"Moongie!!" Hoseok calls, his mood reaching cloud nine as he turns to see the younger of their nest saunter into the apartment. Minhyuk chuckles knowingly, glancing over to Kihyun. The man is currently standing in front of their stove with hunched shoulders, stirring a pot. 

"What'd he do this time?" he asks his same-age friend, taking off his shoes and tossing his bag aside for now." 

"What makes you think I did something?" Hoseok demands, pouting defiantly. Minhyuk scoffs, rolling his eyes.  

“Please,” he says, “I can practically smell the tension miles away.” Kihyun huffs out a breath of dismay, lips puckered. Minhyuk moves to his side, leaning against the counter with an amused smirk as he glances between his two roommates. 

“You can smell the blood, too,” Kihyun snaps, his face set into a deep frown. Minhyuk makes a small ‘ooooo’, eyes flicking to Hoseok, intrigued. 

“Hoseokkie-hyung not sticking to our new diet~?” Minhyuk prompts, hopping up to sit atop the counter. He swings his right leg over the left, propping his elbow on his knee and resting his chin in his palm. He smiles impishly as he studies the older creature of the night, noting his healthy glow and the way his being seems to thrum with energy... Yep, he’s definitely drank from a human recently. 

Minhyuk’s fangs begin to ache with envy... He’s been out with mortals, truly testing himself with this new diet, and Hoseok’s just been lazing about the house with fresh human in his teeth?? Son of a bi— 

“Just two days,” Kihyun goes on to nag, turning to Hoseok with an accusatory gaze. “Just go two days without feeding on humans!! That’s all I want!” 

“You haven’t even made it that long...?” Minhyuk asks incredulously. He’s gone three months already without fresh blood, after all. To him, two days is nothing. 

“I can’t help it!” Hoseok practically whines, throwing himself down on the couch in what seems to be exasperation... though whether it be with himself or the conversation, he can’t be sure. 

“You can, and you will,” Kihyun insists, stomping forward and slapping the back of the older’s head as if to emphasize his own point. “I don’t give a if you’re a danger to yourself, you can handle that. But, I won’t let you drag the rest of us down with you. If you keep drawing attention to yourself like this, then—" 

“Okaaay,” Minhyuk breaks in, keeping Kihyun from finishing the threat, “let’s just drop it.” He hops off the counter, moves to physically stand between the two. “What’s done is done... We don’t need to say anything we don’t really mean.” There’s a scoff from the other side of the room, the makeshift bed Hyungwon is lying on.  

“Wow, look what you did, Ki,” he drawls lazily, smirking. “You made Minhyuk the peacemaker... The world really must be coming to an end.” Kihyun huffs out a long breath at his light-haired boyfriend’s unhelpful interjection, crossing his arms over his chest. He returns to the stove, shutting off the fire and pouring the thick red liquid into a mug. He takes it over to his boyfriend, who takes it and swirls it about with a thoughtful gaze. 

“I remember back when we didn’t have to live like this...” Hoseok says sullenly, flopping down on the couch and staring up at the ceiling, his gaze wistful. “I remember when we could roam the streets and feed off as many humans as we wanted, and no one would notice. We didn’t have to heat bagged blood on the stove or hide away in a house for days at a time. We didn’t have to control ourselves. We didn’t have to—” 

“Times have changed, hyung,” Kihyun interrupts, propping himself up on the heels of his hands as Hyungwon leans against his side. “We can’t just kill randomly anymore. We have to be careful. If someone goes missing for even... twenty seconds, at least forty people notice.” Hyungwon sips at the heated blood, wincing only slightly at the stagnant taste. Kihyun smiles ever so slightly, pressing a kiss to the younger’s hair, and Hoseok looks away, taking the conversation to be over. 

Minhyuk huffs out a breath, throwing himself onto the couch beside the older. He snuggles up next to Hoseok’s side, needing the comfort.  

“How about I take you on a test run, hyung?” Minhyuk offers, eyes staring forward. There’s a tv there, though it isn’t on. Nothing’s worth watching these days, according to the immortals. Hoseok looks over in confusion at the younger, brow raised. Minhyuk snickers, poking his bicep. “Make it a week without humans, and I’ll take you out and really test your willpower. I’ll even introduce you to my little human friends~” 

Hoseok hums, not particularly liking the idea. He parts his lips to say so, but then Kihyun butts in. 

“I think that’s a great idea! That way, if you get tempted, you’ll have someone to pull you back.” Hoseok glances back at Kihyun, meaning to argue that he doesn’t need a babysitter. He’s centuries old, dammit, he doesn't need to be babied. But, then he sees the light in Kihyun’s eyes. The threat within those chillingly clear irises. 

Get a hold of yourself, or you’re out, they tell him, as clear as if Kihyun had said it himself.  

Now, Hoseok doesn’t particularly admit to needing the others around. Sure, it’d be less of an annoyance every once in a while, but he really does enjoy his makeshift family... There’s a reason he singlehandedly Turned every single one of these men, making them immortal just so he could have someone to hang out with.  

The nights can get pretty lonely without anyone to talk with... 

“... Okay,” Hoseok finally agrees, albeit begrudgingly. He doesn’t want his own lack of willpower get in the way of his chosen family. So, he’ll work harder at getting through this... addiction he has with human blood.  

Minhyuk beams, throwing himself against the vampire and hugging him around his neck. Hoseok chuckles, his shoulders shaking with every sound, as he eagerly hugs back. He clings to the younger, reveling in the physical contact. 

Despite his tough vampire exterior and murderous tendencies, he’s a softie. 

Hoseok silently vows that, as long as he’s alive, he won’t let his family get torn apart... not again. Not even by himself.