Chapter Text
The clouds covered the moon, the darkness of the night hiding everything from unwanted eyes. However, in the greenhouse, a gentle light felt on the plants from the electrical lamps suspended on from the ceiling.
Namjoon was crouching near one of his plants, examining the leaves from up close, checking for any weird spots of colors. The leaves seemed to be perfectly healthy. Namjoon smiled to himself, glad that nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Nothing was certain with plants and constant monitoring was key to preserve healthy plants. Next, he examined his new patch of azaleas he planted a few weeks before. Finally, some sprouts has showed themselves in the flower pot. Satisfied with the result, Namjoon decided to end his gardenin session, stretching his arms and his neck as he stood up.
He had been in the greenhouse for a good hour or two already. it was time for him to wrap up and go back to his mansion. He took off his gloves to bring them back to the tool box when he noticed a light from the second floor of his manor. Had he forgotten to put it off? He was pretty sure it wasn't lit up earlier. Did a human get lost and stumble upon his castle? No one ever wandered in this area surrounded by the forest but humans' loved to advance in unconquered areas, it could be a possibility.
He left the greenhouse and went back in a faster pace than usual. Inside, he discovered that the whole manor was lit up. He didn't realise it at first from the greenhouse but now that he was back inside, it was obvious that he wasn't alone. Forgetting to turn off the light from one room? Maybe. Leaving with half of the light on? Possible but unlikely. He was aware that he was a bit clumsy but not to this point. He took a few seconds to steady his breath before looking around for the trespasser.
Strangely, nothing seemed to be disturbed in any rooms of the house. Actually, he even had the impression that some rooms seemed to be a bit cleaner. The random objects he had left on the floor over the years were now put on chairs or tables in an unevenly manner. He had decided to construct a big manor, inspired by the manors he saw during his stay in France in the 18th century. The aesthetic was perfect but living in a big manor had more downsides than he had expected, like not finding an uninvited guest even after inspecting 10 rooms.
He opened cautiously another door of a room which purpose was unknown even to him and stumbled upon the back of a tall figure with big shoulders wrapped in a pastel pink coat. He had tried to stay as silent as possible during his whole search but the door did not seem to want to cooperate, creaking as it opened. It was enough for the figure to turn around before Namjoon could decide what to do with this stranger.
All the words he had in his mind and whatever he was planning to do got lost as he met one of the most refined faces he had ever seen in his long life. An oval face with gently glowing skin decorated with almond shaped eyes, a slender nose and pouty rosy lips perfectly placed. That person was the very definition of asian beauty. But what was the most striking for Namjoon was his expression or more the lack of it. It looked too perfect, one which held no malice while being unreadable as if he was wearing a mask.
The stranger's eyes met his own, and after taking a look at Namjoon for a few seconds, he bowed seemingly undisturbed by the fact that he was trespassing. By reflex, Namjoon bowed too. He was completely taken aback by the politeness of the intruder because that what this person was, an intruder. He pulled himself together, forcing himself to stop being mesmerised.
"Who are you?" He asked in a menacing tone.
"Nice to meet you." the man bowed, "I am Kim Seokjin. And you?", he answered calmly, a smile finally showing up on his perfect face.
"I... I am Kim Namjoon." Why was he responding to that stranger? Maybe he had lost all common sense by having not talked with a real person for years? The attitude of the man standing in front of him was making him lose all his guard. He was taken aback at how unfazed the man was. Namjoon was the owner of this house but he almost felt as if he was the intruder.
"Kim! Just like me! We are both Kim! Do you think we might be some sort of far away cousins?" Seokjin answered enthusiastically, his face now harbouring a full smile.
"You do know that Kim is one of the most common surname in South Korea, right? And how am I supposed to know that when I have no idea who you are. " Namjoon answered more assertively this time.
He entered inside the room, closing in a second the gap between the two of them. His hand landed on Jin's throat, merely touching the other's skin but ready to tighten the grasp at any moment. He should have done it from the very start. How could he let this unknown man do as he pleased in his own house. He could not let him shake him anymore, this house was his territory. The man was way too suspicious and Namjoon could no grasp his intention at all. Why was he here? Was this man one of those vampire hunters? But those were not active anymore for quite some time now. Was he one of his kind? But that wouldn't a good enoughreason for him to just trust him like that.
"What are you doing in my house?" Namjoon put the stress on the possessive adjective, glaring straight into Jin's eyes.
"You are no fun, Namjoon." Jin's reaction to be almost choked was his eyes widening slightly and dropping the book he had in his hand. His voice was calm, even a bit playful. "Relax a bit, live with the flow."
"I still don't know why you are here, in my house, without my permission." Namjoon didn't let go.
"Sorry for getting inside without your permission." Jin answered, lifting his hand to show that he has no intention to cause any harm. "I did knock. Several times actually. I even shouted. But no one answered. And the door was not locked. So, you know... I just got in?"
Namjoon looked at him, still sceptical.
"Hum... I know I am not really in the position to say this but you should lock your door. The world is a dangerous place. Us, vampires might be way stronger than humans but we are not immortal either."
So this trespasser was indeed a vampire, or someone who was pretending to be one, but his instinct was telling him the man was not lying. It was almost impossible to access this place for a human. There were only forests and cliffs with no road around here but he could never be sure due to the advancement of human technologies.
The man who called himself Seokjin was talking so casually to him and even though he should feel irritated by it, he was unfortunately amused by his manner more than anything. His lack of social interaction was maybe making him less weary and just way too accepting of this potentially very dangerous situation.
"Mr.Kim. Please answer my question." Namjoon asked, trying to keep his cold attitude.
"Please don't call me Mr. Kim. It feels a bit weird when both of us are Kim. Seokjin is fine. Or hyung if you prefer!"
Namjoon blankly stared at him, trying to make him understand that his antics were useless. Seokjin blinked a few times. His shoulders dropped slightly. His gaze lowered for a few seconds but reverted back quickly.
"Could you perhaps... let me stay at your place for a bit?" Seokjin asked.
"... What?"
"I was saying, it would be very nice of you, if you could... let me stay here?" Seokjin slightly tilted his face, his lips forming a small pout. "Please?"
Namjoon could totally see people falling for this, but he would not.
"Why would I do that?" Namjoon asked.
"Because you'll be able to observe every night the most handsome face in the world!" An enormous smile appeared on his face, his eyes sparking with mischievousness.
Flabbergasted was the best term to describe the whole interaction. This man was just so unpredictable and Namjoon didn't get the time to try to stop the laugh that escaped his mouth. He was so shameless but it was so something so refreshing in his solitary life. Jin's expression softens hearing Namjoon's loud laugh.
"You are so shameless."
"But am I wrong though?"
Seokjin's was by far one of the most handsome man he had ever seen. And he had seen a lot of faces during those last centuries. But he was not going to give him the satisfaction of hear him say this. However, laughing made him relax a lot more. Why would someone come with ill intentions to his place? Yes, he might have lots of people he was not on good terms with but why would anybody send someone here whe he was living in a semi-isolated manner for more than a century? Or was it to steal something? He couldn't recall having something worth stealing here. Maybe he shouldn't be so aggressive. A little voice in his head told him he shouldn't be so easy but he almost felt ridiculous with his throat on his milky skin.
"I have nowhere to stay. And with the sun rising soon, I really hoped I could stay here. I assure you I won't be a nuisance." Seokjin added, more sincerely.
Slowly Namjoon took off his hand for Jin's throat, looking just a tiny bit apologetic.
"Okay, you can stay." Seokjin immediately lit up, delighted.
"But! But if you do one suspicious thing..."
"Yes, of course." His smile didn't fade, only widening more.
Namjoon scoffed, trying to hide his own enthusiasm. Interracting with someone made him in a good spirit and he had decided that he would take the risk of letting this complete stranger in his own home.
*
Namjoon was sitting on the wood floor of one of the rare rooms with a traditional korean design. Even though the manor was made in an European style, he still wanted to keep some elements which made him remember his origins. A connoisseur might have bleed his eyes due to the inconsistencency of the house but no one came here anyway.
Several cushions were laid around him, two of them being fully occupied by his legs. An electric light put on the low table illuminated the stack of papers scattered all over the table. Namjoon was concentrated on one of those papers, his brush moving on the paper at a steady speed. He was writing letters. The man might have been living in a solitary manner for years and years but it didn't mean he had completely isolated himself from others. He devoted a lot of his time reading letters from his penpals from across the world and responding to them. He had stayed in the room responding to letters for quite some time when he heard a voice calling him.
"Namjoon?"
Namjoon looked up and saw the face of the stranger who was starting to not feel like such a stranger anymore, peeking from the half opened door.
"Yes?"
"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I am going down to town, to eat."
"I have a blood cellar if you need to fulfill your hunger."
"Oh, you have one of those! That's the reason why I never see you going out from here. Don't worry, I feel like going out tonight to breathe the polluted air of the night."
A few seconds passed but Namjoon did not hear the door close. He looked up again to see that Seokjin had not moved. Namjoon stopped writing and just observed him. Seokjin was like a silent porcelain figure, only the pupils' slow moves showed that he was alive, in a vampire way. He was looking around the room, examining the different details and furniture.
"Do you like it?" Namjoon asked.
"What?" Seokjin answered, taken aback by his question, convinced that Namjoon was not paying attention to him. He looked calmed and yet, he looked like a kid who got caught red-handed. Was the tip of his ears getting red? That was, unexpected...
"The room. I choose all the furniture myself."
"It looks beautiful. I was a bit surprised because I didn't expect such a room in a manor like this."
"Yes, of course. It doesn't really fit the manor's architecture right?"
"Yes, but it looks nice. It feels really calming."
"You can come in and look at it closer if you want."
Seokjin entered the room and started to look closely at the different furniture. One thing Namjoon realised during Seokjin's stay at his place was that apart of the first time where he had entered the house without his permission, Seokjin would always ask to use his things or do things or wait for Namjoon to allow him. It surprised him at first when he realised it because the image of a man boasting with self-confidence from their first encounter was still very strong in his mind. Yet, Seokjin was always polite in everything he did, even when it was playful banter.
"This folding screen. Where did you get it?" Seokjin asked him, looking closely at the folding screen placed just behind Namjoon
"This one? Oh, a friend of mine gave it to me around 90 years ago as a present after I had started living here. So I don't really know where he got it from."
Namjoon turned his back to also observe it.The folding screen was composed of four pannels, each of them representing the different seasons.
"He told me that this will help me not forget the passing of the time and remember how each day changes to become another through the season."
"That's a really nice thought. It's so easy for people like us to forget that time do pass." Seokjin added.
Namjoon continued to talk about the paintings, describing the different details he loved like the lines of the branches in the winter pannel, the gentle colours of the plum blossoms in the spring pannel or the contrast between how the river banks were painted in comparison to the mountains on the summer pannel.
While listening to him, Seokjin got closer to it and watched intently each pannels, his fingers tracing the lines without touching the paper. Even though he was talking about the paintings, he could not stop his eyes from following Seokjin's gestures. All those days, Namjoon observed him trying to decipher what were the real intentions of the man. However, his attempt was a failure. Seokjin seemed to have no other motive other than just living here and that was quite confusing. But it didn't feel bad to have someone else living here so Namjoon also didn't pry too much. He had the impression that he would not get any satisfactory answers from those lips.
"Why do you live alone?" Seokjin suddenly asked. Namjoon was not ready for such a change of topics.
"You've been living here like this for more than 90 years, if I understood it right," Seokjin continued, "I was wondering why someone like you who seems to love to talk and discuss with others would live alone for such a long time."
Seokjin finally detached his gaze from the pannel to turn them towards him. It seemed to have no sense of malice or judgement, just simple curiosity. Namjoon did not have to answer but...
"Because... I wanted to feel more like myself without hating it. I wanted to understand the lines that defined my being without getting it be molded by other's views and norms to the point I lost myself"
Words fell from his mouth naturally. All those years ago, he felt the need to separate himself from the world, from people, to be able to look into himself and give time to himself before he started to loathe his existence to the point of no return. But he couldn't explain it explicitly, not without vomiting his heart in the process to this person that he only knew for such a short time, that he knew nothing of. He didn't give further explanations and waited in silence. However, Seokjin's gaze went up towards the window, the clouds were covering the moon and the stars.
"Yeah... it be like that sometimes." Seokjin sighed.
His perfect face looked a bit more tired, a bit more alive that it was before, his young looking face finally showing some signs of all the years he has been living without looking a bit older. He had seen lots of Seokjin's aspect, polite, self-confident, cheerful, curious or attentive but this was maybe the first time that Namjoon felt connected to him.
"And it is not as if I don't communicate with others. I have lots of people I write letters to like this." Namjoon said.
Seokjin moved to sit on his knees next to him. Tonight, he was dressed in the modern way with a black jacket and some jeans in order to blend within the human city.
"You write a lot. Wait, is that pile for one person or several people?"
"Oh that one? It's just for one person."
"You write 15 pages to one person?" Seokjin asked bewildered. "Waow that's so much patience and concentration. I could never do that. I would run out of ideas or get lazy and just straight up call them. Why don't you call them? I saw a phone in one of the rooms."
"Oh that? I only use it from time to time. I prefer writing my ideas down. It helps me organise my thoughts."
"Your writing is so poetic and powerful, so I do understand... But doesn't it take so much time to rewrite everything?" Seokjin asked, pointing at all the crossed out papers and drafts scattered around. "Why don't you use a computer? You wouldn't need to rewrite everything and emailing everything would be so much easier for your foreign penpals."
"Emailing?" Namjoon quizzically, unsure how to respond. "I don't have a computer here..."
"You don't have a computer!" Seokjin shouted, looking offended by his words, suprising Namjoon by this sudden outburst.
"Internet? How do you go on internet?"
"... I don't?" Namjoon answered hesitantly.
"You have to be kidding me." Seokjin raised his hands in a dramatic manner. "I know vampires are always late when it comes to innovations and new technologies but still... Mister I am in love with knowledge and discoveries doesn't even have a computer and internet!! I'm just... I have no words."
"... Humm.. But I am fine witho-" Seokjin raised his fingers to make Namjoon stop talking.
"No, no, no. Trust me, you won't regret it." An enormous smile and sparkling eyes looked straight at Namjoon.
Suddenly, Seokjin stood up, winked at Namjoon and left the room in a hurry. Namjoon blinked a few times. He was left again with this silence. Not that it bothered him because he was used to it. He took the brush to continue writing his letters. Even though his life might seem uneventful he always had something to write, either about his and his penpals writings or philosophical to silly questions that resulted in long letters.
After writing for a few minutes, he stopped his brush and looked back at the folding screen. He remembered the faces of his two friends who gave it to him, Yoongi and Hoseok. Those two were the one he wrote the most to and also the one who pestered him the most to get him out or to visit him. Should he write to them about the unexpected guest he was having at his manor? Would they worry about this unknown stranger living with him or would they rejoice at the idea of him finally having some company other than their random visits?
Namjoon finally stopped writing and laid on the floor. Some of his letters were unfinished but he had lost his concentration. He was sitting for a while so moving his body might be a nice idea. He glanced through the window to look at the moon which was not hidden anymore. The position of the moon indicated to him that quite some time has already passed and that it would be the turn of the sun to take back its place in just a few hours.
He slowly got up and left the room, the papers still there. He strolled around the manor, looking at the rooms as he passed next to them. Even though he owned this huge manor, he sometimes forgot their existance of some rooms. As a result, half of the rooms ended up being unused and full of dust. However, most of the rooms seemed to have been visited this past month. His guest seemed to have found pleasure in doing treasure hunting in those rooms. Some of them seemed to even have been cleaned of dust which probably dated from a dozens of years ago. Random objects were not laying scattered on the floor anymore.
He passed in front of the room where he had first met Seokjin. This one didn't seem to have changed a lot. The room was filled with forest green chairs and the walls were covered with dark wooden shelves filled with books. He glanced around the room and noticed that one book was laying on the room. He picked it and realised it was the book Seokjin was helding in his hands on the first night. The book he let fall when Namjoon had grabbed his neck. His neck heated up. He had threatened him, holding his neck and glaring at him like some hero would do in an action movie. He knew his reaction was perfectly normal taking into account that he had an intruder in his house but after living some time with the man... Second-hand embarrassment took over him remembering his action. He put down the book on a table and got out of the room in order to brush aside the memory.
It was so strange how he got used to Seokjin living in his house in just only a month. The first few days, he would get surprised every time he heard something or when he found his figure in one of the room. He was too unused to have someone else that his brain seemed to have difficulty adjusting with the idea that someone else could also live there. However, little by little, he stopped getting scared when he heard something from the other part of the manor. Namjoon would feel a weird and yet reassuring sensation whenever he heard the other man's footsteps. He would even sometime find himself looking for the other's figure pushed by his own curiosity.
Slowly his manor was changing as well while he was not looking. Namjoon did not find his life boring but he was sometimes intrigued by how excited he was when he found something had changed in his house. It was actually pleasant to rediscover through the acts of another person the place he has been living in for so long.
He looked at the entrance from the top of the staircase. The house was silent, like it always used to be the case. Yet, the manor looked emptier than usual. Namjoon understood it was just his brain giving him that impression. The silence was his most trusted companion and he cherished it. But maybe this time, it was trying to tell him that he did miss people, especially talking to others. He didn't even talk that much to Seokjin. The other vampire was quite a silent companion who seemed to try his best to not disturb him, talking to him only when he wanted to ask something or thought that Namjoon didn't look too busy. Nevertheless, even those small conversations felt nice. He was used to talk to the emptiness and getting an imediate response without having to wait for days for an answer from a letter was a sensation he had forgotten. Suddenly, the face of his dear friends, Yoongi and Hoseok appeared in his mind once again.
A loud sound came to interrupt his thoughts. The entrance door had opened, showing a man out of breath.
"... Didn't you go feed yourself?" Namjoon asked. "Why do you look way more tired than when you left?"
"Because I had to transport this." Seokjin showed an immense luggage he had brought back with him. "Why does your house have to be in such a secluded place with no road? It would have been way easier if I could bring it with a car. Anyway, I brought you a gift!"
Namjoon walked down the stairs as Seokjin start to unpack his luggage right there.
"It's a new computer! I know you said you did not need one but you should at least try!" Seokjin said proudly.
A smile appeared on Namjoon lips looking at Seokjin enthusiatically explaining him how it was supposed to open a new world to him.
Maybe it was okay to allow other people in his life.