The engine purred as the car loped down the empty street, and Kyungsoo rested his head against the window in an effort to soak up as much of the warm afternoon sunlight as possible.

“So, how come we went to the cinema when you have a perfectly functional home theatre at your place?”

“What do you mean?” Jongin spoke somewhat distractedly as he turned down another residential street. “I really wanted to see ‘Endolution’ and it won’t be out on DVD for ages.” He spared a glance at Kyungsoo with an amused grin, turning the heating up on the human’s seat as he went. “Besides, I don’t have a popcorn machine at home.”

Kyungsoo had to admit his boyfriend had a point there: snacks and drinks were half the fun of watching a movie.

“Well, thank you for taking me, I enjoyed it,” Kyungsoo said, closing his eyes as the sun emerged from behind a row of trees. “Even though I don’t usually go for sci-fi.”

“I told you you’d like it. No-one can resist twelve handsome aliens who come to Earth to save humans from themselves.”

A scoff escaped Kyungsoo’s throat involuntarily, and the human peeked open an eye to glance at the vampire. He lifted his arm in mock warning. “Don’t make me slap you while you’re driving. And FYI, nobody uses DVDs anymore.”

“Uh-uh.” Jongin grabbed Kyungsoo’s hand and threaded their fingers together, all the while bringing them up to his mouth where he placed a wet smooch on the porcelain skin. “They were just invented. They’re definitely modern.”

Kyungsoo shook his head exasperatedly, and wormed his hand out of the other’s grip with a smile that betrayed his good mood. “Ew, hands on the wheel. Ten-and-two!”

The jovial conversation continued as the sun reached its peak in the sky. The direct light abandoned Kyungsoo’s window, leaving a slight chill to the glass and a blue hue to the lazy Sunday surroundings. Jongin turned another corner as he quoted a scene from the movie, only to have his impersonation cut-short by the sight of a figure sitting still in the middle of the street. Jongin’s body went rigid as he stomped on the brake, and an arm shot out across Kyungsoo’s chest to stop him from jerking forward, even though he was wearing a seatbelt.

As the car skidded to a stop on the otherwise empty road, the person stood and jogged towards the passenger’s side of the car. Kyungsoo felt his blood run cold and he gasped as the figure drew closer.

“J-Jackson?”

He was dressed in a dark grey hoodie and faded jeans. The outfit itself was innocuous enough, but Kyungsoo knew by now that looks were almost always deceiving. He heard a tap come from the steering wheel, followed by the clicking of the car doors locking. Jongin removed his arm from in front of Kyungsoo and leant down to watch Jackson approach.

“What the- What is he doing here?”

Jackson came up to Kyungsoo’s door and the human let out an involuntary whimper as he inched as far away from the window as possible. The vampire didn’t try to open the door, though, and he looked almost confused as he splayed his hands on the thin sheet of glass that separated them.

“You have to make them take it back,” he said, and it was slightly muffled through the door. “Change their minds, tell them I didn’t hurt you.”

Kyungsoo didn’t breathe, didn’t dare even blink in fear that if he did Jackson would pounce. He heard rather than saw as Jongin unbuckled his seatbelt, and felt a tight squeeze to his shoulder.

“Don’t get out of the car.”

When Kyungsoo finally blinked, Jongin’s nearby warmth was gone and he could see his boyfriend in front of the hood, circling around to the other vampire. Jackson started backing up when he noticed the Kim clan member just teleported but continued running his mouth all the same. Kyungsoo couldn’t hear what they were initially saying, but the discussion seemed to get steadily more heated: Jongin’s face was hard and Jackson’s complexion was getting more and more red as he got worked up. When the yelling started, Kyungsoo easily picked up the words they flung at each other.

“Where am I supposed to go now?” Jackson shouted, shoving the aligned vampire harshly in the shoulder. “I barely even ing touched him!”

“How the hell is that my problem? And yes you bloody did -- he almost bled out!” Jongin invaded Jackson’s personal space once he cornered him by the gutter of the road. He jabbed a finger at the rogue’s chest and Kyungsoo squinted and pressed his face against the glass to get a better look. He’d never seen Jongin so angry before. “And what about Chanyeol, huh? You deserve to be skinned alive just for what you did to him.”

Jackson slapped the hand away. “I told you it was a ing misunderstanding! What was I supposed to think when you started recruiting humans? You already hated us just for being rogues, on top of the fact that Tao came back-”

“Shut up!” Jongin’s fist shot forward like a canon, and Jackson fell back on the sidewalk with a hand to his nose. “Don’t you see what you’ve done? It’s irreversible! You’ve ruined people’s lives.”

Jongin grabbed his collar roughly and dragged the rogue back up with one hand, the other pulled back and ready to strike again.

“The half-blood!” Another punch to the nose.

“The feeder!” A hit that landed solidly on Jackson’s jaw.

“And Kyungsoo!”

Kyungsoo wasn’t looking as the last smack echoed through the street, already turning to struggle with his restrictive belt. Once that was off, he flipped the lock on his door and dashed out of the vehicle. He sprinted to the side of the road, now seeing the two struggling for dominance in the fight. Jongin was still standing over Jackson, who was seated on his on the concrete, but blocking any incoming hits.

“Oh my god! Jongin, stop!” Kyungsoo’s voice sounded a degree removed from himself. He grabbed onto Jongin’s arm mid-swing.

“Kyungsoo?” The aligned vampire whirled around to face him. Kyungsoo saw a gash on his cheekbone though he hadn’t seen Jackson get a punch in. “But, you know what he’s-”

“Just stop it!” Kyungsoo heard the waver in his tone and felt the lump in his throat. There was a destructive hearth in Jongin’s all-black eyes and Kyungsoo didn’t know how far he’d go. Jongin was usually gentle and forgiving, and the human wouldn’t let him surrender himself to revenge. “It doesn’t matter now, it’s done. Just leave him.”

The limb went limp in Kyungsoo’s hold and Jongin slowly turned back to Jackson, the rogue heaving deep breaths and sitting with his face already bruising and lip split. The collar of the hoodie was finally released and the vampire slumped on the ground.

Jackson spat a dribble of blood into the gutter, wiping his mouth with his hand and wincing in pain afterwards. He leveled a stare at Jongin. “Well, I’m not going to say I’m sorry.”

Jongin lurched forward but Kyungsoo pulled him back before the two could go at it again. He turned to Kyungsoo with his eyes still black pits, but the pucker in his brow was apologetic, like he wished he could control himself better. Kyungsoo dropped his grip around Jongin’s arm to instead clutch his hand, and he gave it an encouraging squeeze.

“He’s not worth it,” he whispered, and the darkness dissipated from Jongin’s eyes like storm clouds being blown away by a spring breeze, the rich brown coming into focus soon after. “Let’s go.”

Oddly enough, or maybe just in an uncharacteristic display of intelligence, Jackson chose to keep his mouth shut as Kyungsoo led Jongin back to his car on shaky legs. The pair took a minute to calm down within the vehicle before Jongin started the engine and they slowly continued down the street, not even glancing back to see if the other vampire was still there.

The drive was quiet save for Jongin’s deep breathing, and Kyungsoo could see the way his fingers were straining the leather of the steering wheel. He didn’t know what to say, or if he should even say anything at all. Maybe it would be best to leave it all behind, to just try and forget about Jackson altogether.

“I’m sorry,” Jongin eventually said, when there was a handful of streets between them and where they’d left the rogue. “I’ll be better.”

“Me too.” Kyungsoo kept his gaze focused out on the passing picket fences and trim lawns.

“You didn’t do anything wrong.”

“But I would have, had I not been absolutely terrified of him,” the human said. He took a deep breath and turned to Jongin, watching his side profile intently. “What did he want? He sounded crazed.”

Jongin his lips and glanced at the side mirror. “He wanted us to talk to the rest of the C-Clan and tell them he didn’t do anything wrong.”

“What? Why-”

“They kicked him out of the clan.”

“Oh.” He wouldn’t say aloud that he was happy to hear it, but he was kind of pleased. It was satisfying to know Jackson had gotten some karma. Maybe that meant the rest of the C-Clan weren’t so bad. Maybe Hyunsik wasn’t so bad… Or maybe the C-Clan had just ditched Jackson because he’d started a war between the two clans that the rogues knew they couldn’t win.

He was now curious about what happened to vampires that weren’t part of any clan. He hadn’t heard about any thus far, except Sehun’s friend Luhan that he knew nothing about, and maybe that was for good reason. Maybe that was why Jackson was so desperate to be taken back.

Just when Kyungsoo decided his thoughts were circulating too fast to be considered productive, he was startled out of his reverie by the sound of rushing water echoing through the cabin of the car. Before he could even ask what the noise was, Jongin was offering an explanation.

“That’s my ringtone for Junmyeon, would you mind checking it?” Jongin glanced over with an appreciative look while Kyungsoo tried to locate where the phone was. “Yeah, it’s in the glove compartment. Sorry, he only calls when it’s really important.”

Kyungsoo waved a hand and said it was fine as he unlocked the device. It was a text. The human bit the inside of his cheek as he read over it.

“Uh, it says ‘urgent, come home asap, family meeting.’ Sounds important, alright.” His sentence was punctuated by Jongin making a sharp left at the next street, and he almost lost his grip on the phone as the inertia pressed him against the door.

Jongin immediately apologised for the lack of warning. “I guess there’s a change in plans. I’ll drop you off at the dorms later, we can’t keep Junmyeon waiting.”

“...We?”

“Well, yeah.” The vampire looked somewhat sheepish for a moment, as he raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “When he says ‘family meeting’ it’s always about vampire-related stuff, and since you get a free pass to know everything, you might as well hear it straight out of the horse’s mouth.” Another side glance. “Besides, if it’s bad news, I want you nearby. For safety reasons.”

It wasn’t until the pair had arrived at the Kim’s residence that Kyungsoo realised how out-of-place and nervous he felt. The human had never really had direct contact with Junmyeon before, but he had an inkling the clan leader didn’t like him, considering how much trouble he had caused by falling for an off-limits vampire. What was worse though, was that Sehun would be there, seeing as it was a whole “family” meeting. Whereas with Junmyeon it was just a hunch, Kyungsoo downright knew Sehun resented him.

The two entered the building and Jongin quickly led them up the central marble staircase to the second floor, distant voices already audible, though words unintelligible. He gripped Kyungsoo’s hand tight as they passed by Junmyeon’s office, and the first-year gave it a subconscious squeeze as the frosted glass doors leading to the dining room opened up.

The first thing Kyungsoo noticed was Seulgi as she stood behind a chair, gripping its timber backing tight enough to turn her knuckles white. The usual calculated and teasing smirk she sported was absent, instead replaced by a chiseled frown cast in shadow. She growled something at Junmyeon, but the clan leader didn’t reciprocate the anger, opting to just stand at the head of the table and rub a hand over his face with a sigh. To the right was Krystal and Jongdae as they sat next to each other. Krystal had her head down over the tabletop and Jongdae leaned close to her with an arm over her shoulders, obscuring Kyungsoo’s view of her face so he couldn’t tell if she was upset or injured.

“Jongin,” Junmyeon announced the presence when he noticed the couple, and Krystal lifted her head at the sound.

And at last Kyungsoo realised the most important thing: Sehun was, in fact, nowhere in sight.

Her face was red and blotchy and her eyes watered as she called out to his boyfriend. Jongin was immediately kneeling by her side, and he slid his hand down her arm as he scanned his gaze over her body. “Krystal, what happened?”

“H-he’s-” A sob wracked her body, and for a moment everyone quietly watched her bawl before she composed herself enough to talk again. “He’s gone.”

Kyungsoo moved to take a step forward -- with no particular direction in mind, just to no longer be hovering by the door uncomfortably -- but was straight away pinned down by Junmyeon’s heavy stare. The human didn’t know what the look meant, since the clan leader wasn’t exactly glaring, but he felt unwanted all the same. 

Seulgi, however, looked between Jongin and Kyungsoo equally as she spoke with a low tone. “Sehun’s pulled a Tao.”

Tao: the former Kim Clan member who, rather scandalously, left the Kims to join the C-Clan. Kyungsoo was curious what other rival clan Sehun must have joined. Seeing as how snobbish and elitist Sehun always seemed, the human assumed it was another -- possibly even more prestigious -- aligned clan.

“What, he left without Krystal? That’s impossible, he would never!” Jongin rose and he looked to Junmyeon, most likely for confirmation, but the clan leader’s gaze was stuck to the floor.

“Read the letter he wrote Krystal,” said Jongdae, momentarily motioning to the crumpled piece of paper on the mahogany table in front of them before wrapping his arms around the vampiress again.

Jongin raised the note to his face. Kyungsoo held his breath as he watched Jongin’s eyes scan back and forth at lightning speed along the lines of text. When the law major was finished he lifted his head to look to Seulgi, Kyungsoo, then back to Krystal with innocently disbelieving eyes.

“But he would… never...”

“Well, he did!” Seulgi slammed a hand on the table, the noise loud enough that even Krystal momentarily stopped her weeping and looked up at the other woman. “We don’t know how Luhan tricked him into joining the C-Clan, but he did. The question is, what are we gonna do about it?”

Silence hovered in the air as everyone remained frozen, but Kyungsoo was still from shock, not speechlessness. Sehun had joined the C-Clan, the rogue group that clashed with the Kim Clan most…? From what Kyungsoo had heard of Luhan, he was clan-less. He wondered if that had been a lie he’d told the male twin or if Sehun had known all along.

Plus, the human didn’t know how Tao fit into any of it, yet he still seemed important somehow. The shadow he left over the Kims was so dark and dense it almost felt tangible, like a piece of him still sat at the dining table with them as they ate breakfast.

“Nothing, we do nothing.” Junmyeon’s voice was quiet but definite. He took turns giving every member of the clan a steely look before continuing. “He has to stick to his decisions and so do we.”

“No way-! We can’t let them keep taking our family!” Seulgi violently shoved the closest chair away from her body, the wooden feet almost tripping on the rough carpet of the rug underneath, but straightening back up after only a moment’s hesitation. She flung her hand in the direction of the vampire sitting in front of her. Her face was flushed with anger. “You too, Jongdae?! You’re willing to give up on them, just like that?”

Jongdae looked down and away with his fringe covering his eyes. Nothing in his appearance was as bright and lively as it usually was, and even his dark blue hoodie looked grey in the lighting. “A war between our clans would bring a lot of attention from the Court, and we can’t afford that. Not now, at least.”

Seulgi huffed a deep breath, and Kyungsoo’s heart almost broke at the sight of her. Her closed-off expression told of betrayal, as she stared down at the other vampires all congregated on the opposite side of the table. There was something in her eyes that reminded Kyungsoo of when he’d finally had the rug pulled from beneath him all those weeks ago -- mimicking that feeling of hopelessness when he’d seen his friends swallowed into the vampire world alongside him.

And just like then, there was nothing he could say to fix it now.

“We can’t sacrifice the wellbeing of the people here over people who don’t want to stay,” Junmyeon said slowly, walking over to Seulgi and winding his arm around her shoulders in a display shockingly sincere given the person doing it. “We have more members of our family now. Chanyeol, Baekhyun…” The clan leader’s eye caught Kyungsoo’s, and the human wasn’t sure if he was imagining the small, sad smile on the vampire’s face or not. “And Kyungsoo. We have to protect them now, not Tao or Sehun. We need to let those two go.”

Krystal burst into another round of tears, and both Jongin and Jongdae gripped her harder. Seulgi bowed her head as she too swallowed back her emotions. Junmyeon, still looking at Kyungsoo, beckoned him over with a wave of his arm.

It took the human a moment to get over the shock of what had happened in the past thirty seconds, but he took tentative steps towards where both Seulgi and Junmyeon stood in a sort of side-hug. He felt like he was encroaching on a private matter between these people who had known each other for decades, at least, and who were as close as any immortals could be. It seemed like the closure they had needed for a long time, and he feared he was trespassing.

When he got within arms’ reach of the two vampires, Seulgi roughly grabbed him by the upper arm and dragged him into an embrace with a low “come here, kid”. After a few seconds, he felt Junmyeon’s other arm rest against his back, solidifying the group hug. It was kind of awkward, as Kyungsoo wrapped his arms around the Kims as well, having his cheek mushed against the crown of Seulgi’s head with nothing to look at other than Junmyeon’s quiet face, his eyes closed still with a bittersweet smile.

Having seen the way Junmyeon handled things, hearing what he had to say about Tao and Sehun, in order to bring Seulgi back from a breakdown… Kyungsoo could see the power he held as the head of the clan. The sincerity in his words was rooted deep in thoughts he’d had for a long time, Kyungsoo would wager. Maybe Junmyeon felt their absence just as much, if not more than, the others. Maybe he did what Kyungsoo did, and blamed himself, but just didn’t show it in front of others often. The human had no real idea. All he did know was that Junmyeon referring to Chanyeol and Baekhyun -- the two people Kyungsoo was closest with, the closest thing Kyungsoo had to family -- as the Kim’s family as well, meant the world.

If Kyungsoo raised his head he could see the similar group hug taking place on the other side of the table. Krystal was still crying, her face pressed into Jongdae’s neck as he clung onto her tightly. Jongin, too, hugged her from the other side, his head rested gently on her shoulder. His eyes were open and his gaze locked with Kyungsoo’s. Jongin gave him a soft smile loaded with emotions: there was worry, sadness and disappointment, but there was also hope, loyalty, and a lot of love mixed in too. Seeing Jongin smile despite the cut that still split the apple of his cheek was enough to have Kyungsoo beaming back.

~Wild Flowers Worth Knowing~

The apartment building must have had a receptionist or some kind of administrative body that used to sit behind a desk, before it was renovated. It had been turned into a small bar now, Kyungsoo noticed as he made his way back out of the Kim’s home. There were unlabelled glass decanters filled with ambers and russets in a case behind the bar and the college student couldn’t help but roll his eyes as he passed the marble counter on the way to the doors, not even surprised considering the Kim’s love for anything remotely luxurious. He ended up leaving feeling a little more comfortable in the place than when he’d entered.

Junmyeon had been right, they all had to look out for each other now, but it didn’t mean that the vampires didn’t need their own time to get over the loss of a clanmate. He had left at the first sign he was imposing, when Krystal had begun hugging Sehun’s note to her chest and wailing, and declined Jongin’s offer of a lift back to his dorm. It was a nice day, even if a bit too cold for Kyungsoo’s preference.

His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jacket, and his shoulders unconsciously raised to protect his exposed neck. Opaque clouds dissolved in the air each time he breathed. The chill numbing the tip of his nose warned of an impending sneeze.

“Oh, Kyungsoo?”

He turned his head away from the two-storey mansion of a house he’d been ogling on his way passed, only to be met with a familiar woman. The cutest little red shiba inu sniffed at the grass on the nature strip beside them both, until the lecturer tugged a little on the leash.

“Irene? I didn’t know you lived near here. Is this your dog?”

Her name was Yuki and Kyungsoo was graciously allowed to pet her. She seemed very well-mannered and the musical student fell in love instantly.

“It’s almost odd seeing you without either Baekhyun or your boyfriend.” Irene spoke casually as Kyungsoo squatted on the ground, before quickly placing a hand over . “Is it wrong of me to assume you two are dating? It’s just, you mentioned you have a boyfriend at the carnival, and I see you with a tall law student around campus sometimes…”

“No, no, you’re fine.” Kyungsoo made sure to smile up at her to appease her nerves. It wasn’t unusual for her to get flustered during class if asked a sudden question and he didn’t want her uncomfortable now. “I was with him and his family just now, actually.”

Yuki his offered fingers and placed her fore paws on his thighs. Her tail wagged incessantly and Kyungsoo’s heart was filled with joy at the sight.

“Meeting the family can be a big deal. Congratulations.” For Kyungsoo it had meant taking two K9’s to the jugular. Big deal was an understatement. “While I have you though, is Baekhyun okay?”

The vigorous head-scratches slowed as Kyungsoo looked up her. He knew Baekhyun hadn’t been having the easiest transition, but he had no idea he’d missed class. Let alone been absent enough for his teachers to notice.

“I know it’s not my place to ask, but if he’s unwell I can give him some extensions.” Irene wound the lax leash around her hand in an almost nervous way, her head tilted to the side. “We’re heading into exam season and I don’t want him being behind on work.”

“I… don’t know actually. But I’ll pass it on.”

A few pats later, and Kyungsoo was saying goodbye to the teacher and playful pup, back to trudging through the cold on his way to campus. He whipped out his phone, made curious by Irene’s question. He shot off a quick text to Baekhyun, asking what he was doing, not even bothering to put his phone away after. Baek always answered straight away, no matter where he was. It was a little concerning, like that one time Kyungsoo had gotten a reply when he knew the second-year was in the middle of a test, but it usually came in handy.

‘@ home, tired’ was the message that greeted him when his phone vibrated against his palm. He decided to take a short detour on his way back.

He was praising the heating system as soon as he entered the dormitory, bypassing his level to go straight to Chanyeol and Baekhyun’s. He stood before the door, ready to knock, only to have it open right in front of him.

Minseok gasped in surprise when he noticed Kyungsoo’s presence on the other side, but his shocked expression was soon replaced with a grin as he held a hand over his heart. “Jesus, don’t lurk behind doors like that, Do.”

The third year had a thick coat and hoodie over his navy blue jumper, plus gloves and a scarf. He always had felt the cold more than anyone else.

“Listen,” said Minseok, after the initial greetings and small-talk had been exchanged. He closed the door behind him and spoke softly. “Between you and me, I think there’s something going on.”

Kyungsoo did his best to act normal, but his heart rate picked up and his hands started sweating. Whatever it was Minseok had discovered, Kyungsoo was probably going to have to lie about -- and Kyungsoo was a terrible liar. He eyed the dorm door behind the older while silently praying for Baekhyun to come out and save him.

“Oh? What…what kind of thing?”

“First Park is sick for a while, and Byun’s acting like he barely even knows the guy. Now Baekhyun’s coming down with something meanwhile Chanyeol’s nowhere in sight.” Minseok leaned in a little closer. “Do you know if they’re… okay?”

It felt weird to Kyungsoo, how Minseok wasn’t already in the know about everything anymore, and it felt even worse knowing he couldn’t fill him in. In the weeks proceeding Chanyeol’s turn -- also known as the period of time when the first year had been sort of avoiding Baekhyun and Chanyeol like the plague -- he’d practically been glued to Minseok’s side. The third year had seemed fine with it at the time, seeing as he’d known that Chanyeol was sick. But since Baekhyun had accepted the position of being Chanyeol’s feeder, Kyungsoo’s time had been split between visiting those two, spending time with Jongin, and getting his schoolwork done. It how much distance was created between him and Minseok in the span of a couple of weeks.

“They’re fine...” Minseok squinted when Kyungsoo’s voice broke. “...I think.” He took in a deep breath and tried again. “I think Chanyeol’s focussing on all the stuff he missed when he was sick, so he’s just busier than usual. That’s all.”

If he was acting suspiciously, Minseok didn’t mention it, but he did cross his arms over his chest and continue to narrow his eyes. “Right… So, since when have Chanyeol and Jongin been so close? And how come you’ve never tried to introduce us?”

Kyungsoo frowned, he had no idea how Minseok would know that Jongin and Chanyeol even… oh. Soccer. They mustn’t even be trying to hide their new friendship. The musical student wondered how that worked… Did Minseok try to talk to them, only to have Jongin return to his distant-mode? And if Jongin openly speaks to Chanyeol, does that mean Jongdae does too..? He’d have to ask one of them about it later, he supposed. Either way, it was making this conversation unnecessarily difficult.

“Ah, no, I didn’t really introduce them. They became close on their own.” Kyungsoo nodded as he shuffled on his feet, suddenly remembering the bag in his hand. “Anyway, I should really get this to Baek.”

He lifted the paper bag with the logo for the local fried chicken shop. Minseok looked thoughtful but didn’t voice any of his suspicions. He gave a quick goodbye before striding down the corridor, stuffing his hands further into his pockets as he went. Kyungsoo watched him until he turned to the staircase and out of sight. He couldn’t help but feel bad.

Two knocks, and Kyungsoo didn’t bother to wait for a response before heading inside the dorm in front of him. The main light of the room was off, though the blinds were open. The weather outside was pretty muggy though, as Kyungsoo knew well, so the space remained fairly dark. A lump on the closer bed (the two singles had been pushed apart at some point, Kyungsoo noticed with a twinge of disappointment) wriggled and a half-hearted groan escaped from between the sheets.

“C’mon, sleepy head,” Kyungsoo said as he flicked on the main switch, his eyes quickly adjusting to the sudden light. “Don’t tell me you were this bad for Minseok, too.”

Another, more aggressive groan. Kyungsoo went to close the blinds before sitting on the side of Baekhyun’s bed, hoping the older would be able to smell the food. He peeled back the covers, only to be met with a pallid version of his best friend.

“You don’t want fried chicken..?” Kyungsoo swung the bag within his eyesight as a way to coax him, trying not to be obvious about how startling he’d found Baekhyun’s complexion to be.

A deep sigh, and Baekhyun forced himself up, blinking bleary eyes at the younger. His hair had been re-dyed a dark brown about a week earlier and it was completely messed atop his head. He had bruise-coloured rings under his eyes but at least his lips were still a healthy hue.

“Give it here,” Baekhyun croaked, his voice deep and gravely like he hadn’t used it in a while. Kyungsoo really wondered if the second-year had even spoken to Minseok when he was there, but he handed the bag over and watched quietly for a moment as Baekhyun sifted through it.

“How are you?” Kyungsoo tilted his head as he watched Baekhyun scoff. The older singer tore a strip of meat off a drumstick.

“Drained.” The tone was sarcastic, like he was mocking Kyungsoo for even asking. He had a small smirk as he said it though, and the younger knew he was just messing around. “Like I’ll only accept guests if they bring me a meal or a good load of gossip.”

Baekhyun leaned over the bag while he took a big bite directly off the bone, and the angle showed the white bandage low on his neck, where it met his shoulder. There was no blood stain on it, but Kyungsoo still knew that had to be where Chanyeol fed off him.

Baekhyun had accepted being Chanyeol’s feeder a few weeks earlier, and Kyungsoo had come by to make sure he was okay afterwards a few times, especially earlier on. Chanyeol usually left straight away, with Seulgi on his heels, seeing as he was new to the whole thing and no-one wanted any bloodlust-related accidents occurring. Even so, though, Kyungsoo had never actually watched it happen, that was left to whichever of the Kims was babysitting. The thought of it was weird and way too gross for Kyungsoo to linger on it for long. Watching Chanyeol be bitten and killed by Jackson before his eyes had been bad enough. There was no way he was voluntarily going to witness Baekhyun go through it, even if they used anaesthetic wipes to reduce the pain.

Kyungsoo’s gaze stayed glued to the bandage as he spoke. “How long ago did you…”

“This morning.” Baekhyun’s voice was calm and bored, like it used to be whenever Kyungsoo would pester him for tips on projects the older had done the year before, back in highschool. Those days felt way too distant now, considering how recent they still were. “Not gonna lie, it’s more exhausting than I thought. I’m always hungry but I’m too lethargic to get any food.”

“That’s why I’m here.” Kyungsoo tried to sound peppy, but the following silence gave the sweet words a sickening echo. He cleared his throat and got up to get Baekhyun a proper plate, seeing as he was unapologetically eating in bed.

When he settled back besides his best friend on the bed, stealing a chicken wing for himself, Baekhyun slouched into his side with a sigh.

“I miss him,” he said, playing with a leg bone. “Everything’s half-blood this and the Court that. I miss the times when we’d watch trashy rom-coms together while doing our assignments.”

Kyungsoo would have to be blind to not have seen the distance this whole thing forced between his two friends. Minseok had been spot-on with his observations about them, and he didn’t even know the half of it. It was plain to see how much tension there was now. The worst part was, Kyungsoo had no idea what to do about it. He couldn’t imagine how he’d feel if Jongin had to feed off him regularly, let alone what he could do to make it better for Baekhyun and Chanyeol. He brought food for Baekhyun regularly, seeing as his appetite had increased, and he made sure to have non-vampire-related chats with Chanyeol, knowing that the IT student just wanted to be treated like a normal person. But none of that helped get their relationship with each other back to where it was.

When Kyungsoo had vented about it to Jongin, he’d said it wasn’t really anyone else’s responsibility, and while they all wanted to help, it was something only the two of them could work out together in time. He’d then had to buy them both ice cream, seeing as his response had only put Kyungsoo in a worse mood. The first-year wouldn’t accept that it was out of his hands, especially seeing as it was his fault in the first place that Chanyeol had been turned.

Just thinking about it made Kyungsoo’s blood boil in frustration. Curse Jackson, and curse the whole stupid situation.

“What about you, though?” Baekhyun poked his knee to get his attention, leaving a dark stain on Kyungsoo’s jeans from the chicken grease. “Give me happy news about you and Jongin.”

The comment brought a private smile to the younger’s face as he fiddled with the napkin he himself was using as a plate. He talked briefly about earlier in the day, when they’d gone to see a movie together. Jongin had picked him up out of the blue, actually, and the surprise date had instantly made Kyungsoo giddy. He hadn’t cared what film they saw, and agreed easily to Jongin’s pick. Of course, the first-year was pretty sure Jongin was only asking for his input out of politeness, seeing as he was so obviously stoked to see that sci-fi flick. Again, he hadn’t minded, especially because Jongin was so enraptured with the movie that Kyungsoo got most of the popcorn. That, and Kyungsoo got to use the classic yawn ruse to wrap his arm around Jongin’s shoulders, which while difficult given the width of the vampire’s shoulders, was something he’d always wanted to do. Jongin’s muffled, almost shy, laugh in response to the move had been just precious, and Kyungsoo had smiled the rest of the way through the film, long after he’d retracted his pins-and-needles-riddled arm.

“I’m happy for you,” Baekhyun said while scarfing another drumstick, “seriously. I back your relationship a hundred percent.”

Kyungsoo specifically left out the part where Jongin had tried to beat Jackson to a pulp, considering Baekhyun froze up or lashed out whenever the rogue (really rogue, now) vampire was mentioned. He did explain about Sehun though, and made sure to repeat Junmyeon’s spiel about family as accurately as he could remember, stressing how big of a deal it was. If Baekhyun felt like he was losing a bit of Chanyeol, Kyungsoo was going to make sure he was aware just how much he was also gaining. Baekhyun, fortunately, was on very good terms with his parents and older brother, so family had never really been something he was necessarily lacking. Considering he could never tell them about the vampire world though, it couldn’t hurt to have another family, of sorts. One that really understood.

“Yeah, the Kims are not at all what I expected them to be like. I actually like them.” Baekhyun nicked Kyungsoo’s napkin to wipe the grease from his fingers before he laid back down on his pillow.

Kyungsoo remembered how frequently Baekhyun used to talk about the elusive Kims, like he saw himself as an expert. He’d share all the latest rumours of snobbery and expensive grandeur. At the time, Kyungsoo had been pretty sceptical about the gossip, even before he’d met Jongin. Looking back on it now though, knowing everything he did, all those stories sound ridiculous. The claim that the Kims were distant wasn’t inaccurate, but the reputation of being cold people who only cared about money and themselves was way off. They were some of the best people Kyungsoo knew.

“But, if you think them being around is going to get you off the hook for friend duty, you’re so wrong.” Baekhyun cradled the back of his head with his palms, looking up at Kyungsoo with sly eyes.

“No way.” Kyungsoo scoffed. “The Kims still pale in comparison to our seven-year best friendship.”

“Damn right they do, nothing else matters as long as we’ve got each other.” The second-year settled further into the sheets as Kyungsoo started packing up the mess left on the rest of the bed. “Oi, you remember that time I got you out of a detention by dropping my lunch on Mr Choi’s shoes?”

Kyungsoo threw the greasy napkin at the older’s face. “Yah, I was only gonna get a detention because you broke a window but bolted before anyone saw you! It was only right you get me out of trouble.”

He put the rest of the rubbish in the paper bag, taking both that and Baekhyun’s plate over to the kitchenette counter. Kyungsoo’s phone buzzed in his pocket as the boy in the bed laughed, lightly defending himself from Kyungsoo’s claims.

He got out his phone, seeing an older text he hadn’t noticed from Jongin, saying he hoped Baek was doing okay, and that he wouldn’t be able to get dinner that night like they’d planned. Kyungsoo responded saying he totally understood that Jongin should be with the rest of the clan considering that day they’d had. He then looked at the notification that had made his phone vibrate: an email. When he looked at who it was from he froze -- he’d totally forgotten all about that.

[ Sender: Immortal Discoveries

Subject: You’ve got a message!

Content: Dear asseater69, you’ve got a message!

WitchFollowerWhoKnows: the only protection you have now is never letting them know you know]

So sorry about the long wait and the shorter-than-usual chapter. The pace will be picking up next chap, so look forward to that and thank you so much for reading <3