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Yoongi’s new neighbor has been living in his building for about six months.
It only took Yoongi six days to become interested in him.
The tall man is lean and muscular, with dark shaggy hair and an angular jawline. He is calm, yet bright; quiet, yet loud. A confusing kind of paradox that always leaves Yoongi feeling like he’s missing something.
He is naturally breathtaking, his olive skin painting his brown eyes with a golden glow. He has a boxy smile that Yoongi’s only ever seen once. He remembers standing there unlocking his door and looking over to see his neighbor enter his own apartment, a phone to his ear, a laugh falling from his lips caused by someone on the other end. His laughter is deep, yet floaty, like it doesn’t know where to land once it's been allowed to tumble out.
He is probably the most intriguing human Yoongi has come across in about 100 years, and that doesn’t even include the smell of his blood.
Fuck, his blood.
Yoongi’s mouth begins watering at the thought of it. The rich scent is overwhelming, even through the walls, and Yoongi is still not accustomed to it even after all these months.
His neighbor has the kind of blood that brings vampires to their knees, the kind that invites you to bite his skin and search for it, the kind that sings to you from inside his veins like a siren.
He has the kind of blood that you want to sink your teeth into, but Yoongi wants to stay there and soak in it.
Yoongi has only seen him a few times, coming and going from his apartment just as he does himself. The tall man nods in greeting sometimes, and on rare occasions, he even offers a small smile, but he mostly keeps to himself.
Since the undead and the living have been sharing the same spaces for a while, Yoongi isn’t sure if the man knows he’s a vampire or not. He doesn’t exactly hide it, but he doesn’t exactly put it out in the open either. He only leaves his apartment at night, he never has food delivered to his house, never cooks, and his skin is really pale. These behaviors might pass him off as just an introverted hermit, but his friend Hoseok disagrees.
“You’re one of the only vampires I know that literally looks like one,” the younger vampire told him one day.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Yoongi had grumbled back.
Hoseok had just shrugged and said, “not like it’s a bad thing, just, you’re not fooling anyone.”
Yoongi usually never gives that conversation much thought, that is, until his human smiles at him in the hall, leaving him disarmed and exposed.
His human?
Yoongi internally groans at himself.
If the human knows he’s a vampire, it might make this an easier task, but if he doesn’t, then Yoongi is going to have a hard time befriending the man. Friends? Is that what he wants to be? He guesses that is as good a start as any. He can’t exactly walk up to his new neighbor and say, “I find you ridiculously attractive and also I wanna sink my teeth into your skin, how about Wednesday, are you free?” He especially can’t if he wants to make any kind of good first impression.
Yoongi sighs as he slips out of his apartment, the night sky dimming the outdoor stairwell and covering it in shadows.
He locks his door and turns just in time to see the human in his thoughts coming up the stairs.
The moonlight dusts him in a soft white, the colors creating a milky honey complexion in certain spots on his skin. The man lifts his head and smiles slightly at the vampire, and Yoongi swears he sees his own desire written between the laugh lines.
Yoongi doesn’t know what to do. He wants to strike up a conversation, but that isn’t exactly his strong suit, especially if he’s hungry like he is right now.
He decides to wait until he has picked up some blood packs from the grocery store before he attempts any interactions with the tall man. He nods back and moves to sidestep the human, the walkway between their apartment landing and the stairwell too small to fit them both.
They end up brushing shoulders and the momentum causes Yoongi’s laptop bag to slip from his hold and fall to the floor.
The man immediately drops down to retrieve it and hands it to Yoongi with that small smile of his.
“Sorry, I should have waited for you to get to the stairs,” the human says, his hand tucking a strand of hair behind his ear.
“Oh, no,” Yoongi replies blankly, his eyes following the gesture. “I should have waited for you to get in, it was my fault.”
The human simply waves him off with a toss of his hand and turns fully to face him.
“I don’t think we’ve officially met,” the tall man begins, bowing and offering his hand out to Yoongi. “I’m Kim Taehyung. Your new neighbor.”
The boxy smile that Yoongi’s only seen from the side is on display as the human waits for Yoongi to shake his hand. Yoongi stares, probably for far too long, at the smiling man, before his brain kicks in again. He gives a short nod instead of a bow and lets his hand fold into the one waiting for him.
His skin is so warm compared to Yoongi’s, which biologically makes sense, but it still makes Yoongi melt at the contact. While vampires can’t really feel the cold that surrounds them all the time, they can feel warmth when it is provided. Some vampires don’t really like the temperature of humans, claiming it’s a tad suffocating and sticky, but Yoongi’s skin is singing in Taehyung’s grip, and if he was being honest with himself, that should scare him more than it does.
“Min Yoongi,” the vampire offers, his eyes flitting all around to avoid the human ones boring into him.
They are nearly chest to chest in the little landing, Taehyung’s back to his door, Yoongi’s back to the railing.
Up close, Yoongi is reminded yet again just how tall the man actually is. He feels small compared to him, powerless. He feels like the prey, when some might call him the predator in this scenario. Yoongi would be lying if he said it didn’t excite him. Yoongi has never felt that way around anyone before, not even Hoseok, who is tall, and loud, and extravagant. Taehyung’s energy is strong and controlled, all encompassing in a demanding kind of way. Yoongi feels his knees buckling in submission, and moves to hold himself up with a hand on the railing behind him.
Yoongi lets their handshake fall apart, but he swears he feels a sharp prick as their fingers brush. It’s not painful really, just a spark of a match, a zap of static electricity, but it makes him want to grab the human’s hand once again. He dismisses the idea instantly.
They stand awkwardly for a few seconds, their bodies too close together, their breaths mingling in the space between them, before Yoongi catches a strong whiff of Taehyung’s blood. The vampire presses himself further against the railing and slides sideways so they are no longer face to face.
Yoongi can feel his eyes darken and his fangs unsheath, the scent even more overwhelming up close. His thirst makes itself known then, rushing through him with newfound vigor. He swallows thickly and lets his tongue run along his teeth in an attempt to soothe them.
“I’m sorry, I have to go,” Yoongi grits out, turning his face towards the stairwell. He can feel the skin around his eyes sinking in and his veins branching out, his vision tinting the walls in red. He takes a deep breath in, forcing his face to return to normal for a moment, and turns to the man. “It was nice to meet you, Taehyung. Welcome to the neighborhood.” Yoongi smiles tightly, the scratching inside his throat making it nearly impossible. “If you need anything, I’m just a knock away.”
Yoongi turns back around to leave and briefly pauses at the top of the stairs when he hears it.
“Thank you, Yoongi. See you around.”
The vampire nearly sprints down the stairs and takes a huge breath in when he gets to the bottom.
He said his name.
Taehyung had said his name and it sounded so beautiful on his lips. His pink lips that Yoongi would give anything to kiss and bite and suck on-
Yoongi groans again, sliding a hand down his face.
He needs to feed.
—
The next week goes by painstakingly slow for Yoongi. His nights are long and only consist of him writing articles about music, sending them to his editor for approval, and then groaning when they get sent back. He reads the current denial email on his screen and sighs.
He takes a distracted sip of the blood bag he has on his desk, the liquid colder than he likes it, and swallows with effort. He grimaces slightly at the aftertaste and shakes his head in an attempt to clear it off his tongue.
He doesn’t want to admit it, but he misses real blood. He would never hurt a human or even consider asking for that from them, but they do have blood banks where humans can volunteer to be live feeders. Yoongi can’t do it, he’s tried, but it’s just so…empty.
There’s no connection. The humans are sedated for safety, their warm bodies simply a vessel, and Yoongi thinks it’s worse than the stupid blood bag he’s currently sippping on.
He takes another drink and thinks of Hoseok, of how red his eyes get when he talks about feeding from his mate, the passion of the bond overwhelming even from outside of it. It makes Yoongi look down at the blood bag in his grip with disdain. He fights the urge to throw it at the wall, his head already imagining the red dripping along the white paint like a rainy sky, the liquid seeping into the earth like blood in carpet.
Yoongi blinks and the image is gone, his white apartment wall bright and glaring at him. He hates it.
Bonds were rare nowadays, and Yoongi’s only ever really seen one, Hoseok’s. His vampire friend is bonded to another vampire, Jungkook, and Yoongi would be lying if he said he wasn’t envious. Bonds form on their own, you can’t force them, can’t go on dates and fall in love and expect it to happen over time. They are special, alive, the connected strings threading themselves together under the sun and moon alike, as clear and instant as night and day.
Yoongi finishes the blood bag on autopilot, his thoughts clouding out the stale taste with something stronger: loneliness.
He’s just about to shove his empty dinner in the trash and get back to work when he hears a knock at his door.
The vampire wants to play it off and ignore it, but his sensitive hearing never lies to him. Someone is definitely at his door at midnight, and Yoongi really doesn’t have any interest in gracing them with his company.
However… He turns and eyes the doorway.
His keen sense of smell tells him that the person on the other side might be worth his time. It could be a trick of the enclosed space, since his neighbor smells so good that Yoongi feels like he can sense him all the time now, but the idea that the man could be visiting him is enough to get him up and moving.
He opens the door a crack, just in case it is someone Yoongi doesn’t know, and lets the hall light flow sparingly into his apartment.
“Yoongi?” Taehyung calls, his head tilting in uncertainty.
The vampire pulls the door open further, stepping into the doorway and out of the dark shadows.
“Yeah, hey. Sorry, I don’t normally get visitors,” Yoongi replies, his hands pulling at the sleeves of his sweater. He is suddenly self conscious about his attire, even though he really has no reason to look presentable this late in the day.
Taehyung’s nervous face morphs into something more at ease, the lines of his forehead smoothing out and folding into his golden skin.
“Sorry to disturb you, but I was wondering if you had any tools?” The human rubs the back of his neck, slightly more unsure again. “I think I broke my showerhead and I really need to bathe tonight because I have an event tomorrow and I called maintenance but no one answered,” he rambles on, catching himself at the last moment and locking eyes with Yoongi. “Ah, sorry. Anyway, do you have any of those kinds of things? Tools, I mean.”
Yoongi wants to eat him…in a totally innocent he’s-so-cute-and-precious kind of way and not in a his-blood-makes-me-feral kind of way.
“Yeah, maintenance doesn’t answer after 8pm, and they only answer before that if they feel like it,” Yoongi jokes, turning and heading into his kitchen. He watches Taehyung lean in, his eyes following him, but the human remains a respectable distance outside the apartment.
Yoongi returns to the door with a tool bag in his hands and holds it up so Taehyung can see it.
“I can take a look if you want? I have experience fixing things like this,” he offers, hoping he can help the human somehow. He looks very stressed underneath his polite demeanor.
Taehyung blinks a few times, but eventually sighs in something akin to relief.
“Yes, please. I would really appreciate your help.”
Yoongi steps out into the hall, pulling his door closed behind him and gesturing for the man to lead the way.
“I learned quickly that you can’t trust maintenance to show up, so if you need anything fixed in the future just let me know. I don’t mind.”
“Oh, thank you. I hope I don’t end up bothering you too much, though,” Taehyung replies as he leads them towards his apartment door.
As they come up to the door, Yoongi’s steps slow. This is going to be tricky, or a disaster, he isn’t sure yet. He didn’t really think this far ahead.
Taehyung opens the door and steps in, leaving some space behind him for Yoongi to follow through, except Yoongi doesn’t. He just stands at the threshold, his toes flush with the entrance.
“Yoongi? Is something wrong?”
Yoongi blinks. What’s his plan? Talk his way in? No. That’s coercion.
Be honest? That could go a few different ways.
He looks up and lets his eyes meet the human’s. The sweet, warm, wonderful Taehyung. If he wants this to go well in the future, then he is just going to have to rip the blood bag open…right?
“You have to invite me in,” he blurts out.
There are much smoother ways to do this. Vampires are literally taught how to make it more casual so that no one is uncomfortable(not the same as coercion!), and yet, Yoongi’s anxiety-filled brain chose this. He wants to run back to his dark little nest and never return, but the pretty human is looking at him now.
The man tilts his head in confusion. He reminds Yoongi of a cat when he does that, the calculative way his eyes squint to assess the situation, the delicate way his lips purse in thought. A little kitten who isn’t sure of the situation, his tail swishing back and forth in uncertainty.
“What do you mean?” Taehung asks eventually, his feet stepping back into the foyer. His demeanor has changed, but Yoongi can't pinpoint exactly what’s different, not with his own turmoil unfolding inside him.
They are now almost chest to chest again, Yoongi on the outside of the apartment, Taehyung on the inside, an invisible line between them. The vampire feels his knees begging to bend and reaches his free hand out for the door frame.
“You..You have to invite me in,” Yoongi repeats, his eyes addressing the floor.
A finger slides underneath his chin and pulls his head up, forcing him to lock gazes with the human. Taehyung is looking at Yoongi with such curiosity that it almost seems like he is teasing the vampire. It’s as if the little kitten from before has transformed into a tiger and Yoongi didn’t even notice, didn’t have time to, with the way his head is spinning.
“Why do I have to invite you into my home, Min Yoongi?”
Yoongi swallows hard.
He knows. The human knows what he is and he’s fucking with him.
Yoongi grips the doorframe harder, his knuckles burning white.
“The undead cannot enter the home of the living uninvited,” he whispers.
Taehyung, honest to the moon, smirks, and Yoongi thinks he’s going to faint right there.
The finger beneath his chin disappears, but before Yoongi can mourn the loss of it, another finger is caressing the side of his face.
Yoongi’s eyes flutter shut at the contact, his breath leaving him shakily. The human then leans away, his limbs returning to their owner.
“Yoongi, please come in.”
The wall of energy that’s holding Yoongi in place vanishes, his foot sliding over the threshold and his head falling forward slightly. He didn’t realize he had been pressing his body so hard up against it until now.
He opens his eyes to find a very amused Taehyung watching him. The man waves him in and turns, leaving Yoongi to follow along like a lost little bat.
The vampire steps forward, the smell inside the apartment hitting him with so much force he thinks he’s going to be sick. Yoongi is wound so tight in the fragrance that he swears he can lick the air and taste it. His lips part in preparation, his tongue working on its own accord to test his theory-
He shakes his head back and forth to gather himself, his mind hazy and his teeth aching.
Once they are in the living room, Yoongi can see Taehyung a little bit better. Yoongi watches from his spot near the entrance as the human moves into the kitchen and pulls two glasses down from the cabinet.
“Water?” Taehyung asks, not looking at the vampire. He sounds casual, like the two have done this dance before, like Yoongi comes over all the time.
Yoongi hums some kind of sound in approval and slowly walks to the bar at the edge of the kitchen. He places the tool bag down beside his feet just as Taehyung approaches the other side of the bar.
A glass of ice water is placed in front of him, the other glass gracing Taehyung’s lips as he takes a tentative sip. The human’s eyes never leave Yoongi’s face even as he drinks the chilly liquid.
Yoongi clears his throat and wraps his hand around the glass.
“So, the shower..?” Yoongi tries, hoping his voice sounds as even as he wants it to.
Taehyung smirks slightly from behind the glass, but once he puts the cup down, the look he wears is neutral, bored even.
“Right. The bathroom is down the hall and to the left.”
They stare at one another for a few beats before Yoongi realizes that Taehyung isn’t going to show him how to get there. The man is just going to let Yoongi walk through his house unattended.
Yoongi squints his eyes at Taehyung in confusion, but the human just cocks his head in challenge.
A stalemate.
Yoongi feels the condensation from the glass slide down his fingers and shivers.
Okay.
What the fuck is going on? And why does Yoongi like it?
The vampire steps away from the counter abruptly and grabs the toolbag, his footsteps nearly inaudible as he makes his way towards the bathroom.
Yoongi is standing in the shower stall, his hands above his head and his eyes focused on the fixture, when a warmth hits his back.
He freezes, his hand mid turn of the bolt he is tightening, and looks back over his shoulder.
There, standing behind him in the shower, is the human.
He wears an innocent look, one that reminds Yoongi of a teddy bear, only less fluffy. His body is so close to Yoongi’s that the vampire can feel his chest rise and fall. It makes Yoongi’s throat constrict.
He smells so good in the enclosed space. Too good.
“Uh,” Yoongi begins, clearing his throat, “yes?”
The man shifts behind him to look over his shoulder, his large hand finding a place to rest on Yoongi’s waist. Yoongi tries not to think about how perfectly it fits, how tiny and breakable he feels in Taehyung’s grasp. The vampire even has to hold himself back from leaning further into the man’s hold, despite the fact that the human is basically a complete stranger. Yoongi should feel uncomfortable or something, but they’ve been playing this dance with tension all night, and it doesn’t seem like the other is stopping any time soon, not that Yoongi is complaining.
“I just wanted to see what you were doing.”
“Mmm,” Yoongi responds, the sound coming out as a low hum. It reverberates throughout the tiled space and Yoongi feels the human grip his waist a little tighter in response.
Yoongi can’t be in this room any longer, can’t be so close and yet so far from the one thing he truly desires.
The vampire tightens the bolt all the way and brings his hands down, the momentum leaning his back into Taehyung’s broad chest. The heat he emanates is overwhelming, the hair on Yoongi’s skin raising up in response.
“It should work now.” Yoongi says to the white shower stall in front of him, his voice small, his mouth dry.
“Should we test it?” The human says from behind him, his breath ghosting the back of Yoongi’s head.
Yoongi’s brows furrow.
“Wha-” Yoongi’s question is cut off by the faucet turning on, the showerhead spraying him directly atop his head. In a second, the water is off again, the human’s hand returning out of sight just as quickly.
He watches as water drips down from his hair and into his face, the liquid warm against his cold skin.
“Taehyung?” he calls, his voice controlled.
“Yes, Yoongi?” the human replies, his voice just as even.
“Why?”
An entertained snicker rings out against the shower walls and Yoongi spins around to face him, his booted feet slipping against the wet tile. Taehyung catches him, both of his hands gripping Yoongi’s waist like they belong there.
Every curse he has on his tongue dies the minute their eyes meet, the human so close, too close . Yoongi closes his eyes and breathes in, then out.
In.
Blood, blood, his blood, his skin.
Out.
Warmth, fingers touching, a pulse, a beat.
In.
A bite, fangs in flesh, sinking, sinking, sinking.
Out.
“Yoongi?” the human calls, his hands tightening their grasp yet again.
Yoongi’s eyes flutter open and he looks up at the man, a few droplets of water falling from the front of his hair.
He swallows once.
“I need to go,” he grits out, though his body makes no move to pull away.
The human frowns and moves even closer, their stomachs and chests pressing against one another. Yoongi feels his fangs unsheath.
A hand leaves his waist, only to reappear by his face, the palm pressing against Yoongi’s cheek tenderly.
“Do I smell good, Yoongi?”
Yoongi groans as he exhales.
“Why are you doing this to me?” he asks, his tongue coming out to wet his trembling lips.
The hand moves down to press against Yoongi’s chest, the weight grounding, warm.
“That day in the hall, your fangs came out,” he begins, pressing his digits into the dip in Yoongi’s collarbone. “You tried to hide it, but I saw them, saw you. Saw the way you reacted to my blood.”
Yoongi’s knees begin to fold, his strength dwindling. His head is spinning and his throat is on fire.
Taehyung smells so fucking good.
“So, you’ve known I was a vampire this whole time? Even before the door?”
The human smiles, sweet and evil and so, so pretty.
“I wanted you to work for it.”
Yoongi’s heavy eyelids shoot open, his red irises finding the golden one’s he’s already memorized.
“You-you’re going to let me feed?” He can’t believe the words coming out of his mouth.
Humans and vampires have lived in harmonious coexistence for a while now, but that doesn't mean vampires still don’t get a bad name most of the time. Just like humans, there are always a select few who go too far, feed on or hurt humans when they aren't supposed to, and it has ruined the prior trust humans had in them forever. Vampires have slowly been earning it back, such as letting humans run and control the feeding banks, but a human allowing one of them to feed outside of that? It’s almost unheard of.
The hand on his chest moves up until it sits gently around Yoongi’s throat, the grip soft, yet controlled. Yoongi doesn’t dare move.
“You’ve been so good, so obedient.” The vampire clears his throat, nearly choking. The human just smiles down at him. “I think you deserve it for being so helpful.”
“Taehyung,” Yoongi tries, finding his voice. “Are you sure about this?”
A thumb slides its way up and under Yoongi’s chin, tilting his head towards the ceiling and forcing him to look the human in the eyes.
“Do you take me for a fool, Min Yoongi?”
Yoongi shakes his head, the motion restricted due to the hold he’s in. He finds he kind of likes it.
“I am well aware of what I am asking for, but ever since I saw you control yourself and walk away from me, I knew you deserved it.”
The implications are not lost on Yoongi then. The human trusts him to be nice, to feed but not kill, to drink but not drain. Taehyung trusts him.
Yoongi feels an emotion spread throughout his bones, one he doesn’t have a name for, but it makes him want to protect the man in front of him with everything he has.
“I would never hurt you, Taehyung. Ever.”
“I know. You’re a good little vampire.”
Yoongi’s skin buzzes at the praise and the term of endearment, but his heart swells at the way he can tell that Taehyung isn’t lying. His heartbeat is steady, sure, and Yoongi wants to hug him and kiss him and bite him.
“Let’s get you dry and comfortable, hm?” Taehyung suggests, moving to step out of the tub and offering Yoongi his hands to help the vampire do the same.
Taehyung takes a towel and dries Yoongi’s hair for him, gently brushing the strands out with his fingers as Yoongi sits on the edge of the counter. It’s very domestic, and Yoongi is maybe falling just a little bit in love with the human, though he’d be crazy to admit that so soon.
He brings Yoongi a new shirt of his to wear while he throws Yoongi’s sweater in the dryer, and takes his shoes to put them by the door. Yoongi feels very warm and comfortable and taken care of as he stands in the bathroom mirror. He looks at himself in Taehyung’s oversized shirt, the material hanging off his shoulder, the sweet scent enveloping him, and softly smiles. He’s never had anyone treat him this way before, so carefully, like he isn’t a bloodthirsty monster with fangs.
His chest does something funny, like it's being pulled towards the bathroom door by strings that Yoongi can’t see, his body moving on its own to meet Taehyung’s at the exact moment he returns to him. Taehyung leads him to his bedroom by the hand and Yoongi just follows, his socked feet shuffling along the carpet.
Once inside the room, Yoongi notices the bedside table immediately, the array of materials blinking at him like a heartbeat he can taste. On the table is a bottle of water, a box of juice, some crackers, fruit, and a first aid kit. Taehyung has prepared for a feeding.
Correction, Yoongi is definitely in love with him.
Taehyung leads him to the bed and they both sit on the edge, their thighs touching.
“I actually haven’t done this before, so are there any rules or things I need to know?” Taehyung asks, his face serious and kind.
Yoongi lets his hand find Taehyung’s thigh, his thumb rubbing small circles into the fabric.
“Don’t move a lot, if you need to, just tap me so I know and can move with you,” Yoongi begins, honest. If they are going to be safe, he needs to make sure he won’t accidentally hurt his human. “If you feel like you’re going to faint or pass out, just tug my hair and I’ll stop. That one is serious, please don’t try to push through any blackouts.”
The human nods, his eyes wide, his mind taking it all in. He looks like the teddy bear again, and Yoongi has to look away so he doesn't boop his nose or kiss his face.
“And..” Yoongi trails, unsure. He glances at the human and then away. “Nevermind.”
Taehyung frowns and grips Yoongi’s chin, pulling his face towards his, their noses brushing.
“What is it, Yoongi?”
Yoongi chews his lip a little, nervous. When he doesn't answer right away, Taehyung’s eyes soften.
“You can tell me, whatever it is. I want to know.”
Yoongi looks into his brown eyes, the golden specks flickering with light from the lamp on the bedside table. Taehyung trusts him, he reminds himself . Yoongi takes a deep breath in, the human’s calm scent meeting his nostrils. He can do this.
“This isn’t really a rule, just something I like to do, but if you don’t want me to I won’t.” When Taehyung just nods for him to go on, Yoongi’s hand tightens its grip on the other’s thigh. “After a feeding, I like to kind of leave my fangs in and just rest there. It’s very calming for me.”
Taehyung doesn’t move a muscle, his hand on Yoongi’s chin still in place, still in control.
“Okay,” the human replies, a big boxy smile on his face, “we can do that.”
Yoongi’s undead heart is warm, warm, warm.
Taehyung moves his hand from his chin down the slope of his jaw, down the side of his neck, until it’s pressing on what would be Yoongi’s pulse point. The human licks his lips and Yoongi just watches, helpless, hungry.
Taehyung pushes Yoongi down until he’s laying flat with his back to the mattress. He stands and places himself between Yoongi’s legs that dangle from the edge, and all Yoongi can do is stare as he leans over him. Taehyung uses his hands on either side of Yoongi’s head to hold himself up, their faces inches apart, their eyes locked. Yoongi grinds his teeth inside his mouth, his control slipping.
The aroma from Taehyung has increased, as it normally does when a human exerts any kind of energy. Or when they’re aroused, his mind supplies unhelpfully. Yoongi nearly groans.
Taehyung leans down and presses a slow kiss to Yoongi’s throat, right where one would normally bite someone, right at the junction of flesh and bones and blood. Taehyung’s lips are wet and burning against Yoongi’s chilly skin, and it makes him feel like he has blood rushing through his veins again. He closes his eyes and lets the black webbing branch out from underneath, lets his fangs unsheath entirely, lets his claws press into Taehyung’s hips. When had he grabbed the human? He doesn’t remember.
He feels like he’s underwater, a red tide pulling him down and drowning him in a sweet nectar that he would trade for the air he breathes if he could.
When he opens his eyes again, their roles are reversed, the human under him instead.
Taehyung looks at Yoongi with amusement, and Yoongi really wants to eat him then.
Yoongi is straddling the human, Taehyung’s hands gripping his waist, Yoongi’s hands tangled in Taehyung’s hair.
“You’re quite strong for such a little one,” Taehyung comments, a smirk playing at the edges of his lips.
Yoongi realizes then that he must have flipped them over in his blood-driven delusion.
He smiles apologetically.
Taehyung shakes him a little, his eyes serious, and Yoongi’s red vision clears for a moment so he can focus.
“You won’t hurt me. I know that,” Taehyung says, his tone firm.
Yoongi feels his teeth stop grinding inside his mouth, unaware he had been doing it in the first place.
He hasn’t lost control, not really, even if he got distracted by the scents for a minute, he still knows what he’s doing. His instincts won’t let him hurt Taehyung, that much is clear to him, he can feel it, but having Taehyung voice it settles him in ways he didn't know he needed.
He lets out a breath and nods.
Taehyung smiles back easily.
Yoongi scoots them both up the bed so that Taehyung is propped slightly up onto a pillow, his eyes lidded and following Yoongi’s every move. Yoongi’s vision bleeds red again.
He settles onto Taehyung’s lap more comfortably and lets the human wrap his hands tightly around his waist. Once they’re both ready, Yoongi takes a moment and bravely kisses Taehyung on the lips.
The human is surprised by the sudden gesture, but recovers quickly, his mouth moving to match Yoongi’s. It’s soft, breathy, rushed. Yoongi’s fangs nip and poke at Taehyung’s plush lips as they move and Yoongi can taste the little bits of blood he gets from it. It drives him mad.
They break the kiss and Taehyung laughs, a floaty sound that drifts throughout the room, and Yoongi wishes it would just land inside his chest. He wants to harbor it, keep it until it no longer reverberates against the empty cavern so he can ask for another.
Yoongi’s fingers find the point of entrance easily, the pulse quick and staccato below his touch. He leans down and traces his fangs against Taheyung’s skin. They follow an unknown trail, one only they know the song and dance to, but Yoongi just lets them go. They eventually fold into a spot that they deem soft enough to rest in, their points pressing lightly into the flesh until small divots form below them. The fangs wait, ever patient, and Yoongi smiles against Taehyung’s neck.
“You have to say that I can.”
Taehyung doesn’t move, but his breathing is heavy below him, his hands massaging Yoongi’s sides with muted desire.
“Tae, baby, did you hear me?” he whines, his hunger making his voice high and tight. “I can’t drink from you until you let me.”
It’s silent for a moment and Yoongi’s eyes burn as they stare at Taehyung’s neck, the veins moving up and down with his breathing, with his pulse, with his rushing blood-
“Drink.”
It’s a command if Yoongi’s ever heard one and it makes his entire body vibrate in response.
In a split second his fangs are sinking deep into flesh, the enamel sighing with a forgotten kind of gratitude. It’s been so long since he’s been able to drink like this and he can feel his hands shaking as they fold into Taehyung’s hair, their grip moving the human’s head to the side for better access.
The warm liquid rushes by, whispering sweet hellos to him, and Yoongi’s hips move forward on their own accord. He grinds against Taehyung as he sinks deeper into his skin, his hands clawing at the back of Taehyung’s neck in search of something he can’t quite reach. Taehyung grabs him back just as tightly, his mouth open, his breaths leaving him in soft suppressed whimpers. Yoongi wants to memorize the sound, clone it so he can play it on repeat in his ears when he’s alone.
Once the opening has been made, he removes his fangs and immediately licks the punctures. His tongue laps at the blood as it dribbles out and Yoongi groans deep in his throat, the taste an ecstasy in liquid form.
“Yoongi,” Taehyung breathes, “stop playing with me.”
Yoongi’s eyes flash.
Can someone fall in love in one night?
He does as he’s told, his tongue licking up the last couple drops that have dripped onto Taehyung’s collarbone. His lips find the opening and he braces them around the puncture wounds, the suction precise, natural. It only takes a moment or two of intense sucking until the blood begins to flow with abandon.
Yoongi’s throat expands, the warm liquid coating it as it slides past. The feeling is indescribable, like coming home, except the home is something he’s created, something only he knows. It’s like drinking water as a dying man, it’s like seeing color when you’ve been blind, it’s like, it’s like-
His hips buck again and Taehyung grips him so hard he’d bruise if he could.
“If you ‘anted to fuck, y’ could’ve just said so,” Taehyung jokes, his voice airy, his words slurred.
Yoongi’s hips move again at the mention of it, the images in his head mixing and molding with the red liquid kissing his lips. He’s being swallowed from the inside out, the tide washing him in waves until he is nothing but the sand drifting amongst the sea with nowhere to go.
Later. They can fuck later when Taehyung is more coherent. He thinks he says it out loud, but his words are trapped and Taehyung probably isn’t even listening. The idea is gone as quickly as it came, the two of them falling under the bloody tide together.
Yoongi drinks and drinks and drinks until his own body feels too warm, too foreign and full. He slowly stops sucking, letting the blood flow subside on its own in an attempt to clot. He pulls off and grabs a tissue from the bedside table, quickly returning his hand to the punctures. The white cloth absorbs the blood and Yoongi tilts his head to watch, fascinated.
The red bleeds into the white like a lunar eclipse, a bloody moon painting the sky in its wake. Yoongi licks his lips and looks up at Taehyung, his golden skin discolored, his warmth waning. Yoongi feels like the moon in this scenario. He wonders if the sky is thankful, if the sun feels loved despite the moon taking some of its light. The sun always seems brighter after a blood moon, the gold so brilliant compared to the bleeding darkness, the sky so open after being drained.
They sit like that for a while, Taehyung lazily looking at Yoongi like he’s too exhausted to move his head, Yoongi memorizing the shape of his nose, his eyes, his jaw. He’s in the middle of counting his eyelashes when Taehyung speaks.
“I thought you were going to sit with your fangs in after?”
Yoongi smiles, said fangs poking out from underneath.
“I am, I will, I just wanted to make sure you were okay first.”
Taehyung blinks, his eyelids heavy, but Yoongi can see the way his eyes shine in the lamp light. He’s looking at Yoongi like he knows he’s the sun, like he knows that Yoongi belongs to him now, like he loves him.
Yoongi glances away.
“Here, drink some water and eat this fruit and then I will.”
Taehyung does, with a little help from Yoongi, and then he’s settled again in the bed. Yoongi straddles his lap like last time, his hands resting on Taehyung’s shoulders, Taehyung’s hands on Yoong’s thighs.
Yoongi fiddles with the hair at the back of Taehyung’s neck, his gaze heavy. He glances at the clock on the bedside table and feels himself tense, panic and confusion flooding his senses.
“I thought you had an event tomorrow,” Yoongi comments, his body still in its rightful place but prepared to move if needed.
Taehyung smiles and it’s evil like earlier. Pretty.
“I might have lied.”
Yoongi narrows his eyes.
“My shower was broken, though,” Taehyung rushes out. “I just didn’t need it done tonight. It could have waited…but I could not.”
Yoongi finds himself laughing before he can stop himself, but as he does, the bright sound morphs into something garbled and wet. Large hands are on his face in second, their warm thumbs wiping and wiping at the tears.
“Oh my little bat, what’s wrong? Hm?” Taehyung coos, his thumbs still rubbing along Yoongi’s red cheeks. “Is it because I lied? I’m so sorry, I was just nervous you’d reject me if I simply asked you to come over.”
Yoongi feels a sob ripping through him at the idea.
His tongue can’t find a way to express how he feels so he just hugs the human tight, his arms encircling his shoulders, his nose pressed into his neck.
How can he even begin to explain that he’s been waiting nearly a century for someone like Taehyung?
The man hugs him back and pets his hair, shushing him and whispering sweet words of assurance. Yoongi’s voice is muffled when it comes out, but he knows Taehyung’s listening ears will hear it all the same.
“I think I love you.”
He’s afraid of the human’s response. It’s definitely too soon to be telling someone that, but he can’t escape the feeling in his bones anymore. He can’t believe he missed all the signs before. It’s like his skin is warm again, like his tongue no longer holds itself, like his vision is red for a different reason. He feels bonded, mated, eternal.
Who knew loneliness could make someone undead feel even less alive?
He never wants to go back to blood packs splattered against white empty walls.
Taehyung squeezes him hard, his hands folding into his hair and pressing the vampire even closer to his body.
“I think my heart feels the same way. I might need some human time to catch up, but I feel your bond even now.” Taehyung swallows above him. “I’ve read about it happening to humans sometimes, but those descriptions have nothing on the real thing.”
The human sounds out of breath, overwhelmed, and Yoongi leans up to look him in the eyes again.
He isn’t prepared for the tear tracks that line Taehyung’s cheeks and his own eyes water again when he sees them. He feels it, through the bond, the way Taehyung’s heart beats inside his chest, the way his feelings are a jumbled mess of promises that keep getting tangled up in the threads between them.
“What does it feel like?” he asks, unable to stop himself. Once the bond forms completely he won’t have to ask, but he knows he probably will anyway, knows that hearing it fall from Taehyung’s lips is a bond in itself.
“It…it feels like blood running through my veins, like air I breathe, like sunshine on skin.” Taehyung pauses and rubs a thumb along Yoongi’s side, taking it all in. “It feels like I am no longer the only one who lives in me, like you’re here too, filling up all the spaces I didn’t even know were empty.”
Yoongi smiles, his fangs on full display, and Taehyung returns it. They share a brief kiss as they dry one another’s tears, the moment quiet, just for them. No words are needed, and Yoongi relishes in it, his fingers tracing delicate patterns along the back of Taehyung’s neck.
“I’m sorry for crying,” Yoongi says once they’re both calm
“Never apologize to me for that,” Taehyung replies instantly, his tone serious.
Yoongi nods quickly and accepts a soft peck from the human to solidify his agreement.
“Now, please settle in like you said you would,” Taehyung commands, his words soft spoken yet firm. Yoongi wouldn’t argue against him anyway, but he is curious about something.
“You say it like you’ve been waiting for it.”
Taehyung leans back into the pillows, his neck bared and open, his eyes lidded as they meet Yoongi’s own. The vampire swallows.
“I can’t explain it, but it feels like I need it too.”
Yoongi softens at the admittance, warmth and understanding spreading throughout his limbs in response.
“It’s because there’s more to bonding than love. It’s like you said, we share the same spaces, like the sun and the moon. You need it because I need it. You won’t feel settled until I do, and vice versa.”
Taehyung lets a sleepy smile spread across his face, the sight so radiant in the dim room.
“Then, please, my moon, settle me.”
Yoongi closes his eyes and sighs, his entire body thrumming with something new, yet familiar, something that’s his, yet someone else’s. The strings reach out again, their threads on a mission, and he feels them guide him down towards Taehyung’s neck. He lets his fangs find the punctures once more, his hands carding through Taehyung’s hair as he gets comfortable.
This time, when his fangs slide into the skin, there’s no rush or red haze. They enter with a sigh of relief that Yoongi can taste, the enamel sated and singing praises. He closes his eyes and slumps against Taehyung, the human immediately collecting him close. Taehyung’s warm hands rub soothing trails along his back, their courses undetermined, and Yoongi finally feels himself sink below the surface.
The red tide is back, but it’s not drowning him like last time. He feels it glide across his skin with practiced ease, the blanket covering him like soft petals of a rose, red and sweet and loving. He thinks of the sky again, the red moon covering the sun, but this time it’s him as the clouds. He feels himself drifting along in the dark, only for the sun to peek through and warm him, the golden rays kissing him with a sense of protection and care. He lets himself fall deeper and deeper, the sky swallowing him up, until he lands again in the bed of roses, until he sinks back into the red sea.
He doesn’t know how long he stays there, time nothing but an idea the sun refuses to expand on, and Yoongi can’t blame him. He too would keep the moon close if he had the chance.
Taehyung lays him down at some point, his arms wrapped tightly around him, and Yoongi feels his fangs retract, their purpose fulfilled. He mumbles something to Taehyung about the blood that’s dripping and the human tells him he’ll be sure to get it. Yoongi watches with hazy vision as a white cloth is placed yet again on the puncture wounds he created.
This time, when the white bleeds red, Yoongi shifts his gaze to Taehyung and smiles.
The sun is so bright.