It was their fifth day of patrolling together, haunting the twilight hours of the city’s boundaries while they searched for any sign of the creature they were looking for. For all intents and purposes, their target seemed to have disappeared for the time being though… That didn’t exactly faze Hakyeon but he knew it was weighing on Taekwoon, as another glance at the hunter beside him confirmed. The younger man almost always looked dower but the likely nature of their target was heavy on his tense shoulders.

                “I wouldn’t be surprised if it decided to lay low for now, what with Ryeowook being taken into custody for questioning and all,” he reminded Taekwoon again, giving him a sidelong look that was not reciprocated.

                The hunter grimaced and shook his head once. “It’s not that. I mean, maybe a little bit, but…” he trailed off, nodding once into the growing gloom.

                Ah. The vampire. “Is someone jealous that we have an extra hand lately?” he teased, a playful grin dancing on his lips. That earned him a glare from his partner but it was the expected, and desired, result.

                “We don’t need him getting in the way,” he grumbled uncharitably, though there wasn’t much heat to his words.

                Hakyeon chuckled and shook his head before reaching out to pat the hunter on the shoulder consolingly. “With something like a mimic, all help is good help,” he encouraged, giving a light squeeze once to reassure him. The power difference between him and the hunter was accepted and acceptable – they were partners after all, but with the Rank 3 vampire, it wasn’t unusual for a young Hunter especially to feel like the third wheel.

                He would have said more before a quiet whistle from said vampire made him pause and look over. With his were eyes and feline night vision, the pale man was easy enough to see, but to a regular human, he might well have appeared as an apparition of sorts, decked out in his dark clothes and crowned with that almost silvery hair of his. Yoongi made a gesture with one slightly clawed hand and Hakyeon nodded, rolling his shoulders as he felt what had caught the vampire’s attention.

                He leaned down to murmur in Taekwoon’s ear, “Possible company.”

                “Understood,” he responded, straightening up with a tight note to his voice.

                They paused to take note of where they were specifically – outer rim of the Red Zone and near the ‘wall’ that delineated the city boundary. They were still in the natural part of the section and hadn’t made the break zone yet, but they weren’t far off. It had been a quiet area recently, but that was just as good a reason for something to be happening now as well. Unless they wanted to be caught or were actively showing off, serial criminals had a tendency to move around a bit…

                Energy flickered, rippling across his skin like wind teasing his fur. “Wait,” he called, placing a hand on Taekwoon’s arm as he called his ears out, triangular appendages rising up to catch the sounds better. He saw Taekwoon notice in his periphery, the slight wince of surprise appearing on his face, but he paid it no mind as he honed in on the sounds. Quiet but like the tail end of danger passing. “They moved to the other side of the wall.”

                “They?” Taekwoon asked for clarification, squinting into the growing gloom. His vision was nowhere near as good as the were’s and it showed.

                “At least three,” a soft voice responded, surprising the hunter with a small gasp. “Maybe more,” Yoongi added, practically materializing beside them without so much as an unnecessary sound. Hakyeon felt him approach but largely because the vampire let him. More or less.

                “Maybe?” the were asked with a raised brow, more to tease than to actually question. He could smell it too… four different scents but there were traces of others as well and it was hard to say if they were actually people or not.

                “I’ll move to the other side and try to cut them off. See if I can’t flush them back your way,” he explained, black cloak emerging with a whisper of sound.

                Hakyeon couldn’t quite hide the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth when he saw Taekwoon staring at it. For something that looked so benign, it was deceptively deadly on an experienced vampire. “Get your serum ready,” he encouraged, brushing his fingers against Taekwoon’s arm again.

                “He should probably stay back,” Yoongi commented, looking the hunter up and down once as if gauging his ability.

                “This is my mi-” he started to say in affront.

                Hakyeon grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close while meeting Yoongi’s eyes directly. “The only way he’ll learn is if he tries.”

                “And if he dies?” the vampire asked, the question almost nonchalant but all too serious.

                The were felt Taekwoon stiffen under his hand and he responded, “He won’t.”

                Yoongi didn’t say anything in response but he did hold Hakyeon’s gaze for a long moment. “If you say so,” he finally shrugged, taking one more look at the understandably nervous Taekwoon before he turned to walk away.

                Taekwoon inhaled sharply and frowned. “Where’d he go?”

                For a second, Hakyeon was confused as he could see the vampire with no trouble, but then he realized the shift in the air. “He’s on his way to corral our possible targets.” He pointed in the vampire’s general direction, but knew it was useless. The power difference was too great between the hunter and the vampire for Taekwoon to ‘notice’ him if he didn’t want to be.

                “Is he always an ?” the hunter grumbled, kicking at the ground in frustration.

                “Not always,” Hakyeon shook his head, though the words were slow to come. He really wasn’t but their patrols together had not done much to disabuse them of the idea. “He is really prickly lately though,” he shrugged, mulling the situation over in his head. “My guess would be it’s got something to do with our target or his mentee. Or both,” he added, crossing his arms over his chest and sighing while his ears flicked in annoyance.

                Taekwoon looked over to see for himself and then snorted, the hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “You look ridiculous when you do that.”

                “Huh?” he blinked, head tilting in a very feline gesture. “Ah,” he laughed when he realized the other man was referring to his ears. Grinning, he reached up to pat them with his fingertips and then winked at the hunter. “Guess that’s my cue to change then,” he shrugged, exhaling as his clothes merged into his body and fur sprouted all over while he grew in size.

                “I’ll go ahead then. Make my way to the break zone for a better look,” he announced, shaking his hands to try and expel the sudden surge of nerves.

                Hakyeon nodded once but cautioned, “Stay in the tree line. If they’re high-level creatures, you’ll be at a significant disadvantage, even with the serum.”

                “I know,” he waved off dismissively, adjusting the satchel on his hip and reaching in preemptively.

                “Taekwoon,” the were called again, keeping his eyes trained on the Hunter.

                “I know,” Taekwoon answered once more, this time with far more seriousness. “I’ll be careful, but like you said, I won’t get better if I don’t try.”

                Hakyeon grimaced, as much as he could in his current form, and then settled for wrinkling his nose instead. It was a much more expressive – and satisfying – gesture. “Good hunting,” he called, waiting for the younger man to nod in response and head out before he circled off to the side. Away from the vampire and the modified human, he could get a clearer scent. Based on the residual he was getting, it was likely they’d stumbled across the poachers. Two were distinctly humanoid but the third and fourth was where things started to get tricky. He could smell both the rakshasa and the were-tiger but neither was strong enough to be considered the individual. Or rather… it smelled more like their blood. There was the hint of something else too but it was possible they’d found a target or two. Had they been injured?

                On this side of the wall, he couldn’t hear anything from them either, and even his sight was dimmed. Then again, that was very much a part of the wall surrounding the city. It had an obfuscation effect the Mages hadn’t been able to make only one sided. On smaller scales it wasn’t a problem but with a city as large as Tradeborough… It didn’t mean he couldn’t see anything but from this side, it was like looking at the world from underwater. Visible but not clear. Then again, from the other side, it was even worse.

                Taking a deep breath, he made his way to the edge of the break zone and slunk into the open space, a length of approximately one hundred meters where there was only dirt and sparse growth. The midway point was where the wall was but to most, it was invisible. He could sense it as a collection of standing energy and in the sunlight, there was a slight shimmer effect, but right now… there was nothing but stillness and tension.

                “The calm before the storm,” he murmured to himself, padding silently across the space until he was near the wall. Nothing moved on the other side and he had to wonder if Yoongi had managed to cut them off or was simply watching them. The were took a breath and slid over to the other side, ears flicking quickly to pick up on the sound that immediately came to him. Panicked breathing and rustling. Something was running through the cover on this side.

                Hakyeon crouched to all fours and froze as something broke through the forest line. His eyes narrowed as he took in the spiral horns on a human head, wiry tail and furry lower body. A faun. Scratched up and panicked but whole. “Help!” he weakly cried, stumbling in the clear space but lurching forward to keep his footing. He glanced over his shoulder and then sprinted forward, desperately fleeing something.

                In the next moment, the edge of the forest quaked as three figures followed suit. Hakyeon recognized two of them immediately: Hyesung and Krystal, the modified humans for the poachers. The third figure was in their creature form but since a rakshasa resembled a were-tiger, he wasn’t sure if it was Junho or Youngjae at first glance. Getting a look at the hands though… “Youngjae,” he hissed, noticing the backwards appearance of the appendages. So where was Junho?

                A sharp multitude of cracking sounds followed by a pained yowl answered that question. In one section of trees, a larger body crashed through a tree trunk, sending splintered debris everywhere, and rolled before scrambling to stand upright. The trio paused just before the wall’s edge and looked over to see their companion snarl at the shadowy phantasm pursuing him.

                With just enough space to have distance from it all, the situation felt… strange to Hakyeon. The faun was obviously fleeing but the poachers didn’t seem to care about him. Even when discovered, they usually tried to acquire their target regardless. But they were fleeing Yoongi if he was seeing it right. And the vampire… why was he so riled up? Hakyeon could just see the pin pricks of orangish embers igniting in Yoongi’s eyes.

                “Where is the demon?!” he snarled, fangs and claws bared as he stalked towards the weretiger.

                Demon? Hakyeon didn’t smell a demon, but he did smell vampire blood when he took a deep breath. At the same time, he realized the poacher creatures also smelled strange. They had dark patches of something on their fur. Nothing about this encounter seemed right. Other than the four poachers, the vampire and the faun on Taekwoon’s side… “Taekwoon!” he gasped, jumping up to lurch towards the wall. His ears perked when he heard a faint cry and something blurred on the other side before a body hurtled into the outer space of the wall.

                A flailing Taekwoon cried out as he desperately tried to right himself in the air. The poachers heard him and turned, ready for an attack. Krystal and Hyesung brandished their short weapons but it was Youngjae that snatched him out of the air and slammed him into the ground, ready to finish the hunter off.

                “NO!” Hakyeon snarled, all thoughts of right or wrongness fleeing in an instant. He saw the rakshasa’s other hand move down, heard Taekwoon’s pained grunt, and everything in him demanded he move NOW! Wicked claws reached for Youngjae as he literally launched himself across the distance between them. Two pairs of daggers and sais raked down his body as Krystal and Hyesung responded to his attack, but they felt like papercuts as he physically tackled Youngjae. Claws buried deep in corded flesh, scratching against bone as he gripped tight while they rolled. Hakyeon came out on top, pinning the rakshasa beneath him with a furious roar.

                Youngjae almost froze when he made eye contact, but reflex kicked in as Hakyeon went for the throat. He raised his backwards hand and a small burst of flame exploded in the were’s face, singing his whiskers and burning his eyes enough to stop him. Hakyeon howled in pained surprise and lurched backwards, allowing Youngjae to slip away.

                “It’s the jaguar!” he heard through ringing ears. “Retreat!” His vision was too blurry and he cursed the slower healing of his eyes.

                “Get back here!” That was Yoongi nearby. The sound of a scuffle echoed in his ears and two figures moved in blurry patterns before him. By scent, it was Yoongi and Junho, but why was it taking so long to heal?! A twinge in both sides made him inhale once and he bared his fangs reflexively. The poachers’ weapons. He’d either been poisoned or tranqued…

                “Hakyeon!” And that was Taekwoon but he couldn’t tell if it was a warning or a cry for help. The fighting nearby fell quiet and someone ran off in a hurry, limping as he did so.

                “There you are, demon,” Yoongi’s voice emerged, directing Hakyeon to look in the direction he was facing.

                His vision was still blurry but he could just make out Taekwoon. His stomach dropped though when he saw the figure behind him, holding him captive. It really did look like a demon with those brimstone eyes, but it didn’t smell like one, even over the all too prominent scent of Taekwoon’s blood. And it certainly didn’t feel like one. “Let him go, mimic,” he hissed as his vision finally started to clear when his body began to neutralize the contaminant in his system.

                “Mimic?” It was a surprised burst of sound from the vampire that dampened some of his roiling rage.

                “Mimic?” the creature laughed, tightening its fingers around Taekwoon’s throat. “Interesting theory,” it snorted, the smile mocking as it stared at Hakyeon. It was almost as if Yoongi wasn’t even there.

                “You only look like a demon,” he growled, taking a half-step forward before one claw drew a thin welt of blood along Taekwoon’s throat, making him grunt in subdued pain. “Everything else about you is wrong.”

                The creature laughed once, a dry sound through his nose. “I never imagined I’d see you again. Either of you for that matter,” he added, expression turning thoughtful as he looked at Yoongi like he was trying to confirm something.

                “Are you sure he’s not a demon?” Yoongi asked Hakyeon in a quiet voice, his tone confused.

                “He’s not.”

                The creature went on as if he couldn’t hear them speaking to each other. “Strange that I have found you both in the same place at the same time,” he scoffed with a shake of his head. “But you,” he spat, directing his anger at the were. “You were always so aloof. Never forming attachments, even back then. You never had anything that could be taken away.”

                Hakyeon’s stomach dropped and he whispered, “Don’t.”

                By the look in Taekwoon’s eyes, he knew what that statement meant. “Hakyeon.”

                “Let’s see how you like it when you lose something you care about,” he grinned, the feral expression twisting his face darkly.

                “No!” Hakyeon denied, reaching forward reactively.

                At the same time, Yoongi shouted, “Stop!” hand outstretched with all the power of a command behind it.

                The creature’s smile slipped for a second as it literally did stop, seemingly frozen in place. Hakyeon surged forward, desperately trying to close the distance between them. The demon creature’s face began to blur as the form became less clear. Behind him, the were heard Yoongi say, “What the…?”

                “Taekwoon!” Hakyeon howled when the command started to slip and the creature’s hands moved again. They jerked once like breaking invisible chains and the dangerous smile reappeared. Claws ripped across the hunter’s throat and stomach, tearing him open like a fillet with a cut off scream.

                “Enjoy,” he hissed before shoving the ruined, failing body at the were.

                “NO!” Hakyeon howled, lunging to catch Taekwoon in his arms before he could hit the ground. Whether the creature was still there or not didn’t matter. All he could hear was Taekwoon’s gurgling choking breaths and the pained sounds escaping from his severed throat as he pawed at the ruined flesh and struggled to breathe. “No, no, no, no, no!” he stammered over himself as he tried to staunch the bleeding, but it seeped out from under his hands, pooling around him much too quickly. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he panted, shrinking back down to his human form in his panic. For a moment, his mind went blank and he didn’t know what to do.

                Yoongi vaguely watched the creature leave with a calm satisfied smile on his shifting face. Frozen in place, the vampire’s mind looped with the last image he’d seen. The demon creature shifting his form, breaking out of the command like some erse ooze. It called to mind a memory burned in his brain that rose up like a phantom to claw at him. But unlike in his memory, the very real smell of blood was overwhelming and it dragged him back to the present with a forceful yank and he blinked hard. Looking down, he saw the viscous fluid spreading beneath the were and the hunter and he made his way closer to see the extent of the damage. “Oh Magic,” he exhaled reactively. There was no coming back from that…

                He flinched when Hakyeon’s blood smeared hand caught his arm and desperate golden eyes looked up at him. “You’re a Rank 3. You can heal him,” he gasped, staring at the vampire like he was some sort of savior.

                Yoongi shook his head, blanching at the mere thought of it. “He’s a human. It won’t work.”

                “He’s a Hunter human,” Hakyeon corrected automatically, grip tightening until it was uncomfortable. “He took the serum before. I know he did,” he promised, looking down once at the face that was starting to go slack from shock and blood loss. “Taekwoon. Stay with me,” he pleaded, making sure to look in the other man’s eyes before he stared at Yoongi again, one arm clutching the dying man while the other held to the vampire.

                “I…” he shook his head, starting to step back.

                “I’m begging you, please!” Hakyeon pleaded, pulling hard enough to drag Yoongi to the ground beside him.

                 Sticky blood soaked into his clothes and he felt a wave of pity and fear as he made eye contact with Taekwoon. Through mere slits, his pupils wide and black and scared stared back at Yoongi just before he lost consciousness. Young, relatively inexperienced, and frightened. This all too easily could have been Jungkook. The situation was not that different… He warned him it was dangerous… If he hadn’t insisted on going without him… if he hadn’t made sure he was safe at the Coven… it could have been him.

                “Yoongi, please!” the were begged once more, the pain and fear dragging across his ears like hot coals.

                He did not owe the other man anything. It was largely his fault Taekwoon was like this after all. They weren’t friends exactly either and yet… Taekwoon was his Jungkook. Yoongi’s gut twisted at the confirmed realization and he grimaced, listening to the fading sound of the hunter’s heartbeat and his pitiful wet breathing. At least he wouldn’t have to worry about the breathing part… “I’ll need help,” he started to say, not even finishing the sentence before Hakyeon shoved his arm in front of Yoongi’s mouth.

                “Take as much as you need.”

                Yoongi closed his eyes and furrowed his brow as he placed his hands over the yawning wounds on Taekwoon’s body. It was still naturally warm and a barely there pulse continued to beat, though it was fading with each passing second. He couldn’t bring back the dead and he couldn’t heal humans at this level of injury, but as long as they were still alive, he could heal their wounds with enough power. Testing to make sure the were was right, he tried to pull the worst injury to him and groaned when he felt it start to shift. Slower than a full magical creature but possible all the same.

               “Hakyeon,” he whispered without opening his eyes. In an instant, he felt warm skin against his lips and he bit down without hesitation. Internal injuries first. The hunter would still need help from blood loss but right now, he could only try to keep him from dying from his wounds. But Magic’s fangs it was going to hurt…

                If he hadn’t already been so exhausted from the ‘healing’ he had done earlier, traveling by Mage portal probably would have made him nauseous. As it was, he was too tired to feel anything more than drained when Yejin helped him step into the main entrance of the Coven. He was able to conjure a weary crooked smirk when she rolled her eyes at the almost simultaneous shadow emergence of Jungsu and Namjoon who both looked ready for a fight.

                “Yes, yes, yes” she waved off their quickly fading glowers as they caught sight of who she was helping. “Portaling into Coven territory without prior approval is against the rules. I’m aware,” she snorted, conjuring a stool to set Yoongi down on with a wave of her hand.

                “Ugh,” he groaned when the full weight of his aching body settled on the hard surface.

                “I imagine you’ll allow for an exception this time,” she murmured, dusting her hands off before placing her fists on her hips and looking up to glance between the two vampires.

                Jungsu was still wearing a look of confusion but Namjoon had quickly schooled his features to neutral observance and then gracious magnanimity. “I imagine with a full recounting, many exceptions could be permissible,” he conceded with a nod of his head.

                “Well, I don’t have the full story yet,” she admitted with a shrug, glancing down at Yoongi who was gently rubbing circles on his temples with his fingertips. “Suffice to say a Hunter almost died in their encounter tonight and Hakyeon now owes Yoongi one massive favor,” she explained, gesturing at the still very subdued vampire.

                “Yeah, yeah,” he waved off weakly, not looking up. It was easier not to make eye contact right now, especially since he knew that everyone was looking at him. Including Sanghyuk who was still hovering behind the greeting counter, Wonho who seemed to be frozen at the railing on the second floor and… Jungkook who’d managed to stop himself at the bottom of the stairs, one hand clinging to the last support like it was the only thing holding him up.

                “Jungsu. Go see what you can find out from the Hunters’ Quarters,” Namjoon instructed, his voice calm but leaving no room for negotiation.

                The second in command wrinkled his nose for just a moment and eyed the Mage as if she was hiding something. For her part, she returned his look with cool aplomb, blinking once and giving him the barest of smiles. “Yes sir,” he murmured in response, turning and stepping into shadows to disappear in the next instant.

                “I’ve secured the site and will be returning to continue my investigation but I thought you might prefer I bring Yoongi back personally,” she explained, a sad but soft smile on her lips as she looked down at the other vampire and tapped him gently on the head with her hand.

                He rolled his eyes but was too tired to brush it away. “I would have managed,” he grumbled, though secretly he was glad he didn’t have to.

                “Of course,” she chuckled, petting his hair once before pulling away and returning her focus to Namjoon. “You’re welcome to join me at the encounter site.”

                “I appreciate the offer but I should stay to make sure my coven member is in good health,” he commented, letting the weight of his gaze fall to Yoongi.

                “I believe there’s something you’ll want to see in person,” she pressed, the tone conversational but there was some underlying point she obviously didn’t want to elaborate on.

                Yoongi wouldn’t have minded asking, but he really didn’t want to go back at that moment.

                “Very well,” Namjoon agreed after a brief pause. “Wonho. Can you-”

                “You,” Yoongi interrupted by pointing a Jungkook and looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Weakly, he motioned with his hand, fingers flopping as he beckoned the younger vampire to him.

                “Jungkook then,” the vampire lord nodded. “Wonho. You’re in charge until I or Jungsu return,” he added, turning his attention to the next vampire in the rankings after Yoongi.

                “Yes, sir,” he responded reactively, clearly taken aback by the instruction.

                “Contact me if anything happens or if anyone comes calling. We’ll be closing the Coven tonight until I get more information,” he explained, nodding reassuringly at the Rank 2. “Sanghyuk. Maintain your position and see if you can get in touch with Jaehwan. Maybe he saw something from his glass perch,” he added, finally turning his attention back to Yoongi and Jungkook. “You,” he stated firmly, pointing one finger at Yoongi, “get some rest. And Jungkook,” he added, pointing lightly at the newest vampire. “Please take good care of your mentor.”

                “Of course,” he nearly stammered as he grabbed Yoongi’s still outstretched arm and moved it down to a more comfortable resting position.

                Satisfied, Namjoon nodded once and looked back down at Ailee. “Your way or mine?”

                She scoffed with a wave of her hand and answered, “My way of course. Too many things in the shadows take a very keen interest to Mages, you know,” she tsked while moving her hands to draw a runic circle in the air. Power thrummed before the space twisted and a picture of the border of the city appeared.

                Yoongi waited until they were both gone and the portal had closed before he slumped further on the stool. “Yoongi!” Jungkook yelped, jerking to support him before he could tumble off the stool. Not that he would, mind you, but it did make him snort at how quickly his mentee leaped to his rescue.

                “Are you alright? Is he okay?” Sanghyuk asked, one question following right after the other when he didn’t get an immediate response from Yoongi.

                “Hah!” Yoongi barked a laugh while he used Jungkook as a support and hauled himself into a standing position. “Not a scratch on me,” he promised, pulling his shoulders back and projecting an air of confidence he really didn’t feel.

                “Not anymore,” Wonho murmured, eyeing one of the tears in the other vampire’s clothes. And there was no hiding the blood stains or the smell of drying blood either. “Jungkook. Go ahead and help him up to his room,” he urged, easily hopping over the railing and landing on the first floor as a shortcut. “I’ll bring you a blood back or two,” he added, already heading for the kitchen.

                “No!” Yoongi denied quickly, shaking his head, though he clung to Jungkook so the other man wouldn’t misunderstand. “I don’t need food right now.” He could practically hear the wheels turning in Wonho’s head at least about why he wouldn’t need blood and he laughed once. “Let me rest for the night and I’ll have a story to tell tomorrow,” he promised, once more forcing a customary but reassuring smirk for them.

                “Come on then,” Jungkook huffed, the ghost of a laugh, before nudging him gently as if to say he should support more of his own weight while he kept pace beside the shorter vampire.

                As they made their way up the stairs, he wasn’t quite out of it enough to miss Sanghyuk and Wonho whispering behind them. “Do you think he’s really alright?”

                “I know he will be. Pretty sure he healed someone tonight.”

                “And it made him that tired?”

                “Might have been a Hunter.”

                “Aren’t they humans though?”

                “Eh…” Wonho trailed off.

                “Right…” Sanghyuk went quiet and then gave a small gasp of excitement. “Wasn’t that really amazing how Jungsu and Namjoon just popped back into the Coven when Ailee’s portal appeared?!”

                “That was pretty cool. Especially since they were out on patrol at the time.”

                No wonder they had their in a twist when Yejin showed up. Yoongi tuned them out as they reached the second story landing and let the vibrant presence of Jungkook at his side bolster his failing reserves. “I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmured, realizing it was an odd thing to say when he felt Jungkook’s uncertainty.

                “Are you sure you’re alright?” he wondered, shifting his arm to wrap it around Yoongi’s waist.

                He snorted and nodded at his door. “Just help me get in the room.” Jungkook grumbled incoherently at his side but did as he was asked. “Ugh. I want a shower so bad right now,” he laughed, staring longingly at the bathroom door before he paused and hung his head. “I’m too tired though.” Which was the truth. He’d over-extended himself with the healing.

                Had Taekwoon been a normal magical creature, it wouldn’t have been a problem, but the enhanced effects of the serum in his bloodstream hadn’t lasted very long. It had been enough to deal with the worst of the damage so he didn’t bleed to death immediately but dealing with the ruined mess that were his shredded gut and internal organs had been like hauling a package through ten meters of wet sand while fighting not to let it backtrack. And continuously pulling power from Hakyeon had made it possible but it was like overcharging a battery and it left him feeling hollow and empty. All of that was bad enough but pain like that from those injuries would drain anybody too. Just because he could heal it didn’t mean he couldn’t feel it.

                “Stupid magicless humans,” he scowled without any real anger. Their physical forms were just remarkably static and resistant to magical change or alteration and stupidly easy to damage.

                “What happened?” Jungkook asked, picking at the stained shirt. “Is this your blood? It doesn’t smell like it.”

                “Not most of it,” Yoongi shook his head. “Can you get me a long shirt out of the closet?” he asked, waving the younger vampire away while he pulled at the smelly fabric.

                “Sure,” Jungkook nodded, stepping away cautiously as if worried that Yoongi might fall over if he wasn’t there.

                “Go on. I’m not that feeble right now. Even if I am acting like it,” he snorted, a weak but genuine smile pulling at his lips.

                “If you say so,” the younger vampire replied in mild disbelief.

                Yoongi let the dirty shirt fall to the floor when he managed to haul it over his head but he looked over when he could feel Jungkook staring at him. He looked down and wrinkled his nose at the faint red lines on his abdomen. He knew they were probably on his throat too and he reached out to snag the shirt in Jungkook’s hands. “Healing scars,” he explained, yanking the sleeping shirt into place and turning his back to kick the equally stained pants off too. “They’ll disappear tomorrow or the day after.”

                “Yoongi,” Jungkook murmured, clearly at a loss about what to say.

                “All part of being a Rank 3 vampire,” he laughed once, trying to wave the concern away before he crawled on the bed and flopped onto his side so he could look at Jungkook from a sideways position. With the arm sticking out in front of him, he patted the edge of the bed in invitation.

                Jungkook frowned slightly but then moved to perch carefully on the soft surface as he looked down at the other vampire. “Why… did Ailee say that Hakyeon owed you a favor?”

                Yoongi rubbed the bridge of his nose between his eyes and exhaled. “Heard that part, did you?”

                “Was it… because of these?” he wondered, carefully reaching out to touch his fingertips against where the scars would be on Yoongi’s throat.

                For a moment, he let Jungkook trace the length of the scars. Maybe he was just too tired but there was no usual push and pull going on inside him about the other vampire. It was a wonderfully clear feeling and moment and he rather wished it would continue indefinitely. He grabbed Jungkook’s wrist and gave a light tug, mutely asking him to stay. To his surprise and quiet delight, he did, stretching out along the length of the bed so that he was lying on his side too, mirroring Yoongi. “I helped save someone that was important to him,” he whispered, meeting Jungkook’s gaze.

                “Was it worth it?” he asked softly, the worry and concern easy to read in his voice and on his face.

                Yoongi laughed once and nodded. “He reminded me of someone I know,” he whispered, blinking slowly as genuine fatigue crept over him. “Someone important to me,” he added, sliding his palm along Jungkook’s wrist to lightly curl his fingers around the relaxed hand.

                “Yoongi,” he whispered with a smile, gently squeezing back.

                “I’m glad you’re safe, Kookie,” he mumbled as his eyes grew heavy and he pulled Jungkook’s hand closer, tucking it against his chest and under his chin. “Just stay that way,” he added, drawing his knees up slightly to curl closer. “Just stay,” he sighed, consciousness slipping away as comfort and peace settled over him like an invisible blanket.

(a/n: I'm back! More or less. haha Settling in hasn't been the smoothest and getting used to the new work schedule has also been interesting but I finally managed to get some writing done! I debated breaking this into two chapters but figured the cliffhanger wasn't worth it and the payoff at the end would be more satisfactory. Here's to hoping I can manage to keep the momentum going for the next update. Wish me luck and happy reading! Thank you!)