“Why won't you let him join? Luhan is a lone vampire with a power, he wouldn't ruin our reputation.”

“You mean to tell me that there’s a powerful vampire -- with telekinesis, not less -- that not only doesn't have a clan, but also just so happened to befriend you and accidentally let you catch him using his power? Sehun, that's ridiculous. I'm not letting him into our trusted circle just because you vouch for him after knowing him for five minutes.”

“You did with those humans! And a half-blood!”

“You know that was done out of necessity, what’s done is done and now we have to take responsibility for them.”

A frustrated groan thundered through the building, the following door slam echoing in its wake. Kyungsoo kept his mouth squeezed in a tight line, looking up at Jongin to gauge whether this sort of behavior was normal around the Kim residence or not. The older looked just as tense, with his eyebrows slightly scrunched and his jaw moving as he bit the inside of his cheek. The two continued to stand in silence for a few more moments, Kyungsoo waiting for the vampire to make the next move.

Eventually, Jongin reached down to clasp Kyungsoo’s hand in his own, gently pulling forward as they finished off their quick tour.

“So, the second floor is basically all a communal area. The infirmary, you may remember from last week, is behind this door to the left. The double doors at the end of the corridor lead to the dining room, and this door on the right leads to… Junmyeon’s office.” Jongin’s voice ended in a whisper, and he glanced around tentatively as he spoke. In an effort to leave sooner, Kyungsoo nodded quickly to signify he understood.

The human could tell that the argument a few minutes prior had taken place in this area. Kyungsoo was sure Junmyeon was still inside his office, but he wasn't scared about coming face-to-face with the clan leader. He knew that Sehun had slammed and stomped his way from this room, and though thankfully they hadn't crossed paths yet, he was still on the lookout. He didn't want to see Sehun, especially not after the way he had spoken about humans and half-bloods. It didn't take a supernatural genius to tell that he clearly didn't like Kyungsoo or his friends, and the college kid had no problem staying out of the glaring vampire’s way.

“Well, that about wraps it up. Let's get up to my floor so we can start looking over your civil law notes.”

Kyungsoo groaned at the reminder of the visit’s purpose, nodding sluggishly in stubborn agreeance. He let his feet drag as Jongin pulled him towards the elevator, their hands still intertwined between them. Only when Jongin threatened to teleport him up to the eighth floor did he stop whining, not wanting a repeat of the nauseating experience from a week ago.

After reaching the familiar level, the two sat on the floor with their backs leant on the cream couch. Kyungsoo got his notebook and laptop out of his backpack, looking over his lecture slides and personal notes with the law major. Jongin was articulate with his explanations of terminology that Kyungsoo didn’t understand, and was kind enough not to point out how obviously behind on the coursework the human was.

“I’ve still got some textbooks from my first-year subjects, I think there’s something on administrative law…” Jongin got up off the floor, and Kyungsoo took the opportunity to stretch after the hour they'd already spent studying.

He followed Jongin as the taller wandered passed what looked like a home theatre -- are you kidding -- before opening an ornate door to a master bedroom. Kyungsoo peeked in, surprised at how casually messy it was. The rest of the Kim’s home he'd seen had all been spotless, but Jongin’s bedroom had a collection of ballet posters on one of the walls and a series of jackets strangling his desk chair, his actual desk not in a much better condition. Kyungsoo was honestly a little relieved at this discovery, it was good to know that Jongin was at least partly what the human had initially expected.

Jongin trailed a finger over his bookshelf, muttering titles printed on the spines as he went, and Kyungsoo flopped himself on the vampire’s hastily-made king-sized bed.

“So…” Kyungsoo began, folding his hands behind his head. “This place was clearly not built to be a single family’s home, so that must have been one hell of a renovation.”

“Like you wouldn't believe.” Jongin laughed distractedly with his back still facing the bed, now kneeling down to look at the bottom shelves. “Junmyeon and Yixing bought the place ages ago, and did the reconstruction in small amounts under the guise of repairs. We don't want people to know we own this whole building, so this way we just seem like we own one or two apartments between us.”

“Why didn't you just build a normal mansion somewhere and all live there, if you didn’t want people to know you owned all this?” Kyungsoo mused over how unnatural the words ‘normal’ and ‘mansion’ sounded next to each other, lifting his head from the comforter to let his eyes continue to trail along Jongin’s movements as he collected something from the lowest shelf.

“I mean, we're all a clan and therefore a kind of family, but we're also all adults. We all need our room. And besides, we don't want to come across as that aloof family that lives in a mansion on the hill, y’know? The point is to blend in.” Jongin cracked a smile as he walked back to Kyungsoo, settling the textbook he brought with him on the edge of the bed as he sat next to where the first-year lay.

“Yeah, you’re right. The way you guys only ever socialise with each other and chase everyone else away totally helps in blending in. That’s why no one at college knows who any of you are.” Kyungsoo couldn’t help smirking up at Jongin as the older scoffed. The human wasn’t one to rub it in, but he couldn’t pretend that they’re distant exclusivity had done anything other than make the group of vampires even more talked about.

“Maybe the execution wasn’t great, but there was merit to the plan... I mean, no one got hurt before I broke the no-human-interaction rule.”

Whereas before Jongin had seemed amusedly displeased by Kyungsoo’s jab at the reputation around the Kim family, his expression quickly turned downcast, and the vampire broke eye contact to fiddle with his fingers in his lap. Kyungsoo sighed at the weighted look the taller sported, and he sat up to shift closer. Grabbing Jongin’s hand, he brought it up to rest against his own lips in a feather light touch.

“You don’t regret it, do you?” Kyungsoo whispered, his mouth pressing the words into the caramel skin at the back of Jongin’s palm. Though tentative to hear the truth, he trained his eyes on Jongin’s reaction, watching when the older bit his lower lip before responding.

“I regret getting you hurt, I regret getting Chanyeol killed.”

“We’ve been over this: I forgive you, I’m still here.” Kyungsoo pulled Jongin’s hand from his lips, holding it against his chest instead, hoping Jongin could feel the calm heartbeat there. He was desperate to get the older to understand. “And you’ve spoken heaps with Chanyeol since. I know he freaked out the first time he... drank blood-” he tried to keep his disgusted expression to a minimum “-but I also know that he doesn’t blame you. Hell, he barely even blames Ja-”

“And that’s probably the worst part,” Jongin interrupted, slipping his hand from Kyungsoo’s grip to frame it around the shorter’s face. Kyungsoo felt the feverish warmth radiate from the older’s skin as fingers traced over his jaw, and he couldn’t hold back a satisfied sigh. “When I’m here with you, I don’t regret it. Even if I should.”

“You definitely shouldn’t,” Kyungsoo was quick to assure, gripping at the soft shirt material that stretched over Jongin’s biceps as soon as the vampire’s other hand began trailing down his side to settle on his waist. He felt entirely distracted, and hoped that Jongin wouldn’t make them return to studying when he was touching him like that. The second-year had initially suggested the session as a study date, so it was only right they engage in some actual date activities. Talking about vampires and regrets though, wasn’t exactly what Kyungsoo had in mind.

Thankfully, Jongin must have had a similar thought process, as the next thing Kyungsoo knew, Jongin was slowly leaning forward. The human met him in the middle, closing his eyes as they melted into a kiss. It was a firm press of lips and Kyungsoo immediately knew that Jongin was going to be okay. Given a little bit of time, he would surely get over his feelings of guilt.

When Jongin detached to re-angle their lips, Kyungsoo had already grown restless with the position. They both had to lean far forward, across their laps and the space between their knees on the bed, and Kyungsoo’s back began cramping in protest. Placing another chaste kiss to Jongin’s lips, Kyungsoo pulled away slightly. “Come over here.”

“You come over here.” Jongin delivered small pecks down one cheek, and Kyungsoo could feel the grin against his skin.

He groaned in protest, not above pouting to get what he wanted.

“Why do I have to be the one to move? I asked first.” The tone displayed childish obstinance, and Kyungsoo hoped it was enough to get the taller to admit defeat. Though with the way his fingers were threaded in the shorter’s hair, the human quickly lost interest in being stubborn.

“Because I’m the upperclassman, duh.”

This time, Kyungsoo didn’t bother replying, wordlessly rolling onto his knees and shuffling forward. Jongin uncrossed his legs to make room and Kyungsoo plopped himself in Jongin’s lap, the older’s hands naturally placing themselves on the younger’s hips.

“That’s better,” Kyungsoo purred, easily aligning his and his boyfriend’s lips with the closer proximity. Jongin used the chance to rake his fingertips down the first-year’s back and Kyungsoo hummed in response. He could feel the heat radiating off Jongin’s upper body as they almost touched, and s a hand in between them to trace his fingertips down the vampire’s chest.

“Hahh, Kyungsoo…” Jongin broke from the kiss, but Kyungsoo leaned back in after only a moment taken to catch a breath. He turned Jongin’s surprise into an opportunity, along the still-open seam of his mouth. This resulted in another shuddered moan that may have been words if not swallowed up by Kyungsoo, and the music major inwardly preened at the noise.

Only once Kyungsoo had gotten gutsy enough to probe Jongin’s tongue with his own, did his stomach decide to interrupt the pair with a high-pitched whine followed by a deep grumble.

Jongin leaned away from the younger with a breathless chuckle. “Someone’s hungry.”

Kyungsoo continued to comb his fingers through Jongin’s hair as he grimaced, embarrassed by the noise he'd made. “Can you blame me? We’ve been studying for ages.”

“Oh,” Jongin said with feigned understanding. “Is this what you call studying..?”

He leant down again to press a fleeting scattering of kisses along Kyungsoo’s throat, trailing back up to nip playfully right over Kyungsoo’s pulse point, and it was the human’s turn to hum indulgently at the attention. The excited buzzing along his skin brought on by the ministrations had him immediately feeling hot and bothered all over again, but the mood was definitely killed by now. His annoyingly apparent appetite had made sure of that.

“Seriously, Jongin.” Contrary to his comment, he giggled as he spoke. “Let’s get food.”

With a promise to get back to actual studying later, the two wandered back down to the second floor, all the while Kyungsoo was nervous that they may run into Sehun. Thankfully though, they did not, and the human didn’t bother hiding his sigh of relief when they found Jongdae in the dining room alone only for the third-year to tell them that Sehun had left straight after the argument with Junmyeon.

Soon after, Krystal entered the room via the swinging door attached to the kitchen. She looked surprised by the addition of Jongin and Kyungsoo in the room, but quickly smiled in greeting.

“I made you some sandwiches, I thought you could eat while you were studying,” she explained, placing two platters of food on the long dining table in front of where Jongdae sat with a glass of soda. “But I suppose if you’re already down here, we can all eat together.”

“Actually, that’s a great idea: it’d be a lot more time efficient if we snacked while working.” Jongin glanced at Kyungsoo before reaching for one of the platters, but the human was having none of it. He waved his arm as if shooing away the idea, intentionally slapping the vampires hand off course, though hoping it appeared accidental.

“Of course not. Krystal worked hard on these, it would be far more polite to just eat here.” The musical student made a show of sitting down opposite the twin and picking up a crustless quarter of a sandwich.

When he took the first bite and overreacted at how good it was, Jongin sighed and took a seat next the human. “You’re really not fooling anyone, Soo. I know you’re just avoiding your studies.”

“Me? Never,” Kyungsoo said with mock seriousness. It was harder than he’d expected to keep a straight face, considering he only wanted to smile after hearing Jongin call him ‘Soo’ for the first time. It sounded great coming from the older, and Kyungsoo wondered if he’d start saying it frequently, or if it was just an exasperated slip of the tongue. If it turned out to be the latter though, Kyungsoo wouldn’t mind annoying Jongin again and again just to hear him say it more.

“Don’t take this the wrong way.” Jongdae sat opposite Jongin, and he motioned to Kyungsoo with a half-eaten sandwich. “But, it’s sorta weird seeing you not all, y’know, in distress.”

“Jongdae…” It was Krystal’s turn to sigh disapprovingly, and Kyungsoo heard the thwap as she half-heartedly hit the other vampire’s side.

“No, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo intervened. He fiddled with the bite of food he had left, almost making a shredded piece of lettuce fall on the mahogany table, and he tried to keep his tone as light as possible. “I’ll admit, you’ve caught me at some pretty bad times.”

“So, anyway.” Kyungsoo didn’t know if Jongin had sent a stern look to Jongdae as he hadn’t lifted his gaze from his lunch, his mind flickering back to the tragic events of the recent past, but the clipped tone was a good indication he had. “Where’s Seulgi?”

Krystal explained that Seulgi went to deliver more blood bags to Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s dorm, but the human wasn’t listening. His mind's eye was blinded by red and pain and all he heard was the familiar crunching pop of a neck being snapped. Over and over again.

Pop.

Pop.

Pop.

Chanyeol’s hair was matted, his clothes crumpled, and his face sickeningly purple. Baekhyun was screaming.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

He’d only been caught because he was protecting Kyungsoo against Jackson’s attack. He still couldn’t believe the skull-jeweled man had been Jackson at all. It was too strange to consider the rude soccer player as the shadowy figure that had followed him from the library and had sunk his teeth into Kyungsoo’s neck.

Pop. Pop. Pop.

He reached up and felt the smooth length of skin that had spewed blood only a bit over a week ago, and his fingertips came away clean. Kyungsoo wondered if Chanyeol’s neck was as smooth, or if the bite wound left scars. Scars others could see, of course. He already knew it had to have left scars others couldn’t.

Did Chanyeol feel it too? The trauma sitting on his shoulders, its claws digging deep into the base of his skull? Did Jongin feel the churning pit of quicksand in his chest, an hourglass counting down to when the guilt ate him alive? Or was Kyungsoo the only one wearing a smile like it was a sign saying “I’m fine, don’t ask about it”?

The sensation of a foreign hand dropping onto his thigh had him flinching, looking up into Jongin’s concerned eyes as the hand rubbed up and down the length of his leg. “Kyungsoo? Are you okay?”

The only answer Kyungsoo thought appropriate was a smile, and he pressed his hand against Jongin’s, stilling the movement but entwining their fingers. He plopped the last bite of his sandwich, sans the piece of lettuce that had fallen onto the table while he’d not been paying attention, into his mouth. The repetitive motion of chewing was calming, and he controlled his breathing as he shoved his nightmares back into a chained box under the figurative bed in his head.

“Mhmm, what were we talking about?”

“I was just saying,” Krystal began softly, giving Kyungsoo a supportive smile, “that you shouldn’t take Sehun’s actions or words to heart.” The female twin looked off to the side, her smile turning into a thoughtful frown, and Kyungsoo wondered how someone as sweet as she appeared could have almost identical DNA with someone like Sehun. “He’s going through a lot- has been going through a lot for a while now.”

“Yeah, nothing's been the same for the guy since Tao left.” Jongdae shook his head and reached for another sandwich as he spoke. “I knew they were close but, it's been years.”

“It hasn't been that many years,” Jongin added weakly. “Besides, none of us took the news well. We all felt betrayed, including you, Dae.”

“Yeah, but nothing a little soft rock and some TLC couldn't fix.”

“Ew, who's giving you tender love and care?” Krystal cringed jokingly, and Jongin pretended to gag on his sandwich. All the while Jongdae tried to take back his words, saying he'd not meant it like that.

Kyungsoo had no clue what they were talking about, but he felt calmer around the other three, picking up their infectious laughter.

“Oh! Sorry,” Krystal apologised with a hand covering and the last of her dainty giggles. “We didn't mean to leave you out. Tao was a former member of our clan.”

Kyungsoo nodded like it was new information, but he'd already guessed that part. Jongin squeezed the hand he still held against the shorter’s leg, and met Kyungsoo’s eye when he looked up.

“Tao joined our clan in the 70’s, before Sehun and Krystal. As soon as we moved into this building though, a few years back, he ran off to join the C-Clan,” Jongin explained. “Leaving a clan is a big deal, let alone to go and join the rogue group in the same area.”

“We were all shocked,” Krystal continued, “but since Sehun had grown closest to Tao, he was especially devastated. There was no warning or anything. One day he was here, and the next he was over there. We still don't even know why or how they convinced him.”

“It's all good now though.” Jongdae was clearly trying to raise the spirits with a cheeky grin and a pat to Krystal’s shoulder. “Time heals all wounds, and Sehun apparently has this Luhan guy now.”

Jongdae’s words sparked something in Kyungsoo’s memory, and he wondered if Luhan could possibly have been the spa worker he and Baekhyun had spied with Sehun a few weeks back. He’d not seen the tall vampire smile in anyone else’s company before, not even Krystal’s, though maybe it was just Kyungsoo’s general proximity that made Sehun frown so much: he had no idea.

“Yeah, I've not even met him yet.” Krystal’s tone had a degree of somberness to it; maybe the twins weren't as close as Kyungsoo had assumed. “I wonder if he's told him about me.”

“Of course he has,” Jongin said emphatically. “You're his sister he's been protecting since you were born. You mean everything to him.”

“Definitely.” Jongdae scoffed, stealing the sandwich Krystal had been toying with but not eaten, and began shoving it in his mouth. “I bet he's told Luhan how you both avoided your parents’ attempt at tethering and escaped their clutches thirty times by now.”

Kyungsoo picked up on the strange use of the word ‘tethering’, unsure if it was another vampire phrase that meant something specific or not. He'd have to ask Jongin later.

“Yeah. Right, of course,” Krystal agreed with little enthusiasm in her voice. She cleared when no one jumped in with anymore conversation and Kyungsoo felt the heavy atmosphere settle along his skin like the air was tired of floating. Maybe he wasn’t the only one pretending to be okay after all.

“So, do you think Junmyeon’s going to come out for food or should I take something into his office?” she asked, getting up from the table to move all the sandwiches to one platter before stacking them.

“God, I wish Yixing were here. He’s been gone what? Five days? And they’ve already gotten into a fight.” Jongdae sighed as he spoke, resting his head in his hands defeatedly. “The court better give him back soon or I’m rioting.”

Krystal cracked a smile but Jongin just nodded his head in agreement, and Kyungsoo guessed everyone forgot there was a human there too and that he had almost no idea about vampire stuff.

“The court has him?” he inquired, prompting Jongin to sit up straighter when he realised the shorter had no clue what Jongdae meant.

“Oh, yeah. Yixing was called up for court duty, where aligned vampires sit in on Nosferitian Court cases and decide if individuals or clans are guilty of accused infringements of the Nosferitian Decree, as well as-”

“It’s basically vamp jury duty.” Jongdae interrupted Jongin’s explanation with a smirk, but received little more than a pouty frown as punishment. “And to answer your original question, Krystallina, I reckon we’ll be lucky if Jun comes out for dinner, let alone lunch.”

“I’ll go take these to him then.” Krystal excused herself as she carried the tray out the frosty glassed double doors, and the remaining three heard as she knocked at the clan leader’s office.

“So… what are we gonna get up to now?” Jongdae asked perkily as he leant back in his chair, looking back and forth between Kyungsoo and Jongin with his eyebrows raised in expectation.

“Well, we,” Jongin began, bringing their still-clasped hands up to rest on the tabletop where Jongdae could see, “are going to continue studying. You, however, aren’t exactly invited.”

There was a stillness in his smile as Jongdae watched the pair stand from their seats and begin to depart the dining room. The silence in the space was invaded only with the hollow echoes of Jongin and Kyungsoo’s footsteps on the marbled flooring as they walked away, and the latter waited a second too long for Jongdae’s jovial quip.

“Heh, no worries. I’ve got places to be and people to see, anyway,” he said, though he made no move from his chair. Kyungsoo sent one more smile over his shoulder as Jongin led him out and around to the elevator, hoping that Jongdae would interrupt their studying session, if only to distract the human from the horror that was his civil law unit.

“Before we get back to studying,” Kyungsoo said, tracing invisible designs against the hand he held in his own, “I have a quick question.”

~Wild Flowers Worth Knowing~

When Kyungsoo knocked twice politely, he didn’t expect the door to be ripped open and for Chanyeol to shout at him in misplaced desperation.

“Baekhyun?” he asked, not even entirely unobscured by the door before he did so. As soon as the taller discovered it wasn’t his roommate that was knocking, but in fact his roommate’s best friend, Chanyeol wilted against the doorframe.

“You need to stop moving so much, kid.” The feminine voice came from within the dorm and Kyungsoo was honestly surprised to hear such a concerned edge to Seulgi’s tone. “The more energy you use, the more blood you’ll need. Come, sit.”

Kyungsoo took that as his cue to walk in, closing the door behind him and wrapping Chanyeol’s unresponsive arm over his shoulders. He walked the half-blood over to the faux double bed in the centre of the room, where Chanyeol collapsed on it next to Seulgi.

“No need to look so disappointed when you see me,” Kyungsoo joked, hoping to relieve some of the bad vibes in the situation he’d just walked into. He couldn’t believe he’d picked whatever drama was taking place in Baekhyun and Chanyeol’s dorm over spending more one-on-one time with Jongin after they’d finished studying. Now he was there though, seeing his friend in such a state, he couldn’t really turn back. “So, where is Baekhyun?”

“Gone. Just gone.” Chanyeol spoke breathlessly as he lay on the mattress like a rag doll. His skin seemed permanently paler than it had been before he’d turned, and his long limbs looked more like a marionette’s when he moved: like his mind was a degree disconnected, and he only went through the motions based on semi-distant memories that plucked the strings attached to his body through familiarity more than necessity.

Throughout the past week, a dull ghost hovered like a thick fog in Chanyeol’s eyes and the faraway look he gave created the perfect projection screen for Kyungsoo to watch his trauma on repeat. Pop, pop, pop. They hadn’t talked much and Kyungsoo wasn’t sure if things would ever be the same.

“We were discussing the terms of being a feeder and Baekhyun needed some space. It’s a lot to take in, he just needs a little time.” Seulgi filled Kyungsoo in from a more objective perspective, and though he didn’t know exactly what a feeder was, it wasn’t too difficult to guess given the context.

“It’s a lot to take in for him?” Chanyeol asked with a bitterness Kyungsoo had never heard from him before, and wet sand started spinning in his stomach until the human was scared he’d throw up his guilt all over the dormitory floor.

“Ch-Chanyeol…” he began, knowing he had to say something, yet also knowing that giving a simple sorry for his part in everything was like trying to mend the taller’s heart with sticky tape -- really sticky tape. “I can’t imagine-”

“You said you were bitten too?” Chanyeol spoke over Kyungsoo, not looking at him, still having not moved a muscle since Kyungsoo dumped him where he lay.

The nineteen-year-old remembered mentioning it fairly late on the night of Chanyeol’s turning, as a part of his abridged explanation of events that led up to Chanyeol being attacked. He hadn’t gone into much detail though, for entirely deliberate reasons, but he knew out of everyone, Chanyeol deserved to hear about it if he wanted to.

“Yes, the night before.” Kyungsoo glanced at Seulgi who nodded and moved to the kitchen and began making something. It wasn’t a lot of privacy, considering the kitchenette was in the same room as the rest of the dorm, but the gesture was welcome. Kyungsoo moved to Seulgi’s old spot on the bed, not daring to reach a hand out toward the other yet.

“But you didn’t die?” The last word was hollow, like an eggshell with no albumen or yolk inside, and Kyungsoo didn’t want to touch it, fearful that if he did it would shatter.

“No, Jongdae got there before that could happen,” Kyungsoo said. “If that was even what... he was planning for me.”

Chanyeol hummed in understanding, and his head bobbed in a tired nod. It was the first movement he’d made since acknowledging Kyungsoo’s presence and that fact alone was relieving.

“I can’t believe it took death for me to finally meet your elusive boyfriend and his family of wackos.” Chanyeol’s voice was raspy but he cracked a smile and it took Kyungsoo by surprise. He stared longer than he should have, starved of seeing Chanyeol acting like his normal jovial self. After the night of turning, Kyungsoo couldn’t really face the older beyond being in the same room with others there as well, though Jongin and Seulgi had visited him often. He heard from them that he’d been dealing with everything well, but there was still something empty about him that made Kyungsoo regret everything.

“Hey now,” Seulgi chirped up from the far side of the room, leaning over a steaming mug by the sink. “I’m right here, kid.”

“I know.” Chanyeol aimed the comment at the brunette vampire in a loud and mocking tone, before directing his gaze back to Kyungsoo with a more serious, vulnerable expression. “Jongin is nice, though... He cares about you a lot.”

His eyes carried a sharpness that had Kyungsoo seeing determination instead of hauntedness, and he smiled at Chanyeol’s words. The blatant approval rushed over him like the first cool wave at a hot beach, and it washed away some of the sand clogging his lungs. The rest of his guilt remained though, and his smile simmered down into an apologetic look.

“I’m so sorry-”

“No. Don’t.” Chanyeol’s voice broke and his hand whipped out to grab Kyungsoo’s with quick tightness. With one surprised glance Kyungsoo could see the wetness gathered in the other’s eyes and the fire burning in his gaze. “If I'd known then what I do now, I still would have done the same thing.”

Kyungsoo himself had to take a deep breath to digest the heaviness in the words, the absolute sincerity in the meaning. If loyalty were a currency, Chanyeol would spend his days in the highest luxury. As it happened though, it wasn’t, and that left entirely decent people like Chanyeol as half-dead, half-immortal beings that were constantly on the verge of losing their minds and ravaging on all their loved ones. Kyungsoo tried not to think about it too hard. Instead, he placed his hand over the half-blood’s and gave him a watery smile.

“C’mon you two, stop being so mushy,” Seulgi said, combing through the fridge. “I have a reputation to uphold, and just being near that display of emotions is tarnishing it.”

She nudged the door shut as she turned back around, tossing a red pouch next to Chanyeol’s head on the bed. The vampire suggested he eat, seeing as he’d used up a lot of energy since his last feeding, and Kyungsoo couldn’t imagine what must have gone down before he’d arrived at the dorm.

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo with uncertain eyes, but the younger of the two let go of his hand and gestured to the blood bag encouragingly. “C’mon Popeye, eat your spinach.”

“That’s actually a pretty good comparison,” Chanyeol said with a remnant of perkiness as he slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position. The movement clearly took effort from the exhausted half-blood but Kyungsoo didn’t want to offer help out of fear that Chanyeol wouldn’t take it.

“Uhh, no it’s not?” Seulgi moved back to the kitchenette, pushing aside a few short stacks of instant noodles to jump up onto the counter. “No offense, kid, but you have terrible taste in pop culture references.”

“What? No way!” Chanyeol was indignant, but also distracted as he tried to pry the plastic casing off the tube of the blood bag. The way the liquid swirled within as Chanyeol’s grip on the pouch increased in pressure both nauseated and hypnotised Kyungsoo. The deep red of the blood was striking when juxtaposed with the ashy hue of the half-blood’s skin and the scene as a whole looked horrendously unnatural. “Popeye’s a classic.”

“In my day we entertained ourselves by playing yutnori, not watching some belligerent sailor frolic around trying to impress some superficial mare.”

“Seulgi,” Chanyeol all but growled, suddenly getting frustrated with the packaging. He eventually attempted to rip the seal off with his teeth, and just as Kyungsoo was going to cut in to tell him to go easy on it, the piece of plastic flew outwards and ricocheted off Kyungsoo’s shoulder with no following apology. The velocity wasn’t too fast, but the blow still stung slightly.

“Okay, okay. I’m backing off.” Seulgi’s tone was relenting, but she shared a look with Kyungsoo that was both weary and resigned. “Hey, kid,” she said to the human, glancing back over to Chanyeol for a moment, “come over here. Let’s swap spots.”

Kyungsoo yielded with a confused frown, and meandered passed the vampire to take over her position against the kitchen counter. When he turned back to face the bed, it was to witness just how aggressively his friend was drinking, if you could even call it that.

Chanyeol sat hunched over, squeezing the pouch so hard that the outflow was more than he could fit in his mouth at any one time. Thick rivulets streamed down the outside of the bag, as well as over Chanyeol’s hands, staining them a morbid crimson as he gulped the liquid down ravenously. He heaved deep and irregular bursts of air through his nose, his shoulders rolling up and down with each breath. Kyungsoo couldn’t look away from his fellow college student, shocked still at the sight of his stalwart friend, ultimately his savior, who truly looked more monster than human in that moment.

When he managed to tear his eyes away from the half-blood, his gaze found Seulgi who sat on the edge of the bed. She was a safe distance from Chanyeol, who continued to the blood bag dry like it was a juice box, and between both him and Kyungsoo. In fact, the surreal image concocted a similar one in the human’s mind: of a hero standing between Kyungsoo’s pitiful figure lying on the ground and the remorseful attacker by the door. Thinking back on it now, the almost-bite from Hyunsik seemed like it happened in another life, and not at all like it was practically a fortnight ago.

Chanyeol stirred Kyungsoo from his thoughts, the IT major panting violently as he threw his head back from the virtually empty bag. He took but a moment’s break before diving down and the remaining blood off his hands almost obsessively, the plastic cringing in his tight hold. The human looked back at Seulgi, who continued to perch herself on the edge of the bed closest to Kyungsoo and the door like she was ready to jump into action. Though she was only acting precautious, it was hard to believe that Chanyeol would even try to pounce on Kyungsoo. They were close friends; the tall goofball wasn’t going to attack him or anything. Looking back at how Chanyeol’s eyes had darkened though, had Kyungsoo inching closer to the exit. Just in case.

“How much does he need?” The question was obviously posed to Seulgi, as the first-year didn’t think Chanyeol present enough to answer in his current state. The vampire made an unsure noise from the back of and it didn’t help with Kyungsoo’s growing concerns for his personal safety. He didn’t want to be paranoid, but as the saying goes: once bitten, twice shy.

“Ehhh, hard to say.” Seulgi stayed staring at Chanyeol as he continued to squeeze the blood bag to up the last drops left. “He’s been on a restricted diet of one or two bags a day, ‘cause the Court will get suspicious if we, as a vampire clan, ask for any more resources than what we already have,” she said. “But, when he signs up to the Court with a feeder, then he’ll probably be provided with two bags a day plus feeder biting.”

Seulgi spoke way too nonchalantly for Kyungsoo’s liking. ‘Feeder biting’? The idea that everyone expected Baekhyun to go through the pain of being bitten on a daily basis was abhorrent -- Baekhyun shouldn’t have to pay for Jackson’s wrongdoing, for Kyungsoo’s recklessness. The sand was building up again, tightening his chest like a coil being wound too many times, and he struggled to breathe under the pressure.

“Listen, kid.” Seulgi whirled to look at Kyungsoo as soon as Chanyeol threw down the bone-dry pouch. She stood up and created a physical barrier just as the half-blood locked eyes with the human, his gaze looking dark and empty, devoid of any recognition of who Kyungsoo was. “He’s hungry, and newly turned. It’s a little dangerous right now, maybe come back later, yeah?”

Chanyeol growled out an entirely non-human noise and Seulgi spread her arms out and crouched slightly like a wildlife expert who tamed caged beasts. Kyungsoo had to look away at that point, unable to stomach the vision of Chanyeol as a puppet to animalistic instincts -- he didn’t want to see what he had been disgraced to.

“Go and track down Baekhyun, would ya? I don’t want him alone right now, and I’d do it myself but I’m kinda needed here.”

Kyungsoo heard the faint creaking of the mattress more than saw Chanyeol start to ascend from the bed, the sound soft enough that the human knew he’d have to be moving calculatedly like a cat, and he guessed he was the prey.

“Get outta here, kid!”

It was the final push Kyungsoo needed to bolt from his spot by the kitchen counter and make a run for the door. He heard the sudden movement behind him, of loud springs squeaking and hurried footsteps. The latch took longer than he’d hoped it would to open, seeing as his hands were shaking, but when he managed to swing the door open enough, he threw himself through the gap he’d made and slammed it closed behind him as quickly as possible.

He stood with his back pressed to the door as he felt the adrenaline drumming through him, and his breathing was erratic. A heavy thud vibrated against the length of his spine a few moments later, and Kyungsoo had no idea if it was Chanyeol that had just hit the other side of the exit or perhaps Seulgi, but he didn’t want to stick around to find out.

“If I'd known then what I do now, I still would have done the same thing,” Chanyeol had said heartfeltly. He was still the loyal friend he’d always been, deep down: there was no question of that. He’d only acted the way he had because, as Seulgi had said, he wasn’t drinking enough blood as well as the fact he was newly turned.

Kyungsoo repeated the words in his head, hoping they would overwrite his memories of the latter half of his visit. He took out his phone from his pocket with still-trembling hands, trying to ground himself with the heavy feeling of the cool and smooth handset as he walked down the hallway to the elevators. It took him twice as long as it normally would just to send Baekhyun a simple text saying ‘wanna talk?’ and he almost screeched when he got startled by another student leaving their dorm.

By the time he’d made his way out of the building, he already had a response from his best friend saying ‘il park’. It was a bit of a walk, but Kyungsoo enjoyed the fresh air, calming repetition of movement, and the time alone to try and settle himself. Though it was comforting to have Jongin there to help rouse Kyungsoo from his rumination, as he had earlier that same day, the human wouldn’t always have his boyfriend there to offer support. He had to learn to save himself from drowning in his own thoughts and feelings when alone.

Thankfully, by the time he arrived at his destination he felt more composed. He was there to give Baekhyun his shoulder, he reminded himself, not to talk about his own issues. Baekhyun’s problems were not only more important, but also Kyungsoo’s fault, so he’d try and be the best friend he could be, even if it was a little late.

The grass was wet and slippery beneath his feet as he walked through the gates to Ilsan Lake Park, and the chilled air blew passed softly in a comforting touch. He hadn’t been to the park since his carnival date with Jongin, and Kyungsoo could almost still hear the echo of the children’s laughter, clanking ride chains and high-pitched circus music on the breeze.

There was no metal prize wall, fortunately, nor any ferris wheel. The undulating expanse of green was only embellished by a few trees and a scattering of lampposts, and it was as if the whole event two Saturdays ago had never happened. He wasn’t sure how he felt about that, but pushed it out of his mind as he spotted a lone figure sitting beneath a wide-brimmed evergreen tree by the lake in the distance.

He wasn’t entirely sure where he and Baekhyun were at emotionally anymore, as they hadn’t spoken all that much since Chanyeol’s turning. Partly because Baekhyun had been understandably stressed and distant, but mostly because of Kyungsoo’s hesitation to see the half-blood after everything. Yet another mistake he’d made.

“Hey,” he croaked as he sat down next to the other human, crossing his legs and leaning against the rough tree bark. His best friend nodded distractedly, his gaze following the soft ripples across the lake before them. There was a lost expression ghosting his face, and Kyungsoo studied the lines next to Baekhyun’s mouth. It was unusual to get to see the older so close without them both laughing, or at least smiling, about something. Now though, there was no laughter or chatter, just the weathered face, the breeze that ruffled his blonde hair and the unobtrusive lapping of the water against the pebbles.

“Chanyeol and I have been dating for, like, a year…” The second-year’s eyes continued to look out into the free body of water, and Kyungsoo turned back to watch it as well. “We'd never even said ‘I love you’ before. But that was the first thing he said as a half-blood, did you know?” Baekhyun’s laugh was a twig underfoot, brittle and cracked. “Who does that? Who wakes up from literal death and just blurts “I love you”?”

The last question was obviously rhetorical, and Kyungsoo had no idea what else to answer. He hadn’t known Chanyeol had said that, nor did he know what to do with the information now he had it. Instead, he picked at the dry grass by his leg: the only expanse of land that had been shaded from the earlier rain. It was still overcast well into the afternoon, and the clouds filtered everything with a dull, bluish hue. He knew it would rain again, possibly soon, but the gentle wind and fresh smell of water made Kyungsoo want to take a nap.

“I just wanted to date him, Kyungsoo. It sounds bad but, I just… I never signed up for this.” A rough edge threaded through his voice, different from the soft and confused one he’d spoken with earlier. It sounded wrong when mixed with the peaceful sounds of their environment, and Kyungsoo couldn’t help but flinch when Baekhyun grabbed a small, jagged stone and threw it into the lake. The rock made a heavy plop! as it broke the surface, and a short tower of water shot in the air and fell back down in its wake. Though the stone itself was quickly swallowed up, the waves it sent in all directions continued outwards as the seconds of silence ticked by.

“It’s not bad, it’s realistic,” Kyungsoo started, and it was his turn to stare at the ripples in the lake while he felt two eyes trained on him. “I know more than anyone what it's like to be pushed into this world, to suddenly be dating a supernatural creature,” he said. “And it doesn't make you a bad person for wanting some time… Or for walking away.”

“Did you ever consider walking away from Jongin?”

Kyungsoo thought about it, looking over to see Baekhyun’s open expression; he wasn’t teasing, he genuinely wanted to know. “Yeah. But my immediate reaction, whenever I find out anything new about this, is always ‘okay, how can we work around this together?’ You know? My first thought was never to get away from him, so I guess I just followed my heart?”

“That’s sappy. Say ‘followed your gut’, that’s more manly.” Baekhyun smirked slightly, and Kyungsoo could swear the clouds broke for a second to let the sunlight through.

“Pfft, whatever.” The first-year chanced bumping his shoulder into the older’s, and Baekhyun pressed back light-heartedly.

“But I know what you mean, about first reactions.” The second-year’s smile was quickly gone, replaced by a brooding frown as he looked down into his lap, and Kyungsoo noticed the black roots of his hair for the first time as they bled into the surrounding blonde of his crown. “Chanyeol needs me, and I need him. It’s not about that though.” A particularly strong gust of wind fanned Baekhyun’s fringe flat against his forehead, and he ran his hands through the locks a few times to get them out of his eyes. “This is like asking me to give up my freedom.”

“It is a big commitment…” Kyungsoo couldn't imagine having to dedicate yourself to someone for the rest of your life, purely based on the fact they needed your blood to survive. It wasn't exactly the best way to establish a healthy relationship -- what if they broke up? “I'm sure that if you ever needed a break or want to stop then it can be arranged. The Kims can always-”

“No, Kyungsoo, you don't get it. It's a lifetime deal, really.” Baekhyun glared at the ground and the rough edge to his tone returned. “When I sign these papers I'll become his ‘feeder’, and if I ever stop being that then the Nosferitian Court will hunt me down and wipe my memory of all the vampire stuff,” he said, grabbing a handful of grass and ripping it out of the dirt. “I'll never be able to see Chanyeol again, I'll forget I even knew him at all.”

“Wipe your… memory?” The wind picked up, and suddenly the chill was too cold for Kyungsoo. He shivered, wondering how mind wiping was even possible. But if Jongin could teleport, maybe someone else had a power, or symptom, that resulted in them being able to manipulate someone else’s mind: and the idea that that was possible was surprisingly terrifying.

Baekhyun stopped his frustrated pulling, turning to look at Kyungsoo’s worried face. He dropped the tuft of grass still clasped in his hand with a sigh, wiping it on the side of his pants, before draping his arm over Kyungsoo’s shoulder with a softness in his eyes.

“Yeah, that’s why Jongin and the clan were so reluctant to tell you anything. If the Court finds out you know, they’ll take you away and prosecute the Kims.” He squeezed Kyungsoo close, bringing his other hand up to rub warmth up and down the younger’s arm. “You won’t remember Jongin at all, and they probably wouldn’t let you remember me or Chanyeol either at this point…”

Kyungsoo hugged Baekhyun closer, unable to imagine having to give up the three people closest to him over a vampiric infection. It was inhumane, but then again, the Nosferitian Court was made up of vampires, not humans -- so maybe they didn’t have to be humane.

“I knew the Court were against humans knowing, but… but oh my god.” The younger took in a deep breath while letting the sentence hang, pressing his face further against the second-year’s shoulder. The smell of vanilla and tiger grass was a comfort, and the nineteen-year-old re-focussed on Baekhyun. His best friend was already involved to an extent, and even that was too much. “Don’t do it -- just let Chanyeol sign up alone.”

Thin fingers patted down his hair, and Kyungsoo squeezed his eyes shut.

“Oh, Soo. Even if that were an option, you know I couldn’t do that,” Baekhyun consoled. “We’re a team.”

“What do you mean “even if that were an option”?”

“The Court doesn’t let a half-blood sign up unless they have a feeder. Seulgi says it’s like an insurance thing -- making sure that there are people taking responsibility for the half-blood if anything bad happens.” One more squeeze and Baekhyun let go of the younger, again flicking his fringe out of his eyes as Kyungsoo shivered at the sudden absence of warmth. “The bastards think putting down any non-aligned half-blood like a dog is doing the rest of humanity a service. It’s disgusting, and it forces people like Chan and me to sign on with them.”

Before Baekhyun could work himself up again, Kyungsoo reached out a hand and rubbed circles into the older’s back as a way of soothing him. The first-year turned to look back out over the lake and the rest of the park that rolled over the other side of the freshwater stream, noticing that the previously heavy clouds were starting to thin out. The horizon was lazily cycling through warm hues as the sun began to set and the pink clouds hung low in the sky, floating puffs of cotton candy that could be enjoyed from afar, but never touched.

The leaves rustled from directly above Kyungsoo and he leaned back to rest against the thick trunk. “I know it’s hard for both of you, so I want you to know I’m always here for you guys. Especially you, Baek.”

“Stop feeling guilty, Soo. If there’s someone to blame, I’ll be the first to blame them. But this isn’t on you, so don’t feel responsible.” Baekhyun rested his head against the rugged bark with closed eyes. “I should probably be thanking you, you know. You helped me make a decision.” He spoke with calm understanding, like he was experiencing a moment of clarity. “You don’t even want to know what the hour I was sitting here alone looked like, and neither do I… Probably like a shot from an angsty teen music video.”

Kyungsoo laughed joyously, and the jubilation didn’t end in a fit of coughing up sand this time. When he settled down, the college student breathed deeply and just enjoyed the way the peaceful wind had blown away the sandstorm in his chest, the grains disintegrating in three short gusts.

“Hey, Baek?” Kyungsoo spoke up again after the two had fallen into a serene silence, thinking back to a conversation he’d had earlier that day. “Do you know about tethering?”

“Hmm? No.” Baekhyun’s voice was noncommittal, as if he’d just woken up, and his eyes remained closed as he responded.

“Apparently, when a vampire is turned, they can become tethered to the one that turned them. It means they basically do everything the original vampire wants them to: like a mind-controlled slave.”

“Oh, wow, really.”

“Yeah, and I was curious if it was possible for half-bloods too. Jongin says he’d never heard of that before, but if Chanyeol is weirdly not mad at Jackson, then maybe-”

“Wait, what?” Baekhyun suddenly sat forward, frowning like he’d only caught the last half of what Kyungsoo had said. “Why are we talking about him, of all people?”

“It’s just-”

“No, don’t even think about that. Chanyeol’s just- he’s trying to be proactive about it. He doesn’t want to rip the guy’s eyes out and feed it back to him like I do, but he’s not stopped talking about whipping his on the soccer field.” Baekhyun shook his head to dismiss Kyungsoo’s question. “It’s weird, yeah, but that’s just Chanyeol. Don’t waste your brain cells thinking about that guy.”

“O-okay.” Kyungsoo noticed Baekhyun’s refusal to even say Jackson’s name, and wondered whether the other singer’s perspective of Chanyeol’s state was entirely accurate. The irritated reaction, too, had been a surprise, but Baekhyun had gone through a lot that day and maybe Kyungsoo should have just left it.

The first-year began pondering whether he should apologise or just remain quiet when his phone piped up from his pocket. The electronic ringing continued as Kyungsoo grabbed the device from his coat, assuming the call would be from Jongin. However, it was not.

‘Hyunsik’ projected across the screen in block letters as he stared down at it. He had no clue what Hyunsik had to say to him, or if he’d even want to hear it. The fact the other first-year had used him just to have some leverage over Jongin was repulsive, not to mention how he’d tried to bite Kyungsoo just like Jackson. If Jongin hadn’t been there to stop it, Kyungsoo might’ve become a half-blood himself.

“For God’s sake, answer the damn phone.” Baekhyun ordered, blindly flinging his arm out and whacking the side of Kyungsoo’s thigh.

It was enough to bring the younger out of his thoughts, and in a split-second decision, he hit the accept button and pressed the phone to his ear before he’d even properly realised.

“Kyungsoo? Oh thank God you picked up, you need to be careful, okay? ...Kyungsoo?”

“What do you want, Hyunsik?” He hoped his voice was as cold and unimpressed as he'd been trying to make it, and Baekhyun’s surprised side-glance was a fairly good indication it was.

“Listen, I heard about Chanyeol, and I'm so sorry, Kyungsoo. I had no idea Jackson was going to do that, or that he was the one who attacked you last Monday.”

“Oh really? Funny that, because he did it in the name of your clan, so.”

“- I… I know I shouldn't, I know Jongin’s claimed you as his, but I had to warn you.”

“Warn me about what exactly? What could possibly be more dangerous than your clanmate trying to kill me? Or what, is Jackson coming back for a third try?” By now, Kyungsoo noticed his voice rise in volume. He was pissed, and Baekhyun was staring at him slack-jawed as he chewed out the newly turned vampire on the other end of the line.

“The Court aren't as great as you think, and my clan would know, okay? You need to be careful, they're watching and-”

“You're going to use some ‘1984’ scare tactic on me to try and make me weary of aligned clans? Really?” Kyungsoo was almost yelling but he didn't care. It felt good to get out his feelings, to finally push back. “How can I trust you? You lied to me! Our whole friendship was just a cover for you to get to a member of the Kim Clan.”

“Is that really what you in’ think?” This time, Hyunsik sounded just as annoyed, and the idea that the science major thought he had the right to be angry only further ticked the human off. Hyunsik wasn't the one who'd been lied to and left in the dark, nor was he one who’d been tracked down multiple times only for one of his best friends to be turned into a half-blood. How dare he have the audacity to act like he'd been wronged.

“Yeah, that’s exactly how it looks from where I'm standing.”

Kyungsoo ended the call immediately, momentarily wishing he still had a flip phone so he could have had the satisfaction of slamming it closed. He huffed as he turned back to his best friend, trying to calm himself down with deep breaths. Baekhyun quickly leant over and squeezed Kyungsoo’s shoulder, a wicked smile on his face.

“Damn I raised you right,” he said. “You're a total badass now.”

The self-congratulating expression on Baekhyun's face -- as if it were him who had toughened Kyungsoo up, and not the sudden introduction into the vampire world that had done it -- was priceless. The first-year burst into laughter at the sight, and the older joined in too. Soon Kyungsoo felt all the pent-up rage dissipate, like sand being washed away by the tide.

As their chuckles died out, Kyungsoo raised his chin to look heavenward. The sky was a deep, rich blue beginning to glitter with a few specks of silver, blushing a royal purple only at the very edge of the horizon.

The cool breeze blowing over the lapping lake turned frigid, and Kyungsoo could feel the sudden drop in temperature approaching. He looked back over to Baekhyun, who also seemed immersed in the scenery, and gazed upon his serene face. The older had thin laugh lines next to his mouth, and a determined glint in his eyes. He no longer looked lost or empty, and Kyungsoo thought that maybe everything would be okay -- maybe he could finally stop blaming himself.

“Come on, let's get you back to Chanyeol.”

Omg, a full two months since I last updated this :////// Happy Valentine's day everyone!!

I also recently posted a 30k fluffly kaisoo murder mystery, in case anyone's interested and hasn't already read it...

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and any thoughts you have are always appreciated <3