Chapter Text
Jimin sighs, as he walks into the Starbucks right across the road from Seoul National University Hospital, better known as SNUH. He rubs his bleary eyes, trying to chase away the sleep in his eyelashes. It's dark outside, has already been for the past four hours, and Jimin still has his night shift to report to.
He shouldn't have accepted the offer of the graveyard shift in exchange for higher salary. But how could he, when Namjoon, the head doctor of their division, had pleaded with him with those eyes (They still haunted him in his dreams, dammit). Jimin blamed it on his weak will. That and the doctor who decided to get pregnant and push all the responsibilities on Jimin.
Jimin worked as a general practitioner in SNUH, and he loved his job, loved helping his patients. Jimin had chosen it when he found he liked the field of study it brought him into, and it had fit him pretty well. His parents were elated with his choice of job as well, having something to boast to their friends about.
Still feeling bitter about the situation he landed himself in, Jimin told the barista his order.
"Can I have a Grande Caramel Macchiato, please?" He says, gaze still on the board that hung overhead, boasting all the options the café offered.
"Sure, doc. Iced or hot?" The barista says, and Jimin looks at him, puzzled as to why he knew his occupation.
"You're wearing your lab coat," He says, and Jimin immediately glances at his attire; indeed, he had forgotten to take it off before he left the confines of his office.
Jimin blushes in embarrassment, before he answers, "Iced."
Now that he can't look at the barista in the eye, Jimin averts his gaze to the taller man's pantone-coloured apron. His name tag said Jung Hoseok.
"That would be five thousand and four hundred won," Hoseok said, and Jimin handed the cash over, checking his wrist watch as the taller man turned to start brewing Jimin's order. It was only ten thirty two. Eight and a half more hours till he could return to the warm embrace of his bed.
And to think this was only day one of his three month long switch in shifts for SNUH.
He fished his mobile phone from his pocket, opting to text Taehyung as he waited for Hoseok to finish with his beverage. Jimin had met the other doctor when they were working together on a patient who had a sudden increase in blood pressure after taking meds
After sending a grand total of twenty texts, Jimin came to the conclusion that Taehgyung was sleeping and pouted at his phone, finding blame in no one but himself for having such an awful best friend.
Before him, a hand set down a transparent cup, prompting Jimin to look up from the screen of his phone. Hoseok offered a grin as he slid the cup towards him. Jimin returned the smile, bringing the straw to his lips and taking a huge gulp. Savouring the bitter taste of the expresso, he brightened up visibly, waving a thanks to Hoseok before turning.
"Bye!" He chirped, exiting the corner shop, edges of his mouth lifting a little when he heard Hoseok's cheerful farewell.
Sipping his coffee, Jimin crossed the road and entered the hospital building, other had tucked in the pocket of his coat in an attempt to ward off the autumn chill of September.
He stalked up to his consultation office, reminding himself to send in those blood samples from patients to the lab to be examined. Everything was silent, so much that it was a little eerie, sending a chill up Jimin's spine. But Jimin brushed it off, thinking that he would be able to focus better.
Feeling slightly creeped out at the deafening silence and the rush of blood in his ears as his heart rate increased, Jimin sang to himself quietly. His mind was startlingly blank, the usual noisy thoughts no where to be found and replaced with nothingness.
Namjoon had yet to come by, and by now Jimin would have been grateful for his company even if he broke something in his office. It wasn't as if Jimin didn't know how to handle patients, but he wondered what Namjoon had wanted to tell him. He had not a single clue, because what would be different between the day and night shift, exactly?
With static in his ears, Jimin turns to his desktop, firing it up. The room was suddenly so cold. Jimin rubbed his covered arms, reaching for the remote control for the air conditioner to increase the temperature.
The desktop pinged. Jumping a little, Jimin glanced at it, pressing his lips together in a thin line when he saw that he had a patient.
Not five minutes later, a lady with a child clinging to her arms entered, ushering him into the seat at the side of Jimin's desk. She offered Jimin a thin smile, which Jimin returned as he turned to the boy.
"Hello, Mrs Lee," He says after glancing at her information on the computer screen. "What seems to be the problem?"
"He's been burning up since an hour ago," She says, worry lacing her voice.
"Alright, have you measured his temperature?" He asked.
The rest of the night went by just like that, with a few patients here and there, distracting Jimin from the turning feeling in his stomach.
As witching hour neared, Jimin became increasingly awake, rather than tired. The coffee must have begun to take effect. He stared idly at the desktop, thinking of his warm bed to draw his mind away from the goosebumps on his arm.
A tinkle of the computer and Jimin was shaken out of his reverie, immediately sitting upright as the muscles under his eye twitched involuntarily.
Lazy knocks on the wooden door leading to his office sounded, creaking open moments later. Jimmies' back stiffens, as a man dressed in all black strides in, head down and eyes piercing cold.
Is he wearing contacts? His irides are a deep crimson.
Jimin musters a wan smile, the hairs on the back of his head rising as the patient's unblinking gaze pinned him down.
And when the air conditioner unit shuts down suddenly, Jimin clenches his fist. None of them speak at once, and the room delves into a much deeper stillness, with only the sounds of time passing audible.
"W-What seems to be the problem?" Jimin stutters unconsciously.
The stranger stares him down for another solid minute. Ignoring the gnawing feeling in his chest, he opened his mouth to prompt him again, but is interrupted by a gruff voice.
"Blood." Did Jimin hear that right? Oh god, was this man a psychotic person who drank blood?
His heart started thumping uneasily against his ribcage, but Jimin paid it no attention. His mind was racing in all directions at once, fight or flight insticts already kicking in. His fingers gripped the edge of the table, knuckles turning white.
Eyes darting to the only way out, Jimin rises slowly, repressing the urge to call for help.
"W-what?" He tries to stall, looking for an escape route but finding none except for the door behind the man.
"A positive blood." The stranger says. "I need it."
All of a sudden, the lights start to flicker, and Jimin knows his pupils must be larger than ever. It can't be a coincidence that his own blood was an A positive.
He glances to the lights, then to the man, and realises with a start that the man has stepped closer. His steps bring no noise into the thick fear in the room.
And closer.
Jimin backs away.
Closer.
Jimin's back hits the wall.
Closer.
Jimin doesn't even know when his eyes slid shut, but he snaps them open when the stranger exhales audibly. And-oh, no, the stranger has sharpened canines, jutting out right above his lower lip. Is he so crazy that he ground his teeth to resemble that of a Vampire?!
"Aren't you going to go get me the blood packs?" The man's voice is like gravel.
Jimin blinks. Okay, so he doesn't actually want to suck his blood, just blood packs.
But how?
Jimin wasn't in charge of the blood bank, so naturally he couldn't just waltz in and take a few bags of blood out of the system.
"B-but I c-can't do that?" It came out more as a question but Jimin was too busy trying to quell his trembling hands to feel embarrassed by it.
"It's your job, Dr. Park." The man said, not looking amused at all.
"M-My job?" Jimin said. What did a blood drinking psycho have to do with his job?
"Yeah." He deadpanned.
This wasn't going anywhere. The cloud of fear in Jimin lifted, replaced with a haze of confusion. Brows furrowed, he opened his mouth to speak.
But before he could say anything, The handle of the door pushed down, opening to reveal Namjoon.
"Ah, Jimin, I forgot to mention one thing," He said, not even aware of Jimin's close proximity with the man.
"You have access to the almost-expired bloodbags in the blood bank if the Vampires ask for them," He continued, before exiting without so much as a glance at the man.
Shocked into silence, Jimin stared at the door, right where Namjoon had been, unable to believe his ears.
"V-Vampire?" He murmured. "No, they c-can't exist-"
"Well, then I shouldn't exist, yes?" The man chuckled, sinister.
"No," Jimin shakes his head in denial, "You can't be!"
"Well, should I prove it to you?" He leans into Jimin's bubble.
Jimin draws back, head hitting the concrete wall with a dull 'thunk'.
"As you can see, I'm very..." He touches two sharp fangs to Jimin's neck. "Real,"
Frantic, Jimin shoves the man, hard, but he only stumbles when he should have fallen backwards. This must be a dream. It must be.
How can Vampires exist? It's impossible. It defeats the laws of Biology. Jimin shakes his head, fingers pinching the skin of his arm repeatedly, but he wasn't waking up.
"Are you done yet?" The man-Jeon Jungkook, he finally looked at the screen of his computer-said. "I'm not getting any less hungry here,"
"I must be dreaming," Jimin says then, moving to exit his office. He might as well be nice to the Vampire, even if he was dreaming.
But if he was dreaming and it was lucid, then he could control it, right?
So Jimin tried. As he walked towards the West Wing of SNUH, he willed the scene the change, to remove the presence of Jungkook behind his back. Go away. Go away. Go away.
He turned around, positive that Jungkook had disappeared. But no, the man was still there, face set and jaw tensed, as if he knew what was going on in Jimin's mind. For a moment, Jimin paused to analyse the other.
Dark, blood red eyes boring into his soul. Pale complexion that seemed translucent under the fluorescent lights. Fangs that felt too sharp to be possible.
What if?
No, Vampires don't exist!
But...what if?
What if Jeon Jungkook was actually a Vampire and Jimin wasn't having a nightmare?
Hesitant, he looked back to the taller, cogs of his mind ticking and whirling like crazy. Was he? Or was he not?
"Believe me now?" Jungkook groused.
A Vampire. Jeon Jungkook was a Vampire.
Whipping around so fast that it felt like his head was going to loll off his shoulders, Jimin quickened his footsteps, marching toward the bloodbank.
As the double doors leading to the storage vault came into view, Jimin sanitised his hands, and entered. Of course, not before squeaking out a "Stay outside!" to Jungkook.
Jimin swivelled on his heels, meeting the chilled air with a shiver. The storage room was empty, devoid of personnel as the haematologists didn't have night shifts. He glanced around, shelves full of packs of blood and each labelled carefully with a blood type and scanned them for A+.
Once he located the shelf, Jimin checked each basket for their expiry dates, tilting them a little to look at their contents. As he got to the lower levels, he found later dates, and decided to take one from the basket dated for two days later.
With bloodbag in hand, Jimin exited the room quickly; it was becoming freezing in there. Jungkook was still standing there, looking at his phone distractedly.
"Here," Jimin said, timidly, having fully realised that Jungkook was a vampire and was harmless (as of now).
Jungkook took the bloodbag from Jimin, although a little hesitant.
"Thank you." He grunted, before stalking away.
Jimin bit his lip. He knew that it was his doubt that had upset Jungkook in one way or another, but really, he couldn't be blamed, right? After all, he hadn't been told of this arrangement prior to his night shift. So he wasn't the one at fault, right?
Right?
Then why did he feel his gut sink as he watched Jungkook's retreating figure?
Staring into blank space for a few more minutes, he hadn't realised that his own feet were bringing him back to his office until he stopped roght before the door with the label 'Dr. Park'. Sighing for the umpteenth time, he pushed the door open and stepped in, awaiting the night to be over and for his warm bed to welcome him back at home.
-
As the subsequent days passed, Jimin saw a recurring pattern in Jungkook's visits as well as his visiting hours. He would come every two days or so, and arrive around twelve to one A.M.. There were times when Jimin had attempted to make conversation, but only got replies from the other in the form of nods or shakes of Jungkook's head.
Until now.
Jimin had been constantly telling Jungkook that he was sorry for doubting him at all, and for being inconsiderate of Jungkook's feelings. His conscience was eating him alive, and the only thing Jimin could do was to apologise.
"Stop apologising," Jungkook breathed out through his nose, looking away. "I get it."
"O-Okay," Jimin replied, a little surprised at the reaction. His lips lifted a little in a smile, while handing Jungkook a bloodbag marked A+.
"Thanks." Jungkook said, looking at Jimin with a strange expression, "You've got whipped cream at the corner of your mouth,"
Jimin flushed. It must have been from the mocha he bought from Hoseok. God, how mortifying. He brought his thumb to swipe it off, but when he pulled it back, there was nothing on it. He tried the other corner, still nothing.
"JEON JUNGKOOK!!!" He glared at the taller, who was in the midst of escaping from the room.
Jungkook gave a cheeky laugh, and then he was gone.
Was this guy a man or a child? Jimin grumbled in his head, face still burning from the embarassment of fallig for Jungkook's trick.
-
Slowly, like an unfurling blossom in spring, they start to open up to each other, talking more often during Jungkook's visits, over bloodbags and coffee. It becomes routine, natural even, to converse about random stuff and for Jimin to ask about an aspect of vampires he was curious about.
Which was exactly what he was doing right now.
"Hey, Jungkook?" He doesn't look up from his pile of paperwork. "Were you born vampire? Or were you turned? Is that still a thing?"
"I was born a vampire." Jungkook states, watching as Jimin scribbles down reminders for himself. "My father turned my mom,"
Jimin glances up to meet Jungkook's eyes, but stays silent otherwise. Jungkook was sipping from the bloodbag Jimin had given him with a straw, but Jimin wasn't disturbed, having gotten used to the sight for three weeks already, and just watched as Jungkook collected the beads of blood on his lip.
"It's pretty romantic, really," Jungkook said, after a beat. "For vampires, the one we turn become our mate for life, so I guess vampires do have a amorous side too,"
"Wow..." Jimin didn't know vampires had traditions and customs. "Are you...planning to...find a mate soon?"
Honestly, Jimin didn't even know why he asked that question, it just slipped out of his mouth without going through his mind. He tried not to make his expression shift into a grimace at the blunt question, because honestly, he was a little curious.
Right, just curious.
"Uh, not as of now, I'm still a fledgeling in vampire terms, I guess I won't be thinking of that for the next few decades or so..." He says, glancing back to where his straw meets the plastic of the bloodbag.
Jimin didn't even know why he felt disappointed...sort of empty, even. The weird sensation sloshed in his stomach, settling there uneasily and making him shift in his seat. Laughing nervously, he switched the topic swiftly, suppressing the feeling in his gut and focusing on their conversation instead.
-
It is four days later, when Jungkook enters the office without notifying the counter, and Jimin startles when he twist the doorknob and enters. His look was priceless, and Jungkook, upon seeing it, couldn't help but laugh out loud, even though his heart throbbed at the cuteness.
Contrary to common belief, vampires did have working hearts, and needed air to survive, they just had blood as a dietary requirement in place of carbohydrates, protein and nutrients. Normal food was just a pleasure not many indulged in.
"Hey," Jimin protested weakly as Jungkook took a bloodbag out of the basket Jimin by his side so he wouldn't have to walk back and forth to fetch bloodbags. "You didn't even ask,"
Jungkook smiles cheekily. "You're so weakhearted, hyung," He teases, referring to how Jimin reacted when he came into the office out of a sudden.
Jimin pouts, pink roses blooming on his cheekbones. Jungkook's heart did it's second leap that day, threatening to pound out of his ribcage, his free hand going to grip the edge of his own shirt to stop himself from doing something he would regret. He chooses instead to elongate his fangs to pierce the bloodbag, watching Jimin become more flustered and red-faced fondly.
Jimin gulps. Things are not doing good on his side. He's acting like a headless chicken right now, not knowing what to do before Jungkook, the vampire's behaviour making his mind spin. One moment he is lip towards him, another moment he is being really, really, really sexy biting into that bloodbag.
Should Jimin feel that turned on by a vampire?
He looks down to where the tip of his pen was still resting on his paper, and sighed, hard. The ink had accumulated to form a large blob of black on the fresh piece of paper he was to write his recommendation to the hospital director. Discarding the paper, he draws another out of his file, deciding to write it after Jungkook has gone.
For now, he just wants to listen to the man talk.
Jimin doesn't even get the chance to begin before Jungkook does. "Do you remember when we first met?"
Oh, no. Jimin doesn't want to go back there, not ever. But apparently Jungkook does, cause he says, "You were so scared I thought you were gonna wet yourself," between laughs.
"Hey!" Jimin exclaims then. "It wasn't that bad!"
"It was,"
"Wasn't!"
"Was,"
"Wasn't! I'm older, so I'm right!"
"Well, I'm a hundred and two years old, how 'bout you?"
"T-That's not fair!"
"All's fair in love and war," Jungkook's voice sounded like a promise. Jimin ignored it, it probably was just his mind overthinking things.
"Oh, are you challenging me?" He raised an eyebrow, fuck professionalism, this is a war over his goddamn pride.
Jungkook didn't reply, smirking while polishing his sharp canines off with his tongue.
Jimin tried hard not to imprint the image in his mind. He failed.
But oh, the game was on.
Vampire: 1 | Human: 0
-
"You were like," Junkook shrunk into himself, curling inwards, eyes widening, "This when I came in!"
"I was not!" Jimin refused stubbornly, there was no fucking way he looked like that!
"You were!" Jungkook cackled. "And the best part was how you were stuttering!"
That was it. Jimin had to use his secret weapon number 79. Forcing tears out of his tear ducts, he desperately thought about the death of his dog, feeling his lower lip tremble as he looked up at Jungkook. He was seated while Jungkook was standing, which, in a way, gave him the advantage of looking smaller and therefore more vulnerable.
Jungkook made a noise of surprise. He drew his head back, eyes comically widened, stammering his 'what's wrong's and apologising for being mean.
"Y-You m-mean that?" Jimin says in a small voice, bless his superior acting skills.
"Yes! Yes! Just-" Jungkook desperately replies, "I'm sorry, okay?!"
"Y-You won't s-say that again, r-right?"
"Yes! Yes! Please don't cry!" Jungkook still doesn't realise he is conversing with a twenty six year old man and not a child.
"Thank you!" Jimin's frown and the crocodile tears disappear, while Jungkook only stares, befuddled.
Human: 1 | Sexy Stupid Vampire: 1
-
The next time Jungkook goes to SNUH to get his blood, he already has a plan formed in his head. Oh, he is so going to make Jimin admit that he's a scaredy-cat.
As he registered at the front desk of the department, Jungkook smirked to himself, thinking of Jimin's fearful expression after his plan was executed. He was going to make the human eat his own words.
As he watched a man emerge from the room Jimin consulted patients in, he ran through his 'battle strategy' in his mind.
Then he set his plan into action.
He turned the doorknob slightly, imagining Jimin stiffening up in the room, frightened eyes staring at the door and body completely alert. Allowing his fangs to grow and the red to seep into his eyes, he entered the room with a swift twist of the doorknob, sweeping into the room with practiced grace. Jimin was there, as always, pressed into the back of his seat, and from where Jungkook was, he already could see the other's eyes dilate.
God, Jimin thought. Jungkook's eyes were so, so red. They only turned that colour when he was drinking blood. Did that mean he wanted blood? And oh, his fangs. They were so long that Jungkook couldn't close his mouth properly, and Jimin was truly terrified.
"J-Jungkook...?" He whimpered as the man drew closer, hands forming fists to stop himself from scrambling backwards.
When Jungkook didn't reply, Jimin tried again. "Y-You came for a bloodbag, right?" He handed the taller one from the basket on his table.
But Jungkook didn't accept it. He didn't even look at it. Instead, his eyes bored holes into JImin's neck, dragging upwards to finally meet his eyes. He shook his head.
"I want your blood." Jungkook all but growled.
"W-What?" Jimin squeaked, that can't be true, right?
As Jungkook stalked closer, like a tiger would its prey, an arm holding Jimin's chair still and the other caging him in. Leaning downwards, he resisted the weak hands pushing him away, nosing at Jimin's jaw, then neck.
At this point, Jimin was already hyperventilating. He struggled, but there was nowhere to hide. At this point he didn't even notice the small sounds leaving his mouth and his begging.
"Got you," Jungkook had his lips against Jimin's neck, the older with his eyes squeezed shut, but the statement was still audible.
Jimin's eyes snapped open.
"JEON JUNGKOOK!" He yelled, after a few seconds.
Jimin shoved him, hard, Jungkook's laughing form weak with laughter and falling into a sitting position on the floor.
"Scaredy-cat!" Jungkook said in a sing-song manner, clutching his aching stomach, sore from laughing.
Jimin pouted.
Vampire: 2 | Human: 1
What he didn't know was how fast Jungkook's heart was racing just from feeling his pulse underneath his lips, smell of fresh blood making the vampire's mouth go dry.
-
"Yoongi hyung..." Jungkook mumbled to the man seated on the rolling chair in the darkly lit room, standing in the doorway hesitantly.
"What," Yoongi didn't even bother turning around to reply, just pushing the pair of headphones perched on his head down to rest on his neck. "This better be worth my time."
"I-Can I come in?" Jungkook asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
"You're already in the room," Yoongi deadpanned.
Jungkook smiled secretly. They had known each other long enough for Jungkook to know that that translated to 'come in,' in Yoongi.
Sitting himself on a spare chair next to his hyung, Jungkook breathed out a sigh, recounting the events of the past hour. He hadn't returned to his home just yet, opting to go look for Yoongi right after he left the hospital.
"Hyung..." He began, when Yoongi didn't make a move to start the conversation. "What do I do if I...get feelings for a human?"
"Turn him." Yoongi's responses were always so blunt. "Then mate him."
Jungkook groans in frustration. "It's not so easy," He whines, hand reaching up to shake Yoongi's shoulder in aggravation.
Yoongi was a part of the coven Jungkook belonged to, and the only one there that didn't treat him like he was still a fledgeling, so naturally Jungkook gravitated towards the older, going to him whenever he had a problem on his hands. Yoongi always gave him good advice, well, that was until now.
"What's so hard about letting him drink your blood?" Yoongi continued clicking on his desktop, as if they weren't discussing something that would've gotten them in prison.
"I don't even know if he wants this," Jungkook pouted, and it was true. Sure, Jimin ruffled his hair and smiled so beautifully at him, but it was all in a brotherly sense, Jungkook knew.
"Then ask him," Yoongi replied, bumping his shoulder with Jungkook's. It was the most affectionate he could get, and Jungkook smiled.
"I guess I'll do that..." He mumbled, still reluctant, but willing to take the advice of his most respected hyung.
"You never know until you ask, Jungkook," Yoongi finally said, before pushing his headphones back to fit his ears. "Now leave me alone, I gotta finish composing this,"
-
Jungkook hadn't come for five days already. His cycle had been broken twice, and Jimin, frankly speaking, was worried out of his mind. Had he taken his blood these few days? Was he lying dead in a ditch somewhere? Did he take blood from a human?
It hadn't even occured to Jimin that he had just wished for someone to have their blood sucked by Jungkook, as long as the boy was doing fine.
The feeling turned into a sort of hollow ache that settled into the pit of Jimin's stomach. He had gotten so used to Jungkook being around every two days and their combined laughter bouncing off the walls of his office that he couldn't stand the silence that echoed in the small room.
But...maybe it was for the best. Maybe Jungkook not coming was for the best. If he was fine, then Jimin thought it would be good like this. This way he wouldn't develop unneeded feelings for Jungkook. He wouldn't have to burden the vampire, who hadn't even thought of mating and settling down.
It was kind of stupid, Jimin's affection for Jungkook. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Jimin didn't want to have anything to do with these feelings anymore. They had been bubbling underneath the surface for his skin, for how long, Jimin had no idea of. The only thing he knew was that he wanted it to stop.
Jungkook had already said before. He didn't want to settle down. Why did Jimin's heart disobey his wills? It is now that he realised that his mother had been right all along. Focus on your degree, and when you get a job, focus on that, and earn more money. Don't get tangled in messy feelings, or you'll end up like me, she used to say, but now that she was gone, Jimin didn't know who to look to for guidance.
Why was he even having this meltdown? The deed was done, there was no use crying over spilt milk; now all Jimin could do was hope that Jungkook would never come back and that he could move on, eventually.
Jimin sighed. Enough was enough. Picking up his pen to resume his paperwork concerning the acceptance of interns, he resolved to stop thinking about Jeon Jungkook, and ward of his feelings. His unnecessary feelings.
And as if the entire universe was mocking him of his decision, the door slung open, revealing a very, very dishevelled Jungkook, eyes faintly glowing.
Jimin swallowed the ball of nerves down his throat, forcing himself to believe that no, Jungkook wasn't out to kill, just like the last two times his eyes flashed red.
"Hi," Jungkook rasped, and Jimin suppressed a shudder at the sound.
"Hello," Jimin greeted, all too polite, hand instinctively reaching for the basket on his table; searching for a bloodbag to offer Jungkook.
Only to come up with nothing.
"You...don't have any bloodbags anymore?" Jungkook questioned, brows furrowed.
Jimin must've forgotten to bring in some.
Telling Jungkook to stay in the office, he promptly headed to the storage room, willing his heart to calm down. It was a surprise, really, the fact that Jungkook came in so suddenly, after the time that he was absent, and right when Jimin was thinking of him, too. And Jimin was weak-willed, that was a fact. Couldn't resist giving in to the whims of others. Couldn't resist giving in to the temptations. Couldn't resist giving in to Jeon Jungkook.
Slowing to a stop before the double doors, Jimin shook his head, as if trying to dislodge the melancholy from his head, and proceeded to search for the A+ bloodbags.
He couldn't find any.
There was an emergency in the ICU in the evening, his brain supplied 'helpfully', recalling what the head nurse, Seokjin, had told him when he clocked in for his shift.
Fuck. That meant Jungkook wouldn't have blood to take. Did that also mean Jungkook would have to go without blood for a day or two? Well, he had to tell the vampire so he could go and secure other means of nourishment, then.
"Uh-Jungkook?" Jimin said, rather timidly, as he re-entered the room.
"Our blood supply is currently restocking, so you have to get your blood from somewhere else...?" His statement ended in a question, and Jimin himself didn't know why.
"What?!" In any other situation, Jimin would find it amusing, how Jungkook widened his eyes comically.
"I haven't drunk blood in five days already!" Jungkook said, as if that would explain everything.
"Is that...bad?" Jimin was starting to notice how Jungkook's skin had become more ashen than before, or was he imagining things?
"I'm not supposed to go without for three," Jungkook said drily, and averted his gaze, but it was too late, Jimin had seen it.
Jungkook's eyes were grey.
"Y-You're not gonna die, right?" Jimin said, he really hoped Jungkook wouldn't.
"Um," Jungkook fiddled with the hem of his sleeves.
"You mean," Jimin gulped. This couldn't be happening. "You mean you'll just turn into dust or something?!"
"Something like that," Jungkook's voice was really, really soft.
"Then what are you still doing here?!!" Jimin gestured wildly. "Go to some other hospital!"
And instantly remembered how the nearest hospital was about two hours away and Jungkook already looked like he was disintegrating.
"Forget that, just..." Jimin hesitated. Was he just about to offer a vampire his own blood?!!
But Jungkook was dying. In his office.
Biting his lip, he completed the sentence. "Just drink my blood."
"What?!"
"You're not gonna drink all of it, right?"
"Yeah..."
"And my blood type is A+ as well,"
"But I-"
"Just do it." Jimin was starting to become annoyed, at the thought of Jungkook dying.
At that, Jungkook snapped his mouth shut, then stood up from his seat beside the table, and backed Jimin into the wall beside the door.
"Do you..." Jungkook leaned in, bumping his nose with Jimin's neck. "Do you trust me?"
"Y-Yes." Jimin shivered, all thoughts of fear chased away from his mind, replaced with a sort of warmth that spread to his fingertips and hair-ends.
Then nothing else was being said, for Jungkook had sunk his fangs into Jimin's neck, drawing liquid energy from his artery. It was strange, this feeling. Jimin had felt a prick in the beginning, but it felt sort of...comfortable? when Jungkook started sucking slowly.
Everything was starting to become fuzzy around the edges, when Jungkook pulled away, licking away the remnants of red off his teeth and lips. His knees buckled a little, but Jungkook managed to hold him up, with a startled "Hyung?!".
And then he was manhandled into a chair, dazed eyes snapping into clarity again, hand shooting out to grip jungkook's reflexively.
"Are you okay now?" Jimin said, still a little worried, even though Jungkook's features had returned to their original complexion.
"I think I should be asking that," Jungkook ruffled his own hair awkwardly, giving a hesitant smile.
"I'm fine," Jimin said, waving his hand both in assurance and as a way of ushering Jungkook off.
After Jungkook had gone, Jimin was left with fragments of how he had felt with Jungkook in such close proximity.
-
The subsequent times that Jungkook came, there were no more repeat occurrences of the hospital running out of blood, and the pair returned to the default schedule, never missing or skipping any days.
Well, as normal as it could get with a different aura around both Jimin and Jungkook. Something felt off, somehow, Jimin thought.
Jungkook was here for his blood today, again, but Jimin thought he looked a little weird as he consumed his blood, looking a little green after each sip, hands squeezing the bloodbag so hard it was a wonder how blood didn't spurt out from the hole Jungkook had poked. Jimin tilted his head a little, pausing his work on tabulating the correct dosage for the new brand of medicine they received, staring at Jungkook sip on the blood, nothing like how he used to finish them in half a minute.
Jimin didn't question it though, shrugging it off as something trivial and resuming his work.
-
"Ugh, I feel sick," Jungkook groaned into his pillow, kicking his legs like a spoilt child.
"Well, that's what you get for drinking from your mate," Yoongi deadpanned from his position oh his own bed, tapping away at his laptop.
"What was I supposed to do? He was insisting!" Jungkook complained, the churning in his stomach not stopping.
"Then go solve the entire damn problem," Yoongi said, fixing Jungkook with an amused stare.
"He wouldn't want to be turned," Jungkook grumbled. "Why would he want to give up on a normal life for this stupid lifestyle?"
"Anything is possible with true love," Yoongi deadpanned.
"How cheesy, hyung," Jungkook shot back, misery still not put out.
The rest of Yoongi's words on how he was a brat fell on deaf ears as Jungkook recalled the day Jimin let him suck his blood. Jungkook had actually planned on acting on Yoongi's words, proposing to turn Jimin, but he was so nervous that he put it on hold for a total of five days in fear of rejection. And just when he finally balled up the courage to do so, The Incident, as Jungkook had dubbed it, happened.
Making a noise of frustration, Jungkook smacked his face back into his pillow, screaming silently into it.
-
"Ah..." Jimin caught Jungkook's gaze as they sat quietly, basking in each other's presence. "I'll be switching back to my regular time slot in a week, so I won't be the one helping you get your bloodbags anymore,"
There. He said it. He had just gotten the news yesterday, about a new doctor willing to fill in his place for the graveyard shift, but what he thought would be ecstasy was replaced by disappointment, filling his chest cavity. He wouldn't have to be the one helping Jungkook get his blood anymore. He wouldn't have to see Jungkook anymore. He wouldn't have to endure the endless teasing by the vampire anymore.
It was a good thing, his mind told his heart.
"Oh..." Something in Jungkook's gaze changed, somehow. "Okay,"
Seeing the lack of a reaction, the aching in Jimin's chest grew tenfold, averting his gaze and laughing weakly. Of course Jungkook wouldn't care.
That day, the pair parted with smiles fixed on their faces, but each nursing broken hope and hearts.
-
Nothing had really changed, Jimin convinced himself.
Everything had changed.
Frozen lips, unable to speak what he wanted to scream to the world. I'm sorry. I want you. Don't go. Still hands, unable to grasp the hand he so badly wants to and never let go. Caged gaze. Jimin couldn't look away from Jungkook, his features, trying so damn hard to memorise every single quirk of his lips, every wrinkle beside his eye-smile.
But that was not everything that had changed.
It was the things in between them both. It was the stale air holding too much ice and fire at the same time, too warm and too cold at the same time. The fists clenched beneath the table they sat at. The lingering, longing, laving gazes.'
Changed was the way Jungkook thought.
I knew it, he would repeat. I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. Jimin would give up anything to change back to his original shift. He doesn't want to associate with the likes of me. He didn't mean the words, the offer, the smiles laughs grins. They were all out of the overflowing kindness Jimin had. Never because of anything else. Never because of Jungkook.
All 'maybe's gone with the wind.
-
This is it. Today is the last day. It's goodbye.
"Here," Jimin handed Jungkook the last bloodbag in his basket.
"Thanks."
It is broken, the spell. Everything that was once is no more. Stolen glances, secret smiles, fidgety limbs. All gone.
It seems as if neither of them can do anything. As they sit across from each other, Jungkook quietly draining the bloodbag of his supply of energy, staring at his crossed legs, Jimin fiddling with the cap of his pen, eyes fixed on Jungkook's face.
Now Jimin knew what people meant when they said that the tension in the air was so thick that one could cut it with a knife. Gnawing at his lower lip, he opened his mouth to say something, then thought better of it and snapped his trap shut.
But are you prepared to part with Jungkook forever?
No.
"W-Wait," He blurted, just as Jungkook was standing up with a resigned look.
Jungkook stilled, eyes darting to meet Jimin's, wide with surprise and a foreign look in his eyes. Jimin steeled his will.
"I have something to say before you go," It's now or never.
Jungkook remained silent, and Jimin took it as a green light to continue.
"Look, I probably shouldn't say this, but I want to it's just that I can't help it and I don't even know why it's-" Jimin started.
"Jimin," Jungkook said gently, breaking Jimin's sentence. "You're rambling,"
"Oh, I-" Jimin cupped his face lightly in embarrassment. So. Mortifying.
"Jimin," Jungkook continues, fond look never leaving his face. "I like you,"
"Oh," Jimin said again, this time softer, and it's true how they say your heart feels like it's gonna explode in your chest. "Oh,"
And he just stares blankly, mind whirring as he tries to process what Jungkook just said.
Jungkook, however, was getting pessimistic by the second. Jimin hadn't given a reply. At all. Did that mean Jimin didn't...reciprocate his feelings?
"It's okay if you don't..." He trailed off,realising that he might have jumped to conclusions when Jimin said he wanted to tell him something. Maybe it was just a 'let's remain in contact' or something completely platonic. Jungkook had messed up. Big time.
Before Jungkook realised it, Jimin had walked up to his side, tugging at the sleeve of his shirt. "I like you too,"
Jungkook stared for a while. Okay, maybe for a very long time, before he reached out a hand to brush at Jimin's cheek, watermelon-slice smile huge on his face. And maybe, just maybe, he feels Jimin's finger drawing little hearts on his back when he pulls them into a hug.
They both smile wider.
-
"You're sure about this?"
"Positive."
"Very sure?"
"Yes!"
"Really, really, really sure?"
"Godammit just get on with it I'm growing old just listening to your questions!"
"Okay,"
Jungkook bared his teeth and nosed the soft skin of Jimin's neck. After a few licks and nudges from Jimin, he pushed his fangs into the flesh, right above the spot where he first drank from. Sucking lightly, he savoured the sweetness of his mate's blood, a quality not present in that of the blood donors' he usually took.
Pulling back, Jungkook swallowed the last mouthful of Jimin's blood, and bit his own lip with his canines, piercing through the this skin so his own blood would bleed into his mouth. Leaning closer to Jimin, he connected their lips in a chaste kiss, before coaxing Jimin's lips open to pass his blood to him.
Jimin's nose wrinkled as the taste of iron invaded his taste buds, but he swallowed a small gulp of Jungkook's blood, feeling the warmth travel down his throat as Jungkook continued to mouth at his lips.
They were in Jungkook's apartment, in Jungkook's room, when Jimin had brought up what had been on Jungkook's mind for months. They had been dating for about five months, Jungkook having asked Jimin out after they confessed. Although Jungkook had thought of turning Jimin, he hadn't mentioned it, for fear of it being a sensitive topic between the two.
So when Jimin had wanted to talk about it, Jungkook was fairly surprised, and also a little reluctant. He didn't want to rush into things, in case Jimin came to regret it later on. But with Jimin's insisting and reassuring, he gave in, biting Jimin for the second time and going though the ritual to turn a human.
From the sluggish response Jimin gave to his kisses, Jungkook knew he was drowsy from the biological change happening to his body, and lay them both down onto his bed, pulling Jimin's back against his chest.
"Sleep," He said, nosing at the back of his neck, kissing it lightly.
Jimin hummed in response, already ghosting the border between the living and the dreams.