Wooyoung couldn't sleep. He was hungry and grumpy, not fed yet since Mingi had slept during the night and gone out to trade while they rested, functioning like a normal person. Wooyoung had nibbled on his last apple miserably, and he was frankly fed up with this situation.

Nothing went as planned. He was hungry and tired all the time, got hunted by and was hunting vampires, and he just wanted to go back to being a normal person. All this pretending to be a vampire was plenty boring to him by now, especially since it would have been much easier to just be human friends with Hongjoong. One would think he trusted Wooyoung enough to pay him either way for his help, but no, he needed his vampire first!

Not even Wooyoung's plans at seduction were working out.

He had been so close. Saw it in Hongjoong's eyes, how they clouded over and desire took his reason away. The message to kiss had never been clearer, and Wooyoung already gave up all his dignity to make it clear to this fool. He thought he was finally onto something.

Why did Hongjoong pull back at the last moment? Wooyoung did everything right. Batted his lashes, bit his lip, put himself in a compromising position. What else could a man do to seduce Hongjoong? Sure, he was a bit traumatised, a bit flighty, but Wooyoung gave him every reason to trust him. And Hongjoong showed him he did!

How had his other lovers gained his attention? Blimey, Wooyoung knew him better than random strangers. He had to get there before they found this vampire. Otherwise, he might kiss his bonus goodbye. Wooyoung wouldn't just allow such a juicy catch to escape from him.

Wooyoung lay in bed for hours, pouting to himself and plotting how he could resolve this. He needed to wrap Hongjoong around his finger fully, needed to set him on the right trail to find the vampire and pay him and then hightail out of there before Hongjoong realised he lied about his identity all along.

Hours later, his exhaustion finally allowed him to catch some sleep, but he couldn't wait until this nightmare was over and he was finally released from this doddypoll of an employer.

-

Mingi was around when they awoke in the evening. He joined them for dinner (breakfast) downstairs and Wooyoung happily gobbled down all the food in pretense of looking human to the inn owner. Hongjoong looked awed by him, and a tad sorry about pushing him away, but Wooyoung was too busy eating to mind him.

"So, nothing to find?" Mingi summarised after Hongjoong briefed him on their walk yesterday. Naturally, no vampire showed up conveniently in front of them. Would have been too easy if this one could also smell Wooyoung's lie and checked in, but too many risks lurked in a city.

Unless this vampire wasn't even here anymore. Could Hongjoong be sure he was even alive and not burnt at the stake already?

"Nothing. Any ideas where else we could search?"

"Do we know he lives? Jongho came from this direction," Wooyoung asked with his mouth full. Small crumbs escaped his lips. He picked them back up, not wasting a single bite.

For a moment, Hongjoong looked pale, but then he shook his head.

"No, I feel like... I would know. Maybe. Or, well, he hid well so far. How could we find out if he is?" Lost, he peered between them and as cute as he was, Wooyoung was so sick of this vampire business. He just wanted his money and to go home.

Mingi tapped his fingers on the tabletop. A moment later, he hummed.

"Hunters usually work with the church to consecrate vampire hideouts and get rid of their bodies. You two could ask around there."

Right, Jongho carried a cross around. Maybe they knew the hunter here, as he mentioned. If the vampire was dead, Wooyoung might get paid for doing nothing.

He rubbed his hands, eager to get going.

"Let's do that tonight, Hongjoong. We can ask them whether they recently killed a vampire here."

Though Hongjoong's eyes were wide at the idea his lover might be burnt to a crisp, he had no better idea. After they cleared the table and Mingi took off to do his business and live a regular human life, they set out onto the streets of Oxford again.

Wooyoung actually quite liked the city. He liked how rich most people looked, how easy it was to snatch up full purses. There was anonymity in the crowds, and no one knew him down here. The scent of various foods was delicious in the air and though more bobbies patrolled than he liked, the place was clean and orderly.

Not that it could hide its ugly sides. The opium addicts straggling through the alleys, the malnourished stray dogs slinking around the markets. There was more misery here as well, more rivals on the search of a quick penny. Wooyoung saw two pickpockets dash off within an hour.

Hongjoong was familiar with these streets, but it was honestly a miracle he hadn't been robbed or stabbed before, because he didn't watch his back or sides. Such an easy victim.

They found their way to the big church in the town square. At this time of day, the markets were quiet, and most people returned home. The light was still on inside the building, a soothing orange flame that welcomed any stray souls with warmth.

Wooyoung grew up in a religious community and had religious family members, but he didn't believe. If God were real, he surely would have been struck with lightning long ago for stealing money and food. However, he did appreciate dashing into churches and sinking to his knees in prayer to buy the friendship of the priests. The church was an excellent hiding spot, since law enforcement didn't get to drag people across sacred ground.

Wooyoung knocked on the heavy doors without thinking twice, aware he couldn't go in but forgetting he was not supposed to touch this building altogether. He and Hongjoong shuffled aside as they waited for someone to greet them.

When the door swung open, rays of golden light fell out onto the depressing cold grey street. It hugged the silhouette of a person like a halo, offering warmth and solace (if one submitted, otherwise Christians were quick to burn anyone different from them at the stake.) A hand lifted in greeting and once Wooyoung could blink teary eyes against that golden aura, he could make out a young man.

White robes adorned with elegant golden embroidery hugged his frame. His hair was blond like the sun, his smile graceful. The cleric (monk, priest, something) nodded at the two night swarmers in greeting.

"Good evening, children. Come in and warm yourself on the blessed fires. Our door is always open to everyone," he invited them with a voice like honey. Wooyoung wanted to gag at its sweetness.

"Oh, we didn't want to impose," he said hastily before Hongjoong would give him away as a vampire, but also not a vampire. "We just have some questions."

"Speak, child, and the Lord will answer," the cleric replied, forming a cross in the air and Wooyoung just made a noise in agreement, not actually on the same side. He just needed churches for refuge; he didn't think much of anyone deeming themselves above him. They were all just scrambling to survive, and those who claimed moral superiority clearly had too much time and money on their hands.

"We are hunting down a vampire and need help find out whether he dwells in this city. Do you know of any such creatures here, perchance?"

The cleric formed a cross over his chest to ward off all evil reckonings. Awkwardly, Hongjoong and Wooyoung kept away from his blessings.

"A vampire hunter recently purged our city of all evil. He killed two witches and a ghoul haunting the graveyard. But he found no vampires here."

Hongjoong and Wooyoung exchanged a look. Hongjoong looked frightened by that news, but at least his vampire wasn't dead, so there was still time to find him. However, that meant more searching and more effort that Wooyoung could be putting into other jobs.

"That suffices to know, thank you, brother," Wooyoung said, hasty to get away and formulate a new plan.

The cleric smiled in endless benevolence.

"Blessed be thou on your path. May evil stray from you," he replied, forming a cross in the air before Hongjoong, but Wooyoung's companion flinched away with an offended hiss. For a moment, both the cleric and Wooyoung looked at him confused, then Wooyoung realised.

Not catholic.

"Excuse my friend here, he believes differently," he smiled to explain why they didn't come in and though the cleric frowned, he accepted that excuse.

"He may be forgiven," he said instead, and turned on his heel to return to his sermons. Wooyoung breathed a sigh of relief once the door shut behind him with a resounding boom.

They had some answers, at least. Their vampire had a good chance of surviving the hunter travelling through, but they still had no trace of where he might have gone.

Hongjoong was staring into the void again, so Wooyoung linked their arms with the perfect smile to tug him a few steps away from the church.

"Queer lad. A little too stuck in his prayers for my taste. You think he is a crook just hiding under the good name of the church?" He pondered out loud to lift the mood, but Hongjoong couldn't laugh with him. He was biting his lip until it looked close to bursting and Wooyoung had to halt in his step to carefully tug the poor piece of flesh from him before he mauled himself. His thumb lingered on Hongjoong's bitten lip until he looked up and regained some clarity.

"He's not here," Hongjoong whispered and Wooyoung supposed his suspicions about that cleric would have to wait until later.

"So we keep searching. Where else could he be? Any favourite spots?" He grinned, ever the loyal supporter of Hongjoong's plight, even when he wanted to rip his hair out. More searching, more lies. When would it stop? Should he have walked away when he had the chance?

No, he was in too deep now. Hongjoong would ask questions if he left without reason. And though Wooyoung could easily sneak away while Hongjoong was sleeping like a corpse during the day, he refused to go with empty hands after all his efforts. If only he could get Hongjoong to collect that goddamn money already so he could make a quick getaway...

"I-I don't know. We'll have to think about it. I just... feel so empty right now. So without purpose. I'm sorry for bringing you all this way and now he isn't here." Hongjoong hung his head and Wooyoung tutted at him, showering him with reassurance to gain the spot of his most favourite vampire.

"Oh, please, that can happen to anyone! We'll just try harder. I will stay by your side, of course."

Hongjoong sighed to himself. He wasn't too overjoyed about this, but he held on to his sanity thanks to Wooyoung.

"Thank you... Let's just go back for now and think about what we can do next," he mumbled, and Wooyoung guided him along as his most gracious helper and kept soothing him on the way back.

They took a little break back at the inn. Discussed whether they might need to find Jongho to track down the vampire and how to find Jongho. When they spun in a circle back to the initial problem, they left it be until Mingi was back.

Once they explained the situation to the merchant, he rubbed his thin thoughtfully.

"He's in London, I'd bet. Centre of everything going on and a bunch of political unrest right now. Food for a vampire and riches to make. I would search there. If he isn't there, other vampires who might know him will be," he suggested and Wooyoung and Hongjoong exchanged a helpless look.

"So we go to London?" Hongjoong suggested and Wooyoung slapped a brotherly hand down on his back.

"Sure! We'll find you that vampire, I swear by my honour." Anything for that money.

Mingi nodded once their decision was made.

"I'll come with you. Good business in London and you two are amusing to travel with if you aren't being attacked by vampires."

And thus, they decided to depart once the next night fell to try their luck in London instead.