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Taehyung is a vampire. Exciting, right? Well, not really. He has lived through almost 3 centuries already, years filled with pesky events. It all passed through his eyes like trees would through the window of a car when he’d travel. It was sorrowful, dull and empty. Time travel movies are so overrated. same humans complicating their own life through all centuries, nothing much new, nothing exhilarating anymore.
After he was turned into a vampire back in 1780, he stopped living, both metaphorically and literally. Truth be told, he was never asked if he wanted to be a vampire. If he would be asked, Taehyung would say no certainly. Everything happened in autumn 1780. Taehyung had a rampage in his farm, not enough harvest that year because of the famine. Still, his farm glowed like no others. His farm was landed upon a rustic corner in the south. Amid the wheat, amid the soft golden strawberry gardens and cherry blossoms, moved the unseen wind. It moved his raven hair and his old soul. He was only 25, but the peace and comfort in his small farm where all his heart has ever craved. In all moments on the farm there was an eternity in each second, a joy that came in the free birdsong and a steadiness to his heart and soul. And if Taehyung could wish for peace within this human body and all around, he could wish for no more.
But then that year was filled with famine and a raging dry harvest. It was autumn 1780, on a Sunday afternoon, Taehyung saw a lonely walker. The man walked through Taehyung’s crops, his face too pale, his movements too brisky. Taehyung didn’t have time to ponder over the stranger, because in a fraction of time, in a flash of light, the man disappeared. Soon after, a string of perturbed and alarmed sounds of the animals resounded from inside the barn. Taehyung rushed there and just as he opened the door, he saw red eyes and sharp teeth directed towards his horse. Taehyung acted on instinct, he jumped the stranger’s back, trying to whisk him away from his barn with animals.
The fight didn’t last long. Taehyung never saw such a strange creature, but then he felt a sharp stinging pain on his neck and everything turned black. Through the hazy fog, Taehyung could only see blood, red eyes and feel life sucked from him. Taehyung doesn’t remember what happened afterwards. Only that when he woke up, all his barn was soaked in blood and Taehyung’s heartless body was soaked in pain and revenge. Taehyung found the man that turned him. He killed that man. And then he found out what monster he became. Going back to his farm, Taehyung couldn’t live there anymore. He needed to live among humans, he needed to feed, he needed to find out how to survive as a vampire. Someone stripped him of his freedom, broke into his peaceful life and painted it in red. Taehyung was mad and angry for over a century, but soon he learned how to be a vampire, how to live with it, but he never found that comfort and peace anymore, he has never learned how to hate it less.
All Taehyung could do is stay on the sides and observe how the world was changing and how people stayed the same. He must admit he did some thrilling things. Taehyung met Princess Diana, a charming woman, he punched Ronald Reagan for being an asshole, he burned a building in Seoul and jumped off Everest with a parachute. Of course, he forgot to open his parachute (intentionally) and felt on his skin the impact of the ground from a 8000 metres height. It went on his list of non boring things he did. If Taehyung couldn’t have a calm and peaceful life, then he’ll live life to the fullest instead.
Now it’s 2018 and Taehyung is 3 centuries old. He decides to settle down, no more corporate crimes, adventures in jungles or meeting celebrities. His bucket list is almost completed. One of the few things he couldn’t check off his list was falling in love, feeling himself the love writers sang about. Loving is easy, but falling in love is hard. It's as simple as that. So, keeping in mind that his bucket list is almost completed, Taehyung decides to settle down in a small town, and recreate his previous old peace corner after centuries of exciting events. Truly, Taehyung thinks it’s time, he roamed the world enough to understand that even if everything is different all around the globe, in the end all is the same. Taehyung moves to a small town, buys a pretty soft house with a garden of flowers, fulfilling his inner dreams. His little cottage nests in the heart of the town, bathing in sunlight and lavender blooms. There are flower garlands of honeycomb over the roof tops. And Taehyung thinks this is the beauty of life. Maybe in this heavenly corner, he could also fall in love, since his soul is calm and resting.
The small town is more a community than some blocks filled with people. There is an expansion of the colours over the town, tiny markets selling fruits and vegetables, a lake nested in the outskirts, small cafes and an antic library. There is a hug of small colourful houses lined up in straight lines. Taehyung feels truly calm. He knows a lot about his nature, about how he should survive as a vampire in a small town. Now, he truly can enjoy his peace.
Taehyung makes a friend, called Hobi, who talks too much, but also smiles excessively. He also already has a feud with his neighbour because Taehyung put loud jazz music over the night. It’s the true town experience. Taehyung feels free, liberated. Now all he needs is romance. He can see himself falling in love with someone in this town. First step in falling love is going on a date, no more old courting. Taehyung is happy he chooses to do this in this era and not centuries back when he needed to do hell of an effort to win over a person.
Taehyung contacts his little human friend Hobi and asks him to set him up with someone on a date. The requirements are simple. It should be a gorgeous, rich, smart, confident person who knows that oranges were originally green, to be cultured, with a great fashion sense, manhandle him in bed…
Taehyung just starts listing his first requirements he could think of on the spot. Hobi ends the call. Taehyung regrets sometimes he quit eating people 2 centuries ago, he’d definitely want to suck Hobi dry (of his blood of course). Unexpectedly, as he sips his strawberry cocktail on his balcony overseeing the sunset, Taehyung receives a message from Hobi. The message contains Jeon Jungkook's profile, location and time of the blind date. Jeon Jungkook fulfils only 3 of his requirements at a first glance: gorgeous, rich, smart, but Taehyung is curious. There is something about those amber doe eyes, smiling yet reflecting a darkly lit aura deep inside. It sparks Taehyung's interest for sure. Even if he briefly reflects on Jungkook’s blood flavour, he decides to give it a chance.
The date is set in a small bar in the outskirts of the town, hidden in the shadows of the woods. Unconventional, but enthralling. Taehyung wears a heavy black suit with a turtleneck, his hair styled in soft perm curls. A glance in the mirror is enough to be satisfied with his look. Taehyung is a bit nervous, it’s his first date in decades. But the premise of seeing those amber eyes forces him to move out of the car.
On Sunday night, vampire Kim Taehyung goes on a blind date with doctor Jeon Jungkook. There are two ways this date can go: either Taehyung gets bored, in this case he’ll block Hobi’s number. Perhaps he'll scare his friend a bit and forget about the plan of falling in love. Or the date goes amazing (low chances), the doctor manages to raise Taehyung’s non existent heartbeat and the night ends in steamy hot sex.
Taehyung desperately hopes it’ll be the second way.
When Taehyung gets out of the car, it’s dark at first. A deep foggy forest rests behind the darkly lit cafe. The tiles of the scrambly place are adorned by threads of lighted bells which weakly illuminate the terassee. In the shadow of a decorated table, Taehyung spots the lean figure of a man and his breath stops when their eyes meet. Taehyung remembers a line from one of his favourite poems “you take my breath away, but you make me want to stay breathless” Is that how the author of the poem felt? Taehyung would stop breathing if it meant the man’s eyes would be trained on him with such raw intensity. Taehyung smiles lightly, the beginning is promising. He pats his thigh in a comforting tick and heads to the table.
Jeon Jungkook stands up, greets him and then he leans in front, takes his hand and leaves a light butterfly kiss on his palm.
Taehyung is ecstatic.
He sits in his chair, while Jungkook grabs the glass of wine already prepared and takes a sip. They stare at each other as if their eyes found the way to one another after centuries of roaming alone, as if they both are made from the same material or as if two same cosmic objects collided. Taehyung feels inner peace settling inside, his fingers tingling with excitement.
“Taehyung”
“Jungkook”
They both chuckle.
“Quick questions?” Jungkook proposes. Apparently, he doesn’t like small talk. Even better. Taehyung hates the formalities and boring introductions.
“Perfect” Taehyung adjusts his position on the chair, holding a glass with the same flavour of wine. “I’ll ask first, what drives you crazy?”
“Blood.” Jungkook answers immediately with a slight smirk.
Taehyung raises an eyebrow. Jungkook cools his expression, a serious shadow resting over his face. His emotions seem to play hide and seek on his face.
“I'm a doctor, that’s why blood is what drives me crazy.” Jungkook explains, voice stoic “My turn to ask, what is your passion?”
“Feeling alive” Taehyung answers and levels the intensity of the stare.
The list of questions continues and Taehyung shares some bits of his life, such as adventures he went on and things he absolutely loathes in a person. Jungkook is generous too. He offers information, dwelling mostly on his successes and failures in surgeries. He also slips about how a human heart feels in his hand, still beating out of its cage. Taehyung finds it absolutely endearing in the way Jungkook’s eyes crinkle when he retells the story.
They exchange the state of their love life. Taehyung had few to none experiences while Jungkook lived more excitingly in this aspect, he had many short relationships where only sex was exchanged, him being busy at the hospital all the time. When the time strikes midnight, Jungkook drags his chair closer and then with a smug smile on his face, he drags Taehyung’s chair to him.
Taehyung promises to buy something nice for Hobi. The night is better than he expected. More than a steamy sex, Taehyung hopes for a second date.
A delicate arm in an elbow-length glove reaches across the table. Jungkook cups his fingers in his broad palm.
“This was nice, but I'm sorry to cut it short” Jungkook explains, his face bathing in a downright pleading expression.
Taehyung smiles through the disappointment. He wanted to spend more time with Jungkook. But they have all the time in the world for another date. They sit up from the table. Jungkook steps closer, his lips slowly leaning against Taehyung’s cheek, brushing it lightly. That light touch sends shivers through the vampire’s nerves, shivers that make his whole body tremble. Taehyung pulls him down and kisses Jungkook gently, carefully. Jungkook groans softly, low in his throat, and then his arms circle Taehyung, gathering him against his chest.
They both can taste the bite of the wine and sugary strawberries on their tongues. Then as the sensations start to intensify, Taehyung feels it, a scratch embedded in his turtleneck. Jungkook tightens his hold on Taehyung, holding him tight in his embrace, pushing him against his chest as the knife digs deeper into the clothing material and reaches flesh. Taehyung’s breath halts in his throat, an agonising pain reaching his chest.
Jungkook smiles at him “I wanted to taste these lips before I slice your chest open.”
Taehyung feels his eyes faintly blinking at the man as the knife digs deeper. Taehyung didn't see it coming.
Jungkook’s whisper brushes his ear lightly “Do not worry, my love, I will make it beautiful for you.” And these are the last words Taehyung hears accompanied by Jungkook's strong hug as he cuts his chest open with a chilling smile painted on his face.
Afternoon the next day
“I want a neon blue and trim it a bit” Taehyung flutters his eyes at the young hairdresser, still feeling mud under his nails.
He woke this Monday buried in a wooden coffin and the feeling was not one of the best. He crawled out of the hole with a cut still healing on his chest. A corolla of flowers sticked out of it, a sight to behold. Tears stuck at the edge of his eyes, it was a heart rending pain.
Taehyung knows he had in his bucket list things like: be killed, feel heartbreak and other crime related wishes, but not to this extent.
When Taehyung woke up from the coffin in the woods this morning, there was only one thought in his mind: “Jeon Jungkook, I'll destroy you.”
While Taehyung walked to the nearest station from the woods, he plotted a revenge plan. How dare Jeon Jungkook give him a glimpse of how love feels and then strip it of him with a carved knife.
Taehyung called Jimin from the phone booth. Jimin was his servant in this century, the son of the servant from the last century, a long line of Parks serving the master. Jimin likes to call himself a friend, going on about how it's 21th century, slavery was abolished long time ago. Taehyung would always shrug it off and keep only to himself how much he adores and cherishes Jimin. So, naturally after Taehyung was killed, buried deep in the woods, Taehyung walked to the nearest booth and called Jimin.
“I need you here, take your car and I expect you in 2 hours maximum, bye.”
Then Taehyung swung by Hobi's house, while the foggy smoke still lingered from the night around the houses. Taehyung managed to knock at the human's window with his muddy corpse, still chest cut open in the process of healing. The reaction smoothened a bit of pain. Hobi screamed horrendously and fainted on the floor. That's what he got for matching Taehyung on a date with a very hot serial killer.
A serial killer who almost ticked all his requirements for his perfect type.
After Taehyung was killed, woke up buried in the woods, called Jimin to come here and scared Hobi, Taehyung ended up in a hairdresser salon. He must avenge his short term death. The plan is simple, change his whole look and pretend to be his non-existent twin. A twin who moved to this town in search of his brother who disappeared, aka Taehyung. It is a genius plan, though Jimin scoffs when he hears it, mentioning how the twinkle in Taehyung's eyes is too bright for a person who was just killed and wants revenge.
Still, Jimin, like the good boy he is, schedules a session at a beauty salon, brainstorms about the hair colour, calls the agencies to fake a birth certificate, and edits some photos. Taehyung pats his head in gratitude to which Jimin scoffs again, muttering 'crazy' under his breath.
Once Taehyung starts to put his plan in motion, he feels like a true character from the detective movies he absolutely loves. Because just as much as Taehyung loathes Jungkook, this is an extreme opportunity to tick off some things in his bucket list.
He hasn't felt so alive since he jumped from Everest. The irony is, Taehyung started feeling so alive after being killed. Jeon Jungkook seems to be good at another thing besides kissing, at making Taehyung feel peaceful and at the same time not dead. It's Wednesday morning, when Taehyung with his magnificent blue hair walks into the police station.
The officer on duty is trailing his hand in the air, calling Taehyung to his desk.
“What a gorgeous individual would want from us lowlifes?” The officer speaks, eyes staring raw and sharp.
Taehyung gulps, totally in control of the situation. Compliments are welcomed, since Taehyung died some days ago. He was slightly alarmed about his appearance and also the new hair colour. He looks at the officer’s name badge and smiles bashfully.
“Thank you, officer Kim Seokjin, that’s such a wonderful thing to know.”
“So, you think we’re scumbags?”
“No, of course not.” Taehyung tries to apologise, clearly confused, but then he remembers the reason for his visit at the police station “That’s not what I came here for, I want to report my brother Kim Taehyung missing.” Taehyung places a photo of himself with black hair on the table. The officer takes it and his eyes widen largely.
“Your twin?” Taehyung nods “Another beautiful individual, nice. Is he single?”
The interrogation isn’t going the way Taehyung planned. He even scribbled a fake story on the paper to memorise it before coming to the station. But the police officer appears to be crazy or a creep.
“My brother has been missing since Sunday night after he told me he was going on a blind date and…”
Suddenly, Taehyung’s hand is grabbed. Kim Seokjin holds his hand and presses it against his chest. “Do you like it?”
The control of the situation is slipping slowly off Taehyung. He shakes his head.
“It's a new shirt, expensive. I bought it from a market and they told me it’ll bring me luck. A soft material isn’t it?” Seokjin asks with mirth in his eyes.
“Officer, my brother…”
Seokjin lets go of his hand and smooths the fabric of the shirt again, delicately. “So do you know who your brother went on a date with?”
Taehyung keeps himself from smirking “Jeon Jungkook”
“Then your brother most probably is dead in a ditch”
“What?”
“Joking, joking, Jeon Jungkook is a sweetheart, cold and cunning, also imprevisible, but totally good guy” the officer’s eyes move past Taehyung to the door and then his face explodes in a sheer smile “and there he is, talking about the wolf when the wolf is at the door.”
Jin walks from the desk to the door and when Taehyung turns to the uninvited guest, he feels the knife cutting in his flesh. Jeon Jungkook is standing at the door with a coffee cup in his hand and the same dark fire burning in his eyes.
When their eyes meet, chaos ensues. Jungkook’s coffee cup slips off his fingers on Jin's new shirt. The police officer starts cursing words. Neither of them move. After the initial pain chest, Taehyung remembers the wine honey flavour of Jungkook’s lips. Jungkook looks startled, not even blinking. But he regains his composure easily, masking the confusion with a questioning look. He's a serial killer after all. He knows how to mask his emotions well.
“Who is this person?” Jungkook addresses Jin.
The officer moves his eyes between the two “He is… actually who are you?”
“V, Kim Taehyung’s twin brother”
Jin claps his hands awkwardly, but when his eyes fall on the shirt, Taehyung can spot a tear running down his face “It’s ruined and now my luck is gone” the officer leaves the room with sobs heard following in the hallway. It’s only them left in the room with a tensed silence in between.
Their gazes hold an ocean of unsaid emotions, as if Jungkook and Taehyung both reminisce about the night of their date, Jungkook about the pressure of the knife in his skin and Taehyung about the pressure of lips against his.
“What happened to Kim Taehyung?” Jungkook asks on a calm tone.
Taehyung’s eyes dart from the mouth to the eyes and he discerns no compassion or guilt. Not that he expected any.
“He disappeared after Sunday night, when he had a date with you.”
Jungkook hums as he sits in the chair near the desk after dragging it closer to Taehyung. It brings back memories.
“We didn’t match well and the date was cut short after around half an hour, he said he’ll drive to a friend, I think.” Jungkook speaks.
What a filthy liar. How could Jungkook ever diminish their instant connection? Or did only Taehyung feel the attraction? They kissed after all. Taehyung digs his nails in his palms to keep the control and facade.
“Tell me more about your brother. How was Kim Taehyung?”
As Taehyung starts spilling lies, false memories of a created character in his head, their chairs drag closer until Jungkook’s breath touches his cheek. Taehyung’s voice breaks because he again remembers the kiss. Jungkook takes it as his pain because of his twin brother’s disappearance. He raises his arm and curls it around Taehyung.
“It’s ok, the police will find him, don’t worry.” Jungkook whispers.
He presses Taehyung against his chest, arm massaging his back gently “Honestly, never thought Taehyung to have a twin. How could the universe handle and survive two souls like him.”
As Taehyung rests his head against Jungkook’s heartbeat, the revenge plan faintly gets blurry in his mind.
“If you want, you can come to my bar in the outskirts of the town where the date happened and we can brainstorm about what could happen to your brother.”
The words wake him up from the reverie. So, Jeon Jungkook is truly an asshole who wants to kill ‘Taehyung’s twin as well’, get rid of the witnesses. Taehyung is sure now, he’ll ruin Jeon Jungkook, make him one with the ground, demolish the doctor.
“I'm afraid I must decline the offer, I just moved yesterday and I have so much to do.”
There’s a flicker of annoyance on Jungkook’s face which is replaced instantly with a sheer smile. “If you ever need any help, you can contact me at this number.”
Taehyung retreats from the boy’s chest, regaining his calm as he accepts the paper with the phone number. He'll make sure to go home and burn it.
“Good news” Taehyung hears.
They both turn to the officer arriving at the door and Taehyung gulps at the image of a naked well sculpted chest. Kim Seokjin is without a shirt grinning at both of them.
“My secretary, Hobi, could save the shirt, but it needs drying” Jin explains.
Taehyung hears a soft chuckle escaping the doctor’s lips. That manipulative cereal. Then Taehyung’s eyes bulge out. “Did you just say Hobi?”
The officer nods. “Wait, I’ll call him here. Jung Hoseok come here or I'm going to burn your toys” Jin yells, a loud screech escapes from the back and then hobi appears with a glare directed towards the officer.
Then slowly the secretary Hobi's eyes move to Jungkook with a smile and then land on Taehyung.
There's an inhuman scream escaping Hobi’s mouth.
“Taehyung?”
He shakes his head “I'm V, Taehyung's twin” and proceeds to tell the fake story, observing how everyone’s eyes oscillate from perplexion to understanding and then sympathy.
“Of course, we’ll help find Taehyung, he was a dear friend of mine, we were best friends to be honest, did everything together, had sleepovers even.” Hobi says softly.
Another filthy liar, Taehyung has no idea what is happening in this forsaken town. “Why did my brother never mention you, then?”
Hobi chuckles awkwardly “One needs to keep his happiness hidden, not public, you know.”
Taehyung stands up. His eyes dart towards Jungkook and that attractive face that smiled purely while killing him. He hopes karma hits Jungkook before Taehyung himself does. He turns to the officer “Thank you for nothing, Kim Seokjin. I hope you’re more useful in the future at finding my brother.”
Taehyung storms out of the station and drives home. Taehyung wished for a thrilling detective adventure, but he didn’t want the confusion, lost thoughts and aching. It seems all is a package deal, going hand in hand. Taehyung does not simply want to kill Jeon Jungkook. He wants to do the worst to the serial killer, expose his real identity, put him in prison, strip him of his freedom. When Taehyung enters his house, mind already tired, there are two unwanted guests inside: Jimin with his luggage scrawled on the living room and a stranger smoking at the edge of the balcony.
“Who are you?” Taehyung inquires about the stranger, ignoring Jimin’s stare. Taehyung grabs the cigarette from the stranger and demolishes it between his fingers.
“It doesn't matter who I am, but what connects us. We have a common enemy”
“Who?” Taehyung asks.
“I'm Ji-hoon and we have the same purpose- to destroy Jeon Jungkook.”
There is no easy way to live life, Taehyung captures the thought while listening to Ji-hoon’s story.
“He killed my girlfriend after having an affair with her, I think it was their second date after she completely disappeared without a trace.” Ji-hoon's face morphs in pain.
“She was an orphan and we two were inseparable. My heart, Taehyung, broke that day and never healed.”
Taehyung nods his head. He learnt this feeling in the short moments spent in Jungkook’s presence. Perhaps, Jihoon’s girlfriend was caught in the doctor’s lease as well. And also she might’ve been better if Jungkook killed her after their second date. Apparently, Taehyung didn’t even manage to survive the first day. A single spike of pain fades into an ache, heart throbbing.
“What information did you gather till now?”
Ji-hoon grabs a map out of his bag and spreads papers, photographs and red threads connecting them on the table. “He killed more people, no bodies found, all patients of his, I think he dates most of them too. My girlfriend was a patient of his before too.”
The asshole.
Ji-hoon continues “The only way to prove he’s guilty is by finding a survivor witness or we could go and search at the hospital he works in for any clues or at his house.”
“Does Jungkook know how you look, Ji-hoon?” The man shakes his head. That’s good, Jungkook won’t know what’s coming for him.
“Me and my girlfriend lived on the outskirts of the city and we rarely went out in town. Jungkook probably never saw me.”
When Taehyung turns his head to where Jimin rested, the boy disappeared, a screech heard from upstairs.
“You can stay tonight here and we can discuss the plan more and tomorrow we go to the hospital” Taehyung speaks as he gestures to a living room on the first floor. The man looks surprised, a tiny bit flustered. Taehyung ignores him and goes upstairs to confront jimin. He knocks at the door, hears a cracked murmur from beside it.
“Do you have something to tell me?”
Jimin is laying on the floor, mopping for an unknown reason to Taehyung. His eyes raise to his master level and there’s aching there and a drop of fear
“Speak freely to me, Jimin”
“I’m afraid this plan will be your downfall, Taehyung, let’s move out of this town, there’s something strange about Jungkook, I can sense it.”
“I’m sorry, Jimin, that’s one of your wishes I can't fulfil.”
“Then make another wish of mine come true.”
“Whatever you want”
“Turn me into a vampire, we planned it for next decade, but i can’t help you in this weak state, what if Jungkook tries again to kill you, what if you don’t wake up anymore” Jimin is rambling, tears rolling down his cheeks, Taehyung crumbles down before the boy. He pats his back in gentle circles.
“Everything will be alright”
Nothing will be, but Taehyung is a liar sometimes. Jungkook is a killer. it’s an indisputable bridge between them.
Taehyung wakes up the next morning from his meditation with a ragged breath. He dreamed of Jungkook’s knife protruding his chest multiple times while the killer mended the pain with kisses alongside Taehyung’s jaw, cheek, lips, neck. Taehyung is horrendously ashamed because he woke up terrified and turned on. There is a knock on the door that got him out of his dream. Taehyung puts a pair of loose pants on and heads to the door, ready to punch whoever disturbed him from his meditation nap. He’s lucky he got 2 hours of rest, while most vampires struggle to shut their mind for even a minute.
“Taehyung, i heard the knock, but didn’t open it without your permission” Ji-hoon rushes to him in a pair of shorts only from the room downstairs. Taehyung ignores the man, opening the door with force.
“Hi” Jeon Jungkook greets him with a basket of apples and a feverish smile.
Then his eyes sharply move to the other person in the house, he glares at Ji-hoon openly “Who’s that?”
Taehyung is hurt, therefore he wants to hurt Jungkook and what's a distinctive trait of serial killers? Possessiveness.
“This is my boyfriend,” Taehyung says, gesturing to Ji-hoon.
“That's not possible” Jungkook speaks calmly, throwing daggers at the intruder of the house.
“What do you mean it’s not possible?”
Jungkook walks past Taehyung, brushing their arms in the process, eyes focusing on Ji-hoon “Who are you, because you look familiar.”
This strange domination of Jungkook over the entire house got no explanations. Taehyung’s face reddens as the doctor looks at him. As if he knows Taehyung is a filthy damn liar. Ji-hoon exits the room without a word. Taehyung is angry.
“Why are you here exactly at this ungodly hour?” Taehyung dares to ask, hiding his trembling hands behind his back.
“Came to ask for salt”
Taehyung wants to laugh at the absurdity. There is too much Jungkook in his personal space. He wants the man gone. Taehyung rummages through his shelves, but there is no trace of salt. What a mess in his kitchen.
“Left shelf over the dishwasher” Jungkook says, as Taehyung listens to the help and spots the tube of salt right there.
Then it dawns on him.
“How did you know where salt is in my house?”
Jungkook turns with his back to Taehyung, speaking muffled words “anyway, I brought apples, I might go now. Enjoy the game, I meant the day” Jungkook storms out of the house.
Taehyung is left bewildered on the spot. Ji-hoon appears in the room.
“Jungkook is surely a psycopath” Ji-hoon admits.
Till now, the only way Taehyung defied Jungkook was by cussing him in the shadows of his thoughts and dreams, but then crying his name between the sheets with an intimate touch, a naked chest, blood and skin. Jungkook who haunts him for days and nights.
Today is time for the real deal, the plan in action is set by his visit to the hospital, while Ji-hoon went to sneak inside Jungkook’s house.
Taehyung dresses in a tailored caramel suit composed of classical trousers, an white shirt tucked in his pants and a brown denim jacket. He enters the hospital graciously, head held high, steps stoic on the laminated floor. He’s asked at the reception the purpose of his visit, Taehyung states simply that he needs to ask about his brother who disappeared some days ago. The nurse’s eyes immediately soften at the lie and she lets him enter the hallway with a comforting pat on his back. Taehyung is almost feeling guilty for deceiving innocent humans like that. Key word is /almost/. Taehyung trains his ear for any rumours or spread talks about Jeon Jungkook. Walking till the end of the corridor, he spots Jungkook’s cabinet, the door creaking open, familiar voices heard inside. Taehyung listens in.
“Everything will end soon, Hobi, Jungkook promised me.” The voice is faint and unknown to Taehyung.
“Yes, Yoongi, our circle is strong, Jin deleted the proof, but I’m still afraid of his reaction, Namjoon”
Did Taehyung just move to a town ruled by a cult of serial killers? He halts, mind running with thoughts, his back colliding with a strong chest and a honey flavoured smell.
“Aren’t you a sneaky little thing?” Jungkook presses Taehyung through a storage room, letting the door close shut behind them.
Taehyung’s tongue gets tangled inside, mouth dry “I, I came to ask about my brother and…”
“Liars have their pants on fire, do you know that?”
Taehyung wonders why Jungkook doesn’t say his fake name ‘v’ whenever he addresses him. He also questions about how the doctor knows the ordeal inside his house and how the officer, Hobi and other two strangers Namjoon and Yoongi are connected to it.
But more than that, Taehyung is deadly curious if Jungkook’s lips taste the same flavour as their date night. Jungkook is cornering him, pushing his limits, his back against the wall, eyes holding Taehyung’s with vigour.
“If liars are punished, aren’t killers too?” Taehyung utters, voice horse from the exhaustion of fighting between killing Jungkook or kissing him. It’s untoward, the position they’re in, legs subconsciously tangled, arms on each other’s chest as if stopping their bodies to act.
But then Taehyung says fuck it. He has lived a forlorn life for 3 centuries and in the week with Jungkook he felt more alive than ever. Taehyung grips his arms in Jungkook’s shirt and pushes him to the opposite wall, changing their positions as he assaults the man with his lips.
He’ll probably kill Jungkook if he doesn’t kiss him back. But then Jungkook stumbles on a mop on the floor as he cups Taehyung’s cheek and takes control of the kiss. It’s messy and it’s wrong and they both don’t give a care about it.
As their lips tangled together try to devour each other, a phone rings in Taehyung’s pocket and he freezes. He puts a hand between him and Jungkook and pushes the doctor roughly to the other side, eyes glaring red. Taehyung looks at the screen and sees Ji-hoon’s number across it.
Right, the plan. Taehyung kissed Jungkook. Now he needs to destroy him. Taehyung wishes to tell Jungkook 'wanted to taste these lips, before i ruin you', but he can't disclose his plans and goals to the man like heroes in movies do. He sprints out of the room, answering the call.
“What is it, Ji-hoon, did you find something?”
He can hear a rustle on the other side “Taehyung, you won’t believe what i found in his house, you need to come here right now, it’s… “
Taehyung cuts the call and drives to Jungkook’s house.
He enters the place through the back door, perks of houses in small towns not being locked properly or protected by a fence. Taehyung’s eyes witness a true mess of papers and photographs on the floor with Ji-hoon staring at the floor in silence.
“What is this, Ji-hoon?”
The man finally addresses Taehyung “It’s all you, Jungkook is obsessed with you. He has stalked your house too and all his office is filled with practically… you.”
Taehyung shakes his head. It’s not possible, they have known each other for no more than a week, in which only one day as Taehyung and Jungkook and not V and Jungkook. But then his eyes walk through the mess scattered on the floor and desk and it’s all there: photographs of him, sketches of him, all dating back a month ago when Taehyung just moved to the town. Taehyung’s eyes also catch a printed version of his… wait is it his bucket list?
Taehyung grabs the paper and reads the things he wrote in his bucket list:
* fall in love
* feel heartbreak
* get killed by someone
* live in my own detective story
And other silly little things he wrote, such as for example waking up in a flower adorned coffin and lastly, being part of a family.
Fuck him. Taehyung has it hard to believe. No, he can’t have hope, no one would ever do that for him, right? Taehyung’s breath stops in his chest when he catches Jungkook’s figure across the room.
“I don't remember having invited guests at my house” he speaks amusedly.
Ji-hoon stands up from the floor, disdain in his eyes.
Taehyung can only see Jungkook and everything crashing down on him, all the puzzles pieced together.
“You, idiot, all this time you were courting me” Taehyung yells desperately. Jungkook’s smirk slips off.
Taehyung notices bewilderment there and a raw adoration appears inside.
“How did you figure it out?” Jungkook asks.
It wasn’t hard. Everything that happened in the last week was his wishes from the bucket list being ticked off. Jungkook literally made all his wishes come true.
There are more questions to be answered, but then Taehyung sees from his peripheral vision as Ji-hoon directs his gun at Jungkook.
Taehyung swiftly moves and snaps Jihoon's neck. But he still hears the shot and a scream escapes his lips. Taehyung sees the red splotch spreading from Jungkook’s heart as the man falls on the floor. and he cries because he can't save a man by turning him into a vampire when the man is dying.
Taehyung knows that getting killed by Jungkook is aeons less painful that seeing Jungkook getting killed. Which is a realisation of the love he harbours for the man on verge of dying. There’s a loud crippling laugh resonating in the house.
For a second Taehyung thinks he imagines it, but then he spots across the door a whole group of people amidst which is the officer, Hobi, two strangers and Jimin…
What is Jimin doing with them, did he join the cult?
The officer continues to laugh, getting jabs from Hobi glaring at him, while Taehyung continues to cry holding Jungkook’s body in his arms.
Taehyung can’t really comprehend what’s happening around him, having Jungkook’s limp body on his arms and an ocean of tears falling down from his eyes.
“Are you crazy? How can you laugh, you bastard, call the ambulance, get help here, Jungkook, he’s…”
Taehyung’s voice is weak as he collapses against Jungkook on the floor. Jimin is instantly by his side, trying to calm him with soothing touches.
“Taehyung, he’s not dying, Jungkook is okay, you hear me.”
“No, no, he’s…”
“A vampire, Jungkook is a vampire, so give him one day at most and he’ll be his bratty self again” It’s Jin who shatters Taehyung’s mind with the confession.
“What are you…”
During the next hour that passes, Taehyung feels in a daze. Jimin hugs him curled around his body on the sofa. The two strangers, introduced as Namjoon and Yoongi, took Jungkook’s body to a room upstairs to rest until the man was awake. Hobi rushed to the kitchen to prepare a chamomile tea for Taehyung, while Jin struggled to explain all the chaos to him.
“We've been a family of vampires for over 4 centuries now, we move from town to town, get jobs, kill some nasty people, dine together on Fridays, do some gardening here and there, it’s fun. Namjoon, Yoongi and Jungkook provide the stock of blood for us, I cover their leads. We adapted so much living among people that it’s hard to feel us as vampires anymore which is pretty cool since we don’t have unwanted vampire guests in our small town, until you came here, of course.”
Taehyung’s mind is fuzzy and a mess.
“Can you go to the part where Jungkook did all that…”
“Courting you? Our Jungkook is a little demon, but if he loves someone, he’s going to bring heaven to them.”
Taehyung doesn’t deny the truth
“He first saw you when you moved here, we immediately knew you’re a vampire, maybe because your senses are weaker since you don’t consume blood regularly. He felt enamoured by you and normally, he started stalking you, drawing, collecting information from your house. It was his first time feeling so strong about someone in practically centuries, so he wanted a grand gesture for his courting. When he read your bucket list, the plan was set on motion and we as a family helped him, of course.”
“Of course.” Taehyung repeats.
“I thought you all were a cult, '' Taehyung admits, to which Jin does not seem surprised.
“Not the first to think so,” Jin chuckles.
“And what we’ll do with the body?” Taehyung stares at the head and then the rest of the body. Ji-hoon is dead.
“That man was vile, abused his girlfriend for years and didn’t let her escape the house, he thought he owned her just because she was an orphan. When she came all bruised to the hospital, Jungkook planned her escape. she writes to us sometimes, moved to a big city, she’s happier now and this scumbag is dead, just like he should.” Hobi explains and Taehyung sees the image more clearly now.
He just lived through a detective thriller all thanks to Jungkook. Taehyung loves him so much.
“And now what?” he asks.
“Now we integrate you and Jimin in our family, so when Jungkook wakes up, he’s happy and bubbly that his plan worked”
That sounds just a bit ominous.
Jungkook wakes up to someone ruffling his hair. He opens his eyes to sunlight playing on Taehyung’s face.
“Am I dreaming?” His groggy voice brings Taehyung’s eyes to his face.
Taehyung leans closer and brushes his lips over Jungkook’s “Are you dreaming of me often?”
“I told him all your embarrassing moments crying about Taehyung” Jin appears at the door, a heartfelt smile over his face at the sight of the younger vampire being awoken and spotting a dreamy look on his face.
“Do you know everything?” Jungkook asks shyly, biting his lips. His doe eyes stare with adoration at Taehyung. Poets and writers weren’t describing even the foundation of how love feels when Jungkook is part of the equation. How could anyone narrate such feelings into words?
“Thank you for making me feel alive, thank you for becoming not one, but all of my wishes.”
There’s a cracked laugh at the door. Jin seems amused at their romantic confessions “I thought Jungkook is a sore lover boy, but you Taehyung, are on another level, you’re a good match though. Happy you woke up, but I'm out of here.” Jin says
“lock the door, Jin” Taehyung asks him.
The man’s eyes widen instantly, but then a sly smirk appears at the corner of his lips. “Suck him dry, Taehyung” Jin leaves the room.
And both Taehyung and Jungkook share a look of anxiety, trepidation, lust.
“You did so much for me, my love, you deserve a treat” Taehyung whispers, crawling on the bed between Jungkook’s legs.
Jungkook is gulping hard, he is also starving. He tightens his arm to cup Taehyung’s ass. Taehyung reaches into his hands and grips them, pressing them harder.
“I'll do everything. you’re hurt, let me take care of you.” Taehyung speaks softly.
Their mouths find the way to each other and Taehyung thinks he can kiss Jungkook for an eternity. And by Jungkook’s side, an eternity doesn’t sound that lorn anymore. Their lips tangle together, sucking, biting. Taehyung’s hand lowers till it reaches Jungkook’s boxers under the sheets, working him well with gentle slow touches. When their breaths halt and they keep panting out of kisses, Taehyung crawls in Jungkook’s lap, straddles his thighs and lowers himself on Jungkook, taking his cock and putting it slowly inside himself. And as they love each other, each touch, thrust and kiss carries the love they started harbouring. When Taehyung collapses in a climax on Jungkook’s chest, he feels so much affection for the vampire. They clean each other and Taehyung helps Jungkook climb the stairs, an arm curled around his waist, the other threading between the soft curls of Jungkook. When they reach the first floor, Taehyung and Jungkook are great with a large wooden table full of food, wine, blood and lit candles with the whole family around it, including the newly turned vampire Jimin.
Jungkook grips his hand in perplexion. Taehyung likes that Jungkook chooses to show him his emotions and allows him to be his support pillar. Taehyung wanted to be a part of a family for so long.
“What just happened while I was asleep?” Jungkook inquires.
Yoongi, Namjoon, Jin, Hobi and Jimin all chuckle, faces morphed by adoration, it’s their youngest vampire after all. Taehyung feels happy. He remembers the last wish on his bucket list which he can erase. He now has a family.
“Let’s feast tonight.”
Taehyung leans closer to his lover “I accept your courting, if it was not obvious enough upstairs.” Jungkook’s face colours in a scarlet shade. Of course, everyone at the table laughs.
To see a world in a grain of sand
and a heaven in a wild flower,
hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour. (W. Blake)