Chapter 37:

The ride back to the manor was quiet. No one really knew what to say, least of all you. You mind lingered on your mother. After your goodbye, the doctors took her off the ventilator. It didn't take long for her breathing to stop and her heart to stop beating. They turned off the machines, so you didn't have to listen to the flatline, but it was still painful. Jungkook had tried comforting you, but there wasn't much he could say, so he just took your hand, hoping to be a reassuring presence if anything else.

You leaned your head on the window of the car as Jungkook steadily drove down the freeway. Taehyung was in the back, staring down at his phone. You glanced at Jungkook's hands, one of them on the wheel, the other resting on the gear shift. You watched his chest rise and fall, the way he flexed his fingers from time to time, as if remembering he could. You eyed the color in his cheeks, the color that had never been there before. He really was human. He was alive, breathing, aging. He was aging again, just like you. It was a strange feeling, but a welcome one.

Ever since you refused Dracula's plan to turn you, everything had happened so quickly, you hadn't even had the time to think about the two of you and what was going on. You knew you loved him, and you wanted to be with him, but the possibility of that happening had never felt as real as it did now. Before, you were from different worlds, unable to really coexist. But now... you finally had the chance to be together. You just didn't know how to start.

And then, of course, there was the issue of the pregnancy. Just thinking about it made you feel nauseous and a lump to form in your throat. You hadn't yet processed the reality of what had happened to you. You'd been pregnant with Jungkook's half-vampire baby. But how could they have possibly known? The time between that night at Dracula's mansion and when you were in the hospital couldn't have been more than a couple of days. So how could a miscarriage take any sort of toll on your body? At that point, they should have only been a group of cells. Plus, the doctor had said you were a few weeks along, which didn't add up or make any kind of sense.

"Y/N? Are you okay?" Jungkook asked, breaking into your thoughts. You looked over at him, as he glanced at you in between eyeing the road. You pressed your lips together, trying to force the lump down so you could speak.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Just... tired." You said breathlessly. Jungkook narrowed his eyes skeptically, but he didn't prod you or try to disagree.

"You know, lying through your teeth probably won't get you anywhere." Taehyung said suddenly, reminding you that he was even there.

"Okay, yeah you're right, I'm not fine. I'm just thinking about... everything. You should try it sometime." You countered. Your tone came out more snarky than you intended, but Taehyung didn't look offended. He just nodded and turned his attention away. Jungkook let out a melancholy sigh and you glanced at him curiously.

"What about you? How are you doing?" You reached out to touch his hand. Taehyung's eyes narrowed as he tracked the movement. Jungkook turned his hand over to let yours slip into it. Your fingers intertwined and he squeezed your hand.

"I'm doing alright, Y/N. I've had a bit of time to process what happened and... get used to my new body." He let out a wry chuckle. "It wasn't easy at first. I slept for so long that first night. Ask Taehyung, I was out."

You glanced back at Taehyung, whose eyes were still focused on your hand inside Jungkook's.

"We're here." Taehyung said, looking up. You released Jungkook's hand as he pulled the car into the driveway of the manor.

The three of you clambered out of the car and started up towards the front door. Just before entering, Jungkook gasped, stopping in his tracks.

"I forgot to get food!" He exclaimed. You turned to look at him in surprise. "I can't believe I... It's been my favorite part about being human again. All the food I could never eat before." He trailed off, his eyes alight with possibilities. You furrowed your eyebrows.

"It's okay, we can just order something." You murmured, rubbing his arm. He stepped back, shaking his head with a wry grin.

"Are you kidding? All that processed food when we could have a home-cooked meal? No, I'm going to the store to get us some of those fresh ingredients." He nodded and turned, a new smile lighting his face. You sighed again, feeling exhausted. But he seemed so excited, so you steeled yourself and turned back toward the car.

"Well... okay, I guess."

"No, you should stay here and rest." Jungkook took your shoulders and steered you back to the house, giving you a gentle push.

"But—"

"I mean it, Y/N." He said, cutting you off. "You just went through a lot and you're still not at one hundred percent, so stay and rest, please. I'll be back soon." He gave your cheek a gentle stroke and smile. You let your shoulders relax under his touch.

"Okay..." You sighed softly, giving him a small smile. He grinned and kissed you on the cheek before turning on his heel and running back to the car. You stared after him, feeling a little dazed.

You'd never seen him like this... he was almost giddy like a schoolboy. He'd always been stoic, indifferent, uncaring. You'd ever only seen glimpses of the person he was underneath all that coldness, all that ice. And now he was finally free of that pain. He didn't have a reason to hide emotion or shield himself from feeling anything. It was new, and for some reason, it was making you just as giddy to think about getting to know him all over again.

"You really love him don't you?" You blinked and turned at Taehyung's voice behind you. He was standing inside the foyer, his arms crossed as he surveyed your face. You sighed and closed the front door, leaning against it.

"Yeah, I really do." Your eyes found the floor, feeling a little exposed under Taehyung's stare. You two were quiet for a few moments and you could almost hear the gears in his head turning.

"You were willing to die for him." He said, breaking the thick silence. "In the bunker. I tried to stop you but—"

"You couldn't have stopped me." You murmured, looking back up at him. Taehyung's eyes were black as coals as they stared into yours. "I'm sorry for doing that back there, to you. I shouldn't have gotten you involved." You said sincerely, wringing your hands together.

"You couldn't have stopped me either." Taehyung tilted his head and you swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. He moved closer and you automatically took a step back, realizing a bit too late that you were trapped by the wall behind you.

"Y/N, I... I wanted to—"

"Jungkook snuck up on me." You said quickly, cutting him off before he could finish. Taehyung looked you in the eye, furrowing his brow. You swallowed and continued. "He snuck up on me. At first I didn't... I mean he didn't make the biggest of impressions on me. He was just... the quieter of you three. And... slowly but surely he crept in." You exhaled sharply, feeling strangely out of breath. "I didn't even notice at first and then he was the biggest presence in my head. He snuck up on me." You finished, pressing your lips together. Taehyung's jaw flexed and you saw a pained look flash in his head.

"I... understand, I just—" He lifted his hand, pushing his hands through his hair exasperatedly. "I wish I had the chance to tell you..."

A spark of panic passed through you and you opened your mouth to speak, but before you could say anything, Taehyung reached out to take your wrist. He pulled you close and you gasped just before you felt his lips on yours. You felt your back press against the wall as Taehyung kissed you with an urgency that you just couldn't reciprocate. You didn't fight him, but you didn't respond either. You waited until he pulled away before looking sadly up at him.

"Taehyung..." You started solemnly.

"You don't feel the same way." He murmured quietly, his hand slipped off your arm. You sighed, feeling a pang of guilt in your chest. You tried to touch his arm but he stepped away, turned away before you could reach him.

"Taehyung—" You started again, but he cut you off.

"Don't." He held his hand up, turning away. "I'm sorry I did that, I shouldn't have." His voice was tight, and you could see his jaw flexing from gritting his teeth.

"I care about you—" You tried reaching for his hand but he jerked away.

"No, don't do that. I don't want the friend speech, okay? I get it. It's okay." He stepped further away and you knew that if he could blush, he would be right now. You sighed, letting your hand fall.

"I didn't know that you felt..." You trailed off, looking down at the ground. Taehyung let out an exasperated sigh.

"I didn't know either. I didn't know, until I saw you with Jungkook and you two..." You blushed and turned away. You'd seen the way Taehyung had looked at you and Jungkook back at the bunker. At the time, you'd chosen to ignore it. "I don't know what happened between you after you left this manor and I can't help but think... if I had been the one to leave with you instead of him, maybe you and I..." He trailed off and your head snapped up suddenly. You turned to look at him, frowning.

"Taehyung... My feelings for him didn't happen overnight. It wasn't just one thing. It wasn't like I just suddenly decided I had feelings for him when we went away." You crossed your arm protectively, shaking your head.

Taehyung let out a deep sigh. "I know that but—"

"Taehyung, you have your own issues to sort out. I know you still have feelings for Rosemary. Even after the shit she put you through, you still love her and you haven't dealt with it." Taehyung flinched at the mention of her name. "Your feelings for me might not be what you think they are." You continued, hugging yourself tightly. "And I'm not going to entertain any hypotheticals with you to make you feel better or gratify you in any way, okay? I love you, Taehyung, I care about you. But I have too much crap going on and I can't deal with this too." Taehyung gritted his teeth, a look of pain and guilt crossing his face. He sighed and leaned back against the opposite wall from you.

"You're right. You're right, I'm sorry. I just... You almost died and—"

"We all almost died." You said softly, cutting him off. Taehyung pressed his lips together and nodded. "But we're all alive." You added. Taehyung smiled humorlessly.

"Yeah... we are." He murmured.

~~~

Jungkook returned an hour later with a mountain of grocery bags. He sat you on the kitchen counter and started to whip up a pasta dish with incredible dexterity.

"I didn't know you knew how to cook." You said softly, your legs dangling off the counter. Jungkook smiled, sprinkling some herbs over the creamy sauce.

"I think it's muscle memory. I used to cook a lot, you know before... It's been so long but..." He chuckled. "My body knows what it's doing I guess."

You smiled, watching his face as he bit his lip in concentration. His muscles in his arms flexed and contracted as he stirred the noodles and the sauce. You bit your own lip, thinking about your conversation with Taehyung earlier. Should you tell Jungkook about the kiss? You wanted to start this relationship with honesty but... you didn't even know if this was a relationship yet. And besides, you knew Taehyung wouldn't try anything again. Would it be better to just leave it alone?

"Okay, it's ready."

Eating dinner with Jungkook was surreal. Watching him chew and swallow, watching him be human... it was surreal. But it was such a welcome feeling. You imagined him eating for years to come, imagined him growing old and never drinking blood out of a wine glass again. you wanted to be there with him every step of the way. Not to mention, his pasta was phenomenal. Probably the best food you'd ever tasted in your life. You wouldn't mind growing old with this kind of food every day.

After dinner, the two of you took some of the leftovers up to Jungkook's room. You both sat on the bed, side by side, and Jungkook started to eat the rest of his plate. You stared around the room, the memories of everything that had happened here playing through your mind like a movie. Your eyes fell on the portrait that Jungkook had been working on before you'd figured out Lazarus' plan for you. You sighed.

"Remember when you showed me that?" You asked, gesturing at the portrait of you, still sitting at the far end of the room. Jungkook looked up from his meal at the painting. A small smile lifted his cheeks.

"Yeah, that was right before all hell broke loose." He chuckled wryly. You smiled softly, staring at the painting.

"That's when I first realized that I might be in love with you." You whispered without thinking. Jungkook froze at your words. He slowly turned his head to find you gazing right at him. His mouth parted and you saw his breathing start to pick up.

"Y/N..." He started.

"I was pregnant." You whispered, cutting off his sentence. Jungkook took in a sharp breath and his hand paused. You hadn't realized he'd started to reach for you. "I was pregnant but... I don't understand how that could be possible, I mean... the doctor said I was a few weeks along?" You looked up at him, your eyebrows furrowed. Jungkook sighed, his eyes shining with moisture.

"It's—it's probably because... well, because of the vampire thing. I mean, I don't know for sure, but that's the only thing I could think of." He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, tousling it up. "I mean, unless..." He trailed off and looked away. You waited for him to finished his sentence, but it didn't look like he was going to.

"Unless?" You prodded hopefully. Jungkook looked back at you and you saw a nervous expression pass over his face. He took a deep breath.

"Unless I wasn't the only one you had..." He eyed you pointedly and then coughed. Your eyes widened when you realized what he was saying. You laughed sharply, staring at him incredulously.

"Oh come on, Jungkook. I've been in this manor for months and vampires have super hearing. Wouldn't you have known if I was doing something or... someone?" You shook your head at him and a small smile appeared at corner of his mouth. He chuckled softly and looked at the floor.

"Well... yeah, I guess you're right. I just..." He took a deep breath and took your hand, bringing it onto his lap. He started to play with your fingers absentmindedly. "I mean we've never talked about us, not really. I've told you how I feel and that hasn't changed, but... then everything happened and... well, we never talked."

"Jungkook, I—" You slipped your fingers in his and squeezed.. "In the bunker you... you had a stake through your chest." Your voice cracked as the image of his body flickered in your mind. "You were... you were dead as far as I was concerned and I...I lost it. I gave in to Lazarus because I was desperate for anything that would bring you back to me." Your fingers trembled as you traced the lines of his hands. "I—I love you so much that it scares me, Jungkook. I love you so much and I'm terrified of what's going to happen next." A tear slipped past your ducts and fell down your face. Jungkook scooted up close to you and wrapped his arms around you, kissing the side of your head gently.

"We're going to be okay, Y/N. I'm human, just like you, now. We can have a life together, a real one. No more hiding, no more lying or compelling or no one chasing either of us. We can be together." He murmured against your hair. Your heart swelled in your chest and you leaned into him, breathing him in, listening to his heart beating.

"You want that? You imagine that? Growing old with me? Having a life with me?" You asked through a whisper. Jungkook gave you a squeeze and was silent for a few beats before answering.

"I never allowed myself to imagine anything with anyone for so long." He murmured gently. You closed your eyes, listening to the rumble in his chest as he spoke. "But then you came along and I couldn't help but imagine a future with you. I didn't care if I had to watch you grow old, I was willing to be there if you would have me." He gently stroked your cheek and a light blush passed over your cheeks at the gesture. "And now... now I can imagine a future. A real future. It's all I've ever wanted." You lifted your head up to face him. He was smiling down at you, his eyes tracing the lines of your face, as if memorizing you.

"Me too. I want a future with you." You leaned up and pressed your lips to his. All your doubts and fear melted away at the feeling of his lips on yours. It was the first time you'd kissed since the bunker and it was like drinking fresh water again after a drought. You cupped his cheek with one hand, gripping his shirt with the other. Without breaking the kiss, Jungkook moved his pasta out of his lap and set it on the side table before leaning over you and lying you back on the bed. You moaned gently as you felt his hands on your waist and his chest pressed against yours. After a few breathtaking moments, Jungkook broke the kiss, his face hovering a few inches above yours.

"So, we're gonna do this?" He asked with a grin. You smiled, tracing your fingers over his cheekbones and the dimples in his smile. You felt giddy, your chest swelling with love. So much love for this man.

"Yeah, we are. But first, we have to move the hell out of this manor." Jungkook laughed and gave you a hug, kissing your neck fondly.

He cuddled up to you and the two of you shifted under the covers of the bed, facing each other, your noses almost brushing up against each other. You stared into his eyes, feeling happier than you'd ever felt in your life. Not once had you had someone like him by your side. No one so loyal that you knew he would never hurt you and he meant what he said. The giddiness slowly faded when you remembered what had happened before Jungkook had returned from the store. Remembered what Taehyung had said... what he'd done.

You were about to start a relationship with the perfect man lying across from you and in order to do that, you needed a clean slate. No secrets, no lies, complete transparency. You sighed and took a deep breath, taking his hand.

"Jungkook, I need to tell you something." You said softly. Jungkook's eyelids fluttered and he let out a sleepy moan.

"Can it wait until tomorrow morning?" He wrapped his hands around you, pulling you close to him like a body pillow. "I'm exhausted." He murmured, nuzzling his nose against your cheek. You smiled as his eyelashes brushed your cheeks, but still gently pushed him back.

"Please? It's important." Jungkook let out a soft sigh and leaned his head back and opened his eyes. He nodded at you and you took a deep breath.

"Earlier today... before dinner, something happened with Taehyung." Jungkook pursed his lips and waited for you to continue, but you were still working up the nerve.

"What happened?" He asked finally. You took a deep breath and looked him in the eye.

"He tried to tell me he had feelings for me and... He kissed me." You admitted finally. Jungkook fell silent and his eyes hardened. He scanned your face, his hand still entwined in yours.

"I had a feeling he might try something." He said finally. The lines of his face hardened and you quickly cupped his cheek, trying to smooth them out with your thumb.

"I stopped it. I told him that nothing was going to happen between us." Jungkook looked down and you leaned your head down to meet his eyes again. "I told him that I loved you and he knows now. He won't try anything again." You said firmly, trying to sound more confident than you felt. Jungkook let out a wry laugh.

"Yeah, he definitely won't after I talk to him." He ground out with thinly veiled anger. You let out a small exhale and brushed your thumb over his cheekbone.

"Jungkook, please don't. I told you because I want us to always be honest with each other and I want this relationship to be built on trust, but you don't need to talk to him. He knows." You stoked his cheek reassuringly. "He went through a lot too. I think we're pretty blinded by everything that happened to us, but he went through a lot too. His feelings were confused and he just needed something to hold on to. He's not a bad guy, you know that."

"That still doesn't make it okay to make a move on you like that." Jungkook murmured after a few short moments of contemplation. You sighed and nodded your head.

"No, it doesn't, but please don't make him feel worse than he already does, okay? For me? Please?" You looked into his eyes hopefully and Jungkook's gaze immediately softened.

"Aw, come on, don't look at me like that." He sighed and you widened your puppy dog eyes. "Okay, okay fine. I won't talk to him about it. But if it happens again—"

"I won't happen again." You gave him a peck on the nose and snuggled up to him letting your eyes flutter closed. Jungkook sighed and let out a soft chuckle before hugging you close and letting his limbs relax.

It didn't take long for you to fall asleep, all tightly wrapped up in his perfect, strong, safe arms.

~~~

You awoke to the sound of the front door opening. You sat up abruptly, forgetting for a second where you were. Jungkook groaned next to you and you let out a breath of relief. He sat up beside you, rubbing his eyes. He stretched his arms and yawned, wrapping one around your shoulders to plant a kiss on the side of your head.

"I'll never get use to this feeling." He said with a dopey grin. You smiled and leaned into him, kissing him on the lips gently. His hair was tousled from sleep and his eyes were fluttering, still heavy. You leaned in to kiss him again when you heard something again from the bottom floor.

"Hello? Anyone home?" A voice wafted up the stair and you gasped when you recognized it. You jumped out of bed and rushed down the stairs.

Jimin looked up from the front door and you froze halfway down the stairs.

"Jimin..." You whispered. Jimin lifted his chin and met your gaze, his expression unreadable.

"Hey Y/N... Long time no see."