Chapter Text
It wasn’t often that Kim Coven was asked to check out a specific location for unruly vampires. The last time it happened was some few decades ago when they’d cleaned an entire sewer system of strays.
It didn’t bode well that someone else caught wind of unlawful activity in Kim territory before the man – vampire – himself. For starters it was just a bad look on principal, it made it seem as if their leader wasn't paying attention to his own lands. Secondly, vampires were creatures of habit, none of them like it when someone acted out of turn.
This time it wasn’t a sewer which Hoseok was incredibly grateful for. Seokjin sent them to what appeared to be an abandoned building on the bad side Seoul. It was a typical sight but then again, vampires.
Usually Hoseok didn’t join these little trips. It wasn’t his specialty, as it were. He certainly could handle it, he was there for a reason, but his usual involvement in such cases happened behind the scenes. The few times he’d been sent out had happened when Seokjin had been sending in everybody and that never happened for anything good.
Again, Hoseok was glad this wasn’t a sewer system. He could still smell the damn place after decades.
But Namjoon was busy tonight and Yoongi wouldn’t be back home until a little later and Seokjin’s meeting was taking longer than it should.
That only left Hoseok to join Jimin and Taehyung.
Normally it was Namjoon on the babysitting duty on these expeditions. He had the physical strength for the job, he could defend himself and the two little ones if things ever went south. It never had so far but that didn’t mean this coven would let Jimin and Taehyung go out alone on such a mission. You never knew what was lurking in the shadows.
Hoseok wasn’t weak. He could handle this just as easily as Namjoon. It just wasn’t his job.
“I don’t hear anything from here.” Taehyung said.
“Me neither.” Jimin added and turned to look at Hoseok.
In any case it was good bonding time for them. It had been sometime between all the work since Hoseok had last spent quality time with their fledglings.
It was just past midnight, the moon shining bright high on the dark sky. There was an easy breeze blowing, it was a chilly late summer night.
There weren’t any sounds, or at least there weren’t any sounds that were important to them, but the wind made it easier for Hoseok to pick up on scents. Vampires had such a specific smell to them. This was the right place.
The silence could be an indication that the strays had perhaps left to hunt or maybe they caught wind of their arrival and jumped ship. Both options were highly possible.
“Keep an eye out.” Hoseok said and casually walked up to the broken front door. It wasn’t Jimin and Taehyung’s first little mission, they’d done this a few times already, but it was still a good learning experience. “Stay close, alright?”
Taehyung and Jimin were practically skipping down the halls, flitting from door to door to check different rooms, excited to be out on a mission. Hoseok watched them with a smile as they tracked down certain scents and pointed out things they noticed to him. It was a good way for them to sharpen their skills. They’re both very young, practically toddlers by vampire standards and still learning to adapt to their new undead lives. The fledglings chattered happily down the hall. Their footsteps were perfectly inaudible and pride swelled in Hoseok’s chest. His darlings were learning faster and faster, they’d be such a force to reckon with in a few decades.
The building was in horrible condition even by abandoned building standards. The moldy walls were covered in shitty graffiti, some of them collapsed or barely holding on. Everything was either broken or rotting to some degree, the floor creaking under their steps.
This place would have to be destroyed for safety reasons. Hoseok would make some calls when they made it back home.
But more important than sub-par building regulations, with every step Hoseok took deeper in it became abundantly clearer that this was indeed a vampire nest. Is – was. There weren’t any vampires here. He could smell them – the scent was clinging to the wall papers, heavy in the air.
“I think they left in a hurry.” Taehyung said and looked over his shoulder towards Hoseok before kicking a ripped jacket on the floor. It was heavily damaged.
“It’s a big building.” Jimin said, eyes scanning the room they were in. “It can host a lot. If they all left in a hurry they must have known we were coming.”
“Maybe they were running from something scary.” Taehyung said.
“Kim Coven is the something scary.” Jimin chuckled proudly.
Hoseok huffed through his nose and smiled. Nobody in this city wanted a ‘wellness check’ from the very coven members that ran it.
“Look for evidence.” Hoseok nodded towards the shredded jacket. He had to steer this night, he didn’t want his fledglings to be too distracted.
“Race to the top?” Jimin asked with a grin.
Hoseok sighed dramatically as two shadowy blurs ran away from him. Should he reprimand them for the giggling? There wasn’t anyone here so it wasn’t a danger but their voices echoed – they should know better about making unnecessary noises in such places.
He let them win the race. It’s worth seeing the big smiles when he made it to the top floor.
Multiple things became clear as they began to investigate the building.
First of all; they had a hundred percent left in a hurry.
Not a single vampire, stray or feral or whatever, would ever leave behind a half-finished meal. No vampire would ever leave behind evidence that could get them in trouble.
Yet they found three different half-eaten bodies in what appeared to be the ‘dining’ room. The floor was covered in layers of blood. The smell was unpleasant to say the least.
While Jimin and Taehyung carefully looked for any identifiable marks on what was left of the bodies, Hoseok took pictures of everything. He’d compile everything they saw here onto a list and send it to their contact at the police station when they made it back home. He’d make an inquiry about missing people too.
Second, there were dead vampires left to rot on a different floor. Hoseok couldn’t tell why or how they’d died, there wasn’t much left of their bodies to inspect in such detail. However there were a couple of them in this room and that wasn’t a good sign at all. Even the weakest vampires were hard to kill, having this many lying around was highly suspicious.
Third, these were not vampires Hoseok knew.
Seokjin ran Seoul. Seokjin owned this city. They knew every vampire coven, big or small, that resided in their territory. They had a whole registry system dedicated to it. Vampires worked on bureaucracy and Seokjin was famed for his generosity. It made him a likeable leader in the underworld but also someone nobody wanted to cross – not when everyone knew how many vampires would rally behind him if push ever came to shove.
All the vampires who lived in Seokjin’s lands did it amicably. Be it coven members, strays, or loners. Nobody liked unnecessary fighting and Seokjin had managed to create a type of vampire democracy in Seoul. The rare few who pushed their luck with Seokjin’s generosity and kindness – well, at least they had served a fine purpose as being an example as to why people did not anger the famed vampire.
This many dead bodies, this many dead vampires…
Seoul was infested.
“Hyung won’t be happy.” Jimin mumbled under his breath as they made their way down to the basement. Hoseok glanced backwards over his shoulder. The fledglings both looked spooked, their shoulders hunched and eyes flitting around.
“He’ll be annoyed.” Hoseok replied easily. He’d give them hugs and kisses when they were home. It was uneasy for him to see this many dead vampires, all rot and decay, it must be creepier for a vampire their age. “We’ll handle it. We’ve had runaways and murder happy vamps before, it’ll be handled quickly.”
Pests.
“They’ll either learn to play along nicely or –“ Hoseok froze, his arm shooting to the side to stop Jimin and Taehyung. The little ones immediately stood closer to Hoseok, all three of them on high alert now.
In the silence Hoseok heard it again. A barely audible whimper came from the basement. It was a small, pained sound.
There was someone in the basement.
It’s a trap was Hoseok’s first reaction. They’re underground – it would make the perfect sense to lure them here for an attack
The building is empty was Hoseok’s second reaction. They were the only ones in this building. Just them and –
Hoseok walked down the last steps and found himself staring into the darkness. The basement was a large room filled with dusty containers and other boxes, he could hear rats in the walls.
On the other side of the room was a door.
And Hoseok could hear the ragged breathing behind it.
“Stay close to me.” He whispered and walked silently into the darkness with his head held high.
Hoseok’s eyes were laser focused on the beaten down door as if he could see through it. The whimpers were getting louder.
He stopped in front of the door. It was an old and rusty thing, looking like it could break apart any second. He tipped his chin just so and Jimin and Taehyung followed his silent order. They moved to the two sides of the door so if there was anything dangerous waiting for them the initial blow would miss them.
The handles nearly broke when Hoseok pushed open the door.
The smell of death hit him first, mixed with the stale air of this room. It was as dirty as the one before, everything in it covered with a thick layer of dust. It must have been some sort of storage or utility room at some point.
The only natural light source was a window on the side of the room where moonlight shone in over the body lying miserably on the floor.
The smell of death was strong but the person on the floor was not dead.
Hoseok cursed under his breath as he ran in, he dropped to his in front of the body. He carefully lifted the person’s head and – fuck.
The boy looked so young.
He made a pained sound when Hoseok moved him. His eyes couldn’t seem to focus on anything, looking at everywhere and nowhere at the same time. There was blood all over him. His hands were tied tightly behind his back with a silver handcuff which was used to chain him to the wall.
This was a baby. Hoseok couldn’t even get himself to call him a fledgling because he wasn’t old enough to be called that – Hoseok could still smell the scent of death clinging to him because it hadn’t been that long since he’d been turned. Maybe two, three days?
Hoseok was holding an infant of a vampire that’s tied up in silver and abandoned.
“Jimin! Taehyung! Come here!”
His little ones came running and skidded to a halt, knees hitting the floor next to him immediately. They cursed when they saw the infant on the floor and – yeah, that’s about how Hoseok’s feeling too.
“We’re taking him back to the penthouse.” Hoseok said. There were too many dead vampires in this building already. “I need light.”
“Here – “ Jimin pulled out his phone, fumbled a little bit before turning on its flash light.
The infant hissed at the sudden brightness, trying to pull away but also seemingly finding comfort in Hoseok’s touches. Hoseok made a calming sound and gently ran his fingers across the baby’s face.
“You will be okay, little one.” Hoseok said but – he wasn’t sure how much he believed in that.
With the light flashing down on the person it was clearer to see just how badly he’d been treated. His face was gaunt and there were dark bruises littered across the skin that was visible. He was far too pale even for a vampire. The skin seemed to be so thin that Hoseok was afraid any touch would harm him. Worst was his mouth. He had deep cuts on his lips that didn’t seem to be healing, his entire chin covered in blood.
Hoseok held Jimin’s wrist to move the light over the infant’s body to get a better look. His clothes were all ripped and dirty. He must have put up a fight. Hoseok’s heart squeezed in his chest. How terrified the poor thing must have been during his final moments.
There was a huge splash of blood painting his lower belly, a large hole that wasn’t just a rip of his shirt – the killing blow. He had a chunk of his neck missing. Whoever had drained him had done a messy job. Perhaps a feral?
The Infant was still making babbling, whimpering in pain. He didn’t have any blood left in him to bleed.
“We need to get out of here.” Hoseok finally said. “Call Seokjin and tell him we have an infant in horrible shape, he’ll need to feed.”
He reached behind the Infant and easily broke the chain attached to the wall with the flick of a wrist. He couldn’t touch the silver cuffs – silver cuffs on an infant what the fuck – without weakening himself and he needed all the power he could to take this little one to safety.
Taehyung moved around and ripped off the bottom part of his shirt then he used it to carefully tie it over the silver. It wouldn’t completely stop it from hurting them if they accidently came in contact with it but it would lessen the damage a little bit. Better than nothing. Hoseok gave Taehyung a quick nod before pulling the Infant into his arms.
Just as Hoseok was about to stand he stopped. The baby was pale as a ghost under the moon light.
Moonlight.
He looked down at the poor baby babbling incoherently in his arms, delirious from hunger and pain, and then followed the moon beams to the window. Despite all the dust and dirt in the basement, in the entire building, the window was practically squeaky clean.
They had tied this Infant with silver and had abandoned him in this room to be forgotten.
The sun would rise eventually.
Hoseok swallowed down the bile and rage building in him.
They’d left this baby to die.
They’d tortured this infant and had left him to die a horrible, painful, slow death.
“Hyung?” Jimin asked, a careful hand placed on Hoseok’s shoulder.
Hoseok watched the window before nodding and standing up. It could wait until later.
“Let’s go, quickly.” He said and looked at the Infant with a furrowed brow. “I’m not sure how long he can survive.”
“He made it this far.” Jimin said, almost sounding like he was trying to convince himself. “He can make it.”
“Let’s not test it.” Taehyung helped Jimin to his feet.
It was a good thing they’d came here by foot, Hoseok would have lost it if he had to drive a car back to the penthouse with a barely alive infant in his arms.
They jumped through rooftops, their silhouettes just a mirage against the skyline if any passerby were to spot them – just a mistake of the human eye and nothing more.
Hoseok was glad that Taehyung and Jimin were quicker than most fledglings their age, glad that he didn’t have to worry about them keeping up with him. He was still ahead of them, his nimble feet carrying him halfway through Seoul, but he knew that if he looked over his shoulder they would be right behind him.
The rooftop entrance of their penthouse was open when they finally made it. Hoseok didn’t slow down and ran inside, clutching the Infant close to his chest and murmuring softly to him despite how hectic his brain felt.
“Hyung!” he called out, his inner compass directing him to the person he needed.
Seokjin was in his study, leaning against his desk with an unreadable expression. He was still in his business suit although his jacket had been thrown to the side. His eyes fell on the Infant when Hoseok walked in, his brows shooting up in shock.
It was gone when Jimin and Taehyung ran in a moment later – almost as if it had never been there in the first place. The fledglings were already panicked, they needed to see that their elders were calm and collected even if that wasn’t the entire truth.
“Here.” Seokjin said and motioned towards the leather sofa, untying his tie and throwing it to the side. His voice was calm and collected as he unbuttoned his shirt to reveal the long line of his neck. He sat down of the sofa and opened his arms for the Infant. “Yoongi and Joon should be here any moment.”
“Careful.” Hoseok warned as he lowered the Infant down. “He’s got silver.”
Seokjin frowned and looked over the Infant’s shoulder at his bound wrists. He looked for a second before finding Hoseok’s gaze again.
“Why is a baby silver-tied?”
Seokjin’s voice was eerily calm as he spoke. Nobody had an answer. Or rather nobody had an answer that wasn’t nauseating. Hoseok watched as Seokjin ripped off the cloth covering the silver. Seokjin was centuries old – touching silver wouldn’t hurt him as much as it would hurt Hoseok.
The Infant whimpered when Seokjin touched near his wounded wrists, trying to curl into himself. Hoseok made a pained expression. He wanted to calm the poor thing, give him a hug, but taking care of the silver was much more important in that moment.
“It’s okay, I’m just taking these off.” Seokjin murmured gently and the next second there was a click before the broken cuffs flew to the other side of the room.
The baby gasped, his fingers twitching, and tried to pull his arms to his chest but the limbs hung useless next to his body. Hoseok gently shushed him and helped him move, crossed his forearms against his chest like one would do with an actual new born baby.
The Infants wrists were badly burned, the skin swollen and rash, the skin was practically gone where the silver had been in direct touch with. It was a gnarly sight. It would heal with proper care but Hoseok could only imagine how painful it must have been, especially for a baby like this one.
Under proper lighting the Infant looked even worse. The lacerations on his face were deeper than Hoseok had initially thought at the basement. Hoseok got a better look at the large bite on his neck too and – Hoseok swallowed thickly, there wasn’t much left on the left side of his neck. The giant hole in his belly wasn’t any better.
And still there were dark bruises on his skin, his right hand looking like it might be broken to some degree. Whatever sick fuck was responsible for this would pay for it in tenfold.
Seokjin sniffed around the Infant’s body, carefully taking in all the damage done to him. He stopped for a moment and then his face was pinched together, lips pursed. Hoseok didn’t ask, there wasn’t time for it.
It was gone the very next second anyway, the Coven leader’s face smoothed out into something comforting. He held the Infant in his arms the same way you would hold a real baby.
“You must be so hungry.” Seokjin crooned sweetly as a distraction and pushed back the hair sticking to the Infants forehead. Hoseok doubted Seokjin would have to use anything in his voice to get the little one to comply.
The baby babbled again, still pained but seemingly less scared. Seokjin had that effect on people and creatures a like. There was some focus in his eyes now. At least he was looking at the general vicinity of Seokjin’s face – and it was a good face. Hoseok would call that face angelic if not for what they were.
“I know little one.” Seokjin said, his eyes soft. He stopped for a second when the Infant keened in his arms, something … confusing in his eyes that Hoseok couldn’t read. Whatever it was, Seokjin pushed through it, replaced it with something fierce before it was soft again. He tipped his head to the side.
“Would you like to feed?” he asked. “You can have as much as you want.”
The Infants eyes turned a ruddy brown color, nowhere near as strong as it should be but Hoseok hoped that feeding would help him.
“He’s got a fighting spirit.” Seokjin commented, almost proud, and held the Infant by his nape to lead his mouth to his neck. “There you go, come on now.”
Seokjin closed his eyes and let the Infant mouth as his neck. Hoseok relaxed a little bit. The baby would have to figure out how to feed on his own – at least they had to let him try first before taking the matters into their hands. Seokjin was stroking the Infant’s legs with his free hand, humming a melody like this was a normal moment.
Further in the house the front door opened. Hoseok sat up a little straight before relaxing. It was just Yoongi and Namjoon.
“We’re in here.” he said calmly. He didn’t raise his voice at all. Hoseok could hear them walking their way.
The Infant kept mouthing and licking Seokjin’s neck but never biting down the way he should. The longer it took the louder the Infant got, whining against Seokjin’s neck and trying his best but unable to figure out how to do it.
“You got this.” Seokjin said casually despite a frown on his face. It shouldn’t take this long for any infant to figure out how to bite. Hoseok didn’t expect the baby to be an expert at this but this wasn’t normal.
Hoseok looked over his shoulder when Yoongi and Namjoon walked in, their expressions serious as they took in the sight in front of them. Hoseok gave them an odd smile, not knowing what else to do. Jimin and Taehyung were sitting side by side on the other side of the room, keeping a reasonable distance but never looking away, equal parts curious and worried. Hoseok would drown them in kisses before bed.
“Let me look at you.” Seokjin said when minutes passed and the baby was still struggling. He pulled the Infant away from his neck. Seokjin’s throat was covered in blood now from the mess that was on the Infant’s face. The baby snapped his teeth a few times, mimicking a snarl that should help him with feeding but clearly not working. “Oh, no, don’t cry sweet thing.” Seokjin cooed and wiped away the stray tears running down the Infants face, mixing with the blood. “It’s okay, I can show you how, just open your mouth. Say aaah.”
Seokjin wasn’t exactly delicate with how he pushed two fingers into the Infant’s mouth but there wasn’t much to be done about that. Either Seokjin would have to get the Infant’s fangs out ‘manually’ or having something forced into his mouth would upset the Infant enough to do it himself.
They watched silently, and a little awkwardly, as Seokjin moved his fingers inside the Infant’s mouth to try and get his fangs out. Hoseok was worried about the lacerations around his lips but he knew that Seokjin would be careful of those.
“Yoongi, can you take a look at this please?”
Seokjin voice was tight yet deceptively straight forward. His eyes were glued into the Infant’s mouth. The baby whined and wiggled in Seokjin’s hold but didn’t fight. Hoseok doubted he had the energy for it.
Yoongi walked closer and leaned over to get a better look. Seokjin pushed back the Infant’s upper lip to reveal his gums and teeth and –
Hoseok knew his boyfriends. He knew them very well. He’d been with them for years.
Hoseok knew what they looked like when they were purposefully keeping a blank expression.
Whatever they were looking at wasn’t good.
“Am I seeing correctly?” Seokjin asked. Professional. This was bad, this was really bad.
Yoongi sighed and straightened himself, expression pinched. “Yes, you’re correct.”
Seokjin nodded and pulled his fingers out, wiped them on the Infant’s already dirty clothes. He tutted gently when the baby whined in his arms.
They watched as Seokjin’s nails grew into claws. He reached for his neck and cut himself deep enough to bleed.
The Infant threw himself at his neck with a snarl, desperately clutching at Seokjin’s dress shirt as he gulped down mouthfuls of blood. Seokjin closed his eyes and leaned back against the sofa to get comfortable.
“Well, seems like you guys had an eventful night.” Namjoon said a little awkwardly and sat down next to Jimin and Taehyung. The two little ones immediately cuddled closer. Hoseok smiled at the sight of them.
Hoseok sagged and closed his eyes, listened the sounds the Infant was making as he drank.
“He’ll survive.” Yoongi said. His eyes were running over the baby, taking list of everything that was wrong. “God, what did they do to him?”
“They left him to die.” Hoseok hissed. “He was tied with silver in the basement. There was a window – a few hours and he would have been dust.”
Namjoon and Yoongi both cursed, fingers twitchy. The Infant was still drinking, making cute sounds. Hoseok huffed into a smile, at least he seemed to be feeling a little better. He’d survive. That was important.
“Why would you torture a fledgling like this?” Namjoon asked, incredulous. “What could he have done to them?”
“Not a fledgling.” Seokjin said calmly.
They stared at him in confusion and Seokjin sighed, his calm demeanor slipping into something uncomfortable. He adjusted his hold on the Infant, kept him close to help him feed better instead of wasting blood.
“Calling him a fledgling is generous.” Seokjin said. He looked over at all of them one by one and shook his head. “He can’t be older than a few hours at most.”
The study was filled with sharp gasps and curses. A newborn. This was a literal newborn.
And they had tied him with silver to die.
Hoseok looked at Seokjin. His odd reaction from a little ago made more sense now. He ran his hand through his hair, breathing in slowly to calm himself. Being angry right now wouldn’t help anyone. Hoseok watched as the Infant wiggled a little in Seokjin’s arms, the tense line of his back relaxing as he fed.
Just how much pain this one must have gone through in just mere hours?
The silver around his wrists, the trauma of dying and being reborn, the hunger he must have felt… and not to mention all the cuts and bruises on him.
“No one was there.” Taehyung spoke up. Heads turned to him. He looked at them and swallowed thickly. “The building was empty when we got there, just him left behind.”
“It looked like they left in a hurry, there were –“ Jimin stopped himself and looked at Hoseok, trying to see if it was a good idea to bring up details.
“They left their dinner behind.” Hoseok said.
“Must have been scared.” Yoongi said, eyes on the Infant.
“I happen to be scary.” Seokjin mumbled off-handedly. It was enough to let the room fall into an uneasy silence.
“What are we going to do with him?” Jimin piped up, looking more like a werewolf pup than a fledgling.
Hoseok pursed his lips and looked at the Infant. The boy was unaware of his surroundings, just focused on Seokjin’s blood. Hoseok’s gaze went up to Seokjin’s face. He’d been alive (undead) for some time now. He was yet to find a word to describe the otherworldly beauty that was Kim Seokjin.
“It’s a crime to harm a fledgling.” Yoongi said when Seokjin didn’t speak immediately. They let their leader gather his thoughts. “It’s also a crime to abandon one.”
“Are there any rules on torturing one?” Namjoon asked with rough voice.
“Well, no one ever thought anyone would be heartless enough to torture a fledgling you sired.” Yoongi replied even though he knew Namjoon wasn’t look for an answer.
“I need time.”
Seokjin was looking at the carpet, refusing to meet their eyes. He looked less like the famed vampire lord of Seoul and more like their boyfriend. There was something in his voice that disturbed Hoseok, flared his protective instincts, something unsure and insecure.
“Of course.” He spoke up. “This is different from other times – “
“No, I mean –“ Seokjin sighed deeply and closed his eyes like he had a headache. He shifted in his seat uncomfortably and adjusted the Infant again when the little one whined at the movement. “It’s going to take a few hours for him to feed fully.”
The room fell silent in confusion. Hoseok could practically hear everyone blinking as they tried to make sense of what Seokjin had said.
“A few… hours?” Taehyung tilted his head. “Are you – are you sure about that?”
Seokjin tried to find the right words to explain it, his mouth opening and closing a few times before he sagged into his seat and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he seemed a little bit more put together.
“I don’t think his sire fed him.” He said.
Hoseok’s eyes fell on the Infant, his jaw slack. A newborn fledgling, barely a few hours old himself.
All things considered it was fairly easy to turn someone into a vampire. There was a procedure to it, you had to follow a certain list, but it was easy. You drain their blood and give them your own – blood exchange. The human corpse didn’t even have to drink large amounts of vampire blood to be turned either.
The real trick came with keeping a newborn fledgling alive.
Or unalive. Whatever. Details.
Fledglings were delicate by design and precious for vampires. It was so easy for them to be hurt, so so easy for them to die again. Most vampires never let their fledglings leave their nests until they were stronger or they had designated babysitters. Even during times of high conflict and bloodshed enemies would keep fledglings unharmed.
“I don’t think they fed him anything beyond what his sire gave to turn him.” Seokjin said uncomfortably. He held the Infant closer to his chest as if to protect him from unseen forces. He looked at Hoseok, his brows pinched. “You said it yourself, they abandoned him. Why waste your own blood and weaken yourself if you don’t intend to keep your fledgling alive in the first place?”
Hoseok’s already cold body froze. His mind went back to the abandoned building full of dead vampires, the basement floor they’d found the Infant in – the clean window.
“He’s been bleeding though.” Jimin said worriedly.
There was a procedure to turning a person. You kill them, you drain their blood, you feed them your own. That’s all you need to make a vampire.
But to keep one alive the sire has to consistently feed the newborn with their own blood. It was a tedious process that left the sire weaker after the very first feeding. It’s the reason why fledglings were so precious, why there was such a close bond between them and their sire – they may be dead creatures but they put their heart into their fledglings.
Hoseok watched as the Infant gulped down mouthfuls of Seokjin’s blood.
“His wounds are untreated.” Yoongi said silently. His eyes were locked on Seokjin. “If you’re correct, hyung, then what little they gave him to turn him must have already bled out by now.”
“There was a lot of blood…” Taehyung mumbled.
Seokjin looked at Hoseok and shook his head.
“He wouldn’t have lasted until sunrise.”
Hoseok breathed shakily. If they had gotten the tip a day later then this little fledgling would have died all alone and scared without ever knowing the embrace of a loving coven. If Hoseok and his little ones had gone there just a few hours later he would have bled to death before being found, joining the other dead vampires in that building.
He ran his hand through his hair. What the fuck was wrong with people. Who could do such a thing to newborn?
“There is another thing.” Seokjin said like he wished he didn’t have to keep bringing up bad things. Hoseok had to steel himself for whatever information they were about to receive. Seokjin nodded towards Yoongi and the other vampire sighed.
“I’m going to need to take a better look after he’s feeding to confirm it.” Yoongi started. He was resting his chin in his palm and watching the Infant. He sucked on the inside of his cheek before shaking his head. “But I’m pretty certain they cut off his fangs.”
They gasped. Honest, loud gasps. Hoseok’s hands flew to his mouth but he wasn’t sure if it was from shock or if it was from an instinct to protect his fangs. His teeth felt all wrong. He snapped his head towards the infant and thought about the cuts around his mouth and how he couldn’t seem to figure out how to feed from Seokjin earlier.
How could someone hurt a fledgling like this? What kind of barbarian could ever do such things to a fledgling?
Hoseok looked back towards his little ones, Jimin and Taehyung were practically glued to Namjoon’s sides looking like they were about to throw up. Namjoon was holding them close, giving them comforting bites on their ears.
For a second Hoseok imagined what it would have been like if his little ones had been in the same situation this Infant had been if. If it had been Jimin tied with silver, if it had been Taehyung whimpering and bleeding out. It hurt his heart.
He looked back at the Infant when he made a content noise. He was further relaxing in Seokjin’s arms. His initial hunger frenzy must have passed. He wasn’t drinking like his life depended on it anymore, just happily sucking on Seokjin’s neck. He looked petite in Seokjin’s arms.
A few hours and they would hopefully have a healthier infant with them. Huh. Actually –
If the Infant hadn’t been fed properly after being turned, if the only blood he received was the whatever pitiful amount was used to turn him, and if he had been bleeding out since being turned –
Hoseok looked up at Seokjin, his brows pinched together as cogs turned in his head. Seokjin caught his gaze for a moment before focusing back on the Infant when he made a soft, distressed sound. Hoseok watched as Seokjin adjusted the Infant and murmured softly as he helped him drink better.
“He stays.” Seokjin said and Hoseok felt himself relax.
Why? The fledgling was a complete stranger to him. Yes, he was a newborn in distress but he was still a stranger, he had no connection to him.
He was a baby. Did he need any more reason than that? It had been the same when they had found Jimin and Taehyung.
“He’ll need a place to sleep.” Yoongi said and then turned to their fledglings before they could speak up. “And no, he can’t stay with you. He’ll be disoriented when he wakes up properly, I’m not risking any danger to you two.”
Jimin and Taehyung visibly deflated, pouty lips and all, but they recovered fast when Namjoon kissed the tops of their heads.
“We can prepare the guest room.” Taehyung suggested.
“That sounds like a good option.” Hoseok nodded.
“I trust you two to prepare it then.” Seokjin smiled at the fledglings. “That’s enough doom and gloom for the tonight. This one will be okay after being fed properly and we can look at his injuries then. He’ll be safe with us.”
“More importantly,” Seokjin started and then scrunched his nose in disgust, “You three stink.”
Laughter bubbled out of Hoseok’s chest uncontrollably. It was a shock to him – it’s not like Seokjin said something hilarious or anything but after the night they’d had Hoseok needed it.
“Oh, you make a mess in my study and find it funny?” Seokjin asked with faux anger.
“I thought you liked it when we made a mess in your study.” Jimin teased, his grin too big for his face.
“Jimin-ah, my darling, look at this room.” Seokjin said, deadpan. “Look at my carpet. Do you think this is the mess I like?”
Jimin giggled as he shook his head, not sorry about the mess at all. Hoseok snorted and looked at himself and – yeah, Seokjin had a point. Between everything happening Hoseok had completely ignored the state he was in. His clothes were all covered in now dried blood, his pants especially ruined from when he’d kneeled in the Infant’s blood while initially looking at him.
And all that dirt and blood was tracked around Seokjin’s study. They were going to have to call someone to come clean all this up.
“We need a shower, sweet things.” Hoseok told his fledglings as he stood up and groaned. “Come on, and then you guys can prepare the bed for our new friend.”
Jimin and Taehyung stood up following him, their hands already laced together. They were about to move when Taehyung faltered and looked at the Infant, unsure.
“He’ll still be here when you’re done with shower and the bed.” Seokjin said, humored but kind. “It’s not like I can go anywhere else either.”
“We’ll be with them.” Namjoon reassured Taehyung with a pat on the butt.
Hoseok pulled out his phone and gave it to Namjoon.
“I took photos and videos of everything, made notes too.” Hoseok explained as Namjoon entered his password. “I was going to make a detailed file to send to our police contact”
“I can handle the file if you want.” Yoongi suggested. “I need something to do anyway to pass the time.”
“Sure, suit yourself.” Hoseok shrugged. “Just share it with the class.”
“Of course.” Namjoon smiled at him, dimples and all.
Hoseok looked around the room one more time. Namjoon was already invested in the information in Hoseok’s phone, Yoongi was watching the Infant and Seokjin was – resting. Of course. An Infant needed a lot of blood to be healthy. Hoseok gave him a faint smile before dragging his two little ones out.
His fledglings were silent as they walked down the hall and they were standing closer to him than normal – which was impressive considering the two had a tendency to glue themselves to them. Hoseok couldn’t blame them, it’s not like he was in a chatty mood either.
“We shower together, right?” Jimin asked in a mumble and Hoseok smiled.
“Of course.” He said. “Helps with the water bill you know?”
They stripped in silence once they made it to the bathroom, the bloodied clothes making a pile in the corner. Hoseok considered burning them all instead of dealing with washing them. They weren’t in too bad of a condition though and it would be waste if he got rid of it.
Taehyung had turned the water scalding hot. Heat was a luxury to the creatures like them, they did what they could to feel it. Hot showers, sharing a bed – whatever made them feel warm for a moment before their skin turned cold again.
Hoseok stood under the water and let the grime and dirt and blood all wash down the drain, making space for Jimin and Taehyung once he was done. They had a large bathroom with a large shower but three people sharing it made it too crowded regardless of its size. Not that any of them minded anyway.
Especially considering that once they were all clean enough the two fledglings tucked themselves into Hoseok’s side with a little chirp. Hoseok laughed and hugged them close, finally feeling some semblance of safety since coming back from that damn building now that he was holding them in his arms.
Jimin and Taehyung were strong and skilled for their ages but they were still fledglings. They could still be harmed.
And their trip to the abandoned nest had done some emotional damage to his little ones.
Fuck, Hoseok himself was still reeling from what they’d witnessed, he could only imagine how scary it all must be for them. Dead vampires and a tortured infant. That was a clear sign of threat. Of course they were shaken.
But they were home now. Hoseok could breathe easy now that they were in the safety of their nest. Nothing could hurt is darlings in here.
“It’s alright.” Hoseok smoothed his hands down their spines as Jimin and Taehyung nibbled at his neck. He laughed a little, “What, are you guys hungry? Did you get jealous of the Infant feeding on hyung?”
Jimin snorted while Taehyung bit down a little harder.
“You can feed from me if you want.” Hoseok suggested. Jimin and Taehyung didn’t need to feed from them, they were technically a bit old for that now, but it was a good way to bond. Especially since it usually ended with them fucking.
They didn’t bite though. They just rubbed their noses across Hoseok’s throat and nibbled gently at his skin, letting out small chirps that were drowned under the sound of running water.
Hoseok took his time washing them first. Carefully worked the shampoo into their hair, helped them with body wash, made sure the water didn’t get into their eyes. In turn Taehyung shampooed Hoseok’s hair and Jimin rinsed it off in between chaste kisses.
They took their time, water bill be damned. Hoseok wanted to cherish each moment with his little loves. Maybe if he focused on how Jimin and Taehyung were splashing water at each other he would forget dead vampires rotting in the abandoned nest. Maybe if he focused on how Taehyung used Hoseok as a shield to keep protect himself from Jimin’s vicious attacks he wouldn’t be reminded of the infestation in their city.
How did Seokjin feel in his study feeding a newborn for the first in time his infant undead life?
When they got out of the shower they were pink from the hot water. They almost looked alive. Hoseok pinched Jimin and Taehyung’s cheeks and kissed their lips.
“We’ll go handle the bed.” Taehyung said, hanging on Jimin’s shoulder as they watched Hoseok apply his skin care products. Now with their hair dried they both looked fluffy in their sleep clothes.
“Just make sure he won’t be able to accidently open the windows.” Hoseok warned them. The last thing they wanted was the Infant dying from a sunburn after everything. “I’ll be with hyung when I’m done.”
“Okay.” Jimin kissed Taehyung’s cheek. “I’ll make hot chocolate for everyone.”
Hoseok took his time applying the moisturizer. Being somewhat immortal had its perks, he didn’t have to do this, but it was a daily ritual at this point in his life. It calmed him.
When he was done he sighed and looked at the mirror where his reflection should be. It wasn’t. It hadn’t been there in decades. He cleaned up his skin care set and made his way back to Seokjin’s study.
Namjoon was rolling up the carpet when Hoseok walked in. There was a mop and a bucket waiting on the side with a floor detergent. Yoongi was using Seokjin’s laptop with Hoseok’s phone in his hand, looking at the phone before typing loudly on the keyboard.
Seokjin was exactly where Hoseok had left him. The Infant was still drinking happily from him.
“You need help with that?” Hoseok asked Namjoon as he made his way to sit down. He tugged his night robe around himself to get comfortable.
“Nah, I got this.” Namjoon said as he lifted the carpet. “Just gonna clean the floor anyway. The carpet needs professional work.”
“That carpet is older than most of you.” Seokjin said with his nose held high. “You better find someone who is really careful with it Joon-ah.”
“Blood is the least disgusting thing that carpet has suffered through.” Yoongi added from the side as he kept typing. “If it came back squeaky clean after last month I’m sure it’ll be okay after some foot prints.”
Namjoon and Hoseok snorted – both at the memory of last month and the way Seokjin huffed and turned his face away from Yoongi dramatically. Yoongi had a point. The poor carpet had been through some traumatic events.
“How’s the little one doing?” Hoseok asked. He pulled his legs under him and got comfortable on the couch, watching the said vampling in question.
“He finally figured out how to drink better a few minutes ago.” Seokjin said, almost proud before grimacing. “The lack of fangs is really making the whole process harder on him – he’s wasting blood more than he’s drinking it.”
And the proof of it was running down Seokjin’s neck, painting his button up shirt red. Hoseok hummed in response while Namjoon started mopping up the floor.
“Is there anything we could do about that?” Hoseok turned to Yoongi.
The older vampire paused typing and looked at the Infant. He sighed and began typing again.
“I have to take a better look once he’s not on the edge of death.” Yoongi replied. “I need to see how the cuts were made and how deep they are – “
He stopped again and looked at Seokjin and the Infant, eyes narrowing a little.
“If there’s some part of the root left it might grow back.” Yoongi said. “Baby fangs are delicate and made to be replaced, if he’s lucky.”
“He’s been lucky so far.” Namjoon replied and Hoseok nodded.
“If there’s some left –“ Seokjin said and then cut himself to adjust the Infant’s position in his arm, hushing when the little one grumbled. Hoseok huffed into a smile as Seokjin hushed him. “I’m trying to help you drink, stop whining.” He mumbled but there was no anger behind it, just Seokjin complaining for the sake of it. “If there’s a chance his fangs grow back how long would it take?”
Yoongi leaned back in his chair, his eyes trained on the Infant. He gave a long sigh before shaking his head.
“Baby fangs are delicate.” Yoongi repeated himself. They all knew this, it was one of the few hundred reasons why fledglings were so doted on. “If they break it, it can take up to a year before they grow a new one, depending on their diet and environment.” Yoongi carried on. “I need to see how deep the cuts are and if the fangs were – “he made a face, “ – if they were cut from the root or something else. Dozens of fledglings break their fangs every year but I’ve never seen a case where a fledgling had their fang cut off.”
Hoseok winced at the reminder, his gums hurting at the idea of something cutting his fangs off. What sort of lunatic would do that?
“How long?” Seokjin repeated. The two eldest stared at each other for a moment before Yoongi licked his lips.
“If he has a healthy diet and a safe environment through the entire process?” Yoongi started. “Probably two or three years.”
Seokjin hummed and looked down at the Infant mouthing at his neck. He stroked the fledgling’s leg with his free hand and watched Namjoon mop.
“I’ll have to ask around.” Yoongi carried on. “Maybe someone else knows something but – I can’t say anything positive or negative before I get a better look into his mouth.”
“Can you do it here?” Namjoon asked as he straightened up. The floor was shiny and the room smelled like flowers now. “Or will you have to take him to the clinic?”
“I have some of my things here.” Yoongi replied. “Also I don’t think it’s a good idea to have him leave here anyway. I’ll take a look at his mouth and all the other injuries when he’s done feeding.”
“Hopefully the worst of it should heal by itself when he’s full.” Namjoon said and put the mop to the side. He walked over the Yoongi and picked up a small, see-through evidence package. He lifted it up and Hoseok saw that it was the silver cuffs the Infant had been bound with. “Currently I’m more worried about the damage this might have done to him.”
“It looks cheap.” Hoseok said.
“It felt cheap.” Seokjin snorted.
“You sure it didn’t hurt that bad?” Hoseok asked, his eyes glancing down at Seokjin’s fingers. The very tips of it where he’d touched it were pinkish in color – a light burn.
“I’m a couple centuries old, darling.” Seokjin gave him an endeared smiled and wiggled his pink fingers in the air. “It’ll be gone by sunrise. Like you said, cheap.”
“Still silver though.” Namjoon put the bag back down and tipped his chin towards the Infant. “And he’s not a couple centuries old, he’s barely few hours old at best. I’m worried about long term damage it might cause.”
“He’ll be more worn out than usual fledglings. “ Yoongi piped in. “Between his inability feed as well as a healthy fledgling and the silver, it’s probably going to take him a few months to feel normal.”
Seokjin carefully held the Infant’s hand that was still clutching to the front of his shirt. The Infant made a disgruntled sound but immediately laced his fingers with Seokjin’s. The older vampires couldn’t help but coo at the scene.
The cuteness didn’t last long when Seokjin lifted the Infant’s arm to check his wrists. The skin was badly burned, an angry red rash. There were burn blisters of various sizes that Seokjin avoided touching. The skin seemed almost melted where the silver had directly touched. They could see where the Infant had clearly tugged on the cuffs; the band had cut into the skin.
“Yeah, that’s – “Yoongi made a face. “That’s gonna take time to heal. We’ll have to keep an eye on his hands.” Seokjin placed the Infant’s hand back on his chest but the fledgling didn’t let go of him. Seokjin sighed and leaned back, let the little one hold onto him.
“I’m going to assume it’s gonna take longer than usual for him to be fed fully.” Hoseok said. “Since he can’t drink as well as other newborns.”
“It might take until tomorrow, honestly.” Seokjin laughed awkwardly.
Hoseok frowned in worry. Feeding a newborn until they were completely full and functioning was taxing on a sire – or, well Seokjin in this case but… yeah Hoseok would get back to that in a minute. It would have been hard on Seokjin even if the Infant could drink properly but since he couldn’t this would probably take twice the normal amount.
“We’ll get some blood bags for you.” Yoongi interrupted Hoseok’s train of thought. “You’ll be tired for a few days but I don’t think it’ll be that bad.”
“Of course.” Seokjin said. “I’m your hyung, I’m very strong.”
The door opened and Jimin and Taehyung walked in with a tray full of hot chocolate. Hoseok cheered and clapped for their arrival, sitting up straight when they served everyone their cups.
“Look how pretty you look without dirt and blood on you.” Seokjin commented as he took a sip from his cup.
The fledglings preened under the compliment before sitting down next to Hoseok, their eyes immediately focusing on the Infant. It must be a curious sight for them, beyond all the events of the night, to see a vampire younger than them.
Not just younger, a newborn. You rarely ever see an infant with how protective sires and covens get. Normally there would be festivities in a coven to celebrate such a big event but – it didn’t really fit the mood here.
“I have a question.” Jimin piped up after the silence only filled by Yoongi’s typing dragged on for too long. The older vampires all hummed in response. Jimin shifted in his seat a little bit and leaned into Hoseok. Seokjin looked up from the Infant to meet Jimin’s eyes and give him a nod to encourage him to continue. “So – he was only given enough blood to be turned, right?”
“Correct.” Seokjin replied.
“And nothing else.”
“That’s right.”
“And he – he bled out the vampire blood he was fed already.”
“U-huh.”
“And now you’re the one feeding him properly for the first time.”
“Yup.”
“So – “Jimin tilted his head, his brows pinched in confusion. “Wouldn’t that… technically make you his sire?”
And there it was. The infant shaped elephant in the room.
They all stared at Seokjin when the vampire in question made a pained sound and sighed. Dramatic.
“I mean – I’ve fed other vampires before –“ he started.
“Yes we are aware of your wet-nurse tendencies.” Namjoon snorted and ducked when Seokjin threw a pillow at him.
“This isn’t like that though.” Taehyung said and Seokjin sighed again.
“No, no it isn’t.”
The coven leader looked down at the Infant in his arms, his eyes thoughtful but soft. The fledgling was making little noises, still holding Seokjin’s hand. After all he’d been through Seokjin must be a great source of comfort for him – especially since Seokjin was his sire now.
It wasn’t unheard of but certainly it was mostly treated as – well, unnecessary, really, because why would any vampire go through the process of killing and draining and giving a person their blood without fully turning them?
It was mentioned in history books as something that can be done but, again, Hoseok doubted any vampire would allow their fledgling to be taken from them in such manner. The only times it had happened, historically, was either when a vampire stole an infant from a different sire or if it was life or death (or life and undeath).
Seokjin had created a peaceful life for vampires who resided in Seoul. There were simple rules to follow and everyone was more than happy to oblige. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you or whatever.
Seokjin was infamous for being charitable, for his hospitality. He was also, and he hated being called this but there was no other way to really explain, a bit of a wet nurse for vampires.
Seoul always had stragglers passing by through his lands, vampires in dire situations who didn’t have a safe place to go or a coven to look after then, vampires in terrible conditions.
Seokjin would find them and sometimes he would feed them. It was just enough to put them back on their feet, enough to make sure they wouldn’t die in Seokjin’s territory. There were many reasons why vampires in this city were so loyal to Seokjin – a good portion of them quite literally owed him their lives.
This didn’t mean that Seokjin was their sire or anything. It just meant he was kind enough to share his blood to keep someone alive. Once the vampire he helped was in good shape they would be free to go or stay in Seoul as long as they were a law abiding citizen. They could stay as loners or Seokjin could help find them a new home in one of the many covens that lived under his rule.
There were many vampires in Seoul. There were many vampires who would die for Seokjin.
But this – this wasn’t like that.
These series of events that led to the Infant feeding on Seokjin were different than any other time Seokjin generously offered his own blood. Hoseok thought about that momentary hesitation he’d seen earlier.
Seokjin had known. He’d known what he would be doing if he fed the infant.
There was a process to turning a human into a vampire; drain their blood and give them your own. An exchange, an oath.
If this Infant – silver bound, beaten, abandoned – bled out the blood his sire originally fed him then Seokjin’s would, for lack of a better word, overrule that claim.
“He’s yours.” Hoseok said. Simple.
“He’s ours.” Seokjin corrected and then softly added, “He stays.”
Hearing the confirmation, tension bled out from them in waves. Hoseok felt physically lighter now – how was he already this attached? He sipped his hot chocolate.
“The silver cuffs.” Yoongi steered the topic back. Seokjin visible relaxed at the change and Namjoon and Hoseok exchanged a quick look. “It’s cheap and all but silver handcuffs aren’t exactly items people have lying around. It’s cheaply made but this coven or their leader, whoever, knew to get a silver cuff and knew how and where to get one.”
“Only a handful of places sell silver items here.” Taehyung pointed out. “A few human ones and a few in the underworld. I doubt they’d try the hunter shops.”
“I’ll add it to the file.” Yoongi said, already typing in before he looked over the screen to Seokjin. “We should warn the other covens to make sure nothing is missing.”
“We should make sure no one is missing either.” Jimin said. “There were dead vampires in there.”
“Nobody reported any missing members.” Namjoon said. “And I doubt anyone would hide that they were missing someone. I’ll reach out, ask people to look after each other. We could use a patrol system for now. Between the dead vampires and the dead humans, we’ll have a problem if this reaches the hunters.”
Seokjin waved a hand, “The hunters won’t be an issue.”
“I don’t think the dead vamps were from the city.” Hoseok sighed, the images of rotting bodies were fresh in his mind. “Nobody looked familiar to me but – “ he shrugged, “I think whoever is running that group is just – not a good leader. There were a few dead there. You only get that many if they’re diseased or starving.”
“I don’t think any of them are from here.” Namjoon added before nodding towards the Infant. “We should make sure the little one isn’t diseased.”
“If he already bled out his original sire’s blood then Seokjin hyung’s blood will be enough to wash away anything unwanted in his system.” Yoongi said. “But I will check for it just in case later.”
“Remind me who was it that reached out to us about this building?” Seokjin asked.
“Ah, Lee Jonhgyun.” Namjoon said. “He sent me an email, didn’t really explain if he saw personally or if the word got to him.”
Hoseok narrowed his eyes, “You think he’s behind this?”
Lee Jonghyun was a vampire with a considerably power and sway in underground politics. He didn’t have a large coven, a handful he’d sired and a few he’d adopted from those Seokjin had saved. He wasn’t a person Hoseok enjoyed being around but the man lived in Seokjin’s territory amicably so Hoseok sucked it up for the sake of peace.
“No.” Seokjin said. “He’s dramatic but he wouldn’t be putting his own head at risk. He wouldn’t want to have murderous strays running around near his coven either.”
“You don’t think it’s some overtaking?” Namjoon asked and Seokjin snorted, clearly amused. Hoseok wondered what was funnier to him; Namjoon suggesting such thing or the fact that anyone would ever try it.
“No, Jonghyun hates paperwork.” Seokjin answered. It was as simple as that. “I’ll talk to him later. Until then, Joonie is right, we should have patrols out in the city. If we have a rabid, murderous coven out there then nobody is safe – which brings me to you two.”
Jimin and Taehyung looked up at Seokjin and then at each other.
“I don’t want you out there.” Seokjin said, serious. “Just because this group hasn’t attacked any vampires yet doesn’t mean they won’t. Two fledglings like you would make easy targets.”
They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, inching closer to Hoseok. Taehyung was staring into his cup while Jimin nuzzled into Hoseok’s neck.
It was the unfortunate truth; fledglings were beloved and fledglings were easy prey. There were rules in polite society, a general agreement that fledglings were to be left out of disagreements and fights and whatever discourse was happening.
But if a vampire was already breaking rules then why would they show mercy to any fledglings? If this coven had discarded an infant of their making then it was a clear sign that no other fledgling would be safe in this city until these pests were taken care of.
Jimin and Taehyung had a little bit more freedom than other fledglings around their age. Hoseok knew of fledglings that wouldn’t leave their coven until they were a hundred years old and even then their sire would keep a watchful eye on them.
In their case, Jimin and Taehyung were free to go out where ever they wanted as long as they told the older vampires beforehand. They almost always had someone watching over them from the distance, either a member of the coven or some of their underlings. Forbidding them from going outside felt too much like they were keeping them in a cage and they knew how boring that could be.
At least technology had greatly advanced in the last few decades, that was something.
“Honestly I don’t think I can go out alone anyway.” Jimin tried to give a little smile but it felt weird on his face. Taehyung nodded along.
Hoseok pulled them closer, his guts twisting knowing that his babies felt unsafe. They had all the reasons to be but it rubbed Hoseok’s instincts the wrong way. After all he was supposed to be their protector.
It wasn’t just him. It was clear as day on all the older vampire’s faces how it bothered them to see their fledglings like this. Jimin and Taehyung were adventurous by nature, little daredevils that liked to poke the hornet’s nest. It wasn’t like them to be so openly subdued.
“It won’t be for too long.” Seokjin added softly. “This whole situation will be handled quickly, I promise. These are my lands and I’ve had them for centuries, I’m not going to let some group of diseased vamps ruin our comfort.”
“Hyung is powerful.” Namjoon said with a sweet smile. “It’ll be over soon.
That seemed to be enough to relax their fledglings a little but they still stayed glued to Hoseok. He was more than happy with this.
“Hey,” he stage whispered to Jimin. “This hot chocolate is really good.”
Jimin smiled against Hoseok’s shoulder, “It has blood in it.”
“Of course it does.” Yoongi smiled from the desk. “The perfect secret ingredient.”
“What are we going to do now?” Taehyung asked, getting himself comfortable next to Hoseok.
“Well, I will be sitting here for a few hours.” Seokjin started. “You guys are free to do whatever, nobody has to stay here until this little one is done feeding.”
“I wanna stay.” Taehyung said and Jimin nodded along.
“I have to finish this.” Yoongi nodded towards the computer. “So I’ll be staying too.”
“Hyung let’s be honest, nobody is leaving this room until you and the fledgling does.” Namjoon chuckled and went to find himself a spot to sit.
“Attached at the hips.” Seokjin sighed dramatically. “Well, I suppose at least it’ll be more entertaining with all of us here.”
“We’ll have to clean him up before putting him to his bed.” Hoseok said suddenly. “The poor thing is just covered in dirt.”
“I’ll have to patch up all his wounds too.” Yoongi added. “We can do those when he’s done feeding.”
“He’s gonna be terrified when he wakes up.” Jimin said.
“Well,” Hoseok kissed Jimin’s cheek. “We’ll be here to make him feel better.”
The Infant made a noise almost as if he knew they were talking about him. They all fell silent to watch him drink. Hoseok blinked. Maybe he was making things up but in that moment the Infant seemed to fit perfectly in Seokjin’s arms.
Huh. They had a new coven member. There were seven of them now.
The study was filled with easy chatter through the night, unimportant topics being discussed like it were world ending revelations. Jimin and Taehyung fell asleep when the first rays of sunlight bled across the night. They weren’t old enough to resist that particular urge yet, their instincts making them sleep so they wouldn’t be burned. They looked adorable curled around each other as they slept.
The Infant kept feeding past the sunrise even though they could tell that, just like Jimin and Taehyung, the Infant was aware that it was daytime and he was highly bothered by it. They tried to make him feel better by draping a blanket over his head and it seemed to help somewhat.
By the time he let go of Seokjin’s neck it was the middle of the day. He popped his lips off and inhaled softly, hooking his chin over Seokjin’s shoulder and falling asleep right away.
Seokjin’s neck was a mess of blood, it was going all the way down the front of his shirt and even his arm. His eyes were sleepy and he winced when he moved to lift the Infant.
Namjoon stopped him and took the Infant from his arms while Hoseok and Yoongi immediately flocked to him.
“I’ll take care of the little one.” Yoongi told Hoseok and then nodded towards Seokjin. Without saying anything he and Namjoon disappeared into the penthouse with the Infant.
“I know he was trying to be sneaky but I totally caught that.” Seokjin mumbled. “You can’t hide anything from these vampire eyes.”
“That’s good.” Hoseok smiled warmly at his boyfriends and cupped his face. “I like it when you look at me.”
If he could, Seokjin would blush.
“Come on.” Hoseok said and helped Seokjin stand up. “Let’s clean you up and then you can sleep too.”
“Little one drank more than I thought he would.” Seokjin confessed, leaning on Hoseok as the younger vampire lead them to the closest bathroom. “That’s a good thing.”
“He’s got an appetite.” Hoseok nodded.
“If he can eat then he’ll live.” Seokjin added and then kissed Hoseok’s forehead. “You did the right thing bring him here.
Hoseok snorted, “I couldn’t leave him there, what kind of person would that make me? Now take your shirt off.”
“Hob-ah!” Seokjin gasped, a hand on his chest, scandalized. “Take me on a date first!”
“I’m a bad boy, hyung.” Hoseok chuckled as he worked on unbuttoning the rest of Seokjin’s shirt. As scandalized as he was, Seokjin did nothing to stop Hoseok from stripping him. Maybe Seokjin was a little naughty too.
The cut on Seokjin’s neck was already healing on its own. It was just the initial cut he’d made himself because, again, the Infant didn’t have the fangs for it. Hoseok wiped the blood with a wet cloth they kept for this sort of moments.
Seokjin let him clean him without making a fuss about it. It just went to show how tired the coven leader really was. Hoseok knew Seokjin would be back to himself completely in a day or two but he couldn’t help the growing sense of worry in his belly.
Two fledglings, an infant, and now a weakened coven leader. If things were to go south –
Hoseok shook his head. He wasn’t about to follow that train of thought. That was just his anxiety speaking. Nobody would dare to attack them in this city, not even rabid vampires. Even if they tried it was damn near impossible to get into their home. They were safe here.
“Hey, Hob-ah.”
Hoseok looked up with a raised brow. Seokjin smiled at him that small, precious type of smile and leaned in to kiss him. It was chaste, soft. Hoseok melted into it.
“We have a fledgling.” Seokjin murmured, amazed. Hoseok snickered.
“You sired someone.” Hoseok said, just as amazed. Seokjin groaned dramatically but his smile was wide.
“Imagine if someone had told us this yesterday.” Seokjin giggled and kissed Hoseok again. “I’d say they were a crazy person.”
“Yet here we are.”
“Here we are.” Seokjin repeated and ran his hand through Hoseok’s hair before cupping his cheek.
“Hyung.” Hoseok said, leaning into Seokjin’s palm. “Let’s go to sleep.”
“Jung Hoseok, that sounds delightful.” Seokjin smiled.
Tomorrow they would deal with a freshly awoken infant. Tomorrow they would call the other coven leaders and warn them of the danger lurking in this city.
But today, with sun high in sky, they went to sleep.