Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Eight months passed by at the speed of light, and William was thriving. Any job? William exceeded it on the first try. And if he didn't, he was open to learning about it anyways. It made him feel giddy, satisfied with the thought of being useful to other people since all his life, he'd heard people complaining to him about how lazy he was. It made him feel proud that although he was young, he was entrusted. And most importantly, he loved his pretty phi’s approval. 

Est’s approval was nothing much, not loud at all. Not any words about how good William was at a particular task, not even a single clap on his shoulder. Just a silent hum and a half-nod from Est, and William would spend the next three days relishing in that action. Which was funny because others kept teasing him about how he loved Est’s silent reassurance more than the boss’s loud one.

William’s transformation was amusing to see. The once skinny, frail-looking boy had filled out his chest and shoulders with muscles and mass. He came across as broader and even a bit taller than before. It was hilarious to see Tui’s reaction every time William had jokingly tried to slap him but ended up giving a bruise on his arm. 

And Est? Oh he was suffering the most. He had spent the last few months severely gaslighting himself into thinking that he was not at all finding William attractive. So far, he wasn't seeing much progress, because every time he thought he had achieved some success in thinking that William was not hot, the vampire would simply just brush his hair back with his hand and Est would be back to square one all over again. 

He was so obvious about his inner turmoil that even Lego figured it out. And he was having the time of his life teasing Est about it. 

The universe, out of all the days, was not on his side today. Because the moment Est stepped out of his room, all sleep-flushed and messy, he heard William’s whiny tone from the kitchen. 

“I ran out of blood bags!” 

Oh right. Blood bags. The team kept taking William to the blood bank at least twice a month so that they could have a regular supply of blood for the vampire to feed on. But it seems like they forgot to do so this time. 

Est dragged his feet to where William was standing. “So? Ask someone to take you there.” 

William sighed, closing the fridge. “I'll go today.” But then his nose crinkled up and he frowned. Est caught on, he turned his face to look at Lego who was munching on garlic bread, the strong garlicky smell wafting around the room. 

“Lego,” Est clicked his tongue. And at that, the younger one straightened up and rushed out of the room with his plate. 

William stuck his tongue out, the disgust still fresh on his face. He now had a frightening trauma of garlic bread. His skin crawled when he remembered the first time he ate garlic after turning into a vampire. 

Never again. 

That afternoon, when William came back from the blood bank with Hong, his face was oddly pale but stained with a grimace. Upon asking why he looked so irritated, he replied. “They were out of supply.” 

“That usually never happens.” Tui raised an eyebrow. 

“Exactly!” William exclaimed. “I don't know which one of those stupid fangy mosquitoes robbed them!” 

Est breathed out a laugh. He felt eyes upon him, he rubbed his nose. “Sorry. I imagined William as a mosquito. My bad.” 

“Phi!” William whined. 

After that, the topic shifted towards how William would look if he were born a mosquito. They went as far as to draw him as one and name him too. They were so engrossed in the debate of what name would suit mosquito William more, that they completely forgot about the blood bag situation. 

They completely forgot about the fact that William was so close to breaking down if he didn't drink blood soon. 

He was so, so fucked. 

The next morning, the symptoms immediately started. The dizziness, the random hot flashes, the heavy feeling in his head— it was all too much for William to handle at once. 

He barely made it through breakfast and training after, often feeling like he would collapse soon. But he pushed through, not wanting to burden anyone. He didn't think anyone noticed either, at least no one seemed concerned so far. But he didn't dare look at one person. 

Est. 

Est had a gist of what was going on. He saw William stumbling earlier, bumping into a table. He also saw William squeezing his head with his hands. He wasn't worried, not really. He was just… Well, he didn't want William to get scolded by the seniors once they noticed that he was lacking behind. 

Yeah, that was it. That was all. Nothing more. 

So Est cornered him in the evening, watching the small beads of sweat forming on the younger’s face now that he was closer. “Are you done?” He asked, trying hard to keep the worry out of his tone. 

William frowned. “Done with what?” 

“Done with pretending that you're doing okay?” Est sharply asked. Bingo! William flinched. He had hit the nail on the head. 

“I don't get what you're saying—” William chuckled, or he tried to. “I'm not pretending or whatsoever. I'm really doing fine.” 

“William, I can practically feel the heat coming off your body right now and I'm not even touching you.” 

“I run hot!” 

“Vampires run cold.” 

“You sure seem to know a lot about me.” William smirked, throwing a wink at Est, whose ears quickly burned red. 

“It's a popular stereotype. I've seen it in the movies.” 

“Oh so you've watched twilight? You don't look like the type who would.” William placed a finger under his chin. “Team Edward or Jacob?” 

“I'm team ‘take care of yourself’” Est shot back. 

“Boring. I'm team Edward obviously—” 

“Stop changing the damn subject!” Est retorted sternly. That made William shut his mouth. The younger looked down, staring at his shoes with a guilty expression. 

“I just— didn't want to make anyone worry.”

“Oh so you would have rather risked yourself falling unconscious?” Est asked. He didn't know why he was feeling so annoyed. Or he was trying not to know? “You're so stupid.” 

“I know.” William sighed, running a hand through his hair. Est quickly looked away, gulping. ‘“I don't get it. What should I do?” 

“Bite someone.” Est stated the obvious. 

“I can't.” William grumbled. “I can't go out and bite someone. I can't drink from the people in our group ‘cause they are scared, especially Nut and Tui, have you seen them shivering even when I hug them?” 

“Yeah, because you keep pressing your cheeks to Nut’s and slap Tui’s arm every moment you get. Did you, perhaps, forget how strong you are?” Est snorted. 

“That's not the point!” William whined. “The point is I'm slowly dying. Oh my god, I will die a painfully agonizing death. Did you know that dying from thirst is the worst way to die? I don't wanna die! I haven't even—” 

 Est didn't like how often the word death was coming from William’s mouth. “Stop talking about death!”

William recoiled, pouting. “But I don't know what to do—” 

“Bite me.” 

A frozen burst of silence rushed between them. 

William gawked at Est’s face, his mouth parted in surprise. He stared at Est’s face, trying to find the hint of playfulness in his face but he saw none. 

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Drink my blood.” Est shrugged like it was the most obvious thing. Like his heart wasn't two seconds away from leaping out of his chest. “I don't care.” 

“Phi!” William cried out. “How can you not care? Are you aware of what you're asking me to do? Are you drunk? Drinking at six pm in the evening is not the best decision, phi—” 

“Are you serious right now?” Est asked, irritated. Here, he was taking the risk of letting William be so close to him, and this stupid idiot was asking him if he was drunk? Ridiculous.

“I'm sorry but I think you've lost it, phi.” William grabbed Est’s shoulders gently, almost as if he was comforting him. 

“I'm not!” Est shrugged William’s hands off him. “I'm offering you a simple solution. Why can't you just take it?” 

“Because I'm afraid you don't know what you're walking into!” 

“I don't know what I'm walking into for sure, but I can't see you being so sick without blood!” 

Oh. 

William paused for a moment. His exaggerated concern for Est’s sanity faded and all that was left behind was unmasked softness. 

“Are you sure?” He finally asked after a few seconds, his voice low. Est had never heard this tone from William before. 

“Yes I am.” Est replied confidently, ignoring the way his hands were trembling besides him. 

“If you're so sure,” William licked his lips. “Fine. I'll feed tonight from you.” 

Est gulped. “Sounds good.” His voice cracked. He threw a glance at William for a second before he sharply turned around and left the room, leaving William alone with his thoughts. 

The young vampire stood there, fists clenched at his sides and mind filled with countless thoughts. 

Yeah, he was absolutely going to lose it tonight. 

That night after dinner, Est practically disappeared into his room for a while. He did his normal bed time routine like brushing his teeth, taking a shower, doing his skincare before changing into his comfy sleepwear. That's what he did every night. Except for tonight where he followed his routine with trembling lips and flustered thoughts. 

The thoughts were killing him. During dinner, he was so focused on William’s mouth that he caught a glance of his fangs while he was chewing, and for a moment, he wondered how those fangs would feel on his skin later. 

Est turned red at the thought again. He blamed the bathroom lighting when he saw his face in the mirror. 

After that, he sat on his bed, the book he was reading laid half-open on his lap as he nervously threw glances at his closed bedroom door. His mind was running around in circles and he couldn't refrain himself from biting his lips. 

So when his door finally opened with a soft click, he almost crushed the book in his hands. He looked up to see William, hair slightly damp as he was dressed in his own pyjamas. He looked… blank, to say the least. 

Nothing like how Est seemed nervous. He seemed calm, composed. As if the situation was not nerve-racking at all. 

“Isn't this your first time biting someone?” Est finally had the courage to speak up. 

William cleared his throat. “Not my first time… but it's you whom I'm biting.”

“You barely look nervous.” 

“Trust me, I am. I'm scared I would bite into your blood vessels and kill you from severe blood loss.” 

“...that is not helping with the anxiety I'm feeling right now, William.” 

“I was just kidding! I won't bite into your blood vessels, I promise!” 

William took a seat on Est’s bed, his hand on Est’s as he stared into the other's eyes. “Do you trust me?” 

Est slightly nodded. 

“Then you don't have to worry. Leave it all to me. You just sit there and look pretty for me.” William cracked a smirk, wanting to ease the tension in Est’s shoulders.  

Est glared, but the flush on his cheeks could not be hidden. 

“To ease your mind, I'm not going to bite your neck, so chill out.” William smiled. “Lend me your wrist, and we're good.” 

“Are you sure?” Est raised an eyebrow but still lifted his wrist towards William, who gently grabbed it. He tried not to focus on the cold feeling of William’s finger, which oddly felt comforting to touch. 

William hummed, lifting Est's wrist to his gaze so that he could pinpoint where exactly to bite him. Once he figured out the spot, he took out a water bottle he was hiding behind his back and placed it on the bedside table. 

He grabbed Est's wrist against and gave him a small smile, as if to comfort him. “I'm gonna drink now. Is that alright with you?”

He received a nod. “Words.” 

“Yes. That's fine.” Est replied, trying hard not to focus on how deep William’s tone was getting by second. 

William lifted his wrist to his mouth, the skin barely brushing against his lips. The next thing Est felt was a gentle press of something soft to his wrist. It was William’s lips. He had just kissed the spot he was meaning to bite. Est flinched when he felt something cold touch his skin, it was William’s tongue soothing his burning flesh. And just like that, the next thing he felt was the tip of his fangs resting on his wrist. 

The younger smirked at Est’s nervous expression before he slowly bit into the thin, soft skin of Est’s wrist. 

The feeling was immediate. Est squeezed his eyes shut at the pain. William’s fangs were protruding and sharp, which made it easier for him to bite in. The electric current shot through his entire arm in seconds before it was followed by an euphoric feeling. Est felt the numbness in his arm and he felt as if his head was floating. 

Was this even possible? Or was Est just weak? Who the fuck starts feeling dizzy after being bitten by a vampire? 

The blissful feeling lasted for a few minutes more before Est felt the sharp fangs abdicating from his skin, leaving him feeling lethargic. Was it because of the blood he had just lost? He felt something wet and cold against the bite mark, concluding that it was probably William’s tongue trying to seal the open wound. 

Est’s head lolled sideways, his eyes momentarily opening before they shut themselves. He felt cold hands on the side of his neck, trying to make him sit upright, but he just didn't have the energy to do so. 

“Phi—” William lightly shook Est. “Wake up. You need to drink something, phi— don't pass out on me!” 

Too late. 

Est’s body fell forward, his forehead pressing against William’s chest as he lost consciousness. The younger froze, looking down he saw Est resting his head against his body. 

“Phi,” William lifted Est’s head so that he could look at his face properly. The elder looked peaceful, William didn't have the heart to wake him up. Est wouldn't have anyways, he passed out pretty hard. 

William slowly and gently maneuvered Est into laying down properly on the bed before he covered his body with his blanket. He took one last last glance at Est’s sleeping figure before he opened the door and walked out of the room. 

As soon as he stepped out, he let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in. His heart thudded nervously against his ribcage. 

“You're killing me, phi.” William quietly mumbled to himself, gulping. He had no idea what to do. 

The clock struck two on the clock in the living room and unlike his usual self, Est found himself sitting on the couch alone with his laptop on his lap as he surfed through the internet, desperately searching for answers for questions he possessed. 

Est scrolled with his keypad, a frown between his eyebrows as he read the article that was displayed on his screen. 

“What does it mean when a vampire drinks from you?”

—> Usually, when a close vampire friend or family drinks from you, it is a sign of undying trust. Vampires are often potrayed as introverted and distant mythical beings, always hesitant to trust, so they often resort to drinking from people whom they bear no attachment from. If a vampire drinks from a close acquaintance, it signifies that they trust you to the point they can be vulnerable with you. It can symbolize either platonic or romantic love—

Est shut his laptop screen with a loud smack, his cheeks and ears threatening up. He pressed his palms to his face as he tried to push away the thoughts of William and his stupidly hot smirk. 

“I have lost it.” Est, horrified, mumbled to himself. “Est Supha, you have lost it. You cannot possibly have feelings for a vampire!” Yeah, a hot one too at that. 

Before he could spiral into his own thoughts again, his phone buzzed with an incoming call from Som. Est frowned. His boss calling him so late at night? It was unlikely. Som usually would probably be tucked in bed by this time. 

When he picked up the call, Som’s drowsy voice came through. “There's a new kid coming in tomorrow. Make him feel comfortable.”

"What-” 

“Good night.” 

And the phone call was cut, leaving Est to process whatever Som had just said. New kid? Tomorrow? Comfort him? What the hell. 

He sighed, shaking his head. He grabbed his phone and laptop before placing it on the coffee table in front of the couch. He grabbed his blanket and pulled it over his body as he got comfortable on the couch itself. He didn't feel like walking into his room and seeing William’s adorable face. 

Yeah, he had enough breakdowns in a day. So he spent his entire night sleeping on the couch, and much to Est’s surprise, it wasn't that bad. Pretty comfortable. 

But what wasn't comfortable was him waking up to Som and a new boy staring at his barely conscious figure. Est blinked at them sleepily before he finally realized what was happening. He snapped his eyes open and sat up straight, gulping. 

He glared at Som, who gave him a tight smile. Why wasn't he given a warning? This was embarrassing. Est wanted to rot under his blanket. 

“This is Nong Ink. He'll start as an unofficial chef for you six from today onwards.” Som announced proudly, patting the wide-eyed boy on his back. 

Est rubbed the sleep out of his eye. “What the hell do you mean by a chef? We don't need a chef. We can pretty much cook well by ourselves.” He tried to defend his team, but he really had no proof to justify his statement. Nobody really tried to cook as it always ended in a disaster and at least five times out of the week, they ordered takeout. 

So yeah, it wasn't really a healthy lifestyle at all. Est wasn't proud of it. 

“That's a lie and we both know it.” Som placed a hand on his hip. “Now chop-chop! Get up! Announce it to the others too before they accidentally shoot bullets at him because they saw a stranger in the house.” 

Ink’s polite smile dropped as he looked at Est. “Will they shoot at me…? Should I be scared?” 

Est got up from the couch, yawning as he folded his blanket. “Don't worry about it.” He assured the younger boy. “But I should be scared of sleeping in this damn house. Every time I wake up, I always face some kind of a damn problem.” He mumbled to himself, grumpy. 

“Should I start with breakfast then?” Ink asked, nervousness coating his tongue. Est observed the way he was fiddling with his sweatshirt. 

“Yeah go ahead.” Est nodded, trying to crack a smile so that he could make Ink feel a little more welcomed. “But just be aware not to add any garlic in the dishes you prepare. We have a hyper vampire in this house.” He informed, lazily dragging himself to the bathroom to brush his teeth. 

Ink froze in his place. Bullets? Vampires? Should he start preparing his will at this point because the house wasn't really looking safe to him at all. 

So an hour later when everyone was gathered in the living room, staring at Ink’s face like he was an alien, all he wanted to do was run out of the house. 

“Stop looking at him like that, all of you.” Est commanded, crossing his arms. “Y'all are scaring him.” 

“Does Khun Som really think we eat that much junk?” Lego asked, eyeing Ink up and down. 

“But the fact is that we actually do.” Est snorted. “We literally had Chinese food last night and Italian the day before. All we do is order takeout.” 

“Do you know how to bake cookies?” Tui asked Ink, raising an eyebrow. 

Ink hesitantly nodded. “Chocolate cookies, sure.” 

Tui’s face immediately lit up. “Okay then!” 

Nut and Hong shrugged. They couldn't care less about the situation. All they cared about was the food and making sure it was edible. That's all. 

“Ink is a great cook. I tasted his pancakes earlier and they were really nice. At least way better than the monstrosity Tui attempts at making.” Est placed a hand on Ink’s shoulder. 

Everyone agreed. Tui pouted.

The only person who hadn't said anything yet was the vampire in the room. He was sitting on the arm of the couch, right leg crossed over his other with his arms folded in front of his chest. 

Est noticed and looked at him. “William?” 

The vampire didn't flinch, just gave a slow nod. “Whatever y'all think is right.” 

That was weird. Why was he acting so aloof and cold? This was not the William Jakrapatr Est knew. 

“Okay…” Est drawled out, not bothering to hide the confusion in his tone from William's behavior. “So it's set? Ink will be cooking for us.” 

Ink nodded, smiling. “Looking forward to working with you all.” He received a bunch of agreements in response before he guided himself to the kitchen. 

As soon as Ink was out of sight, he glared at the other five. “You all better not scare him with your stupid pranks. He's a shy kid.” 

Nut groaned. “You think we'd do that?”

“Yes.” Est replied without missing a beat.

Nut slumped against the couch, pouting. William stood up from the couch, arms still remaining folded as he walked past Est. “Didn't know you were that welcoming towards newcomers.” He mumbled, loud enough for Est to hear. 

Est paused. 

What? He was about to turn around and ask William what he had meant by that but the younger seemed like he disappeared with the light itself. 

Weird. 

Tui and Lego walked towards him, a sly grin on their lips. “Be careful there phi, one might think he's jealous.” 

Jealous? William? That seemed unlikely. 

“It burns in here.” Nut teased, swatting the air around him with his hand. 

“The green-eyed monster is alive and well.” Hong snorted, leaving the room as well with Nut. 

Est believed it was bullshit.

William woke up the next day in a foul mood. Instead of his usual smile, a frown sat on top of his lip when he came out of Est’s room. His hair was mussled, his sleepshirt was crumbled and his eyes were glaring. Perfect if he was trying to cosplay a grumpy cat. 

The first thing he saw in the kitchen was Est laughing at the joke Ink made. Ink looked like he was frying an omelette while Est was filling up glasses with orange juice. They looked very happy, despite being awake at seven thirty in the morning. 

William never saw Est being this smiley, especially in the morning. The elder man was always grumpy while William was the cheery one. Today, it seemed like they switched personalities. 

“What is so funny?” William mumbled to himself, running a hand lazily through his messy hair. His tongue held a bad taste and he liked to believe that it was because he hadn't brushed his teeth yet. So he walked into the bathroom. There, he saw Nut washing his face. 

“Morning,” Nut wished. William didn't reply back. 

“The green monster hasn't died down yet.” Nut chuckled to himself, drying his face with a towel, patting William on the back before he left the bathroom. 

William started brushing his teeth, toothpaste foam slowly leaking out from his lips as he very intensely stared at his reflection in the mirror. He was attractive, right? Yeah he was. He grew up with the compliments that the neighborhood aunties threw at him. He had girls and guys who had crushes on him back in school. So yeah, he was handsome. 

Way more handsome than… Ink. William rolled his eyes, swiping the toothbrush aggressively against his teeth. 

When he came out, again, he was greeted by the sight of Est and Ink serving dishes to the members with soft smiles on their lips. They looked… domestic. 

Ugh. 

William wanted to leave. He wanted to go back into the bedroom and rot his entire day in it. He was almost considering doing that when—

“William!” Est called out when he had caught his eye. He raised an arm, inviting him to come over. “Look. Ink made you toast. And you like almond milk, right? We have some for you right here.”

William slumped his posture, solemnly nodding before he decided to join them. He sat on the couch, holding the plate of toast that was just handed to him. He glared at it. The toast was almost perfectly burnt, just like how he liked it. How the fuck did Ink know that? He didn't recall informing Ink about it. Hell, he barely talked to him since he arrived. 

“I hope you like it.” Ink sat down next to him with the most polite smile he could muster. “Phi Est told me about the way you like it.” 

William didn't register any of that. Just the fact that, “You call him phi now? Not Khun?” He tried to keep the tremor out of his voice, his eye subtly twitching. 

Ink looked taken aback for a moment. “Yes… Phi told me to address him that way… is there any problem—” 

William snapped his head to glare at Est, who was busy gulping down his orange juice. The audacity of this adorable looking man to invite competition for William in order to steal his heart. 

This was cruelty laced under formality. 

“No problem at all.” William gritted his teeth, still glaring at Est as he picked up his toast and bit into it. 

And the worst part was that it tasted good. 

Man, his competition was handsome and had great kitchen skills. How was he supposed to compete now? 

When they went to the warehouse later that day, Som made it his personal mission to annoy the living soul of William’s body. And William swore that if Som joked one more time, he would dip all his cigarettes into a pot of water 

With his evil smirk, Som crawled out. “Est, you and that kid look good together. You two are almost like the parents of the group now. It's adorable to see.” He not-so-subtly threw a glance at William, who glared at him. 

“I don't think they give off parental vibes at all.” William cleared his throat. He shuffled in his chair, gulping. He felt the irritation creeping slowly at his spine. 

“No no, I get what Khun Som is saying.” Lego frowned, placing his chin on his hand. William wanted to bang his head on the wall. “Ink cooks and cleans like a sweet husband, so he's the chill dad and Est is the one who makes sure we don't fall in a ditch. He's a strict dad.” 

“You don't know what you're saying.” William grumbled. Somebody take him out with a gun right now. 

“You all have peanuts for brains.” Est shook his head. “Can we get back to work please? Lego, to the computer. William, go check on Tui and make sure he didn't shoot Nut yet.” He commanded.

“See? Very strict dad core.” Lego whispered to William as they walked towards their assigned duties. 

William felt like jumping off the building core. 

When he sat next to Som later, the boss turned around with a smirk. “Did I tell you that Est and Ink look good together?” 

Fuck his life. “Yes, Khun. You've told me that twice already.” William tiredly replied, eyes shutting close. 

“I was thinking about setting them on a date—” William’s eyes snapped open at that, wide and irritated. How dare Som take the love of his life away from him? The audacity. 

“Why would you want to do that, Khun?” William asked, smiling creepily as his right eye twitched. He was two seconds away from disappearing Som from this world. 

“Well, they look cute. And plus, Est has already started liking Ink’s company.” 

“I can assure you that he doesn't.” William glared. “They just bond at six am in the morning over chocolate chip pancakes. Nothing else. They don't even talk for the rest of that day." William huffed. 

“See? They already found a topic to bond over with! They'll be perfect for each other—” 

“Khun,” William cut in with a sickly sweet smile, placing a hand over his boss’ knee. “Do you want an update on the growth of my fangs? Let me tell you that they are very sharp right now. Sharp enough to pierce through skin easily.” To justify his statement, he bared his teeth to Som for a split second, allowing the other to shiver. 

“So if you don't want me to pierce you unconscious,” William raised his eyebrows. “Please shut up.” 

Som gulped, leaning away from William. His hands were faintly shaking. He sometimes underestimated the fact that he had hired a predator in his team. Yeah, he needed to stop playing around so much. 

“I was just kidding…” Som awkwardly laughed before grabbing his whiskey flask from his coat pocket. Yeah he definitely needed a swig of alcohol. 

“Right,” William sarcastically laughed. “Stop that then. You're supposed to be a scary boss, not a stand-up comedian.” 

“You're right.” Som chuckled, his voice laced with nervousness. Youngsters these days weren't the ones to play around with anymore. 

William went back to staring at Est from a distance. The man was talking to Tui, a smirk on his lips probably from listening to Tui’s jokes. This man, he was beautiful. The kind of pretty whom the world didn't allow to stay single for long. 

This Ink dude was a serious competition. William unconsciously pouted. He had to step up before Est was wooed away by the cook. 

Meanwhile, Est felt uncomfortable. He felt as if someone was burning holes through his back. He turned his head away from Tui to find out who was looking at him. There he found William, who looked away the moment their eyes met. 

Right. Why was William so calm today? This was so unlikely of him. Usually, he would be complaining about how his body was feeling the pain from sparring lessons with Karn, but today? Not a single noise came out of his mouth. It felt very weird to see. 

Was he not feeling well? Was he tired? Was he angry? Est had zero clue. He just hoped William would be back to normal when they go home later. Because seeing William so silent, it really creeped him out. And he didn't like it one bit. 

The hours passed by slowly, Est was swamped with work here and there. Not to mention, dealing with Lego’s dramatic antics and Nut’s loud complaining didn't help with his stress. Out of the sea of voices he was forced to listen, the one he wanted to hear the most stayed silent. 

The ride back home in the van was silent too. William didn't try to play his usual rock music, it was Hong instead who played his playlist. As heavy and loud Est found William’s music taste to be, he surprisingly hated the silence it left behind. 

This was so unlike him. 

Since when had he started reaching out for stuff he was meant to stay away from? What was wrong with him? He didn't dare cast his fifth look of the day towards William, too caught up now trying to justify himself against his own mind. 

When they reached home, the sight and smell of Ink’s cooking greeted them immediately. Hong groaned, taking off his shoes. “It smells heavenly! I missed having come home to real food, and not just… instant noodles.” 

Est smiled at Ink. “Did Khun Som give you the keys?” The younger boy nodded at the question. He walked over to look over Ink’s shoulder to see what he was cooking. “That looks good. Tell me if you need anything.” 

William huffed, quickly taking off his own shoes before disappearing into Est's room. “Tell me if you need anything.” He mocked with a high pitched tone. Seriously, why was Est being so helpful to him? Was it because Ink was new to the team? That's great, because he hadn't acted welcoming at all when William was new! 

After disappearing into the bathroom for a good, piping hot fifteen minute shower, William came out looking utterly refreshed and softer. It was as if the hot water drained all of the exhausting emotions out of his body. It was nice. So now all he wanted to do was eat dinner, fool around for a bit and then finally go to sleep. 

Such a simple plan. 

Yeah, well that plan was disrupted the moment William walked into the living room. Because there, he saw Ink and Est sitting side by side, laughing about a topic he didn't know about. William paused in his tracks, eyes narrowing. His hands crumbled into tight fights at his sides. 

Tui, who noticed him standing at the door, waved at him to come join them. “The stir fry is so good! Have some before it runs out.” 

No thanks. William was in no mood to eat now. But still, he didn't have the heart to refuse them so he quietly sat down next to Lego on the couch, watching them all with a curious eye. “Is it good?” He asked, expecting a reply either from Lego or Nut, considering how satisfied they were with the meal. 

But unfortunately, Est was the one who replied to his question. “It's really nice. Ink really knows his way around cooking.” 

William’s face soured but he tried not to show it. “I'm sure he does.” 

Est tilted his head, gulping his water down. “Aren't you going to eat?” 

Seeing you two flirt was enough to fill my appetite. William wanted to say, but he didn't. So he just quietly shook his head. “I'm going to sleep first.” He stood up, pretending to come off as normal when he stretched his arms. 

“Good night, guys.” William waved a hand. “Have dreams about me.” He tried to tease, and after that he quietly disappeared into the bedroom. 

Est saw William close the door behind him. He sighed as he looked down at his plate. He didn't feel like eating anymore. 

Just what was wrong with you, William? 

Est was horrified as he saw Tui and Nut half-carrying a wincing William into his room. 

Est was in bed, scrolling through his phone, just a few minutes before sleeping when his door burst open and he saw William looking like he had just come back from a war. The younger had his arms hanging from Tui’s and Nut’s shoulder as he limped on one leg. He didn't dare look Est in the eye. 

“What the fuck happened?” Est stood up hastily, slowly helping Tui and Nut set William down on the bed, who let out a loud groan when he sat down. Immediately, he laid down on the bed. 

“His highness tried to jump from a height to show us that he was brave and ended up twisting his ankle.” Nut placed a hand on his hip, looking down at William. 

Est glared at him, smacking William’s thigh. He turned to the other two. “You know he's dumb, why the fuck would you let him do that?” He ignored William’s offended gasp. 

“It was already too late by the time we tried to convince him to get down.” Tui replied, shaking his head. “He is as stubborn as a rock.” 

Est clicked his tongue and looked down at William again, who held a permanent wince on his face. Twisted ankle was no joke. He bent down in front of the bed and rolled up William’s pants. He sighed when he saw the redness around his foot. 

“You're an idiot.” Est stood up, glaring at William, who offered a weak smile. “What are you laughing at?” He snapped. He was frustrated with the way William was behaving. He was hurt and he still had the audacity to crack a smile? Est wanted nothing more than to just kiss— slap it off. 

William shook his head, still smiling. “You're worried.” 

Est scowled, turning away to walk out of the room. Nut whistled, bending down to pat William’s thigh. “He's pissed. Good luck.” Est was grumpy, sure, but he was scary when he was mad. He held a dissatisfied frown on his eyebrows and his face heated up red from anger. Right now, he seemed like he was two seconds away from shaking William into unconsciousness. 

Tui gave William a little salute. “Good luck, soldier. We'll see you tomorrow— that is if you survive the night.” He cackled, already out of the room. Nut followed him, a smirk on his lips. 

Est came back with an ice pack and soothing gel in his hands and an annoyed pout on his lips. William personally thought he looked adorable. He wanted to squish Est’s cheeks but he knew he would get slapped if he tried to do that now. 

Est gently grabbed William’s arms and ushered him to sit up straight, to rest his back against the headboard. Then he took a seat right next to William’s resting feet on the bed. He gently placed a pillow under William’s foot, trying his best not to touch the swollen areas. 

William watched him throughout all that, a ghost of a smile on his lips. Est looked annoyed for sure, but with the way he was handling William with profound gentleness made him think otherwise. He held in a gasp when Est tried to shift his foot a bit, but his body jolted which made Est acknowledge his pain. 

“It hurts, doesn't it?” He softly asked, slowly moving William’s foot in circular motion, looking closely for any sight of pain or discomfort on William’s face. The younger nodded, holding his breath tight as Est elevated his foot. “Who told you to jump? You're a vampire, not a spiderman." 

William chuckled, but let out a groan when Est accidentally pressed his thumb on the swell of his foot. “Thought the bat wings would save me, I wanted to look cool.” He joked. 

Est glared at him. “You're cool enough. So don't injure yourself in becoming something you already are. It makes you look stupid.” He retorted. 

William looked at Est, straight into his eyes. “You think I am cool?” He asked, voice gentle despite the direct question. 

Est’s ears flushed red, so he forced himself to look down at William’s injured ankle. He didn't reply, just quietly grabbed an ice pack and pressed it gently against the swell. He felt William’s gaze bore into him, making his hands slightly tremble with nervousness. 

William looked away, his own face felt like it was on fire. He looked out of the window, the night sky having a pale stream of light from the moon. He looked back at Est again, watching how gently he was treating him. As if William was someone fragile. His heart was beating rapidly against his chest as he thought of how beautiful Est looked, his usual sharp edges softened by worry. 

Est continued to compress Wiliam’s ankle with the ice pack for the next few minutes before he put it away and unscrewed the cap of the pain-relieving gel. “Tell me if it hurts too much.” He squeezed some out on his fingers and started rubbing it in with light, gentle strokes on the affected area. 

William didn't know what he flinched at, the cold feeling of the gel, the pain on his ankle or Est’s soft fingertips touching his already heated skin. He let out a breath. He watched as Est pulled away, screwing the cap back on the tube and putting the things away. 

“Keep your feet on the pillow for the rest of the night so that the swelling goes down by morning, alright?” Est instructed, grabbing his pillow and dropping it on the floor.

William frowned. “You're sleeping on the floor?” He asked, watching Est stare at him like his existence was an offense. It made him chuckle. His phi had the best expressions. 

“I don't think you can sleep on the floor with an injured ankle, William.” Est stated like it was obvious, which it was, grabbing his blanket next. 

“I wanted you to sleep on the bed with me.” William pouted, patting at the small space next to him. 

“My bed’s too small for that. I'd accidentally kick you down if we slept on the bed together.” Est laid down, covering his body with a blanket. It was a fact. He slept like a starfish. Even if he loved his bed the most in the world, he wouldn't want to put William’s ankle at a risk now. 

William chuckled, slowly shifting so he was laying down on the bed properly. Est turned off the lights. Nobody spoke for a minute, until William did. “Thank you for taking care of me, phi.” 

William could picture Est snapping his eyes open despite the dark. He heard a faint hum. “Somebody has to when you're acting like a headless chicken.” 

William smiled into his pillow. He would gladly be a headless chicken if it meant Est taking care of him daily like this. It was so worth it seeing the elder fuss over him— it almost made William wonder if he was the same as a boyfriend? 

Well, William had a long way to figure that one out yet. 

He didn't mind. 

William was a menace. Well, he already was, but now, he upgraded to a menace with a sprained ankle and invisibility powers. He had just learnt to activate and control it a few days ago. And ever since that, he made it his personal mission to annoy the everlasting shit out of everyone.

He spawned out of nowhere, scaring everyone out of their wits. He'd show up when Nut was brushing his teeth in the bathroom while half-asleep, when Tui would try to cook, when Hong would play video games in the dark, and when Lego tried to practice his dancing skills. 

One time, he even showed up in front of the TV when everyone was trying to watch a horror movie at two am in the night. The popcorn bowl and two pillows thrown at his face were worth it, he believed. 

He even scared Som and Karn while they were having a meeting. He just came into reality on Karn’s lap. William found out that Som had a really high-pitched scream, almost like an anime girl. He hadn't stopped teasing his boss ever since. 

There was only one person who hadn't become a victim to William’s habit of scaring people with his powers yet.

It was obviously his Phi Est. 

Est often remained confused when others kept complaining to him about William’s pranks. He hadn't experienced it so he didn't know what to say. But a small part of him was glad that William hadn't tried to scare him yet. He was a huge scaredy cat, so he would probably pass out in two seconds if William ever showed up in front of him all of a sudden. 

Today, Est was going through a problem. It was six thirty in the morning and he wanted nothing more than to just crawl back into his warm bed. It was their off day and it was completely unlikely for him to be up so early on a holiday. 

But sweet innocent, Ink waddled into his room with a guilty expression and held up his sweater in front of Est’s half awake face. The orange sweater bore a small tear on it and Ink looked as if his world was tearing apart. He said that he accidentally tore it when his sweater caught on a wire. And he didn't know how to sew, plus he didn't even have any other clothes since he didn't live here. 

He was also afraid of waking other people up, not wanting to be a burden. So he chose to wake up the only person he felt comfortable with. 

Est. 

As much as Est loved the idea of being Ink’s closest friend out of the bunch, he also loved the idea of sleeping under his warm blankets. But when Ink gave him his puppy eyes, his grumpiness softened up a little and he quietly stood up to grab his blue coloured sewing kit. 

So now he was trying to insert the thread into the thin hole of the needle in the living room, while Ink sat next to him on the couch, half naked. For someone who was shy and shirtless, Ink was really composed, his entire focus on Est trying to get the thread into the needle. 

“Phi,” Ink called out sympathetically, watching how Est was gripping the needle so tight his fingertips turned white. “Should I try? I'm afraid you'll get a headache with how hard you're staring at the needle.” 

Est sighed, slumping his shoulders. “It's such a hassle. But I'd appreciate it if you could help.” He held out the needle and thread to Ink, who grabbed it with a small smile. He leaned against the couch, watching Ink try. 

But a moment later, the younger winced, dropping the needle onto the couch with a sharp jolt, as if startled by something. Est flinched, sitting up straight. He winced when he saw a red dot on Ink’s fingertip. Est held Ink’s finger, examining the skin the needle just punctured. 

“You're bleeding.” Est blew air on the reddened skin around the finger. The red dot grew bigger than before, staining almost the entire fingertip red. 

Ink chuckled. “It's okay, phi. It's nothing serious—” Suddenly, he shivered. There was a cold breeze that wafted through the room, which was a little weird since all the windows and doors were shut. 

Est felt it too, the sudden coldness at the back of his neck and arms. He saw slight movement from the corner of his eyes. Turning his head a little, he was shocked to see William standing behind them, arms crossed and face unreadable. 

William’s posture was stiff and his face held a frown as he took in the scene before his eyes. Ink was fucking shirtless and Est was holding his hand. Just what in the fucking romantic movie was going on in here? 

“William,” Est breathed out, slowly letting go of Ink’s hand, sitting up straight. Was this William’s invisibility power that everyone kept talking about? Was he finally experiencing it? Because how did William appear behind them so soon and sudden? 

“Am I interrupting something?” William’s voice was cold and completely detached, something Est had never heard from him. His tone was always friendly and cheery, and now he was talking like a robot with zero feelings. 

“No, no you aren't.” Ink chimed in, nervous all of a sudden for no reason, but with the way William was acting, he felt like he needed to clear the air up a little. “He was helping me sew my sweater sleeve—” 

“It didn't quite look like that, Ink.” William finally looked at the man he was talking to, trying to keep the irritation out of his voice. This dude was really getting on his nerves. Sure, Est was sewing his shirt, but did he really have to get naked for that? It was just his sleeve that was torn, he didn't have to take the entire thing off! 

And the worse part was that Ink… he was fucking built like a Greek God! His chest was toned and William could basically count the amount of prominent veins he had on his forearms. This was crazy! How could Est betray him like this! Sitting in the living room couch alone with a built guy, who was shirtless— William was too faint-hearted for this shit. 

Est cleared his throat, his ears heating up. William noticed that too. A dagger went through his heart, was he blushing at being caught? Did he really interrupt the love of his life’s moment with his crush? Oh just feed him poisoned blood at this point. He would drink it. 

“William, it's not like that.” Est calmly explained. “We didn't think much about it. Trust me, I didn't even notice that he wasn't wearing a shirt.” 

Lies. William narrowed his eyes. That man, beautifully sculpted as ever, was sitting right there and Est was telling him he didn't notice him? Pure, white lies! 

“And Nong Ink accidentally pricked his finger with a needle, so I was just checking—” 

“Nong Ink?” William repeated, his voice dramatically cracking. Great, his love was doomed. His phi was calling another man nong. Amazing. He couldn't wait for the poisoned blood to arrive at his doorstep for sure. 

Ink gulped, discreetly grabbing his sweater and slowly standing up from the couch before he slipped off to the kitchen smartly, leaving William and Est alone in the living room. 

Meanwhile Est, he had no idea why William looked like a kicked puppy. He was just helping out Ink, what was so wrong about that? Why was William subconsciously pouting and why was his voice cracking? Just what the fuck was going on? 

Est didn't even know what he had done wrong but he felt like apologizing already. Though, didn't really have a chance because William grumbled low in his throat and faded into the air with just a snap of his finger. 

And just like poof, he was gone before Est could catch another glimpse of him. Est, heavily disturbed and confused, slumped down on the couch, scratching his head. 

Was he dealing with a vampire or a drama queen? He wasn't quite sure now. 

Est tried not to let his mind linger on William’s bitter pout. It was a joke, right? William was teasing him. He would come around sooner or later. 

Yeah. Est thought. Yeah he would.

Wrong. 

That did not happen. 

William didn't come around even after three hours had passed. At the breakfast table, he sat two chairs away from Est, avoiding his eyes, talking to everyone but him. He quietly thanked Est when he buttered his toast, but didn't say anything else. He even pulled back his hand with a flinch when his fingers brushed against Est’s when he tried to grab the orange juice bottle. 

Est pretended like it didn't sting. He had no other option than to just quietly sit away from William, observing his every move and question himself as to why William did a complete one-eighty on his personality. 

The rest of the day passed just like that. William avoided Est like he was a trigonometry problem, and Est hated it. 

Sure, he wasn't fond of William at first when they met, but now? He felt like slamming his head into the nearest wall when William ignored him. 

Even the most oblivious person, Hong noticed him and it had been barely twelve hours since William started ignoring him. Just how much of an effect did this boy have on Est? 

“Did you do something to make him angry?” Hong asked, eyes fixed on his phone screen. “He's not even acknowledging you.” 

“The thing is, I know I did something.” Est started, frustration pulling at his tone. “But I don't know what I did wrong!” 

“Just talk to him.” Hong supplied carefully. “Figure it out. It's weird seeing him not talk to you, that boy is attached to you like super glue.” 

“How? I don't get to talk to him at all. He leaves the room the moment I enter.” 

“Phi,” Hong looked at Est with the ‘are you dumb?’ look. “He literally sleeps in your room at night. Just talk to him then.” 

“What if he sleeps in someone else’s room? Then what?” Est pouted unknowingly too, catching Hong a little off-guard. 

The silver head cleared his throat. “He won't. Nut snores loudly, Tui and Lego prefer sleeping alone and I play games till late. He would hate to share rooms with us.” 

Est fell quiet. Hong made great points. Right, he could talk to William. Of course he could. 

He was a grown adult, he shouldn't fear talking and communication, right? 

Right? 

Est spat his toothpaste out in the sink, rinsing his mouth with cold water after. Standing up straight, he took a look at himself in the mirror. He sighed. He ran his fingers through his messy hair. He looked unguarded and as vulnerable as a person who was getting ready for bed could be. 

Est patted his face with hands, huffing before he turned off the bathroom lights and walked out. There, on the floor of his bedroom, sat William, folding his blankets. Est frowned at him. “What are you doing?” 

William glanced at the elder for a second before he went back to what he was doing. “Getting ready for bed.” He shortly replied, standing up with his pillow and blanket in hand. He mirrored Est's confused look when the elder didn't let him go through the door. “What?” 

“You sleep in my room.” Est stated, tilting his head. “Where are you going now? Sleeping in someone else's room? You know that's not going to happen, right? Others hate sharing their spaces—” 

“I know,” William cut in softly. “I'm sleeping in the living room.” 

Est paused, pouting. “Why? What problem do you have sleeping with me all of a sudden?”

William sighed. “There's not a single problem. I just… want to watch TV to help me fall asleep. That's it.” He proceeded to take a step towards the door but Est blocked his path again. 

“You have your phone.” Est pointed out. “Watch whatever you want on that. No need for the TV, alright? C’mon let's go to sleep.” He locked the door behind him, ushering William back to his usual sleeping spot. 

William sighed, irritated. What was wrong with his phi today? He was acting so stubborn. Reluctantly, he went back to the floor, quietly spreading his foam mattress on the floor. He puffed up his pillow, laid down and pulled up his orange blanket to his chin, waiting for Est to turn off the lights. 

And Est did. He turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness, except for the faint shadows that made it through his window. His heart was thumping weirdly against his ribcage as he laid stiffly on his bed, waiting for William to speak up despite knowing that he wouldn't. 

He shuffled over the edge of his bed, looking down to see William’s peaceful expression. The younger had closed his eyes, his hands gently resting on his abdomen, lips abandoned of the frown which took place for the entire day. 

Est felt the corner of his lips quirk. William was beautiful. He would spend the next hours admiring him if he could. Only if William didn't catch him staring. 

“Stop staring.” William demanded quietly, eyes still closed. How did he figure that one out? Was it his vampire powers or something? 

Est’s cheeks instantly heated up, he moved quickly to lay down on the bed again, gulping. He glared at the ceiling as if it were the one who exposed him. “I wasn't staring.” Lies. He was. Intently, lovingly and desperately at that too. 

“You've been walking on seashells around me. What's the deal?” Oh so you did notice, Est thought bitterly. He shifted to lay on his side, looking down at William. 

“You've been off since morning. What's the deal with that?” Est answered with a question, waiting patiently for William to answer. He didn't. He just laid there with his eyes closed. 

Est scowled, sitting up straight. “William.” No answer. “Talk to me.” No answer again. “I know you're not asleep.” Silence. “Are you fucking serious?” He was getting on his nerves. 

Est looked away for a split second, running his hand frustratedly through his hair before he made a rash decision. He climbed down from his bed and squeezed himself onto William’s mattress. The mattress was too narrow to fit the both of them, Est could feel the coldness radiating from the younger’s body, but he didn't mind. He just wanted William to talk to him. So much that he didn't even register how close he was lying next to him. Sides pressed closely with Est’s legs on top of William’s, arms stiffly at their sides. 

William snapped his eyes open, looking at Est with disbelief. He looked like he was witnessing a cat trying to breakdance in real time. “Phi—” 

“If you don't tell me what's bothering you, I won't leave this mattress.” Est said stubbornly, pout never melting from his lips. 

William stared at him, part horrified and part amusement. But then, his face went blank of all emotions. He sat up quickly, almost growing dizzy before he tried to stand, but Est caught his arm.

“Where are you going?” Est’s voice was softer this time. Oh no, William was going to melt away into water droplets. Fuck. This was not good. He needed to get out of here quickly. 

William tried to break free, tugging his hand free but Est, despite looking so soft and innocent at the moment, had the grip of Ironman. William almost gave up. He sighed. “Phi—” 

“What did I do so wrong that you don't even want to share a room with me?” 

The question punched straight into his guts. Maybe it was not even the question, it was the way Est had said it. Soft, vulnerable, and hesitant.

William couldn't breath, every intake of breath hurt his ribs. He hadn't meant to make Est feel hurt. He was just… in need of space in case he did something grave under the influence of jealousy and confusion. But with the way Est was staring at him right now, he wanted to slap himself for even trying to ignore Est. 

Est didn't take his eyes off William, searching his face for answers, but all he could see was the slight flicker of conflict on his face. That undid something in him. 

What was so wrong that William was hesitating to speak up? What wrong did he do? Est’s throat felt like it was closing up on him as he thought about what went wrong. 

When he couldn't think of anything, he slowly dropped his grip on William’s arms, his hand returning to his side, stiff and fists clenched. He had no choice but to wait for William to speak up, but the man wasn't even doing that right now. 

“It's okay.” Est said. He saw the hesitation on William’s face. As much as he wanted to know what was wrong, pushing William to tell him felt wrong. Maybe he had to wait it out.

“You can tell me when you're ready, alright?” Est stood up to go back to his own bed. “We can talk then. Let's sleep for now.” He made his move to lie down, head heavy. 

William watched him do so. His mind and heart are in a constant battle to let this beautiful man in front of him know how much he loved him. But he would put everything at risk just to say those three words out, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to do that just yet. 

He pathetically dropped his head onto his pillow, staring at the ceiling which still had those glowing neon stickers stuck onto them. He faintly smiled at the memory. He turned his head a little to look at Est, who was sleeping with his back turned on him. 

He couldn't risk ruining anything that was between them. He couldn't handle breaking the fragility between them, not the sarcastic taunts, not the quiet glances, and definitely not the late night talks. He couldn't risk losing it. Because that would mean he would lose himself too. 

He was not brave enough for that. He couldn't lose Est. Not over some stupid feelings of course. 

Maybe in the future, William would build up the courage and prove himself to Est that he was a man worthy enough to stand beside him. But now? He couldn't risk it at all. Not when he was sure that Est looked at him as if he were still a kid learning to survive in the real world. 

Maybe one day. 

One day he would have the courage— 

“I'm going out with Ink tomorrow. He said that he wanted to buy some groceries for the upcoming month.” Est informed casually, taking his phone out to scroll on his social media before he fell asleep.

William whipped his head to look at Est’s figure on the bed. He hurriedly stood up, sitting at the edge of the bed to stare at Est with wide eyes. “Going out? With Ink?” Was this a date or something?

William huffed out a breath, grabbing Est’s shoulders to haul him into sitting straight so that he could see his face properly. 

Est sat up, surprised and consumed at the sudden action. He looked at William, who held a frown between his eyebrows as his lips curled into a pout. What was with this sudden change of attitude? 

“Whats wrong with you?” Est finally asked, voice cracking. “You’re acting so weird these days. Did you eat garlic or something?” William couldn't even process the question, too busy staring at Est, horrified. 

“Excuse me?” William’s heart was pounding in his chest. “No way, phi. Are you really going out with him?” It was a date obviously. Est wasn't that dumb to think Ink was really taking him out for grocery shopping. 

Est nodded dumbly. He couldn't understand why William looked as if his world just went through an earthquake. “Why are you so worried? We'll come back before six pm.” 

William shook his head. “Phi, you seriously can't be that dumb to think it's just grocery shopping. You two would go into the store, shop together very sweetly until an old grandmother would come up to you and compliment how domestic you two look. And just after you paid for everything and are about to leave, it would start raining. Then you two would very romantically run across the road, drenched and laughing with each other. Then you two would stop at a cafe and—” 

Est flicked William’s forehead. 

“Have you lost it?”

Whatever William was thinking about earlier, went straight down into the drain. Because right now, all he was focusing on was Est laughing. Sure, he felt dumb and jealous, but it was kind of worth it. 

“Phi, don't you understand that he's taking you out on a date? How could you not know?” William asked, exaggerated. He grabbed Est’s hands now. “I love you, phi. You can't go on a date with him.” 

There. He said it. 

William didn't even realize when he did, he was too busy making sure that Est wouldn't go out with Ink.

But Est? Oh he heard every single word clearly. William had said it, loud and panicked that it made Est’s insides crumble. But he couldn't say anything. He remained frozen on the bed as he continued to listen to whatever William talked about. 

“I— was jealous when I saw you with Ink this morning.” William admitted, goosebumps running on his skin as he felt Est’s gaze prickling onto him. “I didn't like it one bit. That someone was taking away your attention. I wanted to be the first person you looked at in the morning, and instead I saw you sitting with Ink in the living room, and he was literally shirtless. It made me feel weird, and definitely not in a good way.” William rambled, not pausing to even take a breath. 

“I hated it. That's why I wanted to take my mind away from you. I didn't want to say something that could hurt you while I was still annoyed. So I stayed silent. I wanted to calm myself down before I talked to you—”

“You took a whole day to calm down?” Est asked, frowning, trying to look irritated as possible but with pouty lips and narrowed eyes.

“Well yes.” William replied, dumbly. He looked down, scratching the nape of his neck. He felt foolish and shy all of a sudden as he started realizing how he just laid his heart bare out in front of Est.

Est didn't reply at that. He quietly stared at William, who was slowly growing flustered under his gaze. Slowly, he shifted forward and wrapped his arms around William’s neck, pulling him into a hug, and completely ignoring the surprised noise William let out. 

The vampire sat there frozen for a moment before his arms came up to wrap around Est’s waist, softly but firmly. He hid his face into the curve of Est’s neck, letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding. 

Tonight… it had been way too much for him to process. The hug was all that he needed right now. 

William winced internally when his mind replayed whatever he had just said in the past few minutes. He dug his face deeper into Est’s neck to avoid thinking about it but he failed. He didn't think it was the best idea to confess his undying love tonight, but the moment Est declared his plans for tomorrow, all of his emotional intelligence flew out of the window. 

“I can hear your thoughts.” Est chuckled, his voice light and teasing. William’s hair and breath on his neck was tickling him and it took all of his willpower in order to not squirm. He patted William’s back, reassuring. “You don't have to worry about Ink.” 

“I don't… like him in that way. I just think he is an adorable kid. Like a friend.” Est continued, his ears on fire. William could feel the heat radiating off from his body. “It's you whom I like.” 

World pause. 

William stopped breathing. 

He pulled away from the hug a little to look at Est’s face, who was staring at him shyly. “Excuse me?” 

Est cleared his throat, retreating from the hug, now looking at anywhere except William. “You heard it right.” He quietly replied, finding it difficult to not smile at William’s disbelief. He looked like a gaping fish. And Est liked fishes.

Ahem.

William gripped Est’s hand now, shaking him with profound enthusiasm. “You like me? You really do? Are you sure? No takebacks? Do you really like me? This Edward Cullen-looking vampire?—” 

“You look nothing like Edward Cullen.” 

“Still doesn't change the fact that I'm a vampire.” 

Est giggled. William died a little on the inside. It was the sweetest sound ever, slick with honey and sugar. He wanted to hear it again and again, like a broken tape recorder. 

“Yes, William. I like you.” Est spoke, clearly and firmly, looking straight into William’s eyes. The apples of his cheeks were on fire. “Is that enough? Do you need more proof?” 

William nodded, puffing up his cheeks and offering it to Est, tapping his finger on his blush. “Yes. I'll believe you when you kiss me, right here.” 

He didn't receive a verbal reply. But he surely did receive a teasing slap on his face by Est, who exaggeratedly said. “You're moving too fast now!” 

William finally earned a boyfriend. 

Drinking poisoned blood? Postponed. 

They decided to keep it a secret. 

Not because they weren't ready. It was because not a single member in that team was sane. Yes, that included their boss Som too. He wasn't normal at all considering how he kept giving William and Est dirty looks since this morning. 

Lego sneaked up behind his boss, whispering aggressively into his ears. “Something has changed.” He gave his commentary. “I can smell it in the air.” 

“I can too.” Som nodded, rubbing his chin with his index finger as his eyes trailed behind William, who was obnoxiously giggling at the whiteboard full of pictures of criminals. Did he fall in love with one or what? 

“What's going on?” This time, it was Est who sneaked up behind both of them, voice stern and grumpy. He raised an eyebrow as the two perpetrators flinched, as if they got caught doing something illegal. 

Lego gulped, hurrying off quickly, meaning to leave his boss alone to deal with Est’s interrogation. The boss coughed, muttering a “traitor” underneath his breath, desperately avoiding Est’s eyes. 

A newcomer would have thought the roles in the organisation between Som and Est would've been better swapped. 

“Is like… something wrong with William?” Som carefully asked, looking around to make sure the vampire wouldn't just teleport out of nowhere. 

Est frowned. “Nothing's wrong with him. Why would you ask me that?” 

Som gulped. “It's just that… he's been smiling randomly these days, and he's always blushing, always lost in thought. Like is he doing okay? It's concerning.” 

As if there was a complete one eighty in Est’s behavior, he suddenly straightened up, his cheeks flushed. “There's nothing wrong with him. He's just— you know how he is! Always so dumb and annoying. That's the usual case.” 

Som tilted his head, surprised by the sudden change in Est's behavior. “Okay…?” He didn't get why Est’s ears were burning now. Just what was going on? 

Est cleared his throat, shifting his gaze towards the bullet hole on the wall besides him. “P’Kim was calling you. Said something about the squirrels stealing your peanuts.” 

“The ones in my drawers?” Som widened his eyes. He immediately sprung into action once Est confirmed it with a hesitant nod. “Those fuckers— how did they manage to unlock my secret drawer?!” He ran to his office. 

Est stared at the running man. Where was Som’s joint pain now, the one he used to complain for days and nights? 

Just as he was about to walk away, a slight breeze of wind passed through him and suddenly, there was a very cheerful William standing in front of him, right where Som was standing a few seconds ago. 

Est instinctively took a step back from the surprise. “William?” It had been long since William started using his invisibility powers, but Est still wasn't very used to it.

“Phi,” William's arms wrapped around his waist. Another thing Est wasn't used to was how clingy William was. It has barely been a week since they started dating, but Est couldn't even keep a track of how many times he was hugged in the past seven days, probably more than he was hugged in his entire life! 

“I've missed you.” William pouted, tilting his head. “Others keep on hogging you so I can't even—” 

“Can't even what?” Est cut in, amused. “Can't terrorize me by hugging me out of nowhere? Or can't terrorize me with those puppy eyes? ‘Cause if so, I'm glad.” 

William smirked. “So you're admitting my puppy eyes work on you?” Oh William had no idea. Est could practically melt for it. “I should use them for blackmail more often then.” 

Est was about to reply, when Hong barged into the rooming, looking frenzied. And as an immediate instinct, Est pulled away from William with a sudden dash. He noticed the lack of warmth suddenly, but dared not to dwell upon it. 

“Have you seen my charger? I lost it.” Hong asked, rushing from one corner to another corner of the room within seconds. “My phone is on three percent and I want to know whether my package is going to arrive today or not!” 

“What a struggle.” Est replied, voice dry. 

“I'm glad you understand.” Hong didn't register the sarcasm, he was too busy panicking. He then looked at William, who was awkwardly standing by the windows. “Don't you have some vampire powers that can help me?”

“Unfortunately, no.” William replied. “But I can help you find it.” He suggested with a broken smile. 

Hong sighed. “Useless vampire.” He meant it as a teasing retort, and it worked. William gasped. 

“How dare you?”

Est shook his head, already walking out of the door. He didn't want a headache first thing in the morning. He went and stood outside Lego’s door, knocking on it with his fist. “Can you help me with cutting fruits for breakfast?” 

He heard no answer from inside. 

He hesitantly placed his hand on the doorknob and twisted it open. Upon peeking inside, he saw Lego scrolling through his phone on his bed. Est stepped in, crossing his arms. “Did you not hear what I just asked?” 

Again, no reply. Lego was engrossed into his phone screen. Est frowned. What in the world could be so interesting? So he stepped forward and bent down to look at his screen. 

What he saw were pictures of handsome men. 

Est snapped his neck towards Lego, scandalized. “Aren't you dating Diamond?!” He shot, offended and in disbelief. How could Lego ever cheat— 

Lego’s ears flushed red as he slapped Est’s arm. “We're not dating yet, alright? So it's not a crime to look at the pictures! Plus, they aren't even for me! I'm picking one to set my cousin on a blind date!” He explained, rolling his eyes when he saw Est nodding, realizing that what he imagined wasn't the case. 

Lego let out a breath, going back to scrolling on his phone before he felt a light bulb turn on above his head. He smirked to himself, clearing his throat before he shoved his phone into Est's hands, who took it very confusedly. 

“That one's pretty, isn't he?” Lego drawled, looking closely for Est’s reaction. The elder looked down at the phone. The man looked younger than him, had bleached hair and had a very polite smile. He looked neat. 

Est would have definitely liked him if he didn't already have a handsome vampire clinging onto his back. He wouldn't want otherwise though.

“Yeah, but—” 

“Do you want me to set you up with him?” Lego’s eyes sparkled with mischief, placing his chin on his hands. “You two would make a great match. Pretty with pretty, doesn't that sound great?” 

Est stammered, not liking the turn this conversation took. 

“Lego—” before he could say anything, someone walked through the door and cut him off. 

It was William, stepping in with his hands in his pocket, expression cool. “But handsome with pretty sounds better, no?” He stood besides Est, whose heart started pounding aggressively just from the sight of him. 

Lego’s smirk widened. Perfect. He put on the most innocent expression, nodding. “You're right. I agree.” 

William smirked, prodding his chin with ego, his chest puffed out in pride. He thought Lego would finally start to understand the power him and Est would have as a couple. He was giving a hint that no one would be better with Est than him. 

“Ink and P’Est would look adorable together!” 

William’s smirk dropped. 

Est couldn't help the laugh that left his lips. 

Lego giggled, proud of himself for making William look like he was three seconds away from lunging at him. 

William scowled, his fangs poking his lower lips as he bared them at Lego, trying to seem threatening but really, all he looked like an innocent puppy. 

Lego raised his hands, pretending to be scared. “Oh don't kill me, Mr. Vampire.” 

Est shook his head, a ghost of a smile lingering on his lips. He grabbed William’s arm gently and ushered them out of the room. “Let's go. Breakfast is going to get cold.” He threw a glance at Lego. “You're still peeling the oranges for me. So come out, quick” 

Lego groaned. 

When they sat at the breakfast table, William had a pout on his lips again. Est had lost count of how many times William sulked with him, but he found it cute so he didn't mind. All he ever wanted to do was to kiss that pout off. But he still hadn't found the courage yet. Maybe some day. 

Before he could try to comfort his boyfriend, Tui and Nut came out of their rooms, stretching their arms and yawning respectively. They sat at the table, giving William a bored look once they saw him sipping his orange juice with his saddest expression. 

“Who stole your blood, hm?” Nut asked, stretching his arm behind his head, his head jerking at Est as if to ask him what was wrong. 

Est wished he could answer, but he didn't know how to explain it without making it sound like they weren't dating. “It's just something random. I don't know.” 

Hearing that, William huffed loudly. 

Est panicked. 

Tui observed both of them. 

Hong stepped into the room, cursing loudly at his phone. Everyone turned to look at him blankly. He noticed the stares, and groaned. “They cancelled my delivery package!” 

Lego, who came out of the room looking very prepared with a pocket knife in his hand, smirked. “Who's ready to see the apples being sliced?” 

Tui leaned towards Est, eyes heavily judging Lego. “Who's gonna tell him that a pocket knife isn't the best for cutting fruits?” 

Est sighed. This morning was already giving him a headache. 

But fortunately for him, the rest of the day passed by smoothly. Well, if he doesn't include the way William kept huffing and puffing at him. Every time he did that, Est would throw a glare at Lego, who innocently pretended as if he wasn't the one who started this entire thing. 

When the burning sunlight of the afternoon swept into the room, Est approached William, who was sitting on the couch, trying to read a book but really, Est knew he was pretending. 

The vampire pretended not to notice Est, who sat down beside him. He even tilted his body away from him, ignoring Est’s frustrated sigh. 

Est tapped William’s shoulder, receiving a shrug in response. He didn't mind. “What are you reading?” He tried to peek in to read the page. 

“Your love story with Ink.” William gravely replied, voice low and unbothered— well, pretending to be unbothered. 

Est gulped down a smile. He couldn't believe how dramatic William was. It was infuriatingly adorable to see. But he couldn't catch a glimpse of William’s face properly, so he grabbed William’s shoulder and made him sit properly.

William tried to restrain himself at first, but stopped fighting once he heard Est click his tongue. 

Hot. His mind supplied unhelpfully. 

Est studied William’s expression, tilting his head. “Are you still not going to talk to me?” He asked, receiving a short hum from the younger. “It's quite unfair that you won't talk to me. It wasn't my fault, you know.” He tried to look in William’s eyes but the vampire didn't dare. 

Est sighed when William didn't pay any attention to him. He leaned back, raking his gaze through William, when all of a sudden his brain pinged him with an idea. 

He sat up straight. Est turned his body on the couch, planting his feet on the sofa and rested his head right on top of William’s thigh. He closed his eyes. Est could physically feel William freezing above him. 

William’s book almost fell out of his hands. “Phi, what are you doing?” He asked cautiously, looking down at Est resting his head on his lap. 

“Taking a quick nap.” Est hummed, his eyes closed. “You don't mind, do you?” 

Oh, William definitely did not mind. 

So when Nut barged into the room, screaming about how he had just lost a one-on-one game with Tui, William shushed and harshly motioned him to leave the room.

After all, he didn't want any disturbances while his phi slept.

Later that night, the two of them found themselves back into the room, but neither of them were found sleeping. They were staring at the ceiling quietly until Est tilted his body to look down at William’s mattress. 

“I can't sleep.” He stated blankly, almost flinching William out of the quiet. 

William stared back at Est. What did he expect him to do? “Should I sing you a lullaby or something?” He asked. He might have come off as sarcastic, but he was genuine. He could start warming up his throat right now if Est asked him to sing. 

“I'm feeling hot.” Est cleared his throat, raising an eyebrow as if he was expecting something from William. 

William raised an eyebrow back at him. Should he change the weather now? He gets it, he's a vampire but he's only limited to the things he can control, alright? 

“The AC is working fine though—” 

“You idiot!” Est snapped, frowning. His patience snapping like a delicate thread. “I'm telling you to come up here and lay down beside me. Your body temperature is colder anyways.”

William shot up straight in pure surprise. He stared at Est, who sat up too. “You want me to come up there… just so you can use me as a human air conditioner?” He gasped. 

“Do you want to come up or not?” Est asked, crossing his arms. He looked gravely annoyed at this point. He wanted to lay down with William but his boyfriend was so oblivious, it almost hurt spelling out everything for him. And Est wasn't the one for saying his feelings out loud, but being with William, he had no choice but to because the man couldn't take a hint at all! 

 A slow grin made up to William’s lips as he pushed off his blanket. “Of course.” He smirked. “Hide my blood bags if I ever say no.”  

Est shifted slightly towards the wall so that William could have some space. William slid in under the covers besides Est, their shoulders and arms touching beneath the blanket. The proximity almost made him feel light-headed. 

The two laid down awkwardly besides each other, not even daring to lift a finger or even look at each other. Well, that was until Est huffed quietly to himself and turned on his side.

William pretended not to notice Est’s eyes on the side of his face. He gulped and tried to close his eyes. And that's when he felt an arm wrap around his abdomen. His eyes shot open, wide. His breath stopped for a minute. He didn't dare move at all, afraid that if he did, Est would shift away. 

Contradictory to his thoughts, Est shifted closer to the point his cheek smushed against William’s shoulderblade. His arm tightens around William. “You're cold.” He mumbled, sleepily. His eyes were fighting to stay open. “It feels nice.” 

William felt a shiver run down his spine because of Est’s breath fanning against the skin of his sensitive neck. He gulped at the clinginess Est was showing him. It was rare, but precious to him. 

“Does it?” William’s voice cracked embarrassingly. 

Est hummed, eyes finally shutting close in relaxation. “Will,” The nickname shot out unexpectedly. William tried hard not to react to it, afraid to ruin the fragile moment that Est was building up with whatever he was about to say. 

“You're a nice person.” William clenched his fist from where it was awkwardly laying between Est and him. “I like you. So damn much.” His fist loosened, his heart rate pulsing rapidly. 

Upon thinking carefully, he shifted the arm that was between them and brought it up to wrap around Est’s shoulders, bringing him closer to himself. Their bodies moulded perfectly with each other. It was as if Est was the only one who could fit into the gaps of William’s arms. 

Est buried his face into William’s neck. But then, he made a sound of realization. “I just called you a person. Can I? You're a vampire, aren't you? Wait let me rephrase that.” 

“You're a good vampire.” William huffed a laugh at that, bringing Est impossibly closer. If he could, he would have moulded the two into the same body with how close they were. There wasn't even five centimeters worth of distance between them. 

“That's the only reassurance I need, love.” Est smiled into William’s neck. He pretended not to notice the tremble that William had. He wasn't dumb. He quickly figured out that his boyfriend was very ticklish. 

So he did what anyone would do. He nuzzled his nose into William's neck lightly until William was squirming, giggling. 

“Phi— Phi Est— that— fuck!” William laughed, trying to get away but Est’s arm around him prevented him from doing so. Est couldn't hide his own laughter. He sat up, his hands attacking William’s sides now. 

William’s breath caught up into a wheeze as he started flailing around like a fish out of the water. Another sensitive spot. Est just made another discovery. William’s waist was more ticklish than his neck. 

William laughed and screamed. They had no regard for whomever might have heard that. William tried to grip Est’s hands but there was no avail, Est was strong. His feet kept kicking in the air as he shuffled for relief.

Finally, Est felt pity at his suffering and pulled his hand away. There were tears forming in William's eyes. Happy tears. Est giggled at William. “Your hair is all messy. It looks like a failed experiment.” He reached out to gently set his hair properly. 

William let him do so, the touch was comforting and gentle on his head. When Est was done and was about to pull his hand away from his hair, William gripped it and slowly brought it to his lips, never breaking eye contact. 

He placed a quiet, and soft kiss at Est's palm, almost catching the way Est inhaled a bit too sharply. The elder gulped and laid down back again, staring at the ceiling. This time, William was the one who turned on his side to admire Est’s face. 

The moonlight from the window shone upon him. The glimmering light raked through the slope of Est’s nose. William absentmindedly ran a finger through that same slope, smirking when he caught the faint tremor that went through Est’s body at his touch. 

“You're so—” Est’s voice cracked embarrassingly. His hands clutching his blanket.  

“What? I'm so cute? Handsome? Endearing?” William’s eyes were almost sparkling as he looked at his boyfriend, who was trying hard to maintain his composure. 

“You're so annoying.” Est rolled his eyes. 

William winced playfully, placing a hand above his chest. “Your words are cruel, my love. They stab right through my heart.” 

Est shook his head, a faint smile playing on his lips as he stared at the worn out stickers on his ceiling, glowing lightly but not like before. 

William’s eyes never once left him. He shifted, bending his elbow so he could rest his head on his hand. He chuckled when he noticed Est’s cheeks flushing red. He was clearly trying hard not to seem affected by William's stare. 

“You're pretty, phi. Did you know that?” 

Est threw a quick glare at him. “I prefer handsome. Charming even. Anything but pretty. Because I'm not.” 

“You don't know how beautiful you look in my eyes.” William said it so causally, as if it was a statement, that it made Est’s breath hitch. 

“You're speaking nonsense.” Est stammered, pulling his blanket to his face to hide the warmth he was feeling on his nose and cheeks. . “Go sleep. You need it.” 

William smiled, and gently pulled away the blanket from his face, looking down at Est as if he was the most precious person in his world. “You are. You can't hide the truth, phi.” 

Est scowled. Or, at least he tried to. All he did was look like a feisty cat. “I don't get it why you—” 

In order to shut his thoughts, William leaned down and pressed a quick peck to his forehead. 

The tactic worked. Est shut down completely. His mind stopped processing the situation and his heart started beating abnormally as he stared at William in disbelief. 

William laughed at the bewildered look of his boyfriend. He leaned to press another kiss, but now on Est’s nose instead. When he pulled back, he couldn't believe how flushed Est looked. As if someone colored his face with a pink highlighter. It was amusing to see so.

Est’s pupils dilated, completely losing focus as his mind raced through countless things. Including the feeling of William’s soft lips against his skin. That was crazy, and it was embarrassing enough that he couldn't stop himself from feeling frenzied. 

“Phi,” At William’s voice, Est snapped out of his daze. His throat felt dry as a desert when he opened his mouth, so that's why all he could let out was a sound of disbelief. 

William’s eyes closed, a smile lingering on his lips. “Did you break down? It was not even a real kiss yet, phi.” 

That. 

It was his last straw. 

With a surge of random confidence, Est turned a little and grabbed William by the nape of his neck, pulling him closer to his face. He felt a sense of satisfaction when he saw William being caught off-guard. 

Est smirked, although it was wobbly, he felt confident. “Then stop acting like a coward, and kiss me already.” He whispered quietly, watching William’s expression shut down in real time. 

He had the upper hand again, a chance to make William a blushing, squirming mess. He was about to say something again when William moved. He felt his hand snake up to his face, pulling him closer until there was barely a centimetre between them.  

“I'm not a coward.” William smiled, his breath brushing against Est’s lips before he dove in. 

Est froze for the first few seconds. His head was still wrapped around the fact that William was kissing him right now. 

Their first fucking kiss. 

He could only focus on the soft, plush feeling of William's lips before he gathered his consciousness and started kissing him back. 

His hand moved down to grip William’s t-shirt, fists clenching tightly in his fabric. He completely surrendered into the kiss, to the point he felt his body relaxing into the mattress as William took control. 

The kiss was delicate at first, until it wasn't. It was laced with desire and possessiveness. Est could practically feel his body trembling as William shifted to move on top, hovering above him.

When William’s upper fang prodded lightly at his lower lip, Est instinctively opened his mouth to gasp at the sharp feeling, allowing the younger to enter his tongue into his mouth, making Est whimper instantly. 

William smiled into the kiss at the sound, but he shivered when he felt Est’s hands on his hair, tugging at the strands gently when he sucked on his lower lip. 

At one particularly harsh tug, William moaned into the kiss, catching Est and himself by surprise too. They pulled away to take a breath, both staring at each other with spit-slicked, swollen lips. 

Est couldn't believe the view that was taking place in front of his eyes. William, messy-haired and expression flushed, was hovering right above him, staring at him with a desire in his eyes that he hadn't seen before. 

Meanwhile, William couldn't stop staring at Est at all. The red cheeks, the half-lidded eyes, the red lips, everything about Est was making him want to kiss him again. To feel his soft, peach-flavoured lips again. He wanted nothing more than to just lean down and take him again. 

So that's exactly what he did. 

He leaned down and dived straight into Est, catching the elder man by surprise, but he swallowed the whimper with his own lips, muffling any protest he had to say. 

He could listen to the complaints about how his fangs dug into Est’s lips later. 

Right now,he just wanted to kiss his pretty boyfriend to sleep. 

And the next day, if Som and the kids judged them for their swollen lips, it was taken care of. 

(by Est and William threatening them with their knife and fangs, respectively)