𝕰𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝕲𝖑𝖆𝖗𝖊

╭──────────────────✎

"Do you know the way back home?"

"Yes. I kept an eye on the road while Chae Won drove us to the cabin"

"Oh, okay........So, how far is it?"

"I don't know exactly but in the car, it took us like half an hour to reach. So, judging by your human speed, it should take us about an hour and a half to get to the library. And home from there is like 20 minutes-"

"Are you fucking kidding me right now?"

It has already been about 10 minutes since the two of you began your on-feet journey. The streets are as dark as they can be. And the wild sounds emerging from the woods every now and then are like cherries on top. The cold pre-winter breeze is cutting through like a sharp blade and the stars seem to be engrossed in their own little game of hide-and-seek.

You are not scared though. Why should you be when Taehyung is right there to protect you? Ironic isn't it? The one that you tried running away from two weeks ago is now the only person on this planet who can keep you safe.

"I don't at all intend to either fuck you or kid you" his blunt answer to your previous question catches you off guard, so it takes you a couple of seconds to comprehend what he said. But right after you do that, an annoyed glare is sent his way.

"I am serious Taehyung. I can't walk that long. I am a human, I have limits" you whine, dreading the impending foot ache. But the feedback you receive to that renders you speechless.

"Okay"

Huh? Okay? Just okay!?

"What okay?" you screech as you keep your vicious glare fixed on the back of his head.  

"If you can't walk then don't. You are free to stay here, in the jungle" says he, riling you up even more.

"You are mean," you say rather loudly for you are now thoroughly pissed. But Taehyung doesn't seem to care at all.

"I know" He utters without even turning back to look at you.

"Ugh.....Fine, you go ahead then. I'll just stay here until Namjoon finds me and sucks me dry" you spit through gritted teeth, pouring all your frustration into the recklessly curated sentence which ends up bearing an interesting consequence.

"I didn't know you felt that way about him. Kinky"

Your jaw drops to the ground when you hear such an interpretation of your genuine concern. If it wasn't for you listening with your own ears you never could have imagined Taehyung saying such an explicit thing. And that too in such a situation. You were pissed, sure, but now you are positively enraged and deeply disgusted.

"What? No! Yuck. That's not what I meant"

"Whatever"

"I am serious Taehyung"

"Cool"

"Fine" 

With angry steps you march to the side of the road and sit down on the ground, before crossing your arms in front of your chest and pouting in annoyance. That however seems to do little to no help because Taehyung only keeps walking like you don't even exist.

"You are really leaving me?" you ask one last time before your self-esteem restricts you.

"Mhm"

"Okay"

Minutes have passed and Taehyung is now totally out of your sight. It was stupid of you to stay back in this unknown environment. But his rude acts and indifference prohibited you from following him any further. How could you when he kept on insulting you even though he knew you were in a bad mood? And then he left you just like that without a second thought? This made you mad at yourself for trusting him.

Does he not care at all?

Did the two weeks of companionship mean nothing to him?

Why did he stand up for me earlier then?

Have I got nobody in this world now?

Your eyes itch with overwhelming emotions but you rub them harshly to keep any tears from falling. You don't want to cry for others' mistakes, not anymore. You are stronger than that. You are old enough to find a job with a minimum wage. So that is what you are gonna do. You'll walk back to the city, find an easy job, and get a cheap place to rent until you earn enough to move into a decent one, problem solved.

With that new determination you spring back up to your feet and start following the route Taehyung took a few minutes ago. But that is until you come across two crossroads. And to make things worse, you hear a faint rustling from one of the trees behind you which sends chills down your spine.

Could the day get any better?

You keep walking, nonetheless. You are clueless as to which road will lead you to the city but you can't stop to contemplate now. Who knows what's lurking in the darkness behind? Waiting can cause more harm. And if you just keep walking, you ought to reach somewhere.

Thinking so you choose a random lane and increase your pace, desperate to get out of this periphery as fast as possible. But then something unexpected happens. A sudden force sweeps you off your feet, prompting you to yelp in terror while closing your eyes and grabbing onto whatever you can reach to not fall. You wait for your feet to meet the ground again before you open your eyes, but they never do. Instead, you realize that you are being carried by something or rather someone, and your arms are instinctively wrapped around that person's neck.

You pry open one of your eyes to take a look and the face you see washes you with both relief and rage at the same time, but mostly relief.

"Didn't you leave?" you ask, looking directly into his ocean eyes. You make your hold on his neck stronger as you get comfortable in his arms, one of which is placed under your back and the other behind your knees.

"Nope" comes his quick and short response. Moments ago you were totally pissed at this particular individual but now, you can actually feel the anger seep out of you drop by drop. Why can't you stay mad at Taehyung? Sure, he didn't leave you but he certainly did scare you. Yet here you are, totally going against your natural instincts of holding grudges and letting it pass just like that.

"Leaving you will be going against everything I said earlier about, well, not leaving you" he simply shrugs. The last sentence makes you feel giddy inside.

So, he does care.

You think to yourself while failing to resist the small smile that comes along with the thought.

"Moreover, you make me food for free. It would be stupid of me to let you go" he tries to sound as cool and complacent as he can but the worry in his eyes gives away his true intentions. He cares for you and he doesn't want to let go of the only friend he has made in years. But he is insecure about his own emotions so he doesn't want you to know how he really feels. And thus, he is trying to mask his truth with feigned ignorance. But you are smarter than that.

"Cute"

You mutter quietly. He goes back a little and then dashes into the other road, the one you didn't choose. 

You lay your head on his chest and close your eyes feeling the speeding wind against your skin as Taehyung takes off with his vampire speed. There's no warmth or beat there where your head rests but you still feel comfortable. And just like that, you give in to the day's exhaustion and drift off to sleep, not getting a chance to witness the genuine smile that finally appears on the vampire's lips.

~

You break free from your short-lived slumber when your skin brushes against a soft and warm surface, very different from the one you were previously clinging to. You pull apart your lids only to find yourself nicely tucked under the duvet on Taehyung's bed. You never realized when you got back, let alone acknowledge the exclusive ride. But when you see no sign of the aforementioned male around you, you spring down from the bed and sprint out to the living room.

There he is, prepping his dingy couch for his constricted sleep. You stand there without letting him know about your presence. However, just as he is about to drop himself on the cushions he laid, you dart like a bullet and lay on his spot before he can. It's safe to say that, if he wasn't a vampire with quick reflexes, he would have laid right on top of you.

"Yaahk" he lets out a tiny yelp, all while showering you with a surprised and somewhat petrified glare. Because of the angle of your jump, your face is planted in the cushions. You wiggle around to turn to face Taehyung. And when you finally do so, you can't help but stifle your laughter because Taehyung looks exceptionally funny and hella cute right now.

"What do you think you are doing, human?" he asks, rather agitated with your childlike actions. Nonetheless, your responses are as calm as they can be. 

"It's night time.....so I'm just laying on my bed, non-human" you proudly say, now closing your eyes and pretending to sleep.

"Hain!?" he lets out a sound that makes it really difficult for you to not laugh like a maniac. 

"You already took over my bed. Now you want to steal my couch too. Are you trying to banish me from my own house?" he continues his rant, ushering you to sit up and explain. 

"Look Taehyung, you are big and heavy. You are hurting the couch. I, on the other hand, am much lighter and smaller. So it is only fair that I sleep here. You can take back your bed" you proclaim like the wise owl you are before falling back on the soft mattress. 

"Yes, the couch is the one that's hurting" he scoffs sarcastically before grabbing his water bottle and making his way into the room. 

"I know, right? See, I'm so kind" you shimmy to get comfortable on the couch and wrap your legs around the side pillow, eyeing the back of the sulky vampire as he vanishes into his room.

"Pfft" is the last thing you hear before you drown back into your dreams.

~

It is around 3 in the morning that your sleep breaks for a second time. Not because of the couch though. You are surprisingly comfortable there. Instead, it's the overwhelming thoughts that keep bugging you. You tried forgetting them but they just keep coming back like a stubborn zit.

Being unable to go back to sleep, you get up, planning to go up to the roof for some fresh air. Taehyung's apartment does not come with a built-in terrace, so the roof is your only option.

You drape the comforter around your body and walk to the door, but not before paying Taehyung a small visit. He seems to be sleeping pretty peacefully, all wrapped up with the covers on his queen-sized bed. His face holds a serenity, unlike the other days when he's cramped up on the couch with an uncomfortable frown.

And this makes you satisfied with your earlier decision.

Unknowingly smiling to yourself you leave Taehyung on his account and make your way to the door. Unbolting the latches you walk up the flight of stairs. It's a good thing that the roof is right above Taehyung's flat, that is, he lives on the top floor.

You walk around in the wind for a while, already feeling yourself calming down. Once you start getting tired again, you turn around to walk back to the flat. However, just as you are about to enter through the door, a dark figure jumps in front of you, freaking the hell out of you.

"Ughh....people gotta stop doing that" you whine while patting your chest to calm your frantic heart which is beating like crazy. 

Lifting your gaze you see the same ember glare you saw earlier in the bushes. They were not fireflies, but a pair of eyes. But, what surprises you the most is the person those eyes belong to.

"You!!?" you ask, neither terrified nor frightened, but severely shocked.  

└──» To Be Continued ✎ 。