Jeongguk's cleaning off the railing when Taehyung walks out of the bathroom. He leans against the wall of the upstairs, wiping off the very edge of the railing and any blood that can remain, when a door opens behind him and he nearly falls down the stairs. The satisfaction that motivated his shaky fingers disappears, and the bloody tissue falls to the ground. The last one. The one that means his house is free of Will.

He turns around at the noise, foot nearly squishing the piece of tissue, but just narrowly missing it when he plants his feet. And looks at Taehyung. Taehyung who's wearing a towel around his waist. Chest bare. Hair clean. Water everywhere.

Jeongguk stops breathing again, starts when Taehyung notices him and looks startled too. He immediately glances down at his chest, as if being modest, and then forces out, "Jeongguk," like he wasn't expecting to see him there. In Jeongguk's house. Jeongguk's mind swirls, his mouth runs dry.

"Uh," Jeongguk starts, dumb. He sounds dumb, tongue a bit too heavy in his mouth, blood a little too forgotten. The bad kind. The good kind comes back in waves, the oranges, everything he felt earlier. Taehyung's skin. Perfect, like glass. Water runs down the middle, and Jeongguk can see a scar inbetween the lines of Taehyung's rib cage. Notices around the same time he notices he hasn't said anything other than uh, and Taehyung seems to notice too.

"Um, I need clothes-"

"Yeah, right," Jeongguk clears his throat. It still feels weird, like it should be strained, but it's not. Any evidence of harm is gone completely, like sand underneath a tidal wave. Swept away along with Jeongguk's self respect, because thirty minutes ago he was sobbing and now he feels a weird pull in his veins while he stares at Taehyung Kim's chest. "Right," he repeats, and then blinks a few times. Thinks this is a lot better than remembering Will.

He manages to look away, even though he doesn't really want to. He kind of wants to reach out and touch. Managing to avoid it, he leads Taehyung slowly to his room, passing by Yoongi's still open door on the way. When he finally gets inside the familiar space, something feels off, the room too dark.

He doesn't turn the light on, and doesn't turn around either. Making a beeline for his dresser, the only sign of Taehyung behind him is the light fall of his footsteps. The way he can hear a droplet of water as it slides down the length of Taehyung's, whatever, his shoulder, his chest, it's all the same. Jeongguk envies a drop of water, even as his head aches.

The silence hurts, the water dripping and so he opens his dresser quickly, "I may not have anything that'll fit you. I probably have a shirt that's big enough, maybe some shorts."

"That's fine," he can feel Taehyung take a step closer. He almost backs away, but he can't. He pulls out the clothes instead, "Here's these pants, they should work," he tosses them behind him, not concerned with the lack of underwear. He's sure Taehyung will make do, and he does, because he hears the rustling of a towel, and he assumes Taehyung's dressing behind him.

He doesn't turn around. Just keeps looking for the shirt. There's something in his chest, he doesn't know what. Is it because of Taehyung? His fingers are fucking shaking again, and why can't he just keep them still? Why is Taehyung so close, and why is his mind still on Will? On the heart he took, on how shaky his own feels, "this shirt might be tight, but-"

He spins around as he says it, but his body falls back into the dresser. Ass pressed against the hardwood, back bent at uncomfortable angle. The shirt nearly falls from his hands, but another hand grabs them carefully, brushes against his fingers as it does so. Relieves him of the stress of keeping it off the ground.

And, like clockwork, his lungs empty, out onto Taehyung's face. Warm from how close they are. He's right there, so much so that the water dripping from Taehyung's hair ends up splattered against the collar of Jeongguk's shirt. He's not sure what face he's making right now, but Taehyung's eyes are narrowed, worried, and the hand that holds the clothing is gripped tight.

He looks stressed. Jeongguk's body untenses, and he lets himself rest against his dresser. Taehyung's body close. And he's not sure what he expects him to say.

But it's not, "Jeongguk, how are you feeling?"

Jeongguk freezes. His mouth opens and a sound escapes, but nothing else does. Taehyung waits for a moment before he goes on, and he thankfully doesn't take a step forward. Jeongguk doesn't know what he would do if he did.

"I know. That probably wasn't the right question to ask, and this just happened, but I can't imagine. I can't," Taehyung cuts off, and he tilts his head downwards, water dripping onto Jeongguk's shirt now. He's thankful that it's black. "I can't even begin to-"

"But you can," Jeongguk stops him, and without thinking, he reaches out his arms and braces his arms on Taehyung's chest. His skin is cold and smooth, and Taehyung's head immediately snaps up, water droplets flying and touching Jeongguk's nose. His eyes are widened, and Jeongguk immediately drops his hands back to his sides like the cold burned him, as impossible as that may be.

"I know you've been through things too. Remember when I found you? That wasn't long ago either. They had you chained to the ground Taehyung, they were-"

Taehyung flinches, "That's different."

"How is that different?" Jeongguk counters, hands finally settling to hold himself slightly off the dresser he leans on. Without even meaning too, it brings their faces closer, but it doesn't matter. Jeongguk's confused on how Taehyung can be so selfless, on how he can look at him right now like Jeongguk's a wounded animal when Taehyung's clearly suffered more pain than Jeongguk could begin to understand.

Taehyung still looks shocked, but when he speaks again, it's with conviction. "I can deal with it. It's like nothing to me, I've dealt with shit like that for my entire being," Jeongguk's taken aback by his language again, but doesn't interrupt. "This, for you, is new. And it's all my fault."

As he says it, he takes a step backwards, trying to distance them, but Jeongguk reaches out and grabs his wrists. "Your fault? How is this your fault."

Taehyung avoids his gaze, and Jeongguk wants to grab his chin and hold their eyes together, to see everything he runs from when they flash in color like that. The emotions that make them change.

"Hey," he repeats, a dropping feeling starting to fester in his chest the longer Taehyung says nothing. "How could this possibly be your fault?"

He can see from here when Taehyung's eyes go a little red. The feeling gets worse, but also changes a bit. From fear to empathy. Is this how Taehyung felt when they had cried together earlier? He slowly lets Taehyung's wrists drop, and when Taehyung tries to take another step backwards, Jeongguk reaches his arms out and pulls him into his chest.

"Don't cry," he whispers, despite feeling like he may cry himself. Taehyung's wet hair settles in the center of Jeongguk's chest, his shirt slowly turning cold with it, but he doesn't mind. He feels Taehyung take a shuttering breath against his chest before letting his weight rest there, his back hunched and his arms loosely coming forward to wrap around Jeongguk's waist.

"I'm sorry," he says it into the fabric of Jeongguk's shirt, and Jeongguk's nearly leaning over from the weight, but he doesn't care. He rubs a hand up and down Taehyung's back like Taehyung had done earlier, and for some reason, it feels just as comforting.

"What are you apologizing for?"

Taehyung presses his head further, wraps his arms tighter. Jeongguk almost loses air but not quite. "Everything. I came here to save you," Jeongguk wonders how he knew he needed saving, but now doesn't feel like the time to ask, "and I couldn't do anything to help in the end. You had to save me again like I made you do before," he sounds broken, and it's scary in a way. Someone so powerful who can move at the blink of an eye, falling apart right in front of him. 

But Taehyung helped Jeongguk, and he'll be damned if he doesn't return the favor. In a way, it's helping him too. Anything to keep his mind off of the blood in his heart.

Taehyung continues. "And, for glamouring your friend. It seemed like the best choice in the moment, but I shouldn't use my influence over people to make them forget, or do things I ask them to," he falters a bit, "You've seen how horrid that can be firsthand, and I don't want you to think I'm anything like that man."

"You're nothing like him," Jeongguk says, the words leaving his mouth like muscle memory. "Not even remotely similar. And the Namjoon thing, I'm not mad at you for that. You did what you had to do," he nods, although Taehyung can't see it, but he really means it. "At first, I'll admit, I was a bit put off, because I'm not used to this. I remember eleven years ago when they first started talking about vampires on the news. It felt unreal."

Taehyung's fingers flex and they catch on Jeongguk's skin, but he doesn't say anything. A strand of his hair that's dried brushes against Jeongguk's chin lightly, and it tickles.

"And it made me think. You probably had to glamour those men right?"

Taehyung's body goes rigid, and Jeongguk's quick to tap his fingers along his shoulder blade. "It's okay, Taehyung. They deserved that. They deserved a lot worse than that, and you let them go. I'm not mad, I was just surprised," he lets a hand leave Taehyung's back to touch under his chin, make their eyes meet like Taehyung had done earlier. There are blood tracks on his skin, ones he had been careful not to get on Jeongguk's shirt.

Jeongguk didn't even realize, but he's crying too. He's not sure why they're always crying. 

When Taehyung tries to look away, Jeongguk brings him right back. Just like he had done for him. "Hey. To be honest I'm glad we got to see each other again, because leaving it like that was making me crazy. I just wish it hadn't," his voice breaks, "it hadn't been because of this."

Taehyung supports more of his own weight now, and lets Jeongguk lean into him right back. He didn't notice before, but his thumbs are rubbing slow, and small circles into the curve of his waist.

"But that's not your fault, and it's not mine either. I don't see myself ever getting over this, but I guess that's how it works, right? That's not something either of us can control anyway. None of this was. I want you to know I'm not mad at you, so you have no reason to be mad at yourself."

Taehyung stares into his eyes, his own red rimmed, but giving the term an entirely new meaning. His face is messy with it, running down his face, and Jeongguk feels sad that he just took a shower and he's already bloody again. His eyes linger on the red for a bit, a chill running down his spine when he starts thinking back to everything from earlier.

"Jeongguk, you don't understand," he croaks, voice worn. Standing up a bit, he lets his hands move from Jeongguk's waist, sliding over his ribcage and up the expanse of his chest, ignoring the way Jeongguk's mouth falls open. His palms land splayed on his chest, until he lightly grips the fabric, looking at Jeongguk with pain in his eyes. "I put you in danger just by speaking to you. This is all my fault."

Jeongguk ignores the cooling feeling covering his body, like his brain was dunked in ice water and needs a moment to recover from the shock. The moment he does, he sees Taehyung unhooking his hands from his shirt, and wiping at his eyes to that nothing's left behind other than a faint red color under his eyes.

"Y-your fault?" He stares at him, eyebrows furrowed, trying to think of what that could mean. "What do you mean your fault?"

Taehyung's chin trembles, and he opens his mouth as if to say something, when Jeongguk hears it. It's in less than a second, a noise trickling into his head, Taehyung clouding everything, but he can hear it.

What the fuck-

A loud thudding noise comes from downstairs, and Taehyung takes several steps backwards, distancing them with finality. Immediately their heads snap towards the noise, there being no other possible cause for the noise, other than Yoongi waking up. 

Fuck.

Yoongi's up.

Jeongguk turns back to Taehyung with wide, petrified eyes. He doesn't know how to face Yoongi right now, let alone talk to him. Taehyung's shirtless and has blood on his face. He's so screwed, Yoongi's going to hate him-

"Relax, it's okay Jeongguk, it's just Yoongi," Taehyung whispers, voice completely different than before, like he's composed himself, but what he doesn't know, is that's exactly what Jeongguk's afraid of. "I'll go wash off my face and put clothing on okay? I'll meet you downstairs, and you don't have to explain anything, just make sure he doesn't freak out. The last thing he saw was-"

"Will's face," Jeongguk finishes in a murmur.

Taehyung tilts his head when he says the vampire's name, clearly a question on the tip of his tongue, but he doesn't ask it. Instead he nods firmly, and gives Jeongguk a look that could easily cure disease, save the human race if it really tried. Jeongguk feels his feet solidify on the ground, and everything being pulled back into place, before Taehyung says, "Go," and Jeongguk does.

When he walks down the stairs, it's like he's not himself. He's watching from afar, while he runs to go help Yoongi for a second time. If he had run faster, would he have been able to stop it from happening? He can't think about that right now. He can't think about how spotless his house looks, about how wrong everything feels. He can hear Yoongi's racing thoughts, but they're nothing compared to his own. Nothing. 

He's about halfway down the stairwell when Yoongi runs out of the living room, hair a mess and limbs looking like they're fighting each other over where to go. His eyes meet Jeongguk's, and his skin looks the clearest Jeongguk's ever seen it. Is that what vampire blood does? Heals every part of you, without exclusion?

It's only a second where Jeongguk gets to stare at him, mouth wide opened, too overwhelmed to speak, until Yoongi's tripping over himself to run up the stairs, and nearly knocks them both over with the force at which he hugs Jeongguk.

"Jeongguk," he says into his ear, breathless, scooping him up in his arms so Jeongguk's feet lightly rise off the ground. It knocks the wind out of him, but he loosely returns the hug, melting into his brother's embrace. He's not sure why he had been worried. This is his brother.

Yoongi's thoughts in his ear are loud, a mixture of, God, is he okay? He's trembling? What happened?, but Jeongguk easily lets it fade into white noise, and clutches his brother's back like it's a lifeline, because it is. He hadn't really stopped crying all night, but now he cries, body shuddering with sobs into his brother's shoulder. It feels good to get it all out, to cry until he can't breathe, to feel the person who's been with him since birth soothing him. 

He's still crying when Yoongi sets him down, a step above him, and looks up at him with concern and sadness. Maybe a little bit of fear. 

"Jeongguk, are you-" he starts.

"I'm fine," Jeongguk says firmly, because physically, he is. 

"What happened?" He asks, looking around the room. There's a small chip in the wallpaper from where Yoongi had been thrown against it. "The last thing I remember is that I was talking to Will, and then suddenly it was like I couldn't move."

"Yoongi-" Jeongguk tries to start, but Yoongi seems to be putting together the pieces in his head, turning away from Jeongguk. 

"Like my brain had been stolen from my body. You know, mom used to tell us about these things." You, Jeongguk thinks, she used to tell you about these things, but he doesn't say anything, he just calms down his racing heart, watching the look on Yoongi's face fade from confusion, into realization.

At the last second he turns to Jeongguk, the whites of his eyes huge, clearly trying to process. "He must've been a vampire. Oh my god, I should've known. I thought that faint shine was makeup, or just a trick of the light, but I should've known that one of those fuckers would find us one day-"

"Yoongi, you need to calm down," Jeongguk inches forward, tips of his feet hanging off of the edge of the step. Yoongi's walking back and forth, stepping up and down throughout the staircase, hands finding their way into his hair. In his head it's a jumble, him remembering things all at once. What happened with Will, what their parents used to say all the time that Jeongguk was too little to comprehend. Vampires are evil, they'll take advantage of you. Don't listen to the T.V., it says they're harmless to catch you off guard. If given the chance, they'll drain you dry-

"No, Jeongguk, you need to tell me what happened. Where'd it go?" He throws his hands up in the air like that'll help him figure it out, scanning the room and looking over into the living room where he can. "Why does it smell like lemon cleaner? Why's your hair wet, and why'd I wake up on a towel covered in blood-"

Yoongi suddenly pauses, facing Jeongguk, and his eyes zero into the space behind him. Something in him plummets, skin crawling with the realization of what Yoongi must be looking at. Fear has a fierce hold on his chest, gripping tighter when Yoongi slowly raises a finger to point over Jeongguk's shoulder. Jeongguk's opening his mouth, turning his head when Yoongi's voice cuts through it all.

"Who the fuck is that?"

He can feel the bead of sweat running down the back of his neck, his hair dry enough to the point where it couldn't be anything else. His face is curled up like it's in pain when he meets Taehyung's levelheaded gaze, face blank and staring back and forth between Jeongguk and Yoongi.

His ears clog, everything fading out over the sound of his own breathing. He can hear Yoongi yelling something, and he can see Taehyung's lips moving, but there's nothing there. Just his heartbeat in his own ears, the water welling up in his eyes, his throat feeling raw again and his ankles tied to the floor.

"Jeongguk!"

Yoongi's yell snaps him out of it, and he finally looks away from Taehyung, to Yoongi who's staring at them both with something terrifying in his eyes. Jeongguk gulps, nothing like genuine fear in his mind, but a different thing entirely. Maybe it's guilt.

"Uh," he starts, throat closing around the noise. Yoongi's eyebrows furrow.

"Jeongguk, who the fuck is this?" His gaze melts through Jeongguk's body, intent on Taehyung standing behind him.

"I'm Taehyung," Taehyung speaks, nervous and fast when Jeongguk can only make a small croaking noise at the question. "I'm a friend of Jeongguk's-"

"You're a vampire," Yoongi corrects, jaw turning white. Jeongguk feels defiance cloud his mind, that same feeling he felt when all those other people had looked at Taehyung with the same expression. Especially right now, knowing Yoongi would not be here, talking to either of them if it hadn't been for Taehyung.

"This vampire," he manages to speak up, taking a step to the side, anything to get Yoongi to stop staring at Taehyung like that, "saved both of our lives tonight. If you're wondering why Will's gone, it's because-"

Jeongguk stops. He's not sure what he was going to say. Something about how Taehyung stopped Will right as he was about to kill Jeongguk, but then that only leads to more. It leads to the full story, a memory that has a haunting clutch on his spine, spreading throughout his entire being and making his hands slowly start to tremble again. Had they ever stopped?

Yoongi stares up at him, waiting for him to continue, clearly still angry. Jeongguk chokes on the air in his throat, trying to think of what to say without having to tell his brother what happened. Without having to tell his brother that he's a murderer.

Yoongi's mind starts slipping into Jeongguk's own, the thoughts melding together until he can't tell which is which. Jeongguk doesn't know what to say. Why is my brother talking to vampires? He feels like his nails are breaking through his skin again. Is he going to answer? And why is that motherfucker just standing there? He opens his mouth to speak, because it's his brother, and it's fine, and he has no idea why he feels so scared he could die-

"It's because I killed him," Taehyung breaks through it all. Everything stops for a moment, Jeongguk blinking and taking a moment to process this while his mind goes quiet. When it registers, he turns around, staring at Taehyung with his jaw hung open and his fists loosening by his sides. The nail imprints remain, but the pain goes away.

"Taehyung-" Jeongguk starts to protest.

"You what?" When he turns back to face Yoongi, his eyes are nearly bulging out of his head. "You killed a member of your own kind?"

"Yes," Taehyung answers quickly, eyes determined. Jeongguk wants to stop him, but he says nothing when Taehyung gives him a reassuring glance, something you'd miss unless you knew what Taehyung looks like when he's comforting you. It's the same look from earlier, and Jeongguk feels part of the fight leave his body. He's fought enough for tonight.

"I did," he continues, looking at Yoongi this time. "He was about to kill Jeongguk, and I did not want to let that happen. I apologize for coming into your home, but-"

"Don't apologize," Jeongguk says, and Yoongi gives him a look, but doesn't say anything. Taehyung looks a bit shocked, but he swallows and nods.

"I did what I thought was necessary. He's a vampire, so it's not as if there'd be an legality issues, and even so he was trying to kill somebody. I understand your confusion, but I promise you I mean you no harm-"

"You see, that's my problem with you vampires," Yoongi shakes his head, looking down. "You talk about death like it's normal. Somebody died in my living room," his voice gets louder, and Jeongguk feels his lungs tremble, "That's not fucking normal!"

Taehyung doesn't look the least bit taken aback by his tone. "Of course. I just mean, you don't need to worry about anything anymore."

Yoongi lets out a dry laugh. "A vampire tried to kill my brother in my own home. That seems like plenty enough to worry about if you ask me."

"But that's not Taehyung's fault," Jeongguk interjects, distraught. "He's not the same vampire that did it, he even saved us. What about that do you not get? Are you so closed minded, that you won't even thank the man who saved my life?" He lets out all in one breath, chest rising and falling rapidly by the end of it, tension leaving his body slowly, his mouth that ached to say the words.

"It's okay Jeongguk, really-" Taehyung tries to say, but Jeongguk puts up a hand and his sentence is cut short.

"No, it's not. He saved both of us Yoongi, and you need to stop treating him like he's lesser just because he's not human."

"You mean because he's a vampire," Yoongi bites.

"Will you fucking stop? I thought you were better than this Yoongi, you're being awful right now, not only to Taehyung but to me. There are more important things to be worrying about then your personal opinions!"

"It's not an opinion if it-"

He stops mid sentence, cut off by a glare from Jeongguk, his mouth a thin line. He feels an anger flaring in his chest, the tips of his ears feeling red and the edges of his vision blurring out. He loses himself for a moment, losing Yoongi's thoughts in turn, mind a blank slate with nothing but discontent for the way his brother is acting. How is it that even though raised together, they could be this different?

Yoongi seems to regard his expression, shutting his mouth and slightly widening his eyes. He looks confused, as if he's seeing something for the first time, and it makes sense. Jeongguk hardly ever gets angry at Yoongi like this, because he hardly has a reason to. Occasionally they'll argue about this subject, but it's never been this bad because he's never seen Yoongi be this terrible.

After what feels like minutes of prolonged eye contact, Yoongi lets out a sigh, face settling a bit. There's a conflict on his face, trying to decide whether or not to settle on guilt or to maintain the anger, but eventually his muscles slacken and he looks neutral.

"Fine. Fine, I'm sorry."

"Apologize to Taehyung, not me," Jeongguk insists, and Taehyung starts to protest again from behind him, but Jeongguk does the same motion as before and his mouth snaps shut.

"I'm not apologizing to him," Jeongguk's angry, but he feels a mild relief at the fact that Yoongi didn't refer to Taehyung as 'it' like some others had, "But I am sorry. I just- I-," He takes a moment to pinch the bridge of his nose between his fingers, "Why are you talking to vampires in the first place? And why does this one know where we live?"

"I'm talking to him because he's a nice person," Jeongguk ignores the apprehensive look that gets him. "And he knows where we live because he took me home from work a few weeks ago."

"A few weeks?" Yoongi is pacing now, walking down the steps. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew this was how you'd react. I don't like keeping things from you, but I didn't have much of a choice."

"But you did! Did you ever think it may be a bad idea for a vampire to know exactly where we sleep? Even now, are you not afraid? After what happened?"

Taehyung is silent, watching the exchange with sad eyes.

"No, I'm not, because he fucking saved us Yoongi! Why are you so difficult?"

"We could've died tonight Jeongguk."

"But we didn't!"

"And that's supposed to make it okay?"

Jeongguk's eyes are crying, and he shouldn't have to cry again tonight, he knows it. The lump in his throat is impossible to dislodge, exploding when he clenches his fists by his sides and sputters around his words, "No- No, It's- You-," he shuts his eyes and breathes in deep, the lump disappearing entirely. "None of this is okay Yoongi! None of it, not a single bit of this is okay, and you're not helping! How do you think I feel? Taehyung saved you, fed you his blood-"

"I drank vampire blood?" Yoongi breaks into his sentence, voice appalled and Jeongguk snaps.

"That's not the point Yoongi, do you hear yourself? I know you're scared and confused, and I know mom and dad taught you to hate-"

"Don't bring them into this."

"But it's true! It's all true, and I don't know why you're being like this. When you first woke up all you were is concerned, and now just because I'm friends with a vampire, who saved our lives, you're acting completely different?"

Yoongi stops for a second, staring at Jeongguk, and then back at his feet. Yoongi's always been overprotective, and he's always had slight anger issues, but they hardly ever argue, and especially not over something like this. Especially not when they need each other the most.

He seems to realize that he's okay, finally, that there's no need for him to have his defenses up. That Taehyung's just watching with wide eyes, that Jeongguk's on the verge of tears and they're all his fault.

Jeongguk can feel it radiating off of him, can hear his thoughts as he mulls over everything they just screamed at each other. It hurts, and his heart knocks against his chest. The way Yoongi's acting right now isn't his fault, although he shouldn't be doing it. Jeongguk's conflicted, with Taehyung standing behind him, eyes wide and water dripping down his neck, and his brother standing in front of him, scared and guilty.

Yoongi clenches his fist in the same way Jeongguk always does. He hopes his nails don't break his skin like Jeongguk's manage to.

"I'm sorry," Yoongi breathes out. "I don't get why you're talking to vampires, but this isn't the time. I'm just- I'm confused, I mean, tonight has been-"

"Too much," Jeongguk answers for him. "Terrifying. I'm still not entirely sure what happened," his voice breaks a bit, memories flashing back. The way the wood felt between his palms, sinking into Will's back. "But I know we're okay now, and that's partially thanks to Taehyung. You can think whatever you want to, but do not-"

"Jeongguk, we should get some rest," Yoongi tries to interrupt, eyes desperate and trained on the way Jeongguk trembles, but Jeongguk's not done.

"Do not talk to him that way after he saved our lives," Jeongguk bites it out, words rough and firm and they make Yoongi's mouth fall open. The house falls silent, and Jeongguk can hear his ragged breathing louder than it's ever been before. He doesn't want to argue with his brother. He wants to give him a hug, he wants to feel okay again after seeing the look on his face when he was being glamoured. After trying to look inside of his head and hear that voice he loves, all he heard was nonsensical music that meant, for a moment, Yoongi was gone.

Yoongi looks up at him with bags under his eyes, and Jeongguk understands. Why Yoongi's acting the way he is. He doesn't like it, but he understands, and when Yoongi looks down and nods, something in him softens.

"I'm going to sleep," Yoongi exhales through his nose, "Your um," he looks at Taehyung, face neutral and Jeongguk's thankful, "Your friend isn't staying right-"

"No. He has to leave before the sun-"

"Right," Yoongi nods, "right. Okay. Jeongguk, please come upstairs soon. We can talk tomorrow?"

Jeongguk nods quietly, not stiffening when Yoongi suddenly bounds up the stairs and pulls him into a tight hug. 

"I'm sorry," Yoongi whispers into his ear. "I really hope you're okay."

Jeongguk wants to say something, but he doesn't know what. Instead he just hugs back, and says, "Sleep well Yoongi," when he pulls away. Yoongi nods at him one last time, and then walks up the stairs, avoiding eye contact with Taehyung when he passes him.

Jeongguk breathes out, tension leaving his body slowly. He turns around and makes eye contact with Taehyung, who's staring at him with something indecipherable in his eyes. Jeongguk wants to say something, maybe cry to him again, but it's been a long night. The time until the sun rises is dwindling. Taehyung knows this too, because his eyes flit to the door, and Jeongguk makes a small hand gesture for Taehyung to follow him.

They walk outside without saying anything, the door swinging shut with a small noise. Jeongguk's lungs fill, the air tasting like flowers, and a bit like rain. It's refreshing, and yet his lungs ache for the burn of a cigarette. His eyes are heavy, weighing down his face while they stare at the dark sky that's gradually getting lighter.

"You didn't have to defend me that way," Taehyung speaks first, quiet. Jeongguk's head jerks to give him a look, feeling mildly sad. 

"I know. What makes you think I wouldn't want to though?"

Taehyung laughs, but there's no humor in it. He looks tired too, somehow, beautiful features examining the sky rather than Jeongguk's face, where they always seem to be analyzing, watching. Jeongguk's eyes follow the flex of his jaw, the frustration in his eyes.

"Nothing. I just- It's not abnormal to think the way Yoongi does. Vampires are scary. By nature, we're evil. His thoughts were that of the vast majority."

"But you're not. And that doesn't make them true."

Taehyung looks at him then, staring at the expanse of Jeongguk's face like it physically pains him to do so. He doesn't say anything for a moment, but his eyes say enough.

"I wish things were different," Taehyung blurts out, face still pained. He turns his body to face Jeongguk, and steps forward so they're closer, like they had been in Jeongguk's room earlier. Like they had been, bodies intertwined on the floor.

"What do you mean?" Jeongguk says, wind knocked from his lungs when Taehyung doesn't stop, and takes another step forwards.

"You know what I mean. I wish we didn't meet every time because one of us is in danger, or sad. I wish you never would have to feel in danger or sad. I wish I could get to know you without it feeling strange, all because of who I am-"

"Taehyung-"

"I know you're going to say it's not my fault. I know it isn't but-"

"That's not what I was going to say," Jeongguk stops him, and without thinking, he finds himself taking a step forward too. "Although it's true." He reaches out and grabs one of Taehyung's hands, lacing their fingers together. It makes him suck in a breath, suddenly unable to talk while he looks back and forth between their hands and Taehyung's eyes, his fucking beautiful confusing eyes. Everything in him is a storm, raging in different directions until he feels like he's being lifted into the night sky off of his feet.

"I was going to say, me too. And it's not because of who you are. It's because of how people perceive you without knowing you first."

"Do you know me?" Taehyung questions, sounding vulnerable, although he squeezes Jeongguk's hand. Jeongguk's arm suddenly feels drenched in cold rain, bones frozen in place when Taehyung's thumb brushes his knuckle.

"Not as well as I'd like to, but I do. You're Taehyung Kim, you're a vampire. Your favorite blood type is B positive, and you've never seen the Fast and Furious movies," he can't help but smile a bit as he says that part, Taehyung looking at him like he's gone insane. "You're nice to me. You didn't treat me like a freak when I got the way I always do, that night a few weeks ago. You saved my life tonight," he looks down when he says the last part, but his eyes rise when Taehyung's hand loosens in his grip, fingertips starting to trail along to his wrist.

"Jeongguk, are you okay?"

"What, that's not what we're-"

"Jeongguk, your arm. It's shaking."

Oh. He looks down, and his arm is shaking. Taehyung's staring at it as well, the kindness of Jeongguk's words drowned by concern.

"I," Jeongguk starts, Taehyung's fingers touching his elbow now. "I think I've accepted that what I did was necessary. I just, I wish it hadn't been, and if Will knew where I live, then who else does? I'm scared."

"I know. I know," Taehyung repeats, and then before Jeongguk realizes it, he's being pulled into a hug. It feels like he's being enveloped in cold, but somehow it makes everything fall away. 

"I'll come here. You can revoke my invitation to your house-"

Jeongguk speaks from where his head is tucked into Taehyung's neck, pulling away from the hug to see his face. "Why would I do that?"

"So your brother won't be angry. I'll come here during the night, and I'll make sure you're safe."

Jeongguk's eyes widen in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about protecting you. You shouldn't have to be afraid in your own home."

"Taehyung, I can't ask you to do that," Jeongguk starts to pull away from Taehyung's hands on his shoulders, but Taehyung grips lightly, holding him there.

"You're not asking. I'm offering. You can say no if you feel uncomfortable, but not because you feel bad."

"Do you realize what you're saying? You want to stand outside of my house all night?"

"Yeah. I don't have anything to do otherwise."

"Taehyung-"

"Stop," Taehyung whispers it, but it's firm. "It's okay. I know you probably have questions, but the answer to all of them is that there's nothing else I would rather be doing."

Jeongguk is confused. He's taken aback, and he needs to sleep. Everything in his mind is telling him to decline Taehyung's offer, to call bullshit on this kind of empathy, of this kindness, but it's hard. It's hard when Taehyung's looking at him the way he is, like there's really nothing he'd rather be doing.

"Why are you so kind to me," Jeongguk asks, honestly. Taehyung's hands slowly travel up his shoulders then, smoothing over them. They graze along his neck and Jeongguk's breath hitches, mind turning into water, knees weakening, the feeling in his chest that's the opposite of fear taking hold, the feeling he can't quite pinpoint the name of.

"When I said I wish things were different, I meant I wish I wasn't a vampire. I wish I could be a person again, I wish I could be human around you."

Jeongguk tries to tilt his head in confusion, but then Taehyung's hands are touching the skin of his cheeks, holding his face gently between his palms.

"I wish I could call you beautiful without it putting you in danger," He says softly, voice going out for a moment, and Jeongguk remembers when Taehyung said this was his fault, and he wonders why, but then Taehyung's leaning in and pressing his lips to the top of Jeongguk's head. They're cold against the burning skin of Jeongguk's forehead, and it's like Jeongguk can feel the imprint of them along with the falling feeling in the pit of his gut. It feels like he can't move, like if he tried he'd only fall over, and his eyes flutter shut, melting into Taehyung's grip.

His lips are slightly chapped, and Jeongguk can feel the ridges of them, the curves and how soft they are. They feel like the breeze on his face, light and sweet and the taste of sun rather than rain. Cold, but all they give is something warm. Something that makes Jeongguk's face numb, all except for the singular concentrated spot of energy that Taehyung brings forth. It's effortless, and Jeongguk feels that beauty that makes him forget about all the pain.

Taehyung pulls away after a moment, the contact brief but nearly impossible to comprehend. Jeongguk's eyes don't open immediately, but he can feel Taehyung in front of him, and he can still feel his mouth against his forehead, lingering.

"I'll be here tomorrow," he says, and Jeongguk begins to open his eyes. Suddenly, Taehyung's presence fades away, and when he opens his eyes, Taehyung's gone, and the sun is peaking over the horizon.

Jeongguk raises a hand to his forehead in shock, skin burning still despite the easing cold, and takes one last glance at the yellowing sky while his brain wonders if he would consider tonight a dream, or a sick nightmare.

Maybe both.

-

lol sorry this does not feel like my best but heres 6.5k words of basically shitty angsty dialogue <3 ily and thank u for being patient

also this is unedited asf so if there's typos pls don't roast me ty