Monsters. 

We all know the term. For most of us, we were told that monsters, such as the boogie man, are just fictional beings that only come out at night. They’re nothing more than stories passed down between generations, typically just to pass the time by. Some of these fictional characters have even become personified in movies or plays. Either way, the one thing these monsters all have in common is that they're fictional. Right? 

Wrong. 

Monsters are everywhere and can take many forms. The most prominent form is what we see everyday. We walk by them on the street, go to school with them, work with them, etc. These monsters are something greater than the fictional Freddie Crooger or Lockness monster. These monsters have the power of camouflage. These are the very monsters that only come out to play at night. 

Vampires. 

They've been around for centuries, adapting to human life more as their species continues to exist. From not being able to handle sunlight, to being able to walk in the daylight for hours at a time before needing to return indoors, these creatures of the night have adapted well-beyond their former selves. And that's just one of many ways that vampires have been able to blend into society right under our noses. 

Though much has changed, the hierarchy of vampire society has remained the same. There are clans that command vampire society much like an organized mafia, as well as rogue vampires who decide that they'd rather be solo than follow the strict rules of being with a clan. 

That was true for Jinki and Jonghyun, two vampires who had been living in the shadows for hundreds of years. The majority of those years were spent with the most powerful clan ever to exist, The Order. Along with being the most powerful, it’s also the most prestigious clan around and its members are deemed elite. Once a vampire has made it in, very few decide to leave. 

Except, that's exactly what Jinki and Jonghyun did. 

Leaving The Order was a scary thing to think about at first. There were so many tales of men and women getting killed on site for even mentioning leaving the clan. The vampires who dreamed of going rogue usually thought of their escape years in advance. It was just recently that under new leadership of The Order, clan members who wished to leave could do so freely. However, they were warned of the many consequences of leaving. 

Leaving meant no more protection. 

The Order’s one of the largest underground vampire clans in South Korea. Being associated with them means that you’re well taken care of physically, financially, etc. If anyone ever threatens an Order's member, that person would be dealt with quickly. Order members are like walking gods because they know the power their clan holds is massive. 

Leaving meant no steady supply of blood. 

Because The Order has so many connections, there’s always a constant supply of fresh blood available to its members. Whether it comes from blood slaves that are kept in the basement of the clan's large estate, or the weirdly willing blood donors from the civilian world who give up their normal lives to associate  themselves with vampires, or the many undercover vampires who work normal jobs in the civilian world, like cops or doctors, to lure certain humans back to The Order. There’s always a large supply of blood. If anyone leaves The Order, they also leave the security of being fed. 

It’s been about a year since Jinki and Jonghyun left the clan. Though they seem to be doing well for themselves, the truth of the matter was things had not been easy. In that short amount of time, they both struggled to reinvent themselves. They were on the run, running out of money, and needed to find a stable job and home quickly because the vampire world could be cruel and unforgiving to rogue vampires. They were lucky enough that Jinki had a job as a doctor when he was turned and lived with The Order. He was able to transfer to a new hospital hours away from the very city The Order runs. 

Now a year later, they’re finally moving into a place they can call home. 

"Ahh," Jinki sighed in satisfaction as he set down a box in the empty living room. "That's the last of it. We're officially moved in, Jonghyun."

Jonghyun grinned as he looked around the room. "Took long enough. I still can't believe it. After months of looking for a place that didn't require a background check or a credit check, we finally lucked up on this place."

"With a good deal too."

Jonghyun nodded. "I wonder why the owner was so adamant to get rid of this place. It doesn't look to be in bad shape."

Jinki walked over to Jonghyun giving him a light pat on the shoulder. "I've learned not to ask questions when good things happen, my friend."

"True."

"Anyway, the landlord's coming by in a few minutes, so you can ask him all the questions you want. In the meantime, we should start unpacking," Jinki finished before he walked over to a box, taking out some books to place on a bookshelf. 

Jonghyun watched on in amusement. "Stop doing that."

Jinki paused and looked up. "Doing what?"

"Moving so slow. We're vampires, remember? We could probably decorate this whole house in seconds at top speed."

Jinki rolled his eyes before sighing. "I know that, but remember. We're starting a new life by leaving the vampire life behind."

"Yes, I know that, but that doesn't mean we can't act like vampires, Jinki. It's what we are. That's why we planned to get this house in the first place. It's our safe haven. The only place where we can be — normal. Isn't that why we left the clan in the first place? To try to be more human?"

"It is, but-"

"We agreed to leave the clan life behind, but we can't change the fact that we're vampires. Besides, I'm too ing lazy to unpack all these boxes as if I'm a human. Why spend hours on something that could only take seconds?"

Jinki smirked to himself. "Always looking for a short cut." 

"Hey, I just like living an easy life."

"I know. Is that why I'm the only one with a job?" Jinki snickered. 

"Hey, I'm working on it! Not many of us are fortunate enough to have been a doctor when we were turned."

"I know, I know. I'm just joking. I don't mind being the breadwinner. Just know you'll need to pull your weight."

"I've been pulling my weight this whole time. off."

"Woah, woah. Why so grumpy, pal? When's the last time you fed?"

"Two days ago."

"I remember asking you yesterday if you wanted to hunt with me. Why didn't you come if it had been so long since you'd fed?"

"Because I'm sick of drinking animal blood. It's disgusting. There's no sweet nectar taste to it."

"Well of course it's not going to taste like a human, Jonghyun. But it’s a better alternative. It's the only way we can ensure no one gets hurt."

"Besides Bambi."

Jinki sighed. "Look, I start working at the hospital tomorrow which means we can start surviving from blood bags again. It may not be like drinking from a human, but it's the next best thing aside from drinking from Bambi."

"I guess you're right."

"I'm always right."

Jonghyun scoffed. "Whatever. I just know that it's a new lifestyle I have no choice but to get used to. I'd rather drink out of blood bags any day than go back to that damn clan."

"At least we can both agree on that." There was a knock on the door. "That must be the landlord."

"I'll get the door," Jonghyun said as he left the room. He returned with the landlord, Mr. Lee. 

Jinki tensed as he got a strong whiff of the scent of Mr. Lee's blood. He glanced at Jonghyun and noticed the distance between the two. Jinki had always had a better control over his blood craving than Jonghyun, and with Jonghyun being on edge from not feeding, Jonghyun's need and craving for blood was intensified. Jinki could only hope that being away from the clan would help Jonghyun be able to handle himself because right now, he looked as if he's going to vomit. 

"I need to get some fresh air," he said as he walked outside, leaving Mr. Lee and Jinki in the living room. 

Mr. Lee looked over at Jinki. "Is he ok?"

Jinki brushed off his concern with a warm smile. "Oh, he'll be fine. He's had a cold for a few days, but it's not anything serious." That was the only lie Jinki could think of off the top of his head. 

Mr. Lee nodded. "Oh, ok. I just came over to make sure everything’s going well for you two."

"Yes, sir. Everything's great. We just moved in the last of our stuff. By the way, we can't thank you enough for agreeing to let us live here. I know it must've been a hard decision to make considering we hadn't provided you with much of a background." Mr. Lee gave a smile that Jinki could tell was forced. He slowly asked, "Is there any particular reason why?"

There’s a moment of silence before Mr. Lee gave a solemn sigh. "To be honest, before you two came along, it had been nearly impossible for me to sell this house. Even when I did have tenants, they never stayed long."

That didn't make sense to Jinki. A beautiful two-story house in the middle of the suburbs was not able to find any buyers? 

"If you don't mind me asking, was there anything that happened in this house? Something that maybe is the reason why so many people have steered clear of it? Please be honest with me." Jinki really didn’t want to use his power of persuasion to get the man to tell the truth. 

There was a pause. Mr. Lee took a seat on the couch and put his head in his hands. He let out a shaky breathe before apologizing. "I'm sorry, but I haven't been completely honest with you and your friend about this house."

Jinki furrowed his brows. "What do you mean?"

"I lived in this house for 25 years. It was six months ago that something tragic happened. Something tragic that caused me and my family to move out. I couldn't bear to live here any longer after it."

Jinki slowly approached Mr. Lee who was sobbing at this point. "What happened?"

Mr. Lee sniffed before continuing. "I lived here with my wife and two sons. Just six months ago, my son, Taemin — he died in this very house on those stairs," he said as he pointed to the staircase behind him. 

"What-"

"I'm so sorry," he rushed. "I'm so sorry for not telling you upfront, but I thought you would have declined the offer to move in. This house is just a painful reminder of the day my life came crashing down. You've got to understand-"

"I do."

“Really?”

Granted that the story was bizarre, Jinki understood completely. Who would want to buy a house after realizing a boy had died in it just half a year prior? Not many people, but it didn't matter to Jinki. He was used to death and was just glad to finally have a home aside from sleeping in tents in the woods or occasionally staying in shabby motels. He and Jonghyun had lucked up on this house, and if someone had died in it, so be it. 

Mr. Lee continues, "I just couldn't hold on to this house any longer. Every time I look at it, every time I set foot in it, I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. As if he's here. As if he's watching me. Everything about this place reminds me of my baby boy. I mean, he was 20 when he died, but he was the youngest. He was still my baby. I just-" he broke down before he could finish. 

Jinki rubbed his arm in comfort. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mr. Lee. Trust me when I say it's ok. You have no idea how appreciative I am that you allowed me and Jonghyun to stay here. Don't worry about it. We’ll take good care of this place."

He didn't respond. All he could do was cry as he thought of how much he missed Taemin. 

—

Jonghyun walked a couple of houses down until he could no longer smell Mr. Lee's scent. Although he could faintly smell the scent of blood from his neighbors, it was less intoxicating than being in the same room as the main source of his cravings. 

He let in a deep breathe as he took in the warm summer weather. The breeze today was helping Jonghyun cope with the harsh rays of the sun today. Though he didn't dissipate in the sun like his ancestors, being in the sun for too long often made him feel tired and irritated, and seeing as he's already irritated from hunger, it would be best for him not to stay out too long. 

What frustrated him the most was that he felt misunderstood. Yeah, he's irritated from blood, but that's not the only thing. He hadn't had since he left the clan. It's not like he was an addict or something, but drinking live really got his rocks off. Almost every human he's drank from ended up being ed as he drank from them. Men, women, didn't matter to him. 

It was honestly a normal thing for many vampires. That's another reason why Jonghyun's always admired Jinki. The guy had so much poise and control over himself, even when they were with the clan. Jonghyun didn't get it. Even when there were people throwing themselves at him, Jinki would just politely decline, unless he was really hungry. In that case, he'd drink until he was full enough to function. The complete opposite of Jonghyun. 

There were often times where Jinki found Jonghyun lying in the middle of a room laughing hysterically to himself because he was so blood drunk that he couldn't do anything else. 

But what Jonghyun admired the most was that Jinki didn't judge him. He was very wise, granted he had about a hundred more years over Jonghyun, but Jonghyun believes that's just how Jinki is. Kind-hearted, patient, and just an all-around good guy. As for Jonghyun, he had a few skeletons in his closet that he'd rather not speak about. 

He made a u-turn to return back to his new home. On his walk back, Jonghyun couldn't help but think about how far he and Jinki had come. The two had met in the clan about a hundred years ago, around the time Jonghyun was first turned. Jinki was the first person he connected with upon arrival. He was different. He wasn't like the majority of vampires who blindly followed the Order. He was a smart man that kept to himself and had his own opinions. 

Jonghyun respected that. 

Jinki helped Jonghyun the most when it came to adapting to life as a vampire. It was especially tough for him because he missed his family. His sister, his mom, his dog. He never stopped missing them, even now. But things like that didn't go over well in the clan. If they for any reason thought you were weak, you were either thrown out or executed. 

However, unlike the other clan members, Jinki let Jonghyun talk to him about his family. Jinki listened to Jonghyun as he went on and on about how much he loved and missed them. Jinki never once reported him to anyone and he was great at keeping secrets. Jinki will always be like a brother to him. 

Before reaching the house, Jonghyun's senses heightened as he sensed someone walking behind him. He whipped his head around, scaring the young woman who jumped out of her skin at his gaze. 

She chuckled, "Woo! You scared me."

He looked at her with a straight face before answering, "I should be saying the same thing. Why are you following me?" He didn't mean to sound rude, but ever since leaving the clan, he didn't trust anyone he ran into. 

The stranger quickly apologized. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't trying to stalk you or anything, but I noticed you've just moved into the neighborhood and I wanted to introduce myself. I'm Taeyeon."

Jonghyun waited before responding, using his judgement to see if she was lying. However, she didn't pose a threat to him. He smiled politely, "I'm Jonghyun. Nice to meet you."

There was an awkward pause before Taeyeon said, "I was wondering... have you experienced the city yet?"

"No, I've been too busy moving into the house to explore the town."

"Um," she shyly looked down before looking back up to Jonghyun. "I was wondering if you maybe wanted to do something tonight? There's a new bar in town that I haven't checked out yet. You should come."

This was a bad idea. A very bad idea. 

Jonghyun knew that. Him being alone with multiple humans in a cluttered bar was like asking for a massacre. He and Jinki promised each other that they wouldn't hurt anymore innocent people. Jonghyun's proud of himself for being able to keep that promise for the past year. 

"I don't think I can commit tonight. I have to help my roommate finish packing."

"Oh come on," she giggled. "It'll be fun. I just want to get to know my new neighbor. I've always found drinking together with strangers to be the fastest way to making a friend."

Jonghyun sighed internally. He didn't have much of a will. And the fact that Taeyeon's not only pushy, but extremely attractive was making it hard for him to say no. 

"But my roommate-"

"Look, it's not often that I ask guys out. So how about this," she reached into her bag and pulled out a piece of paper before writing on it, "Here's my number. If you're up for drinks anytime, just let me know." 

Jonghyun nodded as he stared at the paper in his hand. He was just relieved to have gotten out of that situation. Taeyeon's scent was starting to mix with his clothes and it was driving him crazy. 

"I'll see you later, Jonghyun. And if you're curious," she looked behind her and pointed to a house down the street, "I live right in that house." 

This lady was unbelievable. Jonghyun was used to people throwing themselves at him, but not like this. He wondered if she really liked him, or if her pushiness was just part of her personality. 

"Duly noted," he said as he turned around to walk back home, putting the paper with the phone number in his pocket. 

Upon arrival, Mr. Lee was just leaving. Jonghyun noticed how red the man's eyes were. He also picked up on the solemn atmosphere between Mr. Lee and Jinki. 

"Take care," Jinki said to Mr. Lee 

Jonghyun watched as the man quickly got in his car and drove off. He walked up the steps to ask Jinki, “What’s up with him?”

He sighed. “Oh nothing. Just a broken man. We’ve seen plenty of them in our lifetime.”

Jonghyun scrunched his brows in confusion. “Huh?”

“Nothing. Come on, let’s finish unpacking-“

“Wait.” Jonghyun abruptly interrupted Jinki’s sentence. “Did you hear that?”

They both stilled as they heard what sounded like sniffling from inside the house. Jonghyun asked, “Is someone in the house?”

Jinki shrugged. “Not that I know of.” 

The two vampires slowly made their way back into the house, slowly rounding the corner into the living room. There they saw something they couldn’t explain. Standing by the window was what appeared to be a boy crying as he looked outside through the blinds. 

Jinki and Jonghyun looked to each other in even more confusion as they continued to watch the black-haired stranger stand there in silence with more tears streaming down his face. 

Fed up with waiting, Jonghyn announced their presence by saying, “Excuse me?”

The boy quickly jumped and turned to look at the two vampires before wiping away his tears. He surprised them both when he scoffed and sarcastically said, "Oh how nice. There's a gay couple living here this time. Dad surely knows how to choose his tenants." 

"Couple?" 

Upon hearing Jonghyun’s response, the stranger paused and asked in surprise, "Wait, you can see me?" 

Jonghyun answered, "Well, no . What the hell are you doing in our house?!" 

However, the stranger wasn't paying attention to anything Jonghyun was saying. He abruptly let out a squeal of excitement as he jumped up and down, causing Jonghyun and Jinki to wonder what exactly was going on. 

Jonghyun groaned. "Great, Jink. We’ve got a homeless druggy living in our house." 

The stranger continued squealing and talking to himself in excitement. "I can't believe this! Ah, I can't believe this! Six months and someone can finally see me!" 

Jonghyun exclaimed in disbelief, "Jinki why are you just standing there?! Let's get this squatter out-" 

"Jonghyun, he's not a homeless druggy or squatter." 

Everything was starting to click for Jinki. This stranger looked very similar to the boy Mr. Lee told him about earlier. This stranger also thought that they couldn’t see him. He even mentioned that it had been six months since someone finally noticed him. By this point, Jinki was well-aware of who he was. He’d had far too many experiences, and lived far too long to miss this. 

"What do you mean? The guy’s insane. It's obvious-" 

"He's a ghost."

The only thing that could be heard was the continued squealing. Jonghyun stood there staring at this stranger with a puzzled expression. He’d been on this earth for nearly two hundred years, but he’d never had any run-ins with ghosts. To be honest, he thought Jinki was screwing with him. 

“I can’t believe this!” The stranger exclaimed before abruptly disappearing right before their eyes. At this point, Jonghyun was beginning to think this dude was either a ghost or a really good magician. The boy soon reappeared, giggling before saying, “Sorry. I’m still new to this. Hi! I’m Taemin.”

Hello, peeps! So that’s the first chapter. I’d love to know how you guys feel about it. I promise there are lots of twists and turns planned, as well as angst and romance. Although I have other stories, I’ll try my best to update frequently. ^.~