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Ding!

The elevator doors slide open. The attendant smooths out her double-breasted black jacket before she bows respectfully. Seokjin nods slightly. He does not see it, but Seokjin immediately hears the telltale whir of a camera. His eyes flick to the gleaming, mahogany back paneling. There must be a camera there.

He walks in and discreetly moves where he gauges the camera’s blind spot to be. Seokjin turns to face the doors.

“What floor, sir?” the attendant asks politely.

Seokjin wordlessly fixes the cuff of his pressed sleeve. The dark red printed wristband slides down to the exposed slip of skin between his white gloved hand and his black dress shirt. He flashes it pointedly.  

“Ah,” she realizes aloud. The attendant nods and continues briskly, “Of course.” She turns towards the number panel. She suddenly pauses. Her fingers hover over the buttons. The attendant turns her head back, eyes flicking over him. She asks carefully, “Excuse my rudeness, sir, but I don’t recognize your face. Is it your first time visiting our establishment?”

“And if it is?” Seokjin asks plainly.

She draws back from the number pad and explains succinctly, “Due to our new security measures, I need to see your membership card too.”

Seokjin hides a frown. A membership card? The vampire he interrogated and took the bracelet from did not say anything about a membership card. He inwardly sighs. 

Deciding to play it off, Seokjin lifts an eyebrow. He answers nonchalantly, “I don’t have it on me tonight.”

“You cannot enter without one,” the attendant answers, voice too deliberately neutral to be safe. Suspicion flickers in her eyes as she surveys him.

How meticulous. Hmm. Seokjin’s eyes flick to her hand closest to the number panel. It twitches ever so slightly. He cannot have her alert the others already. 

“I see. Let me check again,” Seokjin replies with a shrug. He takes out his wallet and slowly thumbs through his cards to buy time. Which one should he pick? He does not know what color the membership card is. Seokjin frowns. Deciding that black is the safest bet, he pulls out a card and hands it to her. “Here.”

Seokjin covertly angles himself away from the camera. Predictably, her eyebrows knit together as she looks over his stamp card from the cat cafe. She lifts her head up. “Sir, this is — ”

Seokjin looks straight into her hazel eyes. He compels her, “ This is my membership card .”

The attendant abruptly stills. Her pupils dilate as she gazes back. She nods and quickly hands him back the card. She asserts, “Yes, this is your card. Thank you for confirming, sir.”

The attendant turns back to the number panel. Instead of pressing the buttons in a unique combination like Seokjin assumes, the attendant instead presses her thumb over the hotel insignia under it and holds it there.

Seokjin blinks. A fingerprint scanner?

He watches curiously as a small, black touchpad unfolds from underneath. The attendant quickly taps the bright red electronic numbers. 

Or rather one single number several times.

666

Seokjin sighs. Someone here has a poor sense of humor. He frowns. Well, poor tastes in general, considering why he has to be here now on a Friday night instead of at the dinner reservation he has in another half hour. Irritation streaks through Seokjin.

He hears the elevator pulley whir as the elevator moves to their designated floor. The heartbeats from the hotel lobby grow fainter and fainter.

Hiding an underground vampire club in a busy hotel is clever. No one would question the stream of people moving in and out of one location. Furthermore, hotel services are already discreet regarding guests for the sake of hospitality. 

Ding!

The elevator doors slide open. The attendant bows. She says politely, “Please enjoy your stay, sir.”

Seokjin nods shortly. He steps out. The air pulsates with the thumping electronic music and pounding heartbeats. Already, the white and black checkerboard floor under his feet vibrates with the loud bass notes. His eyes run over the white snake emblazoned across the wall divider. With glittering rubies for eyes, it coils around a blood red apple.

Temptation and sin. 

Seokjin shakes his head. The décor is not subtle at all. The vampires here practically brag about their misdeeds. Frowning, he rounds the divider. Honestly, how did he not find this place sooner?

He gazes out in the darkened club. Flashing, red lights bathe the club in crimson, casting a macabre glow over the checkerboard floor. To his right, both humans and vampires gather by the bar lit up with neon purple lights. The sharp clink of glasses and the buzz of chatter surges whenever the beat drops. To his left, scantily clad bodies grind obscenely against each other on the dancefloor also illuminated with different shades of red.

Even under the red strobe lights, Seokjin spots eyes gleaming bright scarlet with bloodthirst. Not caring, the vampires boldly bite their dance partners right there in the open. Moaning, the humans sway to the music even as they bare their necks further.

The pungent, coppery scent of blood permeates the entire room. Despite himself, it riles his instincts. Hunger, insatiable and insidious, slinks through him. Seokjin reflexively licks his suddenly dry lips. The barest of an itch prickles the back of his throat. The shades of scarlet flash mesmerizingly before his eyes, the colors pulsing across breathing bodies like a visual of their heartbeats he hears pounding louder than the bass notes. His eyes zero in on that tantalizing crimson trickling down bare, vulnerable throats.

Red, red, red. This siren song of sin and blood beats even louder than the music blaring through the air.

He reaches for the cold steel of his resolve tempered by years of self-discipline. With practiced ease, Seokjin smothers the flickering bloodthirst. He frowns. Blood clubs violate the peace treaty that vampire society signed with the other supernatural races. They hinder progress towards peaceful coexistence with the humans. More importantly, the trail of dead bodies that he tracked to the hotel, or more specifically, the club, is unforgivable.

Seokjin weaves through the crowd. He mentally counts off the vampire staff members. His eyes follow the stairs up to a balcony overlooking the club. Seokjin narrows his eyes. There. 

He moves past the booths. A woman with long brunette curls suddenly staggers in front of him. Seokjin reflexively catches her and steadies her to her feet. She peers back at him, eyeliner smudged under her brown eyes. Her red lips immediately curve into a sultry smile. 

The woman croons, syllables slurred, “Hey, han’some. You look o’erdressed.” She fingers the lapel of his white blazer and then strokes down his sapphire blue tie. Raising her eyebrow, she comments, “Straight from work, huh?” She leans in, swaying precariously to the side again, and whispers, “You’re a vampire, aren’t you? Want to have a bite?”

Seokjin automatically leans away. He pries away her hand and says firmly, “I’m looking for someone.”

He steps forward in clear dismissal. She quickly pulls him back and frowns. “Hey. Don’t be a party pooper.” The woman presses closer, angling her hips to accentuate the curves of her already tight black minidress. She says with a suggestive smirk, “You can have me any way you want.”

Seokjin pauses. She tilts her neck in obvious invitation. Seokjin notes her dilated eyes and the scabbing, swollen puncture wounds in her neck.

He hides a grimace. This is why blood clubs are illegal. It’s hard to distinguish which humans actually enjoy the thrill of being bitten and which are being compelled to do so when blood loss makes anyone dazed and disoriented. Of course, many vampires do not care either way as long they feed, which does not help.

“Come on,” she insists, voice almost desperate. On second glance, this woman might be addicted to getting bitten. Seokjin sighs. That is not a good thing either.

He presses closer. The woman immediately grins. Seokjin whispers, gaze locking straight onto hers, “ Take a taxi and go home. ”

The grin slips off her face as she stares vacantly back at him. The woman nods. Gait a little stiff, she trudges past him and towards the entrance.

Seokjin eyes the balcony again. He heads up the stairs. The sound of raucous laughter and excited giggles reach his ears. Immediately, a tall, bulky dark-haired man in a all-black suit blocks his way. The bouncer frowns. He says brusquely, “You can’t access this area.”

Seokjin stares flatly. Annoyance flashes through him. This is already taking too long.

A voice suddenly calls out, “Hold on! Let him through.” 

Seokjin glances over at a redhead sitting lazily back against the black leather lounge booth. Meeting his eyes, the redhead smirks. He crooks his fingers, beckoning Seokjin forward.

The bouncer’s expression darkens with disapproval, but he stands stiffly to the side. Seokjin passes him. The conversation quiets down as the redhead’s companions glance up at him with varying expressions of amusement and interest.

One of them, a pastel pink haired man with silver piercings on his right ear and pale blue eyes, grins openly at him.

Five of them in total. All vampires.

The redhead’s smirk widens. He leans forward, his cobalt blazer drooping down to reveal a toned and shirtless chest. The man drawls, “You got some balls, newbie. Name?”

Seokjin takes in the gleaming gold necklaces draped around his neck and the way he spawls arrogantly back against the black leather. Like a king on his throne, Seokjin thinks dryly. He asks bluntly, “Are you the club owner?”

The redhead snorts. He reaches for his drink and asks, voice unamused, “Who else would I be?”

Seokjin shrugs. He says simply, “Close it down.”

The redhead pauses. He narrows his eyes over the rim of his glass. His voice sharpens as he demands, “What?”

The raven-haired woman next to him crosses her legs, the silver glitter on her lilac dress flashing iridescently. She grins into her glass. Her gray eyes glint strangely enough in excitement. Seokjin pauses. He takes in the widening smirks and fascinated glances aimed his way. No one’s eyes have turned red, but the thirst for blood and violence burns bright in their eyes anyways.

This is not a group of young, reckless socialites on a night out. This is a pack of hyenas eagerly waiting their turn to rip apart and devour prey.

He hears the bouncer shift behind him, poised to take action. Seokjin inwardly sighs. He glances at his watch. This might make him late for his dinner reservation. 

Seokjin replies tersely, voice equally sharp, “Blood clubs violate the treaty. Close it down. Now.”

Tense silence immediately follows his answer. He can practically feel the anticipation roiling off these vampires in menacing waves.

The redhead scratches his cheek, eyes not looking away from Seokjin. He says deliberately slowly, “I, uh, think I heard him wrong. Right, everyone?”

Hums and laughs ring out unkindly. The man gives him a razor-sharp smile and continues condescendingly, “For a second, I thought this bastard was ordering me around.”

One of the vampires, a tall, emerald green haired man, tugs up the sleeves of his black leather jacket. He shakes his head and says amusedly, “He must not know how things work around here.”

“Shame. He has such a pretty face too,” a woman with a pale blue pixie cut adds, clicking her tongue in pity. She pours herself another drink.

“Now, now, that’s on me. Hospitality is the host’s job.” the redhead answers patronizingly. He spreads his arms out along the booth and jerks his head. His eyes glint dangerously despite his casual tone. “Geez, where are my manners?”

Predictably, the bouncer shifts, his pant leg rustling ever so slightly. Seokjin frowns. How unnecessary. Well, if this is how they want to play it, then fine. 

Seokjin moves. The bouncer’s eyes widen, suddenly face to face. Knee already raised, Seokjin kicks. His foot slams into a firm chest. The bouncer hurtles clear through the air and straight into the balcony railing. The metal instantly bends. Groaning, the man slumps down. 

Seokjin straightens. Idly fixing his gloves, he turns back to the vampires. Disapproving frowns replace their sly grins from earlier. They all tense, eyes narrowed and tracking his every movement. 

The redhead’s mouth flattens in a thin, white line. Bright crimson seeps into the green of his eyes. He slams down his drink on the table, shattering the crystalline glass. Glaring, the man seethes, “Do you know who I am?”

“Yes. Do you know who I am?” Seokjin returns coolly. 

The redhead’s expression darkens. Narrowing his eyes, he says acidly, “Of course not. I don’t know losers like you.”

“You should,” Seokjin states simply. He reaches for the power he usually keeps tightly contained inside him to stay incognito. Like opening a valve, his power instantly flows through him. He lets it ripple out in warning.

Instantly, ice crackles at his feet. The temperature drops ominously, the air frigid and biting. Frost creeps up and smooths over the floor, the booths, and the furniture in the club. Seokjin hears the vampires below on the dancefloor cry out in surprise and alarm:  

“Hey, did you feel that?”

“That’s a pureblood, you idiot.” 

“But they never show up!”

“What? I thought they were an urban legend?” 

“Why is one here?”

“How the hell should I know? And I’m not staying to find out. I’m leaving, man.”

Seokjin frowns. He looks sideways over the balcony. Many of the vampires streak towards the exit in dark blurs. How inconvenient. They are all part of his suspect pool. 

He sighs and resists the urge to rub his temples. This would be so much easier if the vampire council is not split with half in favor of coexistence and half in favor of conserving the so-called traditions of vampire society. Laws need to be enforced. Otherwise, they are just meaningless words on pages.

The raven-haired woman bows to him. The others immediately follow her lead. She says demurely, “We apologize for our rudeness. Please forgive us for not recognizing you sooner.”

She nudges the redhead pointedly. After a moment, the redhead stiffly dips his head. Features contorting, he grits out, every syllable like a shard of broken glass, “I — why is an esteemed being such as yourself here?”  

Seokjin stiffens. Disdain rises sharply. They only show him respect because of his pureblood status. His words of coexistence, peace, basic morals fall upon deaf ears. Blood and power? Those they put on a pedestal. Vampire society reveres purity of bloodlines, but there is nothing pure about their cruel carelessness for others, their insatiable hunger for blood and dominance, and their conviction of their own supremacy.

Seokjin intones, voice curt and flat, “I already explained. You violated the treaty and our laws.” Abruptly, the music cuts off. Seokjin eyes the vampire employees now inching towards the stairs and the confused humans thankfully trailing out of the club. He adds, “I want the ledger.”

The redhead startles. His eyes dart up before he quickly lowers his head again. Bravado all but disappearing, he hurriedly denies, voice tinged with fear, “What ledger? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Seokjin narrows his eyes. There must be prominent names implicated in this fiasco if the man is scared of handing it over. He maintains, tone terse and unyielding, “Don’t lie to me. I know you keep a record of all of your clients.” He reaches out and tilts the man’s chin up. Locking their gazes together, Seokjin commands, “ Bring me the ledger. ”

The redhead’s eyes dilate, the red receding from his irises. He nods. He stands up jerkily. Limbs moving stiltedly, the vampire moves presumably towards his office.

“Did you compel him?” The green haired vampire asks, voice stark with disbelief. 

Seokjin’s eyes flick to him. The man stiffens under his gaze. His fingers clench at his sides. Besides him, the woman with the blue pixie cut shoots him a warning look and hisses, “Of course he did. He is a pureblood, you moron. Did you forget your common sense?”

“Well, they never show up. It’s like hearing a bedtime story sometimes,” the green haired vampire mutters under his breath with a scowl.

Out of the corner of his eye, Seokjin spots the pastel pink haired vampire who stayed quiet all this time twitching suddenly. The man’s leg flexes. In the second that he gets out of the seat, Seokjin dashes forward. He catches the vampire by his arm. The napkins flutter on the table. 

The vampire narrows his eyes. Seokjin can see his jaw clench. He tightens his grip in warning and reminds the vampire coldly, “I didn’t dismiss any of you yet.”

The vampire’s pale blue eyes immediately flash blood red. Seokjin frowns. Frost forms under his fingertips in preparation. Before he or the vampire can act, the green haired vampire yanks his friend down. He grumbles, “Sit down, man. The fuck are you doing?”

The pink haired vampire glares. Crossing his arms, he stays seated but defiantly glowers at Seokjin.

The raven haired woman frowns at her companion in silent reprimand. She then clears her throat and asks delicately, “Is there anything we can do for you?”

“The number of missing person cases this month is abnormal,” Seokjin says bluntly. 

The woman with the blue pixie cut stiffens. The raven haired woman and her green haired companion exchange a look.

Seokjin lifts an eyebrow. Watching them closely, he continues steadily, “So is the number of corpses with suspicious bite marks and puncture wounds. The official cause of death is exsanguination.”

The green haired vampire stretches his legs out. His right foot taps on the floor. He licks his lips and then asks, tone casual, “What does that have to do with us?”

Disdain surges up again. So they want to feign nonchalance now. 

Lips tugging down, Seokjin answers matter-of-factly, “You’ve been turning people.” The green haired vampire opens his mouth to protest. Seokjin frowns severely. The man looks away, his foot bobbing up and down restlessly. Seokjin continues sharply, “That’s another violation of our laws. You haven’t been mentoring them either.” He narrows his eyes and emphasizes, voice darkening with condemnation, “So they run rampant with zero control over their bloodthirst. And they kill innocents. ”

Anger thrums through him. The temperature drops further. In response, the vampires shift uneasily, foreheads creasing and fingers twitching. Only the raven haired vampire meets his gaze. Eyes calculative, she asks carefully, “What are you planning to do with us?”

“I’m turning you in to stand trial before the council,” Seokjin answers straightforwardly. The sharpness to her eyes immediately recedes. Similarly, her companions visibly relax, their deep furrows and frowns disappearing. Seokjin raises an eyebrow. He remarks, “None of you seem worried. Do you find trials fun too?”

The woman shakes her head. She answers calmly, “Of course not. We — ” 

“We didn’t do anything,” the pink haired vampire suddenly interrupts. 

Seokjin’s gaze slides back to him. The vampire returns his stare with a brazen smirk on his lips.

“Be quiet,” the raven haired woman rebukes sharply.

“You be quiet!” the pink haired vampire snaps back. He stands up and narrows his eyes at his companions. “Why should we be afraid? What did we do wrong, huh?” The pink-haired vampire turns back to Seokjin, eyes flashing bright red. His smirk widens. He gestures to the club and demands, “What’s wrong with having a little fun, huh? All those humans you saw come because they want to! Same goes for those who want to be turned. They want to! You think we force them?” 

He pauses deliberately. Seokjin lifts an eyebrow, unimpressed.

The vampire narrows his eyes. He snarls, “ They beg for it. They offer, so we take.” He slams his hands down on the table and leans forward. Eyes glittering in malice, he hisses, “Prey is prey! It’s ingrained in them. Just like it’s ingrained in us to be the predators. You can’t change that.”

Seokjin counters without hesitation, “We are more than our instincts. Humans are more than blood bags.” He looks the vampire straight in the eye and says adamantly, “And we can change.”

The vampire scoffs. He gestures wildly in the air and spits out, “No one shares your opinion. Take us to the council then! We’ll get nothing more than a slap on a wrist. You’re wasting your time!”

“You think you’re untouchable because your father and her mother are council members,” Seokjin states impassively. He raises an eyebrow. “Odd. I never said that I was going to turn you in to the vampire council.”

The pink haired vampire gapes. “What?”

“As I keep saying,” Seokjin continues impatiently. “You violated both our laws and the treaty.”

Realization finally dawns upon everyone’s faces. They tense one more.

Good. Vindication streaks through him darkly. There is a reason why Seokjin agreed to work with the Supernatural Bureau of Investigation. He has more of a chance to prosecute cases before the Allied Council than the Vampire Council.

The raven haired vampire purses her lips. She asks carefully, “Will you take us in now or will we — ” 

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Attention. An alarm has been activated. Please exit the building. Attention. An alarm has been activated. Please exit the building.

Seokjin startles. Turning his head, he glances out over the club where the fire alarm flashes repeatedly in time with its shrill shrieks. Over the intercom, an automated message repeats to evacuate immediately. 

Is there a fire? He does not smell any smoke though. Seokjin frowns. Or is this a diversion? He clenches his jaw. Someone must have tripped the alarm on purpose. That is not good. He needs to get the ledger first before — 

A blur of pink zooms by his right. Seokjin surges forward and slams the vampire back against the wall. Silver flashes out of the corner of his eye.

Bang! 

White-hot pain suddenly lances through his shoulder. Warm liquid seeps through his blazer. Seokjin immediately reels back. Reflexively, he reaches up and feels over the wound. His skin is not knitting together instantly as it usually does.

He narrows his eyes.  

An anti-vampiric weapon.

The pink-haired vampire raises the silver engraved gun in his hand. Running, he hisses, “You’re not turning me in, you arrogant bastard!”

Bang! Bang!

Seokjin ducks. He immediately twitches his fingers. Ice shoots up. The bullets hit the makeshift barrier, embedding themselves into the ice. Seokjin pivots on his heel and chases after. Distantly, he registers the other vampires zipping towards the exit. Seokjin grits his teeth. Damn it. He should have just froze them in place.

What an oversight.

The pink haired vampire sprints down the hallway. The muzzle of the gun flashes. Aiming over his shoulder, the vampire fires off another round of shots. 

Bang! Bang!

Seokjin frowns. Dodging, he immediately throws up another wall of ice. Where is he going? That is not the way down to the dance floor where the exit is. That is the way to the — 

Office.

Seokjin's eyes widen. The ledger. The club owner he compelled to retrieve it still has not come back yet. Is he aiming to erase the evidence? Seokjin clenches his jaw. No. That cannot happen. He needs that ledger. There are bigger fish to catch here than these reckless socialites. 

Eyes locked onto the vampire’s back, Seokjin determinedly sprints harder. Should he just freeze the entire club after all? The humans must have all evacuated, right?

Bullets ricochet against the spiked shields of ice. An ornamental vase shatters on his right. The light bulbs shatter above his head. Power pulses through him like a second heartbeat. Ice crackles over the wallpaper, streaking towards the vampire. The frigid air bites his cheeks. Shouto reaches out — 

KABOOM!

A sudden explosion thunders through the air. The floor quakes under Seokjin’s feet. The pink haired vampire lets out a sound of alarm. He pauses briefly, head turning back automatically at the sound. 

Seokjin sweeps a foot behind the vampire’s ankles as he yanks the vampire’s arm back. He shoves him down. The gun clatters to the ground. The vampire groans in pain.

“Everyone stay where you are! This is the S.B.I.!”

Relief streaks through Seokjin. Good. The bureau can deal with the escaping vampires.

He creases his forehead. Although... it is a bit odd how spot on their timing is. Seokjin did not call for back-up. Maybe it is Jimin? Jimin’s foresight can be uncannily spot on. He must have guessed that Seokjin planned to pursue the lead by himself. Seokjin does prefer handling the vampire related cases personally.

The vampire immediately thrashes against him. He yells, “Let me go!”

Tightening his grip on the vampire’s arm, Seokjin says darkly, “I said that I didn’t dismiss you yet.”  

“You can’t just — ”

Frost spreads from under his fingertips. It encases the vampire, smothering the vampire’s outraged protests. Seokjin smoothly gets up from the vampire now pinned to the ground in a gleaming boulder of ice. Blue suddenly flashes to his right. Seokjin tenses, ice already crackling from under his foot. He whirls around. 

The red haired vampire stares vacantly back at him. He stiffly holds the brown, leather bound booklet out. Seokjin takes it. Order fulfilled, the vampire twitches. Seokjin sees the exact moment awareness floods back into him because the vampire’s lips immediately curl back, baring his fangs.

Not giving him the time to react, Seokjin grabs him by the throat and shoves him against the wall. Cracks streak jaggedly through the wall. His fingers dig into the soft, vulnerable flesh. Ice darts up and over the vampire, freezing him into place. 

They still need to be interrogated for details later.

Seokjin pulls back. He briskly makes his way down the hallway. Back out on the balcony, he gazes down at the dance floor. The bureau members wrangle the vampire socialites and club employees into custody.

Some of them are unfamiliar faces, but he recognizes the green, ethereal glow of Jimin’s phantom figure phasing through the furniture and the brown blur of Hobi’s broomstick as he darts in the air, levitating both objects and vampires.    

“Die, fucker!”

Seokjin flinches. Prickling goosebumps race down his nape at the venomous snarl. His heart spasms. More jarring than the menacing tone is the familiarity of that deep growl. He knows that voice. He hears it every day over the phone. No. It cannot be. He must have heard wrong. There is no way that the owner of that voice would be here. 

Impossible.

Heart thudding, Seokjin’s head whips back towards the stairs. The vampire with the blue pixie cut from before bounds back up the stairs, lips parted and scarlet eyes wide open in panic. A man immediately follows from behind her. He lunges. Hand flashing over her face, the blonde grips her chin and brutally twists. Her neck snaps with a sharp crack of bone. Instantly, the vampire slumps down on the ground. 

She will not die. However, it will take her a while to recover, Seokjin's mind observes detachedly.

His heart, however, slams against his ribcage. Seokjin swallows.

“Shitty bloodsucker,” the man mutters. He straightens, lifting up his head. Unfamiliar gold eyes but a familiar face meet Seokjin’s wide-eyed gaze. 

Oh. It is Jeongguk.

He faintly watches Jeongguk stiffen, shock mirrored in his expression. Jeongguk stares at him for another moment before he narrows his eyes. 

Lips set in a hard, unforgiving line, Jeongguk stalks forward. The taut line of his muscles and the commanding stride of his step emphasizes the dangerous air Jeongguk gives off.  

Numb, Seokjin stands rooted to his spot. He does not recognize this Jeongguk. The Jeongguk he knows has gentle, deft hands. This Jeongguk radiates power and ruthlessness.

Hard plaster hits his back as Jeongguk presses closer and crowds him against the wall. His fingers curl in the lapel of Seokjin’s blazer, neither tightening or shoving back, but the threat to stay there is unmistakable. Seokjin's breath hitches.

Despite the few inches in height Seokjin holds over him, Jeongguk somehow looms over him. His eyes rake over Seokjin, the molten gold of his irises smoldering. Seokjin twitches, feeling pinned under his fierce gaze. 

“Wait! Jeongguk! Seokjin hyung works with us! He’s not one of the vampires we’re after!” Jimin calls out, sounding alarmed. Iridescent green flickers behind Jeongguk's’s right shoulder before Jimin’s ghostly figure condenses.

Eyes trained on Seokjin, Jeongguk growls, “I know he’s not.”

Jimin furrows his brows. “You do?” He turns his head from Jeongguk to Seokjin. Realization dawns in his eyes. He asks slowly, “Do you two know each other?” 

Seokjin’s eyes flick from Jeongguk to Jimin. His tongue suddenly feels too thick. The words refuse to come out.

Do they know each other? They do, and even that is an understatement. 

“Yeah. We do,” Jeongguk answers, eyes still locked on Seokjin and his harsh expression unchanging. “Don’t we, Jinnie hyung?”

Condemnation burns in his gaze. The familiar nickname pierces Seokjin, no less sharper or devastating than an actual dagger.

Seokjin swallows hard in answer.

Ah.

He thinks nonsensically of what time it is now, but it really does not matter if he is late to the dinner or not anymore. There is no point in being on time for that dinner reservation. 

Not when his date, his boyfriend, is already here.

Seokjin tries not to squirm as the antiseptic wipe trails wetly over the sensitive patch of skin. Jeongguk wordlessly rubs away the last of the dried blood.

The gunshot wound on Seokjin’s shoulder has already healed, but Jeongguk still tears open an adhesive bandage and presses it on. Still not saying a word, Jeongguk turns away. He gathers the stray trash and closes the first aid kit that Seokjin does not remember having in his apartment. 

Seokjin eyes his tense shoulders and stiff jaw. Dread churns uneasily through him again. Is Jeongguk unhappy at finding out that Seokjin is a vampire? And not only a vampire but a pureblood? Is he angry that Seokjin deceived him and pretended to be human this whole time?

But . . . 

Seokjin frowns. Jeongguk did the same, didn’t he? Seokjin thinks back on those sharp golden eyes and the supernatural strength Jeongguk must possess to take down a vampire so easily. Seokjin is not familiar with werewolves, but he instinctively recognizes Jeongguk as one now. 

Jeongguk is a werewolf.

Seokjin did not know that. He thought Jeongguk was a human. Seokjin bites his lips. Just like Jeongguk must have thought he was human too. 

Seokjin chances a look at Jeongguk who now paces around the living room instead of sitting down next to him. Is that deliberate? 

What does it mean for their relationship now since neither of them are who they thought each other to be?

Seokjin shifts restlessly. He feels incredibly lost despite being in his own apartment. Logically, he knows this conversation would have happened sooner or later. Seokjin knows that, even if this is not quite the one he expected.

Nothing stays secret forever. 

Seokjin hates it too. He hates the guilt digging under his skin like a splinter at having to lie to Jeongguk. The knowledge, shoved away at the deepest corners of his mind, always surfaces and mars the happy memories they have together. 

He knows too, that the rational decision from day one is to not date at all.

That would have spared the both of them the inevitable heartache. Happiness is a fleeting moment for a human and a vampire. But then, Jeongguk had asked him out one night — after Seokjin visited his restaurant for what must have been the hundredth time — with red ears and a hand rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, and all rational thought flew out of Seokjin’s head. 

A pining heart always trumps a rational mind. 

Seokjin did not let go then. Seokjin narrows his eyes. And he is not letting go now. He is selfish enough to want to know Jeongguk than to never know him at all.

Mustering his courage, Seokjin takes a deep breath and asks, “What — ”

“You — ” Jeongguk starts at the same time.

They both stop abruptly. Eyes back to their usual scarlet, Jeongguk stares at Seokjin for a moment. He rakes a hand through his already ruffled blond hair and demands, voice edged with frustration, “Are you even a lawyer?”

“Are you a chef?” Seokjin shoots back, a little offended now. He frowns. Now that he thinks of it, why is Jeongguk so irritated?

Being confused would be understandable. Being angry is flat out hypocritical when Jeongguk also hid his true nature from Seokjin. Seokjin purses his lips. Despite not being any better himself, he does not like that Jeongguk lied to him so easily. An uncomfortable, prickly feeling suddenly worms up.

Huh.

Jeongguk’s eyebrow twitches. He retorts, "Of course I’m a chef!” His voice sharpens with outrage. “What the hell do you think I feed you? Air? Cardboard? Frozen food? Is the restaurant a movie set?” He narrows his eyes. Crossing his arms, Jeongguk asks suspiciously, “Did you even eat my food?”

Seokjin's expression flattens. Just because he does not need human food to survive does not mean he cannot actually eat or have taste buds. Furthermore, he is pretty sure he always sent empty plates back to the kitchen. Jeongguk’s culinary skill is one of the things that drew Seokjin to him in the first place. Frowning, Seokjin points out exasperatedly, “You know I did.” 

“Yeah, well. Apparently, there are a lot of things I don’t know,” Jeongguk answers with a pointed glare.

Seokjin’s frown deepens. That is unfair. He returns bluntly, “There are a lot of things I don’t know about you either.”

Jeongguk immediately bristles. Not giving him the chance to retort, Seokjin continues, “And I am a lawyer. But for supernatural clients. I prosecute cases for the Allied Council. Mainly ones relating to vampires.” 

He pauses. Wait, if Jeongguk was at the raid earlier, then doesn’t that mean . . . 

“Don’t you work for them too?” Seokjin questions aloud. He furrows his brows. How come he has not seen Jeongguk before or vice versa? How have they not already met?

“I consult for the investigative bureau,” Jeongguk corrects, scowling. Aggravation darkens his expression. He continues grudgingly, “Sometimes. Only when shit happens on my turf or when they’re shorthanded.”

Seokjin eyes the mulish set of his features. Jeongguk does not seem fond of the council. It is not surprising though.

Composed of the leaders from the different supernatural factions, the Allied Council is always in a precarious balance of power. Dealing with them means being entangled in a spiderweb of interests that is frankly no less complicated or risky than vampire politics.

Also, Jeongguk hates taking orders from anyone. Seokjin wisely keeps his commentary on Jeongguk’s defiance against authority to himself though.

Instead, Seokjin asks curiously, “Turf?”

Jeongguk stares. His eyebrows knit together, the furrow in his forehead deepening. Seokjin shifts under the sudden scrutiny. What did he say that's making Jeongguk look at him like this? Seokjin really is not familiar with werewolves.

The history of conflict and hostility between vampires and werewolves aside, Seokjin simply does not encounter legal cases concerning werewolves. Issues concerning the wolf packs are usually resolved within or among the packs. 

An odd expression that Seokjin cannot place crosses Jeongguk's face. Eyes trained on Seokjin now, Jeongguk answers slowly, “I lead a pack.”

Seokjin blinks. Jeongguk is a pack leader? He pauses. Oh. How surprising. Questions buzz on his tongue. He picks the easiest one and asks, “Are you in charge of the block around your apartment or restaurant?”

Jeongguk’s eyes crinkle in amusement. His shoulders suddenly relax. The tension gripping him all night sheds off. A familiar smirk plays across his lips. He answers pointblank, “Downtown.”

Seokjin blinks again. In terms of land, downtown only takes up a very small percentage of the city. However, in terms of value, as the central business and entertainment hub, downtown is an important district to mark as pack territory. Seokjin really only expected a neighborhood or two at most but—

Bewildered, he asks faintly, “All of downtown?”

“You really didn’t know, huh?” Jeongguk observes, voice tinged with what Seokjin thinks might be relief (why relief?) The smirk on Jeongguk's lips relaxes into a genuine grin. Satisfaction gleams brightly in his eyes.

Seokjin stares blankly. Is he supposed to be reading between the lines again? He definitely missed a clue somewhere or maybe even the entire thread of this conversation. Confused more than ever by Jeongguk’s reaction, he answers helplessly, “I don’t understand.”

“About me,” Jeongguk clarifies as he finally comes over. He stops in front of Seokjin and cocks an eyebrow. “You didn’t know about me.”

Seokjin frowns. What does Jeongguk mean by that? Of course, Seokjin does not know that Jeongguk is a pack leader much less the one controlling downtown.

He says so aloud, “I thought you were a chef.” Jeongguk’s grin widens in answer. Seokjin makes a face. He demands, “What is it?”

Jeongguk snorts. He comments, amusement heavy in his voice, “You’re pretty dense, Hyung.”

Seokjin stares flatly at him. Jeongguk knows subtlety is not Seokjin's strong suit. Here Jeongguk is angry and suspicious for one minute, and the next he is somehow back to his usual arrogant, smug self. Seokjin reaches out and hurls the pillow at Jeongguk. Startled, Jeongguk widens his eyes but reflexively catches it. Undeterred, Seokjin grabs the second pillow behind his back and bats Jeongguk with it.

“What the hell?” Jeongguk barks. He yanks the sofa pillow away and glares. “Quit throwing shit at me, asshole!”

Unsympathetic, Seokjin glares back and grits out, “Explain already. I don’t understand!”

“That’s because you’re an idiot,” Jeongguk retorts. At Seokjin’s unhappy look, he rolls his eyes. “I’m a pack leader, alright? It means I’m responsible for people and — ” 

He cuts himself abruptly. His nose wrinkles. Fondness surges despite Seokjin’s irritation at the familiar constipated expression Jeongguk gets whenever he gets too emotionally invested in something. Seokjin’s lips twitch up.

Crossing his arms, Jeongguk grumbles, “Anyways, a lot of shitty bastards want me to give up downtown. I had to make sure that you wanted — ” He stops himself again. Averting his gaze, he mutters, “I needed to know that downtown isn’t the reason why you’re interested. In me.”

The implication strikes Seokjin hard in his heart. He flinches. Is that what Jeongguk thought?  

Suddenly, the image of the club, of the sharp accusation in Jeongguk’s eyes from earlier flits through his head. Oh. That’s betrayal, isn’t it? He thought Seokjin hid his pureblood status not because Seokjin wanted to keep seeing him but because Seokjin wanted to manipulate him into handing downtown over.

The terrible thing is that it is not an unreasonable conclusion. There is a reason why the other supernatural races distrust vampires, what with their power of compulsion, bloodthirst, and the superiority complex that vampire society fosters.

It is also why there is mutual dislike between vampires and werewolves. Werewolves, with their natural resistance to vampire tricks and their abilities, are their evenly matched counterparts. 

Stricken, Seokjin stands up. The unpleasant, twitchy feeling writhes through him. He insists, trying to catch Jeongguk’s eye, “It isn’t. That’s not why. I don’t have any ulterior motives.”

Rare chagrin crosses Jeongguk’s features. Shifting on his feet, Jeongguk says wryly, “I know now.”

Desperation suddenly grips him. The more Seokjin thinks about the misunderstanding, the more unease roils through him. Seokjin only lied to Jeongguk because he wants a relationship.

He wants Jeongguk, not some district.

Without thinking, Seokjin blurts out, “I like you.” 

Jeongguk blinks rapidly, looking caught off guard. 

Seokjin’s heartbeat drums in his ears. Fingers twitching, he repeats, “I like you. That’s why I’m dating you.”

Jeongguk immediately flushes. He splutters, "I said, I know!” His ears redden. Looking away, he presses his face into his palm. A beat of silence passes before Jeongguk mumbles, voice muffled, “Me too.”

“I didn’t want to lie to you,” Seokjin adds immediately. Like pulling a stopper from the bottle, the words he kept tightly sealed flows out. “I didn’t know how to tell you. There was never a good time to tell you that I’m a vampire. And not many people even like vampires. And I — ” 

Seokjin stutters. He likes the way Jeongguk looks at him. He likes the way Jeongguk does not see a pureblood, someone to be feared or respected. He likes the way Jeongguk does not see a status, a bloodline instead he sees Seokjin who likes gaming, likes singing, likes getting up early to go fishing, he sees Seokjin who likes summers and sweets and— These labels do not strangle Seokjin like his surname does. 

He does not want Jeongguk to look at him differently. The honesty lodges in his throat in an aching lump. Seokjin swallows hard. He confesses quietly, “I just didn’t want to lose you.”

Seokjin looks away and clasps his hands. 

Jeongguk suddenly says, “I was going to tell you tonight.”

Tell him? Jeongguk planned to reveal himself tonight? Surprised, Seokjin automatically looks back. 

Jeongguk looks straight into his eyes. He continues steadily, “At dinner.” He says, “I don’t like hiding something. And lying to you makes me feel bad.” 

So keeping his identity a secret also bothered  Jeongguk. The restless feeling unsettling his stomach finally recedes. Seokjin exhales, his chest suddenly feeling lighter. Jeongguk does not like lying to him. 

Jeongguk catches his reaction because his forehead creases, and his scowl deepens. Eyes flashing with sudden emotion, he growls abruptly, “I don’t date humans.” 

Seokjin blinks at the non sequitur. 

Pacing around the coffee table, Jeongguk continues, voice harsh, “They’re weak. They bleed easily. They don’t regenerate like we do. They get scared of things they don’t understand.” He stops. His fingers clench and unclench. Jeongguk admits, voice rough with honesty, “You’re — You were different.”

Seokjin’s heart skips a beat. Affection rushes through warmly. He understands what Jeongguk is trying to say because it is the same for him. Seokjin confesses, “I don’t date humans either. You’re my exception too.”

A helpless expression flits across Jeongguk’s face. He opens his mouth, closes it, and finally grumbles, fingers twitching at his side, “You’re such a damn sap sometimes.”

Seokjin smiles. His eyes flick over Jeongguk once more.

A vampire and a werewolf.

Now that he thinks of it, Jeongguk only opens the restaurant at night; he is sensitive to scents; and he can carry Seokjin with ease. Seokjin blinks. Wait. How have they managed to hide from each other for so long?

Noticing his baffled expression, Jeongguk frowns. He asks warily, “What’s wrong?” 

Seokjin wonders aloud, “I can’t believe we did not realize it sooner. We always met at night.”

Jeongguk raises an eyebrow. He shoots back, voice defensive, “So? A ton of people have night shifts.”

Seokjin deadpans, “Jeongguk-ah. Your restaurant serves mostly supernatural customers.”

Seokjin definitely surpasses his own obliviousness; that is true. Somehow his mind assumed that Jeongguk’s restaurant just received a lot of supernatural traffic due to its location instead of connecting the obvious dots. Seokjin frowns, unhappy. He feels sore just thinking about it actually. It is embarrassingly incompetent of him as a lawyer to fail on logic. 

On the other hand, Jeongguk is no better. He also did not make the obvious conclusion. 

Huh. Seokjin tilts his head. This must be what “blinded by love” means.

Jeongguk scowls. Jerking his chin, he stubbornly retorts, “That’s on you Hyung. I thought you were some lost human who couldn’t see past the damn glamours and liked the food or something.”

Seokjin gives him an exasperated look. He says bluntly, “We’re idiots.”

“You’re the idiot!” Jeongguk snaps, tone offended. His face sours. He adds bitterly, “Shit. The hyungs aren’t ever going to let this fucking go.”

Seokjin pauses. Odd. No one at the restaurant said anything. Maybe it’s because Seokjin and Jeongguk were both entirely convinced of each other’s supposed human nature.

Seokjin observes, “But, they didn’t know either, did they?” He raises an eyebrow. “Even Jimin didn’t put it together.”

He noticed the familiarity between Jeongguk and Jimin and Hobi earlier, so they must be friends. Jimin is usually very perceptive too. 

Huh. Somehow Seokjin feels better knowing that their apparently shared circle of friends is also unaware. It is nice to know that Seokjin is not the only one lacking observational skills here. Also, what a very small world they live in. They both unknowingly had the same friends. Today is a day of endless revelations.

Jeongguk blinks. A smirk suddenly pulls at his lips. He answers smugly, “You’re right. You’re all dumbasses.”

Seokjin rolls his eyes. He points out, “So are you.”

“Whatever,” Jeongguk says dismissively. He glances down at his watch and frowns. To Seokjin’s surprise, he steps away from the couch and heads into the foyer.

Seokjin’s stomach suddenly lurches at Jeongguk’s departure. He jolts up from the sofa. Trying hard to keep his alarm from seeping through, Seokjin asks quickly, “Where are you going?”

“To wrap up the stupid raid,” Jeongguk answers easily without looking up. Jeongguk tugs on a worn leather combat boot on his right foot and laces it back up. He adds, “I gotta sign the  paperwork.”

Heart thudding, Seokjin watches Jeongguk lace up his other boot. Rationally, he knows that Jeongguk just said that he likes Seokjin too, so he does not seem like he wants to break up.

But at the same time, Seokjin needs to hear it. The fear that slithered through him at the club creeps up again. He bites his lips. Hesitantly, Seokjin asks, “We’re not breaking up, right?”

Jeongguk’s head whips up. Eyes wide, he splutters in outrage, “What the hell?” He narrows his eyes and bites out almost accusatorily, “Fuck no! You just told me you liked me, Hyung!”

Right. That did happen. Seokjin nods and says numbly, “I did.” He frowns and then corrects, “I do.” 

Jeongguk’s forehead immediately creases. Frowning now, he surveys Seokjin suspiciously. Seokjin shifts restlessly on his feet but does not elaborate. He is not quite sure why he is so anxious himself. Jeongguk is just leaving to close the investigation. It is not like Jeongguk is not ever coming back.

It is only when Jeongguk has a hand on the doorknob that the words suddenly fly out before Seokjin can think better of them. “Does it bother you that I’m a vampire?”

Because it bothers Seokjin. He has never been happy about being a pureblood much less a vampire. This is the main reason why, when Jeongguk mistook him for a human, Seokjin could not find it within himself to fix that misunderstanding.

Jeongguk’s expression turns pensive. He observes Seokjin for a moment, eyes unnervingly shrewd and sharp, before he finally says, “I’m a werewolf, Hyung.”

Seokjin swallows. His stomach pitches in dread. He answers haltingly, “Werewolves do. . . hate vampires.”

Jeongguk makes a face. He retorts, “That’s not what I’m saying.” He pauses. The furrow between his eyebrows deepens. He mutters, “I mean, yeah, some of you guys are fucking bastards.” Jeongguk scowls, eyes distant and dark with the memory. He shakes his head, and his expression clears up again, irritation fading. Meeting Seokjin’s eyes, he continues bluntly, “ Look, I’m a werewolf. You’re a vampire. Neither of us are human. It’s not like we can judge each other for anything.” He raises his eyebrows. “Besides, you’re still you, Hyung.”

Seokjin stills. The words nestle somewhere deep inside his ribcage. You’re still you. His heart clenches. The warm, fuzzy feeling that surges lately whenever he is with Jeongguk pools inside his chest. 

Oh.

His lips tilt up. Buoyed by the warm affection, he leans forward and kisses Jeongguk’s cheek. Seokjin murmurs, “Text me when you’re done?”

Jeongguk’s eyes dart to him and then away. He rubs the back of his neck and mumbles, “Yeah. I will.”

He gives Seokjin one last lingering look before he steps out the door. Seokjin shuts it with a smile. He breathes out, shoulders slumping. That conversation went infinitely better than the scenarios he imagined in his head.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

He hears Jeongguk’s footsteps suddenly stop before they backtrack to his door. Seokjin lifts an eyebrow. Jeongguk must have forgotten something. Not waiting for Jeongguk to knock, Seokjin opens the door. “Did you forget something — Mmph?”

Jeongguk kisses him hard, slanting their lips together. A familiar hand rakes through Seokjin's hair and tugs him even closer. Seokjin groans, scalp tingling sharply. He blindly clutches Jeongguk’s shirt and kisses back. 

When Jeongguk finally breaks the kiss, Seokjin’s lungs ache with the need for air, and his mind is dizzy with half-finished thoughts. Not letting up, Jeongguk kisses down his neck. Tingles immediately race down Seokjin's skin. Seokjin shivers. He says breathlessly in between moans, “I thought — Mm — you needed to go.”

“I’m already late,” Jeongguk growls. Arms circling Seokjin’s waist, he walks them back towards the living room. He nips lightly right above Seokjin’s collarbone before he looks up, eyes flashing. Jeongguk accuses, “And you’re an idiot Hyung.”

“Why am I an idiot?” Seokjin protests. He bites down on another moan as Jeongguk sucks at a sensitive spot. His back hits the sofa. The moan slips out, knocked out of him.

“For thinking I would ever give you up,” Jeongguk growls into his skin. His hands slip under Seokjin’s shirt, warm palms gliding up and over Seokjin’s sides and abdomen. “Idiot.”

Seokjin’s breath hitches. Jeongguk’s touches sear a trail of tingles over his skin. Arching into Jeongguk’s hands, he says half-heartedly, “You shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

Jeongguk rolls his eyes. He rucks up Seokjin’s shirt and says easily, “I can get you off quick.”

Without warning, the rough pads of his thumbs rub across Seokjin’s nipples. Sharp tingles race up, nearly aching, as his nipples harden in answer. Seokjin moans. 

Wait a minute.

Jeongguk’s earlier words suddenly cut through the haze of pleasure. 

He pushes Jeongguk back. Narrowing his eyes, Seokjin criticizes, “Are you calling me easy?”

Jeongguk gives him a wolfish smirk in return.

several months later...

“ — broke into my bakery last night, I think. The lock is broken, but I don’t know what they’re looking for,” Seokjin hears a man in a white apron tell Jeongguk. He looks familiar. Hmm. Seokjin racks his mind. Ah. He remembers now. The brunette is the nymph who runs the bakery down the street. Namjoon, if he recalls.

A frown replaces his usual lively expression. 

“Yeah?” Jeongguk’s eyes narrow as he takes the delivery of fresh bread from Namjoon. Jeongguk nods to Namjoon and adds, “I’ll ramp up the patrols and see what’s up.”

Namjoon’s shoulders immediately relax. He grins and says, “Thanks, man.”

Jeongguk jerks his chin in acknowledgement and turns to carry the box into the kitchen. He catches Seokjin’s eye. He places it down on a spare table and steps in his direction.

Before he can go any further though, Taehyung skids to a stop in front of him. The tray in Taehyung’s hand lurches, the empty glasses clinking. Taehyung immediately tilts forward and balances it back. Seokjin hears him sigh in relief. “Whoops.” Stepping closer to Jeongguk, Taehyung whispers loudly, “ Jeongguk-ah Table three says they don’t want any chili peppers in their hot and sour soup.”

Jeongguk’s lips immediately curl in disdain. Seokjin chuckles. Jeongguk is very particular about his menu. Nothing riles him up more than people bastardizing his menu to fit their weird  food preferences, or so Jeongguk keeps complaining to him.

As expected, Jeongguk rants, “But Taehyung hyung Hot and sour is supposed to be spicy! It’s in the damn name! If they have wimpy taste buds, tell them to order the eggdrop soup!”

Taehyung sighs but nods. He turns and heads through the kitchen doors. 

Jeongguk makes a disgusted sound. He barely manages to take another step before someone rushes by, hair ruffled. He calls out over her shoulder, “Jeongguk! We have a party of ten coming in twenty minutes!”

Jeongguk grunts in answer. He moves towards Seokjin again only for Yoongi to poke his blonde head out of the kitchen doors and deadpan, “Taehyung can’t find the tray of catfish anywhere.”

Jeongguk immediately halts. His eyebrow twitches. Seokjin bites back another amused grin. He spins around and yells, outraged, "Hyung, he is the one who prepped it!”

“I know!” Taehyung shouts back. His eyes widen in panic. He waves his hands vaguely in the air and nearly wails, “But where did I put it?”

Jeongguk exhales shortly. He sends an unhappy look to Seokjin. Lips twisted in a grimace, he stalks back to the kitchen. 

Seokjin shakes his head and chuckles. His eyes rove over the dining room. Busy as always, two-thirds of the tables are already filled despite the restaurant barely opening fifteen minutes ago. The clang of silverware and the hum of excited conversation surges.

Faintly, Seokjin can hear Taehyung and Yoongi talking to Jeongguk. He smiles. It is nice to see the easy camaraderie and the seamless teamwork between everyone here. That really should have been a dead giveaway of a pack. But, besides Jeongguk, Yoongi, and Taehyung no one else is a werewolf. Packs usually are not so diverse.

Seokjin thinks of the way Namjoon approached Jeongguk about his issue without any reservations. So this is what Jeongguk means by being responsible for others. He cares about what happens to this district. 

Seokjin’s expression softens. He can see why Jeongguk would hate dealing with the Allied Council. They tend to think in terms of society at large, instead of communities.

Seokjin is just about to leave — He will just text or see Jeongguk later when he closes up — when a hand tugs him back. Surprised, Seokjin turns. Black chef uniform now stained, Jeongguk clears his throat. He says, “Hey hyung.”

“Hey,” Seokjin answers softly. 

Jeongguk rubs the back of his neck. He continues awkwardly, “So, uh, I'll be busy next week. Just so you know.”

Oh. Well, that is not the best news. Seokjin dislikes when they cannot meet because their work schedules conflict. However, it is just the way things are sometimes. Feeling a little touched that Jeongguk wants to tell him beforehand, he asks curiously, “Is the restaurant hosting a special event?”

Jeongguk shakes his head. He answers brusquely, “I’ll be at home.”  

Seokjin blinks. At home? What work is he doing at home? 

Jeongguk grimaces at his confused expression. He explains, tone reluctant and still discomforted, “My rut is coming up.”

Seokjin blinks again. Rut? He tilts his head. Ah. That’s right. Werewolves have heat cycles. If Jeongguk is informing him now, then maybe he wants Seokjin to spend it with him? In that case . . 

He thinks aloud, “Should I clear my schedule for next week then?”

Jeongguk furrows his brows. He asks bewilderedly, “Why would you need to do that hyung?” 

Seokjin stares blankly. He asks carefully, “You don’t want me with you during your rut?”

Somehow the thought does not make him very happy. Granted, he is not completely certain what a rut entails, but why does Jeongguk need to spend his ruts alone? He has Seokjin for a boyfriend. Seokjin frowns

Jeongguk stares disbelievingly. 

Seokjin furrows his brows. He questions, “What is it? What did I say?”

Jeongguk rakes a hand through his hair and mutters something that sounds suspiciously like, “You’re going to be the death of me.” Looking back up, he says gruffly, “My rut’s intense. It’s not a good idea.”

Seokjin frowns. Unconvinced, he counters, “I handled you when you turned on a full moon.”

Well, kind of. Jeongguk usually spends full moons with his pack. Seokjin is not quite sure what he does on them. Jeongguk came late at night one time though. Seokjin nearly froze him in alarm when he saw a hulking wolf leap right through his bedroom window.  Jeongguk did not change back and just curled on the bed at Seokjin’s feet. The wild, fresh scent of the forest and rainfall clung to him that night.

Distracted by the memory, Seokjin hums. Jeongguk is very fluffy in that form. It is such a shame he rarely ever shifts around Seokjin.

As if he can read Seokjin’s thoughts, Jeongguk says exasperatedly, “It’s not the same, ” He scowls. “Just let it go, Hyung.”

Seokjin does not let it go.

He does not understand Jeongguk’s reluctance. They both are not human. Being a vampire and a werewolf means that they each respectively possess physical abilities like superhuman strength, speed, and etc. Practically, aren’t they very compatible for sex? Isn’t this a blessing really?

If Seokjin is a human, then he can understand why Jeongguk is wary of sharing his ruts in fear of hurting him. But, he is not a human. He is a vampire. He is a pureblood with healing abilities that even surpasses normal vampires. 

Seokjin frowns. Sometimes he gets the feeling Jeongguk holds himself back. During sex, Jeongguk will grip his hips, eyes fierce and heated, fingers digging in, like all he wants to do is press himself inside even deeper and devour Seokjin whole. He always lets go though, never leaves the bruises that Seokjin holds his breath for, and drags Seokjin up for a rough, searing kiss instead. 

Seokjin bites his lips. He would not mind. Maybe it is his vampiric instincts, the dark sirens whispering at the back of his mind, the insatiable hunger always lurking deep under, that revels in the raw physicality of it. Maybe it is the way that he likes the soreness that lingers sometimes just as much as he does the gentle cuddles and the soft haze of pleasure sinking in. 

Suddenly, his mind replays the image of Jeongguk, eyes burning gold and power radiating off him. Arousal instantly curls low in his gut. Seokjin flushes. Maybe he just has a thing for Jeongguk. He bites his lips harder. He . . . he would not mind seeing that side of Jeongguk again. He wants to see Jeongguk let go.

Seokjin leans down to open the mini-fridge. He blinks in surprise. Instead of the one remaining blood bag that he clearly remembers having, the mini-fridge is stocked with enough to last him for a couple weeks. He does not remember ordering more though. He forgot actually, too focused on organizing his court case lately.

Did Jeongguk restock it? He used to grumble about Seokjin’s eating habits after seeing Seokjin’s empty refrigerator and cupboards too many times back when he still thought Seokjin was a human. Jeongguk would even bring groceries over sometimes whenever he came over. 

Seokjin pulls out a blood bag and stares down at it helplessly. Jeongguk adjusts to Seokjin’s vampirism so easily. Apparently to him, stocking Seokjin’s refrigerator with fruits and vegetables is the same as filling his mini-fridge with blood bags. Jeongguk’s priority in making sure Seokjin does not starve is unchanged.

Determination blazes. Jeongguk accepts Seokjin as a vampire without a second thought. Seokjin needs to show him that he does too.

Click.

Seokjin’s heartbeat skitters. He immediately sits up on the sofa. Technically, he is not trespassing. On the other hand, there is a very good chance that Jeongguk will regret giving him a key to his apartment. 

Well, it is too late. Seokjin squares back his shoulders. He already made up his mind. 

Jeongguk steps into the apartment and predictably stiffens. Sensing the new scent, his head immediately swivels towards the living room, eyes glaring furiously. Surprise flits across his features before anger darkens them again. He snaps, voice edged with aggravation, “What the hell are you doing here Hyung? I told you not to come.” 

“I know,” Seokjin answers steadily. He fluidly gets up from the sofa. The hem of the oversized, black t-shirt flutters against his thighs. Jeongguk’s eyes instantly flick down to his bare legs. Seizing his opportunity, Seokjin moves in front of him in a blink of an eye. He steps closer.  

Immediately, Jeongguk’s nostrils flare. Tension pulls his muscles visibly taut. 

He is not playing fair, Seokjin knows. He is wearing the crumpled, oversized t-shirt he found on Jeongguk’s bed. Jeongguk probably wore it the other day or night because his familiar scent saturates the shirt. His scent envelops Seokjin, so heavy and thick he can nearly taste it on his tongue. 

Jeongguk always likes seeing Seokjin wear his clothes. He likes sensing his scent on Seokjin even more.

Jeongguk’s jaw stiffens. His fingers twitch erratically at his side like he is fighting the urge to touch Seokjin. Gold already flickering through his irises, Jeongguk grits out, “What are you doing?”

His voice sounds even rougher than usual. A shiver races down Seokjin’s back. Is Jeongguk already in rut? He is never this close to losing control. The heat simmering low in his gut coils even tighter. Trying not to rub his thighs together, Seokjin answers honestly, “I want to be with you in your rut.”

Jeongguk scowls. He bites out, “I already said that — ”

“You want to fuck,” Seokjin interrupts, finishing his sentence. He arches an eyebrow. “Who else are you fucking besides me?”

Jeongguk does not take the bait. Unimpressed, he glares and snaps, “No one. You know that.” His lips twist in a grimace. Uncharacteristic desperation slips into his tone. "Hyung, you don’t — ”

“Jeongguk-ah. You’re underestimating me,” Seokjin says sharply, cutting him off. He does not want to hear Jeongguk rattle off a list of cons. There are not any. Jeongguk being a werewolf does not bother Seokjin or make him think twice about being with him.

He presses even closer and slips his fingers through Jeongguk’s own. They feel oddly warmer than usual against his palm. Seokjin adds more softly, “You’re underestimating yourself too.”

Jeongguk presses his lips together. Seokjin can see the hesitance in his eyes, still marbled with gold. Hard-headed as ever, Jeongguk says reluctantly, “My ruts are shitty, you know.” 

“Which is why you shouldn’t spend them alone,” Seokjin counters. He squeezes Jeongguk’s fingers and looks Jeongguk in the eye, willing him to see Seokjin’s heartfelt decision. He says firmly, “If you want me to go, then I will.”

It is still Jeongguk’s decision after all. Seokjin rubs over Jeongguk’s knuckles gently and continues, “But I mean it when I say I want to be with you during your rut.” He tugs Jeongguk’s fingers and adds beseechingly, “Please?"

Jeongguk visibly wavers. Seokjin can hear his heartbeat quicken. Jeongguk eyes him for another moment. Seokjin stares back earnestly. Jeongguk immediately groans. Finally tugging Seokjin against him, Jeongguk grumbles in his ear, tone dry, “I should be the one to say please.”

Seokjin smiles. Pleased, he loops his arms around Jeongguk’s neck. He hums, “You’re too stubborn to beg.”

“Not for you,” Jeongguk mutters. Seokjin blinks, heart skipping a beat. He takes it back. Jeongguk is the one who does not play fair. Before he can say anything though, Jeongguk presses forward and kisses him, all soft lips and slick tongues. Seokjin groans. He tightens his arms around Jeongguk's neck and presses closer. Calloused hands run up and down his bare legs. 

Jeongguk kisses him again, curling their tongues together. His hips press against Seokjin’s own. A tell-tale bulge, hard and heated, grinds against his thigh. Seokjin groans, breaking the kiss.

His eyes flick down. A bolt of arousal buzzes through him at seeing Jeongguk already worked up. Pressing closer, Seokjin breathes out, “You’re already hard.”

“So are you,” Jeongguk growls into his neck as he noses down the sensitive skin. His fingers stroke Seokjin’s equally stiff cock through his t-shirt. Pleasure skitters through him. Seokjin moans, hips bucking up.

Jeongguk makes a satisfied sound. He sucks hard, teeth worrying the skin, before he flicks his tongue over to sooth the hickey. 

Seokjin groans. The pinprick of pain fades out in pleasant tingles. He tilts his head for easier access. His fingers slide up Jeongguk’s nape. Oh. Hot. Startled, he notes, “You’re hot too.” Jeongguk always runs warm, but the heat seeping through his clothes is almost searing. Concerned, Seokjin asks, “Fever?”

“Rut,” Jeongguk answers distractedly. His fingers graze over Seokjin’s thighs, trailing heat and teasing touches. Seokjin feels him immediately stiffen as his palm curls around a bare hip. Jeongguk inhales sharply. He says, tone wondering, “Fuck. You’re not wearing anything under.”

“No. I’m — Hah — not,” Seokjin manages out between moans. Jeongguk slips his fingers under the shirt. Without warning, he curls them around Seokjin’s cock. Seokjin bucks into his grip. Jeongguk strokes up firmly. Pleasure crackles up his spine. Seokjin's breath hitches. Jeongguk’s thumb slides through the pre-cum already dripping down. Seokjin whines at the rough friction. His hand, his fingers. They’re both slick and not slick enough. 

Leaning into Jeongguk, he gasps out, “I — Ah, ah — fingered myself earlier.”

To demonstrate, he tugs Jeongguk’s other hand back. Jeongguk’s fingers dip into the crease of his ass. Seokjin directs his hand down. His fingers immediately brush across the slick, puckered rim. His hole involuntarily twitches. Lube trickles out. Seokjin whimpers and clenches. Embarrassment rushes through him even as arousal flares. Jeongguk lets out a low groan. Cheeks heating up, Seokjin confesses, “I did it — Nngh — in your bed.”

“Shut up. Shut the fuck up,” Jeongguk hisses. He pulls Seokjin into a searing kiss. Seokjin moans. His fingers rub over Seokjin’s sensitive rim, smearing the lube wetly around. Arousal blazes hotter. Seokjin shamelessly arches into the touch. Jeongguk groans again into the kiss. He nips Seokjin’s bottom lip, tugging sharply and then pulls back. Irises expanding to pure gold, Jeongguk repeats fiercely against Seokjin’s lips, “Hyung don't say anything else. I’ll fuck you right here. Shit.” 

His fingers dig into Seokjin’s asscheek in warning.

“You can,” Seokjin breathes out. A dark thrill races through him at pushing Jeongguk so far. He deliberately grinds up against Jeongguk’s cock and goads, “I’m wet. Open. You can slide right in and — Mmph.”

Jeongguk locks their lips together in another biting kiss. A snarl rumbles out of his throat. He hikes Seokjin’s legs around his waist. Seokjin faintly registers the furniture around him blurring before his thoughts scatter again as Jeongguk’s tongue delves in hotly. He groans, kissing back. 

Without warning, Jeongguk drops him down carelessly. The mattress sinks down as Seokjin’s back hits the cold sheets. The sudden loss of Jeongguk’s solid heat pressed against him sends his senses into whiplash. Disoriented, Seokjin looks up.

Jeongguk tugs his t-shirt off in one brisk movement, muscles rippling. Seokjin’s eyes immediately follow the expanse of toned, tanned muscle down. Stripping his pants off, Jeongguk prowls towards the bed, entirely nude and eyes wholly focused on Seokjin. Seokjin holds his breath, pinned by his intent, heated stare. The gold of his irises gleams dangerously.

The mattress squeaks as Jeongguk moves up. Not looking away, he growls, “Show me.”

His voice rumbles over Seokjin’s skin, rougher than gravel. Goosebumps race down his arms. Seokjin swallows. Heart drumming in his ears, he slowly lifts up his shirt and raises his legs, parting his thighs. Jeongguk’s gaze immediately travels down. His eyes glint even sharper with desire. Seokjin squirms. He feels bared. The vulnerability shudders through him. Arousal spikes up hotly. 

Expression unyielding and fierce, Jeongguk repeats harshly, “I said, show me, baby.” 

Seokjin whimpers. Heat and arousal flashes through him again. Flushing, he traces a finger around his rim and slips it in. Hole already softly gaping from earlier, it accepts his finger easily. He eases in another finger and thrusts them in and out. The lube trickles between his fingers. The wet squelch rings out embarrassingly loud in the bedroom. Seokjin moans. He clenches down on his own fingers. The familiar stretch sends pleasure streaking through.

He is already so sensitive. The tingles prickle down his thighs. He moans again. 

A guttural noise tears out of Jeongguk. Abruptly, he yanks Seokjin’s hand away. Before Seokjin can even register the sudden emptiness, Jeongguk sinks three of his own right in. Seokjin bucks up. He chokes, eyes widening. The stretch flares white-hot before pleasure blazes through. Jeongguk mercilessly crooks his fingers and rubs at that sensitive bundle of nerves over and over again. Seokjin writhes. Too fast. Too full. Hands scrabbling at the sheets, Seokjin gasps out, “Too — Ah, ah — f-fast. S-slow down. Nngh!”

He chokes again. Sharp tingles pull his skin taut. Close. He is already so close. He can come. Seokjin licks his lips, panting. He can come like this. Just from being fucked open by Jeongguk’s fingers. 

Jeongguk watches him intently. His fingers thrust up again. Seokjin whines. He helplessly bears down, taking in Jeongguk’s fingers even further. Jeongguk reaches up with his hand and pinches a nipple. Seokjin jerks. Jeongguk croons, voice in that deep drawl that reverberates straight through Seokjin, “Hyung, didn’t you say that you could take my cock, huh? That I could fuck your pretty pink hole? But, look, baby.” 

He thrusts his fingers up again. Pleasure sparks bright and white-hot. Seokjin lets out a strangled cry. Mean. Jeongguk does not ever play fair, but he is pressing all of Seokjin’s weak spots tonight. Every single one of them.

Eyes glinting, Jeongguk says lowly, “You can’t even take my fingers.”

Seokjin’s cheeks heat up at both the filthy words and Jeongguk’s condescending look. Hot desire sweeps through him so hard he shudders with the wave. 

He wants. He wants so badly. Desire rockets up so intensely it steals his breath away.  

Shaking his head, Seokjin gasps out, “I can — Mmm — I can take it.” He yanks Jeongguk’s fingers out. Without pausing, he shoves Jeongguk down. Straddling him, Seokjin grips Jeongguk’s cock and aligns it. Seokjin says fiercely, “I can take you.” 

He rocks down. He can feel his hole fluttering, widening around the thickness of Jeongguk’s cock. Seokjin groans. He cants his hips and rocks down. The stretch burns. Jeongguk is so much thicker than his fingers. Seokjin pants. The pain blurs right into white-hot pleasure. Tingles streak up the base of his spine. Impatient, Seokjin drops all the way down. 

A ragged whimper tears out of his throat. Jeongguk hisses. His fingers dig into Seokjin's hips painfully. Full. So full. He is filled to the brim with nothing but Jeongguk. 

Overwhelmed by the sensation, Seokjin mindlessly grinds down. Pleasure arcs through, white-hot. Arousal pulses, aching and burning in his core. He licks his lips and lifts himself up. Jeongguk’s cock drags against his sensitive walls inside. Seokjin moans. He rocks back down. Pleasure streaks through.  

He does it again. And again. And again. The pleasure crashes over him in endless waves.

“Feels good. Feel you inside,” Seokjin babbles, his thoughts slipping out before his mind can even catch them. Sharp tingles thrum through his skin. He bounces down on Jeongguk’s cock just as Jeongguk snaps his hips up. Pleasure bursts. "Wanted — There, right t-there — Wanted you. Thought of you inside, filling me up when I touched m-myself.”

Jeongguk makes a dark, low noise. Goosebumps prickle down Seokjin’s neck. He barely catches the gleam of gold before Jeongguk kisses him savagely, all teeth and tongue. Seokjin groans. Jeongguk pulls back and snarls, “You drive me — Hah — fucking crazy.” 

His grip on Seokjin’s hips tightens. Jeongguk thrusts up harder, hitting that spot dead on. Seokjin lets out a strangled cry. His hips falter. Grinding, he moans out, “H-harder.”

Jeongguk’s fingers dig into his skin. His lips curl back in another snarl. Seokjin can hear his heartbeat stutter erratically, feel his cock twitch inside. His eyes burn wildly, desire blazing so bright Seokjin feels Jeongguk’s gaze searing into his skin.

There it is. There is that look again. That glint of hunger, all for him. Jeongguk looks like all he wants to do is wreck him, take everything Seokjin has to offer and more.

He wants. 

Panting, Seokjin grinds down harder. He wants, wants, wants. He wants to see Jeongguk lose control, wants to see him lose it because he wants Seokjin so bad. Jeongguk is right. Seokjin does want to drive Jeongguk mad. Just like Jeongguk drives him mad with desire for him.

He cannot remember ever wanting someone this much before.

He clenches down hard, dragging out a ragged groan from Seokjin. Narrowing his eyes, Seokjin demands, “I said, harder.” He does it again just to see Jeongguk’s eyes flash in warning and hisses, “Fuck me like you mean it.”

Seokjin grabs Jeongguk’s hand and presses it right on his stomach. The pressure makes his head spin. His hips shake. Rhythm faltering, Seokjin moans out, “Wanna feel you for days.”

A feral noise rips out from Jeongguk, vicious and inhuman. Seokjin shudders. Without warning, Jeongguk clutches his hips hard, lifts Seokjin up, and slams him down just as Jeongguk thrusts his cock up right into that spot again. Pleasure stabs straight through. Seokjin chokes, eyes snapping open. He thrashes, fingers scrabbling at Jeongguk’s shoulders for a hold. 

He doesn’t find it, can’t because Jeongguk snaps his hips up again and again and again. Jeongguk doesn’t let him, doesn’t let him even breathe. And he lifts Seokjin up, pushes him back down on his cock so, so, so easily. Deep growls rumble out of Jeongguk’s throat endlessly. Seokjin is not sure Jeongguk even notices.

Seokjin whimpers. He squirms again and feels Jeongguk’s fingers tighten on his hips even harder, hot and unyielding. Arousal jolts through him. Oh. He likes that. He pants, helpless to the way Jeongguk’s heat presses inside and against him everywhere. He cannot do anything but take Jeongguk’s cock again and again. 

The pleasure razes through his nerves, knife-sharp and scorching. His balls tighten. Tingles streak up and pull his skin taut. Seokjin moans. Close, he is so close. He does not even need to touch himself. He can come, will come just like this, on nothing but Jeongguk’s cock.

Sharp teeth suddenly bite into his collarbone. Seokjin cries out. The sting of red-hot pain sharpens into white-hot pleasure as Jeongguk drops him back down on his cock. Just like that, the knot in his gut unravels. Seokjin throws back his head, toes curling as his orgasm rips through him. All thoughts haze out. Pleasure blazes, lighting up every nerve. Sticky warmth splatters his stomach. Distantly, he feels his hole twitch and spasm around Jeongguk’s cock. Jeongguk fucks up into him, once, twice before liquid heat finally spills inside.

Seokjin moans weakly at the feeling. His eyes flutter shut. Tingles still rake over his skin as his orgasm echoes through him. His back hits the mattress. Still locked deep inside him, Jeongguk hikes Seokjin's right leg up and over his shoulder.

What? 

Seokjin’s eyes snap open. Their refractory periods might be shorter than humans’, but they still have one. He looks up and swallows hard. 

Eyes blazing an incandescent gold, Jeongguk lets out another hair-raising snarl.

Seokjin’s heart pounds. Faintly, he feels Jeongguk still throbbing inside, hard even though Jeongguk just came. He licks his lips. “Ggukkie?”

Jeongguk growls and then snaps his hips up. His cock drives in even deeper, dragging unbearably against Seokjin’s still convulsing walls. Seokjin whines. He claws at the bedsheets and cries out, “W-wait, not yet. I —!”

He cries out. Jeongguk thrusts again, jostling him up the bed. The pleasure still tingling through him sparks fiercer, sharper. Like electricity, it streaks violently through his already frayed nerves. Seokjin moans. Helpless to the overstimulation, his cock hardens again. Arousal coils again, pulsing so intensely it hurts just as much as it feels good.

Seokjin pants and then cries out as Jeongguk hits his prostate again. He stares dizzily up at Jeongguk. Lust clouds over his usual shrewd, clear expression. Seokjin swallows again.

How . . . how intense did Jeongguk say his ruts are?

Seokjin pants. His head lolls to the side. He shakes. 

He managed to get Jeongguk to eat . . . earlier? An hour ago? Or three? He cannot tell anymore. Time runs differently in orgasms. Jeongguk only finished two-thirds of the leftover fried rice Seokjin found in his fridge before his eyes hazed over again, and he fucked Seokjin right there up against the kitchen counter.

Jeongguk rocks into him again. White-hot pleasure whips through his already frayed nerves. Seokjin whines. No. No. He cannot come anymore. Too much. It’s too much. His balls draw taut despite his protest. His cock drools pre-cum, adding to the filthy mess already splattered on his stomach. 

He keeps coming and coming and coming . Every time he thinks he has nothing more to give, Jeongguk yanks it out of him. The heat coils tighter and tighter low in his gut, and the pleasure ramps up and up before everything snaps and it all begins again. All of his senses are on fire. 

He burns, burns, burns. 

Jeongguk licks over the back of his nape and then bites again, sharp incisors digging into the soft flesh there. Seokjin groans. The bitemarks scattered all over his skin smart in reminder. Jeongguk likes biting, marking, him for some reason. He wishes Jeongguk would stop though. Jeongguk does not break through skin, but Seokjin can scent blood welling up to the surface. It makes his throat dry with bloodthirst.

Jeongguk drives his cock in again. Seokjin whines. He needs blood. Jeongguk’s sex-drive is taxing his body. Blood. He needs it. He wants it. Blood, blood, blood.

Suddenly, Jeongguk’s heartbeat drums right through his skin. The solid heat of him pressed against Seokjin’s back makes hunger gnaw at him painfully.

Seokjin licks his lips. Jeongguk is so warm. He can reach back, can’t he? Just a nip, a brief taste. He imagines all that lovely red thrumming through Jeongguk's veins, vibrant and warm in a way blood bags are not. Seokjin whimpers before his mind catches the damning thought. He swallows hard and then again to wet his suddenly dry throat. 

No. No. No. He chants it repeatedly in forceful reminder.  

But, it’s so hard. Jeongguk is right there. The tantalizing image of his blood already sears into his head. Seokjin turns his cheek into the pillow and bites down. Jeongguk needs to come. Soon. Now. Seokjin does not know how much longer he can hold out for.

Jeongguk suddenly wraps a hand around his hip and pulls Seokjin back flush against his front. Seokjin’s eyes widen. Jeongguk’s cock presses even deeper, burning its shape and heat inside. Like an imprint. Seokjin thinks nonsensically. Jeongguk fucks like he wants to carve out a space for himself inside Seokjin. 

His hole flutters and clenches down automatically. His cheeks heat up. He feels messy . Seokjin sobs out brokenly, “You're too d-deep. Inside. Too — Too much. You’re — Hah — t-too deep.” At the answering grunt, he turns his head back, trying to catch ’s eyes. “Ggukkie? Ggukk —Jeongguk!”

Jeongguk finally jerks at hearing his first name. He lifts his head up from where he has been mouthing at Seokjin’s shoulder. Awareness flickers in his eyes before helplessness crosses his face. He rasps out, voice heavy with desperation, “Just — one m-more. Please hyung?” He stills, but Seokjin can feel his hands shaking on his hips. “I can’t, I can’t. Shit. I — I need —” 

Seokjin cuts himself off and lets out a pained groan. Trembling, he noses down Seokjin’s neck. He does not move though, clearly waiting for Seokjin’s answer, despite the need racking through him.

Seokjin wavers. Ruts really are rough for Jeongguk. He agrees weakly, “One — one more.” 

Jeongguk moans in relief. He lifts up Seokjin’s thighs and rocks up again. Seokjin whimpers. His head knocks back into Jeongguk's shoulder. He says shakily, “H-hurry. C-come already.”

Wrapping an arm back around Jeongguk’s shoulders for balance, Seokjin whines as Jeongguk fucks harder, faster into him. He turns his head, cheek grazing Jeongguk’s collarbone. 

Immediately, his eyes zero in on the long column of smooth, bared skin. Jeongguk’s heartbeat suddenly pounds loudly in his ears. He can feel it reverberating through his fingertips like a second heartbeat. He thinks of the warm blood streaking through, swirling languidly in rivers of red. Without thinking, Seokjin licks right over the vein. He parts his lips, fangs scraping over the soft, vulnerable skin, before his mind finally registers his action. 

No. He can’t. He shouldn’t.

He tears his eyes away with a soft, needy noise. Reluctantly, Seokjin drops his head back against Jeongguk’s shoulder. The bloodthirst itches madly at the back of his throat. He swallows hard, clenching his fingers.

“You —  need blood,” Jeongguk suddenly grunts out. There is no question in his tone. He slows down and grinds maddeningly up at that bundle of nerves instead. “Bite me.” 

Pleasure jolts up so intensely his vision blurs. It takes a moment before Seokjin registers his words. He widens his eyes and strangles out, “N-no. I don’t — I can’t. What if I h-hurt you?”

He has never bitten Jeongguk before much less in mid-sex and out of his mind with pleasure. Already, he can feel his self-control slipping away.

“You won’t. Seokjin,” Jeongguk bites out like a fact. He rocks his hips and deliberately tilts his head. Seokjin inhales sharply at the bared skin. Jeongguk repeats, voice low and hoarse, “Bite me, baby.” 

Seokjin hesitates. At Jeongguk’s pointed jerk of his chin, he leans in. Pulse skittering, Seokjin mouths over the vein gently before he bites.

Warmth floods over his tongue. Seokjin shudders. Jeongguk tastes different. Good but different. His blood tastes richer than human blood does. It tastes decadent . It reminds Seokjin of dark chocolate, the way the bitterness bites and the sweetness coats his tongue. He moans. He likes it. He likes the subtle power thrumming through Jeongguk’s blood too, the dark undertones of Jeongguk’s werewolf lineage coming through.  

He presses closer and takes another greedy swallow. And another. And another. 

Intoxicated by the divine concoction, Seokjin takes a long draught. The blood glides down his throat so smoothly that he sighs. It quenches his parched throat even as it makes his bloodthirst flare up again. He could drink Jeongguk’s blood forever if he could. 

Jeongguk groans in his ear. Cock pulsing, he thrusts up again and jostles Seokjin away. Seokjin spares a moment to regret the rivulets of bright red crimson coursing down over Jeongguk's tanned skin and flexing muscle — A waste, such a waste — before his thoughts splinter as Jeongguk resumes his punishing pace from earlier. 

Pleasure erupts through him in relentless starbursts. Broken moans and words stream from his lips. He is not even sure what he says, what he begs, too overwhelmed.

Jeongguk groans, hips stuttering, before he bites down on Seokjin’s nape again and spills inside. Seokjin moans and clenches down. Suddenly, Jeongguk’s fingers curl around his weeping cock, calloused thumb stroking firmly up, and just like that, Seokjin loses it. The orgasm wrenches itself from him, deep in his gut. Pleasure and pain blurs into one aching, scalding sensation. It shreds so violently through him that Seokjin thinks he screams. 

His vision blurs wetly with tears before darkness seeps through.

“I’m sorry,” Jeongguk repeats for the third time. “Shit. I’m really sorry, yeah?”

Seokjin glowers. The bruises and bitemarks have yet to fade, and those that already have healed ache. A day from now, he will press his fingers against the tender spots and shiver at the phantom sensation rolling across his skin. He will like that Jeongguk’s marks stay even if they are no longer visible. 

Right now though, he feels sore everywhere .

Seokjin scowls and snuggles deeper into the covers.

Jeongguk blinks. He glances down at the blanket eggroll Seokjin tucks himself in. Jeongguk taps his thigh idly and says wryly, “I told you my ruts are rough hyung.” 

Seokjin glares again. Rough is an understatement. Apparently, ruts meant fucking one’s partner into oblivion. Even now, the feeling of Jeongguk fucking inside still echoes faintly. 

He scrunches his face. He never should have said he wanted to feel Jeongguk for days. Normal Jeongguk already takes his taunts as dares. Jeongguk delirious with his rut takes things like a promise engraved into stone.

Jeongguk clicks his tongue. He reaches out. “Jinnie — ”

Seokjin rolls away. He says petulantly, “No.”

Jeongguk huffs. He scoots closer and coaxes, “Hyung come on. I’ll run a bath for you, huh? Yeah?”

The husky, gentle cadence of his voice is unfairly soothing. Reluctantly lulled, Seokjin eyes him. A bath does sound tempting. He feels sore and filthy. He nods.

Jeongguk immediately scoops him up, blankets and all. Seokjin thinks he should complain, but he likes being held anyway.

Seokjin is tall and muscular, so being carried is a novelty. It is rare to have someone who can carry Seokjin much less want to carry him. Seokjin is very glad that Jeongguk never minds. Relaxing, Seokjin leans into Jeongguk’s chest. The familiar sense of security and warmth sinks into him at the feel of Jeongguk’s arms around him. 

Jeongguk makes a sound of satisfaction. He lowers Seokjin carefully on the stool and then reaches over to turn on the faucet in the bathtub. Rummaging through the shower caddy, he grabs the silver-gray bottle of bubble bath that he swears he only keeps because Seokjin likes smelling like “a damn flower meadow”. Seokjin catches a whiff of it on Jeongguk too several times before though.

The fragrant, delicate scent of lavender floats up and saturates the air in a matter of seconds. 

Squatting like that, Jeongguk exposes the side of his neck that Seokjin bit. The puncture wounds are no longer bleeding, but the scars are still pink and new. Possessiveness curls in Seokjin, instincts thrumming in approval, before guilt swamps him. He bites his lips. Did he take too much blood? Did he bite down too hard?

Jeongguk catches him staring anxiously. He lifts an eyebrow. Without even waiting for Seokjin to say something, he retorts, “It doesn’t hurt.” 

Seokjin stares back skeptically. He highly doubts that. Bleeding from one’s neck tends to hurt.   

Jeongguk clicks his tongue in annoyance. “I liked it, so stop worrying about it, hyung.”

“You like being bitten?” Seokjin asks, startled.

Jeongguk furrows his eyebrows at that. He visibly thinks it over for a minute before he shrugs. He says easily, “It’s not bad. But — ”

“But?” Seokjin presses. 

Jeongguk shrugs again. Seokjin frowns. He leans closer and stares expectantly in the same way he waits for people to answer his questions in the courtroom.

Jeongguk, leaning over to turn off the faucet, confesses, “I like taking care of you alright? You biting me is like that.” He stands back up and mutters, “It’s a wolf thing.”

Seokjin blinks. Oh. His heart clenches. So Jeongguk likes taking care of him. Affection surges, fuzzy and warm in his chest. Curious, he asks plainly, “Are the bites also a wolf thing?”

Jeongguk’s ears redden. Looking ridiculously shy for someone who was the complete opposite shy , far from it, a few hours earlier. He averts his gaze and grumbles, “Just get in the bath.”

Seokjin’s lips twitch up. He shrugs off the blanket and stands up. Immediately, his legs buckle. He hits cold tile and blinks dazedly up at the suddenly higher ceiling. What on earth? He feels suddenly boneless. He cannot seem to muster any strength in his legs.

Jeongguk blinks down at him. A smirk slowly tugs his lips up. Smug satisfaction radiates from him. His eyes, back to their usual crimson, gleam brightly.

Seokjin gives him a dirty look. He warns, “Don’t say anything.”

“I didn’t say anything hyung,” Jeongguk counters as he lifts Seokjin up. Amusement flickers in his eyes though, and his lips hike up higher in a grin.

Jeongguk does not need to say anything. His face says everything. 

Seokjin pretends not to hear him and announces bluntly, “I want waffles.”

Jeongguk chuckles. He agrees easily, “Yeah, sure.”

He helps Seokjin carefully into the tub. The warm water immediately caresses his sore muscles. Undeterred, Seokjin challenges, “With fruit and whipped cream.”

Jeongguk snorts. Visibly entertained, he drawls, “I remember, Seokjin hyung.”

“And pancakes,” Seokjin adds out of sheer spite.

Jeongguk’s eyebrows knit together at that. He asks incredulously, “Are you even going to eat all that?” Seokjin arches an eyebrow. Jeongguk rolls his eyes. He answers exasperatedly, “Sure, why not? It’s the same batter anyway.”

“In the shape of cats,” Seokjin challenges because Jeongguk needs to suffer with him.

Jeongguk pulls a face. He does not deliver the scathing retort on Seokjin’s questionable obsession with cats, even though he sorely looks like he wants to. Instead, he mutters, voice flat, “I’m a chef and you want me to make cat-shaped pancakes.”

Jeongguk sighs. He straightens up, turns, and then pauses. Jeongguk cocks an eyebrow and smirks. “Seokjinnie," he draws out his name sweetly," Call for me if you’re too fucked out to get up again, huh?”

Seokjin makes an outraged sound. Before he can even say or do anything, Jeongguk presses a rough kiss to his temple and saunters out the door.

Seokjin sinks down into the water, cheeks warming up.

Idiot. Whose fault is it that he cannot walk?

Jeongguk’s chuckles echo faintly through the walls. Seokjin pouts. That’s it. He’s making Jeongguk go fishing with him ridiculously early in the morning this weekend.