The area was exactly as she’d left it. The Hunters had already vacated the premise, her secure magical barrier was still in place around the remaining battle area, and the surrounding space was deceptively calm. That was especially true given the broken trees on the other side of the wall and the undeniably large blood stain there as well. Not surprisingly, there were a couple curious onlookers watching from the safety of the tree lines, but no one had tried to tamper with her magics.

                Beside her, Namjoon paused to take in the scene for himself, smelling curiously as he did so. She watched him take note of the tracks on the ground and the spot where a small scuffle had obviously ensued. “They all came through here.” It was a statement of fact, not a question, and she didn’t answer accordingly. Namjoon stepped carefully around the tracks, eyes narrowing as he followed each one. His fingers danced in the air, counting the figures, but his face showed confusion before he finished.

                “The tracks don’t add up, do they?” she asked, crossing her arms and taking a breath before waving a hand and conjuring residual echoes of the creatures that had passed before. Four were crystal clear and almost solid, three were barely there ghosts, and one… was strange but in three different locations as denoted by a thin line connecting each one.

                Namjoon frowned harder and glared at the grouping of four. “Our resident poachers,” he muttered with a grimace. “What were they following?” he asked, pointing at the first strange image in front of them.

                Ailee shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know what it was supposed to look like but I’m almost positive Hakyeon was correct in identifying it as a mimic.”

                The Vampire Lord turned to look at her with a glare that could cut glass. “A mimic?” he clarified, forcing his facial features to relax when she raised a brow at him.

                She nodded once and ran her fingers through her straight hair with a sigh. “The were said the whole thing felt off since almost the beginning of the encounter. Poachers tracking something beyond the walls is nothing new but he said the rakshasa and the weretiger had strange patches of some sort of substance on them. According to Hakyeon, Yoongi seemed unusually agitated when he squared off against one, asking about the demon.”

                Namjoon looked at her once more with that tidbit of information and he growled low in his throat. “That can’t be a coincidence.”

                Ailee shook her head. “It was clear the creature knew Hakyeon and it was likely it also knew Yoongi, though I don’t think it was certain.”

                “Was it the same one?” he asked softly, gaze sliding from each strange signature to the next.

                “Probably,” she admitted with a grimace. “It’s not like there are that many to begin with and they have a tendency to be hard to kill and even harder to detect. It wanted to be seen tonight though,” she added, shaking her head with a motion towards the other side of the wall.

                “Why? And why did it try to kill the hunter?” Namjoon asked with a confused furrow between his brows.

                “I think your idea to pair them together for patrols worked a little too well in drawing it out,” the Mage sighed, walking slowly through the wall to the other side. She paused when Namjoon’s sniff was followed by a sharper inhale. The blood smell was still strong and it took him a second to adjust. “It’s possible it was just trying to feel them out, what with the appearance of Yoongi’s ‘demon’ again, but it slipped away with more Mage work – Ryeowook’s,” she added when the vampire glanced at her with a hint of suspicion, “put on a new guise and backtracked to where the mod-hunter was waiting to engage.”

                “So the hunter and the mimic started fighting on that side,” Namjoon explained, pointing towards the wall.

                “Hakyeon reported that he was thrown there,” Ailee explained, gesturing near the blood stain. A wave of her hand conjured more echoes with only one standing out clearly. “The poachers were standing and Taekwoon was thrown at them. I don’t think it was a random toss.”

                The vampire nodded and rubbed at his chin. “Did it want the poachers to finish him?”

                “I don’t think it would have mattered,” she responded, waving her hand to conjure Hakyeon’s image standing approximately thirty meters away. “Yoongi was over there with the weretiger and they were already on edge. I’m pretty sure the liquid on them was mimic blood, saturating the air with the smell of energy. Intentional or not, I don’t imagine the rakshasa would have pulled his attack even if he realized the hunter wasn’t attacking him. What I do know is that the first encounter wasn’t fatal. He was wounded but not badly so. But it was enough to make Hakyeon lose his focus,” she continued to explain, setting the were’s echo into motion as it sprang across the distance and tackled the rakshasa.

                “If the mimic didn’t know before, it certainly would have seen how much Taekwoon’s plight affected him,” Namjoon commented, frowning as the story came together. “He wasn’t badly hurt but he was likely stunned and everyone else was already distracted,” he added, drawing close to the blood stains.

                “Hakyeon insists the mimic was trying to take revenge on him for something but he’s being close-lipped about it,” she added, brushing at her loose dress in frustration. “I tried contacting Hyuna for info but she’s not offering much either. I might have to get in touch with Fei,” she added, scratching at her face with her fingernail.

                “If it was vengeance, why didn’t the mimic just kill him outright?” Namjoon wondered, squatting to take a closer look at the stains, though he froze when he seemed to notice something.

                “It hurts more when they die in your arms and you can’t do anything about it,” she explained grimly.

                “Did you read their memories?” the vampire asked, looking up at her with a sharp expression.

                “Magic, no!” Ailee gasped with an exaggerated shake of her head. “This fresh, the emotional backlash would have hurt all of us. And I did not think it was wise to try it with Yoongi right now.”

                Namjoon’s hand hovered over the stained ground before he sat up and smelled carefully in the area. “With this much blood, he shouldn’t have been able to heal the hunter.”

                “You’re right,” she agreed, squatting down and waving her hands to conjure another set of echoes. Taekwoon’s body was practically invisible but Hakyeon was easy to see and Yoongi was almost crystal clear. “We both know Hakyeon is considered an ancient creature and his blood would have helped considerably, but even then…”

                “A Rank 3 vampire wouldn’t be able to pull a modified human back from the brink of death with these injures,” Namjoon confirmed with a very conflicted look on his face. “So how did he?” he asked almost like he didn’t really want to hear the answer.

                Ailee pointed at Yoongi’s chest and sharpened the contrast between power signatures. “Don’t worry,” she soothed, glancing at Namjoon once. “Everything’s the way it should be, but…” she trailed off, wrinkling her nose as a thin layer of ‘other’ power spread across Yoongi’s upper chest and down his arms like sleeves.

                “If it is the same creature, it’s not outside the realm of possibility he was being helped,” the Coven Leader admitted with a heavy sigh. “Similar situation. Similar emotions if Hakyeon does care for Taekwoon as we are inclined to believe.”

                “Not only that, but when I took Yoongi back to the Coven tonight, he literally couldn’t have walked through shadows at that moment.” That caught Namjoon’s attention and he stared at the Mage as if she’d said something absurd. “He wouldn’t have registered as human by any means but everything about his power was subdued. Whatever actually happened, a lot of suppression was occurring simultaneously with the healing.”

                “It was still there, though, wasn’t it?” he asked quickly, eyes dark with the beginnings of concern.

                “Of course,” she answered with a quick wave of her hand. “I double, no, triple checked before I brought him. Like I said, everything is as it should be, albeit quiet. Ironically, it’ll likely be one of his most peaceful nights of rest in a long time.”

                “Does Yoongi know it’s probably the same creature?” the vampire lord asked quietly, eyes shadowed as he stared at the echoes in front of them.

                “Maybe, maybe not. It’s more likely he was in shock or something of the sort. Otherwise, he probably would have chased it and not tried to heal the hunter,” she reasoned. “I didn’t want to pry too deeply with him either in case it did prompt a connection.”

                “We both know he’ll try to track it down himself if he believes it to be the same. The only reason he hasn’t done more lately is because he hasn’t been sure about the demon being the one or not,” Namjoon explained, obviously well familiar with Yoongi’s behavior and patterns.

                “The Hunters will take care of him now,” Ailee promised as she waved the echoes away and dusted her hands. Namjoon’s scoff was derisive and not entirely undeserved so she clarified. “Hakyeon will take care of it. Taekwoon survived but his recovery will take a while and the were… will be on the war path. I can promise you that.” She winced and rubbed at the back of her neck with both hands. “Honestly, I’m more worried about what it’ll do now that it’s revealed its hand.”

                Namjoon nodded in mute agreement before standing up and looking around himself. “It’ll take Yoongi a little while to recover too. That’s a good excuse to keep him in the Coven for now. Not to mention I can lean on him to work with his mentee more.”

                Ailee nodded and sighed as she lightly clasped her hands in front of her. “He never tells me much when he comes by, but they look like they’re getting along. Are they close?” she asked, glancing up to meet Namjoon’s gaze.

                “I can tell they want to be,” he admitted, mouth twisting slightly in frustration before he tapped the side of his head with a bitter gleam in his eyes.

                “Ah,” she grunted, sharing his grimace. “Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing,” she admitted softly, turning to stare at the blurry and faded glowing lights of the city through the wall.

                “You did what you were asked you to do,” he reminded her. “Whether it was right or not wasn’t your call to make,” he added, semi-absolving the Mage of any blame.

                “Ugh! I wish I could reason things the way you do,” Ailee laughed once, a forced and annoyed sound. “That would make life so much easier sometimes!”

                “As a monster, I have that freedom,” he grinned, a cheeky expression that looked far more playful than it should have with his dimples.

                “I’m more of a monster than you are,” she scoffed back, giving him a once over that easily took in the claws, fangs, and whitish gleam in his dark eyes he’d summoned for effect.

                “But you don’t look it and that’s all that matters,” he winked, shaking his finger at her.

                “Tell that to my ‘witch’ and ‘warlock’ predecessors,” she grumbled, using finger quotes to help show the sarcasm heavy in her tone. When he opened his mouth to respond, she waved her hand to stall him and then fluttered them in front of her. “But that’s neither here nor there! I’ve shown you what you needed to see and now I have work to do. You have a Coven to run and information to suss out and time is always of the essence. Do you want a portal back?” she asked, changing gears as she raised her hands to hover in the air, poised to write her next runic circle.

                “No thank you,” Namjoon chuckled in response, obviously amused by her commentary. “You’ve gotten better but I’ll gladly take my shadows if it’s more convenient.”

                Ailee nodded once in acceptance. “I’ll let you know if I get any news on my end. And make sure you call me if anything happens with Yoongi,” she added, pointing her finger at the taller vampire firmly.

                “You’ll be among the first,” he promised, the seriousness returning uncomfortably at his response.

                The Mage gave him a sad smile in acknowledgement and then turned to her portal. She still had some more notes to take and tests to run in the meantime but it was always easier to jump between spaces if she had the freedom to do so.

                Going on ten hours and he was still sleeping… Genuinely sleeping and not just resting as vampires often did. Obviously, Jungkook had allowed himself to rest in turn, but he had woken up twice already. The first time it had been easy enough to fall back asleep when he saw that Yoongi hadn’t stirred, even with the overhead lights still on, but now… He tried to pull his hand away and the other vampire held firm, tightening his grip and clasping it to his chest.

                Jungkook gave a soft laugh and rolled his eyes at the reaction. “You’re impossible to read when you’re awake but now that you’re sleeping, you tell a different story.” But was it the real story or was it a reaction from whatever had happened last night? He didn’t know, and he honestly didn’t want to figure it out just yet. Especially when he was so close to the other vampire and there was next to no chance he was going to run away just then.

                Instead, he let his eyes wander over the vampire’s face, taking in the slightly gaunt cheeks and paler than usual skin. He had said he wasn’t hungry last night but it looked like he needed to eat now. Hesitantly his left hand brushed at the silvery bangs covering the vampire’s forehead, moving them carefully away from his closed eyes. It was still eerie that he looked dead – no breath and no color in his pallor – but he actually looked peaceful for a wonder. A smile pulled at Jungkook’s mouth and he laughed under his breath.

                His gaze dropped lower to Yoongi’s throat and he tilted his head in quiet observation. At least the scars were already starting to fade. Carefully, Jungkook shifted to prop himself on his right elbow so he could move his free hand easier. His touch was feather soft as he traced the faint lines once more, wondering what had caused them. Obviously, it hadn’t been done to Yoongi himself, but he’d had to pull the wounds from the hunter, so what nasty had they tangled with? For a second, he moved to check the scars on his stomach, but then paused as he recalled Yoongi wasn’t wearing pants.

                Jungkook froze and knew he would have been blushing had he been human. “Nope,” he whispered, setting his hand down in the space between them. His fingers rose to tap at his bottom lip in thought when he frowned and dropped his gaze to Yoongi’s chest. The gray fabric hid everything neatly and their hands were clasped in front of the spot he was curious about. He’d been too distracted last night, what with his mentor’s condition and all, but there had been one other mark on him too. Faint and only vaguely noticeable, it had seemed like a tattoo of some kind but he wasn’t so sure.

                Pulling up his own sleeve, he watched the living tattoo Yoongi had given him dance subtly on his upper arm, the lines undulating like water rippling on his skin. It was dark and obvious as a tattoo should be. Having a hidden, barely there version just didn’t seem like something Yoongi would do. For a moment, he let the thought lie in his mind, turning it over slowly as he tried to think of a reason for it, but nothing came to him. And eventually, his curiosity started to get the better of him…

                “Yoongi,” he whispered, leaning closer and tugging gently on their clasped hands. No response. The other vampire continued to sleep like the dead. “Are you really sleeping?” he wondered in a slightly louder voice, one brow raised as he watched his face. Again, no response. “It should be alright if I just check… right?” he asked himself, his lips nervously and inching closer. He found that if he continued to hold Yoongi’s hand, he wouldn’t try to pull his hand back, which solved the problem of moving it out of the way. But he didn’t have x-ray vision so the only way to get around that would be to literally look down the sleeping vampire’s shirt.

               Was that too y? Scandalous? It wasn’t like he was going to do anything… Clearing his throat quietly, Jungkook scooted just a bit closer and tried pulling the collar of Yoongi’s shirt away. There was no response from the sleeper but it wasn’t like he could see anything from this angle. “You could just ask him, you know,” he reminded himself as he looked over his body contemplatively, one finger still hooked under the collar of the shirt. But previous experiences indicated that would go over so well. “Yeah…” he mumbled under his breath, shaking his head once.

                With that confirmation, he leaned closer, his face a mask of concentration as he pulled the collar away to try and see better. It was shadowed but he thought he saw the top edge of some kind of… runic circle. The markings weren’t black but rather silver. Or maybe they were just faded. He wanted to see more but it was only belatedly that he realized just how close their faces were as he was literally looking down the sleeping man’s shirt. And that was before Yoongi stirred in his sleep, actively reaching out with his free hand and shifting into the empty space between them. Jungkook froze as the shirt slipped from his fingers and Yoongi’s forehead brushed against his lips, the skin cool and smooth.

                “Stay,” he whispered against the younger vampire’s collar bones before stilling once more.

                The single word breathed against his covered skin sent a shiver down his spine. “You say that now,” Jungkook whispered, shaking himself gently with another imagined flush while he lifted his chin to rest it atop Yoongi’s head. “But will you let me when you wake up?” he wondered, daring to let his free arm encircle the other vampire, loosely holding him against his body. It was a nice feeling, having the other man pressed against him. Comfortable. Safe. He was almost afraid how things would be when Yoongi finally did wake up…

                He experienced about an hour – give or take – of dozing off and resting in their close position. But then he felt a shift. It wasn’t so much that Yoongi moved. It was more that he felt power flicker, like a light coming on. He would have thought it strange if he hadn’t felt something similar before. But that was followed by a noticeable tensing in Yoongi’s body as he quickly made sense of how they were…

                “What are you doing?” Yoongi wondered quietly, his voice vibrating against Jungkook’s chest.

                For a second, he didn’t really know how to respond. It wasn’t like he was doing anything. Without changing his position, he eventually answered, “I’m just staying here like you asked me to.” It was essentially the truth, even if there might have been more to it… He felt it then, the expected tensing as Yoongi came around. The other vampire’s hands unfurled and pressed against Jungkook’s chest, palms flat and hands tense like he wanted to push him away. Jungkook fought the automatic impulse to tighten his hold and forced himself to relax instead, waiting to see what would happen next.

                Surprisingly, the tension in Yoongi’s body dissipated quickly. His open hands curled into loose fists as he gripped the front of Jungkook’s shirt and actually pressed closer. “Has anyone come to check on me?” he mumbled, sliding one hand to hang it over Jungkook’s waist.

                “No,” the younger vampire swallowed in surprise, doing his best not to react one way or the other. He had not expected this reaction at all.

                “Good,” he added, shifting enough to hook one ankle around Jungkook’s.

                Or that one. What was even happening…? Carefully, he cleared his throat and wondered, “Were you expecting someone to check on you?”

                Yoongi shook his head, his nose tickling Jungkook’s chest. “You’re here.”

                Oh. The answer gave him conflicting feelings. “So I’m just a shield right now?” he wondered uncertainly, voice rising as one brow did in tandem. This time, Yoongi nodded, sending Jungkook’s budding feelings plummeting. But they stalled when the other vampire froze and then shook his head. He could almost imagine the scrunched expression on his face.

                “No, Kookie,” he whispered, his voice so low it was almost impossible to hear. The silence stretched on for an eternity as the unspoken words yet to come teetered on the edge of whatever cliff Yoongi was holding them to. The hand hanging over Jungkook’s waist shifted to press flat against his side and back, holding gently. “In this moment, you are my peace,” he admitted without looking up, almost acting like if he did, the words would never come. He took a preparatory breath and continued, “Blessed silence has settled upon me for the time being; you are safe and unharmed and… here… in my arms.” He paused, both hands tightening slightly where they were holding Jungkook. “It feels like… this is how we should be,” he murmured, obviously trying the words out on his tongue. There was just a hint of wonder in his tone that told a story of surprise and unfurling happiness. It was almost like he didn’t believe he could actually say them.

                Jungkook couldn’t see the other man’s face, but he could hear the sincerity in his voice, feel the strength of his emotions in his touch, and his chest grew tight at hearing such words. his lips, he dared to shift closer and pull Yoongi harder against the curve of his body. “Like this?” he asked, practically trembling from unexpected excitement.

                “Yes,” was the one-word response that vibrated against his neck as Yoongi turned his face into the smooth arch. His arms shifted to hug Jungkook harder while their legs tangled easily. “So stay,” he added, the word almost a plea.

                “Okay,” the younger vampire smiled as his heart soared. “If you’ll let me.”

                Yoongi nodded in mute agreement, but his arms tightened again, a hint of desperation in the tension. “Kookie,” he whispered, his lips shifting to move against Jungkook’s shoulder. “Right now, I can say I like you,” he promised with quiet sincerity. “But don’t hate me if… I start to try and push you away again,” he added, resigned acceptance sinking into his tone.

                “What do you mean?” Jungkook wondered, his belly twisting at the implications. He tried to look down at Yoongi’s face but the other vampire made sure to keep it turned away.

                “Just know that no matter what, I will keep you safe, Kookie,” he promised, his fingers pressing harder against the younger vampire’s back.

                “O-oh,” he murmured back, torn about how he should feel. Jungkook frowned slightly but pressed his lips and nose against Yoongi’s hair, trying to figure out what he meant. On the one hand, he was elated over the confirmation of Yoongi’s words, but on the other hand… it was like he expected a shift to happen. Did he know something would change or was it just a fear of his right now? For sure, this… whole moment had been unexpected, though not unwelcome. It did confirm what he felt, but if it was only going to be temporary… Then again, the question would be, was it inevitable, a erse self-fulfilling prophecy or just a baseless fear? Furthermore… would he really have no say in this matter? Well, there was only way to find out. “Yoongi?” he asked, staring at the silver hair in front of him.

                “Yeah?” he answered quietly, arms relaxing just a touch.

                “Can I kiss you?” he continued, still staring at the same spot.

                “Huh?” Yoongi chirped, turning his head to get a better look at him and bringing them nose to nose at the same time. To his credit, he didn’t pull back in surprise. He simply met Jungkook’s gaze, searching his eyes as if looking for something. A slow smile pulled at the corners of his mouth and eyes, making him look far less tired in an instant. “Yes.”

                Jungkook’s grin was immediate and sincere before he closed the miniscule distance between them and tasted Yoongi’s lips for himself. Soft and receptive with the added spark of attraction between them, they were everything he could have hoped for in that moment. He didn’t know what the future would be like, or even tomorrow for that matter, but at least they had right now. Given where they’d come from together, for Jungkook, it was enough for the time being.

                And by the way Yoongi was responding, he seemed to be in complete agreement too.

(a/n: Okay! Took me a bit longer than intended but I'm trying to stay on top of it. The first part was easy, though SugaKookie are definitely trying to plot their own course. I'm not unhappy with how it ended up, but we are having some minor squabbles about who should do what and when. XD lol Again, not mad, but definitely having to restructure some things. heh Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and that you're looking forward to the next update! Thank you for reading and I hope you're all doing well. ^_^)