Wooyoung relaxed into the cushions of the carriage with a deep sigh. It wasn't bitingly cold during the nights yet, but the chill still crept into his limbs and made his joints ache after the time spent perched on the coach's box. He was glad to unwind for the rest of the night while Hongjoong steered them.

Mingi was mapping out their location on his maps, keeping a logbook of their travels and calculating their costs with the horse and the cart until Oxford. He was a businessman, not as shrewd as Wooyoung, but calculated and out for a win.

And best of all, he was a person in front of whom Wooyoung didn't need to pretend to be a vampire. For a split moment earlier, Hongjoong had looked eternally regretful to be giving away his identity. His eyes so big and apologetic that Wooyoung wanted to tease him about it. But it had to wait because Wooyoung was starving.

The moment they were back on the road and Hongjoong steered their carriage securely, Wooyoung fumbled with the ties on his bundle. His stomach had been twisting and protesting its emptiness all day, and Wooyoung was sure Hongjoong mistook its grumbling for a bear tracking them at some point. Now that he wasn't watching, Wooyoung dug out his food and feasted.

Mingi didn't say anything. A look from him was enough for Wooyoung to smirk around his bite of bread.

"You're a crook," he deducted, not sounding too impressed, and Wooyoung continued wolfing down his food.

"I'm just like you. I need money, all right? Everyone needs to live," he said with full cheeks and Mingi scoffed, but his eyes focused on his notebook again.

"How did you two even end up with each other?" He mumbled mostly to himself, but Wooyoung wasn't shy to catch him up. He knew Mingi's type. They were similar enough. Out for survival, not for unnecessary dramatics. Hongjoong was the unlucky one, naïve as he was. So long as Mingi kept his comments to himself while Wooyoung buttered him up, they wouldn't have an issue.

If Wooyoung got just a bit cosier with Hongjoong, he might get a juicy bonus for his efforts. Or the opportunity to hide in the house of a banker for a while. Not where any mutton shunters would expect him. Having friends in influential positions was especially important when one was hunted.

"He needed a vampire. Not too hard to stay out of the sun here, but gods, I'm hungry all the time. And I have some sense of responsibility, if you ask. I would defend him if that vampire he wants jumps him. Well, negatively. Maybe he's an old flame or something." Wooyoung relished a bite of cheese. His self-importance glowed with the lantern swaying outside the carriage to illuminate their path in the night.

"You'd defend him for the money," Mingi sighed to himself, exasperated to have ended up in their dynamic of deceit, but he was in it for the travel, so it wasn't enough of a reason to leave.

"I wouldn't kill him for it." Wooyoung shrugged. They all fought their battles to make it through this life.

Mingi hung in his own thoughts after that, leaving him to his meal. Once Wooyoung was finally sated and washed everything down with a sip of water, he could relax onto the bench. The moon followed them across the skies to witness their journey.

-

Enough time had passed. It was time for Wooyoung to get into action.

He understood Hongjoong as someone haunted by his past, someone who clung to fragile hope in life. Someone who needed real friends and assurance. Hope in a time of darkness.

But this was about enough time to become friends. Wooyoung knew what those marks on Hongjoong's throat were. Knew he had been fooling around with others. So Wooyoung needed to get moving before he missed his chance. Hongjoong only had him to trust right now and Wooyoung couldn't risk him getting more attached to Mingi or healing from his delicate state of mind. By the time Hongjoong recovered, Wooyoung needed to be there as his shining beacon of support. That would get him the real money and perhaps even a pass from a court that would absolve him of his crimes.

So by the time they reached the town, Wooyoung plotted his next steps. They found an inn again and had a meal with Mingi before they retreated into their room for some sleep. The merchant lugged his wares around and promised them to leave quietly later in the day to make some sales while they rested. He didn't mention Wooyoung's lie as he left first to wash up. So Wooyoung seized his moment.

Hongjoong was seated in his bunk and unlacing his shoes when Wooyoung casually fell onto the bed by his side and braced an arm around him. He made sure Hongjoong would feel his lean and arguably pretty handsome body up close, and his companion didn't jump away in fright despite thinking him a vampire.

No way that vampire he searched was actually a lover of the past, right? Did he like to get nibbled on? Those marks on his necks sure looked as if he got mauled by a werewolf, though they were already barely visible by now... Maybe not.

"Soo, how are you doing? Confident now with our cart?" Wooyoung grinned at him from the side and earned a shy glance. Hongjoong was still nervous around him, which was perfect for Wooyoung's motive. He wouldn't want the little fool to regain too much confidence and independence. Wooyoung worked hard to get here so he could empty his pockets.

And while Hongjoong had nobody else to cling to, Wooyoung had to become his knight in shining armour. His saviour, who Hongjoong would want to pay with his body and soul for helping him out of his slum.

Just because Wooyoung didn't usually go for men didn't mean he didn't know how to fluster them. Especially cute Mollys like Hongjoong.

He might have family in Oxford. Friends. People who might realise Wooyoung was playing a charade. So he needed to get his money and begone before Hongjoong realised what was going on. While he suffered his heartbreak, Wooyoung would take the next ship to mainland Europe and try his luck there.

"Yes, it was a good call. I'm also happy that Mingi is around. Not that you bother me, but um..." Hongjoong mumbled, losing his words somewhere in his collar.

Wooyoung tutted gently as he slid a fingertip under his chin to angle his head back up. Hongjoong had a beauty unlike any other man Wooyoung had seen from up close. His skin was pale and gaunt, but smoother than that of any other sickly person. In the light of their lantern, the brown of his eyes seemed almost red as his long lashes fluttered over them.

Somehow, Wooyoung found himself entranced so close to him. What a rare beauty stumbled his way into his lap.

"No, I get it. He brings in some fresh air. I also had some good conversations with him earlier," Wooyoung purred when Hongjoong shyly nodded, not hiding away anymore.

After arranging his boots next to his bunk neatly, Hongjoong threw a peek at Wooyoung. He found him leaned back enticingly, the smirk on his lips inviting. Wooyoung knew how to position himself to garner the right type of attention, something he learned from the ladies of the night to get people to trust him so he could snatch the wallets from their pockets and bail. Though Hongjoong didn't look ready to play with him, he would notice what he meant.

Not so innocent as he pretended.

"Um, Wooyoung... Could you..."

The satisfied purr from Wooyoung's throat was instantaneous. They only had a bit more time before they would have to go to bed and morning was already brightening the fabric of their curtains. Though he might not seduce Hongjoong all the way tonight, the invitation was clear. So maybe he would come to Wooyoung next time if he had worries. Or needs.

"Yes, my dearest chuckaboo? You can ask me anything," Wooyoung promised him seductively and Hongjoong fiddled with his fingers in his lap, unsure what to do with himself.

"Tell me if this is inappropriate but... Could you show me your bite?" He mumbled quietly, almost too reluctant to voice the question out loud.

Taken aback, Wooyoung needed a moment to get those words in order in his mind. Hongjoong didn't ask him to get bitten, did he? Wooyoung gladly would, but for one, it felt odd to indulge Hongjoong's obsession with blood-thirsty monsters and also, Wooyoung was relatively sure Hongjoong might realise he wasn't a real vampire once he felt his dull teeth.

Then again, how would he know? He never got bitten by a real one, or else he would be one of them.

"My bite?" Wooyoung echoed, hurt in his honour that this was what Hongjoong wanted from him and not the goods on offer.

But his companion nodded, surer now.

"Vampire bites leave a scar, don't they? I would like to see yours. Or is it... In an odd place?" The sparkle of his eyes was bright, so invested in this piece of information. But he was sheepish enough to duck his head between his shoulders just in case he was asking Wooyoung to strip some unholy place of him bare.

And Wooyoung might have been about to, just to show Hongjoong a little peek and make him thirsty for more, but the door opened right at that moment and Mingi shuffled inside. His hair was wet, and he carried his vest in his arms, only donning a soft lined shirt below.

"Oh, no, my bite is right here, on my arm," Wooyoung said with a convincing grin and rolled up his sleeve for Hongjoong. No time to hesitate. His most recent mosquito bite had to do.

"Odd place to bite," Mingi commented as he placed his clothes on his bundle and Wooyoung offered his arm to Hongjoong's frigid fingertips as he explored the wound.

"I was fending her off, tooth and nail," Wooyoung boasted.

"There is only one mark, though?" Hongjoong asked him, puzzled about the angle of things, but he seemed to take the red mark for what it was.

"Oh, yes, she only had one tooth," Wooyoung replied without missing a beat. He sighed dramatically at the wound, just glad Hongjoong was a bit slow and heard only what he wanted to hear.

"A one-toothed vampire?" He marvelled, and Mingi leaned against the bedpost by their side.

"No way, that one sired a spawn? I have been carrying a sole vampire tooth around for a while and always wondered if the vampire who lost it survived. Where did she go? I want to complete my set," he said, completely straight-faced and Wooyoung wasn't sure if he was just entertaining himself or speaking the truth, but either way he sent him a silent nod in gratitude.

"She's dead now. Doubt we can find her tooth," the trickster replied with an unfortunate sigh.

Hongjoong looked baffled.

"It hurt less since it was only one, but sadly, I am still a whole spawn of the night. Drinking blood. Seeing in the dark. The door thing. You know, all those vampire curses," Wooyoung pretended to be sad about the life he lost. He covered his arm and Hongjoong's lips had turned downward.

"Sorry to remind you of such a painful memory," he whispered and Wooyoung counted it as a win when a gentle hand patted his back.

"It's fine. I'm glad I can do something good with my powers." Still, he slumped his shoulders, put on that kicked-puppy look so Hongjoong would have pity with him. Helpless, he stayed to rub Wooyoung's back and accepted how he leaned into his arm.

Mingi scoffed at them before he swung up into his bunk. For a moment, the wooden frame around them squeaked and wobbled, then he settled down into the mothy pillow.

"Get washed up, you two, so you don't stink up the room. I'll leave around noon to do my business."

Wooyoung graciously offered Hongjoong to wash up first, and he dashed off. In the meantime, Wooyoung undid his belts and pouches to set them neatly next to his bed.

"Could you get me a nice snack? Some fruit, maybe, or a sweet roll?" He asked Mingi, and the merchant paused for a moment as he asked himself why Wooyoung had done this to himself.

Then he sighed.

"If you pay me back," he just mumbled and Wooyoung grinned from ear to ear as he got ready to wash up too.