Archive of Our Own

Angsty windchimes rang in the distance, the bends in their rusty poles creating a sound somewhere between a clang and a ding. The neighbors ought to have called the cops on them ages ago; the sound alone was quite the nuisance on a peaceful day, much less during the hurricane season. Fortunately, neighbors were rarely found in the great depths of the Louisiana marshlands, something for which Yoongi and his coven were incredibly grateful.

The sun was low on the horizon, a picturesque flash of warmth and darkness swirling about in a dance quite unlike any other. Yoongi was lookout once again. It was somewhat of a curse being the sole daywalker amongst his people, but in moments of preparation for their monthly feeding it provided much-needed additional precaution.

Yoongi pulled up his hoodie, using the drawstrings to close it in upon his face. It wasn't a particularly stylish option, but as February was bleeding into early March the mosquitos were already abuzz with their relentless reign of terror. At least the back of his neck was free from harm.

"Fucking bloodsuckers." He growled under his breath, quieting his vocals to a frequency only dogs could hear. "And humans call us the leeches? Hmph."

Yoongi released a silent sigh, sleepily gazing at the last remnants of the night's sunset. It was finally time to gather the rest of his coven.

Suran was the first to great him upon his return to their marshland manor. Their greeting was swift, a few sweet pecks rather than their typical intricate dances of tongues and passion. That, mostly likely, would be reserved for their return home from their great night of feasting upon humans drunk with debauchery. New Orleans most certainly held a great charm as a tourist attraction, never forcing the coven to partake in the same meal twice. The frequency of visitors during Mardi Gras season, especially given their general level of intoxication, provided an additional alibi for any potential hunters on their horizon.

"Hey, baby." Suran purred, snaking an arm around Yoongi's waist. "Everything ready for the big night? I've been starving for hours." An exaggerated pout jutted from her bottom lip, bringing forth a raucous laugh from Yoongi. He kissed her nose once. Twice. Thrice before the coven elders cleared their throats to indicate their arrival.

The pair of lovers instantly separated, sheepish grins crossing their blushing cheeks. The elders raised a few eyebrows at the youths' misbehavior, but withheld their commentary. For that, at least, Yoongi was grateful.

The coven quickly dispersed, separating into three factions for their journey ahead. Once the manor was locked and the last of the younglings had stepped into their respective boats, Yoongi took up the rear of his own faction; removing the rope tethering them to their simple wooden dock. With paddles in hand and only ten or so hours until daylight, the coven set out to begin their monthly feast.

Jungkook rolled his eyes at the sight of the ostentatious uptown mansion. Yoongi nearly put him down right then and there. Though Yoongi held similar sentiments, it was hardly polite to insult the taste of the very man that had proved to be most agreeing in assisting their cause. He would have vocalized such a belief had he thought that it would do any good. For some reason, the kid werewolf had a near-constant urge to do the exact opposite of whatever Yoongi encouraged him to do. Yoongi was beginning to wonder if it was some sort of compulsion, or if Jungkook just took great pride in making Yoongi suffer. It was probably the latter.

Yeah.

Definitely the latter.

Yoongi unlatched the gate, a heavy metal meant to mimic the style of the neighbors' wrought-iron ones without actually containing such a pure metal. Yoongi noted the subtle similarities in weight to actual iron, an unfortunate substance that barred any of the fair folk from entering one's abode. Sure, being a vampire Jimin held no need to worry over iron, but Jimin was always a far friendlier being than many gave a vampire credit to be. It had something to do with his preferences for both ancient Confucian wisdom and some avant-garde philosophy he’d picked up during his travels back and forth to Seoul. Not that he particularly minded to any of the multitude of philosophies that he was want to study, but he still held a fascination for them all the same.

Park Jimin was a rather… unorthodox young vampire that had already begun to make quite a name for himself upon his arrival to New Orleans in the mid-nineties. He was far more the textbook vampire than say... Yoongi himself. Biologically, at least. Jimin was descended from a long line of ancient and powerful Busan vampires. Unlike Yoongi’s Daegu coven (and a handful of covens in Seoul), Jimin’s coven had yet to adapt to the ever-changing world. As a result, he was still stuck in the dark ages feasting upon the energy hidden deep within his victim’s blood cells.

Yoongi, however, was quite biologically different. His clan had begun evolving the ability to absorb energy through skinskip and the exchange of tongues, similar to the Incubi and Succubi of Ilsan. Yoongi was always a rather bright kid, however, and found that the best meals were those taken during an excess burst of energy. Sure, naughty things were reliable enough, but Yoongi preferred to take his meals solely from Jungkook’s full-moon transformations. The euphoric energy raising through the wolf’s veins as he finally transformed was enough the stave Yoongi off for several moons. Not to mention the delectable flavor of such a feast.

Not that Yoongi would ever inform Jungkook of such things. No, no. Jungkook merely needed to know that his transformations sated Yoongi enough to last until the next. Anything deeper than that… well… problems followed Yoongi around like he owed them money. No need adding getting caught up with the kid amongst them.

And besides, Jimin was also quite the gossip. No need to get involved when the entire supernatural community would come nipping at his heels for juicy details.

The not-iron gate creaked as Yoongi stepped within the threshold, Jungkook nipping right at his heels. The young werewolf had every right to be unnerved; the full moon was only a day away and was already itching at his instincts. Yoongi’s stomach nearly flipped at the thought.

Yeah.

His stomach.

Of course.

Definitely not his heart.

The pair were greeted at the large french doors by an exquisitely beautiful creature of unknown origins. Yoongi was certain that the creature, Taehyung by name, was of the fair folk. His brilliant shimmering wings indicated at that much. His actual origins, however, were somewhat of a mystery. When prompted, Taehyung preferred to giggle as he pressed a single silencing finger to his lips. Occasionally, when the moon was low and his energy was nearly zapped, Taehyung would answer with a simple glance of overwhelming grief. In that aspect, at least, Yoongi could relate.

“Welcome, welcome!” Taehyung chirped in his whimsical baritone, excitedly ushering in his latest guests. “Chim is just getting up and the sun is just about to set! Right on time!”

As per usual, Jimin arrived once his guests were already properly seated amongst the ornate furniture pieces. Taehyung took on the duty of entertaining to an incredibly serious degree, constantly flitting about attending to the guests’ needs all while telling wild stories of his encounters both magical and non-magical. Amongst his chatter, he made sure to set up an ornate glass bottle full of a rather ominous red liquid in addition to multiple sets of wine glasses. A bottle of an ancient French wine was also set between them.

Jungkook appeared to be impressed, much to Yoongi’s chagrin. Sure… the kid was allowed to be friends with whomever he wanted. To be attracted to whomever he wanted. Jimin, however, was not fond of sharing even the smallest of his treasures. And Taehyung most certainly was considered to be his crown jewel. Yoongi was just looking after the kid’s wellbeing.

Jimin strutted into his lounge covered in an array of undoubtedly expensive pieces of material. Said pieces formed less clothing-shapes and more decorative shawls that pinned together with a simple belt. Even Jimin’s simple belt most likely cost more than all of Yoongi and Jungkook’s possessions combined. Not that that was saying much.

“Yoongi, doll, it’s lovely to see you. We really should keep up.” Jimin waltzed over to Yoongi, pressing a gentle kiss to his cheek before turning to do the same to Taehyung’s lips.

Jungkook glowered from his spot at the edge of the couch. Yoongi shot him a pointed look, daring the kid to be rude to their potential benefactor.

“Ah, that we should.” Yoongi couldn’t help but to grin at the sight of the young vampire. Despite his oddities, they shared a friendship that spanned several decades. Yoongi had a certain… softness for Jimin. A softness that was apparently setting Jungkook on edge.

Yoongi ignored Jungkook’s pointed glares, instead ruffling the hair of his young companion. “Don’t mind Jungkook, hmm? He’s just antsy since tomorrow’s the full moon.”

“Am not!” Jungkook snapped.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, moving to sit next to Jungkook in order to properly flick him on the forehead. “Be polite to our hosts, you brat.”

Jimin chuckled at the sight, snuggling closer into Taehyung’s side. “It’s nice that you’ve finally found another mate, Yoongi. I don’t think I’ve seen you this happy in twenty years.”

Yoongi and Jungkook whipped their heads around at a frightening speed, quickly rattling off denials of Jimin’s remark on their relationship.

Taehyung giggled, pressing a quick kiss to Jimin’s cheek. “They’re just like us in the old days, hmm?”

“There was never a time when you two weren’t disgusting. It’s been what, a hundred years? You’d think you’d grow out of that.” Yoongi countered.

“Grow out of what?” Taehyung cocked his head to the side in confusion. Jimin smirked.

“I think he means this, babe.” Jimin gestured to the lack of space between them, and to Taehyung’s limbs that had decided to join Jimin’s clothes in draping about his torso.

“Ohhhh.” Taehyung giggled once more. “Don’t be jealous, Yoongi. You’ll be as gross as us soon enough.”

Jungkook made a fake gagging sound and a rather ridiculous face to match. “I’d rather hand-tweeze each of my armpit hairs individually, thanks.”

Yoongi gave Jungkook a delicate shove. “Don’t be foul. But yeah… ditto.”

Jimin’s upper lip curled into a smirk as he settled in against his lover. “Sure… Anyhow, what do I owe this pleasure? It’s been a while since I was graced with your presence, Yoongi.”

Yoongi shook his head, a sad smile forming at the side of his cheek. “It’s good to see you too, Jimin.”

He paused, gathering his wording before continuing. “Do you remember… what happened that day? The day my coven was completely wiped out?”

A pinch of sorrow darkened Jimin’s expression. “I do. You were here that day if I remember correctly? Something about some sort of project?”

Yoongi nodded. “Yeah. But while I was gone… th-they…” He took in a deep breath to calm his nerves. “They burned down our manor… with my family in it. Those… those goddamn hunters didn’t even think about who all it was that they were killing. There were elderly… a-and there could’ve been children! Even vampires… even vampires have families…”

Jimin offered Yoongi a sympathetic nod. “Yes. I know. It was an egregious act and an affront to all of vampire kind. Wasn’t the council looking into all that?”

Yoongi shook his head. “They spent too long deliberating. Letting the humans get away with what they’ve done to me… and what they’ve done to Jungkook. We decided to… to take things into our own hands not long after. We’ve been able to bring just about everyone to justice except for one. Their leader, Bang Shihyuk.”

Jimin furrowed his brow, glancing between Taehyung and Yoongi. “So I’ve heard. I have to say… I was hoping this visit would be a bit less grim in nature. It’s one thing being a Secret Keeper… but it’s another to share those secrets in order to have someone executed.”

Jimin nervously worried his fingers against the intricate glass bottle upon his table. “A-positive?” He offered. Yoongi shook his head, denying any want of such a drink.

Jimin worried upon his lip instead, pouring himself a glass before replacing the glass stopper. “You know… generally being Secret Keeper is about keeping those secrets. Not sharing them around. I know it seems like I’m a glorified gossip, but… there’s a bit more to it than that.”

Jimin sipped from his glass, drinking what was most likely a blood wine of exquisite making. He always had quite the taste for fine things, after all.

Yoongi sighed, the weariness of his adventures apparent in his dark circles. “Jimin, please. I’m not asking you as a Secret Keeper. I’m asking you as my friend. You know what this man has taken from me, and from Kook. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important. Why do you think we didn’t ask you when we started this twenty years ago? We know how important it is for you to keep your confidences. But… it’s been twenty years and my coven’s killer still hasn’t been brought to justice. I just… we both just want it to end, Jimin.”

Jimin furrowed his brow, gaze passing between the two of them before sipping yet again on his blood wine.

“I… I’m not sure, Yoongi. The Council of Elders has a system for a reason. Just like how I’m not supposed to spill secrets I’ve been told in confidence, they’re supposed to go through procedures to prosecute those that have wronged us. I’m sure they-”

“The council let him off!” Yoongi snapped, his eyes flashing a brilliant crimson in his moment of anger. “They… they decided the massacre of the rest of his people was punishment enough. That since he’s proven to be “a changed man” that he can just… walk free. But I can’t stand for it! Bang Shihyuk murdered the love of my life in cold blood and is just allowed to live life like normal!”

“Easy!” Jungkook’s eyes flashed amber as he gripped Yoongi’s shoulders, preventing the vampire from doing anything remotely foolish on instinct. That was, after all, Jungkook’s job.

“What good’s it gonna do you to go after Jimin like that, huh? He’s your friend. Fool, he’s your friend.”

Jungkook rubbed up and down Yoongi’s arms in an attempt to calm him. Yoongi slowly collapsed into Jungkook, his furious fists still shaking whilst his body relented and began to close down.

Warmth.

Yoongi felt warmth in the arms of the young werewolf. Such warmth was welcome in his exhausted state. Yoongi remained wrapped up in Jungkook’s embrace, nearly falling asleep as the rhythm of Jungkook’s heartbeat calmed his anxious nerves.

There he remained for several minutes, happily oblivious to the conversation outside. Until, of course, his ears decided it was time yet again to fall back in.

“Where would you go?” Jimin inquired. “What would you do if you did succeed? You two have been searching the world without peace for almost twenty years, so what will you do after that?”

Jungkook paused, taking a moment to rest his forehead against the crown of Yoongi’s head. It was a protective gesture, and Yoongi couldn’t say that he absolutely loathed the idea of it.

“I don’t know. I suppose we would go back to Jin’s for a while to figure out what we wanted to do. You know how he’s always welcoming in strays, well he could probably set us on the right path.”

Yoongi hummed, satisfied with Jungkook’s answer.

“What about living in a pack?” Taehyung chimed in for the first time in quite a while. “Werewolves have much lower life expectancies outside of them, you know. And I’m sure you could find one willing to take you in. You’ve got a lot to offer them, you know?”

Yoongi frowned. In all honesty, he hadn’t considered the possibility of he and Jungkook separating. Sure… the brat was a pain in his side at the best of times… but he’d never thought that Jungkook would actually want to leave his side. The very thought made Yoongi’s skin crawl. He refused to allow his… companion to abandon him to infinite loneliness. It was just too cruel.

“I… I’m sure they would…” Jungkook trailed off. “But I haven’t to think about what’s best for Yoongi too. He doesn’t… he doesn’t have a coven to go back to, and you know how stuffy old covens can be. I can’t just abandon him.”

Yoongi smiled softly, but it was short-lived.

“I would at least make sure he was set up first. If we could find him a coven willing to take him in, one that he could get along with, well… maybe then I’d go join a new pack.”

Yoongi scowled, further burrowing his face into Jungkook’s ever-broadening chest.

“I see.” Taehyung chirped on the tail of a magnificent giggle.

Jimin released a lengthy sigh. “I suppose you’re right, love.”

Taehyung giggled once more. “Of course I’m right. I always am.”

Yoongi nearly gagged at the mental image of whatever disgusting embrace they must be engaging in. He was once again thankful to be blocked from all views but the expanse of Jungkook’s chest. Small mercies, he supposed.

“Bang Shihyuk… he’s in Busan. Not too far from where my old coven used to reside, actually.” Jimin hummed, pausing only to take another sip of his blood wine.

“I do have to warn you, however. Bang’s become a real stickler for the rules since he went on trial. He’s gone civilian. Completely given up the hunter life. So… if you really want to go after him… know that you’re going after an innocent civilian now.”

Yoongi ripped himself from Jungkook’s embrace. He took a moment to reorient himself before shooting a glare at Jimin. “That man murdered my family. He’s no fucking civilian.”

A trio of pirogues carried the ensemble across the depths of the marshlands towards the gravel of the main road. The paddling was reserved for the youngest, and assumedly strongest, of the coven; though Yoongi would greatly insist that the elders were just as if not stronger than he was in his mere hundred or so years of life. Fortunately for Yoongi’s exhausted arms, the journey to the edge of the watery marsh was somewhat brief.

The coven dismounted and tied their pirogues before the last of the deep blue caressing the full moon turned to black. This particular dock in question once belonged to a handful of cajun fishermen, but either the family had died off prior to the vampires’ arrival or the fishermen had long since abandoned it for a better spot along the bayous. Yoongi hummed as the cries of crickets bounced off of the pathway surrounding them. The frogs croaked in response, creating a certain rhythm amongst the marshland life.

The crunch of their galoshes upon gravel was even more brief than their journey upon the pirogues, the coven quickly stepping into three conveniently-parked station wagons. They quickly purred to life, all due to Yoongi’s consistent upkeep throughout the years. Just another of the many ‘daywalker duties’ that Yoongi was assigned to.

The vampires loaded in one-by-one, eventually leaving Suran trailing behind on her end and Yoongi on his. They snuck in a few chaste kisses, Yoongi preferring to pepper his lover in kisses rather than devour her whole. He could do that later, surely, when the coven was once again sated. Unfortunately, Yoongi's bliss was short-lived as the honking of three station wagons full of hungry vampires pulled the pair from their reverie.

Yoongi's cheek cracked a smile nonetheless. "Come back soon, love. I've been working on a surprise for you."

"I'll be as swift as the wind, don't you worry." A delicate blush laced Suran's cheeks, a detail most humans wouldn't have been able to notice.

Vampires were the sort of creatures to contain blood after all, even if the amounts of said blood were monumentally less than in humans. Reactions involving blood also appeared in exactly the same manner, though in some cases in far smaller or subtler doses. It was said delicate unseen blush that caused humans to mistake vampires for creature that were, in fact, bloodless and undead.

Actual undead were, well... Yoongi hoped that he'd never have to encounter one.

"We'll be back for you in a few hours, love. Be good for once, okay? For me, at least? For us?" Suran gently moved some fringe dangling in Yoongi's face, kissing him once more. "See you in the morning, love."

The full moon came and went once more as they traversed across Louisiana, the woods providing ample cover for a roaming wolf on the hunt. It was several days on foot to the swamps from Jimin’s estate, and the full moon did little to help such a lengthy venture. Fortunately, the pair came across an old cabin in the forest. Once the full moon fell and Jungkook was once again in human form, Yoongi happily prepared their trusty battery-powered inflatable mattress. One would sleep comfortably where one could get it after all.

A gentle stirring of said inflatable mattress awakened Yoongi from his fitful slumber. He grumbled, not bothering to hide his irritation from Jungkook. Just because Yoongi could walk in the daylight didn’t mean that he craved it. If it were up to Yoongi, their travels would consist of entirely of nighttime excursions.

Jungkook groaned beside him, rolling just enough to enter Yoongi’s personal space and therefore rudely sending off the previously slumbering vampire.

Brat.

A cute brat, but still a brat nonetheless.

A cute brat that was invading Yoongi’s personal space as if it his personal mission.

Yoongi rose from bed with additional annoyance for the day’s activities before they’d even begun. Not that he was without annoyance by default, because tracking down hunters alongside a werewolf definitely brought about a grumpy streak within him, but lack of sleep only fueled the fires of his irritable temperament.

A lengthy sigh escaped the confines of Yoongi’s lungs. There was little Yoongi could do about going back to bed. His insomnia was just as stubborn as he was, creating night after night of ceaseless misery. Being a daywalking creature of the night, he supposed that he didn’t actually have to sleep; but sleep was still a rather beloved pastime. He would burn through his absorbed energy faster without sleep anyhow.

Jungkook released an ear-splitting snore. Yoongi gritted his jaw. If he had to be awake at ass-o'clock in the morning, then so did the wall of muscle mass.

Yoongi slipped over to where the headboard would be if they’d actually owned one and gently uncapped the air mattress’ attachment. A low whine emanated from the bed as it screeched out air with each and every minor movement Jungkook made.

Yoongi snickered, slipping out from behind the bed and instead searching for some clean clothes. His travel bag remained open just as he’d left it the night prior, allowing for Yoongi to silently peek inside.

Unfortunately, only a few clean shirts remained rolled up on the left side of his bag, delicately barricaded via water bottle from the filth of the rest. Yoongi pilfered through the lot, bemoaning the loss of his filthy black tees in varying shades of fade. He supposed the red tee would have to do, but he held no fondness for it. The tee was Jungkook’s after all, or would have been if the kid had been small enough to fit into it after washing.

Damn him.

Jungkook stirred in his sleep, releasing a few squeaks of air from the mattress. The sound most likely bounced around in his ear, hitting at just annoying enough of pitch to wake him. He grumbled not unlike his vampire companion had just a few minutes prior.

“What the fuck, Yoongi?” He snarled. “You can pop it like that!”

Yoongi snickered, nonchalantly slipping into a fresh pair of jeans. “Next time don’t kick me off the bed.”

“I was asleep! I can’t help it if my subconscious thinks you’re an enemy!”

Yoongi’s snickers grew into full-blown guffaws as he continued to dress, eclipsing his bare feet in a pair of cotton socks and sneakers. Jungkook shot him an obscene gesture before getting up to dress as well.

A comfortable silence fell between the exhausted duo, neither bothering to talk over the squeaks and grumbles of the old house they’d taken cover in for the night. Sure, squatting without permission was technically illegal, but Yoongi found little issue in using a cabin that was unoccupied for the evening. It was a necessary evil as they surely couldn’t afford to stay in hotels night after night on the road. Not that there was much of that to be found in the woods anyhow.

Despite being the sole heir of an ancient vampire coven, Yoongi’s funds weren’t limitless. Moving countries multiple times throughout the years put quite a dent into their savings. With Yoongi as their sole daywalker, they’d had little means to add to their withering safe box anyhow.

Jungkook groaned into the completely deflated air mattress as he rolled it back to a portable size, his eyes protesting use before the dawn was high. Yoongi held no sympathy for his young companion, instead watching over his misery with an amused smirk crossing his cheek.

“We should reach the swamps by midday today. Then we can set out tomorrow through Jin’s swamp routes and take a magic shortcut to South Korea. After that it’s just a matter of train rides and walking until we get to him. I just hope Jin is feeling nice and will let us in without a freakishly long wait. I don’t think I can spend a whole week on a raft with your hairy ass.”

Jungkook snorted. “Jin looooooves me.” He taunted in an obnoxious sing-song voice that was typically used by children. “He would never make me suffer with you griping in the swamps for fuck knows how long.” Jungkook paused. “And anyway, how would you even know if it’s hairy unless you like staring at it?”

Jungkook shot Yoongi a smug look and a pair of wiggling eyebrows. Yoongi rolled his eyes. The vampire could strangle the wolfy brat. One of these days he would. He swore by the daywalker blood in his veins that he would. Just… maybe when the brat was a little less useful. And maybe when he wasn’t such a convenient and portable source of food. Yeah. Once he was done being those things then Yoongi would definitely strangle him.

Sure… maybe he had been looking. A little. Just a teensy peek. But he’d never admit that to Jungkook. He would rather drown.

“You sleep with a horny brat once-”

Or twice. Or a few times. Depending on loose definitions across the years. Not that Yoongi was keeping score or even paying the matter any attention whatsoever. Twenty years of tracking down hunters together had an exhausting effect on the pair. And sure, Yoongi could easily feed off of the excess energy that Jungkook released every month during his change underneath the full moon, but sometimes it’s nice to just… snack in between.

“Twice. Not that I was counting. Plus all those times that we-”

“Whatever! Doesn’t give you the right to get cocky with me you little shit. I am an ancient creature of the night!” Yoongi fumed, but it lacked the bite typical of his usual spiteful remarks.

“You’re a whiny energy vamp and you’re only ten years older than me! That’s like… nothing! Don’t act so entitled!” Jungkook's comeback also lacked its typical fire, most likely due to the exhaustion that the pair shared.

Even with sleep tugging at their eyes, Yoongi and Jungkook still managed to hold a frightful gaze. The pair of supernaturals locked into a stare-down, neither willing to fold. After several minutes, Jungkook grew bored of their animosity. A wicked grin crossed his cheek as he stepped forward to flick Yoongi's forehead.

Yoongi groaned, rubbing his aching forehead and shooting Jungkook a few indecent gestures in response. “Whatever. Shut your face. It’s too early for wolf brats today.”

Jungkook shot Yoongi an obnoxious face before jumping to his feet. He tossed his overfull rucksack over his shoulder and stuffed a granola bar into his face to most likely fuel later arguments.

Yoongi rolled his eyes once more for good measure (he had to ensure that they were in good condition after all), and grabbed his own travel bag.

The day after a feed was perhaps one of the most lonely times of the daywalker’s month. He was to be on watch duty yet again as the rest of the coven snoozed away in overstuffed bliss. There was typically little else for Yoongi to do besides accidentally slip into sleep himself, so he arranged for the day after a feeding to be filled with a handful of errands. Errands that, if run with an extremely giving amount of time, managed to fill up exactly half of his watch shift. The other half he would allow himself to live through honestly. Though it was difficult to live as the sole daywalker, he wasn’t completely prone to dishonoring his elders by shirking his responsibilities and completely disobeying them.

Yoongi took to his pirogue, paddling as swiftly as possible. He only had a few hours to get to the hardware store, pick up his supplies, have Jimin and Taehyung assist in his creations, and get said creations back inside before the elders were to wake.

Yoongi grinned. He had his work cut out for him.

The journey to Jin’s hut was always an eventful one. The swamp Druid lived within some swamp somewhere on Earth, but Yoongi couldn’t tell you which as the Druid would often relocate his dwelling to expand both his horizons and his research.

Jin was… an indescribable being of immense natural power. He claimed to draw such power from ‘the soul of the swamp’, in exchange for providing protective services to the ecosystems he presided over. It was uncertain whether it was a charm of Jin’s own making or the swamp’s, but something always managed to seek out those that were in need of Jin’s abilities.

In order to find Jin, Yoongi simply had to enter a swamp or estuary, any swamp or estuary, and exude enough need that Jin’s powers would find him and draw them near. At that point, no matter where in the world Jin was at the time, his powers would maneuver whatever boat or raft his “client” was on up river and to his own abode. How his little hut managed to stay connected to every physically disconnected swamp was far beyond Yoongi’s areas of expertise, but he was grateful anyhow.

They arrived at Jin’s hut just after sundown, their borrowed pirogue looking a bit worse for wear. It hadn’t been in the best condition when they borrowed it to be fair, but the clawing of an anxious and stir-crazy werewolf did little to help.

The hut was a simple thing from the outside, a building of modest design built upon stilts and sitting just above the swamp’s surface. The straw roof’s design led Yoongi to believe that Jin’s hut was not, in fact, actually located in the west at all. But the vampire never had proof of such hypotheses, and he never cared quite enough to bother asking.

A small walkway of wooden planks separated the hut from the docks before them. In years past, Yoongi quite often had spent many a night upon the docks; freely smoking Jin’s pipe and contemplating the purpose of a daywalker such as he. Jin’s introspective chats were nearly as fun as the man himself, when he wasn’t being insufferable of course. The man had a certain… knack for knowing just how to get on each and every one of Yoongi’s nerves. Friendship, Jin called it. Torture of a lifelong acquaintance, Yoongi would argue.

Visually, Jin was a stunning man of indefinite youth that preferred to don varying forms of traditional korean clothing rather than anything remotely western. Yoongi appreciated his homage to their mutual past; he would be hard-pressed, after all, to see such simple cotton and hemp Hanbok worn so regularly anywhere else in the Deep South of the United States.

Not that Jin was even guaranteed to be in the United States at all…

But still.

It was nice.

Jin welcomed the pair the his home with open arms and a shit-eating grin, cooing over Jungkook as he leapt out of the pirogue before it even docked. He granted Jin a quick hug and allowed for a gentle ruffling of his hair before he slipped inside the hut, most likely in search of food.

“Yoongi! So nice to see you! Wasn’t expecting you to come by.” A great smirk crossed Jin’s all-too-striking cheeks.

Yoongi rolled his eyes. “Sure. Sure. Because the swamp is always keeping secrets from you.”

Jin chuckled. “Magic works in mysterious ways, Yoongi.”

Jin pressed a finger to his lips as he smirk deepened. “So, how can I help you today, old friend? Relocation assistance? A love potion perhaps? Even with-”

Yoongi shot Jin an intense glare. “The fuck would I want a love potion for? He’s just a brat.”

“I didn’t mention a name. But think what you want. Some things are destined to come to pass, after all.”

The amusement in Jin’s cheek only caused further irritation to bubble in Yoongi’s gaze. He paused, taking a moment to take in a deep breath and release some of the tension in his shoulders and to unclench his jaw.

“Sorry… I’ve been cooped up with that brat all day in that damn pirogue and I just… need some rest. Away from him.”

“If you say so~” Jin wiggled his fingers at Yoongi before turning and leading him into the hut. Yoongi’s infamous scowl was only met with particularly raucous laughter.

When Yoongi stepped inside the hut, he was greeted with the permeating stench of nine (or ten if one counted Jungkook) sweaty werewolves and the raucous cheering of said creatures. Ah. It appeared that Jin had taken in yet another few strays. Despite Jin insisting to the contrary, Yoongi believed that the druid rather enjoyed having the extra company… even with the added noise and distraction.

He and Jungkook had once been similar strays, after all; only finding each other amongst Jin’s varying potted plants and magical artifacts. Yoongi allowed his eyes to stray from the group of chattering wolves over to where Jungkook sat amongst them. Jungkook seemed… oddly happy. Content. Comfortable. Nervous, but comfortable. Everything he couldn’t and wouldn’t be with Yoongi.

And Yoongi was fine with that.

Really.

The uncomfortable conversation they’d shared with Jimin and Taehyung took root in the front of Yoongi’s mind once more.

“I would at least make sure he was set up first.” Jungkook had mentioned. “If we could find him a coven willing to take him in, one that he could get along with, well… maybe then I’d go join a new pack.”

A new pack seemed to be allowing Jungkook in before they’d even finished exacting their revenge. How cruel of them, really.

Jin appeared at Yoongi’s side once more, whispering yet more nonsense into his ear.

“They’re all strays, that pack. Each of them used to belong to packs that have been broken up or destroyed. The skinny one over there, that’s Hyungwon. He and Hoseok are from a smaller pack in Gwangju. Hoseok’s the one over by Jungkook with the red hair.”

At that moment, an enormous raucous laugh burst forth from so-called Hoseok, encouraging the others around him to break into laughter as well.

Yoongi gritted his jaw. It probably wasn’t even that funny anyways.

“The one next to him is Namjoon. He was a loner for a long time, nearly got himself killed, but he finally found his place in the world… right at Hoseok’s side.”

Yoongi’s glare softened as he moved from Hoseok to Namjoon, the latter appearing enraptured by Hoseok’s each and every word with a rather moonstruck expression forming in his eyes.

“I don’t see what this has to do with anything.” Yoongi grumbled, keeping a wary distance from the nine (well, ten if one included Jungkook) quite sizeable werewolves.

Jin rested a comforting hand upon Yoongi’s shoulder. “Fate is a funny thing, Yoongi. I find the swamps tend to lead us right to the very things we need most.”

Yoongi gritted his teeth as he eyed Jungkook once again. The kid wolf was nervous as he typically was with newcomers, but excitedly followed the conversation with stars in his eyes.

“So… you’re saying we didn’t come here for the same thing?”

“I am saying that you might want to take a look at what it is that you want.” Jin advised. “Or else you may find too late that you’ve missed out.”

Tears most certainly did not prick at Yoongi’s eyes. He worried upon his lip, slipping out of the hut and onto the walkway he so favored. He glared at the lightning bugs that passed him by, daring them to attempt to pick up his dreary mood.

So what if Jungkook chose others over him? It wasn’t like they were anything. Or like they were going to be. They were just… traveling companions. Revenge partners. Something like that. They were never meant to spend so much time by each other’s sides.

Yoongi sighed, allowing a few traitorous tears to slip through.

It wasn’t as if he hated the kid. He didn’t. At all. Jungkook was a wonderful kid that deserved the life in front of him. Deserved the pack that seemed to welcome him with open arms. Deserved someone better than Yoongi for a mate. Yoongi with his bottled up issues and stubbornness and pride. Yoongi with a past he couldn’t let go of and an empty future.

Yoongi released yet another heavy sigh.

Jimin had wondered about their very futures. About what lay ahead after they finished their run of vengeance together. He dared to ask the questions Yoongi hadn’t in nearly twenty years of working together.

Yoongi sighed, sinking further into his own mind.

It was only a few more moments of silence before Jungkook snuck in beside him.

“Nice night, huh?” Jungkook grinned in a brilliance that shone far brighter than any lightning bugs’. It faded just as quickly.

“You okay? We missed you in there…”

“Uh-huh.” Yoongi murmured. “Just… it’s a lot of noise is all.”

The silence between them was drowned out by the back-and-forths of various swamp creatures. Crickets, frogs, and something that might have been cicadas; all ebbing and flowing in an eternal call-and-return.

Jungkook moved in closer, closing the remaining space in between them. He rested his head upon Yoongi’s shoulder, despite the muggy heat still dissipating from the morning sun.

Yoongi hummed lowly, resting his hand atop Jungkook’s and subtly intertwining their fingers. The pair rested against each other in the dissipating heat, eyes wandering across the murky swamps and inquiring about moving shadows that appeared to hold no true corporeal form.

At long last, Yoongi spoke. “Are you happy, Jungkook? Are you really?”

Jungkook paused, mulling the question over. “I think so. I mean… there’s things I want in life, sure. But… I think I’m pretty happy. You know… overall and whatnot.” He turned to face his vampiric companion. “What about you?”

“I… I don’t know, Kook. I don’t think I’ve really been happy in a long time.” Yoongi turned from Jungkook, avoiding viewing the loss of light in the boy’s shining eyes.

Silence once again fell between them, the “probably cicadas” picking up their lull in conversation.

“You know…” Jungkook began, hesitantly reaching a hand up to stroke Yoongi’s hair. Yoongi relented and leaned into the touch as he continued.

“That pack… they’ve really got a cool thing going. They’re, well, they’re a lot like us. Just a bunch of strays trying to rebuild after losing their families. And I think… well… maybe a place like that could be good for us. We could still be a part of something… but… maybe if we don’t want to say goodbye we could… I dunno…”

Jungkook shot Yoongi a sheepish expression. “I just… think it could be cool.”

Yoongi released a lengthy sigh. “I… I dunno, Kook. We have stuff to do, revenge to be had. I dunno if I can just… do all that family stuff again. Not… not after last time…”

Jungkook leaned over to press a gentle kiss on Yoongi’s cheek. Yoongi furrowed his brow, but didn’t pull away from the gesture. Jungkook pressed a second kiss against Yoongi’s forehead before continuing to run his fingers through Yoongi’s hair.

“We don’t have to go now. It can wait. I told you I’d be here for you until the end, and that’s what I’m gonna do. So… we go to Busan. We do what we have to do. But… think about it. Maybe after it’s all over with… a pack wouldn’t be so bad. I mean… not if it’s with them.”

Yoongi sat amongst the piles of wood and screws, happily assembling each small piece of furniture one by one. He took his time to carefully work with each and every piece, not allowing so much as a single scratch to taint them. The sun was already high overhead, but fortunately Jimin’s mansion provided both air-conditioning and sun-proofing.

The eclectic vampire slipped upstairs to join Yoongi every once in a while, sharing stories of various clients and providing quality entertainment as Yoongi worked. He never bothered to pick up a hammer or nail himself, but he was never asked to either.

No.

This was Yoongi’s job. He would complete it by himself and himself alone. It was the least he could do for his family waiting at home.

Yoongi wiped the sweat from his brow, eagerly sipping at the glass of water Jimin had brought him. “Just a few more hours until the bedroom suite is finished. It’s going to look so good, Jimin. Suran is going to love it!”

Jimin cracked a grin, his fangs brushing ever-so-subtly against his bottom lip as they were want to do. “I am sure that she will. And the little one will too.”

The trek to Busan was trickier than anticipated, but the vampire/werewolf duo managed as always. There was an odd sort of hesitance at Yoongi’s side as the pair neared Jungkook’s hometown, almost as if he no longer wished to seek vengeance there.

Despite Yoongi’s seemingly out-of-character attempts at humor to lift Jungkook’s mood (he had a soft spot for the kid, sue him), Jungkook grew more and more withdrawn as they grew closer and closer to their target.

Jungkook fell to complete silence as they entered Bang’s neighborhood, emitting no sound but the subtle brush of footsteps upon the pavement. Yoongi’s gaze followed the boy, silent apologies riddled within.

Perhaps… perhaps Busan had been a bad idea. Perhaps being so close to the place he lost his family had been a little too close for comfort. Perhaps… perhaps Yoongi should have left Jungkook behind, allowed him to join his pack and achieve true happiness. The kind of happiness he was sapped of at Yoongi’s side.

Perhaps… perhaps even seeking such revenge was a mistake. It was too late to reconsider, however, as two pairs of feet stopped upon an unusually domestic welcome mat.

Yoongi knocked upon Bang’s front door once. Twice. Thrice. There was no going back now. He held his breath, allowing anticipation and vengeance to flood his veins in preparation for his final act of violence. Yoongi’s heart thundered, pounding against his ribcage in a liveliness he hadn’t experienced in twenty years.

Jungkook paused behind him, muscles tensing in what Yoongi assumed to be hesitance. Yoongi froze. Could he? Should he? Was he making the right decision?

“We… we don’t have to do this, you know.” Jungkook finally spoke. “We got the rest. Besides, we know the guy’s gone clean. He’s living a normal life now… can you really just go in and shoot a civilian?”

Yoongi gritted his jaw, mulling over the consequences of such an action. He could save the man, the brutal killer that deserved no mercy, in order to turn around and save Jungkook. But could he? Could Yoongi really abandoned nearly twenty years of vengeance in his blood? Even… even for Jungkook?

“He’s no fucking civilian.” Yoongi whispered, his heart picking up speed at the subtle sounds of footsteps indoors.

The time was near and the trap was set. There was no backing out anymore.

“He’s the motherfucker that killed your pack. The man that slaughtered my family! Isn’t that enough reason? We’ve been hunting this fucker down for years, Kook! We can’t give up now just bec-”

The pair of supernaturals froze as footsteps stopped just outside their mutual boundary. A pair of locks sounded, clicking off and releasing the door to reveal none other than Bang Shihyuk himself.

Yoongi’s fingers itched for his gun, but instead he pushed forth a brilliant smile across his cheek. He really should be applauded for such Herculean efforts. Despite his bloodlust, despite his need for revenge, Yoongi hadn’t bothered to consider the possibility that a small child could be gripping onto the pants leg of the very man he’d planned on gunning down.

The little girl cocked her head to the side, gazing up at the two strange men in her doorway. “Daddy, who’s that?”

Yoongi felt paralyzed, unable to move or speak as his brain rattled off unhelpful memories.

Suran placed Yoongi’s hands against her abdomen, a great grin stretching across her cheeks. “We’re having a baby, Yoongi! We finally did it. I know we weren’t sure if we could because daywalkers have a higher rate of infertility, but! But here we are! We made this baby, love. You and me. And you are going to be the best dad in the world. I know it!”

Bang looked down at his young child and back up at the two men that didn’t bother to even attempt to hide their supernatural identities.

Yoongi’s eyes flashed a brilliant crimson, body pulled taut and prepared for the attack. Should he choose, this fight could be over in an instant. A human man, a civilian at that, couldn’t keep up with the speed and strength of a vampire that spent the last twenty years training and hunting.

Retirement had made Bang grow soft, that much was clear. His gut carried a bit of weight, his hair had grayed to a peppery tone, and his face held the exhaustion of many years of fatherhood.

Yoongi gritted his jaw, his memories conflicting the sight before him.

Yoongi set to row his pirogue down to their marshland manor. The sun was still high, he had several hours to finish bringing all of the furniture indoors. The first piece Yoongi decided to bring was the crib. It was a pretty wooden thing, brought together with Yoongi’s love and determination that very morning.

Yoongi hummed, excitedly paddling towards his destination. Just a little further. Just a little further and-

The overwhelming heat crackled throughout the swamp at temperatures far greater than even the March sun could bring.

Yoongi’s heart pounded in his chest.

He paddled faster. Faster and faster until his eyes caught sight of the great plumes of smoke billowing through the trees.

No. It couldn’t be.

The coven was always safe. Sure, he was to keep watch during the day just in case, but nothing ever happened…

Bang’s little girl blinked up at Yoongi, her wide eyes peering at his in curiosity. “He’s gots red eyes, Daddy!”

The marshland manor crumbled in front of Yoongi’s very eyes, each and every wing engulfing in flame. This was no natural fire. No. It caught on far too quickly and far too randomly. This was arson.

Someone intended to harm Yoongi’s coven.

“Can I gets red eyes too?”

“Ah… no, pumpkin. Some people are born with brown eyes, like you and your mommy. This man was born with red eyes. Isn’t that right, sir?”

Billowing smoke fell to ash as the magnificent fire burned down to crisp embers. As the hours dragged on from day into night, Yoongi lost the last of his hope for his coven. Trapped inside, they could either burn in the sunlight or attempt to hide from the horrendous flame. Either way, both his home and family were nothing more than ash.

“I… right.” Yoongi nearly choked on the words as he gazed down upon the little girl in mild horror.

The little girl beamed from behind her father’s leg, pleased to have found an answer to yet another of life’s mysteries.

Yoongi returned his gaze to Jungkook, eyes pleading for some sort of direction. Something. Anything. Anything that could reignite the dwindling flames of Yoongi’s vengeance.

But alas, Jungkook held no answer either.

Memories bounced about in Yoongi’s mind as he stood frozen, pondering the potential consequences to his actions. Could he really and truly traumatize an innocent child just to make her father pay for his own sins? He truly had lost his edge; no hunter worth their salt would have opened their door to two strangers.

And yet… here he was. Bang Shihyuk. Civilian. Father of at least one innocent child.

Yoongi gritted his jaw and gave Bang a slight nod of the head. “Sorry… we must have the wrong house. Come on, Jungkook.”

Jungkook gaped at Yoongi, swapping his view back and forth between the vampire and ex-hunter.

Yoongi rolled his eyes, turning on his heel and strutting off towards the setting sun. Jungkook exchanged a few final glances with the hunter before chasing after him.

“Come on, Jungkook!” Yoongi called out beyond his shaky demeanor. “The swamps aren’t going to find themselves!”