Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Thou mettest with things dying, I with things reborn."

— William Shakespeare (The Winter's Tale, Act III, Scene III)

Taehyung clutched his neck, grasping at the skin as if to tear it off. The searing pain was the most unbearable agony he had ever encountered. Every part of his body was burning, his blood almost bubbling to the surface. He screamed out in misery, writhing on the forest floor, wishing that he would just pass out from the pain and cease to exist.

This is how I die, he thought as he curled into a ball on the damp ground, attempting to soothe the torment. 

Taehyung could’ve never imagined that he would be in this position a few days ago.  He often visited this forest when the real world got a bit too much for him. Recently graduated, he didn’t have any idea what he wanted to do in life. His degree in business meant nothing to him; just something to appease his parents. He didn’t know how he wanted to proceed in life now that this chapter was over and he had come to camp in his favorite part of the woods to find solace and maybe some answers.

He had been hiking along an unmarked trail—something his parents would chide him for, though he did it all the time—when he heard some rustling up ahead. He chalked it off to being an animal and continued on his way. It wasn’t until the noise grew closer and closer with each step that Taehyung took that he realized that this was not some harmless animal, but a predator—one that was stalking its prey. He turned tail and started jogging back to his campsite, but the moment he tripped over the root of a tree, he knew it was over.

Taehyung felt pressure on his back as he tried to push himself up, desperate to throw off the creature, but whatever had attacked him was tenacious—it overpowered him with ease. He did try to fight back—to get the thing off of him—but it was fruitless. With horror, he looked down to find arms wrapped around his shoulders, and hands resting ominously at the base of his throat, gripping onto his shirt. Taehyung let out a shriek as something pierced the flesh of his neck, feeling himself getting weaker with every passing second. He couldn’t believe this thing—this person —was drinking his blood. 

Taehyung kneeled in one last ditch effort to get the being off of him and this time he prevailed. He could rejoice for only a moment before he turned back—and froze. Before him was a man so beautiful that he wouldn’t have conceived him to be real had he not seen it with his own two eyes. He blinked rapidly, trying to make sure his eyes didn’t deceive him. The man didn’t look like he could have overpowered Taehyung so easily with his frail figure but the blood trickling down his chin warned Taehyung that he should run and never turn back. He looked like he was in anguish, pain swimming in his brown eyes. His dark hair was unruly and unkempt; truly looking like a frenzied animal. The man’s grimace of pain was something that he would never forget.

Taehyung had stumbled forward again in the opposite direction of the man, praying to his angels above that the creature had truly yielded. Taehyung tripped a lot more this time, ripping his jeans at the knees in the process. The loss of blood was making him dizzy. He couldn’t feel his hands anymore and everything was spinning. Eventually, there came a point where his neck began to burn so intensely that Taehyung couldn’t move another inch. He dropped to his knees and screamed up to the sky. His throat protested at the action, so much of his energy depleting. He fell over on his side, his limbs in disarray on the ground.

Taehyung squeezed his arms tightly around himself as he recalled the memory. It felt like days ago rather than mere hours before. The scorching sensation radiated throughout his body. It was dark now, and he wished that the man would come back; just finish what he started rather than leave him like this; contorting on the damp forest floor alone in the dark woods. Even animals deserved more mercy than what he was going through.

Taehyung forced his eyes shut as he distantly heard a whooshing sound, unlike any noise he had ever heard before. He kept his eyes closed, assuming it to be the strange being from earlier, finally coming to put Taehyung out of his misery. He willed the creature to come closer; his pain making it easy to tear another scream from his lungs. 

Immediately there was a presence near his side and Taehyung went rigid,  anticipating the suffering that he would be subjected to once again. Cold hands pressed on his neck where he had felt the bite earlier and a low hiss resounded in the air.

“Fuck,” a gravelly voice muttered, retracting its frigid hands from Taehyung’s skin. 

Taehyung didn’t dare open his eyes as he was jostled and lifted from the ground as though he weighed nothing. A silent gasp left his lips as he was pressed against a cool surface, easing the fire inside Taehyung’s body only a fraction. 

And then they were moving.

Taehyung felt the wind whipping around him, reminding him of the one time he had stupidly agreed to ride on the back of his school crush’s motorcycle, but even that was nothing compared to this. Rationally, he knew he should be trying to fight this thing off, but he was so fatigued that it would certainly be a losing battle. He also couldn’t bear to lose the slight comfort that was brought to his aching body.

So Taehyung kept his eyes closed and prayed that it would be all over soon.

Taehyung figured he must have been in and out of consciousness because he soon heard a door slam open. He cringed at the sharp sound as it rang in his ears.

“Hoseok!” the voice called out with urgency and Taehyung could feel the tremble through the person’s chest.

“Yoongi, what’s going on?” another voice answered, light and airy. It made Taehyung think of the times on his grandparents’ farm; where he would run freely through the flower patches without a care in the world.

Taehyung wished he could open his eyes, and see what was going on, but he was terrified that if did so, he wouldn’t be able to stop the screams bubbling up his throat. He had to keep every muscle clenched; to keep the pain inside.

“Seems like we didn’t get rid of our problem,” the voice—Yoongi—spoke as objects clattered noisily in the background. 

Yes, please, just finish what you started. 

Taehyung felt himself being carefully placed onto a hard surface and immediately the pain became unbearable again. A groan was all he let escape past his lips as he clutched his torso, rolling onto his side as flames licked his skin.

A cool hand pushed back his hair from his forehead in a gentle caress. “Shhh, little one. It’ll be over soon.” It was the voice that reminded him of flower fields again. Hoseok, he had said? Taehyung couldn’t keep up anymore. The pain was sucking all of his sanity.

Please, God, let it be over!

“I don’t know how long he’s been out there,” Yoongi confessed with great turmoil. “I found him out there all alone. I don’t know how he’s not screaming in agony.”

Gentle fingertips grazed over his neck. “They practically ripped his neck out, the bastards.” The gentle voice—Hoseok—sounded so soothing to Taehyung’s ears. It took away some of his pain, even if it were only momentarily. He longed to see the face of this man; wondered if his kind voice would be accompanied by a pretty face.

“I thought we had gotten rid of the last of them, but seems like we were wrong.” Yoongi sounded disgruntled, as though this affected him greatly.

“Just means that we need to work harder,” Hoseok hummed in thought as he stroked Taehyung’s side. “It’s a pity that they found him, though. He seems too young to…” he trailed off, something unspoken between the pair.

Too young to die was probably what he meant, but Taehyung appreciated that he omitted that part even if it was inevitable. It made things feel less drastic.

“Maybe we can take care of him,” Yoongi said suddenly. “Show him our ways…”

Our ways? Taehyung thought to himself. What the hell does he mean by that? Did I stumble across members of a cult?

It was silent for a few more beats. Taehyung wished they would say more, that they would explain what they meant.

“We’ll leave it up to him,” Hoseok asserted after some time. “At least that should be his choice since The Act already took that away from him.”

The Act? My choice? What the hell are they talking about? Taehyung felt more and more frustrated as they spoke over him, but he was slowly losing consciousness. He was only catching bits and pieces of their conversation now and things were becoming more befuddled in his mind.

Taehyung felt himself being shifted, a coolness he hadn’t realized he’d been craving enveloping him once more. Gentle, cold hands carded through his bangs before he felt a strong gust of wind propel him. He could tell he had been moved to a new area, but he still didn’t feel strong enough to open his eyes. He was placed onto something soft—a mattress?—and felt a tender caress on his cheek that he found himself leaning into. A blanket was settled over him and tucked into his sides, comforting despite the writhing pain that was slowly but surely taking over his body.

“Sleep,” a voice said in the everlasting darkness. “We’ll be here when you’re ready.”

And with that, Taehyung slipped into a state of slumber unlike any he had ever known before.

When Taehyung awoke, he had no idea where he was. He slowly peeled open his eyes, only to shut them immediately. It felt like he could see everything in motion all at once. Prisms that he had never seen before, every entry of the light from the windows—even the dust particles floating in the air. 

Maybe it’s just the trick of the light, Taehyung told himself, finding the courage to open his eyes once more. 

All of it was still there. Even in a room that he couldn’t recognize, Taehyung could see everything. He felt overwhelmed, the beating of his heart soaring. He placed a hand over his chest and willed it to slow down, taking in big gulps of air through his mouth and blowing it out through his nose. Slowly but surely, his heart rate returned to normal.

But then his nose twitched, and oh. 

Taehyung could smell everything , just as he could see it. The scent of lavender infiltrated his nostrils and he could tell it was coming from the linings of the bed. He could even smell hints of leather and dust coming from the room, with a hint of oak. He smelled hints of cologne coming from his shirt and he peered down to look at himself. He was dressed in a white linen shirt that surely wasn’t his own.

Whose is this?

Taehyung closed his eyes and let his head fall against the pillow.

This is just a dream, this is just a dream, this is just a—

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and oh, guess he could hear everything too. A heartbeat thumped on the other side, accompanied by shallow breaths that echoed in the stillness.

What the fuck is going on? Where am I?

Taehyung sat up in his bed and looked around to see if there was anything he could defend himself with, but there was nothing. All he could see in the room were full bookcases and a leather trunk. There was another knock on the door, this time more insistent, and Taehyung swallowed his fear before speaking.

“Come in.” His own voice sounded foreign to him, hoarse with disuse. How long had he been asleep?

The door swung open to reveal a stunning man. He had tan skin and warm, brown eyes framed with strong eyebrows. He was wearing an outfit that was much too bright for the circumstances—a light green sweater with light-wash jeans. His lips were curled into a heart-shaped smile as he regarded Taehyung with a gaze that felt like coming home after a long time away.

“Hello,” the man said and Taehyung could’ve sworn that he had heard this man before. He reminded Taehyung of flower fields.

Flower fields!

“You… You’re Hoseok, right?” Taehyung surmised, sitting up a little straighter on the bed. The events of his last memory began to surface, and he remembered there was another person there, too. “You and… Yoongi? He brought me here, right? After I was attacked?”

Hoseok grinned, taking a step into the room and closer to the bed. “One step at a time, little one. But yes, my name is Hoseok. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

Taehyung felt his cheeks heat up from the undivided attention he was receiving from such an attractive man. He was glad that the voice matched the face perfectly. Warm, open, inviting.

“Flower fields…” Taehyung muttered under his breath, biting his lip. It was a memory he often thought about. The summer days he spent at his grandparents’ farm were cherished memories. He longed for those moments every time he was plagued by stress, especially during college.

“What was that?” Hoseok inquired, now hovering over the bed as if asking for permission to sit.

Taehyung quickly nodded his consent. “Nothing, nothing.” Taehyung would rather die than divulge that connection to Hoseok right now. Everything was already too weird.

Speaking of dying…

“Shouldn’t I be dead?” Taehyung asked, genuinely confused as to how he was still alive. He brought his hand up to his neck to see if he could feel the imprint of the bite. It was still there but when he inspected his hand, there wasn’t any trace of blood. He had been sure that he was going to die from the burning inside his body, but he felt normal—besides the super-seeing and super-hearing.

Hoseok gave him a sad smile and shook his head. “No, little one. You’re going through The Act.”

Taehyung furrowed his brows together, remembering Hoseok mentioned that last time, too.

“What’s The Act?” Taehyung parroted back, wringing his hands in his lap. The way Hoseok said it made it seem like something important.

Hoseok’s smile deepened into a frown. Taehyung felt himself mirror the expression unconsciously. “The Act of turning into a vampire.”

Taehyung let out an incredulous laugh, completely taken aback. “A vampire? Surely you’re joking?”

Hoseok didn’t seem amused which caused Taehyung to sober up fast. It did make sense, in a way. At least it would explain his suddenly hyper-sensitive senses. But a vampire ? Those didn’t exist outside of movies and books. It was fiction—a fairytale of sorts.

But Taehyung’s mind drifted back to the attack from the creature he had come across in the forest, and what could he have been if not a vampire?

Clearing his throat, Taehyung scratched his neck where he had been bitten. “... You’re serious? And what about the thing that attacked me?” He asked incredulously.

Hoseok nodded sadly as he smoothed a hand down his pant leg. “I know it’s hard to hear at first, but I wouldn’t lie to you—even if I don’t know your name.”

“It’s Taehyung,” Taehyung blurted out. “My name is Taehyung.” He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to tell Hoseok that, but he felt almost connected to this man.

Hoseok smiled again, the action causing his eyes to crinkle at the edges. Taehyung wished he would never stop doing that. “A beautiful name for a beautiful boy.”

Taehyung suddenly felt bashful as he looked down at his hands in his lap. He wrung out his fingers and bit the inside of his cheek. This was totally the wrong time to crush on a stranger, no matter how nice he was.

“How are you feeling?” Hoseok asked, seamlessly changing the subject. “I know it can be a lot at first.”

Taehyung took the question and turned it around in his mind. He wanted to answer honestly, but he still didn’t really know Hoseok or what exactly he wanted. He had questions of his own. After being attacked, he was now in a strange room with someone telling him he was a vampire. What if Hoseok was going to attack him too?

“Why did you bring me here?” Taehyung countered with his own question instead, lifting his gaze and imploring Hoseok’s face. The man’s expression seemed open and unguarded, which he took as a good sign.

“Because we feel at fault,” Hoseok said simply.

“You did this?” Taehyung accused, hackles rising as he started to get up from the bed even though his muscles protested at the movement. He knew he should have been more careful!

“No!” Hoseok rushed to say, raising his hands in alarm. He reached out to grab Taehyung but seemed to think better of it. “Of course not. Yoongi-hyung and I… We don’t impose The Act on anyone unless it’s of dire circumstance. Even then, it’s always their choice. Always. ”

Taehyung felt appeased by that answer as he settled down back on the bed. His mind was going in so many different directions. Who was Yoongi? “Then how is this your fault?”

Hoseok sighed deeply, his shoulders hunching over. “The person who turned you… They’re part of a large group of vampires sired by someone who wants something from me and Yoongi. You were more than likely supposed to be a part of their army of sorts, but something must’ve gone awry.”

“An army? An army of… vampires? ” Taehyung was dumbfounded. This was so unheard of. Of course, vampires in general were unheard of, but the politics of it all… Yoongi and Hoseok must have something that they want badly.

“Yes. It isn’t uncommon, but it isn’t wise. Fledglings are unpredictable, which is why Yoongi and I had to remove what we thought was all of them, but clearly, we missed a few,” Hoseok said this as if it pained him. “This area has been notorious for wild animal attacks and people going missing. Humans haven’t been camping here for some time due to that fact.”

Taehyung gave Hoseok a sheepish smile at that. He did hear about the animal attacks briefly on his way here. When he had stopped by a gas station to fuel up his car and grab some snacks a few miles away from the campsite, he had overheard the cashier talking about the uptick in animal attacks in the last year or so with a customer. But he had brushed it off considering that he came here often and thought he knew what he was doing. “Unless you’re an idiot like me.”

Hoseok let out a melodious laugh at that and Taehyung almost preened at the sound. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Startled, Taehyung looked at Hoseok and tilted his head, regarding the man in front of him. “Hm? Which one?”

“The one where I asked how you’re doing,” Hoseok said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh,” Taehyung said rather dumbly. He did ask that before Taehyung had started his own line of questioning. “Well, to be honest, I feel pretty overwhelmed with the whole… senses thing.”

Hoseok nodded in understanding as he studied Taehyung’s face. “It’s a lot at first, but I promise it gets easier with time. But that’s not what I was actually talking about…”

Taehyung squinted his eyes, not understanding. “Then what do you mean?”

“I mean, are you hungry?”

Suddenly, it felt as though that was all Taehyung could think about. He was so hungry. The back of his throat felt like it was scorching and there was a gnawing pain in his stomach. He could feel his canines protruding from his mouth and biting into his bottom lip. 

“Well, now that you mention it…” Taehyung said with a grimace, bringing his fingertips to his mouth to poke his teeth. They were razor-sharp. “What the hell is this?”

Hoseok laughed, covering his mouth with his hands. “They’re your fangs, silly. Vampire, remember?”

“Oh, sorry, how could I forget?” Taehyung jested, sarcasm dripping from every word. “It’s almost like I know nothing about this.” Hoseok seemed to know a little too much about this. He must be a vampire, too. 

“Let’s get you something to eat and we can talk more about it,” Hoseok explained, getting up from the bed and smoothing out his clothes. He didn’t seem phased by Taehyung’s sudden attitude.

“What do you mean, eat? ” Taehyung bristled, throwing back the blanket and swinging his legs off the bed. His muscles felt so sore . He had forgotten to ask how long he had been lying there.

“We’ve got some blood bags in the fridge downstairs. And I know you’re thinking some pretty thoughts in that head of yours, so let’s leave that for once you’ve got some blood in your system.”

Taehyung sat stiffly on the barstool, his ankles crossed as he folded his hands in his lap. He gazed around the kitchen as Hoseok rummaged in the fridge behind him. The kitchen was beautiful, simply put. The wall in front of him was full of windows showcasing the vastness of the forest. Outside, there wasn’t much to see aside from trees, plants, and the dense foliage surrounding the area. Everything was lush and so green . It blended beautifully with the plants sitting on the countertop in front of the windows, bringing some of the nature inside. Taehyung thought he could hear the chirping of birds outside, and even their heartbeats. The sounds were overwhelming and he tried his best to tune them out.

 A white farm sink sat along the same wall, while adjacent to the sink was a black and gray marble countertop that held a stove that looked like it could be used in a cooking show. It even had an industrial black hood overhead. Taehyung himself sat at the island in the middle of the kitchen, his eyes flitting around the space. There was another smaller sink inside the island and the structure was covered with cabinets on three sides. It didn’t seem right for such a sleek and modern kitchen to be in the middle of nowhere.

“How long have I been here?” Taehyung asked after hearing the fridge close. He swiveled in his chair to look at Hoseok. The question had been gnawing at him. He felt so uneasy in a strange house surrounded by people he didn’t know.

“It’s been about a week,” Hoseok replied, settling on a stool a seat away from Taehyung. He gingerly handed the latter a bag full of blood, “Here, drink.”

Taehyung stared at the bag in front of him like it was a foreign object. And to him, it really was. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Hoseok raised an eyebrow. “...Drink it?” He waved the bag in front of Taehyung as if that was going to make things better.

Taehyung took it suspiciously, turning it around in his hand. “It’s cold.” It didn’t look or feel appetizing. It felt like cold jelly that was a nasty red color.

“I can put it in the microwave—”

“Can we stop talking like this is something normal that everyone does all the time?” Taehyung gritted out, frustration bleeding into his tone. “Also, what do you mean a week? How can someone sleep for that long?”

Hoseok gently plucked the bag from Taehyung’s hands and got up, walking towards the microwave. He spoke as he moved, “Sometimes it takes longer for The Act to fully turn someone. Everyone is different. I was out for almost a month.” The way Hoseok explained it—so casually— was starting to get on Taehyung’s nerves. His happy demeanor towards everything was rubbing a sore spot.

“Can you just explain what is going to happen next? And I need my phone, I need to tell my parents I’m okay. They’re probably worried sick,” Taehyung muttered, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. He hadn’t even thought about his parents until now. A week with no contact… His parents must be canvassing the forest. He needed to let them know that he was safe.

Hoseok punched in some numbers on the microwave after putting in the bag. He turned around and smiled sympathetically at Taehyung. “Honey… you can’t talk to your parents anymore.”

This was the last straw. Taehyung got up from the stool, sending it flying backward behind him with the force of his movement. Did Hoseok not understand the gravity of the situation? His parents must think he’s missing. “What do you mean I can’t talk to my parents?” He ran a rough hand through his hair, staring at Hoseok.

Hoseok approached Taehyung cautiously like one would a wounded animal. “Taehyung, I need you to calm down and let me explain. You’re more powerful than you realize now and I don’t want you hurting yourself.”

Taehyung glared at Hoseok, his fists clenched at his sides. He could feel his nails digging into his palms. “ Explain. ”

Hoseok took a deep breath and looked behind Taehyung as he spoke. “It’ll be easier to explain once you have something to drink. You’ll feel… less on edge.”

“Hoseok,” came a gruff voice behind Taehyung, causing him to jump in surprise. 

Taehyung looked behind him to see another man, pale as the moon with feline eyes and tufts of black hair staring right back at him. He was wearing a white button-up with black slacks, effortlessly looking like a model ready for the runway. This must be Yoongi.

“Is everything alright?” Yoongi asked, bending down to pick up the fallen barstool and setting it upright. “I heard the noise.”

“Everything’s fine, Yoongi-hyung,” Hoseok said in response, giving the man a gentle smile. “Taehyung was just a little surprised is all.”

“Stop talking about me like I’m not here!” Taehyung shouted, his eyes darting between the two men. He felt like an animal backed into a corner. “Can someone please tell me what’s going on?!”

Yoongi pursed his lips as he stared at Hoseok who smiled apologetically at Taehyung. The microwave beeped behind him, and the man swiftly turned around to retrieve the blood bag. He walked the few short steps back to Taehyung with his hand outstretched, offering the bag. “Here. Just follow your instincts. Once you smell it, you’ll know what to do.”

Taehyung cautiously took the bag out of Hoseok’s hands and begrudgingly brought it close to his nose. He sniffed experimentally at the bag. At first, he wrinkled his nose at the scent of plastic, but then he could smell the blood itself and everything changed. Taehyung’s canines elongated and he opened his mouth to make room for them. Everything in his mind was telling him to bite, bite, bite. Bringing the bag lower to his mouth, he bit into the plastic and almost moaned at the taste. He drank big gulps of the amber liquid, not caring of what was trickling down his mouth and onto his neck. He closed his eyes and savored the moment. Nothing was more important in that moment. Not Hoseok, not Yoongi—not even his parents. Just blood.

Hoseok appeared next to him, grabbing the blood bag. “Slow down, little one. It’s not going anywhere.” His tone was concerned, but gentle.

Taehyung growled in response but tried to oblige. He was making a mess of himself and in the next few moments, there was nothing coming out of the bag. He threw the bag onto the countertop, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. 

Taehyung felt steadier now, like he could actually think. It was almost like he could feel the blood entering his veins and running through his system. He felt warm and sated.

“Guess you weren’t lying about the vampire thing,” Taehyung said rather dumbly after a few moments of just standing there, breathing heavily. He eyed Hoseok and then his hands, which were now covered in blood. Was this going to be a common occurrence? Where he would lose control over blood? And just how exactly did they have access to this? 

“At least it didn’t make it onto the floor,” Hoseok mumbled with a shrug, grabbing the bag from the counter and quickly putting it into the trash.

“Maybe we should move this to the living room,” Yoongi suggested, still standing behind Taehyung. Something about him made Taehyung uneasy and he couldn’t put his finger on why. The way Yoongi was watching him made him feel like he was being assessed.

“Great idea, Hyung,” Hoseok agreed brightly, guiding Taehyung to the next room. “And why don’t you get us some more blood bags from the cellar? I have a feeling we’ll be needing more some.”

Nodding silently in response, Yoongi disappeared. He was there one second and gone the next. Taehyung could only assume it was a vampire thing. 

“Here, come sit,” Hoseok told him, walking over to a leather couch and sitting down on one end. The living room was fairly modern, with a big TV and stereo system. There were dozens of movies lining the TV console and Taehyung stifled a laugh.

“You guys still keep DVDs?” Taehyung asked, taking a seat on the couch. The collection of movies reminded him of his grandparents’ home. They never bought into streaming platforms and always said having a physical copy was the best copy.

“It’s a dying art, but I’m afraid Yoongi-hyung loves his collection a bit too much,” Hoseok replied with a wry smile, eyeing the shelf. “Some things are hard to let go of.”

Taehyung hummed in response. It’s almost like his words had a double meaning, but he couldn’t understand why. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, since they were still covered in blood. “Can I… get a towel?”

“Oh!” Hoseok said, as if he hadn’t noticed before. “Of course, give me a second.” He quickly got up and walked back to the kitchen.

Taehyung took this moment to really look around the room. There were built-in bookshelves on almost every wall, filled to the absolute brim. Must be another one of Yoongi's collections, he thought. The one wall that didn’t have any bookshelves was instead a floor-to-ceiling window, giving Taehyung a view of the outside. It was nearly the same as the window in the kitchen, with lots of plants on the window sill. It was raining, but enough light still came through, brightening up the room for Taehyung to see. in. It looked pretty, like something he would like to paint one day. However, it was too much for his eyes at that moment so he turned away. The pitter-patter of the rain was easily picked up by his sensitive ears. 

Hoseok walked into the room with a dark towel and handed it to Taehyung. It was damp and Taehyung made quick work of his hands, cleaning off the caked blood. Some had seeped beneath his nails so he would have to deal with that later. He wiped his neck too, feeling the sticky substance against his skin.

Taehyung turned to look at Hoseok, still dabbing at his neck. “So, my parents, why can’t I contact them?”

Hoseok regarded him carefully before sitting down again, his expression turning serious. “Taehyung, did you know vampires existed before today?”

“Of course not,” Taehyung told him honestly, bringing the towel to his lap. Who in their right mind believed vampires to be real?

“And do you think your parents believe in vampires existing?” Hoseok expanded, tilting his head.

“I mean, probably not,” Taehyung answered, seemingly catching on to what Hoseok was trying to say.

“Vampires and other people like us, we have to keep our existence a secret from humans,” Hoseok explained like it was that simple. “We have to keep ourselves hidden, away from the human world. We don’t interfere with their way of life and we expect the same in return.” He took a breath before continuing, “Humans… they’re curious by nature and wreckless to a fault. You’re a prime example. My world, we’re not like that. We’re more meticulous, more… cautious. We have customs that have ruled over us for millennia and we don’t take subversions lightly. There is always a way to do things.”

Taehyung nodded along, even if he felt like he truly didn’t understand a thing. “What do you mean people like us? ”

“We’ll get into that another time,” Hoseok said quickly, brushing off the topic. He didn’t seem eager to talk about it. It only made Taehyung’s interest grow. “Wouldn’t want to overwhelm you too much.”

Taehyung narrowed his eyes before letting out a sigh. He leaned back into the couch, already overwhelmed, to say the least. “So what now, Hoseok-ssi? I’m just supposed to stay inside all the time and never do anything again in fear of humans?” He felt like a teenager who was grounded.

Hoseok let out a chuckle, his shoulders shaking with the sound. “Is that what you think we do? Stay inside and never leave our homes?”

Taehyung pursed his lips. He didn’t like Hoseok’s joyful tone one bit. “That’s what it sounds like.”

“Quite the contrary, Taehyung. Vampires are actually very social beings, despite what pop culture seems to say about us. We love to have company and give company, especially to others in our world. Only a human would find us to be loners,” Hoseok told him matter-of-factly.

“Okay, so you guys party a lot,” Taehyung deadpanned, crossing his arms over his chest. He was wondering when they would get to the point. He knew he was being childish, but he couldn’t help the irritation that filled him. 

Hoseok’s eyes glinted in mischief. “You could say that.”

“So what are you gonna do with me?” Taehyung finally asked, staring dead on at Hoseok. “What happens now that I’m here?”

Hoseok cleared his throat, clearly not expecting that question. “Well, you have two options. You can either go off on your own and try to fend for yourself, or you can let me and Yoongi-hyung help you.”

“I take it my prospects don’t look very good if I try to go out on my own, do they?” Taehyung questioned humorlessly. The illusion of choice was nice but he didn’t know the first thing about being a vampire.

Hoseok gave him a sad smile. “Not exactly, little one.”

“So there’s not much of a choice, is there?” Taehyung countered bitterly, averting his gaze. Why did it feel like he was being toyed with? Like they were dangling the idea of choice in front of him without really meaning it?

“I know this must be really hard for you right now, but believe me when I say that Yoongi-hyung and I want to help you. We can show you our ways, and you can decide what you want to do next. We’ll support you in whatever capacity possible,” Hoseok said.

Taehyung looked back at Hoseok and raised an eyebrow. His tone sounded sincere, but the fledgling wasn’t buying it—seemed too good to be true. “And what do you and Yoongi-ssi get out of this?”

Hoseok looked affronted at the words. “I told you, we feel responsible. The least we can do is ease you into this way of life.”

“You could’ve just left me in the forest,” Taehyung muttered, fixing his gaze on the bookshelf behind Hoseok. Honestly, he wished he had died that night on the forest ground. Things could’ve been neatly wrapped up instead of the situation he’s got himself into now. He felt out of his depth and there were so many things to learn. Taehyung wasn’t good at that—learning things. He hated change. He longed to be on his grandparents’ farm right about now.

“We could have, yes, but that would’ve been wrong. I get that you don’t trust us, but even vampires have a moral code, Taehyung,” Hoseok explained, rubbing his hands on his thighs. He sounded offended, like he couldn’t believe that Taehyung had even suggested that.

“I still don’t understand it,” Taehyung mumbled, squeezing himself with his arms. He felt like he was having to hold himself together.

“It’s Seraphina’s will,” Hoseok said as if that explained everything.

Taehyung raised an eyebrow. “ Whose will?”

“Seraphina. She is our creator,” Hoseok told him casually. Taehyung was sick of that tone but his interest outweighed his annoyance.

“Wait, you guys have a creator?” Taehyung didn’t even stop to think about that. There were so many things he didn’t know and he wondered if he’d ever catch up.

“Well, we didn’t just form out of thin air,” Hoseok joked, letting out a small laugh.

“I mean, of course not, but still… Is she like a goddess?” Taehyung inquired, his eyes wide in interest. He wasn’t particularly religious and neither was his family, but he was always curious about other people’s faith. And now apparently this new life meant he had a creator all of a sudden, whatever that meant.

“She is the goddess, Taehyung. She is all-knowing and all-seeing, and everything is her will.” Hoseok crossed his ankles as he regarded Taehyung. His eyes were hard, but his expression was still open.

“So you think we crossed paths because of her ?” It sounded even more impossible than being a vampire.

“I know so, little one. This is the way of our people, to depend on Seraphina’s will,” Hoseok said. He turned his head as Yoongi walked in from the kitchen, holding another blood bag. They seemed attuned to each other’s movements.

“You’ll need another,” Yoongi muttered, throwing the bag towards Taehyung who caught it just in time.

“A little warning would be nice next time,” Taehyung scoffed, staring at Yoongi who was now sitting on an armchair. He didn’t know how to feel about the other vampire. He wasn’t talkative like Hoseok and his demeanor seemed stiff around Taehyung.

“Your reflexes are much faster than they used to be. You don’t need a warning,” Yoongi told him, reclining his seat and making himself comfortable. “What were you guys talking about?”

“I was just telling Taehyung the will of Seraphina and that’s how we crossed paths,” Hoseok answered cheerfully, arranging his legs on the couch so he could cuddle into himself.

“Ah yes, the will of Seraphina. It’s impossible to know sometimes what she wants,” Yoongi sighed, leaning his head back against the chair. He looked weary.

“So this is actually how you feel about it? Like you have no free will?” Taehyung asked, feeling agitated. Whatever they said didn’t make any sense. Not everything was the will of some all-powerful being. It was childish and naive to think so.

“We all have free will,” came Yoongi’s voice, sounding like he was talking to a child. “She puts us in a situation and it’s always our choice on how to deal with it. The right way or the wrong way.”

“And the right way in this situation would be to show you our ways and prepare you for our society,” Hoseok added, smiling brightly at Taehyung.

“I mean, I’m not an imbecile? I know how to act around other people,” Taehyung argued, feeling insecure. Did they really think so little of him? That he didn’t know how to behave in front of other people? That they had to teach him?

“Of course you do, little one, but our traditions are… a little different. We’ll explain more at a different time but the way we present ourselves and act in society is very important in our world. And we must always show respect for those who came before us,” Hoseok explained, observing Taehyung carefully. 

The more Hoseok spoke, the more confused Taehyung felt. What did he mean by the way we present ourselves? And even in human society, it was customary to show respect for their elders. It couldn’t be that much different.

“I can tell a lot of thoughts are whirring in that pretty head of yours,” Hoseok said with a smile. Taehyung didn’t know if he could handle the casual flirting amongst everything else. “We can talk more about it later. For now, I want you to drink and rest. Maybe we can watch a movie?”

Yoongi perked up at the mention of a movie, turning over to look at Hoseok. “What do you want to watch, Hob-ah?”

“I wanna watch whatever Taehyung wants to watch,” Hoseok told him, smiling fondly. His eyes seemed soft now, crinkling at the edges. 

Taehyung scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He wasn’t used to feeling all of the attention on him in situations like this. He was also very confused by their conversation. It was a weird headspace to be in. “You guys can put on whatever,” he mumbled, not really caring either way. His mind was befuddled with all the information that was thrown at him.

“There must be something you enjoy to watch? If we leave it to Yoongi-hyung, we’ll be stuck watching documentaries all day. As if he didn’t live through half of those events himself,” Hoseok said with an affectionate laugh, looking over at Yoongi who simply rolled his eyes.

“There’s always more to know, Hoseok-ah,” Yoongi defended himself petulantly, missing with the TV remote.

Taehyung didn’t know how to feel. Lived through events? He realized he didn’t even know how old either of them were. How long had they been like this? Why were they like this?

Taehyung cleared his throat to ask questions, but that was the moment he got a waft of the blood bag in his hands. It was cold this time, but the scent was still mouthwatering. He stared down at the bag, gripping it tightly in his hands. Was this all he would care about for the rest of his life? Blood, and when he could have another taste? It sounded like a dreadful existence; to let something control his life. He never had an addictive personality as a human, but it seemed like that part of him hadn’t really crossed over.

Taehyung tentatively brought the bag up to his mouth, his fangs lengthening on their own. He bit into the bag, aiming to be gentle this time but he could feel some of it squirt out from the pressure. Tightening his grip, he swallowed mouthful after mouthful of the blood. Its iron tang felt like a drug to him, and before he knew it, he was sucking air into his mouth. Taehyung pulled the bag away from him and peered up at Hoseok who was watching him intently. He felt himself blush at the attention, averting his gaze.

“Sorry… I’m just so… hungry,” Taehyung offered as an explanation, crumpling up the bag in his hands. He felt so embarrassed. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

“You don’t have to, little one,” Hoseok assured him, giving him a small smile. “It’s natural to us, and we understand how you feel. The first few months are particularly… hard, but it will get easier with time.”

Taehyung nodded, getting up from the couch. Anything to get out of that situation. “Trash can?” 

“In the kitchen cabinet next to the sink,” Yoongi told him in a clipped tone, his gaze unfriendly.

Taehyung felt like he was being monitored by Yoongi; as if one misstep and he’d take him out. He had to remind himself that Yoongi was the one to find him, and without the man’s help, he wouldn’t be here right now. But it still felt like Yoongi had a distaste for him. Maybe he regretted his decision. Taehyung felt a pang of hurt at the thought.

Taehyung walked quickly into the kitchen, making his way toward the sink and opening the cabinet beside it. A trash can pulled out and he dropped the bag in it, seeing multiple empty bags in it already. Just how much did a vampire need to drink?

He padded back to the living room after washing his hands in the sink, finding that something was playing on the TV.

“Is that Star Trek?” Taehyung asked, returning to his spot on the couch. He grabbed the pillow next to him and held it to his chest, eyes on the screen.

“Yes,” Hoseok said with a fond huff, gazing at Yoongi. “Another one of Yoongi-hyung’s favorite things to watch.”

The words were in English, but Taehyung read the Korean subtitles at the bottom of the screen. “I’ve never seen this before. It looks so… old.”

Hoseok laughed loudly, covering his mouth with his hand. He turned his head to look at the fledgling. “Oh Taehyung, you’re a riot. I can’t believe you think this is old.”

Yoongi remained silent, his focus on the TV.

“Is it not? It’s from the 60s or something,” Taehyung said in defense of himself, feeling childish. That was old to him! “That’s like over sixty years ago.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Yoongi’s lip twitch.

“Your concept of time is about to change drastically, little one,” Hoseok told him with a grin, his eyes crinkling with the effort. His smile was mesmerizing to Taehyung. He could feel himself getting lost in it.

But then he remembered that he had questions. Damn Hoseok for distracting him.

“So,” he started, rather dumbly, “You guys are vampires, right?”

Hoseok’s smile somehow grew wider, clearly amused, but he nodded. “Yes, Taehyung.”

“And clearly, you’ve been… around a while?” Taehyung said, his statement turning into a question by the end of it. He felt so out of his depth in this situation, like a fawn using its legs for the first time.

“You could say that,” Hoseok responded, tilting his head. “Yoongi-hyung longer than I.”

“We don’t need to go into specifics, Hob-ah,” Yoongi called out, finally turning his gaze to the two on the couch.

“ Aish, Yoongi-hyung. We promised we would be forthcoming,” Hoseok reminded him, giving the other vampire a look. Taehyung couldn’t understand the dynamic between the two of them. They seemed close; like they’d known each other a long time, but Taehyung didn’t know how close.

“It’s his first day Reborn, let’s not overwhelm him,” Yoongi said, his tone serious. His eyes were flitting between the other two vampires in the room..

Hoseok pursed his lips, considering. “He’s gonna find out at some point.”

Yoongi let out a defeated sigh and shook his head. “Fine, do whatever you want.” He turned back to the TV without another word.

Hoseok looked at Taehyung conspiratorily, bringing his hand up to cover the side of his mouth as he whispered, “Don’t mind him. He can be a bit prickly around new people, but he means well.” He grinned mischievously.

“I can still hear you, Hoseokie,” Yoongi said with a roll of his eyes.

“I know, Hyung,” Hoseok responded, not looking at the other man, but his gaze was transfixed on Taehyung.. “Do you need more blood?”

Taehyung could feel the burning in his throat at the mention of blood and swallowed harshly. “No, I think I should pace myself.”

Hoseok tilted his head in question, like this was something of interest. “Why would you do that?”

“I need some semblance of control,” Taehyung replied, scrunching his nose. “I don’t like the power it holds over me.”

The older vampire looked like he was processing the information. “You’re a fledgling, your whole life is supposed to be about blood.” He said this like it was a fact.

“Just because it’s supposed to, doesn’t mean it has to,” Taehyung argued, running a hand through his hair. Couldn’t Hoseok understand what he was trying to say?

Hoseok nodded, considering. “Alright.”

The rest of the day went by like that, drinking blood bags and watching Star Trek. Sometimes they talked in between, mostly Hoseok and Taehyung while Yoongi stayed silent. The young vampire watched as the sun set through the windows of the living room, his first full day as a vampire coming to an end. He was trying to come to terms with the fact that this was his life now… That he’d have to live each day like this. Rinse and repeat. No family, no friends, just a mansion in the middle of the woods with two other vampires for company. It seemed almost dreadful to think about, so Taehyung pushed it far from his mind. 

As the three of them were wrapping up for the night, Taehyung stood up from the couch and watched Hoseok do the same. 

“So… what now?” Taehyung asked. He felt tired, but do vampires even sleep? And do coffins exist? Taehyung hadn’t seen any, so maybe that was some weird human creation. But he hadn’t seen much of the house. Everything was so confusing.

“Hmm?” Hoseok hummed, turning to look at Taehyung. “Oh, now we sleep.”

“So vampires sleep?” Taehyung questioned, rubbing his arm. He felt so out of place. Everything felt so… foreign. He was still having trouble adjusting to his superb eyesight, and hearing everything all the time. It was overstimulating. 

“Yes,” Hoseok told him with a smile. Taehyung felt like he saw the older vampire smile so much today that it would haunt him in his dreams. “It’s the only time we can really rest, let go of our senses.”

That sounded amazing to Taehyung. He wanted to let go, but he felt so tense in this house full of strangers. 

“Can I take a shower? I think it would help me unwind,” Taehyung explained, leaning his weight on his other foot. He hated having to ask for even the most mundane things. He felt like he was an intruder.

“Oh, of course you can,” Hoseok responded, still smiling. “Tomorrow, remind me and we can get some stuff for you to have around the house as well. I know you humans like your things, so I can try to make it happen.”

Taehyung nodded gratefully. That would be nice. His own toothbrush sounded delightful. “Thank you, Hoseok-ssi.”

Hoseok beamed at the words. “You’re certainly welcome, Taehyung. I’ll show you to your bathroom.”

In the time that they had been talking, Yoongi had already disappeared so Hoseok and Taehyung walked into the kitchen and stopped in front of the stairs next to the walk-in pantry. 

“Do you need a bag before bed?” Hoseok asked, inclining his head towards Taehyung.

“No, I think I’m okay,” Taehyung told him. In all honesty, Taehyung felt kind of nauseous. He may have overdone it with the blood today.  He could almost feel it sloshing around in his stomach. 

Hoseok nodded in response and started to make his way up the stairs. Taehyung followed closely behind, the plush carpet beneath his feet offering him some comfort. There were paintings along the walls, depicting several different things. It almost seemed like the theme was angels and demons. Taehyung couldn’t look at them too closely since they were moving too fast, but he promised himself to come and observe them later. Art was his one true passion and what he wished he had pursued in school. That dream was over now. He could never go back to school, never live a human life. The dread from earlier was starting to creep into his consciousness again and he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

“Are you okay?” Hoseok asked gently as they reached the top of the stairs. The vampire’s hand was outstretched like he wanted to touch Taehyung, but thought better of it.

“I’m fine,” Taehyung choked out, willing his breathing to calm down. “I just feel overwhelmed is all.”

“Of course,” Hoseok nodded in understanding, letting his hand drop to his side. “It’s been a lot today, but maybe a shower and some sleep will help you relax.”

Taehyung said nothing but nodded instead. After a brief look, Hoseok turned around and walked down the hall with the young vampire trailing behind. They passed the bedroom Taehyung had woken up and stopped at a closed door. Hoseok pushed it open with his hand.

“You can use this bathroom for any of your needs. It should have everything you need, but if you need anything else, Yoongi and I are in the room down the hall,” Hoseok explained to him, pointing to the left. 

“Okay,” Taehyung mumbled, feeling unsure. So they shared a bedroom? “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Taehyung. Have a nice shower, and if you need more blood, help yourself from the fridge.”

“Okay,” Taehyung repeated, rubbing his pants. He was eager to be alone so he could stew in his thoughts and have a moment to relax.

Hoseok gave him a terse smile before disappearing down the hallway. Taehyung was stuck looking after him for a few moments before he finally got a hold of himself and walked into the bathroom.

It was different than the usual scheme he had seen in the rest of the house. It was bright and open, and frankly, huge . There was a large claw-foot bathtub that was against the far wall, a window accompanying it. To the right of the bathroom was a huge shower with mosaic tiles and glass doors. Taehyung could see multiple buttons in the shower and felt almost afraid to touch it. To the left was a white vanity with overhanging lights and a giant mirror. It was the first time Taehyung saw himself today and it was like he couldn’t even recognize himself.

He walked closer to the mirror, inspecting his face. There were purplish marks beneath his eyes and his skin had turned paler than usual. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones protruding out of his face. He looked… sick.

Taehyung could feel bile rising up his throat the longer he stared and he finally forced himself to look away. He peeled off his clothes and left them as a heap on the floor, padding on the marble floor towards the shower. He carefully got in, the cold floor bringing him out of his panic now that he was focused on it. Taehyung studied the panel in front of him with multiple buttons. Looking around the shower, he saw silver plates with holes and then looked back down at the control. He pressed the rain option and almost let out a shriek as cold water rushed down on him from above.

“Shit, shit,” he cursed, adjusting the knob next to the panel. It took a few seconds but the water gradually warmed up and Taehyung sighed deeply.

He simply allowed himself to stand there and feel the hot water against his skin, letting it erase the day away. He focused on each point he could feel the water and it grounded him. Each muscle relaxed under the pressure of the water, and he could feel the tension of the day melt away with each passing second. The attack, The Act, the fact that he could never see his parents again, everything was washed away.  Taehyung tried not to focus on anything else in his mind except for where he was right now. 

As soon as he felt calmer, he looked around for some shampoo. There was a shelf built into the tile with whatever he could need and then some. Taehyung washed his hair, taking extra time to just massage his scalp and release all the tension he had felt during the day. It felt soothing to have his own fingers kneading his skin and he let himself get lost in the feeling. After rinsing the shampoo out, he applied conditioner to his ends and quickly scrubbed his body. The longer he was in here, the sleepier he became. 

After rinsing himself and turning off the shower—which was much more difficult than Taehyung cared to admit—he stepped out through the door, grabbing a towel hanging from the rack. He wrapped it around his waist and grabbed another to dry his hair. Once he was damp instead of wet, he looked at the pile of clothes on the floor. 

Shit, clothes.

He hadn’t asked Hoseok for any and he really didn’t feel like wearing dirty clothes to bed. With a sigh, Taehyung opened the door to the bathroom and stepped out into the hallway. He quickly ran to his room, almost disorienting himself with the speed. He had to remember that he could move quickly and that he had to be careful with the power in the future. After correcting his equilibrium, he noticed something on the bed. A pile of clothes was folded neatly in the middle with a note on top.

Thought you might need these :-) 

- Hoseok

Taehyung clutched the note to his chest, the overwhelming urge to cry hitting him like a truck. He could feel a knot in his throat. All this time he had been thinking about how his life would be over now and how he was alone, but there was at least someone left in this world who was still thinking about him.

With a heavy heart, Taehyung quickly changed into the clothes—gray sweatpants and a white t-shirt—and slipped into bed.

Maybe this new life wouldn’t be as bad as he thought.