Chapter Text
Jungkook felt like a badly assembled IKEA folding chair - absolutely ready to collapse at a moment’s notice.
If someone breathed in his direction a little too strongly, his legs would give out. He just knew. They wobbled like rubber whenever he moved them, muscles as uncooperative as a goldfish expected to learn tricks. With every passing minute, the fog in his head got thicker and harder to navigate. It reminded him of his nights out, clubbing and drinking too much. The sensation was more than unwelcome, considering he’d been at home the past four days.
In front of him, the TV played a crime show his hyungs wanted to watch, the light flickering across the walls around him. It did nothing to alleviate the pounding in his head. If anything, it made him want to scream and curse. And he would have, if it weren’t impossible for vampires to get a headache. In fact, getting sick was so unthought of, Jungkook’s cover would be blown at the smallest complaint. So he swallowed his groans and whimpers, trying to squeeze a miniscule amount of joy out of spending time with his hyungs.
“Jungkook, are you okay?”
Seokjin’s voice hit his eardrums like a needle, boring into it, passing through and prodding his brain. In short: Jungkook wanted him to stop talking now.
“Yes,” he bit through gritted teeth, “I’m fine.” He couldn’t even use his tried and true excuse of being tired, because vampires didn’t need to sleep. They didn’t get tired.
As a human, Jungkook was more than unequipped to play the role of a bloodsucker, but by now he was in too deep.
Looking back, he should have never pretended to be one of them. But the primal fear of being in close proximity with six vampires had won over the rational part of his brain pretty quickly.
Over time, he’d realized they were nice.
Then, they’d become friends.
Then, they’d fallen in love.
And suddenly, Jungkook had been the maknae of a vampire coven, doted on and smothered with love and affection. He didn’t want to throw that away.
So he diligently played his role - ordered food when no one else was home, slept when no one else was home, drank blood and vomited it back up when no one else was home.
Easy.
Until COVID had happened.
Until quarantine had happened.
Because while vampires couldn’t get sick, they could carry and spread the virus. Ever since that discovery had happened, they had been ordered to stay at home - commencing Jungkook’s hell on earth.
Jungkook was convinced his stomach was trying to eat itself. He hadn’t had a proper meal in three days. The only upside to having to drink blood was that he felt sick to his stomach, and the taste of iron on his tongue managed to curb his appetite quite a bit. The lack of sleep, however, was getting to him, and he didn’t know how much longer he’d be able to pretend he was okay.
“You don’t look fine, honey. What’s wrong? Are you sad?” Seokjin moved closer on the sofa, his thighs touching Jungkook’s legs. The oldest vampire intertwined their fingers, drawing circles on the back of Jungkook’s hand. The gentle touch was soothing, allowing Jungkook to close his eyes and relax for a moment.
“He’s probably bummed that we had to cancel our tour,” Taehyung said. “We all are.”
Taehyung wasn’t wrong and thus it wouldn’t be a lie, so Jungkook nodded. Like everyone else, he’d been looking forward to showing the world their new album. On stage, in front of AMRY. That dream had been crushed. Crushed by a small, vicious virus.
Seokjin brushed back Jungkook’s hair. “Don’t worry. Our time will come. Maybe not this year, maybe not next. But it will come. We have all the time in the world.”
You do, but I don’t.
Jungkook bit his tongue and nodded again. “I know.”
Yoongi’s sharp eyes settled on him. In the darkness of the room, his eyes glinted ruddily. Under the heavy gaze, Jungkook’s heart skipped a beat. “You should drink something. You haven’t had any blood since yesterday. It’s not good for you.”
Groaning, Jungkook sank deeper into the cushions. He buried his face in his hands. “Nooo,” he whined.
Seokjin clicked his tongue, but his voice remained soft. “I know you don’t like feeding because of your regressed canines, but you have to. We’ll do it like always, yeah? Yoongi will break the skin for you.”
Jungkook’s stomach churned. The last thing he wanted was to swallow blood.
I’m going to throw up. I really am.
“Don’t want to,” he mumbled. “I’m not hungry.”
Except he was - he was starving. But he couldn’t let them know.
“That’s a lie and you know it. A baby vampire like you needs to feed every day.” Seokjin moved even closer, pressing a kiss against Jungkook’s cheek. His breath was warm. “We just want what’s best for our precious treasure.”
Jungkook knew he was fighting a losing battle.
“Just a sip,” he yielded. “Just one.”
Yoongi’s eyes narrowed further. “That won’t suffice.”
“It will have to for now,” Jungkook said, closing his eyes. The longer the evening went on, the harder it was to keep them open. He was close to drifting away. So close. “I’m too tired to argue with you.”
Seokjin’s breath hitched.
Everyone fell silent.
Only the TV seemed ear-shatteringly loud, blaring through the speakers.
At first, Jungkook’s muddy mind didn’t catch up, couldn’t put the pieces together. He was so incredibly exhausted, and the thought of drinking Seokjin’s blood made him want to cry. As Sekojin’s ministrations ceased, however, Jungkook opened his eyes.
“You’re… tired?” Hoseok probed, having turned around in his seat. Namjoon sat next to him, lips pulled into a straight line. His frown cast deep shadows over his forehead.
“Tired?” Jimin repeated as if he couldn’t believe it. The second youngest vampire got up from his place on the floor. Slowly, as if any rushed movement would cause a bomb to explode.
“Yeah,” Jungkook rasped. “Tired.”
“You-”
“Jungkook,” Seokjin said gently, interrupting Jimin’s puzzled voice, “vampires can’t get tired. I’m sure you’re confusing things. I agree with Yoongi, you should drink.”
Jungkook blinked. Everything was blurry, Seokjin’s face looking like a blob of paleness on a black canvas. When had the edges of his vision gotten so dark? “I- I don’t want to. I don’t-”
Suddenly, Yoongi appeared in his peripheral vision, smaller but broader than Jimin. It was hard to make out his features, but the yellow hoodie was unmistakeable. “He looks out of it,” he said. Jungkook failed to make sense of the tone of his voice. There was a sharp edge to it, but not sharp enough to cut. God, he just wanted to sleep. “Look at him.”
Seokjin made Jungkook lie down on the sofa, head propped on a throw pillow. Immediately, the youngest sighed and his eyes closed. The only thing keeping him awake were Seokjin’s hands never leaving his body, touching the top of his head, his face, his hands and his legs. Caressing, petting, brushing.
“What do you think is wrong with him?”
“I have a hunch.”
“Care to share? Our baby is clearly in pain and I do not appreciate it.”
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Jungkook knew he should intervene. He knew he should sit up and pretend everything was fine. But he couldn’t. His body was heavier than lead, glued to the soft surface of the sofa. Even his eyelids seemed to weigh a ton each. Even the thought of opening them was exhausting.
And Jungkook knew, right as sleep pulled him under, that his secret was out.
“He’s human.”