𝐒𝐚𝐧 + 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐢 (+ 𝐒𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐡𝐰𝐚 + 𝐇𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐣𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐠 + 𝐘𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐨 + 𝐘𝐞𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐠)

Vampires, blood, substituting blood, coconut water, fluff, silly experiments, sickness, sweet kisses, polymorous

Note: this one-shot is also considered a spoiler to my story "The serial kisser", which can be found under my stories on my profile!

Also, before ya'll come at me; I am aware that Wooyoung and Jongho are not mentioned in this one-shot! This is entirely on purpose as this one-shot matches with the timeline in "The serial kisser" where Wooyoung and Jongho, therefore, haven't shown up at this time in the story, yet♡♡

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𝟏𝟗𝟒𝟔 | 𝐅𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭

San twirled around on his feet in front of Mingi as they moved down the stairs into the garden, his silly little giggles dancing in the light wind among rays of sunshine. He was glowing today. Bright with laughter, Mingi threw himself at the other, arms spread wide as they folded around San's shoulders. Eventually, the weight became the reason why they both tripped over each other's feet and rolled a handful of times around in the grass. San's chin rammed into Mingi's chest as they finally stilled, breathlessly with glee.

San lifted his head and Mingi barely could hold his laugh back when he saw the funny way the older vampire was puffing out his cheeks and widening his eyes. "You look like an idiot," Mingi deadpanned, loosening his arms a little.

Before he knew of it, Mingi was already pinching all air out of his mouth with fingers pressing into the indentations in the flesh. San made a strangled noise before pushing off Mingi again and the two collapsed into laughter once more, the sun warming their skin as they tangled in the grass.

Like happy fools, they both stared into each other's eyes for a moment, the gentle rustling of the leaves in the wind, singing insects, and the tall swaying grass surrounding their beings lost in each other.

Silently, San reached out and gently caressed Mingi's cheek, brushing his thumb across the glossy, perfect skin, "You're so beautiful, Min," he whispered, eyes flickering through the deep hues of his glinting eyes. Mingi hummed as he put his arm around San's waist and pulled him closer until he crawled on top of him. The invitation was everything he needed to lean down and kiss him silly. The younger's eyes fluttered shut when their lips slid across each other in a languid pull that made him remember how urgent Mingi's heartbeat had once been in those moments of intimate trust.

A tongue swiped across his lower lip, telling him to go deeper, but instead, San teasingly tugged at Mingi's lips for a short moment before letting go and wandering across his face to his cheek, kissing him tenderly.

Their carefree antics in the early afternoon sun felt like a small rebellion against the darkness of their existence— against the curse of immortality they had grown to love. San slumped down into Mingi's embrace, purring, when the other brought his arms around him, tugging his head into his shoulder.

The sound of a single stone skipped down a hard surface, likely the stairs, before a sweet, well-known scent made its presence. Slowly, San turned his head, squinting his eyes as he saw Seonghwa standing by the entrance, his silhouette framed by the sunlight streaming through the door.

He was hit with a stark contrast of his demeanor and a focused gaze, though the faintest amusement danced behind his eyes. San sighed dreamily, feeling Mingi's lips on his face. Oh, Seonghwa.. the ever beauty...

Their sire folded his arms across his chest, and suddenly San knew something was wrong.

"San, Mingi," Seonghwa's voice rang out, a velvet thread of authority laced in his tone, "We need to talk."

Mingi groaned dramatically and pushed San off him again, and San rolled over, arms spread wide. He already didn't like where this was going, trying to think of all the smallest things they had done wrong within the last few weeks.

"Not again," Mingi threw his head back and dragged himself up from the grass, his eyes already searching for the right way to look up at Seonghwa so the possibility of having a rough punishment would be smaller. "Seonghwa, we were just—"

"Having fun, yes, I know," Seonghwa interrupted with a soft chuckle. The sudden change of demeanor would have been scary if San didn't know how much Seonghwa loved them. He tilted his head, an eyebrow arched, "And what exactly are you two up to now?"

San raised an eyebrow while he got up from the tall grass, "What do you mean? We were just playing around, nothing else."

Then Seonghwa's expression hardened, "Well, then why are Yeosang telling me you both are planning out an experiment?"

"It's not—" San started, but was cut off by Mingi proudly announcing what they had promised each other not to tell Seonghwa about—that being Yunho's suggestion. Mingi grinned, "We've been hearing those rumours.." he said smugly, trailing off as he knew Seonghwa would be caught by interest. Not because he genuinely wanted to know more about this experiment of theirs, but because he wanted to make sure to sabotage their fun.

"I'm starting to regret this already," San muttered to himself, but he couldn't help the spark of curiosity there had been growing within him ever since they had heard about the rumour.

Seonghwa took a step down the stairs, his eyes now darkening with his own twisted curiosity of a warning and care for them both, "Explain."

As they both got up on their feet, San straightened his posture, knowing there was no way around this anymore. And so, he did not make an effort to hide the gleam of excitement in his voice when he started to explain what they had in mind. "Well, we were talking about, and you know, as vampires, we always drink blood. But... Mingi and I heard this really wild rumour. Apparently, in some places, they use coconut water as a substitute for blood in medical emergencies. Something about it being hydrating and— life-saving." He shrugged nonchalantly, but his eyes were alight with mischief the entire time, "We thought, why not try it? I mean, coconuts should be easy to find at the markets, and we've been getting tired of, you know, regular blood bags and all."

Mingi nodded enthusiastically, his curiosity clearly piqued by the idea, "We're not saying it's a permanent solution, but... can you imagine? Just a sip or two of coconut water, and boom— hydrated and energized for days! No more hunting, no more risks of stealing blood from hospitals."

Seonghwa stared at them both, deadpan, and San could already feel his gaze cutting into his bones with judgmental, "And you think drinking coconut water will replace blood? You do realise you are talking about a life force, something that keeps us alive. A drink made from fruit water will do what, exactly?"

Raising his hands in defense, San grabbed Mingi's arms, leaning into him, as he tried to contain the grin threatening to break through, "Hey, we're just experimenting! We didn't say it was a replacement for blood. But what if— hear me out— what if it actually works?"

"Yeah, just imagine it. We wouldn't have to go on hunts anymore. It's a win-win, right?" Mingi squealed, leaning down to kiss San's cheek and proceeding to look up at their sire's expression darkening even further.

For a moment, San wondered if they had gone too far this time— if it really was such a concern to be substituting blood with something entirely else. "San, you of all should know that this is not true."

At his words, San stiffened, his body calling out for his Seonghwa's mercy when he instantly knew they were doing something wrong. His fingers tightened their grip around Mingi's bicep.

Seonghwa took another step down the stairs, his gaze unwavering as he observed the two younger vampires with a mixture of disbelief and growing concern. Seonghwa was always right. "I..I..." he stuttered, not knowing what to say.

"Consuming anything else but human blood will make you sick; I have told you this before," their sire inhaled deeply before continuing, "I am only telling you this because I do not wish for you to get hurt— and I know, drinking something that is not real blood will make you sick."

"But Seonghwa, please-! I've been hearing that doctors use coconut water for blood transfusions! Doesn't that mean it must have the same qualities as blood in a human body?" Mingi wondered freely as it was obvious he wanted nothing else but approval of their experiment.

Seonghwa shook his head as he reached them. He lifted a hand to Mingi's chin, cooing sweetly as he bent his head down, "Aw, my little princess, don't believe everything you hear to be true." For a split second, Seonghwa's gaze sent a warning toward San before he covered it with a sweet scratch behind his ear, telling them both to enjoy the sun the last hours it still hung in the sky.

_____

Deep down, San knew that Seonghwa was right—he always had been. But Mingi's ever-curiousness was pulling him in the direction of defying Seonghwa's words. Even if he knew how wrong it was.

One early morning, San found himself sunken into Hongjoong's sweet embrace, hands gently combing through his hair as he stared out through the window where a few rays had started peaking in. Seonghwa fed Yeosang like he always did every morning before he would tune in for work, while the others normally started the day more slowly. San did not mind the wandering hands on him, purring at the closeness of touch until his gaze suddenly fixed on Mingi looking at him from the other couch in the room. His expression was easy to read, telling him that he urged to do something about it now.

Hongjoong's wetly kissed down his neck, his fingers playing with the hem of his trousers, the root of his palm laying steady against his stomach. San's eyes fluttered shut at the sensation and he drew in a deep sigh. That was until he remembered Mingi's urgency. Hongjoong was a sucker for lazy morning sex— nothing new with that, but San just didn't feel like it now.

His hands limply shoved at Hongjoong's pushing fingers, pulling them off him for a moment as he could turn around his torso and look up at Hongjoong's focused eyes. "Mhmm, later?" San hummed, tilting his head so that he could land a single kiss on his lips. The younger vampire waited for a few seconds as he stared into San's eyes with open disappointment. "Okay, fine, later." He didn't have to explain himself to Hongjoong as he knew the rules of mutual respect.

His hands guided San to the side as he instead got up from the furniture, the bulge in his pants painfully noticeable as he sprinted off down the hallway to Yunho's room.

Mingi snickered from the other couch, his eyes disappearing behind the amusement, "He really can't go one morning without it, can he?" San chuckled, leaning back as he looked at Mingi's raised brow. "He's surely addicted," San agreed.

The other's unspoken suggestion still hung in the air, and San was dying to know what he had in mind.

"Let's do it today," Mingi determined, wasting no time getting up from his seat. San followed along as he covered behind his hand in an excited giggle. "Do you think the market has opened already?"

Mingi shrugged as they quietly passed through the house and grabbed their shoes and a coat each. Yunho and Hongjoong would definitely not hear when they left the hanok and Yeosang was probably asleep after Seonghwa had left for work. It was perfectly timed.

The two vampires were undeterred by the consequences, and soon, they found themselves making their way down the long path toward the nearest village. The sun still hung low in the sky, casting long shadows as the early morning light bathed everything in a golden hue. San darted ahead, skipping with the excitement of their small rebellion as he pulled at Mingi to follow him with the same amount of bustling energy.

The market was a busy place today, San noted even before they turned down the main road to the stalls. As they passed down the road, Mingi relaxed into the arm San held around him, his eyes scanning the market stalls for anything that piqued his interest.

They had been to this market countless times, though they had never sought out an actual coconut—that only being something they'd only heard Yunho say would be of possible purchase to get here.

"Do you think we will find it here?" Mingi asked, his tone playful but tinged with doubt, "I mean, it's not like we can just walk up to a fruit seller and ask for coconut water..."

San gave his waist a squeeze as he grinned mischievously, "Leave it to me, princess."

Approaching the nearest stall, San greeted the vendor politely, "Hello, sir! I need a coconut—fresh one, please!" Embarrassed by his own request, San barely held the older man's gaze, when he even himself could hear how ridiculous he sounded.

The vendor raised an eyebrow but didn't hesitate, "Ah, coconut water, eh? You sure you don't want something else? I've got fresh oranges, some nice melons..."

San, undeterred, leaned forward, smiling gently. "No, no, just the coconut, please." Laughing, the vendor reached for a coconut and handed it over, "Well, here you go." San grinned widely as he accepted the furred, brown nut. He looked around at Mingi, standing closely behind him. Turning back to the vendor, San carefully handed him the exchange, not bothering to give him the exact amount of payment, as he paid him with more money than the coconut itself was worth. "Thank you, kind sir!"

Mingi pulled him back the instant he had told him goodbye, rushing them back through the market as if it couldn't go fast enough. "Hey, Min-! Mingi! Is everything alright?" San called after him while he got pulled. But Mingi did not answer him. When they reached a split of the road, San yanked the younger closer, reaching out to forcefully tug his face into his shoulder and let him breathe his scent, "You're alright, princess. Nothing happened," he assured him sweetly, running his fingers through his neck hair.

"I know," he muttered, pulling in more of San's scent, "All the different smells suddenly just felt overwhelming to me." San hummed as he started steering them back towards their hanok.

When they reached the hanok, Mingi hurried inside to retrieve a safe container where they'd gather the liquid from the coconut while San figured out a way to crack it open. He decided a hard knock against a rock would do the magic. Mingi rushed out of the door, his long legs carrying him down the elevation of the stone bed with Seonghwa's summer flowers, a huge grin wiped around his lips. Triumphantly he lifted the bowl and the two glasses in his other hand. San cheered at him as he quickly got to work on the shell once the bowl was placed on top of the rock. It didn't take long before the huge nut cracked and the water poured out with an oddly satisfying sound, the liquid clear and shimmering in the light.

San pulled out a knife from his belt and pried it into the crack of the nut when only drops of liquid resumed to come out, trying to widen the pass even more. Instead, it resulted in the coconut splitting entirely, revealing its ripe, white meat on the inside of its shell. It smelled strangely fresh in a way that surely would have been enticing had he still been human. But now, it did nothing to him. Nothing like when he was offered a glass of human blood. Mingi reached over and carefully poured the liquid from the bowl into each glass, before sitting it down again and handing out a glass to San. "Seonghwa's going to kill us for doing this," he grinned before taking the glass and bringing it up to his nose. "Unless this kills us first, of course."

Glancing over at Mingi, the other was rolling his eyes playfully, "Shut up, I really doubt a small dose like this will have any effect on us." Still, his fingers tightened around the glass as he took a hesitant sip of the drink. He smacked his lips as he tasted the liquid with a sudden skeptical face. Still, he smiled, "It's not so bad, I guess. A little sour, maybe."

San eagerly followed suit, drinking the coconut water down with gusto. It was cool, refreshing—but strangely lacking any of the sweet substance blood always provided. It surely felt weird drinking something entirely else when he only had been drinking one specific liquid for the past 160 years. "Yeah, it's not blood, but it's... fine, I guess."

They continued sipping the water, continuing their casual banter as they became increasingly unaware of their surroundings. Mingi slid down to sit up against the rock, his head leaning on San's thigh, as they chatted about how much more convenient their lives would be if they could just live off coconut water. The initial novelty made them laugh together, even though both of them had to admit they felt a little underwhelmed. They had expected something more dramatic, something life-changing.

But nothing. It was just coconut water.

Noticing droplets of the water rolling down Mingi's chin, San got down from the rock with a loud giggle, his free hand, which wasn't occupied with his glass, drew Mingi closer until he could reach the sour taste with his flicking tongue. Mingi's eyes fluttered at the lingering touch, the ghost of a smug smile crossing his face before he parted his lips and leaned in to suck down San's neck, pulling out sweet sounds of pleasure from the older. It didn't take long before San was pinned against the rock, Mingi filling his mouth with the coconut water as he planted his mouth on San's, transferring the liquids through their openmouthed kisses and non-stopping switches of reaching down and sucking on the wet skin with trickling coconut water.

As the sun began to dip lower in the sky, San and Mingi found themselves moving from their spot on the porch, moving around the hanok in the amber glow of the light sparkling across their skin. Mingi pulled San with him to the garden, sitting on the ground as the initial novelty of the coconut water faded, replaced by a light-hearted buzz that crept up on them slowly. Their laughter grew louder, a little more carefree, and they found themselves teasing each other with jokes that felt much funnier than they really were.

Mingi, now slurring his words slightly, leaned closer to San, his face slightly flushed by the afternoon sun, "You know," he giggled, "maybe we should do this more often. Just... live off coconut water. Who needs blood anyway?"

San let out a light, melodious laugh, the sound more musical than usual. He tilted his head to the side, his dark eyes sparkling with amusement as his gaze braided with Mingi's. "Oh? So, you think you're ready to live without the blood now, huh?" His voice dropped a little, more flirtatious now, his words slow and purposeful.

Mingi nodded enthusiastically, but then his grin softened into something warmer, something a little more tender. His head slid further down onto San's chest, as he made himself comfortable. "Maybe..." he trailed off, rather focused on where his huge hands slid down San's hipbones. The touch made San's head spin as suddenly had trouble following the wandering hands without sensing the odd sensation growing within him. The feeling was so different than the normal hunger.

His body felt heavy in a way he couldn't explain, and suddenly, Mingi slumped entirely down on him as well, blinking slowly up at him, as if something wasn't quite right.

San shifted on the grass, suddenly aware that his limbs felt weak—uncomfortably so. Silently, he moved Mingi aside, pulling himself up to sit as he suddenly hunched over, his stomach clenching so hard all air was punched out of him and he let out a breathless mewl. The grass rustled as Mingi was startled by the sudden sound of pain. "I-I'm okay, Min," San muttered, but even as he spoke, his stomach churned again, making him clench his teeth in denial of the nagging dizziness that settled in the back of his head. San lifted a hand to his forehead, his skin feeling strangely warm.

"Sanie," Mingi called, his voice a little strained, "I feel weird."

Turning his head, San looked at him through his bitten expression. He tried to hide it, though, "Weird? How?"

"I don't know, but... something's not right." Mingi's fingers gripped the grass beneath him, his entire body leaning forward as if he was weighed down by something invisible, "I do not feel like myself."

Trying to form the right words on his lips, San looked him up and down before he reached out for the younger. But as his hand landed on top of Mingi's shoulder, the dizziness overwhelmed him. His vision blurred, and a wave of nausea hit him so suddenly that he barely had time to react. San's hands went to his stomach as he doubled over into the grass, all his senses drawn to how his body convulsed from inside. Driving his forehead across the ground, San groaned deeply.

They both collapsed onto the ground, their bodies heavy and sick with the aftermath of their impulsive experiment. However, at that moment, San couldn't even think of what made them feel like this, the world seeming to spin around them.

_____

The hanok was eerily silent once he arrived through the doorway, Seonghwa thought as he changed out of his leather shoes and into a pair of slippers. His fingers reached to brush through his hair, but instead, he was caught in the movement of his fledgling latching on to him, distinctive worry painted in his eyes. "Seonghwa," he gulped nervously, "You need to help us."

Not a second more passed before Seonghwa rushed through their home, Yeosang tightly holding on to his arm as they arrived at the scene of Yunho heavily scolding San lying in the grass, his sight swerving around as if he barely heard any of Yunho's harsh words.

"What happened?" Seonghwa asked, but it sounded more like a tell as he needed to know exactly why his fledglings had collapsed like this. He looked down at Yunho having a harsh grip on San's hair before he turned to Hongjoong, who cocked a brow knowingly up at him, a smug smile on his lips. Oh, they did not.

"What did I tell you?" hissing loudly, Seonghwa knelt beside them with a mixture of concern and exasperation, "I warned you." His hand reached out to touch San's forehead, then Mingi's as he concluded their temperatures were way too high.

"Bring them inside," he said, getting to his feet and grabbing Yeosang's hand.

As Yunho and Hongjoong placed them down on a couch each in the living room, Seonghwa went and fetched a supply of blood and a large bowl he knew they'd need. He crossed the room swelling with distress as he got down beside Mingi at first, his hand gently resting on his back as he caressed him. He looked so pale despite the scorching heat coming from his skin.

He leaned down and kissed the crown of his hair, "I need you to empty your stomach." Groaning, Mingi shook his head, "I already did, twice. It's not working."

"Okay," Seonghwa muttered, gesturing for one of the others to grab the blood. Asking San the same, he made sure that they both drank enough blood, even if some of it regorged once again.

Yunho looked pained once he leaned in close to San's unusually still body, his face pale against the cushions. His fingers brushed across the cool skin of his forehead before leaning in and pressing gentle kisses to his temple as he whispered sweet words of reassurance, evidently regretting the scolding before, "You'll be okay, San-ah."

Seonghwa settled down beside Mingi again, his hand tracing the outline of Mingi's jaw with a silent promise in his touch. He sighed deeply when his princess mustered all his strength to glance up at him, ever the stubborn kid who refused to admit how much worse he felt. Seonghwa leaned forward, his lips brushing against Mingi's forehead in an intimate gesture, giving him all the strength he needed to reach out and intertwine their hands. "I am sorry," Mingi's deep voice rasped, barely audible.

When Hongjoong sensed the growing closeness, he joined them both. Settling down half on top of Mingi, he cupped Mingi's face without a word and brushed his thumb over Mingi's cheek before pressing a kiss to his lips, soft and comforting. It was a gentle kiss, not filled with the usual fire, but instead, a quiet expression of reassurance needed in the current moment. Seonghwa's eyes wandered to the others, seeing how Yeosang cuddled into San's other side as the three squeezed tight into the soft furniture. They should have moved them to the beds before settling down here, but Seonghwa guessed it could be the same now.

When morning came, the effects of the coconut water had finally worn off. San woke groggily from his slumber, his limbs still heavy but the tinge of dizziness had disappeared entirely. His gaze crossed the room, meeting Mingi's eyes instantly.

He held back his laugh when they both shared a silent agreement of concluding that coconut water could definitely not make a substitute for blood. San braced himself for the scolding he would face once Seonghwa knew they were awake and very much out of pain again. He should know by now that Seonghwa always was right.

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