and they stood in silence for a few moments as they faced each other, Jimin eventually speaking up. “Hope all is well since we last met,” he says, a warm smile spreading across his lips.
“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Taehyung blandly nodded. The two of them broke eye contact as he pointed at the camera in the corner, “Do you think my family would approve?” A smug look swept across his face.
“I can’t say I knew much about them.”
“Me neither.”
...
To say that a new friendship blossomed that night, was an overstatement — to say that the both of them enjoyed each other’s company, unfortunately… Was also an overstatement. Taehyung was still peculiar in Jimin’s eyes and continued to stay cautious around him. “ He’s not wrong for that ,” Taehyung thought to himself as he sat at the table.
He had expressed his desire to continue the family’s traditions, despite kickbacks from his parents and older siblings, except for his eldest brother. Circular conversations continued between the two brothers until they got too fed up and left the house that is currently in Jimin’s hands.
Seokjin left the nest with Taehyung and only stayed long enough for Taehyung to get a hold of the world, the basics. How to grocery shop, how to cook, and do the dishes. How to live peacefully and quietly, and pick the best neighborhoods. The world became the brother’s playground, coming and going as they pleased. Hopping around different cities, sometimes even countries, but never long enough in each. Taehyung and Seokjin bonded very well, and right after Taehyung turned 20 (in human years, of course), Seokjin felt it was time they finally went their separate ways.
But only for the meantime.
Their leisurely living halted when Seokjin had heard the news from the grapevine about their family moving out of the house, out of the country even, and the two almost immediately reconvened.
“Tae? You there?” V’s beloved eldest brother leaned over to be in his view, and Taehyung snapped out of it.
“Huh, huh?” Taehyung blinked quickly, “Yeah,” He confirmed. Jin tossed him an apple, and Taehyung caught it skillfully with one hand, “Also, how many times do I need to tell you to not call me by that name?” His voice was sharp and brought the fruit up to his red lips.
The juice splattered against the corners of his lips as he sunk his teeth into it, taking a rough bite and pulling the fruit away, “It’s the only thing that snaps you out of it,” Jin laughed back. “I bet you don’t even know what I asked,” Taehyung’s eyebrows bunched together, proving that Seokjin was right, having no recollection that there was even something asked. “Hmph,” His scoff caused him to smirk, “I asked…” The dark-haired boy’s brunette eyebrow popped into question, “Are you gonna tell Jimin?”
Taehyung looked at his elder, chewed the fruit in his mouth, and swallowed it slowly. He looked back down at the apple in his hand, a slow and wicked smile spread across his lips. Jin leaned back in his seat, a playful snort followed by the roll of his dark eyes. Looking down at his fanged bite, he concealed it with a mark that of a human's.
...
In the few weeks after the ownership of the house was passed to Jimin, the progress of his project was advancing according to his schedule. Once the foundation was inspected and the blueprints were finalized, it had begun.
The exterior appearance of the house took heavy projects, a new paint job, roofing, sidings, windows, front porch, and lawn - anything that would boost the appearance. The interior on the other hand… Was going to be where most of the work happened. Just some projects on the list were replacing the flooring with updated hardwood, changing the tiled counters to marble, transitioning the attic on the third floor to a loft, redoing the whole kitchen - appliances, cabinets, and a new island to be included, along with fully remodeled bathrooms and garage. It would be a lot of exhausting work, but Jimin knew this house would become the star of the block.
Standing on the sidewalk, Jimin watched the workers march in and out of the home like ants, working their way from the top of the house down to the first floor.
“And so it begins…” Jimin’s head turned toward his new… acquaintance.
“She’s going to be a beauty,” Taehyung replied, hands in the pockets of his black jeans, his black long-sleeve shirt cuffed at his wrists. This was the first time he’d worn sunglasses, hiding his dark eyes, and now the upper half of his face.
Jimin looked up at the sky. It was lightly overcast and a bit humid, but the sun was still shining bright. Then it dawned on him, was Taehyung not hot? Taking a short breath in, “It’s pretty warm for a fall day, you’re not overheating under all your layers, are you?” Jimin asked.
Taehyung looked down at him, his lips curving in amusement, “The temperature doesn’t bother me.”
Before he could stop himself, he was reaching into his back pocket to glance at the temperature on his phone. 78° .
“Don’t believe me?” Taehyung let out a convincing chortle.
“I guess I didn’t,” Jimin replied, matching his breathy laugh with his amused smile.
...
Roughly two months had passed since the renovations had begun, and everything continued on schedule. Chuseok was coming up in the next week, and needless to say, Jimin had no plans to see his family. He had minimal contact with his father, as, during his college days, he had found out he was having an affair. His father was now a few provinces away, happily living with his stepmother and step-siblings, and they were all busy taking care of their twins, who were now roughly over a year. He would have loved to go see them, but with his hands deep into the project, and his workers off during the holiday and the following weekend, he couldn't just leave the house empty. Boo, what a shame.
Entering the house with booties and a hard hat, he wanted to see the progress of the interior and was glad he chose to. The floors had been removed throughout the house, and carefully making his way up the stairs, he was pleased to see the attic was coming along beautifully. On his way down and back into the kitchen, he noticed a familiar curly-haired figure doing his fair share of inspections as well.
It wasn’t uncommon anymore for him to show up at the house and make his silent entrance, “Y’know, your timing is impeccable,” He laughed softly, and turned around to look at Taehyung. Standing face-to-face in the now barren front living room,
“Thank you.” Taehyung gave Jimin what looked like an intended cheesy smile, but turned out to look too forced and painful.
Sighing heavily and dropping his gaze, Jimin shook his head. Taehyung wasn’t a person he remembered because of the friendly conversation, or his personable characteristics, but it was because of the lack of… everything.
“You seem disappointed,” Taehyung said, his head tilted to the side, a failed smile turned into a genuine curious look.
Biting his plump bottom lip, “No, not disappointed,” Jimin started, “It just seems like you don’t know what to say around me.”
Taehyung’s eyebrow raised, ‘Because I don’t!’ , he yelled at himself. Before his thoughts took the wheel of his actions, he told himself to chuckle, “I just had to hold back wanting to flirt with you.”
Jimin quickly rolled his eyes at him, “Flirt? Do you even know how?” He asked, under his breath. “For someone as unenthusiastic as you, I doubt you have any ability to talk to men.”
‘It’s everyone.’ Taehyung’s thoughts were too loud, and he shook them off once again, “But I do,” He started slowly.
“Do you?” He challenged back, wanting to finally see more of a playful side of him.
“I do!” Taehyung genuinely smiled this time, and Jimin’s mouth watered from the way his eyes became crescent moons, spotlighting the brightest smile he’s ever seen.
“Oh yeah?” Jimin teased back, giving him a gleam of his grin, “Well why don’t you prove it?”
Taehyung was ecstatic on the inside, it seemed like he enjoyed his joyful side. Not knowing what else to say, he just let the first words come to his mind, “Well, how about you come over for Chuseok then?” He blurted.
Taken back from his words, Jimin’s astounding look was apparent to himself and Taehyung. Needless to say, he matched his reaction. The both of them stood in silence again, stupefied from his question, their wide smiles contorted into gaping holes.
Sure, Jimin was fine being around him, as he finally became accustomed to his numerous unannounced visits, but celebrating Chuseok? Did he think they were friends? Did he think it would be… Appropriate that he invited him to his home? For this holiday? He was seconds away from declining before Taehyung cut off his racing mind.
“I’ll text you the address.” All hints of joy were gone, and he pressed his lips in a flat line once again before turning around and walking towards the front door.
“You don’t even have my number!” Jimin called out, accepting the invite. His turn was swift, long strides coming towards him as he took his phone from his back pocket. He handed it to him and watched as he quickly texted himself. “V?” His voice was soft.
“Hm?”
“Why aren’t you wearing a hard hat?” he asked honestly. This place was going through major changes, and there was never not enough protection from all the hanging things here and there.
He thought he moved discreetly enough, but Jimin caught the way his fingers momentarily froze as he typed in the number, jaw tensed. Taehyung quickly texted Jimin’s number to himself and took in a deep breath, looking up to see his brown eyes now blank, empty of the glee from before. Handing Jimin’s phone back to him, “I-I forgot to bring mine,” He stuttered, and with an embarrassing look, he turned away and zipped out of the house.
Jimin would’ve let it pass if his eyes didn’t fixate on the stack of white hardhats sitting right next to the front door.
...
After not much convincing, Jimin was able to change the time of Chuseok with his friends to an earlier time, so he could spend the evening with Taehyung. Once the mimosas’ effects had worn off, he saw he had missed one of his texts from a few hours ago.
‘A friend will be joining us, would you be so kind as to get more wine?’’ And a photo of the bottle was attached.
Typing back once he opened it, ‘Of course.’
It almost felt as if Taehyung was waiting for Jimin’s reply, that as Jimin was bidding goodbyes and final holiday greetings to his friends, his phone vibrated, indicating Taehyung’s response.
Jimin pulled out his phone once again, reading the text as he walked to his car, ‘Excellent.’
Sitting down in the driver’s seat, he replied with a smile and was on his way.
…
Taehyung had texted to park in the garage, and that he would come to fetch Jimin as he arrived and take care of the parking as he left for the evening. Before telling Taehyung he had parked on the 4th floor, he took a look at himself in the visor mirror. This was the first time he’d been completely made-up before him, and suddenly, Jimin got a bit self-conscious, fearing that he may be overdoing it. But he regained himself, knowing he looked just as attractive as he thought, and sent a short, ‘Here!’ , to Taehyung. He unbuckled himself, grabbed the wine from the passenger’s seat, and slid his way out of his car.
Pushing the door shut with his hips and searching his petite Malle to find his keys, Taehyung’s, “Let me take that for you,” startled him. Out of instinct, Jimin hastily took his keys between his knuckles and swung around, the wine bottles falling out of his arms. Taehyung didn’t even flinch as he swooped up the wine in one arm and caught his wrist in the other.
“V!” Jimin exclaimed, “Jesus-” He let out a heavy sigh, “Can you be louder when you approach?” Jimin snatched his wrist out of his hand.
Taehyung on the other hand was frozen, ‘He didn’t see that, right?’ , and quickly put himself back in motion as he started to move. He relaxed, holding the paper bag with the wine bottles.
“Lead the way,” Jimin said collectively, and Taehyung nodded, turning on his heel and heading to the elevators.
Jimin followed just a step behind, putting his hand back into his purse and looking over his shoulder, recalling Taehyung’s superb coordination at catching his wrist and wine at the same time. Glancing at him, he played it off by locking his car once more and finally giving Taehyung his full attention.
As much as Jimin tried to forget what just happened in the garage, he so desperately wanted to ask him how he was able to move like that. His thoughts were consumed by the fact that Taehyung moved graciously like running water.
The only thing that broke his long train of thought, was the opening of the elevator doors. On the way up, he looked over at the taller man, who was dressed comfily for the evening.
Though it had been hours since Jimin and his friends splurged on mimosas during brunch, he could still feel the easiness that the drinks had given him lingering around. It was that or the fact that Taehyung’s aura had finally become less closed off than when they first met. Either way, there wasn’t this… heaviness in the room — at least not for today.
Jimin looked at the man in front of him, as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. His wandering eyes worked their way up, looking at the side part of his dark hair that pushed his curls away from his eyes, “You like colored contacts, don’t you?” Jimin asked him with a gentle chuckle. His eyes were now a warm brown, lighter than his natural shade — almost as if the sun was displaying its rays through his irises. Taehyung’s lips broke into a soft smile as he looked down at his hands. Instantly, both of them had shy smiles and looked away sheepishly.
If there was anything Taehyung hated more about himself, he could not be playful with people who didn’t know who he was. Despite him continuously inserting himself into their meetings, as much as he told himself to open up to him, he did so insanely slowly. All the battles in his head, ‘Say this!’ ‘No, not that! This!’ ‘Hurry up, he doesn’t have all day!’ , he swore he could physically hear how loud they were.
Grimacing at his inner thoughts, he finally poked back with, “You should see me with blue,” He said almost in a whisper, while still looking down at his feet.
Jimin picked his head up, the smallest smile spreading across his lips, and he would’ve replied, “I would love to,” but the ding! of the elevator interrupted him before he got the chance. The small red neon side displayed a dull ‘28’ as the steel doors opened up for them. Taehyung walked them to his front door, welcoming Jimin to enter first. Jimin took off his pointed Chelsea boots next to a pair of expensive sneakers and gratefully accepted the house slippers offered to him. He admired the home as he followed after Taehyung, the beige-tiled floors standing out amongst the white walls. Elegant paintings were hung along the entryway, and Jimin was blown away by the sight of the large living room, the cityscape on full display through the floor-to-ceiling corner lot windows. The neighboring skyscrapers and other complexes twinkled in the dark sky, a glow from the street that was busily bustling through the metropolis below.
Subconsciously, Jimin started taking off his purse, followed by his long coat, draping them over one of his forearms. He couldn’t help himself as his eyes wandered around the contemporary furniture, and eventually upon a rectangle table set for three just a few feet away from the kitchen island.
“They’ve arrived,” A gentle voice hummed. Jimin turned to see a dark-haired man sitting on one of the couches in the living room, his back to them.
“Seokjin-hyung, be nice,” Taehyung said nonchalantly, and the older man turned around to face them. Taehyung came up to Jimin, taking his belongings and storing them in a nearby closet.
“Nice is all that I ever am,” Seokjin got up and walked to the both of them. Jimin didn’t deny for one second that this man had a set of looks of his own, “The pleasure’s mine,” His voice was slick as he greeted Jimin, putting a hand against his diaphragm and giving him a respectful bow. Seokjin’s ripped jeans and oversized cream, turtleneck sweater gave him a refined and comfy look.
“A friend of V’s is a friend of mine,” Jimin returned the bow.
“Is that so?” Seokjin’s dark eyebrow raised. “Oh Taehyung-ah, you didn’t even bother to tell him your oldest brother was joining tonight?” The look on Seokjin’s face was remarkable, his soft eyes snaking a playful gaze at him with his hooded lids. Seokjin’s plump lips had the sweetest smile, and his slicked-back hair with a few pieces hanging on his forehead made Jimin wonder who was their maker, and how were they able to capture the epitome of handsomeness between these two men.
“Well, truly and honestly…” Jimin started, “He doesn’t talk much about your family. He was very quiet when we first met,” He teased the curly-haired boy as he walked back to the two of them.
Now, Seokjin’s bright smile turned a bit mischievous, the apple of his eyes complimented by the roundness of his cheeks. Laughing to himself, “You’re telling me,” Seokjin addressed Taehyung as the three of them walked into the kitchen, “You didn’t tell him I existed?” He teased heavily.
Taehyung looked at his brother with blank eyes, “There wasn’t a reason for me too,” He battled back, and the two boys shared a laugh. Something about the scene had softened Jimin’s perspective of Taehyung, seeing him in a way he’s never seen before.
Taehyung caught him staring at them in admiration and suddenly got shy, turning his head down into the drawer he had just opened.
Seokjin went to his side, grabbing a wine opener, “Shall we make our way to the table?” He asked, looking at his brother and the new friend before him. He glided his way next to Jimin and playfully stuck his arm out for him to take.
Jimin accepted his arm and Seokjin sat him down in one of the chairs across from where he would be sitting. Looking over to the kitchen, he watched fondly where Taehyung was plating the food, ‘How sweet..’ Jimin sang in his head.
The two guests had offered to help, but Taehyung refused multiple times. Seokjin and Jimin were momentarily bonding, helplessly making Taehyung the punchline of all the jokes, ultimately getting the most reaction out of Seokjin when Jimin called him ‘old-fashioned’. Soon enough, the table was set when the candles in the centerpiece of the table were lit, and Taehyung brought one of the fresh bottles of wine. He took his seat next to Jimin and handed the bottle to Seokjin, where he latched the opener onto the cork. He pushed through the cork and effortlessly pulled it out. “Surprised?” Seokjin’s playfulness made Jimin giggle.
“It takes me longer than that.”
Seokjin then stood up, pouring red wine into the three glasses and serving the homeowner first, followed by his new friend. As Seokjin held it by the stem, he reached his hand out to Jimin, who grabbed it right below where his fingers were. Taehyung was watching with his peripheral vision, hoping that Seokjin wasn’t going to do what he was thinking, and clenched down on his molars as his brother nonchalantly brushed his fingertips down the back of Jimin’s hand once he had a grip on it.
Jimin’s lips parted at Seokjin’s cool temperature against his skin. Seokjin watched his reaction subtly, a smirk growing on the back of his head. He looked at his younger brother, whose jaw was tense. “Shall we have dinner?” He asked the two of them.
“Everything looks delicious,” Jimin smiled at him, placing a hand on Taehyung’s shoulder and thanking him with a grateful smile.
Taehyung looked down at his hand and back at him, “Enjoy,” He said sweetly as Jimin took his hand away. Taehyung’s eyes met Seokjin’s, who was sitting laxly against the back of his chair. Seokjin hid a devilish grin behind the rim of the wine glass, tilting the liquid back to reach his lips but stopped right before he took a sip. Jimin was oblivious to the breathily chuckle he let out, then he shut himself up with a long drink of the wine, dropping the sly act and going back to his playful, personable self.
...
By this time of night, their stomachs have been filled from multiple helpings of dinner and dessert, yet their wine glasses never remained empty. Though Jimin thought it was a bit unfair as, after a few glasses, he felt his cheeks begin to flush, while the other two boys’ complexions stayed the same. Seokjin even teased him about it, saying that he was just blushing in the presence of the city’s two most handsome men. Jimin wanted to deny it, but he knew he couldn’t.
Throughout the meal, Taehyung’s layers finally began to peel back.
Halfway through the night, Jimin was able to convince the two brothers to tell him what was the hidden meaning behind Taehyung’s nickname. It took a few glasses, but V admitted that he nicknamed himself after the roman numeral, as being his parent’s youngest of five. (Seokjin always thought it was corny at first, but it quickly caught on.) Jimin tried to ask what happened between siblings two through four, but his attention was redirected by the brothers to another topic before he could even get the question out.
Somewhere along the lines, Jimin began to feel fond of these two brothers, seeing their connection like no other. Being an only child with step-siblings and half-siblings, not to mention an age gap he always ignored, Jimin began to feel a fill in his familial abyss. He didn’t want to get ahead of himself though, oh no, but throughout the night, there was nothing less than an endeared smile across his face from being around the brothers.
Needless to say, Taehyung’s quiet personality was no match for Seokjin’s (or Jin for short) loud, flamboyant playfulness. Jimin was thankful for the wine since it had blossomed a new side of Taehyung that he didn’t know existed. Taehyung was full of life and laughter, seemingly more comfortable than he’s ever been with Jimin alone. Both Kims were wonderful men, and gratefulness was the first thing on his mind when thinking about Taehyung’s invitation for dinner. It was a relaxing evening, things never got too wild, the loudest moment being when Taehyung made the most outlandish comment that he couldn’t even trace back in his thoughts and the three of them erupted in laughter.
Seokjin got up from the table, starting to clear the table as their meal finally finished. Jimin took the lulled moment to make his way to the restroom, “Which door’s the bathroom?” He asked, standing up and thoughtlessly putting his hand on Taehyung’s shoulder once again.
Taehyung’s head snapped up at him, his warm lensed eyes wide at the feeling of Jimin’s comfortable touch. Taehyung got up and walked him to the powder room, then helped his brother clear off the dining table. Carrying numerous plates in both hands, the two men swapped places, the older one gathering the food dishes from the table. The two worked silently until the powder room door opened, and their expressions warmed up once again.
“Tonight’s been wonderful,” Jimin called out, grabbing the empty wine glasses and setting them in the sink.
“Has it been?” Taehyung asked.
“Shall we do it again?” Seokjin flirted with the possibility.
Jimin waited for the homeowner to answer, “I’ll let you know the date,” Taehyung pleased the other two.
“I’ll be waiting for the invite,” Jimin’s happy eyes bounced between the both of them.
Jimin bid his new friend adieu as Taehyung collected his belongings for him. Seokjin nodded at his brother and returned to the dishes as Taehyung walked Jimin back to his car.
Finally alone in the apartment, Seokjin lifted Jimin’s wine glass to the light, revealing the outline of his lips against the edge. Taking in a deep breath, his exhale hissed through his nose. With his head slowly leaning to the side, one wouldn’t miss the strained patience shown through his clenched jaw and prominent neck veins. Raising his head back upright, he turned the faucet on, the steam fogging up the glass as he washed away all traces of the mere human.
‘Soon enough, Jin. Soon enough. ’
...
Jimin felt all too soft as he and Taehyung made it down to the garage. He wished that dinner would last longer, that another dish was going to come out, another story to tell, but he didn’t want to overstay his welcome. Jimin, unashamedly, didn’t want the evening to end. After seeing who Taehyung seemed to be, it made him feel just a bit more comfortable around him. It even caught him off guard how closely he was standing next to him in the elevator.
Taking a shy half-step away, Jimin’s cheeks blushed as he saw Taehyung's smile.
When the elevator stopped, Taehyung draped Jimin’s coat over his shoulders and let him take the first step out. The two walked over to where Jimin parked, sighing heavily as he beeped his car unlocked.
Jimin turned on a heel, biting his lip at the taller man, and Taehyung was instantly distracted by his flushed cheeks. It was a perfect shade of pink, so stunning that Taehyung thought it could win a beauty pageant against a summer sunset.
Taehyung’s gentle eyes stared at him so softly, that Jimin almost felt himself melt away. Tonight had been so insanely different than the other times they’d been together, and he hoped that this would be the Taehyung he would continue to see.
The seconds began to feel like minutes as they stared at each other in admiration. The beep of another car broke their gaze, and the two looked away with smiles so wide, they couldn’t hide them if they tried.
Tucking his hair behind his ear, “I…” Jimin started softly, “I enjoyed tonight. Thank you for inviting me.”
Taehyung cleared his throat and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I’m glad I did.”
“W—” Jimin’s voice cracked at how shy Taehyung was, and he cleared his throat, “Will we be doing this again?”
“Would you like to?” Taehyung raised an eyebrow. Jimin nodded. “Then I’ll ask—”
“How about just the two of us?” Jimin interrupted, his ears ringing as he awaited an answer.
Taehyung’s mouth opened, then quickly closed. He opened it again, then simply nodded back, “Y-yeah.” Jimin noticed the way Taehyung’s smile filled the apple of his cheeks, “Yeah. We can do this again.”
“Okay,” Jimin pressed his lips together, “Yeah. Okay,” He nodded, and opened his car door, “I’ll wait for your text.”
“I’ll send it soon,” Taehyung gushed, then gently closed Jimin’s door once he was in.
Taehyung took one step back and let Jimin drive off with a wave, finally feeling the panic set in.
...
It was unexpected that Taehyung found himself enjoying their time together. He thought to himself as he and Seokjin sat in the living room together, finishing off the bottle of wine from dinner. Taehyung sat on one side of the couch, legs crossed while Seokjin was on the other side, lounging comfortably, thumb flipping through the channels to find something to watch. Taehyung aimlessly swirled the wine in his glass, staring down at the floor, his face unreadable. Even Seokjin’s content gasp when he found something to watch, followed by his abrupt getting up to change into loungewear to slamming back down into the couch, didn’t phase him. Seokjin didn’t even need to look at Taehyung to know what he was thinking and felt that it would be more beneficial if he kept quiet and focused on his movie.
In his thoughtscape, Taehyung was tirelessly running, adamantly looking for the answers that only he has been failing to answer. This is exactly the reason why he and his family had a terrible separation… But that is the reason why he found him. Taehyung wasn’t a quitter, and his family had known that he wouldn’t give up just because things got complicated. He had just turned 20 before he had stormed out of his family’s life, to continue the only life he had known. At that young age, he had always thought that his parents and siblings were taking the easy way out, and he had refused to think any other way. Now that enough years had passed, he began to wonder what life would be like if he allowed himself to see the same enlightened path as everyone else.
The tug of war was strenuous in all aspects. If he broke the tradition with his parents, he would never have bonded this way with his oldest brother, his dearest friend. But since he chose to continue what they’re used to, he’s holding a double-edged sword that’s going to end Jimin’s life before he even knew what he was doing right before his eyes.
Could he follow through with what he was thinking? Could he trust him? Could Jimin trust him? There wasn’t any rush for Taehyung to tell Jimin the truth about his willingly walled-up demeanor, but he knew he couldn’t continue to be cold to him after showing part of his seemingly normal life. He knew his cold exterior was melting slowly around Jimin, which meant (in his book) he was beginning to trust him. Taehyung also wasn’t one to cling to everyone he met, but he felt like he wanted to cling to Jimin. If there was one talent he picked up throughout his life, it was that if there was anyone he could trust, it was himself — and he was telling himself to follow through with his plan.
The worst part about the estrangement from his family was knowing he would have to deal with decisions like this, completely on his own.
Besides, time wasn’t of the essence for him, but for Jimin, it was.
...
The remainder of the holiday season was a bust — which meant that Jimin spent some time with his father and step-family for Christmas. Though he begrudged the time seeing his father still happy with the mistress that separated his parents, it was all made up for when Jimin had purposely slipped the fact that he and his mother were going on a trip for the new year, which his father then deepened to the amount of their spending money as part of his Christmas gift. Jimin laughed in the back of his head.
As Jimin flew to his mom, the excitement of uninterrupted, quality, bonding time bubbled in his stomach. Somewhere in one of the middle rows of the plane, he sat next to the window, watching as they finished their ascension in the sky. Once the plane was steady, he closed the shade, put in his earphones, and leaned his head back.
It would’ve been a lie if Jimin wasn’t disappointed when Seokjin-hyung and Taehyung told him that they were going to be away on their holiday, and wouldn’t be back until January of the new year. He had hoped they could squeeze in one more dinner before their almost-two-month-long separation, but with how busy he got with doing the final projects before pausing the progress of the Kim brother’s soon-to-be home due to giving the workers a holiday break, the three friends (well, he considered them friends, in his eyes) weren’t able to see each other much. Ever since Chuseok, they were only able to grab some coffee here and there, but not for long until Seokjin-hyung and Taehyung had business to attend to.
Closing his eyes, Jimin emptied his mind off of the two boys and started thinking of his and his mom’s vacation… Large sun hats covering their faces, lathered in sunscreen, and taking in the heat and warmth while shaded under a beachside cabana.
...
The worst part about coming back to reality was that Taehyung had to change from his animalistic ways, back to his human-like persona. Seokjin-hyung was worse than him, the change always took a toll on him, always took the longest. According to the last conversation that the two of them had with Jimin, the timing of his vacation is perfect in the sense that he would arrive once they had a grip on themselves.
Taehyung was very glad that both of them had taken this trip, their insatiable thoughts were beginning to get too loud after he had recklessly invited him to Chuseok. He was overly ecstatic that he finally was able to spend more time with him, but once checking his calendar, he realized that it was too close to when he and Jin-hyung were going to take their… Holiday.
Now with the two of them back in their wonderful city apartment, their fulfilled and satisfied bodies sat boyishly lazy on his couch, watching a soccer game. While they were away, it was impossible to get Taehyung’s mind off of what they were doing at the moment, though now his mind was able to pick up where it left off. He was feeling more confident now with his decision. There was a bit of guilt eating away at him that he was trying to ignore. It made him feel more human, and he shuddered at the thought. He knew what he wanted now, and he had found a way to keep Jimin close in any instance.
...
The three, now officially friends, have had multiple dinners, lunches, and even brunches throughout the post-holiday season. It was to Jimin’s knowledge that Seokjin-hyung was just a new housemate, as the two of them just started living together after years of being apart. Jimin finally got too curious and asked what Taehyung did for work, pleasantly finding out that he’s an art gallery director. He would always go with his curator to auctions because he always loved looking at all the artwork. He didn’t necessarily need to, but he was too much of an admirer to pass up the opportunities.
During the times when Taehyung would be away, Seokjin-hyung always stood in his place. For the three of them, their dates always happened the eve before Taehyung would leave. After he would go, Jin-hyung would call himself Jimin’s ‘babysitter’, and he would always remind him that he didn’t need to be watched every hour of the day. It was then he realized, that’s just who he was. He liked the quality time and hanging out with him. It helped Seokjin see what was so special about Jimin, and why Taehyung stuck around him from the beginning.
Eventually, Seokjin grew very fond of Jimin; to the point where he would always intensely stare at him from across the table, or when he would plop himself directly next to him on a couch, or when his hair would be in an itty-bitty ponytail and Jin would always cuddle close next to him, snuggling comfortably into the side of his neck. Seokjin-hyung was a very, very handsome man, but he was never more than just Jin-hyung to him. It got to the point where he had to talk with him and he wanted to keep the relationship between them strictly as friends. Seokjin found that conversation very amusing, and nevertheless apologized for his behavior.
On the contrary, that conversation drew Seokjin crazy, it was the only way that he could get enough of Jimin before having him. In his honest opinion, Taehyung was taking too long with the process, because it never took this long for him to finish the task.
There would be days when Seokjin would be so fed up, and the two of them would go back and forth for hours.
“You’re getting too fucking close to him!” Jin started.
“I know what I’m doing,” Taehyung sneered back.
Scoffing, and rolling his eyes, “And that is?” He would spit, “Making him think he’s that important to us?”
“Did you forget that this is our family’s generational home?” Taehyung began to lose his temper, “If we just killed him in that house before we had it, I guarantee you this neighborhood would flee, I would say goodbye to everything this house stands for, and we,” He sneered, walking up to his brother, “Would have nothing.” His last word came out venomously.
“So you befriended him in the past five months?” Jin crossed his arms, “You know that it’ll just make things harder in the end! You didn’t have to become his friend,” Taehyungs’s lips pressed in a straight line, “You know, you say that you don’t want to make the same choice as our parents, but -”
“Don’t-” Taehyungs’s voice constricted, “Don’t you dare finish what you were about to say,” He pointed strictly at his brother.
“But you’re becoming too-” Seokjin dared, and he regretted it immediately.
Taehyung charged at him in less than a blink, his forearm against Jin’s throat and shoving him against the wall, “I. Said. Don’t.” He glared.
Seokjin glared back, “Then do it soon, or I will.” Seokjin would look into the eyes of his menacing little brother who had his lip curled back in anger, and just as angrily, push him off of himself.
Depending on Seokjin’s mood after the argument, he would either storm out and return in the wee hours of the morning, or give Taehyung the silent treatment until the next day.
...
By the time late April came around, the house was nearly finished, and the only thing left to work on was the aesthetics of the front yard. Once all the renovations were completed, Taehyung had already taken care of all the needed paperwork so no one else could get their hands on the house.
As mid-May showed up on the calendar, it was time that Taehyung would have to buy the house off Jimin’s hands. The two of them met their real estate attorney at lunchtime to do the paperwork. Both of them didn’t need to attend, but of course, they both wanted to be there. After all, it was abnormal for them if they weren’t doing something together, if it was related to the house. When the papers were all signed, the attorney left the table, but the two stayed for the main course of the meal.
The two friends looked at each other and clinked their glasses happily, “Nice doing business with you…” Jimin paused, “ Taehyung. ”
It’s been years since he heard his name from someone that wasn’t his blood, and it sent an unfamiliar wave of warmth down his back. Jimin almost swore he saw a blushed smile, and Taehyung saw the fondness plastered across Jimin’s face, feeling guilt paralyze him for just a split moment.
Clearing his throat, “Likewise,” Taehyung smiled, playing along. With the short distance between them, Jimin couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of what seemed to be some pointed canines, only for his attention to be pulled back to the wine as it touched his lips, eyes closing as he savored the flavor. In a split second, his eyes darted back to him, but the server had approached with the food. Once the plates were set, “Dig in,” Taehyung smiled with even teeth.
Jimin thought, Am I seeing things?
...
It was now summer, July to be exact, Jimin was making his way over to the fully flipped house. The two brothers had successfully moved all of their belongings and furniture from the metropolitan apartment, into their new home; and to Seokjin’s excitement — had been upgraded from part-time to a permanent housemate. While Taehyung was on his two-week trip to Tokyo for another art auction, Seokjin and Jimin decided to put together a last-minute backyard barbecue as one of their monthly get-togethers. Veggies, soju, and dessert were his responsibilities, as Seokjin took care of the meats and sauces. Jimin’s mouth watered, thinking about how he would grill the A-grade beef to a slight char.
Jimin comfortably pulled into the driveway, finding his spot next to Seokjin’s car. He grabbed the two bags from the passenger’s seat and made his way to the backyard. “Jin-hyung?” He called out, seeing that the gate was open. “Veggies fresh—,” His sentence cut off as he stood before an empty backyard.
Nothing was set up.
Walking up to the table next to the empty grill, he placed his bags of groceries down and looked at his watch, at 6:27 PM. Taehyung would be home within the next half hour. Understandably, this was a last-minute plan — as they planned it the other night, but Seokjin never forgot about a single dinner. Sure, he ran late, more often than not, but never did he forget.
But that was the least of his worries as he pulled out his phone and called up his friend, only to hear the phone ringing nearby. The sound crept its way through the sliding glass doors that were left ajar. Anxiety bubbled in his stomach, making his way in and all the lights in the kitchen were on.
“Oh my god,” Jimin murmured to the kitchen that had been completely torn apart. Plants were on the floor, dirt scattered everywhere. Art frames were taken off the wall, ripped and punched through, and discarded in places far from where they were hanging. He carefully stepped over all the broken glass towards the living room.
The kitchen bar stools were in pieces, displayed in random places where a warm and welcoming room once was. His neck snapped up the stairs as he heard something be thrown against a wall, followed by a low groan and the sound of something falling. Featherlike footsteps took him to the bottom of the staircase and stopped before making his way up. Jimin’s hands trembled heavily, texting Taehyung that someone had broken in and to call the police as soon as possible. The state of the house showed that whoever attacked Seokjin was as violent as ever, and they were still inside. He wanted to help without making it obvious that he was getting ready for his defense. Silencing his phone, he slid it back into his pocket.
Jimin flinched at the second thud that came from upstairs, unsure if he should be relieved or just as terrified. Tiptoeing quickly back into the kitchen, he grabbed a knife from the block and held it tight in his right hand.
Inspecting for sounds once again, his ears only heard an eerie silence. He took a deep breath and made his way upstairs, freezing at the sprinting footsteps, heavier ones following shortly after. Fear paralyzed his breathing, making it feel like someone had a hand around his throat at whatever was going on on the floors above him.
The second Jimin took another step, a piercing, “HELP!”, was cut off in less than a second.
Jimin ran his way to the second floor, freezing immediately at the disastrous mess that made downstairs incomparable to the one before him. Sobs left Jimin’s shaking lips at the splayed blood dripping down the walls, pools soaking the bed. The heavy, metallic smell made his body so weak that his knees almost buckled.
Gasping through his tears, unable to think of anything else, he followed the trail of blood that led him up to the third-floor loft. The bastards who did this to Seokjin were still here, and Jimin wanted to fight for him, willingly risking his own life if that’s what he had to face. Gripping the knife with all his might, his legs took the longest strides, taking every other step to finally meet the horrible scene.
Two bodies laid side-by-side, deep gashes under the remaining shreds of their clothes. Jimin moved with his back against the wall, dreading each step towards the worst. Jimin’s hand covered his gaping mouth at the unidentified woman's slit throat as she lay next to a man whose face was mangled past recognition. The victim’s blood-smothered faces didn’t look familiar, and he felt guilt rush down his spine as he thanked a god that he barely spoke to that it wasn’t Jin-hyung.
Following the terrifying scene, his eyes laid upon the monster who had its mouth latched onto his neck.
More tears escaped Jimin’s fearful eyes as he refused to believe who was before him.
“S-s-stop!” He could barely yell, raising the knife to waist level.
Jimin wished, almost even begged, that his eyes were deceiving him, but the way the thing before him had pulled so viciously away from the man on the floor and revealed the all-too-familiar face that he had gotten to know so well over the past months.
No.
This couldn’t be.
The two friends made eye contact, tears freefalling down Jimin’s. Jimin couldn’t turn away from the monstrous site and damned the wall behind him. It would’ve been a perfect time for him just to take one step away from what was going on before him. He wanted to take one step back to separate him from this nightmare, and maybe that would make him wake up in a cold sweat in his bed, but no–This was real life; this was the realest it could get.
The thing’s harsh and raspy breathing filled the silence between them, a menacing look on his gory face, lips shaped in the most ungodly smirk showing fangs that just hurt to look at.
“Jin-hyung,” Jimin’s voice cracked.
Seokjin rose to his feet, wiping his lips with the back of his bloody hands. Jimin lifted the knife towards his now enemy, and Seokjin let out the most devilish laugh.
“You know?” Seokjin messily wiped his hands on his stained shirt, “We didn’t want you to find out like this.
...
“W-we?”
“Who the fuck else?” Jin sneered. “You think V would be friends with a monster like me if he wasn't one himself?”
Jimin’s head floated off his shoulders, his body defeated. His shaking eyes looked at the two people Seokjin had just mutilated. His mouth shook as it opened, tears salty against the tip of his tongue. Fearful thoughts ran through his head, making his heart beat furiously, the back of his neck sweaty and palms clammy. Jimin slid against the wall, one step away from Seokjin as he took a toward him. He threateningly puts both hands onto the handle, pointing it at him.
Playing coy with him, Seokjin puts his hands up in a moment of offense. He lets out an amused chuckle, his vicious smile showing off long, sharpened teeth.
Jimin gasped softly, “How?” his voice was barely audible.
“Do you have enough time for a history lesson? Do you think you want to waste whatever’s left of your precious time before V comes home? Do you think he’s going to let you get away now that you’ve seen everything you have?”
“V wouldn’t —” He refused to believe his thoughts. Like a movie in his head, pieces came together that made his heart break. His thoughts were dizzying, foolishness running through his veins making his chin quiver and eyes water. “H-he—” His throat locked, Taehyung’s deception went undetected since the day they met. Suddenly he felt more than just his world crumbling beneath his feet, he felt tricked, like he was just a pawn in their game. “V—” His voice was hoarse, weak.
“Don’t you dare speak for him, “Seokjin was pleased with the way Jimin flinched at his tone. “Stupid,” He let out a laugh, “Do you know how long we’ve been doing this? Have you forgotten who owned this house for generations before him?”
‘Their family,' Jimin reminded himself. “Where are they now? D-did you eat them? Did you kill them?!” Seokjin let out a howl, “Stop that!” he screeched, “None of this is funny!”
Seokjin’s hungry eyes rolled back as he continued to bellow with laughter. “Shut the fuck up,” He hissed, looking back at Jimin.
“Our wretched family decided to act like a human. Beats me why they want to eat regular food, work jobs with your piteous kind,” Seokjin’s voice barely touched the surface of how truly disgusted he was with such a humanly lifestyle. “Weak-minded fools, giving up what we were born to do. Selfishly giving up their path to immortality, when so many of us had died at the hand of cretins of your kind when we first crossed paths. Giving up human blood and waiting to die, just like the rest of you.” His hatred seeped through his pores, “It should’ve been an easy choice, human blood or death.”
“Why are you acting like this is a choice?”
“Unfortunately it is, darling.”
“But V—”
“Oh you poor thing, don’t think for one second he wanted to keep you around.”
“Why wait so long to kill me?”
“So you could finish this house, of course,” Seokjin smiled pleasantly at the betrayal he saw on Jimin’s face. “He only moved into this house because he wanted to keep our family tradition.” He found humor in this situation, “He chooses to be like this. He chooses immortality. He hates,” Seokjin’s voice seethed, “Hates , humans.” He started to pace back and forth before Jimin, the tip of his knife following his every step, “When the time came for us to feed, he could barely control himself around you. He would tell me how easy it was for him to get you to trust him, how hard it was to keep from lacerating you every time you turned your back to him.”
“S-stop,” Jimin meekly said, keeping his grip strong around the handle of the knife.
“The way he described how decadent you smelled the minute he met you in this house, made me want you for myself. He has a knack for choosing the best ones.” He couldn’t shake the evil in Seokjin’s eyes.
“At first we only took out the scum, not that all of you aren’t.” Seokjin said flatly, “But the lowly ones. The alcoholics, druggies, homeless… We thought we were doing all of you a favor. But we couldn’t fathom how disgusting they tasted. Now… We’ve done our research,” Jimin gulped, “And the best ones are the sane ones.” Seokjin slowly approached Jimin, making him feel faint. Each step closer to him made each heartbeat harder than the last. Jimin was smarter than to make any sudden movement, knowing that he could lunge just as quickly and he would meet the same, dreadful death. “And do you know which ones are the best ones?” Seokjin asked.
Jimin shook his head, he didn’t want to answer.
Seokjin enjoyed the torment, the beating of Jimin’s heart sounded so delicious in his ears, “It’s the healthy ones…” Seokjin smirked, “Ones not too close to their families… Ones that flip houses… Ones that get close to us, who can’t stay away.”
Jimin’s knuckles were white around the handle of his knife. Seokjin knew that he was ready to strike, but nothing scared him. His predatory lifestyle got him through years of attacks– and these attacks weren’t the normal stab in the chest; they were the gruesome ones that would’ve left the normal Joe begging to die, to be put out of their misery.
Seokjin confidently kept on walking towards Jimin, the tip of his knife touching his shirt. “Stop!” he yelled at him. “Jin-hyung, that’s enough!” He started to shake as Seokjin took another step towards him, forcing himself onto the knife.
“Seokjin!” His voice pleaded. The knife disappeared into his chest, and he was completely unphased. He let go of the knife once engulfed by his undead body, and the only space between them was the length of the handle that he so desperately clutched seconds before. His jaw trembled at how close they were, the smell of his fatal reeking from his clothes.
Putting his finger under his chin, Seokjin wiped his tears away, leaving streaks of red from the dried blood crusted around his cold fingers, “You know the best part about you flipping this house?” Jimin didn’t answer him. “This very loft that you made happen, is the very same attic where he and our family killed thousands.” Smiling at how revolted Jimin looked, he didn’t dare to stop.
“And now you’re going to kill me?”
“I would love to,” His words slithered past his lips. He loved seeing how each word that came out of his mouth was pure torture for Jimin. Seokjin had to deal with months of suffering around him, and he wanted to pack exactly how he felt in just a matter of minutes. “Though, I’m waiting so patiently for our sweet V, after I promised to save you just for him. He was going to christen this wonderful house with your death.”
Jimin’s eyes shut tightly, failing to shut out the thought of Taehyung viciously attacking him in the same house they met, “I don’t want to hear anymore, Seokjin-hyung. P-please.”
Seokjin’s wrath burst out in the heavy fist he slammed against the wall. He grabbed Jimin’s jaw, “I’m being so damn merciful right now,” Seokjin got so close to Jimin, that he could feel his breaths against his upper lip. “Don’t you dare, ask for anything more.”
“I’m sorry!” Jimin gasped, “I-I won’t do it again,” He sobbed. Letting go of his face, Seokjin watched as Jimin fell to the floor. Squatting down before him, he saw the way his nose dripped with snot, how his body shriveled up in dread.
“You’re such a fucking mess,” Seokjin snickered at him. “It’s a shame that we never got to have dinner tonight. I know V would’ve loved tasting you after we fed you. Humans do the best after eating.” Seokjin’s hand went up to his cheek once again, addicted to how distressed he was. He loved the terrorized look on his face, wide-eyed and pale. “I would’ve recorded the way he would slice you up, teasing himself with the sight of your blood pouring out of you, leaving you completely butchered just for him to drain you clean. It would satiate the way I hated being around you so often without latching myself onto you.”
“Why be around me when you hated me so much?”
“Because V was in charge,” Seokjin said simply. “He’s the rational one between us. But, if it would have been me?” His hand lifted to brush Jimin’s loose strands behind his ear, smiling at how his breath shook with torment, “Let’s just say… You would be glad you’re only getting a taste of how cruel I could get.”
Biting his lip, Jimin started to shake his head, “Jin-hyung, please. I’ve heard enough.”
Jin chuckled, “How can I? Now that I hear how hard your heart is beating right now?” His mouth began to salivate once again, “But since I promised V, I wouldn’t hurt you. I’m not going to savagely rip you apart right now for interrupting my meal. And out of respect for that promise,” He grunted as he took hold of the knife and pulled it out of him, “I’ll give this back to you.” He placed it back in his shaking fingers, “And I’ll give you a headstart to run.”
...
Everything moved in slow motion after Jimin had gotten up from the floor and pushed his way away from Seokjin. He scrambled back to his feet, leaving the knife behind him. Latching onto the handrails at the top of the stairs, once stabilized, he ran down the first flight of stairs.
Passing by the bloodied bedroom, he didn’t take a second glance, focusing on his escape.
Jimin couldn’t even process how he was moving, all his body did was take step after step after step. His feet were moving so much faster than he could comprehend, unsure of how he was able to continue to put one foot in front of each other but all that he cared about was that he needed to be away from here. Each heavy breath left his throat dry, chest completely empty until it made him dizzy. Inhales came even harder, not enough air to make its way in between his sobs. Heavy footsteps followed behind him and as met the top of the staircase he glanced behind him, terrified that no matter how fast he ran, Seokjin menacingly was catching up to him.
Flying his way down, his sweat ran down the back of his neck, down his face. Somehow, he successfully made his way down the second flight of stairs, and didn’t get far until the front door swung open, losing his balance with the last person he wanted to see. He turned around to see Taehyung standing in the doorway.
“Let me go,” He whimpered. Jimin ran up to him, putting his shaking hands on his cold, hardened face, “I’m begging you, please. I-I-I won’t tell anyone about your secret,” He pleaded. Taehyung closed the door and locked it behind him. “No, no, no,” Jimin's head shook quickly as he saw Seokjin making his way down the stairs. “Taehyung,” He whispered, “Please,” He looked into his eyes, “I don’t wanna die.”
Seokjin’s laugh echoed through the house and Taehyung stayed completely silent. Jimin looked into cold, stale eyes; his ears deaf and numb to his countless pleads to him to let him live. When he received no response from someone he trusted too easily, he frighteningly retreated from Taehyung.
Just as Jimin turned around to run, he got caught in the legs of a kitchen bar stool, his body falling forward and smashing into shards of broken glass. Gasping in stinging pain, he looked at his palms and how they had begun to bleed. He turned his head to see Taehyung making his way towards him as Seokjin pulled his phone out to record, and Jimin felt the will to live fleeting as he closed his eyes.
...
Taehyung made his way to the bloodied boy, palms and cheeks cut by the shards of glass. Squatting down to his unconscious body, the burning sensation in the back of his throat was almost unbearable to control as he heard Jimin’s heart vigorously thump inside his chest, his pulse racing against his arteries. Taehyung’s lip curled back, his fangs starting to grow at the sweetness of his blood. Reaching out to take a shard from Jimin’s hands, drool fell from his bottom lip as blood coated the glass. Taking a deep whiff, his eyes rolled back at the way invigoration ran down his spine, knowing a taste was just a lick away.
“Let me try,” Seokjin whispered over his shoulder, “Let me just have one drop.”
Taehyung’s eyebrows turned hard at his voice, opening his eyes at the voice of whom he did not want to hear. Standing up, he turned around to the bloodthirsty vampire and dropped the piece of glass in his palms. Taehyung was disgusted with the way he was covered in blood yet still wanted some of his. He watched Seokjin meet peak contentment as he tasted what he’d been waiting for. His brother’s eyes slowly opened, and in seconds, Taehyung noticed how ravenous he looked as he stared at Jimin, the same look he’d had for the past months.
“Leave.” He hissed at Seokjin, “He’s mine to feed on.”
...
Taehyung walked over to the large windows of his city apartment, standing with his arms crossed as he watched the cars being stuck in traffic, horns blasting loudly as people scurried along on the sidewalk. Ironically enough, he enjoyed people-watching. He liked observing what mortals did daily; seeing that they did something more than just wake up, work, and sleep, as that’s what he’d been told all his immortal life.
Small shuffles came from the room, and before he could dash out of the apartment once again, he was caught as Jimin stood in the doorway.
The two looked at each other, the events of the previous evening still playing in the back of their heads. Jimin cautiously stepped out, walking past him and into the kitchen. He looked over his shoulder as he grabbed water in the fridge and gulped half of it down in mere seconds.
“I-is it true?” Jimin’s voice was rough in his dry throat. Taehyung nodded stiffly, and he felt almost sick to his stomach. “Were you ever going to tell me?” Taehyung shook his head. For some reason, it just caused him to chuckle, “So, you were just going to kill me?”
“I never planned on killing you.”
“But Jin-hyung—”
“I had to convince Jin-hyung I wanted to, so he wouldn’t do it himself.”
Jimin’s hands squeezed the water bottle as he felt the lump of fear grow in his throat, “S-so… What now?”
“There are only two things we have to do to keep you quiet.”
“Do either of them involve me not dying?”
Taehyung shook his head stiffly.
“Can I have the one where you don’t kill me right now?”
He slowly approached Jimin, his breathing getting shallow. When he was just a step in front of him, he held Jimin’s face at the jaw, making them look at each other.
Jimin flinched with Taehyung’s icy touch. The vampire pulled his hands away, though Jimin held them to stay. “It wasn’t supposed to happen like this,” Taehyung’s voice was soft, almost even sorrowful.
“I trusted you. I really thought you wanted me to be in your life.” Jimin’s voice became quiet, “And I just wanted to be in yours,” the sorrow made a confusing feeling twist Taehyung’s gut. “We haven’t even had the time to go on our date yet!” He chuckled sadly.
Taehyung sighed, pulling him close, resting Jimin’s head where his heartbeat should be. Jimin’s arms stayed flaccid against his sides. “I know,” Taehyung nodded, “It was supposed to be easier than this, I-I thought, I thought this would make it easier.” There was a pain in Taehyung’s stomach that he wasn’t completely familiar with, but it made him feel like the true demon he is.
“What about any of this would make anything easier?” Tears that were pooled in Jimin’s eyes fell. “You lied to Seokjin-hyung and me. And look where it got us.”
“Jimin, I know it. I had it under control.”
“Control? Seokjin-hyung tried to kill me! He didn’t know you were trying to save me!”
“I had to do it! I had to pretend! I couldn’t tell him I was wanting to become human because of you!” The taller one pulled away and cupped Jimin's warm, flushed cheeks, “Seokjin-hyung and I are the only ones in our family who didn’t give up human blood. His vengeance for humans blinds his rationality. I had to act like you were mine. Or he would’ve killed you.”
“At least he wouldn’t let me think I mattered to him,” Jimin scoffed. “It would’ve hurt less if he did.”
“I’d kill him before I’d let him touch you, Jimin,” Taehyung said softly.
The two looked at each other, and felt betrayed by the bond that they didn’t expect to happen.
“So what happens now?”
“You must agree to let me feed on you…”
“How often?”
“Once a month.”
“And I keep your secret quiet or else I die?” Taehyung’s lips didn’t want to say the answer, keeping his voice still. His pulse still beats heavily against his cold palms, “Answer me.”
“Don’t make me kill you. Please,” Taehyung had a troubled look as his eyebrows scrunched.
“One condition. Jin-hyung never comes close to me again.” Taehyung took a deep breath, knowing that that’ll be a hard part of the deal to keep up, but he nodded his head. Jimin peeled Taehyung’s hands off of his face, wrapping them in the warmth of his, “Does it hurt?”
“You’ll get used to it.”
It was an easy decision to make.
“So when do we start?”
“Now.”
...
Taehyung lifted Jimin onto the kitchen island, standing in front of him.
“Before I start,” Taehyung murmured. Jimin’s eyebrow raised, “I will never let anything hurt you. From this day forward, no harm will ever come in your direction.”
Jimin came quickly to comment, but Taehyung shook his head, “There’s not enough time for me to explain why, but you will forever be safe when I’m around.” Taehyung leaned in, and Jimin lowered his head. His lips touched Jimin’s skin for the first time, a tender kiss to his forehead. “In all my years, human and not, you are the most precious things I have ever encountered.” He heard Jimin sniff, and Taehyung smelled the tears on his face. “In all the decades and centuries, you’ve been the only person I wanted to keep around. And I promise you , I will always keep you safe.”
Jimin simply nodded against Taehyung’s lips.
“So what I need you to do right now,” He murmured, “Is trust me.” Jimin closed his eyes as he leaned in, gasping when his cold fingers brushed where his shoulders met his neck. Jimin followed obediently, bearing the spot where he wanted to bite. Taking in a deep breath, he unexpectedly felt his cold lips against his and succumbed to the blackness once again.
...
Some Years Later
...
All was well in the chill Autumn weather as Jimin was going for a run on his day off. He decided to take a break from flipping and went to work on smaller-scale projects. He mostly focused on interior design, making some decent money with the help of friends who trusted his taste more than theirs. Jimin also thought it was time to take a break from living in the city, and the quietness of a nice suburb called out to him. Jungkook helped fill up the extra spaces in the house, even more so when his boyfriend, Yoongi would come and spend the weekend.
The crisp air blushed his cheeks pink as he followed where his feet took him. Suddenly he was hit with a sudden wave of deja vu when he began running down a block that seemed all too familiar. Running past a gorgeous corner lot house, he paid it no mind until it finally hit him. Stopping his run completely, he turned around and stood right in front of the fence. The memory of flipping this house was tucked neatly in the back of his mind, and apparently, he hadn’t opened it up in a bit.
From inside the house, the lonely inhabitant made his way out to get the mail. His dark hair was pushed back effortlessly, dressed comfily in his loungewear as he stepped out onto his front porch. Startled by the all-too-familiar man on the sidewalk, he cautiously walked to the mailbox, seeing if he would ignore his presence. He did his best to collect the mail as fast as possible but was greeted by the person all too quickly.
“Do you live here?” Jimin asked him a bit shyly.
“I do.” Taehyung nodded.
A brief wave of insecurity came over Jimin when he caught the other staring at the scars on his cheek. He shyly turned his face, pretending to look at the house and quickly asked, “By yourself?” His eyebrow shot up at the peculiar question, “O-oh, I don’t mean to intrude. I-I just—” He cut himself off as he collected his words, “I’m the one who handled the flipping of the house. I-I never got to meet the owners, so..” His embarrassed chuckles gave him the slightest entertainment, “Curiosity? You can call it?”
Oh.
The owner had a gorgeous smile.
“I’ve been living here alone, yes.” The man replied to Jimin, “Though my family is making their way over from out of country.”
“That’ll fill up the rooms nicely,” Jimin gave him a warm smile back. A soft silence rested upon them as they looked at each other fondly, “Well, I should get back on my run.”
“You live around here?” Taehyung slipped in, not ready to bid Jimin another goodbye.
“Yeah! A friend and I just moved in a couple of blocks over!” He pointed in the direction he came from, “I guess I forgot that this house was in this neighborhood. I think my memory slipped up, y’know?”
Taehyung nodded, “More than you know.”
The two of them shared a laugh, “Maybe I’ll be seeing you around here?”
“I think you will be.”
“Can I call you neighbor, then?” Jimin teased.
“How about Taehyung?”
Jimin introduced himself after, then let him jot down his address on his phone after inviting him to their housewarming. Jimin did it better this time around when he saw Taehyung staring at the scars on his palms, but he still quickly hid his hands from his view.
“It was nice meeting you, Taehyung.” Jimin gleamed at him.
“It was nice meeting you too,” Taehyung nodded back at him.
With that being said, he directed himself to the straight of the sidewalk, and turned back to him one more time, “I don’t think I’ll forget that you live in my masterpiece!” Jimin jokes, and runs off down the street.
Taehyung was glad he didn’t see the way he was biting his lip, hiding the brightest smile he’s had in years, “No, not anymore.”