The ballroom rapidly turned into a mess of terrified screams and gore. Yells of pain and fear mingling together and creating a vociferous hullabaloo that was powerful enough to shake the opulent chandeliers. While the vampires gorged on the delicious blood of their guests Taehyung and Jungkook stood there in shock.

The moment he heard the clock streak midnight Jungkook knew that it was too late for them. He pulled Taehyung into the darkest corner of the room, right behind an enormous pillar which honestly worked as a great hideout from the feasting vampires.

When he turned to look at him, Jungkook was surprised to see that there was not even a trace of terror written on Taehyung's face. Instead, his eyebrows were furrowed together in what appeared to be a slightly tensed frown.

"We have to get out of here," the urgency in Taehyung's voice was enough to pull Jungkook out of his instantaneous trance. "Can you use your powers to teleport us someplace else?"

It took Jungkook some time to assimilate what Taehyung was saying to him. In all honesty Jungkook was too baffled by Taehyung's morbidly tranquil reaction. He knew that the hunter was excellent when it came to working under pressure, but he didn't expect him to have that much control over his emotions.

Jungkook received a rather hard pinch on the arm after not giving Taehyung an instant reply. "Y-yeah," he tried to speak, and he found that his throat was as dry as a desert. "I can do that."

With a trembling hand he grasped Taehyung's arm and closed his eyes, focusing on the place he wanted to take them to. Initially he visualized Hoseok's apartment but then his mind drifted to another location which vaguely reminded Jungkook of the café shop where that witch had taken him not even three weeks ago. As he strained his powers into working, Jungkook realized that the screams around them still hadn't gone quiet.

"Hurry up," Taehyung insisted after another episode of horrific cries which were ominously close to their improvised hideout.

Jungkook's eyes fluttered open, and he gasped desperately for air. His forehead was wet with perspiration. The sweet sense of fear had nestled comfortably within his core. "I-I can't!" He released a shout of panic, and the composed expression on Taehyung's face quickly faltered.

"What do you mean you can't!" Though it was meant to be a question Taehyung's tone clearly gave one the perception of a demand. His ubiquitously tanned face was as white as a plain sheet of paper, and the sharp glint in his eyes had turned to be one of uneasiness.

"Exactly what I mean!" Jungkook's chest was heaving up and down from hyperventilation. The cacophony was gradually starting to diminish (presumably due to the extinguishing guests), and the vampires would start searching for survivors soon. Jungkook attempted to summon his magic again, concentrating so hard that his head started to hurt, but the results were vain.

He couldn't get them out of here. Something was clearly blocking his abilities to teleport, and it probably had something to do with the fact that the vampires didn't want their precious guests to leave this place alive. Of course, he'd heard of spells strong enough to actually block someone's powers, he just didn't expect it to happen tonight.

"What are we going to do now?" Taehyung asked, eyes frantically dashing around the room in hopes to find an exist that wasn't the front door which was guarded by a dozen vampires. He checked the holster under his blazer just in case he hadn't dropped his weapons during the run, though if they reached a point where he would need to use them it would be unlikely for his supplies to kill even a half of the bloodsuckers. Taehyung was definitely not prepared for this outcome.

"We have to move," Jungkook said, quickly scrutinizing the ballroom and almost missing the shadowed door which happened to stand few pillars away from them. There wasn't anyone protecting it – they would just have to run some meters and at the same time remain hidden behind the columns.

Taehyung followed his gaze, seeming to get the idea. "Let's go then," he grabbed Jungkook for the wrist, surveying their surroundings before scurrying for the next pillar in vicinity. When they made sure that nobody had seen them, they continued to make their way to the door.

Jungkook tried not to pay attention to Taehyung's hand, but for some reason his eyes couldn't stop trailing to where he'd clutched his sleeve. In the midst of this abattoir Jungkook was feeling fucking butterflies in his stomach – that was perhaps the worst scenario in which he'd imagined himself.

When the door was finally in vicinity Taehyung didn't think twice before breaking the handle with his foot – an action which made Jungkook swoon over him even more. He wished to laugh at how cliché everything sounded – with them acting like spies who were desperately trying to get out of a burning building or whatever arduous situation they'd got themselves in.

Taehyung led him inside, and Jungkook was taken aback by the cool temperature of the room. Taehyung quickly shut the door closed, and all the screams were suddenly muffled by the silence that wrapped around them.

The room, which Jungkook later realized was actually a corridor, was dimly lit and scarily hollow. On their left the wall was almost fully occupied by windows which permitted some of the moonlight to fall onto the carpeted floor. On their right side there were pictures arrayed on the wall – again reproductions of other famous paintings.

"Come on," Taehyung urged, keeping his voice quiet lest someone heard him. As Jungkook noticed he still hadn't let go of his hand – a fact of which he was genuinely fond.

They sauntered forward into the corridor, occasionally pausing to observe the great pieces of art that were hung on the wall. It was hard to imagine that such a place existed in Seoul – given that this type of architecture and design were more common for the European standard of housing. Then again, vampires originated from Romania, so it wasn't such a big wonderment.

As they continued to move further into the rather spacious hallway, Jungkook's mind travelled back to the conversation they were having before everything had to be ruined. "So..." he began, trying to mask his anxiety with a casual cough. "You've ever let a vampire drink from you?"

Taehyung's brows raised, and he regarded Jungkook with a look of bewilderment before switching back to his stoic persona. "It's happened." Then, to the angel's greatest surprise, he chuckled. "The girl who tried to feed from me said that my blood tasted awful."

"Really?"

"Yeah, she didn't know I was anemic." Another chuckle, God.

"You're anemic?" A frown etched to Jungkook's features.

"Yes, but it's nothing to worry about." Taehyung waved it off, and by his tone you could tell that he was actually regretting his decision to open up about something as trivial as his condition. "Anyways, I killed her right after she said that."

Jungkook nearly chocked at the abruptly blurted truth. "Y-you really dislike us, don't you?"

Taehyung shrugged his shoulders. "It's my job." Was all he had to say about the matter.

"Did you enjoy it, at least?" Jungkook asked, remembering that the experience of letting a vampire drink from you usually gave humans immense pleasure.

Taehyung bit the inside of his cheek, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. "I-I mean..." a clear of a throat. "She pulled out her fangs the moment she sank them into my arm. S-so technically I couldn't feel much of-"

"You're baffling," Jungkook interrupted, a grin dancing at the corners of his lips. Seeing Taehyung all flustered and fidgety gave him an odd sense of satisfaction – one that he reveled quite a lot.

Taehyung's nostrils flared, and a sigh of frustration was released from his lungs. Now the heat on his face was even more prominent and he couldn't deny the fact that he was embarrassed.

"No way," Jungkook exclaimed, laughing at the way Taehyung's features began to morph into a miffed grimace. "You actually liked it!"

Taehyung groaned profoundly and ventured to punch Jungkook on the arm. Unfortunately, this only seemed to fuel his entertainment. Jungkook turned into a mess of boisterous laughs and short intakes of breaths.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Taehyung hissed; his eyes so wide it looked as if they were going to pop off. "You'll get us caught!"

Eventually, Jungkook's moment of irrepressible laughter ended, but the huge smile never left his face. He was grinning from ear to ear, cheeks aflame with red and eyes glazed with tears. He pretended to wipe the corner of his eye with a finger, and another snicker slipped from him at the process.

"Sorry," he apologized, palm resting flatly on his chest as he bowed slightly in a mock obeisance. As expected, the gesture was granted with a roll of eyes from Taehyung's side. "It's just really funny to see you blush."

"I didn't blush!" Taehyung insisted, stomping a foot on the ground.

Again, Jungkook burst into a rattle of laughter, this time, however, it didn't last that long because they heard a commotion coming from a change in the corridor. Taehyung's hand quickly went up to cover his mouth, shutting Jungkook down immediately.

They stood completely frozen, too afraid to even breath. Both had their hearts beating uncontrollably fast with the fear of getting caught, and the scared looks were present on their countenances.

"Who is there?" A male voice broke through the thick silence, and like a lightning it shook both Jungkook's and Taehyung's cores.

Jungkook could swear he saw his life flash in front of him when they heard footsteps coming in their way. Taehyung quickly removed his palm from Jungkook's mouth and hurried to take out his gun which he swiftly loaded and pointed in the direction of the noise.

Three vampires stepped into the light – pale skins and scarlet pupils. They were wearing all black except for their shirts which had spots of red smeared on them. Jungkook assumed they were one of the fuckers who killed all those humans in the ballroom.

"Look what we've got here," the man in the middle snickered, dragging his tongue along his blood-painted lips. The other two followed his actions. "Rapunzel and her hunter. What a sight!"

Jungkook would be laughing if it weren't for the ravenous looks that the vampires had prancing across their visages. If they managed to get out of here alive, Jungkook would joke the hell out of Taehyung for being called 'Rapunzel'.

Two consecutive shots rang through the corridor, and the middle vampire was turning into dust. Jungkook turned to see Taehyung who had somehow recovered from his shock and now held his gun pointed at his next victim – his expression was completely inscrutable.

Dark lines descended under the vampires' eyes – the white of their globes becoming pitch black. It meant only one thing: they were getting ready to attack.

Immediately, without being able to comprehend any of the following events, Jungkook found himself knocked down by one of the intruders. The man was trying to bite his neck off, incisors so sharp he could actually envision the pain of having them sank in his skin. There was drool pouring out of his mouth and he looked like an angry dog. Jungkook's mind travelled back to the time he was cornered by a werewolf, and he realized that the two were distantly familiar.

He tried to fight him off, but the vampire was too strong given that he had fed not even an hour ago. Though he dreaded the idea of showing his wings Jungkook didn't think of another way to push him off himself. With a belligerent cry he forced his wings open – and the force was strong enough to help Jungkook get that bloodsucker off himself.

He rolled onto his side, a painful groan leaving him at the crackling noise of his bones. His back and head were hurting so bad from the impact with the concrete ground, and he vacillated whether the wetness on his nape was sweat or blood.

When he looked up from the ground, he saw the vampire preparing to assail again. Jungkook wasn't spared even a second to regain his consciousness before the man was throwing himself at him for a second time. Impulsively Jungkook materialized a dagger in his hand and when the vampire trudged for his neck, he stabbed it into his chest.

The man stopped in his track and lowered his gaze to the silver dagger tucked in his thorax. His body slowly began to vanish until there was left a patch of dust to soar in the air.

Alarmed, Jungkook raised back on his feet, looking around for the other vampire but there was only Taehyung with his gun in hand, leaning against a wooden drawer, his panting heavy and pained. Jungkook limped his way to him, palling with the realization that there was an obnoxious spot of blood on Taehyung's shoulder.

"You're bleed- "

"I'll be fine," Taehyung ignored the act of concern and straightened up, obviously trying to stiffen back his groans. "It's okay. He didn't drink that much so I should be fine." There was a tremble to his voice, and his cheeks were deeply colored with red.

It didn't take Jungkook long to understand what exactly was wrong with Taehyung. "I see..." he muttered under his nose, causing Taehyung to lift his head and question him tacitly with his brows. "Were you enjoying yourself?"

The tips of his ears flushed and if Taehyung's gun hadn't been empty, he would've probably used his last bullets to shoot him. "Cut it out before I rip your- "

A breaking of a glass caught Taehyung midway.

They both looked in the direction of the noise, freezing at the sight of another vampire who seemed to be just as puzzled and aghast as they were. He was relatively short in height, fluffy hair, and incredibly pale skin. His shoes were doused with the contents of the glass which he'd just dropped.

"Move," Taehyung pushed Jungkook aside so he could point his freshly loaded gun at him.

"Wait! Don't kill me!" The latter drew his arms in front of his face in an attempt to protect himself, flinching at the sight of Taehyung's weapon. "I swear, I won't do anything!"

"They all say that" Taehyung gazed at the vampire with bored indifference, not a trace of hesitance was lacing his tone. As always, his face had gone completely void, and to the vampire's consternation he was putting his finger on the trigger.

"Wait," it was Jungkook who interfered this time. He placed a hand on Taehyung's arm to lower it. "He doesn't look like he wants to harm us." He reasoned, struggling to maintain his composure when Taehyung was looking like he actually wanted to kill him.

"Doesn't change the fact that he is a vampire," he pointed out, bitingly.

"Are those wings?" The vampire's voice was positively shaking, and if Jungkook's head didn't hurt that much, he would really believe that there were tears glistening in his eyes.

On his command Jungkook's wings quickly vanished as if they had never been there – leaving only a few black feathers fall to the ground. "Sorry," he chuckled, bashful, gaze switching between him and Taehyung. "I forgot to hide them."

"Oh, Lord," the vampire was on the verge of crying, his vocal cords cracking. "Am I going to die?"

"No!" Jungkook said a tad too fast, successfully beating Taehyung at answering first. He knew what his opinion would be on this matter – liquidate him and then move on. Well, frankly, Jungkook didn't want to end the vampire that soon, though he already had enough of those bloodsuckers for the next two decades. But he didn't give the impression of a vicious monster whose atrocious wish was to drain the blood out of their system. Besides, he'd encountered vampires before and from what he'd learned not all of them were that bad. "We're not going to kill you as long as you promise not to kill us."

"Deal." He agreed in a heartbeat, coming to shake Jungkook's hand all the while Taehyung stood there and watched them without being given the word.

"What are you doing!" Taehyung yelled, furious, and Jungkook couldn't tell if he was just angry or feeling betrayed. Perhaps a little bit of both.

"Making new friends!" Jungkook said very in the matter of fact, already going to wrap his arm around the guy's shoulder as if they had known each other for years. The gesture was so amiable and welcoming, as if the troubles those vampires had caused them tonight had never happened. "What's your name, buddy?" He patted him on the back in this affable way which irritated the Hell out of Taehyung.

"Yoongi," the guy answered, clearly getting more comfortable around Jungkook's friendly persona. There was a small smile trying to break at the corners of his mouth, and suddenly the scarlet of his pupils didn't look that threatening. "And you?"

"I am Jungkook," Jungkook introduced himself with a polite bow of his head, unwrapping his arm from Yoongi's shoulder so he could ruffle Taehyung's hair. "This hard nut over here is Taehyung."

Of course, Taehyung wouldn't reconcile with such a pestering gesture, especially when it was Jungkook who touched him. He swatted his hand away, an obvious growl of displeasure ripping from his throat. Yoongi watched them with a look of egregiousness prancing across his face, and wondered if those two weren't, in fact, a cat and a dog, judging by how vigorous their relations were.

"Do you guys need help getting out of here?" he asked, successfully distracting them from their little argument.

"Are you going to help us?" Jungkook gaped at him in incredulity, wondering if it was all too good to be true. He was sick of the tonight's fiasco and wanted only one thing - to be tucked under his blanket, away from all the troubles Taehyung brought on his head.

Yoongi shrugged carelessly. "I mean, you're not planning on staying here the whole night, right?" Both Taehyung and Jungkook exchanged a few looks as if they were having the conversation in their heads, telepathically transmitting thoughts into each other's minds. "Besides, if you keep loitering around the hallways, you'll most likely get caught."

Taehyung was the first to break the silence, his tone wary while he was voicing his question. "And why would you help us?" He spat, watching with hatred, loathing the idea of using another magical being's help to his advantage. His job was to get rid of them, not to make camaraderies.

"I don't want to hurt you." Yoongi said, and even though the statement wasn't reasonable enough, there was this sincerity about it that eventually convinced Taehyung into trusting him. 

♡ Tae is a material gurlll♡