Of Stubborn Vampire & Persistent Werewolf

by Neko1996

Summary:

Yeosang lives a peaceful life, filled with reading, gardening and reminiscing old memories. He was content with his quiet life and couldn't fantom the idea of change. Queue, San who wants to leave a good impression as Yeosang's new neighbour. Yeosang brushes off San at first but tension rise as they refuse to see eye to eye.

Or, a Vampire who was living his quiet life, alone in a mansion before an overly friendly Werewolf moves in next door and decided, peace was not an option.

Notes:

Happy Halloween! I tried my best to make this a oneshot but...it ran away from me. For now, I have decided that this story will at least be 3 chapters long but we will see how it goes.

So, this story was inspired by this video . Yes, I watch pther play the Sims and live vicariously . When I used to play the Sims, it took over my life sooooo.

Anyway! This story is basically a grumpy vampire Yeosang and an overly friend Werewolf San who are about to navigate the enemies to friends to lovers troupe. I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Yeosang, a vampire who had long since stopped counting the centuries that passed, lived in a small town of supernatural creatures. He lived alone in a mansion and kept to himself. He had no need for company or friends. He would sometimes get a letter from his fellow coven members, but even those were far and few in between. He liked the simplicity of his life. He went hunting when he needed to and tended his garden.

No one else in the small town of supernaturals bothered him and he was okay with that.

He enjoyed his peace and solitude until one day he heard the commotion from his home's library.

He put his book down before making his way to the window, where he pushed the heavy velvet curtain to the side and peeked out, being careful of the sunlight.

Outside is a moving van and it instantly fills Yeosang with dread. There is loud laughter and chattering as the movers work to empty the van.

Next to Yeosang’s mansion was a warehouse that had been uninhabited for as long as he could remember. When he first moved into his mansion, the warehouse was just that: a warehouse. An abandoned warehouse but a warehouse, nonetheless. The “For Sale” sign had always been present. Yeosang had noticed that it had been taken down recently and wondered what had happened, but he wasn’t one to dwell on things, so he had just brushed it off.

All he can hope for is a neighbor who minded their own business before he goes back to reading his book. He finds it easy to tune out the noise outside and focus on the words of his book. He is not sure how long he sits there just reading but he feels a small seed of annoyance plant itself when he hears the knocking on his door. 

No one had come to visit him in over a decade.

Yeosang sighed and put his book down, already knowing who it would be. There was no other reasonable explanation for this than his new neighbor. With another sigh, he stands up and goes down the two flights of stairs to the first floor where the front door is. He cracks the door open and is greeted by an overly joyful Werewolf.

“Hi!”

“…hello.”

“I’m San! Your new neighbor!” San, the Werewolf says with a bright dimpled smile.

“…Yeosang.”

“Hm, you’re not much of a talker, are you?” San says with a pout, but he doesn’t look disappointed or sad. “Either way, I can tell we will be good friends! I bought you cookies!”

“No thanks.”

San’s face falls briefly.

“They are freshly baked and tasty, I promise!” San says, his smile still on his face.

“I’m not interested,” Yeosang says as sternly as he can before he tries to shut the door on the Werewolf, hoping to signal that this would be their first and last encounter but the Werewolf seems to have other ideas as he places his foot in front of the door before Yeosang managed to shut the door.

The Werewolf has a tight-lipped smile as he pushes the little basket of cookies and what looks like wildflowers into Yeosang’s hands.

“Let’s not start on the wrong foot…Vampire.”

Yeosang is so shocked at how low and threatening the werewolf’s voice got, by the time he fully processed what San had done, he was gone. Yeosang stares down at the basket and has a brief moment of anger where he wants to throw the basket out but something in him stops him. He sighs, probably for the 100th time that day before shutting the door. 

He decides to just avoid his new neighbor. 

Except the Werewolf seems to make it his goal to become friends with Yeosang.

“Hey Yeosang!” San calls him in his cheerful manner as he approaches Yeosang who has just stepped out of his mansion. He was about to go on a hunt but much to his annoyance, his new neighbor approached him again, instead. 

“Yes?” Yeosang asks, trying to keep his calm.

”Going out on a hunt? Want me to join you?” San asks. 

“No thank you,” Yeosang says as coldly as he can so San gets the hint but nothing seems to deter the Werewolf.

”There will be safety in numbers,” San says and Yeosang feels himself losing his grip on patience. 

“I don’t need protection from a beast,” Yeosang says and San’s smile finally falls. 

“No one said I wanted to protect you,” San said, his voice dropping a few octaves.

”Just leave me alone,” Yeosang says and walks away from San without staying around to find out how the Werewolf would respond. He really hoped that was the end of it and that San would indeed leave him alone. 

He was wrong.

The Werewolf only seems to get more persistent. He Would constantly knock on Yeosang’s door with a bright smile and a basket of baked goods. He had been relentless in his attempts at being friends, offering to bake something Yeosang would like. Yeosang had tried to argue that he could not eat food but San had waved him off.

”I know that’s just a silly myth,” San had said and presented him with a basket of cupcakes.

Yeosang will reluctantly admit that all the baked goods the Werewolf has been dropping off were…good. They were really good. Yeosang grumbled to himself as he snacked on the baked goods but his patience was running thin with every knock on his door.

San also persisted in trying to hang out with Yeosang, offering to take him out to a cafe in the supernatural town or join him on a hunt. Yeosang had politely (or as politely as he could) rejected all his offers but it never deterred San. 

One late evening just as Yeosang was trying to relax, there was a knock on his door. He already knew who it would be, it could only be San. Yeosang was not in the mood to entertain San today. He was on edge after many days of not going on a hunt. 

He had been holed up in his home to avoid the very Werewolf who was knocking on his door.  Yeosang groans as he puts his book down. He clutches his locket as he walks down the stairs to the front door. He has to say a silent prayer before opening the door to a smiley San once more.

Yeosang had lost count of the number of times he had been in this exact situation. 

“Hi Yeosang!” San says as cheerful as always. “Would you like to join me for a walk through the forest?” He asks and Yeosang has to hold back his sigh.

His patience was running thin and after being holed up in his mansion for so long, the last thing he wanted was to entertain San and his crazy whims.

”No,” Yeosang says and tries to shut the door but San is fast and manages to hold it open.

”Oh come on,” San says as sweetly as he can manage while a corner of his mouth twitches in annoyance. “It’s just a little walk, no harm between friends.”

Anger and annoyance surges through Yeosang and he finds himself unable to hold back.

”We are not friends,” Yeosang says with a glare. “I never asked for you to pester me,” he adds.

San’s face falls.

“But I— ”

“Enough already,” Yeosang cuts him off. “I don’t want your company or your baked goods or your friendship. I want to be left alone!” 

San stares at him with furrowed brows. He looks genuinely upset for the first time since he met Yeosang. His smile had been replaced by confusion and disbelief. Yeosang continues to glare at him and San’s hand eventually drops from the door. 

“Why are you always pushing me away?” San finally asks. “I’m just trying to be nice.”

“I don’t need nice,” Yeosang instantly shoots San down. “I just want to be alone.”

”You don’t have to be!” San insists. “It gets lonely when you are alone, it’s nice to have company, someone to talk to.”

“I don’t need someone to talk to,” Yeosang says, feeling exhausted. “I especially don’t need YOUR company. I don’t want your constant intrusion into my life! I have lived here for decades and I won’t have you disrupt my life!

San’s eyes darken and Yeosang can tell that the Werewolf was angry. Yeosang had seen him be disheartened each time his offer had been rejected, but never angry. The Werewolf visibly gets on guard as he sizes Yeosang up. 

Yeosang doesn’t back away, glaring back at San. 

“You’re just an arrogant asshole,” San says with a growl. “Sitting here in your dark mansion, pushing all of us away as if we’re dirt under your feet.”

Yeosang can practically see the steam coming off of San. If looks could kill, Yeosang would almost be fearing for his immortal life. 

“You think you’re so much better than the rest of us, don’t you?” San continues. “You push everyone away because you think you are too good for everyone!” San snaps and Yeosang is slightly taken aback. Just for a moment, he wonders if he really comes across as arrogant…he had never meant for it to be that way but his patience had run out, and having an annoying Werewolf yelling at him wasn’t helping. 

“So what if I am?!” Yeosang snaps back. He has been on edge for too long to hold back. “I certainly didn’t ask for your company or your friendship! I have been alone for decades and I will not change that anytime soon!”

San lets out a laugh.

”For someone who has lived this long,” San spits out. “You have a very narrow minded view of the world. Being alone is not a strength and you’ll find out one day that it’s just lonely up here in your mansion.”

Yeosang glares at San, his hands turning into tight fists as his body shakes in anger. 

“Get off my property,” Yeosang hisses and San rolls his eyes. 

“Have it your way,” San hisses back before he turns on his heel and stomps away but Yeosang gets the feeling that this is just the beginning of a difficult relationship with his new neighbor. 

________

Yeosang is coming back home from a hunt, it was late in the night and he was more than ready to sleep the rest of the night and the next day off. He needed the rest and since his argument with San, things had been quiet…a little too quiet.

Yeosang should have known it was too good to be true because as soon as he steps out of the forest, he hears the music. It’s loud and so bass heavy that Yeosang feels the ground vibrating. 

He already knows who the source of all this noise is. There can only be one person. 

For the first time since San had moved in next door, Yeosang marches up to San’s front door and bangs on it as aggressively as he can. He waits impatiently for San to answer the door. It takes a few more banging on the door before San finally answers. His smile falters as he sees Yeosang.

“What do you want?” 

San's voice is low and Yeosang can tell the Werewolf is in less than a friendly mood.

“The noise. It's intolerable,” Yeosang hisses. 

“So?” San challenges and it makes Yeosang's anger flare up.

“It's disturbing the entire neighborhood!” Yeosang snaps, he was running short on patience.

“Since when have you cared about the neighborhood?” San asks with a raised brows. “I thought you were too busy sulking in your mansion alone.”

“You don’t know anything about me,” Yeosang says.

”I know you’re just a miserable old bat that wants to ruin others' day,” San says matter-of-factly. 

Before Yeosang can say anything else, someone calls out San’s name. San turns around and through the door, Yeosang can see a tall Werewolf.

”Everything okay?” The taller Werewolf asks.

”It’s fine,” San says, turning back to Yeosang. “My unfriendly neighbor is just leaving,” he says pointedly before he goes to shut the door but Yeosang stops him. 

“The noise…keep it down,” Yeosang says, feeling tired and fed up. “Please.”

San’s eyes widen in surprise and opens his mouth to say something but the tall Werewolf speaks up.

”Relax bloodsucker,” he says with a cocky smirk. “We’re just having a little fun.”

”Your fun is disrupting my life,” Yeosang says as he glares at the tall Werewolf. 

“Oh, come on,” the Werewolf says as he steps towards Yeosang. “Don’t be so miserable, we’re not hurting anyone and I'm sure you have friends over for a get together.”

”I don’t actually.”

”What?” The tall Werewolf looks surprised. “Ain’t got no friends or what?”

Yeosang opens his mouth but nothing comes out. He closes his eyes and wonders what he was doing arguing with Werewolves he barely knew. 

“That’s enough, Mingi,” San steps in. “We don’t need to associate ourselves with miserable bats,” he adds. He then looks at Yeosang. 

“We aren’t trying to cause problems, it’s just a small pack get together,” San says. “We aren’t trying to bother anyone.”

”You’re bothering me!” Yeosang snaps. 

“This town isn’t just yours,” San says. “There are others who live here. I live here and have just as much right to live how I want as you do.” 

“Just keep it down,” Yeosang says, finally giving up. “Or go enjoy yourselves somewhere else, this place is my home, not your party land.”

With that Yeosang turns on his heel with a huff and marches back to his home. 

“Well he was a ray of sunshine, wasn’t he,” Mingi says with a roll of his eyes. 

“Tell me about it,” San says, feeling upset all over again. He had tried to make peace with the fact that he would never be on good terms with his Vampire neighbor. San had never liked arrogant people who didn’t want to understand others but something about Yeosang just didn’t sit with him right. “Let’s try to keep it down a bit,” San says.

”Anything to keep that bat away,” Mingi says before the two go back to join the rest of San’s pack to continue their get-to-gether. 

 

________

 

Yeosang is tending to his garden and making sure all the Roses are well taken care of. When he was not inside his mansion reading and reminiscing, he would spend the nights tending to his garden where he felt a sense of peace. He smiles to himself as he touches the petal of a rose. He can vividly remember the memories in this garden, the laughter he had shared and the sweet nothings he had shared. 

He remembers the teasing words and the playful touches. The quick kisses with a promise of more once they were done with the garden. 

Of course, as Yeosang had recently come to realise, his peace meant little to his new neighbor. 

The loud laughter and the general jovial energy shatter Yeosang’s peace like nails on the chalkboard. He had been trying to ignore San and his pack, not because they had been any quieter after his first argument with San but because he didn’t want to deal with them (plus, Yeosang will never admit it out loud but San and his pack had been right, this town wasn’t just Yeosang’s home). 

He tries his best to ignore them and concentrate on making sure that his Roses are well taken care of but as the laughter gets louder, Yeosang’s jaw clenches. It was unbearable and grated on his nerves. He finally gives in and turns to the iron fence of his garden. His view is obstructed by the ivy but he can clearly see San and his pack members gathered around the fire pit, laughing and chatting happily as they shared stories over drinks. 

Yeosang marches over to the fence.

“San.”

Yeosang’s voice is sharp as it cuts through the night. San turns to him and his face falls when he sees Yeosang.

”What do you want?” San asks once he walks towards his side of the fence. 

“I want you and your pack to keep it down,” Yeosang hisses. “Some of us are trying to enjoy the peace.” 

Yeosang glares at San, who doesn’t back down. If it was anyone else, Yeosang suspects they would be unnerved by the four Werewolves glaring at them right now but Yeosang has been through worse, so he glares right back at all of them. 

“It’s a simple gathering,” San says, his anger and annoyance was clear from his tone of voice. He was barely holding it together but Yeosang was not scared. “It's not a crime to hang out with my friends.”

“It’s a crime when it disturbed my peace.”

“It's one night,” San says, his brows furrowing as his anger rises. “You cannot seriously expect all of us to be loners like you!”

“I didn't say that,” Yeosang says with a sigh. “I said be quiet and stop disturbing my peace! Go somewhere else to galavant or stop acting like a bunch of wild animals– ”

“We are animals!”

Yeosang's mouth opens and shuts several times as he tries to find the words to throw back at San. He is also surprised by his own words. Vampires And Werewolves had a history of not getting along but that had been centuries ago before they came to an understanding.

Before hunters became a common enemy for all supernaturals. 

Before this town was built as a safe place for all supernaturals.

San’s eyes have darkened and turned into a stormy grey while the rest of his pack stands up from where they are sitting. They all slowly gather around San and Yeosang feels their presence become more intimidating by the second.

“That's what we are to you,” San says lowly. “And you may be right, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat us like we are dirty under your feet.”

“I– ”

“I don’t know what your problem is,” San cuts Yeosang off. “I tried to be understanding but I can see that you don't want to extend the same grace to my pack and I. Have it your way and live alone in your mansion looking down at the rest of us but just know, you are alone because of this very reason.”

Yeosang's heart tightened at San’s words. It hits a little closer to his non-beating heart than he would like to admit.

“You don’t know what you're talking about,” Yeosang says as calmly as he can.

“You’re right,” San admits much to Yeosang's surprise. “But I am not the one who hides in their perfect mansion refusing to live a little.”

Yeosang clenches his fists. The locket around his neck, hanging close to his heart, feels heavy at San’s words. 

“Alright, that's enough,” one of San’s pack members says. He has shoulder length, black hair, and is slightly taller than San and Yeosang. “San, we shouldn't be starting a fight, you have just moved in,” he scolds San softly but Yeosang can tell he has some authority over San and the rest of his pack.

“Ha? I was ready to fight,” The tallest of the pack members says with a glare. The same one who had joined San at the door the other day. He had grey hair, swooped back, away from his face. “I could show the bat how it's done.”

“Stop it, Mingi,” The final member of San’s pack speaks. He has short red hair and looks unassuming but the way he places a hand on the tall one…Yeosang could tell he packed a punch. He manages to drag the tall one (Mingi, Yeosang mentally notes) away from the fence. 

“San…come on,” the other one speaks again as he places a hand on San’s shoulder. “Enjoy your night, Yeosang.”

Yeosang is taken aback when the Werewolf gives him a smile. A genuine smile. He is too stunned to speak and just stands there watching San get dragged away by his pack member but not without San turning around to give him one final look. 

It leaves him unnerved and a bitter feeling settles over him. He tries to turn his attention back to his garden but he cannot shake off the bitter feeling. Unable to focus on taking care of his Roses, Yeosang calls it a night. He gathers his gardening tools and stores them back in the little shed before he goes back into his home. 

He slowly walks into the living room before he sits on the sofa. He reaches for the locket hanging from his neck. He closes his eyes and squeezes it. 

“What would you do, Wooyoung?”

As always he doesn’t get a response. 

“Would you be disappointed in me?” Yeosang continues anyway. He smiles to himself. “You would, I know.”

Wooyoung had always been a bright character. When Yeosang had first met him, Wooyoung had instantly taken a shine to him. They had met at university many centuries ago, both disguised as students among the humans. Wooyoung was younger than Yeosang by a few decades but they had both lived through enough lives to understand each other. 

They had fallen together like missing puzzle pieces as if they had always been meant for each other. It had been easy to love Wooyoung and to be loved by him. Life had been perfect before everything was ripped out of Yeosang’s hands. 

Wooyoung had taken his last breath in Yeosang’s arms. 

Yeosang was and still is heartbroken. The only person who had made his immortal life worth living was gone and Yeosang had no idea what to do with himself. He hadn’t known for almost a decade but just continued to live in the home he shared with Wooyoung and looked after the flowers Wooyoung loved so much. 

His grip around the locket tightens. 

The locket was a gift from Wooyoung. It had a blue Topaz encrusted in it, Wooyoung’s birthstone. A sign of their connection and a way of honoring their love for each other. Wooyoung had a pair of Pearl drop earrings which was safely tucked away in a safe somewhere in the mansion. Yeosang rarely opened that safe. 

Yeosang sighed as he stood up, walked over to the fireplace, and picked up a frame that had been placed face down a long time ago. Yeosang can’t remember anymore. 

The photo of Wooyoung stares back at him. It had been taken on one of those smartphones all the humans owned now. Apparently, they had some kind of strange magic in them to capture images without mirrors. 

Yeosang missed that smile. 

The smile that always made him feel at home. 

He was no longer at home. 

 

________

 

San doesn’t have to look at the calendar to know that the full moon is approaching fast. The subtle chill in the air only the wolf in him could sense. He had mastered the art of the full moon a long ago but one could never be too careful. The rest of his pack had gone back to their own homes where they each had safety measures in place. 

They were all able to keep their wolf in check but each of them stayed on guard in case of wild ferals. 

San had talked to all his neighbors, warning them to be extra vigilant and to take care if they were wandering in the forest alone. Everyone had thanked him but there was one more neighbour San had yet to approach. 

Yeosang had been oddly quiet recently after their last argument in their backyards. San had been annoyed, to say the least, but on reflection, he may have overreacted and said some pretty hurtful things to the Vampire. He had seen the flash of hurt on the Vampire’s face and Seonghwa had scolded him afterwards. 

Yeosang was right.

San didn’t know what he was talking about. He had just said it all in the heat of the moment. He’s not even sure if he had meant half the things he had said. He chews on his bottom lip as he stands in front of Yeosang’s door. He is debating what to do. 

Despite their rocky…friendship? Neighbour-ship? San didn’t want Yeosang to get into trouble or be in danger but at the same time…he didn’t really want to face the Vampire. He contemplates his choices before turning away from Yeosang’s door. He goes back to his converted warehouse home.

Over the new months of living in his new home, he had managed to make it his own. He had loved the character of the warehouse and knew it was a place he could call home. 

He rifles through a junk drawer and eventually finds a pen and notebook. He quickly scribbles a note on it before he goes back to Yeosang’s door and slips the note through the letter slot of the front door before leaving as quickly as he can.

He hopes that's enough. 

With a deep breath, San pushes aside his feelings towards Yeosang and mentally prepares himself for the full moon. Even as the sun approached, signaling the start of the new day, the full moon that was going to follow was already pulling at his wolf. 

He had to be careful. 

 

________

 

Yeosang comes back home late in the night or early in the morning, depending on how you look at it. 

He had been spending more time in the forest these days. It provided a secret sanctuary for Yeosang and the peace he had longed for since his new neighbor arrived. He came back home in the early hours to sleep and to take care of his garden. 

It had also just been easier to hide from his neighbor. The shame he carried upon self-reflection was heavy on his shoulders but he knew if he saw San and his pack again he would have a hard time holding back his annoyance. He hopes their nightly gathering has finished by the time he gets home. The night (morning?) was quiet and he felt himself relaxing as he entered his home.

He hears a crunch as he steps in. He looks down and sees a folded piece of paper. He picks it up and reads it.

Yeosang,

The full moon is tonight…I am not dangerous but there could be other feral wolves around. Be careful when you go into the forest

-San 

Yeosang is confused at first, why would San warn him after everything that had happened between them? Why would San go out of his way to do something remotely nice for him? He gets an uncomfortable feeling in his chest, he is unsure what that could be. 

With a shaky hand, he shoves the note in his coat pocket and makes a mental note to stay home tonight. San and his Werewolves were enough to deal with, he had no intention of running into ferals. As the sun rises over the horizon, Yeosang makes his way to his room. He hopes the full moon passes without any issues. 

Just as he reaches his room he hears a terrifying howl that would make any mortal’s blood curdle in fear but Yeosang simply flinches and sighs. He is slowly coming to accept that his life would never be peaceful with his new neighbor around but the howl also reminds him of the power San holds. 

Yeosang wasn’t sure if he should trust San’s words. If his neighbor really was able to hold his own against the powers of the full moon, Yeosang would remain on guard. He holds his locket and it helps him ground himself and keep his emotions in check. It was going to be a very long day and the night would only be longer so he decided to rest for the day and he would be up and ready for whatever was to come once the full moon was here. 

Much to Yeosang’s surprise, the full moon is uneventful. 

He manages to rest in peace. His neighbour doesn’t make a single peep and when he comes back out from his rest, he actually feels well rested. He had been so deep in his rest, that he had missed the full moon rising. The full moon is high up in the sky by the time he comes to. The night is still and quiet and he almost has to wonder if it was indeed a full moon but the way the hair on the back of Yeosang’s neck stands tells him that it was indeed a full moon.

He could feel the unusual level of energy in the air, every instinct in him telling him to be careful. He reaches into his coat pocket where San’s note remains. He feels that unfamiliar feeling in his chest again, it doesn’t feel as uncomfortable as before but Yeosang still can’t place the feeling. 

The rest of the night remains uneventful. 

Yeosang reads, tends to his garden, and tidies his home, and not once does he hear any noise from San. The silence is unnerving, it felt like he was just waiting for something to go terribly wrong, and yet nothing went wrong. The sun rose signalling a new day and the end of the full moon. 

Yeosang finds himself relaxing as he watches the sunrise from the safety of his home. The next day passed by without any issues, which Yeosang strangely found unsettling. He doesn’t see San around which feels like a blessing but he couldn’t shake off that feeling that had stirred inside him when he received the note from the Werewolf. The note had left him feeling unbalanced in a way he just couldn’t understand and he also didn’t know how he should respond.

He had spent countless hours just thinking of the note and he carried on reaching for it in his pocket where it remained. He just couldn’t understand why San had bothered. They had done nothing but argue and Yeosang had found San to be annoying and persistent for no good reason, but there was something about the note…the time San took to think about Yeosang even after the countless arguments. 

Yeosang just couldn’t understand so he tried to push the thought away but something nagged at him to say something, anything to San. 

It takes Yeosang a few days before he finally gathers his fraying nerves. The note from San has now been crumpled and uncrumpled a hundred times. He needed to say something to San but the wolf was still missing in action. It makes Yeosang wonder how much energy the full moon must have actually drained. 

On the third night after the full moon, as Yeosang is just leaving to go on a hunt, he sees a familiar figure coming out of the forest. He looked smaller than Yeosang remembers somehow. He looked tired as if something heavy was weighing him down. He was looking down to the ground as he walked towards his home, his steps were slow as if he had to put the last of his remaining energy into getting home. 

“San.”

Their eyes meet and Yeosang instantly regrets calling out to him. The tension between them is heavy, filled with unspoken words. Yeosang struggles to say anything else as San waits. His gaze isn’t unnerving, there are no signs of hostility, if anything he looks a little apologetic which Yeosang once again doesn’t understand. After a while San just nods at him in acknowledgement before he turns away to continue his walk home. 

Yeosang clenches his fist and internally scolds himself. He grips his locket once again and then his other hand reaches into his pocket to hold San’s note once more.

“Thank you.”

San turns around in surprise as he blinks slowly, clearly taken aback. 

“I…just didn’t want you to be in danger,” San says after a few seconds. 

Yeosang nods stiffly, not trusting himself to say anything else. San’s soft gaze makes him squirm a little and he desperately wants to go and hide back in his home. 

San nods back before he continues his trudge back home.

Yeosang sighs as he watches the tired Werewolf retreat. He feels like he wants to say more but he is unable to think of anything else so let's San leave. 

He eventually turns away and continues into the forest. 

The next few days after his encounter with San is quiet and Yeosang has fallen back into his old routine. It was welcomed by Yeosang but at the same time, he couldn't deny how unnerved he felt without the usual noise from his neighbor. 

He suspects that the aftermath of the full moon was the reason for the sudden silence. The energy it must have taken to keep San’s control must have been large. Yeosang takes advantage of the peace and takes care of his garden, making sure Wooyoung’s roses are in perfect condition.

Wooyoung had painstakingly cultivated different varieties of roses, all in different colours. His prized possession had been a particular kind of rose which glowed under the moonlight but his favourites were the black roses that were planted right next to them. Wooyoung would often joke that the two roses represented them. Yeosang would roll his eyes and tell him to be serious.

Wooyoung’s signature laughter rings in Yeosang’s ears and he finds himself smiling. The garden had been Wooyoung’s sanctuary and Yeosang had taken it upon himself to make sure it would always remain perfect.

As the night went by Yeosang continued to work, trimming any overgrowth and making sure the soil was just right for all the roses. Once he is done, he sits on the stone bench on the side, admiring his hard work. He cradles his locket and silently asks Wooyoung if he still enjoys the roses.

As always, Yeosang doesn’t get a response. He just closes his eyes and pretends Wooyoung is sitting right there next to him, enjoying the night with him. It was a small comfort for his hollow heart. It was a way to keep memories of Wooyoung alive and a reminder of why he prefers his solitude. The world had taken Wooyoung away from him and his desire to let anyone else in was long gone. 

Especially someone like San. 

Just as his mind wanders to San, he hears the boisterous laughter. Yeosang’s eye twitches as he tries to ignore San and his pack. He closes his eyes and tries to picture Wooyoung next to him again.

It provided a brief moment of solace before the loud laughter echoed through the night again. Yeosang, despite having centuries of experience keeping his calm was already at his wit's end. He could feel his anger bubbling as his peaceful life was shattered once again by a bunch of hooligans! 

He stands up abruptly with every intention of marching over to the fence once more to give San and his pack a piece of his mind but he stops. He remembers the note, San's warning, and the look on the Werewolf's face when he thanked him. There had been something there under the surprised look San had given him, something soft but also something like regret. 

Yeosang didn’t understand but he didn’t understand a lot of things about San. He wonders if he had been nicer to the Werewolf, maybe then he would understand…or even have become friends. His anger wavers a little at the thought and for some reason, San’s small act of warning him about the full moon was holding Yeosang back. 

With a frustrated sigh, Yeosang decides to retreat to his home instead. 

 

_______

 

San holds a drink in his hand as he watches the rest of his pack members enjoy the much needed night of relaxation. No matter how long they had been able to resist the power of the full moon, it still took a toll on them. Add to that the fact that they had all been on patrol around their area to make sure no ferals attacked and innocent supernaturals of the town and you get a very exhausted pack of Werewolves. 

Luckily, there hadn’t been any trouble this time. 

And to top it off, Yeosang had actually thanked him for warning him. Something that San had not expected. If anything, San was half expecting Yeosang to tell him off for going close to his mansion. When he encountered the vampire he had been exhausted so you can imagine his surprise when Yeosang thanked him rather than biting his head off. 

The small sign of sincerity from Yeosang replayed in his mind over and over again and it may also have kept him up at night a little. 

San sighs to himself before taking another swig of his drink. He normally wouldn’t be drinking at these gatherings but tonight he felt like he needed it. It had been a long time since a full moon had left him this exhausted and on edge. At least the rest of his pack members were looking good. 

Jongho said some random feral wolf had given him a little trouble but since the wolf had been young, Jongho didn’t have a hard time restraining the wolf until the full moon was gone. San was glad to know that Jongho had been able to give the young wolf some guidance. The youngest of this pack had grumbled a little at having gained a little shadow but he didn’t look too upset by that. 

The young wolf’s name was Hyunwoo and seemed to have taken a shine to Jongho. 

Mingi as always seemed to have picked a fight with other ferals and proudly showed off his “battle scars” much to Seonghwa’s dismay. 

Seonghwa himself seemed to have had a quiet night. Being the oldest, he was probably the least affected by the full moon. Although San could never really get a good read on Seonghwa. Being the oldest, he took on the responsibility of making sure everyone was okay but there were also times when Seonghwa was the least serious person San knew. He liked to tease and mess around with the rest of their pack but he also became strict when one of them went too far.

See the lecture he got for picking fights with Yeosang. 

“Yo! San!” Mingi calls out, snapping him out of his thoughts. “You’ve been very quiet, are you okay?”

San manages to smile at Mingi, who despite his rough and tough exterior, has a soft side for the people he loves. 

“Yes, I’m fine,” San says. “Thanks, Min.”

“Your sunshine of a neighbor not bothering ya?” Mingi asks and San shakes his head.

“He’s been quiet,” San explains. He hasn’t told any of them about the note he dropped off or the tense exchange he had recently with the vampire. 

“That’s good,” Mingi says. “Otherwise I would have to go deal with it.”

“No one is dealing with anything,” Seonghwa says with a frown.

“Don’t worry,” San steps in before Mingi can go off about how he would deal with Yeosang. “I’ve been doing my own thing and he hasn’t bothered with me recently, so everything is fine.”

San doesn’t tell them that he had been more mindful with the noise recently, plus with how low his energy was he didn’t have much motivation to be causing much noise. He also doesn’t tell them how much he has been thinking of Yeosang. The more he thinks about it the more he starts to analyse the flash of hurt he saw when he accused Yeosang of being alone because of his arrogant attitude. 

He wondered what that had been about. 

“Are you sure you’re okay? You have been very quiet,” Seonghwa says.

“Yeah…just thinking,” San says.

“Don’t think too much, you might hurt yourself,” Jongho teases, and San glares at him before he pouts. 

“Can’t a wolf worry about his pack?” San grumbles and the rest of his pack members smile at him. 

“Don’t keep your worries to yourself,” Jongho says with a gentle nudge. “We’re a family, remember.”

“Yeah, I know…thanks you guys,” San says and the three wolves nod at him.

“Come on then,” Mingi says, being the first one to snap out of the little soft moment they were having. “It’s time to party!”

So much for being mindful about the noise. 

“At a respectable level of noise,” Seonghwa says, and Mingi pouts. 

San can’t stop himself from smiling before he chugs his drink and joins his friends by the fire. He listens to what they have all been up to in the short amount of time they have been apart. After a while he stares into the flames, his thoughts wandering back to Yeosang. 

He feels hopeful that they could work on their…neighbour-ship?

Of course, that hope is quickly dashed a few days later when he hears bickering just outside his warehouse home. He tries to ignore it but the argument gets louder.

“Come on, don't be a recluse!”

San’s head snaps up when he recognises the voice as Mingi. He gets a sense of dread as he steps out of his home. 

“Move.”

Yeosang is glaring up at Mingi. They were sizing each other up.

“I don’t feel like it,” Mingi says with a cheeky smirk. He was clearly blocking Yeosang’s path up to his mansion. “I would rather get to know you.”

“I have no desire to get to know you,” Yeosang hisses.

“Why?” Mingi challenged. “Cuz I'm just an animal who is beneath you?”

Yeosang frowns and opens his mouth but nothing comes out.

“What? Cat's got your tongue?”

“Move,” Yeosang says instead.

“Why should I?” Mingi challenges Yeosang again.

“Do you really take pleasure in my suffering?!” Yeosang snaps finally. “Why do you and the rest of your pack insist on being a nuisance?!”

“You’re the only one who thinks we're a nuisance,” Mingi says. “No one else has a problem with us.”

“Well, I do!” Yeosang's eyes have started to glow red now and San feels a shiver run down his spine when the wind suddenly starts picking up. “I just want to go home! Is that too much to ask?!”

“Alright,” San says as he steps in between Mingi and Yeosang. “That’s enough.”

But instead of backing away, Yeosang looks more upset. 

“Get off of my property, now, both of you,” Yeosang hisses. 

“We're nowhere near your property,” San says as calmly as possible.

“Then get out of my sight!”

“Ha! You really do never change,” San says, feeling his own anger bubbling. “Walking around like you own the place and we're all beneath you!”

Something flashes across Yeosang’s face once more but he schools his expression quickly. He is glaring at both San and Mingi, and all the while the wind gets stronger.

“You have no right,” Yeosang hisses. “To judge me when you and your pack have been bothering me for no good reason! All I have wanted since you moved in was my peace, you didn't give me any, and even now as I try to live with your…your noise! I get harassed!” 

At this point, Yeosang is ranting and San is a little lost for words. He looks at Mingi who looks a little guilty. 

“We didn't mean to– ”

“No one ever does,” Yeosang says, suddenly all calm, much to San’s surprise. “And you're right…I am alone by my own… behavior and by my own doing.”

Yeosang visibly deflates and sighs. He looks…sad and San wants to apologise but Yeosang looks so defeated. San feels like nothing they say will make it better. When Mingi shows no signs of putting up a fight, Yeosang pushes past them and enters his mansion. The door shuts behind him leaving San and Mingi with nothing but guilt. 

 

________

 

Yeosang escapes back to the forest once San and Mingi are gone. He had just wanted to go back home and rest after a long night but the wolf interfered with his plans. At first, Yeosang had acknowledged him with a nod before he had tried to go inside his home.

Mingi did not like that. 

They had gotten into an argument before San had stepped in, only making matters worse. 

And Yeosang had gone and laid all his feelings down on the table. He regrets it all. 

In his regret, he doesn't realise how far into the forest he has wandered. By the time he comes to his senses, it's too late. 

He had wandered into a hunter’s trap. The sudden snap under his feet snaps him out of his thoughts but he doesn’t manage to react fast enough. The iron teeth of the trap clamped tightly on his ankle and Yeosang let out a painful yelp. He staggers a little before he falls to the ground. He tries to get back up but he soon realises that the more he struggles the tighter the trap clamped on his ankle, the iron teeth digging further into his skin. 

If he had blood in his veins, he would be bleeding by now. 

Yeosang tried to pry the trap off of him with his hands but the trap only gets worse. He lets out another cry before he lays back down on the floor. He realises it's pointless. The trap was charmed to drain his life force and the more he struggled, the faster the trap drained him.

Yeosang curses his luck and continues to try his best to get away, trying to kick the trap off of him just to have more of his life force drained from him. His vision starts to blur as his body grows weaker and the pain on his ankle gets worse. The fear soon takes over before he starts to lose hope. 

He lets out a weak and bitter laugh as he realises that this is the end. He wanted to cry and scream but he didn’t have The energy for that. The hunters were getting smarter, this trap had been well thought out and laid out to capture a supernatural being like Yeosang, to make them vulnerable and easy prey. 

The irony of his situation was not lost on him.

Alone in the dark, slowly losing his life and no one would come to save him. He really was reaping what he had sowed. It was very fitting and what he deserved. 

At least he would get to see Wooyoung again.

He slowly closes his eyes and allows the darkness to take over. His body grew heavy and his breathing got shallow until the world around him started to fade out. 

.

.

“Yeosang!”

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Summary:

After a rough start as neighbours, Yeosang learns that there is more to San and his pack than being noisy neighbours. He also learns friends are nice to have.

Notes:

Well...it has been a while but chapter 2 is here! The chapter of friendship and understanding! Also the chapter of some background story.

I tried so hard to post this sooner but my brain hasn't neen doing brain things so I hope the wait for this chapter is worth it!.

San waits a little impatiently for Yeosang’s return. He had wanted to apologise for what he had said and for everything he had done. He hadn’t really thought too deeply about why Yeosang was the way he was. He had just assumed he was arrogant, which in San’s defense, was the vibe Yeosang gave off. 

But now San just felt guilty.

Mingi had waited with him but eventually gave up. They had hoped to catch Yeosang coming out of his mansion but he never stepped out so San had also given up and after a few hours, he had spotted the Vampire finally leave his mansion and go to the forest.

San waits by his window for Yeosang.

He waits and he waits.

It's way past midnight when San finally decides he needs to go find Yeosang. Something feels off. San throws on his jacket and runs into the forest. He relies on his wolf instincts to find Yeosang’s scent. 

His wolf takes him somewhere deep into the forest. It’s a part San has never been in. The trees are dense and the path is barely there, probably from the lack of use. His senses are tingling, keeping him on high alert. 

It takes him a few more minutes before he realises that he is close to Yeosang and he realises that something is definitely wrong. Yeosang’s scent tells him he is close but his life force is very dim, as if he is far away…or…San doesn’t want to think about it. 

He just runs hoping to get to Yeosang. 

San eventually spots a familiar figure lying on the ground. He runs faster as he curses silently.

“Yeosang!” 

San feels a mix of relief and panic all at once as he reaches the vampire. Without much thought, he gets on the ground and gathers Yeosang into his arms.

”Yeosang!”

The vampire lets out a groan but his eyes remain closed. San places his hand on Yeosang’s cheek and he curses under his breath. Yeosang was ice cold to the touch. Not that he expected much warmth but he had a feeling this was abnormally cold even for a Vampire. 

“Come on, Yeosang, stay with me,” San says as he looks around to check him for any injuries. He spots the trap clamped onto Yeosang’s ankle. There were strange markings on the trap and San curses under his breath again as he lays Yeosang on the ground. “Hang on, Yeosang,” San says before grabbing the trap. 

He does his best to pry it open and instantly realises the problem. The strange markings on the trap were an enchantment to drain one's life force. San curses again and musters up all his power to pry the teeth of the trap out of Yeosang's ankle. 

He lets out a whimper as the teeth ding into his fingers and palms, draining his life force. He has broken out in a thin layer of sweat but eventually, he manages to pry it away and pull it away from Yeosang’s ankle. It takes some more of his strength to fully pry it open so it locks in place and can safely let go of it. 

He scrambles around and finds a rock he can drop into the trap to trigger it again so it doesn't trap another supernatural. 

He then goes back to Yeosang and gathers him back into his arms and checks the Vampire over to make sure there isn't anything else wrong with him. Yeosang is still ice cold to the touch but San can feel the small amount of his life force clinging on.

“Hold on,” San says, picking the unconscious Vampire up. “I’ll get you to safety.” 

San takes a deep breath before he breaks out in a sprint, using some of his powers to get him home faster. He was not letting Yeosang go that easily.

________

Yeosang wakes up and the first thing he notices is that he is alive and it hurts. He blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling, realising it wasn’t home. He feels weak and has a dull ache all over his body. He feels vulnerable, lying there in so much pain, yet not enough pain to not be here anymore. Not enough pain to reunite him with Wooyoung. The tears he had held back for decades start to well up and he doesn’t stop them from falling down his face and soaking into the unfamiliar pillow. 

It hurts.

It hurts to know that he failed to protect Wooyoung and it hurts more to know that he gets to continue living while Wooyoung is gone. The image of Wooyoung dying in his arms comes back to haunt him, reminding him of how he failed to protect him. 

It was together until the end, until it wasn’t.

His chest tightens at the realisation that he lost his chance to be reunited with Wooyoung. 

“Yeosang?”

Yeosang’s eyes snap open and he turns his head towards the cair Yeosang hadn’t noticed. San slowly stands up from the chair, looking unsure and it bothers Yeosang for some reason. He feels a sense of resentment towards the Werewolf. 

“How are you feeling?” San asks, clearly worried and it only makes Yeosang’s resentment grow. 

“Awful.”

His voice comes out rough and broken like he had swallowed glass. His throat hurts and all Yeosang wants is for it to end. 

“What…what happened?” San asks, sounding a little hesitant. 

Yeosang closes his eyes and takes a deep breath as the tears continually fall.

“I lost the love of my life,” Yeosang says. “He died in my arms because I failed to protect him.”

“I…I didn't know,” San says, eyes wide in surprise.

Yeosang lets out a bitter laugh.

“How could you…but everything you have said…it's all true,” Yeosang says. “It's my own doing. I am alone because of me.”

“Yeosang…”

“And when I finally thought I got what I deserved…“ Yeosang sounds tired. “And that I would finally be with him…you saved me,” Yeosang says as he turns to San and manages to smile. “I should be thanking you…but I just hate you more.”

“I— ” San is left speechless. He had known that the Vampire didn’t see him in a good light, all those countless arguments were enough proof of that. But hearing it outright broke San’s heart. 

“Please…just leave me,” Yeosang says, closing his eyes once more, feeling defeated. 

”Okay,” San says as he stands up and walks towards the door. With his hand on the door handle, he turns back to Yeosang. “Just for the record…I am glad you are still here. You may not see it right now but your life is precious and it’s worth living.”

San leaves the room after saying his piece, leaving Yeosang to grieve silently. 

Yeosang lays there in the dark room. The room is lit by a single lamp in the corner. His mind feels foggy and he also feels disoriented as he has no idea what time of day or night it is, hell he doesn't even know what day of the week it is. He closes his eyes and is immediately haunted by the events of the forest. 

He really thought that would have been the end of him. He remembers the panic and then the sense of calm when he thought of Wooyoung. 

Thinking about it now, it was a stupid thing to hope for, being reunited with Wooyoung. Who’s to say he would have met Wooyoung in the afterlife? Was there even an afterlife? He realises that it was all wishful thinking. 

Yeosang lets out a sigh.

He regrets snapping at San. The Werewolf had saved his life and Yeosang had been too selfish to realise how grateful he really was. He slowly sits up, it’s a bit of a struggle but he manages. He is glad San isn’t here to see him struggling, he has a feeling the Werewolf would laugh at him but as he sees the signs of care scattered around the room, he isn’t sure anymore.

If anything, he is left with more guilt.

I hate you more.

Yeosang shakes his head as he looks around the room. 

There is a small basin of water with a cloth hanging on the side. There are also bottles of what Yeosang assumes is blood, as well as empty bowls and mugs. It makes a warm feeling bubble inside Yeosang. He felt himself relaxing and the familiar yet new scent of pine and earth felt like a warm, comforting blanket over him. 

His eyelids feel heavy as he slowly lays back down, pulling the worn blanket over him, and snuggling further into the bed. 

His eyes slowly fluttered close as he fell asleep again. 

________

San returns to his bedroom after a few hours. He expects Yeosang to want more time alone but much to San’s surprise the Vampire is sound asleep. San stands at the doorway just staring at Yeosang for a few minutes. When asleep, Yeosang looked different from the guarded and prickly Vampire San had come to know and maybe part of it was seeing him so vulnerable earlier as he spoke about his love, but he felt a sense of protectiveness over Yeosang. 

San steps into the room and slowly walks towards the bed. He can’t help but stare at Yeosang. 

He realises how soft Yeosang’s facial features are. 

He also notices the dry tears on Yeosang’s face. His heart aches as he remembers the way Yeosang spoke about his past with so much sadness. 

San grabs the basin of now cold water and cloth before returning with a new small cloth and dampens it in the now warm water. He slowly wipes Yeosang’s face clean. He works slowly and gently so he doesn’t wake the Vampire up. As he is wiping Yeosang’s face, he notices a red mark on his temple. 

San puts down the wet cloth and traces the red mark with his thumb. He comes to the slow realisation that it was a birthmark. He brushes the hair away so he can get a better look. He smiles to himself as he finds the birthmark cute, it resembles a heart. 

Just as San is pulling away, Yeosang stirs. San watches in concern as Yeosang’s eyes slowly flutter open. San didn’t realise he was holding his breath until Yeosang was staring up at him, a little confused but also looking a little less distressed. 

“Hey.”

Yeosang blinks a few times as if trying to focus his vision.

“San?” 

Much to San’s relief Yeosang sounds a lot better now, still far from how he normally sounded.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry…for earlier,” Yeosang says, taking San by surprise. “It’s…just a lot but…thank you for saving me.”

San stares at him for a while. He is so taken aback that his brain works overtime to take it all in. 

“You’re…welcome?”

Yeosang lets out a laugh, surprising San once more. 

“I do know when I owe someone my life,” Yeosang says, an amused smile lingering on his lips. 

“I’m just…surprised,” San says. “But…I’m glad you are okay,” San adds, his hand itching to reach over to hold Yeosang’s but he holds back. 

“Thanks…it means more than you know,” Yeosang says before turning his head away to look towards the window. The curtains are drawn but San has a feeling Yeosang wasn’t trying to look out the window. His eyes seem to be looking somewhere far away. “I’ll make it up to you.”

”I’ll hold you against that,” San says with a smile. Yeosang manages a small smile before his face turns serious. “H— how long was I out for?”

“It’s been about a week.”

The words hang in the air as Yeosang realises just how close he was to…Yeosang shivers at the thought. He doesn’t want to think about it. He looks at San who is looking back at him with concern. It makes the warm feeling in Yeosang grow. No one had cared for him like this since…Wooyoung. 

“Why did you…?” Yeosang is unable to finish his sentence but San gives him an understanding look.

San simply shrugs.

“I just couldn’t leave you out there… no matter what has happened between us,” San says while rubbing the back of his neck. He looks around the room, avoiding Yeosang’s gaze. “I didn’t want to lose you, even if you hate me.”

Yeosang’s heart aches at San’s words and he is hit with regret again. 

“I…don’t hate you,” Yeosang says. “I was just upset…I’m sorry,” Yeosang adds, guiltily. 

San finally looks at Yeosang, as if trying to read his emotions. It makes him nervous for some reason. 

“It’s okay…you must have been overwhelmed,” San says. “They drained a lot of your energy so you should rest,” he adds before he turns to the door. “I really am glad you are still here, Yeosang.”

San’s words makes Yeosang’s heart flutters a little and the warmth in the pit of his stomach grows. San looked at him with so much warmth, it left Yeosang a little breathless. 

“Thank you for everything,” Yeosang says and San smiles at him. 

“You don’t have to thank me,” he says, his voice warm and reassuring. “Just get better so you can make it up to me.”

Yeosang lets out a laugh.

”Sure.”

________

“I need to go home.”

San rolls his eyes as he stands by the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. He watches Yeosang struggle with picking his shoes up.

“You need rest,” San points out as Yeosang stubbornly tries to shove his feet into his shoe. “You look pale.”

Yeosang glares up at San.

“I’m a Vampire, I’m supposed to be pale,” Yeosang says with a pout that San had become familiar with in the two days Yeosang had been awake. “I thank you for looking after me for over a week but I can’t stay here forever,” Yeosang points out with an unimpressed look.

”No one said you have to stay here forever,” San says, just as unimpressed. “You just need more rest.”

”I’m fine.”

”Is that why you can barely stand up?”

Yeosang glares at San who is shaking a little bit, trying to hold back his laugh. 

“Stop that,” Yeosang hisses. “I’ve been through worse,” Yeosang adds as he continues struggling with his shoes. 

“Worse than being caught in a hunter’s trap and nearly having all your energy drained?” San asks with a raised brow. “I’d like to see you try that theory when you are about to collapse before you even leave the room.”

“I don’t need you nagging me like you're my mother,” Yeosang snaps.

“And I don’t need you being stubborn about this,” San shoots back. 

Yeosang really thought after their talk two days ago, they had come to some kind of understanding, a truce even but they seemed to slip back into their usual argumentative ways. 

“You can’t heal properly if you push yourself too hard,” San says.

Yeosang ignores San and stands up.

“See, I’m standing,” Yeosang says a little too vicariously, despite still feeling a little dizzy. San must have noticed the way he wobbled a little as his hands hovered around him as if ready to steady him if he fell over. “Don’t hover.”

”Look, I get it,” San says, sounding exasperated. “You are independent and are used to looking after yourself but you’re clearly about to collapse, so please just get back into bed.”

Yeosang wants to argue but his mind gets foggy again and he finds himself nodding. He sits back down on the edge of the bed and before he can work on taking his shoes off, San is bending down and gently taking his clumsily shoved shoes. Once his shoes are off, Yeosang sluggishly gets into bed and is once again surrounded by San’s comforting scent. 

He doesn't see the way San smiles in self satisfaction. 

“I’ll just take a…quick nap,” Yeosang mumbles, his eyes already fluttering close. 

San hums.

“I’ll get you something to eat.”

“…thanks…”

Yeosang falls asleep a little quicker than he would admit and when he wakes up again, he is once again, the room is fully dark. The single lamp Has now been turned off so it takes Yeosang’s eyes a few minutes to adjust to the dark. He looks around and spots a familiar figure sleeping in the chair. 

San looks peaceful sleeping in the chair but Yeosang can only imagine how uncomfortable he must be. He looked so much younger when he was asleep, all his usual sharp features looked so much softer all of a sudden. He couldn’t help but study San’s features, despite how intimidating he looked normally, he looked quite soft and young when was sleeping.

As if San senses his gaze, his eyes suddenly snap open and he looks at Yeosang.

“You’re awake!”

San jumps to his feet.

“How do you feel now?”

“Much better, thank you,” Yeosang says. He did feel better compared to earlier but he could tell that he still hadn’t fully recovered yet. 

“That’s good!” San says all excitedly. “Let me go heat up the food!”

San grabs a tray from the side table that Yeosang had not noticed earlier and runs out of the room. He comes back a few minutes later with so much excitement, that Yeosang feels like he is looking at an excited oversized dog. Yeosang sits up slowly and San places the tray of food on his lap. 

“Oh!” San says as if remembering something and runs out of the room again before coming back in with an amber glass bottle and a glass. “Here you go!” San says after pouring the contents of the bottle into the glass. 

Yeosang takes the glass of blood and drinks it. He didn’t realise how thirsty he was as he drank it in one go. San smiles at him before refilling his glass. 

“Where did you get that from?” Yeosang asks after having a second glass.

“From the market,” San says and Yeosang nods. There was a well known shop at their town’s market run by a Vampire who sold both animal and human blood, both sourced as ethically as possible. 

Yeosang was familiar with the shop but sometimes he preferred to go on hunts. It was in his nature. 

San then encourages him to eat the food. Food wasn’t something Yeosang necessarily needed to survive but he knew it would help him recover faster. He eats slowly under San’s supervision until he can’t stomach any more food. San still looks pleased with him though. 

It takes a few more days for Yeosang to wake up feeling like himself but San still gives him a dubious look and insists he stay in bed. The Werewolf had kindly bought him some books for the local library after asking him what he liked to do. So, he is reading one of the books in bed when San knocks on the door.

”Hey.”

”Hi,” Yeosang says, looking up from his book. 

“How are you feeling?” San asks as if he didn’t ask the same question in the morning. 

“Much more like myself, thank you,” Yeosang says nonetheless.

“Glad to hear that,” San says with a dimpled smile Yeosang had become familiar with. “Someone wants to see you.”

Yeosang’s brows furrowed in confusion. He didn’t know anyone in town well enough to come visit him. San opens the door wider and reveals Mingi. The usually tall and confident Werewolf looked small and hesitant. He squirmed a little under Yeosang’s confused gaze. 

“Mingi wanted to say something to you,” San says, giving Mingi a little shove. Mingi looks back at San, a little nervously but San’s stern expression doesn’t change. “Now,” San adds with a growl. 

Mingi sighs before finally looking at Yeosang.

”I’m not good at this stuff,” Mingi says awkwardly. “But…I’m sorry.”

Yeosang is still a little confused.

“For what?” Yeosang asks, sounding a little rude which was not his intention. 

Mingi shifts his weight from one foot to another, clearly uncomfortable. 

“For being a jerk…I didn’t mean to make it difficult for you,” he says. “I…didn’t know…so yeah, sorry.”

Yeosang stares at Mingi, who once again squirms under his gaze, and then looks at San who looks proud of his pack member. He guesses San has told some version of his story to his pack mates and honestly, it doesn’t bother him. If anything it feels like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.

After a long pause, Yeosang smiles at Mingi.

“Thank you, that means a lot,” Yeosang says. “I accept your apology…I should also apologise…I know I haven’t been the nicest but I hope we can start anew.”

Mingi visibly relaxes and gives Yeosang a sheepish smile, all teeth and very childlike. 

“Thanks,” Mingi says. “And I’m glad you’re okay, so is everyone else,” he adds, and Yeosang almost gets taken out by Mingi’s sincerity, but before he can say anything else, San pats Mingi’s shoulder.

“See, that wasn’t so hard,” San says to Mingi before turning to Yeosang. “Mingi’s not a bad Wolf, especially once you get to know him.”

Yeosang looks between the two Werewolves, feeling a strange warm feeling settling inside his stomach. It was odd and something he hadn’t felt in a long time. 

“Sure, he is a bit of a knucklehead and rough around the edges.”

“Hey!”

Yeosang sits there in bed watching the two bicker with a smile as he slowly recognises the warm feeling as a sense of belonging. 

Over the next few days, Yeosang manages to get out of bed and walk around San’s home. San happily shows him around and Yeosang finds his home cosy. There was a mix of well loved furniture and some more edgy pieces like a graffitied wall in the living room. He also got to know the rest of San’s pack members. 

Mingi was quieter than he had initially thought. Seonghwa was an absolute sweetheart and made sure the rest of the pack and Yeosang were well taken care of and Jongho was full of dad jokes despite being a few decades younger than the rest of the pack. They all welcomed Yeosang with open arms and took turns to sit with him and entertain him in some way. 

It was very different from his being in his own home and as comfortable as he was at San’s home, he was ready to go to his own home. San finally agrees to let him go home after a few more days of rest. San insists on walking Yeosang home despite Yeosang pointing out that it takes less than a 100 steps to get to his home. 

San looks pleased with himself when Yeosang agrees to let him walk him home.

“You know the only reason I agreed to this is because I know you would follow me either way,” Yeosang says with an unimpressed look and San chooses to ignore him as they slowly walk to Yeosang’s home. 

The walk to his home is quiet and it definitely was a short walk. Yeosang is internally trying to work through his many different emotions. He was glad to be going home but he also felt a little reluctant to return to his lonely mansion after spending so long with San and his pack. The quiet that he had always thought to be his sanctuary suddenly felt daunting now. 

When they eventually reach the steps to Yeosang’s front door, San hesitates. His usual confidence wavers. He looks at Yeosang and then looks away, leaving the Vampire a little worried and confused.

“Is something wrong?” Yeosang asked, his curiosity getting the better of him. 

“Yeah…this is something,” San admits, fiddling with his fingers. “There was something I wanted to ask you,” he adds, just as nervously. 

“Yes?”

San takes a deep breath as if he were gathering all his nerves before he looks at Yeosang.

“I know we had our differences before but I feel like we have come to some kind of understanding now,” San says and Yeosang subconsciously nods in agreement. “With everything that has happened…I was wondering…if you would consider us being friends?” San asks, all nervously, and Yeosang’s first instinct is to laugh but he holds it back, knowing that it would probably come off as rude. 

He would be laughing at himself, not at San as friendship had been something Yeosang had long forgotten about. He knew his coven mates would be shaking their heads in disapproval, they would definitely scold him for thinking they were no longer friends. They had been his friends, best friends even but he knew he had become a shitty friend after losing Wooyoung. 

He just can’t believe that after everything, someone still wanted to be his friend. He looks at San who waits nervously yet with a hopeful look on his face and all his reservations disappear. San had somehow carved a space in Yeosang’s life without him realising it and with him, San bought the warm and comforting feeling Yeosang hadn’t felt in decades. 

“I would like that, very much so,” Yeosang says and San’s smile almost blinds him. 

“Really?!”

Yeosang lets out a laugh and nods.

“Yes, really,” Yeosang reassures San. “But, don’t expect me to change overnight. I’m still me,” he adds with a serious look but San’s smile just widens.

“I wouldn’t want you any other way, grumpiness and all,” San says, making Yeosang roll his eyes. 

“You’re insufferable,” Yeosang deadpans and San laughs.

“And you still love me,” San says with a smug look on his face. 

Yeosang just shakes his head as he takes his key out and unlocks his door. 

“Anyway, thank you again for everything,” Yeosang says looking at San who still looks a little giddy. 

San nods before turning to leave. He takes a few steps before turning back to Yeosang. 

“If you ever need anything…or just want some company, I’m here for you,” San says.

“I’ll keep you in mind.”

”Good.”

”Good.”

________

San paces nervously as he waits for Yeosang to come home. It had been a few days since Yeosang had returned home. It had been a few days since Yeosang returned to his home and San had to hold himself back from checking on his new friend every day, but he had reached his limit now. 

He gets a little too excited when Yeosang appears out of the forest.

“Yeosang!”

San half expects to be glared at but Yeosang looks confused at first before smiling at him. 

“Hi,” Yeosang says with a tired smile. San had a feeling that the Vampire had been out all night. “Is something wrong?” He asks after studying San’s face for a few seconds. 

“Everything is fine,” San says as calmly as he can but he's practically bouncing on the spot. “I just wanted to see you,” he adds without much thought. 

Yeosang’s eyes widen at first before they soften. San feels his heart thud a little too dangerously at the Vampire’s smile. He shakes it off and pushes that feeling away.

“Well, you’ve seen me,” Yeosang says with a raised brow. “Now what?” He asks, almost teasingly and that just makes San’s heart thud even faster. 

“Now I want to ask you something,” San says, ignoring his heart. 

Yeosang sighs but it’s different from his usual frustrated sigh. It feels playful and new. 

“Yes, I’m listening,” Yeosang says, the corner of his mouth twitching as he visibly tries to hold back his smile. 

“Are we still friends?”

Yeosang’s playfulness stops at San’s question as he frowns. He looks confused and San doesn’t want to jump to conclusions but the silence is deafening. 

“What? Why wouldn’t we be?” Yeosang finally asks and San feels relief wash over him. “Did something happen?” He asks, clearly worried and San shakes his head.

“Nothing happened, everything is fine,” San says. “I just wanted to make sure you didn’t change your mind.”

Yeosang’s frown deepens.

“No, I haven’t changed my mind and yes, we are still friends,” Yeosang reassures San and he does feel much more relaxed. “Feel better?”

“Yes, thank you…friend,” San says with a cheeky smile and Yeosang rolls his eyes. “Since we are still friends…do you maybe want to go into town with me? Maybe we can get a drink at the cafe?” He asks a little hesitantly. 

“You…want to go to town with me?” Yeosang asks, clearly surprised. 

“Of course!” San says. “I want to go to town with you and spend more time with you and get to know you better!” He insists and Yeosang looks at him, still surprised but then he slowly smiles again. 

San thinks his heart might explode but he scolds it for overreacting. 

“Okay, it sounds good,” Yeosang agreed much to San’s delight.

“Awesome! When would you like to go?”

Yeosang thinks for a while before answering.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” 

“Yes!”

Yeosang lets out a laugh.

”Don’t get too excited, I just need to restock on some things at the market,” Yeosang says.

“I am excited,” San says. 

“Of course you are, I would expect nothing less from you,” Yeosang deadpans.

San gives Yeosang the widest smile he can muster before letting Yeosang rest for the day. San spends his day being a little too excited about his outing with Yeosang and barely getting any sleep.

When the time to go out with Yeosang eventually comes around, San is practically bouncing out of his skin. He walks to Yeosang’s door but before he can knock on the door, Yeosang opens the door. 

“Right on time,” Yeosang says and San gives the Vampire a toothy grin. 

They take a nice stroll into the town and San follows Yeosang like a puppy as he shops at the market. He even offers to carry some of Yeosang’s purchases but he simply brushes San off. San also takes notice of the small things like how polite Yeosang actually is. He engages with the sellers and some of the sellers seem to know him by name.

One older Kitsune lady visibly brightens up at seeing Yeosang. She was selling what San assumes is some kind of talisman and even though Yeosang bought nothing from her, he still stopped by to chat with the Kitsune. Despite her age, San could sense a strong energy from her and he could tell that he should stay on her good side. 

“And who is this?” The Kitsune asks and Yeosang introduces San as his neighbour and friend.

It makes the fuzzy, warm feeling stir in San again as he watches Yeosang answer all of the Kitsune’s questions with a kind smile. They eventually bid their farewell and Yeosang rejoins him. 

“Thanks for waiting,” Yeosang says with a soft smile.

“You are welcome…do you come here often?” San asks out of curiosity and Yeosang nods

“Believe it or not, I do need supplies but normally I wouldn’t hang around after,” Yeosang explains.

“So…You wouldn’t want to possibly go to a cafe?” San asks, a little nervous about being rejected. 

“Well, I am all done at the market…so if you want to go to a cafe while we are in town, I guess I have no objections.”

San’s face brightens at Yeosang’s response. He is a little too excited to lead Yeosang to the small cafe run by Faes. They were friendly and very good at brewing teas and coffees as well as baking pastries. 

True to the Fae people, the cafe had a lot of nature incorporated into the decor. The cafe itself was built around a tree, some of its branches growing through the window and into the cafe and there were lots of plants and flowers in the cafe. Yeosang looks at all the plants and flowers. San could guess Yeosang had some interest in gardening with how much time the Vampire spent in his garden. 

While Yeosang is distracted, San orders for them. He orders himself a cold brew and a herbal tea for Yeosang. In the weeks San had taken care of Yeosang, he had learned the Vampire’s preference for tea rather than coffee. San also orders a variety of pastries. 

Once Yeosang is done looking around, he joins San at the same table by the window. 

“How much do I owe you?” Yeosang asks as he pulls out a little pouch from his pocket but San waves him off.

“I asked you to join me, I should pay for both of us,” San says and Yeosang looks at him in confusion.

“But I— ”

“No,” San cuts him off. “My treat, no arguments.”

Yeosang glares at him but San doesn’t back down so Yeosang drops it with a huff. His little moody tantrum doesn’t last long after he gets to try one of the pastries. His face instantly lights up and he goes back to try the rest of the pastries. 

“Cute.”

“Take that back!” Yeosang scolds San with an offended look.

“Kind of hard to take it back when you are scolding me with cake on your face.” 

Yeosang, despite not having blood, manages to blush before grabbing a tissue and furiously wiping his face. And yet, he somehow misses the spot where he had cake on his face.

“Give me that,” San says, gently taking the tissue out of Yeosang’s hand and delicately wiping the cake from his face. “There you go.”

Yeosang is still visibly flushed as he thanks San and San thinks he will forever keep this image of Yeosang engraved in his memory. If he had one of those square things humans liked to use, he would have taken what they call a photo of Yeosang. 

“So…I never asked but how are you finding living in this town?” Yeosang asks to change the subject.

“It’s nice, everyone has been welcoming…well except for this one neighbor I have but I think I’ve cracked his code now,” San says with a teasing smile and Yeosang rolls his eyes,

“That’s good…and I’m sure your neighbour meant no harm,” Yeosang says, taking a sip of his tea. 

San hums in response.

“Why did you move here anyway?”

“My last pack was…different,” San says with a sigh. “They had a lot of backward views and I didn’t agree with a lot of it.”

“I see…did you challenge the pack leader?” 

“Not at first but you could tell they didn’t appreciate my views and they didn’t like it when I stood up for someone they deemed unworthy,” San explains and Yeosang nods in understanding. “I eventually challenged the pack leader and won but I didn't want to lead a pack using fear. It was a difficult decision to break away but my friends…my pack now, stood by me and decided to leave with me.” 

“Is…is it nice to have good friends?” 

San sees the sad look in Yeosang’s eyes, despite the smile the Vampire displays. San has this deep desire to just hold Yeosang and keep him safe forever but he holds back, instead, he opts to place his hand on Yeosang’s. He can’t help but notice how nice it feels even if Yeosang’s hand is cold. 

What with being a Vampire and all. 

“They are your friends too now,” San reminds him. “You tell me if it’s nice to have good friends.”

Yeosang is quiet for a while and San worries that he has said the wrong thing but Yeosang eventually looks at him with a genuine smile. 

“Yes, it’s nice to have good friends.”

________

Yeosang invites San to his garden for the first time after a few months of being friends. 

They had been going into town together regularly, stopping by the cafe and talking for hours on end. It had become something Yeosang had started to look forward to. San did most of the talking and Yeosang was happy just to listen. 

San had clearly been raised with so much love. He spoke about his parents with so much respect. The childhood stories he spoke of were wonderful to listen to.

Yeosang had also been spending more time with the rest of San’s pack. They had all gone out of their way to make Yeosang feel welcome and he had surprisingly fallen into place with them. San’s question of whether it was nice to have good friends was something Yeosang would remember all the time being surrounded by the Wolves. 

It was indeed nice to have them by his side.

It also reminded him of his own friends, his coven mates. 

Yeosang had purposely pulled away after Wooyoung’s passing. Hongjoong and Yunho sent him many letters but he never responded to them. He only responded once, to congratulate them on their binding ceremony. 

Yeosang hadn’t been surprised when he received the letter from Yunho. It had brought back some happy memories of watching the two of them dance around each other being oblivious. 

Memories of sitting with Wooyoung, watching Hongjoong awkwardly try and flirt with a clueless Yunho. He missed those moments and often found himself feeling sad but San would be around the corner with a bright smile and another story.

The amount of comfort and safety he felt from San...it drew him like a month to a flame.

So, it felt right to let San into his garden. 

San looks excited when Yeosang lets him into his garden through the back gate. The Werewolf looks around all excitedly. 

“This is beautiful, Yeosang,” San says.

“Thank you…this was a lot of hard work,” Yeosang says as he looks at the black roses. 

“It was all worth it,” San says, and Yeosang smiles. 

“Come sit down,” Yeosang says before walking to the stone bench. “I want to tell you something.”

“Oh?” San asks curiously before joining Yeosang on the stone bench.

“This garden…actually belonged to my...” Yeosang clears his throat. “My…someone.”

San nods, understanding what Yeosang is trying to say.

“Yeah…this was his favourite place in the mansion and he would spend endless hours taking care of each rose bush,” Yeosang says. He smiles as he remembers the songs Wooyoung would sing as he took time clearing the weeds and carefully pruning the bushes. “His name was Wooyoung and he had a way of charming people. It was easy to fall for him.”

San listens quietly as Yeosang recounts meeting Wooyoung centuries ago. 

“At first I didn't realise his intentions…he was always friendly with everyone and I thought he was just being nice,” Yeosang says with a laugh. “So imagine my surprise when he appears at my door with a bouquet of roses and asks me to the town's dance. I was so surprised and nervous. I thought I was going to make a fool out of myself and possibly embarrass Wooyoung but he didn’t let my fears fester.”

Yeosang looks up at the night sky.

“We must have danced for hours.”

“He sounds lovely,” San says, looking at Yeosang who is clearly reliving the happy memory. 

“He was,” Yeosang whispers. “He was my everything…we moved to this town after many battles with hunters. We were tired and our coven mates were figuring things out after many decades of dancing around each other so we all decided to settle down, no more fighting for our lives…and the first few decades were lovely and peaceful but you know how this story ends,” Yeosang says looking at San. “A happy ending was not in the stars for me…I failed to protect the person most important to me and I punished myself by isolating myself…I missed my coven mates’ bonding ceremony because I couldn’t show my face to them.”

“Yeosang…”

“I…I could only send them a letter to let them know about Wooyoung and then I shut them out too.”

Yeosang takes a shaky breath.

“I was scared to face them and their disappointments.”

“They wouldn't have blamed you, surely not,” San says and Yeosang smiles at him.

“They don't, I just made excuses to not face them…I was ashamed of myself,” Yeosang says. “Hongjoong, our coven leader immediately wrote back with nothing but kind words but I made myself believe it was all just a front. Wooyoung was loved by both Hongjoong and Yunho and I am sure his loss was felt by both of them but they gave me the space I wanted but continued to write me letters.”

“They sound like good people.”

Yeosang’s smile widens.

“They are. Hongjoong was always making sure we were all taken care of and no matter how much grief we gave him, he always loved us,” Yeosang says and starts telling San about the pranks that he, along with Wooyoung and Yunho used to play on Hongjoong and then how slowly it was just him and Wooyoung after Yunho fell for Hongjoong. 

“They were so oblivious to each other and it took decades of pining,” Yeosang says with a laugh. “Thank you for listening to me tonight…I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me.”

“And just so you know, it's not your fault…what happened to Wooyoung.”

“Thank you…for everything”

“I am happy to listen, anytime,” San says. “I am glad you felt like you could tell me your story.”

“It felt right…you are easy to talk to,” Yeosang says and much to San’s surprise, Yeosang rests his head on his shoulder. “Now, you’re going to help me weed the rose bushes.”

“What?!”

“Did you think I was just gonna let you sit here while I work?” Yeosang asks with a raised brow as he pulls away from San’s shoulder. 

“...yes?”

“Too bad, I'm gonna make you work, Wolf.”

“Lead the way, Vampire.”

Chapter 3: Chapter 3

Summary:

As Yeosang gets closer to San and his pack, he starts missing his own coven mates. San helps him reconnect with them, all the while hiding his ever changing feelings for the Vampire in question.

Notes:

And so the final chapter is here! This was posted 2 minutes before midnight, so technically it's still Christmas Eve, so happy Christmas Eve and I hope you enjoy this! Take it as a Christmas present from me to you. If you don't celebrate Christmas, this is just business as usual, lol.

Enjoy!

San learns quickly that he is not made for gardening. He doesn’t have a green thumb much to his dismay but it made Yeosang laugh so he was okay with that. After much bickering and getting scolded by Yeosang for doing something wrong, he was permanently “banished” to the stone bench in Yeosang’s garden. 

Yeosang said he was too “bulky” for gardening. 

“Not nimble enough,” Yeosang had said as San stepped a little too close to a young rose plant. 

San had automatically pouted and Yeosang had laughed before patting his head. 

“You have to be a little bit more graceful,” Yeosang scolded him ever so gently and that only made San’s pout grow. “You shouldn’t be all about power and strength, you won’t get far that way.”

San grumbled about how his strength got him here but Yeosang just shook his head and patted him again.

“Of course, a big strong Wolf like you…I would expect nothing less.” 

Yeosang’s words made San feel a sense of pride but it didn’t last long as he quickly realised Yeosang was teasing him. 

Over the many months San has spent getting to know Yeosang, he has learned that Yeosang is playful and funny. He always had a comeback whenever Mingi or Jongho made a joke at his expense, which left everyone laughing crying. 

Yeosang had fallen in place with his pack and San couldn’t be happier. 

There was one small issue though.

San has a crush. 

An ovious crush. 

Well, obvious to everyone except for the person San is crushing on.

Yeosang. 

San knows it’s just a silly crush so he brushes those feelings off and continues to be Yeosang’s friend. They continue their trips into town and have long chats over tea and coffee and San continues to include Yeosang in their pack activities. He even had a spot by the firepit where he would sit and read, while the rest of the pack did their usual activities. 

Yeosang was still a little prickly at times but he was slowly getting used to the affection Mingi and Seonghwa would give him. Jongho was also surprisingly affectionate to Yeosang too. It really warmed San’s heart to see how well Yeosang got along with everyone. He had even found Mingi intently listening to Yeosang read a book out loud one evening.

San had just stood there, out of both their sights just listening to Yeosang’s voice, feeling a sense of pride and joy. Pride because of how much Mingi had warmed up to Yeosang. Joy from just having Yeosang around so much.

That was the moment San had come to accept his crush on Yeosang and just how much he enjoyed having the Vampire in his life. 

 

________

 

It was the night of another pack gathering. 

The music choice was Yeosang’s choice, soft jazz from the late 19th century. Much to San’s surprise, Mingi ends up vibing with the music. They had gathered around the firepit as the soft jazz played while Mingi did silly dances to the music. 

They all watched Mingi with soft smiles on their faces. San lets out a laugh when Mingi drags Jongho into a dance. Their youngest grumbles a little but he indulges Mingi. Mingi twirls Jongho dramatically and Seonghwa lets out a little cheer when Jongho ends back in Mingi’s arms.

Jongho rolls his eyes and bats Mingi away but their youngest is smiling ear to ear. Everyone was having a lovely evening but San noticed Yeosang seemed to be in his own world, a world where San couldn’t follow him. His dark eyes reflected the fire’s glow as he was clearly lost in his thoughts. San can’t help but wonder if he was thinking of the past and he hates it but he feels envious. 

He knows better than to be jealous of someone who isn’t here but just the way Yeosang talked about Wooyoung spoke volumes. It didn't matter that Wooyoung was no longer here, Yeosang’s heart belonged to him.

Yeosang had told him many stories of his life before, his life with Wooyoung and the rest of his coven. The dances he attended with Wooyoung and the happy memories Yeosang had linked to dance and music. 

San has to swallow the bitter feeling down before he slowly approaches Yeosang.

“Hey.”

Yeosang’s eyes refocus as he looks at San. San’s heart skips a beat as the Vampire smiles at him. San has to shove his feelings into the deepest pits of his heart. 

“Hi,” Yeosang says.

“What are you thinking about?” San asks in what he hopes is a gentle tone and his envy doesn’t peek out. 

“Just…memories,” Yeosang says. He is still smiling but his voice gives away the longing and San has to swallow the bitter feeling once more. San manages a nod. “This was…one of our favourites,” Yeosang says and San doesn’t need much more of an explanation from him to understand.

This was probably Yeosang and Wooyoung’s song. 

San wants to reach over and hold Yeosang but he stops himself. He didn’t want to let his feelings run ahead of him. 

“It must have been lovely,” San says. 

“It was,” Yeosang says, the faraway look returning to his eyes. 

The rest of San’s pack seemed to have noticed the quiet moment Yeosang and San were having. San had told his pack about Yeosang’s loss, not in full detail but they understood why Yeosang was the way he was. His pack had been very understanding and San noticed the way they had all been protective of Yeosang. 

Mingi is the first one to reach them. Yeosang smiles at him and Mingi gives him a toothy grin before he grabs his hand and squeezes it. 

“You’re supposed to ask before you hold someone’s hand,” Seonghwa scolds but he also places his hand over their linked hand. 

Yeosang lets out a laugh.

“It's fine…it's nice.”

San smiles when he sees just how honest Yeosang is. Jongho rolls his eyes and grumbles about being cheesy and corny before he also places his hand on top of Seonghwa’s. 

“You’re a cute, baby bear,” Seonghwa says, ruffling Jongho’s hair with a laugh. Jongho pouts and swats at Seonghwa.

“We are supposed to be comforting Yeosang!” Jongho says as he continues to swat at Seonghwa’s hand. 

“I’m okay,” Yeosang cuts in. “Really, thank you but I’m okay.” Yeosang squeezes Mingi’s hand. Mingi looks at him dubiously but eventually lets go of his hand. 

“If you ever want to talk, we are here,” Seonghwa says and Yeosang nods. 

“Good, I’m sure San was about to explode from worry,” Jongho says. San feels his face heat up at Jongho’s words and when Yeosang turns to look at him, he immediately looks away. 

“Am I not allowed to worry about my friend?” San says, as calmly as he can. He is still looking away when he feels a cold but familiar hand on his. Yeosang squeezes his hand, making San meet his eyes. San can see the sadness but at the same time, he sees the relief in Yeosang’s eyes.

“I’m okay, I promise.”

“Good,” San says, squeezing his hand back. They end up staring at each other for a few minutes, neither of them saying anything. San has so many things he wants to say but none of it comes out when Yeosang stares at him. He feels like Yeosang can see right through him and it makes San want to squirm. It scares him, he thinks Yeosang might see his feelings.

San is the first to look away.

He couldn’t handle it. 

“Alright, that’s enough sappiness,” Mingi says side eyeing San. San curses to himself. His pack was way too intuned with his emotions. “We are supposed to be partying!” Mingi says and everyone laughs before going back to their usual happy chatter. 

If Yeosang doesn’t let go of San’s hand for the rest of the night, San doesn’t say anything and neither does anyone else. 

Once everyone leaves San’s home at the end of the evening, San stares at his hand for a long time, his emotions are all over the place but he manages to reel it back in. Yeosang had been a little quieter than usual. They also hadn’t been out to the market in a while so San wondered if Yeosang was missing Wooyoung a lot and didn’t want to go out. So San sets out to do something nice with his Vampire friend.

It takes two full days but he finally knocks on Yeosang’s door one evening. 

“San?” Yeosang looks confused at first before he smiles at the Werewolf. 

“Hi…I hope I am not bothering you,” San says a little nervously.

“Of course not,” Yeosang says, easily brushing away San’s worries. “Is something wrong? Can I do anything to help?”

San can’t help but smile. He had learned very quickly how much Yeosang cared for people who were important to him as they got to know the Vampire. He was always there to help his friends in any way he could.

“No, everything is okay,” San says before he presents Yeosang with a basket of baked goods. “I made you something.”

Yeosang stares at him with wide eyes before he smiles at San. San forgets how to breathe at how beautiful Yeosang looks. Oh yes, did San mention that he thinks Yeosang has the most beautiful smile ever? 

“Thank you,” Yeosang says as San hands him the basket. “Do you want to come in?”

San is a little surprised as he was half expecting Yeosang to send him away after he had delivered the baked goods. San had never been inside Yeosang’s home. He had always considered it the Vampire’s sacred place. A home he had gotten with the one person he thought he would spend eternity with. 

“Is that okay?” San asks. He didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. 

“Of course,” Yeosang said with a nod before opening the door wider to let San in. “You bought me food, I think I can make you a cup of tea at least in return,” he adds as San steps in. He leads San into the living room. 

San looks around in curiosity and he is a little surprised at how cosy it actually is inside the mansion. While the outside was dark and a little ominous looking, the inside was filled with soft-looking furniture, and the walls were lined by tall bookshelves. Everything looked like it had its place. There was a fire going in the fireplace and it looked like Yeosang had been in the middle of reading one of his many books. 

San also spots some little trinkets on the shelves among the books and finally his eyes land on a framed photo on the mantle.

The man in the photo has a wide smile on his face. He looks happy and carefree. His eyes are full of joy and just the photo alone radiates so much warmth it almost takes San out. 

“That’s Wooyoung.”

San jumps a little in surprise before he turns to Yeosang.

“Sorry! I— I didn’t mean to st— ”

“It’s okay,” Yeosang says, stepping closer to the fireplace. His eyes are on the framed photo. “I keep it there so I don’t forget what he looked like and his smile,” Yeosang says. He is still smiling but San can hear the sadness in his voice. 

“He looks happy,” San says, not knowing what else he could say. 

“He was and he managed to make everything in my life brighter,” Yeosang says. 

San really didn’t know what else he could say so he looked away from the photo. 

“Do you want me to go?” San asks instead of saying anything that he thinks might comfort Yeosang. He knew nothing he would say would provide any comfort. 

“Please stay,” Yeosang says. He looks at San and the sad look on Yeosang’s face causes San’s heartache. “I don’t mind talking to you about…him,” he adds. 

“Oh! And I want to make you tea! We can share all the baked goods you bought too! Look, you even made scones! I have some jam that would be perfect!” 

San watches Yeosang practically escape to the kitchen. San stands there feeling a little dumbfounded but then slowly turns back to the photo of Wooyoung. His heart twists painfully as the envy lingers but he understands now. He had no reason to be jealous or envious. Yeosang had welcomed San into his life and that was enough, he had no reason to try and compete. 

“I’ll be his friend and make sure he is happy,” San whispers. Whether he was talking to himself or the photo of Wooyoung, he wasn’t sure.

“San-ah! What kind of tea do you like? You normally only drink coffee,” Yeosang says as he pops his head out of the kitchen. 

San turns to look at him and walks to the kitchen. The kitchen was small and underused. There was a kettle over the stove, probably heating the water to brew tea. 

“I am happy to try anything,” San says and Yeosang nods as he gets back to brewing tea and getting cream and jam out for the scones. San watches Yeosang move with practiced care, selecting the tea and measuring the loose-leaf tea. San offers help but Yeosang wouldn’t let him. 

Yeosang gets everything ready and leads San back to the living room with a tray in his hand. He had picked an intricate porcelain teapot and matching teacups. He pours the tea into the cups with a gratefulness that San hadn’t seen before. Normally the cafe would have everything ready so this was a new sight for San. 

“You didn’t have to go through the trouble to do all of this,” San says once everything is set. 

“I want to,” Yeosang assures him. “You and your pack have done so much for me,” he adds a little shyly. 

“You deserve the kindness and the friends,” San says without a second thought and Yeosang smiles at him.

“I knew you would say that,” Yeosang says with a laugh before they settle down and talk about this and that. It’s perfectly normal and San feels content being with Yeosang like this.

“The tea is nice,” San says.

“I’m glad you like it,” Yeosang says. “It’s Woo— my favourite,” Yeosang corrects himself but San catches on. “The scone is really good, by the way.”

San laughs.

“You sound surprised,” San teases.

“I was surprised the first time,” Yeosang admits and San raises a brow. “You used to force these on me when you first moved in, remember?”

Realisation hits San. He had long forgotten about that, that felt like a lifetime away. 

“You ate those?”

“Yes,” Yeosang says, looking a little embarrassed.

“I’ll be sure to bake more often for you.”

“I would love that.”

 

________

 

Yeosang is tending to his garden again when he hears the gate open. He looks up to see San stepping into his garden with his signature smile. 

“Hey.”

“Right on time as always,” Yeosang says. 

“Of course, I take my bench warming duties very seriously,” San says and Yeosang rolls his eyes. 

After trying to teach San some gardening and failing, Yeosang banished him to the stone bench. He had told San several times that he didn’t have to sit there just waiting for him but San always told him that it was nice to sit out under the night sky. Yeosang also enjoyed stargazing so just shrugged it off without much thought. 

Sometimes Yeosang would sit next to him and talk together. He would also talk about Wooyoung and his memories. San was a wonderful listener. 

Which was why he wanted San’s help with something that had been on his mind for a while. So after he finished tending to the roses for the night, Yeosang sat next to San a little too nervously. 

“Are you okay?” San asks.

He had gotten very good at reading Yeosang which unnerved him but it also made him feel comfortable around the Werewolf. 

“Yes, but I also wanted to ask you something,” Yeosang says.

“What can I help you with?” San asks eagerly and it makes Yeosang laugh.

“I have been thinking…” Yeosang starts. He takes a deep breath before continuing. “I want to reconnect with my coven. Spending time with you and your pack has been wonderful and I feel like I belong so please don’t take this the wrong way…but it also makes me miss Hongjoong and Yunho.”

“That’s great! And no! We won’t be offended if anything, I’m so glad that you have been thinking about it!” San says all in a rush and it makes Yeosang laugh again. 

“Thanks, San-ah,” Yeosang says. “W— would you help me write a letter to them?” 

“Of course!”

That is how Yeosang finds himself holding a blank piece of parchment and a quill pen. His hand tremors started as he nervously stared at the parchment. San sat across from him, looking at him worriedly. 

“Are you okay?” 

“Yes…sorry…this,” Yeosang waves his hands a little. “It's an old nervous habit,” he says with a nervous laugh. 

“It’s okay, is there anything I can do?”

Yeosang shakes his head. 

“It will stop…eventually.”

Yeosang sighs puts the quill pen down and lays his hands flat, palms down against the table. 

Why was this so hard?

He wants to scream a little.

“You don’t have to rush,” San says gently. He slowly reaches over and places his hand on top of Yeosang’s. He spreads his fingers and intertwines their fingers. 

In contrast to Yeosang’s cold hand, San’s hand is warm and it grounds him. San squeezes his hand before letting go of it. Yeosang instantly misses the warmth. 

“Take your time.”

Yeosang takes a deep breath and picks up his quill pen again. He looks at San who gives him an encouraging nod. 

“I— I’m just not sure where to start,” Yeosang confesses.

“That’s okay,” San reassures him. “Just write anything…this can just be a draft.”

“That’s a good idea, thank you, San-ah,” Yeosang says before he dips his quill pen into the pot of ink. 

He ends up scribbling a bunch of things he wanted to tell Hongjoong and Yunho. How sorry he was for disappearing, how much he wanted to be there for their bonding ceremony, how much he missed them, and how much he missed Wooyoung. He also writes about San and his new friends. 

By the time Yeosang is done he has filled the parchment paper. San smiles at him and Yeosang is a little overwhelmed but he also feels a lot lighter after that.

San then helps him organise everything and rewrite it all in a letter that would make sense to Hongjoong and Yunho. 

Yeosang carefully seals the letter with wax and then stares at it once it's done. 

“It's done.”

“Indeed…I am proud of you,” San says and Yeosang whispers a thank you. “They will be glad you reached out,” San reassures him. 

“I hope so,” Yeosang says with a deep breath. “I…feel better…lighter.” 

“That’s a good sign!” San says Yeosang truly believes for the first time in a long time, that it really was a good sign and things would get better.

He is only proved right when he almost immediately gets a letter back from Hongjoong and Yunho. The white wax seal with a compass on it tells him it's them without even opening the letter. 

Yeosang is scared.

He stared at the familiar seal and wasn't sure if he wanted to read it so he held onto it for days. He tries to go about his day as normally as possible.

He gets ready for another night at the market with San, who as always is on time with his bright smile and endless energy. The more time he spends with San and his pack, the more Yeosang realises just how much he enjoys being near them and being near San. He has also realised just how easily San could read him when the two of them are sitting at the cafe after a few hours of shopping around the market.

“Are you okay?”

Yeosang puts his teacup down before looking at San. He has to wonder how San does that. 

“I got a letter back from Hongjoong and Yunho.”

“That’s great!” San says excitedly but his excitement dies down when he sees Yeosang’s furrowed brows. “Or maybe it’s not great, do you want me to go fight them?”

Yeosang can’t help but laugh at San’s words.

“What?”

“It’s nothing,” Yeosang says between laughter. “You’re sweet, San-ah…but the truth is…I haven’t opened the letter yet.”

“I see,” San says in an understanding tone, that somehow comforts Yeosang. 

“I’m scared,” Yeosang admits when San doesn’t say anything else. It makes admitting his fears to San a little easier. He doesn’t feel judged. “What if they hate me? Or tell me they don't want anything to do with me?” Yeosang chews on his bottom lip. 

“I doubt they would say that but if they did…at least you will get some closure,” San says and Yeosang lets out a nervous laugh.

“You’re really a glass-half-full kind of guy,” Yeosang teases but his heart isn’t really in it. San once again sees right through him.

“Yeosang…no matter what is in that letter, I’ll be here for you,” San says. He places his hand on top of Yeosang’s. It provides comfort to the Vampire and he finds it’s so easy to intertwine their fingers together and smile at San.

“Thank you,” Yeosang whispers. “W— would you sit with me when I open it?” 

San’s eyes widen in surprise but his face softens within seconds. He smiles at Yeosang, all wide and dimpled. If it makes his stomach flip in an unfamiliar way, he ignores it. 

“Of course,” San agrees so easily as if it wasn’t a burden…as if Yeosang’s lack of emotional and social awareness wasn’t a burden on him. He has to wonder if San was real. Surely no one as kind and understanding as San could be real. “When do you want to do it?“

San’s words snap Yeosang back to reality. The Werewolf seems to notice Yeosang’s internal battle once more. Yeosang feels bad for ruining their day so he shakes his head.

“Let’s enjoy our day today,” Yeosang says. “The letter can wait.”

They enjoy the rest of their night together. Yeosang forgets all about the letter as San buys freshly baked pastries. Between the pastries and San’s stories of his adventures, time flies by. San had a way of exaggerating stories and capturing every bit of Yeosang’s attention. 

Sometimes Yeosang thinks he can listen to San forever.

He won’t tell San though, he has a feeling it would bloat his ego. 

Especially when a part of him hopes that moments like these never come to an end but there is another part of him who warns him from being hopeful. Yeosang internally shakes his head and refocuses on San’s story. 

After their cafe outing, San insists on carrying some of Yeosang’s bags as they walk home. Yeosang tries to argue but San is having none of it today. 

“It’s my shopping! Give it back!”

“But the elderly shouldn’t be doing the heavy lifting,” San teases.

“You brat!”

San giggles as he jogs ahead. He turns around and smiles at Yeosang who shakes his head. The Vampire feels exasperated but he is also smiling. 

He feels glad that San was persistent and wormed his way into Yeosang’s life. 

 

________

 

San is nervous. 

He was confident that Yeosang’s coven mates were happy he had reached out but he couldn't help feeling a little nervous as he waited for Yeosang to open the letter. It had been a few days since their outing together and Yeosang had finally asked San to join him after their regular gardening session (Well, Yeosang’s gardening session). 

San had also picked up on Yeosang’s hand tremors. He didn’t say anything as he had seen Yeosang try and hide it. So when his hands start to tremble again, San easily reaches over and holds it. 

Yeosang looks at San with a grateful smile. 

(San ignores the way his heart skips a beat.)

“I’m scared,” Yeosang says and San squeezes his hand.

“It’s okay,” San says. “Everything will be alright.”

Yeosang nods.

“Okay,” Yeosang says with a deep breath. “I’ll open it.” San lets go of Yeosang’s hand and for a split second he thinks Yeosang reaches out again but he doesn’t dare let himself hope. 

Yeosang breaks the seal, his hands are still trembling as he pulls out the letter. He hesitates.

“It’s okay, you aren’t alone,” San says and Yeosang nods again before he unfolds the letter and reads it. San stares at him but Yeosang doesn't let any emotion show on his face.

A few minutes pass by and San’s nervousness grows. 

It feels like hours go by before Yeosang puts the letter down. He looks at San with a blank face before he gives San the brightest smile the Werewolf had ever seen. He almost forgets how to breathe. He had seen many of Yeosang’s smiles at this point. The small smiles, the shy smiles, the forced smiles, and even a rare sighting of a genuine smile. But this smile was probably the prettiest one San had ever seen.

It’s a wide smile with all teeth. His eyes crinkle in a carefree manner and San can’t help but focus on Yeosang’s birthmark. San thinks he can hear the birds sing which would be impossible since it’s the middle of the night. 

Yeosang is beautiful.

San is in lo— trouble.

In the silence, a single tear rolls down Yeosang’s cheek and San throws all caution to the wind and hugs Yeosang. A soft sob escaped Yeosang’s lips before his hands wrapped around San. 

“They— they don’t hate me— ”

“No one could hate you.”

Yeosang manages a small laugh between sobs. 

“You’re silly.”

“And you still love me.”

“Thank you for being my friend,” Yeosang says. “Thank you, for everything.”

“You are welcome,” San says, ignoring the way his heart aches at Yeosang’s words.

He would be okay. He is just glad to be Yeosang’s friend. He does have to fight the urge to kiss Yeosang’s birthmark but holds back. This wasn’t about him, this was about being there for Yeosang and nothing else mattered. 

 

________

 

Yeosang reads and rereads the letter from Hongjoon and Yunho about a million times. He can’t believe their letter had nothing but kind and understanding words. Their words of comfort made a warm feeling settle into the pit of his stomach and he felt a sense of relief. And then having San by his side, he realised that he would never be alone again. 

He had been exchanging letters with Hongjoong and Yunho for weeks now. It felt so natural to reconnect. He did get sad at times when he remembered all the things he had missed in the couple’s life but they promised to come visit when they got time so Yeosang had something to look forward to.

Mingi does sulk a little saying the pack was getting replaced but Yeosang just rolls his eyes and unwillingly gives the overgrown Werewolf a hug to keep him quiet. 

Yeosang has been wondering though…if San had been a bit distant recently. His ever-persistent neighbour hasn’t been persistent recently. Yeosang finds that he has been going into town alone more often and the Werewolf also doesn’t come to his garden unannounced. 

The few times San does visit, he tells Yeosang that he has been busy visiting his family. His sister had just given birth to a rowdy pair of pups who needed entertaining and apparently, Uncle San was the only Wolf for the job. 

Yeosang listens to all of San’s stories about his niece and nephew. He looks so happy talking about them. It makes Yeosang happy to see him happy but his heart also aches. He’s not sure why…maybe he just misses San and he can’t shake off the feeling that the Werewolf is being distant. 

He has also been writing about San and his pack to Hongjoong and Yunho, so he also ends up writing about his worries about San being distant to them. Hongjoong is the one to point out that perhaps rather than San being distant, it was just Yeosang being clingy as San had become a constant in his life. 

He realises that this could be true so he tries to keep himself busy with other things but he finds it a little difficult. 

One night while Yeosang was fully focused on trimming one of the rose bushes, he heard his gate open up. He looks up immediately and as expected, sees San. 

“Hey!” Yeosang greets him, probably a little too excitedly than he was intending but he cannot hide how happy he is to see San.

San lets out a laugh.

“Missed me?”

“Very.” 

The word comes out faster than Yeosang can think about it. San’s eyes widen in surprise before he smiles. Yeosang’s heart does a strange flip at the Werewolf’s smile. 

“I missed you too,” San says and Yeosang’s heart does another flip. “May I sit with you?”

“Oh my God, when did you get so polite?” Yeosang asks and San rolls his eyes. Yeosang still joins San on the stone bench. He had missed sitting with San and just talking about anything and everything. ”How have you been?” Yeosang asks once they are both sat down.

“Good, but tired…pups are so energetic,” San says and Yeosang laughs. “I don’t know how my sister and her husband keep up with them.” 

“They are probably tired all the time. They probably appreciate you helping out anytime you are free,” Yeosang says and pats his knee. 

“I hope so, but yeah, the kids are adorable,” San says and proceeds to tell Yeosang about them. Yeosang listens to him with a soft smile on his face and his hand remaining on San’s knee. ”Anyway, what have you been up to? Y’know other than missing me.”

Yeosang rolls his eyes before telling San about the letter he had been exchanging with Hongjoong and Yunho. He doesn’t tell San that he asked them for advice regarding San though. 

“They were thinking of coming to visit soon,” Yeosang says.

“That will be nice for you guys,” San says and Yeosang nods. 

“I am looking forward to it…I want to tell them so much in person and to talk about…Wooyoung.”

San hums.

“It will be nice to mourn him with others who loved him,” Yeosang says looking up to the night sky and his hand finally lets go of San’s knee and reaches for his locket. 

There is a moment of silence between them.

“That locket— ”

“Wooyoung’s birthstone.”

“Ah.”

“It makes me feel close to him,” Yeosang admits before he lets out a laugh. “Silly, I know but…y’know,” Yeosang adds as he looks at San. 

San has an unreadable look on his face. Yeosang had always found it hard to read San but he thought he had been getting better but maybe not?

“It’s not silly,” San says. “You do what comforts you.”

Yeosang chuckles again.

“Understanding as always.”

“Just being a good friend,” San says with his signature smile and Yeosang smiles back at him. He knows that San is a good friend and he has thanked San for it, but something about the idea of San being his friend doesn’t sit right with him. 

Maybe he still hadn’t gotten used to the idea of having people who care about him in his life just yet. 

“Hey, can I tell you something?” San asks after a moment of silence. 

“Of course,” Yeosang says. “You have always listened to me.”

San takes a deep breath as if he was gathering his nerves and Yeosang feels worried. San was never one to hesitate with his words. 

“I’ve been…for a while now…” 

“San,” Yeosang cuts him off and reaches for the Werewolf’s hand before squeezing it. “It’s okay, tell me slowly.” 

Yeosang had meant it as a way to comfort San but it looks like it makes him more nervous. San looks down at their connected hand and finally seems to relax a little. 

“Just know that I’ve tried to ignore these feelings for a while now and I’m not telling you this to pressure you into anything, I already know who your heart belongs to,” San says and Yeosang is still confused about what he was trying to say.

What feelings? 

What about his heart?

Was San— no, surely he couldn’t be.

“Yeosang, I think…I’m falling in love with you.”

Yeosang’s eyes widened in surprise. He sits there frozen as he lets San’s confession sink in. He opens his mouth but no words come out. He shuts his mouth before opening it again but once again nothing comes out. 

“I’m sorry,” San whispers. Yeosang’s heart aches at how dejected San sounds. “I just couldn’t keep it in anymore, I’m so sorry.” 

Yeosang is still a little too stunned to speak but he realises the more time he spends not saying anything the more hurt San seems to look. Yet, Yeosang is at a loss for words and his mind is scrambling around for something, anything. 

“I understand if you don’t feel the same way,” San says with a bitter laugh. “I know your heart belongs to Wooyoung…but I just wanted to let you know and I hope we can still be friends, I never want to lose you as a friend.” 

Yeosang feels a mix of different emotions swirls around inside him. It’s a mixture of shock and confusion, but Yeosang also felt a warmth he hadn’t felt in a long time. Something that he thought he couldn’t feel ever again. San’s confession was genuine and heartfelt. The sincerity in his eyes spoke volumes and it almost felt breathless but he was still at a loss for words. 

The confusion overtook all his other feelings.

And the guilt. 

The guilt of moving on from Wooyoung. 

“It’s okay,” San says as he really has become attuned to Yeosang’s emotions. “I have made things uncomfortable, I’m sorry,” he says before standing up. Yeosang stares as San stood up. He still manages to smile at Yeosang before he speaks again. “I’ll go now…and I meant it when I said I hope we can still be friends…I really am okay with just being friends.”

San turns away and walks towards the gate when Yeosang finally finds his voice again. 

“San, wait!” 

“You don’t have to say anything, I understand and I’ll still be your friend after all of this…if you’ll still have me,” San says. He is still facing away from Yeosang so he can’t see the Werewolf’s face or read his emotions. 

Before Yeosang can respond, San is gone. Yeosang has a sneaking suspicion that he used his powers to escape quickly. The silence Yeosang is left with feels heavy. He chews on his bottom lip as he thinks of San’s confession. He had spent so long pushing people away, convincing himself that no one would ever want to be his friend and now San was here offering him his heart but Yeosang didn’t know what to do or even say. 

All he knew was that San was important to him and he didn’t want to lose him. 

There was also a feeling stirring inside of him. A feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time but it was something he wasn’t sure he wanted to face. Wooyoung’s locket feels heavy around his neck.

Yeosang doesn’t know if the feeling that is stirring inside him is something he ever wants to face. 

He decides to call it a night and packs away his tools before going back inside his home. He just sits on the sofa and stares at the walls of bookshelves. This was a place he found comfort in normally but tonight he feels out of his depth. 

“What would you do, Wooyoung?” Yeosang asks the photo on the mantel. 

As always, he gets no answer. 

“I don’t know how to handle this…I wasn’t prepared for this,” Yeosang says to Wooyoung’s photo. “After you…I didn’t think I could feel anything for anyone again.” 

He stares at Wooyoung’s photo and finds himself thinking of the past, of the years, decades even, he had spent with Wooyoung. The happy memories come rushing to him but so does the pain of losing Wooyoung. One of the saddest moments in Yeosang’s life. The very moment he had lost a part of himself and what was left of him simply had no purpose…until San had broken down all of his walls.

“I— I feel like I’m betraying you by just thinking of San’s…words,” Yeosang says. “How could I let myself feel…so much for someone else when you were— are my everything?”

Yeosang sighs. 

“You always had the answer, Woo,” Yeosang says. “You just had a way of making sense of the world…”

“Give me a sign…or anything…please.”

There is a knock on Yeosang’s door. 

“Woo…Wooyoung?”

Yeosang scolds himself for thinking of the impossible. With a shake of his head, Yeosang goes to answer the door.

“Hongjoong! Yunho!”

His old coven mates smile at him.

“Surprise!” Yunho, ever the energetic friend he was, practically throws himself into Yeosang. Yeosang lets out a giggle as he hugs his coven mate and one of his best friends. 

“Nice to see you too, Yunho,” Yeosang says into his shoulder. 

“We were in the area and thought it would be a good idea to drop in,” Hongjoong says sheepishly. “Hope that is okay,” he adds once Yeosang and Yunho break their hug. 

“It is absolutely okay,” Yeosang says. He offers his hand to Hongjoong for a shake but his coven leader gives him a look. “Okay, fine,” Yeosang huffs before he gives Hongjoong a tight hug too. 

Once they have exchanged their greetings, Yeosang invites them inside his home. They had never been before so they oh and ah over the decor. Yeosang serves them tea and some of the baked goods that San had dropped off recently. 

They sit together on the sofa and it’s Hongjoong whose eyes land on the photo of Wooyoung on Yeosang’s mantle. 

“He looks so happy.”

“He was,” Yeosang says with a laugh. “He was so excited when I took that photo.”

“He used to get excited over the smallest of things,” Hongjoong says and before Yeosang knows it he is happily talking to his coven mates about Wooyoung without a care in the world. 

Eventually, the topic moves to baked goods.

“This scone is amazing, Yeosangie!” Yunho says as he happily munches away on the scone he had slathered with cream and jam. “Where did you learn to bake? You were always awful at domestic tasks, that always used to be Wooyoung’s forte.”

“Oh.” Yeosang plays with his fingers. “I didn’t make them…they were made by…San.”

“San…oh, your Werewolf neighbour!” Yunho says. He looks at Yeosang and his face falls. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah…”

“What’s wrong, Yeosang?” Hongjoog asks. “Did you argue with San?” 

“No…” Yeosang says. “At least…I don’t think we did.”

“Do we need to go have a word with him?” Hongjoong asks in a tone that makes a shiver run down Yeosang’s spine. 

“No, everything is okay,” Yeosang says. “It’s just…San said that he might be falling in love with me.”

“Oh, Sangie,” Yunho is the first one to speak. 

“You must have a lot on your mind,” Hongjoong says. 

“Yeah…it’s a lot,” Yeosang admits. “He told me he wasn’t expecting anything out of his confession but his words have…I don’t know…he just makes me feel…a lot.”

Yunho and Hongjoong exchange a look before Hongjoong speaks.

“It’s okay to feel conflicted, you’ve been through a lot and no matter how much time passes, Wooyoung was such an integral part of your life,” Hongjoong speaks in a gentle tone as he moves a little closer to Yeosang. “He will always be part of you but time will always move forward, we don’t want you to be left behind in the past, especially if there is a happy end for you.”

“San sounds amazing in your letters,” Yunho steps in. “We think he is good for you, don’t let him slip away.”

“I…I am scared,” Yeosang admits. “W— what if something happens and I lose San too.”

“You can’t let fear rule your life, Sangie,” Yunho says. “Do you think I would have gotten very far if I had been scared of confessing to Hongjoong?”

“If I remember correctly, you were scared shitless,” Yeosang deadpans.

“Not the point,” Yunho glares at Yeosang. 

“We want you to live your life, Yeosang,” Hongjoong says. “Rather than just existing and letting the time pass, we want you to live and be in the moment.”

Yeosang is unable to hold Hongjoong’s gaze so he looks down to the floor. 

“But what about Wooyoung?” Yeaosang whispers. “I— I feel like I’ve betrayed him.”

“Wooyoung would not feel betrayed,” Yunho says. “And neither would he want you to be alone and isolated, he would want you to be happy.”

Hongjoong places a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Wooyoung loved you more than anything else in the world, he would hate to see you unhappy,” Hongjoong says. “It’s not betrayal, grief will probably always be part of your life but at some point, you have to move forward. That doesn’t mean you will forget Wooyoung or diminish just how important he is to you.” 

Yeosang finally looks up at Hongjoong and Yunho. They are both smiling at him gently. Yeosang sees no judgment or resentment. He just sees the familiar love and comfort, it makes him realise just how much he had missed them.

“Thank you…I’ll think about what you both have said,” Yeosang says. “I don’t know if I am ready but I really do appreciate your advice.”

“Good, that’s all we can ask for…oh but we do ask for one more thing,” Yunho has a mischievous glint in his eyes. 

“What is it?”

“We want to meet San.”

 

________

 

San is returning home after spending a few days with his family. 

He hadn’t intended to be away for more than a day but he found he needed the distraction after spilling his guts to Yeosang. 

It wasn’t something he planned on doing but watching Yeosang there, practically glowing under the moonlight. The words came tumbling out of his mouth before he could think about it and it ended up exactly how he thought it would. Yeosang's silence had been a loud rejection but San didn't regret his actions either. 

He just really hopes that things don't change between them. 

He's just about to get home when he sees Yeosang by his door. San automatically smiles. He knew he had been actively avoiding him ever since he discovered that his crush was something much bigger and then he disappeared for four whole days after confessing, but he had time to clear his head and come to accept that he would be Yeosang’s friend and nothing more. 

But seeing Yeosang just made him so happy.

His smile drops when he sees two others standing with Yeosang.

“San…hi,” Yeosang looks hesitant. 

“Hey, are you okay?” San asks in worry. He eyes the two strangers standing a little further away.

“Yes…sorry…I wanted to introduce you to my coven mates,” Yeosang says before he turns to the two strangers. “This is Hongjoong and Yunho.”

“Oh!” San says, realisation dawning on him. “I’m San, I’ve heard many great things about both of you.”

“Nice to meet you, San,” Hongjoong says as he offers up his hand for a handshake. 

“Nice to meet you too,” San says, shaking Hongjoong's hand.

“We have heard lots about you too!” Yunho says a little too excitedly. “So we've been dying to meet the wolf that broke our stubborn friend's walls!”

“Yunho!”

Yeosang looks embarrassed while Yunho laughs.

“Don’t mind him,” Yunho says as he oats Yeosang’s back. “You have to tell us everything though! Was he difficult at first? I bet he was!”

San smiles at Yunho and nods. 

“He was very difficult,” San agrees. “He pushed my pack and I a lot. He would complain at the slightest bit of laughter from us.”

“Hey! You're exaggerating!” Yeosang protests with a pout that makes San smile. He can’t help but reach over and brush the hair away from the Vampire’s face and tuck it behind his hair. His thumb lingers on Yeosang’s birthmark. 

“Oh my! They are so domestic! Hongjoong look!” Yunho shatters the small soft moment of affection. San pulls his hand away a little too fast and lets out a nervous laugh. 

“I’m looking already, Yunho-ya,” Hongjoong scolds his lover tenderly. “But look what you’ve done now, they both look like kids who were caught with their hands in the cookie jar.”

San sneaks a look at Yeosang who is looking down at the ground while fiddling with his fingers. He isn’t sure but he thinks he sees a hint of a blush across Yeosang’s soft cheeks. San shakes his head before he invites the three of them inside and they end up talking for a while. San mostly talks about how he got to know Yeosang, while Yeosang adds bits and pieces here and there.

Both Hongjoong and Yunho oh and ah as the story progresses and they both get tense when San explains how he found Yeosang in the forest. Yunho ends up reaching over and holding Yeosang’s hand. 

“San…we can’t thank you enough for saving Yeosang and for being his friend,” Hongjoong says. “He’s been through a lot so we are happy to know he has someone by his side.”

“I do my best,” San says. “He doesn’t make it easy.”

Yeosang pouts again and Hongjoong pokes his cheek.

“Stop sulking,” Hongjoong scolds Yeosang. “You have always made things difficult,” Hongjoong says to Yeosang before looking at San. “He was the hardest to look after when all of us lived together, he was and still is a bit of a space cadet so if you ever think he is being quiet and mysterious, he is just living in his own world.”

“Oh yes!” Yunho says excitedly and looks ready to jump into a story but Yeosang quickly stops him.

“Alright, I think that’s enough stories!” Yeosang cuts him off. “I’m sure San wants to rest now and you two need to start heading home.”

Yunho pouts but Hongjoong places a hand on his arm to calm him down. “I think we have put San through enough, it’s clear he has been a good influence on Yeosang and for that we are grateful,” Hongjoong says.

“Thank you, that means a lot,” San says. “And he has also been a good friend to me…I am really glad to have met him.”

Hongjoong smiles at San and nods.

“I approve, Yeosangie.”

Yeosang’s eyes widen while San is confused.

“Me too!” Yunho says. “He’s a ca— ” Yeosang clamps his hand over Yunho’s mouth.

“Thanks for letting us intrude, San-ah,” Yeosang says. “But I think we have overstayed our welcome.”

San sees the three Vampires off and then decides he just wants to go to bed and not think too much about what Hongjoong and Yunho had said or about Yeosang’s reactions. He is way too tired to analyse anything right now.

 

________

 

Yeosang is tending to his roses while thinking about what Hongjoong and Yunho have said to him. Yunho had been very ecstatic after meeting San, telling Yeosang that San was a total catch and that they fully approved of Yeosang being with San. Yeosang had brushed him off saying that they were friends but a part of him knew that calling San a friend was perhaps a lie. 

He finds himself reaching for his locket again. 

“What should I do, Woo?” Yeosang whispers into the night. “Am I too stubborn? Too stuck in my ways?”

Yeosang slowly walks to the stone bench and sits down. He can’t help but remember the countless nights he had spent right here with San, just talking. Those were some of Yeosang’s most peaceful nights in his recent memories. 

Sitting here, he can also picture himself of the past, a much younger version standing in this very rose garden either gardening or dancing around with Wooyoung. Those memories had haunted him many times but now it brings him a sense of comfort and it feels lighter. 

He had been afraid to let go of Wooyoung and of their past but in doing so he had caused himself more pain. Yeosang closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

“There is only one answer,” Yeosang whispers again. “I’m sorry, Wooyoung”

He isn’t sure exactly what he was apologising for but the one thing he was sure of was that San had become important to him, more than he thought. He thinks back to San’s confession and it makes Yeosang’s heart flip, the same way as it did the first time San had confessed. It’s not an uncomfortable feeling.

Almost as if his thoughts alone had summoned San, he appears at Yeosang’s gate. 

“Yeosang?”

When their eyes meet, Yeosang’s heart does the same flip, which he now recognises as his heart skipping a beat. 

“San, hi,” Yeosang looks at the Werewolf in surprise. 

San gives him his signature dimpled smile. There is a warmth in San's eyes that makes Yeosang feel warm and safe. 

“Mind if I join you?’

“Of course not,” Yeosang says and pats the space next to him. 

“Thank you,” San says before sitting next to Yeosang. “How have you been?” 

“Good,” Yeosang says. “What about you? Are you okay? I— the last time we spoke properly, I— ”

“Yeosang, it’s okay,” San says. “I know what I was getting myself into so please don’t worry about it.”

”How can I not worry? I hurt you.”

“You didn’t hurt me, not on purpose anyway,” San says as always, being understanding. “It’s not something either of us can control but the one thing I am sure of is that I don’t want to lose you as a friend and I can only hope that you feel the same way.”

“I do, I don’t ever want to lose you, San.”

“Then, we’re okay.”

“Promise?”

“Promise, I will always be by your side,” San promises to Yeosang under the moon and stars. 

Yeosang smiles. 

“Thank you and I promise too…I’ll always be by your side.”

San’s smile widens and Yeosang holds his breath as the Werewolf reaches over to tuck his hair behind his ear. San’s thumb once again lingers on Yeosang’s birthmark. 

Yeosang closes his eyes and leans into San’s touch. 

This is where he belonged. 

 

_________

 

San is a little wary as he follows Yeosang deeper into the forest. He is on high alert to make sure there are no traps anywhere. He didn’t want a repeat of last time but Yeosang seemed to be very relaxed as he led San. 

It was almost like Yeosang had this hidden path engraved in his memories.

When San had met Yeosang for their usual walk to the market he had not been expecting Yeosang to tell him that he wanted to take San somewhere else. 

Yeosang wouldn’t tell him where though. He just asked San if he trusted him. The answer was an easy yes. 

They walk in silence, the only sound being the rustling of the leaves or the snapping of the twigs as they walk. The trees were dense so the moonlight was of little to no help with seeing in the forest. San had to use his powers to be able to see. He stares at Yeosang’s back. 

Yeosang had an unreadable look on his face when he asked San to follow him so he really didn't know what to expect. They eventually arrive at a clearing bathed in moonlight without any trees obstructing it, much to San’s relief because he was starting to feel a little claustrophobic.

“We're here,” Yeosang says. “San…this is Wooyoung’s resting place.”

At Yeosang’s words, San notices a headstone. It was simple and didn’t have much more on it than a single rose engraved in it. The ground had clearly been meticulously cared for and Yeosang walked up to it and carefully placed the flowers he had bought in front of the headstone. 

He closes his eyes and whispers something under his breath. San tries his best not to listen as he feels like he is intruding. He stands there awkwardly before Yeosang stands back up and looks at San.

“Wooyoung…this is San,” Yeosang says. “He’s been good to me…even Hongjoong and Yunho have approved of him,” Yeosang says with a laugh. He looks at San again and it makes his heart skip a beat at the sight of Yeosang looking at him so tenderly. He still doesn't let himself hope. “I bought him here so you can see for yourself that…I am doing okay now and that…San is looking after me so I hope you can rest easy.” 

San’s heart skips a beat at Yeosang’s words again. He is glad that Yeosang feels that way about him. He silently promises to take care of Yeosang and to protect him. 

“I miss you a lot but I think it’s time to move forward and you’ll be glad to hear that. I’m so sorry, Wooyoung,” Yeosang whispers and San once again tries to not eavesdrop. “I’m sorry for holding onto you and not letting myself feel again but San has shown me that it’s okay.”

Yeosang’s eyes meet San’s and San thinks he sees vulnerability in the Vampire’s eyes that made him want to reach out and hold him. San wants to protect him so much, he is unable to stop himself from taking a step towards Yeosang. 

“San,” Yeosang finally addresses him and that’s all San needs to go up to Yeosang and pull him in for a tight hug. Yeosang lets out a laugh and hugs him back. San likes the way Yeosang simply fits in his arms so perfectly. Once they pulled away, Yeosang cleared his throat. “The reason I brought you here is that I wanted to introduce you to Wooyoung, I know that may seem strange to you— ”

“It’s not strange, he means the world to you and I’m honored to meet him,” San says without a second thought and Yeosang laughs again. 

“I also wanted to let you know, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said to me that night, and at the time I denied it…but San, you’ve started to become important to me and you have also started to take space in my heart...I like you San-ah, more than a friend,” Yeosang says and San stops breathing or he forgets how to breathe.

“I— ”

San cannot bring himself to speak. He is so surprised and this is beyond what he imagined. He had dreamed and daydreamed of having his feelings reciprocated but he never let himself hope. 

“San…are you okay?” Yeosang asks.

“Yes, I just can’t believe this…I must be dreaming,” San says, more to himself. He pinches his arm and lets out a surprised yelp. 

Yeosang giggles and San desperately wants to collect his giggles and save it in a jar. It's too precious to just let it get lost in the night. 

“You told me that your words were not meant to pressure me but I think your confession pushed me towards the right direction,” Yeosang says. “I'm sorry for making you wait but I hope it's not too late, if you will have me.”

“I…don’t know what to say.”

Yeosang’s face falls and San wants to slap himself. 

“I mean— ”

“It's okay, you don't have to say anything,” Yeosang says, sounding dejected. “I just wanted to let you know, sorry…I didn’t mean to make it sound like I was expecting something from you.”

San swallows the lump in his throat as he is still trying to gather his thoughts. His emotions were all over the place but he managed to smile at Yeosang and once again reached over to brush his hair away from his face. As always his thumb lingers on Yeosang’s birthmark. 

“Thank you for trusting me, Yeosang,” San finally speaks. 

Yeosang looks a little surprised at first but then smiles. The small amount of doubt was now gone. 

“Are you really okay with…this…with us?” San asks. “Not that I doubt you but I want to make sure you are okay.”

“I am…I am ready to move forward with you, San-ah,” Yeosang says as he takes one of San’s hands and squeezes it. “Thank you for thinking of me and for waiting for me.”

“I would have waited an eternity, Yeosang.”

“I’m glad you didn’t have to,” Yeosang says with a roll of his eyes but the smile on his face says otherwise. 

San searches Yeosang’s eyes for any signs of doubt but he doesn’t find any. He feels a warmth spread through him before everything that has happened today truly sinks in. The two just stand there for a while, both of them taking the moment in. San catches Yeosang’s eyes flickering down to his lips and he can’t help the smirk. Yeosang looks away, his cheeks flushing a little at being caught. 

“Just so you know, I haven’t done this in a while…so don’t expect things to change all of a sudden,” Yeosang mumbles.

San feels his heart swell with love. He reaches with his free hand to cup Yeosang’s face and nudges him to look up at him. 

“It’s okay, we will go slow. We have all the time in the world,” San reassures before he presses his forehead to Yeosang’s. “I’ll take care of you. Always.”

Yeosang nods before his eyes flutter close. San doesn’t need to be told twice before he closes the distance between them, capturing Yeosang’s lips in a soft kiss. Yeosang responds in kind, kissing him back just as softly, making San’s heart explode. It’s so easy to lose himself and deepen the kiss. San pulls Yeosang closer as the rest of the world melts away. 

When they pull away, San takes pride in the way Yeosang looks flustered. His eyes are still closed so San takes the moment to take in how beautiful Yeosang is. He forgets how to breathe when Yeosang slowly opens his eyes and looks up at him with so much adoration.

“I like you, San-ah,” Yeosang finally confesses. “I don’t know if I can call it love but if you give me time— ”

“Take as much time as you need!”

“Of course, I expected nothing less from you,” Yeosang says. “But I’m being serious, I don’t know if I’ll ever get to love but you are important to me.”

“It’s okay, I’m happy to have you in whatever measure you are comfortable with,” San says. “I just want you to be happy if that means being with me like this, it’s enough for me.”

Yeosang stared at San for a while before he pressed a quick kiss on the Werewolf’s lips, taking him by surprise.

“Thank you…for everything. Thank you for being by my side.” 

San smiles before pulling Yeosang in for a hug again.

“I’ll always be here for you.” 

 

________

 

Yeosang is enjoying the quiet night by the fire pit in San’s backyard. The music isn’t too loud or it never was and Yeosang just felt like picking fights back when San first moved in. Who really knows? (Yeosang knows and is sure that the music was never too loud but he isn’t admitting that to San.)

Yeosang and San had been exploring their new relationship for a few months now and Yeosang couldn’t be happier. Not much had changed really, San just made sure to shower Yeosang with ‘I love you’ and other sweet words. They also shared kisses and San had become a lot clingier now, not that Yeosang minded. 

Everything felt so right.

They even put time aside to go visit Wooyoung with fresh flowers and life updates. 

Yeosang’s overwhelming fear of loss and guilt of moving on was slowly being replaced by hope now and he often found himself looking forward to a future with San. He had been contemplating this a lot recently and finally, he felt like he could tell San what he wanted to hear for so long. 

“Are you okay?” San breaks his thoughts. He squeezes his hand to get his attention. “You seemed like you were gone somewhere.”

Yeosang looks at San and smiles.

“Yes, I’m okay,” Yeosang says before he leans in to place a quick kiss on San’s lips. “I was actually thinking of us.”

“Oh?”

Over the time Yeosang had spent together with San, he had come to realise just how much the Werewolf resembled a house cat. The head tilts alone reminded Yeosang of a curious cat. He can’t help but reach over and pat his head before he starts playing with San’s soft hair.

San leans in easily. 

There was a comfort San brought with him that made Yeosang feel safe. He could be honest without any fear.

“San, I love you.”

San’s eyes widen in surprise before he eventually smiles so wide, that Yeosang thinks he might go blind.

“You mean it,” San whispers. “I can see it in your eyes.”

“I do, I love you so much,” Yeosang repeats. 

San looks ready to climb to the top of his house and scream it to the world with the way he vibrates. Yeosang lets out a laugh.

“O— oh my God! Yeosang! I— ” San cuts himself off as he warps his arms around Yeosang. “I love you too! So much!”

Yeosang laughed again.

“I know,” Yeosang says as he presses his ear against San’s chest. He smiles at how fast the Werewolf’s heart is beating. He slowly wraps his hands around San and pulls him closer. Their eyes meet and they exchange smiles before they lean in. Yeosang’s eyes close as he waits in anticipation. 

Alas. 

“Ew! The lovebirds are at it again!” Mingi screams. “Get a room!”

“Mingi! Grow up! Jongho! Grab him now!” Seonghwa commands. 

“Ugh, just stop making moon eyes at each other,” Jongho grumbles but he grabs the dramatic Mingi and drags him away anyway. 

“Sorry, please continue,” Seonghwa says as he sits next to them by the fire pit.

“Erm…”

“I got him!” Jongho reappears and grabs Seonghwa too and drags him away. 

Yeosang and San look at each other in confusion before they burst out laughing. 

Life was never boring with San’s pack around and Hongjoong and Yunho were coming for a visit soon, which would make things even more chaotic.

Yeosang looked forward to it. 

His life with San and their friends was indeed worth living. 

Chapter 4: Epilogue

Summary:

Fast foward to the future with San, Yeosang couldn't be happier.

Notes:

Finally managed to gather all my braincells to type this epilogue out. This ending came to me as I was writing chapter 3 but it ended up being too long ad I also thought this was a nice way to end the story and say goodbye to the characters who I have come to adore so much!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the final addition of this story!

Yeosang is happy.

He is and he tells San every day that he is happy. 

Every day with San has been a blessing and Yeosang couldn’t think of anywhere else he would want to be. It has been many years since he had decided to move forward with San. He still thought about Wooyoung but it was different now. He remembered Wooyoung with lots of joy and love rather than longing and regrets. 

San was always there for him, listening to stories about Wooyoung and even joining him to go visit Wooyoung’s resting place. Yeosang never felt judged, if anything it felt like this was something they always did together. San fell so perfectly into his life, that he couldn’t remember a time when San wasn’t there. That’s not to say San didn't often tease him about their past selves. The argument they had was once a bitter subject but now it was filled with a sense of joy and nostalgia. 

When Yeosang thinks back to it, he can’t help but laugh a little at his stubborn self. Things had been rocky at the beginning but he is grateful for the way it turned out in the end, so when San asked him if he wanted more, he was confused. 

“More?”

San nods. He looks unsure of himself, which is something Yeosang was not used to. They had been sitting on Yeosang’s sofa. He had a book in his hand while San had been resting after another night of dealing with the full moon. San had been sleepy so Yeosang had offered San his lap as a pillow. 

San, ever the excited Werewolf he was, had happily accepted the offer. Yeosang had sat there reading his book while running his fingers through the Werewolf’s soft hair. He had thought San had dozed off until he asked Yeosang if he considered more for them.

“Yeah…like a bonding ceremony?”

San looks scared after saying that and Yeosang instantly wants to comfort him but then San’s words sink in and he freezes. San seems to take his silence as rejection as he sits up, looking all panicked. 

“Sorry!” San says quickly. “That was a dumb thing to say, please forget I said that!” San looks at Yeosang with pleading eyes as he slowly reaches for Yeosang’s hands. “God, I fucked up,” San scolds himself, running his free hand through his hair. “My mind is foggy for the full moon and I don’t know what I’m saying— you’re still bonded with Wo— ”

“Yes.”

San’s head snaps towards Yeosang with wide eyes in shock. 

“I would like to hold a bonding ceremony with you, San-ah,” Yeosang says as he squeezes San’s hand in reassurance. 

“Are you sure?” San asks and Yeosang smiles. San had always been thoughtful of his feelings ever since they got together. He always checked with Yeosang about his boundaries and never did anything that made the Vampire uncomfortable. “I don’t want to push you.”

“You’re not pushing me,” Yeosang says. “I was bonded with Wooyoung and that ended…abruptly…but,” Yeosang cups San’s face and makes the Werewolf look at him. “I want to bond with you too, San-ah. I love you and I want to give you my heart.”

San finally seems to relax and smiles. It has been countless years since they started their courtship and yet, one simple smile from San, still made Yeosang’s heart skip a beat. 

“Thank you, I’ll keep your heart safe…please keep mine safe too,” San says and Yeosang notices the way his eyes are shimmering in a way that tells him San is close to bursting out in tears. Yeosang lets out a laugh before pulling him in for the softest of kisses.

San giggles, kissing Yeosang back while crying tears of joy. 

Yeosang kisses away each tear.

 

________

 

Yeosang is nervous.

He had been confident about his choice when San had asked Yeosang to bond with him and he still was but standing here, under the stars, holding roses Wooyoung adored, getting ready to bond with San was nerve-racking. 

Everyone had gathered in Yeosang’s garden. San’s pack had gone out of their way to hang fairy lights around, well mostly Seonghwa had and Mingi and Jongho had gathered mismatched chairs from both San and Yeosang’s homes, setting it up. Hongjoong and Yunho arrived in the morning, bringing with them a gift of a delicate Pearl ring for San and a pair of Ruby drop earrings for Yeosang. 

Yeosang had told them it was fine but Hongjoong wouldn't hear it, wanting to honor the tradition of exchanging birthstones, as well as making sure the Ruby earrings would compliment the Topaz locket Yeosnag already had. 

Both Yeosang and San had teared up a little at the way the two stones complimented each other. 

Hongjoong had looked pleased with himself.

Yeosang stands outside of his garden, gathering the last of his nerves. He knew he was ready for this and he was doing the right thing. San and all their friends were waiting for him. 

Just as he is about to step into the garden and walk down the makeshift aisle, he hears the rustling of trees. He looks over to the woods and sees a shadow. Yeosang gets curious and steps closer to the edge of the woods. 

He lets out a gasp when a fox appears through the trees. Foxes were rare in their little town, their appearance was almost unheard of. The bright orange fur stands out in the dark and Yeosang is mesmerised but what catches Yeosang’s attention is the fox's eyes. They had a familiar playful shine to them. 

The same playful look Wooyoung used to give him. 

Yeosang’s breath gets caught in his throat as the fox gets closer to him. Those familiar eyes definitely belonged to Wooyoung. The fox bows at him before tilting Its head at Yeosang as if asking Yeosang what he was waiting for. The fox looks at him as if telling him it is okay. 

What was he waiting for?

Yeosang looks towards his garden. San was there, waiting for him. Yeosang smiles at the thought and finally takes a step toward his garden. The fox nudges him and Yeosang looks back. He feels tears threatening to fall as he realises the fox is giving him away, a final farewell, and although Yeosang cannot say for sure whether the fox is indeed Wooyoung or Wooyoung’s spirit in some form, this feels like an ending. 

The fox holds his gaze for a while before it finally turns and slips back into the forest before disappearing into the night. Yeosang stands there for a moment, letting the tears fall. He had never hoped for closure but he felt like this was it and he had not only gotten closure, but also Wooyoung’s blessing. 

He feels a sense of calm settle over him so with a deep breath, he wipes away the tears before walking into the garden. San’s face instantly lights up when he sees Yeosang. The Werewolf visibly gets giddy and Yeosang can’t help but let out a giggle. 

“Ready?” San asks once Yeosang stands before him.

“Ready,” Yeosang says with a nod.

“Very well,” Hongjoong says as he steps up towards them with a red piece of silk. He gives one end to San and the other to Yeosang. They both wrap the ends of the silk around their hands and then look at Hongjoong who nods. “I believe everything is in place,” he adds once all the ceremonial candles are lit. 

Yeosang’s heart starts pounding as Hongjoong’s words disappear into the night. San is looking at him with so much fondness, joy, and excitement, that Yeosang can’t help but look forward to a future with San. 

Under the moonlight, surrounded by their closest friends, Yeosang and San promise to love each other for the rest of their immortal lives.

“Yeosang…” San says, his voice shaking a little from nerves. “I know we didn’t have the best of starts and we have spent countless hours laughing over it now but from the very beginning, I knew there was something about you and I just couldn’t leave you be. I think the universe wants me by your side and every day I am grateful it brought me to you.”

Seonghwa aws. 

Mingi elbows him. 

“I’ll stay by your side, through the good and the bad, for as long as you’ll have me.”

Yeosang has to wipe the tears away again. He feels like all he has done on this wonderful day is cry. 

“I’ll always have you, San,” Yeosang promises before clearing his throat. “I think for a long time I had been just…here. I didn’t have much of a motivation, a purpose but you, Choi San, you barged into my quiet, guarded life and showed me that it is worth having something to look forward to, something to care for…someone to love.”

Yunho blows into the issue he had been holding.

Hongjoong breaks away from being the officiant to hold Yunho’s hand. 

Jongho looks away to pretend he isn’t emotional. 

“You’re my someone to love, San-ah,” Yeosang whispers and San smiles. 

“I love you,” San whispers once Hongjoong has pronounced them bonded

“I love you too, San,” Yeosang says. “Now and for as long as our immortal lives permit.”

San smiles as he cups Yeosang’s face.

“And beyond,” he whispers before pressing his lips against Yeosang’s. 

Yeosang easily melts into the kiss as their friend aw over them. A kiss that promised a lifetime together and Yeosang couldn’t be happier.

Notes:

Comments and kudos are appreciated.

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