Hongjoong kept glancing at their newest addition nervously. The merchant was peaceful, his eyes closed under the wide brim of his hat as the carriage hobbled over the road. He wore a dark coat and his clothes below looked modest but not tattered or muddied. Hongjoong wanted to know where he was from and why he so readily joined two strangers, but it was wiser not to ask.

The sweet scent that wavered off him was overwhelming in this cramped space. It crept between the folds of his clothing and tickled Hongjoong's nose. His throat ached, parched, as if he hadn't sipped water in weeks. He couldn't open a window, so he tried to bury his nose in his scarf instead.

Hongjoong had half a mind to ask Wooyoung to switch, but they only just started their ride. If he didn't want to look suspicious, he had to endure.

Mingi wore no scarf, the tan of his neck exposed. There was a little birthmark there, on the curve of his jugular. He wore some necklaces and trinkets of silver and leather around his neck, as if decorating it for Hongjoong's viewing pleasure.

Hongjoong gnawed on the inside of his cheek and then ripped his eyes away.

Did Mingi know? Could he tell he had grouped up with two vampires? Surely not, or else he would be afraid of becoming a meal, right?

Or was he a hunter, trying to bait the vampires out of hiding?

Hongjoong probably would have gone insane soon if Mingi didn't open his mouth to address him. In the carriage, his deep voice sounded even deeper.

"So, what are you doing that requires you to sneak through the night so secretively?" He asked, and Hongjoong gulped against the itch in his gums.

"Um... We are trying not to stand out." The excuse sounded lame, even to him. And for someone so seasoned with people as Mingi, it only sounded more suspicious.

The merchant crossed his legs. The smirk on his lips was knowing. Not much passed him.

If Hongjoong could sweat, he would have sweated. Was every place outside of a city full of these cutthroat characters? Wooyoung also seemed to read everything right off his face.

"Criminals? Or non-humans? Neither bothers me. You leave me alone, I leave you alone," Mingi offered, not bothered by this revelation.

Hongjoong winced. He wouldn't categorise them as that bad, but Mingi deserved a fair warning in case he wanted to be safe. Hongjoong was a ticking time bomb around humans and though Wooyoung should be able to overpower him and hold him back if he lost his mind, he didn't want to risk it.

"We are searching for a vampire," he admitted and Mingi hummed. His thoughts were carefully locked away behind his calculating stare.

"A vampire? So I may guess this is a coven reunion?" Humour tilted his voice as if he had already guessed that much. No sane person had any reason to be travelling through the fields at night.

Hongjoong gave in.

"Wooyoung is one. He helps me find another," he whispered, scared to be giving away a secret like that but even more scared to admit his own. Wooyoung handled himself well so far, so surely, he'd be fine. And Mingi said he didn't mind vampires either.

Mingi stared at him quietly. Hongjoong fidgeted with his fingers, unsure what his hard stare meant.

Ultimately, Mingi rubbed a hand over his chin. He took off his hat to lean against the cushions behind him comfortably and crossed his legs as his dark hair came into view.

"You have no heartbeat, my friend," he hummed, no sharpness to his voice, but Hongjoong still froze. The fright robbed him of any quick and witty excuse. And what was there to say? Why else were the dead alive?

When he regained the control over his limbs, Hongjoong hung his head. Mingi patiently studied him, not threatened despite the narrow space he shared with a monster. Did he have the power to defend himself? Or could he tell Hongjoong was a fledgeling and wouldn't hurt a fly?

"F-Fine, I-... I was turned against my will, but I don't drink blood. I want to ask the vampire who did this to me to reverse it," he winced, biting his lip right after. It felt good to share this with someone. To earn understanding for his struggle. Few would believe that he meant no harm, but Mingi didn't run away screaming and crying.

Instead, he tilted an inquisitive head.

"That works?"

He didn't mention the vampire ordeal anymore. Made it easier for Hongjoong to brush off the truth about himself. Perhaps Mingi truly didn't care. It was nice he knew, though. Then the duo of vampires wouldn't come as a frightening surprise to his bed one night.

"I hope so. Wooyoung doesn't know this about me. Please, don't tell him. I will confess in due time, but I just can't do it right now," Hongjoong pleaded with him. Yes, Wooyoung also deserved the truth and if Mingi knew, Hongjoong might as well share the information with his team partner, but his hands were already trembling from this conversation. He wanted to hide away, wanted to claw at his skin and try to end this miserable existence again. Whenever he felt his sharp fangs with his tongue, whenever the truth came into focus, he got nauseous.

Mingi shrugged. To him, it was easier.

"Your business, not mine. Stay away from my throat, then I don't mind travelling with two vamplings," he merely said. Though more questions brimmed in his eyes of how Hongjoong intended to take care of his thirst and where his hope that he might be human again came from, he kept quiet until they found a better time to discuss all that.

Hongjoong exhaled. He was in no danger. Didn't get judged or feared. He wanted to be a person like any other. Didn't want the mark of the beast. But Mingi accepted him as just Hongjoong and knowing that was more healing than the merchant might have intended.

"Thank you," he exhaled in a shuddering breath and Mingi flashed him a grin.

"I'm not the one who bites."

Hongjoong shyly smiled back before he relaxed into the bench, no longer tense inside the swaying carriage.

-

Hongjoong and Mingi passed their time with idle conversation. While their carriage carried them through the forests and fields further south, Mingi told Hongjoong of his dealings with the creatures of myth and legend. He experienced human buyers who were almost worse than any fae who ever tried to trick him. And he had a peculiar assortment of trinkets the non-humans liked to use to pay him. After he showed Hongjoong a dowsing rod and pendants of feathers and pearls woven into charms, the air between them got warmer. Rather than fearful, Hongjoong found himself invested in the peculiar ways of the fae. And coming from a bigger city, he could agree that the worst cutthroats were often their own people.

Mingi was usually more concerned with his trade, hence he didn't bother people so long as they left him alone. He didn't want any trouble, but he seemed experienced in how to get out of it as well.

Though he joined them on a whim, Hongjoong was happy about his company. Mingi was steady and determined about his goals. An inspiration to Hongjoong's fear.

Mingi didn't ask him about his story, and Hongjoong appreciated it.

The night was still deep and dark outside the window when Mingi pulled the curtains aside to peek out. When he shuffled to stretch his head outside, Hongjoong made space for him.

"Are we near a town?" Mingi called over the clop of hooves and the rattling of the cart. Wooyoung didn't tire of coaching them yet, but Hongjoong would also appreciate a change of scenery, interesting as Mingi was.

"It's black as the Earl of Hell's waistcoat out here! Couldn't even tell you where the treeline starts," Wooyoung called back. Mingi stemmed his hand against the window frame.

"Then let's set up camp at the edge of the road. We can watch over the carriage, but the horse needs rest," he ordered and Wooyoung slowed the horse while Mingi fell back into his seat. He put on his hat and Hongjoong picked up Wooyoung's bundle when they slowed to a stop. Wooyoung praised Nug outside while Hongjoong and Mingi climbed from the carriage to join him. The merchant grumbled something about his knees and relished a stretch.

When Hongjoong met Wooyoung's curious gaze, he gave him a tentative smile back. Things were going well from his side, and Mingi proved an amiable companion.

Though he still felt bad about telling a stranger so much. But maybe he had a chance to apologise to Wooyoung later.

After they freed Nug from the firm straps attaching the carriage to her back, they let her enjoy the meadows. A rivulet provided water for all of them and Hongjoong gladly washed his face before he met with the others.

Mingi sat down for a meal and the other two shared the night with him. A small fire burnt in their midst for their human and Wooyoung warmed his hands on it.

"So, I hear you're a vampire?" Mingi addressed Wooyoung in between hearty bites of his sweet bread. Immediately, Hongjoong winced and peered at Wooyoung to convey a silent apology, but his fellow vampire looked unbothered.

"Does that bother you?" He asked back and Mingi shook his head.

"No. Better protection for me. I deal with anyone who pays me. Vampires, fae, hunters. Doesn't matter to me," he repeated the same words he told Hongjoong. He stuck to them, as far as Hongjoong could tell.

"Then we can coexist," Wooyoung grinned brightly. Hongjoong exhaled subtly. Though his heart might not race with dread anymore, he definitely felt the tension in the air and remembered how his body convulsed once.

"I am interested in whether you two find your goal. Are you sure your vampire is in Oxford? I met most of their kind outside of city bounds or in London. Perhaps he keeps his territory?" Mingi pondered as he warmed his bread over the fire. At Wooyoung swinging his head in Hongjoong's direction, he picked his words prudently.

"It's where I met him. I assume he has an estate there. He looked rather... Casual that night," he said vaguely. Mingi would catch his meaning, but Hongjoong didn't want to describe the vampire for too long or else Wooyoung might realise why they had been so close.

"Wooyoung has a sense that may find him. Higher vampires smell differently, or so I hear," he added instead to divert the attention, and it worked. Wooyoung grinned casually and Mingi checked on his bread.

"We'll search Oxford for him, not to worry." Wooyoung's voice was easy to believe, so Hongjoong nodded hastily. He trusted his expert in that regard.

"Sounds good. Excellent business in Oxford, too. I will accompany you. See me there after your quest is over and tell me how it went," Mingi offered and giddiness washed over Hongjoong. If Mingi wanted to see them again, maybe they could be friends after all. There was hope yet for someone like Hongjoong.

"Of course," Hongjoong smiled back.

They discussed the rest of their route afterwards. The fire lit their map as they picked a village they could reach until morning. Now that he knew they were vampires, Mingi eagerly agreed to reach a safe place before the morning dawned. They had some options, so it would depend on how quickly they moved during the rest of the night. But the moon still stood high and, with some luck, it would be misty enough in the morning that no sun broke through and they could make some more progress.

Soon, they had settled the plan. After Mingi finished his bread, he tied up his bundle and dusted any leftover flour from his hands. Hongjoong took the signal to get up.

"Let's continue our journey. I can try to steer the horse this time," he offered and Wooyoung nodded, glad for the break. He may not tire easily as a vampire, but it was fair to share the workload.

"Let me show you the ropes," he offered Hongjoong with a brotherly arm around his shoulders and Mingi made to stomp out the fire while they got Nug.